A/N: FINALLY! Chapter 9 is here and ready to be read by all you beautiful and patient gods and goddesses. Let me take this time to really apologize for delaying this chapter for so long. I've had a lot on my plate for a few weeks now, but I've gotten everything settled and under control, so we should start seeing more chapters and the development process should go a bit faster now. I know you've all been dying to find out what happens next, so here you go! DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER, BURLESQUE OR ANY OF THE SONGS CONTAINED IN THIS CHAPTER! Happy reading! (:
CHAPTER NINE:
SOUL'S P.O.V
Every single day, living with Maka had been such a breather from my reality. My reality, being a taken man living all by his lonesome while his supposed 'fiancé' was pretty much living on the other side of the country for who knows how long. At least with Maka, I didn't have to be alone every morning and night. We usually don't see each other in the afternoon since she practices with Liz every day before work, but it was still a hundred times better to know that another soul with breathing within these walls other than myself. Not to mention that it was Maka who had been by my side all this time. Every day she has given me a new reason to love her. The way she cooks for me every day without fail, the way she reads like a nerdy bookworm in her free time, and even the way she sneezes is cute to me. Loving these little things about her tells me for sure that I must be falling for her… and honestly… I didn't mind at all.
I was going out to run a couple of errands, seeing that we were out of milk and out of booze. I know… weird combination of things to run out on… don't judge us. When I came back, I expected to come back to an empty house since it had been around noontime when I finished my errands. I dropped my bags in the kitchen and walked into my room, but on the way, I noticed something, or rather someone moving around in Maka's room. To my curiousity, I peeked inside the crack of her door to see what was going on. Thankfully it was Maka, but I doubt she'd be relieved if she had known I was standing there staring at her. Maka was laid out on her stomach on the bed, reading one of her novels that she had wanted to finish for a while now, wearing nothing my her pink, lacey panties and her matching, lacey pushup bra. Her back was turned to me so of course she didn't notice I was there, but that only gave me a better view. Her back was slightly arched and her silky legs were crossed in the air. I admired her body for what seemed like forever. That body that I get to see every night at the club, that body that everyone wished they could get the chance to touch, that body that I wanted so badly next to mine. There she was, sitting right in front of me, ready for the taking. If it had been anyone else, they probably would've… but that's not my style. That's not what I'm all about. I only admired her for the simple fact that she was Maka and she was here, right where I wanted her.
She began to shuffle in the bed, looking like she was about to get up, so I scurried into my room, pretending that I had just gotten in. "Soul? Is that you?" she calls. I exit my room, calmly trying to erase my thoughts so I didn't give myself away. I leaned against my doorway, looking over to see where she had went. "Yeah. Just got in from the store. What're you doing here at this time? No rehearsal today?" I asked, raising my voice a bit so she could hear me from inside her room. She opened her door, now fully clothed in a pair of pink shorts and a light gray sweater. I felt a little disappointed, but it was to be expected that she walked around a man's house fully clothed. Especially when that man is already betrothed.
"Nope. Liz told me to take the day off and come in for the night. Said I was working too hard and that tonight's just going to be a review so I didn't have to show up if I didn't want to." That makes more sense. Liz wouldn't want to break her new toy. "Oh, alright. So what's up?" I asked. She shook her head, her bangs swaying along with her long hair. "Nothing, I was just reading, but I'm glad you're here. I want a man's opinion, alright? Come in." She beckoned me into her room and I followed, baffled. She sat me on the bed and dug into her closet, pulling out two dresses. "Okay, I bought these two dresses the other day, but they were pretty pricey, so I want to return one. Which one looks better? The red one or the midnight blue one?" I looked both of them over for a minute. The red dress was shorter than the blue one and it looked tighter on the body as well. It had a sweetheart neckline that had a slit stretching down a bit low in the middle of the chest area. It was pretty goddamn sexy if you ask me, but when I looked at the purple dress, I saw where her dilemma laid. The purple dress was also strapless, but it had a very low-cut back and a long slit on the leg that almost went up to the right hip. It was sexy, but it had a bit of innocence to it seeing how long the dress was.
"That's hard to decide. Try them both on and maybe I'll be able to tell," I instructed. She nodded and pushed me out the room to change. I sighed, defeated and fell onto the couch, waiting for her to finish changing. Soon after, she called out to me and told me to come back in the room, so I did. I opened the door and saw her strutting her eye-catching purple dress. She blushed under my concentrated stare, but that didn't stop me from looking. Actually, I found that dress to look even better on her than it did in her hand. This might be a little bit harder than I thought… I continued to stare at her like that for a while before she pushed me out, forcefully with a flustered look on her face. "I have to change again! Go wait for me out there!" she screamed from behind the closed door. Instead of going back to my seat on the couch, I just waited for her from where I was, at her door. She emerged from the room again, pulling me in quickly. "How's this one?" she asked, looking to the side. Now, she had on the sexy, red dress. I had to be careful not to drool, looking at this one, because she looked even sexier than she had in the purple dress. The slit in the middle of her chest was exposed, showing off her perfect-sized boobs and the bottom of the dress came up right at the middle of her thigh, showing off her petite, porcelain legs that looked pretty inviting to me. I shook my head vigourously at my tainted thoughts of just throwing her down on the bed and kissing all of her exposed skin when I realized… She's really going to let other men see her looking like this? I began to pout at the thought of other guy coming up to her at the club. "I like the purple one better. You should return this one and keep the purple dress," I said, now looking away and pouting, much like a child.
Maka giggled now and nodded her head with a smile. As I looked away from her, I noticed a torn photo on her dresser and picked it up. I analyzed it for a moment, seeing a picture of a little girl who resembled Maka in every way, holding the hands of two young-looking adults. They had to be in their late teens by the look of it. "Is this you?" I asked, hesitantly. I didn't want to touch any nerves, mostly because I knew that if there was one thing that Maka barely brought up her parents. Not since that day in the park when she told me she was put in an orphanage.
Maka looked surprisingly calm as she nodded her head. She was gazing at the photo with a memorable smile on her face. How could she be so calm when talking about her family? She gently took the picture into her dainty hands and looked at it closely, sitting on the bed. I sat next to her, carefully, looking on with her and waiting patiently for her explanation.
"This picture was taken on my 7th birthday. A few months later, Mama and Papa got into a car accident and I lost them both." She didn't explain any further than that. I assumed it was because I had already known the rest. Soon after her parents died, Maka was sent to an orphanage and then she got a job at Sam's as an unpaid employee until she was 16. She went to a small college on a scholarship and continued working at Sam's until she was finally able to come here. From there, all the rest goes down in history.
The only thing I could do was stare down at the picture. Of all this time that I've known Maka, she's never showed me this picture. Did she even really intend to? I don't know… All I know is that I felt like I was intruding. Even so, I felt a certain obligation to console her. "You must really miss them," I said. I felt stupid after I said that. Like, duh, of course she does. Why do I need to state the obvious? Stupid. She didn't judge me for it though. "I do. There's so much I want to tell them about. New and exciting things have been happening to me every day lately and I wish I could tell them every little thing that's happened to me," she admitted. I smirked at her positivity. She's a lot more tolerant than I thought. "Has anything happened today?" I asked. She shook her head and turned her head to look into my eyes. She has never had a problem with it. Not like some people are when they first meet me. That was just another thing to add onto the list of things I love about her. "Nothing, yet. I'm sure something will though," she murmured. I caught myself staring down at her lips. They looked so smooth and plump and I found myself battling with myself to fight the urge to steal a kiss. I began to move extremely slow, almost meeting my lips with hers.
As if on cue, there was a loud bang on the door, clearly blocking Black*Star's way in. "SOUL, OPEN THIS DOOR! YOUR GOD COMMANDS YOU! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Black*Star's faint cackle echoed from behind the door. Maka and I both laugh, nervously, seeing the predicament we were about to get ourselves into. "You should probably get that before he breaks down the door… again. I would get it, but I have to change," she said, arising from the bed, along with me. "Yeah. I'll go do that," I stated, quickly walking out of the room and to the front door. I almost kissed her… Thank god for Black*Star. Even if I love Maka, I'm still engaged. I have to at least break things off with Sarah if I'm going to go ahead and do things like this. I'm not a cheater. Cheaters are uncool and I'm not uncool.
I took a deep breath to prepare myself for the headache I was about to receive after Black*Star's entrance. "Okay…" I opened the door and BOOM! Black*Star crashed the door open into the wall, leaving a hole for me to patch up… again. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! I CAME TO GREET MY-!" His sentence was cut short, from a book crashing into his noggin. "MAKA-CHOP!" a shout came from beside me. I looked down at Maka who had a bored expression on her face as if her Maka-chops to Black*Star's head was the norm for her… which it kind of was. She had to get him to shut up one way or another. "Come on, Black*Star. I would've thought you'd get over this whole yelling thing when Tsubaki became pregnant," she scolded quietly. I noticed she had changed back into her sweater and shorts. That was fast…
"Actually, Maka, he's gotten a lot better around me and the baby," a small voice corrected from behind Black*Star's falling body. Black*Star finally fell on his face after wobbling around a bit and there, Tsubaki stood timidly. Maka's face lit up as if she was a toddler who was just told that she would be taken to Disneyworld. "TSU!" Maka exclaimed, throwing her arms around Tsubaki. "It's been a while, huh, Maka?" Tsubaki laughed. We welcome them both in, having to drag Black*Star's limp body and throw him over onto the couch.
"So what brings you two here? Everything going okay?" I asked. Tsubaki nodded, looking lovingly at her baby's father. "Yes, everything has been wonderful. He's so good with me and the baby. He's always taking me to my doctor's appointments, helping me around the house, going to work extra hours so we all can live comfortably," Tsubaki said, smoothing out her dress as she sat down on the couch. Honestly, I was surprised that this conceited brat of a best friend was even taking his new responsibility as a father seriously. He's a bit of a goof, so it's kind of humoring to hear about his duties around the girlfriend and his unborn child.
Maka listened quietly, sitting next to her new close friend, taking both of her hands in her own. She must've been pretty damn excited to see Tsubaki since she hadn't seen her in quite a while. Maka's been really busy with her rehearsals and all, so she hasn't really had time for herself, but she doesn't fail to make her own time and spend it wisely, so I hear them talking over the phone every once in a while. From what I can hear from outside her door, Tsubaki and Maka had gotten pretty close. She could easily call Tsubaki her best friend or confidant.
"Black*Star showed me a video of one of your numbers, Maka. You were absolutely terrific! You told me you had talent, but I didn't know you had talent like that! I'm so proud of you!" she praised. Maka chortled at the praise, obviously not knowing how to take it.
"Well, I wouldn't want to brag. Besides, I've still got a lot to learn," Maka said. Tsubaki only shook her head at Maka's comment. "You're perfect, Maka. Don't get all modest," Tsubaki encouraged. Tsubaki's thumbs rubbed up against Maka's hands and while she did this, I noticed something glimmering on Tsubaki's left ring finger. Oh my god…
"Tsubaki, is that what I think it is?" I asked, pointing to her hands. She looked up and then looked down at her hand with that loving look returning back to her eyes. "Yeah, it is. I was going to go to the club tonight to announce it to the other girls, but I wanted you two to know first since you're our best friends," she explained. There was a certain sentiment to her words that easily melted mine and Maka's heart. Just to be recognized as a person of importance to someone is one of the best feelings, so I was glad that Black*Star and Tsubaki came to us first. Maka looked down at Tsubaki's hand and as soon as she noticed the star shaped, diamond wedding ring, she began to get all teary eyed. "Tsu! Oh my gosh, he asked you to marry him?!" she exclaimed.
The shouting must've woken Black*Star back up because he started groaning in pain as he sat back up, wincing as he rubbed the dent in his head. "'Course I did. What's a god without his goddess, right?" he snorted. This one time, just this one time, I actually didn't want to knock the confidence out of Black*Star. He was showing off a big, toothy smile to his wife-to-be, still looking like he was in pain. These two are giving me a cavity over here just lookin' at them! Nonetheless, I let them have their moment. Both of us did.
Tsubaki was the first one to break the silence. "That reminds me…" she started, looking at Black*Star knowledgeably. He nodded at her to confirm her thoughts and she snatched up Maka's arm, dragging her back into her room with a blink of the eye. "Wai- Hey! Tsubaki, what're you-?!" Maka bellowed as she was being taken away. Before I got a chance to ask what was going on, Black*Star wrapped his arm around my shoulders in a brotherly fashion and gave them a shake.
"Soul," he started. "You know you're my best friend, right?" he asked. I didn't know what to make of this so I only nodded. "That means that you'll do anything to make me happy, right?" he asked once more.
"What're you getting at, Black*Star?" I asked. Black*Star wasn't always one to get straight to the point, but he looked pretty serious, so I just went along with his 'beat around the bush' style just for today. He gave my shoulders another shake and explained. "Tsubaki and I are thinking of planning the wedding as soon as we can so that we can have the wedding before she has the baby. Now, I know it's a bit hasty and all since we just told you that we're getting married, but I want my best friend to be part of this experience. I want you to be my best man," he said. I smiled up at my best pal and ruffled his hair, patting his back. "Of course, man. Don't scare me like that you damn fool. I thought you were going to tell me that you two were eloping off to Mexico or something. Jeez…" Black*Star cackled and started to wrestle with me like the old days. He really is my bestest friend. Though he's an idiot and he's a bit too loud for my taste, Black*Star and I have always been there for each other. That's why I decided to be his best man, because I know that when it's my turn to wait at the altar, I'd want him to be there for me as well.
MAKA'S P.O.V
Tsu slammed the door shut behind us and started giggling about while I demanded to know what was going on. "You can just grab people like that Tsubaki! You scared the crap out of me! You're lucky I didn't Maka-chop you!" I shouted. Tsu only held an index finger to her lips telling me to quiet down. When I remembered that she was pregnant and that I was shouting in her ear, I clamped my lips shut and awaited her explanation.
"Maka, I consider you my closest and bestest friend. You're the only one besides Black*Star that I can really talk to and I've come to think very highly of you as we got to know each other. That's why I have to ask you… Will you be the maid of honor in my wedding?" she asked. It sounded like she was proposing to me, but regardless of that, I humbly accepted with an ecstatic nod and a tight hug.
"Of course I will! You're my best friend as well, so I hope that when my time has come to walk the isle, you'll be my maid of honor," I squeezed her tighter, speaking gently, making sure not to get too overexcited. Today's been a long day, but not a bad one.
Tsubaki and I let go of each other and sat on the bed to talk normally while Black*Star and Soul have their manly chat. "So, now that we got that out of the way, how's your relationship status?" Tsubaki asked. There wasn't much to tell, though I wish there had been. With all this marriage and kids thing going on, I couldn't help but feel a bit lonely. A girl needs some lovin' too, 'ya know.
"There's not really anything to say about it, I mean, I'm not talking to anyone and I'm not really seeing anyone." Tsubaki shook her head, as if that wasn't what she meant. "But are you interested in anyone?" she asked, clarifying what she meant. I sat back on my bed for a moment in silence to really think about her question. Well, I don't really talk to anyone, but my co-workers and none of them really peak my interest. Kid isn't my type, besides, he's happily married, the band members are a bit too old for me and Black*Star's already spoken for, not that I want an idiot like him anyway. That only leaves Soul and what was that guy's name again? Hiro Shimono? I mean, I guess he's cute, but from what I heard about him and Blair from Soul, I don't even know if I should even pounce on this prey. And Soul… out of the question. I care for Soul very much, but he's already got a fiancé that he's 100% dedicated to. I couldn't ruin a marriage, I just couldn't. That's completely against my morals…
I sat back up and looked at Tsu. "There's this one guy that I met the other day at the club. Said his name was Hiro Shimono, or something like that? And-," before I could finish my sentence, Tsubaki waves his hands out and shakes her head in displeasure.
"No, Maka, trust me. Don't get involved with a man like him. He's just in it for fun. Why do you think he's gotten to Blair? Blair's just a slut who's also in it for fun, so of course he's go for her type. You're nothing like Blair, so take my word for it and aim higher on this one. You're way out of his league," she warned. A part of me thought she was right, but it wouldn't be right for me to judge a book by its cover. True, I knew nothing about the man but the rumors that get around, but he looked like he was a pretty deserving man. I wasn't sure what I was to make of it, so I just put it off.
"What about Soul? Has anything happened since you two have been living together?" he asked, now wearing a sadistic smirk that I had never seen before. I blushed under the pressure and shook my head violently. "No, no, you got it all wrong. Soul's already engaged to a beautiful, successful woman who he's head over heels for." Tsubaki raised an eyebrow for a quick second and then looked at me wonderingly. "Have you ever asked him when the last time he called Sarah was?" she asked. Come to think of it… no. It's been a while since I've even heard the girl's name except for on the TV occasionally. I never get involved in Soul's personal life like that. Neither of us did, really.
I shook my head at Tsubaki and she smiled as if she knew something I didn't. "I don't want to get in the middle of you two, but instead, I'll give you a piece of advice. Don't be afraid to get close to Soul. You two are friends, it's okay to want to spend a little time with him. Don't let this marriage discourage you. Get close to him. Find out what makes him tick and what gets under his skin. Talk to him. No one will think any less of you if you do." I nodded in response and she chuckled, helping me up off the bed with her to return back to our boys in the living room.
Later that night, Tsubaki, Black*Star, Soul and I were off on our way to the club. Tsubaki came along with Black*Star to make the big reveal to the other dancers. There was no doubt in my mind that things were going to go smoothly, but Tsu still insisted in entering there with me, hand in hand. She wanted me to be there every step of the way, so I didn't object.
First thing, when we got to the club, Tsu ran right up the stairs, dragging my behind her. She seems to be doing a lot of this today… When we got upstairs, all the girls were unloading their stuff and stretching before they got ready for the show. I left Tsu's side to grab Liz and Kid, bursting into their office once again.
"Damnit, Maka! You should really stop doing that. One day, you're going to come in at the wrong time," Liz scolded. I had no desire to know what she meant by that, so I only shuffled them over to Tsubaki without a word. By the time we joined the crowd around Tsubaki, Tsubaki's hand was covered behind her back, waiting for me to stand beside her.
"Guys, check it out!" Tsubaki exclaimed, raising her left hand to show everyone her gorgeous wedding ring. All the girls squealed in happiness and Liz patted Tsu on the shoulder. Kid looked over them all, looking around for Black*Star. When I noticed his search, I directed him over to Black*Star in the main area, talking to Soul at the bar. He made his way over and disappeared downstairs, to congratulate his friend. I silently stood next to Tsubaki, showing my pride in getting the chance to be a part of this huge moment in her life.
After the squealing quieted down, Liz spoke over all the rest. "I'm so damn happy for you, Tsubaki! I'm going to help you with all the planning, so don't you worry about a thing!" she buzzed. She seemed just as happy, as if it were her own wedding. They're such close friends. They've known each other for a long time, so it's only natural for Liz to be so eager.
"Alright, girls. I know this is all big news and we're all happy for Tsubaki, but we've got a show to run, so start getting ready for your first numbers. Tsubaki, you'll stay and watch, right?" she asked. Tsubaki nodded and spoke in response. "I'm going to be down with Black*Star in the main area. He doesn't want me to leave his side tonight with all the business you guys have been getting. He said it's safer to be with him." Liz nodded in approval and saw her off to the main area. Before she left, Liz turned to me and told me how things were going to work. "I'm gonna have you close the show tonight. Like a big finale. Until then, you can just rest for the time being. I'll make sure to come get you when we need you. You've been working too hard, so why don't you go relax with Soul or something?" she offered. "Thank you, Liz. I really appreciate your concern," I thanked. Liz sometimes treated me like her own niece. I liked having that comfortable relationship with her. Sometimes she could be a hardass, but that's just how she gets as an owner of the club. I've noticed that something's also got her on edge as well. It's not really my business, but word's got around that we've got a debt to pay off and if we don't get the numbers right, then we lose the club. Like I said, it's not my business, but I do try hard for Liz and Kid. I know how much this burlesque club means to them. To everyone. So without fail, I listen to every order and complete them without question. Unlike a certain drama starter I know…
Like Liz said, I went into the main area where all the customers began to file in like clockwork. I took my usual stool at the bar, right in front of Soul and began to strike a conversation with him like every night.
"Not working tonight?" he asked, preparing the ice, liquor and mixers. "Oh, I am. Just not until later on. Liz wants me to close the show," I explicated. Soul nodded and concentrated back onto his organizing.
I thought back to what Tsubaki had said earlier that day. "No, Maka, trust me. Don't get involved with a man like him. He's just in it for fun." Tsubaki and Soul both said that he doesn't particularly commit to anyone. "Why do you think he's gotten to Blair? Blair's just a slut who's also in it for fun, so of course he's go for her type. You're nothing like Blair, so take my word for it and aim higher on this one. You're way out of his league." I chuckled a bit to myself at Tsubaki's comment, considering for out of character it was. Usually Tsubaki was a sweetie to everyone, but she clearly wasn't a fan of Blair's. She has a point though. Why would Hiro go after a woman like Blair if he didn't like her type? I certainly wasn't anything like her, so why even bother with a man like him? Though, I can't help but wonder what he's really like. I've heard many bad things about him, but if he's getting all this attention from women, then he must have some good points to him as well. But I mean, c'mon… who're you gonna believe? Your friends who have actually got a chance to meet the guy or your curious mind who knows nothing at all about him? No. It would be smart to just trust my friends and stick to the rumors in this case. They would never have warned me if they trusted him.
That being said, I shook my head clean of any thoughts concerning Hiro Shimono and thought about what else Tsu and I had talked about. I vividly remembered her mentioning Sarah while we were talking. What was it she said? Oh yeah. "Have you ever asked him when the last time he called Sarah was?" Even though Soul and Sarah didn't talk as much as a couple should when they're this far apart, that didn't excuse the fact that he's engaged already. It's already bad enough that I'm living with the guy right now behind Sarah's back. This was as close as the two of us would get, that's all there is to it. I'll admit this much, though: It's kind of upsetting. Being all distanced the way we are. I mean, we never really get to see much of each other in the day since I go into work to practice in the afternoons and sometimes even as early as 5am. Sometimes, I really do wish that we could just sit down, talk and just hang out.
Without knowing it, I was sulking quite enough to concern Soul a bit. He tapped me on the shoulder to snap me out of whatever thoughts were racing through my head. "You alright? Looks like something's on your mind," he pointed out. I quickly shook my head 'no' in response and said, "No! I'm fine…" Soul didn't look the least bit convinced. "You sure? You looked pretty intense there for a moment." I didn't bother answering and Soul didn't bother prying any further. I guess I just wasn't in the mood to hide anything since it was so totally obvious that something had been on my mind.
As if it were some sick coincidence, I watched as the crowd filled up the empty corners of the burlesque club when I see out of the corner of my eye, the devil himself, seating himself at his usual booth. Of course, my thoughts were filled to the brim with Hiro Shimono once again, unwillingly that is.
I faced Soul once again, who still hadn't noticed the businessman's presence yet. "Soul, just out of curiosity, what do you think of Hiro Shimono?" I asked, lowering my voice to avoid any eavesdroppers listening in on our conversation. Soul cocked an eyebrow at me and answered my question with another question. "Why do you ask?" he questioned. I bobbed my head in Hiro's direction to tell Soul to look his way and sure enough, he did, only to roll his eyes despicably at the sight and sigh. "Well, to answer your question, in my opinion, I think the guy's a greedy prick. He takes anything he wants, he takes everyone's girl and then trashes both of them when he gets bored of them. Totally uncool." I heard what he was saying and I believed him, but my interest to find out more still hadn't died. I planned to stick with my gut feeling and trust my friends' words of advice, but something told me that things weren't going to go as planned this time… When have they ever gone as planned?
"Why do you ask?" Soul began to pry. I didn't mind his questions; he deserved an answer. The only thing was that I didn't have a valid one to give him. "No reason, just wondering," I said. Soul, once again, did not look convinced at all. He took another quick glance between Hiro and I and looked me dead in the eyes. "Look, if you really wanna find out for yourself what type of guy the man is, then just go over and give him some of your time. It's not like your company wouldn't be welcomed by him anyway." For some reason, Soul looked a bit pissed off as he spat Hiro's name. It was kinda… cute actually.
I laughed, shocking Soul from the unexpected response. "Honestly, I'd rather be over here with you. He's not my kind of guy anyway. Might as well not waste any time," I said with a bright smile, stretching from ear to ear. I meant it too. Who would wanna spend their time with a womanizing jerk when they could spend time with their best friend? It goes without saying that I'd much rather spend my time with Soul than Hiro.
Soul stared at me with disbelief and utter surprise. Even his cheeks and ears were reddening at my sudden confession, but I didn't take note of it. Instead, I smiled even wider and spoke before he could get a say in. "Though, I see you're gonna be pretty busy tonight, so I'll stay out of your way. I'll be over there, bothering the lovebirds if you need me." I arose from my stool and walked over to Tsubaki and Black*Star without so much as looking back. I think I've said enough for one night. He's engaged. We have to stay distanced. It's for the best… despite how much I wish we didn't have to be.
SOUL'S P.O.V
Maka left me… just like that… open-mouthed, wide eyed and bright faced. She walked over to Tsubaki and Black*Star and I really started to feel the urge to just chase after her and bring her back, but I managed to fight it off. "I'd rather be here with you." What was that supposed to mean?! It probably only meant that she likes being around a close friend… but… what if… Nah. That just has to be my imagination. There's no way she could… Maka had never really shown any clear sign of affection towards me except for that one time. That had been the first time she had ever been so sentimental towards me and because of that, I had no idea how to react.
There had always been this big, thick wall between Maka and I and she seemed to respect the distance pretty well, but that's only what I could grab from her behavior. Never would I ever be able to tell what was really going on in that brain of hers. Maybe she does want to get closer to me, friend-wise, but I could never know for sure.
Whatever. It's best to not just assume things when it comes to Maka, so let me just lay low. There's no reason to get all antsy about it. Maka will make her intentions clear with time, so stay cool. With that, I returned to work and ignored the personal crap for the time being.
NORMAL P.O.V
Maka and the band was setting behind the red velvet curtains as always before a performance. The gussied up blonde was strutting a lingerie completely made of pearls, wrapping around her neck, breasts and lower region, while she bobbed her hair in a short, flapper-like blonde wig that Kid insisted on her trying out. She wasn't really used to having short hair, nor did she ever have to desire to cut it short, but this hairstyle wasn't… terrible. In fact, one could say she looked quite old fashioned as the costume aimed for. Maka's cherry red lips and smoked out eyeshadow contrasted with her pearly white foundation, exquisitely and essentially hid any imperfections, making her look almost unapproachable. By now, Maka had been used to looking this way, but what worried her this time was the number itself.
She was pretty shaken up when Liz had first told her about how the dance would go for this song. It's certainly not anything like she had performed before, which is exactly why she was the finale. Dreading on what the outcome would be if she were to mess up even the simplest of steps, Maka nearly fainting, plopping down on a speaker box with a hand placing on her aching head. What was Liz thinking? I understand she wants to reel in more customers, but this just spells disaster for me. Leave it up to Liz to make me take the risk of flashing the whole club. Ugh, if push comes to shove, I'm definitely going to kill her for this.
The band signals to Maka and her backup dancers that they're ready for action and as Maka's heart drops down into her stomach, she gulps down her negative emotions and nodded. The band begins to play a familiar song and the curtains rose, shining a dimmer light onto the stage than what Maka's used to. She decided to brush off all worries and work her magic like she would for any normal performance. Liz wouldn't make me do anything she wasn't sure about… Maka thought to herself and parted her lips to sing.
CHRISTINA AGUILERA – GUY WHAT TAKES HIS TIME
A guy what takes his time, I'll go for any time
I'm a fast movin' gal who likes them slow
Got no use for fancy drivin', want to see a guy arrivin' in low.
I'd be satisfied, electrified to know a guy what takes his time
Maka slowly kicks her legs out in front of her as she walked around the edge of the stage, hands on hips, jutting out a shoulder each time she takes a step. Her backup dancers simply waved their giant, feathered fans, creating a light breeze. Each of them were sitting on opposite sides of Maka, teasing the men in the crowd with seductive smirks and crossed, bare legs showing from their hoisted up skirts. So far, everything seemed to be working out as planned, which boosted the singer's confidence.
A hurry-up affair, I always give the air
Wouldn't give any rushin' gent a smile.
With that one line, Maka turned her back to the crowd, only to have the top part of her costume, covering her breasts yanked off from her body. Maka turned her head to the crowd to give them a fake, surprised expression making the audience laugh, while snatching a large fan from one of the backup dancers and turning back around and give the men a playful smile and twirling around gracefully.
I would go for any singer who would condescend to linger awhile
What a lullaby would be supplied to have a guy what takes his time
Maka turned to the band behind her and swayed her hips as she dipped down and slowly rose back up to her place. Over at the bar, Soul's mouth fell open at the sight of a topless Maka hidden behind that cursed fan, blocking everyone's view. A small red puddle began to trickle down his upper lips, but he didn't even bother to clean it since he could tell there would much more where that came from. 'Damnit, Liz! One of these days I'm gonna die from loss of too much blood because of you!' he thought to himself as he failed to peel his eyes from the stage.
A guy what takes his time, I'd go for any time
A hasty job really spoils a master's touch
I don't like a big commotion, I'm a demon for slow motion or such
Why should I deny that I would die to know a guy who takes his time
The last piece of clothing Maka had on was taken from her, like the last one had and she stood completely bare behind those oversized feathers that the dancers provided for her. Maka thanked whoever was up there that everything was going as planned so far and no mess ups were made. Maka had a few more lines to sing before the feathered fans were removed completely, so she tried her best to stay focused and concentrated just as she had practiced.
There isn't any fun in getting something done
If you're rushed when you have to make the grade
I can spot an amateur, appreciate a connesseur in his trade
Who would qualify, no alibi, to be the guy who takes his time
This was it… the big finale. Maka stood behind a line of backup dancers who held out their feathered fans to cover the bodacious blonde's exposed body. She stood with her hands on her hips, once again making her way to the front and center of the stage, jutting out a shoulder each step she took. The closer she got to the front, the more feathered fans would drop, until… The last feathered fan dropped and Maka stood there bare, shimming her chest in front of the leaned in crowd, censoring her precious lady parts with two cymbals and a bell. The crowd cheered and roared with claps as the curtain finally dropped, giving Maka true satisfaction.
A dancer came up to her and helped her put on a bathrobe to cover herself up and she humbly thanked her for her assistance. Maka finished tying the robe tightly and walked over to Kid and Liz who waited for her behind the stage. Liz handed her a light towel and smiled exceptionally. "See? I told you it would all work it fine! You did great tonight, as expected," Liz praised. Patty ran up next to her twin sister and leaned on her shoulder. "Yeah, you were great! I still think Liz should've went with my giraffe censors though," Patty frowned like a young child. Liz only rolled her eyes at her sister's recommendation. "Don't listen to her. Go get your things and go get a good night's rest. You deserve it," Kid said. Maka nodded exhaustedly and walked away to get ready as she was told.
After Maka was finished with her packing up and dressing up after dressing down, like always, she ran straight for the bar where Soul was composing himself. She sat in her regular seat and eyed Soul who was holding a handkerchief up to his poor nose.
"Uh, you okay?" Maka asked suspiciously. She hadn't even noticed any particular reason why he would've had a nosebleed. Although she was smart, she was pretty clueless. Soul wiped his nose and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. Maka forgot about the whole thing and moved on to ask his opinion on her show. "So how was that for a finale?" she asked leaning forward with a cocky smile, deviously eyeing Soul once again. Soul cleared his throat and looked away, nervously. "Y-yeah, preeeetty… *ahem* interesting turn of events," he struggled to say lightly, putting the handkerchief back up to his bleeding nose that had started up again.
Maka laughed and sat back in her chair. "Well, I'm ready to go when you are. I'm in the mood to make some pizza tonight if you want," she offered. Soul nodded his head without hesitance and put away the last of his glasses. He sniffled and said, "Yeah, I'm just about ready. Wait here for me while I go grab my things." He disappeared into the backroom and arrived back in no time with his things. As they leave the club together, Maka can feel the stare of both Hiro and Blair who had been cuddling up with each other in their normal booth together this whole time, but she paid neither of them any mind.
Outside, Soul had parked his motorcycle up on the side of the burlesque club. They both mounted the bike and Soul started it up, telling Maka to hold on tight like he did every time they rode the bike together. Maka sat behind Soul close enough to smell his sweet-smelling cologne through his leather jacket. She loved that scent. It was his scent. Every time the scent found its way to her nose, she suddenly felt safe and at home. It was one that she wouldn't trade for any other. Soul… Maka leaned in closer and nudged her face into his back with a happy smile on her face. Soul noticed her arms clenching around his waist tighter and just like that, he felt adoration for Maka. Adoration that he couldn't even explain.
SOUL'S P.O.V
I'll be the first to admit that when we got to the apartment, I immediately missed Maka's warmth when she released me and walked right for the doors of the apartment complex. I sat on the bike, watching her walk off in a daze for a minute, but I snapped myself out of it before too long.
Maka went straight to work when we stepped into the apartment. I was still putting my stuff down on the table, but Maka was already preparing the pizza pies. She was getting out all of the ingredients like she was in a rush to get somewhere and all I did was just sit there, chuckling with my arms crossed.
"Going somewhere?" I asked teasingly. She replied with specific look that told me to 'get real' and she said, "No, I'm just starving! I've been craving pepperoni pineapple pizza for a while now!" *A/N: (; am I the only one?!* I shook my head and threw my stuff in my bedroom. Wherever they landed was wherever they stayed until I needed my things again.
Maka cooked alone while I laid across the couch, listening to my blasting radio with the back of my wrist, resting over my eyes. I found comfort in laying and listening as Maka pitter pattered all over the apartment. I found peace in her presence. Just to know that she was there. I didn't have to see her or converse with her. I only needed to know that she was another warm body in the apartment besides myself.
One of Maka's songs that she showed me a few days ago began to play on the speakers and I turned it up a few notches louder. Feeling her happy, yet shocked gaze on me, I grinned a shark toothed smile at her with my eye still closed and hidden behind my arm.
LIGHTS – QUIET
I'm not yours, and you're not mine
But we can sit and pass the time
No fighting wars, no ringing chimes
We're just feeling fine
This is where we're supposed to be
Sitting by a broken tree
No tragedy, no poetry
Just staring at the sky
I could wait a thousand hours
Stay the same in sun and showers
Pick apart a hundred flowers
Just to be quiet
Tell me when you feel ready
I'm the one, there's not too many
Hold my hand to keep me steady
Just to be quiet
With you
I listened to the words carefully, only to end up comparing them to my own feelings. The woman was talking about how she wouldn't really care if her and her lover were silently sitting beside each other as long as they were together. She doesn't mind waiting for her lover as long as one day, they'll get to spend time with each other. I peeked up at Maka from underneath my arm and saw her singing along, smiling brightly and cheerfully. Her contagious smile brought another to my face as I placed the arm back down over my eyes. Yeah… I wouldn't mind at all. I don't care if you understand or not. All I need is you to be here. That's all I really need…
I like it here beside you dear
you're even more than you appear
And in the clouds my head is clear
Every time you say hello
So here's my heart, and here's my mouth
And I can't help if things come out
'Cause there are words I want to shout
But maybe I'll stay low
I could wait a thousand hours
Stay the same in sun and showers
Pick apart a hundred flowers
Just to be quiet
Tell me when you feel ready
I'm the one, there's not too many
Hold my hand to keep me steady
Just to be quiet
I felt the couch bounce a bit near my head and looked up from underneath my arm once again. I saw Maka sitting there, looking down at me, but I only smiled up at her. Nothing really needed to be said.
I could wait a thousand hours
Stay the same in sun and showers
Pick apart a hundred flowers
Just to be quiet
Tell me when you feel ready
I'm the one, there's not too many
Hold my hand to keep me steady
Just to be quiet
With you
Maka continued to sing until the song was over. I don't know how we got like this, but at some point, Maka started stroking my hair while she sang beside me. I didn't push her away or move away. Instead, I leaned in closer. Her touch felt nice, so I took advantage of the opportunity and stayed still, afraid that if I moved a single inch, she would pull away. Damn, this girl's got me so wrapped around her finger. How uncool… Eh, what the hell… What harm could it do? We sat still and stayed like that until the timer for the pizza beckoned Maka towards the kitchen.
I forced myself up off the couch to sit at the table with Maka, who was setting up the table and putting the pizza in the middle. I told her that I'd just have whatever she's having, so there I was, sharing a pepperoni pineapple pizza with her. I thought she was weird at first for liking those two toppings together, but it actually wasn't as bad as I thought… surprisingly.
We ate in silence, too wrapped up in eating our pizza to say anything, but right in the middle of eating, my cellphone rang. I looked over at it where it vibrated on the table. Obviously, it was Sarah. I didn't have to think twice about hanging up the phone. I had nothing to say to her, besides, I was with Maka. Why would I answer the phone when I'm spending what's left of my night with her? I could talk to Sarah anytime I wanted. She can wait.
Maka stayed mute for the majority of the night, but I had only figured that she was tired. After a completely silent dinner, we laid back down in our places on the couch with a couple of drinks in our hands, looking up at the ceiling and thinking about our days as the radio continued to play. I didn't bother making a conversation with Maka, I only waited for her to talk if she felt the need to.
FLYLEAF – THERE FOR YOU
Sometimes I'm a selfish fake
You're always a true friend
And I don't deserve you
'Cause I'm not there for you
Please forgive me again
I wanna be there for you,
Someone you can come to
Runs deeper than my bones
I wanna be there for you
I wanna be there for you
I noticed that it started getting a little awkward with Maka not speaking, so I spoke first. "Anything on your mind?" I asked, looking over at her seriously. Maka looked at me in the corner of her eye, looking a bit serious herself. "Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking that if I have another one of these drinks tonight, then I'll have to be carried to bed," she joked with a nervous smile. "Hah…" I snickered. It's kinda true that she can't really hold her liquor very well. She's alright, I'll give her that.
Swirling shades of blue
Slow dancing in your eyes
The sun kisses the earth
And I hush my urge to cry, cry
I wanna be there for you,
Someone you can come to
Runs deeper than my bones
I wanna be there for you
I wanna be there for you
'Cause I hear the whispered words
In your masterpiece beautiful
You speak the unspeakable thought
I love you too
Maka was the one to break the silence this time. She seemed kind of on edge about what she was about to say, so she gulped down the last of her drink in one swig. "A-also…" she started. "Hmm?" Maka twiddled her thumbs and looked down at them carefully. She was scaring me a little bit, but I didn't urge her to hurry to ease my anxiety. "Well, I was thinking that we should… h-hang out tomorrow," she proposed. That's all she wanted to ask? Wow, I guess girls really do get shy over stuff like this.
"Hmm…? Sure, sounds cool," I replied, paying my attention back to the ceiling. Maka sat up and stared at me; I could feel the gaze from a mile away. "Really?" she asked unbelievably. I nodded and crossed my arms behind my head. "Yeah, sure, why not? We haven't hung out in a while, so I see no problem," I said. Maka's grin stretched from ear to ear and she got right up from the couch to put away her glass. "Cool. Well, I'm gonna hit the hay. Goodnight, Soul." She walked off into her bedroom as I bid her goodnight.
I sat there in the dark, thinking about our conversation and laughed a bit at her nervousness. "Goodnight, Maka," I said once more to myself after she left the room. I gulped down the rest of my drink and listened to one last song before I got my goodnight's rest. I had something to look forward to, so I had to get as much sleep as I could.
My chick she's a little bit punk rock,
Can't stand when I'm listening to hip-hop,
She prefers White Snake over Drake
(Whatever!)
But I make her listen to it anyway
She gets mad cause I'm always on my iPhone,
A Blackberry can't barely get a signal,
She's so on-time when I'm always running late,
(Hurry up!)
I guess she's gonna have to wait
[Chorus:]
Thinking I'm in way over my head,
Yeah!
She say's left and I say right,
Yeah she says yes and I just might,
Cause I go up and she goes down,
Yeah I say something and she freaks out,
I swear she's out to get me,
She's horror-movie crazy,
And I'm telling you she hates me
She's unlike any other,
Man I think I love her,
Wooooo,
Man I think I love her,
Wooooo,
Man I think I love her,
My chick she's a little bit psycho,
She drew blood on American Idol,
(Hey!)
She's always hiding the remote from me,
Sucks for her that it's my TV
She's in my face whenever I'm driving,
(I know where I'm going! I know you're lying! Whatever!)
My girlfriend talks too much,
(BLAH BLAH BLAH!)
Man, she never shuts up
[Chorus:]
She says left and I say right,
Yeah she says yes and I just might,
Cause I go up and she goes down,
Yeah I say something and she freaks out,
I swear she's out to get me,
She's horror-movie crazy,
And I'm telling you she hates me
She's unlike any other,
Man I think I love her
She says left and I say right,
Yeah she says yes and I just might,
Cause I go up and she goes down,
Yeah I say something and she freaks out,
I swear she's out to get me,
She's horror-movie crazy,
And she definitely hates me
She's unlike any other,
Man I think I love her
Wooooo,
Man I think I love her,
Wooooo,
Man I think I love her,
My chick's always listening to Green Day,
She kinda hates it when I try to be like Kanye,
Man this chick goes on and on and on and on,
(Anything but Brittany!)
She says left and I say ready,
Yeah she says yes and I just might,
Cause I go up and she goes down,
Yeah I say something and she freaks out,
I swear she's out to get me,
She's horror-movie crazy,
And I'm telling you she hates me,
She's unlike any other,
Man I think I love her
She says left and I say ready,
Yeah she says yes and I just might,
Cause I go up and she goes down,
Yeah I say something and she freaks out,
I swear she's out to get me,
She's horror-movie crazy,
And she definitely she hates me
She's unlike any other,
Man I think I love her
(So I know this chick, right?)
Wooooo,
Man I think I love her,
(Man I take this girl out to dinner and she's so polite.)
Wooooo,
Man I think I love her,
Man I think I love her
'Yeah… that's so like Maka…' I thought to myself as I shut off the radio and chuckled all the way to my room.
A/N: I hope that was worth the wait! UGGHHHH! I have to say, I'm so in love with the songs in this chapter. ESPECIALLY LIGHTS - QUIET. You guys should really give it a listen. It's such a pretty song. Tell me, who else loves pepperoni pineapple pizza?! YES! Also, who else just wants Soul and Sarah to break up -_-" Like ugh! Even I hate them together! SOUL X MAKA ALL DAY! Anyways, again, I have to apologize for the HUUUUGGEEEE delay. I hope this makes up for it. I've already gotten on top of chapter 10, so we shouldn't have too much trouble getting back on track with all my troubles and worries out of the way. Thank you for your patience! I'll see you soon, so stay beautiful my friends! (: ;D
