Day 2: Cuddles

Almost Do

He chickens out at the last minute, and ends up going back to his house next door to calm his nerves.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Soul craddles his head in his hands, and chides himself over and over how much of an idiot he is. Who the hell was he kidding? Maka didn't love him. Her feelings for him didn't tread beyond that of friendship. There have been so many accounts in their friendship where she had made it clear that she only saw him as a friend and nothing more. Hell, she had even dated a couple guys in high school. Why would she do that if she had feelings for him as well?

Soul falls onto his bed and sighs. This doubt isn't good for his well being at all, and he needs to be rational about the whole thing. He's talking about Maka here. Maka the girl who's nice to everyone she meets. The girl who has befriended loners and misfits throughout life, and sees only the good in others when they didn't see it themselves. This was the Maka he has known for years, and he's over thinking the situation too much.

He needs to be more rational and not sike himself out.

"Ugh, keep it together, Eater. You aren't being cool at all," he says to himself.

Dropping his hands, he stares up at his ceiling and tries once again to convince himself to do this. To tell Maka he was madly in love with her, has been in love with her since they were in high school, and that he's an idiot for not telling her sooner. That's probably the only way she'll believe him now. Or even think of what her feelings for him were. It might even help keep her rejection lighthearted, and leave now bad feelings between them.

"You can do this, Soul. You're better than this. Just go over there and tell her you love her. Let things fall into play as is."

But that's easier said than done.

Xx.

Since the summer he started kindergarten, they had made it a point to start the tradition of spending one last summer night in her treehouse.

The treehouse had been their play area for the past year that they knew each other, and was an important part for both of their lives. It was theirs when both of their parents left to go to work, and only the babysitter was around to care for them. Theirs when his beloved dog passed away, and he needed a place to stay because his home didn't feel right for the longest time. Theirs when her parents were arguing over some nonsense, and she wanted to sleep there instead of her bed.

Their treehouse had become a sanction for them, some type of security blanket that they both clung to at times of trouble. That was probably why she had insisted on creating the tradition when she found out he'd be attending school soon.

The first time it was when she was five and he was six, two nights before his days were spent in a classroom rather than with her. They had stayed up all night reading to each other from one of the books her papa had given to her before finally curling up under a blanket together and falling asleep. Then the next year he had spent most of the night telling her the wonders of school, and all the things he knew she'd like the most about it. He clearly remembered how big her green eyes were as he told about all the books in the library, how nice the teachers were, and how much she'd learn. It was probably one of the best nights of his life.

It wasn't until she herself started school that there was a twist thrown into their tradition.

It just so happened that Maka had met a boy named Blake Barett in her first grade class that year who had introduced her to the world of horror stories. Soul still remembered the first day she came home and ran over to his house to show him the new Goosebumps book she had borrowed from the school library. There was a girl holding up a scary looking green mask that stretched across her face with vampire fangs and yellow eyes on the cover, and it had creeped him out. Yet he still listened intently as she retold the story, her body buzzing with excitement.

After that day, Maka's love of horror, scary stories, and urban legends came to life, and Soul found himself wishing she hadn't.

As they became older and outgrew sleeping in the treehouse, they moved their tradition into her home, and substituted Maka telling her own rendition of an urban legend or scary story for horror movies. His best friend's film collection was actually vast and more varied than he had expected, but her taste in the horror genre was consistent. She didn't stick with the traditional route where teens had sex and were then slaughtered. No, Maka didn't much care for watching fifty minutes of sexual intercourse and doing drugs with only ten reserved for the gore.

She preferred films where the horror aspect was taken into play

Films where the suspense was built up perfectly

And Soul absolutely hated it.

He wasn't much of a horror person. He preferred to stay away from anything that jumped out at him to avoid heart attacks and nightmares. Which was more difficult than he thought it would be considering Maka was his best friend, and those were the things that drove her. The things that she craved for every year. And she loved sharing that love with her own best friend. Telling him about the new urban legend she had read online, and suggesting they visit the most haunted places in the world one day.

But Soul being who he was with Maka had always reluctantly followed.

No matter how horrific the film, he always watched it with her. No matter how bad he knew his nightmares were going to be, he never budged from his spot on the couch.

And the most probable reason for that was because he had Maka as his best friend.

It didn't matter how late it was, she was always a phone call away. She was always able to soothe his soul and help him fall asleep when his fears were too active. Maka was the best friend a guy like him could ask for.

The night before he left for college and two nights before she started her final year of high school, they had their annual treehouse/living room tradition. She was curled up under a blanket, the screen casting shadows over her while he munched on the overly sweet popcorn between them. They were watching one of her favorites. Some movie where the house was haunted, and the idiot dad had moved his family into it thinking they'd be safe. Classic ghost film.

About halfway through the movie, Maka had started to nod off. It didn't surprise Soul since she had spent all night at one of Blake's many summer parties and hadn't slept a wink since she came home. Being the utter gentleman that he was, he placed the bowl onto her coffee table, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her toward him.

Maka sucked in a heavy breath and blinked a few times before glancing up at him. "What are you doing?"

"Thought you'd prefer to sleep on something a little more comfortable," he shrugged.

"No. That's okay." She moved away from him, but he kept his grip on her and pulled her back on his chest. "I'm not even tired, Soul."

"You and I both know that's bullshit. You stayed up all night at Blake's–"

"Black Star."

"Right. Black Star's party." He had forgotten the boy was now asking that everyone call him by the nickname. "You stayed there all night, and haven't slept since you came home. Sleep, Maka. It's good for you."

"Soul, I don't need to sleep." She tried to wiggle herself out of his grip, but failed. Maka might have been the rugby team captain which meant she was in better shape than him, but Soul was strong as well when he wanted to be.

"Maka, just sleep. You've seen this movie too many times already. You can miss it for one night." He heard a small growl from her. "Don't do that. It isn't ladylike."

"Neither is ripping your dick off, but I'm seriously thinking of doing that if you don't let me go."

"Maka," he warned as she continued to struggle. "Stop being so stubborn and just go the fuck to sleep. I honestly don't mind."

After a few minutes of her grumbling that she was fine and didn't need to sleep, Maka finally settled down. She rested her head on his chest, and slid her arm around his waist in a position that was familiar to couples. But they weren't a couple. They were best friends. Best friends who had known each other since they were little, and it was natural for friends to cuddle like this.

Right?

The way his breathing slowed, his heart picked up, and heat that crawled up his neck, though, told him otherwise.

"There. Better?" he asked once he was sure his voice would come out normal.

"Mhm."

Maka buried her face more into his chest, and Soul prayed she wasn't able to feel how hard his heart was pounding or the fact that he was internally screaming because holy shit. His best friend was on his chest. The girl he had a crush on was casually resting on top of him. If a meteor came, he'd die happily in all honesty.

"You're really warm and comfy."

Soul scoffed, shaking off his nerves as he tried to calm himself. "That's because you're a naturally cold person."

"Mm, doesn't matter. You're really warm, and I like it." She squeezed him a little harder. "I wanna stay here like this all the time."

If only.

He smiled to himself as she made herself a little more comfortable against him before forcing his attention back to the movie. Though, he did have to admit it was very nice to have her pressed against him like that. Her heart gently thrummed against him, her body heat was welcoming as it seeped through her shirt, and the sound of her breath evening out was soothing. Everything about the moment was perfect. His own heart slowed, and the all too familiar tingle in his fingertips began to crawl up his arms.

A part of him wished they were indeed together, that he had come out clean with Maka since the very beginning. Since the moment he realized he was falling in love with her. He wanted to kiss her and hold her like that all the time. Watch movies with her on the couch and stuff his face with popcorn before engaging in a hot make out session that maybe led to more. A huge part of him wanted to be with Maka so bad, but he couldn't.

They were best friends, and best friends didn't fall in love with each other.

Hadn't Maka made it clear a long time ago that she only saw him as a friend?

Didn't she kindly reject his affections when he practically said he loved her on Valentine's Day?

She had.

Soul needed to learn to keep his feelings at bay, and not allow them to ruin their friendship. Maka was too important for him to lose.

Then again, there was always the card from when they were kids…

No. That was a silly thought by itself. They had been kids when she had given him that – written the message inside – and it definitely didn't hold up now. Marriage wasn't something Maka was interested in or wanted. And she definitely didn't want to marry him if she had the choice.

Glancing down at her, he noted the steadiness of her breathing and the softness of her face as she slept against him. Soul leaned down to lay a gentle kiss on top of her head, the citrus smell still there from her shampoo wafted up his nose as he did so, and her hair felt smooth against his lips. It was a short peck, but he remained hovered over her for a short while. His eyes closed as he pretended she was awake and able to hear his voice. That her hands were caressing his own as she watched the family on screen get slaughtered.

He pretended like this was his perfect moment to admit his feelings for her.

"I love you," he whispered.

Suddenly, Maka started to stir in his arms, and Soul panicked. His heart pounded against his chest, and his mind tried to come up with a logical reason for why he'd tell his best friend he loved her. She had probably heard him. Her own mind was probably too groggy to comprehend it right now, but it would eventually. And he needed to think of something quick. It wasn't the right time or the right moment. He had to take it back!

"I-I mean as a friend!" he shouted a little too loud. "I love you as a friend! Nothing more!"

But as she settled against him again and didn't say a word, Soul knew she hadn't heard him.

Sighing in relief, he pressed his head to the back of the couch. "That was far too close."

Xx.

Before Soul leaves his room, he grabs the old Valentine card he keeps hidden in his drawer, and stuffs it in his back pocket.