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Interlude
Orion Character Sketch The book is flame and he is freezing. He is curled up around it as if he must take in every wave of heat, as if the words will escape into the air and he will freeze to death. On the floor, against the wall, circular, he reads. One elbow rests against his knee, beside the book, and he leans his forehead on his hand. The page engrosses him, and he shows no signs of recognizing the world. Life goes on, people keep talking, and he does not even blink, his eyes never move their way. His name is Orion. He is beautiful. The hand on his forehead moves and his long fingers dig through his hair, brushing back baby soft, baby pale blond to scratch as his scalp. His brow furrows. His mouth looks ready to move, silently, to the words, but it stays in that moment of anticipation as he reads on, turns the page, and doesn't even notice you watching. Somewhere under heavy eyelashes, down-turned in consideration and study, his eyes are gray. You know, because he has looked at you before. Then, nothing hid his eyes. He doesn't wear glasses. His hair isn't long enough to fall in the way. Even when he smiles, his eyes do not whisper into slits—they stay open, observing, never faltering. He lives for the reactions of his audience. In this moment, he pays you no mind. He does not even notice you, across the hall, eating lunch, watching him. He may not even know you're there. The book holds all of his interest, and he stares at it as if there are secrets hidden there, somewhere. He is fascinated. Nathan sits down beside him and only then does Orion look up. The book closes and is put down. Slender fingers entertain themselves with Nathan's hands rather than blond hair. Against Nathan's sturdy frame he is as slender and as gentle as a bird; and as close as the two of them are, side by side, hand in hand, Orion looks ready to fly away at any loud noise. There is a little smile, a tilt of the head, and his words are pianissimo notes that you can barely hear. When he laughs the sound is swallowed and contained. He has been dating Nathan for a few weeks now. Nathan may not know it, but Orion is keeping secrets. He looks away too often. He covers his face with his hand and drops his eyes, pulling into himself where none can tread and none can touch. You are not the only one watching him. Everyone's eyes move in his direction, almost absently, as he giggles away and ignores the world. Oh, but he does notice—he sees the glances. He preens under them, even cuter, even sweeter than he was a second ago. He is everything that everyone ever wanted, but he is five times further away than the highest dream. All those other wants that once seemed so distant are brought closer, but the perfect attainment of him is out of reach. Only when you really want it, when there is heaven strained into human form, do the realities of the situation become clear. He is a god and you are but human, and while doubtless you could fly now, he is beyond your grasp. He knows it, and he tells you when he grins. You know it. Perhaps Nathan feels the same way; but perhaps he is too blind. Orion laughs again, looks down, smiles. He fingers the pages in his book, ruffling them. He has never seemed so innocent or so tempting. |