Look! I already remember this book!! Jk I wrote this chapter right after the other but I didn't post it until now.

I still do not own anything and I probably never will.
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Galen had fallen asleep. His head was nestled in Orson's arm and his body was curled up into a tight ball. The only thing that wasn't in the body ball was his hand, which was gently gripping Orson's shirt.

Back up a little. Orson had managed to cheer Galen up from his crying. He then brought Galen out to dinner. After they had a relaxing silent meal, they laid outside in one of the courtyards and stared at the stars. Orson began telling Galen what did this summer. He told about his architect job and babysitting jobs. He talked about Thrawn and Thrass. He recalled meeting the girl who was obsessed with Galen just like he was and how they fought over him... physically... He rambled about begging his head off for a pet and his parents got him a goldfish, which he named after Galen. He also said how he had decided to save up his money to buy himself a dingo dog, a loth cat, and an iguana (Orson wanted an iguana because his mother was grossed out by them). Then Orson talked about how much he loved animals, and if he heading gone for architecture, he would have liked to go into the veterinary field.

At some point, Orson stopped talking. He realized Galen wasn't listening anymore. Galen had fallen asleep against him. Orson smiled at Galen's rested expression. Galen looked so peaceful, and the moonlight off his cheek made the scientist even more handsome than he already was.

He played with a lock of Galen's hair as he stared at his boyfriend. He thought about how he had stolen his mother's credits card and gone down to the local store back at home to buy some hair gel. He then tried to give himself a neat combover like Galen. Things didn't work out and Orson's mother scolded and grounded him for getting hair gel everywhere in the bathroom. He was forced to clean the bathroom, his mom's comb (he had just washed it before he started!), and pay her back for the bottle of gel.

He never did achieve that comb over. Yet he kept trying...

Orson's arm was falling asleep. He carefully slipped it out from under Galen and then pulled his boyfriend's fingers off his shirt. Galen was now just sleeping alone on the ground. Orson decided it was time for him to bring Gaken to bed and so he placed his arms under Galen's knees and neck and tried to life Galen.

He failed. Orson stopped, out of fear that he would wake or hurt Galen with all the straining he was doing. How the heck was Galen so heavy!? Orson found it unfair that Galen could lift him. Why couldn't he life Galen?! And so Orson did three things:

1. He pouted about how unfair it was for another minute.

2. He considered making a trolley, putting Galen on it, rolling him to their room, and then rolling him up a ramp so he could put Galen on the bed.

3. He called Lyra.

Of course, Orson decided to call when Lyra was half asleep. "The hell do you want?" Lyra grumbled into the com.

Orson felt sheepish as he admitted it to her. "Um... I-I can't pick up Galen..."

"Get someone who has a ship license to."

"N-No... he fell asleep on the g-ground. I can't p-pick him up."

For a moment, there was complete silence on the other side of the line. And then Lyra soft "oh my Kriff" could be heard through the com. Lyra sighed heavily and said "Where are you?"

"Courtyard 16."

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."

She kept her promise and arrived less than ten minutes after he called. Lyra picked up Galen with ease and cradled him like a baby. She carried him to Orson and Galen's room and set him down after Orson set the bed to tuck Galen in. Lyra let Orson do the honors of covering Galen with  the blankets before saying "You're supposed to be the boy. Why aren't you stronger than me?" Orson wanted to punch her. No, he DID punch her, or at least attempt to. However, Lyra stopped his fist and then chucked him into his bed. "Orson, fight me tomorrow. I'm too tired tonight. G'night." And Lyra left.

Orson was fuming over Lyra now. That little daughter of a... human! He groaned. He was probably overtired because he couldn't even come up with a decent insult in his head. He let his body relax while his mind still cranked its gears to come up with an insult. He never did figure one out before he fell asleep.

When he woke up, Galen was gone. Orson shot out of bed. Where did he go? He looked around the room frantically, calling for Galen. What if Galen had hurt himself? What if he had been abducted last night? What if he was dead!!!!???

Then Orson found a little note on his bedside table.

'Orson, I'm in the student commons. Please don't freak out that I'm gone.'
     -Galen

Something was off about the note. Orson didn't know what exactly. However, he didn't think much about it. He had to see Galen! Orson was dressed and running down the halls to the commons in less than a minute. Halfway there, he skidded to a stop. Wait a second, that note was paper. No one ever used paper anymore. Orson began to worry Galen had been abducted again.

He still went to the commons anyway. Sure enough, there was Galen. He was sitting at a table across from... LYRA!!! Galen was making funny hand movements towards Lyra, who then did her own funny hand movements. No wait, they were using sign language!?? HOW COME LYRA WAS TALKING TO GALEN IN SIGN LANGUAGE!???? NOW HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND EITHER OF THEM!!

Orson found himself clenching his fists and scowling as he stormed up to the table. Neither seemed to notice him until he was a good two meters away. Then Galen turned his eyes to Orson and smiled. His smile disappeared when he saw the steam billowing out of Orson's ears. Orson went up to Lyra's blind side and shouted "LYRA!!!" in her ear.

Lyra punched him, sending him tumbling across the floor. "For Kriff's sake, Orson! Don't do that!!"

Orson got back up and tackled her. "You little bastard!!! Stop trying to woo Galen!! He's mine!"

"What are you talking about!?" Lyra demanded, rolling Orson off her. Her victory only lasted a few seconds before Orson wrestled her back to the ground.

"STOP TAKING GALEN!!"

"I'm not taking Galen!!"

"Why are you using sign language on him then!??"

"Get off me and I'll tell you!"

"Tell me now!!"

"No!" Lyra picked up the flailing Orson and tossed him over a nearby table. Orson got back up and ran back towards her. He raised his arm as he did so. Then he swung it at her.

Suddenly Lyra lost her determined look and instead replaced it with fear and shock. She made an attempt to back up and run but Orson's hand slapped her cheek and knocked her over. Lyra suddenly began to cower, curling herself up and tried to protect her head and heart.

That's when Galen stepped in. He put himself between Lyra and Orson. He placed his hands on Orson's shoulders, followed by one hand stroking Orson's cheek. Orson calmed down and leaned into Galen's touch. Then Galen drew his hand away, making Orson whine. When he didn't show any signs of bringing it back up, Orson began jumping to conclusions. "Galen? Did you find someone else that you loved? Are you engaged to someone else? Are we breaking up?" Galen shook his head to each one and Orson felt anxious. "Then what is it?"

Galen pointed to a small neck tag on him. Suddenly the galaxy froze and so did everything around it. Orson felt his heart drop to his feet aw he read the two bold words on the tag.

Mute student.

No... this couldn't be. No! Galen... Galen was mute..? But how?! What had happened?! Orson found himself fighting tears back as Galen gently pushed him to a chair and forced him to sit down. He gave Orson a soft kiss on the forehead before kneeling down and signing something to Lyra.

Orson looked at Lyra. She knew about this! That's why she had been signing to Galen! He wanted to punch Lyra in the face again. However, his cold thoughts shattered when he saw Lyra reach up and press her cheek right where he slapped as tears slid from her eyes and soft sobs escaped from her throat.
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I kind of want to start heading down the Catalyst route with Lyra and Orson's relationship. Of course, I doubt I'll stick to that plan.

Please review!