11:47.
It was 11:47pm and he still wasn't home. That morning, he'd claimed that he had a test to make up and an assignment due for Stein. Well, that reason turned into a lame excuse at 8, a weak lie at 9, a horrible deceit at 10, and just awful partner status at 11.
What on earth could he be doing at such an hour…
She hardly dared to think of all the possibilities, so she merely sat on the couch, trying to bury her nose in a book until he came home…
At 1:03 he snuck through the front door, an uneasy grimace on his lips. Crap. That had taken way longer than he'd hoped. Getting everything together was much more of an undertaking than he'd imagined, but the big day was only a week away, and it all had to be perfect…
He froze when he rounded the corner and found Maka glaring at him over the top of a frighteningly thick tome.
"H-Hey, Maka…" He stuttered, knowing all too well what that dangerous glint in her eyes meant….his skull was toast…
"Soul Eater Evans."
Crap. She even threw in the last name. He was beyond screwed.
"WHERE on earth have you been? Do you REALIZE what time it is?!"
Clenching his teeth, he tried to look her full on, but the glimmering jade stared him to silence.
"How could you do this, Soul? HOW could you be so irresponsible?" She threw her book to the couch. A safe sign, for now…"Goofing around so late, ESPECIALLY when final exams are coming up soon?! I thought you were better than this, I really did. How I could believe you were any less perverted and horny than any other teenage boy…"
"Hey, wait a second!" His eyes locked with hers, now burning with indignation. "Don't make any stupid assumptions like that, Maka! I'm not your pervy old man! I wasn't at the Cantina!"
"Well then where WERE you at such an hour?" She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked a hip, a brow raised. He nearly slapped himself for being such a moron…but…Death, she was attractive when she was mad…
"I…um…well…I…" Inhaling through his nose, he mustered every ounce of courage left in him and declared, "Maka, we're going out for your birthday!"
"Wh-what…" She stared.
He swallowed.
"Uh…uhm I said we're going out for your birthday! Just the two of us!…I-is that okay….?"
She stared.
His gaze fell.
"Uh…uhm…."
"It's great, Soul." His head snapped up, his crimson eyes wide as they absorbed her sweet smile. "It sounds like it could be fun. Where are we going?"
"That." He cocked an easy grin, slowly regaining his cool. "Is a surprise!"
Chuckling lightly to herself, she crossed to him, unlacing her arms as she planted a kiss on his cheek. His tan complexion instantly turned bright scarlet under her soft lips.
"Sounds cool."