Stopgap
by. Poisoned Scarlet
8a
Maka tossed her jacket on her couch, heading into her room. She toed off her shoes, took off her shirt and track pants and tossed them on her bedsheets. She walked into her closet, taking out the short plaid skirt and low-cut white shirt she'd picked out a few hours previously.
She changed into them, slipping into white-strapped combat boots and quickly fixing her low pigtails into tight, high ones like before.
When she looked into the mirror, she saw her sixteen year old self looking back. The same green eyes, shades darker with knowledge; the same outfit, her bland uniform from her younger days; the same hair style, twin pigtails on either side of her head.
But she didn't pay that any heed, slamming the door to her bedroom closed and heading out into the darkening streets again; a cellphone clutched tightly in her hand.
Maybe she had snapped at Black Star too harshly, maybe she was being unreasonable. Maybe she shouldn't have displaced her anger on him and worried Tsubaki with her irrational mood.
Maybe she shouldn't have shoved past Soul when he was only concerned about her.
Maka looked both ways after she arrived at the restaurant, searching for the one person who had yet to arrive and staving off her building guilt by telling herself it didn't matter if he disliked her now or not.
It wasn't as if he was someone who really mattered to her, and vice versa.
He was just a guy she met at a bar who had no problem fucking her until she no longer felt empty inside.
That's all.
"Maka! Maka! Over here!"
Taking a brave breath, somewhat grateful he had not stood her up this time, Maka turned to face her father.
"Papa..."
Guilt was exhausting and hatred was bittersweet, she decided.
8b
Soul couldn't sleep.
He tossed and turned and sighed and punched his mattress but nothing helped. His curtains were drawn, blocking the slant of moonlight from causing him further agitation, but even that didn't help. After a few more minutes of this, he sat up irately.
He was too energetic tonight.
Moodily, he looked down below his waist.
Yeah, doing that would probably tire him out enough to allow him to get a good nights rest. But Maka wasn't there with him: she'd departed shortly after they'd grown tired of playing basketball.
Needless to say, after Maka left, everyone went their separate ways as well.
Tsubaki's words were still resounding in his head, further preventing him from getting a good nights rest. Whatever happened to Maka wasn't good, if it had her like that, and for a split second he thought of Hiro and that shit-eating grin he always wore.
He fisted his sheets.
If he was pestering her, he'd have to interfere.
His cellphone went off and he jumped, startled out of his broody thoughts.
He immediately reached for it, cursing when he was too hasty and ended up bumping into the nightstand. His phone toppled to the floor and he dove after it, answering it far more coolly than he actually looked.
"What's up?"
"Soul-kun? Please forgive me for calling so late but, um, is Maka-chan with you?"
"...No. I haven't seen her since our game."
"Sh-she's not? But, she promised me she would be back before midnight and it's... it's already five minutes before one." She sounded scared. That didn't help his nerves. "Her father always brought her back when he said he would, yet today... unless..."
"Whoa, hold up, father? She's with her dad right now?" Soul blew a strand of hair out of his face in relief. His heart calmed, and he forced away the image of Hiro from his mind. "Jeez, don't scare me like that. What're you so worried about? If she's with her dad then she's fine!"
"No! You don't understand..." Tsubaki struggled with her words before she sighed in defeat and said: "I told you it was not in my place to tell you but... I suppose I have no choice now. I hope she can forgive me... Maka-chan and her father have a very strained relationship, you see. The reason Maka was so secluded for most of her high school years was mainly because of him, and then Hiro.
Maka-chan's father is very...ah, open. As for Maka-chan's mother, she hasn't seen her since she was fifteen. She – disappeared after the divorce. He won custody when she was sixteen because her mother no longer looked after her. She wanted to travel the world to rediscover herself, and Maka-chan was still under-aged, so she had no choice. Her father...insists on being apart of Maka-chan's life although she holds very deep resent for him. He tries, but... well...despite her mothers disappearance, she still prefers her over him."
"Ah, I get it now. You don't have to keep going." Soul heaved a sigh, rubbing his forehead. That was why she looked so terrified when he cornered her at the bar after giving Hiro another shot: she didn't want to be like her father, cheating on their partners. She had a childhood trauma, a deep-set insecurity and distrust. "Hiro did the same thing, didn't he?"
"Now you understand why Maka-chan doesn't mind this – I'm sorry if I sound rude – unhealthy relationship with you. It's likely she believes... because it's only a physical relationship and you two have no emotional obligation to one another... she will not get hurt and she is doing no wrong, although it's the complete opposite."
"Sex always complicates things." Soul bluntly stated, ignoring Tsubaki's embarrassed gasp. "...Is she home yet?"
"No."
Soul threw off his sheets, raiding his closet for a shirt and jeans. He shrugged on his leather jacket and ran a hand through his hair to somewhat tame the unruly locks. He pulled on his boots as he spoke:
"Where did she say she was going?"
"The french restaurant a few blocks down from where she lives. That's why I'm even more worried: what if something happened to her while she was walking back? Maybe she got mugged or – or – !"
"As if a couple of thugs could bring her down, not if she's got a book on her." He humored, and Tsubaki smiled faintly at his attempts. "I'll have her back before two." Soul promised, and bade her farewell. But before he could hang up and begin his search, Tsubaki spoke up:
"And... Soul-san?"
"Yeah?"
"This... this never happened." She fumbled timidly on the other line. Her tone hardened. "Please, don't mention this to her. She is very sensitive about – her family life."
"...Yeah, no problem. She isn't the only one who's hiding from her past."
And he hung up.