OH MY GODS I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THE LATE UPLOAD! Allow me to explain. Basically, I had to go to my dad's on Valentine's Day, for the weekend, and I couldn't get this uploaded before I had to leave. I already had the file pretty much ready though, save for a few hundred words or so, and I figured, "Okay, no biggie, I'll upload it with my phone." Well, that didn't fucking work. I spent two hours straight trying to get the damn thing to copy/paste and in the end I just about threw a temper tantrum. So I was just as pissed as you guys. Alas, I'm home with my beloved computer, and I can upload. Hopefully you guys don't hate me too much, and so please enjoy the final installment of Queen of Hearts.

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.

Queen of Hearts
by. xxBurningxx

Shibusen's First Annual Valentine's Day Ball.

Maka stares at herself in the mirror for at least five minutes before grabbing a brush to further mess with her hair. She's never been one to pay too much attention to her appearance; she takes showers on a daily-basis, doesn't wear makeup, and draws her hair up in two simple pigtails. Nothing extravagant. Tonight is different, however, because it is Valentine's Day and there's a party to attend.

The dress she's wearing is simple, stopping just above her knees. It's a deep emerald color that compliments her eyes; at first she had given it a second thought, only because this particular holiday calls for warmer colors (red being the most obvious example) but then she had decided that she didn't really care. If she has to go to this stupid ball, then she'll wear what she wants to wear, regardless of what others think.

Her hair is straightened, curling at the tips slightly. She glances at a bag full of brand new makeup products Liz had given her ages ago, contemplating whether or not to use it. After another full five minutes of simply pondering this, she decides that she's not there to impress anyone, setting the bag down after having picked it up. Then she grabs it again, giving it a long stare before a sudden loud banging on the door cuts through her concentration.

"Oi, hurry up will you? We're gonna be late, and we both know how you get when we're late to something!"

"Shut up! I'm almost done," she shouts, dropping the makeup bag again.

When she steps out of her room, the sight she's greeted with makes chest flutter. Soul is standing there clad in a dark pinstripe suit, very similar to the one he wears in the Black Room except the shirt underneath is white and his tie is a deep red. In same way her dress brings out her eyes, his tie accomplishes just that, highlighting his bottomless pits of crimson. His hair is just as messy as it always is and she briefly wonders if he even tried to fix it any. She doesn't realize her breath is hitched until he mumbles something she doesn't hear. "What?"

"It's nothing," he says, gesturing towards to the front door."Come on, if we're not there at the 8 o'clock speech, Kid'll fuss about it."

Maka glares at him, unwilling to move. "Tell me!" she growls, folding her arms. The toothy grin he gives her doesn't infuriate her like she knows it should; instead it only succeeds in making her heart thump a little quicker than normal. He begins pushing her towards the door, ignoring her weak cries of protest, and as soon as the door closes behind them, a purple cat walks around the corner.

Being a cat, her sensitive ears caught what Soul had muttered to Maka when the exchange occurred.

She smirks to herself because she agrees; Maka-chan did look pretty good in that dress.

Everyone is there.

And she means everyone. From teachers to students from each grade level, the place is packed full. As she had predicted, most of the girls were wearing black or red dresses, sharply contrasting with her own.

Soul and Maka had arrived a few minutes early because even though the event technically starts at 8 o'clock, everyone knows that Kid is extremely punctual and if something starts at a certain time, then it starts at that time. So everyone gets there slightly early to avoid being caught off-guard.

The setting itself isn't as bad as Maka had expected. The balloons were kept to a minimum and the streamers weren't as off-putting as they had been a few days ago. At the back, near the stage, was a large banner that had written neatly on it: Shibusen's First Annual Valentine's Day Ball. There are large tables, some with dull pink tablecloths and others with bright red ones, that display beautifully set-up platters of food. No one's dared to dig into any of it yet except—to no one's great surprise—Black Star. He's tearing up the leg of a roasted chicken, and Patty's standing nearby with a look on her face that suggests she might join him before too long.

Maka looks away from the blue-haired idiot, rolling her eyes. "Oh, by the way Soul, I convinced Kid not to make you give a speech."

He looks at her with a look of gleeful surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, I told him that if if you spoke too, he wouldn't be able to end the speech portion of the evening exactly at 8:08 PM."

"Ahh, that's great," he says, huffing out a great sigh of relief.

"You owe me one," she says, smiling at him and only half-kidding. They mingle for a few moments and Soul gets them punch from a large bowl that he suspects is crystal. They're just about to join their friends when a loud chime cuts through the crowd, getting their attention. Kid, donned in his cloak and mask, is standing at the stage making wide arm gestures to signal for everyone to quiet down. He stands tall and proud with a glass in one hand and a spoon in the other while Spirit hovers nearby. He clears his throat before speaking.

"As you all know, this is the first year that Shibusen has decided to hold a Valentine's Day event. Because of what we do here at Shibusen, sometimes it is hard to find love among all the learning and work. For the EAT class, it can be even more difficult due to the constant struggle to keep the frequently appearing pre-Kishin at bay. Despite this, we all have people we care about, whether that be in a platonic way or otherwise. So, if you are here tonight with your lover, then congratulations for surviving another day together. If you aren't, then congratulations as well, for being part of the family that is Shibusen."

Kid continues to talk for five more minutes, until the clock strikes 8:08 and he concludes his speech. It's a shock to some that Black Star actually manages to remain quiet through the entire thing; others believe that apparently an entire chicken is enough to distract even a god.

"With that, I hope everyone enjoys their evening. Cheers, for Valentine's Day."

Everybody raises their cups and an eruption of cheers ripple through the crowd. After that, the area is a mess of people trying to get plates of food, so Maka takes a step back from large group of people. She decides that food can wait until the line dies down. It isn't until almost an entire hour of mingling passes that slow music begins to echo throughout the large room and Maka watches as people begin pairing up to dance. She sips on her punch as she observes the happy couples slowly waltzing and a pang of sadness twinges in her chest.

It's then that she realizes that Soul is no where to be seen. Her eyes dart around, trying to spot his unmistakable mess of white among all the other heads in the room. When she doesn't find him, she approaches Liz and Tsubaki and asks them if they'd seen her idiot-weapon anywhere. They only shake their heads and give her sympathetic looks that make her eyebrow twitch with annoyance. As she's walking away, an idea sparks in her head. Remembering how much he despises large groups of people, she takes a step onto the balcony. The instant she sees his figure leaning up against the railing, she smiles. A sudden rush of nostalgia sweeps over her, memories of that night so many years ago that was just like this.

She goes up to him, rubbing her arms at the chill in the air. When her shoulder brushes his, he glances over. "How you doing?" she asks, looking out over Death City.

"Fine," he grumbles, taking a swig of his punch. "Just thinking, is all."

"You'll hurt yourself if you do that too much," she jokes lightly, but he doesn't laugh.

Instead he shrugs and says, "I know." Something about his tone of voice is somber and it makes her heart sink a little.

"Soul, you know if you want to talk to me you can."

"I know," he repeats. "I know."

They stand in the night together, enjoying the comfortable silence that settles between them as their souls buzz next to each other. The moon grins down at them, casting a soft glow on their skin while Maka is caught in her own thoughts as well. She thinks about all the things she's been through the past few days: how impossibly angry this holiday makes her, how frustrating everyday tasks became because of it, and most of all her conversation with Kim and Jacqueline. What scares her the most is the conclusion her head's come to. When did her partner become so attractive? Since when did his hair look so soft and utterly touchable? When did her heart start racing every time his lips tugged up in a smirk? It's terrifying because for so long she's told herself that she wouldn't allow herself to fall like that for anyone. So what was it about his impossibly scarlet eyes that made her freeze in place?

She realizes something at that moment.

Maka Albarn had been doomed to fall for him since day one. The moment his intriguingly dark yet soothing music filled her ears she should have known.

It's all so obvious now.

"Hey," she says, nudging his shoulder. "Dance?"

He gives her a blank stare before looking at the door and then back to her as though considering something.

"We don't have to go back in," she adds. The music is still audible, even outside, and she knows dancing out there in such a large mess of people would no doubt make him uncomfortable.

"Yeah," he says quietly, offering her a small and completely genuine smile. It's enough to make her heart flutter again in that stupid way.

Her hand on top of his, they sway to the soft melody coming from the door. She praises herself for becoming much better at waltzing, and although he doesn't know this, she's spent a considerable amount of time reading through books about it. In exchange, they can successfully move together without any toes being stepped on.

She's not sure when it happened but somewhere along the way their bodies had drifted closer, and now she was nearly touching him.

Her mind isn't really in sync with her body because she her head falls on his shoulder, resting in the crook of his neck. For a horrible second she thinks he might say something because his wavelength wavers a little, but then she feels his head leaning against hers; for the umpteenth time this night her heart tightens with nerves and she feels like she collapse.

When the song from inside slowly dies down, their movements do as well, but they don't separate. They simply stand there, the night wrapped around their figures as the chilly breeze outside nips at their skin. The silence seems to communicate their feelings just as well as words would have; maybe it has something to do with the fact that their souls are so fine-tuned to one another that words simply aren't necessary. Perhaps this is the only thing they needed all along: a sappy holiday that they mutually despise and a quiet dance alone together on said holiday. They're a quirky pair like that.

"Hey, Maka," Soul says softly, pushing her back gently.

She looks up at him a vaguely remembers when they were the same height. It seems like forever ago. "Yeah?"

Then he leans down and his lips are brushing over hers. Instantly her eyes flutter shut and a tsunami wave of different things are crashing down on her; a complicated mix of relief and joy that swirl around in the back of her head as she wraps her arms around his neck. And it feels right. It's so natural that neither of them question it. When they part for air, they lock eyes for only a second before their mouths are reunited once again. This time it's more passionate.

She can feel all the years of pent up love she hadn't even known existed flowing out of her soul at that moment. It's not just her either, because she can feel the exact same emotions bouncing off his soul to hers as their lips move against each other. His hands sneak around her waist, pulling her closer. As oxygen once again becomes a hindrance, they pull apart somewhat unwillingly. It's okay though, because he's grinning and she's smiling and they've barely even said a word to each other.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Maka."

"Oh Death, don't remind me."

Maka Albarn was a naive girl six years ago. She should have known that Soul Evans would take her heart and keep it for himself; then again, how could she have? Likewise, Soul Evans should have been weary of a bookworm like Maka Albarn because it was obvious she would put him under her spell like a magician in one of her novels. They had been doomed to love one another since day one.

Even so, grinning at each other like idiots under the moonlight with flushed faces feels pretty good, after all.

A/N: AGAIN I'M TERRIBLY SORRY ABOUT THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES I HAD.

With that, this concludes my story Queen of Hearts! A big shout-out to Lisp, waytheballbounces, ilarual, CrazyDamson, SassySimoneEvans, ButtercupandButch, harpseal111, and Strophanthus for giving awesome reviews! And to everyone else that faved or followed, you guys are awesome too. I thank everyone for reading this, and I hope you enjoyed it! (If you came this far, then I hope that means you did).

I considered adding some conflict with Soul's fangirls in this chapter, but then I decided that no, I just wanted this to be mainly about them.

I had a lot of fun writing this. Usually I'd do a one-shot or something, but this was a nice change from the usual. Hopefully you guys enjoyed V-day, even if you're single. I'm single! Why do you think I'm on FanFiction so much? Haha, I'm just kidding, but seriously.

Also, I'll come back and do some more editing; just wanna get this chapter out there first, so.

Anyways, as always, thanks for reading!

Until next time,
[Burning]