Maka was up early, bathed and ready by 7 AM with an excitement that could only be rivaled by small children on Christmas. Soul was very much on the other end of the spectrum, that hum of pain holding strong as he tried to get himself ready for the day. It didn't help that the gorgeous sun was out, drilling stakes into his eyeballs.

But when he finally stumbled back out of the bathroom at 8:15 AM, seeing Maka sitting at the table with two steaming cups of coffee and, even better, the earrings shining in her ears, most of the agitation and discontent melted away. "You seemed like you needed this," she motioned towards the cup.

"And this," he whispered before leaning over, feathering his lips against hers.

"Romantic," she cooed.

"I'll never do it again," he threw the empty threat as he sunk into his seat.

Her real laugh came in reply, that shining smile that she quickly hid behind the coffee cup.

He looked down at his and saw it tan rather than black and his smile rivaled hers. "Did you sneak these out of the kitchen?"

"No sneaking necessary," she shook her head. "And the breakfast spread looks delicious."

Soul washed a cooling breath over his mug before taking a tentative sip, "Did you see Lizzie or Wes?"

"Nope, but it seems like we're the only guests here."

"Probably." Soul wouldn't be surprised if it was only open for them in the first place. "Before we see them…"

Maka tried to hold on to her smile, tried not to hear the end of that sentence before he spoke it. It barely worked, but she found herself staying true.

Soul cleared his throat, taking another sip to buy himself time. He was being dangerous again, giving her power again, something he still couldn't stop the childish side of him from fighting. "Whatever happens today is your decision."

"What?" Her smile didn't feel faulty, not yet at least, but it was almost too hopeful.

"I don't want to leave you alone." He could feel the thoughts starting to ramble in his mouth. "I hate how I didn't even think about your feelings in the first place, what you were going through and now I'm going to try my best to have that come first. So, if you want, come home with me today, or stay here, or I won't go at all and I'll stay here with you. It's what you want, OK?"

Maka felt the muscles in her stomach flutter, latching on to the hope in every word. "Soul, that's not fair." Her finger ran a ring around the lip of her mug. "We still have to think about Wes, about your parents-"

"No," Soul cut her off, his hand reflexively covering hers. "If it bothers them I'll work it out later, but right now, it's you I'm worried about."

"You're overcompensating." She squeezed his hand as he inhaled to speak, making him rethink it. "You don't have to prove anything to me, you know? I… you said mutual, right? Letting me call all the shots isn't mutual. We figure it out together. And I think that'll be easier when we talk to Wes and Lizzie this morning."

Soul huffed, tapping her hand against the table. "Mutual, right." Stomaching her rationalism was a stretch, and Soul found himself taking a few more frustrated breaths.

"Are you pouting?" Maka laughed.

"Is it time for breakfast yet?" Soul grumbled as he brought his coffee to his lips, savoring the warmth and the excuse not to talk.

Maka was fiddling with his fingers, "Wes seems like the early type. I think we could go."

"I'll text him just in case." He almost needed an excuse to look away from her, a delicate smile on her face so beautiful that he was losing it. Those stupid words were starting to creep back into his head. "Going to breakfast a little early." There wasn't an immediate answer but Soul didn't need one. He wasn't sure he could be alone with that smile anymore. "Come on." He took one last swig of his coffee, watching as Maka did the same and ushered her out of the room with his hand in the usual spot.

Maka slowed him down, "Remember, we didn't decide anything about today yet."

"Yeah, yeah," Soul huffed out.

She tried to smile at him but he seemed more interested in watching his step down the hallway. It was only a moment before they reached the start of the savory smells, the clinking of plates and gentle voices. Maka's assumption had been correct, Lizzie and Wes being early risers and already toying with cups of coffee and whispering to each other as if it were a crowded room.

Soul cleared his throat before offering, "Morning."

"Good morning!" Wes contained himself and didn't come out of his seat, still giving Soul that beaming smile. "You're looking better this morning."

"If you say so." Soul laughed, knowing that it was definitely a lie on his brother's part. The bruise had deepened to a purple across his chin, accenting the split in his lip. The one around his eye matched in color but was finely accented by the glowing red of his eye. He'd opted not to put a new bandage over his eyebrow since the color only seemed to pop against the white backdrop.

"Well, at least you look relaxed." Wes waved for them to sit and both took their chairs, finding hot cups of coffee already in front of them.

"Mostly." Soul reached for Maka's hand under the table immediately, squeezing tightly. "Just wondering what happened yesterday."

"About your disappearance? Mother was furious, Father apathetic, Marina congratulatory." Wes grinned at the last on the list.

"Marina also sends her hopes that she'll see you today," Lizzie added on. "Your mother, of course, was sure you were playing dead to the family again."

Soul groaned, "As if everything revolves around her."

Wes took a sip from his coffee, an amused smile playing on his features. "You have to admit, you did make it look like you were playing nice."

He almost devolved into grumbles but Maka nudged his knee. "Did you two at least have a nice Christmas?" And he found her excitement contagious, warming him enough that he could keep a smile on his face.

"Catherine was very accommodating," Lizzie's tone verged on sarcasm.

"Catherine's my mother," Soul offered as a whispered aside, Maka nodding.

Wes attempted to save some of his mother's reputation, "I don't know, Mother appreciated your French."

"Yes, she said I spoke it very well for someone who learned it on the streets." Maka blinked at the harshness but Lizzie seemed to laugh it off with delight.

"Then you told them?" Soul looked between the two of them, watching as Lizzie seemed to defer to her future husband.

"I told Father," Wes offered. "Who was supposed to dampen the blow when we tell Mother today."

"Smart." The dread made him pause, looking down at his coffee cup. "So, we'll go with you guys today, then. Maybe my face will keep Mom busy."

"Soul, that's not really necessary, I know I asked you to come, but-"

"No but. You asked me to come, I'm coming." Soul looked tentatively at Maka, her eyes lingering over his face. "And if you don't think it'll cause too much trouble, Maka might come, too."

Wes carefully seemed to arrange his words in his mind before letting them tumble slowly from his mouth. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here?"

"I'll be fine." Maka's smile hadn't diminished since this morning and Soul was sure her face had to hurt at this point.

"I promise the boys exaggerate their mother," Lizzie tried to wave off the worry, but both Soul and Wes gave a little roll of their eyes. With something close to the plan settled, Lizzie spent the rest of breakfast talking strategy with Maka, which both men seemed to stare off into space, each lost in their own worries.

Soul parked the car in the garage, turned off the engine, and sat white-knuckled at the steering wheel. Maka waited for him to finally exhale before she put a soft hand on his knee. "I want you to promise me something."

His eyes slowly came to her without a word. He still couldn't relax his fingers.

"No matter what anyone says to me today, you keep your cool."

"Oh, no fucking way," Soul threw his hands up in agitation, only letting them settle across his chest.

She still smiled in the face of his attitude, "You can yell and curse about it when we get back to the hotel, but you let it go for right now."

"No way," he repeated each word with emphasis as if she hadn't heard him the first time.

"Soul…" She moved both hands to his face, pulling him in to try to use a kiss to quell the rage. "Nothing they say today is going to hurt me. I'm with you."

"Fuck," he grumbled, before stealing a few more lingering kisses, trying to make everything else melt away. "I'll need a pass tonight, to yell."

"Free pass for an hour." She rested her forehead against his. "Do you promise?"

"I'll try," he groaned. "I'll try so hard I'll probably have a stroke, but I'll fucking try." Soul stayed like that, face so close to hers that it felt like she was stealing his air, leaving him breathlessly carrying this ache in his chest that wouldn't let up.

Maka finally let her fingers slip from his cheeks and turned to her door, opening it and getting out of the car before he could even beg her to come back. Soul followed at half her pace, watching as she paused at the door for him, her hand outstretched. "Am I going to meet Marina today, too?"

"She's first." Soul could actually produce a smile for that. He dropped the keys on the ring before opening the back door of the garage, walking Maka hand in hand back to the servant's entrance. Opening the door offered a burst of hot air, the kitchen a welcome change from the chill of December. "Marina?"

There was still a bustle of people, far less than the night he left, but enough to cause him to still have to gaze around, seeing her standing thoughtfully in the pantry. When her eyes fell on him they stretched into saucer size, her hand coming to her mouth, "Pobrecito! Your face!" She was on him immediately, hands checking the bruising from every angle.

Soul's hand clasped to the back of his neck, a rough laugh leaving his mouth. "Just got in a fight, Marina. No big deal."

"A fight! You swore not another one after high school," Marina paused the long diatribe she had prepared for this situation as soon as her eyes fell on Maka. She was speechless for a moment, her eyes darting between the two of them before she forgot about Soul and transferred the entirety of her attention to Maka, gathering up her hands in her own. "But he brought you! It's wonderful, just wonderful."

"Thank you," Maka's smile blossomed as she found herself squeezing their connected hands. "It's so nice to meet you."

"Yes, and I see I was right, your gift." Marina detached one hand to delicately motion towards Maka's earlobe. "It's your eyes, so like your eyes."

Soul cleared his throat, trying to remind the present company that he actually existed. "And I assume you found your gift in there, too, Marina?"

"Yes, thank you." Marina finally seemed to forgive him for the face and let her eyes glow at him appreciatively. "I hope you made it up to her, with what you did to your face. The earrings are nice, but not that nice." She didn't even let her teasing hit home before she jumped to attention, a hand covering a gasp on her lips. "Oh, Lord, your mother. She hasn't seen your face yet."

"Or Maka," Soul tried to remind of the other shocking event for today. "Or Wes and Lizzie's news."

But Marina was already past Soul's woes. "Maka, you come straight to the kitchen if anything happens, do you hear?"

Maka tried to curtail a laugh, "Yes, Marina." She leaned into Soul, taking a hold of his elbow and trying to smile in his sour face. "I think it'll be fine, though. Don't you?"

The grimace on his face tried to turn to a smile and got about halfway, a sick withering smile. "Can I run to the kitchen if anything happens?" Soul threw one last look at Marina.

"No," Marina laughed before putting a soft hand on both of their shoulders, pushing them towards the entranceway from the kitchen to the dining room.

"Well, to the wolves," Soul sighed.

"Be more melodramatic, Soul," Maka let herself laugh one more time before reining it in.

The family was arranged stiffly in the living room. Catherine's back was to them as she sat on the couch and Lewis, Soul's father, who was standing by the piano got the first look at his youngest son, the weak smile on his face wavering to just his lips pressed thinly together. Thankfully, that reaction didn't stir Catherine at all, that kind of look on her husband's face no longer perking her interest. It wasn't until Wes and Lizzie gave a cheerful hello that Catherine turned, her smile morphing into something closer to bared teeth.

"Soul Evans," Catherine started but stopped, her eyes falling on Maka.

Now, Soul would say that the sweetness of Maka's smile was truly able to melt any heart, to remove any foul mood, and for one beautiful moment, it seemed as if that was even true for Catherine. She seemed to mirror Maka's enthusiasm while her eyes darted up and down, categorizing every piece of her. "And who is this?"

Soul brought her the rest of the way forward, stopping short of the couch. The only option was to sit next to his mother, and did that just sound fucking awful. "This is Maka Albarn, my girlfriend."

"It's very nice to meet you," Maka snuck in.

"Maka," Catherine tried out the name, still looking over her every feature. "What a surprise."

"Yeah, I, uh, I'm sorry I didn't tell you she was coming. Kind of just happened," Soul offered weakly.

Catherine patted the couch next to her, ignoring any bridge Soul was trying to build. "Please, Maka, have a seat."

While Soul'd brain screamed no no no, Maka did exactly as requested. Maka took a moment to breathe and examine his parents. While no one would ever say she looked anything like her father, Soul and Wes seemed a complete world apart from their parents. Catherine's dark brunette hair was a stark contrast to her children, with dark eyes that Maka could barely guess at being deeper mahogany, maybe just a few shades darker than Wes. Lewis's blond hair had aged into the white of his sons' but his eyes were a sparkling blue, much removed from the rest of the family.

Catherine turned her attention back to Wes, her hands delicately folding back in her lap. "Now that we're all in attendance, I believe there's something that you were going to speak to us about."

Maka felt Soul's hand clench hers, leaving her wondering whether or not her knuckles would survive.

Wes cleared his throat, "Lizzie and I have decided to get married."

There was a clear pause and Maka watched dumbfounded as Catherine's demeanor didn't budge an inch, her face just the same as the moment before the announcement. Lewis, as promised, gave his best act of enthusiasm, "That's wonderful, son." He continued by walking over to his wife, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Isn't it, Catherine?"

She looked up at him cooly, her eyes blinking a few times. "I assume we'll have to have an engagement party. I suppose we'll just slightly alter the decorations for the New Year celebration since mostly everyone will be in attendance for that." Still without a congratulations from her lips, Catherine turned back to Lizzie. "And, please, dear, feel free to invite your family. I know it's short notice."

Lizzie started, the smile glowing on her face, "I'm sure my father and mother-"

"Excellent." Catherine's eyes moved back to Soul's face, a momentarily wash of distaste for his bruising the only thing to break through her features. "And I assume you'll actually make time for your brother."

"It's a little short notice, Mom," Soul started to snap but felt Maka's hand squeeze his. "But I'm Wes's best man, so I'm here to do whatever he needs."

Catherine's eyebrows raised, her mouth opening and shutting swiftly.

Soul relished the taste of shocking his mother speechless. Being good is paying off.

"But, realistically, Soul will need to be back at school," Wes interjected.

"That's absurd, classes don't start until mid-January. There's absolutely no reason for him to go back to that hell house until the semester starts." Catherine recovered herself, her eyes innocently seeming to blink at her eldest son, challenging him for a better excuse.

"But he has a job he has to return to, and Maka's family-"

"Maka doesn't have to attend, does she?" Catherine shot a strained smile in Maka's direction. "No offense meant, dear, but it's a family affair."

"Oh, no, it's fine, really," Maka tried to make the words clear, tried not to stutter in the face of Catherine's chilly blankness.

"Mother," Wes started but any admonishment from him didn't gain momentum.

Catherine leaned forward a little, making it easier to drill her eyes into Soul. "And what's this about working, Soul?"

Soul could have tried to edit himself, but his anger was starting to get the best of him, promise or no. "I'm playing in a piano bar."

His mother immediately clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes. "The way you waste your talent."

"I like it, the money's good," Soul shot back through clenched teeth.

"I honestly don't understand why you don't just use the account your father and I set up for you. You're not a better man for living like a poor one." Catherine's smile seemed to feed off of her son's seething anger.

As if it would help, Wes tried to interject again, "You should really hear him play, though, Mother. It's not a waste in any sense."

Catherine did nothing but offer a short laugh in return. Without anything else to berate her sons with, Catherine turned her attention to Lizzie, starting the endless conversation about the possibilities for the wedding. Maka had the distinctive feeling that Catherine was used to being the only voice in the room, one rarely challenged and always listened to. She could practically feel the anger coming off of Soul in waves and she tried her best to sneak smiles and gentle touches his way.

Maka excitedly caught sight of Marina as she came in to arrange drinks for the room. She leaned into Soul, whispering a quick be right back before excusing herself to follow on Marina's heels. "Marina," Maka called softly, getting the older woman to slow to a stop.

"Maka, are you alright?"

Maka could almost laugh at herself, but with the intricacy of the house, there was no way she could even take a guess. "Could you show me to the restroom?"

Marina smiled and took Maka by the elbow, leading her down the hallway to a small restroom right outside of the kitchen. "If you need anything else, pop into the kitchen."

"Thank you, Marina." Maka disappeared behind the door. It wasn't so much that she had to use the restroom, but she really just needed a spot to breathe, to be away from the oppressive aura that was Catherine Evans. Soul hadn't been wrong, and honestly, Maka was thankful for the lack of attention she was getting from his mother since watching Lizzie get the brunt of it was agita-producing enough. Maka reminded herself that too long in the bathroom would probably send Soul into some kind of spiral, so she urged herself to wash her hands and examine her face and hair before opening the door again, preparing herself to rejoin the party.

What she was not prepared for was Catherine standing right outside the door, her face still indescribably blank. This was how she could actually tell they were mother and son, Soul often adopting this face instead of letting his emotions rage. Maybe they weren't that different. "Maka," she cooed softly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, excuse me." Maka tried to walk by but Catherine's soft hand blocked the way, leading her attention back to Catherine's face.

"I'm just so surprised that you would come here, dear," Catherine brought her hand back without ever touching Maka, moving back to cross her arms low at her stomach, holding her elbows.

"I didn't mean to be an inconvenience. Soul just, well, when he came to see me…" Stuttering in front of her, Maka started to lose the capability to form thoughts, but it didn't seem to matter since Catherine already had a clear script in her head.

"I hope you realize how deeply incapable my son is at loving or caring for anyone." Each word hit Maka in the gut but seemed as easy to say as the ABCs to Catherine. "I can assure you that whatever you think is happening between the two of you is incorrect, and you should seriously reconsider having anything further to do with him."

"Oh." Maka was reeling, her mind shouting for the safety of the closed door behind her, but she forced herself to stand her ground, not receding in her steps but moving one forward, watching as Catherine seemed to flinch from the closeness. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Evans, but…" Maka took a deep, gulping breath, "I'm not sure you know your son very well."

Catherine recoiled from the sentence like a slap in the face. "Maka-"

"I'm sorry." Maka threw salt in the wound as she cut her off, refusing to let that hand come forward again and keep her in that space. The first few steps were almost a run, but by the time she was almost to the living room, Maka had been able to force herself to a slow gate. Your face, make sure your face is alright and doesn't say a thing. She had to say the words a few times with a few breaths before she was sure she could enter the room. Even with her placid demeanor, she saw the apprehension lingering on Soul who had taken to almost pacing the room the minute his mother hand left it.

Without trying to make it too obvious, Soul moved to her, "You alright?"

"Fine." Maka still felt tight, controlled, but a small speck of elation was starting in the pit of her stomach. She had dared to talk back to Catherine Evans.