Another little teaser because I really want to keep the momentum going. Hopefully this will make you smile.
If only Maka knew that Soul had told himself the same thing - that away from the wedding the intensity would start to die down. Life would take over as it was bound to do and the two of them would be swept back into normalcy. For the most part, that was true, especially as summer wound into fall, classes taking most of their time and effort and schedules for work leaving them kissing as they passed by each other more often than not. Some nights he would crawl into bed and it would only be a few hours that he'd get to hold her, to settle in and feel her warmth before she was crawling out.
In those moments, Soul couldn't help but love her. He had to admit he was needy for them, gobbling up any second she offered him, but he wasn't pining. He knew her soft touch would be there, her kisses were an inevitability that he could rely on like the sun rising every day. He was comfortable, and Maka never gave him any sense she felt otherwise. Soul guessed that was why it'd never left, that nagging thought in the back of his mind that asking her that question felt right, no matter how early, no matter what stood in the way. As September started, it bubbled up each time they did have a quiet moment together, school and work set aside so he could run his fingers through her hair.
Do you want to do this forever? would pop into his mind as he wrapped his arm around her on the couch as she pressed her nose in a book.
Would you let me be with you for the rest of our lives? would nearly tumble from his lips as he cleared the hair from her face as she lay next to him.
Can I change those initials on the handkerchief? would practically ease out of his mouth when she moved the token of love he'd so nervously put together, something she did often like it needed a new spot to be displayed every few days.
That leaked into October, those thoughts no longer just droplets but a steady stream. Not to mention time was ticking away before their anniversary and a birthday that he desperately needed to celebrate. Those being so close together, a one-two punch of important events, sent him into a nervous panic since it had to be perfect, everything about it and damn it, did he need help.
Calling the two women had been hard. Keeping it from Maka had been even harder, since how do you lie to her? How do you look her in the face and say, 'Hey, going out to lunch with Wes' without instantly caving? So he didn't. Soul picked a day she was working and slipped out, no excuses for his location if she was busy and wouldn't know that he was popping down to the cafe a few blocks away.
Even though Tsubaki was already there it didn't feel like relief rushing into his veins but more bubbling anxiety especially as her face was plastered with a quizzical smile. "Hey, Tsubaki. I, uh, invited my sister-in-law, too. Just let me text her and-"
"No need," Lizzie chimed from behind him. If he had nails he'd have climbed halfway up the wall, his heart thundering in his chest instead. "Hello, Soul." To make matters worse, Lizzie embraced him, thankfully only for a few seconds before moving to the seat next to Tsubaki. "I'm the sister-in-law, Lizzie."
"I guess I'm the friend, Tsubaki." Tsubaki offered her hand to Lizzie, getting a gentle shake in return.
"Oh, Maka's friend from school, right?" Lizzie was leaning in excitedly already. "It's so wonderful to meet you, Maka is…"
Soul was drowning in his head, Lizzie's gushing turning into a buzz in his ears. What am I doing? I haven't even talked to her again about it, not once since the car ride home from the wedding, and now I'm planning… I'm planning… what exactly? What am I doing?
"Soul." Lizzie's hand was the thing that really woke him, grabbing at his wrist. "Sit down."
Soul plopped into the seat, staring at the two of them as if they'd asked him here.
Lizzie turned her head to exchange a quick smile with Tsubaki before looking back at him. "We were just saying, it's her birthday soon, right?"
"Our anniversary, too," Soul barely squeezed out, still feeling breathless from the circling thoughts in his head.
"She rarely wants to do anything for her birthday," Tsubaki let out a wistful sigh. "I've tried, but it's usually something little like a cake, or treating her to a movie. She mostly waits around for…"
Soul felt that grind into his gut, "For what?"
"Well, her mom usually calls," Tsubaki's huff was only a third of the disdain-filled breath that Soul let out. "Her dad definitely always does, but sometimes her mom doesn't. Maybe the next day or by the end of the week."
"Oh," Lizzie added weakly before settling a hand over Soul's on the table. "Well, are we trying to change this year?"
"Yeah," Soul mumbled as he tried to pull himself together. You're making it sound like you don't want to, so get it together. "Yeah, definitely," he tried to give it the emphasis it deserved but his nerves still make the words tremble. "And that's why I need you two because I want to take her somewhere. Just the two of us, maybe start some kind of tradition so it's not just waiting by a phone." That felt so bitter coming off his tongue and he tried to remind himself of the happiness he was hoping to create. "I'm just worried that, I don't know, somehow I'll ruin it."
"I don't think spoiling her is going to ruin her birthday," Tsubaki added a gentle laugh.
"It's not just that," Soul took another shaky breath and he brought a hand to his forehead, resting his elbow against the table to keep himself up. "After this I was… well, I needed you two because…"
"Spit it out, Soul," Lizzie urged.
He took a deep breath, letting the hand run through his hair before turning his eyes to the two women. This is it. "I was hoping you'd help me pick out a ring."
There were hundreds of possible reactions and Soul had mentally run through them all over the last couple of months. Maka had fessed up to Lizzie asking, so he had assumed there was some kind of anticipation there, but whether or not it was joyful expectancy was a whole other story. He couldn't make any guesses with Tsubaki since really, she was Maka's only confidante and that left him even more petrified of her reaction. If she balked, what did that say about how his intentions would be received? But, honestly, in the panic of it all he'd already settled on this first shot being a refusal, sullenly following in his brother's footsteps.
"A ring?" Tsubaki hand clapped over her mouth and the fear clenched his heart until he realized her eyes were watering.
"Finally," Lizzie eased out a sigh of relief.
Soul woke from his stupor, both reactions in a safe, manageable range. "You can't give me a 'finally,' Lizzie, since last time I checked she still wasn't a hundred percent sold."
Tsubaki shook her head, "She was working on it. Oh, Soul, do you think she's…?"
Soul barely had the life in his shoulders to bob them, the shrug feeling like a feat of strength. "Don't know. Somehow I've still got enough balls to take a shot at it, or at least buy the damn thing and let it burn a hole in my pocket."
"We'll plan something so perfect that she'll be completely without a doubt." Lizzie patted at his hand before stealing another glance at Tsubaki. "I think between the three of us we can design a trip that will give Maka everything she deserves."
Maka was surprised to find him out of bed since if he wasn't at the studio when she got home from the museum he was usually at least a foot under blankets. Even stranger he was simply standing at his dresser, a hand with a death grip on one of the pulls. "Soul?"
In reply, he practically jumped out of his skin, a helpless yelp slipping from his lips.
She couldn't help herself, releasing a giggle at his out of the ordinary panic. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing!" It was a sincere protest if she'd ever heard one.
"Nothing?" She took a step towards him but he took a step back, his knees buckling and putting him into a hard seat on the bed.
"Nothing," the octave of his voice was back in the normal range but his eyes still spelled out frantic messages.
"Nothing." Maka hummed thoughtfully before starting towards the hamper and beginning to peel off her outfit. "If I say, 'you're being weird' right now, what reply am I going to get?"
She could hear him collapse back against the bed, a huff of air forced from his mouth. "The truth."
"Which is?" Maka supplemented the question with that particular no-nonsense glare over her shoulder.
"I am being weird," he offered lamely.
"Then why are you being weird?" she clarified with a sigh.
"Because I'm hiding something," he muttered.
It was an icicle jabbed in her gut, an old fear surfacing from a place she wasn't expecting. He's keeping secrets, he's done something, it was all right and fine and perfect but now it's over and-
"And I can only tell you part of it right now." He must have read the tightness in her shoulders, the way they hunched at the terrible thoughts that glanced over her mind because he was suddenly there, hands gripping her waist just as she pulled her shirt over her head. "And you have to do me a favor and not ask for the rest because I will cave. I just think it's in your best interest to let part of this be a surprise."
"A surprise?" Gone were the panicked thoughts especially as she turned and found that wide, playful grin on his face. "What are you talking about?"
"I need you to take off for Thanksgiving Recess."
"Why?"
"Because it's the first break we'll have after your birthday, after our anniversary, and I'm taking advantage of it. We're lucky this year that it works out to an entire week, so I'm taking you somewhere." He tugged at her hips, bringing her close enough that he could stare her down, making sure he didn't falter on the next part. "And don't give me some bullshit about 'it's too much' because I distinctly remember someone telling me that we're not allowed to be gloomy when being spoiled."
"Not we, you," Maka urged but knew it was hopeless. It was that look again, the smoldering 'I love you' eyes that he was not so innocently using against her. "Soul, it's just my birthday."
"You expect me to accept that?" He raised his eyebrows.
A swift sigh of defeat parted her lips. "No…"
"I'll compromise and say one fancy dinner, and I'll limit myself to two gifts."
"That's hardly a compromise," Maka groaned. "One gift."
"One and a half," he laughed.
She rolled her eyes at him. "You can't give half a gift."
"Maybe if I find something for the both of us," he murmured. "And maybe I'll keep that one to give you during the vacation."
"Fine," Maka muttered. "One on my birthday, one on vacation. One dinner, and then this better not be outrageous Soul or I'll-"
He didn't let her get the rest out, his lips needily pressing against hers. "You'll suck it up, Maka. I'm not the only one who has to get used to being happy."