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wickedmilo · 4 years ago

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BASEBALL AND SPIDER MONKEYS | MILO & ORION PART 1

PLACE: Orion’s house TIMING: 11:12 PM SUMMARY: Orion hosts a vampire movie night to help Milo feel better about the changes in his life WRITING PARTNER: @3starsquinn CONTENT WARNINGS: Some brief NSFW humour

Milo wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. Rio wasn’t the type to lie, and had been pretty clear about living in a large property alone. Maybe he was developing trust issues, because standing in the kitchen now, staring out at the expanse of space, he felt guilty for ever doubting his friend. It was a large property, a nice one too. He was glad he had somewhere decent to stay. If anybody deserved that, it was Orion. The fact that he had put himself on the line, had created such a permanent rift between himself and Dani, for the sake of keeping him safe… it was something he still considered when he allowed his mind to wander. He wasn’t sure he was ever going to be able to repay him, though showing up for movie nights felt like a pretty good place to start. He had a sneaking suspicion Orion had organised this particular watch party in an attempt to make him feel more grounded, to make him feel more at ease with his new life… or death. But he was really hoping his company had something to offer Rio in return. It must get lonely sometimes, such a big house with nobody in it.

Turning his attention back to the popcorn as it began to pop in the microwave, he leaned heavily against the kitchen counter. The smell was already overwhelming, but he had been the one to insist. It wasn’t a movie night without popcorn, and something about the mundane routine was incredibly comforting. “So,” he said, turning briefly to Rio who was sitting beside him on the kitchen counter. “What did you say was on the list?” Still watching the timer as it continued to count down the seconds, he used his fingers to tick off the list of franchises he had been given by his friend. “Twilight, of course. But you said The Vampire Diaries, right? Specifically episode one? Did you make this list? Or did you steal it from a teenage girl’s tumblr account? Be honest with me.”

Sitting on the counter, Orion listened to the microwave’s buzzing as the kernels slowly started to pop. For once, the sound of the microwave and the distant sound of the pool filter wasn’t the only thing to keep Rio busy. He wasn’t sure anybody had been in the house to hang out with him since Skylar had left. It was such a relief to have somebody occupying space in the kitchen with him again. Even if this was only temporary, it was worth it. For just today at least, he wouldn’t feel so alone in this house. “Stop looking like that.” Rio warned, catching his eyes as they floated around the place, “I know what you’re thinking. I’m not a real housewife or whatever those rich people shows are. All of this was purely by chance. And it’s not mine. I’m just staying here for now.” Rio smiled, but he truly didn’t want Milo thinking the wrong thing. He didn’t know why he hated the idea of people thinking this was actually his house, but something about it felt wrong. Like he was living a facade. It was partially true, but not because of this house.

“Not necessarily in that order.” Orion checked his phone for the list he had compiled. Most of the media he had never consumed himself. His parents had never been fond of their children watching such inaccurate depictions of supernatural creatures. They didn’t want Athena and Rio to get the wrong idea of what they were weak to, but more than anything else they didn’t want them romanticizing the idea of what they considered monsters. Clearly, something had gone wrong along the way with Rio. “I did my research from multiple sources.” Rio countered, not necessarily disclosing where those sources came from. “I never got to watch this stuff growing up, so I’m going in just as blind as you. But I have seen some scenes from Twilight. Personally, I think it could have been worse.”

Milo laughed, unable to help himself. “I’m not looking like anything.” He insisted, holding up his hands in surrender. “I am, however, wondering who your sugar daddy is and how I can get in on the action.” His eyes were shining with mischief as he teased Orion. He knew his friend wouldn’t mind, and sometimes he just made it so easy. “Oh, because the order is important?” He asked, sarcasm dripping from his tone. “Trash is trash, Rio. Sometimes you just gotta sit back and enjoy it.” Pulling open the door to the microwave as the alarm began to sound, he shook the bag of popcorn before emptying it into the bowl he had ready. His fingertips burned with the heat. It was strange no longer needing to worry about that. “Multiple sources being tumblr?” He raised his eyebrows, chewing absentmindedly on a piece of popcorn. The taste was pretty close to how he remembered it, only dull, and one note. Wrinkling his nose, he took another piece for the sake of it.

“Wait, you never got to watch vampire movies?” He had wrongly assumed Rio’s childhood largely consisted of vampire movies, and scary supernatural YA. It made sense considering what he was, what his parents were hoping he would grow up to become. Realising that may not be true was a reminder of just how much he didn’t know, just how much they still had to talk about when Orion was ready. If Orion was ready. “Wouldn’t that be like… homework for you?” He was genuinely curious to know. He hadn’t been allowed to watch much TV because his own parents had made it very clear they wanted him to study in his free time. But surely watching shows about the supernatural, learning about the supernatural, was studying for a hunter. “I guess we’re in it together then. Maybe we should start with Twilight after that glowing review.”

“I know you’re joking and that you don’t actually think I have a sugar… dad.” Orion scrunched his nose at the thought of saying the word. He didn’t have the emotional capacity to have a relationship like that. “It was a very specific and weird order of events that led to me being here. Including but not limited to my parents sucking, invading a girl’s privacy, getting attacked by a man eating watermelon and eventually the only person I’ve ever dated and I breaking up.” He was shortening events obviously, but this provided a very small glimpse of the life that Rio never disclosed to Milo at the comic book shop. They had never talked much about personal lives there, avoiding it altogether to chat about comic books instead. “My sources prefer to remain undisclosed.” He crossed his arms and pouted, abandoning Milo in the kitchen with the popcorn to head to the living room.

“It’s not really considered homework when it’s not accurate.” Rio spoke normally, but figured Milo would be able to hear him from where he was in the kitchen. Rio started setting up the tv to get their first pick of the night ready. “Not to say all of them are inaccurate, they all get a little bit right. But they thought it would do more harm than good.” Rio still found time to watch a few when he could. Whether it was through the movie theater or at the Scribrary when he not so formally moved in there. “Besides, vampires were never my families focus anyways.” He nodded in agreement with Milo on the movie pick and found the movie, starting it up before pausing, “Ready when you are.”

“But am I joking though?” Milo teased, laughing at the term Orion chose to use. “You can say daddy, you know. It isn’t going to kill you.” He laughed again, surprising himself with how easily the sound escaped him. Hugging the bowl of popcorn to his chest, he couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so at ease, couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so warm. “Was the specific order of events signing up to a sugar daddy website? Going on a date? And then securing a sugar daddy?” Falling silent when Rio began to elaborate, he was reminded not for the first time of just how strange his life had been. Nobody who hadn’t grown up with the supernatural could ever drop a carnivorous watermelon into the conversation as though it was on the same level as a break up. “Huh, no kidding about the complicated…” He muttered, deciding not to ask any further questions. He didn’t want to bring the mood down, but he also didn’t want to make his friend uncomfortable. There was a time and a place for serious conversation, and the start of a trashy movie marathon didn’t feel like either.

Chewing on another piece of popcorn, he didn’t immediately follow Rio to the living room. Instead, he took the time to enjoy the moment, observing the mundane aspects of the kitchen, and appreciating them in a way he never had before. His life had been turned upside down, for a month before meeting Harsh he had spent his time between the abandoned buildings, the streets of town, and the woods. No kitchens, no bathrooms, no comfortable living space. It felt good to be back, to be grounded again. Listening to Orion as he explained why his parents had kept him away from certain shows and films, he could almost understand the logic. Not knowing whether Hunters had hearing on par with his own, he finally wandered into the living room to reply. “I guess that makes sense… though I can think of a few films that would probably help if they were trying to make you see these people as monsters. I mean basically every horror movie ever, let’s be real.” Raising his eyebrows at the mention of vampires not being the family's focus, he set the popcorn down on the coffee table. “Oh, yeah?” He asked, dropping onto the couch, making himself comfortable without any kind hesitation. Couch surfing in the years before his death had left him more than capable of relaxing in other people’s houses. “Do I want to know what your family’s focus was?” Nodding towards the screen, he let Rio know he was ready without potentially interrupting an answer to his question. There was still so much he needed to learn.

“I really feel like it could kill me. For my own sanity I’ll just avoid saying it altogether.” Milo was saying the word daddy way too many times for Orion’s sanity. Was this what Rio had set himself up for when he stayed in Skylar’s house? Sugar daddy accusations? The idea might be a bit less shocking if normal, no strings attached sex didn’t terrify Rio to his core. He couldn’t even sleep with his ex, who he adored. He couldn’t say he was surprised when Milo didn’t ask for any elaboration. Life here was complicated. They wouldn’t actually get to watch anything if they waited around for Rio to tell his life story.

“They had plenty of stories all on their own.” Rio remembered his parents' stories vividly. They spared no detail of the gore they had witnessed. They liked to talk about the death and destruction werewolves or fae would leave behind. Though they never spent as much time talking about what they would do to it in turn. Ironically, the ending always included some kind of heroic intervention. Their parents or their grandparents swooping in at the perfect time and serving justice. His sister used to fall for those stories every single time. Rio used to be afraid of those stories. It wasn’t until he got older that he realized exactly what he should have been afraid of. Rio pressed play on the movie and let it get started, but continued talking with Milo. “Depends on how much about the supernatural you want to know. Both of my parents came from different families of hunters. So Athena and I got to focus on two things growing up. Werewolves and Fae. But my… abilities were always focused towards werewolves.”

Milo made a big deal about pouting in disappointment. “Is that because you’re only allowed to say it in Daddy’s company?” He asked, before raising his arms in surrender. “Okay, okay- I’ll stop now, I swear- I couldn’t resist.” His smile fading as the conversation became serious once again, he leaned back against the cushions behind him, listening intently to what Orion had to say. His own parents had been strict, and rigid. Growing up, their expectations of him had been unreasonably high, and in his opinion, put him under an unnecessary amount of stress. But they had been loving, and caring, and they had never resorted to scare tactics. He couldn’t imagine the trauma Rio might be carrying from being intentionally scared by the people who were supposed to protect him. Had they really told him stories equal to the horror movies he used to binge watch? Surely it had to be worse if they were based on the truth? On experiences they had been through?

Laughing quietly, he reached forward again to pick up the popcorn bowl, somehow feeling more comfortable when he was holding it. The smell reminded him of watching movies with his parents, as did the action of occasionally eating some, even if the taste wasn’t quite there anymore. “I mean, it isn’t as though I can just ignore it…” He pointed out. He could bury his head in the sand, but there were too many things out there he had a feeling he should know about. Supernatural life had to be easier when you understood the full extent of the world you were living in. He wanted that to be true, at least. “Huh… so werewolves really do exist.” He muttered, more to himself than to Rio. It was something he had suspected for a while, but his friend was now the first person to confirm the fact. “Fae?” He echoed, realising he wasn’t familiar with the term. Pausing for a moment, recognising the way Orion hesitated, he chewed thoughtfully on a piece of popcorn, offering the bowl to him as though it might remind him he was in a safe environment. “So, forgetting the- you know, the bad stuff, what can you do?” He asked curiously. “You’re different, right? You told Dani you barely counted as human so… are we talking Spider-Man backflips? Or is it something else? Was one of your ancestors bitten by a radioactive werewolf?” He wanted to give Orion the chance to talk in a playful way, in a way that almost trivialised the darker aspects of his life. Rio had begun to make vampire jokes, and the relaxed environment they created helped to lift some of the weight from his shoulders. Maybe, just maybe, he could return the sentiment.

Orion was mostly happy to ignore the beginning scenes of the movie in favor of talking with Milo. Even if the topic was his least favorite to discuss. For some reason, things with Milo just seemed easier. He could casually talk about topics he would usually avoid unless absolutely necessary. “Sorry to ruin your fun. I’m sure you wanted to find out about werewolves naturally.” Rio laughed, gesturing for the bowl of popcorn and then opening his mouth to see if Milo would try to throw it to him. “Fae are a lot more complicated. That’s a supernatural lesson for another night. But they have their own sect of hunters.” He didn’t need to overwhelm Milo with all of that knowledge. There were too many fae to describe in a single setting anyways. Not that Rio knew all of them as it was.

Rio couldn’t but laugh at the radioactive werewolf comment. The comic humor didn’t escape him, but it was the irony of the theory that made it even better “Oh god I wish. If hunters found out they were actually descended from werewolves I think their heads would spin.” Rio might actually go back to the Silver Bullet if he got to see that. “Yeah. I guess. I have this sort of… sixth sense I guess. If a werewolf is around I can feel it.” The gift that kept on giving. He had never figured out if there was an off switch to it. He mostly just dealt with it until he went numb to the tingling sensation. “I have faster reflexes. I’m kinda strong. I heal a bit faster than normal humans. Oh and I can see in the dark.” Rio tried shrugging them off. He never liked his abilities. No matter how great they might be objectively. “I could probably do a spider-man backflip if I trained. Any more questions?”

“Oh, no. I’ve already found out way too much without anyone to guide me through it. I’m done with finding things out on my own.” Milo assured his friend. In reality, it had been an incredibly difficult, and jarring process, but sitting here with Orion now made it more than easy to shrug off. Raising his eyebrows when he realised what he was being asked to do with the popcorn, he laughed, shifting on the sofa to give himself a better angle before aiming carefully. He so nearly missed, but with a sharp tilt of his head Rio caught the popcorn on his tongue, and he felt a ridiculous sense of accomplishment that definitely wasn’t warranted. Nodding in acceptance of Fae being too broad of a subject to cover without ruining the evening, he shelved his curiosity, ready for another night, another conversation. Offering Orion a grin when he laughed, he was genuinely proud of himself for being able to draw it out of him. He knew him well enough to understand this subject wasn’t one he was overly comfortable with. And he was not only talking about it now, but willing to joke about it. He enjoyed that.

“The ultimate plot twist, right?” He agreed, listening to the description of a sixth sense, wondering if it felt anything like being able to sense the blood pumping through a person’s veins. There were some moments it was all he could think about, hearing their heartbeat, feeling the heat of their skin, the pulse in their neck… he swallowed, pushing away the thought before he could make himself thirsty. That wasn’t going to be productive. And it certainly wouldn’t do anything to help his case in proving to Orion he was the same person he had always been. “So kind of like Spider-Man?” He confirmed. “I was almost right.” At the mention of any more questions, he sat up straight, attempting to look as serious as he could. “Only two. Potentially the two most important questions you are ever going to be asked. Number one; are you Team Edward, or Team Jacob?” He waited for his words to register before continuing, gesturing to the screen where the Cullen’s were entering the school cafeteria. They were walking in slow motion, their skin white, and pale against the film’s dramatic colour grading, and their faces were striking, intense, so obviously intended to be sexy. “Number two;” he added, maintaining his mock sincerity. “Do I look like that now? There’s only one right answer to this question, okay? Don’t hurt my feelings.”

Orion hadn’t exactly spoken about his history with the Scribrary. Or rather, two separate scribe buildings that he had access to now. The drama with Dani and the discovery of the hunter heritage all felt so fresh that RIo didn’t feel the need to pile on top of that with the Scribe history. But Milo might have lucked out in friendship when it came to finding someone with supernatural knowledge. Milo accommodated Rio’s request and tossed a piece of popcorn that Rio just barely managed to catch. The surprise took over, and he shot his arms up in the air in a triumphant cheer, maybe an overreaction but not one he was going to regret.

“I’m not that lucky. My family was convinced that the powers come directly from God. So take that as you will.” Rio was glad Milo was getting such a kick out of this. It was surprisingly easy to talk about it when the conversation wasn’t so… depressing. “Basically. I’m not nearly as cool or pretty as Peter Parker though.” He had gone through a long Peter Parker phase when he was younger, for obvious reasons. Rio was ready for his follow up questions until Milo actually asked them. He rolled his eyes and groaned in response, but felt his posture relax slightly at the change of subject. “I’ve seen enough memes to know the only right answer is Bella’s dad. I mean like… look at him.” Rio pointed at the screen, even though he wasn’t actually on it at the time. His point stood. “What’s so bad about looking like that, huh? I think you’ve always sparkled to me.” Rio laughed to himself and shot an innocent smile in Milo’s direction, “You look much more alive than they do.”

There was something so endearing about the way Rio celebrated his win, that for a few seconds following Milo found himself entirely speechless, overwhelmed by the affection he felt for his friend. “Maybe you are God.” He teased, barely putting any consideration into the joke, knowing Orion would appreciate it regardless. “Maybe you’re going to get older and suddenly inherit your omnipotence. If you don’t know what to do with your powers, please come to me. I have some pretty great ideas, you know. Tequila in every water fountain would be a good place to start...” Laughing at the mention of Peter Parker, he wasn’t sure he had met anyone who hadn’t crushed on the character at some point in their life. Sexual orientation didn’t come into play in relation to Spider-Man. “Hey, don’t put yourself down like that. You’re every bit as great as Peter Parker. I’d choose you over him any fucking day.”

Feeling a spark of satisfaction at the reaction to his questions, his eyes were shining with mischief. He was unapologetically proud of garnering such a response. “Okay, but is Bella’s dad hotter than Jacob, is that what you’re trying to tell me here?” If he had a heartbeat, he knew he would be blushing at the comment on sparkling. It was such a stupid thing to get flustered over, but he was rarely ever the recipient of compliments. He didn’t know how to accept them. “You know…” He shifted on the couch, readjusting the popcorn bowl. “That’s probably a good thing because if you try pushing me into the sunlight it isn’t going to end well. Let me sparkle in the dark, please and thank you.” Glancing back up at the screen, he wondered if the vampires in Twilight had reflections. Surely they must, how else would they look so flawlessly put together? “I do?” He asked curiously, pressing his fingertips to one of his cheeks as though he would be able to feel what Orion was talking about, the difference in complexion, the difference in demeanour. “I guess I don’t really know what I look like anymore… it’s weird only seeing myself on my phone screen, it isn’t like I can use any natural lighting either. The whole thing is just… really fucking weird.”

“You’re getting way too deep for me.” Orion laughed, lowering his victory arms and pull his legs up until a fetal position instead. “I’d have to get old in the first place. Hunters don’t exactly have the same life expectancy as an average human.” Sure, that was mostly due to the dangerous nature of their lives. But Rio had already decided long ago that just turning away from his hunter heritage and trying to live a normal life wasn’t enough. He had to actively try to protect the supernatural. In a way, he might be cutting his life even shorter. He was siding with people that may want to kill by going against those that would protect him. He wasn’t going to be getting much love from either side, in some cases. “I’ll make sure to keep your suggestions in mind though. In case I ever meet them.” Not that he really believed in any of that. “Now I know you’re just being nice. Everybody would choose Peter Parker.”

With a shrug, Rio tried to defend his statement, “I’ve been spoiled on some parts of this series. There’s a lot to be left desired about Jacob. Mr. Swan seems like a nice guy. I mean he’s older than what I would be comfortable dating, but honestly I’m just not comfortable dating.” Honesty was a virtue, or so they say. Rio spent so much of his life lying that when he finally met those he could tell the truth to it seemed to all erupt at once like a volcano. “Yeah. Suddenly the night hang outs make a lot more sense.” Rio considered what Milo talked about. It was so strange, the idea that he could no longer see himself. Something that was so trivial to most people that they don’t think twice about it as they pass by a mirror and check their hair. “Sure. I mean, I’m not like… I don’t know studying your features or anything but…” Not off to a great start, “You just look like… you. The movie seems to over exaggerate the pale features and stuff like that. I don’t think you look much different. Which is nice.” Jesus, his face felt like it was on fire. He thought he had moved past this by now?

“Hm, I don’t think anybody has ever called me ‘deep’ before.” Milo admitted, doing nothing to hide how amused he was. “I kind of like it.” His smile fading rapidly at Orion’s second comment, he suddenly found himself eyeing his friend with an open, and unguarded concern. It was a strange thing to say so casually, especially when it was clearly not intended as a joke. He hadn’t considered the life expectancy of Hunters until this moment, and he wasn’t sure it was something he really wanted to dwell on. Orion was safe, because Orion wasn’t a Hunter, right? How could you be a Hunter when you weren’t actively hunting? He wasn’t stupid enough to believe it was that simple, but for now, he was happy to convince himself otherwise. “Please do.” He said, easily falling back into their banter. “I think Tequila on tap would make the world a much greater place to be.” Offering Rio a warm smile, he needed him to see how serious he was. “Rio,” he said, his voice slow, and sincere. “I promise I would choose you. I mean, fuck Peter Parker. Come on...” Peter had a lot to offer, sure. But in his own mind Orion also had powers, Orion was just as interesting, if not more interesting because unlike Peter, he had actively saved his life. Or… unlife? He still wasn’t sure how that terminology worked.

His smile only growing when his friend proceeded to announce just how much he really knew about the Twilight series, he couldn’t bring himself to tease him for it. Not after the reminder of how grateful he was to be in his company. “Hey, you know what? Neither am I.” He admitted, quite possibly for the first time out loud. You only had to look at his history, at the ridiculous patterns of repeated behaviour for his commitment issues to become apparent. Even he knew he had them, he wasn’t about to deny it. His childhood had been too structured, too rigid. It had left him with a determination to be free. He still wasn’t entirely sure what his definition of ‘free’ was, especially now. But he did know it didn’t include dating. “Honestly, people are probably better off without having to deal with my bullshit anyway.” He absentmindedly took a handful of popcorn from the bowl, eating the pieces one by one before speaking again. “I was always more active at night anyway.” He shrugged off his new limitations. Life didn’t feel all too different in that aspect. The days had always been reserved for sleeping off hangovers and comedowns, the only thing he really missed was working. And Tower Comics usually had late shifts on offer, so hopefully he wouldn’t have to miss it for very long.

Pausing for a moment, hand halfway back to the popcorn, he realised Orion was observing him, carefully taking him in. It made him feel strangely exposed, but not uncomfortable like he might have assumed. There was something about his friend that made him feel so at ease, he couldn’t explain it even if he wanted to. He could only hope the sentiment was shared between them. The relief he felt when he was assured he still looked like himself was unexpected, until the words escaped Rio he had been entirely convinced it didn’t matter, he didn’t care. There was something so grounding about realising his appearance hadn’t changed. It was only further validation of the fact that he was still Milo, regardless of what Dani believed. Regardless of what Hunters and Slayers were taught about his kind. A half smile tugging at his lips, he didn’t hide how vulnerable he felt, because he didn’t want to hide how vulnerable he felt. He wanted to be honest, Rio deserved that much from him. “Thank you.” He murmured, his voice barely louder than a whisper. It didn’t take very long for him to push his vulnerability to the side though, because it became all too easy to make a joke as the blood rushed to Rio’s face. He believed Rio when he said he was over his crush, but he was always going to enjoy watching him blush. “You know, blushing in front of a vampire kind of makes you look like a snack.” He grinned, hoping his play on words would be obvious, and Rio would realise he was paying him a compliment.

“Do you want me to repeat it again so you can hear it more?” Orion laughed, resting his chin on his knees and shifting his tone to an only partially faked form of admiration, “Wow, Milo. You’re just soooo deep. I’ve never met anyone as intellectual as you.” Rio grinned after finishing, leaning back against the arm of the chair, “Hope that helped.” Despite the joking nature of the conversation, Milo seemed all too sincere when doubling down that Rio was better than Peter Parker. As absurd as that sounded, Rio couldn’t help but be a bit flattered. More than that though, he felt embarrassed by the compliment. One that he didn’t exactly know how to reply to. He was always terrible at accepting compliments. Instead, he switched guys. “Right. Well you should be careful who you promise stuff to. It’s a whole fae thing, I’ll explain later. But just be mindful of words like that to people.” Rio had learned the hard way just how dangerous a promise could be in the wrong hands. “But uh… thanks.”

Rio didn’t know how to respond to Milo. Rio wasn’t good at relationships, though maybe for different reasons than Milo. He didn’t know how to tell Milo that he didn’t seem like a hassle at all without it sounding like Rio was trying to date him. He shrugged the question off instead, choosing instead to show minor interest in the movie again until Milo mentioned being more active at night. “Yeah, I guess I sort of am too. I get the most done at night.” Less distractions to worry about, he figured.

Having his red face pointed out to him probably made Rio blush even harder. At the very least, it made his cheeks light on fire. “A joke about eating me? That’s just in poor taste.” Rio couldn’t even pretend to be serious, not with his giggling and the smile that wouldn’t leave his face. If compliments made him so awkward, how come he also couldn’t stop grinning? “Most people think I’m one missed meal away from snapping in half. This town thinks I’m like a saltine cracker or something. Just waiting to be stepped on and crumble.” Was that how Rio avoided dealing with the possibility that the vampire had just called him cute? Definitely.

“Obviously.” Milo countered quickly, tilting his chin in an attempt to look proud, and smug, as Orion elaborated on his intelligence. “Thank you, thank you.” He teased. “I don’t try at all, you know? It just comes to me naturally.” Quickly dissolving into laughter, he caught his friends eye, joining him in sinking back down into the cushions. “Oh, it did.” He assured Rio. “I appreciate the confidence boost.” A frown creasing his brow as he listened curiously to the warning, he hadn’t forgotten their unwritten agreement to put off the difficult conversations, to keep things light-hearted, and fun, and deal with the real world at another time. But he had a burning desire to know more, to understand. He felt as though he had been living in the dark, metaphorically, of course, for far too long now. Orion had become his light. “Okay, how about swearing? If I swear to choose you over Peter Parker, is that going to put me in danger?” He asked, genuinely wanting to know. “Hm, you don’t need to thank me, you dork. Thank Parker for being lamer than you are.” He nudged him with his shoulder, encouraging him to smile. “Who knew that was possible, huh?”

Dropping his head back against the cushions behind him, he turned his attention to the film as Orion insisted he was also a night owl. He kind of figured, given how they had reconnected, but it was a nice detail, one he was very happy to know. With every day that passed he could feel them trusting each other more, getting closer, and more comfortable with being who they were. What they were. He used to have that with Dani… not so much now. And he was so, so grateful he wasn’t alone. Laughing again, even harder this time, he couldn’t help himself. The situation was so ridiculous, so beyond funny that he had to laugh. If he didn’t laugh he would cry, or go insane, whichever came first. “Oh really?” He demanded, his eyes shining as he looked back at his friend. “You started it with the whole pointing out my lungs don’t work for shit, so… do you know how rude it is to tell someone they’re dead? How do you think Edward would feel?” Humming quietly, making his amusement abundantly clear, he chewed on another piece of popcorn. “Yeah, well, the joke’s on them because Saltine Crackers taste fucking great. Hey look,” he feigned surprise, wondering if he could elicit another blush. “Another joke about eating you.”

Orion had to appreciate Milo’s commitment to this Peter Parker debate. He wasn’t Rio’s favorite character by any means, but he was one of the most popular characters in probably all of comics. Being compared to and even rated above him was a surprisingly good feeling. “Swearing is tricky too. Though I guess not for a statement like that.” Unless there were any real Peter Parker’s in the world whose life came in danger soon. “It’s best to avoid any potentially binding statements like that. Just to be safe.” Rio needed to take his own advice. It was pathetic how easily he fell into Lydia’s grasp when he had grown up with two wardens constantly warning him of the dangers of fae. “Well I’m going to make sure my headstone reads that I was less lame than Peter Parker. Probably my biggest accomplishment in life.”

It was so nice not sitting on the couch by himself like he normally did every night. Even if they were watching a movie that Rio didn’t particularly care for. Things could be a lot worse. Right now with Milo things seemed pretty okay. Good even. “That’s old news now, you can’t use that against me!” It didn’t matter that it was barely a week old, Rio just wanted the spotlight off of him again. “I’d like to think that he would have a sense of humor about it.” He paused, glancing at the screen and trying to think of more than once in the entire movie so far that he had actually smiled, “Actually, never mind. Point taken.” Oh god. Did Milo just making another joke about eating Rio? Far past the vampire reference, this made Rio heat up even further. He dug his forehead into his raised knees and curled up into a ball so Milo couldn’t get the satisfaction of seeing his face. “No fair. You’re doing this on purpose!” Rio yelled, the sound slightly muffled from pressing against his jeans.

“Hm, okay.” Milo agreed, nodding as he took in what Orion was telling him. Until the real conversations, until they could sit down and talk about everything he didn’t know, he was going to hold onto the snippets of information he was given. He was smart enough to understand if Rio was telling him now, on their supposed night off from the world of the supernatural, then it was important. “No binding statements, got it. I stand by what I said though.” He added, grinning at his friend. “Only slightly less lame, but, you know... it’s enough.” He didn’t want to imagine any gravestone for Rio, the idea of mortality versus immortality was something he had strictly refused to let himself think about, but he had to admit the thought of the tagline was amusing. “You’re not going to top that, so you may as well give up now.” He teased, catching Rio’s eye and feeling an undeniable rush of affection. He needed this, a reminder that all hope wasn’t lost. There were things, and people, worth living for.

Laughing at the response to the previous joke being dragged back to the present, he shook his head, allowing himself to focus on the now. He got lost in his own head far too often, and he didn’t want to miss a second of this night with Orion. “Nope, that so isn’t how it works.” He insisted. “I think you’ll find I can, and I will.” Laughing again as they both turned to watch Edward on screen, the vampire’s mouth a thin, straight line, his body filled with obvious tension, he couldn’t remember laughing this hard since his death. He couldn’t remember feeling so normal. Who knew Twilight was going to be his saviour? Only tearing his gaze away from the screen to watch Rio hide his face, he playfully reached out to tug at his arms. “Doing what on purpose?” He asked, his innocence very obviously disingenuous. “Doing what? I don’t understand, Rio. My mind is pure, and innocent, and virtuous. I’m only trying to compliment you.”

“I’ll take what I can get. Slightly less lame is just fine.” Orion laughed, revelling in this moment. Where all that seemed to matter was Milo, Peter Parker and the sounds of twilight distant in the background. It was a good moment. “Clearly I’ve peaked in life. No reason to go on from here.” It had been so, so long since he had been able to laugh like that. It almost made him sad, thinking about how lonely he had felt lately. But he pushed aside that butterfly in his stomach. Good vibes only tonight.

Rio wasn’t going to budge as Milo pulled at his arms, refusing to give him a win on this. A small bit of light shone through as his leg shifted and he peaked up to meet Milo’s eye, “I don’t believe you.” Rio pouted, readjusting to shut his leg again. “I don’t think you’re pure, innocent or virtuous.” Eventually, Rio had to end the facade and lifted his head back up. He feigned annoyance, narrowing his eyes at his guest and crossing his arms. “You know if you had ‘complimented me’ like that like a year ago I probably would have melted to the floor right?” He used his fingers to make air quotes. They both knew that was true. Until Rio met Winston and started dating them, Milo was one of the small list of pretty guys that Rio could barely form words around. Another being Ricky and Adam. Thankfully, that had passed. Or Rio sure hoped that it had. The redness in his face seemed to be arguing against that. “Don’t you have a movie to watch? Notes to take? Like about baseball and spider monkeys?”

“Good.” Milo teased. “I would hate for you to be disappointed.” Laughing at Orion’s comment, he gestured to where they were sitting. “I mean, you’re sitting on a couch watching Twilight with a vampire. You’ve definitely peaked.” Picking up a piece of popcorn and throwing it lazily at his friend, he rolled his eyes, splitting his attention between their conversation and the movie. “That doesn’t mean you get to tap out though, asshole, so you can quit with no reason to go on. When I say give up I mean spend your life getting high, and eating pizza. Because we both know those are two excellent motivators for staying alive.” His laughter only coming more easily to him as Rio refused to budge, he eventually let go of his arms, allowing him re-emerge from the darkness in his own time.

“Excuse me, I am all three of those things.” He countered, pretending to be offended by the apparent lack of faith. “But I guess I can forgive you, I’m a complicated person, so difficult to understand.” He was being overly dramatic for the sake of it, but wasn’t that what was so great about this night? They could be young, and dumb, and make stupid jokes. They could shut away the outside world and pretend the only thing that mattered were their ridiculous attempts at humour, and the emotionless, super hot vampires on the television screen. “Yeah, I know, I’m sad I didn’t realise at the time.” He grinned mischievously. “Although maybe that would have driven you away and then where would you have bought your comics from?” Shoving Rio gently when he told him he should be taking notes, the popcorn bowl spilled over, but he paid no attention to the scattered pieces. He would clean them up when necessary, but the whole point of right now was being free, living in the moment. “Yeah? Maybe we should try out for the same team. You’re every bit as weird as I am, you know? With your X-Men Hunter mutation bullshit. We’re in this together now.” He did nothing to hide how much the closing statement meant to him, allowing the warmth of his words to remind him he was cared for, and protected. They both were.

“That’s what you call peaking, huh?” Orion laughed sarcastically, “I’d love to say I have higher standards. Clearly that’s not true.” And it wasn’t. His two best friends now were a werewolf and a vampire. It was like something out of a dream. Or maybe one of his parent’s nightmares. The majority of his friend group was supernaturally inclined in some way. Whether that be spellcasters or one of the supernatural beings his parents tried and failed to raise him to despise. Rio plucked the piece of popcorn from the couch that Milo so rudely launched at him and popped it in his mouth. “I don’t smoke though, so that’s already one reason eliminated. I do love pizza though.” Rio glanced up at the ceiling to consider that prospect. Pizza did sound pretty appealing. Actually, pizza sounded good right now. “Hmm, maybe we should order a pizza.”

“Not right now, you aren’t.” Rio refused to give him anything while he teased him for the crush Rio had before the two were legitimate friends. It felt like a lifetime ago admittedly, though in reality it had probably been less than a year. Rio had a habit of developing feelings like that for just about every pretty guy that spoke nice words to him. At least until Rio moved in with Ricky and Winston and Rio practically fell in love with Winston instead. Rio hadn’t felt anything quite like that since Winston left town. “Don’t be. I wouldn’t have known how to date back then even if I had the opportunity.” He barely figured out how to date Winston, and that had been an entire saga on its own, “And don’t smile at me like that!” Though he detested the idea of being compared to a hunter, he understood Milo’s sentiment and at least appreciated that he veiled it with comic book references, “I’m only going to take that as a compliment because you compared me to the X-Men. But absolutely not. No sports for me.”

“I’m offended by the implication of you settling for my company.” Milo teased. “But I’ll choose to let that slide because I’m comfortable and I don’t want to waste my energy on a dramatic exit.” Laughing quietly when Rio ate the popcorn he had dropped, he carefully contemplated the suggestion of pizza. It was another food he hadn’t tried since becoming a vampire. If his experiences with eating and drinking were anything to go on, it would be nowhere near as enjoyable as it used to be. But wasn’t that what you were supposed to do? You ate popcorn until you were genuinely hungry, and then you decided to order takeout. The familiarity of the routine was too strong for him to say no. “Want to order after Twilight?” He asked, glancing back towards the screen. They had to be reaching the middle of the film, they might even be two thirds of the way through. “Heads up, though. If you put garlic on it, then you’re going to end up on the menu.”

His smile only growing as Orion continued to insist he wasn’t pure, innocent, or virtuous, he finally abandoned his claims. “Maybe not.” He admitted, content to give in now that he had pushed back just a little. He had to at least remain indignant if he was going to accept defeat. Forgetting the makeshift disagreement, he settled further down into the cushions, pulling his legs up beneath him, listening to his friend explain he wouldn’t have known how to date. It was hardly surprising, given what he had come to know about Orion’s quiet, and gentle nature. But if he was being honest, he hadn’t either. Hell, he still didn’t know how to date. They had met just under a year ago, but it was clear a lot had changed for both of them over such a short period of time. “Screw you, I’m allowed to smile at you!” He countered, his tone petulant, but filled with affection. “And yeah, I knew the X-Men talk would do it, you’re very predictable, you know?”

“Well I’m offended by your attacks on me tonight. And for using my old crush against me to tease me. Both are very rude.” Orion hummed matter-of-factly, “So we can both be offended together. But only one of us gets the dramatic exit at the end.” He didn’t get many relationships like this. Teasing and comfort didn’t come naturally to him. It was hard to find his groove in a conversation when he had to spend so much of it planning ahead and second guessing every single word both before and after it came out of his mouth. Normally, he spent just as much time stumbling through a sentence as he did actually speaking. It usually took a lot of time and a lot of effort and patience on the other parties side to crack through some of that anxiety. Even then, he had only really achieved that sense of ease with a few people. Ariana, Blanche, Winston and Skylar were the first that came to mind. Now Milo too. It was comforting knowing that there were at least some people in town he could be his unfiltered self around. “You don’t have to ask me twice.” Rio shook his head passionately, the idea of pizza far too good to pass up. “Oh ha ha. Very funny. No garlic crust for us apparently.”

A yawn escaped Rio, and he stretched before readjusting on the couch to lay on his bed across it. He kept his knees bent and his head propped on the arm so he could still look over at Milo. “But I like you anyways” Rio reassured the vampire and gave him a thumbs up from his new position on the couch. “You’re allowed to smile at me. Just not like that.” Rio was still joking, but it had definitely been different than the other grins the two had exchanged. Rio didn’t have the energy to try to discern why it felt so different. Besides, he didn’t want to ruin the mood. He kept shifting his view between the movie and Milo. “Being predictable is exactly the vibe I’m going for. Nonthreatening, predictable, totally normal non-hunter Rio.”

“This is your house, moron, so obviously I get the dramatic exit.” Milo pointed out, very pleased they were in something together, even if the comment had been trivial, and light-hearted. It felt good to be side by side with Orion. He knew, to a certain extent, they really were in this together. In everything together. His friendship with Rio was quickly becoming his main source of support, and he couldn’t imagine it any other way. “You don’t need to tell me, I know I’m hilarious.” He added, watching as his friend stretched lazily, curling up on the sofa in a way that stupidly made him want to find a blanket, fetch him a hot chocolate, and make sure he was comfortable. He looked so innocent, it would be impossible to know all of the terrible things he had seen in his life. The struggles he had to face on a daily basis. Turning his attention back to the film, he couldn’t say anything particularly interesting had happened, but he had to admit he had thoroughly enjoyed the viewing experience. Despite not knowing what like that meant, he hummed quietly in response. “Sure, whatever.” A quiet laugh managed to escape him as he made a start on what was left of the popcorn. “I don’t know about labels, but whoever you are, I like you very much. I appreciate your vibes, you know.” He was only half teasing, needing Rio to know he genuinely enjoyed his company, that moments like these meant more to him than he could ever possibly say.

Keeping his gaze fixed on the screen, he didn’t want to embarrass Orion further, even if he was desperate to see his reaction to the admission, so he fell back into a comfortable silence, patiently allowing the end of the story play out. Simultaneously, it felt as though it was over in minutes, and took hours to finally draw to a close, but as the credits began to roll, accompanied by a tacky love song he embarrassingly recognised, he turned back to Orion, ready to ask him whether he still wanted pizza. It didn’t take him long to realise his friend definitely wasn’t hungry, though, and he stared, almost in shock, as Orion slept soundly on the cushions beside him. It wasn’t as though he was surprised he was tired, or surprised he had been lulled to sleep by what he could only assume was a vampire satire. It was the fact that he had fallen asleep next to him. Next to a vampire. Dani had made it perfectly clear he couldn’t be trusted, that nobody should be left alone with him. And although he knew Orion didn’t agree with her, being alone with somebody fully conscious was very different to being alone with them and unaware. Being alone with them and vulnerable. Biting down on his bottom lip, repressing a smile, he shrugged off his hoodie without jostling the couch, carefully draping it over Orion’s form. He could try and find a blanket, but wandering his house without his permission felt too much like a violation, so hopefully the item of clothing would suffice. He didn’t need to sleep, he didn’t need to rest in the same way Orion did, but as he settled back down again, unable to tear his gaze away, he realised he was in a position to protect. To care for somebody he was fairly certain wasn’t used to being cared for. “Night, Rio… I’ll be here when you wake up.”

#c:orion #milo and orion

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wickedmilo · 4 years ago

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IT’S NOT NOTHING | MILO & ORION PART 2

PLACE: Orion’s house TIMING: 11:48 AM SUMMARY: Milo treats Orion to breakfast as an apology for not leaving before sunrise, and the two make the best of their day together WRITING PARTNER: @3starsquinn CONTENT WARNINGS: Mentions of addiction, drug abuse, drug manipulation, self harm, physical abuse, emotional abuse

There was a pain in Orion’s back as he slowly woke up. He stretched his arms, slowly realizing that he wasn’t on his bed at all. He paused for a moment, noting the smell of grease and noise from another part of the house. He finally poked a single eye open, taking in the view of his living room. Rio could vaguely recall dozing off the night before. He couldn’t remember the end of the movie either, must have been completely gone by then.

Rio sat up on the couch, a lone piece of clothing acting as a makeshift blanket falling off of him. He grabbed the hoodie and picked it up, looking at the front and remembering that it was the same one that Milo had been wearing the night before. How had that ended up on him? Rio pulled himself off the couch and onto his feet, wrapping the hoodie around his waist and moving towards the noise in the kitchen. Though he knew exactly who was there, he hadn’t completely figured out why yet.

Standing in the kitchen and working with the small amount of food that Rio actually had was Milo, no longer wearing the hoodie he had before and still here despite the daylight. “Morning.” Rio muttered, still trying to wake up and figure out what he had stuck around for. “I didn’t expect you to still be here.”

Milo felt more than a little guilty about staying with Orion. Sitting beside him on the couch, slowly watching the sun rise through the small gap in the curtains, he had found himself on multiple occasions questioning whether he was doing the right thing. Sure, it felt wrong to leave Orion so vulnerable, especially without saying goodbye. But staying with him meant staying. If he didn’t leave before the sun came up then he quite literally couldn’t leave. Rio would be stuck with him for the entire day, and was that fair? Was he crossing a line? Ultimately, he had taken one look at his sleeping friend, and found himself unable to move. It felt good to be trusted, but so meaningful to watch over him while he rested. Realistically, he knew nothing bad was going to happen, but in a way he was repaying him for keeping him safe. Maybe they could keep each other safe.

When the sun had fully risen, he finally, begrudgingly pushed himself to stand. The expression on Orion’s face was so genuinely peaceful, he was terrified of startling him, but he had things to do, things that would hopefully make up for the fact that he was essentially forcing his company. He was careful to be quiet, attempting to tap into his apparent ‘supernatural stealth’ as he cleaned up any evidence of their movie night. He wasn’t entirely sure how long it had taken him to complete the short list of chores, but when everything had been washed and put away, it only made sense to make a start on breakfast. Having never been much of a cook, he settled on scrambled eggs. One of the first things he had learned to make as a student. He had no idea whether Orion even liked eggs, but if they were in his kitchen it felt like a safe enough bet. He was so distracted by the task at hand, that he didn’t notice Orion had woken until he was standing in the doorway, commenting on his unexpected presence. Looking up, he offered his friend a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry… I couldn’t bring myself to leave, not while you were sleeping.” He admitted. “But I’m making you breakfast.” He added, lifting the pan a little to draw attention to the eggs cooking inside it. “Y’know… because now you have to deal with me for the day, and I know that wasn’t the plan.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m not mad about it.” Orion smiled. He couldn’t believe he had somehow slept through Milo moving about and starting breakfast. Beyond that, he couldn’t believe he had slept so long at all. Usually, he found himself tossing and turning all night, jumping awake at every small sound and lying in the dark trying to get back to sleep. Yet for some reason he had managed to get what felt like a full night’s sleep on the couch with another person making noises. His body had gotten so used to minimal sleep that the deeper sleep might actually be causing the grogginess that Rio was feeling. “It smells amazing. Thanks, you didn’t have to do that.” It certainly wasn’t what he had been expecting.

The idea of more time not alone was a bigger benefit than Milo could possibly know. The fact that it was him was an added bonus. “Sounds good to me. I’m sure we can survive for the day.” Rio slid onto one of the stools and propped his elbows on the kitchen island, resting his chin on his knuckles, “So then, what’s the big plan for today? Movies? Games? I have a pool that hardly gets used. If you like swimming at all.”

“You’re not?” Milo felt his heart warm at the sentiment, he only hoped Orion was being genuine, and not polite for the sake of protecting his feelings. He felt as though they might be past that, but that didn’t stop the small spark of doubt. It seemed to settle in the back of his mind, and he did what he could to ignore it. “How did you sleep?” He asked, turning his attention back to the food. “You looked so comfortable, I thought about waking you up but honestly, it would have been cruel.” He admitted, a quiet laugh escaping him. “I also thought about taking a selfie, but you’ll be pleased to know I refrained.” Shaking his head at his friend’s insistence, he did need to do this. If he didn’t then what was he offering? What was he doing to make his day more bearable than it would have been if he had left like he was supposed to? Rio had been expecting a quiet day alone, and his plans had been dashed. He wanted that to be okay. He wanted Rio to be okay. “I had a feeling you might skip breakfast if I didn’t make it for you.” He said, only half teasing. “So it’s like self-care, only Milo is forcing it on you… It’s Milo-care.” He grinned at his own ridiculous joke, pouring the eggs out onto a plate before setting them down in front of Orion on the counter. He was strangely proud of himself, it had been a long time since he had last tried to make eggs, and they had turned out surprisingly well.

Finding a fork to hand over, he began the process of turning off appliances, and washing up the pan he had made use of, only glancing back up when Orion spoke again. “Are you sure?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. “I think we both have a habit of getting into trouble.” Possibly the understatement of the year, and far too romanticised considering the context of the ‘trouble’ they usually found themselves in. But it felt good to be light-hearted, he wasn’t about to put a downer on the conversation by reminding Rio he had shunned his life as a Hunter and turned Dani against him. In the same way he wasn’t about to remind himself he had quite literally died and was now doomed to spend his days as a vampire. His eyes shining as he was presented with a list of possible ways to spend their time, he was so grateful to hear it. Clearly Orion hadn’t felt obligated to say his company was welcome, clearly he really did want to spend time with him today. “Shit, I forgot about the pool.” He admitted. “Do you think your sugar daddy would mind a stranger swimming in his pool? I would hate to upset him, you know? What if he lowers your allowance?”

“Of course not. You’re always welcome here.” Orion stated casually. To him, this was common knowledge. He was slightly surprised that Milo didn’t realize that by now. “Surprisingly well actually, considering I fell asleep on a couch.” He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that he could fall asleep somewhere slightly uncomfortable. He practically lived at the Scribrary for months and nobody had slept on those mattresses since the eighties. “Wow. I appreciate the self control” Rio laughed attempting to motivate himself to get and and move towards the fridge to pour a drink. It wasn’t working so far. “You could have woken me up though. I would have just moved to the bedroom. No harm no foul.” He couldn’t guarantee he would have gotten back to sleep, but at least it would have taken some pressure off of Milo. Rio narrowed his eyes at Milo’s breakfast skipping comment and folded his fingers together, “As much as I appreciate the ‘Milo-care’, are you just saying that because you think I’m scrawny too? You know everyone in this town calls me that?” He pouted, sticking his bottom lip out and sighing heavily. Still, Rio couldn’t help but feel a little emotional at the idea that someone was cooking breakfast for him. It was something small and yet so thoughtful. “Thanks. Seriously.”

Rio finally convinced himself to slide off the seat, pulling out a gallon of orange juice and pouring a cup for himself, raising the bottle towards Milo as an offering, “Not sure if you like… still drink this stuff?” He hadn’t thought about how little he actually knew about vampires. Though it wasn’t his specialty, he still felt like he should know more. For Milo’s sake if nothing else. “Yeah. Duh. This is way better than being alone all day.” Rio found found his seat again and wasted no time digging into the eggs. “These are delicious” Rio spoke mid mouthful, almost satisfied enough to overlook Milo’s continued comments about a sugar daddy Almost. “I hate you. You’re actually the worst you know?” Rio continued to giggle though, despite his words implying otherwise. “Someone might as well get some use out of it. I don’t really ever go swimming.”

Milo smiled, really smiled, holding Orion’s gaze for maybe a second too long. “Not many people say that to me and mean it.” He admitted, his voice barely louder than a whisper. After leaving uni, he had developed a habit of couch surfing, anything to avoid going home to his parents. There had been an abundance of friends, or friends of friends, willing to lend him a place to crash. But he had never necessarily been close with these people. They had begrudgingly put up with him, usually because they shared a vice and it made things easier to have connections. Nobody had ever made him feel welcome. “Hm,” his smile growing when Rio mentioned being comfortable on the couch, he was glad going to so much effort not to wake him had been worth it, had genuinely meant something. “I wasn’t about to kick you out,” he said, remembering looking down at his expression, peaceful and soft, realising he couldn’t bring himself to be the one responsible for removing it. Laughing suddenly at the mention of being scrawny, he shook his head, his eyes shining. “No, you dork. I’m saying it because even though it’s like, in vastly different ways, I have a feeling we’re both as self destructive as each other. You basically never sleep, you know? And you’re literally always working, so I figured you skip meals for the convenience? Am I right?” Of course, there was a very big chance he wasn’t right, but until Orion corrected him he was determined to feign confidence. ‘I’m making you breakfast because you probably don’t eat much’ was far less lame than ‘I’m making you breakfast because I really give a shit about you and I want you to be okay.’

Raising his eyebrows, he leaned back against the counter, observing him to try and see what the town supposedly saw. “They call you scrawny?” He asked. “Who does? I’ll fight them for you.” His expression faltering briefly as he was offered a glass of orange juice, he considered the question, unable to help himself. The popcorn had been passable the previous night, but that had been habit, a comforting action. He wasn’t thirsty for orange juice. Besides, orange juice was expensive, he wasn’t about to waste his friend’s stock for the sake of playing pretend. Not when Rio was already so accepting of his new situation. Shaking his head with a gentle smile, he hesitantly caught his eye. “I mean, i can… it’s just, nothing tastes the same. It’s not bad, I mean… it doesn’t taste bad. It’s more like my tastebuds have gone from a ten to like, maybe a three? Or a four?” He stumbled over his words, realising he had never talked about it before. He barely talked about any of it. Chewing on his bottom lip, he knew a blush would be creeping to his cheeks if his body still worked in that way, so he fell silent, watching quietly as Rio began to eat the eggs he had made.

After a minute or two had passed, and he hadn’t dropped dead over his plate, he figured the meal could be considered a success. His standards weren’t exactly high considering his track record of abject failures. Apparently Rio agreed. “If I was really the worst, then you wouldn’t put up with me.” He pointed out, his heart warmed by the thought of Orion genuinely enjoying his company, genuinely enjoying their friendship. It meant so much that somebody was willing to forgive what he was, especially after losing Dani. “I don’t swim really, either. Far too much exercise when your lung capacity is thirty percent.” He teased. “Wait… was thirty percent? Past tense?” How did smoking affect his lungs now? Would his healing abilities somehow repel the tar that once used to coat them? “I’m down for swimming.”

It was slightly concerning that Milo was that surprised over Orion saying something and meaning it. Or maybe it had less to do with that and more to do with being happy to spend time with him. Either way, it didn’t bode well for the typical friendships he must have. “I don’t like lying. Not if I can help it at least.” Rio attempted to chew his food completely before talking. He forgot when he wasn’t eating alone he needed to have manners. “We got all the hard truths out of the way already. I’m going to be honest with you about things.” Even if he hadn’t wanted to wake Rio up, Milo still had no obligation to stay. As Rio stabbed at the eggs on his plate he wondered what had made him stay. There had been no obligation to do so. “I wouldn’t say that I necessarily ‘skip’ meals” Rio hesitated, putting emphasis on the word as he tried to figure out exactly what he meant, “I just wouldn’t say I have the healthiest diet, y’know? Instead of having breakfast I eat a few snack cakes. Or I’ll skip dinner and run by a bakery and stuff my face with stuff. I don’t think it’s any better.”

Rio laughed at this threat, “Pretty much the whole town. I don’t know that you’re ready to fight everyone.” The scrawny comments didn’t bother him much anymore, admittedly. He had gotten so used to them that it almost felt endearing now. It was almost odd, feeling noticed when he had spent so much of his life feeling nothing but invisible. When he finally was noticed, he wasn’t mad that it came from a place of worry instead of contempt. “It’s fine. I mean, they’re not wrong.” They just didn’t quite get that could Rio rip a door off of it’s hinges. “Hmm. That’s interesting. Does blood taste any different then?” Rio found himself curious. He had never had the chance to casually talk with a vampire before. Now seemed like the best time. “Like, does it still taste like iron and that just tastes good now? Or is it a different taste entirely?”

“Oh please, I’ve spent my entire life putting up with people that were the worst,” Rio waved away his comment dismissively with a laugh, but quickly backtracked on that, “However, I’ll admit that I like you more than those people.” He knew Milo would understand that it had been a joke, but Rio felt the need to backtrack regardless. Mostly because he didn’t like the idea of his parents and Milo being compared in the same sentence, even sarcastically. “Well, I told you smoking was bad for you.” Rio shrugged, a smug smirk spread across his face. “I guess technically it can’t be that harmful anymore.” He finished off the eggs and hopped up, abandoning the plate in the sink. “Pool is this way. It’s all yours.”

“Good to know.” Milo smiled at Rio, it was a casual response, one he knew wouldn’t carry too much weight, but his friend’s words were undeniably comforting to hear. “If I ever do dumb shit though, I will need you to lie about it and save me the embarrassment.” He added, unable to help himself. His smile fading as the conversation became serious again, he hummed quietly in response. Orion was right. What did they really have to hide from each other anymore? In a way, Dani had exposed them both, made them both vulnerable. And neither of them could take that back. He wasn’t sure either of them actually wanted to. It was nice, being so open. For the first time in a long time it felt as though he wasn’t trapped inside his own mind, wasn’t overthinking, or trying to correct himself after making a comment that was a little too close to the truth. “I’m not going to lie to you either, you know…” He said, feeling the cold weight of guilt beginning to settle on his chest. He was being honest, he wasn’t going to lie to Rio. But there was information he had yet to divulge, information he was terrified might push Orion away, or make him realise Dani was right about him being dangerous. There would be a time and a place for that particular admission, it could wait because it needed to. “Okay, well I wasn’t totally off-base.” He countered, when Rio began to insist he didn’t ‘technically’ skip meals. “Unhealthy habits are unhealthy habits.” He added, as though there was no longer any room to argue against him.

Grinning at the sudden laugh, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Thank you for your faith in me, I could take this town with my eyes closed.” A blatant lie considering how easy he had apparently been to kill. And he still hadn’t really tested his new strength. He could barely even keep Dani away, he was only standing here now because she was continually interrupted in her various missions to kill him. “I don’t look at you and think scrawny, though.” He assured Orion, his smile growing as he prepared to follow up his statement. “Dork, maybe. Nerd, loser… not scrawny.” Glancing back up to catch his eye, surprised by the question, it didn’t take him long to lower his gaze again, almost embarrassed by the topic. “It doesn’t taste different…” He admitted, thinking on the sharp tang, the rich taste of iron as it filled his mouth. “Just better. Think of the best meal you ever fucking had, and times it by a thousand.” He hadn’t considered the fact that his sense of taste had changed specifically to complement blood as a food source. His tastebuds had shaped to it, bent to its will until it tasted better than any human food he could ever remember tasting. “You know, if we ever walk by an iron railing or something, I vow to lick it and test your theory.” He framed his words as a joke, he knew they were utterly ridiculous. But he was curious in the same way he felt sure Orion was. And where was the harm? It wasn’t as though germs, or toxic metal paint would be able to kill him these days, anyway.

“I should hope so.” He feigned indignance, letting Rio see in his expression that he wasn’t genuinely offended. He understood it was meant as playful. Laughing too, he couldn’t help himself. It felt so strange to be talking about the non-damage he was now doing to his lungs. “Yeah, it wasn’t the thing that killed me though, was it? So I kind of feel like I win in some totally fucked up way. Look at me now, everyone who ever told me I was destined to OD on some bathroom floor in a stranger’s apartment.” He raised his arms in mock celebration, turning on the spot to acknowledge the non-existent crowd. “Killed by a vampire, nobody saw that one coming.” Lowering his arms again, it was the first time he could ever recall actually mentioning his death, at the very least the specifics of it. Rio didn’t know about the drugs, or the fact he had been attacked while he was barely conscious. He only knew the person who had turned him decided to abandon him, rather than stick around and help. Spinning to face his friend again, he was grateful for the sudden distraction. “Isn’t swimming on a full stomach supposed to be bad for you?” He asked, following Orion as he left the kitchen, forcing a smile back onto his face. “Does this count as a form of self-destruction?”

Orion scoffed at the man, feigning offense that Milo would even consider that Rio would lie. “Sorry. This is a one way street now. You’ll only get the truth from me, embarrassing or not. Sucks for you, dude.” Rio pretending to frown and shrug away the sentence, “But not literally sucks. Sorry to burst your bubble.” It felt odd, making jokes about vampires. Wrong, almost. Considering he was closer to a slayer than a supernatural creature himself. But Milo knew he came from a good place. The place of someone who wanted to do good. “Unhealthy habits are unhealthy habits.” Rio repeated, nodding in agreement. His life was full of them.

“I just told you I was going to be honest, and now you want me to lie to you?” Rio grinned. Of course they both knew Milo couldn’t take the whole town. Rio wasn’t convinced Milo could take a single slayer, at least not without some prepping beforehand. The right answer was just to laugh in agreement. Sarcasm wasn’t a lie if the truth was obvious, right? He was just getting ready to thank his friend for not thinking of him as scrawny until Milo kept talking. “Woooooow” Rio held the word out for long as possible for peak dramatic effect. “I was this close to thanking you. Glad I held out for a few seconds.” Rio pinched his pointer finger and thumb together and narrowed his eyes at Milo. He let it go though, instead choosing to think about his description of the taste of blood. It wasn’t something Rio thought he would be particularly interested in learning about. These days though, Rio was interested in learning about pretty much anything the supernatural could teach him. “Good to know. Please test that iron theory for me. I’m curious.” Rio tried to stay as casual as possible, hoping that Milo took it seriously instead of as a joke.

Even heading towards the pool, Rio had time to pause and shoot a quick look of concern back at Milo. For how close the two had gotten, there was still a surprising amount that Rio didn’t know about the man. This comment about overdosing in a stranger’s apartment. It concerned Rio on a lot of levels. What business of his was it to comment on? So he didn’t. “Depends on who you ask, I guess.” He chose instead. A lot of this town would probably take a guess that a vampire would kill someone. Especially an easy target. Rio pushed the doors to room open, immediately hit with the smell of chlorine and humid air of the pool room. It was surrounded by windows, but all had shades that could be closed if desired. For the sake of Milo not getting boiled alive, he would keep them closed. “I think that’s just for cramps” Rio laughed, finding a spot next to the pool and sitting cross legged in front of it, “What are you going to do? Drown?” Rio laughed in spite of the morbid joke and then laid back fully, his back against the tiling so that he could drop an arm and run his finger along the edge of the water, “It’s all yours. Knock yourself out.”

“Then I might just have to terminate our friendship.” Milo countered with exaggerated sincerity. “My reputation is already shaky, okay? I don’t need somebody like you telling everybody about the trouble I get myself into.” A sudden laugh escaping him, he could think of more than one way to make the joke less about vampires, and more about something suggestive, and potentially inappropriate, but after his teasing the previous night, and his very recent comment on sugar daddies, it felt like maybe he might be taking things a little too far. “I like being able to joke about it.” He admitted, deciding to be honest instead. “It makes it feel more… normal.” Another laugh escaping him when he realised Orion was pointedly not addressing his offense, he shook his head. “This is unbelievable, you know? You’re supposed to support me, tell me I can do anything… what about my confidence, Rio? What about my self-worth?” His grin only growing when he finally managed to elicit a reaction from his friend, it was made even funnier by the knowledge he had been about to thank him for his words. “Sorry, this is a one way street. It’s the truth only from me now.” He echoed the sentiment, eyes shining with mischief. “You think I won’t lick a railing? I mean it. I’ll lick a railing.” Honestly, he had probably done far worse when he was drunk, or high, or both. But Orion didn’t need to know about that. Hell, even he himself didn’t need to know about that. Some things were definitely best forgotten, lost to the familiar haze of inebriation.

As they began to approach the pool, the smell of chlorine crept up on him. And by the time Orion threw open the doors the smell was almost eye wateringly strong. He knew from experience that prolonged exposure would lead to him forgetting about it, but that didn’t stop him from instinctively wrinkling his nose. “Yeah, I guess the context is important.” He admitted, entering the room with his friend. He didn’t want to consider how many people in his life knew of the supernatural world and had simply failed to mention it. Jeez, how many people had let him walk oblivious into danger? How many times had he come close to death before finally being chosen as a victim? Maybe it was inevitable. Maybe in a town like White Crest it was always going to happen. “Kind of depressing, huh?” Glancing back at Rio before finally allowing himself to take in the room, it was larger than he had been expecting. It made the thought of living in the building alone seem even more isolating somehow. So much space for just one person. Watching with a gentle smile as his friend moved to sit at the edge of the pool, he held back for a brief moment. “Hilarious.” He muttered, already kicking off his jeans. He had always struggled with his confidence, but somehow that had turned him into somebody who didn’t care. Instead of hiding his body, he was relaxed about who saw it. Instead of shying away from situations that may draw attention to him, he revelled in them. Because why did it matter? If the way he looked was average, at best, and if who he was could barely pass as a good time, then why did anything matter? This wasn’t a stranger, though. This wasn’t somebody he would never meet again, or somebody whose opinion lacked any value. This was Orion.

Standing in his boxer briefs, he tugged at the long sleeves of his sweater, contemplating the marks that lay hidden beneath them. Not just the track marks, but the marks at the base of his throat too. The ones obscured from view by his collar. They would be made visible, and he wasn’t sure what was worse; Orion seeing the evidence of what he had done to himself, or Orion seeing the evidence of what had been done to him. Either way, not taking the sweater off felt incredibly awkward, it didn’t feel much like he had a choice. “I, uh-” He swallowed his sudden discomfort, unsure how best to raise the subject. Taking a deep, unnecessary breath, he forced himself to hold his friend’s gaze, moving to take a seat beside him at the edge of the pool. “I have some scars…” He admitted, his voice barely louder than a whisper. It almost echoed in the tiled room, reminding him he was alone with Orion. They were in a safe space. “I mean, scars people usually judge me for, and I know you wouldn’t- I know you aren’t like that but… you might not expect them, I don’t know.”

“Wow. Who knew not lying would be the downfall of my friendships?” Orion questioned, a playful tone to his voice despite the very real implications. He had always walked a fine line, trying to befriend the supernatural while not exactly wanting to disclose his own questionable path. It had very nearly ruined his friendship with Ariana, which would have been a loss far greater than Rio could imagine. He was thankful that things hadn’t ended at that for the two. “I only agreed to not lie to you. Not for you.” Rio finally compromised. “Yeah, well nothing about any of this is normal. So I guess I’m glad we are at least able to joke about it.”

It had only been a few seconds and yet Milo had somehow managed to turn Rio’s own words against him. Never before had he felt so betrayed by a vow to tell the truth. “I deserve better than this.” Rio stated simply, crossing his arms in defiance. “Lick a pole then. Won’t bother me at all.” In fact, it might actually make his day.

Lying on the tile, Rio quickly glanced away once Milo began removing his pants. Suddenly, everything in the room became suddenly interesting, like counting dust particles in the air or intently listening to the sound of the water filter. It didn’t seem right to stare at Milo like this. After all, they were friends. It felt weird admiring any part of Milo when the two were getting so close. This wasn’t the same as just objectively noting that he was pretty when Rio used to walk into Towers and steal glances towards the counter as he flipped through comics. At the mention of scars, Rio immediately perked up. Pushing up onto his elbows, Rio met Milo’s eyes. He was absolutely sure to keep his eyes exactly there, focused on Milo’s face and nowhere else. “It wouldn’t bother me.” Rio breathed, suddenly aware of just how dry his mouth had become. How had one word changed his mood so drastically? His own arms began itching on instinct, and Rio found himself scratching at them through his hoodie sleeve. He wondered what the scars were from. How much of his skin they covered. He wasn’t hoping to compare. He wanted nothing more than to know that Milo’s scars were nothing like Rio’s. “Seriously. You’re good here. Swim away.”

“Oh, so it’s about the technicalities?” Milo teased. “Then I might need to get that in writing. My lawyer can look it over for me.” Offering Rio a genuine smile, he knew his friend was right. Nothing about this was normal, which was why joking about it, turning their situations into something trivial, something light-hearted, made it feel so much easier to deal with. “I guess my whole life was kind of a joke anyway. Makes sense my death is also… you know, a joke.” A laugh escaping him when Rio insisted he deserved better, he shook his head. “Maybe having to put up with me is a punishment for something you did in a previous life.” He pointed out, grinning at the way Rio petulantly told him to go lick an iron pole. It was ridiculous that they were even discussing it, but it reminded him of the childhood arguments he used to get into with Dani. There was something so fun about the innocence, about leaning into the absurd nature of it all. “I will!” He insisted. “Just you wait.” He made a mental note so that he wouldn’t forget, although he found he didn’t need to apply his usual level of focus. For the most part, especially after staying the night, he was sober. Whatever he had taken to get him by was still ghosting his system, not affecting him in any way, but keeping him safe from a comedown. And he realised he almost, almost didn’t care.

Watching with an amused sort of affection as Orion decided to lay back against the tile, he followed his gaze to the ceiling, wondering if there was anything interesting up there to look at. Apparently not. Feeling his shoulders drop as relief washed over him, he hadn’t been aware just how much tension he had been holding in his body while he waited for Rio to react. Of course Rio wouldn’t mind, he knew that. But it still felt strange. These weren’t random marks from falling off of a bike, or getting into some accident when he was a kid. These were intentional, and obvious. They could only ever have come from a single source. Before he could change his mind, or regret his decision, he pulled off his sweater, dropping it to the tile beside him. He wanted to feel comfortable, he wanted to be able to sit, and not care about how much of who he was ended up on display, but it was instinct to hide, if only to protect himself. So before Orion had any real chance to see his arms, he slid into the pool, allowing himself to sink to the very bottom of it.

He hadn’t considered how strange it would be, settling underwater knowing he didn’t need to come up for breath. His descent felt slow, but he enjoyed it. The lack of sound, the lack of light. No scent to overwhelm him, or remind him of his heightened senses. Lazily pulling his knees to his chest, he glanced up towards the surface, seeing the lights from above, blurred, and inconsistent. Experimentally, he breathed out whatever air was currently trapped inside his lungs, watching as the bubbles escaped his body. There was no tension in his chest, no desperate urge to breathe in, no burning lack of oxygen. It struck him that he could stay where he was, sitting on the tile, surrounded by water, for the entire day and nothing would change. Absolutely nothing. But that wouldn’t be fair on Orion, who he realised was still sitting at the edge of the water. So he kicked off from the tile, needing to use more force than expected without any air in his lungs to keep him buoyant. When he finally broke the surface, he took a deep breath, pushing his hair back out of his eyes as he moved to hold onto the side of the pool. His arms tucked against his chest, safely below the water, he was very aware of the fact that he could do nothing to hide the scars on his neck. “Hey, are you not coming in?” He asked, gently prompting his friend to join him. “This was your idea.”

“Yeah I’ll make sure to jot that down” Orion rolled his eyes towards Milo, “The least thing I need is to be legally bound to you. Who knows what trouble that would cause?” Though Rio didn’t love hearing Milo call his own life a joke, Rio couldn’t say much to refute it. He had referred to his own life as a joke multiple times himself, or some variance of the word. “Can’t really speak for my past lives, but I think you’re right.” His life before last year felt completely different than the twenty leading up to it, and Rio had plenty to make up for. Even if he had never taken a life, he had been too afraid to do anything about the ones who were. His family, the hunters they knew and the ones they didn’t had all been getting away with murder for Rio’s entire life while he just cowered in a corner and let them get away with it. It made him guilty by association. So maybe this was some sort of divine punishment, cursed to care so deeply about the very thing he was raised to hate. “Can’t wait” Rio spoke casually now, as if whether or not Milo licked a pole didn’t matter to him at all. He’d only feel slightly bad if Milo actually did it.

Milo had his top off and was in the water before Rio ever saw any scars. It didn’t Rio, he wasn’t looking for them. In fact, the best choice right now would be to avoid looking at Milo at all. At least not for too long. He didn’t want his eyes lingering, not when Milo might think he was staring because of the scars. Milo stayed underwater for a long time, and Rio found himself glancing towards the blurred blob floating along the bottom of the pool in between the phone he was using to distract himself. But eventually, Milo came back up to the surface. And asked the exact question Rio was hoping to avoid. “I don’t really swim.” Rio shrugged from his position on the ground, still staring at his phone. “I just suggested that you swim. I never said anything about me.” Rio had never hated swimming, though he rarely had the chance to do it anymore. “Nobody wants to see under here. I’m super pale and…” He paused, just barely glancing over at Milo before darting back to his phone, “... and you’re not the only one with scars.”

“I think I’d quite like our friendship to be legally binding.” Milo pretended to contemplate the idea. “But you know I wasn’t being serious…” It worried him that Orion was so ready to believe he deserved to be punished. “Right?” Of course he wasn’t being serious, referring to his company as some kind of curse, but he knew that wasn’t the part Rio had decided to focus on. Grinning at the deadpan response to his determination, he was more than willing to let the conversation move forward. If Rio didn’t want to talk about something then he would make that clear, and he would be incredibly selfish if he didn’t respect those boundaries. Especially when he was always offered the same courtesy by his friend. “I’ll be sure to take a selfie as proof.”

Allowing the water to keep him afloat, using the tips of his fingers to grip the ledge of the pool, he looked up at Orion, unable to hide his curiosity. If he didn’t swim then why would he suggest the pool? The last thing he wanted was for him to feel left out, or as though he couldn’t be a part of the fun he was having. “I mean… this is true.” He admitted, thinking back over their morning together. Rio hadn’t specifically said anything about swimming himself. But that careful choice of words only made him more suspicious that there might be something more going on, something being left unsaid. “And I’m not?” He asked pointedly, raising his eyebrows at the mention of pale skin. “Besides, isn’t that like… insensitive to say in front of a vampire?” He was hoping to draw a laugh from his company, but Rio’s following comment had the smile fading from his face. “Oh…”

So they both had scars. What kind of scars did Orion have? Surely not the same scars he carried himself? The admission could mean so many different things, all depending on the context, and he wasn’t entirely sure what to say. The last thing he wanted to do was pressure him, though he needed him to know he wouldn’t mind. In the same way Orion never made him feel judged, or scrutinised, or anything other than a person, he wanted to offer the same sense of security. “Like… Hunter scars?” He asked, noticing the way his friend was purposefully avoiding eye contact. “It’s okay…” His voice was quiet, and soft, as he attempted to comfort him. “We don’t need to talk about it… but you shouldn’t miss out on this, not because of something outside of your control, you know? It’s only me here.”

Orion had gotten lost in his own train of thought that he didn’t consider Milo might take the statement seriously. “What? No, of course. I’m just distracted.” He waved the comment aside, quickly moving forward to dig himself out of the mental grave he had surrounded himself in. There was a time and place to worry about his past, right now didn’t seem like the best time. “Can’t wait for that picture to come through” Rio snickered, picturing the event in his head, trying to imagine the looks on people’s faces if they witnessed him do it.

Orion couldn’t remember the last time he had swam around other people. The closest he had come was helping Skye into the ocean shortly before she left town. That hadn’t exactly been a normal situation, and Rio never once considered taking his jeans or hoodie off before helping lead her into the water. “I know. Because I don’t usually swim.” Rio nodded, knowing that he had said exactly what he had meant. He had invited a couple people over to swim in the pool, but never planned on swimming in it with him. Milo’s usual jokes fizzled out quickly and Rio felt bad almost immediately for ruining the mood. He had a bad habit of that. Still, despite how sure he had been, he found himself sitting up off the ground and actually considering the idea.

“Um. Something like that.” What actual hunters considered hunter scars and what Rio would consider hunter scars would differ greatly. Rio’s definition was a bit more literal. They were reminders of the lineage Rio refused to align to. The footprints he wouldn’t follow. Rio hesitated for a moment longer before remembering that this was Milo. A friend that he could trust. “Just… you don’t have to apologize. Or say anything.” Rio warned last time before he pulled the hoodie over his head. Though the majority of his scars were hidden beneath his tshirt, his arms left little to the imagination. There were a few inches above the wrist before it started, but it rarely stopped after that. Bruised skin that had never quite returned to the right color because of intense trainings that Rio wouldn’t participate in. Long scars from old cuts and broken skin. Old burn marks leaving darkened shades of red and purple along that snaked up and under the sleeves of his shirt. Almost immediately, Rio found himself rubbing at the exposed space, unaccustomed to it being visible to others. Rio pulled his socks off and considered going further, but fell short. He was left in a tshirt and his track pants he had fallen asleep in the night before. The only people to have seen him completely shirtless since childhood were Winston and Ricky, and even that hadn’t been by choice. He trusted Milo, he just didn’t trust himself. “This is as good as it gets. So uh, guess I’ll get in.” The shirt and pants would dry eventually. He lowered himself onto ground and dunked his legs in first, immediately feeling off because of the track pants separating him from the water. But he kept lowering himself in, his now submerged clothes clinging against his skin. “This is awkward I know. Sorry.”

The moment Rio insisted he was distracted, Milo realised he had been right. There was something more to this. Whether his friend was willing to elaborate, he wasn’t sure. But he didn’t mind being patient, not if that helped him to feel safe. A brief smile tugging at his lips, he was glad there was still space for humour, but as the conversation turned back to a less comfortable subject matter, a topic neither of them had ever really discussed, he fell silent, serious again as he listened. He was curious to know whether Orion didn’t swim because he chose not to, because he didn’t enjoy it. Or because he wanted to hide his body, to avoid the scars that were apparently marking his skin. His heart sank just a little at the confirmation of them being Hunter related. He didn’t know enough about being a Hunter to be able to guess where they might have originated from. But he did know how Orion felt about Hunting, and that was enough for him to understand they were tied to bad memories. His own scars, the track marks, they were self inflicted. As far as he was concerned they were remnants of a good time, a price he was more than willing to pay for a killer high, a brief stint of euphoria. But not everybody saw them that way, which was why he so often made an effort to hide them. The scar on his neck, however, the way he felt about that scar was far closer to what he imagined Orion must feel.

Part of him wanted to assure Rio that he wasn’t going to apologise, he wasn’t that person. But he also didn’t want to sound false, or draw attention if it wasn’t necessary. So he watched as he carefully removed his hoodie, unsure whether he should look away. He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but definitely nothing quite as dramatic as what lay beneath his friend’s shirt. He wasn’t disgusted, or even horrified. He was morbidly fascinated. He didn’t know what he had survived, but it was incredibly clear to him that Rio was far stronger than anybody gave him credit for. “I…” He trailed off, remembering his decision to stay quiet. Instead of finishing his sentence, he pulled himself slightly to the left, allowing Rio to sink into the water, almost fully clothed. Catching his eye, he offered him a gentle smile, unable to put into words how much it meant that he was being trusted like this. Surely that gesture was more important than anything he had to say. “It’s not awkward....” He murmured. “I mean, only if we make it awkward, right?”

Taking a deep breath to steel his nerve, even now he couldn’t understand why that worked when he didn’t need oxygen, he began to pull himself out of the pool, choosing to sit where Rio had been only moments before. “Wait,” he said, encouraging Rio to look at him before he could move too far from the edge. “I mean… it’s only fair.” Pushing his wet hair back away from his face, he carefully held his arms out in front of himself, displaying the track marks that looked dark, and angry in the blue light of the pool room. It felt strange, asking somebody to look at them after so long of keeping them hidden, especially after working to make sure Rio didn’t get a chance to see them. But he knew he was doing the right thing. It made sense, and if it would help his friend to feel more secure, then it would be worth the sacrifice, the vulnerability on his part. “I thought maybe with the whole vampire thing, they might just disappear, you know? But your old scars… they stay. And so does the one from...” He swallowed, a frown creasing his brow. It shouldn’t be this difficult to talk about, but it was. It made his chest feel tight with anxiety as the hazy memories of his death began to resurface. Reaching up with a shaky hand, he pressed his fingertips against the marks at the base of his throat. He knew from countless hours of staring at his phone screen that the scars were pale, and white. Barely visible if you didn’t know they were there. And he also knew, had discovered with a sickening jolt, that you could make out the individual teeth. See where his attacker had quite literally torn into his throat. “The others I did to myself, I just don’t like the way they make people see me. I’m not a junkie, Rio, I swear.” He insisted, needing his friend to believe him. “I just- I like drugs. People make that into something it’s not. But these…” He lowered his hand so that Rio would be able to see the bite, see the evidence of his death, the thing that had essentially made him what he was. “It makes me feel… violated.”

The water felt different with all these clothes on. Even when alone, Orion usually swam with a shirt on, but swimsuits were light and thin, made for swimming. As soon as water soaked into these pants they got heavy and tried to weigh him down. Luckily for him, he wasn’t nearly as terrible of a swimmer as the Doctor seemed to think he was. He was half tempted to send her something as proof, if he took selfies fully clothed in a pool. He barely took selfies in regular situations. Still, Rio smiled back at Milo, kicking off and floating across the water, putting in the extra work to keep his legs from sinking. “Are you kidding? This is me we’re talking about. Making things awkward is kind of my specialty.” That wasn’t even a self dig, it was just a fact. He had a habit of nervously rambling and mixing up his words, or saying something too quickly. For someone who constantly second guessed and questioned every single thought in his head, his filter seemed to be pretty lackluster. “You may want to be nice, but you know I’m right. Just think about me trying to talk to you at the comic book shop at first.”

The two were barely in the pool for long before Milo was already climbing out of it. Rio paused, legs fully sinking and putting him back in a standing position as he watched Milo adjust on the side of the pool. When he realized what the man was doing, Rio pushed through the water to get closer. He was playing fair game. Despite the implications of both, Rio enjoyed this game of i’ll show you mine if you show me yours. At least, until he saw the scars along his friend’s arm. They looked familiar, and Rio felt his stomach shifting as his random comments and signs fell into place. Still, Rio looked at them, only looking away when he was looking up to meet Milo’s eyes. “Unfortunately, no. Super healing doesn’t protect against everything.” If it had, Rio might be a little less inclined to swim with pants and a shirt on. He hated the way that Milo talked about what other people thought. “I don’t see you any differently.” Rio began, following up with “And I don’t think you’re a junkie.” He bit his lip. He wished he could end it there, but just like they had agreed earlier, Rio wanted to be honest. The truth was, this was concerning. “But it is dangerous. I’ve seen just how dangerous it can get.” It may not have been the only reason Rio was down a roommate, but it had been the final straw. “I just want you to be safe.” That’s all there was to it. Past those, Milo moved to his neck. Rio could see it immediately, the two imprints. A horrible reminder of what had been the end of Milo’s life as he had known it. Instinctively, Rio’s hand raised out of the water and towards Milo’s neck, but he cut himself off halfway up and curled his fingers, “Sorry.” Rio shook his head, unsure of what had possessed him to reach for it in the first place. “I wasn’t- I didn’t know the bite mark stayed. After you turned. I’m sorry.”

Humming quietly in amusement, Milo thought back on the first few times Rio had ever spoken to him. He didn’t remember the conversation being awkward, but then that was never something he paid a whole lot of attention to. If he liked the person, if he enjoyed their company, it didn’t matter if they were stumbling over their words. “I’m not going to argue with you.” He insisted, offering his friend a grin. “But only because I literally don’t remember you being awkward, I mean- I remember thinking you were pretty cool. Obviously my dork radar wasn’t working back then.” It wasn’t lost on him that his arms were still very much on show, but he reminded himself the worst was over. He didn’t have anything to lose or to gain by trying to hide them at this point, so he should relax. He should make the effort to try and fall back into their usual banter. His smile fading as Orion caught his eye, making a comment on how healing abilities didn’t always protect from new scars, it was clear he was also bitter about that fact. “No shit.” He muttered, absentmindedly rubbing at the crook of his left arm. “That would have made it worth something, at least…”

Falling silent when Rio insisted he didn’t see him differently for the marks, when he told him he didn’t think he was a junkie despite the evidence in front of him very strongly implying otherwise, it was everything he could do to stop tears from blurring his vision. He wasn’t sure anybody had just listened like that before. Nobody had ever taken his word for it. But before he could enjoy the feeling of being trusted, before he could get comfortable, Rio was dragging them both into painfully familiar territory. He set his jaw, defiantly holding his gaze at the mention of danger. “I’m fine.” He snapped, a sudden edge to his voice. “I can take care of myself, Rio. Apparently it’s not the drugs you need to look out for, it’s the vampires who want to get you high so they can drain you of your blood, and leave you for fucking dead.” Feeling guilty the moment he reached the end of his outburst, he closed his eyes, allowing a few beats of silence to pass before speaking again. Rio didn’t deserve his anger, he was the last person he should be taking things out on. The spark of irritation remained, burning quietly in his chest, but he forced it down, doing everything he could to dampen its strength. This wasn’t about Rio. “I’m sorry…” He mumbled, opening his eyes again, opting to glare down at his hands instead of face how unfair he had been. “I’m just tired of being told I’m putting myself in danger, especially now. Like, why should I care anymore, you know?”

He chanced a glance upwards, hoping to prove to himself that he hadn’t upset Orion, and realised his friend was reaching towards the scar left behind by his killer. He flinched, unable to help himself. Considering he could barely recall the details of his attack, it managed to stay with him. That feeling of helplessness, of pushing back against a stranger as his life was quite literally drained from his body. Laughing quietly at himself, he shook his head, offering Orion a weak smile as he withdrew again, apologising for being so forward. “You don’t need to apologise.” He insisted, his voice quiet, and unsure. “It’s okay, I just… wasn’t expecting it. I mean, it feels like any other scar, I guess. It’s nothing special.” Chewing thoughtfully on his bottom lip, he thought back on everything he knew. Everything he had been told thus far. “Not always… I don’t think. I’m lucky like that.” Carefully lowering himself back into the water, he took Orion’s hand in his own, raising it so that he could press his friend's fingers to the base of his throat. If his heart wasn’t cold, and still, it would be pounding in his chest for so many reasons. Orion was the first person he was letting near his neck since he had woken up as a vampire, the first person he was trusting unconditionally, with every fibre of his being. “See?” He swallowed, trying to play off the action as casual, doing everything to hide how incredibly exposed he felt behind a nervous, and hesitant smile. “It’s just… It’s nothing, really.”

It didn’t seem possible for someone to not notice how awkward Orion was on first impression. He didn’t grow up with the social cues or ease that his mother and sister had. But he did have the thoughtful or stoic nature of his father either. He had always had a sort of quiet indignation about him that made conversations short and concise, but not awkward. Rio had landed somewhere in the middle, too talkative to be stoic, too awkward to be charismatic. He had always been the type to stumble through a simple sentence and make up for it by accidentally over talking himself into embarrassment. “You didn’t notice I was awkward and you thought I was cool? There was definitely something wrong with you.” There was no way that Rio wasn’t awkward the first time he finally mustered the courage to have a conversation with Milo in the comic shop. The only explanation was that he had been too distracted to notice the social blunder that Rio was. “Yeah. Exhibit A.” Rio raised his arm as an example, “I’ve had hunter healing since I was a kid. It doesn’t fix everything.” He wasn’t sure if it made him feel more or less human. He wasn’t indestructible, but now he had countless reminders.

Rio recoiled at Milo’s sudden tone shift. He jerked backward, not by much but just enough to be noticeable. He didn’t mean to do it, but it reminded him too much of his own mother’s affinity to switch from perfect suburban soccer mom persona she put on in public to the cruel, ruthless hunter that he knew. It wasn’t fair to compare Milo to her, Rio knew that. He recovered from the jerk reaction quickly, settling instead on a deep look of concern. “It’s really not my business. But being dead isn’t indestructible. There are drugs that-” Rio paused. How much did Milo know about the supernatural world? And how much more danger could he be in if he found out about those? “That worry me. I can’t help being worried.”

“No. Seriously, I wasn’t thinking when I reached for it. I shouldn’t have done that.” The little space Rio had put between the two when he had flinched away was lost when Milo jumped back into the water. Rio felt his hand being grabbed before he looked down to see it being raised up to Milo’s neck. His neck was colder than expected, though Rio should have realized it before. Just another reminder that he had never met a vampire before him. He definitely hadn’t been this close to one. He hadn’t been this close to anyone besides Winston. It heart was exploding in his chest, and he was sure Milo could feel that through his fingertips, if he couldn’t already hear it. The tip of Rio’s fingers ran across the scar, barely a bump to show for it. Just the feint reminder of what was probably the worst night of his life. “It is though.” He stated simply, slowly pulling his hand away as he realized he had still been touching it. “If it’s something to you, it’s not nothing. No matter how small the scar, it can mean something big.”

“Look, I’m not saying you weren’t awkward.” Milo clarified. “I’m just saying I was more focused on enjoying the conversation, you know?” There were definitely times it became more noticeable than others, he could still remember the first interaction following his colleagues making him aware of Orion’s crush. He had noticed it then, been endeared by it even. But it never jumped out at him, he had never seen Rio as somebody lacking in social skills. “Oh, for sure there was something wrong with me.” He teased. “Probably still is…” Bringing himself back down to Earth, pulling himself out of his memories, he allowed his attention to be drawn to Orion’s scars. It was the first time he was actively being asked to look at them, he could only hope that meant his own admission was making his friend feel more comfortable. “Do you think if I hurt myself now, it would leave a scar?” He asked curiously. He hadn’t actually tried, and intravenous drugs felt like a waste of money when he didn’t have a heartbeat to actually carry them.

Noticing Rio’s sudden response to his shift in tone, he remained silent, not wanting to startle him again, but also not wanting to acknowledge his own defensive behaviour. For a brief moment he wondered whether the reaction was in any way related to the injuries he had sustained. He sincerely hoped not, despite the sinking feeling in his chest forcing him to admit that was incredibly likely to be the case. Pleased to hear Orion say it wasn’t his business to comment on, he opened his mouth to agree but promptly closed it again, narrowing his eyes as he processed what he was hearing. It sounded as though Rio had decided not to say what he truly wanted to, as though he might be backtracking, or intentionally withholding information. “Drugs that what?” He asked, his voice slow, and deliberate. He made it clear he didn’t believe the end of the sentence was the one he had been supplied with. “What were you going to say?”

Still suspicious, but also worried about Orion, he begrudgingly allowed the conversation to move forward, aware of the hand still gently being held against his neck. “It’s okay to be curious, Rio…” He assured his friend. “Really, I don’t mind… this is as weird for me as it is for you.” Lingering tension aside, he would much rather talk about this with somebody he knew he could trust. They both had questions, and asking them together, finding answers for them together, was far more appealing than going through this alone. He could hear Orion’s heart, beating hard and fast inside his chest, and wondered whether he felt the same way. Was he nervous? Maybe scared of him? Or was it the intimacy of the moment that was causing his BPM to steadily rise? It is though. He glanced up at the ceiling, before staring pointedly at the wall behind Orion’s head. It was so much easier to be honest when he was avoiding eye contact. At least then he didn’t feel like he was putting himself on display, laying out his mistakes, and misdemeanours, ready to be judged for them. “I don’t know.” He murmured quietly, a frown creasing his brow. “Sometimes I want to forget it, just pretend it isn’t there… sometimes I feel like it’s important. But someone did this to me. They offered me a hit, took me to a room… and when I was high, when I couldn’t fight back, they killed me.” His voice was barely louder than a whisper, cracking with emotion as he struggled to hide his genuine fear. It almost felt as though the more he talked about this person, the greater the chance was of them walking suddenly into the room. He wanted to find them, he needed to find them. But he was also terrified by what they were capable of.

Then again, wasn’t he capable of the very same? His first kill, his only kill, hadn’t been premeditated. It had horrified him, had made him feel entirely out of control. But he had been responsible. He had taken somebody’s life, torn out somebody’s throat. The thought made his stomach churn uncomfortably. Taking an unsteady breath, he blinked tears out of his eyes, shaking his head as though he could force himself to stay grounded. The only way he had been able to move past the guilt, and the shame, was by repressing the memory. By pretending it had all been some terrible dream. “Sorry,” he laughed at himself, bitterness lacing his tone as he hurried to brush away his tears. “I haven’t ever talked about it… not properly.” He wasn’t sure he wanted to continue, but he was in too deep now. He could finish the story, or he could tell it another time, and make himself suffer twice. “I woke up maybe thirty hours later, just... in some building, I don’t even know where. The person helping me… they said you’re not supposed to do that- turn someone, and leave them. But sometimes people do it for fun.” Finally removing Orion’s hand, he caught his eye, allowing him to see how badly affected he was by what had happened to him. “Someone did this to me, Rio. They left these scars on my neck, and I might never know why… their teeth are just- just permanently branded into my skin, and I have to live with that. I don’t know how I’m supposed to live with that.”

There was an embarrassing amount of pride hearing that Milo enjoyed their conversations, even back then. Orion had enjoyed them too, though it had always been so trivial and happenstance that he never figured much of what they talked about stayed in Milo’s head once Rio left the store. It had been just a short time of reprieve from the reality of the world. “Well, thanks.” He didn’t know how else to reply. There didn’t seem like an appropriate reply. Milo had spoken very matter-of-factly. There was no way for Rio to refute it even if he wanted to. “There seems to be a little bit wrong with everybody, in my experience” Rio whispered, as if this was some well guarded secret. “If your healing is anything like mine, it depends on how bad the wound is. If it’s deep enough or lasts long enough it’ll scar regardless. I’ve had plenty of more surface injuries that completely disappeared. More than have stayed probably. I don’t think it helps if you keep getting injured in the same area.” Rio certainly wasn’t an expert on it. He remembered his dad talking about it once. Being a doctor and a hunter made him what Rio would consider the expert on hunter physiology.

Rubbing at his temples, Rio wished he hadn’t said anything at all. This had been the only hiccup in what had otherwise been the closest to a perfect day Rio had had in a long time. “I’ve heard about other drugs. Supernatural ones that are very very dangerous.” That stomach sinking feeling was making Rio slightly nauseous, probably a combination of the smell of chlorine and the conversation he really did not want to be having. “My friend got really messed up on one. It wasn’t good.” Rio rubbed the tip of his finger against the small scar on his palm as a reminder. “I can’t have someone I care about go through that again.”

Listening intently, the feeling of dread and empathy built as Milo explained the experience. Not wanting to interrupt, he instead nodded periodically as a sign that he was still following along. He found himself looking at Milo’s face now, only to find that it was the vampire’s turn to be avoiding eye contact. Funny how that worked out. “That’s horrible” Rio finally spoke quietly, still processing everything he had just heard. Rio thought about how cruel it was to take a life so quickly and casually. To take a life at all was bad enough. It must have been so confusing to wake up afterward, his entire world completely changed when he couldn’t even remember having died in the first place. “Thank you for telling me.” He added on, genuinely happy that he was the first person that Milo had told. “It’s not fair,” Rio agreed, “Your life was taken from you and that’s not fair. But you will live on. Metaphorically at least.” Rio laughed nervously this time, hoping that he sounded sincere in spite of the poor joke, “You’re strong and you don’t want to do the things that Dani accused you of. You’re a good person. And that’s why you’ll get through this.”

“Hm, I guess that’s probably true.” Milo smiled, amused by Rio’s observation. Ignoring the discomfort that seemed to settle in his chest, the concern over the fact that his friend had so much information on the healing process, he pushed aside the question of how. If Rio wanted to tell him, then he would. And it may take some time to earn that level of trust. He needed to be content, to listen to what he was being told rather than wonder about what was carefully being hidden. “I think my parents would be fascinated by that…” He admitted, a frown creasing his brow as he thought about his mom and dad. “They’re doctors, you know? They live for this kind of medical shit.” Watching as Orion began to rub at his temples, it didn’t take a genius to realise he regretted raising the subject. But there could only be one possible reason for that. If he believed him when he said he wasn’t an addict, then why should he care? What could he possibly have to be so hesitant about? Feeling a surge of annoyance, he forced himself to remain calm. He didn’t want to snap again after his friend’s previous reaction to his attitude, but he had so much he needed to say, so much he needed to make Rio understand.

“You think I’m so out of control that the second you tell me about a new type of drug I’m just going to go out and- I don’t know, fucking take my body weight or something?” He asked, fighting to soften the edge to his voice. If he got too angry then Orion might not let slip where he could find these drugs, or explain to him what their purpose was. There were supernatural drugs out there, substances he had yet to try, highs he had yet to experience. He could already feel a spark of excitement igniting within his chest. Why had nobody told him this before? “So... they’re recreational?” He attempted to frame his question as casual, as innocently curious, although he had a feeling that wasn’t going to fly. Would Orion have answered him if he hadn’t seen the track marks on his arms? He had no way of knowing, but the voice in the back of his mind, the one responsible for his doubt, and anxiety, was telling him yes. Telling him Orion wouldn’t feel the need to censor himself, or warn him of the danger, if he didn’t think he might have a drug problem. So much for not seeing him any differently. “I know what I’m doing, okay?” He attempted to assure him, leaving no room for him to argue. “It’s always under control.” Making a mental note to find out more when he was able to, it felt smart to drop the subject, if only to avoid arousing any suspicion. The last thing he wanted was for his friend to interfere if he found out he was trying to pick up.

Not expecting Orion to sound so genuinely grateful for his honesty, he faltered in his frustration. Horrible felt like an understatement, but to even have his suffering acknowledged meant more than he could possibly know. Dani wouldn’t listen, Dani had no empathy for him, no will to understand what dying might have been like. And here was somebody telling him his trauma was valid, that it was okay to hurt, or to still feel confused by it. “Metaphorically.” He echoed, his smile growing as he finally caught his friend’s eye. Holding his gaze, he realised how right it felt, as though things were finally falling into place. They had crossed another impossible hurdle, become closer than they had been only minutes before. “I don’t know if I’m a good person.” He admitted. “But I don’t want to do those things, Rio. I don’t want to hurt people…” Taking a breath in an attempt to steady himself, he brushed away his tears, grateful that his dripping hair helped to disguise the tear tracks marking his cheeks. “Come on,” he gestured towards the centre of the pool, shrugging off the weight of the conversation. “Enough of the depressing stuff. Hey, I bet I can hold my breath for longer than you.”

Orion vaguely remembered Milo telling him about his family while the two talked online. It had been a brief moment of recognition before he shoved the thought out of his head completely. He had been so excited to be talking with Milo again that he hadn’t let any pervasive thoughts about his family ruin the mood while he laid across his bed and texted back. “Oh yeah. My dad was too. They probably knew each other.” Rio suggested before adding in, “I mean, before he died.” It made it as casual as possible, dropping the knowledge in before trying to move on completely.

“What?” was all Rio could ask at first, trying to figure out how the conversation had gone from bad to worse. “No.” He shook his head, ignoring the intruding thoughts warning him that he was ruining this. The good moments the two had managed to have were basically draining down the pool filter. “I didn’t say that. You know I don’t mean that.” Unless Milo did think that he meant that. That his words had somehow been warped and misshapen as some sort of accusation. It didn’t seem to matter that Rio’s concern came from a place of genuine concern. Realistic fear, even. “No. They’re not. She almost died. On more occasions than one. And I didn’t even know about it until she tried to impale me.” Not that he blamed her for it at all, but he certainly remembered how awful Skye had felt the next day. Milo’s insistence that everything was fine was only more concerning, but talking about it now was only going to make things worse.

At least Milo seemed just as eager to change the subject. Perhaps it was for the best that the two stopped getting so deep for a minute. Neither of them seemed to have especially optimistic pasts. There wasn’t much space for them to dig without hitting something dark and depressing. “I don’t want you to hurt people either. So let’s prove her wrong.” He insisted, using it as the last words before Milo suggested a severely rigged game to break the tension. “Wow. Doesn’t exactly sound very fair.” Rio laughed, pushed away and swung his arms to pull himself away from Milo and create some space between the two. “Can’t imagine who’ll win this one”

“Oh, shit, no way.” Milo wasn’t sure why it was such a surprising revelation. His parents had been close with Dani’s, after all. They probably still were, although they had no idea the Edwards had made it a family mission to rid the world of vampires. White Crest was a small town, everybody knew everybody. If Orion’s dad was a doctor then it only made sense he had crossed paths with Allison and Oliver Summers. Once or twice at the very least. “I guess that’s probably true… weird, huh?” He chose not to react to Orion mentioning his father’s death. He hadn’t been expecting it, exactly. But he didn’t talk about his parents, and it was something that hadn’t escaped his notice during the time they had known each other. He could only hope his passing hadn’t been complicated, or traumatic. But in the same way he secretly knew Rio’s scars had a terrible story, he suspected there might be far more to this than he was being told. It was very obvious Rio wanted to move on from the subject though, so he shelved the information for a possible later date.

Listening to his friend as he began to insist his words were being taken in the wrong way, he wanted so badly to be angry. He was angry, but he was also determined not to let his attitude ruin this day. He had pushed so many people away by getting defensive, even an idiot could see the patterns in his behaviour, but Orion was the one person he wanted by his side. Swallowing his frustration, his longing to point out how ridiculous it was to tell him he was trustworthy and then lecture him on the danger of drugs, iiIt was something his parents would do, one of the many reasons he found them insufferable to live with. But Orion was different, just the fact that he was attempting to backtrack told him that much. It was definitely an issue, but an issue for another time. And he knew the faster he dropped the subject, the less likely Orion would be to try and hide new information from him, or watch him closely for any reckless decision making. “Sounds like she was tweaking to me.” He muttered, brushing off the mention of violence. It wouldn’t be the first time an addict lost their cool, but that didn’t mean their drug of choice couldn’t be considered recreational.

Offering Rio a smile as he struggled to put the conversation behind him, he was grateful he apparently wasn’t the only one trying to do so. It had been a surprisingly deep discussion, and neither of them had been prepared for it. He was incredibly grateful for the understanding, for the support, for the fact that Orion had been so willing to listen. But he also wanted nothing more than to slip back into their light-hearted banter. “Yeah, let’s prove her wrong.” He agreed, his smile growing when his friend reacted to his suggestion. It was too easy to laugh, to let go of the awkwardness, and the tension that had come from allowing themselves to be so vulnerable. “Winner gets to pick the next movie.” He said, throwing himself into the water before Rio could respond. He couldn’t remember feeling this close to anybody other than Dani. And it felt good. It felt so good to have someone. As the water closed in around him, pressing in on him from all sides, he realised the warmth spreading outwards from his chest had nothing to do with the pool heaters, and everything to do with Orion Quinn.

#milo and orion #c:orion #drug manipulation tw #addiction tw #self harm tw #physical abuse tw #emotional abuse tw

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