Two Batty Kids :: Me and Polo

James chuckled at Orion's joke and strummed out the first chord once again. "You'll be fine, it's not that difficult. Plus you're good." He gave Orion a confident smile and continued on with the first measure. "All right, it's in the key of..." He began teaching the melody and soon the two were playing it. James was soon strumming a harmony along with it and humming the tune under his breath. For about the millionth time, he wished he was able to sing so that he could teach Orion the lyrics. He supposed that he could pull out his phone and look them up and let Orion look them over, but that would probably kill the kind of atmosphere that they had created. It was a shame, too. They were perfect for the entire situation that they were in, although probably more for Orion than him...
I took my love and took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Till the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I'm getting older too

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I'm getting older too
Oh, I'm getting older too

I take my love, take it down
I climb a mountain and turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Will the landslide bring you down
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Will the landslide bring you down, oh, oh
The landslide bring you down

"Look up this song when we get back to the room, okay?" James asked as they reached the end of the song, finally playing it once through without any mistakes. "It's pretty good, I promise." He smiled and pushed his hair over to the side. It had fallen over his eyes from bending over his guitar. He reached over and patted Orion's hand.

The praise was enough to get Orion focused on the music again, and he had to admit it was difficult to hide his smirk when his poor, starving ego was finally getting fed. Not that 'you're good' was like winning an oscar or something, but coming from James, it still felt pretty amazing.
"Well, if you think so." He nodded for James to show him, and his boyfriend obliged, starting to teach him to play the tune. Orion caught on quickly - James had been right - and soon enough they were playing together in peaceful harmony. James hummed a little too, but since he didn't know the lyrics, Orion just kept his mouth shut and enjoyed the music.

If felt like it was over too soon. Then again, with James, it always did. He tended to wish each moment could last forever, just in case another like it never came. Maybe that wasn't the healthiest outlook, come to think of it. But he could deal with that later.
"Look up this song when we get back to the room, okay?"
"Hm?" Orion glanced at James, eyes sliding back into focus as he returned to the world of the living.
"It's pretty good, I promise."
"Oh. Okay, I will."
A delicate hand patted his, he supposed in praise, and he smiled gratefully in response, turning his own hand to trap James's with his fingers. He gave it a squeeze.
"That was nice, thank you." He murmured, shuffling a little closer, then freeing his hand and hooking his arm around James's, lacing their fingers together instead. It was an excuse to be closer, and he wanted to be closer. It was amazing how lonely the affections of strangers could make a person feel.
"So..." His eyes lifted, watching the grass blow lightly back and forth on the hill. "This old friend of yours. The one you said the sing reminds you of. Tell me about him." He glanced over at James again. "I feel like I should know more about your life before you came here. It seems like you know just about everything about mine."

When Orion asked about Taylor, James blushed a little and rolled his eyes. "I don't know everything about your life." He murmured under his breath. Then, glancing up, he began answering the question. "His name's Taylor, we grew up together ever since we were really young. We lived next door to each other, so sometimes it was difficult for our parents to separate us." He chuckled at that, but refrained from mentioning that his parents were rarely home to do that.
"He was pretty cool. Shorter than me, and stockier - he was a weight lifter. He was pretty cute too, I suppose." He shot Orion a wry smile and poked him in the ribs. "After high school, he took a few gap years, married his girlfriend, and never actually went off to college. He works for National Geographic and goes on expeditions or something crazy like that. I think he and Katelyn climbed Mount Everest last year." James pursed his lips as he tried to remember the details of the conversation they'd had way back then.
"I don't really know what he's up to right now; we haven't talked in a few weeks. He shrugged. "The song just made me think of him because Katelyn was in love with it."
He chuckled and pushed his hair to the side with his free hand. "He was pretty much my only real friend; everyone else was just an acquaintance from school or a classmate who wanted to come over and drink and party." He shrugged.

Orion listened as James told him about Taylor, nodding occasionally, to show he was paying attention.
"He was pretty cool." James went on, "Shorter than me, and stockier - he was a weight lifter. He was pretty cute too, I suppose." Orion raised his eyebrows and blinked quickly, a little taken aback, but James just smiled and elbowed him in the ribs, obviously anticipating his reaction. Orion let his lips relax back into a smile. Of course, James wasn't trying to make him jealous. But hearing his boyfriend talk about his 'cute friend' from childhood was still all kinds of confusing. On the one hand, it was endearing to think of a confused little James secretly forming a little crush on his friend, and Orion found it touching that he felt comfortable enough to mention it now. On the other hand, part of him knew that if he ever met this 'Taylor', hackles would be raised. It occurred to him that if he felt this threatened and uncomfortable just from hearing about someone that James had found attractive once, a long time ago, maybe their relationship was not quite as stable as he tried to believe. Then again, who was he kidding? Just about a week in, James had already been making out with some chick. Sometimes he even wondered if it still went on behind his back. And until the previous night, he'd been taking off his clothes for horny strangers. This wasn't the perfect romance that his heart kept telling him it was. It was messed up, hurtful, and dysfunctional.

Orion's eyes shifted over to James, still telling his story, of how Taylor and his girlfriend - no, wife now - had climbed Mount Everest. He watched the subtle pursing of his lips, how his forehead furrowed just a little as he tried to recall the details, and his beautiful eyes flickered unseeingly over the scenery. Orion watched him from a strange and distant place, and at last, felt his cheeks lift with a genuine smile. Yes, it had been a bumpy road. But if he could still look upon James with such fondness now, and if James could still stick by his side, then there was something there. Something special. He wanted desperately to believe that this was built to last.

"He was pretty much my only real friend;" James confessed at last, pushing back his fringe. Had it grown a little? "Everyone else was just an acquaintance from school or a classmate who wanted to come over and drink and party."
"Aw," Teeth pulling back into a cheeky grin now, Orion shuffled closer and slid an arm around James's waist, squeezing a little too tightly to make a point. "Poor lonely Jem. At least everyone loves you now." He pushed his boyfriend's fringe out of his face, and pecked him sharply on the temple. "Or I do anyway, and that's all that matters, right?" He paused a moment, then added with another squeeze, "Hint: If you don't agree, there's a penalty involved."

If there was any tension coming from the man next to him, James was oblivious to it. He was beginning to realize that those years - the last ones of high school and the first year of university - had probably been the worst in his short life. It wasn't that anything was wrong, per se - no, nothing about his life seemed wrong compared to others, especially Orion's - he just didn't feel like he'd accomplished anything. He had also felt really empty. With Taylor as his only friend, he missed out on a lot of human connection that he probably should have had. No one to talk to, no girlfriends (or boyfriends) to hang out with at night and hold hands with and kiss and all of that other sappy crap that he used to make fun of all the time,
He sighed and glanced down at his hands, and then up at Orion as he began to talk.
"Aw, Poor lonely Jem. At least everyone loves you now." James sqeaked at the little squeeze - his waist was very sensitive to people poking and squeezing and just touching it in general. He managed to chuckle a little at the joke. While he did have a few more friends now, it was very clear that not everyone loved him - namely a few other students from his bio class, some of the other performers at the Opera House, and probably a lot of other people too. The image of the man with the greasy blonde hair and crooked nose - the one that hated him and Orion - made an uninvited appearance in his mind. Shit, how had he forgotten about Blondie for so long? He was surprised that there had been no more incidents since that time with the chloroform a few months ago...
"Or I do anyway, and that's all that matters, right? Hint: If you don't agree, there's a penalty involved."
James actually laughed at that, instead of the sarcastic half-chuckle from before. "Kinky." He said, squirming in the other man's half embrace to plant a kiss on his jaw. "I mean, if you're into that."
He rolled his eyes and settled down then, leaning into Orion's shoulder. It was kind of strange, considering he was taller, but it was nice. The subject of the conversation left him a little uneasy - was Orion seriously jealous that other people loved him too? - but he did his best to ignore it and enjoy the time spent with his boyfriend. Lord knew that got little enough of it. In fact, they would probably need to be going soon...

"Kinky." James laughed earnestly at last, and Orion responded with a smug smile. He accepted his kiss like royalty. "I mean, if you're into that."
"I am if you are." He teased, flashing a devious grin that went amiss as James snuggled into his shoulder. He turned his head automatically, treating himself to the ticklish feeling of James's hair brushing over his face. Because he could. He always had enjoyed that; the sensation of someone else's hair tickling his skin, the way he could smell the shampoo they'd used, and all that. Honestly, it was nice just knowing that he was still allowed to establish this kind of intimacy after all that had gone down lately. He wished he could stop thinking about it. He knew James had forgiven him, but... Well, maybe it would take him a little longer to properly forgive himself.

They sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying each other's company, but Orion couldn't help but feel the time ticking by. Al last, he grew restless, and bluntness ensued.
"So." He cleared his throat, "We've played our music, got a nice view, and a pretty decent cuddle going on here." He squeezed James around the waist again to demonstrate. "I feel like it's time to make out a little." Leaning a little closer, he curved one eyebrow handsomely, "What do you say, Mozart?"

"So. We've played our music, got a nice view, and a pretty decent cuddle going on here. I feel like it's time to make out a little. What do you say, Mozart?"
James squeaked once more at the little squeeze Orion gave his waist and blushed. He wasn't used to such directness; in fact, he tried to avoid that as much as possible. It made him feel... weird. He couldn't really describe it. But now Orion had shifted and was looking at him with one eyebrow arched suggestively and his tongue running lightly over his lips and his eyes kept glancing down at James's mouth and-
Jesus Christ James, calm down. What the hell is wrong with you?
He squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on inhaling and exhaling slowly, trying to quiet his racing heartbeat. He knew he needed to react, so he reached his hand down to rest it on top of Orion's hand that was resting on his hip.
"Yeah," he murmured, his voice steady, cool, collected. He was good at faking others out, although he was surprised that he was able to right now. His eyes slowly opened and he met Orion's. "I'd like that."
Feeling more than a little self-conscious, James lifted his other hand to Orion's face and rested it on his cheek, focusing on the defined bone beneath the skin. It felt nice; he had a thing for prominent cheekbones.
After a moment, he leaned his head down and let his forehead rest on the other man's. Then, slowly, tantalizingly, he inched his chin up just until their mouths were barely brushing one another.
"Let me," he murmured, sensing that Orion wanted to get going with it already. He was going for a teasing appearance to mask his nervousness, and he hoped he was coming off as sexy rather than scared.
He moved his hand up until it was running through Orion's silky green stripe. He knotted his fingers in it gently, mussing it so it was no longer a perfectly formed straight line. Then he shifted his position so that he was facing Orion rather than nestled under the crook of his arm; he kept his hand on top of the man's, pinning it to his hip.
James took a moment to gather his courage - it was easier now that they had been almost kissing for probably half a minute - and let his lips fall forward and press against Orion's. His mouth opened and closed rhythmically, almost as if he were making music. A few low noises escaped his throat, but he couldn't tell if Orion hear them or not; his eyelids had slipped closed at some point, and he didn't exactly feel like reopening them.

When James closed his eyes, Orion picked up quickly on the rapid rise and fall of his chest, betraying the heaviness of his breathing. At first the reaction pleased him, but when James still had nothing to say, for a moment he almost apologised. Then a gentle hand touched his, and his doubt vanished. At the corner of his mouth, a smile began creeping up into his cheek.
"Yeah," Orion watched the breath leave James's lips with the word, "I'd like that."
With a giddy swoop in his chest, he shifted eagerly closer, but a light touch on his cheek settled him down, and he hung back patiently, eyes searching James's handsome face, and falling inevitably to his lips at least thrice in a second. He couldn't help himself; all he could think about was the warm, damp pressure of those lips, and the taste of James engulfing his senses. He craved it!

Then James's face inched closer, and as their foreheads touched, Orion leaned in, seeking out his lips, trying to grab the opportunity before it somehow slipped through his fingers. When James stopped him, he very nearly groaned.
"Let me."
"You're such a tease." He grumbled, breathy with arousal, "Just always have to make it difficult for me, don't you?" His next breath came as a laugh. Of course, it was no secret that this was one of the things he loved most about James. And that made it even more difficult to stay patient when those beautiful fingers twisted through his hair. The tingling of his scalp sent goosebumps racing down the back of his neck, and when James shifted around and leaned in towards him, Orion fell into the kiss with uncontrollable passion. He shivered when their mouths finally met, and breathed out through his nose, releasing the tension that had climbed into his shoulders. Eyes squeezed shut, he lifted himself onto his knees, curling his arm tighter around James's back to draw the other boy closer to him. He let his free hand stray to James's fringe, stroking it softly out of his face. With an effort, he gentled the kiss, afraid to scare James off with his enthusiasm. Although the soft moans he heard rising in his boyfriend's throat were evidence enough that he needn't have worried. To feel wanted like this filled him with a whole new kind of confidence. Never before had he been quite so certain that James's feelings for him were sincere.

Giddy with his sudden rush of hope, he broke the kiss for a moment, then reached for James's lips again, more tenderly this time. He didn't want to stop. As long as he didn't open his eyes, everything could stay perfect. As long as he didn't open his eyes, nothing could take James away from him.
If only that were true...

It was obvious to James that Orion was getting very into the kiss. He was moving his mouth faster and faster; his tongue was pushing more forcefully up against James's - that sensation alone was enough to intimidate him a bit. He'd never really kissed that much before, and he wondered if he was doing an okay job. He also wondered how long this was going to last. It seemed kind of strange that they could make out for more than a minute tops because wouldn't that get boring after a while? Not that being so close to Orion was boring. It was just... He couldn't really put his finger on it.
Maybe Orion sensed that his thoughts were wandering, or maybe he just needed a breath, but he stopped, broke away. A fleeting moment passed and just as the other man was leaning in again, James's phone went off.
Gratefully, he pressed his finger to Orion's lips with a saucy smirk and reached into his back pocket for his phone. It was his backup alarm that he had set earlier, just in case the two of the got carried away and weren't watching the time. It was a good thing he'd thought ahead.
"Time to go, sweetcheeks." He murmured, turning off the blaring music. "I've got a performance. You're welcome to come to that if you want. I have four seats up front for my family and honored guests." That was a recent promotion Chang had given him. His family didn't usually come out, but most of the time Aine took up his offer for the seats. She was always bringing new people to see him - she had jokingly called herself his manager once, after one of the women she'd brought turned out to be a wealthy orchestra director. She had talked with James about working for her after his contract with Chang as up, but the times wouldn't work out. He recalled that she seemed upset about that.
More times than not, one of the seats was occupied by Cory, who maintained a stony composure around him, always courteous but never pleasant. She still had yet to smile at him. However, the few times he could look down in he crowd, he'd find her with her eyes squeezed shut, swaying ever so slightly, lips parted, and half of her mouth curved up. She always made sure to dress up and looked - as Aine remarked one night - smoking hot. It was these moments when James found himself questioning his emotions and thoughts and commitments to Orion, and wondering if he was even mature enough for such a heavy relationship.
Which was why he immediately felt like rescinding his offer to Orion about the seats. How would the other man feel if he had to sit next to Cory for two hours, knowing that she looked sexy as hell and that this was the girl his boyfriend had made out with on a bed? He sighed, but kept his face light.
"It'll be fun." He said with a smile and placed a small, guilt-laced peck on Orion's lips. When he stood up, he held out his hand to help Orion.

[[Sorry if the prose sucks, study hall ends in like two minutes and I don't have time to reread it. xD I won't be able to access Facebook for the next four and a half hours, so if you need to contact me, message me on here. Umm yeah, I'm thinking that we can bring up some old Cory tensions if you want. Or maybe Blondie. Or that cougar lady has been stalking Oreo and finds him at the Opera House. Or maybe she just goes there a lot and happens to run into him. We can make many things happen.]]

Orion grunted when James's finger interrupted the kiss. Then he heard the alarm blaring - how had he not noticed that racket? - and groaned loudly, drooping his head. "Is it time already?" He scowled at James's phone. They had just got to the good stuff. He had just started feeling like everything was all right again... But he had known this was coming. He just didn't like it.
"Time to go, sweetcheeks." James shut off the alarm, and Orion blinked at him with a somewhat concerned expression.
"Sweetcheeks?"
"I've got a performance. You're welcome to come to that if you want. I have four seats up front for my family and honored guests."
Orion's stomach gave an uncomfortable flip. "I don't know, James..." He rubbed the back of his head, "I mean, I want to, but Mr. Chang..."
Orion trailed off, and they sat in silence for a while, both thinking, Orion assumed, about the same thing. Chang didn't always show up at the Opera house, of course. In fact he seldom did, unless he had guests he was trying to impress. But what if he was there? Orion could feel his blood boil at the very thought of that scumbag. He was genuinely scared of what he'd do if he saw him.
"I don't know." He repeated dubiously. "Honestly, I'd love to see you play, but if he's there, things could get nasty. I'm just not sure I'm ready to see him yet."
"It'll be fun." James pointed out, and when the other man's lips brushed his, Orion smiled and shrugged off his worries. "Yeah, it will." He agreed, "Okay, I'm in."
James stood, then extended a hand toward him. Orion took it, and pulled himself to his feet, stepping close to James. His lips twitched into a deadly smirk. "So this means I get to keep you a little longer then, does it?" He meshed his fingers with James's, and shifted his guitar more firmly onto his shoulder. "Of course, I'll have to share you. But.... Ah, I think I can deal with that for a little while."

Pecking James sweetly on the cheek, he gave his hand a squeeze, then waited for James to pick up his guitar before beginning to walk slowly back down the hill. He kept a close eye on James to make sure he didn't slip, and although his palm was a little sweaty, he didn't feel the need to let go of his hand. He wouldn't admit it, but he had needed this. It felt damn good to be loved again, for something more than his body. It felt good to feel innocent again. He was beginning to feel like himself.

"Yeah, it will. Okay, I'm in." A large smile split James's face when Orion gave in, but it almost disappeared when he leaned in with a devious smirk and said, "So this means I get to keep you a little longer then, does it? Of course, I'll have to share you. But.... Ah, I think I can deal with that for a little while." How cool would he be about sharing with Cory tonight? Probably not very...
But he kept the smile on his face and nodded and accepted the light kiss on his cheek with just enough enthusiasm.
The two of them descended down the hill - James carrying his own guitar this time, since it was easier than the climb up - and were soon at their respective vehicles. He called Aine from his as he sat in the parking lot to make sure that she wasn't going to use all four seats tonight. Even though he wasn't supposed to be playing tonight, those seats were still reserved for him.
"No!" Her cheery voice piped. "Just three. I'm bringing Cory and my friend Avery."
"Sweet." James answered, heart sinking a little. He was hoping Cory wouldn't come tonight, but he supposed that it would have been too good to be true. "Orion's coming, so make sure you save him a seat."
There was a squeal on the other end of the line. "Fantastic! Should I pick him up?"
"No, I think he wants to drive himself. Motorcycle and all."
"Okay. I'll see you tonight. I'm really excited you're performing; Ave loves symphonies."
"Glad I could be of service."
Her bubbly laughter filled his ear, and then the line clicked off. He put his key in the ignition with a sigh, started the engine, and drove off to the dorm.

Once he was there, he informed Orion that Aine and two of her friends would be with him and then changed into his performance uniform and headed off to the Opera house.

Orion headed home to change before James's performance, although frankly after he'd stuffed himself into his best suit, he felt like a chimp that somebody had slapped a diaper on. The pieces just didn't fit. He looked handsome, sure, but he still didn't feel like he looked like himself. Pulling a face at the mirror, Orion shoved a stylish fedora hat onto his head, and shoved the green streak in his fringe under the brim. He spent a little time and a lot of gel styling the rest of his black hair so it spiked out appropriately, then grabbed his things and hurried to the door. Of course, by the time he arrived at the opera house he had helmet hair anyway, but the fedora did a decent job hiding what he couldn't quickly fix in his bike's sideview mirror.

He hurried inside breathlessly, aware that he was a little late, and quickly found his way to his seat - in the front row, right on the edge. He sat down beside a girl in a pretty - and very short - black dress, and shoved his things under his seat, then looked around to get his bearings. James was supposed to go on in a few minutes, and the girl beside him was looking at the stage with some anticipation. Orion glanced at her again, then did a double take. It was Cory. Up until that moment he hadn't recognised her, but seeing her now felt like a punch in the gut. He remembered the lustful look on James's face when he'd walked in and found them kissing, and suddenly he felt sick to his stomach. What was she doing here? Did she still come here to watch James, after everything that had happened? Well... She didn't even know what had happened, but still! That just made it worse! Had she been coming here all the time James was performing, when he'd been busy at work?
Orion looked at her, then turned his gaze to the stage when applause rang out through the theatre. James had just taken his seat at the piano. Orion couldn't tell if he was playing yet or not. He couldn't hear anything over the desperate thumping of his heart.

Aine had told Cory to be super extra pleasant to Orion, because for some reason he didn't like her. She had frowned when the redhead told her that and asked why.
"I think I have a right to know so that I don't do it again." Cory said with a pout when Aine refused.
"Trust me, you're not going to do it again." Aine shot her a pointed glare and then turned to Avery, who was babbling on about the composer or something like that.
So when Orion walked in and sat down next to her, she gave him the biggest, most heartwarming smile she could find within herself. It went unnoticed. She sighed and pulled out the little leaflet they had handed out at the beginning of the show. The symphony tonight was an actual opera, so it would be interesting to see how that went. Would James be able to pull off the singing accompaniment too?
Of course he would, that's a stupid question and you know it.
She rolled her eyes at herself and began reading the summary for Die Walküre. It was German, not Italian, which was already interesting. Indeed, the story was about long-lost twins falling in love, and a Valkyrie's quest to save them. She stopped herself from reading all the way to the end of the third act so that she could read it as the story unfolded on stage.
There was a polite murmur of applause as James approached the piano. As he sat down on the bench, threw out his shirttails behind his the way all over-dramatic pianists do, and positioned his fingers over the keys, eyes on the conductor for the starting signal.
As soon as the man's baton flew into the air, James struck down on the piano with the intensity of a raging bull. It was dissonant, angry, and different from how he normally played. His hair flopped forward over his forehead in the way that Cory found so endearing. He didn't have the opportunity to push it back until the end of the first act when the audience was released for a ten minute intermission to use the restrooms.
"...so typical of Wagner to do that, and usually it's difficult but..." Cory tuned into the conversation that Avery and Aine were having, but then decided that she really didn't want to be a part of it, so she turned to Orion instead. He looked pretty nice in that suit of his, although he was a little tight in it. It seemed like it was muscle, though. The veins that were prominent in his hands were a testament to that.
"I'm Cory." She said, sticking out her hand for a handshake. "I think we've met once before?" She ended the sentence as a question to try to get him to interact with her, when in all reality she knew for certain that they had met. Once. He was what interrupted her make-out session with James and made him freak out. Was that why he didn't want to talk to her anymore? Was it because of Orion? The corners of her mouth drifted downwards in the slightest of frowns, but the dancing light in her eyes still shone.

Orion spent the whole first act anxiously shredding his program between his fingers, and watching James with such intense concentration that it was obvious nothing he saw or heard was going in at all. He couldn't stop thinking about James and Cory, and he was powerless to resist the growing suspicion constricting his chest. It took him several minutes to realise, when people got up and began moving around, that the first act was over. Glancing at the shredded program in his hands, he folded it as best he could, and hid it between sweaty palms. He could feel eyes on him, but he refused to acknowledge them. Unfortunately, Cory was not playing his name.
"I'm Cory." She piped up, and he shot her a quick glance, feigning surprise. "Oh, right..." He considered the hand she offered, then took it hesitantly, and gave it a firm shake.
"I think we've met once before?"
"Hm, I think so." He agreed, arranging his features into an amiable expression. None of this was Cory's fault, after all. She didn't know; she couldn't have. Unfortunately, that just made things a whole lot worse.
"So," He reached up to scratch his head, and his fingers brushed over the rim of his hat, then fell back into his lap. "Do you come here often, to watch James play?" He glanced absently at the stage, and added with a casual shrug, "He is quite incredible."

"Hm, I think so." Orion's handsome features twisted into something that could have passed for a friendly expression had he not been so tense everywhere else. Cory's mouth twitched down again at that; Aine was definitely correct about him not liking her, but why? That had only met once after all... She couldn't have done something that awful, right?
"So, do you come here often, to watch James play? He is quite incredible."
"Do you come here often." She repeated in a murmur, chuckling. Such a typical pick-up line. Maybe that was his problem - maybe he liked her, or thought she was attractive or something, and got upset when James kissed her. That would explain the second part of the question too.
She shrugged noncommittally and answered, "Aine drags me here whenever she can. She's a sucker for this kind of music, and I guess it's been growing on me too. I've only come here once without her, though." She glanced up at the stage where some of the violinists were standing up and stretching, some of them tuning their instruments again. James was nowhere to be seen. "James is incredible though. I really wish I could play like that; he tried teaching me once but I was so bad that we both kind of just quit." The corner of her mouth twisted up in a small smile at the memory.
"How about you?" Cory said after a moment of silence. "I don't see you here often; I guess James probably gives you private concerts in your room, right?" She smiled at the joke, encouraging Orion to laugh because she wasn't sure that he would.

"Aine drags me here whenever she can." Cory answered, after looking thoughtful for a moment, "She's a sucker for this kind of music, and I guess it's been growing on me too. I've only come here once without her, though."
"I see." He nodded, "Aine can be very convincing." There was no arguing that. Cory looked up at the stage, and for a moment Orion thought the conversation was over and he could go back to minding his own business. Unfortunately, that illusion was short-lived.
"James is incredible though." She piped up, "I really wish I could play like that; he tried teaching me once but I was so bad that we both kind of just quit."
"Hm." He smiled tightly. Of course that was why they'd quit. Obviously. What a joke... The silence grew unbearably tense between them. Then Cory broke it.
"How about you? I don't see you here often; I guess James probably gives you private concerts in your room, right?"
Orion chuckled politely on cue, returning Cory's smile with his lips, if not with his eyes. "I guess you could say that." He replied. There was no point saying that he hadn't been around to hear James practice lately. It was none of her business.
"It's different seeing him here, though." Orion continued, sighing and looking up at the stage. "It's weird, but he seems to come into his own under pressure. The higher the stakes, the better he performs. That's what makes him so good, I guess. He's a showman." He pressed his lips together, but a corner of his mouth lifted slightly anyway. Despite everything else, he still couldn't hide how proud he was of his boyfriend.
"Can't say I'm the same, though." He shrugged, quickly straightening his expression, "I wanted to be in a band at one point, but I just don't have that factor that lets me stand up and play in front of people. I can't do it."

"I guess you could say that." Orion's tone made Cory guess that there was something more to be said than what he was telling her. Maybe it was the way that he didn't just say "yes", or maybe it was the way his eyes remained cold and tired even when his lips curled into a smile. She didn't say anything though; she just let the issue go. It wasn't like her to pry.
"It's different seeing him here, though. It's weird, but he seems to come into his own under pressure. The higher the stakes, the better he performs. That's what makes him so good, I guess. He's a showman."
If Cory had spent the last few months getting to know James instead of being pushed out of his life and watching from afar, she might have been able to agree with him. In her current position, however, she could do nothing but nod and swallow the hurt rejection had brought. She wasn't one to pine, but god she had really liked James. She thought he had liked her too, or at least wanted her to stick around. She was a good kisser, so it couldn't have been that that scared him away...
"Can't say I'm the same, though. I wanted to be in a band at one point, but I just don't have that factor that lets me stand up and play in front of people. I can't do it." Orion's voice pulled her from her moping thoughts.
"How come everyone around here can play an instrument except for me?" She complained, her voice a low whine. "I mean, even Aine has some musical talent! Granted, it's the bagpipes and basically every child in Ireland is forced to learn them, but come on."
She sighed and ran a perfectly manicured hand through her hair in exasperation. Her nails were blood red. Red was the accent color for her black dress. "What do you play?"

"How come everyone around here can play an instrument except for me?" Cory whined, "I mean, even Aine has some musical talent! Granted, it's the bagpipes and basically every child in Ireland is forced to learn them, but come on."
Orion smiled sympathetically, but his lips were too tight to offer any words of compassion. Cory seemed alright. It was a shame things had happened the way they had; otherwise, he might even have got along with her. Now though, he didn't even want to try. His eyes had flicked back to the empty stage already when Cory added, "What do you play?"
"Me?" He glanced at her. "Guitar, mostly. I used to play a bit of bass, a long time ago. I'm not great, though. I guess I'm better at singing." He rubbed his cheek awkwardly. "But I don't do that."
Except for James. Or for money.
He sighed, then shrugged, and added with another, too-polite smile, "I'm nothing special, really." His gaze lifted back to the stage. This conversation was getting too friendly. "Do you know when it starts again? I was late, so I didn't get a program."