A/N: Hilo, this is Irony'sFriend! So this is actually my chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it! ...and that's all I can think of to say...awesome. *quickly gives computer to Taylor to finish the author's note*

*le takes spotlight* Hey y'all, Ciel and Lizzy 4ever here! 8D I hope y'all enjoy the beginning to Soul and Maka's misadventures. ...Quite normal misadventures, but abnormal for them, at least. Without further ado, I bring you Jessie's genius!

I changed into a pair of skinny jeans and a dark red blouse the color of Soul's eyes. It felt weird to be in anything but my plaid skirt and black coat, but it was oddly fitting with the situation. I felt rebellious. Oh, my…did I really just write that? Maybe Soul has ruined me…

When I came out of my room, Soul was dressed and ready to go. He smirked and whistled at my new clothes, and I blushed darkly. I hated how he could have that effect on me, but despite that, pleasure stirred deep in my stomach. "Let's just go," I muttered.

I've ridden on the back of Soul's motorcycle a million and one times without ever thinking twice about it, but for some reason, this time seemed different. I was suddenly aware of how intimately I wrapped my arms around him, my thighs flush with his. We were so close… It was all I could do to keep my heartbeat from going into heart attack territory.

"So where are we going?" I asked, trying to add some normality to the situation. Of course, considering I was ditching school with Soul, that was nearly impossible.

I could practically feel Soul smirk as he replied, "It's a surprise. Have a little faith, Maka."

It's not in my nature to 'have a little faith' and just go with the flow, but I don't usually skip school either, so I guess I was just breaking all the rules today. I managed to stay quiet even when Soul traveled to an almost deserted side of Death City.

"I've never been here before." Well…mostly quiet.

"It's amazing what you'll find in the city when you don't spend all your time in the apartment with your nose stuck in a book," Soul retorted.

I narrowed my eyes. "Some of us actually care about our grades, thank you very much."

"Whatever," Soul scoffed. He parked the motorcycle in front of what looked like an old-fashioned diner. Even though the rest of the street seemed to be empty, this building's windows were alight with activity, and music and chattering voices could be heard all the way from the street. Soul dismounted the bike and started walking to the door.

I hurried to catch up, feeling unsure. I don't like being out of my comfort zone, but I was so far away from my safe circle that I couldn't even see it anymore. It wasn't so wrong to want a little comforting familiarity in a strange place, right? Either way, I made sure to stay right by Soul's side.

Stepping into the diner was like entering a whole other world.

I've been to a few restaurants before, and I even went to a poetry reading in my favorite bookstore once, but those didn't even compare to this. Almost every booth was filled with loud, enthusiastic customers, and waitresses in cute uniform skirts were bustling through the people just to get to the tables. The smell of home-cooked burgers hung over the place like a delicious cloud, and classic rock-and-roll played through the speakers. It was an overall friendly place, but definitely not the kind of place for a girl like me.

Soul, on the other hand, seemed to be a regular here. Several people waved as soon as he walked in, and a few shouted out greetings. He waved and smiled in return, heading straight to an empty booth in the corner. I sat down across from him, feeling very out of place.

"Hey, Soul! I see you finally brought your girlfriend! What's her name?" said a boisterous man with a friendly face.

I felt my cheeks darken instantly as I stumbled to explain. "Oh, I'm not his… I mean, we're n-not-!"

"Her name is Maka," Soul interrupted smoothly.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Maka!" the man said joyfully and then moved on to another table.

"You come here often?" I asked.

Soul nodded. "They make the best burgers here, and the people are cool," he replied, waving briefly to another person he recognized.

I know it's stupid, considering I'm his partner and I live with the guy, but I was almost jealous of the people here. Soul genuinely liked them, and he obviously came here a lot to see them. A different side of Soul seemed to dwell in this old diner. Whether I liked it or not, Soul didn't have a choice about living with me.

"Can I take your order?" a teenage waitress asked, popping her gum. "Oh…hey, Soul. Good to see you again."

Soul grinned. "Hey, Teresa. We want a root beer float and a vanilla milkshake. Make 'em big."

Teresa nodded and went to another table.

I shot Soul a curious look. "You knew I wanted a vanilla milkshake," I observed, secretly pleased.

Soul shrugged. "Well, we haven't been partners for two years for nothing," he replied.

I guess he had a point. In all honesty, if you've been living with the same person for two years and you don't know everything about them, you have to be trying very, very hard. I mean, I practically know Soul better than I know myself. Yet sometimes I feel like I don't know him at all…

Teresa brought us the root beer float and milkshake, and I couldn't help but notice her smiling admiringly at Soul. Soul, on the other hand, didn't even notice her lingering stare when he thanked her. Despite how petty it was, this made me very happy.

"It's been a good two years," I mused, taking a sip of sweet milky goodness. I have to say, if everything else on the menu was as good as that milkshake, I understand why Soul goes there so often.

For some reason, Soul looked surprised. "Really?"

I think everyone can understand why that one word was like a stab in the heart. "You don't think so?" I asked. There was no keeping the hurt out of my voice, and I'm sure it showed on my face, too.

Soul's eyes widened. "No, it's been great!" he assured me. "I guess I'm just shocked you never wanted another partner…"

Now it was my turn to be caught off guard. Another partner? The thought was laughable! I couldn't even imagine fighting with another weapon or living with some other person. In all honesty, I couldn't even imagine living without Soul. For so long he's been such a big part of my life, and without him…who was I? Who is Maka Albarn without Soul Eater?

I opened my mouth to tell him this (and maybe a little more), but my voice was suddenly caught off by a loud note of music.

Soul grinned as a pump-up rock song blared through the speakers. The song seemed to light the entire diner on fire as every person in the building started to dance. I'm not even exaggerating when I say this. As soon as the song started, every person dropped their food, stood up, and began flailing their limbs like there was no tomorrow. I was so stunned by the odd turn of the events that my mouth was still hung open like a gaping fish.

Soul slid out of the booth and held his hand to me. "Let's dance."

I glanced nervously around at the gyrating bodies. "No, thanks," I said weakly.

Soul rolled his eyes. "Come on, Maka. Live a little."

"I don't know how to dance," I admitted quietly.

"You were just fine in the Black Room, as long as you didn't lead." Suddenly, I felt hot breath tickle my ear. Soul had one hand gently on my waist, and the other held my hand firmly. He slowly pulled me up from the booth. When I started to struggle, he whispered in my ear.

"Just go with it."

Maybe it was the vanilla milkshake. Maybe it was the crazy rock music and the dancing bodies around me. Maybe aliens came down, stole my brain, and replaced it with a cow's. Or maybe it was those four simply sexy words. Whatever it was, when Soul dropped his hands from my body, my hips started to sway with the rhythm of the music.

I wish I could say that dancing came naturally to me, and I suddenly transformed into some sort of goddess, but that would be a lie.

"Soul, I feel like an idiot," I whined.

"Don't think about it, Maka. Just feel it. For once in your life, stop over-thinking things and just go with the flow of the music."

Under normal circumstances I probably would have Maka-chopped him out of pure frustration, but the situation was anything but normal. So to add to the weirdness, I did something totally crazy. I listened to my partner.

Closing my eyes, I truly listened to the beat of the song for the first time. It was almost like the base was thrumming in time to the beat of my heart… My hips began to move, rolling with the chords and notes. My hands waved and weaved a melody in a language only the music itself would understand. The feeling was incredible, losing myself in the music…

Distantly, I felt two hands fall on my hips and raise me up, but I was barely aware of anything around me anymore. At least…until I opened my eyes.

Suddenly, I was dancing on top of a table instead of on the floor where I started. There were other girls dancing on tables around me, but instead of facelessly dancing in the crowd as before, now people were watching me…

I froze, paralyzed and unsure. I've never been much of a performer, and I don't do well when I'm not in my comfort zone. Dancing was one thing, but this was way too much… I couldn't do this!

Then my gaze fell on two particular eyes of the crowd…two deep red eyes. And suddenly everything was okay. It was almost like he breathed confidence in me. I wasn't dancing in front of a crowd of people I didn't know. No, I was dancing for Soul.

So I close my eyes and began to feel the music.

Cheers and catcalls rose up from the crowd in an uproar, but I didn't even care anymore. It was almost like before, but this time there was one more member to my cacophony. Together, it was my body, the music, and Soul all dancing as one, and there was no greater feeling in the world.

I could feel the climax building in the music, and I knew my time was almost up. My body moved with a new energy as I twirled and spun in a desperate frenzy. I suddenly leaped from the table, flipped in midair, and landed smoothly without missing a beat. I danced through the crowd and as the last of the song dwindled into a few soft notes, I spun into Soul's arms.

He caught me easily, but of course, I knew he would.