So, thanks to the warm reception the last aside chapter got, I decided to write up another one! Don't worry, this won't be anywhere near as cracky as that one. It's more fluffy than anything else.
WARNING: The following contains underage drinking. This fanfic does not promote the usage of alcohol by minors. Follow your respective area's drinking laws to the letter, and do not do what happens in the following chapter. Alcohol is bad, m'kay?
Awaaaaaaaay we go!
/
How do I keep winding up in these situations? Crona wondered as he scanned the crowd.
It was just supposed to be another get-together at Kid's place. Just the group hanging out at the impossibly large mansion that was Kid's anything-but-humble abode. But word got out about Kid having people over, and somehow it turned into another, much bigger party. (Crona suspected one of the Thompsons was responsible, for one reason or another.) Which seemed to happen with alarming frequency as of late.
If that's the downside to having a big mansion, maybe it's a good thing I live in a small room… Crona thought.
Of course, now that the supposed small get-together had turned into a full-out party, the group was expected to wear more formal attire. Which included Crona.
He looked down at his clothes, still marveling at just how much effort had to be put into getting them just right. Never mind the black jacket over the white shirt that made the suit, or the agonizingly long time it took just to tie the damn tie. No, what was still taking a lot of getting used to for Crona was that he was actually wearing pants. Nice leather pants, true, but still pants.
Why do so many people worry about clothes, anyway? Crona wondered. He was still amazed at how much the suit actually cost, and when he found out how much it cost to actually make, he honestly thought the world had gone crazy and forgot to tell him. Not to mention all the ironing and preparation and fixing and adjusting to make it all look just right.
Granted, Maka absolutely loved it when she first saw it, which made it all worthwhile for Crona.
Thinking about Maka brought Crona back to reality. He wasn't entirely sure how, but Maka had pretty much vanished from his sight. Despite separating from her and hanging around near a wall while she went and mingled, he was still able to see where she was and what she was doing. It helped that she was wearing that red dress of hers that he just couldn't stop looking at-
Crona shook his head. No, don't start thinking about that. he ordered himself. Focus. Find her.
He reluctantly moved away from the wall and cautiously started moving through the crowd. His eyes scanned the various participants, searching for that one girl out of who knew how many, all while Crona tried to keep calm.
It's a big place…not all that hard to get lost-wait, was that her? No, hair's too short. Maybe she just wandered off somewhere…with someone…? No, that can't be-was that her? No, dress is different. …but what's stopping her? Why wouldn't she be with someone else? After all, Soul is-hang on, was that-…no, too tall. …what if she's in trouble? What if someone kidnapped her, or she fell off a balcony, or-there she is! No, different shade of blonde…
His wandering had brought him to the snack table, his mind no more calm than it was before. He let out a small sigh, not only because he couldn't find her, but because he knew exactly what was about to happen.
Any second now…
Sure enough, that familiar splortch echoed out as Ragnarok crawled out of Crona's back, letting out a small growl as he perched over Crona's head.
"Gah, do you have any idea how annoying it is to go through two layers of clothing?" he grumbled.
Two layers? Crona wondered. Then he let out a small moan. "Oh no, you stained the shirt, didn't you…?"
"Well, duh! I told you not to wear white, but did you listen? Of fucking course not! Now shut up and move closer so I can get some eats!"
Crona sighed, moving closer to the table so Ragnarok could reach the food. Naturally, he began digging in as quickly as possible, grabbing handfuls of hors d'oeuvres and shoveling them down.
"Don't eat too much…" Crona muttered. "We should leave some for everyone else…"
"Mmu mms m mmng mmk!"
"…what?"
Ragnarok swallowed the food in his mouth, letting out a loud exhale before repeating himself.
"I said, who gives a flying fuck? You think I'm going to miss out on eating some of this high-class shit? Fuck that!"
Ragnarok turned to look at the table. "I mean, look at this spread! When was the last time we actually ate anything this fancy?"
"The last time you ate anything this fancy, you mean…"
"Well, what's stopping you?"
"Maybe because you're eating pretty much everything…"
"Well, try moving faster, dumbass!"
Crona sighed as Ragnarok resumed stuffing his face, gleefully chuckling while doing so. Won't be much longer…he'll eat his fill and go away before anyone-
"Crona? Is that you?"
Crona twitched, turning to the source of the voice. He paled slightly when he saw another mass of pink hair coming towards him.
"Ragnarok…" he muttered, poking the top of his head. "Ragnarok, please go now…"
"Mm mmkng mmy!"
"R-Ragnarok, I can't understand you when your mouth is full! Y-You have to go before someone-"
"So it is you!"
Crona gave a slight whimper, turning again to look at the one talking to him. He shivered as he saw Kim watching him attempt to get Ragnarok's attention, while the black beast continued to shovel food into his mouth.
…just great… Crona bitterly thought.
"…gotta say, I wasn't expecting to run into you here." Kim quipped, eyebrow raised as Ragnarok turned to look at her, cheeks puffed out from all the food.
"Uh, y-yeah…" Crona stuttered, hands moving away from Ragnarok. "I-It's more for Ragnarok than anything else…"
He heard Ragnarok give a loud gulp before he leaned over his shoulder. "The fuck are you talking about? This was all because-"
Crona quickly grabbed a plate and started piling food onto it, before passing it to Ragnarok. "H-Here! You haven't tried the garlic shrimp yet, r-right?"
Ragnarok blinked, but made no comments, grabbing the plate and pouring its contents into his mouth. Crona looked back at Kim, smiling sheepishly.
"S-Sorry about him…"
Kim tilted her head. "…he seems like a handful."
"Y-Yeah…he's not so bad once you get used to him…"
Crona's hand found its way to his arm, as it usually did, and the two of them stared at one another, silence falling between them.
…I don't think I like dealing with awkward silence… Crona thought.
"So…" Kim started, giving Crona a bright smile. "What's up?"
"Uh…n-not much…h-how about you?"
"Oh, you know. Same old, same old."
"Y-Yeah…"
Crona groaned inwardly as the silence returned with a vengeance.
…I should just go…I need to find Maka anyway-
"Hey…" Kim started again, face now concerned. "I saw you standing over here, looking kind of lost. Everything OK? You looking for someone?"
Crona blinked in surprise. How did she…? Oh, who cares, she can help!
"A-Actually, yes…you haven't seen Maka around, have you?"
Kim frowned, placing a finger on her cheek in thought. "Well…I was talking to her earlier…but that was about five, maybe ten minutes ago. I don't know where she is now."
Crona gave a small sigh. "Oh…"
And once again, the silence returned.
Does this happen with everyone else, or is it just me? Crona wondered.
He then noticed something rather odd. For some strange reason, Kim's eyes kept flicking upwards, towards Crona's hair. He instinctively reached up and placed a hand on his head.
"W-What is it? Is there something on my head?"
Kim blinked, quickly shaking her head. "Oh, no! I-I was just…um, never mind."
Crona blinked in confusion as Kim turned to look at the crowd. What was that about…? he wondered.
He then gave another inward groan as he realized that the awkward silence just refused to go away.
There has to be some way to make this stop! …maybe I should ask her something…
"S-So…h-how have things been going with you and Ox…?"
Considering that's the only thing I know about you… Crona thought.
"Oh, it's been pretty good." Kim replied. "I usually have to get him to slow the hell down, because he keeps going on about how we should get our own song, our own restaurant, our own "special place"…I mean, it's sweet and all, but he really needs to cool down sometimes, you know?"
Crona nodded. "Y-Yeah…"
"And this is our first relationship, and he's going on about how we were destined to be together and all!" Kim continued. "I mean, I don't mind when a guy gets all romantic, but he needs to start thinking a little more realistically! Why does he think I kept bugging him about getting some money?"
Kim gave a small sigh, before smiling at Crona again.
"How about you? How are things with you and Maka?"
"O-Oh, it's alright-…wait." Crona's face froze. "…what do you mean by that?"
Kim blinked. "Aren't you-" She then stopped herself, a hand moving up to her mouth in surprise. "Oh! W-Well, I just…I mean, I thought that…"
She quickly turned and started walking back to the crowd. "Uh, speaking of Ox, I should probably go find him, just so he doesn't get too worried about me! Good luck with finding Maka!"
She then dashed back into the crowd before Crona could protest, leaving him utterly lost as to just what was going on. Before he could start trying to figure it out, though, he heard a loud belch and turned to look at Ragnarok.
"You two done with your girly talk yet?" Ragnarok asked.
"I-It wasn't girly talk…and are you done eating?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm done already." Ragnarok grumbled. "So now I'll go back so I don't embarrass you anymore. Fucking ingrate, I swear…"
"S-Sorry…could you go slow…? So you absorb the blood back…?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever…"
Crona waited patiently as he felt Ragnarok slowly return to his body, a low gurgling noise emanating as he did so. Once he was completely gone, Crona reached back and patted his back, feeling for any wet spots. He gave a small sigh of relief when he found none.
That's one crisis averted… Crona thought. He then looked back at the table, frowning at the mess Ragnarok made. He was about go back and start looking for Maka again, when a thought occurred to him.
…Maka won't be very happy if she finds out I didn't have anything…I should at least have something to drink…
He moved over to the punch bowl, grabbing a glass on the way. He reached for the ladle, about to pour some into his glass, when something caught his eye.
…wasn't the punch a lighter colour before? he wondered, thinking back to earlier when he passed by it at Kid's insistence. And I don't remember there being this much…did Kid refill them?
He cautiously leaned over the bowl, only to recoil back, quickly pinching his nose in disgust. "Ugh!"
And it stinks too! he thought, moving his hand away but keeping his nose wrinkled. Did it go bad or something? …can punch go bad?
He put his glass back down, already deciding he wasn't going to have any. Maybe I can just get some water from the kitchens or something…later, I have to find-
He was abruptly brought out of his thoughts by something covering his eyes, instantly putting him in a panic.
"W-What? What's going-"
"Guess whoooo?"
Crona gave a long sigh of relief as he recognized the voice. Thank God…there she is…
"H-Hi Maka…"
"Oooh! You're good at this game."
Her hands moved away from his eyes, giving him the chance to turn and look at the one he was so worried about.
What he saw made him worried all over again.
It wasn't that her hair was down that bothered him. Or that she had a big goofy smile on her face. What was more than a bit worrying was that her eyes were only half-open, and from what Crona could see, they had a rather glazed-over look about them. Not only that, but her cheeks seemed a little flushed too.
She leaned forward, smile growing wider. "Hiiiiiiiii there, you."
Crona blinked. "M-Maka? A-Are you OK…?"
He jumped slightly in surprise as Maka suddenly wrapped her arms around him, leaning against his chest. "Of course I am, silly! I'm perfectly fine!"
She looked up at him, pulling away from his chest. "Why? Don't I look fine?"
Crona flushed brightly. "U-Uh…y-yeah, of course…"
Maka giggled, wobbling a little at the same time. "Then why'd you ask? If I'm fine, why ask if I'm OK?"
Crona blinked. "W-Well…you just seem a little more…"
Maka leaned forward, staring into Crona's eyes. "A little more whaaaaaaaat?"
"Uh…giggly? Than usual…?"
Maka, naturally, giggled in response, letting out a small hiccup as well. "Well, isn't that a goooood thing? If I'm giggly, that must mean I'm happy! And I do feeeel happy. Or maybe I'm just feeling gooooood. I don't really know."
She stumbled back slightly, before leaning on Crona's chest again. "Well? Don't you think giggly's a good thing?"
Crona wondered if his face could feel any hotter. "Uh…y-yeah…giggly's good…"
Maka giggled again, pulling back again to look at Crona. She then let go of him, hands reaching up to his face.
What is she doing…? Crona wondered for a second, before he got his answer.
He winced as he felt Maka pinch his cheeks, giggling all the while.
"It is sooooo easy to make you blush, Crona…"
Crona blinked in confusion. "E-Eh?"
"Whaaaaaaat? It's true! You blush really easily. It's cute." Maka responded, smile still on her face.
She let go of Crona's cheeks, which were redder than ever. Not entirely because of the pinching, however.
…did she…did she really just… Crona frantically wondered, entire body frozen stiff even with Maka wobbling around. …no, she called something I do cute, not me…but it's my face, so…
He was brought out of his thoughts by Maka suddenly falling forward, causing him to stumble a bit as he caught her. He carefully helped her up to her full height, surprised that she was still giggling.
"Sorry…" she said while looking up at him. "I tripped."
"I-It's OK…" Crona replied.
OK, something is definitely wrong here… Crona thought. She's falling everywhere, she's acting really weird, she keeps laughing…not that that's normally a problem, but-
He then froze, another realization coming over him.
Wait…giggling all the time…stumbling everywhere…that's the same as being wobbly…
He let out a small gasp. Wobbly giggles…
His skin paled considerably while his pupils shrank. Oh no…oh no no no no NO!
He focused all his efforts on not hyperventilating, while Maka leaned against him, head on his shoulder. OK, Crona, don't panic…she hasn't started attacking anyone, so it's not a problem yet…wait, what about Soul?
He frantically looked around, trying to find some sign of Soul in the crowd. He only got even more worried when he found nothing.
Why can't I see him? How can it be so hard to find the guy with white hair? he wondered.
He then carefully moved towards the wall, gently pulling Maka along with him, who had since pulled away from him again and resumed wobbling. He gently maneuvered her over to a seat, carefully pulling her towards it and helping her sit down.
"But I don't wanna sit down…" Maka said, pouting while doing so.
OK, do not think about how cute she is when she pouts…I just did… Crona thought, face flushing while doing so. He then knelt down to look into Maka's eyes.
"M-Maka, I'll be right back, OK?" Crona assured her. "J-Just stay here for a few minutes. I'm just going to go find someone."
Maka gave Crona a small glare, still pouting. She then crossed her arms and sighed. "Oh, okaaaaaaay…"
Crona got back to his feet and quickly turned and dashed into the crowd, looking around frantically for Soul.
Come on, come on…this is not the time for my bad luck to be working so-
He came to a stop once he saw the one he was looking for. He quickly ran over to Soul, who was busy chatting it up with the Thompsons.
"And then, I'm not even kidding here, she suddenly jumps up and says-HEY!"
He was cut off by Crona grabbing the back of his jacket and pulling him back. Crona gave a small wave at the Thompsons.
"S-Sorry! It's an emergency!"
Before either of them could ask, Crona was pushing Soul through the crowd. After a few seconds of his protests being ignored by Crona, Soul managed to wrestle away from him.
"Do you mind?" he demanded, adjusting his jacket. "Did you have to do that? This thing's expensive, man! You could rip it by-"
"I'll pay the difference, let's go!" Crona responded, grabbing Soul's wrist and pulling. "This is important!"
Soul pulled his arm away, giving Crona an annoyed glare. "What is with you? What is just so important, anyway?"
Crona gulped. "W-Well…i-it's Maka."
Soul blinked. "Something's wrong with Maka?"
"Y-Yeah…I think…I think she's affected by the Madness!"
Soul stared at Crona in disbelief, not responding to Crona's pleading look or constant fidgeting. He then raised a hand and pointed at himself.
"Um…hello? I'm the one with the black blood, remember?"
Crona blinked in confusion. "And…you're not affected by Madness?"
"Of course I'm not! Not even slightly! Do I look even a little nutty?"
"W-Well…no…"
Crona then shook his head, his face still pleading. "I-It doesn't matter! I don't know what it is, but something's wrong with Maka! Please, you have to come see!"
Soul held up his hands in front of him. "OK, OK! Calm down, man! I'm coming!"
The two of them resumed walking through the crowd, heading towards where Crona left Maka.
"Honestly, it's probably nothing to worry about." Soul explained. "I'm sure you're worrying over nothing. There's no real need to…panic?"
Soul trailed off as he saw Maka. Her head was wobbling around in circles, and she was giving small moans while doing so. She stopped when her eyes fell on Soul, causing her to wave at him with a grin on her face.
"Hiiiiiiii Soul."
Soul blinked, waving back. "Uh…hi?"
Maka giggled again, leaving Soul completely confused while Crona knelt down beside her.
"M-Maka? Are you alright…?" Crona asked.
Maka turned to look at Crona, before reaching over and tugging at the collar of his shirt. "Why do you keep asking that, Crona? I told you, I'm fiiiiiine."
"I-I know you did…I just want to be sure…"
Maka tilted her head, then gave another giggle. "You look so nice in that suit, Crona."
Crona flushed, giving a small squeak of surprise.
"Whaaaaaaat? It's true. Don't you think you look nice?" Maka asked.
"W-Well…I-I guess…"
Maka pouted. "You guess? Soul, help me out here, doesn't he look nice in his suit?"
Soul blinked. "Uh, y-yeah, he looks real sharp…" Soul then knelt down in front of Maka. "Maka, did you drink anything since the party started?"
Maka blinked, then smiled again. "Just the punch."
Crona froze. "Th-The punch? The funny-smelling punch?"
Soul frowned, looking at Crona. "Funny-smelling?"
"Yeah…I thought it went bad…"
Maka giggled again. "Silly Crona. Punch can't go bad."
OK, now this is starting to make a little more sense… Soul thought, before gently reaching up and tapping on Maka's shoulder. "Maka?"
Maka turned to look at Soul. "Hm?"
"Breathe."
Maka blinked at the request, but then leaned forward and exhaled, giving a slight "haaaaah" while doing so. Both Soul and Crona's noses wrinkled in response, which only made Maka giggle more.
Soul sighed. "Yep, just as I figured…"
"W-What?" Crona asked.
Soul looked at Crona, an exasperated expression on his face.
"Maka's drunk."
Both Crona and Maka stared at Soul, neither of them believing what he said, but for different reasons than the other. After a few moments of silence, Maka made a "pfffft" sound.
"Oh, come on! I'm not drunk!"
"…she's what?" Crona asked, his voice very quiet.
"She's totally drunk. That smell coming off of her breath is clearly alcohol." Soul explained.
"…but…that smells like the punch!"
"Yeah, obviously someone poured something in it."
"W-Who would do something like that?"
"Well, I have a theory or two-URK!"
Soul and Crona's conversation was cut off by Maka reaching forward and grabbing both of their collars, pulling them both upwards to her eye level.
"Hey. Don't you two ignore me. I just said that I'm not drunk."
She slowly got to her feet, pulling the two of them up with her in the process. She let them both go, giving a slightly askew yet confident smile.
"See? Perfectly fi-whoooooa!"
She stumbled a little in mid-sentence, but Crona managed to catch her before she fell too far. He helped her straighten up, while she continued speaking.
"…not drunk. Just a little dizzy, is all."
Soul gave Maka an incredulous look. "Uh-huh." He then turned to Crona. "OK, we got to get her home."
"Whaaaaaaat?" Maka said.
"O-OK, but…" Crona began, before leaning forward and whispering to Soul. "How? All these people will see her…"
Soul frowned, looking at the large group of people swarming through Kid's mansion. "Good point…" He started scanning the room. "There has to be some way we can distract them…something we can use to make it easier to sneak her out…"
He stopped when his eyes fell on a very large yet all too familiar object off to the side of the room.
Kid's piano.
…well that just figures. Soul thought, giving an annoyed sigh.
"OK…Crona, you have your key to our place, right?" Soul asked Crona.
Crona nodded, patting his right pantleg in response.
"Good. Once enough people are paying attention, you head out through a side door and get Maka home. I'll meet up with you guys later."
Crona blinked as Soul started to walk away. "B-But…"
Soul looked back. "What?"
"How do we know there is a side door? I mean…wouldn't that ruin the symmetry?"
Soul blinked. …shit, hadn't thought of that. He gave another look around the room before looking back at Crona.
"Well…he has two kitchens, so he probably has two side doors to balance it out…besides, worse comes to worse, you could always just use a window."
"H-How is that sneaky…?"
"Depends on how good you are at it."
"Wait a second, I wasn't really listening…" Maka suddenly interjected. "What's going on?"
She didn't get an answer, as Soul was already making his way through the crowd, heading for the piano. And as the crowd slowly began to notice him as he moved closer, one thought ran through his mind.
I swear, the things I will do for my meister…
/
Afterwards, Crona would realize that he absolutely hated trying to be sneaky.
Finding a suitable exit was only the beginning of the mess. There was attempting to get there as quickly as possible, which wasn't easy since he had to make sure people weren't paying attention to them. Then there was getting past the cook, who bore a striking resemblance to Mosquito, for some reason. Then, once they actually got outside, there was having to sneak under the windows to make sure no one happened to look outside. There was a small scare when he could've sworn Black*Star was trying to get his attention, but he was just cheering Soul's piano skills.
And to make it all worse, he had to drag a constantly protesting, stumbling Maka along with him.
"This is so unfair!" she shouted as they stood outside of Kid's gate. "He knows how much I wanted to hear him play the piano, and he says I have to leave! It's like he deliberately doesn't want me to hear it!"
Crona looked at his feet, wringing his hands together, knowing that any second now she'd turn and start yelling at him.
"I mean, I'm his meister! If anyone should get to hear him play, it should be me! He's such a…he's…he's just…"
Maka groaned, rubbing her forehead while trying to keep her balance. "I swear, when my brain starts working again, I'm going to think of the greatest insult in the world…and then I'll use it on him, and he'll be so stunned that he'll…he'll…well, he'll be really, really stunned…yeah, that'll teach him…"
Crona looked up, noticing that Maka was still wobbling a little. She turned to look at him, causing him to flinch reflexively.
"U-Uh…i-if you want…I-I could try and a-ask him to p-play for you…tomorrow, maybe…i-if you like…" he stuttered out.
Maka stared at Crona for a few long seconds, before sighing and moving closer, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Honestly? Good luck with that, Crona. I've been trying to get him to play for ages. No offense, but I seriously doubt he's going to listen to you."
She then sighed, moving away from Crona and starting to walk away from the mansion.
"Anyway…apparently, I have to go home, so let's go already…"
She took a few steps forward…
And promptly stumbled again.
Luckily, Crona dashed forward fast enough to catch her before she fell too far. He carefully helped her to her feet again, but froze when she gave a small squeak of pain.
"M-Maka? What is it?"
She reached down and rubbed her left ankle, wincing in pain.
"I think I twisted it a little…this is why I hate wearing heels…"
She looked up at Crona to see his worried expression, even biting his lip out of concern. She sighed, giving him a slight pat on the cheek.
"You worry too dang much, you know that Crona?"
Crona blinked. "E-Eh?"
"It's not a big deal. I can still walk."
She went to move away from Crona, but stopped when she noticed that Crona was still holding her. She looked back at him to see his eyes darting around, his head turned to the side.
"…Crona?"
Crona flinched, turning to look at her again. "Um…maybe if…"
"Maybe if what?" Maka asked.
Crona fidgeted a little, clearly struggling to say something. Before Maka could ask what (or why his face was getting so red), his arms moved away from her. He quietly moved in front of her, before kneeling down, back facing her.
He didn't say anything, but he looked back at her, face beet red.
It took a few minutes for the message to sink in. When it did, Maka placed a hand over her face, giving a small groan.
"Crona…you…you can't…I swear, you and Soul are completely overreacting!" she managed to sputter out. "I keep telling you, I am not that-"
She had started to walk forward in mid-sentence. When she did, she managed to stumble forward again, this time falling onto Crona's back. He let out an "umph" as he fell on him, but he didn't move, careful to remain perfectly still. He felt Maka give a small moan into his back, and tried to ignore how it tickled.
"I swear…I am not drunk…" Maka muttered.
Crona sighed. If I don't tell her something to get her to listen, we're never going to get anywhere…
"Maka…"
Maka looked up at Crona, who was facing away from her.
"M-Maybe you are drunk, and maybe you're not…" Crona stuttered. "I-I don't know…I'm just going by what Soul said…but…either way, you're probably going to get hurt more…and I don't want that to happen…"
He turned his head to look back at her, both his eyes and his voice pleading.
"Please, Maka…? …please…?"
Maka stared at Crona for a few seconds, before sighing in defeat. "Fine…"
She slowly moved up, her arms looping around his neck from behind and her head resting on the back of his.
"I swear, I just can't say no when you act like that…"
Crona flushed at that, which only got worse when he realized just what he had to do next. He gulped, trying very hard not to think about it, and just focused on what was his newfound job.
He slowly reached back, his hands finding Maka's body. His blush only grew brighter when Maka apparently caught on to what he was trying to do, and he felt her legs stretch past his sides. He carefully moved his hands away and down, finding the undersides of her legs. He managed to find the proper spot (not too high, not too low), and gently grabbed them.
Then, slowly, cautiously, he rose to his feet, taking Maka's weight onto his back. He waited a few seconds once he rose to his full height, and once he felt both Maka's arms and legs relax around him, he started walking.
He was careful to move at a slow pace, not wanting to jolt Maka too much, and not wanting to cause a commotion that could wake anyone up. It was one of the few times he was thankful that he wasn't much of a day person, as being tired right about now would definitely make things worse. And the last thing he needed right then was for things to somehow get worse.
OK, just try not to focus on where you're touching her…oh no, I just did it again… he thought.
After a few minutes of slow, quiet walking, Crona was surprised when Maka finally spoke.
"You know…this isn't really so bad."
Crona flushed as he felt Maka gently nuzzle into the back of his head. "It's like I'm getting a free ride. It's actually kinda fun."
Crona couldn't think of anything to say, so he just gave a slight "mm" of acknowledgement. He then felt Maka's arms move, and looked down to see her hands cross each other, resting on his upper chest.
"Hey, Crona?"
"Y-Yes?"
"Did you know that you're really huggable?"
Crona faltered slightly. "H-H-Huggable?"
"Yeah! I don't know what it is, but every time I see you, I have this irresistible urge to hug you. I see you for the first time in a day, and I think to myself "I am going to hug that boy so much." Why is that?"
Crona could feel his face getting hotter and hotter. "I-I don't know…"
Maka started "hmmming" in thought, making Crona realize that this wasn't a subject she was about to drop. He winced slightly when she let out a small "oh" of understanding.
"I think I know now!"
"W-What…?"
She gave another giggle, before resting her head on his again. "It's because you're such a nice guy."
Crona blinked. "…I'm a nice guy?"
"Yeah. You really are nice, Crona. You're one of the nicest guys I know."
"…I'm not that nice…"
"Ohhhhh yes you are! You're really sweet, and gentle, and kind, and you honestly care about people…in fact, I'm pretty sure I told you all this before."
Crona flushed, thinking about that conversation. "Y-You did…"
"Not only that, but look at the lengths you go to just to help me! You're like a knight in shining armor!"
Crona let out a low gasp, which was lost on Maka, who kept going.
"You're carrying me home just because I might get hurt. If that's not proof of your chivalry, Mr. Knight, I don't know-"
"M-Maka…"
"Eh?"
Maka noticed that Crona had stopped walking, his head now hanging low.
"…please…don't…don't call me that…"
Maka stared at the back of Crona's head, her own head tilted in confusion. After a few seconds, it dawned on her just what the problem was.
Crona felt one of Maka's hands leave his chest, moving up and gently rapping its knuckles atop his head.
"Ow!"
"Now…you listen to me, Cotton-Candy-head-"
"C-C-C-Cotton-Candy-head?" Crona stuttered out.
"Well…yeah…because your hair is all pink…and fluffy…" Maka explained while gently rubbing the top of Crona's head. "Like cotton candy…anyway…"
Maka's hand returned to its original resting place on Crona's chest, while she continued.
"My head might be a bit fuzzy right now…but I'm pretty sure I told you to stop thinking about that…"
Crona winced, not liking that he had disobeyed Maka. "I-I know…I'm sorry…I just can't help it sometimes…"
"Well, it shouldn't matter. That guy…I can't even call him another you, because it wasn't you at all." Maka grumbled. "He was just some freak who pretended to be nice to get what he wanted."
Crona started walking again, hoping that Maka would drop the subject and move on to something else. No such luck.
"See, he was a knight stereotype. The one who acted all chivalrous and stuff and automatically got what he wanted because the story said so. Stereotypes are bad, and you are not a stereotype. Get it?"
"R-Right…"
"He was a bad knight, because he was only acting to get rewarded. His methods were the same, but his reasons were all wrong. A real knight's not supposed to worry about the reward, he's supposed to worry about the act. Doing the right thing, to a knight, is in and of itself its own reward."
Crona looked down at his feet, thinking about what Maka was telling him. They sound like incredible people…almost too good to be real…
His face flushed again as he felt Maka nuzzle his head again.
"And that's what I like about you, Crona."
His face froze. "H-Huh?"
"Because you remind me of a knight. A good knight. A real knight. You don't pretend to be nice because you expect a big shiny reward at the end, you do nice things and be a nice person because it's just who you are."
Crona looked down again, continuing to walk at the slow pace he was. "B-But…there are things that I want…that's not like a knight…"
"Wanting a reward and expecting a reward are two different things, Crona. Lots of people do things and expect to be rewarded at the end…but someone who does something and doesn't worry about being rewarded…those are really hard to find."
He felt her gently squeeze her arms around him, her voice lowering enough so he could just barely hear her.
"Maybe you don't flaunt your knightness or anything, but a real knight shouldn't have to. He doesn't show that he is a knight, he just is one. He protects what he cares about, he does the necessary brave deeds, and he doesn't worry about what others think or whether or not he looks like a knight. So long as what's important to him is safe, he can be happy."
Crona eyes were aimed straight ahead, his head swimming with what Maka had just told him. After all, how could anyone view him in such a way, much less Maka? Then again, if anyone could think of him so highly, it would be her, but for her to actually voice those thoughts…
"You're one in a million, Crona. And I mean that in the nicest way possible."
Crona flushed as that last comment suddenly escaped Maka's mouth. To most other people, that phrase would seem cheesy, almost laughably so, even if it was a compliment. But, to Crona, it meant that Maka viewed him as special. As someone who was unique, and should be recognized for that uniqueness. It was the first time anyone had praised him for being different, and even if it was for something besides the black blood, or Ragnarok, or being the son of a witch, or being so easily affected by Madness, it was still praise.
"…how…"
"Hm?" Maka mumbled.
"How is it…" Crona whispered. "…that even when you're drunk…you somehow know the right thing to say…?"
Maka let out a small giggle, which tickled the back of Crona's head.
"Because I'm awesome, that's why."
Crona gave a small chuckle in response. She absolutely is.
"Ah! I got you to laugh!"
"Y-Yeah…just a little…"
"And I didn't have to cheat this time…although…"
"M-M-Maka, if you do that, I'll wind up dropping you!"
"Oh, yeah…it's just so tempting, though…"
/
Crona gave a small, relieved sigh as they finally reached Maka's apartment.
The rest of the walk had been fairly uneventful. It was actually pretty nice to walk with Maka all alone at night, the only lights being the streetlamps and the only sounds being a few crickets here and there. He would've liked to do it again, if only without having to carry Maka the whole way. Not that he minded, but it would be nicer if he didn't have to.
He stood in front of Maka's door, suddenly realizing something that should've been obvious.
"Um…Maka?"
"Yes?" she muttered.
"I'm going to have to put you down now…I can't reach my key like this…"
Maka gave a small "mhm" of acceptance, which was all Crona needed. He carefully knelt back down, letting go of Maka's legs. He felt her move her arms away from him and back away, and he looked back to see her wobble slightly, but keep steady.
He sighed, getting back to his feet and reaching into his pants pocket. He pulled out his key and unlocked the door, gently pushing it open and peering inside.
Before he could move for the lights, Maka moved past him, stumbling forward and draping herself over the back of the couch.
"See?" she said. "Made it home without any real problems…oooh…"
Crona walked over beside her, leaning forward to get a look at her face. "W-What's the matter, Maka?"
"My head's still feeling fuzzy…and it'd be nice if the room stopped spinning so much…"
Crona shivered slightly. "Y-You should probably lie down…I'll help you to your room if you-"
Before he could finish, Maka slumped further over the couch, eventually rolling over it and somehow maneuvering her body so that she landed on it perfectly flat, giving a small "oof" as her back stretched against the cushions.
…or she could do that. Crona thought. He then walked beside the couch, grabbing the blanket and pillow Maka kept there and bringing them over to her. After placing the pillow under her head and pulling the blanket over her, he smiled as Maka gave a comforted sigh.
He then sat down on the floor in front of her, not entirely sure what to do next.
…should I just go? he wondered. I can't exactly steal Soul's bed…and I definitely can't sleep in her room…but how will I know if she'll be OK?
He blinked in surprise when he noticed Maka smiling at him, her head resting on the pillow.
"W-What is it, Maka…?"
She gave a small giggle. "I was just thinking about how nice you've been to me today, Crona…I really do appreciate everything you do for me."
Crona blushed, giving a small smile back. "I-It's alright…I don't mind at all…"
The room grew quiet for a moment, Crona returning to wondering about just what he should do next. The silence was soon broken by one word.
"Hey."
Crona looked at Maka, whose hand had crawled up through the covers. It was now curling a finger, beckoning Crona closer.
"Come here."
Crona blinked in confusion, but obeyed, getting on his knees and leaning closer to Maka.
"Turn your head."
Crona blinked, but did so, wondering just what she was getting at.
He then felt something very strange. A light, yet slightly wet bit of pressure against his cheek.
A second later, he realized just what it was.
He felt Maka's lips disengage from his cheek with a light smack, and then felt Maka's breath against his ear as she whispered to him.
"You may not expect a reward, Mr. Knight, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve one."
She then moved back, turning away from him and resting her head on the pillow, very quickly falling asleep.
Crona slowly got back to a sitting position, trying to ignore the lightheadedness he was experiencing right then, all while one thought ran through his mind at the speed of light.
Oh God oh God did that just happen I think it did I think that actually happened MAKA JUST KISSED ME.
The room started spinning, and Crona had to remember to start breathing again before he could black out.
OK…OK…just calm down…don't get excited… Crona told himself, the room slowly coming back into focus. …it was just a peck on the cheek…that's all…and she was drunk…it probably doesn't really mean anything…
Crona took a few slow, deep breaths, calming himself down as he hugged his knees to his chest. He looked up at the now-sleeping Maka, her back facing him and the only movements made being the slow, gentle breaths she was taking.
A small, very tempting thought entered Crona's mind.
…I could just…sneak under the covers with her… he thought. Just to snuggle…I wonder what it would be like…to sleep beside her…I could be careful so as to not wake her…
Without even realizing, he had started to sit up more, about to get up and move onto the couch. He quickly forced himself back down, shaking his head to clear the thought away.
NonononoNO! I can't do that! There is absolutely no way I can do that! he told himself. She would definitely be upset with me if I did that!
He gave a small groan, holding the sides of his head, starting to hate himself for even wanting to do that, much less actually consider doing it. What is the matter with me? Why would I think about doing that?
And yet, it was all too clear just why he wanted that.
He looked up at Maka again, noticing that she had rolled over in her sleep, so she was now facing him. He looked at her face, eyes closed and a peaceful smile on her face. He stared at that face, thinking carefully about what she said to him before.
"Wanting a reward and expecting a reward are two different things."
Crona looked down, chin resting on his knees. What reward do I really want…? he wondered.
Almost in response, a small, simple image crawled into his mind:
Just him and Maka, cuddled together, the both of them happy to be with the other.
…to be close enough to her so that can happen… Crona thought, hands gripping his legs reflexively. Could that actually happen someday…?
He gave a small sigh, looking down at his feet as he thought about all the reasons why it couldn't happen. All the reasons it shouldn't happen. But no matter how much he tried to push that want away with those thoughts, it just wouldn't budge. He wanted to be like that with Maka. He wanted it more than anything in the world.
It would be so easy for him to just move and make that happen, right then and there.
…it would be wrong. he reasoned. She wouldn't be happy…and I'd just be placating myself…it wouldn't be right…
He looked back up at her again, his thoughts returning to everything she'd told him.
…she called me a knight. he thought. Someone who protects what matters to them…without expectation of a reward…
He gave a small smile, his hands rubbing his legs.
I think I can deal with that…being her knight.
/
Maka groaned as she awoke to a throbbing headache. She squinted as the sun's rays broke through the window, turning away from them and rubbing her eyes.
Geez…definitely not a good start to the day… Maka thought.
She blinked as she suddenly realized that she was sleeping on the couch instead of her bed. She rubbed her forehead in both pain and confusion, the headache refusing to go away.
What am I doing on the couch…? she wondered. I remember being at Kid's party last night…what happened then, anyway?
She then froze, a thought coming to her.
Wait…smashing headache…waking up in a strange place…no memory of the previous night…oh CRAP.
She quickly shook her head, which she immediately regretted as that only made the headache worse. After another small moan and rubbing her head, she tried to focus.
OK, don't panic, Maka. Get your bearings first. Then decide whether or not to panic.
She slowly looked under the blanket. OK…my dress from last night is still on…
She carefully patted her body, checking for any missing undergarments. …underwear is still on…doesn't look like anything bad happened…
She gave a small sigh of relief, deciding to take a look around. Naturally, the first thing that her eyes fell on was what was laying on the floor in front of the couch.
Crona was sprawled out, his feet perpendicular to the couch as he quietly snoozed away. Maka breathed another sigh as she noticed that his clothes were still intact.
But now they're all messy…and he looked so nice in that suit, too… Maka thought bitterly. …wait, why is he sleeping on the floor? Right beside me?
She then heard something she wasn't expecting: a sharp cry of pain, followed by about five or six curses. She looked up to see Soul walk out of the kitchen, waving his hand in pain.
"Damn damn damn damn…" he growled under his breath, before noticing Maka looking at him. He blinked in surprise, walking over to her.
"Oh, good. You're awake."
Maka groaned slightly, rubbing her forehead. "Can you keep it down a little…my head hurts like crazy…"
"Oh, right, sorry…" Soul replied, his voice dropping to a whisper. "How're you feeling?"
"Like I got smacked in the head with a sledgehammer…"
"Yeah, well, welcome to your first hangover, Maka."
"…be honest, Soul. How bad was it?"
Soul gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Crona was able to get you out of there before you did anything crazy."
Maka sighed slightly, turning to look at Crona again. Of course he did…
"Speaking of which…what's he doing there?"
Soul blinked. "I would assume sleeping, genius."
Maka growled. "Noooo…"
She then turned, leaning closer to Soul and glaring into his eyes. "I mean, what's he doing sleeping on the floor? Why isn't he on the couch instead of me?"
Soul blinked, holding his hands up. "I don't know! By the time I got here, you were both like that!"
"And this was when?"
"Um…12:30? 1-ish, maybe?"
Maka sighed, leaning back against the arm of the couch. "That's a pretty big time gap, I'm guessing…"
"What? You worried that something happened?"
Maka flushed. "O-Of course not! What do you take me for?"
"OK, OK, chill! I was just asking!"
Maka grumbled, rubbing her forehead again. She then looked back up at Soul.
"And what exactly are you doing right now, anyway?"
Soul grinned. "Oh, just making breakfast, that's all."
"…you're making breakfast?"
"Yeah. Why, don't think I can do it?"
"…no. No, I don't. Because you've never made breakfast in the time we've known each other. Ever."
"First time for everything. Besides, how hard can it be?"
Maka frowned, then suddenly sniffed, noticing an odd smell in the air.
"…why don't you ask me that when you figure out where that's coming from?"
Soul blinked, sniffing the air as well. His eyes widened when he realized what it was.
"Oh crap, the toast!"
He turned and ran back into the kitchen, and a few seconds later, another cry of pain rang out.
"GODDAMMIT THAT HURT!"
This was followed by a loud CRASH, which then caused Crona to sit straight up, now suddenly wide awake.
"What? Where's the explosion? Who-"
He stopped when he saw Maka staring down at him. His expression changed to one of immense relief as he got to his knees.
"Maka! You're awake!"
Maka winced, placing a hand on her head while raising her other hand, lifting a finger in front of her lips and gently shushing Crona.
"Oh! Sorry!" Crona replied, his voice lowering to a whisper.
"I-It's OK…" Maka assured him. "Just a bad headache…"
Crona gave a small sigh, but said nothing else. The two simply looked at one another, neither of them entirely sure of what to say or whether or not to speak first.
…I should say something to him… Maka thought.
"Um…Soul told me that you helped me home…" she whispered.
Crona flushed, quickly looking down. "Y-Yeah…I was just…I thought that, people would make fun of you if they saw you…well…"
"Being a drunken fool?" Maka offered.
"N-Not a fool…you can't be a fool, Maka…"
Maka blinked at the somewhat unintentional compliment. She then reached over and gently touched Crona's cheek, causing him to look up at her. He blushed at the contact, and the blush only deepened when he realized it was the same cheek she found last night.
"Thank you for helping me, Crona…and sorry you had to put up with me when I was like that…"
Crona blinked, instinctively reaching up and touching Maka's hand. He gave her a small, shy smile.
"I-It's OK…I didn't-…I mean…it was no trouble…none at all…"
Maka's hand moved away from his cheek, his own hand following it as it did so. The two remained fairly still for a while, their touching hands hovering between them in the air. After a few seconds, Crona's hand slowly dropped as he leaned forward. Without a word, he gently wrapped his arms around Maka, resting his head on her shoulder.
Maka was a little surprised at the sudden movement, but made no complaints, and quickly did the same to Crona. Crona was more than pleased to hear Maka give an "mmm" of content, squeezing him gently while doing so.
After a few minutes of the two of them together, they gently pulled away from the other. They gave each other gentle smiles, the both of them more than happy that the other was there. Soon, Maka stretched, starting to get off of the couch.
"Well…I guess I better go help Soul with breakfast."
Crona gave a small "ah" of surprise, then gently grabbed Maka's shoulders. "J-Just a minute, Maka!"
Maka blinked. "Eh?"
"Y-You said you weren't feeling well, right?"
"…it's just a headache, Crona."
"Even so, you should probably lie down…you shouldn't worry about breakfast…"
"But…"
Crona gently pulled Maka back down, her head resting on the pillow again. "You just go ahead and rest…I'll go help Soul."
Maka blinked in surprise. "You will? Really?"
"Y-Yeah…it's no problem at all, Maka. Really."
He gave her another smile, and before she could protest further, he was on his feet and heading for the kitchen.
"…wow, I didn't know you could make toast that black…"
"Never mind the toast right now, Crona! Worry about the pancakes!"
"…I don't think pancakes are supposed to be that colour."
"I know that! And what the hell's the point of putting chocolate chips on them? They just melt right away!"
"I think you're supposed to put the chips in the mix before you bake them, Soul…"
"…OK, yeah, that makes a lot more sense."
"…what's that smell?"
"…oh crap, the bacon!"
CRASH!
"HOT! HOT! HOOOOOOOT!"
"The mitts! Where are the mitts?"
"How should I know that?"
"It's your kitchen!"
Maka sighed, pulling her knees to her chest, still wondering if she should get up and help or just listen to the chaos.
…boys.
/
And we are done! Hope you enjoyed that little refuge in fluffiness!
Next review should be on the way soon!