Written purely for my own enjoyment and to get myself writing again. Unedited.
Safe Haven greets with a chilling warmth. I lean heavily against the cool stone wall, catching my breath. The weight of the war rests heavily on my shoulders as I try to find a moment of calm. I bring my hand up and wipe my face—only to leave more of a mess than I'm sure was there to begin with.
I open my eyes and see blood on my hands. The blood of my mother's people. The same blood that runs through my veins. Bloody blue handprints stain the wall where my hands were.
A short man comes to stand beside me. He leans against the wall in the same fashion that I just was. His thick oily curls are caked in mud and hanging down past his face, hiding his features from my view.
My heart skips at the similarity to Xander's height and his own curls. I force myself to look away from the man while praying that by some chance it might be him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him pull away from the wall. A bloody red handprint dries silver next to my own blue handprint. My head jerks in his direction.
His eyes widen at seeing me. He hesitantly reaches out for me. I pull him into me, pulling his head up toward mine. His hand weaves into my hair, pulling my neck down to his height and resting my head against his own.
My eyes fall closed as I relish in this single moment of mirth. I shove every other thought away and allow myself to just be happy that Xander is alive.
"You idiot," I whisper with a smile.
"I missed you too." He grins up at me, tilting his head to meet my eyes.
His long eyelashes leave butterfly kisses on my skin.
Tagging because you seemed interested: @lyra-brie @another-white-hole