Maka got in her apartment completely and utterly soaked, her face red and puffy from crying. As she sobbed into a pillow she felt a hand softly rest on her shoulder. Was it Soul? But shouldn't he be with his family? Why would he be home?

"It didn't go well?" His deep rasping voice asked quietly. Maka sniffed sharply, trying to calm down.

"Hey Soul? If I told you something was wrong. Not something bad, but something had changed, would you think I was crazy?" She rushed ahead without waiting for an answer. "My dad invited me to dinner. And I went, expecting the worst. As usual. But then he... said some confusing stuff. Like how he hadn't been dating, or cheating on mama. And of course I started yelling, telling him that's all just a lie. He's usually with three other women at once! But then mama walked in the door, and they were... they were friendly with eachother. And acted like they were married. They wanted me to move in with them, Soul. We could..." She didn't finish the sentence, just looked at him with a deep yearning of a child who had never had a real home. Then she looked away. "But thats wrong. They got divorced, because papa just kept cheating on her. They aren't married. It's just... wrong."

"Huh. Well, that confirms that I'm sane."

"Why? Did something happen?" She asked, confused.

"It wasn't as big a change as yours. But my family talked like I had been in touch. I hadn't seen them in years, but they brought up recent conversations we had, conversations I don't remember. It was strange." Maka stood abruptly.

"I need to change. I'll be right back." She walked to her bedroom and shut the door.

Yanking open dresser drawers, she rummaged for a change of clothes as she thought. Both she and Soul had found inconsistencies. Something, in the few days they had been gone, had changed. Maybe just for them, or maybe something was different about the entire world. Maka carefully dried her hair before slipping into a pair of soft green flannel pajamas. She was wearing them for comfort after all, so getting them wet would ruin the point. Then she meticulously fastened every one of the small plastic buttons. Tossing the wet clothes down the laundry chute, she sat back on the couch next to Soul.

"What do we do now?" He asked, fingers laced behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

"All of this was for the better." Maka said, half to herself. "I'm not even sure if I want things to go back to normal."

"Depends." Soul muttered.

"On what?"

"What else might be different. Think about it. We both had something good happen. But that doesn't have to be true." He sighed. "We just don't know. Which means we need to find out." Maka nodded, hugging her knees to her chest. "It's settled then." Soul said. Maka buried her head in her knees. On the trip back, she had wondered about finally living life. Asura was dead, and with him, a large portion of everything wrong with the world. Soul was still here. And there was something she had been meaning to tell him, if they both lived. But then this had to get in the way... "What's up?" He asked, startling her from her reverie.

"Huh? Why do you ask?"

"You have that look you get after a test. When you analyze every answer you wrote and convince yourself that they were all wrong. Despite how you always get a perfect score." He knew her too well.

"I was just thinking." She paused a moment. Was she going to ask? They had barely been back for five hours, and there was something new to deal with. It could wait. No. No it couldn't.

"Whatever you're trying to say, spit it out already."

"I'm trying! Quit interrupting!" She huddled tighter. "Hey Soul."

"Yeah?" There was a pause.

"What do you think of me?"

"Hmm." He said, staring at the ceiling. "Well. That's an interesting question. I think you're the most capable person I know. You're smart, and good at almost everything. And while social skills fall into the small list of things you're bad at, you're a very kind, caring person and you always look out for people. Also, topping the list, you're the girl who killed a god yesterday. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if..."

"If?"

"Quit interrupting!"

"Geez. Sorry." Maka was silent again.

"I was wondering if you liked me! Because I've wondered for a long time but it never seemed like the right time to ask. So now I'm asking!" Maka practically shouted in a torrent of words without pausing for breath. She felt awkward. Had she just really said that she liked him? Wasn't there another word? What was she, ten? The silence stretched on longer, and longer, until her anxiety over what he would think was overruled by anger. Maka looked up at Soul, angry enough to be thinking about where she might hide a body. And then she immediately regretted it. He was laughing at her. Silently, but helplessly, his shoulders shaking and one hand over his face. Maka groped around on the side table for a large book she had been reading, planning to hit him with it. Seeing her, he immediately sobered up.

"Sorry. It just seemed so funny how you beat me to the punch."

"Huh?" She asked, confused, dropping the book back on the table. He leaned over and poked her in the forehead.

"Use that big brain of yours. What I mean is I was going to ask you the same question." He smirked slightly. "Probably with less volume." Maka was very, very quiet. She almost seemed like a rock in green pajamas. Slowly, hesitantly, she shifted over a bit. Then a bit more. Finally, she leaned over. Apparently she wasn't close enough, because instead of putting her head on his shoulder like she had hoped, she toppled over into his lap, almost dying of embarrassment in the process. But it felt nice. Maka decided that she didn't want to move. He was so warm...

"Hey Soul." She murmured, her high soft voice almost silent.

"Yeah?"

"Do things seem to be changing a little too fast?" He thought about it for a moment.

"Well, we had two really good things happen in as many days. Asura is gone. And we're together. And who knows, the whole mess with history could just be... I don't know, but it doesn't seem all that bad yet." Maka snuggled closer a bit, and looked up at his flame red eyes. Then she sighed. He was trying to make her not worry. It wasn't working.

"Hey Soul. What should we do now?"

"I was going to sleep." He leered suggestively. Maka glared, and flicked him hard, leaving a red mark on his pale skin.

"Idiot. Though that isn't a half bad idea. I'm exhausted." Soul looked thoughtful.

"You want to sleep together?" He said casually. Maka thought. What would he think if she refused? Did she want to? Definitely. But it was just... so weird. Maybe things were moving too fast. But, Maka realized, maybe that was fine.

"Yeah. I'd like that. Not-" She said sternly. "that way." She definitely wasn't ready for that yet. He chuckled dryly.

"Yes, yes. Now get off. I need to brush my teeth." Maka sat up and watched Soul as he wandered into his bedroom. Life was definitely looking up. but there was still the new issue of history changing. It worried her, growing in the back of her mind like a tumor. She stood up, went to her bathroom, and started vigorously combing her hair. When it met her approval, she climbed into bed and started absently reading a random book. Soul came in a minute later, having changed into a soft cotton shirt and loose sweatpants. He slipped in beside her, and flicked off the lamp. They lay in the darkness, feeling more than a little awkward. Was anything going to happen? Did she even want something to happen? Finally, Soul wrapped strong arms around Maka, pulling her in for a kiss. She was so surprised that she was motionless for a few seconds, then kissed him back. After a few seconds, she broke apart.

"Idiot. Go to sleep." She murmured, cuddling close to him. Maka fell asleep with the little warm waves of his steady breathing washing over her.