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It was a new moon the first time they got together to work on their astronomy project. John had been intrigued by the quiet blonde that had sat next to him on the first day of lecture. She introduced herself as Rose and gave him a smile that made his chest tight. Her style was eclectic, scarves, billowing skirts, and dried flowers in her hair. It was a stark contrast from the rest of the class, most of which were science majors. At first, he’d thought she was lost when she floated into the lecture hall, but the art building was all the way across campus. No way this was a mistake.
They both shared a passion for the stars. The vast depths of space were fascinating. Rose, of course, also claimed they held our futures. She’d lean over in the middle of lecture and spout off some story about a constellation. One of the first things she asked him was his birthday to which she laughed and said “Oh, of course you’re a Scorpio.” (John had no idea what that meant, but she’d seemed pleased.)
As the semester passed, the two became quick friends, but there was still something distant about Rose. They met up in the library to study, sharing homemade baked goods she would sneak into the library. How she knew biscuits were the way to his heart was a mystery. Eventually, their professor announced a final presentation they were to give… as groups. John had stumbled through asking her to be his partner. Rose had accepted eagerly.
So on the new moon, they got together at Rose’s flat. At first glance it was crowded and chaotic. Candles and plants and crystals littered most available surfaces. The furniture was mismatched, with woven pillows and throws scattered here and there. Instead of a television, there was some sort of altar with candles and jars full of various… ingredients? The whole space smelled of herbs and spices overlaid with the scent of the freshly baked bread she’d just pulled out of the oven.
“I made it with the rosemary I grew.” She blushed and smiled shyly, placing a tray with the bread, more homemade biscuits, and two tea cups onto the coffee table. They settled into the treats and decided the topic for their presentation. John departed after they divided out some preliminary research.
The moon was half full next time they met. This time, when John walked into the small living room, it was different. The candles were shades of pinks and reds instead of the plain white they’d been last time. On the altar sat jars full of various things all sealed with red wax. One looked full of honey and some spices. Another held rose petals. Towers of rose quartz and what looked like garnet littered the space.
As they worked on the presentation, Rose was quieter than usual. She was still bubbly and welcoming to her guest, but there was an underlying… nervousness? The afternoon grew later and John’s stomach grumbled. The only thing he’d eaten all day were the treats Rose had offered.
“Want to grab dinner?”
John blinked. “Yeah, I’d love that.”
They ended up at a chippie a few blocks from campus. He didn’t know if this was a date or not, but he was going to treat it as such. If only he hadn’t left his wallet back at her flat… oops.
It was a full moon the last time they met to put the finishing touches on their presentation. John was dreading the end of the semester. Would Rose even want to see him outside of their shared class? Was this one of the last times they’d get together like this? If he asked her to hang out during break would she say yes?
She was so wildly different from him, but same in all the ways that mattered. She loved the universe so deeply. He’d watch her help worms across the sidewalk in the rain and empty her pockets for buskers on the street. He’d watch her toss the tomatoes from her salads to the ducks that made the campus pond their home or offer her fish and chips to a person on the sidewalk. She would tend to her plants so lovingly and get visibly upset when she couldn’t help them flourish. John already thought she was the most beautiful woman ever, but it seemed every day she managed to take his breath away more.
Her flat on a full moon was more organized than usual. Crystals and jars of various ephemera sat on the windowsills. Herbs she’d grown were strung up in the kitchen to dry. The altar was clean with new candles that had been freshly lit, still all reds and pinks. Topaz, amethyst, rose quartz, and garnet pieces littered the surface of it along with roses and sprigs of basil. The jars sealed with red wax remained the same. Rose explained that the full moon was important for witches. Maybe Wiccan?
“You’re a witch?” he asked, mostly just to confirm his suspicions. All the evidence was around him plain as day as he looked around the room from the couch. Witch probably wasn’t the right word nowadays.
“Not like a green skin, hooked nose, turn you into a frog kind of way.” Her teasing smile brought that tightness back to his chest.
“Obviously. Although I’d still think you’re beautiful.” He has no idea where the sentiment came from, but it brought a deep flush to Rose’s cheeks and chest. She caught her tongue between her teeth and glanced towards the altar at the front of the room then back at him.
“Can I kiss you?” John was sure Rose could hear his heart pounding in his chest since that was all he could hear. It was a roaring sound that drowned out the traffic outside and any other thoughts he could have besides she wants to kiss me.
“Umm… it’s okay if you don’t want— just ignore it. I don’t—” Her face fell and that was entirely unacceptable.
So he kissed her.
The world moved in slow motion as their lips joined and their hands found purchase on one another. It was gentle and chaste, both parties nervous to escalate past what the other was comfortable with. Rose was the one who eventually deepened the kiss, threading her hands through his hair. Eventually, they parted with heavy breaths, their laughter mingling in the shared space between them.
“Do you wanna be my girlfriend, Rose Tyler? Is that what people even say anymore?” John was still breathless, laughing at himself. The joy in his chest bubbled up so far until it could only escape as giggles.
She laughed and placed a gentle kiss on his temple. “The stars said we were made for eachother.”
They simply held each other and basked in the newly found intimacy. This was normal now. They could hug and kiss and hold hands. How could he be so lucky to have a partner as perfect as Rose?
“I’ve never felt like this before… Did you cast a spell on me?” One eyebrow rose as she bit her lip in a coy smile.
“I’ll never tell.”