Page 40 of Should Our Stars Collide

“What was that?”

“I said the beard makes you look old.”

“Does it, now?” Ash pretends to study his face in the rearview mirror, then turns to Kieran with a smirk. “Are you sure it’s not envy speaking?”

Kieran stammers. “W-why would I be envious? It’s much less hassle to just shave it all off.”

“Hmm.”

A touch to his cheek makes Kieran’s breath hitch. Unable to move otherwise, he turns wide eyes towards Ash.

“You might be right,” Ash says, stroking Kieran’s cheek with the back of his finger. “You look good like this. I don’t think a beard would suit you.”

The skin where Ash is touching burns, but it’s not until a few very long moments later that Kieran bats his hand away.

“N-nobody asked for your opinion.” He rolls the window back up just so he can press his overheated cheek to it. Jesus, what’s happening to him?

“True. But I thought you might wanna know anyway.”

“I don’t.”

“Okay.”

Finally, the car moves, making Kieran sigh in relief. The quicker Ash drops him off, the quicker he’ll be rid of him. Fuck, he can’t wait to fall into bed and sleep this weird-as-hell night off.

“It’s okay if you doze off. I’ll wake you.”

Kieran’s half-aware of mumbling something like, “I can stay awake for ten minutes,” just as his eyelids start to get heavy, his body following suit.

While it’s nice not to have to look at Ash’s stupidly handsome face, it has the unfortunate side-effect of amplifying the other senses. Thescent of almonds is now everywhere around him, so strong and potent it feels like it’s soaking in through his skin. And then there’s Ash’s voice, smooth and rumbly, speaking Kieran’s name.

“What?” Kieran says snappily, refusing to open his eyes.

“We’re here.”

Here? Here, where?

Peeling his eyes open with an annoyed huff, he recognizes his apartment building.

How the heck can he be home already? He swears only a minute or so has passed since they’d pulled out of the parking lot. And what on earth had possessed him to relax enough that he fell asleep in Ash’s presence? Seriously, no self-preservation instinct at all.

Even as he thinks that, he feels his eyelids getting heavy again. The idea of sleep sounds really, really good. So good he can’t even muster the strength to get out of this stupid imitation of a car.

“Kieran.”

“Mhmpf.”

There’s a soft chuckle, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing, then opening again, louder this time. A gust of air washes over him. It feels nice against his overheated skin, and the whiff of almonds that comes after makes him smile, though he’s not sure why. It’s not like he likes almonds. He doesn’t hate them either, they’ve just never been important enough to have feelings about. Why does it feel like they’re important now?

“You have your keys on you?”

“Hmpf.”

A sigh. “You don’t make it easy on a guy, you know that?”

Kieran’s brows pull together in confusion. What is that supposed to mean? He doesn’t have the strength to ask.

Strong, somewhat familiar arms slide under his own and wrap around his back. Then he’s being hoisted up, his feet making contact with the ground for a second before he tilts. He collides with something solid with a shriek of surprise, blinking through his blurry vision. He’s pressed up against a chest. Ash’s chest. Right. Because Ashhas brought him home.