Author Notes: I make no guarantees on when this fic will be updated, but for now the plan is to try and update every week. However, life has been crazy recently and I've been going through a lot of financially and mentally stressful events so like I said before, I can't really make any promises. As much as I love writing fanfiction, real life has to take priority.
This fic was originally written to be a oneshot, but when it reached over 14,000 words I decided that writing it as a oneshot simply was not going to work. So this story will be told in a disjointed fashion, showing the highlights over the time that Soul and Maka spend together. Some of the chapters will be light, humorous and fluffy and others... Won't. This story will be wandering into some darker territory eventually, you have been warned.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Soul Eater manga, anime or anything else. This fic is fanmade and purely for enjoyment, just like everything else on this site.

His memories from the majority of night were vague, but his memories of meeting her were clear as day.

He could vaguely recall sitting at the dingy little bar, hitting on some random broad who was taking the bait hook, line and sinker. Her attentions must have been clear as her Sasquatch of a boyfriend came over to stake his claim. He scoffed darkly at the thought. Ever since that day, he was always referred to as an animal, a lower form of life and yet the most primitive of beasts were the ones that were, in fact, normal humans. It was pathetic.

In some way or another, his big mouth ended up getting himself into a tussel and the other guy had pulled a knife. He remember laughing, morphing his arm into his scythe form, something that turned out to be both one of the biggest mistakes of his life, but at the same time one of the best things that ever happened to him.

Weapons had long since lost the respect and admiration that they once had and were now hunted almost to the brink of extinction. Sixteen years ago, a rebellion against weapons took place due to their unnatural abilities and by extension, their technitions were meant for the same fate. This lead to overwhelming casualties on both sides but the weapons, even with their advantage over regular people, were outnumbered vastly and forced to retreat. Many were in hiding, living as normal people by themselves or with the meister partners who still stayed by their sides after all these years. As such, both were considered a menace to the human race and had to be wiped out of existence. It was a mission that was taken seriously by many.

Apparently, this guy was one of those people that had a particularily strong hatred for 'his kind' if his gutteral insults and threats were anything to go by.

Normally, Soul would have been fully capable of holding his own in a fight like this one, particularly against a clumsy gorilla like this. He managed to keep him at bay for some time and almost enjoyed the excitement that had been absent from his life for so long, a natural thirst for violence that ran through his blood as a weapon. Unfortunately for him, he was drunk on alcohol and adrenaline, his movements becoming clumsier and more easy to read. It was a split second when his guard dropped that his attacker took control of the situation.

A flash of silver and a spurt of red were the only real indication to him at what happened and he turned his gaze down, seeing the blood that was already seeping through the new slice in his white shirt, an opening that had only been made availible by having his black leather jacket unzipped. Although it may have looked cooler, he made a mental note to make sure that he zipped up his jacket from now on if he was looking for a fight.

The pain came next, although it wasn't nearly as sharp as it should have been, his heavily intoxicated body dulling his senses and reducing the wound to little more then a dull ache.

However, the slash caused him to make the first smart move of the night. Wheeling around wildly and slicing his arm through empty air, people jumped out of his path as he barreled out of the small bar like a bat out of hell, spinning around the nearest corner and nearly toppling himself over a large garbage can. He heard the door slam behind him and he went to slow his pace, the sudden lurching movements of his escape causing his stomach to turn unpleasantly, a wave of nausea washing over him. He didn't even have the time to grimace before he lurched over, soundly emptying the contents of his stomach onto the already disgusting cement.

At least I'm not the first poor bastard to empty my guts here, he thought dryly, wiping his mouth with his sleeve and looking distastefully at the ground. His head did feel a bit clearer now though, and he almost considered sitting down for a second to catch his breath until he heard three or four other guys leaving the bar behind him. Judging by the sounds of the shouts, he probably wasn't safe to stick around here, particularly in this pathetic state.

Clutching his side, he bolted into the nearest alley and didn't stop for a good ten minutes, taking as many twists and turns until even he had no idea where he was. Feeling a little dizzy and out of breath, he slows to breathe and gain his bearings.

He glanced around him, realising that he seemed to be in a part of town he hadn't explored yet. The walkway was clean of trash, the fences on either side a pristine white, free of graffiti and filth. The normal rusted out dumpsters were instead replaced with shiny blue recycling bins and black garbage bags that were due to be picked up that following morning. He chuckled to himself. Totally not his scene.

He leaned against a gate beside one of the large blue bins, the blood loss finally taking its toll. He slid down to the cement and gingerly pulled off his jacket to assess the damage.

It may have been the plain white t-shirt he was wearing causing a brilliant contrast, but it looked like there was a dizzying amount of blood. He blanched, sighing and leaning his head back, running his now normal hand through his messy white hair, not caring about the red streak it left behind. True, he had been through a hell of a lot worse then this (The long white scar across his chest was proof of that), but an injury when you're living on the streets was something you tried to avoid.

"Just fucking great." He muttered to himself, closing his eyes and listening to the silence around him. He sighed, pulling his black jacket back on to protect himself from the nights chill. "What the hell am I going to do now?"

He didn't even hear her approach and he was ashamed to admit that her voice did make him jump a good few inches into the air. "Umm, excuse me... Are you alright?"

He glanced up and he noticed her start slightly, no doubt from his appearance. He must have been quite the sight to see just at that moment, he thought dryly to himself. Hell, his looks drew attention even when he was in top form. Jagged teeth that he had heard people compare to a shark's, lazily spiked white hair and, the attribute he thought made people the most uncomfortable, a pair of bright red eyes. The same color as blood, he remembered his mother saying to him once. Adding in his currently sickly complection and the possibility of vomit in the corner of his mouth, he wouldn't blame her from turning tail the second she laid eyes on his face.

She remained rooted on the spot despite all this, an odd look coming over her face.

"What the hell are you lookin' at?" He snarled, feeling particularly uncool at the current moment but too damn exhausted to care.

His aggression didn't seem to faze her, instead she continued to stare at him intently, almost as if trying to figure something out. To be honest, she was starting to freak him out a little bit, but he just continued to glower at her in an attempt to chase her off. He had no idea how he always managed to attract the freaks, but they always seems to find him.

She jolted suddenly, her eyes widening and a gasp escaping her her mouth in surprise. He raised an eyebrow at her odd reaction. This girl must be slow as hell to have just noticed that he looked like a freak, but whatever, maybe she would leave now. If she didn't... He would have to think of a way to make her leave.

He was shocked when instead she crouched down to his level and met his gaze, laying what appeared to be a school bag at her side and giving him a small smile, seemingly unafraid.

"Come on, I'll get you out of here." She said, reaching forward with her hand and obviously expecting him to take it.

What the hell was wrong with her?

"No way." He snapped coolly, slapping her hand away dismissively. Big mistake. Before he realised it, he had swiped a red trail along her hand, curtesy of the blood from his wound. She glanced down at it blankly, taking in the red liquid without emotion. Great, now she was probably going to scream and alert those thugs to where he was...

She stared at the blood for a second more before pulling herself closer to sit directly in front of him, careful to keep her legs together so her skirt didn't shuffle. He leaned back away from her, pushing into the fence in an effort to put some distance between himself and her but also trying to not make it obvious. His hand itched to transform and force her to leave but he held down the urge, reminding himself that she was nothing more then a random person who didn't seem to have any kind of ill intentions yet. She was just an idiot who didn't how to take a hint. He would not be intimidated by this girl.

"You're hurt." She stated, glancing down at the small amount of white turned red shirt the peeked out from under his jacket. When he remained silent, watching her carefully as she slowly reached her hand out to him again, her green eyes staring steadily into his own. "I can help you."

"And why the hell would you do that?" He questioned, staring at her hand as if it was going to bite him. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into. So instead of being a little girl scout who wants to help a poor, unfortunate guy, how about you get the hell away from me? I don't need your pity."

She frowned slightly, a flash of frustration, obviously put out a bit by his stubborn behaviour, but she didn't back down. "Who did that to you?"

"None of your damn business."

"What's your name?"

"What part of none of your damn business are you not getting? Get the hell out of here!"

"Are the people who hurt you still trying to find you?"

Almost as if to give her a proper answer, the sound of approaching footsteps and rowdy voices echoed through the alleyway. The girl turned her head, glancing down the wide path to see four guys who didn't seem to have spotted them yet. She turned back to him and got the answer she needed by his sudden change in body language. He was watching them carefully and she noticed that he seemed nervous, if the tightness of his body or the clenching of his hands had anything to say. She could tell he was trying to hide it, though. His expression hadn't changed in the least, a firm frown set on his face.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and she could have sworn she saw a split second of guilt in them. "Hey, I'm serious, you should leave now."

Making a spilt second decision, she scooped her arm under his armpit in a feeble attempt to hoist him up. He pulled violently away from her, flinching as his wound opened what little had begun to feebly form a scab, his expression hostile as he opened his mouth to cuss her out. However, her frantic hand gestures effectively cut off his tirade.

"Look, I can get you out of this, but you just have to stand up and walk with me, alright?"

He turned his eyes back to the guys that were now making their way in their general direction. He supposed he had two choices.

Sit there and wait for them to find him and try beat him like a dog on the spot, to which he would have to fight back and draw attention to himself, most likely getting himself caught by the cops or worse. Or, he could trust the girl for just a few minutes and get out of here without a fuss, ditching her later on and leaving them all none the wiser.

He sighed deeply, turning back to the blond who waited calmly for his answer... Or at least she tried to. Her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt did give away some of the anxiety she seemed to be trying to hide from him. He snorted. If she knew the gamble she was actually taking, she would probably be a hell of a lot more nervous. These types of goons held no room for mercy when it came to people who tried to protect weapons, whether they were fully aware of the situation or not.

"Fine."

At the simple word, she gave him a small smile that he didn't have time to appreciate before she snagged his arm and helped him up. He staggered but managed to stay standing as she rummaged through her pack, pulling out a black toque and pulled it down roughly over his head, pushing his hair underneath it until none of its stark white could be seen. She stood, observing her work until satisfied.

"Zip up your jacket and put these on." She ordered, handing him a set of white leather gloves. He did as he was told, careful not to get blood on the outside of the glove, watching as she went over and opened the gate he had just been leaning against and slamming it shut, the noise echoing through the alley and drawing the attention of the boys to the two of them. The girl glanced down, noticing the blood stains his wound had left on the ground. In one swift move, she pulled the recycling bin over, covering all traces of red before turning back to him.

"What the hell are you doing?" He hissed, watching his pursuers approach, not even noticing her wrapping her hand in a cloth she had pulled from her bag. He was far too busy fighting the urge to wring her neck for just making the situation all the worse.

"Quiet." She whispered to him, coming over to his injured side. Without hesitating, she pulled his hand swiftly from his wound and wrapped it around her shoulder, her own flying to take over the place over his wound. She moved closer to his side, shooting him a look to be silent and play along. They barely managed to get ten steps before the group called to them.

"Hey, you two, what are you doing here?"

A frown came to the girls face, although a slight tremor entered her voice as she spoke. "What does it matter to you?"

He stiffened as he recognised the Sasquatch who had slashed him, along with three of his goonies that he had threatened with his scythe, although he doubted they even really remembered what he looked like. While Sasquatch seemed capable of walking in a straight line and talking clearly, his three buddies had obviously had one too many, their expressions slack jawed and vacant. It took everything he had not to turn his arm into a blade once more when they surrounded them on each side, creating a wall of drunken muscle. He nearly jumped when the girl gave him a squeeze to keep him still, almost as if she were trying to reassure him. He glanced down at her, surprised at how relaxed she seemed considering the situation, her mask of an innocent and oblivious school girl perfectly in place. She seemed to be in control of the situation, although not so relaxed that it seemed unnatural for a girl who had just been approached by four strange men.

The lead ape took a step forward, glancing between the two of them before his expression relaxed slightly, to look less intimidating, he supposed. "I'm sorry, we're just looking for someone who's been commiting some crimes around this neighbourhood, no need to be nervous. Have you seen anyone suspicious tonight?"

The girl relaxed almost immediately, a relieved smile coming to her face. "Oh, okay." She laughed, immediately lightening the mood considerably. She used her free hand to tap her chin thoughtfully, raising her eyes skywards as if considering the question. "We're just leaving a friend's house, but I haven't seen anyone yet, except you guys." She glanced up at her companion, tilting her head slightly. "Have you?"

He gave himself a second or two to seem like he was thinking before he shook his head and grunted a "No". The girl smiled again, turning back to the pack and shrugging.

"Sorry we can't help." She apologized and if he hadn't have known better, he could have sworn she was being sincere. She delivered the alpha what could only have been her sweetest innocent smile. "Can we leave now? Or do you need anything else?"

It seemed like whatever she was doing worked like a charm. He stepped aside immediately, a slight flush coming to his face. They must have been dumber then Soul originally thought, being so easily manipulated by her. "No, sorry for disturbing your evening."

Soul remained tense as they walked between them and up the alley, his eyes staying on the pavement and focusing on keeping his footsteps slow and natural. He didn't allow himself to relax until they were a good five blocks away, although he had noticed his little chaperon seemed completely at ease now, even humming to herself a little. It was only then that he realised that he still had his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to support him.

Without warning, he pulled himself away, his hand going back to put pressure on the wound although it wasn't bleeding as badly anymore. The girl allowed him to move away without complaint and unwrapped the bloodied cloth from her hand, replacing it with another thick cloth from her bag and handing it to him. He took it suspiciously, pressing it to his side. They continued to walk in silence, never taking his eyes off her face.

He hadn't really had a chance to look at her before. Her ashy blond hair was pulled into two pigtails, something that he realised made her look younger then she probably actually was. Her small chest really didn't help her out in that department either he noted wryly. Her eyes were a bright shade of green, he remembered that much clearly from all the staring that she had done. She was dressed in a plaid skirt with a white collared shirt, although that was a little hard to see with her long black coat that went all the way down to her ankles. She was pretty in her own way, but it really wasn't enough to make her stand out in a crowd. Overall, she was simply normal.

"I'm Maka, by the way."

It was then he noticed her watching him from the corner of her eye, a small smile on his face, obviously amused in his interest. He turned his gaze away stubbornly, slightly embarrassed to have been caught staring, looking back to the sidewalk. She seemed to have not a single care in the world, her hands now clasped behind her back, looking up at the stars and the laughing moon. When she didn't press for his name, he sighed, running a hand through his hair again. She had done quite a bit for him, his name was the least he could offer. Doing anything less would be totally uncool.

"Soul."

Her smile widened, a small spark coming to her eyes. "Well, Soul, I have an apartment not too far from here, if you want to tend to that injury. I'd imagine you'd probably want to wash it out, considering you've been running around in alleys." Her nose wrinkled slightly as she looked him over. "I'd also imagine you want to wash your, well... Everything else too. You're filthy."

She took his silence as an affirmative and continued to her place, allowing him to set the pace at an easy stroll now that they were temporarily out of harms way. She continued to hum, breaking the silence and filling the air with a soothing melody. Although he hated to admit it, her presence was rather relaxing. He didn't even noticed when she stopped in front of him, a sigh escaping her lips as she looked fondly at the building before her.

"Well, home sweet home."

The apartment building was small and clean, nothing too special but not a dump either, definitely higher class then the places he was recently accustomed to. Then again, there were probably dumpsters that were higher class then the roach hotels he had been bouncing around in. If this night offered nothing else, he would appreciate a decent night's sleep.

They entered through the small lobby and walked up two flights of stairs, leading down a hallway with two doors on each side. He quirked an eyebrow at room 308's painted number being painted over and replaced with an 808, but shrugged it off. He'd seen weirder.

She reached her apartment, number 304, and inserted the key into the lock, turning it with a clunk. She pushed the door open, extending her hand to gesture inside and inviting him in. Soul stared at her for a second or two, trying to detect a hint of deceit or malice in the offer. When he came up short he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and shrugging before strolling in. Unless she held some sort of magical skill she had yet to reveal, she was just a girl. It wasn't like he couldn't escape if a situation arose.

Hell, what was the worst that could happen?