Something That Makes Me Whole

I eventually came back with a bandage around my upper arm covering both new ones. Orchid handed over a wad of dollars and we returned back to mine. Since she had missed her own birthday, the others were coming round; we would have gone out but Orchid didn't want to, not that I could blame her after what she went through.

"Are they big?" Orchid asked as she kneaded out the dough she had just made and then split it into 3.

"Are what big?" I returned, watching her hands.

"Your tattoos."

"Nah." I said, as she passed me a lump of dough. "Why?" I then asked curiously.

"The smaller they are, the quicker they heal. The quicker they heal, the sooner I get to see what you had done." I just smiled at her. "Come here, you're doing it all wrong."

Orchid stood beside me, taking my hands in hers and showed me how to flatten the dough to a pizza base shape. Then I had a really bad playful urge so I took my hand away, putting it into the flour and chucked some at her. She squealed, then threw some back.

"You should be nice to me!" She squealed as I chased her round the kitchen. "I'm teaching you how to cook!"

"Ah, okay then." I conceded and we went back to the pizzas, weary of each other whenever we picked something up that would easily start a food fight. Saying that, we could have used anything, it was just some foods were more appropriate than others.

Once the pizzas had gone in the oven, we cleared away their mess, dusting ourselves off, standing over the bin so flour didn't go on the floor. Well, anymore flour than what was already on it.

Orchid leaned up the units, and I was fully aware of her watching me as I stared into the oven, before I straightened up and looked round the room. "Come here." She said. "You've got something on your face."

"Where?" I instantly said, reaching a hand up and wiping it.

"No," she said more quietly, her eyes not once leaving me as I came towards her "let me show you."

It was then that I realised where she was taking this. I stood right in front of her, with her legs between mine, and slipped my arms around her slender waist. She snaked her arms around my neck, staring intently into my brown eyes with her icy blue ones. I leaned down, tilting my head to the side ready to kiss her as she tilted her head upwards. I could just feel her lips brushing mine...

"ORCHID!" Excitable voices shouted and the moment was ruined. I stepped away from her, and she went to find our friends with me following along behind. After the long process of greeting each other like none of us had seen any of us for three years, Orchid disappeared to get the pizzas. I came in, closing the door slightly, behind me, and helped her.

She sliced it all up and then took all three plates out: two in her hands and one balanced on her wrist. "Look what Brian cooked you guys." She said, setting them down on the coffee table as I put some more beer down where I could find a gap. Five hands lunged in immediately for slices, dribbling the cheese everywhere. The girls waited till we'd done to get their own slices being much more civilised about it.

Orchid sat herself on the sofa between Jimmy, and Zack who had Sarah on his knee. "Did you want some?" Matt asked, waving his bottle of beer, indicating what he meant.

"Yes I do want some, but I can't because of the medication I'm on." She explained.

"Ah well, that sucks then doesn’t it." Zack mumbled, through a mouthful of pizza and Sarah hit him, making everyone laugh at his whining.

"Yup." Orchid said, replying to Zack's statement.

"What you need meds for?" Matt asked her.

"To get better, probably." Carla said sarcastically and I noticed the other two girls flash her an approving grin.

"I thought you're supposed to get better in hospital?" Johnny asked.

"You are." I smirked. "Batgirl just dares to be different."

"Different is my middle name, Baby." She replied.

Weird looks crossed the faces of the other six in the room and they looked from me to Orchid and back again. "Are you two getting it on?" Matt asked.

"No." We answered, watching each other inconspicuously; Orchid looked upset when she said no, like she wished she could have answered yes.

The matter was dropped after that and we began talking about other things. The pizzas were finished off and more beer was eventually bought. Around nine Orchid disappeared into the kitchen to ring and apologise to her mum for snapping in the middle of the store. When she came back I had one of my guitars out and the others were playing random crap between them all, albeit not too good at times or just plain shit - except for when I myself had the guitar - because they were quite drunk. Especially Johnny and he had school the next day as far as I was aware.

Eventually Orchid fell asleep leaning up Matt, her head lolled on one shoulder, with Carla using the other as a pillow. "I'm putting her to bed." I decided after five minutes of debating it, whilst watching her. "She deserves better than to sleep on a sofa with you hobos, like you're making Sarah and Carla."

I stood in front of the sofa, slipped my arms under Orchid’s body and lifted her up, holding her like a groom would hold his bride. She was so god damn light! Then I took her upstairs to my room where I laid her down gently on my bed.

Carefully, I pulled the quilt back from underneath her, then began to pull off her baggy jeans, not needing to even undo the belt since she was thin enough to just pull them off like that. Then I manoeuvred her shorts onto her. As I tried to get her top off she woke, though not properly because she was incredibly dazed and confused. "Whazgonon?" She slurred.

"I'm putting you to bed, Baby." I replied gently, attempting to pull her top off over her head. Once I'd managed that task, she let me remove her bra and helped me get her into her night top, before finally falling back onto the pillow, instantly asleep. I pulled the quilt over her and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I love you Orchid." I whispered and went back to join the others.

Orchid POV[/b

I jerked awake to find myself ready for bed and in it, though I was alone. This confused me. That last thing I remembered was having my head on Matt's right shoulder, my eyes closed, and listening to them laughing at something. I sat up and stretched, then looked at the clock on the bedside table. It read 4am. I sighed, then flopped back down and tried to go back to sleep but my body, as tired as it was, wouldn't permit it.

I pushed the covers off me and climbed out. Then I left the room and went into the kitchen to get a drink of water. As I gulped it down, I surveyed the room; it was littered with beer cans. I made a mental note to tell Brian I wasn't cleaning for him. Once I had done, I went to the living room, expecting to find them all awake still or at least some of them.

Instead they were all asleep: Matt and Carla cuddled up on the sofa (I absolutely agree that it was bullshit that nothing was going on between them), Jimmy sprawled out on the floor, Sarah was in one chair and Brian in the armchair. As for the whereabouts of Zack and Jimmy it came as a mystery to me and quite frankly I didn't really care to imagine it - I just figured they were asleep on the bathroom or something.

This room was even more of a mess with beer cans and dirty plates and stuff. More mental note: definitely no cleaning unless I get a reward.

Cautiously, I picked my way across to the armchair that Brian was asleep in. Then I curled myself up in Brian's lap, letting my head rest up the same shoulder as his own head. After a while he shifted and I thought I might have woken him when I felt his arms wrap around me, but after that he went still again, his breathing still even. So I let myself fall to sleep right there.