Maka cursed to herself as she felt a drop of rain splash against her thigh. Of course, today of all days, Death City decided it was time for a torrential downpour, as if her day wasn't bad enough. First, the boy ranked second in her class, Ox, decided to start an argument with her, insisting that his hypothesis was right. He was wrong of course, and Professor Stein put an end to Ox's whining by threatening to demonstrate a dissection on him.
Death City, Nevada was a desert town, but once in a long while, it seemed that enough rain fell to fill the Grand Canyon. Citizens of Death City would huddle inside their homes until the downpour stopped, only going out when absolutely necessary. Maka would be doing just that, except she was stuck at school. The pigtailed teen had just gotten out of her debate club meeting, waiting on the steps leading up to Death City High School for her papa. He seemed to have forgotten about her, probably preoccupied with one of his whores again. Maka let out a sigh, standing up to start the long, wet walk home.
She wrapped her black trench coat around her exposed legs, cursing her papa eternally for being such a flirt. With a scowl, she trudged down the steps, feeling lucky that she wore her water proof black boots today. She walked across the mostly empty parking lot, save a few cars belonging to staff, when a streak of orange caught her eye.
She stopped and turned her head to the right, limp ash blonde pigtails swishing, and focused on an orange and black motorcycle that most certainly did not belong to a staff member, but rather her adopted brother's best friend, Soul "Eater" Evans. Jade green eyes flitted to the figure leaning against said motorcycle.
"Need a lift?" Soul called.
"On that death trap? In the rain?" she asked incredulously.
"You got a better idea? Your books will get soaked and the rain's only gonna pick up from here," he pointed out.
She got closer, squinting to shield herself from the frosty rain.
"You're already soaked," he repeated.
"I could say the same for you," she said, eyeing him.
His stark white hair, usually gelled up, was stuck to his forehead, his sneakers and ankles of his jeans were wet, as was his red v-neck. The only thing that seemed relatively dry was his black leather jacket, stretched across broad shoulders.
"Well, I'd rather not stand here any longer. Hop on," he patted the back half of the cycle's seat, handing her a black helmet. "That'll keep that big brain of yours protected."
"Uh-" Maka was at a loss for words, "it's okay, I can walk."
"Not even Black Star would do that," Soul convinced.
At the mention of her sibling's name, she rolled her green eyes before grabbing the helmet and shoving it over her head begrudgingly.
"You can put your bag in here," the white haired boy opened a side compartment where his bag was residing.
"Thanks," she said, sound muffled by the helmet covering her face.
She sat tentatively on the leather seat as if the motorcycle was magically going to come to life and flatten her into roadkill.
Soul, who was already sitting in front of her rolled his ruby eyes. "Maka, it's not going to kill you. I've had Marley for years and she hasn't gotten in a single accident." He reassured her.
"You named your motorcycle?" she asked, "And it's a she?"
"Yeah, got a problem with that?" he replied defensively.
"No, not at all," she sighed, swinging her right leg over the other side.
"You might wanna hold on," Soul suggested, revving the engine.
"To what?" she asked, confused.
"Me. You don't want to fall off." He replied, sounding almost nice.
"Right," she hesitated before finally wrapping her arms around his middle.
He was warm, really warm, and he smelled like cinnamon, aftershave, and nutmeg. Maka regained focus and steeled herself for the ride ahead, the white haired teen shooting out of the parking lot like a rocket. Maka's grip tightened immensely around his midsection, screams swallowed by the wind and rain. She almost couldn't believe herself, Maka fucking Albarn was riding bitch seat on oh so cool Soul Evans' motorcycle. She had never had a real conversation with him until now, but they had gone to the same school since elementary, and he was best friends with her almost-brother, Blake Estrella, or Black Star. It was a ridiculous name that he had coined once he started styling his spiky blue hair into a five-pointed store atop his head. Maka had no idea how calm and gentle Tsubaki dealt with his exuberance sometimes.
The pair whipped down Main Street, Soul veering to take a left onto Prior Avenue, then a right onto Azure Way. They came to a stop in front of 42 Azure Way, a blue house decorated with white trim.
Maka was still holding onto Soul like a vice, and he calmly pointed out that they were home.
"Oh," she muttered, not meeting his eyes. Under her helmet, she sported a crimson blush, dying down as she unwrapped her arms. "Here," she offered, pulling off the black helmet. "Thanks for the ride, you can come in and say hi to Star if you want." She mentally slapped herself, why couldn't she do anything right? Invite him in? What was she thinking?
"Sure," Soul replied coolly, grabbing her bag from the side compartment before heading up the few steps, into the house. "Yo Star!" he called from the foyer.
Maka trailed in after Soul and shut the door behind her.
"Bro!" Black Star jumped up to greet his best bud. "Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here? Or is it because you wanted to worship your favorite god?" Black Star cackled loudly, jumping on the table.
Both Maka and Soul sighed, sharing a look.
"Nah, I just gave Maka a ride home and she offered." Soul said, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Oh Maka! I didn't see you there!" Black Star yelled, hopping off to greet her.
She came out from behind Soul, groaning at him to be quiet.
"How was my most loyal disciple's debate club meeting?" Black Star asked at a slightly lower decibel.
"Fine," Maka said, pushing past him to go change.
"She's trying to cover up the fact that she was scared shitless on the way here. I took my motorcycle," Soul informed his blue headed friend. "Her knuckles were white and she was still holding on after I had parked." He chuckled softly.
Black Star's boisterous laughter could probably be heard from a mile away. "I won't let her live this down!" he said, grinning maniacally. "Maks ins't scared of much, but fast two wheeled vehicles is one of the things she is scared of. Anyways, wanna play some Killer Zombie 4?"
"Nah, I got a shit ton of homework to do, but I'll come by tomorrow." Soul told him.
"Nerd! Spend any more time with Maka and you'll become a nerd like her too. There's a term for that that Maka made me go over," Black Star recalled. "I wasn't paying attention, but at least she tried.
Soul chuckled, "Osmosis?"
"Yeah! That's it. Oh god bro, Maks is totally turning you into a bookworm. Pretty soon you'll be growing mushrooms out of your head! Anyways, see you later bromie," Black Star came over and clapped him on the back.
Soul turned and winced involuntarily at Black Star's overuse of the word "bro" along with the many creative ways he combined it with other words. He raised a tan hand, waving goodbye as he slipped out the door.
"So Maks," Black Star started to say, barging into Maka's room.
"You idiot!" Maka shrieked, grabbing a t-shirt to cover her chest with.
"Shit!" Black Star screamed, slamming the door. "Sorry!"
"You should knock you imbecile!" Maka fumed from the other side, rolling the shirt down her torso.
"It's not like you had anything to look at!" Black Star argued defensively.
Maka screamed in frustration. "At least I don't have the IQ of a grape!" she retorted angrily.
"Gods don't need to be nerds like you!" Black Star cackled again.
The blonde knew she wouldn't get anywhere with this argument, so she grudgingly opened the door.
"What do you want?" she eyed him suspiciously.
"I was just gonna ask why you got a ride home from Soul." he replied innocently.
"Papa forgot that I had a meeting today," Maka growled, perching on her bed in the corner. "Good for nothing, cheating, insensitive, womanizing, forgetful bastard," she continued.
"Damn," Black Star sighed, sitting next to her on the bed.
"Yeah, I started to walk home and I saw Soul's motorcycle, and he offered me a ride." She responded. "Now leave me alone Star, I need to study." she shoved him off the bed.
"But Baki is busy too and I'm bored!" Black Star whined.
"Don't make me Maka Chop you," she threatened darkly.
"Fine fine! I give!" Black Star raised his hands in defense, slowly backing out of the room. "I'll cook tonight!" he added from down the hall.
Maka just yawned, knowing that by cook, Black Star meant ordering pizza from Luigi's.
She hoisted her book bag onto her bed, pulling out her copy of Little Women, set on finishing it. Her mind kept wandering off to Soul, enigmatic Soul, but she stopped herself. He was her brother's best friend! He had frequented her house many times before, but it wasn't really until today that she held a substantial conversation with the mysterious boy. She had never really looked at him, but she realized that he was very tall, very attractive, and very reserved. Maka had no idea why, but she trusted him, which was saying a lot considering her papa's cheating ways.
Speaking of her papa, he still hadn't arrived home. Chances are, he was staying with some buxom lady who was everything but proportionate. Maka threaded a hand through her damp ash blonde hair, hoisting herself off of the queen bed and venturing her way into the living room. Black Star was sitting in the middle of the couch, shouting obscenities at the flat screen in front of him.
"Whatcha up to?" she asked as nonchalantly as possible.
"Yanno, killing zombies, the usual," the loud boy answered, eyes glued to the screen. "Wanna order pizza? I'm a bit preoccupied."
"Already on it," Maka called from the kitchen as she dialed Luigi's. She ordered a large meat lovers pizza for Black Star and a small pepperoni for herself before hanging up. "I'm gonna go get it," she informed him, pulling on her black boots and signature black trench coat. "The rain's let up, wanna come with?" she offered bleakly, knowing the answer already.
"Oh Maka, you never learn." Black Star fake chided.
"I'll be back in thirty," she reasoned before exiting the house.
The walk to Luigi's took ten minutes, and her name was being called just as she walked in the door. Maka fished out cash from her pocket, counting it before handing it over to the pretty brunette waitress.
"Have a nice evening!" the brunette chirped.
"You too," Maka smiled sweetly before grabbing the boxes and pushing the door open with her shoulder.
Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she turned around to see Soul standing there in his skinny jean glory.
"Oh hey," she grinned at him. "What brings you here?"
"I just finished eating," he stated rather obviously.
"Oh, that makes sense," Maka stared dumbly at him for a second. "Wait, you were alone?"
"Yeah, I usually am. Wes is away at college and my parents have better things to do," he admitted quietly.
"Nonsense!" Maka exclaimed. "Come over to my place, Star is dying to play Killer Zombie 4 with you. He proclaims he's gonna kick your ass into next Tuesday," she rolled her jade eyes at this.
"Sounds like Black Star alright," Soul flashed his shark teeth. "I'll come along I guess," he shrugged. "Black Star is gonna eat my dust." His ruby red eyes glinted with determination.
"Please beat him, or else he won't stop bragging to me about how godly he is. I've had too many sleepless nights where he decides to barge in and go on yet another godly rant of his. Talk about extreme case of god complex," Maka grieved for her only child status.
"How long have you lived with him anyway?" Soul wondered aloud as they walked down Main Street.
"Since we were two. Sid and Nygus had to do business overseas before they came back, so the court anointed custody to my papa. Lousy dad he is, but Blair was a big help." Maka admitted shyly, avoiding Soul's heated gaze.
"Blair?" Soul asked, "As in the woman your dad cheated on your mom with?"
"Yes, that Blair." Maka nodded. "This sounds twisted and messed up but she was there for us when my mama left. Of course, we didn't' know what was going on, and I love my mom, but Blair was more present. When my dad was too drunk to function, she'd cook and tuck us into bed at night." she concluded.
"Wow," Soul said at a loss for words.
"Kinda complicated. When I was in middle school, I was always defending my mama. She was braver than my papa could ever be. But as I got older, I realized it was her who left without a trace. She could've taken us with her, but she didn't. She knew what a skeez my dad was, and I know what he did was unforgettable and unforgivable, but she could at least write sometime." Maka took a deep breath, embarrassed that she had opened up.
"That's not cool."
"No, it isn't." Maka reiterated as she climbed the steps. "But that's life for you. Black Star! I'm back!" she yelled once inside the foyer.
"PIZZA!" Black Star leapt off the couch and dashed over to his sister, whisking away the boxes of fresh pizza. He tore the larger one open and sandwiched two slices of pizza together before chomping down. "Oh, hi Soul!" he greeted with a mouthful of pizza.
"Gross, Black Star," Maka made a face. "Chew your food before you inhale it!"
"A god like me doesn't need to chew!" Black Star pointed to himself with his free hand. He was proved wrong when he started hacking uncontrollably, bending over the table and spitting up almost an entire meatball.
"You're disgusting," Soul winced before sitting down to Black Star's right, grabbing a slice.
Maka took a seat to her brother's left, opening her own box of pizza, chewing slowly. She rolled her eyes as the boys got into a heated debate about whether Killer Zombie 4 was better than Chainsaw Zombie Slayer 2. This was Maka's cue to leave, so she stood up without a word and retreated back into her room.
Having already finished Little Women, she decided to read one of the romance novels Liz had given her to borrow. The cover housed an extremely buff man with an alluring woman scantly dressed next to him. Maka rolled her eyes at the ridiculous overkill, but gave in and read it anyways. It didn't take her very long to finish that book either, so she ventured back into the zombie killing war zone to feed her and her brother's dogs, a corgi named Mr. Peanut Butter and a pit bull named Sid. She bent down to pet both dogs before filling their bowls with kibble and refilling their water bowl. They both yapped happily before devouring the dry food, exiting to the backyard through the doggie door.
"You know what I find funny?" Soul asked from his spot on the couch during a break.
"What?" Black Star and Maka asked in unison.
"The fact that Black Star's dog is Mr. Peanut Butter and Maka's is Sid," Soul guffawed. "You'd think Maka would have the smaller and cuter dog and Star would have the bigger, tougher one."
"Hey! Mr. Peanut Butter is a worthy companion for a god such as myself!" Black Star defended.
"I just think it's ironic," Soul shrugged his broad shoulders.
"What's that mean again?" Black Star sat there with a blank expression.
"Really?" Maka asked incredulously.
"Jeez Star, you've been living with little miss braniac for what, 14 years? And you don't know what ironic means," he deadpanned.
"Gods don't need to waste their time on mortal vocabulary," Black Star proclaimed. "Yahoo!" he cheered, switching the game back on without warning, leaving the snowy haired teen next to him scrambling for the controller.
"I'm gonna go to bed," Maka announced from behind the couch. "Goodnight, don't break anything!" She directed this at Black Star.
"Night Maks, don't worry. I got this bro," Black Star did everything but reassure her.
She was too tired to start an argument, deciding to let it go and hope for the best. Maka changed into blue pj shorts and a black tank top, running to the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth before falling asleep right after her head hit the pillow. Luckily, she was a deep sleeper and didn't hear the shouts and jeers coming from the living room.
The girl awoke well-rested the next morning. She stretched her limbs and yawned, pushing herself into a sitting position where she checked the time. It was 9 AM. Oddly enough, she had slept in more than usual. She padded into the kitchen as quietly as possible, knowing the boys had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the TV. She put bread in the toaster and poured herself some orange juice, deciding that Black Star and Soul could make their own food when they woke up. After the toast was buttered and plated, she sat down at the wooden dining table, munching on breakfast. There was a soft knock at the door, and Maka groaned inwardly. Who could that be?
She stood up on her tip toes to stare through the peep hole, hoping it wasn't a murderer. To her luck, it was Blair! Maka unlocked the white door hastily, putting a finger to her lips and signaling for Blair to come in quietly.
"What? Why?" Blair whispered, stepping into the entryway after the teen.
"Soul and Black Star are asleep," Maka whispered back, staring at Blair's clothes, or lack thereof. Her outfit was comprised of black hot pants and a tight purple halter neck t-shirt that did little good to cover up Blair's bulging assets. Make subconsciously covered her slight chest in embarrassment.
"My little kittens are growing up so fast!" The purple haired woman gushed, heading towards Maka's room where they could talk freely.
Maka trailed in after her, shutting the door. "What brings you here?" she asked.
"Nya, I just wanted to see how my kittens were doing!" Blair squeezed Maka into a tight hug, her face plonking straight into her ample cleavage.
"We're fine," Maka tapped Blair on the stomach, indicating that she was suffocating.
"Sorry!" Blair pulled back, holding Maka at arms length. "You've gotten so much bigger!"
"Not really," Maka grumbled.
"Where's Spirit?" Blair inquired.
"Not here, haven't heard from him." Maka muttered, voice laced with distaste for the redhead in question. "He forgot to pick me up from school yesterday and neglected to come home for dinner." She said with great disdain.
"Sounds like him," Blair agreed.
The thing that set Blair apart from the rest of Spirit's affairs was that she genuinely cared about Maka, Black Star, and any other child who crossed the Albarn/Estrella threshold. She would read Maka and Black Star bed time stories, cook for them when Spirit wasn't able to, and clean around the house. Hell, sometimes she'd drive them to and from school and take them out for ice cream. Maka and Black Star mutually agreed that they liked Blair a whole lot better than they liked Spirit. Even though Blair and Spirit weren't dating, the purple haired woman would come by weekly to check on the teens. She watched them grow up right before her eyes, and Maka wished she could say the same about her real mama.
"Where are you working now?" Maka asked, perching on the end of her bed.
"Smashing Pumpkin, nya! It's this restaurant and bar in the heart of downtown!" Blair tittered. "Mr. Mosquito pays well and I made a lot of friends!" she added. "If you're interested in a job, we're hiring," Blair winked. "There are back rooms where some of the girls and I perform, but other than that, it's a fully functional restaurant. You could all probably get jobs considering Spirit spends his salary on booze and women." Blair wrinkled her nose.
"I'll check it out," Maka nodded enthusiastically. She was going to have to pay for college on her own. "I wonder if Black Star's even considering college," Maka shared.
"Probably not," Blair shrugged, "but considering this video game addiction, maybe a job would help in funding it!"
"I'll talk to him when he wakes up. Want to stay for breakfast?" The younger girl offered.
"Nya, I'm sorry but I have to go, I have class in an hour," the buxom woman replied sadly.
"Class?" Maka quirked an eyebrow.
"Oh my! I must've forgotten to tell you Maka, I'm taking some classes at the community college to get my bachelor's in cosmetology!" Blair informed her excitedly, manicured hands flapping about.
"That's great Blair!" Maka smiled and quickly hugged her mother figure.
"Keep in touch Maka nya!" Blair stood up and dusted her clothes off.
"I will!" Maka reassured her, opening the door to lead her out.
"Text me when Spirit comes home. I want to make sure you guys aren't home alone for too long," Blair stood in the doorway. "If he isn't' home in the next few hours, just give me a call and I'll find out where he is," Blair offered. "What a bastard," she muttered.
Maka laughed quietly to not wake the boys, "Okay Blair, you don't want to be late. We'll be fine, and I'll tell Star you dropped by," Maka said hastily, shoving the older woman out of the door before she was late.
"Bye Maka!" Blair called from the porch, blowing Maka a kiss goodbye.
Maka just smiled and shut the door behind her, grabbing her neglected toast and ate it cold. She looked over into the living room. Black Star was snoring on the couch, puddle of drool accumulating on the pillow with every breath. Soul was curled up in a ball under a blanket on the floor, the only thing visible was his cocaine colored hair. His bed head looked cute, and she caught herself staring. Said boy stirred, grumbling and turning over. A few seconds later, he groaned and sat up bleary-eyed.
"Mornin'" Maka greeted casually from her seat at the table.
"Morning," Soul's voice came out deeper than usual, Maka pretending not to notice.
"Nice bed head," she teased.
"Shut up, tiny tits," he quipped back.
"Hey!" Maka flashed bright red, half anger half embarrassment. "I will poison your food." She threatened gravely.
"What's got your panties in a twist?" Soul asked halfheartedly, stretching his arms above his head.
"Wake up Star for me, would ya?" Maka called from the kitchen table.
Soul stood up and bent down in front of Black Star's sleeping form. Maka knew exactly what the teen was about to do, so she plugged her ears.
"BLACK STAR IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP!" Soul bellowed into his best friend's ear.
Black Star jolted awake, sinking back down into the sofa when he realized it was only Soul.
"What. The. Hell." Black Star croaked.
"Maka asked me to wake you up!" Soul grinned cheekily at the other boy.
"Your god demands to be left alone," Black Star ordered from under the covers.
"Black Star, Blair was here earlier. You just missed her." Maka announced. "Said that if we want, we can apply for jobs at Blair's work, Smashing Pumpkin."
"Yahoo!" Black Star beamed as if that was an acceptable and normal answer. "I've heard raves and rants about that place," Black Star wiggled his blue eyebrows suggestively at Soul. Soul just rolled his crimson eyes at him before trotting into the kitchen on the hunt for food.
He couldn't help but stare at Maka's long, creamy legs on display. She had them propped up on the chair adjacent to hers, nose buried in another book. He had to keep cool, his best friend's sister was definitely off limits. She had always been a constant presence in his life, having spent much of his time at the Albarn/Estrella household, although he had never paid her much attention for lack of conversation starters. He had never thought of her in that way until today, and he shamed himself for it. Black Star would truly kick his ass into next Tuesday if he figured out Soul had even been thinking about his precious little sister.
"I'm going to meet up with Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty at the mall to shop before I go get applications at Smashing Pumpkin. Do you two want applications as well?" Maka inquired.
"Sure," Soul replied coolly.
"Hell yeah Maks!" Black Star oozed enthusiasm much too early in the day. "Say hi to Baki for me and invite her over. Hell, invite all of the girls over, we'll call Kid!" Black Star gave another yahoo before creating a mess trying to find his phone.
Maka pretended not to notice and quickly changed into a pair of denim cut offs and a grey and white striped sweater. "I'll be back in a few hours, text me if papa gets home" Maka put on maroon converse and closed the door behind her, stepping out into the unusually cool Nevada air. She waited on the porch for Tsubaki's grey sedan to pull up. Her mind wandered to a certain snowy, shaggy haired boy, not noticing Tsubaki's car. The other girl honked the horn to get her attention, snapping Maka out of her reverie and sending her scrambling into the passenger side.
"What was that about?" Tsubaki asked.
"Just thinking," Maka shrugged the sweet girl off.
"How's Black Star?" The violet eyed girl asked.
"He's good, he's inviting you, the rest of the girls, and Kid over after we're done shopping. Soul spent the night last night," Maka informed the taller girl. She turned to the side and looked out the window, a meek attempt at hiding her blush at the mention of Soul.
"Oh, that'd be lovely!" Tsubaki smiled sweetly as she pulled the car into a space.
The pair got out of the car and headed towards Death City Mall's food court to meet the Thompson sisters. Make spotted Liz sitting across from her younger sister, Patty, who was devouring sushi as if it were her first meal in a while. Patty greeted the girls with a mouth full of fish, and Liz just sighed.
"Black Star and Soul are inviting Kid and you guys to our place after the mall," Maka informed the sisters.
"Sweet!" Patty cheered.
Once Patty was done stuffing her face, the group left to wander around the mall and window shop. Maka came across a black skater skirt with piano keys spiraling around it, and she wondered why she was so compelled to buy it. She shrugged to herself and made the purchase anyways.
"Since when have you been interested in the piano?" The oldest Thompson asked, seemingly came out of nowhere.
"I dunno," Maka brushed her off, "I just thought it was cute."
Liz's gun metal eyes bored into Maka's jade ones, analyzing her every word with a disinterested expression. It was a skill Liz and Patty had picked up in Brooklyn, having gambled to make end's meet. The Brooklyn Devils were a force to be reckoned with, and Maka found herself squirming under the eldest one's stare.
"Doesn't Soul play the piano?" Liz asked slyly, smirking at the smaller girl.
"Oh yeah, his family is full of prestigious musicians," Maka kept up her casual facade.
"Does someone want to impress Shark Boy?" Liz taunted, smirk turned wicked grin.
"Liz it's not like that!" Maka insisted. "I just like this skirt, okay?"
"Suit yourself," Liz let up, shrugging before mentioning she was going to find Patty.
Once the dirty blonde had left, Maka let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. If anyone could figure out what she was thinking about, it was Liz. Having grown up on the streets of new York, doing anything and everything to protect her little sister, Liz was inept at pinpointing weaknesses in everybody. Maka would hate to be Liz or Patty's enemy.
One hour and many sly glances from Liz later, Maka arrived back home with Smashing Pumpkin applications and the girls.
"Black Star! Soul! Kid!" Maka called as the door swung open.
It was unusually quiet for the Albarn/Estrella household. Much too quiet. Maka stepped inside and flicked on the lights, scanning the living room and kitchen. No sign of either boy, which was weird considering Soul's motorcycle was still parked in the driveway.
"Black Star!" Tsubaki called.
Maka stared quizzically at the girls, opting to check Black Star's room. The only things in there were piles of dirty clothes, some video games, and a basketball. Liz was in the backyard and Patty was in the kitchen, searching the cabinets which were logically much too small for those boys to fit into. Tsubaki called Black Star's cell to no avail.
Maka walked to the other end of the hall into her room, not expecting to find much. Maybe the guys went to get food or something because they were so impatient. A hand suddenly clamped over her mouth and she screamed into it, mind going into panic mode. She couldn't twist in the man's grip, so instead she clawed at his hand and elbowed him in the ribs, effectively being released. She whipped around, prepared to fight, but deflated when it was only Black Star. He was cackling and rubbing his rib cage, which Maka decided was the perfect opportunity to scream her head off and attack him again.
"YOU STUPID FUCKING IDIOT!" Maka quivered with rage. "WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" She punched his chest with as much force as she could muster.
Black Star was wheezing now, surely he had gotten an eight pack from all that laughing.
"IT'S NOT FUNNY, ASSHOLE!" Make shouted shrilly, sending the girls and Soul in running.
Her brother put his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. "Maka-" he laughed, "that was the BEST thing I have witnessed in my godly lifetime!" Black Star guffawed and high-fived Soul. Kid just shook his head, muttering something about imbeciles before greeting Liz with a kiss on the hand.
Maka growled and pushed passed him and the rest of the bunch, grabbing a glass of water as her boiling anger cooled to a simmer. "Idiot," she muttered with disdain, glaring over the rim of her glass at Black Star resuming his place on the couch. Honestly, she should be used to Black Star's pranks by now. She had lived with the blue monkey for fourteen years now after all.
"Did papa ever come back?" Maka asked from her perch on the kitchen counter.
"Yeah, for like an hour. He asked where you were and I told him you were out with friends and he demanded to know who. Insisted it was to protect his 'precious little darling princess Maka bear'" Black Star replied, chuckling over the noise of zombies groaning.
Maka rolled her eyes to the sky, flushing pink at the pet name her father had given her. "If he really wanted to protect me, he wouldn't have left me to walk home in the rain," she murmured.
The rest of Maka's night was watching the Saw movies with her friends, huddled on the couch between Black Star and Soul. There were points at which she wanted to gouge her eyes out, not because of the gory movie, but because of Black Star and Tsubaki sucking major face right next to her. Luckily, Liz and Kid were just sitting on the floor, her head buried in his chest and his hand brushing through her dirty blonde locks. The eldest Brooklyn Devil was nearly fearless, except when it came to horror movies. She glanced over at Soul, who stuck his tongue out and wrinkled his nose in Black Star's direction.
At one particularly bloody point in the movie, she buried her head in the crook of Soul's shoulder, wincing as if it were her dipping her hand in a bowl of acid. Soul sucked in a breath at the contact, averting his eyes to the crown of Maka's head. He found himself wondering if her hair was as soft as it looked, and he was tempted to reach a hand out to touch it. Patty caught his eye, and her sky blue eyes rose in surprise, a cheeky smile gracing across her round face. Soul's eyes widened and he shook his head at her, blushing, 'No it wasn't what it looked like!' Patty just giggled and turned back around, stuffing popcorn into her mouth rapidly.
Soul tapped Maka on the shoulder, whispering that the goriest part was over. She jerked away from him, nearly clocking Black Star in the gut in the process.
"Sorry, I just don't like the bloody gross parts," Maka confessed to her snowy-haired friend.
"It's cool," Soul reassured her, eyes turning back to the screen. Maka sunk back into the couch cushions, left arm resting atop Soul's. If he noticed, he didn't seem to mind, and Maka didn't care enough to pull away.
The seven friends eventually finished four of the movies, falling asleep in less-than-comfortable positions. Maka took one last glance at everyone. Tsubaki and Black Star had finally stopped making out, and now Tsubaki was resting in the crook of Black Star's neck on the floor. Patty had cuddled up with her giraffe plushie, George, and Kid and Liz were nearby on the rug. Kid insisted on moving the coffee table directly in front of the tv for symmetrical reasons. Liz sighed and rubbed her temples, whining for Kid to stop being a 'pretentious piss baby' and go to sleep. Patty got him to settle down by sending him a chilling glare, silencing the golden-eyed teen.
Maka took one end of the couch and Soul took the other, whispering a goodnight before being lulled off into dreamland. That was the fastest Maka and Soul had fallen asleep in months.
This is the first chapter of "My Brother's Best Friend"! The next chapter should be up sometime in the next week. Follows, favorites, and reviews are greatly appreciated, I'd love to hear your thoughts!