It had been an entire two months since Amara had moved in with Soul and Maka, and a month since they had moved into their own apartment. Maka adored the balcony! It consisted of the entire left wall, it all being a huge glass window to expose, both the balcony and the view. The front door opened up into the living room, which was near enough the size of Maka and Soul's entire old apartment. A door leads into the spacious kitchen and a door beside the kitchen leads into a small hallway showing two more doors, Maka and Soul's rooms.
Amara's room was on the second floor. There was a small spiral staircase beside the huge window that lead to another small hallway where there were two more doors. One led into Amara's brand new bedroom and the other door led into a new office for Soul, which meant now he could work from home with all of the paper work sent from Lord Death instead of missions since Death pitied them and Spirit was still active as a Death Scythe.
Soul had grown to adore Amara more and more each day and she him and Maka. He knew Maka more or less saw the small white haired girl as a daughter and that surprised him more than it scared him. He and Maka were never a "thing", though he cannot deny he had thoughts about that kind of thing, he couldn't say him and Maka had even been close to that.
He sat lounged on their new, L-shaped leather couch as Amara was at school. Soul was leaning lazily in the corner of the couch, his arm draped over the back of it as Maka sat on the other end, her legs curled up to her with her nose stuck in her book.
"Hey, Soul…" she said quietly, breaking the comfortable silence of the apartment. Soul opened out eye to look at her. She hadn't looked up from her book.
"What?" He drawled, Maka closed her book to face him, her expression thoughtful.
"Do you think Amara might have weapon blood?" she asked suddenly. Soul blinked open his other eye to look at her incredulously before humming lowly in contemplation.
"I guess it's a possibility," he allowed. "The weapon blood skipped about two or three generations before mine awakened. Wes may have had the gene and passed it to her, just depends on whether it awakens or not."
She nodded before arching a brow, leaning in closer to him. "How old were you when your blood awakened?" she asked curiously. Soul, for some reason, gulped at her closeness and leaned back as she leaned in, suddenly very aware of her scent and how her top fell down her left shoulder.
"I was twelve," he told her after clearing his throat, eyeing her warily. "I had a fight with my uncle, he was the one who took me and Wes in after our folks died, and I went to punch my wall. I was only a kid, did it countless times before but my arm turned to a scythe before it hit. I broke through the wall, near gave Uncle Enzo a heart attack. I came here, what? Two days after? Fucking hated that place, I was thrilled to leave."
Maka frowned, her interest in the activation of his weapon blood shifting to his childhood after his parents passing. "Why did you hate it so much?" she asked. Soul sighed, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully before responding.
"You know my folks died in a car crash?" he said, stifling a wince as that was how Wes and his wife had died also, and the pain of that loss was still pretty fresh. Maka nodded.
"Well, they were in that car because of me," he admitted. "I got into trouble at school when I was around eight, I was a little shit. The teachers called in my parents for a meeting and when we were driving hold my father was scolding me. He wasn't that mad, just being a Dad, you know? Anyways, he must have lost track of the road 'cause he lost control and hit a tree. I was the only one in a secure seat, if I'd have sat anywhere else I would've been dead." He swallowed thickly, shrugging at Maka.
"My parents died instantly. I got away with a few cuts and bruises and a broken leg and I was pretty lucky. Anyways, Enzo was my Dad's twin brother. He and my Dad were pretty tight so I guess Enzo blamed me for his death. When Wes wasn't around he started knocking me around a bit," Maka's widened in disbelief and anger. Soul rolled his eyes, though he did know the depth of the situation.
"Soul, your uncle abused you for, what… four years? Why didn't you say anything!?"
"What difference would that have made?" he tried to reason, running a hand through his hair. "It's all cool now. I didn't say anything to you 'cause I'm over it. I didn't ever tell Wes because I didn't want to be put in the system in case we were separated. It wasn't that bad, just a hit every now and again. Only got really bad when he was drunk." He shrugged again. Maka could tell he was being genuine. He really was over it.
"What about your parents?" she asked reluctantly, Soul raised his brows as if to say: 'What about them?' "Don't you ever miss them like you do Wes?"
Soul stiffened. Maka was aware she had touched a nerve but didn't try and take back her words. It was moment before he answered.
"You've never lost anyone, have you Maka." It was more of a statement than a question. "Never had someone you love die, I mean." He said as she opened her mouth to bring up the lack of knowledge on her mother's whereabouts.
"It's really complicated," he said as he ran a hand over his face to rest over his mouth. "It's not something you can just get over. I'll miss my Ma and Pa as long as I go on without them. But I've went without them for a good sixteen years and… I don't know, you just get used to it. You learn how to cope. With Wes it's different, I mean, he didn't die all that long ago so it takes time to accept that he's really gone – " His voice cracked a little on the word 'gone' but he went on regardless. "But, I know he and Ana would have wanted me to concentrate on raising Amara in a positive atmosphere and she makes that easier than I thought it'd be." He smirked and Maka smiled before patting his hands.
"You really love that little girl, don't you?" she said softly. Soul's smile widened as he turned his hands to grasp Maka's small ones in his.
"Yah," he said just a gently. "Yeah, she's cool. I love her, and you do to. She adores you Maks. And she seems pretty fond of me since she doesn't let me put her down," Maka giggled and Soul chuckled lowly, shaking his head. "I'd say we're doing really well. Your Italian is even getting better." He grinned at the last part as Maka smiled smugly.
"Perché, grazie. (Why, thank you)" she said, Soul rumbled with laughter once more and they both shook their heads before pulling their hands away.
"Yeah," Maka agreed after a moment of silence. "We're good. We're really good."
Soul grinned before winking at her and standing, grabbing his car keys off of the coffee table before stretching his arms.
"Let's stay cool, okay?" Maka grinned, she'd missed this.
"Yeah. Sounds good to me." Soul laughed grumbly and stood.
"Time to go get the monster, you coming?"
"Yah, we can order out tonight too. We should go shopping while Amara's at school tomorrow."
"Good plan."
Soul and Maka stood by the school gates beside all of the other parents. Many had sent them strange looks at first, with them both being so young but after seeing them with Amara their looks of confusion changed to warm smiles. Soul grinned as he spotted his niece's white hair in amongst all of the other kids blonde, brown, or black hair. Her face lit up as she broke into a run towards them.
"Papà!" he heard and it took him a second before he realised the name came from her mouth as she wrapped her arms around his legs.
"Um, what?" he asked gruffly, trying to mask his panic. He never wanted to try and replace Wes! That was never his intent. But the small girls eyes sparkled even more as the name was spoken through her lips. He sent a panicked look towards Maka, who just shrugged helplessly.
"Mara," Soul began, "You – You remember I'm your uncle right? Zio Soul?"
Amara frowned a little before nodding and looking down. "Oh yeah. Mara – I got confused." Soul looked to Maka before crouching.
"Uh – Mara, it doesn't matter to me what you call me. I just don't want you to forget your – other parents."
He was taken aback by the fire in her eyes when she looked up again.
"Mara won't ever forget them," she said passionately. "It's just, you and Mam – Maka act like them and… All my friends have Mama's and Papa's – and – "
"Hey Mara," Maka scooped Amara into her arms and grinned at her cheekily. "Wanna get take out tonight? We can send your Papa to get it while we play with your dolls!"
Soul didn't even has time to respond as Maka nudged him to his feet and led them away, smiling at him in reassurance.
It's normal, Soul. She isn't forgetting anyone. Just adapting.
Soul could feel her words through their constant hum of resonance. He took a deep breath, sending his feelings back and following.
From then on, Amara switched between Zio Soul and Maka to Papà and Mamma until she finally only called them both the latter.
"Mara's tired," she said as she looked up from where she had been curled up between Soul and Maka as they watched Pepper Pig. Soul smiled and scooped her up from the couch and walked towards the staircase.
"Mamma," Amara mumbled groggily, reaching out towards Maka's tired form on the couch when she didn't stand. Maka, not yet being used to the name, blinked in confusion before standing, smiling at Amara and following them up the stairs.
Soul placed her on her pink princess bed gently as Maka pulled back the covers so she could tuck them around the child. As she did, she sat on the side of the bed as she brushed her curls from her face, the small girl humming in content as she did.
Soul smiled too, sitting on the other side before kissing her forehead.
"Night kiddo," he whispered. Amara smiled before stroking his hair from his face, just like Maka just did to her with her small little hands in attempt to copy how the two adults treat her. Soul smirked as she did, patting the hand that she had rested on his cheek gently.
"Na'night Papà," she muttered and Soul smiled. She turned to Maka before whispering something under her breath. Maka swallowed and gave Soul a sharp look.
"Please, Mamma," Amara whispered and Maka sighed before casting Soul another look. She shook her head to herself before brushing the curls from the young girls hair once more as she began to sing the small, five lined lullaby in the softest and most sweetest voice Soul and ever heard since the passing of his mother.
Hush now, my baby.
Be still love, don't cry,
Sleep as you're rocked by the stream.
Sleep and remember my last lullaby,
So I'll be with you when you dream.
Maka smiled as Amara's eyes blinked shut. She pressed a small kiss to her forehead before looking up at Soul's dumbstruck expression and gesturing at the door. He nodded and quietly stood and led them both out. As the made their way into the kitchen Soul reeled on her.
"You can sing?" he hissed in a whisper, shock apparent in his eyes. "This is - This is so cool!" Maka shushed him before chuckling quietly.
"I've never really tried until Amara's very first night staying with us," she told him. Soul tilted his head in question and Maka sighed. "On her first night with us, when she didn't really know me that well, you fell as sleep more or less the second we walked into the apartment. Moment your head hit the pillow you was out." Soul grumbled and Maka giggled before going on.
"Anyways, I put Amara to bed in my room and she started crying, saying she missed her Mamma and Papa, I had no idea what to do! I asked what I could do to make her feel better and she asked for a lullaby. I only really knew the one my Mama used to sing to me from my favourite film when I was her age. I was amazed I even remembered it! Ever since she'd ask for one sometimes when I put her to bed."
Soul shook his head in bewilderment, a grin constantly on his face. "Wait, wait - How come I've only heard it now?" he asked. She shrugged.
"Sometimes she's too tired to ask, or wants you to read to her or something. I don't know. But I can't say no to her."
Soul chuckled before walking around the counter to approach Maka. He stood before her motionlessly before gulping audibly. He took a step forward and circled his arms around her waist and pulled her to his chest. She gasped and muttered his name in question but that didn't stop him from burying his face in her neck and breathing in her scent.
"I could never thank you enough for what you've done for us, Maka," he said, making the breath hitch in Maka's throat. "I don't know where I would be right now without you and I just want – I need you to know how thankful I am. How happy I am that you're here with me. Amara and I wouldn't have gotten through this without you. I just need you to know that."
His voice was a whisper by the end of this, he head drew up so that he pressed his forehead to hers. Maka closed her eyes, basking in the closeness of her weapon before suddenly, she felt warm lips against her own. Her eyes sprung open, but in seeing Soul's own closed ones and the sensation of his lips against hers, her eyes slipped shut as she leaned towards him.
Their lips moved in sync for a small moment before they broke apart, once more Soul rested his forehead to hers, frowning slightly.
"I-I – " he started.
"Don't, Soul," she murmured, wrapping her arms around his torso to bring him in a hug, burying her face in his chest to hide her blush. "Don't ruin this. We're fine. We'll be fine. Just... Just give me a minute."
Soul sighed before wrapping his arms around her to bring her snugly into his chest, breathing in her scent of strawberries and summer and his eyes drooped shut and he just enjoyed the closeness of his meister in his arms.
