Whoop! had the day off college so I'm able to update a lot quicker today!

Happy readings :D

They left the apartment and began to walk through Death City.

"Y'know, I really missed this place" he smiled as he looked around.

"This place really missed you" she nudged him.

He looked at her and smiled "Oh, I never asked, how's the teaching job going?"

"It's still pretty good, I like it. I get to teach weapons and meisters all that we were taught… It doesnt beat being out on the front line though" she sighed

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the students are always given the fun missions and by fun I mean extremely dangerous . The staff gets the real nasty boring ones"

"Do you head out on missions often?"

"Nah, Kidd does a lot of them, so does Sid and Nygus, and Stein and papa, so did Black Star and Tsubaki but they're on leave for the time being. A lot of the time I'm left to look after the place while they're gone"

"Why? You're an amazing meister!"

"But what's a meister without her weapon?"

He held her hand "I'm sorry for leav-"

"Don't say it. It doesn't matter anymore, the important thing is that you're here now"

"Right" he nodded. They got to the coffee shop and sat inside.

"What do you want?" she asked with a smile "I'll get it for you"

"Oh, no, you don't have to I can get it-"

"You bought me at least three drinks last night as far as my memory goes, the least I can get you is a cup of coffee"

"Black, one sugar, no milk, please"

"Sure, just go grab a seat"

He sat down at a table in the far corner. He watched her as she ordered the coffee. The young man behind the counter seemed to know her. "She must come here a lot" he said to himself. After a few minutes she came back over with the coffee and sat opposite him.

"So" she started before sighing "How are we going to do this?"

He took a sip of his coffee before replying "I don't know" he looked into her eyes "Are you 100% sure about this Maka?"

"150%" she smiled "I love you, Soul"

"Are you sure that it's love and not just missing me?"

Her voice was shaking "Why? What are you saying? You don't love m-"

"Don't be stupid, of course I love you"

"I love you, Soul, no question about it"

He went to hold her hand.

"Don't" she whispered "The people in here know I'm engaged. I don't want one of them telling Tristan before we have a chance to"

"Right" he nodded

Her phone rang. She answered

"Hello?... Oh hey Tristan… No, I'm at the coffee shop with, Soul… I highly doubt that!... Well, I haven't seen him in three years, I think I can spend a bit of time with him!..." her eyes went wide "You want to meet him… okay… see you then" she hung up and looked at Soul. "So he's about five minutes away. He really wants to meet you"

His heart was in his mouth "We can't tell him now… can we?"

"No! I mean, we haven't even talked about it properly, I don't know!" she began to panic "We can't tell him here!"

"Listen" he held her arms and looked into her eyes "We'll tell him later, or tomorrow or something, right now we're just a weapon and meister, okay?"

She nodded "Okay"

He sat with his hands on his knees taking deep breaths. He was preparing himself.

"Calm down, Soul" she whispered.

"Calm down? How can I calm down!? I'm about to be all pally with this guy when I know-"

"Shh! He's here!"

Soul looked over at the door. Stood there was a very tall man dressed in a sharp suit with green hair. "That's funny" Soul whispered "He looks kinda like Phil"

"Over here!" Maka waved to him. He smiled and walked over. The pair at the table stood to greet him.

"Hi" she smiled and hugged him. Soul stood there awkwardly

"Tristan, meet Soul Eater Evans. Soul, meet Tristan Barkwell"

Barkwell? Soul thought as he shook the man's hand.

"Nice to finally meet you, Soul. I hear you're a busy man"

"Uh" He came out of his thoughts "Yh, yeah, yeah! Busy's my middle name" he laughed awkwardly as the three of them sat down.

"Maka's told me so much about you"

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he joked

"Haha, all good, don't worry"

Could it be? Is he related to Phil? Holy shit, this day just keeps getting better He thought sarcastically

"Uh, I hear you're in business, Tristan"

"Yeah, I part own a few stores in Death City. I mainly deal in property though, buying and selling, well, until the market down turn that is, now I'm trying to expand into different things. You're in Ocianca, is that right?"

"Yeah"

"I hear it's beautiful out there"

"It is. It's peaceful"

"Can't say I blame you for opting for the quiet life after all the things you've been through. Last I heard, my brother was somewhere out there"

"Phoenix?" Maka asked

"Yeah. I haven't been able to find him though"

HE'S PHIL'S BOTHER!? Soul thoughts were screaming

Maka interrupted "I'll be back in a minute, just going to powder my nose" she stood up and left to go to the bathroom.

FUCK! Soul thought

"So" Soul said awkwardly

"So, you've come back"

"Yeah, well, Maka invited me to the wedding-"

"Staying long?" he asked not caring.

"Yeah, best part of the next month or so. Enough time to catch up with everyone"

"Maka told me you took her home last night"

"Uh, yeah. She was in pretty bad shape"

"Did you touch her?"

"Huh? What!?"

"You heard me"

Soul saw his fists clench.

"No!"

"Do you plan on spending much time with her while you're here?"

"What is this? An interrogation?"

"Of course not" his hands opened and relaxed "I'm just… curious"

Soul wasn't sure how to respond "Uh"

"You better not hurt her again" Tristan warned "Did you know that every time she got off the phone with you she'd cry herself to sleep?"

Soul felt like someone had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart. "No. I-I didn't know that"

"I thought you should know. That's why she hasn't talked to you in a year, I made her stop"

Soul gritted his teeth and grinded his hand into a fist. "You made her?"

"Listen, I can see you care about her, but put yourself in my shoes. To be honest, you're lucky I haven't snapped your neck yet for what you did to her"

FLASH BACK!

"I thought I'd find you up here" The weapon smiled as he climbed out the window and onto the roof

"I like it up here" his green hair was blowing in the wind.

He sat next to the young meister "How long you been up here?"

"What time is it now?"

"8 o'clock"

He smiled "About ten hours"

"Geez! What the hell have you been doing up here?" The weapon smiled as he ruffled his friend's hair.

"Thinking"

"Okay" the pair looked off into the distance. Looking over their domain as the sun set in the west.

"Arent you going to ask what I was thinking about?"

"Nope. It's up to you if you want to tell me or not"

"Two years" he smiled "I've been here two years"

He looked at the young meister.

"I realised that I never properly said it. I probably should say it" there was a pause before he spoke again "Thank you, Soul"

"For what?" The Death Scythe asked

"For everything. For taking me in, training me, for never asking questions. You've been like a brother to me. Hell, you're even more like a brother than my actual brother was. He was an ass-hole"

The weapon got to his feet "C'mon. I made some food" hes miled as he held out his arm to his young friend. He took it and stood up "I told you before, where you're from isn't important. It's what you know in here"- he poked the meisters head – "and what you believe in here"- he poked his chest "that's what makes you who you are. Now c'mon before it gets cold!" he smiled.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"It's funny because I could do the same to you for Phoenix"

"What?" Tristan was taken a back

"I'm back!" she sat with a smile "So what are you guys talking about"

"Politics" "The wedding"

"The politics of the wedding" Tristan said.

"Okay" she smiled.

Soul stood up "Maka, I better head back to Black Star's. I just remembered I promised to help with the baby's room" he lied.

"You have to go now?" her smile fell

"Yeah, sorry. Listen, I'll call you later?"

"Sure" she recovered a bit of her smile

"Tristan" he nodded

"Soul"

And with that he left.

DUN DUN DUUUNNN!