Chapter 1: Come Together

I have been planning this AU since October of last year, and it is finally happening! I am so excited for everyone to read this, and I seriously hope y'all enjoy this little story. A special thank you to my betas lucidrush, lucyrne, and earth-shines who helped make this story so much better. A very special thank you to eisschirmchen who brought this AU to me and listen to be blarg about it this entire time. She also made the cover for this AU along with a few art pieces which can be found on her tumblr! Comments/reviews will be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

The devilish smirk she had grown to love flashed her way, sending a chill down her spine. His body pressed against hers, her heart beat faster as heat radiated off him, and her steps were quieted as he trapped her into a corner of the hallway. Her eyes remained trained on his, which allowed her to notice the hunger and desire that burned behind his gaze. He reminded her of a predator as it prepared itself to pounce on its prey and devour it whole, its teeth ripping through skin and bone to fulfill its want. Licking her lips in anticipation, she wrapped her hands around the collar of his jacket and pulled him closer to her.

He should have frightened her, but he didn't. Maka loved every second of it.

Dark, lecherous ember eyes stared down at her. Sharp teeth scraped along her neck. Lips found their way to hers. Fingers twined their way into soft white hair. Moans and gasps breathed against her skin. Pants filled the air. Hands gripped her waist as he pulled her closer to him. His erection pressed against her stomach. A low, throaty growl erupted from him. Her core clenched.

It was dangerous for them to be doing this.

There was the possibility of someone walking down the hallway and catching them in the middle of their sinful act at any moment - Blair, her Papa, any of the other staff. Yet, that had always been the thrill behind it; being caught was the one thing that drove her to be so teasing with the poor man. Everything she did was to torture him - from the skirts that made his mind race to the lightest of touches as she passed him in the halls. It was all pure, blissful, sweet torture. And it was all worth it if the end result was a little rendezvous session when he was supposed to be working.

Never in her life did Maka think she would fall in love with Soul the butler, but she didn't regret it either.

If anyone asked her what she thought of the situation, she'd tell them she hated it - despised it actually - but no one did. Not her friends when she complained about it in their group Skype chat. Not her Papa when she expressed as much when he told her his brilliant plan during dinner. Even the maid had ignored her fuming in the kitchen while she cleaned up after their meal. No one gave a fuck what Maka thought of the preposterous idea, and it irked her to no end. Wasn't she a part of the Albarn family household? Didn't her opinion matter?

Apparently not, because there she sat in the small parlor room, the sun shining in through the window behind her as she tapped her foot on the leg of the table and waited for the first interviewee. The search in finding a new butler - because to hell with hiring another maid for her father to oogle - was going to begin. Because that was exactly what they needed, more help around the house. It wasn't like they had enough people already. Why the hell did they need another one just because she had moved back home? It was pointless and idiotic and-

"Maka," Blair purred from the doorway, "the first candidate for the job is here."

Sighing, she unfolded her arms and allowed them to fall to her lap as she gave the maid a small scowl. "Send them in," she said dully.

Blair quirked a brow as she cooed, "Remember to smile and be polite. Don't want any potential employees to get the wrong impression of you so soon."

Maka stared at her for a second, mulling over her words, before giving a half-hearted smile while the other woman beamed. "I'll keep that in mind. Go ahead and send the person in."

The maid disappeared, and Maka listened to the clicking of her heels as she walked down the hallway to the entrance room of the house. Blair was the first help Spirit had hired when they moved to Connecticut years ago, and she had taught Maka everything she knew about the basics in life, including the birds and the bees. She was the woman who had taught her not to allow silly men break her heart, and that when they hurt her, it was only fair that she hurt them as well. Either a kick to the groin or a punch to the nose always did the trick, but never let them see you cry. When it came to relationships, weakness was never an option.

Maka lived by that, breathed it even, because she knew the dangers of giving her all to men. No matter how good they seemed to be, it always ended with lies and cheating and heartbreak.

"Hello," came a small voice from the doorway. Maka turned to stare at the newcomer, noting her black pigtails and small frame; she looked far too young to be applying for a job as a maid. "Are you Miss Maka?"

She nodded. "Mhm. Come on in, and take a seat." Maka gestured to the chair in front of her, and the girl quickly sat down. "It's nice to meet you, Miss..."

"Tsugumi Harudori."

"Miss Tsugumi. How old are you, by chance?"

"I'm twenty-one."

Oh, so she was only a few years older than Maka.

She smiled, and pretended to jot something down in her notebook before turning back to the interviewee. "Tell me a little about yourself."

The girl, Tsugumi, was sweet, her personality was wonderful, and she was definitely someone Maka saw herself being friends with. She was also someone Maka's papa wouldn't fawn over and flirt with since she lacked the figure he was attracted to. But she was too hard working. If Maka was going to hire someone, it had to be a person who didn't give a shit about work, was a lazy ass, and would end up getting fired within a week. They didn't need a maid or a butler, and she was going to do everything in her power to demonstrate that.

After Tsugumi left - Maka told her she'd inform Tsugami later if she was hired or not - there were still another ten or so applicants lined up for an interview. Not one of them reached her standards or qualified for the position she was looking to fill. They were all too eager, too enthusiastic to work for the Albarn family, and promised to do the job well. Every single one of them was wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong!

She needed someone who didn't give a fuck about working! Someone who would show Spirit they didn't need to waste their money on a new addition to the help. Her father was an idiot who didn't know the first thing about managing his money! They didn't need a new hire. What they needed was to save their money, and to be quite honest, she was growing tired of seeing people. If she didn't find someone, Spirit was going to take her place, and then she'd really be shit out of luck. He'd probably end up hiring the first woman who walked into the room on the spot without even knowing her name.

She was rubbing her temples when Blair poked her head in, a sly grin on her face that usually meant trouble. "The last applicant is here."

"Go ahead and bring them down," she sighed. "Not like they'll be any better than the others."

"Oh, Maka, sweetie," the maid purred. "I think this one is up to your very high standards, and he's a real cutie to boot! I'm sure you'll love him."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see," she cooed before disappearing again leaving a very bewildered Maka behind.

Sometimes the woman confused her to no end.

A few minutes later a man with stark white hair that practically glowed against his tan skin and red eyes that were abnormal walked in. His attire was probably the worst she had seen all day. Who the hell wore an 80's rock band shirt and tattered up jeans to a job interview? Who in their right mind left their house thinking that was presentable and professional? At least the other applicants had chosen to dress nicely for their interviews. The way he sauntered in and slouched when he sat down gave her the vibe that he wasn't here to please her or kiss her ass, and a small part of her was excited about that fact. Maybe Blair was right, maybe this was the perfect candidate.

And he was cute too. If only just a little, though.

"Hi, I'm Maka Albarn," she said, offering her hand to the man before her and giving him her most welcoming smile.

He stared at her like she was insane for a split second before slapping his hand in hers. She noted how slack his handshake was. "Soul."

There was a short pause in which she waited for him to give her a last name, but when he didn't, Maka quirked a brow. "Do you have a last name?" she deadpanned.

Soul rolled his eyes, and scoffed at her ignorance like his last name was common knowledge. She was starting to like him even more. If he kept up with that attitude, he was definitely not going to last long as a butler because if there was one thing her papa hated, it was rude assholes. Along with men who were within 500 feet of his daughter, but that was an entirely different issue.

"Evans. Soul Evans."

"It's nice to meet you, Soul Evans."

"Likewise, I guess," he mumbled.

Ignoring his nonchalant behavior, Maka smiled and rested her elbows on the table. "So what brings you here today?"

"I was hungry and walked in here because I thought it was a McDonalds, but I guess I'll have to cure my munchies another time." At her confused, scrunched face, he smirked, and Maka noticed his teeth were sharp. Very sharp. Did he get them filed down? What kind of weird, satanic kid was she dealing with? "Kidding. I'm here for the stupid butler job."

"Right." She sat back in her chair, bringing her notebook into her lap, and put some distance between them. "Tell me a little about yourself, Mister Evans."

"Soul. You can drop the formalities, and call me by my first name," he corrected. "Not much to know about me. Just a poor twenty-two year old looking to find a decent job some place to get some extra cash for pot."

She raised her eyebrows, but chose to pretend she didn't care about his last comment. God, he was definitely blunt, though, wasn't he? "And why do you want this particular job?"

He shrugged. "The ad looked interesting in the paper this morning so I thought why not? No harm in trying, right?"

"Right." She scribbled something incoherent even to her to make it seem like the notebook served some purpose. "And how hard working would you say you are? Are you good at time management and things like that?"

"Wouldn't really call myself hard working, if I'm being honest. More like doing the bare minimum, and sitting on my ass the rest of the time. And my time management isn't really the best. If you hire me, I can't promise I'll be on time or anything. Might be a late a few times, hungover, depends on what happened the night before. Also, I don't like waking up at the asscrack of dawn, and you wouldn't much like me at that time anyway."

"Then why are you here? You do know this is a job as a butler. You'll have to work your ass off to make this house spotless if you want to be paid, and it sounds like you aren't really that qualified for the job."

"Like I said, the job seemed interesting so I came. What more is there?"

Maka nodded, and pulled up the paper with the rest of the applicants contact information on it and slid it in front of him. "If you can fill out the last line, I think I've heard all I needed to from you."

"So the interview's over?" he asked as he took the notebook and did as she had asked.

"Yep. I'll call you tonight if you get the job."

"I'll be waiting."

She highly doubted that, but smiled nonetheless as he stood up and left. Sliding the notebook back toward her, she picked up the pen and circled his information while crossing out everyone else out on the list. There was no need for them anymore. Maka knew who she was going to pick if one last plead with her father didn't work because Soul was the perfect candidate. There was no doubt about that.

"But Papa we don't even need a new butler or maid!" Maka slammed her hands on the counter, glaring at the man in front of her like she had done many times before. Usually it worked when trying to make him see things her way or terrify him into succumbing to her demands, but for some reason it wasn't working this time around. It probably had to do with the fact that he wasn't looking at her!

"Maka, we talked about this last night-"

"No, you talked about it and ignored everything I said! We have enough help around this damn house! Another person will just cost us more!"

"And it's my money. I can spend it however I want. Besides, the new help isn't for me. You're living at home again, and I want someone who you can call for at anytime."

"But I don't need anyone to help me! I can take care of myself! Plus there's always Blair if I do!"

Spirit sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. Maybe she should lighten up and do as he wished, she owed it to him after everything her mama had put him through. But she had been hurt as well, and the sting of her papa's betrayal still pained her after all these years that it was hard for her to simply put it in the past. A part of her still wanted to be vindictive, to put him through the same suffering she had gone through. But another part wanted to be the kind, caring daughter she should have always been to him since he was the parent who didn't disappear.

It was always the vindictive part that won, though.

"I know you can, Maka. I'm not saying you can't, but this is a gift from me to you as a way of saying thanks for coming back home." His gaze shifted from the table to her, the sorrow clear behind his blue eyes, and her heart clenched. "I really did miss you."

And there it was. The words that he knew shot through her own heart, the words that crumbled the walls she had built around herself, the words that pained her like no others. They were the words that always won her over when they had arguments like this, the ones he used when he was growing tired of her being so hateful.

So she did what she always did: straightened up and buried the emotions that were slowly rising to the surface back to the darkness of her soul. The warm feelings that filled her heart and the urge to embrace the man were strong, but she was better than that. She was ruthless when it came to her papa - she knew that - but it was the only way of living she knew when it came to him, or any man for that matter. Never let them see you sweat, were words she lived, breathed by. And there was no way she was going to allow herself to change that now. Not after years of pulling the same defense tack.

"Fine. If this is what you want, then so be it. I'll hire someone," she bit out. "But just remember that this doesn't change how I feel about you, and it never will! Yes I moved back home, but that's only because I missed the application deadline for on-campus housing. I won't next year, though."

The pained look in his eyes didn't go unmissed by her, but she ignored the desire to reach out and apologize as she continued to glare. She was stronger than that.

"You're an adult now so that's fine with me. You're free to choose where you want to live, and I can't argue with you on that." She opened her mouth to reinforce her point on not needing help, but he put up a finger to stop her. "But this is something I thought would be nice for you, to have someone help you around the guest house. You'll be busy with school work and spending time with your family. You can't expect to spend all your time cleaning up after yourself. Plus, whoever you hire will also help around the main house. It's beneficial to everyone."

Maka pouted because he did have a point. School was going to be heavier on her this next semester since she was taking some harder courses compared to the year before. But it still didn't excuse her need for a butler in the guest house, and she wished he understood that.

Instead of arguing further with him on the matter, however, she sighed heavily, turned her head away in defeat, and crossed her arms. "I'll go call the person we're going to hire."

She listened to Spirit's footsteps on the tile floor as he walked around the small island, and batted away the familial warmth that spread through her chest as he hugged her to him.

"Thank you." He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Maka."

Biting down on her lip, she wiggled out of his grip, and walked out of the kitchen, not bothering to return his declaration of affection. It was harsh, but she was pissed that he didn't side with her on the matter. Then again, she was hiring Soul which was her own form of revenge for the entire debacle, and in a weeks time, hiring a butler was going to be the farthest from her mind. Employing a butler was going to be the least of worries, and she was going to live her life like a normal human being who wasn't rich and could afford such luxuries.

Given the fact that his brother was the same as him when it came to their parent's money, Soul hadn't expected Wes' apartment to be so expensive and extravagant. On the outside, it didn't seem like much - just a regular apartment - but on the inside, it was definitely not like the ones Soul had been in before. The quality was higher with the real hardwood flooring, cream-colored walls, and polished marble bar near the kitchen. Hell, even the fridge and stove were high tech and top notch. Wes paid a pretty penny to live in a place like that, and Soul wasn't entirely sure of the reasoning behind him finding a place that resembled the Evans home so well.

The biggest surprise, though, was the fact that Wes had also chosen a floor plan that included a second bedroom. It was almost like he was expecting his brother to move in with him, and follow in his footsteps of leaving home. Nevermind Soul had spent a couple years in college while his brother had only lived in the apartment for a year. Nevermind he didn't exactly plan or ever suggest living with his brother. But when it came to that or moving back home with his parents when the hole college thing didn't work out, Soul's only choice was his brother. Still, no one - not even himself - had predicted he'd drop out, so why had Wes?

Walking into the spacious home, he tried to ignore the crippling fear that came with the thought of his beloved brother counting on his failure, and focused on the events from earlier. He wasn't getting the butler job, that much he knew for sure. The girl - Maka? Was that her name? - didn't seem to like him at all. Even her attitude at the end of the interview gave the impression she despised him, which in hindsight was exactly what he was going for.

Who the fuck wanted to work as a fucking butler? Not him, that's for sure.

"Hey little brother," Wes called from the kitchen when Soul walked in.

The younger brother's only response was a small grunt as he shredded himself of his shoes and jacket, dropping them off near the front door.

"Don't keep those there!" his brother chided. "Put them back in your room. I don't want this place to be completely taken over by your mess."

"Yeah, yeah."

Wes emerged from the kitchen wearing a pink frilly apron that was most definitely not his if the embroidered name 'Jessica' across his chest was any indication. The smile from his face dropped as his eyes trailed up and down his brother's body in disgust. Soul mimicked his actions, and noted that he probably shouldn't have wasted an extra thirty minutes than necessary in order to beat his brother. He should have came straight home after the interview and changed, given the impression that he wanted to work instead of laze around the house all day.

"I'd ask how the interview went, but your outfit tells me all I need to know. Did you really wear that to a job interview?"

His voice was low, and to someone who didn't know Wes, it would have seemed like he didn't care. But Soul wasn't a stranger. He was perfectly aware of his brother's behavior by now, and when he spoke with that tone, it meant he was really pissed off.

"Does it matter? It wasn't even a real job."

"What do you mean it wasn't a real job? You signed forms and did an interview, right? They're gonna pay you if they give it to you. That is if you didn't fuck it up by giving them a bad first impression."

Soul sighed and walked toward the couch to plop down on it, crossing his arms in the process. "God, I walk in the door, and the first thing that happens is I get yelled at for no fucking reason. Can't I rest a bit before you chew my ass off?"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't, Soul."

He turned to glare at his brother, but backed down immediately. Wes' blue eyes were so cold as he stared Soul down that he practically felt the knife stabbing him in the chest. Soul had fucked up big time, and there was going to be hell to pay. But instead of facing his issues head on, Soul scoffed and turned away from his brother, glaring at the ottoman that sat in front of him and wanting it to set on fire.

"It was a stupid butler job that I only went to because you were up my ass about getting a fucking job." Soul heard Wes take in a deep breath to yell at him some more, but he spoke before the older man could. "But tomorrow I'll go out and look for another job. I noticed there were a few places hiring on the way home. I can start there."

Wes' barefeet slapped against the hardwood as he walked toward Soul, and the couch cushion beside him sunk down as his brother sat there.

"Just because I fucked up one interview, it doesn't mean it's the end of the world, Wes. You gotta know that."

"I do, but it seems like you don't give a fuck. I know that might be true, but I wish you did. You've been living here for three months now free rent. I give you a place to eat and shower and sleep. The only thing I'm asking in return now is that you help me out some. That's why I want you to get the job, Soul. It isn't to force you to do adult things." Wes sighed and ran a hand through his light blonde hair. "I love you, and the last thing I want is to kick you out and toss you back to Mom and Dad."

Soul's heart ached at his brother's words, and he chanced a side glance to study the older man before speaking. His face was calm, a little worn from age, and his eyes were closed as he steadily breathed in and out. Wes looked old for someone who was so young, only seven years older than himself, and he felt that somehow it was his fault. That somehow since he had moved back in, he was the cause of the hints of grey that littered his brother's hair.

Wes definitely didn't look like that when Soul showed up on his doorstep a few months ago, his duffel bag hanging over one shoulder and a helmet tucked under his arm. His brother had looked youthful, his facial features relaxed with no visible wrinkles, his bright blue eyes shining with admiration, and his blonde hair thick. He definitely wasn't the man he saw now. His hair was lighter, eyes more dull than before, and small hints of lines littered Wes' face. Since the time Soul had moved in, his appearance had changed, and a small pang of guilt shot through his heart like an arrow.

Turning away from his brother, he decided that maybe he should help make his life easier, and finding a job was definitely the way to go about it.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," Soul said as he stood up from the couch. He felt Wes' gaze follow him as he made his way to the back of the apartment, probably expecting some rebuttal from their conversation, but there wasn't one. If he said anything else, he didn't know how he'd react as his chest pained and his world caved in.

The hot water was welcoming as it scorched his skin, washing away the guilt and resentment he felt for treating his brother like complete shit. Wes had been so gracious to Soul since he dropped out of college. Whether it was because he had counted on his younger brother's failure in college or not, he had still opened his home up to Soul with no questions asked. He didn't have to do that, God did he not have to, and Soul should have been grateful for his brother's generosity. Honestly, he should have been.

But what did he do in return? Not a damn thing except be a lazy ass who sat on the couch all day playing video games. Yes, he helped clean around the apartment, and kept things tidy when Wes gave him that look. But not once did he offer to help pay for the expensive as fuck apartment or the groceries he bought. All this time he took everything Wes gave him and did for him for and washed it down the drain like it was complete shit, which included everything Wes did during their childhood. Soul's entire life, and not once did he appreciate the things his brother did, not once. Even he was disgusted with himself at the thought, and only imagined how Wes felt about him.

When he finished taking his shower and changed into his pajamas, Soul walked out barefoot to the front of the apartment and sat down at the dining room table. A few seconds later, Wes emerged from the kitchen and placed a plate of food and a bottle of water in front of him before taking his own place on the other side. They ate in silence, both brothers lost in their own thoughts. Soul mostly brooded about how terrible a brother he was. When he finished stabbing his chicken out of anger, pretending it was himself, Soul threw down his fork and slammed his hands on the table.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

Wes paused mid chew to glance up at his brother before starting up again and swallowing. "Sorry about what? Did I miss something?"

Soul growled and ran a hand through his hair. "You know exactly what. I'm sorry for being such a shitty brother these last few months. I haven't treated you the way you deserve to be treated, okay? I'll get a fucking job and help pay some of the bills. I'll try to do better, I promise. Can you just stop guilt tripping me?"

"I wasn't guilt tripping you, though." His brother gently placed his fork down next to his plate, and rest his elbows on the table. "I was just trying to help motivate you to do something with your life instead of sitting on the couch all day playing video games."

"It sure as hell felt like you were."

"Then I'm sorry, but I'm glad you're finally gonna help me out here. This place really isn't cheap." Wes picked up his fork and began to eat his food once again, carefully stabbing the green beans on his plate. "So, have you heard back from the butler job yet?"

"Nah." Mimicking his brother, but with a more harsh motion than him, Soul resumed eating his own dinner. "The girl hasn't called me. Doubt I got the job, too. I was a complete dick during the interview."

"Oh, a girl? Future sister in law?"

"Really, Wes?"

His brother shrugged. "What? Gotta find you someone, right? Can't have you living with six billion cats and starring in an episode of Hoarders or something."

"That's not even fair." Soul took a bite of his food, his sharp teeth digging into the chicken and ripping it from the other half. He spent a few seconds chewing on the food as he opened and closed his mouth. The manners he was raised with were thrown out the window as some pieces flew from his mouth, and Wes gave him yet another look. "I don't like cats."

"Who taught you to eat that way? A cow?"

"If by cow you mean my older bro then yes."

"I'll take that as a compliment since cows are gorgeous."

"You should check a mirror. Unless you've broken all the ones you own already."

"You aren't funny," Wes said, pointing his fork in Soul's direction.

"Yeah, says you-". He was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing from his back pocket, and Soul placed his utensil down on the table to fish it out.

"Whoever it is, tell 'em you'll call when dinner's over," Wes commented.

The younger brother's response was to grunt as he stared at the unknown number that shone on his phone screen. It wasn't from someone he knew, but the area code was from their part of Connecticut. Usually he avoided answering calls from foreign numbers, but for some reason he swiped to take this one.

"Hullo," he said as he set the speaker to his ear, his other hand picking at a whole in the outdated table cloth.

"Hi, this is Maka Albarn. I was calling for Soul Evans," came the cheery voice of the girl who had interviewed him earlier. His heart jumped in his chest as he quickly glanced at his brother, remembering their conversation only minutes ago.

"Uh, this is he."

"Oh good. I was calling to tell you that we would like to hire you as our butler. If you're still interested that is."

Swallowing his pride, he quickly debated his options. On one hand, he could tell the girl he wasn't and find another job if anyone else was willing to hire a college dropout. Or he could say he was still interested, work as a stupid butler, and help his brother out with bills. Neither option seemed enticing as he twirled a loose piece of fabric around his index finger, but he had to choose one of them. Who knew if he'd find another place to work, a place that paid well. And the family did seem rich. If he remembered correctly, the maid who had led him to the interview let slip how much she made a week.

"Yeah, I'm still interested. I'll take it." He sighed as he leaned back in his seat, twining his fingers through his hair and throwing a toothy grin to his confused his brother.

"Excellent." Maka paused on the other end for a brief second before speaking again. "Can you come in tomorrow at two to fill out some paper work and get acquainted with your duties?"

"How long will I be there exactly?"

"It won't be too long. Probably three hours max, but you'll be getting paid for it. Also, since you don't have a uniform yet, you'll have to get fitted for it. I recommend-"

"All I need is a suit, right?"

"Mhm."

"I got that already."

"Oh, that's good to hear. Then wear it when you come so I can make sure it fits with the standard dress code." She took a deep breath in. "So can I expect you here at two tomorrow?"

"Yep, I'll be there."

"Good. See you then, Soul. Bye."

"Bye."

Hanging up the phone, he set it back down on the table, picked up his fork, and resumed with finishing his dinner, ignoring his brother's raised brows as he waited for an explanation. Several seconds passed, the sound of silverware hitting ceramic filling the quiet apartment, when Wes finally cleared his throat to draw Soul's attention back on him. Soul's mouth was mid-chew as he looked up at his brother, his teeth still chomping on the piece of chicken.

"What?" he asked, spraying a few bits of chicken on the table.

"Learn to eat with your mouth closed," Wes chided. "And tell me what that call was about, please! I'm your brother, you owe me that much."

"Being my brother doesn't mean I owe you anything."

"You were a pain in the ass when you were a kid, and as the older one, I was the one who had to deal with that. So yes, you do owe me."

"Well, as the younger brother who had to endure all your violin playing no matter the occasion, I'd say you owe me."

Wes shook his head exasperated. "Are we really having talking about this? Tell me what the damn phone call was or I'll cut your dick off in the middle of the night."

"God, you can be a little fuck when you want to." Soul paused to take a drink of his water, slammed the bottle on the table as a few droplets spilled out, and wiped his mouth off. "I got the butler job." He found it difficult to fight back his own grin when his brother's lips pried open to reveal his perfectly straight teeth.

"Really? That's great! I don't know how you did it dressed like a hobo, but you did! Congrats, little brother!"

"Thanks." Soul bowed his head as his bangs fell in front of his eyes to hide the warmth that spread across his face.

They spent the rest of the dinner talking about his new job, and how crazy it was that he was going to be working as a fucking butler. Even Soul had to admit that it was one of the more insane things he'd ever done, and never in his life had he expected himself to wind up as one. But there he was. Twenty-two college dropout who was living with his brother and about to start working as a butler. Totally living the dream.

At least it made him feel less of a shit brother. That was the bright side here and that was the only thing that mattered, he told himself as he went to sleep , both dreading and anticipating the next day.

After hanging up, Maka dropped the phone onto her desk and smiled to herself. Out of everyone she had seen that day, Soul was by far the one that had fit her standards - which weren't very high to begin with, and didn't say much either. There was no doubt in her mind that he wasn't going to end up being fired within a week. The boy was a lazy, good for nothing who could care less about his job, and nothing made her happier.