Tech laughed and finished the second bar. “That’s pretty neat,” he said. “Did I tell you I got to walk through a Dragonfly?”
Rev’s eyes widened. “No you’ll have to tell me about it sometime but,” here he grinned, “no more tricks to try to stay up you’re going to go to sleep and believe me I’m going to check in the lab and if I see you there I’m going to bring you right back here so don’t even think about it just get a good night’s sleep okay?” He pointed a finger at Tech.
“Sure,” Tech said. He yawned, to punctuate the point.
“All right then I’ll see ya in the morning or something don’t worry about me I’ll nap on a couch if I get tired just sleep.” He grinned and then darted out, closing the door behind him.
Tech lay back in the bed and inhaled Rev’s sharp, familiar scent. It was so nice to be worried over and fussed over, and he actually closed his eyes and yawned again with every intention of going to sleep. He only got up to turn off the light, and found himself standing by the light switch looking down at a cactus. Its sharp spines reminded him of the projectile in the lab, and that reminded him that he’d put Duck in danger, and that part of the reason he had was because of this relationship he had with Rev that was making him feel so good. And that brought back all the guilt, and even though he went back to bed and lay down with the lights off, sleeping after that was out of the question.
Fifteen restless minutes later, he snuck out of the bedroom and made his way up to the lab. He didn’t want Rev to worry about him, so he took some of his measurements and diagrams and the notes he’d made on the force fields in their uniforms. He could cross reference them there from his bedroom, and hopefully Rev wouldn’t look for him there if the lab was empty.
It was going to be tricky modifying the force fields to reject the weapon’s projectiles, and he’d gotten through about two and a half hours of calculations and hypothesizing before the door to his bedroom swooshed open. In the second it took him to look up, the world spun and rushed around him and he found himself lying on Rev’s bed again, looking up at an angry roadrunner.
“Come on Tech you promised you’d get some sleep not go sneaking off to your room again what do I gotta do to make you take care of yourself huh?”
“I ate,” he protested. “I just couldn’t sleep.”
Rev sat on the bed next to him. “Why not?”
Tech found himself unsettled by the short question and the concern in Rev’s eyes. “I just can’t leave a problem like that alone.” The roadrunner didn’t say anything. “It’s a really tricky thing. You know, it almost killed Duck, and it shouldn’t have been able to get past the force field. If we’re going to take him on again I need to make sure the force fields can stop it so I don’t risk anyone’s life again.”
“You couldn’t have known about the device so you couldn’t really have known you were risking Duck’s life I mean sure we gotta assume we’re in danger every time we go out but those force fields are pretty reliable and you can’t beat yourself up over that so just relax and get some sleep and tackle it in the morning.” Rev put a hand on his stomach.
“No, I mean…” He caught himself, but not in time. Rev tilted his head again, his topknot dipping to the side. “Nothing.”
“Hey now that’s not gonna fly come on give it up what’s eating ya you’ve been acting all weird since we got back so come clean cutey okay this is me here right?” The roadrunner’s fingers rubbed his stomach.
Tech looked up at him. “I feel like… like I called you away too soon. Cause I was worried about you. And I left Duck to get shot at. I should have stuck to the plan.”
Rev was quiet, his expression not revealing anything, and Tech felt all the worries come rushing back to him. But when the roadrunner talked, his voice was softer. “Gee Tech I had no idea you were really worried about me I guess I see what’s eating ya but you know we’re a team and we both looked out for Duck when we had to I really don’t think it made that much difference that guy was pretty dangerous and if Duck’d been a little faster he wouldn’t have gotten shot no matter what I was doing really what I’m trying to say is thanks thanks a lot for worrying.” He leaned over and touched his beak to Tech’s muzzle. “But you can stop worrying now so you can get some sleep and I think to make sure you don’t sneak out again I’m gonna have to take your uniform off.”
“What?” Tech had been enjoying the kiss and the surprising relief he felt from sharing his guilt, and from Rev’s sensible reaction to it. Before he had time to react further, Rev’s hand was unfastening his pants and then both hands were pulling them down.
“Don’t worry I’m not gonna start anything I know you’re tired and we’ll have time for that later but I feel like if I leave you here you’re just gonna get up and go wander around again and I am determined to make sure you get some rest so get those hips up and let me take this uniform off and then you stay here and sleep.” Despite his statement, Rev did let one of his hands cup Tech’s sheath as he slid the pants down the coyote’s hips, but it only lingered there a moment before going back to pull off the lycra pants.
“You don’t really—come on, Rev.” Tech laughed as the roadrunner pulled his pants
