A/N: Aaaah, to be honest I'm kinda nervous of submiting these here. All the prompts will be settled on the same modern magic AU. Enjoy!
If something had done the disappearance of Rei Albarn, was start all kinds of rumours all around the world. And, unfortunately for him, Soul could actually say that he had his fair share of it, both from his family and college classmates.
For that very same reason, he was glad no one had found out he worked for Maka. It wasn't like he was hiding it, but he definitely did not boast about it.
He had to give her props for facing the whole situation so well, losing a family member, suddenly being in the eye of the public attention, becoming the head of her clan. It wasn't easy. It couldn't be easy. Yet she always seemed to radiate energy, willing and ready to put up with her duty. She practically was born for it.
Which filled him with some weird combination of pride and enviousness he'd rather not dwell in too much.
Anywho, he was pretty sure that their training sessions helped her to cope with everything, and suspected that the few (two) times he had managed to arrive earlier at the gym and found her meditating had something to do as well.
So the third time he managed to arrive earlier he was pretty sure the room was being used. Probably by someone who hadn't been careful enough if the sobs were any indication. But it didn't make sense, because he was positive Maka rented it for the whole afternoon to do whatever she did before they started, so he jogged back to the front desk to ask Sid if there was someone in there.
"Well, Maka got in a couple hours ago." If Soul wasn't concerned before, he could affirm he was now. His mind raced as he came back to the door of the room, but he stopped short before opening it. Maybe she didn't want anyone inside. Maybe she was just watching something while she waited for him and he'd make a fool of himself. Or maybe she was injured, trying to practice some kind of move without proper protections or help.
Gulping, he knocked. The sniffles lowered in volume but did not stop and urged him to open the door. Inside, sited in one of the corners, a couple of glassy green eyes returned his gaze.
"Maka?" He croaked, because the girl he was seeing was definitely not the one he knew. Maka's eyes determined, not glassy and puffy and they did not fill you with apprehension. Maka's face was not covered in tears. Maka's voice did not break, did not sound raspy because of her crying.
And yet here she was.
In three long steps he was next to her but he didn't know what to do, so she chose for him, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. Soul pat her back, and tried to calm her down the best he could shushing her and murmuring sweet nothingness.
Eventually her breath evened, and the dampness in his t-shirt stopped growing. He shifted, not sure if Maka had fallen asleep or not, but her eyes were still open, lost in the distance.
"What happened?" Because if Maka Albarn was crying, then the world was coming to an end and there was no hope for anyone. Or at least it felt like it.
"Nothing." Her voice was still raw from the crying, but he must have given her the most incredulous look he had ever mastered, because she continued. "It's just– This whole situation is too much sometimes. I've grown up being prepared for this but I never expected it to happen so soon and to be so chaotic and– I don't know, I'm full of doubts and I've got the feeling everyone is watching me, waiting until I make a mistakes and I just got another letter this morning saying again that they have kidnapped mama and demanding a ransom and everything is just—"
"Breathe." He cut in, afraid that she would start hyperventilating, making sure she took in a couple of deep breaths before continuing. "Have you contacted the police about the letters?"
"Yeah." Maka breathed, and Soul could feel the goosebumps travel down his arm. "Since the first one came. We are pretty sure all of them are false, and whoever sent them just wants to take advantage of the situation but—"
"Don't overthink it." He cut her again. "It's not healthy and you know it."
She nodded, and Soul was pretty sure he heard her gulping before she spoke again, looking up at him between her bangs. "Do you mind if we stay like this a bit longer?"
"Nah." Because her eyes were so raw, so full of hurt and need of affection, that Soul knew he couldn't bring himself to deny her.
"Thank you." She whispered against his t-shirt, and he couldn't think of a single place he'd rather be.