Part 3

He doesn't know what kind of rules he's breaking (who actually reads the handbook of a summer camp?) but he's pretty sure it's nine kinds of stupid. Punishment could range from Sid blasting him to outer space via the Blob or Blair, the hot cat-obsessed girl counselor, giving him a peek of his intestines once she slits him through and through with her hot pink acrylic nails.

One is more likely than the other since Blair, according to the Reaper girls, sleeps lighter than any one they've ever known.

But Soul feels it'd be stupider to disobey Maka or pass up a golden oppurtunity like this.

He's not sure what the dress code is for meeting your crush in the middle of the woods at 1 in the morning, but considering he tried to get some sleep he's shown up in his pajamas.

In retrospect, it isn't the safest attire for the outdoors since he already has a billion mosquito bites.

Soul waits patiently and, despite it feeling like ages and ages and like he'll be caught at any second, Maka doesn't let him wait long.

She shows up in pajama-y clothing as well so he doesn't seem so dorky anymore, though she chuckles at the design of his boxer shorts.

"Little bones? As in little boners?"

Thank goodness for the wilderness where the night time is actually so pitch black you can't catch the boy next to you blushing.

"Ha. Ha. You're hilarious. A true comedian. What are we doing out here anyways?"

Maka's voice drops an octave, a lowness that surprises him. Soul can hardly form the stuttered, shy syllables into words.

"I…wanted to show you something. Secret. A secret of the camp. At night. A night secret."

"Oh-kaaaay." His mind unhelpfully replays one of Kim's stories revolving the supposed curse on the camp and young lovers. The moon was full, the stars were shining, and instead of a romantic canoe trip the girl got possessed and slit the guy's throat before dumping him overboard.

The white-haired teen discreetly checks the moon phase as he follows his summer crush into the dark forest. He doesn't truly believe Maka is the killer type (girl tears up when they swat sugar bees) but if she did get demonized by a murderous spirit she would be one of the few people to get away with it.

Better be safe than sleeping with the fishes.

He panics slightly when she pulls something shadowy and shiny from behind her back.

"Maka, what-"

There's a click and his eyes are drowning in whiteness.

"Flashlight. Very helpful when walking in the dark."

Their early hike is freaking him out since Maka decides trails are for wimps and goes freelancing through the trees. The flashlight beam cuts like a hot knife through butter into the shadows, though he doesn't get much of the benefits. Because he's following behind her, he ends up attempting to memorize the floral and fauna, hoping and praying he doesn't accidentally brush against poison ivy or step on a snake.

If Maka is receptive to any type of "moves" tonight, he's pretty sure itching, crying, and screaming aren't any of them.

They've been walking for a solid ten to twelve minutes and he's sweating his balls off. Suddenly wearing his favorite pajamas doesn't seem so wise.

"So where is this mysterious night secret located?"

"We're close." Her answer calms his fears of getting lost in the woods until…"I think."

"You think?" He's a little embarrassed at the high pitch squeak in his usually manly voice.

"It's been a while since I've visited, alright? I'll find it though."

"Uh huh."

They walk another couple of minutes before she jerks to a stop and he collides into her, almost knocking her weightless body to the ground. She growls as he yelps and throws out a decently muscled arm to catch her.

Soul parts his lips to speak only to have Maka's drenched hand slapped painfully over his mouth. He attempts to pull her away by the wrist but she releases a paralyzing, frightened noise that absolutely shuts him up.

The two teenagers startle when they hear rustling to their right. Maka and Soul both lunge for the flashlight in her hand, but in their fear keep bumping hands and can't find the switch. In the end, they simultaneously cover the beam with their hands interlocking.

Never before has Soul felt so helpless. No one knows where they are or even that they're missing and Maka might've taken them farther from the camp than she anticipated.

They are literally sitting ducks, at the mercy of whatever is tromping through the woods in their direction.

He's gonna die. He's going to die by Jason or Big Foot or holy hell, worst of all, Dr. Stein.

The albino goes back to the piercing apathetic eye contact he and the doctor shared and the stitched menace that makes up his face. Soul shudders and huddles closer to Maka. Screw manliness. Of course, he'll protect Maka, cause she's awesome and beautiful and smells like oranges, but he'd be a liar if he said he didn't think Maka was the fiercer warrior.

The creaking of the trees in the wind and the cracking of leaves and twigs on the ground grows louder and as they struggle to find some type of hiding place.

"Over here!" Maka whisper-yells as she tries to dive for a small boulder.

"No! No! This way!" Soul leans the opposite direction. "That boulder can't even hide a toddler!"

"I could fit behind it!"

"Thank you for proving my point."

Maka huffs and he can feel her scowl through the darkness.

"Maybe if you didn't go around eating muffins and breads you would be able to fit behind the conveniently placed, decently-sized boulder."

"First of all, I didn't even get to eat the damn muffin. Second, did you seriously just call me fat? Like, is that really an appropriate comment right now?"

"Hush, Soul! It's coming!"

"Nah, Maka, that's not cool. We might die here and your last words to me are 'you should consider cutting out carbs from your diet?' That's rough."

She continues to consistently tug him in the boulder area, whimpering as the sounds get closer.

"Come on, Soul! I didn't mean it like that!"

He scoffs. "Yeah, then how did you mean it?"

Maka stomps her foot, missing the ground and hitting his pinky toe instead, causing him to yelp like a wolf howling at the moon. In the quiet of the forest it's louder than thunder.

A large misshapen figure magically Apparates before them, a nightmare worse than He Who Shall Not Be Named. Maka and Soul scream while aligning themselves into a familiar back to back position, shoulders touching.

"What the hell-?"

Soul cuts his scream off because oh dear Lord he recognizes that gruff bark. And, honestly, he's kind of wishing it's the Dark Lord instead.

Until the figure materializes into two distinct persons. One is a sleepy-eyed Sid and the other-

Is Mira Nygus. The lovely nurse practitioner.

Sid angrily switches his gaze from Maka wrapped tightly around Soul in his sweaty pajamas while Soul frantically tries to piece together what he's seeing. Mira and Sid. Mira and Sid. All alone. Out in the woods. Like him and Maka. Maka who he was trying to make moves on. Maka who secretly invited him into the middle of the woods for a secret meeting place (hopefully of the romantic variety).

Ohhhhhhh.

Maka has stopped squealing at this point and is increasingly becoming confused.

"Nurse Nygus? Sid? What are you two doing out here-?"

It's Soul's turn to cover the bookworm's mouth.

He and Sid lock eyes and it is the fastest, most impressive bout of internal telepathic conversation he's ever experienced.

Sid raises his left eyebrow a degree above the right. What are you and Maka doing out here all alone in your pajamas?

Soul copies the motion. What are you and Nurse Nygus doing out here all alone?

There's a pause in communication as Sid considers his options before the right corner of his lip twitches.

I'll let it pass if you get the hell out of here and I find you in your cabin in the morning.

Agreed.

Soul pulls the squirming Maka past Sid, who is also attempting to hush Mira, and they go about their separate ways, each pretending they never saw the others.

Though Soul's illicit partner isn't too good at understanding body language and unspoken communication.

Once they're far enough away for the treaty to be upheld Soul relents and allows her to remove his clammy palm away from her mouth.

"Soul! What was that for? And what just-?"

"Don't worry about it, Maka. Let's just…go to your secret night place and then trek back to camp."

"But what were Sid and Nurse Nygus out here for? And why were you guys staring so hardcore at each other?"

He gives her a pointed look. It's obvious from her dumbfounded expression she can't fathom what was happening so he whispers it in her ear. Because it's too gross for him to hear it or say it out in the open.

"Ohhhhh. Ohhhh." Her nose crinkles adorably in the freed flashlight beam as her brain finally makes sense of it all. "Ew. Wow. That's a camp horror story not even Kim would think of."

It takes her a bit to gather her bearings, but eventually she's seventy percent positive they're close to her secret spot. Seventy percent isn't quite where Soul would like her estimation to be at, but he figures if something does go wrong adults aren't as far away as he originally assumed they'd be.

There's a break in the tree line and Maka ups her pace. Soul slacks a bit, catching his breath since they recently started going uphill, but pushes himself to follow her into the moonlight.

They're higher up than he thought they'd be, the lake shimmering several feet below them. It's beautiful, a bird's eye view of the campgrounds and the dock, the water stretching out to the horizon and rippling silver under the stars.

Maka takes a seat at an obviously previously placed lawn chair and offers him another that she seems to pull out of thin air. He settles in next to her and they both sigh as they rest their legs.

"Whoa. This is-"

"Amazing? Awesome? Breathtaking?"

"All of it." He exhales the phrase and it's the truest thing he thinks he's ever said.

They calmly and comfortably settle in, content in their companionship and the beauty before them. Soul thinks that if he could pick one moment to freeze time and remain in forever he'd be find with this place and with this girl not two feet to his left.

He's intrigued that Maka breaks the stillness before he can.

"Those…that wouldn't be the last thing I'd say."

"Hmm?"

The blonde shifts anxiously in her chair, the rugged fabric scraping against her sleep shorts. She turns so she's facing his way and, noticing this, he arranges his body in her direction.

"Telling you you're fat wouldn't be the last thing I'd say to you. If we had died at the hands of a wolf or a bear or something else-"

"Dr. Stein." Soul shivers a bit. "Dr. Stein would kill us."

Maka gives him an are-you-serious glare. "Dr. Stein is a respectable physician and family friend. He just likes kids to be scared of him and Kim likes a good story. So do I, for that matter."

He doesn't answer because he feels both silly and patronized. He's looked at the man and his gray eyes felt like staring down Death. He'll just keep his distance, thank you very much.

"Anyways…what I meant was…if, if I had a chance, I'd tell you something I've kind of been brooding on for a while."

His interest is peaked. To the max. Her eyes flicker from the bright chrysanthemum green he loves to a darker, more profound olive as she twirls the flashlight, the beam lighting them up and then disappearing to shine some place else.

"What'd you say then?"

She won't look at him and he begins to rethink everything. Maybe she's not into him. Maybe this was just…an actual friendly outing. A secret she thought she could platonically share with him. His hopes feel like his bones would if he jumped off the cliff to the rocky shoreline below.

And though it hurts, and though it'll probably hurt more by the time the night is done, he takes a chance and jumps anyways.

"I know what I would say."

Her lashes shimmer like starlight under the crescent moon as she peers through them to show she's listening.

"I'd…" Soul swallows the lump in his throat and ignores his brain screaming 'no,' preferring to listen to his heart thumping to the words 'yes, yes, yes.' "I'd tell you I liked you. And I think you're amazing. And you have a wicked arm with pretty green eyes and even though you're short you have a nice figure. I'd tell you to ignore when Star pokes fun at you or Liz tries to talk you into makeup 'cause you have that natural thing that draws people in, or draws me in at least. I'd say I like having you as a summer camp partner because we're pretty cool, but I think we're cooler when we're together."

Soul exhales, his whole body feeling lighter somehow even though he can feel every blood cell rushing through every crevice and vein in his body.

He tells himself to not wait for her to say anything because he doesn't think it's coming.

And it doesn't.

Instead her tiny, but firm hands grab his face so she can slam her lips against his.

It hurts at first 'cause holy hell the girl has no finesse, but after some maneuvering and laughing and lots of trial and error they get it just right in the moonlight.

Soul's legs are cramping like a bitch as he crouches uncomfortably in a tree, his long teenage limbs unsure how to fold themselves into the most convenient, balanced position. Black Star doesn't have the same issue because A) he's a present day ninja and B) he's significantly smaller than the red-eyed grumbler beside him.

"I don't see why you had to include me in your 'scouting'?"

Black Star removes his eyes from the binoculars long enough to cackle and shoot Soul a sharp-tooth grin. "Because you're my number one follower, Soul. And the best bro."

Soul mumbles his complaints but thanks Star for his belief.

"…Plus, Kilik is afraid of heights so he was out as soon as I said the word 'climb."

"You're a bitch."

The prank war only escalated the last few weeks of camp. Apparently Kid's theory of it lasting a week or two applied to normal mortals. Of which Maka and Black Star were not.

And the jokes were no longer funny.

Bugs in people's soups. Whipping creams and powdered sugar slathered in pillows (which, let Soul mention, is not easy to wash out). And a terrible, terrible maple syrup incident that still gives Soul nightmares of gooey, icky immobility.

But in an almost direct parallel to the escalating prank war was the escalation of Maka and Soul's relationship. Kisses were stolen whenever and wherever possible. Light hand touches during archery and brushing up against each other during water sports were just a few of the discreet ways they tried to be together.

Soul wanted to draw it all out into the open, sure everyone else would be happy for them. Maka claimed victory over the boys, a historical first for the girls, was more important and she'd be shunned if she were known to be fraternizing with the enemy.

So Soul was seated up in an unstable oak tree next to the leader of aforementioned enemy instead of making out with his newly acquired girlfriend.

Prank wars suck.

Apparently Black Star and some other guys were planning something big for the last theme night. Instead of a messy dirty battle like the previous theme nights were, the last is supposed to be a refreshing dinner and dance out on the dock so the campers and counselors can calmly enjoy their final night together and share their favorite memories of the summer.

Hence, Black Star staking out the dock in order to 'scout' and 'measure plans.'

"Oh ho ho. What have we got here?" The blue-haired boy bursts upright and pushes aside a couple of branches, somehow not drawing attention to the two teenagers perched in the tree.

Soul, who didn't know that summer camp involved the packing of binoculars, strains his vision as best he can.

"What? What is it?"

The ninja proudly shoves the binoculars onto his face, probably smashing or breaking Soul's nose in the process, and says, "Feast your eyes on that!"

Soul's eyes take a minute to adjust before he finally glimpses Kim and Jackie passionately macking on the edge of the dock. He pushes the binoculars away.

"Dude."

"What? Don't lie, it's sorta hot. As the Spanish say, les bien."

"…Okay, first of all, stop being all gross and perverted with the lesbian stuff. Second, I really, really need to make sure you know that 'lesbian' is not a Spanish word nor does it mean 'this is good' or 'hot' or whatever you think it means."

Black Star shrugs as if it doesn't matter and goes back to orchestrating his master plan.

The last day of camp is a harrowing time for Soul's poor nerves.

Not only is he unsure of where he and Maka stand once the summer is over but she refuses to heed his warning about Black Star.

"I'm telling you, Maka, this is getting serious. Just stop the war! There's always next summer!"

She put on her signature scowl and vaporizing glare. "No. I won't. It's time us girls win for once. If we keep waiting 'til next summer and next summer and the summer after that, we won't ever win, will we?"

"Oh my gosh!" Soul throws his hands to the sky and wishes Scotty would beam him up to anywhere other than at this dumb camp with it's stubborn warrior campers. "Why is everyone so obsessed with winning a freaking prank war?" Maka steps away from him, haughtily, though he can see he's injured her pride a bit.

"Look, Maks. It's not that I think you girls can't win it's just…Black Star's pretty crazy. And he keeps going on and on about the 'prank to end all pranks.'"

"Well, can you give me a little insight?" She nudges him with her pointy elbow and a sly smirk. "Wanna be my duplicitous spy?"

As always, his beats per minute spike whenever she looks at him. Especially that way.

"If only I could be. Star won't let slip anything. Not even Kilik or Harvar know what's happening at this point."

"Hmm. Then we'll stick with our plan and get him tomorrow."

And with that she pecked him on the cheek and jogged away, leaving Soul dreading whatever comes tonight.

The nice part about the dress-up night is that Soul actually packed formal attire. It's his turn to help Star out as he just so happens to have an extra button-up shirt and pair of dark brown slacks. Harvar harbors a surprising talent of crocheting, sewing, and tailoring, so the fact that Soul is four inches taller than the muscled boy ends up not being a problem.

The dinner is well-prepared and delicious but all tastes like ash to Soul. People are dancing under the light of paper lanterns hung along the dock and Star is gone. You'd think it'd be difficult to lose track of a guy whose hair is dyed a blue so flashy you could spy it from space, but the kid is shockingly slippery and, when he's not being loud and obnoxious, can vanish into the background.

And currently he's assassin.

Through bribery and arm wrestling Soul has discovered that Black Star's main target is none other than Soul's recently acquired girlfriend.

Who is breathtakingly beautiful in a silver summer dress for the night.

He hates to ignore her, but he's too focused on locating Star to fawn over her gorgeousness. Soul wishes that Black Star would concede for the summer, if only so he can spend some quality romantic time with the precious girl who stole his heart this summer, but apparently "gods cannot be surpassed by mere mortals."

Eventually Soul tires of doing nothing but worrying and decides the safest, most convenient place for him to be…as at Maka's side. Black Star is aiming for her anyways, so he might as well enjoy himself while secretly protecting her.

So he asks her to dance.

Liz and Patti flutter their eyelashes while chorusing ooh la la's, Kim and Jackie wink in his direction, and Tsubaki squeals, alerting him to the irritating fact that they were aware the whole time. So much for secrecy.

And that's when Star decides to strike.

They're slow dancing and exchanging warm glances and Maka is implying maybe they'll figure out a way to stay together and pen pal when he sees it. A pinprick of blue approaching from his right.

"Oh, Christ."

He just wants to spend his last night peacefully with his girlfriend and continue talking in sweet nothings or how they'll keep the flame alive when they live five hours apart.

But noooo. Instead he has to stop his psychotic best friend from ruining his girlfriend's last night at the DWMA.

Soul whips around and attempts to grab Black Star by the collar. Unfortunately, Star's always been faster than the lanky Soul so he misses. The assassin ducks under his arm and lunges for Maka, a cylindrical object pointed at her pristinely made-up face.

The white-haired teen closes his eyes, preparing for the worst, and then…it happens.

EEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHH

His ears ringing, Soul finds in Star's hand, a small bull horn.

Maka is wide-eyed with her palms pressed tightly against her ears to protect her eardrums from breaking under the loud echo.

Star is laughing harder than Soul's ever seen, bull horn resting in his folded arms holding onto his probably aching stomach.

"Oh. My. Gosh." Each word separated by heaving breaths. "You. Should. Have. Seen. Your. Face!"

Soul yells his words though he's not sure if it's because his ears are permanently damaged and doomed to feel like a cotton ball is stuck inside or if he's seriously that furious.

"That was your masterplan? You. Dumb. Ass. A bull horn? A BULL HORN? What's so fantastic about a bull horn?"

Black Star is now laughing so hard he's hardly making a sound except for the occasional wheeze when his lungs demand air. Glistening tears pool under his tightly shut eyes eventually streaming down his tan cheeks.

His joy is fuel for Soul's fire.

"YOU MADE ME SIT IN A TREE FOR AN HOUR WHILE YOU PLANNED EVERYTHING OUT! BLOWING A BULL HORN IN SOMEONE'S FACE DOES NOT REQUIRE AN HOUR OF PLANNING AND A SCOUTING OF THE AREA!"

In the end, the Prank War of the summer awarded victory to the girls after they somehow duct-taped the boys inside their cabin and threw shaving cream cans with holes in them via the windows at five in the morning. It took the teenage males a full three hours to clean up the mess before Sid found out and another whole eighty minutes to figure out how to exit the cabin.

Soul vows he will never instigate nor participate in another Prank War again.

Ever.

His skin still feels funny and slimy when Wes arrives to pick him up. Maka and him are nestled on a bench near the soccer fields which have resumed their make-shift parking lot status.

"That's my ride."

Maka appraises his equally lanky, pale-haired brother and waves when he honks emphatically at the sight of his younger brother intertwined with a girl. It even looks like he's bouncing up and down in his seat. She giggles at his enthusiasm.

"Bet you get interviewed the entire ride home, huh?"

Soul sighs. "Probably. What a dumbass." He smiles down at the girl comfortably reclining against his arm and gently kisses up her neck before reaching her lips.

"I'll miss you, ya know. And I get my car soon so…"

Maka returns his fervor with a passionate smile of her own. "So we'll see each other soon! Though you have to promise to still like me after meeting my Papa."

He chuckles, but inwardly cringes. Soul has heard many stories about Spirit, Maka's old man. None of them good. Black Star says he ought to wear a cup when he meets him. Just in case.

"Promise."

He gives himself a moment to recall the entirety of his summer and thinks that he might've made the right choice after all. He takes in the campgrounds that seemed so foreign his first day but that feel more like home than any mansion or indoor music program ever will. Soul basks in the warmth of the girl leaning her head on his shoulder and remembers how ready they were to tear each other's throats out over a freakin' blueberry muffin.

Eventually he rises and takes a step towards the car, his eyes taking in everything around him so he can commit to memory. They settle on the cheery banner labeling the camp as the DWMA and the infirmary up the hill with Marie, the senior counselor, Mira, the sweet nurse, and Dr. Stein, a real life horror story. They take a mental picture of his fellow campers waving goodbye with bright smiles already wishing for next summer.

And they land on Maka who merely blows him a light kiss and a pretty smile.

When Soul gets into the passenger seat, it feels like a million years have passed since he sat here begging to go home. Now he'd give anything to stay.

"Soooooo," Wes trills. "Have a good summer?"

You have no idea.