Chapter Two: Interruptions
Thank you so much to everyone who has read, favorited or followed my story. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it, and you can expect another update next weekend, maybe even containing a little something smutty;) -Much Love, TheRabbitRe.
I woke up in the morning to three things, the sounds of someone scrambling in the kitchen, the smell of food, and the absence of Soul's body heat. Well, I say morning, but the clock on Soul's bedside table showed it to be more like midafternoon. I rolled back to my side of the bed stretching to test the ability of my sore body. The pain followed by this led to the discovery of the medication, which Soul had laid out on my nightstand. Thank Lord Death. Refusing to allow Soul to feel guilty for any pain on my behalf, I quickly gulped the pills down and got out of bed, determined to show him I was fully capable of handling myself. I felt more steady and attached to my limbs today. My zombie shuffle had progressed to an old woman's limp as I made my way towards the smell of food, foregoing a change of clothes.
I found Soul in the kitchen, muttering curse words to himself as he cooked what smelt like bacon on the stove. He was still in his boxers; however, he had unfortunately thrown on a t-shirt as well. Blair was nowhere to be seen. Clearly incapable of making a stealthy approach in my current condition, he turned to face me as I entered the room. A lazy smile flopped across his face when he saw me. "I'm not quite done making 'breakfast' if you want to grab a shower."
"Are you calling me dirty?" I paused to think about the words that left my mouth after I said them. When will I ever learn.
The look on his face alerting me to my mistake. I spoke again before he could answer. "You know what, don't answer that."
I felt heat rising to my face as I darted to the bathroom, best I could, slamming the door behind me. I could hear him chuckle, it was a happy sound. Whatever he had been beating himself up over didn't appear to currently be on his mind. Avoiding looking at myself in the mirror, I pulled the clothes from my body, turning on the shower before easing myself into the hot stream. The rush of hot water leaving traces of red across my skin. I yelped ever so slightly when the water encountered the stitches of my wound. I traced my fingers across it, starting just below my breast, curving across my chest and then trailing down my side, ending just behind my hip, where one might place a tramp stamp. It was worst at the curve. Mild amounts of dried blood turned red once more, vanishing across my body. I got to cleaning myself. Humming to the sound of a song I once heard. It wasn't long before I was squeaky clean and wrapping a towel around my naked body; only to realize all my clothes were in my bedroom. I was going to have to travel past the kitchen, and more importantly Soul, in my current attire to get there. Heat pooled between my thighs at the idea of him seeing me wrapped in only a towel, hair still dripping from the shower. Knock it off hormones. I mean we had been dating though… Surely we've. I whipped the thought from my mind, embarrassment flooding through me as I opened the door to the hall.
I tip toed across the wood floor, hoping and not hoping vainly, that Soul wouldn't turn around as I past him. Of course, he did as soon as he heard me. "Hey Maka-" he stopped mid-sentence. His eyes in no way shyly tracing my body. Both of us stuck, afraid to look away. I could feel the arousal I couldn't quite place spreading. Neither of us spoke as he set the pan down, the stove still red hot; he stepped closer to me, edging out of the kitchen like I was a deer which might flee at any moment. "Soul." My voice came out raspier than I had meant it, but his eyes were setting me on fire.
My voice had apparently also erased his reserves because he was upon me in the next moment, lost memories be damned. He pressed me against the wall, skillfully avoiding my stiches, his knee inserting itself between mine, pressing them apart. My towel lay forgotten on the floor. I wrapped my calf around his, inviting him in, wanting to know what he knew. The tingling in my groin was becoming painful. His eyes devoured my body, a beast starved of its prey. A horrific pained look accompanied a sharp twinge in my chest when he saw my scar. He started to pull away before I wrapped my arms around his neck, forcing him to look at me. "Hey, hey. It's okay." My voice was silent, pleading. I ran one hand up to his cheek, and then behind his head, fingers intertwined with hair. I pulled him to me, wanting to rid his face of the pain. He softened under my touch, his hand running down my bare sides, sending a thrill through my body.
I pulled his face to mine, he pressed his body into me and against the wall. For a moment, we only stared, foreheads touching, breath mingling between us. Desire, but hesitance on both parts. I wanted him. He needed me. I intertwined my second hand with his hair, and that was all he needed. His lips crushed into mine, six months of deprivation driving us both. The pressure of him on me pulled against my stiches, in a painful way, but the agitation in my nether regions outweighed the pain. As his teeth drug across my lower lip, a memory of him came back to me.
It was initiation and everyone was partnering up. Children finding children in a vast room, souls intertwining, friendships beginning. But I felt out of place, disconnected. Somewhere down the hall the sound of a piano drifted towards me, and I followed it. Followed it to Soul. At the sight of him playing the twisted music, both dark and light, his white hair, distrustful eyes, my soul had reached for him. As his song ended I clapped, startling him from his trance. "That was amazing."
"No one was supposed to hear that. How much do you even know about music?"
"Almost nothing." I smiled. "I'm Maka. Meister."
He hesitated. "Soul. Weapon."
"Well Soul, it appears we're the only two who haven't paired yet. What do you say, want to be partners?"
I reached my hand towards him and he grasped it-
A searing pain ripped through my skull; I was face to face with a frowning red demon in a checker tiled room. A broken piano lay forgotten in the corner. "Stop," he snarled at me.
I half gasped, half shrieked, my hands flying to my temples to try and block the pain. It felt like someone had just stabbed a knife into my skull. Soul immediately pulled back, hands grapping my waist to keep me from falling to the ground. "Maka, shit I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have, here." He quickly snatched the towel from the floor and wrapped it around my bare body. "Are you okay, what hurts, what can I do, I'm so sorry." Worry jerked his thoughts from one thing to the next.
I couldn't pull my hands from my head, it hurt so bad black blurs encroached on my vision. "Soul." Was the only word I could manage to get from my mouth.
"Maka, what is it. Tell me what's wrong. What can I do?" He was pleading with me, but I couldn't think straight enough to answer him.
"Give me," I panted, "A second." I closed my eyes trying to calm my breathing. My current state of clothing, or lack thereof, and previous arousal forgotten. His hands were frozen on my side, afraid. His breathing forcefully quiet.
It took a hot minute, but as the pain began to dull I spoke. "It wasn't anything you did, I promise. When we kissed, it brought back the memory of the first time we met. It's just right when I remembered that a searing pain like a knife in my skull, shot through my head. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I pulled one trembling hand from my head, leaving that side of my head throbbing harder as I placed my hand on his stunned face. I ran my thumb across his cheek and tried to smile at him. Clearly I was unconvincing, because he pulled me into his lap on the floor, enwrapping me with his arms like he could protect me from everything there. And maybe he could. I let my hands fall, pressing my head into the warmth of his chest.
"You scared me," he whispered against my hair.
"I'm sorry-"
"Don't apologize, you're not allowed."
"Stop that." I spoke firmly, despite the pain in my head.
"Stop what?"
"Being unreasonably hard on yourself." I looked up, back into his guilty eyes.
I placed my hands on either side of his face, entrapping him there so I could lean up to him. I wouldn't have him afraid to touch me. I placed my lips on his, ever so gently, inviting him back to me. His lips didn't move until I ran my tongue across his lower lip, reminding him of my importance. He opened his mouth to me, gingerly. I kissed him again, this time his mouth moved with mine, he pulled me closer to his body; and this is how Blair found us. Bursting through the front door with a large cake which read: "Welcome Home Maka!", she caught a glimpse of us. Me half naked with Soul wrapped around me like a mama bear, mid kiss.
"Well don't mind me. I'll just set this right here." She plopped the cake onto the counter, causing an audibly awkward sound. "And make myself scarce." She scooted back out of the door with a rambunctious laugh.
Soul's face was beat red, and while I knew I should be embarrassed, something else had attracted my attention. "Hey Soul." He looked at me. "Do you smell that; I think somethings burning?"
"Shit." He carefully, but quickly untangled himself from me. My body protested, but he helped me up and I followed him back to the stove. Albeit at a much slower pace.
"Should I go get her?" I felt kind of rude, she had brought me a cake.
"Chances are she'll only make… shall we just say jokes." He smirked at me in a way that was more of a cringe.
I quickly looked away, ignoring his implications I spoke. "We can just save this for whenever she returns then." I stowed the pastry in the fridge before turning back to him.
"It might be a while we used to-" He caught himself before he continued, turning back to his task at hand.
I decided not to think too much about what the rest of that sentence might have contained, while I leaned against the counter watching him. He had already turned off the stove eye, and was in the process of angrily throwing a pan of charred meat into the sink. He turned on the water, allowing it to strike the pan, eliciting an aggressive sizzle as warm smoke curled into the air. Opening the fridge, which proved to be rather barren aside from what appeared to be some yogurt, a partial carton of eggs, milk which I wouldn't be surprised if it were spoiled, and some old pizza. Turning to me he spoke. "I guess I need to go to grocery store." One of his hands ran up the back of his neck and mussed his hair.
"What have you been living off?" However, that's when it dawned on me. "You never left the hospital room, did you?"
He turned away from me, closing the refrigerator door. "I could order some Chinese food, they deliver. How's that sound?"
I guess I'd been so wrapped up in what I couldn't remember, that I hadn't noticed what was right in front of me. There were dark circles under his eyes, which although were naturally droopy looked unnervingly sad. His smile was strained, not quite pulling his lips over his shark teeth. His hair, which even in the memories I had of him was messy to say the least, was a little off. A little less styled mess and a little more bed head. "Soul?" My voice was concerned, quiet. I moved toward him to place my hand on the small of his back. He refused to look at me, I wanted to wrap my arms around him, but I couldn't without dropping my towel. So, I did the next best thing. I squirmed my way in-between him and the counter, and tilted my head up to meet his gaze. "Soul, tell me."
His arms snaked around me, squeezing my body against his. His chin was resting on my head, and I could feel it move as he spoke. "When it first happened, I was in such a blind state of panic that BlackStar had to knock me out for Stein to be able to take you to the surgical room. For the first time in what felt like my whole life, I couldn't feel your soul there with mine. It was like someone had chopped off my limbs; I was in a dark room with no light to tell me which way to escape. I couldn't get the image of the black blood seeping out of your chest, or the demon's laughter in my ear, out of my head. Every time I fell asleep the same scene played over again, and again. Somewhere along the line I stopped sleeping, Stein started drugging me, making me go home. But, there were just too many reminders of you there, and I was convinced you would never wake up without me by your side. Even last night I was afraid if I went to sleep, I would wake up to you in a hospital bed."
"I heard you, you know, in that odd dream world the little demon created for me, while I was in a coma. I thought I was going crazy because I would hear this boys voice calling to me. Every time I heard it, your voice, it was like it was leading me out of a dark room. You're the reason I woke up." My face was still pressed into his body. "And I'm not going anywhere now." He refused to let me move.
"I'm the reason you were in the bed." I could feel the turmoil of his soul seeping into my chest through the string. I didn't like it. I shook it free, and instead sent my soul's wavelength back to him. A much warmer, calming feeling washing into his soul.
"We're partners right? That means no matter what happens equal fault falls on both of us. Besides, our souls call to one another. Even I can see that, absent memories and all. Go ahead and order Chinese, I'm going to go get dressed." I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to erase this pain of his, not until I had my memories back.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a much calmer fashion, us on the couch with Chinese, my feet in his lap, me watching the T.V, him watching me. At some point, Blair returned and curled up next to me, she fell asleep to the tune of me stroking her back. That night, I laid across Soul's chest, stroking his hair, refusing to go to sleep until I was sure he had. When his thumb stopped making circles on my back, I continued to play with his hair until I drifted off as well. The rest of the week was pretty much uneventful, and consisted of Soul treating me like an invalid. I could tell he was afraid to trigger anymore of my memories, I saw flashes of things here and there, but nothing big enough to anger the black blood. In fact, I was almost getting bored when Stein showed up on our front step. So much for calling before you came over.
"I was in the area and Blair told me you were both home, so I came for a check-up." He watched me as he ticked the screw in his head. "If you wouldn't mind, go change into something that I can observe your wound in."
I nodded, and Soul invited him inside while I headed back to my room to change. I didn't particularly want to wear something that left my stitches visible, every time Soul saw it he looked more and more guilty. I hated seeing him like that, blaming himself for something that wasn't truly his fault, like I had in the nagging memory of Crona. I pulled off the tank top I had previously been wearing, along with my bra. Instead, I shimmed on a sports bra and left it at that. Even I ignored looking at myself in the mirror on my walk back to the living room. I had gained some of my weight back, the muscle however, was still nowhere to be seen. Hey, well at least you can walk like a normal human being now.
Avoiding Soul's gaze, even though I could feel his soul shying away from me, I walked over in front of Stein. He went about his exam as he spoke. "I have a theory; I think you and Soul need to try and resonate souls. I believe there's a possibility that this could trigger your memories, even if not all of them. Have you seen Soul's weapon form since you came back home?"
"No, I have-" Before I could finish my sentence Soul butted in.
"Last time Maka's memory was triggered she screamed in pain." He sounded defensive. Like this was adequate reason for me not to try and get my memories back at all.
"I was afraid of that, but think of it this way. It's the black bloods only method of deterring you from trying to get your memories back. The memories which help you keep hold of your sanity. Was it not Soul who brings you back from the depths each time? Maka, the little red demon, which you two normally associate with the madness caused by the black blood, was he there?" Stein's hands momentarily paused as he looked at me.
"Yea he looked angry and told me to stop." I stole a glance at Soul, he hid it well, but I could see the mild amount of hurt in his eyes that I'd left this tidbit of information out before.
"This could be all the more reason for you two to resonate souls, it would give you a chance to face him together. However, it wouldn't surprise me if resonating souls doesn't come so easily to the two of you anymore. That in and of itself could be its own battle, involving high resistance from the blood."
Soul spoke up, "Is there no way to do this without causing Maka physical pain." The way he spoke told me he already knew the answer.
"I'm afraid not Soul. Maka, I'm not clearing you for strenuous activity as in do not jump into training. However, I believe working with Soul in weapon form, trying to wield him not to attack anything, just physically wield, would be good for you. If you so desire, you may do mild cardio workouts. Engaging in combat, heavy lifting, running, anything that would cause you to break into a sweat, will lead to you busting your stiches; which needless to say will be detrimental to your healing process."
"Yes sir," I replied. Soul mumbled something in the background. He was sulking.
"If I may ask, when you saw the demon, how was that memory triggered and what was the memory?" Stein directed his gaze as Soul, who looked at me.
Staring at the ground, a blush creeping onto my face, I answered quietly. Dammit Soul. "The memory was of the day we first met, it was triggered when we… we were…." I trailed off before blurting, "kissing." Very quickly.
I could hear the screw turning in his head. "Well, that gives me an entirely new hypothesis on how to bring back your memory." He chuckled. Even Soul was embarrassed now; I could feel it in his soul. "I'm also intrigued that the memory and the trigger don't appear to have any clear connection." I hadn't thought of that. Soul's face revealed a similar thought before the professor continued.
"I'll be heading out now. Just remember you're the demons host, it can't kill you. Oh, and I'm unsure of how much longer I'm going to be able to deter BlackStar from breaking down your door. I've been keeping him busy with missions." Stein waved over his head as he closed the door. I heard him add from the other side: "Your fathers still sulking that you went home with Soul."
"Okay, let's see it." I turned to Soul, ignoring Steins forewarning of my friends and 'family', he still looked like he was sulking as well. Maybe you and my papa weren't so different.
"See what?"
I grabbed the nearest book to my body, marching over to his side of the living room I swiftly brought it down on his head. "Don't play dumb with me, you know what I mean, YOUR WEAPON FORM."
"Dammit Maka that hurt." He griped, rubbing his head before he continued. "You want me to change into a scythe, in the middle of the living room I might add, when we don't even know for sure if you can handle me? Bad idea Maka."
"Fine, then let's go somewhere else."
"No." Soul's tone was harsh, his soul pulled back from mine. You're clearly still sulking.
"What're you so afraid of Soul? I have to get my memories back, you heard the professor."
"Did you not hear the part about how the black blood is going to fight every part of this, I can only imagine the pain you felt earlier isn't going to have anything on the pain to come."
"Soul."
"I won't do it, I won't watch you torture yourself, and for what? So you can remember me? The weapon who let their own meister almost die. I don't think-"
"SOUL, I have to remember."
"Why Maka. What makes you so sure it's worth it." He backed away from me, his fist curling at his sides. His face twisting into some form of self-loathing, I hated every bit of it.
"Do you not understand Soul. It's not up to you, it's my memories. Our memories. Do you not want me to remember? Do you not realize that what you described to me before, how when I got hurt it felt like someone had chopped your arm off, well how do you think I feel now? With this giant hole in my memories, a hole that covers so much of my life." I hadn't meant to let my emotions get the better of me, but I could feel warm tears swelling up in my eyes. I defied the tears with a scream as I headed to the bedroom, slamming the door behind me as soon as I crossed the threshold.
A few hours passed before Soul showed up at the door, knocking before he came in with a piece offering, some sandwich he'd scrounged up in the kitchen. He slid it across the bed to me. "I'm sorry." I honestly wasn't expecting it, his apology. Didn't change the fact that I was still upset.
I didn't reply, or make any move to look at him. How could he not want me to remember? "Maka, please. Look at me." His soul tickled against mine afraid to stay there long.
I sat up in the bed and turned towards him. "What Soul."
His hand was in his hair, he stayed by the nightstand, too anxious to move closer. "I know you're right. You have to get your memories back, that wasn't cool of me."
"Why're you fighting me." I hadn't meant to sound hurt, but I did. I was.
"I hate that I can't do anything. I can't stop whatever pain you're in, I just sit by and watch you clutch at your body. The body I allowed to be maimed." He looked away from me.
"Soul, stop blaming yourself. Watching you tear yourself up, isn't going to help anything." I could see in his facial expressions that my response wasn't the right thing to say, like he was going to hide his emotions from me now.
"Why didn't you tell me about the demon." He was still staring into the corner, talking to the piano.
"I don't know." I watched his profile, waiting for him to turn towards me.
"If we're going to do this, if we're actively going to try and get your memories back. You can't hide stuff from me, you have to talk to me Maka."
I had a feeling we'd had a similar conversation before. "Okay, I will." I stared into his red eyes. "I promise."
His face softened, and he transformed his forearm into a scythe. Except rather than being solely a weapon, it was also a piano, or a keyboard more accurately. He held it before himself and brought his other hand up to play.
We were sitting on the steps of the DWMA, we'd just won the war against Asura. We were surrounded by all our friends, really the entire academy. Soul was playing for us, but his eyes were just on me. The music was something we had made together, that's what Soul had said to me. I was blushing as Marie and Stein were discussing how partners who resonate well usually are very romantically compatible, and I knew. I could feel it in the song he was playing, in all its twisted reality, that Soul loved me. Even if he hadn't said it yet. Maybe I even loved him.
"Really Maka, why are you so determined to let this boy back into your life?" I was in the room with checkered floors and red walls, a broken piano taunting me from the corner.
"Wouldn't it just be so much easier to let the madness take root." The demon smiled at me, his suit wavering as he danced off beat.
"You never had me though, I don't recall ever losing control while I was in a coma." I replied to the creature.
"Well, I guess you have me there. No, I never have gotten full control of you. I suppose Soul was there to pull you out, or keep you from sinking under. But, are we sure it's worth this-
That's when the pain hit me, yet again like someone had shoved a serrated knife into my temple. I doubled over, clasping my arms around my head, stifling the cry of pain I knew was coming. Soul had his arms around me in the next moment, pulling me into his lap, curling his body around mine like a shield as he spoke. "I can't stand this."
The pain hadn't subsided enough for me to answer, so I just twisted my body around to wrap myself around him instead, trying to shield a shield. We stayed like that. Silent. Until the pain in my brain eased off. "I remembered the night after we defeated the kishin. When everyone was in front of the academy." I looked up at him, but didn't make any move to unravel us.
He tried to smile. "That was a good day, everyone was so happy after having been afraid for so long. Even looking pass the losses, it was a good victory for the DWMA. Plus, we got to go to the moon."
"Soul." I needed him.
"Yeah?"
"Kiss me." His arms around me loosened, frightening me momentarily before I realized he had done it to get better access to me. Which I only approved of too much. His hand slid down to my waist and he flipped me over onto the bed. He looked down at me, his knees on either side of my hips as he leaned downwards.
"Like this?" He asked, warm breath caressing my lips. Part of me was surprised he complied. I slid my hands across his abs, then up around his shoulders and into his hair to keep him from escaping. Our lips met, gently, just barely touching. He kissed me once, twice, three times before asking entrance with his tongue. He bit down on my lower lip, sucking on it before he slid his tongue into my parted lips, exploring the entrance of my mouth as he pulled away. His forehead resting on mine, I opened my eyes to see his staring at me. "I really missed you." He needed me too.
I wasn't sure how to reply, so I leaned up to kiss him again, softly, hands sliding down his back. I trailed my kisses down his neck, sucking on the skin there, I could swear he almost moaned in my ear.
Pulling away too soon he spoke again. "Come on, if you're wanting to train today we better head towards the school." He rolled off me and the bed, before reaching his hand out to me. I grasped his slender hand and allowed him to lead me from the apartment.
