"Hey, you ready to go?" Maka called from the other side of the door. Soul zipped his large duffel bag up and swung it over his shoulder, opening the door to greet his friend. A smile graced her face, and Soul could tell she was excited. He grinned.
"Yep, let's go."
The pair took off towards Shibusen, Maka pulling a small suitcase along behind her. It was early in the morning, nearing 6 o'clock, and many students had already arrived by the time they got there. Excited chattering resonated through the school compound, as people waited anxiously to get onto the busses. Today was the first day of the annual school training trip, a 10 day long trip to the mountains where the students would endure intensive training and create special bonds. Maka's smile grew broader as she recalled the fond words her senpais had told her about the trip.
"There's hot springs, and the cabins are luxurious!" They would chirp animatedly. Maka only hoped to have the same kind of experience they did.
They wandered towards their friends, Black Star off spouting some boastful words about transcending god on the trip, while Tsubaki desperately tried to calm him down. Kid, Liz and Patty stood off to the side, Kid's eyes wide as he talked his hopes for symmetry in the cabins. Soul grinned to Maka, it seemed everyone was in high spirits today.
"Makaaaaa!" An irritating voice sounded from behind the girl, and she turned to see her father running happily towards her, an idiotic grin spread across his face. Maka sighed, it was going to be a long 10 days with her father, she hoped that she'd be too busy to spend time with him. The scarlet-haired man clutched to her legs, rubbing his scruffy cheek along them with adoration. Frustrated, Maka kicked him square in the nose and turned back to her friends pleasantly, ignoring the yelp of pain that burst from his lips.
"I'm so excited!" She peeped to Tsubaki, who lent her a gentle smile and a nod in response. It would be their first school trip, and high hopes rode upon the students shoulders.
A few minutes later, Dr. Stein rose to his feet, using his suitcase for a pedestal. He called for attention, and the crowd went silent as he instructed how to board the bus. Students began to file in, their voices loud with happiness, and Maka sat down beside Soul.
She hoped that the 2 hour long bus ride would pass quickly.
"Welcome, students, to the Shibusen Training Grounds!" A rotund woman greeted the gaping students at the entrance.
Silence hung over the crowd, disappointment devouring the excited happiness that was there just a few minutes ago.
The Training Grounds, to say the very least, was a rat-hole. Three cabins stood in the middle of a rocky clearing, their wood clearly rotting and old. The grounds were muddy, and there wasn't a hot spring to be seen. It wasn't anything like what the seniors had told Maka, and she couldn't help but wonder if they'd gone to a different camp. Small dirt trails wound around the buildings, leading into the mountainous area and creating pathways between the lodges.
Swallowing hard, the students followed the cheerful woman into the main lodge, which reeked of feted animal, amongst other things. The large woman explained that this was where they'd be eating their meals, gaining a few snickers from some boys at the back of the group.
When the orientation finally ended, the girls and boys split off into their own cabins, waving goodbye to their partners. There was at least one piece of good news in the midst of disappointment, and that was the freedom the students were allowed during their ten days. Teachers had no planned activities or rules, and the students were basically allowed to do whatever they wanted in the mountains for the entire trip. The teachers' (rather lazy) excuse was that any training was good training, so long as it helped establish bonds.
And thus, groups had gathered and taken off down their separate paths, yearning to explore the wondrous pathways of the mountain side. Only Maka and her group stood in the centre of the lodges, contemplating what they wanted to do.
"I hear that there's a lake at the top of the mountain…" Tsubaki explained shyly, pointing up a winding path that was shrouded by dense trees. Everyone smiled at the suggestion, a nice bath in the lake would be a welcomed feeling after the long bus ride.
"Okay, let's go!" Maka smiled, everyone nodding in agreement.
"Yahoo!" Black Star let out a whoop as he led the way, jogging excitedly towards the path like a child.
It was a shadowed, narrow dirt trail that twisted sharply at every turn. Maka gulped, hoping that no feral animals lurked in the shadows behind the trees, and quickened her pace to match Soul's. He easily noticed her tension, and shyly took her hand in his own, not daring to look at her face. The pair remained at the back of the pack, silent as they stepped towards an upcoming clearing. The bright morning light illuminated the small group, and Soul instantly released his partner's hand, hoping that nobody saw their interaction. Maka glanced at the white-haired boy in dismay, wishing that she could've held onto his strong hand a little longer.
Her disappointment quickly vanished, though, when she caught sight of the pristine lake in front of them. The water was so clear, it was almost teal, and thanks to the acidity of the mountain's rocks, no living plants or animals lived in it. It was a perfect bathing pool, soft sand allowing their feet to easily sink. Maka hastily removed her clothes, laughing as she splashed into the cool waters. Soul felt a small warmth creep into his cheeks, watching as she waded into the lake in her baby pink 2 piece swimsuit. He quickly glanced away, hoping nobody had noticed, and smiled at Maka's cute giggles.
To his left, a couple meter's away, Black Star had been observing his friend's behaviour, and he'd known Soul long enough to understand how he felt towards his partner. It was no secret that the two had an obvious crush on each other, but their naivety kept them from becoming anything but close friends. They even lived with each other, for god's sake! Black Star grinned, wishing his buddy luck in the days to come.
"No, no!" Maka laughed, her hands raised in front of her face to shield off the watery attacks her partner splashed at her. "No splashing!"
Behind her, Tsubaki laughed at the pair, she found their childish happiness to be rather comforting. Kid and was leaning against a smooth-rocked part of the lake, his eyes closed in blissful ignorance as Patty and Liz floated around in front of him. Black Star's boastful cries from several meters up caused the group to raise an eye as he approached the edge of an elongated rock that jutted out from the mountainous ridge above the lake.
"TODAY, I, BLACK STAR," The teal-haired boy shouted, "SHALL TRANSCEND GOD!"
With that, he jumped from the rock and plummeted into the lake, his friends whooping and laughing as he emerged from below the water.
Before they knew it, many hours had passed, and it was already time to head in for dinner. They travelled back down the winding pathway, their hair wet and dripping in the dipping sun, and arrived at the lodge just as the chefs were beginning to serve the meal.
Day 2
Their second day had come and gone, passing quickly with a tree climbing contest and picnic up on the mountain top, and Maka Albarn was exhausted. She laid in her sleeping bag, turning on her side to face her ebony-haired friend.
"Hey, Tsubaki-chan!" She whispered, cautious not to wake the other girls, "You awake?"
Her friend turned to face her, her eyes twinkling in the darkness. She nodded in response.
"Yeah."
Maka smiled, she knew she could always count on her friend when she couldn't sleep.
"Can I ask you something?" Maka began tentatively, receiving another nod in response, "Do you ever feel… Weird, or something, around Black Star? Like you just can't calm down?"
Tsubaki grinned to herself. No Maka, that was a feeling that was unique to you and Soul.
"No."
"Oh, then never mind." How foolish, of course she didn't. Maka didn't understand the feeling that Soul gave her, when he touched her, her insides immediately started vibrating. She just couldn't figure it out. It wasn't necessarily unwelcome, though, Maka had actually grown fond of it. It was a nice feeling, and she never received it from anyone other than Soul. But, it didn't matter right now. It was getting late, so she forced the thought out of her head. "G'night, Tsubaki-chan."
"G'night."
Day 5
"Come on, you weaklings!" Black Star called, running steadily in front of the group. The seven of them had decided to use this day to take a hike up the mountain, not following a trail, and somehow, Black Star had made it into a race. After that thought popped into his head, there was no stopping him, and the rest of the group decided to go along with it. It sounded interesting enough.
In all honesty, the race was aggravating. The rocky terrain threatened to twist the teens' ankles with every step, and Black Star's annoying spouting wasn't helping, either. Soul was right behind him, followed by Kid, Tsubaki, Maka, Patty and Liz at the end. Sweat poured off their foreheads, and they were finally beginning to near the top.
"Yahoo!" Black Star cried, arriving at the plateau first. Everyone else arrived soon thereafter, panting and wheezing as they desperately attempted to gain their breath. It was only ten in the morning, and the teachers had told them that everyone had 'Resonance training' after lunch, so they had to hurry back down the mountain soon.
The group sat down, gazing out at the puny campsite below them as if they were sitting on top of the world.
"Wow…" Maka breathed softly, a slight breeze tousling her ash-blonde pigtails. Soul watched his partner for a while, following the way her hair flowed, each individual strand catching his attention. Realizing that he was staring, he quickly averted his gaze, a blush seeping through his cheeks yet again.
The group remained there atop the mountain for half an hour, before Tsubaki finally broke the silence and reminded them that they had to get to lunch. Groaning their protests, they all climbed to their feet and began to walk down the tedious ridge to the campsite.
"Feel for each other's heart?" Maka mocked, "What kind of cheesy line is that?"
Lunch had ended, and Stein had instructed the students to begin their Resonance training by "feeling for each other's hearts". It seemed pretty dumb, it really gave no instruction as to what they were supposed to do.
"Does that mean just feel our wavelengths?" Maka muttered to her partner, who sat across from her in the grassy field. They were the only pair there, Stein had told them to be secluded, not in view of other people. It was a warm day, the grass dry and brushing softly against their skin. They'd had a shower before they began, and Soul couldn't help but feel happy to be able to look at Maka with her soft, sweet smelling hair draped perfectly over her shoulders. It was a rare opportunity to see Maka with her hair down, and Soul was happy that he got to keep the sight all to himself, if only for a little while.
The two of them stared into each other's eyes, sinking into each other as they reached out for each other's soul wavelengths. The air around them was silent, save for the soft rustling of the wind on the leaves. Maka felt herself drifting into Soul's crimson eyes, and he her emerald eyes. They could no longer feel the grass around them, the sun on their skin. All that they knew was each other, their wavelengths matching on an extraordinary level. Maka could feel herself falling closer, closer to Soul, her body invulnerably moving without her telling it to. She was so close to him, now, she could smell the oranges he'd eaten for lunch. Soul made no attempt to move away, and he could feel his eyelids droop as her breath brushed against his lips. Her kind eyes were swallowing him whole, and all he wanted at that moment was to close the distance between them.
Suddenly, he noticed a small streak of red on Maka's shoulder, and his eyes widened in concern as he moved to examine it closer, breaking the perfect moment they'd had just a second ago. Maka almost let out a cry of frustration, she was so close. So close!
"M-Maka, you're bleeding!" Soul stuttered, his face scarlet with blush. Her eyes widened suddenly as she finally noticed the sting on her shoulder, adrenaline leaving her body and allowing the pain to show through.
"Oh!" She cried, reaching to wipe away the dripping blood. Soul caught her hand before she could touch it.
"Stop!" He scolded, "You'll infect it!"
He hastily pulled his partner up, lifting her to her feet and pulling her along to the campsite. Now that the moment was over, he felt incredibly shameful and awkward that he was the one to break it. Maka hoped that her sheer disappointment hadn't shown through her expression, and she willingly went along with Soul.
Several minutes later, the wound was wrapped in gauze, a bandage keeping the blood from leaking out again. It must've come from the race they had, although she didn't quite remember ever grazing herself. She thanked Soul, heading back to her dorm with dismay, and laid onto her cot with a nagging determination to gain that connection again.
Day 9
It was the last night, and before she knew it, the entire trip had flown by without any progress between her and Soul. She was beginning to lose hope, until Tsubaki announced to the group that they should do a scare test that night, to commemorate their leaving. After the announcement, she'd winked to Maka, who grinned in thanks.
And now, it was 15 minutes before they'd planned to meet. They'd asked Stein and Marie to set up the course that afternoon, and they had willingly obliged, spouting off some nonsense about youth.
Maka wore a light yellow one-piece, a fitted garment her father had somehow managed to sneak into her suitcase before she left. She never thought there'd be a time when she was grateful to him, but she was happy that she had something cute for this occasion. Along with the dress, she had a light grey sweater, and she'd made sure to shower after dinner, using extra conditioner to make her hair silky smooth. She let it stay down, tittering happily to Tsubaki as she gazed at herself in the mirror.
"Maka, wait!" Tsubaki called as they turned to leave for the event. She held a bottle of perfume in front of her, smiling as she delicately spritzed the sweet cologne onto her friend. Maka smiled, she truly had a great friend.
"Thanks, Tsubaki!" She grinned, and the two took off to meet their friends in the centre of the cabins.
Everyone turned in astonishment as they arrived, their eyes widening when they caught sight of Maka. She seemed like a different person, and Soul was impressed. She looked adorable, and he could feel his heart rate begin to speed up. He quickly turned away before things got out of hand, and the small band of seven approached Stein, who'd be supervising the event. He knew of the group's plans for Soul and Maka, and he'd agreed to make it "most enjoyable" for the two of them.
They took off towards the trail the Doctor had chosen, Liz's whines about ghosts clearly audible in the silence of the night. With a creepy grin and a twist of his screw, Stein ussured Kid's group in first, and a couple minutes later, Tsubaki and Black Star. Maka and Soul were left alone, standing a couple steps behind their teacher.
"In you go!" He smirked, almost pushing them into the dark forest.
They couldn't see anything, except the faint outline of the trees. There was no moon to help illuminate their path, and Maka took tentative steps forwards.
"S-Soul?" She whispered quietly, fear entwined in her voice. A figure nudged against her arm, causing her to yelp in surprise.
"I'm right here." He comforted, lacing his fingers through her own. Maka was happy it was so dark out, otherwise her intense blush would surely be visible.
"I don't know where-" A small tug from Soul caused her to stop mid sentence, and she turned to face him. She could make out the contours of his face under the starry sky, and she found herself looking deep into his eyes. He was so close! Maka stumbled back in surprise, feeling her heel hit a tree, and Soul lurched forward, placing a firm hand on the small of her back to steady her. His face was mere centimetres away from hers, and she searched his eyes, her back pressing noticeably against the tree's rough bark.
"Maka, I…" His breath began to hover over her lips, she could almost feel them touching. Her eyelids drooped, and she watched as Soul's did the same, and somehow, the insignificant distance between them closed, and their lips were pressed together. It was the most perfect feeling, sending electric shocks all throughout her body, and she felt as though she were melting.
She returned the kiss, it growing ever more passionate as he pressed a warm, calloused hand to her cheek. She reached up to tangle her fingers through his soft ivory hair, and the pair melted into each other's arms for what felt like an eternity. When they finally parted, gasping for air, Maka grinned to Soul, and they continued down the pathway, hand in hand.
"What took you guys so long?!" Black Star cried impatiently, earning a hard jab to the ribs from Tsubaki. Kid smiled, noticing the slight swelling of each of their lips, and the unmistakable blush across their cheeks. Everyone's eyes travelled down, widening in surprise as they noticed the linked hands that the pair bore. They all let out cheers, rushing over to the couple and slapping them happily on the back. They'd all been waiting for them to get together, and now that it'd finally happened, it was a cause for celebration.
They couldn't wait until next year!