Of Stars & Lies by R. M. Grace

I'll call them and rearrange. Let's get this room sorted first. Come and give me a hand.”

 
     
    Sixteen
     
     
         “ Look over there. Do you see that hazy object?”
    Love glances to where Cade is pointing. He squints, curling his nose up in confusion. “You mean that smudge?”
    “ Yeah. It wouldn't be a smudge if you'd brought the binoculars.”
    When Love smiles at the side of his mate's face, moths stir inside his belly. He feels like a school boy again.
    “ I brought them. They're in one of the bags. Why don't find them?”
    He knows he has no chance of getting Cade up in the pitch black to search for anything. They lie on the grass atop a cliff with the tent to their right. The waves are crashing down below, keeping Cade in a mild state of panic about being up here all night. It was a good idea in theory, but being up here now, he has to listen to Cade keep saying the land is tilting.
    “ We'll find them tomorrow.”
    Love bursts out laughing and receives a dig in the ribs for his efforts.
    “ Anyway, what's the big deal about the smudge?”
    “ It's Andromeda.”
    Love's silence is deafening. He hasn't got the first clue about space. Whenever Cade speaks about the subject, he cannot follow. It's all jumbled nonsense to him, but Cade finds it fascinating. Plus, he looks cute as hell when his eyes light up and he gets excited, so Love lets him chatter on.
    “It's t he closest galaxy to ours. It's on a collision course with the Earth.”
    Cade senses the change in emotion as Love stares at him with the grass tickling his ear.
    “ Don't worry. It's moving at seventy miles per second and will collide with the Milky Way in about four billion years. Scientists believe the galaxies will merge. By that point, the Earth could have no water, due to the ever-increasing luminosity waves that the Sun produces. Hence, no terrestrial life will exist then.”
    He senses Cade's eyes on him as silence sits between them. “Then, if we are talking the end of all life on Earth, there's always the Sun's core. It might contract and lose hydrogen and helium. The outer layers will expand and become a red dwarf. Then—”
    “ Whooa, you're rambling.”
    “ It's interesting. Perhaps even if life dies on Earth, we could recreate it if the correct ingredients are present. Who knows?”
    “ Interesting? So when are any of these delightful deaths coming?”
    Cade chuckles. “At least three billion years from now. There's always the chance of asteroids, viruses, or nukes that could destroy us before then.”
    Love glances back to the vast sky with the glowing orbs and clouds of gas. He tries to pin-point the little smudge again, but can't.
    “Stay tuned, kids. Next week, Mr Delain will demonstrate a hundred more ways we could all perish,” Love mocks. “You'd be great at telling bedtime stories.”
    Cade snorts and rolls onto his side to caress the naked torso next to him. “It doesn't matter if we die.”
    In the darkness, Love seeks his hand and gives it a squeeze. “I'd kind of prefer to live though, you know?”
    Soft lips rest on his stubbled cheek and press down. “Do you want to know what I think?”
    “ I suppose you're going to tell me whether I want to know, or not.”
    Cade's stubble scratches against his collar bone as he settles himself on him and nuzzles into his warmth. He wraps his arm around Cade so he can caress his back. The buzz of being this close and open with his best mate and lover is intoxicating.
    “ Well, I think our spirit becomes integrated with another body. Perhaps here on Earth, or from one of the billions upon billions of planets elsewhere. In this galaxy, or another.”
    “ So what happens to our memories?”
    “ I think we remember things from our past lives as kids, but don't understand them. By the time we understand, we lose them. People say we can see things in our sleep too.”
    “ So I won't remember you?”
    Cade's fingers tighten at his side as he cuddles closer. “Don't