Out

Jon climbed the stairs for what he hoped would be the last time ever, holding Daisy to his side. He could feel something, an anchor stronger than his rib pulling him up the stairs and out of The Pit. He hears a faint cacophony of familiar voices above them.

"Come on. We're close. This way." Jon strains, pulling Daisy up the stairs behind him.

He sees light leaking into the seemingly endless darkness above them and rests Daisy on the stairs next to him. Jon braces his arms against the rough, heavy wood above them "Here, come on- push!" They both groan, exhausted as they heave against the coffin lid, flinging it open. They hear a mass of objects clattering against the floor and a few of the voices cut off, but the remaining ones overlap, filling the room with sound.

Jon lets out a sigh of relief as he topples onto the carpet of the archive.

"Wh- We're out! We're really out! I can't believe-" Daisy cheers, to the best of her ability.

"Umm..."

"What? What is it?"

"Tape recorders... Good lord, must be dozens of them."

The door in front of them clicks open, causing Daisy and Jon's heads to shoot up and turn their attention towards it.

"Jon, you stupid idiot! What did you think?" Basira asked, sounding both relieved an exasperated. There was another voice behind her, mumbling, but Jon couldn't quite make it out

"Hi..." Daisy sighed softly, smiling up at Basira.

"Oh my god." Basira faltered, rushing over to Daisy and dropping to her knees to hold the woman in her arms. Jon watched them for a moment before someone else lunged for him. 

"Jon!" The man cried out, wrapping his soft arms around The Archivist.

"M-Martin...?" He asked, his voice shaking and puzzled before looking up to see the man's face for himself.

Jon was overjoyed, he felt as if every bad feeling from being stuck in The Pit was pouring from his heart. He rested his beaten hands on Martin's cheek and pulled him close into a rough kiss, just before tears began to stream down his face.

Jon let himself practically fall into Martin's arms, relaxing for what felt like the first time in forever as their lips brushed against each other. Jon combed his fingers through Martin's soft hair as Martin ran his hands through Jon's dark mass of matted hair. Martin tasted like tea, he thought. That was the only thing he could think before Martin pulled away. 

"I was so afraid I would never see you again, Jon..."

"I... I won't say I was devoid of fear either... Once I found Daisy I thought that maybe..."

"No- God, please don't talk about being in there anymore, Jon" Daisy interrupted.

The two couples looked at each other. Martin and Basira both held their lovers in their arms tightly. Their lovers they were so afraid to lose, who they were sure they were going to lose just moments ago.

"Right- Yes- Of course." Jon sighed "Who's idea..." He glanced over to the pile of tape recorders that had been flung across the room when he and Daisy opened the coffin.

"It was Martin's," Basira said quickly. "He thought that since you relied so heavily on the statements they would lure you back, in a way."

"Yes... " Jon beamed up at Martin, who was smiling timidly. "How clever..." He caressed his assistant's cheek.

"You're both filthy..." Martin says, licking his thumb and tried to scrub some of the dirt off of Jon's face. "We should... You should both get home, it's been days."