Happy Riley

At that moment, Riley reminded him of a smartphone switched to silent, no matter how intensely it was being 'charged,' it wouldn't emit a single notification beep.

But that was easily fixed. With a little 'manual' adjustment from him, applying pressure in just the right way, the 'volume' could be switched back on. And once on, he knew, it would only increase, growing steadily louder. Because sometimes, the volume wasn't up to the 'device' itself, but entirely dependent on the one using it.

Perhaps it was the surprisingly satisfying bowl of instant noodles fueling him, but Alex found himself with renewed energy, his stamina seeming to reach a new level.

During this round, Alex found himself needing to cover her mouth three distinct times to muffle the small, desperate sounds she couldn't hold back.

In the end, Riley was completely drained, utterly spent, limp like a rag doll in his arms. Alex had to carefully carry her the rest of the way up onto the bed.