Author's Note: And this is the rubbish that is the result of me loving an anime and shipping something from it too hard. I think I might need to apologize for this existing, and if this gives you eye cancer, I'll find a way to pull together the money to pay for the bills related to it.

Oh, and please try to ignore Ragnarok's existence. Just, like, pretend he's doing more interesting stuff. (But idk what other more interesting stuff he could be doing, because essentially, he's blood, so...)

"Are you sure you don't want to join us? We're gonna have a lot of fun! It'l be awesome!"

"Yeah, Maka, I don't see how you can be able to stay inside all day on a day like this. You're more than welcome to join us."

Maka smiled at Blackstar and Soul in return for their offer. "I got a few books yesterday, and I really want to get started on them. I'll hang out with you later, okay?"

"All right. See ya later." Soul waved, almost in a dismissive way, and Blackstar just raced off without another word.

"Have fun!" Maka called after them, waving although neither of the boys were looking in her direction. They seemed pretty excited to go do God-knows-what, and while it was something that she might very well have enjoyed, she had decided to stay behind. It was a beautiful day—ideal to spend some time outside, even if only to enjoy the rays of the sun. But she wasn't lying when she said she wanted to get started on the books she had recently purchased. Just reading over the summaries printed on the backs of them had delighted her, and they each seemed like they would be wonderful reads in their own ways.

She closed the door and picked up the novel that had intrigued her the most off the coffee table where she had put them. Since she didn't really get the time to begin any of them, she didn't bother even touching them—had she, and she probably would have read the first page of one, and then an hour later, Soul would have probably gone looking for her, and he would have found her on her bed, lying on her stomach and too thoroughly involved in one of the books to stop when she should have been doing something entirely different instead.

But as she sat down, a slip of paper on the floor caught her eye, so she leaned forward and picked it up. She couldn't remember writing a note and folding it up nor could she remember receiving anything like that, Soul writing or receiving anything like it and just leaving it somewhere random didn't seem like a very plausible event, and what any of her other friends would be doing leaving their notes around her place was beyond her. She unfolded it to find Crona's handwriting all over the paper. A poem is what it was, and he must have accidentally left it there. How long had it been sitting there and how had it gone unnoticed?

If we're friends, we're supposed to tell each other everything.
Isn't that just what friends are meant to do?
But there's a voice that tells me I'm even more pathetic now,
And I'm beginning to think it's true.
Maybe I'm just a complete failure of a friend
Because there's something huge I've been keeping from you.

I don't think I can deal with this much longer,
Every time I talk to you, my mind starts up a silent fight.
I'm losing so much sleep because of this,
And I cry over my cowardice almost every night.
Ragnarok tells me this will stop; it's "just a stupid crush,"
But I know he can't be right.

I'm too scared to say this out loud, but I have to tell you—
Maka Albarn, I really love you.

~Crona

Wait...did she read that right? Crona was in love with her? How could that be? Maka had dismissed all hopes she had of Crona returning the feelings she had for him, and here she was, holding a poem written to her from him and warm happiness filled her her heart and bubbled over to the rest of her body. A smile spread across her face as she retrieved a sheet of paper and a pencil from her desk. Never had she been so thankful for the emotion contained in the right combination of words in a way that it was easily more beautiful than anything else that could exist, aside from the emotions being portrayed themselves.

It didn't take long to scribble out a poem in response. Once it was finished, she took a few more moments to copy it down in her absolute best and prettiest handwriting. She had just finished writing the final copy when there was a knock at the door.

"Coming!" she called, getting up from her desk and going to answer the door.

It was a bit of a surprise to Maka to see Crona standing in the doorway.

"I think I dropped something here," he stated, seeming uneasy and somewhat worried. He fidgeted with the cuffs on his sleeves, as if he needed something—anything at all—to keep his hands busy. "Can I come in and look for it?"

"Yeah, I d—" Maka stopped herself mid-sentence as it occurred to her that he didn't intentionally leave the poem there, but instead had it with him but accidentally dropped it without realizing he had. "I think I know what you're talking about. Come inside, and I'll go get it for you."

She returned to her room to get her poem, folded it up the same way Crona had folded his poem, and held it out to him. "Here."

Crona tentatively took the paper and unfolded it, then looked up at Maka. "This isn't it..."

"I know, but I still think you should read it."

Constant desire—
Undying affection—
Silent infatuation—
Every passing day,
More pain because of what is there,
Opposed to what I want to be there—
Perfection you can't see—
Self-loathing that shouldn't happen—
Wishes that you'll realize your full value.
Why can't you see everything I do?
Why can't you see all your positive points?
Why must you suffer?
There's so much about you to love,
And I want you to see that.
You are not pathetic,
And you are not a coward.
Can't you see how much you offer?
Can't you see how brave you truly are?
I want to help you in any way I can,
Walk by your side to the ends of the world,
Be the one you always talk to,
And never leave you alone.
I want to teach you how to love everything good,
And how to ignore everything bad.
I want to teach you how to love yourself,
Teach you that there's so much good in you.
So take my hand,
And I'll show you just how much your worth
By loving you for the rest of forever.

Subtly trembling and beginning to tear up, Crona impulsively threw his arms around Maka and squeezed her tightly. The first friend he had ever had, and the first girlfriend, and—if he wasn't getting far enough ahead of himself already—the only girlfriend as well.

Maka returned the hug, being far more gentle with him than he was with her.

After a few minutes, he let go, looking back down at what Maka had written for him. "You, um...meant it, didn't you?"

A warm smile returned to Maka's face. "Every word of it." She didn't wait for a response before giving Crona a soft kiss. Then she held her hand out in front of her, palm up. "Crona, is it all right if I call myself your girlfriend from now on?"

Author's Note: Weeeell, just send in the bills the eye cancer got you, and I'll cover it... I've gotta make a lot of money now, don't I?