Shy

There was always something about shy couples that attracted their friends. There was always teasing to be found, no matter who it was. And, of course, when the boyfriend is the Shinigami-sama's son and a shinigami himself there are definitely going to be rumors floating around.

Most people figured that their shyness was just a cover-up in public and that they were actually very wild when alone. Others, predictably jealous girls, thought that Maka had forced Kid into going out with her. And, an even scarcer amount of people came up with the idea that they had been together since meeting each other.

Of course all of these were wrong, and none of them really had any truth in them. Death the Kid and Maka Albarn were both simply very withdrawn and were not quite familiar with romantic relationships. But still, they liked each other enough to give it a try.

In fact, they were both so inexperienced in dating that their first date was at a library. Only greetings and goodbyes had been spoken during the entirety of the date. Luckily, the second try had gone smoother. They had gone on a picnic and enjoyed themselves, until Kid realized that there weren't two baskets. Needless to say he started freaking out afterwards.

It almost felt as if they were still friends. Except stronger, and they were often feeling very self-conscious in the presence of the other. Not to mention holding hands, hugging, and even kissing. The farthest they had gone was a hug though, and that was under pressure from Black*Star.

So the question was this: did they lack chemistry? The thought seemed absurd; their personalities meshed so well! But was the 'spark' there? The fireworks that every girl dreamily talks about when she reminisces her first kiss?

But they hadn't even kissed yet! And Maka wasn't about to initiate such a bold move. Besides, Maka reasoned, Everyone always says it 'happens in the moment.'

That was just an excuse. Maka was a nervous wreck during any outings involving Kid. She over-analyzed everything she did, afraid that she might offend him. Kid didn't fare too well either, which led most of their interactions to be awkward and second-guessed.

Kid once went to Soul for advice. While the choice may seem odd, the shinigami figured that the weapon would have more insight on Maka and probably had experience in love.

Soul laughed at first and mumbled a bit, "I knew she would be too shy. Black*Star owes me twenty bucks now…"

Kid ignored his statement and repeated his inquiry. Soul had beckoned him into his (and Maka's) apartment to talk. Apparently the meister was out getting groceries, but Kid already knew that.

Soul lazily took a seat on the couch and Kid sat down as well, albeit more gracefully. "So, what you're trying to say is that she's your 'kryptonite' and makes you weak when you're near her, but she is too quiet around you as the predictable book worm. Because of this everything turns awkward and uncool, right?"

That was a lot of insight. Kid had only briefly mentioned that he needed help on his and Maka's relationship, and definitely not all of this. He nodded and spoke disdainfully, "Exactly. But I'm sure I wouldn't use the term 'kryptonite.' That's a bit overused, isn't it?"

Soul only shook his head with an amused smirk. "No, it was perfect for this situation. But you've come to the right place. Maka has always been quiet and a bookworm since I first met her, so that's no surprise. As far as I can tell she's never had any previous relationships, and with her parents' circumstances probably was a bit cautious about being in one now.

"Since you two have been friends for a long time, it must be strange to think of you any differently. And since she has feelings for you, Maka probably over-thinks about what she should and shouldn't do in every action she takes.

"But what you need to do is to take that step. Instead of being reserved and…boring…you need to show some initiative or some coolness. Do you know what I'm trying to say? You two are setting up a relationship as friends and it's set for a crash course. You need to make it more…eh…Couple-like." Soul shrugged, "Once you do that, she's sure to know how the relationship is supposed to be."

Kid stared in awe for a second, before smirking. "Thanks. I didn't know you could be so useful," he got up from the couch and made for the door, "I better go before Maka gets back."

Soul waved half-heartedly and the shinigami walked out. He's going to be taking that step sooner than he expected. Heh, my birthday gift to Maka is sent. He chuckled to himself.

As soon as Kid had walked a few steps away from the door, he saw Maka walking down the street. She noticed him as well, and even from this distance Kid could see a blush. It was strange to have this effect on her.

The shinigami then noticed the amount of bags she was carrying. Two…Four…Six…Eight bags! Kid rushed over and, in his mind, hoped that this would not be another awkward exchange. He wished for his courage to stay with him from the 'pep talk' given by Soul.

"Hey, Maka, let me carry some of those for you." He had already moved to grab some, and Maka almost rejected his help out of habit. She usually did this stuff by herself.

Kid not-so-accidentally brushed his hand across hers when he took several groceries. It elicited a blush from her, but she did not say anything.

He would have to be more forward. Touching hands was not very high on the 'couple-like' and 'coolness' chart. But he still didn't want to do something that might scare her away. What was he to do?

They made small-talk all the way back to her apartment, (it was strange to enter someplace you had left less than five minutes ago) and put the food in the kitchen. Apparently Soul had retreated to his room after their talk, as he was nowhere to be seen.

Kid helped put everything in its rightful place, and even went about placing every single thing in the kitchen symmetrically. Maka didn't even try to stop him.

Once he had calmed down, Kid thought about making his move. It seemed that in every movie in which the guy walks the girl home that they would kiss just before parting ways. But that would be like stealing a first kiss…Wait! Kid had the perfect idea.

The shinigami smiled warmly at Maka, (hopefully killing the awkwardness of his next movement) and embraced her. He didn't hesitate like he usually did, which, Soul seemed to point out, made Maka second-guess herself. Kid wondered if he was doing what he was supposed to be doing.

He decided that he should say something to 'spice' it up. "I really like you, Maka. I'm glad that I can be here with you right now, enjoying this." Maka had blushed profusely, and bashfully returned the hug.

"You don't have to be so shy around me. I think I know you pretty well at this point so it's not like you have to 'make a good impression' on me. If you want to hold hands, just ask. If you want to hug, just ask. If you even want to kiss, just ask. Okay? …I'll do the same."

Kid silently played with Maka's ponytails. If her hair was down, he would have run his fingers through it.

"…I want to kiss."