Their Marred Boy

Filler 3

Plump lips parted in surprise, Orion analyzed an oblivious Harper, trying to solve the puzzle presenting itself in the form of the boy.

The scarred boy was currently sitting across from them, knees pulled up to his chest with his face perched in his palms as his elbows were resting on his knees supporting his weight. Though the sight was adorable as it was, Orion's focus was snatched by the mismatched eyes that were intensely trained on them.

One of his eyes was a milky white while the other was a dark brown, so dark in fact that they could see their reflection shining in them. Harper's eyes were so warm, so inviting, and they were staring at Orion with such adoration that they almost wanted to look away. They weren't used to such admiring stares being directed at them.

They'd been lounging in Harper's apartment since lunch and it was now late into the evening. Neither minded though, they'd come to realize that they both enjoyed each other's company. They'd grown pretty close over the few days that they had known each other, and Orion couldn't refuse when the boy sheepishly told them that he wanted to spend time with them.

The first few hours were awkward as Harper spent them trying to entertain his guest with different activities, to prevent them from getting bored of him and leaving, though after Orion sat him down and sternly assured him that they were content with the way that their day had been, everything went smooth sailing.

Orion was briefly aware that they were most likely one of the boy's very first friends, therefore they refrained from getting frustrated with his insecurities despite the hurt they felt in their heart at the prospect of Harper feeling like that.

Now they were just sitting on one of the coziest couches that Orion had ever had the pleasure of being on, with a fluffy grey blanket draped over them and steaming coffee mugs clutched in their hands.

Harper had prepared hot chocolate for them and despite Orion not having much of a sweet tooth, they hadn't objected to the avalanche of marshmallows that the small boy had dumped in their mug.

Orion had been woken up by Skyler's frantic call in an ungodly early hour, explaining to them that home had gotten quite messy and that they were going to have to introduce Harper earlier than expected.

Their friend had asked if they could try to ease Harper into the idea of all of a sudden having mates. At first, Orion had stated that they weren't comfortable getting involved in such matters, however, once Skyler's blonde little mate had snatched the phone from him and practically begged them to help, they couldn't refuse.

So they were planning on using this opportunity to strike up the much-needed conversation, however, Orion couldn't help but feel as if this was taking advantage of Harper's infinite trust for them. Even if Harper were to feel uncomfortable after the talk that they were going to have, they knew that the boy wouldn't ever dream of denying a request from them.

"Harp, I need your full attention for a minute, okay?" Their suddenly serious tone caught Harper by surprise and he hastily built up his guard back, not liking the direction it was going. "Can you do that for me?"

The last question that only accepted compliance for an answer had the scarred boy nervously nodding his head, shifting his body language to that of an intent listener.

"Y-Yeah, of course... Is everything okay?"

"Yes... Though it's quite important that you understand what I'm about to tell you."

At that, Harper's nerves grew like a beanstalk and shattered the roof of his home, rising to touch the sky.

Once Orion was sure that their little friend had directed his entire attention to them, they took a deep breath and started, "You know what werewolves are, right?"