Stopgap
by. Poisoned Scarlet
6a
She ran.
In loose basketball shorts with a light colored track jacket thrown over her to keep the morning chill at bay, she jogged down the sidewalk with her MP3 player clutched tightly in her hand. The music that blared through the earphones was not the usual pounding, thrumming, bass she'd grown so accustomed to but a softer sound, almost classical; a beautifully composed string of sounds she actually didn't mind listening to.
On the skyline, the sun was beginning to rise. The buildings were still layered in shadows when Maka came to a slow stop, reaching one building in particular. Panting softly, she took off one ear-bud and stared toward the third floor, where she knew he lay on his bed, drooling on his pillow, sound asleep.
She hadn't seen him since his brothers concert 3 days ago.
Maka replaced her ear-bud in her ear and continued her early morning jog.
"Maka-chan!" Tsubaki waved, waiting by the corner down the block. She was in her usual exercise clothes; already sweating, as she had gotten an early start. "What took you so long? Did you oversleep?"
"Mm, yeah." Maka smiled sheepishly, and Tsubaki giggled. "I stayed up late studying for a test we have on Friday. My alarm woke me up, but..."
"You fell right back asleep?"
"Yeah." She laughed, and Tsubaki joined her.
"Well, we're just going to have to make up for it!" Tsubaki stated, determined. She checked her watch. "It's six thirty – we'll stop at eight, how about it? We have been slacking off recently and you need to keep yourself in top shape if you're going to sign up for that martial arts competition next month."
"I need to work out my triceps a little more." Maka muttered, flexing an arm. "They're my weakest point right now."
"Do you want to hit the gym afterward?" Tsubaki offered. "We can stop running at seven thirty and walk to the gym..."
"Sounds like a plan!" Maka smiled, brightly. "C'mon, we're wasting time just standing around!" And they both turned and ran down their usual route, one listening to bubbly pop and the other discovering the wonders of classical.
6b
Why... did these things happen to her?
"Don't look at him." Tsubaki whispered, distressed. "Maybe he won't notice us if we act natural..."
Maka bit her lip, laying down on the bench press, focused on a shadow on the ceiling and not the blond that worked out his biceps by the window. He hadn't seemed to notice them yet because he made no inclination of coming over to talk, as he usually did even after Maka and he broke up.
"I'm not looking at him!" Maka whispered, finishing a set and allowing Tsubaki to help her replace the barbell back. "What the hell is he doing here, anyway? I thought he went to that fancy new one by downtown!"
"He was, but I'm not sure anymore..." Tsubaki bit her lip, wringing her hands as she usually did when she didn't know what to do. "He told me a few weeks ago that he preferred the new one because they had better exercise equipment, and they gave away free water bottles if you frequented enough..."
"Then why is he here of all places?' Maka swallowed when Hiro turned to add weight to his dumbbell. She quickly laid back down before he could notice her. "We have to get out, Tsubaki, I really don't want to talk to him right now!"
And just when she seemed to be finally, officially, getting over that blond idiot, he had to go reappear—shirtless as well!
"I know, I know!" Tsubaki looked toward the door and back at Maka. "Okay, I have an idea, but you're going to have to run when I say so!"
"Run where?"
"To the exit!"
"No way, that's too obvious!" Maka hissed, sucking in a breath when Hiro drained his water bottle, sighing loudly in relief. "Oh, this is ridiculous! I'm not going to hide from him like some little girl!" Maka sat up, resolved. "I'm twenty one, for crying out loud!"
"And you look sixteen."
Maka froze.
Tsubaki snapped her head to the source of the voice, her face draining of color when she was met with twinkling crimson eyes and a smirking grin. Her eyes automatically dropped to the floor, unable to restrain the flood of memories from that day, while Maka gawked openly at Soul.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Maka shouted.
"Working out?" Soul rose a brow. He grinned saucily. "You didn't really think I was born with these, did you, pigtails?" He meant his arms, his hard abs. All muscles she'd run her hands over many times before, feeling them ripple beneath her fingertips – !
"Why does everyone come to this stupid gym?" Maka grumbled, laying back down on the bench press. "There are so many other gyms out there – why this one?"
"Because it's close-by?" Soul shrugged, glancing at the woman who stared at the floor in horror. "You must be Tsubaki."
"O-oh!" Tsubaki looked up upon being addressed, smiling shakily. She took Soul's hand when he offered, wary of Tsubaki's sudden embarrassment. "Yes, and you must be Soul-san. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Tsubaki Nakatsukasa."
"Ah! That's right, you've never met Soul before, have you, Tsubaki?" Maka exclaimed, remembering.
"Mm. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other – Black Star speaks very highly of you." Tsubaki politely said, her hands laced together in front of her. She told herself she would not be rude! This was Maka's... very close friend, and she would treat him with respect! Not cower like a twelve year old girl!
"You know Black Star?" Maka asked, surprised.
Soul grinned. "I've known that idiot since high school!" He looked back at Tsubaki. "Guess you're the chick who's been hanging around him recently, huh? He doesn't shut up about you whenever he calls me." Soul yawned, rolling his eyes when Tsubaki flushed red. "He's so uncool sometimes..."
Maka smiled at Tsubaki when she tried to defend Black Star. Then she looked at Hiro, finding him looking back at them. Before their eyes could meet, Maka looked away and laid back down on the bench press. "Hey, Tsubaki, add ten pounds, would you?"
"Ah! Of course!"
"You can lift 200?" Soul gaped. Maka smirked. "What the hell, woman? That's insane! You'll tear a muscle if you -!" But he watched, in disbelief, as she began to lift two hundred in quick successions, managing twenty five reps before Tsubaki helped her replace the barbell back in place. Chuckling in disbelief, he pinched the bridge of his nose to hide a growing grin, and said: "You're really something, Maka."
Maka merely beamed, laughing when he pushed her off the bench to see if he could beat her.
"I bet I can do thirty!"
"Ha! I'd like to see you try!"
"Watch me, pigtails." Soul growled.
Maka huffed, scowling and critically watching for any signs of strain as Soul began to lift.
Tsubaki smiled contently, watching her friend and Soul argue when Soul managed to reach thirty.
"You cheated!"
"Cheated? How the hell can you cheat with that thing? It was 200 and I did 30 reps, get over it!" Soul gloated. "I'm just stronger than you, admit it."
"ARGH! MAKA CHOP!"
"Wha - shit, ow! That hurt! I didn't think you were this much of a sore loser!"
"I am not a sore loser! You just cheated!" Maka insisted, whacking him on the head again with her fist for extra measure. "I want a rematch!"
Soul smirked. "You're on. First one to top the other gets one favour; no limits. How about it?"
Maka narrowed her eyes at his challenge. "Deal."
"Ah, Maka, are you sure that's okay? You've only just begun to lift so much weight, if you over do it you might actually tear a muscle..." But Tsubaki's concern was dismissed when Maka kicked Soul off the bench press and laid down on it herself, determined to prove her jagged-toothed friend that she was much stronger than how she looked.
And Hiro watched them all with hard eyes, his water bottle crushing slowly in his hand when he caught the lingering touch of their fingers as Soul handed the barbell to Maka.