Archive of Our Own ^beta

Rowen POV

It was mid-morning on a Wednesday when Rowen Spicer was rudely woken up by the sound of a motor revving just outside of her flat. She scowled in the general direction of the street, rolling over and folding her pillow over her head. The noise continued for a few more seconds as the vehicle—likely a motorbike judging by the audacity —idled in place, and then finally the motor shut off.

Rowen sighed softly, letting go of her pillow as she groggily fumbled for her phone to see how much longer she could sleep. However, when sleepy, green eyes landed on the display that read 8:37, Rowen made a horrified squeak as she realized she had overslept.

Frantically, she unlocked her phone, certain she had set an alarm, and to her dismay, she realized she had set it not for 8:00 AM but 8:00 PM.

“Shit!” Rowen hissed as she threw the blankets off of herself and hopped out of bed, doing her best to not trip over a pile of textbooks. She wasn’t late -late yet, but now she definitely didn’t have time to relax over breakfast or take a shower.

Quickly, she pulled off her night shirt, her collection of wood and fiber necklaces plopping down against her sternum as she tossed it on her bed and fumbled in her dresser for something to wear. Most of her usual clothes were still drying on the clothes horse by the window, so Rowen grabbed a cropped tee with a sunflower on the chest and threw it on as she hunted for something she could wear over it. 

She made a triumphant noise as she pulled out a pair of olive dungarees from the closet, flopping back onto her bed so she could hastily pull them on. It was only after she stood back up that she remembered why she didn’t wear these that often. With a frustrated huff, she sat back down on the edge of her bed and rolled up the pants legs several times, cursing her tiny stature.

Now sufficiently dressed, Rowen grabbed her glasses and slid them onto her face as she darted out of her room and into the bathroom across the hall. Although most of her morning routine only took a few minutes, she found that rushing her hair was nearly impossible if she wanted to look presentable. Unfortunately, her options today were ‘presentable and late’ or ‘stray cat and on time.’

She went with the latter.

With a huff, she pulled her curls into a loose ponytail, hoping it was at least passable, and gave herself a once-over in the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her, complete with rosy, freckled cheeks, big, gold-rimmed glasses, far too many piercings to be considered ‘straight’, and curly, auburn hair with faded green streaks that stuck out in all directions. 

With a pitiful sigh, Rowen accepted that was going to have to be good enough and disappeared back across the hall to grab her things and hurry downstairs.

From the dining table, her flatmate Opal looked up from her morning coffee and what was probably her chemistry notes. “Oh, hey Rowen! Did you clear out space in your bathroom for our new flatmate? Current told me to ask!”

“Yup, already done!” Rowen replied as she grabbed her sandals and slipped them on. “Got half of the cabinet freed, and there’s room for towels and stuff on the shelf.” She hopped in place, trying to get the strap over one heel without falling over. “Oh, wait, is our new flatmate moving in today? I thought that was this weekend!”

“Landlord’s here, so I think today,” Opal replied, shrugging. “Don’t know her name or anything, but I think Current knows her.”

Rowen huffed, blowing a lock of hair out of her face in frustration as she glanced at the clock on the wall. “Ugh, I’m already running late. I’ll just have to meet her later. Anyway, see you!”

“Bye!” Opal called as Rowen dashed out the door. Belatedly, Rowen realized she should have grabbed a protein bar or a banana, but it was a little too late for that now. She’d just stop by one of the cafes on campus once she was done with her advisor meeting. With a sigh, Rowen paused long enough to make sure the door was latched and that she had her keys, then did a 180 to step onto the sidewalk—and right into a passerby.

Rowen squeaked as she lost her balance, stumbling back, only to have the other person catch her from falling by grabbing her wrist and tugging forward. However, the sudden change in trajectory still caught her off guard, and she stumbled face-first into her savior’s chest with an “oof!”

Rowen blinked rapidly, realizing she had just been spared from busting her ass on concrete, before then realizing her cheek and hands were pressed up against someone’s chest. Heat flooded her face as she scrambled back, an apology on the tip of her tongue, only for that apology to go into cardiac arrest as she stared up at her savior.

The woman who caught her regarded her curiously with silvery, upturned eyes framed by jagged black bangs. She had a pale complexion and round face, with soft pink lips that Rowen found incredibly distracting. Her features were adorned with a silver nose ring and several silver and black metal earrings, and the rest of her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, the color blending into the black leather of her padded jacket. 

Rowen blinked. Leather jackets weren’t padded. She blinked again and realized that not only was this woman well over a head taller than her, but she literally had a bodybuilder’s physique. No wonder she caught Rowen from falling!

The woman tilted her head slightly in concern, and Rowen realized she was just staring at the pretty muscle lady who she’d run into. With an ‘eep!’ , she pulled back, face practically glowing. “Omigosh, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention, and—and I didn’t see you, and I didn’t mean to fall on you, and t-thank you for catching me!”

Her words ended on a high-pitched squeak, only adding to her embarrassment as she quickly scooted around the woman, nervously clutching the strap of her cross-body bag to her chest. Rowen swallowed, unable to look at the woman again as she quickly rushed off towards the bus stop, her face aflame and her heart pounding.

Could anything else go wrong with this morning? 

As she watched her bus go by right before she got to the stop, Rowen contemplated canceling her appointment and throwing herself into the river instead.

XX

By the time Rowen got home, she had mostly put the morning behind her. Although she had been late for her appointment, her history of being incredibly punctual meant her advisor was very forgiving. It helped that the bus system had been pretty off-schedule lately, so when Rowen said she missed the bus, her advisor didn’t even question it.

The rest of her day had gone far more smoothly, with her lab work uneventful and lunch much the same. However, when Rowen stepped through the door, she blinked at the unfamiliar set of boots hanging out on the shoe rack. Her eyes widened as she remembered Opal mentioning their new flatmate was moving in today. 

Kicking off her sandals, Rowen climbed the stairs to find the door to the room next to hers was open, a couple of moving boxes occupying the floor and a biker’s helmet sitting on the desk. Memories of how Rowen woke up that morning made her realize that her new flatmate was probably the owner of that loud bike. Rowen wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about that. The bike was kind of loud.

Well, she wasn’t going to judge someone she hadn’t met. And truthfully the sound of the bike had prevented Rowen from being too late to her meeting. With that in mind, Rowen quickly scanned the room for anything else of interest, her gaze falling to the leather jacket on the bed. Just when Rowen realized the jacket looked disturbingly familiar, she heard the bathroom door open behind her. 

Rowen turned, eyes going wide as the woman from this morning stepped out of the bathroom, fresh out of the shower. A navy towel hugged her hips while another draped over her shoulders, concealing her breasts. She was broad-shouldered, with thick biceps and toned abs that peeked out past the terry cloth, supporting Rowen’s earlier theory that she was a bodybuilder. Her left bicep and shoulder also had a tattoo with a full moon behind highly stylized clouds.

Her wet hair was messily pinned atop her head, with one or two droplets of water sliding down her neck and into the towel, and Rowen found that absolutely distracting. Rowen swallowed, a pink flush dusting her freckled cheeks as she realized her brand new flatmate was the very woman whose breasts Rowen had accidentally face-planted into earlier today.

For the first time in her life, Rowen realized she was experiencing what it meant to be a ‘bi disaster.’

“Oh, it’s you,” the woman said, brows lifting in recognition. She has a low, soft voice with an accent Rowen couldn’t place. “The girl from this morning.”

“Ahaha, that’s me,” Rowen said weakly, feeling her cheeks warm as she was reminded of her earlier blunder. “I promise I’m not… normally like that. My alarm didn’t go off, and, uh, I had an important meeting to get to and got distracted.”

The woman nodded. “You seemed in a hurry, yes. Did you make your meeting?”

Rowen sighed in relief, grateful she seemed to not be holding the encounter against her. “Y-yeah, I did. Anyway, um, hi. I’m Rowen. I guess you’re my new flatmate?”

“So it seems,” the woman replied, a hint of a smile on her lips. “My name is Nova.”

She walked past Rowen into her room, stopping at the doorway to look over her shoulder. “It’s nice to meet you, Rowen. I hope we get along well.”

With that, she closed the door, leaving Rowen standing in the hall with the realization that her new flatmate, who seemed to be a bodybuilding biker girl with killer vibes, was probably way too cool to be her friend.

Nova POV

Nova Silver pursed her lips as she inspected her room. It was fairly sizable, with a full-sized bed, a desk and chair, and a modest wardrobe with a full-length mirror. The colors were neutral, and the floor was thankfully not carpeted. She had been given a rather unnecessary long list of things she was not allowed to do with the place, including paint the walls, put new holes in them, or move the furniture out of the room. She was not sure why someone might move the furniture but had learned that people were weird.

There were already some nails and hooks, though, so she supposed those were her designated ‘decoration spots’ not that she had much to decorate with. She wasn’t sure if that was simply because she’d never had the chance to experiment or just who she was. Maybe both. 

Current told her that while the landlord was kind of shitty, he did make sure things got fixed when they broke. The washing machine had recently been replaced and the fridge was upgraded last year. That was probably more thanks to the housing authority, or at least, that’s what Current said. Nova didn’t know much about such things. This was the first time she’d been in a renting situation.

But…she needed this. Finally cutting ties with her overbearing family was a dream come true, and while it’d be hard, Nova would gladly embrace it for that bit of freedom. Maybe now she’d find out who she actually was and not who her parents wanted her to be.

But first… she needed to deal with her current situation. The room was furnished but not to the point Nova could spend the night in it. She needed things like bedding, a desk lamp, and bathroom supplies. Current was kind enough to lend her some towels earlier, but Nova needed to get her own. A rug might also be nice at some point.

Nova would also need to get food. However, she could only carry so much at once, whether by hand or with her bike, so she figured she’d knock out the bedding situation first, since those kinds of stores didn’t stay open late. She could always order food or run by a late night mini-mart if she didn’t get a chance to go grocery shopping today.

With that thought, Nova got dressed, pulling on a matching sports bra and underwear, followed by a pair of baggy cotton joggers in gray and a sleeveless top in black. She affixed her hair in a way that would likely hold up through the afternoon, and then pulled on her workout shoes.

When she stepped out of her room, she lifted a brow to see the door to Rowen’s room was open, giving her a glimpse inside. What she saw was a rather colorful room that vastly contrasted anything Nova had ever lived in. The space was decorated in various shades of earthy colors, with green curtains framing the window and a green and brown fluffy rug on the floor. Several plants crowded the window, some with tall, giant leaves and others with small, delicate flowers, and the desk held a laptop and a second monitor, along with a small stack of books with several sticky notes peeking out of them.

The bed itself looked rather cozy with bedding in a spring pattern and an extra set of plain green pillows with a decorative fringe. Rowen had hung a forest scene tapestry and a string of rattan lights on the wall behind it, giving it a fairytale sort of feel. The night stand had a lamp in the shape of a mushroom, and stacked on the floor beside the bed were even more books, all with topics like environmental sciences, ecology, and botany.

Nova blinked, realizing she could hear running water coming from the bathroom. The door was open and the light off, but before she could figure out what it was, Rowen stepped out, a pitcher of water in her hands. She stopped, looking over at Nova, and then smiled shyly, shrugging up her shoulders. “Hey! Sorry, the bathroom’s free if you need it. I’m just watering my plants.”

“Ah, no, I’m good,” Nova admitted, gaze flicking to the water and back to Rowen’s room. “You have a pretty room.”

To her mild amusement, Rowen’s cheeks turned pink. “Oh, it’s a mess right now! I normally don’t have books everywhere but I’ve been neck-deep in research and just haven’t tidied up.”

Nova tilted her head. “Research? What do you do?”

“Oh! I’m a grad student in environmental sciences, broadly speaking. I go out pretty often to gather samples and then test and analyze them in a lab. Gotta have data for my thesis. And that usually requires… a lot of research.” Rowen sighed as she said the last bit, a wry grin on her face. “I enjoy it, though.”

“I see,” Nova said thoughtfully. She wished she had more to say about it, but she knew very little about such sciences or working in a lab. Private school hadn’t really taught her much of that.

To her dismay, Rowen seemed to take that as dismissive. “Yeah, it’s not for everyone. Most people just think I’m a hippie, and I guess that’s true, too.”

“It seems interesting,” Nova quickly said, not wanting to give the wrong impression. “I just can’t speak to it. But I think it’s very impressive.”

“Aww, shucks,” Rowen replied, grinning in a silly sort of way. “I’ll spare you details about soil testing and environmental politics, regardless. So anyway, did you need something?”

“Just going to get some supplies,” Nova replied softly, offering a hint of a smile. “Enjoy your research.”

“Thanks, you too—” Rowen made a horror-stricken face as she caught what she was saying and quickly amended, “Pretend I didn’t say that. Enjoy your shopping?”

“I do not think it will be that enjoyable, but I appreciate the sentiment,” Nova replied as she walked past her to the stairwell. “I’ll see you later, Rowen.”

The sing-song way Rowen said “Bye” repeated itself several times in Nova’s mind as she descended the stairwell.

XX

As predicted, shopping was not enjoyable, but it served its purpose. Nova now had bedding, towels, and other basic household supplies that she needed for herself. Sadly, they were all fairly utilitarian, in shades of gray or black, but they were of good quality and otherwise comfortable.

Rowen was in the bathroom when Nova got back, the sound of the shower running indicating what she was up to. 5 PM was a bit of an odd shower time, but perhaps she was off schedule since she said she had been late this morning. After all, Nova did not normally take showers midday, but after the long drive and moving her boxes, she felt like she needed to rinse off.

She would have to find out when Rowen normally took showers so she could work around it. Nova had never quite shared a bathroom before with someone, so she wanted to make sure she didn’t do anything inconsiderate.

It didn’t take her long to make her bed, and Nova smiled slightly as she smoothed her hand over the sheets, admiring her simple but effective work. Perhaps her room was boring with her slate gray sheets and black duvet, but at least they were soft.

She heard the sound of the bathroom door opening, followed by Rowen’s door closing, signaling the bathroom was free. Nova pursed her lips, noting that even with her door closed, sound carried easily. Hopefully, it would not be a problem. With that in mind, she grabbed her bathroom supplies to put away now that the bathroom was free.

However, as she stepped inside the steamy room and put away her towels, she noticed two things—one, Rowen’s shampoo smelled amazing, like pineapple or some other fruit, and two, her phone was still sitting on the sink. Before Nova could really ponder on either for too long, she heard the door open across the hall. Rowen appeared in the doorway a moment later, her wet hair messily clipped to the top of her head and clutching an oversized green towel to her chest to keep it in place.

Rowen jumped slightly, clearly unprepared for Nova to be standing there. Likewise, Nova had not been prepared for another onslaught of ‘cute’. Although Nova had already mentally categorized Rowen as such from their earlier encounters, this visual definitely made it worse. Her big green eyes seemed even more prominent without her glasses, and the way her curls were only half in her hair clip was, frankly, adorable.

Not to mention, Rowen was just… tiny. The too-big towel didn’t help that. It practically went down to her knees.

“Ah!” Rowen squeaked, apparently unprepared for Nova to be standing there. “S-sorry, did I leave my pho—oh!”

Nova chuckled softly, passing Rowen her phone with an amused smile. “Sorry. I thought you were done, so I wanted to put away my things.”

“I am! Just forgot to grab this,” Rowen promised, smiling awkwardly as she took her phone. “Oh, um, I’m sure you figured it out, but I cleared out the left side of the cabinet for you, and there’s plenty of room on the towel shelf. Also, if you need, there’s some stuff I don’t mind sharing, like first-aid supplies and hand soap.”

“Thank you,” Nova said earnestly. “You’re very kind.”

“Nah,” Rowen replied, shaking her head. “That’s just basic hospitality. ‘Kind’ would be, like, me offering to make you dinner.”

Nova arched her brow, unable to ascertain if that was an example, a joke, or a sincere offer. So she asked, “Are you?”

Rowen froze, mouth falling open and eyes going wide, indicating to Nova that it had not been sincere. However, instead of backing out, she stuttered, “I—I mean, sure! Um. I bet you haven’t gotten a chance to get kitchen stuff yet, right? I’d be happy to cook for two tonight.”

Nova pursed her lips. “You do not have to. I wasn’t trying to ask you to do so. I just couldn’t tell—”

“No, I know!” Rowen insisted, shaking her head. “I’d like to! Honest! It’d be nice to get to know you. I mean, if you’d like? It won’t be anything too fancy, but it’s free food?”

Nova chuffed softly. “Alright. However, you must let me repay you later.”

“Sure,” Rowen said, smiling. “We can take turns or something. I do that with the other girls sometimes, too.”

“Well, I cannot cook,” Nova admitted, slightly embarrassed by that fact. “But I can buy the ingredients. Or clean up after.”

“That works too,” Rowen said, shrugging cutely. Nova wished she’d stop being cute. It was very distracting. “Anyway, when would you like to eat? I normally make dinner around seven, so I could start cooking in about an hour?”

“Seven is fine,” Nova said. “Do you wish for me to come down when you start cooking or only when you’re finished?”

“I’d love the company!” Rowen said earnestly, a bright smile on her face as she stepped back into her room. “But no pressure. Show up whenever you’re ready. I’ll be there.”

“Sure,” Nova replied softly, gaze lingering on Rowen’s smile as Rowen clung to the door to her room. “See you then.”

Rowen twiddled her fingers from the door frame, her smile turning almost shy as she shut the door. Nova stood there a solid three seconds after the door was shut, holding her new towels in her hands. After a moment she closed her eyes and sighed.

She had been here less than a day and she already had a crush on one of her flatmates. She had to hope Current didn’t find out about this or she’d never hear the end of it.

Rowen POV 

Rowen pursed her lips, taking stock of her ingredients and what she could easily make for two. She had lots of odds and ends, but tomorrow was her usual shopping day so she was running short on a lot of stuff. She sighed, tapping her fingers against the door of the fridge as she inspected her shelf and deliberated on her options.

The sound of someone coming down the stairs alerted her to Nova’s arrival, and Rowen looked over her shoulder as Nova appeared on the ground floor. “Hi! Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

Nova paused for a moment and then shook her head. “Not so much, no. Just things I do not like to eat.”

Rowen hummed, lifting a brow at her. “Okay. What do you not like to eat?”

Nova walked up, hands in her pockets as she casually inspected the fridge from behind Rowen. “Vegetables if they are too squishy. Sometimes if they are too crunchy, too. Actually, anything that is very squishy. Or soups that are chunky. And very watery fruits. I also don’t like fishy fish.”

Rowen giggled at her, arching a brow. “Might have been a shorter list if I asked what you did like, huh?”

To her horror, Nova flushed a little and glanced away. “If it is difficult, then I can go get my own food. I do not want to be demanding.”

“No, no! It’s fine!” Rowen replied, panicked. “Really! I’m just teasing! I’m so sorry. I was trying to be silly and instead, I just sounded mean. I really don’t mind! I have things I don’t like to eat, too.”

Nova regarded her for a moment, a look of uncertainty on her face, and then offered a weak smile. “Okay. What are our options, then?”

“Well, how do you feel about carbonara?” Rowen asked, pulling a block of parmesan out of the fridge. “It’s just eggs, pork, cheese, and pasta.”

“That sounds good!” Nova said, lifting her brows. “Is it difficult to make?”

“Hardly,” Rowen laughed, grabbing up a block of parmesan, some grated pecorino, and a package of pancetta. “It’s super fast, very cheap, and pretty easy once you know what you’re doing. I can have it done in like twenty minutes if we include the time it takes to boil the water.”

She paused, turning around with the items in her hands as she let the refrigerator door shut behind her. “Just… it’s not very fancy.”

“Did you want it to be?” Nova asked, moving out of the way as Rowen walked past her to drop the items on the counter.

“Well, I mean, I don’t get to cook for more than me very often, but it’s also the day before grocery day so I’m a little low on fresh foods,” Rowen explained as she grabbed a box of spaghetti out of the cabinet and then the carton of eggs. “So, I guess maybe next time, if you want?”

“You would cook for me again?” Nova asked hopefully.

Rowen paused, looking over at her. “You said you couldn’t cook, right?”

Nova shook her head, not quite making eye contact.

“So… how about this. I’ll cook for both of us on the nights we’re both here. But you have to either help me with food prep or do more of the grocery shopping. Sound fair?”

Nova’s eyes went wide in disbelief. “Really? You will cook if I do the other things?”

Rowen grabbed the cheese grater out of the cupboard and turned to her. “Sure! I can even teach you if you wanna learn. Cooking’s not hard if you have someone to show you the do’s and don’ts.”

“No one…” 

Rowen paused, looking up at Nova to see her furrowing her brow as she hesitated to continue. “Hm?”

Nova hesitated, then quietly admitted, “No one has ever offered to teach me before.”

Rowen blinked several times, confusion and disappointment mingling together as she absorbed what Nova said. She opened her mouth to prompt why and then realized that was probably a bit too personal of a question for the first day of getting to know someone. So instead she just smiled and said, “Well, now someone has. Wanna learn how to make carbonara?”

Nova smiled at her, looking much like a child receiving a gift. “Yes, please.”

XX

“Okay, so now that we’ve measured out the cheese, we need to make the sauce.”

“...With what?”

“The eggs!”

At Nova’s blank stare, Rowen giggled and picked up one of the eggs. “Do you know how to separate egg yolks from whites?”

Nova shook her head, glancing at the egg in Rowen’s hand and then the three on the counter. “Why do we need to separate them?”

“The sauce does better with mostly yolks. It’s creamier,” Rowen replied. “I usually use one egg and three yolks. Sometimes I save the whites for something like meringue for a dessert.”

Nova tilted her head like a confused puppy. “There is egg in meringue? I thought it was just sugar.”

Rowen tried to hide a smile but she didn’t really succeed. “Yeah. There’s egg in meringue. I’ll show you another time, okay? But we need to stay on track since the pancetta is cooking. So! I’m going to show you the easiest, but messiest way to separate eggs. Does touching raw egg bother you?”

“I do not know. I don’t think I’ve had to before,” Nova admitted.

Rowen hummed and passed an egg to her. “Okay. Watch me as I do the first one, then you can try.” She grabbed a clean bowl and tapped the egg over the edge. “First you gotta crack the shell a bit by lightly tapping it like this. Aim for the top of the egg. It’ll be easier. Once done, you want to break a hole in the shell big enough to pour out the egg white. You can pour it slowly into this bowl, but you gotta be careful to not break the yolk or let it fall out, too.”

As she spoke, Rowen went through the actions she described, carefully rotating the egg as she got the egg white to fall out. “If you’re having trouble doing it this way, then…” Rowen tipped the egg into her hand, dropping the yolk onto it gently. “You can do it this way and let the white fall between your fingers. Then, once only the yolk is left…”

She plopped it into the other bowl. “Ta-da! Now your turn!”

She watched Nova step up and carefully tap her egg against the bowl, breaking the shell. Slowly, she broke off small pieces of shell until a hole was formed and then she began to pour out the white. 

Rowen watched her as she rinsed her hands clean of egg, looking away only to then stir the cooking pancetta. When she looked back, Nova had opted to use the hand method, wincing as she did. “It feels …weird.”

“A bit, yeah. Too gross?” Rowen asked as she dried her hands on a towel.

Nova shook her head, although when she deposited her yolk, she yanked her hand back like it might rid herself of the feel of egg on her fingers. Rowen giggled and stepped aside so Nova could wash her hands. “I’ll do the last one.”

“No, I want to,” Nova insisted, quickly cleaning her hands. “I want to try to separate it without having to use my hand.”

This time, she fared a bit better, managing to separate the egg and white using just the broken shell, and the tiny little “Ah-ha!” she gave as she dropped the yolk into the other bowl made a smile break out on Rowen’s face because it sounded really cute.

“Good job!” Rowen cheered, smiling brightly.

They continued to work, with Nova following Rowen’s instructions fairly well. However, when they got to the last bit, Rowen decided it would be better to show Nova rather than try to walk her through it. Otherwise, they were going to end up with a messy result. “Here, come watch as I do the last steps.”

Rowen realized after she spoke that for Nova to watch, it meant standing right behind her, given the size of the kitchen. Which was fine, except Rowen became very aware of her presence as she leaned over to watch. The faint scent of a spicy cologne interrupted the smell of cooking pork and pasta water, momentarily short-circuiting Rowen’s brain. She swallowed, almost forgetting what she was working on before she shook her head and returned her attention to her work.

“So we stir the pasta in the bowl just a little and pour the egg sauce in. Then, we start tossing the pasta and egg sauce in this hot pan. You gotta be a little quick about it so the egg doesn’t cook too fast and ends up chunky like scrambled eggs.”

She heard Nova make a thoughtful noise, which was fine, except it was right in her ear. Rowen bit her lip, feeling her neck warm as she finished stirring the pasta and slid it to an unused burner. “Now, just a bit of peppercorn and salt and we’re done! Go take a seat, and I’ll bring you a bowl!”

Nova said nothing, but Rowen felt her presence disappear a moment later, followed by the sound of her taking a seat at the table. Rowen exhaled softly through her lips as she finished with the food, hoping her face wasn’t too red as she turned and brought the bowls over.

Of course, Rowen wasn’t prepared for the delighted smile on Nova’s face as she saw the food. It was disarmingly cute given her expressions up to that point had been fairly mild or reserved. 

Rowen grinned at her a little and placed a bowl of carbonara in front of her, complete with a fork and a light dusting of parmesan on top. “Your dish, madame.”

Nova laughed quietly, eyes sparkling as she watched Rowen sit down next to her. “It is my first cooked meal where I helped prepare it. Thank you so much for helping me.”

Rowen looked at her, offering her a shy smile. “You’re welcome. I hope you like it.”

XX

Nova did like it, if finishing it in record time was any indicator. Rowen tried to hide her amusement, watching as Nova cleaned the egg sauce off of her face. She was a bit of a messy eater, which admittedly, was a stark contrast from ‘cool, aloof biker girl’ from earlier. 

Rowen didn’t mind that, honestly. This evening had shattered the illusion that Nova was some aloof, untouchable person whom Rowen would never be able to be more than acquaintances with. That was both a good thing and a bad thing. 

It was a good thing because the prospect of friendship was actually on the table, as far as Rowen was concerned.

It was a bad thing because now Nova was not just ‘pretty’ and ‘hot.’ She was also ‘endearing’ and ‘cute’ and Rowen’s brain wouldn’t leave that alone.

Nova hummed happily as she cleaned the counter space while Rowen loaded the dishwasher. Rowen had been kind of dumb to suggest they split the work because that now meant that Nova was once again in her personal space. Every time Nova moved around her to wipe down something or move something else, Rowen caught a whiff of her cologne amidst the cleaning spray. It was incredibly alluring, if not distracting, and Rowen was paranoid Nova was going to notice how she kept inhaling every time they crossed paths.

When they finished cleaning, Rowen turned to Nova. “I’d call that a pretty successful dinner.”

Nova nodded, looking fairly content. “Yes, I think so. I stand by my earlier statement. You are very kind. Thank you for teaching me how to make carbonara.”

Rowen smiled at her, clasping her hands behind her back and shrugging up her shoulders. “Of course. I had fun. …Same time next week?”

Nova frowned a little. “Are you busy until then?”

Rowen blinked. “Oh, I mean, I was just being silly. I definitely have time before then if you’d like? The only days I don’t make dinner at home are days I’m working late or the rare chance I go out with friends. So like once or twice a week, tops.”

“I would like it a lot,” Nova admitted. “But I don’t want to take too much of your time.”

“You’ve got a long way to go before you do that,” Rowen admitted, smiling. “I need to go grocery shopping. Why don’t you come with me tomorrow, split the bill, and we’ll make a dinner schedule. Sound good?”

Rowen’s stomach did a flip when Nova smiled brightly at her and hopped a little in place. “Yes!”

Ah, hell. She was in so much trouble.

Nova POV

Over the next few weeks, Nova spent many of her evenings with her new flatmate. Rowen patiently taught her various aspects of cooking. While Nova couldn’t do anything complicated without guidance, she did feel comfortable enough to make something simple for herself on the nights when Rowen wasn’t home.

She still missed Rowen on those nights, but it wasn’t because of the food.

Rowen was delightful. She was bubbly, cheerful, and incredibly patient. She explained why things were done in certain ways, and when she didn’t know, she pulled out her phone to find the answer. Nova could have done that herself, she supposed, but something was endearing about the faces Rowen made as she scrolled through search results. 

When they did grocery shopping together, Nova found herself paying more attention to Rowen than she did to what they were buying. She was very… animated. She had a bounce in her step when they walked side-by-side, and she talked a lot with her hands. If Nova got a brand of something that wasn’t “environmentally friendly” Rowen would gently pluck it out of her hands and trade it with something else, explaining the difference. She was never condescending about it, and Nova learned very quickly that a lot of food companies did nefarious things.

She had no idea, never having to do her own shopping before now.

When they weren’t food shopping or cooking, Nova still found herself thinking about Rowen a lot. Honestly, Nova wanted to ask her out, but she didn’t know if that was breaking some kind of social housemate rule. While Nova was very interested in Rowen romantically, she couldn’t tell how Rowen felt. Rowen was always friendly and helpful and kind, but that didn’t mean she was interested in dating Nova. 

And Nova definitely didn’t want to mess up their friendship by making a wrong move. She at least knew Rowen was bisexual because she had seen a bi pride flag pin on Rowen’s bag, hidden amongst all of her environmental awareness and save the planet pins. But that only meant gender wasn’t an issue. It still didn’t mean Rowen would be interested.

That was fine. Nova was happy to be friends with her. The idea of kissing Rowen Spicer could just stay seeded in her dreams.

XX

“Hey, Nova?”

Nova made a questioning noise, looking at Rowen as she finished putting away the leftovers. Tonight, Rowen had shown her how to make tikka masala. Honestly, Nova had expected to not like it, but it was so rich and creamy that Nova devoured two huge bowls.

Rowen wasn’t looking at her, chewing on her lip as she seemed to deliberate on what she wanted to say. It looked really cute, to be honest. Of course, Nova just thought Rowen was cute no matter what. Today, Rowen was wearing a patchwork mid-length skirt made of recycled fabrics, a loose tank top over a bandeau top, and her hair in low pigtails that hung over her shoulders. She had also put on an apron for cooking that had little dancing cats on it, and Nova was having problems with not staring.

It didn’t help that she felt sorely underdressed, having shown up to help with dinner wearing nothing but baggy cargo pants and a sports bra. Not that she could have matched Rowen’s aesthetic anyway, but she did feel kind of silly.

“Do you have plans tomorrow?”

Rowen’s question pulled Nova out of her thoughts, and she paused to consider her Saturday agenda. “Not really, no. I thought I might take my bike out, but I had not decided yet. Why?”

Rowen glanced over at her, something curious in her eyes. “Well, there’s a little arts and culture festival at the Ladisdale Central Park. If you decide you don’t wanna take your bike out, you’re welcome to join me.”

Nova blinked several times. She didn’t know what such a festival entailed, but she did know it meant spending the day with Rowen in a way she hadn’t done so before. So without hesitation, she replied, “I’d like that.”

Rowen’s face lit up. “Oh! Okay! It starts at ten but we don’t have to get there immediately. It’s about a twenty-minute bus ride, or we can just walk if you want.”

“I have not taken the bus yet,” Nova admitted. “Isn’t there an app for that?”

Rowen nodded. “I’ll show you. It’s not hard once you have it set up. You can buy credits and just tap your phone when you get on the bus. And I’ll be with you in case something goes weird.”

“Thank you,” Nova said. “I am fine with whatever time you choose. I only need a few minutes to get ready. Just let me know?”

Rowen beamed at her, looking so absolutely precious that Nova’s brain stopped working for a solid three seconds. “Sure! I’ll poke you in the morning somewhere around 9:30, probably! Thank you so much!”

“Thank you for inviting me,” Nova said. “I look forward to spending the day with you.”

She hadn’t thought about her words, but she did see the way Rowen paused, lips slightly parted as she stared at Nova with those big eyes of hers. Nova swallowed, realizing the multiple ways that statement could be taken, but Rowen just gave her a pretty smile, her freckled cheeks just a little pink. “Yeah, me too!”

Nova ended up replaying that exchange in her mind the rest of the night, a tiny smile on her lips.

XX

The next morning, Nova sat on her bed, lacing up her boots as she waited for Rowen to finish getting ready. Her long hair hung over her shoulder in a messy braid, still drying from her shower earlier. The forecast called for overcast but warm, which meant bringing a jacket was pointless. Despite that, Nova planned to take her leather jacket anyway. It felt weird to not bring it, after all. 

The rest of her attire was simple as always, a pair of ripped jeans and a black cropped tank, the hem resting just above her belly button. Of course, knowing Rowen would probably show up dressed in something incredibly cute and accessorized, Nova had decided to at least wear some of her jewelry to try to not be too boring. The silver wrist cuffs weren’t the most eye-catching compared to Rowen’s flower earrings or pretty hair clips, but they suited Nova just fine.

Just as she finished lacing up her boots, she heard a knock at the door. “Are you ready?”

Nova smiled, grabbing her things and opening the door. “Yeah.”

Rowen stood on the other side, apparently with a mission to ensure Nova didn’t look at anything else at this festival. She wore a sleeveless wine-colored tunic dress that stopped just above her knees. It was loose but cinched at her waist with a pretty scarf, and she wore a halter top underneath to make up for the dress’s low neckline. 

But what really had Nova’s attention was the fact that Rowen had opted to let her hair down for the day, the long curls cascading over her shoulders and stopping almost at her waist. That, coupled with the rosy eyeshadow and pretty dangling earrings, had Nova feeling like she was about to take Rowen out on a date and, oh how she wished.

Before Nova could find out what to say that was a neutral enough compliment that wouldn’t be damning, Rowen’s gaze swept over her before falling to her arm. “Oh, those are pretty! Are they Damascus steel?”

Nova held out her wrist and the three bangles on it for Rowen to see. “They are, yes. I had a blacksmith make them for me.”

“Oh, that’s so cool!” Rowen said, eyes bright. “They really suit you. Very sleek and powerful.”

“Is that how you view me?” Nova asked lightly as she stepped out of her room and shut the door, locking it.

“Yeah! You work out like every day, you have a motorbike, and you could probably lift me up with one finger!”

Nova smirked, turning back to Rowen. “While you are very tiny, I don’t think I can lift you with one finger. One arm, though, easily.”

Rowen giggled, her expression turning coy. “Kinda wanna say ‘prove it.’”

Nova arched a brow, but when Rowen just grinned at her like an imp, she took the hint and swooped in. The scent of pineapples and tropical fruits assaulted her senses as she wrapped her arm around Rowen’s waist and lifted her up off the floor.

Rowen laughed, hunching in on herself as she squeezed her eyes shut. “Okay! You win! I get it!”

“Are you sure? I could carry you down the stairs if you need further proof,” Nova teased.

“Nope! I’m good! I feel like I’m gonna fall!” Rowen insisted, giggles punctuating her words. Nova relented, putting her back down, and Rowen exhaled loudly, face red as she readjusted her clothes. “Right. Very strong. Never challenging you to an arm wrestling match. Always gonna ask you to open the pickle jar.”

Nova snorted, following Rowen down the stairs. “I downloaded the app you sent me and have put a credit on it. I think that’s all I need to do, yes?”

“Should be, yup!” Rowen replied, opening the front door. “Now, come! I’ll show you the marvelous wonders of public transit!”

“Sounds delightful,” Nova said, an amused smile on her face. Rowen laughed, but what she didn’t know was that Nova actually kind of meant it. It was spending time with Rowen, after all.

XX

When they got to the park, Nova’s brows lifted at seeing the crowd already gathered. Kiosks and stalls were everywhere, and there was a stage with people doing performance arts. Kids were running around in an area set up for games, and there were balloons and banners and all sorts of displays.

And the smells were amazing.

“There’s so many people,” Nova said in mild surprise as she and Rowen approached the park’s perimeter. 

“Yeah, it’s a pretty big thing!” Rowen said happily, looking around. “They usually do it for a few weekends each summer. I got some neat leaf prints from one artist and a couple of my bag pins from another.” 

Nova’s gaze flicked down to Rowen’s bag. “Which pins?”

Rowen paused, glancing down at her bag and the assortment of pins hugging the corner. “Ah, the, um, pride one and the heart that’s also a tree.”

Nova hummed, studying the two pins although she had seen them before. “That’s interesting. Perhaps I should get a pin for my backpack.”

“Oh, yeah?” Rowen asked, brushing her hair behind her ear as she flicked her gaze up and away like she was nervous to make eye contact. “...What kind of pin would you get?”

Nova hummed, scanning the crowds and kiosks. “I am not sure. Something subtle. Enough to say ‘this is me’ but not scream it to the world.”

She watched Rowen look up at her with a curious but careful expression. “You mean a pride pin?”

Nova nodded. “Yes. Pride pin. Now that I do not live with my family, I do not need to hide it anymore. Before, I had to date in secret. Now I do not. It takes some getting used to, but I think I will get there.”

“I think you will, too,” Rowen agreed softly, clutching the strap of her back with both hands. “And, I’m sure we’ll find some artists here who are selling pins! And if not, there’s all sorts of online options from small businesses! I can help, I mean, if you want.”

She sucked in a breath, as if centering herself, before adding, “Regardless, I’m very happy for you. I’ve always had a really supportive family, so I can’t imagine having one that’s not, but I know it happens. I look forward to seeing who Nova is when she comes fully out of her shell.”

“I think you will be the first to know,” Nova admitted, a half smile on her face. “You are the person I spend the most time with.”

Rowen’s face went pink, and then she quickly glanced away, but not before Nova saw. Nova watched her curiously, wondering if what she said was too bold even if it was true. However, after a moment, Rowen shyly looked back at her, tucking her hair behind her ear with a timid smile as she admitted, “I’m glad you enjoy spending time with me.”

Nova smiled slightly, deciding this was an okay topic given Rowen’s response. “Yes. I do. You’ve taught me many things. You are very kind and patient with me.”

Rowen made a ‘pffft’ noise as if Nova was being ridiculous. “Oh, c’mon. You act like you’re difficult. I’ve been enjoying myself! Really.” She grinned at Nova, cheeks still a little pink but hiding behind the radiance of her smile. “I enjoy my time with you, too, silly. Don’t make it sound like it’s an obligation. I’m doing it because I wanna.”

Nova chuffed softly, bowing her head in concession. “Understood. And now you are here, showing me around a festival. What should we do first?”

Rowen’s brows lifted. “Ah! Right. So, we can just wander around and look at whatever interests us. I think there’s someone handing out program schedules for the performances lined up today. I can go grab one of those and then we can see if there’s anything we wanna watch? There’s also tons of food trucks so we could eat lunch here too.”

She paused, and then her eyes widened. “Oh! And you’ve never been here before, right? We should definitely check out the far side of the park. There’s a pond with lots of ducks and a rose garden. They’ll probably be less crowded, too, so it might be a nice break from the people if we need it.”

“That all sounds good. I will follow your lead, then.”

“Great!” Rowen said, bouncing in place. “Let’s go!”

She ran off towards the table where the people were handing out event info, and Nova followed behind her, amused at the difference between them. While Rowen was small, she wove around people very easily, using her tiny size to her advantage. Nova, however, was much taller and sturdier, and those who saw her coming just naturally moved to the side. No one wanted to collide with a brick wall, she supposed.

She stepped up behind Rowen just as Rowen took a program out of the coordinator’s hands, thanking him cheerfully. However, Rowen must not have realized Nova was behind her. She whirled around, the program in her hands, and squeaked as she bumped into Nova. Not wanting a repeat of their first encounter, Nova steadied her before she could lose her balance, her hand catching Rowen gently by her upper arm. 

“Ah, I should not have gotten so close,” Nova said apologetically. Although she should have let go, she lingered momentarily, feeling how soft Rowen’s skin was to the touch.

“No, it’s fine! I just didn’t realize you were there,” Rowen laughed, hiding her smile behind the paper she held as her gaze briefly flicked to her arm. “Thanks for catching me again.”

Nova hesitated. All this time she had been pining after Rowen, wishing her friendliness had intent, and now… she wasn’t so sure it didn’t. Had something changed? Had Rowen been waiting to confirm Nova wasn’t straight? Was Nova just imagining it?

She didn’t know, but it seemed her mouth was going to find out for her. “Well, I would be sad if you fell,” Nova admitted softly, lightly trailing her fingers down Rowen’s arm. “Especially if I was right here to catch you. After all, I did show you earlier how easy it would be. I think you fit well in my arms.”

It was… bolder than she had meant to be. By a lot. But before she could panic about messing up, Rowen’s face turned bright red, and she made a strangled noise, hiding behind the program entirely. Nova’s brows lifted in realization, hope and shock both mingling together. Was she actually interested? There was still a chance Nova had just shocked her by being too bold, and she would tell her to back off, and—

Rowen exhaled loudly and pulled the program from her face, not quite making eye contact but wearing a big, rosy-cheeked grin. “M-maybe we’ll find out someday. But a-anyway, let’s get out of the way and see what’s on this thing. C’mon!”

Before Nova could respond, Rowen grabbed her hand and hurriedly tugged her along to the shady trees, a bounce in her step that radiated all the way up to her curly hair. Nova followed after her, her gaze flicking between their joined hands and the back of Rowen’s head as a wide grin spread across her face.

Rowen was definitely interested in her. 

Rowen POV

This was the boldest Rowen had ever been in her life. Well, at least when it came to flirting. She considered herself pretty bold when it came to yelling at shitty teenagers who she saw littering on trails or showing up for environmental protests with signs.

She stared at the program in her free hand, realizing she had not actually been reading it in the slightest. The letters all bled together into a mess of characters that accurately described the non-stop screaming in her head as she stood there, her fingers locked with Nova’s and with Nova looking over her shoulder. At this proximity, she could smell Nova’s cologne again, and Rowen was pretty sure she was about to combust with how red her face was.

“Ah,” Nova said softly, right in her ear . “Watching the aerial show would be interesting. It is something I have been interested in trying.”

Rowen exhaled shakily. “Yeah? We could definitely go see that. It’s just an hour out.” She blinked, realizing what Nova said. “You’re interested in aerial dance?”

Nova made an affirmative noise. “Yes. I have been working on my flexibility and am where I think I could start taking classes soon. I have bookmarked a few places that teach it.”

Rowen swallowed, trying very hard to not think about what Nova’s flexibility training might entail. “Well! Okay! We can go down through the kiosks, circle back to get a snack, and then find a spot to sit to watch the performance. And maybe afterward, we’ll head down to the pond and gardens. How does that sound?”

Nova didn’t immediately reply. Rowen waited, assuming she might be considering something else on the agenda. Instead, Nova reached around and gently plucked the program out of her hand and said, “Like a date.”

As Rowen’s brain evaporated from the steam coming from her face, Nova tugged her by their joined hands towards the craft stalls.

XX

Once they actually started looking at the arts and crafts, Rowen finally calmed down, able to focus on actually enjoying her now-date(?) with Nova instead of being flustered at it all. The first time they broke off hand-holding so Rowen could look through some prints, she feared that might be the end of the physical contact unless she got up her nerve again.

However, once they moved away from that stall, Nova took Rowen’s hand again, locking their fingers together. Rowen made a tiny, pleased noise and pressed up to Nova’s side, feeling the bare skin of their arms touch. Nova smiled at her and then pointed ahead. “Let’s look at that one.”

And from that point on, if they had to break apart for some reason, the moment they were done, they were back at each other’s sides. Sometimes Nova would just put her hand on Rowen’s back, a gentle pressure to remind her she was there. Rowen loved the faint feel of her fingertips just over the back of her dress. And sometimes Rowen chose to loop her arm through Nova’s instead, all so she could hug her bicep close.

Of course, the first time Nova flexed for her when she did that, Rowen made tiny, incoherent noises for about ten seconds.

Nova ended up finding a pride pin that suited her. It was a little dragon pin with the bisexual flag colors woven through the enamel. Rowen didn’t end up with any more pins, but she did purchase a mushroom print and a bracelet made from recycled glass beads. She also was now the owner of a fluffy puppy-eared headband, although that hadn’t been her own purchase. Nova bought it for her after seeing how she lingered on it, telling her it was too cute to not get.

Rowen had blushed brightly when after purchase, Nova put it back on her head with a smirk.

“Soooo, see any food trucks of interest?” Rowen asked as they slowly made their way back towards the stage near the entrance of the park. Rowen was carrying a bag containing their purchases and had her fingers curled around Nova’s bicep. The sun had gotten fairly bright, forcing Nova to put on her sunglasses. Rowen’s own lenses were transition lenses and had turned into a rich shade of amber.

Nova hummed, surveying their options. “I am not sure. I have never eaten any of this, really, so I do not know what’s good.”

Rowen blinked, leaning forward to look up at Nova. “You’ve never eaten, like, fair food? What about fast food?”

Nova shook her head. “Not really, no. My family would not have allowed such a thing. I have at least tried fast food since I moved out, but it was a bit, hm, greasy. Perhaps I chose the wrong thing.”

“God, your parents sound miserable,” Rowen muttered, a look of disdain lingering on her face. Nova had already given hints that she came from an incredibly wealthy but incredibly stifling background. And although she hadn’t outright said it, Rowen suspected Nova’s moving out wasn’t exactly what her parents had wanted, either.

“They are,” Nova agreed flatly. “But I do not want to think about them. What would you recommend we eat?”

“Well, if ‘greasy’ is an issue, I know what we should avoid.” Rowen pointed towards a few stands nearby. “These for sure. Most everything looks fried. Probably the pizza stand. Maybe the burger places would be okay. I’m not sure. Maybe the tacos? Usually, that’s not so bad. Otherwise, I’d say if you want really unhealthy but not fried, we can go get a bubble waffle cone—”

“A what?” Nova asked, giving Rowen a confused look. “What is…”

Nova trailed off as Rowen steered them towards a kiosk, and Rowen took great delight in seeing the way Nova’s jaw dropped as she watched two girls walk away with two dessert monstrosities covered in syrup, crumbles, and chunks of fruit.”

“This place does froyo wrapped in a warm waffle and covered in various toppings,” Rowen explained, giggling at Nova’s absolutely dumbfounded look.

“That is…” Nova trailed off and then shook her head. “What is froyo?”

“Frozen yogurt,” Rowen clarified with a smile. “It’s kind of like ice cream, but not quite. Wanna try one?”

“It looks so…” Nova pursed her lips and finally admitted, “sticky.”

Rowen laughed. “Probably. They have them in bowls, too. Probably less messy that way. Wanna try one of those? We can even split it if you’re uncertain.”

“I would like that,” Nova admitted, looking at Rowen. “We could have that and come back for the tacos later?”

“Sure!” Rowen squeezed her arm, beaming up at her as she tugged Nova to get in line with her. They debated briefly about toppings before both agreeing on a combination of strawberries, raspberries, and white chocolate flakes. Rowen insisted on paying, much to Nova’s dismay, but Rowen promised Nova could buy the tacos later.

Once they had their order, they found a shady area to sit in that still allowed them to view the aerial dance performance. Nova laid out her jacket for Rowen to sit on, despite Rowen insisting it wasn’t necessary. She ended up sitting on it anyway, and Nova sat right beside her, close enough for their shoulders to touch.

Their dessert treat was good but not nearly as delightful as the look on Nova’s face as she took her first bite. Rowen broke out into giggles at Nova’s wide-eyed expression as she pulled the spoon out of her mouth slowly. “It’s so good!”

So enamored by their dessert, Nova almost missed the opening of the aerial dance. Rowen herself was caught between watching the performance and Nova’s blissful expressions. She ended up yo-yo-ing between the two until the cup was empty, and then she could focus. Sorta. It was hard when Nova had just a hint of strawberry syrup on the corner of her mouth and Rowen really wanted to lick it off.

Instead, she grabbed a napkin and whispered, “Hold still.”

Nova did so dutifully, although when Rowen pulled back, Nova looked at her with such intensity that Rowen thought for a moment that Nova might kiss her. She didn’t, much to Rowen’s disappointment, but Nova did wrap her arm around Rowen’s waist and snuggle in close. That was good enough for a first date.

First date. 

That’s what this was now. Rowen hadn’t exactly planned it although she had definitely dreamed about it. She’d gotten the suspicion that Nova was attracted to her over the last couple of weeks but hadn’t been too confident to really test the waters. Too many lingering stares, soft smiles, and accidental touches left Rowen wanting very badly to just throw caution to the wind and ask but she wasn’t good with this stuff!

Rowen had never flirted with a girl before. All her dating experience was with men and they were way less subtle. But finally, she got the courage to invite Nova to go out with her, not as a date, but just for the company, and somehow it snowballed into this!

Rowen couldn’t be happier. They would probably need to talk about it later, but there was no doubt that Nova liked her! And, well, Rowen had done enough girly blushing that Nova had to know the feeling was mutual. Oh, how Rowen wanted to kiss her. Was it the same as kissing a guy? Softer? Sweeter? Her overactive imagination supplied her with many possibilities, and Rowen wanted to explore all of them.

…Probably not in public at a crowded festival, though.

By the time Rowen managed to collect her thoughts around being on a date with Nova, the aerial performance had come to a close. Somewhere along the way, Rowen had slowly sunk down into the crook of Nova’s arm, pressed up with her head on Nova’s shoulder. 

As the spectators broke into applause Rowen sighed and rolled her head up to look at Nova. “So… pond? I got some rolled oats for the ducks in my bag.”

Nova smirked. “Is there anything you do not have in that bag of yours?”

“More froyo to lure you home with,” Rowen quipped, grinning despite blushing at her own boldness.

“You are sweet enough to be a good substitute,” Nova replied, tapping Rowen’s nose with a finger. “And very cute. I think if I were to compare the two, this is what I would choose. Maybe you taste just as sweet as well.”

Rowen squeaked loudly, pressing a hand over her face. “You’re teasing me on purpose now!”

“Perhaps,” Nova agreed, laughing quietly. “You are cute when you are flustered. Why would I not try to get more of that?”

Rowen made a strangled noise, looking away as she tried to pull herself together. “So mean!”

“Tell me to stop and I will,” Nova replied. “If you do not like it—”

“No, no,” Rowen babbled, fanning her face with her hand. “Please don’t stop. Um. It’s really flattering. I just, um. I don’t know how to respond.”

Nova chuckled a little, her fingers squeezing Rowen’s waist. “Then I’ll give you a break for now and we can go look at the pond.”

Rowen sighed softly and looked back up at Nova with a tiny smile that was somehow both exasperated and pleased. “Okay.”

XX

The far side of the park with the pond and rose garden was considerably less crowded. Rowen and Nova took a quick walk through the rows of rose bushes, admiring their colors and patterns. Nova would sometimes trail her finger over the edge of a petal, admiring its softness, and at one point Rowen shamelessly snapped a picture of her doing it.

Of course, Nova said that it was only fair if she got a picture of Rowen. So she took a picture of Rowen smelling a large rose in bloom, her eyes closed and a big smile on her face. 

Nova seemed quite happy, admiring the image on her phone as she and Rowen made their way towards the pond. Rowen couldn’t help but feel flattered, that smile still on her face as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. 

When they got to the pond, they found a bench near the water to sit on. Rowen wiggled a little in place as she pulled out a bag of rolled oats, a little smile on her face. 

“I love feeding ducks,” she admitted as she scattered a small handful in front of her to catch the ducks’ attention. Immediately, a small group of them swam over, eager for treats. Rowen tossed out a bit more food, earning happy quacks and buzzes as the ducks dove in.

Nova watched with amusement, her arm draped over the back of the bench behind Rowen. “They are cute. I once heard bread was not good for them. Are these oats better?”

“Much better,” Rowen agreed, tossing out a bit more food once everything else had been eaten. “You can do things like frozen peas or corn, too, as long as it’s been thawed. Or like, chopped lettuce. But that’s a bit more effort. Wanna try?”

She held up her bag of oats. Nova looked at it for a moment and then grabbed a handful of oats and scattered them in the water. She chuckled as the ducks zoomed around to collect the treats. “I see why you like this. It’s very relaxing.”

Rowen hummed in agreement, kicking her feet a little. “Yeah. Sometimes I come up here after a long week of lab work and just relax. It’s nice since it’s not far from the campus.”

Nova nodded, settling back against the bench. “Thank you for taking me here today. I’ve greatly enjoyed it.”

Rowen smiled at her, scrunching up her shoulders. “I’ve enjoyed it, too. Thank you for coming with me and… well. I dunno.”

“Flirting with you?”

Rowen swallowed, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Yeah, maybe. I, uh, I’d been wanting to say something for a while but was too scared to ask.”

“I cannot judge. I hesitated, too,” Nova admitted, her gaze on the ducks in the pond. “I didn’t want to assume wrong and hurt our friendship. I would be happy as just friends if that’s all you wanted.”

“And if it’s not…?” Rowen asked softly, looking at Nova shyly. “Would you be happy with something else, too?”

Nova glanced back at her, sunglasses on her head and something knowing in her gaze. “Very. I think you’re lovely.”

Rowen grinned, glancing down at the concrete slab under their bench. “Same. Wanna go on another date, maybe?”

Nova responded by twisting to face her and reaching forward, pressing a finger under Rowen’s chin. Rowen looked up obediently, her lower lip trapped between her teeth as she gazed at Nova expectantly.

“I think you know the answer to that,” Nova whispered as she leaned in and pressed a very gentle, chaste kiss to Rowen’s lips. Rowen closed her eyes and kissed back, pointedly ignoring the fact that she was sharing her first kiss with a girl in public. 

They lingered just a moment before Nova pulled back and smiled at her. “Want to watch a movie with me tonight after dinner?”

“I’m not sure I’ll pay much attention to the movie, but yes,” Rowen replied honestly. “I’m going to be a useless bisexual for at least the next week. Probably longer.”

They both laughed, and then Rowen tugged Nova down for another shy kiss that wasn’t able to muffle either of their smiles.

XX

Half an hour later…

“Hm, Current messaged the group chat,” Rowen commented as she unlocked her phone. “Wonder what’s up—WHAT?!”

Nova blinked, leaning over Rowen’s shoulder to see her phone, and then started laughing as Rowen hid her face behind her hand. “Oh my god, I can’t believe she— when did she —ahhhhh! ”

Current: Amazing what you sometimes see at the park when practicing your photography. Please just remember that the walls are very thin. ♥ Also Opal, your gaydar sucks. You owe me twenty.

Opal: goddamnit.

Attached to the message was a picture of Rowen and Nova sitting on the bench, sharing a kiss with rosy cheeks and smiles on their faces.

Epilogue

Six months later…

Rowen stifled a yawn, turning a page in her book. The sun had long since set, and the only source of light was coming from the mushroom lamp on the nightstand. Her room still looked much the same except for a few notable differences, such as the framed picture from her first date sitting next to her lamp and a poster-sized picture on the wall of Nova performing an aerial dance with silks. 

Her desk held another picture in a frame, this time of Rowen and Nova sitting on Nova’s motorcycle with a cliff overlooking the ocean in the background. Both were holding onto their helmets with big smiles on their faces and the wind whipping their hair about. It had been such a misty day, but they made the best of it and spent that evening cuddled up under the blankets to warm up from the cold. Rowen had thought she wouldn’t enjoy riding a motorcycle. Turns out, she was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Now she lay in bed in nothing but a thin camisole and her underwear, her curly hair captured in a haphazard bun. Nova lay on top of her, her head on Rowen’s stomach while Rowen brushed her fingers through Nova’s hair. Nova was likely halfway to falling asleep, if the way her phone was slowly sliding out of her grip was any indicator.

Unlike Rowen, Nova was wearing nothing but a pair of boyshorts. Rowen had learned that clothes were things Nova did not keep on when she didn’t have to. Rowen certainly didn’t mind.

When she yawned again, Rowen took that as a sigh that maybe it was time for both of them to sleep. With a deep sigh, she closed her book and placed it on the corner of her nightstand. Nova stirred as she felt Rowen shift underneath her. “Sleep time?”

“Mhm,” Rowen replied sleepily.

Nova slid off of Rowen to her side of the bed, pulling up the blankets from where they had been bunched at their feet. No sooner had Rowen turned off the light did she feel Nova’s arms snake around her and drag her close, fingers sliding under her night shirt so she could touch Rowen’s bare skin. Fortunately, tickling didn’t seem to be on Nova’s agenda, and for that, Rowen was grateful.

She sighed happily, snuggling into Nova’s arms as she made herself comfortable. “Mm… so warm and cuddly.”

Nova chuckled, pressing a kiss to the back of Rowen’s neck. “It is why I workout so much. To have bigger biceps to hold you with.”

Rowen giggled. “Good. Keep that up then.”

“My pleasure,” Nova whispered. “Sleep well, love.”

“You too,” Rowen whispered back. “Good night.”