After another long day of class Love left Jack’s classroom and started to make her way back to her dorm.

 

As she was walking down the hall she suddenly collided with something that wasn’t there just a moment ago and fell backwards onto the ground.

 

When she was eventually able to process what just happened she looked around to see what exactly she just bumped into.

 

She soon found out that the thing that knocked her over was Candi.

 

She was extending her arm out towards Love to help her up.

 

“Sorry about that!”

 

“...Candi…what was that all about?”

 

Candi takes a deep breath before she begins her explanation.

 

“So as I was leaving Jack’s class I realized that I forgot one of my books back in the room, but then I realized that the book wasn’t in his room so I went to check my dorm to see if I left it there. That’s when I realized that it wasn’t in my dorm so I was going back to Jack’s class to check again to see if I somehow missed it.”

 

After she took a moment to process everything that Candi just said, Love took her backpack off and started to unzip it.

 

“...Candi…you let me borrow that book…” Love says as she takes the book in question out of her backpack.

 

“...Oh…Silly me! I forgot about that!” Candi says as she takes her book back and places it in her own backpack.

 

After the mystery of the location of Candi’s book was solved both girls stood there in silence for an awkward amount of time.

 

“...Well…see you later Love!” Candi says as she prepares to head back to her dorm.

 

“...Wait…” Love says as she grabs Candi’s arm.

 

“...Okay…What up?” Candi says as she turns back around towards Love.

 

“...Do you remember…that conversation that we had a while back?” Love asked as she started rubbing the back of her neck.

 

“You’re going to have to be more specific than that Love! We have had a lot of conversations!”

 

“...It…it was the one…about…about the thing…” Love stammers as her cheeks start to turn red as she pokes her pointer fingers together.

 

“...So I guess that narrows it down a bit…” Candi says as she thinks for a moment. “...We were talking about something that was embarrassing to you?”

 

Love nods. Candi tries to narrow it down from the very limited information that she was given.

 

“I’m sorry, Love. You’re gonna have to give me more information than that. Was anyone else present for the conversation?”

 

Love nods again.

 

“Well, who was it?”

 

“...Um…it was…Maka…”

 

Candi instantly remembers the conversation that Love has been trying to remind her of this whole time.

 

“...Oh yeah…” Candi says as she also begins to blush. “...That conversation…”

 

Love nods a third time.

 

“Let’s continue this conversation in my room.” Candi says as she grabs Love while carrying her princess style as she jogs off to her room.

Love is now sitting on the bed in Candi’s dorm as Candi returns from grabbing a couple of water bottles from her mini fridge.

 

She passes one of them to Love before sitting next to her on the bed.

 

“...So…” Candi says as she opens the bottle and takes a sip. “...Do you want to accept that offer I gave you?”

 

“...I…uh…maybe…” Love says as she rotates the water bottle in her hands. “...I’ve been thinking about what you said…”

 

“...And?”

 

“...And I think that…that I…might…might want to…you know…” Love stutters out as her face progressively gets redder and redder.

 

Candi quickly takes Love’s hands in her own.

 

“Even though I can’t read your mind or anything like that…can I help you out by saying this for you?”

 

Love shakes her head no.

 

“...No Candi…I…I want to be the one to say it…”

 

“Okay then!” Candi says as she patiently waits for Love to say what she wants to say.

 

“...Candi Kane…do…do you…want to…go out…with me…” Love says as she is blushing profusely while unable to look Candi in the eyes.

 

Before Love could blink Candi wraps her arms around her.

 

“Yes! Yes! Of course I want to go out with you!” Candi says as a smile beams across her face. It might just have been the biggest smile that Candi has ever done in her entire life which when it comes to Candi is saying something!

 

Love finally builds up her courage and looks Candi in the eyes. She then wraps her arms around Candi in a gentle embrace.

 

“...Hey Love…” Candi says as her and Love’s faces move closer and closer together.

 

“...Yes Candi…”

 

“...Can I kiss you?”

 

“...I…yes…I would like that…”

 

Love closes her eyes and moves her face even closer to Candi’s.

 

…That is when she remembers that she has never kissed anyone before and has no idea what she is supposed to do right now…

 

They bump their noses together by accident.

 

Candi just laughs this off as Love is starting to get really blushy again.

 

“...I’m sorry Candi…but I have never kissed anyone before…” Love says as she looks away shyly.

 

“...Would you like me to show you how it’s done?” Candi says as she removes her scrunchie.

 

Candi’s atomic blonde hair cascades down her shoulders as she stares down at Love with a look that Love would have never expected to see from Candi before.

 

Candi, the fun loving, hyperactive, sweet toothed goofball that she became friends with all those months ago. Her first ever friend. Never in a million years was she expecting to be in a situation like this.

 

Love expected to go her entire life without romance. Not because she didn’t want it, but because she thought that she didn’t deserve it.

 

It took Love a long time to not hate herself, but it took her even longer to learn to actually…well…love herself.

 

She expected her life to go through the motions as it passed her by, never making any friends let alone a partner.

 

She was alone for so long. Of course she technically did have her parents, but her parents only ever saw her as their puppet in which they would control as they saw fit. Moving her strings to contort her in ways that she absolutely despised.

 

So, aside from the tyrants that brought her into this world she was alone.

 

Actually, between her hating herself back then for reasons that she didn’t yet understand and her parents forcing her into a box she was never going to be able to comfortably fit inside of she was almost completely isolated.

 

Back then she never would have fathomed that she would somehow be able to crawl her way out of that inky, black abyss that she was drowning in.

 

‘...Do I deserve this?’ Love thought to herself as Candi brushed her hair off of her shoulders and behind her back.

 

Candi’s face slowly yet surely inched towards Love’s again.

 

She gently held Love’s chin in her hand as she waited for an answer.

 

Before the darkness was able to consume Love again she shook her head and snapped herself back to reality.

 

‘...What am I thinking? It doesn’t matter whether or not I ‘deserve’ this. The only thing that matters is if this is what I want…’

 

Love recenters herself and focuses on Candi again who still had that same sultry look on her face.

 

‘...and this is what I want!’

 

“...Yes…” Love finally responds.

 

“...Good answer…” Candi says as her face approaches Love’s for a second attempt at Love’s first kiss.

 

This time Love tilts her head slightly to the side as her and Candi’s lips finally meet.

 

The kiss was quick, but it felt much longer than that. Love briefly thought if she had met anyone with the power to freeze time before she focused on being in the moment again.

 

“...So…how was that?” Candi says as she was desperately waiting for Love’s feedback.

 

“...That…was…incredible…” Love says as she catches her breath.

 

“...Wanna do it again?”

 

Love thought about this for a moment and was briefly tempted to say yes, but that is not the answer she went with.

 

“...I…I think that I am okay for now…” Love says as she sits up slightly. “...Don’t get me wrong…I enjoyed that quite a lot, but it was also…well…a lot…I guess…I don’t want to get too overwhelmed with emotion…Not exactly in the mood to unlock a new secret power right now…”

 

“...Oh…okay…that’s perfectly fine!” Candi says as she backs away slightly.

 

“...I…wouldn’t mind sitting like this for a while though…” Love says as she leans against Candi. “...This is nice…”

 

Candi leans into Love and places her head onto her shoulder and slightly into the crook of her neck.

 

“...Yeah it is…” Candi says as she enjoys the moment.

 

They spend some time just enjoying each other’s presence…Just the two of them…

 

…Which eventually reminds Love of something…

 

“...Hey Candi?”

 

“...Yes my Love?”

 

“...Should…should we tell Maka about this?”

 

“...Yes…I think that would be a good idea…” Candi puts her arm around Love’s shoulders. “...but we can do that later…let’s just enjoy this for now…”

 

“...That works for me…” Love says as she closes her eyes as she melts into Candi’s embrace.