Hello, all! It's me, Yuni... I'm writing another cute one shot for the SteinxMarie pairing... I love that pairing cause it just seems so... natural... I hope you like it~! I do not own SE. SE is (c) to it's respective owner! :D

Yuni out~! -.^y

She was crying, her partner having abandoned her... Why did it always end like this? Why was she always dumped or abandoned? She always questioned herself. She sat at the front of the school, her cheeks already stained with tears, yet more were to flow freely down her face. She was only fifteen. That had been her third meister already.

A voice broke through the grief. "Don't cry. I'll be your meister." She looked up at the faint, but firm and emotionless voice and noticed the school outcast, Franken Stein.

Now she was with the crazy meister. He lived alone, outside of Death City in an old lab he had refurbished to his liking. He gave her a place to stay, a room with a bed- albeit a hospital bed, but a bed. She was just happy he had decided to aid her in becoming a Death Scythe. He had promised her no emotional strings attached to lessen any pain that would come of abandonment- as if he had any emotions to tie onto.

There was something odd about this night, how ever. A noise had awoken her. She crept around the dark lab, following the noise. She reached the room where it was strongest, Franken's room. She pressed an ear to the door only to hear thrashing and groaning. "Stein...," she asked hesitantly. No answer emitted from the boy in question, just more of the frightening sounds. She took in a deep breath and forced the door open, only to see her partner writhing in agony.

She approached, fighting down the urge to turn away. What she did next was a very bold move. She sat next to him on his bed and took his hand. He stopped suddenly, the pain vanishing. She could tell that he had awoken at her touch for his grip had tightened on her hand. His breathing wasn't even, for he was gasping hard as if he couldn't breath. With each gasp, he seemed to whimper. The weapon turned her body to get a better view.

She had never seen such an indifferent and serious boy so scared. What color he had was gone, and his eyes were darting to various things. She didn't know if she should run or try to help. Maybe leaving him alone was the best choice for her sake. She got up and took a step toward the door, letting go of Stein's hand. Suddenly, something grabbed her arm. She looked down to see Stein, peering from his sleeved confines with a pleading gaze. "Don't leave me to the madness... I'm scared, Marie. Don't leave me to the nightmares," he seemed to cry out. "Don't, Marie... Please...," he continued to plead.

She turned around to face him with a kind smile. She sat at the corner of his bed and brushed away his silver hair. To the young scientist's surprise, she leaned over and planted a small kiss on his forehead. "Don't cry, I'll help you... I'll be by your side. I promise... I'll keep you safe." If it weren't for her assignment to Oceania later on, she'd keep this promise.