Chapter 11:

Stein was in his lab later than he probably should have been. Hours later, in fact. It was almost midnight; he should have gone home almost eight hours ago. But he had to confirm this, repeat the test results. There was no way this could be real. And if it was...well then, by God, he would make a discovery beyond anything the human race had accomplished.

He adjusted the focus on his microscope. He examined the cell, then looked back at the image on his computer. He checked and double-checked a few more times, then grinned.

"So that's what you are."

He jotted down a few notes in his notebook. At last. He had decoded part of the vampire's venom. It was only a small part...

...but that only meant he was one small part closer to solving one of the biggest mysteries of humankind—vampires.

Maka rolled over onto her back, arms crossed over her stomach. Damn it, she had had her eyes closed for nearly twenty minutes in her most comfortable position, light off and everything, and still couldn't sleep. She had to face it: she just wasn't tired. She sighed.

She sat up, tossing off the covers. Sitting at the edge of her bed, she tugged the light pull on her lamp. A soft glow was cast across her room. She stretched her arms above her head; forcing herself into one position for a while had stiffened up her muscles. Yawning, she turned back around and sat up, leaning back against the headboard, hugging her knees to her chest.

All she could think about was Soul.

His hair, his eyes, his clothes, his voice, the smell of him...he was just amazing all around. She had had a crush on him since...well, forever, but for some reason this seemed stronger than a crush. She had a hard time looking into his eyes. The smell of his cologne mixed in with his natural scent covered her mind with a haze. She longed for his touch, his embrace, even the sting of his fangs piercing her skin. She wanted his kiss. She trusted him with everything...

Oh, never mind the fact that he killed the other two boys in cold blood...said the logical part of her brain. Here, why don't we repeat some of those horrifying images?

Maka sighed and buried her chin in her knees. She glanced at the clock. 11:11. She closed her eyes.

I wish I could just...I don't know. Love him without guilt, I guess.

She sighed again. What exactly was this feeling weighing down her heart? There was a tightening in her chest every time she thought about her partner, or, more specifically, her feelings toward him.

Was it confusion? Was it fear of rejection? Was it insecurity? Or was it pure and simple fear of him?

"You're not afraid of me."

Maka gasped and pressed herself against the headboard, hand to her heart, making sure it resumed beating. There, at the edge of her bed, was Soul, in all his fanged glory. He stared at her intensely.

"If you were, you wouldn't want me in here alone with you." He lithely crawled up to her until he was nearly on top of her, staring deeply into her eyes. Maka's breath went shaky. Looking up into those maroon eyes, turned to the color of wine by what little light shone through the window, she could feel in her trembling soul that he was right. She wasn't afraid of him. She should have been...but she wasn't. So...so what was this feeling? This heavy, sinking feeling?

"I know what it is," he murmured, sending shivers down her spine.

"Wh-wh-what is it?"

"You're ashamed of what you feel," he said, almost forlornly. "You know you shouldn't trust me. You know it's wrong, but you can't stop yourself." As he spoke, his eyes wandered over her, down from her eyes to her lips, then down her neck and stopping at the collar of her pajama top. The sound of her heartbeat was loud enough that he could practically feel it; hell, it was starting to recalibrate his own.

He lifted his eyes back up to hers. "Why do you still trust me, Maka? Ask yourself that."

Biting her lip, she responded, "I-I dunno...I-I just...well...I-I guess I just...do?"

"Hmm," he mused, his eyes searching hers. Finally, he plopped down beside her and sighed. "I'm sure you know. You just need to figure it out."

Maka sat in a stunned silence for a moment, registering what the hell had just transpired. She looked over at Soul, sprawled out like he owned the place…she sighed quietly and laid down on her side, facing him.

"Soul?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing in here, anyway?"

"Couldn't sleep," he said casually, putting his arms behind his head. "I sensed that you were still awake, too, so I thought I'd drop in here for a little midnight snack...if that's alright with you," he murmured, side-eyeing the blonde. Maka blushed bright red, unsure if she was supposed to pick up the innuendo in his words. But, she supposed, with looking at her like that and being…him, it just couldn't be helped. She gulped.

"Y-yeah, I...I guess...I mean—"

"Okay, so I lied."

"Huh?" Her head snapped in the direction of his barely-visible figure, confusion, embarrassment, and a pinch of frustration in her face.

Soul sighed, running a hand through his hair. Maka thought the gesture looked odd on him; it made him appear almost…anxious? "Actually," he said, "I came in here to ask about your little...request earlier."

The memory flashed through her mind: "Kiss me." She flushed.

"S-S-Soul, I...I-I didn't...it was just..."

"Don't try to cover your ass, Maka. I heard you loud and clear, and I can tell when you're lying. I don't need a psychic connection to know that."

Maka was speechless. Soul met her eyes again. His expression was what Maka could only describe as his usual one—apathetic and slightly irked—but it softened. He rolled over onto his left side so he faced her. Situated maybe ten inches from her, Soul murmured, "Can I kiss you, Maka?"

She gasped and stuttered, stumbling over her words. She honestly wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to—God she wanted to...

"B-but..."

"But what?"

"Well I-I mean…you heard Stein, and—"

He put a finger to her lips. "Shh...don't worry, Maka. Just one kiss. No-one ever has to know…if you're cool with it."

Maka looked into his eyes. And then, she knew why she trusted him still. Those weren't the eyes of a killer. Those were the eyes of a confused boy who had been unready to die and was just trying to get on with his normal, teenage life, even after having been turned into something very, very abnormal.

Never mind the fangs; those were the eyes of her partner.

And so, she nodded. With a slight gulp, he leaned in, ever so slowly. He leaned closer to her until each could feel the other's breath on their face. Still gazing into each other's eyes, they gently touched their lips together. The jolt of electricity that ran through their bodies was wonderful; it made them shiver, but in a good way, a way that made them want more.

Maka sighed and closed her eyes as Soul pressed his lips onto hers harder. Then, just as quickly, he pulled away. Maka looked up at him, reading the reaction in his deep red eyes, the faint blush dusted across his face. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him in again, surprising the boy somewhat.

"One more," she breathed. A brief hesitation, and Soul sighed, happily wrapping his arms around her and obeying. He held the small girl close to him, an old, suppressed affection turning into a need, a craving for her that made his chest ache. Maka tightened her grip on the soft cotton of his shirt, trying to pull him closer. Nervous though she had been, she found that she liked the way this felt.

Losing all her inhibitions.

Completely forgetting all the bad things happening in her life.

And just enjoying the closeness of her partner.

Soul moaned softly, breaking apart from her and lifting himself up. Maka sat up in response, thinking briefly that he was leaving; however, he only adjusted his position to hover over her again. He put his hands on either side of her face and turned his head to kiss her at a different angle. Maka shivered, a quiet sound akin to a whimper escaping her throat. She lifted her still-shaking hands to his shoulders, feeling the warmth of his skin; she was burning everywhere he touched her. She slid her hands up his shoulders, under his arms, to tangle her fingers in his hair, just as he broke the kiss. He didn't pull back from her, only laid his forehead against hers, breathing a little heavier now and running one hand through her loose blonde hair.

Maka couldn't remember the last time she had felt this good. She felt relaxed, she felt safe, and she felt happy, really happy, for the first time in what felt like forever. She couldn't help but smile when Soul moved his lips to her cheek, then to the edge of her jaw and then the side of her neck, sliding his warm hands down her shoulders.

Soul pressed his lips to Maka's skin, just above her carotid artery, feeling her pulse quicken. Her grip tightened in his hair. He felt his own breath hasten at the sound of her heart, the metallic scent of the blood rushing through her veins, the feeling of her arms around his neck and her delicate, but strong hands in his hair. He couldn't help himself. He wanted her.

Questions swirled in the back of his mind: Was it normal for a vampire to feel like this? Was it normal for him to want a human like this? Was it just because he was young? Wasn't this supposed to be forbidden?

Did he even care?

He kissed back up her neck and jawline before finally connecting with her mouth once more, gently running his hands up and down her upper arms. The need for her was getting unbearably intense, but he didn't want to push her. He had to stop himself from going too far too fast.

Soul started when he heard a gasp from his partner, and a familiar coppery taste hit his tongue. A moment of reflection, and Soul realized their kissing had gotten so intense, he had accidentally caught her lip. There was a dot of red growing in the spot he had pierced her.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he blurted out. The blood on his tongue was tugging at his instincts, but for the first time, he managed to quiet the violent intrusive thoughts.

"No, it's alright," she assured him, lifting a hand to her mouth. She looked at the small smear of blood on her index fingertip for a bit, then back up at Soul. She could see the inner conflict in his eyes—the instinctive hungry glint, combined oddly with a guilty worry.

Carefully, she lifted the finger to his mouth and licked the remaining blood off her lip—knowingly, yet for no other reason than curiosity, tempting the beast.

It took Soul a moment to realize he had stopped breathing. Had she…was she…

He stopped trying to think. He gingerly took her hand, taking the fingertip into his mouth. He looked at the small girl, her eyes fixed on him with a fascinated stare. But there was something else beneath the pale green, almost like…

Soul's partner grabbed him by the back of his head and pulled him back down to meet her lips. She gripped his hair with both hands, a small moan escaping her throat. Soul was shocked by her sudden eagerness, to say the least; he froze in place, uncertain how to proceed, simply letting Maka lose herself. Then, with a girlish whimper, she wrapped her arms around his neck, rubbing her leg against his, and whispered into his ear.

"Soul…"

Maybe it was the way she said it, maybe it was the scent of her, the warmth of her body, the way he could just feel how much she wanted him…he couldn't say for sure what made his stomach tighten up and his heart go into overdrive, but his eyes rolled back and he stopped trying to fight it. Soul grabbed Maka's small waist, yanking her toward him so that she landed on her back. He held her down by her shoulders as he kissed her roughly, his mouth trailing kisses and small bites down her neck to her collarbone; he still paid attention to her reactions, careful not to go too far, but his inhibition was long gone.

As Soul's hands moved to remove her bottoms, Maka found herself fumbling with the buttons on her top. After a few awkward panting seconds, the girl was left in her underwear, and the fledgling vampire in his sweatpants. Warm hands ran down hot, pale skin, lips and teeth connected anywhere they could, gentle moans and growls and gasps steadily pushed each partner a little closer to insanity. There was no longer much cognitive thought; the two were running purely on instinct, deep—

The phone rang outside. Soul snapped his head up from Maka's neck and made to leave.

"No!" Maka whined, trying to pull him back toward her, "Ignore it; it's probably just some prank caller."

"It's not," he assured her, getting up and walking out anyway, leaving her half naked, horny, and pouting.

Soul picked up the phone, trying to hide the pace of his breathing. "Yeah?"

"There you are, Soul," said Stein's voice. "I need you and Maka to come to the lab immediately."

Soul groaned. Just like the good old doctor to call at nearly midnight and not even ask if he had woken them...which, Soul thought, he hadn't, so...he looked back at Maka's bedroom door, where she stood, now wrapped in a robe and looking utterly betrayed. Soul sighed.

"Yeah, we'll be right there," he said, hanging up the phone. He walked back up to Maka, who immediately wrapped her arms around his waist, nestling her face into his neck. He returned her embrace, holding her for a little bit, then pulled back and looked—not without effort—into her practically pleading eyes.

"Listen, Maka," he murmured. "Just go back in your room, put your clothes on, and come with me, okay? We'll talk about this when we get home."

He kissed her gently. Visibly disappointed, Maka nodded and obeyed. Soul, meanwhile, found another shirt, and threw his jacket and shoes on. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

He should not have let that happen. He knew he shouldn't have. He was going to have to talk to Stein about what to do.