Kindred Solitude Chapter 8

After some time, Megan had left Blair's apartment, and Blair knew she had thrown her life out of the window, carelessly deciding to venture to Adam's apartment, and sit there. Remain defiant against the cold exterior of him. She avoided the glass on the floor, and walked in, perching on the arm rest of his couch. He didn't look, nor did she expect him too. Hell if he acknowledged her at all, that would something. 

He just sat there, occasionally swigging from a bottle of whiskey. Blair looked up at the ceiling, wondering if she should say something, or would that just make him hit her? She didn't know anymore. "Blair". His tone of voice was a clear warning against her being there, but she ignored it. "I don't know what to say Adam". He shouted back. "Then don't say anything!" She took a deep breath and stayed there, despite her better judgement and the overwhelming sense that he may physically move her from the room. She looked down and saw a small cog, figuring it must be from the remains of a clock that he had thrown. She picked it up, and flipped it between her fingers. What was she supposed to have done? Splatter Megan's brains across a wall? Badly beaten her and dragged her to Sarif? She did what she thought was right, let her live. Yes it got in her trouble, but she was no murderer. Unless it was for a job, and it had to be done, then she would kill.

Adam stood up and walked to the windows, looking out of them whilst Blair fiddled with the cog. She looked to Adam's side and saw a little baroque style clock that had it's glass broken, so she stood up, walked to it and picked it up. Sure enough, the small cog fitted into the back of it. She began to search for it's other parts. Adam ignored her, but was unsure of what he felt. He should be angry, hate Blair for what she had done. But if she had told him about her meeting up with Megan, would he have been able to stop himself? He wasn't so sure. He constantly pushed the younger agent away, but she came back, every time, her hazel eyes were red with crying, their salt stream never ending with his words. He thought her a fool at first, some young buck trying to fend off the hungry wolves, when in reality, she was still alive, despite the torture, betrayal of trust and violence at the hands of someone she loved. In that sense, Blair and he were alike. 

Their differences however, were many. She got all of her anger and resentment out whilst he kept it in. She stopped hating and started a new life, he hated almost everything and everyone and his new life he never even asked for. To be made into some mechanical freak, whilst she embraced her augments, even though hers were not visible. She stood tall, firm, whilst he wallowed in self pity. But how does one pick themselves up from death? He should be dead, not some glorified cyber 'superhero' at Sarif's command. He didn't ask for any of this, but if he wasn't alive today, who knows what Megan and Tyler would have done to the city, the world.

Adam downed some more whiskey and looked to the young woman, who was scouring the floor, finding more cogs and carefully picking up the glass with a cloth. "Blair?" She stood up and turned to him. "Yeah?" He walked to her, put the bottle on the table and held her, stunning her for a second. She tentatively put her arms around him, not wanting him to think that she was going to grasp onto him and never let him go. Whatever their kiss from a while ago was, this twisted, mangled thing that they had was not a relationship, but it was more than a friendship. "I'm sorry". Blair looked up at him and shook her head. "No, I'm the one who should be saying sorry. I should have told you about meeting up with Megan, but I didn't know how to say it. I thought no matter what I did, it would gauge a reaction from you, and I never meant to hurt you. I swear that". Now he looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. "I know. Megan should be a part of my past and that died with me after the raid. But she is still in there, and I can't forgive her lies". Blair moved away gently and picked up the bottle on the table. "Shall I get some more? I have a couple of bottles back at my place". She nodded and walked around him, but he pulled her back, cupping her jaw with one hand. Blair tilted her head at him before he lent down and kissed her. She let in his tongue, but it felt odd. Not like kiss should feel like, if felt cold, lifeless, lackluster and almost wrong. Still, she let it happen, and then walked away. 

As she got back to her apartment, instead of her heart fluttering, her stomach twisted in knots. She didn't love Adam, but she did feel something. It confused her, but she still grabbed some whiskey bottles, and walked back to his apartment. A lot of whiskey was drunk that night, and they just talked, like other people do, about all kinds of things. She showed him her entire weapon collection, he his clocks and weapon stash. They got on with each other, and for once, neither shouted, or got upset or angry. They were happy, well, as happy as anyone could be in their situation.

As Blair stumbled back to her apartment, feeling quite tipsy, she felt good, and not because of the copious amount of alcohol she had consumed, but because of him. The morning after, she knew that he may be back to himself, the man who let anger fester in his soul for so long. She should have run away, any sane person would have, but she decided that night that she would never give up on him again.