Soul's eyes burned from being awake for too long. He needed to sleep but he knew at any point, something was going to happen. He knew it, he could feel it. Something about the air, the night, the atmosphere, felt like it was leading up to something. He tried to convince himself nothing important would happen, tried to convince himself that air was filled with silence and not anticipation, tried to convince himself that if he was thinking something would happen, it was just fear of the inevitable punishment he'd receive for his crimes.

Why would anything happen to you except consequences?

The voice came back, haunting in his conscious mind, and one of the many tortures he had to endure in his life. It echoed through his skull and was amplified by the silence that engulfed him in the tent.

You know what will happen, you just keep letting yourself get carried away with hopeful thoughts even though you know, deep down, that they're all worthless. You know your fate, it's been your fate since you stole that angel. You deserve it, and you're going to get it. You'll finally be-

"Soul?" The soft and sweet voice of Maka came out in a whisper, breaking through the voice in his head. She was his saviour whenever the voice started taunting him, whenever she spoke the voice ran and hid. She was a shining light, a beacon of hope. Funny how that worked, since she was the angel that originally brought about his need for his inevitable punishment.

"Soul, are you awake?" She stepped into the tent, silent on her lighter-than-air feet.

"Mostly," he groaned out his reply, sitting up straighter against the tent pole he was tied to. Maka strode over so gracefully it was like she was floating. She descended down to a sitting position on the ground next to him like snow falling so peacefully to the earth.

"How are you doing?" She placed a hand on his knee and he felt a calmness wash over him.

"Oh, you know, my wrists feel a little sore, my back kind of stiff, and my head hurts from all the arguing that your blue haired friend thinks I can't hear because of the, oh, so thick tent walls. So, I'd say I'm feeling, all in all, pretty grand."

Maka breathed a laugh out through her nose. "Sorry," she said as she leaned her head on his chest. She felt soft and warm, and the urge to fall asleep reveling in her heat, in her serenity, in her safety, was overwhelming.

"Maka," he breathed out after a long moment of still silence. She looked up into his eyes and he could see leftover redness and puffiness, likely from tears she had recently shed. "I want to hold you in my arms."

"You can't… I can't. If I untied you, then I would be going against-"

"Against what? Maka, I'm not going to escape, you know that. All I want to do is feel you in my arms. And maybe check my wrists for rope burn."

Maka sat up and moved to sit in his lap, making sure it was alright and didn't make Soul uncomfortable. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head against his neck and breathed in heavily. He felt her chest expand against his and he cursed the rope that bound him. He needed to feel her, wrap her up in a tight embrace, he missed her. He wanted her- needed her.

They sat there in mutual silence, a stillness engulfing them, and Soul wished that moment could remain for an eternity. He wanted to talk to her, say something, anything. Because, for all he knew, they might be separated after tonight. He wanted to have conversation, wanted to be filled with her voice, to hear the sweet tune that just a few words floating off her lips could create, to hear the melody of Maka so he could never forget her. But he knew he couldn't.

He shouldn't break the quiet, stop the moment. Maka came inside for a reason, and if she had something she needed to say, then she would eventually say it in her own time.

The time passed so slowly, and yet, so fast. It felt like they had been sitting there for hours, but, at the same time, it only felt like a few minutes. Soul could feel moisture trailing down his collarbones, and the sound of soft sniffles broke through the silence.

He turned his head to press a light kiss to her hair. "Maka." His voice barely came out in a raspy whisper, just barely audible. Still, Maka picked her head up to look at him.

"Soul," was all she could get out before dropping her head, burying it in his chest.

Soul brought his knees up which was about as close to holding her as he could get.

"It's alright, Maka. Everything will be fine." Did Soul even believe that? He knew it would all be fine for him, but would it be for her? He was perfectly content with taking his punishment, it's what he needed and he was surprised he hadn't done it himself yet. But now, with Maka in his life, could he really...

"Don't say that, you don't know what will happen. You don't even know what they're planning." Soul could hear the sadness and tears in her voice. It shook and it broke, and it killed him.

"Maka, of course I know what they're planning. I already mentioned that Blue Hair out there doesn't understand the soundproofing of the piece of cloth that is this tent."

"Stop making jokes, this is serious." Maka shook against his chest, and he tried his best to keep himself steady, heaving deep breaths, to calm her.

He wanted to give in, join her in her sorrow and cry with her. Maybe his fatigue and weariness were signs that his natural parting from this world was coming. Maybe if he allowed himself this one last night of tears, he would pass on, die in his love's arms, much better than all the previous times he tried.

But no, he wouldn't let himself. For Maka's sake. If anything, he needed to do it for Maka. He needed to stay with her.

No you dont. You think she wants to stay with you? What would make you think that? You know she doesn't want you.

Soul didn't know how to respond to the voice. He couldn't speak out loud with Maka right there, and the voice had gotten too strong to reply to it with his own thoughts. All he could do was let it keep going.

It's fake. Anything you may think she feels is something you've made up. You just want something to help you, maybe you think that having someone care for you will drive me out. Well, guess what? I've only been getting stronger and there's no way to get rid of me.

"Maka?" Soul whispered.

"Hm?" she hummed against his chest, her crying had lessened significantly; it was now down to the occasional sniffle.

You really think she can make me go away? Are you even listening? I'm much stronger, and you're just as weak as ever. There's nothing you can do. You're worthless, and can't do anything useful in life at all.

"Maka, talk to me."

There's no point. What are you even trying to do?

"About what?" She picked up her head off his chest and turned her gaze to him. He could barely see her in the darkness, but he had memorised her facial expressions, knew how she would react to various things, and could easily conjure up an image of how she looked.

About nothing. No matter what she says, you'll never drown me out.

"About anything. Tell me a story. About something that makes you happy. Something that makes you feel better. Something that makes you smile."

What are you trying to do? You think that that will help you? Pitiful!

"Well a lot of things make me happy. Like the sunshine, rain, pineapples…"

"Oh, I love pineapples."

"How about you tell me what makes you happy?" she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

Bad question there. You don't deserve to be happy and you know that. So what's the point in talking about it.

"There are a few things that make me happy. Your voice, your eyes, you…" She grinned wide, and he could see her bright white teeth in the scarcely lit dead of night.

What do you know, all the things that make you happy are things you don't deserve either.

"Tell me of a time when you felt really happy. Like pure happiness."

Does not exist. You've never had a moment of pure happiness in your life. Parents that hated you, a brother that only pretended to tolerate you, when in reality he rejoiced when you left. Then the only thing that kept you company ran away because it hated you too. And then you tried to fill that void and it was only more hate towards you that you created.

"I've got it." Soul said forcefully, as if trying to will away the voice.

"You know of a time?"

"Yeah, I definitely know of a time." He said, smiling as Maka laid her head back on his chest.

"Maka!" Soul called out excitedly as he ran inside the cave, a large gray feather in hand.

He ran over to Maka, seated on the edge of the couch and held it up to her. "Look at what I found!" He couldn't stop smiling, a mix of excitement and just something inside of him giving him a really good feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"What is it?" Maka asked in reply.

"I think it might be from Griff. You've said you had tracking abilities, right? Do you think you could find him?"

"Not abilities; I have skills. There's a difference, Soul." she corrected. The way she spoke, with a feel of intelligence, teaching, and care made the good feeling inside him spread. Although, he couldn't help but feel like a small child as he looked up at her from his seat on the floor next to the couch.

"Well, do you think your skills could help find Griff?" Soul asked, making sure to prove to her that he listened to her.

"Maybe, it depends. If anything, I'd say it'd have to be tomorrow though, because it's starting to get dark."

"But do you really think…" He trailed off, seeing her caring smile. She looked like a mother. No, that wasn't the right word. He couldn't figure out what she looked like, it was something. Someone who showed genuine care. Something who enjoyed seeing the happiness of another. Someone who…

"Of course I really think so. Would I lie?" She looked at him, focusing her eyes on him. Oh, how he could get lost in the forest of her irises. He could spend an eternity staring into them and it still would not be enough

"I trust you, don't worry. I just... I don't know. I don't want a false sense of hope." His shoulders slumped, having lost his excitement with the weight of inevitable disappointment. Because with his life, and his luck, disappointment will happen.

"No. Don't doubt. It'll work out. I'll make sure of it. We'll find Griff, no matter what." Her smile was so reassuring to him. It filled him with hope, like she meant what she said, like she was serious, like it was all actually possible.

"Maka," He couldn't find anything else to say. What else was there? There was so much he wanted to tell her but no words could form.

He moved to a seat on the couch, draping his arm on the back of it and facing Maka. She formed a tiny smile directed at him and it made him smile back, probably bigger than hers. It just filled his soul with a happiness that was unexplainable. He didn't know what it was. It was something big; something genuine; something wonderful.

"Did you want to say something, Soul?" she spoke with that understanding and expectant tone of hers. The one she used so often that made him feel so comfortable, so welcome in a conversation. It was a good feeling, he had decided.

"I…" Yes, he did want to. But what were the words? There was something; something very specific and important.

"Yes?"

He looked up to meet her gaze. There was such a vastness in her eyes, something about them felt so open and gave him a sense of... something… Made him feel… at home. Her eyes were swirls of emerald, but infinitely more precious. The desire to stare into them forever and be lost in them till his last dying breath was overwhelming. They felt just as they did all those months ago when they'd started to talk, to become friends, and eventually harboring affections towards each other. They felt so calming and level, kind and peaceful.

Suddenly, like a burst of wind; a punch to the stomach, like a loud screech of an eagle; the word came to him. He sounded it out in his mind and it sounded like bells. They were low and deep bells, like the kind that would ring on the hour back in the capital.

All he needed to do was to say it out loud.

"Maka, I…" She looked at him, expectantly. Her anticipation didn't make him more nervous. It was quite the opposite, actually. It made him feel calmer, made him feel like he could actually say it. "Maka, I love you."

The look of surprise on Maka's face made him lose all courage he had gathered to say it. He screwed up, he shouldn't have said it, he ruined everything. He was a failure, and now she would want to run away from him.

He had looked away, unable to bear the look of shock on her face, when she gently grabbed his chin to bring him back to look at her.

"I love you, too, Soul." The sound of the word coming from her lips. Her voice like the higher, softer, more delicate bells one would hear tinkling during holidays, mixed with the lower, deeper ones that accompanied the single word, joined together in a chorus of music. It brought him to a happier place. It brought him home. Maka was his home and to know she felt the same way about him that he did her brought him such joy and ecstasy.

He leaned forward, wanting, no, needing, to be closer to her. His hand moved with him, and he noted the placement of it. It was resting just on her knee, sliding farther up her mostly bare leg, aside from the short dress she wore.

He looked up at her, meeting her eyes that reflected his own thoughts. "Maka," he whispered before leaning all the way forward to press his lips to hers.

At first their noses were squished against each other's cheekbones, and their mouths were awkwardly positioned. They both tried turning their heads, both going the wrong way resulting in bumped noses and them both breaking apart in a fit of laughs.

"Try again?" she asked, when she got through most of her giggles.

"If you want."

She nodded, and this time they both leaned in, much slower than last time. They both angled their heads, and when they met it felt much more natural. Soul revelled in the feel of how soft her lips were, how they felt, how they moved with his once they got into the rhythm.

They pulled apart again, with smiles instead of laughter, but the same joyful feeling as they rested their foreheads together.

"I love you so much, Maka." he said softly.

"You too," Maka whispered back.

"Can we… Can we try again? But maybe longer this time?"

Her breath hit his neck as she let a laugh out through her nose. She picked her head up and smiled at him, saying "Yes."

His hands automatically went to cup her cheeks, feeling it was the most natural thing to do, and he leaned in for another kiss. This one was definitely longer, more smooth and drawn out, it felt soft and had more passion in it. He felt her place one hand on his cheek as the other slid to the back of his neck. Her hand was soft and delicate. He remembered they used to have callouses on them, they were well used, not this pristine perfect skin that was resting on his face.

He leaned deeper into the kiss, and she leaned back, pulling him with her as she moved to a laying position on the couch. She moved her hand from his cheek up into his hair. The kiss started to get breathy and more intense. It seemed like she knew more about it than he did. It was almost like she took charge and was leading, and he was perfectly content with it.

And that's exactly what he let her do, as she pulled him as far into the kiss as he could go. He let her lead him, let her guide him, and let her be in charge. He was happy to follow. When it was with Maka, it all felt so natural. Like they were made for each other, they fit together perfectly together, and that's how they were created. She was all he needed, and he felt that, maybe, just maybe, he might be the same for her.