Ripple effect

Confession

Stein usually was the one conducting the observations. Throughout the years he kept a neutral façade as he studied everything from liquids to experiments, apart from the occasional wrinkle between his eyebrows appearing when faced a particularly puzzling challenge.

Soul chuckled for himself. But now he wasn't the one observing. He was the one being observed. Throughout the countless of check-ups and tests and samplings gathering, reading Stein's expressions had become something close to a routine. At the beginning, his face has stayed as neutral as possible, very typical him. When his reconstruction surgery failed that's when the wrinkle between his eyebrows appeared as he felt his stomach up. The wrinkle had only deepened for every unsuccessful surgery.

Now, his lips had turned stiff and tense, jaw sharp to the point almost breaking skin. This was something entirely new. His fingers feathered over his skin, barely applying any pressure in fear of receiving another moan of pain.

He was burning up. He was on fire. Every skin cell was soaked with boiling sweat and his tongue had turned to sandpaper.

He couldn't turn sick today. Not today of all days.

After all of Maka's work, after the great opportunity she had been given by Nygus to assist teaching the students in the NOT class in Soul Theory and partner compatibility, this was the day Nygus had given her the chance to hold her own lesson in weapon and meister compatibility. She had told him the students with no weapon or meister had a hard time understanding the concept of compatibility and what to look for in a partner, so she had pleaded him into coming to class so they could demonstrate their compatibility.

His slight fever had flamed up during the night and Maka was beyond worried about him, especially when he stiffened a moan of pain when he moved into his wheelchair. Without any hesitation she had taken him to Stein's office for a check-up.

Stein's worried expression didn't sooth him. He knew deep within his soul this wasn't good. If Stein was visibly worried like this, it wasn't good. At all.

"You can stop thinking and just tell me." Soul broke the heavy silence within the nurse's office.

"Don't you want to wait till Maka returns?" Stein questioned as he let go of Soul's shirt and took off his latex gloves, throwing them away.

"No, I need Maka to stay focused on the lesson. This is really important to her."

"More important than your health?"

Soul silenced for a moment. "She will see it eventually." He knew Maka would one-hundred percent blow off the lesson in order to be by his side. It had taken him some convincing for her to go and prepare herself for the class and he would come to her as soon as the check-up was finished.

"Fine then." He leaned against his desk and crossed his arm over his chest. "The reconstructive surgeries haven't working and I'm afraid if we put you through another one you won't survive it."

He swallowed heavily and every word from Stein's mouth was like a big fat slap to his face. "It isn't the end, is it?"

Stein shook his head. "Your intestines are failing." Stein began explaining in a calm tone. "Your liquid diet to strengthen your intestines absorption of nutrition isn't working and your blood levels are concerning. Within a soon future, you'll start having liver complications and bone disorders will draw to your like a fly to a lamp."

He… he knew cheating death would come with consequences, but he hoped he would've more time. Time to watch Maka become a true teacher at Shibusen and marry her and have kids. In his wildest of dreams, he hoped he would grow old with her and die from old age. This… it was like a punch to the gut. A truck loaded with bricks and dumped them all over him. The extra time he bought was running through his fingers. He had convinced himself when the time to go was there, he would be ready and satisfied from the little time with Maka he was given, but he didn't― he wasn't ready to leave.

He bit his lower lip and let the pain dull his fear. "… How long do I have?"

"It all comes down to if you get an intestine transplant. With one, you could live for maybe a decade to a death of old age, but without an intestine transplant, maybe less than a year."

He ran his hand through his hair and cursed under his breath. This was it… he… his fate was sealed. Within the year, he would leave this earth and Kid would claim his soul. The chance of receiving a transplant, and such a rare one as an intestine transplant, his chances were slim.

"I'll put you on the intestine transplant list and as a doctor I recommend you to not do the NOT demonstration. In your condition if you transform into a weapon, it could only worsen your situation and in the worst case, even kill you."

Soul gulped. He had promised Maka he would do this. He had been doing so well on his walking braces rehabilitation to appear as strong as he could in front of the other students. This was Maka's new purpose in life now when he wasn't wieldable and she refused to take on a different weapon, being a teacher at Shibusen was her passion. She wasn't just worried about him anymore, she was rebuilding her life and with these news― he couldn't take down her career with him. They had bills to pay and the money he got from the insurance policy for his injuries wasn't enough to cover both of them.

He raised his arm in front of him and with a flash, his arm turned into the blade without even hurting a little. Relief washed over him as the blade gleamed dully. He could transform. He could pull this off. He just needed to get through the demonstration. Just this once. Then, as soon as they got home, he would tell her the truth about his condition.

He grinned wide as the blade turned back into his arm. "I think I'll be able to handle it."

…

Soul took a deep breath before he knocked on the door. Through the window on the door Maka's head snapped toward him and a wide smile spread on her face. Her mouth moved, saying something to her students and she hurried over to him. She slid out of the door and planted a big kiss on him before the door had closed.

"How did the check-up go?" She wore the biggest smile ever.

"Great. Just a cold. It will go away in a few days."

Maka sighed with relief and rested her head against his. "Oh death. What a relief. I was really worried your intestines would start acting up again."

He swallowed down his guilt and offered a good spirited smile. He told himself. "Nah, it was just our imagination. As soon the demonstration is over I'll go home and rest up."

"And I'll be home as soon as class ends." She ran her hand through his hair and cupped his heated cheek. "How about we watch a movie tonight? Just the two of us."

He smiled tiredly and nodded. "Sounds like a date."

Maka opened the door and pushed him inside of the classroom. All the unfamiliar faces of the NOT students were on him and he wanted to shrink and escape in his chair. He could feel them sizing him up, judging him, the Last Death Scythe, the strongest weapon and meister pair and he was in a wheelchair.

"Everyone," Maka's voice turned chipper as she stepped beside the wheelchair, entwining her hand with his. "This is Soul Eater Evans, my weapon partner and my boyfriend. He has come here today to help me demonstrate healthy compatibility between a weapon and a meister. Soul, this is the first year NOT students."

"Sup." He nodded toward the students sitting behind their desks.

"Now students, Soul and I will show you what happens when you find a partner who is compatible with your soul wavelength." Maka squeezed his hand. "You may transform now."

He swallowed hard, Stein's words ringing in his head. He hadn't transformed into his full scythe form for about… long before the mission in the mountains. Maybe two and a half year ago now? But transforming had become like second nature for him during the years of partnering up with Maka. He knew this like the back of his hand. He just needed to take the transformation slow and make sure nothing went wrong.

His eyes wandered over the group of students who excitedly sat in their chairs and ate up the view of them or whispered to their bench partner. It didn't help he had thirty students watching his every move.

Here goes nothing.

He started with his arm. It lit up and the light wandered up to his shoulders and head and transformed him into solid metal. So far so good. The light wandered downward and his hand turned into the grey shaft and― an unbearable sharp pain in his abdomen and the light repelled from him and his shaft turned once again into his hand. He hit the floor loudly and the pain consumed him.

…

"I can't believe you lied to me!" Maka roared, tears in her voice and lower lip quivering with anger and sadness, pacing back and forth at the foot of the hospital bed.

"I told you I didn't want to worry you. You had talked for days about this demonstration and I―"

"Your life is more important than some lesson!" she halted and roared toward him, tears leaking from her eyes and she let out a sob. "You are so more important than that." She sobbed as she sunk down to the floor, burying her face in her hands. "I can't believe you're― you're not going to die!"

It truly broke his heart seeing her so heartbroken sitting on the floor with her legs pulled up to her chest and shaking for every sob she made. "I'm really sorry. I just wanted you to have this happiness before I dropped the bomb on you. I thought… I really wanted to do this demonstration with you. I thought I was strong enough."

Maka sobbed his name. On unsteady legs she got up just to throw herself on the bed, burying her face in his neck and hands desperately holding his face. "I love you so much, but you are such an ass." she sobbed as her nails raked his face. "Just please, don't lie to me. I wouldn't ever want to see you like that again. You… your eye on the blade took up your whole face!"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." She removed her face from his neck and looked him in the eyes. Her cheeks were puffy with tears and snot running from her nose. "You're― you're going to be okay. You're on the transplant list and Stein will take care of your and you're going to be okay. You're not going to die."

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. He wished her words were true. How he wished.