Way overdue! I'm sorry for the wait.
The only thing Soul had gotten in trouble for was the wet towels left on the bed, a diehard habit from his teenage years that while fixed by a maid in Catherine's house was now left for a woeful Maka to correct. Soul only had one rude awakening - the books. While he'd always assumed she had a few bookshelves full it wasn't until she unpacked box after box that he realized it wasn't a collection but an addiction. Both ended up not being a deal-breaker and as of mid-June, the anxiety of the approaching wedding barely perforated the comfort of their home with each other.
That's why the knot Maka was carrying that morning was so strange. Soul had sensed it, the quiet tightness in her and was on the fence, almost sure he was going to pry, not needing another Christmas on his hands especially since he didn't really plan on ever getting another concussion in his life. The best time to corner her was usually while she was reading which meant she had set aside a swath of time that he could easily turn into a discussion of her recent unsettledness.
Soul slipped down on the couch next to her, firm hands wheedling around her waist to pull her against his chest, angling his leg to get her as close as possible.
"Hey," she complained half-heartedly, shutting her book in the process.
"Tell me what's wrong," he murmured in her ear, sending a chill down her spine.
'Nothing' wanted to be her first reaction, to guide his hands in motions that didn't make this just holding her in place so maybe the two of them could forget that she was holding tightly onto a thought in her mind. Instead, she eased back against him, letting those arms tighten around her. "Before the semester ended…"
"You're in trouble," he grumbled. "That's over a month worried about something."
"I know," she sighed out the admission of guilt. "Look, my professor suggested that, with my grades and since I liked the museum so much there's this hybrid Master's program…" She paused for another breath, using the time to draw a line down his arm, almost smiling at the goosebumps. "But it'd mean I'd finish in five years instead of the usual four."
"Like you'd hate another year of school," he grunted a laugh. "Especially if it means reading more books. Don't get why that'd make you worry."
She took the teasing with a soft smile, caressing his arm again. "You'll finish in four."
"Oh," Soul breathed out, the implications catching up with him quickly. "Who knows, maybe it will take me five. I mean, I barely passed that last math class." The joke bought him time but no humor, especially as she angled herself in his arms to stare at his face.
"What were you planning on doing when you finish?" She was holding her eyes open wide, refusing to blink just in case it pressed out any of the threatening moisture.
Soul let a short laugh tumble from his lips, "I planned my classes for next semester, that's about as far as I usually get." She pursed her lips in reply and he loosed a sigh before trying to force himself back to the logic she needed. "All I'm hoping is that I can get a job that doesn't require me to do the multiple that I'm doing now. Or who the fuck knows. I like what I'm doing. Maybe just… more time for you, for us would be nice." He carefully kissed her cheek.
"It would be selfish to make you stay another year just for me," Maka murmured, her eyes falling to the collar of his shirt.
"Where else am I going?" Soul used a hand to tap her chin up, forcing her eyes back up. "Not like I had some grand plans to go work in LA or New York after I graduated. I'm comfortable with what I've got. Not sure I need any more than that."
"I get that, but…" Maka tried to formulate another argument, this not exactly going the way her absurd mind had daydreamed about. He didn't seem trapped, cornered like she was forcing something on him. It came easily, like this whole drama that she had played out in her head was a lie.
"Maka, rewind for a second," Soul rolled his finger in the air for added effect. "Remember crazy me at the shower? Upset because you weren't planning on marrying me, a kind of permanent forever thing, right? You said the plan was staying together, maybe not that together, but together. Four years, five years, six years, kind of doesn't matter."
"So, me studying another year is no big deal?"
"The least of deals," Soul cleared some golden hair from her face and pressed it behind her ear. "The big deal is you let yourself get all worked up again. Get it through your skull, Maka," he took a bit of enjoyment out of poking her in the temple, delighted as she attempted to feign annoyance, "I love you. Gut reaction from me is never going to be we can't work it out."
But wasn't that just the seat of the entirety of her fear? The only fights she'd watched always had the same start and finish, the problem was put forth and regardless of all the screaming in between it was never resolved, never fixed, and just became another festering wound. Working things out was an alien concept and seeing him do it without hesitation always seemed to be something close to awe-inspiring to her, even though at this point it should be mundane.
"I love you, too." Holding her eyes open wasn't doing a thing, the liquid starting to puddle against her lower lids.
"Don't you dare cry," he threatened even though his fingers nimbly moved to her face to clear any tears that abandoned ship. "Look, when are you applying?"
"The application's due this week hence the…" She motioned in her own general direction, her mess on display.
Soul let out a long whistle. "And I thought I was a procrastinator. Let's go, get your laptop."
"But-"
"You don't want to?" Soul fingers tightened on her cheeks. "Tell me you don't want it and we won't but don't hesitate because you're still worried about us."
Maka let out a long sigh, taking a searching look in his eyes as she tried to find the words. "I want to."
Soul grinned before giving her cheek a gentle tap. "Laptop."
She didn't reply, slipping from his arms to walk across the room and retrieve her computer as ordered. When she sat down next to him he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, settling into the couch as she set to her work. Soul tried to keep his eyes off the screen, focused on his phone as he scrolled through the millions of options for entertainment. He sent off a few texts to Wes, to BS and the rest of the crew while listening to her fingers clacking at the keyboard. Just as he was about to sink into something close to boredom she made a few final clicks before shutting the lid.
"Done," she murmured before she leaned towards him, quickly catching his lips with hers. While Soul had been prepared with a quip his interest almost instantly diverted, his energy spent smartly on spacing out that kiss. He kept his attention there as long as he could, waiting until she patted gently at his chest. "Thank you."
"For nothing," he murmured.
She shook her head firmly, her hand coming up to float through his hair. "For understanding, for pushing."
Soul sighed contently, "Always."
The weekend before the wedding Soul considered renting out the old Victorian but got a little peeved at the price considering Wes had put them up there almost that entire holiday week and he could only imagine the price being more than what he was going to pay for an unimportant weekend in June. The idea of repeating the same activity kind of irked him anyway, striking him as sending the message that he didn't care to be creative enough. He'd also made the mistake of contacting Susanna to make sure he wasn't stepping on any toes, but instead throwing himself into a joint party. He settled on something that was as together but still separate as he could manage: renting cabins out in a just remote enough woods.
It was definitely out of reach of the city, a "destination" party as Susanna had squealed about, but it wasn't in danger of putting them on track for a horror film. A real grocery store (and, thankfully, a liquor store) existed in a twenty-minute radius and cell service was at least three bars, leaving them without the cause for cannibalism or worry of lack of contact with law enforcement. All in all, the survival rate was projected to be high, but as he left Maka that morning, he couldn't stop himself from prolonging, not just the kissing, but the soft caresses, the running of fingers through her hair until she was full of laughter.
"It's one night." Her voice was practically singing, so full of giggles that her words bubbled rather than flowed from her mouth.
Soul grunted in reply, trailing another line of kisses down her neck.
"My little bleeding heart romantic," she sang again. "Lovesick fool."
"Why do I keep coming back if all you do is insult me?" His teeth sunk into her skin, nibbling where collarbone met shoulder.
Maka could only give a breath sigh in reply as she pressed her hands to his chest, forcing them apart. "Save that for tomorrow night, alright?"
He desperately wanted to deny those fingers but instead, he pecked at her lips. "One night with the girls, and then back to our own cabin for the week."
"Yes, as you've said about eighty times by now. Isn't Wes waiting for you?" She pushed him a step back, laughing as he groaned into movement, grabbing his bag before opening the door. As a gift for the movement, she gave him a light pat on the ass, laughing, "I love you. See you when I see you."
The first thing Wes wanted to do was try out the water, one of Soul least favorite activities considering the amount of sunscreen it took him from turning into a lobster. But Wes had always been in love with the water, practically spending his whole summers submerged when the parents used to take them to the Hamptons, so Soul knew he wasn't getting out of the day without a soak. He was only dipping his feet in off the dock, watching as Wes was already speedily stroking out towards the middle of the lake.
Soul only begrudgingly slipped completely into the water on Wes's second lap. "Slow down. If you get tired and drown this weekend, Lizzie will never forgive me."
Wes finally gave up his form, turning to let himself float instead. "Who said I was anywhere close to tired?"
"Well, it's not like you're training for the Olympics." Soul hated the feeling of bobbing, the uncertainty of the float so he planted his feet in the mucky bottom, the water just settling at his chest. "This is supposed to be relaxing."
"That was," Wes insisted as he sent a playful wave of water his brother's way.
"You better not." But Soul should have known better than to give a warning because all those ever seem to do is spur an action further. So instead of another slow wave, Wes glided his hand across the top of the water, sending a sheet Soul's way. He barely turned his head to the side before it hit him, leaving him sputtering slightly. "Wes!" But even with the admonishment, Soul was hit with another spike of water, forcing him to duck under to avoid what he could only assume would be the next wave.
Soul had no strategy other than to pop back up, tossing a sheet of water at Wes. He could hear Wes's soft 'oof' as it connected, so he simply sent another, the moment completely devolving into a tumultuous squall of water in both directions. It wasn't until they heard the car pulling up that they both collapsed into laughter, Soul immediately starting the slow climb to the shore, throwing a smirk back over his shoulder at his brother. "Girls are here."
Wes bobbed in the water thoughtfully for a moment. "What's the look on Susanna's face?"
Soul glanced back, seeing Lizzie and Susanna first out of the car, his eyes waiting the extra second to see Maka finally emerge from the backseat. "Susanna, elated. Maka's hiding the pissed off."
"As long as that's not reversed," Wes rolled his eyes. "Susanna cross is a nightmare."
Soul cupped his hands around his lips, calling out jovially, "No girls allowed!"
All three heads turned, grins arriving on all three faces. Maka's faltered into a little of a gape, especially as Soul moved those hands through his hair to shake off the excess moisture. It'd been months, filled with nights in all different arrays of dressed and undressed but him standing there, saturated and smirking ear to ear brought her right back to that first time it hit her. He's so handsome. She let the fluttering sensation in her stomach move her feet forward, kicking up dust as she jogged towards him.
"I said you're not allowed," he chuckled.
Maka didn't answer, just continued forward until she was close enough to offer him only a whisper, "You've never looked sexier."
"What?" He grasped for her but she was off, quickly making her way back up to the girls as the second car pulled into the drive. "Hey! Maka!" This yell only awarded him a quick wave over her shoulder, leaving him red in the face and smirking like a fool.
"She didn't look so pissed off," Wes commented as he copied Soul's motion and smoothed the water out of his hair.
"Guess not," he chuckled. "You going over to say hi?"
"Unless it's bad luck, but I suppose I'll find that out from Susanna, queen of tradition." Wes fed Soul's laugh with another eye roll before starting to trek up to the cars.
Soul wavered, watching Maka moving shopping bags from the car to the closest cabin. He'd rented two the first night and four for the rest of the week, the girls in one tonight while he and Wes stayed in another. Sometime tomorrow, both Flore's and Susanna's boyfriends would be on the premises, making it a week-long couples date. That second half had been Susanna's contribution, but Soul settled himself with the idea that at least he could offer Wes one night of what he'd asked for.
He finally sauntered up to his brother, greeting each one of the girls with a head nod and a short wave.
"Maka, you're ignoring him!" Susanna called.
"I already said hello," she laughed with that pert, amused smile breaking across her lips.
"Yup, quota's already filled," Soul grinned back before turning his attention to Susanna. "She's all yours tonight, anyway. Doesn't want a thing to do with me."
This had genuinely piqued Susanna's interest, her face rapt. "Oh, are you two fighting?"
"Susanna, we have to work on your understanding of tone when people speak," Elena cooed as she clapped her hands on Susanna's shoulders. "I promise we'll return her in one piece."
"Thanks," Soul laughed, letting his eyes trail back to Maka. She was standing in the door frame with her arms crossed now, still that beautiful smile that he wanted so badly to kiss off her face, and she sent him another playful wave before disappearing back into the cabin. "Don't keep her too long."