Work Text:
Soul wasn’t the type to get jealous. Whatever anybody wanted to do was up to them, and he wasn’t interested in sticking his nose in anybody’s business. As long as it didn’t affect him, whatever, right?
Yeah. That’s right. Soul wasn’t jealous.
He was just sick of seeing Kid at his fucking house all the time.
Of course, Kid and Maka had been friends for a while already- Kid was friends with all of them, he was part of the group. But recently, Maka and Kid had been getting… closer. They sometimes broke off from the group to mutter amongst themselves, and had in-jokes the others weren’t part of- which was especially odd, since Soul was pretty sure Death the Kid could barely even make a joke. It wasn’t uncommon for Soul to get home and find Kid and Maka talking animatedly on the couch, or Maka gossiping as she cooked with Kid leaning against the counter, nodding along intently. It was starting to rub him the wrong way.
He knew Maka could take care of herself without issue. But she was earnest and trusting, and sometimes a little naive. She only saw the best in most people. And he liked Kid alright, but he had a lot going on beneath the surface that he didn’t really talk to anyone about, even Soul could tell that much. He just didn’t want Maka to get swept up in it.
He was looking out for his Meister. That’s all. He had a healthy, normal apprehension for his Close Friend, Maka. That’s all this was.
That’s why, when he woke up one morning and walked out to the kitchen to see Kid eating breakfast, he decided, seethingly, that it was high time he had a talk with Kid.
“Uh. Hey,” He started, sounding a little more stunned than he would’ve liked as he squinted suspiciously at the shinigami. Kid blinked up at him.
“Hello, Soul. Sleep well?” Kid responded with ease, as though there were nothing even remotely weird or awkward about this situation. Soul cleared his throat, an eyebrow twitching as he regained his composure, sliding past Kid to get to the fridge, pulling out some orange juice and taking a sip from the carton.
“Sure. ...Where’s Maka?” He asked, carefully, kind of dreading the answer, but also hoping that she had had to step out early for some groceries or something, and had asked Kid to come and deal with something for her. Why she hadn’t trusted Soul with it gnawed at the back of his mind, but he decided to ignore that if it meant the alternative wasn’t true.
“Not up yet. She had a late night, so I elected to let her sleep in against her wishes. She hasn’t been sleeping enough as of late,” Kid said, a tinge of sympathy in his voice. Soul choked on his orange juice.
Alright, the alternative was fucking true. Kid had spent the night. Code red, Evans.
“Okay, uh, Kid, I think it’s time we have a talk,” He began, voice croaking slightly. He took a seat across from Kid, eyes narrowed at him.
Kid raised an eyebrow, putting his spoon down carefully next to his bowl. “Alright?”
Soul felt the hair on the back of his neck rising in indignance. How could he be so casual about this? He knew Kid was weird, but he really didn’t take him for that kind of guy.
“Look, what Maka does is her business, and I’m not gonna get in her way,” Soul muttered, glancing towards her closed door, before leaning in a closer to Kid. “She can take care of herself. But that’s not gonna stop me from telling you -” his voice morphed into a growl and his eyes flashed dangerously- “that one false move and, Shinigami or not, I’ll kill you, Kid, I swear on your Dad.”
Kid blinked, uncomprehending, his eyebrows knitting together. He started to say something, then an odd look overtook his face, and he stayed there for a moment, as the pieces fell into place for him.
Then he snorted, turning away to laugh into his hand.
“Eh?” Soul grunted, staring at him as Kid laughed himself out. When he finally turned back, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes, Soul felt anger bubbling in his chest. Did he think this was a fucking joke?! He was about to deck him when-
“Oh, god, Soul, no. No, no no. That’s- That’s not what’s happening here.”
Now it was Soul’s turn to be uncomprehending. He blinked, confused, still raised on his haunches, ready to pounce if he needed to. Kid sat up straight again, smirking at the other in the somewhat haughty way he did.
“Maka and I aren’t, er, together. We’re just friends. Although it’s endearing how devoted you are to her wellbeing.”
“Oi, shut up,” Soul snapped, but was quick to refocus. “If you aren’t ‘Together,’ then why the fuck are you spending the night?! You’re a dude . It’s not-”
“-proper?" He finished, smirk fading, his mouth setting into a thin line as he realized Soul was serious about his concern. "Soul, there’s no need to speak to me about propriety. Believe me when I say that there is no possible way that I would ever cross that boundary. I slept on the couch, of my own volition, thank you.”
Soul studied him, suspicion clear in his eyes. Kid held his gaze easily. “How do I know that’s true.”
“The sheets are still there-”
“Not that part, dumbass.”
“Ah.” Kid sighed, closing his eyes, a slight pink tinge rising in his cheeks. “Must I spell it out for you? I prefer not to talk about it.”
“Spill, Kid.”
Kid’s eyes opened, revealing that they were rolled up in his head in annoyance. Then he leaned in.
“Think about it, Soul. Do you think I could POSSIBLY have an attraction to someone like Maka, whose body is so asymmetrical to my own?” He quirked an eyebrow, waiting for it to click.
Three seconds of silence, then it did. Soul blanched. “Oh shit, Kid, you’re gay?”
“This shouldn’t be a surprise, I don’t exactly hide it well. You and Black Star were the only two to have not figured it out.” He sighed, folding his arms as he settled back. “Now that you know, however, I must request you keep it to yourself. It’s not… well, it’s better that I remain in the closet at this junction, for image purposes. For me to begin dating now would be pointless, anyway.”
Soul felt a bit of guilt creeping into his mind at having had made Kid admit something that he clearly preferred to keep on the backburner. He muttered an apology. Kid waved it off, but he looked at Soul with irritation pricking in his eyes, an eyebrow twitching. “I have to say, however, I find it a little insulting that I have to out myself to you to prove that you can trust me not to overstep Maka’s boundaries in her own home. What kind of man do you think I am?”
“Hey, you’re the one taking it personally,” Soul snapped, “‘Scuse me for worrying about my Meister.” He breathed out, eyes dropping as he slouched back, grumbling “Would’ve done the same to anybody else. You know that.”
Kid studied him in the following silence, a knowing look coming over his face, much to Soul’s chagrin.
“Yes, I suppose I do.” His eyes slid over to Maka’s door, listening for any sign of movement. Hearing nothing, he stood, taking his empty bowl to the sink. As he stood at the sink, behind where Soul was seated, he spoke.
“Soul.”
Soul didn’t look back, but grunted in acknowledgment.
“...Do you plan on doing anything about those feelings of yours in the near future, or are you going to continue pretending this is just brotherly concern?”
“Know the limit, Kid,” Soul growled, his tone warning. Kid was silent for a bit as he washed his bowl, waiting.
Soul was stubborn as anything, but there were just a few topics that he couldn’t keep his cool on for long. One of those happened to be the nature of his relationship with Maka Albarn.
He broke just as Kid had closed the cabinet where he had placed his clean bowl.
“Listen, I don’t need to label what my ‘feelings’ for Maka are, alright? She’s my Meister.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “There’s a lot that goes with that.”
The truth was, he’d die for her. He’d elected to do so several times, without question or hesitation. But the blood of their bond ran deeper than just romantic, or platonic, or any one label. They were two halves. Nothing less. It was a concept he’d thought about before, but never one he explored. It would get too messy too fast.
All that mattered was that he knew he’d never leave her. He belonged to her.
He was her weapon.
Kid paused, but seemed to sense that it was better not to push him further. He turned on his heel and paced out of the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder. “If you say so. I should get going,” He said briskly, gathering his things. “Tell Maka I’m sorry I couldn’t wait for her to wake up, but I had an appointment to make.” Soul nodded, snapping out of his trance, and gave a half hearted wave over his shoulder.
He was still sitting there when Maka’s door finally opened, and she rushed out, a sleep- mussed wreck, complaining animatedly that Kid hadn’t woken her up and why had Soul let her sleep so long? Soul watched her, gaze soft, before he blinked and moved to stand, groaning at her onslaught.
“Maka, chill, it’s Saturday. You need your rest, goddamn.”