Usual disclaimer applies~ ;___;
A/N: it might be a good idea to just put on some...calm music or something...as you read halfway through~ y'know...for ambiance o_o''
ENJOY MY LOVELY READERS~
MAKA----
"Black*Star, just because you haven't been in here for months doesn't mean that you have to search through each and every thing I own," sighed a very irritated yet amused Maka. It was the end of a school day and since she was in such a good mood all day - courtesy of Soul's piano playing last night - she wanted to do some catching up to both Tsubaki and Black*Star who had been gone for months.
"B-Black*Star," started a flustered Tsubaki, tailing her meister while wringing her hands in panic that he might break something of importance. "Please calm down, this isn't our apartment…you're bothering Maka-chan again."
"You never know what a god can find in a rubbish tip like this, Nyahaha!" The hyperactive blue haired meister continued his search for nothing in particular not noticing the aerial weapon aimed and closing in on his unprotected head.
"Maka CHOP!"
"Black*Star!!"
"Nii…ha…haaa."
"Come on, Tsubaki," the other meister reached for the panicking weapon's wrist and dragged her towards the kitchenette, leaving the poor egotist on the floor, a small fountain of blood sprouting from his head.
Forgetting the earlier scuffle while the girls made tea, Maka started her mini inquisition, "So? What's Japan like?" Her face was one of pure interest as she leaned over the kitchen counter facing the taller weapon, waiting for the kettle to slowly heat up.
"We only stayed in one area in Kyoto, a small shrine to be precise. We didn't get to do much sight seeing, had to guard the client twenty-four seven, you know?"
"Aah, that's too bad. I want to go there as well." Maka muttered the last few words in silent envy as she turned the kettle off. She missed having to travel in her missions, and without a weapon, she couldn't exactly go alone. "Mama's been there though - I still have her postcards."
"Has she written to you recently?" Tsubaki quietly asked even though she knew the answer. As she thought, Maka only answered with a few shakes of her head.
Her mother seemed to write less and less as time passes by, and she couldn't exactly write to her herself since her mother moved a lot - never staying in one place for too long. The last postcard sent to her was from Egypt, and that was from around two months ago, mentioning that they were digging up some kind of relic. She would love to meet her Mama once again, even for just a day, but the thought of doing so gave her a feeling of unease. How would she act in front of her? Friendly? They haven't met in years - separated thirteen years ago when Maka was still five years old - they might not even recognize each other anymore.
"You can come to one of our missions. With Black*Star and I," Tsubaki added the last part when the meister focused her puzzled emerald eyes on her.
"Really?" As the meister brightened up, the chain weapon displayed a sincere smile as she nodded. One of the things she envied from these two is their still ongoing partnership. Since Tsubaki had yet gotten herself a witch soul to eat, she remains by her meister's side, continuing missions as partners. Ninety nine pre-kishin souls and one witch soul – it was easy enough for her and Soul albeit, life threatening. Sometimes, the meister wanted to have turned back time and not rush in turning her scythe into a Death Scythe; she could've prolonged their crazy adventures together.
They prepared to head back to the homely living room with a tray holding three steaming tea-filled cups. Re-entering the lounge, they found out that Black*Star was no longer on his previous place in the floor and was instead flopped over the sofa, head lolled back against the back of it.
"Maka-chan?" Said girl looked over to her friend as she fiddled with the handle of her teacup and looked to her with a question at the tip of her tongue. "Have you thought about taking on a new weapon? You know, since Soul works with Shinigami-sama mostly…I-I just think that, maybe if you have a new weapon, you might be able to go on missions again."
Maka wasn't surprised by the sudden question yet she froze. Sighing, she contemplated her answer as she looked at the brown liquid in her own teacup. "Truthfully, when you had arrived two days ago… I was thinking of taking on Kiel, that dagger weapon… I just- I don't think I'm a knife wielder. I'm used to scythes and you know how rare those types are."
"You just need to be…versatile," a voice behind them caught their attention and they both noticed that the previously unconscious meister was now awake, a piece of paper held in his hands.
Gaping at him in silent awe, she found that he was right - she didn't need to be picky about weapons. The idiot in front of her uses a weapon with more than one form - not exactly an idiot now, is he? "Wow Black*Star…"
"Amazed by my great knowledge little one? Hyaha! Yes, a god knows everything! Now if you act wisely and start your worshipping, I might just teach you a couple of godly knife techniques, which I really think lowly human beings won't be able to do--"
"Yeah, yeah-- what is that?" The piece of paper in his hand looked familiar, why did he have it?
"A pretty piece of paper?" Raising an eyebrow at him, she reached her hand out and, luckily, the meister passed it to her without protest or any stupid comment. "You never mentioned you were going to a ball…"
What?
Quickly scanning the small piece of paper, the familiar quality alerted her to who the senders were. Did she get any new mail from them without knowing? Did Black*Star open one of her mail just now? What if he saw…something relating to the engagement?
She glared at him in question as she sternly voiced out, "Where did you get this?" He only pointed behind him at the pile of books on the counter. Returning her gaze to the intricately decorated piece of paper, she once again scanned the words written on it with elegant script.
It was a list of names.
Simple.
At the top was a small title, 'Invitation to January Ball' and she instantly knew it was a list of guest names. Lucky for her, it never mentioned marriages, engagements, fiancées or whatnot, because her friends would surely want to know all about it - she promised herself not to drag them in her problem until Soul and her could do nothing anymore.
Scanning through the paper, she looked at the first few names listed - Albarn as the first, she almost couldn't recognize it due to the wiry script but after finally picking it out she noticed that there were three Albarns invited. Obviously, she was one of the three, instantly identifying the cursive spelling of her name. Spirit was also invited, and she involuntarily whined in exasperation, the two others in the room inquiring about the missive, yet they were ignored as the reading meister fell into a pit of concentration. She wouldn't be able to help it - he will have to know someday. What if he suddenly creates a scene when the engagement was announced? How embarrassing. The dreaded thought just plagued her as she moved on towards the last Albarn name.
Kami. The thought of expecting her did not cross her mind and the sight of it sent a jolt of agitation through her - her mother was coming? If she went to this ball, then she'd meet her mother… She had been desperately waiting for a chance like this, not even knowing if it was possible to encounter this chance.
But she was afraid. What if her mother wasn't what she expected? What if her mother was disappointed with her? What if her parents meet?! Calming down as she realized that the ball was but a few weeks away, she kept her thoughts to herself to go over again and continued to scrutinize the names.
Bancroft, Bradshaw, Conway, Dunn, Davies, Ettery, Evans. Evans.
Four Evans were written down, but only one caught her attention, freezing her in motion. Just staring at the three simple yet discernable words in denial.
Soul Eater Evans.
She never asked him even though she did think that his 'last name' sounded strange. Eater? It was a laughable surname. But she couldn't laugh about that fact anymore.
She told him hadn't she? She told him it was to the Evans family she is to be married to. Yes, he did react, but she didn't know why he did so - straightforwardly assuming that he acted so because he could feel her wavelength's quavering panic.
Why didn't he tell her? Was he making fun of her? Was he her… fiancée?
Was he…?
Recalling his piano playing, it was so different but it had the same undertones as Soul mates that she had been trying to compare since she first heard it. The way he acted too, almost secretive - immediately leaving her to 'stop the arrangement'. Was he really going to stop it? Or did he leave because he didn't want her now since she will be bonded to him – repelled by the idea of marrying his uncool, bookworm of a meister.
The latter thought crushed her, her eyes and face heating up in the unknown panic.
Was that why he didn't call too?
"Hey Maka!" Black*Star flicked her forehead with his fingers and stared her in the eyes once they locked.
"Maka-chan?" Tsubaki's voice was shaky, careful, and her expression was mirroring her friend's, one of utter confusion. "What is it?"
"N-nothing…"
In her effort to calm herself down, the beautiful piece of paper was unknowingly crumpled underneath her grip.
----------
Her two friends left after sensing that Maka wanted to be alone.
The lone meister huddled herself on the sofa, staring at the resting cell phone by her feet, contemplating whether she should call her partner, to make him tell her that what the little piece of information she found out was a joke. A lie. Make him deny all of her assumptions.
He has to deny it. Tell her the lies that she wanted to hear. Or comfort her with the truth that what she saw was indeed nothing but a lie.
Soul would lie to her if she wanted him to. Right?
No. She decided she didn't want him to lie.
Better to know the truth now - as painful as it could be - than to know that you had been strung on beautiful lies, endlessly hiding from something that she knows she will have to face in the future.
She'll heal from it; she was strong.
Picking up the sleeping device, she hesitantly called the only number saved in her phonebook, listening to the long and slow buzz of the dialing tone with agitation.
She waited for him to pick up.
She didn't want him to pick up.
A clicking sound alerted her, a soft and gentle voice suddenly drifting to her and clouding her thoughts with the warmth it gave out.
"Hey Maka." A happy sounding, almost relieved tone was heard, making her want to back out from the oncoming interrogation.
"Hi Soul." Her voice was flat, emotionless, trying to hide the wavering fear. No more words were emitted and it gave them a short and uneasy silence, both unknowingly preparing for each other's revelations.
Finally, the first one to break was Maka, asking him in a nonchalant voice, "Soul, when will you be coming back?", stalling.
"Tomorrow, I think," said the comforting static.
"Where are you?" The emotionless voice asked.
"I'm… at our house. I thought I should visit them before I return." House, she thought, a hint of anger suddenly clouding her thoughts, the Evans residence…
"I see," she was careless then, her voice emitting unnecessary anger - or was it hurt?
The sound reached the other side, causing the static to carefully ask, "Is there something wrong, Maka?" Fear. That was what she picked up from his tone, causing her to knit her eyebrows in guilty anger. She didn't like that sound; it didn't suit his voice.
She had to ask but she couldn't bring herself to. It was hard, dragging the much-needed words from her tongue, but its tainting taste was like poison that she had to spit out. She had to say it eventually.
And now was the time.
"A letter came from them again, Soul," her tone held the anger that she felt broiling her insides and it might be why he remained silent. "It was a list of names. A guest list. And guess what? My mother's name was on there," there was a small crack in her voice, but she was sure he noticed it, instinctively feeling him stiffening in fear on the other side. "You know, I've always told you about her? So if I went to this ball, I get to see her,
"But that wasn't the only information that shocked me," said the suddenly quivering voice, the meister's eyes heating up. Maka felt her chest constricting in fear of the question she was about to ask, her breath immediately turning shallow, silently gasping for short breaths. Eyes started to burn along with her dried throat as she grasped at her hair in fear, attempting to calm herself.
"Soul, why didn't you tell me your last name?"
A pregnant silence ensued.
"W-what?" came the panic coated voice from the other line.
"Soul," she pretended that her voice wasn't shaky as she swatted at annoying beads of liquid that trailed down her cheeks. "Soul Eater Evans, right?"
Please say no.
Please tell me a lie.
Please say something!
"Soul!" It came out as a frustrated beg as she asked for the answer. "What? Say something!"
"M-Maka…"
"Just tell me the truth," she begged him, tears blurring the sharpness of her voice. Please, even a lie…just…say something…I need to hear…
No answer…
It hurts… His silence hurts…
She laughed, an emotionless and wet sound. "Fine," she said in a stern voice, "That's okay… I won't ask anymore…" Deciding that she should end the pointless and painful call, she wondered whether she should say goodbye, or simply press the end button - the easy way out. No, she thought, she could handle her pain; she just didn't want to cause pain to him.
Shakily smiling to herself in difficulty, as if showing him as well, she spoke in her wet and quavering tone, "Goodbye, Soul."
And the conversation ended, the agony weighed down on her and she felt her soul being crushed with its weight, tears flowing from emotionless red eyes, sleep refusing to become her salvation.
SOUL----
All he remembered was the pain he heard in her voice when she said her goodbye, crushing him as his chest reacted to the word by painfully constricting.
He stared at the dark ceiling of his room, hot liquid flowing down his cheeks and accumulating on his chin, dropping warmly on his shirt, making the wet spots cling. He remained blank as Wes and his mother stared at him in pity and confusion.
"Soul." It was weird, hearing gentleness and pity in his mother's voice. Soul never reacted to any of the voices even though he could clearly hear them.
Instead, he heard his mother whisper to his brother quietly, "Wes, can you accompany him to Shibusen?"
Soul, at that moment didn't honestly care about the engagement or the mission being given to him.
He was afraid. Afraid that the only one he was doing this sacrifice - coming home and keeping himself away from her - for would not be there waiting for him anymore.
A/N: ;__; oh the drama~!
was...that...good? okay? is the suspense still there?
no matter~ i hope this chapter didnt disappoint~ xD
again, i thank all those who reviewed~
it helps me get through my writer's block (o__o)
please do continue reviewing~ ;D
i'd love to hear what you all think~
since this is my first time...writing a dramatic scene...even though its over the phone xD;;