“No complaints here,” Serix said when Cassie told him they couldn’t be separated again. After spending the past few days locked in different cells, he had no qualms with staying by her side. When Cassie leaned in to kiss him again, he held her close and closed his eyes, enjoying the touch of her lips to his. There were no more metal bars to keep them apart; no more guards to keep them from speaking their minds. Once again, everything was right in his world.

After a moment, Cassie pulled away and lay on the bed, gently tugging Serix down with her, [b]“Now, get some sleep. The more rest you get, the better you’ll be after all that they put you through.”[/b]

“I won’t argue with that logic,” Serix said with a yawn. He carefully positioned himself on his side to avoid putting pressure on the gashes in his back, and slipped one arm around Cassie. Compared to the cold stone floor he’d been using for a bed in the cell, sleeping next to Cassie again was unimaginably comfortable. It took him no time at all to drift off to sleep with her by his side again.

--

[b]“Well, look who’s back in the caves.”[/b]

Serix didn’t want to wake up yet. He groaned and rolled over, and then winced when his back touched the mattress, sending a dull throb through the rest of his body. He had been so content sleeping next to Cassie that he had forgotten about his injuries. He waited for the pain to pass, and then opened his eyes to see Quincy standing by the curtain. The human grinned back at him, [b]“Lunch is starting in a few minutes. You two are probably starved. I would get there before the others take all the good stuff.”[/b]

At first Serix felt a pang of anger, thinking that Quincy was mocking him, but after a moment he realized that he was genuinely trying to be friendly. He relaxed again. At least not every human thought he was still associated with the Pilot. Or at least they didn’t all wear the thought on their faces.

“We might as well grab something to eat before it’s all gone,” Serix answered in response to Cassie’s question. “But we should bring it back here. I don’t really feel like sitting with them just yet.” He sat up slowly and turned back to his mate. “That’s okay with you, right?”