Chapter 1
"Black Star, hurry up! We're already running late!" I stood at the top of the steps of Gallows Mansion while waiting for my meister, who clearly has no sense of urgency.
"Alright Tsubaki, calm down," he yelled to me from the bottom of the steps. "How am I going to make an entrance if we're on time like everyone else? I need to attract attention, you know."
I stomped my foot on the cobblestone step. "Black Star, it's Kid's birthday! The attention should be on him, not you. And it's impolite to be late to someone else's birthday party!"
Once we were both standing in front of the large, black doors, Black Star let out a loud puff of breath. "The attention shouldn't be on me, huh? What's a star to do if it doesn't shine? You tell me, Tsubaki."
I suddenly felt bad for what I said to him. If I wasn't there to give him the encouragement he needed, who would? I leaned down towards him and put my hand on his shoulder. "How about you give yourself a little shade tonight, hm? You might shine so bright that all of the attention will be on you and no one will even notice Kid!" I gave him a reassuring smile.
He beamed up at me like he always does and began to chuckle. "Oh, of course! It's Kid's birthday right? I gotta share some of the spotlight!"
His confidence always made me giggle. "Yeah, right Black Star!"
Suddenly, the giant doors swung open in front of us and out stepped Death the Kid himself. "Hey you guys, how are you this evening?" He wore an all black tuxedo with platinum skull cuff links. As usual, he was sporting his metallic skull necktie and rings on either one of middle fingers. He definitely stayed true to his vow of symmetry, that's for sure.
I stood up and smiled sweetly at the Shinigami. "Oh, hi Kid! Happy birthday! It's great to see you!"
He looked me up and down for a minute, which made me feel a little self conscious. My hair was up in a messy bun and pieces of dark brown hair fell down the sides of my face. I was wearing a tight, camellia-colored dress that went down to my knees and two-inch white velvet pumps—on second thought, I could probably understand why he was looking at me so intently.
He graciously put his hand out for me, and I took it. "It's a pleasure to see you, Tsubaki. You look quite lovely tonight, I must say." He leaned down to kiss my hand, causing a blush to appear on my face.
Before I could say a word, Black Star jumped in front of me and grabbed Kid's wrist, forcing him to release my hand. "You're acting pretty bold tonight, Kid. What's up with that?" I could almost feel Black Star's hot, angry blood boiling up. What was he getting so worked up about anyway?
"Hey! Calm down, Black Star! He's just being polite!"
The grip Black Star had on Kid's wrist tightened and he seethed at him menacingly, but Kid only seemed to be amused by this act of territoriality. "To answer your question, I'd be a liar if I said I haven't had a few drinks tonight. Watch yourself, Black Star, or else your partner might find that you're just not competent enough for her skill set. She might start looking elsewhere." He shook his hand out of Black Star's death grip, straightened his suit jacket, and tottered back inside the manor.
Black Star watched Kid walk away with disgust painted on his face. He clenched his fists and looked down at the ground. "Tsubaki… you would never leave me, right? We're a team. I wouldn't be the big star I am without you."
I gazed at him with admiration. He looked so cute in his little tuxedo, even though it was probably a few sizes too big for him. "Are you kidding? You're the best teammate out there. I wouldn't be the flower I am if it wasn't for you." He turned back and looked up at me with a small, serious smile—the kind of smile that looked misplaced on him.
Regardless of Black Star's faults, I loved him anyway. I'm the only person in the world who could handle such a fiery-spirited star like him. He needed me, and I needed him just as much. I knew I wouldn't leave this partnership even if I wanted to, but in that moment there was one thing that stood out in my mind: Kid's performance out-shined Black Star's by far that night.
