Soul wakes in the bed Blair had provided. The sheets were wooly, and he was itching like crazy. He opened the window, listening to the busy city. It was weird, how to him the people so close changed, but the people in the background were always the same. Always.

He felt the pain come back, but it was just the warning pain. He hurried and swallowed the two pills quickly, before the real pain hit. He sighed and dressed. Over the last few years, he owned little clothing. He put on a black shirt and the jeans he wore the day before. He saw the markings had hit past his elbow, so he put on a sweatshirt. It freaked out some people seeing them, him defending by saying they were tattoos.

"Good morning Soul." Blair says popping her head into his room. "You hungry? I got breakfast made." She says with a grin.

"I don't want to intrude." Soul defends.

"Hun, you look like you haven't eaten in a few days. One plate of pancakes is your exit ticket!" She lulls popping out. She was somewhat right. Soul spent most his money on his train ticket and booze. He put his dirty clothes at the bottom of his bag and walks out of his room to the kitchen for his breakfast with Blair.

"Morning baby. You sleep good?" Rein asks the blonde girl as she stands at the stove cooking the twos breakfast.

"Yeah. I did." Maka said, faking a yawn to hide her cold lie. Truthfully she barely slept. She pretended to be asleep when Rein had come to bed, and had to suffer his snoring when she was awake. She couldn't stop thinking last night; it was like her whole life went through her head in one night.

"So. What is on your schedule today? I got to meet with the guys." He says sitting.

"Oh… I thought I'd hang out with the girls." She says placing the bacon and eggs on the twos plates and placing them on the table.

"They know about us?" Rein asks, taking a sip of coffee.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about yesterday. It was just…" She says, looking away from him. Rein smiles and leans and grabs her hand.

"Its fine. I wont let him hurt you. Because I… I really do love you Maka." Rein says smiling. Maka was a little surprised. He had never said it outside of the bed or during a romantic evening. This was the first time he truly said it normally.

"I-I know." She says with an awkward smile. She saw her reply somewhat shocked him. He looked away and stood.

"Well, I've got to head out." He says with a grin and walking toward the door.

"But what about your-?" She asks before he walks out the door.

"'I'll get a bite while I'm out." He says closing the door behind him.

Maka felt weird. Why couldn't she say she loved him meaningfully? To his face? She looked at her plate, realizing she wasn't hungry. "I wish… god…" She groans as she stands from her seat, walking to her room to prepare for her day.

"Haha. Nothing like a day on the town huh Tsu?" Black*Star chuckles, walking with his wife down the market square. "I swear, I thought I loved days off of school as a kid, but I really love them as a teacher HEHE." He cackles with a smile from Tsubaki.

"I know. Maybe we could work on a baby tonight?" She pushes, making Star's face drain of color.

"Uh…. I… oh…. HEY LOOK SOUL!" He nervously mutters before he points out Soul, walking with Blair down the street. Blair and Soul face and hug, to Stars curiosity.

"Now you take care Soul. Just remember what I told ya." She says with a giggle.

"I know Blair. And thanks, for everything." He says. She nods and walks to her job. "Gonna miss that crazy cat. Hehe…" Soul mutters as he spots Star andTsubaki walking towards him. "Sup Star family?" He asks nodding his head.

"Just you know, out and about. HEHE." Star says scratching the back of his head and blushing. Tsubaki leans and whispers into Soul's ear.

"He's just scared about having kids that would be exactly like him." She whispers, making Soul laugh himself.

He imagined a little Star, which made him smile. Him and Star in their youth made a pact to be the others godfather to their kid. Soul knew if the two were to have a child, he'd never… he didn't want to think of it right now.

"So, where are you heading?" Tsubaki asks as her husband stands blushing.

"Was just gonna walk around town. You know, familiarize myself all over again." Soul chuckles. Star crosses his arms and grins.

"Well, when you're done sight seeing, me and Kid are meeting for lunch while the girls do their thing. Up for it?" Star asks. Soul hesitates for a second, but nods in agreement.

"Sure. That'd be good. I'm buying though." Soul insists.

"Dude, we have a Shinigami with us. He'd be able to afford a castle for everyone in Death City. Don't worry about it." Star grins.

"Ok." Soul says awkwardly grinning. Tsubaki looks behind Soul and waves to a group behind him.

Soul turns to see Liz, Patty… and Maka all walking up. Soul inadvertently looking at Maka. She wore jeans that went to about her knees, a thin jacket apparently of silk, and for the first time in almost 13 years, he saw her in ponytails. Soul turned and grinned at the sight, but returned to a neutral face as the girls approached. Maka smiled on her way up but as she saw Soul, she looked away from him trying to avoid his face. To her, he looked different. His round face from years past had more definition in his jaw and he was toned muscle wise, more than even Rein.

"Hey girls." Black*Star says with a grin. He sees Soul motion his head for the two to leave and Star nods back. "Well. Me and Soul are going to meet with Kid, you girls have fun." He says walking with Soul down the street.

Maka looks up to see the Soul walk away, not being able to move her eyes from his presence. She looked at him with strong yearning. She wanted him to turn and give her that spiky toothed grin he always did… but he didn't, he just walked away, head down. She wanted to know what was with him, so she looked into his soul, only to gasp and cover her mouth. His soul was half blue, and red. She sensed a great evil coming from the red, and the blue felt weak. Like the two souls were fighting for control… though it had been years since she fought against one, but she knew the red part was a Kishin soul… it was eating Soul alive.

"Soul…" She whispers, wanting to scream. But by the time she would attempt, Soul and Black*Star disappear through the markets crowd. "I…" She mutters. She feels a tug on her arm to see Tsubaki with a worried look on her face.

"You ok Maka?" She asks as Maka looks back, hoping to see Soul.

"Yeah. Just fine." Maka mutters as she walks along with the girls.

Soul and Star walk for a bit. Both not saying a word nor looking over at each other. Star finally wishes to break the silence and looks over at his scythe friend.

"So now what? You just gonna avoid her?" He asks, not wanting to say it scoldingly, but came out that way nonetheless. Soul sighs and puts his hands in his sweatshirts pockets.

"I don't know. I understand we can't be anymore, and I need to apologize… its just… I don't know if she really hates me or not. I left for 13 years, and in a matter of weeks… I'm gone for good." Soul mutters. Star grabs Soul's shoulder and squeezes.

"Don't talk like that. You've got time to make things right." Star says with his macho yet assuring grin. "Now come on, lets get a bite." He says pulling soul into the grill restaurant. They walk in as Star searches over. "Where is? Oh boy…" He mutters as they hear a shrillish scream.

"LOOK AT THOSE DRINKS! THERE ARE A DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF CUBES IN EACH ONE, AND THEY ARE NOT THE SAME AMOUNT OF DRINK! RETURN THEM AND FIX THEM OR AS THE REAPER I WILL-" Death the Kid yells before Black*Star runs and headlocks and covers his mouth to shut him up, while the waitresses eyes are wide and full of fear.

"It is fine miss. We'll still have them thank you." Black*Star chuckles. Soul laughed at the episode himself. Maybe the people close to him didn't change THAT much.

After settling and getting Kid a drink with the amount of ice cubes that pleased him, the three begin talking and recounting the last few years. From Kid's time as The Reaper to Black*Star and Tsubaki's wedding. Soul listened to every word, listening to the two guys who were really his best friends.

"Hey guys." A soft, but loud enough voice over the other people in the restaurant.

"Tsu!" Black*Star exclaims kissing his wife. Soul chuckled thinking Star might be a bit buzzed. "How was shopping?" Star asks as Tsubaki sits next to him.

"Fine. The girls should be, OH RIGHT HERE GUYS!" Se yells waving to Liz, Patty, and Maka. Maka walks in and sees Soul leaning back in his chair, laughing at a joke he and Kid shared. She smiled at the sight, happy he was happy. "Hey Maka, you gonna sit?!" Tsubaki yells at Maka. Maka didn't notice Liz and Patty had walked up to the table without her. She blushes and walks up to the table. She sits next to Tsubaki and Patty, to her surprise straight across from Soul. The others notice and Star grabs a menu.

"So, looks like this place has some good eats." He chuckles awkwardly. "Pretty pricey too…" He mocks to a scoff from Kid.

"Please. Dinners on me everyone. Have whatever you wish!" He cheers holding his drink up in the air.

"Trick is to get him a little tipsy." Star whispers to Soul. Soul grins and looks up at Maka. He looks away for a second but smiles at her then looks at his menu. Maka could barely look at Soul, though she peeked over her menu. She sensed a dark presence in Soul, but as she saw his eyes study his menu, she only saw Soul's eyes, not that of a monster.

'You're overreacting, maybe your sensing of souls is going haywire or something.' She thinks and agrees to herself. At least, she hoped.

"UGH! THAT WAS SOME GOOD ROAST!" Star moans joyously to his full stomach. Everyone had a large meal, minus Maka, and were all moaning.

"That was…. Satisfactory. Compliments…. To…. Oh boy…" Kid groans as he runs to puke.

Soul was himself stuffed. He hadn't eaten that well for awhile. He saw on his watch it was almost 6. Had they all really spent almost 5 hours together? Time seemed to be going-

"UGH!" Soul moans, grabbing his head. He slams his head on the table twice, to the groups concern. Star's eyes widen, knowing this had to be the Black Blood acting up on him again. "Star…. My bag… the pill bottle… two... now." Soul groaned as Star followed his orders. He held the two pills as Soul grabbed them like a savage and stuffed them in his mouth and swallowed hard. He shook for a moment and finally relaxed. He looked around to see the group staring at him. "Umm, excuse me." He says standing and grabbing his bag. "I've got to go." He states running to the exit.

Maka saw this whole incident with wide eyes. She wasn't scared at the fact Soul had slammed his head on the table, or the pills… it was his eyes. What were the crimson eyes she'd been so use to seeing were not his, but different. It was as if… he had turned to a Kishin for a split second. She pushes her seat out violently and rushes after him.

"Mak-!" Tsubaki cries out as Star holds up his hand to stop her.

"Let them be. They need this." He says, looking back at the blonde rushing out the door. "Don't hurt her again Soul… last chance." He mutters.

Soul ran down the street, he looked and from the bit of light that peaked through the sky, he saw ran clouds. He rushed, thinking he needed to get out of Death City, that his battle with the Black Blood was over, that he had truly lost.

"SOUL!" A voice called from behind him. He looked and saw Maka following.

"Maka… no… not around her." He groans, looking to his left to see an open alley. With a last attempt, he jumps into the alley, hoping Maka didn't see him hide. He laid in pain on some bags of garbage. "The pills… not working… dam… guh…" He moans. He looked up at the sky.

'Is this it? My last moments with the people I cared about most… to now dying in an alley? Figures.'

"SOUL!" He heard called out again. He looked over hazy eyed to see Maka standing in the alleys opening. "SOUL!" She called as he saw her run to him. He managed to slide up the wall to his feet, holding his side that burned. "Soul, whats wrong?" She asked. Soul looked away to avoid her face. Though it was dark, he could plainly see her green eyes almost pierce through him. He shakes his head and pushes her aside with his free hand, to her anger. "ANSWER ME DAMN YOU!" She yelled grabbing his arm. "Please… don't go again…" She begs softy.

Soul looked down, his eyes glossy from the tears caused by the pain. He looked at the back of his palm, seeing the markings were covering his hand. Why now? Why here? He questioned.

"Soul… please." She said again, now looking down and almost crying. "I just want to know why you came back. Why? WHY DAMNIT?" She yells. What happened next, she didn't expect.

He hugged her. Soul did a complete 180 and hugged her. He was shaking terribly. In anger? No, it was too soft a hug. In love? No, she sensed sadness in his grip instead of love. She then saw he was crying. Not tears of joy, but despair.

"He's a good man Maka…" He cried burying his eyes into her shoulder. "You deserve someone who treats you right." He continues. "Someone who won't leave-" He tries before Maka pushes him back.

"What are you talking about?" She asks.

"Rein… you deserve a guy like him. You really do." Soul says, wiping tears. "As long as he stays and never leaves you. Then he's a good man. Not like me." He muttered, looking at the ground.

Maka never heard Soul like this before. Pitiful, but genuine. She walked into his chest and hugged him, to his shock. She squeezed him hard.

"Soul. Just shut up. You're being pathetic." She said. "I don't hate you. I've never hated you." She says. "You've pissed me the hell off and made me want to kill you, but I've never hated you." She says. He slowly puts his arms around her and rests his chin on her head.

"For you…" He whispers.

"What…?" She asks looking up at him.

"I came back, for you Maka." He says, smiling now, with tears still in his eyes. "Not for Star, or Kid, or Tsubaki… YOU." He says, wiping the tears making his sweatshirts sleeve drenched. "I-I wanted to come back and restart my life with you. But I was to late. I care about your happiness more than my own." He says, starting to tear up again. "That's why I'll freaking die alone if it means you're as happy as you can be. I'LL FREAKING-" He begins to breakdown. He felt something cold on his face. He opened his tear filled eyes to see Maka looking up at him, her hand on his cheek.

"Shut up Soul. You just need to shut up for a second." She says, smiling but tears forming in her own eyes. "I never stopped wanting you. So just shut up so I can stop wanting to… to…" She moans, but to her shock, Soul grabs her around the waist.

"Do this?" Soul asks before he attacks her lips with his own. The most passion he could put into one kiss he put into the one he was giving Maka right now. And she liked it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up to his tall frame.

After a moment, as if on cue with a movie script, it began to rain. The cold rain shocked the two lovers. The cackled as they both ran to the nearest cover they could find. They laughed and looked at each other. Maka hugged Soul again and whispered out loud.

"Thank you Soul. Thank you for coming back." She says with joy through the tears. Soul looked at the back of his hand again, and it was normal. He didn't feel the pain anymore.

"I'm glad I did." He whispers back with a grin, holding his one, and only, love.

"Maka…. You Slut." A voice grunts, looking not to far from the lovers spot, with a sick and twisted grin.