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Renee was beginning to notice a habit with her friend. She was prone to picking up new hobbies and interests, many of them fading away just as quickly as they appeared. Of those interests, her newest was the sudden fascination with folding up little, colored strips of paper. Some days it was always the same color, others a variety, or even a pattern. Sometimes the strips of paper were thinner, sometimes wider. Regardless, the results were always the same. She would fold them around in such a way that they made tiny stars, as adorable as the one who created them.
It was during one of their periods of alone time, because she would never dare assume it was anything as romantic as a date, where she had decided to ask. Natalie had needed someone to help hoist metal plates against her newest project while she riveted them in place, intending to go back over the seams with a welder later, and like always, Renee was quick to offer help. That was when she noticed an entire jar filled with those stars sitting atop a shelf next to her work desk.
“What’re those for?” She asked between sheets of metal, reaching out with the intent to pull it down and look closer, but stopping halfway out of self-consciousness.
It’s something personal.
No, she just does them for fun.
“Hmm?” Natalie set down the rivet gun. She glanced up to see what she was talking about. “Oh, those!” She bounced up with a smile, taking the jar and popping the lid off. She sprinkled a few stars onto her palm, pastel blues and peachy oranges made up this one, and they all seemed about the same size.
The voidwalker picked one up, rolling it between her fingers. They looked like origami, and she was curious how they were made.
“I make them when I’m bored. I’ve actually gotten pretty good at it, to where I can fold them fast without really thinking about it. It’s uh, something to do with my hands while I watch shows, or try to think of new concepts, or brainstorm strategies for the Games, or… anything really.” She shook them out of her hand back into the jar, closing the lid. She took the one Renee was holding, gently unraveling the paper, showing how simple it actually was.
And showing a short sentence scrawled in pen.
She frowned, trying to focus on what it said, only for a flustered Natalie to crumple the strip before she could.
“I uh- sometimes you can write little affirmations or jokes or whatever on them before you fold them. They’re supposed to be lucky, especially if you fill a whole container full.” She cleared her throat, looking hopeful at her. “Do you want to try?”
Renee chuckled at her expression, not bothering to fight the smile. God, she could be so endearing without even trying. “Sure, I’ll try for your sake.”
Her words only left the blonde more flustered, as she led them back out into the main room, digging through something in a storage container kept beside the couch.
“What color?” She leafed through stacks of plastic sleeves holding precut strips of all shades and sizes.
Renee hummed, sitting on the sofa and making herself comfortable. Nikola was quick to jump up and steal the spot in her lap, though it’s not like he had any competition.
Not yet.
She felt heat rise to her cheeks at the voice’s raunchy tone.
“Surprise me, Sparks.” She really did not need to think about her attractive friend, with a heartwarming smile and wide hips, straddling her own and-
She suddenly leaned forward, steepling her fingers in front of her face and causing the feline to jump off with a huff after he had just made himself comfortable.
“Are you okay, chérie?” Natalie gave her a worried look, fidgeting with the paper in her hands.
The gentle French was not helping matters, either. She didn’t even know what the word meant, but she knew it was pulling and playing at her heart like the strings of a fiddle.
She cleared her throat. “Yeah, yeah I'm fine.”
“If you are sure.” She handed over a little strip of paper.
Renee blinked, lips twitching with the hint of a smile. “Yellow?”
Natalie tutted. “You said surprise you, so there, it is the opposite of purple.”
She laughed, speaking before she realized she was. “You’re so cute.” She tensed, trying to play it off as though those words were far more casual and less charged than they were.
She shook her head. Nat’s puns were starting to rub off.
“So, first you want to make a simple knot, but don’t tighten it. Flatten it when the edges are flush together.” She carefully demonstrated, seemingly ignoring the comment. “Then you just fold the extra around the edges, without folding it over the same place twice. You tuck the last flap under like this. Then you pinch each corner to make them crinkle and puff out.” She finished with a miniscule star in the center of her palm.
Renee snorted at her own that was slightly lopsided and crumpled, but at least still looked like a star.
“Très bien, Renee!” Her friend grinned, cupping the hand holding the star with her own. She could assume vaguely what she had said.
“It’s alright.” She rose a brow, chuckling when she got a glare, reminiscent of a kitten that had just gotten drenched in water.
“Non, more than alright. The first few I made didn’t hold together at all. I still make some that refuse to.”
Taking a risk, she placed their stars on the table, bringing both of her hands to hold Natalie’s own. “I just had a good teacher.” She said lowly, making the blonde blush and stare at their entwined fingers.
“H-hold on.” She pulled away, leaving Renee feeling like she had been drenched this time.
Great job, idiot.
You scared her away.
When the engineer came back shortly after, in the middle of Renee mentally kicking herself, she was carrying another glass jar. This one was taller, more rounded, and the lid had a purple and white checkered pattern. She recognized the jar her favorite blueberry preserves came in. It had obviously been thoroughly cleaned, all the labels scrubbed off, and it was filled to the brim with stars in shades of purple, blue, and even black.
“Here.” She offered the jar to the older woman, who hesitantly took it. “It’s… for when you want to feel good, whether or not you’re having a bad day or just… want reassurance. It brings luck.”
Curious, she unscrewed the lid, delicately pinching a purple star out of the pile. Natalie only seemed to get more nervous, fidgeting and rolling her wrists. She carefully unfolded the little strip of paper, feeling her air leave her lungs.
Written in white ink, sprawled across in her charming handwriting, were the words ‘You are beautiful’, complete with a heart at the end.
Why was she so sweet? What did she do to deserve having this amazing woman in her life?
“Mon Dieu, I hope it wasn’t one that was too embarrassing. Please tell me you do not mind.”
“Oh, I mind, Nat.” She set the jar on the table, trying her best to ignore the crushed expression on the blonde’s face that she couldn’t hide. She reached for her hands again, softly kissing the knuckles. “I mind a lot.” She tried to convey as much warmth in those words as she could, as she slowly reached to pull her into a tight hug.
She felt her gradually return the hug, eventually grasping at the voidwalker like she was standing at a precipice, afraid to fall too much too fast.
“Do you really think I’m beautiful?” Renee mumbled against her neck.
Her best friend giggled, and she almost felt dizzy from the unfamiliar feelings choking her. “Of course, mon beau fantôme. I’ve always thought that. You don’t know how lucky I am to have you in my life.”
“Took the words right out of my mouth, Sparks.” She smiled, as she pulled back just enough to read her eyes.
“Sparks?” Natalie laughed, tracing a thumb along her jaw, and for a fleeting second, looking as though she wanted to kiss her.
“Sweetie? Honeybun? Doll face? Cuddle bug?” The names were intentionally cheesy and meant to make her giggle. It was a sound that Renee absolutely adored hearing, and she would do whatever she could to hear more of it.
“I do not care what you come up with.” She poked her nose. “As long as it’s nothing mean.” She brushed her lips across her ear. “At least not outside the bedroom.”
Renee stared, open mouthed, at sweet, sweet Nat, who was giving her this look, like the cat who caught the canary.
Who would’ve guessed?
What do you mean? It’s always either the quiet ones or the sweet ones.
“O-one thing at a time, though, r-right?” She did not stutter, nope, not at all, as her beautiful blonde moved to straddle her hips.
“Oui, one thing at a time, unless you want more.” She said, sounding so innocent in spite of her position. When had the situation reversed? Since when did the lovely engineer have her blushing and on her toes, instead of the other way around? Nat bent down to meet her lips in a fiery kiss, so addicting that it left her starved of oxygen, seeing a totally new type of star as her vision came back.
“You really do look beautiful, mon amour, especially now, so flustered for petit vieux moi.” She thread her fingers through dark hair, pulling out the bun. “Stay the night?”
Renee hurriedly nodded her head, still lost in a daze, distracted by the feelings of here and now, as well as the suggestions and thoughts cluttering her mind that may not even be from her own self.
Natalie giggled, climbing off to sit next to her on the couch, nuzzling up against her side. “I just mean movies, dinner, and sleeping over. Not like that…” She gave her an appraising look. “But... if you think you’re ready for that, that we are ready for that, we can.”
The older woman softly shook her head, finally starting to think clearly without such pressing, blissful contact. No, they weren’t ready, she wanted to do this right and not rush things. Although, knowing she wanted everything too was definitely a comforting thought.
“So…” Renee eventually spoke, reaching for another one of her stars to stall for time. “What does this make us?”
“Whatever you feel comfortable with.” The blonde hesitated. “But I would like to be something more.”
“So would I.”
She read the slip, unable to resist laughing.
Her friend, no, her girlfriend, had declared that ‘Renee has a very nice butt’, and finished off the slip of paper with a goofy smiley face.
She pressed a kiss against fluffy, blonde locks, closing her eyes. “Never change, Natalie.”