31. Exploration- Kid
Light eyelashes fluttered up at him, exposing her pale, blue eyes. He stared back with half-lidded eyes, unsure of what happened. She shakily exhaled, full lips parting. He could feel her breath on his face, as if he suddenly realized their close proximity. His tongue swiped out against his own lips, tasting her green apple chap stick that she smeared there only a moment ago. He could clearly see the embarrassment rising onto her cheeks as panic seemed to present itself in her face.
It took him a few more moments to gather the actions that took place. He found Crona in the hallway. He requested she follow him. He brought her to a nearby empty classroom - it was dark, as the sun was setting. He confessed and in the middle of his very well practiced and long speech, she brought their lips together in a sloppy kiss. He slowly blinked, as her shoulders started rising as if she was going to hide herself from him.
No.
He closed the space between them, clasping her face more aggressively than he meant to. She staggered back from the force of his body crashing into hers. Her thin back hit the wall behind her, causing them to smack their teeth together. They both let out a small sound of distress, before he covered her mouth with his once more. The taste of green apple filled his mouth.
She didn't protest, her small hands finding their way to his back. They pressed against his back, uncertainly behind each of the presses. It was awkward as they pressed their lips together, both not knowing how to properly kiss. Her hands eventually found their way around his neck, locking him in place. They parted every few seconds, both gasping for air, only to join their swollen lips back together. They both seemed like they didn't want this to end.
His own hands started to explore the body of Crona. Slender fingers glided down her sides, clutching at the fabric of her sweater. His hands grasped what skin he could feel through the thick material. After a moment, he found the edge of her floor length skirt, where her sweater was tucked into. Clutching the restricting fabric, he freed it from its confined space from underneath the skirt. His warm hands didn't waste any time grasping the cold, shapely hips of Crona. There was a sharp intake of breath when his hands grabbed her. These teenage hormones were affecting both parties in this instance. In one swift motion, he yanked her toward him, their bodies now flush against each other.
She sighed into him, her nervous arms slacking against his neck. Her own hands started to explore around his face and neck. She slipped them from behind his neck to cup his face, cold fingertips brushing against his cheeks, chin, and jawline. Her fingers slid over his neck and landed on his firm shoulders, gently grasping there. In the meantime, his own nimble fingers massaged the flesh on her hips, being careful not to be too rough.
Seconds felt like years while they indulged in each other's presence, enjoying the few minutes they spent in the fading light of the classroom. It still felt like it wasn't long enough as his grip loosened around her. Their lips parted with a loud smack, startling the thin female in front of him. Her eyes blinked open as his own did, their ragged breath mixing together. Her cheeks were fully red now, mostly from a lack of air. He figured he appeared in the same state.
"That…" She exhaled, leaning her weight against the wall. "That was a lot." She admitted, a smile present on her face.
"Yeah…"He agreed, staring down at her plump, sore lips - his lips felt the same. She was beautiful despite the messy array of her appearance. After a moment, he removed his hands from under her shirt, smoothing down the fabric for it to at least appear decent.
A giggle escaped her lips as she watched him do this, placing her hands against his chest. His fingers pinched the hem of her shirt, finding it very interesting all of a sudden. He trained his eyes on the fabric, embarrassment flooding his senses as he came down from the high of kissing her. He had no reason to be, considering her hands were all over him as well.
"Hey," She whispered, pressing her forehead against his. This caused him to glance up into her eyes, meeting her loving gaze. "Maybe we can continue our exploration another day?" She squeaked out, her own embarrassment peeking out. He rubbed his lips together, tasting traces of her green apple chap stick.
"I would like that." He replied in earnest, leaning into her and pulling her into a hug.
32. Faith- Crona
Their pencil pressed into the white paper, marking it with black strokes that coalesced into words. They were lost in their own world, relaxing into the plush cushion on the couch. Once again, they found themselves perched inside the school library, winding down after a long day. A simple, black notebook was occupying their attention as the words written out were from their own mind. It was a way to get their thoughts together and in front of them. Something tangible that they could see.
Crona never was one for religion. They didn't believe in something that they couldn't see. It was hard for them to accept promises without results. All their life, they were taught that if you didn't give results, you weren't needed in this world. Why would a God allow that to happen? If he was all powerful, wouldn't he use that power to help those in need?
That's why when they met Kid, conflict rose within themselves. The values that Medusa taught them, regardless of how shitty they were, showed them that no God, even one of death, would be kind, polite, sweet, and have eyes full of honey. She never said that it was possible for them to befriend a God.
Crona never felt such an intense emotion welling up inside them at the simple act of Kid walking into the room. He wasn't always punctual for class, sometimes not even showing up until hours into the day. When they did see the dark haired male stride in as if he owned the school - which he sort of did - their chest would constrict. They couldn't understand why one person could affect them in such a way.
Crona knew fear. Fear was the cold, heartless snake snapping its jaws at you simply because you were born. You either eat, or be eaten. But this feeling that clogged their head to the point of thinking becoming impossible, was different. They were afraid, but at the same time drawn into the presence of him. They had to get away in fear of being burned from the inside out, only to brave that thought and crawl right back toward the source. It was confusing and Crona was unsure on how to proceed through these emotions.
Maka was a close example on how they felt. She made them feel safe. And at first, they were afraid to be near her, but in a totally different way. That fear of being near Maka doused itself out the longer Crona stood by her side. It was easy to talk to her now. With that mindset, Crona attempted the same tactic to stop the fire from spreading every time Kid was in view.
It didn't work. They found themselves completely swept up into the life of Death the Kid. He shaped them into a person that, maybe, they could be in the same world as Kid. The more they talked, the more Crona felt the fire intensify. It came to a point that Crona simply accepted their fate of expiring in the company of Kid. And it wouldn't have been the worst way to die.
Except, this fire was only inside them. It was a non-see-able act happening right in front of them! There wasn't actually a fire burning the skin they occupied, and yet they could feel it swirling underneath.
Maka explained that emotions were just as real and tangible if you only looked for the signs. Something someone could believe in with their whole self only because their bodies physically reacted to these feelings. That was something Crona could have faith in, if, and only if, it occurred every time they saw him. Which it did.
Their lips parted as a small sigh escaped. This was getting them nowhere. Setting the notebook onto the table in front of the couch, they leaned back against the seat, taking a moment to collect their swarming thoughts.
A few things were clear. One, Kid caused something real to erupt inside of them; something that scared them, but not enough to deter them away. Two, Medusa always lied. They repeated that last one a few times, reminding them that she couldn't puppeteer them anymore. The only one pulling these strings, was Crona themselves.
Shaking their head, they attempted to clear them of the snake. This wasn't about her, not anymore. This was about - heart thumps - Kid. The young god of death. Inhaling, their fingers trembled around the pencil in their grip. Maka assured them this was normal for someone that you liked. She said that she felt this way about Soul, but never elaborated further. Deep in thought, they hadn't noticed the very person who haunted their mind approach.
"Crona?" Pale blue eyes widened in alarm at the unmistakable deep voice of the very death god himself. Shoulders tensing, they brought their gaze upward toward the towering male. They couldn't breathe properly, their heart pounding against their rib cage. It was unfathomable that fate would steer Kid in their direction just as they were figuring out their feelings.
His half-lidded, honey glazed gaze, politely stared down at them as they fought against the volcano erupting inside. They were sure a squeak left their lips as they attempted to say hi. It seemed the words reached his ears as his lips pulled up into a small smile.
"Are you alone?" His gaze shifted toward their open journal, a small panic forcing its way up their throat. Crona tried as casually as they could to reach for the book, closing it and bringing it to their chest. Unfortunately for them, those same eyes followed their movements, trailing his way to their face. Crona knew their face was unnaturally warm under the pressure of Kid's stare.
"Y..Yes." They managed a word, barely. But it was enough for Kid's smile to widen a small fraction. It was barely noticeable and Crona only noticed because they noticed everything about him. Speaking of, his own cheeks flared up with a light pinkish color as he shuffled his feet - an unusual act.
"May I join you?" Although his words were sound, his eyes flitted away from their gaze as he asked, as if he was nervous. It prompted Crona to pause momentarily before realization sunk in that he asked to sit with them. They didn't trust their voice now, only nodding sharply, their mouth pressed into a thin line.
An exhale left Kid as he stepped forward, seating himself literally right next to them. His knee bumped into theirs, causing a jolt to shoot up their spine. They clutched their notebook like a lifeline as they sat in silence. Their blue eyes stayed focused on their knees, the spot he touched burning.
"I...I wanted to know if I - no if you wanted to go on an outing." At the quiver in his voice, their eyes met his unusually shy ones. He was shifting his gaze to exactly behind the pinkette, bringing them back for one second, and replacing them with whatever caught his attention behind them. "With me." He added on, finally meeting their stare once more as the silence between them continued. His eyes danced around their face, searching for an answer they didn't know how to give. At Crona's silence, his lower lip slipped between his teeth and Crona snapped out of their stupor.
"An ...outing?" They weren't sure what that entirely entailed.
"Yes!" He eagerly answered, hope lingering in his golden hues. Their stomach twisted into knots.
"What would we do?" Curious, Crona tiled their head to the side, hair slipping over their shoulder. His eyes flitted there briefly, before re-meeting their gaze.
"Whatever pleased you." He offered, wringing his hands in his lap. Crona made a mental effort to slow their heart, not sure how long they could handle it before it decided to explode. They placed their stare back at their own lap, running the request through their mind. Was this happening? Yes. It was a real, tangible request directed at them. Deep breath, they could deal with this.
"Yes." They directed their eyes back at Kid, a new found determination in their expression. Kid raised his dark eyebrows at them, amazement sparkling in his eyes. In one swift gesture, he grabbed both of their hands, leaning awfully close to their face. They inhaled sharply at the action, breathing in his cologne.
"You won't regret it!" He exclaimed, his sweaty hands, squeezing their equally sweaty hands. With elation shining through his eyes, Crona couldn't help but smile at him, the same feeling rushing through them. They would have faith in this tangible god of death. Clutching his hands was real enough for them to believe they could deal with this.
33. Seeing Red - Kid
Today was the perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky as the sun shone down onto the outside seating of the fast food place they decided to occupy for the afternoon. Their small group of seven were already seated at a large table, chatting between themselves. They were only missing a certain pink haired female. His eyes slid over to the entrance of the building as it opened to reveal the thin form of said female.
Slender fingers were wrapped around her cup as if she was afraid she would drop it. Which it very well could, considering outside of combat she behaved more clumsy. Her beautiful, blue eyes were downcast, watching the swirling liquid in the cup. With a soft sigh, Kid leaned his chin on his hand, staring at her as she stumbled her way toward them. No one knew, but Kid had a fascination with the witch. He had been as discreet as possible with the fact he was courting her. Crona, being her uninformed self, had no clue what he was attempting to accomplish.
It wasn't her fault for not knowing the intricacies of teenage life, considering Medusa didn't teach her. With that in mind, he took a step back from the endeavor of dating the young witch. Instead, he pulled her aside one day, discussing activities they could do together as friends. She was hesitant at first until he explained it would be like when she was with Maka alone. She agreed wholeheartedly, even producing a smile at his request - his heart soared.
He allowed her to completely control the amount of affection that was given each time they were alone. For the majority of the time, they simply talked, delving into each other's likes and dislikes. It didn't take long before Crona's icy exterior began to melt and she became more open with him. The biggest perk of that was the experience her smile. Her nervousness to outsiders caused a shortage of such a beautiful expression, but he was one of the few privy to such an act.
He was merely happy to be in her presence while her full attention was focused on him. She was too in fact. In their last hangout, she expressed that she may have finally understood what romantic feelings were. She held his hand for the rest of that evening.
Despite their constant hangouts and long talks at night, he was sure the rest of the group were unaware of their growing relationship. Liz may have suspected something unusual with him, but he brushed it off easily by blaming his solo outings on requests from his father; even if it was late at night. It wasn't like he wanted to hide this from everyone forever. Crona was delicate and needed time to sort out her feelings first before they announced anything - if it ever became official that is.
He would have sat there, gazing lovingly at the thin female as she strolled over, eyes still pointed downward, while reminiscing on the budding relationship he now shared with her, but fate had other plans. He stiffened as a couple, who also wasn't paying attention either, bumped shoulders with Crona. A yelp left her lips, her body jerking backwards at the contact. The drink, she was being so careful with, flew out of her hands and into the body of the other female that collided with her.
Kid's back straightened as he watched Crona raise their hands up in defense, apologizing softly to the girl she soaked with her soda. The other female didn't take lightly to Crona's apology, raising her voice in a loud protest before tossing the drink she had right into the pinkette's face.
Time slowed down for Kid. Crona immediately closed her eyes, flinching at the contact of the cold liquid. Her hair, face, and the front of her dress was soaked in an instance. Her eyes blinked open, her fingers rubbing her cheeks to remove the sticky substance.
He snapped, hands slamming down on the table before him. For a split second, all he saw was red as this stranger yelled at Crona. Maka, who was sitting across from him, jumped to a stand as he did. Unfortunately for Maka, he was much faster and seething with anger he hadn't known he had. He stomped over to the trio. shielding Crona from the onslaught of insults.
"Excuse me," He interrupted, placing himself between the two females. He felt Crona take a step back in response. The stranger focused her glare on him - good.
"What?" She snarled, anger gripping at the edges of her voice.
"I think you should apologize to my friend here." Ice coated his voice as he matched her glare, his eyes hardening. "Since it was your fault for the spill in the first place."
She opened her mouth to spew nonsense, he assumed, but the girl beside her placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hon, that's Lord Death's son." The anger dissipated at those few words. She paled as her eyes searched his face, before landing on his hair - his damn stripes.
"I...I'm very sorry." She bowed, shuffling off with her partner. He waited, breathing deeply as he watched them walk out of view.
A few more calming inhales, and he turned to face Crona. In these few years, he had grown to match her height. His hand gently gripped her shoulder, despite the stickiness of it, and his other hand was digging in his pocket for his handkerchief. He retrieved the piece of cloth, bringing it to her pink, coke stained face.
"Are you alright?" Softly, he gazed at her, wiping down what he could of the soda. He finally met her blue eyes, searching for a silent answer to his question.
"I am…"She murmured back, staring at him in amazement, her mouth parted slightly. "Thank you." The cloth was at her chin, cleaning what he could.
"I'm sorry this happened." His gaze softened, pausing to cup her sticky face with his hand through the cloth. "You don't deserve this." He meant every word, frowning at the thought of anyone hurting her; she's been through enough for a lifetime.
"It's okay." Her voice was soft, directing her eyes downward as if she was embarrassed - he wouldn't blame her if she was.
"Here, let's sit you down, I'll get you another drink." He pressed the cloth in her hands to use as she pleased. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, not remembering where they were and who they were with. As they turned back toward the table, he froze mid step as he came eye to eye with dark, green eyes. Instead of anger, there was shock, her mouth hanging open.
"Wait, YOU'RE 'Mister Honey'?!" Surprise was evident on her facial features, eyes flitting between Kid and Crona. Confused, he snapped his stare over to the pink haired female - did she talk to Maka about him without using his name? He wasn't upset, it was normal she confided in her friend for advice. It was endearing. A noise of protest ripped from her lips, her face going cherry red now. She pressed a hand against her face, trying to hide from everyone in view, even him, as she glanced in another direction.
He brought his questioning look to Maka, who was still in a state of shock. His gaze shifted even further back to their shocked group of friends. Well everyone except Liz, who had a knowing smirk on her lips, arms crossed over her chest. The cat was out of the bag.
34. Shades of Grey - Crona
Life was defined by right and wrong. For the longest time, she felt like she was in the right, following her mother's orders. She didn't know what morals were good or bad. She was blind in insanity as it seeped inside her very soul. Black blood - what could be darker than that? She had concluded nothing and walked the path Medusa laid out before her. She was corrupted long before she could even put up a fight.
Then Maka came along.
She was purified, if only for a small moment in time. Ragnarok, her black blood, didn't have a hold over her anymore. He was still there, but less. After a while she felt like she was on the right side - the good side. She was obedient and followed the rules that were placed over her, just as she did with Medusa. She had a group of people to call friends. They accepted her as one of them, at least for a time.
Subsequently, Kid approached her separate from everyone else.
Besides Maka, she felt a secure connection with the young death god. Their first meeting still flickers through her dreams. He surely remembered it - the ship, her insanity. Despite that, he welcomed her with warm eyes and a small gesture. When he placed his hand on her shoulder, it felt as if she became anew. As if he lifted the burden of the darkness. It filled her with hope that she could be on the brighter side of things.
But one never really leaves the dark side without some of it lingering inside. Medusa slithered back into her life, causing chaos within. She stirred the beast residing in Crona, pinching at the right words to cause her to overflow. She couldn't refuse her vicious mother.
She reverted back, causing permanent damage to quite a few people that trusted her. Maka especially. Regardless, Maka came for her, almost losing herself in the process. In an act that should have killed her, Crona saved Maka's life, ultimately killing the woman she once called mother.
She should have died, paying for everything with her blood. Life had other plans as she wearily awoke in a hospital bed, his midsection sewed together and wrapped tightly with bandages. She had lost a lot of blood. The only thing keeping her alive was Ragnarok; her cursed counterpart. He hadn't been able to appear physically since then, sleeping within her, most of the time. There were a few times they silently talked. Visitors were allowed a few days later, Maka being the first to appear with Soul in tow.
She couldn't meet her eyes, too ashamed of all she had done. Maka reassured her everything would be okay now - that she still had a family here. Her sandy haired friend - probably her last friend - brought her activities to do, leaving her with books, paper, and a crossword booklet.
Crona loathed this. She wanted to die, but life was always cruel. She pretended to be happy when Maka was around every other day, but it was hard to see such a bright smile directed at her - of all people. Maka should hate her and yet she gave no notion of it. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.
At least Maka's kindness of bringing her paper didn't go to waste. Crona found herself writing, like she briefly did before Medusa dragged her away. This was something she sincerely enjoyed. Most of it was depressing, metaphors of how she was dead inside or topics of her childhood and her late mother. She never showed Maka any of it - afraid of any judgement directed her way.
"I'm going to be away for a week." Her green eyed friend announced one day, pulling her bag together as she readied to leave. "Soul and I have a mission outside of town." There was an uneasiness lingering in Maka's words - she was once again worried more about Crona than herself.
"Oh." Crona hadn't known what to say to that. She appreciated Maka always being around, considering the rest of the group, besides Soul that one time, haven't visited her. Regret filled her as she realized a small part of her was glad she wouldn't see her. It would give her time to collect her thoughts.
She buried herself in her poems, writing and rewriting this one until it was perfect. It embodied everything she felt throughout her life. The rights and wrongs of it. Everything wasn't black or white, she would never be one or the other. She was an ever changing shade of grey - which is what she tilted the poem; Shades of Grey. A knock at her door startled her out of her thoughts. If it was a doctor or nurse they would have announced themselves, so the logical idea was Maka returned early from her mission.
"Come in," She called out, shuffling some of her papers around so she wouldn't see what she was writing. "I thought you were going to be gone all week." She continued to speak at a lowered voice as she heard the door open and footsteps approach, not glancing up yet.
"Expecting someone else?" Her eyes snapped wide open at the deep voice that answered back. She whipped her head around, her messy locks slapping her in the face - she forgot how long her hair had gotten. She came face to face with someone she wished she hadn't - Kid. Her mouth went dry as he stared at her with his stoic gaze. In response to his question, she shook her head, averting her eyes downward.
"How are you?" He asked, pulling a nearby chair up to the bed. Slowly, she raised her gaze to meet his gaze, confusion setting in at his question. He was concerned? Why now? It's been almost two weeks since she awoke in the hospital. She hadn't seen no one other than Maka and Soul.
"Did Lord Death send you?" She blurted out, not able to stand the anxiety creeping inside her.
"No…"His eyebrows tensed together at her question, confusion settling into his expression. "I actually came here on my own accord."
"Why?" It left her before she could stop it, her voice cracking. She felt vulnerable under his gaze as concern graced his features. She was just as confused as he was. Surely he wasn't here just to see her, right? Not after everything she has done. Liquid formed at the corners of her eyes, stress caressing the outskirts of her mind. She didn't know why, but concern over her appearance swept through her mind for a moment. She probably looked like a mess.
"Crona…"He leaned toward her, his voice soft. "We're friends." He raised one of his hands, hesitating before dropping it back to his lap in defeat.
"W..what?" Choking back a sob, she pressed her hands against her face as if she could hide from him. "But you… everyone…"Shoulders shaking, she curled into herself, the papers around her shifting with her. Why did his presence bring out the tears? When Maka visited, she felt numb.
"Everyone wanted to come, but we are busy rebuilding the city." He explained, desperation in his voice. The tone in his voice caused her to peek from between her shaky fingers. Was that what was happening? Maka didn't go into a lot of detail about everyone. Then again, she never asked.
Her lip trembled as a hiccup left her. At that sound, Kid found the courage to place a firm, but gentle hand against her thin shoulder. She tensed at the action. She was a fool. An idiot. She did not deserve this type of affection.
Despite that, she craved it. Taking a faithful jump, she leapt toward him, wrapping her arms around his body. It caused a painful feeling around her midsection, which was still in the process of healing, but she would endure - she needed this. A sound of surprise left him as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling himself closer to make it more comfortable for her. It eased the tension around her abdomen. She wished Maka was here instead so he didn't witness her in such a state.
They sat there, her shaking against him as she cried into his shoulder, dampening the fabric. He kept his arm around her, simply holding her as she let out her feelings. It was way overdue. Her sobbing died down to small, simple breaths. Sniffling, she stayed against him, wanting to enjoy the warm, human contact as much as she could.
"Do you want to know what everyone has been doing?" He asked after a few moments of sitting like this. Not trusting her voice, she nodded against him, feeling her head rub against his. This was certainly the most intimate she has ever been with anyone. She silently listened, staring at the blank, white wall behind him. BlackStar and Tsubaki were sent out of town for an important mission shortly after she was admitted to the hospital; a perfectly excusable reason why they hadn't shown up. Soul, Patty, Liz, and Kid were part of the cleanup crew for the city. On the days Maka hadn't visited Crona, she was helping with the cleanup.
By the end of his explanation, she felt a calm surround her. She wasn't sure if he was using his soul powers to do so, or she genuinely felt so in his company. She could have stayed there forever, but couldn't. Reluctantly, she pried herself off of the young death god, removing any excess tears on her skin. In the process of her moving, some of her scattered papers fell onto the floor.
"I'll get it…" Kid murmured, reaching down for them. Panic surged through her as she realized one of her copies of Shades of Grey fell to the floor. Exhausted, she silently stared at him as he leaned over and picked each paper up.
"I'm glad to see you writing again." Was the only comment he made as he met her gaze, holding out the papers toward her. Hesitantly, she gently grabbed them, placing them on her lap. "I'll be happy to read 'Shades of Grey' when you are finished." A genuine smile appeared on his face as he watched her.
"Even if it's depressing?" She asked, feeling a confidence she hadn't known she had swell up inside her.
"Yes." He reaffirmed, causing the smallest of a real smile to appear on her face. It was the first time in a long time she felt like she was happy, even if only a little.
35. Forgotten - Kid
The red glowing number eight shown out into the dark room from the small alarm clock on his side table. He simply stared at it until the last zero became a one. He blinked, prying himself out of the warm bed, making sure he properly fixed it back. It was strange waking up at eight sharp on his day off. A habit he thought he had long outgrown from his childhood. He ventured into the nearby bathroom, refreshing himself for the day.
As he was brushing his teeth, making sure that his teeth were plaque free, he noticed something was off. Pausing his teeth cleaning, he leaned over toward the toothbrush holder. Staring back at him was an unmistakable bright orange toothbrush. His eyes widened as he quickly spat out the toothpaste, rinsing his mouth out with water. Did she forget this? Wiping his mouth with the nearby towel, he briskly walked back to his bedroom.
Eyes scanned the spotless room, before landing on the side table on the other side of the bed. On top of its surface, besides the usual lamp, was a book and phone charging on it. He felt a lump form in his throat. Crona forgot her phone and the book she was reading as well. His heart sunk low in his chest at the thought of her on the train back to her apartment, bored out of her mind. She was halfway to her destination by this point.
He knew she was careless at times, but three important items all at once? He was sure she didn't leave in a hurry last night, so why were they left? And he could have sworn the side table was clear of clutter when he laid down to sleep. Strange. He stared suspiciously at that side of the bed. The bed was neatly tucked in like he was sure he had done the night before. Sighing, he rubbed his face. He was going crazy.
One problem at a time. He strolled to the closet across the room, opening the door with ease. As he turned on the light for the smaller room, he felt his heart stop completely. If only for a moment. Her suitcase was tucked neatly in the corner. No, surely not. He remembered quite vividly when he saw her off that was clutched in her small hands.
A flash of pink against the dark sky and a somber smile stared at him. He shook his head, eyes closing at the memory. Exhaling, he attempted to stop the panic from building up inside of him. Opening his eyes, he ignored the magically placed suitcase and pulled out a nice dress shirt and slacks for the day. Casual wear from what he usually wore.
Once dressed appropriately and not a hair out of place, he exited the room and maneuvered through the house to the kitchen. He unfortunately didn't make it to the kitchen. He paused halfway down the stairs, spotting a pair of boots at the door. They weren't scattered about like a slob, but were neatly placed on the side. His heart pounded because those boots were awfully familiar. As anxiety crept up his spine, he hurried down the stairs. He barely missed the smell of coffee waft through the air as he rounded the corner toward the kitchen.
Only to run right into the source of the panic. A yelp ripped from her lips as he collided into her. Deft hands grabbed her by her elbows, stopping her from falling backwards. His eyes were wide as he stared down at her, disbelief written all over his face. He felt it was hard to breathe as he stared. She blinked up in surprise, grasping his forearms for support.
"I could have sworn I saw you leave last night." He whispered, afraid to speak too loudly in case she was a figment of his imagination. This was it, he was going insane. And it was all because of Crona, the love of his life.
"You did." She assured him, an uneasy smile gracing her features. She straightened herself, loosening her grip on him but not completely removing herself from his hold. "But… I came back hours later." As she uttered those words, elation rose up within, only to be replaced with anxiety as the consequences of her actions drifted into his mind.
"But, I thought-" As he tried to speak, she pressed a finger against his lips, silencing him instantly.
"I changed my mind." She admitted softly, her finger lowering from his mouth and back onto his arm.
"Why? Isn't it what you wanted?" He panicked, searching her face, not believing this.
"I did, but then I debated the pros and cons." She lowered her voice, her head dipping down as if she was trying to hide her face. He waited, mouth agape as he listened to her. "I decided living without you wasn't a life worth living." Slowly, she raised her head back up, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. He immediately brought his hands up to cup her face, wiping the liquid away.
"Crona…" Was all he could muster, his mind trying to catch up to the present. Adoration ran through her features as she stared up at him and he realized he remembered something important. He had forgotten how much he loved her. He bent toward her, lightly pressing his lips against hers. The kiss lasted a few moments as he pulled away again.
"Why didn't you wake me?" He asked, rubbing his hands down her arms to hold both of her hands instead of her face.
"I tried." She sheepishly replied, embarrassment flooding her cheeks. "I didn't have enough battery on my phone, so I grabbed a cab and came back as soon as I could." As she rambled on, he mentally pictured Crona dragging her suitcase, fumbling around in the dark. "I used the spare key and by the time I made it to the bedroom, I realized you were asleep." She murmured, squeezing his hands for comfort. "It went downhill from there. As quietly as I could, I put everything away and crawled into bed with you." As she finished explaining her little adventure back into his heart, he couldn't help but bark out a laugh.
"I was asleep the whole time?" The only thing that crossed his mind was how in the world did he miss this?
"Yes!" She exclaimed, her cheeks still red from the retelling of last night. "Then I couldn't sleep very well, it was awkward knowing you didn't know I was there." She whispered the last part, her eyebrows scrunching together.
It was adorable. He pulled her toward him, embracing her thin form. She complied, wrapping her arms around his torso. "I love you." He murmured into her pink locks, squeezing her as tightly as he could. Her soft voice whispered the same three words back, burying her face into his shoulder.