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Laura’s heart is in her throat as the screen goes black, the connection between Hyperion I and UBA lost. Her fingers fumble for her phone and she automatically pulls up Alex’s contact before forcing herself to exhale and remember that the blonde wouldn’t have it with her anyway.
On the monitor in front of her, Yanko and Christina are still trying to make contact with the shuttle. Laura has never been more grateful to not be sitting in the teacup next to Audra at this very moment as she calls Chuck, praying that he’ll answer his phone.
Voicemail.
She curses under her breath, drawing a concerned look from Gordon and YDA’s executive producer.
“They’re fine,” Gordon tries to placate her, but his attempts fall on deaf ears. “It’s just an issue with the feed. It happens in space sometimes, you know this.”
Laura isn’t sure how long it has been since they lost the feed, how many seconds or minutes have gone by. Panic clutches at her chest, fear settling deep in her bones.
“Laura, you’re on in two.”
She can barely hear the producer next to her as she stares up at the small, blank screen in the control room, her fingers clenched tightly around her phone as she prays for Alex to reappear.
“Laura.” Gordon’s voice is gentle, and his touch even softer. “You have to breathe. A rocket is not going to kill Alex Levy, especially one that’s shaped like a dick.”
Her eyes refuse to leave the screen showing The Morning Show, even as a choked off laugh claws its way up her throat at the thought of Alex’s face the first time she had seen the rocket.
‘Laur, you have to see this rocket.’ Alex fumbled with her phone as she flipped the camera around, and her view of the blonde anchor was suddenly one of the Hyperion shuttle. ‘Of course I have to go to space on a giant penis.’
And suddenly she can breathe again. Alex’s face is back in full view on the screen, the transmission coming through loud and clear as she broadcasts excitedly from orbit.
Laura drinks her in, her sparkling blue eyes, the form fitting space suit, the loose tendrils of perfectly highlighted hair that have escaped her ponytail and float around her face in zero gravity.
“Laura.” Gordon is by her side, tearing her focus away from Alex and back to the teacup. “You’re on in thirty seconds.”
The brunette takes one last glance up at Alex before steeling herself and heading to the teacup. Alex is fine. It was just a transmission error. She can breathe.
Laura is a professional, she can do this. The rest of the show passes in a blur. She doesn’t miss a beat, teeing up Audra perfectly as each story segues into the next.
When they finally get the all clear at the end of the show, she makes a beeline for her dressing room, shutting and locking the door behind her, not pausing for anyone.
She leans heavily against the door and exhales. Her chest is tight, her breath slow and shaky. In her hand, her phone vibrates. The small screen lighting up with an incoming FaceTime call. Alex Levy.
“How was your moonwalk?”
Alex’s responding laugh is warm and raspy, and Laura lets the sound wash over her. She was terrified she would never have the chance to hear it again.
She lets Alex ramble on about the beauty of the earth from the shuttle. The quietness and tranquility up in zero gravity, and the view on the way back down. Alex’s words are lost on her as she stares at the blonde, memorizing every last detail, the glint in her eyes, the twitch of her lips, the wispy strands of hair framing her face.
“You scared me,” Laura breathes, cutting Alex off. Her voice is soft as Alex goes silent on the other side of the call, a frown forming on her lips. “When the feed cut out. I thought something had happened. That I was never…”
“Oh, honey. I know.” Alex’s voice is gentle, apologetic. “I’m fine. We didn’t even know the feed had cut out until Mia was in my ear, asking for a status report.”
The brunette can feel the strain still gripping her body easing as Alex speaks, letting her words wash over her, a soothing balm. “I’ll be back in a few hours,” she continues, seeing the tension slowly draining from her partner’s body. “We’re just waiting for Bradley to come back from Del Rio. Then I’ll be home and you can see in person that I’m alright, not just through a little screen.”
Laura sighs, closing her eyes as she leans her head against the doorframe. They both know she’ll be counting down the minutes until Alex is safely in her arms. “Next time you go to space, I’m coming with you.”
Alex chuckles and Laura’s whole body heats up at the sound. “I’m holding you to that.”
“Bye Al, I love you.”
“I love you too, Laur. I’ll see you soon.”
It takes all of Laura’s willpower not to spend the next few hours pacing around her townhouse. Instead she takes Benny on a long walk through Central Park, breathing in the fresh air and tries to force herself to relax. They stop on the way home to pick up Alex’s favorite macarons from Ladurée, knowing the blonde has been avoiding them as a part of her training.
Alex still isn’t home and Laura is itching for something to do. Benny whines softly from his place on the couch, still tired from their walk.
She starts chopping vegetables for dinner, making sure the wine is at the correct temperature and the bath is ready to be drawn the moment the younger woman walks in the door.
Finally, the front door opens as the brunette is washing her hands and Alex walks in, a smile on her lips as she sets her bags down with visible relief. “Honey, I’m home.” Her tone is teasing, and her eyes sparkle as she meets Laura’s gaze with her own.
Laura’s hands are still wet as she crosses the room to pull Alex into her arms, the last bit of lingering tightness in her chest fading as she feels the blonde relax into her embrace.
“Never scare me like that again,” she murmurs, pressing a kiss to the crown of Alex’s head before pulling back to place a much longer kiss on her lips.
“Never,” Alex hums, breaking their kiss and pressing her lips to Laura’s jaw. She intertwines their fingers together, squeezing her partner’s hand gently. “I’m here Laur, I’m alive.”
“I know.” Laura’s voice cracks as she squeezes back. “I was in the control room at YDA watching you when everything went black. I- I, I can’t lose you Alex.”
“You’re not honey.” Alex murmurs, her eyes misty, as she feels the slight tremor running through the brunette’s body. “You’re not going to lose me. I survived Covid and Mitch. Do you really think a dick shaped rocket is going to take me down?” She buries her face into the crook of Laura’s neck, planting a dozen kisses to the soft skin. “You’re stuck with me, Peterson.”
Alex’s attempt at humor forces a dry chuckle from Laura’s lungs, and she brings their intertwined hands up to her mouth, letting her lips linger. Finally she pulls back, keeping their fingers laced together as she guides Alex towards the kitchen, gesturing towards the vegetables and the wine glasses all laid out. “I was thinking of a bath first, then dinner.”
The blonde lets out a soft noise of appreciation at the thought. “Paul Marks may have built a fucking rocket, but those seats are not comfortable.”
Laura’s lips twitch into a smirk at Alex’s dramatics as she grabs the bottle of wine she had picked out earlier from the wine fridge, opening it and pouring them each a glass. “I’ll let you say hi to Benny while I turn on the water.”
She heads into their ensuite to fill the tub and light the candles she had scattered around earlier, letting the water heat up to the perfect temperature before adding the rosehip bath oil and lightly-scented bubbles that Alex loved. She can faintly hear Alex talking to Benny in the other room, his collar jingling as she kisses and coos at him.
Alex’s soft footsteps make Laura look up from her task of getting the bath ready. The blonde is standing in the doorway, glass of wine in hand as she stares at her affectionately, taking in the lit candles and bubble bath. “I love you.” The words are soft, lingering in the air between them.
Alex makes her way over to Laura, setting her wineglass down as she leans up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around the older woman’s neck. “I love you,” she whispers against her mouth, barely brushing Laura’s lips with her own. Laura’s hands go to her waist, sliding under the hem of her shirt, desperate to feel Alex’s bare skin under her fingertips.
Laura’s voice is thick with emotion as she responds, echoing the sentiment. “I love you too Al, so much.”
There’s a gentleness, a tenderness as their hands make short work of clothes. Soft kisses pressed against newly bared skin. Laura's lips linger on the back of Alex’s neck as she clips her hair up, her own already pulled back in a loose knot at the base of her skull. She slides in the warm water behind Alex, letting the blonde shift so she’s lying comfortably against her body. Laura can feel Alex’s heartbeat, her every inhale and exhale. Alex is alive. She’s safe and in her arms.
They are both content just to hold each other in silence, letting the warm water soothe and relax them.
“Cory wants to sell the network to Paul Marks.” Alex speaks first, shifting slightly to meet Laura’s gaze, a frown on her lips. “He’s, uh, he’s using me as his honeytrap. That’s why this whole Hyperion thing happened, that’s the only reason I was on the shuttle.”
Laura’s eyes narrow as her brain catches up to exactly what Alex is telling her. “Does Cybil know?”
“No. He’s doing all of this behind her back.” Alex shakes her head, reaching up to brush an errant strand of hair away from Laura’s eyes. “Paul Marks, he’s such a fucking asshole. If they sell UBA to him…” she trails off, burrowing further into the brunette’s arms and resting her head on her shoulder. “Want a new co-anchor?”
Laura can only listen as Alex speaks, internally shaking her head at Cory’s audacity. The last bit brings a smirk to her lips. “You mean I’d get to start my morning with you on air too?” she teases, letting her hand trail suggestively down the younger woman’s body. Alex’s raspy chuckle turns into a soft moan at the teasing touch. “You can count me in.”