Page 128 of Finding Him
And then he kisses me, soft and slow, like we have all the time in the world.
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“THAT ONE'S CALLEDOrion. It's a winter constellation, but you can see it in summer too, sometimes.” I point up at the sky, my finger tracing the shape of the mighty hunter against the vast, inky canvas of the night. “And the three stars in a row—that’s his belt.”
Niall nods, squinting up at the sky, trying to see what I see. He’s lying on his back on the garage roof, the rough shingles a familiar, comforting texture beneath us, his hands folded behind his head, a picture of easy contentment. I’m laying beside him, pointing out constellations like some kind of amateur astronomer.
“And that one’s Cassiopeia,” I continue. “She was a queen in Greek mythology. Super vain. Got turned into a constellation as punishment for her misdeeds.”
“Harsh,” Niall murmurs, his eyes following the ‘W’ shape I’m pointing out.
“Yeah, well. Don’t piss off the gods.”
“Noted.”
The night air is crisp, biting at my cheeks and nose, but I don’t mind. Niall’s jacket is draped over my shoulders—he insisted I wear it when we climbed out his bedroom window to lay on the roof again.
“How do you know all this?” he asks, turning his head to look at me.
“Got a kit when I was nine. One of those ‘Junior Astronomer’ things with a little telescope and a star chart.” I shrug. “Used to drag my dad outside to look at the sky with me whenever he was home from work. He hated it. Said it was too cold.”
Niall laughs softly, then nudges my side with his elbow. “Tell me more.”
“Okay, well...” I scan the sky, searching for another constellation. “That bright one over there—that’s Sirius. The dog star. It’s the brightest star in the night sky.”
“Huh,” he says, his voice full of a genuine, simple wonder that I find incredibly endearing.
“Yeah. And if you follow Orion’s belt down—” I trace the line with my finger.
“That sounds scandalous. Stay out of his belt. As your boyfriend I forbid it.”
I grin, nudging him with my knee. “Shut up. If you follow Orion’s belt down, you’ll find Sirius.”
“What's Sirius doing down there, hmm? Is it a dog star because they’re a couple of dirty dogs?”
“Oh my god, you're such a guy. Think about something that's not sex for two seconds.”
“It's hard,” he says, his voice dropping to a low, suggestive whisper that sends a shiver down my spine.
“I bet,” I shoot back, my voice also teasing.
He laughs, probably loud enough to wake the neighbors, then grabs my hand, fingers lacing through mine. He pulls me closer, so close I'm practically on top of him, my body flush against his. I curl into his side, resting my head on his shoulder, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat a comforting drum against my ear.
“This is nice,” he murmurs.
“Yeah. It is.”
The stars twinkle above us, indifferent to our existence in their ocean of light. The world is so big, and as unforgiving as it is, I still managed to end up here.
Maybe finding him was just something that was written in the stars, a constellation of its own.
“Hey,” Niall whispers, squeezing my hand. “Look.”
I follow his gaze, and my breath catches in my throat. A shooting star streaks across the sky, brilliant and fleeting, a silver tear in the fabric of the night.
“Make a wish,” I whisper, my voice full of a childlike wonder I haven’t felt in years.
He turns his head, his eyes finding mine in the dim light. “Already got it.”
