"Spartoi… huh…" Stein pondered as he exhaled his cigarette puff. "Somehow, it feels nostalgic for us."
The redhead sitting next to him nodded in agreement. "Feels like just yesterday it was us forming a group and being sent off to various missions. Then suddenly, Sid picked up Black Star, and we had Maka, and the fun was pretty much over."
The two men sat on a park bench, looking up at the laughing face of the moon. It had been so long since they were students at the Academy, and yet the laugh of the moon remained as patronising as it was all those years ago.
"We were young, weren't we?"
"It's nice having Marie and Azusa back in Death City. The gang is almost completely back together," Spirit said, "even if that snotty twerp is still tattling on me."
Stein tapped his cigarette to dispose of the excess ash, "if Spirit-sempai hadn't driven Kami-sempai away with his womanising ways, the only person we'd be missing is Joe-sempai," he said nonchalantly.
Despite the casual tone, Spirit knew he was making a personal attack. "Yes, yes. It was all my fault," he acknowledged, "you and I are different in that sense, aren't we?"
"As in I lack the ability to sway women the way you shamelessly do?"
"As in you've only ever had eyes for one person," Spirit said, knowing he was venturing into uncharted territory. The two had always been close, but this topic was always untouchable. The lack of enthusiasm that Stein had towards this topic was usually supplemented by Spirit's oversharing of his own experiences. That had always been the way of the world.
"Oh?" Stein mused, "and what makes you say that?"
"The way you looked at Marie when you were 15 is the same way you look at her now - complete adoration."
Stein pondered in silence as he watched the last of his cigarette burn out. He wasn't sure if Spirit had been particularly observant about this aspect of his life, or if he wasn't as inconspicuous about it as he thought he was. Either way, Spirit was right. For as long as Stein could remember, Marie was the sole source of light in the dark world that he occupied.
"Also, the fact that you did not once cut her up and sewed her back together when you were partners is an obvious sign." Spirit continued, foreseeing Stein's silence for a while longer.
Stein chuckled at himself in defeat, "there was no need to cut her up. She was already perfect."
Never in his life did Spirit think that he would hear those words come out of his old friend's mouth. But then again, perhaps he should have known just by the way he looked at her. "Then why?" he asked.
"How could I, Freak-en Stein, make her happy? She deserves better," Stein said.
The red haired man sighed in frustration. How did he end up with such a problematic underclassman?
"You might see yourself as a freak still, but no one else does. Not only did you make The Pulveriser Marie Mjolnir a Death Weapon, you're one of the most popular teachers at the Academy. I know for a fact that you're Maka's favourite teacher." Spirit said.
It felt strange consoling Stein's self-worth. The man was hailed as the greatest meister to graduate from the DWMA, his formidable prowess without even a weapon was legendary enough. And yet, he still viewed himself as a weird, awkward mutant who was undeserving of love.
"That does make me feel better, hearing that I'm your daughter's favourite teacher. Maka's very likely to become the next meister to create a Death Scythe. If I can take even the smallest amount of credit for Maka's future success, I'll have made my contribution to the next generation," Stein said contently, with a slight smile appearing in the corners of his mouth.
"It's about time you stopped selling yourself short," Spirit replied, "I'll even let you in on a secret."
"What would that be?" Stein asked, genuinely doubtful if his skirt chasing friend possessed some sort of knowledge that he himself had missed.
"Sometimes, I see Marie looking at you the same way you look at her."
Stein frowned, "you should know better than to indulge me like that, Spirit-sempai."
"I'm not indulging you, I'm just telling you what I see. She looks at you like that too, even back then. Your radar for these kinds of things is defective, but trust your wise sempai on this one."
Stein had no reason not to trust him. The man was a womanising, overbearing moron, but he was never wrong about things like this. He took a deep breath and exhaled, "then what should I do?"
"She's been waiting long enough. I'm sure it'll work out find if you just tell her."
"And if it doesn't?"
"It will."
The two men sat in silence for a few moments as Stein processed what he had been told. Perhaps Spirit was right.
"You know how you said my radar for those kinds of things was defective?" Stein said.
"Yeah?"
"It's not completely broken. 'Complete adoration,' right? I've seen it before."
"With who?" Spirit was too curious to find out who had broken through Fraken Stein's inability to detect emotions and social ques.
"Soul Eater looks at your daughter like that."
Spirit's body froze and his face tensed. Rage filled his bloodstream and his breath shortened. A fake smile plastered on his face, Spirit slowly turned his head to face Stein, who was now treading on thin ice. "My dear friend, whatever do you mean by that?" His casual tone laced heavily with chagrin.
"As much as you want to deny it, there's no questioning that he is going to take her away from you."
Spirit slowly reached into his pocket for something. It was a small voodoo doll with white hair hand stitched to the head and red eyes sloppily drawn on. Spirit used all his might to squeeze the doll with his two hands. "I dare you to take Maka away from me, I dare you."
Stein was disturbed. Sure, he had seen enough of Spirit's unorthodox antics in attempts to hold onto his estranged daughter, but carrying around a handmade voodoo doll of her weapon was a whole new level of horrifying.
"I'm not even going to address this whole situation in front of me," Stein said, "but I honestly feel like you're overreacting. On several occasions, he's risked his life to save Maka's, and he's got black blood running through his veins to show for it. I've even heard Black Star refer to him as Maka's loyal lapdog, and to be honest, I can't say that I disagree. Surely, there are worst contenders for stealing your daughter away."
"Che," Spirit huffed disbelievingly, "like who?"
"For example, a man with similar values as yourself."
"Ouch," Spirit said, "can't argue with that point. But no lapdog, no matter how loyal, will ever be good enough for my little girl. This might be something you'll never really understand until you have a daughter of your own, Stein."
Stein took out another cigarette from his pack and lit it, "perhaps."