Honeyed Cabernet | H. Bartinelli ✔

[29]

Alex went to answer the door and saw that Helena was standing outside. He stepped aside to let her in and her grey eyes observed his fatigued features closely, flickering in concern to see him as such.

He had locked the door and turned to face her, taking her hands in his own, "Helena, thank you for saving Dora. If you and the Bat vigilantes hadn't gotten to her in time, I don't know what... I can't even bear to think about it."

She squeezed his hands reassuringly, "hey, there's no need to thank me. Dora's just as important to me as she is to you."

She followed him further inside, noticing that he must have closed the shop early or else the place wouldn't have been so empty. Those days as Dora wasn't able to help him out with the shop, Tim and Steph did their best to make up for her absence.

"How's Dora?"

He sighed softly, "not well. She's better than before... She's still not okay."

A few days had passed since Dora and Selina had been retrieved from Scarecrow's captivity and initially the Waynes had offered that Dora could stay with them for the time being until she fully recovered, but she had refused so Alex had brought her back to the shop with him. Although Dora had begun to show signs of recovery, she still got terrified very easily.

Nightmares of her close friends and family dying haunted her in her sleep, she used to have panic attacks much more often and sometimes she would get terrified from hallucinations.

Therefore, none of them left Dora on her own. Even then Tim had dropped by to stay with Dora so that Alex and Steph could look after the shop.

"Hi Helena," Steph emerged from the kitchen as she had been helping Al with clearing it all up.

"Hi," Helena offered her a small smile, "how have you been?"

"The usual." Then turning to Al, she spoke, "Tim said he would stay tonight since I have a submission tomorrow. So I have to go right now. But don't hesitate to call me if Dora wants me here."

"Sure," he nodded, "thanks a lot for the help, Steph."

"It's not a problem," she smiled, "don't stress yourself out. Everything will be okay soon."

She was leaving so she bid farewell to both.

"And Helena, please make Alex eats dinner. He cares a lot for Dora but doesn't pay any attention to his own self," the girl remarked.

"Don't worry, I am here now. I'll look after him," Helena smiled, waving a little to Steph as she stepped out.

Helena stepped into the kitchen, seeing that Alex had already been heating up the dinner he had made, before she could ask him to do it. 

"Can I see Dora?" She asked, taking out the plates instead that she set on the table.

"You can, I guess. She will be in her room with Tim," he replied, "oh and Helena, she gets scared very easily so see if she recognizes you first then approach her."

She nodded and was about to climb up the stairs but paused, "or perhaps we'll have dinner together and then I will go see Dora with you."

"As you wish. Though if you're just staying so that you make sure I eat, that's unnecessary."

"Nope," she shook her head, a smile playing upon her lips, "I really want to see how good you are at cooking."

"Alright then, sit down."

She could see very well that he was tensed as his face didn't twitch into even a small smile. His honey irises looked as if he hadn't slept properly ever since Dora's abduction and he looked a lot like how she had first seen him, years ago when she had saved him from getting killed on his way to Chinatown.

Those wide fatigued irises, pale face and a certain detachedness that indicated he was troubled.

Even while he was eating, his thoughts were elsewhere as he forked around his food a lot. Helena rested her hand on top of his gently and he nodded, focusing back on finishing his share. 

At that moment she could see very well that Alex cared for Dora not just as an elder brother but almost as a parent. It was clear that seeing his sister in pain affected him just like a parent got affected to see his or her child in pain.

"Has Dora had dinner?"

He looked up, "yeah. Steph took a tray up for her and Tim so I guess..." 

"She will get better soon," she reassured him, "you all are making sure of that, aren't you? Don't lose hope."

Before he could pick up the empty dishes, she gestured him to keep seated and picked the dishes up instead, putting them in the sink.

"Hey, I will clean it up..."

But she wasn't hearing no for an answer, "Alexander, keep seated."

Her tone was firm so he did as he was told; Helena knew very well how to make people listen to her and he certainly did not want her to get more intimidating if he refused.

She got done with the dishes quickly then came back towards him, her hands gently cupping his face as she bent down and kissed him.

His eyes fell shut, definitely out of fatigue, but he kissed back, his hand pulling her closer by the waist.

"Alexander," she breathed as she pulled apart slightly, "I know you want to take care of everyone around you but that won't be possible if you don't take care of yourself first."

"I'm fine, nothing happened to me," he remarked a bit stubbornly.

"Look, if you keep going like this; skipping mealtimes and overworking yourself, then it will weigh you down. You already have to manage two jobs and now you have to look after Dora too, please don't overlook your own self," she spoke in a soft convincing tone, "tell me, when was the last time you went to sleep?"

He thought for a while before replying, "I... I don't remember."

"Do you want me to stay tonight?"

He looked a bit confused, "what?"

Her fingers caressed his face gently, "if you want, I can stay here with you tonight. Besides, Tim is also staying, isn't he? Dora's going to be okay, he'll be with her. And you do need some time to rest too and I can't be sure whether you would rest or not if I am not here to see for myself."

He thought for a while then nodded, "alright, however you see fit."

"Come now, I want to see Dora," her hand entwined through his and she made him stand up.

They climbed the spiral staircase that led to the upper portion and Alex led her towards Dora's room. The door wasn't locked but partially closed so Alex knocked gently then pushed it open.

The two were met by a rather cute sight as both Tim and Dora had gone to sleep, cuddled together on the bed. He held her close to him and his hand rested on her head, making it seem that he must have been running his fingers through her hair to soothe her.

"See, I told you he'll make sure she's fine," Helena whispered, a soft smile taking over her face to see them, and it looks like even Tim went to sleep after a really long time."

"The kid hardly sleeps," Alex had partially closed the door just like it had been earlier and took Helena to his own room.

"Right now the same can be said for you," she remarked, "I can see you're very tired."

"I am not..." But contrary to his words as she made him lay down on the bed, he felt all the exhaustion kick in.

"See, you are absolutely exhausted. Don't resist now," she mumbled, getting into bed beside him, "go to sleep."

He hummed in reply and she leaned in to kiss him again. When she pulled apart, she saw that his drowsiness had started to take hold of him so she pulled up the blanket over them.

His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her close, head resting against her shoulder as he mumbled in a low sleepy voice, "good night."

She turned towards him, placing a soft kiss on his cheek as she replied, "good night, Alexander."

***