“Hey, what’s taking you so long,” Soul called from one end of the hallway, prompting both girls to jump at the sound of his voice.

“We gonna practice today or not?” he then questioned once reaching Maka’s locker.

“I’ll have Cindy text you over the break,” Sara whispered to Maka before jogging past Soul and offering a flimsy wave in farewell.

The meister gave the girl a small wave in return before regarding Soul, who had slouched against the lockers and started to tap one of his shoes against the smooth floor in impatience.

“Sorry, Soul. I’ve got all my stuff, so let’s head out,” she murmured to her partner while desperately attempting to keep her eyes from looking in his direction.

He responded with a grunt in approval and they began to silently walk through the classrooms that lined each side of the hallway.

Eater…addicted…messed up thought Maka as her mind felt like it was going to split in half from the new information she was given.

She was suddenly propelled out of her thoughts once feeling a soft object touch her shoulder, causing the meister to look over and find Soul holding up a towel in her direction.

“You always bitch about being sweaty after practice so I thought this would help,” he coughed as Maka took the thin cloth from him.

“Th-thanks” the meister whispered in stunned silence, only for Soul to scoof in response.

“Don’t mention it. I’m your partner aren’t I?” he added with a shrug before Maka let out a low hum.

Everyone only sees him as “Eater”… she thought to herself as they continued their walk towards the training grounds.

Her thoughts began to gradually shift towards the moments when Soul would stop and fish out a few quarters from his back pocket whenever they’d come across a street musician while walking to his apartment. She then began to reflect on the time her partner caught her crying in an alleyway during a thunderstorm and how he’d offered his school-jacket to keep her dry before jogging them over towards Deathbucks and buying her a steaming cup of hot chocolate while battling against a sneezing fit.

But what I’ve seen is completely different from the rumors going around and… that seems to be a good enough reason for me to stay with him Maka internally noted before tightening her grip on the towelshe’d gotten from him.

————————————————-

Thanksgiving break seemed to go by in a flash for Maka.

Soul and her had been practicing almost everyday in preparation for their pre-kishin hunt on Thanksgiving day, and aside from the usual stop she’d make at her papa’s house, they’d been spending most of their time together.

Their usual routine had caused Maka to begin reading at her papa’s house during the afternoon while Soul took a nap at his apartment, allowing them both a little detox from their newly formed partnership.

The meister had been engrossed within her hardcover of The Princess Bride when she heard her phone suddenly buzz on-top the bedside table.

- Hi, this is Cindy ;) - Maka read on her notification screen.

- Sara gave me ur number. Soo have u picked up a partner swap form yet? - Cindy then sent, causing the meister’s chest to tighten from the guilt she’d felt after doubting her partner last week.

- Hey, can u give me give me until the end of the break to think about everything? - Maka hastily sent to the other girl.

She didn’t even have to wait thirty seconds before her phone vibrated once more.

- K, I’ll see u at school :P - the meister read before snapping her phone shut and tossing it towards the other end of her bed.

I should’ve just told her the truth Maka huffed to herself before thinking about the way Sara, Cindy, and practically the whole school antagonized Soul for how he absorbs pre-kishin souls after their missions.

So he eats souls, what about it? They’re acting like that’s the only thing he lives off of she internally huffed before laughing at the image of Soul stuffing his face with spaghetti during lunch or morphing his lips into a small smile when she’d offer to share some of her bento with him after practice.

The memories seemed to suddenly strike Maka into action, causing the meister to quickly pick up her phone and start walking towards the house’s front door before she could even formulate the plan that was brimming within her mind.

She then ran over to the local grocery store just as the sun had finally given itself up to the lull of sleep.

—————————————————

“What’s going on here?” Spirit called from the living room, forcing Maka’s body to go completely rigid from the unwelcome intrusion.

“None of your business.” she stated before focusing all her attention on the recipe that was listed on the biscuit mix box.

The meister could feel her papa’s gaze focus upon a package of small turkey wings she’d found on sale at the grocery store and then move towards a pile of sweet potatoes that were resting beside the kitchen sink.

“If you wanted me to cook for Thanksgiving, you should’ve just said so Angel-“

“This is for me and Soul!” Maka breathed through her teeth before losing her grip on the measuring she’d been using.

The meister hastily brought a hand up towards her face as a waft of flour hit her nostrils while she tried to frantically grab the kitchen utensil.

The pressure her papa had brought into the room finally began to sink in, causing Maka to get down onto her knees and try to control her breathing.

Spirit continued to stay quiet for a few minutes, allowing his daughter time to compose herself before she heard his footsteps grow closer towards her hunched figure.

“Oh no, I completely forgot to sweep the floor this morning. Guess now would be a good time to do it,” her papa said before making his way over to the storage closet and taking out a broom.

“Hmm, that bowl I make cookies in would be a good size for making biscuit dough,” he lightly whispered, eliciting Maka to finally gaze in his direction without having to suppress an overwhelming rage that would come whenever she’d notice his crimson hair or emerald eyes that looked painfully similar to her own.

She found Spirit slowly sweeping up the layer of flour upon the tiles and couldn’t stop herself from remembering the nights he’d cook dinner for the both of them while her mama was away on an extravagant trip outside the country.

Maka then slowly rose to her feet once more before moving closer towards her papa in order to instinctively grab the bowl he had mentioned.

The proximity allowed her to notice how disheveled he appeared, and she wasn’t the least bit surprised when the heavy smell of alcohol hit her nostrils after he let out a sigh.

They both worked in silence after that as Maka prepared the biscuit dough and packed it into a small container. She began to pile the turkey legs into a bowl while dolefully recalling that seasoning food wasn’t exactly her strong suit.

“Looks like I’m done,” her papa exclaimed from behind her as she heard him open a drawer and begin rummaging through it.

The meister was just about to look back in confusion before the man silently placed a few seasoning containers next to her.

She stared at the containers in stunned silence for a few moments before slowly picking one up.

“People ususally add half a teaspoon of oregano,” Spirit chimed, prompting Maka to crane her head in the direction of his voice and watch as her papa turned his back towards her and begun to pick up a dirty dish from the sink.

It didn’t take long for the meister to open a drawer and pull out a teaspoon, hoping that it wouldn’t be too difficult to tiptoe around her papa’s directions for the rest of the meal she needed to prepare.

——————————————————————-

“Good morning Soul!” Maka called before slamming his door open, only to be met with a long groan from her partner.

“Maka, it’s only 1 p.m.,” he muttered before sinking his face into a pillow, causing her to giggle at his displeasure.

“Yea, and you’re the only person I know who’d say it’s too early to get up at this time,” she added before walking towards his bed.

“C’mon, I didn’t wanna make breakfast before you got up. It won’t taste as good if it’s cold,” the meister urged while poking at Soul’s shoulder.

Her partner let out a stifled yawn before emerging from his blanket cocoon and raising his arms in a stretch.

“Geez, did ya’ really have to make me feel bad about you waiting to eat? I feel like such a bad partner now” he added with a snicker before Maka rolled her eyes.

“Just go brush your teeth already,” she replied before shuffling back towards the kitchen.

I have to make every moment count today Maka then thought before opening up the fridge and gazing at all the containers she’d hauled with her to Soul’s apartment.

“Wow…looks like you went all out,” Soul voiced a few minutes later, elicting the meister to hum in surprise before looking over her shoulder.

She was then met with her partner eyeing the plate of maple peach pancakes she’d had waiting for him at the table before he got settled into his seat and picked up a fork.

“Do you like them?” she questioned once he plopped a giant slice into his mouth, only to grin at him as he let out a hum in approval.

“Yea, they’re really good!”Soul added before licking off a thin glaze of maple syrup at the corner of his lip and eagerly grabbing the fork for a second slice.

“I’d been worried at first since they’re a little overcooked,” Maka added as she finished getting her own pancakes ready and sat down next to him.

“Right, I forgot. You wanna be a perfectionist about everything,” Soul snorted before regarding her with a cocky grin, which Maka responded to with a half-hearted pout.

The pair then began to finish breakfast while going over their plan for that night, allowing the meister to notice how her partner’s shoulders began to sag as they went over how many souls they’d have collected after completing this mission.

“We should head out after you finish up with the dishes,” Maka exclaimed as Soul reached over to grab her plate.

“Huh..head out where?” he responded.

“Perfectionists need breaks too sometimes,” she lightly commented before giving her partner a large grin.

—————————————————————-

“I thought no one goes out for Thanksgiving,” Soul probed as Maka led them through the various carnival rides that’d been scattered across a large field.

“ Some people don’t really care for the whole family dinner thing,” the meister added with a small shrug before grabbing Soul’s hand and leading him towards a line in front of the corn maze, hoping that would be enough to stop her from breaking into a fit of self-pity that would completely ruin the day she’d planned out for them.

“This’ll be a good place to start since the line is moving fast! We can think of it as partnership training too, for the mission tonight,” she elaborated as they stood behind a group of people.

“Righttt, so what’ll it mean if we get lost?” Soul joked, although the comment seemed to create an uneasy tension between the pair.

“We won’t get lost because we’re a team,” Maka immediately added before locking eyes with her partner, hoping his gaze would quell any sort of uneasiness that had wedged itself into her brain.

“Well, we better live up to that claim then,” Soul eventually added, causing Maka to let out a bemused hum and give his hand a gentle squeeze.

They had completed the corn maze with a few minor hiccups that were elicited from their usual banter, allowing the meister to revel in the confidence that had washed over her once they found the exit.

Maka had then led Soul towards each of the carnival rides, which her partner appeared to enjoy even after his speculations about how many years the machines had gone without a safety inspection.

He had suggested that they relax a bit on the hay ride after splitting a plate of overpriced nachos and funnel cake, which Maka eagerly agreed to.

“Here,” the meister voiced as the wagon was about to come towards a stop.

She then heard a puzzled grunt come from Soul, only for it to be rebutted by a hum in surprise once she placed a small bento box into his hands.

“I was gonna wait until we’d gotten off the wagon, but I think it’d be better if we ate a little earlier and headed back,” she elaborated as her partner opened the container and eagerly eyed the contents within it.

“Th-thanks, you-shouldn’t have gone through all the trouble of makin’ me one,” he stammered, which caused Maka to give him a light smile before using a pair of chopsticks to pick up some rice from her own bento.

“I wasn’t going to let you starve silly. Let’s eat some on here and then find a table after getting off. That way we’ll have just enough time to make dinner and go practice before the mission,” she finished as Soul gave her a nod in agreement.

“Heh, guess it’ll be pretty packed at all the restaurants around town. Well, ramen for dinner doesn’t sound too bad after all we’ve eaten today,” he replied, prompting Maka to give him a mischievous smile in response.

—————————————————————-

“You did all this!” Soul exclaimed as Maka pulled out each container that held her meal prep from the night before.

“I…had a little bit of help,” she muttered while thinking back at the delicate manner in which her papa had helped get everything ready in time.

Her partner appeared to be too enthralled with all the packets in front of him to voice a response, which Maka responded to by playfully giving his spine a quick pat.

“We have to get everything ready before you can pig out. Go preheat the oven while I get the gravy warmed,” she interjected, prompting Soul to give her a swift nod before walking over towards the oven.

They were able to get the meal ready at a steady pace, and it wasn’t long before the pair was staring at the buffet of turkey legs, biscuits, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce laid before them on the kitchen table.

“This definitely beats packaged ramen,” Soul added with a chuckle as Maka began to grin at the statement.

“I sure hope so,” she lightly taunted while playfully waving a turkey leg in his direction.

Soul was more than able to show his gratitude for the meal by vacuuming up the food on his plate within minutes, allowing Maka to heave a sigh of relief as he began to eagerly make himself a second plate.

“Hey-uh Maka,” Soul spoke as they began to clean up the kitchen and pack all the leftovers.

“Hmm?” she slowly added.

“Thanks…for today,” her partner murmured as she watched his face morph into the sullen smile he’d wear while passively hearing his name echoed across every corner of the school.

“Of course! I’m…really glad you liked the food,” she tentatively replied due to being taken aback from the sudden fracture in the facade he’d put up in front of everyone.

They then let out a low hum in tandem before silently basking within the moment for a few minutes.

“You…ready for tonight?” Soul finally voiced as Maka came out the kitchen and grabbed her trench coat in confirmation.

The moon had already been grinning in the sky by the time they’d positioned themselves underneath the bare trees for practice, although there had also been other weapon-meister pairs that had decided to utilize the chilly night for practice as well.

However, unlike most of the other beginners, Maka was left in a sense of awe at the energy that was emanating between her and Soul as she gripped the warm metal of his weapon form.

It felt soothing in a way, but there was also a heavier weight than what their soul link usually produced, which left both of them feeling unsteady.

“You ok?” Soul voiced to her before breaking his transformation and flinging a towel over her sweaty forehead.

“Yea…I think we’re getting the hang of this!” she huffed just as they heard a yell come from another portion of the training grounds.

“The hell,” her partner growled before grabbing Maka’s hand and spinning his head around to see if he could pinpoint where the noise had come from.

The meister was just about to urge him into transforming again before her attention began to focus upon the two figures that were walking in their direction, eliciting Soul to position himself in front of her.

“See, he is here!” a voice screeched while Maka let out a groan once pinpointing it as belonging to Sara.

“He probably already ate it too! Ugh gross, we should let Mister Sid know,” another girl added, whom the meister assumed was Cindy.

“What’s going on?” she questioned the two girls, who then regarded her with a small sneer.

“It’s ok Maka, you won’t have to feel bad about staying with this freak anymore. Looks like Eater got caught ambushing a pair right by the school and made off with the soul they’d just collected,” Sara added before gazing at Soul, who had kept his expression neutral while they spoke.

“What’s the matter Eater , can’t think of an excuse for what you did?” Cindy jabbed, causing Maka to dig her fingers into her palms in irritation.

“Don’t bother with him, he probably doesn’t even get what he did wrong,” Sara added just as Maka felt her cheeks flush in heat once noticing the look of dejection in Soul’s eyes.

“I really feel sorry for you Maka, I’d never be able to recover once finding out that my partner is a mindless monster that-“

“HE ISN’T A MONSTER,” the meister shouted over Sara, probing everyone to turn their heads in her direction.

“Maybe if you people would stop trying to make him out as being a monster, you’d see that he’s just trying to save lives like everyone else,” she continued before the girl yelped in surprise.

“M-Maka you’ve gotta face it-“

“I don’t have to face shit!” she added before jabbing her classmate in the chest and grabbing at her shirt sleeves.

“I think I’d know my partner better than some girls trying to find entertainment in a twisted rumor. He’s got way more personality and common fucking courtesy than all you people combined, so if I hear those rumors again, I’ll personally beat the crap-“

“Maka calm down,” Soul voiced from behind before the meister felt a hand rest on her shoulder.

Her anger began to slowly subside from the small weight of his touch, although her hands refused to relinquish the fabric of Sara’s shirt until her partner pried them away.

“Ugh Soul, let me go!” she then yelled while he latched his hands onto her wrists.

“No Maka, I’m not abouta’ let you get hurt because of some-“ her partner tried to voice before they heard another scream resound a short distance away from where they stood.

It wasn’t long before they noticed a hooded figure running across the dead leaves on the ground, only to be tackled by Sid.

“Care to explain what these are,” Nygus spoke while snatching a backpack from the person Sid had pinned down and unzipping it to reveal the missing collection of pre-kishin souls.

“We…we just wanted to make me a Deathscythe faster,” another voice added as a pocketknife that had fallen near the boy transformed into an accompanying EAT student.

Maka watched as Sara and Cindy silently took in the scene for a moment before gently grabbing her partner’s hand.

“Let’s go,” she said, probing Soul to lead them away from the commotion.

Neither said a word as they walked towards the area where the pre-kishin they were hunting had been sighted, which caused Maka to anxiously chew at a corner of her lip before opening her mouth to speak.

“Why didn’t you…say anything to the two of them?” she asked Soul, who met her confused gaze with a grunt.

“People like that aren’t worth our time. Let em’ hate all they want, they won’t cut their crap until the truth is laid out right in front of them,” her partner mumbled.

He probably thought I was really dumb back there-

“Can’t say what you did wasn’t cool though,” Soul then voiced over her thoughts, causing the meister to look over at him once more and be met with the largest shark-toothed grin he’d ever given her.

“Yea well, you’re welcome,” she quickly added before lightly poking her elbow into his ribcage and laughing at the noise he let out.

The pre-kishin was one of their more easier targets so far, although the pair couldn’t tell if it was due to their growing soul link or the fighting ability of the giggling meathead they’d just sliced through.

Maka had casually waited as Soul began to stretch his limbs after the fight, but the meister had then begun to grow tense once noticing how her partner was furrowing his brows at the red orb in front of them.

“Did ya’ know Tsubaki absorbs these things? She said it doesn’t hurt, just feels like having something crawl into your chest,” he slowly stated, eliciting Maka to begin walking in his direction.

“I heard some other people in class talk about just storing em’ in their weapon form somehow, but I’ve never seen it happen-before,” he mumbled out as the meister stood next to him and cupped the tainted soul.

She turned in his direction and silently reached her palms out in an invitation for him to take it from her.

He stared at her hands for a few minutes before Maka began to shuffle her boots while worrying that he wouldn’t want to eat the soul after all.

Her nerves were then silenced as he slowly picked it up from the top, gulped it down, let out an airy sigh, and finally gave her a lopsided smile.

Maka could feel her partner’s body stiffen once she circled both her hands around his neck in a tight embrace but didn’t have any intentions of letting go, cool guy image be damned.