Hehehehehehehehe, it's been so long, y'all thought I would keep you waiting for at least a month, right? WRONG! This is my 'I'm sorry I've been away for so long' gift. Enjoy!
Chapter Eleven: Dangerous Territory
"WAHAHAHAHA! Soul! Watch this!" Maka squealed in pure delight as she ran and belly-flopped into the pool. Yes, she was currently drunk off her ass and yes, she was acting like a childish heathen.
Throwing back alcohol while near large masses of water had been a big mistake. They had been drinking for about an hour, Soul had sipped at his few drinks while Maka had pretty much gulped each of hers down. He had diligently and skillfully cut her off after two or three shots, half a beer, and a small Roman Coke, to which she booed him for and proceeded to make his task more difficult by continuously jumping into the pool. At first, he had thought it endearing, but after the fifth time of having to dive in to save the lightweight from drowning, it was beginning to become a hassle. She was the emotional, childish drunk that liked to cause trouble and he didn't know how he felt about it. He imagined this was how she had been as an adolescent, smirking at the thought of a small, mischievous Maka running about.
Soul sighed as he leisurely hopped in after her before she had even resurfaced. Grabbing her by the ankle, he pulled her to him and lifted her head above water.
"Hey, Soul! Look! I'm a puffer fish!" He couldn't help the lazy grin from forming as he watched her body sink, keeping her red face afloat with the air puffing out her cheeks. Fuck it. No matter how much of a nuisance she was becoming in her intoxicated state, she was still as cute as hell.
"Come on, puffy," Soul placed his hands on either side of her face, thumbs gently drawing circles on her cheeks before pressing inward to deflate her adorable self. "It's not safe in the pool." He had been trying to convince her that the pool was not fun and that they should go take showers and watch a movie, but no. Wasted Maka refused. She wanted to swim, she wanted to go down the slides, she wanted to repeatedly splash him in the face, making water go up his nose. She had laughed gleefully at that, adamantly stating that it 'was too fun' ... fun for her ... not for him.
"But Soul~!" she whined. "We haven't even gone down the sli~des! Just once or twice? Pretty please with whipped cream and a cherry on top?"
Crap. He was weak to her pleas.
He grimaced for a second, thinking it over as he still held the petulant drunk's head within his grasp. There were a few options to choose from, none of which came with compelling outcomes. He could say no and she could fuss as he carried her crying all the way back to his living space. He could let her go down the slide alone as he awaited her at the bottom. Lastly, he could go on with her to ensure her safety all the way down. He had a feeling that the first option would surely result in a massive headache for both of them, so he immediately scratched that off of the list. The second was doable but also left this reckless Maka in danger of falling or bumping her head while climbing up the stairs and riding the slide alone. This only left the third option, which would be the funniest and safest bet, but also the least gentlemanly.
"Pweeeaaazzzzeee?" Great. Now she was talking like an actual small child with that heart-wrenching pout and those puppy dog eyes of hers. How could he resist that?
"Alright..." he sighed out.
He couldn't, apparently.
"Yaaayyy! My Soul is the best!" She jumped up out of the water, latching herself around his neck in a swift cuddle before swimming with him to the ladder closest to the slides. It had made his heart race momentarily, hearing her call him 'My Soul,' but she probably wouldn't remember it, so of course he wouldn't either to save her the embarrassment. Soul carefully helped her out, holding her hand to keep her from running and falling in her excitement. They climbed the stairs slowly, making it to the top unharmed. Yay for the small achievements. Soul sat himself down in the water and spread his legs for Maka to sit in between them only to turn and find her sitting in the water for the other slide.
"... heh, uh, Maka...?"
"RACE YA!" And with that, she pushed herself down the slide. Crap. Double crap. Stupid whipped cream and cherries and crap. Quickly snapping out of his shock, he followed her lead and went flying down the slide. She had gone down the tube slide, while he went down the open-topped; depending on if she hit her head on the way down, it might have worked in his favour. Once he made it to the bottom, his head whipped up out of the water and towards where she would have come out. His eyes scanned the small flow as he held his breath. Then, Maka exited the end of the slide, splashing into the H2O with a gleeful 'Eep!'
Soul watched the current as it gushed and swirled, waiting for any sign of life. He held his breath, thinking that Maka had been under too long. He lurched himself up onto the tiled floor and dove into the small pool. He quickly found and grabbed her, swimming them hurriedly over to the side. He lifted her up out of the water and followed soon after, immediately putting his CPR training to good use. He began to count with every push at her chest; with every puff of air he forced into her mouth; with every time he checked her pulse and breathing. He continued pumping her heart as he prayed for it to work. Finally, water came forth from her lungs as she choked slightly and began to breathe again.
*splash*
Maka's head emerged from the water, bringing Soul back from his intense daydream. Giggling, she swam over to the thin walkway that separated them as she reached out to him. He slowly made his way over to meet her, outstretching his own appendage to grasp hers. Why his mind had decided to run rampant and make up some disastrous outcome out of what should be a fun time, Soul couldn't fathom. He felt his heart skip back to life as their skin met, her warmth and pulse affirming, thankfully, reality.
"That was fun! Who won?!"
"I did," he replied, dazed as he recalled envisioning her turning a cold shade of blue as he attempted to bring forth the water in her lungs. He grazed his thumb over her fingers while leaning his body against the edge, her smile slowly thawing his slight discomfort.
"Awww! Cheater!" she accused, grabbing the wrist of the hand that covered hers heatedly.
"Who? Me?" He pointed at himself with said hand. "You're the one who cheated, leaving me without a 'ready, set, go!'" he chided. There it was. The humorous and harmless bickering, even when Maka was still slightly drunk, was calming. It felt right.
She responded with a playful glare and a low "Boooo, party pooper...," as a smirk wormed its way across his face.
"Am not," he sulked mockingly.
"Let's go again, then!" She let go of his wrist to move toward the small ladder and climbed out of the small natatorium, leaving his hand feeling too empty for his liking. Soul pulled himself out of his side of the pool, following her.
"Oh, no you don't! If you wanna go again, we have to go down the same slide at the same time! Together." Send him to Hell if he were to let his imaginations vivid make-believe become a horrid actuality.
"Okay! Let's go~!" she answered without a second thought. She grabbed hold of his wrist once again and they began to make their way up the stairs. Soul made sure to keep hold of her hand so she wouldn't pull another surprise race on him as he sat down in the water. He spread his legs and guided her to sit in between them.
"We'll go a lot faster this way!" She stated excitedly, grabbing Soul's arms and wrapping them around herself. A slight blush tickled his ears as he tried to settle in a way that wouldn't end in catastrophe. Deciding that holding her tight to him was the best bet - unless he were to add the rate of his heart into the equation - he pulled her in close. Being the only one slightly embarrassed in their current situation was somehow even more abashing. Soul became very aware of the bare skin that touched and how his chin, seemingly nonchalant, rested over her shoulder as she settled back into his chest; how utterly inerrant it was for her to be in his arms. He took a deep breath as they laid back, preparing to take off down the slide, in an attempt to settle his nerves.
"Ready?" he asked her.
"Always!" He smiled at her reply, greedily snuggling her before pushing them to go rushing down with a heavy current. They laughed and yelped all the way down, not given the chance to notice the almost erotic way they clung together. They held each other tight until submerged in water, ending their journey. Soul and Maka came up out of the water almost simultaneously, gasping for air. She coughed a few times in between laughs as Soul tried to get the water out of his nose. Scarlett met basil as they reached the edge once more, the silence going unnoticed as they became absorbed in each other. A blink later had Soul blushing madly as he turned away and lifted himself out of the pool, leaving an alcohol tipped Maka to watch after him.
Was it just her or was he extremely muscular?
He leaned down and helped her out of the pool, steadying her as she began to feel gravity trying to coax her to the ground a bit more adamantly than usual. She grabbed hold of his upper arms as well when she stumbled forward, giving her an accurate estimate of the mass of his biceps.
It wasn't just her.
Soul felt Maka begin to shiver under his touch.
"Are you cold? Wanna warm up in the hot tub?" After an aggressive nod of agreement followed by a moment of discombobulation and a shy smile of excitement, he led her by the hand to the Jacuzzi. Then he slowly aided her in sitting on one of the higher steps in the comfortably steaming water. He sat down next to her, using himself and the metal handlebar to keep her from falling in and drowning. They sat in comfortable silence next to one another, enjoying the soothing warmth heating up their bodies. Maka quietly studied the side of Soul's face, mesmerized by how ... gorgeous he was. His sharp jaw clenched as she could almost see the wheels turning in his head, the look of immersion on his face giving him a rather regal demeanor. His eyes of lovely blood stared ahead, focused on something not physically seen or on nothing at all. His hair was damp as it clung to his lightly tanned skin here and there, and sweat from the heated pool began to emerge from his pores in a light sheen. She was simply taken with him. And by 'simply', one would correct to 'completely'.
Maka strolled over his face once more, landing on his lips. He must have felt her eyes on him, as his head turned slightly toward her. She didn't meet his questioning pools of ruby right away, for her attention was still directed toward his growing smirk.
"Like what you see?" He had meant it as a joke, but was quite taken aback when her answer was but a strong affirmative nod and the slow invasion of personal space. All he could do in his state of surprise was to watch as Maka seemed to inch her way toward him, her intentions apparent. As she closed in, he found himself admiring her; long wet tresses slicked back, giving him full view of her facial features. Her eyes caught his immediate attention and captivated him on the spot. Soul instinctively began to lean in as well, but reason was a formidable foe, hitting him over the head mercilessly. With their foreheads becoming acquainted, Soul looked down to keep their lips from meeting. His hands came up to grasp both of her shoulders, pushing her from her advance. Soul let out a shaky breath as he tried to steel himself, though his view was now directed in the direction of her body, curves, and skin mostly on display, driving him up the wall. Closing his eyes was the only option.
"Maka, I can't do this in good conscience while you're not sober. I would be taking advantage of you..." He let go of her, his arms returning to his sides. As he began his regretful retreat, Maka's hands swiftly reached up and behind his neck, pulling in a way that had their lips meeting brutally. His eyes widened at the sensation erupting throughout his being. They sat like this for a minute or so, both still, one in shock and the other enjoying her kill. It was exhilarating. Soul's heart had never beat so furiously yet felt so calm at the same time. It was like everything fell into place. He had never known such a blazing comfort.
Finally, she pulled away, though hesitantly. Waitrose greeted merlot, sparks igniting and flying as breaths that were held, unknown to their captors, released between the two. Staring at each other could never get old. Maka sighed, a smile forming over her lips, seemingly content.
"They don't call it liquid courage for nothing," she informed him, earning herself a chuckle as they leaned back in for one more kiss. Soul inwardly decided that he should still do all in his power to respect this winsome creature. What should have been a mix of heated passion and innocent butterflies carried out in a fiery swap of spit became a swift peck.
Maka pouted, obviously upset with the all too ingenuous outcome, but even in this moment, her eyes became heavy. Seemed Princess Pea-wee was getting tired. What timing. He smiled softly as he held her by the small of her back, watching her begin to doze off grumpily.
"Come on, Little Missy, time to take a shower and dry up." He began to draw circles on the back of her soft, small hand, almost lulling her to la la land.
"Mmmm ... " Maka blinked at him, eyelids nearly failing at her attempt to stay awake.
Soul helped her up and out and over to where they had left their things. They both dried off and got into the elevator to get back to his apartment level, making Maka ponder momentarily why they had taken the stairs in the first place. She watched Soul enter first, his broad shoulders still on display as he held his shirt and towel in his right hand. She gulped as her eyes glazed over for an entirely different reason. Apparently, when coming down from her drunken state, she became lustful; her little demon whispering in her ear, urging her to do naughty things that sober Maka could never possibly do. Biting her lip, she entered behind him, her heart racing as she lightly gnawed on her lip in silent contemplation. Could she? Should she? As the metal doors closed, Soul pressed the button for his main floor and pulled his shirt down over his head, unaware of Maka's gaze admiring that of his abdominal muscles rippling at the action. After he adjusted his shirt and picked his towel back up, he turned to her, smirking in that overly handsome way that he did. Aw, hell. Screw reason or contemplation. Maka all but attacked him, deciding not to think too hard on it; this could be her one and only chance to be spontaneous. She lurched forward, surprising Soul once again as she pressed him up against the wall, and took advantage of the moment. Raising herself as high as she could on her tiptoes, she looped her arms around his neck and yanked, forcing him to stumble forward a tad. She pressed her lips to his once more, this time passionately and skillfully, making him weak in the knees.
Soul staggered back into the harsh metal wall, his body fighting his reason as he was overtaken by a woman less than three-fourths his size. This kiss was much more captivating than the last. It confirmed what he had been feeling for her the past few days, what he both feared and longed for.
Soon the elevator 'dinged,' grabbing their attention; Maka only pausing briefly before continuing her assault on the man she now had stuck under her as she straddled him. Seemed his long lanky legs really couldn't take it, for he had crumbled to the floor and she had followed right after him in a hot, steamy pursuit. She began to kiss down his jaw, and as soon as Soul felt her moist, swollen lips press against his neck, making his member twitch in excitement, he snapped back to reality. He couldn't let it happen this way. She meant too much to him, and that scared him shitless. Soul's hands came up and grabbed Maka by her upper arms, forcing her away from him. He looked straight into her darkened olive orbs, noticing how dilated her pupils were, and it physically pained him to see slight disappointment mixed in with her obvious arousal. He took a slow, deep breath as he thought of words to say, anything at all that would explain his reluctance, but there were none. His eyes bore into her with authority, getting his point across clearly. She knew this wasn't the time nor the place and that she was putting him on the spot, but she wanted him. She was afraid that if she were sober, he wouldn't understand what she had been feeling over the past few days, that she would be too reserved to tell him. No … she knew that she would have never told him otherwise, but now she was wishing she hadn't.
Her hands were still grasping his shirt tightly, unwilling to let go as he attempted to push her further away. During their standstill, the elevator doors had opened and closed.
"Maka, please..." with that and his pained expression, she released her hold and sat back from him. She slowly stood and reached for the open button. Another 'ding' sounded as she was given freedom from bad decisions and drunken mistakes. Stepping out, she glanced back to the hunched figure, still sitting on the expensive red carpet of the metal trap.
"I'm going to go shower..." she muttered, her arms wrapping around herself as a feeling of insecurity took over her. Before she could be caught by his mesmerizing chili gaze, she turned and strode down the hall. Quickening her pace, she made her way through the dining room and out to the living room area, turning right to his bedroom. She entered his bathroom, locking the door behind her and made a beeline for the shower. She turned it on and stepped in, washing herself quickly and then drying off even quicker. Having smartly placed a pair of clothes in the restroom earlier, she clothed herself and brushed her teeth, completely on autopilot. She exited back into the bedroom, towel over her shoulders, and crawled sluggishly into the ginormous bed. As she laid her head on the plush pillow, she repeatedly told herself not to cry. There was no reason to cry a second time that day, ... but her body seemed to betray her every time, a tear gliding sideways down her face. Maka cried herself to sleep that night, not wanting to face the morrow. She would never touch alcohol again; it was dangerous territory.
What can I say? ...
You're welcome? lol jk love you guys! I hope you all feed me, I'm hungry for validation lol
(Because I usually try my best to reply to all of my reviews, I wanted to start replying to guests as well!)
GuestNumeroUno: I'm so sorry my story made you sick! I know having such content isn't pleasant, but I hope that you enjoyed the rest of chapter 10 and now 11! Thank you for reading and leaving me a review!
GuestIBeon: I'm so sorry I kept you waiting so long! I'll try to update all of my stories as often as I am able! It's been a rough start to 2018, but I'm back! Don't worry, I promise not to leave anything unfinished, even if it takes me awhile to update! Thank you for the amazing compliment, my love! And for your continuous support!
Th-th-th-that's a-all folks!