Second Set For SoMa Week 2016 Prompt 2: Can't Sleep

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater

Epilogue: It Doesn't Hurt To Cuddle

"I can't sleep."

Soul glanced over at her from his spot on the couch stiffly. His meister stood just outside her bedroom door, her pajamas looking blue in the light of the television. "You really cut to the chase, didn't you?"

"What are you doing up?" she asked instead, walking over to the television, which played a cooking show that he had long since stopped paying attention to.

"Just watching something. Nothing important. And you? Why are you awake, Miss 'I-need-exactly-nine-hours-of-sleep'?"

"I just can't sleep."

"Come here, then."

"I-"

"It's okay. Just do it." They moved together in sync, fitting in the places and spaces the other provided. Instead of pulling her in, Maka's arms curved around his body and held him close to her with his ear pressed to her chest. He could hear her heartbeat through the tank top she was wearing. It was rhythmic and steady and just as familiar as he remembered. Soul dragged a blanket over them as they sat, ignoring the hum of the show. His cheek was now pressed to the chest of his meister, and Soul felt the tension slip from his shoulders.

"We haven't done this in a long time," he mused aloud.

"I reserve this for the really bad nights. You know that." Her hands rested in his hair, combing through strand after strand of pale white. Soul relaxed against his partner, hugging her back. He had long since stopped worrying about being too heavy for her. As much as she complained about it, she enjoyed when they were close. Something about being warm and better than her blankets.

"You're the one that can't sleep," he said, "I should be comforting you."

"But this is more comfortable, don't you think?" she asked. When he didn't answer, she followed with, "Do you remember the first time we did this?" He nodded into her shirt. "I found you in the kitchen," she reminisced and her voice hummed through her chest to vibrate against his cheek. "Not a bit of food in sight. I don't even know why I woke up in the first place. You told me it was a coincidence and then I dragged you to bed and we just lay like this until you fell asleep. Do you remember?"

"I couldn't forget it even if I tried. When we lay down, you told me that I would sleep guaranteed. And I asked you how you knew that."

"And I told you that this was what my mama and papa used to do for me when I needed a bit of extra courage. Every needs a bit of courage sometimes." He could hear the smile in her voice. "But sometimes," Maka's hand drooped a bit lower and thumbed the curve of his face, tracing the bones with slow, languid lines. He looked up at her, trying not to let his chin dig into her body. "I don't think it was a coincidence at all."

"What do you mean?"

"I think that even back then, we were connected somehow. Not like we are now that you're a Death Scythe." She leaned her head against the back of the couch but her eyes never left his. She was contemplative in her words, but there was a level of honesty "Like, sometimes, when you wake up, a part of me just knows that it happened. Back then, I think you and me were resonating somehow without trying. It was so flawless. Like we were always resonating but were just unaware of it."

"Maybe we were. It's an interesting theory." He liked the idea of being so connected to Maka even before he had these overwhelming feelings for her; before he knew she had similar feelings for him.

"Yeah. The nightmares were rough on us." She paused to continue her ministrations: soft fingers brushing his skin and stroking his hair the way she knew he enjoyed. Soul reveled in her attention. "Do you mind-"

"No. It's fine." Soul had to stop himself from stiffening, focusing instead on the smooth sound of her voice and the fine shadows that her bangs cast over her forehead.

Her hands paused only for a second before they carried on. "I didn't even finish my question."

"Didn't have to. I knew what you were gonna say."

"And?"

"And it's fine. I'm fine. I don't even remember why I woke up in the first place."

It was as if he didn't even need context. It didn't take a genius to put three in the morning and a Black Blood infested Soul together. Maka didn't say anything about his boldfaced lie and continued to soothe him with her presence. Neither of them were watching the television. Soul muted it and let himself rest against Maka's body; let himself enjoy simply being with her.

"Hey, Soul?"

"Yeah."

"I'm actually really tired."

He buried a chuckle into her shirt. "I figured."

"What do you mean 'you figured'? I told you I was tired."

"You did. But you also do this thing where you stare a little too long at my eyes when you lie." He grinned up at her. "It's how I know."

"You're so sneaky," Maka said, "and why have you never told me this?"

"You normally don't lie to my face, and when you do it's about whose turn it is to cook dinner or about the date of the next test because you always think that it'll make me study harder. Which it doesn't, by the way."

"I'll have to keep that in mind," She smoothed back his hair, strange and out of place on anyone except him, "but I'm serious. We should go to sleep."

"Yeah. But now, I'm too tired to move."

"Now, you're too tired to move? I think it was only a couple weeks ago that you told me you were too cool to sleep with your meister when we almost fell asleep watching Master Chef. You couldn't wait to get away then."

"For the record," said Soul, pressing his cheek to her shirt and holding her tighter, "I'm still too cool to sleep with you."

"Whatever you say, tough guy," she murmured, tilting her chin down to press a kiss onto the top of his head. "Sweet dreams."

Hope you enjoyed this segment. I look forward to writing a bit more for you!