"I told you that even she would leave you. There is no one in this world who wants to be with you except me, Stein. Even your weapon partners have all left you."
He could see the smile that was stretching the blonde's face, the tattoos on her shoulders moving as she laughed quietly. She sat beside him, appearing only in his peripheral vision, balanced on her snake like tail. If he turned his head too quickly she would disappear and be he would be alone again.
The thought terrified him.
He still remembered the tears that Marie had shed as she had begged Shinigami-sama to let her stay. He remembered the shock that he had felt as she did; she hadn't discussed it with him. It was at odds with what the woman beside him was saying, but it must have just been an act.
Marie was gone, Spirit was gone, and he was alone.
A sideways glance corrected him. She was with him, and as far as he knew, she always would be. She was the one constant in his life. She was the one thing that he could always rely on to be there. In the end even Marie and Spirit had left, and he had thought that he could rely on them of all people.
"You belong with me."
A hoarse laugh escaped him. He surged to his feet, his breathing hard as he flung the chair he was sitting on backwards. He whirled to face her and she was gone.
He blinked, his voice whispering without his command, "Come back…"
He collapsed to the floor, hysterical laughter erupting from him.
Her voice washed over him like a bucket of ice water, his eyes snapping open.
"Aren't you a wreck, Dr. Stein? It's a shame that you have to force yourself to conform to this pitiful, miserable existence. You should have joined me."
"I could never join you, Medusa."
"Ah, so you know my name today."
Stein sat up, his hands shaking as he searched through his lab coat for his cigarettes. Finding one he lit it and took a long drag of it, letting the smoke drift to the ceiling as it mixed with her words.
"What will you do today? Will you cower inside your prison, afraid to be who you are? Or will you finally step outside and embrace yourself?"
Stein exhaled again, looking at the cigarette he held in his hand, his nerves calming as the nicotine flooded his system. He focused on the paleness of his skin, of the scratches that covered it. His eyes wandered down his body, taking in the rips and cuts in his clothing, the stinging that he could feel coming from below them. His mind noted that she was never out of sight, constantly flitting across his vision.
"I have work to do," he said suddenly and stood. "You are not invited to observe."
He heard her dismissive laughter, but ignored it just as he ignored her continued presence. He moved into his research lab and he blinked as she appeared directly in front of him, sitting on his desk with her legs crossed.
"I never took you to be someone to cower and fritter away your time, Dr. Stein."
"My research is important." His hands clenched into fists.
"And fettered by the chains that Shinigami-sama places on you. How much better would your research be if you could have live test subjects? Or utilize something larger than a cat? You're wasting your time here, being bound by foolish rules."
He remained silent, desperate to maintain his sanity. She slid down off the desk, her movements fluidic and certain, a stark contrast to the trembling that was spreading through his body.
"I only want what is best for you. I love you, you know."
Laughter erupted from the man and he slammed his fist through where she was standing. All that was left in its passage was the breeze. Relief flooded through him for a moment, then her voice came from behind him and his blood ran cold.
"Shall we play a game then, Stein? To prove to you that I do?"
He whirled and this time she didn't disappear when he focused on her. She took a step towards him and his body reacted without his need to tell it to, his open hand striking out, his wavelength surging around it. She just laughed as she caught his hand and held it in place, his wavelength not touching her.
He could feel her though, he could feel her cold fingers wrap around his wrist, feel the strength that it took to stop his blow even as she stepped into the circle of his arms, her other hand maneuvering to move his arm so that his hand rested on the small of her back.
It was just as it was when they had danced and laughter tore from him. She adjusted in his arms and he found himself watching her face approach his, her eyes lidded and almost closed. Her lips pressed against his and it was as if the noise in his mind quieted. He stared into her eyes as she pulled back from him.
"That wasn't so terrible, was it?" Memories rushed over him as she spoke and he wordlessly tightened his grip on her. "You should have let me kiss you that first time, too."
He didn't answer her, his eyes unfocused as he remembered something that never happened. There was a blonde haired woman crying, but he couldn't remember her name now. She cried as he came near her, before telling him that it was alright, that she understood. That she didn't mean to hurt her, and that she'd leave him alone for her. That she wasn't right for him.
He knew that the "her" she referred to was the woman in his arms. A smirk twisted his lips as he looked down at her.
"She left me so you could have me."
Medusa's face twisted into what could almost have been a loving smile if not for the sinister look in her eyes. "They'll all leave you, because they know they aren't what you need. Because they know that they could never truly accept you for what you are. But I can. I always will."
Stein's spine cracked as he threw his head back and laughed, his sanity rushing from him suddenly. He could see her. He could smell her. He could feel her arms twine about his neck and drag his head back down to hers and he met her lips with his own in a savage kiss. He could taste her.
He wondered if she mated like a snake did, and then found himself hoping that she did. His laughter echoed through the empty lab.
A/N: This was written as a request for SteinxMedusa from Wischi96. As such, I hope it met the criteria, and that everyone enjoys my first attempt at legitimate SteinxMedusa. It is anime based.
This is also my 100th story currently posted (101st written, 100th written for Soul Eater!)
I don't own Soul Eater. The picture was done by Yoshiyaki on Deviant Art.