A/N: This is a really short drabble but it will have a companion piece in Soul's pov. I wrote this for a prompt given to me by albinoscythe on tumblr, "last words from your muse to mine" and this is what happened. I may lengthen this into a full blown story if I get enough reviews for that. Maybe.
And yes this is a character death story. Sorry.
Always Here: Part One
Maka coughed weakly and lifted her heavy eyelids to see the blurry images around her. She felt worse today and it concerned her in the back of her clouded mind. She swallowed the dryness in her throat and struggled to sit up, not noticing the familiar warm hands until they wrapped around her to help her. That's right, Soul was here; was always here, beside her. She looked up at his slowly clearing form as the fog began to lift from her eyes and smiled at him in appreciation. She watched him attempt to smile back but it turned into more of a grimace, nothing changing in his eyes.
She felt terrible, when she had the strength to think about it, that she was such a burden on him. She couldn't even begin to figure out how long she had been sick, it was all just one huge day to her, never-ending; and he was ever the loyal partner. She knew it wasn't fair for him, but what could she do? She couldn't stop him, couldn't make him see reason. She had tried in the beginning, but now her words had faded into short sentences and cracking one worded questions, unable to string them together through her exhaustion and pain. Still, in the recesses of her mind it killed her, seeing him sit patiently by her side, only moving to help her when she struggled.
The need for words between them had long since passed and now on the fleeting moments she was awake they sat in heavy silence. But today would be different, she could feel it. That brief moment of realization when she awoke came to the forefront of her mind and she knew.
"Soul…" Her underused voice grated softly against the air between them. He turned his attention away from the window and towards her, eyes creasing in question. She pushed a small smile to him again and her fingers twitched toward him as much as she could muster, which he gently took. Before he could ask her what she needed she forced herself to speak again.
"Thank you; for always being here." Her statement startled him, she could see it on his face, feel it in the soft tightening of his hand around hers. She wanted to say so much more but her vision was fading and her lips only barely carried the next words. I'll always love you. She wasn't sure if she had actually said them or if her mouth had only moved in silence but it was all she could do before her hand relaxed limply and she drifted into the darkness.
