Junkyard Bastion

Going In Circles

AN: I was going to wait until next Wednesday to post this but consider it a treat 🙏

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<7:24pm> <Zeriah's POV>

Jesus.

I knew he was dumb but not this dumb.

I genuinely don't know why he just stormed out after hugging me (and clearly hugged me back) (AND liked it), but the same feeling of him tensing up on me last minute felt the same.

I grab my new best friends hand and I lead him to a box on the side of Beckett's house, I grab a field knife for myself and I pass him one.

"Why would he.." Orion starts but I put a hand over his mouth quickly. "Beck's always struggled to use his words, luckily for you I'm a Beckett-reader-3000." He seems to laugh and I smile to myself, proud of the joke.

But that quickly simmers downs, when we approach the fence Beck left from. "If I'm being honest... I don't know how to use a knife." Orion awkwardly scratches his neck, and he hands the knife to me, as if he wanted me to bless it for him.

"Talk a little louder, I'm not completely deaf." He nods and repeats himself closer to me. "Well, I don't really have time to teach you. Follow my lead; And uh always aim for the neck." I told him—"A-and if it's a mutant climb up a tree and try to hide." He nods and I hand him his knife again, pulling up the fence so he can get through.

I've always knew Beck wasn't good with his words, (considering last time,) but I didn't think he'd react so strongly to a hug.

Maybe he just isn't ready. But for what?

My eyebrows furrow together, as I try to think of the possibilities, while subconsciously leading Orion to the treehouse—one made with wood and memories.

I feel him clear his throat (by vibration, I've adapted to this kinda thing.) behind me and I turn to look at him, "What is it?" he snaps out of his thoughts—"Oh.. I was wondering why he just kinda stormed off after hugging you?" His head tilts to the side and I sigh. Where do I even start?

And would Beckett even want him to know that?

There's really not a lot of time to sit down and discuss. So I'll just tell him later, when we get Beck from his hiding spot.

He's hopeless; really. And I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who sees it. I don't know when Beck will figure it out himself, but when he does I hope he finds someone good for him.

We arrive at the treehouse and a sudden, off vibe comes from it. I hope he didn't accidentally summon anything. I point towards the treehouse, highly advising we shouldn't just barge in.

Orion nods, thoughtfully.

And he barges in.

<7:34pm> <Orion's POV>

I barge in not long after the thoughtful warning and all I see is a cocoon on the floor and I wonder if this is actually a butterflies nest—do butterflies make nests?

The cocoon moves around, and a quiet, very obviously hurt voice speaks through, "I really don't want to deal with you right now-" He seems to forget that Zeriah can't hear him from that distance. I've obviously never heard Beckett like this and yeah, I did feel sorry for him.

My siblings done this before, so luckily I know what to do in this situation. I kneel next to the cocoon, and I shake him (not very gently,) to encourage him out.

He grunts, and struggles against me until I stop. "What the actual fuck has gotten into you Zeriah?" (Zeriah can hear him this close I assume.) I can almost feel the sneer in his voice as he elbows my hand away—"I'm not Zeriah. I'm uhh.."

I think of a funny name, but the cocoon moves against and I can see him shape into various forms before resting up on his elbows, the blanket falling off of him.

If he did that in a movie scene I'd probably be screaming. The blanket falls halfway down his chest and stays there, and his eyes meet mine—his eyes reflect his mood perfectly—Confused and pissed off. "O-Orion?" He runs a hand through his very messy hair. I make an effort not to joke about it.

His face forms a sneer and a confused expression all at the same time, and I wonder how he's done that with his face until Zeriah finally comes in.

When they lock eyes the atmosphere becomes far different and only now do I realize how tense this whole thing really is. I try to lighten up the mood with a purposely badly joke, "Uhm.. why did the chicken cross the ro-"

"Dude, shut up." Zeriah says, facing me with a cold tone but I saw the slightest up-turn of his mouth. Beckett stays there, not moving from his position—his eyes still on Zeriah.

After some awkward few minutes pass, I decide to speak up since they don't seem to want to.

"I think I'm entitled to a small explanation at least.." I fidget with the sleeve of the sweater (That an old lady at the Bastion gave me) waiting for their answer. They lock eyes again and Beckett turns away, while Zeriah lets out a long sigh.

Zeriah leads me to another room attached to the treehouse, we climb up the small stairs and sit next to each other, leaning against the wall. "Yknow how I said Beckett isn't good with his words?" I nod.

"Well me and him go way back. Like maybe when we were around 10?" I raise an eyebrow at this. "He's.. well he's a curious person and naturally he'd need a friend to help him out with these things—like uh.." I nod.

"Well, he really wanted to try something different, and he wanted me to get him a.. girl willing to try this new thing out with." This won't do.

I move over in front of him, "You're lying, aren't you?" His eyebrow twitches but he turns away and nods.

"Is he into some weird kinks?"— Zeriah holds back a smile. "..Or was he just.." I read his expression once more—a superpower of mines, "..just into you?" Zeriah's face twists into an odd expression, and I can't tell if I've crossed a line—I'm not very good with people after all.

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AN: Orions a lil... emotionally dum.. If you noticed, he can read you like a book yet he doesn't know how to act emotionally, nor does he know how to express it at all. He usually thinks the solution is cracking a joke (the solution is not in fact, cracking a joke.) since joking is his only way of expressing how he feels— wether a sad joke or horny one, he uh.. well he just doesn't know how to act in a situation like this. It confuses him, he's never been through this before.

Regarding that, he only reacts to situations the same way he's reacted to the same situation before, so he just—goes in circles. (Ex: "I nod." (Zeriah's rant later) "I nod.")

PS: this chapter name isn't solely based of his inability to understand emotions, there is more to this title, which I'm sure y'all already figured out considering the situation between Zeriah and Beckett.