As requested/inspired by SleepinBeautyK, you get some extra fluff. This will be your last fluff chapter for a little bit, so enjoy it.
Maka tried to tone down the joyful smile that wouldn't seem to quit tugging at the corner of her mouth as they walked back to the main house. Even with the idea that this was a temporary utopia, Maka couldn't drive away the utter contentment at the repeated memories of the night before into the morning. Soul had refused to let her go, tangled in her when they woke up in the morning even though he must have been choking on her hair. In the light of the morning, he was still completely enamored, fingers begging to touch every inch as soon as her eyes were open. She was sure, as his sleepy eyes closed again to get his first kiss of the morning, that this was permanent.
She peeked back at him one more time before touching the door, finding a devilish smirk splitting his lips as if he'd followed her line of thought. "Tone it down," Maka teased.
"Ah, I'll get one look of Black Star's ugly mug and it'll disappear." Regardless of the promise, his face was still bright as they entered the house.
"About fucking time." Black Star looked up from his phone, his own lopsided smirk starting. "Oh, look at you."
"Shut up," Soul warned before heading for the couch, ready to knock Black Star in the head.
"Hey, hey," Black Star put up his hands innocently but risked a glance at Maka. "You look happy this morning too. All made up, I see."
Maka rolled her eyes as her only dignified response before leaving them in the living room in search of Marie. She wouldn't risk letting Black Star know a thing, even though Soul would probably gab at some point, but she knew Marie at least would want a hint of their stability.
"What am I late for?" Soul grumbled.
Black Star motioned lamely upstairs. "The little one wanted to go over and wake you up this morning. I told her 'no' since, well, for obvious reasons. Look at that dumb smirk on your face." He paused for a laugh which earned him a cuff to one of his ears. "Seriously, it's stupid looking. But congrats on the sex, dude."
"Oh," Kim beamed as she walked in from the kitchen. "Congrats from me, too! Couldn't have happened with anyone better, seriously."
"I'm going to murder both of you," Soul sighed.
"After you fix things with the kid. She's been upstairs pouting since."
"You were probably a dick about the 'no,'" Soul admonished but he was still walking back towards the stairs instead of berating Black Star for the apology. Each stair gave a scream as he trudged and the only closed door opened as he got to the top. Light green eyes blinked at him through the crack before it slammed shut again. "Well, shit," Soul muttered. He opted for knocking.
"Go away," came the pert little answer right behind the door.
"Good morning to you, too." Soul knocked again. "Let me in, kid."
"No!" Soul sighed and turned the knob anyway, swinging the door open to find the cute little face he was used to looking a little too much like Marie's 'I'm disappointed in you' glare. "I told you no, Soul!" Her little fist was knocking into his stomach a little too close for comfort to his stitches but he sucked it up. As soon as he wrapped a hand around her wrist he noticed the tears.
"Hey, Shelley, come on," he murmured as he got down on his knees, scooping her into his arms. "What's wrong?"
"Everything's weird," she moaned. "We came to this house, Mom was angry, and brother said I'm not allowed to see you and…" The rest dissolved into hiccuped sobs.
"Yeah, alright, Shelley, I know," he started smoothing her hair while the other hand held firm to her back. "Things aren't normal, I know, but I promise it's just for a little. And your brother was being an asshole."
"You're not supposed to say that word," she admonished softly from the crux of his neck.
"Right," he laughed softly. "Just, Maka and I were tired. We needed some rest, so he didn't want you to wake us up. We're here now and we'll spend the rest of the day with you."
"I just want you." She sounded miserably firm and Soul did everything he could not to laugh again.
"What's wrong with Maka?" He pulled Shelley away from her hiding spot, getting a full view of the pouting lip with eyes that were focused on the floor. "I thought you were getting to know her. She's my friend. I like her."
"You love her," Shelley corrected. She technically wasn't too sure of the difference, but the way Black Star had snapped it at her this morning made it seem important.
Soul choked on a laugh, "Yeah, OK, kid, I love Maka. But I love you, too, right?"
She seemed begrudged to answer but gave it up anyway, "Yes."
"And the way I love you is way different." He pressed the button of her nose, making a smile momentarily pop at the corners of her mouth. "You're my baby sister. You get how important that is to me, right?" He gripped her tiny hand in his as she nodded slowly. "That's something Maka's never gonna be. Hell, no one other than you is ever gonna be that to me, got it?"
"Nobody?" Shelley narrowed her eyes at him. "What if Mom has another baby?"
"No way," Soul shook his head firmly. Mostly because I can bet Marie's not having another, but… "You're my only sister, forever, always, cross my heart, hope to die-"
"No," Shelley gasped at the word and Soul felt the ground shift beneath his feet.
He couldn't imagine anyone had told her, but there was no keeping uneasiness from kids. There was no way to wash away the reality that everyone in this house was preparing for it in some way. Shelley might not know about death but she sure as hell knew that her brothers and her father were in some kind of limbo and had been for years. She wasn't a stranger to the tense way her mother watched them come and go or the fact that her father never left the house like other dads.
"Shelley, let's make a promise, OK?" He waited until she nodded tentatively. "No matter what, I promise, pinky swear, that I'm going to love you. No matter what happens, no matter where I go or you go, you can be sure of that. Got it?" He held out his pinky for her.
"What am I promising?" Shelley looked at his dangling finger.
"Same thing," Soul shrugged.
Shelley grasped her tiny finger around his, giving it a tug. "Forever."
"Always, kid." Soul pulled her back in with no fight this time, tiny fists clenching into his shirt. He settled down on the floor, letting her hold on as tightly and as long as she needed while he went back to smoothing her hair. The door creaked behind him but Soul didn't bother to look, just waiting for the voice.
"Shelley?" It was Maka and Soul was almost sure that was a bad idea, the new promise so tenuous. Maka knelt down next to him and he noticed the mugs in her hands, his mouth suddenly watering at the idea of coffee. "I brought up some hot cocoa."
One seafoam eye appeared under Soul's neck as he raised an eyebrow at Maka.
"I know it's your favorite and it's because I'm bribing you," Maka offered frankly as she edged the cup closer. "I have work to do today, so I'm going to go back to the little house. Will you keep Soul company?"
"Hey, I'm a big boy," Soul griped regardless of the sweetness. Plus, if you're doing work, I should be doing work, duh. "And what work are you doing?" he prodded softly.
"I thought I'd try calling Eibon's assistant. I'll have to go there tomorrow no matter what, but I was trying to think of a few alternatives for the week."
"You're going back to the city tomorrow?" He tried not to make that a nervous shriek especially with the little one clutched to his chest.
"Yes," Maka raised her eyebrows. "But we can figure that out tonight, right? After Black Star tells us the plan for the week. Right now I'm trying to talk to Shelley."
Soul tried to produce some cute annoyance but it was nothing more than fear that gripped his words. "Yeah, later. Hey, Shelley, what do you say?"
Shelley's full face finally appeared, "What kind of hot cocoa?"
Soul chuckled, "There are kinds?"
"The little marshmallow kind." Maka's smile glowed as she offered the cup just a little closer. "The best kind in my opinion." Soul watched as a reserved smile barely took hold on Shelley's face. She slipped out of his arms and sat on the floor between them, offering both hands as Maka carefully deposited the cup in them. "And for you." Just like the heavenly angel she was, Maka handed over the second cup with delightfully robust smelling coffee to Soul's very willing hand.
"You're amazing," Soul murmured as he blew over the top of the cup.
"I know," Maka smirked.
"Maybe I was talking to the coffee," he smirked.
A frown wrinkled Maka's lips, "Watch it, or I'm going to leave you with Shelley all day."
"That's not so bad," Shelley shot back. "Soul likes spending the day with me."
"Yeah," Soul agreed heartily but he still grabbed at Maka's free hand. "You're pretty cool, too."
"Thanks," Maka rolled her eyes before focusing them back on Shelley. "So, until three o'clock, please watch him."
"Again, I'm a big boy," Soul complained.
Maka refused the laugh that was threatening to break through. "Make sure he doesn't get crabby. He's thinking about a lot, we all are, but I'm afraid it's going to make him sad if we leave him alone."
"I'm right here," Soul's renewed criticism was verging on breathless as he watched the way Shelley seemed to clutch to each word. Maka's treating her like a big kid. Telling her as much of the truth as she can probably handle.
"I will," Shelley nodded firmly.
"Thank you," Maka reached out a hesitant hand, letting it sway for a moment between them. She was sure Shelley would shoo away, probably still on the fence about the relationship that still just barely seemed to be starting. Instead, Shelley watched Maka expectantly, so she let her hand smooth just once over the girl's hair. "I'll see you both later."
"Hey," Soul refused to let her hand go. "If you need me…"
"I know," she cooed back before letting the hand that just left Shelley repeat the motion on him. "Have fun." He let her slip from between his fingers as she stood.
Soul tried not to feel the loss as she walked out the door because it was irrational, childish. It was easier when he brought his eyes back to Shelley, seeing the contented smile popping over the edge of her cup as she took her first sip. At that moment, he could actually have a laugh at his own expense. I'm a sucker for a blond.
Maka welcomed the sight of the group of them in the yard even though she swore her attention wasn't on them. Setting the desk up right at the window had doomed her to this since her eyes effortlessly drifted from the screen to playful romping in the beginnings of autumn leaves. These were the moments that convinced Maka that Soul had torn himself in two somewhere along the way, probably not long after Nana passed, and let one side of himself drift into darkness while the other thrived in these moments of light that he allowed himself. To watch him chase Shelley through the yard looked nothing more than natural, but she knew in a matter of a few days she'd watch him kill someone and it would be just as fluid for him. And is that something that can be unlearned? Forgotten? Or is it just something he has to do, so he does? Remember, he doesn't enjoy it. His need to hurt those men was in reaction to their willingness to hurt you.
Soul's eyes scanned from the fun to the house and Maka wondered if he could see her in the window. Her answer came as a wave from Soul before he leaned over, sharing a whisper with Shelley before starting the walk towards the cottage. Shelley remained happily zooming across the lawn, Black Star and Kim now the objects of the game at hand. The clack of the front door brought her eyes from the play to the doorway, a smile ready to greet him when he finally appeared in the doorway. "I told you three o'clock."
He chuckled as he leaned against the door frame, "The warden let me out early."
"Yes, you looked like you were suffering out there," Maka played through a sympathetic nod.
"That girl will run you ragged," Soul smiled. "Thanks for… I guess understanding."
"She's going through a lot," Maka shrugged. "Is she at least feeling better?"
"Sort of." Soul's arms crossed his chest as he let out a long sigh. "I think she's known her whole life that what she's got at home isn't normal and her birthdays are usually the best reminder of that."
Maka gauged him in the doorway, his eyes narrowing slightly under the weight of her stare. "What happened on her sixth birthday?"
His eyebrows almost hit his hairline. "Who the fuck told you about that?"
She blinked, "Am I not supposed to know about that?"
He cleared his throat, "No, sorry, just…" He ran a hand over his face before exhaling a rough sigh. "That was a really shitty day and I don't talk about it."
"You don't or you won't?" Maka offered back.
A weak laugh tumbled from his lips, "Nosy to the bitter end, Maka. Alright, I'll tell you, but upstairs."
"Upstairs?" It was her turn for her eyebrows to bounce inquisitively.
"I think I've decided that the only way I want to tell you the hard stuff is laying next to you, fingers in your hair." He turned quickly to hide the rosy streak to his cheeks and the lovesick sigh that broke his lips with it. Maka only let him get to the bottom of the stairs before she caught up to him, slipping her fingers into his as they ascended the stairs. He lost her hand as they reached the bed, Soul kicking off his shoes before easing onto his side. She was quick to follow, facing him on her side to give him easy access.
Soul was up on his elbow, the first of his motions starting as soon as her head was on the pillow. "Shelley's sixth birthday." This was locked tight and Soul had to clear the rust from his throat. "Started off the same as usual. In the park with me and Black Star and Marie, Stein obviously at home. Shelley and I were playing on the swings when I noticed Black Star and Marie getting into it. Marie was trying not to scream and it was obvious Black Star wasn't doing her any favors. I know I should've kept Shelley away from it, but Black Star was making his way over to us anyway, yelling over his shoulder the whole time."
"It was bullshit," Soul felt the same old anger well up in his chest, that deep self-loathing that had followed him right out of the memory. He forced his hands through her golden tresses again, trying to suck out the comfort. "The boss had called and wanted us to do a job. It's always like she had a sixth-sense for this kind of shit, always calling when you're at your happiest to ruin it all. And that's what she did. Black Star tells me we're leaving and I knew that we should stay but I didn't argue. I looked at Marie and while I've seen more than one look of disappointment from my own mom, seeing it on Marie's face felt as good as having my guts ripped out through my nose."
He took a deep breath through a clenched jaw, leaning his head down to press his lips to her hairline. "Then I look back to Shelley and Black Star's saying goodbye. She was crying and I tried to go to hold her and she hit me away. She hit me and… oh, goddamnit, she looked me in the face and told me she hated me. If I left, she didn't want to see me again." Another painful breath eked through his lips. "And I didn't say shit back. I walked off with Black Star pretending that I didn't give a shit about a six-year-old's opinion."
"What job was it?" There was no way to soften the blow of the question but she tried, her hand trailing under his shirt to let the warmth of her hand trying to ease the pain in his chest.
Even with her affection, the answer felt ice-cold from his lips. "The one where I got my last charge." He knew he should stop but as he pressed another kiss against her forehead he felt the rest hopelessly loosen. "Ironically, the only reason he's not dead was that Medusa stopped me since she needed him alive. I tortured him within a fucking inch of his life and I honestly didn't even notice it. I just…"
"You were angry." Maka's hand smoothed against his chest again, bringing back that bright glow to his skin. "He was the reason you couldn't have your family and you wanted him to know it."
"I was the reason," Soul grumbled. "He was just the easiest person to blame." He begrudgingly took his hand out of her hair, fishing under his shirt to grab her busy fingers. As he looked down at her, those jade eyes blinked up at him. "Is this how you do it? This goddamn hand to my heart?"
"Do what?" There was a moment of fear until she read the smile tugging at his lips.
"Just know, just read my fucking mind like you know what I've done, what I'm thinking." He pulled her hand out so he could look at the fingers, examining them for information.
Maka flexed them in his grasp, letting out a soft laugh. "You're really not that hard to understand, Soul. I know you want to be a mystery, be cool, but I'm sorry. I've figured you out."
"Maka, I haven't been cool around you since day one," he laughed.
"You're pretty cool now." Maka untangled her fingers from his grasp and used them to delicately brush over his cheek. "Telling me all this, being open. I like it a lot better than the beginning."
Soul leaned into her touch. "Didn't think I could do it, to be honest, but… if that's what it takes to be with you, I'll do it." He feathered his lips over hers, engrossed by the way her finger lit a trail along his jaw. It took time before he broke them and let a sigh pass between them. "And that's why I'm going to tell you the last part without you asking. After I did that, I went back to the apartment. I cried. Didn't sleep. Waited until it was a decent hour and went to Marie's house - remember, I was in so that was something not allowed - and told her I quit. That I was choosing her and Shelley and that kind of life instead of blood on my hands. That's when I became this Soul, I guess."
"Wrong," Maka murmured. "You were always this Soul. The other one just kind of muddled that up."
He laughed softly again, "You think you know every last little thing, don't you? Come here, know-it-all." His arm wrapped around her waist, pressing her to him so he could once again wonder at the way she fit. Another lingering kiss passed between them as Maka's hands started the search for bare skin to caress, disappearing under his shirt. "At least," he barely broke away, "that was when I became the kind of guy who could love you."