Hello, it's me, the writer of the fic below~ So this is my first time writing a proper romance/yuri fic and stuff, so I really hope it's alright. Reviews and comments and so on would be much appreciated. c:

Valentine's Day Gift

"What's this?" Furudo Erika asked in surprise. Her servant or perhaps even friend, Dlanor A. Knox, had set the little heart-shaped box of chocolates down in front of the blue-haired detective, who was sitting at a desk idling about. "It is a box of CHOCOLATES." Dlanor replied in her usual emotionless tone. Erika made an impatient sound. "I know it's a box of chocolates. What I meant was why are you giving it to me? I never thought a murder doll like you would celebrate a day of love." She spat that last word with mocking disdain. "Gertrude told me to give my friends chocolate for Valentine's DAY. But I believe that Valentine's Day is a day for love, not friendship, so that is why I am giving it to YOU." Dlanor said in the tone one usually associated with people who weren't all too interested in whatever they were doing, yet her yellow eyes gazed at Erika's blue ones intensely, yet betraying no emotion in them.

Erika was speechless for the first time since meeting Lady Bernkastel, gaping at the emotionless girl in shock. Her mind was usually quick and she could fire back replies at Battler in about a split second, but for some strange reason, she just couldn't seem to process Dlanor's words. After 1 minute of silence stretched into 5, which extended into 10, Dlanor finally spoke. "...I believe you do not wish to accept these chocolates, and that you feel uncomfortable at being given sweets for Valentine's DAY. My APOLOGIES." She didn't understand why Erika didn't want to accept the chocolates she'd specifically bought her, didn't people give their loved ones chocolates on Valentine's day? "Why are you giving them to me of all people?" Erika said in disbelief. "You said people usually give chocolates to people they love. But you're not even my friend, are you? You're just a servant, after all." She laughed rudely to hide her inexplicable embarrassment.

"May I ask you a question, Lady Erika?" Dlanor said quietly. "What?" Erika absently picked at the ribbon around the box. "I understand why you do not believe in love or magic, but why are you so rude to EVERYBODY?" She asked. Erika raised her eyebrows, startled. "You're being talkative today. Talk about better subjects, will you?" Erika wasn't normally this vindictive, but this was the only way she could think of to hide the shy, warm feeling that lodged itself in her chest like one of Battler's red wedges. "My APOLOGIES. To answer your question earlier, I am giving you the chocolates because I believe that I love YOU." Dlanor said all this without even a hint of embarrassment. She didn't understand why girls were so shy to approach the boys they loved. The worst thing that could happen was rejection, after all.

Erika choked out a laugh. "You? Love me? I am a detective who specializes in searching for the truth, love only clouds one's ability to see the truth." She said arrogantly, drumming her fingers on the table. "However... You said you 'believe you love me'. What does that mean?" Erika asked before she could stop herself, her curiosity getting the better of her. "I do not quite understand the definition of LOVE. Some people say love is a form of magic, while others believe it to be to harbor affections for another PERSON. However, Cornelia told me that love means something different to all of US. I do not know how to describe it, because love is a foreign feeling for ME. Even so, I believe that I can accurately identify what I feel for you as LOVE." Dlanor said softly, reaching out to pick up the clumsily wrapped box sitting on the table. Erika didn't doubt for a minute that Dlanor had wrapped it herself; while excellent at carrying out inquisitions, the intelligent girl could be pretty clumsy at everyday tasks such as wrapping a gift.

When Erika didn't reply, Dlanor picked up the little box, and turned around to leave. She knew that this was the worst case scenario for a confession, and had mentally prepared herself for it. Dlanor had seen many witches' tragic pasts exposed before she executed them, yet she'd never felt anything but pity as she raised her red long-sword and sliced through the witch's body.

Illusions to illusions, dust to dust.

However, right now, Dlanor A. Knox, Inquisitor of Heresy, felt rather... unhappy. It was true that she didn't expect Erika to accept her (complicated) feelings, but still, she felt... disappointed. She didn't realize that Erika was watching her go, staring at the little box clutched in her hand. The face of her ex boyfriend, the man who led her to believe that love was just an illusion, appeared in her head. She shoved it away roughly, shaking her head. I really like you, he had said. Foolishly, Erika believed him, and the way their relationship had ended was painful, at the very least. This time, Dlanor had said I believe I love you. To Erika, love was just something people used to cloud the truth when they didn't want to accept a fact. Dlanor showed no emotion at all while speaking to Erika, yet somehow she felt the lavender-haired girl's words to be much more believable than that man's. Putting her intelligent brain to good use, she thought for a minute, wondering why that murder doll's words had affected her so much. It was the image of Dlanor's yellow eyes gazing intensely into her own blue ones, telling her I believe I love you, her mind made a decision for her after Dlanor's retreating back started to vanish from sight.

Erika was no runner, but the speed at which she ran towards her friend was impressive, to say the least. Dlanor turned around at the sound of Erika's approaching footfalls, and was met with Erika's body crashing into hers', her arms thrown around Dlanor's neck. "Lady Erika-" Dlanor began, but her words were cut off by Erika suddenly pressing her lips against Dlanor's. They both stood there for a minute, equally stunned. "That's what people do to the person they love." Erika told her. Dlanor blinked, and her moment of confusion dissipated, to be replaced with a small, shy smile. No one had ever seen Dlanor smile normally before, perhaps besides her father when he was still alive, but when she smiled in a way that did not mean a very painful death to the person on the receiving end of her grin, the short girl with curly lavender hair looked incredibly adorable. "If that is so, then may I kiss you, Lady Erika?" She said shyly. Erika rolled her eyes. "You don't even have to ask." The detective said almost rudely, and pressed her lips against Dlanor's again.