OK, OK, I know I said that the next review would be coming soon. Trust me, I am working on that. However, this little idea popped into my head, and it would make more sense to do it now, considering it takes place immediately after the aside chapter.

It's fairly short, so just take a few minutes and read on. The next review will be on its way soon.

Seriously, it will.

/

"Who knew making breakfast could be so damn complicated?" Soul wondered aloud.

Crona simply shrugged in reply as the two walked down the street.

After the fiasco that was their attempt at making Maka breakfast, which included broken dishes, Ragnarok throwing a fit, and one too many hot pans (which was why Soul's fingers were currently bandaged), Soul pretty much gave up on the idea of ever being a good cook. He was, however, determined to make Maka feel better after the events of last night, so he decided to go out and buy her breakfast.

Blair had since returned from wherever she was the night previous, and since she could keep an eye on Maka, Crona offered to join Soul. Partially because he was still nervous around Blair (though she had been a bit more subdued lately), but also because he wanted to help Maka feel better.

He understood that Maka wasn't exactly in the proper state of mind when she said it, but she still called him a knight. Someone who protected what mattered to him, no matter the cost. Someone who would do the right thing without expectation of a reward.

That's what she thinks of me. Crona thought, looking at the sidewalk under his feet. I won't let her down.

The trip to the local fast-food joint hadn't been very eventful. Granted, it was morning, so they had to wait in line to make it to the counter, which only infuriated Ragnarok, causing him to throw another fit. It was only when Soul suggested they just give up and starve to death that he quieted down, after causing enough of a scene to make Crona more than uncomfortable.

Crona thought back on that, glancing over at Soul as they headed back to his and Maka's apartment. Soul had helped him out again, much like Maka would whenever Ragnarok would get out of control. However, instead of offering comforting or encouraging words, he just smiled and nodded, then focused on getting their food.

Why did he do that…? Crona wondered. Was he really trying to help me…? Or was he just annoyed with Ragnarok?

He then shook his head out of frustration. What's the matter with me? Of course he was trying to help! He's my friend, why wouldn't he help me?

He glanced back at Soul, who was staring ahead, looking slightly tired. Crona thought carefully about him, about how he was one of the most popular guys at the academy. How he still got tons of offers to switch partners with someone, especially now that he was a Death Scythe. How he had started to develop something of a fan club amongst some of the female populace.

Granted, Crona had his own fanbase, but they were from outside of their world. People he couldn't and probably never would see. People who could be nice and kind to him one moment and then incredibly creepy the next. He doubted anyone within the academy viewed him as a number of people viewed Soul.

Soul was cool, even without trying to be. Crona wasn't. Soul was a good person, dependable, reliable. Crona, despite all his efforts to prove the same, knew few people viewed him as such. Soul was, admittedly, good-looking. In fact, he could be considered handsome. Crona seriously doubted he was the same.

It didn't help that, of all the people he could be working with, he was partnered with Maka. They shared a bond that only those in a meister-weapon pairing could understand. A deep, personal understanding of one another that was practically required to be an effective team. Crona wasn't entirely sure he could comprehend that. After all, he was stuck with Ragnarok, for better or for worse. But Maka and Soul worked together willingly. There had to be something there for that to work.

…stop it. Crona ordered himself. He isn't your enemy. He's your friend. You're not supposed to hate your friends. You aren't supposed to be…jealous of your friends…

But it was true. Crona was jealous of Soul. Jealous of what he was. Jealous that he was everything Crona wasn't. Jealous of the bond that he shared with Maka.

Jealous because he didn't believe he could replicate that same bond with her.

"Crona?"

Crona's head snapped up at Soul's voice. He saw Soul staring at him, head tilted out of both confusion and concern.

"You alright? You look like something's on your mind."

Crona stared at Soul, having since stopped walking.

…I have to ask him. he decided, gripping the paper bag in his hands out of nervousness. I can't just hate him for something that only might be true. I…I have to know where we stand…

"C-Can…can I ask you something…Soul?" Crona questioned.

Soul frowned. "Yeah, sure man. What's up?"

Crona's head lowered, taking a deep breath. Here goes…

"Who…who is Maka…to you?"

Soul blinked in surprise. When he spoke, he spoke with a tone that indicated the answer should've been obvious.

"She's my best friend. She's my partner. What else would she be?"

Crona gulped slightly. "Th-That's all…? She's…is she…anything else?"

The only response Crona got was silence. He was staring at his feet, waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the answer he definitely didn't want to hear.

Just say it…just say it and get it over with… Crona thought.

He heard Soul walk over to him. He looked up slightly to see him leaning over, in order to get a better look at him.

"Crona…are you asking if I have feelings for Maka?"

Crona gave a slight flinch, ready to hear a "yes", almost anxious to hear it so he wouldn't have to keep thinking about it. He gave a small nod, but said nothing.

Soul stared at Crona for a few more seconds. He then sighed, straightening back up and looking away.

"…I think I might have…at one point."

That alone was enough to sting Crona, but not as badly as he thought it would. Still, the number of questions left unanswered were enough to drive him up a wall.

"Wh-What do you mean…?" Crona asked, head raised to look at Soul again.

He noticed that Soul was scratching the back of his neck, looking almost embarrassed to have to admit what he was about to say.

"It wasn't long after we first became partners…" Soul began. "We were practicing Soul Resonance…it was the first time we'd tried it ourselves. When we finally managed to properly connect our souls…I felt something."

Crona flinched, already knowing he wasn't going to like what he was going to hear.

"It's kind of hard to explain…" Soul continued. "I've resonated with other people since then…but I haven't felt the same feeling. It's only with Maka…it felt-"

"Warm."

Soul blinked, surprised that Crona had spoken up. He was looking down again, shaking slightly.

"…kind of. It did feel kind of warm when I did it…but there was something else, too."

Crona looked up again. "Wh-What?"

"I felt…complete. Like I had found another part of me I didn't know about before. I…I can't really explain it any better than that, man…"

Soul frowned as Crona lowered his head yet again. His shaking had gotten worse, too.

…so…they really do fit together… Crona thought bitterly.

"I talked to Black*Star about it." Soul explained. "He had practiced Soul Resonance a few times with Tsubaki by then. He said he felt the same thing…so we talked to Sid about it…"

Soul sighed, stretching up and lacing his hands behind his head. "He said that that was normal when resonating with someone. You notice the differences between you more than your similarities. You feel balanced out. The fact that we were able to do it so soon just meant that we were really compatible as partners."

Crona's head didn't move. Soul could tell that he wasn't convinced at all. He sighed, letting his arms drop back to their sides.

"Look, Kid resonates with both Liz and Patty at the same time. Does that mean he's in love with them both?"

"…no…" Crona replied.

"Right. And Sid's resonated with both Mira and Yumi. That doesn't mean he's in love with both of them, or even either of them, does it?"

"…not really…"

"And look at Stein! As far as we know, he's resonated with Spirit, Marie, and Jacqueline. I know he's not in love with all three of them. And Spirit's also resonated with Lord Death. Is he in love with him?"

"Probably not…"

"Exactly! Just because they work together doesn't mean they're in love or anything. Kim and Ox are together, but they don't work as partners, do they?"

Soul moved closer, putting a hand on Crona's shoulder. Crona looked up at Soul again, surprised at Soul's calm smile.

"My point is, just because Maka and I are partners, doesn't mean I'm in love with her."

Crona frowned. "But…are you?"

Soul gave a small sigh, his eyes looking off to the side.

"…like I said, I might have initially…but I don't think I do anymore. It's hard to explain, Crona…maybe I mistook what I felt for romantic interest…or maybe I just grew out of it. I just…I can't really picture us together like that, you know? It'd feel weird…"

Soul shook his head, patting Crona's shoulder.

"Point being, no, I'm not in love with Maka. I love her, don't get me wrong, but not like that."

He grinned, his hand moving away from Crona's shoulder.

"In other words, you have nothing to worry about, pal."

Crona flushed, quickly looking away from Soul.

"Th-That…that wasn't why I-"

"Oh, come on! You're really going to try and deny it after acting like that?"

Crona looked back to see Soul staring at him, arms crossed with an exasperated look on his face.

"Seriously Crona, you might be able to lie to someone else, but do you really think you can convince me that you're not interested in Maka?"

Crona blinked. "Wh-What do you-"

"I'm her partner! If anyone would notice if some guy was interested in her, trust me, it'd be me."

Soul sighed, shaking his head. "Honestly, it's amazing how everyone can see how someone acts around someone but the one acting can't."

"…I act differently around Maka…?"

Soul grinned. "Yeah, you do. Not that different, but a bit."

"H-How so…?"

"Well, for one, you smile more around her."

Crona blushed. "I-I do?"

"Yeah. Not that you don't smile when she isn't around or anything…but you seem more willing to smile when she is around."

Crona looked down, rubbing his arm while doing so.

"Not only that…" Soul continued. "But you just generally seem…thankful to be near her. When she talks, you look like you're hanging onto her every word. If she compliments you or something you do, you blush like usual, but you seem so…appreciative. And if she walks away from you, even a little bit, you start moving faster to catch up to her."

Crona shivered slightly. "You…you noticed all of that…?"

Soul sighed. "You're not the only one who's protective of her, Crona."

Crona's head snapped up, eyes wide. Oh no, how stupid could I be?

"Th-That-…I wasn't trying to-"

Soul smiled. "I know, I know, relax man! I'm just saying I'm always looking out for her. If some guy starts acting like he's on cloud nine just being near her, I'm going to notice. And that fits how you act around her to a T."

His smile widened into a grin. "But hey, if anyone's going to be interested in my meister, I'm glad it's you, Crona."

Crona froze, the gears in his head spinning as fast as possible, trying to process what Soul just said.

…did he…did he really just say that…?

Soul chuckled slightly at Crona's expression. "You're alright, Crona. You're someone I can trust around Maka. I know you're not going to hurt her or anything. And besides, you make Maka happy."

That got Crona's attention.

"I…I do?" he weakly asked.

"Of course you do! Whenever you guys have plans or whatever, she'll have this excited look on her face. And if you're not making plans, she'll still have something in mind in case you surprise her with a visit. And whenever you pop in, she'll instantly get this huge smile on her face. You really didn't notice that?"

Crona looked away. "I…I did, but…I didn't think it was because of me…"

Soul sighed, reaching up and ruffling Crona's hair.

"Well, it is. You make Maka happy, and I'd be a huge jerk if I tried to come between that. And it goes without saying that jerks are definitely not cool."

Crona gave a small chuckle at that, looking back up at Soul. Soul grinned in reply, then moved away from him.

"Now, let's hurry up and get these home. We don't want to keep her waiting, do we?"

Crona shook his head, and soon, the two were heading back again.

As much as Crona wanted to leave it at that, safe in his reassurance that Soul wasn't interested in Maka in that way, there was more that needed to be said.

"…I'm sorry, Soul…"

Soul looked over at him. "For what?"

"For being so…suspicious of you…"

"…hey, don't sweat it-"

"No…it wasn't right…"

Soul frowned, head tilted to try and get a better look at Crona, who was looking at the ground again.

"I…you're supposed to be my friend…I can't be suspicious of my friends…I shouldn't think that they're going to hurt me…"

Soul sighed, eyes forward again.

"That's one of the problems with romance, Crona…you don't always think straight when you're worried about it. Your feelings wind up becoming the reasons behind your actions, and they don't always make you take the right ones."

"…I don't want to lose her, Soul…"

Soul blinked, looking at Crona again. "Lose her?"

Crona nodded. "She's…she's the most important person in the entire world…I'd do anything, give up anything, just to make her happy…I couldn't handle losing her, Soul. I know I can't deal with that, above everything else…"

He gave a small, shuddering sigh. "But…if I had to lose her…I know she'd be happy with you…maybe I could…accept that, at least…"

Soul stared at Crona for a few minutes, watching him stare at the ground, the shaking of his body slowly coming to a stop. Soul gave another sigh, then reached over and placed an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close.

"Wh-Wha?" Crona wondered.

"Geez, what's with all this talk of losing her, Crona? Didn't I just say I wasn't about to come between you two?"

"B-But-"

"But nothing." Soul replied.

Crona turned to look at him, surprised at the comforting smile on his face.

"Crona, no matter what happens, you're not losing Maka. You're one of us. She's not going to leave you for me or anyone else. You don't have to worry about that."

Crona flushed, Soul's words prominent in his head.

I'm…one of them?

"That said, if you ever hurt Maka, I'll kill you."

"I-I would never-"

"I know, I know. I just had to say it. It's tradition."

"…tradition?"

"Yeah. I gotta make sure you'll take good care of her, so I threaten you. It's a guy thing."

"…but you just said that you know I wouldn't hurt her…"

"Yeah, but I gotta honor the Guy Code."

"Guy Code?"

"Basically…"

/

The two of them stood in front of the door to Soul's apartment, the tension clearly evident in the air. Crona gave a small gulp as Soul reached for the doorknob.

He then stopped, looking at the doorknob in front of him. He then pulled back and turned to Crona, handing him the two paper bags he got from the restaurant.

"You better hang on to these."

Crona blinked in confusion. "W-Why?"

"Just a gut feeling I've got."

Crona looked at the bags, then carefully took them, holding them along with the one he got earlier.

Soul turned back to the door, taking a deep breath and quietly letting it go. He grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it.

He carefully pushed the door open, peeking inside while doing so.

"Maybe she's asleep now-"

Suddenly, the door swung open, Blair pulling on it from the other side.

"The boys are home!"

"Oh crap!"

Crona instinctively stepped to the side as Blair reached forward and grabbed Soul, pulling him close and hugging him to her chest.

"Welcome hoooooooome!" Blair purred.

Soul's face was stuffed in Blair's…chest, so his response came out heavily muffled.

So that was why he wanted me to take the bags… Crona thought, carefully edging past the two of them and into the apartment.

He leaned over the couch to see Maka laying there, still in her dress from the previous night. She looked up at him, rubbing her forehead out of discomfort.

"Hi."

Crona smiled. "H-Hi…are you feeling any better…?"

Maka sighed. "Well, that depends. Is someone shining a flashlight right in my face?"

"N-No…"

She grumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Then no, not really…"

Crona gave a sheepish smile, then walked past the couch and over to the window, grabbing the curtains and slowly pulling them closed.

"Where's Soul?" Maka asked.

Crona looked back at her. "Uh…"

"…Blair got to him, didn't she?"

"Y-Yeah…"

Maka sighed. "She is so getting chopped later…"

Crona gave a small "heh", walking back over to Maka and standing in front of the couch.

Maka looked at the three bags in Crona's hands, frowning slightly. She looked up at him before speaking.

"You didn't really have to do this, Crona…"

Crona flushed, looking down. "I-I know…but…I wanted to…"

Maka sighed slightly, reaching up and touching the back of Crona's hand. Crona looked at her, blinking in surprise at the contact.

She smiled. "That's really sweet of you, Crona. Thank you."

Crona's blush grew brighter at that, but he smiled in return.

The two of them then heard a loud gasp, and Crona looked up to see Soul frantically pointing at the kitchen.

"Crona! Go! I'll be there in a minute!"

Crona jumped slightly, but nodded. "O-OK!"

He looked back down at Maka. "B-Be right back…"

She sighed, then nodded. He pulled away from her, then quickly dashed into the kitchen, placing the bags on the counter. As he started to unwrap everything in the bags, he overheard Soul and Maka talking.

"Can you clean yourself up, Soul?"

"Hey, it's just a small bit of blood! It's not like I'm staining the carpets or anything!"

"Yeah, whatever…what kept you two, anyway?"

"The lines were long. It is when everyone's getting breakfast, after all."

"This is why I said it was a bad idea for you to go now…"

"And make you cook? No way. Besides, it was more Crona's idea."

Crona paused. No it wasn't.

"…Soul, it was your idea to make me breakfast."

"Yeah, and when it failed, Crona suggested we just go and buy you some."

Crona frowned. Is…is he trying to make me look good to Maka…?

"…really?"

"Yeah. He said he really wanted to help you feel better, so if we couldn't make you breakfast, we could still let you rest by going and getting it ourselves."

Crona resumed unwrapping the food, sighing slightly. Well, he's right about that first part…

He walked over to the fridge and opened the door. He peeked inside, grabbing the carton of milk. He then stopped as he saw something unusual.

A large glass bottle, green-tinted and with an unfamiliar wrapping around it.

He carefully pulled it out, frowning as he studied it, just as Soul walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, everything alright in-" Soul began, but stopped when he saw Crona holding the bottle. Crona looked up, a confused look on his face.

"…where'd you get that?" Soul asked.

"It was in your fridge…"

"…that was in our fridge?"

"Y-Yes…"

Crona noticed that the cap was loose, so he carefully unscrewed it. He raised the open bottle to his nose and inhaled, then quickly held it away, nose wrinkled.

"Ugh! It smells just like…"

Crona froze as he recognized the smell. "Just like…the…punch…"

Soul stepped forward, grabbing the bottle and pulling it towards him. He took a sniff, then grit his teeth, clearly recognizing the smell as well.

The two of them looked at each other, both of them slowly coming to the same conclusion. Soul knew he didn't put the bottle there, and they were both certain Maka didn't. Which left only one culprit.

And as that culprit's identity became clear, the two of them simultaneously shouted one name.

"Blair!"

/

There we go. Review on its way shortly.