The meteor shower was at its peak, streaks of silver and gold slicing through the velvet night. Kiara stood on the observatory deck, her shawl wrapped tight against the chill, her heart pounding louder than the distant hum of the city.
Aarav joined her quietly, his presence like gravity—silent, irresistible. He handed her a steaming cup of coffee, their fingers brushing briefly. The touch was electric, sending a shiver down her spine.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" she whispered, gazing at the sky.
"Not as much as you," he murmured before he could stop himself.
Kiara turned, her breath catching. His eyes held hers—dark, intense, unguarded. For the first time, the walls he had built around himself were gone.
"Aarav…" Her voice trembled. "Why do you keep running from me?"
He exhaled sharply, his jaw tight. "Because loving you feels like standing on the edge of a launch pad—one wrong move and everything explodes."
Her lips curved in a sad smile. "Maybe that's what love is. Risk."
He stared at her, his chest rising and falling like a man fighting a battle he was destined to lose. Then, slowly, he stepped closer, his hand lifting to cup her cheek. His thumb brushed her skin, tender and reverent.
"I tried to stay away," he whispered, his forehead resting against hers. "But every time I look at you, Kiara… I forget why."
Her breath mingled with his, her pulse a wild drumbeat. "Then stop trying," she said softly.
And just like that, the dam broke.
His lips found hers—slow at first, almost hesitant, then deepening with a hunger that had been simmering for weeks. Kiara melted into him, her hands clutching his jacket as the stars blazed above them. The kiss was fire and gravity, a collision of worlds that felt inevitable.
When they finally pulled apart, breathless and trembling, Aarav pressed his forehead to hers, his voice raw. "You're my sky, Kiara. My glory."
Her eyes shimmered with tears, her smile breaking through the storm. "And you're my gravity."
Above them, meteors kept falling, but neither noticed. Because in that moment, they had found their universe—in each other.