Genetics

By: RoseWaters

His mind only took exactly 3 seconds to evaluate the situation. It only took another second for his body to react to his minds choice as he forcefully shut the door.

He could feel his features shift as annoyance swept over him as his eyes shifted to the foot that stopped the door.

"Wait, Soul!"

He could hear the desperation in the man's voice; red eyes stared down the figure on the other side of the door.

"She's not home, she went shopping. So go home."

He once again shut the door only for it to be stopped once again. Irritation was beginning to tense up his body.

"What?"

His tone was cold and his eyes screamed back the fuck up.

"I didn't come to talk to Maka."

His head tilted up and to the right his eyes looking down at the now shorter man across from him. He was intimidating him and he liked the feeling of superiority. When was it that he grew taller than Sprit? Old man's reign was coming to an end.

He watched his features, sad down cast green eyes, a familiar look that sent a wave of guilt over him. Damn, why was it that the only feature they had in common was the one that unnerved him the most.

He turned away leaving the door open as he made his way back to the sofa that he was just napping on. It was the only invitation he was willing to give.

He glanced over his shoulder at the red haired man glancing around the house cautiously. Taking carful steps into the leaving room, his eyes were shifty and his body tense. His arms held onto a black book with so much force that the skin over his knuckles was turning an unhealthy white.

The house was completely silent and he could see the added pressure that the silence put on the older male. He did his best to even his tone, forcing down the irritation that he felt.

"What did you want?"

The other mans eyes shifted around the house.

"Is Blair-chan here?"

He felt the annoyance bubble over. He was not just woken up so that this piece of shit philander could flirt? The man sitting across from him must have understood his thought process because he quickly amended his word choice.

"I didn't come to see her; I came to ask for your help."

The man was suddenly on the floor his forehead pressed on the beige carpet as he bowed low. Red eyes widened as they looked down.

"Please hear me out Soul! I need this for Maka! I need your help to protect her!"

His nerves were suddenly on edge. His mind racing with a hundred different thought, was Maka in danger? Was she being targeted by someone else too? Maka was out alone with only Tsubaki and Liz.

He felt his legs tense as his eyes shifted to the door. He needed to go find her, now! His body on edge ready to bolt out of the house.

Suddenly red hair shifted as his head shot up, watery green eyes locking with red. A comically whine erupting from his throat.

"You have to protect her chastity in my place!"

He could feel his eye twitch and anger wash over him. His eyes became shaded by his long white bangs as they glared down at the man bowing at his feet.

"You son-of-a-bitch, daughter-complex, mother-fucker. Get the hell out of my house before I tear you limb from limb."

For the first time in Sprit's 42 years of life he feared someone else other than Stein. His hands flew up as he began to sweat profusely under the red eyed gaze.

"Let me explain first! Soul! Maka is getting older and men will naturally swarm to her! Believe me I know!"

His glare was still cold.

"No one's going to swam to tiny-tits, get the fuck out!"

His voice was suddenly serious green eyes hard.

"You don't understand! Maka only got her eyes from me! Everything else is just like her mother!"

He suddenly got out the black book, his eyes staring down Soul.

"I want to show you something."

His fingers slid through the pages before he turned the book around. Soul instantly realized two things, the first it was a photo album, and the second it was a photo of Maka in front of the school. Grinning from ear to ear.

"You want to show me a picture of Maka?"

He watched as Sprit's face grew serious.

"Look at the picture closely."

Soul leaned forward and grinned slightly as he realized that the girl was not Maka. Her hair was only in one ponytail, and her eyes were a dark brown that contrasted nicely with her light hair. Her figure was basically the same, a pair of great legs in a short shirt but as flat chest-ed as her daughter.

"Now look at the date, and memorize it."

He did so.

Sprit began to flip though the pages once more.

"She was 16 in that picture, same age as Maka right now. It was only three months till her 17th birthday."

He once again flipped the book around. Soul once again inspected the picture. It was mostly the same, except this time she had on an oversized sweater with her arms crossed over her chest and her expression seemed a bit awkward.

"This was taken two weeks before her 17th birthday."

Soul honestly couldn't see the point to any of this.

"Have you noticed anything different about Maka lately, anything like the pictures I just showed you?"

He thought about it carefully wondering if anything was different about her. Nothing came to mind.

"No."

Sprit gave a relieved grin.

"Then hopefully she takes after my family."

Soul gave an annoyed grunt.

"I don't get it."

Sprit quickly flipped through the photo and smiled softly. Before he shut the book and handed in to Soul. He took it cautiously.

"Can you give that to Maka for me? I think she'd like that over anything I was going to buy her for her birthday."

His red eyes lingered on the man as he stood up from the floor.

"You're not coming to her birthday party tonight?"

The man gave a half grin and for the first time Soul noticed his age.

"She's 17. I don't think she wants to party with her papa."

Soul gave a curt nod as he watched the man walk to the door. He stopped for a minute.

"Thanks Soul, I was worried she'd end up like her mom. I might be a shitty father but..."

He nearly nodded in agreement until he watched the man's face change. Eyes suddenly dark and a malicious smile coating his face, it was eerily similar to stein and it made him tense up with fear.

"I still don't think I could handle boys ogling my daughter without seriously killing someone."

He walked out of the door and Soul swallowed hard.

His eyes lingered on the book for a few minutes before he began to flip through the pages. His eyes found the last photograph of the awkward looking woman with her hands over her chest in her oversized sweater. He turned the page and his eyes widened, fingers shaking as they took in the photograph.

The door suddenly opened as his eyes shifted in the direction so fast the room spun. There stood his partner, bending over as she removed her shoes as the door. He quickly shut the book, hiding it under the couch.

His eyes went from her shoes to her long legs, and then stopped. His whole body suddenly ridged as red eyes ran over her dark grey over sized hoodie. He watched as she turned towards his gaze her right arm crossing her chest and wrapping around her left as she looked towards the ground.

He felt his whole body shiver remembering the gesture

"What are you doing Soul?"

His mind flew though options of some kind of excuse. Until his eyes caught the names on the bags. His eyes wander over each letter of the name, 'Death City's Secrets'.

Suddenly only one thing stuck out. Stop her.

"I'm really not feeling good Maka."

She looked worried.

"I don't think I'm going to make it to the party."

She was suddenly in front of him with blankets and a pillow. He took the blanket and lay across the sofa, and she handed him medication and water. He waited for her to turn around before he threw the medicine into the trash.

She returned with the phone in her hand, her fingers moving across the numbers quickly. She flashed the phone screen across his face, his eyes reading the text.

'Sorry, going to have to cancel. Just turn the birthday party into a house party and have fun without me. ~Maka'

"Then we'll have to cancel."

He forced out the next few words. He didn't want to say them but knew he had too.

"You don't have to."

She smiled over at him and he knew what she would say before she said it. It made he feel guilty for taking advantage of her personality.

"It's not a party without my partner, right?"

He felt the guilty hit him, and he looked away as she turned on the TV for him. He looked towards her when she handed him the remote. He took it and flipped to a channel watching her from the corner of his eyes. What if he suddenly 'miraculously' healed? After all there's no way, sure she looked like her mother but still he would have noticed if she grew…

"Hey scoot over a bit; you're too big, I can't fit in with you."

His thoughts stopped as he looked up tempted to remark on the sexual innuendo to lighten the mood and take off some of the guilt. His eyes caught hers and he noticed that she had let her hair down and her hoodie was gone, leaving her in only a tight tank top.

His eyes lingered on her chest, and the black lace bra that was slipping into view.

He suddenly didn't feel sorry anymore.

She cuddled into the sofa, her mind coming to the wrong conclusion over his facial features.

"Don't feel bad Soul, there's always next year."

It was meant to make him feel better, but his mind lingered on her words. He could feel her chest press against his thigh, and his face flushed at the soft touch.

What the fuck was he going to do next year?