I am so sorry for not updating sooner! Thanks so much for all of the reviews, though! I can't believe I have so many! XD

I do not own Soul Eater blah blah blah I'd be sued if I didn't say this blahblahblah.

Okay, on with the story!


Thank god the class was finally done. Soul had spent the entire class with his students in complete silence after Maka had stormed out. Their first lesson and Maka didn't even want to breathe the same air as him. Good god, he needed to do something about this, and he needed to do it soon. Or maybe he just needed a drink.

He slouched in his chair at the front of the classroom, and announced that everyone could stop their silent reading. "Hey, you can all go now. And remember to get your tests from my desk before you go!" Yelling kind of comes naturally when you become the teacher of a bunch of idiot teens.

They came up one by one, each of them nervous or completely indifferent, depending on what their attitude towards school was. Soul settled his head back on his chair and shut his eyes, trying to relax. The room faded into quiet as the students all scurried out.

"Excuse me. Mr. Evans?" trilled a firm but smooth voice. Soul slowly let his eyelids open to see one of his students, a short, pretty young thing who sported slightly too childish looks to be taken seriously with that determined expression on her face. It made her sharp but bright hazel eyes look like a joke, and the way it made the soft skin of her cheeks puff out gave her the look of a bratty child who didn't get their way. The way that she wore her light brown hair in two neat, precise low braids gave off the air of an innocent school girl - which was also something to laugh at due to her candor.

"I said you could call me Soul, Aiko." Soul wasn't in the mood to try and be nice to his students. He also knew that this particular girl wouldn't take offense to it. She was too mature, despite her girlish stature.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir." Her face stayed the same. "It wouldn't be appropriate with our current social standings. I also believe adressing me with less formality would be best for your proffession, but it's not my position to tell you what to do, sir. You may proceed as you wish."

Soul's face dropped as he stared back the stern face that marred her natural beauty. He pressed his fingertips to his forehead and sighed. "Fine. Did you possibly have a question, Aiko?"

"Yes sir, I did. More of a formal adressing of the situation." She took a strong breath, like she was about to say something real important, and she wanted everyone in a mile radius to pay attention and hold their breaths like she did, waiting in anticipation for what she was about to say. "I believe it would be a good idea for Force and I to recieve more missions."

Soul narrowed his eyes at her, marveling at what he was hearing. "Oka~y. How would you like to go about this? The openings for extra-curricular lessons are posted on the board. Take however many you like. Just stay on top of your work."

"It's not a matter of how many, sir, it's the issue of importance. Quality, not quantity. We want to be directly recruited for the Academy's more serious assignments. I decided to request that you recommend us to Lord Death personally."

Soul thought about it for a minute. He thought his silence and seemingly wavering opinion on the matter would force more attempts at trying to convince him out of Aiko, but she remained silent and still, staring hard down at him. He shouldn't have expected anything from her. She didn't meet expectations, she made her own. She was confident. She had layed her proposal down, straight up, simple and clean. She assumed - no, knew - she would get her way. Long silence.

"Fine. I'll put in a request." Soul breathed out, looking back down at some papers on his desk, pretending to do something. He didn't have to look to know Aiko's face was still the same.

"Thank you, sir." She then picked up her test, and walked to the door where her partner was waiting for her. She didn't have to see her grade to know that she was the only person in the class who had gotten the 100%.

Soul's eyes followed her, observing. He really had no doubt she could handle harder assignments. She had fantastic potential to become an amazing meister, and she had outstanding grades. It was the weapon he was worried about. Force, his class problem child. Mind you, Soul had no doubts about the strength of the boy's talents as a weapon. He was "strong like bull" as Russians used to say when Soul had traveled to that God-forsaken freeze-your-ass-off-for-fun place a long time ago when he was still a student. But his grades, that was a different story. They were horrendous, with the terrible combination of the fact that he didn't give a damn.

As Aiko walked over, Force spoke to her from his position of leaning against the doorframe. "Hey, what took you so long?"

Aiko's epression of determination twisted into anger, positively spoiling her cute face as she sped up her walk and slammed her notebook across his head, screaming at him. "You were the one who went to the bathroom at the beginning of class and didn't come back until now!" Her face then made an incredible transformation. Every muscle in her face softened at an alarming rate into an expression of concern, pleading, and thoughtfulness. "Your grades aren't doing well. At this rate, we'll never become stronger as a team. You won't be able to become a Death Scythe."

The boy was taken aback a bit at this. He pushed thick, long, jet black bangs behind his ears to reveal crystal clear blue eyes. The gesture proved futile as the hair swung back over his eyes. His body language completely changed, and he seemed uncomfortable, bashful, and apologetic, all at the same time. After a bit of silence, he spoke up. "Hey, don't look like that. It's not attractive." His tone clearly stated that he did not believe this to be true. He was just trying to give a sort of normalcy to the awkward situation. "I promise I'll study for the next one, 'kay? Now can we go home and get some dinner? I'm starving!"

Aiko paused for a second, and then a gorgeous smile graced her features. "Okay! Come on!"

Aiko brushed past a shocked Force, going off on a complex explanation of chores that needed tending and food that needed making. Force was still standing in the doorway, paralyzed by the previous occurance. Once it finally registered with him, the tips of his ears turned red. He clenched his fists in an attempt to gather strength for something.

I've been there. Soul thought. It's okay, she feels the same. Go on.

Force's teeth ground against each other.

Go on.

An expression of pain and inner struggle passed across his face.

You can do it.

Jaw went tighter. Fists curled harder. He breathed inward.

Tell her.

He walked sadly away.

Soul didn't watch any more. He sighed strongly, and the sound echoed throughout the empty room. Soul then realized just how hopeful he had been for the boy. That the kid would finally work up the courage to tell the girl he liked that he'd had a crush on her ever since they had become partners in the battle against the Kishin. But the part of this that scared him the most was how much that girl reminded him of Maka. And how much that boy resembled him - in more ways than one. Soul needed to breathe, to think, to . . .

Oh, screw it. he thought. He grabbed up his papers, locked up the classroom, and headed to the faculty office. As he walked down the hall, he thought about Aiko and Force. He would recommend them for more serious missions, and he decided that he really didn't care about the kid's failing grades. Had he himself ever given a damn about them? He would just take all of Aiko's extra credit work and put it into Force's grade. It's not like she needed it.

Honestly, he was such a softie when it came to his kids.


God that was too short! I honestly didn't plan for this chapter to be all about Soul's student, but I kind of like it cut off there, and I also need to figure out a few more details about the future plans before I write anymore. Again, I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. I just finished a show, I'm in one now, and I just started a third, so please forgive me!

Also, about Force's name, have you ever noticed that Soul was supposed to be kind of like Maka's Dad, so his name is Spirit, and Soul is Soul. It kind of has that sort of "spiritual" theme goin' on, so I actually looked up "soul" and "spirit" on . The only feesible one that could pass for a name was "force," which was actually a word coming from "spirit," so I took that one. Just in case you were wondering. :3

BTW, I have decided not to change the rating, thanks to some helpful advice given by reviewers. It would totally ruin the mood, and I would get all emo with it, so, no. Speaking of awesome reviews, give me moooooore! You really inspire me to write more. Without you, I'd probably get bored with this story, and you don't want that, do you?

Also, the names Wakana Mori and Juri(cousins) used in the last chapter are the names of my Japanese roomates I had at camp this summer. I'm facebook friends with both, and I wish them the best back home. Because of the fact that Juri's name was in kanji(Japanese lettering) on Facebook, I could not put in her last name. Have fun, both of you! Watch One Peice and Ouran HSHC for me. Buy manga, or whatever. You get new releases before me, darn you! XD

All the best! Love is sent! XD