Put simply, it was dark.

From atop their hill, it was almost impossible to distinguish the city from its rural surroundings. The only thing that allowed it to be recognized were the several dozen headlights dotting what were likely the streets—people who were running late and hoping there were still good spots somewhere to see the stars.

"I can't believe you all had us hike up here just to stare at the sky for an hour."

"Soul!"

"C'mon, even Black*Star's fascinated. Chill out. Relax. That's why we're here." Liz patted Soul's shoulder, as if to say, 'I'm not even allowed to use my phone, I feel your pain.'

"It's not just an hour. It's Earth Hour. All the lights are off. Look at what we can see! Did you even know this was outside all this time?" Maka gestured emphatically, frustrated that Soul didn't quite understand her excitement. "It's beautiful!"

Even Patti was mostly quiet, choosing to spot constellations. "Why's that one so bright?" she asked, pointing toward the handle of the Little Dipper.

"That's the North Star," Tsubaki said. "It's the star closest to the North Pole, so it's much brighter than all the rest."

"Hmm." Satisfied, Patti returned to silence, except for occasionally announcing the shapes and animals she'd constructed. "It's like a big connect-the-dots, but with no numbers." She furrowed her eyebrows, displeased with her conclusion.

"People used to use the North Star to travel," added Maka, "because it practically doesn't move. It's constant."

"Finding their ways by starlight, huh?" Kidd mused, training his gaze on the star. "Kind of poetic."

"You think so?"

"Mmhmm. Dangerous, though. I'd hate to not see a hole in the ground and get my foot stuck in a snake den."

"Well, don't travel alone, then. Have somebody who can pull you out, and just hope that they don't get stuck in one themselves."

"Well then, would you be as kind as to accompany me to my car? I forgot to bring the snacks up here."

"You're kidding."

"Wish I was."

The group collectively groaned, and a few choice words left Soul's mouth.

Maka sighed. "I guess I've got no choice, then. Let's go." She pushed herself up to her feet, and wiped grass off of her knees. "We should hurry if we want to be back before people turn their lights back on."

"So how did you, of all people, manage to forget the snacks?" asked Maka, hands fiddling behind her back.

"I was distracted," Kidd shrugged, and scratched the side of his head. "I was excited to get to the hill, I guess—I'm still pretty impressed you managed to find it out here. It's hidden pretty well."

"I only found it because I got lost in the woods around it," she admitted. "Everything looks the same around here."

Leaves and twigs crunched underneath their feet at random, so it took them a moment to register when another twig snapped, from further down the path.

"…You heard that too, right?" muttered Maka, gripping his shoulder and holding him back.

"Yeah…do you want to get closer?" His eyes darted back and forth from the path ahead to Maka, at his side.

"Nothing dangerous hangs around in this forest. It couldn't hurt."

Together, they inched forward, ready for combat even if it was a rabbit. Twig snapping turned to rustling, and the closer they got, the easier it was to hear the breathing that belonged to something at least the size of a small person.

"We should think this through—" started Kidd, but Maka cut him off by lobbing a rock in the direction of the foliage. There was a very clear thunk, a hiss, and more rustling as whatever was hiding turned tail and ran.

Maka took off after it, and Kidd after her.

They ran for a while before coming to a particularly well-lit area, where they were able to clearly see the creature—now surrounded by its friends.

"What happened to your head?!"

"S-something threw a rock at me."

"No way! We said no throwing! Did you see who it was?"

"Uh-uh."

"Oh my god," Maka whispered in horror, pale. "I threw a rock at a small child."

Quickly, Kidd stepped forward, clearing his throat. "What are you all doing out here?"

The children shrieked, hiding behind one another. "P-p-playing h-hide and seek…!" one choked out.

He sighed. "Where are your parents?"

They were silent, and the one who'd spoken shrugged.

He turned to Maka. "It appears we'll have to take a detour."

"We'll take you guys to the entrance, okay?" offered Maka, voice wavering slightly as her eyes passed over the small bump visible on the head of the tallest one.

"Mmkay."

It took several minutes and a pee break until they reached the forests' edge, where, a few hundred yards away, a few adults were pacing back and forth.

"Are those your parents?" asked Kidd, nudging one of the children and pointing toward the frantic people.

"I think so!"

"Let's walk them over. They might decide to play hide and seek on the way there," Maka said, a wry smile stretching her face.

"Agreed."

After spending several minutes being thanked by relieved parents, Kidd and Maka were able to return to the task at hand: snacks.

"…So, where did you park?"

"…Um."

"Don't you dare say you—"

"I, uh, remember it was right off the highway."

"So, north of the forest, then?"

"Yeah."

"I don't have a compass." Maka frowned. "And no one brought a phone."

"I seem to recall you mentioning something about the North Star earlier."

"Oh, yeah! We can use that!"

He sighed, glad that she didn't seem angry.

"Watch out for snake holes, then." She shoved him forward with one hand before beginning to jog.

Again, he took off after her.

"They probably hate us right now," she said, once he caught up.

"Who, everyone back at the hill?"

"Yup. How long have we been gone? Half an hour? More? They probably think we're making out in a bush or something."

He choked briefly, then composed himself. "Do people actually do that? Make out in bushes?"

Maka shrugged. "Seems like it'd be uncomfortable. What with all the sticks. I'd hate to get a splinter or something."

"I heard car hoods serve the same purpose, but with one hundred percent fewer splinters." The topic of conversation had taken a turn to uncharted territory, and Kidd tried desperately to read the situation. Was she making a move? Was there a line? What was it? Was she aware of how cute she looked right now?

Thankfully, the conversation came to an abrupt end as Kidd tripped and fell on his face.

"Don't tell me you actually got stuck in a snake hole." Maka stopped and knelt down to help him up, biting her lip to hide her amusement.

"I don't think I have any splinters, at least. Tell me the dirt is symmetrical. Please." He stood, dusting off his shirt.

"The dirt is symmetrical."

"You're a liar."

"Just following orders."

Kidd sighed, wincing. "I'll have to survey the damage once I can see better."

"Then we should hurry, shouldn't we?"

He nodded, and they were off again. This time, they suffered no casualties, and found the car within fifteen minutes.

"Finally," they sighed.

"Please tell me you have your keys," Maka said, folding her arms.

"Of course I have my keys. And even if I didn't, I would, because I have two sets on me." He patted his breast pockets, and yes—quiet jingling from each one.

"Good. Let's hurry, the—hold on. Stand still." She approached him, scrutinizing his face. Reflexively, he blushed and backed away, but she pinned his wrist to the hood of the car—briefly, in his panicked state, he remembered his earlier statement about car hoods—and she leaned closer still.

"You do have a splinter. Let me get it for you."

"I'm, uh, quite capable of removing it myself—"

"You can't see it, and it's small. You'll just be groping your cheek all the way home until you can get a mirror and some tweezers. Unless you want a splinter in just one cheek for the whole ride home?" She interrupted her examination to make eye contact, quizzical. He gulped. "Didn't think so."

After several excruciating seconds of Maka practically on top of him, he felt a sudden prick in his cheek, and she exhaled, satisfied.

Her breath smelled like strawberries.

Kidd really liked strawberries (especially on his ice cream), and he really liked Maka. He wasn't sure where to look, so he looked everywhere—everywhere except for Maka, of course.

For some reason that he could not possibly fathom, she did not pull away, but instead shifted her position to be closer to him, and when her thigh brushed his he snapped his eyes shut and prayed to his father that he was dreaming because he did not know how to handle this situation at all and he was surely going to make a complete fool out of himself and—

His breath hitched in his throat when he felt her breath on his lips, and he nearly had a heart attack when her lips pressed softly against his own. He didn't have time to appreciate it before she removed herself, and chewed on her bottom lip, embarrassed.

"Was, uh, was that okay? I don't want you to feel pressured or anythi—"

"God, yes," he breathed, and she was on him again in a matter of seconds.

Her mouth moved against his and her hands held fistfuls of his shirt and their teeth bumped and their noses crashed but it didn't matter because they were there, on the hood of his car in front of a forest at eight o'clock on March 28th, and all Kidd could think about was his stupid remark about car hoods and splinters and the fact that he really, really liked strawberries and that she was kissing him and—

A hoot.

A whistle.

"I'm starving, and you guys decide to get it on instead of bringing the food?"

They flew apart, Maka straightening her skirt and Kidd fumbling with his keys.

"Is this what you guys were doing the whole time?" asked Soul, arms crossed.

"N-uh, um. North star. Splinter. What?" Kidd placed a hand on his car to support himself, but recoiled as if it were a burning stove as he recalled what had just happened there.

"You used the starlight to pull out a splinter?" suggested Tsubaki. Liz shook her head.

"That makes no sense. Obviously, they got lost, someone got a splinter, they used the stars to find the car, and removing a splinter turned into…so, are you two together now? Or…?"

Both Maka and Kidd were flabbergasted at her insight, and neither could form coherent words or sentences.

"U-uh, food. In car." Kidd dropped his keys, and once he'd found them, unlocked the car. "Back seat."

"I'm not sure if I want to touch your car right now." Soul wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I don't know what you two have done on or in it."

That was the one that sent Kidd to the ground, and Maka straight home with a fever.

A/N: don't hate me for being gone so long ;; i've been focusing all my energy into my snk fic lately. it's so long pls help

side note: i like total dork kidd. he might stick around for a while. also i tried my hand at writing actual kissing? i usually never go into detail with that so feedback would be great!

please excuse any typos for the time being it's 4:30 am and i just cranked this whole thing out in like an hour and i haven't gone back and edited it or anything but i haven't posted anything in ages so i wanted to get it up right away gomennnn