Time for the 3rd chapter of Valentine's Day. This one's for Kirona ;) This ship is so adorable, even though it's practically not canon at all… Also, I realize that Crona blushes red once or twice in the anime, but black blush makes more sense and I'm altering the canon anyway to make this pairing so why not alter Crona's anatomy a little bit? Anyways, I don't own Soul Eater. I present to you a different type of love story.

Valentine's Day, Chapter 3

Black Blush

"Stop pacing; you're making me dizzy," Ragnarok groaned, flopping down Crona's back. The Demon Sword simply hung there, exhibiting his exasperation with his meister. "You've been doing nothing but walk back and forth for an hour," He drawled.

Crona rubbed her arm in her typical nervousness. "But I don't know how to deal with this," She murmured, although she stopped walking anyway.

"Good," Ragnarok sighed with relief. "Don't ever do that again. You're enough of a nervous wreck without having to pace," He snapped. "What can't you deal with this time, wimp?"

The pink-haired meister's gaze shifted to the floor, her anxiety even more apparent than usual. "V-valentine's Day…" She said softly, causing Ragnarok to roll his beady eyes.

"Oh for Pete's sake. Don't tell me that you're another one of those lovestruck idiots?" He groaned.

Crona flinched. "I'm not an idiot…" She replied, but without much conviction as she sat down at her desk. "I'm going to call Maka," Added the teen.

Ragnarok glared at her. "Why the heck are you calling her?!" He asked. "I'm here! You can talk to me!"

"Exactly why I'm calling Maka," Crona replied as she picked up her new phone, earning her a punch to the head.

"You've gotten sassy. Stop it," He muttered, but then retreated into his meister's back. Crona sighed and leaned forward on the desk. She hadbeen trying to boost her confidence lately, but mostly to simply summon the courage to ask her crush to be her Valentine. When she had confessed to Maka that her heart rate sped up whenever he was close, the blonde had smiled brightly.

"Are you going to tell me who he is?" She asked excitedly. Crona shook her head.

"No," She had replied softly. "It's m-my secret…"

Maka gave Crona a knowing look. "I understand. But have you told him how you feel?" Upon another shake of the taller meister's head, Maka had smiled once again. "Well, there's a special holiday coming up where people tell someone they like that they like them."

Crona winced. "That sounds too risky and straightforward," She murmured.

The blonde shrugged. "Normally it is, but everybody does it on Valentine's Day," She assured her friend. "Just ask that special boy to be your Valentine. If he says yes, then he likes you back," She had told her confidently.

Crona sighed, remembering the conversation as she dialed Maka's number. It didn't take long for her friend to pick up.

"Hey, Crona!" Spoke Maka's cheerful voice. "What's up?"

Crona was silent for a moment. She hadn't exactly had a reason to call her friend; she had just been trying to escape Ragnarok. Now that she was on the phone, what was she supposed to do? "Uh," She began slowly, "Uh… Did you, um… Did you get that candy you were going to get Soul?" She asked, having finally found something to talk about.

"Yep. Soul loves it," Maka replied, giggling a little. "He actually got me the same thing… And ate the whole bar already. Quit complaining that your stomach hurts!"

Crona became slightly confused as she heard Maka direct her voice away from the phone.

"It was not 'worth it;' quit saying that! That was too much candy for one day, not to mention an hour! If you're gonna barf, barf in the bathroom. I just got that rug cleaned last week."

Feeling as if Maka's attention was now focused elsewhere, Crona said softly, "Um, Maka? If you're busy, I can go…"

Maka responded quickly. "No, you don't need to go! I can talk to you and…" The meister was cut off by what sounded like an irritated hippo. "Soul, stop moaning. Actually, Crona, I think I need to go to the drugstore. Soul needs something to keep him from giving me back that candy."

Crona became confused again. "I thought he already ate all of it?"

"Exactly," Muttered Maka. "I'll call you back, okay? Bye. Now, Soul, let me help you to the couch…"

Before Crona could reply, Maka had hung up. The pink-haired meister sat in silence for another moment, wondering what to do next. She was going to ask Maka for help talking to Kid, but her friend seemed occupied with her bloated weapon. Timidly, she reached for her phone again, trying to build up the courage to call Kid. However, she pulled her hand back once again. Every time she even thought about speaking to him, her mouth went dry and speech became near impossible. Black blush- rather than red, due to her abnormal blood- spread across Crona's cheeks whenever he directed his golden gaze at her, prompting the young meister to quickly turn away.

Crona couldn't explain how exactly she had fallen for Kid. It had seemed superficial, at first, as Crona had been near immediately drawn in by his confidence and appearance. It wasn't until she began to look deeper, to find out more about Kid, that she realized that she wanted the future Shinigami to be more than a friend. With Maka's help, Crona had identified those feelings; she had a crush. A heart-twisting, stomach-churning, devastating crush that Crona in no way knew how to deal with.

Swallowing her apprehension, Crona grabbed the phone before she could have second thoughts.

"If I can't talk to him," She gulped as she pulled up his number, "I'll text him."

She did it quickly, her thin fingers typing like lighting across the screen.

Will you be my Valentine, Kid?

SEND

It wasn't until she had given the phone the cue to send the message that Crona realized she hadn't been breathing. She inhaled sharply, trying to take deep breaths to calm herself down. The teenage meister swiftly stole onto her bed, leaning against the wall as she grabbed her pillow and clutched it to her chest. It was done. Her heart had been sent to Kid in a text message, but only time would tell if he returned it.

Gallows Mansion wasn't usually a quiet place. Typically Kid was sobbing about something or Patty was laughing like a madwoman for some reason or another. That day, however, one of the only sounds was produced by Liz as she flipped through television channels.

"Can't believe Patty got asked out for Valentine's Day," She grumbled, her irritation apparent in her eyes. "I could've made it a double date. I could've gone with her. I should've gone with her. Who knows what trouble she'll get into on her own? It's my job to watch her; I'm her sister, darn it!" She ended up shouting.

Kid glanced over at her from his reclined position in his black leather armchair. "I'm sure she'll be perfectly fine," He told her calmly. "Patty knows how to handle herself. She knows when it's appropriate to punch a boy in the jaw," He said, turning his gaze back to his book.

Liz sighed, turning off the TV. "Yeah, but not even one guy asked me out this year? You'd think that after killing Asura and all, I'd be pretty popular," She mumbled.

Kid didn't take his eyes off his book this time. "First of all, we only helped. It was a group effort, although Maka struck the final blow. Second, I believe that you intimidate boys," He pointed out.

Kid's elder partner's slumped down into the couch. "I don't wanna be intimidating… I mean, I wanna be tough, but I wanna be likeable," She mumbled. She turned her head to face her meister, her expression one of despair. "What about you, Kid? Did you get asked out?" Upon a nod from the young Reaper, Liz cringed. "That's it. I'm alone. You and Patty are going to go on dates and fall in love and get married and I'll be the tough girl that never gets a boyfriend and I'll be forever alone…" She whimpered.

Kid raised an eyebrow. "What on earth are you talking about? I'm not going on any dates," He told her.

Liz paused from wallowing in her self-pity. "I thought you said that you got asked out."

Her meister nodded. "I did. However, I didn't accept any of the requests. There's a difference," He added. Liz looked as if she was about to ask another question, but then Kid continued, "Their requests irritated me, actually. Valentine's Day always has. During the holiday in elementary school, there were too many blushing girls trying to give me glittery heart-shaped cards, then in middle school there were too many blushing girls giving me cheesy store-bought cards. Dad was my private tutor for most of my middle school years, but when I joined the DWMA, the blushing girls turned into hormone-driven young women who simply wanted to snog a Grim Reaper. It definitely isn't my favorite holiday," He mumbled dispassionately, closing his book. "Valentine's Day is simply an excuse for people to go on dates with people they'll only like for a day and then get their heart broken. Besides, I don't want to date a girl that only likes me for my status or appearance."

The pistol sighed, waving him off. "Kid, you're taking this too seriously," She told him, but then glanced over when Kid's phone buzzed. The Reaper reached over to his mobile on the small table beside the armchair, raising an eyebrow when he saw who the message was from.

"Crona texted me," He murmured, surprised as he opened the message. When Liz saw a fierce blush spread across her meister's cheeks, her eyes lit up.

"You got a date, didn't you?" She giggled, but then her face dropped. "Which means I'm alone again…" She slumped back into the couch so that she was laying down and faced away from Kid. "I hate being a tough girl…"

Kid stared at the message, trying to make sure he was interpreting it right.

Will you be my Valentine, Kid?

Was it real? It seemed sudden, with no prior warning. Maybe it was a prank from Ragnarok. Wait, could he even type? The little Demon Sword didn't really have fingers. No, it couldn't be Ragnarok. But why Crona? Was she being serious?

Kid sighed, leaning back in his chair and continuing to stare at the message. Crona didn't know how to play practical jokes, and if she did, he doubted she would pull anything; she would be too scared of offending someone.

So it wasn't a prank. Crona really was asking Kid to be her Valentine.

Kid's reply didn't take much thought. To say no or to simply not answer would crush the Demon Swordsman.

Kid stood suddenly. "I'm going out," He said, placing his phone in his pocket without sending a message. "I'll be back soon. Don't have any guys over while I'm gone," He told Liz, going out the door and closing it behind him without waiting for a response. Liz sighed.

"Don't need to worry about that…"

Kid walked leisurely, his hands in his pockets as he followed his memorized route to his father's Academy. His mind, however, was focused on other things.

"I'm going to tell her yes, of course," He thought to himself. "As to not crush her. But… Do I truly love her? I would be implying that if I accepted, certainly," He frowned. "I mean, there are plenty of things to like about Crona. Now that I think about it, she is kind of cute. She's shy, but that makes her more endearing. And I do feel protective of her, and I want her to be happy… But I don't think that that's entirely love."

Kid sighed, turning a street corner. He crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for a pedestrian crossing sign to turn green. "Then again… Does it really have to be?" He tilted his head to the side as a new thought occurred to him. "Love can develop; it doesn't have to be immediate. Some find their partners instantly, while others have to warm up to them. Even if they don't match up instantly, some people will discover after a time that they are truly meant for each other and that there's no one else for them. There are plenty of good things about Crona, and I already like her," He thought, beginning to smile. "So I'm sure, that with a little time," He found an unfamiliar blush tint his pale cheeks, but he accepted it. "I will love Crona."

Crona hadn't moved from her place on her bed. Her phone hadn't rung, and she had received to text messages. She sniffed a little; Kid hadn't replied. He had rejected her.

"Crona?"

The pink-haired meister sat up with a start. That was his voice. Her Kid.

She jumped out of bed, rushing to her cell door. She stopped suddenly, taking a deep breath, before she pushed it open.

"Crona, I need to talk to you," Kid stated, looking up at her. His eye twitched slightly when he realized that the witch's daughter was a couple inches taller than him, but he shrugged it off.

The aforementioned meister looked into his eyes for a minute, but then turned her face downwards. "So… You came to reject me in person?" She whimpered, shaking a little. Kid's eyes widened, but then he sighed.

"Why are you so confident that you'll get rejected?" He mumbled.

Before Crona knew it, something warm was wrapping around her. She stiffened a little, until she realized that Kid had embraced her. Heat flew to her face again, causing black to appear on her cheeks. She jumped a little when Kid spoke again, his unexpected and quiet voice close to her ear, "I'm not rejecting you, Crona. I'm accepting you." He pulled away, leaving Crona wanting his warmth again. "I came here to ask you in person if you wanted to go to Deathbucks with me. I don't take you for a coffee person, but you could get a milkshake or something if you wanted, or you could even suggest somewhere different. It doesn't matter to me." Crona's eyes widened as Kid, the boy who made her heart pound in her ears, the boy who she had always seen as out of her reach, smiled at her. "I just want you to enjoy yourself."

It was Kid's turn to be surprised when Crona reached out and hugged him. Smiling, he hugged her back.

"Now," Kid said after a minute, as Crona slowly and reluctantly pulled away, "Accompany me to Deathbucks?" He smiled, holding out his hand like a gentleman. Crona nodded, taking his hand tentatively, but Kid grasped it.

"Y-yeah," Crona managed a smile, following Kid out the door.

Crona hadn't known much about the Reaper's son, but the first time that the timid meister had dared to look him in the eye, she immediately turned away. His eyes were the same shade of gold as Medusa's own irises, yet somehow, they were different. Kid's eyes emanated warmth and passion, while Medusa's were cold and reptilian. After a while, Crona stopped making the connection between the eyes of the Reaper and the witch, as the gentleness from Kid's eyes began to extinguish the harsh memories of her cruel mother. She couldn't explain how. She couldn't explain why she was so drawn to those eyes, why she both wanted to lose herself in their brilliance and avert her gaze in embarrassment. She couldn't explain why she studied them as diligently as Maka studied her favorite books. Just as Maka spent countless hours analyzing her favorite stories, discovering everything about them, what secrets they held, and what the words said about the author, Crona's tried to discover what Kid's eyes said about him.

The pink-haired meister had found herself looking at Kid's eyes whenever his attention was focused elsewhere. She discovered how his eyes would adopt a cold solemnity whenever he was fighting, driven by orders and a sense of duty to perfect the world and rid it of scum. She took note of how his eyes would light up whenever he found something symmetrical, how they would crumble into despair when that symmetry was ruined, and how they would narrow into deep concentration as he tried to perfect the object of his frustration, or how they would become possessed by fury when all else failed. She noticed, however, that his rage wasn't often taken out upon his enemies, but was typically spent alone in what Liz called "childish temper tantrums." Crona never saw Kid's fits as being tantrums, though. She understood. Being the son of the Grim Reaper, as a child Kid had had his every whim catered to. It was only until he began attending the DWMA, got partners, and made friends, that he had come to realize that the world was no longer going to be handed to him on a silver platter. He couldn't fix everything. There were going to be imperfections, and he was still learning to deal with that, just like Crona was just learning to deal with human interaction.

Now, they could face their insecurities together.