Marie taking care of Stein after the battle for the brew, but before the madness took control of him and he joined Medusa.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Soul Eater or any of its characters.
Stay Like This
Franken Stein stood doubled over, panting frantically. He felt the madness seep over his skin and it burrowed into the holes of his face, pushing through his mouth, nostrils, ears, and eye sockets. He growled as he tightened the screw which was embedded in his temple, and his knees buckled under his weight, causing him to collapse down onto the floor in a crumpled heap.
He clawed at his face desperately, yelping as he felt hot pains seer through his limbs, and they twitched involuntarily as he slowly lost the ability to control himself. The last thing he had felt before the dark took over his mind, was cold of the concrete that he lay on which was pressed against his face, and the soft clack of something pounding against the ground.
Marie... He called to himself before passing out.
Subconsciously, Stein reached out and clutched onto the sheets of the bed, gritting his teeth maliciously as a bag full of ice was pressed against his body continuously. The coldness felt good against his throbbing back, but the contact made him jolt slightly every time.
He must be hurting a lot. Marie thought as she watched the negative expressions flash across her partner's face.
"Stein..." she called, using her free hand to hold his, he squeezed her fingers and she winced painfully. The pained expression that was plastered on the professor's face softened a bit.
Eyes shut, he inhaled sharply and squeezed with all his might as the bag made contact with an especially sore patch of skin on his back. Immediately afterwards, his eyes shot open, and he lessened the grip on his hand.
"Sorry… if I hurt you…" Stein mumbled. In return to the apology, Marie gave a good natured laugh.
When the swelling had gone down a considerable amount, she emptied out the bag, now filled with cool water, and began to apply medicine to the sore muscles on Stein's back.
"Your hand is really warm." he muttered, letting go of Marie's hand. Surprised by the sudden comment, she grinned slightly.
"Stein." Marie called out to the professor, and he hummed in response, "You know that you can tell me anything that's bothering you right?"
The grey haired man smiled and he raised his hand, stroking her cheek lovingly. He rested his head on the pillow beneath him for a moment before sitting upright.
"I know." He replied, his hand still resting on her cheek,
She smiled softly, nestling her head into his hand. He looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed. He didn't want Marie to worry about the madness that was slowly taking over her, and he whispered her name, causing her to look up. In one swift movement, he pulled the female into his arms, wrapping his arms around her abdomen and he pressed her against his chest protectively.
"Marie... There's something that's been bothering me, but I'm afraid to tell you what it is. So for now, can you just stay like this?"
She nodded against him, and she stretched her arms under his, placing her hands on his back, moving them up and down soothingly.
"Stein?" she questioned after a few minutes of staying there. He pulled back to look at the blonde.
"I love you." he laughed, and pulled her back to his chest, resting his chin on top of her head.
"I love you too." he whispered into her hair.
Author's Notes:/ Woooo. Another Soul Eater oneshot, a bit darker than my other one though. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Anyways, comments and reviews are greatly aprreciated, but please no bashing. Lastly, thanks for reading and...
MERRY CHRISTMAS!