Chapter One: Little Missy
Damn the cold. Damn the winter. Damn this body for lacking the ability to preserve heat. Gosh freakin' darn it, was it cold. Maka huffed air through her mittens in a futile attempt to warm herself as she walked down a deserted sidewalk in search for shelter. Having bought a small studio apartment on the other side of town from her work place was poor judgment on her part.
Somehow, she had forgotten some files that she needed to get finished at the office, so naturally, the almighty hard working Maka Alburn just had to go finish them despite the horrid weather. The trains had been working then; cars and such still slowly roaming about albeit a few. Now, however, because of the blizzard, all means of transportation had shut down, leaving Maka basically stranded. The freakin' blizzard had ended up being ten times worse than the unreliable weather man had predicted. The snow, hail, frozen rain, the wind ... it was relentless! It was currently 10 below 0 and the cold had somehow managed to affect not only cars and buses, but also the subway. The underground trains ... trains that ran under the ground. Why in the world would the weather conditions affect those?! Unbelievable.
Most shops had understandably closed due to the weather as well. Which left poor Maka Alburn to quiver along as she attempted to brave the abuse of the harsh winds and snow needling her face. Her cheeks and nose were red and wet, her nostrils dripped with snot, and her eyes watered. She just HAD to move to the Big Freakin' Apple. Hell on Earth more like it. She should sue for false advertisement.
Maka dared a brief glance up in hopes of seeing any shops were magically open or to perhaps find a kind stranger willing to let her stay the night. But alas, not a soul in sight. She quickly focused her eyes back down as she felt the sting of ice that slapped her gentle skin. Shivering uncontrollably, she ducked into an alleyway, seeking even the slightest of refuge from the cruel, unyielding nips of Jack Frost. She leaned her back up against the brick wall and immediately collapsed to the snow covered cement ground in a heap. She was getting tired and somehow was feeling more and more immune to the cold. Her reasoning had been compromised. Maybe if she just took a short nap, she'd be blessed with the strength to make it home somehow.
Another beautiful day in the life of a lonely Soul. He was one who loved storms - especially horrid ones such as this - that would allow him to isolate himself from the unwelcome and complicated responsibilities he was expected to uphold. Socializing. Bleh. In other words, he always appreciated a good blizzard when it kept the unwanted away.
He was alone in his apartment with a scalding hot mug of black coffee, watching the abandoned streets below from his ceiling to floor bedroom window. The sound of slow jazz drifted through the air; white flurries danced with a temperamental breeze just outside the glass. Just as Soul was about to get more coffee, a small figure caught his eye. It appeared to be a child slowly fighting against the wind. She looked so fragile. Her hair getting bullied by the harsh weather as it whipped around her, her face abused by the brisk, icy snow.
"She must be mad. Who goes out in this kind of weather?" he muttered to himself, his eyebrows meeting in confusion and worry. Curious, he continued to watch her as she entered an alley and almost instantly fell to the ground.
'What is she doing?!' Soul couldn't believe his eyes. The poor girl was going to die if she didn't get a move on. After a few minutes of seeing no movement, Soul sped to put on warm clothing and went to fetch the child.
As he exited his building, he realized he had underestimated the blizzard. It was much colder than he thought it would be, but he ran to the small form across the street nonetheless. 'Damn the fucking cold.' Soul shivered slightly. Once he had gotten to her, he first checked for a pulse. Luckily, he found one, though faint. He took no time in scooping her up and quickly running back into his building. He took the elevator up to his floor and proceeded to tend to the nearly frozen stranger. After making his way to his bathroom and setting her down, he noticed that she wasn't a child. In fact, she was quite tall and slender, her chest and hips giving her away. Perhaps a teenager? Shaking his head to rid himself of such untimely thoughts, he reached to turn the heater on higher.
With only her well-being in mind, he began to strip her down to merely her underwear. He then picked her up once again and carried her to the shower to put her under some cold water. Ever so slowly, he turned the heat up, little by little, stopping at room temperature for awhile. She was breathing well enough, though her body continued to quake, stirring a few times. Soul leaned down and felt her forehead, her neck, her arms, hands, and so on and so forth.
'Good,' he relaxed a little. 'she's beginning to warm up a bit.'
After about an hour and a half of thawing the young girl, Soul had dried her with a towel, reluctantly stripped her of her undergarments with his eyes as averted as possible, and dressed her in some very warm, very over-sized clothing. He carried her to his California King sized bed, covering them both in his warmest blankets, and practically enveloped her with his body to keep her warm. He set an alarm on his phone and was, surprisingly, soon asleep, spooning a stranger under his covers.
Smooth jazz drifted through the air as warmth caressed her. What smelled like freshly brewed coffee wafted her senses and made her taste buds jump in delight. Was she dead? Was she dreaming? Maka slowly opened her eyes, being met with the sickly city night, drowning in ice and wind through an extremely large window. She lay back down after attempting to move, her muscles too sore to cooperate.
"Oh, good. You're finally awake." a rich, gruff voice startled her. She shot up against her body's wishes, eyes scanning the room for the intruder. She immediately regretted it, however, when the room began to spin. Vertigo ... figures. She grabbed her head, slamming her eyes shut, and slowly lowered herself back down.
"Woah, now. Take it easy." Came the stranger. Maka felt the bed move to the left of her and turned her head to see a handsome young man with unruly white hair and striking ruby eyes. His eyebrows met with worry. "You can't just bounce back from a near death experience, little missy," he mumbled as he reached out to feel her forehead. Resisting the urge to shy away from the stranger, she let his long fingers brush her bangs out of her eyes and land his large palm on her skin.
'He's warm.' Maka thought longingly as she began to snuggle his hand. She then heard a deep, guttural chuckle grace her buzzing ears.
"You seem to be doing better." he laughed. "That's good."
Maka dared to look back up at the kind man as his hand slowly retracted from her sweat covered head, taking in all that she could make of him. He was a very attractive specimen. A low golden light of a lamp emanated from behind him, making him seem almost angelic as shadows danced upon gorgeously sculpted skin. The dark red wall behind his person enhanced his hair and eye colour, seeming to glow as he watched her carefully. His messy, rich silver hair pointing in every direction in the most *ahem* seductive of ways; bangs held back by a small black headband. His smile was almost vicious, with his razor sharp teeth, but warm and inviting at the same time. He was captivating. She couldn't see his full length, as his legs were leisurely tossed over the far end of the bed. She could tell that he was very tall, though, from the way his body seemed to bridge across the sheets to her. He wore a sleek black jacket with a calm grey t-shirt underneath and what looked to be dark blue jeans and a small dog chain necklace. Simple and relaxed, yet suave.
His eyes seemed to scan over her, concern lighting up his fierce gaze. She hadn't realized she was shivering until she felt the friction between his hand and her shoulder.
"Are you still cold?" he asked, rubbing her arm soothingly. "Want something nice and hot to eat?" He stood up at that. He was much taller than she had originally thought him to be, his legs easily carrying him to a steaming mug across the room. He turned to her as she watched him take a sip, seemingly trying to entice her to take him up on his offer. They kept eye contact for awhile until it occurred to her that she had yet to give him an answer.
"Ahh ..." She croaked out. Her throat hurt like the dickens. She reached a hand up to rub her neck for a moment in embarrassment. The tall stranger quickly left the room only to return with a large mug full of scalding hot water and a few packets of tea.
"These are the only teas I have right now, unfortunately. I hope that they are to your taste." Soul sat the mug and tea packets down on the night stand, placing himself down on the bed next to her. "It's best to warm up your throat first." He stated as he watched her expectantly. Maka looked to the teas, noting that they were all expensive brands, and chose the green tea. Soul asked her if she'd like some honey in it, to which he received a slow nod. He mixed in the honey and let steep the bag for a few moments, leaving them to sit awkwardly until it had finished. He helped her drink her tea and took everything out to what she assumed to be the kitchen before returning to her side once more with another steaming mug in hand for her.
Everything seemed uncomfortably forced, gauche and hesitant, though that was to be expected when being taken care of by a complete stranger. Speaking of which, who was this man? How did she end up here? Why was she in so much pain? Why was he taking care of her? What had happened to land her in this plush California king sized bed in this spacious room? She wasn't complaining, really. Merely curious.
Maka took this time to observe the room as the handsome stranger went about making her more of the same tea. They both sat on the right side of the bed, which was covered with thick red, black, and crème coloured blankets and pillows of the most comfortable material. The upper part of the walls were a dark red with a thin dark wooden panel lining a third of the way down from the ceiling to be met with a calming crème colour. All of the side tables were made of the same wood as the strip and held only lamps and an alarm clock, the wooden floor partially covered by crème coloured carpets. There was a large TV on the wall in front of the bed with speakers on either side. To her right was a large ceiling to floor window overlooking the city. An awkward door sat to the left of the window alongside the large flat screen. To her left lay two other doors, one also next to the TV which Soul had come and gone through several times (Maka guessed it led to the rest of the house) and the other door a mystery. Low gleaming lamps lit the room along with a small 'fireplace' under the television, giving it a warm feeling, but the lack of personal and familial treasures made it feel slightly empty.
The man cleared his throat to get her attention, making her snap her head to look at him. He handed her the steaming mug, which she took gingerly.
He watched her as she sipped the hot liquid and sighed in sweet satisfaction as it soothed her sore throat. He had been observing her as she summed up her surroundings. He got the feeling she was as confused and uncomfortable in the current situation as he was. He had never been one to bring strangers into his home, but he wasn't heartless. She was extremely fortunate that he had seen her and was kind enough to extend his help. He was secretly proud of himself for his heroic acts today. He'd have to pat himself on the back later.
"So…" He began. "Do you remember anything that happened? How you ended up here?" he inquired. At first, she began to voice her response, but quickly was reminded of her aching gullet. She shook her head slightly back-and-forth in the negative, she couldn't remember what had happened to her after ducking into the alleyway.
"Would you like to know?" he asked, to which Maka nodded emphatically.
"Well," he cleared his throat. " ... I saw you collapse in the alleyway and brought you here." He answered simply. "You're lucky, little missy, if I hadn't seen you, you'd be dead." Maka was about to protest her new found nickname until 'you'd be dead' rang through the air. Her eyes widened and her fists clenched the sheets.
"Wh... what?" It came out quiet and soft, barely audible. He glanced over at her.
"So, she speaks..." He smirked at her, his explanation not registering until he saw the look on her face. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she begged her body to suppress them. She bit her lip and forced her eyes downward. This was all too much for her to take. He watched her fight the tears briefly before casting his gaze elsewhere.
"... but you're alive." He stated firmly, forcing Maka out of her inner battle. She slowly looked back up at the man who had saved her life. He was leaning back on his arms; legs splayed out off the bed as he looked out the window. Sighing, he redirected his pools to her face once more.
"You're still here. You're alive, you're breathing, and you're warm, and... I will take care of you..." Tears began to pour down the young girl's face as she heard his words. She hadn't cried in a long time, but something about a near death experience and a stranger saying he'd protect her had opened the floodgates. The tears continued for longer than Soul felt comfortable with, but still, he draped a long arm around her in an attempt to comfort.
"Thank you..." She whispered. "I owe you my life."
"You do." came his curt reply. He rubbed up and down her back for a moment before pulling away. "Soul." He stated as his lava met her moss.
"Wh...what?" Her eyebrows collided in pure confusion, her eyes widening with mild anxiety as she proceeded to jump to conclusions. Was he one of those weapons that the government refused to acknowledge? Did he want to eat her soul?! That would explain his more than odd appearance.
"My name." He smirked, seeing the worry flash across her features. "Sullivan." He extended a large hand as he introduced himself. "But I prefer Soul." Realization set in her face followed by relief. She looked and accepted his hand, finding it funny. Why, he had just been cradling her as she wept in his arms not moments prior and they were only exchanging names now. An awkward handshake later, he cleared his throat once more, catching her attention.
"May I inquire as to your name, little missy?" Maka had to confess, she wasn't too fond of the pet name, but seeing as she owed this man her life, she'd let it slide... for now.
"Ahhh..." She tested her throat. It was still quite sore, but she found it easier to use her voice. "M... Maka. Maka Alburn." She answered slowly, a blush worming its way across her skin at the sound of her own voice cracking.
"That's a nice name ya got there, Maka." He smirked at her, not missing the rosy pink gracing her features. "How old are you, anyway? Why were you all alone out in that hideous storm?" he asked.
Maka rolled her eyes. He surely thought she was a teenager at best.
"I'm 24 and I live on the other side of town." Soul was taken aback by her change in behavior. Though her voice still held similarities to a scratched record, she had become indignant.
He grinned at her lightheartedly, amusement spreading across his face. Imagine that. Little one had an attitude. "... feisty." He playfully teased.
Soul began to zoom in on her face and body. He could see it now, the maturity hidden in her youthful demeanor. Actually, now that he was really looking at her, he found he rather liked her appearance. She was low-key gorgeous. She was small and petite, but had legs that traveled for what seemed like light years. Her face made her look childish, especially with her cheeks puffed out as they were. He attempted and failed at stifling a chuckle, only seeming to edge her on.
She had long, naturally wavy golden locks that reached just above her hips. He knew she had some curves hidden under the enormous clothing she wore, not that he had checked her out, mind you. Gentleman don't do that, but he was aware of what she was packing. He looked to her face again, appreciating her feminine features as best he could pass the pout. Her lips were plump but delicately so, her button nose and cheeks adorned constellations of freckles, and then there were her eyes. These things sparked with the life of green fire. It was like nothing he had seen. She could very possibly be a model.
"I'm serious!" She croaked out. "I'm 24!"
He laughed. "I'll believe it when I see I.D." He joked, flashing sparkling white shark like teeth her way. "But you have yet to tell me exactly why you were out there in the first place." He settled himself back into his relaxed state, a bit closer to her than previously, as he awaited her answer.
"What? Oh, um..." Maka was somewhat surprised at his close proximity when she looked up from her sulking. He was leaning back on his hands again, which were on the other side of her, caging her in somewhat awkwardly as he looked at her.
She mulled over how to answer. Soul would more than likely think ill of her reason, but for lack of a better excuse, she resolved to tell him the truth. "I had some work to finish at the office a-and by the time I had finished, it... um, the train that is, had been shut down."
Soul scrunched his eyebrows together. "You mean to tell me, you risked your life... to finish a couple of dumb files?"
"My job is currently on the line... so, I wanted to do all I could to not lose it." Maka turned with a grimace.
"And instead you chose to gamble with your life?" Soul's brows shot up in surprise, once again expressing himself on his face. "Couldn't you just stay at the company if you had known that the weather was worsening?"
"Oh, no. It wasn't so terrible when I left work, but by the time I had walked three or four blocks, it had become unbearable. The doors to the building were locked right after I left, so there was no way to get back in, believe me, I tried." She reassured him. She had indeed attempted to reenter her work place, but no one had been there to let her in.
"Where the hell do you work, itty-bitty?" He asked, astonished.
Maka sighed. What was with all of the 'small' nicknames? She could admit that they were cute, but she didn't want to be 'cute' or 'small'. It was somewhat dejecting. "I work at E.C." She responded.
Soul grinned with pure delight as the words left her mouth. "Mind to elaborate?" he asked, amusement radiating off of him in waves.
Maka gave him a strange look before replying, "Eater Corporation."