The transition is smooth, smooth as the candy heart he'd given her, 'Be My Valentine.' It tickles as it starts, and Rose isn't sure that there are words for this, at all. She's used to the sway of the tide, used to knowing that days dip in and dip out, filled to the brim with so much potential, potential that was easy to forget could be for her.

She'd learned from her mother what love meant, not to say that her father didn't teach her too. Rose had heard her mother's soft reassurances for as long as she could remember, and then as the years past got caught up in the life lessons behind those same reassurances. But, she hadn't thought that she'd be in love. She was the happy girl in Kindergarten that everyone thought would have kiddy crushes and be smitten. She hadn't, then. She'd seen the friends and potential friends around her and that's what caught her eye growing up.

Rose has always been a friend maker. Friend makers aren't usually romance builder uppers, because they are busy being the kind of friends that everyone needs. Rose would come up with jokes, be cheery, laugh, and of course, pay close attention to whatever they might need. It meant that it wasn't unheard of for her to need to go grab juice or offer a hug or even invite someone over for a quick bite to eat.

She'd actually start packing dog treats, despite not owning a dog, and little packs of gummies to offer to the dogs and the kids that she meets, respectively. She couldn't just not offer something, and even a little bit of time meant the world. Still, Rose loved romance movies, enjoyed visualizing the lives of the characters as if they were real people.

Yet, she thrilled even over the heartbroken chords of a rock song. She loved writing and writing and writing whenever she could, and she loved singing. Just, everything that went into even one rock song always awed her. Rose knew that time was crucial for any budding romance, but she'd never expected to fall in love right now.

Yet, when his green eyes looked up into hers, when he offered just that one candy heart, her heart seemed to come alive. She'd nearly gasped in surprise. Somehow, just one candy heart meant far more than roses, and she wasn't quite sure what to say about all of that. She was just watching him, coming up with words that could fill the space of the air between them.

"Yes." Tumbled out before logic could form more coherent words in her mind to tiptoe out of her lips. Rose shifted, brushing at strands of hair too small to be in her way, and she wondered if her words were clear to the boy standing before her, "I-I want to be your Valentine." She barely bit back, forever and ever, because that was cliche, and she couldn't predict the future, though she'd try for that time stamp regardless.

"You will?" Nathanael's eyes lit up, and he gingerly passed her the candy. When it brushed against her fingers, she nearly saw a dozen or so possibilities stretched out before them. Rose dusted her wandering mind off and gave him her full attention.

"Yes, I like you, Nathanael." It came out in a soft murmur, and yet, she knew it was true. She'd always admired her artistic friend's art work, adored his handwriting, had thought that his long hair was super cute, and had been putty under the gaze of his green eyes every now and again.

"I like you too." Valentine's Day joy seemed to light up his face, not only in pretty hues of pink and red, but also in each glimmer of his eyes, with each twitch of his smile, going wider and wider still.

"So," Nathanael looked rightly lost for words; he probably hadn't expected an 'yes.'

Rose waited patiently, or at least that's what her parents had told her helped them out at the beginning. Waiting, biding time, and being absolutely patient with each other as they fell slowly but surely head over heels in love with each other.

"So, do you want to be more than just this year's Valentines?" He lightly kicked his shoe against the carpet, looking nervous but still quite happy.

"Yes!" Rose wondered if her enthusiasm sounded more like the response to a proposal than an attempt to ask her out, "Next year's, and the year after that, too." Rose paused, questioning how time limited those words were, "For as many years, as you'll want me to be your Valentine." She's smiling even as her own cheeks are tinted a little pink and as she looks up at his green eyes, always full of such emotion and eye capturing beauty.

"Does that mean-" Nathanael cut himself off as he looked at her, probably wondering if the words really needed to be said.

"I'll gladly be your girlfriend." Just sort of stumbled out, and Rose was beaming when her now boyfriend's eyes met hers with such a sparkle and such a depth of joy that her own heart raised to join his. Rose suddenly knew that candy hearts would never, ever look silly to her again. She'd always loved their pink tones, and yet the familiarity of the words this time of year, had made them seem a little silly. Now, she knew their true depth.

"Thank you." Rose isn't sure what he's thanking her for, but she loops her arms around him in a steady hug regardless. It's nice and warm, and already, Rose practically feels at home in his arms. She can barely believe that she went from just a friend maker to a friend maker with a boyfriend that she really, really liked.