Best Way Not to Get Your Heart Broken

Chapter Sixteen - Nightmares

Soul shot up in his bed as piercing screams rang throughout the apartment.

There was a moment of disorientation before he realised it was Maka. It had been about 2 weeks since the incident with Soul's parent's and things haden't been the same between them since. Maka seemed more distant and careful around Soul as he grew even more protective. Tsubaki had more or less moved in with Blackstar since their relationship was going so great so she hardly ever slept at home anymore.

Soul shook off these thoughts as he jumped out of his bed and ran from his door. Maka's door was left open and she was thrashing on the bed. Her hair stuck to her face as sweat coated her skin, her back was arching on the mattress as she fought herself from whatever it was she was dreaming before plummeting back down onto the bed, crying and crying.

"I don't know!" she yelled in her sleep as Soul ran to her side and clutched her hand, crouching on the floor beside her head.

"Maka, Maka, shush," he tried to sooth her desperately but no avail. She just whimpered: "I don't know, I don't know," over and over. Soul shook his head and clutched her hand tighter. To that she released another shriek and started thrashing in fear again.

"I said I don't know!" she shrieked the loudest yet. A heartbroken sound left Soul's lips and he grabbed her shoulders and stood over her, shaking her roughly.

"Maka," he said sharply, though his voice wavered. "Maka, wake up."

That seemed to do it. Her cries lessened and she blinked open tried eyes, her bottom lip trembling.

"Soul?" she whimpered as she looked over at the face hovering over hers. Soul placed a knee on the bed and both hands clutched her shoulder firmly yet comfortingly.

Soul sighed with relief as Maka asked, shaking her head and sighing warily.

"You scared the life out of me," he mumbled, the adrenaline seeping from his body as he looked to the digital clock next to her bed. 03:48 am.

He cast his eyes back to Maka. She still looked in shock and suddenly, her hands shot up to grasp Soul's own shoulders, pulling him down to her.

"Maka!?" he said loudly, but his jaw snapped shut as he heard quiet sobs against his neck. He released a breath and sat up, bringing her with him. He pulled her into his lap and let her cry. Soul didn't ask what the dream was about and just rubbed her back as she cried, muttering sweet nonsense in her ear.

"Maka, shush, it's okay..." he just went on and on until Maka's cries subdued to small little hiccups and whimpers. As her eyes began to droop shut again Soul began to lay her back down. Maka's arms tightened around his neck as he tried to pull away to return to his own room.

"No, Soul... don't go," she muttered sleepily but desperately. Soul chuckled sadly in her ear and pulled away to look at her face. She was looking up at him, terrified.

"Maka, you need to sleep and so do I," he reasoned, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and she whimpered again, shaking her head.

"Sleep in here?" she begged, already rolling to her side to make room. Soul sighed but complied, edging under to covers and lifting an arm up for Maka. She took the invitation and curled up at his side, resting her head on his chest and his arm wound around her waist to keep her securely against him.

"Thank you, Soul," she muttered. "Thank you."

"Shush," he whispered, kissing her hair and breathing in her scent. "Go to sleep, Maka. I'll be right here when you wake up."

"You promise?" she pressed and he chuckled, squeezing her waist.

"I promise." He let his lids droop shut and actually fell asleep the quickest he ever had ever since the day his brother died.