A/N: I was rather surprised to see that there are people actually looking out for this. I mean, I didn’t expect to gain a little popularity by creating a little fic for Mana Khemia.

Because, we all do know that MK deserves more loving! And Vayne x Roxis is too cute to pass up!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of MK rights! I’m penniless and only the thoughts of my head and fantasies get me by. ((gets whacked))

This chapter is for my wonderful and beloved audience: LyNa-chan, diaan, LuciusTickledVoldie, xxStolenLovexxGidoxx, Deeper than Darkness, Kanaria-Oujosama, Anonymous and MizuiroSnow

“Would you be ever so kind as to repeat that?” Roxis, restraining himself to blow another rage’s fuse, asked the pink-haired alchemist responsible of his as-of-the-moment-problem-with-Vayne. He scooted a good distance at the couch as he waited for Jess to speak but a certain grey-haired boy mimicked the former’s movements.

“Aw, ain’t that a sight to see?” Nikki stiffled a laugh using her fur-covered hands, watching the love-strucked Vayne occupying Roxis’ personal bubble by burying his face against the latter’s chest. Roxis turned even whiter (or was it redder?) than possible.

The bomb-loving alchemist in question just continued rummaging through boxes and shelves, looking for any references about anti-love potions. “It is what I told before! The potion Vayne-kun drank earlier caused him to be in love with you because you are what, err, I mean who, he saw first!”

Anna remained sitting in a kowtow-ish position, trying to calm her nerves at the sight of Vayne – her usual composed and reliable sempai – clinging dangerously close to Roxis – her aloof and snobbish sempai who showed no signs of interested-cooperation to their workshop. If Anna could be so honest, she would comment on how the sight before was something only she would imagine in her dreams. This was bordering to impossible.

“Then stop wasting time and do the remedy! I can’t take anymore of this… this… ARGH!” The card-wielding alchemist pushed the young man’s face away that was inching close to his. “Stop it, you idiot!”

“But Roooxis… just a little peck, please?” The poisoned Vayne made what looked like a cute pout – ocean eyes shimmering with lips pursed in an alluring way. The long-haired male swore he could almost punch the lights out of this crazy kid.

“GET HIM AWAY FROM ME!”

“Be a man, Roxis, and suck it up!” Flay, who was standing away from everyone, shouted in authority while watching the young males rambled on the couch of their work area.

“Suck what up?! You can’t mean—

“I found it!” Every member turned their direction to a now dust-covered Jess holding a very familiar glass bottle on her hand. “The loveless potion I made for Nikki! One drop of this and Vayne-kun would immediately resent you like never before!”

Anna finally spoke, comprehending immediately what the older student announced. “Um, sempai? We don’t exactly want them to hate each other when they’re already starting to get along now, do we?”

But the glass-wearing alchemist crossed his arms, as he distanced himself again from the other poisoned male, and snorted, “I don’t care. Just give him the damn remedy already!”

Jess looked at the potion in hesitation now, then at Roxis and Vayne, and back to the concoction. From what her expression showed, she understood what the katana-wielding girl just said. Then again, if this were to continue, more problems would ensue.

And they already had problems to deal with now, like the explosion that rattled the academy just minutes ago. Only time would tell when the Vice Principal would have their heads again.

Then Nikki happily snatched the loveless potion from the other girl’s hand and stood right exactly in front of the poisoned one. “Well Vayne, it was nice seeing your lovey-dovey side but it’s time for you to get back to normal!” Without warning, she threw the concoction at the clueless grey-head and then BAM! thick purple smoke filled around the area.

Roxis rushed to the others’ non-smoke side and observed, quietly hoping that the loveless potion would finally be the one to solve this unwanted affection from a certain rival to him or else…

Or else, I’d personally do SOMETHING about him.

Suddenly, coughs and hacks filled the air. Not long after, a loud thud came next.

“Oi, I think Vayne fainted…” Nikki stated that sounded more like a question. When the smoke finally cleared, the said male was indeed lying lifeless on the floor.

“Vayne-kun!”

“Sempai!”

Both Anna and Jess ran to his aid. Flay just stayed at his place, whistling , “Oh, the kid’s dead? Nah, that he can’t be! After all, he is SECRETLY an Ally of Justice! A prodigy who walks my steps!”

“I can hear you, Flaya.” Nikki said blandly.

The older man gasped; the shock written on his face was genuine. “We are being spied on! Vayne, wake up! We must preserve what’s left of our identities! Onwards to our secret rooftop base!”

“…” Roxis, frozen from where he was standing, was unsure whether to smack the two for their irrelevant conversation or ignore them completely. How could they be so nonchalant when one of their members was knocked-out with some anti-love potion that could possible kill him because of overdose? Roxis knew asking that question would ensue more stupid conversations.

And he hated stupidity.

And did Roxas already mention that he also hated his current predicament?

“Ugh…” A weak voiced made out. “Wha…what happened…?” The voice was vivid and it was no doubt belonged to a certain familiar male.

Vayne.

And he sounded… okay? Or at least he sounded normal, unlike minutes before when he was too un-Vayne and acted a total love-sick weirdo. Roxis finally let out a sigh of relief.

“How are you feeling? Are you hurting any where?” The pink-haired student worriedly asked. “Do you feel strange or anything?”

The young male, still sitting on the floor, gave Jess a little smile. “I think I’m okay…Still woozy though…” Vayne then made a gesture that he was going to stand up but when he turned his head and accidentally met gazes with Roxis (who sweat-dropped at the same time), he suddenly went to full stop.

“S-sempai…?” Anna carefully shook her senior alchemist by the shoulder, noting how the latter’s gaze strongly fixated at the other senior alchemist. That was then realization hit her. “Oh, no… I think the potion failed.”

Roxis’ eyes grew wide and felt heat rushing to his cheeks, staring back at Vayne who was looking at him intensely – like his blue eyes saw through the long-haired alchemist. “W-what…? Don’t tell me you’re still gonna follow me around, idiot!”

But Vayne made no response to that. Instead, he stood up, silently walked passed Jess, Anna and Nikki, approached to the now surprised Roxis and looked at him like he was some kind of painting to be stared at.

“What the hell’s going on?” The beast-girl queried, watching the two and their staring contest. Jess just shook her head and Anna quietly stared in front.

Flay, on the other hand, remained fuzzing over the problem that their secret identities were revealed. Or at least he thought that their identities were actually a secret to begin with.

Then without warning, the smaller male tugged Roxis’ collar downward, making the latter lean to a considerable height and Vayne wasted no second and slowly planted a peck on the taller alchemist’s pale cheek.

“There.” The grey-haired breathed against the now the sensitive skin. “Told you it was little.”

Everyone’s jaw dropped. Even Roxis’ – who was still in his leaning position; turned beet red in an instant. Everything happened so fast that he couldn’t react immediately.

“…G-g-g-…GET AWAY FROM ME!!!” That was then the card-wielding screeched in a angry voice that resounded throughout the campus.

-----

Jess paced around the workshop area; trouble was obvious shown on her face. Did she make a mistake about the loveless potion? Shouldn’t it make Vayne hate Roxis and not to boost the former’s aggressiveness? Just what exactly went wrong?

“Perhaps… the potion expired or something?” Anna stated her side. “I did remember Nikki-sempai telling me that it was used just a year ago with her, umm, suitor problems.”

The mentioned beast-girl alchemist laughed awkwardly, feeling guilty that she dumped the said potion onto Vayne with no second thoughts at all. Maa, I should’ve considered that… Why didn’t I think of that?

The bomb alchemist slowly nodded her head. “Maybe that’s why…” She turned her little head to the now roped Vayne who looked like he was teary-eyed (a.k.a. sad) and to Roxis who looked like he could kill anyone with his scowl (a.k.a. mad). Jess sighed at this. “This can’t be helped anymore.” She said in a tone of finality.

Her statement alone made Roxis look at Jess in utter disbelief. “You can’t be… serious. You can’t just do nothing about this!”

“Roxis…” Flay walked up from behind and placed one large hand on his shoulder; the red-head’s facial expression showed an expression he had never shown before in the history of his (and the merry workshop’s) misadventures – seriousness. “Just let this two weeks pass by with Vayne here following you like a little puppy. It ain’t gonna be that bad, I swear, seeing as though Vayne could be the one you’re looking for this Valentines!”

“What the hell…?” Roxis swore that his sempai was drunk. Hell, Flay was always drunk with the way he talked and acted on a daily basis, he secretly added. “Please tell me your joking because I’m not laughing, see?” The young male then made a sarcastic hahaha-gesture.

Nikki then marched up from where the males were and made a friendly slap on Roxis’ back. “Maa, you’ll be fine!” But her face obviously showed Oh, you poor, poor thing… Oh well!

The taller male finally looked at the direction of the tied-up one who just smiled back him. Roxis sighed at this and Vayne continued beaming at him – emitting that pink and hearts-y aura around. I’ll just punch his face when he does things beyond what he just did to me earlier. That… that… ARGH! Just the mere thought of it sent the supposed calm and collected card-wielding alchemist in blushing-spree again.

“Don’t worry, I’ll still work on creating a new loveless potion! Just keep Vayne-kun busy…” Jess said.

“…and alive, you lucky one!” Nikki added. She meant to say unlucky but that would make the situation from worse to worser.

And just like that, everyone started walking out of the workshop, sending their heartfelt encouragements and support – because that was what good friends and teammates were for! – to Roxis, who felt panic rising up to him. “W-w-wait…! Where do you all think you’re going?! You can’t leave me with him!”

“What are you talking about? It’s lunch time and I wanna eat!” The beast-girl chirped!

“I have…sword practicing to do, sempai!” Anna hurriedly said and skittered away.

“I’m with Nikki here! Let’s eat! After that, I’ll try an exploding loveless potion!” Jess told in excitement.

“Hohoho! The Ally of Justice doesn’t lounge around like you! He has to be alert 24/7 in case trouble arise!” And Flay took out this mask and disappeared.

With that, the only occupants of the alchemy-studying area were now Roxis and Vayne. Silence fell immediately. The taller one refused to look at the other and the said other just kept his gaze fixated on the taller one.

“Roxis…?” A voice slowly spoke; his voice was low but vivid.

Roxis groaned, still refusing to look at grey-haired teen. “What do you want?”

And with eyes closed and smile shown on the lips, Vayne said, “I like you.”

“…shut up.”

A/N: It’s short. I know. ((sniff)) But I tried my hardest to make this chapter packed with comical twists. I do hope everyone liked it.

Review, please? And I’ll visit you guys, via-net space, and offer downloaded chocolate-filled cakes!