Unexpected Turns

Mistake

"Soul, c'mon, seriously! You don't need to molly-coddle me all the way back to the apartment!" Maka hissed as she stumbled upon the stairs to their apartment building.

"Well, the Doctor said you should take it easy right now," Soul snapped back, though he held her arm delicately as he guided her up the stairs. "You're really hurt, Maka. He said one wrong move could very easily puncture a lung you're that fragile right now. And he wasn't joking."

"Yeah, yeah," Maka huffed, obviously putting on a brave face as she tried to hide the way her face scrunched up with pain at every step. "Not like I haven't had worse."

Soul clenched his teeth. That was true.

Finally, they made it all the way up to their apartment, Maka instantly collapsed onto the couch. "Well, I do not want to go through that again."

Soul simply grunted in response. Maka sat up and frowned irritably at Soul.

"Is everything okay, Soul?" She asked, a little gentler. "You've been really short with me lately. You know, um, ever since you – Well, you know cri-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" he snapped before clamping his mouth shut at Maka's surprised expression. Soul took a deep breath before composing himself, speaking in a tone Maka had never even heard before. "It's just been a bit of a stressful week. My daughter nearly died."

Maka blinked in bewilderment. "No, she didn't Soul. I did."

Soul waved his hands dismissively. "No, you nearly died preventing my daughter from dying and I'm grateful. Happy?"

Maka frowned at him nastily, before making a move to stand. "No, I'm not." Soul's eyes softened somewhat as she grunted in pain.

"No, Maka – Maka, sit back down please,"

"What the hell is your problem?" she asked sharply, standing straight when he moved to stand in front of her, trying to push her back into a sitting position.

"I didn't do anything wrong," she insisted angrily. "Actually, I did the opposite. Soul, Mara would have, without a doubt, died if I hadn't done anything. I saw the cab, the angle it was coming from and measured where about it had to hit me for me to survive. It's fucking basic shit, Soul. I'm not stupid."

Soul blinked at her before shaking his head, again gripping her arm and attempting once again to pull her down into a sitting position. "That's not the point Maka,"

"Then what is the point?!" she barked back, pushing him away from her with strength she hadn't had for days.

"Forget it Maka,"

"No. Soul, talk to me - "

"Maka, I am warning you,"

" – please, all I'm asking is for you to just tell me the – "

"Enough, Maka!" Soul roared, swinging his arm back in fury and knocking the lamp off the coffee table as he turned away. Maka backed up until her knees hit the back of the couch and she finally sat back down.

"Soul – " she choked out, her eyes wide and careful.

"Just – Shut – Up." He said very slowly and precisely before glancing up angry at the clock. "Amara will be ready to be picked up soon."

Maka tilted her head in confusion. "It's only eleven, Mara won't be ready until three."

Soul just shook his head. "I'll see you later. If you need anything – help or whatever – call Blackstar." With that, he turned on his heels, grabbing his coach from the side table beside the door before leaving.