Author's Note: ...It's been a while since I updated this, and I apologize. I've just been working on an original novel, and that's been consuming a lot of my time. I've also fallen completely in love with DMMD, so even more of my time has been consumed by that as well. I do hope you didn't mind too much. ^^;

Half of Maka wanted to take the thickest, heaviest book she owned and drive it down onto Soul's head hard enough to split his head in half for not telling her what he was going to set up before rather than after he did. The other half, however, was thankful he came up with an idea that would most likely work better than anything she had thought of by that point.

"I gave him a call to come around sometime this afternoon. I'm going to go out somewhere, and that should give you some time to have a one-on-one talk with him. Make sure you don't get yourself seriously hurt."

That's what Soul had said before he left to God-knows-where, which left Maka only a couple hours at very most to set up a way to go about addressing the issue. There were so many possibilities, all of which could work but perhaps not, that made it difficult to decide on just one. Still, it was probably the best shot she had had up until that point, so she didn't protest. If her friend needed help, she was determined to help him and would be able to make anything at all work. That was just the kind of person she was.

It was around three-thirty when she heard a knock at the door. She immediately got to her feet and answered it. As expected, it was Kidd who was at the door.

"Hello!" With a smile, Maka stepped out of the doorway so the reaper could come in. "Soul said you were coming over today. You can take a seat on the couch if you'd like."

With a curt nod, Kidd sat down. "Speaking of Soul, where is he?"

"Well..." The girl wasn't entirely sure what to say next. She awkwardly closed the door and stood in front of it with her hands behind her back as she locked it, only doing so for a little more peace of mind that he wouldn't leave just as he did before, even though unlocking a door wasn't exactly rocket science. It still helped a small deal, and she wouldn't complain about that. "Actually, he isn't here. He told you to come over so we can talk."

Narrowing his eyes, Kidd got back to his feet. This was a look generally reserved for enemies, and it was, to say the least, frightening. "There isn't anything to talk about. I didn't come to you for help and I don't want you to try. What is the point in offering something that isn't wanted? What do you you think you'll get out of it?"

As much as she wanted to get as far away from him as she possibly could, Maka knew there was no way she could do that. More than anything else, she wanted to help him, as scared as she was. She took a few steps towards him and grabbed his arms to try to keep them at his sides and make him actually listen to her. "You're such a good friend, and I love you so much...! Do you really think I could sit around knowing you're hurting and not do anything about it? I'd rather die!"

Her words were met with a hard slap across the face, causing her to stumble backwards, her eyes widening. He...just...hit her... More from shock than pain, she slowly raised one of her hands to gingerly touch her cheek. Her back hit the door and she slowly slid to the floor. She wanted to say something else, but at the moment, she had no more words to say.

Instantly, Kidd's anger seemed to dissolve into guilt and he crouched down on the floor in front of Maka. Silently, he reached out to lay his hand on the one she had on her cheek. A wordless apology, she was sure—but she wasn't sure if she wanted to accept it right then. This was expected...but still...

She glared at him suddenly, her eyes burning with a mix of rage and hurt. "I'm trying to help! What would you do if it was me?!"

"I'm pathetic and worthless. I don't deserve to be loved or cared about by anyone. I—"

This wasn't right. His episodes of self-loathing were hysterical and full of yelling and crying, but this particular episode had no energy in it whatsoever, as if he was too tired to be as dramatic as he usually was. It was honestly painful to watch.

"You're expected to live up to really high standards is all." Maka smiled softly, hoping that doing so might help Kidd relax a little. "Everyone might be expecting you to live up to Lord Death, but I don't think anyone could ever do that. I don't know what I would do if everyone expected me to live up to Mama. It's no secret I take after her in some ways, but I don't think I could ever be the great woman she is. There's nothing wrong with who you are—there are only problems when you're compared to someone greater. Everyone falls short sometimes, but the thing is, you just need to pick yourself up and ignore what everyone expects from you for a while."

"...That's what started this..."

He was speaking so softly that she barely even heard him. She hated it so much. There was surely more she could do to help than just talk, right? But contrary to her hopes, she had no further ideas than that, which was more upsetting and frustrating than anything. She hated being so useless in life-threatening situations.

"There aren't any impossible standards you have to live up to. Remember that, okay?"

The reaper hesitated before giving a response. "As a grim reaper and a member of the DWMA, I need to at least stay in proper shape."

What was that supposed to mean? He was sacrificing precisely that as his mind was crushed under the pressure from his peers—wasn't that the issue at hand?

Unless...

" 'Proper shape'?" Maka echoed. "Is...is that why you're doing this to yourself?"

Kidd nodded, opening his mouth as if he was about to say something, but closed it right after. He sat back against the wall next to Maka and turned his head away, hiding his face from her view.

"You can say whatever you want, just tell me the truth. I'm not going to judge you."

With a small sigh, Kidd relented. "It started about...a week ago, I believe. Liz wanted me to do something. I refused, so she dragged me anyway, and..."

Maka put her arm gently around his shoulders. "What happened...?"

"After yelling at me about being a baby,—which I don't blame her for—she said it was a lot more difficult than usual. A-and I know it shouldn't have gotten to me the way it did. I'm pathetic and worthless. A painful death during a fight would be merciful compared to what I deserve."

Towards the end of his last sentence, his voice began to sound choked. It was only a slight detail, but Maka couldn't miss it.

"Oh..."

That was all she had to say. There was no I'm sure she just said things because she was angry or anything else that would possibly help. That one word was the only thing she could manage to get past her lips. All she could to was put her arms around the reaper and hold him close to her body, hoping she wouldn't cry as she felt small sobs shake Kidd's body.

Author's Note: Yeah, okay, there. Sometimes it's hard to write this as well and that might be part of the reason I haven't updated in a while. I'm very sorry, and I hope the wait was worth it.