Hi everyone! I see you out there reading and I love you for it! Thank you ymo1002 for the favorite! I'm uploading chapters 3 and 4 today as I am having dental surgery tomorrow and will be recovering for a while. I didn't want to skip posting, so I thought I'd do it early in case I don't feel up to it later. Please review or drop me a message and make this weeaboo's heart happy while I'm on a liquid diet and painkillers! Have a great weekend! Enjoy! 33 ~ Cmay

CHAPTER 4 - Time Killing on a Tuesday - Exploring the DWMA

The next day came with cloudy skies and the threat of a rare rainstorm. The room stayed dark even though it was far past sunrise. So when Maka woke, she wasn't surprised to see that most of the group were still sound asleep. She rose from her bed and grabbed her things to make a dash to the bathroom. She noticed Soul and Kid were not in their beds and she wondered how long they had been up and where they had wandered off to. She quickly showered and got ready for the day and quietly made her way out of the room to head to the cafeteria.

She heard two voices coming from the kitchen when she entered the doors. It was Kid she heard first, "I think I have made a vast improvement to the cupboards! Everything is perfectly symmetrical now. It's beautiful!" She heard Soul next, "Yeah but everything is all mixed up. I don't think the teachers would want you to mess with it." Kid huffed, "Symmetry is all they need to function!" Soul groaned, "Whatever man, can you just find the bread and start making toast?"

Maka stepped into the kitchen to see Soul at the stove stirring eggs in a large pan and Kid had gone to the pantry to pull out a loaf of bread which he began toasting, he looked up and smiled, "Morning, Maka." Soul dropped the salt shaker into the pan with the mostly cooked eggs. He cursed as he fished it from the pan, burning his fingers in the process, "Ow, damn it." Maka shuffled her feet and placed her hands behind her back ignoring the glance Soul had given her as he sucked on his finger. Maka averted her eyes from Soul, "Morning. Um…do you need any help?" Kid smiled, "You could help set the table if you don't mind. Is everyone still asleep?" Maka walked to the plates and silverware sitting on the counter, "Yeah. We were up kind of late and the room is still pretty dark since it looks like it will rain today." Kid nodded and popped more bread into a giant twelve slice toaster.

Maka chanced another glance at Soul, he was still looking at her with his ruby eyes and didn't see the eggs starting to over brown in the pan. "Uh, Soul? The eggs I think…" He jumped and looked into the pan, "Oh! Shit! He quickly scraped them onto the platter next to the stove top and cursed again, "Damn it, I overcooked some." Maka smiled, "Is there any cheese?" Soul looked at her, "Um, maybe in the fridge?" Maka smiled, "Sprinkle cheese over the top and no one will notice. It's what my Papa always did with his." Soul nodded, "Oh…good idea." Maka grabbed the plates and silverware and left to set their table.

Kid stacked toast neatly onto a plate and handed it to Maka to place at the table, "I'm going to go wake everyone else before the food gets cold." Kid walked away and Maka's stomach made a quick dip to her feet. She stood immobile holding the tray of toasted bread as she watched him walk away. Soul cleared his throat, he was standing directly behind her with the platter filled with scrambled eggs covered in cheddar cheese. She was blocking the doorway and jumped, "Oh! Sorry, go ahead." She sidestepped to let him pass and he shook his head, "Ladies first. Unless you think carrying breakfast is not a moment for chivalry…" He flashed her a sideways grin. Maka blushed recalling her words to him as they were about to step through a magical mirror and into this very school two days ago. Maka moved through the doorway and heard Soul follow.

They set breakfast on the table and Soul made a plate of eggs and buttered a piece of toast. Maka grabbed a plate to make her food but Soul handed her the one from his hands, "Here." She looked down at the plate, "Oh…thank you." Soul took the empty plate from her as she set her food down and grabbed a fork, "Looks good, Soul." Soul shrugged, "Would've been better had I not overcooked the bottom. "Took my eyes off them a second too long." Maka shoved a fork full into her mouth, "Well, I think they taste great." Soul stopped chewing as a slight blush rushed up his neck, "Thanks." Maka smiled and nibbled on her toast. They sat quietly, neither of them sure what to say in the silence of the room.

Luckily a few minutes later they heard the telltale shuffle of sleepy feet coming from the hall as Kid returned with Liz, Patty, and Tsubaki in tow. Liz yawned as she plopped down at the table, "Man I could use some coffee." Soul pointed a thumb over his shoulder, "In the kitchen." Liz's mouth cracked into a grin, "Oh bless you and your white-haired self." She pushed away from the table, gave his hair a quick ruffle and began to make a beeline to the coffee pot in the kitchen. Tsubaki had spooned eggs onto her plate and began to eat, "Thank you for making breakfast." Maka looked up, "Oh, it was Soul actually." Tsubaki smiled, "Thank you, Soul. It's really tasty." Soul rubbed his hand across the nape of his neck apparently uncomfortable with the compliment or maybe it was left over embarrassment from the night before, "Sure."

Patty was sitting cross-legged in her chair, munching on a slice of toast with her stuffed giraffe propped up into her lap. Her hair was unbrushed and she still wore her pajamas. A long loud yawn escaped her mouth and she took another bite. Liz returned with a steaming cup of coffee held between her hands and grabbed the plate Maka offered, "Thanks! Man, I'm tired." Maka took another bite of her eggs, "Couldn't get Black Star up huh?" Liz laughed, "No way. He almost kicked Kid in the family jewels and called him a stupid cabbage manhole and rolled back over. Whatever that is." They all looked at Liz in silence for a beat then all burst into laughter.

A few minutes later the cafeteria door swung open to slam against the wall. A bleary-eyed Black Star shuffled to the table grumpily and plopped down next to Tsubaki. He sat there staring at the surface of the table without saying a word. Liz waved a hand in front of his face, "Morning sunshine. My you're looking a bit pale…too much blood loss?" Kid choked on his eggs and Maka's face turned a bright shade of pink. Soul snorted and Patty looked on oblivious to their conversation. Tsubaki pushed a bowl of cereal towards him. Black star picked up a spoon, flipped Liz off and began to shovel a giant spoonful of sugary cereal into his mouth. "Uck owf iz." Liz clicked her tongue, "My, my, such language for the breakfast table." She blew into her mug and took a sip eyes glistening with pure mirth.

Maka took a swig of her juice and cleared her throat, "So, I was thinking. Since it's going to rain that maybe we can make it a movie day and check out the big screen in the auditorium? Liz smiled, "I'm in. I think I saw some popcorn in the pantry yesterday." Tsubaki smiled, "Maybe we can order pizza too. Marie left a list of numbers for food delivery on the fridge." Kid looked up, "Who's going to pay for it?" Tsubaki's face fell, "Oh…uh. Right." Maka looked up from her plate and smiled, "We can ask." She pointed and Marie who was walking in from the hall with a basket, "Morning kids! Sorry I didn't get here before you ate. I made muffins for you!" Patty came out of her comatose state and squealed, "Miss Marie! Your dessert lasagna was yummy! We ate the whole thing!" Six sets of eyes stared at her but Marie only giggled, "Well, I can't believe you slept as late as you did with all that espresso and sugar it had in it! It's almost noon! Boy, I wish I was able to eat and sleep like a teenager again!" She set the basket of goodies on the table.

Tsubaki put her fork onto her plate and turned to look at Marie, "Um, Miss Marie? We were, that is, we saw a list of take-out places and we kinda wanted to order pizza…but we don't have a way to pay for it. We were wondering…" Marie gasped and cut the girl off, "Oh my! Did I forget to leave you the card from Lord Death? She pulled her purse from her shoulder and dug through it and scoffed while she lightly hit her forehead with the palm of her hand, "I did! I am so sorry! Pregnancy brain is such a real thing! I swear my head would roll if it weren't for my spine." Maka chuckled at the odd way she said the phrase but smiled at the kind woman, "We won't buy too much. We just wanted some pizza for a movie day." Marie waved her hand in the air that held a small black credit card, "No, no worries! I was supposed to give this to you when you got settled with instructions to order anything you'd like. Just keep it within reason. No New York strip steak and lobster for lunch or Gucci handbags, alright?"

They all smiled and nodded as she placed the card on the table with a wink, "Well, I only wanted to drop these off, I have a lot to do today! I will leave you kids to it! My number is on the list too so if you need anything don't hesitate to call!" She waved and beamed at them as she turned rubbing her slightly protruding belly and left the cafeteria.

Liz stretched and then took the last couple of gulps from her coffee mug, "Right! I need a shower! I'm going to go back to the room. You guys want to meet up later to start the movie watching thing?" Marie put a bottle of nail polish and some magazines in my stuff. I want to relax and paint my nails for a bit." Patty yawned, "I want a nap." Maka turned and gave her an incredulous look, "You just woke up!" Patty shrugged, "Still sleepy." Black star nodded, "Me too." Maka shrugged, "Alright, why don't we split off for a while? We can meet back up in the auditorium later."

Maka watched as the sisters and Black Star got up and shuffled out of the dining room then she looked to Tsubaki, "You know what you want to do or…" Tsubaki shrugged, "I think I might take a walk. Maybe go sit and meditate in that little courtyard before it starts to rain." Maka smiled and looked at Kid, "Kid, what about you?" Kid had a hand to his chin as if in thought, "Well I did see that the chemistry lab was in complete chaos, I thought I might like to go and organize a few things." Soul looked at him and pointed a finger in his direction, "Kid, you gotta stop changing up everything! It's a chem lab, I'm sure things are like that for a reason." Kid shrugged, "I won't mess with the chemicals…just the beakers and jars they have so horribly arranged." Soul shrugged and rolled his eyes, "Just don't get yourself blown up." Kid waved his comment off, "See you guys later." Kid stood elegantly and walked away muttering about beakers and jars and what way would be best to set them up to be more symmetrical.

Maka giggled, "I'm glad to see him finding something to occupy his mind with." Soul looked at her, "I guess so, it's weird though." Maka nodded, "Maybe, but they say we all cope in our own ways." Soul looked to the top of the table, "Guess so." Maka smiled shyly and stood she grabbed the card from the table, "I'm going to do the dishes and then I think I want to go check out the library." Soul looked at her with eyebrows raised, "The library? You a bookworm?" Maka giggled, "Guess you could say that." She watched as Soul stood and helped gather the dirty dishes from the table. He turned towards the kitchen and she followed, "Soul, just leave them on the counter. I'll take care of them." Maka put the credit card on the counter next to the phone as Soul moved to the sink instead, "I can help. It will go faster that way. Get you to your books sooner." Maka blushed and moved to stand next to him, "I'll wash, you dry?" He nodded and picked up a towel, "Sure."

They stood at the dual sinks in the back of the kitchen as Maka ran plates under hot water and soap to scrub caked on eggs and toast crumbs from the ceramic. Soul rinsed the dishes as she handed them to him placing them on a drying rack next to the sink. He laughed as she dropped the sponge multiple times due to the large rubber yellow gloves covering her hands, "You don't have to wear those you know. It's just soap." Maka looked at him and flicked a glob of bubbles into his face, "Soggy wet food is gross to touch." Soul wiped at his face and smiled, "Them maybe you should have rinsed and dried if it's so gross." Maka held up her glove-clad fingers and gave them a wiggle, "That's what these are for. Can't feel the squishy icky stuff."

She returned to cleaning up the rest of the breakfast dishes while Soul placed the last few items into a rack to dry. He dried his hands on a towel and as she pulled off the gloves he handed it over to her. She looked down and wiggled her now glove free and dry fingers in his face, "That's also what the gloves are good for." He rolled his eyes and swatted the towel in her direction, "I get it. Let's get to the library, Bookworm." Maka smiled, "You don't have to come with me if you don't want to." Soul shrugged and fell into step next to her as they walked towards the library, "I don't mind reading."

Soon they had entered the vast room lined with what looked like at least a hundred rows of books. Soul pushed the door shut behind them. Maka stood a few feet from the doorway taking in the vast number of books before her. She looked uncertain like she didn't know where to start. Soul stepped to her left, "So Bookworm, you have an entire library to yourself. Dream come true?" Maka laughed, "Not entirely to myself. You're here." Soul gave a small frown. "Oh, I can leave. I mean if you want to be alone." Maka's eyes widened and realized how her words sounded, "No! No...please stay. I didn't mean it like that." Soul cleared his throat and nodded, "Alright.'

He followed her as she made her way down row after row of neatly arranged books, running her fingers of her hands along the colorful spines. He watched her reaction, it seemed like she fit in here. Like this was comfortable to her. Maka plucked a book from the shelf and flipped open the cover to read the inside, she frowned and put it back. She chose another, then another. Finally, she seemed content on her choice and clutched the book to her chest.

Maka turned and smiled at him, "I think I'll start on this one. Are you going to read anything?" Soul shrugged, "Saw some music magazines a couple of rows over, I might grab one of those." She smiled, "Liking music does seem to suit you." Soul smiled, "I uh, that is, my whole family is musical in some way. My brother is a violinist and I stick more to the piano." Maka smiled, "Oh, well maybe they have a music room here! I'd love to hear you play." Soul rubbed his hand across the back of his neck and looked at the floor, "Not sure you'd like my style. Most people don't." Maka shrugged, "Well I would like to hear anyway. Make my own opinion." She gave him a smile as she walked past him out of the aisle to sit on a small sofa located in the center of the room. She set the book in her lap, turned on the lamp and opened the cover to begin to read. Soul had grabbed a couple of magazines from the shelves and sat down next to her.

He thumbed through the piano magazine he held and each time he heard Maka turn a page with a small swoosh he chanced a side glance at her. She was a fast reader. She seemed to like the direction of the story so far because she decided to get more comfortable. She had tucked one leg up under her and leaned on her elbow against the arm of the couch. Soul flipped a page of the magazine and then heard her gasp, "Ow! Paper cut." Soul looked at her and smiled as she sucked on her finger, "Who knew reading could be dangerous? Maybe I should get you a pair of those rubber gloves to protect your fingers." Soul chuckled at the image of Maka trying to turn pages while wearing unruly rubber kitchen gloves.

At his words, Maka felt a ping in her mind and remembered she had been wearing white gloves when they had walked in through the mirror, but wait that wasn't from that day. It was…could it be from the past? Her breath hitched and her eyes glazed over, she was trying to hold onto the flash of an image in her head. Was what her brain had just put into her thoughts real or was it something she wished had happened? The heavy book she held slid from her fingers to drop loudly to the hardwood floor.

Soul flung the magazine from his lap and grabbed her by the shoulders as she began to slump over and her breath came in short pants, "Maka?! Maka! What's wrong?" She was quite literally shaken from her thoughts, and she looked up at worried red eyes, "S…Soul. I think…I think I just had a memory come back." His eyes went wide, "Should we call Marie?" Maka shook her head and gripped at his arms to keep her balance on the couch. She was overwhelmed with the possibility that the tiny fragment may have been a memory. She was hopeful, frightened, overjoyed and shocked all at the same time. She took a deep breath, and squeezed her eyes shut, "I'm not even sure it was a memory though. It was…so small. A flash."

Soul, not knowing what to do asked, "Can you, can you tell me?" Maka took another steadying breath. She opened her eyes and he saw that she looked frightened and unsure. He watched as she worried her lip and once again closed her eyes. He dared not say anything, he knew this was important and didn't want to break her of her concentration.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes until he heard her take in a sharp breath and she popped her eyes open as if in surprise and turned her body to mirror his on the sofa, "Soul! I think it is! A memory! I think…I…oh my…I…I" She began to hyperventilate and he placed a hand gently to her cheek to help her focus on his words, "Hey, hey. Breathe, Maka. Just breathe. You're good. In. Out. In. There you go." Maka took a few slow, deep, lungfuls of air and nodded that she was okay. His wide red eyes stared at her and he waited. He'd let her take all the time she needed. He had a million questions, but he wasn't going to rush her. This may be important for all of them.

Maka looked up through her blonde lashes and cleared her throat, "So just now, you said something to me. About giving me gloves." He nodded and stayed quiet so she could continue. "When you said that…I had a flash of something enter my thoughts. Just a flash of my hands wearing white gloves." He opened his mouth then snapped it shut. She had closed her eyes again trying to keep her mind on track, "I thought I was just remembering us at the…the tomb." Another deep breath, "Then there was another flash of…of you. Then another of a box."

Maka wiped at her face in frustration, brows furrowed like this was almost physically painful to piece together. "It was you and me, not here, and not there at that tomb." He frowned and chanced a single word, "Where?" Maka shook her head, "I dunno, but I think you gave me a present." Soul rubbed a hand through his hair, "Was there anything else?" Maka nodded, "Inside the box, I think it was yellow, or maybe had a yellow bow, I'm not sure, I guess that doesn't matter…" Soul removed the hand from her face to place it on her other shoulder, "No…keep going. Think of all the details, it might help. Was the box or bow yellow?" Maka squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lower lip, "The box, the box was yellow with…with a black bow!" Her eyes popped open and she let out a nervous but elated laugh. Soul smiled and urged her to continue, "What was in the box, Maka?" She looked into his eyes and smiled then sighed happily, "My gloves. The ones I was wearing when we lost our memories. Soul, you gave them to me." Soul was trembling, he wished he remembered giving her a gift, he wished he remembered the yellow box and the way her face might have looked when she opened it. He wished he could remember why he gave them to her.

Maka let out another small and nervous laugh and Soul looked up to see tears welling in her emerald eyes and he hated to see them there. He had wondered why he was reacting to her the way he was. Though, now with her sharing her memory or at least part of one, he had been close enough to her to give her a present. One which she obviously liked since she had been wearing them the day their lives had been thrown into a blender. Though maybe it had been her birthday. They were told they were partners, so it should be normal to give birthday gifts right?

Maka let out another shaky breath and said his name so quietly he almost missed it with how loud his thoughts were in his own head, "Soul?" He looked at her, "Yeah, Maka?" She looked almost nervous to say something again, "Did…did that make you remember anything?" Soul sighed, removed his hands from her face to set them on top of his thighs, and hung his head, "No. Sorry I don't remember that." Maka placed her hand on top of his, "No! No. That's not what I meant. I don't want you to feel bad because you don't remember that. I just, maybe thought you might have had something trigger a memory too. Or… something." Soul shook his head. Maka nodded, "Oh. I'm sorry." Soul shook his head, "No, Maka. This is really good news! If you got back any kind of memory, it might mean the rest of us could too. Maybe we should tell Stein."

Maka shook her head, her single ponytail waving wildly around her head as she did so, "No! Not yet anyway. I mean I don't want to be a lab rat any sooner than I have to, you know?" Soul chuckled, "Yeah, no, I get you. You will tell him though right?" Maka nodded, "Of course. Just not right now. I am kind of enjoying being here with…with everyone." Maka's face flushed and Soul's decided it wanted to match. All he could do was nod.

She sniffled and wiped away at the water clinging to her lashes she didn't realize had formed, "Ugh! This is so frustrating! I keep re-imagining it and I get another small piece but then something else goes fuzzier! It's like I'm trying to carry sand in my hands. Each grain is a thought, a part of the memory." Soul grabbed her hand that was damp with her tears, "Look, the fact you remembered anything is awesome. It's more than the rest of us have done. Maybe you should write it down." Maka grinned and squeezed his hand, "That's a great idea." Soul returned her smile glad to see that she no longer seemed afraid. He didn't like feeling that coming from her. He felt like he could feel her emotions so clearly and it made him nervous. He couldn't remember this girl, but he felt like she was someone important. So important that he wanted to protect her, so important he never wanted to see her cry. He shook his head, his thoughts were confusing and made his heart stutter in uncomfortable ways inside his chest.

Maka had stood and walked away to rummage through what looked like the librarian's desk. She opened and closed a few drawers before she exclaimed in triumph, "Yes!" She held up a pen and a small piece of paper in each hand. She gave him a large smile and made her way back around the desk and headed towards a study table. She flipped the light switch on the lamp which cast her in a warm glow. Soul watched from the nearby sofa as she hovered her hand, gripped tightly on the pen, above the yellow paper. She seemed hesitant like she was about to write an essay for school. Or maybe she was afraid it would be too permanent, too physical, too easy to find this little piece of vulnerability she had shared with him.

He rose from the sofa after a few more minutes of watching her struggle with putting pen to paper and she looked up at him when the chair made a loud screech across the wooden floor as he pulled it from the table to sit across from her. As he sat, her head bent back to the paper before her and finally, the dark black ink from the pen made contact. He sat silently as he watched her draw the pen across it, swirling across up and down in a smooth but, messy cursive. He somehow knew that, if she had been writing a thank you note, or even a school paper, her handwriting would've been perfectly tidy and calculated with every stroke. He quietly listened as the pen scratched along the paper's surface. He watched her as she paused and scrunched her eyes closed, a small crease developing between her brows as she tried to reclaim some grain of sand that had fallen from her hands, from the bit of memory that had faded.

The paper slowly filled, and soon she had flipped it over seeking out more space. As her hand edged closer to the last line he had quietly made his way back to the librarian's desk to retrieve another piece for her. He walked back over and pushed it towards her. It was the only thing that had made her stop. She smiled and with a small, "Thank you." She continued scrawling onto the second sheet of paper. They sat like that for how long, Soul couldn't say. The sun gave no indication of time passing as it was hidden behind dark storm clouds that looked closer and closer to letting the rainfall.

Maka finally stopped writing and had begun to read what she had written, occasionally using the pen to scratch out a line, or add more to the margins. Soul sat patiently letting her do what she needed to. He knew if it were him, he'd hoped someone would do the same. She finally set the pen down next to the paper and held the sheets to her chest. She took in a deep breath and exhaled, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth and a pink tint staining her cheeks. Soul reciprocated and asked, "Feel better?" Maka nodded, "Yeah. Thank you, Soul. I don't think I could have done this without…"

A loud bang came from the library door as it was flung open and Maka bolted upright sending the chair flying backward and crashing to the floor behind her. Soul stood and looked to the door as Sid's voice came booming towards them, "This door is supposed to be open! What are you doing in here?" Maka's eyes widened in panic and she looked for somewhere to hide the papers clutched tightly in her hands. Soul reached his hand out and with no hesitation, she put them into his palm. He quickly folded the sheets and tucked them into the pocket of his jacket.

Maka flashed a strained smile, "Hi Sid! Sorry, we were just reading and talking!" Sid looked suspiciously at them, "Why was the door closed?" Maka laughed nervously, "Didn't want Black Star interrupting! He can be so annoying you know! Too loud for a library! Anyway! We were just headed to the kitchen, we have a movie day with the others! Gotta make popcorn! Isn't that right Soul?" She turned to look at him with wide panicky eyes and Soul had taken on a very bored and sleepy look, "Yeah. Just listened to this one rant on about books for the last two hours. I'm ready for a movie." Soul pushed his way nonchalantly past Sid, his eyes cast to the floor and hands shoved tightly in the pockets of his jacket. Maka ducked around the table past Sid to follow Soul quickly down the hall. Sid glanced at the table, there were no books he could see that were out being read. His eyebrow cocked and he looked at the fading figures making their way down the hall. He grunted, "Damn kids and their hormones."

As soon as Maka and Soul turned the corner to the next hall that lead back to the dining room they both let out a breath. Maka squeaked, "What is he doing here?! I thought they were leaving us alone until Friday!" Soul had the hand, that didn't clutch the papers inside his pocket, pressed flat to his chest to calm his frantically beating heart and leaned against the wall, "Man, I don't know but I think he thinks we were doing something…well, something together. That's what I would think with your rambling back there." Maka stuck her hands on her hips and took a breath to lay into him about his opinion but realized he was smiling. He was only teasing her. She huffed, "Yeah well, you…you acted…" Soul laughed, "Cool." Maka rolled her eyes but couldn't help the laugh that escaped from her lips.

Soul pulled his hand from his pocket and offered her the pages, she grabbed at his wrist and shoved it and the paper back toward his pocket, "Keep them for now. Please? I don't have anywhere to put them. Just don't lose them okay?" Soul nodded and tucked them back into his jacket not letting go. He worried briefly if his sweat would blur the ink, but it would be better than dropping them for someone to find. She backed away and looked at her watch, "It's past two, I think we should start on popcorn. Soul nodded, "Sounds good. Lead the way." He swooped his free hand out across his torso and bent at the waist as if bowing to a royal, to let her pass. Maka laughed and rolled her eyes.

Once in the kitchen, they got busy making popcorn. Maka had found gallon plastic storage bags on a shelf in the pantry. Soul had taken a huge silver pot out and found oil and the popcorn kernels. As he heated it over the flame, Maka pulled spices like cinnamon, sugar, and some Parmesan cheese to flavor each bag with. Maka set the various flavorings down and pulled out multiple bags to ready them for the warm fluffy popcorn. Soul had removed the now quiet pot from the heat and lifted the lid, an errant kernel burst sending multiple pieces flying into the air. They both shouted and laughed and Maka plucked one of the pieces from the counter and popped it into her mouth. As she chewed she smiled at Soul who reached in and tossed a handful of the popcorn into her face. She squealed and batted at him. They laughed as a small popcorn battle broke out inside the kitchen.

Maka had her own handful of popcorn in her hand ready to fire at Soul's head again when they heard Sid from the doorway, "You better clean this up." Sid had marched his way into the kitchen at the sounds of laughter and scowled at them when he found nothing stranger than a food fight going on and turned to quickly walk away to head back towards the hall. Maka stood frozen, arm still cocked, staring at the doorway from which the muscular teacher just left. A single popcorn kernel hit Maka on the cheek and she turned giggling at a smiling Soul. She decided her ammo was better off eaten and shoved the handful into her mouth, "Come on…gotta…clean…up. Should…probably order pizza…for later too."

Soul swept up the mess they had made as Maka ordered a plethora of cheese and pepperoni pizzas for them all for a later delivery and they finished divvying out portions of the fluffy popcorn into bags which they then shook seasoning into for variety. They carried the bags awkwardly toward the auditorium to set them up before going to gather the others.

Sid marched towards the hospital wing. He hadn't found anyone else except for Kid. He was sitting in the lab with glass beakers, jars, scales, and tongs laid out on a table as he manically tried to force them into some kind of symmetrical pattern on the shelves behind him. He was disheveled and mumbling about how could there not be a matching set of tongs or a matching set of #5 beakers? Sid backed away silently, not wanting any part of whatever was going on inside that room.

He saw that the door was shut to the hospital room and he stepped up to it pressing an ear to the wood to listen. A gasp and Liz's excited voice yelled, "Yes! Oh, yes! Hell yes!" He gripped the door handle tightly and swung the door open and jumped inside the room yelling, "Gotcha!" Liz and Patty were lying on the floor on top of a blanket, propped up on pillows with a magazine in between the two of them. They looked up at the professor a bit startled as he flung himself into the room. Liz frowned, "Got us at what exactly?" Sid huffed and looked around, "Where's Black Star and Tsubaki?" Liz pointed to the bathroom but before she could say Tsubaki was outside, Sid marched to the bathroom and swung open the door with another "Gotcha!"

Black Star shouted a curse and Sid groaned and stumbled back into the room clutching his groin. Black Star came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his hips, "What the hell you damn pedophile?! This school is full of them! I am going to kick your ass! You are a dead man walking you hear me?" Sid looked up to see that the curtain of the shower was drawn back and quite empty. Liz chuckled, "Um, as I was going to say, Black Star was in there and Tsubaki is out in the courtyard. Should be in soon though cause it just started to rain." Sid groaned once more and nodded swiftly, "Kay…good. Good. Yeah. See you."

Maka and Soul had just stepped into the doorway and looked wide-eyed at the hunched professor and the seething Black Star. Patty was stifling her giggles as best she could behind her hand and Liz looked as though she was also trying not to laugh. Maka and Soul sidestepped in opposite directions so Sid could shuffle past them and said with a strained voice, "Check on you later." Black Star yelled, "I'm still going to kick your ass six ways from Sunday! You hear me?! Pervy motherf…"

Tsubaki had entered the doorway between Soul and Maka and cut him off, "Black Star!" He pointed and gaped, "But he…he was peeping at my junk!" Tsubaki looked taken aback and glanced at Sid's slowly fading figure down the hall. She looked at Soul and Maka, they each shrugged. Liz and Patty apparently could no longer handle the situation. They burst into fits of giggles then full blown uncontrolled laughter. Liz had thrown herself onto her back kicking her freshly painted toenails back and forth. She clutched her stomach as Patty pounded her fist onto the floor burying her face in her pillow to contain her laughter. Tsubaki sighed, "Did I miss something?" Maka giggled and Soul put a hand on her shoulder, "I think Sid is trying to catch us hooking up with each other." Liz nodded and continued to laugh, "Oh…he totally is!" Tsubaki's mouth fell open and she lifted her hand to her lips with a quiet, "Oh." Black Star growled and thrust his fists out like a boxer and punched at the air in front of him, "That perv! I will get him! Even if we were, it'd be none of his damn business!" He huffed and went back into the bathroom slamming the door behind him.

The five of them looked at each other with bemused looks and Soul laughed, "Hey uh, we made popcorn. It's in the auditorium. You ready for movies?" Liz and Patty jumped up and grabbed their pillows and blanket from the floor. Tsubaki grabbed her and Black Star's pillows and the messy blanket from his bed as hers was neatly tucked and folded into her mattress. They made their way past the doorway and down the hall. Maka turned and when Soul didn't follow she looked back, "You coming?" Soul nodded, "Yeah, uh, I need to use the bathroom…I'll be there soon." Maka nodded quickly and turned to leave with the girls.

Soul sat on the edge of his bed and pulled the pages that were now crumpled, from their previous neatly folded state, from his pocket. He could hear Black Star brushing his teeth so he knew he had a minute or two. It wasn't invading her privacy right? After all, she had already told him everything, he just wanted to see how she put her thoughts to paper, how she felt without spoken words. He unfurled the small yellow pages and smoothed them out onto his lap, his eyes glanced over the words scrawled in delicate swoops and loops that was her pretty handwriting and began to read.

'It was a flash. Something so tiny. I wasn't sure it was a true memory. I was so confused but then another small flash came after his words encouraged me to think. I couldn't breathe. I was so scared it wasn't real. Then I felt his hands, soft, warm. They pulled me back from the uncertainty but I had to hold on to the thought. I couldn't let it go and didn't want him to let go. What was now and what was then? Even if it, that flash, wasn't real I had to hold on. He gave me space, stayed quiet. The flash became more of a light that I could look into. Then there was a box. I know now, it was yellow with a black bow. I was nervous I think. I felt like this was something special. A gift given from him wasn't normal. Or maybe it was. Sand. I think I remember, no, I do remember lifting the lid and inside was a folded pair of pristine white gloves. They were soft but thick. A strong material. I think, I think I said thank you but then asked him why…it wasn't my birthday. Did he blush? More sand. Box, bow, gloves, smiles. Soul. We definitely smiled at each other. I remember trying them on. They fit perfectly. I was afraid to wear them, of getting them dirty. He said, to protect you. No, to protect your hands. I hurt your hands. Make them raw when you wield me. That's what he said. That was the reason. He wanted to protect my hands because I was his meister. His partner. He is my weapon. My partner. His hilt makes my hands raw sometimes. No, just at the beginning. He is my weapon, he protects me. Even just my hands from the rough metal of his weapon form. I can't remember what his weapon form looks like. Box, bow, gloves. The gloves were, no, are beautiful. To me. This gift means a lot. I remember telling him I would always wear them. Another smile. His or mine? Maybe both. Box, bow, gloves, smiles. Sand. Soul. I wish I could remember more. I want to remember more. I think my mind knows him. I feel weirdly drawn to him. He sits quietly across from me even now. Giving me what I need, support. No, protecting me. Protecting me from the uncertainty of my thoughts. He's my partner. I'm his partner. I wish I could remember more. Was there more between us? No that's not this memory. Box, bow, gloves, smiles. He held the box so I could try them on and I, yes, then I took them off to put them back into the box but didn't return the lid. Where were we? I see, no I remember, a wall, light yellow, a window, couches, and a cat? Sand. Lots of sand. Box, bow, gloves smiles. Soul's smile. I feel like crying, from the flash of memory or the fact that everything is still so broken in my head? I don't know. The fact that I should know him and I don't? I'm scared this all is just thoughts that I want to be real. No, it has to be real. I was wearing the gloves. I own them and he gave them to me. Why this memory? I don't understand but I am happy I have it as broken as it is. I don't have all the pieces, I don't have all the grains of sand, but I know how important those gloves are, I feel like I know how important he is. Please let me remember. I want every memory good and bad. Please. I want to remember him with all my heart. Soul.

Soul took a deep breath, once he read the entire thing he had changed his mind. He definitely had invaded her personal space, her mind, her private thoughts. He had told her to write it down. He never thought she would have bared her soul so openly. He felt guilty but still glad that he read it. As lost as they all were, he knew he was drawn to her and he now knew she was too. He smoothed out the paper once more and carefully folded it with shaking hands. He stood and looked to her bed, he wanted to hide it and keep it safe. He knew that even though she would tell Stein about the memory, these words were supposed to be for her eyes only. He slid the folded pages into the pillowcase to the corner and hoped that would be good enough for now.

Black Star exited the bathroom and looked at Soul who was still standing over Maka's bed, "Bro, what you doing?" Soul snatched the blanket from her bed and then moved to his own bed to grab the pillow, thankful Black Star didn't seem to notice his jumpy actions. Soul tucked the pillow under his arm, "Oh…it's movie time dude. Apparently old school pallet style." Black Star whooped and pumped his fist in the air, "Yeah! Let's go!" Black Star bounded out of the room and Soul gave a glance to the now unprotected pillow laying neatly at the head of Maka's bed. He took a deep breath, grasped the linens in his arms tighter and left the room.

Black Star had almost run the entire way to the auditorium, yelling at Soul to 'Hurry up. Let's go!' Like they were late to a movie they had no control of starting themselves. They had walked through a set of open doors and made their way down the sloped aisle to the front row where the girls had already deposited their pillows and blankets. Tsubaki and Liz were on the stage pointing a remote into the air trying to turn on the screen. Patty and Maka were tucked into two of the fold down chairs in the first row as they watched them, unable to help. Liz grabbed the remote from Tsubaki's hand, "I mean what the hell? This isn't that hard on a TV!" Tsubaki stood and followed Liz with her eyes as the irritated girl stormed back and forth smashing the on button pointing it in every direction possible.

Black Star jumped on the stage with hardly any effort and grabbed the remote from Liz's hand. Liz swatted at him but he was able to duck, "Too slow! Can't lay a finger on me now can you?!" Liz put her hand to her hips, "Oh yeah?" Her arms moved down to the hem of her shirt and began to pull it up over her stomach. Black Star crumpled to his knees. Liz smiled and lowered her shirt, "That's what I thought. Give that back!" She swiped the remote from his hands and continued her frantic button pushing march across the stage.

Soul had thrown his pillow and the blanket down onto the floor with the others and looked over to Maka, "Grabbed these in case you wanted to lay down." She uncurled her feet from her chair and smiled, "Oh, uh…thanks." Soul smiled and ran a hand nervously through his hair. "No problem." Patty let out a long bored sigh, "No one can get the thing to work." Soul looked up to the stage and then made his way up to where the others were still fighting over the remote trying to find the sweet spot for power. Soul walked around the corner of the stage wing, he saw the normal auditorium soundbar that controlled microphones and speakers, the next panel down was for lights, and then saw a Blu-ray player sitting on a small shelf below the other panels. He smiled and pressed the power button. He noticed the cables that flowed from the player up to the wall and above the large screen facing out to the auditorium. There was another small box attached to the ceiling, obviously the bit of technology that the remote used to talk back to the Blu-ray player once it, being the main unit, was turned on.

He looked back up to the lighting panel and decided to dim the auditorium to become more like a theater. He heard multiple whoops of satisfaction as he walked out from the side of the stage. Liz and Black Star were arguing who was responsible for making the thing finally work. Soul stepped down the stairs and sat next to Maka. She nudged him with her shoulder, "Hey, thanks tech-y boy." Soul shrugged, "No problem, 's cool." Liz had pressed the Netflix button on the remote and jumped from the edge of the stage into the waiting pillows and blankets as the bright red logo presented itself with a deafening thwang. They jumped at the sound and Tsubaki had come down the stairs to sit crossed legged on the floor next to Liz. Black Star posed in front of the screen and pointed at them each, "No documentaries! No Disney and definitely no rom-coms!" Maka huffed, "There isn't anything wrong with rom-coms…or documentaries." Patty frowned, "Or Disney!" Soul chuckled and propped his elbow onto the armrest in between them.

Tsubaki had a small pout on her face but smiled when Black Star's gaze met hers, "Well, then what do you have in mind Black Star?" Liz rolled her eyes having seen the girl's face the moment before. Liz pointed back at Black Star, "Then no stupid dude comedy or sequels of overdone action movies!" Black Stars eyes rose, "But what if there is a new sharknado out?" They all groaned and Patty, who was the first to open a bag of popcorn threw a handful at him which just managed to snow down onto her sister and Tsubaki with its lack of force.

Maka looked at Soul and back at Black Star, "Well that seems like that only leaves…horror, action or suspense." Soul perked up and next to her as the rest of the group save Tsubaki, agreed. Maka gave her own caveat, "As long as it's not cheesy. If it sucks ten minutes in, we pick something else." She was met with nods of agreement and Liz scrolled down to the horror section.

After almost twenty minutes of scrolling, they all finally agreed on a movie. Liz had sprawled out on top of a blanket and grabbed a bag of popcorn. She offered the bag to Tsubaki and they each munched on the snack as the movie began. Black Star sat cross-legged next to Tsubaki with two bags of popcorn in his lap, "Yuck! Parmesan!" He tossed the bag to the side spilling a good bit onto the floor. Maka scowled, "Hey! If you don't like it you don't have to eat it but don't make a mess!" Soul reached down to pluck the bag from the ground and offered it to Maka. She frowned and gave dirty looks to the back of Black Star's head as she crammed a handful into her mouth. Soul smiled.

The movie continued and Soul noticed Liz glancing back to the door, "What's up?" Black Star turned and shushed him. Soul rolled his eyes, "Dude, you've been talking through the whole thing." Soul looked back at Liz and repeated himself, "What's up Liz?" She shrugged, "Kid isn't here." Maka looked around the auditorium like maybe he was hiding in a back row or something, "Oh you're right. Should we go find him?" Liz shook her head but looked a little sad, "No, I guess maybe he just wants to be alone." Maka slid from the chair to wedge herself in between Tsubaki and Liz, "He told me and Soul that he wanted to organize the chemistry lab. I'm sure that's all he's doing. He probably doesn't know what time it is. I mean considering how long it took for him to organize the weights in the gym." Soul piped up, "Yeah, or the kitchen pantry."

Black Star growled, "Would you shut the hell up?" Soul nudged Black Star in the side of his head with his foot, "Dude, do you even know what's going on?" Black Star stared at the screen, "I mean…there's a girl and this dude. He likes her and he's trying to find her on Halloween." Soul groaned, "That's her brother and he's trying to kill her!" Black Star shrugged and stuffed another handful of popcorn into his mouth, now on his third bag, "Waever. Ee ikes er."

Soul rolled his eye and shook his head, "Liz, I'll go get him if you want." Liz waved a hand in the air, "It's fine. I don't…I just thought…he might want…" Maka nudged Liz's shoulder with her own and said quietly, "It's okay Liz, you thought he'd want to join in. Be part of the group." Liz nodded. Soul stood, "I'll go find him." Liz made to object again but then smiled, "Thanks, Soul." He nodded and gave a glance to Maka, her face had a grateful smile on it, "I'll save you some popcorn." He gave a sideways smirk, "You better." He shuffled up the aisle and out the door.

Black Star continued to grumble about how rude people were during movies and Maka had the sudden urge to hit him over the head with a book, "You have been talking through the whole thing!" He tossed a handful of popcorn in her face and grabbed another that he shoved into his mouth as he started yelling at the screen again, "Dude, you gotta walk faster! You'll never be as fast as me!" Tsubaki covered her mouth to hold in a giggle. Maka couldn't understand how the girl found him so funny.

They all had become, well most of them, quiet as the movie continued. It was about ten minutes later when they heard Soul from the back of the auditorium, "Hey Liz?" Liz whipped her head around and watched as Soul made his way back down the aisle towards them. She looked past his shoulder and in the doorway was a quite disheveled Kid. His hair was messy and his jacket was open, revealing his button up shirt that had become untucked on one side. Her eyes widened and she stood to make her way past Soul to Kid. She took him gently by the hand and sat him in the last row of the auditorium while she tried to tame his hair with her fingers and fix his clothing. Patty seemed to finally realize her sister was gone and broke away from the screen and went to join her and Kid.

Maka looked up at Soul from where she sat, "He okay?" Soul shrugged, "Dunno. When I found him, he was sitting in the hall scratching at his head going on about beakers and the sin of lacking in even numbers of scientific equipment." Maka gave another glance back at the trio, glad to see that Liz and Patty had taken a liking to him. They were supposed to be partners too after all. She smiled at Soul as he, instead of sitting back in his chair, sat on the floor to her right to take the spot where Liz had been. He stretched his legs out and crossed them at the ankles. She smiled at him, "Thanks, Soul." He shrugged, "Sure."

Their attention turned back to the movie. Maka handed soul the closed bag of half-eaten Parmesan popcorn without a glance as she stared at the screen. He smiled, pulled the zipper open to reach in for a handful. Maka's hand reached over to try and find its way into the bag that was now in his lap. She missed and her hand came in contact with his thigh and she felt him jump. She tore her eyes from the screen to see where her hand had landed, "Oh...sorry." Soul blushed thankful the room was dim, "Yeah…no problem." He shifted the bag so that she could reach it easier and watched her fingers dive into the bag and he felt the pressure in his lap. He jerked again and cleared his throat as he decided handing her the bag and having her hold it would be best. She looked at him, "Full?" Soul shrugged trying to act cool, "Yeah, I guess." Maka gave him another glance then looked back to the screen.

Before he had too long to think about her hands in his lap, he heard her yelp and she had pressed into him as the movie had reached his climax. He glanced at Tsubaki who had a similar reaction, but Black Star had put his arm around the girl which seemed to make her melt into the blue-haired boy's side. He wondered if he should do the same but then as quickly as she had pressed into him, she was gone. He looked back over to her and she had her knees drawn up and her arms wrapped around them staring adamantly at the large screen in front of them taking in the last few scenes of the film.

Soon the credits rolled, and Soul looked at Maka as the tension left her body. She smiled, "I'm glad she was able to defeat him! Sucks it was her brother though, must have been difficult." Soul just nodded and heard Black Star grunting and shuffling next to him. He looked over and black Star was on his hands and knees apparently searching for the remote in the dim light. Tsubaki giggled and pulled it from the underside of her pillow, "Looking for this?" He launched himself at it and pointed it at the screen, "There has to be a sequel! That was left wide open! I need to know if her brother comes back and kills her!" Maka rolled her eyes, "Black Star, you're not supposed to root for the bad guy!" Black Star laughed, "HA! He's not bad! He's awesome!"

Black Star scrolled through to find the next movie in the series as the trio that had been left to their own devices in the back of the auditorium had finally made their way down to the front. Kid looked much calmer and collected. His clothes were as pristine as they had been before, and his hair's white lines lined up perfectly once more. He had a small smile perched at the corner of his mouth. Liz pulled another blanket that had been tossed on a chair to the edge of the pallet to the right of Maka and Soul. Liz grabbed her pillow and pulled it over punching it to fluff it as she got them settled.

Maka smiled in their direction, "Hey Kid. We are about to start the second movie, I could catch you up if you'd like?" Kid shook his head, "No that's alright, Maka. I'm kind of tired, so I may not even stay awake through the whole thing. Thank you." Maka handed him a bag of popcorn, "Hungry? This one is plain, but we have other flavors if you want." Kid smiled and took the bag from her and opened it up. He stared inside, his hand digging around looking for a worthy kernel when he finally found one he popped it into his mouth with a small crunch. Maka smiled and turned towards the screen as the second movie began.

Just like the first, it was half watched, half talked through and half misunderstood by varying members of the group. When it had finished and the third installment of the franchise had been queued up, they decided it would be a good time to break since their pizzas would be delivered soon. They split off, some going to the kitchen for a drink, others making their way to the locker rooms to use the restroom. Maka had made her way to the front of the school's main entrance to wait for their delivery. She had opened the door and stepped out onto the top stair. Death City really was beautiful and she knew in her gut this was home. A smile curved her lips and the warm summer air tickled at her arms as she watched the sun slowly lower as it started its descent into evening.

The door opened behind her and Tsubaki had peeked her head out, "Oh, there you are. Waiting on the pizza?" Maka nodded as Tsubaki walked up next to her, "Yeah and getting another glimpse of the city before the sun starts to set. Tsubaki smiled, "It really is something isn't it?" Maka nodded and then squinted to peer down towards the bottom of the stairs, "Our pizza is here!" Tsubaki smiled, "Maybe we should go meet him halfway? These stairs are kind of insane." Maka laughed and began the descent towards the pizza man. A few minutes later they were back at the door with eight large boxes of pizza. They each took a moment to catch their breath before pushing their way back inside. Maka shoved the door with her shoulder, "Insane is right."

They made it back to the auditorium just as Black Star began the third movie. They spent the rest of the night watching more Netflix and devouring most of the popcorn and pizza. They had all settled down onto the floor laying in a line, Soul had propped his pillow up against a folded chair and shared it with Maka, Black Star was laying down and Tsubaki was using his folded arm placed behind his head as her pillow. Patty rested her head on Kid's chest and Liz was lying next to him and sharing a pillow.

Maka smiled, there was something about this group. They all seemed to know they naturally belonged together. Maybe they hadn't needed her help to bond after all. She sighed and Soul raised an eyebrow, "You okay?" Maka nodded and gestured at everyone, "This…is nice. Feels right." Soul nodded and at her words, he hesitantly put an arm around her shoulder. He held his breath waiting for her reaction, but she didn't pull away. He sighed in relief and felt her shift so she could more comfortably tuck into his side. Her head rested just below his chin and he had a strong urge to place it on the top of her head. He figured having an arm draped around her shoulders was enough for now and turned his eyes back to the screen.

It had become late as the movies continued and each of the Spartoi members had finally fallen asleep one by one on their messy pallet. Bags of mostly eaten popcorn, discarded shoes and empty boxes of pizza and soda cans surrounded their feet. Sid had entered through the side stage door and peaked around the corner at them. Sid felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped then spun to look at a curious looking Stein, "Evening Sid, what brings you here?" Sid pointed at the sleeping figures cuddled up on the floor, "I…I was…just making sure they were…behaving." Stein glanced at the forms on the floor, "They look pretty well behaved to me."

Sid frowned, "I think they may be, well you know how teenagers are. All hormones and being co-ed and left to their own…" Stein cut him off, "Sid, I don't know what enticed you to become a hall monitor, but I think you should leave them be. If they are becoming close to one another, even, well, intimate, then I think it should be allowed to happen. They have been through enough and maybe it's about time for some of those unrequited feelings to finally be acted upon." Sid gaped at the scientist, "But they are kids! Under the roof of their school!"

Stein smiled, "Didn't you and Nygus used to run off to the janitor's closet when you thought no one was looking?" Sid cleared his throat, "I…we…" Stein placed a hand on his shoulder, "Sid, you know they all have deep feelings for each other that they never acted on before their memory loss. It's quite normal for partner pairs to form relationships, and I for one say it's about time. These kids are the most stubborn, sexually frustrated group I have ever seen. It's quite annoying really." Sid was slack-jawed and had nothing to say in return. Stein removed his hand, "Come on Sid, they are fine. Leave them alone." Sid sighed and grumbled, "What are you doing here then?" Stein smiled, "I'm merely observing. Working out theories to put to practice for the weekend." Sid raised an eyebrow, "You really think you can help them?" Stein shrugged, "I hope for the best."

Sid scratched his head, "Not sure what you're gonna learn with them asleep, but I'll leave you to it." Stein smiled as Sid shook his head and turned to exit out the side door. Once Sid had left Stein padded quietly to the stage, standing in front of the screen which backlit his form to create a black Stein shaped silhouette. A flash of light illuminated his smiling face as he lit a cigarette. He stared down at the sleeping figures below him noticing how they naturally gravitated towards their partners. His head was whirling with ideas and hope as he took a long drag from the cigarette. He took one last glance at them and turned to leave in a cloud of smoke.

Maka had started awake and lifted her head to glance blearily up to the screen. No one was there, but she could swear she smelled cigarette smoke. She frowned and laid back onto the pillow she shared with Soul. He wrapped his arm around her and she quickly fell back to sleep.