The answer Soul was looking for doesn't slip from Maka's lips. She's too shocked to actually answer. It's all too much- too overwhelming for her. It felt like for the past few months, she'd been dragged through the mud- and now, after all of that suffering, she was finally catching a breath of fresh air.
Yet, it was still all too much; and by the looks of it, Soul was starting to catch onto that.
With their hands slowly slipping away from one another, Soul's composure began to break. "Maka," he'd called out carefully the moment their fingertips broke away from one another, "Is this- is this too much?" Maka's eyes helplessly followed Soul's retreating hand, watching carefully as he slipped his glove back on.
As much as she wanted to say yes, and run to the farthest ends of the Earth away from him, she didn't. While it was all too much- while she, again, never got a say in what was to happen- while she, again, was taken off guard by it all- she couldn't blame Soul.
She couldn't have him leave again.
"No," She'd replied unconvincingly, a sniffle following. Tears pricked at her eyes at just the thought of Soul walking back out of her bedroom door. "No- no it's fine-"
Soul's face had softened as a tear quietly rolled down Maka's cheek.
"Don't cry," he pleads, taking a subtle step toward the blonde. Even though he looks ready to practically pounce on Maka- ready to hug her breathless- he maintained the space between the two of them. "I'm sorry," he starts, wringing his hands rigidly in front of himself. "I didn't want there to be more secrets. I wanted you to know I would come back months ago, I wanted you to know I'd always be back for you."
Maka stands breathlessly, willing the tears to stay behind her eyes.
This is what she'd wanted since November ended. She wanted this moment for so long- to have Soul in front of her again- to have the ability to just reach out and touch him- and now that she had it, she didn't know what to do with herself.
"I can leave," Soul suggests quietly, "And when you're ready, we can try this again. We have time-"
With her throat tightening, Maka found herself moving before she could stop herself. "Please," she'd muttered just under her breath, her eyes watering once more. "Please don't leave me."
She isn't sure if it's her who moves first or Soul, but in the end, she knows it doesn't matter. In a second flat, she finds herself pressed up against his chest, a breath caught in her throat as a silked hand wraps around her middle and another against the back of her head.
As if it's a promise, a kiss is pressed against the top of her head. "I'll promise it again and again," Soul whispered, despite them being the only two in the room, "I won't leave again, not unless you ask me to."
For the first time in months, Maka feels like she's whole again- like there isn't a missing piece to her heart- like there isn't a nagging feeling in the back of her head crying out for her to find what doesn't feel right.
Letting breath she'd been holding in out in the form of a broken laugh, Maka squeezed her eyes shut, wrapping her own arms around Soul's middle section until they clasp together at the small of his back. "I'd never ask you to leave," she confessed, "Not after all this time."
She's not entirely sure how long the two of them stand like that- wrapped in one another's embrace in the rising morning light- but she knows in hindsight it would never matter. All that mattered was he was there finally; Soul was there, wrapped in her grasp, holding him as if her life depended on it.
"You were," Maka finds herself saying after some time, "You were the one I was waiting on- always have been."Above her, Soul chuckled. "You're sure a sap," he says, even though he rests his chin against Maka's head, "And to think, I wrote poetry about you."
"You're not a poet, Soul," Maka had scolded, pulling away from his embrace slowly.
"Not yet, but maybe someday, I could be."
As their laughs mingled and they pulled away from one another, a loud boisterous knock echoed in the room before Maka's bedroom door practically slammed open. There, standing in the doorway with very much empty arms, was Blackstar of all people.
"I hate everyone in this castle." Blackstar cursed out as he pointed aan accusatory finger at Soul. Despite his angered tone, tears were lining his eyes. "I walked my ass all the way back here with waffles, ready to have a mighty fine breakfast, mind you, when I see Kid standing in the doorway like nothing big is happening. Big fuck you to me, huh?"
At that, Soul just shook his head, parting completely from Maka's side as he opened his arms for Blackstar.
"I'm sorry," he says carefully, "you were the second person I was going to see, if that's any consolation?"
"No, no it's not," Blackstar whined as he crossed the bedroom and practically tackled Soul into a messy hug. "I hate you so much. Really, I do."
Even as Maka wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands hurriedly, she couldn't help but smile at the warm feeling that began to blossom in her chest.
Maybe this story did have a better ending that she expected.
"It's so good to see you again, Maka." Wes greeted her with a smile. He held out a hand toward her, one which was as warm as Soul's but much softer in the same sense. "I'm so sorry to have taken you by surprise, that was not our intention today."
As she took his hand in hers and shot a glance toward her parents who stood apologetically behind the Queen, she couldn't help but shake her head. "It's no worries," she replied, "everything these days takes me by surprise."
Despite the harsh tone her voice held, Wes simply smiled sympathetically, pulling away from their handshake. "Can I hug you?" He asked suddenly, eyes going wide, "You- you really look like you may need one."
She doesn't waste a moment to bring him into a hug- minding the ruffles of her dress as she did. Behind her, she could hear Soul laughing fondly.
When she pulled away, she was faced with Kid- Soul's personal guard.
"It's so nice to see you again," Kid greeted her earnestly, shaking her hand.
With as much kindness as she can muster, she nods. "The sentiment is mutual- I'm glad to see you in better health as well, by the way." She can't help but notice the way the guard grimaces, but nevertheless, he still keeps a well-kept smile upon his face.
Once all the formalities had been pushed out of the way and Maka found herself familiar with a majority of the members of Cinder's royal court, she couldn't help but side-eye her own parents, her throat tight with anger. She wasn't necessarily mad at them per se, but she was peeved at the fact that once again, She couldn't have been kept in the loop or make a decision on her own name.
From the time she'd been born, she never got to choose for herself. She didn't get to choose to be a Princess- didn't choose to get all the riches she did growing up- didn't choose to get stuck within the four walls of her own castle. She did, however, choose Soul to be in her life, but even then- she didn't get to choose whether he stayed or not- she didn't get to be kept in the loop about whether or not he'd returned. In all senses, life wasn't fair for Maka, but she'd presumed she'd get over it at some point.
"I do say we should continue on with what this meeting was originally supposed to be," her mother had started after some time, clapping her hands.
As it had been promised the previous night, their meeting was to finish loose ends pertaining to the ball, just with extra guests.
As Maka, along with her parents and their guests from Cinder, followed along the caterers and designers who were eager to show off their work, she couldn't help but spare a glance toward the white haired boy who stood protectively at her side the whole time.
And even though they were quiet for most of the day, with every shoulder bump and every eye lock the two of them had shared, Maka felt peace settle in her chest.
The moment Maka found herself standing from the dining table, ready to excuse herself for the night, Soul was standing up across the table from her, dabbing at the sides of his mouth with care.
"I can escort Maka back to her quarters," He offered quickly, eyes darting to Maka's parents.
With her heart practically leaping into her throat, Maka glanced over to her parents, watching with a wide gaze as the two of them nodded in agreement. "That is okay with me," her mother had spoken first, sending a soft smile to her father, "you two can be excused then."
In sync, the two of them pushed their chairs in, walking down the table until they met at one another's side. In the back of the dining hall, Maka spared Blackstar a final glance, taking the guard's subtle nod as a go to leave.
As the two of them slipped into the hallway, shoulders and hands brushing together, the air around them stiffened. For a moment, they had walked in silence, pinkies touching. Maka couldn't help but clench her hands into fists at the awkward silence, blinking fast to keep the embarrassment down.
They had kept their silence all the way until Maka's tower, each of them sparing a side-glance to one another as they pushed the door open. The second the door had shut behind them and Maka's foot met the first step of the staircase, Soul had paused behind her, clearing his throat. "You never asked why I was here early," he began, loud enough to make Maka pause mid-step. "Is there a reason why? Did you know why we came early?"
A beat of silence passed, but then, Maka was turning her head, eyes falling onto Soul's shoes. "No," she'd answered honestly, lifting her eyes until they met with deep auburn ones. "But I think I can make an assumption."
Soul shuffled awkwardly at the comment, his hands clenching and then unclenching at his sides. "What do you think, then?"
Swallowing down a shallow breath, Maka turned her body to face Soul fully. "I left with Blackstar the other day; we took a trip down to Loew and we bumped into Crona." Maka lowered her eyes at the confession, knowing that she couldn't lie anymore or brush things off like this, "I guess they're friends with Tsubaki, but anyway- before I had met with them, no one had told me anything. After my correspondence with Wes last month, I didn't hear another word about you or Cinder besides your letter, which I received a few days ago."
Her eyes fluttered shut as she remembered the pain and confusion she'd felt the past month- the wallowing she'd gone through- the fact she'd even tried to move on after it too-
"Crona said you guys were planning an arranged marriage."
Like that, she'd ripped off the bandaid. As silence ensued, Maka raised her head again, catching Soul's eyes carefully on her.
It was almost like she was back on Loew that same October night they shared their first kiss. With such hopeful and loving eyes, Soul gazed down at her, lips parted, eyebrows raised. Just at the glance, maka could feel herself slipping back into the same desperate feeling she'd felt many times upon their last week together before all hell had broken loose.
"They did?" Soul asked slowly as if he were beating around the bush.
"They did," Maka affirmed, nodding her head.
Averting his eyes, Soul had taken a hesitant step toward her. "And if that were true?" he asked, eyes flickering back down to her with confidence. "What would you think? Would you still want this?"
Trying to muster as much confidence as she could, Maka scoffed. "Did your brother not read the letters I sent back to you?"
"He did," Soul countered, shrugging his shoulders, "I wanted to know if your feelings had changed."
Wetting her bottom lip, Maka simply smiled. "Nothing has changed," she confirmed, worrying her lip for a moment. "I mean, things have changed greatly, but not my feelings for you. If it were true, I would say it would have been unexpected, but I wouldn't be against it."
"Even if we're just re-meeting for the first time?"
"Even if," Maka returned, recalling the last conversation they'd had the night of her birthday. She meant it when she said Soul had made her feel more in a single month than anyone else ever made her feel- she meant it when she said if she'd asked, she would have followed Soul anywhere, even if it meant leaving the only life she'd ever known.
"I mean, it may be a bit soon, but I wouldn't mind- not if it meant you stayed this time."
Taking another step forward, Soul reached out for her hand warily, threading their fingers together with distanced familiarity. With a prolonged sigh, Maka took another step closer, breaking the distance between the two of them. With her head pressed against Soul's shoulder, Maka allowed her eyes to shut. She felt safe there, coddled against the warmth of another person.
"It was my idea," Soul admitted, lowering his chin onto Maka's head for the second time that day. "It doesn't have to be now or any time soon, but I want you to know that's my intention. I don't plan on leaving again or returning to Cinder after today, but if this is all too much, I would understand."
"It's not," Maka rushed to say, catching her own breath. "You said we have time- we have time this time, right?"
"We have all the time in the world now," Soul responded, "and this time, I promise that. I really do."
When maka pulled back to look up at Soul, it was like nothing had changed. It hadn't felt like months had gone by in that moment- not when they so easily clicked back together- not when every night, Maka had dreamed of them reuniting. For months it had felt like Soul's ghost lingered in every crevice of her heart, never once leaving. The only reminders that months had passed presented themselves as scars, a cleaner haircut, a voice which was rough around the edges, and a change of wardrobe- but regardless, they were still themselves; just Maka and Soul, still as ever, waiting on one another.
"Okay," Maka breathed out, their faces just an inch away from one another. "I want this- us. That's never changed."
With a pitiful laugh, Soul had bent down just the slightest, letting their noses brush against one another's "Good," he'd whispered just barely against her lips, "The same goes for me too."
Maka, not wasting a second of their time, rushed forward to fill the space between the two of them. With eagerness from both parties and a feverish promise, their lips met, hands coming up to grasp one another as if they;d be torn apart at any moment.
Unlike their first kiss- this one held familiarity. While it was desperate, it was also filled with yearning and passion. And unlike their last kiss, one which held a concrete promise to it; one which was happier than the last one, one that promised both of them would be happy when it all came down to it. And even though Maka knew the both of them were far from finishing the recovery process they both desperately needed, she knew that now they were together, they could get through it.
As they parted, both gasping for air, Soul had pressed their foreheads together, dropping both palms onto Maka's shoulders with delicacy. "I'll see you tomorrow, first thing in the morning, okay?"
With a peaceful nod, Maka watched as Soul had parted from her gingerly. With her own hands pressed against his chest, as they separated, her fingers traced down the buttons and chains that hung delicately from his clothes. Just as they pulled away from one another, fingers retreating with care, Maka's eyes flickered down to the broach she'd given Soul months ago- the broach which now sat against his heart.
"Goodnight, Princess," Soul spoke airily, stepping back with a smile, "Until we meet again."
Maka watched as Soul left, a smile plastered across her face, her lips kissed red and her face flushed. This time as the door shut behind her love, Maka could feel hope rising in her chest.
Maybe this was the start of her happy story.
Author's Note
While this had been the final plot chapter, this story will have an epilog!
I want to thank you all for reading and for the support that's been shown. This has been, hands down, the longest story I have ever written. I absolutely fell in love with writing this story, even if it is focused more on the plot than just the straight up romance aspect of the story. This started out as a NanoWriMo for December and I can't believe I was able to proofread and rewrite this in a little over a month and a half.
Truly, I hope this was a happy ending you all were waiting for. I didn't want this to be extremely drastic like my previous plot twists.
Until the last update 3
