Orion's mother and brother are catching the next flight to Colorado. Orion's other brother is flying in from college. They've both been pulled out of school.

I'm exhausted and my side hurts. I never thought something as simple as sitting could be excruciating. But no matter how much I shift I cannot get comfortable.

"You okay?" Orion asks me.

He sounds horrible. His nose is completely stuffy from talking with his mom. I also think the full situation of the crash has finally sunk in, and he's taking it hard. Then again, I don't think any of us are taking it exactly easily...It's a lot to process.

Orion's nose is red, and so are his eyes and eyelids. It's a stark contrast against his deathly pale skin. He's also gingerly touching his side, where the metal had been. Thinking about it makes me shudder violently.

"Yeah."

He raises an eyebrow at my visible shiver. "Really?"

"Oh you're one to talk," I tease him gently, "you're the color of a ghost and it looks like you've been doing lines of coke all day."

It gets him to laugh. But then he winces in pain, bringing his other hand to his side.

"Sorry..."

"No," he says with the tiniest smile. It's probably all he can manage. "I'm happy you made me laugh."

Orion takes my hand in his own. He brings it to his lips, kissing each and every finger tip. Then he wraps his fingers around mine and looks at me. "Thank you..."

"O-Orion," I say quietly, looking into his beautiful orbs. "Did you--were you serious about--"

"Me wanting to marry you? Yes." 

He hesitates then. I'm not sure why, but when he speaks it's a shy whisper.

"Tristan...You're the only thing that makes me keep going. You're the only thing that makes me feel alive. You're the only thing that makes me want to be alive."

He looks at me, and his eyes are blurry. He smiles. "Why wouldn't I want to marry that?"

~

"You are going to die when you see my costume!" Amy tells me excitedly one day. "I mean, there's a couple of variations of it, so I'm not wearing the same thing every night."

"Oh," I say, dog earring a page and putting my book down, "did Cindy finish it?"

"Yes!" she squeals excitedly.

Just then the front door opens again and Orion walks in. He plops down next to me and gives me a kiss.

"Hey," he says tiredly.

"Are you alright?" I ask, concerned.

"Yeah," he replies, rubbing his eye beneath his glasses and then stretching. "Long fucking day at the studio."

"Yaknow Orion," Amy chides him, "maybe you wouldn't be so exhausted if say, oh, I don't know, you let us help you with the final edits?"

He glares in reply. Amy plops down on the other side of me and looks at him. "I'm serious. I don't know the editing program that well so I sure as shit wouldn't do it, but I know Ben and Jake do."

"Not gonna happen," I can't help but chuckle.

Amy looks at me.

I shake my head, smirking. I ruffle Orion's hair as I speak. "That would mean little Orio here would have to give up some control."

Orion rolls his eyes. "Fuck you guys..."

"Hey, we're just trying to un-zombify you," Amy says.

Orion gets to his feet then. "I'm going to bed."

I can't help but raise my eyebrow. "Hun, it's three in the afternoon."

"Yeah, and I've been working since five AM without any breaks."

"Did you pee at least?" I joke.

"Barely..." he mumbles as he slowly trudges away.

Now I'm concerned. "Did you eat?"

A pause, and I'm happy when he gives me a truthful answer. "No..."

I get up and go to him. "Ori, ya gotta eat love..."

"I'll eat when I wake up."

"But--"

He stops me with a glare.

"Want to snuggle at least?"

Orion grunts, shakes his head with a smirk, and walks upstairs.

"Ouch..." Amy says, causing me to turn around. "Still sleeping in the basement, huh?"

I rub my face. "Yeah..."

"When are you going to talk to Jake?"

"I d'no..."

"Tristan!"

"What am I supposed to say?! 'Hey, sorry I punched you, I'm just jealous of you, can we still be friends'?" I shake my head. "That's lame."

"It's a start."

I make a sound of annoyance through pursed lips.

"I'm serious! Maybe he can ease some of your fears."

"But that's just it Aims! I know he would never make a pass at Ori, or try to come between us."

"So then what's the issue?"

I look off to the side. "You were right about what you said the other day. I can't get over that they were romantically involved."

"Well, ya need to get over it."

I'm slightly surprised.

"Jake isn't going anywhere. You're not going anywhere. Figure it out, dude."

I can't help but frown as she walks away.

After a few moments I follow her up the stairs. As she heads to the third door on the left, I knock on the first one softly. Orion grunts, so I let myself in.

He hadn't bothered to properly change, just stripped down to his black boxers and collapsed on the bed. His clothes were in a crumpled heap on the floor bedside. It was very unlike him.

I gingerly sit next to him. Groggily he opens one eye and looks up at me.

"What do you want?" he half-sighs, half-whines. "I just want to sleep..."

I trace my fingers lightly, lovingly, over his irregularly scarred arms. "I'm worried about you. Are you sure you're okay?"

He shuts his one eye and sighs. "I'm just over worked. I promise."

"I miss you..."

Orion turns so his back is to me. "Then maybe you shouldn't have punched Jake."

I sigh. After a little while and he doesn't say anything else, I slip back out the door and quietly shut the door behind myself. Then my feet take me to Amy's room, and I knock.

"Aims?"

"S'up Tristan?"

"Could I come in?"

"Yeah, it's unlocked."

When I enter she's on her bed, studying with her hair tucked behind her ears. She looks at me and grins. "We just talked Tris--can't get enough of me?"

I roll my eyes. "First, don't call me Tris, only Orion gets to call me that."

She snorts.

"Secondly, I'm worried about your brother."

She cocks her head to the side. "Why?"

"He worked for ten hours without a break..."

"I was worried too. Ben told me it's always been like that." She shrugs. "He's a perfectionist."

"So, it's not some... underlying issue?"

She looks at me sympathetically. To my surprise she then pats the area next to her. After hesitating a minute, I go and sit next to her.

"Are you okay?" she asks me.

I'm perplexed. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I mean with Ori."

I'm still confused. She sighs.

"He has...a lot of issues. He can be controlling and overbearing because of his OCD. He has depression which can make him be moody and unpredictable. He has really bad anxiety and body dysmorphia..."

Worrying her bottom lip, Amy then hesitantly places her hand on my shoulder. "I know you've kinda put yourself in charge of his happiness, and you look out for his well-being...But has anyone checked in with you about your well being?"

"Amy, that's really sweet of you."

"I just--I can't imagine dating someone as fragile and volatile as Orion could be easy."

I merely shrug.

"I'm serious Tristan. I just want to check in and make sure your mental health is okay, too."

I smile at her then. "Yes, I promise you I'm fine."

Then I sigh. "I'm not gonna sit here and lie to you and tell you it's easy. Because it's not. And I worry about him a lot. And yeah, his reactions can be overwhelming. But I know that's not him, I know that's just his sickness. That's why I try to not react, or if I do to react in a calm manner."

Amy looks like she might cry. "You're a saint, Tristan. Could I--could I hug you?"

Chuckling I hold my arms out and we hug.

"Seriously, you're perfect for him. Thank you so much for everything you do for him."

I look down at her and smile. "'Course. I love him. Why wouldn't I?"