Kryptonite
I Feel There's Nothing I Can Do
"I'm home," he yelled into the dark house. He could see the TV flickering, filling the apartment with a drab grey color, and Maka's still form curled up on one end of the couch. Muttering under his breath he switched on a few lights.
Sitting down next to her, he took a deep breath.
"You're right. We should talk."
She glanced at him before sitting up and switching the TV off. Her face was alarming blank, no scowl or frown, just blank. This meant she was beyond pissed off and deep in thought of how to deal with it.
"Talk away," she muttered mimicking his words from earlier. Rolling his eyes he turned to face her and lightly grabbed her hand in his. It was something he didn't do often. He normally reserved it for when he messed up big and he wanted her to know how sorry he was. Her gaze locked with his, full of confusion and emotion. He gave her a weak smile.
"I'm sorry. I was being a jerk."
Her face lit up in a blush before she pouted at him. She didn't pull her hand back but gave him a gentle squeeze.
"It's alright Soul. I understand. It must be hard for you," she whispered.
"Yeah… this sucks," he breathed out chuckling before letting her hand drop between them. He stood and ruffled her hair before retreating for the night.
"Soul?"
He froze but refused to turn around to face her. That wasn't much of talk, that was him apologizing, and she knew it. Was she going to let him get away with it for now?
"Yeah?" he asked trying to sound as bored as possible.
"We'll need to actually talk about it before we try and work together again."
He nodded before waving her off and rounding the corner into his room. He stared at her door for a moment, feeling helpless. If she did love him back then why was it so hard for her to see it? Why could Kid see it and he couldn't? Sighing he shut his door with a dull thud before sprawling out on his bed and listening to a few records to calm him down.
()()()()()()()()()
"We can't go on this mission Maka," he growled. "It isn't that either of us aren't strong enough but we can't go out like this. You said so yourself, we need to talk things out before we work together."
"Then I'm not strong enough," she snapped back. "If I can't handle you then—"
"Shut up," he growled cutting her off. It was the same argument that they used to have ages ago, arguing about being stronger. No it was more like needing to become stronger. He scoffed at her stubbornness.
"You're plenty strong, you idiot. Do you really think it's safe for us when you can't lift me up to defend yourself? I weigh too much right now and I burned you. We need to fix our bond," he said ticking off his points before giving her a sharp glare.
"I said we're going," she glowered.
He couldn't help but fight the pit of dread that seemed to grip his stomach as he followed after her retreating back to his bike.
It was predictable. The whole night, the fight went smoothly until the last-minute a cheap blow was delivered that Maka was barely too slow to block fully. He half transformed so that he could slice through the enemy without her as she fell to the ground. He picked her up and sighed as she clutched her shoulder in pain and blood could be seen. It wasn't life threatening but she was hurt. He of course blamed himself. He stayed by her side at the infirmary as she was stitched up. 17 stitches to be exact. He took her home in and in her drug induced state from all the pain killers she insisted they sleep on the couch together so that he could keep his eye on her. That was what he wanted after all, hell they had done it before, but it felt so different tonight.
"Why can't you just say it?" she whispered her head leaning on his shoulder as he flicked off the television.
"Because it's…" he was going to say 'wrong' but that wasn't the right word for it. That would hurt her feelings too so he paused trying to be thoughtful. "It's too weird… plus officially saying it would mean official rejection and cool guys don't get rejected by bookworms."
"You're scared of me?" she laughed lightly her eyes starting to slip close. Her head slipped down to his arm and then finally rested in his lap. She was curled so cutely against him, he hated that he felt like he was putty in her hands.
"Something like that," he grumbled.
She smiled as she fell asleep.
"That's awfully stupid Soul."
He didn't bother responding. Her soft snoring filled the room and he scoffed at her form. It wasn't stupid, it was true. "That she loves you too." Damn those words that Kid had spoken. He had no clue what he was talking about. He didn't know Maka like he did. He didn't understand that she was awful with her own emotions, that she hid from them and the only time she really understood them was when someone else put them in prospective for her. Her panic could only be calmed when he reached out to her, her joy when he smiled and told her it would be alright, her courage when he told her he was standing by her no matter what. Maka needed to be supported through her emotions. Her stupid father gave her enough trust issues with men, and he didn't want to add himself to her list of why she had trust issues.
He looked back at the girl curled in his lap.
"I guess we're too far for you not to trust me huh?" he muttered before slowly detaching himself and lightly scooping her in his arms. He carried her to her room and deposited her gently on her bed. "I was the problem earlier…" he cringed as he thought back to her slow movements from the fight, no that wasn't Maka's fault. He had been too heavy for her because his mind wasn't in the right frame of mind. He pulled her blanket to cover her and paused. "Damn I'm stupid. I'm sorry."
She didn't respond since she obviously slept like a log, just shifted in her sleep slightly so that the weight was off her shoulder. She looked so damn cute too. If there was ever a time he felt the need to kiss her it was now, but it still wasn't right of him to do so. He resisted the urge to kiss her forehead and instead lightly patted her hand before exiting for the night.
A/N:... glad I finished writing this before I posted it! I barely have time to think these days let alone write. Next chapter will be posted sometime next week. I have a lot going on with friends this weekend :)
