This was it. She was going to lose it. If something didn't happen soon to make the past week of work mean more than just a complete and absolute waste of her time, then she swore to all that was holy the next individual who commented on her lack of holiday cheer would have his or her eyes mercilessly gouged out with a rusty spork.
After more than a week of gift preparations and slaving over a hot stove in anticipation of Soul's return to Shibusen after such a lengthy and miserable absence, Maka was determined to make this their best Christmas ever. She'd never thought of Soul as much of a mentor or one who could string together any identifiable manner of complex ideas. However, she had been pleasantly surprised and almost shocked when Soul reiterated his plans to teach temporarily at the U.K. branch of the academy. It might even be safe to say that the death scythe looked a little too excited at the prospect.
The restructuring of all Shibusen branches worldwide was necessary after the defeat of the Kishin. Many former death scythes and meisters began crawling out of the woodwork to compensate for the inevitable losses the schools had been forced to deal with after the demon's demise. Surprisingly, Maka found herself resistant to the idea of traveling across an entire ocean when she herself was still only a student. Soul, however, had no such qualms.
"I need to become stronger," he'd said matter-of-factly. "Not just for myself, but for you, too. Let the more experienced meisters and weapons take care of Asura's leftovers. Hold down the fort for me here, and I promise I'll come home to celebrate Christmas with you and our friends."
His determined words still rang true in her ears, and after almost a month without her partner, Maka's only means of staying sane and grounded during his absence was to keep herself occupied with other things as much as possible. That included the preparations for his return and ensuring that everything was meticulously, absolutely, and Kid-approved perfection.
The tree was perfect. Presents were wrapped. Dinner was slowly but surely reaching its final legs of fruition in the kitchen. The house was spotless, and Maka's addition of a faint trace of Soul's favorite cinnamon scent (that he claimed smelled like her) was spread particularly around the couch and bed areas. She'd even purchased a special outfit she hoped to the gods that he liked.
In light of all this flawlessness, only the densest of individuals would suppose that Black Star wouldn't find a way to ruin the situation. Just as Maka was putting the finishing touches on the wrappings of Soul's present, the front door burst open with a loud BOOM!, followed closely by Black Star being desperately tailed on the heels by an extremely frustrated and panicky Death the Kid aboard the airborne Beelzebub. Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty were not far behind on foot.
"Blaaaaack Staaaaar! I demand you return that glove to me this instant, you fiend! Stop, this instaaaaannt! I command you!"
"Come get it, Kid! You'll never catch me, you overly-proportioned doofus!"
The duo commenced their epic chase scene throughout the entirety of the apartment, over and under furniture, through the kitchen, out on the balcony, and even across the ceiling. Each time Kid would corner Black Star and silently elate at his personal triumph, Black Star would find some way around the Shinigami, and the battle would resume. In its wake were muddy footprints, a shattered tree, half-eaten remnants of what used to be a Christmas dinner, and a devastated Maka who at that point couldn't tell which direction was up.
"Stooooop! Stop it right now, you idiots!"
At the sound of Maka's feminine shrill, Black Star and Kid halted immediately in their tracks, looking at the scythe meister at first in confusion, and then in realization as their eyes managed to move to and fro around the room, taking in the damage like deer in the headlights of Maka's rage. Grabbing the glove from Black Star's hand, she shoved it haphazardly at Kid and gutturally moaned, "Get out. All of you." When none of them stirred at first, a final wall-shattering "NOW!" was enough to get them moving.
When she was alone once again, it was at that moment that Maka felt she would lose it. She fought back the tears that so desperately wanted to fall as she began cleaning up the mess and salvaging what little remained of the dinner and tree. As the sunlight waned and evening presented itself with its promise of dark respite, Maka discovered that, miraculously, Soul's present remained relatively untouched beneath the shorn tree. Thinking that there was at least one thing she could do for her weapon upon his return, she unwrapped the contents of the gold package and slipped into the white, nearly translucent negligee that she'd purchased just for him. Climbing into his bed and allowing herself to drift into a somewhat restless slumber, Maka hoped that Soul wouldn't be too disappointed upon his return.
Sometime in the middle of the night, Maka was broken from her sleep by a strong, firm, and incredibly cold form slipping into the bed behind her. It didn't take opening her eyes to know who had graced her presence, and in fact she couldn't, when a large hand covered her eyes and whispered seductively in her ear, "I'm home, Maa-kaa."
Twirling around in bed to face him directly, she threw herself around his torso with grasping limbs and hot breath on his ear and neck. Soul fell into the embrace, returning the gesture by wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. She didn't seem to care that he was freezing and still dripping wet with melted snow.
Wait, what?
"Did you miss…?"
Jumping out of bed, Maka ran to the window, threw open the blinds, and gaped at the white wonderland that had suddenly sprouted out of the urban jungle known as Death City. It was still dark and the sun had yet to come up, but to Maka, the snow reflecting rainbows of the street lights and the small crystals forming diamonds on the glass window were a beautiful sight to behold. Other than seeing Soul home safe and sound once again, she would have to admit it was the best thing she'd seen all day.
"Pretty, right?" Soul asked.
Looking at him with a bright smile, Maka giggled and rushed to glomp his form into the waiting bedsheets with a bounce. "Yes, I missed you so much."
Their lips met, and Soul ran his eager hands up and down the contours of her body as they snuggled together under the crisp covers. He pulled away long enough to look down at her form wearing the light garment and asked, "This for me?"
Blushing, Maka nodded and kissed him again.
"Do you…?"
He chuckled. "I love it. Forget the mess and the snow; this is all the white Christmas I need."
He spent the rest of the night showing her just how much he meant it.