Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or the lyrics to Wicked by Jupiter Rising.

Stopgap
by. Poisoned Scarlet

"I'd like to change, but I'm wicked
It's hard to say from where I get it
All I know is that when I'm with you
You tame and inflame my wicked ways..."

1a

There were those moments in life when you awoke and the feelings of nothingness spread through your chest like water did across a surface.

Maka stared at the ceiling, striped with the bright sunlight that entered through the blinds of the window. The room stunk of something thick, heady, and the word was on the tip of her tongue when someone groaned and shifted beside her.

Rigid, heart pounding, Maka turned her head and stared at the flurry of silvery hair that poked from underneath the sheets. Then she became aware of the heat that radiated from his body, of his even breaths as he slept, of his musky scent, which pervaded throughout the entire room.

Her eyes darted around the room, the suddenly unfamiliar room, and Maka jolted up in a panic.

She cringed and looked back at the man beside her, nude as she was, but found him soundly asleep; even drooling, she noticed dryly.

I can't believe it! Maka fretted, pale-faced. Why am I here – in his apartment? The recollection of the previous night hit her like a brick, and she sourly thought that Soul was far too persuasive for his own good.

But this had gone far enough: she'd never awoken in another person's bed! She'd always awoken in her own bed; in the only place where she can pretend it was a wonderful, fake, dream for a little while before rising.

Quietly, she snatched up her dress and slid it over her head hastily. She grabbed her shoes, discarded randomly near the doorway, and searched for anymore clothing she might've missed. Her underwear was missing, her bra most likely in the same position, but it was late morning and she was late for her first lecture of the day.

Her eyes returned to Soul.

He looked peaceful, the sheets halfway down his body and revealing pale flesh. Her eyes caught the translucent line that ran down his chest, a scar, and she was transfixed for a moment.

She wondered how he got it.

She wondered if it hurt a lot.

She wondered who did it and felt rage bubble inside.

Then she tore her eyes away and closed the bedroom door behind her quietly, reluctantly making her way back to her own lonely home.

1b

"Are you still seeing... him?" Tsubaki asked timidly the next morning, as they both prepared their materials for the lecture. "Maka-chan?"

"Do you mean Soul?"

"Ah, so he has a name..." Tsubaki wearily humored. Maka smiled very faintly at her attempt to lighten the atmosphere. It had been rather strained between them since Tsubaki caught her walking into her apartment at 7 in the morning a morning ago. "Yes, Soul-san."

"I wouldn't call it 'seeing' so much as it is 'doing it every Saturday'," Maka moodily said, slamming her pencil down beside her binder. At Tsubaki's look, Maka confessed: "We're just – I don't know what we are. Ever since I broke up with Hiro... we've been seeing each other a lot, but..."

"But you're not going where you want this to go to?" Tsubaki filled in, gently.

"No!" Maka shook her head, vigorously. "No, that's not it at all! I don't want to start a relationship with him – or anyone, actually. This is... good. It's just a little strange." Maka gnawed on her bottom lip, gazing at her binder in conflict. "That's all."

Tsubaki searched her face for a second before turning and pretending to flip through her notes. "As long as you're happy, Maka-chan."

"I am happy." Maka insisted, although the words oddly caught in her throat and came out rather strangled.

A.N: I want to explain this whole '1a' and '1b' thing that I neglected to explain in the first part of this series. All it means is that they're in parts – think of them as drabbles. I'm telling a story in short, meaningful, pieces. At least I hope they're meaningful. Maka may be OOC for a few of you but, due to the situation I put her in, I have to tweak her character. Nevertheless, I'l try to keep all characters within believable bounds. Just don't bug me about Maka, or any other character, being OOC because you have all been warned :)

This story may not get updated as frequently as Quicksand but I'll try my best to update every week!

Scarlett.