Chapter Nine

A change in the tide.


"A witch? I wish I would've known that a long time ago..."

The group congregated in Soul's living room as Stein continued. "From what Spirit has said, I would wager that this is not your typical witch we're dealing with. I was under the impression that Maka was being taken by madness, she had all of the symptoms...but this witch snuck right underneath me and fooled me."

Spirit shifted his weight onto his other foot, "And I doubt she was in her original form so her power was slightly suppressed, in order to do that she'd have to have some abnormal object of power or another witch."

"Abnormal object?" Maka interrupted, "Like, something that emanates magic?"

Stein nodded and lit a cigarette. "The kicker is; it could be in the form of anything. You wouldn't know it unless you knew what to look for...Did she have any odd objects with her?"

"No, nothing."

Back Star scratched the back of his head, "Well what's the possibility of there being another witch?"

"If there were another witch she could be anywhere, but I doubt she'd be local. It takes a lot of power to suppress someone's image and magic the way hers had been. I didn't even sense it on Maka. The other witch wouldn't be able to hide her own form while lending that much magic out to her friend."

Stein thought for a moment, "Even with all of those facts to consider I still can't fathom why they, or she, would want to possess Maka..."

Maka shook her head and sighed, "well at least she's out of me..."

Spirit looked to Stein and they both nodded in agreement.

"Maka, we want you and Soul to participate in some rituals to cleanse and prevent future possessions. No offense Maka but I would rather you be possessed than Soul Eater. We may be able to sedate you if you were to lose control but he is another story." Stein puffed on his cigarette.

"I think Tsubaki and Black Star should participate too." Spirit added, "Just to be safe. We don't know what we're really dealing with here."

The group had agreed and split up. Spirit tried to take Maka out to eat but she declined and said she'd rather rest on the couch.

"So how do we do this ritual thing?" Soul asked as he turned the tv off.

"I have some books on it..."

"Think you should get them out?"

Maka nodded but kept her gaze low. She'd barely been able to force herself to look him in the eyes since the 'incident'. Never in her life had she ever thought she would see so much of Soul Eater in one place and time. I mean who does that? Just walk around naked with others in the house?! Did he do that around Black Star and Tsubaki?!

"Maka...?"

"Huh?"

"Books...ritual...go get them." He stared at her with wide red eyes.

"Right! Sorry!"

Maka ran upstairs barefoot and her blonde hair bounced behind her leaving Soul on the couch confused. One minute they were talking about books and the next minute she had been clamming up and blushing. That wasn't like Maka at all...

"So after we do the ritual we check in with Stein?"

"He said to stop by tomorrow. It's getting late."

Maka sat on the couch next to him and opened some of the books. "Okay we need to turn off all unnatural lighting first." Soul took it upon himself to prance to the kitchen and flick the lights off. "Bring a liter, Soul!"

Maka pulled two handfuls of long stem candles from the bottom of her book box. "That many candles? You just pack those around?"

"No, I meditate at night and lite them...don't judge me."

Soul helped her set the table with three candles, as directed by the book, and lit each one of them.

"Hope this works." Maka returned all of the spare candles back to the box with the other books.

"Now what?"

Maka directed him to sit facing her on the floor and crossed her legs. "The books says we have to have a moment of meditation to clear our minds and breathe in the aroma the candles are giving off."

"They're scented?" He sniffed in the direction of the candles.

"Yes, Soul, they're scented... Lavender."

He made a distasteful face and shook his head, "Anyway, focus Soul. After we complete this part we have to match wave lengths and create a barrier."

"Wait, I thought this was an individual person's task, not a two player...?"

"Two player makes a stronger barrier against witches. So that's what we're going with."

"Sure, okay." He nodded, "And after we match wavelengths?"

"It doesn't specify what happens..."

The silence between then was almost agonizing. It was very difficult for Maka to concentrate for some reason. Even though she did her usual technique of taking deep breaths and numbing her own body to worldly sensations, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched…

Once her curiosity had gotten to her, she opened her eyes slowly in an attempt to be sneaky about it. The room had been empty besides Soul Eater's lean form before her. He was in perfect meditation stance with his hands clamped together in his lap.

Maka studied his physique and all it had to give to her almost needy eyes until her gaze fell upon his. It was him that had been watching her… had he even closed his eyes? She began to say something but stopped once she noticed the haziness of his pupils. Was he in a trance or something?

She leaned closer to him and turned her head slightly to try and obtain a better view of his eyes. They moved and he gasped almost jumping. He wasn't in a trance; he was watching her. His red orbs followed her steadily as she swayed ever so slightly. Why was he looking at her like that? And why was he leaning forward?

Maybe she was the one in a trance.

Her mindless wondering had halted and she was drilled back to reality when a pair of soft yet scarred lips met with hers. His tongue had trailed across her bottom lip just begging her. She hesitated and was in a shocked state before finally giving in.

Small fingertips trailed up his arms and tightened around his biceps. For a moment she felt as if she'd completely lost her mind. The taste of his tongue on the inside of her bottom lip shot chills through every nerve ending she possessed and caused every hair on the back of her neck to stand up.

Her lips parted for a moment of weakness and gave Soul the perfect opportunity to deepen the kiss. His large hands cupped her faced and had prevented her from retreating from his grasp. His large but gentle thumb stroked the line of her small jaw. His mouth fit hers almost too perfectly and the fact that she hadn't beat the shit out of him yet was a good sign.

Soul felt himself give when her smaller form tried to push against his own larger one. Her hands had run up and down his arms as she played with his shoulders. Keeping his hands from exploring every inch of her he could possibly reach had been the hardest thing he'd ever been challenged with.

Shouldn't they be doing a ritual? Eh, that could wait.

In that moment he finally had Maka seeing eye to eye with him and he wasn't eager to give it up. Her mouth was pressed tightly against his and their lips were in perfect sync with one another. He could feel her long lashes touch his own and he knew her eyes were closed so she could feel just as much of the moment as he did.

Maka had been the one who broke the kiss. She had to breathe but only for a second before she was latched back onto him again. This time it was a more heated kiss unlike the first. Soul made her feel surrounded with his arms tightly around her waist. Clumsy hands ran through his hair as he used his weight to knock her on her back without even once breaking the kiss.

Her mind was so flustered she couldn't comprehend what was actually going on. Her heart beat fluttered at an extreme rate as his hands found their way to the hem of her top. She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready...

A loud thump interrupted them as a still lit candle rolled by Maka's head. Soul quickly grabbed the said candle and placed it back upright.

"Umm.. sorry about that." He rubbed that back of his neck.

"Yeah .. umm me too.."

The two sat in silence for a moment before Soul Eater blew frustrated air from his mouth, "Do you wanna..?"

Maka arched a brow at him.

"You wanna just pick this up later and… got to bed?"

Bed? Was he that tired? Or was it just too awkward between them now?

"If that's what you want."

He blew out the candles and held out his hand.

Shit.

That had been what he meant.

Maka stared at his hand then at him. He didn't want to turn in for the night, he actually wanted to go to bed... with her.

"S-soul I..uh.."

He smirked and rolled his eyes, "Quit babbling and come on' it aint that serious. Just lay down with me."

Maka took his hand and allowed him to lead her to his room. It was the only room in the house she hadn't been in before and it was the largest. The theme was red, black, and green. She sat on his bed and scooted back to the headboard. Soul pulled half of his clothes off before he crawled beside her and collapsed. He rolled on his back and took her hand. Maka blushed and looked away as he knitted their fingers together.

"It's not like we're twelve again ya know?"

Maka looked down at him, "Yeah I know."

"You don't have to put up a front for me."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"You know so much.."

"About you, yeah. I spent my childhood with you, I know you Maka Albarn."

Maka blushed and shook her head. The room had grown silent once more until Soul Eater decided to continue. "Remember when you used to be afraid of lightning? You used to come to my room and I'd hold you all night."

"Shut up."

"You still afraid of lightning?"

Maka hesitated before answering, "Yeah."

"You know you can-"

"Come to your room, yeah I get it, but don't you sleep naked or something? No thanks."

Soul chuckled and squeezed her hand lightly. "I'm not even gonna go there."

Maka's face had turned the color of Soul's bedroom walls; blood red. He was right, things were different now. They were no longer kids, and there seemed to be sexual tension hanging in the air with their once innocent old habits. Like him holding her through a lightning storm. 'Holding' her.

Or how she used to sit up with him all night when he'd had his night terrors. Back then they would just play video games to pass the time but now.. ?

"You're thinkin' too much, thought you was gonna lay down with me?"

"I don't know about all of that..."

Soul gave her a look that made her laugh. Was she over estimating him? Had he really never changed? or was he some new experienced older Soul Eater that knew his way with women?

Was she making a mistake by laying with him or was she just over thinking things? She couldn't read him anymore.

She laid beside him expecting him to try the worst, just like any man. She closed her eyes and waited to feel his mischievous, up to no good hands fondling her body like a starved animal but instead his light snoring met her ears.

Really.

Really?

Really?!

Oh, was she not good enough for him to fondle?! She glared at him for as long as she could muster before giving in to how angelic he looked. Maybe he really was tired...

Maybe it was her that had changed, not him.