Author's note: Once more my EPBs have seen fit to slap me in the face with a sequel to a story. As usual, it earns its rating. But this world that keeps coming into my mind seems to have a hold over me that I've only experienced rarely. Perhaps I'll end up with a succession of mini-novella one-shots in this timeline. I don't know yet. I know I have three more ideas in my head, all in this world. When it rains, it pours, no?
It had been months since her birthday. In that time not only had Maka found a new strength within herself, but she had surpassed every ambition anyone had ever held for her. With the end of the year approaching, she would be graduating at the top of her class, far above a good portion of her classmates and contemporaries. It seemed to most people that she'd fully blossomed after she turned 18. No one could explain it, but from that point on it was as though the girl she had once been – competent, skilled, kind – had been obliterated, remade into something infinitely more powerful, exceedingly more beautiful inside and out. It was a transformation that left everyone reeling, especially as there was no obvious outward cause. Only her family, her resonance group, knew what had sparked her metamorphosis, and they weren't giving anything away no matter who asked. And the only other person with that knowledge was keeping it locked deep within his mind.
Sitting on a solid balcony overlooking Death City, Maka was enjoying a rare quiet moment. The sun had set and her friends were pursuing their own interests for the evening. Soul, Kid, Black Star, and Liz had gone out to play some sudden death basketball – something about a bet between the reaper and the blue-haired fighter. Patty was heading along as referee and impartial observer. Crona and Tsubaki, having developed their own close bond, had plans for a quiet evening at the opera, something they found they both enjoyed that no one else was really into. And Maka...well, Soul had seen her mental preoccupation over the last week, so when everyone invited her to join them in their plans and she shook her head and thanked them, he knew what she needed. He took one look at the soft smile that lit his meister's eyes and kissed her gently before giving her a soft push and telling her not to rush home.
That was how she found herself sitting alone on the highest balcony, her legs over the edge as the night air brushed against her, bringing with it the scent of impending rain. With a sigh that was half contentment, half introspective happiness she stretched out along the wide banister, feeling the first droplets of mist along her legs and against her midriff and arms. She'd taken her hair out of its confines and let it flow loose, enjoying the way the strands were tugged and danced by the night air. Her eyes fluttered closed and she let a small smile curve her lips as her soul perception reached out and found what she knew she would find.
"You look peaceful." She could catch the faint scent of his cigarette from where he leaned against the doorway and didn't even bother to open her eyes, though her smile grew.
"I am," she replied softly, not wanting to break the night's stillness with something as coarse as normal speech. She heard him come closer, felt the air move as he swung himself up to sit by her feet. Cracking her eyes open she saw that he was dressed casually, no lab coat, just his typical over-stitched t-shirt and cargo pants. He wasn't looking at her; his eyes swept over the expanse of Death City laid out before them. Neither one spoke, each being lost in their own thoughts and enjoying the quiet companionship without feeling the need to speak.
Maka smiled to herself. No one save her friends knew what her 18th birthday present had been, or why it made such an impact. No one understood the bond she had formed with the enigmatic Professor. Everyone, however, had noticed the connection between the two of them, star student and brilliant teacher. Had she been any less of a spectacular pupil in her own right there may have been talk of favoritism, but instead most saw it fitting that the young meister had found a conversational partner and mentor in the only other person to achieve such high scores and accolades in Shibusen's history. Her Papa was thrilled - "My darling girl, training with my best friend! Oh, it's just wonderful!" - and her classmates were accepting, if mildly envious of the extracurricular training she was receiving. Since she had already exceeded anything her classes could teach her, it wasn't unusual to find her and Stein in the gym during their mutual free periods practicing various martial arts or meditation techniques. Occasionally they'd end up in the library together as if by accident, and their discussions were fascinating to all that overheard. And it wasn't as though they kept totally to themselves. Often what would start off as a debate between them over some obscure footnote in some rare book would end up as an impromptu lecture as other students wandered over and got involved in the conversation between the two. Even Lord Death looked favorably on the friendship between the girl and the man. Maka chuckled out loud, causing her companion to cock his head in her direction and raise an eyebrow.
"Oh, I was just thinking about people. How they react to us." His lips twitched in a half-smile and he took another drag on his cigarette before leaning back on his hands and lifting his face up to the night mist.
"It is rather amusing, isn't it?" he agreed.
"I wonder what they would say if the knew how this all started?" she mused. She felt his eyes on her, felt the warmth of his gaze as it traveled over her prone form.
"It would not end well," he murmured, and she sighed, sitting up.
"I know. But still, I wonder why they all see me as being so...innocent." She said the word carefully, almost as though it would break if her lips weren't gentle enough.
"Because that's how you come across."
"But they all know now about my group. How they even consider me – or any of us – innocent is something I just don't get." She sat up, leaving her legs stretched out as she pulled her jacket off and draped it across the stone behind her. He turned to face her, allowing himself to peruse the way her mist-dampened clothing clung to her curves and muscles the way he never did when they were among others.
"Maka, innocence isn't all linked to sexual practices. They know very well that you are far from virginal. Don't you remember how that news went over?" Maka sighed. It had been an interesting time, all right. It turned out that there was a word for a polyamorous soul resonance group, but that the last time anyone had heard of a 'soul commonage' was decades before the Academy had been formalized. And no commonage in known history had a bond as strong as hers. There had been an outcry as soon as the news broke. Students were disgusted and enthralled in turns, families were concerned – what were their children being taught at the DWMA, anyway? - and even Lord Death himself had been consulted...both as the founder and ruling master of Shibusen and as the father of one of the children involved. Maka recalled the rough time that had followed the discovery, how she and her friends were suddenly the subject of scrutiny and suspicion. How her father had gone completely off the deep end and damn near killed Soul for 'corrupting his daughter's virtue.'
"I remember," she said softly. "Did we ever thank you, by the way? If not, we should have." It had been Stein who had found the obscure and sometimes ancient references to the precedents for such a group. It was the professor that had brought up Maka's group's overwhelming success rate, who had devised the testing methods that the general public deemed reliable enough to prove that there was a definite bond between the young people that went beyond anything strictly sexual. And it was on his word that people began to believe that there really was something to a commonage that differentiated it from a simple group of people who shared bed partners. Thanks to him, there were new standards and strictures, and once the furor had died down even Spirit was content to allow the group to live in peace. Shortly after, everyone had moved into Kid's mansion and their status as the first modern commonage became a matter of fact and fell out of the realm of gossip. Things died down fairly quickly, and the group was happy.
"It was necessary," he said. "And it all worked out well. So no, no one believes you are physically innocent." He blew a thin stream of smoke into the night sky and she found herself watching it as it dissolved and was washed away by the mist.
"But they look at me like I'm some sort of saint. It gets annoying sometimes."
"Maka, understand. It's not that they hold you on a pedestal...well, no one but the underclassmen," he teased gently. Maka groaned. She had quite the following of groupies, some of them determined enough to even face Black Star's wrath for bothering her.
"Don't remind me. Did you know that Kyuki tried to serenade me the other night? Kid almost shot him in the head, and I had to pin Soul to the bed to keep him from going out to beat the boy to a bloody pulp." Her companion laughed out loud, the grin on his face as he looked at her wryly speaking volumes.
"The poor boy. And all he wanted to do was worship at the Altar of the splendorous Maka Albarn." Stein's eyes darkened, and her breath caught. "An admirable goal, to be sure." The moment stretched out, their eyes speaking more than their lips ever had, but like everything it had to end. He looked back at the sky.
"It's your soul that draws them. You have a purity of soul that shines brighter than the sun, and it's a siren's call. You've grown into an amazing woman, strong and beautiful and confident. I don't think it odd at all that people find themselves bewitched by you."
"You know, you're the one to blame for that, too," she said quietly, willing him to look at her again. Since that night, the night he'd completely possessed her, her birthday present that had turned into so much more than she could have ever dreamed, the closest they had gotten to physical intimacy was the occasional hug or those rare occasions that he would offer his arm to her as they left their practice sessions. Not that her thoughts hadn't made up for it, she thought ruefully. As though hearing her wishes he shifted, bringing one leg up and bending his knee so that he was turned to face her. This time when he allowed himself the pleasure of looking her over, she could see the fire beginning to burn in his deep green eyes.
"Ahh, that. All I did was destroy you, my dear. You were the one that created your own rebirth. And such a beautiful Phoenix you have become..." he trailed off as, to her utter surprise, she began to blush.
"You see me in a way no one else does, Stein," she murmured. "Somehow, you saw not just who I was, but who I could be. I couldn't even see that, not until everything I knew was pulled from me." He shrugged and traced one finger carelessly along her ankle, never breaking eye contact. She felt the featherlight touch the whole way up her spine like a tongue of flame.
"I dissect things. I like peeling back the layers and knowing what's beneath. And you had such tempting layers..."
"Had?" she asked, suddenly a bit self-conscious. His finger never stopped its back-and-forth caresses.
"Now it's different. Now I can see the layers, I can tell what they were and what they have become. And somehow that makes it so...very...mesmerizing..." His voice was low and sleek, a silk-wrapped razor, a scalpel with a cashmere handle. Maka took a deep breath. Since she'd been at his mercy her craving for the doctor hadn't left, but rather remained in her mind, not quite dormant but easily ignored. She treasured his friendship, the time they spent together. But now, here, with the mist growing heavier and his skilled finger playing over her water-slick skin, her longing came clawing to the fore and left her reeling.
"Professor," she murmured, letting her voice drop just as his had done, knowing the effect the sultry crooning had on the man before her. As she'd known he would, he froze and his eyes widened.
"You play a dangerous game, kitten," he whispered. The pet name she hadn't heard since the night she spent in his arms washed over her, creating a heat that pooled between her thighs and left her yearning.
"Who's playing games?" she retorted with a secret smile. He stopped moving entirely, his eyes boring into hers with such intensity she felt she might catch fire. "I want you. I never stopped wanting you. And I know you know that." She could see her soft words beginning to unravel him, could watch as the veneer of morality began to flake away like so many fragile chips of mica.
"I know," was all he said, still not moving a muscle. His cigarette had fallen, forgotten, from his lips and rolled off of the wide banister. She could see the tenseness of his frame, the way he looked like an animal prepared to flee or fight. She didn't dare touch him for fear of scaring him away. He was so fragile, so broken, and yet so very strong. She knew she wasn't in love with him, knew he didn't understand what love was, perhaps could not even feel it. But they could both feel the pull, the threads that drew them together, the desperation and the need that bound their souls in a way not even resonance could duplicate.
"You told me that the future was not set in stone," she murmured, staying perfectly still.
"I did," he acknowledged. With a nonchalant motion she swiveled her head, looking at their immediate environment before returning her gaze to his.
"However, we are surrounded by stone. Maybe we should make our own impressions."
"Are you sure you want to walk this path?" he said in a low growl. "Once could have been expected. Once can be rationalized. One night can be excused. Anything further falls from the realm of necessity and lands solidly in the world of desire."
"Once proved to me how little I knew of desire. Maybe something further will open my eyes to a deeper understanding of it." With steady hands and a solid stare she reached up and began opening the line of buttons on the shirt of her school uniform. She had no fear that they would be caught, no worries of silent observers. They were up too high to be seen from the ground and with both of them being exceptionally gifted in soul perception, she knew he could sense their isolation as well as she could.
"Are you sure your lovers will be as accepting of this?" he whispered, his eyes following her fingers as more and more of her skin was bared to his gaze.
"They already think I'm a fool for waiting this long. But I had to be sure."
"That this was what you wanted?" he asked. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, letting her shirt flutter to the floor so the scant moonlight could illuminate her naked breasts. Holding out her hand to him, she matched his volume.
"That it was what you wanted, Professor." She felt him twine his fingers with her as he raised up on his knees on the banister, his large, solid form leaning over her as he stared into her eyes.
"Oh, Maka..." he said with a smirk. "You could have just asked."
"I could have," she concurred, reaching her free hand up to tangle in his white hair, running her fingers through the thick strands that were already beginning to grow heavy with dampness. "But I think this was much more pleasurable." She pulled him down to her and felt once more the electric flames that jumped between them as their lips met. She could already feel a difference between this and their previous night of passion. Then, he was determined to own her, to break her. Now it was her turn to shred his control and reap the rewards. And oh, there would be rewards. Even though their only points of contact were his lips on hers, her hand in his, and her other hand in his hair, she could feel everything, every surge of energy that wracked his body, every answering flood through hers. She did have to breathe sometime, though, so she ended the kiss and met his eyes with hers. She could see the desire, the need swirling in their depths, and shuddered knowing exactly how it felt to have all of that lust washing over her.
"I think turn about is fair play, dear Stein," she whispered.
"How so?" he asked, moving his lips down to blaze along the underside of her jaw. She couldn't respond immediately because she was too busy moaning, but once she found her voice she replied.
"Tonight I will be the one to unmake you." She knew it sounded like a challenge, because it was. And she saw that he knew it too. His sinfully skilled lips curved in a smile.
"Go ahead, if you can."
"Take off your shirt, Professor. My tongue has a date with your incredible chest, and I'd hate to keep it waiting." He rose to his knees above her and worked the buttons through the holes slowly. She knew he was teasing her and she let him play his game. He was hers tonight – she could let him hold his small illusions of victory. When the soggy material had fallen down to join her shirt, she urged him up, back, until he was laying stretched out as she had been and she was the one crouched over him. She felt the wind ruffle her skirt and was very glad she hadn't worn any undergarments, as the coolness was brushing against her heated center with smooth fingers that served only to heighten her arousal. She stretched out along his body, delighting once more in the fact that he was so much taller and broader than she was, brushing her naked chest over his groin as she settled herself against him. Her lips came down against the toned contours of his stomach and she loved feeling the tight quiver as she let herself make love to his skin with her mouth. She'd come a long way from the hesitant girl afraid of her own desire that she had been the last time they were together, and tonight she planned to use every ounce of her hard-earned confidence. She wanted him screaming her name this time.
She heard his breathing grow heavier as she worshiped his torso, felt the way he shuddered every time her tongue made gentle contact with the scars that decorated his skin. This time she would get to explore him as much as she wanted. She loved how his body responded to hers, purred at the feel of his swelling length against her stomach. She shifted so she was looking up at him, noticing that he'd placed his arms under his head so he could watch her work. Her smile was wicked as she placed open mouthed kisses in random order over his chest. She waited until she felt him relax, until he thought he understood what she was doing, and then she leaned forward and closed her teeth sharply over a ridge of scar tissue. His startled yelp and needy moan sent a wave of moisture to her core.
"Fuck," he growled. "You've got a wicked mouth, kitten."
"Just wait until you feel what it's going to do to your cock." His eyes widened, his breathing stopped, and he stared at her as she grinned.
"You better hope you've got a ton of aspirin at home, little girl," he whispered, the promise in his gaze making her shiver. Without wasting any more time she returned to the exploration and torture of his firm, sculpted chest. Sometimes she used her tongue, sometimes her teeth, always her lips, and when she rested her cheek against his breastbone for a moment she could feel his heart pounding out a rhythm a dozen drummers couldn't match. She decided she wanted to move on. Around them the mist had turned heavier, the rumble of thunder in the distance heralding more than a mild spring rain.
"You know what I've wondered about you?" she said as she sat up. At her urging he sat as well and she leaned close, twining her arms around his neck. His hands rested on her hips, just above the waistband of her skirt, and she found herself hoping they'd move down to caress the bare skin underneath.
"What's that?" he whispered.
"You're so thorough, so precise..." she murmured against his neck. "I've wondered how well that translates to oral sex." She felt him grin.
"Sit down on the banister and spread those beautiful legs and I'll show you."
"I was hoping you'd say that," she said cheekily and hopped off of his lap to do as he instructed. Watching him slide to his knees in front of her, seeing the shock as he realized she'd worn nothing at all beneath her uniform, was like heaven.
"Dman, kitten, have you become psychic?" he murmured, tracing his fingers along her quivering legs. She shook her head.
"Not psychic. Just hopeful." His smirk as he pushed her skirt up over her hips was decadent, but at the first touch of his tongue on her wet folds she could care less about his expression as she threw back her head and cried out. The thunder grew louder, much like her gasps and pants, and she had a brief moment of thought that she would find some way to erect a shrine to Stein's tongue. How could it move like that? His hands held her legs open, not moving, not doing anything. He'd apparently taken her words to heart because he was refusing to use anything but his mouth. Not that she was in any way complaining. No, the words falling from her lips with increasing frequency weren't complaints at all. The occasional scrape of his teeth was electrifying, and the way he thrust his tongue into her greedy slit brought tears to her eyes. He played her like a violin, soaring highs and dipping lows, her voice an involuntary symphony as he made her sing to his tune. It was a surprise when he forced her over her peak, and had she been able to think of anything but the blinding pleasure she would have thanked Death for the ever-increasing volume of the thunder that his her frantic squeals. With slow, precise licks he brought her down from the heights and stood up, pressing himself fully against her, his hips nestled between her soaked thighs. Her eyes were unfocused, but when he leaned down to kiss her she returned the favor with a fury that shocked him. She figured he might think she'd be hesitant about tasting herself on his lips, but then she realized she was wrong. He knew better than most how very open she was, exactly who she bedded. His arms were warm, comforting, secure around her as she shuddered and quaked.
"Was that acceptable, kitten?" he said with a smug smile. She let him have his moment. After all, he'd more than earned it. As she finally came back to the real world she let her eyelids drift partially open and looked up at him from under her lashes.
"Very much," she whispered. "But I think it's my turn now, don't you?"
"If that's what you want," he said, playing the gentleman. She smiled slowly.
"You might want to sit down." She turned them so his back was to the banister and dropped to her knees, her eyes never leaving his as she slowly worked his wet pants off. She raised an eyebrow.
"Seems I wasn't the only hopeful one, was I Professor?" she said with a smile, taking in the view of his naked cock bobbing in front of her lips. He shrugged and leaned back, his legs spread slightly.
"Are you going to talk or are you going to put your mouth to a better use?"
"Oh, Stein, you're asking for it."
"Then you'd better give it to me."
The teasing banter went straight to her clit and she brought both hands up to stroke his generous length. Instead of immediately plying her tongue over his shaft, though, her goals were a bit lower, and the groan he made as she sucked his balls one by one into her warm, wet mouth were ambrosia for her ears. She'd been too needy, too broken last time to truly appreciate him properly, but not this time. Maka was determined to memorize every centimeter of his throbbing tool before she granted him release. Her hands were firm as she explored his testicles with her tongue, tracing the tight curves and nuzzling her cheek against their weight. She heard him whispering her name over and over again. It was such an erotic sound. Slowly she shifted one hand to take the place of her mouth and transferred her lips to the base of his cock. She'd noticed the fine scars along his length the last time – could remember how each and every one of them had felt scraping her tight tissues as he pounded into her. But she hadn't taken the time to catalog them. Her fingertips closed gently around the tip, holding him steady so she could learn the feel of every ridge and vein with the tip of her tongue. Her other hand was never still either, slowly caressing and stroking his sensitive nuts.
"Such a large man," she murmured, his knob encircled by her slim fingers, knowing it would turn him on to hear her talk between licks. "I still can't believe you managed to cram all of this inside me." She felt his legs quiver and smirked at the knowledge that he would be very happy he was sitting down. "You know, I was sore for a week. It hurt to walk, to sit, to move. I thought you might have broken something. And yet, every time it twinged or ached, I got so wet remembering what caused it." She shifted her hand to the base of his shaft and let her lips play over the top, licking up all of the clear fluid that was leaking from the slit before scraping her teeth ever-so-lightly against the ridge. He bucked up towards her mouth, groaning like a lost man. "I love that you make me feel so tiny, so breakable," she whispered. "No one else can do that to me. That's all you." She rubbed her cheek up and down against his throbbing cock, feeling the heat radiating from it.
"Death, Maka," he whispered. "Please, suck me." She smiled, knowing she had him.
"Well, when you ask so nicely..." She took mercy on him and slid her mouth over his length. She'd learned a few tricks since the last time she'd pleasured him, and she turned her considerable intellect to showing him every one of them. He moaned, he whimpered. His hands fisted in her hair and she could tell he was struggling not to ram himself into her mouth. When she had him almost insane with the need to come, she stopped and looked up at him. He opened dazed green eyes and looked down at her, helplessly pleading.
"Wha-why...why'd you stop?"
"Because I want you to watch me while I drain. You. Dry." She blinked at him and when she was certain she had his undivided attention she shifted her balance slightly and licked her lips.
"Fuck," he whispered, a curse and a benediction in one. She smiled wickedly, knowing he would never expect what was coming next. And when he was trembling and staring at her with eyes so full of need it was turning into tears, she struck. He didn't even have a chance to breathe before her throat relaxed and she had his entire length buried in her mouth. She swallowed once, twice, and he screamed her name to the rumbling skies as he poured himself down her throat. As deep as he was she didn't taste anything, but she certainly felt the warmth of his cream as it shot out of him and into her. His hands clamped down on her head, holding her in place while he spasmed and jerked and she deliberately breathed through her nose, letting him move as he needed. Slowly he gasped, every muscle in his body shaking with release, and she took care to slide her mouth carefully off of him, having learned more about the sensitive organ over the past months. His eyes were still closed, but at the tentative touch of her hand on his face he looked down at her.
"Maka..." he managed to whisper. Uncaring of the rain she pulled him down to the ground, urging him to stretch out on the cool, wet stone and stretching out on top of him, her leg shifting enough to pull her skirt across his groin to protect his doubtlessly delicate cock from the increasing pressure of the raindrops. His arms came around her and she could feel him trembling in reaction. Something like affection washed over her, and she was both proud and humbled that she could do such a thing for the man that had made such a difference in her life. They lay together for a while, their shared body heat making the rain quite bearable. Finally she raised up and looked at her lover.
"Thank you," she said. His eyes snapped open disbelievingly.
"Why in the name of Death are you thanking me?" She laughed at his expression.
"Because despite what you said on my birthday, regardless of how close we've become, I never really thought I'd have the chance to give you any of the pleasure you'd given me." He groaned at her sincerity and dragged her on top of him, shifting until her wet, needy center was resting lightly against his dick, the feel of her heat bringing him to a more rapid recovery than even he had expected.
"You are amazing, Maka," he said sincerely. "I don't know how I got so lucky to have someone like you find me worth your time."
"You saw me," she replied with a sweet smile. She realized with shock that she was rubbing herself against him, and that by the feel of things, contrary to what she'd believed she hadn't ended their night by sucking him off. Her entire body flushed with need as she felt him hardening under her.
"Professor," she whispered, "I would like very much to feel you inside me again." He smiled and raised his fingers to tug on her nipples.
"I would like very much to be inside you again, Maka," he replied in the same soft voice. She felt him, hard and ready, pressing against her, and didn't want to wait any longer. Rising up slightly, she slid her fingers down and urged his cock into her. He was as big as she remembered, requiring quite a bit of shifting before she could slide down onto him, but the way his eyes gleamed and the feel of his heat deep within her was more than worth the minor discomfort. She settled against him, her motions smooth and sure, until she was seated fully on him, his balls warm and soft against the cheeks of her ass and his hands warm and firm on her breasts.
"Ride me, kitten," he whispered, and she realized this was one position they weren't familiar with together. Thanking Death for her continual workouts and her naturally strong leg muscles she did as he asked, arching and bowing over him as she slid up and down on the proof of his arousal. It was different somehow, this time. She wasn't nervous. He wasn't demanding. They were just two people with an extraordinary connection, taking and giving pleasure in equal amounts. He reached his hand down and shifted her skirt out of the way.
"Watch, Maka," he whispered. "Watch yourself fuck me." She leaned forward to obey, and the sight of his swollen member disappearing into the channel that was aching for him only to reappear a moment later as she shifted again made her moan his name. By now the storm was in full fury and so was she, her body clamoring for more, and her movements began to get harder and faster in response. Each flash of lightning, each roll of thunder seemed to pull at her, driving her higher and higher. She was helpless in the face of her own need, and she stared at her lover as he watched her take her pleasure with his body.
"Come for me, Maka. I want to feel you let go." His whisper, barely audible over the hiss of rain, nonetheless was exactly what she needed and she screeched as she exploded. He grasped her hips to steady her as she bucked and when he was certain she wasn't going to fall over he pulled her down to rest against his chest. His hands slid down to cup her ass and as the last tremors of her climax started he began to move slowly, small teasing thrusts that made her moan. Eventually he rolled them over until she was cradled underneath him, her face protected from the pounding rain by his broad form looming over her. No words were needed as he spread her legs with his hands and used his strong hip and back muscles to rut into her. He stroked her like that for a long while, smooth and deep, the head of his cock bottoming out in her with every thrust. To his obvious delight she came again in that position, growling his name and arching her back. She could feel him, knew he was building to his own orgasm, and was ready for the rough, solid pounding she wanted so much to feel again when he surprised her by leaning down, sucking gently on her neck.
"Do you trust me, Maka?" he whispered. She turned her head to look at him, seeing the honest question in his eyes.
"Of course I do," she murmured back, punctuating her response with a slow, deep kiss. When they finally broke apart he leaned down again.
"Hold on," he murmured, urging her arms and legs around him tightly. Wondering what he had planned she obeyed without hesitation. As he began to move within her again, the angle such that the base of his considerable girth was rubbing just right against her clit, he caught her eyes and whispered two words.
"Soul. Resonance."
The world exploded, and everything that was Maka and Stein spun out into the cosmos together.
"Hey, I think she's waking up!" Maka blearily opened her eyes and looked around. She was in her bed, the fluffy comforter pulled up around her shoulders and a warmth on one side. She could feel that she was nude, but that wasn't surprising as none of them really slept in clothes any more. Something was...off. She didn't know how she got into bed.
"Wow. He must have really done a number on her, don't you think, Liz?" Patty. She recognized that voice. Her eyesight began to clear slowly and she looked around, seeing the smug faces of her soul group standing around her bed. Feeling motion beside her she turned her head to find that the warm feeling she'd noticed was her weapon, his naked body pressed against hers as his arms wrapped around her, holding her head on his shoulder.
"Morning, sleeping beauty," he chuckled. "We were wondering when you'd come to."
"Wha..." she broke off in a yawn, and Patty giggled.
"Professor Stein must be one hell of a lover," the bubbly blond declared. And just like that everything came back to her. Her eyes fluttered closed and she sank into Soul's arms, the strength draining from her like water down a drain.
"Holy shit, look at her! Man, that must have been a hell of a night!" Black Star this time, his voice ringing out over the warm laughter of the others. Finally she felt mentally gathered enough to open her eyes again.
"I don't remember coming home," she said questioningly. Unsurprisingly it was Tsubaki who took it on herself to explain.
"Soul told us what he figured you were planning last night, so that's why we didn't really pressure you to join any of us. Anyway, we were all back from our evening's entertainment and watching tv, waiting for you to get home, when there was a knock at the door. When we opened it, Professor Stein was there, and he was carrying you in his arms. You were wrapped in his lab coat and curled against his chest and he looked so protective..." she trailed off with a sigh and the white-haired weapon took up the tale.
"He carried you up here and we got the damp coat off of you and tucked you into bed. And then he left."
"Did he say anything?" she asked, unsure how to take this revelation.
"He thanked all of us," Kid said. "And he told us that you might be drained for a few days and to make sure we have aspirin on hands. Oh, and that we shouldn't try to group resonate for at least 72 hours. He said he would make sure we were all excused from classes for the next three days until you recovered." She saw Black Star reach over and high-five Soul in glee.
"What the hell did you two do, you little freak?" Liz asked with a laugh. Maka saw curiosity mingled with the amusement on her family's faces, and found herself slowly blushing.
"Holy shit, I didn't know you could still blush, girl!" the tall blond said. The worn out meister felt weary still and turned in Soul's arms to cuddle against his chest. Her weapon stroked her hair gently, murmuring soft nonsense to her.
"I think she's not ready to be awake yet, guys," he said firmly, sliding out of bed and tucking the blanket tightly around her. "We should let her go back to sleep. I'm sure we'll all chat later." One by one they came up to kiss her before filing dutifully out of the room.
"Sleep well, love." His smooth lips on her forehead were the last things Maka felt for a long time, and her last thought before dropping to blackness was that she wasn't going to tell them everything. Some things were sacred.
The air was chill and damp and the smell of rain lingered. He was leaning against the wall of the lab, enjoying the coolness and watching the smoke from his cigarette spiral upwards. Soul perception had alerted him to the weapon before he could hear footsteps, and Stein found he wasn't surprised to see the white hair as his visitor came closer.
"Soul," he greeted.
"Professor," the boy replied. He leaned against the wall as well and a comforting silence fell.
"Thank you for taking care of Maka."
"You make it sound like a chore," the older man said wryly, not looking at his companion. Soul chuckled.
"It takes a strong man to put up with her sometimes. But I guess that goes for all of us."
"Perhaps that's why you all work so well. A group of strong people bound by love and held together by a strong woman who would give anything for those she cares for."
"I wouldn't be surprised but that you're right, Stein." The boy's demeanor became thoughtful, and Stein figured he'd assuage his young visitor's fears.
"No, Maka and I aren't falling in love."
"How..?"
"It's written all over your face. And I thought I'd answer so you didn't have to try and find the words to ask." The older man took another puff of his tobacco stick.
"She just seems...complete...around you, in a way she never really is with us."
"Soul, think back to what I've taught about soul resonance. Think about how perfectly all of you come together. Do you think anything could ever change that?"
"No, not really," the weapon said slowly. Stein exhaled. He owed the boy an explanation, regardless.
"As much as I think it would be possible for me to feel for anyone, I care for Maka. She is extraordinary, something rare and infinitely precious. But that completeness you see between the two of us is something different from what you all share, and that difference is not a threat to anything you've built together. I can't explain what it is that keeps pulling Maka and me together, but I can promise you that it is no threat on an emotional level."
"Hmm. Okay. But if it ever changes..."
"It is extremely unlikely that it ever could. Her heart is yours, completely and totally. She and I may occasionally stake a claim on one another's bodies, but her love belongs only to you." He could see his words were reassuring the young man, and it made him feel good that he could calm Soul's fears.
"Stein?"
"Yes?"
"If anything happens to me...take care of her, will you?" Stein paused in the act of flicking his cigarette butt down, looking at the boy with curiosity.
"Do you anticipate something?"
"Well, no. But the kishin's still out there, and no one knows what today will bring, let alone tomorrow. I'd just feel better if I knew Maka would have someone to help put her back together if her world falls apart. And I can't think of anyone better for that than you." Soul looked off in the distance and the meister was struck by how much maturity the boy had gained over the past year. When his crimson eyes looked back at the teacher, Stein nodded solemnly.
"You have my word."
"Thank you, sir." Without saying anything else the weapon walked away. Stein stood there in the quiet morning, thinking back to the night before, the rain and her heat and the lingering shivers of their mind-blowing resonance. No, he didn't love Maka. But that didn't mean he didn't belong to her. Running a hand through his hair he sighed and headed inside.