Chapter 14 – A Nice, Quiet Saturday

Sai Summers

It had turned into a long night

After Kid went back to sleep on my futon, I couldn't wake him up again. It seemed that since he had released the stress of telling me his feelings, he didn't need to worry about anything else at the moment, and finally got some honest rest.

With all puns intended, it was like trying to wake the dead to get him out of my bed. I eventually gave up. But amusingly enough, when he's relaxed and asleep, Kid snores akin to a freight train's clamor. I almost wished I had had some way to record it to play it back for him. Complete blackmail material, I do say.

I was able to shower and change my clothes in my room at least – when you're dead to the world, it apparently doesn't matter what commotion is going on around you. It was nice to finally put on some more casual clothes. The black leggings and white sweater worked even better with my looks than the dress I had been wearing all day. In the morning I would decide between my pairs of black slip-ons and kick-your-ass boots.

What sleep I got was from sleeping on the couch in the living room with an under-stuffed couch pillow over my head. This was after cleaning up what of Kid's blood had ended up on the carpet in his love-induced self-mutilation, and the entire bowl of popcorn that Soul had dropped when I ran into him. Soul and I were up till after three a.m. vacuuming and treating the floor. I blame Maka's obsessive-ness with cleaning for that. She wouldn't let us sleep until it was done.

Sometime around seven, I heard the kitchen phone ring. I remember swearing about it, and trying to ignore it. I pulled my light blue afghan up higher on me, and turned in to face the couch itself.

"Sai?" Soul's voice indicated he was also half-awake. I looked over my left shoulder at him, feeling the scowl on my face. He stood over me wearing a red and white pajama top. "This better be damn important." I told him quietly.

He stared at me for a moment, and then blinked. "I'll take a message." He stated flatly and walked back towards the kitchen.

Within a few moments, I was back asleep.

The next thing I remember was hearing a pounding at the front door. I was wishing immediately they would go away. Rolling over to my left side, I noticed my bedroom's door was open. It appeared that Kid had left within the last hour or so. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was somewhat glad – I got my bed back, and it was most certainly calling me.

Much like the person at the door. "Sai! Soul! Open up!"

"Soul…" I whined. "Will you get the door?"

He had been sitting at the kitchen table gnawing on a piece of buttered toast. I watched him open the front door and stick his head out. I then shut my eyes again. I might not even be awake enough to move into my room, I realized.

Soul looked back at me from the door. "Sai, it's for you."

I pulled back my eyelids, and dragged myself up from the couch; I wrapped the afghan around me and wandered over to Soul's left. "Who is it at this ungodly hour on a Saturday?" I asked him quietly.

Soul opened the door wider. It was Black Star.

I sighed and my shoulders fell. "What are you doing here?"

He seemed confused and mildly disappointed. "Didn't you get my message?"

"Uh…" I looked at Soul on my right.

"Hold on." Soul wandered to the kitchen, and returned shortly with a pad of yellow and blue lined paper. He handed it to me and I noticed it had a message scrawled on it:

Black Star called. He is challenging you to a rematch today at Shibusen. He'll be here at nine to go with you (us?) to the school. Everyone is invited to watch.

He didn't say if it was an official duel or not.

It was five minutes to nine.

I handed the pad back and looked at Soul. "So you took down the message, but didn't bother to let me know anything about it, including the fact he was coming and I was still asleep?"

He continued to gnaw on his toast, and shrugged. "Sorry."

I hummed. "I take it Maka's gone; otherwise she would have been dragging me awake."

He nodded. "She left when Kid did earlier. Library, I guess."

I noticed the look on Black Star's face showed impatience at being ignored. "Well, are we going or not?" He demanded to know.

I shook my head. "I really don't feel like this today."

"Oh, come on!" He whined. "I think you owe me a fair fight! And it's a Saturday, what else are you going to do? Study?" Black Star added a laugh – apparently the idea of a student studying in their off-hours was amusing for him.

I scowled. "I don't owe you anything with regards to a fight. You picked the last one because you have issues."

A voice floated in the hallway. "She has other plans, Black Star." Kid had returned to the apartment. He looked showered and had changed his clothes. It seemed at unusual at first glance to see him in black cargo pants, a simple white tank top and a black, unbuttoned dress shirt. Kid seemed much more relaxed than the last time I had seen him.

I found myself thinking he was rather cute at the moment…if cute was the right word for someone who looked as foreboding as Kid.

Black Star eyed him in suspicion, and then mocked Kid's attitude on life. "Speaking of issues!" He paused a moment in apparent thought. "And what other plans? And what do they have to do with you?" He demanded to know.

Kid looked at him like it was above Black Star's comprehension. "I didn't think it too out of line of me to invite her for a nice, quiet day in the city. Maybe spend a little time at the local coffeehouse." His voice was smooth, yet upbeat.

To me, a nice quiet day sounded wonderful after the long night.

It wasn't above Black Star's head. "But you haven't invited her yet, I take it."

Kid looked at me and smiled. "She can consider this her invitation."

I returned the smile, but Black Star wasn't having any of it. "I called first thing this morning to tell her about the match."

Kid scowled at him and raised his voice a bit. "Did she ever accept the match?"

Black Star matched his tone and shook his head in spite. "Doesn't matter! If I say it's a duel she has to comply as a student of Shibusen!"

Kid's voice grew agitated, and the calmness he was emitting prior began to fade. He stuffed his hands in his pants' pockets. "Soul wrote down that you never told him it was an official duel."

Black Star tried to trap Kid in his own words. "And how do you know that?"

Kid wasn't falling for it. "I was still here at the time. I returned home to shower about an hour ago. And here I am now, back, and planning to take her out for the day."

Black Star crossed his arms across his chest. "Well, I just didn't know at the time I called. I got approval for it more than an hour ago! Rules are rules!"

"Would you just stop lying?" Kid retorted, letting his arms fall down at his sides.

Soul finished with the slice of toast he had been chewing, and ran his right hand through his hair. "Can we not argue in the hallway, the neighbors will get pissed off, guys."

They chose to ignore Soul.

Black Star seemed invigorated by the idea of annoying Kid with the policy of the school. "You're all about rules, so why don't you follow them? Huh?! Think you're so above the rest of us, don't you! Shinigami-sama's kid is special…"

The idea of Shibusen ruining his weekend fun appeared to not sit well with Kid. "You're seriously trying to tell me I should comply with the school's rules right this moment just because it suits your momentary bloodlust? It's a freaking Saturday!"

Black Star was riled and balled his fists. "Yes it is! And you're student too! Maybe I should just fight you instead!"

Kid's eyes revealed his anger. "I have no intention of accepting any mindless duels from you!"

"Mindless! I never fight 'mindless duels'!" Black Star stated in anger.

Kid stared him down. "Your right, because that assumes at some point in time you were involved in having a brain!"

I looked at Soul in consternation. "Umm…what should we do? I really don't want the neighbors angry."

Soul tried again. "Hey guys, can we bring it inside?" He pushed the door open wider.

Black Star stormed inside and Kid followed him. It finally gave Soul a chance to shut the door, and try to contain the noise. He leaned against the doorjamb with his eyes shut.

I sighed and pulled out one of the kitchen table's chairs. I took a seat, blanket and all. "Guys, seriously…this is getting out of hand." I muttered.

The argument began to spread to issues beyond the fight. "Don't go storming around other peoples' homes! Don't you have any respect?" Kid demanded to know, pointing at the floor.

Black Star whirled on him. "At least I have some self-respect! I don't have to go and beg someone to spend time with me!"

Kid's eyes widened and he shook off the idea. "Who's begging? And who the hell would want to spend time with a loud mouth like you, anyway?!"

It was at this point I could feel a headache gathering.

Black Star wasn't done with that train of thought. "Loud mouth?! And at least I'm not neurotic about stupid stuff…"

Kid didn't let him finish. He threw a right-hook punch into Black Star's jaw. The force knocked him back a step. Black Star retaliated with a kick to Kid's head, which he shook off.

I was in shock. I left the blanket in the chair and stood near the two to make my point. "Guys! Seriously, stop! You're ruining the morning!" I complained.

Unfortunately, Black Star and Kid were beyond reasonable discussion at this point.

There was a knock at the door. Soul opened the door and stuck his head out into the hallway. He pulled himself back into the apartment and pushed the door opened.

It was Tsubaki. She wore a simple, light blue A-line dress, and looked like she had planned to spend a nice, quiet day in Death City herself.

She walked around the argument and stood at my right. "I don't mean to barge in. I got worried when Black Star didn't come back down stairs." She told me quietly.

I could still hear bits and pieces of the fight. The argument was bordering on absurd. The quarrel had shifted to a discussion of each other's sense of clothing style. Apparently Kid thought he was a vampire, and Black Star dressed like he thought he was a superhero.

I tried to reassure her with a smile. "It's not your fault. I'm glad you came up."

She was obviously embarrassed, and hung her arms in front of her, and her black hair hung around her face; it looked as if she was trying to hide behind it. "He's not always like this. Really."

Soul appeared behind her suddenly and eyed her curiously. "You sure 'bout that?" He raised an eyebrow.

I scowled at him. "Be nice."

Soul shrugged; he wandered around us and into the kitchen.

I bit my lip. "I don't know how you handle it. Must be tough with someone like Black Star, Tsu."

Tsubaki gave a small smile in response. "He can be an overwhelming person. But I really believe he has a good heart."

I nodded.

Confusion showed in her face as she watched the disagreement. "What started this, anyway?"

I shrugged. "Bad timing, I guess."

The battle had shifted to a discussion regarding Kid's hair, and he was enraged.

I sighed. "Why are these guys like this?"

"Hmm. I'm more wondering why Kid is like this. He's usually so calm and collected…in a fight." She debated quietly, letting her voice trail off.

I eyed her in confusion. "He always seems like a nervous wreck to me."

She gave a light giggle, but it seemed like she didn't plan to explain.

The noise level from Kid and Black Star began to increase with the concept at hand. I walked over and stood within a foot of them. Kid was on my right, with Black Star on my left. "Hey guys, can you tone it down? You're absurdly loud." I left my hands on my hips.

I caught the tail end of the words coming from Black Star's mouth: "…so if you really like her that much."

He reached out and grabbed my left breast through my sweater with his right hand, and I cried out in shock. I fell back step back in distress, wrapping my arms at my abdomen.

"Why you…!" Was all we heard from Kid, as he landed a direct hit to Black Star's face with his right fist. Black Star went rolling backwards, landing again Maka's closed bedroom door with a thump.

"Black Star!" Tsubaki yelled. She rounded Kid and I and fell to her knees at Black Star's left. "Are you alright?!" She demanded to know, shaking him.

Kid took a step to his right and turned towards me. He seemed to have lost his collected sense of reason after the long argument. "If you're going to do it, at least do both!" He complained. He reached out with both hands, and grabbed my full chest.

There was a moment of silence, and Kid simply stared at me. His eyes grew wide, and I even I didn't know what to do for a moment.

I could hear Soul muttering behind us. "Uh, Kid…"

Soul's voice broke my confusion. I screamed, wound back my right arm, and slapped Kid across his left cheek. He immediately fell back, holding his face.

"Heh." Soul laughed darkly. "You totally deserved that."

Kid put his hand down, and I could see his cheek was severely red. I both broke out into absurd laughter, which after a moment, he joined in.

Somehow it was funny when Kid did it – it was in his desire for symmetry in everything – but…

I wheeled on Black Star, and stormed towards him – he continued to sit cross-legged on the wooden floor in front of the door. It seemed like he was laughing at Kid's idiocy."You…if you wanna grab a chick's chest, do it to your partner." I felt bad having to use Tsubaki in the situation, but I felt the need to make my point. "And you're on! I'll use your dead body to wipe down Shibusen's paving stones!"

Black Star jumped up from the floor, shaking his fists in glee. "Yes!" He yelled with a laugh. "Haha, I win!"

I watched Tsubaki sigh. I wondered if maybe she had been planning to stop the whole thing by coming upstairs, and that I had thrown an oversized monkey wrench into her plans.