Page 17 of Should Our Hearts Catch Fire

“Fine,” he relents grumpily, holding up a finger before Ash can start. “Just a peek. Then you fuck off.”

Ash arranges his fingers into the Star Trek greeting. “Scouts honor.”

With an involuntary huff of laughter, Gabe brings the barrier down a smidge, letting the thought of Ellis rise to the surface. Given how much time he spends thinking about the man, it hardly takes any effort.

He can feel the exact second Ash’s consciousness nudges his, then the exact moment he encounters Ellis. His teeth flash in a shark-like smile that makes Gabe want to take a long, hot shower asap.

“Well, hello,” Ash drawls. Gabe can feel him poking around. “Such a preppy fellow. Damn, red would look good on him.”

“Okay, that’s it. Get out.” His protective instincts kicking in, Gabe gives him a mental shove.

Ash physically stumbles back a step, a wince passing over his face “Ow.” He massages his temples. “Chill, Gabby. I won’t touch your boy.”

“He’s not my—” Ash’s skeptical expression forbids him to finish that sentence. He looks away, hoping to hide the color that has risen to his cheeks at hearing Ellis be referred to as his boy. “I don’t even know him.”

“You said, I quote, that you‘met someone’.”

“Yeah.” Gabe checks his phone. The movie has officially started, but there’s no need to rush since the first fifteen minutes are always just commercials. “What cinema are we in?”

Not fooled by the change of topic, Ash checks their tickets, and continues interrogating him on their way to the movie.

“When?”

“Hm?”

“When did you meet him?”

“About two weeks ago?” Gabe feigns uncertainty, knowing full well which day and time it was that Ellis first showed up,all grumpy and sad and beautiful. “He’s only come to the café twice.”

“It’s not like you to get hung up on someone like that.”

As if Gabe doesn’t know. He might struggle with a savior complex, but he doesn’t normally get invested. Not anymore. He likes to think of himself as more of a…guide. Nudging others in the right direction and vanishing when they don’t need him anymore. Well, it’s more like the people leave when they don’t needhimanymore, but that’s fine. He’s fine with creating a positive impact on someone’s life and then staying behind. It’s enough. It is.

“I’m not hung up. I just…”

“Can’t stop thinking about him?” Ash supplies unhelpfully. Something in Gabe’s expression must give him away because Ash’s eyebrows lift up in realization. “Ah. I got it.”

Gabe’s instantly suspicious. And wary. “You don’t get it.”

There’s no one checking tickets, so they just continue straight to their cinema.

“He’s one of them, isn’t he? A lost soul?” Ash makes atsk tsksound when Gabe remains stubbornly silent. “Gabby…”

“I know,” he says miserably, pushing open the door to Cinema 6. By the sound of it, some car insurance commercial is playing on the screen.

“You can’t save them all.”

“Iknow.Okay? I know.” He slurps at his soda, his heart getting heavy at the vivid memory of how it felt being near Ellis that first time. Not that Ellis was particularly happy the second time they met, but it wasn’t as…intense. Hell, he even chattedwith Gabe. And laughed a little! It was such a beautiful sound. “It’s just… God, Ash, he’s so…sad. So fucking sad.” He looks at Ash. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Your job. How do you talk to people who are in so much pain every day without completely losing it?”

Ash used to be his role model, the reason Gabe went to study Psychology. While learning about the human psyche in a more clinical manner was interesting, it had soon become clear to him that this wasn’t a career path he wanted to pursue. No way would he be able to sit through patient after patient and not meddle. That’s not to say Ash is the epitome of professionalism. His methods are questionable at best. But he gets the job done, and he’s just fine. Sure, a little messed up in the head, but what therapist isn’t a little coocoo?

Ash seems to mull it over, as though he himself doesn’t know how he does what he does. Gabe can relate. Not many people know about his powers, but those who do always ask how he handles it. Most of the time, he has no idea how to explain.

They find their row before Ash comes up with an answer. Gabe uses the torch on his phone to find their seats, shuffling carefully down the aisle.