That night, as I sat in my room alone, I was unable to focus on the book I was attempting to read. I was stressed, incredibly so. More than usual, by far. Partly due to the realization of not just my attraction to Black Star, but my apparent homosexuality, and party because I'd sworn myself off of the… Relief my body had become so prone to, refusing to openly satisfy myself with those thoughts. I was embarrassed, blushing alone in my room just thinking of how I'd ever… Shameful.

I closed the book decisively and stood up straight. After sliding its leather-bound pages into the perfectly-sized space it belonged in in the bookshelf, I walked to Liz and Patty's shared room and knocked lightly on the door.

"Liz, Patty." I spoke calmly, as usual, though loud enough to ensure they heard me.

Liz opened to door and I walked inside gracefully, elegantly. My posture- perfect. My face- straight, expressionless. I could do this.

"Teach me." I pleaded, losing my composure.

Liz raised one perfectly arched eyebrow and Patty got an innocently confused look on her face. "Teach you what, Kid-kun?" The more hyper of the two asked.

"Love. Teach me of love, and romance, and how to win someone's heart." I dropped to my knees, perhaps being a tad bit dramatic, as I reflect upon it. "I… I don't know how."

"Hmmm? Love? You never struck me as the type to concern yourself with things like that." Liz said, squatting down in front of me. "So… Who's the lucky lady?"

I made sure my head was turned down, hair falling over my face so neither of the two could see the feint blush that I felt sweep across my cheeks. I honestly hadn't predicted this. I expected to come in, get advice, and leave. I'll admit that things had been straying away from the plan I'd laid out in my mind since I'd entered the room, but this? Not only did I have to lose close to all, if not every last ounce, of my dignity by admitting I was… Well, not so experienced in the field of love, but now I had to come out? The same day I'd accepted it myself? And, judging by her question, after I'd told them that, I was sure they'd wonder who the "lucky" guy was.

"There is no girl." I said simply.

Patty victoriously air-punched. "Yesss! I win!"

I looked up, confused.

Liz noticed my questioning look, "Oh, it's nothing. There was just this bet with Maka…" She waved away the matter, "So you're gay then, right?"

Needless to say, I was surprised. "I… How did…?"

"It only took common sense to figure it out, Kid."

"Pardon? I-I didn't even know until very recently, it's not possible that you-"

"You're obsessed with symmetry. It's pretty obvious that you'd eventually realize that girls were just… Too different from you. We probably knew it before you did."

I sighed in defeat.

"Stand up, you're fine." She took her own advice and brought herself to her feet.

I took a deep breath to try and regain my composure before doing the same. I cleared my throat, straightened my jacket, and patted imaginary dust off of my trousers. "Okay. I'm fine." I smiled gently.

"Ne~ Kid-kun! Who do you like?" Patty had somehow appeared beside me, and was now poking me repeatedly in the shoulder. I swatted her hand away.

"That's none of your concern, and if you're going to poke me either do it at my center, or do it an even number of times on either side."

"Okay!" She said happily, walking swiftly with a hop in her step to the other side of me, where she began to poke me again. She paused. "Ah… How many times did I poke the other side?"

"Probably not an even amount…" I mumbled. She began to poke again. "Forget about that! You're making it worse. I still need advice."

"Well, to start with, tell us who it is." Liz said.

"… I will not."

"Then we can't help you."

"No help for Kid-kun!" Patty giggled.

"Black Star…" I said quietly enough that I knew they didn't hear me.

"Who?"

I didn't repeat myself. I stood silently, avoiding meeting their gazes, my face red.

"Oi, Kid. If you don't tell us, I'm assuming its Black Star." Liz said joking, laughing along with Patty.

"Kid and Black Star sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G…"

"I mean, he is amazing, right? That is what he's always saying. How could you not like him? He's the Black Star!" Liz continued, completely sarcastic, her and Patty's laughter getting louder while my face burned hotter. I began clenching my fists to help me hold composure. They continued joking, the idea of me liking Black Star hilarious to them. As if I hadn't been ashamed enough, my own weapons found the idea so preposterous they could kid about it safely, apparently unable to fathom there might be a chance that I really did like him. I sat down on the closest bed (there were two in the room, since they shared it), and laid my face in my hands, arms propped up on my knees. Their laughter died off.

"Ah… Kid-kun, what's wrong?" Patty asked in her tiny voice.

"It's not like I wanted this. He… He's Black Star. He's so… wrong. I just… I don't know…" I sighed, deciding that if I was going to tell them who it was, I might as well tell them everything. "I can't help but find him attractive. You've seen him. There's no possible way to deny it. Yes, he is asymmetrical. Very, I know, and it's awful. But at the same time, there are so many things that are so right. Like his eyes. They're gorgeous! They gleam with pride and joy… Determination. And he's so outgoing, and powerful…" I felt a tinge of wonder showing through in my eyes.

"How does Maka not see this?" Liz asked Patti, who shrugged in reply.

The wonder disappeared, and was replaced with irritation. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah. What did you want help with?"

I had a look of despair plastered onto my face. "…F-find out if he… Likes me back?" I felt childish saying it, but justified this (to myself) by taking into consideration that my love-life had not… developed yet. I still had to go through these phases. That was how it worked, right?