AN: This was originally two shorter one shots that I combined; I had liked them both separately for different reasons and magically combined they worked. I now don't one hundred percent like the second section, but I can't seem to make it any better no matter how hard I try. There are parts of it that feel stilted and awkward and this is not the first slash I had written by far not the first slash. Overall though I like it, Spirit is being strangely docile and as always Stein is being Stein experimenting on people, but this time its more for an emotional response than it is a scientific one. Please Enjoy xx.

It was quiet in the halls of Shibusen, all the classes had been let out and all the students had gone home to where ever they resided across Death City and Stein found himself walking aimlessly along the main staircase. From the landing above he could see the shadow and profile of someone he recognised. He went up the stairs to the landing slowly and saw Shinigami's personal Death Scythe leaning against the railing.

"Maka…" he whimpered pushing a hand through his hair. Stein stood watching as Spirit became more animated in his worry. Stein found it amusing and confounding that Spirit never realised he was there or even felt his presence, he chuckled lightly and Spirit jumped about ten foot in the air and screamed like a girl,

"Spirit-sempai," Stein said his voice as gruff as usual,

"Sttttttttttttttttttttt-ein," Was the other mans stuttered response. After he composed himself slightly he stood proud and tall pretending that Stein hadn't just ruffled his feathers. When he spoke his voice was slightly clipped as if he were annoyed, "Why do you still call me Spirit-sempai? I am a Death Scythe after all and Shinigami-sama's weapon at the moment. Everyone else calls me Death Scythe... just not you!" He was shaking from head to toe with irritation now which Stein found all the more amusing; he blew out the smoke from his cigarette thoughtfully before he replied.

"Because you will always be Spirit-sempai to me, you are one of many Death Scythes, but it is only a title it's not who you are." He turned the screw in his head watching Spirit closely as the other man looked at his reflection in a far off window.

"Just like you to say things that I don't understand." Spirit grumbled and Stein just laughed,

"If you say so," he replied leaning against the rail as well. He took a deep drag on his cigarette letting the smoke fill his lungs before he expelled it. "How's Maka?" he asked grinning to himself. Instantly Spirit moaned and crumpled over the railing.

"Out of everything you could possibly say you had to ask that didn't you! Seriously out of everything on the face of this earth you could pick to talk about…"

"Is it really that bad?" Stein asked facing Spirit.

"Mmm," He replied nodding "Why does she have to be like you?" he finished by asked while cocking his head to one side, in a way that reminded Stein so much of Maka. He smiled a little, neither of them realised how alike they were,

"Whatever do you mean?" Stein asked stubbing out his cigarette.

"You're both difficult to understand," Spirit replied and Stein laughed again before he ran a hand through his sempai's hair making the older man shiver.

"I thought I was easy to understand," He said stepping closer. "I only ever want to see how things tick." As he spoke the pitch of his voice got lower and more seductive. As soon as it hit that timbre Spirit wanted to escape and leave Stein's presence, but he was frozen to the spot. Stein had always had that effect on him ever since their first kiss all those years ago. Stein leant in and Spirit flinched a little.

"Don't crowd her, let her come to you. She will in her own time come around." With that he pulled away leaving a patch of cool on Spirit's cheek.

"Baka," Spirit whispered to himself trying to slow his breathing. Maybe it was time to finally give in he thought, after all Stein had already won so long ago.

He couldn't take it anymore the insanity was driving him mad! Stein turned the screw in his head a few times before straightening his lab coat. He and Marie had solved the murder of BJ and he was a "free" man in theory or physically at least, but he knew he wasn't free in mind; he was trapped in the hell inside his head and Stein knew from that he would never be free.

"Oi!" A voice behind him shouted so he turned to see Spirit-semapi and from the face he was pulling he looked annoyed, "How long were you going to ignore me?" He asked and Stein looked confused to try and cover it he shook a cigarette out of his packet and placed it between his lips and said nothing in return. Spirit pouted all annoyance in him gone, instead he looked worried. "What is it?" He asked leaning against the wall opposite Stein.

Stein looked up in to Spirit's eyes and the fog cleared slightly in his head. He knew why Marie had been partnered with him her wavelength was bright and was stable enough to suppress any insanity. What Shinigami-sama didn't know was that the only person who could stop the hell inside his head was his own chosen Death Scythe. Stein knew that Spirit-sempai thought he was a pain that he always had to look after and he always had to be watching him, but Stein had to admit he was happy that he could look around and always see a shock of red hair behind him; usually coming up close to scream at him about something.

When he had been away from Shibusen he had missed Spirit's intervention like a physical ache. That and a small part of him also missed doing experiments on him. He found he had hungered for Spirit more than he would have liked. He left the cigarette unlit between his lips and moved closer to Spirit. With each step closer to Spirit the hell inside his head subsided. Unusually for Spirit he didn't make any attempt to flee. Instead he just stared at Stein as he got closer watching the insane look in his friends eyes subside. It comforted him as he watched his friend calm down. He reached out and took the cigarette from Stein's lips and put it in his lab coat pocket. Stein smiled and rested his head on Spirit's shoulder breathing in his scent, he smelt of musty cologne and alcohol from the club. It was a soft and comforting scent; Stein couldn't understand why he didn't mind Spirit playing with women. Maybe because no matter how much he played around he was always there when he needed him.

No matter what anyone said about Spirit, Stein knew he was reliable. He felt Spirit's hand hold the back of his neck and he was overcome with a gentle teasing lust. It had been so long since he had felt it and he revelled in the sensation. He placed his lips lightly on Spirit's neck and felt his sempai's back arch slightly. Spirit didn't move away instead he pulled Stein closer in, and Stein felt his breath softly against his ear. The teasing lust Stein felt became more pronounced at Spirit's touch.

The insanity he had felt had decreased so much that Stein's head was completely clear. He moved his lips up to Spirit's earlobe and felt Spirit grab at his clothes.

"We can't do this here," Spirit said and Stein stopped sucking on his sempai's earlobe for a moment.

"Ah," he said standing back, "But is it okay to continue?" he asked running a finger down Spirit's jaw. Spirit nodded a slight blush covering his cheeks. He put out a hand and Spirit took it, "I'll lock the dispensary; no one is in there at the moment." Spirit didn't say anything; he just let himself be led.

The pair got through the dispensary door; Stein closed it and turned the key to lock it with ease. As he turned around from the door he saw that Spirit had gone. Fear started to eat away at him until from the corner of his eye he could see Spirit's shadow behind the curtains of the furthest bed. He went around and saw that Spirit had removed his jacket and tie. At the sight of Spirits's clean white skin that he could see on display under his shirt Stein closed the distance between them in two strides. He wrapped his arms around Spirit and held him close. Eventually Spirit managed to get his arms free and took off Stein's glasses. When he had managed to do that he put them on the bedside table. He then tugged lightly on Stein's lab coat until Stein removed his arms from around his sempai and the white coat fell to the floor.

Spirit stood on his tiptoes and kissed Stein's slowly and sweetly and Stein couldn't help but notice his tenderness,

"You've never been so willing," he commented,

"Shadup!" Spirit hissed, "Maybe you grew on me…"

"Doesn't that mean I won?" Stein asked as he wrapped his arms around Spirits waist.

"Does that mean we still have that bet?" Spirit asked and in response Stein nodded, "Since you wanted me more, doesn't that mean the bet is null and void?" Spirit asked looking in to Stein's eyes.

"I don't think so," Stein said,

"Sore loser," Spirit mumbled and pushed at Stein lightly, Stein chuckled and Spirit pushed him on to the sick bed and straddled him.

"I like this view," Stein commented looking up at Spirit as he propped himself up on his hands and kissed Spirit's chin softly. Spirit leant down and planted butterfly kisses on Stein's neck. Stein growled and rolled over so he was on top.

"How did it end up this way?" spirit asked fuming as Stein unbuttoned his shirt,

"You would never take advantage of the situation." Stein said slowly and deliberately, "You always protected me, but that was it." Stein said as he loosened spirit's belt "Do you remember the first time I kissed you?" Stein asked

"How could I forget?" Spirit grumbled, "I felt violated!" at that Stein chuckled,

"Really I so thought you liked it…" He murmured softly in Spirit's ear.

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Because you didn't hit me," Stein said simply and watched Spirit shiver and bite down on his lip as Stein put his hand below his waistband.

"I was too stunned to move," He stuttered looping his arms around Stein's neck. "You grabbed me and pushed me against a tree at sunset at the DeathCity festival. You kissed me with such a passion and then you vanished. I was so lost and shocked it meant I couldn't move."

"But you came and found me…" Stein said his hoarse voice so much softer.

"Of course I did I wanted answers!" Spirit said his face red and Stein chuckled, "But your answer was not helpful at all."

"Because I wanted to," Stein said thoughtfully and Spirit growled,

"How is that an answer?!" Spirit retorted in sheer exasperation.

"Well because it is true," Stein replied smiling, "At that point I did just want to…" he leant over and rested his forehead on Spirit's. "I missed you," he whispered and Spirit blushed as that was the last thing he thought he would hear Stein say, but after the initial shock he raged back with,

"I didn't miss you!"

"Are you sure?" Stein asked grinning,

"Of course I'm sure." Spirit grumbled back haughtily,

"I'm not so sure," Stein replied moving his hand slightly, Spirit gasped and then had to bite down on the moan that was threatening to escape his lips, "See," Stein said his eyes sparkling, "You're reacting so much; it is so very interesting."

"Anyone would," Spirit snapped back through gritted teeth.

"Not true," Stein said his voice filled with tomes of knowledge, "If you didn't like me nothing would happen." Spirit blushed and tried to hide his face. "Don't do that," Stein finished taking his hand away. Spirit let his hands drop away from his face and watched Stein as he unbuttoned the rest of his shirt, his trousers for the time being left open at the fly. When Spirit's scarred chest was exposed Stein ran his fingers lightly over the pink raised skin feeling the stitches that he had once put there under his fingers, "I hardly remember doing his," he mused.

"You should remember you did it!" Stein grinned and licked along the longest scar that started above the kidney on the right side and finished just below Spirit's nipple on the left side, Spirit shuddered his breath leaving him on a gasp so Stein carried on.

"So she never touched you here?" He asked nipping it between his teeth gently,

"D…d…d…don't," Spirit stammered a fine shiver covering his body like a blanket. Stein however didn't do as he was asked he carried on.

"You're so responsive," Stein observed his hand venturing below Spirit's waistband again gently touching the skin he found there with his fingertips. Spirit moaned and twisted his fingers in Stein's hair pulling their mouths together and kissing the other man deeply. It had the effect he wanted and he had to hide a grin as he unsnapped the clasp of Stein's long legged trousers, Stein sighed with relief at the reprieve he was afforded as if the material itself had caused him pain.

All at once there was a knock at the door and the pair fell quiet. The knocking on the other side of the wood continued, next the pair watched from their vantage point as the door handle was turned on the other side of the door. Suddenly the person trying to get in stopped as if satisfied that the room was empty and that there was no give in the door and they left. The pair listened to the retreating footsteps on the other side of the door. When they could no longer hear the footsteps in the corridor they faced each other and laughed at the idea of almost being caught and felt like small children again and just like children; when they eventually calmed down they carried on from where they had left off in peace.