Title: Baggage
Author: XFiercexxx (Sierra)
Length: 363…I'm aware that's waaaaay too short compared to the last one XD
Pairing(s): Spirit/Kami and implied Stein/Spirit

Note: My turn…? Not nearly as epic as the last one….that and this one's angsty…ish.

He always came back to Stein.

After his after-fight-clubbing sans Annya (his first girlfriend, who was a total pain in the ass) he came to see him and they sit together, him on a stitched up armchair, he backwards on his favorite swivel chair. They drink scotch and reminisce and pretend they're still fifteen-year-old boys who haven't been weighed down by their baggage just yet.

It's hard to believe that was barely a year ago.

After her meets the supposed love of his life Spirit grabs Stein in a bone crushing hug before ditching him for her. He doesn't resent it; he just wishes he had someone to experiment on.

After his wife goes into labor with their first child spirit drags him by the arm, almost dislocating his shoulder in the process. When she's born he hands him a cigar and doesn't have to tell him twice to smoke up for luck.

After Spirit holds his daughter for the first time Stein is there watching him look from his wife to child in wonder before whispering her name, "Maka," and smiling.

After the divorce he's the one who drags him away from the phone to keep from making promises he can't keep.

Later he wonders if that was really a horrid mistake. He wonders if maybe if he'd made those promises and Kami had forgiven him he really would have tried. But, he reasons, it's a little late for that now.

After his first fight with his daughter Stein doesn't see Spirit for a very long time.

When he sees a younger version of the one woman he was able to stand for more than ten minutes and the white haired boy calls out, "MAKA!" he knows that the reprieve from his annoying friend has ended. This is Maka. And because of that he wouldn't dare really lay a finger on her.

After all is said and done, after Medusa accepts a truce, Arachne and the Kisshin are vanquished, after balance is restored and three more Death Scythes are added to the folds, they're back where they started; downing scotch in their favorite chairs, silently helping the other carry that extra baggage.

Yeah I know….Epic Fail….Give us some love anyway…? Please?

Sierra