There it is! Finally! Maka triumphantly reached for the large book on the shelf. The book was whipped away from the other side before she could wrap her hands around it. Looking through the gap in the shelf she saw Death the Kid staring back at her.
"Oh, hello Maka." Kid noticed the bewildered look on her face. He walked around to her side of the shelf and held the book out in front of him. "I'm sorry, did you want this?"
"Um, yeah, but I guess you can have it. I've already read it a few times."
"Actually I have too, but I keep coming back to it somehow."
Maka smiled, happy to find that someone else shares her fascination with this novel. "Yeah, it's a really great story. I love the way the author portrays the characters; it's so unique."
He smiled warmly back at her, "Yes, it really makes you think about how dangerous human nature can be."
Maka laughed in agreement, "Yeah...so do you want it?"
"You may take it if you want; it makes no difference to me."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, take it." He handed the book to her and felt her tremble slightly as their hands meet over the spine.
"Thanks Kid." She smiled and blushed a little.
Kid told her goodbye and left her in good spirits. He found himself thinking about her on his way home. He had always admired Maka for her intellect and fighting skills. She was a triple threat; beauty, brains, and strength. He could not help but fall for her. It wasn't just what made her amazing, but how she made him feel. Her eyes penetrated his uptight composure; her lips spoke comforting words in a voice of silk. He realized that much of what he felt was infatuation, but that was no reason to ignore such feelings. He had to try; the only problem was how to get to her.
He wasn't the only one interested. Unfortunately, Kid had seen Soul looking at her in a way similar to his own glances. Whenever they hung out it had become a discrete battle between the two boys. Soul would say something cool, Kid would say something charming, and Maka would unknowingly determine the winner with her smooth reactions to their foolish words.
Not only was pursuing Maka risky, but he did not even know how to go about asking her. He had never dwelled upon relationships much before, and was therefore, clueless. There was a part of the reaper that hated these feelings. He knew he was making himself vulnerable, but there was no way out of this guilty pleasure any longer. If he didn't at least try to make the next step, he would never be at peace. He needed help though.
Kid returned home and found Liz in the foyer, painting her nails with critical eyes. "Hello Liz."
"Hey Kid, what's up?" She asked casually.
"Oh, not much...Do you think you could help me with something?"
Liz looked up. He never needed her help. "With what?" She asked suspiciously.
Kid shrugged awkwardly, "Some advice."
Advice? Really? "Uhh, sure, I guess."
"Is it appropriate to ask a girl to dinner over the phone, or should I do it in person?"
Liz's eyes widened in shock. "You want to ask someone out? Who?"
"I'll let you know if she says yes, but really, how should I ask her?"
Liz shrugged, "I'm sure calling her would be fine, if you're shy. If you think she would be nervous too, calling might be better."
Kid smiled, reassured, "Thanks."
Liz smiled back, "And when you take her out, try not to go psycho. It tends to turn girls off when her date bleeds from the mouth because the plate had a chip on it."
"I pick my restaurants very carefully; there will be no bad china," he answered seriously.
Liz shrugged and turned her attention back on her nails. "Whatever."
Kid went to his room and closed the door quietly behind him. He went to the phone in the center of the table and dialed her number with shaking fingers. He put the phone up to his ear, wincing at his unbalanced stature.
After a few long rings, a low, bored voice answered, "Hello?"
"Soul? It's Death the Kid, is Maka there?"
"You wanna talk to Maka?"
"Um, yes."
He hesitated suspiciously, "...Um, okay, MAKA?"
Kid heard her faintly answer.
"Kid's on the phone!"
He could hear shuffling and Soul whispering something to Maka before she picked up the phone and said, "Hi Kid."
"Hello Maka, how are you?"
"I'm fine, how 'bout you?" She answered with polite nervousness.
"I'm good." Kid hesitated awkwardly as he tried to build up the courage to ask her.
"So...can I help you?"
"I hope so...I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?"
Maka gasped. She liked Kid, but she had never considered dating him. However, the idea was somewhat intriguing. She decided she should give him a chance because they were such good friends.
"Okay, sure," she answered shakily.
"Great, I'll pick you up at five, is that okay?"
"Yes, that's perfect, thanks." He could tell by her voice that she was smiling, but definitely nervous and overwhelmed.
"Good. See you then."
"Okay, bye."
"Bye." Kid hung up the phone with relief and lay back in his chair. He could not believe he had just done that.
The first thing he noticed when she opened the door was her eyes. It was always the first thing he saw because of their vibrancy and light. Tonight they were adorned with some make-up, which made their bright green hue even more entrancing. The second thing he noticed was how stunning she was in that dress. It was shiny lavender silk with a dark purple sash. Her small, slender frame was complemented by every stitch in the dress's design. She had silver heels on and her hair was curled, delicately framing her sweet face. The third thing was Soul standing behind her. His hands were in his pockets and he was trying very hard to hide that he was jealous and annoyed by Kid's presence.
Maka smiled brightly at Kid, also pleased by his appearance. He was wearing a black sports jacket over a gray button-down shirt, with black dress pants and shiny dark shoes. His handsome face smiled nervously back at her.
"Hello, Kid."
"Hi, you look magnificent." Soul scowled behind her.
"Thanks, you too." Maka answered, flattered.
The couple left the jealous weapon and made their way to the restaurant. They ate a wonderful meal and talked for hours about books, school, and each other. Each stared happily into the other's eyes all night.
After paying the bill, they left the restaurant and walked back to Maka's house in the moonlight. Kid looked down gently wrapped his long fingers around her tiny, pale hand. She smiled up at him, pleased and comforted with the gesture.
This evening had been more amazing than she had ever expected. Every move he made was charming and graceful. They could talk for years about any subject. It wasn't just what they had in common that interested her, but also the way they could see things differently. She enjoyed hearing his input, and loved how they could debate things without anger. In fact, it was almost flirtatious. Was it possible Maka was falling in love? For so long she had seen him as nothing but a friend, but now...there was so much she had never noticed before. It was intriguing.
Death the Kid was pleased. Although nervous at first, he was able to break past his comfort zone and open up to her on so many levels. He learned very much about her too. Her strength and beauty did not cease to amaze him during their conversations. His admiration for her was strong, but not overwhelming. She made him relax. Something about her eyes and calm smile was keeping him grounded. Everything was going better than he had ever thought possible.
Their conversation stopped short as they approached the door to Maka's apartment. They had become so engulfed in one another, they did not realize they had walked such a far distance in what seemed like such a short time. They made their way up the steps and turned to one another shyly.
Kid reluctantly let go of her hand. "Thank you for coming. I really enjoyed talking to you."
Maka smiled. "Me too. Thanks for inviting me...I had a really great time," she added genuinely.
Kid blushed, much to his displeasure, and hesitated. She gazed up at him, obviously waiting for him to make one final move before leaving her.
He took the hint in her eyes and carefully brushed the bangs out of her eyes and leaned forward. She delicately wrapped her hands around the back of his head and pulled him in closer. Their innocent lips met softly. They held each other adoringly, relishing their first kiss. They pulled back slowly and smiled into each other's moonlit eyes.
This story was inspired by "Kids in Love" by Mayday Parade. If you have not heard of this band, I would recommend looking them up. Their lyrics are really eloquent and meaningful 3
I look back to the one and only summer time Closed lips, she was never one to kiss and tell And still out of my reach And we were just kids in love Our breath smelled of cigarettes and alcohol Her smile with the wind blowing through her hair And still out of my reach And we were just kids in love We're falling down, can we pick up the pieces? We're falling down, can we pick up the pieces now? And we were just kids in love We were just kids in love We were just kids in love
And my girl was the envy of every friends of mine
She slept safely in my arms
We were so young and invincible
Those trips in the summer never went so well
Young love is such dumb love
Call it what you want it was still enough
And still all of the things
That I want in my life
How could I ask you to leave me?
The summer was full of mistakes we wouldn't learn from
The first kiss stole the breath from my lips
Why did the last one tear us apart?
We'd walk down the beach counting every star
Our hearts beat inside our chest
Leaving us gasping for every breath
Was so contagious in the air
So satisfying and I'm still smiling
And still all of the things
That I want in my life
How could I ask you to leave me?
The summer was full of mistakes we wouldn't learn from
The first kiss stole the breath from my lips
Why did the last one tear us apart?
We're at an all time low, how do we get it back?
We're falling down, can we pick up the pieces?
The summer was full of mistakes we wouldn't learn from
The first kiss stole the breath from my lips
Why did the last one tear us...
The summer was full of mistakes we wouldn't learn from
The first kiss stole the breath from my lips
Why did the last one tear us apart?
The summer was full of mistakes we wouldn't learn from
The first kiss stole the breath from my lips
Why did the last one tear us apart?
