Keeping secrets in this place is damn near impossible. We're just so comfortable with each other that we naturally open up to one another. It's always, 'Hey, where're you goin'?' and, 'To shoot some hoops with BlackStar. I'll be home by diner time.' Or even, 'What's on the agenda for today?' and, 'Going to the library, see ya later.' Unless you've got something to hide, you just sort of spill everything. Naturally, when you don't, it usually becomes obvious as to why. Either way, the truth comes out sooner or later.

But I was being pretty sly, and so far, it had all worked out perfectly. Yeah, I got a secret to keep from my meister, but it's nothing bad. I'm not trying to sneak porn into the house, if that's what you're thinking. I'm actually trying to do something for her, but it's taking some time. It isn't an overnight kind of thing. Don't go getting the wrong idea, though! I'm just trying to be a good partner! I'm just trying to make sure she never gets that broken look in her eyes again... least not because of me...

Anyway, I suppose you're wondering what exactly it is that I'm doing. It's a pretty tough balancing act I'm doing, so you'll be rather impressed. After all, not just anyone can pull off being this cool by day and secretly otherwise. And no, being cool doesn't always mean being relaxed and having an audience. It's totally possible to be cool all by yourself. You just gotta know how to play it off the right way.

So, here's the deal: Ever since Maka and I got back from Italy and I was released from the infirmary, she's been beating herself up. She blames herself for what happened to me, even though I acted on my own accord. I didn't have to transform and block her, I could have stayed as a weapon and watch her get hacked to pieces. I could have done a lot of things, actually, but I did the right thing. The cool thing. No one gets to touch my meister like that.

So in order to prevent another catastrophe like that from happening, I've been training. Now that any damage and strain on my body from the injury is gone, Professor Stein gave me the green light to start working hard. So I've been going around behind everyone's back and working out. And you might be wondering, 'Why would he have to hide something like that?' The answer is simple, really: Maka would kick my ass if she found out.

I had proposed the idea of getting stronger awhile ago and she flat out refused. She went on some bullshit rant about how it was her job as the meister to be strong and fight. I had no business trying to take over. But the stupid honor-moron doesn't seem to understand that I don't want her job. I just want to be able to protect her when she can't carry on anymore. Strong and stubborn as she is, when she caves, she leaves herself wide open. And her opponents always notice and try and strike her the hardest at that time. If I can't talk some sense into her before it's too late, then I have no choice but to stand defense for her.

And being as weak as I am now will do neither of us any good. Getting into a schoolyard fight with BlackStar and Kid is nothing compared to what a serious opponent can do. And if I don't get a better plan going, I might not survive my next defensive strike.

So, yeah, there you have it. I've only been training for about a month now, but I'm starting to feel the effects of all my hard work. You see, without any missions to go on, I've had all this time to work. Once school is over for the day, it's just me and Maka back at the apartment. And with nothing else going on, she's easy to get rid of. In fact, she voluntarily leaves half the time. She goes off to the library or out to the mall with Patty and Liz, willingly or not. She'll hang around with Tsubaki sometimes, but BlackStar usually tags along, so it's not a frequent thing.

So while she's off doing... whatever... I lock the front door and have at it. I had to do a little thinking before I just jumped into this. I've never actually worked out before; all my skills and knowledge come from my training at the academy. But it wasn't long before I remembered BlackStar's self-proclaimed godly tangent on how amazing he was. He went on and on about how he could do over one thousand pushups, pull ups, crunches, laps around the school, etcetera. So I toned down the number and started small, knowing full-well that I'd burn myself out otherwise.

So I did a couple of pushups and crunches to start, nothing too heavy. I threw in going for a jog and started using the door frame for pull ups afterward. I had a whole routine laid out by the end of my first week. I've just been adding to how many of those things I can do every day. I just had to keep an eye on the clock and there was usually no problem. Maka always came home close to dinner time, so that's when I'd start wrapping it up.

It's not like I made a mess or anything. I did most everything in my room, so it wasn't like she would get suspicious if I moved some things around. I just had to turn off my blaring stereo and put a shirt back on. Well, in the beginning, anyway. You see, as of last week, I've actually been starting to break out into a sweat because of the growing intensity of my work out. If Maka comes home to me soaked and smelly every night, she'd definitely bust me. No, I'm not talking about her finding out, I meant that literally. The Maka-chop I'd receive would probably spit my head in two.

It's forced me to shorten my time a little bit, but it's worth it. I've been able to get in and out of the shower and be dressed before she walks through the door. I had a close call last night, but I'm still safe. No fatal head injuries just yet.

But there's this part of me now that's starting to want to expand my horizons. I don't want to be limited to my same old exercises in my room all the time. It's starting to get boring. That's why today I have it set up so I have a one-on-one basketball match with BlackStar. If anyone'll run my ass up and down the court, it's him. That's what friends are for.

And if you're wondering why this had to be a secret from everyone else as well, here's why: BlackStar has a big mouth and can't keep a secret and the Thompson sisters would more than likely blackmail me if they knew. Tsubaki was trustworthy, but she was more loyal to BlackStar than a puppy. She'd probably cave and tell him. And as for Kid, I knew he didn't care what I was up to, but I also figured he didn't care much for secrets, either. He wouldn't intentionally expose me, but I could see it happening somehow.

In short, my friends are all horrible at keeping secrets, especially from someone in our own circle. Besides, I didn't need BlackStar drilling me to death to "help" my cause and I didn't need Tsubaki trying to talk me out of it so I wouldn't worry Maka. This wasn't supposed to be a go behind her back sort of thing, but I really had no choice. I refuse to be guilted for trying to do something nice!

So, yeah, that's pretty much been my life for the past several weeks. Maka's been gone a lot doing this and that, so I've been doing my own thing as well. In fact, I think today is the first time since my whole escapade has started that she's actually been home. I believe she said something about watching a movie and reading a book while I was gone. She probably went straight home and changed into her stupid pajama pants and curled up on the couch. What a lazy bookworm.

I, on the other hand, did not have even one second to think about taking it easy. Soon as I arrived to the basketball court, the fire was already lit in BlackStar's eyes. The way he "passed" the ball to me gave me the message that he thought I was challenging him. I suppose that's what I was looking for, though. My legs were on fire, I could hardly lift my arms, and my heart was debating on whether to come to a complete stop or beat even faster so as to leap from my chest.

I think I might have overdone it.

To make a long story short, we both wiped the court with each other. He keeps saying that he won, but his foot was over the line for that last point. I didn't have the strength to argue with him, though, so I just let him believe whatever he wanted. I was now trying to drag myself back home. It took about thirty minutes as opposed to the ten it took me to get there, but I made it. And there was even a plate of food sitting on the table for me when I stumbled in.

"Jeez, Soul, I can smell you from all the way over here!" She stated from her slouched position on the couch. I peeked around the corner and saw that she was halfway through My Fair Lady. Rolling my eyes and attempting to pick up my plate, I said, "Well sorry I didn't have the luxury of sitting on my ass all day and watching cheesy old romance movies." Narrowing her eyes, she ripped the pillow from the edge of the couch and forcefully launched it at me. I was in no shape to dodge it, so I got a face-full of Maka-rage.

"Don't insult classic movies like that, Soul! I don't give you crap for all that old jazz music that you like so much. Besides, you volunteered to get tortured like that, you know how BlackStar gets when he thinks he has something to prove." Her eyes weren't even on me anymore as she talked, they were glued to the television. So I grunted and picked myself back up. I was luckily able to hold onto my plate and I somehow managed to make it to the microwave to heat it up. I knew I was late for dinner, so it was naturally a little cold.

And as I was waiting, I couldn't help but feel like I was overheating. What was it about our apartment that made me feel like it was a million degrees? I didn't give it much thought, I just started to pathetically (still coolly) remove my shirt. It was rather difficult, seeing as how it was stuck to my body. Even my shorts were trapped to the front of my legs and I was inwardly cursing that blueberry for working me so hard. The more I thought about it, the more I regretted asking to do anything with him. It didn't help that I was still sore from my previous endeavors. I probably should have put a little more thought into that, actually.

But I stopped worrying about it as the microwave beeped at me. I pulled my food out and was going to sit with my meister in the living room, stupid movie or not, but her saucer-like eyes kept me from taking another step. "What are you staring at?" I looked down at myself to see what the big deal was and instantly remembered my rather noticeable scar. Every time she saw it, her heart sank. I cursed and set my plate down, dragging myself towards my bedroom to grab a clean shirt.

"Ah, where are you going?" She asked me out of nowhere. I turned away from her and told her of my plans to get a t-shirt from my room. "Well that would be dumb, you still need to take a shower. No, that's not an option." She barked all matter-of-factly. But I just gave her a puzzled look and said, "If I don't get a new shirt, though, you'll keep gawking at my scar. I know you don't like it, so I need to cover up."

By that point, I had successfully managed to shut my door and pull out a plain white shirt. It was almost as hard to get this one on as it was to get my other one off, but I had done it. And then I reemerged, only to find that my plate was gone. "Oi, where's my food?! It was sitting right there." She waved her arm and pointed to our coffee table which magically had my meal and a fork setting on it. I went and sat next to her and watched as she scooted away from me, her nose bunching up to emphasize my horrible smell.

"Sorry, is my stench bothering you, tiny-tits?" I casually asked her, grinning slightly as I inched my way towards her. She practically leaped off the couch and went to sit in a different chair. I busted out laughing before shoveling a fork full of food into my mouth. She could be really funny sometimes, I had to admit.

But all hilarity aside, she didn't give me one of her famous smartass remarks about me calling her flat-chested like she normally does. She didn't freak out and call me an ass for flooding her nostrils with my not-so-pleasant scent. Even I knew that I reeked, but there was no way I could get myself into the tub right now. I needed to sit down and rest for a little bit first. And she didn't cry about me stinking up our apartment or permanently staining our couch with my disgusting odor. No, instead she just stared at me. She gave me the exact same look she had before I went and changed.

"Yo, Earth to Maka. I know I'm handsome, but what gives? You've been staring at me ever since I walked through the door." Her, um... reaction... really threw me through a loop. Rather than answer me or accuse me of being conceited and full of myself, she hugged her knees to her chest and, dare I say, blushed? I had to raise an eyebrow at her suspiciously and in return she completely averted her eyes from me.

I took a few more bites of my food before pushing myself back up and walking over to her. Damn her for making me move so soon. I put a hand on each armrest of her chair and hovered over her, trapping her in place. She had a bewildered look in her eyes and her blush deepened even more. "Alright, what is this? Did I miss something? Why won't you say anything? And what's up with the red color on your face?"

As soon as I brought up her blush, she freaked out. In a matter of seconds, she had thrust me backwards, up and over the coffee table, and into another chair. She hastily stood up and said, "I am not blushing!" She then proceeded to grab my plate and storm off into the kitchen, commanding that I go take a shower now. If I wasn't still so tired and sore, this would have ended differently. Oh, it would have.

To skip forward, I reluctantly complied with her wishes. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to survive my shower. Needless to say that my nose was pleased and I was finally free from all of that sweat. I wrapped the towel around my waist and headed to my room to change. And it was after I came out with a shirt in my hands that I snapped. There, on the couch, was Maka. She was still watching that dumb romance movie, or at least it was still playing in the background, and her eyes were glued to me. Again.

"Seriously, what the Hell is wrong with you! What is so interesting about me that you have to keep staring?" I didn't really mind that she was looking at me, but it was the way she was doing it that drove me up a frickin' wall. Her eyes were huge and her pupils were itty-bitty. It was like she was trying to burn holes in my skin with that intense gaze of hers. And I just didn't know why.

Then there was this really quiet bunch of words that escaped her lips. I could barely hear her, but I could have sworn that she said, "You've got abs now." Furrowing my eyebrows, I watched as her eyes lingered on my chest and the red tint came back to her cheeks. I don't think she realized what she was doing at all. I looked down at myself and, well, it was true. I was starting to get some abs. For the record, I wasn't all scrawny and flabby before or anything, I was just lean. But this past month has given me the start of some definition. It wasn't no six-pack or anything, but I was getting toned.

And with that being the case, I decided to run with it. If she wanted to stare, I'd give her something to stare at. I tossed my shirt aside and stepped out into the light so she could get a better look. It took a lot - I mean a lot - of effort, but I managed to flex a little bit. Now you could really see how nicely I was coming along. I was starting to get the hint of a four-pack going, my chest was just a little bit more defined. My biceps were a little bigger, but you could really see how thick my muscles were getting in my legs. It could just be from my match today with BlackStar, but I was living it up either way.

No matter how hard it was for me to do, her face was priceless. It was unbelievable, her eyes got even bigger, almost dinner plate sized, and her face was lit up like a neon sign. But all good things must come to an end, because she finally snapped back into reality. She screamed at me to cut the crap and put a shirt on, but I just laughed uncontrollably. My sides were absolutely killing me from laughing so hard, but I had no regrets. Though, thinking about it seriously, I still have no clue as to why she's so interested in me all of a sudden. I might have been getting bigger, but I was still the same as ever. I wasn't special yet.

So I did as she asked and threw my shirt back on, finally pulling myself together. I found my way over to the couch and plopped down next to her. There was no way I'd be able to get up again, so I prayed that I hadn't angered her enough that she wouldn't go get my pillow and blanket before she went to bed for the night. I sighed and smirked, still not over what just happened. I still wound up looking in her direction, though, and she was still looking at me.

"Maka, seriously. All jokes and fun aside, what are you looking at? Yeah, I'm getting some abs. Believe it or not, I haven't been sitting on my ass all day while you've been going out. I do things, sometimes, you know." Her eyes narrowed again and I prepared for another pillow-to-face attack, but it never came. This time it was her who came towards me and she got real close to my face. She grabbed my upper arm, carefully feeling it. Same thing with my lower leg. And she ended it by poking me in the stomach.

I wanted so badly to tell her to cut it out, but I figured if I wanted an explanation, I just had to let her do her thing. But she surprised me with what she said next. "You haven't just been "doing things." You don't get muscle like that the way that you are. You've been working out, haven't you?"

Freezing, I didn't know what to do. I had gone through all that trouble and effort to keep it a secret and she didn't catch on to a thing. Then I walk in the door after playing one game of basketball and it's all over. What the fuck! "How did you-!" She was quick to cut me off with, "Like I said, muscle like that doesn't just appear. There's no other way. What I want to know is why?"

Seeing as how the cat was now out of the bag, I was forced to tell her everything. There was no sense in hiding it, anyway. And when I had told her, I expected her to be beyond furious. I grabbed the small throw pillow from behind me and used it to cover my head. I had hopes that it would cushion the inevitable blow, but that, too, never came. I was left with no choice but to crack my eyes open and see what horrible nightmare awaited me. But it was still just her, staring back at me like she had been.

"You... you're not angry? I could have sworn you would be! That's what you said after I got hurt, you didn't want me doing something like this. Are you feeling O.K.?" God, please, don't make me have to take care of her if she's sick. I don't have the energy!

She threw her head back to rest on the back of our couch while she closed her eyes and sighed. I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw a small smile tug at her lips before she spoke again. "I'm not really mad. I mean, yeah, I didn't want you going and working out like have been, but... you really are alright. And I suppose that as long as you don't step on my toes, then... it wouldn't hurt for you to get a little stronger, now would it?" Man, she was on a roll today! Catching me off guard as much as she has. What kind of twisted parallel universe was in, anyway? That was the only logical explanation for her being so calm.

"And, well, you know... I did say something about your abs. I guess it just... suits you, is all." Yep, I wasn't in Kansas anymore. Alright Toto, it's time to go home now. What kind of nonsense was this? Was she tricking me? Was this the calm before the storm? That would actually make a lot more sense. It was too late for me to escape, though, I couldn't move anymore. Even with my life at stake, I don't have the strength to run away. God, please have mercy on my soul!

My inner turmoil and doom was cut short by her abruptly standing up, though. I gawked at her, waiting for her to seal my fate, but... she smiled at me instead. And there was that cute blush again, but-! Cute? Cute blush? Really? Soul Eater Evans, you need to rephrase that right now! There was that totally not cute blush again. There we go.

She grabbed the remote and clicked off the movie before ejecting the DVD and putting it back. Then she handed over the controller and asked me if there was anything I needed before bed. I hesitantly asked for my pillow and blanket and she brought them to me without a second thought. Then she flicked off the lights and left me to help myself to whatever was on TV.

I didn't pay any attention to it, though, some stupid show was on and I was too lazy to change channels. I opted to roll on my back and stare stupidly up at the ceiling instead. I couldn't get those last few minutes out of my head. That look, her smile, her words... it was on repeat in my mind. Why did it bother me so much that she complimented me on my progress? It was good, right? She wasn't angry and I didn't have to work out in secret anymore, so I should be relieved, but...

Who am I kidding?

The more important questions were: Why did my heart start beating faster when she smiled at me? Why did I suddenly want to double my routine to get quicker results? When did I start wondering what shade of green her eyes really were? Why did I still catch myself thinking that she was ridiculously cute what that blush? And most importantly - why did I feel like I liked the response I got from her?

Was I losing my mind or something? This was Maka, my meister and partner. We were friends - good friends, at that - and we complimented each other very well. She was tall and strong, smartest person I'd ever met, and completely honest. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind or give someone a piece of it, for that matter. She was simple, too, and predictable in every aspect expect battle. And aside from tonight, of course. She had the oddest shade of blonde hair, but it also suited her best, and she was the only girl I'd ever known to be able to pull off pigtails that well. And, yeah, she had a pretty smile and nice curves... I really didn't care that she had virtually no breasts. Being as big as Blair didn't really impress me all that much.

But then I started thinking, 'You know what, cool guys aren't afraid to honestly admit their feelings to themselves.' And then I thought, 'Her hands are always really soft despite being such a hard worker. The way she beats the snot out of you when you do something stupid is the way she tells you that she cares. Those mossy/jade/emerald/foresty eyes were always so sparkly and captivating. Her perfume made her smell better than any girl I'd ever met and she didn't even have to drown herself in it.' Yeah, that's what I really thought.

To avoid being cliché, I'll just wrap this up by saying that once I was able to admit all this to myself, I made it a point to tell Maka in the morning. I figured I had nothing to lose, it wasn't like I openly came out and said, 'Hey, I like you, wanna go out?' That would not be cool. But showering her with my most poetic of compliments and volunteering to take her out to dinner - that was classy. That was cool.

"A/N: I don't know why I feel the need to be so subtle about things. And by subtle, I mean not spelling out this whole kiss and dating scene that everyone so desperately wanted out of my last SoMa fic. I don't know, I suppose I just feel like if these two were to actually get together, it wouldn't happen in the typical way. Although, maybe Soul would just skip all the flattering and go straight for a kiss. I dunno, this seems plausible, in my opinion. Leave a review and let me know what you think? I'd appreciate it."