Gray made sure to wake up extra early to sneak out before his roommates woke up. He journeyed to Dr. Bellum's lab to pick up something very important for today. Dr. Bellum knew it was him when he entered as she scrolled through footage giggling at something. Gray didn't really want to know.

"Ah, Crackle! I expected you'd come early. Your project is in the fridge. You're lucky I was able to come up with a formula to make them last longer than normal ones." Dr. Bellum told him.

"Thanks, Dr. Bellum." he was polite, not wanting to seem too eager to get to the fridge, but he couldn't help feeling a little giddy at the success of his project.

"No problem." she waved him off, continuing to watch her videos and giggling. Gray hastily made his way to the fridge, opening it to reveal a beautiful bouquet of exactly twelve bright red roses tied together with a blue ribbon. He worked on growing them himself in the bio lab with some tips from Dr. Bellum, who would grin knowingly at who exactly the flowers were for.

"Hopefully she likes them." Gray whispered, both nervous and excited at the prospect of seeing Black Sheep's expression when he gave her the roses. Black Sheep was very vague about how she came to be to the academy so Gray wondered if she grew up around roses where she lived and would know the meaning behind this particular type of rose and the bouquet arrangement.

"Have fun." Dr. Bellum teased. Gray blushed, excusing himself after retrieving his prize. When he left, Dr. Bellum checked all the security cameras so she would have a front row seat for when Gray would give Black Sheep the roses.

"kukukuku my ship is so adorable." she cackled gleefully.

Gray made sure he was stealthy around the campus as students began to walk around for the morning. He didn't want anyone to possibly spoil his gift for Black Sheep.

Though he supposed giving her roses on Valentine's Day wasn't exactly a surprised, but he knew she wouldn't be expecting it from him. Ever since their first meeting when she manhandled him, Gray was smitten with Black Sheep. He loved how much of a fire cracker she could be and make him feel like his body was alit with sparks constantly. If he was corny, he'd tell her she really put the sparks in his crackle, but since his teammates laughed at his "Graham Crackle" suggestion, he'd been more careful not to show how much of his humor to avoid being made fun of.

Being with Black Sheep was like free falling–the adrenaline rush she gave him with her chaotic nature made him feel alive–as if he was merely existing before her.

Now he was living.

He'd tried making his feelings known, but Black Sheep didn't seem to get what he was trying to convey. He wondered how much Coach Brunt sheltered her. It was well known the massive woman had an extremely soft spot for the young girl.

He was so obvious that he was sure his other teammates were taking bets on when Black Sheep would figure it out for herself he felt less than brotherly towards her. However, it seemed no one was winning, and Gray was left with having to go with Plan B.

Being loving and supportive wasn't enough. He needed to show Black Sheep with actions that he was serious about her. So when Valentine's was approaching, he got the idea to grow her special roses to help convey his true feelings. Lucky for him, Dr. Bellum seemed to have a soft spot for "young love" as she put it and was more than happy to give him tips on how to grow roses in a tropical environment.

He finally found her out in the gardens, enjoying solitude before classes started. She looked like she was talking to someone, but he saw no one. Gods, she looked so beautiful. Was it possible to be that pretty?

Steeling his nerves, he straightened his posture and composed himself. It would do no good to be less than charming for his pretty thief.

"Black Sheep!" he called. She jumped, clearly not expecting him to find her, and quickly maneuvered a bit before facing him with a smile so bright it made Gray's knees weak.

"Gray, hey!" Black greeted, waving. He made sure to hide the bouquet behind his back so she wouldn't see until the right moment. Black Sheep was completely unaware of the flowers he had for her. "Where were you this morning? I had to deal with Tigress complaining about how El topo's snoring cut into her beauty sleep all by myself." She made a face. Gray couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry. Just had to pick up something from the lab. Didn't think you'd miss me that much, Black Sheep." Gray smirked teasingly. Black Sheep barked a laugh.

"What can I say? I need someone sane other than me to deal with those three." Black Sheep told him. She noticed he hadn't moved his one arm from behind his back and curiosity tickled her. "Whatcha got there, Gray?" Black Sheep asked, trying to see what he was hiding. However, Gray was swifter than her and successfully hid the bouquet from her sights. He took a deep breath internally.

"That's actually what I came to see you about. Remember how I said I had to pick something up from the lab?" seeing her nod, he continued, gaining courage. He was known as the most charming student in their class—he wouldn't let his nervousness get in the way of sweeping Black Sheep off her feet. "Well, it is a gift for you."

With his most sincere smile, he produced the beautiful roses from behind his back. Black Sheep's eyes widened, and she gasped, excitement clear on her face. Gray felt proud of himself at her reaction. She came closer, gently caressing the petals, almost afraid to fully touch them as if she'd crush them.

"What are they? I've never seen these flowers before." Black Sheep mused out, in awe at the bright red of the rose petals.

"You… you don't know what roses are?" Gray blinked, shocked Black Sheep never knew about roses. Just how sheltered was she?

"Roses." She tested the word on her tongue, and Gray found it utterly adorable at her pleased expression at pronouncing it right. "Where do they grow? Are they common? Do they always come in red?" she fired questions rapidly.

"Calm down," Gray laughed at her enthusiasm. "I borrowed a book about flowers from the library. We can look at it together later." He promised. He then appeared unsure. "That is… if you want?"

Play it cool, Crackle! Don't sound like a lost puppy! He scolded himself. However, Black Sheep looked ecstatic at the prospect of learning more about the world. She tentatively took the roses from him, cradling them close, as if they were a precious treasure. He knew in a way they were—any knowledge Black Sheep gained, she cherished like a priceless artifact.

"Sounds fun." Black Sheep answered, still staring at the roses fondly. She directed her stormy gaze to his caramel ones and the awe in them made his breath hitch. She clutched the roses a little tighter, as if she was afraid someone would take them from her. "Not that I'm complaining but what's the occasion?" Black Sheep asked him, tilting her head.

"You… you don't know what today is?" Gray blinked, hardly believing his bad luck. Was it really possible his luck was that bad that Black Sheep wouldn't know today was Valentine's Day?

"February 14th?" Black Sheep replied, wondering if there was a significance to the date she was missing.

The answer was yes, Gray's luck really was that bad.

Should I continue?

Red Roses: A red rose is an unmistakable expression of love. Red roses convey deep emotions - be it love, longing or desire. Red Roses can also be used to convey respect, admiration or devotion. A deep red rose can be used to convey heartfelt regret and sorrow. The number of red roses has special romantic meanings associated with them. 12 red roses is the most popular of all which conveys "Be mine" and "I love you"