A loud clatter echoes through the Burners' garage, followed by a quiet "ow." It's late enough to be morning, technically, and Mike Chilton is sucking the blood from a skinned knuckle. Every cell in his body aches for sleep, but his mind churns stubbornly on, filled with thoughts of Kane. It's been a quiet week, which means Kane is plotting something big- he might go after Motorcity's food supply, or the electricity, he might try to get one of the Burners alone and capture them, or worse- what if he got Dutch, what if he found out about Julie, what if he did something to Texas, or Chuck-
"Mikey." Chuck is leaning on the doorframe, wearing a pair of smiley-face print boxers with his customary blue shirt. His hair is messy and flat on one side.
"Sorry, Chuckles, did I wake you? I'm almost done here, I'll try to be quieter." He tries to look busy, searching for the engine part he dropped earlier.
"Mike, when's the last time you slept?"
There are pronounced bags under MIke's eyes as he frowns slightly, counting on his fingers. "Uhhh, well, today's Wednesday, right? I took a nap like-"
"It's Thursday. Kinda Friday, actually."
"...Oh." He rubs at one eye, smearing a line of grease across his nose. "Listen, I promise I'll get some sleep, okay? As soon as I finish up here."
The taller boy sighs and takes him by the crook of the arm. "You can finish it tomorrow, Mikey. Come on."
Mike allows himself to be led upstairs to Chuck's bedroom, and smiles at the familiar posters- dragons, characters from old video games, and a few shots of planets and nebulae from the space telescopes of a bygone era. Chuck deposits him on the end of the bed and helps him out of his jacket while he kicks off his shoes. Remembering the engine grease on his hands, Mike turns to speak over his shoulder. "Listen, I'm kind of a mess-"
"Don't care." The blonde boy tugs him backwards onto the bed, and tangles him into a lanky embrace. It's like being hugged by an octopus made entirely of elbows and knees. Mission accomplished, Chuck falls asleep again almost instantly.
Chuck's head is heavy on Mike's shoulder, breath blowing soft and warm across his collarbones. For the first time in days the leader of the Burners feels his eyelids drooping, as tension drains away from muscles he didn't realize he'd been holding taut. It doesn't matter now what Kane might or might not be up to. It doesn't matter what the next disaster will be. Right now, everyone's safe. Chuck's safe. That's all that matters, and that's the only thought in Mike's head as he finally sinks into sleep.