Symboisi
A lesson in language
There's something about his voice that causes Artemis to cease whatever she was doing in favor of hearing it more clearly. In Kaldur's hand is an Atlantean textbook, with a cover that is scribbled with shapes and curves that Artemis is unfamiliar of. His atlantean tongue spill out of his lips gently and softly as he reads aloud. He speaks in a such rich and rhythmic manner, without a stutter nor mispronunciation present, that the foreign sounds of the language are made more natural for her to hear. By this she is enraptured. No one could speak as alluring as he. She supposes that she has been staring at him, perhaps a little bit too long, for he turns to her with question.
"Pardon. Was I reading too loudly for your liking?" He offers an apologetic smile.
Yet, she didn't want him to stop. Not when he started such an captivating thing going.
"No, it's fine. Continue." She assures him.
He nods, unsure upon her request, but does as she wished. Peace resumes.
...
It was after their most recent mission when she popped the question. They were left alone, as everyone else retreated to their own quarters- with the exception of robin of course. The little bird returned to Gotham, citing that crime never sleeps there.
"Could you read the book aloud? The one from the other day?"
He spares her a quizzical look, unsure how to reply. The mask of confusion was thick and left trails of question marks scattered over Kaldur's thoughts. He had to remind himself that she was at times whimsical and spontaneous before deciding to finally humor her. He agreed after a minute's pause, retrieving the text from his own quarters. They sit themselves beside one another in the main room of the cave as Kaldur opens the book and begins to read.
At first, she was silently listening to him word for word, hanging on with baited breath, alternating between switching her gaze at the scribbles of ink and his mouth. The real distractions comes in when she begins to lean in closer, with her eyes strained to the pages. She interrupts, asking what this word means or what that word stood for. She squints with her brows downturned, daring to believe that the odd assortment of curves and its peculiar pronunciation devised a language. Her eyes darted to and fro the pictures and words, trying to tie the knot and make sense of the both of them. Her fingers trace the ink, occasionally brushing over his. Their thighs touch lightly. He found that he could not rule-out any of these physical contacts as unpleasant.
She stopped him as soon as he reached the end of the long paragraph, successfully surprising him twice that day with a second request.
"Could you teach me how to speak your language?"
...
Plunging into Kaldur's subconscious with M'gann wasn't something Artemis thought she would be doing five years prior. Then again, she had no intention of delving into anyone's mind for that matter. Or nearly drowning when making the attempt. If she were to be completely honest with herself, she finds herself embarrassingly unprepared for everything that's happening in the present. Its all so overwhelming- the scheme she got herself tangled in, the near death experience of being so close behind enemy lines and so far from the surface, the new identity tigress, the light's malevolent actions and lastly, Kaldur's fractured mind. Perfect. They all contrasted strongly with the easy going trifles and missions of five years prior and given her the extra rush of adrenaline and panic she felt she did not need. And when she finally encounters the faceless and lost leader, that's exactly what rushes through her veins and makes her blood run cold. He mumbles mostly to himself, barely giving the person beside him any recognition. She nearly shouts for him, asking for him to return back with her, providing him with the assurance of help. None of her words reached him.
"You cannot assist. I am beyond saving." He utters before conjuring a tempest to whisk himself away. She snatches his hands, gripping them firmly without the intention of letting go anytime soon. She tries her luck on a final attempt. Artemis would be lying to herself if she admitted on remaining interested in learning the strange language that Kaldur spoke; she dropped it four years ago. But another deceit would also be fabricated if she did not admit in learning a word or two.
"We could help you Kaldur! M'gann and I will fix everything with you!" Her brain racks in desperation, searching for the words to ultimately console him.
Together, she shouts, in a way that no one but he could understand.
Five years ago, she wouldn't believe that she learned a single word that Kaldur taught her. Five years later, she could hardly believed that she remembered one.
Her breath hitches when she feels him tugging back; there was perseverance left in him after all. Storm in his head ceased and his blank face is filled.
"Symbiosi." She repeats, urging him to stay. A flicker of recognition passes by Kaldur and he stares at her with gray eyes that look more alive than they have for a long time.
"Symbiosi." He murmurs, returning the strong grip that intertwined their hands together.