Day 5 – Night Swimming

In which skinny dipping in Shibusen's pool is a habit for Soul and Maka that makes her feel more than a little insecure.

rated M

Skinny dipping in Shibusen's pool is very probably all kinds of illegal. But it's kind of different when you're friends with the new Shinigami and his weapons and have been for a while. At least it's like that for her and Soul, because no one dares to sneak into Shibusen at night anyway and Kid doesn't really care as long as it's them.

She wonders when this all started, why they began to privately use Shibusen's pool at night. She can't come up with anything more than a hazy memory of Soul saying it's cool and her going along, even if she's exasperated with him and nervous and apprehensive about breaking rules.

One way or the other they've fallen into the habit of night swimming at least twice a month. It takes the stress off the both of them and even if she was against this at first, she really can't complain anymore, because being a teacher at Shibusen is hard and both she and Soul need this to relax – her shoulders never even don't seem to have kinks in them anymore and her back is permanently stiff. If the way Soul whines about the teaching position is any indication, he doesn't feel much better than her.

Or maybe he does, because unsociable students and problem children aren't the only thing on her mind. She also has to deal with the very real problem of being attracted to her weapon. And there is one thing that weighs on her mind, one thing that has never happened in all the years they've practised their habit of skinny dipping.

Sou has not – not once – looked at her while she undressed.

She knows she has gotten quite a few good glances at him and sometimes even downright ogled him. It's hard not to when one is as attracted to their partner as she is. And it's not like she is still the same no-good to look at flat-chest she once was, although she admits she still doesn't have an outstanding bust. Average, maybe, but no Blair.

But Soul is a healthy young man and healthy young men have hormones or are at least supposed to, goddammit, is her body really such a turn-off? Not even in their teenage days, when they first started their little escapades, has he looked at her. At the beginning, she actually found it thoughtful and nice, because she didn't have to worry about a boy sneaking glances at her, even if he was her partner. But now that she likes her weapon a little bit too much for it to be still friendship, the way he so easily averts his eyes from her body is confidence-shattering. She'd like at least the occasional appreciative look just to know that she at least has a chance with him body-wise. Apparently she doesn't. Not until hell freezes over or a miracle happens. Her chances don't look too good right now.

She sneaks a glance at Soul, who is already in the water, eyes faithfully staring into the night sky, or really just somewhere away from her. She is slipping off her underwear and it doesn't seem to interest him in the slightest. Would a normal hot-blooded male be able to do that? Is she really that unattractive?

And then an idea pops into her head, a good, shameless and ingenious idea. At least she thinks it's good, because it's a surefire way to find out if Soul is attracted to her. It might also be a surefire way to get Soul to stop being her partner. She doesn't really want to contemplate that alternative.

"Soul."

He turns around at the sound of his name, no doubt expecting her to be in the water already. She isn't. He whips his head back as fast as possible and she thinks that it might have not been such an ingenious idea after all, but then she notices the stains of crimson on his cheeks.

"W-what the hell, Maka? I thought you were …" he trails off in a miserable and strained voice. In the water, she finishes in her thoughts. In the safe zone. She breathes in. Out. Gathers her courage.

"I wanted you to look at me." Her voice is small and not how she wanted to sound like. Where did her confidence go? What happened to her want to make things clear, to know once and for all if she has any chance with him? Soul turns around, slowly and deliberately, giving her time to change her mind. Stares at her for a while when she doesn't. Then manages a disbelieving "What?"

She can feel her own cheeks heat up as she speaks. "I mean, you never look at me, you never even once looked at me, and I thought … I thought …" Soul doesn't keep his gaze off her anymore. It's the opposite actually, because he's looking at her so intensely now that she wonders if that emotion in his eyes is hunger for her.

"Well, I'm looking", he rasps out and his eyes are so smouldering and he's so much nearer her now (when has he done that?) and she really wants to touch him. Decision made, she quickly takes a few steps into the water, Soul's eyes following her. She's standing in front of him now and the way he blatantly ogles her chest that she doesn't cover by slinking deeper into the water for once is enough to make her heart soar. The next thing she knows there are hands digging into her scalp and furiously moving lips against her mouth and his body is so, so close that she wants to sigh in relief. She doesn't, because all that comes out of her mouth are strangled moans, because his hands have moved to fondle a breast and stroke over her hipbone and for a millisecond she thinks they're moving too fast. But then she remembers that she's been horny for this man for too many years now and that she actually really wants to have sex with him and the thought is dismissed. She wraps her legs around his waist, grinding against him when he tugs her closer as she claws on the muscles of his back. Death, she wants him so much.

She can feel his kisses getting harsher and more demanding, his hips thrusting into hers with desperate abandon and it feels so good to feel him harden against her most private part that she's more than a little disconcerted when everything suddenly stops.

She looks up, confused, to a panting Soul and realizes she is equally out of breath. He shakes his head, getting his breath back first before he can speak. "I think … we should move this somewhere else if you really wanna go on." Going on sounds good, very good, she realizes and gives another grind with her hips to make it clear that she wants. But she was quite happy with their water plays, so why-?

He shakes his head again, reading the emotions from her face. "Don't get me wrong, I want to have sex with you, I really want to have sex with you. Hell, I'd be glad if this kind of thing" he gestures to the water "could become a common thing." He wants to have sex with her. She's pretty sure she just died a little on the inside from overheating. She wants it too, so much, and her body shrieks at her with want. She wants to continue so badly. "But …" Soul looks her in the eyes, "… for the first time, I don't want it like this." Warmth fills her. Of course. This is Soul, who always wants the best for her, who has always gone out of his way for her. Why had she thought it would be any different with this?

She nods and releases him from her legs' grip around him and he looks as disappointed as he looks relieved. She giggles slightly and leans forward to whisper in his ear. "I cant wait to get home." He staggers, eyes wide and hazed, nodding hastily.

They've never gotten home quite as fast as they do that night.