Long nights and street lights

Tasting the stars

All night long I sat at his lonely kitchen table stirring coffee after coffee after coffee. He sat up all night with me, insisting because he didn't have to work the next day.

"Go to bed, I can't stand it anymore. We've only been on two dates and now you're sacrificing sleep for me."

"Aisha, shut up. I'm here to sit in silence, or talk. I'm here to make you coffee and pancakes. I really like you and I will do anything for you. Now you're here I can't bear to go to bed without you."

I sat there in awe. He really did like me and I knew it was time to tell him how I felt. I let it sit for a little. He was tracing cracks in the table as I looked at his features that so often turned me on. I opened my mouth about three times before I actually plucked up the courage to say it.

"Connor, I...I really like you too." He paused and glanced up as if he couldn't comprehend what I'd just said. His smile was so big it could have sent me to Mars.

"I have an idea." He stood up raced outside as I continued to stir my fourth coffee. After about ten minutes he came racing back inside. "Come on, follow me."

I ran behind him outside to where a ladder sat leaning against the roof of his apartment. "You first." He said.

"You want me to climb up there?" I was slightly nervous. The ladder did not look like the most stable thing.

"I'll hold it, you won't fall I swear."

My bare feet stung as they touched the first cold metal rung. I climbed slowly up the shaking ladder, looking down after every second step to make sure he was still holding it. When I reached the top, I climbed onto the roof and sat down on the cold hard tin.

He climbed up after me and threw me a blanket. "I come up here sometimes when I need to think. It's a good thinking spot. I mean look at the start, don't they look perfect? If there's one thing that's perfect in this world, it's the stars."

I nodded in agreement as he lay down beside me. "The stars are endless, they are incredible."

"I wonder what stars would taste like."

I laughed. "They would burn you before you could touch them."

He smiled. "What about from far away? Distant stars."

I thought about it. "Perfect I think. But who would know."

"Oh my god, I forgot." He sat up abruptly and picked up his phone. I waited and waited, curious to find out what he had forgotten. A soft noise started playing on his phone as he stood up and pulled me to my feet.

"No way." I said as 'Sweet Jane' started playing. He gently took my hand in one of his, and placed the other on my waist. I flinched slightly at first but then relaxed.

"I can't believe you." He didn't say a word, just stared into my eyes as we danced around the roof top. I placed my head on his shoulder and began to listen to our soft footsteps on the cold, hard roof.

I looked up into his eyes and he smiled. He bent down slightly and kissed me gently on the forehead. My heart raced, my eyes fluttered and my stomach did somersaults. His lips felt so soft on my skin, his hands warm behind my ears.

"You missed." I tried to say without fainting.

"Pardon?" He looked confused.

"I said, you missed." He smiled and leaned in, I could still hear 'Sweet Jane' playing.

My heart felt as if it had risen to my throat, I grabbed his hair and gently brushed my lips against his. They were soft and gentle. His hands on my back gave me the chills and pushed me closer to him. Our stomachs touching, it gave me the most amazing sense of intimacy I'd ever felt.

He pulled away. "I think I just tasted the stars." I smiled and he leant back in.