It'd been four days since their date, and he still couldn't muster up the courage to call her, to apologize for lying to her so terribly and to beg her to give him another chance. Her eyes had been downcast and distant for the rest of the evening, and she'd answered him in the shortest of phrases. He screwed up, of this he was certain. But how could he fix this mess? He felt horrible, but how to explain why he had lied to her?…
That was the most troubling question of all, for he worried that if he tried to explain it to her, she would leave him for sure. Who could love such a messed up creature of a man? Surely not someone as successful as Maka Albarn….but there was no harm in trying…right? So, on the morning of the fifth day, he called her.
"Maka Albarn here."
"Maka…"
"Yes? Who is this?"
"It's um…uh, Soul."
"Oh." The line went silent. "Um…hi, Soul…do you need something?"
"Yes." He bit his lip, inhaling deeply as he scoured his soul for any ounce of courage he had left. "A second chance."
"What?"
"I…I'm really sorry about the other night…I just want to talk to you…to explain it all…"
Silence. Had she hung up on him?!
"Ma-?"
"Tomorrow. The Deathbucks on Ebony and Alabaster. 12:30."
His heart soared. She was taking him seriously! "A-alright! I'll be there! See you then!"
"Okay. Bye."
He set down the receiver and exhaled, nearly jumping up and dancing a jig in elation. She was giving him a second chance! He could fix it! Fix it all-
But how? How to tell his story without sounding as screwed up and sad and just crazy as it was? She'd probably think he was selling her a sob story to get publicity…He could just…
No. The truth, owning up to his mistake and setting things right, was the only way to go. No flaking. He couldn't screw up. Not again.
"Crap crap crap crap-"
It was 12:35 and he was still at home, fifteen minutes from the cafe and trying to pull on a decent pair of jeans. So far, his track record for punctuality was less than PR…but he hoped to make it up to her, somehow…
"Maka!" He called, eyeing her ash blonde locks as soon as he passed the threshold. She was standing, poised to leave, her eyes hard and cold even from this distance, her hair up in a ponytail, revealing her defined cheekbones…Shaking his head, he approached her. "Maka, I'm so sorry!" He groveled as he reached her. "Here." He brought a small bouquet of white and red from behind his back. "Your assistant, Tsubaki…She said they're your favorite…" He blushed uncontrollably as her eyes grew wide and she slowly took the bunch.
"Um…thank you, Soul. That's very kind of you." She was guarded, concise, protecting herself…from him…had his actions been so detrimental? They'd been so open before…
"Sit." She more ordered than invited, taking her own seat behind lukewarm coffee.
"I…um…"
"The truth."
He started, his eyes darting toward her stone cold features.
"That's what you came for, isn't it? To be truthful with me? To not deliver me some half baked lie you pulled out of your-"
"Yes." He cringed and she fell deathly quiet, her eyes piercing his skin. "The truth..a-about me…well…the truth is…it's…um…it's complicated."
She scoffed.
"What?" He stared at her interjection.
"It can't be that complicated. Not any more than anyone else's story."
"You…you have no idea." He sighed, slouching.
"Well then, tell me."
"I…gosh where to start…"
"Your bandages." She stared openly at his hands now. "That's what I asked you about. Why do you wear them all the time? Everywhe-"
"Scars."
She froze, staring into his morose crimson eyes.
"What?"
"I…I have…scars…on my hands." He choked out, his throat seeming to constrict. What was he doing? Why was he doing this? Unearthing all these memories…digging up his past just because some..beautiful…intelligent, interesting, insightful…woman popped the question?
"Scars?"
Looking into her swirling pools of jade, the honest concern and curiosity projecting from their depths touched him somewhere, creating a warmth in his heart he hadn't felt in years, and his dam broke loose, spilling forth the past in a garbled stream of words and emotion.
"Y-yes…my…my hands. I broke them…well, I didn't break them…My...dad. He was…no. My brother. My brother was a musician. A good one. R-really good. He…he could've been famous…b-but our dad…H-he was a big CEO, of this international firm, and he…he wanted W-W-Wes…" He nearly sobbed as his brother's named tumbled past his lips after so many years. She was next to him now, having moved her chair to block the curious stares of other customers. "T-to go i-into business, too. B-but W-Wes w-wanted to be a musician. M-my dad…" He sucked in a large breath, tensing when he felt Maka's small hand on his shoulder.
"Soul, you don't-"
"H-he tried to h-hurt h-him." He gritted his teeth, the tears spilling over now. People were staring, talking, he knew, but he didn't care. "My dad…h-he drank a-a lot…One night…he…m-my dad got r-r-really drunk. He…he's an angry d-drunk…He tried to…to beat Wes, to make him give up music to go to business school, but…he wouldn't do it. So my dad tried to…but I wouldn't let him." He bit his lip, nearly causing blood to ooze through the skin. "W-we fought. I h-hit and hit him… A-and he hit back, h-harder…the b-bruises would go a-away…but…he got a h-hold of this..h-h-uge gl-a-ass bottle-" Soul mimicked holding a bottle by the neck, his eyes blazing. "He s-swung at me…a-and I blocked w-with my h-ands. Th-the glass b-broke and went i-into my s-skin…br-oke a h-half dozen bones, s-scarred my h-hands with the glass c-cuts…" He swallowed, his eyes hardening as the remaining tears flowed out of him. "He n-never...got in trouble th-though…They…Th-the c-court wrote it off as an a-a-accident…I-" He inhaled, beginning to regain some semblance of control over himself. "I...I couldn't live in that house a-anymore...N-Not after that. W-Wes was eighteen when it h-happened…s-so he was going off to college anyway…enrolled and accepted with honors and s-scholarships…I was f-fourteen… I ran away, took s-some money from my dad's stash and high-tailed it to S-San Francisco. That's where I ran in to Black." He cracked a small, sideways grin at the memory. "Black and his d-dad, Sid…they f-found me on the s-streets, trying to s-steal and mug just to get one meal a day...They felt bad f-for me, so they took me in...didn't ask a-any questions either. T-took me in and taught me everything about boxing...And I fell in l-love. The rest, as they s-say, is history." He sighed. "Eight years of the m-most intense training of my life later, and h-here I am."
Silence. God that silence…
"Oh God Soul…" He turned to her at last, his eyes wide when he saw her pinked, splotchy features; she bit her lip as she reached into her purse. "Soul I…if I had any idea…I never would have…"
"It's okay..." He smiled wearily, running a hand under his nose as she dabbed at his face with a tissue. "I just…I haven't told anyone that before…not even Black, my best friend, knows the whole story…"
"Wow." They sat for a moment, her hand still on his face as she brushed away the sorrow. Realizing, Maka quickly pulled away and dropped her gaze, fiddling with her thumbs before she came clean.
"Well…I guess it's…my turn…" She inhaled. "I…I'm sorry I got so mad at you…I just…my dad was a drinker, too…is a drinker. And a womanizer. He…cheated on my mother…so many times, but she just…wouldn't leave him. Not until he got violent…" She sucked in a breath, and it was his turn to stare. "He tried to beat her into doing what he wanted. The bruises were…god awful. When he tried to beat me, though, she drew the line." A faint smile fell on her lips. "One night, she grabbed me up and we left. He found us, somehow, but he couldn't touch us, for a while…" She chuckled bitterly. "Now he's older, still horrible, but he's burned himself out already. He relies on me. He's trying to get better he says, but…anyway…the point is that…well…I got so mad because we were so…honest. You were one man in my life who was honest with me, didn't treat me like just some woman to use and forget. I thought we…connected, or something. When I realized you lied it just… Hit me in the face."
"God, Maka…I'm so sorry…"
"It's not your fault. I wasn't completely open with you either…and really I guess raw honesty like that is a bit much to expect on a first date…" She grinned through the droplets, resting a hand on his arm. "But I guess the second is where we come clean, huh?" She sniffed.
"I guess so." He chuckled, sniffling as he looked around the now nearly deserted cafe. "Good god, how long have we been in here?"
"I don't know, but- Crap. I was supposed to be back to work ten minutes ago…The walk will take twenty-five, at least…"
"It's cool, I can take you." He grinned, pointing out the window toward a tilted pumpkin-shaded motorcycle.
"I-I don't know if-"
"It's safe, I promise. I'm a great driver. I can get you there in…ten minutes, probably. The News building, on Gallows Avenue?"
"Y-Yeah, but what about my…flowers…"
Biting his lip in thought, Soul requested a paper bag from a cashier and a hair band from her. He placed the bag over the bouquet and tied the stems together, beaming triumphantly as he handed her the bunch.
"Thanks." She giggled.
"Alright, let's go then!" They started toward the door, the brisk morning winds biting at their cheeks when they passed the threshold. She shivered violently, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her toward him as they strode toward the bike.
"There you go…" He held the flowers as she swung a leg over the bike, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. "New rider, huh?" He chortled, earning him a chop to the head. "Ouch…do that often?"
"Only when you misbehave." She grinned mischievously.
"Hmmm I might have to reconsider this dating thing…" He dodged another blow, bending to retrieve something attached to the side of the motorcycle. "Here."
He held out a shiny black helmet.
"Thanks." She grinned and pulled it on; it slid perfectly over her ponytail. "You ever use this thing? It still smells factory fresh."
"Y-yeah…once..." He mumbled under the roar of the motor, hoping she didn't notice the blush on his cheeks as he sped off toward the center of town.
Author's Note: In case you didn't catch it, he totally bought it for her.
Hope you enjoyed part 2! Planning on going with this idea for another chapter or so.
Read and review? :)