Confession
After years of living together as friends, partners, weapon and meister, what have you, they'd finally decided to make it official. It's not as if anyone didn't know that they were in love, it was a simple matter of meeting either one of them to see the devotion they had for each other.
Maybe it was the fact that they had to resonate on a soul level to do their jobs, or maybe it was just natural chemistry, but they had always had something. Even when Maka was throwing books, and even when Soul was hurling insults, they still had that spark, and everyone could just see it. They weren't always this way though, and the journey that got them there wasn't very easy.
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It had taken Black Star, the most oblivious and self-centered person on the planet to point it out, but once Soul and Maka saw their love for what it actually was, there was no going back.
They still tried to deny it, but it was more difficult than before, and yet they managed it. Even though they couldn't brush it off as annoyance, or frustration, or even the kind of loathing that friends share when they disagree anymore they still tried. They didn't want to face the fact that they were in love with each other.
The thing was, after Black Star so rudely pointed out the obvious nothing really changed for a while, neither was ready to make the first move towards something bigger, and neither was comfortable to actually accept what they so obviously had.
Once something like that is revealed, you can't cover it back up, and it just keeps becoming more and more obvious until you finally have to accept it.
When that day finally came they were 17, it had taken them that long to come to terms with it.
They were still in their original apartment, same furniture and all throughout the years. Maka had been sitting on the couch reading when Soul came into the living room and sat down next to her.
"Hey Maka?" he questioned, trying so hard to sound cool and indifferent.
"What is it Soul?" Maka didn't look up from her book, reasoning that she could easily listen to Soul talk while she just finished up this really exciting chapter.
"Can you look at me please?" he was trying so hard not to fidget and yet he couldn't stop wringing his hands.
Maka looked up from her book and gently put a bookmark in her place when she saw how agitated Soul was.
"What's wrong Soul?" she was starting to get a little bit worried now. What if something was really the matter? What if Soul was going to ask to switch meisters? What if he was dying?
There was water rushing in her ears and she looked at Soul without really seeing him. This could not be happening, why would he do this to her?
". . . Maka. . . Maka snap out of it."
It took Soul shaking her to bring her out of her head and before Soul could get another word out she was sobbing into his shirt.
"Please don't go Soul, please don't leave me for some other meister. I've been a good meister haven't I? How could you do this to me? I love you for god's sake."
She never meant to say the last part, but it had just kind of slipped out during her rant. Now it was out there, in the open, for everyone to see. She could try to take it back, try to regain some kind of dignity in front of her battle partner, which is exactly what she tried to do.
Taking the look on Soul's face as one of disgust she quickly started backtracking, "I'm so sorry Soul, I didn't know what I was saying. Please forgive me. I just don't want to lose you as my weapon. Please don't leave me."
Soul was still too shocked to respond, but when Maka stood up to try and walk away he grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the couch.
"Did you mean it?" he was a little frantic now, trying to bring Maka back to the point where she had said those three magical words.
"Mean what Soul?" Now she was really confused. What was going on?
"Do you really love me?" The question hung in there air for a moment before Maka had finally constructed an answer.
Looking into Soul's eyes, eyes that had been with her for years she knew that she had to be truthful. Soul had always been the one person who somehow managed to make her feel better, even on the days when she let her emotions get in the way of everything else. Even on the days when she didn't want to get out of bed, because if she did, she'd have to go on another mission and put Soul in danger again. There was something about those eyes, something about Soul that made him impossible to replace or try to replicate. He was one of a kind, and he was made for Maka.
"Yes I do Soul. I have for years. You've always been my best friend, my backup, my partner. Even though you may get on my nerves sometimes, and even when I don't want to talk to you because I'm so angry at you and the world that nothing makes sense. I have loved you for a long time, I was just afraid that if you knew you would treat me differently, maybe even asked for an new partner, and I couldn't stand the thought of not having you near me every day."
Soul took a moment to process the information. Had they both really been so stupid and blind?
As soon as the realization hit him fully he started laughing. Fully blown, tears streaming down his face, laughing. He'd been so afraid that Maka would hate him if he ever confessed to her, thought that she would push him away like she did to all guys because of what her father did. Soul had let his love be bottled up, only using it at times when Maka really needed him, only thought about it when she was in danger or afraid. All those years of bottling his love, only to find out that she felt the same way, it was honestly comical.
Of course she didn't think of it that way, immediately getting mad and defensive.
"What the hell Soul, I just told you that I love you and now you're laughing? This isn't funny, and if you feel that way I'm leaving." She stood as though she was going to leave the room, but once again Soul stopped her with a hand around her wrist.
"No… no… wait," he tried to control his laughter long enough to explain to her what was going on in his head, "I'm laughing because I thought the same thing you did. I thought you would be disgusted by my love for you and that if I said anything you would ask to switch partners. I was so worried about losing you that I didn't want to address what everyone else could see. I love you Maka, and for so long I was afraid of where that love would take me. Now I realize that you feel the same I feel so stupid for not trying to speak up sooner. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to confess to you finally after all these years, but it looks like you beat me to it."
Now Maka had even more tears in her eyes, but this time they were tears of happiness, not worry and pain.
"Oh Soul, you're so stupid sometimes."
The next thing Soul knew, the love of his life was in his arms, hugging him so tightly it almost felt like he couldn't breathe. He hugged her back of course, feeling as though if he were to let go the moment would be destroyed and things would go back to the way they'd always been.
"Soul, you're squishing me. Soul, let me go, my arms are falling asleep. Soul…"
Maka couldn't believe how tightly he was hugging her, but she guessed that this must be years of pent up love that was just flowing out of him so quickly he couldn't stop. That was the same feeling she was experiencing, and she kind of liked knowing that Soul loved her back.
When Soul finally let up he had to take it one step further, sealing the deal with something he'd been longing for. So he cupped both of Maka's cheeks, caressing the soft skin before pulling her entire head in for a kiss.
The kiss lasted much longer then Soul originally intended, what with Maka throwing her arms around his neck and pressing him deep into the cushions of the couch, but he really didn't have much to complain about.
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So here they were, three years and a whole lot of love later, getting married on a bright sunny day in June.
Everything was perfect, and all the people they had met and become friends with over the years were there. Soul thought that the day couldn't get any better, standing up at the altar, waiting for the music to start playing so that the bridal party could start walking down the aisle.
The music started and their flower girls walked down the aisle, throwing petals all along the small pathway between the chairs.
They'd gone for a smaller wedding. No bridesmaids or groomsmen, just them and a pair of cute little twins that they had borrowed from Death the Kid and Liz. (Yes even his children were symmetrical)
The big moment was about to happen, he was about to see Maka in her dress for the first time. Soul was sweating bullets, ready to commit his life to the woman that was his entire world.
The moment she stepped onto the aisle she was all that Soul could see.
Her hair had been put up into a thin veil, and what wasn't pinned up was flowing freely down her shoulders and back. The dress was perfect for her, a light cream color that complimented her complexion perfectly with lacy trim and a beautifully beaded front.
The moment that they looked into each other's eyes was magical, and in that single moment they realized that this was going to be forever. They were going to be tied, through thick and thin, through bad and worse, and through all of the trials of life.
And they couldn't wait to get started.