"I brought them!" Holly announced as she set down three scrapbooks on the table. Maka propped herself up on her elbows out of curiosity.
"What are they?" she asked.
"Well, Margaret was Soul and Kristen's caretaker when they were small, and she loved scrapbooking, so we have all of these pictures of them in the scrapbooks for you to look at today! Let's start with my favorite." She picked up the purple scrapbook and opened it to a page that had a five-year-old Soul asleep on a couch, a very tiny baby snoozing on top of him. It was obviously Kristen.
"Ooh, I love that one!" Kristen giggled. "This one's my favorite." She flipped to another page, where a three-year-old Kristen was squished between eight-year-old Soul and thirteen-year-old Wes. She had her tiny arms wrapped around Soul's arm while Wes had one around them both.
"Here's Soul the first time he held his sister, when she was four months old!" Holly gushed, flipping to the picture. Soul was holding his sister with a big smile on his face, one that he wore only when he was in private.
"She's so small…" Maka murmured.
"I've always been small," Kristen sighed.
"You see, she was born two months premature," Holly explained, a sad smile on her face. "I carried both Wes and Soul to full term, so it was a bit of a shock when she started coming two months early. They kept her in the NICU for four months after she was born, just to make sure there weren't any complications. I was released, but I stayed in the hospital almost full-time afterwards. I wanted to be near my baby. Soul stayed with me since Wes had school and their father had work. He was so excited to be a big brother, no matter how big his sister was."
"But a lot of premature babies grow to a large size, so I don't see why I haven't."
"It's also genetics, Krismas. I'm a fairly small person myself."
"Oh, yeah…"
"Anyway, back to the pictures. This is Soul and his friend, Ava." She turned to a picture of twelve-year-old Soul standing next to a pretty girl with wavy brown hair and green eyes. Despite the fact that she was around his age, she already had a bust that was outlined by her shirt. Soul looked uncomfortable with Ava leaning on his shoulder, a broody look on his face that contrasted with her beaming grin.
"Who's Ava?" Maka asked.
"She's my friend Saoirse's daughter," Holly explained. "She's a year younger than Soul and she's quite the actress. And dancer." Maka's face fell. "Oh, don't worry, honey. Ava can't hold a candle to you."
"Thank you…"
"Actually, now that I think about it, Saoirse is bringing Ava to Death City for a visit. They'll be here for a while and I know Ava's been talking about seeing Soul."
"When are they arriving?"
"In a week. They'll be staying with me."
"Who's staying with you?" Soul asked, coming in and hanging up his keys.
"Saoirse and Ava. You remember them, right?"
"Yeah, Aunt Saoirse and little Ava."
"She's not so little anymore, Soul."
"If you're trying to—"
"Oh, heavens, no! Like I just finished telling Maka, Ava can't hold a candle to her."
"Good, because I'm with her for the long haul." He kissed Maka on the cheek and noticed the photo albums. "Mom, what are you doing?"
"I'm simply showing Maka pictures of you as a child."
"I love the ones where you're cuddling with Kristen," Maka giggled. "See, I knew you were a cuddler." Soul's cheeks turned pink.
"Yeah, yeah, blame Baby Evans," he muttered.
"Hey!" Kristen yelped, smacking her brother's arm. "Only Black*Star is allowed to call me that!"
"Ouch! Dammit, Kris!"
"Well, at any rate, I should be getting home," Holly sighed. "I'll see you soon."
"Bye, Mom," Soul replied as Kristen said "Bye, Mommy!" and Maka chorused in with "See you soon, Holly!"
"Soul, you were such a cute kid," Maka commented, turning a page in the album.
"Yeah. I blame Kristen for that."
"Why? I'm not your parent!"
"I mean with the cuddling. You always wanted me, specifically to hug you or read to you."
"Because you're a great brother. Besides, apparently, it was good practice for when you got with Maka."
"Thanks, kid."
"Is she here yet?" Kristen asked, looking around the restaurant for her mother.
"No, not yet, Kris," Soul replied, yanking his sister back into her seat. "Sit down."
"You don't have to be testy just because you're seeing your ex-girlfriend—" Soul slapped a hand over her mouth, but Maka had heard. She raised her eyebrows.
"'Ex-girlfriend', Soul?"
"Okay, fine, Ava and I had a thing going before I left New York, but I swear I don't have anything for her anymore. Only you, babe."
"There they are!" Kristen piped up. Holly made her way through the crowd followed by a woman with curly brown hair and a drop-dead gorgeous girl who could only be Ava.
"Soul! Maka! Krismas!" Holly greeted the three, giving a big hug before turning to her companions. "This is Saoirse and Ava."
"Pleasure ta meetcha!" Saoirse told Maka with an Irish accent. "Holly's told us a lot aboutcha. And Soul, Kristen, it's been awhile."
"Hey, Aunt Saoirse," Soul replied. "Hey, Ava."
"Soul," Ava purred, a seductive smile on her face as she slid into the booth across from him. Maka was on one side of him (the side that allowed her to exit quickly) and Kristen was by the window. Saoirse sat across from Kristen while Holly sat across from Maka.
"So, Maka, how do ya know Soul?" Saoirse asked after they'd ordered.
"I'm his Meister, his roommate, and his girlfriend," she replied with a slight blush as he squeezed her hand. Ava pursed her lips as if annoyed by the thought of Soul having a girlfriend.
"Yer a fair lass, tha's fer sure. An' a smart one. Ya'd have ta be, ta keep this one in line." She jabbed a thumb towards Kristen, who'd popped the lemon from her drink in her mouth.
"She's a handful sometimes, but she means well."
After lunch, Holly and Saoirse headed off to explore the city while Maka, Soul, and Kristen were left with Ava. They stood awkwardly for a bit before Soul cleared his throat.
"So, Ava, how do you feel about meeting some of our friends?"
"I'd love to!" she replied.
"Kid's throwing a party tonight," Kristen pointed out. "Me and Maka could get ready with Ava while you play video games with Black*Star."
"Good plan."
At the apartment, after Ava had gotten a trunk from Holly's, Kristen giddily made snacks in the kitchen while Ava and Maka sat in Maka and Soul's room. Ava glanced around and realized both Maka and Soul's clothing was in the closet. She narrowed her eyes at the ash blonde.
"So, you're Soul's girlfriend?"
"Yes, going on six months now."
"And you already live with him?"
"We've lived together since we became partners, but we only started dating recently."
"My, my. You're already having sex with him, too."
"Not all the time."
"Probably because he knows he could do better than you." Maka stared at the brunette, her jaw hanging open.
"Wh-what?!"
"You heard me, Maka. He could do so much better." She glanced at Maka's chest. "Someone better equipped to deal with him and his needs. You're underdeveloped, plain, and, based on your reaction, insecure. He needs someone prettier and sexier and more confident. Like me."
Maka stared at the blanket on her and Soul's bed, tears pricking behind her eyes. Ava was right; she was plain and undeveloped and insecure. Soul deserved better than a flat-chested bookworm who hit him for breathing wrong. He deserved someone who'd treat him better.
"See? I'm telling you, Maka. Soul's out of your league."
The door swung open to reveal an enraged Kristen. She marched up to Ava and slapped her.
"Ow! Krissy!"
"No! You don't get to call me Krissy, you bitch!"
"What did I do?!"
"You made Maka upset!"
"How could you tell?! You were in another room!"
"I could feel it! You were glaring at her all through lunch and now her soul sends out a distress call?! It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots, Ava."
"I was only telling the truth—"
"Come on." Kristen yanked on Ava's hand, dragging the trunk with her into the living room. "Go. Go back to my mom's and get ready there. We'll meet you at the party. Who knows? Maybe you'll find some jackass to sleep with."
"I-I—"
"GO!" Kristen shoved her towards the door. Ava huffed and left. The little Scythe ran back to her 'sister', who was sobbing on the bed. "Maka, she's gone."
"No, she was right! Soul deserves better than me!" Kristen bit her lip, knowing nothing she could say would convince Maka. Instead, she sat down and rubbed Maka's back comfortingly.
"Let's just get ready to go to the party, okay? You can wear that dress I got you."
"What dress?" Maka sniffed.
"Get up and come see."
Maka slowly got to her feet and followed Kristen to her room, where the white-haired girl reached up into her wardrobe to pull out a box. She opened the white box and pulled out a red dress with a black-and-white piano pattern at the bottom and neck. The sash of the dress was black-and-white striped and tied into a fat bow. Maka covered her mouth when she saw it.
"Wh-when did you get this?" she whispered, touching it. It was soft to the touch, and silky, too.
"I got it a couple weeks ago when we planned the party. I thought you and Soul might appreciate it."
"Kristen, I don't know what to say."
"How about I get you ready?"
Soul showed up a couple hours later. Kristen had gone ahead so that he and Maka could have some alone time on the motorcycle.
"Maka?" he called.
"Coming."
She stepped out of the bathroom and Soul's nose burst.
Not only was she wearing the sexiest dress he'd ever seen her wear, but she had her hair back and was wearing a pair of treble clef earrings and an eighth-note necklace. She wasn't really wearing any makeup, save for some mascara and lip gloss. His eyes travelled downward to her feet, where she was wearing the black heels she'd worn at the DWMA Anniversary Ball.
"Do I look okay?" she asked.
"Ask my nosebleed," he groaned, grabbing a tissue. She giggled a little. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah."
They got on the motorcycle and headed for Kid's. When they got there, Soul could see Kristen in her favorite lavender dress, talking to the Thompsons. Maka got off the bike and headed in, Soul right on her heels. Mostly so he could watch her hips sway as she walked like the Maka-pervert he was.
"SOUL!"
He turned to see Ava walking towards him, several of their male classmates (and a few female) surrounding her with attention. She wore a short black dress that barely covered her ass and her boobs threatened to fall out of with heels so high that it was a miracle she didn't fall. Unlike Maka, she'd gone all-out on makeup, but he didn't care.
He didn't even get a nosebleed from her dress.
"Hey, Ava," he greeted her. She gave a little smile to Maka, who disappeared into the crowd before Soul could say anything else. Ava grabbed his arm.
"What do you say you and I… catch up?" she purred. Years of dealing with Blair had taught him how to deal with this and he wrenched his arm out of her grasp.
"Ava, listen, I'm not—"
"Just come with me." She grabbed his arm again and pulled him outside on one of the balconies.
"What is it? I have a girlfriend to get back to."
"Forget her, Soul. I'm here now, and we can pick up where we left off in New York."
"You mean five years ago? Sorry, Ava. I'm not interested."
"What, am I not good enough for you?" she snapped. "Someone like you deserves better than some flat-chested girl." He massaged the bridge of his nose.
"Listen, Ava. What we had was nothing compared to what I have with Maka. I love her, I will always love her, and I will never, ever cheat on her. So fuck. OFF!"
Ava glanced behind him and smiled. She smashed her lips into his.
Soul heard a gasp behind him and could feel emotional pain on his soul wavelength. He pulled away from Ava and turned around just in time to see Maka disappear into the crowd.
She'd seen.
"Maka—" he called, trying to run after her, but Ava held his arm.
"C'mon, Soul. Don't bother with her—"
He'd had enough.
He used his strength to pull away from her and run after Maka. Ava let out an offended gasp as he vanished into the crowd after his Meister.
"Soul." Kristen stepped in front of him.
"Let me by, Kris. I have to find Maka."
"And I'm going to help you find her fast, because I know where she went."
"Where?!"
"The fountain."
Soul thanked his sister and ran outside to the perfectly symmetrical fountain that was the crown jewel of the gardens. Maka was sitting on the edge, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed. He approached carefully, not wanting to startle her.
"Maka?" She looked up and turned away from him. "Please, look at me."
"No," she croaked. "I'm a mess."
"You're not a mess."
"Yes, I am! I'm a plain, flat-chested, violent, insecure mess!"
"Whoa!" He grabbed her shoulders. "What the hell are you talking about?" She swallowed.
"I'm talking about how you deserve better than me."
Soul stared at her, then…
"How can I do better than you?"
"I dunno… date Ava?"
"Oh, hell no."
"I know you said you didn't feel anything for her, but earlier, she said all this stuff about how I wasn't good enough for you and that you needed someone better equipped to deal with your 'needs' and it hurt so much and then you kissed her—"
She was cut off as he kissed her, even slipping his tongue into her mouth to comfort her. They broke apart a few seconds later, her face bright pink in the starlight.
"Listen, Maka. You are too good for me, and you're perfectly equipped to deal with my 'needs'. Also, she kissed me because she saw you coming. You're the only girl I've ever felt this way about. Like I told Ava, what she and I had was nothing compared to what we have."
"Really?"
"Yes, Maka. If we were eighteen right now, I'd ask you to marry me, but seeing as you just turned seventeen and my birthday's not for four months, I'm going to hold off on that."
"Y-you want to marry me?"
"Fuck yeah. We're basically married already; it'd just be more official."
"I love you, Soul."
"I love you too, babe."
They started kissing again, but they were interrupted by Soul's phone buzzing. Annoyed, he pulled it out to see a text from Kristen.
'If you two want some alone time, I can stay here and let you have the apartment to yourselves.'
"Damn, Kristen's awesome."
"So, do you want to take up her offer?" Maka had on her let's-have-sex-all-night voice.
"Fuck yeah."
"KRISTEN!"
The white-haired girl whipped around at the sound of Ava's voice. The brunette was livid that Soul had just ditched her like that, and she wanted to find him.
"Where the hell is your brother?! And that little whore he calls his girlfriend?!"
"They left," Kristen replied. "Went home."
"And they left you behind?"
"Pfft. I sleep here at least twice a week so they can have privacy, so it doesn't bother me. Why? Haven't had enough failure for the night?"
"I wanted to make sure he knew I'm open to being his mistress."
"Nope. Not gonna happen. Maka would know and then all hell would break loose. Besides, Soul is a one-girl type of guy… and Maka is that girl, not you, so fuck off, skank."
"Your mother—"
"Was a hamster and my father smelled of elderberries?"
"No! She'll hear about this!"
"She already knows what you said about Maka. I texted her earlier. And Saoirse. They're not happy with you. Have fun going home!"
Ava was left gobsmacked as Kristen spun on her heel and walked away.
I know in the beginning, I said I wouldn't make a romantic rival for Maka, but this idea popped into my head today and completely halted my original idea, which will be done in the next chapter.
Yes, Saoirse is from Ireland. She moved to America for college and had bitchy Ava.
I dunno why, but I really felt like writing bitchy characters recently. Guess that's why Ava did what she did.
Anyway, so long and thanks for all the fish!