Kami wakes Maka up and the girl barely registers the outer world as she goes through the daily motions of getting ready.
"Time to go, sweet pea. We'll stop for breakfast on the way to the airport."
"Mm." She answers noncommittally.
Soul wakes up and gets ready for school. He leaves his apartment with no sign anyone of else moving in yet and rides his bike through the busy downtown streets.
Maka arrives at the airport with Kami and they unload there luggage from the cab.
"Are you sure you want to come? I really didn't think you'd last this long."
"Huh?"
"You can still stay."
"I'm coming with you."
"Maka, you havent' told me why. Any time I bring it up you brush off the topic but we're getting on the plane soon and you need to talk to me about this. Stop ignoring the situation."
"Why wouldn't I go?"
"Because you have a whole life here. You lived here for 18 years and you're about to drop it all to come with me. Why?"
"Never mind that. Let's go. We have to stow our luggage."
"Maka. Talk to me. If you get on that plane there's no turning back."
"I don't plan to turn back."
"Maka. Tell me what you're thinking."
"I don't want to leave you alone, okay?! You never left me alone and you never stopped trying to help me! I'm doing the same thing for you!"
"By coming with me you're ruining all the hard work I did! You finally start talking to people again and now you're just going to throw it all away?!"
"I-"
"Need to realize I want you to be happy. I'll be back and you can come visit but you need to do what you want not what you think is best. I won't be alone. I'll have colleagues down there and I have an old friend down there."
"An old friend?"
"Yes. And I was in love with him before I met you father. I had to leave to come to DC with my parents and I haven't seen him in years."
"Mom…"
"Give me a hug and go."
Maka grasps Kami tightly and Kami kisses the top of her head.
"You're so stupid, you know that? You know what you want so go get it. You've had enough taken away from you that you can be selfish right now and no one will give a damn."
"I love you too, Maka. I'll see you soon."
"See you, mom."
Kami places something in Maka's hand and squeezes it. When she lets go she says one word.
"Run."
With a smile Maka makes her way through the airport. A security guard tries to stop her but she doesn't care and just keeps running.
She gets outside and hales a cab. She throws the bag she's manages to keep a hold of into the back seat and jumps in the front.
"Shibusen. Please." She says out of breath.
The driver nods and speeds off.
Maka opens her hand to find a note and a set of keys.
Soul meets Black Star at the front of the school and they walk in together.
"How you doin'?"
"I'm alright. I just wish we could have had more time. Something could have happened, y'know?"
"Do you believe in the whole 'she's the one' crap?"
"Yeah. I do. And she's it."
"I think I found someone too, man."
"Who?"
"Tsubaki."
"Are you going to stop being an ass long enough to go for her?"
"Yeah. It really got to me when Maka yelled at me. I've been better, haven't I?"
"Yeah, you have gotten better. Maka was even being nice to you for a while there."
"I noticed that too. She was just warming up to me and now she's…"
"You can say she's gone. It's not gonna kill me."
"We're all gunna miss her, dude."
"Yeah, I know."
"Soul!"
Soul turns around at the sound of his name but is hit hard before he can focus on the speaker. He falls back in a tangle of limbs and hair and smiles when two bright green eyes greet him.
"Maka, what the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be-?"
"On a plane. I know. It's gone. I'm not going."
"What?!"
"I'm staying here."
"Explain!"
Her answer is a long and slow kiss. Soul sits up and hugs Maka tight to his chest.
The two stand up together but Soul doesn't let go of Maka.
"Seriously, what the hell is going on?"
"Mum convinced me to stay. She told me to go get what I wanted and not to worry about her."
"You couldn't have decided that two weeks ago?!"
"I'm stubborn, remember?"
"Oh, yes you are!"
"So, now what?"
"Well, class just started…"
"Then let's go."
"You don't have your school stuff."
She gives him a sly grin. "Got a pen and some extra paper?"
They both laugh as they find their class. Soul opens the door and walks in holding Maka's hand.
"Soul be on time t- Maka?!"
"Morning, Stein."
"I thought you were leaving today."
"We had a change of plans."
He smiles crookedly. "Alright, take your seats."
When Maka sits she gets ploughed with a hug from Tsubaki.
"H-hey, Tsu-Tsubaki." Maka says through Tsubaki's chokehold.
"Maka, I love you!"
Maka pats her head. "I love you too, but you're causing a scene."
"Right, sorry."
Tsubaki gives her another quick squeeze before getting off her and sitting upright in her seat.
Stein sighs and resumes his lesson.
At lunch Maka and Soul go up to the roof together to find all their friends already gathered.
"Alright, Albarn. You've got some explaining to do."
"You tell'er, sis!"
Maka explains what happened and the girls mostly make small squeaks of joy until the end of the tale.
"It's like a movie!"
"Yeah, don't get all worked up about it."
"It's so cute!"
"Whatever."
Soul moves over to Maka and takes her hand.
"So, what do we do now, Love?"
"I did not need the image of you saying that in a British accent in my head."
"What do we do now, Love?" Soul repeats in the suggested accent.
"Oh my God! I thought you said you were from Jersey!"
"I am. Doesn't mean I don't know a few tricks."
"Guys, she's swooning."
"Guess my girlfriend has a hotspot for accents."
"You all can shut up."
Soul leans down and whispers low so only she can hear him. "I say we dip. Hang out somewhere."
"Yeah, can we?"
"I think some alone time is called for."
Maka flushes brightly as all her friends grin wildly except Tsubaki who flushes along with her.
"You two run along. We'll cover for you."
"Right, see ya."
Soul takes Maka's hand and they leave the roof and head down to the main floor.
"So, love, we can go to my apartment and I can make you some lunch."
"Quit with the accent."
"Hmm, but it makes you hot, doesn't it?"
"Shut up."
"Lunch?"
"Yeah, lunch."
"Alright."
They get on Soul's bike and take off to his apartment. When they get there a very familiar custom bike sits in the lot.
"What the…holy shit."
Maka quickly unzips her pocket and pulls out the neglected letter and the set of keys.
"She fucking didn't…"
She tears open the envelope and starts to read it.
Maka.
Looks like all your bad luck finally caught up to you. I'm glad you decided to stay here, I know you have some unfinished business to take care of and I'll be sure to call you every once in a while to check up on you. Don't be afraid to call me either.
Anyways, I knew you'd pick to stay…eventually, so I've set some things up for you. I'm sure Soul told you he moved into an apartment and to your luck I'm friends with the landlord, Tezca. You live there too now. All your things are being taken there after school Monday and your bike will be there sometime too. Oh, and Blair is at your fathers until you go get her. She isn't happy about being away from you so you might want to get her soon.
Just know that your mother could have be an evil mastermind if I wanted to be.
I love you so much, now, listen to your heart for once.
Love, Mom.
Maka looks up and smiles.
"You got a roommate yet?"
"Yeah they're supposed to move in this week."
Maka walks up the steps with Soul and slips a key into the door. It unlocks when she turns it and she walks right into the apartment.
"Huh?"
"Mom thinks she's funny."
"She planned all this?"
"Yeah. She has a way with manipulating things. She's a very smart lady."
"So…we live together?"
Maka turn to him with wide eyes.
"Holy shit…"
"What do we do?"
"I- I don't know."
They both just stand and look at each other for a minute.
"Lunch! Let's have lunch!"
"Yeah. Lunch sounds good. What do you want?"
"Anything's good."
"Alright. Grilled cheese?"
"Yeah, that's good."
"Good."
They walk into the kitchen and Maka sits at the table as Soul starts to get things out to cook. There is a heavy silence hanging in the air as Soul works away and Maka starts to fiddle with the hem of her jacket.
Soul serves up two plates each with a sandwich on them and carries a bottle of ketchup to the table.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
The afternoon is just as awkward as the lunch. Maka and Soul sit in the living room and watch some TV and don't do much talking.
Late in the afternoon there's a knock on the door and Soul answers it to reveal Spirit and Stein.
"Is Maka here?"
"Yeah, living room."
"Thanks."
Soul moves to let them in and they go into the room indicated.
"Hey Maka."
The blonde looks up with a smile on her face.
"Kami called me before she boarded the plane this morning. She told me everything that happened. So, we're here to help move your stuff in when it gets here."
"Thanks Papa, thanks, Stein."
"Anything for the brat."
"Hey!"
"Your stuff should be here soon…now actually."
Everyone waits and 10 minutes later another knock comes to the door.
It doesn't take long for them to move everything in, including Maka's luggage she was bringing on the plane and Blair, and when they finish they all hang around in the kitchen.
"Hey, Evans. I have a few words for you."
"Uhh, yes sir."
"No funny business with my daughter. If she says no, she means no."
"Got it."
"Good. We'll leave you to get settled then. Maka, let's do something soon, 'kay?"
"Yeah. Sounds good."
"See you later."
"Bye, Papa."
Soul and Maka resume there stalemate for a while until Soul finally speaks up.
"Y'know, nothing's really changed. We have our own rooms and we've slept together anyways. We shouldn't be overreacting like this."
"I know but you're a guy. It's weird. I have to shower and stuff and I donno…"
"I'm not a perv or anything. I won't sneak a peak and a towel should cover you up enough."
"Yeah, I guess."
"The doors have locks on them too."
Maka relaxes a little.
"Feel a little better?"
"Yeah. I do."
"Good. 'Cause we kinda got shoved into this."
"Yeah, really."
"So, what do you want to do now?"
"Kiss you."
"Well, that's pretty straight forwards." Soul says as he saunters towards her.
She meets him halfway and gently hugs him as he leans down and gentle pushes his lips to hers. The kiss is short but meaningful and when they part Maka leans her head on Soul's chest.
"I don't know what to do now."
"One day at a time, Maka."
"That sounds nice. I can work with that."
"Then let's."
"Can we go lie down? It's been a long day."
"Yeah, we can."
Maka threads her fingers into Soul's and they walk into the hall together. Maka stops and looks between the two bedroom doors with furrowed brows. Soul laughs lightly before scooping her up and carrying her into his room.
He lies her on the bed and lies down beside her. She cuddles into his chest and he pulls her close and wraps her up in his arms.
Soul sighs when Maka falls asleep and starts snoring lightly.
"You have crazy moods but I love them."
He kisses the top of her head and closes his eyes too, slowly letting sleep take him away.
