Crane's eyes met Vi's.
"I want you."
.
.
.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded.
Mylo, Claggor, and Powder all stood frozen—mouths agape, eyes wide.
Ekko furrowed his brow.
Did they have a thing? he wondered, blinking slowly.
Vi tilted her head, frowning slightly. A faint blush crept up her cheeks.
She opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Then—
"Talk!" Crane barked suddenly, snapping everyone out of it like a slammed book.
They jolted. Powder yelped.
Crane rubbed the back of his neck, awkward.
"Ah—sorry for my outburst," he said. "Got excited."
Vi gulped, then cleared her throat.
"You said… you want me."
She tilted her head, wary. "What does that mean?"
Crane blinked. "Oh. You thought I meant like—love want."
Vi nodded, a bit too fast. "Right. Yeah. That'd be dumb."
She glanced away, then muttered, almost to herself,
"…Can't believe I thought you meant it that way."
There was a pause.
Then Crane said, plainly:
"Oh, but I do."
Vi looked up sharply.
"And in case you misinterpreted it—"
He took a small step forward, eyes calm but steady.
"I like you."
Another step.
"And I love you."
.
.
.
Mylo leaned in and whispered—loudly—to Vi,
"I think he likes you."
Powder, equally unsubtle, added,
"I think he loves you… like, a lot."
Vi took a deep breath, eyes locked with Crane's.
"Could you… say that again?"
Crane squinted slightly. "Did you seriously misinterpret that?"
Vi shook her head, a small smile forming. "No. I know what you meant. I just…"
She scratched the back of her neck.
"I just want to hear it again."
Crane smiled, and if his skin weren't already so red, the blush would've been obvious.
"I like you," he said.
"And I love you."
He hesitated, then added quietly, "So… do you reciprocate my feelings?"
Vi blinked. "You're one weird person, Jonathan."
Crane let out a small laugh. "I'm an acquired taste."
A beat.
"Hopefully… a taste you've acquired?"
Vi looked at him. Then looked away.
"I'm…" she started, her voice trailing off. "I'm not sure. I've never—been in a situation like this."
Her voice dropped. "I'm… confused."
Crane's posture eased a bit.
"Hey," he said gently, "it's okay to be confused about these things. You don't have to give me an answer today."
Vi hesitated, still staring. "You followed me today. I know I should feel—"
Crane raised both hands quickly. "Actually, I didn't follow or spy on you today."
Vi blinked. "You didn't? But you said—"
"I have followed you. Just… not today."
He casually lifted a bag he'd been holding. "Today, I was shopping."
Shopping? everyone thought at once.
"So… us running into you wasn't intentional?" Vi asked.
"Nope," Crane replied. "Complete coincidence."
He dug into the bag and pulled out a small paper bundle. "I was out buying plants. And flowers."
"Flowers?" Claggor muttered under his breath. "For Vi?"
Vi turned to him, brow raised. "Flowers for me?"
Crane gave her a dry look. "No. Don't be so stingy."
He shook his head. "They're for tea."
"Tea?" the group echoed, bewildered.
"Yeah. Tea. I don't want to keep relying on an old guy for it," Crane muttered. "I figured I'd brew my own."
He started to continue, "Honestly, I—"
"You should stop talking," Vi cut in, eyes narrowing.
"Seriously, the more you talk, the more confused I get. So I'm not gonna let you talk."
Crane blinked, then obediently shut his mouth.
Vi took a deep breath, bit her lower lip, and said, "I'll answer you today. I won't lie… I am attracted to you. As weird as you are… I like you."
Everyone's mouths dropped open in synchronized shock.
Powder mumbled under her breath, "I think she's acquired his taste."
Mylo blinked. "I mean, they did have each other's blood on their lips when they fought."
He completely missed Powder's meaning.
Crane nodded slowly. "So… we both like each other."
Vi nodded. "I think so."
"What happens next when two people like each other?" Crane asked, almost academically.
They both answered at the same time.
Vi: "They kiss?"
Crane: "They have s—kiss," he corrected himself quickly, face stiffening.
A beat of stunned silence.
Claggor audibly choked on his own spit.
Vi's face turned nearly the same color as her hair. "Let's just go with the first option."
Powder leaned toward Ekko and whispered, "Didn't they both say kiss?"
Ekko shrugged. "Yeah, I didn't hear a second option."
Crane stepped closer to Vi.
She blinked, staring at his face. "You've got… a little something—" she gestured vaguely at his mouth.
He wiped his face and chuckled. "Ah. Sorry. That's been happening lately." He flicked away the drool. "Think of it as a symptom of love."
Vi visibly flinched.
Crane straightened up, still calm. "We kissed before, remember?"
"That was a headbutt," Vi said quickly, face still flushed.
Crane nodded, unbothered. "Right. So how do we do it again—preferably without the headbutt this time."
"And without the lip-biting and blood," Vi added, grimacing at the memory.
"Eh," Crane shrugged. "I kinda liked that."
Vi chuckled. "Of course you would."
Her eyes lingered on Crane's lips. She blinked, snapping out of it, then turned sharply toward Mylo and Claggor.
"Cover Powder and Ekko's eyes!" she ordered.
Claggor nodded without hesitation. "On it." He immediately slapped his hands over Ekko's eyes.
Mylo started to protest. "You're not the boss of m—"
He froze when he saw the look Vi was giving him.
"…You know what, sure." He covered Powder's eyes.
"Hey, no fair!" Powder complained, trying to squirm free. "I saw the headbutt—I wanna see the real kiss!"
Mylo held firm. "Nope. Too young for this."
Claggor quickly closed his eyes—and Mylo followed suit. Neither wanted to see their sister kiss.
Powder, however, wasn't so easily deterred. She twisted around, trying to sneak a peek.
Vi caught the movement, then turned back to Crane, her eyes locking onto his.
"I'll just make this quick," she muttered.
"Wait—quick? I wanted to savor i—"
She didn't let him finish.
Vi grabbed Crane by the head and kissed him, firmly, with one hand tangled in his hair and the other resting on his neck.
Crane froze for a split second—then melted into it, his hands hovering awkwardly in the air like he wasn't sure where they belonged.
Vi felt it again.
That same sensation from when they headbutted—like something inside her was being pulled, drained. Her body weakened, her limbs heavier, her breath slower.
Crane, in contrast, felt something entirely different. Strength surged through him like a drug. His eyes fluttered open, pupils dilating as the power filled him.
Vi didn't like feeling weak. So she opened her eyes, locking them with Crane's—and smiled into the kiss.
Then, slowly, deliberately, she bitdown on his lower lip.
Crane twitched.
Her hand tightened on his neck—not enough to hurt, but enough to remind him who was in control.
Crane let out a quiet, choked sound and finally placed his hands on her waist. He was trembling, overwhelmed by the sensation, the energy, the heat.
Vi bit harder.
Blood welled up, trickling down from his lip—mixing between their mouths.
Then she pulled away, lips slick with red, staring at him with something between a smirk and a dare.
Crane was breathing hard. Legs shaking. The power inside him buzzed like static, but his body couldn't keep up.
"Same as last time," he whispered hoarsely. "You take the breath right out of me."
He dropped to his knees.
Blood still stained his lips, and he looked up at her—genuine awe in his eyes, like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
Vi leaned down slowly. Her thumb brushed against his cheek.
Then she kissed his forehead.
When she pulled away, she left a faint print of her bloodstained lips stamped on his skin.
———————
Is it obvious Tatsuki Fujimoto is my favorite author?