5A/N: I actually wrote this for SoMa Week on tumblr this year but am doing a revamp of the fic so I will be rolling out the rest of the chapters within the week hopefully. Happy reading!
Maka squints down at the man sitting at her and Liz's usual table who, in spite of his white hair and overly slouched shoulders, can't be much more older than her. "You're not Liz," she mumbles under her breath.
Evidently her voice carries because he raises his head-his crimson eyes are electric and there's suddenly a tingling sensation in her palms that wasn't there before. The bored expression on his face drains away and the corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk. "And you are definitely not Blake."
She freezes in the middle of excusing herself. "Wait, Blake?" She places a hand on the table, scrutinizing him. "Blue hair? Works as a stuntman for DWMA Studios?"
"Once ran into a burning building for the vine and walked away with nothing more than a pair of singed eyebrows?" he asks. "Yeah, we're friends from work."
The urge to throttle the soul out of someone has never been greater. Unfortunately, the person Maka wishes to take her frustrations out on is not here- she's probably laughing it up with Blake as they congratulate themselves on a job well done at setting up their perennially single friends.
So instead she throws herself in the chair opposite the stranger (who isn't as much as a stranger as she believed) and crosses her arms, muttering violent promises to herself.
"Um, not be rude," he says tentatively after a minute, "But I have no idea what's going on."
"Betrayal," she fumes as she drums her nails in irritation against the table. "Has Blake ever mentioned someone named Maka to you?"
"Yeah, he ha-hold on." He narrows his eyes. "You're not Maka, are you?"
She purses her lips, nodding. "And you're Soul."
"Damn it." He rubs his temple and shakes his head. "I can't believe I fell for it."
"Yup."
They lapse into silence for several moments.
Then they speak at the same time. "Those assholes."
Maka looks at Soul in surprise, an awkward laugh falling from her lips. She sighs and breathes deeply through her nose. "I'm really sorry about all of this."
"You don't have anything to apologize for," Soul says, waving his hand. "Those two, on the other hand…"
"They're relentless." She uncrosses her arms. "Knowing Liz, my rant will most likely go in through one ear and straight out the other."
"Yeah, Blake's only going to take this as a challenge to prove himself as the ultimate matchmaker," he says glumly.
Maka laughs again and she leans forward excitedly, a thought popping into her mind. "You know…" she trails off, mouth going dry as Soul meets her gaze. "Never mind."
His eyes study her face curiously. "What?"
Her face reddens under his gaze and she feels ridiculous for opening her mouth. "It's nothing."
"Nothing is nothing," Soul says firmly. "And that was the look of something."
She clasps her hands together, wondering how to phrase her idea (if it could even be called that) without sounding weird. "Well, I was thinking about a way we could get revenge-"
"I'm listening."
"…and a way to get Blake and Liz off our backs," she finishes. She throws up a hand. "But I have to warn you, it's kinda out there."
He smiles for the first time since they met, sharp teeth reminding Maka of a jack-o-lantern. "Out there is my kind of thing."
