The Message Of Flowers

Theme: Flowers

Maka Albarn and Soul Evans never celebrated Valentine's Day the way most people do. While most consider it a day for love and confessing said love to others, the meister and her weapon never considered it a day for romance. No, it was because of one odd coincidence that made Maka and Soul consider it a day for friendship.

It was on Valentine's Day that Maka had first encountered Soul at that ebony piano, the first time that he had ever played for her. It was on that day that they had become a weapon/meister team.

This was a coincidence that wasn't lost on the two (and, if the abundance of teasing that the always excitable Tompson sisters had given them after Maka had revealed this fact was of any indication, others weren't lost on this, either) but it was one that Maka, at least, wouldn't let herself dwell on.

'Just a coincidence, Albarn,' Maka would think anytime she left herself be fooled into thinking even for a second that it could be anything but. 'It doesn't mean anything. After all, didn't he once say he wouldn't go out with a girl like you? That's all the proof you need! Coincidence, Maka!'

So, with each anniversary that passed, they would give each other friendly, innocuous gifts. Soul normally gave her a practical gift, like a book or, if he had done something stupid in the days leading up to Valentine's Day and wanted Maka's forgiveness, he would be extravagant and give her a small bouquet of daisies, Maka's favorite flower. Maka, meanwhile, usually took a different route in her gifts, crafting a card for him and placing it under his breakfast plate for him to find later. These gifts were nothing special but it was really all they had to do to show that they cared about each other.

That was how it went. That is, until this year.

This year, when Maka woke up and went into the living room, there wasn't a hardcover book with a small red bow waiting for her on the coffee table like she was expecting. Instead, a gleaming cream colored ceramic vase stood proudly in its place, a dozen blood red roses flowing from its mouth. A pale blue sticky note clung to the side of the vase, bold black writing scrawled onto it in a penmanship that, even from where she stood, Maka could instantly recognize as being Soul's. She walked over to the vase and plucked the note off. What was printed on it made Maka's eyes widen.

Maka,

I know I don't usually give you flowers for Valentine's Day (unless I do something to piss you off). This year, though, I made an exception. You became my meister a few years ago and...OK, Maka, I'm gonna sound really cheesy and uncool here but I think I love you. No, I KNOW I love you. I wanted to tell you but I wasn't sure how. That was when I remembered something that Kid had said once. He said that roses represent a passionate love. It's good I listened for once, huh?

Hope you like the flowers, Maka.

You're going to be getting them a lot more often from now on.

Cool?

Love, Soul.

Maka read and re-read the note nearly half a dozen times before it finally fully clicked in her head (although, judging from her rapidly beating heart and slightly shaking hands, it seemed her body had been able to put two and two together before her mind even got the chance to). After another beat of silence and limited movement, a wide grin spread onto Maka's face.

'Soul...you fell for a girl like me.'

Maka chuckled quietly.

'And thank God for that.'

A few minutes later, Maka found herself taping a small slip of lavender paper onto Soul's bedroom door, a note that contained her reply to Soul's confession.

Soul,

Thank you. I look forward to more roses.

Yes, Soul, we're cool.

VERY cool.

Love, Maka.