"I'm still so – "
"I know." Maka whispered, her thumb brushing against his cheek as she threw a leg over his hip as they snuggled in their bed.
"I'm trying to – "
"I know, Soul."
Soul squeezed his eyes shut. It had only been a couple of days since Maka had returned, and Soul was still struggling with the memories of thinking she was dead. The kids had bounced back quite easy – the three youngest barely remembered the incident, and Amara never thought she was gone in the first place. It was only Soul – and their friends – who truly suffered that horrific loss, however short.
"I'm so happy," he managed. "But still – I'm so worried about you."
Maka sighed silently. Stein had put her on some fluids for a day or so to cure her dehydration. Eating was difficult at first, but she managed for Soul. The past couple of days she had felt like her old self, but Soul was still coming to terms with the fact that she was really going to be okay.
"Listen," she began, pressing her palms to his cheeks as he looked up at her. "I'm gonna need a day. A day where you treat me like I'm not a piece of glass, and that I'm still the bad-ass meister that I am."
Soul smirked and chuckled gruffly.
"A day?" He confirmed and Maka grinned.
"A day."
"I think I'm gonna need a day of normalcy too."
Soul and Maka both sat up in their bed to look to the door of their bedroom. Amara was stood there sheepishly, in her dressing gown. Her cheeks were bright red and her eyes tired. Maka sat up quickly.
"Honey, what is it?" Maka asked as Soul sat up beside her. "You're not meant to be up for another hour."
"I know," Mara mumbled and fiddled with the doorknob. Soul and Maka shared a glance. "I woke up because…"
She trailed off. Maka and Soul waited a moment before Soul spoke up. "Because what, kid?"
"Uh…" Mara's cheeks impossibly got redder. "Something happened. I kind of know what it is, but I didn't think it would happen so soon… I…"
She trailed off again. Soul nearly spoke up before he heard Maka suddenly take an intake of air beside him.
"Ohhhh…" She vocalised before smiling brightly at her eldest. "Oh honey, that's nothing to be embarrassed about!"
"Mum…" Amara groaned, and Soul looked between them in confusion before the dots finally connected.
"What on earth is – Oh. OH." He sat up and Amara hid her face in her hands.
"Dad, please don't – " She began but it was no use.
"Aw, kid!" he began awkwardly, as he rubbed the back of his head. "This is normal! You're growing up – Ugh, wait."
He froze and his eyes widened in horror. "You're growing up."
Luckily, Maka laughed lightly beside him and stood before he could manage any more words.
"Come on, sweetie," she said warmly to the rosy-cheeked pre-teen. "Let's go have a talk, and I can show you what to do."
"Okay," Amara grumbled and followed her mother, leaving a rather shell-shocked Soul.
The talk hadn't gone so bad. Thankfully, with Amara nearing her teens Maka had expected this, but it was still uncomfortable, nonetheless. She had explained to her that she was becoming a woman, but that didn't mean she had to start acting like one, she could be a kid for as long as she wanted. It seemed that Amara felt some relief after that.
That was until Maka offered to explain more things to her, and Amara had stopped her pretty quick. She assured her mother she had learned the basics at school and if she needed to know anymore, she would know where to find her. Maka laughed but agreed, secretly relieved that she didn't have to have that conversation yet.
"But I need you to know," Maka started, and Amara groaned. "When it comes to things like sex and things - "
"Mum, please - "
"Amara, listen," Maka said sharply, and Amara snapped her mouth shut. "Sometimes - men or woman - will try and take more than you're willing to give. It is disgustingly common, and I just need you to know that if anyone ever - ever - lays a hand on you against your will, you have absolute, full permission to use moves that only Blackstar has ever taught you."
Mara's eyes widened. "You want me to kill them?"
Maka shook her head.
"Yes… No." Maka's eyes went dark. "Viciously maim."
Amara looked at her mother for a moment before nodding firmly, her eyes hard. "Understood."
Maka looked at her eldest before caressing her hair, and smile curling at her lips. "That's my girl."
"So, that was unexpected," Soul began as he put the keys down after dropping the kids off at school. Maka laughed lightly and shrugged off her coat.
"Not really," she breathed. "She's growing up, Soul. It natural."
"I don't care," Soul grumbled. "She'll always be our little girl."
Maka laughed and turned to wrap her arms over his shoulders as his hands curled around her hips.
"Of course, she will."
Their lips met in a sweet kiss, which slowly became more and more heated. Soul's fists tugged at the bottom of her shirt before she pulled her lips away. Soul quickly made do with kissing her neck as she giggled.
"As nice as this is," she gasped as he met a sensitive spot on her neck.
"Yeah?" he rumbled, but Maka giggled again and pushed him away.
"We do really need to talk." She grinned at him and pulled him to the couch. Soul narrowed his eyes as he took in his partner's expression.
"Should I be worried?" he asked dryly.
"I'm not sure yet," Maka shrugged. "But I am fairly certain."
"Care to be a little less cryptic here, Maks?" he asked, and she barked a laugh.
"it's just – Amara getting her period today got me thinking – "
"Disturbing but go on."
"- I'm 94% sure that I'm at least eleven days late."
Soul heart leapt up into his throat. "What?"
"I was due to come on the first day I was in Oceania," she said, the smile slowly leaving her face. "Obviously, I didn't keep track after everything had happened. But now I realise it never came. I never got my period."
Soul nodded slowly. He tried to keep a hold of his expression since he could feel Maka's eyes on him like a hawk.
"How do you feel?" he asked. Maka's eyes narrowed as she answered.
"I'm okay," she began slowly. "Tired and a little nauseated, so I'm pretty sure it's what we think."
Soul went quiet again and Maka sighed.
"Soul, please say something." She whispered. Soul grabbed her hand firmly.
"We both wanted a big family."
Maka released a long breath and rested her forehead on his shoulder. Tension she didn't know she had been holding finally left her body.
"Maybe we should agree that this is our last baby?" she managed, and Soul chuckled and ran a thumb over her cheekbone.
"You got it," he rumbled and then stood up to face her position on the couch.
"This is good timing though."
Maka frowned. "Good timing for what?
Her throat dried up as he crouched in front of her and pulled a small box out of his pocket
"I was gonna ask you when you got home from…" he trailed off and Maka nodded wordlessly.
"Yeah." He continued. "I was just waitin' for the right time, and - "
"Yes."
"…Maka, I haven't said anything yet - "
"Yes!" She near enough screeched as she threw herself onto him. They both fell onto the rug in front of the couch as Soul laughed gruffly. Her glassy eyes met his own and he felt his lips curl up.
"Yeah?"
"Yes. Gimme my ring."
He laughed again before awkwardly slipping the ring on her finger from their position on the floor and kissed her.
"I already feel like I'm married to you," she murmured against his lips and Soul laughed. "Can it be a small wedding? I just want it to be soon."
"It can be whatever you want it to be," he grabbed her face in his hands, and she overlapped his with hers. "All I know is that I have never been happier than what I am when I'm with you. And I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way."
Maka felt her eyes fill with tears and she pressed her lips to his, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he grasped her waist.
"I love you." Maka whispered and Soul closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers.
"I love you, too."
