Jealousy of the Stars

Gazing into the night one may feel lost in the ocean of space and be swept away by a tidal wave of the lights in the sky; however, as long as you hold tight, you will stay anchored by something that overwhelmingly illuminates light far more bright than every star the casts its rays upon you.

I know I'm not beautiful or at least I never thought that I was.

I was never really bothered with it much before, but now I am.

Why? I had no one else to blame but the stars.

It may seem foolish to compare your own beauty to that of the lights above, but I couldn't help feeling ignored and envious of their beauty.

Who wouldn't take one look at the clear night sky and absorb the awe that was birthed from how they attracted every soul to peek up at them at midnight just once for them. They were harmless Medusas that turned people into statues and caused every man to form a glass jaw once they were spotted.

What of me though? I was off putting by my appearance and coupled with a frantic and hyper demeanor it wasn't a simple task to watch myself in a mirror and wonder who could I possibly impress.

Aside from the fact I knew I wasn't appealing, I was still depressed and forgotten by the one I thought that could overlook my flaws.

He was at my side as we were snuggled together against a clutch of rocks. We had a long day together and wanted to rest.

I was touched that Jack wished to help me with my new found duties out of his own volition. He tried to turn it into a competition but lost out because even though I was rough and relearning the art, I still had hundreds of years experience prior to my old task of tooth collecting.

I didn't mind that he simply wanted to rest and I was more than glad to lay beside him under the night sky.

If that was all that had happened then I wouldn't have been cloaked in worry of myself I was happy to with him but in my mind he wasn't with me.

He was silent and seemed in love with the scenery up in the clouds than the person right next to him. Jack concentrated on the stars and seemed to count the vast millions of them. It was like a child taking notice and recording the movements and number of every ant in a colony.

The night was beautiful, so were the stars. They could be seen despite the Moon becoming a spotlight in the sky.

I don't blame him for wanting to stargaze than speak with me. A simple glance wouldn't hurt though. To recognize that I was still here would ease my worries.

I was resting my head in the crook of his neck and I could feel the calm breathing of his lungs. It seemed odd that we both were physically at peace while my mind was not.

I didn't really blame him for paying more attention to the sky than me, I knew that it was far more beautiful than me.

Afterall, the sky had sparkling lights every where without a cloud for miles while I had feathers on almost every inch of my body.

The stars were something only one may look at and you would never be shunned by staring endlessly at them, while with me it would soon become dull and blank.

I figured however I should just push aside this feeling and relax knowing I was at least with someone.

It seemed that the best way to break the silence of night and drown out the occasional chirp of birds and the symphony of crickets was to at least speak with him.

"Hey, Jack?"

He didn't move but seemed to be loosening his grip on my hand which he'd been holding for the longest time.

"Yeah?"

I wasn't sure of what I wanted to say, but if I didn't spit it out now then it would be forgotten during our next encounter.

"Do you think the sky is beautiful tonight."

I couldn't see his whole face from my angle, but I could the side of his mouth creep into a smile.

"Of course it is."

It was the answer I was expecting. I wasn't angry, but my envy of their appreciation didn't die away.

"I think so-"

"Well," he interrupted "the sky is always beautiful and yet…"

"And what?"

"You might not be as beautiful as stars, but you've got something they don't."

It was a chess game of tugging and pulling at certain heartstrings that made him go for checkmate.

"What's that."

"Me."

He pushed himself up and like a boomerang let gravity pull himself back to me but this time with his own body above mine. He let his face dangle above my own and smiled just for me.

I couldn't help but blush at our positions and his proud statement. He took one of my hands with his own and let the other rest on one of my inflamed cheeks. I couldn't help but reciprocate by letting my hand rest at the back of his head and feet his icy hair.

Neither of us were bothered by the temperatures of our hands resting on one another. I could only feel comfort as my worries bled away and were replaced with this small, yet affectionate bliss I was in.

"You shouldn't be jealous like that when the you've got something the stars will never have."

He smiled and ironically melted my heart as he dealt his hand so cleverly.

It was checkmate for me when he let that smile rest on my own.

I let my grip on the back of his head tighten while he did the same with my other hand.

The kiss was soft and sweet, no rushed, not prolonged. Just simple and with care as to not seduce either one of us to more exhilarating fantasies.

He left a cold imprint of my lips and I knew I would feel it several times over before the night would end.

"You know Tooth, from I can tell, I think you've given them some to be jealous about."

I smiled let my mind wander for a moment about that statement, but he answered my mental question with an encore of his affection.