SoMa Week - Day 4: Laughter
This is the continuation of Day 3, but can also be read as a standalone

Soulmates AU

Soul Eater and Maka Albarn. Weapon and Meister. Boyfriend and Girlfriend. It made her feel all warm inside, saying it like that.
And it sure had his benefits, too. Like the very thorough cuddling units. What wasn't so beneficial was Soul's lack of restraint. Especially when it lead to him discovering her one fatal flaw, her achilles heel, her biggest weakness. Her one and only ticklish spot. But it didn't matter how many s-laughters she had to survive, Maka Albarn wouldn't stop until he finally spilled the beans. Why was he acting so weird ever since he saw her mark? And who was his soulmate?

Ever since Maka Albarn and Soul Evans started dating, everything changed. And yet, at the same time, everything was still the same.

Her heart still started beating faster every time he was nearby. But now she knew that his did, too.

They still fought for more space on the sofa. But now most of their wrestling ended in cuddling.

They still didn't do PDA. Both could agree that it was none of the others' business. But now they couldn't hold hands in public without blushing like crazy.

She still had that ugly little voice in her head. But now, it didn't just remind her that Soul would find a much better partner in his soulmate. No, it also kept telling her how their relationship wouldn't last. How they weren't soulmates, weren't a perfect match made by the universe itself. How her parents – a non-soulmate relationship – had ended.

But the voice was way weaker than before. And a very thorough cuddling unit with her boyfriend usually helped a lot, too.

Even after a week, the word still filled her with warmth. She hoped that didn't change with time.

"Oi, Maka. I can't see your damn quiz shows anymore. Gimme the remote already."

"You mean this one?"

She hid the controller behind her back and shook her head.

Soul scowled at her teasing grin.

Yeah, some things hadn't changed at all.

In the next moment, Soul was jumping at her. But she was prepared.

One downside of dating was that he was much more confident in the touching department. Which meant a disadvantage for her, who didn't have those restraints to begin with.

So, when she saw his arm coming towards her, she let her underbelly unprotected in the firm belief he wouldn't dare to touch her there.

A mistake she'd regret for the rest of her life.

His hand grazed her belly. And she tried to hold it in. She really did.

But when his arm grazed the same place seconds later, she couldn't stop it anymore.

A shrill laugh left her mouth.

For a second, both of them stilled. She hoped against all odds that he hadn't noticed. She would even willingly hand over the control remote if it meant that he hadn't realized it.

A downright demoniac grin stretched across his face.

Her eyes widened in horror.

He let his hand graze her belly again. And – although she tried it with all her might and prayed to Shinigami or anyone else willing to listen – she couldn't hold back her laugh.

She had thought his smile was demoniac before? It was nothing compared to now.

"How come I never knew that you are ticklish, Maka?"

She started sweating. There had to be a way to make him forget it. Maybe if she hit him hard enough with one of her thicker books? Maybe she should take him to Stein? The professor surely would be more than happy about a new subject.

Soul painfully slowly moved his hand in direction of her one biggest weakness, fingers twitching threateningly.

She desperately tried to squirm away, but he had her firm in his grip. And she knew that he wasn't going to let her go. Not willingly. Not with this new discovery.

C'mon, Maka! You are supposed to be the smart one! Think! THINK!

"H-Hey. Soul? What about I give you the remote control and we forget the last few minutes ever happened?"

He only laughed at her half-hearted attempt to stop him.

And then he attacked.

It seemed as if he didn't remember their partnership. Her normally caring partner became a ruthless torture machine.

"That's for all your Maka-Chops!"

Or even worse. He remembered everything. She thought she felt horror before? It was nothing compared to now. She remembered all the time she hit him with one of her beloved books. Or let her irritations out on him. Or forced him to do something he didn't want to. The list was long and Soul didn't seem to want to stop anytime soon.

"STOP! ST-STOOOO-SSSS-OOOP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

She tried to squirm away, but his only reaction was to laugh maniacally at her suffering.

Her belly was starting to ache and she had tears in her eyes and she could feel her comfy pyjama pants slowly skittering down in her desperate attempts to break free and Shinigami if he didn't stop soon-

Suddenly his hand disappeared.

She was so relieved she only noticed it after a few seconds.

Soul. He had a weird dopey smile on his face. And, even though he was facing the TV, she was pretty sure he wasn't really watching the polo match (aka 'the-snobbiest-and-stupidest-sport-in-existence') currently being shown. And-

…Wait a minute. She groped after it with her hand. She even turned around looking for it. It took an embarrassing amount of time before she realized it.

...he had the remote control firmly grasped in his hand. He had the power now. She didn't know if he was more in a housewife or in an action-and-explosions mood, but there were two things she knew for sure.

Maka sighed in defeat.

1. Soul wouldn't be giving up that controller any time soon.

2. She would forever regret this day. The day Soul found out about her one ticklish spot.

Maka frowned as she laid in bed later that day. Ever since the tickling incident, or s-laughter as she had started to call it, Soul had been acting weird.

He hadn't been entirely… there. He looked at the TV but didn't react to what was happening on the screen (she had been especially worried when he hadn't cheered at the first spilled blood in the action movie). After some time, his dreamy smile had disappeared, replaced by a permanent frown on his face. He had even refused her cuddles. Maka huffed in irritation. She wanted her daily dose of Soul-cuddles. Halfway through the movie, he called it an early night and continued his brooding in his room.

She wanted to ask what was wrong, but she knew that now wasn't the right time. All it would do was irritate him.

He would tell her when he was ready. It was how they worked.

She snickered. Or maybe it was just him having one of his moods again. Sometimes she swore that he was the woman in the household with how much drama he could make of such mundane things like her using his shampoo or borrowing his sweaters.

But it was still weird. He had been perfectly normal the whole day. Until he found out about her fatal weakness, anyways.

She thought back to the s-laughter. Had something weird happened?

He found out. He vilely tortured her with this one weakness – okay, she would've done the same if it was him who was ticklish if she was completely honest with herself, but who wouldn't. And then he suddenly stopped and became all silent.

She barely noticed that she started nibbling her nails in thought.

What had she missed?

He suddenly stopped without apparent reason. It could always be of the goodness of his heart – maybe he had finally gotten pity for his girlfriend –, but still…

Oh.

She absently touched a spot right where her right thigh ended and her underbelly began.

Hadn't she wriggled in a desperate attempt to free herself? Hadn't her pants slipped a bit in the process?

Could it be... that Soul saw her mark?

She remembered her disappointment seeing the fist name of her soulmate on her skin. Not Soul. Solomon.

She remembered even more clearly the day he asked her to be his girlfriend. Hadn't she wondered if his full name wasn't Solomon, then?

She'd written it off as her imagination and forgot about it, but what if it wasn't? What if it really was true?

She imagined how it would feel to see her name written on his skin. The mere thought already made her feel all giddy inside. Even after being together, they still hadn't shown their marks to each other.

And… no. She was getting desperate again. Pathetic.

His name was Soul. Just Soul. What reason would he have not to tell her his full name? After years of living and fighting together?

And no wonder that they hadn't revealed their marks. His probably was of another girl. And if that wasn't the opposite of a romantic date, she didn't know what was.

But maybe…

Maka shoved any resting thoughts about Soul and soulmates into the back of her mind. She had to sleep if she wanted to be at her best in the DWMA tomorrow.

Besides, she could always ask him tomorrow.

"Say, Soul?"

They were both cuddling on the couch while watching TV - this time some show about redecorating houses. She didn't understand why Soul liked those so much, but ever since he discovered her fatal flaw she hadn't held the control remote in her hands. Not even once. He sure was abusing his power. And worst of all – he kept laughing at her complains. Well, nothing a few Maka-Chops couldn't fix.

He tightened his grip around her and she knew that he was listening.

"Can I see your mark?"

He froze.

"Why?"

"I'll also show you mine."

Even though she was pretty sure that he'd already seen it.

She waited for an answer. When it didn't come, she took a deep breath. She had hoped that he wouldn't choose the hard way, but she should've known better.

"Please? I'm just curious."

He rubbed his face.

"Shinigami, Maka. Why?"

"I swear it won't change anything between us, Soul. And –"

"Why do you keep insisting on the soulmates stuff? Even though we are already together? Even though it doesn't matter. Even though you know I don't like it. You know, for a nerd you're pretty stupid."

"Soul…"

"Maka. Stop."

"But-"

He attacked without a warning.

S-laughter 2.0 was even worse than the first one.

Maka was frustrated.

It had been a week ever since the second s-laughter. And she had made no progress. At all.

Every time she asked about his soulmate, he tickled her until she was so lost in laughter she completely forgot about her question.

But her curiosity just grew and grew.

Why was he so against soulmates? Why didn't he want to show her his mark? Even though she reassured him again and again that nothing would change? Both already knew that it wasn't the other's name they would find. She was just curious for Shinigami's sake!

But today wouldn't be like the other days. Today she was prepared. And she wouldn't stop until she finally got her answers.

They were in front of the TV again.

He had the remote control in his hands. Again. She silently cursed that damned day for the umpteenth time. Why hadn't she just paid more attention? Why?! She knew she would regret this day until the end of times.

And, worst of all, he was in a housewife mood. Which meant cooking shows. Maka didn't understand what he found so fascinating in watching other people cook. It wasn't even a competition one! All she got from these shows was hunger.

She glimpsed at Soul. Hopefully she would leave this couch with more than just the desire to eat that wonderful looking lasagne being prepared on the TV today. Scratch the hopefully. She wasn't going to move her butt until she finally got answers. And Soul wasn't either, for that matter.

She had to admit that she was a bit scared. She could easily see that soulmates were at least as big of a deal for him as for her. Just… in another way. Normally he would tell her if she prodded enough, but he hadn't budged. At all.

She remembered the reason why she had been so scared to start dating him in the first place. What if it didn't work out? What if they broke up? They still had to live and fight together and…

She sighed. She really hoped she didn't screw that up.

"Ok, what's up, Maka?"

She turned to her boyfriend – even now the word still filled her with a wave of warmth –, who was now facing her with a frown on his face.

She protectively covered her belly with her arms. It was now or never.

"…Soul. About your soul –"

"How often have I told you to just drop it?! Shinigami, Maka, just leave it alone!"

"I just want to know! I know you saw my mark in your first s-laughter-"

He raised a brow questioningly.

"I'm sorry, the first what?"

She huffed and looked in the other direction.

"It's fitting, okay?"

He only laughed. His hand cupped her chin and he turned her head towards him.

"If you say so."

He gave her a quick peck on the lips. And suddenly he was laying on top of her, trapping her arms within his hand and threateningly waving his fingers around.

"But it'll be nothing compared to now!"

He descended his weapon upon her without mercy-

-and frowned when, instead of the soft skin he was expecting, his fingers landed on something… hard?

"What the-"

Maka victoriously lifted her shirt and showed the bandage covering her only ticklish spot. She regretted having to waste it, but she could just buy some more tomorrow.

This was for the greater good, after all.

"Ha! Good luck with your s-laughter now!"

"Pfff. The name is too good."

She huffed. Soul only laughed at her. Again. This was becoming a whole different kind of s-laughter.

She let the comfortable silence prevail for a while. But not for long. She was on a mission. And she would be damned if either of them went to bed without her answers.

If anything, his attempt to distract her with another attack only made her want to know it even more.

"Soul… I know you don't like to talk about that. But don't you think that it's only fair I see your mark now that you've seen mine?"

"Why do you care so much?! I love you. You love me. What is the big deal?"

She couldn't hold back her small smile. Of course they loved each other. They already did before coming together. And not just in a romantically way. But suddenly she understood why the l-word was such a big deal. She thought that calling him his boyfriend made her feel elated? Hearing this confession from his mouth was a thousand times better.

"Look, Soul. I love you, and you know it, you idiot."

Turned out saying it was just as good as hearing it.

"And I love our relationship and I definitely don't want to end it. I just… Why you are so against soulmates?!"

"Well, why is it so important for you?!"

"You know why, you jerk! Stop trying to change the topic!"

"HOW would I know?! You never told me! Only went on and on about soulmates and shit!"

"That's not-!"

Oh.

She blushed in embarrassment. Now that she thought about it… maybe it was true. She almost never talked about her parents. And, now that she thought about it, had Soul ever talked about his? She'd just… assumed he knew. Which, in hindsight, was a bit stupid. Because why the heck would he?

She sighed. This was him supposed to finally give her her answers. But she guessed that it was only fair if he got some, too.

"Look, it's just… my parents, okay? You know the story, papa started cheating, mama left, and I didn't have a family anymore. 'What is important is what you feel. Not what some mark says'. That's what my dad used to say to me, you know? And… well. Everything was in their favor, you know? They loved and trusted each other. They had no financial problems. They even had a child! And yet… Well, they weren't soulmates. And you know how that ended."

She didn't know what she expected after finishing her - admittedly pretty resumed - explanation. Maybe silence. At best, he would maybe quit being so stubborn and just show his mark already.

What she certainly didn't expect, was for him to start laughing.

She could almost feel fume coming out of her ears. How dare he? She just told him something extremely personal almost nobody knew, and he dared to laugh in her face?!

"Do you think this is funny?!"

She was already raising a book, ready to bring it down right on his stupid head. Her weakness may be tickling, but he wasn't flawless either. And she knew from multiple experiences that Maka-Chops could be very efficient.

"Parents really got a way of fucking up their kids, don't they?"

Suddenly, all her anger vanished. She frowned at him. She knew that look. She'd seen it every day in the mirror on the first weeks after her mama left, leaving nothing behind but a little note. He had never really said anything about his family, had he?

"I ran away from home."

She stared at him in shock. He - ?

"My family then was pretty important in the music industry. Everyone's still pretty old fashioned there. My parents were both from powerful families. They started dating when they were about our age. Maybe a year or two younger. Their families kept pressuring them to marry, so they did. After only two months of dating. They didn't think much of it. They were soulmates after all."

He said it as if the word left a bad taste in his mouth.

"They moved in together. Had a kid. Then another. Everything was perfect – for the first month at least. Turned out they weren't as perfect for one another as the universe thought."

He laughed bitterly.

He didn't elaborate. She didn't ask.

"… Yeah, parents really have a way of messing us up."

And then they started laughing. She didn't know why. The situation wasn't funny. At all. But every time she wanted to stop she took a look at Soul's face and started again. She could feel him vibrating with each chuckle – having laid her head on his lap sometime during their conversation. Both were becoming red from the lack of air and her stomach was starting to hurt but they just couldn't stop.

Turned out he really had shown her in the end. The first s-laughter was nothing compared to this one.

When she voiced her thought, the laugher started again.

After what felt like hours, they finally calmed down. She was wiping a last stray tear from her cheek, when she heard Soul saying something. She frowned. He was so quiet, she hadn't understood a single word.

"What is it, Soul?"

"Solomon."

"…what."

"That… that's my real name. Solomon Evans. Solomon like-"

"Like my mark."

He nodded.

And then she almost stopped breathing when he finally at the ends of his shirt. She knew exactly what was below the old faded blue shirt. His mark.

"Maka Albarn. I want you to know that I love you. And it has nothing to do with any stupid marks."

She smiled.

"Sol- Soul. Just Soul. I want you to know that I love you, too. And no mark will ever change that."

He took a deep breath.

And then he finally hoisted up his shirt.

She held her breath. It was just like she'd imagined on his 18th birthday all those months before.

M

A

K

A

And there it was. The black cursive letters clearly visible on his tanned skin.

Her name.

A/N

And we're already halfway through the week! This was the last OS playing in my little Soulmates AU and I really hope you enjoyed it!

(and I just discovered how to do this line things on ! But now I can't make it go away...)

Anyways, Faves and Reviews are (as always) much appreciated and needed!

Have a nice day and (hopefully) until tomorrow! (It's kinda the continuation of Day 1 and 2!)