Special thanks to DarkHazen for reminding me that I mentioned Tsubaki's letter at well. There's nothing I hate more than continuity errors, so here it is along with a little Black Star love and some more parental advice. Enjoy the short update, I promise there's more to come.
Hello, Maka!
Let me start off with the fact that I am so proud of you! When Liz told me that you'd made the decision to check yourself in, I was honestly worried at first but then relieved. You need this, especially since all I feel like I've watched you do is be strong for the sake of being strong. Does that make any sense? I hope so.
Black Star says 'hi' and I'm sure you can guess his reaction when I suggested he write you a letter. I think he said something like 'my godly personality can't be understood in words' or something like that. I love him, but I swear that sometimes my brain just shuts off when he starts heading into a 'worship me' speech. I will say that I think he does miss you around, at the very least misses you taking Soul's time.
I would complain since every girlfriend usually appreciates alone time with her boyfriend, but I had to learn right from the beginning that those two came as a package. I had started off thinking that it was a pretty unfair deal since Soul took a mountain of work and effort from Black Star and in return he maybe got a few texts, a video game date here and there. You know I don't necessarily fight with him, but I did gently question it once when we reached the six-month mark. He could only say that this was just exactly how it was and I shouldn't bother to wonder about it.
It wasn't until much later, around the time that you and Soul met, that he actually told me he'd been the one who found Soul after his attempt. Before that, I was able to say that I'd never seen Black Star shaken, but retelling that story ruined that record. You could see it so easily on his face, anger, confusion, and most of all, guilt like he'd been the one to push Soul to it. That was when I really stopped questioning it since if that's how deep it hurt him, then there had to be a relationship there that was too big to question.
It feels selfish to say this, but thank you for not putting us through that. I know that it was on your mind, and I don't blame you one bit especially since I'm sure I only know a small section of what you've been through. You are just so important to all of us that the pain of watching you hurt was almost too much to bear to begin with. I can't wait for you to come back, strong because you feel strong and not because you have to be.
Much love,
Tsubaki
Maka twirled the phone cord around her finger like it was a 90s movie. "Thank you for the letter," it was hard to fake happiness here, the one section ringing in her mind.
"No, it was awful," Tsubaki groaned. "I felt like I just filled it with dark things while you're supposed to be working on being happy."
"No, Tsubaki, it was nice, especially the end, but…" Maka paused, turning another coil around her finger. "You said Black Star found Soul?"
Tsubaki's voice didn't sound but Maka could hear the shuffle of her feet, the movement and closing of a door. "I did, but if he didn't tell you, Maka, then I don't know if I should."
"Then don't," Maka murmured. She wasn't even entirely sure why she had wanted to know in the first place. Blame it on wanting to put your mind somewhere other than your treatment, Maka mimicked her therapist in her head. "Just tell me if Black Star's doing OK."
"He's fine," Tsubaki sighed. "Almost every day thick as thieves with his best bro. I swear, they should be conjoined."
Maka laughed before wagging her wrapped finger. "Don't let them do that. Soul's lonely, but he's a big boy. Black Star needs to divide the attention fairly."
"Really, I don't mind," Tsubaki started but Maka huffed off the end of her sentence.
"Put Black Star on the phone. He's there, isn't he? It's too early for either of them," Maka let out the last part as a grumble, thinking about the joys of sleeping in. Here, there was a schedule, meetings during the day to be followed, food (or what they had the audacity to call food) at certain times.
"One second," Tsubaki chimed.
The door opened again, footsteps, and the clunk of phone-hitting-face. "What the fuck?"
"Black Star?"
"Oh, Maka, hey," he sounded groggy for once, his exuberant tone half-withered in the pillow. "How's the looney bin?"
"Black Star!" Tsubaki's scold rang out in the background.
"Fine, thanks for asking," Maka couldn't help but laugh at it, feeling a bit looney herself. "Listen to me, though, dummy."
"Dummy?" Black Star squawked, suddenly a lot more awake.
"Soul is fine," Maka enunciated each word with an exuberant force. "Your girlfriend needs at least fifty percent of your time."
"Tsubaki-" Black Star's voice was drifting away from the phone.
"Hey!" Maka tried to call his attention back. "She didn't ask me to, I'm saying it. Just because I'm not there doesn't mean you have a gap to fill."
A huff of air blew next to the phone. "When are you coming home, anyway? That idiot misses you."
"Which idiot?" Maka cooed sweetly.
"All of them, honestly, but him especially. Not old school mopey, but the amount of times he sighs in a fucking day is getting annoying." Black Star added his own sigh for example. "So when?"
"Next week. Papa picks me up on Tuesday."
"Five fucking days," Black Star groaned. "Maybe when you come back, then, or-"
"You're taking her out to dinner tonight," Maka corrected. "And Soul will be fine."
"So says you," he barked back.
"Sorry," Maka sighed back quickly. "I know… I know it must be scary, to worry about him like that, but he's at his mom's right?"
"Yeah," Black Star grumbled. "He said for sure he was there until you came out."
"Then trust him that he'll be good there tonight." Maka uncoiled the phone line from her fingers. "You can't always put your life on hold for us, you know?"
Black Star laughed softly, "Is this the lame part where I argue that's what friends are for?"
Maka smiled but didn't laugh, a sudden pang at the next thought. "Yeah, but I want you to worry about what boyfriends are for tonight." Because I really wish I had mine. Even if it's just to lay in bed together.
"I guess I'll show her a good time." She could practically hear Black Star's cheesy grin through the phone followed by a scuffle of motion on the other end, a squeal from Tsubaki. "Gotta go, Maka." Without any more ceremony than that, Black Star hung up the phone. He was too busy now pinning Tsubaki to the bed, having dragged her into the covers just after his 'good time' line. "What was that about?"
"Maka wanted to talk to you," Tsubaki's voice was innocent because she was. She was completely incapable of pressing back against him in any type of matter, something that Black Star enjoyed but knew that there was a thin boundary before it hit abuse.
That winning grin faltered, his hands easing on her wrists. "Are you lonely?"
"Black Star…"
"Just answer it." He was able to shoot out the words but he was worried that was it. This was the only time he ever really felt fear when they were tangled together when it wasn't some fight or saving the day.
"Sometimes," she murmured back but she raised her head from the bed, getting close enough that she could brush her lips against his. "But I've understood for a long time that I have to share you."
Black Star sucked at his teeth as he watched those indigo eyes move tenderly over his face. "Don't ever repeat this."
Tsubaki nodded, trying to turn her smile to solemn.
"Maybe Maka's right," he muttered as Tsubaki no longer had any control over her smile. "Maybe… I definitely owe you more time."
While Scott would love to claim some kind of grand ability at chess, the best he could do was checkers with Soul and he was sure that somewhere in the afterlife (hopefully hell, he thought absently), his grandmother was beside herself with rage at the use of her ornately carved knights and queens. "Your mother wants all the information on your visit," he added as he twirled a rook into the next space.
Soul always appreciated this about his father: while Serena set bait and traps, Scott always placed his intent on a platter, take it or leave it. "Not much to tell. You know what it's like visiting at one of those places." You said you loved her, though, isn't that big? But does dad even want to know anything like that? Serena had hinted at it, Soul even though maybe wistfully, that he was 'saving his love' for seeing Maka.
"She like the food?" Scott had a knack for asking questions without even a hint of sounding interested.
"Yeah, especially since she'd been living on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." Both of them exchanged a short laugh as Soul moved a pawn. "I wanted to go again, but she said not to bother, that she'd be home next week."
"Already?" This took all of Scott's effort not to sound surprised. He had been the one to push for Soul to stay a whole year, especially after finding out from Black Star exactly what he'd found in that closet, so two weeks seemed absurd. He wondered if it was the insurance since they'd ended up paying an absurd amount of money out of pocket, and if this was one of those times that Serena would be telling him to get the checkbook, foot another bill to save one of Soul's friends.
"I guess since she didn't actually try," Soul sighed, having nowhere near the mental strength to finish that sentence. "She has to do some full-day outpatient program until school starts though."
"And you're going back to the apartment." His mind didn't agree with it but his heart let out a sigh, his eyes coming from the pawn in his fingertips to his son's piercing red eyes.
Soul nodded slowly, not knowing what else to offer, especially as his father's hand came to his mouth, holding back words as he tapped the piece against the board. This difference in Scott made his skin crawl and Soul couldn't stop the abrupt words from his own mouth, "What is it, Dad?"
Scott let the hand fall like a mask from his mouth, leaving a strange smile behind. "We loved having you here," he squashed a secondary sigh before continuing, "and I felt like you were safe." Like I could keep you safe. His throat clenched and he was forced to clear it before he could continue. "But you're grown and if you invite Maka over here you know your mother is going to butt-in."
Those words hummed in Soul's head, his eyes unable to focus off his father's face in what he felt was an increasingly awkward stare. Regardless of that, Scott held it, that forlorn smile sticking to his lips no matter the length of silence supplied by Soul. "I can… I'll visit more often, Dad. More than just the mandated Friday."
"That'd be nice," Scott let his eyes drop, focused back at the next play as he glided a piece across the board. "Bring Maka every once and in a while, placate your mother."
"Sure." Comfort came to Soul as he saw the amusement come back to Scott's smile.
"How's having a girlfriend? I assume you're rusty." That came with a chuckle as Scott settled back into himself, momentarily brushing the thought of his younger son's almost death away from him.
"Hey," Soul groaned out.
"Who was the last one?" Scott leaned back in his chair, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Kim, right?"
Soul sighed, "She and I weren't even really a thing, Dad. I've always tried to keep it… casual." That word didn't exactly agree with him, leaving a sour twist to his lips. I've always tried to keep people away.
"But it's not casual with Maka?" Scott raised a playful eyebrow since, as always, he wasn't a stranger to anything his wife already knew, but it was fun to tear it agonizingly from his son's lips.
"No, I, uh… I love her, Dad." Soul tried to shrug off but as Scott exhaled a long whistle he felt his face start to burn. "You're ridiculous."
"Like father like son," Scott shot back. "But don't be embarrassed about loving her, especially since your mother already warned me."
Soul let out an exasperated huff as he leaned against his elbow as he rested his chin on his hand. "You two are ridiculous."
"Sure," Scott nodded. "I told you your mother wanted all the details. I was supposed to get Maka's reaction to your brave confession."
"We're still together. Is that hint enough?" Soul's grumble was muted as he tilted his mouth closer to his hand.
"And that's the smart-ass comment I will serve to her," he chuckled as he eyed the queen he now clutched in his fingers. "Glad it worked out."
"Me, too," Soul let half a smile curl over his hand. This game was going nowhere, Scott moving each piece nonsensically as Soul attempted at least some logical moves.
"Do I have to give you the talk?" Scott leaned forward, his eyes twinkling with delight.
"No," Soul choked.
"You sure?" Scott's grin was breaking past Cheshire cat levels. "You know I was a little younger than you are now when I met your mother and-"
Soul grimaced but the words came clean off his lips, "And then you had Wes."
Scott blinked a little in surprise. "Yeah, you could say your mother and I moved fast. Guess you did the math, huh?"
"Mom talked about it," Soul murmured.
"Did she? Huh." Scott mirrored his son, leaning on his elbow and resting his chin on his hand before letting out another wonder-filled breath of air. "That was a really difficult time. I wasn't exactly the most mature so there was a lot of growing up and…" Scott let that line of thought die especially as it allowed his mind to drift back to the beginning, the first time he held a baby, his first son in his arms. Thoughts of life usually always lead to thoughts of death and Scott had to stop it before it got there. "Your mother always considered it our trial by fire and she romantically claims it's what makes us so strong as a couple. Every couple should have one, but I guess you and Maka are having yours, aren't you?"
"Sorta," Soul offered lamely, his own mind trailing off. The whole relationship so far had been a trial, hadn't it? There'd been happiness, sure, some lengths of normalcy, but for the most part, it was one hurdle after another and the hospital only felt like the midpoint. Their deal wasn't done after all.
