AkireRosales: Early update? Early update!
Whispers
Chapter 17
"Jealousy"
A week had passed, since they returned from that failed mission.
Maka scratched her bandaged arm, itching slightly from her recovering wounds. Just the day before, she got her stitches removed. They would leave a scar, but she couldnt care less about it... at least she didnt lose her arm, or anything truly important.
Classes were almost over. In a couple of days, the DWMA would have their School Aniversary celebration. A day off for everyone turned into a full blown party organized and arranged by all the students. That was the reason why classes were so short now, barely afternoon and eager students were already closing their books, chatting merrily about incoming plans. Who they would date, what dresses they would wear, if they would go with a costume or formal. The celebration allowed pretty much anything, and the student's joyfulness was almost contagious. Almost.
It was hard to rejoice in the celebration when she had so much crap to think about. Starting with her relationship with Soul, that had turned dead cold since they returned from Germany. She couldnt blame him, they never had problems resonating until now, and she knew it was her fault alone. Soul felt guilty, asking if he had done something wrong, if she was angry at him. It was so hard to see him worried about it, when she knew perfectly wells she was the one to blame.
They started to try resonance practice, every evening, day after day. Going back from scratch to the basics, but Maka knew it wouldnt help. Their resonance wasnt strong, not because they didnt trust each other, or that they didnt know each other. It was because of her... she was afraid. Fear was a word she hated, because fear didnt solve anything, ever. Fear was the root of pretty much every fucked up illogical action in the world. It was okay to feel fear, but to be controlled by it? Hell no. That wasnt her, not now, not ever.
And yet... she hadn't confessed to Soul. What she did back in Death City, what happened between herself and... Well, yeah, she was afraid. That was the reason why they couldnt resonate anymore. She didnt trust herself, she was wary and fearful about what her wavelength could leak out to her weapon partner. So, if she ever wanted to mend her relationship with Soul... she would need to tell him.
That and... cut all ties with him.
"That is one large face, gecko!" A sudden cheerful voice forced her out of her thoughts, her emerald green eyes looking up to the petite woman standing next to her desk. Eruka grinned at her. "What's wrong? A snake on your boot?"
"Ew, no" Maka chuckled. Who would tell? The frog witch wasnt that bad. Her witty humor and outgoing attitude, along with her mischievous personality, made her a good acquaintance to have around. She had been in Germany's DWMA for almost 3 months now, and the scythe meister would usually hang out with her a couple days a week. "How is your German going?"
"UGH! Dont get me started with that! The grammar is a nightmare! And I so dont like how it sounds! Is like hearing Free's family barking and growling at each other!"
The scythe meister couldnt help but laugh at the comparison, the frog witch quickly following her with a cheerful sincere laugh. It had passed ten years since Eruka used to be an enemy, and now Maka could see her good traits. Wicked, sassy with a taste for drama and pointless destruction, yet sincere and... really basically good. Chaotic Good would be a good label for her.
"So, who are you taking to the party? You've been drilling my head with your plans all week, but haven't told me anything about that" Maka asked, confident of being able to talk without the students hearing out. They all were distracted by their own noise and chatting.
"I have no one, Maka! I confess!" Eruka whined, both hands holding tight into the meister's desk, her face showing anguished and dreadful. "How am I supposed to accept an invitation when I dont know what they're saying!"
"There's no way you dont understand anything, Eruka. You've been living here for three months already!" The scythe meister chuckled, crossing her arms above her chest, smirking at her. "The party is in two days... you are running late"
"Dont say that! You'll make me more anxious! I cant stand the pressure!" The witch frog cried, both hands moving up to hold on her own large witch hat, tugging at its edges.
"Okay, listen, I'll try to get you a date, okay? But you cant be picky"
"Oh hell no! Any men who want to enjoy -this-..." Eruka said proudly, pointing at herself "Needs to work for it"
"Its a party! Not a mating call." Maka pointed out, amused, while opening her suitcase, cleaning out her desk for the day.
"Dear, all parties are mating calls, when you have these goods, gecko" The frog witch grinned, snapping her fingers with pride. That forced a wholehearted laugh out of the scythe meister. "Oh! I almost forgot, the director wants us both in his office"
"Seriously, Eruka, thats the kind of things you're NOT supposed to forget" The blonde meister reprimanded the witch, who just shrugged at her.
"Ey I didnt forgot, I ALMOST forgot. Is different." Eruka tried to defend herself, watching as the meister got up from her desk, walking out of the classroom. With a shook of her head, the silvery haired woman followed her, purple polka dot skirt dancing above her hips.
Maka wasnt the epitome of femininity, and although she enjoyed feminine outfits like short skirts and nice shoes, the cold weather of Germany in such late dates of October completely killed most of her wardrobe. Instead, since the day she arrived to that country, she got the need to rebuild it with a whole set of winter season outfits, something she never had to use before. Warm comfortable sky blue pants, along with a tight fitting black sport blouse, made her look like another student, instead of a teacher.
On the other side, Eruka kept on using her usual polka dot dress attire. Her legs were covered by a pair of black insulated leggings, feet warmly covered by large winter boots, and a purple leather jacket finished her outfit. She looked nice, but Maka wasnt sure she could pull out that kind of clothes without freezing to death. It had to be some kind of self-warming spell, since the little witch had a small body like her own.
"If you are going to get me a date, I need to know him today. I am not going into some blind date to the party" Eruka said matter of factly, while both women approached the principal's office.
"But it could be fun, you should spice up your life" Maka grinned, enjoying the blush on the pale witch's cheeks. The meister knocked on the principal's office door, waiting for the permission to get inside.
"Me? I should say that to you, you're boring as hell!" The frog witch answered back, pushing the doors open the second they heard the principal's voice calling them in.
As both girls entered the large room that was the principal's office, they noticed many shocking facts at once. First, the principal was not alone, as he was talking to someone in english, using his rough german accent. Second thing was, that person was quite tall, dressed in a long black coat and a black suit pants that, despite covering his whole body, didnt look warm at all. Third, that person had pink hair, tied up in a low pony tail that barely reached below the shoulders, uneven locks falling at the sides of his face.
While Eruka looked interested, Maka took one step behind, looking pale, almost horrified.
"There you are, ladies, please introduce our temporary Professor of Witchcraft, Crona Gorgon, to the school" The principal asked with a smile, his hand pointing out at the newcomers behind the swordsman, who slowly looked behind him, staring at those two women with wide open eyes. "I know you are an old friend of Mrs. Albarn? I'm sure she'll help you feel just like home"
Maka felt like fainting, her heart pounding on her chest, nerves on edge. Someone, anyone, please wake her up. This surely wasnt real, it just couldnt be real.
"CRONA!?" Eruka suddenly gasped, moving forward to meet the grown up swordsman. She hadn't seen him in ten years. "Oh dear Death, it is you! Crona!"
"E-E-Eruka..." The pink haired meister stuttered, looking equally as shocked, his attention moving from the scythe meister to the small eager witch in front of him. He took a little step behind, so he could look at the little witch better. "H-Hi..."
"Dont you -hi- me, gecko, last time I saw you, you were just a kid! Look at you now!" The witch exclaimed, impressed, moving around him to get a good view of his growth. Her prying was making him nervous, no doubt, and she seemed to enjoy it, poking and grabbing him at random places, making him squeak and yelp with her touch.
"Well, seems you know Eruka, good good, she is the temporary Asistant teacher I told you about." The principal explained with a smile. "She's been here for some time, so I'm sure you both can learn from each other"
"What is going on here?" Maka asked, swallowing her shock and anxiety, emerald green eyes staring at the principal. She was trying hard to control herself with low deep breaths, color slowly returning to her features.
"Well, I asked Lord Death for help for our Magic related courses... mmm I think that was a year ago, and that we needed a reliable witch to help us out as a teacher" The director searched for some documents around his desk, grabbing a bunch of them along with some books neatly ordered in the bookshelf nearby. "He proposed the idea of training a new witch, since he was already short staffed with them himself. He offered to find a reliable witch for us to start training and then send over a veteran teacher to help us out. I guess you three knowing each other is a nice plus."
"Nice indeed" Eruka grinned, looking at Crona from head to toe, making him feel self-conscious. She could tell by the way he shifted his weight on his legs, rubbing his right arm in seek of a vague sense of comfort.
"Maka, please help Mr. Gorgon here to settle. There's an available dormitory in the basement, lead him there" The grown man asked, stretching his hand to the scythe meister, offering her a silver key that the blonde took after a couple seconds of hesitation. He then addressed to the swordsman, offering him the books he had taken out of his bookshelf, along with a decent amount of paperwork. "I know the basement sounds awful, but we try to keep them comfortable. The rent outside can be quite expensive"
"I-Its o-okay... t-the b-basement s-sounds g-good" Crona stuttered, blushing in embarrassment. The tall man kneeled over to grab his modest luggage, a large backpack that looked half full, tucking inside the books and paperwork on his hands.
"Wait wait, we are going to be teachers together? Like... you can teach something?" Eruka asked with awe, bending over him slightly to look at his tied hair. Despite still being choppy and uneven, the pony tail managed to make him look groomed, the loose strands giving him a wild more casual look.
"Rude" Crona pointed out, his dark eyes staring at the witch that once before had helped out on his torment. He hold no grudges on her, she used to be quite decent with him actually, and also she got to be one of his mother's victims as well.
As the witch moved around him, the swordsman found himself feeling... actually okay with it. Eruka was fine, she was a well known, familiar face to have close by. Standing back up again, towering over her, he allowed himself to give the small witch the tiniest of smiles, making her stop on her tracks, staring back at him with wide open eyes.
"Lets take you to your room, I'm sure you're tired" Maka interrupted them, a frown showing on her face. Crona stopped looking at Eruka, glancing at the scythe meister who was holding his dorm room key on her hands. His eyes were looking at her with such fondness, that the blonde woman had to look away. With a heavy sigh, Maka turned her attention to the principal. "Please excuse us, Herr Direktor."
"Yes yes, off you go, I'm sure we'll make a great team" The tall blonde man grinned at them, giving a wholeheartedly thumbs up. In many ways, that man reminded Crona to the old shinigami, Kid's father.
With a bow, the three young adults left the principal's office, walking through the large corridors of the german DWMA, packed with the noise of hundreds of students chatting and laughing. Maka walked up front, not even looking behind her, as the swordsman followed her suit with confusion written all over his face, holding his backpack against his chest. He wasnt sure he liked the way the scythe meister was treating him... it felt too cold. It didnt help that he hadn't received one single letter from her in almost a month. Also, there was that time when they talked through the mirror, those words she said to him...
"What's up with the long hair, gecko? There's no hairdressers in Death City?" Eruka chuckled, grinning at the tall man blushing with her words. He was so easy to trigger, as usual.
"N-N-No... n-nothing like t-that... it kinda j-just happened" It was hard to explain, even to someone like Eruka who would understand him, that at some point he got so depressed that he wouldnt even cut his own hair. "B-Blair said it looked nice... s-so I left it long..."
"Blair? The magical cat?... you live with her?" The frog witch asked, walking alongside the swordsman, while Maka lead them in complete silence. "Ohhh I see, thats why you dress so nice, are you her boy toy?"
"W-what is t-that?" Crona asked with sincere confusion on his face. Eruka stared at him, astonished. It seemed he was still completely clueless. She was about to explain it to him, when a familiar "splorch' sound called her attention, Ragnarok solidifying behind his back.
"She's saying you're fucking the cat! Bwahahaha" Ragnarok laughed loudly, enjoying the sheer look of disgust on his meister's face.
"W-w-what!? N-No! God no! W-why w-would you t-t-think that!?" Crona gasped, his features showing nothing but shock. Why would Ragnarok decide to come out just now? All the students were now looking at them as they walked by.
"Well, a young man living alone with a magical cat that can turn into a femme fatale with a sky rocketed libido... oh come on! You cant trick me!" Eruka grinned, watching the tall man shudder.
"She's my friend!"
"Oh please! As if that stopped you the last time!" Ragnarok grinned with mischief, looking down to his partner, enjoying how the color drained from his face. The black blooded demon was too focused on his meister, that he didnt see a giant book falling at full speed towards him.
"MAKA CHOP!" The blonde meister hissed, delivering a skull shattering strike on Ragnarok, flattening him on Crona's head like a pancake. Eruka laughed, pointing at the pitiful demon who recoiled back inside his meister's body.
"S-sorry..." The swordsman apologized, fearful dark eyes looking at Maka. The blonde meister glanced at him saying nothing, before resuming her walk down to the school corridors, leading them to the basement in silence. Crona felt his heart ache with uncertainty.
Eruka stared at Maka, and back at Crona who lowered his gaze, hunching his back slightly, holding his backpack tightly, looking miserable. This was weird, wasnt Maka the one who abandoned all her friends and disobeyed all rules just to be with him? She destroyed one of the strongest witches just to help him. Why the cold shoulder all of the sudden? Something was off.
"So, Crona! Any plans for the day?" The frog witch asked, walking next to him with her hands behind her back. The tense silence was something she wasnt fond of, specially when they were already walking through the school's basement.
"N-not really... R-Ragnarok got really h-hungry in the plane tho... I s-should look for the c-cafeteria so he c-can eat" He thought out loud, looking down to the witch beside him.
"Ey there's an idea! Invite me dinner, so we can catch up, gecko!"
"He must be very tired of his travel, he needs to rest" Maka spoke all of the sudden, her voice strong and firm, without stopping her walking or even looking behind her. "I'll see that the cafeteria staff brings food to his room"
"Cafeteria food? yuck! I thought you both were friends! No way, you're going out with me today, Crona. Understand?" Eruka demanded, looking straight into the swordsman eyes, who stared back at her with confusion, feeling that her words were not a request, but an order.
"Y-yes... as y-you wish, Eruka" He stuttered slightly, unable to say no. He was indeed tired, but saying no to the witch, when she had been so nice to him, was plain impossible. The petite woman smiled at him, making him smile back, shyly.
The sudden sound of a heavy metal door opening rather harshly forced both witches to look up, stopping their walking on the spot. Maka was standing still in the entrance of a small dormitory, her eyes looking at both of them with a deep frown. Crona could tell she was angry, but why... he had no clue.
"Your dormitory, Crona. Get in, see if you like it" Maka pointed out, stepping aside for the swordsman to get in.
Crona nodded, his dark eyes staring at Maka who just took a deep breath, glancing away. With lips closed tightly, he walked inside the room, looking around with mild interest. It was well decorated, with a minimalistic kind of furniture. It had a single sized bed, a night stand with an alarm clock, a rectangular desk and a small closet, all made of wood in tones of light brown and white. It looked clean and polished, completely different to how he remembered the dungeons of school. It even had a private bathroom with a shower, which was a real surprise.
"What? This looks bigger than my room!" Eruka complained, waltzing right in and looking around. The swordsman dropped his backpack on the bed, his dark eyes glancing at Maka, who was still on the entrance, avoiding his stare. The witch's words called his attention, looking back at her who was studying the bathroom. "Ha! My bathroom is larger though"
"Y-you live in the school?" Crona asked to her. Among many things, he was sure Eruka wouldnt like to live in such place. He was used to it, he could even call it familiar and endearing, but she probably associated it with unpleasant memories.
"Yes, the rents being overly priced outside was no joke" She sighed, moving her head slightly to fix her silvery hair behind her back. "Ey, we should check out some rents, if you're going to be here, we can be roommates! We can split the cost and live outside. You're exactly the kind of roomie I want, silent and clean, almost as if you weren't there."
"T-Thanks?" He said with an arched brow. Really he had no issue living there, it wouldnt be for too long anyway. That could be an issue for her plans. "B-But I dont think-"
"No buts! We can talk about it during dinner, you're inviting, right?" She grinned looking right at him with large dark eyes, like his own.
"Eruka, he just made a 15 hours flight, give him a break" Maka finally spoke out, staring at the petite witch with a deep frown. She looked pissed.
"I-Its okay... Its just dinner, and Ragnarok w-wont let me rest if I dont feed him a-anyway" He tried to ease the tension, to no avail. Instead, his words seemed to deepen the meister's frown, who crossed her arms and looked away again, saying nothing.
"Great, gecko! You haven't changed a little bit" The frog witch grinned at him, giving him a few pats on his back. "We need to discuss the classes too! We better start right away!"
"W-Wait Eruka, I r-rather take a bath first... c-can I pick you up in a couple hours?" He offered, uncertainty forcing him to grab on his right arm, holding himself in a firm grasp.
"Mmm sounds fair. My room is 5 doors beyond this corridor, Dont be late! Its rude leaving a lady waiting, gecko" The witched said while walking out of the room, her dark eyes noticing how Maka hadn't moved from the doorframe. "Coming Albarn?"
"I'll explain the school rules to Crona, if thats okay with you" The scythe meister looked at the witch with deep cold eyes, daring eyes, making the frog witch stare back at her with confusion. Without another word, the blonde meister entered Crona's room, closing the door behind her.
The frog witch crossed her arms, curiosity peeking her very core. Something was off... why would she need to explain that without her hearing out? Why she looked so pissed? It was true Maka was the perfect example of mood swings, but this was weird even for her. And why Crona looked so worried around her? As far as she could remember, both meisters would always be happy and relaxed when close to each other. This tension, this thick air surrounding them wasnt normal. The witch bit down one of her nails, feeling in her tongue what could be a tasty slice of drama. This was a story she needed to investigate... and the room had a small upper window leading outside.
As Maka closed the door room, both of her hands rested in the cold metal, trying to steady herself to confront him. This was so sudden, so unexpected that... she was in shock. She hadn't been prepared for it, for the hurricane of emotions gripping at her soul. He was there, a few feet away from her... he was there.
"Maka?..." He asked, doubtful, fearful. His voice quivered ever so slightly, dark eyes staring at her with confusion. She didnt need to resonate with him, to know what he was thinking, how he was feeling. Dont do this Maka... get out, get out now.
But her reason wasnt strong enough to defeat the stubbornness of her heart. It never was, it never would be. Instead, she slowly glanced at him, emerald green eyes staring at those deep dark orbes, filled with longing. His face, contorted with fear and doubt, his thin frame standing still in the middle of the room. That slender body she had held in her arms so warmly, so strongly, so passionately. He was there, after six months of seeing him just in her memory... he was there.
Without another word, her body moved on her own, walking towards the swordsman. Without any warning, she opened her arms, clinging to his body, burying her face against his chest. She heard him gasp, his arms lifting up in surprise, but she refused to let go, or look up to his face. Instead, she tightened her embrace on his frame, her body shivering in delight when those strong slender arms surrounded her, elegant fingers resting on her back. It had been so long, so long since the day she felt him in her arms, heard his heart beating hard on his chest, or even smell his scent. He was there, with her... this couldnt be real. Her dearest friend, her confident, her sin.
Maka's hands moved on his back, fingers digging into his skin, trying to increase the intensity of her touch, to get a claim on him, a primitive attempt to remind him he was hers. He said so himself, so long ago it seemed, that he was hers. Crona's hand traveled from her back in a heart-racing caress, to the back of her head, long fingers toying with her loose hair. He bowed down slightly, enough to hide his face in the crook of her neck, taking long deep breaths, rejoicing on her unique scent. They stood there, in the middle of a private room, holding each other in silence as if that were the last time they would. Six months of longing, desire, daydreaming and restrained caged need. All being slowly poured like a relieving ointment in a sore wound, in just one meaningful hug.
Maka bit down her lip, telling herself over and over again just not to look up. Dont look at him, the hug was okay, it was enough. Just the feeling of his warmth and the tight pressure of his arms around her was enough. Now she needed to step back, make some space between them, to get a hold on herself.
"I thought I wouldn't get... to hold you again" He whispered in her ear, forcing a dark blush on her cheeks. How much she had missed his voice, soft and tempting, brushing the sensitive skin of her earlobe. "I thought you were mad at me..."
She couldnt help it. She lifted her gaze, looking up the moment the swordsman recoiled from her shoulder, staring back at her. Those dark eyes, piercing her soul with warmth and unspoken yet well known forbidden feelings. Her breathing quickened, heart racing wildly on her chest, hands holding him tight, tickling in anticipation.
"I never could..." She whispered, fearful of being heard. The sudden change in those dark orbes sent shivers down her spine, along with a faint yet growing alarm in the back of her head. He was staring at her as if she were the most important being in his life, something dear, something precious.
Stop. She needed to make space, to move away, but her body wasnt responding her. He lowered his head, making the scythe meister hold her breath, until the touch of his forehead met her own. Too close, he was too close and it was overwhelming her. Her hands stopped holding into him, traveling up to his face to caress his cheeks. Warm and soft, like velvet, so uncommon in a male... but Crona wasnt like most men. He was soft, tender and beautiful, like a girl... and yet she knew how much strength, passion and drive was hidden deep inside his hardened soul. The ambiguity of his very being, of his soul, called to her in tempting whispers, like tendrils of thorny vines getting a hold on her. It was like warm water falling down her body, pooling in her lower stomach making her shiver.
It was his wavelength, silently searching for her own, eagerly merging into a resonance.
"Crona..." She gasped, vaguely trying to resist him, a fierce blush painfully obvious in her face, but it was too late. His soul, like a purple winged dragon, covered her own in a tight embrace. All of his longing, his maddening love, his passion and desire fell down on her with a vicious grip, and he was so close.
Despite her own words, despite her own reason, later on she would accept it was herself who started it. Her hands, holding him by his face, finally pulled him towards her, desperate eager lips meeting each other in a fierce demanding kiss. He groaned in pleased surprise, the chocked sound lighting up her hunger, igniting the desire of hearing all the seductive sounds his throat could give. Her hands moved up to his hair, holding him in a tight grasp, demanding, possessively, as her tongue dived inside his mouth, claiming him. His hands traveled down to her back, holding her in a crushing embrace, making her gasp in his arms. Closed eyes enhanced the sensation of the kiss, lips nipping each other, his shy wet tongue caressing her own. Heat was rising, like wildfire, and her hands moved down from his hair to his back, fingernails scratching the layers of cloth, she wanted them gone...
The sudden sound of grass shuffling loudly, coming from the window, broke their concentration, pulling them apart like an electric shock. Fear and anxiety from both of them forced their resonance to snap, like a tense cord giving up. Just like that, all the passion and desire melted in Maka's body, leaving nothing but a cold void feeling, mixed with fear and guilt. She looked back at him, who's scared eyes were glancing at the window, frowning. There was nothing there, but for Maka it had been enough to make her snap out of... of that madness.
"Are you okay?" He asked her, dark orbes staring back at her with worry, cheeks blushing. She looked pale, fearful and insecure, the color of her face slowly draining. So unlike her, those feelings felt sticky and unwelcoming for her. She looked almost sick. Crona moved forward, a hand calling for her, trying to touch her.
"Don't" She ordered, stepping back. Her words fell like a bucket of ice water down the swordsman shoulders, and by the look on his eyes, she knew she hurt him. "We cant do this... this is not right, Crona"
"S-Sorry... I... I didnt mean to..." And he was telling the truth. She knew that much, Crona would never try to do such a thing without her consent... but it had been so long, the need so bad, and their souls could now resonate so easily that they really didnt even have to try.
"I need to go" She declared, hands quickly fixing her hair, slightly messy due to the swordsman fingers caressing it.
"D-dont go... I... I wont do it again, I promise! I just... I've missed you so..." He whispered, his voice filled with hurt, sounding desperate.
Maka bit down her lip, her words dying on her throat. His eyes looked so lost, so hurt and sad... and she was the cause of it. The mixed emotions inside her were making her feel sick. She wanted to hold him, to give in into her desires, to embrace him and tell him what he wanted to hear, what she wanted to say to him. But... she couldnt, she couldnt and she wouldnt. This was the path she was choosing, this was her decision, this was her choice. To choose between what she wanted, and what she had to do...
She knew she was making the right choice... why it felt so wrong then?
"Maka..." He called for her, unsure, worried, unsettled by her silence.
This was the right choice. This was the path she was choosing.
"I need to go, Soul is waiting for me at home" She declared, closing her eyes tightly before turning away, opening the heavy metal door and vanishing in the long corridors of the school basement.
She closed her eyes, so she didnt get to see the swordsman standing in the middle of the room, lost and confused.
Lost and confused.
Those were two words that could perfectly describe him at that moment. Usually he would be elated, enjoying his couple of free days prior to the Hollow's Eve party of DWMA, but truth was he couldnt rest.
After sending his report to Kid, so they could summon the Witch Council, Soul was left with many questions and almost no answers. He tried to talk about the issue with Maka, but every time he tried to ask what the witch said to her, she would get all defensive, or plain out answer she couldnt remember. There was the other issue as well, their failed resonance...
It wasnt as if they never had failed resonances before. Actually, the issue started to happen almost one year ago. He thought it could be because he had been deployed into missions without her for too long and they really hadn't got the chance to practice. Now he wasnt so sure, and their latest attempt started as a very sound resonance, but the witch's words alone managed to break it.
And now there were these... cards. His ruby eyes stared at them with a frown, three innocent looking cards sitting in front of him, in the kitchen table of their apartment. That owl witch had thrown them at him before leaving her behind in Russia, and Soul was veteran enough to know they weren't just some random cards. They had to mean something.
With a deep breath, he opened and old ragged book he had managed to take out of the DWMA's library. Fortunately for him, it was in English, decorated with drawings of runes and other witchcraft symbolism. The word "TAROT" was written on its cover. Really, fortune telling was highly uncool, mostly because it was practiced by humans without any remarkable witch related skill. Just a bunch of tricksters trying to get some easy money. Maybe thats why he was now so interested... those cards got thrown at him by a witch.
His fingers ruffled through the delicate worn out pages. There was a new, fully translated version of that book in the DWMA written in german, but... he wasnt in the mood to grab that horrible dictionary and translate. He could manage the basic words and phrases for easy elementary conversation, and he could really read it out, but it was too much unnecessary work. It was like studying, and Lord Death spare him from studying after graduating from school!
The pictures of the book weren't exactly the same as the cards in front of him, but with little interpretation he could identify them. One of the cards had a man hanging by a rope tied to his foot, while in the book it showed a man hanged by his neck. The card was named "The Hanged Man", and it was the closest in the whole set of cards that looked alike.
The problem with the cards was that they could be read from two sides, face up and upside down, and apparently the position had different meanings. Also, one card is not enough for fortune telling, as you would need another set of cards, also named "Lesser Arcanes" to properly know their meaning. This was all too confusing and, truth be told, Soul was never someone who would believe in faith, destiny, and above all, fortune telling.
Leaving your faith in the hands of a deck of cards was idiotic... but Maka got really worked out by them. She had always liked fortune telling, even when she herself was aggressively against leaving issues to something as uncertain as destiny. It was like a game for her, specially in fairs and carnivals. That was the reason why Soul was so concerned about what happened back in Russia. Whatever the witch told her, it affected her a lot.
As his eyes read out the words of the book, he grabbed the card named "The Hangman". Apparently it had two different meanings depending on its position, but it was related to changes out of his control, sacrifices and choices. That was another thing he didnt like about such foolishness as card reading... they were so vague, so open to interpretation. Really they were made in such a way that anyone could give them the meaning they wanted.
With an annoyed growl, Soul shifted the pages, searching for the next card. A lot easier to point out, it was "The God of Death", showing the old picture of Lord Death with his scythe. He couldnt help but chuckle at the irony, imagining witches using cards that had Lord Death's picture on it. As he read out the meaning of the card, he grinned amused. Of course witches would give that card a bad meaning, why wouldnt they? The book talked about future changes, permanent absolute changes. It talked about a split up between past and future, a loss, and the end of a job, a plan, a friendship, marriage or even life itself. Again with the vague meanings, this card basically talked about something bad related to a loss, and nothing else. Like really, this card could even mean he would lose his wallet, and he would need to get a new one with ID card included. This was plain idiotic.
There he was, wasting time of his precious free days studying tarot. He growled to himself in annoyance, but really it was part of his job. No matter how silly, he was hunting a witch that used illusions and manipulation as attacks. She was a witch kidnapping innocent people and using them as guinea pigs for horrid experiments. Focus, this had to be done.
Shuffling the pages again, he searched for the next card. It had a man and a women holding a heart in their chests. As he searched for a similar image, his eyes darted towards the closest one, a imagine of two merged hearts; the card was called "The Lovers". Well, that was a sudden change, so far the damn witch threw at him nothing but bad news, but apparently this one was a good one. It talked about union, good relationships and even the arrival of newborns... but only if it was face up. If the card was upside down...
The sound of keys shuffling in the entrance door knob pulled him out of his reading. He was frowning, red eyes fixed in the words written in that book, so caught in the lecture that he forced himself out of it with a growl. As he noticed Maka entering the apartment carrying her suitcase, the scythe took the three tarot cards from the table and tuck them inside the page he was reading. He hadn't told her about those cards, he didnt want to upset her.
"Welcome home" He greeted her, quickly enough noticing how she took her time to look back at him. She was standing next to the door, hand on the knob, silent and breathing slowly. "Uh... Maka? You okay?"
The meister glanced at him, and took a deep breath. She released the door, walking towards him and leaving her suitcase on top of the table. She seemed to be thoughtful, as if fighting off an idea, or trying to figure out how to tell him something. She was always like that, specially with bad news, so he waited patiently for her to tell him.
"Crona is here" She dropped, sitting down on the table in front of her weapon partner, avoiding his direct stare. Soul opened his eyes widely, surprised.
"Here?... like... here here?"
"Yes Soul, here. He got temporarily assigned to this school, to help Eruka with the witchcraft related classes" Maka explained, her eyes looking down to her intertwined fingers above the table.
"Uh... wow, thats a surprise. But... those are good news, right? why you look like someone threw off your sundae? I thought you would be happy for having him around" Soul asked with an arched brow, crossing his arms above his chest, reclining on the chair's backrest.
"... should I?" She asked back, brows furrowing, showing a worried expression on her face. Dont lie to him... just dont tell him the whole truth either. She was feeling like vomiting, her stomach revolted. "Soul... After what happened I dont think he is here just for teaching. Kid probably wants him to investigate the Owl Witch incident."
"Hmm... that would be odd. Among so many meisters, Crona would be the last person I would choose for the task" He pointed out, lifting up his hand to hold on his chin, looking thoughtful. "Dont get me wrong! The guy is badass, but sending him over to fight a witch that can drive you insane with illusions? Sounds like a recipe to disaster for me."
"Thats why I'm worried... what is Kid thinking?"
"Ey, dont sweat it. I'm working on this case" He grinned, showing her the ragged tarot book he was holding with one hand. "We'll get to her without having him involved... so, when is he coming? Planning on giving him the studio, I can get him a bed"
His words forced her to look up, her emerald eyes looking back at Soul, trying to hide her sudden nervousness.
"What are you talking about?"
"Crona, why is he not with you? Isn't he staying with us?" Soul asked tilting his head a little, arms crossed back again on his chest.
"What? No! He's staying in the school basements, he got a room assigned" Oh shit, was the only thing Maka was thinking now, while trying to hold into her most neutral face, barely in check.
"Uh... and you didnt offer him to stay with us?" He asked with surprise in his face, arching an eyebrow. Oh shit...
"I didnt think about it... and he said nothing as well. He probably wants to be by himself" She wasnt lying to him. She wasnt. She wasnt.
"You forgetting to offer him a home? Really Maka, you've been mailing each other on a regular basis. I thought that when he would get to visit us, you would be jumping in joy like a child having a sleepover with her best girlfriend... no offense to the guy" Soul kept his frown on his face, ruby eyes staring at her with his head slightly tilted. Yes, it didnt add up, shit shit shit.
"I just dont think it would be comfortable for him being around us like a third wheel. We are married now." She pointed out, sighing slightly afterwards, trying to vent out a little of her anxiety in that slow well managed sigh.
"As if it had been any different when we all lived together." The albino chuckled, apparently amused remembering something from the past. "Damn, one time he caught me taking a set of your clothes to my room. Poor dude was so embarrassed!"
Usually, such lewd memory would have earned Soul a well deserved Maka Chop. Usually she wouldnt let such comments to slip... but she was stunned. Maybe her conscious mind didnt want to think about it, maybe it didnt occur to her... but yes, Crona had been around during the start of her relationship with Soul. He saw everything, heard everything, every sneak out to Soul's room, even those little scenes that in someone else's eyes could be fun.
For how long had he suffered in silence?
"But I think you're right. It wouldnt be cool at all now. He probably will enjoy himself a lot more being alone. He must be used to that by now anyway" Soul thought more for himself, stretching lazily on his chair.
Dear lord. She told Crona she was going with Soul. She told him such cruel sentence and left him alone. She left him alone in a strange room in a strange country with nothing but his broken feelings for company. As realization started to settle inside her, another very recognizable emotion started to grow deep within her.
Rage... to herself.
"Ey... you okay?" Soul asked with a slight tone of worry in his voice, ruby eyes staring at her.
"Yeah, you just got me thinking..." She musited, eyes looking down to her own hands. She was the worst. She was hurting him and there was nothing she could do... "I'll go check on him later, when he gets enough rest from his flight"
"We can invite him for dinner later, like in old times" He offered with a soft grin, one hand moving on top of the table to get a hold on Maka's intertwined fingers, grasping her hands in a comfortable grip. "But for now, what you say if I take YOU to dinner, we can make use of that time together, for our resonance."
As Maka's eyes moved from his soft secure hands holding her own, to his warm red eyes, she fell into a bitter conclusion. She was hurting Crona, and cheating on Soul. She was hurting them both only to keep satisfying her messy fucked up self. And she had no idea how to fix it, or stop it. And yet the swordsman dared to call himself a monster, when in fact the only monster was herself.
Just like her father.
"yeah... Yeah that sounds cool" She sighed, burying deep inside herself all of her guilt and rage.
She needed to fix this mess. She needed to talk to Crona, and put a stop in what they were doing. No matter how much she wanted it, how much she needed it... it just had to stop.
For Soul, for her marriage, it had to end.
He had no right to be angry.
He was telling himself that, over and over again. He had no right, no reason, to be mad... and yet he was. Crona couldnt help it, he just couldnt control and tame the mixed emotions and feelings festering his mind, toying with his sanity. You would think that, because of his past, he should be quite skilled at controlling his feelings... but no, he was just very tamed at holding them in. He couldnt get rid of them, as if... stop feeling them, or get over them... he just knew how to hold them in. Hold them until he could get numb to them or explode trying, usually into a madness frenzy.
His mother told him once why, among all her experiments, he was the only one who made it. Something about his soul, something about his resilience, something about his ability to cope with emotional stress. Really though... if he could cope with emotional stress, he should be able to deal with the stomach wrenching feelings pooling inside him. Maybe, if Medusa didnt forge him like a sword himself, bending him, hammering him, and finally breaking him, he would be a completely different person.
Sometimes he wondered... what kind of person he would have ended like, if Medusa hadn't tampered his sanity? Maybe growing up like Victor, in a loving family... would he be different? Could he cope with situations differently? Would he be a completely different person, almost unrecognizable?... Would that person be someone Maka could want?...
Maka didnt tell him... but she didnt have to. He knew, he felt it in her soul, in the brief moment of their resonance, he felt it. She wanted to get away from him, she wanted him far away from her. He felt sad, desperate, confused and abandoned... and all those overwhelming emotions were making him mad.
Crona took a deep sigh, walking around the restaurant area of the city. It was so different from any place he had visited before. It looked old, but a nice kind of old, not abandoned but more like aged. The streets were clean and you could even imagine the kind of food they were selling just by smelling the fumes emanating from every store. He hadn't eat in almost a whole day, and despite his stomach being a mess because of his anxiety, he could still feel hunger. Ragnarok, on the other side, was barely holding his drool in place, looking around with a grin.
"Ey frog! Take us to somewhere tasty! I'm so hungry I can make a whole store's food disappear!" Ragnarok demanded, his little ball-like resting on Crona's head, staying still on top of him like a hat.
"I bet you could, gecko, but I dont think you both can afford it" Eruka added, walking alongside the swordsman and his weapon partner, her hands holding together behind her back.
"Oh trust me, he can afford anything I want" The demon sword grinned, patting his meister's head rather roughly.
"R-ragnarok stay still. These are not b-buffets, you need to b-behave"
"Behave!? You've been starving me with stupid plane food for a whole day! How fucking mean can you be!?" The little demon shrieked, finally shoving his hands down to Crona's ears, pulling them harshly. "I demand a proper meal!"
Eruka stood still, shocked, as she watched how the swordsman suddenly gripped back on his partner. His slender hands, looking so frail and elegant seconds ago, were now grabbing the demon's short neck in what looked like a bone-crushing grasp. Ragnarok yelped, releasing his meister's ears to start pummeling those unmoving hands.
Crona said nothing, and that was the most terrifying part. He stood there, silently, choking his weapon partner while looking at him with cold unmerciful eyes. Icy blue, pupils contracted to the point of almost vanishing, his face cold and unreadable. The act lasted way too many seconds, making people around them to stare. Ragnarok was trapped, his meister's grasp so tight that he couldnt make a noise, and despite the demon's trashing, he couldnt get away. The frog witch got worried for a second, her hand laying on the swordsman shoulder. He was trembling.
Her touch snapped him out of whatever metal crisis he was. His eyes turned quickly back to night ocean dark, his hold on his weapon partner loosening completely. Ragnarok shook himself like a wet dog, pushing Crona's hands away from him.
"You crazy asshole, I almost die!" The black blooded demon complained, yet returned back on top of his meister's head, giving him a punch on his skull. "Pull that shit again, I dare you!"
"S-Sorry..." Crona sighed, his left hand quickly meeting his right arm, squeezing himself for self-comfort. His eyes darted to Eruka, who was staring at him with mild interest. "I... I didnt mean to scare you"
For the swordsman surprise, the frog witch chuckled, amused.
"Scare me? Your mother was scary, but you? Pff, I've seen you being a lot worse, gecko" She shrugged it off, resuming her walk as if nothing had happened. The swordsman stood there for a couple of seconds, shocked, before walking again next to the petite witch.
"Y-yeah... I k-kinda forgot" He accepted, his dark eyes looking back at Eruka, who looked so calm and relaxed next to him.
It was true. Eruka knew him, as much as Maka did. Not only that, but she was actually there, when it happened. She saw the nights when he arrived soaked wet in innocent blood. She was there during Medusa's tortures. She was the person who would silently shove a dish of food down his door, when his mother wasnt looking. She wasnt scared of him, at all.
Why? She knew what he could do, what he was capable of doing. She saw him doing it in real time. Why wasnt she scared of him? He never got to ask her...
"Here!" The frog stopped suddenly, pointing out at a little cafe. It was a modest establishment with many tables in the open. They could eat while looking the streets and the people passing by. "I got invited here a couple times, but I have no money to afford it now, invite me here!"
"O-okay" He accepted, looking at the small witch walking towards a table, following her suit. She took a table that, despite being away from the rest, it was still in the open, easy to target from outside the store. He wasnt too keen to be in a table so easy to point out, but he decided he would amuse her for the day.
As they sat down, the swordsman started to take in his whole situation. It all happened so suddenly, so fast. During his travel in the airplane he got no sleep at all, anxious and worried about seeing Maka again, being close to her... right now the only remnants of all his daydreaming was just that... dreams. His tired eyes, looked at Eruka in front of him, who was studying the menu without giving him a glance. At least he wasnt completely alone, so he was truly grateful for that.
"Ey! I want this! And this! And one of these!" Ragnarok pointed out with his ball-like hand, shoving the menu card on his meister's face. Crona sighed, noticing everything was written in german, but it also had an English translation below. How thoughtful.
"Not all restaurants have English menus, this one makes it a lot easier" Eruka noted, moving aside the closed menu to look at him.
He had subtle bags under his eyes, probably because of the trip, but they weren't as pronounced as when he was a kid. Although looking the same, he was so changed. Still skinny, true, but age added some mass to his once painfully thin frame. He didnt look malnourished anymore, just naturally low-weight. As Eruka noticed his outfit, she fell upon a sudden realization: she had never seen him without his robe before.
Thats why he looked so different, mostly. He was using a black long coat tightly fitting to his body, closed above his chest with a V shape. Below it, a white turtle neck plain sweater covered his long neck. She thought that he just needed some beret or other sort of fancy hat, and he could be mistaken by some kind of eccentric artist or orchestra master. She decided the outfit suited him. Who taught him to dress up, anyway? No wonder Maka was wetting her panties around him.
She couldnt help but grin, a wicked expression of glee showing on her face.
"Uh... what is s-so funny?" Crona asked, staring back at her and her sudden change in her face.
"Oh nothing, just something I remembered" She smiled at him, making him gulp slightly distressed. Eruka couldnt hide her wicked trill, and didnt want to. She would let him eat in peace anyway, if she dropped him her bomb he surely would lose his appetite.
As the waiter arrived to the table, Eruka found herself in the predicament that the man didnt know english. Her butchered german would go only so far, so her surprise was huge when Crona finally walked out of his comfort zone, stuttering their desired meals in german. He had a very obvious accent, and apparently some grammar mistakes, so bad that the waiter looked amused, but nonetheless they managed to communicate.
"Alright stop bragging on my face, where did you learn german, smartass?" Eruka asked, crossing her arms and staring at him.
"Uh... Maka sends me letters in german, I k-kinda translate them?... I k-know the basics..."
"Yeah, she told me she writes you... what you both talk about?" She asked with innocence in her voice, yet her black eyes were shining with wicked glee. Crona decided he didnt like that look on her. The thirst for havoc was too obvious, and he couldnt help but blush slightly at her question.
"Oh tell her Crona! What you both talk about!? Hmmmm!?" Ragnarok grinned, slightly nudging his face with his fists. Oh great, two bullies.
"I-Its private" He mustered, looking down to his own hands tightly holding each other in front of him.
"I bet" Eruka said, her words forcing him to look up at her with distrust and fear. Fortunately for the swordsman, the waiter was fast bringing their drinks and appetizers.
Ragnarok was indeed desperate for some decent food. Fifteen hours sitting in a tight seat holding up on crackers and cheap sandwich was no joke, and the swordsman had been surprised that his weapon didnt decide to cut open the airplane and get to Germany by themselves. Although he got to listen to him complaining nonstop during the flight, his weapon partner actually behaved himself while traveling. Crona decided he would reward him with whatever he wanted to eat, as long as he didnt get to abuse his good will.
Soon enough, after food started to be served to them, Crona felt more relaxed. Ragnarok was happily chomping his fill, while Eruka tried to open up some conversation. It was all about school, what they've done the last decade, how the Witch Council had changed, and how much life for the witches all around the world had improved massively with Kid's alliance. Although being a big part in that alliance, the swordsman preferred to remain in the shadows, unseen and undisturbed. It wasnt a secret many witches would kill to get their hands on his black blood, so even if Crona was a fierce defender of witches rights, Kim was the official face of the witches of Shibusen. Male witches were still looked down to that day anyway, and that wouldnt chance anytime soon.
His weapon partner got his fill with soft fruity drinks, one after the other, while his meister nibbled on the veggie appetizers in the table. On the other hand, the petite witch was enjoying herself with a fancy cristal cup with some bubbly bright green liquid on it, sipping from a tiny straw. It was decisively too cold for eating outside, so they were the only ones in the restaurant balcony. Even so, Crona could regulate his temperature with the help of Ragnarok, and Eruka seemed to be using a warm up spell on her clothes. He could tell by the comfortable subtle heat emanating from her.
"And I just said hours ago you hadn't change one bit, gecko" Eruka thought out loud, dark eyes staring at him. The swordsman looked up, confused. "You've changed a lot"
"Its that bad?" He asked, arching an eyebrow slightly. The witch chuckled.
"Not at all. I see you manage to grow some backbone. I mean, look at you! Inviting me dinner and talking! When I met you, you could hardly speak a full sentence without spazzing" The frog witch's words made him frown, thoughtful, his hands toying with a half empty cup of hot tea.
Yeah... ten years were a lot. In perspective, it was almost half of his life. Half in the hands of his mother, and the abuse, and the other half in the protective wings of his friends and adoptive family. Of course some scars would never heal, they were too deep, his childhood would never be erased, some antics and tics would be with him until his death. But, in perspective, he wasnt a little child anymore, and his mind wasnt the unstable ticking bomb it used to be. Ten years could be said very lightly, but it was a lot of time.
"Well, now that we are familiar with each other again, tell me... whats up between you and Maka?" Eruka finally dropped the bomb, her face barely hiding the wicked smile slowly forming on her lips.
The question fell hard on the swordsman, who got his color drained from his face. Ragnarok stopped sucking his drink, grinning widely.
"Yes Crona, what up with you and the cow!? Answer the question!" Why? Why he was such a good magnet for bullies!? Was something about his looks? Maybe something deep inside his soul? Was his wavelength constantly sending resonance calls to every bully in the world!?
Was Maka a closet bully!?
While Crona was trying to cope with the stress, pale and shuddering in discomfort, somewhere far away in Japan a certain God-Like meister had an attack of sneezes. Someone was probably remembering his awesomeness.
"W-What d-do you m-mean!?" He stuttered, his eyes looking down to the cup of tea between his hands.
"Oh come on! You think I'm blind? The way she was trying to avoid you, WHILE gobbling you up with her eyes, was too obvious! You both are horrible liars"
"N-No! I-Its not w-what you think!" Dear lord he felt like fainting. Was it too obvious? He didnt know if he could deal with more people knowing...
"Crona you dumb shit, she saw you both eating each other's faces in the basement. I told you I felt someone nearby!" Ragnarok pointed out, giving him a rather soft punch on his head. Yes, he did warn him, but he was too eager to be with Maka again, to listen. Now he was deeply regretting it.
The swordsman kept on looking to the cup of tea in his hands, looking dreadfully guilty, ashamed even. A slight blush on his cheeks contrasted with his dark eyes filled with guilt and anxiety. Eruka stared at him in silence for a moment, a long loud sigh escaping her lips.
"Ey, you know me, I wont say a thing. Its not my business and I dont get anything by blowing up your secret, gecko" She said with a smile, but the swordsman still looked anguished and not very convinced.
On the other hand... messing with Maka sounded like a delightful idea. Crona's crush had always been a painfully obvious thing since the day he met her. There was no other topic the swordsman would talk about. She was the reason he stayed in Shibusen, she was the reason why he decided to reveal against 16 years of abuse. To kill his own mother and sever his only natural bond in the whole world. To risk his own life and help a world that never cared about him, trapping the Demon God in the moon with his own black blood. It all was because and for her.
But Maka was a lot better hiding her feelings. After knowing her for three months, the frog witch could say the meister had a sore spot for weakness. She hated looking weak, she loathed feeling weak, and because of her dad she wasnt very fond of showing up most of her feelings. At least, not the ones that truly mattered. And yet, thinking and reminiscing on the past... it was also kind of obvious. The way she would treat Crona, in a way she did with no one else. The patience, the tenderness and care, the worry and passionate desire to keep him with her. It went so far as to search for him, rather than saving the world. And if that wasnt love... then what was it?
But why would Maka marry Soul then!? Was she really so blind to her own feelings? Did she really ignore all of that just to avoid dealing with the idea of loving her mentally unstable best friend? Did she really did not know at the time? So many questions only the scythe meister could answer, and Eruka was damn sure she wasnt asking her anytime soon. But... why not triggering her? The idea was so tempting. The frog witch could even savor the havoc and chaos she could create on Maka, not because she didnt like her, actually the meister was okay in her book... but because she needed it. In the witch's eyes, the scythe meister needed to pick up her mind.
Crona wasn't the one denying his feelings. It was Maka.
"I'm helping you out" Eruka said suddenly, a serious look on her face. Crona looked up at her, frowning.
"How c-can you be of any help?... y-you heard her, she wants n-nothing to do with me..."
"And you truly believe her? If you do, you are an idiot, gecko" The witch grinned, a wicked smile that slowly died the moment she noticed the swordsman was looking at her with a painful stare. He probably didnt think that, at least at first, but his confidence was faltering quickly.
"Bah, you two are talking lameness. The cow is just a starving Ho who wants some serious D in her life!" Ragnarok grinned, yet the cold merciless look on his meister's eyes, staring right at him, turning into his departure sign. Quickly enough, he dissolved back inside his meister's body.
The swordsman took a deep long sigh, looking back at Eruka who was studying him with her piercing dark eyes and a little frown on her face. Even her serious semblance looked rather cute with those dots on each side of her mouth.
"Why you want to help me?... M-My m-m-mother made your life a l-living hell" He asked, staring at her with confusion. The witch smiled at him.
"Pff, that wasnt your fault, I'm not that dense to not understand that. Despite all the shit you had to endure, you were nice to me... and also you helped getting rid of her. Thanks to you I got my life back!" She explained, her smile contrasting with the daring frown on her face. She looked so secure of her words and herself, so comfortable in her own skin, and Crona couldnt help but admire her. She was a proud witch, happy with herself and with who she was.
Maybe it was her energy, her security, her drive or maybe how familiar she was for him. He looked at her for a while, in silence, then he slowly gave in, offering the witch a sincere small smile. Eruka's small frown vanished off her face, looking at him with surprise.
"I'm r-relieved... you hold no g-grudges on me" Crona confessed, his soft small smile still on his lips. Eruka looked away, clearing her throat slightly.
"Yeah well... I should be the one saying that" That would be the closest thing both would have asking for forgiveness to each other. It happened so long ago, but it felt good to settle things and apologize. Eruka moved her right hand, resting it on the swordsman wrist on top of the table, calling for his attention. "Ey, I learned some tricks from Medusa, trust me on this one, gecko"
Crona arched his eyebrow, surprisingly not moving his hand away or flinching, allowing the witch to touch him.
"I-Is that supposed to be reassuring? B-because is not..."
"Crona? Is that you man?" A familiar voice made him jump on the spot, his hand instinctively recoiling from Eruka's grasp, but the witch held him tightly, forcing him to stay put.
As both witches looked down the street, they saw them. Soul was smiling at him, his toothy grin wide and sincere, ruby red eyes looking at him. Maka was with him, surprised and wary, walking at his side. Her eyes darted from them, to the hand Eruka was using to hold him in place by his wrist. She frowned.
"S-S-S-Soul..." Crona croaked, feeling his throat dry by anxiety. He swallowed hard, trying to clear his voice.
"Ey you both! Having a romantic dinner somewhere?" Eruka asked, feeling in her hand how the swordsman tensed with her words. He was the most awful, horrible liar in the whole universe, hands down. As a measure to avoid him from shaking, she moved her hand from his wrist to his palm, grasping him tightly.
"Thats the plan" Soul chuckled, fixing the large grey jacket to cover himself. It was quite cold, and as the sun settled down, the wind started to peak slightly. "Have you both finished? You can join us and catch up. I haven't seen you in ages man! Is good to have you around"
Crona looked down, his eyes slowly turning from his usual midnight tone, to icy blue. It was guilt, anxiety, fear and dread all mixed up, bubbling deep inside him. Eruka could feel him tremble, so much she had to discreetly pinch his palm with her fingernails, forcing him to focus.
"Soul, he made a long trip today. He needs to go to his room and rest, as I told you this afternoon, Eruka" Maka scolded her with her frown deepening on her face. The scythe meister wasnt stupid, she knew she had to distract Soul and take him away from Crona, the frog witch would recognize her that much.
"You dont give him enough credit Maka, he's not a child anymore" Soul glanced at her, before looking back at Crona. "Sure you dont want to join in?"
"I... I was... I-I m-mean..." The swordsman stuttered, his hand unconsciously gripping back Eruka's, trying to find in her a steady ground to hold into. He had no idea what to say. If he said no, would it be too obvious? He didnt want to be near them, it was too painful, to stressful, he couldnt even look at Soul in the eye, and looking at him with Maka hurt. He couldnt deal with the situation at all!
"Actually we were planning on leaving to rest now. We have a long day tomorrow! He's taking me shopping for the Hallow's Eve Party, right Crona?" Oh please just take the bait! Take the bait!
Crona looked up at her, staring at her dark eyes, pleading him, her hand squeezing his own trying to push him into action.
"Uhm... y-yeah... we are" He followed her lead, unsure of what exactly she was planning.
Eruka grinned at him, a big "score!" showing on her face.
"The Hallows Eve?... are you going together? Very cool, Crona" Soul grinned at him, giving him a thumbs up. The swordsman looked at the weapon, eyes wide open in confusion.
"T-The Hallows Eve? But I dont..."
"Yes! We are so going together! Finally I have a decent date, respectful, thoughtful and doesn't speak like Free in a dog fight" Eruka said proudly, both of her hands moving to hold the swordsman left hand between her own, trying to make the movement casual yet obvious.
"Pfff ahahaha yeah german does sound like that" Soul laughed, distracted enough to not see what the frog witch did notice. Maka's eyes, glaring at their joined hands with almost murderous intent, her emerald eyes like daggers, piercing her very soul.
Eruka couldnt help but grin, wickedly.
That pissed off glare didnt pass unnoticed by Crona either, who looked at the blonde meister with worry. Was she angry? Why? Because he was going to the party? He didnt want to go if it meant he would make her angry. A hand touching the side of his face took him out of his thoughts, his eyes darting from Maka to Eruka, who was tucking a loose strand of pink hair behind his ear.
What was up with that?
"But yeah, lets go to rest, I have no use for you if you're tired" She grinned at him, so happy that the swordsman was completely oblivious to her words. He stared at her and nodded, like the good boy he was.
"Its getting late Soul, we better keep moving" Maka said in a calm tone of voice, holding into her husband's arm. She wasnt looking at them anymore, her eyes hidden behind the blonde bangs on top of her forehead.
Soul seemed to understand her urge to leave, but the reason was open to interpretation. He thought he had the answer for that, grinning at the swordsman with mischief.
"Look at you man, you make me proud. Okay you both, have a good night, we'll catch up later" Soul said his farewell, giving Crona another thumbs up before walking away with Maka, who didnt look back.
Once they were out of sight, Eruka released the swordsman hands, taking a deep breath and moaning, exasperated.
"You are the worst actor in history!" She scolded him, both of her hands going up to grip on her large witch hat. "This is going to be harder than I thought!"
"W-what was all that for? M-Maka looked v-very mad! I d-dont want to go to that party if that makes her mad!" He complained with a worried tone on his voice, his left hand going straight into his right arm, gripping himself tightly.
"No no! This is all part of my master plan, okay? Just calm down and follow my lead, you trust me, right?"
"No I dont!"
"Well too bad! You will trust me, and you will like it!"
"T-Thats not how t-trust works!"
"For all I care!"
As both witches kept on discussing, a few restaurants away, Maka was entering a bathroom after leaving Soul searching for an available table for them. She was holding herself in the sink, enraged emerald eyes looking at her reflection. Pissed off was not even close to the poisonous vile thoughts and feelings pooling deep inside her. She felt it in the pit of her stomach, like claws tangling and gripping at her guts, sharp teeth chewing her heart. Her head hurt, throbbing, mouth dry and veins pumping with adrenaline. She had never felt this before, this murderous intent, the buzzing in her ears, the feeling of roaring in anger, frustration, or crying out the pain that was starting to settle in her soul.
As she opened the tap of the sink, she leaned down to splash her face with the freezing cold water, trying to get a grip of her emotions. This vile feeling, this awful thoughts, this void on her stomach, it had a name.
She was jealous.
AkireRosales: I wish you all a very VERY merry Christmas! Man I was hoping to reach further chapters by this date, so it would be a proper gift, but I hope this chapter is good enough for now!
I will work my ass out to get the next chapter in time, but if I dont... Happy New Year as well! May you achieve all your wishes and goals! And above all I wish you all a full year of good health!
REVIEWS!