When you finally make it to the top of the hill, you can't feel your legs. You can barely breathe, and the son of a bitch who convinced you to make the trek in the first place didn't break a sweat. He has his hands on his hips, observing the situation in front of him—which you know isn't you crawling on your hands and knees and collapsing half-dead in the grass. Nope. It's him looking past you to make sure he found the perfect view. For what, you didn't know. You just can't find the energy to care between what it takes to roll on your back and keep your heart going through raspy intakes of oxygen. When he finally notices you, his face lights up and he exclaims, "That's a great idea, Clyde!" and joins you in the dirt. You want to call him a jerk.
A sigh comes out in a cough, because you can't help it. He's lying with his head next to yours and body going in the opposite direction, Asian-thin eyes staring up at the sky. His hands are folded on his chest and fingers laced together. Observing Kevin in this state of contentment always brings a knot to your stomach, and you decide to look up at the sky as well. It's red and orange and pink, slips of blood-red clouds slipping away in preparation for the night to come.
Kevin Stoley isn't known throughout the school, and only most of your grade is aware of his existence because he's been here since elementary. And he only speaks to make a Star Wars reference. Other than those rare moments, he's shy. Until he's in his comfort zone, you came to find out.
His comfort was space.
You thought it was ironic and predictable, but Kevin soon proved you wrong. He didn't dream of flying through the galaxy in a giant space ship and blow up alien scum and dark lords—though he admitted it'd be cool. He loves astronomy. If Kevin wasn't going to be an astronaut, he wanted to become a scientist- to look through a giant telescope day and night, take notes, maybe even discover a new star or planet.
The two of you came out here to star-gaze, on the biggest hill you two could find. You drove and he had his face against the passenger window, until two towns later, he found just what he was looking for. And even though it was so far away, you could see these towns and the dim lights of South Park.
On a normal night together you two stood in his yard and looked out his telescope (one you helped chip in with his parents to buy for his birthday.) Him begging you to find someplace else to watch didn't have to require any begging at all. You were only puzzled by the fact he didn't bring his telescope.
You could breathe normal again, the burning in your throat from the cold air had settled as a tolerable annoyance. "What are we doing here, again?" you asked.
"What we always do," Kevin replied. His eyes flickered across the sky, where you had watched the purple seep in and chase the red-pink clouds away. It wasn't as interesting to you as it was for him. It was like watching the opening credits to his movie slowly fade in. (Every original Star Wars.)
Tilting you head towards him let you fully absorb the bliss present in his features, his eyes wide and his smile even wider. The knot in your stomach came back. A happy Kevin never failed to make you happy, excluding your fluttering insides. It was something else you didn't totally understand.
But you had an idea.
It made you shut your eyes tight and roll your head away. You folded your hands too, but set them on your stomach. You just wanted to squish out the nervousness in your gut. Enjoy your time with your friend.
"Clyde?" Kevin's voice chirped.
"Yeah?" you said.
"Are you going to sleep?" You heard the movement in the grass of his head turning to you; felt his forehead push against the locks of your hair.
"Yeah."
"Okay. I'll wake you up when it starts."
When the stars come out. "Cool."
True to his word, you heard Kevin's voice reach you through the nap you honestly didn't expect yourself to take. He shook at your arm and repeated your name in whispers until you groaned, "What, what?"
Your eyes opened to a pair of brown ones, and a smile with the tiniest crack of a grin and two front teeth in the center behind his lips. You could tell it was the time for darkness, yet you could see your friend so well. "You're missing it."
"What?" you asked again. You sat up, but Kevin only laid back down. You mimicked him, and that's when you saw them: Shooting stars.
And not just the shooting stars, dashing in a thin line and vanishing without a trace. Behind the display was the biggest collection of stars you've ever taken in with your naked eye—no telescope, no Internet images. Thousands, millions, trillions of stars hovered over you, you thought you were going to float into them and be trapped. The itchy reminder of the Earth below you nipped at your skin and kept you rooted. White, yellow, and red specks of light clustered together to form the thinnest rivers of the blackness of space. Some blinked, and you knew they were satellites. How lucky they were to be part of something so amazing, to watch the display of whites and orange dashing out in the distance.
Kevin spoke, his head placed right next to yours again. "I knew we could find a good spot," he whispered. All you could do was nod. "This is the first time I've watched a meteor shower like this."
Oh. That's what it was. Regardless of the term, you had yet to find one to describe this moment: A chance that didn't come around too often to witness right over your head. A front row seat to the wonders of the universe that went on behind the atmosphere. Seeing the big premier with your best friend who's joy put butterflies in your stomach.
Indescribable. That's what it was.
Consolations and their falling acquaintances filled your entire vision, and you knew you could never get this back in South Park. Even for a redneck mountain town, there was still enough light to conceal part of what lied above. The climb to a new altitude took your breath away in the physically sense, but the performance before you took it away in a whole new way. One that made tears fill your eyes. You push them back, an impressive act even to you.
After what seems too soon—seven minutes perhaps—the shooting stars are gone and the stillness of space has the show to itself again. Neither of you say a word. The view before you is enough. You're sharing it and seeing what the other sees at the same time, wihout having to take turns to peer into a telescope.
A bug tickles your neck and you shake it off. You look over at Kevin and he's still got his eyes on the stars, like always. Those eyes are bright and holding a universe of their own, stars and the small dim of planets rested inside. He blinks a few times. They're still happily captive. Your eyes start to tear up again, and your body is trembling with nerves you cannot seem to push away. You stupidly blurt out something while you're staring at him.
"I like you."
When he looks back at you, you quickly turn your head to the side, staring at the night at a whole new, equally beautiful angle. You hear him sitting up on his elbows, and his voice innocent as he pipes up, "What?"
Whether he misheard you or is trying to take in what you say, you repeat yourself. "I like you."
He doesn't say anything and you're still shaking; like when you have to make a presentation in front of the class. But much worse. You peek over your shoulder and he's staring back at you. He's almost silhouetted, the way the edges and stray locks of his hair have starlight bound around them. That word: starlight. It's beautiful.
You give up in a way by sitting up with your palms against the dry grass and dirt, maybe feeling defeated by giving yourself up so easily. You want to look away from his stare, analyzing your words and your movements, but you want to keep looking at him. The lighted sky is the perfect backdrop. You're in his world, you're a part of it.
"Clyde," he says, tone slightly hushed. Since this was his world, he could do with you what he pleased: Deny you, push you off the hill, ignore you and go back to his star-gazing. You ruined it.
Instead, he turns himself around so you're both facing towards the cities below. His legs are outstretched with yours; you have him beat by a few inches. You can't see the stars in his eyes now. You're blocking his view, his kingdom. It makes you want to start tearing up again, until he puts a hand over yours and kisses you.
It catches you off-guard. You've had your first kissed, and you've kissed plenty of times. But the sudden presence of his lips against yours erases the automatic reaction to connect them properly, comfortably. You've forgotten how to kiss.
Kevin doesn't seem to care, and tilts his head slightly to give you another chance. His eyes are closed, and you slowly close your own as you tilt your head to align your lips between his top one. You feel his thin and oh-so sweet lips close around yours in reaction, and you're locked together. Your fingers have curled against the dirt to take in his. His thumb grazes against your skin ever so lightly. It's like the contact sends a current through your body, all the way from your heart to your brain, and you finally know how Kevin feels when he's surrounded by stars. It feels like Heaven, made of trillions of stars and planets into one vast universe of mystery and wonder, and Kevin's joy. It was now your joy. Kevin is the only phenomenon you need in your world. You discovered him, his real personality and interest, and now he was yours to claim.
The kiss breaks slowly, and begins again with you pulling his hand against you. He sits on his knees, releasing your hand to hold your face, and place the other on the ground to balance himself, while you hold his waist. You kiss again, more sure of how to react to each other's lips. And every kiss you share is slow and intimate, each one lasting a shorter amount of time, until you pull back and your eyes open to meet each other's. The lights have returned to reflect in his. You think you have some, too.
A stray meteor shoots through the sky and disappears in the sea of shining color. Kevin Stoley is laying with his head in your lap while you sit and follow him pointing to Mars and what he thinks might be Jupiter. This is your new world to share with him, every Saturday night, through heat and wind and snow. Kevin sees you cry like a big baby when he says he's going to name the first star he finds after you.
There's my quick Stolovan fluff. Oh my gosh I love Stolovan. Thanks for reading. ;w;