Any problems?
WRAITH
no
fuck
IVY
What? What’s wrong?
WRAITH
nothing
sorry
miss you
IVY
I’ll be back soon. I promise.
WRAITH
is it soon yet
IVY
"Can't sleep either?"
I jolt and turn to find Plague watching me, his pale blue eyes luminous in the dim light filtering through the hotel curtains. Unlike Whiskey, who looks like he's been hit by a truck in his sleep, Plague appears perfectly composed despite having been horizontal for less than four hours.
"My body thinks it's time to start sharpening skates," I whisper, not wanting to wake Whiskey. "Occupational hazard of living in maintenance tunnels."
"Circadian rhythms are remarkably persistent," Plague agrees quietly. "Even when the environmental cues that established them are removed."
Leave it to Plague to turn insomnia into a scientific discussion. He's lucky his cool, dry delivery is hot enough that it isn't infuriating.
"Is that your way of saying 'yeah, that sucks'?" I ask with a small smile.
The corner of his mouth quirks up. "More or less."
We lie in comfortable silence for a moment, both of us careful not to disturb the sleeping giant between us. Whiskey shifts slightly, grumbling something under his breath before settling back into his deep breathing pattern.
"He talks in his sleep," Plague says.
“You’ve noticed?” I ask.
He glances warily at me.
"You know," I say carefully, "I'm surprised you two aren't actually together."
Plague goes very still. "What makes you think we should be?"
"Are you serious?" I keep my voice low, but I can't hide my incredulity. "The tension between you could power a small city. And last night..." I trail off, remembering the way they'd touched each other, the desperate hunger in their eyes.
"Last night was a response to your heat pheromones," Plague says, slipping back into his clinical voice. "Nothing more than biology."
