It was the smoke. Soul kept telling himself the same thing. It had been the smoke that had made her act like that. Maka would never say those things. He, being the weapon, hadn't inhaled as much, so it hadn't affected him to the same extent. It made sense.

But Soul knew that wasn't true. Deep down, he knew it for a fact. It didn't matter what Maka would or wouldn't say. She thought those things. She had always thought them. The smoke had had nothing to do with that. The entire exchange was engraved upon his memory. He recalled every word. The intonation of every syllable. In his head, it was playing on repeat, even now.

'I wish Wes was my partner instead of you!'

'Did you honest to god believe any of that was real?'

There she went again. It never hurt any less. In all honesty, Soul wasn't mad. Not at her, anyway. If anything, he was mad at himself. For getting attached to her. For developing feelings that didn't serve anybody. For harassing her with that whole marriage-shit. He knew that's where this had come from. Even at the time, he'd been aware he was crossing a line. Why had he even done that? He had known she would hate it. He felt incredibly stupid. Soul was hurt. And he hated feeling hurt. It made him feel weak, pathetic. But he couldn't help it.

He needed to fix this. Did he need to fix this? Was there even anything left to fix? Maka had made it very clear she didn't want him. Not as a husband, anyway. He'd known that already. Maybe there was still hope for their partnership. So, what then? After getting verbally beaten like that, was he just going to come crawling back? It didn't sit right with him. Yet, in truth, he already knew that was exactly what he would end up doing.

She should be the one to apologize! But he knew Maka. Maka Albarn didn't make this kind of mistake. She wasn't a fuck-up like him. There was no way she could deal with the guilt. It would eat at her. Consume her. Upset as he was, that idea bothered him. A realization arose. He was worrying about her. Just an hour or so ago, she'd gotten dangerously close to making him swerve into oncoming traffic. If anybody else had said even one of those things, he would have beaten the shit out of them. And here he was, worrying about her. The extent to which she had him wrapped around her finger never did cease to amaze. At this point, he had to wonder if there even was anything his partner could possibly do to get rid of him. Probably not.

His thoughts were amazingly clear now. Driving at night tended to have that effect. If he'd been this calm earlier, he could've prevented this. If he'd resisted her provocations. Useless regrets. Maka had always brought out that side of him. He thought about calling her. Bad idea. This confrontation needed to happen in person. Would she be back at the hotel by now? Only now did it dawn on him that he had left his meister all alone. In a foreign city. Several kilometers from their hotel.

Soul's pulse sped up. Unlike him, Maka was a meister. She needed her weapon. By herself, she was helpless. What if that thing came back for her?! He turned his bike around on the spot. His foot hit the gas. He switched lanes, he cut corners, he swerved between cars. Death by car crash didn't scare him. Losing her did. When he finally arrived back at that godforsaken parking lot, Maka was nowhere to be seen. His heart sank. He fought off the panic. It didn't have to mean anything. She could have just left. He checked his phone. No new messages. No missed calls. Would she have gone back to the hotel? Could she even get there from here? Yeah, that had to be it. The uncertainty gnawed at him.

She was ok. He was sure of it. He could feel it. But he had to know. His earlier resolution to talk to her in person seemed irrelevant now. He got out his phone and selected her name from his contacts. The phone rang. And it kept ringing. Nothing. Panic returned. He would never forgive himself if she'd gotten hurt. Soul took some deep breaths. He could tell she was ok. Reading their connection wasn't his strong suit, but he was positive he would have been able to tell if something had happened to his partner. Thinking it through properly, that was true. He tried to relax. His reasoning was sound. Maka was alright.

The weapon considered his next steps. Maka had the keys. Since she wasn't picking up her phone, he couldn't get into their room, even if he'd wanted to. What options did that leave him? Go to his family? Yeah, right. Get a new room? Not happening this late. Sleep in the park? Not exactly his thing. Then what? He didn't know. If he could just find Maka, this would all take care of itself. His thoughts were going in circles. This was getting him nowhere. He scratched his head with both hands, frustrated.

It didn't matter where he would spend the night. As it stood, he wasn't getting any sleep tonight, regardless. He needed to find her. Soul knew he would crash as soon as the adrenaline left him. There was a mental breakdown in his near future. But in this moment, he was strong. He would use that. He'd search the entire city if he had to. But that was easier said than done. It had been over an hour since he'd left her. She could be anywhere. The weapon was thinking too much. He needed to get started. No destination in mind, Soul got on his bike and started driving. He went slow, scanning every street he entered. Approaching strangers was among his least favorite pastimes. Nonetheless, he called out to every person he spotted. Luckily, Maka's uniform stood out.

"See a girl in white gloves and black coat?"

"Blonde girl in a red skirt come through here?"

He lost track of how many he approached. Most didn't even respond. Hard to blame them. He had no time to stop and no patience for manners. The weather wasn't helping. Nights in Minneapolis were cold, this time of year. To top it off, a light rain had kicked up a while ago. He was wet. He was freezing. The downpour showed no signs of stopping. These people were useless. Not one of them had seen her. It must have been past midnight by now. The streets were getting emptier. In his frenzy, he seriously considered asking his brother for help. But what would he even say? 'Wes, I've lost my wife. Help me look.'? No, he would have to come clean. Whatever. It was all the same, at this point.

He took out his phone. His brother's number was still saved. Never had deleted it. He might've gotten a new one at some point. Still, Soul had to try. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the humiliation that was about to occur. Right as his thumb arched towards the 'Call'-button, a familiar figure entered his sight. Shuffling along the sidewalk across the street was the silhouette of the most important person in his life.

Blonde hair, messier than he'd ever seen it before. The black SPARTOI cloak, ripped in places, hanging loosely off her arms. Those features undeniably belonged to his partner, yet the person in front of him had to be someone else. She was slouched forward way too far, eyes glued to the floor. Both arms hung limply from her shoulders. One hand clutched the reigns to her purse, which trailed half a meter behind her, dragging along the ground. She was barely moving forward, running her feet against the asphalt with each step. The sight was unbearable. He'd been right. It really had hit her harder than him. Tossing his bike aside, he ran over, putting himself in her path. Then it hit him.

Soul sucked at reading their link. Always had. He'd tried to get better at it. He wished he was. But he wasn't, simple as that. Most of the time, her feelings just didn't reach him. In that moment, however, he felt it all: Regret. Guilt. Fear. Maka's emotions were gushing out from their link, flooding his brain. He fought to stem the tide. Her despair threatened to overwhelm him. In his mind, he saw himself - alone. At school. On missions. In their apartment. It was miserable. He hated it. There was no point if she wasn't with him. He might as well die. But he held on. Those images were exactly why he had to do this. That future could never come to pass. This was it. The point of no return. He needed to do something, anything, but it had to be now. She was about to pass him when Soul finally found his resolve and, spurred on by his anxiety, he did the only thing he felt he could.

Wordlessly, Soul Evans grabbed his meister's hand. Maka barely seemed to notice. She kept walking, completely unfazed, until their arms could not extend any further and she was snapped back, like a dog on a leash. She was turned in his direction now, standing perfectly still. She didn't move. She didn't speak. Soul spent several seconds staring at Maka's lowered head. Maka simply stood in place, looking completely detached from reality.

After hesitating for what felt like an eternity, he pulled her into the closest hug he'd ever given to anyone. She didn't hug him back, but she tensed up. It gave him hope. There was life in her yet. Slowly, Soul allowed them to part slightly, now resting his hands on her shoulders. He calmed himself as best he could before speaking a single word in the lowest, steadiest voice he could muster.

"Maka."

Said girl perked up, meeting his gaze for the first time. Her eyes were red. Her mouth a thin, quivering line. Tears were still streaming down her face. The sight sent Soul reeling. He had allowed this to happen. To her. To the one person in his entire miserable life he actually gave a shit about. She didn't say anything, so he continued.

"Maka, I... know I messed up. We both did."

Still no reaction. Why didn't she say anything? It began to feel like he was harassing her. He was sure he seemed desperate. It didn't matter. He was desperate.

"I never wanted any of this to happen. I know you didn't mean those things. It was the gas! And I'm... so sorry for that stupid shit I pulled with Wes!"

No reaction. His hands slipped off her shoulders, now hanging freely. His gaze dropped to the floor. What was he even saying? What could he say to bring her back? Against his best efforts, a slight tremble entered his voice.

"W-We've made it through worse, haven't we? We're gonna get through this together, just like we always do!"

He was getting way too emotional. Stupid fucking link, acting up now. Or were these his own feelings? Had they been his from the start? He continued to spiral as the remainder of his composure crumbled away.

"I don't care about any of that shit you said! That wasn't you! We never have to talk about it again!"

Silence.

"I promise I'll leave you alone! I'll kill those feelings. I'll do anything! You'll never have to deal with any... unwanted advances ever again!"

He almost choked saying that last part. God, he felt pathetic. When Soul raised his gaze, he found his partner staring straight at him. Her expression was impossible to read. It was neutral in the most horrible way. Had none of what he'd said even reached her? She spoke in a quiet, similarly neutral tone.

"What did you just say?"

The question hit him like a punch to the gut. Something was wrong. He'd made it worse. His thoughts drifted back to those images of him sitting alone in their Death City apartment, or - worse yet - being wielded by some other meister. The idea disgusted him. Made him feel sick. But this time, he couldn't shake the images so easily. It seemed more and more like that really was the future in store for him. What little dignity he had left was rapidly evaporating.

"I- I just- I don't- I just wanted to-"

Warm lips met his own. Delicate arms rested on his shoulders, intertwined behind his back. Familiar warmth pressed against the front of his body. Maka had practically flung herself at him. The two of them stumbled some distance backwards before Soul's back found a wall to lean against and slowly slid down. Nothing made sense anymore. They had ruined everything. The entire trip had been a complete disaster. So why was this happening now? He didn't understand. But he didn't need to understand. Maka hadn't left him. That was the only coherent thought on his mind.

Soul couldn't say how much time they had spent in that position. His back against the wall. Maka up against him. On top of him. He could have spent hours like that. Although the need for oxygen had forced them to part lips some time ago, he loved being this close to his partner. Her body was warm. Her breath was hot. She smelled like sweat and rain, but it didn't bother him. It smelt like her.

"I'm sorry, Soul..."

Her voice was soft, shaky. He didn't need any apology.

"I know. It wasn't your fault."

It took a second for Maka to answer.

"Not about that. After lunch. When I pushed you away."

Not a memory he wanted to recall. It was just like Maka had guessed during her outburst. He really had deluded himself into thinking she'd enjoyed it.

"Relax. That was my bad. I assumed... I wanted to believe you saw me that way."

Try as he might, he couldn't stop himself from sounding notably dejected as he said that last part. To his surprise, Soul felt a small fist lightly hit his chest. Once, then again as Maka responded.

"No, you idiot. You still don't get it!"

He looked down at her to find tears in her eyes once more. Irritation, guilt, but also hope. His emotions flared up again.

"I don't get what?"

Maka was almost screaming into his chest by now.

"I DO see you that way, ok? I WANT to be with you. I LOVED being held by you. I wanted more..."

Soul was floored.

"Then why did you-"

"Because I'm a coward! Because I thought you were messing with me! Because I couldn't believe you might actually love someone like me!"

She was crying. He wrapped his arms around her to pull her close and rested his head on hers. He was beginning to understand. It was funny when you thought about it. All along, she'd felt the same way he had. Both of them had wanted to be more than partners, but they had each convinced themselves the other didn't want the same. Like insecure teenagers. Well, no more of that. Spotting an opportunity to regain a little of his coolness, Soul decided to take matters into his own hands. Confidence surging, he calmly spoke.

"Hey, Maka?"

She sniffled loudly, before responding in a shaky voice.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

There was no visible reaction. Maka simply froze for a few moments, before breaking into a small fit of laughter. A rather unconventional response to a confession, for sure, but Soul was just glad to see her relax. Eventually, she regained her composure and showed him a sheepish smile.

"Yeah?"

He flashed her a big grin of his own.

"Yeah."

"That's good then. I was beginning to worry we might have to get a divorce."

They both laughed.

"I love you too, Soul."

He had more or less figured that part out by now. Still, it felt incredible to hear her say it. In that moment, neither of them cared about their surroundings. Not the dirty wall they were leaning against. Not the rain drops still crashing down on them. Not the curious looks of potential passers-by. It barely registered in Soul's brain. It wasn't real.

Only she was. But that's when he noticed. She was shivering. Even curled up against him, her body kept shaking. Maka might get seriously sick if they stayed there much longer. He wanted to ignore it. He wanted to stay like that just a little bit longer. But she kept shaking. It worried him. He needed to get her inside. Then again, they could now have this whenever they wanted. She had returned his feelings. She'd said she loved him. It still didn't feel real. But it was. And he wasn't going to lose her to something dumb like pneumonia. He carefully brushed several strands of wet hair out of her face. She looked up at him curiously.

"We should probably dry off."

Maka's expression was that of a sleepy child. It practically screamed 'Five more minutes, mom!'.

"Do we have to...?"

There was an uncharacteristic playfulness in her demeanor. It was adorable. He couldn't help but smile.

"Sleeping in? That is not like you, Maka Albarn."

A little smile took over her face.

"Oh, shut up."

She leaned on his shoulder and slowly got to her feet. Afterwards, she offered him a hand, which Soul gladly took.

"Thanks, babe."

His attempted teasing went unnoticed. She put her arms around herself.

"Now I really am cold."

The easiest setup of all time. Wasting not a second, he took off his jacket and passed it to her.

"Here. It's cold."

She chuckled as she put in on.

"Such a gentleman."

"Duh. Now come on. I'm gonna freeze to death at this rate."

They mounted the bike, and he hit the gas. The wind was painfully cold now. Fortunately, there was plenty of warmth behind him. Maka was leaning into his back very closely. It made it somewhat difficult to focus on driving. He wasn't going to complain. The drive went by fast.

Back at the hotel, Maka used her key to open the front door. They quietly went up to their room. She entered the bathroom to blowdry her hair. For the second time in two days, Soul had come home in wet clothes. He wasn't sure whether he would even have any left for the coming days. That was a problem for tomorrow. Right now, he only cared about drying off and getting to bed. The exhaustion he had been suppressing all night had hit him all at once.

He used what little energy he had left to dry his hair with a towel and change into his pajamas. Not a second later, he fell backwards onto their bed. So much had happened today. There were more things he wanted to talk to his partner about. They would have to wait until tomorrow. He could keep his eyes open no longer.