For the most part, Tsubaki actually didn't mind boy talk. It was one of those things that she used to equate to shallow mindedness, but she had learnt to accept it (and even embrace) over the years once she realized that every girl, even the most noble or even prudish, engaged in it in some capacity. Liz and Maka, for example, were two of the bravest, most intelligent and loving women she knew. They were among the people she considered to be her best friends and she knew from experience that they were both deeply complex and inspiring individuals in their own right. And still, they were currently engaged in a heated debate about the best way to get Soul Eater to, in Liz's words, 'put out'.
"Dammit it Liz, for the last time, I'm NOT wearing leather pants!" Maka yelled at the older girl, tossing the offending article of clothing as if it burned her.
All three of them were in one of the many rooms Liz used as a closet in the vast Gallows manor, trying to find something for Maka to wear alongside her rather minimalist costume that would catch the eye of her Weapon. Liz leaned towards the idea that Maka should be as overt as possible with her intentions, all tight clothes and flirtation, but Maka wanted to be a bit more subtle lest she lose her nerve. Privately, Tsubaki thought that Liz's approach might be best considering that, as much as they all loved the boy, Soul was rather dense.
"UGHH you're impossible Maka. It's Halloween for Death's sake, put on the sexy clothes already!" Liz huffed, wielding a tight looking tank top like a deadly weapon in Maka's direction. Still, the scythe Meister glared defiantly, arms crossed and nose upturned to Liz's idea of party-wear. The effect of the proud refusal was somewhat diminished by the scarlet red of her embarrassed face.
"No way. I knew letting you pick for me was a bad idea, I'm just keeping this stuff on," she patted the shorts and jacket she habitually adorned for social occasions but Liz was having none of it.
"You want Soul to not be able to keep his eyes off of you right? Then you gotta have something that wows him!" She tried to reason and Tsubaki thought that the mention of the white haired Weapon's attention was going to be enough to wear down Maka's resolve when a conflicted look appeared on her face. Despite her fighting spirit, Maka looked slightly lost.
"O-Of course I want that but looking good isn't gonna help me if I don't feel comfortable with what I'm wearing." Maka looked to the ground, ashamed at appearing so vulnerable and Tsubaki wanted very much to give her friend a hug at that moment. Once again however, Liz was having none. Of. It. The demon gun grabbed Maka by the shoulders and spoke with a finality that allowed no compromise.
"No pity parties tonight my friend, just actual parties. You are stupidly attractive in whatever you wear but tonight we're putting you in something to get Soul to notice that," she said with zero hesitation. Maka seemed slightly touched by her friend's comment and more than a little disbelieving.
"But Li-" she began but was silenced when Liz shook her vigorously.
"No buts, apart from yours into some nice clothes," she all but ordered. "Maka, listen to me, you're a beautiful girl but unfortunately your Weapons a massive idiot," Maka giggled a little but still looked somewhat hesitant, so Liz carried on. "So are you gonna feel sorry for yourself or are you gonna do yourself a favor and let me get you something that'll make him loopy?"
"Okay Liz," Maka mumbled, smiling slightly behind her unsure front.
"More conviction, Maka. Are you gonna get Soul's attention tonight?!" Liz asked.
"Yeah!" Maka barked, her confidence building under Liz's pep talk.
"Are you gonna blow his mind with your outfit?!" Liz cried
"Yeah!" Maka all but yelled.
"Good! Now put on the leather pants!"
"Yea- Wait what?"
Watching the back and forth from the sidelines, Tsubaki sighed in exasperation. Having already picked a costume that made up the entirety of what she would be wearing, she was spared from Liz's antics for the most part, though she did have to fend off the elder Thompsons attempts to shorten the length of the already revealing nurses costume so she could sympathize with Maka somewhat. Still, a part of her wished Maka would hurry up and comply so that the three of them could leave for the damn party already. The rest of their friends were already there after all, including Liz's sister, and Tsubaki was getting anxious spending so long away from her own Meister.
Oh...darn it.
She'd tried her best to keep her mind off of Black Star but, just like the rest of him, his presence in her thoughts was hard to ignore. Normally, she'd have no qualms about him occupying her focus as that was usually the case anyway but, a few days prior, something had happened that had Tsubaki unable to think about anything else or rather unable to think about anything other than her own unexpected emotions toward the assassin.
The two of them had just returned to the academy after a particularly nasty mission involving several pre-kishin feasting grounds around the city of Vienna and the experience had left both Meister and Weapon with more than a few cuts and bruises. It was a pretty standard affair all things considered, but all of that had changed once a younger student had decided to fawn all over Black Star right in front of her.
"Like, wow that must have really hurt!" The underclassman that didn't understand personal space began, as she rubbed the shoulder to elbow laceration that took up the majority of Black Star's arm. Of course he'd forgone any bandages once the worst of the bleeding had stopped, he liked showing off his toned physique after all.
"Huh? Oh this? It's nothing for a guy like me!" He'd replied.
Tsubaki sighed to herself, intentionally blocking out the inane babbling of the younger girl and Black Star began to recount the tale of his epic battle. She would have happily continued to do so had the intruder not so obviously began to feel up the well muscled body of her partner, testing for other scars, or had Black Star's face not heated up quite so quickly in response. He'd been flirted with before but most of the time he ignored it, instead focusing on himself as usual. This time however, he took it all in stride casually conversing with the girl in a way he normally only reserved for his Weapon.
Tsubaki whimpered internally at the memory as it only served to flare up the rise of emotion she'd felt back then, and she hated getting angry. The thing that bothered her the most about the interaction hadn't been the girl herself or even her Meister response: Black Star received plenty of attention in the past and it always brought out his ego. No, instead it was her own reaction that had left her reeling.
A deeply buried swell of anger sprang forth from somewhere within her and threatened to take her under in a violent surge that would swallow both her and this innocent girl. On the outside she appeared the innocuous and dignified flower she always was, smiling accommodatingly and patiently waiting for Black Star to be done so that they could go to their next class. Under the surface however, an icy rage coiled inside of her, ready to strike at this unassuming underclassman and devour her like some twisted venus fly trap.
She'd been mortified at the realization.
"Fine you ungrateful brat, have it your way!" Liz finally yelled, snapping Tsubaki out of her self admonishment. The demon gun stomped back over to her truly enormous closet and, once again, began rooting around like she was searching for buried treasure. Loose scraps of outfits littered the floor, building into piles of cloth that seemed almost comical in size as Liz scrabbled, muttering to herself about picky friends. A few seconds later she emerged holding clothes almost identical to Maka's current ones.
Maka raised one eyebrow, a fair question half formed on her lips but Liz cut her off. "Trust me, these will work better," she slung the fabric at Maka who, for her part, accepted this compromise and began to change. Once she was fully dressed Maka admired her 'new' rags in the mirror. Somehow, through whatever textile sorcery that she'd employed, Liz was right, they did work better.
Ignoring Maka's baffled expression Liz plunged on "Alrighty, now that you're done being a pain in the ass, I'll tell ya what to do at the party," Maka opened her mouth, no doubt to stubbornly refuse as she was wont to do, but Liz cut her off. "It's real simple, all you do is find a hot dude and make it look like you're flirting in front of Soul, and then," she pressed a finger to Maka's lips, leaving the Meister to redden in silence, "I'll get the jealous idiot liquored up and send him somewhere private and then," she repeated, poignantly ignoring Maka's stifled protests, "You can go out, force him to admit everything and have your way with him once he confesses. DEATH I'm an evil genius!"
Maka untangled herself from the excited bearhug that Liz had given her when the Weapon had become wrapped up in her plans, spluttering complaints and objections to the plan, her face the same color as her partner's eyes. "Th-that's insane! No way am I gonna th-throw myself at some random guy like that!"
"Then do it to someone you know," Liz rolled her eyes like it was the most obvious answer in the world. Maka disagreed.
"Not the point Liz, it's about principle! If I did that I'd be no better than those girls daddy wastes his time with! She huffed, turning her nose up at the plan physically and metaphorically.
"Oh for the love of- come here Maka," Liz tugged the Meister by the shoulder over to where Tsubaki sat on the bed "You too Tsubaki, can't have you being left out," then she turned sharply on her heel and yanked at her bedside tables drawer where she retrieved a small glass bottle filled with an ominous clear liquid. Tsubaki paled slightly, unsure of how she'd managed to get herself in Liz's sights. "We're not leaving until this is finished and if you don't, I'll tell Kid it was you who broke those archways in the Death room.
Tsubaki watched Maka's take on a scandalized expression. The red guillotines that lined the hallway of the Death room were Kid's pride and joy and just a week prior, half of them had been smashed to rubble by one of the members of Spartoi. None of them had had the bravery to own up to it once they'd all seen the look on Kid's face. Both Maka and Tsubaki knew for a fact that it was Liz and Patty who broke those arches but had no doubt in their minds that Kid would believe whatever Liz told him. He was a bit of a sucker when it came to his Weapons after all.
"You wouldn't dare," Maka growled, but Tsubaki wasn't so sure: Liz was known to be crafty.
"Wanna take that risk?" Liz smirked, knowing she had won.
Seeing that she was losing ground, Maka switched tactics, opting for the pleading route instead. "But why Liz? How is that supposed to help?" She whined. Liz was unmoved.
"Confidence is key Maka," the demon gun waggled the bottle back and forth before unscrewing its cap. In her defense, it was quite a small bottle, barely more than a few shots each, but Tsubaki nervously glanced at the clock on the wall that told her it was barely 8pm: not really the best time to start throwing back liquor. Evidently, Liz disagreed, as she brought the drink to her lips and drained a mouthful with practiced ease.
Tentatively, not wanting to let her friend down, Tsubaki accepted the bottle from Liz's outstretched hand, offering Maka a sheepish grin in apology before taking her own, decidedly more restrained sip. Her face turned red trying to hold back her coughing fit from the burning.
Liz certainly was expecting such an eager reaction from her timid friend. "Damn Tsubaki, I didn't think it'd be that easy," she said with an impressed lilt. "Something on your mind?"
"N-no, I'm perfectly fine thank you!" The shadow weapon gave a tight smile that wasn't all that convincing, but she recovered quickly by handing off the vodka to her less than willing friend. Maka took the bottle without complaint but stared at the contents in mild disgust rather than drink it. For a long while Maka looked like she was about to launch the bottle at the wall, consequences be damned, but with a growl like a pitbull, she gulped down the liquor. Her cheeks bulged, no doubt filled with the unpalatable liquid, but her stubborn side shone through as she swallowed the alcohol with nary more than a strained grimace.
"That's the spirit!" Liz cheered, clapping both of her friends on the back and giving a genuinely warm smile. It proved infectious as giggles spilled forth from Tsubaki with ease and even Maka couldn't keep the slight lift at the corners of her mouth a secret for very long. Soon, the three girls took to Liz's challenge with aplomb, all of the earlier friction forgotten in favor of the enjoyment of each other's company.
Maka shook the now empty bottle with a dejected look that had Tsubaki concerned about the Meisters' apparently metronome-like feelings on the matter of alcohol. Liz seemed just as put out as Maka at the lack of liquor however.
"Ahh fuck it, there'll be more when we get there," she began, swinging her legs from atop the bed and reaching for the jacket of her pinstripe ensemble. "C'mon we might actually be on time if we leave now," she ushered them outside, barely even letting Maka don her angel getup before corralling them all into the courtyard of her home.
The night air was cool outside Gallows manor, the residual heat of daytime Nevada blunted by the autumn winds that were common even so early in the night. The three girls made their way to the party, chatting animatedly under the effects of their drinks. They walked the streets of the Nevadan city, shielded by the cool night breeze by their alcohol, completely immune to their hometown's nightly charm.
Death city may have been a haven for the DWMA's own brand of insanity but still, it held a tranquil beauty in its own way, especially in the dark of night. The cobblestone streets, usually so bustling with activity, morphed into being picturesque and calming, the low light of the street's lanterns bathing the brick work in an eerie yellow hue. The town was a mishmash of architecture: columns and arches were placed almost at random throughout, and the streets wound seemingly without direction or purpose in mind creating a maze for the unprepared. The cartoony visage of the Reaper was plastered on every other surface, his warding presence a necessity in a world fraught with evil. Reptilian eyed cats prowled the low shadows of the back streets, out hunting in the gloom, and the melancholic howls of hounds rang through the air, aimed at a cruel moon who didn't answer. The perfect symmetry of the academy loomed over it all with authority.
All of which went entirely unnoticed by the three intoxicated idiots.
"Maka you better stick to the plan or else," Liz grabbed the giggling Maka by the cheeks and pulled her about like a petulant child. Fortunately, Maka was a happy drunk and took this all in stride, pulling goofy faces in response to Liz's attack. Still pulling the Meister this way and that, Liz turned her attention to Tsubaki instead. "Oh and by the way Tsubaki, I've got a plan for you and that moron of yours as well so don't you worry."
Distracted by Maka's rendition of the sun's wicked smile, Tsubaki took several long seconds to fully register what Liz had said. When she finally did, a mighty blush overtook her pale complexion, leaving her ruby red. "Whu-Wh-What are you talking a-about Liz?"
But Liz mostly ignored her weak protests, "Don't stress about it, that costumes doing most of the work for you. All you gotta do is stand there and look pretty, his mountain sized ego oughta take care of the rest," she snorted.
Tsubaki, scandalized by Liz's implications, gaped like a fish at the demon gun, who for her part was too busy laughing at Maka's pliable expression to notice her other friend's feeble denial. "Really Liz, I-I don't know what you're talking about…" her words hold no weight and she sighed in resignation, even without Liz's prompting. What was the point of denying any longer? Liz probably knew before she did.
She wasn't entirely sure why she was denying it, it wasn't like it was a bad thing. Sure, it was mortifyingly embarrassing, but Weapon/Meister couples were common enough that most people would have guessed it was bound to happen eventually. Hell, professor Stein had even none-so-subtly encouraged it by suggesting it made partners more insync, so really, it sounded like a foregone conclusion. But deep down, Tsubaki knew the reason why: the thought of rejection terrified her. Part of her couldn't believe that the strong and self assured Black Star would ever be interested in someone like her, the scentless flower, and the rest of her was inclined to agree. All of her except for the dragon that lived in her stomach of course, the one that had nearly bitten that younger student's head off all those days ago.
The shadow weapon was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, that she didn't even notice Liz trying to get her attention until the older girl tugged her sharply on the ear. Her tunneled vision snapped back into focus and she found Liz pointing at an apartment just up ahead. The gray and black stone of the building almost shook under the weight of the music that had somehow passed Tsubaki by without notice, and multicolored, thumping lights poured from its balcony and windows.
"Hello? Earth to Tsubaki, we're here… Maka put down that cat! It's probably got fleas," Liz called.
"But Liz, it's so soft!"
"Uh-huh so is a hospital bed, which is where you're gonna end up if you catch Rabies from that thing,"
Tsubaki could only sigh as she followed Liz and the excited Maka towards the apartment's front door, a cold feeling of dread twisting inside of her like snakes.
They found the door unlocked once they reached the top of the stairs, and a hastily scrawled sign proclaiming 'DWMA students only everyone else get drunk somewhere else' tied around the little black knocker. The sign had Liz smiling to herself as she swung the heavy wooden door wide open, and Tsubaki had the distinct impression that the feisty weapon would have ignored it even if it did bar her entry.
Liz entered first, followed by a giddy Maka, but Tsubaki found herself hesitating on the threshold. Somewhere in this cramped and loud apartment, the person she wanted to see the most/least was traipsing around full of vigor, and sporting a borderline indecent costume that was sure to have her unfocused. She felt the heat of her rapidly reddening face overwhelm her. What would he say? What would she say? Why was she so worried about it? They'd spoken that morning. But back then she wasn't halfway to drunk and overthinking. She groaned pitifully, and plunged headlong into the storm, close behind her friends.
It didn't take long to spot the younger Thompson, the girl was jumping up and down and waving like a mad woman after all, and through the throng of people, Tsubaki was certain she caught a glimpse of stark white that was familiar, but the was a conspicuous lack of vibrant blue that somehow made her more nervous.
"Elizabeth! Thank Death! Come, I need you to balance out your sister, honestly why didn't you arrive together?" Death the Kid appeared at his weapons side like an apparition, and was already tugging on Liz's arm to drag her away, but the demon gun stood firm just long enough to deliver her advice/threat.
"Aww, nice to see you too Kid," she rolled her eyes and turned back to face Tsubaki and Maka. "Alright you two, no wimping out. Maka, go talk to that guy, he's in your Meister class right?" She pointed to one of the gaudy couches in the lounge area where a boy about their age stood, dressed like a particularly buff Dracula. Maka, probably barely registering what was going on, gave a sloppy, mock salute, and followed Liz's orders with very little accuracy. "And no more booze! You need to sober up a little," Liz yelled after her retreating troop, before turning her attention to Tsubaki. "You, on the other hand, have more tolerance than I thought. Here," she handed Tsubaki a red cup already filled to the brim, that she'd seemingly pulled from thin air. "Just stand there and look pretty, everyone's favorite headache will find you soon," she said.
Tsubaki smiled weakly at her friend, managing to keep at least 20% of the anxiety she felt from reaching her face, and looked down into the cup she had been given. She couldn't identify what it was, but judging by the way it looked, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. Tentatively, she brought the cup up to her mouth with both hands and took the tiniest sip possible under the encouraging beam of Liz's smile, and tried her best to ignore the fact that it smelt like paint thinner. Somehow she managed to stomach the vile liquid, surprising even herself, though she couldn't keep the grimace off of her face.
"That's my girl! Liz cheered "Black Stars around here somewhere, just try not to move too much," she said, finally acquiescing to Kid's incessant pulling and allowing her Meister to drag her off, ultimately leaving Tsubaki to stew in her thoughts in peace. Just before the older girl's dirty blonde head disappeared into the sea of underaged drinking, she gave Tsubaki a big, confident smile that was almost infectious. Almost.
It took the shadow Weapon to the silent count of 5 for her to realize her current situation, and once she did, her anxiousness only got worse. She was now alone, stuck at a party she didn't particularly want to be at, steeped in her own confused emotions, and her one usual lifeline was nowhere to be seen. Yep, whatever Liz was planning hadn't gotten off to a pleasant start.
"Well now, I don't think we've met before," a voice slicker than oil startled Tsubaki almost to the point that she jumped out of her skin, and she felt a warm, very uncomfortable sensation gripping her lower back. She turned, spine tighter than steel wire, to look into the lecherous smirk of a boy nearly as tall as she was. His perfectly coiffed brown hair fell in front of his admittedly handsome face in waves, partially obscuring one of his hooded eyes, but from what Tsubaki could see of his gaze she didn't like: it was almost predatory, like one of the many monsters her and her partner had slain over the years, but less deadly. "And what's your name?" He asked.
"Um…Ts-Tsubaki…" she mumbled, uncertain. She didn't recognise him from anywhere, but she assumed that he was one of the new students she hadn't run into before, either that or he'd snuck in which was entirely possible.
"Pretty name. So Tsubaki…" something about the way he said her name had her itching to slice his over friendly hand off but she had never been one to make a scene. "What's a good looking girl like you doing all alone?" He drawled.
Before she could answer, a hand like iron materialized on the shoulder of her new 'friend', one that, if the way that his face drained of all color was anything to go by, was quite painful. The calloused and scarred appendage was familiar to Tsubaki, how could it not be? It held her in Weapon form practically every day.
"Hey there, pal. You look unfamiliar," Black Star's voice was cold like frostbite, but it filled Tsubaki with a warmth that she'd come to associate with her boisterous Meister. "You a student or did you miss the little sign outside," he asked, his vice grip slacking ever so slightly to let the boy turn to face him, accidently giving Tsubaki a full view of her Mesiter as well.
He'd, of course, told her his costume plans for the evening but it was the first time she'd seen him wear it since he'd somehow refrained from donning it the second he'd bought, and it was pretty much exactly what she'd been expecting. The scarce metal coverings of his upper half were carved into the shape of chiseled abdomen but his exposed and well muscled arms made it pretty obvious that the breastplate was a downgrade if anything. He wore a skirt made mostly of faux leather, authentic looking sandals that wrapped intricately around his calves, and a wine red cloak that brushed the ground ever so slightly as he walked. He wore no sword, fake or otherwise, because his exclusive Weapon happened to be standing in front of him.
The stranger, pale faced and sweating, foolishly didn't back down from the glowering Black Star, probably assuming that his 5 or so inches in height advantage had him covered. "Ahh, didn't see any sign, must have missed it. Do you mind letting me get back to talking to my friend here?" He said, coolly. Tsubaki had to admit, the new guy wasn't easily intimidated, but that didn't matter, Black Star was more about action than words anyway.
The blue haired ninja raised a skeptical eyebrow, sparing his Weapon a brief glance. "Friend huh? Looks to me like she doesn't know you too well, then again if you were bothering her too much, she would have broken your arm in 6 different places by now," he said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Well anyway, just go fuck off would ya? You're an eyesore," he turned away from the boy, and it looked to Tsubaki like he was going to leave it at that. He brushed past her, grabbing her hand with a gentleness that only she knew he possessed and began to lightly tug her away to safety. But the stranger made the silly mistake of latching his hand around her upper arm.
"Woah now, I was here first alright? Go find your own entertainment," his voice was aggressive and it made Tusbaki want to punch him.
Feeling the resistance, the already irritated Black Star whirled in fury, and he glared up at the boy with ice in his eyes, and Tsubaki could already see the faint outline of a star in his pupil. "Let go," his voice was calm and collected, barely above a whisper, and more terrifying than any of the mid battle boasting that was his custom. Yet still, the idiot didn't back down.
Tsubaki felt the grip around her bicep tighten. "Nah, I think she wants to stay with me, don't you Tsubaki?" He smiled at her, his perfectly straight teeth, glimmering in the multicolored strobe of the party. She felt her own annoyance begin to sky rocket. She opened her mouth, a half formed request to unhand her already on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't even get the first syllable past her lips before she felt rather than saw Black Star move. In the time it took her to blink, the pressure on her arm had disappeared, and the stranger hit the hardwood floor in a spray of blood. She glanced at her Meister, and found him staring down at the boy with disinterest, his raised fist flecked with the evidence of his violence: two of his knuckles had split, as they often did if connected hard and fast with (now broken) teeth. Without another word he stepped over the unconscious annoyance, pulling Tsubaki along for the ride and smirking at the stares of the other party goers.
"You didn't need to go so far…" Tsubaki mumbled, half expecting her Meister not to hear her over the din of the party, but he had sharp ears.
"He was hurting you," he replied simply, glancing over his shoulder and smiling at her admonishing expression.
It wasn't that she wasn't grateful, the stranger was certainly a pain, it was just that Black Star often forgot that the rest of the world wasn't as durable as him or Kid, or even Maka. A pulled punch from him was like being hit with a steamroller. "I can look after myself, you said as much."
"Just 'cause you can, doesn't mean you should have to."
She stayed silent as he led her through the gradually waning crowd, thinking on his words, and watching in dazed detachment as crimson dripped from his worn knuckles. His actions confused her: Black Star wasn't one to harm those he saw as weaker than him and, despite his reputation, violence wasn't something he resorted to in order to resolve such petty issues, even if it was all in some missguided attempt to 'protect' her as if she were some helpless maiden. He knew better than any how capable she was, and yet he had gone so far, as if he were showing off to the other party goers or something. He was trying to make a point, she was sure of that, she just didn't know what that point was.
Past a fray of excited underclassmen, he tugged her along, skirting round a fretting Kid, an exasperated Liz and a laughing Patty, past a moody looking Soul who stared off into the middle distance with a permanent scowl until finally, he stopped just short of an out of the way corner of the open plan apartment, where a thick load bearing column gave them ample cover from the rest of the students.
He looked at her with intensity, or rather, he looked at the spot just past the tip of her rapidly reddening ear, she noted. It was odd, eye contact was something that she struggled with, not him, and yet there he was, unable or unwilling. If it wasn't so fundamentally against everything he was, Tsubaki would have believed her Meister to be nervous. She removed her arm from his firm grip and placed her hand on his shoulder, her worry outweighing her confusion.
"Black Star…" she whispered as quietly as she could, given the pounding music. Her soft voice relaxed him visibly, the rigid bar of his shoulders melting at the simple sound of his own name. It made her happy but she couldn't quite explain why. "Have you had too much to drink? We could go home if you would like?" Tsubaki stroked the hard line of his collarbone with her thumb, like she always did, and was rewarded with a smile he only really showed to her. He closed his eyes and heaved a deep sigh, as if making up mind. When he looked back at her, he held her gaze, all trace of reservation gone.
"No, I'm good. Just worked up is all, that asshole pissed me off," he answered gruffly, leaning back against the wall behind him. His hands, no longer holding her gently, came to cross over his broad chest, and Tsubaki got the distinct impression that he was flexing. She giggled, the ring of her laughter drawing a curious look from her Meister. "What?" He asked.
"N-Nothing," Tsubaki shook her head, trying to loosen the distraction from her mind and get back on topic. "Black Star, you can't just punch people that get on your nerves. What if he really was a DWMA student? You could get in serious trouble for hurting him…" She trailed off, cautious of the mounting fury behind his green eyes and thankful that she couldn't see even the faintest hint of star.
Despite his obvious mood, Black Star's voice was calm. "I punched him because he was hurting my friend, nothin' to do with nerves," he said clearly, with about as much eloquence and sincerity as Tsubaki had ever experienced from him. "Besides, if he really was a student, Maka'll have him expelled in a heartbeat if I tell her about the shit he pulled. Pays to know the bigshot Death Scythe wielder sometimes right?"
Tsubaki nodded numbly, somewhat distracted by his self amused smirk, but mostly because she knew he was right. "Still…" she hesitated, about to tell him that she wasn't worth potentially getting into trouble with Stein over something so small, but the rough calloused presence that settled onto her warm cheek stole the words from her mouth.
"Still nothin', can't have people thinking they can just hurt my Weapon and get away with it," he said, grinning like a cat when all she managed to say in response amounted to little more than a squeak.
Tsubaki was frozen in place, trapped there by naught but his words and his touch: the perfect prison. And he was too close: far too close for her to be able to focus on anything other than the tingling sensation where his skin met hers, or the alcohol tinged air, that smelled wholly of him. Even the teeth clattering music seemed to slip away, cowed by his presence, and the glaring psychedelic lights of the party dulled at the edges of her tunneled vision. "B…Black Star," her trembling lips managed to form his name but whether it was a question or a plea, even she didn't know. All she did know was that her Meisters eyes were beautiful up close, and that the way his smug smile pulled at the edges of his boyish good looks was very interesting indeed.
His brow wrinkled in an unspoken question, and Tsubaki had to bite her lip to keep her own emotions in check. "You okay Tsubaki? You look a little…" Black Star leaned in toward her, closing the small gap of difference in their height and sending a shiver racing up and down Tsubaki's ramrod spine, "...Uptight."
Their lips were barely a fraction apart now and Tsubaki felt frozen. At glacial pace, Black Star moved forward, giving his Weapon all the time in the world to rebuke him, to push him away in a fit of nervous embarrassment and, although leaving was the last thing on her mind, Tsubaki silently thanked him for allowing her that small reprieve. He knew her so well.
She felt the feather-like brush of his lips against hers and instantly she wanted more. He was saying something, she could feel the tiny movement and could hear the words, but it all felt a million miles away. She was so focused on not losing her mind that she blocked everything else out.
All her life she had been a people pleaser, always compromising for others and never asking for anything for herself, but BlackStar had changed that. He had taught her that her own feelings were just as important as everyone else's and that sometimes, there was nothing wrong with grasping what you want with your own two hands. With that universal BlackStar truth in mind, Tsubaki, the scentless flower, took what she wanted and closed the distance.
His lips were rough, like the rest of him and Tusbaki found that she didn't mind in the slightest.
In that moment he was everything to her, demanding the attention of all 5 of her senses leaving little room for much else. She was nervous, tentative after her initial bout of bravery but he took the lead, building the intensity in baby steps that allowed her to relax.
The anxious nagging voice in the back of her mind was blessedly silent. The invisible specter of her brother, the one she endured at every waking moment, was gone, replaced entirely by the sensation that was her Meister. She held onto the barely-there fabric of BlackStars costume for dear life, trying desperately to keep herself from drowning, but as she succumbed to the attentions of her partner, she cared less about staying afloat and more about wanting the moment to stretch on forever. She was dimly aware of the hand at her waist but, as was usually the case when it came to her, BlackStar was uncharacteristically gentle, stroking her gently through the thin fabric of her nurse's costume. His calloused fingers caressed her softly, adding yet more intensity to the feeling that threatened to overwhelm her. Her frantic heart, already at capacity the moment he had cornered her, pounded against her chest, threatening to break free. Her head felt dizzy from the lack of oxygen but she didn't mind in the slightest, the surge of energy that thundered across their shared wavelength would be more than enough to sustain her.
She was quite proud of herself. The Tsubaki from a few years prior would have fainted at the thought of such displays of affection but now, even though her face felt warm enough to melt the support beam that they were sequestered behind, she embraced the intimacy.
To Tsubaki's dismay, even the great BlackStar couldn't go on without air forever, and so, he pulled away, panting. He smiled at her, and not the usual smile he gave to others, all arrogant and cocksure, but rather the one he reserved just for her. Warm, comfortable and so filled to the brim with love that it made Tsubaki's pulse jump. She grinned back.
"What was that about b-being uptight?"