And they came in droves then, arcs of quicksilver flares scattering across the dome of stars, some short and sharp like thrown sparks, others trailing a faint, glowing tail that lingered for longer than a heartbeat. Every so often, one fell brighter and slower, almost defiant, before it was swallowed back into the dark.
“What is it that the movies say? Tootta tara…” she smiled, caressing his hair.
“These are rocks, not stars.”
Iram whirled down in shock. Grey eyes met hers and smirked — “Did I just destroy your childhood?”
“No,” she laughed. “But… rocks?” She looked back up and now it was a full disco in the sky. “How are rocks flying in the sky and looking like stars?”
“Most meteors are crumbs left behind by comets or asteroids. When Earth swings through the debris trail, gravity pulls those bits in. They hit the atmosphere at… thirty, forty times faster than a bullet. The friction makes them burn. That’s your glowing streak.”
“Trust you to compare anything to weapons.”
His head shook on her thigh, rattling with quiet laughter. She felt ten feet tall then.
“How do they not fall to the ground?”
“Burned before they hit the ground. Most of them, at least.”
“So we are basically looking at Earth being pelted by cosmic bullets?”
“Pretty much. A beautiful kind of violence.”
“You should have led with that,” Iram met his eyes.
“You wouldn’t have believed me.”
“I will always believe you.”
Their gazes locked, held tight, filled the vacuum between them after ages.
“I have not been fully present.”
“I do not ask any more,” she stroked the edge of his eye.
“You should. You once expected more from me.”
He sounded deflated. His eyes began to break away from hers when she held the side of his face and stopped him. “I don’t expect anything more from you, not because I am unsure if you will be able to give it to me but because I do not want you to stretch yourself thin with so much going on inside you.”
“What the hell is going on inside me.” It wasn't a question, but an exclamation. His eyes squeezed shut. “I have never felt this… I am unable to even say it out loud.”
“What are you scared of?”
Wary eyes popped open. A beat. Some winking trails of light over them. Then — “Not being the man you thought was strong.”
“Will you listen to me and believe in what I am saying?”
“When have I not, myani zuv?”
“This one you might not want to believe.”
He scoffed bitterly — “Hit me. I am immune to a lot of things now.”
“Then first tell me, what is going on inside you?”
His throat moved. She could see the exact path of the ball of saliva under his skin.
“Say it.”
