Prompt: Maka and soul meet at age 15, and from then on become inseparable and form a great weapon/meister bond. Years later, when the two are 20 and thinking about getting engaged, one of Maka's biggest secrets from her past will come back and change her life forever, and soul might not be able to handle it.
Maka and Soul were casually lounging around their apartment one lazy Saturday afternoon, soaking in the warm, Nevada heat. Maka was leaned up against Soul's firm chest, reading some lovey dovey young adult book about some cancer ridden teenagers, while Soul was in a state of semi-conscious daydreaming. His head was resting on hers, and the sweet jasmine scent of her hair filled his nostrils with each relaxed breath. It was stress free afternoons like these that Soul really treasured. They weren't the kind of couple that would enjoy loads of elaborate dates and outings, or watching some shitty romantic comedy together. They enjoyed the simple domestic togetherness, from the lazy afternoons to the daily commute to the academy; all they really needed were each other.
Soul remembered when they first met. It was at the academy's orientation mixer for new weapons and meisters. Maka was a completely different person back then. Before they met, she only wanted a female weapon. He didn't blame her, of course. With a father like hers, how could she not be distrustful of men? Soul stood by the piano in the large room, arguing with the performing pianist about a wrongly played note. The spectacle drew quite a crowd, including the one and only Maka Albarn. The crowd silently watched the clash of the two musicians, while one voice giggled at the conflict. He looked over toward the amused laughter, and saw the short, flat chested, pigtailed girl looking back at him. She blushed profusely at having been seen laughing, and quickly walked off. He ran after her and struck up a conversation, and long story short, they've been partners ever since.
The first few months of their partnership were awkward, to say the least. Shibusen rules dictated that they needed to live together, much to Maka's dismay. She had a difficult time adjusting to living with a man. The first few weeks of their cohabitation, she would flinch every time he came into the room, especially when he was shirtless, almost as if she was jarred by the image of a bare chest. It took a while, but eventually they formed a strong enough relationship that she could feel at ease in his presence.
Their partnership became one of the strongest in their class. She was one of the most determined people he had ever met, and he was equally as determined not to let her down. She wanted to be strong, and to be able to kick the ass of anyone that got in her way. Soul made the mistake early into their partnership of letting her use him as a fighting dummy when he was being an idiot, and thus the Maka chop was born. While they learned how to not die in combat, she also read every book she could get her hands on. Every time she read of a new fight style, they worked on improving their techniques with the newly acquired knowledge. They quickly moved through the ranks of meisters, and they even earned the respect of those who were in the classes above theirs.
They became a couple just before their graduation from Shibusen. It wasn't much of a change in their relationship, so nobody really noticed when they started showing little bits of affection here and there. Their friends found out after about two weeks of subtle hints. Patti and Liz gushed about how cute they looked together, Black*Star inquired about their sex lives, while Kid and Tsubaki offered their polite congratulations. They all agreed that they could see it coming, that they were meant to be. Maka and Soul settled into their newly found romance and never looked back.
Soul looked down at Maka. She had drifted off to sleep, and had curled up against Soul. She looked so peaceful sleeping there, her soft, rhythmic breathing lulling Soul into a sleepy haze as well. He leaned back on the couch, and shut his eyes. Now that they were full-blown adults, as well as full time Shibusen employees, the lazy days had lessened in numbers. It was rare that they ever had the time to sit back and take a nap together. They were 20 now after all, and they had to start thinking about their futures. Soul knew, more than anything, that he wanted Maka to be a part of his. A week before, Soul was finally able to get in contact with her mother and acquired her grandmother's wedding ring as well as her mother's approval. Now all he had to do was ask.