Action time! I do actually really love writing plot. I hope you all can appreciate it as much as my fluff.
Soul had convinced Maka to sleep. It hadn't been that difficult after making love to her, which just barely ended without tears again on his part. Fuck, when did I become such a sap? But it's like being with her sucks away every last speck of that darkness and it still feels raw, aching. Being with her is cleaning a wound to make it heal. I wonder what it'll be like when it's all mended and I can just… But the reality snuck in on him, his eyes turning from her sleeping frame in the bed back to the window he was perched on.
The only light in the farmhouse was Kilik's and Soul could imagine him and Kim sitting in silence, watching the phone. Black Star had left five hours ago, and while some of it could be excused with travel time the rest seemed to spell instant doom to their plans. He could only wonder if he'd ever see his best friend again, if he'd sent Shelley's brother to his death.
Time crept by, the only soothing he'd get was from the sound of her soft breathing filling the room. It was like a siren trying to call him back to bed and he allotted a few more looks back in her direction, memorizing the way the moonlight kissed her curves. As he brought his eyes back to the window again he saw the movement at the front door, Kilik's tall frame on the porch before starting a slow gate into the yard. Soul tried his best to ease off the sill and across the floor without disturbing her. He made it out of the room without her stirring and he blessed the stairs as they only creaked once or twice under his weight.
Kilik was at the door just as Soul got there but backed into the yard as Soul exited the house. He's dead, isn't he? were the first strangling words that wanted off his tongue but he bit them, waiting on Kilik.
"Boss is over the moon," Kilik punctuated with a tight laugh. "She's ready to move Tuesday night, late."
"That soon." Soul's gut withered as his hands tried to find purchase on the railing of the house.
"Sooner is better than later," Kilik tried to brighten but it fell flat as the next round of information toyed on his tongue. "Soul…"
"Yeah?" He was clenching at the wood, nails digging into the grain.
"Boss was clear that you're to stay as unharmed as possible, but…" Kilik pressed a long breath between his lips. "She made it clear we do whatever we want to Maka."
"Good thing that's not what's going to happen," Soul snapped back quickly. "When does Black Star want you two heading out?"
"He said we should be back by Tuesday morning."
"We'll go back late night tomorrow." Soul wished he could snap the wood in his hands, that it would bring some kind of relief. Instead, he brought his hands away, clenching into fists to feel the satisfying pain of his nails digging into his palms. "Once it's morning we'll discuss with Stein how we're going to set up at Marie's. You pass on what you can to Black Star and then… well, it'll be what it's going to be."
Kilik offered the most reassuring smile he could. "She'll get what she deserves, Soul."
Soul eked out a weak breath. "Hopefully we'll all get what we deserve."
The alarm trilled from her phone and while Maka was ready to sit up to turn it off, Soul's arms instantly tensed around her, leaving her only able to reach for the phone and swipe away the noise with her finger.
"Don't go." It wasn't an order that was for sure, his obviously sleepless voice dangerously drifting into pleading.
"Soul…" she tried not to let it sound like admonishment.
Next came the helpless groan as he curled closer to her, his forehead pressing to her shoulder.
"I am going to Eibon's office, not ours," she tried to make the list sound as dry as possible. "I am going in to discuss the schedule for the week, try to see if I can put off things until after, and then I will come straight back here. But not being there in person, that puts things in jeopardy with him and Death. There are two fights going on right now. I need to make sure we have everything to come back to."
He was nodded along with the words but his fingers were giving her a different answer, tightening into her skin.
"I'm going to be careful," she murmured. "You've taught me plenty and I've held my own. Remember that. No one will follow me. No one will surprise me. I'm smart now, right?" Maka smoothed her hands over his, feeling the grip start to relax.
"I want to go with you." It was begging again and even as his hold started to loosen she felt him edging closer, his breath now at her ear.
"And I thought we decided that the two of us together put the plan in danger. You're a lot more recognizable than me, remember? Me, alone, there's a margin for error. They're looking for both because you're supposed to be protecting me."
"I am," he implored against her ear. Please, just let me.
"So you're staying home." It was heartless and Maka felt the knife turn in her own stomach as she said it and as she pulled away from him. Leaving the bed that they'd made, the two nights of bliss that had become tangled memories filled with devotion and love, made the ice creep up her spine but she refused to let it freeze her in place. "I'll call you when I get there and when I leave," she took a breath to squash the trembling in her voice. "I'll be home before dinner."
In return, there was silence from the bed and she was sure she couldn't risk a glance at him. Maka started towards the door, hearing the squeak of the mattress protesting behind her as he rushed to his feet. He grabbed her at the frame, his hand desperate around her wrist. "Maka-"
"Please, Soul!" She let it out as a helpless cry as she barely kept the tears from her eyes.
Those scarlet orbs burned, passing words to her that wouldn't come from his mouth as he stared down at her. He carefully pulled her towards him so his face could dip to hover close to hers. "Never leave our bed without kissing me," his words came as a command and his lips that followed them were an order in themselves. "Promise me."
Maka was unsure of what exactly the promise was since those eyes were saying that and million things more. But she made it all the same with a warm smile on her lips, "I promise."
He released her and turned away, cutting off her view of whatever else his look was going to give away. "Get going. I know you hate being late."
Maka pulled into the parking garage, everything feeling unsettled. Driving Marie's car had been strange, not just because it was definitely a mom car, a boxy station wagon, but because it was another layer of hiding in plain sight. She went the Brigitte Bardot route and covered her hair in a silk scarf that she'd found among Nana's things, certainly from the 60s that she suddenly felt transported to as she glanced in the rearview mirror before getting out of the car. Maka may have looked like an entirely different person but her courage was thankfully still holding strong, urging her into the stairwell.
It was a short walk down to the street level and only a block before she hit the skyscraper that housed Eibon. Maka tried to read each face in the lobby with the interest of window-shopping, holding true to Soul's technique as each set of eyes didn't seem intent on finding her in particular. She signed in at the desk and was directed towards the elevator. The twinge in her gut was as sharp as the ascent, seizing up her middle as she reached the office floor. "Shit," she let slip from her mouth as she fussed for her cellphone in her bag.
There was barely a ring after she clicked on his contact. "Maka." As if her name on his display hadn't been right.
"I'm here, in the elevator."
"Nobody in the lobby?" She could hear Soul's voice straining and she was sure he had more questions than that but was thankfully editing himself.
"Nope." The elevator dinged and Maka walked into the hallway. "Off the elevator. About to go into the office. I'll call you when I leave, alright?" A keen wish that she had his hand to hold just for a second crossed her mind and the sigh in reply had to be deflected so he couldn't hear.
"Call me before you leave the building and again when you're safe in the car."
Worry-wort, she wanted to tease but she felt it herself. "I will. Did Blake call?"
There was a pause and she could swear she heard his teeth grind. "We'll talk about that when you get home. Just… I love you. Be safe."
"I love you," she echoed as she dropped the phone from her ear, cutting off the conversation and slipping it back in her satchel. Once in the office some of the normalcy started to drift back, Maka safely easing back into her business persona like a well-worn pair of gloves. Oh, that would finish the outfit for sure, she allowed herself the laugh as she was immediately moved by the secretary from the waiting area back to the familiar conference room.
"Ms. Albarn!" Eibon started cheerfully as he entered but as he scanned the room it fizzled. "Where is Mr. Evans?"
"Unfortunately Soul has had to transition to digital for this week. He's working from home - a family issue," Maka added sharply but not without a pleasant smile on her face.
"Unfortunate…" Eibon mirrored as he narrowed his eyes at her. "I would have assumed you'd make the excuse he was sick, that's an easier lie."
A thorn of fear ripped into her stomach. "Sir, if I were going to try to lie, I don't think I'd attempt to do it to your face, in your office. Soul is having an issue with his family and that means he can't come to the city." And that's actually the closest thing to the truth. Maka slipped deliriously close to laughing.
Eibon collapsed into one of the chairs, leaning back and appraising her. "And where exactly is he if not in the city?"
Maka had not exactly calculated for this since most of her internal dialogues had oscillated between angry rejection and complete apathy. Lying also seemed useless in the face of things, Eibon apparently acutely sensitive to even the slightest fib. "Well, he's at his grandmother's farmhouse."
"And he's able to work?" Eibon was reading her face as one would a textbook, looking for subtle nuances that he must have lost in the lesson.
He did put his laptop in his bug-out bag, so yes. And, I hate to say it, thank goodness for Black Star bitching about bad cell reception last month and making Soul cave to install WiFi. "I can assure you he's online as we speak, but really, I thought today we'd map out what your needs were and when we could find time to meet."
"I'd like to see this farmhouse," Eibon offered as if it were a simple task.
Maka narrowly avoided choking on her tongue.
"You said he's free. I'm sure he could offer an hour or so for a meeting, regardless of what his family situation is currently." Eibon leaned forward with the challenge, tenting his fingers.
She bit her tongue to keep the 'um' from rolling off. Instead, she pointed towards the phone on the conference table. "Then, let's call him so we can arrange a meeting." Because what other option do we have? Let's just hope this meeting won't be canceled thanks to a newspaper headline.
Eibon slid the phone to her and Maka dialed, surprised to find Soul wasn't immediately jumping as he had for her call. "Soul Evans."
"Soul, I'm in Eibon's office, you're on speaker," Maka let the words pop eagerly off her tongue. She was sure she could hear him grimace.
"Sir, I'm sure Maka already has, but I'd like to apologize for my absence. Even with these family issues, I'll be available online whenever you need me."
Maka watched Eibon's face show a pleasant sort of surprise at the corroboration of her story. "I prefer face to face, honestly. That's why I was telling Ms. Albarn that we should simply come to you."
"Oh." Again, that grimace was probably stretching the entirety of his face.
"I thought we should call because I didn't know the timeline for the things you had to do with your father." The room was starting to feel twenty degrees too hot and Maka found herself tugging at her blouse in a useless attempt to get air.
"That's Tuesday night," Soul's voice cracked barely above a whisper.
"Tuesday," Maka repeated dumbly, her hands now clutching at her knees. A day? One more day I get to be with him and that's it. It could all be over. She pinched at the flesh just below the hem of her skirt, trying to curtail those thoughts. "So we could aim for Thursday?"
'If we're both alive and well by Thursday' was what she expected to hear, or at least what she had read from Soul's mind. "Thursday at the earliest, please. I think Wednesday we'll still be dealing with some… complications, but Thursday I should have more flexibility."
"Thursday it is, then," Eibon sealed the deal. "Until then, you two can work remotely as necessary. You can leave the address with my secretary. Expect me around 10 AM."
"I look forward to it, sir," Soul strained into the phone, trying his best to channel Maka's chipperness.
Maka tried to keep her words reserved, the fear making her want to echo past sentiments but knowing better. "Soul, I'll talk to you later."
"Thanks, Maka." The buzz of the dial tone came swiftly after.
"Thursday, then, at 10." Maka scribbled it on her notebook as if she would be able to forget it. Should you pencil in Medusa for Tuesday while you're at it?
"I'm glad we could come to this arrangement, Ms. Albarn. I do like you and your partner: I'd hate to have to take this contract elsewhere." Eibon's grin was muddled to her, never quite revealing whether or not it was genuine.
Maka shook her head eagerly, adding a placating wave with her free hand. "No, sir, of course, we're more than happy to accommodate."
"Then let's table whatever discussion you had for today until Thursday. Enjoy the rest of your day." Eibon was quick to wave her out and Maka had no qualms about leaving.
There was now a very real timer, a deadly countdown where Soul's life was on the line. She waited to be enclosed in the elevator again before she called him. "I'm sorry," she professed as soon as the ringing stopped, "I don't know how we got from 'Soul's not available' to 'let's plan a day trip to his house.'"
A long sigh answered that first before the words tumbled off his lips, "I'm just glad you're leaving already. Come home. I hate this."
"What, Shelley not keeping you company?" Maka allowed for the minuscule tease as the elevator doors dinged at the lobby.
"She's with Stein today." His tone said it all, not a forlorn loss of a playmate but the reality: be with the ones you love because who knows what tomorrow might bring.
"Oh," Maka couldn't help the weak vowel from escaping her lips. The pain of it almost made her forget to sweep the lobby, but her eyes slowly moved across the marble floors, waiting for Soul to offer her something else when that little bird of anxiety in her chest started a desperate assault on her ribs. "No…"
"Maka?" His voice was immediately tight and she wondered what his grip on the phone was like.
Standing, leaning on the reception desk with a sharky grin was Giriko. His eyes were lazily drawing the line of her form and Maka instantly forced her eyes away, playing an almost hopeless game of 'ignorance is bliss.'
"Maka, answer me right now, goddamnit," Soul hissed into the phone.
"The meeting went fine, just a few minor details to iron out," she tried her best to feed mundane lines into the phone while still in Giriko's earshot. "I don't think there's a point in me coming back to the office."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Soul was shouting now and she could hear him shuffling around the room. "Is someone there? Did you see someone?"
"Yes," Maka tried to answer as spiritedly as possible. She made sure to slow at the door, watching the reflection in the glass and gauging Giriko as unmoved but definitely still watching her. Once through the door, she let the words spill from her mouth like vomit. "Giriko, in the office, and he saw me. He's going to follow me, I know it, he's watching."
"Fuck," was just the start of the cursing, a shower of others following after as things started to crash in the background on his end.
OK, Maka, think, be smart. "I can't go to the car," Maka inhaled long and slow, trying to keep the words in a pleasant cadence in case he was already near. "He could catch me in the stairwell or…" She cut that line of thinking, especially as Soul's old warnings from the party filtered back.
"No, you're right, stay out of there. Stay with lots of people, keep walking," Soul coached through the cracks in his voice.
"He'll tell Arachne he saw me," Maka pondered into the phone. "And she'll tell Medusa. This… maybe this is good."
"This is good?" his voice was a grinding screech.
Maka crossed the street, letting the glance over her shoulder come naturally to find him now in the doorway of the office. He was too far to hear, but still close enough to see the intent on his face. "If I… I'll let him follow me, not close, pretend like I'm at least trying to cover my tracks but if I bring him to Marie's-"
"No, no, that's way too fucking dangerous, if he grabs you-"
"He can't touch me with this many people around," Maka reasoned. "But if he can at least see me go into Marie's it'll get to Medusa. It's just another corroboration. I've got her keys, right? So I can let myself in, lock the door. I'll be fine."
"Until he breaks down the fucking door." Soul's voice was still dangerously high, threatening to break at any moment.
Maka was keeping steady steps, making sure to avoid the obvious head turns. "No, again, Soul, he won't. It's broad daylight, there are other people always meandering around that neighborhood. He can't do a thing but spread the news and that helps us. I'm doing it."
"For fuck's sake, Maka," he was pleading again but at least the ruckus in the background had slowed. His breath was frantic for another few seconds until he cleared his throat. "Just, don't hang up, please."
"I'm going to try not to," she murmured. "But I'm going to have to go into the subway and I might lose you but as soon as I'm out, I'll call you again."
"Fuck," he groaned.
Maka only let her voice tremble for an instant, "Don't panic. If you stay calm, I can stay calm."
Another pause was populated by a shaky breath. "You got this, Maka." The strength wasn't completely back but his tone was at least even, no more distressed cracking. "It'll look better if you hang up now. Get on the subway. Play it like we used to when we visited. Couple blocks too far and circle back. Giriko's good, so he'll be able to follow you no matter what you do, but you're right, give him the idea you're being careful. Call me again when you get off the subway."
"I'm going to be fine," Maka whispered.
"I know," it was there now, surety or at least a very good facsimile of it. "Hang up."
And with a shaking thumb, she did.