"Have you even been to bed yet?"

Ix shuffled her feet, invisible to the webcam. "... How much trouble am I in if I say no?"

"All of it."

"Then I'm just an early riser today. Honest."

Delta sighed. "Dammit, Ix, why did you do that? Your sleep cycle is important-"

"Not as important as you! Not as important as the woman I love!"

There was silence on the call.

"Did you mean that?" Delta's voice trembled, leaf above a gutter.

"... Yes."

And, steeling themselves, Ix went on. "You're so far away. Ever since the big move to London, then Italy... you're hours of time and thousands of miles away. But you're still there for me. And I love you for that, and for so much else. So the least I can do is say goodnight."

Delta didn't know what to say. They talked some more, the call crackling, but neither said anything after that. Not until the end.

"Goodnight, Delta."

"Goodnight, Ix. I love you too."

And the call closed, just as the sun crept over the Sicilian countryside, and Ix looked out over the golden hills, and listened to the dawn chorus.

"I love you," they said.

"I love you," they said.