Oreo

Chapter 5: Relax

Orion's POV~

Strangely enough, at least for me, Romeo seemed very not talkative today.  But that might just be me.  He doesn't seem like a generally talkative person to begin with, anyways.  However, he did seem fairly distracted by his thoughts.  Again, that could just be me.  Not to lie, I had expected him to be ecstatic when I joined his sixth period.  Though he did seem relieved, something else also seemed to be bothering him.  It hadn't really dawned on me until we were in the locker rooms though.

It was 6:30pm and I stood outside the Michaels, waiting for Romeo.  He only had to work for three hours so I decided to just kill time wandering around the other stores.  The air was crisp and cool, still carrying the heavy burden of winter on its shoulders.  I watched my breath mingle with the air and merge with the wind.

The automatic doors slid open and I turned to see Romeo walking out, zipping up his warm yet light jacket.  The sky was completely whited out by the clouds and you could almost taste the incoming snow.

"Hey, buddy~" I put my arm around his shoulders.  "The sun will set in roughly an hour and I think it's gonna snow tonight.  Want to spend the night again?"

"Um... I guess." He replied.  "I just have to te-"

I snatched his phone as he took it out and put it in my pocket.  "Stop worrying about that.  You're 19.  You're an adult."

"Kay..."

There was a moment of silence so I decided to just lead him towards the bus station.  He didn't protest.  Once we reached the station, I sat down on the bench and he sat beside me.

".... So, Romeo." I started.

"Yeah?"

"What's been bothering you today?  You've been awfully thoughtful and hesitant."

There was silence as he thought.  I could almost see the gears rolling in his mind.  "... I appreciate what you've been doing for me.. a lot.  I'm glad I share almost evey class with you, and I don't even know if you planned it that way or something..."

I waited patiently for him to finish.

".. I just... I almost feel like I'm being weak or selfish by letting you get so mixed up in my own drama when you could be enjoying yourself with anybody else.  Surely I'm not the person you'd rather spend your time with.."

I gave it a moment to be sure he was finished before cracking a smile and putting a hand on his head, chuckling a little.  "Romeo, you're so weird.  You over think everything and are too over critical of yourself."

He looked at me for what seemed like the first time today.  His green eyes were a bit shocked and confused.

"You seriously need to relax." I told him.  "That's what I'm trying to do for you.  And it's not like you're forcing me to help you or anything.  Frankly, I think you're too nice to do something like that.  I defend you because that's what I want to do.  You seemed so miserable and lifeless when I saw those guys fucking with you like that.  It wouldn't sit right in my gut to let them  do that to you.  I don't know how you don't blow up on them."

"Over abused self control, I suppose.." He muttered, looking away.

I sighed, messing up his hair.  "Don't worry about it.  You've got me now."

He nodded quietly and the bus rolled up.

~

Romeo yawned as we entered my apartment and we dropped our bags off in the living room.  It had just started to lightly snow when we reached my place, just as I had thought it might.  The empty void in my stomach growled eagerly and I glanced at my friend.

"What would you like to eat?"

He pondered, taking a seat on the cheap Goodwill couch.  "... What do you have."

"Besides bread, eggs and pancake mix..." I checked the fridge.  "Cherries... milk... Sunny D... yogurt...." I moved to the pantry.  "Top Ramen, rice, seaweed, pretzels..."

"Ramen..." He replied.

"Heh.  Yeah." I laughed lightly at my own lack of food materials.  "Beef or Chicken.  I'm all out of Shrimp."

"Beef."

I nodded and pulled two packets out and filled the kettle with water before going out to join him.

He was quiet, as if trying to think of something to say and fill the void of silence before it grows.

"So, what I was asking earlier." I said.  "Do you have any siblings?"

His lips formed a line.  "... I did.  Do.  Did."  When I said nothing to that, he explained.  "... My little sister died shortly after I turned five."

I frowned.  "... Oh.  I'm sorry."

He shrugged.  "I barely remember it... I remember her, though.  But still in only short fragments of memory...." He seemed to freeze up when I pulled him into a hug.  His thoughts were so on the brink of slipping, I could hear them.

"... I know it's late, but I thought you could use a hug anyway."

He nodded slowly.

"... Want to Netflix and chill?"

"Sure.."

I smiled a little and turned on the television, using the Roku to put on Netflix.  I handed him the remote.  "Feel free to put whatever on.  I'm gonna prep the noodles."

He nodded, taking the remote.

~

The delicious, brothy instant noodles certainly hit the spot for the both of us and we started snacking on the cherries as we finished an episode of something random on TV.

"Let's go watch some anime." I suggested.  "The dishes are done and whatnot."

He nodded, turning off Netflix and the TV for the living room.  Then, he followed me to my room.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower, so you can feel free to put something on without me."

He nodded again.

"Words," I said, putting a hand on his head after grabbing a change of clothes and a towel.  "Use words, hooman."

That earned a short chuckle from him and the hint if a smirk.  "Kay."

"Well we got letters.  That's  a start." I joked, heading into the bathroom.  To be completely honest, they way he had spoken earlier at the bus stop was probably the most I'd heard him talk in one sitting.  But something about this guy told me he was one tough egg to crack.

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