Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater. If I did...Actually, I'm really bad at disclaimer jokes, so I'll just leave it at that.
Author's Note: Sorry for such a late update! I had two essays due this week, and tons of homework, so I've been a bit preoccupied. Thanks, also, for all the reviews and alerts! I appreciate it so much.
Anyway, I hope Maka and Soul aren't too out of character in this one. Haha. Same with Ox and Kim, though they're only mentioned for a split second. Enjoy!
Finally finished with her many hours of homework, Maka aimlessly wandered the halls of Shibusen, trying to clear her head of its clutter, and rid of a headache that clouded her mind completely like a thick fog. The halls after school always seemed so vacant, the dusted floors glittering dimly in the dying light of day. With all the windows propped open to let in fresh air, her bogged mind cleared almost instantly the second she breathed it all in.
Until she turned a corner and accidentally ran into a mildly innocent lovers' rendezvous between Ox and Kim. They didn't spot her or her horrified expression as she instantly turned away and ran, as if being chased by her own memories. Her father instinctively came to mind, and tears built at the edges of her eyes. The intimacy she just witnessed wouldn't leave her head, and either would the envy she felt in her heart at knowing she might never experience it.
"Maka?" a familiar voice called, and one she bumped into. Her books and papers scattered all over the floor, her pencils and pens snapping when they unwillingly met the cold, hard ground.
"Oh, Soul? Sorry," she said, breathless. Still, she refused to look him in the eye, attempting weakly to conceal her tears. Without giving him a chance to respond, she started to dash away once more, out into the quiet streets of Death City.
"What…?" He sighed, frustrated and confused, and then began to gather all of her piles of homework together. "Idiot. It's going to rain soon." He went out of his way to come back to school and get her before the rain started, knowing she would be too into her work to remember. No good deed goes unpunished, he thought bitterly before bolting to catch up with her.
His concern for her welfare grew every time she pulled a reckless stunt like this. He wondered why.
Surprisingly, he found her in an alleyway, huddled against a stone wall as if it would provide shelter from the downpour. He walked over and hovered the umbrella over her head, grabbing her attention.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, stepping closer so they could share the safety the umbrella provided.
"I could ask you the same thing. What's bothering you so much?" he inquired, not bothering to cut corners.
She did always admire that about her partner: he always and immediately got straight to the point, and always seemed to be able to sense whether she lied or not. "I was just thinking."
"Out here?"
She laughed lightly, staring abashedly at her feet. Warmth filled her as she picked up on the worry in his voice. Suddenly, it didn't feel like they were standing in the rain, but in the sunshine. "I just saw something I didn't really want to see in the halls today," she began, fumbling for an explanation. "I realized something after."
He waited patiently, holding tightly onto her homework with his one free hand.
"If I ever get into a relationship, I just don't want it to be complicated, or crazy. I want it to be simple." Maka smiled feebly, taking her work from him so she could reach out and grab his hand.
"Maka?"
She didn't reply, and instead began to lead the way back to their apartment, not freeing her hand from his for even one moment.
He wouldn't have let her, anyway.