Beyond Darkness

Clocks

Michael~

"Your Clock... Jacob.."

Michael looked at Orion, he had the sweetest smile on his face. Jacob on the other hand was frozen still with a bland expression. Orion continued with the same amusement in his voice "It's not working..." Jacob looked at the clock and nodded, "I'll ask Javier to get batteries." He turned to leave but Orion went and took the clock off the wall, Jacob's shoulders tensed.

He brought the clock to Michael. "Michael... do you see something off about this clock?" Orion asked in the most mellow voice. He squinted at Orion, to which Orion just winked at him. Michael looked at the clock. Within seconds he knew what was wrong with the clock. He turned to Jacob, "The second hand is working but the clock is itself frozen."

He smiled at Jacob. Orion extended the clock towards him and smiled. What's with all this smiling Michael thought. Jacob reluctantly took the clock and bid them goodnight. Michael turned to Orion who was looking at him intensely. "You didn't notice did you?" Michael was confused.

"Notice what?"

Orion chuckled and then pointed down to his torso. Michael looked down and realized that the gauze was still suspended from Orion's side. Orion laughed again. In all honesty Michael wanted to record it. The deep care free laugh, the crinkled eyes and the soft expressions of Orion's body were overwhelming. Michael smiled.

"Silly me!"

When Jacob had left, Michael asked that what was all that about, Orion had gone back to his neutral mysterious state. He headed back to the bathroom and Michael followed him inside. He leaned against Orion's back, wrapping his arms around his waist, keeping in mind that he doesn't hurt him. Michael nuzzled into his back, placing soft feather like kisses along his shoulder.

Michael placed his chin on Orion's shoulder, "Why did you cover me up in front of him?" He asked him softly. He saw Orion's smile disappear in the mirror, "I don't like him." He said. Michael nodded. Michael sighed and let go. "Can you wait outside?" He asked, Orion left without even a look. He had closed the door behind him, Michael locked it. He was standing in front of the mirror. He had definitely seen better days. He had already made a mistake of falling asleep with his contacts in. Good thing he kept his contact case wherever he went. He did not have the solution but the old one had to do until they left in the morning. He took out one of his contacts and looked up in the mirror. His eye was bloodshot because of the struggle to get it out. He felt alien, right now standing in someone else's bathroom with a stowaway criminal with him. He though that whatever he had done till now was just a hoax, to hide his true self. But hide from who? The answer was so simple yet so complicated, It was himself. He felt disgusted and vile.

He took off his contacts and deciding on a shower, he stripped and turned on the shower. Standing in the stream, he tried to keep it together and not succumb to his inner battles which he was earnestly losing. There was a soft knock on the door, he called out that he was going to be out soon, he hoped that Orion wouldn't catch the shakiness in his voice and even if he does he doesn't react to it. After he had finished showering he wrapped a towel around his waist and picked his clothes from the floor and opened the door.

Orion was standing near the doors that opened in the Garden, he was staring at something. "Hey" He said, not moving from his place. "Hi" He said. Orion turned around for a minute and then turned back again. "What are you looking at?" Michael came up behind him. "Nothing special." Michael patted his back and then moved away to dress. After he had finished dressing Orion turned and came back to him. "You too out the contacts." Michael just nodded and smiled.