The inside of the house was just as he remembered it; an entryway with a bench so you could sit and remove your boots, and a large closet to hold a family's worth of winter gear. They hung up their coats and tucked their shoes under the bench, so as not to get the hardwood floors wet. After the entryway was the living room, its furniture upholstered in shades of blue, black, and gray plaid, the sleek, black piano that was the twin to the one at the main house, The only new addition was the large flatscreen tv in the entertainment system. The door to the den, which was much like the living room but smaller and cozier, boasting a fireplace, was closed. Soul could see through to the attached dining room at the opposite end of the room, which led into the kitchen. A set of stairs in the living room led up to the second floor, and Wes gestured to them.

"Soul, I put you in your old room. Maka is next door in mine, since I wasn't sure if you two shared a room or not. Is that alright?"

Soul blushed, reminding himself that his brother wasn't rubbing in the fact that he and Maka didn't have that kind of relationship.

"That's fine. You in Mom and Dad's room, then?"

"Yes. I assumed the two of you wanted to be in the same part of the house. Would you show Maka the way? I'd like to finish changing."

"Sure. C'mon, Maka. Let's drop off our stuff."

Maka nodded, then edged Spartacus out of the way, still not entirely sure that he wasn't some rare breed of horse. The brothers hadn't really had the heartwarming reunion she had been hoping for, but that shouldn't have shocked her, given Soul's natural reserve. Maybe she had been watching too many Hallmark Channel movies.

Soul came to the first open door on the left, and went in, meaning to dump his things on the floor before showing Maka to her room. But she followed him in, making a beeline for the dresser, the top covered in trophies and ribbons from various events. She picked one up and studied it.

"Snow sculpture? Strange, I didn't peg you as the snowman type." she fingered the red ribbon before setting it back down, eyes trailing over the awards from skiing, ice skating, and a few more from snow sculpture.

His bag bounced onto the mattress, mussing the previously wrinkle-free navy blue comforter. "I'm not. It didn't have to be a snowman. One year, I think I even did a lion. So, what do you think of my brother? He usually leaves a pretty good first impression, even though it looks like he flustered you a little with the hand kissin' bit." he asked, trying to gauge how much headway Wes had already made.

Her eyes slid away from his, incoherent sounds the only noise she was capable of making. She became very interested in a particular whorl on a floorboard, and Soul felt his spirits sink. Although Maka was the last person he would expect to succumb to his brother's charms so easily, it fell in with the pattern he had observed all his life. If he didn't know any better, he would suspect Wes of being a witch.

"Like him that much, huh?" he spoke with a false lightness, jamming his hands into his pockets. "Not surprising, he's always had that eff-"

"Not like that! Good grief, how could you even think that! No, I was just thrown off by...by his..."

Okaaaay, not the usual fangirl response. "By his what?"

"His hands, okay! His hands!" she spat out rapidly, cursing her overactive imagination.

Soul was at a loss. What about 'em? They're just regular violinist hands."

More stuttering from the pigtailed wonder. "No, they're not. They're..."

What? Long? Strong? Able to play you like a violin? Soul mentally slapped himself at that last one, greatly thankful he hadn't spoken aloud.

"They made me think of...yaoi hands." she finally finished in a whisper, her voice filled with shame.

The room was filled with the loudest, craziest non-black blood induced cackle he had ever given, his hands clutching at his heaving sides as he doubled over.

"Y-yaoi hands! Oh god, that's too perfect! I have to tell him!"

"No! Soul, don't you dare!" Maka panicked, slapping at him futilely.

"Oh Weeeesss, Maka has something she wants to say to yoooou~!" he sang.

She pushed him to the bed, climbing on top of him and throttling his neck till he turned an alarming shade of blue, his belly laugh reduced to wheezing giggles and snorts.

"I see you two have settled in." came an amused voice from the doorway, and Maka whipped her head around, releasing her dizzy weapon before he could pass out.

"I-I was, that is, we-" she stumbled, searching for a believable explanation.

"No need to explain. Just make sure to use a safe word."

Maka fell into a fit of coughing, and Soul took his chance for revenge. "We were just talkin' about you. Maka thinks you have nice hands." he said wickedly.

Wes frowned, holding up his hands to study them. "Really? My ex-girlfriend said I had yaoi hands. Anyway, when you two are ready, come down and we can have some hot chocolate." he smiled politely, closing the door behind him.

The pair stared at each other for a moment, before collapsing into helpless laughter. Maka buried her face in his chest, feeling the reverberations from his shaking body, his arms resting on her back. Each time they started to get themselves under control, one would whisper, "Yaoi hands." in a dramatic voice, and they would be set off all over again. Bodies weak from mirth, they finally sat up, wiping tears from their eyes.

They stood, combing their hair out with their fingers so they would look half way presentable. Soul grinned at her, not dreading their stay here as much as he had before.

"You know, I'm really glad I didn't have to do this alone."

Maka returned his smile, taking his hand and squeezing it fondly. "You never have to do anything alone, Soul. You have me. Now, let's go! The man said something about hot chocolate, if I'm not mistaken."

Soul happily allowed her to tug him along after her, as puppylike as Spartacus, her words warming his heart.

XXX

They found Wes in the kitchen, Spartacus wedged under the table at his feet, large body mysteriously distorting space to confine himself to the small area. Wes glanced up from his phone, smiling a little at the sappy grin that Soul couldn't seem to wipe from his face.

"I was going to start the drinks, but I wasn't sure what the two of you would prefer. Just pick out whatever you would like, and I'll make it. We have a wide selection of teas, coffees, and hot chocolates to choose from. I'm not sure if Soul has told you this, Maka, but our family has a bit of a...drinking problem."

Maka laughed as Spartacus lumbered over to shove his head under her hand, forcing her to pet him. "Yeah, when he first told me, I thought he meant a problem with alcohol. He said there's that too, but it wasn't what he meant. I didn't understand until we went to the store for the first time, and he hit the coffee aisle like a kid in a candy store. He would have bought every flavor available, if I had let him."

Soul had wandered over to the large cabinets over the counter, and Maka giggled at the whimper he released when he saw their contents. It seemed as if every flavor and every brand of beverage that Wes had mentioned was stored there, and he drooled at the challenge of trying them all before their visit was over. With great deliberation, he picked out some mint Irish creme coffee, then held up some raspberry hot chocolate for Maka's approval. at her nod, he placed their selections on the counter, then flipped a chair around backwards and sat at the table.

"Nice choices." Wes complimented as he began to fix the drinks, retrieving two large maroon mugs from the cupboard that matched the one on the table containing his double chocolate hot chocolate with cinnamon swizzle stick.

Maka was having a hard time figuring out where to look, because while Wes had his back turned, Soul kept waving his hands and mouthing, 'Yaoi haaaaands' at her while making stupid faces. She knew she shouldn't find it as funny as she did, but she found it was difficult to choke back her snorts of laughter.

"You know, Soul, some people would say that we share the same hands, so you might want to stop drawing attention to it." came Wes' conversational tone from the stove, where he was heating the water.

Soul froze. He had forgotten how good Wes was at knowing precisely what he was up to. Between him and Maka, he had never gotten away with a shady action in his life. He looked at his hands, scowling.

"No way my hands are like yours." he finally pronounced uncertainly.

Wes shrugged as the water began to boil in the copper kettle. "Really? I'd say they were exactly alike. What would you say, Maka?"

Caught off guard, Maka didn't think before she spoke.
"Soul, you have really nice pianist hands! They aren't anything like your brother's!"

Soul smiled smugly, and Maka slapped a hand over her mouth when Wes looked at her over his shoulder, one eyebrow quirked.

"No! I mean, Soul's hands are normal, and yours are- oh god! What I'm trying to say is-"

"Would you like to quit now, or shall I get you a shovel so you can dig yourself into an even deeper hole?" Wes drawled, a lazy, Soul-like smirk on his face.

Soul snickered behind his non-yaoi hands as Maka turned Rudolph nose red. She glared at them, eyes darting between the two brothers.

"Well, it's easy to see that you two are related. Jerks. Could one of you stop laughing long enough to tell me where the bathroom is?" she grumbled.

Taking pity on her, Wes answered, "Go through the opposite door in the living room. That leads into the den, and the bathroom will be on your right."

Quickly, Maka followed his instructions, a bit desperate since she hadn't been to the bathroom since this morning. That left the siblings alone, something that hadn't occurred since Soul had first enrolled in Shibusen. For the first time, Soul noticed the subtle signs of age on his brother. Wes had been nineteen when Soul left, and now at twenty five, his features had set, faint traces at the corner of his eyes that would become laugh lines in the years to come. Soul had to wonder if Wes could see the changes in him as well, or if he appeared as the same moody and insecure thirteen year old that had left home and family without a backwards glance.

Wes placed a steaming mug in front of Soul, taking a drink from his own as he observed his little brother over the rim. Soul nodded his thanks, blowing on the liquid before taking a small sip, savoring the flavor on his taste buds before it rolled down his throat, warming his insides in a comforting manner. He knew he should take this opportunity to speak privately with Wes like Maka had suggested, but he had no idea how to start.

"You know, when you first left to become a weapon, I did a bit of research. When I learned of the importance of the bond between weapon and meister, how integral they became to each other, I was worried. Ever since you were little, you've always had trouble letting people get close to you, letting them understand you. I was afraid people would be put off by your cynical, slightly twisted nature, and not bother to get to know you. But after meeting Maka, I can see I worried for nothing. The two of you seem to share a closeness not seen between many people, and I'm happy for you. You chose a good meister, Soul."

Soul swirled the contents of his mug, his brother's words bringing to mind the contrast in his life from before and after meeting Maka.

"Yeah, she's awesome. She's the best partner anyone could ask for. Without her, I'm not sure if I ever would've made Deathscythe level." he said honestly. It was true; before meeting Maka, he hadn't really had a plan, was just running from the pressures at home. Her drive and determination had given him a goal, something to focus on and work for, something he could be proud of. He would always be grateful to her for that.

Though Soul had never been an easy person to read, Wes could tell that the light blush on his cheeks had nothing to do with the heat from the coffee.

"So is that all she is to you? Just a meister? Is your partnership purely business related?" he questioned shrewdly, hiding his amusement at the trapped look that was rapidly forming on Soul's face.

"Ah, um, no! I mean, we're friends! really, really good friends! Never been anything more! That isn't to say I wouldn't like to, but I'm not sure if it would be such a good idea...there are a lot of issues, and...stuff..."

Soul wondered if Maka had accidentally flushed herself, and if not, could she please swoop in and rescue her poor, floundering weapon?

"Hmm. I see. Well, you better make up your mind. Maka is a charming girl with a lot of fine qualities, and other men are bound to notice that. Sooner or later, someone is going to try to become romantically involved with her, and when that happens, you may find you've waited too long." he said this with a pointed look that had the coffee in Soul's stomach churning in sick waves.

"OH MY GOD!"

Both men jumped at the scream that came from the other room, pushing their chairs back hastily to go find out what had happened. Wes was shocked by the speed with which Soul moved, almost unable to follow the motions. He had always been such a relaxed, laid back kid, moving through life at a leisurely pace. That all seemed to change when he thought his meister might be in danger. Wes and Spartacus followed, catching up to Soul at the door of the den, where he stood tensely, weapon ready to emerge from his body at any time.

"Maka! Are you okay? What happened?" he called, worry evident in his voice.

Slowly, she turned, her expression one of rapture, her eyes sparkling like diamonds in a Jared's commercial.

"Soul! I've just seen. The cutest thing. Ever." she said dreamily, turning back to face the slouchy, navy blue couch.

Soul came up behind her, curious as to what could be making Maka of all people swoon. A small, delicate 'yip!' came from the couch, and Soul had his answer. There, standing on the cushion with its tiny front paws on the headrest, was a miniature dachshund, Maka's one weakness. More than books, a wiener dog had the power to bring her to her knees. Without warning, and sensing it had found a worthy worshipper, it sprang at Maka, it's small body stretching towards her in the air.

Maka caught the little bundle of sleek, chocolate fur, noting it had a heart shaped black spot on one hip, much like a My Little Pony. She clutched it to her chest, melting when a soft pink tongue darted out to lick her chin. She had been taking her time, trying to give Soul a chance to talk to Wes, when she had felt his distress, and decided that she had been gone long enough. Leaving the bathroom, she had caught sight of the sleeping dog, and had yelled out without thinking.

Coming up to them, Wes reached out a hand to stroke the dog's head. "I forgot, Freya likes to sleep in here. I shut her in here so she wouldn't get under foot while you settled in. She seems to have taken a fancy to you, not that I can blame her."

Soul felt his eyelid twitch at Wes' smooth lines, and was thankful that Maka seemed oblivious to anything that didn't have to do with the dog.

"She's so adorable! How old is she? It looks like she's pretty young."

"She's six months. I got her a few months ago from a friend; I had spent the night at his place, and she became attached to me. We didn't realize quite how attached until I made it home the next day, and found she had snuck along in my bag. I took her back, but she wouldn't stop whimpering and crying, so my friend ended up giving her to me as an early Christmas present."

Soul watched as she continued to fondle the beast, privately wishing he could take it's spot. "Am I gonna have to check your bags before we leave to make sure you don't try to sneak her along?" he asked, only half jokingly. The woman really did love wiener dogs.

She spared him a brief glance, pouting. "I would never steal someone else's dog, Soul."

"Steal, no. Bring along for a visit of undetermined length? Yes." he shot back, years of experience had made him aware she would find some type of loophole.

Wes laughed at the pair, causing Maka to grumble something under her breath.

"So glad I could provide amusement. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go unpack. See you later." and with that, she marched from the room, Freya's head popping up to watch them over her shoulder.

"You should probably go unpack, too. Take Maka's drink with you, and I'll get started on supper. When it's ready, I'll give a shout."

"If you're sure you don't want any help." Soul answered, secretly glad to escape. He was going to have to ease into talking to Wes, especially if Maka was going to be a main point of conversation, which he suspected she was. Detouring into the kitchen for their drinks, he made his way upstairs, careful not to spill the contents of the mugs.

XXX

A quick glance in his room told him she had gathered her things and moved into Wes' old room, right next to room was almost identical to his, with the color of the bedding being green instead of blue. Maka was in the process of transferring her clothes from her bags to the dresser as Freya watched from her perch on the bed. Soul set her mug on the dresser, then sat down at the desk that was placed by the window.

"You should unpack too, before your stuff gets messed up." she said, as she stuffed a pile of sweaters in the second drawer.

"Hn. I'll do it later. Hey, your drink's gettin' cold."

Maka shoved the drawer closed, picking up her mug and taking a grateful sip. Soul grinned as she gave a contented moan; it seemed he had successfully infected her with his love of hot, flavored beverages. As she enjoyed her drink, she leaned her back against the dresser, bracing her socked feet on the floor.

"So, did you have a good talk with your brother?"

Soul nearly spat out his coffee. "Uh, yeah. Was fine." he answered unconvincingly.

"Really? Because it felt like you were getting pretty uncomfortable near the end." she pressed.

He finished off the rest of his drink, swallowing loudly as he set the mug on the desk behind him.

"Wes was just sayin' that it looked like I'd picked a good meister. Guess I'm just not used to talkin' to him much. Don't worry about it."

But she did worry about it. The longer they were here, the more distant and cut off she could feel him becoming. She knew there was something wrong, and she hated being unable to help him. She walked across the room, placing her mug next to his, and squeezing his shoulder.

"Soul, I can tell something's wrong. Am I that unreliable of a partner?" she asked quietly, remembering a time years ago when she had spoken the same words.

Soul remembered too, darting her a glance from under the hair that fell into his eyes without a headband to keep it in place. More mature now, he knew a flippant answer would only hurt her more.

"It's not...not like that was, okay? It's just little, stupid shit that's not worth talkin' about. Trust me, if it gets bad, I'll tell you, but I'm pretty sure I'll get over it once I stop thinkin' about the past so much."

She brushed his bangs out of the way so she could see his eyes better. "Are you sure? It feels more like you'll just pull farther away...unless that's what you need, and you want me to leave you alone..."

He grabbed her arm, preventing her from walking away. That was the last thing he wanted. Though he wasn't ready to talk, her presence was soothing, and for now, that was enough.

"No! I don't want you to...I don't want to be...arrrgh! Just, stay with me, alright?" his voice broke in frustration, unable to tell her he needed her without sounding clingy and pathetic.

Maka was happy to get that much out of him; Soul never asked for things like that, so she would count this as progress. "Fine. Just remember you can tell me about whatever is bothering you."

"Sure. You can go ahead and finish unpacking now, I can go back to my room."

He watched as she went back to the bed, removing the suitcase, shoving it under the bed.

"I'm already finished. I wanted to snuggle before we had to go down." she said, crawling onto the mattress.

Soul was glad he had finished the drink, because he surely would have sprayed it all over the room.

"You want to...snuggle?" he choked out, unable to believe his good luck. The high altitude must be messing with her.

"Of course! How could I resist this cutie?" she scooped Freya up to her chest as she lay down on her side, missing the way Soul's shoulders sagged with deflated hope. The dog. Of course. Really, what had he expected?

He stood, ready to slink to his room. "Yeah, you do that. See you later." He was halfway across the room when her voice stopped him.

"Why don't you stay with us? There's plenty of room."

Standing there, he pretended to hesitate. While having a dog strategically placed between them was less than ideal, it was a start.

"Sure, I could use a nap." his off-handed tone belied his satisfaction as he slid onto the bed, petting the dog as an excuse to keep his hand close to hers. Freya wiggled a bit, her movement causing their fingers to brush together. Neither made an effort to pull away, instead resting their hands next to each other on the warm back of the dog. As he watched Maka's eyelids flutter closed, Soul decided he might just like the little wiener after all.

XXX

A few hours later, Soul blearily opened his eyes, disoriented to find his forehead pressed against Maka's. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he looked down to see what had woken him up. Freya was using one delicate paw to tap at his chest, her nails barely able to be felt through his sweater. Once she had his attention, she gazed up at him with large brown eyes, then rolled her body in a manner that somehow managed to transfer his hand from her back onto Maka's breast. Oh. That was nice...SHIT! No it wasn't! He drew back his hand like she was on fire, sending up prayers of thanks that she hadn't woken up. Glaring down at the troublemaker, his aggravation melted when she licked his chin. God, he was such a sucker.

"Bad dog. You're gonna get me killed if you do stuff like that. Cool guys only do that sort of thing when the girl's awake. And wants it. Neither of which is the case here." he whispered, Freya wagging her whip-like tail at his words.

"Come on down, guys! Time to eat!" Wes' voice floated up the stairs, and Soul sat up, giving Maka a poke in the shoulder.

"Hey, sleeping beauty. You need to wake up."

Maka burrowed into the pillow, clutching Freya so tightly that the poor dog's eyes nearly popped out.

"Noooooo. Jus' a lil' longer."

"Maka, you're gonna choke the poor dog to death."

"woof!"

Instantly, Maka sat up, checking Freya for damage.

"You poor thing, I'm so sorry!" she gave her a chin scratch in apology, the dog's eyes closing in bliss.

"Hate to interrupt your little love fest, but Wes said dinner's ready." Soul teased, standing up and stretching his arms over his head.

Maka gently placed Freya on the floor, then used the mirror over the dresser to fluff up the flattened section of her hair from her nap.

They followed the waddling dog out the door and down the stairs, where they were met with the delicious scent of dinner wafting through the air, making their mouths water with anticipation. Lunch had been okay, but homemade beat fast food any day of the week.

Entering the kitchen, they found the small table set for three, with brown, orange and yellow checked placemats that looked like they were from the sixties or seventies. Matching brown earthenware plates and cups completed the look. Wes was just setting out a large bowl of rice, servings of what appeared to be trout already on each plate.

"Have a seat. I'll join you as soon as I get the asparagus off the stove."

Soul sat at the opposite end of the table from Wes' place, leaving Maka in the middle. Wes joined them, passing around the steaming asparagus that he had sautéed in garlic. Maka and Soul both loaded their plates, along with the rice and hot rolls, the butter melting into the warm, soft bread.

"I'll take your trout if you're not gonna eat it. I know you're not really big on fish." Soul offered, doubly pleased that he was getting fish, and that Wes had picked something she didn't like right off the bat.

"You don't like fish? I'm sorry, I should have checked to see if there were any foods that you couldn't eat." Wes apologized.

Maka shot Soul a hard look, embarrassed by his rudeness. "I like fish just fine, as long as it's not raw."

She took a dainty bite of fish to be polite, the tender white meat flaking off her fork into her mouth. Her eyes widened.

"Oh wow! This is really, really good, Wes! You'll have to show me how you do this, so I can cook it at home." she gushed, excited to find a fish that both she and Soul could enjoy.

"I caught these myself. I'll send you some, if you'd like. How's yours, Soul?"

Soul stabbed his fish viciously. Of course it was perfectly cooked. And of course he had caught them himself. He had probably waded out and caught them bare handed. Naked.

"It's good. When did you take up cooking?"

Wes sipped his water, the ice clinking against the rim.

"Back when I moved out. Takeout and restaurants can only go so far, so I took a cooking class. That's where I met my ex girlfriend."

"Ex? So you're single now?" Soul asked, his fish threatening to swim upstream.

"Hm. For about a month. I travel a lot, and it put a strain on her. We're still close, though."

Not close enough, in Soul's opinion, as he watched the other two carry on a conversation about cooking.

"Hey, Wes? I was wonderin'. Do you have anything planned for while we're here? I know at least one day, Maka was hoping we could go skiing."

"There are a lot of things to do, if you're interested. Skiing, of course, and then there's the snow sculpture contest, and the midnight ice-skating. I'm afraid you'll be on your own tomorrow. My manager had to reschedule, so I'll be gone for most of the day. How about we go skiing the next day? That'll give you a full day to relax and hang out here, or wander around town. There are some really nice shops and galleries, and the food around here is delicious."

"Would've ben even better if we had come in the summer. Then we could've gone to the jazz festival." Soul grumbled, scraping up the last of his rice.

Wes laughed. "If I had invited you then, we wouldn't have seen you the whole trip! And while that would have given me a chance to get to know Maka better," Soul's grip tightened on his fork at those words. "I wouldn't have gotten to spend any time with you. Maka, you're being awfully quiet. Did I mention anything that might interest you?"

Maka looked up from her plate, were she had been mourning her lack of more fish. "Everything sounded really fun! Soul, if you don't mind, can we go into town tomorrow? There's a modern art gallery that I'd like to see. You can pick lunch, my treat."

"Sounds good to me, as long as we don't have to get up early. There's a couple of places I wanted to check out, too. Are the stores I asked you about still there, Wes?"

Nodding, Wes stood and began to gather the dishes. "They are. Since it sounds like you're planning on having a big lunch, are sandwiches okay for tomorrow night?"

Soul looked at Maka, who nodded. "We can make our own when we get back, Wes. You don't need to cook for us every meal. Soul and I are used to cooking for ourselves."

"Not a problem. I enjoy doing it, but if you want to make your own tomorrow, that's probably best, since that way you don't feel like you need to hurry back. Oh, don't bother with those. I'll finish them after I take the dogs out." he said to Maka, who had moved to the sink to wash the dishes.

"If you're sure...well, it's after nine, and I'm a little tired, so I think I'll go on up and read for a while before I go to sleep. Thanks again for having us, and dinner was wonderful!"

"Glad you enjoyed it. See you in the morning. Soul, are you going up, too?"

"Yeah, I still need to unpack. Night, Wes. We can talk later, 'kay?" Soul stood, fighting back a yawn. The nap he had earlier wasn't long enough to make up for the sleep he had missed the last two days.

"Any time. Oh, if you hear any howling during the night, it's just Spartacus. Poor guy has nightmares sometimes."

"Huh. Weird. Oh, I meant to ask; does he share the same trait as Limmy?" Soul asked curiously, as the dog in question leaned against his leg.

Wes grimaced. "You know how 'Limmy' was short for Limburger? Spartacus' real name is Fartacus. Draw your own conclusions. But be warned, he's even more sensitive about it than his father was. You might want to give Maka the heads up."

Soul grinned wickedly, pushing in his chair. "Nah, let her find out for herself."

"You always were such a twisted boy." Wes sighed dramatically as he put the last of the leftovers in the fridge. He turned in time to see Soul flinch back at his words.

"I was joking, Soul. It's just a farting dog. I don't think that's quite enough to qualify you as the Antichrist." he lightly punched Soul on the shoulder, a bit surprised at the feel of muscle under his knuckles instead of the bony arm he had been used to. It was just another sign that his brother had grown up, and Wes was once again hit with sadness over all that he had missed. But it had been Soul's choice to have as little contact as possible, and while it hurt, he respected his decision.

"I know. It just made me think of something...anyway, I'm goin' up. See ya." with a wave, he left the kitchen, slowly climbing the stairs. Wes had been right. He had always been twisted. Sometimes he wondered if that bothered Maka, if it would affect how she answered him if he ever managed to tell her how he felt about her. Black Blood aside, could she love someone with madness in their soul? He was afraid to find out. Seeing the light from under her door, he raised his hand to knock, then lowered it. She would be able to tell he was upset, and he was too tired to make excuses, something he could tell he would be doing a lot of during their stay here. Instead, he went to his room, hoping his sleep tonight would be dreamless.

XXX

Wes finished up downstairs, letting the dogs out for a quick run, making sure Freya's little purple boots were securely on her feet, matching her jacket. Once the dogs were in for the night, he went to his room, where he got ready for his evening ritual. logging on to his laptop, he changed into his sleepwear of flannel pants and black T-shirt with the words, 'I 3 Soma' on it. Typing in his Tumblr password, he reviewed his plan.

Though it was true that he missed his brother, he had ulterior motives for inviting them here. They were here to feed his addiction. For Wes, thanks to his ex-girlfriend, was a shipper. It had started with one show, but quickly spread to others, branching out to include books and comics. It hadn't affected his real life until this past spring, when he had gone to Soul's graduation. Yes, Soul had given him the wrong day, but Wes had called the school to confirm, and then had shown up without letting his little brother know he would be there. He had meant to watch the ceremony and then slip away quietly, but before it had even began, he had caught sight of Soul and a slender girl with green eyes and pigtails. Watching them interact, he realized this must be Maka, the meister he had heard about.

Anyone could see the closeness and affection that the two shared, and the sexual tension was so thick it could have been sliced up and served like steak. His shipper senses went off like a fire alarm, and he knew that this girl was meant to be with his brother. Knowing Soul would never confide in him willingly, he had sought out a member of the faculty to try to get some bearing on the pair. Much to his surprise, it had been Maka's father, and through the man's alternating between protective threats against Soul and copious weeping over his daughter, Wes was able to piece together enough information to figure out that they were crazy for each other, but both too stubborn, for whatever reason, to make the first move.

Wes had gone home to think, the problem niggling at him for months. Finally, he was struck with a plan. Whenever their parents had tried to motivate Soul as a child, they would always set Wes as an example, because Soul had always looked up to his brother, wanting to achieve the same things he did. Soul was generally laid back, never seeming to put much effort into anything that wasn't a competition. Wes figured that would work in his favor now. He would drop hints to Soul that he was interested in Maka, maybe do a little light flirting. Nothing major, since he didn't want to give the girl the wrong idea. Just enough to shake his brother's complacency. Judging by the way Soul had glared at him when he had kissed her hand, all it would take would be a few smiles and a friendly pat on the arm, coupled with some well placed private comments to Soul. He also had some plans that would throw them into some romantic situations while they were here, giving Soul ample opportunity to ensure that he didn't board his flight home as a single man.

He looked down at the tiny dog snuggled into his side, then at the larger dog draped over his feet.

"Well, you two, we have our work cut out for us. Something tells me this won't be as easy as I had hoped."

What awakened Soul the next morning was the soft, warm breath on his neck, and the feel of a body pressed up to his back. He grinned. So she had gotten cold and snuck into his bed! She was too cute for words. Rolling over to face her with the intent of wrapping his arm around her waist, he was brought up short by the velvety muzzle of Spartacus, who was gazing at him adoringly. Any lingering traces of friskiness were erased when the dog gave him a big, sloppy wet kiss, from chin to hairline.

"Good mornin' to you too." Soul sighed as he sat up, wiping his face with the front of his shirt. Glancing at the digital alarm clock on the small bedside table, he saw that he had slept in longer than he had intended. Kicking off the blankets, he darted to the dresser and pulled out some clothes, changing quickly. Clad in dark jeans and a maroon sweater with thin gray lines across the chest, he ran a comb through his hair and jammed on a narrow,black plastic headband, nearly tripping over Spartacus as he turned to leave the room.

At the top of the stairs, he was disappointed not to smell breakfast, but then remembered that Maka was planning on them having a large lunch. He went down, the sound of toenails clicking on the hardwood floor behind him. In the living room, he could hear voices coming from the kitchen, and went to investigate, cursing himself for not waking up earlier. From now on, he would be more careful about setting the alarm.

As he entered the kitchen, he was met with the sight of Wes and Maka, sitting at the table and laughing over something one of them had said. Maka noticed him first, waving at him as he came in.

"Morning, Soul! I was just about to call you. There's some cereal on the table; would you like me to get you some orange juice?"

"Yeah, thanks. Hey, Wes. How long you guys been up? You could've knocked on my door." is what his mouth said, but his eyes were saying, what the fuck were you doing alone with Maka all this time?

Wes, being the good older brother that he was, heard both questions.

"Oh, not too long. We already ate, but we decided you were probably tired, so we let you sleep longer." She's a charming and delightful girl, why wouldn't I want to get to know her better?

The two traded looks over the table, Soul's irritated and tinged with jealous insecurity, Wes' calm and amused.

Maka turned from where she had been pouring juice at the counter, her attention going to Soul.

"Soul, are you alright? If you're not feeling well, we can stay here today." she said with concern, thinking he may be coming down with a cold.

Soul plastered the first of many fake smiles to come on his face, hiding his unease about his brother's interest in his meister.

"No, just thinkin' about what we're gonna do for lunch. You said I could pick, but I'm not really sure what's around here anymore." he tried to put her at ease as he crunched away at his cereal.

Maka joined him at the table, sitting down as she handed him a tumbler of juice. She was already dressed to go, wearing chocolate corduroy pants and a knit hunter green sweater that had a high, slouchy neck with decorative wooden buttons. Soul took the glass with a quiet thanks, gulping it back to wash down a mouthful of cereal. Wes pretended not to notice as he sipped his coffee and read the newspaper, but his eye took in every word and gesture between the other two, from the way their fingers brushed together as she passed him the glass, to the expression on her face as she watched Soul finish his breakfast.

"I know I said that, but I looked up restaurants last night, and I think I found one you'll like, if you don't mind."

Soul shrugged, not really caring what they did, as long as it was just the two of them. He had the premonition that Wes was going to become a thorn in his side.

"That's better than wanderin' around and lookin' for a place. You got the address?"

Maka smiled, pleased that he had given in so easily. She had researched very carefully, and had found a place that she thought would surprise him.

"Yup! Are you ready to go? I thought we could look around for a while before lunch."

"Yeah, let me get my shoes on. See ya later, Wes. Not sure when we'll be back. Is that gonna be a problem?" Soul asked as he carried his bowl and glass the the sink to rinse them out.

Wes folded his paper, standing as he took a quick look at his watch, smoothing the material of the suit he had worn yesterday, now free of dog hair. "My meeting will last several hours, and there are some other things I need to take care of as well. Go ahead and enjoy today. I'll make sure that I spend as much time as possible with the two of you for the rest of your stay."

Soul turned his head sharply, hearing the underlying meaning to those words. Wes had basically just told him to enjoy being alone with Maka, because he wouldn't be getting another chance for the next ten days.

He followed Maka to the entryway, absently putting on the shoes, and then the coat that she handed to him. Deep in thought over how he could keep Wes from getting too chummy with Maka, he opened the door and was about to step through, when he heard a cough behind him.

"Um. Soul, that's the closet. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

His cheeks burned from the blush that spread over his face, the laughter he could detect in her voice doing nothing to help. Why did he have to flake out now? Wes would never do something so stupid. He was always so charming and refined, while Soul was...well, not.

Unable to look at her, he kept his head down, this time going through the right door, the cold, stinging air feeling good on his heated cheeks. They crunched through the thin layer of snow that stretched across the yard, getting into the car with chattering teeth. At least it would be warmer further down the mountain. Soul had never been fond of being cold, and he noticed that even Maka was wearing her hair down for the added warmth to her ears.

The drive to town was quiet, a comfortable silence falling between them. After so many years together, they knew when words would just be in the way, and could appreciate the time together without them. Once in town, Maka directed him to the street where the art gallery was located, and he found a parking spot about three doors down.

The sidewalks were busy as people bustled about, getting in their last minute Christmas shopping. Though it was warmer here than it had been at the cabin, they were both glad to step into the warmth of the gallery, the holiday music and voices from the crowd muffled as they shut the door behind them. The building was well lit, the lights arranged to show the art to its best advantage. Each artist had their work set up in an individual group, small spaces separating them from the others. It was a large, two story building, and Soul could tell they would most likely be there all morning, since Maka liked to study each piece. He didn't mind too much since it was modern art, and not an endless sea of nude women, ugly babies, and strangely ill-proportioned livestock.

There were few other people there, and after a redhead in a sleek black dress had glided up to them and told them to ask her if they had any questions, they began a circle of the room, starting on the right side, working their way to the stairs on the left.

They were both impressed by they talent that was displayed, and the variety and creativity of the subject matter. Some were simply beautiful, like the sparkling landscapes that Maka had moved on to view, while others were morbidly compelling, such as the painting of the cat that was eating itself that Soul couldn't seem to tear his eyes from, until Maka called for him to move on. He hurried to her, knowing he was going to have some seriously creepy dreams about that one. Then they stumbled onto a section of bizarre nudes, with the women portrayed as having giant, brightly colored balloons instead of breasts, and the man lounging on a couch with a balloon tied in the shape of a dog for the penis.

Soul shrugged. "Well, to be honest, when I was a kid, breasts did look like they were poppable, so I guess I can see where the artist is comin' from." he said in response to her obvious struggle to understand.

She waved at the man on the couch. "Then how do you explain this one?"

"Just think of all the great pick-up lines. Soul grinned. "hey baby, wanna see my dog do a trick?"

Maka giggled, getting into the spirit. "Sure, I'll make him sit up and beg!"

"You want doggie style? With me, every position is doggie style!"

They snickered and snorted like children that had learned a new bad word, until some of the other customers began to shoot them glares. Slinking away, they finished up, and when Maka checked her phone for the time as they got to the door, she saw that it was a little past twelve. She was hungry herself, so she knew Soul had to be starving.

"Soul, are you ready for lunch? The restaurant is about six blocks away." she asked as they slowly walked in the direction of the car.

"I could eat Black*Star under the table right about now. Let's go ahead and drive, and then we can walk to the places I had wanted to check out."

"Where are we going? I forgot to ask." Maka hopped into the passenger seat, waiting for him to start the engine.

Soul watched the traffic carefully as he backed out and drove in the direction of the street that Maka had given him earlier. There's a place I remember from when I was a kid that I wanna show you. It's a surprise."

"Hm. A surprise. I don't really know whether to be excited or worried. Slow down, it should be this next street."

He ignored her dry tone and turned where she indicated, correctly assuming that their destination was the small building with the green and black awning.

"So what made you pick this place?" he asked as they crossed the parking lot, where they could just make out the small sign that said, 'Bella'.

Maka smiled up at him. "You're not the only one with surprises." she said mysteriously.

They entered the small restaurant, and stood waiting to be seated. It was a small, dimly lit building with small tables and plush leather booths, perfect for couples, which, Soul noticed as they were lead to a booth in the back, accounted for most of the customers. He removed his coat and slid in the seat in front of Maka, and raised an eyebrow at her across the table as the waitress handed them forest green leather-bound menus and left.

"You do remember you offered to pay, right?" not that he really minded; they had long ago given up keeping track of who paid for what.

She spared him a brief look over the top of her menu. "Yes, I still plan on paying. Have you seen anything you like yet?"

Squinting, Soul tried to make out the impossibly small cursive script. "It's kinda hard to tell. Maybe the next time the waitress comes, she'll bring us a flashlight."

Rolling her eyes, Maka slid closer to the wall. "Come over here, the light's better on this side."

Soul left his coat and joined her on the other side, realizing for the first time how small the seats were. Their thighs were pressed together, and the backs of their hands bumped against each other whenever they turned a page.

Maka pointed to an item in the lower left hand corner. "Why don't you try this? The review I read online said it was supposed to be really good."

Soul followed her finger, lighting up at the description of the tuna and salmon carpaccio. That must have been the surprise she had been talking about; she knew him so well!

"That looks awesome! Thanks, Maka." he closed his menu happily, already feeling the tender fish sliding down his throat.

"You looked like you could use something to cheer you up last night." Maka laid her menu on the table, her eyes tracking Soul's line of vision. A couple in a booth across the room were sitting much like she and Soul were, but the man had his arm around the woman, his other hand holding hers as they shared small kisses. They weren't making out, but it was definitely an intimate scene.

"Soul..."

At her voice, he jerked his attention back to their table, afraid that she was going to ask him to move back to his seat. He had hoped that it would have gone unnoticed and he could stay close to her, but he prepared to move as soon as she gave the word.

"You haven't seemed right since we got here. Are you really okay? And are you going to spend any more time with Wes?"

Stalling, he took a drink from his water glass, the ice knocking into his teeth.

"Sorry. It's just that coming up here again and seein' my brother brings back a lot of memories, and not all of them are that great, you know? I'll talk to Wes some more. I just gotta ease into it. It's funny; I thought I was ready to do this, but I get up here and I feel like I'm twelve years old all over again."

They were interrupted by the waitress, who quickly took their orders of carpaccio and carbonara and quietly departed.

Placing her hand on his, Maka squeezed, giving him a look of understanding.

"But you're not twelve anymore. You're nineteen, almost twenty. You're a man now, a three star Deathscythe, not a little boy. Whatever it was like between you and Wes before has changed, and you can face him as an equal, so don't be so nervous."

Soul relaxed, uplifted not so much by her words as by her faith in him. She was right. He was no longer a child, and Wes was no longer the idol he had to strive to emulate. As long as he remembered that, he should be fine. And as for Wes' interest in Maka, well, that was something that had to go both ways, and Maka had never been one to be swayed by sweet words and a handsome face.

He tightened his grip on her hand, smirking at her. "True. And I've got a pretty cool partner to back me up, so I'm even a step ahead of him."

Maka blushed, never sure how to respond when he complimented her like that. She wished she knew how serious he was about those things. It would make it much easier for her to express her own feelings if she knew they would be received in a positive manner.

Their food arrived remarkably fast, living up to the restaurant's reputation for good service. Soul kept a tight rein on his drool as he unrolled his silverware and placed his napkin in his lap. As the flavors of the first bite exploded on his tongue, he nearly swooned; if they ever came back to Aspen, this place was on his list of places to eat again. He paused to see if Maka was enjoying her food too, only to find her in the same state of bliss. Hmm, hers did look awfully good. Maybe she wouldn't mind if he just took one little...

"Try it and you'll be pulling back a bloody stump, Soul Eater." she warned, pulling her plate away protectively. At his pathetic attempt at puppy eyes, which only served to make him look like a feeble minded shark, she relented.

"Oh, fine! One bite! A small one though!"

He raised a forkfull of the pasta dish to his mouth, and relived his previous experience. Damn. They really were going to have to come back here sometime.

Both went back to their respective meals, savoring each bite until they were left with plates that had been scraped so clean you could almost reuse them.

"I hope you two enjoyed your meal. Did you save any room for dessert?" their waitress asked as she cleared their plates.

At their muffled groans of refusal, she further tempted, "Our special today is carmel crème brûlée. It's very good."

They exchanged a wordless glance. If they ate one more bite, they would regret it.

So of course, they said yes.

"Ugggh, I ate too much. Soul, you may have to roll me to the car. I don't think I'll be eating anything for the rest of the trip." Maka moaned as they walked out the door. It had been expensive, but worth every penny.

"I feel the same way...but gimme an hour and I could probably eat again."

Maka wrinkled her nose. "You're such a pig. Which way do we go now?"

"Please, no mention of pork products yet. And the place I had in mind should be two streets over. Can you make it, or should I start rolling you?"

"Then let's go, it's too crowded to stand here." she took his hand, pulling him along in the direction he had turned.

He looked down at their joined hands. It was nice to be able to do this without the excuse of resonating, or comforting her. The whole day had been nice actually, almost like a date. Though it was normal for them to walk around Death City together, they always ran the risk of running into someone they knew, as was the case more often than not. Here, they could forget being weapon and meister, and just enjoy being Soul and Maka, something he was hoping would lead to more.

They made their way slowly, jostled by the other shoppers, looking into windows as they passed, nothing catching their interest enough for them to go in anywhere. Maka became confused as they neared the end of the last street. Had Soul gotten his directions mixed up?

"Here it is. I think you're gonna really like this place." he sounded pleased with himself as he led Maka into the sprawling, signless building on the corner.

Immediately, she knew what kind of store it was, even before her eyes adjusted to the poor lighting. The scent of old books filled her nostrils, that unmistakable mixture of slightly moldy pages and worn leather. Trancelike, she began to roam from shelf to shelf, finding that the store was like a rabbit's warren, one room leading into one or two others, farther and farther back, with signs pointing the way to lead to every subject imaginable.

Soul followed her, hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat, watching in fond amusement as she seemed to float off in her own little world. The stack she was carrying began to grow, and he went back to the front for a basket to put them in, laughing a little when she snapped out of it to glare at whoever was trying to take her beloved books from her hands, only to discover it was Soul. She blinked at him, as if she had forgotten he was even there. She probably had.

"Oh! Thanks, I needed that. Sorry, guess I lost track of where I was." she explained sheepishly, arranging her books in a practiced manner so she could fit in more.
"'S'fine. I've noticed you've hit pretty much every section except romance. What's wrong, are you that against the idea of love?" he slipped this question in, his casual expression belying his eagerness for her response. If he could just figure out where she stood on the subject, maybe he would have a better chance with her.

Her brow furrowed as she tried to word her reply. "It's not that I'm against love. I just don't like how most romance novels portray it. It's always so dramatic and unrealistic, and in a lot of cases, just a vehicle for sex. None of it is anything I would look for in real life." her answer was slow, as if it was something that she thought about a lot, and took seriously.

"So, if someone said they were in love with you, and asked you out, you'd give them a shot?" he was close now. So very close.

She shook her head vehemently. "Of course not! I wouldn't go out with just anyone. It would have to be someone I could see having a relationship with. Casual dating isn't really my thing. Why the sudden interest? Has someone said anything I should know about?"

Under her suspicious gaze, he faltered. Danger, Will Robinson! Abort! Abort! He decided that was enough for now. She was open to the idea, and that was a start.

"Nah, just curious. Want me to take these to the front and have them put them behind the register? That way you could look around more without lugging these with you."

"Yeah, that would be nice. I'll be over there when you get back."

He made his escape, knowing she would have forgotten everything by the time he got back.

They ended up spending several hours in there, and when they finally emerged, it was with the addition of three large bags.

"You do realize you're gonna have to buy another suitcase just to get all these home, right?" Soul grunted as he hefted the bag he had been stuck with, not even wanting to imagine what the airline was going to charge on them.

"I'll manage something. Don't underestimate me. Wasn't there one other place you were wanting to go? Is it close?"

"It's actually right over there. Are you gonna be alright carrying those for a while?" he asked as they crossed the street to a smaller building.

"Don't worry about me. It's a good way to help work off that huge lunch we had."

She had to smile a little as they entered this shop, as his features brightened with excitement, much as hers had at the used bookstore's. This was Soul's domain. A music store, with an old school feel. Along with the expected CDs were records, which Soul gravitated to, Maka trailing in his wake. Lovingly, he pulled several from a shelf, eyeing the cover art covetously. Getting the storekeeper's attention, they were directed to a listening room in the back, where they sat down in comfortable chairs while Soul happily set up the record player.

Maka watched for a while, entranced by the look of ecstatic concentration on his face. The moments she got to see him passionate about music were few and far between, so she drank it up, until she grew self-conscious and afraid that he would catch her staring like one of his old fangirls.

She pulled out a book, halfheartedly reading it as she snuck peeks at him from over the top. His eyes were closed, his lips twitched up in a small smile as his fingers tapped the beat on his thigh. She wondered what he was thinking, and if he ever looked like that while thinking about her. Her face became warm, and she raised her book higher. She needed to stop with these dangerous thoughts; though Soul had been sweet and considerate today, he would most likely be horrified if she took it in a romantic way. He was her partner and her friend, and as the years had passed, the probability that he would see her in a different light had surely dwindled. They had a close, easy friendship, and she wouldn't risk it by rocking the boat now. At least, not unless he showed some more positive signs. His questions in the bookstore had gotten her hopes up, but he hadn't chosen to pursue them. Maybe she should find a way to drop hints without having to come right out and reveal her feelings.

Losing track of time as she mulled her options, she almost missed it when he got up and began to gather the records, sorting out the ones he wanted to buy. She tucked her book back into the bag, and followed him to the cash register. Once he had paid, they set out for the car, happy for how the day had turned out.

Maka nearly fell asleep on the drive home, since it was dark out and the seat warmers were on high, but she fought the feeling off, determined to stay awake, making sure Soul didn't drift off at the wheel.

XXX

The moon shone down brightly on the snow, the reflection glowing an eerie blue, broken only by the shadows of the trees. In the distance, something howled, a sad, mournful noise that pierced the night air. As they carried their bags to the house, headlights cut across them, signalling Wes had arrived home late as well. He parked his truck next to them and got out, his long black dress coat flapping around his legs as he joined them.

"Looks like your trip went well. Are you enjoying your stay in Aspen so far, Maka?" he asked, unlocking the door and holding it open for them, Spartacus barreling past them outside, Freya dancing at the door, refusing to go out and get her paws wet and cold.

"It's wonderful! The food is so good, and the art, and the bookstore...I told Soul we might have to relocate!" she gushed, setting her bags on the bench as she took off her coat and boots, storing them in the closet.

Wes chuckled as he did the same. "Even if you don't relocate, you're always more than welcome to join me here. You too, Soul."

Soul fought back a snarl, not wanting to let Wes rile him up in front of Maka.

"First, you'd have to guarantee that I wouldn't ever run in to our parents. Second, if we did come up here that often, there are plenty of hotels or places to rent. So thanks, but no thanks." Soul smiled the falsely polite smile he had learned from a young age, but it felt unnatural on his face, stiff from disuse.

Wes raised an eyebrow at him, but chose not to comment. Maka had been distracted by the handle of one of her bags breaking, and Soul went to help her carry her load up to her room.

"Come join me in the kitchen when you're done, and we'll make plans for tomorrow." Wes called after them, going to change into jeans and a sweatshirt. The look in Soul's eyes had been a bit intimidating, but Wes took that as a good sign. He had something planned for the two of them tomorrow, a flag event, as it were. All his little brother had to do was put on the moves, and everything should turn out just fine. He rubbed his hands in anticipation, already picturing the looks on their faces when they told him that they had decided to be a couple. Maybe he should start his own matchmaking business...

Soul put his records on top of his dresser and then joined Maka in the hall, wondering what his brother had planned for tomorrow. He suspected it was skiing, and he had mixed feelings. It had been a while since he had been on a snowboard, and although he was excited, he didn't want to faceplant in front of Maka. He could see it now; him eating snow while Wes whizzed by on his skis, sipping tea from a china cup without spilling a drop. Even though he knew Maka wasn't the type to swoon over athletic prowess, and he wasn't the kind of guy who felt like he had to show off for attention, he still didn't want to look stupid in front of her. No matter that she had seen him at his most incompetent moments over the years; she had never seen him incompetent with Wes there to contrast with his utter...Wesness.

Reaching the kitchen, the found the counters covered with the makings for sandwiches, Wes already at the table eating.

"I left everything out. Go ahead and make what you want, then you can put it away when you're done." he said in the pause between bites.

Soul instantly grabbed two slices of bread and began to construct a giant roast beef sandwich, much to Maka's disgust.

"Soul, how can you eat all that after the lunch we had?" she contented herself by slicing some cheese for some crackers, adding a small bunch of grapes and a few pieces of pear to her plate.

He shrugged, torn between pepper jack and swiss. He added both. "What can I say, I've got a great metabolism."

She shook her head as he loaded a pile of chips next to his sandwich. "Your middle-aged spread is going to be horrible, and I am going to to laugh. Hard." she sat at the table, crunching down on a pear slice, the fruit cold and crisp between her teeth.

Soul snorted as he joined her, carefully holding his food so it didn't slide out the back. "As if you would let me get fat. No way in hell you'd keep a sloppy weapon."

Maka popped a grape into her mouth. "He says, barely able to be heard over the sound of his hardening arteries."

Soul tossed back a handful of chips, munching exaggeratedly.

Wes watched them closely. Oh yes, these two were perfect for each other. "So, I was thinking, if you guys are interested, we could go skiing tomorrow? They have some nice courses at Falling Pines Lodge."

Perking with interest, Maka replied, "I was hoping we could get at least one day in. They do rent out equipment, right?"

"Mhmm. They rent skis, snowboards, boots, and ski clothes. They also have a store with a good selection, if there's something you'd rather buy. If we leave here at seven, we should be able to get in a few practice runs before the crowds hit. Unless that's to early?" he added at Soul's groan.

Ignoring her partner, Maka agreed. "I'd like that, since it's been a while. One or two runs down an easy slope should be enough. How about you, Soul? Are you still boarding instead of skiing?"

Soul licked the last of the salt from the chips from his fingers. "Yeah, I always liked the board better. I'll leave the skiing to Wes. If we really are gettin' up that early, I think I'll go to bed now, after I give Black*Star and Kid a call. You should probably get in touch with your dad, Maka. The longer you wait, the more annoying he's gonna get."

Maka sighed, throwing her paper plate in the trashcan and putting the leftovers in ziploc bags. "I know. I also need to call Blair and she how she's doing, too. Do you want the shower tonight, or in the morning?"

Getting rid of his own trash and washing the knives they had used, he considered her question. "Tonight. That way I can sleep in a few extra minutes in the morning."

"That's what I thought. Goodnight, Wes. I'm going to go ahead and get that call to Papa over with."

"Goodnight, Maka. I'll make a large breakfast for everyone tomorrow before we leave. Remember to dress warm; the weatherman said it's supposed to be clear but cold tomorrow, with high winds."

Maka nodded and went upstairs, Soul right behind her. "Night, Wes. You gonna drive tomorrow? Or I can follow you up there."

"We might as well all go in the truck, since there's just the three of us. Get some sleep." Wes waved, fixing himself a glass of tea.

Soul grabbed his sleep clothes from his room and went into the bathroom, turning the hot water up on high. Once it reached the right temperature, he got in, the harsh pinpricks of the spray beating into his skin. If he could get through tomorrow, things should be alright. He would see that Wes was just like any other older brother, and he had probably just blown his accomplishments out of proportion in his own mind. There was nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. He repeated this several times as he washed, and then a few more as he stretched out to sleep, wanting more than anything for that to be true.