Sorry it took so long *sobs emotionally*

Enjoy! *continues to sob*

(I'm a horrible person)

Chapter Fifteen: The Days Without You

Soul stood there for quite some time; still, as others scurried off to hide from the cold. He couldn't feel it, though, which probably wasn't a good sign. He wiggled his fingers, finding them numb, and decided that it was time for him to head back to his apartment. As much as he had hoped for it, he knew that she wasn't going to come back after having been gone twenty-five minutes. Slightly melancholy, he forced himself to turn and make his way home. There were more people out than he had thought there would be, most of whom were out to stock up their homes with food and toiletries and the like. He should probably do the same, but … perhaps tomorrow.

The doormen welcomed him back with a "Master Evans," as they held the doors for him. He nodded his thanks and continued on, shivering slightly, sure that the top of his ears and probably his nose were red. He more than likely should have worn a hat. He smirked to himself at the thought as he stepped onto his private elevator; he had successfully sent her away with all of her own belongings … and something of his own, giving her a good reason to come bring it - and herself - back to him. She had apparently forgotten about the beanie he had placed on her head, that or she knew what it signified and willingly took it along with her.

Coming to his apartment level, he punched in the code that allowed him to enter his suite. He walked somewhat grimly down the hall and through his quiet, empty space. He never thought he would feel this way, but … he missed the life that she brought to his massive home. Was it even a home to him? As Soul sat, slumped at the kitchen counter with a glass of red in his hand, he fully came to the realization of just how much he wanted her. He wanted her back. Not an hour after having let her go, he was feeling oddly incomplete and felt a strong urge to get her back to him or go after her. And with that came another, much heavier revelation, which left his eyes wide and full of dread.

There was the usual angry banter coming from the newlyweds down the hall; dogs barking loudly through thin doors, as Maka quickly strode to her crappy apartment. She was already missing the safety that came not just from Soul's high class, highly secured palace above the main streets of New York, but of his strong arms and warm hold around her. The subway had been packed and wreaked to high heaven, as many of the homeless inhabitants of the area had hidden themselves away from the storm in the unmoving trains. Everyone had been using the better weather to get to their destinations and to apparently stock up on the necessities due to word that there could possibly be another snow storm on the way. She had decided that that was probably a good idea and stopped at the corner store for anything she might need and even planned to make herself a backup bag to bring into work in the event that she got stuck at the office.

Struggling with her dozen grocery bags, Maka reached up and unlocked her door. She was barely able to twist the knob as she shuffled inside, using her elbow to hit the lights. Her eyes scanned the room and she sighed as she closed and locked the door behind her. That stupid cat. Why she had ever brought the pest with her to New York was beyond her; she was more of a hassle than anything. Maka gritted her teeth and began to carefully step over trash and cat food scattered about old wooden floors and over her grandmother's ancient, scratchy carpet. There was a hairball or two, but if there was one blessing to be grateful for, it'd be that Blair hadn't done her business outside of the litter box. She sighed again - at least there was that.

Finally, Maka made it to her kitchen and set the heavy plastic bags on her counter. There was only one built-in light in the kitchen and it was a yucky dim yellow light over the stove that buzzed obnoxiously and unnecessarily loud for how small it was. She always kept it off in fear that it might explode. Maka went and turned on the lamp she had gotten for the room and went about putting things away as best she could around the mess Blair had made. After all of the groceries had been sorted and properly placed, she went about cleaning, thankful that she had shut the doors to her bedroom before she had left the last time she had been home. Blair had no way of making a disaster of her room. Most of the mess was easily swept up and thrown away, though that also, unfortunately, included glass from picture frames and a new vase she had really liked.

It took her a little over an hour, but she was finally done, the last task having been cleaning out the cat box. As Maka sat scooping what seemed like a never-ending amount of poop out of the stinky sand, she attempted for the umpteenth time to push Soul from her mind. She was lovesick, no doubt about it - she couldn't fool herself out of acknowledging it this time because, this time, it was real. She had never felt such intense feelings of adoration for someone before and it kind of scared her a bit. She usually had control over her mind and emotions, but when it came to Soul, she had rushed into it and allowed herself to be swept up in it - whatever 'it' was. That's probably what scared her the most; the fact that she didn't really know these feelings or how to deal with them, they were so complicated. But that still, she couldn't stop herself from thinking about him and the look in his maroon eyes, or his sharp pearly whites that shown with his guttural laugh, or the feel of his large hands rubbing circles on her back.

She shivered at the remembrance, standing abruptly with the bag of cat poo to throw out. She missed him … maybe more than she cared to admit, maybe she … maybe she should call him. Yeah, or text him at least. She could do that. After having properly disposed of Blair's digested food, she washed her hands and went to grab her phone. Waking it up, she went to her contacts and scrolled. She went up and down several times, not finding the number that she was looking for. Finally, it hit her. Oh, Lord have mercy. How had they neglected to exchange phone numbers? After everything that had happened; after the whole two weeks of them being together - alone, mind you - getting to know each other and possibly falling for one another, she couldn't believe that they hadn't at least done that much … she was at a loss for words.

Maka paced her kitchen needlessly in slight upset. It wasn't as if she couldn't go back and get it at any given moment; she knew where he lived, had permission to return as his guest as she wished, but … she knew herself, and she wouldn't be as bold as to visit him without previous engagement. She rolled her eyes at herself, how ridiculous it was. She felt Blair at her legs and sighed as a meow came longingly. Maka turned and looked down at her wide-eyed monster of a pet.

"I'm an idiot."

Meoooww.

"Right."

He was a complete idiot; an absolute simpleton. What kind of man meets the woman of his dreams and forgets to get her number? Was he serious? Really?

"Ugh," came forth as he plummeted down onto his mattress, throwing his hands over his face with the hope that it would somehow block out reality; reality was shit and he hated everything. After having stood there by the subway entrance in the freezing cold weather for twenty-five minutes and begrudgingly made his way back to the confines of his warm, huge, … empty apartment, he had thrown on some jazz music to distract himself from how boring and horrifyingly quiet it was now, which was a laugh because he used to love it quiet and now … who knew what was wrong with him. Oh, wait. He knew: he had met the most enchanting woman on the planet and didn't ask for her fucking number. Retard.

The worst part is? He has it … or, he can get ahold of it - quite easily, at that - but he won't. Why? Because he also forgot to mention to her that he may or may not have been - but most definitely was - her fucking boss. God, he was such an asshole. He wanted to go back in time and punch himself in the balls, but taking into account that he apparently didn't have any, it probably wouldn't have been of any help anyway. He was curled up into a little stress ball, his body wrapped around a pillow. Why must life be so damn difficult? It hadn't been this hard when Maka was here, but now real life was entering back in - very unkindly - to destroy all of the comforts she had built for him. Long story short: he feels like a worthless worm of a man and just wants to ignore his duties as the founder of his company. So, he will … until Monday.

Soul was struggling; he had struggled through the first week back at work, knowing that Maka was a mere seven floors below him. He had every opportunity to take the elevator to her floor and introduce himself as her employer, or even call her to his office, or possibly the easiest - and surely creepiest - of them all, he could have called her cell at any given moment. Her resume had been a ghost on his screen, slightly haunting him throughout his days. He now stared intensely at the 10 digits he had all but memorized, his title as CEO of the company making it exponentially easy to obtain. Needless to say, he was all but conflicted, and the longer he waited, the more difficult it would be.

It was now the second week that they hadn't been in contact - Tuesday, almost lunchtime - and he was attempting to ignore the incessant ringing of his office phone. Finally, he was pulled from his daze with a firm knock on the door.

"Yes?" he shouted, voice obviously annoyed. His secretary entered, shutting the door behind her.

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude, I know how busy you are, but I recommend that you answer the phone. It's an emergency from Japan and they've been on hold for at least ten minutes."

"Oh, uh, yes. I apologize, I was caught up with other business. I'll take them now. Thank you, Azusa." She merely nodded and left his office, shutting the door quietly before he sighed back into his chair, mentally preparing himself for what he supposed would be a headache of a phone call. He sat up and answered the phone promptly, only to pull it away slightly at the loud voice penetrating his receiver. "Shazai shimasu," he began, continuing with a brief explanation that he had been dealing with … other pressing matters. He was then made aware of a disastrous meeting with his employees and was needed for the new deal immediately.

"Azusa!" he yelled after having hung up the phone. He was putting on his coat when the door opened again. "Get me a plane ticket to Tokyo for tonight, please. I need to go sooth our clients over on account of Hiro fucking it up for us. Again."

"Shall I also have the pleasure of reminding you to fire him upon your return, Mr. Evans?" They stared at each other for a long moment before a smirk twitched its way onto Soul's face.

"Possibly. Depends on how horrible the situation is and how he's dealing with it when I get there." He chuckled at her disapproving grimace. "In the meantime, I must go pack a few things. Call me when you've secured my flight."

"First class?"

"If possible, thank you. Oh, and Azusa?" He turned as they exited his office, locking the door behind them.

"Yes, sir?"

"You're in charge." He heard her brief giggle as he hastily made his way to the elevator.

"Obviously, sir." He chuckled at her reply as the doors closed. Leaning back against the cold metal, he sighed. He loved his work, he really did, but … Hiro was such a bother.

Maka typed away as phones rang and employees chatted - gossiped rather - to avoid their responsibilities. It had been the two longest weeks of her life, having to walk by Soul's apartment building every day on her way to work. She couldn't summon the confidence to enter and bring him back his beanie, no matter how often she thought about it, and she thought about it all. the. time. She carried it in her purse every day, but never got the nerve to try and give it back because … what if that ended everything? What if, when she returned his borrowed beanie, he simply thanked her and sent her on her way, never to meet again. Then again, not doing anything about it also left her stranded; no progress was being made toward their possible relationship or even just a friendship. Maka was trying desperately to focus on the task at hand, but the view out of her office window was that of the street she had collapsed in; the street Soul had saved her in.

She sighed, pushing her chair back as she stood with her mug. She needed some coffee and a better distraction. Work usually did the trick, she always enjoyed it, but … she couldn't halt the onslaught of memories of him occupying her mind - it was both refreshingly romantic and annoying. This was all new for her. Sure, she had had a few crushes, a couple boyfriends that didn't last long, but this was completely different. Soul was different. They had some kind of connection that she couldn't explain, and even though he had made her feel uneasy at times, it was in a way that she craved. The feel of his warm hand on her back and waist, his fingers rubbing circles lightly into her back, his ruggedly handsome smirk as he traveled up and down her body with those molten stares of his. It all continuously appeared in her brain, making her shiver. He was everything she had ever dreamed of and more. He was gallant, a true gentleman, kind, carrying, genuine. He was a dork, nerdy in his own way, awkward at times, intelligent, handsome, fun. She smiled as she remembered all he had done for her. She couldn't erase him, she didn't want to, but … she was worried about her confidence in pursuing him, knowing full well that the ball was in her court. She was the one that had to make the move; he didn't know anything about her other than where she worked, and E.C. wouldn't let just anyone come in to visit. She would need to push aside her anxiousness and just do it. They had lived together for two weeks, after all; they weren't exactly strangers. Whatever the outcome, it couldn't be worse than it was now.

"Miss Albarn." Maka, shocked from her intense self-intervention, tensed as she looked up from her seat in the break room to find a well-known employee standing over her. Justin Lawson, the company's COO, but … why was he here?

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm surprised to see you here." What? What could that mean? This was her department and … to be frank, she had never really spoken to Mr. Lawson before this very moment, so … "You rarely take breaks outside of lunchtime. Are you stressed? Is your workload too high?"

"Oh! Not at all. I apologize, I'll get right back to work."

"That's not what I meant," he chuckled as his hand gently settled on her shoulder. She moved away slightly as he sat down next to her, loosening his tie. "It's just out of character is all. I wanted to check on you."

"Uh, … I'm fine. Just a little tired, I guess." Mr. Lawson was an odd character, he did his job well, but … he always walked around with earphones in his ears, music blasting from them. He was able to carry on conversations regardless, but it was still an interesting and slightly annoying quirk. He just gave her an unsettling feeling.

"I know we aren't much acquainted, but your work here is exceptional and it doesn't go unnoticed, Miss Albarn. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

"N-no, sir. Thank you."

"I'm glad. If you're feeling up to it, we could use your assistance this evening. Mr. Evans has been forced to handle the contract with JP Music himself, so he flew to Japan last night. Everything is a mess, to put it simply, and we'll need some extra hands so that the negotiations go smoothly."

"Of course, sir. I'd be honoured."

"Wonderful, we appreciate your willingness. Enjoy yourself, but not for too long, hm?"

"Yes, Mr. Lawson." Maka watched as he stood and went to leave the room, nodding her way with a sweet smile as he left. The hard rock blasting from his earphones finally being canceled out by the closing of the door, Maka sighed and relaxed back into her seat for a moment. A white-haired man with stunning ruby reds appeared in her head and she shook herself, standing abruptly to make her way back to her desk.

Indeed, Hiro was a bother, the biggest of bothers. Fuck it, Hiro was an ignoramus and Soul wanted to hurt him, and not that physical bullshit either. Oh, no. He wanted to hurt him emotionally; he wanted to break him apart inside, though … a good punch might make him feel slightly better. Soul couldn't remember why he had hired him in the first place, let alone for such a high position. He had fucked up the deal so bad that even Soul was a bit unsure as to where he should begin. All the details were so unclear that he had to postpone the meeting until the evening so that he could figure out what the hell was going on. This deal was a huge opportunity for his company, so he had to make it work.

"Asuza, I need every capable employee to help me sort this out. I'm sending over the files along with the needed revisions now. I'm sorry … I hate to ask you for overtime, but even I can't finish this alone within the next 6 hours."

"No need to apologize, sir. This isn't your fault, rather it's because of someone else's recklessness. I have a handful of the best workers ready to assist you."

"Thank you," he sighed. "I really appreciate it. You all will be well compensated. I'll talk to you soon." Soul hung up immediately, as he knew that her response would be something along the lines of 'no need for compensation,' which he was having none of. The fourteen hour time difference was gonna be a killer; it was already 9 at night in New York and he felt bad that his team was being forced to work so much overtime just because he had sent an incompetent employee to do such an important job.

Soul gritted his teeth and sighed once more, cracking his neck from side to side as he straightened to begin his work. He hadn't been focused enough to do his work seriously as of late, Maka always occupying the forefront of his mind. He wanted to see her as soon as possible, but he needed to get this deal done with first. He made himself a promise right at that moment: after he got back from Japan, contract signed and all, he would confess everything to Maka and - assuming she would forgive him for keeping the truth from her and waiting all of this time to tell her - they could possibly begin a real relationship … or something. God, even now as he was typing away, scrolling through the pages of the massive contract deal, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He had it bad.

It seemed to be one thing after another these days. Soul and his team had managed to fix the contract in time for the meeting, and he easily was able to seal the deal, getting the contract signed without man changes. Now, however, it seemed someone had messed up a very important order back in New York, so - with the overly self-confident twat, Hiro, in hand - Soul was taking a flight right back home. Oh, how he missed the days of ice-cold solitude and the gem-like eyes of a fair-skinned, honey blonde-haired beauty as she kicked his ass at Mario Kart. His position as founder and CEO of Eater Corp. had been beginning to take its toll on him the past few weeks back at the office. He began to wonder how many of his employees were good-for-nothings like the Hiro. He glanced over and groaned at the idiot as he slept soundly, not a care in the world. Shaking his head, Soul turned back to his laptop, typing awake and proofreading important documents. Sadly, it seemed that Hiro would be losing his job soon, but it couldn't be helped; the man had no awareness of how his actions projected a negative light on the company at which he worked. Soul didn't need people like that.

The flight would last for another eight and a half hours, but he could at least get some work done. His brain was so wired that he couldn't fall asleep, anyway, the thought of Maka shredding any remainder of his lethargy. A small smile spread his thin lips as he recalled the look on her face when he bit her nose in the library their last day together; the redness of her cheeks as her hands came up to cover her abused appendage. His teeth grazed his bottom lip as he held back the chuckle that threatened to spill from his mouth. He was still typing as he shook his head, her bright eyes full of shock a constant image in his mind. He was never going to be able to get her out of his head.

Luckily, the flight landed safely through the oncoming snow storm. Soul was quickly rushed to the office to handle the matter at hand, unable to grab ahold of Hiro before he managed to scurry home. Oh, well, he would just have to fire him another day. Upon arriving, Soul found that he was easily able to fix the problem by himself, so he urgently sent everyone home who had stayed behind to assist. The weather was getting bad again and he didn't want anyone else to be stuck at the office or out in the snow if he could help it. A few hours flew by and the storm was raging outside; it was possibly worse than the last one. It was times like these that he was grateful he had installed a bathroom and kitchen in his spacious office. though he wasn't sure if there was anything he could cook, he could always make his way down to the ground floor where the company's convenience store was, but … it was about forty floors down. That being said, Soul would make do with the fruit Azusa bought for him and the microwave oatmeal that had been up in the cupboard for about a year. He had never needed it until now. He also came across some cheez-its that were unopened, so hallelujah!

He went and pulled out his sofa-bed - another smart decision on his part - and dressed it with the blankets and pillows he kept for such an occasion, knowing full well that he wouldn't have the energy to do it later. After setting everything up and getting some food in his belly, he made himself some coffee and went back to work, focusing on the problem at hand. Some moron had ordered too many parts to make one of their products again… sometimes he thought they did this shit on purpose.

Soul sat drinking coffee and attempting to ignore an oncoming headache as the night began to drag. He leaned back away from his computer, pushing his chair further from the desk. The only light he had on was a dim golden lamp upon his desk. Taking off his glasses, he turned to look out the window where he couldn't see past the wall of snow taking over the city. It was strange; all the years he had lived in New York, this was the worst winter he had ever seen, and it was beginning to get to him. Something didn't seem quite right, his weapon was reacting to it as if the storms were being created by something or … someone, but whatever it was, it definitely wasn't your average storm. He felt unsettled by it, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end with static. He glared out the window for a while, attempting to find something in the flakes that fell in a hurry from the sky, as if they were running away from something. Something was coming, he could feel it.

I am so sorry that it has taken me this long, guys. I've been so busy with work that I sometimes don't even remember what day it is ... :( I work a lot of weekends. BUT! Here is my apology.

Love you! I hope that everyone is doing well! I sincerely appreciate all of your encouragement and support. It means so much to me. I will try to update more often for you guys, even if I can only squeeze in small chapters.

Much Love~!

K.T.