Maka and Marie's discussion is literally the one happening in my head right now - because pregnancy romance? I don't know. I'm not settled on it.

One of the babies digging a foot or hand into Maka's organs brought her halfway from sleep while the complete absence of his warmth behind her brought her clear to the surface, her eyes shooting open and then around the room. Soul was seated on the window sill, the moon gently drawing an outline of his face that made the murmur jump from her mouth, "You're very handsome, you know that?"

He jumped slightly and in the dim light, she could see the boyish dust of pink on his cheeks. "What are you doing awake?"

"I told you, your babies like to move."

"Our babies," he corrected gently before he leaned as if he would stand but stuck there.

"They're yours when they're trouble," Maka teased as she pressed up on her elbow. She gave him a moment to chuckle before she dropped the grin. "Soul, I want to give you time, I do, but I'm… well, I'm pregnant. I'm tired. I've had a hard couple of months and I don't have the patience to wait. Tell me what's wrong. We said no secrets and now's the worst time to start them."

A sigh carrying the entire weight of it all fell from his lips as he knocked his head against the window frame. "I'm angry with myself."

"Or me, or Black Star," she offered plainly.

Soul quickly shook his head, "No, not you two. It wouldn't be rational to be mad at you two. I see that, I know that, so I'm mad at myself for feeling it in the first place."

A soft, glum smile hit her lips as she shook her head softly. "Why are you jealous?"

The word stung him almost as much as the feeling and a grunt fell from his lips as if she'd hit him. "He touched you, he slept next to you-"

"Not like that," Maka's shake came firmly.

"It feels like that," he murmured. "And I let him. I made that his job."

"Again, not like that," it was harsh and exasperated so Maka forced a slow breath before continuing. "Black Star touched me when he had to. When it was necessary."

The bile rose in his throat and came like venom to his lips instead. "Which would be fine if he never loved you too."

Maka blinked as the words slapped her in the face. "Soul… no. I know I teased you, said that I knew both of you well, but-"

"Not you," Soul urged. "But he did. I know your memory's not as bad as mine so you have to remember, it was the only thing he and I ever fought about."

Maka's mind was running a panicked track, searching along each nook and cranny for a glimpse of it. "Was that… around the new year? We must have been thirteen or fourteen. You two… didn't talk for a week but neither of you ever said anything to me."

"It was the only time he let me hit him and actually hurt him," Soul murmured as he dug his knuckles into his thigh. "I gave him a black eye."

"I remember, but… Soul, he never said anything, did anything," Maka was completely at a loss and was trying to edge out of bed when his hovering hand between them stopped her.

Soul sucked in air but it was thin, not enough to carry his words making them cracked and brittle off his lips. "He didn't have to, Maka, and because he's Black Star, he didn't want to and wasn't about to but he had to admit it to me. He's my best friend and he knew how I felt but… he didn't have to try anything because I knew. I knew you made more sense with him."

That propelled her feet forward because she needed to grab onto him and give him a frenzied shake and even that barely felt like enough as her fingers dug into his shoulders. "Soul, this is ridiculous! I am your wife, I love you and if you asked him now I'm almost sure he would tell you that he doesn't feel that way about me."

"Why wouldn't he?" Soul offered back glumly. "Why wouldn't he still love you? You're the same. You're still…" he reached for her, ready to lovingly send a hand through her hair when she grabbed it, holding it tightly in the air.

"Because he wouldn't do that to you," Maka punched each word into his gut. "He did what he had to because it's not me he loves, it's you. You have always been the most important person to him and now…" She shook her head in exasperation as she pushed air through her nose. "I'm glad you see how foolish this is, Soul, or right now I'd be wringing your neck."

Soul used her grip to pull her closer and she allowed him to rest his head against her, finding an odd angle where the curve of her stomach met the curve of her breast. "You should strangle me." He clutched at her waist, bringing her tightly to him and Maka found her knees resting on the sill between his legs and threatening to collapse into his lap. "I just… I missed it. I missed all those moments with you and he got them, Crona got them, even your father while I… I lost all of that time with you. And worse," he lifted his head as scarlet eyes pleaded with her, "you were hurting and I wasn't there to take care of you."

"And whose fault was that, Soul?" Maka offered honestly.

"I know you won't say it's mine, but… it's fucking mine," he hissed out the last words painfully.

"Even if it was, which is most certainly isn't, you missed…" Maka let her hands rest on his cheeks. "You missed nothing."

"No secrets," he pressed. She withered, bending into him and Soul used it as an excuse to pull her into his lap. His face slipped into the crux of her neck as his arms roamed her sides. "Tell me, please."

"It's not important," Maka whispered back softly.

"It is to me," he murmured. "I know you saw your mother."

"Now I have to strangle Black Star too," Maka muttered.

Soul pulled his head from its hiding place, practically coming nose to nose with her. "How many times did I watch you cry over her? I can't give it a number and I can't tell you how much I've hated to see it and now you're trying to tell me seeing her was nothing? Maka-"

She kissed him softly, trapping any words he had after with the sudden sweetness. After she'd coaxed him with a few brushes of her tongue she let her fingers drift across his cheek. "I won't lie to you."

"Then tell me," he let out breathlessly.

"No," she whispered but clutched tightly to him, not allowing the balk at her steadiness. "I always wanted for both of you to see me only as strong. I had spent my life being the unfortunate one, and while Stein and Marie always loved me, it was too obvious at first that they felt sorry for me. They grew out of it, but I never wanted either of you to see me that way, especially you. So, no, Soul, I don't want to spill all of those tears again about my mother, but I want to show you how strong I am by ordering you to grow the hell up and to go back to doing what you're good at: loving me."

"I do love you," he breathed out as he nuzzled his nose to hers.

"And again," her voice was firm but low, barely coming out against his lips. "I am your wife. I married you. I haven't thought about another person-"

He captured the rest on her lips as he teased the feeling out of her rather than the words. Soul's hand clutched into the fabric of her gown and he just stopped at the ties, his mind suddenly catching up with him. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"You should be," she murmured. Though maybe I'm not entirely sure what you are sorry about. "But not for being apart from me, not for what you feel was sending me away, but for trying to keep us apart now. I need you. I need you like this to keep me strong."

Soul woke her with soft, lingering caresses, his fingers dipping into her hair as he pressed a few tender kisses to her forehead. "Marie's waiting for you." Maybe it was something close to regret in his voice, still wanting her all for himself but hoping that this was the mother she needed.

"Let her come in, please, but…" Maka clenched a fist into his shirt as she let her knuckles rest against his sternum. "What will you be up to?"

"A few things," he answered cautiously. Those verdant eyes refused to waver and he sighed. "I'll… I'll talk to Black Star, promise."

He received half a kiss as a reward, her lips just brushing his lower one. "Then make the arrangements for the girl-Medusa thing."

"Today?" It wasn't a practiced motion like Maka's but his fingers tentatively came to her stomach. "You're sure you're feeling alright?"

She placed a firm hand over his, guiding him to rub contently over the swell. "If it's not today, when? Stein said she gets stronger the longer she stays in that body, so… we can't waste time."

Soul cleared his throat, "If Marie agrees to it."

Maka rolled her eyes as she gave his chest a push. "That is unfair."

He gave her a playful grin, "I know, but mother knows best." Soul turned a caress of her cheek into a flick of her nose as he jumped from the bed just out of her reach. "I'll be back."

"Don't poison Marie with any-" but he was out the door before she could admonish him anymore. As Maka was sitting up in the bed Marie peeked in.

"Ready for me?"

"Always." Maka let the genuine sigh of relief pass her lips though she was never quite sure if it was Marie working her magic or just her very existence. She didn't lend it much thought as she motioned Marie closer and without hesitation the other woman climbed into the bed, filling the space Soul had just vacated.

"I have a million questions," Marie murmured, "but I'm going to guess that you have a million and two, so why don't you start."

Maka worked her fingers into the sheets for a moment, picking at the pilling just as she was the words in her head. "Did… did Papa tell you Mama was around?"

"Around," Marie let out a long sigh. "Yes, and he also said she was nearby, though…" The thought trailed off as Marie's eyebrows furrowed at her. "Do you want her here? I can't say that she'll listen to me but between Spirit and I, maybe-"

"I want her to be here if she wants to be here," Maka said with a soft finality.

Marie pursed her lips, gaped for a moment, then thought better of it. "Has anyone seen to you while you were one the road?"

"Seen to me?" Maka's forehead wrinkled.

"The babies," Marie let a tentative finger touch Maka's stomach. "A midwife, priestess, anything?"

Maka shook her head slowly. "I… to be honest, I've tried not to think too much about it other than they will come when they come since, well, I'm still scared about what they are. Stein says they're fine-"

"Then they're fine," Marie urged back. "He wouldn't lie to you. But I know the changes in your body can seem terrifying, abnormal even when they are normal. How are you handling that?"

For a second, Maka's eyes went wide and her lip quivered as she tried to force it into a smile. Instead, the gushing wave hit her harder than any of the babies' kicks as the words started to spew from her mouth. "I'm not! I'm uncomfortable all the time and every part of me feels swollen. Not to mention the fact that I want to eat almost every moment of the day but everything upsets my stomach and the smells. Marie, half of the things I used to like smell awful and so much stronger than they used to. My breasts are sore, I can't sleep for more than half the night and my legs cramp whenever they like. And now he's here," that turned into a forlorn yelp as the tears came to her eyes.

Marie moved a hand to Maka's shoulder, rubbing it as she nodded with each rising complaint. "And Soul's not handling it well?"

"Well, he acted like an idiot," Maka huffed, "but last night he seemed better. We… I thought maybe…" She cut herself off with a frustrated groan as she shook her head. "It's ridiculous, embarrassing."

"Nothing's ridiculous," Marie cooed. "Did he say something?"

"Not exactly," Maka sighed and let the air tremble over her lip as she went back to picking at the sheet. Her eyes had nowhere to go but they couldn't stay on Marie's face, instead trailing the patterns she was making with her nail. "This body barely feels like mine anymore," she murmured, "but even with that… I still, I wish… the way we kissed last night for a second I thought, but we can't. I'm… it's wrong, isn't it? And it's not like this is even attractive anyway, to even imagine he'd want to!" That blubbered into a groan as she pressed the heel of her palm to her eyes and a heated blush of embarrassment burned across her cheeks.

"Oh," Marie let the surprise move her eyebrows before she let out a hiccup of a laugh. "That's all? That's what's bothering you?"

"That's all?" Maka almost shrieked back.

"Darling," Marie smoothed a hand over her hair. "Yes, you're carrying his babies, but you are still the woman he loves. Maybe your body is a little different right now but unless he's said so, I doubt he's lost any love for you. And if he has said so, I'll murder him," she chimed softly, earning half a smile from Maka. "If you want him to kiss you, tell him so. If you want more than that, tell him so. And if anyone's told you it's wrong, then let me correct it. It's fine to want to be close, be intimate-"

Maka had to blurt over the word, the bashfulness painting her face with more color. "But the babies!"

"Aren't involved," Marie laughed. "Though be careful, there's an old wive's tale that too much can encourage labor."

"Marie," Maka whined.

She shook her head quickly, "But it's never hurt a baby that I know. But, maybe, at least just having a conversation with Soul about it…"

Maka moaned out a panicked cry before letting the tantrum of words explode from her mouth, "After this, no more babies!"

That encouraged a healthy laugh from Marie as she collapsed back into the bed. "Oh, darling, maybe not, but you never know."

Soul jammed his hands in his pockets and started heavy steps down to the courtyard. Each footfall was mired by guilt tainted with the sweet memory of her assertions of being his. I shouldn't feel proud of that, not with the way I've been thinking lately. I need to earn that. I need to do what she said - give her strength. That decision didn't relieve the shrinking in his gut as he caught sight of the blue hair over the fence to the fighting ring. As his footsteps plodded into the dust it became eyes peeking over the edge instead.

Black Star shot to his feet, throwing his arms over the fence and leaning in with a grin. "See you slept in."

"She spent a good portion of the night letting me know I was an idiot," Soul pressed an awkward hand to the back of his neck and wrung it there.

He raised his eyebrows, "With clothes on or off?"

Soul's cheeks pinked, "Shut up. She's pregnant."

Black Star snickered, "Don't think that stops most of the world."

While his eyebrows contemplated shooting up his head, Soul reined them in. "It's none of your business anyway," he tried to hiss but a squeak hit the middle that forced him to clear his throat. "And about the two of you…"

"Oh?" Black Star edged closer, his eyes narrowing to read it off of Soul's skin before the words even came from his mouth.

Soul offered a rough hand between the two of them as his fingers shook slightly. "I'm an idiot."

He snorted as a reply, "Good, because I wasn't going to let you give me another black eye."

A grimace started to tremble at the edge of Soul's mouth, "And I might have, well, I got pissed and I told her about the fight."

"Oh, fuck," Black Star griped. "Tell me you didn't tell her-" he cut the thought as Soul's grimace practically stretched to his chin and let it evolve into a throaty groan. "You know she's going to wave that in my face for the rest of our fucking lives."

Soul shrugged weakly, "I don't think she believed me all that much if it helps."

The sour curl of his lips quickly destroyed any hope of that being taken as the truth.

"Either way, I'm sorry," Soul finally let it fall from his mouth just like the weight from his chest.

Black Star looked up at him, that frank blankness on his face. "You're my best friend."

"Same," Soul nodded through it glumly, "and acting like that didn't fucking show it."

He crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a deep huff of air. "Does that mean you're not too proud to take my advice now?"

"It wasn't pride," he grumbled.

"Hurt pride, sure," Black Star shot right back. "But I don't give a shit about that - you're going to do what I said, right? All that blubbering is over and you're going to go back to being stupidly in love with her."

"All of that," he laughed roughly. "Except for one suggestion."

Black Star let the grimace come back, "I don't like the sound of that."

If approaching Black Star had created a pit in his stomach this was a giant ravine, a colossal leftover from an asteroid strike. "I'm going to talk to her father."