Usual disclaimers apply~ Now enjoy your read~!

Naia Herald absorbed her deserved pre-kishin soul with much delight. After all this was her eighty-ninth soul. So close, she excitedly thought to herself that her lime green hair bobbed along with her giddy movements as she happily skipped back towards her meister.

Rissa Realm, halberd technician, had her hair in that atrocious bun again, the one she always wore during her missions. Such lovely, dark, mid-length hair it was and Naia mustered that her friend and meister didn't want her hair to be messed or accidentally cut during their chases.

"Ten more pre-kishin souls to go," Naia chirped happily.

"And one witch soul," Rissa finished with the same enthusiasm as they trod along the moonlit San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, not even one vehicle in sight. A peaceful night apart from the kishin raid they had just successfully accomplished.

Naia squinted in the distance as she abruptly quietened down from her giddy high. Stealthily, she made a grab for her meister's hand, just in case she needed to transform. The meister squeezed back for she had also spotted what had grabbed the halberd's attention.

It was a shadowed figure, only slightly given away by the dim light that the chuckling moon gave out. They both felt it. A danger had suddenly perched upon them yet as students of Shibusen, as warriors, they had no time to be afraid.

It was only one person anyway. It wasn't much of a threat.

How wrong they were.

Footsteps approached them from behind, coming out from nowhere. Naia spun around, her back leaning against Rissa's, watching the other form mosey towards them. Their hands were still entwined, both clenching each others grasp so hard in fear and tension and anxiety.

The figure Naia was facing halted, about twenty feet away, a satisfied sounding hum reaching the weapon's ears, her skin prickling up with goosebumps from the faint sound.

Then, a male voice spoke, rough against the clean midnight sky.

"We've caught us some nice little fishies."

MAKA----

Her head rested on a stiff pillow that was not her own. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of newly washed fabric. At that she pursed her brows. She didn't wash her bedsheets yet, or any bedsheets at all.

Opening her eyes from her brief rest, she panicked shortly as she found herself in a room that was not her own. Then it registered in her gradually waking mind the memories of what had happened only a few minutes – hours? - ago.

A confession.

Darting her eyes around the room, she recognized that it belonged to Soul. It was empty and dim for the sun had already set. Sitting up, she let her gaze and mind rid of the fogginess of sleep.

Some things have not changed even after Soul had moved out almost two years ago. His room was one. She didn't allow anything to touch the place except for dust. It was as if the room was only reserved for only one owner. Waiting for him to come back to it and treat it as it had been before.

Shuffling towards the door, her hand laying itself on the door knob, her eye caught the small mount of boxes and bags to the side of the room. The room had waited long enough, it deserved its only prize – welcoming back the owner that it had spent years with. She believed that she also wanted to share that prize somehow.

Peeking from within Soul's room, the only sight that met her was darkness, pierced by a small yellowish glow reflected on the floor. The light she could see was a half circle which blurred out as it reached out towards the darkness – 'half circle' shaped due to the shape of the main room of the apartment which was 'L' shaped. The kitchen and the door to her room was hiding underneath the darkness across her while the living room was only a turn away from his room.

Opening the door enough to allow her thin self to pass through without making any creaking sound was a rare feat which she had managed to accomplish. Slowly, she shuffled a little towards the light and found herself facing her partner and room-mate sprawled on the sofa, his headphones adorning his ears and his white hair glowing yellow from the light behind him.

His eyes were half-lidded as it always was and he graced her with a tender looking smirk when she appeared from the corner, not even surprising him. It was as if he was expecting her.

She wanted to return the smile but found that she couldn't as a strange cold lump lodged itself in her throat. So instead she looked downwards to glare at her entwined hands which were clenching each other so hard that it was painful.

There was a lot of shuffling coming from Soul's side causing curiosity to bubble up within the meister, enough to force herself to look up at the sight before her.

A smile was threatening to find a place in her stoic features, slight quirks at the corner of her mouth showing so. Luckily, the darkness hid it from him.

It was due to the endearing sight of her partner, sat up now, his arms stretched out in front of him, motionlessly beckoning her to enter his embrace. Adorable... His silver headphones were draped around his neck now but his features still contained the gentle looking smirk.

They stayed frozen in their positions for a whole two minutes, Maka giving Soul a dumbstruck expression as he held his posture, all the while she was inwardly debating with herself whether or not to accept his offer.

Remembering, she had absolutely loved the embrace. It was more than she had expected of course. Warmer than the ones she had imagined. It was like leaning against a soft wall, however much she had pushed or shoved, he had never budged. She liked that. How something can support her in a way that made her mind fog up from so much comfort, letting her own defences down so that this strange wall-blanket could defend her instead.

Unfortunately, she was too distressed at the first embrace to fully savour the comfortable feeling it gave her. It was so tempting to accept.

Three minutes passed and still, Soul held his arms in the same pose, almost statue-like, and a thought that his arms would be aching by now skittered briefly across her mind.

Temptation broke her as she took the uneasy step towards him. Although the light from behind him casted shadows in front of his eyes, she noticed a small expression flicker across the crimson orbs. Relief. And she also didn't miss his smug looking smile.

The silence seemed to burn her ears. This pronounced the sound that was now thumping wildly in her ears. Her heart started to go crazy and was making so much noise that she thought it was embarrassing.

Breaking her attention from the sound, which didn't by any means leave even as it was ignored, she found that she was within Soul's reach, his hands almost touching with her hips. She had stopped midstep, not knowing what to do next. Waiting for Soul to take the next move.

Bowing her head, she found him glancing up at her, the smile clearer on his face now that she was closer. Arrogant, smug, tender. She couldn't really find it in herself to describe his smile at that moment since the only thought that passed through her mind was of how much she liked that smile that was always only reserved for her. She has seen how it differs from person to person, his version of a smile...or smirk. She liked all of them...but this was always her favourite.

A touch gently landed on both sides of her hips. Turning her around so that her back faced her he pulled her down to his lap, his hands crawling around her to wrap his arms around her waist. Once again, the thundering in her ears, chest and throat returned, roaring, her eyes flickering around in hidden panic.

But she liked what was happening now, a part of her surmised.

"Soul?" Breaking the silence with her hoarse voice, she felt a weight press in between her shoulder blades.

SOUL----

He had laid his forehead against the small of her back, his arms wrapped around her waist. She smelled of sleep. Her voice reeked of it. And somehow it infected him slightly, drowsiness overcoming him especially since he found this position comfortable enough to sleep in.

At least this was a positive action from her, he thought happily, slightly proud. He had really imagined that she would not close the distance between them, scold him for the confession he had given to her a few hours ago and they'd end up fighting. And then he would end up returning to Kid's apartment.

No he wouldn't. He'd stay with Maka even though they fight. They always used to do that anyway when they were still partners, though the fighting had subsided now since they understood each other in a more mature and different light.

Moving upwards he let his head rest on her shoulder, inhaling the scent of her hair which was let down. As he did so, he saw enough of Maka's face to see her stiff expression and then feel her stiff posture.

"Why don't you relax?" he whispered against her ear, not knowing the effect it gave her. Her mouth was gaping open and then close and then open, undecided with what to reply and much too nervous to actually form any words. Not sensing her nervousness, he nuzzled his way thoughtlessly, passing beige strands of hair that smelt of mint, to find his face comfortably situated at the crook of her neck, her own reaction to it being to tilt her head towards him, as if narrowing his path so that he wouldn't reach. But he did.

"Umm..." Her shaking voice pried Soul's attention from his comfort and he found himself looking back at her face, which was now looking away from him as well as leaning away a bit, the shoulder he was resting on was lifting as if nervous.

Was she not comfortable with the close contact?

Then he recalled the affection between them to be currently one sided, and he concluded that all he was doing now was scaring her away. Now that wouldn't work if he wanted her to share the feeling with him.

Hesitantly, he loosened his hold around her waist as he spoke with disappointment. "Sorry, I wasn't being considerate of your feelings--"

His movements were stopped as a hand clutched his arm, keeping their place on her waist. "No..." She voiced out shakily, but after an audible gulp, her voice regained its normal volume. "They're alright there. I'm...just ticklish at the neck..." Her face was still turned away from him in embarrassment; her ears pinkish under the yellow glow of the lamp.

After a long stare, he chuckled his relief, letting her hear the shakiness in his own voice so that she knows that she wasn't the only one who was nervous. "Sorry. Its just that, I've always wanted to hold you like that. I just forgot the fact that I might cause you discomfort, y'know?"

"I don't particularly dislike it," she whispered so low that he almost missed the phrase as she turned her head away from where he laid his chin on her shoulder. Although he had a feeling that she might like him more than just a friend, he still blinked his amazement from her short statement. His hoping wasn't going to waste. There was a good possibility that she would feel the same way as he did to her.

All it needed was a little push.

"Maka?" The girl turned her head slightly, if not all the way, to take a peek at him at the edge of her vision, allowing him to display his mischievous smirk. She noticed this, furrowing her brow at his expression, half a frown showing since only half of her face was visible to him.

And then, he asked.

"You won't dislike it if I court you, right?" How nonchalantly he had said it even though it very much took all of his courage to do so. Luckily, she might not have noticed how his breathing had shallowed in apprehension or how his stomach felt like it burst within him, a tickling sensation crawling up every limb.

Court. As in, to seek another's affections. Like you see in those Victorian style movies. Nothing would be wrong if he had chosen to do it - even though it was pretty much out of style. He was raised a gentleman. Wes had told him once that Charles had courted Cordelia before since it was what their grandparents had done. Soul remembered that Wes used to court a lady in Italy, which he hadn't had a chance to find out more information from.

Nothing to be embarrassed about... Right?

Maka was stiff within his embrace, clearly contemplating about what he had just offered.

Images sprung into his thoughts, how he would actually go about with this courting business. Flowers and music, right? Serenades and gifts. Those were basic in wooing. Inwardly, he groaned his unease, digging his chin into her shoulder and then sliding it down her back so that his nose rested on her shoulder.

If this was what it takes to make Maka feel the same way about him, then he would do so, no matter how embarrassing it would get.

The sound of Maka's quiet unexpected chuckles alerted him. His eyes shot to observe what he could see of her face, which was not much. Her eye was crinkled in amusement and her hand had shot up to cover her mouth with her knuckles.

"That...sounds embarrassing...Courting? Really?" she spoke in between escaping chuckles.

Pursing his brows together, he lifted his chin, releasing contact with her skin and his arms loosened around her waist to grab her. One hand underneath her knees and the other still wrapped around her waist, he replaced her to sit sideways on his lap, a better view of her face successfully acquired.

Her face was still contorted in amusement and laughter. Her fist had not gone down from their place on her lips which was still releasing the growing giggles. His brows were still puckered in confusion yet a smirk was sprouting from his lips.

"Is it that funny?" Soul asked with fake annoyance. Ignored. She was still trapped in her hysteria. It was rubbing off him, and he felt the start of laughter bubbling within him. "Oi." She continued, unable to escape her sudden fit.

Looking at her, shaded by the gentle darkness, highlighted with a dim, comfortable yellow glow, made him smile. Relax. Her now laughing, back-to-normal self was beautiful.

He surprised her – but it didn't stop her laughter – when he reached up and wrapped his right hand (since his left held her around the waist, supporting her and not allowing her to fall off) around her small, closed fist that was covering her mouth and muffled the laughter that she emitted. Her fist was unbelievably small inside his palms, a perfect fit. Pulling it away from its prior position, he pried her hand open with his thumb gently as he waited for her giggles to subside.

When her hand was finally open, his thumb massaged a circle in the middle of her palm as he stared at it tenderly. It felt so soft. So warm. So small. Being so absorbed with the task of massaging – more like feeling how soft her skin is – he hadn't realized that her laughter had already died down and that she was busying herself by studying his engrossed expression.

He only had the chance to snap out of his trance when the hand that he had been completely riveted by had closed back into a fist, lightly trapping his thumb in her soft grip. That was when he looked back up to see her soft and intent gaze boring into his as soon as they met.

"I...I..." Soul tilted his head slightly to indicate his curiosity at what Maka was trying to say. The eyes that he observed started to dart away from his gaze, diverting her attention from the chaos in her mind. "I...don't know..." Her grip slightly tightened around his thumb and the weapon's reaction to it was to grip back. A reassuring gesture. Please continue...I'm listening... "I don't know if...Am I hurting you?" As she phrased her question, she locked gazes with him, hers filled with concern, his filled with confusion.

"No." Her eyes significantly calmed. "You don't squeeze that hard. And you're not that heavy. Although, I am feeling sort of numb--"

She whined almost helplessly, surprising the white haired boy. Wrong answer?

Wiggling out of his grip around her waist, she shakily stood. She released her grip on his thumb, intending to sit down on the separate sofa positioned right beside the longer and larger one that Soul was occupying. He did not; his hand kept hers tucked within it, gently pulling her to sit down right beside him. He wanted her close, still. He wanted to know what was bothering her.

...Am I bothering her?

So she sat with a shaky huff, flopping down on the couch right beside him, her hand still trapped within his.

"Sorry." She apologized for something that Soul didn't know or notice that she'd done. "I meant...am I hurting you...because I can't return your feelings?"

Oh...

Now that she mentioned it, he actually was. But he had ignored it before. Because she had still come to him. She had still allowed him to touch her. She wasn't angry. She wasn't afraid. Well, she might be a little bit afraid. He could feel it.

Returning his gaze to hers, he lifted the hand that he still held, caressing her palm continuously before placing a kiss right in the centre where he had been massaging it – not realizing that it had sent shivers and goosebumps up her arms and down her spine.

"Kind of," he replied, muffled as he spoke with his lips still attached to her skin. "But it doesn't matter. All I need is for you to be right beside me. Always." But he knew that her only being with him will never be enough. So carefully, he added in his mind, closing his eyes, I'll do anything to make you love me back.

MAKA----

She inwardly shook her head, getting her sanity back in order since he had the most uncanny ability to muddle her up with a single touch.

His lips against her palm...felt so nice. He was breathing his warm breath right on her fingertips, feeling the humid air he was breathing out. She wanted to keep that there...

His terms were easy. Just stay with him. It was something she couldn't not do.

And maybe then it would be easier to learn to love him. Maybe even quicken the growth of her emotions.

As embarrassing as the thought of it was, maybe his courting her wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

KID----

Two days after the incident in Egypt, they found themselves back home in Death City.

It was three in the morning yet Kid just had to go straight back to Shibusen, the thought of reporting what few clues they gathered was the prime task in his list. He needed to tell his Honourable Father and Professor Stein about this and maybe they could figure something out.

Liz and Patti were tired so he let them head back to his and Soul's apartment, hoping that they wouldn't disturb the Death Scythe if they found him sleeping somewhere in the living room like he always does. Black*Star, although tired and groggy, wouldn't let Kid go and report to Shinigami-sama alone – something about his godly pride or something – and in the end he had Tsubaki dragging him along as they followed Kid through the empty hallways of the school.

Now in front of his father, the three students did not expect for Spirit, Stein and Sid to be up this late, discussing with Shinigami-sama about something. Their faces and stances locked in serious conversation.

"What are you guys doing here?" Black*Star questioned quite rudely, earning a quiet chide from his weapon. The two teachers and Kid's father turned to look at them.

"AH!" Shinigami clapped his cube like hands together as if realization and pointed to Black*Star and Kid. "Perfect timing. Black*Star and Kid-kun! There's an emergency! We need you for a rescue mission!"

The first and last thought that Kid had was his begging 'please don't ever pair me up with Black*Star again!'.

A/N: I continuously bow in apology to all of you D:
really~!! im so sorry!!!
sorry for the sudden and lengthy delay! D:
i tried making it longer...but i cant go any farther that 3,500 words DD:
august has just welcomed me with a whole bunch of paperwork i have to finish before the start of september~ there had been absolutely no escape DD':
(i know thats a sorry excuse too DD: )

i have to apologize for not being able to reply to all of the comments but i have to still thank everyone for taking the time to~
theyre all so encouraging and every single one makes me happy C: thats why i decided to push on with continuing by writing whenever i could~
thank you all so much~! its really very much appreciated!!

please (if my readers havent abandoned me yet D:) dont forget to review C: