"Doctor, if you have a moment, I'd like to speak to you about Hiroto."
The brothel owner was tall and broad-shouldered, with a stern face.
"I haven't seen any improvement in his condition. While I don't doubt your skills, the fact stands that he's not bringing in profit, and his housing and treatment are becoming a toll on our humble business."
Right, humble.
"I wanted to propose a business deal with you: erase his medical debt, and you can have him. I hear you doctors are always looking for new subjects to study."
Right...what was the phrase. Only those who work have a right to eat, or something to that effect, no? It was true the owner likely didn’t see any change. Most likely, given that it wasn’t some miracle quick-fix, it was already a loss for him. Even if he would eventually get better, there was no guarantee he’d ever be able to make the business enough revenue to make up for the herbs used.
Well. Actually harvesting the plants needed for Hiroto’s treatment was paltry for the pair of thunderbirds. Far distance and extreme climates held no bearing to them. Not even the sea.
Exchanging a life, huh... It was true it wouldn’t be the first time the stormbringer accepted an offer like that. “Sickly” children. Street urchins used as bartering chips. The era set what counted as morally correct, which was convenient given that they and many gods didn’t especially put much weight into what humans considered right or wrong.
But any humans surrendered to the pair were cared for until they decided to leave of their own accord. Epoch wasn’t able to save everyone that they cared for, but they were at least able to make final hours more comfortable.
“Give me a few days to consider. The debt incurred by Hiroto has been quite steep. While he does make an interesting study of illness in the human body, it is also true that I’ve exhausted quite a fair bit of rare supplies in his treatment.”
A swindler would be met with a swindler. They had no interest in telling the owner that they could obtain foreign plants as easily as one went outside to pull weeds. They especially couldn’t let it slip lest brokers seek them out for “business deals.”
While Epoch had been pulled away by the owner, their link allowed Archel to make her way through the establishment ahead of time. Chilled amber eyes sought only to navigate the hallways, ignoring the sultry voices chiding for her, the eager hands in greed and boredom pulling at her clothes. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t have any of them if she wanted.
It was a matter of wanting.
The door she was seeking came into sight, pulling the door open with enough force for the frames to clatter together.
Ah..
She never was well versed in subtleties. Not to mention the doors in the building were so old and rickety by the birds’ standards that likely even being as gentle as possible would threaten to break the aged wood.
She stared at HIroto, mildly surprised to see him sitting up. Not that it especially showed on her face, though. Nonetheless,a hand went into her clothes, rummaging around for the corn husk and charcoal she used to communicate in lieu of paper, writing something down before turning it over for him to read.
The owner is offering to give you to us so he doesn’t have a debt for your treatments. Do you want to come with us?
Instead of writing resbang like I should be doing, I altered a one-shot I wrote for a contest about two years ago to fit with this prompt. It was a spectator challenge and was hosted by TWA on livejournal - so if you were a member there, this might be familiar to you!
That said, I totally cheated again. In any case, I hope you like it wings!
….
I think it was the way he looked at her - a restless, wild sort of gaze - that began it all. I can’t imagine she minded much in the beginning, he did have beautiful eyes after all. Thick lashes and deep, red eyes that failed to veil the calm, calculating spark and greasy sensuality that lay beneath.
Of course, it wasn’t just his eyes that were beautiful.
“Christ, Soul! Put on a shirt, will you?”
Maka had just come in the door, her lips immediately pinching and face burning. She looked away from Soul’s lean body as he sprawled, suave like, across the couch, as if he hadn’t planned the entire fiasco. I frowned at him.
“Really Maka,” he laughed, a careful snicker that curled toes. Why was everything he did careful? “I thought we were passed this point. I don’t suppose we need more practice?”
Maka sighed and dumped the heavy paper grocery bag on the counter, tossing her keys in a nearby bowl. She looked at his smiling face for a moment before turning away. She indicated towards me with her head while putting away various 50 cent cans of soup. “Have you fed her?”
Dropping the smile the moment he’d lost her attention, Soul’s head lolled to the side and glanced over to me with a blank expression. Embarrassed at the attention, I quickly hid from view.
“Potato?”
“Her name is Carrot, and yes. Did you feed her?”
No.
“Sure.”
I heard footsteps and peaked out from behind my castle. Maka was looking down at me with concern. She shook some food above me. Pellets fell like snow through the water. “She’s not pooping.”
I flushed, horribly glad Soul couldn’t see me from behind Maka. I loved the girl, but she had the worst timing.
“It’s a fish, babe. I don’t even know if it can shit.”
“You aren’t feeding her.” It wasn’t a question. “Have you ever fed her?” Maka mumbled. She turned to him but stopped short, frozen.
He’d gotten up from the couch and was looking at her again. Looking and watching - always watching. It was that same gaze, the same sleazy glint that drew her in each and every time despite the inevitable promise of pain - or perhaps because of it.
He slid close, playing with the edges of her shirt. “I’m sorry, I’ll feed it - I will.” Maka didn’t protest as he pulled her into his embrace, nor when he began an erotic assault on her mouth. They slid their way across the room, bumping into tables and chairs, hands groping and scratching fervently against each others skin as they went.
Bubbles crept up from the bottom of my bowl, and as they passed by the tumbling bodies, distorting the image, I continued to watch them rise up and beyond the lip of the rim, so carefree in their own way.
Oh to be a bubble…
————-
“So how is it living with Soul? It’s been what, two months now?”
“Two and a half,” Maka replied, looking over at her guest, a pretty blonde haired girl named Carol that shared two of Maka’s classes. She was a bit of an airhead, but I liked her well enough - she often admired my fins. I twirled them beside me at the memory. “It’s been pretty good, actually. He’s mostly clean, which is nice, and he doesn’t mind cooking as long as I do dishes,” Maka laughed. “Not too big on laundry, though, but I guess the positives outweigh the negative.”
Maka turned to grab a small cup from the cupboard before walking towards me. She seemed content, which made me happy.
“And your relationship?” Carol hedged.
Maka gave her an odd look. “What about it?”
“Are there any problems?”
Maka scooped out some of my water with our cleaning cup. “Problems…? Not really.” She placed the cup beside my bowl. “I mean… I guess sometimes I do wonder…”
“You wonder…?” Carol prompted.
“Well,” Maka pursed her lips and sighed. She fidgeted with her hands as she fought to collect her thoughts. “He’s really… sexual.” Maka blushed, looking down. “And I don’t know… maybe I’m a little worried he’ll like… cheat or something.”
“You’re worried he’s cheating?”
Maka fished out a net from the drawer and shrugged. “Maybe I’m being too harsh, he hasn’t exactly done anything.”
“Maka, he’s weird.”
“What do you mean?” Maka was carefully inserting the net into my bowl. I swam around it. “Carrot, honestly. We do this every week - just get in the freaking net already.”
I ducked at another swoop and quickly swam into my castle.
“He just… he has a creepy smile. And he does it all the time, you know?”
Maka smiled at her friend. “You don’t like him because he smiles a lot?” She had brushed off Carol’s words easily enough, but I could tell that Maka was thinking about it too. Thinking about his constant gaze and the mixed feelings it brings. She was doubting herself again.
“You know what I mean.”
“Mm.” Maka went back to attacking me, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“But really Maka,” Carol paused, as though unsure, then put what was meant to be a comforting hand on Maka’s arm. Maka just frowned at the contact (she wasn’t big on touching). “You have to face the facts. Do you honestly believe someone like Soul would stay with someone like… you?”
I wasn’t sure I liked her much anymore, and from the look on Maka’s face, she was likely thinking the same thing. “Someone like me?” Maka echoed. “What does that mean?”
“Well,” Carol sighed and looked up at the ceiling, as if praying to whatever god for strength. “Look at Soul, sex god, right?” Carol waved a flippant hand in Maka’s direction. “Look at you and…”
Maka frowned. “What?”
“Maka, let’s just say you’re no sex goddess.”
Maka had hurt look on her face as she stared at her classmate. “And I suppose you are?”
Carol jumped slightly, as if she hadn’t expected a response. She looked away but didn’t deny the implication.
Maka let out a slow, nervous breath, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear with a shaky hand. Finally, she looked up. “You know what? I need to do some homework. You should probably go, okay?”
Carol paused. “Wait, that wasn’t phrased right. I probably shouldn’t have said that… are you alright?”
Maka busily grabbed my castle and scooped me out before I could swim away. She placed me gently into my cleaning cup and turned back to her friend with a glued on smile. “Of course I’m not fine! When have I ever been behind on homework? I can’t believe I let it get away from me.” Maka laughed cheerfully as she pushed her classmate towards the exit and opened the door. “I’ll see you in class, okay? Bye!”
“Wait!”
Maka slammed the door shut and immediately collapsed against it. Sliding to the ground, her forehead fell on her knees as she hugged herself.
“And here I thought you had finished all your homework yesterday.”
“Soul!” Maka screeched, lifting her head. Seeing the frown on his face, Maka viciously scrubbed away her tears. “Have you been here the entire time? Don’t you have class? Why aren’t you at school?”
Soul casually walked into the living room, a knowing look in his eye. He leaned against the wall beside Maka. “Relax, babe. The professor called off the class. Something about needing time to set up the ‘ultimate musical composition.’”
“Oh.”
Soul smiled. “Oh.”
Maka sighed and leaned her head back, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms. “I don’t suppose you could let me believe you haven’t been eavesdropping for the past fifteen minutes?”
“Fifteen minutes?” He laughed, more bitter than careful this time. “Maka, I’ve been listening since that skank first stepped in the apartment.”
“Oh…”
Soul frowned down at her before turning and walking towards me. He lifted me calmly in the air and stared at me, twisting the glass this way and that to see me fully. I was a little dizzy and more than a little scared, but I couldn’t look away from his eyes.
He was frowning.
He didn’t look wild, or restless, or even sleazy (the sensual gaze lingered but even that had toned down). He just looked… sad. I blew him a bubble.
“Yeah,” he muttered, placing me back on the table. “Oh.”
————-
“Soul? It would be safe to say you’re pretty smart, yes?” Maka asked one night. She and Soul sat cuddled together on the couch, Maka seeming quite content as she sat tucked beneath Soul’s arm. Before, this scenario might have made me uneasy, but lately I’ve warmed to Soul. Perhaps I had judged him to quickly?
Soul smirked down at his girlfriend. “Smart?”
Maka played with the loose strings on the blanket that lay tucked around them. “I mean, you take all those advanced arts courses, like english literature and you took calculus that one time.”
“I suppose if that’s your definition of smart…”
Maka smiled. “Cool.” She looked back at the TV, intertwining her fingers with his free hand. “You know, my mother always said I’d end up marrying a drunkard and get stuck with ten kids. She’d sneer at me and tell me I was ‘too pale’ or ‘too fat’ or she’d go off asking why I couldn’t be like her.” She snorted. “At least I get you for a little while to show off.”
Soul’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean ‘a little while?’”
“Well, I doubt I could keep you tied up for long,” she laughed, patting his shoulder. “It wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the world.”
Soul looked down at her, shocked. Then an almost determined expression appeared his face and in an instant it was happening again. The addictive gaze that left no room for argument.
Maka froze as he leaned in. “Why do you look at me like that?” she whispered breathlessly a second before his lips could touch hers.
Soul paused, a look of surprise on his face, as if no one had ever stopped him before. With his track-record I decided it might not be far from the true.
“What?” Soul breathed.
Maka backed away slightly. “That. Your eyes.” She shook her head and an accusing tone entered her voice. “They always do this weird thing and I instantly want to have sex with you.”
Soul’s eyebrows rose. He looked confused. “Wh—”
“You did it when we first met, too.” Maka gasped. “I thought we had a connection, but really you just used your freaky eye thing to pull me in! I couldn’t say no!”
“Maka—”
“Do you do this to all the girls you pickup? Are you still doing it?”
“Maka.” I could see Soul getting angry.
“Oh god, I should have known!”
“Maka!” Soul grabbed Maka by the shoulders and pushed her down into the couch with all his weight. He was angry and hurt, but all Maka saw was the anger.
“They all said this would happen!” she cried, tears falling down her cheeks. “Let me go!”
“No! I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about with my eyes or whatever, but I’m not going to let that, along with any other stupid ideas your insecurities have conjured up, ruin our relationship!” he snarled.
I was rooting for Soul, but it seemed Maka was beyond reason. She continued to fight against him and I could see it was breaking his heart.
Eventually, Soul let Maka go with an aggravated curse, watching her as she got up from the couch and rushed to the opposite side of the room. His calculating gaze was back full force as they stared at each other.
Then Soul shook his head and left the apartment.
“…Soul.” It wasn’t long after the door slammed shut that Maka’s resolve began to crack. It must’ve been half an hour she stood there, fidgeting nervously. “He’ll be back,” she told herself. “He knew I didn’t mean it. He will definitely be back.”
She looked over at me. “He will, believe me.” Maka frowned when I simply stared back. “What, you don’t think he will?” If I could blink, at that moment, I would have. “Fine! You - you don’t get dinner tonight!” Maka stormed off into her room.
That night, she fed me half a bottle of fish flakes, whispering “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” over and over again.
————
Soul came back roughly a week later. It was amusing really, the way it all happened. It was a quarter past eight when he walked through the door. Poor Maka was on her third carton of sushi and surrounded with wet, mascara stained tissues as she watched Titanic (Maka had never been terribly original).
Soul had glided into the apartment with his usual easy swagger, a delicate sensuality apparent in each step. When he saw her, he gave her an amused, affectionate smile.
I could tell he’d missed her.
Soul sat down silently beside Maka and scooped up one of her hands to hold within his own. He stared quietly into her eyes, a twinkle of humour rising in his own. “Titanic, huh?”
Through her tears, Maka let out a small, watery laugh. “That’s not even the worst of it.”
“Worse than Titanic?”
Maka grinned, wiping away her tears as she nodded. “Uh huh. I’ve been eating gas station sushi for the past two days - I don’t even like the stuff.”
“That’s alright, you were getting a little skinny anyways.”
They were both quiet for a moment until eventually Soul let out a long sigh. Maka’s eyebrows creased with worry.
“We need to talk.”
Maka frowned and she looked about ready to cry. “Don’t say it like that…”
Soul’s smile was humourless as he fondly rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. “I suppose I could phrase it differently, but the underlying message won’t change. We aren’t exactly sunshine and daisies at the moment, Maka. Something’s gotta give.”
Maka’s eyes squeezed shut and she pinched her lips together tightly. She always had that same face when she was trying hard not to cry and it made her look like she’d swallowed a whole bag of sour candies. Soul’s lips twitch in amusement.
“Where’ve you been?” Maka asked after having composed herself and untwisted her facial features.
“I’ve been staying with my brother, he agreed to let me sleep on the couch if I helped him clean his music shop. The time away was a good idea, we both needed to think.”
“…And what did you think about?”
Soul sighed again, something I’d noticed he’d been doing a lot since he arrived.
“Maka, you don’t…” He stopped and let out a curse of frustration. “Maka, you need to learn to trust me if we’re going to make this work - you do want to make this work, right?”
Maka nodded and Soul looked relieved as he continued. “You’re insecure, and I get that, believe me - I’ve been through enough of that shit to last me a lifetime. The problem is that it seems to have reached a point that through doubting yourself, you’ve begun to doubt me, and that’s not okay.”
“I don’t—!”
He held up a hand. “Yes, you do. You are so completely filled with these ridiculous thoughts of inadequacy that you’ve begun to believe that you aren’t worthy of anything at all. You’ve heard the phrase ‘you must love yourself, before you can love another’, haven’t you? It kinda applies here.”
Tears fell silently down Maka’s face like bubbles floating in the wrong direction. Soul seemed to realize a gentler touch was needed and reached for a tissue. He folded two pieces together and pressed them against her nose.
“Blow,” he told her. She blew.
He gave her the tissue to hold and grasped her hand again. “Listen, Maka, I think it’s pretty obvious by now I like sex.”
I tried to snort but a bubble popped out my nose.
“…Okay, so I like sex a lot.” He offered her a half smile and squeezed her fingers. “Believe me, though, when I say the only one I ever want to have sex with is you. Just you. Hell, all the time if possible.”
Maka gave a watery laugh and Soul wrapped an arm around her, sneaking in a kiss to her temple. He kept his lips pressed against her forehead as he closed his eyes, gently inhaling the smell of her shampoo. “Don’t believe what your mother or your friends say. It’s psychological abuse is what it is, and you don’t deserve that kind of crap, especially from those meant to be close to you.”
Maka’s eyes fell shut. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
The tears wouldn’t stop. “I’m sorry…”
Soul scrubbed away her tears with his sleeve. “Okay, okay. That’s enough crying.”
“I don’t want you to leave.”
He smiled. “Who said anything about leaving? This is my apartment after all, and let’s not forget,” he slapped her knee, sleaze returning with full force as he pressed his lips to her ear, “I need someone to warm my bed don’t I?” Maka laughed softly, but still seemed uncertain.
Soul pulled back and switched his touch from erotic back to gentle (which he did so grudgingly). “Look, nothing is going to change over night. We weren’t perfect yesterday, and I can guarantee we won’t be tomorrow. We’ll take every day at a time and I promise you, one day you’ll be confident enough to trust me fully. Till then, I’ll keep reminding you,” he kissed her. “Every single day if I have to. All I need is a little cooperation. What do you say?”
Maka smiled and nodded.
“Besides, Potato’s been growing on me. I might even feed it once in a while.”
“Carrot.”
“Whatever.”
Maka’s laughter was cut short as Soul pulled her into a steamy, open mouthed kiss, growling like a madman as he ravished her. I tuned them out as his hand dipped below her jeans, eyes potent as ever.
I looked down as bubbles floated up from the pebbles below me, tickling my fins as they flew. I watched them rise and disappear, imagining them as lovers dancing in the sky as I swam circles round my bowl.
