I would probably do something with Lucy the English teacher and Natsu the Science teacher. One day Natsu blows up the English department on accident and Lucy storms into his office to tell him off and…ends up getting asked to a science convention???
Soul Eater SoMa for 6! "Things you said under the stars in the grass"
For those of you who don’t know or are reading this in the future, today is Valentine’s Day, and the precious human who sent this request is one of my favorite people on the planet. He’s an incredible friend, and I’m blessed to call him my platonic valentine this year. I’ve had this little diddy simmering in my inbox for weeks, but I decided today was as good of a day as any to FINISH this sucker. Also sorry not sorry that I cheated because no grass. *shrugs* Hope you like it, friendo. ♥
Summary: Soul’s still on a mission to get his promised date with Maka, even if they have to lose a few degrees to do it.
Word Count: 3,470
Characters/Pairings: Soul “Eater” Evans, Maka Albarn; SoulxMaka
Genres: Fluff, romance, with a splash of angst; College!AU
Warnings: divorce, bickering (let me know if there are others)
“Good Morning!” Maka breezed up to their usual table in the Commons, a light grin on her lips.
“’Mornin’,” Soul replied between forkfuls of scrambled eggs.
“As suave as ever, I see.” Maka rolled her eyes good-naturedly, shrieking when the youth flicked said breakfast food in her direction. “Rude.”
“You started it,”the blond breathed out after taking a huge gulp of orange juice.
Maka merely grunted in return, setting off to get her food. When she returned, her table partner snagged a piece of bacon off her tray before she could protest. “Excuse you.” She swiped a slice of apple off of his plate.
Soul chuckled. “Take it.” He slid the bowl of fruit toward her. “ I hate fruit, anyway.”
“Fruit’s good for you, Soul, and you need to eat healthier after that nasty sinus infection you had.” Maka glared when she realized he was mocking her, his hand poised like a hand puppet mouth. “Fine, ignore me, but don’t blame me-”
“What’s got you so high-strung this morning?” Soul interrupted, brow quirked.
“What? Nothing. I’m fine. Why would you say that?”
He just hummed in reply, choosing to let this battle die before it was fought. “Here’s a better question:”
“Hmm?”
“Am I ever gonna get that date?” Soul asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
“You got your date, multiple times!” Maka replied, huffing and sending her bangs flying with a puff of air.
“What, being sick and going to Waffle House in the middle of the night count as dates?”
“I mean they might as well these days, right?”
“True…Well….What have you never done before? What’s something you’ve always wanted to do?”
“Mmmmm….” Maka sucked in her cheeks.
“What? What is it?”
“You’re gonna think it’s dumb.”
“No I won’t; tell me!”
She fiddled with her fork, staring at her plate. “….I’ve never been stargazing before.”
“Really?…” He mused, suddenly contemplative. “You know, I don’t think I have, either. We should definitely do that, then! When are you free?”
“Soul, we’re in the middle of a cold snap in winter; it’s too cold to go out at night!”
“We’ll be fiiiine! We can just bundle up in as many clothes as we can, hats and scarves, the whole nine, and get some blankets and stuff. I’ll figure it out. It’ll be great.”
“Soul-”
“Pleeeeease, Makaaaa? I’ll take care of everything; I promise!”
“….Fine.”
“Yes!” He grinned in triumph. “So when are you free?”
That Saturday night found her sitting on her couch bundled up in long johns, leggings, ski pants, 2 pairs of socks, boots, a long-sleeved thermal shirt, a sweater, a coat, a scarf, ear muffs, two pair of technology gloves, and a hat, waiting for him to text her that he had arrived.
Her phone finally lit up with the contact photo she’d assigned him (one of him giving her a pointed look when she tried to sneak a picture of him reading), and she swiftly swiped into the call.
“Hey, Soul. You here?”
“Yup, just pulled up. Sorry I’m late; took longer than I expected.”
“‘S fine.” Maka pushed herself up. “Took a little while to get layered up.” She quickly locked her door and set off down the stairs, giving him a wave when she eyed him on the way down. “See you in a sec.” She hung up and slid the phone in her pocket, a grin sliding across her lips. She couldn’t believed she’d let him convince her to do this. He might get sick all over again, or she might catch something, but….the allure of going stargazing, and on a perfectly clear winter night, was too tempting to pass up. “So,” she asked as she threw her leg over the motorbike. “Where we headed?”
“Little area right outside of town; no streetlights and lighter car traffic.”
“Sounds good.” She held on tight as they sped of into the frosty night.
—–
“What’s that over there?” Maka pointed to a strange orange glow a couple hundred yards away. “Not a fire I hope?!”
“How stupid do you think I am?” HSoulcalled back. “It’s a portable heater. I set it in front of our blankets to get them nice and toasty for us.”
They pulled up to their spot, and Maka couldn’t hold in a grin. There was a single, huge air mattress on the ground, blown up to capacity, and a huge stack of blankets sat next to it.
“Wow…” She let Soul take her hand and lead her over to their setup, too enthralled to notice the blush on his cheeks. Once they were settled, he handed her a thermos.
“Hot cocoa.” He explained, popping open his own container to sip at the still-steaming liquid.
“Oh, but-”
“I know, no milk. Just water. I got you covered.” Soul grinned proudly as she smiled back and took a satisfied sip, humming with happiness from the warmth.
“Thank you.” Maka shivered as a breeze passed over them and reached for a blanket, cocooning herself in warmth. “Oooh…this is a nice blanket!” She rubbed her arms absently, looking at what designs she could see with the light of the space heater. Little foxes, it looked like.
“My Granny made it.” Soul smiled, but Maka detected just a hint of sadness in his tone as she looked over at him. Sure enough, though his lips were spread, his eyes were downturned at the edges.
“Oh, is she-”
“No, she’s alive,” Soul reassured her. “Just far away. She’s my favorite person in the whole world. Leaving her was the hardest part about coming to college, but….she wanted me to.”
“She sounds like a good person.” Maka tenderly placed a hand on his arm.
“She is.” Soul agreed, absently placing his own hand over hers as he stared into the space heater. “Anyway, she made that for me when I was little; I’ve had it for as long as I can remember.”
“Oh, well then, here-”
“No, it’s fine-”
Maka sighed not unkindly and threw the blanket over the both of them, taking another from the stack to wrap around her shoulders. “There.” She grinned up at him cheekily, and he stuck his tongue out, blowing a small raspberry. “You’re such a child.” She mumbled under her breath.
“Quit lookin’ at me, then, and look at the stars.” Soul jested, pointing upward as he laid down on the mattress.
Maka complied, staring up from her hunched position beneath the blankets, and she was glad she did. Thousands upon thousands, possibly millions of pinpricks of light hung above their heads, some large and glittering and some small and stable. The sun had just set, so traces of purples intermingled with the blacks and browns of the night sky, leaving tasteful streaks between patches of stars.
From there,Maka could swear she could see whole star systems, though astronomy was not her subject, so she couldn’t tell you which ones. She sighed, watching the bitter air curl before her like smoke, and soaked in the glory of galaxies. Suddenly, another gust of wind swept through the landscape, and she curled into herself, teeth chattering.
“Here.” Maka looked over, and Soul had his arm outstretched toward her, his eyes screwed up toward the stars. Without hesitation, she scooted next to him and snuggled into his side, her thermos cradled between her palms. He pulled her in close, giving her a squeeze before placing a firm, loving kiss on the crown of her head.
And then she froze.
Soul felt her muscles physically stiffen next to him, and he was at a loss for words. “Maka? You okay?”
“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” He felt her wiggle away from him a bit, placing the drink container between them, and he brought his arm back into his lap.
They sat in silence for a full minute
“I’m sorry if I….if that was too fast.” Soul muttered, his voice low.
Maka inhaled through her nostrils, unwilling to take her eyes from the sky to meet his.
“Maka, I’m sorry; it’s just….we’ve been hanging out for months…a lot….I dunno, I just thought…”
“You thought wrong.” She bit back, still not looking at him, and that comeback broke his resolve.
“Look.” He sat up, turning fully toward her. “You’ve been making weird comments all week. What’s your beef? Did I piss you off again?”
Silence.
“Maka-
“No. It’s not you. It’s….”
Soul waited patiently for her to continue, staring at her for a moment then up at the stars splayed above them.
Maka sat up and sighed shakily beside him. “It’s the anniversary of my parents’ divorce.” She grumbled, pulling the blankets tighter around her. “My mom always tries to send me a present to make me feel better. My dad used to, but now he just gets hammered and drunk FaceTimes me.” She chuckled harshly, bringing her thermos up to her face. “I know it’s stupid, but I just….I can’t help remembering. How they pretended they were okay even though I heard them arguing constantly. They tried so hard to pretend for me, and I just…I don’t know. It makes me cynical, I guess. Wonder if I’ll ever find someone, and if I do, will I be able to keep a relationship alive.”
“Maka…”
“But it’s nothing. Stupid. Just the whiny grumblings of a child of divorce.”
“Hey, it’s not nothing. It’s not stupid. You’re allowed to be upset about it, Maka. It’s a crummy thing to put your kid through.”
“No. Staying married would’ve been crummier. They hate each other.” Maka bit her lip. “They only got married because of circumstance. It seemed like the right place at the right time, and they thought they were in love. It was this whole movie-esque tornado of events. So I just…I don’t know. I’m afraid of things moving too fast. It sucks because I’ve met some really amazing guys, but they all wanted to get serious so quickly and it was just way too much. I’m scared of moving too fast, if I’m being honest with myself. I’m scared that I’ll meet someone great and think I’ve fallen in love really fast and it’ll all just happen so quickly and in some kind of whirlwind but one day I could wake up and realize that I’m not in love anymore. Or that I never even was. Like, how much would that s-su-uck?” She hadn’t realized she was crying until her voice broke, and a chill went up her spine as her felt the tears trailing down her cheeks. She hugged her shins, resting her chin on her knees, and she squeezed her eyes shut as fat droplets squeezed from between her eyelids.
“Maka, I’m so sorry.” Soul’s voice was choked, and her eyes snapped open in alarm. She glanced over and found that his eyes were gleaming dangerously. “I didn’t realize I was pushing things along so quickly or that I seemed like I was coming on too strong. The fact of the matter is…’ He swallowed. “I like you a lot, Maka. I really do, but I want you to be comfortable in all of this. I don’t want you to feel pressured into something you don’t want to be apart of. If you don’t feel that way about me, it’s fine, we can still be friends because I love being around you-”
“Soul.” She cut him off. “O-of course I like you.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “Why else would I be so worked up about all of this right now?”
“Besides the anniversary?”
“That’s….an excuse, really. Like I said, they’re better apart. It’s just…the implications of it all that get to me sometimes. I guess that’s why it upset me…I…like you a lot, too, Soul, but I guess I just….I don’t know, with the anniversary thoughts and how often we’ve been together I guess I just freaked out. I don’t want to hurt you, Soul. Not like my parents hurt each other.”
“You won’t.” Soul murmured, inhaling deeply with his gaze fixed on the orange glow of their heater.
“How do you know, though?” Maka asked, so softly that the words fairly trailed along her breath.
“Because you’re better than them.” Soul deadpanned, looking her straight in the eye now. The conviction in his features nearly stole her breath. “Because you’ve actually thought about this stuff, and you’re more aware than they were. So what if your parents marriage fell apart? I mean that sucks and all, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be happy one day.”
“You’re really passionate about this, huh?” Maka sniffed and wiped at her eyes.
“I mean….I dunno, I get it in a way. My parents are still together, but only because a divorce would look bad in their social circles. They hate each other, and always have, so it’s not like I had a great representation of what love is, either, growing up.” Soul shrugged, turning back to the starlit sky. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t figure this stuff out for ourselves. I mean, we’ve made it this far in life, and I think we’re pretty damn smart, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Maka giggled.
“So we’ll be fine.” Soul smiled warmly, but it melted into a complacent line too quickly. “Plus, it’s not like I proposed to you or anything. We’re not even really a couple, so no worries.”
“Hey!”
He lifted a brow and peered over at her sudden outburst.
“I never said I didn’t want to be with you.” Maka continued, suddenly shy. “I love our time together. I just…slapping labels on things makes it complicated. Can we just…I dunno, let it be an unspoken agreement?”
“Works for me.” Soul folded his hands behind his head and laid back on the plastic mattress.
“Um, so…”
“Yeah?”
“Since we’re unofficially official….we can still cuddle.” Maka’s cheeks were blazing pink. “But ask me before you do anything, okay? And I’ll…be better about communicating my feelings. Deal?”
“Deal.” That warm smile was back, and she gave him one in return as she settled down next to him. A moment passed before she reached around and guided his arm around her, snuggling in close to his side with a final sigh of contentment.
“Thanks for this, Soul.” She whispered as they stared up at the stars together.
“Only for you, Maka.” He replied before suddenly jerking in realization. “Oh yeah! I have this really cool app that will show us what stars are above us! Hold on-” He pulled out his phone and thrust it toward the night sky, and they both stared intently as the device found their location.
“All those stars, and they can still be identified, one by one. Amazing.” Maka commented as they scrolled through their findings.
“Kinda like the odds of us finding each other, huh?”
“You’re such a sap.” She joked, nudging him lightly before settling her head on his chest, tucking herself in.
“I was thinking clever, but I guess that works, too.” He snarked back.
“Oooh look, those stars in a row there, is that one of the dippers?”
“Nah, I think it’s Orion, the hunter constellation…”
“But that doesn’t look right….what does the app say?”
“I dunno, it’s taking ten years to load things because the signal sucks out here.”
“Well, shoulda thought that one through-”
“Hey, I was trying to do something cool for us-”
“Chill. Kidding.” Maka screeched when he tried to pinch her side, and she aimed to pinch him back, though neither were successful with layers of cloth over their fingers. Nevertheless, Soul’s phone was abandoned in favor of defending himself against an onslaught of tickling, though he soon discovered he could easily trap Maka’s arms in a tight bear hug. “Sooooouuuuullll let GO!” She shrieked, trying to wiggle out of his hold while suppressing giggles.
“Mmmmm, nah.” Soul rolled both of them over, Maka now snuggled against him like a teddy bear. “I wanna sleep, and you’re the perfect snuggle buddy.” He nestled his nose between her head and the mattress and promptly faked snoring.
“Sooouuulll not funny, let me go! My arms are gonna fall asleep.”
“You’ll be fine. I’m not that strong.” He mumbled, burying his face further into warmth.
“Sooouulllll-” Maka whined.
“Fine, you’re no fun.” Soul released her and rolled onto his back.
“I am so fun. You’re the one who wants to be a pain.” Maka reached across him and grabbed his phone, handing it back to him. “Now tell me more about the stars. It’s getting really cold, and I want to go home soon.”
“Fine.” The backlight of his phone revealed the grin on Soul’s cheeks, and Maka smiled to herself. She searched for a moment, quickly finding his gloved hand before holding it in hers. She laid back down against him, head on his chest and watching as he scrolled through the list of stars above them. “See that really bright bluish one? That’s Uranus! The only planet clearly visible from here right now.”
“Whoa,” She stared intently where his finger pointed, nodding in recognition before snickering a bit. “I had a science teacher who tried to convince us that it’s pronounced “ur-in-is” so people would stop laughing about it.”
‘Well that’s dumb. That only makes people talk about it more.”
“I know, but what can you do with middle schoolers?”
“Ugh, true.” Soul continued scrolling. “I think that’s the North Star, there…but I’m not quite sure…”
“Or there?” Maka pointed to the left of his initial guess.
“Oh crap! I totally forgot-” Soul reached off the side of the mattress, feeling around for a small bag. “I brought a small telescope.” He carefully brought up the drawstring bag and opened it, bringing out a foot-long silver tube. “My Grandpa gave it to me.” He explained fondly. “He loved this kinda stuff. Bird-watching, star-gazing, anything he could do from his balcony. I used to go out there with him, and he got me this when I graduated high school. He said it would let us keep star-gazing together, even though we’re far apart.”
“That’s so sweet. You have great grandparents, Soul.”
“Yeah…I’m sure they’d love to meet you.” Soul’s breath hitched.
“….That would be nice.”
They both relaxed against each other, and Soul picked up the telescope. “Let’s see….ah crap, there’s a cloud in the way now…stupid desert clouds….”
“Point it at Uranus; I want to see its rings.” Soul handed over the telescope, and Maka gasped. “It’s not an incredibly clear image, obviously, but…wow….that’s a whole other planet. It’s nuts.” She swung the lens between planetary bodies, gasping louder each time he told her what it was. “This is so cool…”
“Yeah…” He gazed at her fondly, soaking in the pure childlike wonder and fascination exuding from her voice, her eyes, her posture, and the undisputed joy when she turned back to face him.
“This has been a great time, Soul…Everything included.” Maka squeezed his hand. “But it really is cold out here, and I can’t feel my nose anymore.” She grinned sheepishly, handing him the telescope with trembling fingers. “We should totally do this again, but like, when it’s warmer.”
“Agreed.” He chuckled and sat up, sliding the telescope back into its bag as Maka slowly shed her layers of warmth. “Let’s get you home before you freeze, huh?”
Maka nodded and rose, stretching her limbs before plodding over to his motorcycle and swinging her leg over. Soul followed right behind and sat himself in front of her, revving the engine with an uncontrollable smile when she squeezed him in a hug before settling in.
The drive back was brisk but short. When they arrived outside of her apartment, Maka quickly swung herself off of the bike and stood beside him, waiting expectantly. Soul raised a brow, and the girl huffed in return, holding out her arms.
“Ooooohhhh.” He grinned widely, pulling her against him in a side-hug, and she groaned into his shoulder.
“Noooo a real hug, you doofus.” She yanked him off the bike, nearly sending all three of them toppling over, and they held each other close, holding on for as long as they each dared before letting go.
“Really, this was fun…and good.” Maka smiled, leaning up to place a peck on his jaw before turning on her heel and speeding up the stairs to her apartment. “Good night!” She stage-whispered, waving to him before vanishing into her apartment and leaving a still stunned Soul leaning against his idling motorcycle.
His hand slowly rose to where her lips had grazed his face, and he felt his heart stutter just a bit.
There was really hope for them after all.
With a final triumphant grin, Soul swung himself back onto his bike and sped back toward their date site, hoping that the cleanup would be faster than the setup.
1,2,,3,5,28,29,36, 42,47,49. Hope you don't mind me asking so many! Feel free to pick and choose which ones you want answered!
1. What was your first Zelda game?
Skyward Sword! After a couple of weeks I started also the Minish Cap, so both these games hold a special place in my heart
2. Which game is your favorite?
Not to sound too repetitive, but again, it’s Skyward Sword! I know this game gets a lot of hate, but honestly it was the best I’ve ever played. It had a beautiful, compelling story and an unique soundtrack. Not to mention the art style! You know, I’m very fond of Impressionism so the art direction of the game really speaks to me. Also, the motion controls were fun and kinda made the game way more immersive
3. Which one was the hardest for you to beat?
A Link to the Past, it’s way too hard (imo) and I actually didn’t even beat it (and tbh I really didn’t like it, please don’t hate me)
5. What is your favorite Zelda moment?
Ok this question is really difficult, there isn’t just ONE moment... One of my absolute favourite is when Zelda seals herself in the crystal in Skyward Sword. It was very emotional and it honestly made me cry for an entire day (”I’m still your Zelda” gets me every fucking time) Or the ending of Breath of the Wild... even after a year I still think about it
28. Your ultimate LOZ OTP?
Zelink! But in Twilight Princess I ship Midlink and Midzel (yes, I love Midna, 10/10 would date) Oh, and Hildavio is really cute!
29. Your ultimate LOZ NOTP?
Any ships involving Ganon... let the kids alone, you’re an old man
36. What is your favorite place in the Zelda games?
Ugh, this one is hard... perhaps the desert area in Skyward Sword, in particular the Lanayru Sand Sea. I also love the Faron Woods from Twilight Princess and the Rito Village in Breath of the Wild
42. Your favorite in-game quote?
“So I'm going to ask you a favor, sleepyhead. Ever since we were kids, I'd always be the one to wake you up when you slept in. But this time, when all of this is over, will you come to wake me up?”
47. If you could have any instrument from the games which one would you have?
The Goddess’s Harp! (erm, it’s a lyre, but whatever)
49. What art style has been your favorite or would you like to see in future games?
Apparently I answered this in the first questions, but I’d like to add that I also really like the art style of Breath of the Wild! I think it’s a nice mixture of the style of Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess, and it looks good!
For the writer ask, 30. What's the hardest part of writing?
Often, I struggle with figuring out how to effectively begin or end a story. I put a lot of pressure on good first impressions and on leaving readers with certain feelings after finishing a fic.
Ok, it’s been a while, but the ask game was: Put a word inside my inbox And I’ll tell you a fact about myself based off that word.
Mind.
Sometimes when I write, it’s like a daydream; my mind makes it feel like I’m really seeing what I’m writing. Like a mild form of disassociation. This really only happens when I’ve been really stressed and am using writing as a coping or procrastination tool.
I’m constantly screaming about these two, so thank you for asking!
Who wakes the other one up with kissesZelda. Some days, she stays in bed and snuggles close to Link, kissing him softly on his forehead and cuddling with him until he finally opens his eyes - others, when she’s already up, she just gives him a quick peck on his lips (and that makes Link smile even though he’s still asleep)
Who cooks for whoThey both do! They always help each other in the kitchen, even if they’re working on completely different dishes. Though, Link becomes easily distracted (and flustered as hell) when Zelda suddenly hugs him from behind
Who is the morning person/night personZelda has always been an early bird, but that slightly changes after she settles with Link on the surface. They tend to spend most nights by Lake Floria or on the front porch of the house Link built for them, talking about their separate adventures
Who is the romantic oneThey are both romantic in their own ways. Link may give Zelda a bouquet of flowers out of the blue simply because he was thinking of her, or arrange a song for her on the harp, or simply hold her hand. Zelda loves hugging him, and she usually mends Link’s clothes without him noticing (or so she thinks…)
Who is the top when it comes to sex(Disclaimer: This answer refers to the post-game, when they’re full grown adults) Zelda! Link absolutely loves it when she takes the lead…
Who would lead in ballroom dancingWhy Zelda, of course! They’re not expert and often dance without music, but it’s such an intimate gesture…
Who is the more cuddly oneLink! Especially after a rough day, they nestle under a warm blanket and Link gently caresses Zelda’s face, keeping her close to his chest, until she dozes off
Who is the one to most likely pick the movie they watchZelda, but that’s because Link is always fine with whatever she wants to watch
Who is the one who would pay for datesBoth! Link always used to pay the first few times they were dating, but that made Zelda feel a little uncomfortable - she knows he genuinely wants to, but she equally does, too
Flowers (especially roses), when other people laugh at my jokes, cats, my husband’s smile and laugh, writing something that I truly enjoy, and my friendships!!
