Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Soul didn’t know much about Maka’s mother. It was clear Maka idolized her, always beaming with pride whenever her mother was mentioned. But besides knowing that Maka’s mother was a badass, he didn’t know anything about her. Maka never talked about her mother’s interests, personality, or even their memories together. Soul doesn’t even know what she looks like. He assumes Maka resembles her (considering she doesn’t look a bit like her father) but he’s not even sure if Maka has a picture.

Maka’s mother got full custody of her daughter following the divorce. She paid for the house Soul lives in, she deposits money into Maka’s account every month, and to his knowledge they’re not on a specific budget. Still, doesn’t the word custody merit some sort of emotional responsibility? Isn’t there more to a mother-daughter relationship than simply giving a child unlimited cash?

Soul felt these questions surface in Maka’s wavelength every once in a while. A few months ago her mother sent a postcard from Dubai. No message, no address. Just the picture of a science-fiction looking city and Maka’s name.

~~~

“Is that from your Mom?” Soul had asked from the other side of the kitchen counter.

Maka put on a small smile, “looks like it! Dubai is a strange looking city, don’t you think?” she held up the photo for Soul to see.

Soul squinted, “Kinda reminds me of the city in Wall-E.”

Maka giggled at his reference as Soul shifted his eyes to hers. It wasn’t just her eyes that looked heavy, it was her soul too. It felt like a rock slowing plunging to sea level. Not so heavy that it would immediately sink, but rather just light enough that it was fighting to float.

Maka looked away first. “Anyways, we’re out of chicken so how about mac & cheese tonight?”

“Sure,” Soul agreed absentmindedly, his mind stuck on her sinking soul that was not improving. He watched her turn around to fill a pot with water. What the hell was he supposed to say? It’s not like she’s ever wanted to talk about her mother. On top of that, if he said the wrong thing, she could get even more upset. The safest option was to leave her be. But still, Soul knew he was the only person who could ever see through her stubborn facade. If he didn’t comfort her, nobody would.

Maka was standing in front of the stove, patiently waiting for the water to boil. Without really thinking, Soul walked up and hugged her from behind, momentarily surprising them both. He felt Maka stiffen, and for a split second he thought she was going to chop him. Instead she relaxed, leaning into his chest. Fearing he might overstep, Soul tentatively rested his chin on her shoulder. He snuck a side glance at her face just as she let her eyes close, tipping the side of her head against his.

Soul’s relationship with his parents was…rocky at best. To put it simply, his soul had felt like a heavy boulder pretty much everyday he lived with them. He’d sunk to the bottom of their ocean kingdom, a world he never really wanted to be a part of. When he met Maka, he felt that boulder growing lighter every moment he spent with her. When Maka was around, his soul wasn’t heavy. It didn’t matter that he barely spoke to his parents, Maka had always been the family he needed.

So in moments like these, when her longing for a family weighs her down, he can’t help but feel inadequate. Her presence was more than enough to soothe him, but was he the same for her? Was the two of them standing here, soaking in each other’s souls enough? Her soul had grown lighter, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever be enough to fill the gaping hole her mother left behind.

As if sensing his worry (which she probably did) Maka turned her head and placed a long kiss on his cheek. He felt his heart race immediately, unsure of the coolest way to respond. All he could manage was an incredibly un-cool, excited looking smile, which made Maka laugh.

“I’m okay,” she whispered, so close he could feel her breath. “Thanks Soul.”

Soul hummed in response, afraid he’d say something stupid. He slowly loosened his grip and let her finish dinner.

~~~

After that day, Maka became more…comfortable with Soul. At first it was little things, like tapping his shoulder to get his attention, letting their knees touch during class, or holding his hand for a few extra moments during training. As time went on, Maka got bolder, and Soul quickly realized that she loves physical touch. Whenever she read (which is pretty much everyday) she would lean her head against his shoulder. Anytime they watched a movie, it was assumed she would lay on his chest, regardless of the movie genre. She gave him hugs most morning, and evenings when he came home after her. One time, he was playing in a minecraft server with Black Star, and Maka had somehow wriggled her way into his lap. Soul was relieved he had chosen to call Black Star rather than FaceTime. The lunatic would’ve made fun of them for weeks.

Not to say that he was complaining, Soul absolutely loved touchy Maka. If he had known that hugging her in her time of need would lead to this outcome, he would’ve done it ages ago. Now he can bury his face in her hair when he’s panicking and sleep next to her during his worst nightmares. Whatever line they had drawn before had completed vanished, and Soul couldn’t get enough of her.

Soul came home late after a meeting with Kidd, or as he should say ‘Lord Death’ (but never does). Maka was laying on the couch, eyes glued to her phone. Her earbuds covered up Soul’s entrance as he kicked off his shoes and walked over to her. Her back was facing him so he gently placed his hand on her shoulder to avoid scaring her. She turned towards him, seemingly usurprised he was there.

But then she flinched.

Soul retracted his hand. “Sorry, did I scare you?” he sat down next to her and she immediately leaned away from him.

“Maka, what’s wrong?” His fears were filling his head with anxiety. Had he done something to upset her? She was staring into his eyes, but it was as if she was looking through him. He placed a hand on her knee and finally felt a piece of her wavelength reach him. She was confused, angry, anxious, and…hopeful?

She brushed his hand off her knee reflexively. Okay, that kinda stung. Was she blocking him out? It was no secret that physical touch enhances resonance. Because of their current habits, their resonance had only gotten stronger over the last couple months. But right now, he couldn’t hear hers at all. She was trying to shut him out.

His chest tightened from the rejection. He couldn’t think of any reason why she’d be so guarded. And why wasn’t she saying anything? If she’s mad shouldn’t she at least say that?
“Come on Maka, please don’t shut me out,” he pleaded softly to her. “Did I…upset you or something? Make you uncomfortable?”

He saw her eyes refocus on him, panic reflecting on both their wavelengths. “Oh Soul…No it’s not you!…I didn’t mean to…” she moved her hands to cup his face and he relaxed into her. He let out a sigh. Okay, not his fault, thank god.

She waited for a few moments, allowing both of their wavelengths to calm down. She then turned and laid her legs on top of his, leading him to take her hand. With her other hand, she placed one of her earbuds in his ear.

“It’ll be easier to just show you,” she said, adjusting the other earbud in her own ear before tapping something on her phone.

Maka? It’s your mom. Soul gasped in surprise. He’d never heard her mother’s voice before. It was much…softer than he expected.

I’m calling because Christmas is coming up. I’m going to be in Chicago for the week. Would you like to come spend that week with me? You can call me back at this number. Let me know in the next week so I can book your flight. Love you dear.

The audio stopped there. Soul turned towards Maka, the shock evident on both of their faces.

“Did you just get this?” Soul asked.

“Yes, I was listening when you walked in.” Maka replied softly, keeping her eyes locked on his. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

“It’s okay,” he responded easily. Soul knew how confusing this must be for her. It’s been over two years since she’d seen her mother. Hearing her voice over the phone had to be shocking.

“Do you know what you wanna do?” Soul rubbed circles on Maka’s hand. Her soul was twitching sporadically that it was hard to get a read. He waited for an answer, but she didn’t say a word. Feeling her loneliness seap through his skin, Soul put one arm under her knees and another behind her back, lifting her into his arms. She rested her head on his chest.

“She barely said anything,” Maka said in a low voice. “You’d think she would leave a longer message.”

“Maybe she’d rather wait for your call?” Soul offered, though he wasn’t sure either of them believed that. If he was being honest, that message wasn’t nearly as heartfelt as it should’ve been. Maka’s mother acted like she was scheduling a business meeting, not seeing her daughter for the first time in ages.

“You’d have to come with me,” Maka said suddenly. “Will you?”

Soul hesitated. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Given her experience with her weapon partner…” Soul left the rest unsaid. Spirit had all but killed the reputation of death sycthes for Maka’s mother.

“It doesn’t matter,” Maka stated, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. “She can’t make assumptions about you without ever meeting you. And anyways, Christmas should be spent with family, and as far as I’m concerned you’re the only family I got.”

Soul smiled down at her. “Okay you’ve convinced me, looks like we’re having a Chicago Christmas.”

He might not have the best opinion of Maka’s mother, but he knew one thing for sure: Whatever Maka wanted to do, he’d support her through it. Plus, he had to admit, being the only family Maka cared about made him selfishly happy. The two of them against bad parenting, what could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Text

Maka had never met Soul’s parents. She’d heard them on the phone a few times (when Soul felt like answering), but she didn’t know much about them. Most of what Soul said was vague and almost always negative. His brother was another situation entirely. It was evident he had animosity towards Wes, specifically surrounding his musical talents and country-wide fame. But he spoke more carefully about his older brother, never outright blaming him for anything. Maka never really pried too much, she learned very quickly that he did not want to discuss it. 

What she did know, was that Soul’s mom called a lot more around Christmas time. Soul avoided seeing them these past few years, but he wasn’t so heartless that he’d decline every one of her calls. Christmas was about two weeks away, which meant their flight to Chicago was in a little over a week. Maka had worked out the details with her mom, while Soul was avoiding informing his. 

The two of them had spent the morning on the couch. Maka was re-reading Sense and Sensibility (for the third time) while Soul was resting his head on her lap. His phone, which was face-up on the arm rest, rang for the fourth time since they woke up. Maka had ignored his mom’s face on the screen the first three times, but it was starting to annoy her. She had to admire the woman’s consistency.

“Soul,” she spoke softly, running her fingers through his hair. “Maybe it would be best to talk to her now and save yourself the trouble.” 

He turned his head to look at her. “Why can’t I just tell her we’re staying in Death City for the holidays?” He put a fake pouting face on and Maka rolled her eyes. 

“Because she told you last year that if you didn’t come home this year then she’d come to you.”

“Exactly, so if I tell her we’re in Death City we can avoid seeing them again!”

“Or…” Maka shut her book to see his face better. “You could tell her we can’t see them this year because we’re with my mom.” 

Maka watched Soul consider this for a moment. She expected him to object, but instead he sat up to grab his phone. 

“My meister is a genius.” He stated simply. 

Maka laughed as Soul clicked his mom’s contact on the screen and put it on speaker. She watched it ring with curiosity. Soul didn’t usually let Maka hear their full conversations. She was only ever included when Soul needed her help answering his mom’s endless questions. 

“Hello? Soul?” His mom’s voice carried through the speaker. Not even the shock of her son calling her back could alter her monotone voice. “It’s about time you spoke to me, I was beginning to think you’d died fighting some ghost.”

“They’re not ghosts mom, they’re kishin souls,” Soul responded with irritation. 

“Whatever, same thing, anyways I want to know when I should book our flights.” Maka found it funny that she didn’t pose it as a question. When can we come see you? Are we still good for Christmas this year? Nope. For Soul’s mom, it’s her way or the highway. 

“Yeah about that,” Soul smirked at Maka. “We’re actually spending the holidays with Maka’s mom in Chicago this year.” 

Silence. Maka eyed Soul anxiously, but he just waved his hand. They had such different ways of interacting with their moms. Maka held her mom on a silver platter, while Soul wouldn’t even touch his mom’s hand. 

“Well alright,” Soul’s mom said after about 8 horribly long seconds. “We will come to Chicago then.” 

“Wait what-” Soul started. 

“What day are you both arriving?” Soul’s mom continued. “Is Maka there with you now?” 

Soul looked at Maka in disbelief, but said nothing. Should she answer?  She supposed this was her idea, she might as well try to get them out of this mess.

“Yes I’m here Mrs. Evans,” Maka saw Soul twitch. “We’re arriving in Chicago on the 21st.”

“Perfect,” Mrs. Evans responded, a slight amount of excitement in her voice. “Wes has a big performance on Christmas Day, but we will come in on the 20th to see you both then.”

Soul was shaking his head as if mourning his future self. Maka realized there was no chance he’d say another word in this conversation. 

“Okay,” Maka hesitated. “But Mrs. Evans? My mom is just renting an apartment there. She doesn’t have the space to host so many people.”

“That’s not a concern,” Soul’s mom replied effortlessly. “We will host a dinner on the 23rd. My brother-in-law has a penthouse there that the family uses frequently.”

Maka looked at Soul but his eyes were closed and he was breathing as if he was practicing meditation. Should she agree to dinner? Or tell Mrs. Evans they didn’t have time? She surmised that no excuse would work against the woman. And in any case, one night with the Evans’ was better than an entire Christmas holiday with them. 

“Okay, we should have time for one dinner,” Maka agreed, emphasizing the ‘one’ specifically. 

“Great. Your mother is welcome as well. Good day.” 

And with that the phone shut off, leaving Maka and Soul to their grievances. Soul’s lack of commentary was worrying her. Usually, he’d play this off as some kind of joke, make the situation seem minimal, and then move on. This silent, speechless Soul was much scarier for Maka. It’s not like she wanted to meet the Evans’ any more than he did. But she did feel bad for them. At least they try to call Soul. Her mom left her the first voicemail in two years just last week. 

“My meister is an idiot,” Soul finally mumbled. Oh thank god, the jokes returned. 

“Hey, it’s not my fault,” She retaliated with a smile. “How was I supposed to know your mom was so persistent?”

“Why do you think I ignore her calls?” he finally looked her in the eyes. His wavelength was responding strangely. Maka couldn’t tell if he was blocking her out, or if he didn’t know how to feel.

“I have no idea Soul,” she answered defiantly “Every time I ask you, you give me some unclear explanation.”

“Heavan forbid a guy doesn’t wanna talk about it!” He raised his voice slightly, causing both their wavelengths to spike. 

“Oh death, what do you want me say? ” Maka stood up from the couch and walked towards the kitchen. “One night is better than a whole holiday.” 

“I should’ve just ignored her,” Soul said from the couch. “Next time just stay out of it Maka.”

Maka spun around to meet his eyes. Stay out of it? She felt her soul crumble around the edges. These last couple months with Soul had been so great. They’d reached a state of comfortable where Maka felt like he was really starting to open up to her. She’d wanted him to let her in for so long, and when the walls started to crumble she let herself hope they were on the same page. He came to her when he was scared, leaned his head against hers, let her lead him hand-in-hand through the grocery store. Maka had let herself dream of a future with Soul. A future where they supported each other, as family, for the rest of their lives. 

“Sorry,” Maka kept her voice steady. She walked towards her room. “I figured we’d be fine so long as we were together.” She paused then added, with a bit of sass,  “My mistake.” 

“Wait Maka-” she slammed her door before he could finish. She moved to her bed, silent tears traveled slowly down her face. 

It was at least half an hour before Soul started tapping on her door. At first she ignored him, now curled up in bed trying to distract herself with her book. After a minute or so, she heard him say, “Maka, can I come in? I have hot chocolate.” 

Ugh, bribery with her favorite warm beverage? Damn him, he’s too good sometimes. She gave in almost immediately and watched as Soul placed both mugs on her nightstand. He sat on the side of the bed, looking down at her curled up body. 

Maka could feel his soul shaking but she didn’t say a word. She tossed the book behind her on the bed and shut her eyes. There was no way she was leading this conversation. They sat in silence for a while until Maka felt Soul’s thumb brush her cheek. She hadn’t realized she still had tears on her face. 

“Gonna tell me I’m being dramatic?” she twisted into her pillow. 

“No I wasn’t,” Soul replied softly, combing his fingers through her longest strands of hair. “If anyone is dramatic here, it’s me.”

Maka opened her eyes to meet his. His guilt was evident in his wavelength. Soul had always been quite anxious when it came to Maka’s feelings. He was so afraid of hurting her, to the point where Maka wondered if he was ever being totally honest. She wanted him to understand that he wasn’t a burden. She’d bang it into his head for the rest of her life if she had to. But first, she needed an apology. 

As if on cue, Soul finally spoke. “I’m sorry for snapping,” his voice was quiet, almost tentative. “Whenever I speak to my parents, it’s like I’m 7 years old again.” his hand went still in Maka’s hair. “I feel kinda helpless, like I’m losing control. But I shouldn’t have taken that out on you.”

Maka sat up against her headboard, taking both of Soul’s hands into her own. “Soul, we’re partners right?”

His eyebrows scrunched together. “Yeah, of course we are Maka.”

“So then,” Maka’s gaze shifted to their hands. “What does that mean for you?”

A partnership between weapon and meister is an incredibly unique connection. To be great, you need an immense amount of trust in the other person. You have to be able to let that person in, without fear of judgement. Maka is proud of how strong her resonance with Soul is. They have this reliance on each other that you don’t find in every partnership. Soul says it’s because Maka’s soul perception is so high, but a piece of her thinks it’s something else too. An underlying feeling, or perhaps foundation, that neither of them ever speak into existence. 

Until a couple months ago, Maka refused to let herself think about it. Addressing how she felt about Soul could risk their entire relationship. But now, every time he runs his fingers through her hair or rubs circles on her hands (like he is right now), she realizes how much she craves his touch. It’s such a wonderful feeling, but also a terrifying one. The two of them have always been on the same page, and right now she has no idea how Soul feels about any of this. A tiny piece of her fears that he is obliging her because he doesn’t want to hurt her. She needs to know what Soul wants for them, and how willing he is to let her in. 

Soul contemplated her question. “Well, I think it means we support each other through good and bad times.” He glanced to the side. “And uh, put each other first?”

Maka laughed, crisscrossing her legs to give him more space. “You don’t sound so sure of that.”

Soul met her eyes and smiled. Neither of them moved, but Maka knew he was trying to gauge her wavelength. They were both kind of a mess, emotions swirling into each other. Soul shifted closer so their knees were touching. Then, without breaking her gaze, he leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart. Maka’s stomach flipped. His arms were on either side of her, holding his weight and basically boxing her in. 

“You’re my partner in everything Maka,” his voice was barely above a whisper. “I can’t really put it into words what ‘partner’ means, but whenever I hear it, your face is what I see.” 

Maka let out a long sigh. Soul’s eyes softened at the sound, which only worsened Maka’s overwhelming urge to run her fingers along his jaw. The red in Soul’s eyes seemed to glow like a warm fire. It was a little different from the usual lulled crimson, much brighter and a little curious. She considered staying in this moment forever, but his soul was nudging hers to speak. So impatient, she pushed back. He made a pouting face and Maka giggled. 

“In everything, huh?” Maka smirked before grabbing her hot chocolate. “So I can’t really ‘stay out’ of you family stuff then, can I?”

Soul shook his head downward. “I didn’t mean that, I swear. You handled my mother pretty well all things considered.” 

“She talks like a robot,” Maka noted between sips. “There’s no sign of a personality at all.”

Soul chuckled. “Yeah that’s kinda her whole thing. She used to say that ‘a life of luxury doesn’t have time for authenticity’.”

Maka frowned. “Wow, isn’t that such a loving thing to say to your child.” She rubbed her thumb against his jaw, losing all restraint. “I’m sorry I agreed to have dinner with them.” 

Soul smiled at her touch. “It’s okay, you had to meet them sometime. Might as well knock both our parents out in one trip.” 

Soul moved to grab his drink. Maka tried to ignore the disappointment she felt when he leaned away. She hadn’t thought about the implications that come with meeting Soul’s parents. How would he introduce her? What did they even know about her? Probably just a little as she knew about them. 

“Um, Soul?” she asked nervously. 

“Hm?” he responded, lips still on the mug. 

“We should probably talk about our parents.” Maka uneasily held his gaze. “You know, to prepare each other?”

Soul exaggeratedly sighed. “Okay fine, but can we save that discussion for another day?” He gave her a look with big, pleading eyes. No chance she can say no to that face. 

She pat the bed next to her. “Yeah sure, I’ve heard enough about your mom for the day anyway,” 

Soul punched the air in victory, making Maka laugh. He then moved to sit beside her against the headboard. She leaned her head against his shoulder. 

“It’s the same for me, by the way,” Maka whispered. “The whole ‘partners in everything’ thing.” 

Soul kissed the top of her head. “I know.”

Chapter Text

“You’re hesitating Soul,” Spirit adjusted his stance. “Don’t go easy on me just cuz I’m an old man.”

Soul took a deep breath. They’d been one-on-one training for nearly an hour. Spirit had done surprisingly well taking on the role of ‘mentor’, but Soul was unfocused. This would be their last training session before the holidays and Soul’s anxiety levels were at an all time high. Meeting Maka’s mother is one thing, but seeing his parents again was something entirely different. 

Soul dropped his scythe arm. “Could we call it for today? My heads not really in this, old man.”

Spirit frowned but obliged. “You know, holidays are a time for celebration. You need to push your parents out of your head.”

Soul chuckled at the ground. “That’s much easier said than done.”

Spirit clapped his hand on Soul’s shoulder. “Listen, meeting my ex-wife is nothing compared to going head to head with a kishin. You’ll be fine.”

Soul gave Spirit an uneasy smile. “What if she doesn’t like me?”

Spirit shrugged. “Well, you’re not doing this for her, are you?” 

Soul’s mind drifted to the smile on Maka’s face when he agreed to buy matching Christmas pjs in Chicago. “That’s…actually a good point.” 

“Of course it is,” Spirit shooed Soul with his right hand. “Now get out of here, I’ll see you after the holidays. Send Maka my love!”

Soul turned towards the door. “See ya old man.”

It was almost 7pm when Soul got on his bike. The sun had already set, which gave death city an aura of stillness. Soul sped down the road, realizing he’d be home later than anticipated.

As he entered the house he was greeted with the sound of his record player blasting through the apartment. Maka was seated at the table going through a stack of papers that looked a lot like student exams. She met his eyes and hit him with her overjoyed wavelength. 

“Soul!” she called with a smile, standing up to hug him. “I was wondering when you’d come home.”

“Sorry for being late,” Soul wrapped his arms around her waist. “Spirit was working me to death today.” 

Maka kept her arms wrapped around his chest, but turned her head up to look at him. “That’s alright, I’ve been grading these tests for like an hour.”

“Seems both our teachers are trying to kill us right before we leave,” Soul joked. 

Maka released him from her clutches. “I think Stein is just taking advantage of having a teaching assistant.” 

Soul followed Maka back to the table. She started working at the DWMA fairly recently. They were barely 17, but since Maka turned Soul into the last death sycthe, their graduation happened a little earlier than most. Soul had responsibilities now, which cut their time in the field together in half. With Maka’s newfound freetime, she began working as a research/teacher assistant for Stein. As he watched her hunched over an exam paper, he smiled at how perfectly she fit into the role. Such a nerd. 

“Have you eaten dinner yet?” Soul asked as he walked towards the kitchen. It was a rhetorical question of course, Maka only ever remembered to eat when she had to cook for Soul. 

“Mmm, does Goldfish count?” Maka responded without looking up. 

“No it doesn’t,” Soul inspected the contents in the fridge. “I’ll make us something.”

—

“Finally done!” Maka called nearly 40 minutes later. She stood up and walked towards the kitchen. “Bye bye exams, helloooo vacation!!”

Soul chuckled at her newfound energy. “I’ll be done in a second.”

“Take your time,” Maka sat down on one of the kitchen counter stools. “Are you done packing?”

“Nearly,” Soul took the pot of rice off the stove. “You?”

“I thought I was,” Maka rested her chin in her hand. “but I don’t think I have enough winter clothes.”

Soul partitioned the rice onto two plates. “We’ll have to buy you some there. What time does the flight leave tomorrow?”

“10am, so we should get there around 8.” Maka watched as Soul took another pan with chicken stir fry off the stove. “That looks really good.”

“Eh, hopefully it tastes as good as it looks.” He handed a plate to Maka. They sat in peaceful silence for awhile, scarfing down the food Soul prepared. After awhile, Soul felt Maka’s hand on his arm. 

He turned to look at her, feeling apprehension in her wavelength. “What’s wrong?” he asked. 

“We should…um…probably talk about our parents.” Maka hesitated. “I’m sure you have stuff you want to ask before meeting my mom right?”

The mention of the word ‘parents’ immediately caused his soul to sink a bit. He didn’t like how easy it was to overwhelm him. He wasn’t 12 anymore, he should have a better handle on this by now. Yet here he was, about to crumble at the thought of talking about them. 

Maka clearly felt his fear. “How about this? We alternate asking questions about our parents. You ask me a question first, then I’ll ask you one.” 

Soul felt her soul nudging his, trying her best to keep him afloat. He focused on the light radiating from her wavelength. It was so compassionate, but also a little curious. He understood how she felt, they both had lingering questions about each other’s past. If she was willing to open herself up to him, then he needed to do the same. 

“Okay,” he agreed shakily. “When your mom left, did she tell you what her goal was? like, does she plan on coming back?”

Maka took both their plates and placed them in the sink. “To be honest, she was pretty vague. She told me she’d accepted a flexible position that Shinigami-sama offered her. She would travel around, acting as support for whoever need her.”

“So why didn’t she come when we fought Arachne? Or Asura?” he let Maka lead them to her room. 

“That’s two questions Soul,” Maka smirked. “Now I get to ask two.”

“Yeah yeah,” Soul sat himself up against the bed frame. He barely got his legs situated before Maka sat right in his lap, leaning her back against his chest. Soul repressed the elation in his wavelength. 

“I think she doesn’t like to work missions when Papa’s around,” Maka fiddled with her hair tie. “But that’s just my theory.”

“Makes sense,” Soul waited. He wasn’t sure what questions Maka would ask, but he prepared himself for the worst. 

“So, your grandmother was the one who told you about the DWMA,” Maka stated after awhile. “but how come your parents agreed to let you come here?” 

“The fact I could turn into a weapon sort of freaked them out,” Soul took a slow breath. “They wanted to send me to some mental clinic, but my grandmother wouldn’t stand for that. So I told them I was leaving, that I’d rather take my chances at the DWMA than stay there with them.”

“And your grandmother supported you?” Maka confirmed. 

“Yep. I still talk to her somewhat frequently.” Soul paused, contemplating whether or not to reveal the next part. “Technically Wes supported me too, but not in front of our parents. He told me individually that I should follow my calling.”

“Why don’t you talk to him more?” Maka pondered aloud, then immediately regretted it. “Sorry! That’s not really a parent question…”

“It’s okay it’s close enough,” Soul took one of her hands. “Wes is like an uncontroversial version of my parents. So I don’t hate him or anything, it’s more that we are too different.”

Maka let out a little hum of understanding. “Okay, your turn.”

“Why didn’t you have your mom’s phone number before she left that voicemail?”

Maka’s soul got heavier, which made him regret asking. “She told me it would be better if we didn’t talk. She wanted me to be independent, I guess.”

Soul scoffed. “She’s got some strange sense of logic.” Soul wrapped his arms around her waist. “If I were her, I’d  spend every second I could with you.”

Maka turned into his chest, hiding the little smile on her face. “You already do that Soul,”

“Exactly, best way to live.” Soul felt Maka’s wavelength jump as if laughing at his words. “All right, you go,”

“What is it about your parents that bothers you specifically? Are they just stuck up rich people or…?”

Soul pondered for a moment. He never really had to explain this before. It was kinda hard to sum up all of their family issues. And what specifically bothered him anyway? Well, they had practically no empathy, making them the least loving parents on the planet. Not to mention they had incredibly high standards, basically forcing Soul to compete with his older, and more experienced, brother. 

“Hm,” he collected himself enough to summarize. “They never really saw me for who I was. They were always pushing some agenda on me. They didn’t try to love me like parents would. They hardly ever listened to what I had to say. I guess I felt more like a tool than a human.” Soul smirked before adding “Which is ironic because now I’m literally a scythe tool for you.” 

Maka adjusted herself so she could look him in the eyes. “Do I push an agenda on you?” 

Soul started laughing so hard that Maka hit him on the shoulder. “Hey! What’s so funny?” 

Soul smiled, tightening his grip around her waist. “Of course you don’t, Maka. You’re the only person who’s ever cared enough to listen to me.” 

Maka wrapped her arms around his torso, fully entangling herself on top of him. Soul could feel the heat rising in his body. Sure, Maka’s touchiness had been increasing, but right now he could feel every inch of her. She managed to flip herself around during their conversation. Her legs were all twisted in his, their arms locked around each other, her face buried in his chest. She felt so vulnerable in his arms, which was so different from her usually stubborn independence. 

Their resonance had changed a little too. In the field, their souls moved in sync. The connection was rooted in adrenaline, security, and a centralized goal (usually killing a pre-kishin). But right now, the connection had an entirely different feeling. It was as if they were flowing through each other. There was no fight to win or lesson to pass, they were just comfortably existing within each other. Soul realized that he could hold her like this forever if she asked him to. 

“Okay, I’ve got another question. What do you remember about your mom when you were little?” 

“Mmm she was a lot softer with me,” Maka spoke from Soul’s chest. “When I was really young, I hated thunderstorms. It made everything seem so dark and lonely. I’d cuddle up against her in her bed and somehow she always managed to calm me down. She’d say something like ‘When the sun doesn’t shine through the clouds, we are reminded of how much we need it. That’s what thunderstorms are for, to show you how wonderful sunshine is.’” 

“Wait a minute,” Soul paused dramatically. “You’re telling me that the great meister Maka Albarn is destroyed by a little rain and some loud noises!” He broke out into a fit of laughs. “How did I not know that?!”

“Oh shut up!” Maka sat up to chop him. “I was like three!” 

Soul just kept laughing even after being chopped on the head. “Better not give her any missions in a rainforest!” 

“Ugh,  Soul you are the worst!” Maka climbed off of him. “It’s not like I’m scared of them now!”

Before she could move off the bed, Soul pulled them both down onto the pillows. He managed to keep her in his arms while still laughing uncontrollably. She cursed at him a couple of times, but didn’t make any attempts to escape. He wondered if Maka liked being held by him just as much as he liked holding her. 

“Soul! If you’re gonna hold me here could you at least stop laughing like a maniac?” 

Soul took a couple deep breaths. “Okay fine I’m done.” He rolled himself over so they were lying on their sides facing each other. Even with angry eyebrows she looked adorable. He let his soul lean back into hers, knowing full-well he’s the reason they broke apart in the first place. She kept still for a little too long, causing a spike of anxiety in Soul’s wavelength. But eventually—much to his relief—she reciprocated. They stared at each other for a moment, then Soul cracked a smile. “That’s all the questions I got. You got anything else?” 

Maka stayed silent, but Soul could sense her debating a question. After a few moments she asked “Do your parents know anything about us?” 

It seemed like a simple enough question, but he could feel her nervousness, as if she was scared of the answer. She said ‘us’ so tentatively, like the word itself was taboo. Soul mentally smacked himself for his inability to read between the lines. He got the sense that ‘us’ wasn’t just referencing their meister-weapon relationship, but then again, he could be projecting. 

“I’ve explained the basics,” Soul spoke slowly. “You’re my meister, which means you wield my weapon form. The two of us take on missions to hunt down pre-kishin souls.” His eyes shifted to her neck. “They know we live together and that we’re partners…but I think they have a more traditional view of what partnership means.” 

Soul kept his eyes off her face, too embarrassed to look her in the eyes. He never outright told his parents that he and Maka were dating, but he also never cared to correct them. He figured they could think whatever they liked, since they were barely a part of his life. 

“So they think we’re a couple,” Maka stated more than asked. 

“They assume that, yes,” Soul shifted uneasily. “I can try to explain it to them if you want-”

Maka yawned. “That’s alright,” she snuggled up closer to Soul. “I don’t mind.”

He moved to look at her then, heat flooding to his face. Maka’s eyes were closed and she had a small smile on her face. Soul took her peaceful expression to mean that his answer satisfied her. 

He lifted his head to read the clock on Maka’s nightstand. 9:56 pm shined in blue neon light. Much earlier than they usually slept, the day clearly took its toll. Soul looked back down at his meister, her hair still up in pigtails. Slowly, he removed the hair ties and brushed the hair away from her face. She hardly moved at all, but her buzzing wavelength told him she was still awake. 

“Maka?” Soul waited for her to hum in acknowledgment. “I think it might be bedtime.” 

“Okay,” she muttered. “I set the alarm for tomorrow already.”

Maka is nothing if not prepared. Soul debated whether or not he should leave her room. They shared a bed some of the time, but those nights were usually prompted by Soul having a nightmare. He didn’t want to overstep, but it’s not like Maka asked him to leave. He certainly didn’t want to leave. However, considering the fact that he was still in his gym clothes, and probably needed a shower, suggested that he should leave her room. 

He barely sat up before Maka turned onto her back and pulled him back down on top of her. She somehow managed to tuck his head right above her right shoulder. He laughed at how she forcefully answered his unasked question. 

“Maka,” he whispered into her neck. “I have to shower.”

“Mmmmm shower tomorrow,” Maka whined back at him. She wrapped both her arms around his neck. “You’re the one who said it was bedtime.”

Soul was not about to argue with his partner, especially when he was comfortably laying in her arms. “Alright, goodnight Maka.”

“Goodnight Soul.”

Chapter Text

Although Maka and Soul went on missions all over the world, she didn’t see snow all that often. Even when she did, she was too busy swinging her scythe around to take notice. So as she walked out of the O’Hare airport, she was utterly shocked at the view. The snowflakes seemed to sparkle in the air, and as they landed on her hands, she noticed how unique each one appeared. The crystallized patterns at such a microscopic level left her momentarily speechless. It was much different from tiny sand grains. She had read lots of books about snow, especially snowstorms (survival training was a DWMA staple). But as the snow hit her face, she realized how delicate it could be. The contrast was quite silly to think about. Individually, they were beautiful, but in large quantities they could freeze her to death. 

“Idiot, what are you doing just standing there?” Soul had walked ahead of her, completely unphased by the snow falling onto their heads. 

“The snow!” Maka rushed to catch up with him, dragging her luggage behind her. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

“You can gawk at it later,” Soul scolded. “Right now we need to catch a train to your mother’s apartment.” 

Maka snapped out of her wintery haze. Her mom. She was here, in this city, and she was waiting for Maka. It was hard to tell if Maka felt more excited or anxious. The last time she saw her mom she wasn’t even a teenager. Now here she stood, so close to adulthood. If she thought too hard about it she’d freak herself out. She needed to concentrate on the present, not the past. 

“Give me that,” Soul grabbed her suitcase with his free hand. “You gotta pick up the pace, slow poke.”

Maka stifled a giggle. “Someone’s feeling a little cranky.”

“Only because someone else is distracted,” Soul smirked back at her. 

“Gee I wonder why?” Maka responded sarcastically. 

Soul stopped then, turning to look at her face. “Do you think…are you ready…to see her?”

Maka looked at the ground. With all the planning that went into this trip, she barely had time to think about how any of this would play out. Both Soul’s mom and her own were communicating all the Christmas details through Maka. Mrs. Evans was adamant about splitting the cost of the flight tickets, which Maka’s mom greatly appreciated. Eventually, she made a group chat with the three of them to reduce her overwhelming stress. Unfortunately, that blew up in her face. The moms talked back and forth non-stop, which was insane considering how few words Maka’s mom spoke to her. She’d chosen to ignore it, repressing her anger by screaming into a pillow. But now that they were minutes from seeing the one woman Maka idolized her whole life, her breath was caught in her throat. No amount of pretty snowflakes could hide the fact that she was terrified . 

She felt a couple pokes in her stomach. Soul was now standing in front of her, tilting his head to the side. She met his gaze and forced a small smile, not that it meant anything. He could feel everything she felt, just like she could feel the concern emulating from his wavelength. She focused on his face, how his cheeks reddened from the cold, complementing his deep red eyes. The snow made his white hair sparkle so much she wanted to ruffle it. She closed her eyes and focused on increasing their resonance. It was much easier to accomplish when they weren’t in the heat of battle. She could concentrate entirely on his presence, letting his comfort flood into her. 

When she finally opened her eyes again, she felt a jolt of nervousness pass through Soul’s wavelength. She looked up to meet his eyes, waiting for him to speak on the matter. 

“Would you prefer if I held your bag…or your hand?” Soul asked rather quietly. 

Maka returned the jolt of nerves back onto him, but managed to remain steady as she took her suitcase back, intertwining her fingers with his now empty hand. She felt an electric-type of joy in their resonance, not entirely sure which of them it came from. 

“Alright,” Maka sighed. “Let’s do this.”

—

When Maka’s mom told her she was staying in an apartment, Maka had pictured some basic-looking unit in a slightly old city building. She definitely did not expect a 12-story, all-glass tower with hotel-level decor. There were chandeliers lining the ceiling and staff members placed at every door. Soul and Maka barely made it through the entrance before they were escorted to her mom’s unit. 

“She’s just down the hall to the left, unit 28” the man in uniform explained once they reached the second floor.

“Okay, thank you” Soul responded, basically dragging Maka out of the elevator. 

She hadn’t realized how slow she’d been walking until a worrisome energy began to flood Soul’s wavelength. When they finally reached the door, he turned back to look at her. He raised his eyebrow at her and Maka heard his voice in her head. Last chance to turn back . She giggled, sending a message back. Like a coward? no shot. Soul nodded, moving to the side to let Maka ring the bell. Her hand shook as she clicked it. Damn, she seriously needed to get it together. 

The moments they spent waiting felt like a lifetime. Soul’s hand moved from her own to her shoulder, rubbing circles in her back. His support was more than welcome, she could lock onto the way his soul whispered I’m right here. 

The door opened to an image in Maka’s memories. Very similar to how she remembered, but slightly older and with much shorter hair. Maka could feel the tears in her eyes. It was kind of like looking in a mirror. Has she always looked so much like her mom? The same big green eyes, angle of her (seemingly) worried eyebrows, and point of her chin. Maka stood there speechless. 

“Hello sweetie,” Her mom whispered. “I’m glad you made it.” 

Maka stared in amazement. She could feel the tears running down her face, as if she laughed and cried too hard. Then, before she could register it, she flung her arms around her mom, burying her face in her shoulder. Her mom jumped on contact but wrapped her arms around her. Maka smiled as tears ran down her face. Her body recognized a presence she hadn’t felt in a long time. Her mom’s grip used to feel so large and sturdy, and while she could still feel the strength in her arms, they were much smaller. Still, it was the same amount of comfort as it was when she was 12. She was safe, safer than she ever felt with anyone, except maybe Soul. Shit, she had forgotten about Soul!

Maka stepped back from her mom, “Soul! Sorry I-” she frantically turned to look at him, a soft smile on his face. She took a deep breath and gestured to her partner. 

“Uh Mom, Hi.” Maka straightened out her voice. “This is my partner Soul.” 

Soul stepped forward, reaching his arm out. “Nice to meet you,” 

Maka’s mom shook his hand. “Hello Soul, I’m Masami, it’s nice to meet you too,” She turned towards Maka, “Why don’t you two come inside and make yourselves comfortable.” 

The apartment was small and pretty bare. It had a basic modern minimalist vibe that reminded Maka of a fancy home magazine. As her mom guided them to their respective rooms, Maka concluded that she couldn’t have been here long. The walls were mostly bare, and the place didn’t look quite lived in. 

“You two can pick between these rooms across from each other,” Maka’s mom instructed them. “They’re practically the same so it shouldn’t matter. I’ll leave you to get situated.” She walked away without waiting for a reply.

Soul stood in the middle of the hallway, reaching out a hand to each room. “What’s it gonna be, Maka?”

Maka smiled, hitting him playfully. “You get the one on the right.” 

After unpacking a few things, Maka went across the hall to check on Soul. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, eyes half-open. Maka’s sleep last night was restless, which means they both didn’t sleep well. Then, he’d spent the whole morning looking after her, practically carrying her through the whole trip. It made sense that he was exhausted. She figured it was about time she gave him a break. 

“Soul?” Maka bent down to match his eye level. “Why don’t you take a nap for a bit?”

Soul’s eyes shot open. “No, no I’m good,” he responded very sleepily. 

She smiled at him. “It’s okay, I can catch up with my mom for a while. You should rest, I’ll be fine.”

He looked unconvinced, but clearly the fatigue was getting to him. “Okay fine, but if you need anything at all, come get me okay?”

Maka nodded “I will.”

“I mean it Maka,” he emphasized with more force. 

“I know,” she whispered. “Now go to bed!” She pushed his face backwards until he collapsed on the pillows. He whined at her, but slowly turned onto his side and closed his eyes. She watched him for a few moments thinking about how adorable he looked, before immediately pushing that thought away. Soul occupied so much space in her mind. Usually it didn’t bother her, but right now she had more pressing things to address. 

She walked back towards the entrance, taking more time to look at the layout. It was an open concept set up, with a hallway that led to the bedrooms and bathrooms. When she made it to the kitchen, her mom was sitting on a barstool at the island. She had a black pot and three mugs out. Maka could tell by the smell that she was brewing jasmine green tea. 

Her mom smiled upon seeing her. “Would you like some tea Maka?”

Maka tentatively took a seat next to her mother. She envisioned the reunion with her mom so many times that seeing her now didn’t feel real. She was half-convinced she was dreaming. 

“Uh, yeah,” Maka responded shakily. “Thanks mom.”

Masami turned towards her daughter and poured her a cup. “I know this is an awkward thing for me to be asking, but do you mind filling me in on your life right now? How are you feeling now that you’ve graduated?”

While Maka didn’t have her mom’s phone number, she knew her mom kept herself up to date with most of Maka’s big life events. A while back, Shinigami-san told Maka that he spoke to her mom every so often, always taking the time to update her on Maka’s progress. After Kid took over, Masami still checked in, but less frequently. Maka speculated that her mom reduced communication because of how close Kid was to her, but that’s unconfirmed. 

“Well,” Maka paused. Where should she even start? “Soul and I graduated in March, so we’ve been transitioning out of student life. A few months ago I started working under Professor Stein, which has been great. He’s a surprisingly reasonable boss most of the time.”

“Are you still going on missions?” Her mom asked, taking a sip of tea. 

“Yes, but not as frequently.” Maka frowned, it had been weeks since she’d been in the field. “Sometimes I miss it, but I think what hurts me more is knowing Soul goes out into the field a lot without me.” 

“Mm, well he likely feels the same way,” Masami looked down at her cup. “Once I made your father a death scythe, it took me ages to adjust to all the change. We went from spending everyday together to structuring our schedules just to get our free time to line up.” She rolled her eyes before adding. “Of course, that was before your father started spending his free time with other women.” 

Maka shuttered. She didn’t love comparing her and Soul to her parents. Their similar situations were already too much for her to worry about. On one hand, it was nice to be able to talk to her mom about it. On the other hand, knowing Maka’s mom felt the same way about Spirit that Maka feels about Soul was not encouraging.  

Masumi seemed to sense Maka’s fear. “Anyways, enough of that, tell me about your job. Is Stein having you conduct insane experiments?”

Maka smiled, remembering that her parents and Stein all grew up together. Her mom probably knew more about Stein’s insanity than she did. 

“Yes and no,” Maka took the first sip of her tea. It was necessary to wait for the perfect temperature. “I think he’s worried about me getting hurt, so he places a lot of emphasis on lab training. I made it clear that my main goal was to help Crona, so right now he’s got me on black blood research.” 

Maka continued to ramble about her findings and mini-breakthroughs when it came to the whole ‘black moon’ situation. As she talked to her mom, she was reminded of how attentive she was. She followed everything Maka said with another question or contribution that kept their conversation flowing back and forth. Maka tried to ask Masumi a couple things about her life, but those bits of the discussion were noticeably shorter. It was irritating, but she figured her mom would open up over the next couple of days. Right now, Maka was more than happy to carry the conversation. After all, she’d been holding in a few years worth of stories. 

“And how about your other friends?” Masumi asked later on. “Is Black Star treating you well?”

“He’s improving,” Maka offered. “He’s become quite the softie. Plus I’m pretty sure he’s falling for our young ‘Lord Death’”

“What?!” 

Maka turned her head to see Soul standing across the island. When did he get there? She hadn’t noticed his presence at all. His mouth was agape, clearly unaware of this (somewhat obvious) development.

Maka bent over laughing. “You really haven’t noticed? Come on Soul, he’s your best friend!”

“Yeah well as his best friend,” Soul put his finger up for dramatic effect. “Black Star’s emotional range doesn’t extend far enough to be ‘falling’ for anyone.” 

This time Maka’s mom laughed. “Sounds like you two should make a bet.”

Maka smiled at her partner, lingering in his wavelength for a few moments. The only times Soul left her perception was when she was extremely concentrated. The excitement of talking with her mom seemed to overtake her. 

“How did you sleep?” she asked.

“Great, but how come you let me sleep for two hours??” Soul stretched his arm up. “It’s past 6pm!”

Maka stared at him for a moment. “Really? I hadn’t even realized.” 

“I suppose we should figure out dinner,” Masumi chimed in. “We can order something, what are you guys craving?” 

“Chinese,” Maka and Soul spoke simultaneously.

Maka’s mom chuckled. “Well you two are in luck because I know the perfect place.”

Chapter Text

Soul saw his parents–blurry versions of them, anyway– and they were angry. He didn’t know why, but that wasn’t unusual. His mother instructed him to start over. He stared down at the keys, fear clouding his mind. He tried to think about how Wes played, since that’s what his father enjoyed most. He made it three notes in before he felt a slap on his wrist. His father had hit him, which meant he must’ve done something wrong. His mother yelled about how he wasn’t listening, rambling on about how he didn’t care about his future or his family. ‘Start over,’ she said once again. So he did, over and over, getting a slap with each mistake. How long could they keep this up? His arms were burning; he needed to scream. You will never escape them , the creature revealed himself, sitting atop of the piano. No matter how much you change, they will always haunt you. He stood up, turning around to face his parents. They looked huge, much larger than Soul, but that didn’t make any sense. Surely he was taller than his mother by now. Release your anger, let me take over. He opened his mouth to scream- 

And then he woke up. Where was he again? Not his room, not his house either. He was in Masami’s apartment. His breath was heavy, sweat dripping down his face. He sat up and tried to calm himself down. It was just a dream. That stupid red pipsqueak never shuts the hell up. He’s always there, ready to pounce on every self-inflicting thought Soul had. 

Soul? He felt his chest get warm, Maka’s presence taking over his body. Sorry I woke you he sent to her. She was in the other room, but when he had nightmares, they usually woke her up too. Her soul perception allowed her to sense his distress from a distance away. He could sense her sometimes too, but only when she was really upset. 

Wanna come here? she asked timidly. Soul pondered for a moment. They were in Masami’s house, so would it be inappropriate to go sleep in Maka’s room? He wasn’t really sure and he didn’t really care. So against his better judgement, he walked across the hall to her room. 

When he walked in she had already moved the covers to make space. She was laying on her side, half-awake with her eyes closed. He laid down next to her and stared up at the ceiling. He felt her hand on his chest which instantly increased their resonance. Her soul was sleepy, humming slightly in tandem with her breath. Soul imitated her breathing pattern until his wavelength matched hers. 

What was it about?  Her voice was barely audible in his mind, likely because she was barely awake. 

Parents. The details didn’t matter, Maka already knew he had dreams of this kind every so often. Now that they were so close to seeing his family, it made sense for the stupid demon to prey on it. He placed his hand on top of hers and fell asleep listening to the hum of her soul. 

—

When he awoke, Maka’s fingers were intertwined with Soul’s. This was his favorite way to wake up. That demon may be a nuisance but the nightmares did have one benefit. He turned to look at her face, still sound asleep. Soul repressed the urge to move the hair covering her face. He couldn’t wake his meister twice in one night. 

Soul slowly untangled their hands, being careful not to startle her. Given how busy their week would be, he should give her as much resting time as possible. So, he left for the kitchen to see if Maka’s mother kept any coffee. He was surprised to find Masami dressed and sipping tea, reading some magazine on the kitchen island. 

“Good morning,” Soul called to her, voice still a little dry. 

“Ah morning Soul,” she replied. “Is Maka up too?”

“No she’s still asleep” Soul walked over to the island. “I was going to start breakfast while she was still out cold.”

Masami stared at him with a strange expression. Her eyebrows were scrunched, head tilting to the side. It was astonishing how much she looked like Maka. She did the exact same thing whenever she was in deep thought. Looking at Masami was basically like seeing a future Maka. Even her eyes, which Soul always thought were so unique, reflected the same color as her mother’s. 

“Soul?” Masami snapped him out of his thoughts. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh uh, no. Sorry,” he contemplated whether or not to tell her. “You just look so much like Maka, she’s basically a mini you.” 

Masami smiled but it seemed a little forced. “Hopefully that means she didn’t inherit any of Spirit’s character traits.”

Soul laughed in surprise. He didn’t think Maka’s mother would want to discuss him, but clearly he was going to hear a lot of good Spirit jokes this week. “So far I think we’re safe. Although, I guess they share the role of teaching now.”

“Teaching?” She questioned. “Spirit is a teacher?”

Soul grimaced, maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned that. “Just a little, he’s required to train me on ‘official death scythe’ things.”

“I see,” she looked away from Soul. He definitely shouldn’t have mentioned that. “So, I’m not exactly the best chef but what do you and Maka typically eat for breakfast?”

Soul was happy for a subject change. “Uh it kina depends. If you want I can cook, I was thinking of making pancakes.”

Soul saw Masami’s body relax a bit. “That would be great, let me help you.”  

The two of them worked in comfortable silence, exempt from the occasional direction from Soul. He could tell that Maka’s mother had incredible control over her wavelength. She showed just enough emotion at the exactly correct moment. It was honestly a little too good, like she was putting on a facade in every interaction. He wondered how many feelings she kept so deep underground. Now that he thought about it, Maka was kind of similar. She may be an open book to him, but to everyone else she’s not easy to read. She keeps up this mature and confident vibe that is basically untouchable. He supposed that it must be genetic. 

Soul felt Maka’s presence a couple seconds before she entered the kitchen. “You two look quite busy,” her eyes were a little drooped, but the smile on her face brought butterflies into his stomach. 

“Morning, dear,” Masami placed a hand on her shoulder. “Soul and I are just about finished, so how about you take a seat?”

“Wow, how long have you two been up?”

“Only about an hour for me,” Soul answered, giving the last pancake a flip. “Your mom’s even more of an early bird than I am.” 

“I usually wake up when the city is alive enough,” Masami explained. “When I’m asleep I notice the presence of other souls much easier.”

“I didn’t know soul perception could occur involuntarily,” Soul remarked. 

“It’s not very common unless your perception is incredibly strong,” Masami poured two cups of coffee. “Do you experience soul presence more at night, Maka?”

“Definitely not,” Soul gave Maka a smirk. “Considering the fact that she sleeps like a rock.”

“I do not!” Maka scrunched her eyebrows, making him smile even more. “I don’t usually feel the souls of strangers, but my perception of the people I know increases.” She laid out three plates for the pancakes, letting Soul place one on each. “I’m honestly surprised I didn’t sense Soul wake up.” 

“I’m not, it’s not like you ever get up early.” 

Maka slapped his arm (with no real force) making Soul laugh. He turned towards Masami, handing her one of the plates. She was making a strange expression again, except this time it looked like she was contemplating what to say. Soul sat down next to Maka, feeling slightly uneasy. He could feel Maka’s wavelength turn suspicious too, but neither of them were sure why. 

“Mom?” Maka broke the silence. “Everything okay?” 

“I saw Soul walk out of your room this morning, but I didn’t want to assume anything.” Masami crossed her arms. “You two are being a bit careless. I suppose you can do whatever you want at home, but let’s keep it out of my apartment.” 

Soul felt his stomach drop. He turned towards Maka, her face red with shock. Clearly, Masami thought their relationship was more…intimate than it was. She was off the mark, but he understood how she could’ve gotten to that conclusion.

It seemed like neither of them knew how to respond, so Soul decided he’d try. “Oh uh, Ms. Masami, I think you’ve uh, got the wrong idea,” Soul stuttered, having no idea where he was going with this. “Maka and I aren’t-I mean we’re not-” 

He stopped himself. He was going to say ‘dating’, but something held him back. He definitely needed to explain the situation, but if he said they weren’t dating, how would Maka take that? Technically, they never labeled this unspoken thing that was happening between them. Even so, he was pretty sure they were as close to dating as two people could possibly be without explicitly saying it. So then, if he said they weren’t dating, would that insinuate he didn’t want to be? If it did even a little, he did not want to risk that interpretation. He turned towards Maka and found that she was already looking at him. There was this look of hope in her eyes, a look that was threatening to melt him, and somehow it told him what he needed to say. 

“I don’t know how much Maka has told you about the black blood,” Soul ran a hand through his hair. “It has some pretty nasty side effects. One of them is nightmares, which I get pretty frequently. Sometimes, when they’re really bad, I sleep in Maka’s room.” 

“I use our resonance link to overpower the side effects,” Maka continued, her voice not nearly as shaky as his. “Holding his hand keeps the link strong even if we’re both in a deep sleep.” 

Masami glanced back and forth between them. “I see. Well, I’m sorry you have to deal with that. I can’t imagine fighting off a demon of fear 24/7.”

“Eh,” Soul shrugged. “You get used to it.”

Masami nodded slowly, then turned towards Maka. “What did you have planned for today, dear?”

Maka was momentarily silent, evidently startled by the subject change. “Oh um, the mall!” 

“Alright then kids,” Maka’s mother took a seat at the table. “Let’s eat and head out.” 

—

Maka deliberated for at least 20 minutes over which pjs to buy her and Soul. She made him hold up each one multiple times, until she’d finally settled on a pair. They were green plaid pants with a red accent and a matching red tank top. Soul couldn’t help but laugh over how serious she got, she truly loved Christmas time. 

“I’ll go pay for the pjs,” Soul offered once they were done. “You can go find your mom.” 

“Okay,” Maka bounced up and down in excitement. “Thanks Soul!” 

Luckily, the line wasn’t too long, which was surprising considering it was three days until Christmas. The mall was filled with bright lights and red and green streamers. It was starting to make Soul’s eyes hurt. He didn’t have any strong feelings about Christmas, or any holiday for that matter. As a kid, all he remembered was the endless practicing his parents would make him do beforehand. They always had a party that required his musical talents. He only started to understand the fun parts of Christmas once he moved in with Maka. She loved all the cheesy stuff: making cookies, decorating the house, playing in the snow, and pretty much anything else they showed in the movies. He didn’t mind doing that stuff with her, in fact, he enjoyed seeing how happy the holiday made her. 

It took a couple of minutes of wandering, but Soul eventually spotted the two women talking. Both of them were faced away from him, seemingly looking at a rack of dresses. He was about to announce his presence, but he froze upon hearing their conversation. 

“Does Soul have nightmares a lot?” Masami asked her daughter.

“Kind of,” Soul heard the sadness in Maka’s voice. “They’re worse when something is really getting to him.”

“I take it you’re referring to his parents?” Masami questioned. Maka had informed her mother that Soul’s relationship with his parents was rough, but she hadn’t given any specific details. 

Maka hummed in response. “I just hope I’m supporting him properly.” He made a mental note to remind her that she was great at it.

“The way I see it, it’s not your responsibility,” Masami stated rather harshly.

“What?” Maka turned to her in shock. 

“The boy obviously has a lot of issues,” Masami continued without remorse. “You’re partners, so obviously you should care for each other. That being said, you shouldn’t constantly support him, otherwise he’ll take advantage of it. It seems like a pretty unequal balance to me.”

Soul felt as if he was stabbed in the chest. Was she saying that he’s a burden to Maka? It’s true that Soul relies on her support a lot, but was it unequal? He’d been worried about this before, that he couldn’t support her the same way she supported him. It seemed Masami agreed with him, which was horrible to hear. Considering how similar the two of them are, if Maka’s mother felt that way, Maka might too. 

Soul walked closer to them as Maka responded. “Mom, that’s not true or fair at-”

“Hey guys,” Soul smiled as if he didn’t hear a word of their conversation. “Got the stuff, ready to go?”

Masami nodded with a smile, completely believing Soul’s feigned ignorance. She headed to the exit, but Maka stayed next to him. She was staring at him with a worried expression. She knew him too well, no matter how much of his wavelength he tried to conceal. He really did not want to discuss this in the middle of a clothing store, which Maka seemed to understand. Instead she took his hand, intertwining their fingers like she’d done last night. 

“There’s a record store downstairs,” Maka spoke apprehensively. “Wanna take a look?”

“Sure,” Soul replied, leading them out the doors. 

After hitting the record store and at least two other stores on Maka’s list, they headed back to the apartment. Soul stayed relatively quiet, making the occasional joke to avoid suspicion. He may have fooled Masami, but Maka held his hand as often as she possibly could. She kept their resonance up too, but eventually his mind spiraled away from her. Once they returned, he helped Maka carry in four bags worth of Christmas nonsense, then excused himself to his room. She waited less than 10 minutes before knocking and then letting herself in. 

“Look Maka, before you say anything I-” he was startled by her arms wrapping around his waist, holding onto him as tight as she could. Her face was hidden in his chest, but he could sense how upset she was. 

“I’m sorry,” Soul whispered, wrapping his arms around her. “I know I’m freaking out for no reason.” 

Maka shook her head, looking up into his eyes. “No! Don’t apologize. You’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.” 

Her eyes were welling up with tears, which made him feel worse. Here he was, making his partner sad all over again. All his stupid insecurities and mini freak-outs, she carried him through them all. Slowly but surely, he was dragging her down with him. 

“Stop.” She ordered him. “Stop thinking like that. You’re not a burden.” She released him from her grasp to hold his face in her hands instead. “She’s completely wrong, okay? You’re not taking advantage of me and you never have.”

“But it is unequal, isn’t it?” Soul’s voice cracked. “You’ve never failed to take care of me. Everything I need, you offer before I can ask. But what am I doing for you? I never know what to say or how to help.” His filter was slipping, every little fear escaping his mouth. “Whenever my soul feels heavy, your presence alleviates it. But when you’re sinking, I have no solution. I don’t think my presence does for you what yours does for me.” 

Tears fell down Maka’s face, but she somehow kept her voice steady. “Soul, all the weight I carry feels lighter when you’re next to me. I know you think I do more for you, but we just have different ways of supporting each other.” 

“Well then why’s your way better than mine?” He wiped a tear off her face. 

“It’s not Soul. You need help navigating your feelings, so that’s what I do with our resonance. It’s different for me, I know what I’m feeling, I just don’t like to show it. But with you, I’m not afraid to let you in, you know why?”

Soul shook his head. “Because you have to?”

“Because I know that you’d never judge me. You know every insecurity I’ve ever had, and you accept them without a second thought.” She brought his face down until their eyes were only a couple inches apart. Soul felt the air leave his lungs. “There is no comfort in this world that will ever match yours.”

Her eyes were shining, a light smile on her face. She had no idea how mesmerizing she was. He wanted to burn this image into his brain and erase every doubt he ever had with it. She’d never said any of that aloud before, and he could feel how honest she was being. Maka opened her soul to him, revealing every raw emotion she kept locked away. Soul secured his arms tightly around her, holding her body, mind, and soul with ease. 

Then, without warning, he lifted her into the air. Maka let out a laugh, moving her arms around his neck. Soul spun around a little, realizing she was much lighter than he expected. Fueled by the excitement running through her wavelength, Soul shifted his arms underneath both her legs, pulling them up around his waist. Maka gasped at the motion, her eyes burning into his. What in Death’s name did he do to deserve this girl?

“That’s funny,” Maka giggled. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”

Soul shook his head with a smile. She has no idea just how incredible she is. “Just so you know-”

Masami knocked on Soul’s door, snapping them back into reality. Soul frowned at her astonishingly terrible timing. “Maka? Soul? Can we figure out a dinner plan?”

Soul felt a series of emotions flickering through Maka. Annoyance, anger, and concern seemed to be the prevailing ones. She scrunched her eyebrows and turned her head at the door. “Sure, one second.” 

Soul slowly placed Maka back on the ground, immediately recognizing the tone in her voice. “Maka,” he turned her chin to look at him. “You don’t have to say anything to her. We can just leave it.”

Maka wore a hardened expression. “She can’t just make baseless assumptions about you. I need to tell her to keep her opinions to herself.” 

“It’s really okay,” he rubbed his thumb against her cheek. “We’re going to be here another 4 days, it will be easier to ignore it.”

Maka’s eyes softened, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Are you sure?”

Soul smiled softly. “The only opinion here that matters to me is yours.”

Chapter Text

Maka awoke to the sound of Soul’s music blasting through her phone at 8am. It was a short clip she’d recorded months ago during one of Soul’s rare musical moments. He didn’t play an actual piano very often, but when he did, Maka couldn’t help but feel in awe of him. He poured all his emotions into the keys, creating the most beautiful sound Maka had ever heard. She didn’t understand that much about music, but in her opinion, nothing compared to hearing Soul play. It was as if he was speaking to her, using keys rather than words to tell the story. Maka loved it so much she made it her alarm sound. She hated early mornings, but she figured his music made it slightly less miserable. 

“Makaaaa,” Soul whined more than spoke. “Turn it offfffff,” he buried his face in the pillow. 

Maka giggled, reaching for her alarm. “Yeah, yeah, I’m doing it.”

Last night, Maka insisted Soul sleep in her room. So far, their trip was causing him more misery than joy, and they haven't even reached the main event: Soul’s parents. Between his nightmares, her mom’s unnecessary comments, and the anticipation of seeing his family again, Maka knew Soul was in a terrible mental state. Honestly, she felt really guilty about it. They were in this position because of her, and while Soul would never blame her, she sure as hell was blaming herself. 

Maka turned to look at her partner, only to find him already on his side looking at her. She could feel the dread seeping through him, it was the 23rd after all. A mere 8 hours from now they’ll be face to face with the Evans family. Maka shifted closer to Soul, moving her fingers through his hair.

“How are you feeling?” Maka asked quietly. 

“Eh,” Soul let his eyes droop. “My body’s really on edge, like it’s preparing to fight. I think I might be more scared of my parents than I was of Arachne.” 

Maka hummed, not entirely sure how to respond. Should she say ‘sorry’? Or maybe ask him what he needs from her? Yesterday, Soul told Maka that she always knew how to comfort him. The statement had taken her a little by surprise, since she was constantly worrying about whether or not she was doing enough for him. He was so closed off, always brushing things off with a joke. If Maka didn’t have an all-access pass to Soul’s wavelength, she’d have no idea how to comfort him. Yet somehow, according to Soul, she managed it. Now that she knew this, she certainly did not want to break that streak. So what the hell was she supposed to do for him now?

Her inner debate was halted by the feeling of Soul’s hand on her own, slowly pulling Maka’s fingers out of his hair. He held it so delicately, his hand wrapped around her fingers. She felt her heartbeat increase, but she wasn’t entirely sure why. 

“Even so,” Soul continued, eyes completely closed. “I feel better knowing you’ll be there the whole time.” 

Maka’s heart fluttered in her chest. She opened her mouth to respond, but was left speechless as Soul moved her hand towards his face, placing a kiss on her knuckles. Death, was he trying to kill her?! Did he even understand how utterly romantic he was acting? 

No matter how hard Maka tried to push the feeling away, it crept up on her nearly everyday. The reason why her heartbeat increased every time he praised her. The lack of air in her lungs when he touched her so delicately. The sound of his piano playing through her phone. Her whole being craved him, so much so that she knew: Maka was in love with her partner. Admitting it to herself sent a chill through her spine, she had to be extra careful. After all, Soul could usually tell what she was thinking. 

That being said, it’s not like Maka could tell how he felt about her, so maybe that went both ways. Regardless, her heart simply couldn’t have picked a worse time to fall. She was supposed to be focused on helping him, but instead her mind was filled with the feeling of his lips on her skin. The guilt in her stomach grew thicker. Soul had supported her through the reunion with her mom, now there was no question that she had to do the same for him.

“Whatever happens tonight,” Maka tightened her grip on his hand. “You should be proud of the person you are now. I know I am.” She smiled at him, painfully aware of the warmth in her cheeks. 

He looked at her with eyes so soft they melted right through her. “Thanks, Maka.” 

“Now, what would you like to do today?” Maka asked Soul. “I bought decorations we could hang around the apartment. Or we could make gingerbread houses!”

Her partner laughed. “Is staying in bed for the rest of the day an option?”

Maka rolled her eyes. “How about a compromise?” She snuggled up close to Soul, wrapping her arms around his chest. “We stay in bed for a bit longer, then we make gingerbread houses.”

Soul rested his chin on top of her head and held her tight against him. “Sounds like a fair deal to me.” 

By the time they dragged themselves out of bed, it was nearly 10am. So much for setting an alarm. After getting ready, they found Maka’s mom reading a book in the family room. Maka felt a wave of discomfort hit her chest. Soul might not care about her mom’s opinions, but it wasn’t sitting right with Maka. Her mom was clearly letting her experience with her father influence her view of Soul. It was irritating considering how Soul was nothing like her father. He spent more time thinking about Maka’s happiness than he did his own. Her father was selfish by default, while Soul was almost always selfless. Anyone who spoke to him knew that, so why couldn’t her mom see it? 

“Morning Mama,” Maka let a false sweetness cover her voice. “How’d you sleep?”

“Alright,” Masami set her book down. “Seems the two of you slept well.” 

“Well enough I suppose, given the circumstances.” Maka cringed back towards her partner. 

“We should come up with escape plans,” Soul offered with a smirk. “Got any last minute missions we could take on?” 

“I wish,” Maka sighed. At this point, she’d rather fight Asura than have to face Soul’s parents. 

“If the two of you need a scapegoat,” Masami contributed. “I’m more than happy to oblige.” 

“You’re not coming with us?” Soul asked, tilting his head in confusion. 

“It seems like you have enough to deal with,” Maka’s mom sympathized, which caught Maka off guard. “We can save the parent to parent meeting for another time.” 

Maka scrunched her eyebrows. She did not understand her mom in the slightest. One second, she’s telling Maka that Soul is holding her down. The next second, she’s consoling him. It didn’t make any sense. The way her mom interacted with Soul seemed so comforting, it was like witnessing an entirely different personality. Was she just trying to keep the peace? She wanted to ask her mom, but now wasn’t the time. 

“Soul and I are going to make gingerbread houses,” Maka explained to her mom. “I’m thinking the two of us can compete, and then you can decide whose is better.” 

Soul chuckled behind her. “So eager to lose are you?”

Maka spun around to face him, placing her hands on her hips. “And what makes you so sure of yourself?”

“Decorating gingerbread houses requires a delicate hand,” Soul took one of hers, and Maka’s stomach did a flip. Since when was she so sensitive to his touch? “Yours are limited to violent, destructive actions.” 

Maka pouted. “Says the guy whose arm turns into a literal blade.”

Soul shrugged. “You’ll be eating those words soon.” 

He was always a little too good at bringing out her competitive side. Maka dragged him to the kitchen, and before they knew it the two of them were engaged in gingerbread decorating. Maka’s mom took out some of the decorations Maka bought at the mall and started to hang them up. From an outside perspective, the three of them looked like they were in a Christmas commercial. There was holiday music playing through the tv speakers and a light snowfall hitting the streets of Chicago. The scene was a little too perfect, especially since the familial aspect was still a little shaky. 

Maka loved Mama, but finally seeing her again was taking the shine off her memories. She was an imperfect mother, that much was obvious. But Maka was beginning to wonder what the title of ‘mother’ even meant to Masami. She was indifferent about most things, but overly forceful in certain moments. All of their conversations seemed robotic, like how you’d expect two people to interact during a meeting. The most confusing part was her mom’s soul. She could barely get a read on her, which was abnormal considering Maka could clock Kid’s feelings without even trying. 

“Hey,” Soul nudged her elbow, awakening her from her spiral. “You’re thinking even more than usual today.”

Maka blushed, momentarily halting the icicle frosting she was piping. “There’s a lot going on to think about.” 

Soul frowned. “Anything you wanna share?”

Maka looked into his eyes, concern etched on his face. The last thing she wanted was for him to be worried about her. Today, she needed to lift him up, not the other way around. It was obvious that Soul’s fear of his parents engulfed his entire wavelength. If she was going to keep him afloat, she needed to get creative. 

Whether it was a spontaneous decision or a momentary lapse of restraint, Maka bounced up onto her tiptoes and placed a quick kiss on Soul’s cheek. His face reddened, clearly surprised by her actions. 

“I only have one thing to say,” Maka piped some frosting onto her finger and dabbed it on Soul’s nose. “You’re about to taste defeat.”

Soul blinked twice, then recovered with a smirk. “Don’t count me out yet.” He slid the bottle of green crystal sprinkles into his hand and shook it over her head. 

“Soul!!” Maka put up her hands in defense of her hair. “I just washed it last night!”

He ruffled her head and shrugged. “Can’t blame me, you started it.”

Maka rolled her eyes, turning back towards her gingerbread house. “Whatever, just go back to decorating.”

After about 30 minutes of (mostly) detailed frosting work, Maka and Soul presented their houses to Masami. She deemed Maka the winner, which Soul told her was “blatant favoritism." Still, he laughed as Maka’s mom tried to justify her choice, claiming that his use of sprinkles was “messy” in comparison to Maka’s “intentional snowstorm design.” Soul playfully argued with her, and seemed to forget all about his parents– even just momentarily—which Maka considered to be a bigger win than the decorating contest. 

They spent the next few hours going through the rest of Maka’s decorations. Mama had bought a real pine tree, but Maka believed that it was seriously lacking in ornaments. At the mall, Maka found an assortment of red, gold, and green bulbs to hang on the tree. Soul told her they were cheesy, but offered no complaints as they filled the tree with the festive, glittering spheres. 

As the three of them finished lunch, Maka felt an anxious shift in Soul’s wavelength. The reality of his evening was beginning to weigh him down. There wasn’t much more she could do to distract him.

“Maka?” Soul asked quietly. “I think I’m going to try and nap before we go. Is that alright?’ 

Maka let her comfort travel through their resonance. “Of course. Just call if you need me, okay?” 

Soul gave her a small smile. “I will.” 

She watched him walk away, a million worries crossing her mind. Should she leave him alone? It wasn’t abnormal for Soul to spiral out of control when Maka wasn’t there to ground him. Even so, he clearly wanted time alone before they met his family. It’s not like there was much more she could do or say to prepare him. The only thing left to do was to respect his boundaries and give him his space. 

“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?” Mama asked from across the table.

“Oh um, yeah I suppose so.” Maka looked down at her plate as an uneasy feeling of irritation settled into her soul. Telling her mom about her concern for Soul no longer felt like a safe decision. Masami may act empathetic to Soul’s face, but there was an underlying judgement that Maka didn’t yet understand. She would not let her mother warp Soul’s anxieties into hindrance. 

“Can I ask you something?” Masami asked her daughter, to which Maka nodded. “Are the two of you a couple? Officially, I mean.” 

Maka’s eyes widened. “Oh, well…” Wherever this was going, she didn’t like the edge in Mama’s voice. “No, we aren’t.”

Her mom crossed her arms. “Has Soul ever brought it up?”

Maka shook her head. “We both kind of dance around the subject, to be honest.”

Then she asked something that made Maka’s head spin. “Well, do you want to be a couple?”

The answer came to her mind instantly. In fact, having this conversation with Soul had been circling her mind for days now. She wanted it, and she wanted it bad. If she looked at their relationship from an outside perspective, they acted pretty close to how couples usually act. But Maka and Soul aren’t like usual people, they’ve been literally connected since they were 12. The boundaries for “platonic” and “romantic” were completely out of whack. Still, Maka couldn’t stop herself from wanting to punch every boundary into dust. Then she could touch him without second guessing what it meant. They could sleep together without needing a reason to. Everything would change, and nothing would. They’d still be Maka and Soul, taking on foes one day at a time, just with a little extra fluff.

Of course, she was not about to tell Mama all that. “Why are you asking?” Maka tilted her head. 

Masami sighed, which made Maka nervous. “Look, it’s pretty obvious that you two care about each other a lot. But it’s a little troubling for you to be in limbo like this.” She rested her hand on her chin. “The thing is, men don’t usually wait things out like women do. They are more keen on taking action rather than waiting for the right moment. So, while I can’t say for sure how Soul feels about you, I do know that it’s strange he’s waiting so long to say something about it.” 

Maka cringed. “That’s a big generalization, isn’t it? I mean, it’s not like all men are the same.”

“Maybe not,” Maka’s mom frowned. “Doesn’t change the fact that Soul hasn’t tried to have the conversation, right?” 

Maka did a skim through her recent memory. He definitely hasn’t prompted the conversation, that being said his actions were certainly speaking for him. She thought about how he kissed her hand this morning, the numerous times he intertwined their fingers, the way he lifted her up last night. Can you do all that platonically?

“I feel like actions typically speak louder than words,” Maka turned away from her mom, she couldn’t look her in the eye when she said the next part. “You know, Soul isn’t Papa.” 

For a split second, Maka felt her mom’s wavelength. An overwhelming mix of emotions, not really easy to differentiate, but stronger than anything she’d felt from Mama before. Maka spun around to face her, only to find her mom’s eyes closed, as if she were concentrating on something. 

“You’re right,” Masami eventually responded, much to Maka’s relief. “He’s much smarter and more caring than your father was.” She locked eyes with Maka. “All I’m saying is, don’t fall unless you know for sure he’s going to catch you.” 

Maka nodded, not really sure how else to respond. Eventually they moved on in conversation, talking about why her mom was in Chicago. She was placed there to facilitate meetings between witches and meisters who live in the city. The late Lord Death may have started a peace treaty with them, but getting people to agree to it all over the world took a little more effort. Maka figured that’s why her mom kept such a tight guard up. It’s better to appear neutral since the witches and the late Lord Death had such a strenuous relationship. 

After a bit of chatting, Maka excused herself. She and Soul only had a couple hours to get ready, so she figured it was time to wake him up. She made her way to her room first, only to find Soul curled up in her bed. She smiled to herself, trying to ignore the doubts Mama had placed in her head. She was projecting, that’s all it was. 

Maka collapsed onto the bed next to her partner. She stared at his face, completely relaxed and free from anxiety. She debated just leaving him there, pretending they both fell asleep and missed dinner. Maka couldn’t do that though, because she knew that seeing his parents was something he needed to do. Even though he’d been avoiding it at all costs, you can’t hide from family forever. Soul deserved the chance to look them in the eyes and show his parents how amazing he’d become, no thanks to them. 

Carefully, Maka tapped her soul against his. His eyes opened slowly, locking onto hers as a small smile grew on his face. Just a few hours ago they were laying in this exact position, his hand wrapped around her fingers. She couldn’t get the feeling of his lips out of her mind. She’d kissed him on the cheek a couple of times, but he hadn’t ever kissed her (besides the top of her head) until this morning. Maka turned her head into the pillow, she needed to get a damn grip.

Soul frowned. “Are you okay?”

“Mhm,” Maka responded from inside the pillow. “My mind is messing with me today.” 

“Mine too,” Soul sighed, pulling Maka into his chest. “What’s yours saying?” 

Her heart stopped momentarily. How the hell was she supposed to answer that? “I’m focusing on the wrong things, I should be trying to make this easier on you. Instead, I’m getting lost and worrying you.” 

Soul shifted his head down to look at her. “I don’t mind worrying about you. I’d rather have you in my head than my parents.” 

He had no idea how badly she needed to hear that. Actions definitely do speak louder than words, but the words are nice too. “Okay, well in that case there’s something very important I need to discuss with you.” 

Soul scrunched his eyebrows. “And what would that be?” 

“Outfits.” Maka stated simply. “How fancy should we dress? And can we match?” 

Soul laughed in surprise, which gave her butterflies. “This is what you’re worrying about? You really are a chronic overthinker.” 

“This is very important Soul,” Maka feigned seriousness. “It’s two days before Christmas which means we need to wear a festive color.” 

Soul rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright. Let’s go see what I packed.” 

The two of them spent about an hour helping each other get ready. Maka decided they would both wear dark green; a short, slightly shiny dress for herself and a simple button-up for Soul. She taught him how to tie ribbons in her hair while she learned how to adjust his tie. They were likely heading towards their deaths, so they might as well have a little fun beforehand. 

Maka and Soul wished her mom a good night as they headed out the door. Soul’s parents' place was only a fifteen minute train ride away, but they’d left thirty minutes early. Soul said that his mom despised unpunctual people, and Maka was not about to make a bad first impression. 

They rode the train in silence, but Soul’s leg bounced the entire way there. He was nervous, so much so that Maka kept their resonance levels high until they were standing in front of the elevator to the penthouse. She moved to face him, placing both her hands on his shoulders. 

She put on a serious expression. “Are you ready to show them how strong, cool, and handsome you are?”

Soul chuckled lightly. “I guess so,” he pulled Maka close, causing her to jump in surprise. “I’m definitely ready to show you off.”

Maka tried to ignore the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Soul was holding her tightly, as if she was the only thing keeping him alive. She leaned her forehead against his. “I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

Soul hummed, holding their position for a few more moments. “Alright, into the lion’s den we go.”

Chapter Text

When Soul was eleven, he left his parents house. They used to live in a very rich suburban town in New York, where all the families paid for pools and private education. It was an incredibly stale environment, everyone talked about the same things, dressed in the same clothes, and carried the same shallow eyes. Soul couldn’t understand how people could enjoy such a predictable life, least of all his parents.

His mother showed him the piano at a very young age, and the sound left him in awe. The piano could write all his emotions into a composition of notes, even the emotions he didn’t fully recognize. Apparently everyone in the Evans family has the same ‘musical inclination,’ but Soul wasn’t convinced. After all, how could two people who lived such emotionless lives have the same connection to music that he did? Music was too…colorful for their monochromatic lifestyle. He meant that metaphorically and literally. Metaphorically, because they act like robots with no opinions of their own. Literally, because their penthouse is basically from a luxury magazine that was printed in black and white. 

The elevator door opened into a large foyer with a huge crystal chandelier. All the walls were white, except for four pillars that were encased in marble. Maka gasped on Soul’s right, her hand intertwined with his.

“Soul?” Maka whispered. “Just how rich is your family?” 

Soul cringed. He probably could’ve been a little more transparent about their familial wealth. “Pretty rich, but mainly because of my great-great grandfather. He was a world renowned composer and I guess he was really good at investing his fortune.” 

Maka cocked her head in confusion. “So he was a musical economist?” 

Soul laughed up at the ceiling. “That’s one way of looking at it.”

“Well your laugh certainly hasn’t changed a bit.” Soul froze. It only took him a moment to recognize the voice coming from the other side of the room. Memories of his old life flashed into his mind, all centered around one man: Soul’s brother. 

“Although, your voice has definitely dropped an octave or so.” Wes walked toward Soul and Maka, arms out in a welcoming gesture. He stopped in front of Soul, placing a hand on his left shoulder. “It’s good to see you, brother.” 

Soul was left momentarily stunned. It had only been a few years since he’d seen Wes last, but his face looked older. The youthful curiosity that used to fill his eyes was replaced with a softer, more compassionate look. 

“Wes.” Soul paused, what the hell was he supposed to say? “It’s um…it’s good to see you too.” He debated giving his older brother a hug, not really sure where he wanted to place his boundary. It’s not like Soul hated Wes, he still talked to him every once in a while. But there was something lingering deep in his soul that he couldn’t fully process. He knew part of it was jealousy, and maybe there was a bit of shame too. His brother reminded him of his failures, and his past life. Both of which he’d rather leave behind. 

Whatever the case, it wasn’t really Wes’s fault. He tried his best to be a loving older brother. Even now, his face showed how thrilled he was to see Soul. The least Soul could do was give Wes a long-awaited hug, so that’s exactly what he did. 

Wes froze for maybe a fourth of a second before reciprocating enthusiastically. They stayed like that for a few seconds longer than would probably be considered “normal.” Soul pulled away first, the urge to run coursing through his body. He turned to look at Maka, her encouraging eyes somehow melting away every fear threatening to kill him. 

“Wes,” Soul reached his hand out towards her. “This is my partner, Maka.”

“Yes of course!” Wes took Maka’s outstretched hand, giving her a mini bow as if she were royalty. “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you, Miss Maka.” 

He placed a kiss on her hand and Maka giggled. “It’s wonderful to meet you too, Wes. Thank you for hosting us.”

Soul’s chest prickled with jealousy. Wes had always been a charmer, he maintained the spotlight by socializing with others. So, it wasn’t abnormal for him to kiss someone’s hand, but him kissing Maka’s hand was bothering Soul. He pushed the feeling down, knowing full well that he was being possessive. Unfortunately, his parents had ingrained the comparison game into Soul’s body. It was hard to ignore how Wes’s romantic personality outmatched his own by a long shot. 

“Please come in,” Wes turned around and gestured towards the hallway. “I’m so excited to hear all about the stories that come with being a legendary meister and the last death scythe."

Soul rolled his eyes, moving to follow his brother. He made it about two steps before feeling Maka’s anxious soul behind him. He turned back to find her facing the ground with her eyes closed. At first he thought she was scared (he certainly was) but he quickly realized she was lost in thought. His meister was always overthinking things. Forget about it, forget about it, forget… was that her wavelength? Forget about what? 

“Maka…?” She looked up to meet his eyes. “You okay?”

“Yep! Sorry,” Maka squinted and shook her head. “I’m lost in thought again, I’m really out of it today.”

Soul frowned, something was bothering her and for some reason she didn’t want to tell him. Maka pushing down her feelings never turned out well for either of them. Then again, it's not like they could talk about it now. He’d have to rely on their non-verbal communication tools. Soul closed his eyes and opened his wavelength to Maka, his hand subconsciously finding hers in the process. She reciprocated, controlling their wavelengths in sync at a low resonance level. Even when she was overthinking, Maka’s presence in his soul calmed him. Soul was seconds away from seeing his parents, yet all he cared about was his partner. With Maka next to him, all his fears felt so tiny in comparison to her. 

“Are you two coming?” Wes called from the other side of the foyer. 

Shit, Maka sent through their wavelength. “Yes, sorry, we’re coming!”

Soul smiled, so much for first impressions he thought, giving her hand a squeeze. 

Maka shook her head lightly, It’s not Wes I’m worried about. 

Fair enough. Soul was glad that Wes was the one who greeted them. Honestly he probably planned it that way, he really was a considerate brother. Even if he was only delaying the inevitable. 

The last time Soul visited his family he was fourteen. It was during the holidays back when his parents still lived in the suburban mansion. Overall the trip was…excrutiating. Everywhere he looked he was reminded of his childhood. His parents still scolded him for the same mistakes: his posture, his manners, his communication skills, etc. It was enough to make him never want to see them again. The truth of the matter was, his parents infuriated him. They had all the money and privilege they could ever need, and yet they only ever made selfish choices. They spent all their time fussing over how “elegant” they appeared. They didn’t care about other people, never even tried to help a single one of them. They had no perspective, no empathy, and absolutely no open-mindedness. 

All of this to say, Soul was expecting to feel rage upon seeing his mother and father. He planned to bite his tongue and choose his words carefully. He thought through every possible annoying comment his father could make to prepare himself. He was ready for anything they could throw at him. 

Well, anything except the scene he walked into. His parents were sitting in a large living room, windows lining the entire space. They were sitting on the couch, laughing at each other. His mother was feeding his father chocolate covered strawberries. He didn’t have any memories of them joking with each other, he couldn’t even picture his father’s smile. But there it was, shining on his face as his mother made another seemingly funny comment. He couldn’t believe his eyes, they actually looked human. 

“Mother, father.” Wes called from the entryway. “Our guests have arrived!” 

His parents turned back to look at them, their fresh smiles still painted on their faces. “Ah Soul, you’re really here!” His mother stood up and sped walked over to them, his father trailing not far behind. 

What is happening? Soul sent to Maka. 

You’re asking me? She responded, clearly just as baffled. 

The shock on their faces must’ve been evident, given how his mother adjusted her behavior suddenly as she got closer to her son. He felt himself shift towards Maka. It’s okay Soul, Maka soothed from her end of the link. She can’t hurt you now.

“Oh Soul…” his mother spoke in a soft tone he’d never heard before. There was still a light smile on her face, and she wore it like it was natural. “Your posture is just as poor as the last time we saw you.” 

And just like that, reality fixed itself. Soul almost laughed at her, thinking for a brief moment that she might’ve changed over these last few years. The joy he’d seen moments ago was still echoing in her stance, but at her core she was still a critic. She could spot imperfection from miles away. 

“Good to see you too, Mother.” Soul sarcastically replied. He looked over at his partner, “Maka, this is my mom, Amelia Evans.” 

Maka offered her hand to Soul’s mother. “It’s nice to finally meet you in-person, Mrs. Evans.”

Mother’s smile grew as she shook Maka’s hand. “Maka, you are such a beautiful girl. I thank you for agreeing to dinner.” Her voice had returned to its near-monotone level, with a small hint of excitement peaking through. 

“Thank you for hosting,” Maka returned the smile genuinely. You resemble her a lot, she commented through their link. 

It’s the eyes, Soul responded casually. His mother’s red eyes were an incredibly rare trait that he’d inherited. No one else in her family had them besides her and her son. According to the doctor, the red eyes are a “genetic rarity.” When Soul was young, Mother’s friends would often tell him how lucky he was to inherit her unique beauty. As a child, he thought it was annoying to be called a “beauty,” but now he appreciated it. Better to inherit her looks than her personality. 

Father came next, facing Maka before his youngest son. He said nothing, simply offering his hand for a short, firm handshake. Well, he sure is talkative, Maka joked. 

Soul repressed his smile, trust me, the less he speaks, the better. His father turned towards him, an emotionless expression had replaced the laughing one he had when they arrived. He stared at Soul for a couple moments, as if analyzing him. Soul held his breath. 

“Seems you’ve grown quite a bit,” Father remarked. “In height, at least. The rest of you remains to be seen.” 

Soul made a fist at his side. That was almost a compliment, if it weren’t so backhanded. He wondered if his parents took secret pleasure in pointing out his faults. Maybe their laughing earlier was them discussing how they’d torment him, using his discomfort as entertainment. 

“Well then,” Wes clapped his hands together. “Why don’t you all take a seat? Dinner should be ready-” 

Wes was interrupted by a soft–yet somehow hearty–laugh coming from right outside Soul’s peripheral vision. His body recognized it instantly, his shoulders relaxing before his mind could process. He knew that sound well, as it belonged to the only normal member of the Evans family. 

“Wes, dear,” Soul’s grandmother called between chuckles. “Your role as mediator never seems to end.” 

Soul stared at her in awe. Her body had clearly weakened and she was walking with a cane. But her face looked just as he remembered, with kind eyes that immediately locked onto his. Soul let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, a genuine smile completely overtaking his face. 

Wes chuckled at her comment. “Yes, well, Mother and Father aren’t exactly known for their friendliness.” 

Soul nearly ran to his grandmother, her hands already reaching out to grasp his own. Her fingers seemed so small, and Soul realized how much he must’ve grown since he last saw her. His hand could hold both of hers with ease, and for the first time ever, he had to tilt his head down to meet her eyes. 

“Oh my Soul,” his grandmother placed her hand under his chin. “You’ve become quite the handsome young man.” 

Soul laughed to keep himself from tearing up. “I missed you, Grandmum.” 

“Didn’t you call her just a few days ago?” Wes asked, magically appearing next to Soul.

“Oh those damn phones will never compare to the real thing!” She giggled at her two grandsons. “I am grateful to have you both here for the holidays.” 

Soul squeezed her hand, a little guilt building up within him. As he turned to look at his brother, he realized just how distant he was from them both. He had told himself that calling was enough, but deep down he knew his grandmother was hurting. Even in Wes’s eyes, Soul could see an underlying sadness. This was the price to pay for his independence.

“I’m grateful to spend time with you too, Grandmum,” Soul looked back at his brother. “With both of you.” 

Wes smiled, shifting his gaze to the right of Soul. “Maka, why don’t you come over here?” 

Soul mentally hit himself. He had fully forgotten about Maka, something he didn’t even think was possible. He let go of his grandmother and turned around to look at his partner. She was smiling and Soul could see the tears building in her eyes. There was nothing but joy on her face, not for herself, but for him . She walked tentatively, her excitement showing through her shaky hands and bright green eyes.  Death, this girl was going to kill him.

“Oh Maka dear!” Grandmum held her arms out. “Come here, let me get a good look at you!” 

Maka giggled, letting Soul’s grandmother take her face into her hands. “I’ve been thinking about getting to see you since we landed in Chicago!”

Soul watched the two of them hug, a warmth settling in his chest. Maka and Grandmum talked on the phone every so often, so they’d gotten to know each other over the years. His grandmother would sometimes joke about how she needed to meet Maka “before the wedding came around.” The comment always made Soul blush. 

“Tell me,” Grandmum spoke quietly to Maka. “Is my grandson treating you right?”

Wes laughed from behind her. “Do you really have that little faith in him?” 

His grandmother waved her hand at him. “I wasn’t asking you, silly” 

“Hmm,” Maka smiled at her partner. “I suppose he’s doing okay,” 

Soul scrunched his eyebrows. “What do you mean ‘okay’?” 

The two girls giggled, a mischievous look overtaking Maka’s face. “Well, you’ve been a little…messy recently.” 

“Soul!” Grandmum made a faux shocked face. “You need to clean up after yourself, don’t leave messes for your partner.” 

Soul shook his head at the ground. “Why did I think you two meeting would be a good thing?” 

He heard a few more giggles before Maka laced one of her hands into his. “Truth is, I think Soul is usually the one cleaning up after me.” 

“That’s good,” his grandmother replied with a nod. “Keep him humble.” 

“Seems like Maka can do no wrong in your eyes, huh Grandmum?” Wes teased. 

“Maybe,” Grandmum glanced at Soul. “Then again, I’m not the only one who sees her that way.”

Soul could feel his cheeks burning. His grandmother truly did not hold back, even with Maka standing right next to him. She didn’t seem to mind though, giving Grandmum’s comment a light laugh. 

“Why don’t you all join us over here?” Mother called from the abnormally large couches. “Grandmum shouldn’t be on her feet for too long.” 

“Oh please, Amelia,” Soul’s grandmother rolled her eyes. “I’m hardly even limping now.” 

Soul took his grandmother’s free hand, letting her lean into him as they made their way to the sitting room. The apartment itself had incredibly tall ceilings. The room was covered in windows that stretched from the floor to the roof. The lack of privacy was a little unsettling, though Soul realized they were too high up to be noticed by anybody walking by. The room itself had large, minimalistic furniture. There was a fireplace in the middle of the space, with rounded white couches placed around it. The fire itself seemed to be the only color in the room. 

After helping Grandmum sit comfortably, he gestured for Maka to sit beside her. Their dinner was being prepared by a local chef (Maka gasped when Mother told them), so they had some time to talk before the meal was finished. Most questions were directed towards Maka; they asked about her hobbies, being a meister, and her job as Stein’s assistant. Unlike Soul, Maka loved to talk to people. She didn’t get bored and she always had thoughtful things to say. 

Listening to her talk about their lives was strangely comforting. It was difficult for Soul to communicate with his parents. He was always scared he’d say the wrong thing and piss them off. When Maka spoke however, it was intentional and informative. She had explained more about their lives in half an hour than Soul had since he left. At the same time, she never overshared. Maka was well aware of the purposeful distance Soul had placed between himself and his family. Somehow, she’d managed to find the perfect middle ground when it came to finer details. Soul made a mental note to tell her how glad he was that she was here. The less he had to talk the better. 

Eventually, they made their way to the dining room. The table was set for six, but it only covered half of its actual length. Soul would’ve called this room just as bland as the others, if it weren’t for the shiny grand piano in the corner. He couldn’t stop himself from admiring how nice it was. It looked a little older, but it was kept in such pristine condition. He mindlessly tapped a couple keys, listening to the way the sound flowed through the room. Even the black coat reflected his face back at him. Of course his family would only work with the finest of instruments. 

A spike of excitement flowed through Soul, shocking him away from the piano. The feeling was foreign and he’d only felt it for a second. He turned around in confusion, only to see Maka standing behind him, her eyes shining apprehensively. Was it her excitement flowing through him? He didn’t usually feel her emotions when they weren’t resonating unless it was an incredibly strong feeling. Did the idea of him playing piano excite her that much? There’s no way, it had to be something else. 

“Why don’t you play something later?” his father said more than asked. “You still practice, don’t you?” 

Soul faced the ground. Even if he wanted to play, he was incredibly out of practice by his parents standards. The music he played now was mainly freestyle, which Father was not a fan of. Being ridiculed about the lack of “professionalism” in his music was not something he wanted to deal with right now. 

“No thanks,” Soul walked towards the table, pulling out a chair for himself and another for Maka. “I don’t think you’d like anything I play these days.” 

His father pressed his lips into a fine line, but said nothing more. Soul’s comment seemed to temporarily shock his mother who froze to stare at him for a couple moments. The look she was giving him was strange, as if she were contemplating something. There was a hint of annoyance in her face, but it didn’t seem to be directed at him. 

“What do you play?” Mother tilted her head in curiosity. “You never liked the old classical music I tried to teach you.” 

The question caught Soul off guard. His mother didn’t usually ask about his preferences. “Um…well I mainly learn jazz pieces. Other than that, it’s just improv.”

The truth was, Soul hardly played piano outside of weapon form. He used music to enhance Maka’s resonance in the field, but those songs were mainly based on their emotions in the moment. His relationship with music outside of that was a little more complicated. Soul loved the piano, but the memories tied to it were filled with anger and resentment. When he plays, it’s hard not to hear his parents in the back of his mind. You held that note too long;  the tempo is off; your errors would be obvious to a beginner. Every time he messed up he would flash back to when Father used to hit him. Soul figured over time he’d become more comfortable, but his progress was sluggish. 

“I wouldn’t mind hearing one of your pieces,” Mother offered softly. 

This time Soul was the one who stared in surprise. She used to hate his improv work, calling it too “brash” or “violent.” But right now, it seemed like she genuinely cared. Between this and her laughing earlier, she was truly throwing Soul for a loop. 

“Maybe later, Mother,” Soul managed a little smile. “I’ll think about it.”

The answer seemed to satisfy her as she reflected the smile back at him. Once they were all comfortable, the chef began to bring out courses in rapid succession. First it was greek salad, then noodle soup, then grilled salmon…you get the picture. Soul’s parents seemed to have all their questions answered, but Wes was more than happy to fill in for them.  

“How exactly did the two of you meet?” Wes asked, passing bread around the table. 

“It’s kinda simple really,” Soul responded between bites. “All the students met at the beginning of the year. It’s a meister’s job to decide who to offer partnership to. Maka pointed at me from across the room and said ‘you with the messy hair, we’re gonna be partners!”

Maka laughed, slapping Soul in the arm. “I was not across the room! It was maybe 6 or 7 feet away.”

“How did you know Soul was the one?” Grandmum chimed in with a smirk. 

Maka’s cheeks showed a little pink. “To be honest, I originally wanted to train with a scythe because my mom did.” She looked down at her plate. “Soul was the only one on the list so…”

“So you forced me into a partnership before anyone else could.” Soul shook his head playfully. 

“I didn’t force you!” Maka’s eyebrows scrunched. “You’re the one that was all dramatic and emo about the whole thing.”

“Ohhh, is that so?” Wes questioned, leaning into the table. “Please, tell us more.”

Maka looked at Soul for confirmation and he shrugged in response.

“After I made my offer,” Maka took a sip of water. “Soul took me to this music room and said ‘before you agree, I gotta show you something. Think of it as my introduction.’ So I stood there while he played this piece on the piano, and all I could think to myself was ‘who does this guy think he is? how dramatic do you have to be to write a piano piece to introduce yourself?’” 

Wes and Grandmum burst out in laughter, and even his parents offered entertained smiles. Soul smiled as he thought about that day. Specifically, how Maka’s eyes lit up in amazement after he’d finished playing. Of all the reactions, he’d never expected her to find his piece thrilling . If anything, he expected its dark theme and varying volume levels to scare her off. But all she did was stare as if she could see their future in his hands. They sat in silence for a while, simply watching each other. Then, Maka reached out her white-gloved hand to shake his own. You all know the rest. 

“I make fun of him now,” Maka eventually added once the laughs died down. “But his music was unlike anything I’d ever heard. I can’t say I’m an expert on the topic. Still, I know that when Soul plays, he puts his whole being into it. That kind of dedication isn’t something you find every day.” 

Maka never told Soul that before. He had no idea she read him so well upon their first meeting. Then again, he shouldn’t be surprised. Maka always knew what was going on in Soul’s head, sometimes before he knew it himself. 

“Dedication makes a strong partnership,” Grandmum confirmed with a smile. “It’s no wonder you two became so legendary.”

Maka chuckled at that. “Well, I’m not sure about ‘legendary’ but our partnership has always been deeper than most other duos at the DWMA.”

“We’re just built different,” Soul added. “Plus, no one’s got better soul perception than Maka.”

“Soul perception?” Wes took on a puzzled expression. 

“It’s the ability to sense other peoples’ souls,” Maka explained. “My perception allows me to look at a person and see how powerful they are and their inner fortitude. I can also locate people based on their soul’s position.”

“Sometimes she can feel others' emotions too,” Soul contributed with a smile. “It varies from person to person, but with me she can pretty much always detect my feelings.”

“She feels what you feel all the time?” Soul’s mother chipped in. 

“No, not all the time,” Maka responded. “I can feel a lingering sense of his emotions most of the time, but he can shield them if he wants. I use our resonance to communicate with him through our wavelengths.”

“That must require an immense amount of trust,” Wes thought out loud.

“It does,” Soul nodded towards his brother. “We struggled a little when we were younger, but now it’s easy. It’s like you said, I’ve dedicated my life to Maka.”

“So then,” Soul’s father finally spoke. “Since you’re done with school, will the two of you get married soon?”

Soul looked at him with confusion. Marriage? What the heck was Father talking about? They were clearly discussing their work as DWMA members. Where did he even get that from? 

“Oh please, Richard,” Grandmum waved her hand. “They’re only seventeen!”

“Didn’t you marry Grandpa at nineteen?” Wes questioned with a finger to his chin. 

They went back and forth a little, pretty much forgetting about the duo in question. Soul didn’t understand why they were discussing this so casually. He hadn’t even asked Maka if she wanted a relationship so why would they think… oh. Suddenly, it all clicked at once. Soul never told his family that they were dating, but he’d never denied it either. He let his family assume they were together (for multiple years at this point), so of course marriage seemed more reasonable to them. Even so, it didn’t feel reasonable to Soul and he was sure Maka probably felt similarly. 

When Soul turned to look at his partner, her face had gone from light pink to deep red. He was definitely going to get Maka chopped for this one. Tentatively, he placed his hand on top of hers, trying to gauge her wavelength. Her soul was shaking with nervousness, but she kept her eyes forward. Soul felt something else dripping out of Maka’s wavelength that felt a little like…sadness? He panicked, trying to decide how to comfort her. However, before he could act, Soul felt Maka’s fingers curl around his own. She squeezed his hand as if letting go would break her. 

“The thing is,” Maka spoke sweetly to his family. Not a trace of her nerves showed through. “Soul and I aren’t really in a rush to change anything. We have our whole lives together, and since we are just starting to transition out of high school, we would like to take things one step at a time.”

The smile on Maka’s face had a hollowness that Soul couldn’t quite make out. She sounded fine, except for the fact that she still wouldn’t look at him. Soul felt remnants of the spiral she had earlier this evening, was this what she was overthinking about? A sick feeling grew in his stomach, he wanted to take her unease away. Soul knew he was at fault for this, hiding his feelings out of fear and thus confusing Maka even more. He suddenly wished he could take her and teleport out of this damn penthouse. 

“When I got married,” Grandmum recalled to the group. “The times were a lot different. People rushed things a lot, so I’m glad the two of you are taking your time. Plus, Soul is quite the handful so that’s no easy decision.”

Maka giggled lightly. “That’s a good point.”

The rest of the meal flew by. Soul was too focused on how stupid he’d been for not realizing how distraught Maka was. She’d been locking up her feelings all day for his sake, when he was the idiot she was upset with in the first place.

Soul didn’t fully return to reality until his mother asked him a question following the end of dinner. 

“Will you play for us now?” she asked with a hint of shyness in her voice. 

Soul opened his mouth to say ‘no’ when he was halted by a familiar wave of excitement. He turned towards Maka, taking in how her eyes shined with interest. So she did want him to play piano. Only if you want to, her voice spoke in his mind. Soul smiled at her before facing his mother. 

“Alright, but just one piece.” 

Maka bounced on her heels and a huge smile overtook her face. Soul knew at that moment she could’ve asked for anything and he’d happily give it to her. He might suck at communicating, but he was not about to deny his partner something she most definitely wanted. 

Death, he really is so in love with her.

Chapter Text

Maka remembers the day Kid named Soul ‘the last death scythe’ so vividly. There was a massive crowd and the celebration lasted late into the night. The feeling she loved the most was the overwhelming pride she had for her weapon. The praise people gave them was so reassuring, especially when someone noted Soul’s musical talents. He always held a deep insecurity when it came to his music. Something instilled in him from his family never seemed to leave his heart. The only exception was that day, when Maka commented on how many people loved his technique. 

“All of that music,” he responded with a smile. “It's great because we made it together.”

It was the first (and last) time that Soul had ever shown appreciation for his songs. The statement had flustered Maka because she realized why he could speak so highly about them. It was because he didn’t consider them his songs, he considered them their songs. Maka was never sure how much influence she had on the scythe piano, she hardly knew anything about it. Still, Soul valued whatever piece of her he could find when he played. So whether she truly affected his music at all, she vowed from that day forward, to give him as much of her soul as she could right before he pressed the keys. 

So even as Maka sat in a chair many feet away from her partner, she opened their resonance link up just enough to let her soul shine through. She could see Soul’s side profile at the piano bench, and watched the tension leave his shoulders. The judgement of his parents was not going to overpower Maka, she was making sure of it. 

Soul placed his fingers on the keys, letting their resonance flow through him for a couple extra moments. Maka closed her eyes just before he pressed the first note, letting herself fall into the melody. She had no idea how to judge whether a piece was good or not. Soul blabbered on and on about tempo, connection between notes, minor hesitations, and a bunch of other words Maka didn’t understand. It’s not like she didn’t care about music, she just decided she didn’t need to understand it to appreciate it. Soul laughed when she told him as much. 

“Isn’t that basically just ignorance?” he joked. 

“No,” Maka responded, crossing her arms. “I know it isn’t.” 

“Oh really?” Soul had laid the sarcasm on thick, leaning down to meet her eyes. “And why exactly do you know that?” 

She smiled then, leaning even closer. “Because I know you’re really good. Nobody had to tell me that.” 

Maka smiled to herself, remembering how flustered Soul got after walking into her trap. He had attempted to recover, saying that he wasn’t nearly as good as she thought he was. But they both knew better. After all, here he was playing a sweet-sounding jazz piece (Soul forced Maka to recognize what jazz sounded like) with absolutely no preparation at all. She knew the piece pretty well, as it was one of Soul’s favorites to listen to. That being said, it sounded a little different right now. Has it always been this soothing? Maka never noticed that before. 

When Soul finished, the entire room erupted in applause. Maka was sitting next to Wes who nearly jumped out of his chair. 

“Brother!” Wes basically yelled, causing Soul to turn around in concern. “I had no idea you were still maintaining your musical spirit! You act as though you’d given it up.”

Soul scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah it kinda varies based on how I’m feeling.” 

“How wonderful my dear Soul,” his Grandmum was sitting closest to the piano. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I have been blessed with such talented boys.”

Soul smiled shyly, the attention clearly getting to him. He swung himself around the bench so he could face everyone. “Really you should be praising Maka since she inspired all the adlibs.”

Adlibs? Maka quirked her head to the side. What were those again?

“Ah I see,” Soul’s father offered the explanation. “It sounded like a Nat King Cole song. But now I see you’ve changed it a bit.”

“Oh how clever,” Mrs. Evans brought a finger to her chin. “That’s quite romantic of you, Soul.”

Maka felt the sadness surge in her before she could clamp it shut. It had unfortunately been growing all night, ignoring Maka’s pleas of silence. Mama’s comments earlier that day were unfortunately getting to her. 

Of course, she knew that Soul’s family thought they were dating. But hearing them talk about it so casually when she couldn’t was a little heartbreaking. The doubt crept into her mind. Clearly the idea of being in a relationship was on Soul’s radar. So why hadn’t he said anything? Why did his mother have to be the one to point out the so-called romantic ‘adlibs’ in his song? 

Maka tried to push these thoughts down. Today was not the day to lose faith in her partner. In fact, that day should never come at all. Soul cared about her more than anyone else, he would never intentionally hurt her. Surely, they would discuss this at the proper time. 

After a conversation about the musical changes Soul made to the piece, (a discussion Maka barely followed) they returned to the living room for the rest of the evening. 

“Where is your Christmas concert, Wes?” Maka eventually asked. 

“Boston,” Wes replied. “It’s only about 20 minutes from my house, very convenient.”

“Wait,” Soul stared at his brother in surprise. “You mean you don’t live in New York anymore?”

Wes let out a short, loud laugh. “In our parents’ boring little town? Of course not! I moved out a year ago.”

Soul looked at the ground. “Wow, I can’t believe I didn’t know that.”

“Our town is not boring,” Soul’s mother contributed passive aggressively. “The people are all very nice.”

“If by nice you mean personality-less,” Grandmum countered. “Then I agree.”

Maka stifled a laugh; the brothers showed much less restraint. 

“They were drier than the desert,” Soul nodded. “I would know.”

“Ah yes, how is death city?” Wes asked. 

“It’s just as interesting as always,” Maka responded with a smile. “People are really showing their support right now, Kid has fully adjusted to being the guardian caretaker and everyone loves him.”

“Kid?” Mr. Evans questioned. “What is that, a nickname?”

“Death the Kid, father,” Wes corrected casually. 

“Yes of course,” Soul’s grandmother added. “The boy who ushered in an era of peace.”

“I don’t remember telling you all that much about him,” Soul wondered aloud. 

“That’s because you didn’t,” Grandmum replied with a smirk. 

“We read it on the DWMA blog!” Wes cheered. “Very useful source of information.”

Maka smiled widely. “Oh you’ve seen it! I’m so glad, the students spend a lot of time working on it.” 

“Well they do a wonderful job,” Wes commented. “It’s all very intriguing and relays the perfect amount of detail.”

Maka was so relieved to hear them say that. The blog was a student idea that Maka backed about a year ago. At first, it seemed cheesy and unnecessary. Most of the world didn’t even understand the war against evil souls. Many faculty couldn’t see the appeal in talking about their fights when most people didn’t believe it happened. Still, the students pushed and eventually the staff gave in. As long as the personal information and insider secrets were kept hidden, the blog could continue on for many years. 

After a bit more conversation, Maka noticed Soul starting to get jittery. They’d been with the Evans for nearly five hours which was way past his patience bar. Maka could tell Soul was trying to hold out for his brother and grandmother, but it was getting late, so they might as well wrap things up. 

Maka managed to smoothly transition into a conversation about her mom, which promptly brought up how they should return to her soon. They all began to slowly make their way to the foyer, but before they reached the hallway, Maka felt a hand wrap around her wrist. 

“Maka,” Mrs. Evans spoke softly. “Could I have a moment?”

Maka paused in surprise. “Oh…of course!”

They hung back while the others kept walking. Mrs. Evans almost looked a bit…nervous. Maka didn’t think she was even capable of feeling that emotion. 

“Listen Maka,” she started after a few moments. “I want you to know that if you and Soul need any kind of support, please feel free to ask me.”

Well that was not at all what Maka was expecting. She was touched, but also a little shocked. 

“I appreciate that Mrs. Evans,” Maka answered with a soft smile. “But shouldn’t you be telling Soul that?”

Soul’s mom let out a short, breathless laugh. “I would, but we both know he’d reject me on the spot.”

Maka grimaced. “Uh, right I suppose that’s true.”

“Maka, my greatest mistake as a parent was not properly acknowledging my children’s feelings.” Mrs. Evans sighed, shifting her gaze to the floor. “In all honesty, I was told not to value such things. My mother is quite kind, but when I was growing up my father had different expectations, ones that made the house a lot colder. Somewhere along the way, I guess I ended up taking after him. It took me a couple years after Soul left to fully process my husband and I’s failures. I could apologize to Soul, but he doesn’t want that right now. This resentment in him is the consequence I must face for my actions. That being said, I won’t ignore him anymore. It’s clear that he loves you, and I’m sure the two of you have discussed your possible futures together. All of this to say, if there’s a goal you two have, please don’t hesitate to ask for help reaching it. We have so many resources that Soul should have complete access to. So while I know he’d never agree, I want you to know that I am here, even if it is a few years too late.”

Maka stared at her completely stunned. Mrs. Evans just laid all her feelings on the table without showing even a hint of emotion. She said it all as if she was reading it off the ground. It was a little appalling, but Maka supposed that this was just how Soul’s mom was. She didn’t think she could ever forgive her, considering how badly she’d wrecked Soul. However, people can change, Crona was proof of that. If Mrs. Evans was willing to take the first step, then Maka would at least receive it kindly. 

Maka reached out and took Mrs. Evans’ hand. “Thank you for telling me. I’m sure that wasn’t easy. I can’t say now if/when Soul will need your help. But I can say that I will take your words to heart.”

Soul’s mother looked back up to meet Maka’s eyes. “Thank you sweetie.” 

Maka held her hand until they reached the foyer, a strange plethora of feelings building up inside her. She pushed them down, choosing to focus on the brothers saying their goodbyes. Soul and Wes were clearly having a moment, as both of Wes’ hands were on Soul’s shoulders. 

“It’s truly okay, brother.” Wes stared with endearment. “I hold no animosity towards you. You did what you had to for your own sake.”

Maka felt the warmth flow through her partner’s soul. She was secretly hoping this meeting would help Soul’s relationship with Wes the most. There was a lot the two of them left unsaid, so she was happy to see Soul addressing those emotions rather than running from them. 

Next was Grandmum, who hugged Maka so tight and then hugged Soul just a little tighter. She was crying, which made Maka cry, and thus the three of them hugged again.

“I’m always the one consoling you two girls,” Soul joked. 

“Because you loveeeee us,” Grandmum responded with a cheeky laugh. 

His parents were last, Mr. Evans giving them both a forgettable goodbye. Mrs. Evans, on the other hand, walked up to her son and placed a hand on his cheek. He didn’t move away, but he wasn’t exactly leaning into it either. 

“Goodbye dear, try to call every once in a while?” Mrs. Evans asked more than said. 

“Okay Mother,” Soul simply offered. 

Although he was trying to hide it, Maka could feel the warmth in his soul increase just a bit. 

Mrs. Evans looked behind him at Maka. “And of course, take good care of Miss Maka.”

Maka blushed at that, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. “It was great to finally meet you all!” She smiled so wide her eyes scrunched closed. 

“You as well, dear” Mrs. Evans replied with a slight smile that had a shadow of  Soul’s Grandmum in it. Maybe there was a kinder heart underneath all that prestige. 

The two of them walked towards the station hand in hand, but they stayed relatively silent. Maka could feel Soul processing through his emotions that were sending him into overdrive. A lot had happened today, so she expected it to take a toll on him. It was best not to press him, he’d open up to her when he was ready. 

When Maka had accidentally gotten them into this family reunion, she’d expected the wild card to be Wes. Of all the family, he was the one who Soul could never talk about distinctly. Soul had a very definitive opinion about his parents, and an incredibly loving voice when he spoke about Grandmum. Wes had always been different, Maka would get a little snippet about him from Soul every so often, but they hardly ever talked about him exclusively. The way they were talking to each other at the end made Maka so happy. She felt really guilty about putting Soul in this position in the first place, so knowing that it wasn’t complete turmoil for him was a relief. Hopefully, her partner would give her the details later. 

The actual wild card ended up being Soul’s mom which, considering her personality, was a complete shock. Maka thought she knew how Mrs. Evans worked. The calculated professionalism, her passion for elevated society, and the harsh honesty made her seem untouchable. However, so many little things throughout the evening kept catching Maka (and probably Soul) completely off guard. Maka saw Soul’s mom laugh. She jumped at the first sight of Soul, asked about his improv, and actually looked sad to see him go. The cherry on top, of course, was her confession to Maka. It was utterly confusing, and while she was glad Soul’s mom spoke honestly to her, there was this heavy lead in her chest that made her want to throw up. 

 I’m sure the two of you have discussed your possible futures together. That’s what Mrs. Evans had said, right? She made it sound obvious, like it was a fact rather than speculation. The issue was, Maka and Soul hadn’t had any conversations about that at all. They didn’t talk about what they wanted to do with their lives, if they were going to keep these jobs or stay in the same house. She didn’t know anything. The two of them went through their lives one day at a time, and that was fine for Maka then. But now, as she contemplates the words Soul’s mother spoke to her. As she recalls the fact that both Mrs. Evans and Grandmum casually mentioned how Soul loves her, Maka realized there was so much she wanted. So much they hadn’t talked about. 

In Maka’s head, this was just an inevitable conversation. Something they’d speak about when the time was right. What if that time already passed? What if Soul was delaying the conversation to prevent hurting her? 

Okay, she needed to calm down. There was too much going on and not enough information to draw objective conclusions. Maka was waiting for a comfortable time to talk, so maybe Soul was doing the same. The thing is, men don’t usually wait things out like women do. That’s what Mama said, but she had to be wrong. She was generalizing. Although, thinking about it, Soul and Black Star didn’t usually hesitate in other circumstances. They were always picking fights they didn’t need to and saying stupid shit without thinking about it. If Soul was really in love with her, wouldn’t he want it to be official as soon as possible? Were they dancing around this conversation because he didn’t feel that way? Damn it, Maka was definitely losing it. 

She tried to calm herself down, remembering all the times Soul’s actions were so undeniably romantic. The problem was, once a spiral started, it took a lot for Maka to fully shut it down. She lost all awareness of her surroundings. She barely remembers making it back to the apartment, she was overthinking as Soul told her she could shower first. Even about 40 minutes later, when Maka was sitting on the bed waiting for Soul to come to her room (was he even going to?), she still couldn’t get rid of the catastrophizing. 

Death, why did Mrs. Evans have to say all that to Maka today? And why did Mama have to put such miserable thoughts in her head? Maka needed to confess everything to Soul, but how could she when he was dealing with so much already and-

“Maka?! Hello?” Soul shook her shoulder frantically. She turned around to find him sitting behind her on the bed, deep concern etched into his face. 

“Soul?” Maka’s voice came out a little shaky. “When did you get here?”

Soul’s eyebrows scrunched even more. “At least thirty seconds ago. What the hell is going on in your head? I called your name like 7 times.” 

Maka tried and failed to swallow the lump in her throat. “Sorry, I was completely spiraling.” 

The concern on Soul’s face remained unchanged, but his eyes softened a little. He moved up on the bed and crossed his legs in front of Maka. “Can you please tell me what’s going on with you? You’ve been distracted all day.” 

Maka released a long, heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, I’ve done nothing but add to your stress today. I’m supposed to be a perfectly supportive partner.” 

Soul rolled his eyes. “Okay first of all, you’ve done plenty to support me today. I would’ve never gotten through dinner without you there to answer all of my family’s never ending questions. You somehow managed to make me comfortable enough to not only be honest with my brother, but also play the fricking piano. I thought it would be another decade before I’d be able to speak to my parents normally, and yet I did it today. All of that was because of you, you were literally in my head keeping me calm.” 

Soul took Maka’s hands, rubbing slow circles on her palms. “Second of all, this isn’t a take turns system. I know you’re looking out for me and I appreciate that. But don’t hide your feelings from me just because you don’t want to burden me. That sounds like some stupid thing I would do.” 

Maka let out a laugh, lifting her head to the ceiling to stop her tears. How does she even begin to have this conversation? Her mind was buzzing with way too many streams of thought. 

“Maka?” Soul spoke softly this time. “Out with it please.” 

“Do you think about our future?” Maka blurted out. Great start, that’s not confusing or general at all.

“Um…you’re gonna have to be more specific.” Soul gave her a strange look that confirmed how poor of a start this was. 

“I just mean…” Maka took a breath. “Now that we have jobs and stuff. Do you think about moving to a new place? Like where you’ll have your own space?” She was beating around the bush a bit, but if she said too much the water works would start again.

Soul’s face somehow became more confused. “Uhhhh. I mean not really. I suppose it would be cool to move out. I mean, since I’m fully employed I should probably stop relying on your mom.”

Unfortunately, this answer was not what Maka wanted to hear. She took a deep breath in to try and calm herself. 

“Do you want to move to a bigger place?” Soul asked her, unaware of how close she was to crumbling. “If you want us to have more space, we can start looking when we get home.”

Wait, now Maka was the confused one. “What?” 

Soul smiled softly at her. “I’m assuming you’re asking me this because you’re sick of our current place. It is pretty small, and considering how much stuff you have accumulated we probably need to find you a bigger closet.” He dipped his head to the side in thought. “Maybe we should ask Kid if he’s got any spare mansions.” 

Maka half laughed, half cried in relief. This boy, completely unaware of how scared she was, still managed to give the most relieving answer she’d ever heard. Maka nearly flung forward and wrapped her arms around her partner. She truly was losing it. 

“Whoa!” Soul almost fell backwards, laughing as he hugged her back. “Maka, I’m extremely confused.” 

“I know,” Maka buried her face in his neck. “To be honest, so am I.” 

They stayed like that for a while. Soul kept his arms tightly wrapped around Maka’s waist, and pressed his cheek up against hers. Maka could feel his steady breath that contrasted her shaky one. 

There was no point in drawing this conversation out. Maka simply needed to ask him, no half-measures. Even if Soul gave her the answer she really didn’t want to hear, it was better than debating it in her head. Maka released her grip around Soul’s neck, moving to sit in her original spot. She was halted by Soul keeping his arms locked around her, so instead she sat on top of his legs. Unfortunately, being 4 inches from his face was not an ideal place to be in. If Maka prompted this conversation and he rejected her, they’d be in a pretty awkward position.

Soul narrowed his eyes on her. “Please don’t tell me you’ve been freaking out all day because you hate our apartment.” 

Maka giggled at that. “No, that’s not it at all.”

“So then, what is it?” 

This was it, no turning back now. 

“Are we dating?” Maka questioned, her voice much quieter than before. 

Soul stared at her completely dumbfounded. “...What?”

Maka scrunched her eyes closed, afraid to look into his eyes. “It’s just that…you let your whole family think we were dating. And I guess that doesn’t matter much because you hardly speak to them. But it kinda felt like something had changed these last couple months? I assumed it was mutual, that we were both feeling the same way. So I waited to see if you’d say something about it. Then today, your mom offered to support us if we needed anything in the future. She said that there must be things we’ve talked about that we wanted for our lives. The thing is, we haven’t talked about any of it. So then maybe I thought I was reading too much into it. Which is fine by the way! If you don’t feel like that it’s okay, but I just can’t get it out of my head. And then I was thinking about something Mama said about men not usually waiting things out. Obviously her opinion is not exactly trustworthy, but the timing was terrible and now I’ve been spiraling about it. Which is also terrible timing because you’ve had to process seeing your family again-.”

Soul rested his forehead on Maka’s shoulder and her breath hitched. She was still too afraid to open her eyes, but she could feel his breath on her heart. Her nerves jumped a little, whether it was excitement or nervousness she had no idea. 

“I’m sorry,” Soul whispered. 

Maka’s heart dropped. Sorry for what? Sorry that he doesn’t feel the same way? Sorry that he led her on?

“Wait, hold on.” Soul lifted his head up and moved one of his hands to her cheek. “No, no I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant-” He sighed, staring into Maka’s–now open–eyes with so much guilt in his soft red ones. “Death, I’m absolutely terrible at this. I’m sorry for not being clearer about it but, I’ve been thinking about our future pretty much everyday for months.” 

“Really?” Maka asked, a tiny bit of joy peeking through her fear. 

Soul nodded. 

“So then,” Maka let her eyes drift closed this time, leaning into his hand. “I wasn’t reading into it?”

She heard Soul take in a shaky breath. He moved his fingers to tilt her chin up, the pad of his thumb brushing against her cheek. Maka’s heart sped up a little, but her brain couldn’t figure out why. It didn’t hit her until Soul’s lips pressed against her own, basically frying whatever was left of her nervous system. Maka felt herself lean into him, her body reacting much faster than her mind did. His lips were pressed so delicately against hers, and yet that was all it took to set her veins on fire. Maka’s fingers traveled up Soul’s neck and into his hair. She savored the taste of his lips on her own, so foreign and somehow completely familiar. 

Soul broke away first, keeping the foreheads pressed up against each other. “You weren’t reading into it,” he whispered breathlessly. 

Maka smiled, tilting her head to the side just a bit before pressing her lips against Soul’s again. This time it felt even better, which meant there was definitely a method to it. She could figure it out, she just had to kiss him more. A lot more. 

Only you would turn kissing into some kind of experiment. Soul’s voice echoed through her mind much louder than usual. She hadn’t intentionally resonated with him, their physical intimacy clearly broke down whatever barrier was left between their soul connection. 

Maka broke away, turning her lips into a pout. “You’re just salty because I’m better at this than you are.” 

Soul shook his head. “You don’t have to remind me.” 

Maka scrunched her eyebrows, feeling the guilt pass through his wavelength. “Okay, spill. Your wavelength should not be this upset five seconds after you kiss me.” 

Soul smiled at that, leaning down to place a quick peck on her lips. “Just processing everything you said, realizing how uncool I’ve been about this.” 

Maka leaned forward, prompting him to continue. Soul sighed “I don’t know. It’s just like…I’ve been pretty unromantic. I’m supposed to take you on a date or ask you to be my girlfriend or something like that. Still, it took you having a nervous breakdown to get me to do anything.” 

Maka hummed, giving him a small smile. In truth, Soul had already done more than enough to please her. She didn’t need anything fancy, the confession was enough. However, the idea of Soul asking her on a date was intriguing. 

“Well you know,” Maka bit her lip. “There’s no time like the present.” 

Soul watched her with curiosity, his gaze traveling slowly from her eyes to her lips. Maka waited, giving him time to decide his next move. 

Suddenly, Soul’s head fell back onto her shoulder, his face buried in her neck. Maka rolled her eyes. Someone’s a little shy, huh? Soul whined in response, making her giggle. Maka was really enjoying this. Her fingers were still tangled in Soul’s hair, his arms holding her firmly in his lap with her knees on either side of his waist. The best part: Soul was holding her for no particular reason at all. They were sitting here, wrapped up in each other, just because they wanted to. No excuses needed. 

“Maka,” Soul spoke close to Maka’s ear. She felt his voice travel through her whole body. 

“Yes, Soul?” She whispered in response. 

Soul answered with a kiss on her collar bone, and then another, and another. Slowly he placed kisses up her neck, one by one. Maka hummed, her fingers lightly pulling on his hair. Each kiss left a warmth on her skin, followed by a chill through her nerves. These past few months, Maka had been holding back just how much she craved Soul’s touch. Now it was all laid out between them, there was no way she could keep it from him in their current state. 

Eventually, he peppered kisses all over her face. Maka giggled when Soul kissed her nose, which granted her another. He pulled back to look at her, light shining through his crimson eyes. 

“Is there any chance you want an idiot like me as a boyfriend?” He tilted his head to the side, a little smirk playing on his lips. 

“Mmmmm, there’s a chance,” Maka answered. 

“In that case,” Soul gave her another peck on the lips. “How about, the first day we get back to Death City, I take you out?” 

Maka laughed at that. “We aren’t really doing things in the normal order, are we?” 

Soul ran one of his hands through her hair. “Maybe. Then again, who wants to be normal? We’re much cooler than that.” 

“Can’t argue with that.” Maka agreed, moving to kiss him once more. Or maybe twice.