Orange

Fifteen

Orion didn't give me the chance to feel awkward about that. He greeted me happily once I came home, gave me a tight hug, and pulled out a movie for us to watch.

"You have Demolition Man? Oh, we've totally gotta watch that," he beamed, popping the DVD into its slot. I slunk down onto the mattress, fiddling with my fingers. But Orion sat next to me, nudging me gently as he squeezed my hand. "It'll cheer you up a bit."

So, we watched the movie. I was barely able to get through half of it when I knocked out on Orion's shoulder. I could hear his soft chuckles in my dreams, his whispering "Goodnight, Sweetheart" as I drifted away into that sweet nothingness.

And the next morning, I woke up with him beside me, nestled up nicely right behind me.

He's here. He didn't leave.

Realized that I was being overdramatic, I forced my way out of Orion's unconscious grasp and got ready for work. I cooked my oatmeal, setting aside a disastrous bowl for Orion to suffer through, and hopped into the lukewarm shower. By the time I was done, dressed and ready for the day, Orion was awake and alert, giving me a small wave from the mattress.

"Good morning, Sweetheart."

I said my own soft greeting, as well.

"Say, Sweetheart?" I heard his voice catch my attention just as I was heading out the door. "I was thinking... did you wanna go out again? Tonight?"

"With what money?" I frowned. "I've gotta do some grocery shopping tomorrow, and you have a useless credit card.

"We don't have to spend money to have a good time," he winked. I rolled my eyes, resisting the laughter boiling up inside me.

"Well, what did you have in mind?"

That's when I found myself at the park. Not just any park, but the park. Peter Rosewell Park. My heart was beating a mile a minute, a stark contrast from Orion's seemingly cool demeanor. Memories flashed through my mind as I tried to keep myself focused on walking in a straight line. The moon hung high in the sky, and yet here we were—two idiots walking around an old park in the middle of Los Angeles. Probably not one of our best ideas, but it's what happened.

I bit my lip. I haven't been here in so long... It feels like it's been an eternity—

A small warmth spread through my fingers. I looked over to see Orion visibly blushing, even with his tanned skin, wearing a doofy smile as he wrapped his hand around my own.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"No, um, it's alright."

He gave my hand a little squeeze. I relaxed into his touch a bit more. I squeezed him back.

Rosewell was almost always empty, from dusk until dawn. Only the occasional homeless person wandered around. Other than that, it wasn't a bad little park. Wild sunflowers grew in various patches, even some morning glories. Dandelions grazed our ankles as weeds attempted to snatch our shoelaces. The two of us followed the concrete path around the hills and valleys of the simple park, seeing the dilapidated mess of what was once a slide set and strode over to the swings. Well, more like Orion excitedly pulled me over to them. He gestured to one of the swings, and I took a seat. He sat down in the swing just next to mind, pushing himself back and forth with his feet. It was a pretty comical sight, Orion sitting in that swing; he was much too tall for even regular chairs, so him trying to swing himself on a child-size item sent me into a brief laughing fit. He smiled brightly at me, relishing in the joy of seeing me happy in public for once. I wiped away a stray tear from my eye, trying to ease the pain in my stomach as I cooled down.