Excitement and sadness hung in the air that early Winter morning. Bags were juggled and hefted so as not to touch the grimy, melting slush on the ground.

"-ck Star, remember to do your laundry while I'm gone, please. Meals are in the fridge and freezer, just defrost them or heat them up-"

"Tsubaki, I got this! Chill, okay? I'll be fine!"

"-u dare get us in trouble, Soul. The last thing I need is to be on toilet cleaning duty with you for months after we get back."

"Liz-"

"Remember to eat, Kid."

"... Of course, Liz."

"And make sure Patty does too. You know how she gets."

"I know."

Several of Stein's students, including some key members of Spartoi, were loading on to a coach bus in preparation for a two-week long seminar put on by some of the top scythes and meisters in the world. When the two weeks was up, the other half of the students would attend. They were all excited, of course- this was a once in a lifetime chance- but it was a little bittersweet as well. Friends, even scythe and meister pairs, would be split up for about a month with only a small break to see each other as the groups switched places.

"This blows," Kilik complained, Thunder and Lightning clinging to his legs as one Jackie and Ox tried to convince the latter to board the bus, Harvar standing behind them silently.

"It won't be that bad, dude!" Black Star slung an arm around his neck, nearly choking him with the force of it. "Think: it could be worse! We could be stuck with Hiro!" Kim snickered, Ox wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"Save me," Jackie mouthed, and Kim just blew her a kiss. Kilik patted Thunder's head as Jackie finally convinced Lightning to take her hand, leading the younger toward the bus with Ox and Harvar following with the bags.

"Five minutes until departure!" Marie bellowed, shooting Stein a look before he could yell something about the students getting their asses on the bus. Black Star, Kilik, Thunder and Kim walked to where Kid, Patty and Jackie stood by the bus, talking up to the rest of Spartoi.

"Can someone please make sure Black Star does laundry while I'm gone?" That elicited a few laughs, and a wounded look from Black Star.

"Do you even know how to do laundry?" Kid asked, glancing back at him with a raised brow, not seeming that interested in the answer.

"Of course!" Tsubaki looked at her meister skeptically, but he gave her a reassuring grin as the bus started, reaching up to squeeze her hand. "Just go have fun, Tsubaki! Don't worry about me, I can handle myself!"

The bus departed shortly after, lots of goodbyes yelled to and from the vehicle. Patty waved enthusiastically until the bus was gone, then turned to Kid and started chattering as they started on the way home, Patty walking in front of Kid but backwards to face him. Kilik left to take Thunder home; Kim and Jackie headed in the opposite direction, going to their apartment. It wasn't until most of the students had left that Black Star hopped down from his perch on a wall and headed to his own apartment. He unlocked his door once there, flipping on the kitchen light and then deciding against it, flipping it off again. He dragged his feet over to the couch, flopping face down on it with a groan, an arm dangling down on the floor. One month without Tsubaki... Awful. Awful! Not just his partner, but one of his best friends. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if Soul and Maka hadn't gone, too, but they had.

There was a knock at the door, and he dragged himself off the couch, opening the door and letting the hallway light spill into the apartment. Kilik stood there, two pizza boxes in hand and a plastic bag on his wrist. He squinted into the dark apartment, shaking his head at Black Star.

"Dude. Why's it so dark?" Black Star shrugged with a sheepish grin, looking around. "Alright, whatever. Let me in, turn on a light man!"

An hour later found them on the couch, soda bottles and pizza boxes on the coffee table as they played video games.

"I'm glad you came over," Black Star admitted, wiping a greasy hand on his shorts. "It hasn't even been a day since they left and I swear I was gonna go crazy with how quiet it is." Kilik nodded, letting out a whoop as he won the round, Black Star's character knocked out on the ground.

"I didn't have anyone to hang out with, either. Kim and Jackie aren't exactly my ideal company- they're so sickeningly in love, dude, you seen 'em?"

"Honeymoon phase," Black Star said sagely; Kilik snorted.

"For the past two years?" They both laughed, starting another round of their game. "Anyway. I love Thunder, but I don't really wanna spend my free time with a little kid, you know? I love spending time with 'em, but sometimes I need chill time, not kid time." Black Star nodded. "Speaking of Kid- He's not good company, either. Doubt we'll see hide or hair of him except at school until Liz is back." Black Star considered a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah, probably. He's not bad company when he is company, though." Kilik eyed him skeptically for a moment, then nodded.

"Ah. Got it. You still have that raging hard-on for him." Black Star choked on his soda; Kilik paid no mind, beating him in the game again while he got up to get water and wipe up his shirt.

"Warn a guy!" He complained as he sat on the couch again, letting out another cough and thumping a hand against his chest a couple of times.

"Well you do, don't you?" Black Star stayed quiet as they started another round, only speaking once it was over, Kilik losing.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean- No, I don't have a boner for him, God. But I like him. Like, like like."

"'Like like'? What is this, third grade?" Kilik laughed while Black Star scowled, thumping his friend in the shoulder with a fist.

"Don't be an ass!"

"You should ask him out." Black Star looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "I dare you."

"You dare me? What is this, third grade?" He mimicked, but Kilik just grinned.

"What? Scared he'll say no?"

"I know he'll say no. He's not exactly interested in me, I don't know if you've noticed." Kilik shrugged, putting his controller down once the round ended to get another piece of pizza.

"I'll give you five bucks if you ask him," he said through a mouthful of pizza, and Black Star rolled his eyes.

"So now we're up to sixth grade?" Kilik grinned in response and took another bite of pizza, swallowing before speaking again.

"So he says no, so what? Big deal. It's not like you get embarrassed." That was a valid point. "He might, though- He never shows any emotion, don't you think it'd be nice to see him acting human for once? I'll give you ten bucks if you ask him."

Black Star rolled his eyes. "This is ridiculous," he said, even as he set his controller down and reached out to shake Kilik's hand. Kilik showed his teeth in another grin, grasping Black Star's hand and shaking it.

"It's a deal," he said, more a question than anything as he looked at his friend.

"It's a deal," Black Star replied, somewhat reluctantly.

** A/N: Please be sure to check out the poll I have up! You can find it on my profile page or in my forum here:

(fanfiction dot net)/topic/197580/156666787/1/ASaS-Updates-Poll