Where Affection Lies

By MidnightSting

Chapter 3: Their Lies

When Soul's alarm clock finally rang it's rhythmatic rhyme he hit it with precision as he leapt off his bed, and made his way to his bedroom door, stopping briefly to brace himself. How should he act? Normal? Sorry? He had no clue what to do. Maka hadn't been this angry with him in a long time, possibly never.

He gulped in a burning breath of air, and swung his door open, ready for the world to come crashing down on him. Or so he thought.

Maka turned to him with her scarf around her neck, and her jacket on ready to go. He glanced at the kitchen clock, and determined that it was still over an two hours until they had to leave for school that morning, and she looked like she was leaving in two minutes.

"Where are you going?" Soul asked with a slight gulp of fear at the glance back she gave him.

"I need to go see Stein before classes this morning, so you'll have to get to school on your own," with a huff that he couldn't determine was a sickly one or an angry one she turned on her heels and made for the door.

"Wait," he began as he stepped forward. When she turned to glare daggers at him he realized that he had no idea what to say to her besides 'don't leave me'. He glanced around awkwardly, and finally settled his eyes on the stove. That could work he thought gleefully.

"What, Soul?" Maka asked bitterly as if she couldn't wait to leave.

"What about breakfast?" he asked with a slight grin as he tried desperately to cut through the palpable air, and somehow reach her. It didn't seem to work. She looked at him like she couldn't believe he was serious.

"In the fridge, on the bottom left hand corner," she replied with an icy tone, as she opened the door, making sure to slam it as hard as she could upon leaving. Soul cringed as the door make a loud bang followed by several splintering noises.

"Damn it all," Soul muttered to himself as he rubbed his hands down his face. He snapped his fingers as one last attempt to keep her home a little longer crossed his mind. He ran for the door, and opened it, with much complaint from the overly abused wood and hinges.

"Maka!" Soul called when he spotted her at the bottom step of their apartment. She turned to him with a look on her face that would kill a weaker man.

"What is it now, Soul?" she asked in a voice that stated that she was not pleased at all.

"Um," he began slightly unnerved by her menacing glare. She heaved a heavy sigh, and turned back to the path leading out of the parking lot. "Wait!" he called desperately, and she stopped never bothering to turn. This was his last chance. "Why do you have to go see Stein so early?" he asked over the wind that had suddenly gained some momentum.

He wasn't sure if it was the way the winds new strength carried her down hair over her face, or the sound of her voice when she said it that got to him, but something in her at that moment spoke of danger.

"Wouldn't you like to know," She replied as she turned to give him one final, venomous leer.

Shit.

He closed the door behind him, sliding down it as his heart raced. Was that even his meister anymore? Her voice spoke of murder, and her eyes spoke of hate. He gripped his heart as the realization that he may have very well ruined their relationship hit him.

Panic grew within him.

"No!" he shook his head with fear, "that's not it!" he shouted to himself. He stood up, and desperately made his way to the fridge, and opened it with overused muscle. She made him breakfast, right? That meant that she had to be fine, just in a bad mood that's all. Right?

He glanced down to the bottom left hand corner of their fridge, and his heart sank as he fell to his knees. He reached in, and pulled out the unopened bag of seaweed.

"Damn it all!" he sobbed as he clutched the plastic in his hand.

This wasn't right. So much about this just wasn't right! His meister didn't do things like this, not since she was younger anyway, and even then she wouldn't give him the murderous glares that she had a minute ago.

Something was wrong, very wrong.

"Soul-kun~" he turned to see Blaire clutching Maka's keys between her teeth. Soul grabbed them, and stared at the, as Maka called it, 'cute' rubber mold, of what she told him their souls looked like. Another brilliant idea hit him, and he prayed that it would go better than his last.

"Thanks, Blaire!" Soul exclaimed as he pet the cat on her head, and ran to his room to change out of his sleep wear into something more 'street' appropriate.

This would give him the chance to follow Maka to Stein's office and find out just what was up with her. If she happened to notice him tailing her he could simply use the excuse that he was giving her, her keys and that he might as well go with her since he's already out.

He practically sprinted out of their house as he slammed the cracked door behind him.

He was going to find out what was wrong with Maka if it killed him!

After several minutes of running, and glancing around corners he finally managed to catch up to her. To his surprise she was not nearly as close to the school as he had expected her to be. She also appeared to be moving at a far slower pace then usual.

He glanced around a corner to see her pause to catch her breath at a corner. She held her knees, and wheezed as though she had just run for her life even though she had only been walking, slower than usual he might add.

Was something... physically wrong with her?

His heart sped. What was wrong with her! He began to panic. The woman huffing before him seemed nothing like his meister. Her eyes were dark, and her hair was down. She appeared to be in pain, and was outright showing it, whereas Maka always tried to hide it, at least in front of him.

He picked up his pace, and began to follow closer behind her.

Slowly he began to notice that she wasn't heading to the school at all. In fact she appeared to be going in the exact opposite direction.

"Where is she?" Soul began to himself, but stopped as he noticed that she had once again stopped to catch her breath. He furrowed his brows. Something was wrong here.

As he was about to give up with hiding, and call out to her he noticed her grab the sides of her head in pain, and take a slight step back.

"No," she mumbled, as she shook her head violently, "not yet. Not until I get to Stein-" before she could finish she seemed to loose the strength to stand, and began to fall over backwards.

Soul's weapon-must-protect-meister functions kicked in, and he ran forward with amazing speed to catch her mid fall, and pull her close to him.

"Maka!" he called through desperate fear, "Maka! Maka, what's wrong?" she cracked her eyes open with what seemed like much effort, and stared at him with normal, pain filled eyes. This was the meister he knew.

"Soul?" was all she managed by the time she blacked out.

"Maka!" he shook her slightly in fear that she may not wake again.

"Soul," he glanced up to see Stein bending over to take a look at Maka.

"What's wrong with her, Stein?" Soul pleaded as he held his meister tightly.

"This isn't good," Stein began as his eyes focused on a certain part of her chest, and Soul assumed her soul, "I was afraid this might happen..." something in Stein's overly calm voice scared Soul. To anyone who didn't know the man they would have no concern, but Soul sensed something dark beyond that calmness.

"What were you afraid of?" Soul questioned in terror, "what happened to her?" Stein stared into Soul's eyes for a moment, limes connecting with rubies, and seemed to ponder how to reply.

"Maka," he began as he glanced back down to her, "has been corrupted by black blood."

...

For those of you who are going, 'WTF is a 'cute' rubber mold, you can find what I'm talking about by typing in 'soul and maka cell phone charm' on google. :)

I actually have one of these. *Happy face*

BTW I'm not writing the next part for a while~

SUFFER! 3:

JK I wrote all of these three chapters in one sitting. I need a break. ;_;