21. Never Again - Kid

He told himself he wouldn't find himself here again, and yet here he was. The only sound in the room was the clock, ticking away on the far wall. His foot tapped quietly against the carpeted floor. His eyes had a mind of their own as they shifted around the small living room. They landed on the one thing he was attempting to avoid staring at; Crona.

Their pink hair was unkempt and messy, something that irritated him to no end. The urge to fix it was harder each time he saw them. Thin fingers gripped his pants as he continued to stare. Blue, doe eyes, searched around the room, as if they were avoiding him as well. And just as his eye had betrayed him, so did theirs. As blue met gold, they immediately evaded each other, glancing in opposite directions. Flush appeared on both of their cheeks, unsure how to handle the feelings sprouting.

Maka had incidentally left the pair alone, in her living room, as she disappeared to who knows where. She claimed she was picking up Soul - as if he didn't know how to walk to their apartment. All excuses, and for what? To get them alone. What was the goal here? His thoughts hounded him as more questions seem to rise over answers.

His eyes crept back over to the thin person on the other side of the couch. Thankfully, they didn't return his gaze, instead stared at the wall in front of them. With an analytic stare, he observed them. He had never met someone who was the exemplification of a disaster. And yet, his heart rate never stayed normal when he noticed them enter a room. He felt himself start to sweat unnaturally when he was close to them. His face flushing if their fingers brushed against each other as they reached for the same book. It was distracting.

What was this feeling? This feeling burning inside his chest, waiting to burst out at any moment. Every time their small, round face appeared in view, such a pure, raw feeling emerged from within. Something he never had to deal with before. His head was spinning as these thoughts soared through his mind.

Loathing. The closest thing to this feeling was loathing. Their unsavory, bubblegum hair, bright, innocent eyes, and their slumped shoulders causing just a reaction out of him; it was the only solution. He had to loathe it all. His leg started bouncing aggressively. He hadn't noticed, even as he kept his eyes on them, that they brought those same, bright eyes to stare at him.

"Uh… Kid?" Their quiet voice brought an even warmer flush to his cheeks as he realized he had been caught staring.

Before he could respond, Maka and Soul entered their humble abode. She announced in a bubbly way as she set down a bag of goodies. Kid and Crona ripped their eyes from each other, both of them curling in on themselves. Red graced both of their pale skin as they listened to Maka explain why they were delayed and what was the entertainment for the night.

Kid barely heard a word that left the sandy hair girl as she maneuvered around her apartment. He tried to sneak a glance at Crona, not sure why he was so adamant to stare. The pink haired individual's shoulders were pressed against their ears as they kept their hands tightly wound together on their lap. A clear as day blush was on their face, and he felt his pulse quicken. Did he cause that?

He turned away, the bubbling feeling, of what he was sure was loathing, entered back into his chest. Could it be anything else? He searched his mind for any other instance that caused his body to react the way it did. The logical side of his brain safely stated that the only other feeling that was close to the same was - Love.

His heart stopped at the thought, bringing his gaze back to the person across the room. Shakily, he crossed his arms over his chest, hoping to casually lean back against the couch. No! That was crazy. His eye twitched as he fought within himself against the thoughts. The mental battle was soon brought to an end by his more childish side.

No, he was not in love. Or had any type of affection in that form toward Crona. It had to be loathing with the way he wanted to fix that mess of what they call hair, the slumped posture they were akin to, and - he wanted to see them produce an actual smile. He turned his head away, dead set on that fact.

Never again would he walk down that path of thought - he was sure, right?

22. Online - Crona

Pale, slender fingers glided across the keyboard, clicking each key with ease. The message that was written was sent away with a simple click. Sighing, the slender female leaned back into her chair, bringing her knees up to her chest. A small ticking sounded through the room as she rested her chin on her bony knees. Most of her major work was finished for the day, which brought her to her more personal emails.

At the thought, her body tensed up as she wrapped herself tighter into a ball, her face hiding further into her legs. Her cheeks flared up with heat and her heart pounded in her ears at the thought of re-reading the emails she had received that week. Well, one in particular.

With a snail's pace, she peeled one of her arms from her legs and clicked through her desktop. A few more faint, but audible presses of her mouse, she found her way into her personal email. She unraveled her body, placing both her feet firmly on the carpeted floor. She scooted her chair up to the desk, staring at the dull light of the computer in her dimmed room. Her hands pulled a nearby pillow into her lap, clutching it for a tidbit of reassurance.

There were exactly three emails, easy, right? Wrong. The third one, which was the first one she had received, sat idly at the bottom of the list. Her heart skipped a beat at the name that it was listed as; Kid. She consciously ignored, answering her other two emails. It didn't take her long and she found herself right back where she started, staring at the screen of her email address.

She rubbed her lips together. It wasn't like she didn't want to answer it, but her heart felt as if it would explode out of her chest. Her small hand rested over her pounding heart. They had been exchanging emails for quite some time now. He had moved across the sea to deal with his father's growing business. It was awfully quiet without him around.

Kid was the first one to send her a message. Since then, they gave each other weekly letters in digital format. Crona's heart soared as each week, his warm words carried itself through the online world. And hopefully hers in reply were just the same. Maka explained that this was old style pinning - the act of writing out letters instead of just calling each other on the phone. Crona didn't care, it was one of the sweetest things Kid has ever done for her.

For her. A small, warm smile slowly appeared on her face as she pressed the pillow against her cheek. He chose to send this to her, weekly, for months. No one was forcing him. A small squeal escaped her lips as she buried her whole face into the pillow, a feeling of glee overtaking her body. Her feet tapped against the floor, unable to hide her excitement.

She kept her face in the pillow a moment longer than she intended, slowly moving her face back away from it. Her eyes refocused on the computer screen, eyeing the one message she needed to respond to. She lingered at the topic of the email. Her heart stayed pounding as she brought trembling fingers toward the screen. Her fingertips brushed against the words that the email allowed to be shown.

She hadn't the courage yet to open it, re-reading the few words it did show. He had changed its meaning with a simple type of his keyboard. Did he intend this? Her heart could barely take the anticipation. He wrote, "My Dearest, Crona." The comma after dearest pulled at her heart strings, causing a stir in unfamiliar feelings. If he truly meant to type what he did, it meant she was his most dearest. She sucked in a shaky breath, pulling her hand back away from the screen.

And if that is what he meant, then, did that mean he was also a complete wreck like she was. If that was so, she had better reply as soon as she could. Pulling air into her lungs, she cracked her knuckles as she finally opened the email from her dearest, Kid.

23. Failure - Kid

He messed up.

A petite form was in the doorway that carried everyone's attention. The figure was completely frozen in place as the clumps of cake fell with gravity away from his hands. His face planted into the ground, not seeing the initial impact of the delicious, sweet treat smash into the body of his beloved. The horrid gasps around the room told him all he needed to know.

Grimacing he raised his head from the floor, disgusted by the simple fact that he was in this position in the first place. His disgust was quickly replaced by sheer horror at the sight of the pinkette in the doorway. She was completely covered in the pastry he had all but flung at her.

He saw her pink tongue swipe out against her lips, getting a taste of the cake. He had raised himself onto his knees by that time as everyone was deathly silent around them. One of Crona's hands lifted up and removed a chuck of the cake from her face, shaking it out of her hand a second later. It landed on the ground with a splat, the only sound in the room. He felt his heart breaking. How did he even manage to fall?

"Crona… I'm so sorry…" He started, groaning with his head bent. This was a disaster. He was a failure. He almost made everything perfect, and he had to butcher it all.

His golden hues only raised as she stumbled forward, not used to the extra baggage of sponge and icing. She crossed the short way to him, holding a hand out to him. His frown stayed on his face as he stared at her cake covered palm. Crona didn't wait long, before she grabbed a handful of cake with her other hand and smashed it on the top of his head.

His eyes only widened as the sticky, chunky clumps slumped onto his back. He was unsure of how to take her course of punishment toward him. Worried, golden eyes stared up into her icy blue ones. Behind the icing, a small smile appeared on her face. Followed by a quiet laugh that only erupted into bouts as it continued on. She was pleased? Soon she wrapped her arms around her torso, not able to contain herself. She seemed so free.

Her laughter became contagious as a few people around the room started to laugh with her. Even he found himself smiling at her beautiful, cake covered face. He felt relief spread over him as she collected herself and stared down at him. Maybe he wasn't as much of a failure, as long as she was happy.

24. Rebirth - Crona

Uneasy, her eyes fluttered open. The room was dim as she focused on the white ceiling. Confusion was clear as day on her face as she glanced around, attempting to figure out where she was. What was she doing last? Her eyes trailed down to a TV, currently off, situated on the far wall. She was slowly trying to piece together what room she was.

Her fingers twitched and she felt a warmer hand in hers. Her head rolled in the direction of that hand. Her arm was wrapped in a tight, but clean bandage, near her elbow. Attached to her hand was an equally pale, but slender hand was tightly wrapped in between her fingers. She tightened her grip on it, getting a feel of her fingers once more. Attached to that hand was a familiar and welcoming face. She smiled as her gaze brought her to the sleeping face of Kid. He looked so peaceful.

Her eyes drifted over to a monitor that was nearby, seeing her vitals being displayed on the screen. She was in a hospital room. Her mind backtracked to what had brought her here in the first place. Her brain felt fuzzy, like it was shoved into a blender and swirled around in the tiny glass for a day. There was an operation? Groaning at that thought, she shifted her legs, glad to be able to move them. She pressed her other palm not holding Kid's hand into the mattress, hoping to push herself up into a sitting position.

At her shuffling around, it awoke her sleeping companion. "Hm, Hey!" He jerked upward out of his sleep, clutching her hand in both of his hands. "Don't move." He reassured her, standing up. He brought one of his hands to wrap around her shoulders. She leaned into him, finding comfort in his touch. With Kid's help, they managed to get her propped up against a few pillows. He positioned himself back into the chair he had been preoccupying beforehand, albeit closer to her this time.

"What do you remember?" He inquired, lacing their fingers back together. Her brow furrowed together at the question. Most of it was blurry. Kid noticed her distress and squeezed her hand. "It's okay, Marie said you might be a little confused." He reassured her, giving her a kind smile. Her distress didn't fade completely, but she trusted him enough to know he wouldn't lie to her.

They sat in a comfortable silence, as Crona fumbled around in her own thoughts. Kid gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, patiently waiting for her to speak if she wanted to. Her front teeth dug itself into her bottom lip, gnawing on it in thought. She knew this was a serious operation, something she spent a long time debating. As her mind was hopefully going down the right trail of thought, she heard Kid gasp.

She opened her mouth in surprise, bringing her gaze to meet his worried one. "You're bleeding." Kid simply stated, digging into his pocket. Her other hand not in his instantly went up to press into her sore lip. When she pulled her hand away to examine the blood, her eyes widened. Red; not a color she was expecting to be there. In a small panic, she reached back up and pressed into her lip once more. When she moved her hand back, once more to inspect the blood, it was still the same; red. Her wide, blue gaze went to Kid for an explanation.

He was smiling, a rush of warmth emitting from his expression. His hand offered a cloth he managed to pull from his pocket. She ignored it. Her mouth opened and closed for a few seconds, unable to speak correctly. No way. It worked. The blood transfusion worked. Elation worked its way onto her face as she came to terms with why she was in the hospital in the first place. Kid, as if he was reading her thoughts, nodded to her in confirmation.

A shaky laugh escaped her sore throat. She felt tears at the corners of her eyes as the news settled into her brain. Her elation suddenly took a turn for the worse as her grip tightened around Kid's. "What about…?" She croaked, her throat dry.

"He's fine." He interrupted her, immediately calming her nerves. "He is in a form he may not be used to, but he is alive." He dropped the handkerchief and held her one hand with both of his again. This was surreal. As if she didn't believe any of this was real, but it was. She felt it in the way her arms ached if she moved them.

Reaching her other hand out toward Kid, he stood up and settled onto the bed, allowing her fingers to cling to the back of his neck. She pulled him toward her, pressing their foreheads together. Her eyes closed, a smile ever present on her face. This is what rebirth felt like. She felt as if she was a new person.

This could be her happy beginning.

25. Breaking Away - Kid

Tradition. Something that he felt himself drifting away from the more the days passed. It irritated him to no end as rules and regulations of what his life had to conform to was shoved into his face. Of course he loved order within the chaos, but order that made sense to him. Not something his father was going to force on him.

This was why he was hosting a party at his estate. This is why he invited all his friends. This is why he invited the person that made his heart soar just at the sight of her. He knew a few months back that he had a tiny, itsy, bitsy crush on the daughter of one of the most dangerous witches; Crona. She was nothing like her mother. She was quiet, soft, and delicate - at least when she wasn't on a mission. At those times, she was fierce, determined, and brave.

He had denied his feelings for the longest, at least for three months, not that he counted the days. During that time, he promised himself the fluttering feelings in his stomach would lessen the more he was around her. It didn't. In fact, it only worsened to the point that he felt himself stumbling over himself in her presence. A blushing, bumbling fool he was. Thankfully, Crona was one of the few people who understand how awkward it can be to talk to people. She simply showed him what he had offered her when they first met, when she was the one stuttering over her words; a kind smile and the patience of a saint. It only made him fall deeper at her compassion.

He was completely enamored by her existence. He found himself spending more and more time with her, loosening up her walls the closer they became. And it worked, she confided in him when things were hard, or if she needed help with something. He was there. But, his dear Crona, only took it as far as he presented it - a friendship. He really dug himself a hole. Well, tonight, he was pulling himself out of the hole.

He readjusted his suit, standing off into a hallway, away from the party. He was working himself up to go back out there. It was nerve racking hearing the music from the other room. Gulping, he pulled himself as together as he could, reemerging back into the fray. His golden eyes scanned the cluster of people dancing. Refreshments were off to the side, giving room for people to stand nearby.

Ah. He spotted her immediately, her pink hair standing out against the crowd. She was positioned by the refreshment table, a drink in hand. It was odd, but she was slowly moving side to side to the beat of the fast paced song. Her over-sized sweater hung perfectly on her shoulders and was tucked into a high-waisted skirt that ended at her ankles, revealing her usual boots. Her hair, recently cut, laid perfectly against her head. Her smile lit up the whole room in his eyes. He felt his throat go dry. It was now or never.

He tried so hard to casually stride over instead of running to her side. He was almost in her bubble of space, when her eyes drifted to him. He almost froze on the spot, like a deer caught in headlights. Her expression immediately softened at the sight of him. It was the only thing that forced him the rest of the way at her side.

"Hey," She almost whispered, still moving side to side in a shuffle.

"Hi," He replied back, his voice quiet as well. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, awkwardly standing near her. It was suddenly extremely hot.

"Uh, want to dance?" He felt her hand against his elbow, gentle as if she was asking permission to touch him more - yes, please. He didn't trust his voice in that moment, giving her a stiff nod. She smiled at him, eyes crinkling. With her cup in her other hand, she shot back whatever was left in it, setting it into the nearby trash can. Her tongue swiped out over her lips and he felt himself do the same thing. Her hand tightened around his elbow as she pulled him a little further into the mass of people who were already dancing.

The fast pace song that was blaring over the speakers was coming to an end. Crona, in the few seconds they had left, did her cute, awkward shuffle, except this time her hands were wrapped in his. He followed her movements, not removing his eyes from her face. As the song died down, a much slower one replaced it. Blue eyes blinked in surprise as she halted her dancing, unsure if he wanted to continue now that the song switched. This was his chance.

"Here," He moved his hands to grasp her wrists, pulling her closer. She willingly stepped closer, her doe eyes staring curiously at him. His face was beyond red at this point. He set her hands against his shoulders, removing his hands and replacing them near her waist. His fingers were gentle against her hips, hoping his heart didn't leap from his chest at that moment. Although he was so caught up in his own feelings, he didn't miss the blush that appeared on her face as well.

Her tiny fingers lightly pressed into his neck, clutching the fabric of his suit. His skin was on fire where her body touched his. They found a slow pace as they rotated around other people who were doing the same. His eyes never left her face, and for that moment, it seemed she didn't avert her gaze either. He thought a moment too soon as those sky blue eyes peered around, almost nervous. Confused, he began to follow her gaze, only for her to surprise him once more. Crona paused her movements and almost seemed to bounce toward him, wrapping her arms completely around his stiff shoulders. Her face pressed into one of his shoulders, hiding her face from him.

He was stunned, his arms hanging in the air behind her. They stopped dancing. Uncertainty crept into him as he glanced around, trying to see what caused her to leap into his arms. Oh. Maka wasn't too far away, her arms wrapped around Soul in a similar fashion. What was going through Crona's mind to cause her to mimic her friend. A rough exhale later, and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her thin waist.

"Crona?" He murmured into her cotton candy hair, not regretting the inhale he took of her intoxicating scent.

"I - Is this wrong?" She asked meekly, her voice merely a whisper as she breathed into his neck. No. This felt completely right in every way. He was only shocked that she chose to do this on her own accord.

"What do you mean?" He heard himself saying, a drunk feeling over taking him at their closeness. She made a small sound and leaned back to stare at his face. Warmth radiated off her cheeks as she stared, eyebrows scrunched up. She was staring down at his chin, her lips pressed together.

"I - It… I mean…" Her words became jumbled as she tried to speak. "I… I just like...you." Her voice lowered the more she spoke. Her shoulders raised up to her ears as she actually found the courage to make eye contact. Kid felt as if his heart stopped altogether at her words. This was a dream, right? He was still in the hallway, imagining all this. He had to be, but he was quickly brought back to reality as she continued. "I mean… I'm sorry, that came - What I meant, I mean..." The panic was evident in her voice as she racked her brain for an excuse for what she said.

This was happening. Her eyes went further down, stopping at his chest now as she seemed to pull away from his loose grip, her face red as a cherry. Wait. On impulse, he wrapped his arms tighter around her, pulling her back toward him. She gasped, eyes meeting his more confident ones. Their faces were mere inches away now. Holding her tightly, he leaned forward, her hands resting on his biceps now. He saw a question forming in her eyes as her lips parted. He took a leap of faith, pressing his mouth against hers, silencing whatever question was forming. A small gasp escaped her as she stood rigid in his arms. The world around them vanished.

Was that the wrong call? His arms trembled around her at her lack of action. She exhaled through her nose, relaxing into him. She pressed into him, her hands trailing up his arms and back over his shoulders, wrapping securely around his neck. He pulled away for a mere second, sucking in a quick breath and tilting his head. He leaned back in, a hunger awakening inside him as their lips crashed against each other again. She stumbled back a few paces, him following along before they found their footing. She was the one to fully pull away, shakily breathing against his face. His eyes fluttered open at the same time hers did.

"Wow…"A small giggle escaped her plump lips as they stared at each other. He pressed his forehead to hers. This was it, the start of something new. He was breaking away from tradition. He fell in love with a witch, and apparently she fell in love too.