See? I didn't make you suffer that long. Things are on the mend, I swear!

Each night it was the same routine. Soul would offer because, as always, he was good to his word. They had a duty. Maka would hesitantly accept but the knot would start to wind as soon as she slipped into bed with him. It would tighten as she risked looking into his eyes, seeing the fight in his own mind. She would kiss him again and taste it, the forlorn fury of wanting to love her. The last straw would be as soon as her hand met skin because no matter how much she tried to push against it and block it out, his soul would scream at her.

Every night would end with her pushing him away and turning over just in time to hide her tears in her pillow. To make matters worse, he stopped leaving since he'd usually play before seeing her now as if he needed to in order to keep up this farce. Instead, he would lay next to her and let his fingers gently run down her back, soothing the tears he wasn't supposed to see.

"Maka, you have to get up."

Maka's eyes shot open to see Soul leaning over her, not in bed and dressed out of the ordinary in an embroidered jacket. "What's going on?"

Soul shrugged as he started for the door. "Not sure yet. Black Star came early. There's a meeting of the war council we weren't supposed to know about. Thought we should crash."

"Smart," Maka murmured as she sat up. "But why even have a war council meeting? Technically, nothing is supposed to be happening here."

He opened the bedroom door, ushering Liz in. "Kind of curious about that myself. So we'll find out. Hey, Liz."

"Good morning, prince," Liz left a half-hearted smile for him before moving to grab Maka's clothes.

Soul sighed at the look before pausing at the door. "I'll wait for you outside."

"Thank you." It was terrifying now to lock eyes with him because they always spoke the same line but she did anyway, reading it and letting her heart tremble in her chest.

"Both of you are stubborn," Liz spat as she took out one of the finer dresses from the collection that Soul had gifted to Maka.

"Liz," Maka sighed.

"No, I know you told me not to talk about it but I think at this point I'd rather be beheaded than deal with those looks passing between the two of you," she huffed in reply as she started to unwind the ties of Maka's nightgown.

"It's not a good idea for us to be in love," Maka repeated the line that was often running in her head with a frankness that instantly brought a sigh from Liz.

"So you'll deny how both of you feel just for what? The chance that it'll make whatever this mission is easier?" One cloth was displaced for the other but Liz was still clearly stuck on her first idea. "Your married. People are going to be after you for that whether it's obvious you love him or not. People will hurt him whether it's obvious you love him or not."

"Liz," Maka tried to insist but it fell on deaf ears.

"The only thing you're doing is giving you both the chance to die miserable," Liz urged as she cinched the waist of Maka's gown, making her unable to bring in any air.

"I can't…" Maka murmured as she pressed her fingers to her eyes to keep the tears from falling. I can't watch him die again just because he loves me.

Liz sighed, "I think you need to remember how powerful you are. The courage that you have. This wedding may have thrown that off, made you forget what you are, but I seem to remember a rumor that you said you were a warrior first."

Maka blinked helplessly at her for a moment.

"Find that again," Liz nodded surely at her before slipping the hairpin into Maka's hair. "And wear this. The way he looks at you when you wear it… maybe it'll bring him a little comfort."

"The opposite," Maka murmured as she touched the fine filigree but left it.

"Go, he's waiting," Liz pressed a hand to Maka's back and she moved as ordered. Time slowed for each one of her steps and when she finally made it to the door it halted as soon as his hand touched her arm.

"You alright?" he murmured.

Maka was searching for her voice, her courage, all of it but it was buried and she could just pull at frayed edges. Worse, in her weakness, the only thing her heart was asking for was the one that felt so far away. "Say what you were thinking," she whispered back as she clutched tightly to his elbow.

He raised his eyebrows, "I did. I thought maybe you'd been crying."

Thank you for leaving off the 'again,' Maka sighed. "Before that, when I first walked out."

"Maka," he huffed as his jaw worked.

"Please." She was surprised by how little it sounded like begging but an order and for a moment maybe she was holding on to more than just an edge.

Even with the comfort of the words all he could offer was a frown, "I was happy that you were wearing that again." He motioned towards her hair. "That's all. It doesn't make the fact that you're almost crying again any better."

"No, but I wanted to hear it," Maka offered him a small smile.

A hybrid sound, a mixture of a sigh and a helpless groan rumbled up from his chest and Soul's eyes trailed from her to the floor. "We should get going."

"Absolutely." Maka's grip was firm on his elbow as Soul led her through the corridors. With each turn, she was forcing it all to come back to her, trying to focus on finding where she'd buried away the girl she used to be, the one she now knew he loved.

"My prince!" was the echoed reaction around the table as Soul slammed through the door without the ceremony of being announced. These were all faces that at best were vaguely recognized but mostly drew blanks from his mind and not because of his forgotten past. He'd never been privy to these meetings even though he was fairly sure his brother had attended most when he was alive. Really, his father never even bothered so it was mostly expected that Soul would follow suit but that was impossible now. Not with her on his arm.

Should I even let myself feel hopeful that she seems… a little better this morning? Or am I trying too hard? He resisted a sigh but not the opportunity to glance at her, seeing that sure smile still plastered on her face. A little better, he let reverberate in his mind again before clearing his throat. "Start from the top, gentlemen."

"Excuse me, my prince?" One of the councilmen leaned forward in his chair, a smile that twitched in the corner forced on his face.

"You heard me," Soul offered half of his own smile and while his words bit his tone was amiable. "Whatever you were talking about, start again from the beginning. And next time, you don't start without me or the princess in attendance."

"This is hardly the kind of talk for the princess," another man tried to press.

"I can assure you, I'm fine," Maka answered sweetly as Soul left her in her seat.

Soul raised his eyebrows at the men, waiting to sit until the grumbles had ceased.

"Well, I suppose I will start again with the northern territory…"

This was why he never went to these things, the discussion often becoming more back-patting than actual planning, the first half left to congratulate any small action. The list was droning on and on until Maka's voice cut effortlessly through the man, "My lord, I feel that information is incorrect. Just at the wedding, there was talk that the peasant death rate in that providence was much higher. The lord even went so far as to request action during his congratulations."

"What a crass action to have to put you through." The twitch was now more pronounced and the smile had soured but the man's voice was an attempt at placating. "Honestly, my princess, the idea that you would have to worry about such things-"

"Is as it should be," Maka shot back. "And I'm going to insist that we send at least two squadrons of veteran soldiers."

"I'm very sorry, princess, but I think you may be speaking on matters that are-"

"Watch yourself," Soul piped up, his chin still casually resting on the palm of his hand.

"I do not mean offense, my prince, but she-"

"Speaks for me in all matters," Soul easily corrected as his eyes slowly flicked from the man to Maka, almost oozing boredom but as Maka met them she saw the amusement he was hiding. "What Princess Maka says might as well be words from my own mouth."

"You can't expect us to-"

"You will," Soul smirked. "Unless you want to explore the alternative?"

"I'm sorry, my prince, I'm not sure what you mean."

Soul smiled at Maka. "What do you think his options are, princess?"

The past week had been vacant of those looks and Maka had been sure the sweet smile she was enjoying now had been gone forever. The time she took before her answer was not to compose one, she had it almost immediately especially since it was obvious Soul wanted to play a game of scaring them, but to savor the look on his face by letting her eyes linger over his. Maka finally tore her eyes away, letting them flick between the surprised faces. "All of you have the option to listen or to be replaced. You also have the decision if that replacement comes with honor and reward for your service or with blood."

Soul had to bite his tongue to stifle the laugh that wanted to press from his lips. So dramatic, but necessary for these fools.

Without skipping a beat, even though Soul found his heart doing so, Maka offered a sweet laugh before saying, "Well, gentleman, shall we continue?"

The slow migration across the bed as they whispered in the dark found Maka with her cheek pressed against his chest, his hand only tentatively resting on her shoulder. "What do you think is happening in the northern territory?"

"Likely it's witches, or something or someone doing the bidding of witches." Maka enjoyed the warmth of surety that was sinking back in as she relived that meeting. She had power and while it had to be given by Soul, he had bestowed it without hesitation just as he had promised. "Though I wasn't sure if that was the right time to start throwing that word around."

"Probably not," Soul agreed as his fingers started to relax against her skin. "It'd be easier to convince them if we could get Medusa out in the open, have proof in front of their face rather than trying to tell them that what they say is a myth is a reality."

Maka sighed, "But how do we get her to mess up that badly? Kim did wheedle her way into the apprenticeship but it's been a slow, uneventful start."

Soul squeezed her shoulder, "But that's a better start than nothing."

"I guess," Maka murmured as she lifted her head to look him in the eyes. "It would just… I wish it would go a little faster so we could get to the bigger problems."

He snorted a laugh, "One good meeting today and now you're ready to conquer the world."

"It did go well, didn't it?" her smile was glowing, and even seeing the way it melted him didn't make her hide it away. "I especially liked your line 'Unless you want to explore the alternative?'" She tried her best to mimic him and it produced a heartier laugh from his mouth.

"That is not what I sound like," Soul grinned.

"It's close enough." The laughs settled between the two of them and Maka finally found herself able to hold his stare, to feel his eyes on her without letting the emotions pull her under. "Soul, could we just go to sleep? Just like this?"

He cleared his throat as his hand touched softly to her cheek. She could feel his fingertips tremble and he didn't try to hide it by pressing them into her skin, just brushing along her jawline. "That's fine."

"It's just that talking to you tonight…"

"You don't have to explain." Soul finished his touch by clearing the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "Go to sleep."

Maka let her cheek rest against his chest again, happy to feel his nose nuzzle against her hairline, a shaking breath exhaling into her hair.

Soul was dreaming about their first kiss again and the way she'd stolen everything from him at that moment: his breath, his sense, his heart. But this time the haze didn't seem to end as she pulled him tighter but allowed for the next bit to become clear in his mind.

"That was…" he murmured across her lips as she just barely released him.

"Don't, not yet," she whispered back and the laugh that was threatening in his mouth was instantly stolen by her lips again. He was deliriously wondering how he even thought she'd refuse him since she seemed nothing but eager to risk getting caught just to keep teasing him with her hands that were now leaving the tight grip at his side and exploring up his back.

Soul was using it to bolster his resolve, to build up the courage and weight behind the 'I love you' that was waiting on his tongue for her. Instead, the twig snapping sent her back to reality and her hands instantly patted to his chest, a furious blush hitting her cheeks. "Maka…" he started.

"After," Maka pleaded. "Oh, I swear, after the picnic, Soul, you better…"

He laughed softly, "Yeah, got it."

He only had eyes for her, watching as she was trying to rub hopelessly at her cheeks but the smile was still glowing on those kiss-plumped lips. Neither of them was ready for Marie's discriminating glare or Black Star's knowing smirks but Soul was sure he'd brave all of it because he was floating on a cloud. He'd never felt so complete before in his life and the fact that she was going to wait for him, and that later he'd tell her, hold her again, kiss her until she made him stop if she made him stop.

That spell only broke at the sound of her voice, "Oh, a boy."

His hand swiped for her but missed, "Maka, don't-"

"It's alright," she flashed a smile back at him, her face so carefree. "What are you doing out here alone? Maybe we can help you."

The air sucked back into his lungs and Soul would have lurched to sitting if it wasn't for her head on his chest. A boy? Soul sighed as the weaving together of the memory seemed to stop, leaving him stuck barely further than he'd been. It was then that he noticed the wet on his chest and while he was ready to tease her about drooling the moaned that erupted from her lips instantly told him the truth. He was just about to shake her awake when the thought hit him. We were sharing her nightmare. Without hesitation he slid the sheet out from under her palm, letting it rest on the bare skin of his chest and suck him back in.

The horror gripping his mind was unlike anything he'd ever known. Maka was out of reach of his grasp and the sword in the boy's hand was meant for her. In a way, he was sure he could hear the sword singing, wanting her blood and her death, to eat her beautiful soul. Instead of the Maka from practice with Stein, this was a frightened girl, overcome with the same terror he was feeling. Instead of smooth, thoughtful moves she was stumbling, forgetting to protect herself and he had no alternative. If it was a toss-up between her life and his, there wasn't a doubt in his mind which he would choose.

It only made sense to dive in front of her. Being split in two didn't matter so much, the physical pain nothing compared to the way her scream drove through him. It took every last ounce of his strength but he tried to pry her hands from his chest, murmuring on repeat, "Run."

He hated that she wouldn't, but he treasured that last moment of consciousness as she pressed her lips to his one more time, sobbing out the words, "I love you. Please don't leave me."

"Maka?" He was back but she was still lost in her nightmare, her eyes clamped shut as the tears leaked through the lids. "Maka," Soul repeated as he ran his hand over her cheek, clearing the liquid.

"Soul?" came as a heartbroken sob from her mouth.

"I'm here," he murmured. "You were having a nightmare." His hand was smoothing up and down her back while the other continued to touch her face, daring any more tears to come.

"Oh," she let out a withering sigh. "I… please, just, please…"

He shushed her softly, "It's fine." A fresh batch sobs rattled in her chest and to his surprise she slipped on top of him, her arms desperately digging to get around him. He more than allowed it, wrapping his arms around her in kind as he let his lips drift across her cheeks and his whisper in her ear. "I'm here."