Hexus: Neo

=13= Delays

[6:22AM, January 7, UTC +02:00]

ADAM squirmed at the sensation of warm air blowing against his nape. He wriggled and his elbow connected with a firm body behind him. Cold hands stroked his bare upper arm and he felt cool wet lips on his shoulder.

"Amant?"
"Mmm?" he replied sleepily.
"Nous avons un problème."

He opened his eyes. The alarm clock was a blur, numbers and blinking dots glowing electric green.

"There better be at least a Braenian dragon burning down a downtown area."
A snort came from behind him. "I wish. We have company."
"Who? I didn't feel anyone come in."
"I'd be surprised if you did. That would mean I've gotten really rusty."

The new voice, coarse and jovial, came from the foot of the bed. Frowning, Adam sat up slowly, trying to make out the other figure in the near-darkness. He waved his hand and the lights flickered on, illuminating the casual intruder.

"Wynter? What the hell are you..."
"We set up the barrier together, remember?" the man replied, his frizzy grey-streaked brown hair shaking as he chuckled "I just made sure I had keys to the backdoor."
"I know that. What I wanted to say was 'what the hell are you wearing'?"

Wynter shrugged. His attire was a black and orange t-shirt worn under a green sweater-vest, brown desert camouflage pants tucked into weathered black cowboy boots, an oversized fur-lined grey coat that had clearly seen better days. His face showed discomfort as he pulled at the neck of the shirt.

"Did you get dressed in the dark?" Ecru murmured, hugging Adam's pillow and trying to be a big spoon.
"I was in a hurry," Wynter replied.
"It doesn't take more than a second to create a luminescence orb."
"I was also trying not to be noticed."
"Why?" Adam asked. "And how did you get out of Ameth anyway? I thought New Arcadia was on lockdown."
"It's kind of a long story," the other mage replied as the study chair levitated and landed behind him. He sat back with a flop. "One I'll be more inclined to tell over a stiff drink."
"It's barely 6:30," Adam said flatly.
"It's bound to be happy hour somewhere."

Ecru huffed and made a small moan of protest as Adam shoved off the duvet and pulled his feet out to sit over the side of the bed. He rubbed the heels of his palms into his eyes and sighed tiredly. He had been suffering a migraine which flared and waned for the last three days, but thankfully it was now down to just a dull ache. The closet door suddenly swung open and his terrycloth robe sailed out and landed across his shoulder. He frowned at the item until Ecru mumbled incoherently behind him.

"What was that?"
"Don't say I never do anything nice for you."
"Aw, thanks," Adam replied with a drawl. "I couldn't possibly have summoned the strength to walk ten feet unassisted."
"You're naked."

Adam looked down. His hairy thighs stuck out from beneath the folded duvet which barely covered his crotch. He frowned again. It was unlike him to be so oblivious to his own physical state or environment. At the very least, he would have noticed the cold as the room air touched his bare skin. He realized then that the room wasn't cold - quite the opposite. It was almost uncomfortably warm, and he couldn't remember turning up the heat on the thermostat. He couldn't remember getting undressed either, as he usually wore a t-shirt and pyjama bottoms to bed.

Wait...how did I possibly fall asleep?

"You were shivering," Ecru said, sitting up slightly. "More of shaking. Started around 2AM. I thought you were cold, so I turned up the heat but you didn't stop. Then you started stripping off your clothes and I thought it was too hot, but you held on to me and stopped shaking and...I've never seen you sleep like that. It's almost like you were dead."
Wynter raised his eyebrows quizzically. "Are you falling ill, Adam?"
"Don't be ridiculous, I can't fall..."