His hand brushed against mine, a brief, electrifying contact that sent a ripple through my entire being. He looked up at me, his eyes reflecting the stars above, and smiled. That smile—soft, almost shy—was everything. It was the kind of smile that said more than words ever could. I smiled back, trying to keep my cool, but inside, my stomach was in knots, churning with butterflies that seemed ready to burst out and scatter to the wind. It felt as if the entire universe had conspired to create this moment, just for the two of us.We turned our gazes back to the sky, to the celestial spectacle unfolding above us. Streaks of light, meteors breaking through the atmosphere, left trails of brilliance that seemed to hang in the air just long enough for us to catch our breaths. His hand, still close to mine, began to move slowly, hesitantly, until our fingers intertwined. It was a gentle, tentative motion, as if he was testing the waters, unsure if I would pull away. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. This was what I had wanted, what I had dreamed about in the quiet, secret corners of my mind.
And then he said it. The words I had hoped for, yet never dared to expect. "I like you." His voice was barely a whisper, each word a careful, deliberate act of bravery. I could hear the tremor in his voice, the nervousness that mirrored my own. He stuttered slightly, his words tumbling out in a rush, as if he feared that if he didn’t say them now, he might never find the courage again.
"And it's not in a friend way, I hope you understand." His vulnerability was laid bare in that moment, his emotions raw and exposed. It was as if he had handed me his heart, trembling in his palm, and was now waiting to see if I would accept it or crush it.
I smiled again, this time more widely, letting him see the truth in my eyes. My feelings were reflected in that smile, in the way my hand tightened slightly around his, reassuring him that I felt the same. The tension that had been building between us melted away, replaced by a warmth that spread through my chest and filled the space around us.
The meteor shower continued, a cascade of light that seemed to celebrate this newfound connection between us. Each streak of light felt like a promise, a sign that we were meant to be here, together, in this moment. Time seemed to stretch and bend, the night sky holding us in a suspended state of bliss. I wanted to stay like this forever, under the stars, with him by my side.But all too soon, the meteor shower began to wane, the bright flashes of light becoming fewer and farther between. The night was growing darker, the chill in the air more pronounced. The realization that we couldn’t stay out here forever began to settle in. Despite the magic of the moment, reality was starting to creep back in, and with it, the awareness of the world outside this little bubble we had created.
It was too dark to let him walk home on his own, especially considering the potential dangers lurking in the shadows—not just the physical dangers of the night, but the emotional ones as well. His old friends could be out there, waiting to pounce on him with their cruel words and thoughtless actions. I couldn’t let him face that alone. No chance. The thought of him walking these streets by himself, vulnerable to their taunts and jeers, made my heart clench with a protective instinct I hadn’t realized was so strong.We stood up, still holding hands, and began walking along the embankment of the river. The moon was high now, casting a silvery light over the water that reflected the stars above. The river seemed to mirror the sky, as if we were walking between two worlds, one above and one below. The water was calm, only occasionally rippled by the breeze, and its surface shimmered like liquid glass.We didn’t speak much as we walked, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was a companionable quiet, filled with unspoken understanding. His hand was warm in mine, grounding me in this reality, even as my thoughts continued to drift among the stars. The night was peaceful, the kind of peaceful that only comes in the early hours of the morning, when the world is still asleep and everything feels more intimate, more personal.
