Chapter 1

Soul walked from his room and found Maka sitting on the couch with a book and low light beside her. He raised a brow as he poured a glass of water and wandered over to her. "What are you still doing awake?" He asked making her look up at him.

"I can't sleep." She said softly.

Soul dropped onto the couch beside her. "Well obviously or we wouldn't be talking." She gave him a quick glare before returning to her book. "What's going on, Maka?"

Maka sighed as she put her book down in her lap. She didn't look at him, but she spoke softly. "It's been three months since Kid was officially made the new Shinigami, it's been six months since we came back from the moon. We're not any closer to finding a way to help Crona and it's just a matter of time before Kid sends you off to cover one of the other death scythes' spots. And since you're the last one it's not like it's just going to be until a replacement is found." She rattled off keeping her eyes on her hands that were laying on the book in her lap. Soul furrowed his brow, he hadn't thought much about what would happen now and to hear her talk about her worry made him realize she was probably right. She heaved a heavy sigh before she spoke again. "It's probably just me being uncool." She said and gave him a smile. "We really should get some sleep." She said as she closed her book and stood up. "Goodnight, Soul."

"Good night, Maka." He said, watching her go into her room and shut the door. He sat another minute before he knew what he needed to do. He would go talk with Kid about what was going to happen and what needed to be done, first thing in the morning. He stood and went back to his room to get a few more hours of rest.

"Soul?" Maka called as she looked around seeing his door wide open. She furrowed he brow seeing a paper on the kitchen table. It was a note from Soul, surprising her. He had written that he had some work to do with Kid and needed to head tot eh academy early and did not want to wake her. She shrugged and went to get ready for the day. Even though she and the other Spartoi had technically graduated they still went to the school and helped the teachers teach new students and those still enrolled. As she walked to the academy she saw Soul standing with his hands in his pockets, talking to Kid in front of the school.

"Good morning, Maka." Kid greeted with a smile.

"Morning, Kid." She smiled happily as she stopped at Soul's side.

"I'll work on it." Kid told Soul. "I better get going, Liz and Patty are probably destroying the death room as we speak." He sighed and continued into the academy leaving the two partners alone.

"You were up early. Everything okay?" Maka asked as they turned and started making their way into the school slowly.

"Yeah, just was talking with Kid about some of the stuff going on with the witches and the stupid meetings he's making me go to." He grumbled making her smile. "Didn't think you felt like sitting around here that early."

"Yeah, thanks." The two walked down the hall to Marie's classroom where they would be helping today.

Soul continued leaving early before she woke most days, rarely did they get to walk to school together anymore. She could see him change, the shift in his uncaring and cool guy attitude to one of maturity and thoughtful. Sometimes, she would miss the old days, but she knew she had changed just the same. It had been nearly nine months since the battle on the moon, with Marie now needing to have more time off and preparing for the arrival of her baby Kid had offered Maka the job to fill in while she was on maternity leave. Maka was beyond happy to accept the position and today was her first day. She looked at the academy as she climbed the stairs and saw decorations being hung making her smile brighten even more. It was time for the celebration of the foundation of the academy as well as Christmas eve. She found Soul standing at the front of the school, waiting for her as he always did when he headed in early.

He grinned when he saw her walk over to him. "About time you got here." He teased making her elbow him as they walked in together. "You ready for this?" He asked as they stopped at the doorway to the classroom. She looked at him then at the closed door to the room. "You'll be amazing, you're a know it all anyway, might as well show off." He smirked making her smile as she looked up at him. "You're going to be a great teacher."

"Thanks, Soul." She smiled as she took a breath to steady herself. "I'll see you after class." He just nodded and watched her walk in, listening as she set her books on the desk and turned to the class. "Good morning. Since Miss Marie will be out for a while with her baby, I'll be your teacher. I'm Maka Albarn but you can just call me Maka." She started and looked at the faces of all the kids.

"She's going to be great as a teacher." Soul heard making him turn and see Spirit walk up to his side with a small smile.

"She's perfect for the position." Soul agreed. "Come to spy on her?" He smirked looking at the older death scythe.

"She doesn't need that anymore." Spirit smirked, glancing back at his daughter as she started the lesson. "She's got you for that." Soul cocked his brow as he turned away to lean against the wall.

"I don't spy on her." Soul scoffed. "I just check on her. You know how she is." He shrugged. Spirit just looked at him another moment. "What?"

"Nothing." Spirit shook his head. "I never liked you." Soul rolled his eyes and pushed from the wall. "But my Maka couldn't have chosen better." Soul looked at him. "For a partner, a friend, or anything more." Soul furrowed his brow as the older man just gave a sad smirk. "She's grown up quite a bit since she first entered the academy and a lot of it had to do with you being at her side to help her. I never did get the chance to thank you."

"What are getting at?" Soul asked, confused by the way Spirit was acting.

Spirit shrugged. "Nothing, just making a comment and thanking you for taking care of my Maka when I couldn't or wasn't allowed to." Soul just gave a nod. "You better keep up the good work." Spirit glanced at him, looked at Maka then turned and left, sauntering down the hall humming about going to see the ladies at Chupacabra's. Soul looked back in the rook at Maka as she walked in front of the class, teaching and explaining to the students about soul resonance. He thought about Spirit and his strange behavior, and what he said. Soul had seen it over the last few years, and even more so the last few months. She had changed, she had become more of an adult and less of the child he had met years ago when he agreed to be her partner. He looked at her a while longer before he smirked and walked away. He had known it and seen it. He had felt it for a while now and he had always pushed it away. It was never the time to say anything or to do anything about it, so he just focused on their tasks, but now that the battles were over, he was a death scythe and now she was a teacher, there was nothing to hide behind. Besides, he had decided to stop hiding and running when they had made contact with Crona during the battle. He just shook his head and started for the court yard to relax and wait to be called for something or to be found by Maka when she was finished her classes.

Soul cracked his eye when he heard familiar footsteps walking towards him. He smirked when he spotted Maka stop beside him with her arms full. "Hey." She said with a small smile.

"Hey." He said as he shifted and sat up looking at her. Maka sat beside him and laid the things in her arms to the side. "So how was your first day teaching?" He leaned against the tree behind him.

"It was great." She smiled brightly. "It really was everything I thought it would be."

"Told you." He smirked then glanced at the pile beside her. "You give yourself homework?" He chuckled as she shirked but gave him a look.

"Well I need to make sure I keep this class on track, it is miss Marie's after all. I can't just teach them anything, she has a schedule set out for them." She explained.

"Always a nerd." He scoffed.

Maka smiled at him. "Well if you want to be like that I'll just take all this food back inside and eat it all myself." She said as she held up two containers of food.

Soul smirked, she was always so thoughtful and always making sure he had what he needed. "You eat all of it yourself, you get fat." She glared at him. "Guess I'll just have to help you with that." He watched as the smile returned to her face. He hadn't realized it before, but he always felt lighter seeing that smile. She handed him the one container and the two ate their lunch talking about her teaching and the students in the class.

That night Soul walked from his room, pulling his suit jacket on. "Maka, come on! We're going to be late. You're not that ugly." He joked.

The bathroom door flew open. "Shut up, Soul." Maka scolded as she walked out in a thigh length, dark red, strapless dress. Soul turned to retort but stopped when his eyes caught sight of her. He felt like his body shut down. She fidgeted in front of him. "I look horrible, don't I?" She asked as she played with the skirt. "I should have never let Liz talk me into this dress. I'm changing." She turned back towards her room only to have Soul grab her hand and spin her back towards him.

"No, you look… fine." He said before he shook his head as he gained his body back. "Let's just go, we're going to be late as it is. Come on." He dropped her hand and turned away leading the way out of their apartment and towards the academy where they were going to celebrate the foundation of the DWMA for the first time since they had all grown into their titles. Maka paused only a moment before she followed, letting him lock the door behind them.

"Maka!" Her father called as he spotted her and soul enter. "A vision as always." He said as he stopped in front of them. Maka gave a bright smile.

"Maka! Soul!" They heard as Liz and Patty walked over. "You wore it!" Liz smiled looking at the dress. "I told you it would fit perfect!" She cheered before she looped her arm with Maka's and pulled her off with her. "You have to see these guys over here." Liz said as they left the two death scythes, Maka looking at Soul for help but he smirked and shrugged.

"Liz is going to get her into so much trouble." Kid sighed as he joined them. "She's been waiting for you two to show up so she would have someone with her to talk to those guys over there." The three men looked over as Liz spoke dramatically with Maka standing beside her and the two handsome men in front of them.

Spirit puffed up his chest. "My Maka's too young for boyfriends."

Soul laughed. "Sure, go embarrass her in front of everyone, that's a great way to get her to keep talking to you." He said sarcastically as Spirit deflated.

"Then you do it!" Spirit said glaring at the younger man. "You go stop this."

"Why should I?" Soul asked and shrugged. "I'm not the one bothered with it."

Spirit glared at him and stomped off to sulk and find a way to interrupt Maka without her getting angry at him. "You sure you're not bothered by it?" Kid asked looking at his friend.

"What?" Soul scoffed. "Why would I be bothered? It's not like Maka and me are anything." Soul said as he glanced back over as Maka seemed to relax talking to the one man.

"Sure seems like your bothered." Kid said making Soul, snap his eyes to him. Kid smirked. "You may say you're not anything but you're not as secret as you think you are." Soul looked at him another minute before he rolled his eyes and left the Shinigami. Soul made his way to a balcony like every other party that was held. He had tried to reach out and not hide away from people, but he really did hate parties, especially ones that one of his best friends wasn't at and his other best friend was wandering around with some guy. Soul scoffed. As if he cared what she did.

"Soul?" He heard making him turn and see Maka with a plate of food. "Come on, I know it's not the same as when Black star and all are here, but at least try to enjoy it." She said making him shrug and look away.

"What's it matter? I'm perfectly fine right here, you go have fun or whatever with those guys you were talking to." Maka looked at him a moment before setting the plate down and turning to him with a small smile.

"Are you jealous?" She accused with a smile, making him glare at her.

"Why would I be jealous? Not like a cool guy like me would want anything like that with a flat chested girl like you." He mumbled looking out oat the city, avoiding looking at her, but he could feel her anger as she put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "What?"

She sighed and looked away. "Nothing."

Soul raised a brow as he looked at her, watching the others dance. "Aren't you going to go dance?"

Maka looked confused. "Why? None of them know how to really dance." She leaned on the railing looking in through the doors. "It's been a while since we danced. The last time was when…"

"When we fought Crona before the Kishin was woken." Soul finished, watching as her smile faded from her face and she looked up at the darkened moon. "We will find a way to help Crona." He said making her look back at him and give a nod. "You better eat your food before it gets cold." He said making her look back at the plate.

"I know you don't like waiting for food and all, so I grabbed some for you too." She smiled and handed him a fork to share the food. They fell silent when they were done, just leaning on the rail looking out over the city. So much had changed in the last year, everyone had changed so much since the battle under the academy to try to stop the Kishin from being awoken. Soul watched Maka from the corner of his eye as she heaved a sigh, looking much older than fifteen. "Soul?"

"Hm?" He hummed in response.

"You've been going in early a lot the last few months, ever since I told you I was afraid Kid was going to send you to cover one of the death scythes spots. Is everything okay?"

Soul nodded. "Everything's okay." He reassured her. "Kid just wants some help working out details and working on keeping everyone safe." He looked at her. "It's actually how we've been able to keep your dad, miss Marie and me here."

"Really?" She looked surprised. "That's why you've been getting to the academy so early?" He nodded before a smile crossed her face. "Thank you, Soul."

"What are you thanking me for? It's not like any of us really want to be sent all over." He said, brushing it off but she leaned over to kiss his cheek.

"Because no matter what you always find ways to make me feel better." She said softly as he turned and looked at her, neither realizing just how close they were at first before she pulled away both with slight blushes across their faces. Maka looked back into the party and they were silent another moment before Maka spoke again. "Hey, Soul?" He looked at her. "Let's dance." She looked at him with another smile. "We haven't danced together in a long time and it does help with matching wavelengths."

"Like we need help with that." He scoffed.

"Come on, just once?" She glanced around to make sure her father wouldn't interrupt them and let him off the hook again. She watched as he looked at her, as if contemplating the options. "Please?" She asked making him sigh defeated.

"Fine, just one." He watched as her face lit up and she grabbed his arm, pulling him with her to the dance floor. He took her hand in his making her turn to face him, placing her one hand on his shoulder as he placed his other hand on her waist.

"You lead." She said making him smirk at her.

"Of course." She followed his direction as they began to dance around the floor. Soul watched as her smile grew with each moment they were on the dance floor. He had said only one dance, but her smile and happiness had them out on the dance floor, waltzing around the crowd for three songs before she stopped him.

"We can stop if you want." She smiled up at him. "I know you don't like to dance that much and we did more than one dance. How about we get something to drink and just relax. I mean how often are we really going to get parties this quiet without Black Star." She giggled making him smirk at her.

"You're a dork." He smirked making her smile even brighter before she pulled him with her through the crowd.

"Why can't they just make it official?" Liz sighed as she stood with Kid and Spirit. The three had watched Soul and Maka dance, it was the first time they had seen the two dances together and it was amazing how they seemed to flow. Spirit was about to burst onto the dance floor and pull the death scythe away from Maka but as they turned, and he found the brightest smile on her face that he ever remembered seeing, he stopped in his tracks. He watched as she seemed to become more and more happy with every passing second, her smile brightening as she laughed and moved with Soul who never took his eyes from her face.

Spirit watched when they stopped and Maka spoke with Soul who just smirked at her and let her pull him around. He couldn't seem to move, seeing how happy Maka was made him freeze. He hated it, but he knew she deserved to be happy and right now it was the younger death scythe that was making her happy. He wasn't going to take that away, no matter how much he wanted to keep her his little girl.

"Neither of them are much for reaching out and making things easier or for official announcements." Kid said making Spirit snap from his thoughts. "Everyone sees it, it's just a matter of time before they see it themselves."

"That's if they haven't realized it already and are just being stubborn." Liz sighed.