Morpheus held Orchid's hand through the take-off. His lover could be over-dramatic at times, but his fear of being burned was very real. Orchid had survived three encounters with fire that Morpheus knew, and most Vampyres did not survive one. If the flames did not consume a Vampyre's body, the long regeneration time would leave them vulnerable to some other opportunistic attack.

Morpheus felt responsible for the first two times. He hadn't created the fires, but he'd stopped himself from using his abilities to spare Orchid. He'd believed they were fate or been too afraid to break the Angelic non-interference 'Prime Directive'. The best he'd been able to do was make sure that Orchid drank enough of his Angelic blood, before or after the fire, so that his healing was sped.

That third time, Orchid had been in an experimental phase and putting distance between them. Morpheus didn't like to think what Orchid must have done to regenerate afterward. It must have cost a life, maybe lives.

Morpheus was at peace with it. Orchid was a Vampyre, and like Humans, they were predatory by nature. Acting according to one's nature could be beautiful. Yet, also like humans, Vampyres had the potential to transcend and rise above their basest urges. That was more than beautiful; it was an imitation of the divine. Orchid certainly had his dark moments and many missteps, but he'd also put a lot of good into the world.

He'd been the first person not of Morpheus' family to show strong emotion for him. It hadn't been love at first sight. No. Not really. But there had been an emotional bond from the start. Some part of that had to do with the non-linear path of their relationship in which they each already knew the other when they met for the first time. They'd both come to the other from their future.

Morpheus leaned across the gap between airplane seats and kissed Orchid's face.

Orchid squeezed Morpheus' hand even tighter. His eyes opened partially; the sleeping mask was shading his eyes without covering them and there was a sliver of blue beneath the lids. "What?"

"Because I can." Morpheus smiled.

"I love you." Orchid's voice was so low and airy it seemed he only mouthed the words.

Morpheus kept smiling. Sometimes he felt a strong temptation to find a sacred mountain and loudly declare his troth to Orchid. Curiously, this must come from the Human part of him. Angels didn't marry. When souls were intertwined they simply knew.

"You want me to put you to sleep?"

"Don't want to sleep on the plane." Orchid's eyes were closed but it was meditative. "But--"

"I would." Morpheus knew what was wanted, even without telepathy. "You don't need me to, but I would. Your way depressurizes the cabin for everyone else."

"I'm not--" Orchid took a breath and held it a moment. One of those past fires he'd survived had been airplane related. He refused to let it happen again, just refused. "Can you look?"

Morpheus pressed his lips together. He didn't like to risk viewing what might be his own future and he had made himself a rule to not intentionally look at Orchid's without permission. He nodded. His eyes went black to the corners and he saw the potentialities. There was little to see, given the closed environment and assigned seats. There was some variation in who went to the toilets or lounge.

"Nothing bad. Promise. Though, I think someone is going to ask to switch seats."

It ended up being Ahmed. Once the plane was cruising and passengers were free to move about the cabin, he stopped by their row on his way back from the lounge and asked Orchid if he had time to talk.

"Take my seat," Morpheus offered. It meant they each had to step around Orchid, but such maneuvers were easy if one could shape-shift.

Morpheus gathered Laila from her seat across the aisle and deposited her next to Sidi, so that he might take her seat to keep watch on Ahmed and Orchid.

Ahmed mainly asked questions about Darkling. Was it wrong to expect all Darkling knew each other? How troublesome would it be if a human could decline to do business with Darkling on the basis it offended their religious beliefs.

Orchid only gave short answers. In the Biblical sense? Hardly. How troublesome would it be if we didn't do business with them?

Finally, Orchid agreed they might speak more at the hotel, perhaps over breakfast or lunch.    

Orchid seemed to feel even better by the time they were on the ground. He collected Miko from her seat while David carried Laila from the plane. 

Their group managed to lose the Jinnahs in the airport. They fetched their luggage without incident and went outside to find the hotel shuttle, where they ran into Ahmed's party once again.

"Are you going out tonight?" Ahmed asked.

"We are," Orchid told him, and only that.

At the hotel, Laila and Miko exited the shuttle on their own, so Orchid was free to hold Morpheus' hand as they walked into the hotel.

The lighting in the lobby was warm but pleasantly dim after the sunlight. Soft carpeting near the counters, so that feet hardly made a sound. A trickling fountain. Walls lined with mirror. Dark, polished surfaces.

"Reminds me of home," Morpheus said. "Not our home." 

"Knew what you meant," Orchid said as they approached the counter.

Eleni handled check-in for the group. David waited with Miko and Laila on his arms. Joe raised his head to study the ornate ceiling while Zulfikar watched the entrance.

Eleni handed Morpheus one of the card-keys.

In the elevator, Orchid turned toward Morpheus. He smelled like blood and cloves as Morpheus wrapped his arms about him.

As soon as they got to their hotel room, Orchid fell to the bed and went to sleep.

Morpheus stood watching over Orchid. Soon David came in-- he magicked their lock --and curled up against Orchid's back. Morpheus drew the curtains.

A short while later, there was a knock at the door. Morpheus met Eleni there and behind her stood the Jinnah's friend, Sidi.

"The Jinnah's are on the floor above," Eleni related.

Morpheus stepped quietly into the hall. From there he could see Zulfi was loitering in the hallway as well.

"C'mon," Morpheus said, "let's not all stand in the hall—"

"Laila, she is sleeping?"

"Most likely." Morpheus nodded. "Like the others."

Zulfi was looking at the Sidi with some irritation or disdain.

"It looks bad, all us in the hall," Morpheus said. "Don't you think?"

Sidi looked about. "Oh, yes, of course."

"We'll let Laila know you asked for her," Morpheus promised.

He watched Sidi move along the hall.

---------------

Secret: I have no idea who I would cast to play these characters.