Patrick looks up at Nia.

"Wh...?" He has no idea where to begin.
"I can explain," Nia croaks. She folds the piece of paper again and tucks it into her back pocket. "Patrick, baby, I can explain--"
"I mean," Patrick huffs, "I sure hope so. NASA doesn't just give internships to random strangers without warning."

Nia takes a step towards Patrick; he responds with a step back. His head whirls upon the new information.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Patrick whispers, his voice now leaving him. The fragments of his heart that laid on the floor were finally catching up to him. His chest somehow aches more.

"I'm sorry--"
"Why didn't you tell me?" he repeats. Nia furrows her brow at the question. She swipes at tears with the heel of her palm, only for them to be replaced with fresh streams.

"God, Patrick, I don't know," she spits venomously. "Maybe because you don't need to know every detail about what I'm doing every second! I am my own person!"
"I know that and I respect that, Nia," Patrick states sternly. "I'm not asking you to give me updates on every time you take a goddamn breath! Would it hurt to tell me "hey asshole, I'm applying to intern for NASA"? I would have been rooting for you the whole way through, and this whole damn city knows that!"
"So you're not rooting for me? Even though you know this is what I've been wanting ever since I was a child?!" Nia stresses.
"That is not what I'm saying!" the boy yells. "I do support you! Dammit, I support your dreams much more than my own! I know it's unhealthy, but you matter to me!"
"Then, maybe you should stop!"
"It's not that easy!" Patrick argues. "I can't just shake that off like it's nothing! Because it's not nothing!"
"Well, here's your stupid update, Patrick!" Nia screams. "NASA wants me to intern for them in California! I signed up almost two months ago! And I'm going, whether you support me or not!"
"But why didn't you tell me when you signed up?!" Patrick almost begs. Though his voice is raw from raising his voice at Nia, he never got the answer he wanted.

"I'm not saying I don't support you, Nia! I want you to go! I wouldn't dare myself to hold you back because that would make me a shitty person, let alone a shitty boyfriend! I just want to know why you hadn't told me two months before that you had signed up!"

Silence coats the foyer of Patrick's house. The blonde boy studies Nia, his question still hanging in the air like a ton weight above their heads. He hadn't realized until then that all the yelling had taken a lot of air from his lungs. Patrick's breaths are slightly jagged as his chest rises and falls with each inhale and exhale.

Nia bites at her lip, fixating her eyes to the floor underneath her.

"Remember that week we didn't talk?" Nia asks, her voice low and almost inaudible. She forces herself to look up at Patrick again. He nods, his face softening as she continues. "I wasn't in a good place because of what happened between me and Tom. Plus, that's when I started to realize that I loved you. So much was going on in my head and I wanted to run away."

Patrick nods again, letting Nia vent and explain everything. The girl screws her eyes shut, the last of her tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I wanted to run away and never see him again. At one point, I didn't even want to see you again because it got too painful. So, I decided to sign up to intern for NASA and I made sure it wouldn't be in Illinois," Nia explains. "Then, you told me you loved me. I couldn't just crush what future we could have. I also didn't think that they would have chosen me. I'm sorry."

Patrick stays silent for a moment, studying Nia in a new light. He didn't love her less, but she did seem like a different person.

"You could've told me about it later on," he says softly. "I-I'm not demanding for day-of notifications. Hell, you could've told me last week--"
"I never told you because I didn't think we'd make it this far," Nia blurts out. Patrick feels his heart shatter again, not even aware of it being possible.

"So, what are we doing?" he scoffs. Nia's eyes widen at the hurt that masks Patrick's eyes.
"I still want us to be together, Patrick," she informs. "I just thought... we wouldn't work out because we've been just friends for so long. Or maybe we wouldn't be together at all. But I want to be with you. I told you that last week, and I meant it. I swear I meant it then and I mean it now."

Patrick gives a short nod. It is his turn to tear his attention away from Nia as he feels tears pricking his eyes. He closes his eyes and lets out a shaky breath. Nia hesitates, then takes a step near Patrick. He doesn't move away this time.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. Nia takes his hand in hers, placing his palm on her cheek.
"I forgive you," Patrick sighs. He retracts his hand from Nia's possession and pockets both of his hands. "I just need a moment... if that's okay with you?"
"Yeah," Nia mumbles. She steps away from Patrick, tucking her own hands under her arms. "I, uh... I could use a moment, too."

Without another word, Nia walks out of the house, closing the door behind her gently. Despite the wooden barrier dividing them, Patrick could still hear her sniffling, stifling her cries. It only made it harder for Patrick to keep some bit of composure. But nothing was harder than letting her go.

* * *

He knew there was no point in hiding his irritated eyes. Bags were developing where he had constantly swiped at them, the puffiness subsiding. Patrick took a deep breath, wanting to ignore the headache that was starting to emerge at his temples.

Nonetheless, he still managed to drive to Nia's house and call her as he parked in front.

"Hello?" Nia's voice answers, sounding weary. Patrick could almost tell she had experienced the same pain he battled as soon as she left his house.
"Hey," Patrick greets nervously. "I'm outside. Are you still up for the lake?"
"Uh... yeah," Nia stammers as she sits up. She sniffles as she does so, showing enough evidence that she had been crying.

"If not, it's okay," Patrick reassures. "I understand if you don't."
"I'll be out in a minute."

With that, Nia hangs up. Patrick sets his phone down in the cup holder in front of him as he waits. He picks at his fingers until he sees a figure approach the car. Nia opens the door and claims the seat next to him. They exchange a weak smile as Nia clicks her seat belt in place. Patrick notices her red eyes. It makes a pang spread through his chest upon the sight. He drives the car towards the destination.

Chicago is empty at this time; everyone is retreating home, crickets convincing dwellers and tourists to call it a night. It's almost as if the city is theirs for a small moment. But what would two kids do with a city when they have no idea what to make of each other?

The ride is quiet. Nia is wrapped in a baggy sweater that Patrick could have sworn he had in his own closet. Upon another glance at her, he realizes it is his hoodie. He says nothing of it but, instead, watches Nia as she watches the city lights fade away as they draw nearer to the lake.

Patrick parks by the lake, different from their usual that leads the to travel to their patch of grass. The two exit the car. Patrick manages to climb on top of it, claiming a seat on the roof of the vehicle. He helps Nia do the same, letting her take a seat beside him. The silence remains between them as they look up at the stars.

This is the first time Patrick has heard Nia silent as they watched the night sky. She always had an article to ramble about; a constellation to trace; a planet to pinpoint. But he knew why she was silent. It was the very same reason why he, himself, was silent. They knew that they were in jeopardy. Patrick musters the strength to break the stillness between them.

"When are you leaving for California?" Patrick asks. They don't look at each other. It would be too painful for either one.
"Saturday," Nia answers shortly. "They want me as soon as possible. They said I have a lot of potential."
"They're not wrong," the boy smirks weakly, his smile fading just as fast as it hinted its presence. He turns to Nia for the first time, watching her watch the stars. "I'm really proud of you, Witch."

"Thanks," Nia mumbles.
"How long are you staying?" he asks.
"They said for a few months," Nia says.
"If they love you so much, they could keep you and you could work there," Patrick suggests.
"I don't know about that," Nia mumbles.
"Aw, c'mon, Nia," Patrick eggs on. "You've always wanted that since you were a kid."
"But what about us?" Nia asks. She turns to Patrick, drawing in the reality of the question. It injects fear into Patrick's veins.

"We'll be fine--"
"Patrick, get real," Nia sighs. "We're going to be a million miles away from each other! Going over minutes will kill us, economically. There's no way we can see each other face to face anymore. Even if there was a way, there's time zones and conflicting schedules, and--"
"Hey," Patrick interrupts. He regains Nia's gaze, finding tears starting to lightly glaze her eyes. "We'll figure it out. Okay?"

Nia reluctantly nods. She studies Patrick for a moment before turning her attention to the sky again.

"I'll be honest, Nia," Patrick states, "I don't want this to end. I'll visit you in California. I'll save up money and we can go stargazing anywhere you want!"
"I'd like that to be true," Nia sighs. "But California is expensive, Patrick. A majority of the people who live there are celebrities on the big screen—"
"I'll move with you."
"No! I know how much you love Chi-town. I'm not taking you away from your home," Nia argues.

Patrick fails to argue back, resulting with staring at the sky. Moments pass and there's only silence and the white noise of the waves from the lake hitting the sand and stones at its shore. It had become deeper into the night, the air becoming cooler.

An unfamiliar sound stirs beside Patrick. He looks over, finding Nia curled into herself, her balled up frame shaking as the sound escaped from her. Never in his life had Patrick seen Nia weep while staring at the stars.

"Nia, what—"
"It's not going to work out, is it, Patrick?" she wails. He didn't want to admit it to himself. He was trying to reassure both himself and Nia that everything would be okay. Nia has rebutted with everything logical and realistic— all the possibilities Patrick wanted to ignore for just a fragment of a moment. He finally woke up in reality. It was the wrong side of it, the harsher side.

"Nia, please..." Patrick begs, his voice wavering as he reaches for the girl. Tears start to well in his eyes. He didn't want any of this to end. This wasn't how their story was supposed to end. Patrick wanted to curse the universe for tearing them apart in such a way.

The boy hops off the car and guides Nia to stand with him. Nia wraps her arms tightly around Patrick's torso and sobs into his chest.
"I don't want this to be the end," she says into his sweater. Patrick buries his nose into her hair, inhaling her citric scent for what may be the last time. He closes his eyes, embracing the aroma of her, tears spilling down his cheeks.

"This is hard for me too, darling," he mumbles into her brown locks. His voice is shattered as he wraps his arms around the shaking frame of Nia as she crumbles into pieces.

"I-I'm so s-stupid for signing up f-for the internship," Nia stammers through heavy sobs. Patrick cups her face in his hands, tilting her face up to look at his own tear stained face.

"You're not stupid," he croaks. "I know how much this means to you. Don't let me be in the way. Don't let anyone be in the way. Promise me that."

Nia fails to hold back a sob, the flow of her tears becoming heavier. Patrick's tears fall faster.

"C'mon, Nia, stop crying," he begs through his broken voice. "You're making me cry."

The violet-eyed girl collapses into Patrick's chest, keeping the couple in an embrace of tears. Patrick has no other option but to hold her tight, wishing he could squeeze every ounce of hurt and second thoughts out of her in his embrace. Nia's sobs soon reduce to small, occasional hiccups. Patrick is the first to break the embrace. The boy swipes at his tears with the back of his hand before looking back at Nia again. Her gaze fixates on the ground, her face red and damp.

"Wanna go home?" Patrick rasps, failing to hide his own self-induced wound. "Just sleep this off and... forget everything?"

Nia hesitates, then nods.

The two enter the car, sitting in their seats of silence. Patrick grips the steering wheel, taking in seedy breaths to regain whatever bit of composure he had left. He felt even more broken than hours before, when he and Nia were screaming at each other. He presses his lips into a fine line, exhaling deeply as he closes his eyes again. Hot tears skim down his porcelain skin.

"I really wanted to take you here," Patrick wills himself to say, "because I really like watching you while you watch the stars."

Nia turns her head to the boy, studying him as he speaks.

"I've always watched you while you watched the stars. Ever since we first started doing it when we were kids. The galaxies you're always searching for? I've always found them with you-- in you," he states. "I always thought it was stupid, or just my head wasn't on straight. But every second I've spent with you-- every moment we even touched hands-- you physically felt like something so rare and beautiful.
"Like that one time we saw the meteor shower in seventh grade. That doesn't happen often. No one comes across that once a year, or whatever. Everyone sees something like that at least once, if they're lucky."

"What are you saying, Buster?" Nia rasps. Patrick hadn't realized that he started crying again until he felt his chest tighten.  Nia grasps onto his hand, peeling it from the leather wheel to possess it in her own hand. Patrick can feel the galaxies in her palm churn, gently brushing against his own. He squeezes her hand, never wanting to let go of the stars. To Patrick, Nia had always been the stars in the sky-- and so much more.

"You're the last of all of those beautiful things," Patrick forces out. He bites back the sob that tries to crawl out of his throat. "I bet that the first sighting of a shooting star was amazing, or the first meteor shower was great. But the last one makes it real. It puts everything in a new perspective. And you do that to me. You're the last of the real ones, Nia."

Patrick tears his hand away from the cosmos and covers his face as he loses his war to the manifesting emotion in his chest.

"I-I don't know if I'm making any sense," he weeps. "I'm n-not th-the best with w-words, Nia. S-Something about you drains every bit of fear out of me w-when I'm with you. And I don't want to lose that feeling. I don't want to lose you or let you go!"

Nia brushes her hand along the weeping boy's arm.

"Patrick," she croaks gently, tears opaque in her voice. It's enough to draw the blonde out of his despair and glance up to Nia. Without hesitation, she crashes her lips to his, claiming his quivering lip into a kiss; their tears meeting as she inches closer to him. Nia straddles Patrick, deepening the kiss, their lock occasionally being interrupted by their sobs. Patrick wanted to be consumed by the galaxies, wanting to forget about the pain he was feeling. If it was any consolation, he at least wanted to feel the galaxies one last time before she fades away to California.

Her tears were falling stars while her hands were black holes, taking anything they could to remember the feel of him. Her full moon smile was fractured, almost tainted. It didn't glow as bright as Patrick knew it could. Her breath was made of dying stars as they ghosted along his skin, almost coating where her fallen stars had landed.

Much like a shooting star. Much like a meteor shower, the moment ended. It wasn't like their first intimacy. This was different and had a linger that hung in the air, heavy with dread.

The ride home was slow and quiet. Patrick couldn't bring himself to drive the speed limit. He was grateful no one was accompanying him on the streets in their own vehicles. Nia is curled up in the passenger seat, her puffy eyes shut as she sleeps. Patrick can hear the small, sad whimpers escape from her resting form.

He focuses his eyes to the road. It's easier that way for him. The sight of Nia is enough to crush his heart into fine dust. He suffices with crying silently, sniffling on occasion as he swipes at tears, cursing himself for falling apart again.

Patrick parks in front of Nia's house. The clock on his radio reads 3:45am. He looks at the sleeping girl for the first time since the ride home.

"Nia, darling, wake up," he whispers gently. Patrick cradles her cheek in his palm, wanting to hold the stars one last time. Nia stirs, then blinks her eyes open, revealing irritated eyes. Her irises are a hue of dark blue upon the red canvases. Patrick manages to give her a weak smile.

"We're home," he informs. Nia sits up with a sigh, examining Patrick's face as she rubs sleep from her eyes.
"You were crying," she points out, her voice barely above a murmur.
"I'll be fine," Patrick lies. "Just go inside and get rest."

Nia nods at the suggestion, but doesn't make any action towards it. She stares down at the sweater that engulfs her. Patrick just now takes in the design printed on it. It's The Ghostbusters' symbol, assuring him that it is his sweater. He says nothing of it, allowing Nia to rob him of it. She needs it more than he does.

"So, this is it, huh?" Nia asks. She looks up at Patrick, waiting for it to all come crashing down again. Patrick hesitates, then nods as he chews on his bottom lip.

"I've never been good at breakups," Nia chuckles weakly. "I've always been on the receiving end."
"That makes two of us," Patrick manages to joke as he picks at a loose thread on the steering wheel. He forces himself to look at Nia again.

"I love you," he blurts out. It's Nia gives another weak laugh.
"Buster--"
"I know," he huffs. "That's not making anything easier or better. But it's true. And I really want you to know that. I love you."
"I love you too," Nia whispers.
"Maybe when you come back--" Patrick is interrupted by an uncertain stare from Nia. He frowns a little before continuing. "... or if you come back, we can try this again?"
"Yeah," she says with a nod. "I'd like that."
"Good luck in California, Witch," Patrick says with a weak smile. Nia opens the door, returning the faulty gesture.
"Thanks," she says.

A/N:

Sorry this was so emotional and long... but I'm kinda?? not sorry?? Tell me in the comments how many tissues you used or how many oceans you've created! >:)

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