A/N: From this chapter on out you can expect things to start steaming up between the two of them as they get to know each other better. Oh and also, I got Tsubaki in there finally! Thanks to my husband who took care of fixing my muddled tenses and grammatical errors. Hope you enjoy this sensual little tidbit.

When he was sure that Maka was out of earshot, Soul turned on his father. "What are you thinking!?"

His father had the audacity to look back at him stunned. "I really don't understand the problem. You seem to enjoy the company of women, and you keep nearly getting yourself into trouble. I went out of my way to find a perfect girl for you, someone you can have with you whenever the need arises."

Soul wiped his face in his hands. It was true; he was a very bored young man. He hated the pressures of his family life and the pressures of parents who wanted him to be the perfect musician that his elder brother was. The only relationship he really kept was the maddening love/hate one that he shared with his piano. The rest of the girls were merely a distraction. He felt bored, rebellious, and angry. Together those three things made a bad combination and he was always making decisions that his parents frowned upon. His mother was forever in tears over: "why couldn't her son be more like his older brother?" Girls tended to want him, and so he took them because for a few moments he could be their entire world. They took his mind off all the pressure and they made him feel wanted. He didn't want a girl who was paid to give her attention to him. "I've seen you do some low things, but this…this takes the cake."

"I really don't see why you are so upset, she's quite lovely."

"I'm upset because you bought me a girl! You have no idea how that looks? You might be into buying women, but I'm perfectly content to find my own."

His father stood up and slammed his fist down on the table so hard that Soul actually jumped back a bit. "'You're content to find your own'!? You've shown us just how content you are to 'find your own'. The last time you found your own, you nearly got her pregnant and our family was almost forced to make a deal. You can't continue to play around with noblewomen."

Soul rolled his eyes at his father. "She created the scare because she wanted to marry me. She asked, I said no. Suddenly she was afraid she was pregnant. I'm plenty careful." He really wasn't sure why he attracted women, they just always seemed to show interest; and while he considered himself a kind lover, he didn't want to involve himself further. He was far too messed up to throw that upon them.

"All the same, this is in your best interests." The corner of his father's mouth turned upwards into a smile. "Besides, she's a virgin."

"She's a person, not a virgin. Or well, maybe she's a virgin, I'm sure you're right, but she is just a girl, and you've brought here her to force her to want me. That's not a virginity I'm too keen on stealing. Women are far more interesting when they actually want it without money hanging over their heads."

"Sex is sex. Make her want you." His father knew that he had hit a point on that one. Soul paused, for the first time really thinking about the young woman in blue silk, with her head leaning against his mother's glass. She had looked so sad and he'd used that sadness to weave into the chords he was playing. There was something almost inspirational about her.

'Maka', was that her name? He was pretty sure that's what had been hissed at her after she'd sassed. She had a fire to her amidst that sadness, and given other circumstances he probably would have enjoyed getting to know her. He could send her back, but he knew what that could mean for a fragile young woman with her virginity still in tact. Could this Maka even want to be with him? Or was this merely an exchange of money , a contract where she would spread her legs when asked because that's what she was being bought for? It made him sick to think of only being wanted for that reason, both for selfish reasons and for her own dignity. It could be enjoyable to make her want it, to see if she could be brought around.

Seeing an opening, Soul's father stood up. "Look, she's a companion for you. Keep her to yourself; sleep with her when you need it. Hell, make love to her if it sounds better. She's yours to do with as you please. If you don't like her, I'll send her back."

He scoffed at his father, that familiar disgust for his family bubbling up. "It's that easy for you, isn't it? Just buy someone and if they aren't adequate you just send them away. She's a human being, and a sexually inexperienced one at that." He ran a hand through his already mussed up hair and moved to straighten out his suit.

"You're an Evans; I know you can teach her a thing or two. Your mother and I will find you an actual bride in time. We just have to finalize a match for your brother first."

"Good luck with that. Wes' only love is the violin. Always has been, always will." The way Soul talked about his brother showed a resentment that ran deep. He wanted to be happy for his older brother, but he was so tried of being compared to him and always coming up second place. His older brother loved him and supported him, but for Soul, somehow that support just boiled his blood that much more.

"Marriage isn't about love," his father said.

"That's obvious." Soul scoffed at the man he's somehow lost even more respect for. His father was living proof that marriage isn't about love. The marriage that he had with his wife was hardly one of a romantic and tender nature. They were an arranged marriage years previously and his father was ten years his mother's senior. This wasn't the first time that Miss Marie has been around the house; Soul had met her on a couple of occasions while his mother was traveling around with Wes. He figured his mother knew of her husband's infidelities, but she stayed quiet about it. Instead, she terrorized in a different way; expecting perfection from her children in a way she couldn't expect it of her husband. It had been a stifling environment to grow up in and it was really no wonder that Soul had a warped view of sex and romance.

Soul watched as his father's knuckles tightened until they whitened. He'd pushed the man too far, but after being given a prostitute as a birthday gift, he was pretty sure that he was justified. "Next year, when I ask for a puppy for my birthday, it's not some weird man code for woman, okay?" His tone was sarcastic; something his parents were endlessly familiar with. He turned around to head towards the door.

"What are you planning to do with her then?" The cold tone of his father was not lost on him; he'd made the man bitterly angry and he was sure that in his mind he was just an ungrateful brat who couldn't see what an amazing gift his parents had decided to allow him.

He didn't look back as he reached for the door. "I haven't decided yet, but until I do, just leave both of us alone." Soul didn't wait for a response. He opened the door and, just for good measure, slammed it heavily behind him.

* * *

Maka ate alone in her room. It was the best she had felt all day, alone and having finally filled her belly to the brim with the best soup she'd ever had. Miss Marie had bid her goodnight and told her that she'd be leaving her in the morning. The last thread connecting her to her home was packing up her bags and exiting the scene. She thought of her papa far away in London and it made her feel even more lonely. He wasn't the best father, but he was her father and she even missed his stupid goofball grins over her.

The room she had been given was modest. Despite it's lack of exquisite fineries that dressed the rest of the home, it was comfortable enough. A double bed sat in one corner with a plain quilt laid out on it. The pattern was faded, but she guessed that it had been in the family for years. There was a small fireplace that burned with a warm fire to heat the room. Autumn was nearly upon them and so the night's were getting colder. She could even hear the wind blowing against the glass of her tiny window. Everything was small, but for the first time everything was just hers. At home in London, she shared a bedroom with her father and they shared a bathroom with other tenants in the building.

She sat at a small table in the corner that was right below the window and she stared out of it. The moon had pushed through the clouds at this point and she could make out the shadows of trees blowing in the wind. Maka took comfort in the sounds of the crackling fireplace and the wind that whipped through the trees. It might have been just enough to help her doze off, if it hadn't been for the knock on the her bedroom door.

So much for privacy, she though to herself. "Who is it?"

"It's Tsubaki, Miss," A very sweet voice came from behind the door. "I'm one of the maids and I've come to collect your dinner dishes."

Maka gave word for her to enter. The girl that entered made Maka catch her breath. Tsubaki was lovely and tall with a long black ponytail that fell over her shoulders. She was dressed in a gown like the other maids, but there was a beauty to her that shone past it. While London was full of exotic people, Tsubaki was just stunning. Really, she would have made a far better courtesan than her; Maka was all bones and angles, where Tsubaki was voluptuous and curvy. Everything about her demeanor was so gentle and there was an ease that Maka instantly felt around her.

"Are you finished with supper than, Miss?"

Maka nodded. "It was delicious; my compliments to the cook. And please, call me Maka. I'm an employee here, same as you."

"Of course, Maka. I'll make sure to tell the cook that you approved. She'll be very happy to hear it. The master and mistress of the house aren't generous with their compliments." Tsubaki smiled and Maka wondered how much she would have been told about her employment. Obviously, she knew enough to know she wasn't a maid, because maids didn't wait on other maids. "Oh, and you can call me Tsubaki so that we are on a first name basis." A first name basis. The idea made her actually feel pleasantly uplifted. No "Miss" or "Sir" or "Madam" or any other formal term to remember. Maka approved, it was hard enough remembering all the other titles.

"Tsubaki? That's a really interesting name. I've never heard it before."

Tsubaki nodded as she began to gather up dishes. "I come from Japan."

"Japan?" It was an exotic location that was practically an entirely different world to Maka. She had read about it, she knew of it's trades, and most importantly, she knew of it's geishas. Some of the educators had lent them stories of the geishas of Japan and told them that if they truly wanted men to desire them, then they needed to be similar to the female entertainers of the far off country. Maka had yet to perfect it. "I'd love to hear about your home sometime."

"Gladly. I have lots of stories I could share with you." Tsubaki went to set the tray by the door, before grabbing two buckets and carrying them in. "I was told to draw you a bath."

"A bath sounds amazing." She stood up to move over and took one of the buckets from Tsubaki. It was full to the brim with what she guessed was boiling water. Tsubaki let her carry one with a grateful word of thanks. "I can't believe how grimy I feel; like I've taken the dirt of London with me." Against one wall, right by the fireplace, was a metal bathtub filled already with lukewarm water. They both poured the hot liquid from the buckets into the rest of the water and Maka reached in to run her fingers through it. The perfect temperature.

"The city is extremely dirty. I never minded moving out to the countryside. There is a lot to like about this place." She moved her hands to signal for Maka to turn around. She then set to unlacing the back of her dress.

There was silence for a while as the laces were undone, but once the top layer of dress was off, Maka could do the rest herself. "Hey, Tsubaki?"

"Mmm?" The other girl had moved to arrange oils and soaps next to the tub, setting out a fluffy towel for her.

"Is Soul…a good person?" It was a question that was weighing heavily on her mind. When he came for her, would he be gentle? Or would he take her and leave her with little else left of her dignity? Would he treat her like a person or property? She'd heard stories of all types.

Tsubaki stopped what she was doing and moved around to place her hands on her shoulders. "Listen; I know that this must be one of the scariest things you've ever had to do, but Soul isn't like his parents. You have nothing to be afraid of. I know why you are here." She laughed to brighten the spirit of the room. "I know pretty much everything about everyone here and I'll be happy to teach it all too you. In time. Right now, just enjoy your bath and don't worry about anything else. No one is going to hurt you here. Soul, well he's more likely to want to take care of you… he was even the one who told me to draw your bath for you."

Maka gave a weak nod, though the last part had a blush creeping up on her cheeks. Soul very well at this moment was somewhere in the house thinking about her bathing.

"I have go put the house to bed. The mistress is a monster when things aren't on time." She rolled her eyes and made for the door. "We'll get to know each other better tomorrow. If you need anything, my bedroom is right down at the end of the hall."

"Tsubaki…thank you." She meant it with every fiber of her being, because for the first time someone had just truly been kind to her. No shoving her around, no expectations; just kindness.

When she was again alone in the room, she found she almost wanted to rush out into the hall and offer to help with whatever chores she had, just to spend more time with her. However, the bath looked so inviting and the girl had taken such care to make it for her that she knew she could allow herself that luxury. Maka removed most of the rest of her clothing, keeping herself wrapped in only a very thin chemise that was not uncommon to bathe in. Something about being naked made her feel too vulnerable and that cloth made her feel a barrier between her body and the rest of the world. Carefully, she dipped her foot into the water, finding it almost unbearably warm, but she pushed herself the rest of the way in and sighed. It would cool too soon and the heat that colored her skin pink felt incredible anyway.

Never before had Maka had her own private room to bathe in. Since her apartment had a shared bathroom, there was really no way for her to get a moment alone in it. Sometimes, as she had matured, she'd stayed up late to sneak in a take a few moments to herself. There in the lukewarm (if not cold) water, she had explored the features of her ever changing body and curiously touched in places that made her feel embarrassed and ashamed. She didn't have much of a body, but she'd enjoy watching it change. Over the years her breasts had swelled enough to be considered adequate and her hips had curved to perhaps even be thought of as alluring. She laid her hand against her breast, feeling it through the thin material. Her other hand trailed over her stomach. Maka might have thought to touch herself further in that private moment. It was romantic enough, with the smell of a perfumed bath, the dimly lit room, the whispering wind. She might have pretended that she was really a lady awaiting an actual suitor.

That was, if there had not been another knock on the door.

"Tsubaki?" Her voice was a bit flustered as she splashed in the bath and brought her hands to more neutral areas.

The door creaked open and from a darkened hallway, a boy with white hair and red eyes poked his head through the doorway. "Not quite, but if she's more your style…"

"Don't be stupid! And what do you think you're doing sneaking up into my room this late at night without permission to enter?"

"Technically, I don't need permission." He took a step into the room, closing the door behind him. "However, if you are that desperate to get rid of me, I'll leave you alone. I didn't know that you'd be taking a bath."

"Yeah, right!" She pulled her arms around her legs and was suddenly even more grateful for whatever covering the chemise provided. "Tsubaki said you were the one that told her to make it for me."

"Oh? Did I?" He tried to sound innocent. "I just wanted you to be comfortable." He took a seat on the bed. There was silence for a long moment as the two sized each other up. Finally, he let out a sigh. "I really will leave if you want me to, but I just came to talk."

She thought for a long moment about it; there was something about his expression in the firelight that almost looked sad. Was this cocky boy actually unhappy? Had she made him so? It wouldn't have been hard to send him away, but it also would not be very acceptable the given situation. She would just have to make herself relax. They were going to end up in far more intimate situations than her taking a bath while still somewhat clothed. "You can stay."

He gave a nod, before standing up and moving over to sit by the bathtub. He held out his hand. "Soul."

Lifting one soaking hand she tentatively took it. "Ma…Maka."

He shook her hand, fingers tightening on hers and she found the firm embrace actually kind of nice in a way. When he took his hand back he ran it through his hair. "Hey, look; I feel like I need to apologize for earlier. My parents aren't exactly model citizens."

"Your mom knows about us, huh?

"Oh yeah. Which explains the complete overreaction of the window thing. She usually only mildly twitches at things like that."

Maka looked down at the water, splashing some of it. It was hard to enjoy anything knowing you could be hated for something when they didn't even think about why she'd chosen it in the first place. "I'm sure I'll get used to it."

"I'm sorry, Maka."

"It is what it is; I stopped caring about what people thought when I made this decision." It was a lie, but one she was trying to make sound confident. She supposed her face must not have shown so much confidence because he reached out to touch her cheek. He thumbed at it and stared so deeply into her eyes that she almost felt like he was looking straight into her. Maka was almost afraid he could see and hear everything she was thinking.

Soul didn't say anything more about it; instead, he reached up to the pins in her hair and slowly began plucking them one by one from her head. She hadn't realized just how much they had been digging into her scalp until he was pulling them free. He moved until he was sitting behind her, fingers working to untie braids and let her blonde hair completely fall free. Maka had once had hair that went all the way down her back, but she'd sold it for money a couple years ago. At this point it had only made it past her shoulder blades, but Soul seemed to find it enough to play with.

"The way I see it, all women are basically treated the same. My parents could have just as easily bought me a wife. It's all people seem to like to use your sex for; buying and selling. The only difference is some stupid invisible line of dignity. Oh, and the expectation of childbirth." He began massaging her scalp with his fingers, running them over her head and pressing them gently to her temples.

"I take herbs or tea. Something to stop that."

"Well, I guess we won't end up fucked then - at least in that department. So, see? You have less expectations put on you and more of the people who are staring at you angrily; as if you are doing something wrong. It's a messed up world." He leaned in against her ear, speaking in a whisper. "I like sex Maka. It feels good and my parents want me to have it with you. I'm supposed to be an obedient son."

She nodded a little. His touch was so gentle and his breath against her ear so delicate that she felt cradled in the warmth of it. She felt the warmth of water as he tilted her head back, hand under her chin, and poured water over her hair. He then reached out and plucked a perfumed soap from the tray to the side and rubbed it around in his hands. He made it lather. If he had this kind of affect on all women, then she can understand why he was so popular. Slowly, he worked the soap through her hair. His nails pressed around her scalp with such tenderness that it made her tingle. Soul took his time, helping to settle her into the bath, letting her feel his touch and she fount that she savored each second of it. Before washing her hair was a luxury; how he's making it so sensual was beyond her. He doesn't just focus on her hair, he pressed places on her neck, pushing his fingertips against spots that seemed connected to the more intimate places on her body. Maka can feel an ache building inside of her, that found its way straight to the sensitive area directly between her legs. The water is warm but her nipples are pressed to the gown as it clung to her body like a second skin.

He tilted her head forward, moving to rinse the soap from her scalp, and once clean, his lips pressed against the area where her neck and back meet. She jerked against him at the pleasing touch and she can feel him smile against her skin. He really was a cocky bastard of a man. It annoyed her and excited her all at once.

His hands moved up and down her arms while he peppered her neck with more kisses. He held back on being too intimate and she didn't dare ask for more than he was willing to give her. She wasn't sure she was doing it right, because she was sure the books had said things about being coy and playful and seductive with men. Yet here he was playing with her, in ways that she had never thought could even be so intimate. He dragged his teeth over that sensitive area her upper back and she gasped out again.

"Let me bathe you." He requested, his voice husky in her ear as he moved upwards to nip at her neck. It was all she could do to nod. Reaching under the water, his hands found the hem of her chemise, and together they moved in a way to get the fabric over her head. He dropped it to the side in a forgotten wet pile and moved to pull out another bottle of perfume. Her skin was slippery under his hand when he'd moved to lather her skin with it.

Up and down her arms he trailed his hands, kneading and massaging her skin. He wound his fingers through hers, pulling and tugging and squeezing at her hands. His chin rested against her shoulder and he kept his cheek pressed to hers while he works. Maka leaned back against him, a willing participant in the most erotic bath she had ever participated in. Anytime she went to turn or touch his arms, he gently placed them back into the water and continued to give his full attention to her.

After a while, he moved to her stomach, smoothing soap over it. He massaged her stomach moving up to trail his hands between her breasts. Both hands left touches of soap on her nipples as he delicately pinched them and was rewarded with an arched back and a soft delicate cry from her lips. Maka almost couldn't handle the teasing; one of her hands was shaking and she moved it down onto her stomach. Soul saw the change in it's placement and once against pressed his lips to her ear. "Go ahead, Maka; touch yourself."

She took the invitation, and without another thought, pressed her fingers between her thighs to part the swollen lips of her delicate skin. A gasp escaped her as her index finger found a pleasurable spot. She had only ever tentatively touched these areas, though at the academy they had been encouraged to explore and learn about their own flesh and what they liked. She'd tried, but it hadn't felt like this. He was giving her full permission to touch and the smile he still had pressed to her cheek was enough to let her know whatever she was doing was okay.

He continued to massage soap and oil onto her breasts and stomach. One hand dragged up to wrap gently around her throat. Her stroking at first was nervous and tentative. Soon however, she was rubbing and pinching with a vigor that she'd never felt before. A need was building inside of her and that need made her fingers work with a desperation. Maka gasped as she pushed one finger inside of herself and felt the very insides of her body curl around it. How interesting and pleasurable it was the way the walls seemed to close in and stay locked around her fingers. She circled the visible pleasure spots with her other fingers, working them over. She tested pressure and speed and found something that seemed to work just right to build the tension in her body. The world felt like it was spinning and while she felt like she'd get lost in the cycle he held her grounded.

"Just like that, keep it up. Feel everything. No, don't slow down. Keep going; you'll get there. Oh, Maka…you're heart is racing so fast." He whispered words of encouragement into her ear. Soul's hands stayed against her, a palm stretched against the area just above her heart and his other hand held to her shoulder. Some combination of the pleasure her fingers were giving her and the sensuality of his voice and the seduction of the entire situation threw her over the edge and she bit down on her lip to keep a cry stifled.

It took her awhile to come back down to reality, but when she did, her orgasm left her even more exhausted, though delightfully satisfied. Soul had somehow managed to erase the fear that had been hanging over her into a pleasant feeling of warmth and she was so grateful for that. She laid limply in the bath, his arms still around her. He pulled the fingers that had been inside of her out of the bath and pressed his lips against them.

"Beautiful…that was beautiful." She merely nodded in response. Maka might have stayed there forever, but the water was growing cold and he unwrapped himself from around her and reached for a towel. Her body was trembling as he lifted her from the bath and wrapped her in it.

"Soul…what was that?"

He laughed and tapped her on the nose. "That, Maka, was pleasure." Pleasure. If that was pleasure and she was to be a receiver of it, well…maybe this whole sex thing wasn't going to be so bad after all.

"Are we going to have sex now?" She was lifted up into his arms and brought over to a turned down bed. He lay her down, pulling up the blankets and tucking her in.

"No, not tonight. Now you are going to sleep."

She nodded. If that was what he wanted, her body was all to eager to oblige.