Drowning In Green

By TotalGamer98

Greetings Earthlings! I have returned with another one-shot. Yes, this one is also SoulXMaka. ;) And it's written from Soul's point of view, as I enjoy first person. Yes, I know Soul wouldn't talk like this, but I prefer this method of writing and believe it is more entertaining. This fic is set not only after my previous Soma one-shot, Scent of Blue, but after the anime ends entirely. (You don't have to have read Scent of Blue to understand this one, though) The anime had a great ending, not matter what everyone else says. Back to business, though. I own not Soul Eater; it belongs to its respective peoples. Because if I owned that series, Soul and Maka would've kissed by now. Rate, Fave, Comment, etc. Mostly, enjoy. :D

Those eyes. Those pools of green that threatened to envelop me whenever I dared gaze into them too long. They were the very same shade of green of jealousy, I believed, a fact which I had determined was a cruel irony put upon this Earth to taunt me. For jealousy had truly settled upon me, however, I had no idea how much fact was behind my reason to covet.

It began a while ago, weeks before our final confrontation with Asura. It was when Maka broke through Crona's shell, exposing the damaged child underneath. I had retained my calm exterior even then, and through all that time I pretended not to let their relationship bother me. But underneath my exterior I was seething as their emotions of each other continued to escalate, whereas my status in my meister's mind remained much the same, if not diminished.

The situation intensified after the grand clash against the Kishin. My admiration for my partner had struck a record high. However, she barely seemed to notice me as she rushed back to the city, searching for the Demon Swordsman. I sighed, following her. I had to. She was my meister, and it is my job to constantly guard her and be by her side. During our first encounter with Crona, I had lied to her about that matter.

"I am your weapon partner, Maka! That means I am always prepared to die for my meister!"

True, that fact is implied, but it is not as if it is necessary for a weapon to sacrifice their lives for their partner. But I am willing to do so, and I nearly lost my life. As a result, our relationship grew stronger. We sought to become more powerful for one another, and we became closer than ever before. Then in that fateful battle against Medusa's child, my world shifted. Suddenly she had someone to nurture, someone to protect. And I - confident and brash, the complete opposite of her new friend - faded into the background, only useful in combat and foolishly spreading Black Blood through our bodies.

And then it happened. Admittedly, I was almost happy when Crona appeared to die. But Maka's sorrow quickly made me forget the emotion. I wanted to comfort her, but I was too afraid that whatever I said would come out wrong, so I remained in my weapon form.

All I desired was for her to notice me, yet her attention was continually focused on Crona. I didn't deserve this. Why would my partner favor that gender-confused child over me? It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense.

I growled in irritation as I buried my head in my pillow, mulling over those thoughts in my mind. It had been a month since the ultimate battle, and most things were dying down. All except my contemplations; this had only grown more restless. I flipped over in my bed, littered with dirty clothes, and stared at the ceiling. I had made sure to lock the door tightly, so I wouldn't be disturbed by any unwanted violet felines. Sunlight and birdsong were filtering in the open window, interfering with my melancholy, so I grumpily stood and closed it, along with sliding the curtains together. I flopped back in bed with a sigh.

"Hey, Soul."

I blinked. The scenery around me had abruptly changed as I once again found myself in that dark room within the confines of my mind, that which possessed the black and red tilted flooring, dark curtains, and shaded corners of shadows that my eye could not penetrate. The only difference being the figure sitting in the chair in front of me. Rather than my Little Demon I was so used to, I found myself facing a perfect mirror image of my person. Death the Kid would've been amazed to experience such symmetry, however, this room and its inhabitants existed only within my own subconscious.

"Yes, I'm speaking at you. We need to have a talk." The other version of myself told me as we were suddenly seated across from each other at a medium-sized black mahogany table.

"About what?" I snapped. "What could I possibly gain from having a conversation with myself?"

"Plenty." He smirked. "You see, we both want something. But we can't decide what we're going to do about it." A framed picture appeared in front of him, revealing the fact that he was obviously in control of this realm. He pushed the aforementioned object towards me, and I picked it up and looked it over. It was a photograph I recognized well, one that Black*Star had taken while he believed Maka and I weren't looking. After winning a recent basketball game while on a team together, Maka had become overly enthusiastic, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing my cheek. Her own face quickly became red as she jumped back before she thought anyone saw her hasty action. I chuckled at the memory, remembering how my meister had nearly murdered the blue-haired narcissist when she realized he had captured the moment on camera. However, I had stolen it away and framed it, and my blonde partner was never the wiser concerning its location, or the fact that I possessed it.

"You know what we want, Soul."

Again I looked up at my other self. "What's your point, man? This conversation's just going in circles." I muttered, setting the picture in front of me.

The other me laughed. "It's simple. I want to take action, and you're content to simply watch Crona invite her into his bed."

I gripped the edge of the table. Crona had moved in with us after the Asura incident, much to the Demon Swordsman's delight, and my hidden irritation.

"The kid had a nightmare! Maka dotes over him, so she tried to comfort him, and it's not her fault Crona fell asleep hugging her!" I proclaimed, shocked to find myself defending the child, while my duplicate laughed even more.

"You're just proving my point. It was Maka's choice, wasn't it? She simply could've told him to deal with it."

"You and I both know she's not like that." I growled.

"And yet, you've had nightmares as well." My other self smirked. "And guess who has never comforted you." My eyes widened, although I wasn't sure why I was so surprised at the fact that he knew about my dark dreams; he, of course, was me. Still, it shocked me to come to that realization. They were my secret, and mine alone, those visions of my ultimate misery that my mind conjured as I slept. As I thought this, one replayed instantly and hauntingly to me.

I hadn't jumped in front of her in time. The Demon Sword sliced through my meister's chest as she let out an agonized scream, her blood splattering upon my metal form. I quickly shifted back into my human appearance, cradling her as Crona stared at the scene, as if he was unsure about what he just did. I held Maka's body to mine as she looked up at me, her lustrous emerald eyes beginning to cloud as she attempted to focus on my face. "Soul…" She moaned, her once beautiful face twisted in both physical and emotional pain. "Why didn't you save me?" My previously strong eyes brimmed with tears as suddenly her body dissolved in my arms, leaving behind the glowing blue flame that was her soul.

"NO!" I yelled, reaching for it, but Crona was quicker. Grabbing my partner's soul before I could stop him, he lifted it to the mouth of his weapon.

"NO!" I screamed again, shaking. "Why would you show me that?! That wasn't cool at all!" I roared at my mental roommate, my glares shooting daggers at him.

"It was just an example." He shrugged, nonchalant. "I'm sure Crona's nightmares couldn't have been much worse than ours, but do you remember what Maka did after she heard our scream that roused her from her sleep?"

I winced, recalling the memory as clear as day.

"SOUL, SHUT UP! I'm trying to sleep!"

I watched my feet as my hands clenched into fists in my lap.

"Ah, so you do remember. You remember clearly how Maka yelled at us when all we did was have a bad dream." My other side taunted me.

"Be quiet." I muttered through clenched teeth.

"While whenever Crona screams in his sleep, our meister instantly goes to console him."

"Shut it." I growled, my red gaze rising to meet his.

"She thinks we're strong enough to handle our own nightmares. Does she know us at all?"

"I said SHUT UP!" I yelled at him, slamming my fist down on the table with such force that it snapped the mahogany finish in half. My other half seemed satisfied.

"You see? We're the same being, and we both love Maka. However, you're too weak to take action. That's why you're arguing with yourself; you quite literally can't make up your mind. So here's my proposal." His red gaze bored into mine with a hint of deviousness. "All we need to do is take care of the competition."

I blinked once again and discovered my consciousness was back in my room, and after glancing at the digital clock upon my bedside table I concluded that mere seconds had elapsed in the waking world while I had been in heated debate with myself.

'Is that really the best thing to do?' I thought to myself. 'Take action?'

After a short minute of meditating on this thought, I glanced up at the door as a knock was heard on the other side of it.

"Soul? Maka wonders if you're okay. You've been in your room all day, and she says it's nice outside."

That voice. That annoying, whiny voice.

I stood and walked over to the door, opening it to reveal the form of the stick-thin child.

"Oh. You're alive. Maka will be happy." Crona smiled. The gears in my mind began turning, pushed along by the sinister side of me that was begging to be unleashed.

"Of course I'm alive. Would you like me dead?" I snapped. Crona looked shocked.

"N-no! That wasn't what I meant! I, uh…" The juvenile Gorgon stuttered.

"Yeah. Sure. You want me dead so you'll have Maka all to yourself, don't you?" I growled. I could almost see the inner me grin as he edged me on.

"Good, Soul. Keep going."

"You think Maka deserves you, because she's too perfect for me!" I was yelling now as the words rushed from my mouth. Suddenly I found my balled-up right hand swinging at him in rage.

Crona ducked as my fist went flying towards the side of his head. "Soul, what are you… Stop!" He exclaimed as I grabbed him by his dress collar and began to shake him.

"What kind of man wears a dress?! You're not man enough for her!" I spit in his face, causing the child to whimper.

"M-maka! Soul's hurting me!" He cried out as I threw him to the ground, my rage completely uncontained as I kicked his fetal-positioned form. I could hear the laughter of my dark side echoing throughout my head.

"Had enough? Learned your lesson yet? Maka's mine, do you hear me?! MINE!" I shouted, scowling at his pathetic form.

"SOUL!" Maka exclaimed, having rushed down the hall from the kitchen. She grabbed my shoulders, trying to jerk me away from Crona, the latter shaking as if there was an earthquake rumbling underneath him alone. "What are you doing to Crona?! What's he ever done to you?!"

I whipped around to her, my glare causing the pigtailed girl to step back.

"What has he done to me?! Let's see, he sliced my chest in half, driven my meister nuts, betrayed my science teacher, gave me black blood that nearly drowned me, and stole the affection of the love of my life from me!" I grabbed Maka's shoulders, gripping them as I glared into her eyes. But that hurt gaze, those green pools of hers caused the rage to drain from my face, and I stepped back after releasing my grip. I felt guilty and ashamed, knowing that I had just beaten up someone she cared for dearly because of my own selfish ambitions.

'That,' I thought to myself, 'Is why I don't take action.' I turned around and retreated back into my room, not bothering to lock the door behind me. Blair knew when to leave me alone, and when I, under no circumstances, would allow any irritating cat to invade my personal space. I heard Maka trying to comfort Crona in that gentle, soothing tone she never bothered to use on me. As I continued to listen, I heard the floorboards creak, as if the pale boy was finally getting up, and footsteps retreating down the hall as the Maka escorted him back to his room.

I closed my eyes, wanting to be alone with my thoughts. But I couldn't have this liberty, and I soon heard a gentle knock sound on my door. "Soul?"

I picked my head up, hearing Maka's voice. I sat in an upright position, waiting for the inevitable as the door opened. I had barely a moment to look at her before the spine of the Webster's dictionary she held in her hand came down on my skull with such force that I blacked out.

I stirred as I felt something cold on my forehead. My eyelids fluttered and my hand reached up to touch the ice pack resting on a large bump on my skull.

"Ow." I muttered, pulling my hand back when the pressure I put on the bruise caused it to prick with pain.

"Don't touch it, you idiot." I heard a female voice snap. My gaze shifted to discover Maka sitting on the bed next to me.

I was confused. My partner had never given me an ice pack after slamming me with one of her feared "Maka chops" before. Then, as her gaze turned to meet mine, I saw in her eyes the reason for this unexpected action.

She felt as guilty as I did.

I spoke up. "I'm sorry I acted so uncool, Maka." I began. "I let jealousy get the better of me." I sighed, but the pigtailed girl shook her head.

"No, Soul. It's not your fault. I provoked you." She murmured, averting her gaze from mine. I was confused.

"Maka, it was Crona who edged me on…" I began to argue, but she cut me off.

"Maybe, but if I had cleared things up, you wouldn't be this way!" My meister snapped. I shied back a little at her ferocity, causing her to sigh. "I'm sorry, Soul." She murmured. "I need to explain things to you that I should've said a long time ago."

I raised a silver eyebrow. "I'm listening."

Maka rested elbows on her knees then set her head on her hands. "Soul, we've been partners for years, and yet you almost never confide in me. That's why I took an instant liking to Crona; he was so open. But you were constantly closed off to me, Soul. I felt that Crona needed me, and so I swore to myself that I'd protect him." She continued. "You were fine handling your own emotions, so I devoted myself to helping Crona…"

"No."

Maka raised an eyebrow at me as I cut her off.

"No, Maka." I looked over at her. "I'm not fine. I haven't been fine. I need you just as much as Crona does, if not more."

"Then why are you constantly keeping your secrets hidden and never saying anything about your emotions?" She demanded.

"Because I was afraid I'd seem weak to you." I replied, causing her to sigh in frustration.

"Don't you realize that acting like a coward by keeping all your secrets to yourself just makes you seem even weaker?" She turned to me.

I hung my head, avoiding her gaze as my shame welled up.

"I can help you."

I paused at her words.

"I can help you, if you'd just tell me what's wrong." Maka said in a comforting tone, the one that I longed her to use when speaking to me. The words were so soft; I could almost feel downy feathers brushing against my ear as she spoke. I felt as if I could tell anything to that voice, and it would continue to pour from those beautiful lips and soothe me.

"I have nightmares too, Maka." I murmured as she leaned against my shoulder and I rested my head on hers. "They're all about you getting hurt before I can save you."

Maka sat up and looked into my eyes. "Then I'll comfort you next time I hear you cry out in your sleep." She smiled, and I smiled back as if that was the only issue that needed resolving.

I allowed myself for the first time to fall into her eyes and drown myself in those emerald pools. "Maka?" I whispered, not even blinking for fear of breaking my trance.

"Yes, Soul?" My partner replied, sounding curious.

"There's one more secret I have." I said.

"Oh?" Maka asked. "What's that?"

I began to lean forward, and then ever so gently kissed my meister's forehead. "I love you." I whispered, but to my surprise she chuckled.

"I know."

"What?!" I exclaimed, staring at her. "How? Do I talk in my sleep?"

Maka began laughing. "Of course not!" She declared, her laughter filling the room, and despite my confusion, I found myself entranced by it.

"What, then?" I asked.

Maka giggled and looked into my eyes once again. "You said it when you were talking about Crona. You said he had stolen the love of your life."

I blushed, embarrassed at my forgetfulness. "Oh. Yeah." I chuckled sheepishly.

The pigtailed girl giggled once more, and then surprised me as she kissed my cheek. "Well, newsflash. Crona didn't steal the love of your life." She smiled. "She loves you too."

I beamed as I rested my head against hers once again, feeling as if I could strike down a horde of Kishin with the energy that was produced by my overwhelming joy as my meister fell asleep leaning against me. But I retained my calm exterior, running my hand through her hair.

"Cool." I smiled. "Way cool."

Well, there you have it! Tell me if I made the characters too OOC, what you liked, what you hated, etc, an author feeds off their reviews like a weapon feeds on souls! ;)