Loudly sighing, Maka pushed her chin up and gazed at the tree rope hugging her wrists to a pole.
"Hang on a sec bookworm." Came Soul's low voice somewhere beside her.
She felt an intense gaze from the cave shadows on her body. Suddenly Maka wanted to rip the pole out of the ground and hobble away, rejecting Soul's help. Don't come any
closer, her mind whined.
"Don't come any closer Soul."
There was a pause filled with Maka's shocked confusion. Oh, that's right. Maka sighed again realizing why she'd blurted her thoughts aloud.
"That's right." Maka repeated.
"What?"
"I'm poisoned. I can't filter what I say. My judgement's all clouded."
"Poison?" Soul choked.
"Don't ask."
Now Soul stepped heavily into the light. He looked more monsterly than his usual self. His red eyes glowed underneath snowy bangs.
"I don't have to. Ask, I mean. I can smell it in the air around you."
Maka laughed dryly. "Haha. Please don't come any closer. You're really-"
Maka bit her lip roughly to stop her next words. That was close.
He stepped forward anyway. Soul smirked awkwardly. "I don't look that bad, do I?"
"...Nooo. You're Soul. You look like you."
Soul paused, ducking his head. When he looked up, and gazed in Maka's eyes, Maka saw something thirsty there.
"I don't, do I?"
"What?"
"I don't look like a monster? Maka?"
"If I answer your question will you step away from me?"
Soul merely smirked, and stepped close to Maka. He traced her cheek with a pinky in a shy, obstinate way. Maka turned her face away. Soul shifted his feet and stared in
her face again. Maka's eyes were shut.
"It's funny, because you'd only act this way if you were embarassed. And you never should be embarassed. You weren't before, on New Years. Or that hot summer we got
bored and wanted to see which was the better kisser."
"K-kissing competition! I totally won. In your face!" Maka threw at Soul, in hopes to distract him.
It didn't work.
Soul tilted Maka's chin up. Maka wouldn't open her eyes.
"Maka. Maka, look at me."
"Maka open your eyes."
Maka sighed gruffly and her eyes snapped open. Purple ink twisted around in her eyes. Blood dripped from her nose.
"What? Sheesh. I'm trying to catch some zzzs." She deadpanned. It came out like a whine.
"What are you afraid of?" Soul's glowing red eyes fixed on her in a predator way. His sharp fangs stuck out. And harsh metal behind his normaly familiar voice churned her
stomach.
"I'm scared Soul. I'm really scared of dying, and I'm really scared of you." Maka blurted.
Soul stumbled as if she'd hit him, his eyes wide. He struggled to regain his composure. Soul looked at her face and frowned.
"What's wrong?" Soul asked.
"I hate seeing you like that."
"You're the one that said I'm a monster."
"I never looked at you like you were a real monster. And I never said that, that's not what I meant."
"What did you mean?"