And yet, Al wasn't any less aware of what edmund was doing. How he was touching himself. Despite all Edmund's attempts to stay quiet and keep himself withdrawn, every sound hammered against Al's over sensitive ears. And the smells -- no matter how he tried to ignore them, he couldn't escape Edmund's scent, woven through with need and desire.

"I think -- I think the siren bite made things worse." That was a convenient explanation for why he was so much more affected now than he'd ever been before. And it allowed Edmund a convenient shield as well, to hide his lack of control behind. It seemed plausible at the very least.