Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews last chapter! It always makes me smile to see another added review to the growing pile! As always, this chapter is for you readers. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater. Happy now?! *cries in corner*
~--Factors--~
1. Lost
Maka always made Soul hold her hand when they were out together. She said it was so he wouldn't get lost, but really they both knew it was so she could be sure he was still there when she turned around.
2. Lies
What really killed Maka about her papa wasn't that he cheated and flirted and made no plans to stop. It was the fact that he lied over and over again about how he loved her and her mama the best.
3. Loyalty
At first glance anyone would wonder how Soul and Maka could possibly be friends by the amount of arguing and bickering between them. But at the end of the day (no matter the insult) Soul was willing to lay his life down for his meister and no idiot could tell him otherwise. Even if that idiot happened to be Maka herself.
4. Love
It was a foreign feeling to both weapon and meister. It wasn't that they didn't reciprocate the feeling; it was just difficult to tell the other. How could you tell the person you loved how deeply your feelings ran for them in the first place? They just knew, there was no need for useless and petty words. They loved each other and that should be the end of it.
5. Voice
Her voice was the first thing he heard as he came to in the hospital. It had been another close call for them, though thankfully not too horrible; a minor concussion on his part and a sprained ankle on her's. But even still, as he came back to consciousness and heard her frantic and soft voice fretting over his well-being, it somehow made the endeavor worth the pain.
6. Clock
Maka knew that time was ticking as she turned over the small wooden box with Soul's well…soul inside, and every second she wasted debating on what to do was costing them precious time, time they could not afford to lose as Black*Star and Kid fought Asura. Maka could only hope she made the right decision before time was up.
7. Pretend
Sometimes Maka liked to pretend that her life was as exactly as she thought it should be. That her Papa and Mama were still married and very much in love and that she were normal and there were no Kishin to be seen. But then Soul's voice would drift from the kitchen to her bedroom and her bubble of simplicity was broken. And though some would be disappointed and angry, it only reminded Maka why she should be happy despite the things her life lacked. The boy she shared her meals with and lived with would never make her feel like she had to pretend.
8. Balance
They provided enough balance for each other to get through the day, and maybe that was all they needed to get through the rougher parts of their lives. It wasn't an easy life, and there was no way of telling when they could ever stop the feeling of living for every day because it might be their last. At least they had each other to rely on and confide most of their fears and concerns.
9. Devotion
It wasn't just because Maka was his technician that he felt the strong urge and want to protect her. It was in the lithe hands that held him in battle, transformed or not, and the way her tone carried her feelings weather it be happy or frustrated. Everything about her was addicting and he knew after years of taking care of her that there was no way he would ever let harm come to his kind and innocent meister.
10. Denial
Everyone else could see what was going on even before Soul and Maka themselves. Even Blair, who was not exactly the brightest crayon in the box and preferred the kiss and tell method, was wise to the growing bond the blonde meister and the demon scythe shared. If only Maka could accept what she was feeling and Soul could admit them then maybe their friends would have something else to gossip about on the weekends.