A/N: If you like lovey-dovey songs, might I suggest "Tokyo" by Charmaine? Or "Why" by Dontae?


She was wearing it.

There she sat, in the middle row as usual, wearing the outfit I'd bought for her.

She caught my eye. Waved me over. I walked as if I was in a trance. I plopped down next to her.

"You kept it."

The lightest shade of red ran across her face. "Yeah. I… I really like it." She paused to stare at her lap. "How… How does it look?"

"You look gorgeous."

Her head whipped up.

"I-I mean it looks gorgeous! It… It looks good on you…"

I liked the way the neck of the shirt dipped just below her collarbone. The tears along the sleeves only partially revealed her shoulders, leaving behind an essence of mystery. The heart with angel wings fit right in the middle of her chest. And the leggings… They fit perfectly, too.

Maka sounded both happy and embarrassed when she said, "Thanks."

During the lecture, I did a bad thing. I paid attention—more than I had from the past few days—but something distracted me every now and then.

And just yesterday, I'd told Maka she wasn't a distraction.

Oh, but wait. This was my fault, not hers. It was my fault I kept sneaking peeks at her legs. I kept looking because I longed to know how they'd feel. Would it be the same as my dream? It definitely wouldn't be like the mannequin, right? Because Maka was human—alive. Flesh was softer than whatever that statue was made of. And since it was Maka, hers must be especially nice.

I got my chance at the end of the day. This time, she asked to have a talk with me.

"I don't suppose your plant grew overnight, did it?"

I shook my head nervously, wishing I could say yes. But she didn't seem to mind. I let her enter first and closed the door behind us. She went to my bookshelf and searched through it, saying she wanted to ask what I thought about a scene from a certain story. It had been bothering her for a while, and she wanted to get my opinion of it.

I was about to sit on my bed, but she settled down on the rug instead. Taking her shoes off, she invited me to do the same.

Sitting by her on the floor made the rug seem even more fluffy.

"Does Shibusen have a book club?" I wondered.

"I don't think so… Maybe we should make one! I'd be the president and you could be the vice-president!"

I only asked because I thought Maka would be very happy in a book club. But she wanted me to be included, too. I did like to read, but I wasn't sure if I could talk about books to other people. Maka always said there wasn't a "right" way to interpret a story, but what if my opinions were so ridiculous to someone else, and they laughed at me? I didn't think I could deal with that. And being a vice-president sounded really important, but I wasn't much of a leader. I'd rather follow orders, not give them.

Maka could tell something was wrong. That was one of the things I liked most about her.

"We don't have to, though. I think it'd be fun, but we can worry about that later."

After we finished discussing the scene, we moved on to other topics, just like we did yesterday.

Except this time, I was only half-listening. Normally I absorbed every word Maka said, but I was distracted again by her legs. I kept thinking of a way to ask if I could touch them without sounding like a pervert. Then I wanted to kick myself. Why couldn't I just leave them alone?

Because it's Maka. The fact that she's wearing the clothes I got her means she truly has forgiven me. And she's sorry for ignoring me.

Maybe I could make it seem like an accident? No. No, that wouldn't work. I didn't want to do it like that.

Maybe I could just say, "I'm really glad you liked your present after all." But no. That didn't even come close. It happened before, didn't it? Just yesterday. Words were okay, but they couldn't reach far enough…

But when we hugged…

"What's wrong, Chrona?"

It was now or never. I opened my mouth, but I couldn't say it. I couldn't say it. I wanted to say it, but I couldn't.

Maka tilted her head curiously and waited. That was another thing I loved about her. She seemed to have a special patience that was meant only for me. For her sake, I had to ask.

Having a dry throat was no excuse to quit. I had to try. It was the worse case of stutters and mumbles I'd ever experienced, but no matter how hard I worked, I couldn't get past the first word.

Maka's concern showed on her face, eyebrows slanted, lips pulled down at the corners. She told me to take a deep breath. She scooted closer and placed a hand between my shoulder blades. I hadn't realized I was shaking until then.

I eventually stopped as Maka moved her hand in little circles. She softly reminded me that I could tell her anything, that I didn't have to rush, that she was interested in whatever I had to say.

"Can I touch you?"

Maka froze. I went rigid. I was so soothed by her voice and the pressure on my upper back that I thought, Don't even think about what to sayjust say it! I thought that would help. I was wrong.

That was not what I meant to say at all. Why didn't it come out right?

Fix it, fix it, FIX IT!

No matter how shocked Maka was, it couldn't compare to how I felt. I had to make things right, but my voice was lost. My vocal chords were ruined. Damaged. Gone. Broken beyond repair.

Now I knew exactly how it felt to be a mannequin.

Maka's hand slipped away. Her eyes couldn't get any wider. But then she blinked and they shrunk to their regular size. I thought they'd be filled with disgust, but instead they seemed to waver with uncertainty.

She stared at the fluffy white floor, lost in thought, just like yesterday.

All my senses were numb. I couldn't move, but at least my mind still functioned. I was pretty sure she was deciding whether to say no and call me a creep or to say no and give me a Maka-Chop for saying something so stupid. Or maybe she'd say no, call me a creep, and Maka-Chop me. Not necessarily in that order.

How could silence be this loud? Where was that buzzing coming from? Oh, wait. My ears were ringing from the tension.

Right when I thought I was finally going to pass out, Maka lifted her arm. She held her hand at an angle and used it to hide part of her mouth.

The rigidness was slowly disappearing. I blinked.

She looked at me. She looked a little scared.

I was confused. Why would she be afraid of me?

Maka's eyes stayed glued to mine. She nodded once.

Now I was even more confused. A nod meant yes. Yes? Yes to what? Yes to my question? Was she giving me permission to touch her?

Why?

Could it be that she understood what I really meant?

In any case, it was clear she wasn't mad at me. She didn't hate me.

I swallowed, but my throat was still kind of dry. I inched closer to Maka, careful not to look at her face.

She moved suddenly, repositioning herself. One leg lay stretched out while the other propped its knee up. Her arms were behind her, hands flat on the rug. She didn't look scared anymore.

I held my hand over the leg with its knee in the air. I hesitated. This was really happening. It was literally a dream come true.

I waited for my breath to steady itself. Maka was waiting, too, in that patient way of hers.

My hand glided down to her ankle. That's where I'd start. My fingers twitched before I lowered the tips onto the shiny black material.

Maka didn't slap my hand away. I relaxed completely.

I let my fingertips slide up then down until they reached the hem of her denim skirt. Then I let them travel back to her ankle.

I was right. They didn't feel like the mannequin's. They didn't even feel like the ones from my dream. This was better.

I took my time. I traced lots of straight paths along her leggings and lots of wavy paths, too. It was during my first wavy one that Maka made a quick, strange noise—something like a laugh and a gasp.

I stopped and looked at her. She said it tickled. Did she want it to stop tickling? No, she didn't mind. In fact, she really liked it. That made me smile.

When I switched to her other leg, Maka adjusted herself in just the slightest way so I could reach comfortably. I wondered how she knew when and how to do that.

As my fingertips danced from shin to thigh, I noted just how close-fitting her leggings were. Not once had I skimmed over any folds or loose parts. I was almost sure it was supposed to be that way, but I hoped it wasn't bringing her any discomfort. Once, she wore high heels to a formal party, and she said it hurt her feet. I didn't want Maka to wear anything that hurt her.

My other hand got a chance to explore, too. It was the last time I used the tips of my fingers. I flexed them, bringing them together and spreading them out again over one spot near her skirt. As they swept back toward her ankle, I lowered my hand. Now my fingers and my palm were on her leg.

It let me take in more at once. I ran it lightly up, down, and under, sometimes using one hand, then the other, or both.

I glanced at Maka. Her eyes were closed. At first I thought I bored her to sleep. Then she raised the leg my hands were on, in the same way a graceful ballerina would. She lowered it back down the same way, too.

Though I'd only wanted to focus on her legs, I had a feeling she wouldn't mind if I touched her face, too. Other places, however, I knew were off-limits. Like her shoulders. And her collarbone.

I really liked her blouse, but I knew it would be wrong to rest my ear against the cute little picture and listen to her heartbeat.

So instead, I brushed her bangs aside.

Maka opened her eyes, but she didn't seem mad. I brushed her bangs with the opposite hand. Her sand-colored hair was like silk.

My fingers slid through her ponytail, stopping at the very bottom. I rubbed it delicately between my fingertips. I did the same to the other.

Maka's eyes were half-closed when I leaned in and stroked her cheek. I took turns using both sides of my hand.

As expected, touching her bare skin felt different. It must've tickled Maka, but it tickled me too. Not enough to induce laughter—it was like a different kind of tickle. Dry and smooth.

I was already close enough, so I put my forehead on hers. I closed my eyes, wondering why her brow was a little bit damp. Was she hot? Should I open the window? My throat wasn't so dry anymore, but I wasn't sure if my voice had returned.

I could feel her breath on my lips. I opened my mouth, trying to determine if I was able to speak.

"Don't."

It was a plea, not a command. I pulled back and was surprised to find her looking scared again, blushing.

"Sorry," I muttered, dropping my head.

"It's not you, it's me."

She didn't do anything wrong, so what did she mean? I picked my head up to see Maka's uneasiness replaced with… anger? At herself?

I didn't have time to worry about it because it was gone as soon as I noticed it. Maka stared at the floor, thinking.

Would she push me away if I tried touching her again? Probably. Would she answer me if I asked her what she was thinking about? Maybe, maybe not. Was it worth a shot?

Yes.

I prepared myself, but it was too late. Maka leaned back and lay on the rug, turning on her side.

She patted the space in front of her and said, "Lie down."

I did, facing her, getting as close as I could without feeling cramped.

Maka reached down, took my hand, and held it loosely.

I didn't move. Her face had the same sad look as the one from yesterday. Something was troubling her, and I couldn't stand it. The reason she was sad then had to have been the same reason she was sad now.

Was it because of me? What could I do to make her happy? Did she understand why I told her only nice things? Did she understand why I wanted to be physically close to her? Were those the right ways to express myself? Did she know how important she was to me? I had so many questions that I didn't know where to start.

"I like your hands." Maka was watching her fingers play with mine, trying to get them to respond.

"R-Really?"

"Mm-hmm." She sighed quietly and shut her eyes. The movements of her fingers slowly died out.

I let myself stare at her. My white, fluffy rug made it seem like she was an angel resting on a cloud. Part of her hair spilled over her face. I almost wanted to brush it out of the way, but it wouldn't matter. She'd still be pretty no matter what.

Pretty.

Her clothes outlined the small curves of her shoulders, waist, and legs.

Maka was beautiful.

In that moment, I knew there was another way to show how much I cared about her. All I needed were my eyes. All I had to do was look at her. I didn't need to say or do anything. I could just be still and quiet.

And that's exactly what I did. I lay next to Maka in a sweet and comfortable silence, admiring the fact that she was with me.

If only she could relax. She hadn't moved a muscle. She didn't look peaceful. She looked… dead.

But then she spoke. Her voice was strong. Clear. Depressing.

"I think we've reached the borderline now."

The words flew over my head. I'd heard what she said but couldn't make sense of it. We hadn't gone anywhere. We were still in Shibusen. What did she mean, "borderline"?

Her eyes opened. They were shiny. Helpless. Lost. "Don't you think so, too?"

I had no idea what to say. Was I supposed to agree?

Maka blinked, and her sorrow seemed to lessen. It bothered her that I wasn't answering.

"Do you get what I'm saying?"

I bit my lip, hard. I promised I wouldn't lie to her. But I didn't want to admit the truth. I hated not understanding the simplest things.

I shook my head, feeling ashamed of myself.

"Oh…" she said.

Instead of giving me an explanation, she smiled brightly. "In that case, never mind. It's nothing to worry about then."

And just like that, she was happy.

I was shocked. What just happened? Never before had my… naïveté… been so helpful. A misunderstanding somehow got rid of her sadness.

Well, I thought as she rubbed her thumb against my wrist, at least she's happy now. That's all that matters.

I squeezed her hand.

-xoxo-

That day was my last day working as a mascot. I stayed up that night fearing I hadn't made enough. Tomorrow was Saturday—I'd count it up then.

When I did, my suspicions were confirmed. I was short, but not by a lot.

I needed another job, fast. I was running out of time. The repairs on Soul's motorcycle were getting closer to being finished. I needed something quick and easy.

BABY-SITTER WANTED

I stared at the title of the ad, hoping the first word didn't mean what I thought it meant. Setting the newspaper down, I went to my bookshelf and took out the dictionary.

Baby-sitter. Noun. Someone hired to take care of one or more children.

I glanced through the rest of the ad. A mother needed her one-year-old son looked after. I could fill the gap in just one day.

Only one problem. I didn't know how to deal with children.

I tried to find something else, but today's paper didn't offer a lot of choices.

Maybe Maka can teach me?

I was supposed to have lunch at her place, so I brought the newspaper with me. I wasn't looking forward to telling her I hadn't earned enough yet.

Neither Soul nor Maka seemed surprised by it, though. They weren't disappointed or angry, either.

Actually, it was hard to guess how Soul felt; his face was too expressionless.

Maka merely smiled smugly and said, "Is that so?"

I nodded solemnly. There was little to no doubt in my mind that all three of us—four counting Ragnarok, who was perched on my head—knew the reason why I was behind.

Blair probably didn't know. She was busy cooking for us while we waited at the table. Maka asked about the newspaper, so I showed her the ad.

"But I don't know how to take care of a kid, so… I think I should look for something else, later…"

She wouldn't hear of it. She grew more and more excited by the second, as if Christmas had come early.

"I can show you how it's done." And before anyone could stop her, she was already heading for the phone.

"I'm not so sure about this, Chrona," said Ragnarok. "Little brats like that are… well, brats."

Soul murmured something that sounded a lot like, "You should talk."

Maka stayed on the phone for a long time. It turned out the woman who needed a sitter was the sister of someone who worked at Maka's favorite bookstore.

The infant's name was Cody. His mother said he loved being around new people. That meant I didn't have to worry about him hating me. And Maka would be there to look after both of us.

So why was I so nervous when the day arrived? I told myself it was just a baby. There was no reason to be scared.

As we walked, Maka acted like we were on our way to a carnival. She couldn't wait to see what Cody looked like and what kind of games he'd want to play. She couldn't wait to show me how to feed him and how to give him a bath.

I stared at the ground, fighting the urge to turn around and run back to the academy. I had to get these "What if…?" scenarios out of my head.

It got quiet and the silence didn't surprise me. Maka stepped closer to me and held my hand. That didn't surprise me, either. I stopped slumping. How did we get to the point where we could hold hands without asking? We never talked about it, but I knew we were both okay with it. I could hold her hand whenever I wanted, without having to ask.

Suddenly, Maka asked, "Do you ever want to have kids, Chrona?"

I almost stumbled. "I've never thought about it before," was my answer.

"Really? Well, I have." She bent her head down a little, trying to hide the smile painted on her face. "I'd like to have one someday… Or maybe two…" Her cheeks colored, reminding me of flowers blooming. She turned away so I couldn't see.

That wasn't fair. Maka was cute. Why would she hide?

As we got closer and closer to the house, I got more and more nervous even though I wouldn't be doing this by myself. I let go of her hand as we walked the path leading to the door. We stopped, and I swallowed before ringing the doorbell.

Cody's mother seemed just as excited as Maka. After we were all introduced, she showed us where her baby was.

He screamed the moment he saw us, making me jump. But then I realized it was a happy scream. Somehow that made me not want to take a single step further.

I stood in the middle of the living room, watching him cautiously. He sat in the playpen that was set up in the corner. He had wide steel-gray eyes and thin, flat, inky hair that covered all of his skull and hid half of his ears.

Maka poked my shoulder, but I didn't move. She stood behind me, grabbed my arms, and steered me over to him. We kneeled down.

"He only knows one word, I'm afraid. 'Up.' He still loves being carried everywhere when he should be spending more time getting around on his own."

"Does he know how to walk yet?" Maka asked.

"He can stand and crawl, but he's only ever tried walking once. It's like he just gave up. You'll help him practice, won't you?"

"Of course we will. Right, Chrona?"

"Y-Yeah…"

I didn't like the way Cody's eyes never left Maka. I was tempted to call the whole thing off, but I knew it was too late.

Maka wrapped her arm around my shoulders and leaned in close to my ear. "Why don't you tell him our names?"

Cody had no choice but to look at both of us.

"Um… I'm Chrona, and this is Maka." I pointed as I said our names. "Can you say 'Maka'? Ma-ka."

The baby babbled.

"See?" Maka whispered to me. "It's not so bad, huh?"

I nodded, but then Cody's mother asked to have a word with Maka in the kitchen, her tone losing its giddiness and becoming more businesslike. I tried not to let my panic show. They were going to leave me alone with him?

Maka stood up. I wanted to reach out to her, but I didn't. I had to at least pretend that I could handle this.

I watched them leave, then saw that I wasn't the only one. Even after they disappeared, he still didn't take his eyes away.

At last, he grew bored of it. He turned his head to me and said, "Up!"

I hesitated. I never held a child before.

"Up! Up!"

Fearing he'd start wailing, I lifted him out of the playpen. I nearly tripped—I didn't expect someone so young to be this heavy.

After some squirming, I managed to hold him steady in my arms. He babbled nonstop. Sometimes he stared at the ceiling and sometimes he stared at the floor. He didn't stop talking even when he put a tiny fist in his mouth.

His mother returned to say goodbye, Maka trailing right behind her. She was scowling and blushing a fiery red. When it was just the three of us, I asked her what happened. She dismissed it as nothing important and changed the subject by showing me the piece of paper in her hand. It was a list of instructions on how to prepare Cody's food, when to bathe him, when to make him take a nap, and what number to call if we had any questions.

Maka asked if she could hold him and I couldn't say no even if I wanted to. The kid had stretched his arms toward her the second his mother's back was turned, spouting gibberish at lightning speed. I handed him over, frowning at how he instantly began touching her face.

Maka grinned and let him play with her hair.

I shouldn't be angry. He was just a baby.

Maka rubbed her nose against his, cooing over how cute he was. Cody giggled as if to say, "I am, aren't I?"

I shouldn't be mad at a baby. That would be ridiculous.

"Maka!" he sang.

"Oh, look, he said my name!"

"Great."

It was probably my first time saying something sarcastic. Maka raised her eyebrows at me before smiling gently.

"Don't worry—I'm sure he'll learn your name too."

I didn't bother to tell her that wasn't the point. I almost caught myself thinking of Cody as nothing but a brat, as Ragnarok put it, until Maka did something that scared me half to death.

She grabbed him by the pit of his arms and lifted him high in the air so quickly, she may as well have thrown him. She swooped him back down, bending as she did, and tossed him back up without letting him go. His legs and hair flailed as she cried "Whee!" each time.

"M-Maka, be c-careful!"

"I won't drop him. And look, he's having fun."

Cody was shrieking in delight. I only calmed down a little, watching anxiously and standing close just in case.

He was just a baby.

-xoxo-

There were a lot of toys in the playpen, so we spent some time playing. Cody insisted that Maka play with the toy trucks and that I play with the teddy bear. He seemed to enjoy chewing on everything instead of playing with them, though.

It felt weird.

Maka got up to use the bathroom. Cody tried to crawl after her. I held him back.

"You can't go with her."

"Wongo! Maka!"

He struggled and fussed. Then he picked up a toy hammer and whacked my forehead with it. He dropped it and pulled on my cheeks, my hair, and my ears instead. But his hands were so small that it was no different than—

"Hey, I think I like this kid!"

"Ragnarok, wait!"

There was nothing I could do. When Ragnarok wanted to come out, he did.

Cody's mouth fell open as he saw the dark mass emerge from my back. Ragnarok leaned over my head to put his face right in front of Cody's.

I stayed absolutely still.

The baby stared and stared at Ragnarok.

Ragnarok stared and stared at the baby.

Don't do it, I silently pleaded. Don't do it, don't do it…

He did it.

Ragnarok opened his mouth wide, yelling, "Gupi!"

Cody screamed… and laughed.

The being on my head was just as shocked as I was. Obviously, his plan to scare the child failed miserably. He crossed his arms and muttered, "Dumb brat."

Cody took it as a compliment. He tried to pat Ragnarok's head, but said weapon kept dodging.

"This ain't no petting zoo!" He picked up the toy hammer to fend his attacker off.

The young boy took up a toy saw, and the duel commenced.

I tried to avoid being hit by keeping low and making myself as small as possible. The battle didn't end until Maka came back.

"I should've known you'd be good with kids, Ragnarok." She lifted Cody into her arms and suggested we all get something to eat.

One messy feeding session later, we helped him practice taking his first steps. We took turns holding his hands and walking him through the house. But whenever we let go, he would seemingly fall on purpose and start crawling.

Ragnarok said he was just being lazy and that some discipline was in order. Maka was against it, of course, and felt certain that he'd learn it eventually. Sensing he was tired of standing on two feet, she brought him into her lap and played a game I'd never seen before. She said it was called "Patty Cake."

After teaching me the words and gestures, she put him in my lap. But Cody was more interested in trying to reach Ragnarok. Maka asked him why he never let anyone touch him.

"First of all, it's called 'personal space.' And second, I know most people don't wash their hands. No way am I letting this kid get his sticky fingers on me."

"Wagwok."

"I think he just said your name."

"No he didn't."

"Wagwok!" Cody's attempts to pet Ragnarok increased rapidly. He was getting desperate.

I knew that if Ragnarok was really annoyed with him, he'd have just dissolved back into my body. Instead he only doubled his efforts to duck, twist, and swing out of the way.

My theory that Cody would tire out first was right. He leaned against Maka's leg, and she picked him up. She frowned.

"He's wet," she said. "C'mon, I'll show you how to change his diaper."

Ragnarok recoiled. "Uhhh, thanks but no thanks. I think my work here is done." He looked down at me and added, "Good luck with that."

But it wasn't that bad. Maka told me what to do while she gave Cody a teething ring to chew on. The toddler didn't put up a fight. Maka spoke to him in a quiet, soothing voice.

The next thing we did was look at children's books. There was one that presented things that began with each letter of the alphabet, one that showed shapes and colors, and one that featured the numbers zero to ten.

I didn't mind doing everything—holding the book, pointing, reading aloud, turning the pages—while the other two watched and listened.

Maka was paying the most attention. Her face was serious. It was the same face she made whenever someone mentioned my mother's name.

A long time ago, Maka would become furious just thinking about her. But after her death, the expression changed into something new. It was similar to the way she looked when she was concentrating as hard as she could on an extra-important lesson. The only difference was, it lacked determination. I could swear that deep down, it was concern.

Before the first word had even left my mouth, Maka had placed her hand on my forearm. I knew she was thinking about my mother, and I knew the reason why.

She was wondering how she treated me as a baby. She was imagining me growing up without soft toys, without games like Patty Cake, without gentle words, without being picked up and held affectionately. Without someone to read me big, brightly colored books.

I didn't remember what it was like when I was one year old, but I did remember a certain book I had to look at when I was young. It was very, very different from the ones I was reading to Cody.

I moved on to a pop-up book. It was about Christmas. It was funny to see his eyes glow in wonder as the pictures unfolded and sprung to life.

The first was a Christmas tree. "It is Christmas Eve," I read. "The Christmas tree stands tall and green."

I turned the page.

I paused.

Two people popped out of the book. They were standing under mistletoe.

I had seen people kiss in movies and on TV. I'd read about people kissing in novels.

I'd seen people kiss in real life. In public. At the park, at the academy, in coffee shops.

I'd seen kisses that were short and quick, some that were just a bit longer, and ones that didn't seem to end. I'd seen some that looked sweet and some that looked passionate. Sometimes too passionate.

I didn't think I'd see a kiss in a children's pop-up book.

Cody and Maka looked at me curiously, waiting for me to go on. I shook the memories from my mind.

"Mother and Father kiss underneath the mistletoe."

I went through more and more stories until I reached one that wasn't as general as the others had been. It was called "The Ugly Duckling."

Maka said this was one of her favorite fairy tales. Another new thing about her for me to remember. I'd never heard of it before, so if Maka really liked it, then it must be good. I started reading.

I didn't notice I was crying until a tear fell onto the page I was halfway done with.

I ignored it. This was just a kids' book. Why would I be sad? It had to have a happy ending, right?

But as I read the words and saw the illustrations depicting how everyone scorned the duckling, more and more tears gathered in my eyes.

If it was me, people would have good reason to hate me. I'd committed unspeakable acts that would haunt me for the rest of my life.

But here, the duckling did nothing wrong. He was always kind and never harmed anybody. Yet he was hated just because of the way he looked.

He was despised because of something he had no control over.

"Chrona…?"

I had to stop them, but I couldn't stop them. They kept on falling. I let the book go. I couldn't get it wet and ruin it.

Maka tightly wrapped her arms around me.

"The Ugly Duckling" was a made-up story. None of it was real. None of the characters were real. Why was I letting it get to me?

Even his family turned on him.

Maka rubbed my back and said, "Shhh…"

The ugly duckling was all alone. No one loved him.

Suddenly, I felt another set of hands pulling on my sleeve. Cody.

Even an infant was pitying me.

Was I upset because I felt sorry for the duckling? Was it because he reminded me of myself?

"Donokly, Rowa."

Rowa? Was he trying to say my name?

I looked at his face and saw that he was about to cry, too.

Stop crying! I scolded myself. I wiped at my eyes, roughly, so it would hurt.

What kind of example was I setting for this child? He was innocent, happy, living a normal childhood. Everything was perfect for him. And I had to mess it all up by bringing in darkness and gloom. All because I couldn't stop being such a weakling.

Maka, too. Another reason I had to stop. She didn't like it when I cried. She didn't like seeing me sad.

"Chrona, look at me."

I didn't want to, but I did anyway. She was gripping my shoulders and smiling with sad eyes.

She said, "Listen."

Then she picked up the book and read from where I left off.

Her voice was calming. Cody and I listened and watched as she finished the story.

The ugly duckling eventually grew into a beautiful, elegant swan. He met other swans and finally found a place where he belonged.

"And he lived happily ever after!" she said with a flourish and made Cody clap his hands. The boy giggled and bounced.

I hugged my knees. Of course things worked out in the end. I was worrying for nothing. Still, I could see why Maka liked it so much.

It was time to give Cody a bath. Again, Maka showed me what to do while distracting him from squirming around too much. By the end of it, he was yawning. We went to his room and put him in his crib, where he quickly fell asleep.

The house was quiet.

Maka and I sat on the sofa in the living room. It faced a TV, but neither of us reached for the remote. Cody's mother would be home soon, probably before her son woke up.

I stared at the floor, hands clenched on top of my knees. I waited for Maka to say something. She usually talked first to get me to speak. A minute went by, but she hadn't made a sound. Maybe she was still trying to come up with something.

The silence stretched on and on. I was too afraid to think of anything to say. I was still embarrassed. I'd cried in front of a baby.

I glanced at Maka. She was leaning against the back cushion, blankly studying the black TV screen. I wondered if she was being mute on purpose. Maybe she wanted me to go first.

I fidgeted. I wasn't ready to talk about "The Ugly Duckling," so I searched for something else. It would've been fine to just sit here, but only if I could look at Maka. I didn't think it'd be a good idea to stare at her now, though.

"Maka?"

"Hmm?"

"How come you're so good at taking care of kids?"

She thought about it for a moment. "I've babysat for Fire and Thunder before," she said. "But also…" She tilted her head a little.

"This one time… Soul and I were on an escort mission. We were bodyguards for two women. One of them had a kid a bit younger than Cody. The other was pregnant."

She smiled. "We got them to where they were going safely. But we had to spend the night because of a snowstorm. I spent a lot of time with the baby and his mother showed me how to take care of him. Then, in the middle of the night, the pregnant woman gave birth to a baby girl. They let me help."

She sighed quietly and spoke more to herself than to me. "Their souls are so small."

She folded her hands in her lap. I unclenched mine and placed one of them over hers. She didn't flinch.

I wanted to apologize for earlier, but she would probably say there was nothing to be sorry about. I wondered if she cried the first time she heard it. I wondered which of her parents read it to her, or if they both did.

"Maka?"

"Yes?" She looked up at me.

I hesitated, wondering if my question would sound weird to her. No, I decided. After what happened on the day she wore that outfit I'd got her, this question shouldn't seem strange at all.

"Do you think… maybe… Do you think that maybe someday I can turn into a beautiful swan, too?"

Maka leaned forward and sat up straight, turning to face me directly. She unfolded her hands and laced all her fingers with mine. "Don't you think you already are?"

I shook my head, and it made her frown.

"But aren't you happy here?"

"Of course," I answered quickly. I'd be happy anywhere as long as Maka was there, too.

She brightened up. "See? That means you're already right where you belong. You already have your happy ending. And I think you're already beautiful, inside and out."

She spoke with such confidence that there was no way I could doubt her. She truly believed everything she'd said, and that was good enough for me.

I couldn't hold my smile back. I really wanted to, because it was the kind that was wobbly and awkward, but there was nothing I could do. She made me so happy. If our hands weren't hugging each other, I'd have covered my mouth.

But Maka seemed really glad to see it.

I scooted closer to her, lowering my forehead. She closed her eyes and moved her own to meet it.

When two swans put their heads together, their long necks help them form the shape of a heart. I wished I could see how Maka and I looked. But the view I had at the moment was amazing.

Her face was so close. I tried not to let our noses touch, thinking it'd bother her, but after a while I gave up. Her soft, slow breathing tickled my lips. My eyelids felt heavy.

Her hands pulled away too soon. I was disappointed, but Maka only lay back flat on the sofa. She patted the spot beside her. I understood.

There wasn't a lot of room, so we were really packed in. It must've been the point, because as soon as I was stretched out, she snuggled right up to me. There wasn't any space between us. She tucked her head under my chin and slid her arms around my waist.

I'd never cuddled with anyone, so I wasn't sure what to do.

Not wanting to just lie there uncomfortably, my arms moved of their own accord. One slinked around her shoulders and the other cradled her head. Much better.

I loved the way she nuzzled even closer. She fit so snugly. I realized that I was glad to be taller than her. Holding her like this made me feel like I was the one keeping her safe. That was what I wanted: to protect her. After all she'd done for me, I wanted to show her that she could rely on me.

The minutes raced by. I hardly blinked. Her breath tickled my neck. Her eyes were shut and she barely moved. I wondered if she was asleep or just resting. I wondered if it'd be alright to stroke her hair, trace my fingers behind her neck, or rub her back up and down. Another idea flashed across my mind. I froze.

It was the first time I ever thought about kissing Maka.

But what surprised me more was how calmly I let that image stick. Somehow, with us being alone in this quiet room, kissing her would actually seem… right.

But I'd never kissed anyone before, so I might do it wrong. And it might make her upset.

Maybe just a little one would be okay?

And if I was lucky, she might not even feel it. Should I take the risk? I had to decide now, because if I kept thinking about it, I'd back out for sure.

So, as lightly as I could, I pressed my lips to the space between her eyes. She didn't jump or anything, so I let them stay there for as long as I liked.

I drew back and found Maka's leafy green eyes looking at me.

I was too stunned to panic. I couldn't even open my mouth to apologize.

Maka inspected me with mild curiosity. My eyes widened as she inched closer. She planted a kiss on each cheek.

One.

Two.

My brain was far too slow to process what just happened. When it finally did register, my face flushed.

She was okay with it. I didn't do anything wrong. She kissed me back. Her lips were soft.

I leaned forward.

I clumsily kissed her between the eyes and on both cheeks.

One. Two. Three.

I pulled back.

Her skin was smooth. It was like tasting candy for the first time.

She closed the gap. One. Two. Three. Four. Bridge. Left cheek. Right cheek. Nose.

We went back and forth, adding one more every time. It stopped after about ten and turned into random places and numbers. I stopped counting.

We kept our lips shut, placing them everywhere on each other's faces except the mouth. One of her legs wrapped around mine.

Maka kissed my nose, eyelids, forehead, cheeks, chin, and even my ears. Sometimes she did it quickly and sometimes she lingered.

I followed suit. I did my best to make them as graceful as hers. I wanted to match her so that she could enjoy this just as much as I did.

Maka licked her lips. Now they were full and glossy.

I gulped.

When she pressed her lips to my chin, she parted them. They were opened just a little. She planted her gentle smooches up the sides of my face. A few of them made quiet smacking sounds. She finished with the top edge of both ears, staying longer than ever before.

My heart was hammering. I took a moment to calm down.

Maka smiled coyly.

I decided.

I moistened my lips, too. I let them separate. Brushing her bangs aside, I stamped two loving kisses on her brow. My fingers swept a pigtail out of the way, giving me access to her ear. My mouth hovered just above it, breathing into it until she made that laughing gasp.

Then I lowered the rim of my mouth to her earlobe. I was reminded that this was the same ear I accidentally grazed when we played Twister. It was okay for them to touch now. Her flesh was warm. I moved down, kissing her along the outline of her jaw.

Maka stiffened.

"Chro—"

"W-Wait…"

I was saving her lips for last. I sped up, pecking all round her face, then slowed down again. At last, I let them hang over hers, divided only by a single thread of air. Her breath was tickling my lips once more. I was ready. I closed my eyes.

Maka jolted upright. She let go of me completely, limbs disentangling themselves. My eyes snapped open. I heard the urgency in her voice.

"She's back!"

She's back? Who's she? Who's back?

The front door opened and Cody's mother stepped in.

I sat up and scooted away from Maka, moving as fast as a mousetrap.

I was terrified, but the woman hadn't seen or noticed anything odd. What a relief.

-xoxo-

Cody was still sleeping when we left.

Maka was sad. "I wish we could've told him goodbye."

I held her hand. "I think I can deal with kids now. A little."

She smiled and rested her head on my shoulder.