Author's Notes: This story is for Kashii Ai, who requested a SoulxKid snippet. I hope it matches what you wanted, Kashii.

The Number is Eight

If Soul had ever been able to describe a situation with a single word, it was now. And the word in question was 'awkward'. It was not the first time Soul had ended up alone with Kid, but it never seemed to get any easier. Soul did like Kid's company, and he was fairly certain that the feelings were mutual; they would not have started dating each other otherwise. And yet the two of them seemed to always be struggling for words with each other. And so the afternoon in the living room of the apartment Soul shared with Maka was silent, if you did not count the television show going on that neither of them was really watching. Why was dating so difficult?

Now, if it had been Black*Star with Soul instead of Kid, there would not have been any need to speak, since the two of them preferred goofing off to talking anyway. But, perhaps Soul was not supposed to treat Kid so differently from Black*Star. They were all friends after all; just because Kid was also something more now did not mean that he had stopped being Soul's friend. So, the Weapon decided that he might as well give it a try. And so, Soul moved his hand over the short distance between the two of them and prodded.

Kid jolted, almost jumping out of his seat, before settling back down and giving Soul a querying glance as he said: "What?"

"What what?" Soul shot back with an innocent grin. Kid frowned in response to the answer before turning back to the television. Seriously, there was no way the show was that interesting; Soul did not care enough to even know what it was about. So he gave the Shinigami another poke.

This time Kid actually glared at Soul when he turned to the Weapon and snapped: "Why are you poking me?"

"Just because", Soul replied with a taunting grin. The look that stole across Kid's face was completely flabbergasted, as if the other could not grasp what Soul was doing in the slightest. It seemed that Kid was a harder person to bait than Maka or Black*Star. So he gave the raven-haired teen another poke.

"Stop that!" Kid hissed and pressed himself against the armrest of the couch, as far away from Soul as he could go. "Or at least poke me evenly to both sides, so that it doesn't disturb me so much."

"That would be boring", Soul reasoned with the other. "The whole point is to drive you crazy."

"Oh yeah?" Kid questioned, his face suddenly gaining the expression he got whenever he and Black*Star were about to have one of their fights. "Don't antagonize me. I'll have you know that Maka has told me all of your ticklish spots and I am not above taking advantage of that information."

It would make sense that Maka would have revealed such inside info to Kid, the two Technicians got along so swimmingly. But, Soul was not the only one with a treacherous female partner, which was why Soul was able to keep grinning at Kid as he spoke: "Well, Patty also chatters about all of your weird habits a lot. I'm not completely defenceless here."

"Prove it", Kid replied curtly, and that was all the warning Soul got before the other teen crossed the distance between the two of them and brought his hand under his arm, pressing his fingers into the soft skin close to his back. Soul actually released a squeak that was far from cool, but he would not let Kid best him with just that. The Weapon ended up tackling the raven-haired teen, sending them both tumbling off the couch and to the floor. And even in the confusion of that sudden relocation Soul managed to reach his goal, Kid's lower stomach right above his skull-shaped, perfectly symmetrical belt buckle.

A short string of chuckles escaped from Kid's lips even as the Shinigami retaliated by attacking Soul's weak spot again, this time using his other hand to reach the side he had not prodded before. Kid was all about balance, Soul noted even as he tried and failed to bite back a laugh. Even when playing around, Kid would always keep hold of his symmetry. But Soul was fine with that; they would have never started this relationship if they were unable to deal with each other's most basis features. Soul actually found Kid's obsession adorable, as long as it did not go to extremes.

Actually, the sound of Kid's laughter was adorable as well, Soul concluded while the two of them struggled to one-up each other in their tickle contest. They were both laughing as they rolled across the floor, coming to a stop when Soul felt and heard his back run into the living room table. Kid's movements ceased and Soul saw the other look at him with curious concern.

"Are you okay?" Kid queried. A small bump was not really something to get overly concerned for; the both of them had gotten a lot of way worse injuries before. But, still, there was something comforting in that casual caring and Soul smirked at his companion in gratitude.

"I'm fine", the Weapon replied and leaned in, brushing a kiss across the lips so close to his own. "But, I appreciate the concern." Soul sat up on the floor, determining the mood for goofing off having passed. "We should probably get off the floor now."

Kid made no move to get up. Instead the Shinigami turned over to his back and gripped Soul's sleeve, stopping the Weapon from getting up either. Soul gave the other a curious look, wondering why on earth Kid would want to stay on the floor, and saw a strange serene smile on Kid's face. Apparently a new mood had been created.

"Honestly Soul…" Kid murmured in a disapproving manner, the smile quirking up at a side, creating a slight smirk. "That's not how you kiss me. I thought you would have learned by now..."

Soul released a chuckle at the words, murmuring: "Oh yes, how silly of me…" before he manoeuvred himself on top of Kid to plant another kiss on the soft lips. "Do forgive me."

"I will as soon as you do it properly", Kid replied. "Now that's two down, six more to go."

"I'm going to have to speed things up then, won't I?" Soul muttered and landed the kiss number three on Kid's lips.

It was right in the middle of that kiss when the door to the apartment burst open and Maka staggered in with two full shopping bags, all the while calling out: "Soul! Get your butt here and help me carry these!" Soul snapped up at the yell of his name and saw Maka come to the living room doorway, and pause there when she laid her eyes on the two boys on the floor.

There was a stretched silence, during which Maka blinked at the pair in surprise, closed her eyes as she sighed and finally fixed a glare at the boys.

"Soul, I'm really happy to see you getting along with Kid so well, but please refrain from molesting him in the apartment in places where anyone could walk in on you two", Maka spoke in a tone that was deceivingly calm. It was clear the calm before the storm, as Maka concluded her request with: "If you make a habit of having these scenes wait for me whenever I come home, I will be forced to Maka Chop you."

"Um, got it", Soul answered quickly and staggered up from the floor. He turned to give a look to Kid, who had by now sat up. The Shinigami shrugged his shoulders at his boyfriend before commenting: "She wasn't talking to me. I'm the one who was being molested, as you heard."

"Some boyfriend you are", Soul grumbled and turned to Maka to help with the groceries; there was no point in keeping an angered girl waiting. "You just see if I give you those missing five kisses." The resounding thump caused by a head hitting a table made it easier to bear; at least Soul was not the only one suffering from the interruption now.

The End

Author's Notes: More SoulxKid relationship fail, because it seems I can't write these two seriously.