Stars Dancing [Dreams-To-Lovers Romance]

SHAH

Spill, sister. You owe me.

Hah! I guess I sort of do, but it was Cyn who told me the vague truth, not you, Ronnie, I told him.

Eye roll. The details weren't important to my twin. I was so excited about Slick and Muller that I didn't really care either.

With a distinct eagerness in my mental voice, I confided, So, Euri and I decided to quest out, see if we could pick up any telepaths. We came across Slick. He was surprised I was your twin.

Mental nod.

He seemed kinda lonely. So, I asked him if he wanted to meet Muller.

Eagerness. Ronnie sooo wanted the gossip!

Euri had to follow the wind to find Muller again.

Keen interest.

Yeah, he can follow the wind a little better now. It takes him around places if he focuses. So, he thought about the Cavern of Lights, then Muller was there. And he acted all grumpy, but he wasn't really.

Amusement.

So, Euri told him we'd met someone new. Then we all connected, like some kind of four-way video conference, but on the mental plane.

Keen interest.

Yeah, it was pretty easy. And oh man, Ronnie! Those two! It was like an explosion!

Eagerness.

Muller was all, 'What's Dliptonia like?' and Slick was all 'Why don't you come see?' and then SPARKS! I mean, Euri and I had to go—

Slam. The mental door between me and my brother slammed shut. I cackled. Apparently he didn't want to know what Euri and I did to free ourselves of the Slick/Muller inferno of passion.

I knocked on Ronnie's telepathic door again. It opened.

Caution.

I cackled.

Amusement.

But a wave of sadness spilled from me towards him. Two years, Ronnie? Two years you've known Cyn? You did all of that by yourself all that time? You had to bear it alone?

Mental shoulder shrug.

Really, Ronnie?

His mind opened up to me, and it was nauseating, just like always. On the heels of the Prague puke fest, I wanted to run away screaming, but I decided to bear it. Ronnie's complex mind patterns were part of why I didn't really know my brother, so I decided to try and stick it out. If I could, then maybe I'd understand him better.

Can Cyn be around the full impact of your brain?

Complete contentment.

My heart felt like it would explode. Ronnie was utterly content when he thought about Cyn. Emotion welled in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks.

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She gets you, doesn't she?

Soft smile.

I let his peace wash over me, and it turned into gratitude and thankfulness. I let my mind open a little more to my brother. Yes, it made my head spin, and I felt like I wanted to puke, but I let Ronnie's mind wash over mine.

I saw an infinity of stars. No, I saw a single star. It was connected to the infinity of stars, and they all sang in harmony. One star that looked so far away that it seemed as though I couldn't even really see it stood out, and it was the prettiest of all. It pulled me to it, and I wrapped around it, protecting it, and comforting it.

Tears streaked my cheeks.

The star I was wrapped around was frightened, but not frightened at the same time. It wanted to relax, but it couldn't. That was okay. I stayed with it and protected it. I comforted it. Eventually it reached out to me.

I was back in my own mind, Portia again, tears pouring out of my eyes, and my heart both full and aching.

Thanks, Ronnie, it was a mental whisper to my brother.

Nod.

He was gone.

EURI

Euri?

The telepathic hail sent me to my knees, eyes blacking out, gasping for breath. I felt Ronnie's mental presence surge around me, but I pushed him back. I wasn't in any danger, just being assaulted by my brother's angst.

Dwin, what's wrong?

It was my older brother, but it wasn't. It was a panicking, terrified, overwhelmed, out-of-control version of my brother.

Ashten's pregnant.

Ah. Okay. I blinked several times, trying to get control of my mental faculties. I was on a boardwalk, going for an evening stroll. Portia, Ronnie, and Cyn gathered around me, shuffling the passersby along. I took a couple of slow breaths and managed to stand, but I made my way to the railing just in case Dwin knocked me over with panic again.

We were on Lyrididee Seven, a vacation sphere a week out from Earth. This was meant to be a stop-over point to give us a mental health break from starliner life. Three days on Lyrididee Seven: heavenly beaches, sunset strolls, and endless seafood.

But, our peaceful evening had been interrupted by my brother freaking out that his fiancee was with child. Like I knew anything about babies. What the fuck was I supposed to say?

Dwin, it's going to be okay—

It's NOT, Euri! This is not okay! There is no okay at all in this scenario. Nothing about this situation is okay.

He was obviously too freaked out to be consoled, so what did he need?

Tell me how bad it is, Dwin. Tell me everything that isn't okay right now.

And so he did. It went on for a long time. Long enough that my little group walked the entire boardwalk, then down to the beach, and back to our resort. Shah took a shower. I wanted to join her, but my brother was still apoplectic in my brain, so I waited 'til she was done then took a solo shower.

While there, I thought about Portia getting impregnated by myself, and I realized that Dwin had a point. So, I let him carry on and on. Yeah, a two hour episode of madness was a lot to have pounded into my brain, and he did wind up repeating himself over and over, but eventually, he tired himself out and settled down.

Better? I asked him when he seemed like he was nearly comatose.

It has to be, doesn't it? I mean, I've got to pull it together for her.

I winced. I wondered what Ashten had been doing for the last two hours. Dwin caught the edge of that in my mind.

Wry. She had been puking, and he had been amazing, acting like the most supportive dad-to-be in the Cosmos. I laughed at him. So, Ashten knew nothing of his melt down. Good.

Glad to be of service, I said.

He didn't say anything, but I could feel how insecure he was.

Dwin, you're not alone. You have me, and Mets and Muse. And we're coming home. It'll take us another ten days, but we'll be home. You and Ashten aren't alone. You have family, and we love you.

Nodding. Still scared.

Yeah, if it were Portia, I'd be scared too, Dwin. But, you know what? How do you think Mets and Muse felt when they made us? Did they feel super confident? Did they worry? Were they scared? I think if you weren't freaked out, then that would be abnormal. How is Ashten feeling about a baby, anyway?

She's freaking out. Neither of us is ready. The contraceptives didn't work. We were careful, it just didn't work.

Something warm spread through my heart. Something from beyond the stars. Dwin felt it, and both of us shared a moment of love that couldn't be explained.

Yeah, my brother's telepathic voice was barely a whisper, yeah, alright. This baby wants to be born to us. Okay. We'll find a way. Thanks Euri. Love you.

Love you too, Dwin. And Ashten. And the new one. All three of you.

I opened my eyes.

"You're gonna be an uncle?"

"You can be 'Auntie Shah.' You like the sound of that?" She nodded and kissed me.