The library was warm, and dim. Streetlights gave a glow through the large upstairs windows, and there was some low-level lighting around the foyers. Mattie and Leo settled on the top floor, in a crevasse between Literature and Popular Fiction. They dumped the bag and coats on the wiry carpet, listening for pursuit, but the only sound was a faint ticking from the lights.

Leo pulled out titles he remembered. He turned pages, frowning, while Mattie leafed through his rejected ones.

The peace was broken by a strangled noise from Leo. Mattie looked up in alarm.

Leo drew a gagging breath, and coughed. He dropped the book he was holding and wrapped his hands around his throat.

Mattie was at his side in an instant. "What's wrong, are you ok?"

"Yeah."

He massaged his neck as heaves and retches shook his body. Mattie dived off, found a water fountain and brought him chill water in a paper cup. "Thanks."

"What happened?" she asked as he sat, head tipped back, taking wary sips from the cup.

He scowled. "Dust."

"Huh."

"Antiquated data storage," he said, and shot her a look from under his eyelashes, a suspicious, accusatory look.

"You frightened the life out of me," she said.

He looked away. "I'm ok." He blinked at the canyons of books. "Let's stop for a bit. Knackered."

Mattie had never known Leo request a break, or admit fatigue. "All right. Can I just check your charge? I don't want you getting low in case we need to move suddenly again."

"No, I can - Yeah. Cheers."

She opened her laptop, unwound the cable. "Here you go..." Kneeling, she leaned over and gently lifted Leo's t shirt. She peeled back the dressing she'd applied earlier, and clipped the power supply to his port. Sitting back on her haunches, she caught him watching, a raw, vulnerable expression on his face. She reached for his hand. "You will get used to it," she said.

"Not a lot of choice," said Leo.

"No, but..." There wasn't really a comforting answer. She squeezed his hand, and after a second his fingers closed around hers too, then let go.

"You're all good," she pronounced, checking the energy monitor on her screen. "Might as well stay on charge though."

"Tethered like a dog," he said.

"Like someone who doesn't want to go flat while they're running away from the bad guys," she said.

"Huh."

"If you're tired," she said, "then sleep."

Leo tilted her laptop screen so he could read the time. "We'll have to get out of here before it opens in the morning. You sleep too."

"Ok..."

Making a bed out of books might sound idyllic but it is not recommended in real life. Mattie tried to select a bit of carpet tile that might be more cushioned than the rest. There was a chill draught whistling under the shelves, basically at head level if you were going to try to sleep on the floor.

Leo stayed propped up, his back to the large format volumes on the lowest shelf.

Mattie put her head on her rucksack and immediately cricked her neck. "Oh my god." She sat up. "Your plan's better."

She found a space alongside Leo and tried again to get comfortable. "Are you OK?" she said. "I'm in agony and I haven't even got a hole in my side."

"I'm OK." Leo angled his eyes at her. "You really care about him."

She shrugged.

"I mean you love him."

"Like I would tell you." Thank God for years of teenage practice with the Face of Generic Ennui.

"Why not?"

Mattie rolled her eyes. "Because when the memories come back he will remember everything I said to you."

Leo gave a head-waggle. "He's going to know that we - that I kissed you," he said.

"Whatever." Mattie fixed her face in a careful sham of indifference. No recallling the past, his shy hand-holding and awkward hugs, his appalling sweetness in those moments when he let himself stop.

"'Whatever' ? There is definitely history between you two," Leo said.

"Maybe on my side," she said. "He's got a lot on his plate."

"He's a fool," said Leo.

She turned to him, half horrified, half amused. "He's not, he's the most incredible man I've ever -"

Leo grabbed her shoulders, pulled her to him and kissed her, slightly missing her mouth at first. He reached down with one hand and unclipped his power lead, then kissed her again, hesitant, but eager. His hands caressed her hair and his mouth sought hers with passion and promise.

"Whoa," said Mattie, easing away. She put her hand on his chest, held him gently off. "Really? Now?"

"Why not?"

"Oh, you know, bad guys, peril, plus we are supposed to be getting your memories back." His heart was pounding under her hand.

His eyes were intense. He gave a one shoulder shrug. "Or just make new ones." He leaned in for another kiss but she dodged.

"No," she said. "You're not him. It wouldn't be fair." She sighed, gave a rueful smile. "If he found out he'd be incandescent."

"So now it's cheating? What has he done to deserve this weird fidelity?"

She shook her head. "I can't explain it to you. But he, we, we're friends. That's all he wants and that's fine." Apart from his lips shy on her cheek, his hand hot in hers, his dry humour down the phone late at night when she was supposed to be asleep.

"Ok." Leo let go of her. "I guess you know what you're doing."

"God no, I have no clue," said Mattie. "And when your memories come back you'll see why."

He shook his head and smiled at her, and she at him. "I think he likes you too," said Leo, and then Mattie knew that she was not going to resist him.

She smoothed her hand from its place over his heart, up to his shoulder. "I feel like I'm talking direct to his subconscious," she said.

Leo faced her, touched her cheek. "You're talking to me."

"He'll know," she said, closing her eyes as his fingertips trailed over her face.

"Serve him right," said Leo.