Team Reforged; Power and Overpower
Copyright© 2026 by FozzieBare
Chapter 14: This Kiss? Unthinkable.
For approximately three seconds, Amy Williamson was the happiest person alive. Then her brain caught up with her.
“Oh God.”
Adrian was still staring at her. That made it worse.
“Oh God.”
She backed up. Someone was behind her. Cass. Amy turned the other way. Reuben had somehow appeared there.
“Move.”
“Nope.”
“Reuben.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I need to go.”
Cass looked at her.
“Where?”
Amy opened her mouth. Nothing came out.
“I need air.”
“You are in an arena,” Reuben pointed out.
“Then different air.”
She tried another direction. Natalia stepped into it. Amy stared at her.
“You too?”
Natalia looked sympathetic.
“Yes.”
“What the fuck is wrong with all of you?”
“Amy,” Cass said gently, “there are about thirty cameras looking for you right now.”
That stopped her. Amy glanced toward the edge of the stage. Every camera operator in the building had apparently decided that the championship trophy was no longer the most interesting thing happening. One moved left. Tex moved left. Another crouched. Henry stepped in front of him. A third tried shooting between two team members.
Corbin lifted both arms and somehow managed to block the angle while looking completely innocent. The circle tightened. Not around Amy. Between Amy and everyone else.
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” Cass said.
Amy swallowed.
“I kissed him.”
“Yep.”
“I kissed Adrian.”
“Also yep.”
“In front of everybody.”
Reuben considered.
“Technically several thousand everybodies.”
Cass glared at him.
“Not helping.”
“Right. Sorry.”
Amy made it to the corner of the stage before her legs decided they’d completed their responsibilities for the day. She sat and folded slightly forward, breathing much too fast. Cass sat beside her, Natalia crouched in front of her, and Becky appeared with water. Nobody laughed. Nobody teased. Not yet.
“Amy.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re hyperventilating.”
“I AM breathing.”
“Slower would be nice.”
Amy took a breath. Then another. It did not help much.
“I don’t know why I did that.”
Reuben leaned against the wall nearby.
“I have a theory.”
Cass pointed at him.
“No.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything bad.”
“No.”
“Fine.”
Across the stage, Adrian finally moved toward them. Marcus intercepted him.
“Not yet.”
Adrian stopped.
“Why?”
Marcus glanced toward Amy.
“Because she currently has three people keeping her from achieving escape velocity.”
Adrian looked at her. Amy was staring very intently at the floor.
“Is she okay?”
“She will be.”
“I should talk to her.”
“You should.”
Marcus paused.
“But first, you and I need to talk.”
Adrian looked at him.
“About what?”
Marcus stared. Adrian waited. Marcus sighed.
“It’s time, Adrian.”
“For what?”
“The talk.”
Adrian’s confusion deepened. Marcus closed his eyes briefly.
“Truth be told, I’ve been expecting this talk. Waiting for it. Dreading it.”
“Huh?”
Marcus looked at him again.
“Adrian.”
“Marcus.”
“Amy.”
“What about Amy?”
Marcus closed his eyes again.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Adrian blinked.
“What?”
Marcus pointed toward the corner.
“She just kissed you in front of several thousand people.”
“I noticed!”
“Good. I was beginning to wonder.”
Adrian glanced toward Amy again. Marcus lowered his voice.
“I’m not telling you not to date her.”
Adrian looked back so quickly Marcus almost laughed.
“Date her?”
“Yes, Adrian.”
“Marcus, I don’t even know what just happened.”
“I know.”
“She kissed me.”
“Yes.”
“In front of everybody.”
“I was there.”
“I didn’t know she was going to do that.”
“I am also aware of this.”
Adrian stared at him. Marcus let the silence sit for a moment. Then his expression softened.
“Adrian. You two care for each other.”
Adrian started to answer. Marcus raised a hand.
“Not as friends.”
That stopped him.
“You have that. Absolutely. But you have more than that.”
Marcus glanced toward Amy.
“She didn’t kiss you because of the title.”
A pause.
“Although, as you would accurately put it, I’m sure that didn’t suck.”
Despite himself, Adrian almost smiled. Marcus continued. “She kissed you because she was having the best moment of her life.”
“And you were there for her.”
Marcus held his eyes.
“Like you’ve been there for her ever since she signed on.”
Something moved in Adrian’s chest. Marcus took a breath.
“So now I have to ask you the question. Straight up. Before anyone gets hurt.”
He paused.
“Do you love Amy?”
Adrian’s brain stopped working for the second time that afternoon. The kiss. Not the one from thirty seconds ago. Although that too. Amy in his arms months earlier, hurting so badly that he had been afraid there were no words capable of reaching her.
We have your back.
Amy furious. Amy laughing. Amy swearing. Amy flying Furiosa like violence had become an art form. Amy sitting beside him in a recovery room. Do you think we will win? Not can win. Will win.
Yes.
The kiss again. Not because they had won. Because she had been happy and he had been the person she wanted to share it with. Ten seconds passed. Maybe more. Marcus waited. Adrian looked toward Amy. Then back. He sighed.
“Yes.”
Marcus said nothing. Adrian swallowed.
“Yeah.”
He took another breath.
“I do.”
Marcus nodded.
“Good.”
Adrian blinked.
“Good?”
“Go tell her that.”
Adrian looked toward the corner again.
“She’s scared out of her mind.”
“I know.”
“Be gentle.”
Marcus paused.
“And don’t let her run.”
Adrian looked sharply at him.
“Marcus, I don’t want her to run.”
Marcus smiled.
“Then show it.”
A beat.
“Like you always do.”
Adrian stood there for another second. Then walked toward Amy. The Reforged defensive perimeter noticed him coming. Reuben stepped aside. Cass did not. She looked at Adrian. He nodded. Whatever she saw in his face apparently satisfied her. She moved. Adrian knelt beside Amy.
“Hey, Ames. You okay?”
Amy looked at him. Then immediately looked away.
“Adrian, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I don’t know what...”
“I’m not sorry.”
Amy stopped.
“You ... what?”
“I’m not sorry.”
She stared at him. Adrian smiled slightly.
“Thank you for making the move, Ames.”
Amy’s mouth opened. Nothing came out.
“I didn’t understand.”
He took a breath.
“I do.”
Another.
“And I agree.”
Amy stared at him.
“You agree?”
Adrian winced.
“That sounded better in my head.”
A tiny sound escaped her. Half laugh. Half sob.
“You think?”
“Yeah.”
The panic had not disappeared from her face. But it had cracked. Just enough. Adrian reached for her hand. Amy let him take it.
“Ames.”
She looked at him.
“Marcus asked me a question.”
“Oh God.”
“That was approximately my reaction.”
“What did he ask?”
Adrian hesitated only long enough to realize he did not need to.
“He asked if I love you.”
Amy froze. Everything else around them seemed to stop with her. Adrian squeezed her hand.
“I said yes.”
Her eyes filled instantly.
“Ames?”
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