Ash reminds him that he’s not really had a family before and Kepler frowns, irritated at himself for, somehow, continuing to harp on that fact. He doesn’t mean to do it.

“My parents didn’t believe in trick-or-treating,” Kepler confesses, as though that fact, in any way, shape or form, might equal out, might balance. Great, now he just felt stupid.

“None,” he says, trying not to let his self-frustration show in his tone, “I’ve been on none trick-or-treat dates. I’ve been on zero dates, in total.” He looks up at Ash. “Well, one, now.”

Was it, also, the best one of his life, by sheer virtue of being his only? Yes. Absolutely yes.

Was it continuing to get better? Yes. Absolutely yes.

Ash pulled him to a stop as the rabbits continued on a little further ahead. Kepler’s entire body was just-- just nerves, that’s all he was, a single, flickering bulb beaming fit to beat the moon. He lets Ash tip his face back and his eyes focus in on Ash’s silver ones as their faces draw even closer together.

At the last second, he tries to panic, but it’s too late and Ash is kissing him and holy shit. His eyes half-close, he forgets to breathe; It’s only a second, only the briefest touch, a preliminary trial, an exploration, a run through of the calculations to make sure the delta-G isn’t going to blow them all sky-high and then Ash pulls back.

Kepler is stunned.

Somehow, his brain works again, and it says the stupidest shit:

“I have done that none times before, too.”

It’s barely a whisper. He fights the urge to bring his fingertips to his lips, to chase the feeling. He looks moonstruck. He is moonstruck.

Ashley Shepard

☉