Title: 6.8
On The Richter Scale
Author: Saber ShadowKitten
Pairing: A/S
Rating: NC-17
Setting: PWP
"Sex."
"What?" Angel stared incredulously at the blond vampire sitting on the
other side of his desk.
"S-E-X," Spike spelled out. "It's that thing two or more people do when
they're horny."
"I know what it is," Angel said. "What I don't know is why you are
asking me."
"I'm horny," Spike replied with a shrug.
Angel closed his eyes and shook his head in confusion. "What?"
"You said that already."
"Spike, go away," Angel sighed, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of
his nose.
It had been a long thirty six hours, and the dark haired vampire had
yet to sleep. He had just finished a tough case that had been ongoing
for two weeks before he'd gotten the break he'd needed in order to put
a stop to a stalker. It had turned out the stalker was a ice crystal
dragon disguised as a human, and the end battle had been hard. He'd
almost lost Cordelia again, and had it not been for Wesley's presence,
she would have been forever frozen by the dragon's icy breath.
All he had wanted to do was go downstairs and sleep for the next week
straight after checking the answering machine. But when he had entered
the office, he found his Childe sitting at his desk, booted feet up on
the surface, sharpening every single one of his pencils down to one
inch nubs. And the response to Angel's question as to what the annoying
blond was doing there was "sex."
"But I'm horny," Spike whined.
Angel opened his eyes and peered over his fingers at his Childe. "And
you just expect me to bend over for you?" Spike grinned lasciviously.
"Spike, I hate you."
"And I hate you, too. Your point?" Spike said.
"I spent over a century getting fucked up the ass," Angel told him
bluntly. "I'm not going to voluntarily allow it to happen again. Now,
get lost."
Spike frowned at him. "What do you mean over a centur- oh."
Understanding dawned on the blond vampire. "Right, then. But I'm still
horny."
"Go get yourself a hooker," Angel said. "I'll even pay, so long as you
leave now."
"Can't," Spike said. "It's been so long since I got laid, it's gonna be
rough." He tapped his temple. "And whatever those soddin' soldier-boys
did to me won't let me be rough to humans."
"That's right, you've been neutered." Angel smirked as Spike scowled at
him. "Or is it spayed?"
"Sod off," Spike growled.
"I still don't see why you would even think that I'd have sex with
you," Angel said. "Why don't you just grab another vampire off the
street-"
"They'll want me to kill something, and I can't, you stupid ponce,"
Spike snapped. "I'm sick of tossing off in Giles's bathroom, the only
person I'm remotely attracted to is Willow-"
"Keep your dick away from her, or I'll tear it off and make you eat
it," Angel stated in a cold, hard voice.
Spike continued with a roll of his eyes. "-And I figured you haven't
gotten any in so long you'd be happy to get a leg up on someone."
"Not that it's any of your damn business, but I 'got a leg up on
someone,' as you so beautifully put it, four months ago," Angel said.
"And secondly, remember that little problem I have with a certain curse
on me? That still hasn't miraculously vanished, and if it had, you
would be less than the last person on the planet that I'd want to have
sex with."
"You just contradicted yourself, you oxy-like-moron," Spike said. "How
could you have shagged someone four months back and be complainin'
about the bloody curse?"
"Trade secret," Angel said without emotion.
"Right. But do you really think that helping me get my rocks off is
going to make you lose your soul?" Spike said. "If so, it kinda
cheapens that whole 'true happiness' thing you're so damn insistent on-"
"Spike, shut up," Angel said, exasperated, as he rose to his feet.
"Just go and find yourself a sheep or something. I'm going to bed --
alone."
"Would it helped if I got on my hands and knees and begged?" Spike
asked, a devilish grin plastered across his face.
"No," Angel sighed.
Spike stood and moved around the desk until he had Angel pretty much
trapped between him and the desk chair. "Oh, come on, Angel," Spike
said in a low, semi growling tone. He put both his hands on the lapels
of his Sire's leather jacket and caressed the soft material with his
thumbs, looking up at the older vampire under his lashes. "I know you'd
love to get me in a submissive position again..."
Angel grabbed both of Spike's wrists and squeezed tightly. "What is up
with you?" Angel ignored his Childe's arched brow in response to the
double meaning of his question. "Are you high on something? I despise
you, Spike. The only reason you're not dust is because you've been
helping Buffy, and that's only because you have to."
"I'm hurt." Spike effected a pout. "You used to bugger me nightly, and
I thought it was good between us, baby-"
"That's it," Angel growled, shoving Spike's arms down. "Either you're a
hallucination because I need sleep, or I'm back in hell again and no
one bothered to tell me."
"Or maybe I'm just so bloody horny for a real partner that I'd do
almost anything to get laid," Spike said seriously. "And you're the
only one I can think of who I can have rough sex with and not worry
about my head exploding. Come on, Angel. I'll still hate you in the
morning."
"Forget-"
The earth shook violently, cutting Angel's sentence off as he and Spike
fell to the floor, the dark haired vampire banging his head on his desk
as he went down. The rumbling was deafening, along with the crashing of
the window panes, the thumps and
thuds of furnishing tipping over. An enormous crack reverberated in the
office, sounding as if the world itself was breaking in two, and then
the building began to collapse down upon the two vampires.
Angel and Spike could do nothing but lay tangled together where they
fell as the earthquake split the floor beneath them. They tumbled down
to the apartment below, Spike hitting the splintered, hardwood ground
first with a cry of pain, then Angel landing half on top of his Childe,
half beside the blond, his own shout of own pain buried under the
sounds of the collapsing building. Neither of them were able to move in
order to protect themselves as the earth continued to shake.
Then, as abruptly as it began, the earthquake ended, leaving the two
vampires trapped under a mountain of rubble that was once the offices
of Angel Investigations and Angel's home.
"Are you okay?" Angel asked Spike, who's ear was near his mouth, when
he could get his voice to work again after the shock wore off.
Spike grunted and tried to move under him. "Can you move your soddin'
knee? I'd like my cock to be unbruised when we shag."
Angel held back the groan as he shifted his weight off of his Childe,
glad to find that there was enough room for him to do so. It was pitch
black and he could practically feel the weight of the building pressing
down around them, but luckily not crushing them beneath the heavy
mortar and brick.
He heard the clink and distinctive hiss of a lighter, then found
himself able to see by the flame created. He immediately checked over
Spike with his eyes, unconsciously making certain his Childe was all
right, and by the scowl on the younger man's face as the blond glared
up at the rubble above them, Angel could tell that Spike was fine.
Angel then turned his eyes to survey the space they were in. Two feet
separated their bodies from the slab of broken cement, brick and wood
that had once made up the ceiling of his apartment. More rubble was
completely piled up on the other side of Spike, and included some
twisted pipes and what looked to be a crushed picture of some sort.
Pushing himself up slightly, he turned his head to find a hole big
enough for him to crawl through further into the collapsed building.
"Give me your lighter," Angel instructed.
"Get your own," Spike grumbled back.
Angel turned his head back to glare at the blond, then accepted the
Zippo lighter while ignoring Spike's muttered obscenities. Using the
flame to see by, the older vampire carefully moved forward, listening
carefully and ready to back-up quickly if the earth should move again.
Less than four feet beyond where the two vampires had laid, the fallen
bricks and cement opened up into a bigger space due to a portion of the
steel I-beam that had run along the center of his ceiling before the
quake.
The dark haired vampire was able to climb to his feet, and he carefully
examined the broken walls of the space about as wide as a king sized
bed, looking for a way out. He could not smell any fresh air coming
from any direction, and the section of the strangely non broken floor
was not by the tunnel grate in his apartment. Spike entered through the
hole, growling and grumbling to himself, and rose to his feet.
"Somehow I'm going to figure a way to blame this on you," Spike told
Angel as he shrugged out of his duster.
"I can't wait," Angel said dryly. He saw Spike wince before the blond
tried to look over his own shoulder at his back. The older vampire
crossed the three steps separating them and said, "Turn around."
Angel frowned at the two splinters he saw. Reaching up, he pulled one
from the back of Spike's hairline and a second out of the nape of his
Childe's neck. "Better?"
"Yeah," Spike said, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. He
glanced around the space, his brow slightly furrowed. "Are we stuck?"
"Looks that way," Angel said. "I don't smell any fresh air coming
through, so all I can tell you is that way," he pointed towards the
I-beam, "is up to the street."
"Good thing we don't need to breathe," Spike commented.
If Angel's heart beat, it would have stopped. "Cordelia," he gasped,
panic gripping him suddenly.
He shoved the lighter at Spike, crossed quickly to the rubble wall
opposite the hole he entered from and began to search for away to get
out with his hands and eyes. He needed to get out. He needed
to find Cordelia and see if she was okay. She may be trapped like they
were, with no oxygen, with no one to help. He started pulling bits of
broken cement and brick in front of him, tossing them to the floor.
"Hey, mate, keep that up and the rest of the building could fall on our
heads," Spike said.
"I have to get out of here," Angel said through clenched teeth. He
yanked hard on a pipe sticking out of the rubble, and stumbled
backwards when it came free. He dropped it to the hardwood flooring
with a thud and immediately went back to digging.
"Angel, stop!" Spike said harshly. "That's enough!"
"No," Angel growled, the backs of his hands getting scraped by the
broken ruins. "She may need me. I have to help her."
Spike grabbed his arm and roughly spun him around. "Will you quit!
You're gonna make the whole bloody thing collapse on us!"
"I can't lose her too!" Angel yelled at Spike, yanking his arm back. He
turned back to the rubble and made to go back to work, but Spike
grabbed his shoulder and pulled him around again. Angel immediately
took a swing at the blond, punching Spike across the jaw.
The younger vampire looked at Angel in shock, then slammed his free
fist forward into his Sire's stomach. Both of Angel's hands came up and
he boxed his Childe's ears. The dark haired man shoved Spike away hard,
causing the blond to drop the lighter. The flame flickered once and
went out, plunging them into an inky darkness.
"Now look what you did, you wanker!" Spike snapped. "I don't know what
the soddin' hell your problem is-"
"She's my only friend," Angel confessed in a hard, emotion filled
voice. "And I'm not going to let her die because of me, too."
The lighter hissed again and the small flame cast light back into the
space. Spike was frowning as he looked up at his Sire, sitting on his
knees on the floor. "What do you mean, because of you? You didn't cause
the bleedin' earthquake."
Angel ran a jerky hand through his spiked hair, unable to pull on his
control, the words spilling out roughly. "Doyle died because of me. I
was the one who should have pulled the connection. I should have been
the one to die. It was my job, my duty, my reason for being sent back
from hell where I belonged. It was my fault that he died! It should
have been me, not him! Me!"
The older vampire spun and punched at a slab of what was once the tiled
floor of the office above his apartment. His fist cracked loudly
against the partially broken tile, shattering the rest of it. He
snarled, bringing his arm back to hit again when Spike's next question
stopped him.
"And what would have happened to the little girl who loves you if you'd
have been the one who died?" Spike asked.
Angel turned around and looked down at his Childe still sitting on his
heels on the floor. The dark haired man's face was lined with intense
emotion -- anger, fear, sadness, grief, guilt. "What?" he said.
"If you would have died, Buffy would have followed soon after," Spike
told him bluntly.
Angel dropped down to the floor in front of Spike as if he had
deflated. "No-"
"Yes, she would have," Spike interrupted. "If you would have died, she
would have, too. You're the reason she keeps going fight after fight,
even though she can never really win. Knowing that you will still be
around after she finally loses to remember her, that's what allows her
to know all her pain is not for nothing."
The blond set the lighter upright on the floor beside him. "I've seen
the scar you left her. She gave you her blood to save your worthless
hide because you are the most important person in the world to her.
Even her mum or Giles. And even though you can't be together." Spike
gave Angel a wry smile. "And will you listen to me? I should be
re-christened Preacher Spike."
Angel blinked rapidly at the unexpected tears that filled his eyes.
Spike cocked his head to one side and gave him a quick pat on the leg. "It'll be okay, mate, The rescue people will be out
rescuin', and if Cordelia is in need of some help, they'll get her. Us,
too."
"Why is it that you are the most irritating vampire on the planet, yet
you seem to be the wisest?" Angel said.
"It's because I listen, you pouf," Spike said. "And I observe." He
waggled his brows. "Also, getting shagged regularly is a help, too."
Angel just shook his head, then rubbed his eyes with his thumb and
forefingers. "So now what?"
He heard the smile that crossed Spike's lips, and when he reopened his
eyes, he mentally groaned. "You want to have sex." It was a statement,
not a question.
"You read my mind."
"I think that smile that's all but screaming 'fuck this vampire' helped
clue me in, too."
"You...up...for it, mate?"
This time, Angel groaned out loud. He reached out and cuffed Spike
upside the head. But before he could drop his arm back to his side, the
blond vampire captured Angel's wrist, turned his head and nuzzled the
older man's palm.
Spike's tongue flicked out over the soft, inner flesh in the center of
Angel's hand. Angel tried to ignore the tightening of his muscles the
small action caused. However, he could not ignore the piercing bolt of
arousal that ran straight to his groin when Spike ran his tongue from
Angel's palm up the dark haired vampire's middle finger, then sucked
the digit into his mouth.
"Spike, don't," Angel warned, his eyes unable to leave the younger
man's mouth.
"Don't what?" Spike asked with a devilish purr. Then he sucked Angel's
ring finger into his mouth.
"Don't do that," Angel told him in a strained voice.
Spike released Angel's fingers and slowly lowered the older man's arm.
"Okay," he said. "How about if I do this instead?"
Before Angel could protest, Spike leaned forward on his knees, wrapped
his hand behind Angel's head, and pressed his mouth to his Sire's.
Oh hell, Angel thought a second before he gave in and kissed Spike back.
He'd forgotten how good it felt to kiss someone, especially one whom
he'd been intimate with once. Spike nipped at Angel's lower lip, then
laved the small bite with his tongue. His firm lips brushed repeatedly
over Angel's until he opened his mouth.
Angel allowed his Childe to lead the kiss, and unexpectedly shivered
when Spike's tongue swept into his mouth to play. His hand came up to
cup the back of the blond's head, angling his own, as the kiss slowly
grew deeper.
Spike had said he'd wanted it rough, but the long, gentle strokes of
his tongue against Angel's spoke otherwise, and the dark haired vampire
wasn't about to shake things up. He lightly sucked on Spike's tongue,
then followed with his own tongue into the younger man's mouth to sweep
along Spike's palate. He heard a soft sigh come from his Childe and
felt the light brush of fingertips curling and uncurling over the back
of his hair.
It was in that moment Angel realized Spike was more than just horny --
he was lonely.
Angel knew all about loneliness and how hard it was at times,
especially when the differences between himself and others were so
great. Spike was in a similar situation, a vampire surrounded by
mortals, and with no one present who really understood what it was like
to have an animalistic demon inside, yet it couldn't be let free. By
guilt or by impairment, it did not change the fact that they were more
alike now than they had been over a century ago.
Spike slid his hand down from the back of Angel's neck to his leather
jacket, the younger man's other hand coming up to help push the
material off the dark haired vampire's shoulders. Angel let the jacket
fall to the hardwood floor behind him, then undid the cuffs on his
shirt as his Childe's fingers worked down the front of it. Their mouths
were still fused together, their tongues twined in a slow and sensual
dance.
Angel's shirt joined his jacket on the floor, and the older man inhaled
sharply through his nose when Spike's blunt fingernails scraped a path
along his chest. His fingers tightened around the collar at the back of
Spike's neck, the hand that had been resting on his own thigh
transferred to Spike's upper leg.
Angel caressed Spike's thigh through the material of the black jeans,
rubbing his hand up and down, his thumb riding just along the underside
of the inner seam. Spike made a low sound of encouragement, barely
audible to Angel's ears, and scooted closer, inserting one of his knees
between the dark haired man's so he was partially straddling Angel's
thigh.
The older vampire slid his hand up to the hip crease Spike's jeans
made, his thumb sliding inward to brush over the hard bulge beneath the
black denim. Spike inhaled sharply, and his fingers scratched down over
Angel's pecs to his flat nipples. The blond tugged on the taut peaks
that had formed, sending shocks straight to Angel's groin.
The kiss changed then, becoming more intense. Angel rose up on his
knees, removing his hand from Spike's thigh to cup his Childe's cheek,
the other tangling up into his blond hair. Angel's tongue delved into
Spike's mouth with purpose to titillate, sliding roughly against the
other man's. Spike's fingers pinched his nipples again, and Angel
whimpered deep in his throat.
Angel dragged himself away from Spike's mouth for the first time since
his Childe initiated the kiss. His eyes were ringed in gold as he met
the blond's fiery blue ones. He wanted Spike. He wanted Spike badly,
and nothing was going to stop him from taking what he wanted.
"Strip," he growled, pushing himself back from Spike. "Right now."
"Demanding bastard," Spike said in a arousal roughened voice. He
flashed his Sire a cheeky grin before he pulled his tee-shirt up over
his head.
Angel grabbed the lighter and moved it to a safer spot. The flame
flickered wildly, casting jumping shadows on Spike's pale skin, as his
Childe stood and stripped out of his jeans. The dark haired vampire
wasted no time in standing and removing the remainder of his own
clothes.
Naked, they stood opposite each other, their prominent erections
jutting proudly from their bodies. Angel's eyes raked over Spike, and
he felt penis jump and his sac lift and tighten as his muscles clenched
in anticipation. He saw Spike's cock twitch upwards as well, and he
growled deep in his chest. In one step, he yanked Spike up against him
and violently smashed his lips down upon his Childe's.
Spike's fingernails clawed down his back, drawing welts and possibly
blood, as the blond kissed him back with equal fervor. Angel reached
down, grabbed the muscular globe of Spike's ass, and ground his pelvis
up against the younger vampire's. His hard shaft rubbed against the
rough hair that surrounded Spike's member, and he felt Spike's equally
hard cock rub against him in the same manner.
Angel dragged Spike down to the floor with him. He pressed the blond
hard to the ground, his body covering the leaner man's, as he plundered
Spike's mouth. Spike let out a long purr of pleasure as the blond's
hands reached down to cup Angel's buttocks and he ground himself
upwards into his Sire.
The dark haired man broke away from Spike's mouth and grazed his blunt
teeth down the side of his Childe's neck. He laved his tongue over
Spike's jugular, smelling the blood beneath the surface of the blond's
pale skin. He growled lightly as his face shifted, and he made a quick
slice with his fangs over the area before sliding back into his human
mask. Spike hissed when he lapped up the blood from the cuts, the
younger man grinding himself repetitively up against Angel's pelvis.
Angel tisked in Spike's ear, his tongue darting out to run along the
rim. "Don't cum yet," he said in a low rumble, then pushed up on his
forearms before he started kissing and nipping his way down Spike's
body.
Spike groaned loudly when Angel nipped at the blond's inner thigh. The
older vampire pushed Spike's legs up and apart, his face dipping
between Spike's spread thighs to run his tongue along the
supersensitive perineum. He rolled the younger man's hips further up to
rim Spike's tight, pink hole, his actions with his tongue causing Spike
to scrape his fingernails on the hardwood floor with a slight screech
on either side of his body.
Angel moved further up Spike to slide his tongue over the blond's steel
cock. He lapped up the pre-cum at the tip, then raised his head briefly
to moisten his first two fingers with his saliva. He bent his head back
over Spike's jutting shaft at the same time he pushed his moistened
finger inside the younger vampire's puckered opening.
Spike groaned again loudly, his hips arching up as Angel sucked down
upon his cock. Angel's tongue swept back and forth along the underside
of Spike's shaft as he drew his head up and down over the hard member.
The dark haired vampire's finger slid in and out of Spike, the second
one joining the first, as he prepared the younger man.
Angel felt Spike start to move erratically, the blond's hips jerking up
in an irregular manner, signaling that he was going to orgasm. The
older man pulled away from Spike at that moment, eliciting a plaintive
whimper from his Childe, as Angel pushed himself up to his knees to one
side of Spike.
The younger vampire's eyes flashed with confusion, need, and a hint of
anger. "Wha-" he started to ask, but Angel grabbed himharshly and flipped him over onto his stomach.
"Just wait," Angel said roughly. Positioning himself behind Spike,
Angel pulled his Childe's hips up until the blond was kneeling. He
brought his hand to his mouth and spit in it, then grabbed his aching
cock to cover it with his saliva. He then ran his turgid shaft down the
crack between the pale globes of Spike's buttocks until he found the
tight opening.
Spike growled as Angel pushed into him. The dark haired man wrapped a
firm arm around his waist, holding him tightly as Angel slowly slid
further and further into Spike. The top of the younger vampire's
erection brushed against the top of Angel's forearm, reminding the
older man of the not so little problem he'd left.
Angel pressed his bare chest to Spike's back, placing one of his palms
flat on the floor beside his Childe's bent arm. "Don't cum yet," he
instructed gruffly as close to Spike's ear as he could get. He lightly
bit down on the back of Spike's shoulder with his blunt teeth and
pulled his hips back before thrusting back into Spike's tight body.
After a few thrusts, Angel encircled Spike's erection with his large
hand. He began to stroke the blond's cock in time with his movements,
the velvety soft skin sliding easily over the steel hardness
underneath. With each down sweep of his hand, he tightened his grip at
the base of Spike's penis, helping to hold back his Childe's orgasm.
Angel felt his climax approaching and began thrusting harder, his
pelvis smacking up against Spike's ass. He squeezed the base of the
blond's cock tightly and snarled, "Don't cum yet," then released the
younger man's shaft completely.
Spike howled out in displeasure and anger. "Angel!"
The older man raised his upper body, grabbed Spike's hips, and slammed
into him wildly. With a loud growl that echoed against the rubble,
Angel climaxed. He buried himself fully into Spike, his shaft pulsating
as his semen shot from his penis. Unbelievable pleasure washed over
him, causing him to actually feel lightheaded, as his entire body
shuddered.
Angel pulled out of Spike and sat back on his heels to catch a needed
breath, despite the lack of requiring the oxygen. He could see that his
Childe's entire body was quivering with the strain of his muscles as
Spike tried to wait. Taking a final, purposeful breath, Angel smacked
Spike on the ass, then laid down on his back on the hardwood floor, his
head near the blond's knees.
With very little prompting, Spike was straddling Angel's shoulders, his
hands grasping the back of the older man's dark hair as he thrust his
cock into his Sire's willing mouth. Angel watched Spike's face as it
twisted in pleasure, lashing with his tongue against the underside of
the younger vampire's shaft as it slid in and out from between his
lips. His hands were resting on Spike's lower back, prompting his
Childe to move faster as he relaxed his throat muscles.
Spike roared as he climaxed after being denied his release for so long.
He came in great bursts, flooding Angel's mouth too quickly for the
older vampire to swallow. The salty semen dribbled down Angel's chin
from the corners of his mouth as the rest poured down his throat. Angel
saw Spike's eyelids flutter as the blond's eyes rolled back in the grip
of his intense orgasm.
The younger man moved off of Angel and sat down on the floor beside
him, panting heavily. Angel wiped his mouth with his hand and rolled
onto his side, laying his dark head on his biceps, his arm stretched
out straight above him. "Feel better?" he asked, watching as Spike
tried to pull himself back together in the aftermath of his orgasm.
"Much," Spike grunted, leaning back on his hands to look up at the
collapsed rubble ceiling.
"Me, too," Angel said softly, wanting to deny it, but knowing that he
could not.
Spike glanced over at him and the edges of his mouth quirked up. "You
look exhausted, mate."
"I haven't slept in over three days," Angel told him. The dark haired
vampire could feel the pull of sleep that had been added to with the
release of the post orgasm hormones, but he knew he should stay awake
until they were rescued.
He started to move to get his clothing, but was stopped by the hand on
his shoulder. Angel looked up at Spike with question. "You look
comfortable," Spike said. "Sleep. I'll wake you up when I hear them
coming."
Angel was about to protest, then thought better of it. He relaxed back
onto the floor, using his arm as a pillow. "Make sure you stay awake,"
he said to Spike. "If they find us both asleep, they'll think they have
a couple of corpses on their hands."
"Right," Spike said. "Wouldn't want that."
They both fell silent, the flame from the Zippo casting interesting
shadows that lulled Angel's senses. After a moment, Angel admitted
quietly, "I missed this."
"Which part -- the earthquake or the sex?" Spike asked.
The older man's lips curled up in a smile as he let his eyes fall shut.
"You decide."
Comfortable silence permeated the air again, and Angel was just about
asleep when he heard Spike's quiet voice.
"I missed this, too."
Then he heard Spike smile and he opened his eyes into slits. "What are
you grinning at?"
"I was just wondering if there was a Richter scale measurement for
sex," Spike answered. He frowned briefly. "Which also makes me wonder
what the scale read for this bloody earthquake."
"6.8," Angel told him, reshutting his eyes.
"Which part -- the earthquake or the sex?" Spike asked.
One corner of Angel's mouth tilted up. "You decide," he said, then
allowed himself to fall be pulled into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.