A/N: Holy crap it's chapter 4! Kinda totally in love with this chapter. We'll see Tsubaki in chapter 5. That'll probably be completed sometime tomorrow. I'm guesstimating a 10 chapter fic at this point. No promises...we'll see what happens. I have a lot of ideas, but what writer doesn't? Enjoy!


It was a short but silent walk to a nearby café. She'd passed this particular place many times, but had never really taken notice of it. It was slightly off the beaten path, a bit of a hole in the wall. She already felt appreciative of it. It had the ominous name of "The White Reaper Café", but the feel inside was cozy and quaint. When she considered the company she currently kept, she was moderately surprised at his choice. He had struck her as a chain store type of fellow.

And then she cursed herself for being so shallow and judging him before she even knew him. Not that she was here to get to know him at all; of course not. He was just offering her a coffee because he'd nearly scared her into an early grave.

Her companion led them to a quiet corner table and began pulling out his laptop. Maka frowned, wondering if he was going to surf the internet or some other such thing when he had supposedly brought her here to make amends. Her consternation was quickly replaced by revulsion when a busty waitress bounced (quite literally) over to their table.

Golden eyes peered keenly at the young man who had already begun to slouch in his chosen seat, and she practically purred as she bid him good day. Her dress left little to the imagination, black and slinky, showing off the kind of curves Maka most definitely did not possess, and long purple hair framed a narrow face. Her nails were long and painted black, looking similar to claws. The irony was not lost on Maka when the woman referred to her compatriot as "kitten."

Red eyes positively lit up when he saw her, and Maka felt her stomach twist again. Was he really so tactless as to bring her to a place where he could ogle other girls? What the hell! She felt her face flushing with anger but attempted to keep a lid on her temper, quick movements catching her eye as she stewed in silence.

Her head tipped with curiosity as the messy haired male suddenly stopped and then turned to her. He flicked his hands about, twisting elegant fingers into shapes she didn't know were possible. When she only furrowed her brow, clearly confused, the waitress giggled softly and spoke.

"He asked if you know how to sign," she chirped brightly.

"Oh!" Maka blinked and dropped her eyes, suddenly ashamed of herself. "N-no, I'm sorry."

The waitress smiled softly, flipping violet locks over her shoulder as she shrugged in relative indifference. She turned once again to the male in the corner and gestured back at him before nodding quickly.

"He wants to play a game," she smirked, trying and failing to hold back another giggle. "I'm Blair, by the way. Don't mind me, just your friendly neighborhood waitress and sign language interpreter! I'll be back in a minute."

And the bubbly woman bounced away again, presumably to take care of other customers.

Maka's gaze returned to her new acquaintance. He seemed entirely too relaxed for the situation, a lackadaisical smile on his face, the front legs of his chair lifting up off the floor as he leaned backwards, long arms folded behind his head. An ivory eyebrow arched upwards on his forehead, an apparent invitation for her to speak. He waited a moment longer before leaning forward and placing a small stack of laminated cards on the table.

"Game?" she inquired, immediately curious.

He huffed lightly, sorting through the cards and nonchalantly placing one in front of her.

SORT OF

Her nose wrinkled as she contemplated the card and then the strange person she had chosen to spend her time with. She didn't like not understanding what was going on. But Maka was an intelligent woman and quickly thought back to the two other cards she had seen from him before.

YES
SORRY

Green eyes lit up with excitement, and she leaned forward as if she were a paleontologist that had made some great discovery.

"Is this how you communicate?" she spoke hurriedly.

This time he frowned. He picked through his cards and placed another in front of her.

SLOW DOWN

It was hard for her to contain her excitement, but she did as he asked, speaking more slowly. His answer pleased her. Or rather, her solving of the puzzle pleased her, fingers clenching into happy fists as she read his cards.

YES –followed by–SOMETIMES

Maka thought about her next question carefully, tongue sticking out of her mouth as she pondered.

"You can read lips, then?" she tilted her head as she asked, moderately annoyed when he rolled his eyes at her before nodding and tapping the "sometimes" card.

"Why only sometimes?" she was horrifically inquisitive.

He began typing on his computer as she finished asking her question, and, had she been a dog, her ears would have perked right up. She was insanely curious about what he was doing, begrudgingly fascinated by his behavior.

As she waited for him to finish writing, Blair returned to set down two large mugs between them. Maka watched as fiery eyes flicked towards the effervescent waitress and recognized the simple sign for "thank you." Blair gestured back a pleasant "You're welcome!" before she asked if Maka needed anything else. She shook her head no and offered her own thanks, thin fingers wrapping possessively around her mug before returning her attention to the man at the computer. It just barely registered in her mind that he must have ordered their drinks when they had first sat down. She was far too immersed in her current conversation to think about anything so trivial as coffee.

Absently, he pushed his pale hair out of his face, the headband he wore clearly doing nothing to help tame it, and gestured for her to come and sit next to him.

Maka was skeptical.

He huffed and frowned at her, clearly exasperated, before he motioned again, more emphatically. When she still didn't budge, he hunched over the keys before cautiously turning the laptop so she could view the screen.

I'm not trying to pull anything. It's just easier if I don't have to constantly turn the screen. Have a little faith.

Maka had the presence of mind to look abashed, cautiously maneuvering her chair around the table to sit next to him. She was suddenly hyperaware of him; of everything about him. He smelled spicy and smoky, like a bonfire, and she noted that even though he had features that most would consider harsh, she appreciated their unique quality. His carmine eyes were captivating, and there was an almost overwhelming urge to run her hands through his frosty hair. She found herself intrigued by the golden hue of his skin considering the otherwise obvious signs of albinism. He was slouching, as if there was a permanent hump in his back, but she was all too cognizant of his true size. He certainly had a presence about him.

He tapped her and then pointed at the screen.

You're staring.

She choked on her sip of coffee and tried to hide her blush. He only smiled, smug bastard. She tried to take the focus off her momentary indiscretion by reiterating her earlier question, which he answered with no hesitation.

I can read lips, but people often speak too quickly for me to understand. Or they're too chicken shit to look at me.

Her head swiveled sharply, eyes surprised and then sad as she contemplated the meaning of his last sentence.

He scowled at her.

Don't do that.

"Don't do what?" she frowned back.

Don't pity me. I'm not…damaged.

"Well, that's true enough," she agreed with him. "But your social skills could use a little work."

He only continued to glower.

Rather than dwell on the tension that was clearly building, Maka sipped daintily at her coffee while he indulged in what appeared to be a chai tea. She hummed to herself, contemplating her next question. Clearly he wasn't bothered by her inquisitive nature, and she felt she should indulge in the opportunity while she had the chance. She wasn't sure it would present itself ever again.

He had momentarily lost his focus, checking something on his phone. She forced herself to ignore the rude gesture and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. When he looked up she made sure to look directly at him, and she made a greater effort to enunciate her words.

"Were you born this way?" she asked, hesitant, knowing she was walking a fine line. Especially with someone she had only met once before, twice if you counted the park. Neither run-in had been pleasant, save for the latter resulting in the current excursion.

He sat up a bit straighter, eyes hardening briefly before he sighed and gave her a softened smile.

If you're asking if my lack of hearing is caused by my albinism, then the answer is no. They are two separate misfortunes.

Maka dared to try her luck one more time. She knew she was prying, but she couldn't help herself. She always wanted to know more, wholly believing in knowledge for the sake of knowledge.

Plus, she was just kind of a nosy bitch.

"How did you go deaf?"

His nostrils flared when she asked this question and he turned away from her abruptly.

She openly cringed, unable to stop herself from reaching out and placing her small hand on his forearm. When he continued to ignore her, she offered a small squeeze, relieved when he opted to face her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. That was rude of me."

He firmly nodded his agreement.

She smirked at him, embarrassed and amused. He didn't have a problem calling her out and she didn't have a problem with him doing so. Another gulp of coffee was swallowed before she raised her hand to push a stray strand of hair behind an ear. She regarded him silently before speaking again.

"May I ask you one more question?"

His hands were folded in his lap now, posture notably more closed off than when they had first arrived. He was feeling distrustful of her, and that made her feel guilty and small.

"It's not like you have to answer if you don't want to," she said, attempting to be casual.

His brows knitted together for a moment before he gave her a single nod of acceptance.

Maka smiled lightly, pleased that he was willing to allow this one last intrusion.

"What's your name?"

He sat up stick straight and looked at her with startled eyes. His hand pressed to his chest and he leaned forward a little, looking out into the café and then back at her. It was the universal gesture of "Who, me?"

The young woman was unable to stifle a giggle as she nodded at him. "Of course I mean you! Who else could I possibly be asking?" she gestured to strangers in the vicinity. "And I think it's only fair that I know the name of the man that knocked me over and chased me through a park!"

Grassy eyes followed the cursor on his laptop as he wrote for her.

Nobody has asked me my name in a very long time.

This time, when her eyes fell on his face, there was no pity, no sadness, just genuine interest. She absently patted his knee and softly said, "I'm asking."

He brought his right hand up so Maka could watch him make four simple signs before he lowered it again. Then, before she could say or do anything else, he reached into the breast pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out a single card. It was completely pristine, separated from the rest of his deck and unmarred by any touch other than his own. He gently pressed the object into her tiny hand with a hesitant smile.

Maka's gaze dropped to the seemingly blank card and slowly turned it over to read it.

MY NAME IS SOUL