"Ow, shit."

A young man pushes himself off the oak wood floor and rubs at the bump he sure was forming on the side of his head. An intruding breeze from the open window blows white tufts of hair sticking out from under his dark leather hat and the bandana wrapped around his face.

My landing could have been better, Soul thinks as he lifts up the end table he knocked over during the process of his descent. The picture frame that fell off is next. He picks it up to inspect and notices grimly that the glass protecting the black and white photograph had cracked. A few shards clink softly on the floor. I didn't even hear it break. Damn, Maka's gonna kill me.

Soul sets the frame onto the upright end table and makes a mental note to pick a new one up later. In the meantime, his next move is to stop the annoying sound of the wind that was beginning to increase in volume as it picked up in speed. He had trouble getting the greased paper window open from the outside; closing it now that he was inside was no easier. After a minute of continued pressure on the lower window sash, it immediately slammed shut. ...If she doesn't kill me for losing my key first. Shit I hope that didn't wake her.

He waited low on the floor for a few seconds and listened for any indication that the wife in question had been awoken. Best case scenario is that she doesn't find out until tomorrow afternoon. I'll tell her then.

Soul crouched in silence for another minute. When he heard no noise, he breathed a sigh of relief and headed to their room. From the doorway, he could see that Maka wasn't in bed where he had expected her to be. Don't panic. Maybe she's buried under the covers. He took one step in before he heard a slight shuffle behind him. The cowboy quickly turned around and, to his surprise, was immediately greeted by the butt of a rifle to his face.

"MOTHERF-" His hat fell off as he went down hard, clutching his throbbing nose that he was sure was bleeding.

"Oh my Death, Soul! I am so sorry!" a concerned, feminine voice rang above him. She sunk down as quickly as a woman seven months pregnant could and placed the gun on the floor. Her hands were gentle as she brushed strands of white hair out of his face. "I didn't see you until I had already swung! I got out of bed when I heard something fall over in the living room and- wait, where have you been?" she said, suddenly switching from a concerned tone to a scolding one. "When you left this afternoon, you said that you would be gone for a few hours, I thought you'd at least be home before I went to bed. Do you know how worried I was?"

"I'll explain in a minute, just- shit, Maka, I think it's bleeding," he groaned out in pain.

She moved his hands away and the bandana from his face to inspect the damage with a wince. There was indeed blood all over his nose and hands. "Hang on, I'll get a towel- no stay down, I can get up."

The young woman struggled but finally stood up, her braid whipping as she turned. She moved swiftly over to the hallway closet, nearly tripping over her nightgown and found what she was looking for. During her stride back, she noticed the glint of broken glass on the floor and looked up to see where she suspected they came from. Her eyes fell on a picture frame, one that held a photograph of the two of them close together behind now cracked glass. It was one of her favorite pictures. "Soul, what happened to the picture frame?"

"Kinda bleeding out here, Maks."

She rolled her eyes and kneeled down slowly to hold the towel to his nose. "What happened to the picture?" she repeated, making sure the cloth wasn't secured over his mouth and he could speak.

"I knocked over the table."

"Okay, and how did you knock over the table?"

"I, uhh, tripped."

"Bullshit," Maka retorted. She wasn't buying it for a second. She could always see through his lies, but this wouldn't be one of those times where she'd wait for him to open up and confess.

He relented with a sigh. "Okay I came in through the window.

"You lost your key again, didn't you?" she accused. He didn't reply, so she knew she hit the nail right on the head. Typical. "I told you to keep better track of your things, and to stop leaving the window unlocked as well." Again she struggled to get up, but as she was helping her husband off of the floor, he did the same for her, while still holding the towel to his face one-handed. She led him to the dining room.

Once in, he wiped his hands clean off blood and plopped on a chair to await the first aid routine. "Well at least it was unlocked so I could get in."

"If you had knocked, I would have heard and let you in." She moved to the cabinet containing medical supplies

"Was kinda hoping you wouldn't find out I snuck in so late."

Maka's hand paused on the makeshift first aid kit before she pulled it out slowly. "Why...why would you not want me to find out?" Her voice was considerably softer.

"To avoid a lecture from a tired, emotional pregnant woman?" he joked, regretting it instantly when he saw the worry in her brows. The last thing he wanted was for her to cry. "Look Maka, I promise I wasn't doing anything bad behind your back or getting into trouble."

"Then why…?"

"I can't tell you yet," he answered. "You'll find out next week though. Promise. It's a good thing, really."

She let out a deep breath, one that was half relief and half reluctant acceptance as she opened the kit and got to work on his nose.

It took about thirty minutes and another towel to get through the rough patch up. "I think it might be a broken Soul," his wife said, softly touching the bridge. When he hissed in response, she pulled her hand back like it had burned her. "Sorry!" she offered. "I'm also sorry I did this to you in the first place. I thought somebody had broken in."

"It's not your fault. I probably deserve it for climbing in through the window. And breaking our picture. I'll get a new frame tomorrow, or technically today since it's like 1 a.m."

Maka gave a weak laugh as she put up the supplies, not saying anything more.

"Maka, darling, what's wrong?"

"I just- I wish I knew why you were out. I know you said you'd tell me next week but…" she faltered off.

The white-haired man stood up and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. It grabbed her attention, and she let her back rest against his chest, sighing softly when he caressed her swollen stomach with a hand. "Do you really want to know what I was doing'?"

She nodded wordlessly.

He squeezed her hands gently. "I was practicing a song I wrote for you. On the piano."

Her eyes widened and she turned around to face him. "You're playing again? Really?"

His arms dropped to his sides. "Yeah, for your birthday. Which is next week."

She blushed at the realization that she had forgotten her own birthday. "But you were out so late. Where did you even go to practice?"

"I went to the saloon back in the other town."

Her arms were crossed as she stared at him.

"They have a piano on stage."

"..."

"...Okay so maybe I wasn't supposed to be on stage and I got scolded by Marie.

"Ugh, Soul!"

"I didn't get in trouble, swear!" He held up his hand in defense. "Well, once I explained why I wasn't home, watching over my 'vulnerable, pregnant wife.' She loved the idea and said I could use the piano, but I have to play in the saloon every once in a while."

"So you'll have to play the piano?"

"Yep. "

Maka giggled and it brought a smile to his face. I love seeing her laugh, he thought. He went to scratch his nose, and felt a sting of pain, causing him to hiss.

She wacked his hand away. "Don't touch it, you dumb man!"

"I had an itch!" he blurted. "Geez woman, I don't know what Marie's talking about- calling you 'vulnerable' and stuff." Soul slumped back in the chair with his arms crossed like a stubborn child. Maka nearly snorted at the comparison and to cover her mouth to restrain it. It didn't go unnoticed, and he glared at her for it.

Maka moved over to her pouting husband and distracted him by petting his hair. "You know we're going to have to get it checked out by Doctor Stein in the morning, right?" she asked him, changing the subject.

Despite the annoyed whine, Soul leaned into her touch. "I hate when that guy patches me up. It's gonna take weeks for it to heal. Uncool."

She frowned, a guilty expression crossing her face, one that he did not like at all. "I'm really sorry. I wish I could help make you feel better."

For a few seconds he said nothing, just let a wide smirk cross his face. Maka was about to ask what he was scheming when he finally spoke up. "I know what you could do to help me feel better.

Maka squinted her eyes in suspicion. "...What is it?" she asked hesitantly.

Soul pointed to his nose. "Gotta give it a smooch. That's the only way for it to get better faster."

The woman blinked before surprise turned to smiles and she giggled at his silly antics. Maka bent down in front of him, his large hands gathered in her small ones, and planted a soft kiss on the tip of his nose. "There. Feeling better?"

Fuck, I love this woman. "Hmm, not sure. Might have to do it again."

This time, laughter bubbled out from her as she let go of his hands to place hers on his cheeks and plant another peck in the same spot. He was unable to stop his own grin from forming, sharp teeth showing through as she gave him a third kiss, and then a fourth. "Hey, those were two extra ones. Last last one wasn't even on the nose."

"You look like you needed more than one. Is that okay? "

He rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes "I'll take whatever you give me."