Maka's cheek burn. "I...I know it's been five years but I thought maybe...you'd still be around and you'd catch my scent and...find me," she finishes with a near-quiet whisper, taking his silence negatively. "I didn't know they'd close the forest after I told them you were dead! If I had known, I would have told you, but they...I didn't know," Maka ends, the wind stinging her watery eyes. The longer she is in the forest, the more she can feel the pressing dark-the loneliness, the brittle hope of someday seeing another person who cared about you, but only finding darkness in its wake. "I'm s-sorry, Soul," she says, jaw clamped tight. "After I told you you'd never be alone again, I left you alone for five-!" She hiccups against his lips, wet cheeks pressing against his nose when he holds her tight-just like before, tight enough that it feels as if his skin is her own. But there was an edge this kiss, something desperate and wild in the way he slants his mouth over hers and parts her lips with his long tongue.
"I waited five years," Soul breaths against her mouth, hands gripping the back of her thighs to lift her up. He presses their chests together, her heavy pants matching his. "Even though I thought you wouldn't come back again, I would have waited another five years," he confesses and takes her bottom lip between his teeth, biting them until they are swollen and red; until she has scratched her nails down up his back, anchoring them on his shoulder blades. Her shaky moan was what makes him pull away, short of air. "Don't do that again."
Maka nods into the hollow of his neck, getting her breathing back. The dark doesn't seem so dark when one had company. With this in mind, Maka looks up at her faithful wolf companion. "I need to get back to Meme-we're on our way to Grandmother's."
"That old hags place is through here?"
"Well-kind of. It's shorter through here."
"By?"
"Five or so hours..." Maka mumbles, flinching when Soul growled lowly. "I did it when I was sixteen!" Maka argues. "And I was fine!"
"That's because I scared away a lot of the things that could potentially kill you."
"Then keep scaring them away," Maka decides, smiling brightly at him when he cocked a brow. "Come with us. Say it's because Meme didn't bring you something to eat-it'll also teach her the importance of listening to her teacher," she adds at a mutter.
Soul is quiet for a second, just enough for Maka to look up at him curiously. "And after?" He utters, quiet. His arms are warm-he's very warm. Maka doesn't need to clutch her cloak for warmth with him so close.
"I need a new heater," Maka mumbles against his chest. "It's not in the budget for house repairs, not until the winter season..." She looks up at him and her smile can never match his jagged-tooth grin, but his teeth aren't so terrifying anymore. His eyes aren't so terrifying anymore, not when they're such a tender shade of red.
"That's one way to put my expensive skin to use. Feed me those frosted cookies you did before and I won't leave in the morning," he grins wolfishly when she slaps his arm, tangling their fingers together so she could lead him back to where Meme was-where the poor girl was pacing in a small circle, crying out her name, pulling the edges of her hood so low on her head, Maka is sure the seams have ripped.
