[dated to July 30]

[poison_lipstick]

Yesterday, they'd finally come back up from Rapture, and Saffron had wanted nothing more than to lock herself away with her boyfriend and get caught up in him, for a long, long time. Even they needed to eat, though, and so today she'd left him to enjoy an afternoon nap at home while she went to pack up a basket dinner for them to bring back from

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[whoneedsadream]

It wasn't an exaggeration at all to say that Anatoly was dead tired. Once Lex had come back, he hadn't let him go and it was only because they both needed to eat that he had torn himself away from their hut and gone up to the compound to bring them back something that would be filling and yet also travel well.

Upon seeing Helen, he smiled widely and crossed the room to give her a warm hug. She had taken care of Lex and brought him home safely - just for that alone, he would be willing to do anything for her.

"I can't thank you enough," he murmured. "I don't think I can ever thank you enough."

[poison_lipstick]

And there was one of the very people she was thinking about visiting. Saffron's smile was immediate and warm when she saw Anatoly, and she returned his hug tightly. "You don't need to," she assured him softly, her eyes hot. "I'll always keep him safe, I promised you that." And she did it as much for herself as for Anatoly, for true. She didn't want to be on the island without Lex.

[whoneedsadream]

No matter what Helen said, Anatoly was going to find a way to thank her - even if it meant spending the rest of his life here trying to find something appropriately wonderful enough. It would be worth it because both he and Lex would be utterly lost without her.

"Are you all right? Lex didn't tell me very much but I gathered that it was not a very easy time down there for anyone."

[poison_lipstick]

"I'm all right, honey," Saffron promised, her arms tightening around Anatoly once more before she released him. "Just a few bumps and bruises. We both managed to walk out of there this time around."

She let out a slow breath, looking off into the middle distance for a moment. "No, it wasn't. It's an interesting place, Rapture, but overall not very pleasant. Especially not when you're stuck there for nine days."