Thank you so much, MiraculousChatNoir626 for your review! I was so happy to read that you liked it. This chapter is for you - Enjoy!
"Ora, dov'è il mio bambina, (Now, where's my baby?)" Soul stage whispered loudly as he heard a quiet giggle from behind the couch. He grinned.
"Is she… Behind the curtain!" He exclaimed as he whipped the curtain forwards to reveal no one. He hummed loudly as he pretended not the hear the hysterical laughter from behind the huge leather couch.
"Hmm," he shook his head in confusion. "Where in Death's name could she be?"
"Is she…" he prolonged the word as he watched Amara scurry from behind to couch to crouch under the dining room table. "Behind the couch?"
She laughed loudly again.
"…Hmm." Soul sighed loudly as he sauntered towards the table. "I guess she just disappeared. Poor, poor kid. I guess doesn't get to go to school today. Sucks, since she has her brand new bag - "
He barely got the last word out as Mara scurried from under to table. Soul yelled in mock surprise as she wrapped her arms around his thighs.
"No Papa, I'm right here," she near enough screeched. Soul chuckled but shushed her.
"Quiet down kid, your mom's still in bed," Amara gasped and nodded seriously.
"Why is Mama so tired, Papa?" The little girl asked as she pulled her backpack straps over her shoulders. Soul helped her adjust them.
"Because she's carrying a baby, sweetheart," he told her as he fastened her jacket. "And because the kids got so big, they keep her up at night, so she gets very sleepy."
Mara hummed and nodded thoughtfully before her eyes lit up.
"I know!" she cried, but then faltered. "Oh. I have to go to school."
Soul smirked and ruffled her hair.
"It's okay, whatever your idea was, you can do it when you're home."
That seemed to console her. She smiled brightly as there was a light rap on the door. Soul stood.
"Auntie Tsu's here to take you to school. You ready?" Amara nodded brightly.
"Tell Mama I love her, and I'll sing her my lullaby so she can get some sleep tonight, okay?" she chimed as she was led from the house by Tsubaki, who smiled fondly. Soul grinned and nodded.
"Of course, kid, you got it. Now, go have a great day. Love you."
"I love you too!"
Soul was still laughing lightly as he shut the door quietly behind them. He turned on his heels to make his way to his and Maka's room.
He didn't make it to the door before Maka stumbled out. She rubbed the back of her bed mussed head as her green orbs landed on Soul.
"Did Mara already leave?" she asked mid yawn. Soul chuckled before wrapping his arms around his girlfriend.
"Yah, Tsubaki just picked her up," he rubbed her back as she groaned. "How are you feeling? How far are we now, anyway?"
Maka groaned again before looking at the calendar. She huffed.
"Five months," she muttered as she pushed her head against Soul's chest. "And a half."
Soul hummed.
"No wonder you're starting to show more," he commented as he rested a hand on her swollen belly, not noting how Maka stiffened. "They're getting big, aren't they?"
Maka didn't reply. Soul was about to ask her if she was okay before she pushed him away and turned around.
"Maka?" He asked as he heard her whimpering. His eyes grew wide. "What just happened?"
"You – You think I'm fat," she exclaimed in between sobs. Soul nearly laughed out loud with the shock.
"What?" he asked, his voice jumped a few octaves higher. Maka continued to cry, much to Soul's disbelief.
"You think I'm fat!" she cried as she threw her hands down. "I've got bigger, you said it yourself!"
Soul was at a loss for words.
"Well, yeah Maka, you're carrying a baby!" his words made her cry more. He scurried forward to wrap his arms around her. "Maka, you're not fat. You're gorgeous."
Maka scoffed.
"Yeah, right," She sneered and pulled away from Soul. "You're just saying that. You don't – You don't like me anymore!"
"No! Maka – "
"You want a pretty, skinny girl who isn't fat and –"
"Maka, please – "
"ugly! You just want – "
"Maka!" Soul snapped. "Will you knock it off! You're being ridiculous! You're not fucking fat, you're pregnant. Pull it together."
Maka went silent, to Soul's dismay. His skin began to crawl. Well, fuck, he's done it now.
"Get out." She whispered. Soul frowned. He must have heard her wrong.
"What?"
"Get out!" She screamed as she stabbed a finger at the door, her furious emerald orbs piercing his crimson ones. Soul laughed nervously.
"… You can't be serious." He began. Maka laughed nastily as her eyes widened.
"Can't I?" She shrieked as she reached for a book to fling forcefully at him. Soul ducked just in time.
"Maka, c'mon!" he yelled, though his voice sounded meek and uncertain compared to hers. "I didn't mean to – "
"I don't care, Soul!" She cried. "Just get out!"
Soul shook his head confusion and slight shock. Obviously, she needed to cool down, but he didn't know how to play this out. If he left, was he abandoning her? And if he stayed –
"Soul!"
Leaving it is, then.
Soul quickly grabbed his jacket as Maka scurried him from the apartment and slammed the door shut behind him. Soul turned to stare at said door bewildered before he turned on his heels and made his way from the building. He groaned to himself before heading in the only direction he could think to go.
Soul fought a sigh as the door before him opened to reveal a sloppy looking Blackstar. His friend eyed him in confusion.
"Soul," he asked, his mouth full of Death knows what. "What are you doing here? You should know better than to show up at a God's house unannounced."
Soul fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"Sorry," he said shortly as he shouldered his way past his friend and into his apartment. He ignored Star's angry grumbling as he scanned his apartment. "Is Tsubaki around?"
Blackstar just sighed.
"No," he grumbled. "She went grocery shopping after dropping off Mara at school. Why?"
Soul winced.
"Maka is…" Soul trailed off. Blackstar frowned before smirking in understanding.
"Hormonal?" Blackstar offered helpfully. Soul's head snapped up.
"Is that what that was?" Soul hissed as he stabbed a thumb at the front door, as if gesturing at Maka. "I thought she was possessed! I've never seen her that way before. I know that pregnancy must suck with the mood swings and shit, but that's not my fault!"
Blackstar laughed loudly.
"Of course not, man!" Star exclaimed as he slapped his friend's back. "She's just pregnant. If she didn't kick you out once during the pregnancy it'd be weird."
Soul's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"
Blackstar opened his mouth to respond when Tsubaki shouldered her way into the apartment with her hands full of bags. Blackstar scurried forward to help her.
"Soul!" Tsubaki looked up in surprise. "What are you doing here? Where's Maka?"
Blackstar's laugh paused Soul in his explanation.
"He reached the getting kicked out stage of the pregnancy," Blackstar told her. Soul expected Tsubaki to look concerned and motherly, like she always does.
Soul did not expect her to smile in relief and nod seriously.
"Oh, that's all!" She chimed kindly. "I thought something was wrong!"
"Um, hello!" Soul interrupted furiously before pointing to himself. "Homeless man here."
Tsubaki laughed kindly.
"Okay, calm down," she giggled. "Tell us what happened."
Soul ran a hand through his hair.
"Well, she came out our room and she looked really tired and sore," he wringed his hands together. "I asked how far we were now, and she said five months. I said, 'Oh, that's why you're showing more' and –"
His friend's shocked gasps cut him off, much to his alarm.
"What?"
"Nooo, no, no, no."
Soul looked up in shock to his friend's disapproving faces.
"What, what 'I do?"
Tsubaki smiled tightly.
"Soul, weight is a very, very sensitive topic for a pregnant lady. No matter how lightly or kindly you put it. You need to keep telling her she's the most beautiful person in the world!"
"I did!" Soul cried incredulously. "I told her that! I said: 'you're gorgeous' to her - Not fat!"
Blackstar shook his head. "Your previous comment kinda negates that, man."
Soul released a very long huff as he fell into their couch.
"This is so confusing," he groaned. "How do I win? I wanna help her feel better. She's all sore and uncomfortable, I need to be able to do something better than just not call her fat accidentally." He sneered regretfully. Tsubaki's eye's clouded with sympathy before widening excitedly.
"You should take her on a trip!" she exclaimed, and Soul narrowed his eyes into slits and glared at the woman from his defeated position on the couch.
"Yeah, Tsu," he began in a voice thick with sarcasm. "Let's take my soon-to-be heavily pregnant girlfriend on a plane. I'll pack the bags."
Tsubaki narrowed her eyes at his tone.
"Not a plane," she shot back, effectively shutting him up. "Those cabins, up north. Kid and Liz went a few years back and showed Maka and I some pictures and she fell in love! All wooden, big fireplaces, fur bedding, candle lights - It would be perfect!"
Soul frowned thoughtfully.
"Yeah, I remember them showing us that place," he muttered. "But it was so busy. I tried to take her a couple of years ago and it was fully booked, remember?"
Tsubaki was already shaking her head dismissively.
"That's because it was the middle of summer," she reasoned. "You'd be sure the book a cottage in the winter and it would be snowing! You know Maka adores the snow."
Soul was still on the fence as he went through the plan in his mind.
"Yeah, even if I did get us a booking, she would be quite far along then."
Tsubaki groaned.
"Come on, Soul!" She jumped on the couch beside him, pulling Blackstar along with her. "The latest booking you'd get this time of year is, what? Two months? She'd be just nearly eight months, and that's fine to travel by car. The journey isn't too long and there is even a hospital about five minutes away from the grounds."
Soul's eyes began to brighten.
"Hey, you're right," he said slowly as he sat up a little straighter. "Gimme a laptop!"
"Okay, and you're sure it's safe for me to go back now?" Soul asked for the millionth time. Tsubaki nodded confidently.
"Definitely," she told him. "It's been nearly five hours; she's cooled off by now. Without a doubt."
Soul gave her a dry look. Blackstar barked a laugh and pushed him.
"Go on, you coward," he crowed as Soul stumbled through their front door. "Even if she's still mad, just tell her the plan and she's melt like butter. Now, go!"
So, Soul went. And there he was, standing in front of his own apartment door like a terrified idiot. He shook his head before pushing the door open and throwing his keys on the table as he scanned the apartment with wide eyes.
"Maka?" he shouted quietly, purposely, hoping she didn't hear him so she wouldn't bite his head off. He heard a few bangs before Maka came running from their room, her face red and sad.
"Soul!" she cried and ran into him, knocking the breath from his lungs as she threw her body into his. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have kicked you out! I'm not an idiot, I know I'm not fat, I have no idea what I was thinking! I'm so, so sorry, I –"
She was cut off by Soul's grumbling laughter. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
"Don't be silly, Maks," he muttered. "You had every right. I was out of line for calling you stupid and swearing. Don't worry about it. Now," he quickly went on before she could interrupt and wind herself up again.
"I have a surprise for you," he told her as he led her towards the couch to sit. She tilted her head as the corners of her mouth curled up in a small smile.
"A surprise?" Soul nodded.
"You remember those cottages Kid and Liz went to a few years back?" he asked her innocently. Maka didn't get the memo, instead she sighed with envy.
"Yes," she breathed. "They were gorgeous. What I wouldn't give-"
She finally noted Soul's smug grin. The smile dropped from her face and her lips formed a small 'o' as her eyes welled with tears.
"What?" she mouthed. Soul grin widened.
"We're leaving in one and half months."
The dam broke. Maka threw herself at Soul, mindful of her bump, and squealed "Thank you!" in his ear at least one million times before he finally pried her off himself.
"But wait," she suddenly gasped and slapped his arm, ignoring his small "Ouch" as she did some mental maths.
"One and half months… Soul, I'm going to be very pregnant then."
"I thought about that too," he admitted. "But you'll only be just about eight months, and if there were any problems, there is a hospital very close to the grounds. I was worrying about the snow too – "
Maka cut him off with a scoff.
"Snow," she laughed. "I love the snow. And I'm not quite that delicate, and neither is our baby."
Soul laughed.
"Well, I didn't even get to the best part," he said cockily, his chin tilted up. "All our friends are coming too. Kid and the girls are staying in their own cottage, but you, I, Amara, Tsubaki and Blackstar are sharing a cottage. We thought it would be nicer for Amara to have Blackstar to play with since she adores the weirdo."
Maka laughed lightly and frowned.
"We thought?"
"Me and Tsubaki. She kinda gave me the idea. I've been at her and Star's place." He frowned at her sudden crestfallen expression. "What's wrong?"
Maka sighed.
"You're did all this, but I don't deserve it," she muttered. "I mean, you planned this after I kicked you out. And for no reason. That can't be right."
Soul released a grumbly laugh and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He tilted her chin up so her eyes met his.
"Don't be silly, Maks. If anyone deserves a break, it's you. Running around after Amara all day while I'm working, while you're pregnant - You deserve more, to be fair. You're growing a baby, Maka," he spoke very softly. "Our kid. You're entitled to punch me in the face just to relieve some stress if you wanted to. Now, cut yourself some slack and listen to this."
Maka grinned and sat up straighter.
"We're going to a beautiful, classic, sixteenth century cottage, in the snow, in one and a half mo – "
He couldn't get another word out as Maka smashed her lips against his.
