Long, mid-week update of fluff and backstory! I'm excited for you to read it.
Maka was doing a good job of hiding it and while Black Star wasn't exactly one to be checking out his best friend's wife, the distinct curve under her dress didn't escape his notice. Even approaching the idea of saying something to her about it made his skin crawl for some reason so for the most part he tried to force his eyes away every time her simple gowns betrayed her. While they were technically swiftly approaching Spirit's, Black Star was still left with an even more uncomfortable feeling especially as her pace seemed to slow, feet dragging to the point where he had little to no choice if he was going to keep his word to Soul. "What's wrong with you?" he phrased perfectly as they stood next to the horses that they'd pulled to the brook for water.
"You'll have to be more specific," Maka muttered as she toed some pebbles at the shore. She leaned down to pick up a handful and while she simply wanted to throw them open fist into the water she picked out one delicately and attempted to skip it.
"You've added at least a few days to our time," Black Star said with a rough sigh. "And I'm guessing it's because there's no denying you're pregnant now."
To hell with tossing one at a time as she splattered the rocks on top of the babbling water, making her horse whinny in annoyance. Maka gripped at the cloth around the unmistakable pudge of her stomach, forcing a few breaths before she asked wistfully, "Think I can just make the excuse I got fat?"
His eyebrows raised for a moment, completely caught off guard by the humor since her usual reaction had become much like the night over the fire, before falling into laughter. "You do eat like four grown men combined."
"I'm carrying two babies," Maka reminded him flippantly.
"Before the babies," Black Star shot back as he grinned, hoping she wasn't going for another handful of rocks. "Look, if you're good, it's two days until your dad's. If you keep slowing us like you have, that'll double. From the looks of you, Stein wasn't that far off on his numbers and regardless of your lack of wedding night bliss," that earned him a glare, "means you're putting yourself only a little more than a month and a half from having those babies when we get to Marie's. And that's if we go there right after the ten weeks. Who knows if those two can actually get rid of Medusa on their own."
"Have a little faith." There was the swell of anger that Black Star had expected from her and in a way he welcomed it.
"So get a fucking move on," Black Star grumbled back, ignoring her plea. "I don't want to hang with your dad either, but face it, you're a grown woman, aren't you? You think Papa's got shit to say about you being knocked up after you married a prince?"
"He'll have plenty to say," Maka sighed back as she grabbed the horse's reins, pulling it from the water. "Let's go. If we ride a little longer we can make up some time."
Black Star watched her mount the horse again, his grin shrinking as she seemed to try to hide the bump as much as the look on her face. Do I have to start worrying about you, too, princess?
It was as if Stein had never been injured at all with the way he combed about the castle, fortifying here and improving there. Soul followed him like a puppy when he was allowed to, trying to soak up the knowledge much as he had years ago before he even had the kingdom to worry about. Everything had to be explained twice, once to the people doing the deed and the second to Soul who had thankfully found some stability in the constant creation of order and planning. Free would sometimes play the second hound at the heels, but more so out of the amusement of watching them living in feigned control of the world.
That day, after Free had wandered off and the bustle of the afternoon had started to wane, Soul was still following Stein but found him moving towards the prince's quarters. It seemed out of place but Soul followed dutifully, never questioning until Stein did open the door of his room. There wasn't a pause, not even a glance back at Soul as he walked in, but his voice started the instant the door shut behind them. "You know, I missed the birth of my first son, and now will most definitely miss the birth of the second."
There was no sting in Stein's words but Soul felt it anyway, his eyes dropping to his feet as he took a stuttering breath. "I'm sorry you'll be here with me instead."
"That's not the point of me saying it," Stein added succinctly. "Then again, Marie has always said I deliver empathy rather poorly. Or sympathy." An amused laugh brought Soul's eyes back up to him as Stein motioned to the end of the bed. "You've been upset. It's obvious. It distracts you and you need to be distracted from it because I need you as a fighter, a leader, not a love-sick husband."
"Sorry," Soul let that word repeat, knowing the weak, uselessness of it.
"Here is your distraction." Stein pointed again and Soul finally followed the motion, seeing the two small wooden cribs tucked together on the ground.
Soul barely swallowed something that wanted to be a sob and a groan at the same time. He looked back at Stein with crinkling, quivering lips. "Maybe you are bad at sympathy if you think that I want it thrown in my face that-" Soul cut off as his voice hit a hoarse note, the shouting ruined by threatening tears burning the back of his throat.
Stein grabbed him by the shoulder, forcing him a few steps forward towards the cribs, cracking a smile at the hardness on the boy's face. He knelt next to one, fingers drifting along the edge of the wood. "I was sure that Marie would never forgive me. Mostly for getting her in that position in the first place, but also for being unable to show my love for her and what we created." His nail tapped into the bare wood before he raised his eyes back to Soul. "Before I left, I made sure that everything was ready for her, for our new son. I built most of the necessary things myself, as I built these for you. It takes up time, it takes up space in your mind to create things for those you love."
He let out a warbling sigh, "You've already done most of the work."
Stein shook his head but when he focused back on Soul it was with a grin. "Carpentry was never your strong suit but you were always more of the artistic type." There was glee gleaming in his eyes and while Soul had been trying to set his heart against it, he fell to his knees next to Stein. "You could always paint them. Or, as I caught you doing once, carve the wood like you did that box for Maka's famous gift."
A boyish blush hit his cheeks as he stared at Stein dumbfounded, "You caught me?"
"Well," Stein shrugged. "You were acting very strange that week and Marie had urged me to find out what you were up to. I may have not overheard anything, but I think I pieced the puzzle together well. Then, of course, Black Star was an easy interrogation target."
"Because he can't keep his mouth shut," Soul sighed wistfully, feeling the empty hole left by both of them ache in his gut.
A chuckle left Stein's mouth before he squeezed Soul's shoulder. "So, whittle away at the wood. Perhaps paint what you don't. Make these your own to show her and them that no matter what, you are dedicated to them."
Soul let his head fall to his hands, trying to keep the strain of his tears as silent as he could.
Stein sighed, letting his hand travel to the back of Soul's neck to give him a slight shake. "And let this be the last time you cry over it. Maka wouldn't want it."
"I miss her," he whispered mournfully.
"Of course." He patted Soul's neck before releasing him. "But it is very temporary. Do this for her."
Soul turned bleary, red eyes to him. "Thanks, Stein."
"You're welcome." Stein stood slowly and achingly, turning on his heels in preparation to leave him.
"Stein," Soul called as he got to the door, encouraging Stein to turn his head back to look at him. "I am sorry that you have to be here with me. I wish you could be with Marie."
"If I can't be with my son," he smiled without the delight of it, "It helps to be with the next closest thing."
Maka could no longer tell if the churning in her stomach was the nerves or the babies. The ghostly flutters had started only a day ago but the anxiety had clung to her the moment they'd left the main road and there was no hope of turning back. She had already warned Black Star that the house looming ahead, tucked tightly in trees just off the scraggly path that could barely be called a road was their final resting place. Within a few steps, she was pulling her horse to a halt, slipping out of the saddle preemptively, and watching Black Star silently do the same. He took her reins before jutting his chin forward, a silent urging in the face of all the screaming in her head.
Her hand barely touched the gate when she heard him inside. "Stay here," Spirit muttered back into the house as the door opened. With the angle of the door, his first view was of Black Star and the horses, leaving those thin lips drawing into an even thinner line. "What do you want?"
"A beer would be nice," Black Star muttered.
"Then go to a pub," Spirit growled back. "Don't know who sent you-"
"I did," Maka let the words ring out clearly as she pressed open the gate.
Spirit's head immediately swiveled, his eyes going wide. "Maka?" He was instantly scrambling towards her but as he went to throw his arms around her, her hands planted on his chest.
"Papa, we need to talk."
That voice chilled Black Star, a tone in her he'd never heard before even at those moments when he was sure she was about to kill him. It must have been the same for Spirit because all of them seemed frozen until Black Star pulled the tight knot of the reins against the fence. "Let's go inside," he muttered to the two of them as he firmly grasped Maka's elbow and pulled her out of that halted embrace. He let Maka lead the way, opening the door for him and letting him in before his feet rooted to the floor. "What the fuck?"
Maka quickly grabbed for Black Star, only just stopping him from unsheathing his sword.
"What the fuck is that monster doing here and why the fuck are you not letting me kill it?" Black Star spat over his shoulder at Maka before turning furious eyes back at Crona.
While Crona had grown like the rest of them, his courage in the face of anyone's fury certainly had not. As soon as Black Star started to scream, he had dropped for cover at the edge of the table. "I'm sorry!"
"Put it away," Maka hissed at Black Star as she dug her nails into his arm. "They're not-"
"That thing almost killed Soul," Black Star growled as he ripped away from her, only to get his arm caught by Spirit.
"Listen to Maka," Spirit urged before using his hold on Black Star to get him to his other side, becoming a barrier in front of Crona.
Gears were grinding in Black Star's mind as his glare passed dizzyingly quickly between Maka and Crona. "You're OK with this?"
"I did this," Maka reassured him as her hand came firmly back to his arm. "I asked Papa to watch Crona. Without that sword, without whatever's in that sword, Crona's just… well, harmless."
"I can't believe this shit," Black Star started to mutter as he jammed his sword back down to the hilt. He found the closest chair and threw his back into it. "You got that beer?" he croaked up to Spirit.
"Sorry, no drinking in the house," Spirit muttered glumly.
"What?" shot instantly from Maka's lips, her eyes narrowing at Spirit.
Spirit offered her a smile and took a step closer. "I quit the stuff."
For a moment, Maka's jaw stiffened to keep her lips from quivering. "When did you do that?" The question came with forced casualness, a stale phrase like 'how's the weather?'
With another step he was in range to touch her, his hand already starting to reach out to her as the words trembled off his tongue. "After you left."
Maka whipped out of his grasp and turned for the door, throwing the words messily over her shoulder. "I'm going to see to the horses."
"Maka-"
Black Star's grip on Spirit was firm, yanking him back to allow Maka her escape. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Spirit's face contorted as he hissed, "And who the fuck are you, anyway? I know you're not that prince of hers so why the hell did she come all this way-"
"I'm that prince's best friend, and right now, I'm keeping another promise - to not let her kill you." Black Star allowed for one sigh to grind against the back of his throat into a groan. "Just get that thing to calm down and you just sit down and shut up. I'll get her back in here and try to get her to talk to you like she doesn't want to pull your guts out of your nose." Black Star stomped the rest of the way out, slamming the front door closed behind him. But first, that little princess is getting a piece of my fucking mind about this almost-kill-my-best-friend-but-get-away-with-it business. He followed the easiest path around the side of the house, seeing a little overhang that could be confused as half a barn and her tying up the horses. "Maka!" he shouted but as soon as she turned he wished he could suck the sound back.
Tears were streaming down her face and while a majority of this trip had been punctuated with some form of wailing or another this was nothing like it was before. While he'd seen her wear many faces since they were teens, this was alien, stark devastation that blanched her cheeks and forced the tears to dribble over them. For a second, she looked like she was about to speak but turned from him instead, forcing her eyes out into the darkness.
Black Star kept his steady steps and grabbed her, turning her back towards him to force her into his arms, an unpracticed and rusty maneuver. When's the last time you held a girl? Or, really, held one because of this and not because of some midnight romp. "So the old man's a drunk?" he grunted summarily.
Maka only nodded against his shirt, her slow attempts to suck in air sounding warbled against the fabric.
"Mom's long gone," Black Star listed dejectedly. "Dad would rather drink than take care of you, so you go to Marie's."
This nod was even more agonizingly slow.
"Then you get just about everything you want," Black Star's voice was starting to waver, whatever anger he had there drifted away and forgotten, "The guy you love, a happy little family, and then you have to come back to this mess. Be reminded that all of that goes away, gets taken from you. Hell, gets taken from you twice when you consider Soul going away the first time."
Maka choked again and he tried to tighten his grip on her, tried to hold all of those pieces she'd been slowly gluing back together over the years in place.
"Alright," he shot out a sigh. "I'll forgive you for this stupid bullshit with that freak in there. I assume you have to have a good reason to have saved it instead of murdered, even if it did try to kill Soul."
"Crona," Maka murmured. "Their name is Crona."
"Fine, Crona."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she murmured.
"Apology not accepted for that," Black Star huffed. "You had plenty of time when you could have opened that big mouth of yours."
"I'm sorry," she repeated, and this time that regular amount of annoyance was bubbling back.
"You owe me," he grumbled as he pulled her away from his chest, hands firmly planted on her shoulders. "I think I'm going to force you to promote me. Really make you eat those words about me being immature."
Maka still managed to roll her tear-stained eyes. "You're already captain of the guard."
"Then you better lord me, like Stein," Black Star let a cackle pass his lips, heartened by the way his smirk minutely echoed on her face.
"You can have whatever you want if you get me back to him in time," Maka sighed.
Black Star gave her shoulders a shake, "Means I get to be godfather?"
Maka let out a sharp laugh, "He was probably going to give that to you anyway."
"But you would have fought him tooth and nail," Black Star grinned.
As her hands came to her face to clear what was left of the tears, she shook her head slowly. "No. You're a good friend." She paused before amending, "To all of us."
He dropped his hands away from her, crossing his arms over his chest instead. "Then listen. You're not here to rehash the past. He's not getting your forgiveness and if he asks for it, I'll gut-punch him myself. You're here for him to prove that he can do at least one thing right and offer you a safe space until we can move on back to Marie. That's the game-plan. That's what you tell him in that takes-no-shit way you do when you're angry."
"I…" Maka let the vowel quiver before she pressed her fingers into her eyes again.
"I'm not doing it, if that's what you think this little crying act is going to get you, princess," Black Star huffed as best he could but felt his instincts pushing to touch her again so he sent a hand to her shoulder to pull her along. They started walking toward the front of the house and there was a modicum of relief in the way Maka held her head tall, her breath starting to come easily again. He let her open the door though he was immediately behind her, a glower on his face meant to silence any possible interruption before it began. It was mostly successful, leaving Spirit with just a sour face, but Crona instantly sunk from it to look at Maka.
"Welcome home, Maka," he tried cheerfully but it ended up sounding closer to panicked.
"Thank you, Crona," Maka moved to them first, getting close enough that she could put a soft hand on their shoulder. "I hope you've been alright."
"Fine, thank you," there was a little more chipperness to it and the smile was less frantic at the edges. "I'm sorry if I-" they shot an anxious look at Black Star before stuttering off.
"It's not you," the buoyancy was back in Maka's voice. "It was my fault. I just didn't tell Black Star so he was still a little upset about what happened with Soul."
"For good reason," Black Star muttered.
"Yes, for good reason," she shot over her shoulder with little patience before turning back to Crona with that saintly, sweet voice. "It won't be a problem."
Spirit cleared his throat, "Can we start from the beginning again?"
Black Star hid it as a grab of her shoulder but it was that urge coming back to him to soothe her against his better judgment, and he pulled her into the seat across from her father so he could tower over her. That hand stayed firmly planted regardless. "Go ahead, princess."
"I don't need your permission," she grumbled.
He let out an incredulous snort of a laugh as he resisted the urge to flick her cheek, pulling away his hand instead so he could cross his arms over his chest.
"Papa," Maka followed this by a slow inhale. "Things at the castle became a little too dangerous and now I just need a place to stay that's safe, where I'll be unknown for a while."
"Too dangerous?" Spirit balked. "What does that mean?"
"It means," she had to urge another trembling breath, "that I'm pregnant so fighting isn't exactly an option right now." Her eyes hesitantly fell on Spirit's face to watch the revolution of at least ten different emotions. It started with shock, flowing almost instantly into a fleeting second of joy to only be overtaken with a quick succession of flashes that Maka couldn't even hope to identify.
"You're having a baby?" squeaked out with a final settle back into awe.
"Babies," Maka corrected with a sigh. "Twins."
"Babies?" Spirit choked out. Maka nodded but just as she opened her mouth to continue and simply edge right past the subject, Spirit continued. "How?"
A withering sigh left her lips, "How do you think?"
That left Spirit smoldering long enough for Black Star to let out a grunt of a laugh and add, "And trust me, they weren't lazy about it."
"Black Star," Maka hissed at him as she struck a glare over her shoulder.
"What?" He shrugged. "You two didn't even need the bet about your life for an heir."
"A bet?" Spirit practically screeched.
Maka was still gritting her teeth at Black Star as she grumbled, "I had to assure the Queen that I would produce an heir in order to even get married in the first place."
"So you wagered your life on it?" Spirit spat back at her as he started out of his chair. "I knew I never should have let Stein-"
"Don't you dare," Maka slapped his words out of the air with the snap of her tongue. "You don't get to say that you let him do anything. Stein and Marie saved me, and you should know that I am officially Marie's daughter."
His brow furrowed as his mouth hung open, "When the hell did that happen?"
Her voice was chillingly soft and Black Star saw her jaw set hard, "I needed to be a lady to marry Soul in the first place."
"A lady," he started counting on his fingers, splaying them for her, "Married, pregnant, what else am I now finally allowed to know?"
"She's a princess," Black Star corrected. "About to be Queen." The irritation was obvious in his sigh and while Maka was ready to yell at him again, he barrelled through. "And there's no point in arguing about it. All we need to know is whether or not you're going to help your daughter. We'll need ten weeks here. That's all. So, yes or no?"
"Of course the answer's yes-"
"Great," Black Star didn't allow for another word, moving Maka again by grabbing her by the bicep and practically lifting her from the seat. "We're done for the night. I assume she has a room that used to be hers." He directed that more towards Maka and she instantly picked up the pace. She didn't bother with a glance at Spirit but offered a soft hand over Crona's shoulder as she passed. Maka led Black Star down the short hallway, making a quick turn into the second room on the left before screeching to a halt just in the doorway. "Stay here," Black Star ordered as he released her. "I'll get the things from the horses."
He was gone before Maka could offer him an answer, the door shut almost on her back. The room was unchanged and strangely free of dust as if there had still been living done in the room. She took another step closer to the bed but lost the nerve for another, her eyes glancing over the familiar blankets and books at the bedside. Somehow the smell was even still the same, a mix of the dried flowers that she always hung from the rafters and the ink of old pages. After a few deep breaths, her feet brought her to the bed and her knees left her to do nothing more than to sit.
Black Star was back as quickly as he had gone, barging back through the door to deposit all of their goods to the floor without ceremony. He kicked the door shut with his foot and let out a long breath. "That went well."
Maka gave him a weak frown in reply.
"There's nothing he doesn't know now and you didn't kill him," Black Star stated with a sharp laugh. "I'll take that as a success, at least for tonight."
Looking at him only seemed to egg on the smile on his face so Maka collapsed on her side, hugging tightly to the pillow as she struggled to try to forget where she was and, even for a second, who she was. It was nowhere close to working, her mind refusing to do anything but start to backtrack through the childhood memories that lingered around her like the smells when Black Star collapsed next to her. She turned over quickly in the bed, finding him laying casually on the other side. "What the hell are you doing?"
He snorted a laugh, "You can't expect me to sleep on the floor."
"I expect you not to sleep next to me," Maka shot back.
"Why?" he offered with every ounce of honesty.
"I'm married."
"Yeah, I know," Black Star waved his hand at her casually. "To my best friend. Who told me to guard you. And guarding you from the same bed makes it pretty easy."
Maka sat up quickly, glowering from above him. "You can't be serious."
"Deadly serious," Black Star answered back with a little chuckle as he let his eyes close. "It's not like I move in my sleep anyway. Bet you won't even notice I'm here."
"That's not the point!" Maka hissed at him but he was entirely unmoving, eyes shut and hands resting clasped on his chest. There was a brief moment spent contemplating strangling every last bit of air from him but since she'd already been unsuccessful at it once, she wasn't entirely willing to try it again. Instead, she threw herself back on her side, leaving her back as her final message to him. Of course, in her head, there were plenty more messages after, a string of curses and accusations of buffoonery that surprisingly stole her away from the past and left her very aware of only the present annoyance.
It was just as her eyes were feeling heavy, the only energy she had left to expel used in the slow stroke of her hand over the swell of her belly when his voice started again in a low whisper, "Stein took me, too, you know that?"
Maka blinked her eyes open into the dark and since there wasn't another sound she was almost sure she'd half dreamed it. After a pause, she risked a murmur back, "From where?"
"Bandit den." It didn't necessarily sound like Black Star's voice anymore, now completely flat of the usual amusement and gusto.
"Did they kidnap you?"
"No."
Her brow furrowed in thought, nibbling on her lip for a moment before starting again. "Why were you there then?"
"I was just a baby." The answer seemed like nonsense so she waited, hearing him take in a long breath. "Even if I was technically a bandit too, Stein couldn't kill me. So he just took me."
"But you were living with Soul…"
"Was one of the times Stein was out with Prince Wes on a campaign," he continued slowly as if each word was like fitting a puzzle piece. "I think it was because he was still thinking about Soul just being born and all and I guess… Prince Wes felt sorry for me, had Stein take me back and I was raised like Soul's shadow."
For what seemed like the first time in her life she struggled to put together the words, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Black Star answered back with none of the same agonizings in thought. "I didn't know them and I got Soul instead. For the big deal people make of parents, sometimes they're the last thing you need." As Maka tried to chew that over, to dissect it, he filled the darkness again. "I was wrong, huh?"
"About what?" Against her previous cursing, she rolled onto her back to study his face, finding him completely unchanged except for the moving lips.
"I guessed you went to Marie's. Didn't sound like you had much of a choice, so why didn't you correct me?" It was eerie how still he was beside the lips.
"Because I'd rather pretend that's what it was," Maka murmured.
That settled back into a long silence and while Maka waited for new words from him, another low whisper, instead his hand untangled from the other and awkwardly pressed to her stomach. "You're going to be better than that. You and Soul."
She couldn't figure out what it was but there was no chance she had the heart to push his hand away. A strange swell of tears risked releasing for a moment. If we get the chance. Sometimes it still doesn't feel real, it feels- but the thought was cut instantly by the fluttering movement in her stomach again.
Black Star snatched back his hand, making half a yelp as his eyes shot open, "They moved!"
For the first time since they left, Maka laughed without restraint. "They do that."
"That was…" and suddenly it was Black Star again, all grins and loudness, "... disgusting. How the hell do you even sleep like that?"
"You get used to it," she murmured through a smile. Just like I guess I'll get used to you.