It was close to midnight, the night sky shining on the trees below. The trees of the forest were densely packed together, spots of silver light peaking through the green clumps of leaves. It was quiet, not a single living thing dared break the peaceful silence that permeated the forest. Until shoe and branch met, making a crunch as it did.
A yelp of surprise followed it, leading to a louder, higher-pitched one.
“Stella! Don’t scare me more!” Tecna said, jumping at the voice coming from in front of her.
“I can’t help how my body reacts when I get scared!” Stella huffed. “And youwere the one who scared me. That branch barely made any noise.”
“You weren’t the one who stepped on it! And also who’s the one blindfolded right now?” Despite the pointed words, there wasn’t a hint of annoyance in her tone.
“I told you, it’s for the surprise,” Stella said, letting the words linger in the air as if to emphasise her point. “I don’t want to spoil it for you.”
She squeezed their already interlocked hands, feeling comforted by the warmth and touch alone. “You’ll love it. I know you will.”
For a moment, Stella felt a wave of insecurity creep up on her, afraid of a possible rejection from her girlfriend before she smiled up at her, her head angled towards the sound of her voice. “You haven’t been wrong before.”
Regaining her confidence, she smiled brightly. “Exactly! Let’s get going, I think we’re almost there.” She extended her unoccupied arm, the ball of light floating above her palm lighting the path ahead of them.
Stella started walking, taking a couple of steps forward slowly to let Tecna realise they were moving again. She made sure to look down more often to check for any stray rocks or branches that could trip them up.
As they traversed through the forest hand in hand, Stella noticed signs of a path. Even with how worn-out it looked, some remnants of its stony surface were noticeable to her sharp eyes among the long grass blades that surrounded it. She carefully manoeuvred the both of them onto it, pouting at the tight grip on both her arms as she did so.
“You won’t trip again. Come on, trust me.” Stella said
“Again. Says the one who’s not blindfolded.” Despite her words, Tecna slackened her grip.
After a couple more minutes of walking, Stella stopped. “We’re here!” She said, positioning herself behind Tecna. She untied the blindfold on Tecna’s face. “You can look now!”
As soon as Tecna opened her eyes, she gasped loudly. They were standing in a clearing at the edge of a cliff. Above them was a clear dark blue sky filled with hundreds of stars, each of them twinkling brightly. She suppressed a giggle as she watched Tecna’s jaw drop further the longer she stared.
“Stella! Stella Stella Stella!” Tecna exclaimed happily, jumping all the while. She grabbed Stella’s arm, a huge grin on her face as she spoke. Tecna looked up at her and Stella swore her heart was about to burst out of her chest.
“This- This is-” Her words were cut off with happy squeals. “This is amazing!” Her voice was loud with her excitement. “I’ve never seen such a clear sky before. There’s no clouds, or fog, or anything! It’s… it’s beautiful.” Her voice softened as she spoke, eyes fixated on the sky above.
“Come on,” Stella pointed at the edge of the cliff. “Let’s sit down.”
They both sat with their legs hanging on the edge, Stella having to coax Tecna to take her eyes off the stars as they got closer to it in fear of her falling off.
A comfortable silence fell over them. Feeling cold and wanting to be closer to her girlfriend, Stella moved over until she could feel the warmth radiating off Tecna’s skin. Like a moth to a flame, she rested her head on Tecna’s shoulder, nuzzling into her neck. Tecna giggled, wrapping her arm around Stella and pulled her closer.
Scanning the sky above, Tecna used her free hand to point at a cluster of stars that were shaped like a four-legged animal. “See that one? It’s called the Ursa Major. It’s supposed to be a bear.” She pointed to another constellation on the far left. This one was shaped like a two-legged creature instead. “That one’s the Minotaurus. Legend has it that the person who first found it then went on to create a hundred mazes in their lifetime.”
Stella nodded along to Tecna’s explanations, content listening to her girlfriend talk for hours. “How about that one?” She pointed at a constellation in the middle of the sky. This one looked like two humans, or at least two two-legged creatures, holding hands with each other. “What’s that one story?”
Excitedly awaiting her answer, Stella turned to look at Tecna before blinking in surprise at the blush that overtook her face. “That one’s called Pragma.” She paused, her face turning redder. “It’s said that if a couple discovers it, they’re destined to be together forever.”
Caught off guard, she felt her face grow hot on its own before recovering quickly. Smirking, she replied. “I guess that means I have all the time in the world to do this,” She kissed Tecna’s cheek, smirk widening as it grew redder. “Over and over again. Since it’s written in the stars and all.”
Tecna looked away shyly, smiling softly. “I guess you do.” Stella returned her smile, feeling that familiar warmth spread through her chest at the sight.
As Stella was admiring her, Tecna’s teal eyes locked onto her golden ones. “That means I need to return the favour right?”
She saw Tecna’s smile turn mischievous before she leaned forward and kissed her.
The positions they were in made it awkward at first. Stella shifted her head up once she got over her surprise, adjusting the rest of her body to face Tecna as she did. Tecna’s hand went to cup the back of her neck, pulling her closer. She hummed in satisfaction at the action, moving to cup her cheek in return.
Both of them pulled apart when they needed air, panting slightly.
“When did you become so bold?” Stella asked, voice breathy from trying to catch her breath.
“I learned from the best.” She winked. Stella giggled in response.
Tecna’s eyes softened at the sound, raising her hand to brush a strand of her hair behind her ear. She leaned forward to kiss her again, though it only lasted for a few seconds this time. “You’re so beautiful. The moonlight compliments you so well.” Stella’s heart skipped a beat. “Thank you for bringing me here. I love it.”
“It’s nothing. I knew you would love this place.” She waved a hand in the direction of the sky. “Since you’re such a nerd and all.”
“And yet you’re dating said nerd.”
Stella shrugged. “It’s written in the stars.”
Tecna huffed, face turning red again before she buried her face in Stella’s arm. “You’re lucky you’re good at flirting.”
For the second time that night, silence fell over them, though a comfortable warmth was now shared between them. From her place buried in Stella’s arm, Tecna spoke.
“For the record, you’re my favourite star in this universe.”