"Hey."
Maka looked up from the full envelope on the table before her at Soul. "Yeah?"
"I'm going grocery shopping." He looked at her contemplatively. "Is there… anything you wanted me to pick up?"
Maka struggled to smile and shook her head. "Naw. Actually, if you could pick up some bagels, that'd be good."
"Okay." He stood in the doorway for another moment, seemingly considering something, then flashed forward to kiss her briefly on the forehead. Her eyes widened in surprise.
Then he was gone.
She paused to trace where his lips had touched her. Then she sighed and looked back at the envelope before her. Why isn't it enough?
She knew what was in the envelope. Patti had told her when she'd dropped it off. But… She couldn't bring herself to open it, and she didn't know why. Looking at it made her stomach twist and writhe, made her palms tingle and go clammy… It was a sensation she'd never before felt.
It had been sitting there, on the table, for almost two weeks now. Several times she had reached for it, intending to either throw it away or move it out of sight… But she hadn't been able to bring herself to do it. And so it had remained, untouched.
But now she had to open it. She had no choice, she told herself firmly. She needed to see for herself…
With quivering fingers, she picked it up and began to work through the envelope's sealed flap. The edge of the paper sliced along her skin, but she didn't pause to wipe away the blood that fell from the cut. The single drop fell on the paper in a blot of deep crimson.
Despite her nerves, she finally managed to get the envelope open. Her fingers hovered hesitantly over the photos inside, and as she faltered, a single tear fell onto the white paper.
She overcame her moment of weakness and pulled out the first photo.
Smiling up at her from the shiny confines of the photo were a smiling couple.
The girl had her brown hair pulled up under a white, gauzy veil, and had on a white wedding dress with a heart-shaped neckline. The boy had on a flawless tuxedo, and his hair was slick and black.
To the right of his head, three white stripes were visible.
She threw the photo down with unnecessary force and reached for the next.
The next photo featured them cutting a tall wedding cake decorated with black frosting and silver ornaments.
Maka couldn't handle looking at them anymore. She put both of the photos facedown and sat back in her chair, biting her lip. The tears kept coming.
"You should've been there, Maka!" Patti had giggled. "The wedding was so beautiful, and everything was perfect! And Liz kept him in line the whole time. You know, with the symmetry thing…"
Maka gulped.
"Anyways, I have the photos, if you want to look at 'em. They both say they're sorry you weren't able to make it, but…"
"Yeah," Maka had croaked. "The flu's a bitch."
Maka squeezed her hands into fists. I was so stupid…. I should've gone! What the hell about the part where the priest says, "If anyone has reason for these two not to wed, speak now or forever hold your peace,"? I could've gone! I could've said, "I do! I…
Maka closed her eyes.
"I love him!"
Another moment presented itself to her in the dreary kitchen. Two weeks before the wedding, I ran into him at the store…
His face came to mind; he had stared down at the full paper bag in his arms. "Hey, Maka."
Maka had swallowed. "Hey, Kid."
A moment of tense silence passed. "So, um, that looks like a lot of food!" She had smiled and pointed to the bag in his arms.
"Oh, yes." He grinned as he looked at its contents. "We needed a few more streamers, and cake decorations, so I was sent to pick them up."
"Oh." At the mention of the wedding, a wave of ice had swept over her. "That… That's nice."
"Yes."
More silence. Kid had tapped his foot once in discomfort, his face stuck with an awkward smile.
"I hope you can make it," he finally said. "It'll be a very nice ceremony. Liz has outdone herself with the planning – she always was so grounded."
"Yes." Maka stared at her feet. Why can't I say anything besides yes? I sound like a miserable robot.
"You should come." He said again.
"What?" Maka looked up.
"I mean, as a friend of ours." His face was flushed. "You could come, and… and maybe say a few things about us. If you'd like."
Maka's eyes had widened. What is he saying?
"If you know what… what I mean." He bit his lip.
A tremor went through her body. Is he saying… Is he saying… Is he inviting me to crash the wedding?
Does this mean he…
"I should get going," she had faltered. "I hope your… your guys' wedding goes good." Then she had tripped away, leaving him there with his armful of groceries.
Now, she tilted her head back, her face crumpled with anguish and thoroughly wet with tears. She was alone, and she had missed her chance to confess her love, even when he had invited her to.
And all these many days afterwards, she had sat alone, replaying every moment between them in her mind. And even now, she could feel his name on her lips, his eyes staring back at her when nobody else was around...
The silence rung through the room, beating her with regret and anguish. Her trembling lips finally parted.
"Why?!"
I wanted to write something angsty about Maka and Death the Kid - in this story, Death the Kid has married Liz, and Maka is left with her own demons of regret.
I've been dealing with the aftershocks of an unrequited love of my own, and this story also helped channel that.
This story was inspired by the song Days Go By by Dirty Vegas.
You are still a whisper on my lips
A feeling at my fingertips
That's pulling at my skin
You leave me when I'm at my worst
Feeling as if I've been cursed
Bitter cold within