AU- The only way for your scars to disappear is when your soulmate kisses them goodbye.

Pt. 1

It wasn't a strange thing for them, you know? To kiss a boo boo goodbye, to heal each other's cuts and scratches with magic words and saliva. Just imagine children nursing each other's wounds- it's not hard. Ever since one fell of their bike and scraped their knee on concrete, a certain spell was casted between them. His uncle always told him that a kiss from someone who cared could cure all injuries, even the scars, and Black Star saw no reason to not believe.

How could he deny it when her wet smooches at the tender age of three closed the skin where she touched?

Since then on, Black Star trusted no one else to venture with, because surely if she could do that for him, then certainly he could too? Maka was much more careful about ruining the dresses her mother gave her though, and much more reluctant to do anything too dangerous. But at his pestering, they climbed the tallest trees and crawled through rotten logs. They splashed in rivers up to their chins and hunted the most dangerous creepy crawlies that could fit in their little hands. Always though, always… they kissed each others' dirty palms and developing blisters.

Pain pain go away, come again some other day.

It continued on past their childhood and touched upon their earliest days at the academy. Maka found it especially difficult to stop, though embarrassment started to settle in and Black Star began to dodge her smooches in front of their new friends. He never vocally expressed his discomfort, but it hurt to realize that he perhaps didn't want it anymore. The belief in the magic between them flickered.

Sometime later, he found her crouched between an alcove looking smaller than he's seen in a long time. She only looked that way when there was trouble brewing back home, and even though he rarely visited now, rumors already reached the far ends of the school about the prospect of her parents' divorce. It wasn't any of his business, or theirs, or anyone else except Maka's, but faces directed towards her were drenched in pity; there was nothing else she hated more than that silent confirmation, one that told her she was too weak to support herself and that she wasn't enough to keep her own world from falling apart.

She flinched when he stopped masking his footsteps, hissing out a hasty "I'm fine" and breaking the quiet of the empty hallway. Her voice was steel and her body was rigid, afraid to give away more than she was ready to. And boy, Maka wasn't ready for his uncharacteristic patience nor for the brush of her bangs from her forehead.

He was knelt in front of her and his gaze was steady. In that moment, she swore the pain of her heart rose to the surface and she was ready to lash out at him no matter how undeserving it would be. But he left a lingering kiss on her forehead and left a warmth that spread across her frigid soul. Looking back on it, it was clear that physical wounds weren't the limits of their connection, however he also departed leaving another kind of hurt- a hurt linked to confusion.

Several years later, fists out and teeth clenched, they ripped into each other with biting words and flying hands. It wasn't the first time they hurt each other, but it was the first time they fought over each other's lack of care for themselves- ironic isn't it? Maka threw one more punch with no aim in mind, and Black Star caught that punch easily. He pulled her closer to him and used her own momentum to propel her into his chest where she continued to beat him weakly.

He was tired… they were tired.

Waiting out her futile attempts only took just a few more swings, and finally she was docile in his arms, folding into his hug and refusing to look at him. She was still angry… so so angry that he'd jumped to her defense again. Nobody asked him to do it- Maka had it under control. But he did it anyway, did it without a second thought.

Even now, he was still concerned over her welfare. Despite years of avoiding contact and even more years of hiding his budding affections, Black Star ungloved her hand and brought it up to his mouth.

It just.. It just felt right…

Eons worth of scars on her knuckles smoothed out, and he continued to trace each of her fingertips over his lips. She gave an unwilling shudder before whispering that there was no hurt to heal there, and he chucked, releasing her.

"You're an idiot, Maks," he said. "Did you forget what kisses were meant for in the first place?"

Before he could get too far away from her, she reached to turn him around. Her annoyance was palpable and the rush of pink over her cheeks was even more so. An eyebrow raised to question her, and she could tell that he wouldn't wait any longer for her indecision. He'd already seen her at her most vulnerable, so what was once more for old times' sake?

Maka rose to her toes and kissed him- a real kiss, mind you. And what a healing kiss it was.

Written for MaStar Week 2017 Day 3 Vulnerable