The night had proceeded in much the same way, musical interludes separated by drinking and boisterous talking. While Soul had stopped drinking after his first, Maka had allowed her beer to be replenished once, feeling the slow throb of the alcohol in her blood. It wasn't much, but it was enough, and it was doing the opposite of what she intended it to do. She should have known that it wouldn't loosen her, it wouldn't make her pliable enough to lead him back outside to finish what they had started. Instead, it made her still, fearful, catching herself freezing sometimes at a touch, a whisper that should have been fun, playful.

By the end of the night, she wished for that t-shirt, the blaring sign that would say 'Ignore these stupid reactions I can barely control and kiss me.' Because Soul was too good, as usual, just checking on her, joking with her, but also showing that gentle worry in the line of his lips each time she got stuck in a memory. The last look like that from Soul she got as Liz started to drag her towards Soul's bedroom, only getting a soft touch to her hand as a goodbye, goodnight. In the bedroom, Liz thankfully saw the same in her, letting her settle without trying to get a recount of the evening's advances, or really, lack thereof.

As the girls drifted off and all other sounds in the house seemed to fade away, Maka lay awake looking at the ceiling. It was the tipsy feeling that she hated and it wasn't dissipating, leaving her to contemplate anything that could have been a misstep tonight. By the time the clock on the nightstand started to blink 3:30, Maka slipped out of the room and started down the stairs, convincing herself that maybe some of that night air, reliving that closeness with him would bring some kind of serenity. As she entered the living, Maka saw his hair over the back of the couch. "Soul?"

He was slow to turn, almost not believing his ears but finally giving in to the hope that she was there. His smile appeared over the edge of the couch and he motioned her over. "Can't sleep?"

Maka allowed herself to be beckoned, moving to the front of the couch and flopping down next to him. "No. You didn't bring your pills?"

"Nah," Soul shook his head slowly. "Drinking and that definitely don't mix, plus Black Star would take advantage of me if I passed out." Maka laughed, trying to catch it with the back of her hand and he let that sound wash over him, building a strange need to hear it again. "And forget staying in the room with him. He snores like a chainsaw."

She laughed again, dipping her shoulder into his before letting her head rest on his shoulder. It was still surprising to her, the way he no longer tensed at her touch, the way he used to shrink from it but now embraced it, using it as a cue to take her hand. "So you're going to try to sleep down here?"

"Maybe," Soul murmured. Turning his head practically planted his face into her hair and he let himself steal one breath's worth of her scent. "Probably just going to stare off into the darkness until it's an acceptable time to make coffee. Do you need anything? Were you cold or…?"

Maka stared at their connected hands. It was like there was a lockbox in her gut and that feeling, the warmth from his body welcoming hers was threatening the fortitude of its seal. "I just… I get scared to sleep when I'm not sober."

Something hurt her, growled up from his gut. The only instinct he had was to shift his arms around her, pulling her to his chest and forcing her face against his neck. "Sorry."

"Well, you're squeezing pretty tight but it doesn't hurt or anything." She laughed, sending a thrill up his spine as her hot breath escaped against his skin.

He couldn't stop his fingers from digging into the fabric of her shirt, trying to hold onto her like she was a flight risk. "No, I shouldn't have made you come here, to the party, I know you hate parties."

"You didn't make me do anything," she murmured. "And normally I just wouldn't drink, but I…" I thought it would actually get me to kiss you, but instead, it made it worse, it made me worry more even though you were perfect. Just perfect. "I trust you. I know you wouldn't let anything happen to me."

A long sigh escaped his mouth, some of the desperation and anger leeching away with it. "Never." The heat of a blush flared on his cheeks and he was even happier to have her pressed against him instead of looking at the mess that was his face. He was halfway between a grin and a grimace, her words blossoming both joy and concern. She trusts you, but only with so much, right? There's still something she's hiding and while you are, too, at least you're honest about it. Even that thought couldn't be wisped away with her breath tickled against his neck again. "But you were drunk that time when Liz and Black Star found you?"

From her teeth to her toes tensed and Maka felt the air freeze in her lungs. The word barely escaped her lips, no real vehicle for the sound. "Yes."

This was a minefield that he was dipping a toe into, and he had to resist the urge to seize up just as much as she was. Soul relinquished his squeeze but found her immobile, still resting against him but now with fingers that were clutching to him, digging into his skin through his shirt to the point where it was almost painful. "Do you remember all of it?" he whispered.

"No," she groaned. "Before, after, with tiny bits in between. Maybe… maybe I don't want to."

He reached a hand up, placing it gently against her hair, starting that pattern of smoothing that he had almost begun to perfect. "Did you tell somebody?"

"Who?" Maka choked out a rueful laugh. "My mom? My dad? Maybe if they were around. The police? You tell them you were drunk and it usually just ends there. Because I should know better, right? Getting drunk and going to a party alone. Anything that happens after that is my own damn fault."

Soul grabbed her shoulder, pulling her away even though she clutched at him just to look in her eyes. "You don't believe that do you?"

"Why shouldn't I?" The temptation to grab him, kiss him just to keep anything more from coming from his mouth became almost unbearable except a part of her was sure he'd refuse the ploy. That even if he wanted her kiss he wouldn't let it take him away from trying to dig out that cancer in her.

"Because it's not fair. You said it yourself, people shouldn't prey on others." It was that him, his fault and fucking Christ I would rip out his throat if I knew who it was.

She smiled weakly as she blinked out a trail of tears. "But that's not what that other voice says, right? The irrational one that feeds the pain."

"Yeah," he sighed at his own admission thrown back in his face. Of course, logic couldn't control that and he'd spent years in therapy trying. "Did you talk to a doctor?"

"Liz took me to the hospital," Maka murmured.

"The other kind," Soul corrected.

Maka only shook her head, pushing against his grip until he allowed her to plant her head back on his chest.

Here was where he should insert the promotion of therapy, of psychiatrists, but he had already trounced too far, dragging mud into her heart and erasing everything comforting about this evening. He went back to smoothing her hair, feeling as she struggled against a few more breathy sobs before the steady rise and fall came back to her chest. "You need sleep."

Maka took the hint, starting to detach from him and coming to her feet, her eyes focused across the room in the darkness. "Sorry, I-"

"Where are you going?"

Maka felt his fingers just touch the tip of hers and as she turned back she found him starting to lay back on the couch, pressing his back against the cushion to create enough room for another body.

"Come here," he murmured as he reached for her again, fingers grazing her leg this time. Her heart started to flutter in her chest as she lowered herself to the couch, dangerously choosing to face him instead of her usual back to his chest. "You going to be comfortable like that?" There was a note of panic in his voice, his heartbeats unknowingly matching hers as her face inched closer to his.

"I will, but your arm might fall asleep." She grabbed his arm and maneuvered it between the crook of her neck, smiling as he responded by scooting a little more onto his back, giving her his chest as a pillow.

"I'll live," he laughed softly. Because I'd lose an arm in order to be able to do this all the time. He reached up to the blanket thrown over the back of the couch, pulling it down on top of them.

Maka's hand was searching for a spot, climbing up his stomach to find a home on his chest. That movement was agony, those conflicting feelings of shame and need, the second being a feeling he hadn't noticed in himself in years. "Soul?"

"Yeah?" He was still trying to swallow down that wave that was washing over him, now accompanied by a whisper of his own fear of the closeness.

Her fingers started to knead into the fabric of his t-shirt. "Is it OK? They might come down and see and I don't want to, I don't know…"

"I don't care if they see," he whispered to the ceiling, trying not to see any kind of look on her face. "Do you?"

The sigh that exited her lips was the definition of sweet and he could practically taste it, thumping his heart into overdrive. That was even more terrifying because he knew she had a front-row seat to that sound. "No." Maka hid her face against his shirt, feeling the burn on her cheeks and a weak smile coming back to her. Even with the pain he just dredged up, it was impossible for her to live in it, not with the way he enveloped her in his safety, his dedication, his… Love. That's what it is, isn't it? Maybe not necessarily romantic, but it's love.

Suddenly his hand was sneaking up through her hair, brushing back her bangs to expose her forehead just in time for his lips to press against it. It was by no means smooth, an awkward smack that highlighted the fact that it was absolutely his first time ever even considering the maneuver, but it melted every last worry from her regardless. "Go to sleep," he whispered hoarsely. "I promise I won't let Black Star draw on your face."

Maka laughed, feeling the sting in her eyes as she clutched to him tighter. Don't ever leave me. You promised you'd stay until I told you to go so I'm telling you that I never want that to happen. Stay, stay, stay, repeated in my mind until she drifted off to sleep.


Conflicted was too light of a word for Serena as she, admittedly creepily, stared down at her son over the back of the couch. Really, she should say Soul and Maka. That is her name, right? The Albarn girl. That flared a protectiveness that had genetically been passed down to Soul, especially as she wondered whether that girl's father had passed down any of his unfortunate traits to her. Serena was well-versed in Spirit Albarn's infidelity, having met him at many a studio party. That day that Maka had come to the company made her seem like a perfectly nice girl, but this was her baby. Her littlest, who was already so pained that the last thing he needed was to add heartache to it all.

It wasn't scandalous, the two of them just wrapped in each other's arms, completely clothed but close enough to be stealing breath. Soul looked so peaceful and a split second of jealousy gnawed at her heart, that stubbornly childish thought that it hadn't been her love, or his father's, that had weaned him out of the darkness but was surely this girl's instead. It was bittersweet, watching him so close to another person while still so far from the rest of them. She made sure her last thought was a wish for longevity before turning back to the hallway and getting back to the stairs.

The rest of the motley crew would be still asleep. Serena didn't fool herself into thinking they'd been well-behaved last night, knowing that the levels in the bar were probably lower than the day before, but they were mostly grown at this point. She made her way back to the bedroom, opening the door quickly and making Scott jump from his pile of newspaper in bed. He was one of the few people who still enjoyed the news in actual paper form and she loved him for it, usually watching him pour over the pages in bed.

"You have to come see your son," Serena murmured before biting her lip, trying to suppress anything that could give away the secret.

"He OK?" Scott jumped a little more, clearing the paper quickly and launching himself off the bed. For a brief second the flashback of rushing to the hospital glazed over his brain.

"Oh, honey, sorry, he's fine, it's just-" She cut herself off to move towards him, her hands instantly moving to smooth the front of his t-shirt. "He'll die of embarrassment but come see, OK? Quiet as a mouse."

Scott took her hand from his chest, letting her then lead the way across the plush carpets of the hallway and stairs. His first instinct was to continue questioning but he embraced her wish for quiet, shuffling softly into the living room where she planted him at the back of the couch, hand silently motioning over it. Scott found that he was still holding his breath, the idea that Soul was once again at rock bottom not free from his mind until his eyes met the picture that Serena had already scrutinized.

Soul had inherited his protectiveness from Serena, while the cool, aloof joking had come from Scott, who at that moment had to bite his tongue in an attempt to keep himself from ruining the moment. Instead, he offered her two raised eyebrows, eyes wide and blinking before miming a whistle. Serena covered her mouth and started to tug at his hand, bringing him towards the kitchen and out of stalking range of the lovebirds.

Once in the safety of the kitchen, Scott repeated the whistle, this time with extra gusto. "How long has that been happening?"

"Oh, as if he'd tell me," Serena scolded before starting the process of making coffee.

"That's the girl he brought to the office, right?"

Serena paused to turn to huff at him, her head shaking. "Honestly, Scott. Maka Albarn. I swear you can't remember a name for your life."

"Hey, hey, I see a million people a week, cut me some slack," Scott raised his hands in innocence. "But Albarn, huh? Christ, I haven't seen him in years. I hope that apple falls far from that tree."

Serena groaned, "I know! Am I being ridiculous to want to tell him not to? He still isn't better and if she hurts him-"

"You are being ridiculous." Scott moved those innocent hands to her hips, planting a soft kiss against her neck. "And maybe he's not a hundred percent but he is better. Just catching him with a girl tells you that much, Serena. So we have to give him the chance to move forward with his life."

"Oh," Serena attempted to stamp her feet but Scott pulled her closer to him, making her step instead of stomp. "Well, I want to talk to her. I want to get to know her and-"

"Ridiculous," Scott cooed. "All you'll do is ruffle his feathers. This is one time I'm pulling the plug on you. No nosing allowed."

Serena pouted as she flicked the coffee maker on, another low groan escaping her lips.

"But," Scott left one more kiss on her neck before turning around. "If we're loud enough, the two will probably get up." He finished this thought with a loud, bellowing laugh, followed by unnecessary banging around the cabinets for cups.

Serena's laugh didn't compare to Scott's but she let it titter out.

Soul's thin sleep was no match for the hub-bub in the kitchen and he sucked in a slow breath as his heavy lids fluttered open. His eyes searched the room as he almost expected to see his father there with the volume but only finding Maka's face. She'd tilted her head in the night, so close that she must have spent the whole night breathing his exhaust. What would she think if I woke her with a kiss? If I leaned just that millimeter and gave her what Black Star says she wants? He sighed and raised his chin, instead planting his lips again on her forehead, this one a little more practiced.

"Good morning," she murmured, her hand tensing into his t-shirt as she moved her head back to get a better view of his face. "You sleep OK?"

"Yeah." Soul found himself holding his breath, his eyes had made the mistake of trailing down to her lips. That same thought flooded his mind again. "You?" weakly warbled from his mouth.

"Perfect." Maka's heart fluttered, seeing the way his eyes darted from her eyes to her mouth, his head just minutely tipping before pausing again, searching her face for a second time. "Soul…"

Another laugh erupted from the kitchen and Maka jumped, losing her balance as she started to slip over the edge of the couch. Soul grasped at her quickly, just getting enough of a hold on her to keep her from tumbling. "My dad," Soul grumbled before settling her back next to him. "You can hear him from a mile away."

Maka laughed softly, "Guess you didn't inherit that."

"The sense of humor, yeah, but not the volume." Soul blew out a huff of air towards the ceiling, trying to bring his heart back from thundering. "I'm, uh, I guess I'm going to get up, say hi to them. You can do whatever. I mean, you don't need my permission or anything." He shot out another breath.

Maka sat up slowly, hating the feeling of leaving Soul's touch but managing a laugh at the nervousness of his comment. "If you don't mind I'll come with you. I definitely need coffee and I think I can smell it."

"OK," Soul was breathless, mind stuck on the idea that she was willing to even go into that kitchen, risking seeing his father or, heaven forbid, his mother.

She turned, slipping the rest of the way off the couch and catapulting herself to her feet. Maka threw her hands over her head stretching out the cramp from the singular position of the night. As she turned back to him, Maka caught the swift turn of his head, his eyes forced elsewhere but a fine line of blush tingeing his cheeks. He almost just kissed you. You know that. That was enough to make her cheeks match his and she showed him her back to hide it, pretending to be invested in twirling up her hair into a messy bun.

Soul couldn't even feel the shame of it, so overwhelmed by watching the way she moved. The only thing that made sense to him was to stand up, to pull her in, to taste her. That thought lit his face up all over again and he attempted to rub it off, trying to massage the color out with his fingers in the guise of waking himself up. He managed to get his cheeks cool enough to sit up, moving to stand next to her. "Ready?"

"I'll meet you there." She pointed down the opposite hallway towards the bathroom.

"Sure." Soul waited to watch her leave before starting the slow walk down the hallway towards the continued laughter of his dad. He was ready to plaster his face with annoyance but as he walked through the doorway he caught sight of the two of them, Serena still attempting to pout as Scott was leaning on the island next to her, face upturned to get a good view of her face through the rivulets of golden hair. They were both grinning and Soul found it contagious.

Serena's face lit up as soon as she saw the movement in the doorway. "Good morning, darling!"

"Hey, kiddo." Scott's grin was almost ear to ear and Soul came down from their joy, staring at them skeptically.

"Isn't it a little early for this much noise?" Soul finally pulled the veil of irritation over his face.

"What, hungover?" Scott laughed before turning back to the counter behind him, pouring a cup of coffee to hand off to Soul.

Soul shook his head as he accepted the cup. "Had one drink last night."

Love drunk instead, Scott barely bit his tongue in time. To make matters worse it was that moment that Maka arrived behind Soul, her smile tentative but still close to the glowing that he'd witnessed at the office. "Good morning," Scott tried on the most neutral tone he could manage but the smirk was still pulling at his lips.

"Hello, Maka," Serena was trying on a coolness Scott found laughable as Soul furrowed his brow at her momentarily.

"Good morning," Maka echoed. "It's nice to see you again."

Soul turned and handed the coffee cup off to her. "Here, as promised."

"Thank you." Maka cooled the coffee with intense concentration, trying to not look like she was avoiding the eyes in the room. She could see the amusement plastered all over Scott's face, the odd calm of Serena in juxtaposition.

"What a gentleman," Scott nudged at Serena, who offered him nothing but a dirty look in return.

"Dad," Soul groaned before walking over to the coffee pot and replacing the cup he'd given to Maka. With coffee in hand, he glanced at both of his parents, seeing strange knowing smiles on their faces. It wasn't until Scott glanced back at Maka and then had to smother a grin with his hand that it hit Soul. They saw, you idiot. Of course, they did. Soul swallowed hard before clearing his throat. "What did you two do last night?"

"Hid in our room like not-nosey parents," Scott smirked. "Your mother peeked, you know she did, but for the most part enjoyed the serenade through the floor."

"I hope it wasn't too loud." Maka was almost ready to apologize even though the noise wasn't any of her own makings.

Serena's thin hold on her skepticism about the girl was fluttering away, especially looking at that sweet smile on Maka's face. "It's nothing new. Black Star is practically a third son and he's never quiet."

As Maka watched the cool wash away from Serena's face, she felt the ease of the conversation coming back to her. "Soul said you'd been friends with his parents for a long time."

Soul busied his mouth with the coffee, eyeing his mother and then his father, watching as his eyebrows wiggled momentarily. Dad, he wanted to groan again but let Maka have the floor without strange interruption.

"Since before Scott and I were married," Serena laughed softly. "Cynthia was the reason I met Scott at all since she's technically his cousin."

"Second or third cousins, who knows," Scott shrugged. "But technically it was your voice that got us together since Cynthia only got you an interview."

"Cute of you to still think I was going there to get a job," Serena murmured to him before turning her glance to Maka. "Cynthia showed me a picture of him and I was smitten, record exec or not. I was hopeful that the boys would look just like him, but at least Soul got the most handsome parts."

"Mom," Soul couldn't hold that groan back, the muscles in his stomach tightening as he risked a glance at Maka. She met his eyes and smiled, sending his gut for another revolution. "You have to say that," he tried to joke, tried to bring himself back from that wobbly edge of falling headfirst into the reality that it was only a matter of him having the balls to tell her, to do more than just kiss her forehead.

"Doesn't mean I can't be telling the truth," Serena feigned indignance before looking between the two of them. "You don't have to keep us company to pay for the coffee. Why don't you see if the rest of the group is stirring yet?"

"Black Star's dead to the world until at least noon," Soul huffed before turning to Maka. "You want to actually see the garden?"

"That's right!" Maka's eyes lit up.

Soul tried to pre-empt anymore gushing, especially as he saw his mother revving up to brag, by gently taking her elbow and turning Maka towards the day. "See you later," he threw over his shoulder.

"You let him get off easy," Scott murmured as soon as the pair had gotten far enough out of earshot.

"You told me to," she grumbled back before turning to the window of the kitchen, leaning just far enough to get a view of that tree Soul was so fond of.

"Ah, better for you just to spy from afar," Scott teased.

It took time since Soul was slow to move Maka through the living room and back out to the warm summer morning. The dew was a nice wake-up under his toes but no matter how refreshing it felt his heart was still starting to thunder. His mother was spying in the right direction though, Soul taking her on an easy amble from along the row of flowers towards the weeping cherry tree.

"I don't know, it might be better at night." Maka paused to muse over that as she took a long sip from her coffee cup.

"Why?" Soul took the opportunity to catch up with her, trying to follow the stare of her eyes towards the lilacs that were already humming with insect life.

Maka shrugged, having one more sip of coffee to give her enough time to put together the words. "I think it's because sometimes it's not about what you see. And when you can't, the other senses kind of fill in the blanks."

Soul hummed thoughtfully in agreement, starting the walk again towards the tree. It had always been his favorite, a hiding spot from his childhood that grew better as the tree did. At this point, the branches and blossoms had just about completely obscured the trunk and as Soul pulled aside one of the branches the petals fluttered in the wind like confetti. "This is the best part," he murmured back to her before guiding her in first.

Maka stood entranced for a moment, the sheets of pink petals only giving pinpoints of light into the enclosure that was the cherry tree. It had long since lost its breathtaking abilities for Soul, so he let her marvel as he walked to the trunk, setting his coffee cup on one of the thicker limbs. He was surprised by her hand moving past him, copying his action with her own cup and before he could make a little quip about the spot that hand was coming moving to him, grasping into his shirt.

Anything he had to say shriveled in his throat as that hand pulled him a step forward, bringing him toe to toe with her. Maka was smiling, one of those brilliant, heart-shattering grins and before he could even recover from that she was bringing it to him, planting it with a surprising softness against his own lips. There was nothing in his life to compare this to, no words that he could use to accurately describe the euphoria. Maka was completely lost, her fingers tightening into the fabric of his shirt in an attempt to anchor a part of her to the Earth. As they finally parted, Maka laughed breathlessly, "I'm sorry."

"No," Soul gripped at her elbows, "I should have done that a million times last night. Instead, you get coffee and morning breath."

"I don't care," Maka murmured as she brought her other hand up to sit side by side with the other, fanning out to feel his chest through his shirt.

"Then, I…" Soul rushed his fingers up her arms, slowing at her neck just to feel the skin, "Can I?"

Maka let a soft laugh trickle from her mouth. "You don't have to ask."

Soul pulled her back in, trying to memorize the nerves that tingled with each second of their connection. "Maka," the throaty whisper was the only thing he could manage after they parted.

"You liked it, too, hm?" Another euphoric little laugh bubbled from her throat. "One more." He obliged her without a second thought, this time letting his fingers sink into her hair, messing up the already struggling bun. After they parted for air, Maka slid her hands from his chest to around his waist, pulling him tightly into a hug, finding Soul completely pliable now, just about melting into her. "I want us to… I want to be more than friends."

"Please," he murmured as he pressed his cheek against her hair. "But it's serious, isn't it? Not just… I'm not sure about, you know, just hooking up or…"

"Not hooking up," she whispered into his shirt. "But I know, I think you know that I haven't told you everything, that there are things that I can't seem to let go."

"I know." Soul moved his hands to her shoulders, pulling her from his chest so he could meet those green eyes. "That's why I want to make you a deal."

"A deal?" The wave of fear that threatened to take her died away with the confusion at the concept.

"A month," Soul smiled softly. "Just give me a month because I think I can make you sure that no matter what you say, I'm not going anywhere."

"Soul…" Maka's sigh was cut off by his voice starting again.

"That doesn't let you off the hook," his voice wasn't a whisper anymore but a firm order. "You have to work towards it too. There's still…" he sighed, making one of his hands move away from her to run through his hair. "The physical stuff with me that I'm getting to, but I'm going to trust you to meet me halfway. If we set a time, it'll be more like a goal than a fear."

"The last of the secrets in a month," Maka echoed, turning it over in her mind. It was almost too rational and she wanted to argue but there were no words for it in her mind.

"That's the goal." Soul brought his hand back to caress along the line of her jaw. "Deal?"

Maka leaned into his touch, letting the idea settle into her with purpose. "Deal."