"What do you mean all flights out of Atlanta are canceled?" Maka shouted angrily at the woman behind the desk.
"Ma'am please lower your voice" the small woman pleaded in a thick southern accent.
"Lady do you have the slightest idea of how long my day has been? All I want to do is go home and now you are telling me I can't!" Maka continued to yell.
"Ma'am there is nothing I can do except direct you to our sleepbox. It won't be your home but it will be better than sleeping in a chair waiting for the plane that isn't coming." The woman said more sternly pointing toward a corner of the large airport dedicated to the mini hotels called sleepbox.
"Lay off Maka, it's not her fault the Kishin Egg got away" Soul huffed behind her.
"Oh and I suppose that would be my fault wouldn't it?" Maka fumed, picking up her bag and walking toward one of the boxes.
"Oh God here we go again. I'm not saying it is your fault but your not the only one who has had a long day princess". Soul says ruefully following behind his now livid meister. It didn't take long for Maka to figure out the machine and with one final swipe of the credit card Lord Death had given her for expenses on the job the door opened up and Maka marched in and up the latter to the bed on the second floor.
"What if I wanted the top bunk?" Soul asked jokingly. When Maka didn't reply with a witty remark or book to his face he knew he had probably crossed a line. Maka had become so insecure sense his close encounter with death only a few months before. But there was nothing he could do tonight that wouldn't make things worse. So instead he went to bed.
Above him Maka's anger had been replaced with sadness. It was just as Soul had thought. She blamed herself for Soul almost dying and loosing today only meant she hadn't gotten stronger. Despite the way they fought Maka knew down deep how she really felt. She tried to hide it but the truth was, she loved him. And she couldn't bare to loose him. So she had to become stronger.
It had only been a few hours sense Maka had finally fallen asleep when she awoke to the sound of someone's scream. Shooting up out of the bed Maka hit her head on the roof of the small room.
"Shit" she cursed under her breath. For a second she thought she she had only imagined the scream but after a moment of silence the scream filled the box again. If it wasn't her and it wasn't a dream that means...
"Soul" she cried out frantically trying to climb down the ladder, only to end up falling. Quickly she collects herself and stands up looking for the light. Soul is laying in the small bed shirtless, tangled up in the covers and covered in sweat. He is almost breathless and Maka wanders how he hasn't rolled off the bed through his thrashing.
"Soul wake up" Maka says, shanking his shoulders. His body is hot, almost feverish and he is shaking violently. "Soul you have to wake up" Maka almost cries and begins to shake him more violently. In an instant his eyes snap open. Panic over takes him and he sits up in the bed. Quickly Maka puts her hand on his head to stop him from hitting it against the ceiling just as she had done only moments ago. "It's okay Soul" she says softly nestling herself into his bare chest.
"I thought I had lost you" he admits so quietly that Maka couldn't hear him.
"I didn't know you had started having nightmares again" Maka breathed into his chest.
"Never really stopped I guess" Soul admits. Sitting here like this Maka's heart began to ache. She loved him so much and yet it was her fault that he was haunted by that night.
"I am so sorry Soul" Maka said, she had finally broken. Tears flowed down her cheeks and onto Soul's chest. "If I had been stronger you wouldn't have" she couldn't find the words to finish what she was trying to say but it was obvious to Soul as her tiny fingers traced the long scar across his torso.
"You are my meister Maka" Soul began to explain but Maka cut him off.
"It's not your job to die for me Soul" she almost shouted, tears still streaming down her pale cheeks.
"I know it's not my job, I didn't do it because it is my job! I did it because I love you Maka. For Death's sake I was willing to give my life for you because a life without you isn't worth living." He declared wrapping his arms tightly around his now shaking meister. "I wasn't dreaming about almost dying, I was dreaming that I hadn't gotten to you in time that night. I thought I had lost you". His grip tightening around her.
"Soul I..." Maka began but her words were lost as Soul brought his lips to hers. She was shocked but didn't fight the kiss. The bed was small and certainly not meant for two people but Soul laid back taking Maka with him. As he ran his hands through her long blond hair Maka moaned into his mouth giving him the perfect opportunity to take the kiss to the next level. Maka was once again surprised when Souls tongue entered her mouth but it didn't take her long to get used to it and soon the two were fighting for dominance of the others mouth. Breathless, Maka broke away from the kiss.
"I love you Soul. I always have I just never told you because I thought you would never be able to love a flat chested bookworm like me." She admitted turning her head trying to hide the pain in her eyes.
"Maka you are beautiful, everything about you is beautiful. And I especially love your love for books even if I tease you for it. I love you Maka and everything about you. Will you stay with me tonight?" He asked blushing.
"In this tiny bed?" Maka giggled.
"Only if you want to" he replied making a spot for her to lay beside him.
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else" she assured him nestling back into his bare chest.
"Goodnight Maka" he said kissing her forehead.
"Goodnight Soul". Maka's eyes were heavy and she new that soon she would be overcome by sleep but she couldn't help but laugh to herself. The clerk had been right, this certainly was better than waiting for the plane that had actually ended up coming.
