Astronaut.

The glittering sparks of fire leapt toward the night sky within his cupped hand. His palm was bathed in warm golden light, and it flickered among the curves and shadows of his face. He looked toward Jupiter, carefully keeping his mouth from frowning as he offered the flame to the tip of the cigarette pursed between her lips. They looked much softer than the day he had first come home; they seemed moisturized and happy as a small smile tweaked them.

“Thank you,” she said before kissing the tube and inhaling. She moved it from her mouth a moment later and parted her lips, letting the heavy cloud of smoke drift above her face. Watching it fade into the shape of stars, Jupiter drew breath again.

They stood beside his truck, parked near her house. The night before, they had talked extensively about their thoughts and had managed to come to the conclusion that a visit to the Lake was in order. The storm that had stood between them was, without a doubt, calmed.

Noah lit the flame once every second, staring silently into the blue dome of light. After a minute, he felt Jupiter’s eyes on him. They were slightly inquisitive, but not criticizing as they had been before. He smiled, feeling safe with her again. “Let’s go for a drive,” he said.

Jupiter took pleasure in the cool burst of air that raced in through the open window of Noah’s truck. A smile glowed in her features, and she felt her heart rising higher than it had in her entire life. She turned her head to look at Noah and melted from the inside out. The moon lay behind him, bathing his silhouette in soft silver. The breeze tousled his hair, and his eyes sparkled toward the dark road. She licked her lips and sucked them between her teeth, biting down on them as her cheeks warmed. Her lips parted, letting out a soft sigh of happiness.

He glanced toward her, a smile twitching on his lips when he saw her looking. “Hey, beautiful,” he said above the wind. He was caught for a moment by the deep green of her eyes, the blue that deepened into her pupil and dragged him in. With a bit of work, he turned back to the road. “I forgot what your eyes looked like while I was gone… I could only remember that I loved them.” He was thankful for the dim starlight that hid his blush.

“Mm,” she sighed, turning to look out the window. She heard leaves rustling nearby as they followed the slightly curving road. When she lifted her eyes, she saw the glittering stars stretched across the sky. She lifted her hand to tuck the flying strands of her hair behind her ear. “Why did you leave?”

A still silence fell over them. Jupiter imagined Noah’s brow creasing together as he thought. “I left because… I felt like there was something I hadn’t found yet.”

“Did you find it out there?”

He shrugged and shifted his hands on the steering wheel. “No.”

Quieted, Jupiter peered further out the window. He seemed content with the fact that he hadn’t found what he was looking for, even though he had left in such a hurry at the beginning of that four-year absence. She didn’t understand how he could be at peace with himself if his goal hadn’t been reached. Her body turned so that she could see his face and watch him drive. His mouth showed no trace of a frown; his eyes shone in the white light.

Her gentle stare drew his attention. “Jupiter… I have something to tell you.” He placed his hand over hers on her lap, smiling at the feeling of her fingers squeezing his for a moment. “The best thing I could do with my life is be with you… and I should have never forgotten that.”

She felt her heart warming and melting into every corner of her skin. “I love you, Noah.”

“I love you, Jupiter.”

Splitting the gentle waves of the breeze hitting their faces was the sound of rubber ripping at the street. Two pairs of eyes turned to the road ahead, into the darkness that swallowed everything but them and their love. The screeching sound lifted again, piercing Jupiter’s ears, and she gripped Noah’s hand tighter. “We should pull over,” she said, looking to him. “We can walk the rest of the way.”

He wasn’t looking at her. He shook his head a little, frowning over the steering wheel. “No… it’s okay.” His eyes squinted slightly, and then he leaned back in his seat. “See? Everything’s fine.”

Her mouth pulled down at the corners as she stared into the blackness. She saw a flash of white, metal reflecting their own lights, and then the world exploded.