MAKA----

"I'm coming!" She screamed angrily at the door as she fought to get the pot lid from the cupboard above her whilst stirring the boiling pasta. It was too high. She grunted in frustration and left the boiling pot without the lid as she went to answer the door. The knocking, which didn't go away even after she ignored the three separately timed knocks that followed, started to echo through her head annoyingly.

She dashed to their front door, hoping that it'll be over once she answered to whatever the knocker wanted. Wiping her moist hand on the half apron she was wearing, she opened the door.

It was a Sunday and she wasn't particularly expecting anyone. This annoyed her slightly. It was the only day when she gets her peace away from both her busy university life and her annoying-as-hell father.

She was met with the sight of a smart looking, small and stout man, the top of his head only aligned with her chest, his dark hair slicked back, wearing a business suit, carrying a briefcase. She would've thought it was a child if not for his attire.

Ah, don't tell me he's come to sell me stuff…

He looked up at her and she saw that his flushed face was almost completely red, and she flinched as she saw the thin line of his mouth slowly transform into a wide, evil looking grin, his round eyes crinkling in the process. He looked like a demon. At that thought she inwardly shivered, not wanting to be rude to her guest by showing the disgusted gesture.

"Miss Maka Albarn?" Maka slightly jumped at the sound of his voice, even though she had expected him to talk. It grated on her ears, this voice, it was drawled and was high pitched in a way that only she could've noticed.

"Yeah, that's me."

The grin of his widened, if that was possible, and as if in response to the gesture, her eye twitched. "I come on behalf of the Evans family-" Evans? That…kinda sounded familiar. She brushed the thought off as she resumed listening to the strange little man. "The masters have been very good friends with your mother and it seems as though the Evans family would want your presence within their family." He concluded his explanation with the same evil looking grin.

Whilst listening to what the small man had gone on about, she didn't notice that she had frozen whilst taking in this information. Firstly, he had addressed this Evans he seemed to serve - whether as their lawyer or butler she didn't exactly care - as 'masters' which lead Maka to conclude that this family was, quite possibly, very, very rich.

Second of all, her mother?! She herself hadn't met with her mother since her parents' divorce - but she does send postcards to her from time to time - so why is this suddenly appearing before her? That's probably why she had heard of the Evans- her mother might've told her when she was still with them. What about them, Maka seemed to have forgotten.

Thirdly, she was wondering what on earth he had meant by 'presence within their family'. What? Like to visit them? Yeah she could do that. It couldn't mean anything else…couldn't it?

All this quick thinking had diverted her attention to what had been happening in the kitchen. Luckily enough, the small man alerted her to this problem by snapping her back to reality. "What is that sizzling sound?"

Maka snapped out of her reverie and heard it - the sizzling, possibly of the boiling water falling close to the hob flame. She let out a squeak as she slipped and slid towards her kitchen, turning the stove off and watching the frothy bubbles settle back down with the soggy looking pasta. So much for my dinner.

As she returned to the door, she noticed that the man was still there, looking at her and smiling when he heard her returning. Maka felt embarrassed that she hadn't treated him with proper hospitality so she readied herself with an apology as she walked back toward her visitor. "I'm very sorry about that. Would you like to come in?"

The little man only grinned, sending an unwanted chill up the host's spine. "I won't stay long, but thank you for the offer.

"Basically, the Evans family are inviting you to their home in two months time."

That was strange…why is he inviting her two months before the actual event? "Two months?"

"The reason for this is that it will be a grand ball you are invited to."

"Oh…" Why her? Because she's an Albarn? The Death Scythe's daughter? Or because she is Kami's daughter? Her mom was a friend of that family after all. "Why me?" She had guessed that one of her ideas was the cause of invitation, but she just wanted to make sure.

"Because, as I had said before, the family is friends with your mother-," Bingo, "And they will be offering to take you in their family in whatever way is best."

Oh. She had forgotten that he did mention that. "So what? They want to meet me over dinner? That's fine for me."

"Oh, no, Miss Albarn, I seem to be forgetting a lot of explanations. See, they also want you to stay after the ball."

"Wha-?"

"They are intending to make you into an Evans as well."

Uh-huh…

"…Adoption?" Actually that prospect isn't so bad if she thought about the pros. She would be able to stay away from her father, whom she despises - kind of despises; if this family is rich like she thought, then it would be a good life - ooh, there might even be a huge library if that was at all possible. It was getting pretty interesting and she almost wanted to agree…if not for the inserted information, which had just tuned her out from the whole idea.

"No, miss, marriage."

For a second, she thought she had fainted from shock, but she was all right, pretty much standing without needing support, albeit open-mouthed and probably pale white from shock.

"Wh-" she felt like her brain was sizzling, both from thinking too much and from anger from disbelief. Why now? Why so suddenly? Who, in hell, would decide this without her? That family? Her mother? Her father!?

For a moment, she and the little man locked eyes. She wanted to ask questions. A lot of questions. But she was too angry. It all seemed like a joke- someone was playing a prank on her. Huh? Well whoever it was should want to prepare for their oblivion.

The long glaring and irritating silence was cut off when Maka slammed her front door closed.

She didn't really care much that she had been rude.

But she was angry, confused, tired and hungry.

Damn, she'll have to have noodles again tonight.

SOUL----

Another letter.

Once again he opened it roughly, having a slight idea of who the senders were.

His family, of course.

They were asking him to return home. After three years away from them, after they didn't bother to contact him in those three years. His birthday is two months away, and that's it, there was no other reason he could think of that could make him go back.

Yeah. He guessed right. They want him home. As soon as possible.

No way in hell.

Smirking a sharp-toothed grin, he crushed the vile piece of information and shot it towards the bin, successfully disposing it.

Flopping himself onto his favoured couch seat, he laid his head back and stared at the blankness of his ceiling. It was so quiet. Ever since his roommate left a few weeks ago as an exchange student to Brooklyn, it's been disturbingly quiet, reminding Soul of those days when he was still residing in his old childhood home. Locked up in silence whenever he did something that the family disagreed to.

It was never silent in his last apartment residence though, his place before he moved to this one, once again remembering the adventurous times with his former roommate, who only lived down the street. And most likely like him, alone.

He sighed, his thoughts returning to his missing in action, symmetry-obsessed roommate. Soul was supposed to be the exchange student but it had been changed at the last minute because there was no parental consent. He was 18. He didn't need parental consent, dammit.

Well, he hoped his friend was having fun anyway.

His attention was distracted by raps on his door. Another he anticipated in the morning. But this time, instead if despising it, as with the letter, he was actually excited to answer it. Whoever it was behind that door is his 'plaything' anyway. It was so fun to frazzle her. He made to grab a black leather jacket and flung open his door.

Her green eyes shot directly behind him, to inside his apartment. With that, he reflexively closed the door as quick as he could, to break her gaze and to see the reaction afterwards. He enjoyed teasing his partner, she always showed him funny expressions as a result - this time it was a glare paired with a pout.

"I've told you before haven't I? He won't be back for three months." This he said with a smirk.

She momentarily glared at him and then pivoted to turn away from him, her nose raised high.

"I didn't even say anything."

"Oh, your eyes say a lot."

Once again she turned, her beige ponytail swaying, locking her green eyes with his crimson ones, and smirked. "Come on. We'll be late." She started to walk off, him following behind like the good partner that he is.

He's known Maka for three years, his first friend when he arrived at Death City. She had found him when he was playing the music halls' grand piano, when he felt deprived of the music he had longed for like a companion. At that time, it had been weeks since he last played - there was no piano at his apartment - and seeing a grand piano in this school made his fingers itch. He didn't realise that he had a spectator and he had chosen the fiercest piece of music to play - something quick, anything to relive his fingers of its stiffness. His one and only audience had applauded gently, the soft sound echoing through the hollow auditorium. Then, they had a short silent conversation with their eyes, each recognising that their wavelengths were behaving excitedly, as if a catalyst were introduced to it.

That was when they introduced themselves to each other, much like what their wavelengths were doing.

Maka Albarn.

Soul Eater.

It was something like fate that brought them both together, a skilled meister and a capable weapon. It had only taken them seventeen months to turn Soul into Death Scythe, a record in the history of Shibusen.

Death Scythes, like Maka's papa, only had Shinigami as their main partner, but it didn't mean that he couldn't be partners with two people - he preferred being close to his now weaponless meister. He was actually glad that Maka still didn't take in any weapons. A lot of them, who knew of her skill and record time in which she perfected Soul, threw themselves at her, wanting to be the next Death Scythe as quickly as possible. She even seemed to have stalkers now. That's when Soul started to take claim of her, again, as a partner - it kept most of the stalkers away.

But he knew that his partner was quite capable of defending herself anyway. Equip Maka with a heavy encyclopaedia or any hardback tome and she'd be as deadly as when she wields a scythe. If anyone out there has a lousy book as a weapon form, she would be able to wield him or her, and well. He's experienced quite a lot of pain with her wielding of the said lousy weapons.

He smirked at the memory and looked at his former meister. He furrowed his brows like she did and grabbed her attention by snorting.

"Yo Maka, what's wrong?" He spoke as he returned his gaze to where they were walking. "Is it about Kid again?"

Kid, his new roommate, somehow was her object of affection, albeit it wasn't being reciprocated, at least he thought it wasn't. Ever since he left, his meister was acting all gloomy and fake smiles were evident. But the furrowing of her brows was a new expression. It was bothering him.

"Not this time." She looked up and only barely avoided bumping into a post. This action caused her to bump into Soul instead and he quickly acted to steady her. "Someone visited me last night," At this, he looked at her curiously. "A little man in a suit."

"Uh huh…and?" He didn't like how she was stalling like this. She never stalled, so this could be serious.

She sighed loudly, more like a groan. "I didn't get to eat last night because he kept me away from my cooking. The pasta got all soggy and I didn't want to eat that!"

He had to blink at her then. Really, his partner surprised him sometimes. "That's it? Sheesh, I thought it was more serious!" He grabbed Maka's arm and forced her to turn into a cafe, ignoring her weak little protests. He sat her down the window seat and ordered two pancakes at the counter. When he sat himself down in front her, he found her gaping at him. "Come on! You must be hungry. I am. And I don't care if were late." He added the last part to interrupt the anticipated protest.

When they were served their food, which he gladly wolfed down, he saw her only poking it with her fork, her chin resting on her unused palm. When he looked at her face, she had dark circles under her eyes. Did she not get any sleep?

"Okay. Is there something you want to tell me?"

She looked up with wide eyes, and as they met his half lidded crimson ones, she sighed, as if in defeat. That's right, she couldn't not tell him about what was bothering her now.

"Okay…the little man, he told me that this family wanted to take me in. I didn't understand it at first, but the family seem to be Mama's friends or something."

"Take you in?" What, like adoption?

"He told me that I was invited to their ball in two months time." Oh. A ball? Hopefully though, she might still be able to spend his birthday with him. And why such an early notice.

"Why are they inviting you now if this event is in two months time? That's pretty stupid - you might forget about the ball by the time it comes."

"I thought that was strange too… but he told me-" she clutched her fork hard and her eyes shone with anger. The next few phrases she forced out of clenched teeth. "- I was to be married to this family! That's just absurd!"

He wanted to tease her about this case but the word 'married' made Soul choke on his food. He pounded on his chest to enable the food to go down and let him breathe. He seriously thought his face was turning blue.

But seriously? Maka? Getting married!?

When he was able to look at her again, he forced an expression which silently asked her 'who?'. She responded - they understood each other perfectly, of course with their synchronised wavelengths and all.

"The Evans family."

At that moment, he felt his blood drain from his face and strangely choked on nothing.

"What, Soul? Do you know them?"

Know them? He forgot, at that moment, and he was very thankful, that he never used his real last name in Death City.

Soul Eater Evans.

"Y-yeah, I know them." He stuttered quietly.

A/N: Second fic~
this one was an idea i had in my head for ages...it was annoying as well since the past versions of this story didnt exactly make sense - hopefully this does.
oh, and this is sort of AU, changing all the relationships and stuff~
i apolpogise for my grammar, spelling and the confusing of tenses if you noticed them ^^ i tried my best~

hope you enjoyed reading~
reviews are loved~3