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"Just open up and say 'ah,' it'll be over before you know it," Soul said.
"I'm not letting my Weapon spoon feed like I'm a baby," Maka said, a bit of a snap to her voice.
Pathetic.
She got hurt to the point that her Weapon is offering to spoon feed her- in front of a crowd of people no less. It's just so demeaning.
Soul rolled his eyes, "C'mon, you need to eat to heal."
Maka flopped back against the pillows in spite of the partial paralytics, "I refuse to let you belittle me like this."
Soul blanked, "Belittle? I'm just trying to help you out."
"How would you feel if I tried to spoon food into your mouth?" Maka asked.
The bickering didn't really subside until Black Star and Tsubaki had left, Kid and the twins followed suit. What could they add to the discussion anyways. The spite between a Weapon and a Meister are personal things for them to work out.
Soul is still trying to convince Maka to just stop fighting and accept the help.
She still isn't having it.
"Why won't you let me help you!?" The small cup of fruit is tossed to the floor when Soul hits the breaking point.
Maka didn't expect that response.
"I'm just trying to make sure you're healing properly and not starving and-" He cuts himself short.
"Soul-"
"No, it's whatever. It's cool. I'll go."
"Soul Eater Evans."
Soul froze up, "Yes, Maka?"
"You can feed me, if it'll get you out of this funk," Maka offered.
"Well I just tossed the fruit cup to the god damn floor." Soul thrust a hand in gesture to the splattered fruit chunks.
"Sit with me."
Soul heels to her offer without even realizing it. His arms are crossed and he's sitting at the edge of the bed.
"You've never tried to feed me when I got hurt before," Maka started with, "What happened?"
Soul doesn't speak.
"Soul."
"I couldn't help you. I didn't protect you. I'm supposed to be ready to die for you. I should've taken the fucking hit."
"It's fine, we didn't know it'd paralyze me," Maka said.
"It's not fine!" He's baring his teeth like a dog, "Just let me help you."
Maka paused, "Mishaps happen on the battlefield all the time."
"A mishap shouldn't leave you paralyzed from the neck down," Soul snapped.
He dropped onto his side, curled against Maka just a bit. Hell, if she got hit again he could've lost her. That'd get him revoked from being a Weapon, a failure who couldn't even keep his Meister from dying. His best friend, from dying.
He listens intently for her to speak, the steady thrum of her heartbeat ringing in his ears. He could've lost that, could've watched it end in an instant. Could've felt his Soul be severed from hers within seconds of an impact, felt as presence became absence.
It's a horrifying notion.
Ninety nine human Souls and a cat Soul, and then he'd have to start it all over again with someone new. Someone who wouldn't be able to wield him with the same prowess, who wouldn't be able to resonate with him the same. Someone different, someone that isn't his fucking Meister.
That's not gonna happen.
That'll never fucking happen.
He won't let it, he can't let it-
"Soul, can you stop gripping my hip?" Maka asked.
Oh.
He didn't, he didn't even notice it.
He retracts himself from her entirely, "Sorry."
"It's fine, just felt weird because you were gripping it too tight." Maka answered with. She would reach out to give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but all that her reflex is greeted with is a sharp sensation shooting through arm.
"I can leave you alone if you want me too," Soul offered.
"Why would I want you to leave?" Maka asked.
"I'm being a nuisance, first I try to spoon feed you, then I hold you to tight, and I'm just being a clingy bastard."
"Why are men like this?" It's an utterance that doesn't go unnoticed but Soul doesn't say anything in response.
He lays himself across Maka's shins instead, it's nice to just be close. That's his Meister, sure she can't hold him right now. But just being beside her, next to her, able to try and protect her even if it's just with his human body, is nice.
It's his fucking job.
A Meister's life will always come before a Weapon's life.
"I am kind of hungry," Maka said.
Soul perked up.
"Could you get me some food?"
Like a dog, Soul does exactly as asked.
-/-/-/-
He spends the rest of the day doing as asked, even if demeaning it is nice. To be of use. To not be a failure. An unneeded assurance that he's actually good at being a Weapon, at being something intended to be used.
He's submissive, yes.
But submissive in the way a dog is submissive to the sheep it kills wolves for.
A submission that was earned and offered all at once.
Still, in spite of that he finds himself resting at Maka's feet like an obedient dog. He let's himself be a space heater, even if the heat he gives off is beyond minimal.
"Soul," Maka starts with.
Soul shoots up.
"Stop acting like a mutt," Maka said.
"I'm not acting like a mutt! I'm just being a good partner," Soul said firmly, although he was vaguely aware of the fact he was acting very much like a mutt. Not that he didn't like it. He did enjoy being useful.
"Sure you aren't," Maka teased, "Can you get me some water?"
Soul slung himself off the bed and faltered at the desk beside her bed, "You trust me enough to not spill water all over you if you drink from a cup?"
"Isn't that your cup?"
"Yeah, but tap tastes better than bottled- nobodies gonna see and nobodies gonna care."
"Yeah I want cup."
"Cool."
Soul brought the rim of the cup to her lips and slowly tilted. Bottled water is so much easier to not spill. But it's whatever, it's what Maka asked of him. So he'll oblige to her request.
He retracts when she bites on the edge.
"That looked like it hurt."
"It did, thank god this paralytic will wear off sooner than later."
Soul nodded, "Agreed. Anything else I can do for ya?"
"No."
"Cool, I'm gonna try and conk out then."
Soul places the glass on the desk before splaying himself flat across Maka on his stomach. His hands lay, fingers twined, at the base of her ribs, head tilted to the side where it rests.
"You're gonna sleep on top of me?" Maka asked.
"Yep, got any issues with it?" Soul asked back, grinning up at her the whole while.
"It's fine," Maka said. A wash of pins and needles shot through her arms as she tried to raise them. Stupid paralytic.
He lets himself rest up against her again, "Thanks."