When class was dismissed for lunch, Tsubaaki quietly trailed behind the rest of her friends towards the lunchroom, her eyes downcast as she was drowned in her thoughts. Despite thinking she'd known exactly what to expect, the Weapon hadn't seen half the attacks coming. It wasn't the fact that the moves were any different, but rather how he maneuvered around her. She thought she'd have no trouble keeping up with and blocking his attacks, but that wasn't the case some of the time.
"Are you alright?" a voice asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.
"I'm fine, Maka," the Weapon answered easily. "I was just thinking."
"It was kind of unexpected to have to fight Black Star, wasn't it?" the girl asked, her green eyes showing sympathy.
"Yes, it sure was," Tsubaki replied. "But it looks like I got the better end of the stick considering you had to fight Liz and Patty."
"Yeah, that was a little unfair," Maka chuckled. "But I still beat them."
"Hey, we were going easy on you since it was two on one, FYI," Liz commented, falling in step with the two girls.
"Well, next time, feel free to give me everything you've got," Maka winked as they reached the cafeteria and got in line. "Hey, do you guys want to come over for a sleepover since it's Friday? We haven't had a girls' night in forever."
"Won't Soul be there though?" asked Liz, grabbing a sandwich from the bar.
"We can kick him out and have him go hang out with Kid and Black Star," Maka giggled.
"Hey, I heard that, Maka. Not cool," Soul called from a few people ahead of them in line.
"Sorry, you guys, but Black Star and I have a mission and we're leaving tonight," Tsubaki told her friends as she moved on in line without getting any food. She found that her appetite was practically nonexistent at the moment.
"Ooh, where're you guys headed this time?" asked Patty as they sat down at an open table.
Black Star and Tsubaki were known to always get missions quite a ways away from Death City, and they usually wouldn't be back for a few days on end, having to spend nights in hotels in cities where their targets were located.
"Shinigami-sama said it's in Japan," said Black Star through a mouthful of food. "I dunno how long we're staying."
"Black Star, swallow before you speak," Liz cringed as his food flew in her direction. "And isn't your family there, Tsubaki?"
"Well, yes, they're in Japan, but..." she trailed off, looking down at the table.
"But what?" Maka pressed, gazing at her friend with curiosity.
"They don't know about Masamune yet," Tsubaki confessed.
The table went silent at the mention of her brother. True, he'd been on the verge of becoming a Kishin, but killing their own brother would be hard on anyone.
"We can visit them on our next trip then," Black Star simply stated, shoveling more food into his mouth. "I don't see why you can't just tell them though."
Maka glowered at him before hitting him with one of her books. "And how would you propose she do that? 'Oh hi mom and dad. It's so nice to see you! By the way, I might have killed my brother a few months ago.' It's not exactly the easiest thing to bring up."
"Okay, but why'd you have to Maka Chop me?" demanded Black Star, rubbing the top of his head.
Shaking her head, she simply put her book away and continued eating her salad.
"Well, we should go get packed, Tsubaki," said Black Star, getting to his feet. "Let's blow off afternoon classes and go get ready."
"But Shinigami-sama..."
"Yeah, yeah. I know what he said," Black Star replied dismissively.
"I don't think we can afford to miss anymore classes," Tsubaki pointed out. "You're kind of behind."
"Yeah, but a big man like me can catch up whenever he wants. I just don't feel like it right now," said her Meister.
"Still..."
"Fine. You can stay if you want. I'm out of here," he grumbled. "Yo, Soul, you comin'?"
Maka gave her partner a threatening look that clearly screamed "DON'T YOU DARE". Getting the message, Soul sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, man. I don't really have a death wish today."
"Whatever. You guys are lame," the assassin shrugged as he strolled towards the window. "I'll catch you later."
Slipping out of the window, he easily jumped from ledge to ledge until he got up to the rooftop of the Shibusen, his favorite place to lay back and think.
The sun was cackling in the sky as the blue-haired assassin flopped lazily on his back and tucked his hands behind his head for comfort. He had to admit, his partner was more capable than he'd ever given her credit for. After all, she was able to keep up with him which was deemed impressive in the mind of the boy with a slightly bloated ego, even if he hadn't gone all out on her. Then there was the fact that she hadn't gone all out on him either.
Black Star laughed humorlessly at himself as he realized that lately, all he'd been thinking about was Tsubaki. How she couldn't sleep at night and always tossed and turned restlessly; how she refused to tell him what was bothering her when it was so obvious from the look in her eyes - he didn't need a sixth sense to know that something was bugging her; and now, how she hadn't been willing to fight to her full potential against him.
"So this is where you've been hiding," said a familiar voice. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
Opening one of his eyes, he saw Tsubaki had joined him on the rooftop, a worried expression on her face.
"Well, you found me," he responded. "What's up? I thought you didn't want to miss any more classes."
"I'll have Maka catch me up later," Tsubaki replied, sitting down next to her Meister. "Black Star, is something bothering you?"
She was asking him this?
"Nah. Just not in the mood for class," he replied.
"Oh. Well, alright," she said, gazing up at the sky.
Glancing at her, Black Star couldn't help but think how attractive his partner was. Sure, he'd noticed how big her breasts were and even commented on it a few times, only to earn himself a Maka Chop, but when it came to genuine beauty, Tsubaki had it in the bag. Her raven black hair contrasted nicely with her pale complexion, making her features stand out quite boldly. She had a tall nose and her smile could melt practically anyone's heart. No doubt a ton of guys would be all over her if; One, she weren't so shy and reserved, and two, Black Star wasn't her partner. Any guy with half a brain would know that if they slipped up, they'd get assassinated.
"Is annything up with you?" he asked, looking away.
She didn't answer for a second, but put on a smile as she replied, "Not at all. I'm completely fine."
But they both knew that wasn't the case.
"Yeah, well, we should probably go pack for the trip. How long are we even gonna stay there?" asked Black Star, sitting up.
"Only a few days at most, I think," Tsubaki answered. "But we're going to have to do some tracking and research, so I can't be positive."
"An all-expenses-paid visit to Tokyo. I'm gonna eat as much sushi as I can till I puke," Black Star grinned as he jumped to his feet. "Watch out Japan, 'cause a star's about to arrive!"
Tsubaki giggled softly as she got to her feet as well. "Okay then. Let's go pack our bags."
She followed her Meister down the stairs and through the quiet halls of the Academy, which were deserted because everyone was in class. The pair walked on in silence as they exited the Shibusen and made their way to their apartment. By then, Black Star was acting his normal self again, talking about how everyone would pay attention to him and how his fame was now going to be internationally renown.
Tsubaki was glad her partner was smiling and laughing again, but she couldn't shake one single phrase out of her head. It was something that she could remember so vividly from every dream, and the words that she dreaded to ever heat her partner say: "You don't know me."
Luckily, Black Star was too absorbed in his gloating and boasting to really notice anything wrong, but still...
"Hey, Tsubaki," he said, his tone softening as they entered the small apartment they shared.
"Yes?"
"Sorry. I really don't give you enough credit regarding how strong you are."
The Weapon blinked, confused and slightly taken aback. "Thank you. Where's this suddenly coming from, though?"
"Like Sid said, I'm just acknowledging your strength. I thought I'd go ahead and apologize along with it," he grinned.
Tsubaki gratefully returned the smile. Something about the tone of his voice and the way he looked at her instantly made her feel better for some reason, and she was able to shove that one phrase that had been bugging her to the back of her mind. She did know him. This was Black Star, the last remaining member of the Star Clan, yes, but he was also her partner whom she trusted with her very own heart and soul.
"Well, I'll go pack what I need. Want me to get your stuff too?" he added as he walked into the single bedroom they shared.
"Oh, no, that's okay," Tsubaki replied. "I'll make us a quick snack and then I'll go pack. You can go ahead and take the bath too if you'd like. We've got hours before we have to leave."
"Alright, thanks," her partner beamed before heading into the bedroom.
Humming softly to herself, Tsubaki prepared a rather large amount of food so as to make sure none of it expired while they were away. The rest she'd leave for dinner.
After making sure everything tasted okay, she settled onto the couch and picked up a book she'd checked out from the library earlier. Something Liz had recommended to her saying that she'd totally find it intriguing: Fifty Shades of Gray. Despite it being an...interesting book indeed, the poor girl couldn't really focus on the content as her thoughts were hooked on a completely different subject: No other than her own Shadow Weapon Meister, Black Star.
"Hey, Tsubaki."
Jumping, she snapped out of her trance to see Black Star standing in the kitchen, shirtless, with a towel around his neck and his blue hair dripping wet.
"Erm...yes?" she responded, sounding a bit dazed.
"Bath's open," he replied, jabbing his finger in the direction of the bathroom.
She put the book down on the couch and got up. "Thank you. I'll start on dinner when I'm finished."
Black Star just shrugged as she disappeared down the hallway, looking curiously at the book she'd been reading.
"Wow. Are there really that many shades of gray out there?" he wondered aloud as he picked up the abandoned novel.
Tsubaki, who was getting undressed, immediately wrapped herself in a towel and went back out to fetch the book before he could read another word.
"It's an art book," she said quickly as she took it from his grasp. "You wouldn't like it."
Cocking an eyebrow, he watched her swiftly retreat back down the hallway and shook his head. He didn't know what was up with her anymore. Was she mad because he beat her in a fight?
Dismissing it with a shrug, he started doing press ups, figuring he'd work out and build a little stamina before diving into a mission. Besides, for Black Star, it'd kind of become a way of relaxing. Pushing his body to the limit was almost something the boy did naturally.
Tsubaki, on the other hand, was once again left alone with her thoughts. Well, maybe some of the stuff in that book stuck in her brain after all. And weirdly, her thoughts about Black Star were mixed with the contents of that strange book, and suddenly she was having romantic fantasies about her Meister.
It wasn't like she hadn't thought of Black Star in a romantic way before. It'd crossed her mind, but she'd quickly disposed of those thoughts, convincing herself that it was more important to train and become a Deathscythe, as well as being there for him as he worked towards his dream of surpassing god. However, a few daydreams snuck into her mind now and then, and she couldn't say she really minded. Her Shadow Weapon Meister was undeniably attractive and, despite not having a clue about romance, he could sometimes be charming in his own way.
Taking a deep breath to clear her head, Tsubaki got out of the bath and went to get dressed. Once finished, she went out to prepare dinner.
Black Star was doing one handed press ups, dripping with sweat. With his free hand, he waved at her with an easy grin, which for some reason made her heart jump.
Stupid book...
"Thanks for the snacks. They were delicious," he said as he sprung himself back onto his feet. "I'm gonna go out for a bit. You want anything?"
"No, not that I can think of," Tsubaki replied.
"'kay. In that case, I'll be back," her Meister stated, slipping on a hoodie and jumping out the window.
Gazing after him worriedly, she wondered where he was off to. Usually, if it was training, he'd obviously take her with him. Their fighting backgrounds and styles were rather similar, so they went through pretty much the same drills. And he usually left grocery shopping to Tsubaki, who'd insisted on it (mostly because he didn't really know the first thing about choosing vegetables). Even if he went to play basketball with the guys, he'd ask if she wanted to come with him.
Her brows furrowing in concern, Tsubaki contemplated following him. If she was careful enough, she could pull it off since he didn't have Soul Perception, but his heightened senses would make it hard to remain unnoticed. So she instead decided to start on preparing dinner. She knew she could trust him, but it wasn't like Black Star to be so elusive. Part of her was proud that he was beginning to act more like a dark assassin, but that left the zone of the Black Star she knew and loved unoccupied.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Weapon Meister lithely sprung from rooftop to rooftop with ease, his bare feet hardly feeling what was beneath them as he made his way across the city to Soul and Maka's apartment.
As he approached, he spotted Maka in her room, studying. Trying to restrain from yelling "nerd" really loudly, he swung onto her windowsill, causing the unsuspecting Meister to fall out of her chair.
"B..Black Star?" she demanded, springing to her feet. "What the hell? Next time use the front door. Soul's not home right now, anyway."
"Good. I need to talk to you."
Maka blinked, squinting at him through her ash blonde hair. This wasn't the Black Star you saw everyday. He only used that tone when he was serious about something.
"It's about Tsubaki," he added, stepping into her room. "She's been acting kinda weird lately and I was wondering if you knew anything."
"Why don't you just ask her?" Maka asked, sitting back down. "Honestly, she's your partner."
"Like Soul tells you everything," he snapped.
He wasn't wrong. When he'd kept that dream about the demon from her, it was really bothersome. And he wouldn't tell her what was wrong.
"He tells me enough. I trust him, and that's what matters," she told him.
"So does that mean you don't know or are you not willing to tell me?" Black Star demanded, crossing his arms.
"Well, she's mentioned a weird dream she's been having," Maka replied thoughtfully. "I don't know the details, but apparently, she keeps having the same nightmare over and over again."
"She didn't tell you what it was about?"
The girl shook he head. "I wish I knew."
"Alright. Thanks, Maka," Black Star grinned, walking over to the window. "I owe you one."
"Use the door!" she yelled as he jumped out and headed towards the basketball court.
Kid and Soul were playing one-on-one while Liz was reading a fashion magazine on the bleachers and Patty was coloring a picture next to her.
"Hey, what're you doing here, Black Star?" Liz inquired, looking up from her magazine. "Aren't you supposed to be prepping for your mission?"
"There's nothing to prep," the boy shrugged. "We go there. We find him. We kick his ass. That's all there is to it, so why not relax in the meantime?