Kindred Spirits

Chapter Fifteen: Kindred Spirits

~ o ~

Inspired by Illenium's Only One and Nina Sung's beautiful voice.

~ o ~

Even though I made all of the arrangements for the two of them to sing, I still couldn't believe that I got her to agree. It took a little digging and a bit of hacking, but I managed to alter the list to get them both on the board. I had no idea that Aiden was that good of a singer and an even better guitarist...but after hearing the Spider sing twice in the shower, I knew that it could be the way for her to let him know how she feels about him.

It was plain and obvious to me that she cared deeply for him, even before she learned how to feel again. At first, it was probably because she relied on him for her own survival, something that she hadn't done with anyone before she became a member of Talon. As far as I could tell, Reyes and her were a team but they still worked alone for the most part. While he went up close and personal, she would always stay hidden and reliably take anyone down. Seeing her now, I found it difficult to believe that those same hands used to kill people for a living a few months ago. And now here she was...stepping up to a stage to sing.

"You've really come a long way amiga...I'm happy for you."

She made her way to the live band once Aiden stepped off and after about a minute of talking, she turned to the microphone. She looked very nervous...which wasn't something I was used to seeing considering how strong of a woman she ordinarily was. Ever since she got that heart transplant, she's practically transformed. Perhaps this was what she was like before all of this happened...or maybe it was because she was clearly in love once again. I remembered seeing a picture of Gerard in a room that we stayed in together during a mission a couple years back. He seemed like a nice guy...but for some reason, quite a hardass when it came to his work. I could only assume at that point however; asking her anything about him back then would've probably resulted in a bullet going through my eye.

The announcer approached the live band and after a few moments of talking, she turned back to the audience.

"Ms. Eclair has decided to sing a very touching song. Though it is ordinarily a dubstep song, she has opted for a piano cover done by our live band. She will be singing Illenium's Only One!"

My eyes widened.

"That's...that's the song I heard her singing..."

The band's pianist began to play a very soothing melody, with other members helping with an ambient beat. It took about fifteen seconds before they she opened her mouth to sing.

"I guess I'll be the first to say it...I haven't felt this good in a while. You tell me I'm the only one that they would all like. But you're the only one that kept me alive..."

I couldn't believe how beautiful her voice was, even more so than when I heard her the first time. I knew from her reputation that she was an excellent ballet dancer, but I didn't think for a moment that she would be a great singer.

"You are the only one...you are the only one who kept me alive. You are the only one that was on my side. You are the only one who kept me alive."

The audience began to cheer loudly as a short instrumental followed her words. I could tell from the look on her face that she was trying desperately to keep her heart under control, which was likely the reason why she kept her eyes closed for just about all of the song so far. She probably didn't want to lose her composure in front of Aiden, who I was positive was smiling and crying his eyes out; even a stone-cold baddass like him had to have an appreciation for talent like this.

"Even after all this time...fear can grip me at night. But somehow, somewhere you make me believe. I could see it in your eyes."

She paused to take a breath before opening her eyes, finding Aiden in the crowd and smiling.

"So take me as your breathing proof. For everything you've ever done for me."

I noticed that her face gradually softened as she smiled.

"I won't lie and fear no more. I hope you realize...you kept me alive."

She repeated the chorus, now allowing her body to move with the music, her face now losing all of the anxiety it had before. I then glanced over to where Aiden was, to see that he was smiling and just as I predicted, tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"You saw my insides from the outside. You saw a chance, gave me truth so I survived. You saw my insides from the outside. Took a chance, gave me proof without a goodbye and now here I am just happy to be alive!"

She held the note for a good four seconds, shocking everyone listening...especially Aiden. The crowd already erupted into praise and as she let the note ease back to her normal tone, I saw just how passionate her eyes looked. At the start of this song...she looked terrified, much in the same way she did when she finished the surgery and felt a real heartbeat for the first time in over a decade.

After repeating the chorus softly one more time, the entire restaurant lit up with applause with the announcer herself clapping as well.

"That was amazing Ms. Eclair. Please! Let her feel welcome here at the Nine Dragons!"

I laughed softly to myself as she stepped off of the stage. After ensuring that no one was around me, I reverted all of the security system's settings before looking down at the guard I knocked out earlier. I removed the dart from his neck and poked his nose.

"Thanks for being a sport amigo. I hopefully just bridged the gap my friends have need to get across for the past few weeks."

I lifted him into his chair before slapping his cheek a few times. Once he began to come to, I blew him a kiss and activated my translocator.

"Hasta Luego!"

~ o ~

Two Hours Later- Aiden's Apartment

"Come on amigo! I'm ready for more!" cheered Sombra.
"Not after drinking ten shots of tequila you're not." replied Aiden.

I laughed softly to myself as he continued to carry our drunken hacker over his shoulder. She then turned to me, feigning sadness.

"Come on Spider! Make him stop! He's no fun!" she groaned.
"I'm not fully sober myself and I had much more than you...you should stop while you're still conscious." I teased.

She pouted childishly as I opened the door to the room she was staying in. After Aiden deposited her on the bed, he turned to me.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I laughed, shaking my head.

"We just drank ourselves into a stupor...and I'm just barely getting over it." I replied.

He turned back to Sombra, who was trying to remove her violet dress even though she couldn't reach the zipper.

"Can someone unzip me!" she cried.

I snickered to myself.

"Alright. Help her get comfortable. I'll make some tea."

He made himself scarce as I turned to my drunken friend, who was laughing almost hysterically. I rolled my eyes as I helped Sombra out of her violet dress, ignoring her protests that it was too hot knowing full well that she would probably catch a cold with the air conditioning as low as it was. After spending several hours with her helping me get dressed for the date, not to mention trying on numerous different kinds of underwear with her at the mall...it didn't bother me much to see her in only her bra and panties. I ensured she was stable as she got into her sleepwear, which was comprised of long pink cotton pants and a matching, buttoned long sleeved shirt. I then helped her remove all of her makeup, which thankfully wasn't much because she was never one to wear a lot of it. Afterwards, once she made herself comfortable in the bed, she snickered.

"You sang for him. That was the most adorable thing I've ever seen." she teased.

I rolled my eyes as I reached to turn off the lamp.

"Get some rest; you're not going to enjoy the morning when you wake up." I said.

As I turned to leave, I felt her grab my hand immediately.

"Wait...I have to say something before you go." she said.

I turned back to her, raising an eyebrow.

"...What made you choose that song?" she asked.

I had to pause for a moment to think about my answer, even more so because I was still trying to sober up from all the drinks I had earlier. I let out a deep breath.

"I guess...because it relates to everything he's done for me. He didn't have to help me...and he definitely didn't have to keep helping me even when I no longer needed it." I replied.
"Still have no idea of what you feel for him?"

I smiled, shaking my head confidently as I felt heat rush to my cheeks.

"...No. I'm sure of my feelings now."

After everything that happened tonight...I knew for sure that what I felt was real.

"Then don't keep him in suspense..."

She laid down, giving me a suggestive wink before turning her back to me. Sighing deeply at her words, I shut the door before heading downstairs.

...

Surely enough, Aiden was sitting on the couch in the living room, with a glass coffee table in front of him with a steaming pot of tea. He drank more than both of us, but he seemed unfazed by it all. Then again, his super soldier body probably had a much higher tolerance of alcohol than ours did. I joined him on the couch as he handed me a cup of the tea. Judging from the smell, it was ginseng.

"Is she alright?" he asked.
"She's not going to wake up happy...that's for sure." I replied with a soft laugh.

He snickered before taking another gulp of tea from his own cup.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" he asked.

I nodded with a confident smile.

"It's the most fun I've had in more than a decade." I replied.
"I'm glad you did...though I'm sorry about Sombra getting so drunk and forcing us to leave early." he said.

I shook my head.

"No need to apologize...it was actually quite amusing to see her like that." I replied.

I finished the cup of tea before thinking back to Sombra's words. After taking a few moments to gather my thoughts, I placed the cup down. As if he sensed my intent to speak, he did the same, giving me undivided attention with those ever so observant crimson orbs of his.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

I let out a heavy breath before nodding.

"...I want to ask you something Aiden. And I want you to be honest with me." I began.

My eyes narrowed as I suddenly begin to feel doubt settle inside of me. He however, gave me a reassuring nod.

"...What do you see in me?"

He didn't break eye contact for a few moments...but he turned away and let out a sigh.

"We're kindred spirits Amélie. I guess after spending all of this time with you, not to mention everything we've endured these past few months...I've really grown to love the person you are." he replied.

He looked back at me, now looking slightly nervous as he laughed.

"I guess it's sort of ironic...considering that you're supposed to be the polar opposite of the person you were all those years ago." he continued.
"What do you mean?"

He shook his head.

"You weren't supposed to break out of your reconditioning...for all intents and purposes, you were supposed to be Widowmaker for the rest of your life or until Talon saw it fit to cut you loose." he replied.

I nodded slowly, now beginning to see his perspective clearly. He drew in another breath.

"I wasn't able to spend time with you before because we only saw each other whenever Gerard invited Lisa and I on a double date...or the handful of times we had a conversation while our significant others were elsewhere and we were in the food court of the mall or sitting on a bench." he explained.

I began to recall those memories, remembering one particular trip to the mall where Aiden and I ended up sitting at a coffee shop while Gerard went to attend to some business and Lisa took Nicole to get a stuffed animal. I remembered how much Aiden was able to make me laugh, despite me knowing almost nothing about him back then.

He then laughed softly, evidently remembering something similar to what I was recalling.

"It's surreal...I didn't think for a moment that we would be here right now. That we would've survived everything we've been through. I honestly thought I would've met my end a long time ago..."

He held my hand with both of his.

"And yet here we are...but I'm avoiding the subject aren't I?"

His grip tightened.

"You've given me a purpose in this life. At first, I did my best not to see you in that light...because of what Gerard was to me." he explained.

For some reason, I felt some sort of pain within me...as if him merely mentioning my husband's name triggered something inside.

"...I've always considered you one of my closest friends Amélie...which is why it was so difficult for me to even think of doing something like this because the last thing I want...is to lose what we have."

He closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath.

"My answer is that I'll always be there for you...regardless of how things go between us. Till the day I die, I'll always be at your disposal if I can help it." he explained.

Though I was genuinely touched by his dedication...I felt that he still wasn't being completely truthful with me. I then placed my free hand on his, jolting him from his train of thought.

"...Is that the true extent of how you feel?" I asked.

I looked him deep in the eyes to see that he was still hesitant...but after a few moments, he steeled himself and nodded.

"My honest answer...is that I care for you. Deeply. Likely more than I have a right to..."

His grip tightened even more.

"You're a beautiful woman Amélie. Both inside and out...I don't think there are enough words that I could come up with to tell you how amazing you are. You've handled everything so well and with such resilience...that it really makes me wish that I could've done something to stop you from getting kidnapped all those years ago; only Talon could be cruel enough to taint a soul like yours." he continued.

He looked away, clearly attempting to get his racing heart under control.

"...What draws me to you the most is the sense of comfort you give me. When I'm with you, I feel as if I can be myself...without worrying about staying in control or being distrustful."

He raised one of his hands and gently caressed my cheek, causing me to blush profusely and my heart rate to triple.

"And then there's the way you smile. I've seen many of them in my lifetime...but not a single one is as pure and heart-warming as yours."

I could see the intent in his eyes...but he still refused to give in. Even now, his unending concern for me continued to overtake his own desires.

So I did what came naturally.

I placed my hand on his cheek and smiled.

"...Kiss me." I whispered.

He seemed very shocked at my request, but I gave him an adamant stare.

"...I want to believe that everything I feel for you is real...and the only way I'll know for sure is if you kiss me Aiden. Please..." I pleaded.

He tried to turn away, but I turned his face back to mine.

"I care for you too...more deeply than I've cared for anyone else alive right now. I know in my heart that this didn't result from how grateful I am for everything that you've done for me."

I smiled.

"You're an incredible man...it's difficult to articulate you. You're just so many things...but there one thing I know for certain that I can call you..."

I immediately scooted closer to him, giving him no chance to back away.

"L'homme que j'ai grandi à aimer."

My words seemed to have broken the last of the barriers...and for the very first time, I saw something in his eyes.

"Vulnerability..."

He was a man who always seemed to have the answer to any given situation. The one who always remained standing no matter how difficult things were...but for once, I saw genuine fear in his eyes.

It was then that I understood the conflict within him.

It was never his feelings that were the problem; he was sure of those far before I was sure of mine...it was the possibility of losing everything. After everything we've done, after all the hard work we've done to keep our sanity, the last thing he wanted to happen was for me to disappear for any reason at all. It meant that if something happened between us...he would never want something to pry us apart.

Now finally understanding what was going through his head, I brought a hand to his cheek.

~ o ~

"Don't be afraid Aiden...I'm not going anywhere."

Just as she did in my dream...she inched closer to me. However, it wasn't at all filled with rage or irritation...but was now truly sincere. Unlike before, there was no conflict in her eyes. There was no more malice...no more hatred. The reconditioning had finally given way and the same woman I met all those years ago had returned to stay.

I recalled everything I felt throughout the night, especially the awe I was in when I saw her come out of the car. I had seen many women in my lifetime, but not a single one of them compared to how beautiful Amélie looked in that dress of hers. I didn't for a moment imagine her in an oriental dress, but she wore it so well that it made every other woman at that place completely irrelevant. The dress hugged her body just enough to allow me to see her curves and contours, but not close enough to make it the real star of the show, which was her face. There were times I wanted to look away, but my body refused to grant me the moment's reprieve of not staring. She had somehow managed to make her hair look natural with the dark chocolate brown she dyed it...and if I didn't know better, I would've thought it was her natural color. The half-up half-down hairstyle was also something that was both genius and stunning...I was so used to seeing her with a ponytail that I didn't for a moment think she could pull that style off. She didn't even need make up...but she applied a little foundation and wore purple lipstick.

All of that combined with the amazing performance she put on with her song...if I wasn't head over heels for her before, I certainly was now. The song touched my heart and she caused me to cry genuine tears of joy for the first time since the day I married Lisa.

"...Maybe it really is okay..."

I was still hesitant...but I knew that if I stopped to think, I would ruin the moment and most likely, the entire night. So I did the only thing I could think of.

I captured her lips with mine. She flinched slightly at the initial contact but she slowly closed her eyes and allowed herself to kiss back, her hands now reaching to grab fistfuls of my shirt. I responded by lifting her into my lap, though she immediately pressed her weight down, causing me to sink down to the couch. It started as a very passionate kiss, but once she broke away for some much needed air, I noticed how pink her face looked. Her ocean eyes now appearing almost drunk with the hormones that were going through her body. I smiled at her as I allowed my hands to rest on her waist. In response, she kissed me again, this time with a much more feverish approach. Her grip on my shirt tightened, her strong legs locked in place around my body and her breathing became frantic.

Evidently, she thought about doing this for a while.

I did my best to keep up with her, but I could barely keep my senses straight. She smelled like peppermints, somehow managing to maintain the very same scent she walked into the casino with several hours ago despite having drank a lot of alcohol. Her body provided a welcome source of heat in the cold night air...and her skin felt as smooth as silk. Even though she's only had her new heart for a short time...her body adjusted to it well. Before, her skin felt as cold as ice at times and the rapid heartbeats I heard right now were nowhere to be found.

This was really happening...she was really here in my arms. Not in my dreams or in a distant thought...

The kiss quickly escalated into a frenzied liplock as we both tried to get as much of each other as we could...until I managed to break away to get some air. She was driving me insane with her lips and thus far, unparalleled kissing skill. Not a single person came close to her...not even Lisa.

I immediately sat up, being careful not to cause her to fall off of me as I pressed my forehead against hers.

"...I've wanted to do that for a long time." she whispered.
"Same here." I replied.

I looked into her eyes to see that they were still dilated. I then picked her up into my arms. She responded by wrapping her arms around my neck and surprisingly enough, relaxing. I knew how much she hated being carried...but she for once didn't seem to mind at all. I took her upstairs and into the bedroom. She didn't stop staring at me, her eyes still drunk with bliss. After setting her down on the bed, I didn't even get a chance to change into my sleepwear before she pulled me right back on top of her. Another intense minute passed until I forced myself to break away from her, now feeling the hormones within me reach a boiling point. The last thing I wanted to do was to rush this...so I let out a heavy breath and gave her an apologetic look as I got to my feet. She seemed a little confused, but the reluctant look on my face seemed to let her know what was going through my head.

"...I'm sorry. I just don't want to rush things..." I sighed.

She shook her head and smiled at me.

"...It doesn't help that you're such a good kisser either."

She laughed softly and blushed at my compliment.

"You're...decent." she teased.

I rolled my eyes before reaching into the drawer behind me and pulling out my sleepwear.

"I'll be right back." she whispered.

I nodded as she left the room, most likely to change into her own sleepwear. After I was comfortable, I laid down in my bed and let out a deep sigh of relief...though my conscience continued to plague me.

"...I just kissed...and nearly had sex with my best friend's wife..."

She returned within two minutes, now wearing a violet nightgown that reached just a little past her thighs with black straps. I could see that she was wearing a black bra underneath it...and it was difficult to keep myself from staring too much and going right back into the same state I was in a few minutes ago. She got into the bed with me, her eyes never leaving mine as she scooted towards me. I responded by allowing her to turn her back to me and wrapping both my arms around her waist. She let out a breath of comfort, indicating that she really liked it when I did that. After giving her a kiss on the back of her neck, I closed my eyes to sleep.

"...You're right Aiden."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She turned around to face me and gave me an appreciative smile.

"We really are kindred spirits..."