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When Ricky woke up this morning, the last thing he expected was a spaceship crash landing in his back yard.
He also didn’t expect a cute alien boy to crawl out from the rubble, but he supposes it’s better than the alternative. It’s not like he’s a disbeliever in extraterrestrials, but he never imagined he’d live long enough to come in contact with one. And boy, has he come in contact with one.
When Ricky thinks of aliens, he thinks of gross, slimy, green creatures that aren’t attractive at all. Meanwhile, Gyuvin’s skin is a light shade of lavender, and he has the cutest, most adorable horns that look like little nubs on his head. Honestly, Ricky wants to reach out and rub one of them just to see what might happen. He has enough self restraint and manners not to, however.
In the last five hours, Gyuvin’s told him everything about himself, and it makes Ricky wonder if they teach the importance of stranger-danger on other planets. He can’t lie and pretend like he isn’t interested in everything Gyuvin says, though. Apparently, Gyuvin’s from the Epsilon Andromeda star system, his home planet is called Gliese, and he has a huge family that spans several different galaxies.
He’s so talkative and curious about everything, too. Ricky hasn’t talked this much in ages, and it genuinely feels like he’s teaching a baby about stuff everyone else already knows.
“What’s that?” Gyuvin asks, pointing up at the sky. “I’ve been meaning to ask. It makes my eyes burn really, really bad.”
“Please, don’t stare directly at it.” Ricky grimaces, placing his hands on Gyuvin’s shoulders as he turns him away from the sunlight. “That’s the sun. It’s a star. Surely, you have stars where you come from.”
Gyuvin rubs his eyes. “Of course, I know what a star is. But, I didn’t know they could get that big. We don’t have a sun where I come from, we all think it’s a myth.”
“...You think the sun is a myth?”
“We think that stars getting that big is a myth.”
Ricky can’t stop himself from smiling. “You are so interesting.”
“Why does it move?” Gyuvin glances up at the sun, then turns back to Ricky. “It used to be up there, but now it’s over there.”
Why does the sun move? Where does Ricky even begin to answer a question like that? Would he even know how to? For some reason, he really thought aliens would know more about the world than he did. For a species with spaceships and interstellar travel, surely, they should know about how planets spin?
“Because it wants to.” Ricky decides on.
Now, it’s Gyuvin’s turn to sound unimpressed. “...Because it wants to?”
Ricky nods. “It even leaves for a little bit, but it always comes back.”
“Where does it go?” Gyuvin asks.
“It goes to sleep.”
A lightbulb goes off over Gyuvin’s head. “That actually makes a lot of sense!”
Does it? Not really. Ricky feels a little guilty for lying, but he really isn’t in the mood to get into it. It’s Gyuvin’s fault for being so gullible and cute, not Ricky’s!
“Even stars need to sleep.” Ricky decides to go along with it. “When the sun sets, the blue drains from the sky, and everything gets dark.”
“I was wondering why it was so bright here. At home, the sky is black.” Gyuvin stares up at the clouds. “We don’t have those, either. It’s all… dark and still. Nothing moves.”
“That sounds a little sad. Living with no light.”
“I guess I wouldn’t really know. That’s what home is to me, so I like it.” Gyuvin blinks a few times, and Ricky gets lost in the inky oceans of black in his eyes. He never thought someone could look so pretty without irises. He’s realizing a lot of things about beauty, and himself.
“I can show you the sunset, if you want.”
Gyuvin’s face lights up. “I’d love that! Do I have to prepare for it, or something? Is it like a ritual?”
Ricky snorts. “No, it’s nothing like that. Just—come with me.”
As soon as Ricky grabs onto Gyuvin’s hand, a tingling sensation spreads across his fingertips all the way down his arm. Gyuvin’s skin is ice-cold, and it feels like Ricky’s holding onto a cluster of dead stars. He has no idea where the comparison comes from, but it feels appropriate.
He wonders what Gyuvin is made of the entire walk through the forest. Gyuvin practically skips behind him, constantly asking about each new plant and bug he sees. Ricky does his best to answer honestly until they make it to a clearing. It’s the highest spot with a huge cliff overlooking the town, the perfect place to watch the sun set.
Gyuvin almost jumps off the cliff out of pure curiosity, and Ricky has to hold himself back with a grimace.
“Just sit, don’t jump.”
That’s how they end up sitting side-by-side on the cliff's edge, looking up at the sky. The sun peeks out from the horizon, slowly disappearing behind the skyline with each passing minute.
“It’s beautiful.” Gyuvin says, eyes wet.
“Are you crying?”
Gyuvin shakes his head, wiping away a few stray tears. “I forgot you said not to stare directly at the sun.”
Ricky laughs, sliding his fingers between Gyuvin’s. He holds their palms together as he turns his gaze up towards the sunset. Something buzzes underneath Gyuvin’s skin, and it makes Ricky’s own skin vibrate.
“This happens every day?” Gyuvin asks in awe.
Ricky nods. He never thought that the sunset could be so captivating. He’s seen the sun disappear so many times, he forgot how beautiful it can be.
“Goodnight, sun.” Gyuvin quietly says, tightening his grip on Ricky’s hand. “I hope you sleep well.”
He really is the cutest ever, isn’t he? Ricky wonders what else he can show Gyuvin. For now, rests his head against Gyuvin’s shoulder and smiles.
“Goodnight, sun.”