Oreo

Chapter 10: Food for Thought

Romeo's POV~

It was the slight movements made by Orion that woke me.  Sleepily, I looked up at him before slowly realizing that I was still hugging his arm.  My face heated up.  I had hugged his arm last night after I was sure he had fallen asleep.

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you?" Orion asked, smiling a little.  It was different from his usual smile, but I couldn't quite tell what it meant.

"I... uh.. no.." Technically, yes.

He chuckled a bit.  "Well.. I was about to go make us some breakfast.  Is there anything in particular you want?"

"U-uh..." Why am I not letting go!?  "French toast?" My face heated up even more, so much I wanted to dunk it in ice water or just hide under the covers.

"Okie-dokie, French Toast it is~" He chuckled again and sat up, freeing his arm from my hold.  He then got up from the bed on his side and sticking his hands in the pockets of his sweats before walking off to the kitchen.

My face wouldn't stop burning as I sat up and looked down.  Dammit.. this is embarrassing... Sometimes I envy girls.  I sighed, closing my eyes.  That nightmare he woke me from...  it might've been one of the scariest I've had in a while.  I don't normally remember my dreams, but that one... I can see it in my head so clearly, it's almost like it actually happened. Recalling the nightmare lead me to thinking about my father.  What is he doing right now?  He couldn't necessarily report me as missing, given my age.  He could, however, be taking things into his own hands.  But it's true what Orion said.  He has no idea where Orion lives so he couldn't possibly be able to find me as long as I stay here.  And school was canceled due to the snow, so that worked in my favor as well.

As my thoughts began to deepen, I shook myself out of it.  Well.. that was unintentionally helpful... whatever...  I got up and stretched before going out to the dining room.

Orion was soaking the bread in some beat eggs and putting them on the buttered pan.  It sizzled as the cold eggs came in contact with the heated surface.  He glanced over at me.  "So... Romeo." He began.

".. Yeah?"

"I'm not gonna hold back on bringing this up anymore." His expression was serious.  "We need to report your father to the police.  He cannot get away with what he did to you.  People like him disgust me..."

"... Okay." I replied.  It didn't really take any thought to agree.  It wasn't like I opposed.  My emotions on the man were very mixed, but it went without a doubt that he belonged behind bars.  As much as it hurt to admit... the idea felt liberating.

"I know he's your dad and everything, but he is seriously sick in the head."

"I know..."

He sighed, closing his eyes before looking at me almost mournfully.  "I'm sorry you had to go through all that.  And I'm glad I was able to meet you."

I nodded, watching him cook.  "Yeah... me too."

"We'll go to the police department later, after breakfast."

I nodded again.

He looked back at the french toast, flipping the bread over.  A small patch of silence seem to try and root itself so I attempted to make a casual move to the couch.  Perhaps I had been too scared to bring up going to the police about what happened, though it beat me why.  Desperation for him to be locked away was the emotion I should've felt.  Even though it was, it must've become drowned out by the stress and worry.  Hopefully I could calm down better once I knew he was where he belonged...

"So, Ro." Orion started.  "What do you want to do once all this bullshit is taken care of?"

Again.  Another hard question to answer.  Of course, I honestly thought I would never make it out of that mess.  Even if I did, sort of, hope that I could when I ran away with him the other day.  And it turned out that I did.  But not quite to a full extent, yet.  But there was one sure thing I knew I wanted to try that I hadn't felt like I'd had in perhaps a decade.

I leaned my head back with a sigh, closing my eyes.  "... A taste of true freedom."

There was the sound of sizzling bread and eggs as he put more of the prepped food on the pan. "I see... of course you do."

My eyes opened slightly as a follow up question popped in my head; one to remain unspoken.  What would that true freedom be to me, though..? Not just freedom from him, right..?  In a way, I supposed that being there with Orion was almost like being free.  He didn't bully or harass me for being gay, he helped me escape that hell-hole of a house, and he always stuck up for me at school.  It's almost embarrassing, but I can't help but feel like... I don't want him to leave me.  I don't want to stay anywhere but here, in this apartment, with him. 

He listens even when I don't really want to talk, always tries to cheer me up and can seemingly understand when I really, really don't want to express my feelings.  There are never too many pressing questions about my issues and, to be frank, I'm sure he might know more about me than I do.  He definitely knows more than I do about him.  I want to be able to be for him what he is to me: a listener for his rants and a counselor of his own depression and emotions.

"The breakfast is ready~" Orion stated, followed by a click as he turned the burner off.

I opened my eyes and went back to the kitchen to get a plate for myself.  "Thank you.."

"No problem, man~.  It's not like it's that difficult." He shrugged.

I was really thanking him for a lot more than just the food, however.  But I wasn't going to say that.

The two of us got our plates of french toast and grabbed the syrup and powdered sugar before taking them to the couch so we could finally eat.

~

"Are you sure you're ready for all of this?" Orion asked me for a third time once we had finally reached the police station.

Clutching the harddrive I'd managed to smuggle out of the house that contained the evidence against my father -admittedly a bit nervous- I just formed a tight line with my lips.  "Yes.  I already told you."

"Okay then."

I sighed and we walked towards the front door.  "Let's get this over with..."

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