Chapter 42: It's time to be brave.

Today is the day. Yes, that's right; today I confess my feelings for one stubborn Croix Meridies! I've given this whole thing much more thought than was probably necessary, to the point that I'm probably overthinking stuff, but… Croix hasn't necessarily been making it any easier. We haven't spoken at all in these past few days, mainly because every time I try to approach her, she runs away. Which means… I'll have to resort to some dirty tactics.

The first thing I did was talking to her roommates to try and get them to help me. Which… I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty nervous to do. Mainly because I had only talked to them once before, and they're also third years, so… I didn't want them to think I'm just an annoying underclassmen. But I also didn't want to reveal the truth about why Croix wouldn't talk to me anymore, or what I wanted to tell her so urgently. Yet, at the same time, I didn't want to tell lies. I'm a terrible liar anyways, and they'd probably see right through me in an instant.

Thankfully, they both agreed to help me as soon as I said Croix wouldn't talk to me for some stupid reason not even I understand. They recognized me as "Croix's only friend" (their words) and voiced out their concerns for my relationship with the self-proclaimed genius. So… as soon as I had them both on board with my plan, I just had to… to pick a place for my confession. And a date. And… a gift.

The place wasn't that hard. I didn't want a crowd after all, and taking Croix out of Luna Nova and into a leyline would be extremely difficult without her cooperation. So it had to be a secluded place near campus that also had some sort of emotional significance for both of us. Luckily, I knew just the place!

Next was… the gift. Sure, it wasn't really necessary, but apparently I'm a romantic now. Yet… I couldn't just buy Croix flowers! As beautiful and romantic as those were, I knew she wouldn't really care much about that sort of stuff. Chocolates? Sure, they're good, but Croix prefers Ramen above all food. That's when it hit me… and I bought her ramen. Yes, literally a cup of instant Ramen. But it was the fanciest, largest cup I could find! And spicy too, just like she likes it!

So… now that I had everything ready, I just had to wait for it to be Saturday, so we wouldn't have classes that day, and then put my plan into action.

First I told Croix's roommates that today was the day and made sure they knew what they had to do and were still on board with my plan. Then, I grabbed the ramen and… stalked her, basically. Not my proudest moment, sure, but I had to be there as soon as she stepped outside the school building.

I watched as her roommates talked to her during breakfast, probably trying to get her to go to our meeting point. She refused multiple times, shaking her head and frowning, as expected. But then, at their insistence, she ended up agreeing with a sigh so deep I could almost hear it from my post on the upper balcony.

Then, they went to their room, presumably to grab the spell books they "wanted" Croix to explain to them with a practical class, and then… yes! Then they were off towards the sports fields. This is the moment I've been waiting for!

Before following her, I cast the strengthening spell on myself. I knew I could do this without it, but it was a necessary precaution. As soon as I feel the now familiar rush of energy in my legs, I take off running towards my prey- I mean friend! Towards my friend. Yes.

I'm as fast as thunder, and swift as a river. She doesn't even have time to react, much less process what's happening, before I take her in my arms and carry her away.

"Uh… what… Wait-" Before she can even finish whatever she's trying to say, I've already put her down on the grass, under the tree where she first started tutoring me, while I keep standing in front of her, in case she tries to escape. When her eyes finally land on me, they are wide, looking equal parts confused and scared. "Ch-Chariot? What…?"

"Okay, first of all, I'm gonna make things clear." I say, putting my hands on my hips and furrowing my brows, in an attempt to look intimidating. "I'm not happy that you've been avoiding me like the plague, or that I literally had to kidnap you in order to talk to you. What do you have to say for yourself?"

To her credit, Croix flinches and has the decency to look ashamed for a moment, looking to the side with an almost meek look.

"I'm… sorry?" She says, but it ends up sounding like a question. I just sigh.

"I don't want an apology! I just…" I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. I have to concentrate! Or else this won't go according to plan. "I don't understand! Why did you run from me?"

"Well, I…" Croix swallows and looks down to the grass, almost… shy. "Do you… remember? What I said at the tower?"

"So? You like me. Romantically. I get it." I say, getting a little worked up. "I might be no expert on these things, but I know that you normally wait for the other person to give you an answer for your confession instead of running away and avoiding them!"

"But I already know the answer!" She yells, looking directly at me for the first time since this conversation started. I notice that her eyes are wet with unshed tears before she closes them tightly and takes a deep breath, as if trying to calm herself down. When she opens her eyes again, she looks dejectedly to the side. "I'm sorry Chariot, but I don't think I can be your friend anymore."

"Croix…" So this was what this was all about, huh? I should have known. She thought my answer was no and wasn't going to give me a chance to confirm her worst fears. I don't think I can blame her; being rejected doesn't sound fun, but still! She's being so dumb right now. And that's actually hurting her! And me. I gotta put an end to this right now.

I kneel down and grab the cup of ramen I had left in the grass next to Croix. I honestly thought she would have noticed it by now, but… I guess that just goes to show how much she really is hurting.

"Croix, I don't want you to be my friend. I want you to be more than that." To my surprise she just looks at me with a deadpan expression, as if waiting for me to say something stupid. Weird. I thought by this point my intentions would be pretty clear. But anyways… "Croix Meridies..." I say as I present the ramen cup to her, as if it was an expensive ring. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Although I already know Croix's answer (at least I hope I do!), I still can't help blushing madly and feeling way too nervous. My stomach turns painfully in anxiety, my palms start sweating and the hand that's holding the ramen trembles slightly. All of this in the few milliseconds that takes Croix to respond.

"This is a dream, right?" She says, half-joking.

"I can assure you it's real." I chuckle.

"Punch me." I can't tell if she's serious or not, but either way…

"I would, but I don't know how we'd explain you having a black eye to the teachers." I laugh. She chuckles a little too, but then remains silent for a moment, still staring at the ramen cup without taking it. "I'm still waiting for an answer, you know?"

Finally, she looks into my eyes and the smallest hint of a smile appears on her lips.

"Oh, yeah…" She pretends to think about it for a second before her smile turns mischievous. Then, not giving me time to even process what's happening, she leans in and presses her lips against mine.

I breathe in sharply in surprise, and my cheeks instantly become as hot as the surface of the sun and, but I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the climate. Then… I relax slowly, melting under her touch as I close my eyes and hesitantly, almost clumsily, try to reciprocate the kiss. I've never done this before. Sure, Croix kissed me only a few days ago, but I had never kissed anyone. Until now. And I gotta admit… it's kinda different. Completely different, actually. It feels better to be an active part of this kissing thing, and I'm sure that the fact that this time I wasn't completely caught off-guard and overwhelmed with confusion and doubts also played a role into making this kiss more enjoyable. I never want it to end. I don't understand how such a simple activity can feel so good! How have I been living without this until now?

Croix is the one who pulls away first, and I almost groan in frustration. Except I know we probably still need to talk a bit more about our feelings. And we can't exactly do that while having our mouths pretty much fused together.

"Should I take that as a yes?" I smile.

"Y-yeah." Her voice is still a bit shaky, maybe because she can't believe what just happened herself, but the way she nods seems firm enough, so… no hesitation there, thankfully.

I smile some more, just getting lost into her beautiful eyes, closer and happier than I've seen them since that fateful day. But then… a scary thought enters my mind. Something I hadn't really thought about.

"Uh… dumb question." Croix just raises an eyebrow and keeps looking at me, as if waiting for me to elaborate. "What does it imply to be girlfriends, exactly?"

"What do you mean?" She furrows her brows and pulls away slightly, as if worried that I'm asking this.

"Y-yeah, like… I know that we love each other romantically now, but… I've never… this is just new to me, okay? I don't know what to expect!"

"Well… you're also my first girlfriend, so maybe I'm not the best to ask." She chuckles. "But… I don't believe our relationship will change much. Except for the occasional… uh… physical activities."

"Physical activities?!" I repeat, blushing madly. Wait… does she mean…?

"Yeah, you know, kisses, hugs, hand holding… all those things." She looks to the side, blushing too.

"Right, right." I clear my throat, pretending my mind wasn't in the gutter for a hot second there. "So, uh… will this also mean you won't keep running away?"

"It depends." She sighs. "Do you really love me? Like… romantically? Or are you just doing this because you don't want to lose me, and you think this is what I want?"

"What?" I exclaim, a little offended Croix even thought I'd do that. "No! I do love you! Truly. Like… for real. Really. I… I don't really know how else to say it." I pause, scrunching my eyebrows as I try to think of another word. "Vraiment?"

"Alright." She smiles, apparently having been convinced. "I'm sorry, I just… had to make sure."

"Do you…?" I swallow, unsure if I should ask or not. Sure, she confessed the other day, but… she was under the effects of the love potion. And although she did kiss me right now, I still need to hear it. "Uh… do you love me as well? Romantically?"

"Yes." She smiles brightly, coming closer towards me once again, grabbing my waist with her hands. "I do love you, Chariot du Nord. My little Cherry…"

And so, she kisses me passionately, with a ferocity that takes my breath away, but with such tenderness at the same time that… my whole body feels like it's melting under her gentle touch. Especially when she flips our positions so that now my back is pressed against the grass, with her laying completely over me.

Our lips dance together, our hands intertwine and our bodies are flush against each other. And, for a few wonderful moments, it's almost like we're one whole being, instead of two separate halves longing to be completed.

When we finally separate, I'm panting heavily, my heart beating a thousand times per minute inside my chest, and my whole body seems to be a few grades over normal temperature. Almost like a fever, but… pleasant.

Croix then lays on her side next to me and places a hand on my cheek, caressing me softly as she looks at me with an expression that I can only describe as… adoring. She has that small silly smile on her face and her beautiful green eyes are staring directly at me, relaxed, happy and loving.

I can barely keep myself from kissing her again. If only because I want to stare at my beautiful girlfriend a little longer. Just enjoying our wonderful time together.

Except… all of a sudden, Croix's expression turns somber for a second. It's almost… pained. And concerned. Her brows furrow, her eyes look down and her smile vanishes. She quickly tries to cover it up with a fake smile, but… I did notice.

"What?" I ask, placing my hand on top of hers, which is still resting on my cheek.

"What what?" She counters, feigning ignorance.

"Croix, I saw that! Is something worrying you?"

"What? No, no. Everything is perfect really, it's just…" She trails off, taking her hand off my cheek and laying down with her back on the grass, choosing to stare at the sky instead. "It's dumb. Don't worry about it."

"No, tell me!" I protest as I sit up and try to look at her eyes, but she avoids my gaze. "Croix… You can tell me anything, alright? If it's worrying you, then it's not silly."

"I… well… it's just…" she fumbles with her words, still evading my gaze. Then takes a few deep breaths before answering. "I… I wished I was one year younger."

"I… what?" I frown in confusion. That… really wasn't what I thought she'd say.

"I told you it was silly." She sighs.

"It's not! I just… why?"

"Because… because I don't want to leave you. I don't want to leave Luna Nova yet!" She exclaims, closing her eyes. "I don't want to go to some University far away. I just… I want to stay here with you. If not forever… then at least for another year."

Oh. Well… That was… I hadn't even thought of that. I was just too happy to finally figure things out with Croix, to finally be able to be with her romantically that I just… I didn't think about what comes next. And what comes next is… graduation. In only six months.

I still have another year here at Luna Nova, but Croix…

"You'll still visit, right?" I ask hesitantly, with a nervous chuckle. I honestly don't know what I'd do if she gave me a negative answer.

"I… yeah…" She says, much to my relief. Yet she still has a somber expression on her face. "But… it's not the same, you know? Like… I see you every day right now! We can have as many little moments like this every time we want, but after I graduate…" Again, she trails off, and her eyes appear truly sad as she stares at the afternoon sky. An expression that doesn't really correspond with all the joy we were experiencing just seconds ago.

"Look… don't worry about it, okay?" I try to reassure her. Or maybe myself. Probably both. "Let the future come when it's time, and meanwhile let's just… enjoy the moment?" I finish with a nervous laugh, but it doesn't seem like Croix's really listening to me.

"Maybe." She sits up and proceeds to stare at the green scenery around us, already having a nostalgic look on her face. In that moment, it was as if my friend had aged up ten years in just a few minutes.

My girlfriend, I mean. Wow. I gotta get used to that.

"I… it's just…" She speaks, but then purses her lips, as if fighting with herself to try and let the words out. "Every… every single time I've had something good happen to me… it has always ended." She starts pulling the grass, frowning, concentrating on it as she speaks, as if what she's saying wouldn't come out otherwise. "And… I get it. That's life. You gotta deal with it and toughen up and whatever, but…" She draws in a shaky breath and blinks rapidly. Almost as if… as if she's trying to stop tears from forming in her eyes.

Wow. When did we get to this point? I don't really think it's that big of a deal. Even if Croix graduates and isn't able to visit that often… I'm sure we'll be able to make things work, right? No big deal. Except… Well… if Croix is saying all of this… there must be a reason.

No, I don't think she'll leave me. But surely all these fears and sadness are coming from somewhere. From her past. From… when she was just a little orphaned girl with an uncertain future and no one to give her the love she deserves.

"Croix…" I scoot closer and try to gently touch her shoulder, but she turns to look at me in that moment, and her almost frantic expression paralyzes me.

"I know… I'm silly, I know. But… I'm just so scared…"

"Croix-" I try again, but she cuts me off.

"I-I… I don't think I can explain it to you properly, or even if I should, but… I know… I just know that… if… if I ever lose you… I don't think I'll ever be the same again…"

"Croix…" this time I'm able to take her hand, which finally makes her redirect her gaze towards me. She looks scared still, so I try to give her a reassuring smile. "I won't ever leave you, okay? I know it might be a little soon to say it, but…" I blush, but don't hesitate. She needs this. I grab her hand and place it over me chest, where my heart is still beating loudly for her. "Can you feel it? As long as it's beating, I will be there for you, I promise. I… I love you."

Wow. It feels so different to say it now that we're girlfriends. Heavier. Deeper. Like… it comes from the very core of my heart itself and carries with it a huge responsibility that I didn't know it entailed until now. But… unlike most responsibilities, this one I'll embrace gladly.

Croix blushes at my words before quickly leaning in and giving me a small peck on the lips.

"I love you too." Finally, a small smile appears on her face. "And, uh… sorry about my little breakdown. I didn't mean to ruin the moment…"

"Hey, it's alright." I quickly reassure her, before gently brushing our noses together. "I'm here for you, okay?"

"You're already the best girlfriend I'll ever have, and we haven't been together for even an hour." She jokes, but I can see there's some truth on her words, which makes my heart melt for her all over again.

"You know? I think I could still do better." I say, slowly leaning in.

"Oh yeah?" She raises an eyebrow, challenging. "I think I'll be the judge on that."

And so, we kiss one more time, forgetting about the uncertainty of tomorrow, of our fears and doubts. Right now we're just two girls that are happily in love, enjoying our time together. As it should be.


"Sensei, you're blushing." Akko smiled maliciously as she watched her teacher stop the story she was telling her and losing herself in her memories for a moment. Akko's words, however, made her snap out of it as her cheeks took on an even deeper shade of red than before.

"I-I… it's not- I haven't told this to anyone, that's all!" She tried to explain, but the blush still remained clear as day.

"Hmhm." Akko nodded skeptically, looking intently at the professor's eyes. Chariot started sweating a little under the scrutiny. "Is Croix-sensei really that good of a kisser?"

"Akko!" Ursula immediately protested, covering her cheeks with her hands to hide the aggressive blush that suddenly invaded them at the question.

"I'll take that as a yes then." The little witch laughed. "I gotta admit, I'm not surprised. She looks very confident now, like she knows exactly what kind of effect she has on people."

"Yeah, nothing like the awkward teenager she was ten years ago." Ursula agreed, relieved that Akko had kinda changed the subject.

"Still. I was expecting her to confess to you, you know? Not the other way around!" Akko then paused for a moment, adopting a thoughtful expression. "I mean… I guess she kinda did? Or… at least she tried."

"Three times." Ursula sighed. "She'll never let me forget that." Akko laughed.

"Well… I can't really talk much, huh? Until just a few days ago I was unaware of my own feelings for Diana. I'm sure if a girl would have confessed to me before, I probably wouldn't have noticed."

"Probably." Ursula agreed, but internally just thought it must have been rough for Diana these past few months, and felt bad for the blonde girl.

"So… how do you think I should do it? Should I go for what you did? Just a private picnic or something?" Akko asked, starting to talk very quickly, like she always did whenever she got nervous or excited. "But Diana is into fancy stuff, so like… should I invite her to a ballet? Or whatever events rich people go to?" Her face then adopted a confused expression. "But she really liked Shiny Chariot, and I do too, so… maybe a private show with fireworks and such? I don't know, sensei, what do you think?!"

"Uhhh…" Chariot chuckled, amused by her enthusiasm, but a little worried it might get out of control. As it usually happened when Akko had an idea. "Maybe just do what feels best? But try to not overwhelm her! Falling in love is an adventure on its own. No need to get magic involved."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Akko sighed. "I really like the private show idea though…" She trailed off. "But anyways, I think it's getting late now. See you tomorrow sensei!" She exclaimed as she got up from the couch and waved at her.

"See you, Akko! Please go straight to your room."

"Can't promise anything!" Was the mischievous response she got before the girl disappeared through the door.

Ursula just shook her head and laid down on the couch, her arms wrapped around herself as if trying to make a poor imitation of a hug.

Telling Akko about how she first started dating Croix really made her miss her lover, and she wished she could be in her arms now instead. Hopefully she'd visit soon, though she wasn't holding her breath. It was risky enough after all, and the calls really didn't seem to be enough lately.

Hah! And to think her teenage self had thought long distance relationships were hard after Croix left for college. She wondered what she would have thought of her current situation. Probably would have lost patience and busted Croix out of prison by now.

Fortunately she wasn't as rash or impulsive anymore.

… Or unfortunately?


A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone! Life has been hectic as of late, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter nontheless XD. If you did, please leave a review/favorite/follow, any support you cna give me is appreciated. Also, I made a drawing of a scene in this chapter, so if you want to check it out, you can look me up on Tumblr or Instagram under the same username.

Btw, I know you're all probably here just for the Charoix feels, but if you enjoy my writing, you might consider checking out an original story I'm writing right now. It's called "Blooming in the desert", and it's a gay love story between two women, so I think you might like it. You can find me on under the same username.

Thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13.