Black*Star wasn't kidding when he compared Maka to the princess from The Princess and the Pea. One night without her mattress and she was a complete wreck. Walking around hunched over like a human question mark, she would constantly grumble and growl about how this next round she would get Black*Star back ten times as bad.
Their prank wars always got out of hand.
"You're going to help me get back at him, right?" Maka asked Soul as they finally reached their apartment building.
"You know, I think what you need to worry about now is getting some good rest, and not what prank to pull on Black*Star."
"But you are going to help me?"
"If it'll get you to stop talking about it, then sure. Why not?"
"You've got to admit, he did pretty much involve you in this war when he stole your mattress as well. Not to mention the couch." she reasoned, followed by a few mumblings of how that "stupid fucking ninja was going down."
"Maka, I already said I'd help you get back at him. Now let's get inside and you need to lay down on something cushioned and put some heat on your back, okay?" He instructed as he inserted the key into the hole on their door.
"Has it been twenty-four hours since he took away all the furniture, already?"
"Yes." he opened the door and gestured for her to go in before him. She walked through and he followed closely behind, telling her to go lie down in bed.
"We don't have any heating pads. They keep mysteriously disappearing." Maka called over her shoulder as she made her way to her bedroom.
Soul shook his head and went over to make sure Maka was doing as instructed and actually relaxing. However, instead of lying down, she was sitting up with a book in hand.
"Maka, you are very clearly in pain, you need to lie down and rest. You can read while lying down, okay?"
She shot him a glare and then did as she was told, mumbling her defiance as she did.
"Is there anything else that could help you relax, since we don't have any heating pads, apparently?" Soul asked once she was settled lying on her stomach.
"I can't think of anything else that could help, really."
"A massage might help." Soul mumbled barely understandable, but very audible.
Maka shot him a look, her eyebrows raised, looking slightly irritated, and asked, "What did you say?"
He suddenly went from the firm instructor from earlier to feeling somwhat flustered as he sputtered out, "Oh, I…well, um, do you…well…I mean…I could give you a massage?"
Her expression stayed the same for a brief moment before morphing into a look of pure "why not" and she nodded saying, "Sure."
Soul walked over, and sat on the bed next to her and began his work with rubbing her back. As he dug his hands into her back, he was amazed at how someone could get so many knots just after one night of sleeping on the floor.
She really was the princess from The Princess and the Pea, and all royalty needed a faithful servant.