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"There's my dynamite." Abolish didn't bother looking away from the fire down below as he listened to the roof creak slightly, boots tapping against the metal. "I was wonderin' where you'd run off to. Admirin' your work, huh?"
When Shep sat down next to him, hips just almost touching, he at last glanced up and studied the other's face. Soft, deep blue eyes, almost black, glittering in the light of the fire even all the way up here. They were far enough away that the flames probably wouldn't reach them before it was put out, not that it'd be too noticeable if Abolish got any extra burns.
"Yeah," he murmured finally, taking one more glance over their face before looking away. "Pretty, ain't it?"
Shep hummed in agreement, although something told him that they were thinking something - or someone - else was a lot more pretty. Even if he disagreed, it was something they'd told him a million times by now, and in fact had been one of the first things they'd said to him. It was a night similar to this, actually, just many years ago, when Abolish was younger and stupider and had just left home.
He'd almost killed Shep. The whole building was burning and he'd nearly left him there in the corner, but he'd looked into those gorgeous puppy eyes and held out a hand. In his head, he'd been panicking, telling himself that he was sealing his fate by offering help like this, and he supposed he sort of had - just not in the way he'd thought he was.
A calloused hand slipped into his own, thumb brushing across his scarred knuckles. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see them still staring at him, a soft look on their face like they were lost in thought about something. He could only imagine what went on behind those eyes. Everyone else always made fun of him for it, because his eyes were too dark or too big or whatever, but Abolish had never thought they were anything but stunning.
He guessed that Shep saw him the same way, beautiful despite how much he felt that he really wasn't, regardless of how many times others told him to the contrary. Even though he thought they were infinitely more attractive than he was, with much prettier scars and fluffy hair and a smile warmer than any fire Abolish had ever set. And they didn't have the completely wrong body like he did - although they did have some of their own hangups with that, to be fair.
"I love you," Shep whispered suddenly, shifting closer until their sides were pressed together at last, dragging Abolish out of his thoughts. He lifted his head to blink up at him, their eyes slowly meeting, and, like magnets, they fell into each other, lips slotting together perfectly like always.
His free hand slid onto the other's cheek, brushing a thumb across his cool skin, tucking some of his hair behind his ear. Their lips separated for just long enough that he could breathe a soft I love you too into his mouth, and then they were kissing again, a bit deeper this time with Shep's other hand reaching out to tangle in his hair. It wasn't quite as short now, after he'd allowed Shep to start cutting it instead of doing it himself - something he'd been very reluctant about even though they were admittedly far better at it.
Eventually, the kiss was broken again so they could both breathe, lips ghosting together as they panted. The air was warm and smelled strongly of smoke, which obscured most of the stars - probably not the best thing to be getting in his lungs, but Abolish couldn't be bothered to get up and Shep didn't seem too keen on it either.
"I am so lucky to have ya. You're-" They paused for a second to plant a quick kiss on his lips, grinning at him. "You're the most handsome, smartest, most kissable man on this earth. If I was offered a million bucks to leave ya, I would decline in a heartbeat."
Abolish rolled his eyes, although he couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his own face, sliding his hand onto the back of their neck to pull them down and kiss them again. Nipping at his lip for a second, he murmured, "I could say the same about you." Then, with a broader grin, he added, "Maybe not the smart bit."
They rolled their eyes, but didn't protest, leaning down and kissing him more fully this time. He bit at their lip slightly harder and their mouth fell open with a soft squeak; he took a few seconds to slip his tongue into their mouth, sliding it against theirs, before he pulled back again and licked his lips.
"Think they can see us down there?" he hummed, tilting his head to look down at all the people running around at the bottom of the hill, throwing water at the fire in vain. They almost looked like little bugs running around, reminescent of ants scattering when you disturbed an anthill.
"Prolly not," Shep said after a moment, voice a bit breathless. "Can ya keep kissin' me? I don't really care if anyone else sees, if I'm bein' quite honest."
Abolish rolled his eyes but wasted no time in kissing them again, their teeth knocking together as they pressed closer together. He shifted onto his knees to get a better hold on them, pushing his tongue into their mouth until he had to break away to breathe - only this time, Shep didn't seem interested in letting him go, dragging him back in before he'd managed to take even one gulp of air.
It was really nice. Shep's hands were calloused and covered in dozens of scars, but Abolish couldn't help but describe him as pathetic, at least a little bit. It was endearing, though, the way he whined at him and kept trying to get more, kissing him over and over until they were both eventually too breathless to speak. Abolish's head spun and he let his forehead hit the other's shoulder, a hand carding through his hair as he panted right next to his ear.
After what felt like an eternity, the only sounds being shouts from below and the fire crackling faintly, Shep was the first to speak up. "I really do love ya. More than anythin'."
"Yeah." Abolish pressed his lips to their neck for a moment, dropping his arms down to wrap around their waist. "I love ya too, Shep. I really am lucky I have ya."
Their face nuzzled into his hair, and he could feel them smiling against him. "I love ya, dynamite. My boy."