By the time the sun dipped below the skyline, the observatory rooftop was bathed in navy twilight and haloed in soft, white light from the open dome. Campus lights glittered below like tiny constellations, and the air was still, cool, and quiet.
Noel had keys, of course. Of the two astrophysics prodigies, he was the one who actually liked to be here after hours — not for data collection, but just to exist.
Ren sprawled out dramatically on a bench, jacket used as a pillow. "Honestly, I only came to stargaze at Evan, but I'll take Saturn's rings as a runner-up."
Jun sat with his back to a telescope, sketchbook in his lap, pen already moving. "We came because Noel never invites people to this place unless he likes them."
Noel, adjusting the viewfinder of the wide-aperture scope, didn't even blink. "It's not true."
Jun didn't look up. "It's completely true."
Evan didn't say anything at first — just took in the space. The roof was wide and clean, the observatory dome opened halfway above them like an eye watching the sky. Soft yellow light glowed from a corner desk stacked with books and notebooks. This place… it was Noel. Quiet, brilliant, and vast.
The other guys — Levi, Tariq, and Minsoo — arrived a few minutes later with snacks and soda. Levi tossed a pack of peanut M&M's at Evan. "Emergency rations. In case of prolonged exposure to space nerding."
Noel turned from the telescope. "It's already started."
Ren sat up with glee. "Oh, here we go!"
Evan smiled and moved closer to Noel. "What are we looking at?"
Noel adjusted the scope, hesitating a moment. "Want to see Jupiter?"
"Yeah," Evan said. "I've never actually looked through a real telescope."
Noel stepped aside, motioning. "Try it."
Evan leaned over, eyes adjusting. His breath caught.
"It's huge."
"It's about eleven times Earth's diameter," Noel said quietly beside him. "Mostly hydrogen and helium. A failed star, in a way."
"Failed?"
"Well, it never got massive enough to ignite fusion in its core like a true star. But it still emits more heat than it receives from the sun. Internal pressure. Gravity."
Evan looked up, and Noel was watching the sky — his posture looser, the tension in his jaw softened. He continued, voice calm, thoughtful.
"Jupiter's what we call a gas giant. But it has moons. Dozens. Like... it can't help but pull things in. And some of those moons are beautiful. Violent. Frozen. Volcanic. They orbit endlessly."
Evan smiled, letting the science wash over him like music.
Noel wasn't rambling the way people do when they're nervous. He was glowing. Lit from the inside by everything he loved.
"It's kind of tragic," Noel said after a moment. "All that gravity, but never quite becoming what it was supposed to be."
Evan glanced sideways at him. "Or maybe it did become what it was supposed to be."
Noel blinked.
Evan's voice dropped a little. "Not every star has to burn."
The rooftop went still. The others were chatting and laughing on the far side, but here in this corner of quiet space and scattered starlight, time felt like it was holding its breath.
Noel looked at him — really looked — and something in his expression shifted.
"You're not what I expected," he said finally.
Evan leaned back on his hands, looking up. "Yeah? What did you expect?"
"I don't know. Popular. Arrogant. Loud."
"And instead?"
Noel hesitated. "Warm."
It wasn't a confession. But it wasn't not one either.
Behind them, Ren was whispering furiously to Jun. "This is it. This is the moment."
Jun didn't look up. "No it's not."
"Why not?!"
"Because it's still chapter eight."
Evan's shoulder brushed Noel's as they both turned back to the sky, and for now, that was enough. No declarations. No kisses under the stars. Just presence. Proximity. A kind of gravity all their own.
Above them, Jupiter gleamed — quiet, massive, pulling everything closer without a sound.