Prompt by izzyk279: "Could you help me study?"

Rated T because this took a turn for the PG-13


She does a little double-take as he says it, eyes widening in shock. "Are you feeling okay?" she asks, pushing herself away from her desk to cross her room. She reaches up and feels at his forehead, only halfway joking.

"Har har," he says dryly, leaning away. "You're hilarious. I'm serious, Maka, I'm having trouble with this assignment."

"So?" she asks, still perplexed. "You've never cared about homework before."

She thinks it might be her imagination, but his cheeks flush ever-so-slightly. He rubs the back of his neck, trying to regain his composure. "Just…c'mere, would ya?"

She nods and follows her weapon-turned-boyfriend, eyes dipping lower as he stretches. The hem of his worn band shirt rides up, revealing a sliver of tanned skin, and a familiar pool of heat curls in her belly. How is it that they have been together for nearly a year now, and yet he can still draw out this kind of response from her?

Her eyes jerk up as he drags out a kitchen chair, gesturing for her to sit. Papers full of his sloppy handwriting are scattered across the tabletop as evidence of his labor, and as Maka quickly scans them over, Soul leans down to peer over her shoulder. His warm breath tickles her neck, and she suppresses a shiver.

"I don't quite see the problem," she says, brow wrinkling as she takes in his work. "You've got most of them right…"

"Not those," he says, and is it her imagination, or is his voice lower? His arm extends as he reaches for a paper near the other end of the table. Maka feels the stubble on his chin as his face bends closer to hers, and suddenly the room is too warm. She wants to curse him for being able to stir this kind of response in her, but she knows she never could.

Finally, he finds the paper he wants and drags it back to rest in front of Maka, but he doesn't move away. His arm now rests fully against hers, elbow to wrist, and he doesn't seem too fussed to move it. Instead, his thumb begins to trace lazy patterns on the back of her hand where it sits on the paper.

Paper. Right. And Maka tries, she really does. She sees the words on the page, knows they must be English, but then Soul turns his head to press a gentle kiss to her cheek and sends sparks skittering under her skin.

"Soul?" she asks, breathless. "What are you doing?"

"Studying," he answers, a wicked smile in his voice. He knows exactly what he's doing, and that's enough to snap Maka halfway out of her trance.

"No, you're not," she says tetchily. "At least, not right now. And everything looks fine, so I don't see why you need—"

He shifts, capturing her lips with his to send all her irritation flying out the window. It's a short kiss, and when he pulls back, he smirks at the look on her face. "Didn't say I was studying that," he says, referencing the material on the table.

Her confusion must be written on her face, because he fixes her with a heated look and roves his eyes up and down her body in a slow, piercing once-over.

Oh. Oh.

His nose brushes against hers as their foreheads touch. "Mmmhmm," he hums. "I think I'm a little fuzzy on the subject," he adds slyly. "Could use some one-on-one tutoring."

Maka wants to laugh at his attempts to seduce her with studying, but damn it, it's working. The heat in her belly has her face flushing red and her feet twisting underneath the table. "I don't know," she says, scrambling to keep any semblance of composure. "You've still got a lot of work to do here…"

"It can wait," he growls. His head dips down so his nose is skimming her jaw. Soft kisses line her jugular. "Sides, I thought studying was one of your favorite things?" He speaks between kisses, voice rumbling low across her neck and raising goosebumps. The arm on the table draws back, leaving cold air in its wake, but it's soon replaced around her waist. Fingers press against the material of her shirt, drawing it up inch by inch. Her body feels like a live wire, and why is she drawing this out again?

"Well," she says, giving in as she arches her neck back. "You know I never say no to a little extra studying."

He pulls back, a burning look on his face. In less time than it takes to blink, he scoops her out of the chair and is carrying her across the room, lips attached to her neck.

For the first time in quite a while, Maka's books go untouched for the rest of the day.

Posted 3 July 2014