Nyctophilia
Noun
the love of darkness or night; finding comfort or relaxation in darkness
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The way Jackson would stay up all night and read about the stars and the universe was something of epic proportion. He knew every planet, and their chemical makeup before he was seven. If asked, he could expertly point at the zodiacs of the season, no matter the time of day. He could tell you every single NASA project that has ever been worked on, since its founding. He could name every astronaut that has been in space, including last name.
In short, Jackson was obsessed with space, he owned almost every astronomy book that could be bought within his budget. He had several Neil DeGrasse Tyson posters in his room.
Jackson barely had time for his family . More importantly his girlfriend of a year, that was extremely tired of hearing him repeat upcoming comets and the date you would see them.
And it didn't help he worked at the local observatory, and maybe had his own room their with a bed and clothes.
But none of that really mattered to Jackson, all that mattered to him was growing up and accurately determining the age of the universe or even finding life on Mars.
He wasn't like normal 18 years old, he knew were he wanted to go to college before he was 13. He played sports football also occupied his life, being quarterback and all.
No one really knew what Jackson was or how he was in school. He was built like a Jock, but his head was always in the latest space news or reading another book on the multi-verse theory.
He was just a rare "indigo" child in a see full of blues.
His relationship with outside people beyond his books, were exclusive to a few people.
His own girlfriend didn't see him that often, and everyone thought they were bound to the hip.
But Jackson liked to keep it that way, especially if he didn't want his girlfriend to find out about his other female "interest".
They met when he was at the observatory, contemplating another night in, when the head scientist, Mr. Millet, granted him the job of making sure his grown ass daughter doesn't get lost or touch something, that was not meant to be touched.
When they first laid eyes on each other. It was an opposite reaction.
He thought she was the most beautiful thing in the universe., besides Nebulae, which made it even more intriguing to him.
But as he was ogling the beauty, she had a seemingly permanent scowl on her face.
That never went away no matter how many compliments, he gave her.
Every once in awhile, the girl would stare out of the huge telescope for 30 minutes then come sit back down, returning to the old TV watching reruns of Good Times.
Jackson was just staring at the side of her face, wondering what to say. The silence making him even more fidgeting.
Silence wasn't big for Jackson, even when was reading he had some Joey Badass playing or even some J cole.
"Why the fuck do you keep staring at me"
Jackson wasn't expecting her to basically scream at him for looking, but he wanted to say:
Cause you are as beautiful as a million Nebula's.
But in the end, he just asked her for her name.
Her eyebrows rising annoyingly and a sigh, with incomprehensible words were muttered.
"Leah. Now stop fucking staring at me, Creep"
And for the rest of the day, he repeated the name Leah countless times. Imagining her as a burning sun, or the planet Venus.
Because her beauty was hot, and all around dangerous.
-amani first chapter of nyctophilia.
