This takes place after the final chapter in the Love Me Again, Husband. I recommend you read it before you read this one. Now when Resbang is over I'm doing my annual draft cleaning and editing all the stories I finished in 2018 and posting now.
Second First Date
Anxious didn't even cover what he was feeling. Terrified didn't do it either. He was feeling a strong emotion he couldn't even start covering it. It was a blur of many powerful sensations all mixed into one huge feeling that was eating him away.
He was going on a date. With Maka Albarn. His ex-wife. Everything had to be perfect. Everything had to be perfect to make her completely fall head over heels in love with him and forget him. He had to sweep her off of her feet and get her to only see him, not the man she had married. The man he was before the accident was no more, but to his great annoyance, he still lived within her heart. With this one date, he had to make her forget about that man and make her only see him. The man he had found and become.
After Soul had asked her out on a date that very night they ran into each other again, confessed their love for one another, he had planned everything. He was not going to leave this date go with the flow. No. He had one chance to show her he was truly worthy her, and he was going to show it on their first date.
Everything was planned from the tiniest of detail. Maka would pick him up in her car and they would head to the fancy and elegant restaurant Last Meal where he had told the receptionist on the phone it was vital they were given a booth far into the restaurant where they could be given some space for themselves. He had asked which the receptionist had confirmed that they could give them a special dessert with a special message for Maka. They would enjoy the dinner and after, they would go on a romantic walk through the park to arrive at the cinema where they would watch the new romantic movie he knew Maka would love. After the movie, they would drive home to Maka's apartment and by her apartment door, he would kiss her. With one kiss, all of her thoughts of his past life would be forgotten and once her eyes opened, she would only see him as he is now.
After tonight, there would only be him in her heart.
He exhaled shakily as he tightened the tie around his neck and fixed his collar for the tenth time. He wiped the moist on his hands off on his pants. He stared into the reflection of his at his nicely styled hair and newly shaven face. He looked and he smelled nice. He retrieved the small plastic box from his pants and he popped a green breath mint in his mouth. And now he would taste good too.
The door bell rung and he placed the box in on the sink in his hurry to the front door. He ripped the door opened. His breath was taken at the divine view of Maka Albarn. Looking absolutely stunning like always. But now she looked beyond her usual beauty. Curls deliciously framing her face and the silver clip he had gifted her held a piece of hair behind her ear. The black dress she had worn to their family dinner hugged her figure just in the right places and her long legs had him weak at the knees.
"Wow…" she murmured. "You cleaned up very nicely."
"Speak of yourself." He smiled wide as his face feathered her jaw. "You look absolutely gorgeous."
Her cheeks heated and she grabbed his hand, lowering it from her face and their fingers entwining. "Are you ready to head out?"
Just as his mother had taught him, he brought her hand to his lips and planted a kiss. "Never been more ready."
A wide smile spread on her face and she squeezed his hand. "Then we shall head out."
His heart beat rapidly him his chest as they headed out, hand in hand. When they got in the car and Maka followed his instructions, he clenched his hands together to prevent them from visibly shaking. This was truly it. This night would be vital to their future relationship. This was the night he had to make her fall in love with him. If he couldn't, then she would forever be in love with the man he was, never would she love him for whom he had become.
Maka pulled up in the parking lot in front of the restaurant and the elegant cursive letters of Last Meal lit up. The engine died down and she turned toward him, wearing the goofiest smile ever seen. "You did not."
"Yes I did." He grinned wide and grabbed a hold of her hand. "Wes knew the chef and with his help, I managed to book a table for us."
"That is so sweet!" she squeezed his hand. "You didn't have to."
"Yes I did. I wanted to give you the nice date you deserve."
Her beautiful green eyes softened. "You didn't have to do this. I wouldn't have mind wherever we were."
"You maybe wouldn't, but I do. I've treated you like gum under my shoe and I want to make up for everything I've done. This special date is only the start of it."
Her eyes averted from his for a moment as the corner of her lip tugged upward. "We both know how you treated me was because of the accident—"
"A brain damage doesn't justify it. I was a jerk to you and the situation we were in doesn't make it okay."
"But I understand why." She ran her thumb over his hand. "The wait is worth it because we have found each other again."
"I'm still feeling guilty for what I've done and I can't make amends by simply being with you. I will always be redeeming myself one date at a time and one random fancy gift at a time."
"You are too hard on yourself." She brought his hand to her cheek and held it there.
"Nah. I just want to give you what you deserve and make up for the pain I caused."
"The only thing I deserve is to have a good time. And that includes you letting go of this and enjoying our date."
He chuckled and he ran his thumb over her cheekbone, memorizing the texture of her smooth skin. "I see."
"Good. Now let's start this date." Maka stepped out of the car and he was short after. The car's lights blinked as she locked it. He joined her by her side and their hands entwined. Soul held the door open for them and they entered the restaurant. The host greeted them with a bright smile.
"I've booked a table under the name Soul Albarn."
Maka's head snapped toward him, wearing a huge grin as the hostess typed on her computer.
"Yes… follow me sir." The hostess grabbed two menus and they followed after her. His shoulder bumped with Maka's as they went side by side through the restaurant. The smile was wiped away from his face when the hostess stopped by tiny table in the middle of the restaurant.
"Wait, I asked for a booth."
"I'm sorry Mr. Albarn. All the booths are occupied."
"No they can't be," Soul persisted. "I asked for a booth. The one I spoke on the phone promised me we would get a booth."
"I am sorry to disappoint you sir, but this table is very good. You'll have a nice view of the art work."
Soul sighed and he shook his head. "We aren't interested in the art work. All we want is privacy―"
"Soul," Maka whispered as she gently tugged at his hand. "It's okay."
Soul shook his head. "No. I'm on my first date with my ex-wife and we need the privacy―"
The hostess looked at him flabbergasted as Maka took over the conversation.
"Thanks for showing us to the booth. He's just a little tense and dramatic. I'm sure this table will be just as good as a booth," Maka said. The hostess looked very relieved and she handed the menus to them.
"I'll make sure the waitress takes very good care of you." And she excused herself quickly before Soul could object.
Maka slid down in her seat and she placed a menu in front of Soul's seat. "Why don't you sit down?"
Soul massaged the bridge of his nose before reluctantly he took his seat in front of her at the tiny table. "I asked for a booth."
"And keeping harassing the hostess won't give you a booth. I'm sure this table will be just as good." She opened her menu and she started to look through it. "Oh! They do have some delicious dishes!"
He wasn't pleased. He asked for a booth and he had been promised a booth. They needed the booth! They needed the privacy so they could rejoice in each other's company and now… his eyes drifted around the open restaurant and the other couples sitting around them, there was not the right surrounding for them to have the privacy he asked for.
But Maka was right. All the tables were occupied and he could make the date worse by keep on complaining. His date had already taken a huge hit by not being provided a booth. He needed to turn it around.
"You know we could leave for a different restaurant if you want," he suggested.
"No. I don't care where we're sitting and I do like the dishes they serve here. The king crab served in pasta sounds really yummy."
He was defeated. She said she didn't care but just… it was important. Their circumstance was unique and different and they needed the privacy to really connect and heal what they had before the divorce. He loved her so much and he didn't want to ruin this one chance he has with her. This night would determine if he had a future with Maka or if he would live alone and die alone.
Reluctantly he opened the menu and started to look through it and it did have some delicious food items. He flipped the pages and once he had decided, Maka spoke up.
"I didn't know you still kept my surname."
"It's my last name, you know."
"Yes, but I thought you would've changed it back to Evans after the divorce. You were always fond of the name after the accident."
"I was." He reached over the table and he placed his hand over hers on the menu. "But it is a lot of work changing last names and I didn't want to do it. It reminded me of you and it made me feel closer to you."
She made a soft sound and she squeezed his hand. "That is really sweet of you."
"It is true, you know." He smiled kindly toward you. "I missed you a lot."
"And I you. Not a day went by that I didn't think about you or imagined what you were doing and how great you were doing at law school."
The heat within his chest swelled and all he could do was entangling their fingers and stroke the back of her hand. "Me too. I always wondered where you had gone and what you were doing. I wanted to find you so badly but just… I couldn't."
"We have found each other again. That is what matters, right?"
Soul nodded. It truly was. After the rollercoaster they had been through ever since he woke up in the hospital, they had found each other. After all the suffering, confusion and separation, they had found their way back to each other. And he was willing to do anything to save what they have.
The waitress arrived and took their orders only to shortly return with the special flavoured water they had ordered. The night had been off to a rocky start, but they handled it. They sipped on their water and conversed on everything that had happened since the divorce. The more he talked to her, the more he fell in love with her. Since the accident, he always knew she was a strong woman. Too strong at times. She had all the weight on her shoulders, the debts, maintaining work and launching her project, not to forget she had to deal with his confused ass trying to make sense of it all. She had selflessly taken on all the burdens so he could focus on healing and recovering. How couldn't he fall in love with her? She was incredibly and amazing in each aspect of her life. He loved her and he wanted her so badly in his life.
"… and Wes is drafting up an employment contract for me," she said.
"I knew there wasn't a chance he would've not taken you back."
"I was a little bit nervous he wouldn't, but he took me back on the spot."
"He isn't an idiot. He knows a good co-worker when he sees one."
She smiled and looked down at their entwined hands, before her gaze met his again. "More than good. He wants to give me a share of the company and change the name so we are both owners of it."
Soul's eyes blew right open. "No way!"
"That was what I thought too! I thought he meant he would allow me to buy a share of the company but he wants to give it to me. He wants us to truly be partners in the company."
"Sounds to me he wants to make it harder for you to walk away from the company again."
Maka let out a short laugh. "And that." She squeezed his hand and she leaned closer to him over the table. "I can't believe it really. I'll be the co-owner of a company at the age of twenty-eight. I never thought I would be so successful at this age."
"You've worked hard for it. You deserve everything you've gotten."
Maka blew a raspberry. "It's more like I was lucky. It's all thanks to you brother. Wes got me into the finance industry and he has been the greatest mentor and boss and now… he wants me to become the co-owner. Just like that. And the fifty percent share he wants me to take… it's worth over a million. There's no way I could ever repay him."
"I'm sure he doesn't want you to repay him. All he wants is to run the company with you."
"Somehow I will have to repay him. I owe him my entire life to him."
Soul raised his eyebrow at her. "I know this is a huge thing, but that's a little too much."
"No. He turned my life around for the better. With the internship and… and I met you. It's thanks to him I've a job I love and met you."
The love within him swelled at her words. He remembered she had told him that. They had met in the summer at work. Maybe they both owed Wes more than they thought.
A wide smile spread on his lips. "We can start repaying him by―"
The cry of a baby broke out and his eyes fluttered shut as his voice died down. This is exactly why he wanted to be seated in a quiet booth where they could be left alone.
His smile turned strained as he gave it another go. "We can start to repay him by―" The baby screamed even loader and he ripped his gaze away from Maka at the family seated in a booth three tables away. The father rocked the baby in his arms as he tried to hush them down. As if the baby screaming hadn't killed the mood enough, the waitress interrupted them by coming with their food.
"Do you think there is an available booth now?" Soul asked.
"No sir."
"Okay, once there is an available booth, let us know. We want to switch." He gestured with his head toward the family with the crying baby.
She nodded understandingly. "I understand, but I can't guarantee you will be given one."
"If you do, I will make sure to tip you well."
Her eyes sparked the moment he mentioned a large tip. She nodded understandingly and she left them.
She pulled her hand away from his and she picked up her utensils, cutting a piece of the pasta. "We don't have to switch tables."
The child kept on screaming and screaming and it didn't matter how hard he tried to shut it out, all he could hear was the baby screaming and the father unable to sooth it.
"Yes we do. For the amount I will pay to dine at this place, I expect a good time."
"It's what we make it."
He raised his eyebrow and he grabbed his utensils. "How are we supposed to relax and enjoy ourselves when there is a baby screaming their throat off as if it has Colic?"
The comfortable warmth they had found themselves in before the baby started crying was eradicated. The food was delicious, but it couldn't make up for the awful situation they had found themselves in. They finished eating their dinner and they went through the dessert menu. They placed their order and as casual as he could, he excused himself to the bathroom. As soon as he was away from Maka, he quickly checked up with their waitress to make sure the message was delivered.
What really made his mood worse is when he saw a different waitress guide a couple to a clean booth for them to sit down at. So there was an available booth, they just weren't given it.
She was certainly not getting a tip.
He returned to their table and the baby kept on crying. The situation was really getting on his nerves. It only made it worse when the dessert arrived. The waitress placed their slices of chocolate cake in front of them with the cute message in front of Maka.
Maka's eyebrows wrinkled together as she tried to decipher the message. "I… I… what does it say?"
The chef that had written the message on the rim of the plate with chocolate must've thought writing his message of "I love you" in elegant cursive was a good idea. Except it was messier than elegant and was completely unreadable. Even though he knew what it was supposed to be, even he couldn't read it. The only thing that was clear what it was was the heart at the end of it.
Soul sighed in disappointment as he massaged the bridge of his nose.
"What is it supposed to say?" she asked.
"Nothing," he grunted. He picked up his fork and he stabbed his slice of chocolate cake.
The restaurant date was completely ruined by babies, incompetent staff and chefs who didn't know how to write. The place was definitely more expensive than it should be. He was not going to leave a tip.
The experience had left him in a sore mood and the baby's cry certainly was the cause of his developing headache. As soon as he had finished his slice of cake and before Maka has barely finished, he called the waitress to come with their bill. He paid for it and left no tip. As soon as Maka had finished, they left.
The first part of the date had certainly been nothing else than a disaster. All he hoped was the romantic walk in the park could somehow patch up the awful start. Their hands joined as they slowly started to head to the park.
"I'm sorry about the dinner," he sighed heavily. "That wasn't good at all."
"The circumstances could've been better, but I still enjoyed myself." She squeezed his hand and brushed his shoulder with hers. "I'm having a good time."
He wanted to believe her, but the date had just been… awful. He had planned everything in details to make it the best date ever so she could fall in love with him and forget how he was before the accident. He loved her and he wanted her to love him the same. Independent of how she felt toward him before the accident. He was a different man. He was completely different. Practically a new person and she needed to understand that. And hopefully love him for who he was.
"So how are your studies going?" she asked.
"Good. Same old. Things are starting to wrap up and prepare for the graduation recital."
"Will you be a part of it?"
"Yeah, they want me to play a piece on the piano, but I don't really know."
"How come?"
Soul shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really know. They want me to play a classical piece to show my technical skills, but I don't really know. Performing in front of an audience alone… I don't know about that."
"I would love to hear you play alone on the stage. You've always played so beautifully." A smile spread on her face. "I always tried to convince you to give the concert life a chance, but you weren't interested being in front of an audience. You always preferred helping other make music instead of sharing the beautiful pieces you wrote."
He should've been flattered by her compliment, but the dreamy face she made was of remembering a memory. A memory he didn't have. She was looking back at a time that wasn't him. Looking back at a different man and thinking of him instead of being present and enjoying his company. It tugged painfully in his chest at her dreamy expression. He hated it.
She must've sensed the change of his mood because she gently bumped her shoulder with his. "I hope you decide to play on the recital. I know you'll play beautifully and I would love to hear you play."
"I'll think about it."
He couldn't be moody even if she was thinking of a different guy. This date was supposed to change her mind of him and make her see he was worth her time too. He needed to salvage what they had before the divorce.
They passed a stand with all kind of different flowers of all colours and sizes. Maka liked flowers, right? The apartment they lived in had plants and she hadn't mentions any interest he had in flowers before the accident.
He stopped in front of the stand looked at all the flowers it had to offer. There were lilies, daisies and plenty of other colourful flowers of all shapes he didn't know the name of.
Maka quizzically turned to him as her hand squeezed his to attract his attention. "Do you like flowers?"
"They are cool." He caught sight of a crimson red rose. Roses were alright. They were the flower of love after all. It would do. He pulled his hand from hers and he pulled a bill from his wallet and handed it to the older man. He grabbed the one red rose from the bucket and he offered it to Maka. "For you."
"For me? That's very sweet of you." She accepted the flower and she hissed when she prickled her finger on a thorn.
"Oh shit― I'm so sorry―"
"No, no, no, it's okay. I should've been more careful." Maka hurriedly spoke and she sucked the blood off her finger. "It's very thoughtful and I love the flower."
"But it hurt you―"
"It's okay. It just prickled my finger. It will stop bleeding soon." She retrieved her finger from her mouth and she showed him her finger now clean from blood. "See?"
He grimaced. "Yeah…"
Whatever he did. Whatever sweet gesture of affection he did, he always managed to screw it up. This date had certainly been a catastrophe. His perfectly planned out date was falling to pieces! He needed to do something to save it!
"Y-you must be cold! A-allow me!" He hurried as he shrugged off his suit jacket. He was about to wrap it around her shoulders when something white fell from the sky and hit the shoulder of his jacket. His jaw fell open in shock when he recognized the white mess of bird poop.
You got to be kidding?!
Out of all times when a bird could shit on his clothes, it had to be now!
"Oh…" Maka stared in shock at the poop stain on his jacket. "That's unfortunate."
He wasn't going to be beaten by some bird poop!
"Hang on." His eyes looked around for a source of water and he was lucky. In the park a couple of yards away was a fountain. He dashed over to it and he quickly threw the jacket in the fountain. He scrubbed away the poop while it still was somewhat liquid. Relief washed over him when he saw the white substance go away from his jacket.
He exhaled heavily as he pulled up the jacket from the fountain, but in his rush to solve the situation, he had caused another one. He hadn't thought of what he was doing and now his whole jacket was drenched. He couldn't give her a wet jacket! She would be even colder than she was now!
From behind him Maka giggled at his frantic state, holding the rose to her chest.
"It's not funny," he murmured.
"A little bit," she snickered. "I didn't know the jacket was that important to you."
It wasn't the jacket he was concerned about. "Yeah…"
"How about we go back to my car where it can dry off?"
Reluctantly he agreed.
The restaurant had messed up his evening, and now a simple walk had been messed up by thorns and bird poop. How was he even supposed to salvage this date? It was practically unsaveable at this point! He really had to go out with a boom! The movie had to be amazing and he had to pull the right moves at the right time. He had to make this date work or else― she wouldn't love him!
They returned to the car and he tossed the jacket in the trunk where it could dry without ruining the seats too much. He closed the trunk and to his surprise, Maka had opened the passenger door and taken a seat.
"You know it is quite cold and we could warm up a little."
It was a great idea. They still had time before they needed to head to the movie. This way he could make up for the huge fiasco and rekindle some of the romance they had before the date started going south.
"Sure." Maka scooted inside of the backseat of the car and he slid inside after her, closing the door behind him. Maka scooted close to him and he wrapped his arm around her. He rested his head against hers and buried his nose in her beautiful golden locks. He rubbed her shoulder and his arms tightened around her when he noticed how truly cold she was. "You're freezing cold."
"I was hoping you would offer you jacket," she confessed.
Even she had been hoping for it, wanting it and he had disappointed her. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. It was quite entertaining watching you flustered face trying to get the stain off your jacket," she giggled slightly at the memory.
"You just love watching me flustered, don't you?"
"Maybe," she almost purred as buried her face in his neck. "You get this really cute wrinkle between your eyes and the spark in your eyes." Her arms tightened around him. "It just… it reminds me that we are close."
"How?"
"Because to all you don't know that well, you're always a little more strained and stiff. You don't really show what's going on inside of your head, but when you're in the company of those you're comfortable with, you're a lot more open about your feelings and you express yourself. I like seeing you so passionate about something."
Her words made the love within him grow hotter and larger. The fact she had watched him carefully and memorized the tiny details about him had him grow nervous. He loved her. He loved her so much. And the fact she knew him this well had him thinking she could love him too. The new him. Even though the date had ruined so much for them, she might still fall in love with him.
The thought caused a large smile to grow on his face. He felt silly around her. Only her could render her this speechless and reduce him to a middle schooler talking to his crush. Never before had he felt this way toward another woman. He didn't even feel this way toward Anya. Only Maka could make him feel this good.
He nuzzled his face in her hair and tightened his arms around her, running his hand over her shoulder to create more friction to warm her up.
"Maka?"
"Hmm?"
"I like seeing you passionate too," he began. "You are always so incredibly strong and you always meet every obstacle fiercely. I wish I had a fraction of your passion."
"I know you do. You just don't show it to anyone. Like… your passion for your studies."
Soul snorted. "I'm just doing what I have to do to earn my degree."
"But it is still admirable. You're working to earn it again and I think you are amazing. You're working so hard and I know you will be the best music teacher there ever is."
"You think so?"
"I know so," she empathized. She looked up from her spot on his shoulder. "I wish you could look through my eyes to see how amazing you are."
As he stared into her breath-taking green eyes, soft like feathers and warm like fire, he saw all the affection toward him. She adored him. He wanted to lean down and kiss her in this one moment, but he wouldn't stray from the plan. He needed to finish the date with a boom and he would do it with an incredible kiss. And now they would head to the movie―
What was the time?!
"What time is it?!" he exclaimed and quickly pulled up his phone. His belly froze to ice when he noticed they were running late.
"What is it?"
"I booked tickets for us to the new movie! We were supposed to pick them up ten minutes ago! We got to go!"
"Wait!" Maka pulled at his arm when he was just about to pull away and exit the car. He turned back to her and she smiled kindly toward him. "That is very considerate of you, but did you book it to the romcom that has premier tonight?"
He nodded. "Yes, that is why we have to go now before someone buys our tickets!"
"Soul." Her hand on his tightened. "They'll be sold before we get there."
Her words were like stabs to his heart. He ruined it at the restaurant. He ruined their romantic walk in the park, and now, he had ruined the movie. Everything was ruined. His one chance at wooing her had been flushed down the drain. His one chance, his one chance he had at happiness was gone.
The reality sunk in that he had screwed everything up, he leaned against the door and his hand slipped from Maka's.
"Let's just… let's just go back to your apartment."
She placed her hand on his knee. "We can stay here a little bit more. The sun will soon set and―"
"Let's just end it."
The smile on her face washed away and she nodded slowly. "Okay."
In silence they moved to the front seats and Maka drove back to her apartment. They sat in silence all the way and he could feel the defeat weighing him down. Maka stopped the engine and they got out of the car. They went up to the apartment entrance and came to a stop.
Maka held his rose in her hands, smiling toward him. "I had a good time."
Lies. "Yeah," he sighed. He was about to turn away and start head home to his apartment he shared with Wes when she grabbed his hand.
"Wait. It's the end of our date. Aren't you going to kiss me?"
His eyes fluttered as he slowly turned toward her. A goodbye kiss? He had been haunted by the kiss they shared at his parents' home. Reliving that again and having to walk away from it… he couldn't.
He couldn't.
But he wanted to.
He bit his lower lip and he shook his head. He pulled his hand away from hers and headed down until he reached the curb. He took a seat and he ran his hand through his hair.
It was over. He had failed. He didn't even have a chance with her. Everything was wrong from the beginning and all he did― he couldn't woo her. He couldn't convince her he was a good candidate. No. Only the Soul she had married and who died in the accident would be in her heart. He… he genuinely thought he could do it. Win her over and make her only see him. But he couldn't. The only one in her heart would always be Soul Albarn who died in the motorcycle accident. Now only a bogus copy of him was left. A copy she didn't want.
He had expected her to go inside and leave him alone in his misery, but a soft hand placed on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" she delicately asked.
He shook his head.
She brushed her skirt and she took a seat on the curb right beside him to the point their thighs were brushing. She wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close to him. He leaned into her touch and buried his face into her neck.
"This is goodbye, isn't it?"
"If you would rather spend the night at home, I can drive you home."
"That's not what I mean," he sighed shakily. "You don't love me, do you?"
"Of course I love you. Why would you think I didn't?"
He bit his lower lip and he wrapped his own arms around her waist, holding onto her tightly. "Because you've only known me for a week. I'm a completely different person than I was before the accident and after the accident. I'm me and I want you to love me for who I am now and not love the man you married."
"I don't think you realise that man I was married to was you."
"Of course I do. I'm just… I'm not him anymore."
Maka ran her fingers through his hair and she rested her head against his. "You speak of yourself as if you are two different people, but believe me when I say you aren't. You are very similar to how you were before the accident."
"I'm not. I-I don't drive a motorcycle or own a recording studio. I'm not dressed in those weird clothes."
Maka let out a soft giggle as she pulled him closer to her. "I didn't fall in love with you because of those things. I love you because you are incredibly loyal, you're so kind and selfless and I absolutely love it when you smile with all of your teeth. I love it when you're completely relaxed around me and you show what you're feeling and thinking and I―" Her nails dug into his shoulder and she pressed a hard kiss against his skull. "I love you so much. The accident or confusion will never change that. The qualities I fell in love with have always been there."
He bit his lower lip and his tears burned his eyes at hearing her words. Hearing she loved him and nothing would change that. It got to the point he couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears welled from his eyes and he quivered in her arms.
"You still love me even though this date was shit?"
"Of course I do. I actually thought this date was something special."
"Y-you do?"
"Yes. I really liked it even though there were some obstacles."
A wide smile spread on his face as he wiped away his tears on her shoulder. "You know you are too good for me."
"No I'm not. We deserve each other and we deserve to be happy together."
He wanted it to be true. He had hurt her so much. She didn't deserve all the shit he had thrown at her. He caused her so much pain for almost two years. He punched a hole in her chest and ripped her heart out of it.
"Not after what I've done. I-I just shouldn't have driven the motorcycle," he whimpered. "I-I caused you so much pain. It's me who did this to us. I'm the one who hurt you so badly a-and we could've a kid if I hadn't driven―"
Maka gently hushed him as she ran her hand through his hair. "I love you. I don't blame you for the accident. It wasn't your fault. It was the asshole who hit us and drove away." Her lips smacked when she planted a kiss against his hairline. "It's in the past. We are in the present and we've found our way back to each other. All I am is excited for the future we have together."
"You are?"
"I am. I'm just happy you love me and want me. I don't want to let you go ever again and I want us to be together forever."
"M-me too." His head twisted toward her and their noses brushed. Her breath hit his lips and he shivered. Her hand tightened on his hair at his nap and she encouragingly pulled him toward her. He acted on it and their lips brushed. His heart fluttered as their lips gently caressed as her grip on his neck tightened, locking his head against her lips. The kiss deepened and his nails dug into her waist as he leaned further into her. He clung onto her for dear life as their lips slanted together.
The kiss wasn't anything he had experienced before, not even when they kissed the first time. It had been shockingly pleasant before, now when his feelings were confirmed and known, it made it even better. Sparks went off on his lips and tons upon tons of butterflies hatched out of their cocoons and flew around in his stomach. His heart pounded in his chest, threatening to break ribs when her tongue was introduced.
He was left breathless and his lips pulsed from her attention. It all became much better when she climbed onto his lap and he could properly hold her. Their chests were flush together as they kissed desperately as if they stopped, they would disappear. She cupped his cheeks and the tears that escaped his eyes, she wiped away with her thumbs. She kissed all of his insecurities and thoughts away. Everything would truly be okay as long as they had each other.
They loved each other and this whole ordeal proved they were really meant for each other. What they had was for life. This was his life partner. He loved her and he needed her so much. Never again would they part.
He pulled away, breathing heavily as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Holy shit…" he exhaled. "Wow… you're a really good kisser."
Maka grinned wide, her lipstick all smudged all over her lips and he was sure his own looked the same. She cockily pushed his hand away and she ran her hands through his hair. "We could take this inside and I can really show you what I know."
As much as he was intrigued by her message and utterly convinced she was a pro at his body, he wasn't ready for that.
"Maka… I-I can't. Not now."
She inhaled sharply and she leaned into him and she started to plant kisses on his jaw. "We don't have to have sex tonight, just please, a little finger action?"
Soul groaned, enjoying her professional touch knowing exactly where to kiss and suck on his skin. "No. Nothing like that."
"Soul," Maka let out a frustrated groan. "I-I need you. I want you― over one and a half year without you… it's killing me."
Oh he knew what she was talking about. He hadn't― not after the accident. But not right now. Not on their first date.
"A week. After another date, we can."
She pulled away, eyes wide. "A week?!"
"A week."
She sighed and her thumb caressed his neck. "Make out. We got to make out if I'm going to last a week."
Soul chuckled and he planted a smooch on her. "I think I can live with that."
When he agreed to it, he never expected Maka would bounce on him in the university hallways and rip him into a janitor's closet for a make out session. Neither did he expect she would do everything in her power to get some time with him. It didn't matter. She would forget her bag at home so he would have to go to the company and give it to her, only to be brought into a heavy make out session. He certainly didn't know what he got himself into once he agreed to it. Not that he would be complaining.
Maka bit her lower lip and she nudged her nose against his. "We should probably head inside before we really attract our neighbours' attention."
He got to admit, he liked the sound of our. It was music to his ears and he looked forward to hear similar sentences down the line of their relationship.
"Just one more thing." He settled his hands on her hips. "What are we? Does this mean we're wife and husband again or girlfriend and boyfriend?"
"Well, if you're not proposing to me right now, I think we're just boyfriend and girlfriend at the moment."
"Boyfriend and girlfriend it is then."
Maka got off his lap and he rose on his feet. Their hands joined as they walked back up to the apartment complex, never feeling better than they did at that exact moment.