I thought I was
impressed when I learned to put a candle out with my fingers. But he
knew how to do it, too, and he didn’t even need to put his fingers
between his lips. Perfectly smooth and barely pink, the tips of his
digits were not calloused or burned, but they collected the ashes and
smelled vaguely of cheap cigars. It always seemed to catch my attention
when he absentmindedly played with lighters in the grocery store, but I
never thought he could make more than scraps of paper burn.
My skin burns wherever he grazes it. My face burns bright red under
his gaze. My hand burns as he holds it between his fiery fingers. His
eyes burn, too, through the icy blue of his irises. Fueled by oxygen and
hearts of flame, our bodies burn together, radiating heat, under the
confines of our bedsheets.