Chapter Text
Hand tensing all around his face, skin pulling from the knuckles to show the white and from the cheeks to show the bones. Stein had cupped Spirit and showed his teeth, baring them like a wild animal as he giggled. The red haired man gulped thick as he tried to relax, knowing he should be used to it by now and trying to not let his nervousness seep through his blue eyes.
“It's not like it’s your first time doing this..” Spirit said through whatever space Stein's curved fingers left. The pale hand quivered ever so slightly.
“It's the first time you were fully awake for an examination of this length” His laughter had died down and a soft sort of malicious smile remained. It had a hint of affection, a twisted one at that, but it made Spirits’ heart flutter. He embraced the feeling before letting it go and wriggling away from Stein's grip and putting his suit back on.
“I'm damn glad that's never happening again.” He said, furrowing his brows to make his indignation visible. In the dim light of his friend's lab, he had to make an extra effort. Although, given how dramatic he is, perhaps it came naturally to him.
Stein backed up a few steps away from the operation table and leaned back on his chair, sliding his hand into his lab coat pocket to give into his vices. There was a little bit of a smirk on his face still as he lit the tip of his cigarette. “Is that so? Hmm. Interesting”
“How is that interesting?! I can't believe how cryptic you are..”
“And I won't believe you didn't enjoy that even a little bit” Stein glanced down at his friends pants for a second before looking back at his eyes.
As soon as he realized, the Weapon's heel sunk into the stitched cushion of Stein's seat as he pushed his wheeled chair away, obfuscated and huffing. “What the hell??” Strange behaviours were to be expected from the strange scientist but he was never going to let them slide. And the foundation of that never? Well, it just so happened it stood on a very weak base.
The grey haired scientist puffed a cloud that hid his face for long enough to escape Stein's judgmental stare. “Maka’s going to wonder where you are. Isn't today your father-daughter outing?” He changed the subject, with his usual aloof look. This made Spirit's blood boil and rush faster in his veins at the same time. He knew that behind his glasses, his friend hid his calculated intentions. That bastard! Always playing stupid-
Wait. Outing… That WAS today! He hopped off the table and tripped, ignored it and buttoned himself back up, a huge crashing sound as the equipment plummeted to the ground behind him. Whatever, he didn't think it upon himself to clean up that mess, it served the scientist right for being so infuriating. A quick look at his watch didn't reassure him either and he scrambled for the door.
“Such a shame,” tsked Stein. “I was having so much fun.” He said lightheartedly, although not smiling at all anymore. “Your flesh is.. delicious.”
A shiver ran down the Death Scythe's spine, so cold he froze in his tracks. “What?” He was admittedly a little scared to look over his shoulder at the mad doctor. This was the type of stuff Stein thought but didn't say, his urges. Since the Kishin, it had not happened. Since then..
His angry tone softened as he asked “Are you.. are you okay?..” his eyes slowly travelled to the man sitting on a chair, having turned around to face him. Stein had nestled his chin within his stitched sleeve cloth he rested on the top of his chair’s back.
“Hmm.. yes. I just believe a little more wouldn't hurt. Taking it a little further. But I suppose you're busy” The reluctance was audible in his tone, if just slightly.
Spirit took a few steps towards him. “Stein, is everything alright?” He searched his pupils for some sort of answer, since his expression wouldn’t give it away, but they’d been obscured by the harsh light on the operation table. After the silence dragged on, suspenseful and more sickening each passing second, he groaned, aware that he had to come to a decision soon. Time was ticking. “Argh..” he gripped at his hair. “I don't feel comfortable leaving you in this state, you know?” The fact that Maka was waiting did not leave his mind but, unlikely as it seemed, the Death Scythe did have a sense of priority and he knew, after all, that Maka wasn't exactly in a hurry to see him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Get ready, we're going to Deathbucks”
Grey eyebrows raised in slight surprise. “I don't think your daughter will be too happy to see me tag along” he said with some amusement.
“I know she won't! I'm not stupid!”
“Is that so?” Another huge cloud was huffed and spread in between them. Tapping gently as the ashes got powdered off. “Then why are you bringing me?”
“You know damn well why!! Sneaky bastard, finding new ways to call me stupid…” He grumbled under his breath as he grabbed Stein by the undercollar and dragged him outside. No use asking him to change into something nicer, he knew that, but he still wished he could somehow scrub off that disgusting formaldehyde smell off him. He was secretly thankful for the distraction, allowing him to reprimand deaf ears and get his mind off the fact that Stein’s words earlier had been the wrong type of familiar.
Terrifying sort of familiar, and the ambiance that the constant thick clouds hanging overhead, on the deep russian violet sky, did not help at all. He remembered how wholly unpredictable and erratic the debacle had been, with the madness wave affecting his friend. To his formaldehyde stench had been added the reek of old blood, clinging to him like the bone-chilling laughter of the witch that haunted Spirit’s mind. Stein had always had a screw loose - which, he guessed, was why he always adjusted the one sticking out of his head - but it was different. It had been different /that/ time. He fought to drive away the memories about to flood back and let go of the scruff belonging to a not-so-cat.
Stein got up slowly, sort of stacking himself unceremoniously back up. “You always had a brutal way of being, I guess” He said as he began walking next to his companion. “Emphasis on the brute” he said in his usual monotone voice, making Spirit growl. Those were his exact intentions.
“Keep it up and I’m not paying for your meal” threatened his colleague,
Stein shrugged as he got out a bento box from… where’d he get it from? “Not worried,” he proclaimed in a flat tone. However, Spirit was used to his way of being, enough that he could tell his friend was trying to be smug.
They just kept treading the cobblestone road, away from the spooky lab and downtown where all the stores were gathered, including the café which they were trying to get to. The mix between rustic and modern with pop colours hadn’t been pulled off all too well in Death City, according to Spirit. He never would dare to voice his opinions to Lord Death himself, of course, but he was a little more comfortable with his old classmate, chattering about to him as they walked. Changing the way the conversation was going seemed refreshing, too. How could he ever grow tired of banter?! His years were catching up to him.
That thought was the cause of much shock. Outrageous of him to even think that! He shook his head and pinned his attention on the tired scientist next to him. Was he tired? He always had the aura of a walking corpse, though, to be fair, he had always known there had been something strange about his aura. Something that got intensified with the Kishi-
“Stop thinking about that.” Stein’s voice suddenly interjected, making Spirit jump a little. He adjusted his cross tie to recover smoothly, though, if you were to ask an outsider, they would’ve told you that the attempt was rather miserable. “There’s no use in worrying about it” the defensiveness was fading but had not left completely. Right, his obnoxious aura, able to capture a soul’s essence with only a few adjustments. He wondered if his friend would be able to read his thoughts even if he didn’t have that ability, given their closeness.
“Look, I know it wasn’t a huge sign but how could I not worry?! I don’t see you very often since you're a goddamn recluse so I don’t know how well you’re doing and- Well, it wouldn’t be amazing to have someone as strong as you just walk around while fighting himself! Think of the students! Hell, if my Maka couldn’t beat you..”
“Mhm, think of the kids.” Spirit detected mockery in Stein’s flat tone now, and it enraged him yet again. “If you cared about the kids you wouldn’t be yapping about what a danger they’re in to their faces” He pushed his glasses up and sort of tilted his head so Spirit took the hint to look around. Indeed, they were being observed by some students, but they looked more bothered by the shrill tone of the redhead than by any of the words he was saying. It was pretty awkward to see an authority figure pout and stomp around like a child having a tantrum. “You’re lucky you’re too stupid for them to actually listen to you” Stein teased monotonically.
The embarrassed man grabbed his friend by the stitched grey sweater and pulled him inside the coffee shop and away from the prying eyes, so tense he jumped at the bell in the entrance. “Just be quiet for once while I try to talk to my daughter!! I’m trying to not get her to hate me.”
Eyebrow raise “Sounds like a daunting task…”
“I told you to shut your trap!!” Growled Spirit as he elbowed him softly. He knew better than to get on that scientist’s actual bad side, since he was such a deep sleeper. He shivered and sat at a table, pulling out his phone while scanning the small shop for Maka. Nothing, though, other than the slow drip of coffee in the background and the owner glancing at them, conspicuously. Turning on the screen, he’d received more messages than usual, that’s to say 3, and they were all from Maka.
- I’m going to be late
- I have to help Kid with an errand
- Sorry!
He sighed and put his head on the table after replying a little “ok! Don’t sweat it, honey! <3”
“Looks like I’m going to be stuck with you for a while” he stared at Stein with feigned disdain.