Soul laid back on his bed, listening to Reggie's voice soar and dip as the little boy chatted into the phone while dutifully standing at the edge of the bed. Maka's voice chimed over the other end; the words were nothing more than a disjointed melody that he used to set the pace of the strum of his fingers against his chest.

Suddenly, Reggie was wiggling the phone in Soul's face. "Ms. Albarn wants to talk to you."

Me? Soul almost balked to cover the hint of excitement that he was denying. "'Bout?"

Reggie shrugged as he simply pushed the phone into Soul's hand.

Cautious of both the anticipation building and the eerie silence on the line, Soul brought the phone to his ear. "Ms. Albarn?"

"How could you?" Came the quick accusation and the complete obliteration of his small hopes for sweetness.

"Ah, what's my sin now?" Soul produced a dry chuckle and could swear he heard her grip around the phone tighten in an annoyed reply. "Whatever Reggie's been tellin' you-"

Her frustrated admonishment blasted through his playfulness, "Halloween is next week, Soul!"

Soul almost removed the phone from his ear to stare at the date to corroborate since, for the most part, his time trailed together in an endless roll of the same before Maka had come to town. Even now, he honestly only could tell the day by whether or not she would show up since class took up some of her time, but that was the weekday, not the date. Who knows the last time he'd measured time other than seasons and all he knew about that currently was he'd soon have to stop rolling up his sleeves. "Alright."

"Alright?" she shot back.

"Alright, you can read a calendar." He had to hide the chuckle behind his hand as he listened to her huff angrily through a few breaths.

Maka sucked in air and Soul readied himself for more of a tongue-lashing, but instead, a victorious chime came from the other end, "Fine, then you and I are taking him costume shopping."

"Me?" Soul sat up immediately, almost catapulting the phone with the motion of his body.

"Who else?" She grumbled on the other end. "And seriously, Soul, how could you not have taken him trick or treating before? And please- please don't answer me that you never went as a kid."

Soul obediently bit his tongue.

"Soul?"

"You tol' me not to tell you," Soul replied dryly.

"Unbelievable!" This reprieve was shouted towards the rooftops rather than his ear, followed by a string of unintelligible complaints.

He heaved a sigh, thankful that it stopped the flow but instantly aware of the silence that followed it. "Alright, Ms. Albarn. When?"

The question momentarily placated her, the joyful pleasure coming back to her voice. "Well, I have a paper to write tonight, but tomorrow should work. Are you free?"

You know I am, don't you? But you still bother to ask. He barely stopped himself from snapping his tongue. Pathetic, ain't it? I almost wish you'd rub it in my face.

"If that doesn't work, we could do Friday?"

"First one works jus' fine." He punctuated that with a sigh of many shades of defeat.

At the end of his breath, hers instantly latched with a sweet soothing that no longer rang with victory but whispered with comfort. "Why don't we eat too? Make a date of it?"

The tender lilt along with the words tossed his stomach into disarray as his face pinked.

Reggie was instantly tugging on his shirt as he tried to climb onto the bed to get closer to the murmur of Maka over the phone. "Uncle, why is your face red?"

"Hush," Soul rasped to Reggie as he ruffled his hair in an attempt to keep those little eyes from peeping any more of Soul's embarrassment. "Well, we ain't havin' po'boys again."

Her giggle rang clearly in his ear. "OK, no, but I'm sure you can show me another place."

"Sure…" he murmured before clearing his throat, trying to scratch away the anxiety. "What, uh… what's the paper on?" Out of the corner of his eye, Soul caught Reggie's little lips screwing up in a pout, hands outstretched as his knees teetered him back and forth impatiently on the comforter. Soul flashed him a desperate pointer finger for patience.

"Oh." Maka paused, collecting her thoughts at the quick pivot. "Well, I'm trying to decide between Tennyson or Robert Browning…"

He hummed out in agreement, happy to find it was enough to get her to keep talking.

"And I think I'm leaning towards Tennyson." Maka's joy was building again, bolstering the words. "He wrote this beautiful poem In Memoriam A.H.H. to express his grief about the loss of his best friend…"

"And?" Soul tossed out quickly in the face of her silence.

"It's just- hearing about this must be boring," she murmured.

Reggie crawled into his lap, tapping restlessly at Soul's chest as he continued to monopolize the phone. "Wouldn't ask if I didn't wanna know."

There was a shuffling scratch before she erupted again, "But Robert Browning's Porphyria's Lover is so interesting! He strangles his lover with her own hair."

"And this is what they teach you in college?" Soul scoffed.

"Well, technically I've liked that once since high school." Her laugh lifted him again and he was suddenly echoing it. "Are you laughing at me?"

Soul couldn't reign in the buzz in his chest, letting it drift through the line freely. "Not in the least, 'specially if stranglin' people happens to be what you like." Reggie was wriggling in Soul's lap now with a steady pout wrinkling his features. "Ah well, kept you long enough. Reggie wants his phone back." He dropped the phone back into Reggie's eager hands.

Reggie stopped his squirming as he rested his free cheek against Soul's chest, reveling in the heart on one side and the voice on the other. "Ms. Albarn, what's Halloween like?"

The hum of her voice started and Soul tipped his face towards Reggie's hair, letting the delicate strands tickle his nose as he nuzzled there. Why's it seem like she's surprised when she gets attention? She gives it so easily, but when she gets it…

Reggie's chatter broke into that thought, the sweet bob of his head as he spoke nodding Soul's chin. "So I can be whatever I want?"

Be whatever you want, huh? Soul let that echo in whatever space in his head wasn't occupied by Reggie's sweet trill and Maka's hum in reply.

Maka squatted, her hands moving one over the other as she tipped the corner of the costume bags for the right size.

Reggie's hands pressed into her shoulders, practically laying on Maka's back. "Is it there?"

She hummed out a sweet affirmative and clutched the package before pressing it to her chest. "Now you're sure this is what you want?"

"Yes!" Reggie practically shrieked and Soul was quick to clap a hand to Reggie's head.

"Alright, hol' onto some of that for next week,'' Soul cautioned but still offered a smile. "Thought you'd go for frog for sure."

"That's baby stuff," Reggie corrected before he took the package from Maka's arms. "I'm too big for that! I want to be a knight!"

"Sure, sure," Soul chuckled.

"Ms. Albarn!" Reggie turned pleading eyes to her.

Maka replied with an easy smile as she sweetly wrinkled her nose at him, "Your uncle doesn't know anything Reggie."

"I know plenty'a things," Soul grumbled but it was completely lost in Reggie's next excited cry.

"Ms. Albarn, are you going to get a costume?"

Soul couldn't stop his eyebrow from shifting up, his own interest perked.

Maka inquisitively tipped her head to the side before answering, "Well, Reggie, I wasn't exactly planning on wearing anything, but… well, since I don't have anything in mind, why don't you pick?"

Reggie's eyes lit up with joy as he clutched into the plastic between his fingers. "Would you be my princess?"

A laugh leaped from her lips as she finally came to her feet. "I guess that's easy especially since I probably don't need a costume, I'll just use the dress your papa got me."

"Papa bought you a dress?" Reggie was wide-eyed in awe before he could whip his head towards Soul. "He did?"

"Well, yeah…" Soul's breath was slipping away at the thought.

"Plus, didn't you say it was spellbindin'?" Her coy smile hit him like a whip, leaving him motionless and frozen from reply. "Which I think translates close enough to princess, even if you said I'm not."

"Uncle," Reggie chided.

Any of the admonishment didn't make an ounce of difference as Soul's throat constricted under her amused gaze. He forcefully cleared his throat before turning half a smirk to Reggie. "Listen, what I meant was that Ms. Albarn ain't a princess princess."

"And what does that mean?" The coyness of her grin was gone, instead growing wide with the expectation of his explanation.

"She ain't jus' some maiden from a storybook that needs savin'," Soul continued to grumble to his nephew, sure that he couldn't bear the look on her face. "Too rough'n tumble for that, so give her somethin' that matches that, Reggie."

"But she's pretty like one!" Reggie challenged back.

Maka waited with vibrantly growing amusement for the two to continue.

"Pretty ain't the problem," Soul settled on the ambiguity as quickly as he could.

Of course it would kill him to call me pretty, Maka snorted a laugh just for herself. Even though he did once before… That ghost of a tug caused her heart to stumble, and while she once again wanted to blame it on Seren and the memories beneath the tree, when his eyes met hers she had to swallow it for the lie it was.

His boyish smirk was melting all that away and reeling her in. "Less Esyllt and more Rhiannon."

"What?" Maka blinked at him in honest confusion.

"Jus', uh…" Soul rested a hand on the back of his neck, rubbing away the warmth there. "See, this whole knight thing might be my fault. Used to read Reggie all these Welsh myths and Arthurian legends since, well, Mama had an interest in 'em once and we got plenty of books on it, so…" He attempted to wave it off, forcing her focus back to the package as he took it from her. "We should get a move on if we're gonna eat. Plus, Reggie-" He paused, looking down again to find the raven-head gone from his sight. "Reggie?"

Maka turned, echoing Soul's call with more urgency, "Reggie?"

"Here!" His little voice crowed from the other side of the display. Maka and Soul split and walked around the metal frame, meeting him from each end as their faces both mirrored frightful exasperation.

"Reginald," Soul scolded while he tugged a hand to the back of Reggie's shirt to pull him closer. "You don't wander off. Not out in a store. You know that."

"You told me to make her match!" Reggie griped back as he victoriously held up the plastic sword. "If we get Ms. Albarn one of these, then can't she be a princess knight?"

A sigh fluttered from Soul's mouth. "Suppose so, but…" His gaze wandered from the costume to Reggie's accompaniment before inching back towards the stack. He dropped his arms, tucking the package into Reggie's as he turned his attention back to the royal display. "Can't make a flower crown again since it ain't the season, but this'll do." He picked a gold circlet off the wire, taking a moment to spin it in his fingers and examine the delicate pattern of twists and the added twinkle of fake emeralds interwoven in them. This time, the difference struck him, the way he was lifting the crown for her head with all intention of letting his fingers brush her hair while his eyes waited to see if the color would come to her cheeks.

"Isn't a crown a little much?" Maka murmured. As his fingers fixed it in place, the answer resounding in her bones was that it was barely enough. Can I blame that on Seren? Do I really just see Rhys when I look at him and feel the ghost of someone else's feelings?

"Jus' enough," he answered with a short laugh. "Pretty as a princess after all."

Reggie suddenly tucked between the two of them, his costume knocking into Soul's knees. "Uncle! What are you going to wear?"

"Oh!" Maka was able to derail the previous pervasive thought and suppress the blush that wanted to climb all the way to her ears. "What are you going to wear?"

"Nothin'," Soul scoffed.

"Naked, then?" Maka happily turned the embarrassment to him, watching as he grimaced. "Or are you telling us that you're not going to play along?"

"Not really my thing, Ms. Albarn," he answered in a grumble.

"You've never done it so how do you know?" Maka tossed back playfully without a touch of hesitation.

Soul only sucked his teeth in reply.

"Reggie, what do you think?" Her voice sweetly drifted down but her eyes stayed focused on Soul's souring face. "He should match us- maybe a wizard? The hair works."

Soul grunted half of a laugh. "Nah."

"We could even get you a fake beard!" Her hand shot out, pinching his chin. "Since there's no way you could grow a thing-"

"Hey!" Soul swatted her hand away as he tried to put a step of distance between them. He reached for Reggie, trying to scoop the boy and the goods all in one motion. His hands did nothing but whiff the air since Reggie was already moving past Maka, sneaking behind her legs to continue in the stack.

"Do you have an idea?" Maka called over her shoulder before turning and moving after him.

"I ain't wearin' it!" Soul called after him but groaned at the utter futility as both of them disappeared back to the other side. Instead of following, Soul leaned against the center, watching Maka's eyes move over the partition.

"That's perfect, Reggie!" Maka cooed.

"I said I ain't wearin' it!" Soul hissed but once again found it falling on deaf ears. The joyous pair was already on their way towards the cash register before he could draw in another breath for anymore scathing argument. "Ms. Albarn-"

"Soul, you're wearing it," she called back instantly.

"I don't even get a say?" he snapped back as he ran up her heels, his arm coming around her to try to snatch whatever she was protectively hiding. "Gimme that."

"No!" Maka only got a step more before his arm brought her back, pulled against his chest as his hand slipped over hers.

"You gotta be kiddin' me," he muttered in her ear. "You've got another thing comin' if you think I'm gonna let you come anywhere near me with this." Soul jabbed at the facepaint in her clutches. "And I might as well be wearin' pajamas if you put me in that." His finger glided over to the other plastic and tapped it emphatically, his arm adding more pressure in the process.

Maka's snickers lasted until she tilted her head back to look at him, getting his chin practically touching into her cheek as she turned. She paused purposefully, waiting for him to jolt, bolt, or otherwise fall apart but he only offered her an annoyed glare as he waited for her reasoning. "You'll be comfortable!"

"I'll look like a fool," Soul grumbled before moving out of her space and giving up the hold he had on the package.

"You'll look like a good uncle," Maka answered with a tap to his chest, bringing those frustrated eyes back to hers. "And maybe you'll look a little handsome too."

"No such thing as a handsome dragon." He tried to force the complaint, but as her eyes delicately darted across the features of his face, Soul was losing his grip on being anywhere close to annoyed. Did you jus' call me handsome? His brain buzzed with the question on repeat.

Reggie disappeared behind the menu, leaving Soul to stare at the obnoxious vibrancy of the yellow plastic. Soul wasn't using his table manners, resting his elbows on the tabletop as his palm propped up his cheek. A bit of a grin that he'd been trying to deaden flickered at Maka. "You know what you want?"

"I think so…" Maka was mostly fanning the menu as she angled it in her lap. What's that look he's giving me? The way he's staring but not?

"Tell 'im." Soul jutted his chin at his nephew.

Maka raised her eyebrows at him. "What?"

"Trust me," Soul answered with a chuckle.

"What do you want, Ms. Albarn?" The raven hair finally peeped over the edge of the booklet, eyes peering over at Maka expectantly as she sat next to him.

"Cheeseburger, medium, no tomato." Maka's list was still tainted by some hesitation.

Reggie went to whisper it under his breath a few times before he turned his eyes to Soul. "Uncle?"

"Boudin balls."

Maka snorted.

"Bet you don't even have any idea what they are," Soul complained.

"I don't," Reggie chirped in Maka's stead before continuing, "but they taste good, Ms. Albarn. Uncle's picky so what he eats usually tastes good."

"Who tol' you I was picky?" Soul leaned forward with raised eyebrows as his finger tapped down the menu. "Granmama or your papa?"

Reggie regarded this question for a few extra breaths, even risking a glance in Maka's direction. His first answer grumbled unintelligibly into the menu.

"Picky ain't your word, Reggie," Soul crooned. "So spill."

"Soul," Maka started to chide but Soul wiggled a finger at her.

"But aren't you?" Reggie peeped his little voice over the edge.

Soul tongue clacked in reply.

Maka leaned close to Reggie but left her whisper not entirely for Reggie's ear. "I think that means 'yes.'"

"Bet it was that no good brother'a mine." Soul let the words mumble off as he huffed back in the booth. He still waggled an accusing finger at Maka. "You make it worse."

"Me?" Maka tried to produce innocence but the giggles dissolved the attempt.

Before any further playfulness could cross the table, the waitress arrived again to slide their drinks across the table. "Do y'all know what you're havin'?"

Reggie promptly dropped the menu and turned a pleasant smile towards the waitress. "Boudin balls. Cheeseburger, medium, no tomato. I want grilled cheese, please."

The woman wrote dutifully before flashing a bewildered smile at Reggie. "A little talker, huh?"

Soul gathered up the menus before offering them to the waitress. "Kid has smarts and he uses 'em."

"Does he take after mama or papa?" The waitress teased as she looked between Maka and Soul.

"Not papa, that's for sure." Soul snickered as he leaned into his elbow and cupped his chin. He sent a sly smile Maka's way but it waned as her eyebrows wrinkled. As soon as the waitress had drifted off, Soul started, "What?"

Maka waited for the waitress to wander before shrugging. "How could she ask that?"

"Oh." His smile fizzled to glum as he shrugged weakly. "Sorry, guess I'm used to it- Reggie too."

"It's rude," Maka muttered as she turned to Reggie and played through his hair lovingly. "Insinuating he isn't smart on his own. Reggie, you're smart because you listen. That's a very good skill. You have good ears, and you should keep them that way."

Reggie beamed up at her. "You and Uncle have good ears too."

"A little family of good ears," Maka murmured sweetly as she tugged his lobe.

Soul's hand pressed to his chest, trying to keep the thump at bay that he could swear was echoing across the table. It wasn't that you were worried about insinuating we're family because you just come out and say it. But I wonder: is that what you really think or you just tryin' not to hurt him?

The little boy leaned into Maka's hand, letting his cheek take the place of his ear. "Ms. Albarn, what kind of dress did Papa get you?"

"Well," Maka paused to ham up the pondering, making Reggie start to squirm. "It's very pretty. Long and flowy! I think I want to leave the rest as a surprise for Halloween."

"If Papa got you a dress…" Reggie's eyebrows worked for a moment before the puzzle pieces in his mind came together. "Does that mean you're getting married to Papa?"

Soul was undeniably lucky he'd just finished a gulp of his water or else Reggie would have had an impromptu bath as whatever air was left in his lungs catapulted outwards. He pulled in just enough to squeak, "Reginald Desjardin Evans, what did you just say?"

"What?" Reggie turned wide eyes to Soul as he blinked innocently. "Papa doesn't buy anyone anything, and Ms. Albarn just said family so-"

Twittering laughter started from Maka as she leaned back in the booth to give herself enough room to catch in air to feed them. "Oh, Reggie, that's adorable!"

"It ain't," Soul muttered before attempting a tone closer to a tiger rather than a mouse. "Your papa ain't gettin' married, especially not to Ms. Albarn."

"Why not?" Reggie pressed back, now stubbornly digging his hands into the side of the table.

The pressure was making his heart wilt as Maka continued to giggle while Reggie expectantly waited for his answer. "You gotta be in love to marry somebody." He was hoping that simple equation would stump the little boy but he watched with budding horror as it only fed the resistance on Reggie's face.

"You said-"

"I think that's enough," Soul tried to edge in over the little voice since there was certainly enough of a panicked scream in his brain to drown it out. Because I sure as hell don't wanna know what I said that has anything to do with this- anything to do with lovin'-

"You said: 'If it's important to you and the other person likes you, it'll be important to them.' Doesn't that work with people, too?" Reggie accused.

Maka's laugh dissipated as her eyes, now just as inquisitive as Reggie's, hit Soul.

"I love Ms. Albarn, so doesn't that mean that Papa loves her?"

Soul stared helplessly as his own words buzzed like gnats around his ears. Fuckin' hell, Reggie.

"Reggie, you're forgetting one thing," Maka murmured sweetly as she let her eyes fall away from the man that was obviously drowning to the little boy who'd thrown him in the ocean. "I have to be in love, too. Even if your papa liked me because you did, I'd have to feel something if we were going to get married."

"But he got you a dress," Reggie urged.

"And I like it; it's beautiful," Maka reassured him softly, "but it doesn't mean I love him. I think I'd love someone who spent time with me, knew me, and wanted to know more things about me. Right now…" Her sweet smile faltered for a moment and Soul feared for its death. Instead, she shook her head long enough to let it revive on her cheeks. "That's not your papa."

That wrinkled Reggie's brow again, leaving him pondering long enough to suck in a few huffs before producing, "But you could?"

Maka laughed, "Maybe. How about you give me a few years though, alright? When I finish school."

That was enough to settle Reggie entirely, bringing the little voice back to chiming through the regular topics of conversation: frogs, storybooks, and the upcoming promise of Halloween. Soul had no hope of following as his brain buzzed on about matters entirely different: dresses, crowns, and love.

Maka walked with the pair through the trees, past the lake, and back to the driveway. It was a meandering, nonsensical path through the darkness as Reggie ran out the last ebbing bits of his energy. She swung the bag in between them, slow steps keeping Reggie a safe distance ahead of the two of them. "I was thinking maybe we should call Kilik and see if he wants to all go together."

"Sounds fine."

"You don't think it'll be too much?" Maka murmured as she hoped for a dedicated glance from him but found his eyes still glued to the house.

"Nah." He followed that with a strangely breathy laugh. "Think it'll be nice for Reggie. Actually, I- uh…" His lips moved wordlessly for a moment before the sound managed to catch up. "Well, if you're thinkin' about having Kilik and the twins in on it, maybe we should all stay over there for the night." Now it was the thought that caught up with him, panic sending his eyebrows upwards as his worried gaze finally fell on her. "I mean me and Reggie. Not that you have to or anythin', jus'-"

"If Kilik doesn't mind," Maka interrupted what she quickly saw becoming a stuttering mess from his mouth. "But let's check with him before we plan or anything…"

"'Course," Soul rushed out with a sigh.

As they approached the front of the house, Reggie circled back to throw his arms around Maka's legs. "Thank you, Ms. Albarn!"

"You're welcome, Reggie," she cooed sweetly as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Now, I'm going to hold on to the costumes just in case, but you can tell your papa about it. Right?" Maka offered the last question to Soul.

Soul nodded along but held up a cautioning finger. "Sure, just leave all that marryin' stuff out of it though, Reggie."

Maka snorted a laugh as Reggie looked up at him questioningly, "Why can't I tell Papa?"

"'Cus I said so. Go on, then." Soul jutted his chin towards the door.

A second of defiance washed over Reggie's little face before he let it go. He hugged Maka tightly for an extra moment before releasing and starting for the stairs. "Goodnight, Ms. Albarn!"

"Good night, Reggie," Maka called after him. They stood in silence, both staring at the door as it closed. The wind rustled between them, the night air starting to cool and bring goosebumps to uncovered skin. "I had a good time today, Soul." The hesitation made her ribs rattle in her chest, a little buzz that turned into a shimmy as she turned to look at him and found that playful smirk on his face.

"You, me and Reggie: always a good time," he murmured before chuckling. "But don't think you can butter me up and get me to wear that costume. It ain't happenin'."

"It will," she pressed back, trying to echo his smile but finding her energy drained by the work she was putting into not blushing under the scrutiny of his eyes. He was studying her, and she was being taken apart piece by piece. "Soul, could I…" come in. Could it be you and me for just a second? Just a second so I could pretend that the way you're looking at me right now means it's more than just Reggie wanting me here- just a second so I could pretend these aren't Seren's feelings.

"You need somethin'?" he murmured encouragement, adding to it by hooking her pinkie with his.

"Do you think…?" I'm crazy if I say it? Crazy if I ask you to touch me not because I'm scared or I'm hurt but because… "Do you think I could borrow those books? The Welsh mythology books?"

His eyebrows jumped slightly before he let out a weak laugh. "What- don't have enough to read already? Finals, papers, but you're askin' for fairy tales?"

So much for headstrong and wild… Maka produced a sigh. "Some of us can read for school and for pleasure."

"If that's supposed to be an insult, it isn't," he chuckled. "But alright. Give me a second. I'll go grab 'em." Soul still took a moment to pulse his pinkie around hers before trotting up the stairs.

Maka waited until the door closed behind him to let out another withering breath while she turned her back to the house. What am I doing? I can't- it's not good for him or for me. My name and his. He already has so many responsibilities and… and I just keep making excuses. Excuses because I'm afraid. I'm afraid he'll say no- that it'll mean I lose them. If I change this, I lose them both. I can't lose them.

A click brought her eyes back to the house but the thin light of the door produced a different shadow. The strike of an old flint lighter and the veil of smoke that drifted told her it wasn't Soul just as much as the deeper, scratchy voice that started after, "So you're the girl that's got my wife all in a tizzy." The haze cleared from a face that only had hints left of Soul- much of it deteriorated with age but also hidden by a different mask of pride. The hair was Rhys's black but those teeth that erupted from a predatory smile seemed even sharper than Soul's, ready to rip and tear. "Rossignol. Or really, Albarn. Maka Albarn."

"Yes," Maka answered firmly. "And you're Mr. Evans."

"Percy Evans, at your service." The smile only disappeared long enough for a drag from his cigarette. "I have to say, Lenora's been unkind. You're not so bad lookin'- I can see why he likes you." The chuckle that rattled from his chest had the same melodious nature as his sons' but was dampened by the soot. "Guess I should be overjoyed he doesn't have that same dirty little problem his brother has, but… darlin', do you know what you're doin'?"

"I don't know what you're asking." Maka made all attempts to reply flatly, but as that sharky grin came back to his face and that grinding laugh echoing again, the rage started to bubble in her gut. "Your son and I are friends. Your grandson-"

He shook a finger playfully as he sucked his teeth at her. "I'm askin' if you've got enough sense to know he isn't goin' to marry you. From how upset Lenora is, I can already guess you two are sleepin' together, but I hope you know it'll only last a few more months at best."

"I'm not trying to marry your son," Maka corrected as her fists clenched hard enough to create white knuckles.

"But you are sleepin' with him?" Percy added a playful raise of his eyebrows.

"I don't see where that's any of your business-"

"Because it is," Percy cut in as his grin died. Red eyes burned with flat rage as his voice turned to gravel, "Your family has the tendency to produce little bastards and I ain't my father- I won't raise one of your kind even if this one would happen to have some of our blood. His kindness to your grandmother endangered us enough, threatened to bring us to ruin just like your cursed lot. My son won't-"

"What?" The door had opened during the tirade, and Soul's voice split the air like freezing hail. "I won't what, Dad?"

Percy adopted Soul's glare, the likeness between father and son now deeply apparent. "You won't do anythin' stupid. You know better."

"Actually," Soul correctly quickly. "I think it's Ms. Albarn who knows better than to ever want to sleep with me." He produced a healthy laugh in his father's face before he trotted down the steps to Maka. A fire was burning at his back, his father's rage threatening to scorch him, but he still gently offered the books between them. "Enjoy 'em, bookworm."

"Soul-" Maka started but stopped as Soul shook his head quickly.

"I'll be seein' you," he whispered with a gentle smile. "Remember, less Esyllt and more Rhiannon."

Maka clutched the books to her chest, risking one defiant glance over Soul's shoulder to meet Percy's still burning eyes. It was a challenge, and even as she turned his back to both of them, her stride spoke of it all the way down the lane.