Vanille had always suspected she wasn't like all the other girls in the village, and when she reached her teenage years it was becoming glaringly obvious. Her friends kept going on and on about boys – kissing boys, marrying boys, doing things with boys – and she just didn't get it. She'd tried picturing herself wearing a pretty dress and going through the marriage ritual with a handsome boy, but the mental image always changed halfway through. Every time she pictured herself getting married, it was always Fang standing next to her. She'd even tried picturing herself spending her life with another girl, but that didn't work either. She only wanted Fang. Her friends often called her a prude, but Vanille knew it was more than that. It wasn't that she was too shy to flirt with boys. She simply wasn't interested in it. The way her friends felt about boys, she felt about Fang.

She and Fang had grown up together. They were best friends and most likely soul mates. Vanille loved her more than anything in the world – which was why she never spoke of these strange feelings. You weren't supposed to want to kiss your best friend. Vanille knew that, so she kept quiet about her true emotions. Instead, she made a decision to savor every moment she got to spend with Fang and ignore the part of her that craved for something more.

The years went by, and Vanille's feelings only grew stronger. She spent almost every waking hour with Fang, and they still shared a bed every night. Vanille still had nightmares from the war that took their parents, but when Fang held her they didn't seem as terrifying.

"It's alright," Fang would whisper, holding her as she cried. "They're just memories. Memories can't hurt us. We're safe now. We're together."

Vanille's plan to ignore her emotions worked perfectly fine until Fang turned 18. By then, Fang had grown into an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She was curvy yet muscular, and the combination of her bronze complexion and pale green eyes seemed to get more stunning the older she got. The scars and tattoos covering her skin gave her an aura of wildness, and Vanille often thought Fang looked like some sort of goddess when she used her spear. All in all, Fang was a total catch and everyone man in Oerba seemed to suddenly become aware of it the day she reached official adulthood. Fang didn't seem to be interested in any of her suitors, but Vanille was still worried.

She was pretty certain Fang was staying single for her sake. They'd made a promise to stay together forever, and Fang didn't take lightly on promises like that. Vanille knew she should feel guilty about it, but mostly she felt relieved. She didn't want to see Fang with another man. She wanted Fang for herself. It was selfish, especially since Vanille was fully convinced she didn't deserve someone like Fang. She wasn't particularly strong or smart, and she cried all the time. Vanille knew Fang deserved to be with someone better, someone she didn't have to protect all the time, but she just couldn't let her go. There was only one solution to the problem: She had to tell Fang how she really felt. Otherwise, she'd sooner or later lose her forever to someone who actually deserved her.

It took her a couple of days to gather enough courage to talk to Fang, but in the end she managed to pull her aside during one of the clan's hunting trips.

"I… I need to talk to you," she said, fiddling with her hunting rod.

"What's wrong?" Fang asked. "You've been acting weird lately. Did someone do something to you? Just give me a name. I'll… talk to them." Fang formed her hands into fists.

"No, nothing like that," Vanille quickly said. Fang had talked to people that had upset her before and it never ended well. "I… I just…" She took a deep breath, forcing the words out. "Fang, I love you."

Fang grinned. "I know. You told me last week when I gave you those bracelets. And the week before when we found that flock of sheep."

"That's not what I mean," Vanille said, tearing up in frustration. "I'm in love with you. I know I shouldn't feel like this. You're my best friend. I've tried to like boys. I've even tried to like girls. It just… It just has to be you. I'm in love with you, Fang." The tears were now running freely down her cheeks. She looked at Fang, waiting for her reaction.

Fang lowered her eyes and shook her head. "I know, silly," she said with a smile. "Of course I know."

Vanille's eyes widened in surprise. "You do?"

"It's obvious." Fang shrugged nonchalantly. "I always figured we'd get married one day. Adopt some kids, maybe. Together forever, remember?"

Vanille threw her arms around Fang's neck, burrowing her face in Fang's blue sari. "I love you," she said, smiling through her tears. "I love you so much." She glanced up at Fang. Fang's lips were still curled up in an amused smile, but her eyes were filled with nothing but love. Vanille decided to do what she'd dreamt about for so many years. She finally kissed Fang. She got up on her tiptoes and tentatively pressed her lips against Fang's. It was like something exploded in her chest, spreading pure euphoria through her veins. She tried moving her lips, and the burst of emotions got even more intense. Fang's lips moved against hers, a little clumsily but determinately. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, and Vanille immediately knew that this was how things were meant to be. She still wasn't convinced she deserved it, but she now knew she was supposed to be with Fang.

"What do we tell the others?" Vanille asked, pulling back to look at Fang again. They were both out of breath, and Vanille couldn't remember ever being so happy before.

Fang grinned. "What's to tell? We're together all the time anyway. We even sleep in the same bed. If they hadn't figured it out already, that's their problem."

"But what about all those guys?" Vanille said, blushing a little. She didn't think of herself as a jealous person, but she really didn't like the way some men looked at Fang.

"Who cares?" Fang answered with a shrug. "I don't. You're the only one I care about. Does it bother you? I can kick their asses if you like."

Vanille giggled. "No, please don't. Knowing you feel the same about me is enough. Because you do, right?" she added, suddenly slightly nervous again. "You do feel the same way about me?"

"Obviously. Always have, always will. Are we done yet?" Fang looked away, a faint blush on her cheeks. She was flustered, Vanille realized, and it made her love her even more. Fang wasn't the kind of person to express emotions, but Vanille didn't need more reassurance. She gave Fang a quick peck on the lips before hurrying after the rest of the hunters. She was no longer worried about the future, and the relief was overwhelming. She would be with Fang. No matter what awaited them, she knew they'd be fine. They had each other, and nothing else mattered.

Obviously, she thought, smiling to herself. It was probably the only love confession she'd ever get from Fang, and it was more than enough. Their love wasn't the kind that had to be put in words. Their love was simply obvious.

Obviously.