Definitions: *aiaigasa = sharing an umbrella, but also refers to the umbrella-like symbol drawn above two people's names to symbolize their status as a couple.

U is for Umbrella

"Ah…" Maka reached her hand out of the window to feel the light droplets of rain. "It's raining."

"Again?" Soul remarked with a sigh of frustration. "I was planning on taking my motorcycle out for a ride, but it seems like that's out of the window," he grumbled in dismay.

She turned to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "You could go for a walk instead," she plainly suggested.

"No, that's not half as fun…" he pointed out, slouching on the sofa. "I'll have to bring an umbrella with me and everything."

"You're just plain lazy," she stated with a frown.

"Lazy? More like human," he retorted sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes as she'd expected a witty comeback. "Whatever. Have fun slouching around at home then." She then turned to head back into the kitchen before a hand suddenly grabbed her by the arm.

"What, Soul?" she asked out of surprise and annoyance.

"Let's go for a walk," he suggested, or rather, demanded.

"Oh?" She smirked in amusement. "I thought you said that walks were boring," she pointed out with a childish grin.

"I guess it'd be less boring if you tagged along," he mumbled with a slightly irritated and defeated grumble. "It'd still be boring, though," he immediately stated in an attempt to remain 'cool'.

She chuckled in amusement, but nodded. "Fine. A walk it is, then." She then reached next to the sofa to take her fuchsia-coloured umbrella and proceeded to exit the door. Noticing that Soul wasn't following her, she turned to frown at him in surprise and puzzlement. "What? Aren't we going to go for a walk?"

"…" He only stared silently for a moment, frowning in dismay. "That's a pink umbrella," he stated in a monotone voice.

"Yeah, so?"

"… Nothing."

The sound of rain droplets showering against Maka's pink umbrella was certainly loud and Soul's strange silence wasn't helping either.

"Hey, Soul," Maka called, unable to bear the awkward silence.

"Hm?" It took him some time to respond, but he finally turned to look at her.

"What's up? You look depressed," she pointed out concernedly.

He twitched in surprise and frowned. "I-I'm not depressed," he immediately denied.

She shrugged, unconvinced. "Yeah, well, there's definitely something bugging you though, right?" she guessed. "Come on, I can read you like a book!" she added with a grin and playfully elbowed him in the waist.

"Ow." He pouted and rubbed his side in pain. "That hurt."

Her eyes widened and she frowned, knowing that there was definitely something on his mind since he would usually elbow her back. "Soul, seriously. What's wrong?" she persisted with a more worried tone.

"It's…" He suddenly blushed a shade of bright rose and flustered nervously. "It's this umbrella," he stated. "It's embarrassing to be standing under it."

There was a minute of quietness as Maka stared, dumbstruck at the flushing white-haired teenager, who was fiddling nervously with his fingers and turning away in an attempt to hide his blushing face. However, her shock soon turned into amusement and relief as she suddenly burst into laughter, much to his dismay and embarrassment.

"Soul, you idiot!" she exclaimed through fits of laughter. "You really had me worried there!" she remarked. "I thought it was something much worse!"

"It's no laughing matter…" he muttered in frustration, continuing to blush.

Noticing his discomfort, she settled down and stopped laughing. "Still, if you're so self-conscious about standing under a girly pink umbrella, why didn't you just bring your own?" she pointed out.

"…" He didn't reply for some time as he slowly tried to regain his cool and stop flustering. "It's like an aiaigasa*, right?" he stated in a soft, almost quiet voice. "Two people standing under an umbrella.. Means that they love each other, doesn't it?"

Maka's eyes widened in surprise and she could only stare at him in disbelief.

"I, um…" she stammered as she suddenly became nervous by his words. "Well…"

"Well, what?" he urged impatiently.

"We don't need to do something like this to… I mean, you don't have to stand under my umbrella to show that you.. Like me…" she stuttered anxiously, fiddling with her fingers.

"But I do," he plainly stated and hesitantly reached out to brush a finger past her hair. "Hey, Maka." She tilted her head up to look at him. "Can I do something embarrassing?" he requested, still blushing uncontrollably.

She shyly nodded and he proceeded to lean forward and gently kiss her as the rain continued to fall on them as Maka had dropped her umbrella in surprise.

She flinched and gasped in dismay, realizing that they were both drenched in the rain. "Ah, I dropped my umbrella!" She reached down to get it back, but they were already soaked. "Sorry," she apologized and bit her lip guiltily.

"Never mind," he reassured as he took the umbrella from her and closed it. He then grinned hopefully and took her hand.

"Since we're already drenched, I guess we don't have to stand under this embarrassing pink umbrella anymore, right?"