What Fools These Mortals Be

Chapter 13 - Written in the Stars

"Hurry up. We'll be late."

"Patience is a virtue," Nia replies in a sing-songy voice from the other side of the bedroom door.

He tugs on his sleeves of his dark blue suit jacket before adjusting his tie and mumbles, "It is not one of the virtues of our kind. I believe I used up all my patience–" Then the door opens.

Nia is a vision in an A-Line dress with a scoop neck. It's the same dark blue as his suit but with silver stars embroidered across it, and the shoulders and above the cleavage are sheer. It shimmers as she walks, and her hair is up but with tiny tendrils escaping. Querl's gaze follows her as she moves across the apartment.

"Well?" When he just stares, mouth agape, she gently closes his mouth with a single finger. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Nia, you are the most beautiful creature I have seen on Earth below or Heaven above. I feel unworthy."

"Well, you look pretty sharp too." She runs a hand down his lapel as he shudders. "Hey, you tied your tie."

"YouTube tutorial. Are you ready to go?"

"Honestly? I've been ready for years."

<>

Stardust is the skyview restaurant attached to the local planetarium. It's usually open to the public, but special events like tonight require tickets. Several fire pits and a piano player provide ambiance. The meal is preselected and delicious, though there are options on wine. Dessert is a four-layer chocolate cake with gold stars, and Querl excuses himself for just a moment before it's served. It's clear why when Nia's serving comes out with a small bowl of ice cream.

She smiles over at him, the light of the nearby fight pit and the joy in her heart dancing in her eyes. "You're amazing, you know that, right? You always know the right thing to do, some little gesture to make my heart soar. I've known hundreds of Cupids, and you're the only one who's ever touched my heart. How? In all these years, how are you the one that sees me?"

"It's your smile. I'd fly to Heaven and back again just to make you smile, and that's not hyperbole."

She smiles then. How could she not? "I save it for you."

"Mr. Dox?" A waiter stands nearby, gesturing to one of four small observation decks separate from the crowd. "The shower will begin soon Miss Luthor's private section is available to you and your guest, if you'd care to move to a more secluded area."

"She's my date."

The waiter glances over at Nia and smiles. "You're a lucky man."

"I know. Nia, darling, would you care to move to the observation area?"

Priorities in place, she replies, "Ice cream first."

After a rushed consumption of frozen dessert, they make their way to the observation deck. It has a lovely view of the city, tinted panels on three sides, a telescope already pointed toward the incoming meteors, and lounge chairs in case the patrons want to view in leisure. They stand side by side at the railing overlooking the city, their hands and shoulders touching as they stand in a comfortable silence.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Nia asks, finally breaking the silence.

"Perfectly beautiful."

She turns to Querl, finding that he's already staring at her, and she smiles. "You have a way with words, you know that?"

"I merely tell the truth."

"Smooth." Nia turns, her elbows resting on the railing as she smiles at him. "Looking forward to seeing some shooting stars tonight?"

He moves closer, a hand on either side of her body on the rail. "There's only one heavenly body I want to see tonight."

"Whoa, even smoother. That's quite a glint in your eyes. Tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm thinking I want to kiss you... with your consent, of course."

She pushes off the rail until their bodies are practically pressed together. "Then ask me."

"Nia, may I kiss you?"

"I've been waiting days for you to ask me that. Yes."

"I've been waiting... decades to ask you."

There's no slow buildup, no testing of the waters. Though they've both denied and ignored it, this has been many years in the making. Earlier attraction has grown into much more, into something they tested with jibes and gentle ribbing. They've hidden it in camaraderie, but now that the veil has been lifted, there's no more reason for pretense.

Lips crash together followed by equally frenzied bodies. Luckily, their location provides a decent amount of privacy because neither Nia nor Querl care much for discretion at this point. They're gods of love, albeit minor ones, who have denied their love for each other for far too long. Shed with their prudence are their mortal forms, and their wings stretch out even as their bodies intertwine.

"Nia," Querl pulls back, breathless, long enough to stammer out a half question, "do you want to—"

"Yes."

Then they're gone only to reappear in the sky above. Even as the meteor shower lights up the night to the delighted oohs and aahs of the mortals below, a more explosive and inspiring show begins. The color of a meteor reflects the elemental composition. On this night in National City, an astronomical anomaly occurs, one that will be spoken about with great fervor in the scientific community for decades to come. One meteor glows with the color of iron, then magnesium, then calcium, then a blend of all shifting so quickly as to blur together. Then other colors appear, colors not before seen in meteors, colors that would be in dispute if not for the photographic evidence. It's a show none will forget and not just for the visual display.

The brightest light in the sky that night inspires a feeling of love for miles around. Hearts warm, poems are inspired, first kisses are shared, friends enjoy benefits, and questions are popped as connections are made citywide. The arrow of a Cupid can awaken the love in one person, but the love two Cupids share finally realized and released, well, that can be path altering for so many more. Tonight, their love is literally written in the stars.