Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater....Only fandomize it bwhahhaha
Thanks for Giving
"Maakaaaaa...." a frustrated boy whined from the kitchen. The called girl gently opened the door to her room.
"Yes, Soul?" Maka peered out and, upon noticing the struggle her partner was enduring, she softly walked into the kitchen to wait on him.
"Where is the freakin' whatchamacallit.....Argh..." Soul frantically pulled out a kitchen drawer but stop to make an oppositional motion of the hand so that Maka can distinguish what item he's looking for. Maka leaned on the counter and took a few seconds to guess.
"The baster?"
"YES! That stupid tube thing. Where the hell is it?" Soul tossed the items in the open drawer around while he spoke. Maka should know where it's hiding. "I know you have one here."
"Um... " Maka strolled over to where the boy stood and examined the same drawer. "Ah, here it is." She picked up a plastic tube piece that was hiding in the back and opened the next drawer to pull out a rubber piece. Soul just stood there flabbergasted as she attached the rubber portion onto the larger opening of the tube. She turned to Soul and handed him the cooking tool, "You know, just because it doesn't look like it should, doesn't mean it's not in existence."
She watched with full enjoyment as Soul composed himself and, with a sulking glare, snatched the tool to his preparation area. His face was a bit flustered due to Maka and her stupid chance to shoot down his ego; He handed that one to her.
"So...I will ask again. Do you need any help? I am not doing anything." Maka leaned on the counter next to the boy.
"No. I am fine. I can do this by myself." Soul stated through gritted teeth.
"Suit yourself." She pushed herself off and retreated to her room once more. She sighed as she closed and leaned on her door upon entering. "Stubborn guy," she muttered to herself. She was about to go back to her reading until she realized something important. 'Should I?' She hesitated before going back out there, 'n-no, He'll find out sooner or later.' Maka continued back to her bed to read, a nervous sweat drop trickling down her face.
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Soul looked at the clock in the kitchen. 'Damn it's already 9:30, I should start preparing the stuffing now...' Soul looked over to a piece of paper with his own handwriting. He read the self-made checklist aloud, "hmmm celery, carrots, olives, stuffing bread crap.....!!" Souls eyes widened, "I don't remember seeing the stuffing boxes!" He frantically looked for the boxes of stuffing through a barrage of shopping bags he did earlier in the day with Maka. "Maka! I thought you got the stuffing!! Shit, and the butter too! What the hell!"
Maka slightly opened her door and innocently stayed hidden behind it. She peeked out with a slight blush and sheepish smile, "Sorry, Soul. I ran into Kim and Jackie-chan and forgot about it." She scratched the back of her head and sweat dropped.
Soul couldn't believe it. She forgot it.
"Maka, do you realize what your little negligence can do?" Soul asked her clamly. She responded with silence and then a slight turn of her head to signal a no. "I need the butter to put all over the bird and the stuffing, one of the main ingredients to this dinner, is, well, NOT HERE. It's late and all the stores might be closed already and Thanksgiving is TOMORROW!"
"Oh, so I did get the corn." Maka's face lit up. Soul's eyes widened and returned ravaging through the bags and fridge. No Corn.
"Oh, Come on! Maka!" Soul cried out in disbelief. She quickly frowned.
"Um...W-We still have Kid's Thanksgiving dinner to go to tomorrow. So, if worst comes to worst--"
"That's Kids dinner, Maka. This is ours." Soul emphasized glaring in her direction. Maka was about to retort something back but bit her lip as Soul was already in a bad mood.
"I-I'm sorry Soul. I-I'll go right now! I'll look for a store that's open and--" Maka stammered as she nervously walked towards the door to gather her shoes and sweater. Soul place a soft hand on her shoulder to halt her movements and gave a defeated sigh. She genuinely forgot and he was taking his frustration out on her by giving her a guilt trip.
"No, I'll go look. You stay here." Soul gently shoved her back towards her room before adding, " And you better not even step a toe in the kitchen!!..... Blair!" He looked over his shoulder as he called out to the sleeping cat on the table chair. "Make sure Maka doesn't go into the kitchen until I get back!"
"Nyaa~~ Bu-tan would do anything for Soul-kun," the sleepy cat yawned. Maka's right eye twitched.
"Oi, Soul! Why are you so hell bent on me not helping!" Maka pursed her lips and angrily glared at the lazy cat on the chair.
"Because you'll burn the food," he lied. And, with that said, he pushed the girl into her room, grabbed his keys, and dashed to the nearest open grocery store in the city.
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10:21pm - Soul returned back to the apartment complex. After the discovery of Maka's little mishap, Soul was now 40 minutes behind schedule. So far, this night hasn't been going smooth like he thought it would: First, he couldn't get Maka out of the apartment so that he can cook in peace – and sort of keep it on a low profile, but she refused and he has to deal with it; Second, Maka didn't even feel like having a Thanksgiving dinner thanks to him for the year before - she's still questioning his motives no matter how many times he changes the subject; Lastly, this is his first time doing something like this for someone and, with all the stress he's getting when he hasn't even started, he can only conjure up a disastrous scene in his head. 'Why even bother. As it is, she doesn't really care anyways.' He
inwardly sighed but kept firm as a wave of determination arose up in him. 'No, I have to do this no matter what. I kinda owe her one.' He unlocked and pushed the door open.
"Tadaima." He grunted as he entered the apartment and made his way over to the kitchen. "Thank god Death City Market is 24 hours and--B-Blair!"
The once cute, sleepy black cat from earlier was now in the kitchen wearing—well, practically nothing but Souls cooking Apron.
"Okaerinasai Soul-kun!" The vivacious cat greeted one of her owners adding a little bounce to her movement and with a body like hers even a normal walking step would send men to her feet; Men like Maka's father in which Soul did not want to compare to. Unfortunately for Soul, being the healthy boy that he is, Blair's innocent movements rendered him to the floor where a puddle of blood oozed out through his running nose. He just couldn't help it. Unlike Maka's father, he doesn't ask for it; it just haunts him.
"Uhh" Soul moaned faced down on the kitchen tile. He was conscious enough to note the burning smell coming from the stove. Blair apparently saw the pumpkin pie mix and decided to try to help Soul out with one of her favorite dishes. Alas, she may appear human, but she was still, in fact, a cat who didn't know any better.
"Hmmpf!" Maka pouted with arms crossed as she sat watching from the living room.
'As if it couldn't get any worst....' Soul tried not to lose his earlier determination.
A loud smack of a moderately sized notepad to his side turned face on the floor brought him completely into reality. There stood Maka peering over him in a menacing matter.
"I couldn't do anything since I wasn't allowed in the kitchen; This is what happens when you choose the cat over your partner," She stood there glowering at him for a minute as he tried to contain himself. "I took the liberty of writing down some quick easy recipes that I know to help you out. You can take care of it from here" She nodded towards the notepad she had just slapped his face with a few seconds ago.
"Aa", Soul sulked as he stood up wiping the blood off his face. "Thanks," he muttered to her retreating form as she went into her room. Soul gave out a deep sigh and with his back faced to the house cat he growled, "Blair..... You're not doing it right. As a matter of fact, you ruined the mix." The woman frowned as she looked at the thing she thought was going to be delicious.
"Nya~ But Bu-tan sees Maka and Soul use fire to make good food......"
"Blair. Please transform and go to the room." She noted Soul's perturbed tone.
Clouds of smoke signaled the okay for Soul to face the woman-now-cat. "Sorry Soul-kun! Would you still make a pumpkin dish though?"
"We'll see" He grunted while he shooed her out.
'This is so not cool'
Soul looked at his surrounding and mess. It was going to be a long night but hopefully it would be worth it. Is it karma coming back to him? Whatever it was, he was putting himself into someone else's shoes at the moment and it made him all the more determined to do this.
'The show must go on'
Meanwhile......
"Damn pervert," Maka angrily spat as she walked over to her bed. "He can let her help him and not me. That stupid pervert." She sat on her bed and grabbed the book she had been trying to read that night but her worried mind kept interrupting. "What the hell is his problem," Maka muttered aloud to herself. Putting all jealousy aside, Maka really wondered what was the sudden change Soul was going through now. She thought back.......
"Soul-kun, Are you planning anything for Thanksgiving with your family?" Maka asked the serious boy.
"No" He sneered. "Holidays always turn up for the worst with me. I can careless about them."
"Oh...." She frowned. After a minute of silence she brightened up and exclaimed, "Then how about we spend it together? It'll be nice, won't it! Especially since we just moved in together about 3 weeks ago...."
"Aren't you going to your mom's?"
"She lives too far away and I would rather do anything else then to spend it with my father again."
"Whatever" was his reply.
Rooming with people sure is tough.
"Phew! Finally!" Maka looked at her masterpiece of a dinner on the table. She had prepared everything from the turkey and mashed potatoes, to the cranberry jelly and pumpkin pie. It was perfect. "Soul-kun! Preparations are complete! Thanksgiving Dinner shall be served right now, come on!"
"Go ahead and start." He got up from the living room sofa and dragged his feet to his bedroom. "I'll eat the leftovers or something"
"No! You have to join me, say our thanks, and--"
"There's nothing really for me to thank. Go on." He shut the door to his room and locked it.
Maka tried not to let it get the best of her. Sure she poured sweat and blood trying her best to create this dinner only to have it be cast away as nothing. She felt stupid, even if he didn't look like he did it on purpose; he made her feel stupid.
Nevertheless, Maka started the dinner by herself. Soul had come out 15 minutes later to join, but the awkwardness and embarrassment she felt left her quiet; Thus, their Thanksgiving holiday scarred her to even try to do it the next year.
"He is still being a jerk after a year," Maka's brain was burning from the thinking. She discarded her book and decided she was going to go to sleep.
Tomorrow would be interesting.
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It was about six in the morning and Soul was going to die. He was not a morning person. 'Damn old lady's recipe better be awesome. Making me get the stuff slow-cooking this early in the morning'
A week earlier when he decided on doing this, Soul had gotten a 'traditional' recipe from some old woman in the grocery store. Well, he met her there but had no paper large enough to write it all down. He felt embarrassed that he had gotten an old lady's phone number so that he can call her back for the needed advice. Thank god Black*Star wasn't there with him; otherwise, he'd be the running joke within the friends circle forever.
So far, everything looked fine to him. He set the oven low for the slow 8 hour baking and turned to the clock to calculate when it should be finished. 'hmm 2 pm. Perfect! Just in time for Kids dinner.' He may not be that awesome of a cook, but he can take direction at most excellent dexterity. He figured he'd turn it off before he leaves that way it can cool down by the time he gets back from Kid's dinner. 'Maka says we won't be there too long.'
Soul stifled a yawn while he left the kitchen to catch a little more rest before Maka wakes up.
Today would be a long day.
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"Thanks for coming you two! It was a pleasure," Kid bowed politely as he bid farewell to the scythe and his meister.
"Yup Yup!" Gleamed a very bouncy Patti from behind.
"We should do this again next year! Only..... have it during the actual dinner time than so-early-that-it's-practically-lunch," Liz sweat dropped as she waved goodbye as well.
"Yes, well, I am sorry I have to attend to some special duties for my father tonight." Kid replied to Liz's implied suggestion. "This was nice though. We should definitely do this again next year."
"HELL YA! I've never been stuffed so much in my life! Now I know what the turkey feels." A very excited Black*Star exclaimed.
"Uh...I am sure it's a different feeling...." A meek Tsubaki replied.
"A joke, Tsubaki. Geez!" Black*Star gently patted her shoulder
"Oh!" Tsubaki scratched the back of her head, "haha....ha"
Maka looked at the scene before her. 'Within a year.....' She turned to Soul who was waving goodbye as they all divided. '...so much has happened.' She smiled.
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"Oi! Maka!" Soul called out to the girl who was in her room.
"Yes?" She walked out and followed the voice to the dining table. "Whoa!" She was speechless. Soul's work of the Thanksgiving dinner was laid out on the table. She could hardly believe that he'd did it himself and not had bought something premade from the market. "Soul! You did this?"
Soul stood there proudly with arms crossed and nodded. "Yes, behold my awesomeness."
"...." Maka stayed quiet and thought of how beautiful his creation was; It upstaged hers from last year. Last year.... she slightly frowned because he still hasn't told her anything. She was curious; She really wanted to know why.
"What's wrong?" Soul cocked his head to the side
"Why, all of a sudden, is Thanksgiving important to you now?"
Soul smirked and led her to her seat at the table.
"Because this holiday finally has a purpose to me." Maka sat and stared at Soul in confusion. He leaned on the table edge next to her. "Last year we had just met and hadn't settled in time for thanksgiving," Soul pushed himself off the table and bent down to Maka's level. They locked eyes and he leaned into her with a big smile, "Now, I have so much to be grateful of."
Maka blushed as she watched Soul get up and continue with his preparation of the dinner. 'So that's why........' A warm smile grew on her face. 'I am very grateful as well, Soul.'
"Blair! Dinner's ready! Better come out or Maka would eat your pumpkin pie!"
"Nyoo! Maka don't be mean!" The cat ran out from the shower in the smallest washcloth. There was a loud crash from where soul was in the kitchen that sounded like plates shattering.
Maka's eye twitched at the all too familiar scene. 'Well maybe I'll take that back......'
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Thanksgiving dinner turned out better than Soul had expected. Holidays never were his thing, but after having Maka in his life, he found a reason to celebrate them. Being able to enjoy the holiday with the person you would risk your life for.... 'I can't ask for anything better'
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Authors Note 2.0: OMG Now i am an author? Weird! haha Well, sorry I kinda wrote it in a rush but I wasn't even considering doing a one-shot for Thanksgiving. This just came to me and i had to write it down! Hopefully you all liked it and had a very Happy Thanksgiving. I say 'had' because I just edited this after my eventful day. : Enjoy and please review?