Odds and Ends

Pleasantly Surprised?

There was a quiet knock on the door that Maka was sorely tempted to ignore. She glanced around the tiny room for a distraction. Her clothes were neatly folded and put away, the small desk was cleared of rubbish, a few precious books were stacked neatly in the order she wished to read them, and her bed was made. There wasn't a single excuse to use to get her guest to go away, and it made her dread answering it.

The past day on board the ship had been extremely awkward. She even avoided dinner because the lewd jokes had become a bit too much for her to handle. She might be a bit on the prude side, but she was sure this was crossing the line for even normal people. Kid, however, seemed to be taking it in stride and would shyly tease her in front of the other crew members and the captain. This led to even more awkward encounters between the two of them that was fueled with tense silence and normally wound up with her slamming the door in his face.

She couldn't comprehend Kid's behavior, because this was just so unlike him. He was good at getting along with everyone but he was always the gentleman. It was alien to see him like this. The worst part was that it wasn't completely out of character, at least he still was polite about everything, and he would always smile secretively at her after he said something. She might just be blowing this out of proportion but she was horribly uncomfortable.

Maybe because you wouldn't mind some of the things they suggest? Chirped a voice inside her.

She cringed and sighed. Folding her book in her lap she glared at the door, where she had yet to hear any retreating footsteps.

Everything they have suggested has been nothing but sex, I would mind all of that, she told the voice. She could have sworn she heard laughing and it was definitely mocking her. To distract her inner conflict she went to the door and cracked to see who had come to call.

She wasn't surprised to see Kid, but the tray of food he was holding in his hands did humble her. His words of having to play the part of an eloped couple came back to her, and she forced herself to smile politely at him. Her stomach rumbled as the smell of the delicious waffles and bacon wafted up to her nose.

Kid's brow rose as he timidly returned her smile.

"Peace offering?" he said lifting the tray up higher to show the wonderful treat.

She had skipped dinner the night before… and she was rather hungry. This would save her the trouble of having to venture out for breakfast and be the mock of the crew yet again. With just one more day left before they reached the shore Maka knew she should probably be savoring hot meals and a warm bed as much as possible.

She opened the door a little more and gestured for him to come in. He smiled appreciatively and closed the door behind him. He handed her the tray as they both took a seat on the bed, for there was nowhere else to sit in the tiny cabin. Both teens seemed awkwardly avoiding how close they had sat down next to each other, yet neither one moved. Maka timidly dug into the plate before her, trying to push the tense silence from the room with the scrape of her fork against her plate and chewing a little louder than normal.

She gave Kid a cheeky grin when she noticed the disdain on his face as he watched her eat (she knew when she was this hungry it wasn't exactly an elegant sight to behold) and offered him a forkful.

"Want some?" she cooed, making sure to swallow first so as not to be too rude.

"I'm fine, thanks," he declined.

The tense silence overcame them again as Maka resumed eating. Kid fiddled with his hands in his lap, his golden gaze trained on the adjacent wall with what looked like faint interest.

"Well this is unbelievably awkward," Maka teased after a few more mouthfuls. She grinned in hopes of easing the tension, which turned awkward and faded away as Kid glanced at her.

"I would have to agree," he was as polite as ever, poised and collected, yet he looked just as uncomfortable as she felt at the moment.

"Maybe we just don't click as partners," she started quietly. She placed the fork and knife down slowly so that they didn't clatter against the wood tray. She cast her eyes downward and fought the burn on her cheeks.

It was something she had thought a few times now. Maybe she wasn't fit to be a weapon. After all she was an excellent meister. She had even beaten the witch Arachne, she wasn't weak so the excuse couldn't possibly be that.

"Our souls are quite compatible. All the times we have fought together is proof enough," Kid said dismissing her notion. "I think it might be something else… this is a touchy subject… but I feel like this can't be avoided… one of us is attracted to the other."

At this Kid's face lit up in a deep blush but his gaze didn't move from hers. She would have missed it, but she could see the stain out of the corner of her eye and in surprise she looked up at him.

Her stomach dropped and she felt the color drain from her face.

She had been trying to deny it since they had left; they were only four days into their mission for crying out loud! But the way Kid phrased it left no doubt in her mind. He had picked up on her nerves and was interrupting them as feelings for him. She would have been mad, only the anger wasn't there. Was she that transparent? She couldn't even find the words to respond. Her felt like lead as she studied the boy in front of her. What do you say when your partner brings up this conversation? She remembered having a similar one with Soul a long time ago, but they had been partners for a while and they were able to talk through it. They felt nothing but strong admiration for one another and they would always be best friends.

Despite being friends with Kid… she didn't know every little detail about his life. They barely scratched the surface on things like what they had in common and little inside jokes. And matching soul wavelengths with another meister during a fight was a lot different than matching soul wavelengths with a weapon partner. Partners had to have a closer connection and both had to be totally in sync, otherwise it could be dangerous to go out on missions together and having something go wrong. Look at all the trouble that happened when she and Soul weren't on the same wavelength…

So she understood the need for this conversation. This was a lot more dangerous than missions that were handed out at the DWMA and they both needed to be in top shape mentally and physically to come back unscathed. Maka sucked in a deep breath.

"Or it could be the fact that I haven't been able to master being a weapon while conscious," she chirped in what she hoped sounded light and not nearly as faint as she felt.

She wasn't stupid, but at the moment she didn't want to think that she could possibly be harboring feelings for Lord Death's son. It wasn't on the priority list, so it could wait until a later time.

Kid was silent for a moment before he let out a small sigh, "We need to find a way to conquer that before we get off this ship. As strong as I am without a weapon it will really help to have you by my side and able to fight once we reach land."

"Did you bring some books on the matter?" she asked hopefully.

"Actually, I read up on the subject before we left. I figured it could come in handy," he smiled at her and relaxed slightly, making himself comfortable on the bed.

He scooted straight back on the bed so that his back was pressed firmly against the wall and let his legs drape slightly over the side of her bed (they were perfectly symmetrical in distance, rest assured). She hadn't really noticed how tall Kid was before then. He had to be close to 6 feet if not over it, and dwarfed her tiny 5'5 frame. She settled next to him only moved the pillow behind her head so that she could lean at an angle instead of the uncomfortable position he looked like he was in. Their arms brushed against each other's as they both moved to cross their arms over their chests at the same time. Instead of fretting of where to look Maka let her head lean back and let her eyes slide shut. She missed the warm grin that Kid gave her as he watched her get settled next to him.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded in response.

That was nice, she thought before Kid took a deep breath. Just then they had been in sync without words to describe what the other wanted. Maka had just known that Kid was going to fill her in on everything and that it would take a while. Partnership between the two of them didn't seem as hopeless as it had earlier that morning.

"This will come in handy with what Stein was lecturing us about a few weeks ago. It's a little more advanced so I don't want to explain too much in case I phrase something wrong," Kid started.

"I doubt you would…"

"More than likely you wouldn't had you read it, but I'm not as studious as you," Kid teased and nudged her shoulder with his hand. For a moment his hand lingered, her eyes fluttered open to study him. He had a serious look on his face but he was staring at the wall with a frown and hadn't noticed her glance. She let her eyes slide shut as his hand moved away from her.

"But I'll try my best," he continued, "Souls have a direct influence on which genes are used by meisters and weapons. Take for instance, Soul… he had recessive genes that linked him to the weapon line, but his family has been famous for other means. They have begun to use those other talents and so over time their 'weapon' genes have become recessive. There hasn't been another weapon in his family in 3 generations. Soul wanted a different path than what his family had laid out before him. He sought something within himself that would make him different. He actually activated his genes subconsciously at first as well. Once the genes are awoken they can be called upon at any time. So even though it skipped a few generations Soul still had the genes to be a weapon and his goal to always be stronger was so fascinating. Father wanted a few written pieces from him about why he strove so hard to become a Death Scythe at such a young age. Because at first, Father thought that weapon activation was more of a physiological thing.

"With what Soul told us at first that went along with the physiological aspect. We thought that his strife to become a Death Scythe was fueled with problems at home. We hadn't even thought of the standpoint of genetics… until Soul pointed out that he only became a weapon once he hit puberty. He had wanted to escape from his family for a while and the form hadn't come until he turned 13. He wanted to become a Death Scythe to better protect you because he was worried about you. He didn't like seeing you take hits, and that made him worry. He wanted to be able to move on his own in his weapon form, and he admired Justin and other Death Scythe's for their lack of partners because of that.

"That's where this gets interesting. Weapons can all technically be meisters. Liz and Patty for example can use each other's soul wavelengths to fight a foe on their own if I'm not around but they are a lot more powerful when they have a full-fledged meister or someone that they can work well with. That is why there are some Death Scythes that can operate fully on their own without a meister or even some regular weapons as well. It is just a power factor that they work better with more energy.

"They awaken their genes on their own though. That power is always recessive until a certain age or it is sought out. You have half weapon genes and they were recessive. But you have accidentally awoken them in a fight before…"

Kid took a deep breath to pause.

"Confused yet?" he asked.

"No, I'm following you," Maka smiled faintly.

"Are you asleep?" he taunted waving his hand lazily in front of her face.

"Wide awake," she answered and this time opened her eyes to blink a few times at him. He smiled softly back at her. Both used the small silence to admire the others features before Kid seemed to realize that he was doing so and coughed lightly.

Clearing his throat he continued, "Basically it is genetic. We just need to figure out what gene it is and how to reach it. Since you are half weapon you actually should have an easier time reaching this form than others who have skipped several generations."

"I appreciate the long-winded response for my learning benefit," Maka laughed.

She really did appreciate him telling her all of that. Kid was the only one out their friends that understood that she actually liked to learn. Grades were important but knowledge was a powerful tool. She liked to have as many as she possibly could.

She rolled to face him, and he stuck his tongue out at her before chuckling softly with her. She sat up and lightly punched Kid in the arm. She had done so just a week before they had left so she felt like in this situation it would be a good-natured sign to show that they were back on track with where they should be in their friendship. Only she would have lightly punched him in the arm. When she extended her arm to do so her hand skimmed her intended target and she found herself falling forward so that she landed face first into his chest.

She winced and waited for the 'Maka, you klutz!' line that she normally got. She regretted it when Kid didn't move away from her. No wonder he thinks you like him! her mind screamed. Fighting a blush she moved back slightly.

Sorry.

At least that was what she would have said. For some reason the words seemed to freeze on her lips as she caught sight of Kid's golden eyes darkening and his face blushing. His gaze shot down discreetly at her lips and she found herself doing the same. They were pretty nice for a boy's lips, they looked full and plump… which she wasn't sure why that would matter… her thoughts were lost on her in the span of seconds. Before she had time to remove herself Kid's hands had caught her wrists, making her fall forward and her chest fell into his. Her neck fell back in reflex so that their heads didn't smash together and she found herself staring at him in shock. If it hadn't been awkward before, now it definitely was. Electricity seemed to dance in the air around them, as she inhaled sharply. The deep breath, intended to clear her mind, seemed to fog her vision. Her head swam as Kid's scent infiltrated her senses.

He had an earthy smell to him. It wasn't unpleasant. In fact it reminded her of fall or for some odd reason Halloween. There was a spice to the scent. She leaned closer, intoxicated in the aroma before, wide-eyed, she realized just how close their faces were.

Was she moving forward or was he?

Their lips were barely a centimeter apart when a loud bang came from the door.

Both teens leaped apart, blushing furiously and fiddling with their hair and clothes as Maka called out an answer to the door, "Yes?"

She hoped her voice didn't seem too strained as the boisterous Captain laughed from the outside.

"You two have been in there an awfully long time. I know you guys made up from the other night so I hope I'm not interrupting any make up… talking… but the crew wanted to see if you two would like to come to dinner with us?"

Had they really been inside all day talking? It hadn't felt like an entire day, it felt like a few hours!

"We'll be right out Jack," Kid called calmly. "We were just finishing breakfast together."

There was a loud laugh and retreating footsteps in answer.

"Is that code for some type of innuendo?" Maka asked not even bothering to fight the blush. Kid smirked and stood from the bed.

"Not unless you want it to be."

"Now really!" she started, moving to throw the pillow at him. He dodged it smoothly and chuckled.

"Fine, it wasn't. You do realize that I came in around 1 right? It has been several hours."

"Oh…" she breathed. She wasn't ready when the pillow was flung back into her face and she fell into the bed. Kid snorted at what was sure to have been a ridiculous expression from her, before he busted into a fit of laughter.

It felt good that despite whatever had happened a few moments ago, they felt like something between them was patched up. They were still going to be friends after this mission.

()()()()()()()(KiMa)()()()()()()()

"About last night…" Maka started as they crossed into the small shared cabin. "I'm really sorry I slammed the door and avoided you all day. I should have at least let you come in here with me to sleep," she said sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck.

Last night she hadn't let him in, and she had spent the better part of the day avoiding him before he had come to see her today. She wasn't sure where he wound up sleeping, and for that she felt pretty guilty. He must be tired, and yet he doesn't even look like it, she thought to herself.

"You were upset. It is understandable," Kid told her with a shrug. He paced into the room.

Much like the first night back at the hotel Kid offered to take the floor, since the crew was positive that the two teens were 'together' they hadn't bothered to offer them an extra bed or a cot for Kid to sleep on.

Dinner had been a rather long and drawn out event. The crew was loud and teased the two 'love birds' about their quarrel, although Maka got the feeling that they had been lectured by someone, because even the teasing of the captain was way less intense. She knew it was for her benefit to ease her tension with them, but it made her less comfortable than before. She still appreciated the effort, and did her best to ignore the comments when they did bother her. It had left her drained, and had the roles been reversed she wouldn't have been too happy to sleep on the hard ground to top it off.

She slid on to the floor and stole the pillow that Kid had been about to occupy.

"You take the bed tonight," she told him. It was her way of making this less awkward and her own peace-offering to him.

"I can't let you sleep on the floor. You'll move and throw off the symmetry of the room," Kid said bending down he pulled her to her feet with ease and pushed her towards the bed.

"You slept…"

"Outside. It was refreshing," he finished for her with a grin. "I don't need a bed Maka. You should get some rest. We'll be landing in the morning sometime and we'll have a long few days after that."

"Yes, but I feel awful! I won't be able to sleep and I'll just toss and make the bed all unsymmetrical," she snarled, planting her feet firmly on the ground she pushed back against Kid's grip on her shoulders.

Kid's brow twitched. He sighed and dropped his hands to his side as he gave her a rather hard look.

"I don't want to spend the night arguing with you. Just get into the bed Maka."

"No. You deserve to get a night's sleep. I can rough it out for a night."

"You need to search within yourself and figure out how to get your weapon form. You should get a good night's sleep to do that."

"We can practice in the morning… together. Maybe if we match soul wavelengths you'll be able to help me… but that is beside the point Kid. You should take the bed. I can sleep just as well on the floor!"

"This is ridiculous," Kid sighed and threw his hands into his hair in frustration.

It was interesting because as he ruffled his bangs he seemed to realize that he made them uneven and spent several minutes ignoring her and fixing them so that they were perfect again. He was somehow able to ignore the most unsymmetrical thing about himself, the white Sanzu lines, and sat down calmly on the floor in front of the mirror to do so. She found herself chuckling despite herself.

"Kid… just take the bed. I'll feel better if you do," she said.

Like he had been doing to her lately, she found her hand coming to rest on top of his shoulder. She gave him a gentle squeeze in encouragement and gestured to the bed when he looked up at her.

"I'll feel worse if I take the bed…" he mumbled.

It was silent for several long minutes.

"Well… we have shared a bed before," Maka started briskly. Kid turned to face the mirror, fixing his hair so that it fell perfectly across his forehead.

"We have…"

Was it the fact that they almost kissed earlier? Was that why this subject was so… awkward…?

"So we can do it again. It isn't like we are doing anything inappropriate," she said it firmly, and smacked her fist into her palm as if that settled the matter. She ignored the fact that her heart seemed to thump wildly against her chest at the suggestion.

As they both climbed into the tiny bed both realized that this would not be like the first time they had shared a bed. For one, the bed was half the size of the first, and there was practically no where the other could escape to without touching the other. The almost kiss seemed to hang in the air between them as they bade each other quick good nights and rolled so that their backs were pressed against one another.

A/N: Is Kid horribly out of character? I feel like I'm not getting him right... but then again I'm trying not to show too much with what is going on inside his head so you guys get the story mostly from Maka's perspective... I was debating on scrapping the entire chapter... but I'm in love with one of the scenes... can you guess which one? Hahaha. Until next time~