OK, everyone, this is IT! Officially done done, since I feel like I'm handing it off to the next generation here. Enjoy.
Maka sunk her hands into her hips with an exasperated sigh. "Soul Evans, you are being creepy."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled before tipping the can back to his lips.
"And you're not being much better," Maka offered in Black Star's direction, watching as the second set of apathetic eyes glanced at her over a beer can. "Even Stein isn't being this bad."
Soul barely brought the can from his lips. "Like I said, don't know what you're talking about."
"Honestly," Maka huffed before she turned back to the party and let her back speak for her. The lawn was alive with people, a joint family celebration of Izzy's fifth birthday and Shelley's graduation bringing a plethora of guests, anyone that could be considered blood. There was one, in particular, that was making the night about as smooth as gravel and her eyes fell on him before they narrowed with a sigh.
He was tall, lanky to the point where she wondered if he'd had a solid meal in months, with shaggy black hair that could use a trim and piercing blue eyes. At the right angle, she could swear the shape of the hair was the same and definitely had a grin to rival Soul's but Shelley had certainly picked herself a boyfriend that would get all the hackles raised. It was just like those two idiots to spend most of the night sitting on the porch, slinging back beers, and judging a boy with tattoos and an attitude problem like the both of them were angels.
With another frustrated breath, Maka turned to her husband, the father of her two beautiful children, and grabbed him by the ear to yank him out of his seat.
"Ow, Maka, fuck!" he groaned as he stumbled to his feet and, without a choice lest he wanted his ear removed, joined her down the steps.
"His name is Simon," she started to hiss through her teeth, "and you will go over there and talk to him like a normal person for at least five minutes because Shelley is mortified that the two of you have spent all night stink-eyeing him."
"She should have known better," he grumbled.
Maka stopped short, tugging his ear to get his face in range to see the icy curl of her lip. "And you should know better than to treat your sister like she's some fragile little girl. She's a woman. She loves him."
"Loves him?" Soul practically squealed.
"Loves him," Maka urged back, "and while he is definitely rough around the edges, I see some potential and what would actually be helpful is if her older brother gave steady advice rather than asshole grumbling from the porch. Remember how much Stein helped you as a kid?" She waved her hand in the direction of the man who was now wandering towards the edge of the party towards the forest, "Maybe he needs a Stein, and maybe it's your turn."
Soul's eyes wavered between Maka and the figure who was becoming more of a shadow against the foliage. "Simon?"
"Simon." Maka released his ear just to press into his shoulder and send him a few more steps towards the treeline.
A low, rumbling growl parted his lips momentarily before he stomped over to the boy that he refused to call a man, even if they stood shoulder to shoulder easily. "First off," Soul practically barked as he grabbed the cigarette from between the boy's fingers and tossed it under his boot, "you can quit this shit."
Simon eyed the toe that was stubbing out the glowing coal before bringing it up to just as smoldering eyes. "You're her brother, right?"
"Right," Soul resisted whatever urge was fighting for supremacy by shoving his hands in his pocket. "So let's get a few things straight."
His eyes stayed just as cool as their color.
"Like I said, quit the cigarettes," he added another twist of his foot to the butt, "No matter what she says kissing you after that probably tastes like shit and while I don't want to imagine that she even likes the act I'm not that stupid." That earned Soul a twitch at the corner of Simon's lips and fuck, did he ever want to punch him in the mouth. "Second, what crew are you running with?"
"Crew?" it was as innocent as a co-ed sleepover and Soul's jaw clenched until his teeth just about snapped.
"I know Noah's still around," the name did bring a flutter of motion to Simon's eyebrows but Soul knew he hadn't hit his mark, "but your tattoos don't make me think of him. Not a style I've exactly seen or an artist I know so I assume you're either some street punk without affiliation or you're running with some new fledgling group."
The boy seemed to chew that over as he brought his eyes back out to the darkness, tilting his head like there was something interesting he was reading in the leaves. "I don't run with anyone in particular."
"But you run," Soul sighed. "Your walk tells me you've dislocated your hip at least a few times and you favor your left instead of your right because your fingers are stiff in that hand. You broke it, your hand, pretty bad once, didn't you?" Soul watched that hit its mark and saw that familiar swell of anger and the even more recognizable grit of teeth to press it back down.
Maybe he needs a Stein, Maka echoed in his head.
"When?" Soul pressed.
"The hand was when Shelley and I met," he muttered. "The hip's none of your damn business."
Soul chuckled easily at the idea, "She break it?"
A sliver of a smile touched Simon's cheeks.
"So no more fucking running," Soul sighed. "She lived eight years of her life dealing with that shit and she doesn't need it again."
Simon turned fierce eyes back at him, "Bullshit."
"Bullshit?" Soul echoed with a laugh.
"You're a computer nerd and her other brother runs a goddamn youth center."
That was enough to get the laughs tumbling from his mouth, "Yeah and I bet she told you her dad's just retired, right?" Soul cracked an even wider grin as Simon nodded. "Technically, we're all retired. Three Medusa enforcers in one family, though I don't exactly think you youngbloods know who Medusa was." He grabbed the collar of his t-shirt, pulling it just far enough to the side to display the bullethole that still marred his bright tattoos. "Gotta be a computer nerd now because I can't throw a very good punch with my right anymore."
The draining color in Simon's face spelled out understanding so Soul let his shirt settle back in place. "Again, no more running. Blake, Black Star will give you a spot at that youth center to keep you out of it."
"I have a job," he grumbled back.
Soul let the surprise lift his eyebrows, "Where?"
"I work on cars after school, then the docks at night."
He paused to examine the stringy boy, the circles under his eyes, the hunch to his shoulders. "You live on your own," Soul didn't make it a question and didn't need the slow nod from the boy to make it the truth. "That got something to do with that fucked up hip?"
"I told you that's none of your business."
Oh, Shel, you love the broken ones, don't you? You love picking up our pieces with your absurdly big heart. "At least you're responsible," he sighed.
"What? I got your seal of approval?" There was the challenging snear, and for a horrifying moment, Soul saw the mirror in front of him, knew that this was a face his mother had seen a million times.
Suddenly he was back in time and just like Stein before him, Soul grasped the young man by the back of the neck, snapping Simon's head to attention as a playful grin hit his own lips. "Look, kid, I don't get to approve one way or another. If Shelley loves you, she does, and it's none of my business. What I've decided is that I want to help you whether you want it or not because I think it'll make Shelley happy and as a big brother that's what I do. So suck it up, accept the help." Soul released Simon, tossing him a step forward before turning quickly on his heels.
Shelley was obviously watching, her face giving him flashbacks to Marie's, those tight eyebrows and lips clenched worse than a fist. Soul moved over to her, grabbing a resistant elbow before dragging her up the stairs and into the house. "What did you do to him?" she finally erupted as the door closed behind them.
His gut turned at the fight in her eyes, that fierce protective nature passed down from her mother. "I just talked to him, Shel."
"You had your hand on his neck!" Her hands were threatening between them so he grabbed them, getting a grip that he knew was meant to hurt. "You don't know him, you don't know what-"
"He's been through some shit, huh?" Soul stopped the outpouring from her mouth, the rage draining away from her face. "And no, I don't know him. He seems pretty tight-lipped and that's fine, but I told him what I expect. No more smoking, no more running. You agree with that?"
Shelley hesitated as her fingers squeezed his. "It's not either of our places to tell him what to do."
"But it'd make you happy. In the long run, make him happier, too," Soul corrected quickly and let go of one of her hands so he could glide it over her hair. The nostalgia hit him, that urge for her to be small again but with the sad knowledge that there was no chance. "You have to tell him to do one thing, though."
"What's that?" Shelley narrowed her eyes.
"Tell him to quit the damn night job. It's too much for him."
"He has to work, he lives on his own," Shelley's voice was shrinking, the words that weren't hers to say still tumbling slowly off her lips. "His dad used to…"
Soul shrugged off that last sentence even if he could feel the boiling starting in the back of his mind. "He can quit because he doesn't need to live on his own. He moves in here." He brought his hand away from Shelley's hair to send a stiff finger of warning under her nose. "He doesn't live with you, that's not what I'm saying. He sleeps on our couch until we get that expansion on the house done and then he still lives with us."
Shelley cracked a smile, "Do I get to visit him at all, or are you just going to adopt him?"
"He's still your boyfriend," Soul huffed. "But you order him on this one. He doesn't get to say no."
"Got it," Shelley nodded slowly before clearing away the mess of hands to bring her head to his chest and wrap her arms around his middle. "Thanks, big brother."
"Yeah," squeezed weakly from his throat, all the energy going into gathering her into his arms. "This is… I mean, this kid, he's important, right? This isn't just some crush or something?"
"I love him," Shelley whispered firmly. "I have since middle school. He kind of… Soul, when people get hurt, they turn out one of two ways, right?" She lifted her head, looking up at him with none of that childish wonder, so much the opposite that Soul felt his heart lurch in his chest. "They either get mean and hurt other people to make up for it or they turn out like Simon, like you."
He grimaced at the comparison.
"I watched him have the chance to hurt someone else and even though I thought he really wanted to, he didn't take it, and he hurt himself instead." Shelley was somewhere else, the memory playing across her mind now as she looked down at her hand, flexing it. "He wouldn't let me take care of his hand then, but I think he's starting to let me take care of his heart."
Soul shook his head, loosening a sigh in the process. "Alright, fine. Just… get the kid to listen to you. Go. He's probably fumin' as it is right now." He forced her along, opening the door and edging her out onto the porch. It didn't take much more effort since Simon was there, waiting not so patiently at the bottom, and Shelley bounded to him, her arms tightly coming around his waist. They wandered off together and Soul watched them go, that grimace still tight across his lips.
"Went OK?" Maka nudged him after sneaking up on him from the darkness.
"We're going to have a house guest," Soul sighed.
"Good thing the expansion on the house is almost done," she still chimed happily as she sunk her hand into his. "What do you think of him?"
Soul threw a glare her way, "You already know."
"Do I?" Maka attempted an air of innocence before letting the laughter trickle from her lips. "He was helping out in the kitchen before. Tough on the outside, definitely, but he's a good boy. Reminds me a lot of someone."
"But you can't put your finger on it?" Soul offered as he rolled his eyes.
"I wonder who we know who's always felt abandoned, hurt, unloveable…?"
"Smartass," he grumbled.
"They always say we pick our partners to be like the men we grew up with, our father, brothers-"
Soul scoffed, "Yeah, that really holds true for you."
Maka sent her hip into his again, preparing a bray of laughter for the look she knew she was going to get, "I don't know, Soul, tonight that glare you had for Simon was all Spirit. Definitely stay away from my daughter vibes."
"I take so much fucking offense to that," he growled as he ditched her hand, wrapping it around her waist instead to pull her tightly to him. "Take it back."
"Nope," Maka shook her head and let loose more giggles. "Make me."
Soul captured her lips, tasting her joy and the honest reality of her words. There wasn't room to deny or run from it, so he savored it just like the kiss. "I want Shelley to be happy."
"I think you eventually achieved that tonight," Maka patted his chest as a reward. "Just let that be the first thought in your mind every time to talk to Simon since you're going to be doing that a lot now."
He let out a long, desperate sigh. "Yeah, another mouth to feed. And to fix. He needs physical therapy for that hand, his leg, too."
"I think we have enough put away for that."
"And Shelley's going to state, but I'm sure he could manage community college, especially if he's dropping down to one job."
"Slow down," Maka laughed. "He hasn't even agreed to the living arrangement."
"Shelley's not taking no for an answer," he nodded with surety.
"Well, let the rest come slowly, please." Maka tenderly cleared the hair from his face, letting her hand press to his cheek. "I'm glad."
"I would have talked to him eventually," Soul grumbled.
"Well, about that, yes, but…" Maka examined his face again, her fingers caressing along his jaw. "I'm glad he has you to help him. Someone who knows."
Soul brushed his lips against hers again as he squeezed the hand against his cheek. "Only reason I'm here is because of you and the only reason he's here is Shelley. Maybe it's less about us and more about the ones that love us."
Maka smirked, "I like getting most of the credit."
"Take it," he chuckled, "since lovin' you is the best thing I ever did."