Turns out I just pulled a muscle in my back, it was better in no time. Tsubaki carried me all the way back to the school without even breaking a sweat – almost two miles. I'm not sure if that's a testament to her strength, or to the fact that I'm far too small for my age. After the nurse looked at me and provided my diagnosis, Tsubaki pulled her aside to talk to her privately; I didn't see her again until this morning. I had decided to stay the night and let Soul get his belongings in peace.

I woke up to the absence of my back pains and the most enchanting set of indigo eyes peering at me. "Good morning. Are you feeling any better?" She asked.

I nodded as I stretched my arms above my head. "Much. Well… the pain is gone anyway." The physical pain, yes; the emotional anguish remains fully intact.

She reached out and took my hand in hers. "Everyone makes mistakes, Maka. It'll be okay."

"I don't make mistakes like this, Tsubaki and I certainly don't do stupid things like this at the expense of someone else's emotional stability." I said, fighting the fresh tears that welled up in my eyes.

"Stupid…" She said, her voice trailing off. It almost looked like there was pain in her eyes, but I couldn't fathom why. Unless it was the sympathy she was feeling for Soul.

"Want to know the worst part?" I asked her. She nodded even though we both knew it was a rhetorical question. "I probably could've avoided hurting Soul if I just… If the person I was with didn't stay with me…"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I think I might be in love with this person, Tsubaki." If I wasn't so sure that she'd forgotten about the whole thing, I wouldn't be saying any of this right now. The words spewing from my mouth would be taken to my grave along with her identity. "I remember every vivid detail of that night. The way it felt to kiss he- this person; to touch, hold and just love them. It was incredible. I always thought my first time with a- …with someone other than Soul would be slow and intense. It wasn't. It was… so much better. It was like they wanted nothing more in the world than to be with me. I can't even describe it."

"Maka, I have to go." She said abruptly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I know Soul is your friend, I didn't mean to put you in an awkward pos-"

"No, no!" She said, cutting me off. "That's not it at all, I promise. I'll come back when I can."

I nodded, not wanting to pry but wanting desperately to know what was so urgent. "Okay. If I'm not here just try the apartment. I don't think I'll be attending school today."

She nodded once and then she was gone. I almost didn't see her leave; must've been extremely important.

I sat up and stretched again, this time testing the muscles in my lower back. There was a small twinge of pain but I was otherwise unharmed. I never got to take a bath after three hours of intense and sweaty training, so that's what I intend to do now. I debated on whether I should bathe here at school or head home. At home I run the risk of bumping into Soul, something I'm not ready to deal with just yet. At school the baths would undoubtedly be empty since everyone would be in class. The answer is obvious.

I'd have to put the same clothes on afterwards, but that's no big deal. I can bathe again at home. I just want to get my body clean. With that I left a short note for the nurse explaining my state of health and the need for a hygienic cleanse, and left.

When I arrived, the baths weren't as empty as I had expected. There was another student in the steaming water. "Er…" I started, not knowing what to say. It was one thing to bathe with many other girls; it's an entirely different situation to bathe with just one other girl.

She turned around and I was surprised to see Tsubaki staring back at me with a startled expression. "Oh, Maka." She said.

"Hey Tsubaki, I'm sorry, I figured the school baths would be empty. I didn't mean to interrupt you." I turned to walk away – there's no way I'm about to bathe with the very object of my new obsession. I don't think I could handle it.

"No, it's okay. There's enough room for two." She chuckled out. The sarcasm was not lost on me, considering the school baths were the size of small swimming pools. "Come on in."

I was torn. Stay and bathe, get clean, stare at Tsubaki's radiant body, or leave, smell horrible and save my sanity? I shrugged to myself. No point in denying which one I wanted, so I stripped down to nothing and lowered myself slowly into the steaming hot bath water.

Her head disappeared under the water and bobbed back up a mere two feet away from me; her smile forced my heartbeat to a halt and then kicked it into overdrive. I just smiled back, trying desperately to control my hormones. I know for a fact that my cheeks are red, but that could be from the steam.

My head tipped back leisurely and I sighed. The scalding water did wonders to soothe my aching muscles. "This feels so good." I said as my eyes closed.

"Hey, can I talk to you about… um… about the person you…" Her voice trailed off as if she thought I'd get angry with her for mentioning it.

"Mhm." I hummed in response.

"Do you think they felt the same as you?"

"I don't know, honestly. I told you what it felt like; like they didn't want to be anywhere else at the time. But I wasn't in the best state of mind to make that call. All I know is that it felt right to me and that I pretty much never want to be anywhere else ever again. It's hard to describe." I explained.

There was a brief moment where I heard the water ripple and I suddenly felt a lot warmer than before. I lifted my head to see where she'd moved to but my breath hitched in my throat. Her face was inches from mine; her arms on either side of me, successfully trapping me to that spot. "Tsu-Tsubaki?" I stuttered lamely.

"When I woke up you were looking at me like you were so scared; so worried. I thought you regretted it and that you wished it had never happened. I played it off to make you feel better." Her breath was hot on my cheek as she moved closer to whisper in my ear, causing our bodies to mold together. Flames ignited wherever her skin met mine, and spread throughout my entire being like a wild fire. "I didn't forget. I didn't want to be anywhere else that night and I don't want to be anywhere else ever again, either."

Before I could comprehend what she had said to me, her lips were on mine. I couldn't think, I could only react; my hands buried themselves deep in her dark locks and I pushed myself into her, deepening the kiss immediately. These lips, so very soft and sweet. My body begged me to ravage the taller woman right now, but I refrained. One of her arms wrapped around my waist and the other made its way to the back of my head, pulling me as close to her as possible. She kissed me with such passion, slow and tantalizing; a dull throbbing began in my core and began building steadily into a desperate ache.

Our tongues danced together and it wasn't long before we were both panting – or was it more like moaning? Her height gave me the upper hand in our current position – I don't have to bend down. My hands slid down to her shoulders and I pushed her lightly, breaking the kiss so I could attach my lips to her pulse point. The ache within me throbbed almost painfully as I felt a moan rumble its way out of her throat. My hands found their way to her bountiful breasts and her hips bucked into me.

I tried my best to keep it slow but I had to have her; to push her over the threshold into complete ecstasy. I removed a hand from one of her breasts, replacing it with my mouth, and made a soft trail down her flat stomach with my fingertips. "Maka." She said breathlessly.

I stopped my ministrations to look up at her and her lips met mine in a heated kiss, overwhelming me with the intensity of her lust. I wasted no more time, sliding my free hand between her thighs. She whimpered and bit my lower lip lightly as my fingers explored her core wholly. She was incredibly wet and it wasn't just because of the water that surrounded us. I lifted her leg with my other arm, opening her even more to me and turned us around so she was pinned against the side of the bath.

"Maka, please…" She begged. My head swam and it was as if the steam crawled into my brain at her words. My thumb grazed the erect bundle of nerves nestled within her folds and her hips bucked again. I pressed down on the same spot and circled it slowly, starting a slow rhythm. One of her hands shot beneath the water and assaulted my core, all teasing aside; I let out a startled whimper at the pleasure her fingers coaxed through me. She found my clit and began the same torturous rhythm I was giving her.

It wasn't long before I got the hint; I'm going too slow. If I want her to go faster, I have to go faster. I adjusted my hand and slid my index finger inside her far enough to cause my thumb to increase the pressure on her clit. Lust-filled moans escaped us both simultaneously as she copied the motion. I added another finger and began to pump in and out of her; again she did the same.

I pressed my forehead to hers and looked into her deep indigo eyes, picking up the pace and increasing the pressure. Tsubaki's eyes closed as her head fell backwards; her breaths were coming out sporadically, and I could tell she was holding back.

There was nothing I could do about it though, my peak was dangerously close. My hand sped up, desperately trying to send her over the edge before me, but she mimicked me again. I had to bite down on her shoulder to choke back the scream that threatened to rip through me as my orgasm hit. "Oh god!" I cried out as the waves of pure pleasure assaulted my body.

The moment I came I felt Tsubaki's walls tighten around my fingers and her body stopped momentarily before her muscles began to spasm. "Maka!" She yelled, burying a hand in my hair. Her hips ground into me as she rode out her own orgasm out on my fingers.

She collapsed backwards against the side wall of the bath and I collapsed against her, our fingers still inside one another. My head was resting on her shoulder as I fought to regain control of my breathing. "Wow." I whispered. "That was even better than before."

She chuckled weakly and pulled her fingers slowly out of my body; I did the same. "Wait until next time." She said with a wink, and I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of me as if my body was singing of my pure elation.

Boom. Sex. One more chapter to go! ONWARD!