Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, as Atsushi Ōkubo is the rightful creator and owner.

A/N: Since I first began thinking up this story, I knew it would be short. I didn't know, however, that it would serve as a sort of follow up to Discovery (hence the title; originally, it was planned to be It Takes Two). But that's stories: they take turns while you're writing them, changing for the better. I know I haven't had any new Soul Eater out in forever, but as I said some time late last year, this is the project I have been working at on and off the last several months. It's sad because this is so short compared to many of my other stories, yet it took almost five months for me to really give it the attention it called for.

I feel like I have captured the relationship between Soul and Maka a bit better this time around, though I could be wrong. Also, I'm not quite sure about the ending; it feels a bit weak to me, but compared to my previous Soul Eater fic, this is a little different, and I would love to know your ideas on how everything turned out. If you see any errors, feel free to let me know (please!) so I can fix them, and I hope you all enjoy.

***Re-updated as of 5/31/2013***

StarKatt427

For the most part, Maka considered herself to be a patient person. There were only a few things (and people) that could really get under her skin: A grade lower than her standards, her cooking not turning our right, trying to work and unable to because there were too many distractions. Then there was her father, who somehow managed to screw things up with her even when he was trying to be a good dad, and Black Star, whose pompous, loud personality was at odds with her more humble, introverted behavior and made her want to kill him or, possibly, even herself. They had their good points though: when he wanted to, Papa could be cool, and even though he was a cheater, he seemed to genuinely want to spend time with her; her friend, though the biggest braggart she had ever met and so different than herself that she wondered how their friendship lasted, was actually one of the most honestly good people she knew, once he let you see his considerate side. She was glad for them, even on the days when they annoyed her beyond belief. She could handle them.

What she couldn't handle, though, was the pair of crimson eyes that was constantly locked on her as she tried to do homework, whether her back or her face, depending on where Soul was at the moment. Glaring down at her textbook and only partly conscious of the sentences the thick black letters made up, she was more aware of her Weapon partner's eyes boring a hole into the back of her head from where he stood behind the bar, silent and observant. Years of living together, of learning his habits and familiarizing herself with the feel of his handle in her hands, had left Maka with a keen talent of sensing Soul's very essence; his movements and actions, even his emotions and thoughts sometimes. She was accustomed to the sensation she got when his eyes were upon her, something well-known and comfortable, steady and filled with his conviction.

That had been up until last week when she had found herself finally kissing him and had pretty much—though not completely—admitted she had fallen for him.

Just the recollection of that night made jolts of heat shoot up her spine, and blood rushed hot to her cheeks as she stared down at her book, no longer even trying to pay attention. Even now, she could remember the feel of his hands on the bare skin of her stomach, smooth and hot and filled with strength and surprisingly gentle, trembling slightly; his mouth, firm and warm, his tongue wrapping around her own, his sharp teeth gently nipping at her lips; his husky, breathy voice, his body pressed to hers, their hipbones touching. That was a side of Soul she had never seen before, vulnerable and intense at the same time, inexperienced just as she; Maka had liked that side of him. But more than that, what really came as a shock was how easily she had given in. She had done well at hiding her feelings, growing from friendship to love of a different sort over the course of four years, so to have finally admitted to them at that moment had been a pleasant shock. She could recall her own boldness: hands gripping his white hair, her lips on his throat and then the stitched scar of his chest, fingers raking over his muscles.

It had been the most absolutely amazing, mind-blowing experience she had ever had, though the sheer force they'd displayed had been somewhat terrifying, and it had come as somewhat of a surprise for her to fully realize that she, Maka, had fallen in love with him, Soul, and was falling deeper even now. Ever since they had met years ago, she'd always found him interesting—fascinating was a better word, though she often refused to admit he had dazzled her as she watched his fingers dance over the piano keys, lost to a concentration she had never witnessed before. The strangest combination of dark skin and white hair (that she had been sure he bleached up until they began living together), with red eyes the color of wine and, strangest of all, teeth that ended in points like canines, faintly reminding her of a shark, she had been able to sense the danger and recklessness in his shoulders, the drawl of his voice, the crooked grin he had flashed her before he'd begun his song. His entire appearance had screamed a warning…and yet, she had asked him to be her partner, the darkness of his music flooding in her veins.

Upon living together and coming to know his habits and behavior, Maka had come to learn that Soul Eater Evans could be casual to the point of aloof, direct and almost as headstrong as she was herself, stubborn and quite scary in his icy anger, indolent, lecherous, and a complete jerk when he chose to be, which was more often than not, it seemed. But there was also the good qualities, the ones that made up for his faults, that always tugged at a place in Maka's heart she had refused to believe in until she met him: his loyalty was unmatched, the harsh, somewhat awkward comfort better than any pep talk or hug. He could be sweet when he chose and was her voice of reason, the one who put up with her when she fell into depression or began second guessing herself, the one person she had absolute faith in. Even though he was a guy and, as she had learned from watching her parents bicker and her father cheat, should not be trusted, she'd found herself slowly falling into a comfortable, appreciative rhythm with this Demon Scythe.

And Soul loved her. He'd said it without actually saying it outright, but she knew he did, could see it in his eyes and feel it in his soul, and that was the greatest feeling in the whole entire world.

What wasn't, however, was that he wasn't showing it. He'd never been sentimental anyway, his passion quiet and fierce when displayed, but when you made out with a girl, pretty much said you were in love with her, and then acted like nothing had happened, it was understandable that said girl would be hurt, plus a bit ticked off. If she hadn't have known better, Maka would have said that it had all been a dream, that hr imagination had finally gotten the better of her. Or maybe her mother had been right about men, how they were all nothing but liars, the lowest scum, not to be trusted with ones heart. But then she would see him watching her, eyes ablaze with a silent longing, and she knew that everything was real: that night, the way she felt for him, the way he felt for her.

It was still scary for Maka, who kept her heart cocooned in a net of safety, to realize just how much he meant to her. No longer were they just Meister and Weapon, not after that night, now something much more intimate. They had Soul Resonanced once since then during practice, and it had been…electric, like every cell inside her had been alive for the first time in her life, like she could feel Soul's every fiber running through his body, twining with her until they had become one. And when they had separated back, it had left her with a sense on desire, of missing a crucial part of herself, and though she wanted to Resonate with him again to feel that amazing rush, she was also a bit afraid to; these feelings were still new to her, and she wasn't completely sure how to handle them entirely.

Legs crossed at the ankles and textbook and paper resting in her lap, Maka neatly copied down a note, trying to block out Soul's presence from where he stood watching her from the kitchen. She could almost see him, the way he would be slouched forward, elbows on the bar, his hair messy from just waking up. She herself had been up since half after eight, just like every Saturday, so that she could get the homework she hadn't had time the night before to finish done with, but he was making that a challenge when she should have breezed through it. Even across the room, she felt him, their bond concrete.

It took her several moments to realize that she had copied the same line twice, and when she did, Maka blew out her breath in an aggravated exhalation and slammed the book over her notebook, too wound up to even pretend to focus any longer. Not when a certain someone wouldn't stop staring at her. It was that she didn't like it; she enjoyed it when he looked at her, liked the way his eyes seemed to flicker and sparkle like rubies, when he smiled just slightly and didn't show his teeth. Now, however, she had no idea why he was watching her so incessantly, and she was a bit infuriated, both because of his actions and because she couldn't understand them.

After taking a breath to calm herself so that she didn't start shouting the minute she opened her mouth, Maka glared over her shoulder into a pair of lazy, blood red eyes set in a tan face that was surrounded by a shock of spiky white hair, a slight frown tugging his features down. She narrowed her eyes, ignoring the way her heart flipped. "All right. What?"

Soul raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'What?'"

"You know what I'm talking about. Why do you keep staring at me?"

He blinked, unconcerned, and his mouth lifted just slightly. "Oh, so you finally noticed."

"Of course I noticed, I noticed nearly an hour ago!" She bit down the frustration, lifting her book up and dropping it down on the table with a loud wham. Soul didn't even flinch. "I can't even concentrate on my homework for you."

"Sounds like that's your problem, not mine?" he asked innocently.

Maka swallowed a growl. "You know how I get when you do this."

Soul smirked, eyes flashing suddenly, wicked in their sparkle. "Exactly." Before she had a chance to respond (or even think of something to say), he sauntered over to the couch.

"What are you doing, Soul?"

He ignored her, instead lifting up her legs and sitting down, then letting them rest over his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world, like they had done it forever. Which, in a way, was true; this was a routine for them, though Soul usually did it out of annoyance because he wanted room to sit on the couch, never letting his hand remain on her bare ankles for long. Now, his fingers lingered on her skin, brushing over the top of her foot before retracting, and the contact made Maka's pulse fluctuate.

Soul seemed not to notice the sudden warmth flooding her cheeks. He let his head drop to the back of the couch, eyes closing and opening sleepily as he watched her, but she could tell he was wide awake; beneath the hooded lids, his eyes were strangely dark with something she didn't recognize right off the bat.

"You're acting weird," she stated cautiously, crossing her arms over her chest to try and calm her heart as it fluttered away. "This is a bit much, don't you think? Giving indirect answers isn't cool, so knock it off."

"I think I'm being pretty obvious."

"How so?"

"Well, I got you to acknowledge me, after all."

She didn't even ask; she knew he would elaborate once she gave him a questioning glare, one that told him he'd better explain quickly before she caught up her textbook for an infamous Chop.

For once, he didn't seem bothered by her warning; rather, his smirk grew, amused now. "How long have you been sitting here doing homework? What, an hour, hour-and-a-half?"

Maka's eyes flicked to the clock on the wall across from her, saw the time read a quarter past ten, and shrugged. "Something like that. What does it matter?"

"I've been up since nine-twenty—"

"Early, for you. At least you changed out of pajamas. You forgot to brush your hair, though." Not that she was really complaining: Maka loved the way he looked with bedhead.

Soul disregarded her, the tightening of his jaw the only outward show of his annoyance. "You zone out when you work. And I got tired of waiting around."

As she watched him with furrowed eyebrows, he smiled lopsidedly, taking her by surprise. But then he flicked his gaze down to her closed textbook, then back to her, and it grew into a full grin, sharp teeth and all flashing for just a moment.

And when she realized just why he had been staring at her so fixedly, her jaw dropped, green eyes widening. "Are you telling me that you were mad because I was ignoring you?"

Soul was unruffled, not even looking at her, instead scratching a hand through his hair. "I wouldn't say that exactly. I just didn't like the fact that you were taking so long when I wanted to…talk to you."

Maka blinked, shocked, though it wasn't something she was unused to, as he did this every once in a while when he was especially bored or just wanted to drive her up the wall. But the way he had said those last words, slightly quieter and almost like he'd changed them at the last minute, made her curious, even as she frowned. "You can't be serious."

He cocked an eyebrow, frowning slightly. "Come on, Maka. Do you have any idea how serious I am right now?"

That caught her attention, but her thoughts didn't linger on his words too much, or the way her stomach tried to flip at them. "Are you seriously trying to piss me off? Because, just to let you know, you're succeeding."

He smirked, softer this time. "Liar. You're just annoyed that you don't know what I'm thinking."

"How can I if you won't hurry up and tell me?" she whined, lifting herself up to scowl at him.

He was over her in a second, so fast she hadn't realized what was happening until he was right in her face, once of his hands on the back of the couch, the other against the couch arm, caging her. He hadn't gotten this close to her in days, not since the Soul Resonance, and the contact made her feel funny; not a bad funny, just an jittery squeezing of her stomach and a hot flush of blood to her face, and she curled her hands to her chest, watching him with wide, unblinking eyes.

He tilted his head slightly, thoughtfully, lifting the hand to her right and grasping her blonde ponytail, sliding his fingers through it. "When I said 'talk to you,' that's not really what I meant."

Maka swallowed, heart thumping in her throat, as something like both excitement and nervousness swirled inside her, taking away the last bits of anger. "So what did you mean?" she asked softly.

For the first time since this had all began, color rose to stain his tan face, but he didn't shy away. Instead, he pulled in closer to her, their chests now pressed together, and she was surprised to find that his heart was knocking in rhythm with hers. "I think you know."

She did have a guess, but she was too nervous to voice it, scared that he would pull back and begin avoiding close contact again or that he would laugh and say he was just messing with her. She had been wanting this moment to happen for days now, too shy to make the first move and unsure what she truly wanted, what Soul wanted. But by the way he was looking at her, how his breathing came a little too quickly, the thudding of his heart, she saw that everything he said and did was earnest. He watched her now with those burning eyes filled with want and desire and something far more immense, something she'd seem in them the night they had first kissed right after she had admitted without actually saying she loved him.

Maka licked her bottom lip, eager but still a little scared, though with Soul, fear of this never lasted very long. "I think I do, too."

Without any other indication, Soul leaned down and kissed her.

At first, she didn't move, and neither did he. For her, it was because she was still a little shocked to be actually kissing him again when it had seemed like a possibility just minutes ago that she might never get this luxury again. But here they were, her mouth against Soul's, his lips slowly beginning to brush hers, and she followed suit, barely even thinking; the action seemed natural, somehow, as she gently caught his bottom lip between hers.

But something was different now, something she hadn't experienced the first time. Maka felt braver, more sure of herself, and her belly churned with wanting as she instinctively tangled her fingers in his thick hair, pulling him closer, ever closer, unable to get enough of the feel of his mouth, the warmth of his breath.

Soul complied easily, lifting himself up just enough so that he could slide his hands behind her neck and kiss her harder, his fingers catching the elastic band of her ponytail and pulling it out so that her hair fell down and over her shoulders. His hands caught at the strands, and she could feel the low vibrations of a growl in his throat. She sighed in return, pulling at his hair enough so that he did growl as he yanked her into a sitting position so that she was partly in his lap, hands sliding down her shoulders and back to hold her waist possessively.

Whereas Soul had been more assertive the time before, Maka, more daring than she normally would have been, kept her eyes closed as she forced his lips to part so that she could rediscover his mouth, and he followed after her by sliding his own tongue along her lips, breaths uneven, just like hers. She felt sharp teeth gently catch at her lip, and she shivered against him.

It was incredible. That was all she could think, that having Soul this close and kissing him with this much passion was the best thing in life, almost as powerful as Soul Resonance. As she slid her hands to his face, she could feel the heat of his skin and feel the firmness of his mouth on hers, yet she could see flickers of blue behind her closed eyes: his soul.

Maka pulled back, opening her eyes to look at him, to see his heavy gaze and the desire burning through it, but she couldn't help but squirm under that acute gaze. So she hid, pressing her face into his neck, inhaling greedily. Soul had a good smell; not of cologne, but just like a clean boy, warm and earthy, natural. After a moment of debating, she pressed a kiss to the exposed skin of his throat, then trailed along his jaw and to the smooth, sensitive skin below his ear, and his hands tightened in the material of her shirt as he groaned, burying his own face in her shoulder.

When his hands slide up underneath her shirt and touched her skin, Maka gasped, trembling in his hold as his fingers danced over her lower back, never rising any higher as they played out a silent melody, and she felt Soul brush a line of fire down her throat, his lips bringing her alive as she grabbed his hair. "Soul."

His lips crushed hers suddenly, violent almost in their search to find hers, enough force behind them to press her lips against her teeth, but she didn't mind; Soul was kissing her with just enough restraint to keep himself from doing anything that would push things too far, and she trusted him. He wouldn't do anything she wasn't ready for.

She found herself suddenly flat on her back, Soul's arms cradling her where he hovered above her, his weight balanced as to not crush her, and she twined her arms around his neck, panting in between kisses. She could taste his craving and hunger, his fervor and love and, most of all, his soul, and she didn't want to stop, never wanted to stop, because there was no way she could get close enough to him.

But she had to stop this, for both of them. Maka, new to the whole concept of actually being aware of one another's feelings, was a novice when it came to how a relationship worked and was, admittedly, terrified to go any farther than holding him, kissing him, just touching him. And by the way she could feel Soul beginning to loosen against her, his kisses slowing, she knew he wasn't ready either.

Against her mouth, Soul exhaled, the sound a shaky laugh as he kissed her once more, and she opened her eyes to find him leaning above her, their foreheads almost touching and his eyes closed. His heart pounded against her chest and he was flushed, a slight, triumphant smile on his lips. "There, that was enough of a reason to get you away from your homework, right?"

Maka smiled, suddenly shy. "Yes."

He eyelids lowered, grin evening out into the little upward pull of his lips she found so endearing. "You have no idea how much I've been wanting to do that."

She laughed in return, the action enough to make him open bright eyes that glimmered and swirled. "Probably about as much as I have."

His eyes widened slightly, a solitary sign that she had surprised him, but then a lazy, contented smile spread across his features. "Yeah, I guess so."

Maka watched him, saw the unusual gentleness in his face even as he tried to grasp hold of his wanting, and she was touched by the consideration he showed. He would never force her into something, she knew that, but there was still a part of her that would have liked to continue, wanted to bring him even closer and wrap her soul around his. For now, though, this was more than enough.

Soul leaned down slowly, her blood pounding in excitement as he pushed his face against her neck, and she felt lips brush against her throat, barely a kiss but enough to make a spark shoot up Maka's back and a hot blush cover her cheeks. "You know something?" he murmured.

"What?" Her voice was soft, and unsteady whisper.

Maka felt Soul smile, lips tingling over her ear. "It takes two people to make a team."

Logic won out, and she blurted out her words before she realized what they were. "Not true. Kid and Patty and Liz are a team."

It suddenly dawned on her that she had probably just killed whatever he was about to say, and embarrassment flooded over her as she wished she could shove the words back down her throat, hating that she just had to correct him on everything.

Instead of pulling away from her, however, all Soul did was roll his eyes against her neck and sigh, though he didn't really sound upset. "I meant with us, you dork."

"Oh." Okay, that was awkward. Maka cursed her big mouth, hoping she hadn't completely screwed up.

"Anyway," Soul continued, small traces of amusement entwined with his voice, "it takes two people to be a team…but it also takes two to be a couple."

Something stuttered in her chest, doubtful and thrilled at the same time. "You…you mean…?"

He pulled back to look at her, smile crooked and laughing and honest as he chuckled huskily. "Duh."

"…Seriously?"

His rolled his eyes upward once again, shaking his head as he breathed out a laugh, voice amazed and a little exasperated and adoring. "Maka…"

That was all it took—him saying her name—for Maka to see that he was, in fact, being honest, and it did something funny to her chest. Still, uncertainty remained. "Then…then why have you been avoiding me?"

Soul had the good grace to look slightly apologetic as he shrugged. "After the last Soul Resonance, I was…I don't know…overwhelmed, I guess, and I knew you were, too." Maka saw a brief flash of memory in his eyes, felt the quickening of his heart, just as hers picked up its speed. Clearly, she hadn't been the only one affected so profoundly, and knowing that made the knot of hesitation unwind inside her. "I wasn't sure how you'd react, so I gave you space. But that didn't work out so well, obviously."

Maka smiled, lifting a hand to brush her fingers over his swollen lips, catching him off guard. "Well, next time you start avoiding me, let me know why, okay? I was…kind of worried. After all, we're…you said we were…" She trailed off, looking away quickly, then back up to him.

She felt his breath against her palm, watched as he slowly smiled, face darkened by a blush as he leaned briefly into her hand. "Yeah, we are."

Why can't we say it? she wondered. Was it because they were both so new at this? Or maybe it was the fact that they weren't really a couple; even now, they were partners, both as a Meister and Weapon and as a male and female. That was the only label that fit their relationship, though it didn't even need one.

Maka wasn't entirely sure what made her suddenly raise up and touch her mouth to his, barely a brush of lips, letting them remain touched to his chastely as her hand moved to stroke over his face.

A surprised inhalation, followed by a pleased breath from Soul, and he applied light pressure to her mouth, his hands gently cupping her face, light and gentle.

This kiss was different; it wasn't all hunger and heat and push and press. It was sweet and gentle and strangely innocent, lips surprisingly soft against hers and fresh breath ghosting over her mouth, the line of his jaw firm under her palm, his nose brushing hers. Maka lifted her other hand and pressed it to Soul's face, tracing lines over his closed eyes, the shape of his eyebrows, his nose, and she found his fingers doing the same to her features, the digits heated and long and softer than hers, fingers that could make the sweetest, strangest, hypnotic music come out of a piano.

Maka pulled away slowly, keeping her lips just barely touching his for a moment longer, then laid back with open eyes, watching as he slowly reopened his own; they were slightly large, more like how she imagined them being as a child, and he was all the cuter for it. Mouth parted, the tips of his pointed shark teeth showing, cheeks glowing, he looked extremely attractive at the moment; Soul, who was always handsome and rarely ever showed a moment of such sincere openness. Now was one of those moments as he let her see this side of himself, and she treasured it.

Watching each other, fingers touching each other's face, Maka felt the profound emotion within her swell up inside her chest and press against her ribs, love for the only guy she would ever completely trust, the boy that was her best friend and the young man she had fallen in love with, the Demon Scythe that was her weapon and the most fascinating, annoying, standoffish, sweetest person she would ever know.

Maka brushed her fingers over the eyes that closed beneath her touch, thumbing over thick lashes, and laughed softly as her hands stilled where they were on his face. "I guess this means I'm you're partner, huh?"

He took in a surprised breath and was quiet, heat from his face flooding her hands, and Maka felt herself blush as well. It was different than when she spoke about being his Meister; this was a whole need breed of familiarity, of intimacy, but there was no denying it as she waited to see how he would react.

Then, ever so slowly, the hands that had just been tracing her throat moved up and cupped her cheeks, and he grinned, flashing perfectly sharp white teeth in a smile that did not frighten her. He laughed, leaning in to press a kiss to the area between her eyes. "No one else but you, Maka. Ever."

Eyes slipping shut as he pulled her into a sudden hug, she wrapped her arms around him and smiled. She could live with that.