Thank you "That Person" for being the first to review my work. ^-^ It flattered me so.

I'm glad you think my grammar is beautiful. I've felt like ever since I came to Japan, I have been losing my English. I say some of the stupidest things sometimes that not even I understand!

I know these chapters are a little short, but I'm doing it that way so that I can post more frequently. Hope you enjoy this chapter even more than the last. ^_^


In accepting silence, Soul listened to and watched his partner as she trudged so angrily back into the town. Clearly, she had wanted to get the mission over with promptly rather than lingering in the small town where she was being deprived of food. Well, that plus her ever-present desire to attain death scythe status for him. It was actually kind of cute how angry she got. This time, it was not at him. It so often seemed to be him that upset her. Granted, half the time she was angry at him he instigated it just to see that adorable glare that screamed absolute doom and utter destruction. The other half of the time he had no idea in the world what he had done wrong. Women were so complicated…

Gradually, soul began to see differences in this walk from her normal angry walk. Her pace was a different beat, her grip on his waned, and her scowl was lessoning. What could possibly be on her mind that would calm her so quickly? Something had to be bothering her. He could not think of anything happy occurring recently that would have left a residual dose of 'it will all be okay' in her mind. No. Something must have been wrong.

"Maka…Is everything oka—" Soul stopped when Maka did. What now? Her eyes… She looked so sleepy. Not only had they not really excerted all that much energy that day, but it was highly unlike her to succumb to drowsiness while still standing. Sitting and reading, sure, but not standing.

Once she began to lean against him, he simply could not take anymore. His transformation was simple enough, but since she was already leaning against him and holding on it was slightly trickier. The first thing to materialize was his right arm, which quickly snaked around her waist as she fell forward into his chest. This time, he was not so pleased to see a mess of ash blonde hair strewn about the front of his jacket.

"Maka? Maka!" he pleaded as he shook her gently. "Maka, can you hear me? Shake your head, wiggle a finger, something!" No matter how much he pleaded, she seemed determined for sleep. But, was it just sleep? "Wake up, damn it!" he shouted at the limp body in his arms.

It was useless.

Soul was scared out of his mind. What could he do for her? He should have been able to prevent this. Still, he had no idea how it had happened at all. Did the witch follow them?

Desperately, Soul's eyes darted around in search of another figure. Anyone. Anything…

Something.

"This is so uncool," he groaned, his voice muffled by her hair as he hung his head. There was only one thing he could think of to do. Carefully, he removed one arm from around her waist, stepped to the side, and then slid the free arm behind her knees to scoop her up. It was awkward at first. He tried to get comfortable with the weight in his arms while also trying to pay attention to what position her head was in. He did not want her head to just hang limply from her neck only to swing around while he walked. That would certainly not feel good if she woke. WHEN she woke. So, he had to turn her slightly so that she would lean into him. In the end, he managed to maneuver her so that he both was comfortable and had her head settled on his shoulder. It would have been cool to carry her like this were the circumstances different. Given the situation, he just could not enjoy any part of it.


The only thing that kept Soul's heart calm through carrying his partner across town was the fact that he could still feel her warm breath dancing across his neck at a steady pace. She had even moved her arm, clutching on to his jacket weakly. Whatever the reason she were suddenly unconscious, her life did not appear to be slipping at all. In fact, he thought she seemed rather comfortable. Despite this, every few steps he had to remind himself, "She's just asleep…She's tired."

The more he tried to think of ways he could help her, the more he seemed to frustrate himself. Getting upset was not going to help him think, but it was so difficult to avoid. He thought of doctors, but even if he could manage to get their attention enough to make them open their doors tonight, what could they do? By all means, she simply appeared to be asleep. Those stupid humans would not know how to help her. Even if they did, he would have to break down their doors to get them to tend to her at all.

Soul pulled the girl in his arms closer against his chest. He should call Shinigami-sama… Yes. Why didn't he think of it sooner? First, he had to lay her down, then he would find a mirror.

With that thought, his right foot fell on the edge of the front step to the inn's office. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he had not realized his feet had guided him mindlessly the whole way back. Now that he was here, he had to shake off his thoughts of calling Shinigami-sama just to make space for the process of getting her to a bed. With a light lean to one side, he noticed the only two rooms that belonged to the inn. Neither of them seemed occupied, but which one was theirs? Come to think of it…what had she done with the key?

Great. She probably had it in some pocket that he could not reach. "Maka… It would be totally cool if you would wake up already!" he complained to no listener.

Soul turned to face away from the inn, and then suddenly bent down to sit on the front step. Leaning back, he sat Maka down in his lap to lay against him so that he could reach for her coat pockets without dropping her. It was a little awkward, admittedly, but he was unwilling to put her on the ground. Even worse than the awkwardness was the sheer torture it was to have his face smothered by her hair while he tried blindly reaching for her pockets. He truly did not understand how girls could do it. Her hair was so perfectly soft…and smelled of flowers. As if that wasn't enough, the hand that had gripped his jacket slid around his neck as she settled against him. It was a task for him to keep his focus on his current mission. Every other part of his body simply wanted to wrap his arms around her, pull her hard against him and never let go. But…his heart screamed for attention. What joy would there be if she never woke up?

That possibility was his only thing that kept him submitting to the trance she induced. Her coat had to be pulled up toward him so that he could reach the pockets. It was difficult to focus on both at the same time, so he went one side at a time. First, he checked the right. Nothing. Then, he pulled up the left. He was pleased to feel that it was slightly heavier than the right, but sticking his hand did not at first give him the impression he was looking for. The first thing his hand brushed over felt like paper, which he pulled up and handed over to his other hand to get it out of the way and returned to reach further. Thankfully, a key was there, having been hidden beneath the paper. Lifting the key in the air revealed exactly what he hoped to see; it was a bronze-colored key with a big 2 on the top. Still holding the key and paper in either hand, he moved his arm beneath her leg once again so that he could stand.

Getting the door unlocked and opened was a challenge, but he managed it quickly enough. He pushed the door open with his foot only to look in at a pitch black room. Past the entry tile, he could not see anything at all. A new challenge.

Carefully, he stepped forward, inspecting the ground with his foot. First thing he met was what felt like a wall, though it was easy to assume it was simply a step up into the room. This was not going to work. He needed light, but both of his hands were too occupied to search for a switch. Still unwilling to simply set her on the ground, he could think of one option… The only reason it seemed an option at all was the fact that Maka was out cold. Surely, if she woke up he would get beaten to no end.

Without a single thought further, he shifted her toward him again so that her chest directly faced his and put down her legs as if to stand her up. Having to let go of the door with his foot, it swung shut behind him. With his one arm still around her back to hold her up, he moved his other down to lift her leg and move it around his back. Given that her arm was still around his neck, he hoped that she would do some part of the work for him. He leaned back, so that she would be balanced against him for at least a moment while he swiftly moved his arm from her back to pull up her other leg and lift her up once again. Just as he had hoped, her arms used his neck to hold herself…and her legs even gripped at his sides softly when he finally lifted her. Her face was buried between his neck his collar, breathing warm air against his flesh.

Stay cool.

Pulling her up further and still leaning back, he moved one arm beneath her bottom to hold her while the other reached out toward the wall. God, did she feel heavier than she looked. God, did she smell good.

Stay cool.

Blindly, Soul ran his hand along wall in hope that he would find a light switch near the door. It was not until he finally stepped up into the room that his hand brushed a square piece of plastic about shoulder height high on the wall. It seemed oddly high for a light switch, but he pressed at it anyway. Unfortunately, instead of light the only thing that changed in the room was an unexpected cold breeze directed straight down at them from above. Maka's arms tightened around his neck suddenly. Pressing the button again did not succeed in turning off the device, but instead made the breeze colder. It was no use continuing to press buttons he could not see. He would likely just make it worse. So, he continued down the wall to attempt to find a light switch. It could not possibly be this far from the door.

A few steps later and Soul's shin met uncomfortably with the edge of something hard. "Umph." With further inspection (meaning he lifted his foot up and kicked at things until he gained some understanding of what he was kicking), Soul determined that was had been just the right height to uncomfortable meet the bruise on his shin that Maka had given him earlier…was a bed. At least, the squishy nature seemed to act like a mattress. Even though he still could not see much, it was some relief that he could at last lay her down and go search for light unburdened. Carefully, he knelt at the edge of the bed and leaned her back. Before letting her lay all the way down, he first reached behind her to make sure there was space and he was not about to drop her against a wall or something. The coast was clear, as far as he could tell.

Laying her down and being off to find light would have been an easy task, if only she had not held fast to his neck. As he tried to get up, she nearly took his jacket off of him from holding on. "Maka. I need you to let go," he uttered softly, trying to gently pull her arms down.

"Don't." Her voice was pleading and weak.

This caught him by surprise. "Are you awake?"

"I'll be nothing…" she whispered.

His brow furrowed. What in hell was that supposed to mean? "Maka, what are you talking about?"

His only response was the sound of soft breathing. She was asleep again. Or, still asleep.

He still needed to move her the rest of the way onto the bed, since her legs were still hanging off the side, but since she would not let go of him, he would have to do it while still on top of her. With one arm underneath her back and one holding up her left leg, he scooted her back then turned her to the side so that she may lay in the right direction – having to crawl between her legs all the way. Still, she did not let go. By now his eyes had adjusted to the dark a little more. He could just barely see the lining of her face in the slight amount of moonlight that snuck into the room. She looked too peaceful. She looked angelic.

Lowering himself onto his elbows, he rested his forehead against her collarbone. "Damn it, Maka… Why won't you wake up?"

There were several minutes of silence as he leaned against her before her arms loosened and began to slip from his back.

"I'm tired…" she mumbled. There almost seemed to be a hint of sadness to her voice this time.

It was enough reassurance for him for the moment. She was just tired, and this was his chance to go find light, turn off the blasted air conditioning, and find a mirror.

He just had to stay cool.


Hope it made sense. I found it difficult to describe what I was picturing this time around! X_X