"Damn, you guys look horrible. Was the room service that bad?"
Orion didn't answer. He just pulled him in, arms tight, as if he needed proof he wasn't a ghost. Relief broke across his face, raw and unguarded.
"You've grown so much. So fast."
He didn't move, caught between words. What came instead was a laugh, quiet and jagged.
"Puberty." The word felt thin, but it was easier than admitting the pull in his chest. He hugged him back anyway.
"Glad you guys are okay."
"I thought I was late." The words left his mouth before he could stop them. His gut pulled tight, that same knot that always came with the thought of failing.
Orion's grip loosened at last, but his hand stayed on his shoulder, reluctant to let go.
"We've been here for only four days," Orion muttered. His voice carried weariness he remembered too well. "Last time we saw you was two days ago… in that dream."
His mouth twitched. He didn't smile.
"Guess time works different here."
