Page 71 of Should Our Stars Collide

It’s a good thing Kieran didn’t push further. Ash would be more than happy to tell him, but he wouldn’t be able to explain it properly without telling him about his ability first. To someone like Ash, someone who’s spent his life chasing truth and honesty, someone who canseeinto people’s minds, watching people fake pleasure and enjoyment is an instant boner-killer.

That being said, in pursuit of improving hisskillswhen he was younger, he did come across some home-made videos featuring real-life couples, and man, that shit hit different.

Ash smiles to himself. He could get behind the idea of making porn with Kieran. He bets it would blow up the internet. Who wouldn’t fall over themselves to watch Kieran cry and beg and moan as prettily as he does?

His smile suddenly slips, replaced by a frown. Scratch that—no one will ever get to see Kieran like that. That’s for Ash’s eyes only.

After pulling a double shot for his long black, he starts on Kieran’s mocha, adding a generous amount of chocolate powder into the cup before starting the extraction. He takes extra effort with frothing the milk before pouring it into the mug. Today must be his lucky day, because he manages to pull off a perfect latte art heart, one that doesn’t look like an ass.

Proud of himself, he takes both cups and goes to look for Kieran.

“Kieran?”

“In here,” comes after a while from their bedroom. It sounds a little off.

Ash finds him standing in front of the photos hung up on the wall. The one his gaze is fixed on is of the two of them. Well, the two of them and a mob of kangaroos. It was taken on their trip to Noosa, where they’d made a stop at Australia Zoo. After much ado and hysterics from Kieran regarding the kangaroos’ violent tendencies—“What if one of them picks a fight with me? If I get sucker punched by a freaking ‘roo, I’ll never live it down!”—they’d both had a blast. In fact, it had taken about six cups of kangaroo pellets and lots of begging from Ash before Kieran agreed to move on and explore the rest of the Zoo.

“I look happy,” Kieran observes, quiet and thoughtful. Uncertain.

“I like to think I make you so,” Ash says softly.

There’s a strange light in Kieran’s eyes, like hope wrapped in disbelief. Then it vanishes, and he smirks. “I didn’t get punched by one of those fuckers, did I?”

“No. In fact, I couldn’t get you out of there. We definitely upset some people with kids who wanted a turn too, but all the ‘roos gravitated to you because you kept feeding them.”

Kieran guffaws. “Ha! Look at me, being a kangaroo whisperer.”

“Here you go, Mr. Whisperer.” Ash offers him the coffee.

“Thank—” Kieran eyes the latte heart. “Taking lessons from Gabe, huh?”

“Not anymore. He gave up. I was hopeless.”

“No swans then?” Bringing the cup to his lips, Kieran takes a cautious sip. A bubble of pride inflates in Ash’s chest at Kieran’s pleasantly surprised look.

“Unlikely. My latest attempt at a floret ended up looking like an ejaculating penis.”

Kieran inhales at the wrong time and promptly chokes.

“I should’ve timed that better,” Ash murmurs with an amused huff.

“H-how generous of you. Oh…”

“What?”

“I got some on you, sorry.”

Ash looks down to find a few droplets of coffee on his white shirt. “It’s fine, I have a bunch of these.”

“What an exciting wardrobe.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty boring.”

Kieran raises an eyebrow. “That’s literally the last word I’d use to describe you. Well, that, and sane.”

“Oh. How would you describe me?”

“Don’t start. And stop pouting, it looks weird on you.”