Here it is, finally. Please check out my other Maka x Soul fic "Jealousy" if you need more since I'm splitting time between the two!
Nothing, let me repeat, nothing good can come from Stein chatting up Maka for more than a few minutes. Let me clarify: talking shop is one thing, but when Maka and Stein are chatting like friends in a beer commercial we've fallen into the danger zone. But that's where I find Maka as I try to locate her at DWMA after teaching an adjunct class. I knew her coming back to this place part-time would be a hassle, but I never imagined it would include this.
"You sure Friday is OK?" Stein's leaning against the wall, that creepy yet endearing smile on his face.
"Absolutely. We'll see you then!" Maka's shining smile usually brings a world of comfort, but at this point I'm concerned. She turns away from Stein and finally looks my way, waving enthusiastically.
"What was that about?" I can't seem to stop myself from hugging her to me even though there are brats watching all around and I know she technically doesn't like it, trying to keep up the teacher look.
Maka allows it, for now, her hands planted firmly on my chest and that grin on her face. "We're going to do Marie and Stein a favor."
"Oh, no." She doesn't even have to continue. Anyone still in the area of DWMA knows the favor, dreads the favor, actively tries to get out of the favor: babysit the Stein brood, Maggy and Ben. But there's Maka, running headfirst into the task like Maggy isn't Stein 2.0 and will try to remove one of our kidneys. Ben's alright, but he's still an infant, so his trouble is limited to what he can do in a diaper.
"Trust me, it'll be fine," she punctuates the promise with the quickest kiss on my lips. That's the full explanation I get before Maka skips off, calling over her shoulder about class and seeing me for dinner.
The things I do for love.
I was afraid I would have to drag Soul by his ear all the way to Marie and Steins, but he seemed to accept his fate by Friday morning. It's an easy assumption that any child of Stein's is going to be, well, difficult, but Maggy is still Marie's daughter, too, and I swear there are some moments when that side of the genetics wins. I also can't help but admit that I think I'm secretly testing it out. The future has always been a weird thing for me, and before Soul, I was kind of short-sighted.
But I can't really think about all that as Stein's opening the door and little Maggy is peeking behind his coat. "Soul, Maka, thanks for coming." I can't get my eyes off of Maggy, since she's too freakin' cute, with Stein's barely green eyes but Marie's blond hair that waves down to her shoulders. Stein tries to detach her, moving her more into our view, "Maggy, what do you say?"
Soul crouches down almost immediately, extending a hand to her. There's a moment of hesitation before she takes his hand, letting go of Stein's leg. "Do you want to dissect something?"
Marie audibly groans in the background but a little pride is shining through from behind Stein's glasses. "Maybe a hello first, Maggy."
"Uh, maybe later, kiddo." Soul's hand is shaky but he still grasps hers, sending a look back at me that definitely translates to if this kid steals an organ I'll never forgive you.
Marie finally pops into view, Ben balancing on her hip. For being a year old, he still has that adorable baby chubbiness but he looks just like Stein, down to the greyish white hair. I know Marie is hoping it's just a light blond, but I'm sorry to tell her that boy is a total copy of her lifemate. "Maka, thanks so much for doing this!" She hands Ben off to me and turns to Soul. "And I don't know how you got dragged into this, but thank you, too."
"Don't worry, they're not too much of a handful." Stein is using his trying to look human smile.
"I can't make you any promises," Marie sighs. "Maggy already ate, but Ben will want a bottle around 7. Ben in bed by 8, Maggy by 9. Everything else is up to you guys."
"Mom," Maggy elongates the o as if her life depends on it.
"OK, OK, 10 for Maggy. But we should be home by then, I swear." Marie turns to Stein, her arms wrapping around his waist. "Can we have our date now, please?"
"Of course, Marie." And for all the weirdness that is Stein, you can see it in his face, his eyes, the way he is, or at least is trying to be, a different man for his family. That particular face is really only for Marie to see as he looks down at her and almost hovers in for a kiss before clearing his throat, looking back at the two of us. "We'll be off, then."
"Have a good night!" I chime as the two of them squeeze past us, Ben starting to give a little sniffle as his mommy gets out the door.
"Take care," Soul manages through a sigh. As the door closes behind the two lovebirds, Soul turns to me. "I call this one," he raises his and Maggy's enclosed hands like the ref at a boxing match.
"Uh, sure?" I can't stop the giggles. "What, Soul, can't deal with a baby? He doesn't drool more than you do." I sweep Ben in his direction, getting a little giggle from the baby but a hard jump from the man.
"Babies are fine," which is a downright lie from the sickly grin he's trying to produce, "But I want to do some cool stuff with Mags. Big kid stuff."
"Like a dissection?" Maggy offers again.
"Uh, like," Soul's face is searching, "Cupcakes. Let's make cupcakes."
"Cupcakes?" Every six-year-old's dream, but the science side of the Maggy-mind doesn't seem convinced.
"Yeah, we have to measure perfect, find the right temperature, make the right mix of flavors. Just not in test tubes, OK?" Soul is continuing his convincing as he moves Maggy towards the kitchen, throwing one last smile over his shoulder at me before disappearing.
While I'm OK with Soul cooking, but maybe adding a six-year-old is a little dangerous, but for now, until I start to smell smoke, I'll let him try to do his thing. It's actually… well, for a second it was making my stomach flip and that heat come to my cheeks, like our first real kiss. Maybe this is another step.
Ben gurgles and starts a trail of unintelligible speech, throwing in some mamas and dadas for good measure. "Oh, yeah?" I try to keep up my end of the conversation as I bring him to the rug, setting him down and hunting in the box for what looks like the best toys. As I sit with him, letting the armful of toys fall in front of us, Ben crawls around, finding access to my lap and plopping himself there, his tiny head resting against my chest. I can't stop myself from planting a soft kiss on the top of his head.
"Hey, Maka," Soul pops his head in from the hallway, catching me mid-kiss.
"Yeah?"
But he's speechless for a moment, only offering me a few blinks as if his brain has flatlined. He finally jumpstarts, but his voice is softer, "Do you think it's OK to use the last of the eggs?"
"I think Marie will find it a fair trade for cupcakes. Worst case I'll grab some more after this guy goes to bed." I give Ben another cuddle, delighting in the tiny laugh I get in return.
"OK, yeah." Soul takes one more second to stare at me like there's more for him to say but instead disappears again.
"Well, that was weird, huh, Ben?" Ben doesn't give me much in reply besides blowing a raspberry. Playtime is serious with Ben, turning from toys to exploration as he lets me walk him around the house. I can smell what's happening in the kitchen, but luckily it smells more like chocolate than a five-alarm fire. Ben tried to get us a peek in the kitchen, but as soon as our heads cleared the entrance, we got a very sassy reprimand from Maggy, with little to no support from MasterChef Soul.
Instead, Ben and I settled back into the living room, perusing the selection of books. Ben lasted for a good fifteen minutes until the fussing started, which was just on time to remind me that the clock had hit 7. "It looks like Maggy and Soul will have to give up the kitchen for just a second," I cooed to Ben as I carried him back to the kitchen. Both Soul and Maggy were relaxing, their hard work already in the oven.
"We told you to wait!" Maggy cawed from her perch on the center island.
"Sorry, Ben's tummy says different." I walked to the fridge and saw the line of bottles, grabbing one. "Here you go, Ben!" I tried to coax the bottle to his mouth but he put a firm hand out, giving a cry.
"It's too cold," Maggy rolled her eyes as if I had said 1+1=4. "It needs the warmer." Maggy jumped down, reaching for the bottle from me. I obliged and she moved over to the stool she'd been using to help come level with Soul and pushed it to the other side of the counter. Soul plucked the bottle from her hand as Maggy climbed to the counter. "Give me," she exclaimed when she got to the seat.
"Mags, we have to work on your people skills." Soul handed her the bottle and moved to steady her stool as Maggy leaned over and put the bottle in a little contraption. Okay, so I was supposed to know there's such a thing as a bottle warmer? Just that little pod thing on the counter?
"Thank you, Soul." But it was barely a serious thank you, having added a tongue sticking out at the end.
"OK, close enough," Soul tousled her hair. He held the stool as she moved back to the ground and then came to me, plucking Ben out of my arms. "Do me a favor and help Mags with a bath. I think she has batter behind her ears."
"You got Ben?"
"How hard can a bottle be?" Soul shrugged.
I hoped that wasn't a jinx as I brushed past him to grab Maggy's waiting hand. She led me to the bathroom and started up the necessities. I felt a little silly and almost completely unnecessary, but better to have someone make sure the kid doesn't drown, right? Maggy finally acquiesced to help when it came to shampooing, a completely unique experience since I had never done this to someone other than myself. I made sure to scoop the suds away from Maggy's eyes, letting her control the rinse. I knew this was just a speck in the macrocosm of parenthood, but it just didn't seem burdensome and when Maggy smiled at laughed at my addition of a bathtime song, I felt an elation that had never gripped my heart before.
With Maggy clean and adorned in PJs, we made our way back into the kitchen. A wall of sweet aroma smacked us in the face upon entry, Soul had just finished placing the cupcakes on cooling racks while Ben bounces away in one of those baby bouncers a safe distance from the oven. "Soul, is it time?" Maggy pulled on his shirt, trying to get on her tiptoes for a closer look at the golden treats.
"Well, can't put on the icing until they're cool, but if you'll eat one icing-less I can give it to you in five minutes. Deal?"
Maggy gave his shirt another tug. "Icing on the side?"
"Mags, you drive a hard bargain. Maybe just a little - it is pretty close to bedtime."
Her eyes turn desperately to me. "Maka!" elongating the a just like the trick that worked on Marie.
I throw up my hands in defeat. "What Soul says goes, little lady."
There are a solid five minutes of pouting, Maggy definitely waiting for one of us to crack. Soul just chuckles between checking the coolness, finding just the right cupcake. He did as promised, giving her a plate with the cupcake and a small smear of icing. Before either an argument or a thank you, I pick Ben up out of the jumper, noticing both his eye rubbing and the clock ticking just past 8. "Bedtime," I mouth to Soul who nods, taking his seat next to Maggy at the table as I slip into the hallway and make my way to Ben's bedroom.
As if all the stars aligned, Ben doesn't fight the inevitable and only requires about ten minutes of rocking before his babbling trailed off into soft snoozes. It is a much harder task to lay him down in the crib without disturbing his tenuous grip on sleep. I have to start over at least twice before I can get his head to the mattress without those little green eyes opening to stare at me. I allow myself a few minutes to sit in the rocker watching him slumber while giving a little congratulations for making it through the night. Really, it felt like buying trouble because Maggy was still awake, but Soul already called that, so…
I make my way back to the kitchen, poking my head in, "Hey, I think I'll go get those eggs."
"And leave me by myself?" Soul squeaks through a mouthful of the cupcake.
"Ben's asleep. Maggy will be good, right?" Maggy nods before taking another bite. "See? You're fine."
Soul narrows his eyebrows, those red eyes trying to send me a stabbing mental message.
A message I choose not to receive as I duck back into the hallway, grabbing my bag, and making my way out to the street. I knew it would only take a maximum of thirty minutes, which was well before Maggy's bedtime, and Soul could always bribe her with another cupcake if he was smart. And it is an unexciting trip, walking down to the corner store, choosing from a pretty small selection of eggs, paying, and making that just long enough walk back. There are no police or fire departments active outside the house when I return, so I assume Soul had kept Maggy under control, or she made sure to knock him out before she did anything.
The last thought spurs my feet a little faster, but none of the mental pictures prepare me for what I see when I open the door. I have to put a hand over my mouth to suppress what sounds like a half-squeal-half-giggle as I find both of them slack-jawed on the couch, Maggy sprawled on Soul's lap with a book dangling towards the floor. As quietly as possible, I sneak past them, depositing the eggs in the fridge and taking a moment to take a peek at Ben, who is still calmly asleep in his crib. With all that taken care of, I come back to Soul who is still blacked out, Maggy resting comfortably against his chest. It's almost too precious to interrupt, but as I reach for the book to keep it from falling, I see Soul's eyes finally flutter open.
"Damn," Soul whispers, his unencumbered hand coming to his face.
"Language," I whisper, bringing my lips to his cheek.
"Ha. Ha." His voice is scratchy as if he was asleep for hours. Carefully, he maneuvers his free hand under Maggy's delicate little legs. "Bedtime."
I let my hand drift down his arm. "Need help?"
"I'm good." Soul lifts himself and Maggy out of the seat, waiting for a moment to see if she stirs, but Maggy's far gone, even before her 10 PM bedtime. Soul makes his way across the room, disappearing into the hallway.
Regardless of his answer, I wait a minute before following him. He's in the bedroom by the time I get to the hallway, and I stop myself right outside the doorway.
Soul has her resting on his shoulder now, using his free hand to pull back the sheets. As he places her down, I can hear her little voice whispering, still half asleep, to him. "Is it really bedtime?"
"Yeah, Mags." He pulls the blanket up to her chin and he runs his hands along the sides, tucking her in tight.
"Daddy doesn't do that."
Soul gives a soft laugh, "What does Daddy do?"
"After book, it's Bear and a kiss."
"Ah," Soul looks around the room, finally finding the bear he's looking for, and, luckily for me, not catching sight of me in the doorway in the process. "Bear?"
"Yup," Maggy can barely contain a yawn, her eyes already halfway back to closed.
"Well, Mags, we just met, so a kiss seems a little weird." Soul sits next to her on the bed, taking one more minute to untuck her just a little. "Will you settle for a song?"
"Yeah," Maggy's as exuberant as a half-asleep six-year-old can be.
I can see his mind flipping through possibilities, and he settles after just a moment. I'm just as excited as Maggy as Soul opens his mouth, starting off that classic line, "I'll be seeing you, In all the old familiar places…" I think he's trying to stick more to the Billie Holiday than the Sinatra or Crosby version, and while he certainly isn't Billie, he keeps the rhythm true and hits all of the notes with a deep throatiness. He gets most of the way through before standing, taking a few delicate steps back but still crooning to keep Maggy out cold. His back is almost to me when he finally stops singing.
"Soul," I try my best to keep it at the softest whisper, but he still jumps.
He turns slowly, his hands coming to my hips to push me back out of the doorway and further into the hallway. "How long were you watching?"
"Long enough," I add a playful wink.
"Kitchen. Now." He releases me only to give a little extra push after I turn and start the walk as commanded. As soon as we're back to the confectionaries, he huffs, pointing a finger at me. "You owe me for tonight."
"Fair," I shrug. "Name your price."
"First, you frost the cupcakes." He moves to the countertop, picking up the bowl of icing and something that looks like a spatula.
"Okay, they'll be terrible, though."
He looks at his little cupcake masterpieces and then back at the icing. "Fine. I'll do it, but you have to watch." The icing goes back on the counter and suddenly he's against me, his hands coming to my waist again to lift and sit me on the island. "The rest I decide later when we're home." His face disappears to the crick of my neck and I can feel feathered kisses against my collarbone.
"Soul," it's a breathless admonishment.
"Yeah, I know," he growls against my skin before detaching, going back to his cupcakes. I have to admit I would prefer he finished what he started there, but it was still a little too risque for me to be having that kind of fun at someone else's house. He's just as quiet as he's precisely applying frosting and I can guess he's probably feeling something along the same line but, then again, Soul is always surprising. "Hey, Maka?"
"Yeah?"
"I…" He puts the cupcake down for a second as if this thought takes all this concentration. "I never asked you before, but is this kind of stuff the stuff you want?"
"What kind of stuff?"
Red creeps on his cheeks and he tries to go back to work on the cupcake at hand. "Like marriage and kids."
"Oh," I try to laugh but it comes out as a croak. "I'm 19 and…"
He eyebrows crease in and I know that wasn't the answer he wanted. "Wasn't your dad 18 when you were born?"
"OK, point taken," I jump down from the spot he left me to come behind him, my arms wrapping around his waist. "I guess the better answer is I never really thought about it before. I thought I'd still be working on making you a death scythe. I also never thought this would happen."
"Yeah," he pauses to put a hand over one of mine. "But are you thinking about it now?"
"Yes," I whisper into his back as if I'm trying to hide the words there.
"Are you," he takes a huge breath, his hand gripping at mine. "Are you thinking about it with me?"
"We've… been together for a year, right? But, really, we've been a team for way longer than that." I want him to turn around and hold me but he seems rigidly frozen in place, holding his breath. "So, yes, Soul, I could see it happening with you."
I can feel his diaphragm collapse with the flood of air. "That means I passed your little test tonight?" I can't even start a protest before he squeezes my hand again, silencing me. "I eventually kind of ended up feeling the same way this morning, like we could have a trial run."
"Does that mean…?"
Soul's laugh trembles against my hand as he lets go of me, the anxiety of the moment seeming to have drifted away. "Yeah, Maka, I think we could do this." He finally turns in my arms, his hand coming gently to my throat, lifting my lips towards his. "It's crazy, but when I saw you with Ben when you kissed his head like that, it really clicked." There was something behind his kiss, the feathering softness that stole anything I could say right out of my mouth. "We can wait, but I had to know."
"We will wait," I can barely sound demanding, but I'm hoping he gets the picture.
"Absolutely," Soul leans back, that brilliant smile making my knees feel weaker. "I love you."
"I love you." I want to lean into him again but I hear the door unlock with a heavy thud and instead jump back as if my dad's caught us. We both laugh for a moment before Soul turns back to the cupcakes and I make my way to greet Marie and Stein.
When I reach them in the hallway, both are looking around and Marie grasps my hand, "Are they both asleep?"
"Soul just put Maggy down early, and Ben went to bed on time." Marie is exchanging glances with Stein, who simply wanders towards the kids' bedrooms.
"And everything went OK?" Marie smiles hesitantly.
"Yeah, of course! Soul and Maggy even made cupcakes. Soul's finishing them up now."
"Cupcakes?" Marie looked at me as if that word was not part of her vocabulary.
"It was his alternative to dissection."
"Sure, of course." Marie wonders past me, her hand still in mine and pulls me back into the kitchen.
"Hey, Marie." Soul is wiping off the countertop, the freshly iced cupcakes moved to the island.
"Soul, how did you…?"
"It took a lot of convincing, but Mags went along with it," Soul shrugged.
"OK." Marie continued to drag me just long enough to get to the cupcakes. She let me go, taking one and having a bite. "So, are you free next Friday?"