Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.
Chapter Eight: Kitties Aren't the Only Fluffy Things I Like
It had been about three weeks since Wes and Blair fell into their laps and Soul was not as dissatisfied as he thought he'd be. Wes had landed himself a job at a ritzy private academy giving snobby rich kids private lessons. Blair's business was going pretty well and she did help out with rent as promised. She even bought she and Wes their own groceries so that there'd be no arguments over that either. His mother was still doing well with her therapy and handling her job at the law firm well; she did occasionally butt heads with Blair but Soul just assumed that was because Masumi never got to formally meet the girl before she joined the family. His relationship with Maka was still going swimming.
He was, however, nervous about how things would turn out tonight; they were having a family dinner at the Albarn residence. Masumi and Spirit had not yet met, despite Soul and Maka being together for a month and a half now; tack on Wes and his rather… Eccentric, for lack of a better word, wife and Soul was a bundle of nerves. Spirit watched he and Maka like a hawk whenever they were at work or when Soul would go over to spend the night. Soul guessed his actions at the karaoke club hadn't helped much, but he just really didn't want to give Spirit a reason to hate him; Spirit might break him and Maka up if this dinner didn't go over well!
"Soul, please," Masumi sighed heavily as she turned into the apartment complex the Albarn's lived in. She had purchased herself a car about a week ago because, after a homeless drunk urinated on her shoes, she adamantly refused to ride the bus any longer. "We are not a bunch of immature children; we know to behave ourselves and not embarrass you too terribly tonight. After all, you want to look cool for your girlfriend and her dad." Soul used all his will power not to flinch; since when did his mother know the meaning of the word cool?
It was almost too much for the poor albino to take.
"And Blair will be on her best behavior too nyah~!" The purple haired woman suddenly joined in from the back. Blair was the one Soul had been mostly concerned about to be honest, but he wasn't going to say that out loud. A fight might break out and he was in no mood for a fight. He simply nodded quietly, watching his brother and sister-in-law make googly eyes at one another through the rear view mirror.
'Why don't cars come with barf bags like planes do?' Soul lamented as his mother found them a nice little parking space in the guest area. He had told her which building number it was so she could get them close but not the actual apartment number. He figured that way he could make sure everyone was behaving themselves on the way to the apartment as well, since he'd have to lead the way. He slipped out of the car after it was off and looked up at the building. He could see Maka's bedroom window from where they were and smiled when it flickered off; she must have been watching for them. 'God she's adorable.' He thought cheerfully.
"So what exactly is this Spirit guy like?" Masumi asked as they walked along the path to the stairs. Maka's apartment was on the second floor.
"Well, Spirit's a really nice guy. He's a widower and he's a little protective of Maka. It took a lot for him to give me the okay to date her," He said thoughtfully. Although it wasn't all completely true, it also wasn't a complete lie and left him without feeling any guilt. "But he sees that I don't want to hurt her and he trusts me." He said as he knocked on the door lightly.
Maka opened the door and greeted them with her usual cheerful grin. "Hey you guys, come on in," She said, stepping aside eagerly for them. Soul headed in first and looked at her with a lazy grin, giving her a once over. She was wearing a simple white dress with black polka dots all over it. Her hair was tied back in a single ponytail with a magenta ribbon. She wasn't wearing shoes but did have on a pair of white ankles socks.
'She's so ridiculously adorable sometimes,' He thought as Maka and Masumi hugged in greeting. He spotted Spirit in the kitchen, stirring something in a pot. They locked eyes for a moment before a small smile came to the other man's lips and he walked over. "Thanks for having us over tonight, Spirit." Soul said while offering his hand. The other man shook it happily and nodded.
"It's our pleasure. And this lovely woman must be your mother, correct?" He asked with a smile, offering his hand to Masumi.
"Masumi Evans. It's wonderful finally getting to meet you, Mr. Albarn; your daughter is just a delight!" She gushed happily. Maka giggled and blushed proudly at the praise.
"Maka makes me very proud, and please call me Spirit; after all, we may very well be in-laws someday," He said cheerfully. Maka and Soul both blushed bright crimson at the remark. Blair and Wes both giggled lightly to themselves.
"Papa!" Maka yelped lightly. Soul shifted a bit and tried his best to keep a cool look on his face. He was surprised by how much harder to do it was with the blush marring his face.
"I agree whole-heartedly! Soul needs a sweet, intelligent young woman like Maka to keep him grounded and on the right path of life. Not to mention I would like to have a whole boat full of grandbabies sometime soon," She trailed slowly, pinning both her son's with a devious look. Unlike Soul, Masumi wasn't as aware of Blair and Wesley's very… Active, for lack of a better word, attraction to one another. Wes let out a nervous chuckle while his younger sibling sent him a small warning glare.
"Well, give us a little more time, Mother," Wes stated amicably. Masumi let out a small huff before looking around the apartment and becoming visibly more pleasant.
"You have a lovely home," She mused lightly. Spirit smiled and indicated the kitchen table. The four followed him while Maka headed to the kitchen to get drinks for everyone. "We have cola, fruit punch and water. Which would you all prefer?"
"Cola for me," Soul stated cheerfully.
"Fruit punch, please," Masumi giggled.
"I'll have whatever Blair's having," Wes stated simply.
"I want fruit punch too!" Blair cheered. Maka nodded and prepared the drinks, as well as two for herself and Spirit, before heading over and handing them out. She settled in next to Soul and smiled, their fingers brushing lightly when she handed over the cup. The other three members of the Evans' family smiled but didn't vocalize any comments.
"I hope you're all hungry; I made a honey baked ham, homemade mash potatoes, prepared some corn on the cob and baked fresh rolls. Maka and I have been in the kitchen all day; when we host, we go a little overboard," He chuckled as he pulled the ham from the oven. Maka had gotten back up and gone to go grab plates for everyone.
The heavenly aroma had all four Evans fighting off drool (except Soul, who sorta forgot to keep it to himself). "Oh! And I baked a yellow cake with chocolate frosting for dessert as well!" Maka announced happily as she set the table with plates and silverware. All four individuals hummed loudly in excitement of the prospect; it had been a while since they'd had such a feast placed before them!
Spirit chuckled proudly. "That's my girl; always letting her sweet tooth lead her decisions," He teased as he set the rolls and a dish of butter on the table. Maka giggled in response as she headed over with a platter with the corn on the cob on it, followed again by Spirit with the bowl of mashed potatoes and the dish of gravy. Maka returned to her seat as well as her father returned, setting the ham in the center and getting out the carving knife to begin distributing.
Needless to say, everyone was stuffed and happy by the time the meal was over.
Wes and Blair left relatively early because they both had work in the morning while Masumi decided to stay and get to know the father of the woman she decided would marry her youngest. While she and Spirit sat at the table together, sipping coffee and sharing stories of their younger years, Maka and Soul had snuck to the patio to vegetate and digest their meal. They sat next to one another in the large blue plastic chairs her father had put out there with their fingers laced together in a simple, lazy manner.
"So, do you have any big plans tomorrow?" Soul asked calmly, turning his head to look at Maka. She tilted her head to meet his gaze and gave a shrug.
"Not sure yet. I do have this boyfriend I've been with for almost two months that will probably want to hang out; he's one of those cool guys, you know what I mean?" She asked with a small grin. He grinned back at the teasing tone she used.
"Hmm. Sounds like an asshole; you should totally dump him and hang with me instead," He said in an equally teasing tone. She giggled and shook her head at him. "So we still on for our plans tomorrow?"
"Duh. I am way too excited to see you fall on your butt to flake out the night before!" She laughed excitedly. He grinned at her with a devilish glint to his features. "Oh, and what did you decide on anyway? You never told me." She said eagerly, his wicked expression not seeming to affect her in the least.
"And I'm not planning to. It's going to be a surprise," He said cheekily. Maka tried pouting but all she got was a laugh in response. "Don't try to pull that on me! I am immune to your pouts now, doll!" He grinned.
Maka leaned over a bit and lightly kissed him. He perked up at that and he eased into it. His free hand slipped up to lightly caress her cheek while the other gave her hand in his grasp an affectionate squeeze. She let out a light purring sound and batted her lashes at him when they broke away. "Are you still immune to that?" She whispered softly.
"Not quite," He responded light before leaning in for another kiss. Maka was only too happy to oblige.
"I can't remember the last time Soul was as happy as he is with Maka," Masumi said from the table as they peered out at the younger pair. They quickly returned their eyes to one another instead, wanting to give the two their privacy. "He was always such a rambunctious child that I worried he'd never really settle down. Not many girls could look past the teeth, actually; they thought he was a monster."
"May I ask what exactly the deal with his teeth are? I have been a little curious," Spirit asked politely. Masumi chuckled lightly.
"It's something he inherits from his father but I don't know anything other than that. I personally think it's an effect from the family past; apparently my late mother-in-law was involved in a lot of drug testing that took place when William was an infant at the time," She explained with a small nod. Spirit made a slightly put-off face.
"Oh my,"
"Indeed,"
…
Liz had been relaxing at home, enjoying her time painting her nails, when Patty had come rushing out of her room in a giggling mass. Normally, this wasn't an odd occurrence in the quaint little apartment the Thompson sisters shared but this seemed somehow… Different. Liz sat up a little straighter from her perch, carefully putting the cap back on her neon orange nail polish, and looked over at her sister. She was stunned that the younger girl was wearing a tight, sleeveless indigo skirt that barely reached her thighs. She had paired it up with a pair of white leather ankle boots, fishnets that went up to her thighs, and a black headband that was keeping her hair back. All in all, her sister looked downright hot.
And, according to her fashion math, that was not a lounging at home outfit.
"What's up Pat?" She asked curiously before blowing on her nails and trying to fake disinterest. The other grin grinned and giggled again.
"I have a date tonight with Chrona! We're going to go clubbing; he's never been and I thought it'd be a fun experience for him!" She beamed happily. Although Chrona was certainly a different brand of individual than the two sisters, Liz had known for a long time her younger sibling was infatuated by the strange kid. There was something about how different than her he was that just turned the younger blonde's innards to mush. She wanted to crack his shell and help him see how wonderful every experience, even the bad ones, could be.
"Well, I'm sure you'll have a great time!" Liz said enthusiastically. The other girl grinned, cheeks blushing a bit, and she headed toward the door. "Do you want me to save you something from whatever I end up having for dinner tonight or no?" She asked curiously.
Patty paused for a moment then shook her head. "Nah, I'll just make sure we eat before we head to the club. Thanks, though, sis," She beamed, sapphire orbs alive and vivid with her excitement. With such a cute expression on her face, the dirty blonde found herself unable to be really jealous in a spiteful way toward her younger sibling. She instead waved one of her still drying hands at her with her smile still in place.
"No problem. Now get going; it's rude to keep a man waiting on you all night, after all," She said warmly. Patty nodded and headed out with a light thump of the front door. Once she was sure her sister was gone, Liz groaned and sank into the couch cushions. "I may have said that… But now I have no idea what I'm going to do for the rest of the evening." She mumbled with a sigh.
She continued reclining on the couch for another hour, until her nails were perfectly painted and dried, before a thought hit her. "I know! I'll call Maka and Tsubaki and see if they want to hang out!" She announced to the empty space while making a dive for her cell phone. Once in her grasp she paused and stared at it. "No, wait, they're both busy. They're both on dates with their boyfriends." She said before dropping her phone back onto the coffee table. She slumped backwards again and crossed her arms, a scowl on her lips. "Well what should I do now?" She wondered grumpily.
Being the only single girl in a group was tough going and Liz wasn't particularly fond of it. She had been the one going on dates during high school; she had been the one who didn't have time for anyone else because of a full social schedule. The shoe being on the other foot was a rather annoying sensation for her and she didn't like it one bit. "I guess I could go pick up some soda, buy a huge carton of rocky road ice cream, rent a couple movies and just order a pizza. If I'm going to have a lonely lady's night in I may as well do it right," She said while standing up. She grabbed her keys off the table, headed out and made sure to lock up behind her. She doubted anyone would try to break in, but she wanted to be safe rather than sorry.
She went to a nearby convenience store to pick up the goods. On the way home, she spotted a rather familiar figure seated on a stoop looking rather… Distressed and lonely.
Liz slid to a stop, put the car in park, and used her auto controls to roll down the window. "What are you doing, Kid?" She called out, grinning a bit when the dark haired male flinched and looked up in alarm. She waved him over and hit the unlock button. "What are you doing out there? It's getting pretty nippy and you aren't even wearing a coat! Now get your ass in this car before it freezes off." She scolded lightly. He did as she said and sighed lightly. She rolled up the windows and looked at him. "So what were you doing? Going for a light evening stroll?"
"Father had to go to a meeting in California so he won't be home for a few days. Being in the house by myself, with how large it is, just feels weird," He said while leaning back against the seat. Liz blinked a bit as she thought about it.
Kid's father owned a successful law firm known as Shinigami Defense. Kid grew up wealthy but he knew the value of a dollar and was paying his way through law school on his own. Liz had respect for him (even though she could not understand his obsession with symmetry) but had always thought he was a little… Well, blank in regards to emotions. She had never seen him anything other than monotonous (and occasionally angry or depressed when symmetry was involved). This weakness on his part was rather charming in a way. "If you don't mind a futon you can stay at my place tonight. I was just going to snack on junk food and watch movies anyway," She offered politely.
His amber orbs lit up with confusion. "Uh… Sure. But why?" He asked curiously. She shrugged and shifted the car to drive, heading off toward her apartment again.
"Well, I figure if we're going to be lonely why not be lonely together?" She suggested calmly. He blinked then chuckled lightly into his hand.
"You are a strange sort of woman, aren't you?" He asked calmly. She grinned back at him.
"You have no idea, Kid," She stated gently.
…
Soul woke up bright and early to meet up with Maka at the nearby park for the start of their shared lessons. The plan was Maka would go first (and he would be borrowing a pair of roller blades from Spirit), then they'd go get lunch, and after that it was Soul's turn. He grabbed his portable stereo, his tape cassette audio out, and his iPod. "I'll see you later, Mother," He said as he headed to the door, stomping his foot awkwardly on the ground to get the back to fall properly over his heel.
"Later, Soul! Have fun and tell Maka I said hello!" She called merrily from her position in the kitchen, washing the breakfast dishes. He smiled to himself as he headed out, walking down the street with a purposeful stride. They had decided that instead of spending the money to actually go to a broader public place for their respective lessons the park would be more cost efficient and closer to a ton of restaurants for their lunch time. The park they were going to also wasn't specifically popular so there'd be next to no witnesses to recall the embarrassing shenanigans they'd be putting one another through.
He spotted Maka as soon as he reached the park gates. She was seated at a bench, wearing a basic pink blouse and dark blue jeans. Her hair was tied off in twin pigtails with little white rabbits clipped onto the hair ties. She was strapping on her neon green rollerblades as he came to stop in front of her. She glanced up and grinned at him. "Were you waiting long?" He asked as he sat down next to her. He set his things, except his iPod, down; the iPod went in his pocket to avoid possible theft by a homeless man passing through.
"Just got here about five minutes ago myself. I wanted to try and be completely ready so I could totally guilt trip you when you finally got here," She explained cheekily. He laughed and gave her a playful shove.
"Well aren't you just the sweetest?" He asked before looking at the black roller blades resting next to her. They looked like they'd just barely fit. "So I just lace them through the straps and smack them together?" He asked as he nudged off his sneakers.
"Pretty much. Those things are Velcro so they'll hold tight to your feet," She agreed with a nod as she pushed herself up. She glided in a small circle in front of the bench as she watched him get himself settled into the foreign contraptions. She then held out her hands and grinned. "I help you get up and find your balance before we start actually moving."
"Getting up can't be that hard, can it?" He asked with a quirked brow as he took her hands. Once up, Soul felt his feet wobble but he stayed where he was. He tried to move forward, not waiting for Maka's instructions, and then he tumbled back on to the bench in a pathetic mess of flailing arms and short-called curses. Maka grinned impishly at him as she leaned forward, her hands on her hips.
"Getting up is the easy part; it's staying vertical that takes practice. Now, let's get you back up and try it again," She said as she extended her hands again. He took them and, having learned his lesson, stayed as still as he could once up again. "Well, this isn't really easy to explain but… It kinda works as like you shift your weight from side to side, moving your feet out and then back in one at a time. Here, I'll demonstrate real fast."
Maka slid backwards and turned herself around. She glided down a few feet, showing Soul what she meant, before turning back in a wide arc and heading back over. "That doesn't seem too hard. It makes more sense to see it than have you explain it," Soul pointed out calmly. Maka grinned cheerfully at him and he took a breath. "Okay, let's see how I handle myself for a first time." He said as he shifted to imitate his girlfriend's actions.
He went three feet before toppling over and landing in a nearby bush.
Maka's chortles of laughter could be heard rather clearly, though she tried to hide them, as Soul pulled himself out and turned to sit. He reached up and plucked a long, thin branch from where it ended up embedded in his hair. "Are you okay?" Maka asked, her lip twitching a bit as she tried to fight back a smile.
"Nothing broken so we're good," He said as he tried to get up again. Without something to ground him, however, Soul got into a crouch before he was again grasping at air and landing flat out on his ass. Maka snickered lightly, covering her mouth with one hand to try and hide it. "You can laugh if you want to; I'm not going to get all pissy about it." He said blandly. 'Besides, it will be I who has the last laugh in then end!' He thought evilly.
"I really shouldn't laugh but you just make the greatest expressions when you're about to totally beef it," She said lightly. He shrugged and held his hands out to her. Getting the point, she helped him back up. Once Soul felt comfortable, he released her hands and tried again.
He spent the rougher half of two hours landing on his ass, crashing into foliage and he actually face planted right in a trash can once. And, when that happened, Maka had laughed and pointed at him downright.
He did, however, end up catching on and currently he was keeping pace with Maka along the concrete path of the park. "You're doing really well for your first day. When Black*Star tried to teach himself he actually broke his arm; ended up wiping out in the middle of the street and landed on it weird," She explained. Huh, that was strange to Soul; Black*Star said he'd never broken a bone before in his life. He made a mental note to keep that information stored away for later blackmailing purposes. "So where should we eat?"
"Well, there's a little hot dog stand over there. How does that sound?" He suggested, indicating the small booth with red and white striped visor. Maka smiled and nodded, and the pair headed over. After paying for their food, the two started chowing down and blading back to their bench.
"So what exactly do you have planned for me today?" She asked curiously after swallowing a bite. He smirked at her before leaning over and licking the corner of her lip, where a small smudge of ketchup had ended up. She blushed and nearly stumbled in her movements.
"Well, Maka, I'm going to give you a present you'll like," He mused lightly. On their second date, Maka had revealed she didn't know how to dance. She had always wanted to learn when she was younger but between her classes and work she never found the time. Soul had decided this could be the perfect chance to take something he hadn't really enjoyed (the classes he was obligated to take, given his family's standing in society) and give Maka a fantastic experience.
"Aw, Soul! Please tell me!" She whined loudly. He grinned and took another large bite from his hot dog, leaving just a small nub in bread in his hand. She huffed, seeing he wasn't responding, and took another bite of her own.
They finished the hot dogs before they reached the bench and tossed the paper plates they came on in a nearby trash can. Soul plopped down on the bench and set to removing the roller blades. "Okay, get your sneakers back on. These aren't going to be that helpful for what I've got planned," He said excitedly and he shoved one foot back into one shoe while he struggled with a difficult strap on the other foot. Maka shook her head with a smile before sitting down and following his instructions. Soul popped the cassette into the stereo and pulled his iPod from his pocket. He hooked the cable that ran out of the cassette into his iPod and cranked up the volume on the boom-box while h searched through the songs. He smiled when he found his list of classical tunes. He clicked first on Palladio (1) before standing. He held his hands out to Maka as she finished getting on her last shoe. "Are you ready?" He asked cheerfully.
"Ready for what?" Maka asked as she took his hand and stood. He grinned at he rested one of her hands on his shoulder and kept his grip on the other.
"I'm going to teach you a basic waltz," He said simply as his other hand rested on her hip. Her eyes lit up with joy as he lightly bobbed his head in time with the pace he wanted to set. "This songs a little too fast to start out but I need background noise to pick what tempo I want to set." He explained before he shifted a bit, Maka following his lead.
Soul was thrilled she only stepped on his feet a grand total of five times; he was even more thrilled with how much fun Maka was having.
End
(1) Palladio by Karl Jenkins (or, at least, that's what my iPod tells me). I played this song when I was in high school and loved it. There's a techno remix floating about somewhere but I wouldn't personally recommend it; this is one of the few songs I think is absolutely beautiful as a full orchestra with no other alterations.
Notes for you all~!:
Yeah… So… I don't know how to dance but I can roller blade. That's why I spent more time on Soul's lesson than Maka's. Sorry if you were all disappointed by that… I am scum! :(
I felt like writing more fluff. I figure you're all okay with that, right? Right? Well, other than that… Not much else to say really…
Next Chapter:
There will be a one-year time skip! Why? Because I need to put the next two major plot points into motion! Also, Blair and Wes are going to have a baby! I have decided they'll be having themselves a bouncing little baby boy! Any suggestions on what you all think they should name him? Feel free to PM me or leave suggestions in your reviews~!
