This is the last chapter I wrote before I put this story on pause, and it's the one I edited the most. From here on, I'll do my best to keep a coherent storyline.
Maka was sitting on the bridge, her feet dangling towards the small river. She had volunteered to go to the market, not because she liked it, although she did, but to get as far away from her dad as possible. Things between them had been on edge since their argument the night before, and while Maka pretended not to see her father's red eyes, from crying, her father pretended not to see the ways her eyes hardened whenever they spotted him. So instead of rushing through the market, and then rushing home, she decided to just sit down and think, to clear her head.
As she stared at the horizon, she realized she couldn't really recall the last time she had been outside. She was always working, taking care of the diner, and when she wasn't, she usually stayed in her room, reading and daydreaming about the life she could never have. It was pitiful, the way she longed for nature and adventure so much, and yet let herself be a prisoner in her own life. She closed her eyes, inhaling the cool morning air, hoping it would help her feel better.
"Maka?" She heard someone, tentatively, call out.
She turned her head to the side, grudgingly opening her eyes for them to be met with red. A smile took over her face without her even noticing. "Soul." She murmured, before noticing a head of blue hair just beside Soul's white one. "Star." She continued, more bitterly.
"Maka!" He shouted, causing the people around to stare and Maka to hang her head with embarrassment. "Time you got out of that god forsaken house! What did your Papa do this time?"
Soul stared both at Maka and Black Star, looking rather lost, as Maka blushed and hid herself, refusing to answer, especially, with Soul around. Black Star knew about her father's behavior, about their fights and about how rough their relationship was. But Maka had always been one to keep her problems secret, and she rarely confided in anyone. In fact, Blake had a tendency to make her forget she wasn't supposed to talk about those things with anyone and was one of the few she knew she could trust. When they were younger there had been countless nights sitting on the roof (the boy climbed like a monkey and managed to always, always convince her to climb up with him), looking at the stars and talking about the things they had no one else to talk about. Maka was a single child and so was Black Star. So he had taken her under his wing and vowed to protect her if anyone ever made fun of her, and Maka had decided she'd help him feel more integrated. And grace him with a few delicacies from the diner. They were like brother and sister, and even if they drifted away throughout the years, like it almost always happens when people grow up, they were still great friends.
"What? You know you can talk to me about anything!" The blue haired boy continued, looking at her as if she had offended him. But all it took was one look at his side and he started scratching his neck. "Yeaaaah this is Soul. Soul, this is Maka." He introduced them, apologizing to her silently.
She got up, cleaning the dust off of her skirt before she looked up. "We've met, he goes to the diner sometimes."
Black Star looked at Soul questioningly and got a nod, before he turned back to Maka. "Well, what are you doing here?"
"I have to go to the market." She couldn't help but sigh. She really needed to go to the market and buy groceries while they were still fresh, but she knew that as soon as she was done, she would have no excuse to not go home.
"What are you waiting for, you dork? Follow your God, I'll take you there!" Black Star screamed, but neither Maka nor Soul moved. But Star had learned how to get his way. In a swift movement he grabbed both Soul's and Maka's wrist and yanked them forward, dragging them behind him as he moved towards the market, screaming of his greatness and how his followers wouldn't get anywhere without him.
She felt Soul tap her shoulder lightly and turned towards him. "Is everything okay?" He asked, his voice low and his eyes dark, filled with worry.
She looked around, at the people surrounding them, busy with their lives and at Black Star, currently arguing with a seller. She sighed. "Everything's fine." And made a motion to move towards the fruit stand again before he gently tugged at her sleeve.
"You don't look fine, though. You can trust me."
"Can I?" She asked, detaching herself from him. "We've never even talked outside of the diner." She pointed, smiling bitterly.
"We're talking now." He pressed. "And we can talk later. I just…" She felt him stiffen a bit behind her and heard his breathing become shallower.
She turned towards him, her eyes glinting. "You just?"
He looked away, face red with embarrassment. "I'm afraid to screw up."
She smiled, this time truthfully, placing a finger on his cheek and turning him towards her, so they were looking into each other's eyes. "You won't."
He seemed to be at a loss of words, lost in her eyes while she got lost in his. She felt so good when she was with him, felt so safe, like she could trust him, like she didn't have to worry if he would stay because she knew he would, while he felt like he belonged somewhere and she was the one he had hoped would fill the void in his chest.
"Hey, stop being mushy-mushy, we have other places to be!" Black Star yelled, standing between them and shaking his head. "The great me will not be a third wheel." And the spell was broken, as they were left to deal with emotions that both thought they would never feel
Later, on their way to the diner, while Blake walked ahead, telling one of his tales, she reached for Soul's hand shyly, and they walked hand in hand, fingers interlocked. He leaned closer, whispering so as not to call the other boy's attention. "My offer stands."
"I'll meet you outside at 9 pm." She whispered back, a soft smile on her lips.
"I thought you worked the night shift?"
"We hired a new maid." She shrugged noncommittally. "Told Papa I was tired of the night shift."
"Why?" He asked, confused. She had always seemed to rather enjoy working during the night.
"My favorite customer stopped going." She grinned, looking sideways at him.
The smile on Soul's face didn't fade, even when they parted ways and he started to miss the warmth of her fingers on his.