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You're my Shooting Star [Dylan Lenivy X Ryan Erzahler]
The gravel crunched under the tires as Ryan parked the car. The car had hardly stopped when Dylan euphorically yanked open the door and jumped out of the vehicle. He was super excited.
"Come on Ryan! Hurry!" Dylan yelled impatiently and had long since dashed around the car.
Ryan laughed heartily and didn't let himself be rushed. Dylan's childish demeanor was truly adorable. Ryan is pleased to see the other so happy. He was like a jittery, hyperactive child at Christmas who couldn't wait to open the presents.
"Just chill, man. We've still got plenty of time," Ryan laughed again as Dylan grabbed his wrist and once again declared the urgency. But they really had enough time - more than enough. The sun hadn't even set yet.
"I can't chill! This is so exciting!" Dylan reasoned.
Ryan went to the trunk to open it. He knew full well that Dylan had been looking forward to this day for weeks. For days, the brown-haired had been bugging him about how exciting, thrilling and great the upcoming phenomenon would be. For weeks he'd had to listen to Dylan's monologues and scientific lectures that Ryan didn't understand at all. But admittedly he had liked to listen. So it hadn't really bothered him.
He liked listening to Dylan for hours no matter what he was talking about. Mostly he would tell him something about stars, planets and the universe - anything to do with his studies in quantum physics.
Ryan just loved how excited Dylan was to talk about these topics and how much he knew about all these kinds of things that Ryan had absolutely no idea about. Much of it was far too complex for Ryan, but never mind. It was always interesting and entertaining to listen to Dylan tho. It also didn't bother the taller one that he mostly talked alone and Ryan just listened and rarely interjected anything.
Most people just weren't interested in such subjects, so Dylan had little opportunity to talk about it with anyone else apart from his fellow students. And Ryan just happened to be a good listener. He was bad at talking a lot himself, but he was good at listening. Especially with Dylan, because he really liked his warm voice and because Dylan just had a special way about him that made every conversation with him feel great and so easy. That was exactly how Ryan realized how much he truly loved Dylan. He loved that damn boy so much that he didn't mind at all if he rambled around for hours on convoluted and complex theories of quantum physics. Even more: Because he enjoyed it. He really has a crush on him that much. Guess that's what they call true love. That's what people meant by that.
To make Dylan happy, Ryan had surprised him by making this long trip to this place. He had planned and prepared everything days beforehand. Only from here you should be able to observe the phenomenon, or at least this was the most suitable place to see it. Dylan had mentioned this in one of his monologues, otherwise Ryan wouldn't have known. However, Dylan assumed at the time that he would miss the phenomenon as the trip was far too far for a weekend. The place was several states away from them and thus several hours drive away, but Ryan had spared no effort.
Now here they were in the middle of nowhere, far from the nearest town in the great outdoors with a clear view of the clear sky. So they were really lucky with the weather, since not a single cloud was to be seen. Because if it had been too cloudy, they wouldn't have seen anything, and the trip would have been a complete waste. Dylan had felt bad for the entire drive, but now that they had arrived and the sky was crystal clear, all his fears and guilt had been swept away. And Ryan was glad that it was worth taking the risk.
Dylan had said that the phenomenon was best observed when there was nothing around them - meaning no light sources. The nearest town was miles away. As soon as the sun had completely set on the horizon, a clear, dark night should open up, which wouldn’t be influenced by any artificial light sources. Perfect prerequisites for stargazing!
"We should first take care of the equipment and generally clear out the car," Ryan reminded, trying to contain Dylan's exuberant euphoria a little.
"Oh. Yeah. Sure. Right," agreed Lenivy, finally beginning to help Ryan and set up the equipment.
They had a telescope and a tripod for a camera to take photos and recordings. They also had a tent that needed to be set up so that they would have a comfortable place to sleep before they drove the several miles back in the early morning. After all, they had to be back for their classes by Monday. That's exactly why Dylan was against the trip, as it was far too complicated and laborious, but Ryan had known and realized how much Dylan would actually like to see this event.
Together they set everything up and then settled down on the cozy grassy hill satisfied and relieved. It was already getting dark, and the first stars appeared in the firmament. Getting everything ready had taken a little longer than expected, but they still had enough time.
They both lay on their backs in the grass, silently watching the dawn of night. Dylan's features wore an oversized permanent grin. The anticipation and excitement were written all over his face. He couldn't put into words how grateful he was to Ryan for arranging this trip. He clearly heard the loud, thumping beat of his heart as he turned his head slightly and looked over at Ryan, who was still staring at the sky. His expression began to shine even broader and brighter.
Ryan noticed how the other stared at him, which is why the corners of his mouth twitched knowingly but barely noticeable.
Lenivy got a little lost in the beautiful sight of Ryan. His chocolate skin shimmered softly in the pale moonlight. It was just so fulfilling for Dylan that he was here with his boyfriend, and they were sharing this moment together. He was immensely grateful for that - especially after everything they'd had to go through. But in the end, these drastic experiences had connected them all the more. He was just so happy that Ryan stayed by his side. And he really appreciated that they had come all the way here - just because of him. Erzahler had done that only for him. Just because Dylan was interested in stuff like that. So, Ryan truly deserved the title ‘Best Boyfriend Ever’. But Dylan had been aware of that before, that Ryan would be a great, caring and loving boyfriend. He had never doubted it.
"Thanks," the brown-haired whispered.
Ryan turned his head to look at the taller one. "Not worth talking about."
"No, Ryan. It IS worth talking about! At least for me it is very important. You didn't have to do that – come here with me and stuff."
"True. I didn't have to. But that's what makes a good boyfriend, isn't it?" Ryan reasoned.
"You’re far more than that! You are the best and most perfect boyfriend I could ever imagine," Lenivy smiled.
Ryan smiled back. He gingerly felt for Dylan's stump, gently wrapping his fingers around it. He felt the brown-haired boy flinch a little despite his caution. After all this time, Dylan still hadn't fully adjusted to being touched at that particular sensitive spot. Nonetheless, he always enjoyed the loving care and comfort that Ryan gave him through those touches.
Erzahler could feel the slightly rough and scarred skin. Fortunately, the wound had healed quite well, which was not a matter of course given the conditions of that fateful night. Of course, it still didn't diminish the loss Dylan had suffered. A missing hand was still a missing hand, whether the rest healed well or not. He would never get his hand back.
But Dylan was brave and in a way stubborn. He was a fighter and a cheerful person. Of course, having to come to terms with the new circumstances and to accept them in the first place hadn't been easy in the early days - even for a cheerful person like Dylan. Even the good-humoured Dylan Lenivy had had his difficulties and occasionally he too had been gripped by pessimism. But thanks to Ryan, he had gotten through this difficult time.
Ryan had stayed by his side and been there for him. Dylan wasn't sure if he would have gotten through this difficult time if Ryan had abandoned him after what had happened at Hackett's Quarry. But Erzahler as well had been aware that he had to be there for Dylan after these drastic events. He kinda owed him that after cutting off his hand. But not only because of that. But primarily because he wanted it that way and because he had recognized and accepted that they now needed each other all the more.
The closeness to Dylan and the togetherness had also helped him to get over all the losses, the cruelty and Chris' betrayal. They had helped each other find acceptance. The whole Hackett's Quarry thing had bothered them all in hindsight and had left an inner, very personal mark on all of them. But it had strengthened the bond between them all - more than they had expected and in a much different way than they had originally imagined. In all the losses and scars that night had left, there was also good. If all this hadn't happened, who knew whether the cohesion of the group would have been preserved at all. Perhaps they would never have been grown so close and bonded if it weren't for those fateful events of that night. As cruel and bloody as that godless night had been, it had strengthened their bond of friendship - possibly even created it in the first place. But not only friendships, but love as well.
It had been up to them to decide how much that night had really ruined or if there was something they had gained that night that they wanted to hold on to. They had unanimously decided that the group would stay together forever.
“Oh! Look! You can see Mars! Do you see?! Right there! That red dot! If you look closely, you can see that stars have different colors. They're not all just white," Dylan snapped him out of his thoughts, pointing euphorically at the night sky, which had quickly filled with stars.
They were truly lucky that the night was so pleasant and crystal clear. They had a perfect view of the sea of stars. As darkness grew, the sky became a blanket of black silk dotted with innumerable brilliant diamonds. It looked beautiful - almost as beautiful as Dylan, whose eyes were sparkling with excitement.
The brown-haired was so excited and jittery that he couldn't stop talking. He told Ryan about the formation of stars, the mystery of black holes, and the history and vastness of the cosmos and the untold possibilities that most likely lay hidden up there. He switched from one exciting topic to the next. He pointed to various constellations in the sky and also told a few things about them. Ryan tried to follow Dylan's words as best he could, but eventually gave up. The topic was just too complex for him. Even with the constellations, he had trouble recognizing and seeing anything Dylan was telling and showing him. Whoever came up with that constellation crap, Ryan had no idea how to find or recognize any pattern or image the stars were supposed to make. But as long as Dylan was happy, Ryan was happy too.
"Or did you know that-" Dylan was about to move on to the next topic when he saw something flash in the firmament. "Ah! Look! Look! Have you seen it?! It’s about to start!"
Ryan looked up. It lasted a short time until something flashed again and drew a shimmering pattern in the night sky. The intervals rapidly shortened until the next shooting star appeared, drawing its shimmering veil across the firmament. And then another shooting star. And another one. And another one. Within a very short time, the night sky was suddenly filled with countless of these celestial bodies. It was truly magical as the comet shower passed far overhead and shimmered through the Diamond Sea.
Ryan had never seen so many shooting stars at once before. It was really mesmerizing and breathtaking. They both stared up at the spectacle with open mouths and eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Oh my God! There are so many!" Dylan could hardly contain his enthusiasm, which made Ryan chuckle.
The taller one was totally jittery with joy.
“Just look how many there are! There are so many and they're disappearing so fast I can't even count them all!"
"Yeah, dude! I can see it!" Ryan laughed.
It was actually over far too quickly. No sooner had these glowing sparks appeared in the firmament than they were gone again in a very short time. It usually didn't even last a second before the shooting star was gone again. So, the entire comet shower lasted only a few minutes, then the spectacle was over.
"Wow..." Dylan murmured, still clearly overjoyed and sounding dazed. "That was just amazing, wasn't it?!"
"Yes, it was indeed," Ryan confirmed. Because even if he wasn't quite as involved in this matter as Dylan, this spectacle had been impressive for him too.
"Thanks, Ryan," Dylan said again, smiling at the black-haired.
Ryan smiled back happily. He really enjoyed those joyful and brightened features on Dylan's face. His cheeks were even slightly red, and he had that typical, cheerful grin on his delicately curved lips. If Dylan was happy and content, so was Ryan.
"Did you actually make a wish?" Erzahler asked.
Dylan frowned at first in irritation. “A wish? Why should I?”
"Well, isn't it common that when you see a shooting star, you make a wish?" Ryan asked, slightly insecure.
"Oh...," the taller one blurted out, as he finally understood. "Fuck! I was so excited I forgot about it!"
It took Ryan just a moment before he burst out laughing. Sometimes Dylan was unbelievable cute when he was so slow on the uptake and dozy.
"You seriously didn't think of that?! Oh my god!" Ryan continued to laugh.
"Hey, don't laugh!" Dylan complained, a little sheepishly. "Did you?"
"Um, yeah, I did."
Lenivy pursed his lips slightly before his facial expressions brightened again. This time he had that typical grin of audacity on his lips.
"You know what, actually it doesn't really matter that I didn't wish for anything. Because I don't have to wish for anything. I've already got everything I ever wanted or dared to dream of," Dylan said, giving Ryan a close look, who knew he was talking about him. "Though if I think about it, there is one thing I would wish for right now."
Ryan regarded the taller one with expectant curiosity. He was curious what Dylan was about to say. But when the other didn't come out with it on his own, Erzahler asked: "What is it?"
Dylan smirked. Apparently, he'd just been waiting for Ryan to ask. With a smooth and swift movement, he moved closer to Ryan and looked him straight in the face. For a moment, the two eyed each other intensely. Their faces were so incredibly close. He could clearly hear Dylan's breath and smell his scent.
"A kiss," Dylan finally answered softly and quietly. "A kiss under the stars. That would really make this evening perfect."
“Just a kiss? That’s it? Well, if that's all. Didn't know you were so modest,” Ryan smiled amused.
Without further words, he placed a hand on the back of Dylan's neck, ran his fingers through his silky soft hair and boldly pulled him closer to close the last bit of gap that separated them. He pulled the taller one into a lovely kiss. Dylan immediately sighed audibly and noticeably relieved with gratitude into the contact. Lenivy put his hand on Ryan's cheek and gently stroked the skin, making the kiss even more intimate and loving.
They broke the kiss noisily when Dylan moved away just a little. The clicking sound as the pressure released filled the night and was the only thing breaking the silence that surrounded them.
Dylan leaned his forehead against Ryan's and took a shaky breath. This kiss alone gave his body a maximum of sensuality. It was unbelievable what effect Ryan always had on him. Even the simplest touch, no matter how harmless, made his heart race, his muscles tremble and the horde of butterflies riot in his stomach. He was already feeling that lustful tension of joy, desire, and devotion.
"What did you actually wish for?" Dylan wanted to know, now that it came to his mind again.
Ryan's mouth twitched. "If you are making a wish on a shooting star, you don't reveal it, because otherwise it won't come true. Remember?" he reproved lightly.
"Ah yes, right. I remember. My bad," Dylan replied with amusement.
Somehow Ryan had pulled Dylan onto his lap. The taller one willingly put his arms around the neck of the smaller boy, smiling happily. Dylan's brown eyes sparkled with anticipation of this promising romantic prospect.
He sighed lasciviously and licked his lips greedily when he felt Ryan's hands on his buttocks and how the smaller one ran his fingers over the fabric of his jeans.
"R-Ryan...," Lenivy mumbled, nuzzling his cheek against Ryan's covetously. It was a silent request, almost a begging plea. He wanted it. He wanted it so badly. He wanted Ryan to take him under the stars to make this evening even more unique and perfect. And Ryan didn't object. He wouldn't deny Dylan that request. Because it was exactly what Ryan himself had wanted. It was what he had wished for. So, wishes really did come true if you didn't say them out loud.
People believed that making a wish on a shooting star can help to bring true love. For those who are already in a relationship, it was an opportunity to reaffirm their love and commitment to one another. That's what people said and believed. And they are already in a relationship. They already found their true love and their perfect counterpart. This evening and especially after what they went through proved it more than ever. It was proof to both Ryan and Dylan that their relationship was truly precious. So, it was the perfect moment to spend the evening in love and togetherness.
An amused smirk flitted fleetingly across Erzahler's lips as his fingers ran suggestively down Dylan's thighs and rubbed the fabric of his jeans. It caused the taller one to let out another long sigh, followed by a gasp of surprise as Ryan reached out teasingly, digging his fingers into Dylan's shapely curves of his ass. As a result, Dylan buried his face in the crook of Ryan's neck.
"Th-thank you..." Dylan ground out, struggling to regulate his breath, "for coming here with me." He couldn't say it often enough.
The taller one lifted its head slightly to look at Ryan's face. A full-blown blush had blossomed on Dylan’s cheeks and his eyes twinkled like the stars in the night sky. Ryan smiled at the beautiful sight.
Erzahler brushed a stray strand of hair from his face and then placed his hand on the back of Dylan's head.
"Like I said: no problem. It was a pleasure to do it. I'm enjoying this evening very much myself.” With these words he pulled the other into a long kiss again.
“You’re my shooting star”, Dylan mumbled into the kiss.
This evening was simply magical and unforgettable. Under the magical glitter of the night, their hearts filled with love and joy. Sweaty bodies rubbed each other affectionately and tenderly and the quiet night was soon filled with the muffled, moaning background noise of the two boys. Every touch, no matter how small, was so sensitive and felt like fire was rushing through every single fiber of Dylan's body. It was as if his veins were burning. It was an incredible feeling only Ryan was able to cause.
They snuggled up to each other while the stars continued to twinkle joyfully and beautifully. Only the countless eyes of the stars could witness their loving and caring devotion that night. Just everything was perfect.