"Wish he'd make up his mind already."

Black Star was clutching his broken arm, lying down on the snow, staring at the Moon through the bare tree branches.

"You should have gone with Tsubaki," Maka Albarn said. She too was weaponless: Soul Eater was assigned to a team that entered the forest to assess damage.

"I'll be fine. You're the one who should've gone walking. Jumping into a pack of wolves-"

"I'm fine," Maka insisted, despite the blood-stained tears in her overcoat. She was staring into the woods. She swallowed. "If he was smart, he would get it over with."

"That's kind of heartless."

"You saw what it-"

"She."

"You saw what she did." Maka nodded at his arm. "The execution order remains-"

"Even to a pup?"

She narrowed her eyes.

He avoided her stare. He tried to turn over-but a broken arm was not allowing that, the pain making his eyes bulge. "Shit!"

"And what would you do? Break Lord Death's order?"

"Goody two-shoes."

"Reckless idiot."

Black Star grew silent. "Lucky to be alive, you know?"

She got quiet again. "Yeah. Sorry."

He shrugged. "It's fine. Not like anyone wanted me to get spared either."

"Is that you're only reason?"

"Nah," Black Star answered. "I also have some faith in that tiny god." Then he smiled widely. "Have to if anyone's going to take a big man like me seriously!"

Maka held back a smile. "It's not what we were ordered to do-"

She stopped upon hearing a foot stamp through the snow. She spun around, an arm swinging out ready to attack-until she felt Death the Kid's soul.

And she felt a smaller soul, too. That answered her question before she saw Kid, his red scarf removed, now wrapped around the tiny gray bundle. The werewolf puppy, this survivor of the Immortal Clan, was still shivering.

Maka lowered her guard. "Why didn't you?" She felt wind pass her nose as her voice shook.

Kid held the child closer to him as he stared at her and Black Star, the latter still lying in the snow, smiling widely. "Be useful," Kid called to the ninja. "I needed a fire here an hour ago."

Black Star lifted his one good arm. "Limited!"

"You want me to break the other one to match?!" Kid barked. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the pitch of his scream was too comical not to prompt a laugh from Black Star, who rolled over and used his good hand to dig through the nearby napsack for a lighter.

Kid then turned his stare to Maka. "And he didn't tell you to do so?"

Maka looked embarrassed. "I hadn't considered-"

"I can see that."

She frowned. "I didn't think you'd bring that one."

"I knew you would!" Black Star's voice was muffled, as he held the lighter in his teeth up to the bundle of sticks and leaves.

"Because you thought I would adhere to Father's order?" Kid asked.

Maka nodded.

"Even Father bends the rules." He sat where Black Star was, waiting for the fire to begin and bring some life back to the freezing child.

"This seemed cut and dry," Maka said, joining her fellow meisters.

Kid brought his knees up to him, holding the pup closer. He let out a sigh, his breath appearing in the cold. "It's not all black and white. Sometimes you find a gray area."

Written for the Day 2 theme, "Black and White," for Death the Kid Week 2017 on Tumblr. #DTKWeek