After the defeat of the Kishin Asura, madness in the world returns to a manageable balance, Kid assumes his father's responsibilities, Soul achieves Death Scythe status, and life continues. Maka and Soul still go on missions together, Kid won't separate them, they're the perfect team. Plus, Kid can't imagine wielding anything other than his twin pistols. Maka and Soul work together so seamlessly, at time Soul believes they're indestructible. When reality hits, it pulverizes him.
They were on one of their usual missions, taking down a fairly easy kishin. Maka's soul perception has gotten so strong over the years she can practically battle with her eyes closed. She takes advantage of her ability, reading the opponent to predict their next move, surveying the area to prevent civilian casualties, and when they're in soul resonance, he can feel her powers too. He feels when she picks something up on her radar before the monster has a chance to catch the smell.
There's a soul nearby.
In the middle of the goddamn forest.
The kishin shoots off after it, Maka hot on its tail. They had taken special care to corner the kishin in the forest, this thing moved fast but needed wide open spaces to build up speed and the cluster of trees would slow it down in battle. The creature wove between the trees, not moving at its full speed but still fast enough to evade them. Black Star and Tsubaki had taught Maka how to leap through trees, using the branches to push themselves faster and father. Maka pushed, they had to get to the civilian first.
She reaches with her perception to find the stray soul. Soul can feel him too, a few yards ahead, just out of sight. He sees traces of a figure through her senses, an older man with a camera, probably a wildlife photographer. Maka manages to pass the kishin, but she doesn't intercept it, she keeps going straight to the civilian.
The man is startled when she breaks from the trees into the clearing, nearly dropping his camera. Before the man can react, she turns her back to him, bracing for impact.
"Stay behind me."
The kishin bursts out and meets her, claws scraping against steel. Maka holds the beast back, keeping distance between it and the man. Soul can see the man is terrified, but he remains calm and listens to Maka's single command, shifting himself to remain behind her so the Kishin can't get closer. Soul sees the moment when the man trips, his camera shutter snapping when it hits the ground. The sound pulls the kishin's attention away from Maka for a moment, and leaps past her to the defenseless man.
It raises its claws to strike, the man frozen in fear, but Maka dives between the two. Souls blade rips through the kishin's chest just as its claws pierce Maka's stomach.
The kishin flashes out of existence. Maka falls forward, Soul shifts just in time to catch her before she hits the ground. He wants to scream. He wants to wake up and see it's a dream. He should call for help, but he can't move.
"We have to apply pressure to stop the bleeding!" The man pulls off his flannel shirt and holds it to Maka's wounds. The action jump starts something in Souls brain and he finally moves. He fumbles to get his phone out of his pocket and calls Stein. When Stein answers he can only manage to repeat "please save her please save her" and somehow it's enough. Stein tells him to hold on, they have their GPS location, help will be there in five minutes.
Soul cradles her limp body to him, sobbing into her neck. The old man cries with him, pressing his blood soaked shirt into her stomach, whispering apologies Soul can't hear.
Help arrives, Soul doesn't want to part with her, but they'll save her, so he lets go. He barely remembers the trip to the school's hospital, the only thing he recalls is the photographer keeping a hand on Soul's shoulder to calm him. The man is more composed than Soul, he finds out later the man is a war veteran, so the staff directs questions to him.
Soul sits in the hard plastic chairs outside of the operating room, waiting for Stein to come out, or anybody to tell him she's okay. Spirit arrives half an hour into her operation, and for once Soul's afraid to face him. Despite Maka and Spirit's constant bickering, he knows they love each other.
Spirit was overbearing at times, but he had stayed with her when Maka's mother left both of them. He tried his best to be both parents to her and make up for his past mistakes and Soul knew Maka saw it. Soul knew Maka got worried whenever Spirit went overseas on business, she would pretend to hate his phone calls whenever he boarded the plane and landed, but he could see her relief when she knew he was safe. They loved each other in a weird way, and they had just started repairing their strained relationship.
Surely, Spirit will blame Soul for this. He thinks back to the first time he met Spirit and thinks maybe Maka should have let Spirit pick a better partner for her. Spirit had been fighting for years, he would have been able to find a better partner for her with better qualities and skills.
Soul stands when Spirit approaches, keeping his head down and preparing for the worst. With no hesitation, Spirit embraces him. "It's gonna be okay kid, she's not gonna leave you."
Soul clutches him and breaks down completely, wailing as the old man keeps him on his feet. He can't lose her, neither of them can lose her. She's the only reason either of them are still fighting.
Spirit sits with him while they wait for news on Maka. Neither of them speak. No words are needed. When Stein emerges from the operating room, Spirit grasps Souls arm. They both hold their breath.
"She's gonna be fine, we're moving her to a recovery room and you can see her soon."
The breathe again. Soul would cry of joy if he wasn't pretty sure he´s dehydrated. When they're allowed into her room, Soul let's Spirit take the spot by her bed to hold her hand. He can't stay for long, he still has Death Scythe duties, he'll probably have to leave before she's awake, and Soul knows he needs this moment with her. Soul leans against the wall near the window, watching her sleep, content to know she's alive.
"I'm glad she picked you." Spirit's eyes stay on Maka's face. Soul's surprised by his words but says nothing. "I never wanted her to be a meister. I know I couldn't hold her back and I didn't doubt her abilities, but as her father... I didn't want to risk losing her. " his voice catches and he clears his throat. "You two are good partners. The best actually. I know no matter what, you might be a little worse for wear, but you'll bring each other home. It's just nice to know that you love her just as much as she loves you."
Soul's glad Spirit isn't looking to see his blush. He knows that he and Maka love each other, but the way Spirit says it has stronger implications. Even though he doesn't say it directly, he knows this is Spirits apology for his behavior towards their partnership. Soul wishes Maka was awake to hear it, but he guesses this apology is meant just for him. Spirit clears his throat again, "I should be heading out, I have a couple of meetings to attend today. " he stands and bends to kiss her forehead. He straightens and turns. "Call me if you guys need anything." He gives Soul a small wave over his shoulder as he leaves.
Soul takes his place in the chair. Their link dimly focuses when he takes her hand. Things feel normal to him when they maintain a low level of resonance. Most of his panic from earlier stemming from the the fact that he couldn't feel her. They can always feel each other, even in their sleep, but earlier the connection stopped completely and he was sure she was dead. It's more faint than he's used to, but he can feel her now. Comforted by the link and feeling a offhand side effect of the drugs that work on her, he drifts to sleep, still holding her hand.
When she stirs later he wakes too. She's drowsy and disorientated, he calms her over the wavelength. She manages to open her eyes and smiles sheepishly at him. "Sorry" it's all she can offer him in her drug induced state.
He pulls her hand to his face to kiss it. He mumbles against her skin.
"Just don't do it again."
Love is a complicated, uncool thing that Soul would rather not deal with. One minute, he's thinking how lucky it is that they have each other and his greatest joy in life is seeing her happy, the next he wants to castrate Black Star for casually draping his arms across her shoulders, unfamiliar and possessive "mine" flashing through his mind.
He's a mess and he can't even talk to his best friend about it. So he does the next best thing and confides in Black Star.
"What are you, a pussy? Just tell her and bone already."
So maybe Black Star wasn't his next best idea, but considering this is the boy who has unofficially declared himself Maka's brother and has literally punched boys in the face for even glancing at her glorious legs, Soul takes Star's positive reaction to his confession as a good sign. He has one less thing to worry about. Now he actually has to tell her.
Or... He could just repress his feelings.
He picks the latter option.
It shouldn't be too hard to hide his feelings from her, he's pretty good at hiding feelings, he had been doing it for years. Except she can feel his soul. He's also really bad at hiding things from her. The first time he and Black Star cut class and went out with fake IDs, he confessed to everything the moment he got back home. She hadn't even asked where he was that afternoon, the guilt was just too much for him to take. He was also slightly drunk which made him excessively chatty. But this wasn't some stupid thing he did in his childhood. He was in love with his partner. If she found out it would shake the very core of their partnership, and he couldn't risk losing her.
So he would keep it to himself.
It actually surprises him how long he manages to hide it. They've had the link between them for so long he knows how much she can feel and hear from him, he uses it to his advantage. He suppresses his affections and whenever she becomes too curious he redirects her attention elsewhere. Thankfully, she never asks about his noticeably longer showers. She doesn't want to infringe on his privacy. Bless her. When they're piled together on the couch, he clears his mind completely. One wrong thought and he's dead.
She doesn't seem to notice. Or if she does, she doesn't show it. He's hoping she hasn't caught on. He'll just continue torturing himself like this. Desperately pining after his partner and best friend.
Perfect.
Black Star invites him out for a game of basketball with him and Kid while the girls go out on one of their many shopping excursions. Summer's fast approaching and they need new swimsuits. The thought of Maka in a swimsuit plagues him. Basketball is a much needed distraction.
He gets home much sooner than she does. He takes advantage of the empty apartment and takes a nice cold shower to wash away the sweat and grime from their heated game earlier. Plus, now that he's not distracted, images of Maka in a swimsuit flash through his mind once again. It doesn't help that their sexy roommate cat wears the most revealing clothing ever and he knows she went with to help the girls pick suits. He imagines Maka in swimwear he's seen on Blair, picking things that realistically she might wear. Black with practically placed cutouts to show off sexy hips and draw the eye to mile long legs. His arm moves faster. Oh Death, she looks amazing in black. He hopes she's gets black. Except if she does, he'll never get to see her in it cause he'll surely be dead. She'll be home soon, she'll want to show him what she bought. Maybe she'll even model it for him. He finishes on that thought, once again cursing himself for being so pathetic when it comes to her, and trying to compose himself.
He's dressing in his room when he hears the front door close. "Soul? Are you home?"
"Y-Yeah," his voice cracks a little. "Just got back from the courts, I'm changing now."
"Okay!" He can hear her bustling around the kitchen.
He focuses on his breathing, trying to calm his rapidly thumping heart. It's always awkward for him to face her when he's had less that pure thoughts of her. He tries to play it off as his cool and apathetic image, but he's sure she'll catch on one day. When he's dressed in sweats and a t-shirt he makes his way to the kitchen, catching whiffs of chocolate and greasy food. She's mixing brownie batter in a bowl and there's a bag of take out from his favorite hamburger joint waiting on the table.
"I already ate with the girls, but I figured you'd probably want something." She pours the batter into a baking pan and puts it in the oven. "I was also craving brownies and ice cream. Brownies will be done soon, I got your mint chocolate chip ice cream, it's in the freezer."
Oh man, I love you. He thinks, with every connotation of the word passing through his mind.
Her head snaps up so she can look at him, eyes wide, her eyebrows shoot up, hidden under bangs. The color drains from his face. Fuck. He forgot she can practically read his mind. His little slip up is gonna fuck up everything. She's gonna get uncomfortable around him, because she doesn't feel the same way. She'll eventually ask for another partner. He'll be left alone, ruing the day he let his feelings get ahead of him.
His instinct to run kicks in, he backs up as she approaches. "Maka, I-I... " how does he fix this? Ask her to forget it? She can't, she remembers everything. Does he tell her to ignore him because he's a pathetic mess and values their friendship over everything? That might work. No, it won't. She never ignores him.
His back hits the wall and he prepares to dash out the door. Her side of the link is giving no feedback, she just continues to gape at him and move towards him, the world moving in slow motion. He can feel her prodding and she senses his fear. She settles herself directly in front of him, giving him no space to run like he wants to. Her looks of surprise shifts into a coy smile and a light blush dusts her cheeks. One of her hands rises to cup his cheek. "Idiot, you're supposed to say stuff like that out loud." She slides both her hands behind his neck, pulls him to her level and gently places her lips against him.
He's on fire. Every bit of him is burning for her. The only part of him that matters right now is his lips because they're connected to her. This is what he's always wanted. His lips against hers, and it's happening right now! His hand instinctively reach out to grab her hips and pull her closer. She moves her lips against his, neither of them have kissed before, but his meister is a quick learner and he knows how to follow her. Her thumbs run along his jaw, he moans and squeezes her hips Oh, he loves her hips. And her legs. And her lips. And her. He loves her, and she loves him! This is the best day ever.
He flips them so her back is against the wall. He needs to show her how much he loves her. Words aren't enough. His hands move from her hips to her ass, gives it a quick squeeze, she squeaks but presses closer to him. He slides his hands down to her thighs, and she picks up his thoughts, throwing her arms around his neck so he can lift her, her legs wrapping around his waist. He's never been happier that she can read his mind.
She opens the link to him, showing how she's felt the same way for a long time, but not wanting to scare him away, she kept it to herself. His blood boils when he sees she´s had less than pure thoughts about him too. It excites him and he bites and sucks the skin on her neck vigorously, inspired by the sounds that fall from her lips. She´s so happy right now. She loves him so much. She can't imagine being with anyone else. It's always been him.
He's positive she's gonna have several hickeys on her neck tomorrow and that´s gonna earn him a hefty chop to the head. Plus there might be a few bruises on her thighs and rear. She won't be able to wear her new swimsuit for a while. She laughs at him. Is that really something you should be focusing on right now? She asks over the link. Yes, he wants to see her in her new swim suit. Especially now that he can freely ogle her. She laughs again and shifts to leave a mark of her own on his neck, in a place that'll be much harder for him to hide, his hair's not as long as hers.
"You little vixen" he hisses. She merely hums against his neck, all too pleased with herself.
The timer for the brownies goes off and Maka's lips pop from his skin. She looks from the oven to Soul, he presses his forehead to hers. "Let 'em burn."
"Nah uh, I want brownies and ice cream. And you're food is gonna get cold." Food now, more later. She flushes as she send him the thought. He grins and lets her down, she rushes over to remove the brownies and sets the pan on the cooling rack. As much as Soul would be content to just sit and watch her, he realizes just how hungry he is, so he grabs the take out and moves into the living room. Settling himself on the couch, feet propped on the table, he flips through channels to find something for them to watch, and tears into his burger. It's the second best thing he's tasted that day besides her skin. He scarfs down the whole burger just as she wanders in with two bowls, sets his share on the table and sits as close to him as she can, resting her legs across his lap. He lays his hand on her thigh, marveling at how natural this feels to both of them. She reaches over and steals one of his fries.
"Oy, you had food earlier. " he pouts.
"Sorry." She kisses him quickly and goes back to her melting ice cream brownie concoction. Her lips taste lightly of chocolate and mint and he wants more. He leans in for another kiss and she meets him halfway, fries and ice cream forgotten.