Vine Staff was still pretty new to these whole Phighting matches, but she still had fun! They'd actually been helping her aim with her petals. Then she saw you—the way the light caught your hair, making it look impossibly soft.

You. Oh god how should she start? How cute you look when you're concentrating, your brow furrowed slightly? How you still move with such grace while healing teammates or attacking opponents, like some kind of coordinated dance? She could go on for hours, cataloging every little detail that makes her heart race.

Shuriken almost instantly noticed her distraction, his teasing remarks becoming a constant background noise. "Someone's got it bad," he'd whisper during matches, his voice carrying just enough to make her ears burn with embarrassment.

Today seemed normal until she discovered you were on her team. Every move you made pulled her attention away from the match. When Shuriken suggested getting a ride home with Zuka, she didn't think twice—until she saw you already sitting in the truck. Before she could protest, he pushed her into the middle seat, right next to you.

The warmth of your shoulder barely touching hers sent heat rushing to her face. She could smell your shampoo and hear the soft sound of your breathing. Panic rose in her throat when she felt that familiar tickle in her nose—the telltale sign of another embarrassing bloody nose. ... oh god did my nose just start bleeding? she thought, frozen in place, too flustered to even reach for a tissue.