Chapter 21

Talking to myself but I'll never listen.

Cause man it's been a while and I swear this one is different.

That's why I'mma take you anywhere you wanna go… let you meet my friends

So they can lecture me again about how reckless I have been.

And I'm slowly running out of all the time that I have invested

Making all the same mistakes and I'm just trying to correct it

And then I fall again…

"You have to go!" Refusing to look up from his handheld game, Black Star ignored the irritable males hovering over him from where he sat on the couch. He didn't want to be bothered. He didn't want a reason to ruin another phone let alone put another hole in a wall because he was annoyed beyond belief. The fact that they got him going to gigs in the first place should have been enough. Tonight, he didn't feel like moving. He wanted them to back the hell up and leave him be. Kid's eyes narrowed.

"Black Star, this is my engagement party we're talking about! You've been cooped up nearly two weeks!" he said, annoyance showing despite the calm voice he used. Soul stood on the other side of him, hands in his pockets and face blank as he stared down at his best friend.

"He has a point. If it weren't for the fact that you're assed out on the couch when I get home, I'd think you were sneaking around after our gigs." He informed. Black Star didn't respond. He had a tendency lately of drinking after the gigs, stumbling his way home and crashing on the couch. The following mornings, if Sid would even bother with him, he'd get in his sparring sessions or end up at the gym working off any aggressions he felt.

"I don't see what the concern is. I'm alive. I eat. I sleep regularly. I work out."

"You snap at the smallest things." Soul finished.

"How many phones have you been through this month?" Kid ventured.

"Three. So what?" His eyes never left his game.

"Black Star, this isn't cool. You need to get off your ass and have some fun with your friends. So Tsubaki hasn't called you. Maybe you should try calling her." At this, Black Star let out an indignant scoff and finally looked up from his game.

"So you want me to apologize?" he asked.

"Not so much apologize as maybe just making the first move."

"The hell I will!"

"Why is that so hard?"

"Because I didn't do anything wrong!" Soul face palmed and Kid's eyes narrowed.

"You're being childish."

"Go to hell, Kid. I'm not moving." He turned his attention back to the game, but Soul reached down and smoothly snatched the game from his hand, ignoring the displeased yell from his friend.

"We're all going out. You can leave early if you have to but you're coming. Get dressed." Black Star slumped back into the couch childishly, arms crossed and glowering. He wanted to think up ways out of this. Why were they celebrating an engagement at a lounge? Wasn't that just like a club anyway? He huffed.

"Whatever."

"Good. Dress appropriately or Liz will rip you a new one." Kid instructed and waved over his shoulder.

"I'm hitting the shower. You think you can be ready by nine?" Black Star simply grunted in response. He sighed, running his finger through his hair and stared blankly at his cell phone… the third one he had been through since he and Tsubaki stopped speaking. He hated to think he was that thrown off by not hearing from her or seeing her. Even when she had left to see her family he wasn't able to function properly. When Maka had shown up, he had wondered if Tsubaki would eventually do the same, but she never did. Maybe it was just her waiting on him? He had heard she had spoken with her ex (which resulted in the destruction of his second phone) but apparently that went nowhere. She was still available.

He then frowned. No, she wasn't available. She was taken. She was his! Pushing himself up from the couch, he went into his room and began digging through his closet. He was stubborn, that much could be said, but he wasn't going to lose his woman because he was too proud to get off of a couch and speak to her.

He was a bigger man than that.

O

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Tsubaki didn't know why she kept doing this to herself. How was it that people managed to drag her out when they knew she would have been better off by herself, away from not only others, but alcohol. It was these types of gatherings that got her into the depressing situation she was in now. Not to mention, it was an engagement celebration. Patty was the only other one there that was single, and she had vanished somewhere on the dance floor, as did Soul and Maka. Apparently Black Star had vanished somewhere as soon as they arrived. It was probably better if they didn't see each other anyway. She sighed heavily, sipping at her drink and politely waving off any guy that happened to come over to try conversing or dancing with her.

She was happy for Liz. She had said it was like a dream that she was terrified to wake up from. Apparently, though it shouldn't have been that shocking, Kid had a real way of romancing a lady. Then there was Maka. Of course Tsubaki was happy for her best friend. Maka's trust in men had always been tainted, but Soul somehow managed to successfully break down that wall and apparently she had done the same for him. She was happy for all of them.

"Tsubaki!" she glanced to the side at Patty, who had pushed through some people, a wide smile on her face. "What're you doing just standing here? Come dance!"

"I don't think so Patty. I'm just enjoying the atmosphere." She declined politely but the youngest Thompson grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her away from the bar.

"No! Come on! All the couples are boo lovin' and I want a partner!" she said. Tsubaki groaned, allowing herself to be tugged into the throng of dancing people. Patty turned to her and began dancing, attracting the attention of some men. She didn't want to dance, but Patty wasn't having it and when Blair had somehow managed to spot them from where ever she had come from, Tsubaki felt even more unnerved. Blair had mentioned something about enjoying the night even if they were all single and Tsubaki was dragged between the bar for drinks, some being free due to Blair's seductive ways, and then back to the dance floor.

Patty had slapped her on the back at one point as she handed her a shot telling her to buck up because no man was ever worth as much stress as they put a woman through. She almost sounded like her sister when she stated they were single and free to do whatever they wanted how they wanted. Tsubaki wasn't really sure if she was single and able to do what she wanted, but by the third shot, she didn't really care as much.

"Tsubaki! Move your hips like this! There you go!" Blair chirped brightly, and waved at a few guys that had apparently been watching them from a safe distance. One guy could be seen perking up and Blair giggled, swaying over to them and flirting her way into his heart.

"Hey there?" Patty titled her head to the side curiously while Tsubaki looked over her shoulder and the smiling man that had tapped her on the shoulder. He wasn't much to jump at, but he had a friendly smile and nice eyes. "Join me for a dance? Maybe a drink?" Tsubaki blinked in confusion, not noticing Patty had slipped away with a mischievous giggle.

"Excuse me?" She blurted out unintelligibly earning a laugh from the guy as he reached over to wrap an arm around her.

"Just come with me, cutie."

"I don't think so." A strong arm wrapped her and Tsubaki stiffened when she was pulled away from the newer guy to a familiar body. The new guy held his hands up in front of him defensively.

"Sorry man. Didn't know she was with someone." The hold on her tightened more protectively and the voice that she knew all too well spoke.

"Well she is, so back up, chump." Tsubaki couldn't help but to send the guy an apologetic smile as he walked off before slipping out of the hold on her and staring at the face she had avoided for nearly a month. She felt like an idiot not knowing what to say. "You look good." He said easily.

"I didn't think you were actually going to show up tonight." Black Star shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged, looking off into the crowd.

"Yeah well I didn't have a choice… Good thing I came. You're always getting into something." She pursed her lips stubbornly as he gave her a pointed look.

"I was fine…"

"Yeah, alright." He muttered sarcastically and turned to her fully. "Come with me." He wasn't making a request, she noticed and she hesitated, causing him to raise an eyebrow at her. "Don't trust me anymore?"

"That's not it!" she answered defensively. He watched her for a moment and held out a hand.

"Then come with me." She reached out, letting him take her hand and pull her through the people. Temporarily, she swore she had seen Maka out the corner of her eye waving at her, but Black Star continued to tug her along until they were outside. He pointed down the street and looked back at her. "There's a park down the street. You ok to walk?"

"I'm fine, but why are we going to a park?"

"To talk without interruption." He answered. She stared at him in disbelief but didn't have a chance to tell him she would have rather gone back inside or at least told the others where she was. He had already started walking and had tugged her along for a moment. At some point, he looked down at her and released her hand, staring straight ahead silently. She felt guilty. He didn't mean any harm. He never did. They just somehow got pulled into something bigger than themselves and were too stubborn to both admit their fears. When they got to the park, Tsubaki walked past him and sat on the swings. She kicked off her shoes easily and lifted her feet slightly off the ground allowing herself to move slowly forward and backwards.

"I haven't been to a park in ages." She mused quietly as Black Star walked over and leaned into the railing, watching her carefully.

"I'm guessing swings are your favorite?" Tsubaki nodded.

"It's like flying." She answered quietly.

"I prefer monkey bars myself… I broke my arm when I was six jumping from the swing set. Nygus freaked on Sid when she found out." Tsubaki looked up, noticing he was staring up at the sky distractedly as he spoke.

"I suppose it's to be expected from a mother figure. She really cares a lot for you."

"Hm, yeah I guess so." Tsubaki frowned slightly.

"Don't you care about them just as much?" Black Star turned his attention to her slowly and Tsubaki bit down on her lower lip. "They're your family… They love you no matter what, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Of course I care about them. They're all I've got aside from Soul… and you." When he said this, Tsubaki's eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. Black Star was now staring back at the sky. "I've done a lot of stupid shit, Tsubaki. I can't change that. All I can hope is that the people I encounter accept me even after they find out what I've done." He stopped and looked at her. "You're different from other people I've met. You don't scream at me or call me an idiot or even look at me the way a lot of people do. Even when I first met you and you got uppity about me buying a drink, your eyes didn't show the disgust that so many people tend to have."

"Black Star…"

"Nygus and Sid love you… They ripped me a new one for not getting up and coming to your place when they found out it was a week since we spoke. I actually threw my phone into the damn wall and broke it because my pride got in the way of me even calling you!"

"I heard." Black Star looked at her in shock and Tsubaki smiled a little as he turned away, a tinge of pink crossing his scrunched up facial expression.

"I'm not good at expressing myself but… I'm not gonna lose you to that prick ex boyfriend of yours so tell him to stop coming around or I'm gonna kick his ass." He said, putting on his tough guy persona to try and recover the fact he was blushing. Tsubaki smiled to herself, kicking her feet on the swing.

"I already told him to stop coming around." She informed. Black Star was watching her from the corner of his eye. "I came to America when I was thirteen and went through high school with Justin. His parents were my host parents. We were really close before we started dating and I guess something in me broke down for a moment when I him saw this week."

"So what happened between you two?" Tsubaki could feel him watching her intently.

"We had coffee together and he tried to convince me to do what I felt was right with my life… that being to go back with him once I graduate- basically when he's done having his fun- and we could start a family. He said he likes the side of me that showed when I slapped him in the face for what he said about you." Black Star blinked.

"What?"

"Yeah… he said I'm feistier than he remembers, but honestly, I just never stood up to him when we were together. I don't think I was ever happy… not once we got further in. When we were in the café, all I could think about is how different he was from you… how different the feeling is." She hadn't noticed Black Star had moved and was now standing in front of her as she stared down at her feet. "I can't really explain it and it seems so wrong because of how we started, but I'm happier and freer and I feel safer with you. I've never felt that way with Justin and-" She froze when she looked up and found him standing in front of her. He reached out and halted her swing before leaning towards her.

"So you weren't going to come to me even after noticing this?"

"N-no! I mean… I wanted to but-" Black Star sighed and shook his head.

"Women are way more trouble than they're worth." He muttered and Tsubaki frowned.

"Now just wait-!" she started and stopped when Black Star let out a defeated groaned and mussed his hair in frustration.

"Geez, Tsubaki, you really do make me step off a pedestal for you way too much!" Tsubaki blinked in confusion. "Just this once, I came for you… Your mine and mine alone so let's not have this happen again." Black Star cut in and smirked at the dumbfounded look that crossed her face. He was impossible. He had more energy, more confidence, and the hugest ego of anyone she had ever met, and right now she had somehow got this same man to come to her and, from what it seemed, attempt to fix this misunderstanding between them. This man who had once taken the lives of others and now wanted nothing but her acceptance. She wasn't sure why, but her eyes welled up with tears and she flung herself from the swing into his arms and cried into his chest.

"I'm so sorry." She chocked out while he patted the top of her head consolingly.

"It's fine. You didn't know what you were getting into… I know Nygus told you everything." Tsubaki nodded mutely. "Yeah… but you don't have to worry. That's the old me and no one's taking me down. I way too amazing for that!" Tsubaki let out a snort of laughter through her tears and pulled away slightly to clean her face while Black Star frowned. "Are you laughing at me?"

"No, of course not." She answered with a giggle. Black Star huffed and gave her a stubborn frown. He watched her for a moment as she dried her tears away with the back of her hand before reaching out and cupping her chin. "Is there something on my face?"

"Hm? No…" he answered distractedly and leaned in, catching her lips in a kiss. It seemed like forever since she felt like this. The feeling that for some reason only he managed to bring to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her.

She would never figure out how she had fallen for this man that much she was certain of.

Author's Note: Two more chapters to go! Yes indeed they made up :D

Hurray!