Legacy / MaStar Week 2020

"Our son hates me!" Black Star whines, flopping back onto their bed dramatically. Maka looks up from her spot up against the headboard, lowering her paperback novel. Black Star is laid out like a starfish, only having made it about halfway up the bed. She pokes his head with a toe.

"No, he doesn't," she says and she continues to read the final few paragraphs in the chapter. "Marco loves you, as does Selene, as do I."

His hair tickles her foot when he stretches his neck to look up at her. The pout on his face shouldn't be adorable, especially at his age, but it compels her to slip her bookmark in and put the book and her reading glasses down on the bedside table.

"He hates me, in the way that only a true Albarn child could hate his father."

His voice is both distraught and petulant. Maka twists around to look down at him, trying to figure out if he is just looking for attention or if he actually thinks their first born, their four year old son, hates him. The way his lip juts out and the hints of color high on his cheeks draw her attention more than the faint crows feet and thin stubble that she normally teases him about. She can't fault the little imperfections that fill in the spaces between his scars and the light smattering of freckles; the crows feet show how much he's laughed and made their family smile.

The stubble? Well, she just likes it.

"Well," she soothes, her hands trailing through his hair, over his stubble and down to rest on his chest. Maka leans down to hover over him, taking in his upside down appearance. "Selene is a total papa's girl, so I only think it's fair that I get to be someone's favorite."

Despite his mild tantrum, his blue eyes light with mischief and his pout curls into a lopsided grin. "You're my favorite," he says in a low voice that still twists things on her insides. One of his hands reaches up to pull out the messy ponytail her hair was coiled in. The blonde hair falls around them in a curtain and Black Star's fingers sweep them over one shoulder while rubbing into her neck softly.

"I'm not giving you Marco," she teases quietly. His palm warms the back of her neck.

"Then Selene is mine," he chuckles. Maka ducks down and pecks a kiss onto the tip of his nose, pulling a squawk of surprise from him.

Black Star can practically hear the humor and love in her next words. "Then I think we need a tiebreaker, huh?"

Unable to resist, he pulls his wife down for a heated kiss. Her chin digs into his cheek, but he doesn't even care. She lays one more peck on his lips and withdraws. He takes the extra space to turn and crowd her backwards until he hovers over her. Caged between his arms, she flushes heavily and her eyes gleam bright green in anticipation.

"Now there's a plan I can get behind," he purrs, leaning down towards her neck. There's a slamming sound that tenses them both, technician instincts and training kicking in.

"GET OFF MAMA, YOU MEANIE!" cries a tiny voice. The tension releases from their bodies and Black Star's head drops to Maka's shoulder and her hands cradle him there when she huffs out a laugh. They look over to see the culprit: Marco, with his fluffy ash blonde hair and wide mismatched eyes. The pout on his face eerily matches the one that had been on his father's face only minutes before.

"Marco," Black Star starts, sounding tired but amused. "I'm not hurting-"

"You're squishing her!" Marco whines, pounding little fists against his dad's back when he scrambles up the covers. "I hate you!"

BlackStar mouths 'told you so' to her and Maka lets off another laugh. She pushes her husband off, rolling him across the bed and scooping up their little boy. Tickling him to distraction, Maka winks at Black Star. He catches movement at the door and sees little Selene, hovering half in the room. Beckoning her in with a fond 'c'mere', he scoops up his baby girl and presses his face into her pale blue locks when she instantly cuddles into him. Maka gives him a fond look, but mouths 'daddy's girl' at him over the mass of Marco's hair.

With a wicked grin, he leans over to scoop all three pieces of his world into his embrace and brushes his lips over Maka's temple, whispering 'tiebreaker' until she snorts.