Best Way Not to Get Your Heart Broken

Chapter 17 - The Next Chapter

Right, I've yet to decide about adding lemons cause bear in mind it's me who has to write them and I'm a prude, so if I do, you better feel lucky. Anyhow, evidentially, I'm going to carry on the story while Maka and Soul are together and getting more serious (marriage, kids, etc.) and if you lot get desperate for lemons then I'll do my best. But for now I'm going to focus on the proposal and marriage and children and all that shit.

In the previous Chapters Soul was 18 and Maka was 16. In this however, we are seven years ahead therefore Soul is now 25 and Maka 23. Saving any maths you need to do if their ages are a curiosity of yours.

Hey, at least I'm doing something. I wasn't planning on carrying this on whatsoever.

***
~ 7 years later ~
***

Maka huffed as she wrested through the front door to her and Soul's apartment. Tsubaki had moved in with Blackstar years ago and they recently got engaged, so Soul and Maka remained in their old apartment they had got to know each other and saw no reason to ever move since the space and quality was so great. She placed her keys clumsily on to the side table beside the front door as she readjusted the grocery bags on her arms. She gave a quiet shriek of annoyance as one slipped down her arm again.

"You know, you could just ask for help."

Maka blew the strands of hair that fell over her face during her struggle to look at her long-time boyfriend Soul, who was leaning on the door frame to the kitchen looking at her with a shit eating grin through amused crimson eyes. If she thought he was attractive when she first met him then she was wrong. His hair was more tamed but still wild and a snowy white. His jaw was more taut and masculine with a small stubble that he near enough always shaved off due to Maka's complaints. His thin, boyish lips were almost forever pulled up in a sexy half-smirk but his eyes had never changed. They were as droopy as ever and that same unbelievably beautiful blood red wine colour.

Maka couldn't tell but Soul was thinking similar thoughts as he looked at her. Her ash blonde hair never changed except she now had a regular trim, so it fell elegantly down her back to sway gracefully past her hips. He's always loved her hair. Her cheek-bones grew more defined as she matured and went higher as she smiled. Her eye lashes grew longer and thicker, making her bright, cat like emerald eyes look even larger. Soul smirked again at her distressed form at their front door. She was beautiful.

Not that he's ever say that out loud.

Maka huffed again. "I literally just got through the door. I would have if you gave me a second."

Soul raised his eyebrows with a small chuckle. "Ah, I see. Need a hand, then?"

"Please."

There was the same light banter they had when they were kids as they scurried to the kitchen, they put away the items together, laughter rumbling though the apartment as they did so.

"I told you I could have come along," he chided as he placed the last item in a cupboard and closed it to eye Maka leaning on the sink.

"You were working," she shrugged. "Ever since you and your family made up and you joined your Dad's company you've been so busy! I'm not going drag you grocery shopping when I am completely capabl-"

"Capable of doing it yourself, yes I know," Soul interrupted her and rolled his eyes, chuckling when Maka shot him a glare.

They both bickered playfully as they made their way into the living room and fell onto the couch, they traded in the leather L-shaped couch for a more comfortable and warm foam-fur L-shaped couch. Soul rested his arm on the back of the couch, around Maka's shoulders as they sat and flicked on the television as Maka curled her knees up onto his lap, resting her head into his neck.

"Spoke to your Dad today?" he asked as he rubbed the back of her neck.

She sighed. "Yeah," she hummed. "Ever since he's got out of prison he's been better, he has been alcohol free ever since he came out with all that counselling, and two years is a long time to go without vodka for him."

Soul hummed lowly in understand and moved his hand up to play with her hair, he knew she liked that.

"What about you?" she asked, tilting her head up to look at his face, he turned his head down so that his eyes met hers. "How was your day?"

He 'pfft'ed and chuckled, pressing his forehead to hers. "It was fine," he said. "It was pretty shitty when I had to go to the company everyday but since my Dad said I could work from home it's been better."

Maka chuckled, drawing a hand up to run her fingers through his snowy hair, he tilted his head back with the movement when she did, a smile playing at his lips. "Who knew Soul Evans would work in a music company," she teased. "You were so defiant at first."

Soul scoffed. "Yeah, because it was my Dad asking. I never knew them two could ever change the way they did."

"They're nice people." Maka said and Soul nodded, not even hesitating like he did when he first started accepting his parents back into his life.

"Yeah, they're alright," he grumbled and Maka chuckled and kissed his jaw before snuggling into his side again.

"Oh, and Blackstar's suit fitting is on Wednesday," she said with a small yawn, Soul groaned and hung his head over the back of the couch.

"Ugh, go with me?" Maka chuckled and shook her head.

"Nope, I'm going with Tsubaki the same day for my maid of honour dress, and you're best man Soul, we can't not go. Anyways, it'll be fun!"

Soul cast her a wary look before smirking sheepishly. "Yeah, day out with the lads should be alright."

Maka giggled at his little British episode before standing. "You done working for today?" she asked as she made her way back to the kitchen.

"You know I don't work a minute past 6pm," he called over his shoulder from the couch as she started dinner.

"Yeah, yeah," she giggled over her shoulder. "Stir fry for dinner, the grocery's need to defrost." She called to him as she pulled out the ingredients.

Soul didn't reply. He stared at the television without actually seeing or listening to anything. Maka and he had been through so much together, with Blackstar and Tsubaki getting engaged and Liz announcing her and Kid's pregnancy it had him thinking maybe he and Maka were ready to move forward.

He rubbed his jaw idly as he dwelled on the thought. Could they do it? They got this far, what's to say they'd screw up marriage or a kid? Soul shook his head suddenly, his eyes widening. Jeez, what made him think about kids?! He was only debating whether or not he was ready to propose, but kids! Could they really pull this off?!

"Soul?"

His head snapped up as Maka stood in front of him, her eyes narrowed. "You alright?"

He smiled before pulling her down into his lap, she gasped in surprise before giggling like a school girl, making him chuckle and he hugged her to him more.

"I'm fine, Maka," Soul assured her as he pressed a kiss to her temple. Seven years later and she could still make his heart pound like this was their first embrace and she was his school crush. That did it, if she still had that effect on him, to make his heart race and his breathe hitch in his throat by such a simple and casual touch then that did it.

Now, where to get the ring... Thought Soul as he buried his smirking face in Maka's hair.