I reread this, and for some reason, my brain would not stop thinking about this extra scene. I know I berated myself for doing an epilogue to begin with, and here I am giving you an Epilogue II. I know you probably don't mind.
Soul was already waiting on the stoop, legs jittering a little as the car pulled up. It had barely come to a stop before he'd opened the back passenger door and his hands were instantly and expertly on the car seat. The baby, not so much a baby anymore at nine months, had started the chant of "da-da" as soon as he'd come into sight and Soul let it feed his smile. "How's my girl?" He tousled the messy patch of blond hair on her head before he swooped her into his arms, giving her a little air to encourage one of those daddy-only giggles that he coveted since momma wasn't too keen on tossing her any which way.
Maka was still sitting in the driver's seat and while she'd watched him in the rear-view, that contented smile coming onto her face, the tightness was still knotting in her chest. She fiddled with her purse for a second but apparently it was a second too long and Soul popped open the door. "Sorry," Maka said quickly.
Soul registered the look on her face and decided to play it safe. "How was Spirit's?"
"Fine," Maka chimed as she got out of the seat and moved out of the way so he could close the door. "Papa said maybe he wants to try and take her next weekend."
"Uh," Soul tried to shelf the grimace but it didn't work. "Visiting's one thing but a whole night away? I mean, I know Spirit'd be fine, he raised you, but…"
"There's overprotective daddy for you," Maka nuzzled Izzy, letting those tiny hands clutch at her cheeks.
Soul cleared his throat, "Just no one's had her but us and-"
"By the time she's one let's please consider letting her out of our sight?" Maka offered with eyebrows raised while Soul gave a defeated sigh.
"What about the doctor's?"
"Izzy's well on her way to Harvard," Maka joked but let her amusement drizzle away as he kept the grimace. "Weight's fine, height's fine, top of her percentile." Soul waited, Izzy filling the time with more iterations of "da-da" and a few raspberries as she tugged lovingly on his hair. He leaned his cheek towards her and let her have her way but kept his eyes on Maka. "Everything was fine."
He spent one more second staring before he placed his bet. "Look, if Eibon called you and bothered you today, I told him not to. Said it was momma-baby day and everything, so if he did I'm gonna-"
"Nope," Maka said quickly. "But…"
"But," Soul sighed.
Maka waved towards the big house. "Why don't you see if Stein can watch the baby for a second."
"Come on, Maka, it's not like Izzy's that good at repeating us yet," Soul let out a tense laugh. "Unless you, uh, want to be alone…?"
She liked the hopeful lilt in his voice and it did encourage the blossoming of her smile. "Maybe later tonight but right now you and I need to talk."
"Alright, Izzy, da-das in trouble," he cooed to her as he started the walk up the stairs. Soul managed a grin as he heard Maka giggle behind him. So not that much trouble, he guessed as he walked into the living room. Stein was there with the boys on the floor, arranging army men in different patterns. "Hey, can you watch Izzy for a few?" Stein waved his acquiescence and Soul let Izzy down on the floor, watching her start towards him with clunky steps. He still held his breath whenever she started that awkward gait but by the time she landed straight into Stein's arms, Soul's smile was back. "Thanks."
Soul made it back to the outside of the house to find Maka already gone. He ambled slowly over the cottage, trying to pick something on the list other than the latest Eibon problem. Usually, if it's work stuff, Maka's immediately on me about it. Maybe Izzy said 'fuck' again? Ugh, at the doctor's I bet. I swear she's not saying the damn word, just the sound but… we all know whose fault that is. Here goes. He could hear her bustling in the kitchen and that's where he found her, throwing bottles into the sink. "So everything's OK with Izzy, right?"
Maka jumped but followed it with a laugh as she leaned against the sink. "Izzy's fine."
"So?"
"So, I actually listened to you and talked to the doctor." Maka tried to roll her shoulders with an uncaring air but the way her arms clutched around herself at the end of the revolution had him on edge.
"About the baby blues stuff?" Soul had thrown treading carefully out the window and was immediately next to her, getting his hands on her elbows to pull her closer.
"She actually asked about it first," Maka gave a sharp laugh. "Apparently I don't look all that well-rested."
"Well, we have a nine-month-old who just got the idea that you're supposed to sleep through the night," Soul replied mournfully.
"And we talked about how my body hasn't exactly bounced back," a raspy sigh left her throat.
"I told you that shit doesn't matter," he murmured.
Maka put the conversation on pause in her head for a moment, instead taking the time to reach for him and let her lips melt against his. Soul received her with all the same old fervor, that need for her that never went away. "Well, considering your offer a few minutes ago, I guess it doesn't."
"Hell, offer still stands," he smirked as he dipped his hand into her hair, bringing her lips back to linger.
She gave him a few more minutes before she patted his chest, encouraging the break. "The doctor had a pretty simple explanation."
"Good," Soul planted a soft kiss on her nose. "What's the verdict?"
"I'm pregnant."
Soul's eyebrows traveled in a loop, rising high on his forehead before scrunching in thought and then dashing upwards again. "We… we haven't been trying."
"No," Maka laughed softly, "but we haven't been not trying."
His blinking had slowed and his grip on her was quickly becoming a lifeline. "Well, with Izzy it took everything. The vacation and us relaxing, and hell, probably the stars had to align. We don't just get pregnant."
"Apparently we do," Maka shook her head softly. "15 weeks ago."
"15 weeks?" his voice went up by two octaves. "So this is a fucking baby bump? You're showing and we missed it? What happened to all of the first-trimester stuff? The puking?"
Maka sighed, "We didn't miss it. Just kind of didn't notice it since I got used to the snacking all the time, so I took care of my nausea without noticing it and, well, the back pain and tiredness - I just thought that was Izzy. She's so heavy and so everywhere that I thought that was mom-stuff."
"Well, shit," Soul eked out.
"Um," Maka hummed out as she beat her hand on his chest a little harder. "Could you…?"
"Oh, not that kind of shit, Maka," he huffed. "I'm, well… fucking come here." He pulled her lips back to his, spelling it out with the tender way his fingers sunk into her hair as the other arm wrapped around her waist so he could feel the swell of her body next to his. When he finally pulled away from her Maka could help but swoon, letting his arm hold her up. "Look, I love you. Another baby is fucking perfect. We got Izzy down pat and we'll have the next one too, just the timing."
"What, had something else planned?" Maka let out a giggle that was surrounded by relief as she let her head fall to his chest.
"Yeah, kinda," Soul pressed a kiss into her hairline. "Just… wait here a sec." He eased her out of his arms, leaving Maka to stand bewildered against the sink.
Maka listened to his footsteps thud up the stairs and then drawers shuffled all while she touched softly at the surprise her own body had left for her. Well, you may not have been planned but at least, oh, thank goodness he's excited. On that note, he was back in the doorway. "Soul…"
"Listen," he heaved a long breath in as he slowly started walking towards her. "I had this on the back burner since just before Izzy. I was about to bring it up again now because she's old enough that maybe you'd have time and energy but…" He reached her and took her hand, cradling it in his. "Baby number two I guess has other plans. At the same time, I don't want to just keep setting this aside because, well, it kind of feels unfair to you, Maka. I think maybe I've been unfair."
"What?" She shook her head slowly. "Unfair with what?"
Soul cleared his throat as he dropped to one knee, exposing the box that he'd hidden behind his back and popped open on the way down the stairs. "Marry me."
"We are married," and while she wanted to laugh it came out mostly breathless as she stared at the emerald and gold twinkling at her.
"Yeah," he let out a frustrated sigh, "but we both know you did that because I'm fucking paranoid that my past is still gonna catch up with me and I wanted to make sure that no matter how good the lawyer my mom hires when I die, you would get all of this. And while you did that to make me happy, I want to do this because maybe it'll make you happy."
"So a… wedding?" Maka was still staring, blinking slowly.
"Whatever you want," he offered back quickly, "but whatever it is, I just want to make sure… you have everything that you want, Maka."
Maka bit at her lower lip as she brought her eyes back to his face. "I have that, Soul. Maybe it was for a different reason when we did it but I always assumed this was how you felt anyway. But…"
"But?" he murmured.
"Maybe wearing rings," she offered her finger to him and he jumped at the chance to slip the ring on. "Maybe a little ceremony after baby number two. Maybe all of that would be… a nice addition to what we already have."
"So, you sayin' yes?"
"It would be very difficult to say no at this point," Maka smirked as he ditched the box so he could have both hands to grab her as he stood. He twirled her and stole the next smart-ass comment right off her lips, dipping her to get her back into swooning. "You're too much," she murmured when he finally set her lips free.
"Say yes, Maka," he muttered before stealing another kiss.
"Yes, Soul," Maka let it out with a breathy sigh against his neck. "Of course it's a yes."