Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.

Playing Dead
by. Poisoned Scarlet

"This... sucks so bad." Eruka groaned, hopping under a leaf that dripped with rain. The sky was a dangerous tempest of rain water and thunder; streaks of it painting the gray clouds white before disappearing within the next second. And with every wasting moment, the rain poured harder and harder upon the dusty land. It would soon become a sleet of silver and gray in her vision.

Medusa had sent her to contact Chrona at Shibusen once more. Who did that woman think she was, anyway? Commanding a witch like her into doing pesky jobs like this? Eruka's throat swelled with rage, a deep croak escaping her mouth as she stewed in these dismal thoughts.

Now she would be furious with her for returning late! But Eruka didn't want to hop through the rain and transforming back to her human form would only make her more miserable. She could always fly above the clouds using Jackson, her trusty tadpole, but the fear of being struck by a bolt of lightening outweighed her urgency to reach Medusa before midnight arrived.

As long as she doesn't invade my mind again, Eruka thought anxiously, I can't be in trouble? Right? Because she'd be bitching at me right now if I was! Yeah! I'm okay! I can just wait out the storm and continue when everything's nice and dry!

She hopped into some shrubbery and watched the rain grind into the earth with a soft sigh. It would be a while before the stormy weather abated, and she could only hope Medusa was in a good enough mood when she arrived. The last thing she needed was to be stuffed with those creepy snakes the woman housed within her own body like pets.

Eruka looked up when she heard something strange: the rough pattering of multiple footsteps. It was followed by a loud roar of her name, which made her croak in surprise and press against the bark of a tree in panic.

Had Medusa sent someone to hunt her down? Were the witches, her sisters, aware of her forced servitude under the outcast Medusa Gorgon and come to extract their revenge for her betrayal? Thousands of horrifying scenarios rushed through her mind, as well as excuses and alibi's. She bitterly bet Medusa would enjoy her blind panic; her fear of being burned by her sisters. That witch took great joy in her misery.

"OH, ERUKAA!" A gruff voice called through the gloom of rain. "ERUKAA—OW! DAMN IT! WRONG SPELL!"

Eruka immediately sighed in relief, recognizing that howl of pain.

"Free!" Eruka shouted, hopping out of the bushes. "Free! You idiot, don't yell my name out in public! It's dangerous!"

"Eruka?" Free twitched his wolf ears twice on his head, turning to where he last heard her muffled voice. She sounded so close but he could see her nowhere! Was this another witch trick? "WHERE ARE YOU?"

"STOP YELLING! I'm down here!" Eruka growled, and Free snapped his head down.

"Oh. Right. Forgot you could do that." Free laughed heartily, reaching down with a clawed hand to take her. She hopped into it carefully, croaking uncomfortably when he wrapped his fingers around her and brought her up to his height. "Where've you been? Medusa's blowing a fucking gasket because you're not here!"

"O-oh." Eruka gulped. "Did – did she send you out to get me?"

Free blinked, clueless. "No. I came on my own."

"You...you did? But, why? Shouldn't you be with Medusa in case she needs you?" Eruka asked, bashful.

"'Cause it's boring without you there." Free answered, as if it were obvious. Eruka released a strangled croak at his answer, face flushing. "And, it's raining pretty hard. You told me once you didn't like the rain 'cause you don't like to get wet." He grinned, showing off large canines. His demon eye glowed in the darkness the storm had brought on. "It's weird, since you're an anphaba...amphlib...amphibian!" He exclaimed finally, proud of himself.

Eruka felt blood pool in her cheeks but she beamed, proud of him, too. "You finally got the word right! I'm so proud of you, Free!"

"Yeah. Yeah, I am, too!" Free carefully placed Eruka on his shoulder blade and patted her head afterward, making Eruka beam brightly. The girl gripped his fur as he bent down on all fours again. "C'mon! I've got this neat new trick I wanna' show you! Medusa taught it to me and I've been practicing it all day so I could show ya'!"

"Really? What is it?" Eruka asked, immensely curious.

"Playing dead! Ha! Once I master this, no one's gonna be able to tell me apart from a real dead guy!" Free said uproariously, running through the rain with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth happily.

Eruka forced a laugh, looking away in exasperation. He had his moments but he was still an idiot.

"I can't wait, Free..." Eruka replied, unenthusiastically.

"Yeah, me neither! Oh! Wanna' see it right now?"

"No—NO,WAIT, FREE, DON'T—!"

That night, Medusa excused her tardiness: for the sole reason that Free had accidentally squished her when he seized up and played dead.

A.N: LOL. I love Free so much; he's like a cute puppy. A dumb, cute, puppy but a cute puppy nonetheless!

Requested by: general zargon.

Scarlett.