all awkward silences aside » croma one-shot

[Maka]

I opened my eyes to see nothing but the ashy colors of mist and smoke, the adornments of my room hidden behind the curtain of soot that hung in the air. The scent was intoxicating, restricting my breathing with the abomination of the air, my lungs filling with bitter smoke. In a panic, I kicked the sheets off of my sweat-drenched body, swearing loudly beneath my shallow breaths. My feet made loud stomps in which sounded loudly against the fire alarm that I was deaf to in my dead rest, carrying me to Soul's room immediately. Clumsily, I reached my destination, halting myself by catching my weight on his door frame, grasping it so tightly my knuckles went white with pressure.

Upon entering his less-contaminated room, my optics frantically sweeped the area, looking for any sign of the weapon. Finding nothing, I scurried further, coughing out his name under my shirt in which I'd pulled over a portion of my face to protect my nose and mouth. He was nowhere to be seen. I toppled out of his room quickly, projecting his name at a louder volume, panic tainting my voice. Had he left me, or was he hurt? Damn it, Soul!

I ran into the kitchen, my eyes burning immensely due to the pollution. "Soul? Soul! Are you in here?!" I continuously yelped, rubbing my eyes considerably before continuing my frenetic search for my partner. I caught sight of a flame on the stove, one that hadn't been put out yet. It was then that a notion of the situation began to churn in my mind. He caused this...

"Maka! Maka, are you all right?!" A shout sounded through the house, making my worried panic cease instantly. Damn it, Soul. Ignoring his perturbed shouts, I threw a handful of baking soda on the flames, reducing them to nothing gradually. He had surely caused this grease fire in an attempt to cook. He's so stupid, that idiot!

Pivoting on my foot, I turned to face him, adopting the most annoyed face I could muster, still breathing under the fabric of my shirt. It was strange, though; through the smoke, I could discern a look of curiosity, no, shock, no, embarrassment, written across his fine features. I furrowed my eyebrows in apparent confusion.

"Great, baka, now I'm sure you're flat-chested," he mumbled, his face burning slightly. "Flashing is uncool."

My face felt like it was on fire as I pulled down my shirt so forcefully I thought it'd rip. I'm positive I was burning red; not only from embarrassment, but with fury. He called me flat-chested again! As if I wasn't already insecure about it already! He could've at least sported a nose bleed as he did with Blair...

"Shut up! You're such a jerk! Maka... chop!" I screamed loudly, clenching my eyes shut, shaking my head, and splitting his head with a cookbook that was lying conveniently on the counter beside me. I was shaking with anger. He not only set fire to our home, but he worried me sick, insulted me directly, and wasn't even pleased with what he saw!

"Damn it, Maka... That hurt! I can't help what I see! I'm sorry!"

"Please, Soul, it's not only that, you lit our place on fire! I could've died! I thought you were hurt!"

"I tried to put it out with water, but the grease splashed and it spread everywhere. I freaked out, and when I ran to wake you, you were gone. I tried, Maka, really."

A smile began to appear on my cheeks. He's so stupid, sometimes. "Soul, you can't extinguish a grease fire with water," I said, as if it were common sense. It was, to me, but he's clueless when it comes to the kitchen.

Soul grimaced, a look of annoyance and shame hidden under his 'cool' mask. "Whatever, let's just get this fixed, okay?"

[Crona]

Maka wasn't at school today, and neither was Soul. I found difficulty in handling the day without them, especially with Black*Star and Kid's immature bickering. The problem began with Black*Star dissecting his animal segment, in which was provided by Professor Stien, asymmetrically, and refused to allow Kid to correct what had been done. It was daft, really, watching the two argue over such a small matter. A smile even touched my lips with the insults they'd bombarded each other with. But alas, that was one of the few that I held. I was wholly lonely without Maka.