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“Anthony, I think you turned the alarm off in your sleep.”
“I blame the cat.”
Asa and Anthony were, as usual, rushing to get to work on time. Asa made tea and toast, which they ate quickly. Anthony packed a healthy lunch (and a surprise praline) for Asa, then put on a tie in preparation for an all-day meeting at the university.
“Love, could you get the mail from my office later? My meeting is in another building, and I don’t want to get home too late. The latest issue of The Astrophysical Journal will be delivered today, and I’d like to read it this weekend.”
“Of course. We’re closing a bit early, so I’ll do that on the way home.”
They kissed goodbye (“You look very handsome, my dear”, “So do you, love”) and went their separate ways.
*****
Asa returned home early that afternoon, made tea, and settled on the sofa to read. He’d flipped through the journal he picked up from Anthony’s office while waiting for his tea to steep, and one of the titles had piqued his interest. With an eye towards bringing up a scientific topic at dinner, he began to read.
*****
Anthony returned home several hours later, and found Asa sitting on the sofa in the dark.
“Asa, are you okay? Did you fall asleep?” Anthony turned on several lights to banish the gloom, and noticed the journal lying next to Asa. “If you were reading that I’m not surprised you had a nap.”
“I didn’t sleep. I just have a slight headache,” Asa replied with a wan smile.
“It’s not your heart, is it? Should I call the doctor?”
“No, I’m fine. As a matter of fact, my heart has never felt better.” Asa stood slowly and carried the journal to Anthony’s desk in his home office; he left it in a prominent spot.
*****
That evening, Anthony was worried. Asa seemed to be moody, fluctuating between giddiness (which was not that unusual) and sadness (which was). A weekend full of fun and romance will help, he thought.
“Weren’t you going to spend part of the weekend reading?” Asa asked on Sunday evening after dinner at their favourite restaurant.
“I glanced at the titles of the articles, but I can read them any day. How often do I get to dine out with my gorgeous husband?”
“Well, anytime you want!” Asa's eyes twinkled. “Thank you, my dear, this has been a perfect weekend.”
Anthony saw that Asa’s happiest smile had returned, and was glad that his husband’s mood had improved.
*****
Several weeks later, Anthony was at his desk in the flat, preparing a lecture about the basics of star formation.
I’ll start with some images of star-forming regions. My students will certainly appreciate the beauty of the universe after seeing these.
He found photos of the Tarantula Nebula and the famous Orion Nebula. While searching for a good photo of the Eagle Nebula, he remembered that he’d recently seen an article about that nebula and its Pillars of Creation clouds.
I can discuss actual observational data!
Anthony reached for the journal and opened it to the page he’d marked. He read the analysis of new observations; the conclusion was that a shock wave from a supernova near the iconic feature was, in all likelihood, destroying the entire nebula, including the beautiful pillars.
Oh no, that's too bad. Everybody loves the images of those pillars. I wonder what they’ll look like in the future? Something equally majestic, I hope.
Suddenly, a blinding headache caused him to double over. Flashes of bright colours appeared before his eyes; he buried his face in his hands as his head throbbed in pain. A devastating feeling of loss washed over him.
I miss my nebula, the stars, and—
He lifted his head, gasping, tears running down his cheeks. He ran from the room and stopped next to the sofa, where Asa was sitting.
“Aziraphale,” he whispered.
“Crowley.” Aziraphale beamed at him. “I’ve been waiting for you.”