Please Enjoy

Soul sighed, shaking his shaggy white hair out of his eyes and looking at the dismal lunch he had managed to convince himself to buy. God he hated eating alone. Looking like a damn social outcast in the crowded mall. Tearing the wrapping from his sandwich he started to raise the unappetizing item to his lips before his will gave out and he dropped it back onto the tray with disgust. Shaking his head he grabbed the cookie and pushed off from the table. Still annoyed he took a savage bite of the cookie and began to exit the food court when he caught something in the corner of his eye. Freezing, he felt his pulse begin to race and his heart hammer against his chest.

Ash blonde hair.

The flash of a black coat.

His hands curled into fists, pulverizing the cookie, as he refused to turn. Damnit he would not turn around. There was nothing there. He was just fucking imagining it. All that would happen is that he would turn around and see nothing. Just like every other time. He felt his knuckles pop from the strain he was putting on them. Biting his cheek he lifted his leg to continue forward, and instantly turned around, eyes searching vainly for something he knew wasn't going to be there.

"See?" he said softly to himself as his eyes traveled over the sea of people. "are you happy n…" he trailed off as his vision came to rest on a table where a pigtailed girl was sitting alone with her back to him. It was a large, long table. With the food court as busy as it was it should have been occupied. But one by one the patrons continued to pass it up, leaving the girl completely alone.

"Turn around." Soul screamed in his mind. "Turn around and go home. You need to leave, right now."

He didn't even try to stop himself as his legs began to propel him forward. Each step felt like an eternity even as he drew closer. Damnit his chest was tight. He couldn't breath. Why couldn't he breath? Why wasn't he leaving? It wasn't her. She was gone. It had to be her. Just turn around. No. Go back. Damnit why was this happening? Four years. Four years.

"Four years." He said aloud, stopping just out of reach of the girl. Her slim shoulders were bowed slightly as her head hung. A black jacket clung to her slender frame as the tails flowed out around her. Uncurling his hand he reached out only to find he couldn't raise his arm. He couldn't even move. Swallowing hard he forced his mouth to cooperate.

"Maka?" The name came out cracked. Unfamiliar on his tongue. Almost forgotten, but not.

He visibly winced as the girl suddenly sat up, shoulders thrusting back before she slowly began to turn. He couldn't breath. This couldn't be her. He was just being an idiot. The girl finished her rotation, young green eyes staring up into harsh red.

"Hello Soul."

Soul reared back, body losing its rigidity as he crashed to the floor. Fuck, he had finally lost it. He always thought it might happen, but he didn't think it was going to be this soon, or this public. He shut his eyes tight for a moment before opening them again. She was still there, staring, waiting patiently for him. Ignoring the looks he forced himself back to his feet and pulled himself into the chair next to her, studying her intently.

Damnit. It really was her.

"You're dead." He said flatly. Might as well live in the delusion as long as possible.

She nodded, eyes casting down. "Sorry."

"You look the same."

She looked back up. "You don't."

"Time will do that." He shrugged. God it shouldn't be this easy to talk to her like this. Did people even notice that he was talking to nothing? Or could other people see her? "Are you real?"

She shrugged, reaching out and touching a passerby. The man didn't even flinch as her hand passed through his chest as he continued past them. She turned back to Soul, a frown on her face. "I guess not."

"Great." Soul shook his head, part of him hoping she would just vanish, and another part desperately wishing she would never leave again. "So how did you get here?"

"I don't know." She said softly, watching the people around her mill about. "I didn't think you would be able to see me. No one else can. They can't hear me either."

"Do you have to go back?" Soul said, cursing his voice for cracking.

"I don't know." She repeated, eyes coming back to rest on him.

God he couldn't take those eyes staring at him like that. It was too much like before. He had worked so hard to push it away, to lock it down, and here she was tearing down those poorly constructed barriers like they were wet paper. He took in a deep, calming breath. He should simply stand up and leave. He should go home, take his medication, get into bed, and sleep until this was all just another hazy day. Just another memory in the lost sea that had become his mind. Just like he had let her become.

Standing up he let out a sigh as her eyes were cast down once again. He could just barely hear her let out a small "Sorry."

….Fuck it.

"Come on half pint." He felt a long forgotten crooked grin slip onto his face as he reached down and grabbed her under the arm. Even through her jacket he could feel the warm of her skin under his fingertips as he pulled her up from the chair with ease. She was so much lighter now too.

"W-what are you doing?" She stammered in disbelief as he began to drag her behind him.

He shot her a grin over his shoulder. "What, do you think I'm just gonna let this go to waste?"

She stumbled behind him, phasing through person after person until she finally gained her footing enough to follow him without his guidance. "You could have just asked me to follow you."

"Now where is the fun in that?" Soul grinned down at her. Oh God, he was losing his mind and he didn't even care. He had her back. Even if it was just for a little bit, or just all in his head.

"Well, where are we going?" Maka asked, forced to jog slightly to keep up with Soul's much longer strides.

He shrugged, leading them out of the mall and into the sunshine of the day. "I dunno." He turned towards her. "Does it matter?"

Maka stared at him for a moment, a look of apprehension on her face before she let out a small giggle and leaned again him. "No."

Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review.

So this will just be short and sweet and to the point. 2 more chapters (about the same length) then it's done and I'll try to get back to my other stuff.