There were certain things in this life that grew on you over time. Classical music, the taste of alcohol. Most regrettably, train rides did not count among them. If anything, the ride home felt even longer than the initial journey. Admittedly, that wasn't exactly the train's fault. Nor that of the other passengers. They were not helping things, of course, but they also weren't the primary cause of his anguish. That cause could be found in the seat next to his own. Or, more accurately, in his mind and hers. Maka had been suspiciously quiet for all two hours of the journey thus far. Either she was fuming, or she was planning something. Quite possibly both. Normally, his partner wasn't the type to hatch devious schemes. But the person currently sitting next to him wasn't his normal partner.
He knew she was unhappy with the state of things. She wasn't the only one. But what did she want him to do? Accepting that the confession he had finally received from her had been fake was the cruelest thing he'd ever had to endure. The time they'd spent as a couple. To an onlooker, it might not have seemed that different from any other week. They hadn't suddenly started caressing each other in public or anything. Yet, to him, it had meant the world. It had felt completely different, just knowing that she was his.
Had been his. Even that wasn't true. A delusion was all it had been. That realization had slowly sunk in throughout the last night. It must have been frustrating for Maka, being treated like her feelings didn't matter. He couldn't help it. It took everything he had to not have a mental breakdown on the spot. If he played along with this temporary farce any longer, it would undoubtedly be the end of him. Building some distance to his partner was the only reasonable thing to do. It hurt him. It hurt her. But it had to be done. Any other approach would be catastrophic in the long term. Maka's ongoing silence wasn't unhelpful in this regard, oppressive though it was.
Behind Soul lay the longest two hours of his life. Still ahead lay two more, which promised to be even longer. Sleep eluded him. Any music he put on was annoying. Conversation was not an option. His thoughts turned more and more negative with each minute he spent idly staring out the window. On his left, Maka alternated between trying to read and doing something on her phone. Those switches were the only indication time was passing at all. He got the impression the time between each change was steadily decreasing. Safe to say his meister wasn't doing much better than him.
Several grueling hours later, the group found themselves back in Nevada. Yet another hour later, they reached Death City. More than anything else, Soul just wanted to return home and spend the rest of the day being as unproductive as possible. Sleeping, playing video games, whatever. He just needed distraction. The weapon expressed as much to his partner as they left the train.
"You need me for anything else today? Otherwise I'm just gonna crash once we get home."
The question had been mostly rhetorical. He knew they didn't have much planned. Thus, he was surprised when Maka turned and smiled at him.
"Yeah, actually. I asked professor Stein to take a look at me. And I'll need you to be present for that."
She sounded smug. He didn't relish the thought.
"Why? I thought you felt fine."
"I do. I know he won't find anything. It's about proving as much to you."
Soul suddenly felt even more exhausted than he had prior.
"Are you sure he can even spot this kind of poison in you? Or magic? Whatever it is."
She shrugged.
"I think so. If anybody can, it would be him."
He released a deep breath. What was the point? Either way, his conscience wouldn't allow him to send Maka to that guy by herself. Maybe there was a chance he could help. The train station wasn't particularly far from the academy. It would take a few minutes, but the distance could be covered on foot just fine. It was, therefore, rather unusual that someone had come to pick them up. And not just anyone, but the grim reaper himself. Soul wasn't going to complain. Besides, he and Kid got along well. Even under the current circumstances, he was glad to hear his voice.
"Over here."
He waved to them as they left the station. Behind him was the black, old-timey limousine he used sometimes. Soul and Maka walked over to him. Black Star and Tsubaki soon joined them. His blue haired buddy appeared uncharacteristically tired, himself. Maka spoke on behalf of the group and nobody seemed to mind.
"Hey Kid, thanks for coming."
"I couldn't let my old friends walk home after such a tiresome mission."
He had done just that on multiple occasions. Soul admonished himself. The reaper wasn't to blame for his horrendous mood. The group entered his car. Maka sat in the front with Kid, everybody else took a seat on the bench in the back. In the front row, there was small talk about the mission and the ride home. In the back row, there was absolute silence. The other pair had ended up sitting in a different wagon, so Soul had barely talked to Black Star or his partner since the previous day. Their exhaustion was palpable. Perhaps they were going through something as well. It worked out for him. He did not feel like making conversation. On the contrary, he was perfectly happy to close his eyes and sink into the comfortable leather. Kid's voice reached his ears. But he wasn't talking to him.
"Should I let you guys out at your apartment?"
Silence. Black Star responded eventually.
"Oh. Uh. Yeah, sure."
Back to silence. They reached said apartment before long, and the other pair left the car. After saying a brief goodbye, the doors closed and the three of them started moving again. Regrettably, Kid was considerate enough to now include him in the conversation.
"Did things go well with your family, Soul? I'm sorry I put this mission on you guys."
"It was alright. We only talked to my brother."
"Wes, right?"
"Yeah."
Not his favorite topic. The reaper took the hint and let it go.
"Anyway, I asked Stein to make some time. He should be in the infirmary."
Maka took over.
"Thanks. It's probably nothing. We just want to make sure."
She shot him a glance. Unlike Kid, his partner was clearly not about to let anything go. He closed his eyes again. By the time he opened them, the academy building was visible beneath the darkness outside.
"I have to take care of a few more things, so I'll let you guys out here."
"It's no problem. Thanks again for taking us."
The comfortable car ride had come to an end. Maka and him stepped outside. They grabbed their bags and Kid drove off. In contrast to his earlier assessment,his partner seemed to be in a decent mood. She walked in front of him, hands behind her back.
"How are you doing, Soul?"
She sounded timid yet cheery. It was painfully cute. Girlfriend or not, nothing would be allowed to ruin this sight. That included his own crankiness. He pulled himself together.
"Tired. But it's fine."
"Sorry for jumping this examination on you. I know you wanted to go home."
"All good. Let's just get it over with."
Having climbed the massive set of stairs outside, they entered the main building.
"Yeah. I don't think this will take long."
God, he hoped that was true. Could Maka tell how much he was struggling? Unlike him, she was good at reading their link. Her concern implied that she could. Great. His ego had really been taking some hits, recently. They soon arrived at the infirmary. An end was in sight. Inside, Stein was sitting on an office chair, looking supremely bored. He wore that same lab coat from the night they'd first met. Or a similar one, at least. Soul wouldn't have been surprised if the dude's entire wardrobe consisted of those things.
"Ah. It's you. I've been waiting."
Just like before, he would let his partner do the talking.
"Good evening, professor. Did Kid tell you why we're here?"
"Yes. You're worried about some kind of lasting effect from a fight, right?"
"Right. Do you think you can detect something like that?"
He turned the screw in his head. Did that actually do anything?
"I can't give a one hundred percent guarantee, but I'm positive I would notice any curses on you."
"Good. Do you mind if we get started right away?"
He got the impression she was rushing for his sake. It was equally appreciated and annoying.
"Not at all. I've already taken a look at your soul. Everything looks normal there. I don't think any kind of spell has been cast on you."
Just like that, huh? The guy was supposed to be a genius, but this still felt a little too easy.
"What about poison? A long-lasting drug, maybe?"
"That's a little harder to check for, but I can run some tests."
Stein proceeded to take some of her blood. He looked at her pupils, checked her throat and then her reflexes. Standard stuff. Finally, he asked her some basic questions about the date and time. A rudimentary psyche assessment, presumably. Afterwards, he gave his verdict.
"Well, there seems to be nothing wrong with you. As far as I can tell, you're in perfect health."
"Thank you. Can you do Soul as well?"
The weapon did not recall agreeing to that.
"Wha- Me too?"
"Uh huh. Just to make sure."
He had no energy to argue. The professor didn't seem to mind, either.
"I guess I might as well."
Thus, Soul endured the same procedure his partner had just undergone. The verdict was identical.
"Nope. You're fine, too. I don't think you two need to worry."
"That's a relief. We're grateful, professor."
"Of course, I could always give you a more thorough exam back at the lab."
Those sinister words were accompanied by a sweet smile. It was high time they left.
"That's alright. We should be going."
Having said so, they left the sick room and started their short walk home. The corridor outside the infirmary was empty. As soon as they were alone, Maka grasped his hand. She looked at him with those big, sad eyes. The day wasn't quite done with him yet.
"Is that proof enough for you? I'm fine. You're fine. This is real."
She always had been stubborn. Soul liked that about his partner. In this moment, however, it was causing him grief. Neither the witch's death nor Stein's opinion mattered at all. Why couldn't she understand that? Maka didn't scheme. She didn't drink. And she definitely didn't love him. Consequently, she could not be sane. Or did she? Was it possible? He wasn't sure. He wanted to believe, but the uncertainty scared him to death. His mind would not withstand another such disappointment. Hurting his partner's feelings was something that he absolutely wanted to avoid, even if they were false. He phrased himself as carefully as he could.
"It's not about proving something, Maka. And you heard him, he can't give any guarantees."
The weapon tried to pull his hand from hers, but she didn't let go. Her voice grew aggravated.
"He said we don't need to worry. You can't honestly still think I'm crazy!"
'You're a loser, Soul.'
"Look, I- I just know this isn't you. What do you want me to say?"
"You don't have to say anything! Just stop worrying about nothing and accept my feelings as real!"
'That I would actually love you?'
"I CAN'T!"
She winced. He hadn't meant to yell. Soul tried to apologize.
"I- Sorry..."
Maka pulled her hand away. She was visibly furious.
"You- You're such a- Just- Why do you have to-"
His partner stormed off. In the end, he had hurt her feelings. Maybe it was for the best. She probably wouldn't talk to him for the rest of the day. After giving her a sufficient head start, the weapon slowly dragged himself in the direction of their flat.
Soul had decided to unpack his bags first thing after he arrived home. Otherwise, the amount of clean clothes available to him in the following days would quickly approach zero. He had also wanted to eat something. Tragically, he didn't manage to do any of that. Arguing with his partner had taken up the remainder of his energy. Having painstakingly forced himself up the stairs, the weapon crashed onto the couch in their living room.
Maka was nowhere to be seen. The door had been unlocked, though, so she had to be home. Brooding in her room, presumably. That was fine. Some alone time would serve them both well. Rationally, it had all worked out. Emotionally, Soul was a wreck. The situation was a mess. Even he was aware of it. He just wanted to enter her room and be with her. Talk to her. Hold her. But there was no way he could. Barely a few meters away, she was completely out of reach.
Hadn't he wanted to distract himself from her? Great job he was doing at that. His thoughts just kept returning to his partner. He turned on the TV. It was grating. Nothing but unpleasant noise, disturbing his cozy misery. He turned it off again. The dark room fit his mental state. The urge to say screw it and go to Maka kept growing stronger. Several times he caught himself about to get up and do it. Each time, he held off. His resolve was wavering. How bad could it be? Though he never left the sofa, that door, at the far end of the hallway, seemed closer and closer. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he went. Or maybe it would be. The long term consequences were rapidly losing their relevance. Before he could even be tempted, Pandora's box opened all on its own.
A figure emerged. It was too dark to see anything, but it could only be Maka. She spent a few minutes buzzing about the apartment. In the dark. Odd behavior. Apparently, she hadn't seem him. The lighting worked in his favor. She came to a stop in the living room. The noise ceased. He lost track of her. Next thing he knew, a candle was lit up a small distance from him. Then a few more. The dim light revealed his partner's appearance. Was that his partner? She wore the dress he had picked out for her. Black. Feminine. Sleek. But that wasn't all. She'd put on the shoes, as well, and even makeup. Dark eyeliner, subtle lipstick. He hadn't even known Maka owned that kind of thing. It was a strange sight.
It didn't stop with her looks, either. Maka's movements were, for lack of a better word, sensual. She sat down next to him in a smooth motion and crossed her legs. One hand supported her chin, while the other rested on her knee, slid seductively along her exposed, dangling leg. Seductively? The thought was laughable. There was no word less suited to describe his meister. Nonetheless, he found his eyes glued to her hand. It fell from her thigh to her lower leg, then slowly rose back up. The motion seemed absent-minded, yet there was purpose to her movement. She wanted him to look. And he did. It wasn't until she spoke that he was snapped out of his stupor. Her tone was smug. Superior. Knowing. He suddenly felt embarrassed.
"Good evening, Soul. I hope you don't mind if I sit."
He was struggling to comprehend anything. No brainpower could be spared for a response. Was there quiet jazz music playing? Had she set that up, too? Who was this woman? His confusion must have been apparent. Maka giggled.
"I was hoping we might discuss a couple of things."
She sat entirely too close to him. Centimeters between them. Her monologue continued.
"You love me, right, Soul? Do you want to be with me?"
There was something wrong with this situation. Really, there was nothing right about it. It was an obvious ploy. A ruse. To achieve what? He knew her goal. What was it? Memories refused access. Brain cells froze in place. Knowledge, just out of reach. Without consciously deciding on it, Soul nodded.
"Then."
She leaned even closer. He could smell her fragrance. A hand wandered across his chest.
"Let's do Soul Resonance."