Waking up and being wrapped in enough warmth to suffocate him was not something Soul had expected. He also did not expect to feel genuinely well-rested. Normally, his bones would ache and tingle, feeling sore from sleeping on such a hard cot seeing as the guard's beds weren't made of the best material.
When he cracked his eyes open he was greeted with the peacefully relaxed face of Maka, whose head laid against his shoulder, the warmth of her breath hitting against his neck.
Looking around him, he realized that the first few buttons of his shirt had been undone. Maka's hand was sprawled against his bare chest, her fingertips resting at the edge of his collarbones. Wrapped around both their midsections were the heavy silk sheets of Maka's bed which made Soul feel like he was being melted in lava.
With a staggering breath, Soul realized that all of his limbs felt electrified at once.
When was the last time he even found himself cuddled up to someone, let alone like this?
With a quiet groan, Soul lifted his head, looking out the glass balcony doors across from him. The sun was just peeking up over the horizon now, signifying the dawn of a new day.
Looking back down to his chest, he engraved the last peaceful seconds of Maka sprawled against him to memory before he closed his eyes and brought a hand to her shoulder.
"Hey, Princess," he murmured in a soft tone, shaking her slightly. "I got to go."
With a quiet groan, Maka pulled herself closer to Soul, tucking her face into his neck with a whine.
"I'm sorry, I have to go." Soul sighed, shaking her shoulder once more. "You'll see me again in a few hours."
"Just a few more seconds." Maka mumbled against his neck, her voice gravelly, laced with sleep.
Soul cracked his eyes open, staring down at the Princess wrapped up against his side. Rolling his eyes, he brought a hand to her hair and ruffled it, causing the Princess to squirm away from his touch.
"A few more seconds will turn into a few more minutes, and then a few more minutes will turn into a few more hours," Soul pointed out with a tired laugh. "I'll be back before you know it, birthday girl." Maka just laughed against his skin, her hand wrapping around his shirt as she mumbled a quiet 'happy birthday' against his temple.
Part of Soul still couldn't believe that this was real- was he not denying his feelings for the Princess just days ago? Look at him now- warped in the Princess's sheets like he belonged there, said Princess herself sprawled against him shamelessly.
Shouldn't he be scared of the consequences this could bring? He knew he should have, but truly, it was hard to think of any negative thoughts when he felt so happy.
Slowly, Maka unwrapped herself from his side, rolling onto her back beside him. "I'll accompany Hero later to pick you and Blackstar up," She grumbled as she dropped an arm across her eyes, "I'll see you soon."
With an almost saddened smile, Soul pulled himself from Maka's sheets, pulling them back over the Princess before he made his way across the room to where his armor sat in a messy heap.
"Any idea when we need to start getting ready?" He questioned as he blindly pulled his armor on. "I still have to cut my hair."
Maka didnt answer for a moment. "I think after breakfast. They like everything being ready hours in advance." She replies before tossing to lay face forward in her bed.
A small breath of laughter escaped Soul as he searched the floor for his discarded cloak. When he found it at the edge of Maka's bed with his shoes, he couldn't help the immense smile that took over his face.
"I'll see you soon, Princess."
A quiet groan was all he got in reply.
The second he walks back into his bedroom, freshly bathed, hair cut, with his armor tucked under his arm, Blackstar is standing from his bed with bloodshot eyes. He stops in his tracks at the sight, his jaw dropping.
"Oh my god," the other manages to get out before he's right in front of him, pulling him into a messy hug. The armor he'd been holding dropped to the floor in a messy heap as Soul hugged his friend back without hesitation.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?" He questions into Blackstar's shoulder.
In his arms, the guard shakes like a leaf. "I thought something happened when you did not return last night- I was up all night waiting for you- I couldnt- I…"
With blown pupils, Soul was hugging his friend tighter. "Calm down, calm down, slow deep breaths." He murmured to him. "I'm okay, I'm right here. We're okay," he reassures him, dropping his chin to Blackstars shoulder.
A moment passes before Blackstar's arms tighten around him.
"I couldnt decide if I was witnessing another Cinder fiasco or if you guys had been assassinated- I was so fucking scared- it would have been all my fault-"
Soul pulls away from the hug with his breath caught in his throat.
"You knew that was us, and you still let us go?" He questions frantically and demandingly.
With fire in his eyes, Blackstar was standing back, raising his hands in front of him. "I told you, Soul- I trust you! I know you wouldn't go around and do something stupid when youre totally capable of taking care of yourself. I knew Maka would be safe with you, and I expected you guys to return quickly- not the next day!"
Blackstar was still shaking as he turned away from him, both hands rising to his face as he dipped his head back.
"God, you had me so worried. That's not fair," Blackstar fussed into his hands, dropping onto Killiks bed. "Don't do that shit to me again. I'm not stupid, I could obviously tell it was you two."
Soul stands there frozen in place as he watches Blackstar recollect himself. The moment he finds his friend is breathing normally, his shoulder dropping, he clears his throat.
"We did return last night, we were only gone for a few hours," he informs him, his eyes blinking fast, "We visited the village over. She said- she said she wanted to get out for her birthday, she wanted to feel some freedom, so I let her."
Scoffing, Blackstar shakes his head. "Of course you did, you're so whipped for her."
"Was it really that obvious?"
All jokes are off the table in an instant as Blackstar lifts his head, their eyes meeting.
"Where did you stay last night?" He questions in a monotone and cold voice, his hands dropping to Kilik's bed loosely.
With warm cheeks, Soul looked down to the ground. "Maka asked me to stay the night, so I did."
A breath of relief leaves Blackstar, and then a quiet bubble of laughter. "She asked you to stay the night twice in a row? Damn, I guess she really likes you," he joked, shaking his head.
"I guess you could say that…"
As he bent down to collect his armor, Blackstar was standing again. "What, what?" Before he could gather the last piece of his armor, Blackstar was bending down in front of him, snatching it from his hand. "Am I missing something here? Are- don't tell me you guys are like - a thing."
Soul meets Blackstar's eyes with all seriousness.
"I don't know what she wants to call it- but I think it's something." Soul replies, pulling the armor piece from Blackstar.
With a low whistle, Blackstar backs off him. "Okay, I see you, I see you."
"Don't be weird."
"I'm not! I'm happy for you, idiot!" Blackstar drops back to Kilik's bed, laying down this time. "I think we all knew something would happen eventually. Are you gonna tell me the juicy details? I mean you don't have to, but I would love to hear what happened."
Soul can't miss the way his friend wiggles his eyebrows as he crosses the room. "You're so fucking weird, go make up a senario or something. It'll probably fit."
"Oh," Blackstar coos, "Are you saying you guys-"
"No," Soul warns, "Don't finish that."
"But you said-"
"I did not say that that happened."
"You implied it-"
"Where did I imply that? Tell me, I'd love to be enlightened-"
Their bickering is cut short when there's a quiet knock on the doorframe. Both of them crane their necks to the door, cheeks red as they catch Ox Ford's eyes on them.
"Sorry to cut you boys short, but Hero and Princess Maka are here to collect you two," Ox speaks, pointing to the door behind him. "I'd suggest you guys get going like, now. Hero looks ready to explode and her highness looks ready to snap his neck off."
"Oh God, Hero is here?" Blackstar groans. "He scares me."
"Get over it, at least he's young, a teen like you. He's trying his best. The other royal advisors are much worse."
Both hesitating, Blackstar and Soul make it out of the guard's quarters, only to be met with Maka standing rather still outside with Hero pacing the path around her.
"There's so much to get done, so much last second things that need to be done-"
"Hero, we will be fine."
"Oh God, then the guests will start coming in just a few hours- do you think everything is ready- what if something goes wrong- what if the room catches on fire."
A look of disgust flashes over Maka's face before her eyes land on the two, a smile finally breaking across her face as her eyes land on Soul.
"Finally, you two are here!" Maka makes her way to Soul's side, her eyes turning to Hero as she gets up to her tippy toes to whisper in Soul's ear, "Please, he's already driving me crazy. He almost started crying when he said I looked tired."
"Are you tired?" A look of concern flashed over Soul's face before Hero was in his face, grabbing both of his hands.
"Soul! Thank you so much for taking care of her highness! If she was still sick today, God, I do not know what we would have done!"
From his side, he can hear Blackstar scoff, "sick?"
"It was truly no problem, Hero," Soul lies anyway, patting his hands gently. "We should probably get going, yeah?"
Dropping his hands, Hero turns abruptly on his heel. "Right you are! Let's get moving on, c'mon, c'mon."
Soul's already ready to combust and the party hasn't even started yet. The moment they'd entered the castle again, the three of them were ushered into some room Soul had never been in before. There were at least twelve windows and the light in there was so blinding that it hurt his eyes.
He and Maka stood in the middle of the room, both Hero and Blackstar's eyes on them carefully.
"Oh, you two are going to look lovely tonight," Hero started, pulling his clipboard to his face, "The tailors and makeup artists should be here any minute!"
"Makeup?" Soul parroted, chuckling when he felt Maka elbow his ribcage.
"Yes, why of course! Everyone needs a little touch up here and there to add some bedazzle." Hero drops the clipboard from his face, giving him an expression that makes him feel like he should have known that. "Have you ever worn makeup, Soul?"
"No, I have," he replies, furrowing his eyebrows, "It just slipped my mind, I guess."
With a sigh, Hero shook his head and turned his attention to Blackstar animatedly.
The second his eyes were off them, Maka was dropping her head against his shoulder. "Does Blackstar know?"
"He knows we left. He knew the whole time," Soul answers back in a whisper, "I should have known, he and I definitely locked eyes before we left."
"I should have assumed so," Maka scoffs, lifting her head, "He didn't look too surprised or impressed when Hero mentioned me being sick yesterday."
"Blackstar's definitely not dumb, I can say that."
Behind them, he could hear the doors open and people shuffle into the room, but he paid them no mind.
"Does he know about the uh- the other thing?" Maka questioned, turning her eyebrows down.
Soul shook his head. "I mean, he said he assumed something was going on but I didn't really solidify anything."
"Ah, okay." The Princess pauses, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Do-do you want to talk more about it- about us, that is, after the party?"
A smile grew on Soul's face at the thought. "Yeah, of course."
Beside him, a grin grows on the Princess's face, but their quiet moment is broken as Maka's tailor taps her shoulder, giving her a curt apology as he pulls her away from Soul's side. With a sigh of his own, Soul turned around and met eyes with his own tailor- a very familiar tailor, at that.
"Oh, Soul!" Christine gasped. "What a pleasure to see you again. Looks like I'll be helping you out today!"
Soiull bit back a groan as he faked a smile. "Christine," he greeted painfully, "It is so nice to see you again."
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Blackstar press the back of his hand to his mouth as his eyes landed on something behind him.
"I missed you after the party! I tried finding you again, but I just couldn't," She sighs sadly, " but anyway! I am truly glad to see you once more, I can't wait to make you look handsome tonight!"
Soul does plan on replying, but his thoughts are cut off when Maka clears her throat.
"I think he looks handsome as is."
Everyone in the room stiffens at the comment.
"Oh, no, I agree! I just meant, you know, make sure he looked his finest for tonight!" Christine corrects, waving her hands as she looks over Soul's shoulder to the Princess. "I'm so sorry, your highness, if I gave you the wrong idea."
Suddenly, there's a hand resting against his shoulder and Maka is standing at his side.
"Nothing to be sorry for, I was just stating my opinion," Maka speaks, something dark lacing her tone, causing Soul's stomach to do somersaults. "Just wouldn't want Soul over here getting the wrong idea, thinking he isn't already handsome."
As quick as the touch had come, Maka was leaving his side, talking to her own tailor as she left Soul in Christines present.
As awkward as that moment was, Christine didn't try speaking to Soul again the rest of the time she stayed in the room at least, and for that, he is grateful to Maka.
