Thanks so much for your kind reviews so far!
Before I finish the next chapter I'll be going back over the past 11 chapters and rechecking them for errors. I'm not the world's most patient re-reader but it's easier if I'm not so anxious to prattle off the next bit lol Anyway, I'm re-reading your reviews too b/c one of the cool things you guys do is give me constructive criticism. So if you've got any particularly issues and didn't mention them before now it was great time! You could do it by chapter or in one big review—just make sure to mark your chapters or specify if it's an error that goes through the whole story!
Thanks a lot you guys, hope you enjoy this new addition.
To say that Black Star was a bit uncomfortable with the scene unfolding in his home would be an understatement. Suddenly there were worries of hiding sharp weapons, bottles of toxic or intoxicating substances, and the sharp corners their three-bedroom apartment seemed to be riddle with.
The twenty two year old watched his life long partner scramble as gracefully as he imaged anyone could with an armful of magazines, unfinished laundry, and breakfast dishes. All the while with a warm smile—much too excited to be truly apologetic—plastered on her face.
"We're really usually not this messy." She explained as Kubi watched her, perplexed and quickly tickled with amusement. "Honestly…it was such a rushed morning."
"Is' alright, the orpige is messy all the time."
Tsubaki's heart broke just a little thinking of the sweet boy living in an orphanage, especially since it seemed he'd lived most of his short life there. He would have a very comfortable, happy stay in her home, she promised herself as she got out the new toys they bought on the way.
When Tsubaki spared a glance at Black Star she noticed with a little surprise how awkward he seemed, and took to occasionally sending a comforting glance his way, or brushing a casual hand down her Meister's arm. Both small gestures soothed nicely until she could talk about it later.
It wasn't until a good half hour later when Kubi sat at their low table coloring his way through the bran new book and crayons that Tsubaki finally had time to pull Black Star aside.
The first thing she got was a long, warm kiss that weakened her knees and had her arms wrapped around her Meister's muscled shoulders.
When he drew away Tsubaki found herself scrambling for the words she wanted to say before his little interruption. Lightly flushed she took the time to collect her thoughts before continuing—black eyes fixed on those of her Meister. "I should apologize—it was inconsiderate not to ask you first if I could bring him home…"
A half foolish half devilish grin chased away Tsubaki's insecurities. "And how do you think I woulda' been able to say no?"
Really, how could he have even begun to ponder the possibility of not giving the woman in his arms exactly what she wanted when the request was so small, so simple.
She might have convinced herself that he'd forgotten the deadline hovering above their heads but Black Star was well aware. He knew that their two years of happiness and freedom was about to collide with a crossroads that could make or break their entire world.
Tsubaki would either marry him, or some stranger halfway across the globe. Some stranger with "good breeding," delicate manners, and supposedly excellent skill in Aikido.
There was a time he had almost convinced himself that this was an agreeable ending, that Tsubaki would be infinitely more happy with Hiruki, and that he himself could never amount to all that was expected of a good father and good husband. But that idle, childish fantasy was the product of wishful thinking from less than two years ago, and two years felt like both an eternity and a fleeting breath of time. What seemed impossible then, even painful to contemplate, could pass him as casually as an admiring glance from a stranger on the street.
Watching Tsubaki encourage Kubi to eat his vegetables Black Star wondered if this situation was more than just a little lucky. Maybe, just maybe, if they could survive this little stray…if he could find the confidence and audacity to assume they could repeat the process all over again in a few more years…this time with their own family…maybe this two year paradise didn't have to end.
The Witch didn't bother struggling against the bonds around her hands or legs. Rather than flail and offer pleas of helplessness she sat cool and calculating. Only a first year student would see this supposed complacency as a positive sign.
The interrogation room was small, cramped on purpose to evoke feelings of claustrophobia and the grave. There was no distinguishing the stonewalls from the ceiling, and eery candlelight provided a low, flickering visibility. At any minute those candles could extinguish, leaving them all in total darkness.
That as the appearance anyway, really it was just one elaborate scare house.
Maka watched her mentor, now colleague, study the green haired Witch from a distance. Was he deciding how best to break that calm spirit or fantasizing about dissecting her brain?
With a practically silent sigh Maka smiled fondly at the grey haired man and decided it best to interrupt his thoughts. "Soul and I can keep any communication she might try and make with you to a safe minimum. Would you like to get started?"
The professor nodded slowly, perhaps only half his incredible mind on Maka's offer. "Yes. Let's." He pushed the glasses up on his nose for an overall comical effect, and Soul lifted a brow when he thought he saw the man ruffle his already wrinkled lab coat.
'Man's got his own style, can't deny that.'
"Soul." Maka closed her eyes, placed a hand on her partner's shoulder, and the two of them dissolved into his piano room.
Whatever raw talent she had at dispelling madness amplified tenfold.
Stein breathed deeply of this welcome relief, indulging perhaps the only true quiet he ever got from the voices still lingering in his head. He didn't want to feel giddy about the syringe of truth serum in his coat pocket, or the prospect using whatever means necessary to squeeze out the information they needed. Madness was supposed to be far behind him.
Still, this was pure business. Necessary to the safety of his students—possibly even the world! So the grey haired doctor let a twisted smile creep over his lips, and in his most intimidatingly insane voice asked "Are we doing this the fun way or me, or the safe way for you?"
The witch squinted her eyes slightly in growing distain. "You fools don't even realize what you've brought into your precious town do you?"
Stein tilted his head a shocking angle "Oooh? Really. Are you the most powerful Telepath on the planet? I doubt that." Maka and Soul were either doing a perfect job, or the woman tied before him wasn't trying at all to send out any subliminal messages.
The calm chuckle sent up a small warning flag, like she was the one in control instead of him. "Honestly I'm surprised the "great" Shinigami hasn't figured it out. He must be loosing his touch."
Stein spun the old school syringe on his middle finger. "Guess it's the fun way."
Faster than lightening those sultry eyes shot wide open, and her pupils spread, nearly engulfing all the white of her eyes. Some unseen pressure shook the room, knocking debris free from ceiling and threatening the flames of the candles on every wall.
Her voice rumbled in Stein's mind so loudly he didn't hear Maka call out to him.
"That child will bring nothing but devastation to Shibusen. You would be wise to release him to us. Your arrogance and ignorance will be your undoing!"
If the Witches powers were an earthquake then Maka's was a wash of cool spring water.
Just as quickly as it had been disrupted the room became still once again, but the Witch's words, and the mad sincerity of her eyes echoed in Stein's memory.
After a small beat; "Who are you working for?" Stein resumed as though there had never been a break in his routine.
In the end Kubi left only the snow peas on his plate, but seemed genuinely happy about his new surroundings. Black Star noted that some color had come into the toddler's cheeks, and though it was small, a smile played nicely with the boy's drooping eyes.
Kubi must have caught the harmless but chiding look on Tsubaki's face as she cleared the dishes away, because comfortable sleepiness quickly blended with embarrassment.
Black Star watched the boy squirm a bit, and in a reckless effort to make the little fella more comfortable he leaned in close and whispered; "I never liked the green stuff either."
For the first time since Kubi looked up at someone who wasn't Tsubaki, and when his eyes met the older man's something akin to total adoration shone through.
This gave Black Star quite the shock, though he tried not to show it. Instead, held that contact firm, smiled confidently and eased into another question.
By the time Tsubaki finished washing up the two were locked deep in something wonderful and secretive. It brought a distinct thrill to her heart.
Quietly she came over to sit with them, watched mesmerized as Kubi rattled on about some game of make believe in a language that sometimes went right over her head but Black Star didn't loose a beat. Whatever was happening between them could not have been explained by logic or reason. There was no room or need for jealousy that it was her Partner the boy ended up imprinting on so well to. Rather, that knowledge spread through her chest, warming and disrupting all her nerves so completely it must have shown in her face.
Black Star shot a fast glance at her, never loosing pace with Kubi's story, but in that momentary look his eyes said everything perfectly.
"that's when the teakur usually comes an we havta go inside." The dark haired boy drew a long breath to compensate for what he'd spent in the last ten minutes, then cast his eyes to the ground once in anticipation before beaming his reserved smile up at the ninja—hoping desperately for approval.
"Sounds awesome. We should try it tomorrow…with balloons."
The simple suggestion made wide eyes even larger, and the deep laughter that rang through the apartment was more natural than the scent of fresh apple pie on a chilly fall afternoon.
Tsubaki did her best to segue into the subject of bedtime. "First thing in the morning lets go buy some."
The small cry of "Really?" she expected came right on time, and she nodded skillfully. "First we have to go to sleep though."
The strange urge Black Star felt to pluck the child from the sitting pillow and carry him over his shoulder into the bathroom went unfulfilled, but when Kubi reached out for his arm the two went hand in hand to brush their teeth while Tsubaki rounded up something for Kubi to sleep in.
It wasn't until she found herself alone, shifting through a drawer of her old cloths that the master Weapon found the throbbing in her chest had turned gradually from warm to painful. 'This won't do…' She chided herself as she felt the heaviness behind her eyes that usually meant tears. Laughing at herself Tsubaki continued to pick up long forgotten shirts and gauge their size, but as her hands started to tremble, and her vision blurred she resigned herself to the small storm of selfish, childish behavior.
Her knees buckled, and sapped of all her strength Tsubaki slid to the floor like a feather in the wind, the green shirt in her hands pressed into her face and grasped firmly in her fists as she sobbed silently. Wept bitterly over the possibilities that were so close she could see them—touch them—yet so far.
Horribly far it was too cruel.
The next morning Shinigami-sama sat in his almost overly cheery room eyeing Maka's tidy report. The standard "who are you" "what's your plan" dialogue felt too mundane to read but he did so anyway, soaking in the new information, looking for anything that peaked his interest.
The first three hours appeared uneventful as it seemed the Witch knew little more about the boy than they did, except that her Mistress wanted him.
"I don't know what she wants with the brat. Sacrifice him, raise him, I don't care. She told us to get him and we did."
It was the third paragraph that lit up like lights on a Christmas tree. Everything before that, the description of the woman's personality, her use of words, even the calm yet spiteful glare in her eye changed. As if she became a completely different person.
"That's enough of this wasteful banter. I'd like to see Shinigami. He'll have the brains to know what we're trying to do."
From that point on she barely gave Stein so much as a sideways glance, merely asked for the Lord of Death himself, providing no hint of an explanation as to why.
Maka noted that there was no visible change to her soul. If something, or someone, was suddenly speaking through her it was not with possession. Though, the Witch was a Telepath—a powerful one by the sound of it—so perhaps her Mistress had come for a welcome visit.
Shinigami finished the report with a sigh of discontent, tossing it aimlessly to the side. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment of all the facts so far.
It would be reasonable to suspect a Witch related terror act soon, though perhaps a little premature. Fact was, they still didn't know a thing about who sent the three kidnappers, who the unnamed organizer was, or what they wanted with a four year old immigrant whose adopted parents tied tragically two years ago. They claimed the child was dangerous, but he'd seem the boy for himself, felt his presence and potential and could find no ill will present in the child's soul. As far as he knew Kubi wasn't a Weapon or a Meister, and he didn't fit the profile of a Witch or Werewolf.
One thing was for certain; whatever the Witches wanted with this obviously helpless four year old could not be good. Bodily or mentally, Shinigami refused to risk allowing them to intervene in what could be a perfectly normal life.
The question remained…how long would they be able to keep the child in protective custody? What would he do if such an act sparked war with an unknown coven? And the possibility he refused to ponder yet continued to plague him…what if the boy did, overtime, evolve into powers as deadly as the Witches suggest?
Black Star was a notoriously deep sleeper. When everything was well, and harmless, that is. As a ninja, when he felt the eyes or heard the sounds of an approaching attack he could be awake and focused in under five seconds.
'Watched' was the feeling that woke him at ten thirty-four, on a Sunday no less.
While the instinct had been partially correct, the young man couldn't keep the smile off his lips when he realized that it was not some deadly attacker but two, huge, green eyes of an anxious little boy.
Kubi hadn't forgotten the joint promise of early morning play, so he ambitiously snuck into the bedroom where to his absolute dismay he found Black Star and Tsubaki still sleeping. For almost five minutes he'd observed the way the pair lay so relaxed, so happy, their shoulders brushed as they lay on their backs, left and right hands clasped loosely over the light sheet.
His first thought after forgiving them their forgotten promise was to wonder what it might be like to lay between them, surrounded, protected, loved.
It was that silent longing that Black Star saw in the boy's eyes when his own shot open—and it was a look recognized all too well from his own parentless past.
He didn't need long to think about it. Though he fully realized all it might imply Black Star gave Kubi the silent nod of invitation as he moved on the futon to make room for the boy.
It took a bit of coaxing, but just a little. Curiosity and a child's deepest wishes won over Kubi's reluctance quickly.
Kubi crept as quietly, as softly as he could manage over Black Star to snuggle into the triangle between the man's arm and torso. It took a moment and a bit of squirming to make the hardened muscles and thick shoulder accommodating, but when everyone was settled again, giggles sufficient surprised, Black star lifted his hand off Tsubaki's. Kubi slipped his own into the big, warm palm of the oblivious woman.
Every inch of the boy's body tingled, his smile was a struggle between utter joy and embarrassment, and kept fidgeting between wide and puckered. When Black Star's even larger hand—rough, strong, but warm came down to complete the pile a shock of giddy electricity danced over Kubi's skin.
Black Star settled back down into his pillow, watched the flip-flop reactions out of the corner of his eye and refused to let himself think deep or depressing thoughts.
Something unfamiliar was growing in his chest, something akin to what he'd felt the first time he and Tsubaki kissed but deeper, more contained, more like a ball of dread hiding a burning fire inside. To settle this sensation he kept his eyes on the boy
At eleven fifty the smallest movement stirred Tsubaki from much needed rest.
The dream which felt so real and compelling only seconds before slipped through her consciousness like the fog that disappeared with the rising sun.
It took her a while to grasp for control of her still body, and when she did Tsubaki wondered if she might still be dreaming. She wasn't expecting to feel a tiny hand in her own, or see the equally tiny body cradled against Black Star as easily if this were a well-established routine.
The man and child seemed to be snoring in unison.
A smile sparked across her face as she turned on her side, brushed her right hand through Kubi's messy hair. The ninja weapon lay there, unaware of how long, petting that tiny head. She didn't realize the tears flowing steady down her cheeks until Black Star broke from his own dream and looked at her with such absurd concern—reached out his hand to skim the side of his finger over the falling droplets.
His movement woke Kubi, and though the boy wasn't as fast to shake the haze from his eyes he noticed Tsubaki's mood quickly and to both adult's surprise scurried under the covers.
Laughing even as the unwanted tears continued to fall Tsubaki lifted the sheets like a tent and tried to explain herself: These weren't tears of upset or anger, she was happy.
It wasn't true, but it wasn't a lie either.
Sufficiently assured he wasn't the cause of Tsubaki's fit Kubi crawled out from the sheets, reminding Black Star of a fawn they'd watched in the forest once. Then, to the man's amazement Kubi sat up on his knees and tried to wipe the weeping from Tsubaki's cheeks.
She tried so desperately not to let that innocent gesture bring down more of this horribly childish display but she smiled weakly and couldn't help it.
How many nights had she dreamed of waking just this way? The two loves of her life in her bed, or in the bath, in the kitchen or on the sofa. Someday a backyard, Kid's pool, Shibusen Academy and the first day of classes.
All those needs and dreams vibrated and shook within her so real and so alive that she had no choice but to let them overwhelm her.
Black Star pulled his partner into his lap, held her, rocked her, and for every ounce of happiness and longing she felt his heart ripped with the force of his guilt.
Kubi just sat by, one hand continually on the strange woman's leg, the other petting her hair.
For the first time in his entire life he saw an adult who needed something only he could give. Amazed, he watched Tsubaki's moment of weakness, and perhaps in that moment fell in love with her.
It was well past lunch when the Trio of teams returned to Shibusen Academy for Shinigami's debriefing.
Kubi waited in the hallway with Marie, they were completely free to discuss the boy's uncertain future without worrying about his feelings.
For now.
"From the information we've gathered, it's pretty obvious we need to keep this little guy here in our walls…Kid—you Liz and Patty will go and try and track down this Mistress. Maka, you and Soul will stay to continue assisting Stein." The towering collection of oddly shaped black turned delicately towards Tsubaki and Black Star.
In all his years he was sure there hadn't been a pair who'd given him so much personal grief.
"We can't say for certain how long Kubi will have to stay with us. As for when or even if any dangerous powers might develop I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have watching him. Would you two mind watching over the boy a few more days?"
Seeing Tsubaki light up was all the Lord of Death needed.
"Excellent! Settle then. Everyone, to your duties."
A flashy hand gesture dismissed the seven adults, though they lingered just a while talking amongst themselves.
Maka and Liz wanted to know how Kubi spent his first night, did he eat well, had he slept alright. Tsubaki filled them in with generous detail, even offered to let them in on babysitting duty. Liz made a face she only employed as a way of describing Brussels Sprouts, and Maka claimed she wouldn't know what to do with something she couldn't assign homework to.
Kid tried his best not to seem interested in their conversation though he hung around well within earshot while Black Star pulled Soul to the side.
"Ok man, I got somethin' to ask but you laugh I'll kick you in the nuts."
"How about convulsive giggling?"
A death glare from a highly trained ninja shouldn't have seemed so intimidating—or desperate.
After a small pause Soul leaned towards his life long friend as a sign of peace. "Alright. What's got you?"
Black Star stood rock ridged as the words tumbled out of his numb mouth. "Soo...?"
Soul froze, then blinked rapidly. An eastern wind boasting one lone tumbleweed might as well have blown between them as the white haired man tried his best to think of an answer that didn't involve tackling his friend to the ground and demanding a more precise—and clear—repeat of that statement.
Black Star tried not to fidget, but Soul's reaction was about to drive him insane. Luckily for the both of them Soul finally replied:
"Well how the hell should I know?"
to be continued