[unedited]

orion's pov

when i wake, the smell of sterilized machinery and bleach fills my nostrils. it's only then that i realize i'm in a hospital room. i sit up to stretch, and find that my hand is being held hostage in a death grip. what the heck?

i look down and to see a sleeping annalise curled up in a chair her hand grasping mine. how did she know i was here?

sure, i had woken up in the hospital many times with sustainable injuries, but no one ever cared enough to stay with me. it made me feel guilty for treating her so badly the last time we spoke.

her light snores fill the air as i try to untangle my hand from hers. "no, stop!" she moans in deep slumber, making me freeze in my tracks. "mom i need them. mom!" she mumbles, her eyebrows furrowed in worry as she thrashes in her chair, clutching my hand tighter. ouch.

i lean over and gently run my free hand across her creased forehead. she immediately relaxes, then her eyes shoot open, darting around the room slowly. i sit back quickly and she looks over at me. "orion?" she ask drowsily, her eyes widen. "orion!"

i shoot her small smile. "the one and only."

in seconds her small frame comes barreling towards me, attacking me in a vicious hug. i take a deep breath, inhaling her scent creepily, and it's then that i realize how much i've missed her.

how much i've longed to be in her arms.

"you dumb little butt!" she cries, pulling me closer, even though i doubt that's physically possible. "you don't talk to me for days and then you land yourself in the hospital! your mom called me orion. your mom. i can't believe you!" she rattles, throwing her hands up in the air.

her frustration throws her into hysteria which only furthers my amusement. "this isn't funny!" she whines, giving herself time to calm down and actually think, then a tear escapes. "i don't know what i-"

"shh," i cut her off, silencing her. "this happens all the time, and i'm still alive aren't i?"

she sniffs, looking straight into my eyes, sucking me in, almost as if she can see right through me. the thought makes me shiver in exhilaration. "i..." she trails off, cupping my face with her warm hands.

the action makes my heartbeat quicken. her eyes are full of a foreign sadness that makes my stomach twist unpleasantly. she was always a bubbly, bright ball of sunshine, and i had dimmed her.

her stare is so intense, it glazes over me, making me feel like i'm bathing in the scorching rays of the sun.

without thinking, i lean forward and close the space between us, pressing my lips against hers in certainty. she squeals in surprise, before slowly melting into me.

her lips are a blank canvas with endless possibilities, so i decide to make art.

a/n

zaydiance the sweetest person i have ever come across x

also happy birthday to my husband, shawn mendes