AN: My first SoMa family fluff. I didn't feel comfortable naming the girl.

Maka and Soul held hands as they faced their three-year-old daughter. She stared up at them with wide emerald eyes that were as bright and intelligent as her mother's. The look aimed at them communicated curiosity as well as "you just pulled me away from some very important coloring, so this better be good." Maka slid into the seat next to her at the dining room table, and Soul remained standing. They had discussed how they were going to go about this the night before. The night before that had been spent lying together in their bed, Soul allowing himself to be teased about the dopey grin that he couldn't seem to remove from his face. Even now he was working hard to keep a more or less relaxed expression. Maka squeezed his hand in support. It was good news, but he couldn't help but be nervous.

"We have some news for you, sweetie." Maka finally spoke, leaning forward slightly towards the girl.

Soul couldn't stop himself from nodding excitedly. Luckily his daughter didn't seem to pay him any mind. Maybe it was all of those times she had been told by her mother to "ignore daddy if he's being too weird."

"What is it?" Her voice was distracted.

Her eyes flitted back to the paper and crayons that lay in front of her on the wooden table. She really was in the middle of some serious stuff, and her mama and papa weren't supposed to see it yet. She pulled a blank sheet of paper over her drawing with all the discreetness of a three-year-old. Her parents didn't seem to notice the gesture. Soul and Maka had in fact noticed the girl's distracted behavior, but they knew it would be for the best to humor her. That was often how it went with children, and especially with serious ones like their little girl. It was Maka's news to deliver, so Soul contented himself to wait for her to speak in impatient silence.

"You're going to have a little brother or sister."

Now that the words were out there Soul relaxed. He had never been so nervous when he was with the two most important and beautiful girls in his world. Green eyes blinked slowly and contemplatively, the coloring forgotten for the moment.

"Which is it?" her little voice was a demanding as her mother's could be.

"Which is what, sweetheart?" Soul could not keep the confusion out of his voice.

"Is it a little brother or a little sister?"

Soul did not allow himself to laugh. Her mouth was set so straight, and her tone was so serious that there was nothing he could do but let Maka handle the situation. She let go of his hand and ruffled the girl's soft white hair.

"We don't know that yet, but I know that no matter what you'll love them just as much."

Then came the question that every parent expects when they're having a second child, and this one Soul was prepared for.

"When the baby comes," her voice was uncharacteristically quiet, "will you love it more than you love me?"

Soul scooped his daughter out of her chair and held her above his head with strong arms.

"How could I possibly love the new baby more than my little angel?" He cooed.

"Papa! Put me down!" she squealed, squirming in his hands.

Soul let go for a second, letting her freefall for half a second, before securing her small frame in his arms. She shrieked, the smile wide on her face. Maka said it gave her a heart attack whenever he manhandled their child like that, so he was expecting an earful later, but he honestly didn't care. He peppered his still squirming daughter with sloppy kisses on her cheeks and forehead. Maka was with them now too, and holding the girl securely with one arm, he pulled his wife into an embrace with the other.

"Your daddy's right. We could never love the baby more than you, and we won't love you more than the baby. We'll love you both special."

Soul smiled warmly at Maka's poorly structured sentence. It wasn't like her, and it was pretty damn adorable. He would have to tell her later. The three stayed silent for a moment, the parents both appreciating being a family, and the child back in deep thought.

"Papa, you have to put me down. I have work to do."

"Alright, little lady."

Soul set her down and watched in bemusement as she went immediately back to her seat at the table. He placed a chaste kiss on Maka's cheek and pulled her closer into him. Apparently forgotten by the girl, the two retreated to the couch.

"Well that went surprisingly well." Soul placed his hand on her still flat belly, imagining he could feel the life that was growing in there.

"I told you she would take it well. It's a good thing she takes after me more."

She smiled slyly at him, and he retaliated with a brief surprise tickling attack. She slapped his hand away and attempted to regain some composure. She hated when he did that. Well not really, but she told him she did. When they had first been expecting he would have been worried that such an act would hurt the baby somehow. He was slightly more experienced now.

"I'll agree that it's better that she took after you in looks more."

"Oh please. You made a cute girl." She teased.

Soul rolled his eyes. She really did like reminding him about that. He closed his eyes and relaxed deeper into the couch. He appreciated Maka's weight and warmth on top of him. It was getting close to bedtime for their little girl. Was it bad how much he was looking forward to finishing the book they were reading together?

"I finished!"

Soul opened his eyes to find his daughter was now standing directly in front of him.

"What did you finish, sweetheart?"

Maka was rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She must have dozed off on top of him. She took the slightly crumpled paper that was being pushed into her face. Soul adjusted himself so he could better see over her shoulder. He could immediately identify the crude drawing as their family. She was getting better too. He could actually pick out the features that made it him. That wasn't counting the "PAPA" label that was directly under the figure. The red eyes were kind of a dead giveaway though. He smiled wider than he thought he had been even moments before. He was beginning to fear he would be stuck with that expression (Black Star would never let him hear the end of it if that happened). Alongside the three of them there was now a fourth figure. The child scrawl below it simply read "BABY."

"Was this the work that you had to do?" Maka's voice was tender and radiated all the love she held for her daughter.

"I was almost done before, but then I had to add in more."

She shook her little head as if to communicate, "the nerve of some people."

"How about I pin this up somewhere while your dad finished reading you that story?"

Another emphatic nod before Soul walked off down the hallway with a small hand wrapped in his palm. He knew that Maka would be waiting for him in their bed when he was done. And they could talk and dream about the future like they had before almost four years ago.