This is Sad Eater and I apologize in advance.

He was perfectly calm, going through each day with the appropriate motions, just enough snark to appear himself, and a little more sarcasm than necessary to try and stall any questions that were asked.

But she could feel it. She could feel the way his soul vibrated and moved and rattled that he wasn't okay. That he wasn't fine. That he was trying his hardest to hold himself together and not break. Maka have him his space, gave him whatever he needed, gave him time. At least until Friday. It was a normal class day, but when he dragged himself out of bed, quiet and cracking, Maka shook her head.

"We're skipping today. Go back to bed."

"Haa?"

"Go get some more sleep, Soul. I'll wake you up for lunch if you aren't up by then. Okay?"

He nodded, unsure of why they were skipping, because it wasn't like he needed special treatment, nothing was wrong. 'Cept everything was. Soul collapsed back down in his bed and hoped that he could at least sleep it off. Just like he'd been trying to do for the last week.

Maka tried to focus on studying, but her gaze kept drifting to Soul's room, checking on the way his soul moved as he slept. She'd always hated the quiet before the storm.

She let him sleep until lunch as she promised, waking him up gently with the smell of grilled cheese sandwiches. He stumbled out of his room and gave her the first little smile she'd seen since the phone call. "Afternoon, sleepy head."

"Hey. Those smell…really good."

"Bacon." She said and then giggled when he cocked his head to the side. "I made them with bacon."

"What's the occasion?" He asked. Had he missed something? It wasn't his birthday, or hers, or the anniversary of their partnership. And it certainly wasn't cause he needed anything special or extra, he was absolutely fine.

"…Felt like it. That's all. Eat before it gets cold!"

"Thanks, 'ppreciate it."

"Course, Soul."

They ate their lunch quietly. Which wasn't at all unusual for them. He helped her clean up and then suggested that they should watch a movie. Maka was just glad that he didn't retreat back into his room. They grabbed the remote, the blanket, and stuffed some sci fi movie they'd rented into Soul's XBox. He slouched in his usual spot, legs haphazardly splayed out in front of him, Maka hid her smile under the blanket, she'd trip over his legs when she tried to get up to pee halfway though the movie just like she always did.

It was an interesting movie, and Maka was pretty sure that every time she blinked she missed something. She couldn't tell if Soul was completely zoned out or completely immersed in the movie, she hoped he was lost in the plot twists and not his own mind.

A scene played out, "Don't you remember? We did grow old together." And she felt him shake. He didn't say anything, just crossed his arms over his chest, fending off the world, defensive, holding himself together. His neck was tense, his mouth quivering and Maka was afraid to touch him in case he crumbled.

"Never gonna get to do that with my brother."

And he shattered. Tears poured from his eyes while he gulped down shuddering breath after shuddering breath. He grimaced when she pulled him against her but didn't fight it. Soul cried until his tears ran dry and he shook in her arms. He choked out that he hadn't spoken to his brother in months. And now he couldn't…He couldn't.

Maka held him close, her own tears spilling over. This wasn't the Last Deathscythe, this wasn't Soul Eater, this was just a boy who'd lost his big brother. She smoothed his hair down, comforting him anyway she could, whispering lies that it would be okay. Soul fell asleep on her, laid out on the couch, her shirt soaked with tears. The movie was long over and Maka figured they would never watch it again. She brushed a few strands of pale hair away from Soul's eyes as he slept, his soul quiet and subdued. They'd get through this, Maka wouldn't let him go through it alone.