Speak in Fever by Indie Reed

Author:Indie Reed [Reed, Indie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2025-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

When Rath comes to, he is pleasantly warm. Last night had been freezing, and he has lingering memories of waking up from the cold, of his sleep coming to him in fits and starts as the hotel's air conditioning system cycles on and off with mechanical persistence. He had spent what felt like hours lying on his side of the bed, trying not to think about Percy's presence just a few feet away, trying not to notice every small sound Percy makes as he settles in for sleep.

But he feels well rested now, deeply and genuinely rested in a way he hasn't experienced in weeks, and as sleep begins to let go of him, his mind slowly becomes more alert to different pieces of his morning.

The hotel room is suffused with the particular quality of light that comes just after sunrise, golden and soft and filtered through the heavy curtains they've forgotten to fully close the night before. The room still holds the quiet of early morning, before the world fully wakes up and demands attention, before room service carts start rolling down hallways and elevator bells begin their constant chiming.

The first thing Rath registers is that he is curled in a bed that is not his own, a blanket heaped over him that smells faintly of hotel laundry detergent and something else—something warmer and more familiar that makes his chest tighten with recognition even through his sleep-fogged brain. His hands are tucked between his thighs, knees pulled up in the defensive position he's unconsciously adopted sometime during the night when the temperature has dropped and his body has instinctively sought warmth.

The mattress is firmer than his bed at home, the pillows softer and more numerous than he is used to. The sheets are that particular hotel cotton that feels expensive and impersonal, but somehow, despite the unfamiliar environment, he feels safe and comfortable in a way that surprises him. Usually hotel rooms leave him feeling slightly displaced, too aware of being in a space that belongs to no one and everyone at the same time.

But this morning, wrapped in warmth and the lingering traces of dreams he can't quite remember, Rath feels like he is exactly where he belongs.

Which is when he notices Percy.

Percy, who is now curled around Rath like he's been designed to fit there, face tucked into the back of Rath's neck, breathing slow and even in the rhythm of deep, unguarded sleep. Long, measured breaths displace the baby hairs at Rath's nape, sending goose bumps along his arms and down his spine with each warm exhale. The sensation is intimate and soothing simultaneously, like being claimed and comforted at the same time.

Rath can feel Percy's heartbeat against his back, steady and strong, can feel the rise and fall of Percy's chest with each breath. There is something deeply peaceful about being this close to someone who is completely relaxed, completely vulnerable in sleep. Percy's usual carefully controlled captain facade is gone, replaced by the soft vulnerability that only comes with unconsciousness.

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