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He had just turned onto his side and was drifting off to sleep when he felt the bed shift beside him as Anthony turned over.
Then, he heard a deep sigh.
The bed shifted again, and he felt Anthony turn over once more.
He turned toward his lover and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Anthony replied, "It's just first-day jitters, you know?"
Asa hummed in understanding.
Anthony was starting his first day as a professor the next day and had asked Asa if he could spend the night at his place. Asa had naturally agreed, touched that his lover would ask him such a thing.
Anthony continued, "What if I bore them? What if I don't explain things well? What if it's too complicated? What if—"
Asa stopped him by placing a finger on his mouth and saying gently, "Let me help you. Wait for me; I’ll be right back."
Puzzled, Anthony followed him with his eyes.
Asa rolled over, turned on his bedside lamp, got up, and walked toward the door.
"Asa..."
"I'll be right back!"
Asa answered without turning around and quickly left the room. Anthony heard his footsteps fade away. After a few seconds of silence, he heard him coming back.
"I'm here."
Asa set something down on the bed. Anthony saw that it was the astrophysics book he had written. The one he had signed for Asa.
He looked at his lover again, confused, as Asa climbed onto the bed. Asa nudged him slightly and sat down in the middle of the bed against the headboard. Spreading his legs, he motioned to Anthony.
"Come sit here against me."
Anthony, though still just as confused, obeyed his lover’s request and slid between his legs, hesitating to lean fully against him.
"Take the book."
Anthony pulled the book toward him, and Asa wrapped an arm around his waist, forcing him to lean against him. He pressed a kiss against Anthony's hair, rested his chin on his lover’s shoulder, and said, "Turn the book so I can read the back."
Still puzzled, Anthony obeyed once again.
Once the book was turned, Asa’s softly modulated voice echoed in his ear.
"Imagine the universe.
Decipher the stars and learn their secrets.
Explore the sky and the planets.
Discover the galaxies.
Anthony Crowley was just four years old when he saw his first shooting star.
‘The more I gazed into the starry infinity, the more I marvelled at the wonders of the universe and wanted to know why and how. It was magic that had meaning. I wrote this book so that children and adults alike can experience that wonder for themselves.’
Now recognised in the world of astrophysics, Professor Crowley publishes his first book, sharing his knowledge and making it accessible to all.
Join him on this journey among the stars and return with stars in your eyes."
Asa rested his head against Anthony’s and continued, "Let’s be honest, science has never really been my thing. But when your book fell into my hands a few years ago, it was that summary that made me want to read it."
He pressed a kiss to Anthony’s temple and added, "I kind of fell for the person who talked about magic when it came to science. That book almost kept me up all night."
Anthony let out a little laugh, but Asa continued seriously, "It's the truth! You were the magic. The passion you convey in your writing. That’s what you need to think about tomorrow when you teach your class. You’re not just sharing knowledge; you’re sharing your knowledge. Just like you do in this book."
Asa took the book from his hands, closed it gently, and reached out to set it on the nightstand.
He felt Anthony lean back against him and his lover asked him, "Do you really mean what you just said?"
Asa slid his hands around Anthony’s waist and joined his lover’s on his stomach.
"Of course, my dear professor."
With his chin once again resting on Anthony’s shoulder, he continued, "Tell me the story of little Anthony who saw his first shooting star."
Anthony leaned his head against Asa’s.
"My dad was passionate about the stars, especially the constellations. Science didn’t matter much to him; he just loved learning the names of the constellations and the stars that made them up. In the summer, when the sky was clear and full of stars, he’d take me out to the field behind our house to show me the constellations. It was on one of those nights, just as I was looking for the North Star, that it passed by, fast, fleeting, but so bright. A shooting star, my first. My father, who was a bit superstitious, told me I absolutely had to make a wish."
"What wish did you make?"
Anthony laughed softly and replied, "To be able to touch one."
Asa nuzzled his nose into his lover's hair against his temple and said softly, "That was adorable."
"Ever since that day, knowing the names of the stars wasn't enough for me. I wanted to know how and why. As soon as I learned to read, I read everything I could find on the subject."
"Such passion," Asa murmured.
He pressed another kiss to his lover’s temple and continued, "Do you realize that you've kind of made your wish come true?"
"How so?"
"By trying to learn everything there is to know about the stars, it’s as if you’re touching them with your fingertips, isn’t it? And even better, you’re helping people touch them now."
Anthony swallowed, his throat tightening with emotion. He gently removed Asa’s hands from his stomach, rolled over between his legs, and knelt facing him. The look he gave his lover was filled with deep admiration.
"You’re truly amazing, you know?" Anthony whispered.
Asa shook his head and smiled sheepishly as he looked away. "I didn't do anything special."
"Of course you did," Anthony replied. "I was right when I said it was my lucky day the day we met. You’re my lucky star."
Asa let out a small, stifled laugh, almost a snort. "Still the smooth talker."
"Still can't take a compliment," Anthony replied with unhidden affection.
They both started laughing, and when the laughter subsided, Anthony cupped Asa’s face in his hands, his palms caressing the soft skin of her cheeks. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Asa’s in a slow, tender kiss. Their breaths mingled in a silent dance that seemed to suspend time until they parted, breathless, foreheads touching.
Asa placed his hands on Anthony’s and traced soothing circles with his thumbs. "You're going to be great, Anthony. I’m sure your students are going to love you. You’ll be super popular, and I’ll probably have to fight for you."
Anthony chuckled softly, a playful gleam in his eyes. "No chance."
He planted a light kiss on the tip of Asa’s nose. "You're indisputably number one."
After another soft kiss, they settled back down to sleep, seeking each other’s warmth beneath the crumpled sheets. Anthony nestled into Asa’s arms, his back against his lover's warm chest.
As sleep began to overtake him, a clear and unclouded thought lingered in his mind: He loved Asa. A love that grew every day, vaster than his beloved stars.
It wasn’t time to say it yet, but as he felt Asa’s warmth envelop him like a blanket, he knew that moment would come soon. Very soon.