A Beautiful Reflection From Firework Eyes

Hope You Like The Stars I Stole For You

Kellin's hands are cold against my warm skin as he runs his fingers gently over the bruises.

"Do they still hurt?" he asks.

"A bit," I suck in my breath as his fingers trail over a particularly nasty one on my rib cage. He managed to heal some of the injuries when we were still in the Study room. The worst of the cuts have healed to shallow marks and scars and a lot of the bruises are gone.

"I can try it again," he offers.

"I don't want you to hurt yourself," I say.

"No, it's okay," he says. "What's the whole point of having powers if I never use them?"

His hand is cold—but not uncomfortably so as he lays it gingerly over my chest. He closes his eyes, and I find myself unable to tear my eyes off of him. My eyes flicker to his lips again, and I curse myself. Why can't I stop thinking about the kiss and how much I want to kiss him again?

I feel a strange sensation running through my skin—almost the same as when Jack turns me invisible. But it's more comforting, hot and cold at the same time. I let out a gasp as I feel my ribs knitting together, and the cut across my chest slowly closes.

"Wow," I breathe. "Thank you so much."

Kellin opens his eyes, his cheeks turning red. "Does it feel better?"

I nod. "Loads. Wow, you're incredible, you know?"

He blushes even more furiously, dropping his eyes. He doesn't move away, though, running his hand down my chest and stomach.

"You are," I reach over, tipping his chin up so he's forced to look at me. "You saved my life today."

"It was my fault you almost died in the first place," he mutters, embarrassed.

"No, it's not," I say. "It's Mr. Styles and the guards. You shouldn't be forced to use your powers."

His hand suddenly brushes against the old scar slashed across my skin, and I jump away, startled.

"Sorry!" Kellin's eyes go wide. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay," I struggle to control my breathing. "I just—bad memories, I guess." Memories of the failed escape plague my mind. How are Alex and Jack going to pull it off if the last time it went so terribly wrong?

"I don't want to pry," Kellin says softly. "But what happened? That's not from today, is it?"

I shrug, unable to meet his eyes. "No. It's from a while ago. I got stabbed." I know I should tell him more, but I can't bring myself to without breaking down in front of him.

He nods, his eyes wide, but he doesn't press, which I'm grateful for. There's a heaviness in the air between us that is uncomfortable, the weight of painful topics.

"I'm sorry," he says at last.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," I sigh. He nods, his eyes never leaving mine. I'm suddenly aware of how close we are, our bodies practically pressed against each other, our foreheads nearly touching. I haven't been this close to him we kissed and goddamn, I want to do it again. My heart is pounding in my chest, so loud I'm surprised Kellin doesn't react. Kellin's breaths are warm against my skin as I lean closer, ever so slightly, so our noses brushing together, our lips separated by mere inches. I want to kiss him so badly, but I stop myself, wanting to see if he moves away first. Kellin seems to notice, his breathing turning heavier as our eyes meet, red flushing over my cheeks. He moves back the tiniest bit, his eyes dropping to the bed, and I get the hint, backing away.

"I should go now," he murmurs at last, but he doesn't move off of my bed.

"No, stay," I say as his gaze shifts up to meet mine again. I shift over on the bed, making room for him. He smiles slightly at my action, moving to lie down beside me. It's the first time we've done this since I kissed him, but I'm glad he's not awkward about it. We lie there, side by side, barely touching, but his presence is enough to comfort me. I desperately want to touch him, to take his hand or put my arm around him but I don't. Yeah, I'm falling hard for him, aren't I?