I’ve never been in love before. But I think I could be…given the right conditions.”
Julian pulled back, his lip quirked in a half smile. “Like an experiment?”
“More like…” Archer laid back and tucked one arm behind his head. “We don’t know how common Earth is because we’re limited. In our evolution, our technology. We’re even limited by our sight—and the way we’ve learned to perceive the universe around us. Stars are born inside a nebula—the gasses so dense, it’s impossible to see through. But we can hear that density if we convert it to sound. We can hear the shapes, we can hear the birth of stars, which will eventually die, and continue to give life in the millions of millions of other worlds that have to be out there. Maybe even other universes.” Julian’s hand cupped his cheek, so he turned to kiss the pads of his fingers. “There’s not an Earth in every solar system though. We know that much now. Earth—and life like this—can only exist under the exact right conditions. I think love is like that.”
“Is it terrible that I don’t understand what you mean?” Julian asked, and Archer laughed, rolling him over and propping himself over the man’s chest.
“It’s not terrible. You could quote Shakespeare at me all damn day and I might—if I’m lucky—guess two or three.”
Julian smiled, bigger, and more shy. “Maybe I’ll test you.”
Archer leaned in and nipped at his chin. “You know the planets of our solar system.”
“Yes.”
“So far as we know—and that could change at any time, but right now—the most common planet we’ve found beyond the Kuiper belt are mini-Neputnes. No real discernable surface, gasses that form sort of slushy, icy oceans—no real chance at life. At least, not life as we understand it.” Archer dragged his finger in a heart shape over the space where he could see Julian’s chest pulsing, his own racing at the same speed. “You don’t need the perfect condition for a mini-Neptune, you just need the make-up, and the universe is full of that. But in this solar system, with our sun, and the materials in abundance—was the perfect equation for Earth. And not just for Earth, but for life. We’re in the exact right time, in the exact right place, with Jupiter keeping it safe from asteroids, the perfect distance from the sun. Even water was brought to Earth, giving the chance of life by the very thing that could one day destroy it.”
Julian blinked at him, sleepy and sweet. “Comets?”
“Something like that,” Archer said with a small laugh, and kissed him again. “It took a series of perfect events to create the moment we’re in right now. From the moment Earth was nothing more than matter swirling through empty space, to this. Right here.” He laid his hand over Julian’s heart again and pressed their lips together for a long second. Keeping his eyes closed, he toyed with a feeling he wasn’t sure he’d ever experience—new and fledgling and terrifying. “I think love is like that.”
“Until now, I wasn’t sure I believed you about science being romantic,” Julian murmured.
Archer opened his eyes and smiled at him before letting out the smallest laugh. “I’ve been accused of many things—mostly being a heartless nerd, but that’s because they don’t understand. It’s all numbers, but those numbers don’t lack the richness of words. It’s just another language.”
Julian stared at him a long while, then touched his cheek again. “Kiss me?” he asked.
Archer found it was impossible to say no.
Chapter 20
Archer woke in the morning with sunlight streaming across his face, warm lips pressing soft kisses to the back of his neck, and a hand splayed flat along his ribs. He allowed himself long, glorious moments to bask in the attention and affection. The wonder of how he was still there, slightly aching from the night before, sent his head into a foggy spin, but he didn’t want to think about it too much.
Not right then.
Because thinking came with the pressing need to make sure that Julian knew the truth, and he couldn’t do that here. He couldn’t steal away what little peace Julian managed to carve out for himself, and he couldn’t deny his selfish want because that peace was found in the circle of Archer’s arms. He was falling for him. He hadn’t lied the night before—he had never been in love, but he liked to think falling felt a lot like this.
It wasn’t zero gravity, it wasn’t an endless, weightless spin. It