A/N: yo. so uh I don't really know much about lawyers so roll with me here. although this chapter may not seem like it, I'm trying to keep the story mainly on their relationship. sorry I'm a bit rusty. enjoy ! 〜（ゝ。∂）

It was 12 A.M and she had been staring at her laptop screen for at least thirty minutes, typing, deleting and retyping the same sentence, over and over again. She was going nowhere. The dammed paper was only two pages long and she wasn't even near done going over the legal docs. She also needed to finish debriefing the paralegals summary of the case files, but fuck , she was so exhausted.

She rubbed her temples, trying to at least ease the unfading migraine imbedded into her head. Working as a lawyer was in her blood but she did not like the side effects that came with it. The pay was nice but the hours were long as hell and even though pencil skirts were cute she was getting sick of old men staring at her ass.

Maka padded into the kitchen, flipping on the coffee maker. She should know by now that it should be on permanently as her caffeine intake was abnormal for someone as young as her. She opened her fridge door, leaning over to take a face of cool air, hoping it would clear her mind. When she didn't see any creamer, she also realized her fridge was bare and couldn't remember the last time she cooked something for herself, or even went to an actual grocery store. She sighed, bitterness was one of her weak points, but she had gotten used to black coffee. Although she had been a fan of sweet things, her work days would often extend until late at night and black was the only thing that could keep her running. She took a mug and sat down on her sofa, starting to type.

It was almost always like this. Long, tiresome days at the office, coming home only to work even more. Going over file after file until the day of the actual prosecution came. She was an offensive lawyer, always trying to break down the walls of the opposing side. Her killer analysis of all wings, judges, enemy lawyers, the jury, pinpointing weaknesses and strengths, is what earned her her reputation in the court. In the short amount of time that she had been there she had been promoted twice to her current part and was hopefully moving forward out from Star's command.

She admitted she owed the guy. He had helped her move this far up the rankings even if it was hard to accept. But that stupid arrogance of his, the way he would act without thinking, how he would boast about being a god, was just too much for her. There had been more than enough situations where she had hit her boss upside the head, and if it weren't for them being childhood friends she was sure she would have been fired by now. Not only did his vainness make her blood boil but the people he paired with her in law firms were unimaginably stupid. She honestly wondered how Star had gotten promoted this far because his decision making was well below par.

By the time Maka finished her report she had gone through three cups of coffee and another two for the legal documents and debriefing. She had managed to power through it, going to bed at a reasonable 2 A.M. Although eight hours of sleep was her goal, the bar had been significantly lowered through the months. Six would have to do.

Maka awoke to the screaming of her alarm clock, sitting up in a sweat, muttering frantically about page 22 of the contract. Sunlight streamed in through her window and smacked her in the face, letting her come to her senses and making her cringe. She dammed whoever invented windows to hell and grumpily got out of bed stalking towards the bathroom.

She winced a little when her eyes caught her reflection. She looked like something out of a horror movie. Hair everywhere, big purple bags under her eyes, chapped lips. Good thing she was too fucking exhausted to give a shit.

Maka flipped on the shower to searing and went to the kitchen to grab her coffee, hot water took ages to get to the seventh floor. She checked outside her apartment door and grabbed the newspaper patiently waiting outside in the hallway. Glancing at it she saw on the front page: GIRIKO HAUSER WALKS FREE. Maka sighed, taking a swig of her coffee and walking back to the shower.

Giriko was a big commercial company CEO. He was known for playing dirty but was recently charged for scamming a smaller company bankrupt, gaining big bucks. There were numerous file records against him, enough to shut his money making factory down and lock him up, yet he was free of charge. And Maka knew why. It was that dammed Evans. He hadn't been in the system for long but had gotten plenty famous after somehow getting a drug lord to walk. He was known for his enticing defensive skills, finding loopholes in the tightest knit contracts. He was Maka's biggest problem at the moment. She had never gone against him in court. Only read articles about him, watched recordings of him on the job. He had a way of convincing people, an air to him that was easy to trust. And he was one of the most dangerous attorneys she'd ever seen. She and her client would be facing him in trial soon.

She came out of the shower, wiping her bathroom mirror clear of steam. She looked a bit better, appearing more like something that was actually alive rather than a corpse. She grabbed the hairdryer. She had been asked of the job from a nervous looking man. It was told to her that his boss had been breaking business laws, giving him his paycheck late, short of money, and some months not at all. Apparently confronting him about it was a no go considering every time her client brought it up he threatened to fire him. Her head started to hurt. His boss's defending lawyer was going to be Evans and she'd be dammed if he slipped out of this one. Sure, he was good but she was better.

When she went to finish her cup of coffee she nearly screamed as she saw the time. Practically sprinting to get ready she fit into her skirt and blazer and the damn heels she was forced to wear everyday. When she had came in flats one of her colleagues addressed her, saying she should "wear proper work attire." The next day she had come in 4 inches and when collecting some files from the printer "accidentally" stepped on his toe. She had found a new power to fashion-wear and went on a shopping spree.

She tied her hair in a neat bun as always and brushed her teeth in the car.

Walking into her office building was always an adventure. Of course she was being sarcastic, the building was crudely boring, but she did get a kick out of watching hopeless men cluttering around reception trying to get the attention of the curvy and ridiculously sexy receptionist Blair. Blair never gave them the attention they wanted and she wondered if that's what kept them coming back. But as she strolled through the doors of the building the last thing she expected to see was Evans.

He leaned against Blair's desk, chatting with the untouchable woman. He was dressed in the classic blue/gray/black lawyer suit and he wore it to a T. He flashed a grin at her, body language practically oozing with confidence. It made her stomach drop, and not in a bad way. The most prominent thing about the scene though was that Blair actually grinned back, batting her eyelashes a bit and Maka had to step back for her to see that it was real, and that's when he saw her.

He excused himself and starting walking towards her. Something about him made her uneasy, knowing his power, and more importantly not knowing what he was doing here. When he reached her, she was surprised to find that he loomed over her, taller than what she had assumed from the pictures and not only that but a lot hotter as well. The unruly yet acceptable white hair, the pools of wine in his eyes, the tan skin and the broad shoulders, it was all completely different in person.

She shook her head a bit and he held out his hand, "Hi, Soul Evans, Business Enterprises and Law."

She took his hand, "Yes, hi, I'm aware of who you are. Can I help you?" He smirked and for a second there was a flash of something in his eyes but it was gone as soon as it came.

He smiled, "Not particularly. I'm sure you're aware that next week we'll be against each other in court and well, I like to meet my opponent before we go into trial, is all." He smiled.

Something was off. She narrowed her eyes, "Well while that may be something convenient for you, unfortunately for me, I have plenty of business to attend to. So if you could excuse me and not interrupt me for something so useless next time that would be great." She flashed her signature corporate smile and turned on her heel. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked to the elevator.

"Albarn," he yelled. She turned, "I'm looking forward to next week"

She glared at him this time, not really caring about being polite, "Likewise."

He was up to no good.