Still Healing - Chapter 11

So, holy crap. I just realized that through ELEVEN FREAKIN CHAPTERS I never noticed that the fanfic doc manager wasn't importing my page breaks. Eleven chapters. Of mistakes. GRAHHHHHHHH! ANGER! Anyway, I'm fixing it right now so the page breaks are in there. I'm really sorry about that, it must have seemed like I can't grammar to you guys. Not to mention making the story confusing! Sorry!

"So yeah, there was kissing. Yep. A lot of kissing." Tsubaki and Liz nodded in affirmation while Patty smiled sheepishly. I was recounting our 'little adventure' to Kim and Jacqueline at the winter dance.

"So Soul just walked up…" Kim began.

"...And kissed you?" Jacqueline finished, looking awestruck.

"Uh-huh. And then we break apart, I kiss him, yada yada yada, and I look out at the faces of my friends, and Patty's kissing Crona, Liz and Kid are gettin' it on, and Black*Star and Tsubaki are suckin face. It was priceless!"

"Are you guys a couple now?" Kim asked.

"I'd like to think so, but I'm not really sure," I said thoughtfully.

"Well, he did kiss you. Generally people who are concerned with only friendship don't share kisses." Jacquelin added. I nodded and smiled, secretly pleased.

"Excuse me, ladies, but I believe somebody would like to dance," Soul's deep voice sounded right behind me, making me jump a little. He took my hand and led me away from the group and into the center of the floor, with me casting a triumphant glance back at my friends.

"I thought you wouldn't want to dance," I confessed as Soul took my hand and put his other hand on my waist.

"Nah, dancing's cool if I get to dance with such a beautiful girl," he deadpanned. I blushed. We spun around for a while, enjoying the lights and each other's company now that our feelings were finally out in the open. Mostly.

"May I cut in?" Kid came and tapped Soul on the shoulder. Soul graciously bowed to me, kissed my hand, and walked off to dance with Liz. Kid and I had been friends forever so it was also fun to dance with him. It reminded me of when we were kids.

"You look stunning tonight, Maka. And I'm very happy that you and him…" he trailed off then smiled, a bit of an embarrassed blush coloring his cheeks.

"Yeah, I understand. You too, Kid," I smiled back. We shared a moment of tense laughter until I was passed to Black*Star and Crona.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Crona?" I asked, always mindful of how nervous he always was.

"Actually, I am," he said quietly. "I've never been so… happy, I guess." I pressed him into a quick hug.

"Well, I'm glad." I put on a mock stern expression. "You treat Patty right, got it? She's very taken with you."

"And I with her," he commented, a real smile lighting up his face.

Suddenly I felt something on my back. Somebody traced five lines on my back.

Five tally marks.

Five scars.

Five seconds for my heart to stop.

I froze, my entire body going ice-cold as my mouth went dry. Crona felt me stiffen and immediately stopped, peering into my eyes.

"Maka?" he asked. His concerned face was the last thing I saw before the floor rushed up to meet me and blackness enveloped me in a soft wave.

xXoXx

"What the hell happened, Crona?!"

The first thing I heard was Soul's voice, loud and angry with concern. My vision slowly came back to see Soul and Crona on their knees next to me. I was on the ground.

Wait, what happened? I thought, groggily sitting up. Soul's demeanor instantly changed.

"Maka, thank god you're awake. Are you alright?" He reached towards me as if he was going to stroke my cheek, but I suddenly jerked my eyes to meet his, panic right beneath the surface.

"Maka…?" Soul questioned, his hand frozen in midair.

"Oh, god Soul, he was here," I whispered. "He was here."

Soul's eyes remained blank and uncomprehending for a moment before suddenly clearing to reveal cold, dark anger and a touch of fear. The school's ballroom, which had seemed so warm and inviting before, was suddenly filled with shadowed faces and darkened corners. People seemed to flit in and out of the corners of my vision like flickering shadows and I hugged my arms around myself, trying to disappear.

"Maka, I think we should go," Soul said quietly as his eyes scanned the room. He scooped me up bridal-style and carried me out of the room.

"Wait, Soul! Wait!" I suddenly cried as we entered the hallway.

"What is it?" He froze immediately. I twisted in his arms and he gently set me down on my feet, waiting for me to get my balance.

"I'm done," I said simply. "I'm done with him still controlling my life even though this happened years ago. I'm just so… done."

"But Maka, he's in there…"

"Asura. I'm not going to give that bastard the satisfaction of making me scared of merely his name." I glared at Soul. "You listen here. You and I are going to go back into that ballroom and we are going to dance, stuff our faces with food, and then dance some more. And then we are going to hang out with out friends, and only after that will we hurry home and lock the doors. Understand?"

"Can I get a kiss first?" Soul asked shyly.

"Idiot," I murmured as I locked my arms behind his neck and brought his lips to meet mine.

Nobody made a big deal about us coming back into the ballroom, though Liz was giving me the you'd better spill it later look. We danced like crazy and, true to my plan, stuffed ourselves full of food then left it all on the floor. Asura was all but forgotten. The night was a fairytale.

Damn fairy tales for having bad guys.

xXoXx

"Bye Tsubaki! Don't stay up too late, and remember what I said about being responsible! Children can wait until after you're married, alright?" Liz called, cackling, as we dropped Black*Star and Tsubaki off at their apartment. I smacked her in the back of the head and she sat down, rolling up the window while still laughing.

"I swear Liz, if you screw up their relationship I will personally come to your wedding and eat all the cake while you're walking down the aisle," I grumbled. Liz suddenly stopped laughing as a dangerous gleam entered her eyes.

"Oh, you will? Then you'd better hope you never get married, sister, cuz revenge is a bitch."

"Please refrain from messing up our wedding day, Liz. I promise I'll try and control her on yours," Soul said from the drivers seat.

Liz and I traded insults and revenge plans until we dropped her, Patty, Crona, and Kid off at Kid's house and headed home. It wasn't until I was out of my dress and in my bed, wrapped in Soul's arms, that it finally registered in my head Soul had said our wedding.

"God Soul, if you only knew how much I loved you," I whispered into the darkness.

"That's a relief," came the barely audible reply.

"Shi- You were awake?" I scrambled, my face turning beet red.

"Yeah," he murmured drowsily. "Hey Maka?"

"W-What?" I stuttered in chagrin.

"I love you too, ya know."

"That's a relief," I quipped, smiling through my embarrassment.

xXoXx

Soul was late.

No matter which way you looked at it, he was late.

Soul had a job downtown that he worked after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, but he was always back by six. ALWAYS.

It was 7:30.

I nervously fingered my car keys, wondering if I should drive to his workplace and look for him. The phone rang, but it was a number I didn't recognize so I didn't answer it. The dance was last week. There had been no other signs of Asura. Everything had been ordinary up until now.

Finally I decided to call around a bit.

"Tsubaki! Have you heard anything from Soul?" I said as soon as she picked up, not bothering with greetings.

"What? No, I haven't. Last time I saw him was in English. Why?"

"He's not home yet from work. Tsubaki, he's never late." Fear crept into my voice.

"I'm sure he's fine, Maka. It's probably nothing," Tsubaki soothed.

"Yeah, probably. 'Bye." I hung up without waiting for a reply. I waited a few more minutes, ignoring another phone call from the same number as earlier, before calling Kid, Liz, Patty, and even Crona. Eventually I just called the music shop where he worked.

"Hello, welcome to Red Demon Records, how may I help you?" A nasal voice sounded from the other side of the line.

"Yeah, hi. I'm Maka Albarn, Soul Eater's roommate. I was just calling to check if he had left work already?"

"Soul? He left at 5:45 like he normally does. Why, is something wrong?"

"He just isn't home yet, and it's a little unusual. Did he say anything odd, or do anything out of the ordinary?"

"No, nothing unusual. It is odd that he didn't go straight home. He always says he goes straight home because his girlfriend's waiting for him."

Damn him. I felt myself blushing.

"Okay, thanks anyway."

"No problem. Hope you find him."

And that was it.

I threw the phone at the couch, feeling slightly better as it collided with the upholstery with a smack and fell down onto the cushions. Suddenly it rang again, with the same number as before. I grabbed it and angrily pressed the 'talk' button.

"WHAT?" I nearly shouted into the receiver.

"O-oh. Um, is this Maka Albarn?" A timid voice asked.

"Who's asking?" I snarled, irrationally irritated.

"Um, this is Death City hospital. I'm calling in regards to your roommate, Soul Eater?" The voice seemed to get smaller and smaller.

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.

"H-Hospital?" I whispered.

"Yes, your friend has been admitted. You're listed as his primary emergency contact."

"Why was he admitted?" My voice cracked through my throat which was suddenly as dry as a desert.

"It seems your friend was the victim of a random stabbing. He was in surgery but he's out of immediate danger and he should recover with no serious complications, but the police may want to talk to you and he's been asking for you."

...