Finding the Raven Witch (A Soul Eater Fanfiction)

Hesitation

Shinigami-sama entered the Death Room. What time was it? 2 AM? 3 AM? Sighing, he sat in his chair. He hadn't been able to sleep at all; a nagging voice in the back of his head had been telling him to go to the Death Room. And so he had shrugged into his long robes, put on his mask, and come here.

Nothing seemed to be wrong, however, and the exhausted Shinigami reached under his mask and rubbed his tired eyes. That was when he heard the timid knock.

"Come in," he commanded, and the wooden door swung open to reveal Tsubaki, Black*Star's weapon. What was she doing here at this hour?

"Tsubaki-chan," Shinigami-sama greeted her warmly, "What brings you here?"

"Well," Tsubaki looked uncomfortable, "You see, Black*Star overheard you giving Soul and Maka a mission, and he wanted in on the action. I told him not to, but he followed them. Please, sir. Don't be upset! It really isn't his fault, he's just... impulsive!"

Shinigami-sama nodded, suddenly remembering the importance of the task he had given Maka and Soul. He wondered how they were doing.

Don't be so anxious, he thought to himself, It's only been one night. They probably haven't even started looking.

"That's all right, Tsubaki." He smiled beneath his mask and did his best to sound happy. "I need as many young weapons and meisters as I can get on the job. The more, the merrier!"

Tsubaki looked relieved. "In that case, there's other news."

"Yes?"

The Shinigami didn't anticipate what came next.

"We've found Rosalyn Seikatsu and her son. We're holding them right out here."

"Wh-What?" Time froze. It was as if someone had slapped him in the face and then given him a hug.
Finally! Finally, his young weapons and meisters had found them. His wife and his son, the two people who he loved most in the world, were now being held just outside the door to his Death Room. 

"Shinigami-sama? Can you hear me?" Tsubaki's voice reached him as though she was underwater.

"Yes, yes?" The Shinigami awoke from his trance.

"I was asking if you were going to come out, or should we take them somewhere until morning?"

"Oh, no. I'll be right out!" Shinigami-sama waved her out.

As Tsubaki left, he turned to look at himself in the mirror. Lifting his mask, studying his face. Hopefully Rosalyn wouldn't notice the bags under his eyes. He hadn't slept much this past week, for some reason. He self-consciously smoothed out his robes, watching the creased-in wrinkles bounce back up. They weren't so obvious, were they?

Who am I kidding? He thought to himself, She'll be on my case for not ironing for sure.

He took a deep breath and faced the door, ready to go out. And yet- he was hesitating. Rosalyn had run away for a reason. Why? Ever since the birth of their precious son, Death the Kid, she had become quieter, sadder. It was like she was conflicted inside. What had he done wrong?

Trembling, he slowly made his way down the long hallway to the huge door, trying to think of what he would say to her. Beads of sweat formed behind his mask, trickling down through his long, messy hair underneath the hood of his cloak.

Think positive, think positive.

Suddenly, a horrible thought occurred to him.

What if Rosalyn didn't love him anymore?