This is my first fanfic, so please be gentle! I own nothing but the story.
Maka
I could see my breath that how cold it is here in Death City this December. Carols done by Pop singers can be heard throughout the city. But I don't feel anything, nothing against the pain. Mama left Papa and me in his care. Nothing seems magical anymore, not the snow falling down and settling on my slim shoulders and bare pigtailed hair.
Not even Christmas seems special. I've been accepted into the DWMA nest year, I'll make a deathscythe stronger than Papa that is my vow. But that will mean opening my heart to another person, and I don't think I can do that. Not yet, because of Papa and his betrayal.
Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away. This year, to save me form tears, I'll give it to someone special. Some Singer crooned as I walked into Joe's Records and Coffee shop.
It's where I work and spend most of my free time; either here, the library, or my apartment that Papa lets me stay in by myself. I don't recognize the singer, but the song is mildly familiar. Joe looks up at me from the cash register "Oh hey Maka, you're shift doesn't start for another hour. Why aren't you out with your friends? The pond's frozen over; most of the kids are out there skating." Joe informed me in his happy-sounding voice.
Joe always smiled wide when I came in, I was a lifesaver a few years back, I was the only one who would willing work for him even if they couldn't be paid at first. Now the business is safely afloat, I get a paycheck every week, and almost every teen my age wants to work here, but Joe only needs me, but has Kid organize his stock whenever he comes in for a record, usually the latest pop.
"I don't want to skate on the pond today, it'll still be there tomorrow, and the library's closed for the month, I don't mind starting early today." I replied as I shook the snow off of my black tail-coat blazer, and then hung it up on the coat rack with my bag. "Okay, can you go make some of your filled croissants then, the rush should be here soon." Joe asked with a slight frown as he read over some documents from the latest shipment.
"Yeah, I'll go do that for you now." I replied as I rolled up the sleeves of my white blouse "Thanks a million Maka, you really should wear some heavier clothes now that it's the middle of winter, you don't want to get sick do you?" Joe called as I disappeared into the back to bake what had to be baked "I won't, don't worry Joe, nothing's going to happen to me any time soon." I called back cheerfully and got to work, planting my I-pod into the dock and began to listen to the music I liked.
I will sing along if I'm in a good enough mood. "Okay, don't forget Friday night's band night, and you said you would perform." Joe called back before returning to his work. I cursed quietly under my breath as I slid a sheet of croissants into the oven, I'd hoped he'd forget that, but it seems luck was against me. Perfect. Even in the back with Nickleback blaring from the speakers, I could hear the little bell on the door ring as someone came into the shop.
I emerged, wiping my hands on a towel; Tsubaki had come in, in full winter gear with her cheeks flushed pink. "Hi Tsubaki." I said as I greeted the raven haired girl and put the towel on my shoulder. "Oh, Hi Maka. Why aren't you at the pond and skating with everyone else? Your shift doesn't start for another twenty minutes." Tsubaki asked her dark blue eyes puzzled and locked onto mine.
I sat down on a stool and shrugged dismissively "I don't feel like being out and about with others right now. The pond will still be there tomorrow and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that. I really don't see the point in going to it right now." I replied as I drummed my fingers along to a song that was playing. I don't the name of it; all I know is that is has a dark and beautiful piano sound in it.
The lyrics are dark too, but full of meaning. Tsubaki studied my face for a moment, and then shook her head as she sighed. "Is this about your Mom leaving you in Deathscythe's custody?" Tsubaki asked, hitting the true nature of my actions dead center. "Of course not, I just don't want to be out there right now, I don't want to even be associated with men." I retorted quickly and fussed with my left pigtail to avoid Tsubaki's gaze. "What about Joe?" She replied and gestured to him, he was still clearing up the area for the band's place to be set up, and the small stage was looking slightly more stage-like know.
"That's different, plus he's my boss." I retorted with a roll of my eyes. Tsubaki sighed again at me "One day Maka, you will have to let people in, not just men, but others as well. And for that, you're coming with me right now." Tsubaki growled and began to drag me out the door, only letting me grab my coat and gloves "Joe, I'm stealing Maka from you. She'll be back in thirty minutes or so." Tsubaki called out, herding me to the door by pushing me with her hands on my shoulder blades. Joe looked up from his maze of colored wires; he was setting up speakers now. "Okay Tsubaki, don't make her too late." Joe replied it appeared he was silently thanking her for taking me with her.
I glowered to myself as I was herded out the door by Tsubaki then she stayed by my side as we walked up the street. The snow was thicker, and a soft wind was making both of our hair do a slight dance. Some old recording from a store that we passed out belted out a single line before we passed out of hearing range. It's the most wonderfully time of the year. I glowered at the sound of it; this was NOT the most wonderful time of the year for me, far from it.
I was being taken against my will to a place I didn't want to go. "Oh stop it Maka, it's not like I'm taking you to your execution. I'm taking you to have some fun before you have to work. To our friends who rarely see you anymore." Tsubaki sighed irritated, and it takes a lot to irritate Tsubaki. "Your friends." I corrected quietly, and Tsubaki looked away from me, shaking her head at me. "If you let them, they could become your friends. But only if you let them Maka." She pointed out as we reached the middle of the town; I just looked at her as we came closer to the faster approaching pond "Don't wanna." I replied snippily shoving my gloved hands into the pockets of my thin tail-coat blazer.
Repressing a shiver I pressed on, not really wanting to, wanting more to run back to Joe's like hell in the vain hopes I could escape Tsubaki. "Oh for heaven's sake Maka." Tsubaki sighed, fixed her bangs so that they were no longer in her eyes, and then looked over at me. "C'mon, let's get you some warmer clothes." She proposed and began to lead me to the coat shop. "Why?" I grumbled not happy about his at all "What I have on is perfectly fine and good enough for me." Tsubaki glared lightly at me, and then pulled me into the shop.
"You'll catch your death if I don't get you into warmer clothes." Tsubaki stated, but I pulled away "If I go to the pond without complaints, will you not make me try on anything?" I bartered, I REALLY hated shopping, music and book shopping was completely different from clothes shopping, which I HATE.
Tsubaki was quiet, considering whether or not to let me have my way or not. "Fine, let's go. We'll need to get you a pair of skates though." I nodded to prevent her from changing her mind and hauling me back to the store. We walked to the little rental skate shop, got skates, and then walked over to a side of the massive pond. Once our skates were on, we took to the thick ice. I pouted for a few moments then joined in on the snowball war that was taking place. I loaded Tsubaki's and my arms with well-made snowballs then we began to pelt anything that moved with snowballs.
As much as I loathed to admit it, it was kinda fun. There's just this beauty to pelting someone in the face with cold snow over and over again. Tsubaki went solo after some guy with aquamarine hair, and I was left to defend myself as I was attacked from many different directions. I fought off a majority of the attackers, then felt something cold, powdery and slightly wet fall down my back. I squealed shrilly then turned to face my oppressor.
It was a teen with spiky white hair, red eyes and tan skin. He was a bit taller than me and was smirking at me as I threw numerous snowballs at him. "Jerk jerk jerk jerk!" I chanted as I made snowballs and threw them at him as he began to retaliate my attacks. He was laughing at me, and I attacked more furiously as I began to run out snow.
When I was out of snow I began to silently panic and skate away like hell, the albino was gleefully throwing a freaking armada of snowballs back at me, others joining him on the fun. I began to shiver like crazy, feeling my body temperature begin to plummet. I skidded to a stop on my skates to avoid tackling Tsubaki who was still chasing the blue haired kid, I stole some of her ammo, then began to chuck the balls at the albino, even though I was freezing cold, I grabbed whatever I could to make them into snow balls to pelt him with.
He laughed at my antics when I ran out of materials again, the snowball fight had died down a bit, allowing me to catch my breath and shiver like mad from the last handful of snow I had thrown down my back by my opponent. The albino seemed to notice my shivering when the war ended and truces were called "Are you okay?" the guy asked in a low, growly voice. He sounded like he used sarcasm often, and I saw his jagged, shark-like teeth. I glared softly at him and shivered in my sopping wet blazer. "Do I look okay to you?" I snapped turning around to skate away, I felt something warm surround my cold, wet, and bare arms.
A warm bitter scent with a sweet underside filled my nose. I glanced behind me to see that the albino had draped his black leather coat around my shoulders "You don't have to do that Albino." I stated, and went to shrug off his coat, but he stopped me, even though it left him in only an orange shirt. "It's Soul, not Albino; you need it more than I do Pigtails." He replied and slipped my cold arms through the warm sleeves, the feel of his skin warming my own up quite a bit. "Maka Albarn." I replied a tiny bit grateful to this stranger who gave me his coat when mine was useless in the cold weather. "Nice to meet ya Maka." Soul said, doing up the coat for me as my body temperature gradually began to return to me.
Tsubaki appeared beside us "Oh good Maka, you've met Soul." Tsubaki stated happily, not noticing whose coat I was wearing "C'mon Maka, we've got to get you back to Joe's shop. Your shift starts in three minutes." She began to pull me away from Soul, who seemed indifferent to the snow gathering on his already white hair and bright orange shirt. Soul grabbed my hand, then looked into my eyes "When can I see you again?" He asked and I quickly came up with a response.
"Friday, Joe's Records and Coffee, Look on the stage." I replied as Tsubaki pulled me away, rushing me back to the place she was so determined to get me away from. "How'd you find Soul so quickly? He tends to stay away from groups." Tsubaki asked as we hurried down the street, she still hadn't noticed I was wearing his jacket, and carrying my own on my right arm "I was pelting everyone in sight with snowballs when someone dumped snow down my back, I turned around and saw him. I immediately retaliated fire." I replied as we soon came onto the block before the shop's "Oh, really? And he gave you his jacket because yours got ruined?" Tsubaki mused quietly to herself as we reached the shop.
It was swarming with all the teens who wanted coffee from having been in the great snowball war. I glanced at my watch. It was eight fifty-three now, how had it gotten so late? I thanked Tsubaki then wove my way to the back and changed into the shop uniform. I retied up my pigtails, pulled on the green shirt, and pulled on the dark jeans I had in my bag, tucked Soul's jacket into my bag, then, as a second thought, I pulled out my pigtails and let my hair be down for a change.
I came trotting out then set to helping Joe with the swarm of teens. "HELLO! CAN YOUR GOD PLEASE GET SOME SERVICE OVER HERE!" the blue haired boy I had seen Tsubaki attacking yelled, diverting the noise to him. I walked calmly to the register and looked down at him. "What'll it be?" I asked calmly and retained a poker face when I saw Soul standing next to him, he didn't recognize me, probably because I had my hair down and my clothes were different.
I felt my heart skip a beat at the sight of him, and internally I frowned as the blue haired monkey peered at the menu with a serious expression. "Large black decaf espresso and brownie, Soul what do you want?" he finally decided as I quickly punched in the required codes, then turned my gaze to Soul, keeping my poker face intact "Just a medium earl grey for me." Soul replied bored and walked over to the records and began to sift through them.
Moments later I brought them their drinks and brownie. The blue head handed me the money plus a tip for my speedy delivery. Soul went over to Joe's station to buy a few of our old jazz records, then left with the monkey. My shift went by in a blur, I offered to close up shop for Joe, because he was dead tired anyway. Joe let me and I had everything put away, the food for tomorrow set aside in the back. Once everything was done, I gathered up my bag, pulled on Soul's coat without even thinking, and stepped outside and into the bitter cold.
As I locked all the doors I was glad for once that I was wearing jeans to protect my legs, it was bitterly cold, and to top it all off it was ten o'clock at night. I shivered and made my way to my apartment, fighting off the sleepy feeling beginning to overwhelm me as I had to stay awake, just until I got to my apartment. The cold air raged around me and I was so very tired, my eyelids felt like they weighed a million pounds each. My steps became heavy, and I collided into someone.
I looked up sleepily, it was Kid. "Hi Kid, Whatcha doing out here so late?" I asked sleepily as I stifled a yawn, looking up into Kid's warm golden eyes. "Your father didn't find you at your apartment, asked if I could find you. Come on, I'll take you home." He explained and lead me back to a black Volkswagen that had three white lines on the right side of it as well, must have been someone's idea of a joke. I fell asleep with my stuff in my lap the second I sat down. Comforting blackness of sleep surrounded me as Kid drove me back home.
"Mama? Where's Papa?" I asked mom holding my stuffed teddy bear close to my chest, it was my fourth birthday, and papa had disappeared. "Will he be back in time for cake?" I persisted, following the memory's course. "I don't know sweetie, I just don't know." Mama replied and the image of her twisted into something else. I was running down a hallway, going through a door, and doing the same thing over and over again. "Maka, Makaaaaa" Voices crooned as I ran, and earthquake shaking the very earth beneath my feet as I ran.
"Maka! Wake up! We're at your apartment." It was Kid, he had been shaking me awake, but I was way too sleepy to reply. I felt Kid's arms surround me as he picked me up, bridal style. He had my things on my lap as he carried me into my apartment, opened the door and softly set me down on my bed. He took my boots off for me as I sleepily tried to register what was going on around me.
Since I couldn't, Kid tucked me into bed, then borrowed my key to look the door to my apartment behind him. The next morning I would probably find the key on the floor by the door. I snuggled deeper into my bed, then reached over to my bag, pulled out Soul's jacket, and wrapped it around my, filling my nose with the scent of him attached to it. Cloves and a smoky part to it, incense maybe. I was far too tired for my brain to register anything anymore, I closed my eyes and let sleep claim me once again, a smile on my face.
So, how'd I do? Post reviews if you have time please! I don't own anything but the story itself! Thanks for reading! The next chapter should be out in a day or two, please be patient!