My little souls, I'm terribly sorry for the very late update on this story! So many things have been going on, so my poor story slowly got pushed to the bottom of my totem pole T^T But alas, I've been still working on this little by little and finally have enough to give to you (hopefully slightly satisfying for now!)

~Soul~

I watched Maka's body hit the floor, panic setting in as I rushed over to her. I pulled her onto my lap, calling her name and shaking her small frame. Worried, I leaned my ear over her heart, blushing slightly as I felt the small swell of what I assumed was her breast. Yet, I could hear it strong and steady beneath the flesh and bone, her heart's pace calm compared to my own. I breathed out in relief and brushed her hair from her face, feeling for a fever. She felt fine, but I was still unsure. I glanced over at her arm, taking notice again of the red stain that lined her sleeve, a small slit revealing the sliced flesh beneath the fabric. It was small, hardly more than a knick, so I didn't believe that it was due to blood loss. However, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Carefully, I shifted my arm back into the scythe and drew it across the fabric where the slit started to where it ended. Cautiously avoiding her skin, I didn't notice I was holding my breath until I felt my chest tighten up with held air. Snorting it out through my nose steadily, I changed my arm back and then slid the quarter of the sleeve fabric down her smooth arm, past her narrow wrists, and finally over the tips of her delicate fingers.

I noticed the dirt caked beneath her nails, recalling tackling her down into the ground earlier. Thinking back, she was so small beneath me and I couldn't deny the heat I felt grow between us, especially in certain places. The small mounds of her breasts (which at this proximity, don't feel so small) were pressed up against my chest and rhythmically pressed more or less against me. Her breaths had fluttered across my neck each time, the drifting smell something awfully sweet like honey. Her hair, although a bit ratted, still felt like a just washed plush blanket against my face, even having that comforting scent with a little twist of strawberry. At that moment, I could even feel the soft flicks of her long lashes against my neck, sending tingles down my back in intoxicating ways. That single moment, set in slow motion by my own imagination, did all sorts of things to me. Although, haha, the over pressing danger of the kishin that lingered mere yards from us made a very efficient cock block.

I shook my head out of the clouds. Biting my lip as I racked my brains, I slowly eased up into a crouching position before hoisting the unconscious Maka gently onto my back. I maneuvered her arms around my neck and then slid my arms beneath the smooth underside of her legs, her warm body pressed against my back. I slowly stood with a slight hunch, doing my best to keep her from falling back. Her warm breath fluttered beside my ear, tickling the side of my face that sent tingles down my neck. Ignoring the feeling for a moment, I turned my eyes to the sky.

"Only one safe place for us now… Tch." I breathed out, shifting her more comfortably on my back before proceeding to where the sun had already begun its descent towards the lush mountains and where Soul called home.

~Maka~

I breathed out tiredly, feeling my body being pulled out of the murkiness of slumber, though more so heavy than most mornings. Rolling to my back, I stretched my arms above my head and hummed happily at the popping joints. Slowly, my body eased back into the warm, soft sheets of my bed. Inhaling deeply, a peculiar scent tickled my nose and I turned my head into the pillow, taking another whiff. My nose crinkled at the strangely odd, but faintly familiar and intoxicating scent; metallic and minty like a strange mixture of nails and fresh pine needles. Still groggy, I tried to rack my brain at why my bed would smell like Soul-

Soul… I wasn't home, right? He couldn't have taken me back to Death City, or else… If not my bed, then-

"Ah fuck!" Soul's voice echoed in the room, only following after what sounded like a dropping pan. My eyes snapped open, blinking rapidly to take in the sudden light dancing in my eyes. Taking a shaky breath, I quietly turned onto my back and propped myself a little higher onto the pillow, my head sitting up more as my eyes gazed at the room.

It was very simplistic and the room seemed to contain little to nothing as far as personal belongings. To right of me was a nightstand, a lamp and alarm clock set upon it. Just beyond that was a wooden dresser, the wooden panels looking very much like oak. Above the dresser, a curtain covered an open window, the white cotton snaking in the light breeze the came through. Moving my eyes ahead of me, there was a table with an empty glass, obviously stained with some type of beverage. There was only one chair at that table, a pack slinged onto the backrest. Finally, my eyes rested towards the left of the room. There was a further door that seemed to lead to a bathroom, the shower just noticeable through the cracked open door. However, there was a closer door that was wide open, with the unmistakable back of Soul.

His muscles weren't ripped, but they were definitely noticeable. The ends of his snowy locks barely brushed his shoulders, messy but somehow tame spikes pointing this way and that. His spine dipped in and as he moved in front of what seemed to be a stove (I hardly paid attention to whatever he was actually doing in this moment…), the dips changing every other time I blinked. What also danced across his back were the scars, the starker white lashes against his tanned skin. A few made my gut twist, anger sparking in the pit of my stomach. The few that stood out were an angry red with black tread crisscrossing the skin back together; scars out of hatred from my own people. Confusion sank down upon my anger as I recalled the most recent events, all coming back in a swirled mess in my mind. The war, the hatred, of meisters towards weapons was wrong? Had I been lied to all my life about what I was the truth? Her family, her friends, her teachers and peers; had they all been wrong?

"Maka?"

I turned my head towards the weapon in the doorway, his lanky frame leaned up against one side. His red eyes drooped tiredly, and not in his usual stare. Yet, as tired as he seemed, his body seemed not. His arms were crossed against his bare chest and he looked tense with a stern face and ridged body.

"Soul…" I breathed out, sitting up and feeling the sheets slide down my chest. Soul's face went from expressionless to scarlet within seconds, his mouth suddenly open like a gasping fish. I tilted my head at his confused expression before the cool breeze that was coming from the window brushed across my chest… Looking down, I felt all the blood rush to my face before I squealed and yanked up the sheets again, glaring embarrassingly at Soul.

"G-G-GET OUT!" I shouted, curling down on myself. Soul stuttered out an apology as he stumbled back away from the door with a hand over his eyes, only to turn right into the door, it banging against the wall back into his face as he cursed out. He blindly reached for the door and moved out of the way, slamming it shut. My heart beat rapidly against my hands that had drawn the sheets up over my chest, slightly relieved that I had been left in my bra. But, how did I come to this? It was only then that I decided to flip the sheets off of me, to reveal to my own self that I was in nothing except my underwear. My face felt impossibly tight as it flushed a furious shade of red, my mind racing on why the hell I was nearly naked?! I stood up, taking a sheet with me to cover the front of my body when two knocks sounded against the door.

"Maka, I swear I did nothing." Soul said from beyond the door, as if reading my panicked state of mind. "Your clothes were dirty and torn, so I asked a friend of mine to come over and change you out of yours, while going back to grab some clothes for you to borrow; so just for now, use what I set out for you." His voice rung honestly, even though it sounded quite sheepish, I knew it was a misunderstanding; not that I was going to let this situation be brushed under the rug like some dirt. I looked around myself and moved to the foot of the bed where I saw folded articles of clothing resting on a wooden chest. I looked towards the door before tiptoeing to towards it, turning the lock into the locked position before I let my quick cover-up slip to the ground. I went back to the clothes and picked it up, letting it fall to its full length. It'd have to do for now.

~Soul~

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck…" I chanted as I paced back and forth in the kitchen, my thumb and index finger pinching the bridge of my nose as I sniffed back the smallest amount of blood. Like some god-awful romance scene you'd see in some cheese-ball chick flick kept playing over and over again in my head, and I tried my best to think of other things than an almost naked Maka in my bed-

"The fuck- No! Stop it!" I hissed under my breath as I thumped my head against the kitchen wall repeatedly as new images of my own imagination sprung up like daisies in spring. "Alright Soul, just think of things like… Like…" My mind raced through the most appalling or dreadful things that I could think of at that instant, trying my best to void my imagination of Maka fantasies. I first thought of the battle with the kishin just yesterday and all the physical and mental stress on both of us. Speaking of stress, my mind finally settled on the horrifying truth that Maka was in my cozy home in weapon central.

I heard the audible click of an unlocking door and my eyes first darted to the front door out of fear, but a small whisper of my name turned my head to my bedroom door. Maka's head was partially poked out, her face flushed red as he hesitantly looked between me and the walls surrounding.

"I'm assuming that the clothes I am using as of this moment are yours, but I, uh… I think they're a little too big on me." Maka stuttered out, sliding out between the crack between the door and its frame, raising her arms up to her sides. A green sweatshirt of mine that had been shoved to the back of my dresser due to it's small size on my body was what I had grabbed for her, as well as black sweats that were also in the same condition. The sleeves had a decent two inches over her fingertips as well and the collar came a little low on her chest, but was a decent length on her hips. The sweats sagged considerably, the bottoms rolled on her ankles to prevent stepping on them like slippers. Her face was flushed and her eyes gleamed bashfully, then she brought her hands back to her body to cross over her chest. One look over set my stomach flipping again and I cursed under my breath as I turned my back to her.

"S-Sorry. They were the only ones that seemed to fit you that I had, while Tsu is grabbing more suitable clothes for you." I said, my feet padding against the cool wooden floor back into the kitchen. I glanced over my shoulder when she didn't answer and noticed she was timidly following, her eyes examining the house. I bit my lip and turned my head away back to the cooking food when her eyes landed on the remains of my past meals in the sink that had piled up, a look of disgust tugging her lips into a frown.

"Do… You live alone?" She asked hesitantly, an unmistakable sound of one of the dining room chairs creaking. I looked over again to see Maka easing herself carefully onto the protesting chair. I moved to the pantry and pulled out the remaining plate, setting it before her.

"Mhmm." Maka's eyes widen only the slightest as she glanced up at me when I had set a dish with fork before her, but I had moved back to the stove to grab the pan with the still cooking breakfast. I quickly held my own portion back with a partially broken spatula (which I've been meaning to replace for a while) and slid an overeasy egg with two slices of bacon onto her plate with a delicious splat. I felt my own stomach tighten and grumble lowly, to which it had seemed Maka heard as her eyes wandered to my protestant stomach and then back to my eyes.

"But, you don't necessarily live out here by yourself, right? Like, you have neighbors too?" Maka finally mumbled, her eyes dancing towards the window with an unmistakable distress. I set the pan on the table, not caring to search for a clean plate, and grabbed a fork for myself before moving myself to sit across from Maka.

"Uh, kind of… I leave on the far outskirts of the village, so I even highly doubt anyone had really took notice of my disappearance; no one would miss this Soul." I said, the words stinging painfully true with a pathetic roll of laughter. What a pun on my own name-

"Don't say that." Maka suddenly said with a strange harshness, it took me aback. I bit the inside of my cheek and just shrugged it off, settling fully into the wooden chair. "Remember what I said-" I shoved a large portion of one of my three eggs with a full piece of bacon, before pointing my fork across towards her. I swallowed down my food and licked my lips before waving my fork in a left to right motion to signal 'no.'

"Don't- Just, let's drop it, kay?" I pleaded, setting my eyes back to my food. My stomach grumbled once again, but it felt as if it wasn't out of hunger of food. It was a hunger that was never satisfied, but with Maka sitting across from me, I felt my hunger slip away slowly.

~Maka~

"Mmkay." I agreed, staring at Soul's beseeching gaze. Now that I thought about it, the house itself was very simple and left no room for other relatives to live here with him. There must have been a point in time where Soul lived with someone, but despite our short time together, I've noticed how guarded Soul has been. Perhaps he's never really lived with anyone related to him? Soul's fork accidently scrapping the bottom of his plate like nails gently scratching on a chalkboard caught my attention back to real time. Shaking my head of these thoughts, I proceed to fork up another bite of bacon. We ate in silence, fleeting glances crossing each other's curious path on occasion.

"Well, we have to get you back home at one point." Soul then said after an awkward few minutes of silent eating, setting his cleanly sucked fork onto the empty plate. I felt my heart drop like a leaf in the fall as it snapped off its branch, slowly swaying down, down, down; but I did my best to keep my face straight as he continued. "Once Tsu brings you more suitable clothes, you can change and I can take you back toward the Shibusen, probably a couple miles out from the wall, but from there, you're on your own to make it to the gates. As for me…" I didn't miss the small curl of his lip and though quiet, there was an audible growl that emanated from the back of his throat. His teeth were slightly bared in a grimace of remembrance before his features slid into a detached stare at the wall again, almost looking bored. Yet, there was a calculated gleam that shined in his eye and he slowly dragged his eyes back to mine, no longer bored but more so resolute.

"You tell them I died. A kishin attacked not long after I took you and it killed me in the process, but you managed to escape. You fled for shelter in that cave, waited until dawn when the fog would have lifted; understand? The way I take you back to the wall, you cannot under an circumstances tell them where-"

"I can't go back." I barked out as I stood up out of my chair, my hands fisted on the table. Soul looked surprised for a second before his nose scrunched up, perplexed at my disagreement.

"What do you mean you," Soul said as he brought up his middle and index finger to quote on quote, "'can't go back?'" He sneered at my flustered face as I felt frustration slowly build up in his soul.

"N-Not yet. Soul, don't you understand? Meister and weapon, two beings never meant to cross paths have stumbled onto the same one! I'm dying to know where you come from; what weapons are like! I mean, aren't you the slightest curious about meisters?" I questioned, his soul suddenly shutting me out completely, yet his face turned red as his eyes as he looked anywhere but me.

"You don't understand Maka." He started, finally meeting my gaze once again. He slowly stood and I retracted back, my knees buckling against the chair as I fell back right into it, my body and soul suddenly drained. It was Soul's turn to lean over the table, hands spread on the table as he stared directly into my eyes; almost feeling as if he was staring down right into my own soul. "The reason your kind and my kind were never meant to cross paths is because one would be left for dead on that road. You-" He stammered, his eyes looking down as he searched for the right words. His fingers curled into themselves like a frightened child, his knuckles turning white at the pressure before his words crashed heavy into the room.

"You and I are an exception. You were too weak to kill me and I was literally too weak to kill you. The kishin, the enemy of both of us, forced us to team up and defeat it to live, to survive, another day. Don't think just because you saved my life that… that it doesn't' change a damn thing about who we are to each other. Understand?" He finished, his head tilted the slightest as he waited for my answer. His soul was a clean slate and left no emotion for me to pick up on, as if trying to read a language I've never seen, never even had heard of before. I licked my lips as I felt unknown fury boil in my soul, standing back up to lean right to Soul's face. Our noses bumped and he backed off a couple of inches, but kept his stand.

"I completely understand, weapon." I hissed out, the venom settling a rotten feeling in my gut, but a tickling satisfaction as Soul's eyes narrowed into anger.

"Fucking fantastic." He growled out as he pushed off the table and then proceeded to irritably tossing the dishes into the already full sink. I bore holes into his back, clenching my jaw as I watched his muscles twitch and contract under his own internal fury. I slid back into my seat and brought my knees up against my chest, my toes curling to cling onto the edge of the front of my chair. My nose buried itself in the crook of my elbow to direct my heated gaze to the edge of where the wall met the floorboards.

The silence sank even more on us as minutes ticked by, and finally the leaf had fallen to the forest floor, cold and alone. Yet when a coded knock sounded at his door, both of us were broken away from our silent rage. My fingers clenched into my (his borrowed) shirt and my eyes grew wide as turned my face towards the door. Soul growled low and padded to the door, taking a mere side-glance at me with a finger as a gesture to stay quiet as he made his way to the door. That glance held something, but it was too quick for me to decipher before he was knocking his own code in return. Two knocks followed after and Soul reached out, undid the top lock and then the knob's lock before turning it and pulling it open.

Out of breath stood a tall, beautiful woman with a package clutched over her chest. She reminded me of a reed, tall and slender she was. She even moved with grace as she was invited inside with a wave of a hand. She talked to Soul with a smooth voice, to which Soul replied with a kinder voice than I have heard yet. The lady then moved her eyes across the room to me, as if sensing my insignificant presence in the room.

"Oh, you poor girl. Soul explained everything." She cooed, her striking indigo eyes softening with genuine compassion that welcomed me with open arms. She moved towards me and handed me the package, to which I slowly undid my arms and accepted it. "These are clothes from a friend of ours in town. Soul asked if you could borrow some of mine, but I assumed that they would be too big for you, so I grabbed something in town." She said with a slight bow, jet black, silk-like hair cascading down off one of her shoulders from her high ponytail.

"Tsu, I told you the size didn't matter, as long as it fit. I didn't want you to have to go out of your way to get something for her…" Soul gruffly said, reaching into his pants pocket and drawing up a leathered wallet. I bit the inside of my cheek sourly, doing my best to let Soul's rude comment roll off me. 'Tsu' quickly turned and stepped back with a shake of her head, her hands held out in front of her in a stopping manner.

"Be nice Soul! I wanted to get her something more suitable and I refuse to accept any money back." She said quickly, daggered eyes glaring him. Soul stared at her a moment longer with a gauging expression before he let out a long breath, slapping the wallet shut and sliding it back down into his pocket tiredly.

"I owe you Tsu, just remember that." Tsu nodded back and then turned back to me, a warm smile spreading across her cheek that unconsciously made me mirror her.

"I'm so sorry about what happened to you Maka." She started, her fingers intertwining themselves in front of her chest. I then realized that she was drop dead gorgeous, as I couldn't help let my own eyes take in the size of her breasts, a sick feeling twisting within my own chest as I held up the package to cover my flat chest. I wondered just for a moment if this wasn't just a friend of Soul's, but perhaps her girlfriend? She was absolutely stunning and she definitely seemed like Soul's type; beautiful, kind-hearted, probably intelligent, and other attributes that probably adds the icing on the cake. Even more so, I bet she was a weapon too.

"D-Don't worry about it, I'm doing okay." I said, pushing my thoughts and feelings aside. "I'm actually surprised that you aren't frightened of me." I added after with a light laugh, looking at Tsu who tilted her head questioningly.

"Frightened? Why would you think I would be scared of you Maka?" She asked, clearly confused with furrowed brows out of concern. I spared a glance at Soul, whose eyes had gone wide as he silently motioned a cutting motion back and forth in front of his neck. I didn't quite understand and preceded to open my mouth to answer that I was a sick with a disease or something, but it Soul beat me to the punch.

"Because Maka is an irregular weapon!" He almost cried out, Tsu looking back at Soul with the same confused look before it snapped into her normal, pleased looking face. Well, Soul said was completely different from what I had in mind… What was he playing at now?

"Oh Maka, that isn't something for us to be scared of. You'll figure out your true form soon enough, I'm sure." She said as she clasped my hands, giving them a firm squeeze with a added smile that warmed my soul; despite the fact I had no clue what we (they) were talking about.

"T-Thanks. I'm sure it will come to me soon enough and I'll figure out exactly what's up." I grinned back, looking back over at Soul who shook his head with a face palm before clearing his throat and lifting his head.

"Tsubaki." Tsu looked over at the use of her full name, releasing my hands. I took that moment to quickly look towards her soul, the gentle orb manifesting before my eyes. It was an airy yellow soul with a long wisp at the top, infinite warmth and kindness rolling off of itself. Her soul was completely open and welcoming, unlike the other person in this room beside herself. For that matter, unlike any other soul I've ever met. Tsubaki didn't seem to notice my silent prodding, setting relief in my stomach; I did not want another reaction like I did with Soul.

"She's needing some rest after what happened, but I really thank you for coming all the way here with a change of clothes for her." Soul said, sounding surprisingly grateful.

"Oh, it's not a problem. I hope that you make a full recovery." Tsubaki replied, smiling at me. I nodded back with a thumbs up, sliding off the seat and towards the bedroom. "And take care of yourself Soul… Do come and visit more often; you do live further than most and we worry." Soul scoffed gently with a small smirk, heading towards the front door to open it up for her.

"I can take care of myself, but thanks Tsu. I'll make sure to visit you girls when I get the chance, kay?" Soul snickered as Tsubaki made her way out the door. I felt my eye twitch with a spark of revulsion as my mind quickly replayed the "visit you girls…", but what did it matter to me what he did in his spare time anyway!

"You better. Goodbye Soul, Maka; it was nice to meet you!" She added quickly as we both waved a quick goodbye back. The door snapped shut and Soul clicked it locked. He let out a sigh that deflated him, settling his stance into a slouch that made him appear smaller.

"That was fucking close…" He said, padding his way over to the bedroom after me. I sat back on the bed with the brown package set on my lap. Soul ran a hand through the front of his hairline back to the back of his neck, his hair naturally fluffing up into strangely natural spikes. He continued to the further side of the bed and opened a drawer, pulling out a dark colored t-shirt. I craned my neck over my shoulder and looked at the boy with curious eyes.

"About that… What the hell went on in there? And what was she talking about when she said," I said as I then raised two fingers from each hand in quotations, "'my true form' and that I'm an 'irregular weapon'?" Soul leaned back against the dresser, arms crossed casually in front of his bare chest with t-shirt still in hand.

"An excuse that you will follow for as long as you stay here. If I had told anyone what you really are, we'd have some very angry guests at my door; and one extra person on my property is already a crowd." He stated nonchalantly, but getting the idea through; though, the last comment wasn't really needed…

"I get it-" I started before something clicked in my mind as I rewound through Soul's words. "Wait! For as long as I stay here…?" I questioned hesitantly, believing that I must be interoperating Soul's words wrong somehow. Rubies met emeralds, as our eyes never left each other's, almost searching for the right answer without needing the vocal communication. However, Soul gave in with a heavy sigh and a hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"As long as you stay here, for however long you need to see what you want to see. I guess it wouldn't be bad, as long as no one finds out who you really are." He confirmed, looking back at my slowly raising lips. "But, you listen to everything I tell you to do and you do it, no questions asked; got it?" I couldn't help but let my lips rise up into an elated grin, a warm tickle in my stomach and soul. It was then and there, where a small chip in Soul's soul broke away and I felt the small, pleased wave from a cool soul in the room; at the same time, a purely soft smile rested on his face and something in my soul was set aflame.

I do hope you enjoyed my little souls! I really do hope to work on this more as well as a couple of other stories more! As the holiday season slowly subsides, I should be writing more and getting more out. You all have a terrific holidays! It warms my heart to hear from you guys, so review if you'd like. Until next update my little souls~

~soulfullySoulful :3