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“Maka. Maka.”
Groaning, Maka sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Wha? Killk? What’s going-“
“Get over here, quickly. Soul hasn’t attacked you so far, but there’s no telling how long that’ll last. Get over here, and we’ll barricade the door. Hurry!” Maka’s eyes snapped open at the words “soul” and “attack”, landing on Soul. The creature that faintly resembled him. Giant, with murderous glowing eyes, and blades jutting out from all over. He crouched over her, growling menacingly at Killk.
Sighing, Maka flopped onto her back, staring at the ceiling. So it’s finally happened, huh? Fuck. “All of you, close the door and leave us.”
“What? Maka, are you insane? Look at him, he’s not even Soul anymore. He’s not your weapon anymore! Don’t be dumb and just-“
“Leave us. Or I’ll cut you up before Soul even has a chance.” Soul punctuated her words with a snarl. Seeing the concern in their eyes, her voice softened. “Not like you could keep him from me, anyway. Besides, Soul would never hurt me. If he ever did, I’d kill him myself.” Lie. Lie, Lie, Lie. I’d die first.
Faintly, she registered the sound of the door closing behind them. A wave of hysteria threatened to overcome her, and she gave a shrill laugh. She still hadn’t looked down at Soul. Is he looking at me now? What does he see when he looks at me?
“So I guess we’re finally here, huh.” A short pause, then “Soul. You can talk, can’t you? Soul. Answer me.” She fights to keep the desperation out of her voice.
“Maka?” The voice was raspy, and tense, but unmistakably Soul. Her eyes snapped to Soul, and she laughed again, this time in relief. “You had me worried, asshole. Nice new look.”
With every word she says, sanity seems to return to his eyes.
“Jusht kreepin it… frewsh.” The words are mangled, but they sound like music to her. She laughs again, freer.
“It’s definitely a big change. Guess you won’t be able to do the dishes like that.”
A long pause, like he’s gathering up the courage to ask, then; “You aren’t… scared of me?”
She looks at his shark teeth, the red glowing eyes, the monstrous scythe blades protruding from his back. She sees how his hands stroke her gently, how he’s careful not to intimidate her, how his first concern is still her, always her. Maka tilts her head questioningly, and asks “Do you want me to be?”
“No.” He breathes fervently.
Maka’s shoulders shake. “Are you sure? Cos I feel like I could muster up some shivers. Maybe even a couple of tears?” You really worried me, you know.
Soul hears the unspoken words, and grips her tighter. But like everything in his life, he deflects it with a layer of sarcasm. “Don’t force yourself. I’ve seen enough of that ugly crying face.”
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Soul is drowning. He’s drowning, except it feels good. It feels wonderful.
His body is sinking. His body feels light.
He’s choking. He’s laughing. He’s crying. He’s drowning.
He’s insane.
Meat. Moving. Closer. No! MINE! MINE! Leaving. Gone. Good. Mine. Mine Mine Mine MINE-
“So I guess we’re finally here, huh.” A voice. His whole being responds. This is a voice that owns him. Where is ‘here’? No. It doesn’t matter. Don’t listen. It doesn’t matter. As long as he’s ‘here’ with her.
“Soul. You can talk, can’t you?” It’s that voice. A girl’s voice. Strong. Commanding. His girl’s voice. Maka. It’s Maka. But who’s Soul?
“Soul. Answer me.” She owns him, and she’s pulling him, and he can’t, can’t speak, but it’s even more impossible for him to deny her. He’ll always come if she asks. So he says the only thing he can. A name he’d never forget, even before his own.
“Maka?”
Suddenly he can see her, and it’s him looking through his eyes, and she looks so beautiful that she takes his voice away. Luckily she speaks for the both of them, saying “You had me worried, asshole. Nice new look.”
It’s Maka. Maka. Maka. Maka. His meister. Soul’s meister. That’s who he is. He’s Maka Albarn’s Deathscythe, Soul Eater. And she’s looking at him like she’s still trying to find him somewhere. “Just keeping it fresh.” I’m here. Look at me. Here.
Maka laughs, and it’s a sound sweeter than any music he’s ever played. “It’s definitely a big change.” Change? Slowly, he becomes aware of his shape. Giant, mangled body, blades protruding everywhere. No. No. She can’t see me like this. I can’t let her see this. She’ll leave me if she sees. No. Anything but that. I won’t let her leave-
“Guess you won’t be able to do the dishes like that.” Dishes? The chores? At home? He can stay? Even looking like this, he can stay with her? She can look at the ugly, repulsive creature he is inside, and accept him anyway? The force of his relief chokes him. And here I thought I couldn't possibly love you more.
“You aren’t…” Fuck, when did it become so hard to speak?
He swallows, and finishes “afraid of me?” He curls up, bracing himself for her answer, that he knows, could shatter him to pieces. And his beautiful, strong, incredible Meister looks at the monster he is like there’s nothing to be afraid of, like she still sees Soul, and he falls.
“Do you want me to be?”
Soul’s imagination paints a picture of her looking at him in horror, cowering, leaving him. “No.” I’ll never let you leave me. No matter what it takes, I will never let you leave me. Ever.
“Are you sure? Cos I feel like I could muster up some shivers. Maybe even a couple tears?” Soul is present enough to see the relief, and the fear for him in the way she looks at him, and his heart cracks. Gently, gently, he picks her up and cradles her in his arms. His Meister, with bravery enough for the both of them. I’ll protect you no matter what it takes. Through anything.
“Don’t force yourself. I’ve seen enough of that ugly crying face.” If you cry, I might not be able to hold myself back from killing everyone in the vicinity. She doesn’t answer. After a second, he realises her small body is shaking.
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“Tsubaki. Tsubaki.” BlackStar’s voice. It’s BlackStar’s voice, she’d know it anywhere, except she’s never heard it sound quite like this before. He sounds desperate. He sounds scared.
“You know, Tsubaki, I thought I was a god. No, I still genuinely think that. I have surpassed the limits of mankind, and no one stands above me. I am a God. I never thought anything was impossible for me, or beyond my grasp. But Tsubaki, you… you’ve always been perfect. No matter what I do, you always look at me the same way. No matter what I say, you always believe in me. You’re kinder, and stronger than anyone else, so much kinder than me.”
This doesn’t sound like BlackStar at all. His voice has never sounded so desperate. She tries to find him, but all she sees is darkness. She can’t feel her body. Why can’t she feel anything?
“Everyone used to say it to me, and deep down, I knew. Knew that you were far too good to be hanging around a guy like me. That I was dragging you down. So I kept trying harder. If I just did more, maybe I’d be worthy to be your meister. Maybe I’d get to keep you by my side. I should’ve known.”
That’s not true, she tries to say. You tried harder than anyone. I know, because I was always watching you. You never dragged me down at all. You made me feel like it was okay for me to be the way I was - you accepted me. Your strength is incredible. I’d never leave you. She tries to say it, but somehow his voice seems so very far, and she is so very tired.
“So I know, I know I’m being selfish when I say this, but you’ve always given into my selfish whims before. Please, Tsubaki. Please, just one more time. Please, stay with me. Don’t leave me. Not like this. I’m not strong enough for this.” He sobs, and it’s a rough, broken sound. “I’m not strong enough to lose you.”
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