Enjoy!
Knock Knock
No one but Kid and Liz know this, but once not too long after the Thompson Sisters had moved in, Kid had seen Liz naked.
Not even the younger sibling Patty knew of this fact.
It hadn't been an accident and though it had been quite a shock for one it had been calmly executed plan for the other. It begged many questions such as, had their partnership been the right choice? Was there any real trust between them? Did her skin feel as ivory soft as it had looked?
That last question still burns in his head even to this day.
The whole thing had been a test mind you. Death the Kid knew that though it didn't click in his mind that he was being tested till the dust had settled. When she had coolly walked out of his room holding that thin barley there robe against herself as blood trickled from his nose ruining the front of his crisp white shirt. Once he'd had time to think Kid found himself outraged by the older sister because he'd been in no mood to be tested with such games. For days they didn't talk. As a substitute they'd converse through Patty, who was confused by the damaging energy the two radiated.
For the most part the conversations would go something like:
'Patty, can you tell Kid to pass the salt?'
And
'Patty, would you mind telling your sister not to leave her many purchases around the house. I gave her a room for a reason she should make use of it.'
Or worse yet,
'Patty, I think one of the bathrooms toilet paper wasn't properly folded into a triangle setting. Isn't that horrible?'
Which would set Kid off in a wailing despair of desperation to find the offending toilet paper and correct it. Liz would simply paint her nails calmly, knowing her statement was not true and Patty would chuckle watching after kid in astonishment still getting used to this quirk of his.
The duel finally came to a truce (sort of) when Liz spoke to him in regards to the incident."Look it's not a big deal alright. It's not like you failed. You passed. You proved me wrong. So stop acting like a child and get over yourself already."
Of course, those words didn't really make things better. On the contrary…
In a cold tone Kid replied, "As long as you're pleased with yourself Elizabeth that's all that matters."
She glared at those calculating yellow eyes and when she realized she would feel no satisfaction with this exchange of words she'd turned on her heel and stormed off.
And this most certainly didn't help them with their intended purpose. Kid had chosen Patty and Liz to be his weapons because they allowed him to maintain his symmetry in the heat of battle. But with all this anger and tension their souls were out of sync. Kid's target practice left much to be desired. He would only hit his intended target one third of the time and because of his failure he felt the need to practice with the two ladies all the time. It also didn't help that the particular evening in question continued to creep to the forefront of the young shinigami's mind.
She'd slipped in wearing nothing more than her pink robe.
He'd looked at her from his large full length mirror having just removed his tie and blazer he was getting ready to change for bed. His gaze was questioning and a little annoyed seeing as how the older sister had neglected to knock.
"Liz-" For a second his piercing gaze traveled down the opening of the robe at the exposed skin, it offered but only for a second, then it was right back at eye level with her, "is something wrong?"
He remembers her blue eyes held mischief and soft pink lips had pulled into a smile. She'd closed the door firmly behind her, "Hey Kid…" her voice was soft and warm, "I've got an offer for you that you're gonna love…"
"Dammit!" Kid scowled as he threw his weapons to the ground.
"Hey watch it!" Liz cried as she changed to human form looking ready for a fight and Patty returned to form sitting cross-legged with a knot on her head. "Yikes! What the hell man!?"
"This is all wrong!" Kid huffed pacing angrily, "The symmetry is there, but it's still all wrong!"
"Yeah, no shit! You shoot worse than a girl!"
"Ohhh! Hahahaha!" Cried Patty, who clapped her approval.
"You!" Sneered Kid rounding on her, "This is all your fault!"
"My fault!?"
"You completely threw off my balance!"
"Please! You're a lousy shot!"
"This can never work unless you get in sync with me! It's not that hard!"
"You're the one that needs to get with the program! Me and Patty are doing just fine! This isn't working because you're a spoiled rich kid who's never handled a gun before!"
"Ohhhhhhh! Buuuurn!" Patty instigated happily.
"I've handled plenty of weapons before of all varieties and guns are no exception! But I will agree to say that I've never handled a gun like you before!"
Liz's expression startled only for a moment before it darkened considerably, "Well then Kid let's just get down to it why don't we? What in particular can't you handle about me?"
"Your hostility is ill willed toward me! What have I done so wrong that makes you need to question my intentions?"
"Oh, right you're such a saint taking in two strays all from the kindness of your heart!"
"I never claimed to be a saint and I never kept any motives from you! I needed two powerful weapons! You two were it! Plain as day! Or are you just hard wired to think that every man is a scum bag looking to pray on women?"
"How dare you! You have no idea what we've come from! And yeah, maybe I am hard wired a certain way, but you didn't completely disprove my theory the other night!"
Kid tensed at that.
"Uh…the other night…what?"
Her eyes narrowed. "The mirror Kid. I'm not stupid you know!" His eyes widened. His face flushed. He looked away from her glare as he tried to come up with reasoning.
"I…I was…I didn't…" She'd noticed that!? "You…you were the one who…" She'd caught him staring. He hadn't meant to look. But she was there. On his bed. "I wasn't…I really didn't mean to…"
Her dark blue eyes looking to him purposefully '…How about I sweeten the deal…?'
"Hey Kid!" Patty suddenly interjected slapping the meister on the shoulder. It was then Kid found it in him to turn away from the older sister. It was the only way he could find his voice again.
"I don't think this discussion is appropriate at this time."
Liz rolled her eyes, "Oh, Puh-leeeeese!"
"Kid!" Patty slapped him on the shoulder again. Kid turned his dull glare to her, "Why do you keep doing that? What is it?" A large grin splits the face of the younger Thompson sibling she placed a hand Kid's shoulder and leaned in close, "I got just the thing that'll make you feel better: Knock, knock."
Liz and Kid both blanched considerably. "Not now Patty." He groaned.
"I don't know what's got you two's panties in a bunch, but trust me here: Knock, knock."
Kid looked away sourly, "I'm hardly in the mood."
"Knock knock, knock knock, knock knock, knock knock, knock knock, KNOCK KNOCK!"
"OKAY, WHO THE HELL IS THERE!?"
With a sweet smile on her face Patty said, "Banana."
This time it was both Kid and Liz, who groaned before moving away from the younger sister, "I've got more important matters to attend to than child's play." Kid grumbled. "Get some new material will ya Patty." Liz spoke up as she retired to take a needed shower. Patty felt vein pulse, watching the two retreating figures, "Hey it's not like this is show time at the Apollo! Get your asses back here!"
:::
To this day Liz doesn't know where the idea had come from. Or what exactly it was supposed to have proven.
No wait. That's a lie.
She knows exactly where the idea had come from. It had come from her younger sister's sleeping face. So cozy and content on the grand bed. In the lavish bedroom in the mansion that they never in a million years would have dreamed of ever stepping foot in. When was the last time Liz had stayed up to keep watch over her sleeping sister to find her sound asleep without a care in the world? Without any furrowed brows of worry? Or crying in her sleep to escape the bad dreams? Or waking up with a sudden start reaching out for her with a desperate "Liz? Liz!?" As though the older sister had disappeared in the night. Abandoned her sibling to fend for herself on the mean streets.
She can't remember.
Liz cannot remember the last time her sister slept with a smile on her face pleasant dreams replacing nightmares.
And it had been because of him. That wierdo freak Death the Kid.
She was suspicious, yes. But hidden deep, deep within her, she was thankful. She was grateful. He had given them something they hadn't had in a long time. Security.
But she was also afraid.
Because he had given it.
And the Thompson sisters just didn't do handouts. They just didn't.
So what was his plan? What was his real intention? He needed two weapons? Pfft. You can get two weapons anywhere. Hell he could buy off any partner he wanted in any form of even number! Why them? She didn't know. But one thing she did know. She had to keep this security.
It was that thought that was seared in her head when she traipsed to his room in nothing more than her robe...
"An offer…?" Came his confused reply. Her smile pulled to a playful smirk.
"Sure. These past few weeks you've been so good to me and my sister and I feel…I just can't leave you empty handed."
"Oh really?" His tone was flat and slightly guarded though to be honest, it was with good reason seeing as how the older sibling had been suspicious and unkind to him since the moment they got here. "For the millionth time Liz you don't owe anything to me. You and your sister are both benefiting me by becoming my partners. It's an equal exchange." He placed his discarded tie down on the dresser as he unbuttoned just the first few buttons of his shirt.
Liz walked across the room at a slow and timely place looking about with great fascination at how everything in his room was just so. There was nearly two of everything all in order all in balance. She stopped at his bed and took a seat. "Yeah. I've been thinking about that. I know you say we're fair and square, but for how long though? I guess I've just been thinking that…I don't know, in the long run you won't see things that way. Things have a way of changing. You might find you don't need us as much as you thought you did." She crossed her legs training her dark blue eyes on his steady figure before her. She watched as he stepped away from the mirror to move toward his closet. Kneeling down to untie his polished leather shoes.
"No one's ever found comfort from worrying about the future." It sounded like the start of a lecture and she felt just a flair of annoyance well up inside her. Who the hell did this kid think he was!? "I don't make whimsical decisions. When I first thought of you and your sister as my partners the idea seemed perfect to me. Perfection is absolute Liz. It is everything. I knew this was a fantastic idea from the start. It would take a lot to change mind about that." He looked to her then, a silent plea in his golden eyes "Trust me."
But that mischievous smirk only pulled higher on her face.
'He thinks he's so grown up,' She thought.
And suddenly a wild idea popped into the her mind. Would this be his first time? Would this be his first time seeing a woman like this? The idea bubbled up inside her and made her bite at her lower lip in slight apprehension. She'd soon find out.
"That's a real good attitude Kid but just to be on the safe side how about I sweeten the deal?" Placing his shoes properly away, he then turned to the elder Thompson sister confusion evident on his young face. He was just in time to see the sash pulled away and the fall of pink cotton slide elegantly down her shoulders…
:::
It's like a perfectly placed joke, Patty once told them with a smile.
No one knows when it started. It's not as if anyone was keeping score.
Kid nor either of the Thompson sisters can outright tell you when things had begun to change.
Sometimes there would be little things about the house that were completely asymmetrical. A picture tilted a little too far. A vase missing from the opposite side of its partner on the mantle….little things that began as soon as Patty and Liz stepped into his life. He knew one of them was screwing with him and he was pretty sure which one it was too. Then one day all of a sudden it stopped. And if you were to ever ask the older Thompson sister why she did it, she'd out right deny having ever done anything in the first place; "Why would I do some petty crap like that?" But she would never fully look you in the eye.
One-day Patty set the table for all three of them. But what's more she set the long empty table perfectly for eight people even though it was just them. Kid had looked at her from his seat and smiled at her winning grin. And if you were to ever ask the younger Thompson sister why she did it, she'd just smile and say, "Cause eights a kinda cool number when you really think about it. If you look at a number eight from the side, it kinda looks like boobs! Hahahaha!"
One-day Kid took the two sisters to the amusement park. Because Patty kept begging and Liz had said something along the lines of, 'I don't get bumper cars. Do you race or something?' And never mind that Patty forced them all to ride everything twice till Kid upchucked. And never mind that Liz was so terrified of the Haunted House tour that she ran both Kid and Patty out of there shrieking at the top of her lungs. And never mind that Kid had a panic attack because the slushy that Patty spilt on him was not a symmetrical splatter. It had been their first real family outing…for any of them.
And if you were to ask Death the Kid why he did it, he would simply shrug and say in an uncaring tone, "Because it was something to do." Even though he hate's amusement parks because of how chaotic they can be.
And all three of them remember the walk home from the amusement park Patty was a whirlwind having her twelfth strawberry slush. Kid walked with a number of large stuffed toys for the sisters (those shooting booths didn't stand a chance.) And Liz walked behind him merrily eating a candy apple, "Ohmygosh you guys this is sooo good!"
"Hey, Kid! Kid! Kid! Guess what!" Cried a hyper Patty.
"Geez, Liz doesn't she ever stop?"
"I told you not to buy her anymore of those things."
"Kid! Kid! Kid! Guess whhhaaaaat? You have to Guesss!"
"What is it Patty?" He sighed wearily.
"Hahahaha! Knock Knock!"
"Shut up!" Both Kid and Liz snapped.
:::
Kid was swift to turn quickly away from her.
There was a pregnant pause as Liz watched his now tense figure.
When the silence dragged she asked, "What are you doing?"
There was another moments worth of silence before he tightly replied, "What are you doing?"
"I'm sweetening the deal." She spoke softly, "I'm showing my gratitude."
"I think…" She actually heard him gulp loudly, "There's been some miscommunication here…"
"You don't like it?"
"I-!" He paused the words suddenly cut from his throat. To this day she wonders what he was going to say. What he'd stopped himself from giving away. Still she wonders…
Instead he says, "You've got the wrong idea about me."
"Do I?" comes her heated reply.
He doesn't know this yet. But even though his back is turned on her Liz knows he's still watching her. That he can still see everything. Because even though he moved away from the mirror with his back to her from a certain angle he can still see her in the large mirror in his room. He can see her. But from her position she cannot see him. But still she knows he's watching. It's a strong sense of feeling. It was hard to not feel those yellow orbs on her exposed skin.
He was watching…but it couldn't be helped. Her slender form perched invitingly on his bed. His yellow gaze traveled down from the curve where her neck met her shoulders down over her chest. The swell of her breasts makes his mouth part and leaves his throat dry. The flat valley of her stomach looks like pure unclaimed territory and his hands twitch at his sides with the desire to explore. Any lower than that is blocked, however because she keeps her legs crossed and the hidden mystery there leaves an aching in his chest that he realizes with dread is expanding lower making his pants unpleasantly restraint. The speck of red that falls from his chin to his perfectly white shirt seems to be the spark that flings him back to reality.
Of all the dirty mind-fucks. He tightens his hands into a fist.
His head lowers and he's sure to keep his back to her to hide the effects she has on him.
A few seconds more tick by and she keeps a steady gaze on him awaiting his action. She's a little surprised to find her breath caught in her throat and a strange thrill that's settled within her since she slipped off the flimsy garment.
Finally, in a strained tone he speaks, "Elizabeth," And she tenses because this is the first time he's used her full name, "You need to leave now."
She blinks.
The words take a moment to register, but when they do she calmly stands from his bed. She picks up her robe, but doesn't put it on. Instead she just uses it to cover herself from the front. She walks toward his still figure and to his credit, he doesn't move an inch even though she knows he can feel her presence.
Hell, their souls alone have been shuddering with strong tension and a hidden excitement since the moment she stepped into his room and if she could feel it she knew his senses must be on overdrive.
So many things run through her head. In the end he'd proven her wrong and she didn't know what to think of that. So she said the only words that came to mind. "You know what" She speaks in a barely there whisper, "I think…I think you're really weird."
Then she left his room. It wasn't until the door clicked shut behind her did Kid think it finally proper to pass out from his massive nose bleed.
:::
It takes time. It really does.
They work well together. All three of them. In a years' time their souls resonate with one another. Kid rarely misses his mark. In the heat of battle, they are a well-oiled team. And Liz has even come to help talk Kid through his OCD tendencies when they're at their worst. (So a lot.)
The man responsible for eating the souls of so many young children was now pulsating with evil energy as he ran blindly through the downtown cities. He sought refuge in a nearby alley way crouched behind dumpsters and trash bags he gives a low guttural sound of spite for being hunted but it can't be helped. Once free of those damned kids he'll slip into oblivion until it became safe to again wreak more havoc.
"What a fantastic hiding spot." Came the sudden annoyed voice of Liz Thompson, "You must be invisible and bulletproof." The angry soul turned to her with an enraged cry as she smirked and raised her gun to him, "Now, now that's far enough." She said pointing the silver gun known as her younger sister Patty threateningly at him, "You've already given us quite a workout and we're just about done for the night. Ain't that right Kid?"
His appearance was made gliding onto the scene fast on his skateboard, "I think you're right Liz! Let's end this night with a bang!" He cries kicking his skateboard off from the ground onto the dumpster and, to the demented man's rage, ends with a spin kick to his skull! The angered soul wails and it comes like piercing screech shattering all windows in its wake. He charges after Kid who skids to stop beside Liz. The older Thompson sister tosses her laughing sister into Kids hand and smirks, "It's all you Kid!" before transforming herself into a weapon which he catches in his other hand. He smiles. Perfect. He aims the two sisters at the crazed man's head. "Time to bring a little more balance into this chaotic world. Liz. Patty. Are you two ready?"
They'd done it a few times today and were practicing to get it right.
"Ready!" Liz said.
"Hahaha! Let's do it!" Cheered Patty.
All three cried, "Soul Resonance!" Their souls expanded into one the wind rushed around them and they could feel the strength and electricity their power was igniting. In a flash of blinding light Patty and Liz's weapon forms expanded to cover all of Kid's hand and wrist, forcing his arms to look as though they were extending into two major lethal looking guns.
"Resonance Stable." Liz Confirmed.
"Black Needle Soul wavelength fully charged!" Patty happily chirped.
"Preparing to fire." Spoke the older sister, "Feedback in four seconds. Three."
"Two…" Chirped Patty.
"One…" "Called Liz.
"Firing now!" Grinned the younger sister.
Kid brought the two large flaming guns together. Both weapons glowing from the barrel of the gun. "Death Cannon!" Kid cried before a shot like a bomb rang out through the alley engulfing the angered soul in its blast and tearing him to pieces! When the smoke cleared away there was nothing left in the ally except for a crater with a glowing red soul. This one was for Patty since Liz got the last one and the sisters needed to devour an even amount of souls between them for the night. (As demanded by Kid.)
"Whoo hooo!" Cried Patty pumping her fist into the air "We did it again you guys! How amazing was that!?"
"We're getting really good at that move, huh Kid?" Grinned Liz, "I think we finally got it right!"
"It's so cool! Do you see how the sky lit up!? Like Kwa-Boooom!" Patty began running about waving her arms wildly making explosive noises while Liz laughed.
The older sister looked to their meister to find him standing there with a pensive expression.
Liz blanched. He was going to have them hunt down another evil baddy because he still didn't think it was right and then once again she and Patty would be uneven, with souls and that would lead them to another fight and so on and so forth! At this rate her beauty sleep was gone out the window!
But Kid instead said, "I think that about does it for the night."
Liz felt her jaw drop and Patty stopped her explosive sounds to look to the young reaper with wide eyes.
He smiled at the two sisters. "Liz. Patty. Let's go home."
Kid had no way of knowing how those words alone meant the world to the Thompson sisters.
Liz smiled and Patty grinned widely.
"So you're finally satisfied huh?" Liz asked as they fell in step with one another, each sister at his side as was now common for them.
"It's absolutely superb! I think we should all be really proud of ourselves. Now if only we can get our stance right…" He trailed off thoughtfully.
Liz rolled her eyes, "Yeah, still not a fan of the stance. But hey, as a reward for such a great job today we should go out shopping tomorrow! Huh, what do you say Patty? Kid?"
"Shopping! Whooo!" Cheered Patty!
Kid's brows furrowed as he fell deeper in thought, "That stance though…always just a little off center…" he grumbled.
The older sister smirked "We've lost him again."
Patty laughed, "Oh Kiiiiiiiiiiid? Knock knock!"
He grimaced, "Not this again."
Liz sighed, "Kid, just indulge her."
"Of all the wasted…fine! Who's there?"
"Banana."
"Banana, who?"
"Knock knock."
Kid blinked, "What was the punch line?"
"Ohmygod!" Cried Liz, "Have you seriously never heard this joke before!?"
Patty laughed, "Knock knock, knock knock!"
Kid shot Liz a confused look before saying again, "Who's there?"
"Banana!"
"Banana who!?"
"Knock knock!"
"Dammit Patty!"
This time Liz and Patty both laughed and Kid felt a vein pulse in his forehead. "That's not a joke that's just you saying banana all the time!"
"Hey Kid!" Grinned Patty, and this time Liz joined her, "Knock knock!"
The young reaper scowled at the two grinning ladies. He was sure they were having a go at him. Sometimes they seemed to indulge in it. But he decided to give it one last attempt, "Who's there?" He said between clenched teeth.
"Banana!" They cried again.
"That's it I'm done!" He cried as he stormed off, patience gone. But he stopped as Liz grabbed at his wrist. "Hold on Kid!" He shot her an irritated glare, but found her smile full and void of any hardships, "You gotta do it again. Just one more time. Please?" And then she asked of him the very thing he had once asked of her.
Deep blue eyes softened beautifully, "Trust me."
He stared at her slightly forgetting himself until Patty called again, "Knock knock!"
He looked to the younger sister and gave one last grueling huff, "Oh very well. Who's there?"
"Orange!" She cried this time.
Kid blinked, "Orange who?"
"Orange you glad I didn't say banana!?"
Kid stared flabbergasted. And it was more so the look on his face than the actual joke itself that caused the two Thompson sisters to go off in hysterics! They laughed so hard that they clutched at their sides and Liz actually wiped a few forming tears.
Their laughter was as contagious as it was idiotic. Because all to soon Kid felt the corners of his lips pull up and a chuckle escaped followed quickly by another, then he too was laughing just as outrageously at the stupidity of it all.
And when they had finally all calmed down Patty took Kid's hand then she took her older sister's hand, standing between her two favorite people with an ear splitting grin she said, "See it's like I tried to tell you guys before. Sometimes it's like a looong knock knock joke. Some things just take time."
Both Kid and Liz stared at the younger sister in slight shock.
Then Liz grins.
And Kid gives an understanding smile.
"Okay coco bird." Liz says, squeezing her younger sisters hand lovingly, "Let's get home already. I'm beat."
"I think it's safe to assume that we'll all sleep well tonight." Agrees Kid as they continue on their way hand in hand.
"Sure thing!" Says Patty, "But I want a big slice of pizza before bed!" she grins then a thoughtful expression falls on her pretty face.
"Oh…by the way, big sis?"
Over Kid's muttering about how they just had pizza earlier today Liz questions, "What's up?"
A mischievous grin that would easily rival Liz's own, then spreads across the younger girls face.
"I've been meaning to ask you this for a long time, but…did you seriously let Kid see you naked?"
Eyes wide, mouths agape and faces on fire Liz and Kid freeze and Patty's laughter rings through the night air.
….~Some things just take time.
~Fin~
Wow! It feels so GREAT to be writing fanfiction again. ^^ I can't believe how much I've missed it! This is my first Soul Eater fanfic love the series (I'm especially in favor of the Liz/Kid pairing. Does that kind of show?) so please let me know how I did. I adore reviews both good and bad.
Peace-)AR