“You wanna watch another episode?” Sully asks, his head in Brian’s lap, legs stretched long across the couch.
“Mmmm, I don’t know. Could go either way, I guess. What do you think?” Brian combs the fingers of his left hand through his partner’s long wavy hair.
“Hey, I asked you first!”
“All right, all right. Um, I suppose no, then. Since we’re both so apathetic.”
Sully yawns. “Sounds good to me. It’ll be there if we change our minds.”
Brian contemplates this for a moment. “Unless the power goes out.”
Looking out the window, Sully sees nothing but blue sky. “I mean, in theory, yeah, but there’s not gonna be a storm coming anytime soon.”
“But,” Brian’s voice takes on a new vigor, “there could be an earthquake. A car could crash into a telephone pole. A transformer could blow. Anything could happen!”
“Okay, mister contrarian.” Sully pushes himself up to a sitting position. “Jeez, I get your point. The future is uncertain. Are you satisfied now?”
“Yes, yes I am.” Brian reaches out and pulls Sully into a kiss. “Satisfied —
but also sleepy.” He pats his lap. “Lie back down and cuddle me to sleep.”
“Now that you mention it, that sounds like exactly what I need.” Sully again lays his head in Brian’s lap. “I always forget you can fall asleep sitting up like that.”
“Yep, I call it my most useful skill. Airports, buses, hospital waiting rooms — you name it, I’ve slept there. Or could, at least.” Brian’s fingers return to Sully’s hair.
“Yeah, yeah, quit bragging. Let’s go to sleep.” Sully shifts to find the most comfortable position for his neck.
But before he can settle in, Brian breaks the silence, “Wait, I still need to get around to cooking those lasagnas this afternoon. Can we set an alarm?”
“If you really think you’re at risk of sleeping for the next four hours, then go right ahead,” Sully murmurs, his eyes already closed.
“Uh, I think I left my phone in the bedroom,” Brian admits. “You have yours?”
Sully reaches into his pocket and unlocks his phone with a touch of his thumb, still managing to keep his eyes shut. “Knock yourself out.”
“Thanks.” Brian pats Sully on the shoulder. When he opens the alarm app, his eyes widen at what he sees. “Sully, dude! Why the hell do you have so many alarm settings in here?”
“Does anyone actually delete their old alarms? I just set a new one every time I need it. If you’ve got an issue,” Sully grumbles melodramatically, “I have a feeling there’s another phone somewhere in this apartment that is adjusted to your preferences.”
Brian scoffs. “I could not live like this. Well, let me scroll through here and choose an existing time, so I don’t have to add to this mess. How about… three thirty?”
“Sure.”
“It’s all set.” Brian’s thumb moves toward the lock button.
“Great.”
“Wait. Sully?”
“What is it now?”
“Do you think you remember what most of those alarms were set for?”
“I don’t know… maybe. Are we going to go to sleep or not?”
Brian raises the phone again to study it. “I mean, there’s this one for three forty-five a.m. That’s gotta be something memorable, I bet.”
“Oh my God.” Sully pulls his heavy eyelids open and springs into a seated position, his frustration fueling his energy. “I’m officially over this nap idea because I can tell you’re not gonna shut up.” He heaves a sigh. “Yes, I do happen to recall why I was getting up at 3:45 a.m.”