Destroying a Perfect Soul

Chapter 1: The Unexpected

"I don't think I'll ever be able to explain to you how I felt when Natalie said those words…"

"The tire marks on the pavement and the strain I could feel on his soul made it all the more true,"

"Soul was gone."

"Go in."

"No"

"Soul…go inside."

"I changed my mind."

I snapped a glare in Soul's direction as the both of us stood in front of the Jazz bar down the street from our apartment. He had been looking for a job for awhile, and now that we finally found a "Help Wanted" sign, Soul wasn't even going to try. He was just standing there…a few feet away from the door; staring at the sign hanging in sight. I knew it would happen…ever since graduation when he mentioned wanting a job, I knew he'd back out like this…

"Why Soul?" I asked from beside him as I set my hands on my hips. "It's a job. My Papa and your Family's bank won't be helping us keep up with the bills anymore, starting next month!" I then said to him; causing him to give me a sideways glance. "You need to make money! I'd do it with you, but god knows how many times I've been stopped from getting into a college…I'm not letting it happen again…" I eyed him carefully as he then put his eyes back on the sign. Then, lazily, he looked at me again; a hint of a pout in his expression. "What?" I asked him in annoyance. "Is it because it's a 'jazz' bar…?"

"Kinda…yeah."

"Just get the damn job." I groaned before pushing him over to the door. And just before he slipped inside I kissed him and smiled. "Good luck, try not to be rude, act proper, and smile." He gave me a blank stare and I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah…don't do that either…I'll be back at the apartment, cooking dinner." I then said to him before shutting the door; nearly hitting him in the face. Then, now proud that I had finally gotten him to try out for a job, I took out my phone and called my best friend.

"Hello?"

"Tsubaki! Soul just might finally have a job!"

"Oh! That's great—YA-HAA!—Black*Star!"

Hearing something break in the background, I cringed but kept walking. "I see your busy with him," I then said as I heard more yelling. "I'll see you tomorrow for that double date!" Just after hearing Tsubaki say bye, I shut my phone and set it in my pocket. 'Now what should I make for dinner tonight…?' I glanced around the street's market for the something I could use for the meal. I spotted the fish stand at the end and sprung an idea. "Oh! Salmon should be a nice thing to have tonight…Soul will like that…"

"What's the special occasion?"

I glanced over my shoulder as Soul walked into the apartment; sniffing the air as if a dog. "I thought salmon would be a nice meal in case you were to get the job…" I said as I turned to face him. But then, I glared and lifted brow. "Did you?" I then asked him. Soul grinned and nodded to me; causing me to bring a missile to my face. "Oh Soul that's great!" Making sure to turn the stove's heat down a little, I ran over to him and gave him a hug. "I'm so proud of you! What did you get?"

"Bartender," Soul answered as I pulled away only enough to see his face. "I start Monday." He then said. I smiled even more, leaned in to kiss him and pulled away to keep cooking our dinner. Soul disappeared into our room—which by the way used to be his room—and left the kitchen to be silent besides my soft humming. We decided to sleep together towards the end of senior year. There was a long three week debate in which room we'd end up emptying. But after asking the gang to decide for us, Black*Star shouted out for us to empty my room because it wasn't as awesome as Soul's…of course the white haired idiot agreed…

"What's this?"

I looked over my shoulder for the second time that night and saw Soul standing in our bedroom doorway; his right hand holding up an envelope that, at first, didn't seem familiar at all. But then, I saw exactly what it was…It was the envelope that I had hidden away behind his back from before the mess with Medusa!

"You're going through my stuff!"

"Technically, it's 'our' stuff…" Soul shot back with a smirk before crossing his arms. "Plus, you've gone through 'my' stuff before. I think it's my turn." He opened his eyes and walked over to the dining table to sit down. "Besides…it's got my name on it. I think it belongs to me anyway," He gave me another glance before opening the envelope to pull out the letter. I watched closely to see his expression in case it were to change in anyway. Seconds passed…and soon a single minute…and his eyes finally widened.

"O-Ok, just so you know-!" I began as I held out a hand for me defense. "When it came in the mail…it was before medusa attacked us!" he glanced up at me and lifted both brows in a way of telling me to continue. "I thought, since your real name was on there, that it could have been the murderer with a threat of some sort…I…" I think I felt my eyes begin to water… "I…I was just scared…I didn't know what to do…" He lowered the paper onto the table as one single tear rolled down my cheek. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Don't cry Maka." Soul said to me with a grin; tossing the letter to the middle of the table. "It was just my brother…" He then said with a single glance over to the letter. I'm sure I put on one of t he most confused expressions in my life after I heard that. Didn't his brother go missing? "Apparently a month before the mess with Medusa…he was found and taken home…he tried to get a hold of me I guess…"

I looked down sadly. "And because of me…you're four years late to reply…"

"Shut up Maka, and just cook." Soul scoffed as he got to his feet. He snatched up the letter and walked over to me as I began cooking again. "Relax, it's not your fault. I'm going to give him a call…" I gave him serious yet saddened look as he picked up the phone. Once he saw it, he rolled his eyes and began punching in the numbers; walking back over to out room. He held it up to his ear and opened the door to go inside. "Uh…hey…it's Soul…"

The door clicked shut and his voice was muffled out so I couldn't hear him. So, with a small sigh, I turned back to the meal I was preparing. I thought it was going to be your average Thursday night...like it always was. But somehow, Soul just had to find that letter. I mean…it was great that he was talking to his brother again…but it was just one of those times when I wanted to have a normal night with my not so normal boyfriend. Deep down, I knew Wes was great, polite and an amazing person even if I hadn't met him…but at that moment I just wanted to kick him.

I scooped up booth pieces of cooked salmon and set them on the cutting board so I could turn down the heat and set the pan into the sink. As soon as that was done I grabbed some seasoning from the cupboard and sprinkled it on the red meat. True, I didn't like fish much, but with the right amount of seasoning and spice made it edible for me. I reached into the closest drawer and pulled out the knife so I could cut the meat into squares. Then, I set them down onto a plate; along with some corn and rice that had been cooking in a different pan.

"Yeah…fine, fine…"

As Soul's voice came back into the room I picked up our plates and took them over to the table. He wasn't done, so I was sure he was listening to his brother while he sat down in his chair. Suddenly, he held back a gasp and one of his eyes twitched slightly. "What! Wes you can't—" He was cut off by his brother as I sat down on the other side of the table. "But…I don't live alone—I—Wes! Shut up for a second…stop talkin'" I watched a she set his head in his hand and his elbow on the table. He groaned in annoyance and shut his eyes. "Thank you…"

"Soul…eat your food…"

Soul held up a finger as he shut his eyes and continued on his talk with his brother. "Ok, ok, fine." He then breathed out quietly. "Go ahead…just…try not to arrive on our doorstep at four in the morning…" I paused in the middle of taking a bite of my food and let my hand fall back down onto the table. "Yes…I said "our" … I told you…I'm living with my girlfriend…" He groaned again and slid his plate to the side so he could set his chin on the table. "Wha? …her name is Maka…" He then said to his brother. "Wes…I gotta go. My foods gettin' cold…Bye…"

"What did you mean by "try not to arrive on our doorstep at four in the morning"?"

Soul clicked the phone to hang up and set it on the table so he could finally start to eat. "He…he's coming to visit." He then said to me as he picked up his fork. "And, well, he's the type of guy who likes to wake up early, just for the hell of it." He shoved a chunk of salmon in his mouth and chewed. When he swallowed, looked back up and shrugged. "I just don't want him waking us up so early you know…no matter how badly I want to see him."

"Is it something that runs in the family?" I asked him; causing him to pause before taking another bite. "You always seem to be up early…" I then said. "You know…before you fall back asleep." He looked at me in silence before finally shoving his fork into his mouth so he could eat more. "Soul…don't avoid the question…"

"YA-HAA!"

"AH!"

The front door slammed open and the blue haired maniac Soul and I called our friend entered the building with a huge grin. "Oh…Black*Star…" I breathed with a twitch of the eye as Tsubaki appeared behind him with an unsure look on her face. "How…unexpected of you…"

"SOUL!" Black*Star shouted with a finger in my boyfriend's direction. Soul just stared back with a piece of food sticking out of his mouth. "I heard that you got a job!" The blue haired maniac then yelled before making his way over and setting his hands on our dining table to lean in. "How bout we celebrate by going to a bar or something—"

"MAKA-CHOP!"

I slammed my book down on his head so he could crash against the table's surface, and as he slid off the table he set my hands on my hips with a glare. "Hell no!" I then yelled at him. "I made this dinner so Soul and I could celebrate alone!" Tsubaki made her way over with a sigh and helped Black*Star stand back up as I sat back down, crossed my arms and looked away. "Thanks for ruining the night…"

Maka…

I gave Soul a sideways glance and saw him looking at me with lazy sympathy. Then, with a sigh, he looked at the blue haired boy that had me upset. "Black*Star…dude, we'll hang some other time, alright?" He then said to him. Black*Star looked at his "brother" and pouted; causing Soul to lift a brow. "What? Did you need something too?"

"Well actually," Black*Star began as he sat down and smiled at Soul. Tsubaki seemed to know what he was going to say since she stepped over and set her hands on his shoulders. "I—the great Black*Star—got a job too!" I stopped my pout and looked over to the two boys as they spoke. Soul's eyes actually put on a little interest as he lifted a brow.

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

I stood up from my seat quickly and grabbed my plate as the two of them chatted away about Black*Star's new job. It didn't seem that any of them noticed that I had gotten up and walked away. I opened the front door and walked outside so I could eat my dinner in peace. The random visits Black*Star gave us eventually got old and we were finally used to it. But lately, they've just been annoying.

Maka, come back…

"Oh shut up, will you?" I breathed out before taking another bite of my food; sitting down on the steps that led to our floor in the complex. Are you curious to know who I just spoke to? Well…ever since the day Soul and I first became…well…intimate…somehow we could communicate. Or I guess, he could communicate with me. I couldn't exactly talk back…I just guessed that it had something to do with my abilities…also that sometimes, he could tell what I was feeling without even looking at me. And when we'd be far apart, I'd see things that represented what 'he'd' be feeling. …Crazy stuff right? …I'll say…

"Maka-Chan?"

"Come on out…"

I heard the door shut and a few seconds later, Tsubaki's light footsteps were heard as she made her way over to me to sit down next to me. "I'm sorry about Black*Star," She said to me lightly as I shoved more of my meal into my mouth. "He was just excited to hear about Soul going for a job interview…" I shrugged it off and she smiled a little at me. "We didn't even check to see if he even got it or not…did he?"

"Yeah," I answered as I set the plate down between us. She smiled a little more and said something about it being great news, so I smiled lightly and nodded. "Yeah, he's starting on Monday…" I then said to her. "Oh! And, his brother's coming to see us tomorrow!"

"Wes?" Tsubaki asked with a large hint of surprise in her voice. I nodded with a large smile and she tilted her head to the side. "Really?" She then breathed; causing me to nod again. "But I thought that his brother was missing…"

"He was," I told her before looking away and down the stairs to the street below. On the wall just behind Soul's bike, I could see Blair trotting about and clawing at something I couldn't see. "He sent a letter awhile back saying that he was found. Soul gave him a call…and well, Wes is coming to visit us tomorrow. Or I guess, he's coming to visit his little brother, not me. But it's still great to meet him…I guess…"

"Will you still be able to go on that date?"

"Oh yeah, of course!" I said to her happily; keeping my eyes on the purple furred cat down by the street. Suddenly, Blair squealed and hissed with an arch of her back before running off to hide from whatever had scared her. The thing that had scared her though was a loud crashing noise that came from within the apartment. So Tsubaki and I both looked at the door with wide and confused eyes. "What now…" I breathed as I stood up and grabbed the plate. I made my way over to the front door—Tsubaki not too far behind—and opened it to go inside. I tried very hard not to drop my plate, as Tsubaki gasped from behind me.

"Black*Star!"

My eyes twitched as I watched the blue haired man turnaround from where he stood. The dining table was flipped over, my china plates were shattered on the ground and all four chairs had been knocked over; Soul nowhere to be seen. "What?" Black*Star asked as if nothing had happened. I growled angrily as Soul's head finally came into view from behind the couch; his lazy eyes actually showing a little fear. "There was this 'huuuuge' spider…It was threatening 'my' hugeness in this world…I had to destroy it!"

"GET OUT!" I yelled as I finally snapped and stepped aside to point out the door. Tsubaki flinched and walked over to the blue haired man so she could grab him by the arm and pull him out. "I'll see you two tomorrow…" I muttered as the other woman in the building besides me mumbled out a goodnight. "Please, Black*Star, behave yourself then…and maybe I won't kill you."

"K! See you tomor—"

I slammed the door and glared at the door quietly; my plate still held up in my hands. I felt Soul approach from my left and take it from me so he could go set it down before I could drop it. "Why…is he always like that…?" I finally let out in a growl as Soul began making his way over to the table to pick it back up. I kept my eyes on the door while I listened to the shuffling of chair legs and clattering of broken china plates. It almost seemed like my plates were never going to be safe in this damn apartment.

"Eh...I'm not even sure," I heard him mumble from the kitchen as the clatter of plates came to a stop. "He probably won't stop unless something big happens…" He let out a soft chuckle as I heard another chair get picked up. "Like something bigger than him all together." I rolled my eyes as I felt his presence come closer and as soon as his arms wrapped around my waist, his laughing stopped. "Come on…it's late…" He then said to me; his head finding its spot in the crook of my neck. "Stop glaring at the door and let's go to bed."

"I'm not glaring at it anymore…"

"Don't care…lets go,"

Soul began to back up and pull me with him so he could take me into our room, but the resistance I gave him, caused him to stumble a bit and stop. "I don't feel like it," I pouted as I kept my eyes on the door. I felt him sigh on my neck and try and pull me again, but I kept my feet firmly where they were. "Not tired." Hearing him mumble something against my skin, I felt him slide his arms further down my waist. I looked down for only a moment, before looking back up since he had tightened his hold and lifted me off of the ground; taking his head away from my neck to make things easier. "S-Soul!" I gasped with a light laugh as he turned around and walked towards our room. "Put me down!" I put my hands on his wrists and tried to pull them away, but he was stronger than me of course. "Soul!"

"Going down…"

I felt my hair brush up against my face as the both of us fell onto the bed; his face lodged between my shoulder blades as I laughed lightly. After I calmed, I shifted within his hold and looked at the ceiling. Then, a small smile spread across my lips again. "You're not even tired are you…?" He squeezed me tighter and groaned out a no; causing me to roll my eyes and sigh. "Then…why are you…"

"Are you against cuddling, or something?"

"N-No, I was just—gya!" He squeezed me a little too tight that time. "Soul…can't…breathe…"

"Sorry…" Soul breathed as he loosened his hold enough for me to turn my body and face him. Though, the position we ended up being was that his face was now in between my—let's not forget—small breasts. "Don't want you escaping…" His voice muffled from within my chest. I sighed and put on a smile before setting my hand on his head. Everything seemed to be peaceful whenever we were alone. Even sometimes before we had gotten together, things were peaceful…at times, I really just wanted things to stay that way…

Especially when we fought…

"Stop being gloomy," Soul said as he gave the skin on my back a pinch; causing me to jump in shock. "I don't like it…"

"Oh yeah?" I asked in irritation as I grabbed a chunk of his hair with my hand. "I don't like it when you pinch me either," I then said; pulling his head back. As he cringed in pain, I slid down in his hold so he didn't have to be in between my boobs any longer. "Got it, dummy?" He looked at me with an annoyed glare for a moment before sighing and leaning his head forward to kiss me lightly on the lips. Almost so light, it gave me goose bumps; no matter how warm I was in his arms.

"Yeah, I got it…"