Much to my surprise, and maybe a little bit to my dismay, Maka and Ben spent most of the evening as best buds, leaving me mostly as a third wheel. I did the grown-up stuff, cooking them dinner, cleaning up the mess, and sometimes setting needed boundaries as the two of them acted as thick as thieves. To make matters worse, there was an awful lot of whispering, looking my way, whispering again, giggles. Again, thick as thieves and bordering on driving me crazy.

It wasn't until bedtime, something that Maka thankfully hadn't tried to delay when Ben would have nothing else but my undivided attention. He scrambled into my arms, tucking his entire little body against mine. "It's too early."

"No, it's too late," I murmured back. I stood up, sending a smile to Maka before carrying him out of the living room where they'd been playing.

"But I only got to have fun with Maka," he griped.

"I noticed." I laughed as he seemed resistant to the idea of me putting him down as we entered the bathroom. "Brush your teeth." Even as I let go, he clung like the little monkey he was. "Benjamin."

"I don't want to," he muttered, finally slipping down my legs to stand on his own two feet.

I shrugged and simply handed him his toothbrush with a tiny dollop of toothpaste. It was a staring contest, one which Ben had no hopes of winning but he put in a good effort. Within a few minutes he was brushing away, eyes still glaring at me for the cruelty of it all. When he was done I lifted him a little, helping him to reach an appropriate height at the sink.

"I like Maka." He commented as I scooted him out of the bathroom towards Maka's room.

I didn't have much to offer back besides, "Good."

"You love Maka."

"Yes," I couldn't keep the quizzical element from my tone. I was almost sure Ben was done on this strange line of thought when we got to the bedroom. He was quiet up until I tucked him into Maka's bed.

"Then, she'll be the next one to have a baby." It was so matter-of-fact that I found the laugh that I thought I'd give in reply shrivel.

"How do you figure that?" I managed to squeak back.

Ben seemed annoyed by my lack of comprehension of this issue. "Mama says you love each other and then there's a baby."

My instincts were to tell him there might be a few more steps, but Death knows I didn't want to get into that kind of conversation right before bed. "Maka, uh, well," nope, no clear thoughts, excuses were coming to save the day here. "Maybe, Ben."

My little teacher patted my hand, continuing his lesson. "But that's how it happens, Soul."

I could laugh now, and I had to cover my mouth to lessen his looks of disapproval. "OK, Ben, yes, but how about you stop trying to stall bedtime?"

"I'm not tired," he shot back.

"You definitely are." I tucked the sheets under his chin and around the sides of his body, making a little cocoon.

"I need a story," he murmured.

"Alright." I lay down next to him and he turned to be face to face with me. In a quiet, low voice I told him some pieced together tale, sans most of the violence, about one of our early trips to Egypt, where a witch was masquerading as a sphinx cat. In the end, the heroes were victorious and Ben's eyes were safely closed. I did a little extra tucking before slipping out of the bed.

As I turned to the door, I saw Maka standing there, leaning against the frame. Without a word, she turned back into the hallway and I moved to follow her. She was quiet until I finally cornered her in the kitchen as she turned off the kettle that was already steaming. "Tea?"

"Sure." I sat at the island, noticing the two cups already out, the pot in the middle. She poured the hot water over and the floral, lemony scent of chamomile hit my nose. I leaned forward to lessen the space between us. "You have fun tonight?"

"I did." She dumped the rest of the hot water into the sink before returning the kettle to its spot. She turned back to me and met me halfway, her lips brushing against mine before focusing on the teapot. "It was a good idea to have him over."

"Yeah, but next time you can't hog him," I laughed.

Her smile was dreamy as she leaned back, a fingertip playing with the teapot lid. "I'll try. You just seem so happy with him that I wanted to see what it was like."

"I guess I'll forgive it, this time." I pushed her finger off the lid before pouring the tea, the amber liquid steaming in each glass.

"I want you to know…" I looked up from my glass and found her eyes intent on me, her hand slipping into the one that just relinquished the teapot. "I told you I'm not going anywhere, but it's more than not leaving you, Soul. I want you to know that I think about that kind of stuff with you. I want that kind of future with you."

My throat clicked through a swallow, my mouth unable to form a word.

"I know not right away," she shook her head but brought her eyes right back to me. "I mean, we're not even, well, we haven't even…" Maka paused for a deep, shaky breath. "I want you to know I want to move forward. We can go at whatever speed you want, I know you're still hurt and still trying, but that's the end result I want, OK?"

"You mean," I wanted to tread lightly but my heart wouldn't even allow it. "Like us… you'd want to have a kid? Get married?"

"Eventually, when we're both ready and… when things are right, Soul, yes." Keeping her smile seemed like a battle, but she was still forcing herself to look me in the eyes. "Tonight, with Ben, just watching you tuck him in it was so… it was such a wonderful surprise, and I feel like I've been getting all of those from you but I can't, I haven't done anything to make you feel the same way. I want to start." She laughed softly, her other hand coming to her face to catch a tear from her eye. "I'm not sure telling you that I thought about us having a kid is the right kind of surprise, but…"

"It's fine," I murmured, lost in a daze. A few months ago, this was all some kind of pipedream, fantasy wishes that Maka would come home and we'd start all over. Now, this. We could have any kind of future we wanted, and she wanted that kind of future. The kind where we were so deeply intertwined that there was no going back. And her talking about marriage and kids after her parents… I had to look at my hands for a bit, feeling dizzy just looking at her eyes.

"And I guess, I was also thinking that we could, well," her voice stalled again and I watched her hand go to her tea, bringing it to her lips. "I guess I'm ready to take a step, Soul."

"Get married?" I spat out, my eyes widening.

"No," she shot back, bringing her cup clattering back to the table. "That's, not yet, I wouldn't even expect after what I did…" She sighed, bringing her hands to her face, trying to hide while she formulated the words. Maka's cheeks were hot pink as her hands slipped away, holding herself up under the chin. "Last time we didn't talk about it and it just happened. I guess I wanted to see if we were ready."

I blame it on the daze from our conversation, but none of the words were clicking in my mind. "What?"

Another wave of color hit her cheeks. "Our physical relationship."

The sex! My mind screamed but luckily my mouth filtered, my throat closing until I could clear it. "I, uh, I guess we should talk about that." I turned my head to peer down the hallway before looking back at her. "Maybe tomorrow, though. I know Ben's asleep, but…"

"Oh, of course," Maka stuttered.

And regardless of being older, that teenage embarrassment was lighting up my face, mirroring her own. "So, tomorrow, after Ben goes home, we'll talk."

"Great."

Suddenly, my mind couldn't turn it off as if Maka's mention had finally opened the floodgate. It didn't help that she bit her lip for most of the rest of the evening, or as we lay together on the couch she still let her fingers smooth up and down my chest. Even in bed, she slipped back into her spot cemented against me. There was barely enough self-control in my body, and I had to keep dampening my thoughts. No matter what I did, sleep was difficult and thin at best.

Ben woke me up first, a few pokes to my face enough to rouse me. He gave me the quiet signal just as I was about to talk and I looked over at Maka. She was detached enough that I could slip away and her eyelids were still shut, dreams dancing behind the scenes. I did my best to ease her off of me, watching as she stayed dead to the world, and followed Ben as he motioned me out of the room.

I shut the door quietly behind us and he waited patiently until we were far enough away from the door. "I'm hungry," he peeped.

"Go in the kitchen. Don't touch anything. I'll be right there." I knew there was a chance that those directions weren't going to be followed, but the bathroom always called first thing in the morning and I wasn't about to do anything without getting this nasty, dry taste of poor sleep out of my mouth. I double-timed through my routine, skipping the shower for now or at least until I had Maka to guarantee Ben wasn't going to hurt himself or the apartment.

When I finally made it to the kitchen, Ben was patiently sitting at the island, his feet dangling off of the stool. "Ben, options for breakfast: cereal, oatmeal, or waffles. Thoughts?" As if there wasn't a clear winner in this offering.

"Waffles!" Ben shouted but clamped a hand over his mouth. "Sorry."

"No need for sorry, kiddo. If Maka wakes up, she wakes up. I bet you as soon as you start to smell the coffee she'll come plodding along." To prove my point, I started arranging things for the coffee maker, put in all the necessary ingredients before flicking the switch and hearing it putter to life. I moved to the cabinet, getting out the waffle mix since I wasn't feeling particularly adventurous with a picky five-year-old in the house.

Don't ask me why, but I had gotten myself a waffle maker somewhere along the way, and there was not a day that went by that I regretted it, today included. I threw all the ingredients in the mix, adding some vanilla and cinnamon for extra flavor, and listened for the pop and hiss of the waffle maker. "Ben, juice or milk?"

"What kind of juice?"

"Regular old orange." I sprayed the hissing plates of the waffle maker before pouring the batter across them. I closed it and did a quick flip, seeing a little starting to ooze from the side. I always overfilled without fail, but the plate underneath would catch it.

"Milk, please."

I grabbed a glass before opening the fridge to get the milk, inspecting the possible fruit options in there before concentrating on the pour. Yet another perk of Maka being around was that there was always an abundance and variety of food in the house now, and she had left me with berries to choose from. "Blueberries or strawberries?" I put the milk back on the shelf but paused for his answer.

"Both."

"Good answer," I laughed before taking each container out and tossing them on the counter. After closing the fridge I moved to place his glass in front of him. "You sleep OK last night?"

"I missed Mama and Daddy," he admitted before taking a sip of his milk.

"That's OK, they'll be back early today." I went back to the counter, washing some of the berries before cutting them and arranging them on his plate. I couldn't help myself and still split the blueberries just in case. By the time all the arranging was done, I heard the pop of the waffle maker so I turned it back over and opened the lid. The smell was heavenly, the color a nice crisp light brown. "Syrup?"

"Yes, please." I sliced and diced the waffle, trying to follow the pattern of the squares before drizzling some syrup over top. I brought the plate for his inspection but without resistance, I got a resounding, "Thank you!" along with an immediate stab of his fork.

Before I could even consider whether or not I was ready for food or would just require coffee, Maka's head peeked in from the hallway. "Good morning."

Ben tried to reply through waffle filled mouth and I waved before displaying the batter to her. "Do you want a waffle?"

"Oh, yes, please! I'll be right back." She disappeared back into the hallway and I began the motions for a second waffle.

As I waited for it to cook, I took out two mugs, filling them with coffee and setting one at the seat next to Ben. "Don't touch that," I warned before turning my back to go back to cutting berries. I was pretty sure I didn't need to worry anyway, Ben far too busy with shoving waffle into his face.

I heard her come back in and felt her hand come to the small of my back, and I turned my head just in time to catch the lips that were meant for my cheek. "Hey," it was a playful complaint.

"Waffles cost more than a kiss on the cheek," I murmured. Damn it, did I want to kiss her kiss her, not just a peck, but I turned my head back away, sure that I was feeling the pain of just about every parent in existence right now.

"Maka, come sit with me," Ben had cleared just enough waffle from his mouth to be understood. I heard them shuffle behind me and when I turned with Maka's breakfast I found Ben in her lap, sharing some of his as a preview. I put hers to the side of Ben's plate and moved the syrup next to it. I decided against my own for now, more interested in cradling my cup of coffee and watching the two of them together, right back to whispers.

"You're not going to eat?" Maka raised an eyebrow.

"I'm good for now." I wasn't even sure I could eat, the spotty sleep feeling like it left holes in my stomach. I should have known better than to let the option of the conversation idle.

She let a sigh drift over her lips as her eyes searched mine. "Then why don't you shower? I have Ben."

"Thanks." I let my fingers linger up her arm before I pushed myself to leave the room. I considered taking a cold shower, setting the tone for the day, but caved and let it be lukewarm. I did want her. I couldn't deny the way that her body occupied a good portion of my mind, and I had been waiting for… what? Her, I guess, since her body was still healing and not necessarily always up for the activity.

But I had to admit that I was still a little scared of myself, the old fear of fucking it all up again. But that's why we're talking about it, right? Talking first and then… I sighed, turning down the heat of the water until I felt a chill linger down my spine. And then I'm going to swallow her fucking whole. I tried to concentrate on the frigid water, tuning out my body.

My time in the shower was short, not really wanting to dawdle in the arctic water. By the time I was out, I could hear the singing coming from the kitchen, an amused smile starting on my lips. I couldn't quite catch the tune, but the two voices were a little obscured by the running water and clinking of dishes. After I got dressed for the day I snuck down the hallway, peeking my head in first so as not to interrupt the scene.

Ben did see me, his seat now on the counter next to the sink, but that didn't dissipate his singing. It was some preschool or Kindergarten tune that I'm sure was somewhere in the recesses of my own mind, but I was too busy chuckling to join in. The best part was Maka scrubbing dishes while belting out the parts with Ben, not for a second giving into embarrassment. Ben was doing his best to dry, but I saw the possibility of losing a dish or two so I snuck the rest of the way into the kitchen, taking the towel and his job with it.

Maka's eyes caught me and her mouth clamped shut, a blush coming across her cheeks. "Don't stop on my account." I nudged her with my hip, finding her now suddenly much more interested in the dishes.

"Ben started it," she muttered, handing me a rinsed dish.

"Sounded like you were into it. What do you think, Ben?" I dried the dish and handed it to Ben, letting him have the difficult job of laying it on the counter.

"Why don't you eat your breakfast?" Maka drove the sentence between the two of us, muting me and Ben. Her chin nodded towards the waffle sitting on the island.

I tossed the towel on the counter, grabbing Ben from his seat. "Did you make that?"

"Maka did," Ben admitted.

"Think it's edible?" I plopped Ben to the ground, smiling in the face of Maka's glare that she threw my way. I led Ben back to the seats, forcing him to sit with me as I tried to get through a few bites. Not that Maka's cooking was bad, usually far from it, but my stomach was still hesitant.

Maka finished up what was left of the dishes and finally turned to look at me still pushing food around my plate. "I'm going to shower. You're OK?"

"Fine."

She snuck past me without a word or a touch, a little piece of me hating that, wanting to steal her back, but I went back to pretending I was eating. Ben helped a bit, still somehow ready for more bites of waffle. I was about halfway through when I heard the click of the door, soft sets of footsteps shuffling in the hall.

"We're here!" Marie called.

Ben instantly shot off my lap, mama popping from his mouth at different volumes and intensities. "In the kitchen," I belted.

Marie was first in the room, Ben hot on her heels as Stein tried to hold him. Though he looked like Stein, Ben was a mama's boy after all. "He looks intact."

"Evening went by without a hitch," I smiled. "We even made waffles." Without really thinking I pushed my plate towards her and Marie took it, taking a tentative bite of what I had left.

"Next time Ben stays with Stein and I stay here," Marie laughed, taking another bite.

"You're always welcome." Marie tried to push the plate back to me but I refused. "How's kid two?"

Marie rolled her eyes. "You mean Ben's sister, Shelley, as he's already named her for us? Great, fine, especially since she hasn't given me any morning sickness yet." I made the mistake of laughing and she wagged the fork at me. "Don't you dare."

"I'm just laughing at Ben," I defended. "You know he said we're next."

Marie cleared her throat. "He absolutely did not." She looked back at her son, who was playing with her hair from his father's arms. "Did you?"

Ben shrugged, still completely convinced that it was the rest of the room that was crazy. "Soul loves Maka."

"I'm sorry," Marie groaned.

"Ben's predictions are fairly solid," Stein mentioned, that coy smile on his face.

"Stein," Marie snapped before turning back to me. "Don't listen to him. You two are just starting, take it slow, please."

I threw up my hands, feeling my eyes and my heart bug out. "It was just a joke, Marie."

"What's a joke?" Maka emerged, swirling her damp hair into a high bun.

"It's not a joke," Ben whined.

"Benjamin," Marie threatened back.

I cleared my throat, pulling her to my side with a gentle hand on her elbow. Please, do not force me to say this or explain this. Ben, please listen to your mother. "Just saying how Ben had a good time and it wasn't so tough."

Maka eyed me skeptically. "It was fine, yeah."

Marie was still locking eyes with her son, willing him quiet. "And I think it's time we take Ben home."

She blinked, "Alright…" Maka's eyes tried to meet mine but I was too busy avoiding them by going to Ben, taking him from Stein's arms for a hug. Maka snuck in, stealing him from my arms to get her own hug. Ben did cling to her, giving her a quality Ben hug rather than the compulsatory one and I could feel a fluttering in my chest, watching her with him.

It was thankfully only soft goodbyes from Ben, no reiteration of the conversation, and Marie and Stein were quick to keep it that way. By the time they all shuffled out, I almost felt a little shell-shocked, dazed by the rush of existence. It wasn't until Maka's hand touched my shoulder that I realized I'd been spaced out and staring at the door.

"Soul, are you OK?"

I laughed softly, rubbing a hand over my face. "I think I just need another cup of coffee." Our paths diverged, her moving towards the living room as I went back to the kitchen. I threw the last of the dishes in the sink before refilling my cup and moving to join her. When I entered the room she was sitting expectantly, legs pulled under her in the chair.

I moved to her side of the couch, close enough that I could reach for her if necessary, but focused on cradling my mug. We were silent for a few minutes, refusing to stare at each other. "Did Marie say anything about the baby?" Maka finally broke it, her hand coming to the arm of the chair, making me consider reaching.

"Ben's named her Shelley." I sipped my coffee, letting one free hand move to my hair to clear it from my forehead.

"Interesting," Maka laughed. Another pause, too long for either of us. "You didn't sleep well last night."

"No," it was tentative but truthful. "I had plenty to think about."

She watched her finger make an outline on the arm of the couch. "What were you thinking about?"

You're being truthful, you're being open, you're being honest. That's what you promised her and yourself. I could feel my face flush. "I want you." My hand snuck out and took hers but I couldn't look anywhere but my coffee. "I'm worried that it's on my mind a little too much. I don't want to make the same mistake again, just thinking of myself."

Her other hand clamped over mine. "You didn't-"

"I did," I tried to stop it but the floodgates just seemed to open, "I want to touch you this time. I want you to enjoy it more than I do. I want this to be the best you've ever had and I want you to just know by the end of it that I love you."

"You did touch me," she squeezed my hand. "And I did enjoy it."

"No," I groaned. "I didn't even… you didn't…"

"OK, no, I didn't," and to my surprise, there was a little laugh at the end of that. "Nobody's perfect the first time, Soul, and, well, a lot of that gets forgotten in the rush. You're not the only one to ever do that."

"But-"

"No buts." Her voice was firm as her fingers slipped away from mine. She got out of the chair and moved beside me on the couch, her hands now slipping around my neck, her fingers playing delicately in my hair. "It doesn't matter if the next time's a rush, too. If you just need it, then we can do it that way. Whatever way it happens, I already know you love me."

"I shouldn't…" I murmured.

"I'm asking you, Soul. I'm begging you, just this once, to be selfish." I couldn't offer any argument because her lips didn't give me the room, covering mine with none of the delicateness of the past few weeks. Without coaxing, Maka moved to straddle me on the couch, one hand sunk in my hair while the other arm wrapped lazily around my shoulder.

I don't know what was more thrilling, running my hands up her thighs until they disappeared under her skirt or the sound that came from her throat as soon as they did. I wanted nothing more than to hear that again, my hands caressing the skin until I met the line of her panties, running my fingers along the edge. She pulled away from my mouth but I wasn't ready to let her go, my lips planting along her jaw to her neck, filled with the want for her skin.

"Soul," she murmured, her hand weakly patting at my shoulder as if that would stop this, slow it down. "The bedroom."

I clasped my hands underneath her and even with my legs objecting, I lifted us both to my feet. It helped that she was still recovering, but a small part of my mind was noting I might have to actually start training again if I expected this continued level of romanticism. A shrill cry that turned into a laugh rang from her mouth, a gorgeous sound that made any strain from this lift worth it. I didn't waste time, carrying her to the bedroom as ordered. The hardest part was letting her go, negotiating a gentle drop on the bed without toppling both of us. She still bounced harder to the bed than I liked, but all I got in return was another laugh, more delight on her face as she beckoned me to join her.

My mind only wandered back to the past at that moment, the divine smile on her face transporting me back to the first time I felt that ache for her, when, as a teenage boy, I found out her being in bed, or really in my life meant more to me than anything else in the world. There was a fleeting but since now she was a woman, I was grown and there were hurts and memories enough to fill what felt like a lifetime. The final but was that none of that changed anything. She always was all I ever wanted.

None of those thoughts slowed down the need, and I found myself slipping out of my clothes before even getting into the bed with her. Without a word, she did the same, instantly reaching out her hands for me when she was done and easing me into the bed as soon as I was ready to move. Maka tried to pull me right to her, her legs ready to wrap around me as I moved to the middle of them.

And I know she asked me to be needy, be selfish, but maybe this was selfish in its own way. I only moved so far, my head turning to place a tender kiss at her knee and then another as I trailed down her tight. "Soul," her voice was surprise washed over by pleasure as I continued the line of kisses.

This was the area of daydreams and as I gently rolled my tongue down her opening there was absolutely no guarantee that I knew what I was doing, but that little taste and the way she quickly expelled the air from her lips when my tongue met skin was enough to give me at least the confidence to try. I split her with a gentle lap of my tongue and sucked lightly as I reached her clit before giving that the attention of my tongue. Her fingers ceased into the sheets as a breathy gasp left her throat.

"That," she moaned as I sucked again, my tongue massaging at a speed I was sure I could keep up with as long as I had those sounds to feed me. I continued that pattern, listening for all of her pleas, the gasps and starts, before snaking my hand down her leg. I let up for only a moment, a frustrated sigh instantly coming from her lips only to be replaced with a groan as I slid my fingers into her, her hips coming forward to rock against them. "Soul…"

You think your name is so mundane until you hear it from the lips of the person you love, especially when they're in the throes of passion. I almost demanded she say it again but my mouth obviously had other business and I got to work matching the stroke of my fingers to that of my tongue. I received the reward of another call of my name, drowned out by a low breathless moan as her legs tensed beside my head. I waited, watching the ecstasy wash over her face, her green eyes glowing as she finally focused back on me.

When her fingers finally released the sheets they moved to me, grasping at my face, silently demanding I come to her. I ran a hand over my mouth just before she crushed her lips to mine, not seeming to notice or care about any residue. One hand came to my hair, making sure my lips stayed planted on hers, while the other tenderly wrapped around my shaft, easing my tip along her opening.

I groaned, forcing our lips apart for a second. "Maka, a condom."

She breathed across my lips, repeating the motion of me against her. "I'm…" she sighed again, "I'm on birth control."

One half of my mind had a million questions, all requiring answers, but as she rubbed my tip against her lips again I was losing the battle. Because we had used one the first time. I was an idiot, but not that much of an idiot. "What about…?"

"I've only ever been with you. And you promise…?"

"Only you, Maka," I pressed my forehead to hers. Her legs wrapped around me, her hand drifting up my chest as I eased into her, feeling that delicious tension wrap around me. I pressed as far as I could go, my hips almost grinding against hers as I brought our mouths back together, savoring the moment with my tongue against hers.

I was slowing it down, holding onto to every feeling as long as I could, reducing it to every piece of bliss. Maka didn't seem to mind, those soft sighs and brushes of her lips against mine continuing with each rocking motion of my hips. One of my hands gripped at her side, fingertips dipping into flesh to keep her close, to keep her stable as I couldn't stay at this pace anymore, the need finally catching up with me. I never wanted this to be over but my body was begging, edging closer as my motion became almost frantic.

It was as if I couldn't feel anything but the crashing euphoria of my climax, washing away any other thought or lingering feeling. I could only offer her a croaked groan, my lips just hovering against hers. After a few breaths, my body still pressed tightly against hers, I could finally come back to myself. "I love you," and I repeated it at least four times, each one becoming more of a strained whisper.

"I know, Soul, I know." Maka started soothing me with her hands, with her soul, reaching and smoothing every inch of me. "I love you."

Letting go, detaching from all of this, was the last thing I wanted to do, but it was inevitable. After a few more whispers and reassurances, I slipped to her side, letting her out of the bed. Her walk out of the room to the bathroom was almost comical, and I probably would have laughed if I still wasn't completely overwhelmed. I waited for her as I listened to the water run, as I told myself again and again that she was coming back, that I'd wake up to her face in the morning.

Maka appeared in the doorway, my eyes only partially tearing up, and came back to the bed, draping a hand towel over me. I cleaned myself, feeling her eyes focused on my face, her breath on my neck as he leaned in to kiss it. "This was perfect, Soul."

My heart was singing at the statement and I was sure she could feel it. Her hand flexed on my chest as I finally turned my attention to her to see a beaming smile. "You feel OK?" I ditched the towel and turned to her in the bed, gliding a hand along her hip.

"Better than that," she cooed. "How did you…?"

I laughed, shaking my head, "No idea. It worked though?"

"Definitely," she murmured back before brushing her lips against mine. "You're full of surprises."

My hand glided up over her skin, finally resting on her cheek, my thumb rubbing a soft line over her cheekbone. "I think that might be the last of them. Boring from here on out."

"I can live with that." Maka's eyes shone as she bit her lip playfully. "I could deal with that for the rest of my life."

I let those words wash over me, feeling my belief in the truth of it all with each beat of my heart. I was never some handsome prince, not built to be perfect and heroic on my own. She was never some damsel in distress, a princess that needed to be saved from some big evil, just mostly saved from herself, from her own mind. Regardless, this was the fairytale ending I was looking for. I knew this wasn't the end of difficulties since life has a way of throwing them at you no matter what, but we were strong together, solid and ready for them now. If there was such a thing as happily ever after, this was it.

OK, dudes, that's it. I actually ended a fic. Ridiculous. Thank you for all the support and comments. Every last bit is appreciated.