Not Cool, Bro~Soul x Reader!

In Denial

I don't own Soul Eater... I'm getting tired of writing this...
Kid: I told you so...

*°*°*°*

By the time you get home, the sun has completely set and the moon has begun to rise. Caleb still looks a bit uneasy after the whole "message-of-impending-doom" thing, so he's unusually quiet. He takes a seat on the couch when you get home, staring blankly at the tv, which he is too dazed to remember to turn on.
"Oi, what do you want for dinner?" you ask. He jolts slightly, like you surprised him. He shrugs.
"Um, anything's fine. I don't have much of an appetite, though," he admits. You nod, chuckling a little.
"Yeah, seeing dead bats and demonic tracking marks will do that to ya," you joke. He stares at you like you just grew a third eyeball.
"What?" He gives you a wierd look.
"You have the wierdest sense of humor in the world, [Name]. I just don't get you sometimes." You grin, pulling a pot out of the cabinet. The phone rings.
"I got it," you say, putting the pot down. You reach for the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, [Name], it's Soul." You smile.
"Oh, hey Soul! What's u- wait. How did you get our number?" You lift an eyebrow, toussling your hair a bit.
"Liz," he responds. You sigh.
"I shoulda known. Anywho, to what do I owe the pleasure of receiving a call at this unholy hour?" He chuckles.
"Kid's having a party when he gets back from his mission. His father wants him to find a Magic Tool in the desert outside the city, but when he gets back he's having a party at his house. Wanna come?" You look at Caleb.
"Is Liz gonna be there?" Soul hesitates.
"[Name]... it's Kid's party. Of course she's gonna be there." You slap yourself in the forehead.
"Haha, oh yeah, I forgot. Well, I guess I don't have choice," you reply. If Liz will be there, Caleb will want to go without a doubt.
"You know, you don't have to come if you don't want to," he says. "Although I was hoping I'd see you there." Your cheeks warm up unexpectedly. Huh? Why am I... am I blushing?
"...hello? Hello? [Name], are you still there?" You jump, nearly dropping the phone.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Yeah, we'd love to go. When is it?" you reply hurriedly.
"It's tomorrow at six o'clock. Are you sure you're okay?" You let out a nervous chuckle.
"Psssh, yeah I'm fine! See you there!" You hang up before he can respond.
"What the heck was that all about?" Caleb asks. You shake your head.
"Oh, nothing. Kid's having a party tomorrow at 6. Wanna go? Liz will be there." You pull a box of dried linguine noodles from a cupboard, dumping it into the boiling water. You retrieve some alfredo sauce from the fridge and heat it up in the microwave.
"Sure. Wait, Liz is gonna be there?!" he bursts. You nod, rolling your eyes.
"Yeah. It's Kid's house. Liz and Patty live there, remember?" His eyes twinkle, and a faint blush changes the colour in his cheeks.
"Y-yeah, I remember..." You glare at him. He's probably making the connections in his head.
Liz + house = bedroom.
Liz + bedroom = ... (a/n: o-o lemons... lemons everywhere...)
"Stop thinking like a pervert, Caleb, and go get some plates. Tch, hormonal bastard," you grumble. He turns beet-red, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinheads.
"G-gomen." He opens up a second cabinet and pulls out two ceramic plates, setting them on the table along with two forks and cups.
"Hey, [Name]?" he mumbles. You look at him.
"Yeah?" He shuffles his feet around.
"I was wondering if you could help me with something," he says. You sigh.
"Caleb, I'm not gonna show you how to use the washing machine again. You're seventeen. You should know how to use those things by now!" He holds up his hands and shakes them.
"No, that's not what I meant. Although I really don't get all those wierd dials and crap. I actually wanted your help with something else." You take the bowl of pasta sauce out of the microwave, placing it on the counter.
"What is it?"
"I was hoping you might be able to help me... ask Liz out," he mumbles. You pull on an apron and struggle with tying the strings behind your back. Caleb does it for you.
"Thanks. Um... yeah, I don't see why not. But what exactly do you want me to do?" you ask. He rubs his neck.
"Well, I was hoping you might be able to find out if she likes me or not, for starters. You know I don't take rejection well," he says. You snort.
"Ha! No kidding." He folds his arms and pouts.
"It's not funny, [Name]. Don't laugh." You chuckle once more, dumping the pot of noodles into a stainer. The water makes a loud, steamy rushing sound as it pours down the drain.
"Yeah, yeah. You were saying?" He sits down in a dining chair.
"Well, I was thinking you could do some reconaissance and find out what she's into and stuff. Then help me plan out a date and... I don't know. You're a girl, you know more about this than I do!" You raise an eyebrow.
"Caleb, two things. One, I'm a weapon, not a flippin' spy. My job is fighting, not reconaissance. And two, just 'cause I'm a girl doesn't mean I know a lot about relationships. You've been in ten times as many as I have, remember?" Caleb raises an eyebrow, twirling a fork like a drumstick.
"That's not true! You've been with plenty of people. What about-"
"That wasn't a relationship, Caleb," you say, interrupting him. "Jesse was a friend from second grade. Doesn't count." He puts the fork down as you stir the linguine noodles, tossing one at the wall to see if it sticks.
"Fair enough, how about-"
"Nope. Tatsumi was a flirt," you deadpan.
"Ugh! What about-"
"Carlos is my cousin."
"Then-"
"Again, relative. And Keon is my uncle, for Death's sake!" Caleb groans in frustration, throwing his hands up in defeat with a scowl. You chuckle silently to yourself at his perplexed expression.
"Okay, okay. You're love life is nonexistent. I get it. But please, will you still help me?!" You sigh, slapping him on the side of his head. He flinches.
"Idiot, I already said yes. I don't really have a choice, do I?" you grumble. He leaps up, wrapping you in a tight hug.
"Yes!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!" You choke a little.
"Ah... baka... o-oxygen." He releases you.
"S-sorry. Heheh." You dust yourself off and put the pasta into a serving bowl with the sauce, stirring the alfredo until the noodles are decently covered. You serve some for Caleb and yourself.
"Itadakimasu!" you both say. Caleb stuffs a forkful of the noodles in his mouth.
"So, who called about the party?" he asks. You slap his arm.
"Don't talk with your mouth full. It's gross. And Soul called." Your cheeks warm up slightly, but not enough to be noticeable. Ugh, stupid teenager hormones. Get a grip, [Name]! Caleb looks up.
"Is that why you were blushing and stuttering like an idiot?" he asks. You jolt up, banging your knee on the table.
"Ouch! N-no! I wasn't stuttering!" you burst. He smirks.
"Whatever... I think you like him." For the second time, you bang your knee on the table.
"Argh, I'm gonna seriously murder this table. And what are you talking about?! I don't like Soul!" You glare at him, rubbing your now-bruised knee. Caleb laughs.
"[Name], everyone's noticed. You and Soul have been spending a lot of time together. Remember a couple days ago? You two were gone for nearly the entire lunch period!" Your face turns red.
"Th-that was only one time, okay? And he was just playing the piano for me!" His eyes widen.
"What? He played for you? Maka told me he never plays for anyone!" Your eyes widen in shock.
"Really? That's... huh?" Caleb snorts.
"I guess your little crush goes both ways," he says smugly. You grimace.
"It's not a crush, baka! Soul and I are just friends," you pout. Caleb laughs at you. "And stop laughing. It's not funny. Besides, unlike you, I don't have time for romance or whatever. I have to focus on getting rid of Kurami first." He sighs.
"Hm. Whatever. It's obvious that the two of you like each other. You don't have to use Kurami as an excuse to deny it," he teases. You growl and splash water from your cup onto his shirt. The liquid drips down onto the tiled floor, soaking his clothes and the chair.
"Shut up and eat your food, moron." You smirk at the surprised look on his face and go back to eating your pasta.
I don't like Soul. That's ridiculous. We're just friends, aren't we? You frown at your plate. That's not even a question worth asking! Yeah, we're just friends... but then again, the piano... and he's been so nice to me lately, and with what he said on the phone... You think back to what Soul said to you regarding the party.
You know, you don't have to come if you don't want to... although I was hoping I'd see you there.
"... are you listening?" You look up at Caleb.
"Huh? Oh, yeah," you reply. He narrows his eyes.
"Okay then. Repeat what I just said." You pick at your food.
"Uh, well..."
Riiiiinnnggg!!!! You sigh. Saved by the bell. Caleb gets up to answer.
"Well, aren't we popular this evening," he says. He picks up the phone. "Hello? Caleb- huh? Mrs. Boyd?" He goes silent. "Uh-huh... nope, haven't seen her... wait, slow down... yeah, she's here..." He looks at you. You lift an eyebrow.
"Oh no... we'll be there in a few minutes... sure, you can talk to her... anytime." He holds out the phone out to you. "You should probably take this," he says. You silently take the phone and hold the receiver to your ear.
"Mrs. Boyd? Yeah, it's me, [Name], what happened?" You hear ragged breathing on the other end of the cordless phone.
"I-it's Rachel!" she cries. You grip the phone.
"Is she okay?" you ask. You listen to Mrs. Boyd sob for a minute before continuing.
"Rachel ran away. B-but I don't know why. She was perfectly f-fine this morning, until she saw a spider. She caught it and it turned to dust, and then she said the word 'Arachne'." Your face pales. What in the world is going on here?
"And then?"
"She said a friend was waiting for her and started to leave. It wasn't like her at all, so I tried to stop her. I think... I-I think she was possessed by something. There was a voice... it was a woman. She said Rachel was... easy to manipulate. Oh god... I don't know what to do." She trails off and starts to cry again. You stand frozen for a while, nearly dropping the phone.
"We'll be there in a minute. Don't worry Mrs. Boyd, we'll find her. Just stay where you are." Caleb comes out with a sweater and some of your sneakers, tossing them both to you. You throw them on and exit, locking the door behind you. Next door, you can see Mrs. Boyd and her husband coming out to meet you. You hop the small stone wall and rush to them, glancing up at Rachel's bedroom.
"Oh, thank goodness." Mr. Boyd looks between you and your meister, eyes wild with worry.
"What time did she leave?" Caleb asks. Rachel's mom hiccups.
"A-around the time you two would be in class." You look at Caleb. That wierd chill from this morning... He seems to know what you're thinking. He nods.
"Okay. Did you notice anything wierd about her before she left?" The two adults look at each other.
"Well, she was having nightmares about some kind of snake," the father says. You nod. "And she was always drawing pictures of it and talking about it." You look at Mrs. Boyd.
"Can I see it?" you ask. She nods, inviting you inside. You follow her to the upstairs bedroom, where Rachel sleeps. The walls were covered in black, yellow, and purple drawings of the same snake. A few had pale, jagged yellow arrows. One picture in particular catches your attention; you pull it off the wall. It's a similar one to the drawing Rachel showed you this morning, with the snake facing a bat and a spider. You narrow your eyes. Wait a minute, you think. A snake, a spider, and a bat? You look at your arm, pulling up your sleeve to reveal the mark on your skin. Mrs. Boyd gasps.
"What is that?" she asks. You look at her.
"I'll explain later." You look at your mark, then back at the drawing. The wings on each bat are exactly the same. You look closer, and realize that there are initials on it too. Let's see... M.G, A.G, and K.G. You gasp.
"Caleb, look at this!" You say. He comes over and examines the drawing and your tracker.
"I think I know who that is," you say pointing at the bat and the initials above it.
"Kurami," he breathes. You nod. "But what about the other two?" You look at Rachel's parents, who stare at you with panicked eyes.
"Think, Caleb. What have we been training for in our classes?"
"Fighting witches and Kishin?" he guesses. You shake your head.
"Close. Think about old Looney-Toon's class specifically." It takes a while, but he finally figures it out.
"Medusa and Arachne..." You nod. He sighs for the umpteenth time this evening. "Man... we gotta get this info to the academy," he mumbles. You turn to the Boyds, putting a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Look, I think we know who did this," you begin. Their eyes widen, filling with hope. "We're gonna take the info to academy tomorrow morning and see if we can get permission to go after her personally. Okay?" Mrs. Boyd breathes a sigh of relief.
"Yes. Thank you so much, [Name]." You nod.
"Rachel means as much to me as she does to you guys. I'm gonna help bring her back, even if it kills me. Although I doubt that will happen." She smiles, a few stray tears leaking out of her eyes. Her husband holds out a hand to you and Caleb.
"Thanks, kids. Please, bring her home safe." You shake his hand.
"Will do. C'mon, [Name]," Caleb says. You follow him out of the house, placing your hand on Mrs. Boyd's shoulder as you pass. You unlock the door to your house, pushing it open and flicking on the living room lamp.
"Damn. I can't believe Medusa, Arachne, and Kurami are all involved in this," Caleb whispers, sitting on the couch again. You nod, looking from your tracking mark to a page you took from the house. It's the one Rachel showed you this morning. You examine the initials above each animal.
So the first letter is the initial of their first name. But the second ones are all 'G'. This doesn't make any sense...
"Wait a minute." The pieces start fitting together, one by one. You stand up abruptly, hurrying to the phone. You redial Soul's number. It takes three rings before someone picks up. You stare at the picture while you wait.
"You know, it's not cool to call someone in the middle of the ni-"
"Soul!"
"Huh? [Name]? What're you doing up this late?" he asks, softening his tone as he yawns into his receiver.
"Something came up. Sorry to wake you. Is Maka awake?" He chuckles once.
"Yeah, she's still reading. I swear, she's gonna grow mushrooms in her head if she doesn't get outside and stop reading." You chuckle.
"Hah, aren't you funny. Can you go get her? It's urgent." He says yes and puts the phone on hold. Caleb looks at you like he wants to say something, but you hold up a hand to silence him.
"Mm... hello?"
"Maka? Hey, it's [Name]," you reply.
"Hey. What's going on?" You decide to get straight to the point and skip the explanation.
"I'll tell you everything tomorrow, but I need to know something. Does Medusa have a last name?"
"Yeah, it's Gorgon." You nod.
"And Arachne?"
"Same. I think they're sisters. [Name], what happened?" You look at the paper, eyes wide.
"I'll explain tomorrow. Thanks, and sorry for waking you."
"Sure, goodnight." You hang up and face Caleb. He looks at you, clearly confused.
"Medusa and Arachne are sisters. And I think Kurami is also related to them. Look." You sit next to him, handing him the picture. You scratch at the magic tracker while he looks at it.
"Their last names are Gorgon. That's what the initials stand for. M.G for Medusa, A.G for Arachne, and K.G for-"
"Kurami Gorgon. Holy crap," Caleb says. You take the picture.
"Medusa must have been the one who possessed Rachel. I guess it happened after she woke Asura. I heard Stein and Maka's dad got rid of her. Guess she tricked them." Caleb nods. You sit in silence, occasionally glancing at the clock. It's already one thirty.
"Let's get some sleep. We'll talk to Lord Death in the morning," Caleb says, yawning. You nod, pulling your hood off. Your arm gives off a little sting, but it doesn't hurt too much. You sigh and walk to your room.
"G'night," you mumble.
"Night."