"Do you really expect me to believe that hunk you call your partner has never even been in your pants!"
Maka was getting really sick and tired of this witch's taunting and shrewd comments. The nature of her words flustered Maka to no end, and frustrated her to the point that she was gripping Soul so hard her fingers were beginning to ache. The meister was missing most of her attacks, and her opponent held no problem dodging.
"I do!" Maka replied.
Soul's impatient voice reminded her that she needed to get this done, and quickly.
"Come on, Maka! Just―ignore her!"
"Yeah Soul, I know!"
Maka knew, but it was so hard when the witch wouldn't stop mentioning her curiosity for her and Soul's intimacy, if they even had any. But they weren't like that.
"She's not even that strong, Maka! Get her already!"
Maka clenched her teeth, ignoring the amount of perspiration that had accumulated within her gloves.
How was he not affected by this, though? At all?! But even if he was, he was doing a damn good job at not showing it!
The witch they were fighting, Myrna, was truly not that powerful. The thing that made her dangerous was her amorality. The duo were sent a few hours away from Death City on this mission because she was manipulating citizens into murdering and robbing for her own twisted entertainment.
Rumors circulated, but it wasn't confirmed whether Myrna was close to becoming a Kishin or not. Either way, the witch needed to be exterminated.
Myrna threw off her vintage black veil hat―one like you'd wear to a funeral―and flicked her ebony hair from her face. She leapt out of Maka's way once more and cocked her head to the side to snicker, her thin lips stretching wide. With a lift of her slim finger and an inaudible whisper, glitter in a mixture of pinks and oranges materialized from her body and flew in the direction of Maka's torso.
Her attacks are incredibly fast, Maka noted as she ducked and rolled out of the way. But they don't seem to be too threatening, she added precariously.
Maka and Soul were fighting nearly blind here. The types of spells Myrna cast were unknown, albeit Maka did have an idea as to what they were. This witch liked to exploit weaknesses, so she was going off of that basis.
The sun had long since set, so the cackling moon high above their heads illuminated Myrna's sharp features. Her cheekbones were high and her nose was obnoxiously large and rounded, and her small, oval-shaped eyebrows were black and delicately trimmed. Her dark pupils were thin slits encased by a disarming orange that stood out against her pale skin. Large, white circular earrings dangled from her earlobes and a choker with a monarch butterfly charm clung to her neck, the small arthropod resting in her jugular notch. Black eyeshadow was dusted generously over her eyelids.
"This isn't very fun," Myrna whined, throwing out a kick aimed at Maka's jaw. Maka's breath stalled as she crouched, and since she missed, the witch twirled on her foot while Maka attempted to swipe out her legs. Before Maka's ankle made contact with hers, Myrna flipped forward and landed on her palms, proceeding to bring her right leg over her body first, her left following. Once she stood again, she turned to face Maka and placed her index finger to her chin, her opposite arm crossing over her large chest and hand resting in the crook of her elbow. "People like you are so boring," she sneered, her deceitful eyes locking onto Maka.
"Why did you go against the agreement, Witch Myrna?" Maka wondered angrily.
Maka held Soul out in front of her, and her attention flicked down briefly when Soul's face appeared in the blade. Her huffing breath was visible against the gelid air.
"Does it matter?" she heard Soul mumble, and then her eyes skimmed over Myrna. Her tan wool coat reached her calves and the smooth scarlet dress that embraced her body like a second skin ended just above her ankles. Her coat was left open, exposing the cleavage that accompanied the deep V of her clothing.
"Why wouldn't I, Meister Girl?"
"What are you after?"
"Mmm... Maybe a little play time.. some revenge.. Who knows?"
The digit that was pressed against Myrna's chin twirled, and a cloud of glitter accumulated beneath her heels as she was then lifted into the air. Maka narrowed her eyes and tensed. The witch held out her hand to inspect her long orange nails with a pleased sigh.
"Maybe even a little romance as well, but who can say for sure?" she continued.
Myrna's tone was sweet and innocent, and Maka found her patience wearing too thin for composure. "Stop beating around the bush, Myrna!"
"Truly, you should listen to your partner. Does it matter if I tell you or not? You're just going to kill me anyways, you and that lover boy of yours."
"Guess you're right." Maka dashed forward on the cobblestone street, swinging Soul back in preparation for a straightforward attack. "And we're not lovers!"
"Boooooring!" Myrna sang, watching the determination in the girl's eyes ignite with a type of light she's naturally drawn to. Maka's foot pressed into the ground as she thrust herself forward with a grunt, propelling herself at a speed that made Myrna's confidence falter. Only for a second, however.
"Go, Maka!"
Maka swung Soul back with a cry and narrowly furrowed brows, cutting through the air just as the witch wound her fist back. Myrna slammed it into Maka's cheek with enough force to send the girl back down to the ground with a sickening crack. Through her actions, Myrna lost her balance, and the glitter simultaneously flew in all directions as her magic became too thin to support her lean body. She cursed, diminishing it to fall to the earth.
After she regained her sense of direction, Myrna formed a ball of magic in her palm, flicked her wrist in Maka's direction, and then watched as the weapon returned to his human form. She slid off her coat slightly then, placing a hand on her upper left arm, over a patch of skin that was suddenly burning, causing the surrounding vicinity to throb. A gash was carved into her skin, oozing hot blood, and the witch pressed her palm on it which made her clench her teeth and hiss.
Maka picked herself up until she was in a sitting position and felt something softly push into her chest. She looked down, but her eyes were too unfocused for her to make much of anything out. She could faintly hear Soul calling her name as her awareness was slowly worked back to her while she attempted to fight off the ringing in her ears. It felt like the butt of a handgun was repeatedly being jabbed into the back of her skull and Maka's bleary eyes searched the deafening haze for her scythe. Her gloved hand brushed over something, something warm, so she wrapped her fingers around it like it was her lifeline. She swallowed thickly while her mind swam at an impossible pace and she felt as if she could vomit at any moment.
The heat left her fingers and the next thing she could feel were calloused hands cupping her cheeks. Her head was turned to the side to face Soul, and she exhaled heavily from her nostrils, the fog puffing into his face. When did he turn back?
He's close enough so she can make out his features clearly. His white brows were raised in hurried question and his crimson eyes were wide with concern. Maka's attention slid over numerous parts of his face as she studied the stubble clinging to his sculpted jaw and the pinkness of his lips to his long nose.
He finally cut through the noise after several seconds, voice quickened by worry. "Maka, are you hurt badly? Are you okay?" It kind of sounded like they were underwater.
Maka snapped back to the topic at hand and her palm came up to latch onto his wrist and she squeezed, holding him tightly as she nodded, and Soul relaxed, though barely so. Maka found her voice and she reassured, "I'm okay, Soul." His name when it fell from her mouth was shaky. She pushed herself up onto her feet with his help and swallowed harshly, blinking rapidly to clear the black dots threatening to steal her consciousness. "Thank you." It worked, at least enough for her to manage. Soul stood with her while releasing his hold grudgingly, but she didn't let go of his wrist, and he transformed into his scythe form with a brief flash of blue light.
"Don't you dare push yourself," he sternly warned, appearing in the blade once more. "You just took a hard fall. If you feel like you're in trouble, run."
"I'll be fine," was Maka's calm reply, and it's quiet. But Soul knew better.
"Dammit, Maka. I know when you're fine and you're not fuckin' fine right now. We should leave." Maka shook her head and glared at Soul, though the usual intensity was nowhere to be found. She then turned her head to eye Myrna, who was watching with lips that were curled into a pained grimace, hand disappeared beneath a dark part of her coat whose color was only bleeding larger. "We can come back a different time or send someone else after her."
"No, Soul!" Maka denied, shaking her head stubbornly, immediately regretting it when a hundred white-hot needle-like pricks stab her temples, leaving her gasping. And before Soul can attempt to convince her to turn around and leave, she's running forward, ignoring the pain with clenched teeth. "If we leave her," she grunted, bringing Soul down in an arc over Myrna, "she'll just continue to cause trouble!"
"Ooh! Stepping up your game, Maka, was it? Even after you've gotten hurt? Impressive," Myrna said through her teeth, narrowly missing Soul. Maka's enthusiasm would have roused her even more if her wound stopped bleeding, but it wouldn't.
The witch took a hurried step back as Maka punched, but she wasn't quick enough. Myrna's eyes shut as she felt her bones crunch beneath the skin in her face and when she reopened them, the starless sky was echoing around the deriding moon. Blood was suddenly trickling from its twitching mouth, and Myrna laughed as she felt her own blood slide past a corner of her lips. What a punch.
"You know," Myrna sighed, watching as Maka came into view to stand over her, "I could turn into a butterfly right now and fly away. Escape."
"I won't give you that chance."
"I figured as much."
Maka's form shadowed over the woman, and her view of the sky was cut off by the meister's pensive stare.
"Mah, well. I've had my fun, I think."
Past Maka fell a snowflake, and then another, and a large one landed on Myrna's cheek. It melted instantly, sinking into her skin, somehow reminding her that Christmas was next week. She sighed again and watched her warm, condensed breath rise.
"Ah, yes," she said, and Maka began to lift up her weapon. "I think it'll happen in one week."
"One week?" Maka repeated, though her resolve didn't falter. A crease formed between Maka's eyebrows but then they relaxed, if only slightly. "Christmas."
"Christmas it is, then."
"What do you―"
"Maka."
"R-right, sorry, Soul."
Myrna winked up at Maka as Soul cut through her.
Finally, when Soul was no longer a death scythe and the glowing soul was consumed, Maka was able to release a sigh, and she closed her eyes. They shot open when she felt a sharp pinch to the underside of her upper arm though, and she winced, darting her hand up to hold the spot that was abused. "Ouch!"
"Come on, let's go home. It's starting to snow."
Soul gave Maka his leather jacket when she swung her leg over his bike.
"What are you doing? Don't you need this more than I do?"
"I'll be fine; I have a sweatshirt. You on the other hand, the stupid one who's taken too many risks in one day, didn't bring a coat at all, so take it."
Maka puffed out her cheeks but took the article within her hands and then slipped it over her thin sweater, proceeding to wrap her arms around Soul's waist once he turned the key in the ignition.
The only reason Maka pressed herself flush against Soul's back was because she was stupid and the wind was nipping at her legs. Yep. He didn't seem to mind, she thought, so she didn't back off.
She rested her cheek against Soul's back and watched the buildings slide by in a flash until mountain ranges lined the horizon. It was dark, but she could make out the peaks shadowed by the sky. Her emerald eyes were heavy from exhaustion, her palms ached from clenching Soul between them, and a dull throb within her head still painfully remained. She dropped her hands that were once on his chest to rest against his abdomen and though she had done this on numerous occasions, this was the first time she felt him tense at her touch.
"It's late," she said without much purpose, focus slowly trailing upward to watch the snow fall at a steady, languid pace. Riding with Soul on his motorcycle again after what felt like forever caused a feeling of nostalgia to bubble within her, which lead to the reminiscing smile quirking her lips. Her pigtails, now almost reaching mid-back whipped behind her as Soul revved his bike.
"Yeah," Soul sighed. "And we still haven't had dinner."
"I can make something when we get home, if you want."
"Sure, if you would."
Maka felt Soul's hand cover hers, and it was a simple, soft display of affection that made her heart swell. His skin was cold, and it only made Maka feel more guilty for not bringing warmer clothes. She should have known to at least bring gloves for him, because he was so forgetful and never had them with him, and she should have worn pants as well―
"Good job today, even though you could've gotten yourself seriously injured."
Maka jolted, Soul's solemn voice suddenly breaking through the silence of her thoughts.
"Oh, yeah, thanks. You too. But that wouldn't be the first time, right?"
Soul ignored her attempt at a joke. "Are you sure you're okay, Maka? Do you have a concussion? You probably do."
"I might." Soul's palm was now warm, transferring his heat to the back of her hand. His fingers twitched as they pressed against the web of hers, as if he wanted to intertwine them. He didn't. "I did take a pretty hard fall, huh?" she laughed halfheartedly. "I'm feeling better now, sorta. Just cold."
"We'll be home soon."
Maka put her chin on Soul's shoulder and then he pulled away from her to return his grip to the handlebar. The bitter air stole away the warmth from Maka's digits in mere seconds. She frowned, and her cheek then replaced her chin's place and she was facing away from the side of his face.
"Yeah."
The ride home was long and frigid. It took them about an hour to get back home, which would have normally taken half that, but they got caught in a snowstorm that made Soul drop his speed and make her question her sanity. She was so foolish for not grabbing her damn winter coat before she left the house, and she had even sat down that morning to watch the young eye candy (formally known as the weatherman) drag his finger across the green screen to warn her of the upcoming storm that had a high chance of hitting the west.
And, lucky her - it did just that.
Finally, the night closing in on one in the morning, Soul walked into their apartment, grousing about the time. He closed the door behind his sighing meister as she flipped off her boots and hung up his coat on the rack beside the entrance; right next to her coat that she happened to forget in her haste to leave hours prior.
"Go warm yourself up," he demanded with care, "and I'll start making something to eat. I'm sure you're hungrier than I am." Maka waved her hand as she walked in the living room to turn up the heat a few degrees. Or maybe six.
"No need, I can do it," she said.
"Don't be a dumbass. Look at you: your knees are purple. You'll catch a cold, you idiot."
Rolling her eyes at his insults, Maka retorted, "Stop acting like you're invincible, Soul Evans. You're as liable as I am to come down with something, so why don't you go take a hot bath." Her eyes trailed down to his knuckles. "Look at your hands!" she pointed out. "They're blue! Oh Death, come with me!"
With a harsh pull to his wrist that made him grit his teeth in exasperation, because ow, he was dragged behind the young woman down the hall. "Don't worry about me," she told him, pushing him into their not-so-spacious-but-large-enough-for-the-two-of-them bathroom. "I'll go make some noodles or something, and you take a bath."
"But-"
"No buts, Soul! You took the brunt of that storm so stop being so damn stubborn. My knees will be fine."
Reluctantly, and with a roll of his piercing eyes, Soul silently agreed by grabbing the hem of his sweatshirt, taking his t-shirt beneath it with, and began to lift it up. Maka caught a glimpse of the jut of his hips and the flat of his stomach before she ripped her eyes away from the sight and turned right around to walk out of the door, shutting it along the way. His throaty chuckle only made her blush burn more fervidly.
"Stupid Soul," she grumbled, travelling to her room to change, pulling out her pigtails in the process and actively ignoring the growing pain in her stomach.
By the time the unabashed weapon strolled out of the bathroom with a single small towel wrapped around his waist and steam clouding around the door frame, Maka's stomach was rolling in directions that did not play nicely with the back of her throat. She swallowed, having a tough time keeping her stomach in check to prevent the three noodles she managed to eat within her gastric acid. She wanted to throw up, but at the same time, the sensation of nausea wasn't strong enough for it to actually happen.
Her name was called in question a few minutes after the bathroom door was clicked open, but she couldn't find the strength to lift her head from her arms to respond. She settled with a grunt that Soul probably didn't hear. There was the shuffling of bare feet, then the scraping of a chair, and Soul's fresh scent of a spicy cinnamon filled her nose.
It was intoxicating and it smelled so… man, and Maka couldn't help herself from inhaling a deep breath of it.
"How're you feeling?"
"Like 'm gonna throw up."
"You probably have a concussion, Maka. I told you."
"I'm sure 's not that, Soul. I only felt dizzy earlier, but 'n I was fine."
"Listen to you Maka! You're practically slurring. Come on, let's get you to lay down." Soul stood and wrapped his hand around her upper arm to lift her, and obediently, she followed.
Once she was up and walking with her roommate's aid, she asked, "Can I get a water bottle?" He nodded, allowing her to grab the liquid-filled plastic before returning to his side. Her head was fuzzy but it was manageable, and her knees were wobbly beneath her weight.
"Shit," she laughed humorlessly, "I really feel horrible." Maka glanced down shakily at her palm that was trembling and watched as a few pink sparks of glitter surfaced against her skin but then melt as if they were a liquid. "Weird," she muttered, suspicion growing, and if Soul heard it, he paid no attention.
"That's one of the things I hate about you, damn it. You're so reckless sometimes and you end up getting yourself hurt, and damn it Maka, you haven't changed one bit."
"You're reckless when you use yourself to protect me."
"That's different. I'm protecting you. It's my job."
"Your job is to not throw your life away."
"That's funny coming from the likes of you, Miss I'm-still-the-same-person-I-was-five-years-ago."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Not at all. But you still haven't changed much. Gotten more mature, that's for sure."
Maka's cheeks rose in temperature. "You've changed a lot," she counteracted quickly as they stepped into her room. Soul flipped on her light and hummed to coax her to continue. "You're more compassionate now than you were when we were tweens."
"Tweens," Soul repeated, a slight chuckle accompanying his words at the thought. As he helped her into her bed, he said with a jagged grin, "What kind of partner would I be if I wasn't cool and compassionate?"
Maka smiled back softly as she laid beneath her sheets. "Not my favorite partner, that's for sure."
"I'm your only partner."
"So?"
"Whatever," Soul chortled, "I'm going to get you an ice pack so you can put it on where it hurts, alright?"
"Yeah. Thank you."
Maka was indulged in a novel when Soul returned. Typical.
"What are you reading now, nerd?"
"Nerd?" Maka repeated dangerously, eyes peering through narrowed slits in Soul's direction. A nervous laugh was his reply as he handed the ice pack over cautiously, seeing as the spine of that book looked awfully nice and painful. He kept his distance.
Placing the cool object to the back of her head, Maka answered flatly, "A book."
Soul sat at the edge of her bed. "I can see that."
"Yeah," she said, a hint of amusement dripping from her tone. She flicked her teasing eyes up so she could watch him. He chuckled briefly and shook his head, scratching at his chest over his faded blue t-shirt.
"So―"
"Uncool?" she finished, smirking.
"Whatever."
Soul stood then, stretching his arms long over his head as an exerted sigh drew a low breath of air from his lungs. His action lifted up his shirt in the process, flaunting the patch of skin Maka so hurriedly ignored earlier. She didn't look away this time. As soon as it was there, though, it was gone, and a frown overtook her lips.
"I'll call Stein in the morning, so just try to not fall asleep and die, got it?"
Maka giggled. "Yeah, yeah, I'll try my hardest. You can count on me."
As Soul strolled to the door lazily, Maka watched his butt as each cheek deliciously lifted each time he took a step. She really needed to stop ogling her partner, but he grew up so perfectly and it was getting harder and harder for her to not just blatantly stare―
"I'll check in on you every hour, or something."
"What?"
Soul craned his neck around to give her an irritated look.
"I said: I'll check on you every hour. Jeez, you must've really hit your head hard."
Maka huffed and pursed her lips, looking back to her book, not sparing him a second glance as he left her room.
When he came into her room only an hour later, Maka was still reading with an intense furrow in her brow and slightly parted lips. She quickly dismissed him, saying that he was interrupting the best part and that he needed to leave before he completely ruined it. He returned to his room and mistakenly got under the covers of his bed.
On the fourth hour of his clock, Soul jolted awake with a breathless, "Shit!" He accidentally fell asleep, because damn that pillow Maka recently bought him that lulled him to sleep in less than ten seconds. He stumbled out of his sheets and almost tripped and fell when one wrapped around the heel of his foot. He caught himself on his palm against the floor and shook off the troublesome fabric, and once he managed to throw himself free, he bolted out of his door.
Because what if she fell asleep in the two and a half hours he was asleep and her condition worsened?
But when he reached her room, he found a disheveled bed without a Maka and an open book sprawled on the floor beside the ice pack he gave her earlier, all illuminated by the bleeding moon. His head snapped to the closed bathroom door a few feet away on the opposite side of the hallway. A dim light poured from beneath it, and beyond it came the sound of heaving gags.
Maka.
Knocking on the door, Soul called, "Maka? Hey, you alright in there?"
His answer was another heave, followed closely by the sploshing of water and a toilet flush.
"I'm coming in."
Soul twisted the door knob and pushed it open. His meister was half against the toilet, half laying on the carpet surrounding it. The back of Maka's hand supported her cheek against the seat, eyes lidded, as her other arm hung loosely to her side. Her long legs were stretched out to the front of her and a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead with what glistened like sweat.
"Maka?! Are you okay?!" Soul took a quick step inside but was stopped when Maka held up her hand, lifting her eyes to look up at him. She looked like shit. But, her lethargic eyes suddenly widened and she flicked her wrist frantically, leaning up. Soul quickly got the picture and turned on his heel to turn away from the girl as she coughed and heaved once more; she spit after she was finished.
"Do you want me to call Stein?" Soul asked, turning back around after she flushed and collapsed against the toilet. "Uuugh, yes, please." Maka's throat felt like it was burning so she cringed with a sharp grimace. "Could you fill that cup with water and hand it to me before you do?"
Soul nodded and reached for the cup that was resting atop the sink they use to rinse their mouths after brushing their teeth and filled it with water, then handed it to her as requested. Maka drank with haste and nearly choked on the liquid but emptied the glass all the same.
"A bit better?"
"Yeah, a bit."
Maka handed Soul the cup and he placed it in its original spot, moving to step out of the bathroom. "I'm going to go call Stein. If you need me, just yell. I'll be right back."
Soul dashed to the living room where the phone lay, because what the hell, Maka never gets sick - the worst a runny nose or sore throat. Truthfully, Soul didn't know how to handle it. He never had to learn how to handle it, and, did they even have any medicine for something like this? He didn't think so.
Soul supposed he was supposed to feel bad for waking Stein up at such an hour, but he really didn't.
A five minute talk later and Soul was hanging up the phone with the promise of the older man's visit in the morning lingering in the air.
The unexpected silence that greeted Soul as he ventured back to Maka welcomed the apprehension that suddenly filled his gut.
"Stein said he'd be here in the morning so until then, you need to rest," Soul informed cautiously.
When the weapon stepped in the doorway, he was dumbfounded. Laying where Maka had once been was the clothing she had been wearing.
"Maka?" he called down the hall, more so in the direction of her room, his voice squeaking a little too high from confusion. "Why are your clothes on the floor?"
He walked to her door with puzzled white brows and a frown. "Maka, you okay? You in here? Naked?" Soul was fully prepared to get a hard object thrown at him if he did walk in on her changing or something, because maybe she barfed on herself, but a nagging feeling in the back of his mind allowed a simple knock at the wood. The door creaked open to reveal the same scene as before. "Where are you?" he then mumbled, more to himself, walking a few long strides to his own room and checking in there.
Alright. He could not find Maka Albarn and the house was eerily quiet.
An all too common feeling of dread filled his lungs; it was the kind of fear he experienced when Maka was in danger, and he was so familiar with it that he's tempted to welcome it back as an old friend. He doesn't.
That damn girl was nowhere to be seen or heard, which could only mean that she's outside. Outside in the freezing cold, probably stark naked. Right?
He double checked her room before returning to the bathroom.
Soul found himself walking to the window because, well, he didn't know. He just had a feeling.
As he stepped through Maka's pile of clothes, the tips of his toes connected with something. It was soft and firm and not her cotton pajama bottoms that he was walking through, so he retracted his foot because what the fuck was that (it could have been some huge ass insect―anything's possible) and took a quick step back, and that was when he heard a slapping thump. His eyes flew to the wall and he involuntarily shrieked. It was embarrassing as hell, but it was kind of hard not to make a sound when there was an enormous THING two feet in front of him and he touched it―
and when he crouched to get a closer look at the thing on the floor, the more distress bubbled within him―
because that thing happened to have four limbs―
and a head of blonde hair―
and a pale, slim torso―
and a small, toned butt that looked so damn―
"Maka," he breathed, and it was laced with the underlying question of what the hell is going on. Soul was so shocked he could hardly register that his meister was tiny and very naked, but he did anyway, and he's able to finally understand where the feeling of apprehension blossomed from. This.
The little woman he had known for the past five years propped herself up on her hands as she attempted to recover. She shook her head, like she was trying to get rid of a daze, and her long hair whipped around as she did so. Then she was on her hands and knees and oh Death, Soul could see her boobs, her small, perky boobs.
He could feel the trickle of an upcoming nosebleed, and before it had the chance to leave his nostrils, his meister's head popped up as if she finally realized something.
Mortification. Utter mortification crashed over Maka's features like a tidal wave, and despite her size, he could see her eyes glaze over with tears.
"Oh, wait, Maka I didn't-"
There was a scream. It was small, but it was the loudest shriek Soul has ever heard come from that girl. Face visibly crimson, Maka scrambled to a stand, which ultimately allowed him to see so, so much more, and dashed to the toilet. She hid behind the white, and he saw her head peek out, her pointing forefinger throwing imaginary daggers at him.
"Close your eyes!" she yelled. "And forget what you saw, Soul!" Too late. Already way too late. The image of Nude Maka Albarn was already firmly burned into his memory and he didn't think he'd forget the sight any time soon.
He broke out into a lopsided, sympathetic grin.
"So… are you feeling better, at least?"
The next morning, the duo was greeted with disappointing news.
Stein turned to Soul and cranked the screw in his head a few notches. "I'm not sure," he said simply, his glasses gleaming beneath the light. "I'm not a witch, nor have I ever been, and I don't specialize in spell-casting or things of the like." Soul sighed and ran a hand through his thick hair, plopping down onto Maka's bed next to her. She was laying on her side with her knees tucked to her chest and her hands resting beneath her head. Her lips were pursed in a disgruntled pout as she stared past Stein.
After things had calmed down the night before (as calm as things could get, considering), Maka had instructed Soul to go into her closet and pull out the bin in the bottom right corner. The weapon had been confused at first, but when he discovered that the black tote box was filled with dolls and doll clothing he understood. Even though it was a good idea, Soul still had to question her abundance of Barbies at the age of eighteen. She had corrected him by saying: "They aren't Barbies, Soul. They just look like them, and I got them from my mother when I was younger." He didn't argue with it.
He had brought it back to her and tipped it over in front of the bathroom door so the contents spilled out, and then had stood outside while she rummaged through it and dressed herself.
Maka wore a strapless white dress that was patterned with small strawberries. It was fitted to her chest and the skirt flared, coming to her knees. She was lucky she was so skinny.
"Just great," Maka grumbled, huffing a miffed breath, even though she knew it wasn't Stein's fault. It was her own for allowing Myrna an opening, of course, which made her even more annoyed. "And Blair's not even in town either; she's away for the holidays. Perfect."
"So how are we going to fix this?" Soul then asked, returning their attention to Stein. The professor was already halfway to the bedroom door.
"I'd guess you need to wait until Blair returns so she can help. Or you can search around for the answer yourselves, but I'd suppose that'd be a little more than difficult," Stein answered.
Soul sighed once more and rested his elbows on his knees, placing his head in his hands. "Alright," he agreed, "yeah. Blair'll know what to do."
Maka scrambled to her feet and ran across the bed to Soul's leg to pull at his jeans. He cocked his head to the side. "What?"
"Go after him!" she quickly requested. "I still want to ask him something and I can't walk to him myself!" Stein was already at the front door at this point; Soul could tell by the way the floorboards distantly creak beneath his heavy steps.
"Fine." He got up and laid the back of his hand flat against the girl's comforter. "I don't know what else there is to say but whatever." She allowed him to scoop her up into his palm and she sat, making sure to flatten her dress beneath her butt. She held her chin high―this was borderline humiliating in her book―and indignantly narrowed her eyes; she crossed her arms over her chest petulantly.
Soul figured Maka was about as tall as the length from the top of his middle finger to the edge of his palm. Her skin was porcelain and her long ash blonde hair fell over her shoulders. Her large emerald eyes shone, at the moment, with irritability. Her lips, naturally a light pink, were pouted to match the arc of her brows, lead by her gall. And with the dress clinging to her slim body to top everything off, Maka really did look like one of her dolls.
"Well, hey! Soul! Hurry!"
"Right, yeah."
Stein was ready to close the door behind him when Soul called out.
"What is it?"
Maka stood in Soul's palm and he curled his fingers so she had something to hold onto. "I know you're no expert," Maka began shakily, looking away, and Stein stepped closer to hear her better, "but I just want your opinion." She returned her attention to the man and knitted her brows with a hopeful glint reflecting within her pupils. "This won't last for a really long time, right? Like, what if Blair can't figure it out? Then what?"
Why the hell was she being so dubious? She had faith in Blair's capability, and even though Maka believed that, trepidation burrowed into her bones and made a home there. It was extremely uncomfortable.
There it was again: the gleam in Stein's glasses. Maka swore he did that just to hide his eyes, afraid that if they show, she'd be exposed to his true feelings on the matter. "We'll just have to see," was Stein's answer. He left, then.
Once Maka and Soul were left to the silence of their apartment, Maka collapsed against the hand supporting her. "What happens.." She trailed off hesitantly, then flipped over so she was on her hands and knees looking up at Soul. "What happens if I don't turn back? I.. We won't be able to resonate anymore, right? Because of my size, we can't… And you'll.. You'll have to find a new partner because I can't.."
Wow, she was really getting worked up over something that may not even be true. Her chest hurt at the thought of it all: not being able to wield Soul any longer, unable to even fight…
Incapable to hold Soul like she has done before.
Maka was torn from her despondency when Soul pinched the back of her dress between two fingers of his other hand. He lifted her up off her knees but didn't stop there, continuing on to bring her higher until she was at his eye level. "Hey!" she frantically called. "Put me down!" She began to struggle but then looked down, and Soul's palm was no longer beneath her, to catch her if she fell, and it was a far drop to crack her head open on the floor below. "Don't you dare drop me."
"Maka," Soul said, the tone of his voice firm. She looked up at him, and his eyes were relaxed, yet a seriousness had a hold of them. "We're going to get you back to normal. So don't even think like that." Maka watched the way his eyes softened as his serrated teeth parted in a breathy laugh. "And I'm not going anywhere," he reassured sincerely, "ever." He shook his head at the end of his sentence, emphasizing that he meant what he was saying. Soul had never lied to her before, and Maka had no reason to believe he was now. She slumped against his hold.
She smiled, though some part of her didn't feel a hundred percent convinced. "You're completely right. What am I even thinking?"
As nighttime rolled around leisurely, a request bubbled past Maka's lips.
"I need a bath."
"Can't you wait?"
"Until when?"
"Don't know. Game's on."
"Soul," Maka said as she sat atop his shoulder. He was seated on the couch and the baseball game was playing quietly on the television. Maka's choice. "I haven't taken one in two days. I feel gross and you're not even paying attention. So, please."
With a sigh, because Soul was very comfortable and discreetly about to open the door to slumber, he stood up and Maka nearly lost her balance for a second before she steadied herself by clutching onto his shirt.
"How are we going to do this then?" he asked as he walked into the kitchen. "Since we can't put you in the tub. You'll drown." He set Maka on the countertop and leaned his hands beside her on the marble. Maka pursed her lips and turned, searching, then her face lit up and she pointed to a cupboard.
"A mug!" she exclaimed. "Yeah, a mug, Soul. I can bathe in that."
Soul nodded his head once. "Hmm," he hummed, "good idea."
Soul took out one of their larger mugs, aka his, and Maka moved to the edge of the sink as he turned the tap on. He swiped his finger under the water until it was scalding hot and he filled the cup to a little less than the top with the steaming liquid. He set it down beside Maka and stepped away. "You might want to hurry. I don't know how long that water will stay hot." When he didn't immediately retreat, her hands came to rest on her hips and she raised an eyebrow as her cheeks ignited a flattering shade of rose.
"Well?"
It took him a few moments to comprehend what she meant and then the shell of his ears began to burn.
"Oh. Oh, right. Yeah, sorry - I'll go. Uh, do you want me to give you some soap before you get undressed?"
"Yes."
A bath in a mug was more pleasant than Maka had originally thought. Though she was a little hesitant to allow Soul to go back into the living room instead of a different part of their apartment completely, he returned to the couch and was now flipping through the television channels.
Soul's mug, patterned with piano keys, was a little cramped, though, and the water was cooling off, but Maka found herself relaxing against the edge in the pink suds. She tilted her head so she looked over the edge and trailed her fingers across the smooth surface of it, over a black key and slightly on the white where a coffee stain laid.
The cup was nostalgic. She had given it to him as a gift after becoming a death scythe. Maka smiled.
Sunday, December 20th
Who sets their alarm for six in the morning on a Sunday?
Soul Evans. That's who.
Was there a better way to wake up than having an insistent ringing blaring right next to your ear? Probably, but Maka wouldn't know because she was currently focused on navigating the road to permanent deafness.
Her makeshift bed was placed next to the clock on his nightstand because of course, she couldn't sleep alone, and if she needed something, he was right there. But he hadn't told her that he had set, or forgot to turn off his alarm.
Maka jolted awake, suddenly attacked by the ringing and scrambling to get away from the noise. Three seconds passed, then six, and then nine, and by the tenth, Maka was yelling for Soul to hurry while covering her poor, sensitive ears as best she could. He woke up then, groggily, right hand sloppily moving from beneath the covers to flop around on the clock before he managed to click it off.
"Finally," Maka sighed exasperatedly, irked by the fact that it was only six in the morning and she was wide awake, which expelled any opportunity of getting back to sleep.
"Sorry," she heard Soul apologize, voice gravelly and thick, a sound that she had grown to appreciate, "I guess I forgot to turn it off." Soul inhaled noisily through his noise and stretched his arms above his head after he sat up, continuing the action until he felt his upper back crack. He relaxed with a contented sigh, drooping eyes roaming to lock on Maka's small figure. "Mornin'."
She sighed, deciding staying mad wasn't worth much of anything, smiling softly, "Good morning Soul."
Tuesday, December 22nd
The doorbell ringing sprang Soul from his frantic searching. He could not find Maka.
"Coming!" he announced, huffing and running a hand through his hair, taking one last glance around the couch before jogging to the front door. He had called the girls the previous night for Maka's sake and firstly explained their situation, asking then if they could come and spend some time with her. He was sure Maka was getting a little tired of spending every waking moment glued to him. Not that he minded of course, but still..
As soon as Soul opened the door, he was created with a loud shriek of: "Soul! It's been forever!" It was Patty.
"It hasn't been that long, Patty." Liz.
"But it sure feels like it, doesn't it?" Tsubaki.
"Hey guys," Soul greeted with a cordial smile, stepping aside and beckoning for them to enter. "Tsubaki's right," he said, "it does feel like it."
Patty past Soul first with a bubbly grin, Liz following after her giving him a warm nod. Tsubaki entered last, lips lifted sweetly. "Hi, Soul." Soul closed the door behind her.
"Hey Tsubaki, how are you?"
"I'm good, thank you."
"So where's our tiny Maka?" Liz wondered, looking around as she stepped into the living room. Patty followed closely behind her sister, clapping her hands together as she also searched.
Soul rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah... about that, actually.."
Liz's head whipped around. "What? Why do you sound like that?"
Tsubaki peeked around Soul with her hands behind her back, amusement raising her thin eyebrows. "Are you perhaps saying you lost Maka, Soul?"
"Ehh," he responded, hesitation etched into his tone, "it might be.. something like that.."
Patty's giggles could have probably been heard the next house over. "How could you lose a human! They aren't small like bobby pins!" she laughed.
Liz crossed her arms over her chest, sniggering. "Maka isn't her normal size, remember? You really can't blame him."
"Hmm.. Where was the last time you saw her, Soul?" Tsubaki asked, stepping past him.
"I..."―he walked to the arm of the couch and motioned putting something down―"I put her down here and went to take the trash out. When I came back, she was gone. Vanished. I have no idea where she went. I tried calling out to her but she didn't answer."
"Hide-and-seek!" Patty jovially suggested, bouncing in place. "Whoever finds Maka first wins!"
Soul won.
He spotted Maka crawling out from beneath the couch, attempting to head towards the kitchen, but when she saw him, she stopped dead in her tracks, mouth going circular because she'd been caught. Soul's lips stretched into a wide, devious grin as he held out his arms. "Found you," he said lowly, chuckling as Maka hunched lower as if she were preparing herself to run. He stepped forward and she retreated, glancing back with determination glinting in her green orbs.
Maka turned on her heel and took one long step forward before Soul's toe was in front of her leg, tripping her. Maka fell forward, face-planting on the carpet with a surprised, playful shriek. Her arms, previously sprawled out ahead her, quickly bent as she attempted to get up again; but Soul's big toe pressed heavily on her back, though not hard enough to hurt her.
"Ahh!" Maka screamed, laughter bursting from her lips as she tried to crawl away from him. She flipped over onto her back: a new attempt, hands flying up to try to push away his toe. "Sooouul!" she complained, eyes squeezing shut as his toe moved to her side, tickling her. Soul's chest bobbed with contained chuckles, trying not to attract the others' attention so he could continue his onslaught.
"Ahahaha, sto-! Stop, no!" she guffawed, inhaling largely when her lungs begged for air.
Her nose crinkled and her glee stalled. "Gross!" she exclaimed. "Your feet smell! Take a shower or put on so-ahhhahaha-cks!"
Soul inched his toes closer to her face as his frame shook with mirth. "Ooooh? Do they? Hm..?"
"Hey! You found her!" Patty noticed, stepping up out of nowhere and leaning forward beside the male weapon. Soul, caught off guard, loosened his hold on Maka, enough so that she could scramble away with an aggrieved puff of air to brush her disheveled bangs from her face.
A slow smirk grew over Soul's face as he watched Maka catch her breath.
"Guess I win."
Thursday, December 24th
Days had slowed. The hours were spent asking Soul for this, to do that, to get those. Maka enjoyed her independence, and being unable to have it was nearly unbearable. Though she wasn't necessarily complaining. She had an excuse to spend more time with him. She was happy for that, of course, because there was nothing better than being by his side.
It was late, probably a little past eleven on Christmas Eve, and they were watching some light comedy Soul rented. She should have been laughing along with him, but for the past twenty minutes she couldn't focus. Naturally, Maka had never been the type of person to dwell on the negatives of a situation, but there just weren't any positives here. Uncertainties floated across her mind like casual things, keeping her lips restrained in a frown.
"Hey, Soul," Maka addressed tentatively, anxiously picking at her nails, turning to his face. Her natural spot had become his left shoulder. "What if I don't turn back?" she continued, even though Soul's attention seemed to be glued to the movie.
"You'll stay small forever," was his distant response, a little humor tracing the outline of his words, but Maka believed it was because he had just finished chuckling. When he was met with silence afterwards, Soul seemed to snap away from his distraction and turned to look at her. Her eyes, darkened by the lack of light, looked up at him, searching for comfort only he provide. He saw the distress in them even though she tried hard to not allow it to show. He knew her through and through.
"I thought we already went over this. You will turn back, Maka. Okay? I'll make a cure myself if I have to." The girl's lips lifted slightly. "And then everything will go back to normal, as if this never even happened in the first place. You got me?"
"I'm sorry I just... can't help but to think-"
"Well don't think about it. It wouldn't do you any good to. Look, tomorrow's Christmas. The gang is coming over in the morning to exchange and open presents and then Blair will be back Sunday. They have a surprise for you, too."
Maka's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion: "Wait, surprise?"
Soul turned his head back to the screen as a small smug smile teased his partner. "You'll see," he said. "It'll be cute."
Cute? Maka wondered, heat inching across her cheeks. She returned to her normal sitting position,perched facing forward. Her right palm came to support her chin as her left arm slung across her waist, left hand holding onto her right hip. Her right elbow rested atop her left forearm, body slumped forward as she knitted her brows together in thought.
What kind of cute does he mean? she thought. Like a girlfriend cute or a best friend cute? No... definitely not the girlfriend cute. But then again, I don't think we're still at that point of just 'best friends'. Unless I'm the one taking things the wrong way, and he doesn't feel anything more, then...
"You alright?" Soul's voice startled Maka from her pondering. "You look like you have to poop." Maka's eyes widened considerably as she inhaled a sharp breath of embarrassment, blush igniting her skin rapidly while her head snapped up to look at him.
"Soul!" she scolded in a high-pitched voice, scrambling to her feet. Soul was chuckling as Maka balled her fists at her side, struggling to make it close to his cheek as he craned his neck away. She really wished she was capable of wielding a book.
Maka settled for hitting her weapon with her fist, huffing, though she doubted he felt much of anything. She was knocked off balance then as his shoulders began to shake in accordance with his hearty chuckles. "You always get so flustered when I talk about that!" he laughed, and Maka placed two hands on his jaw to hold herself still.
"Woah," she mumbled as she nearly titled to the left too much, her leaning threatening to make her fall into his lap. "Shut up! It's embarrassing."
After a few moments, Soul's laughter died down and Maka's flush did not falter.
"You need to shave," she grumbled then, focus narrowing on the scruff covering his jaw. Soul's hand came up to rub across his opposite cheek.
"Do I?" he mused. "Hm, seems so." He fought back a shit-eating grin when he added: "Well I haven't had time to shave because I've been tending to your every need."
Maka puffed out her cheeks.
"It's not like I'm forcing you to do any of this! You don't have to if you don't want to. I'm sure I can manage by myself."
Soul rolled his eyes, and when he wrapped his hand around Maka's waist, she let out a bewildered shout. He merely brought her to his chest and cupped his other hand beneath her feet so she could stand against himself.
"You would never be able to manage, Maka. I'm doing this because I want to... and kind of because I have to. If I just left you on your own, you'd probably end up falling to your death from the counter or something."
Maka, pressing her cheek against Soul's chest, listened to his slow heartbeat and chuckled slightly. "I probably would, honestly."
"See? Exactly. So don't worry about anything."
She flattened out his shirt absentmindedly, her pout melting sleepily as Soul's index finger rubbed up and down against her back. "You're the best," she murmured, "thank you."
Friday, December 25th
Surprise?
Cute?
Maka was expecting something a little different than this.
She fiddled with the headband threatening to break the skin behind her ears, attached to it a golden halo that refused to want to stay upright. She pulled at the white fabric clinging to her chest then, trying to give herself some room to breathe, and afterwards, she slid her hands down her waist and over the skirt of her dress to rest in her lap. She rolled her shoulders, sighing through her nose when the straps cutting off her circulation dug deeper into her skin. While she was small, she wasn't that small, and not everything fit.
The girls thought it would be a good idea to forcibly dress her in a silly angel costume for the 'sake of it being Christmas and, just between us, Soul really digs it'.
Her lips pursed in an irritated pout as she sat in Soul's palms, Patty giggling loudly as she and Liz made some joke regarding her situation.
"What, are you going to try to put me on top of the tree next?" she grumbled cutely, right hand coming back to straighten a feathery wing.
Black Star's head popped up from the tray of cookies he was examining. He leaned over, invading Soul's personal space to snicker. "Can we, Maka? Can we?"
"No!" she responded, crossing her arms over her chest. Black Star retreated, visibly disappointed.
"Don't be such a grouch, Maka," Soul whispered, head ducking low so his mouth was beside her ear. She could hear the smirk in his tone: "You can't blame them for wanting to exploit you. Besides, you look cute."
Maka's breath hitched in her throat and she whipped her head around, away from his lips. "Wh-whatever."
The girls apparently weren't lying when they said Soul 'digs' it.
Minutes passed and Maka relaxed in Soul's hands as the rest of her friends caught up on lost times and laughed. "It's been a while since everyone was here like this," Maka said softly, the statement directed at Soul. She leaned back until she was resting against his stomach.
"Yeah," he sighed. "I'm glad everyone was able to come."
Soul and Maka's guests were temporarily distracted by one another while the duo continued to converse.
"I'm happy that we're able to spend another Christmas together, you know, you and I," Maka said.
"And we're going to be spending many more together I'm sure."
"Promise?"
"Definitely."
Maka got up on her knees then and adjusted herself so she was facing his chest. She titled her head, smiling warmly. "I'm looking forward to it."
After Maka took a few quiet deep breaths, she asked, "Soul, could you um, lift me closer to your face?"
Soul's eyebrows knitted together briefly before he did so.
"Can we.. Can I... kiss you, Soul?" she wondered bashfully, a light pink tint dusting across her cheeks, long lashes batting as she flicked her eyes from his face to his shoulder. "We don't have to, I just - as a thank you. For always being here."
Soul's eyes widened slightly and he took a few seconds to comprehend what just came from her mouth. "Kiss? What? When you're like.. this? Wouldn't you want to wait until-"
"Can I not?"
"No, you.. you can."
Soul gave a short nod and swallowed thickly with brightly flushed cheeks. Maka's heart thrummed rapidly within her chest that felt too tight and ready to burst at any second. She could feel his as well, hands pressed against his sternum and all, and it was beating as fast if not faster than hers. Maka placed her hands on either side of his cheeks then, near his lips, and stood on her toes, lidding her eyes as she leaned up. Her knees were wobbly and her breath was trembling as it left her nostrils, but her resolve was final and she could absolutely not chicken out now, not when things felt so right.
Maka closed her eyes and pressed her mouth to Soul's bottom lip, and a few seconds later, there was a poof. Maka's sense of direction was temporarily scrambled, and when her entire body felt tingly, her eyes snapped open. She was no longer on eye level with his lips but face-to-face, emerald irises meeting ruby properly for the first time in what felt like ages. Her palms were cupping his jaw and his fingertips were squeezing into her hips as she was straddling him.
"One week," Maka breathed when they parted with a smack of their lips, breath ghosting across Soul's freshly-shaven chin, lips slowly pulling into an excited grin. "That's what Myrna said!"
"She predicted this?"
"It seems so."
Maka then noticed orange and black glitter that sparkled in the sunlight pouring through the window lift from her body. She glanced up and caught sight of the glitter being pulled into one central area near the ceiling. A monarch butterfly was forming. And when it was finished, it flapped its wings twice, then disappeared completely within a small cloud of black and another poof.
Maka's reality her hit like a sack of bricks when she heard a nervous ahem from behind her. There were breezes in places there shouldn't have been and skin that felt aflame beneath a certain man's touch. She no longer felt restricted inside a doll's costume but airy and suddenly very chilly.
Her clothes didn't change to fit her form.
Soul's eyes dashed downward from his meister's face to between their bodies and back. Maka's face was probably steaming as her mouth twitched, a horrified screech ready to break from her throat. She quickly reached behind her to grab one of her books that hadn't left the coffee table for the past month with a strangled cry of frustration.
She was about to crush Soul's skull with it when Black Star shouted, "Damn! Look how white your ass is Maka! Bwahahaha!"
As she redirected her aim for Black Star and threw the book sideways into his forehead, Maka lost her balance and fell chest-first into Soul, her breasts squishing against his collarbones, a squeak flying past her lips. Soul's head fell back and his hand shot up to squeeze the bridge of his nose to prevent any blood from pouring out.
"S-Soul, I-!"
Tsubaki quickly swung a blanket across Maka's shoulders and wrapped it around her naked body, lifting her off of Soul as she sputtered. Maka glanced around as Tsubaki softly pushed her out of the living room with light giggles. Liz's hands were gratefully covering Kid's eyes as he calmly lifted a chocolate chip to his mouth. Patty was clutching her stomach as she giggled uncontrollably, baby blue eyes squeezing shut with joy as Black Star rubbed a forming lump on his face. Soul was ineffectively preventing blood from dripping down his chin, attempting to string out apologies to his roommate.
Maka hung her head low, cheeks a deep red, and shouted, voice high with embarrassment, "Forget you saw anything!"
Soul most definitely wouldn't.
A/N: A huge thank you to both Khalee and Eis! I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to work with the both of you and I hope that this won't be the last time! I can't express how much I appreciate all the help you've both given me during these past few months and I couldn't have wished for better Reverb partners.
The links to Eisschirmchen's beautiful artwork and Khaleesimaka's lovely playlist can be found in the links in my profile!