Holy moly, Batman! I can't believe it's been this long! I am a horrible person and you all deserve better. I'll try harder for this one, I promise. I've been rewriting the plots for several stories, but they're getting there!

Anywho, let me know what you think! Enjoy!


She's fucking adorable.

"Think you got enough?" Soul jokes, purposely bumping one of the tubs of ice cream that he's carrying against the bag of pints that Maka has.

"You picked half of the pints out!" Hey, she has a roommate now and they're fresh out of ice cream at the moment so, excuse her. The fact that she has Tsu means that she can spare to spend a few extra bucks on a 10 for 10 deal on pints and a 3 for 6 deal on tubs. It was a steal.

"I thought you were kidding," he chuckles, re-adjusting his hold on the bags in his hands while they wait for the okay to cross the street. He can't help but catch a glimpse of the little pout that she hosts as he bends over to set down his bags for a moment. "I mean, I've seen the size of your freezer; these aren't all gonna fit."

"Oh, trust me, they'll fit." She will make them fit. They step off of the curb as the bold red hand changes to a light person. He smirks because, though Music majors are typically stereotyped as particularly right-brained, Soul doesn't quite fit into that category.

"Wanna bet on it?" She eyes him, narrow and skeptical. Is she actually sure that she can make this all fit? Not 100%, maybe about 87%?

"What are we betting on?"

"Whatever the winner wants. Bet?" She'll take fucking chances.

"Bet." She watches as the smirk on his face grows and she gulps. 72%?

They continue walking down the block and enter her apartment building, Soul opening and holding the door for her. Maka's smiling face as she laughs at something Soul says is caught by the ever-gorgeous Blair and Maka burns bright red at the eyebrow wriggle that is sent her way because no. She prays that Soul doesn't catch it.

"Welcome back, Ms. Albarn. I trust that you enjoy the rest of your evening." Oh, God!

"Y-you as well, Blair," she squeaks, ducking into the hall where the elevators are.

"And you, sir."

"Thanks, you, too." Maka is attempting to hide herself from his view because she can feel her cheeks burning as they get on the elevator. "She was nice." No, she isn't … well, she is, but … "So, what do you think?" Maka presses the button for her floor before briefly looking at him.

"Think of what?"

"What are we about to walk in on?" he asks lightheartedly, an amused expression cast over his face and shiiiit. She forgot to text Tsu that they were coming back! Maka quickly pulls out her phone and sends a quick message to her roommate.

"Now that you mention it, we should probably give them a minute; I completely forgot to forewarn her."

"That's no fun," snidely, he jokes, chuckling as Maka lightly kicks at his shin. The elevator takes them up to her floor too fast for either of their liking, and they adjust their pace to a crawl until Maka receives a thumbs up from Tsubaki.

"We've got the green."

"I was really hoping to obtain some blackmail material."

"You don't have enough yet?"

"I could never have enough." And there's that sexy chuckle of his again, giving her chills as it sweeps over her like velvet. She has never encountered such a whimsical sound before; Maka thinks she's become addicted to it. She quickly unlocks the door and enters to set down the bags of ice cream, as the plastic handles are beginning to dig into her skin uncomfortably. Surprise lights up both of their features as they find their friends right where they had left them. They continued to chat at the same dining room table, a little less wine in the bottle they had opened earlier that night and their plates sitting in a pile where Maka had been. She narrowed her eyes as she leaned toward Soul.

"Are we being played or is this scenario legit?"

"I'm not too sure myself," he muttered. "But … I think this real life."

"Ow!" Maka jumps away from him in surprise more than anything. She finds him sticking his tongue out at her slightly with his index finger and thumb making a pinching motion, the adorable snot. Maka can't hold back the grin as well as she wants to, but bumps into him to direct her attention back to the couple flirting at the table.

"Quit that, you heathen. Are we sure? I was positive that something was gonna go down…" She looks up at Soul once more who returns her stare only to shrug, a smirk sliding across his features as he begins to take the pints of ice cream out of the bags.

"Oh, I'm a heathen now, hmm?" He chuckles. "I guess we'll just have to accept this strange development. I'm honestly more interested to see who will win our bet." He opens up the freezer to peer inside and she can see him grinning from ear to ear like he's already won. She's gulping, her face getting red as she steps closer to look in alongside him. Okay … maybe she shouldn't have accepted the bet; now looking at it in person, she can clearly see that she might have a 12% chance of fitting this stuff in there.

"Uh, any-any chance you'd be willing to have mercy and-"

"Absolutely not." He sounds completely smug and she sighs, knowing full well the outcome. An epiphany has her hand pausing mid-stretch as she hands him another one of the pints - they hadn't decided on what the winner gets, well, not really. It's supposed to be whatever the winner wants, right? Crap. Maka can feel her cheeks sizzling as she merely slides the last container over to him on the countertop, her hands coming up to hide her cheeks. What is he going to ask for?

"Shame," he says, pulling her from her thoughts. She looks over to find him holding just the one pint in his hand, a smile she knows means he's won spread across his features. "You were so close."

"But if I eat this one, then-!"

"And what about that tub of vanilla for the apple pie?" Her eyes follow his pointing finger to her left to find said vanilla ice cream still sitting on the counter just waiting to be scooped and served. Her shoulders sag; Maka is a sore loser to begin with, but now it seems that much worse that she's lost a bet … and she isn't sure what he'll ask of her. She likes him, she has quite complex feelings for him, but … she barely knows him enough to say for sure what he'll request of her. Once again, Maka is jolted out of her stupor as her exposed neck is ravished by that of Soul's cool hand, precipitation from the ice cream container emphasizing it's chill.

"EEEP!" comes from her mouth loudly before she can stop it, catching the attention of Tsubaki and Blake.

"What was that? Are you okay?" Tsu stands to come to her aid, but Maka's hands go up to stop her.

"N-nothing! I'm fine!" She glances over at Soul whose eyes are wide as he stares back at her, apparently not quite having expected such a reaction. She gulps, feeling the coldness of his hand retract from her neck ever so slowly. The air that hits her now damp skin enacts a shiver to rise from her shoulders and glide down her spine. She's blushing like mad and can't help but sidekick his leg to hopefully divert his attention from her embarrassment.

"Are you sure?" Worry is laced in Tsu's voice until she hears Soul's strained chuckle. He's trying so hard to keep it at bay that his stomach hurts. God, she's so cute. He hadn't thought that she would let out such a loud sound; it caught him by surprise as much as his icy abuse upon her neck had her.

"Sorry, that was my bad. I decided to pull a little prank on her." His hand comes up and pats the top of her head, his other appendage still covering his mouth as he holds back his laughter.

"Oh, I see … I wasn't aware that you two could get so close while getting ice cream."

"Oh, no. They've met before," Blake interjects, standing to bring the dirty dishes to the sink.

"What?" The surprise is heard loud and clear and Maka is as red as a tomato. If she tells Tsu that Soul is her coffee note guy right here, right now … she's done for. Her roommate will make a huge deal out of it. "How? Why didn't I know about this?"

"I'm not sure, all I know is they greeted each other when Soul and I got here earlier by name." Tsubaki turns to Maka, curiosity alive in her magnetic violet orbs. She looks like she's about to question them, but must think better of it after noticing the pleading gaze of her friend. With Soul's hand still resting on her head for some reason, she can't make the blush go down, not to mention that this whole situation has her anxious as hell. Thankfully, Tsu does change the subject with nothing more than a, "Huh, that's interesting." before helping Blake wash the dishes.

They finish the cleaning rather quickly before preparing their dessert and deciding to eat it while watching a movie. Of course, Maka allows Tsu and Blake to decide what to watch, but immediately regrets it when they choose 'The Nun'. She has never been good with scary movies and Tsubaki knows this, so why she goes with a horror film, she doesn't know. But if this turns out badly, she'll never forgive her.

She and Soul are sitting on the couch with their desserts while the other two are sitting on the ground with blankets and pillows. Maka wraps herself up with the necessities to aid in her attempt in not flipping the fuck out at any point during the movie. She's too concerned about the film to really notice how close Soul is to her, something she usually would be fixated on.

"I hate scary movies," comes a small whisper close to her ear. She turns to find Soul's disdainful face as he shrinks back into the cushions. She's somewhat surprised that he would have admitted something like that to her; usually, guys think it's uncool to be scared of something, but his honesty - she finds - is sexy and somehow helps her calm down just a bit. She's now studying the side of his face in the light that the television casts across the room. It's just the beginning trailers, so there isn't much to see. He's so close that their shoulders are just about a hand apart and she feels her chest squeeze. She's been trying to forget about that whole 'strong feelings that could possibly love' thing, but right now, she can't.

"Really?" she breaths back. His eyes meet hers in the dim lighting of the room and she witnesses a small blush peek out from his skin. Looking away, he gradually moves closer to her side, his warmth being felt through her blanket armour. His hunched so far down into the couch that she sits taller than him as he allows his head to lean against her right arm, snuggling into it slightly. She smiles down at him as he grabs a pillow and hugs it to himself, closing his eyes.

"Yeah, so I'm gonna try to fall asleep before it starts." He's so cute like this, all cuddled up next to her in this handsome ball of drowsiness mixed with discomfort over the film beginning to play.

"You can't just abandon me to fend for myself," she nudges his head slightly, making him open his crimson-stained orbs to glance up at her. It makes the room feel a lot hotter than it was and she thinks she might need a glass of water to cool herself down. She can't get over how utterly attractive he is, and the grumpy look on his face brings a small, breathless giggle from her mouth.

"I suppose you're right. That wouldn't have been very nice of me," he smirks up at her, adjusting his position so that his chin can rest on her shoulder. Maka doesn't mind him invading her personal space; it just makes her giddy and nervous, and as much as she doesn't want to look away, she can't help the bashful way her head tilts in the opposing direction of him. His lips are far too close for this to be a safe position. "Do you have a laptop?"

"Yes," she glances over at him. "Why?" He has turned slightly away from her, his face looking disturbed as he watches a bit of The Nun. He scoots in just a bit closer, his chin falling from her shoulder, his temple resting in its place. He has her feeling things, as per usual

"I was just thinking that we could watch something else in a different room…" He leaves that to hang in the air between them. It's a pretty bold declaration on his part, but even if he wants to push her up against a door and have his way with her, he won't. He's not a horndog - he just really fucking hates horror movies. He can feel her tense up, though, so he begins to retract his previous thought, but before he can, she nods. She finally releases her breath before uncrossing her legs to tap Tsubaki's back.

"Hmm?" her friend turns, excitement in her eyes as she munches away at a piece of pie.

"Soul and I are gonna watch something on my laptop in my room; neither of us like scary movies." Maka adds a wink, trying to make it look like she's being a good friend by giving Tsu and Blake some more alone time. This makes her friend's face light up as she nods, a sweet smile gracing the pair behind her.

"I'm sorry, do you want us to change it?" The minx … trying to make it sound like she doesn't want to be left alone with Blake.

"Hah? Why would we do that?" Blake interjects as he catches the tail end of the conversation.

"They don't like horror movies."

"What? Soul likes sca- Ow!"

"Sorry, dude." Blake glares up at Soul before he looks between him and Maka, his eyes igniting with a revelation. He whips back around to pull out his phone while the girls continue talking.

"No, it's fine. You two really want to watch it, right?"

"Well, … yeah, but …"

"Seriously, don't worry about it. We'll just be in the next room," Maka assures, patting Tsu on the head before standing with her plate of pie. Soul follows her lead and stands, his phone vibrating in his pants as maneuvers his way out of the piles of pillows on the floor. He pulls it out to find a text from Blake.

'Is Maka black coffee girl?!' He lets out an amused puff of air before turning back to find Blake staring at him. With a proud smirk on his face, he nods the affirmative, receiving nothing more than a strong and supportive thumbs up from his friend before he turns his attention back to Tsu.

"You coming?" Her voice is closer than he thought and it shocks him a bit, his head whipping to his right to find her standing right in front of him. She has her laptop in her hands along with its charger as she stares up at him with those big, emerald gems of hers. Damn, his legs feel a little unstable.

"Yeah, sorry." She smiles before leading him to her room, going over and turning on a small lamp to she can plug in her laptop with ease.

"Sorry, it's a mess. I wasn't planning on having guests in my room." It isn't a mess at all, it's actually very tidy and clean. He wasn't feeling anxious about being in her room alone with her until this moment. He catches a glimpse of a pair of underwear in her laundry basket - completely by accident - and he can feel the heat rise to his cheeks as he attempts to gulp it down.

"If you think this is a mess, you should see Blake's room. It's seriously like a disaster area." She laughs at that, easing the tension that he alone is feeling, and he lets out a small sigh of relief.

"I'm sure it won't be for long if Tsu has anything to say about it."

"If she can coerce him to clean his room, I will never question her, ever." Soul dares to step further into the room, ignoring the hamper at all costs, as he is fully aware of the red lace that lies within. He moves closer to where she's sitting on the bed, scooping a mouthful of delicious apple pie into his mouth.

"Okay, what do we wanna watch?" Without her eyes leaving the screen, she scoots and nonchalantly pats the mattress next to her. He doesn't let himself think about it, he won't. They're just watching a movie, nothing else. The fact that it just so happens to be in her room on her bed has nothing to do with it. Nope, nothing at all.

"Uh," he sits, feeling somewhat awkward now, but ignores it still. "I'm down for anything, really. Just not a horror film." She laughs at that.

"Not a snowball's chance in hell. Have you seen Sex Education yet?" What did she just say ...?

"I'm sorry, what?" The word sex is all he hears and that couldn't have been right.

"It's a show on Netflix. It's hilarious." She clicks on it so that he can read the description, and sure enough, it sounds hysterical. He's not sure whether they should be watching a show about sex in their current situation - rather, his current state of mind - but the first episode is already playing as she stands and places the laptop where she had been sitting. Grabbing her pie from the side table, she lays down on her stomach to the left of the computer and drags a large, fluffy blanket over her body. He can't really see the screen comfortably in his position on the end of the bed and Maka seems to take notice.

"You can lay down if you want, I won't bite … this time." He smirks, nibbling his bottom lip as he looks back at her to find a small blush accompanying her soft smile; her expression contradicts her forward statement. She's just really fucking adorable and he can't say no and, as much as he tries to think better of it, his back is beginning to spasm, so … why not, right? Nothing bad will happen as long as he doesn't do anything inappropriate. He's a grown ass man; he can control himself. He can control himself.

Maka moves in a bit closer to him as he melts into the mattress and throws half of the blanket she's under over him, their arms touching as she snuggles back into the bed. Being alone with her is hell and heaven all at once and he wants to slap himself. He goes stiff as her hip connects with his side and oh, God, he can't breathe. Shit, shit, shit. He needs to calm the fuck down. He's never felt as confident as when he's around Maka, but apparently being alone in a room with her - in her room - has him as anxious as a horny preteen. Why had he suggested they do this again? A scream from the living room startles them both, reminding him of exactly why he had said they should watch something in her room. Soul takes a slow, deep breath, trying to relax; to focus on the show. It works for the most part, the storyline catching his attention more than he originally thought it would.

Three and a half episodes in and he's fighting to keep his eyes open. He thinks Maka has already beat him to it, as her breathing is even and slow. He rolls slightly toward her to look at her face and sure enough, she's fast asleep. She looks so peaceful and radiant. He knows he should get up, go find Blake, and leave, but … maybe just for a few minutes he can close his eyes and pretend that this is all fine. He relents to perhaps the weakest part of himself, scooting into her warmth and wrapping his arm lightly around her petite form. He lays his head closer to hers on their shared pillow and allows himself the pleasure of pushing his nose into her golden tresses, the smell of cinnamon and chai wafting his senses. It's a pure sort of enchantment that she's put him under at the moment and … he doesn't feel the need to subdue or ignore his urge to just hold her and breathe her in. He doesn't remember falling asleep, but he does, very comfortably so, and he's more content than he thinks he's ever been.


There ya go! Short but sweet and better than nothing, ey?

Sorry, that took way too freaking long. I'll try to update soon! I hope everyone is having an amazing 2019 so far!

Don't forget to feed me ^^

Much Love~!

k.t.