Maka

"Fairy Blue, kimi no tame ni..."

I reached over and hit the snooze button on my phone as I got out of bed and stretched. Today was going to be pretty eventful. Soul was getting out of the infirmary, Black Star and Tsubaki were coming back, and I might just get to do my laundry.

Strolling down the hall to the bathroom, I brushed my teeth and took a quick shower before drying my hair and putting it into a ponytail. Then, I put on some eyeliner and pulled on a black tank top, dark blue skinny jeans, and a pair of combat boots, along with my leather jacket before checking myself in the mirror. Smiling with satisfaction, I grabbed my book bag and headed out the door. If I got there extra early, I'd have a few minutes to go see Soul. I tried not to think about Angel beating me there again, but the thought kept teetering on the edge of my brain.

No. I've decided that even if he chooses to go out with Angel, I'll try to be happy for him. I won't try to compete with her. I'll just be a good partner and friend to Soul, and be there for him when he needs me. I mean, that's what a good Meister does, right? It's the least I could do for him after everything he's done for me.

I made it to the school in five minutes and ran up the front steps, barely noticing that I was out of breath as I went down the hallway towards the infirmary. Luckily, no one was there yet. Looks like I made it in time.

Soul was still sleeping soundly in the infirmary bed and I couldn't help but smile as I walked over and placed his breakfast on the small bedside table.

Not wanting to disturb him, I figured I should probably just get to class, but Soul stirred in his sleep and his hand wrapped around my wrist.
"Maka, don't go..."

I turned around, but he was still asleep, so I gently sat down on his bed and moved his hair out of his face. He was honestly really cute when he was asleep. He seemed serene and peaceful, and he wasn't trying to be all "cool" for once.

A few seconds later, Soul slowly opened his eyes, meeting my gaze. "Maka?"

"Good morning," I smiled warmly.

"Morning," he said, groggily returning the smile. He looked down at his hand which was still around mine and blushed "Sorry..."

"No, it's fine," I replied as he let go. "I made you breakfast. Here."

I handed him the box with the food I'd made last night and stuck in the fridge.

"Thanks, Maka," he grinned widely.

"I hope you like it," I said as the bell rang. "I've got to get to class, but I'll be back with a change of clothes for you after school."

"I've got a few things in my locker, so you don't have to walk all the way home," he said. "I'll see you then."

I waved cheerily and headed to class, taking my seat next to Kid as Stein began his lecture. Hardly paying attention, I ran down to the lunchroom as soon as class was dismissed for break. I ordered Soul Eater's usual and went back up to the infirmary.

"Soul, I got you your usual lunch," I called as I opened the door. My smile faltered as soon as I saw Angel. "Oh. Hey, Angel."

"Hello, Maka. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were going to buy him lunch so I already gave him my bento," she said with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, no. It's no problem," I said with a forced smile. "I just remembered I have something to do, so I've got to run. I'll pick you up later, Soul."

I didn't wait for a response before I pulled the door shut and walked up to the roof. Setting the lunch tray on the wall beside me, I looked over Death City and sighed. I really have to learn to control my jealousy.

"Hey, you gonna eat that or what?"

I started at the familiar arrogant voice. Turning around, I saw Black Star striding towards me, his hands folded casually behind his head.

"No, I'm not a big fan of meat," I shrugged, smiling as I gave him a quick hug. "Welcome back to DC."

"It's awesome to be back," he grinned, taking a bite of the burger. "I forgot how good the school food was. Man, I almost forgot what an actual burger tastes like."

I couldn't help but gape at the statement. Black Star not pigging out on fast food for two months? That was seriously hard to believe.

"So where's Tsubaki?" I asked, leaning against the wall.

"She's in the infirmary. She wanted to go see Soul first thing," answered Black Star. "Since when are him and that girl from our class so close?"

"Since he wound up in the infirmary," I muttered, not meeting his gaze.

"Digging the new look, by the way. Did you finally hit your rebellious phase? Better late than never."

There was something different about the guy standing in front of me. He looked like Black Star. He sounded like Black Star. Still, it's not like him to comment on something like that. Or show up without announcing himself as the biggest star around.

"Thanks, but it's only because I haven't been keeping up with my laundry," I said. "How'd training go?"

"Pretty awesome. I got even stronger than I already was. I know, hard to believe, right?"

And there was the Black Star we all knew.

"So are you attending the second half of classes today?" I asked.

"Nah. We've been gone for two months. I think half a day won't really make that much of a difference. Plus, we still have to unpack and everything, but we decided we wanted to drop by and say hi first."

"You know you're eventually going to have to get caught up on everything, right?" I grimaced.

"Oh, that? A big man like me can handle studying and training at the same time, no problem. So we had Stein email in our assignments."

"What? But me and Kid were told to get you guys caught up."

"Well, just the details, I guess. I mean, I have a general idea of what's been going on, but we might be missing a few little things that might be on a test or something," he replied, looking thoughtful.

Okay. Something was definitely off here. Black Star was actually keeping up on his academics?!

"Anyway, let's go down and see Soul," he cheered, breaking into a grin. "I'm sure he's dying to see my grand entrance! Hurry up!"

With a sigh, I ran down the stairs after him. All our friends were already gathered in the infirmary. Even Crona and Ragnarok had made it back, and Liz and Patty were there too.

I gave Tsubaki a huge hug, and Crona, too. It was like back when we would all get together and hang out at each other's houses or go down and play basketball at the Death City court. But that kind of stopped after Black Star and Tsubaki left. It just didn't feel the same.

Eventually, the bell rang, signaling that it was time for me, Liz, Patty, Crona, and Kid to get back to class.

"See you in a bit, Soul," I waved as I followed the others out the door. Black Star and Tsubaki still stuck around since they had no intentions of going to class today.

The minutes felt like hours, and finally, the bell rang and I went down to Soul's locker on the other side of the school to get his clothes. I've seem him spin his locker combo enough times to have it memorized, so getting in was no problem. My heart dropped a little when I saw a little card tucked in the corner along with a teddy bear.

My brain told me I shouldn't look into it, but I followed my curiosity instead, pulling the card that was tucked in the teddy bear's lap out. It looked like it was a Valentine's Day card. This was from last month then.

The inside of the card was blank, so I put it back where I found it, noticing the necklace around the bear's neck for the first time. It had a silver chain and there was a small emerald amulet that hung from it. It was honestly the prettiest thing I've ever seen. I'd have to ask who it was for, even though I dreaded the answer.

Reaching up to the top shelf, I found a pair of black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a red hoodie. I shrugged and closed the locker before heading to the infirmary to get Soul checked out.

"Maka," he grinned when he saw me walk in. My heart jumped a little at the smile and I handed him the clothes I found in his locker.

"I didn't see any shoes in there. I can run home and get you a pair."

"No, it's fine," he told me, holding up a pair of Converse. "Already called in a favor from our assassin friend."

I turned away as he began getting undressed and I thought I heard him chuckle. He was done after a few minutes and gave me a light shove in the back to announce his presence.

"So, how about it? Should we get another mission? We're running low on food money," he stated.

"No way. You can't fight in this condition," I stated sternly as we walked down the front steps. "Besides, I'll be cooking for a while, so we don't have to worry about ordering last minute take-out after you blow up the kitchen."

"That's over exaggerating it," Soul grumbled. "And the one time it actually happened, it's 'cause Blair decided to speed up the cooking."

"Yeah, I know," I giggled. "Because cool guys never scorch their dinners."

"Exactly."

When we finally got up to our apartment, Soul crashed on the couch with a yawn. "Man, finally home!"

"Want some cake? I got it yesterday from the store."

He smiled and stood up. "I've got a better idea. Come on."

Grabbing my hand, he pulled me out the door and down the stairs.

"Soul, where are we going?" I asked, blushing slightly since he was still holding my hand.

"You'll see. In fact, I think you'll figure it out," he answered, flashing me a smile.

It took me a while, but I finally figured out where we were going. Soul was taking me to the bakery where we'd first become partners. I couldn't help but smile at the idea. He always knew what to do to make me happy when he really wanted to.

We went in and ordered; Soul got a plain chocolate cake while I got a fruit cake. Grinning, he told him to put it under Soul Evans' tab.

We took a seat by the window and Soul gazed into my eyes. "Y'know, I pledged my life to you here. When we became partners. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into."

"Yeah. I know," I replied. "Soul... Why did you ask me to be your partner?"

He thought about it for a second before shrugging. "It was something about the determined look in your eye. I knew I'd become a Deathscythe with you as my Meister, since you were so set on making one stronger than your father. So I figured there'd be no one better to team up with."

I nodded as the waiter brought our food over. "Well, thank you. There was no one better for me to team up with either."

"I don't think a lot of other people could handle you."

"You're saying it like I'm Black Star," I sighed. "With him, there's literally only Tsubaki."

"True. He's one hell of a strong Meister though. You gotta admit that much. I wonder if they can finally catch up on the soul collecting now that they've gotten extra training."

"Who knows? They just might pull it off," I smiled.

We sat there and talked for about another hour, when Soul checked his phone and frowned.

"We should probably get home. I've got to change," he said, getting up.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about the party. Kid rented out the buffet, all the food included," I laughed. "I think he might have gone overboard, but with you and Black Star there..."

I trailed off when I saw a guilty look cross his face. "What is it, Soul?"

"Well, I'm not going. Angel invited me over for dinner tonight," he told me. "Tell them I'm sorry I'm missing it. You're invited, too if you want to come."

He could have just called her an cancelled. It wasn't like Soul to miss a cool get-together like this.

"Oh. That's alright, I'll make sure to tell everyone," I smiled. "I'm gonna go over to Tsubaki's place, so I'll see you later. Don't wait up!"

I turned and jogged down the steer towards Black Star and Tsubaki's new apartment. Her family had given them a bit of money, so they could afford a bigger place now.

Knocking on the door, I tried to ignore to churning feeling I felt in my stomach.

I'm not jealous. It doesn't hurt. I will be happy for him

After a few seconds, Tsubaki opened the door, looking a bit surprised to see me. "Hey, Maka. How's it going?"

"Hi. I was wondering if you'd want to hang out before the party," I said. "I'll help you unpack, if you want."

"Oh, no, I couldn't bother you with that," she said, letting me inside. "Besides, we're practically almost done."

"Hiya, Maka!" waved Black Star as he continued doing one-handed push ups.

"Hey. I hope I'm not interrupting anything," I said, looking around. Tsubaki wasn't bluffing. Most of their stuff had already been unpacked, but it wasn't like these two are hoarders of any sort. It was pretty much the opposite for them. I guess it was an assassin thing; to be able to disappear at any given time.

"Nah, it's okay," said Black Star. "Where's Soul"

"He's going to dinner at Angel's house," i stated blandly. "So he won't be joining us tonight."

"How lame," Black Star grimaced. "Are they dating or something?"

I looked down as Tsubaki hit him in the head with a katana sheath.
"Of course not," she scolded him. "Why would you even say that?"

"Jeez, sorry. It just seemed like it," the boy mumbled, rubbing the side of his skull.

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" I sighed, sitting down on the ground.

"Maka, don't talk like that! There's no way Soul would choose her over you," Tsubaki insisted.

"He might if he didn't know she liked him," Black Star pointed out. "Just sayin'."

"Black Star, I think you need to stop talking for a sec, okay? You're drenched in sweat. Go take a shower and get changed for dinner, alright?" Tsubaki smiled.

Waving a hand in the air, he retreated down the hall to his room wordlessly.

"Don't take anything he says to heart, Maka," Tsubaki told me gently after Black Star was gone. "He doesn't have a clue when it comes to this sort of thing, really."

"Yeah, but he is Soul's best friend. If anyone knows my partner as well as I do, or even better, it's Black Star."

"You could ask him to subtly find out if Soul likes you," she suggested.

"No... I don't want to risk a misunderstanding," I replied.

"Then, why don't you ask him yourself?"

Because I was scared of the answer.

"Would you like anything to drink?" she asked when I didn't answer. I shook my head.

"I just ate. So, about you and Black Star getting married..."

"No! I told you that was a joke..." she cried, blushing. "We don't have that kind of relationship."

"True, but who else could handle him?" I giggled.

"Probably no one outside of our team," she answered with a smile. "Oh, no. Don't tell me you've all been betting on us getting together, too."

I laughed and shook my head. "We don't have to bet. We all know."

After a bit, Black Star came out dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with a star on it. Going straight to the fridge, he face-palmed when he realized it was empty.

"We seriously have to go food shopping soon," he complained as he headed for the door. "It's time to go meet Kid now right? So let's roll."

"You and Maka go ahead," said Tsubaki. "I have to get changed and take a quick bath. I'll meet you guys at the party."

"Do you want me to wait for you?" I asked.

"No, no. I don't want you guys to miss out on any of the fun! Go on ahead without me," she insisted.

"You heard her. Let's go, Maka!"

Sighing, I followed Black Star out the door and headed down the street towards the biggest buffet in town.

"Stop looking so bummed," said Black Star. "We're going to a party, not a funeral."

"Sorry, Black Star," I mumbled. "I just honestly can't smile right now."

"Okay. I didn't think it'd have to come to this," he stated, coming to a stop with a serious look on his face.

"Come to what?" I asked, giving him a suspicious look.

A devious grin spreading across his face, he reached over and tickled me.

"Black Star, quit it," I gasped through bursts of laughter. "St..stop. Oh my gosh!"

He laughed as I grabbed his hands and tackled him to the ground.
"You are so dead!" I growled.

"Hey, guys."

Looking up, we saw Soul striding towards us dressed in a white button down shirt and black slacks. His hair was gelled down and for once, he didn't have his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"What are you two doing down there?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

We both instantly sprung to our feet, blushing slightly at the thought of what that must have looked like to someone else.

"He tickled me, so I tackled him," I responded, avoiding Soul's gaze.

"Dude, are you seriously not coming to the party?" asked Black Star. "It's an all-you-can-eat deal!"

"Nah, I promised Angel I'd go over to her place, man," Soul answered.

But was he going to her house, or to a five star hotel for dinner?

"Whatever. You'll be missing out big time," shrugged Black Star. "Let's go, Maka. The sooner we get there, the more food there'll be for us!"

"Have a nice dinner," I said as I gave Soul one last glance before running down the street after Black Star.

There was an aching sensation at the back of my stomach, but I tried to ignore it and focus on keeping up with Black Star, who seemed to think this was the Olympics or something.

By the time we actually got to the buffet, I was out of breath and surprisingly hungry.

"Hey, you two!" Liz greeted us at the entrance. "Where are Soul and Tsubaki."

"Tsubaki is still getting ready," I replied.
"And Soul's being dumb," Black Star added. "I mean, what smart person would pass up an all-you-can-eat buffet that you don't even have to pay for to go on a date?"

He bound pass Liz into the building and I sighed, looking at the ground.

"What? A date with who?" Liz asked me. "What's going on here?"

"You know that girl Angel from our class?" I asked. "She invited him to dinner at her house to celebrate his recovery."

"Are you serious? How come I never heard about this? Soul and Angel..." she mused, a hand on her chin.

I strode pass her before she could say anything else and found an open table to sit at. Kid came up to me a few minutes later, his eyes roaming as if searching for someone.

"If you're looking for Soul, he won't be coming," I stated.

"Not coming? Is he alright?" asked the reaper worriedly.

"He's just fine," I grumbled. "He just got invited to dinner by a pretty girl, that's all."

"It's her, isn't it?"

I wordlessly nodded before getting up. "Well, it's a buffet. I should probably go get something to eat before Black Star downs it all."

Kid chuckled but stepped out of my way.

Making a beeline for the salad bar, I got myself a small plate of vegetables and put a little light Italian on top before settling down at a booth for two and eating. There was music pounding from unseen speakers and I couldn't help but think of how we would all be begging Soul to DJ since he's known for his musicality. I wondered what he was doing right now, but I shook my head before I could think up any scenarios. I was here to enjoy a party and socialize. I shouldn't be depressing myself by thinking up worst case scenarios.

After finishing my salad, I walked around and socialized with a few people. Kid had even invited our extended team, which included Kim and Jaclyn, along with Ox and a few others from our class. Basically, the strongest students in class Crescent Moon were pretty much all gathered here, except for Soul.

"Hey, Maka," Jaclyn smiled warmly as she walked up behind me. "Where's Soul?"

I put on my best poker face and answered, "He's with Angel."

"What? Really?" She seemed pretty surprised at that.

"Why?"

"Oh. It's just that I hardly see you two apart, so I was just wondering where he was."

Now that she said it, I realized how much Soul and I were together. Guess that'll be changing from now on.

"That's just because he's my Weapon and it's a smart idea to be ready for a fight anytime, right?" I said, forcing a big smile. "Especially when people love challenging the EAT class students to see if they can up their reputation."

She nodded before Kim waved at her to go over and dance.

"Talk to you later," said Jaclyn as she joined her partner on the dance floor.

"You aren't going to dance?" asked Kid, making me jump.

"I couldn't dance if my life depended on it," I giggled.

"I never would have guessed. I've seen you dance a few times before."

"Yeah, but that was when Soul was leading," I sighed. "And it was slow dancing. I don't know how to do this sort of dance."

"Just do whatever," said Patty as she wiggled onto the dance floor and moved her body to the music.

I spotted Black Star at the bar, downing a few drinks and decided to go join him.

"Hand me a shot," I said, sitting down on the stool next to his.

"You drink?" Black Star asked, looking surprised.

"No. This is my first time," I replied.

"Okay... You sure you don't want to start with something a little lighter than tequila?"

I shook my head and reached over, taking a shot glass from in front of him. "Go hard or go home."

"Whatever you say," he shrugged.

I'd downed about five shots within less than three minutes, and my vision was starting to get blurry.

"Maka, maybe you should slow down," Black Star suggested, staring at me with widened eyes.

"No way," I slurred. "I got this. I am not drunk."

"You sure sound like it," he stated. "Take a break."

I snatched another shot glass and downed it before he could stop me. "Nah. This is way fun. Papa, I'm so sorry I call you stupid for drinking. Ha..."

Reaching for another glass, I felt someone grab my wrist and looked up to see Black Star looking intently into my eyes. "Maka. That's enough. You're wasted."

"Aw, c'mon. One more glass?" I begged.

"No way. Come on, I gotta get you home," he stated, pulling me towards the door.

"Nooooo! I don't want to go home! I don't want to," I slurred. "I don't...want to see Soul."

His face expressionless, he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, carrying me out the door, despite my many protests and all the stares we were getting.
"Let me down! Black Star! I can't go back. I don't want to see him!"

"You'll have to see him eventually," said Black Star in a flat voice. "He is your Weapon partner, Maka."

"If he loves Angel so much, he should just go be her partner. Who needs him? He's annoying and selfish and..." I tried to stop myself from blabbering any further, but my mouth just kept running itself. Stupid mouth...

Luckily, Black Star turned a deaf ear to my nonsense and kept walking in silence. Sometimes he wasn't so bad.

"Hey. Black Star." I poked him in the back until I got his attention. "This isn't comfy. Give me a piggy back ride."

"Say what?"

"Let me ride on your back. That's more fun."

He sighed and put me down before kneeling onto the ground. "Fine. Get on."

Smiling, I jumped on his back like a little kid and he got up and continued walking.

Snuggling my face into his shoulder, I enjoyed the rest of the walk back home. My arms were hanging over his shoulders and I could feel how toned his chest was. Huh. I never noticed. But I guess that made sense, considering all the working out he does.

"Do you think Angel's prettier than me?" I blurted, on the edge of blacking out.

There was a long pause, and for a minute, I thought he hadn't heard me.

"No. Not in a million years," he said in a low voice that I could barely hear.

I smiled faintly and put my head back down on his shoulder. "Thanks. You're nice."

The rest of the walk was pretty quiet until he asked me to unlock our apartment door. So, I handed Black Star the key and told him to let himself in.

He finally set me gently down on the couch and put my key down on the coffee table before turning to leave. I reached up and grabbed his hand before he could get out of reach.

"Don't leave. I don't want to be here alone," I whispered. "At least...stay till I fall asleep?"

He sighed and sat down next to me, switching on the TV that me and Soul barely used. "Okay. Sure."

I placed my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, letting myself drift into a deep sleep.