[dated to July 29]
By the time it was their turn to take the bathysphere up to the surface, Saffron was more than ready to be out of Rapture, and she had a feeling Lex felt the same way. It had been an exhausting several days, trapped down in that eerie city, and she was pretty sure she wasn’t going to be going back down there for a long, long while, provided the place stuck around, that was.
The last time she’d come out of an adventure with Lex, he’d had to carry her to the clinic. This time, they were both walking, her arm around his waist and his around her shoulders. They were both dirty and exhausted, and Saffron had a good deal of blood on her clothes, though none of it was hers, thankfully. Somehow, she’d gotten out with only a few bruises. Now, as she and Lex reached the top of the staircase that led to the bathysphere to Rapture, she scanned the crowd, her mind on one man only. She desperately needed a shower and sleep, but first, she needed him.
When Xander had heard people were returning from Rapture, he’d dropped his tools in their place at the construction site he was working on and ran off. He trusted one of the others would get them back to their box and returned to the Club but right now, the only thing he could think about was Helen. He tried desperately not to think of the space station, when she’d been broken in Luthor’s arms, even as he still hadn’t forgiven the other man for it.
He said ‘excuse me’ blindly as he pushed through the crowd, looking over and around people to see who was coming up next.
She spotted him as he made his way through the crowd, that tousled head of hair and that beloved face, and she only half heard Lex’s soft, amused ‘Go’ as he released her.
“Xander!” she cried, wanting to laugh and cry all at once as she broke into a run. She launched herself into his arms, heedless of how much of a mess she was as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and buried her face in his neck. They were surrounded by people, but right then, the only person who existed for Saffron was him.
It was only because he was Helen’s best friend that Xander even spared Luthor a glance. Seeing that he was standing on his own two feet, he was pushed completely from Xander’s mind as he swept Helen up in his arms and held her tightly. He didn’t care if she was dirty, he didn’t want to ever let her go. After the space station and this...it was going to be a while before he’d be comfortable even letting her out of his sight.
“Oh god Helen....” He said hoarsely into her hair, his throat choked up with tears of relief. “You’re okay....You’re really okay.”
“I’m okay,” she said in a wavering voice. The tears started to flow at the sound of his voice, her arms tightening around him. “I’m fine, I promise, barely a scratch. Oh, baby, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry I made you worry again, all this time.” She turned her head slightly and brushed her lips against his neck, worked her way along his jaw to his cheek. “I missed you so much.”
“You’re back and you’re okay....that’s all that matters.” Xander said through his own tears as he held her as tightly as he could. As she made her way up, he ducked his head and met her halfway as he could kiss her, deeply and lovingly, as he’d wanted to do for days and couldn’t.
Saffron’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of Xander’s tears, and she whimpered softly against his lips as she returned his kiss with a fierce tenderness she felt all the way to her toes. She’d missed him desperately, had needed him so much while they’d been apart, and now she wasn’t interested in giving an inch of space between their bodies.
The last time she’d come out of an adventure with Lex, he’d had to carry her to the clinic. This time, they were both walking, her arm around his waist and his around her shoulders. They were both dirty and exhausted, and Saffron had a good deal of blood on her clothes, though none of it was hers, thankfully. Somehow, she’d gotten out with only a few bruises. Now, as she and Lex reached the top of the staircase that led to the bathysphere to Rapture, she scanned the crowd, her mind on one man only. She desperately needed a shower and sleep, but first, she needed him.
When Xander had heard people were returning from Rapture, he’d dropped his tools in their place at the construction site he was working on and ran off. He trusted one of the others would get them back to their box and returned to the Club but right now, the only thing he could think about was Helen. He tried desperately not to think of the space station, when she’d been broken in Luthor’s arms, even as he still hadn’t forgiven the other man for it.
He said ‘excuse me’ blindly as he pushed through the crowd, looking over and around people to see who was coming up next.
She spotted him as he made his way through the crowd, that tousled head of hair and that beloved face, and she only half heard Lex’s soft, amused ‘Go’ as he released her.
“Xander!” she cried, wanting to laugh and cry all at once as she broke into a run. She launched herself into his arms, heedless of how much of a mess she was as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and buried her face in his neck. They were surrounded by people, but right then, the only person who existed for Saffron was him.
It was only because he was Helen’s best friend that Xander even spared Luthor a glance. Seeing that he was standing on his own two feet, he was pushed completely from Xander’s mind as he swept Helen up in his arms and held her tightly. He didn’t care if she was dirty, he didn’t want to ever let her go. After the space station and this...it was going to be a while before he’d be comfortable even letting her out of his sight.
“Oh god Helen....” He said hoarsely into her hair, his throat choked up with tears of relief. “You’re okay....You’re really okay.”
“I’m okay,” she said in a wavering voice. The tears started to flow at the sound of his voice, her arms tightening around him. “I’m fine, I promise, barely a scratch. Oh, baby, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry I made you worry again, all this time.” She turned her head slightly and brushed her lips against his neck, worked her way along his jaw to his cheek. “I missed you so much.”
“You’re back and you’re okay....that’s all that matters.” Xander said through his own tears as he held her as tightly as he could. As she made her way up, he ducked his head and met her halfway as he could kiss her, deeply and lovingly, as he’d wanted to do for days and couldn’t.
Saffron’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of Xander’s tears, and she whimpered softly against his lips as she returned his kiss with a fierce tenderness she felt all the way to her toes. She’d missed him desperately, had needed him so much while they’d been apart, and now she wasn’t interested in giving an inch of space between their bodies.