Chapter 38

I tore down the hallway and through the double doors, watching them turn a corner behind the building. I ran faster.

I was at the basketball courts, where Black Star and Tsubaki were playing one-on-one. I could hear Black Star screaming from where I was.

I scanned the place, looking for Crona. I finally spotting him and Maka sitting on a bench under a tree, watching the courts.

I hurried down the sidewalk and skidded to a stop in front of them. Maka scowled at me.

"What do you want?" she said.

"I want to talk to Crona."

"No way," she said, "You're just going to make him cry."

"I won't," I said, "Please, I just really need to have a talk with him."

She glared at me a moment, then looked at Crona. He nodded.

Maka stood up with huff. She poked a finger at my chest. "I'll kill you if you make him cry."

"Got it," I said, and she walked away to join Black Star and Tsubaki. I sat down next to Crona.

I faced him and started by saying, "I'm sorry." He wasn't looking at me yet; his eyes were fixated on the earth in front of him.

"Crona," I said, "I . . . want you to know how much I like you. Which is a lot - I mean, you're all I ever think about, more than symmetry. I really care about you." He finally turned to me. I continued. "I've been stupid," I said, "I've - I've been thinking about Ragnarok."

Crona's eyebrows furrowed.

"I couldn't get over it," I said, "How Ragnarok just - comes between us, and it's hard seeing how he treats you, and it gets me so angry, and . . ."

"Kid, what . . ."

"But he's apart of you," I said, "There's no way to separate you two, and that was difficult for me to come to terms with -"

"What do you mean?" said Crona, "I-I don't -"

"So I got kind of depressed, and I withdrew from everybody, even you, and -"

"Wait!" cried Crona. He was suddenly upset. "Wh-What, are - are you, breaking up with me?"

I stared at him. "Crona, no -"

"I knew it," he said, "I'm not . . . I'm not good enough, I -"

"That's not true," I said, but he was almost hysterical.

"Kid," he said, and he was starting to cry. I didn't know what to do. "I'm horrible," he said, "You . . . you don't . . . I don't know how to deal with . . . not being with you -"

I threw my arms around him, startling him into silence. I squeezed him tighter to me, breathing him in; I missed his scent so much. "Crona," I said, "God . . . I love you."

Crona's crying had quieted to whimpers.

"I love you," I said again. "I love you."

I heard him inhale sharply. "Kid . . ."

"I mean it," I said, "I love you so much."

He abruptly started sobbing again.

"Crona," I started, but he interrupted me.

"I - I love you too!" he cried, and clung to me around the waist. His words drove right through me, and I felt my eyes starting to sting.

"I - I thought -" he said.

"Crona," I said, "I would never leave you."

As his crying continued, I rubbed his back comfortingly, calming him down, whispering that it was okay in his ear. He was so small in my arms, but he held onto me with surprising strength.

Suddenly, I saw Maka rushing toward us.

"KID!"

"Shit."

"WHAT HAPPENED?" she shrieked upon seeing Crona's tear streaked face. "WHY IS CRONA UPSET? YOU'RE SO DEAD -"

"Maka!" said Crona, "I-It's okay -"

"IT IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT," she shouted, "WHY IS HE PITYING YOU WITH HUGS -"

"I AM NOT PITYING HIM," I yelled over her.

"THEN WHY IS HE CRYING?"

"Because!" said Crona, and Maka stopped yelling to look at him,"Because, he . . . he just told me he l-loves me."

Maka whipped her head to look at me. "Yes, Maka," I said, "I was apologizing to Crona for how much of an idiot -"

"A big fucking idiot," she said.

"- A really big fucking idiot I was being and that I love him, and . . . I can't imagine . . . not being with him."

Maka folded her arms across her chest, digesting and no doubt analyzing my words.

"Okay," she finally said, "You barely pass the standards, but you're worthy of Crona's presence."

"Thank you," I said. She leaned towards me and pointed a finger in my face.

"If you hurt him again," she said, her green eyes flashing, "I will seriously maim you."

"Right," I said, refusing to wilt under her gaze. "So, um, can we have a moment?"

"Sure."

"Kid," said Crona, "We only have a few minutes of lunch left . . ." He trailed off as gently dried his cheek with my thumb.

"God, not even five days," I said, "And I missed you so much."

"Yeah," he said, "Me too."

"I'm sorry I made you feel so bad -"

"I know," sniffed Crona, "I know. You . . . don't need to say it."

All the times that Crona had beat himself down, apologizing for everything - all the time I had to tell him it was okay - I thought he was the only one that needed someone to lean on. Now he was the one that I needed so badly, to tell me it was alright. He was the one saving me.

I mean, not that I'm complaining.

"Will you . . ." Crona bit his lip.

"What?" I said, brushing the hair from his face.

He blushed slightly. "Will you kiss me?"

I smiled.

"Of course."