I did it. I reached my goal. I kept my promise.

Soul was impressed. Maka was proud. I was happy.

On the day Soul got his bike back, he gave us a ride. I'd never seen him so excited.

The people at the repair shop did a really good job. It was like brand new.

We thundered along the city. He whooped and laughed the whole time. The motorcycle was going so fast, I thought I'd fall off. I tightened my hold on Maka's waist.

We hit a bump and I squeaked. The wind whipped by fiercely; I had to squint my eyes. Maka shouted for Soul to slow down. He must not have liked being told what to do on his own vehicle, because he soon brought it to a stop.

He dropped us off at a fountain and asked if we'd wait for him, claiming he wanted to ride it alone for a while. Maka rolled her eyes.

"I'll pick you up soon." And with that, he was off.

We stood in a small plaza, empty at the moment. The fountain in the center could only be a Death City fountain—its resemblance of Shinigami-sama was uncanny. Maka took my hand and we walked to sit at its base. It was a nice day. The sun was out, but it wasn't hot. It was pleasantly warm. Clouds drifted here and there. There was only the sound of water splashing behind us.

We were facing each other and holding hands. I loved the way Maka looked at me. I loved being a beautiful swan in her eyes.

"So… I was wondering…"

"Yes?" I asked.

"Since you've had a chance to work in different kinds of jobs, I was wondering… Have you ever thought about the future? Like, what you want to do when you grow up?"

I shifted. To be honest, I never wanted to do anything like that again. "It's a lot to think about… And it's tiring sometimes…"

"Maybe you just need to find a good match for you," she said and it made me think of Azusa. Working for her hadn't been so bad. "But I guess we still have time to figure things out."

I looked down at our joined hands, not answering her. I didn't want to think about the future. There was something important that I was afraid might happen. As usual, Maka sensed something was wrong and gently implored me to say what it was.

I told her whenever I pictured the future, I saw her moving out of the city. Since she liked exploring and meeting new people, I was scared that she'd pack her bags and decide to travel. Or maybe she'd take up a really important job that forced her to be busy all the time.

"I'm afraid that I'll hardly get to see you." I couldn't raise my head. "I don't want us to grow apart."

My hands loosened. Maka slipped hers out and used the tips of her fingers to slide up my arms. Then she cupped my face and made me meet her eyes.

"If you tell me not to leave, I won't."

"Really? You mean it? You're not gonna leave? Ever?"

"Never."

"Don't go."

"I won't."

There had to have been a catch, but I knew there wasn't. Maka always kept her word. There was something I had to know, though. "Why?"

And she quoted me. "Because you are the most wonderful and most special person I've ever known. You're very important to me, Chrona." She smiled brightly.

I still felt like I didn't deserve any of this. "But… I'm not… I'm not like any of you guys, though. I'm still so s-s-shy and c-clumsy, and I-I stutter so easily and make m-mistakes. I don't know much about a-anything and I'm still too s-skinny and t-too sensitive…"

She shook her head, still smiling. "Nobody's perfect, Chrona. Everyone is different. If you think you're not worthy enough to be our friend, you're wrong. I don't value someone any less just because they think they have flaws.

"Look at Soul and his motorcycle. After it crashed, I asked him if he'd consider getting a new one. Of course, he said no. Even if there are better, more expensive motorcycles out there that he could save up to get, none of them would replace the one he's had. He's very fond of it."

She hugged my waist. "Nothing can replace you. Don't think you're worthless just because you're shy and clumsy. It's who you are. It's cute."

Just knowing she meant all of it made me blush from happiness and embarrassment at the same time. I wished I was as good at expressing myself. I bet Maka didn't even need to think about what she wanted to say. She just said it, straight from the heart.

Her heart…

I lifted a hand and stopped. What was I doing? I shouldn't touch her there. That was a bad place to touch. The heart was a personal, private place. It was one of the most important things keeping us alive. It held our emotions, our innermost thoughts, our opinions, our feelings, our secrets. It held courage, morality, compassion, and faith. It held love.

I shouldn't touch her there. I put my hand on my arm instead, rubbing it nervously.

Maka tilted her head, looking up at me with questioning eyes.

Would it hurt to ask? She didn't mind it that time I kissed her, so maybe this would be okay, too?

I swallowed the uncertainty away. "C-Can I feel your heartbeat?"

"Go ahead."

I felt my face heat up even more. She was willing to share it with me. I guessed that made sense. If it were reversed, I'd let her feel mine. Our souls had connected before, so maybe this would be similar.

Taking it from my arm, I let my hand hang in front of me, fingers curled.

Where should I put it? No matter what I did, I wouldn't be able to avoid touching her breast; it was so close.

I can't do this.

I started to pull it away, but Maka reached up and brought it back.

I clenched my teeth and scrunched my eyes shut. My stomach was in knots. I turned my head, ducking it down so I wouldn't even sneak one peek.

My palm settled low on her chest; she held it in place.

Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump. I could feel it. There it was, that slow and steady lullaby, letting me know that Maka was alive and well. That she was real.

I relaxed my fingers. Maka kept her hand over mine.

I waited for the blush to leave before lifting my head. Maka wouldn't get mad if I looked, right? I slowly opened my eyes. I slowly turned my head toward her.

She had a peaceful smile on her face. Seeing that I'd decided to stop hiding, she gave my hand a light squeeze.

I'd do anything to guard her heart and make sure it stayed safe. Nothing could replace Maka. Not money, not fame, not power. I valued her more than life itself.

That realization might've been the one that strengthened my resolve. It might've been the melody of her heartbeat or the fountain. It might've been her smile. Whatever it was, it made me feel suddenly brave, and I liked it.

I gently pried her hand off and laid it and its partner on her lap. I held them there. I leaned in, lowered my head, and pressed my ear to her chest.

Maka drew in a sharp breath. Her hands tensed.

I focused on listening. I could hear and feel the drumming in my ear, and it was increasing rapidly.

I let go of her hands and wrapped my arms around her waist, hoping to calm her down. Funny. Usually she did that for me.

It must've worked, though, because soon her pulse returned to normal.

"You surprised me," she said.

"Sorry," I murmured and quickly wished I hadn't. I shouldn't have talked with my face so close to her bosom. Now I was distracted.

I forced myself to close my eyes and concentrate only on her heart. I felt Maka move and the next thing I knew, she was cradling my head and running her fingers softly through my hair.

Beyond the constant thumping and trickling of water, I thought I heard a window opening somewhere. I ignored it. It didn't matter if anyone saw us. I wasn't afraid of being judged by strangers anymore—Maka saw me as a beautiful swan. She called me cute. There was no point in worrying about what other people would think.

I smiled against the fabric of her shirt. I decided that now would be a good time to tell her.

"Maka?"

"Hm?"

"They sprouted."

She stopped in mid-stroke. She was quiet for so long that I raised my head to look at her.

"Really? They finally started growing?"

I told her yes, and her face fell.

I sat up straight, uncoiling my arms as her own slid away from me. Why was she sad?

"I'm sorry." As if she read my mind, she smiled apologetically. "I just can't believe I forgot all about them. That's great news, Chrona. I knew you could do it. Pretty soon you'll have a cozy little flower in your window." She beamed and put her fingertips together in front of her, the way she did whenever she wanted to make a request. "Can I come see them sometime?"

"Y-Yeah, you can see them whenever you like… They're small, but at least I know I'm taking care of them the right way."

She nodded. "Uh-huh. All you need are the five basic ingredients: water, sunshine, nurture, patience, and—"

"Love," I finished.

Maka's eyes widened. She must've noticed it, too. It was the first time I'd ever said that word out loud.

"That's right," she said quietly.

"Just like us," I added just as softly, remembering the day she first gave me the plant seeds.

"Just like us," she repeated, and we didn't say anything else for a very long time.

Sometimes I used to worry that I was only using her as a way to forget about the past. That thought always scared me because if it was true, then I was a horrible person. But it wasn't like that. She meant so much more than that.

Even if I never planned my future or if I never laughed or if I never joined a book club, I knew Maka would still treasure me.

Now that I'd learned she would always stay in Death City, I'd never have to worry about losing her. She would always be here, and I promised myself I'd always be there for her. No matter what, we'd always be together. Forever.

A/N: And they lived sappily ever after! XD *shot* x_x

Now that I'm finished, what's next? Probably more CroMa. Maybe I'll make some one-shots? Some longer stories? Some crossovers? Some fanfics where I'll actually pick a gender for Chrona? Only time will tell.

Oh, about that fountain—it can be seen in episode 39 of the anime! =D

Many thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, and/or faved this! And to those of you who've got your own CronaxMaka stories still in progress... FINISH THEM! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! GET TO WORK! *shakes fist*

By the way, if you haven't already, you might like to read another CroMa short story I've written: "Easy If You Just Let It Be." Simply visit my profile's home page, and it'll take you to my deviantArt account.