18: In Which an Unexpected Road-trip Happens
It had been four days since the accident.
Soul and Kid were still in the hospital. Though she hadn't visited them yet, everyone else who'd gone filled Maka in on the details. Liz informed her that Kid had yet to wake up, though the doctors said he was suffering from no major injuries. Patty, meanwhile, had continued to refuse to leave the hospital and had gotten so angry at the hospital staff for trying to kick her out that they didn't even attempt to make her leave any more. Soul was conscious and apparently pretty bored, though he was suffering from pain across his chest. Black*Star was still concussed. This time Tsubaki had convinced him to stay home and rest properly.
Needless to say it had been a hard four days to say the least.
Maka went through the motions of her daily work. Only a fool wouldn't be able to see just how out of it she was. She still forced herself to smile and act as if nothing was bothering. But it was when Maka was alone that her mask would begin to crack. She spent long hours staring out towards the ocean or halfheartedly tending the garden. She avoided her friends. The only time anyone saw Blair was when she needed to be fed, and even then it was a tense and silent affair. Even Miss Marie's soothing voice couldn't snap her out of her dark daze.
Maka Albarn, witch-in-training, was suffering, and no one knew how to reach out to her.
マカの宅急便
It was five days after the accident when something finally changed. It was a particularly hot and dry day. The young witch was hanging her laundry in the backyard. She didn't notice a man with white hair peeking around the surrounding buildings until his blue eyes landed on her.
"Maka!"
Maka looked up in shock from behind her bed sheet to see a very familiar face.
"Wes!"
The older man ducked into the backyard.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself. What are you doing in the city?"
"Had to buy some supplies and groceries. I completely ran out of resin, and one of my tools rusted when I wasn't paying attention. Plus, I needed bread and milk." He smiled. "How have you been? I've been meaning to invite you over, but I completely forgot where I put the café's number."
"That didn't mean you had to come out all this way to find it!"
He waved away her worry. "It's fine. I did remember which district you said it was in, so I got directions from some people nearby. Besides, I did drive."
"Still, it's hot!" Maka finished pinning up the last few items before grabbing the basket and balancing it on her hip.
"Why don't you come up for a bit?" she asked. "It's not much, but I can get you a cold drink, or some tea perhaps?"
Wes laughed. "I know it's hot, but I'd like some tea."
"Tea it is!"
Maka led Wes up the stairs to her room. She was apologizing for the slight mess as she searched her little cupboard for a couple of mugs and some plates. There was a pan of sausages and the tea kettle on the stove, leftovers from Maka's breakfast. A plate of fresh cookies and a bowl of assorted fruit and nuts was on the table.
"Help yourself to anything there," she said.
"Thanks!"
Wes leaned against the table as he grabbed a cookie and munched on it. There was a sound to his left. He turned as a small black cat leapt in through the open window. It hopped onto the table, eyeing Wes suspiciously. He laughed.
"A black cat, eh? You really do look just like that mechanical one."
"Oh. That's Blair. She's probably hungry."
It took a couple of moments until Maka set down some milk and a cold sausage for the cat. Her frown was once again returning. Wes noticed.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Maka didn't respond. She scratched Blair behind the ears, the cat purring in response.
"My magic's faded." Wes stood patiently, waiting for Maka to continue. She did after almost a minute of silence. "I don't know what happened. It's almost like one day it was working, and then it was a bit shaky. And now I can't even do the basic things. Can't even talk to Blair anymore."
The cat looked up when her name was called, but continued to drink her milk when she realized the conversation was veering away from her. Afterwards she picked up the sausage and jumped off the table and out the window from which she came.
Maka went back to the stove, her mood significantly worse. Wes watched with a calculating glance before saying:
"I know about the accident."
Maka dropped the kettle on the table with a loud clang. Thankfully, none of the water spilled out. She turned around, shocked. Wes was watching her with the most unreadable expression on his face. Maka turned away.
"How?" she asked, voice low.
"My parents called me as soon as they heard. Demanded I come see my little brother right away. They didn't have to tell me to do that, of course." He watched Maka closely, gauging her reaction. "I went in today. Soul mentioned you hadn't visited him yet. Said he wanted to tell you something."
He did? Maka couldn't help her curiosity. "Really? What?"
"That's something for you to go ask him in person."
Maka pouted; Wes laughed.
Once he stopped laughing, Wes's face became a bit more serious. "Maka, I know this is really random and may sound a bit insensitive, but I was wondering if you would like to you come over for a bit? Just a night or two."
"What?" When Wes didn't explain himself any more than that, Maka asked, "Why?"
Wes shrugged. "Why not? It'll be nice for a change. Get away from the bustle of the city, breathe in some fresh air. No pressures. No responsibilities. Just a quiet day in the forest. What do you say? Sound like fun?"
It did. Wes was right; it would be nice to get away. But it didn't feel right to leave right after such a big event had happened.
"I don't know…"
"I know I'm not supposed to be the selfish one here, but I just really wanted to see you again. In a not creepy way." Wes chewed his lip for a second. "Actually, I'm composing a new piece and I wanted to share it with you. Because you're the inspiration behind it."
"Me?!" Maka blushed, turning away. "But I'm nobody."
"Don't say that! You're someone enough to catch my music. And befriend Soul, which I can assure you is no easy feat."
"Well, alright. But I'll have to ask Miss Marie first!"
Of course Marie would not hear no for an answer.
"Maka," she said firmly. "You have been out of sorts for several days now. I know you are concerned for everyone here, but you need a break. Take the rest of the week off if that's what you need. I have more than enough help here. Okay?"
The girl hated admitting defeat, but she stared down at her feet and nodded. Marie smiled and brushed Maka's hair back.
"Go find your smile again. That's all that I need now."
When Maka asked Blair if she wanted to come along, the cat just blinked at her owlishly before hopping out of the window. So a no. Maka decided not to take it to heart. She wasn't exactly the best company at the time.
Wes waited as Maka gathered everything she would need for about three or four days. Just to be safe. She took one last look around the room before locking the door behind her and going.
The drive to Wes's house was pleasant. He made a couple more stops in town before taking the freeway out of the city and into the country. The paved road gave way to trodden dirt. His truck bounced along it unaffected. The radio was playing some classical music, which somehow didn't fit with the drive at all. When Maka mentioned this Wes only laughed and turned it up even louder.
"You're as bad as Soul," she complained. That made him laugh all the harder.
"Most people call me the mature older brother."
"It's only because you continued music," Maka retorted.
Wes's expression fell a bit. "You're probably right. I'm not a delinquent son like my brother."
They left it at that. Maka turned out of the window as the music crescendoed. Over the horizon the sun was beginning to set.
The car pulled into the driveway about thirty minutes later. Wes cut the engine.
"Here." He tossed Maka the keys. "Go ahead and make yourself at home. I need to unload all this stuff."
A gaggle of birds was perched on the roof. A couple of the magpies cawed at her, but none of the attacked. Maka relaxed and waved at them before entering the cabin again. Wes followed behind her, groaning about needing to put the groceries away. Maka laughed and helped him.
"Do you mind if we have pasta for dinner?" he asked. "I have some instant foods too, but that's just sad."
"I can cook if you want," Maka said, but Wes stopped her.
"Nonsense. You're my guest. The least I can do is feed you."
Maka ended up helping Wes make a very simple pasta. Though he had somehow managed to buy fresh clams. They were a nice touch. Maka enjoyed it with water as Wes had a glass of wine. He washed the dishes.
"Since it's already so dark I think we should call it a day," Wes said. "I'll probably do some composing tomorrow, and we can go and explore. There are a bunch of places out here that I like to write at."
"Not just your roof then?" Maka asked teasingly.
Wes splashed her with water.
マカの宅急便
Once the sun had set Maka and Wes were about to go to bed. Each of them had a mug of hot chocolate. Maka was curled up on Wes's bed while the other had dragged out a sleeping bag and a pile of blankets from a storage closet outside.
Once they were settled, Wes said, "You know, there was once a time when I couldn't play."
"'Couldn't play?' What do you mean by that?"
Wes shrugged. He stared into his hot chocolate thoughtfully. "It just happened one day. I was practicing my violin, and suddenly I couldn't. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get the sound I wanted.
"It was definitely frustrating. I set her down for a day and tried again. And again. And again. No matter what, it didn't go well. The same happened with my compositions. It was as if all the music I took for granted just vanished. It affected my outlook on everything else too. It got to the point where I wasn't functioning."
"What did you do then?"
"I quit." Wes laughed at Maka's shocked expression. "I can tell you're surprised. Call it a curse of being a genius. It's all or nothing. That's part of the reason why I moved out to this cabin last year. I decided I needed to try something different to inspire me. Maybe the country instead of the city."
"Did it work?" Maka asked.
Wes shrugged. "Can't say for sure. I've definitely been a lot less stressed, except when I realize I haven't taken care of my car or there's nothing but canned food in the house because I'm too lazy to go out on market day."
The two of them laughed over that.
"But you know? When I met you last month it was as though I found a small piece of my old drive again. That's why I asked you over. You've become the inspiration for my latest piece. I'm sorry if that sounds outlandish or selfish, or downright creepy at that! You probably don't want to hear that from an older guy like me!"
"Better than my papa would take it," Maka was quick to say.
They grinned. When their laughter died down, Wes met Maka's eyes and smiled.
"Don't worry so much about whether your magic will return or not. I'm positive it will. All you have to do is let it come at its own pace on its own accord. I've been letting that happen with my music."
"Okay." Maka sipped her hot chocolate before asking, "Hey, Wes?"
"Hm?"
"Why are you so sure it'll be okay? With my magic, I mean."
Wes was silent for a few moments, thinking everything through. "I think…it's because of the way you described it. How it's this warmth, how it flows. For me, it's really similar to how I feel about music. I know Soul would say the same thing. Music comes at its own pace in its own way to each person. I'm gonna take a stab at it and say that magic's similar."
"That makes sense."
Wes sat up. "Are you done with your drink?"
"Almost." Maka quickly finished it before handing it to him. "There. It was delicious."
"Good! I had to teach myself how to cook. Do you know how much I struggled when I first started living without a cook or a maid?"
"Boohoo. Rich boys are so inefficient."
Wes stuck his tongue out at her. He took the cups to the kitchen and came back in.
"I'm gonna turn off the light."
"Okay." Maka rolled over, pulling the quilt up to her nose. "Sorry for taking your bed."
"It's fine. Goodnight Maka."
"Goodnight Wes."
The light clicked off. Maka lay back down and sat up, listening to the sound of Wes's breath evening out. She eventually fell asleep thinking that she would have to tell Soul his brother still slept with a pretty ridiculous quilt.
マカの宅急便
The two of them had a late start to the day. It was the first time Maka had slept past seven in a long time. She got up at eleven better rested than ever and to the sound of sausages sizzling in a pan.
Wes looked up as she walked in. "Good morning to you."
"Hi Wes." Maka rubbed her eyes and yawned. "What's for breakfast?"
"Eggs, sausages, and pancakes. American style. I went last year with my family and I really liked the food there. Not really healthy for you, though."
Maka didn't mind, as she ended up taking seconds of everything.
After breakfast Wes decided to show Maka every spot in the forest he'd discovered. They packed a light picnic of sandwiches and tea before heading out. Maka carried the basket. Wes brought a book of blank sheet music and a pen.
"I'll just write down any melody that comes to mind," he explained, "so you do you."
And that she did.
Maka ended up loving the forest. She fed the magpies a bag of crumbs, taking a swim in one of the lakes (and then letting the smaller fish nibble at her toes), climbing a couple of trees, and picking flowers to make a flower crown out of. Wes proudly donned the ridiculous thing as he sat to the side.
They had lunch before heading back to the cabin. Wes entertained his honored guest by playing through some of the things he'd written down. Though he kept complaining about it, Maka thought all of it was very lovely.
They had tea at three, where they exchanged stories about their very different childhoods. Wes enjoyed pretty much everything about Litenby Maka told him about, asking for specifics on every shop owner.
"It's just amazing to me that you lived in a town where you knew everyone's name," he explained. "I've never had that. It's always been large cities for me."
Maka, meanwhile, was absolutely enthralled with Wes's recounting of Paris. She kept making Wes repeat all the names of the cafés and streets. The French flowed off his tongue easily. Noticing Maka's interest he told her a story about a stray cat in entirely French. Maka didn't understand a word of it, but it sounded very poetic.
In return she said a few sentences in the Old Tongue.
"It sounds so powerful," Wes noted.
"And French sounds so romantic," Maka said. "I wish I knew French."
"It's a pain to learn, I can tell you that. I prefer Italian."
Maka forced Wes to speak entirely in Italian as they made a dinner of soup with bread.
That night Wes tried (and failed) to teach Maka the basics of the piano. It ended up the witch had no aptitude for music. She ended up being unable to play a single scale, read any music, or even put her fingers to use. Wes learned that perhaps Maka had talents in other areas.
Maka learned that Wes was truly as horrible as his younger brother when teasing her.
"I see where Soul got it from now," she declared, not at all amused as Wes tried to stop his tears.
"It's okay. Maybe I'll teach you a bit about the violin. It could go better."
"You're just saying that because you want me to make a fool of myself on that instrument too!"
"Oh man, wait until I tell Soul about this. He'll get a kick out of this one."
Maka gasped. "Don't you dare! Oh my god Wes, don't! I definitely won't be able to face him after that."
After that Maka called it a night. She sat up, however, noticing a light coming from the next room. Wes was up, copying various notes from his book onto fresh sheet paper. He was humming.
It was beautiful.
マカの宅急便
Wes was giving Maka a ride home. She had ended up staying for three nights, but she wasn't at all upset by it. It had been fun, having Wes guide her through hidden areas of the woods and writing music. Though the piece wasn't completed by the time she left he played an excerpt for her.
"I'll compose this for piano too," he told her. "More people know how to play the piano anyway."
He probably wants Soul to play it and nothing else. Still, the piece was beautiful.
Maka stopped Wes once she saw the edge of the forest give way to the flat plains. It would only take a bit to get to town from there, even on foot.
"You can drop me off here."
"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off in town? It's honestly no trouble."
Maka shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm fine. I haven't had a good walk in a while. It'll be nice to stretch my legs."
The man nodded. "Only if you're sure."
"I am." Wes parked the car and let Maka out. She smiled at him from the open window. "Thank you for inviting me over, Wes. I really needed to get away from it all."
"Of course. And feel free to stop by anytime. My door's always open."
Maka waved as Wes turned his car around and headed back towards the woods. She walked back from the cabin to the edge of the city, enjoying the breeze from the the ocean. Once she got into Dödenstad Maka took a bus to the nearest stop. A brisk twenty minute walk up the hill to the café followed. By the time she arrived Maka was a bit tired and out of breath, but smiling. Invigorated, her brain provided.
"I'm home," she called as she entered.
"Welcome back!"
Miss Marie came from behind the counter, placing her hands on either of Maka's shoulders and looking her in the eyes. "How was your trip?"
For the first time since the accident Maka felt herself smile something close to genuine.
"It was good," she replied. "I feel...I feel a bit better."
Miss Marie smiled back and held Maka against her. "I'm glad. That's all I wanted to hear."
Their moment was broken by a shout from the café door.
"Maka!"
The girl turned around in shock. Liz was standing in the doorway of the café, panting.
"Liz?"
Ignoring the staring patrons, the older girl stepped in and gripped Maka's shoulders. "Thank god you're back in town. I wasn't sure if you'd be here or not."
"Liz, calm down. What's going on?"
Liz took a deep breath before saying two sentences that made Maka heart soar and her blood freeze at the same time.
"It's Kid. He woke up."
I do love Wes, I really do. I think he and Maka would actually be good friends if they met in canon. Hopefully nothing in this fic was too creepy or stalkerish. All of Wes's feelings for Maka are strictly platonic.
Next chapter: Kid's awake and Maka goes to talk to him.