Eventide

Chapter VI

Everything felt odd that morning. The way Soul looked at me and the small touches. When Soul and I were together, I always thought those were touches of concern and comfort, but now they prove to be touches of protection just because I'm deadweight.

As Soul and I had finished eating our breakfast, the front door slams open and I hear muttering from a man.

"I hope you have made some coffee because I need one right now."

Soul sighs from the other side of the table while he runs a hand through his hair. "No, you know I had the night off. Go and make some yourself."

The unknown voice is revealed, he walks inside of the kitchen and it proves to be the man in the photo. He looks even more mature in reality. His posture is much better that Soul's, he walks with a straight back and his shoulders pulled back while Soul slouches and hunches with his shoulders. I swear in a few years he will have a hunch on his back.

"Who is this?" He asks politely, while he takes off his jacket, exposing a nice white shirt with a collar. He looks like the perfect gentleman, the first one in the entire city. Why didn't I meet him before Soul?

I smile toward him. "I'm Maka Albarn."

He smiles back and offers me his hand. "I'm Wes Evans, Soul's brother." I take his hand and I expect him to just shake it, but he plants a kiss on my knuckles.

He is such a gentleman!

"Okay!" Soul exclaims while he take my empty plate and his own. "I'm going to give Maka a ride. So, we got to leave or else you won't have enough time to get changed before the school bus arrives." Soul puts the plate in the sink. "I will be back in a few."

Wes nods and releases my hand. "It was nice to meet you Maka, I will see you around."

I blink in confusion when Soul takes my hand and tugs me to the hallway. He gives me my jacket and we are out the door before I know it. Things just feel awkward. He doesn't say anything and I don't want to talk. The only thing I say is just to give him directions to my home, or I give him directions to a house that isn't mine. When I see him driving away, I walk the last bit to my house and I get ready for school.

I was spacing out. It was hard to concentrate with the new information about myself. I didn't even listen to what Hiro said on the bus and he noticed it. He kept talking and talking and I felt guilty for not listening. It was just, all of this, this supposedly new me as a "Meister". This life that Soul had explained about him and his gang go through, if they are really fighting against those things, I wouldn't want to be a part of it. I would rather live peacefully and a normal life, that is what I always have wanted. I would get myself killed if I fought against Kishins. My mother always disliked fights, she would be ashamed if I joined Soul's gang and did such things. I just can't do that.

The only thing I want to do as a Meister, is to kill the Kishin that patrols outside of my window. That thing murdered my mother, if I can kill it, I want to kill it and that will be it.

The dismissal bell rings and lunch has arrived. "So, are we going to go to the balcony to eat our lunch? It is beautiful weather today." Hiro says as he packs his books inside of his backpack.

"You know it's always sunny in Death City." I smile while I stand up from my seat. "But I can't eat there today, I overslept today and I didn't have time to make lunch. I will have to go to the cafeteria and buy something." I dig for my wallet out of my bag before I pick up my books.

"Okay, then we will eat inside of the cafeteria today." We both exit the classroom and we head toward my locker. "How are you and that Tsubaki chick getting along? I heard you snapped at her and the teacher pretty badly. What was up with that?"

Oh crap. More lies will be served. "Can we just go to the cafeteria first? I need some water and food before I have this talk." I say while I open my locker and leave my books and notebook inside of my locker before I close it.

"Sure, whatever makes you comfortable."

We both walk toward the cafeteria and as soon as I enter, I can feel Tsubaki's and Soul's stares burn into me from the far end of the cafeteria in their special corner that occupies by Soul's gang of Meisters. I grab one of the many trays and get a bottle of water along with a sandwich. I pay for the food. Turning around, my eyes lock with Soul and a shiver runs down my spine. They look at me with the same expression as always, boredom and neutrality. I'm never going to be able to solve the mystery of Soul.

Tearing my eyes away from Soul's, I walk toward a table at the opposite side of the cafeteria where Hiro and I take a seat at. "So, what happened with you yesterday?"

The plastic around my sandwich rustle as I break it, retrieving the sandwich from the bag. I take a bite and chew before I swallow it. Never talk with your mouth full my mother always used to tell me. "I had nightmares that day, terrible nightmares and I couldn't sleep. It was the lack of sleep that was talking. I'm very grumpy when I don't get the sleep I need. I was like a ticking bomb just waiting to explode, and I did."

Hiro nods while he takes a bite of his sandwich. "I see. No one knew where you had disappeared at lunch and the whole afternoon. I came to the balcony but you weren't there."

"I'm sorry I worried you, but I really needed to go home and catch up on sleep. I almost passed out in school." I take another bite of my food before I wash it down with my water.

"Don't worry about it." Hiro smiles reassuringly. "I was thinking since tomorrow it's Friday, we could do something after school. There is a new movie coming out and it has gotten great reviews. It might be worth checking it out."

I giggle and I finish my sandwich before I take sips of my water. "Sure, it sounds fun, but just so you know it won't be a date. I'm not ready for any dating yet."

Hiro nods while he grabs my trash along with his, starting to crush it. "It's alright. It will just be two friends hanging out." He forms the trash into a ball and throws it at the trashcan a few meters away. It goes right into the can and he smirks wide while he puffs his chest out with pride. "By the way, I was wondering why you are limping. Did you hurt yourself on something?" His blue eyes turn tenser and more serious. "Or did something hurt you?"

My eyes widen and my mouth hangs ajar. Does he know about the wounds? I know I haven't been able to hide it well, but by the tone of his voice, I have a feeling he is implying on Kishins. If he knows about them, then how come he isn't with Soul and his gang? Is he a Meister as well? If it is Soul's duty to take care of me, then won't it be his duty to take care of Hiro as well, or is he already fully trained and therefore doesn't need to be trained? Everything has turned into one giant mess recently.

"I―"

"Maka!" I almost jump out of my skin when Soul slides onto my side of the bench and sits unnecessary close to me. "I'm going to wait for you at your locker when school ends so we can get out of school together." For once I'm actually happy he popped up from nowhere since now I wouldn't have to lie to Hiro. It doesn't feel good to lie and certainly not to Hiro, he has been so kind toward me. It isn't okay to lie to him like this.

"Okay, but if you aren't there when I have gotten all of my stuff, I'm not going to sit around and wait. You screw up before, don't do it again."

Soul smirks, showing off his teeth. "You bet I will be waiting for you." I feel Soul's fingers gently caress my hip. "Hey Maka, Physical ed will start soon. We better start going or else we will be late."

I shiver and I put my hand over his, taking it away from my body. "It doesn't start in―"

"Maka." Soul says sternly. "It will start soon. We need to go." He says slowly and coldly.

Physical ed doesn't start soon at all, it is forty-five minutes until it starts, but judging on the tone he is speaking in, I guess he has something he need to speak with me.

"Okay." I turn to Hiro. "I will see you in class later."

He smiles and nods. "Yeah, see you."

Soul almost drags me out of the cafeteria away from Hiro. He doesn't say anything until he pushes me inside of a bathroom and locks it behind him. "Why haven't you told me about him?" His body almost looms over me in a dominant matter.

"Why should I have told you? We are nothing, I don't have the obligation to tell you anything about my life, much less who I'm hanging out with. He is a nice guy and actually talks about himself. He isn't like a wall I constantly have to fight against in order to try to get to know him, he is sincere and very kind. I like hanging out with him." I straighten my back but I'm at least a head shorter than him now when he has straightened his hunchback. I need to look confident and strong.

"You don't know who he is. Hiro isn't a "nice guy," he is far away from that. You shouldn't hang out with him, you don't know what he is capable of." Soul moves closer to me, looking down at me. "He is trying to manipulate you and get you on his side. All he says about me is lies. He is a lying snake and he will backstab you. He will betray you."

I snort and look away from Soul, crossing my arms over my chest. "He never said anything about you, everything doesn't have to revolve around you, Soul. He has never said anything bad about anyone. He has never tried to hurt me, he has been there for me and cheered me up. He is very caring. It is actually nice to be around someone that actually talks about himself and doesn't always try to fight me off."

Soul growls loudly while he takes a step back, running his hand through his hair. "I know I fucked up and I know I never talked a lot about myself, I already know I fucked up majorly."

"And you don't have to justify your actions. We aren't together. Just get over yourself and go back to Jaqueline. You two were always cl―"

Soul grabs my shoulders and he smashes his lips on mine. My mind goes blank as he kisses me, his lips moving deliciously against mine. His arms snake around my waist and pull me closer to his warm chest while he caresses my spine with his fingertips.

I can't resist Soul. Heck, I missed kissing him, I missed him touching me like this and being with him like this. I kiss him eagerly back and my fingers find his white untamable hair, pulling him closer to me. He opens my mouth and his tongue greets mine. His tongue doesn't move lustfully at all, he gently moves his tongue with mine as he holds me close to him. My nerve endings are on fire and all I can feel is his hands on me and his amazing lips on mine and his tongue in my mouth.

Soul presses me up against the wall and his hands are on my thighs, hoisting me up. On instinct I wrap my legs around his waist, clinging onto him for dear life. His whole body is pressing against me, I can feel the curve of his muscles through his shirt and his strong hands on my bump, giving it a squeeze.

A squeak mixed with a moan escapes my throat and Soul's kisses turns hungrily. He assaults my mouth while his hands rubs and squeezes my behind, earning more moans which he successfully cuts off with his mouth.

Slowly I open my eyes and is met by Soul's closed ones. This isn't right. We aren't together.

I remove my mouth from his and instead his mouth finds my neck, kissing it deliciously. His teeth caress my skin and licks it before he plants kisses on it.

"Stop." I pant out. Eyes half lidded with the pleasure of the assault. "This is wrong."

"This isn't wrong. This is so right it couldn't get any more right." Soul murmurs against my skin while he kisses my neck.

"No, Soul." I unwrap my legs from his waist and untangle my fingers from his hair. "We aren't together. I don't want to be doing this after what you did." I hate myself for tearing up. "I don't want to be with you like this when you hurt me like that."

It seems to get Soul's attentions. He pulls away from my neck and instead pulls me into a gentle hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so terribly sorry Maka. I shouldn't have done that." He caresses my back.

I cry into his chest and find myself trembling. How can I be in his arms, letting him comfort me when he is the reason for my tears. I can't stay away from Soul. Not even after he hurt me so, but I can keep him away from me in a romantic matter. I can't let him hurt me again. I simply can't. Not under any circumstances can I give him the chance to hurt me again.