Wow, it has been way too long. I am so, so sorry. Life gets in the way of these things, sometimes. I hope you enjoy this chapter, though, I made it extra long.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all who have followed/favorited and especially to those of you who reviewed. Now, onto the second chapter of our story!

"I suppose we should head inside, now, I'm much too prune-y," Kid said.

"Yes, we can't have that, can we? It's not symmetrical!"

"Shut up, Black Star!"

Soul sighed, "Some things never change."

Thirty some-odd minutes had passed since the women had gone indoors and having had enough 'male bonding' to last awhile, they decided it was time to follow suit. The three of them exited the pool to gather their clothing and in the process, Black Star caused further irritation as he tried to use his wet shirt as a whip.

"I swear to Shinigami, Black Star, if you whip me one more time, I am going to punch you in the face," Soul growled.

"You'd have to catch me first!"

"Whatever," Soul grimaced. It was a genuine problem, Black Star was the fastest of all of them. How unfortunate, that after all of his growth in maturity, he could still be so arrogant.

Kid cut off their squabble as he approached the sliding glass door, "Look, they've left towels out for us, how considerate."

The girls were settled in one of the cozier common rooms upstairs in the Gallows Mansion, all having had plenty of time to shower and get ready for bed.

"Let's watch a movie!"

"Liz, it's almost 2:30 in the morning, shouldn't we be going to sleep?" asked Maka, a little annoyed at the blonde's endless need for 'fun'. "Maybe we should go check on the guys, make sure they haven't drowned each other."

"I'm sure the boys are fine Mak-" Tsubaki tried to interject.

"C'mon, Maka, falling asleep to a romantic-comedy is the only way to go," Liz pouted.

Blair's ears perked up, "Oooh, a rom-com! Hmm... Why don't we watch something a little more risque?" Blair waggled her eyebrows in Tsubaki's direction.

Tsubaki's face glowed with a faint blush. Due to their Book of Eibon experience, everyone now knew that she was somewhat of a 'closet pervert' as they all so affectionately liked to call her. She looked away from the menacing cat, "We probably shouldn't watch any soft-core porn when the boys could walk in any moment, now."

"Who said anything about soft-core? I want the real deal, baby! Mmmbfft—" Blair received a swift pillow to the face. Maka wouldn't be caught dead watching porn. Not that she hadn't ever indulged in the act privately, of course, just that... well, it's okay to be curious, but no one else needed to know that side of her.

Sending a sour look Maka's way, mumbling about prudes, the cat sauntered off to the opposite side of the plush, black L-shaped couch.

"Why don't we try to scare the guys when they come upstairs to get cleaned up?"

"Patti, you really are an incurable prankster, aren't you?"

"C'mon, sis, you know living with someone like Kid for so long, pranking just comes naturally," Patti giggled.

"Yeah, but it's too easy to prank Kid," Liz pointed out. "Trying to get all three of them isn't likely."

Disappointment settled heavily in Patti's chest at the other girls' lack of interest. She vowed to herself that she would prank all three of them, someday, somehow. Plots of unimaginable tricks, traps, and terrible frights danced merrily in her mind.

"Uh, Patti? Are you feeling well? That look you're giving is really disconcerting."

All the girls turned to see Kid standing in the doorway, a towel hung loosely around his hips. Soul and Black Star followed shortly, dressed identically to him.

"Oh! I'm fine, Kid. Perfectly fine," Patti's attempt at a sweet and innocent, wide-eyed look, wasn't so much sweet and innocent, as it was conniving and somewhat disturbing.

"Riiight, well, I guess we'll be getting ready for bed, then. Carry on, ladies," Kid said, waving a hand dismissively and headed toward his room.

"Hey, if you guys are gonna watch a movie or something, wait 'til I'm out of the shower!" Black Star shouted as he trotted toward one of the guest bathrooms down the hall.

Soul paused for a minute and contemplated if he should confront Maka about her relationship with Kilik. He knew it wasn't a big deal, but she had lied to him about it. Okay, maybe she never outright lied, but it was a lie of omission. Why hadn't she just been open with him?

Soul sighed, for what felt like the millionth time that night, and decided, yes, he'd talk to her, but he wouldn't make a big deal out of it. He squared his shoulders and said, "Hey, Maka, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Hearing her name shook Maka out of her daydream. It seemed the boys in their group were (nearly) unaware of the effect they could have on their female friends, as Maka wasn't the only one to seem slightly captivated by the entrance of the barely clothed men.

Soul inwardly smirked as he realized none of them had spoke since they'd entered the room. Except for Patti, of course, but she's always been a little different. This evening has brought some interesting twists and insights, he thought.

"Oh, sure, Soul," she said as she stretched, mouth opening into a wide yawn. She then looked at him expectantly, "What's up?"

He raised his eyebrows, "Maka, I meant in private. Geez, idiot."

"Oooh, a private conversation, Soul? Can't speak in front of all of us, eh?" Blair feigned offense.

Maka ignored the cat and rolled her eyes at Soul as she got up from the soft couch, threatening Maka chops under her breath, much to Soul's amusement. She hadn't Maka chopped him in years.

"You're the idiot, jerk," she grumbled as she walked passed him and grabbed his arm to drag him down the hallway.

"You don't hafta drag me, Maka, I'm the one that asked you to talk, damn."

"Soul, what do you want?" Maka stopped abruptly and spun around to face him.

He stood silently, fixing her with a look. The middle of a hallway wasn't exactly private. She groaned, clearly exasperated, "Just spit it out, will you?"

"Why didn't you tell me more about Kilik?"

She blinked. "I, uh, what? I mean, me and Kilik, that was awhile ag-"

"Kid and Black Star said there was a little more to your relationship with him than you let on."

She couldn't really fathom why Soul was asking her about this now. Did it matter? Her relationship with Kilik was none of his concern.

"Soul, it wasn't a big deal, we had our fun and that was that," she said decidedly.

Soul didn't really know what to say. He hadn't expected her to come out with all of the details, "Look, Maka..." he trailed off, not wanting this to cause a rift in their newly healed relationship, but he couldn't help feeling a little upset. "I just... you know, you didn't really let me know what was happening between you two. I mean, Kid and Black Star knew more about it than I did."

"I didn't know I had to tell you every little detail of my life!" Maka fumed loudly, her face flushed.

"Of course you do! That's how this whole 'weapon/meister' thing is supposed to work," he gestured between the two of them. "We tell each other everything!" he half-whispered angrily.

After this outburst, Soul stood frozen, again not knowing how to broach this sensitive subject. Uncomfortable silence seemed to expand for far too long while Soul and Maka refused to look at one another.

She opened her mouth to continue, but he reached for her hand and pulled her into the nearest room, flipped on the lights and shut the door.

"The hallway is not a private conversation kinda area," he said as he returned her glare. "You woulda got too worked up, you know the others were probably listening."

"Whatever," she muttered as she ripped her hand out of his grasp and strode away from him. She continued after a beat, "You know, Kilik was probably the one to tell Kid and Black Star anything," she said.

This revelation angered her a bit, but honestly, it wasn't as if their relationship had been a complete secret from the world. She had divulged some details to Liz and Tsubaki. Maka could hardly keep anything away from the nosy blonde, and Tsubaki had always been a trusted confidante.

"I—I guess I hadn't thought of that."

"Yeah, I guess you didn't," she said bitterly. Her tone was icy and Soul felt bad for turning their recently regenerated relationship sour so quickly. Silence reigned, stretching painfully over their ears. "I mean, honestly, Soul, I tell you almost everything, why would I tell Kid and Bla-"

"Well, you were outside, alone, with Kid tonight. You wouldn't tell me what you guys talked abo—"

"I told you that we didn't talk about anything!"

"Oh, riiight, I forgot, you just needed a 'moment of quiet' and dragged Kid out with you just for some silent company," sarcasm practically dripped from his sharp teeth as he sneered.

She stepped closer to him, her eyes alight with anger, but apparently words escaped her. His stomach tightened.

He tried to keep his anger from rising, but it was difficult. This woman had always known how to get under his skin. They'd been through so much together, he'd nearly died for her, yet she could only tell him 'almost everything.' Well, that got his blood boiling.

He had to step away from her to clear his head and calm his nerves. He began to pace. Pull yourself together, Soul! Great job not making this a big deal, moron. How old am I? For fuck's sake, I'm acting like a jealous teenager, and for what?! Damn it!

Rolling her eyes, Maka reached out and yanked on his arm, "What is wrong with you?"

She was still angry, but her voice had softened a bit, and her eyes seemed a little less fiery. "Why is this such a big deal? Me and Kilik? Talking with Kid? I don't get it, you never expressed any concerns when I was in a relationship with Kilik, and Kid is our friend! I'm allowed to do as I please and to keep company with whomever I please."

Soul didn't meet her eyes, "I guess I just feel like I should know everything about you. I don't keep anything from you, Maka. Weapons and meisters need to be close and the bond needs to be unwavering or else they can't function properly." He looked into her eyes now, "Hiding things from me? Telling me 'almost everything'? That's not good enough!" It was his turn to pull away from her now, as he began pacing again.

"You knew I was with Kilik, what did you think we were doing?! I have to explicitly tell you in detail about every interaction I ever have with anyone? That is ridiculous. And we seemed to do alright as partners, regardless of you knowing about me and Kilik!"

"I just want you to trust me with everything, goddamnit!" He exploded and turned his blazing red stare toward her. His damp hair fell into his eyes and his towel slipped a little lower down his hips as he spun around to level her with his angry look. "And we weren't at our best, you know that! You were blocking part of your soul from me!"

Moving forward to fully confront her small frame, Soul was abruptly stopped as she held out her hand to push him away.

Wincing at the flash of hurt in his eyes, she softly spoke, "It isn't as if you told me about your relations with Jacqueline, is it, Soul?" A beat passed, "Well?"

He sputtered, "Wha- I, that was... I mean, everyone knew about that fling. It wasn't a secret!"

"Right, but did you come to me and tell me all the juicy details?"

"Well, no, but you didn't need me to, they were well known."

"Sure, but you could have come directly to me to talk, maybe we could have traded sexy stories," she looked him fully in the face and smirked, suddenly overcome with the desire to lighten the mood. This whole thing was absurd.

Soul looked at her like she was sprouting a new head, "Uh, yeah, I guess I could have..." momentarily distracted with thoughts of 'sexy stories', he shook his head, " Um, anyway, for some reason, everyone felt the need to keep you and Kilik a secret from me. No one seemed to think it was a good idea to keep me and Jacqueline a secret from you."

The smirk fell from her face, "Probably because everyone knew you'd freak out."

Turning away, she headed for the queen sized bed that occupied the middle of the room up against the far wall. "You're a little bit overprotective, you know," she flopped on the soft mattress, exhausted and frustrated with how overbearing he could be. She wanted to solve their issues, here and now, but her anger threatened to get the better of her.

It wasn't even just anger at him, but anger with herself. She knew how painful it had been for him when she kept him and everyone else at arm's length. Relief and happiness, hers and his, had practically swallowed her whole earlier that evening. She stared up at the ceiling, thinking about what had transpired between them a few short hours ago. They had finally reached an understanding after so long of enduring the wall she'd put up. She had sworn she would never take him for granted again. Guilt crept into the young meister now, but she was choking on the words of apology, her ire still slightly too prevalent.

Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, well... I mean, I just don't wanna see you hurt. I want to be able to protect you from everything, not just physical hazards." Soul suddenly felt self-conscious again. He crossed his long, toned arms across his broad chest.

"Soul, I can take care of myself, you know, I'm not just a-" she rolled to her side to face him and fumbled her words.

Adorable. How he could pull off sexy and adorable at the same time was beyond her, but Maka had to tear her eyes away from his body before she gave in to his lost puppy demeanor.

She struggled to regain control of her wandering mind, "I mean, I'm not just, ya know, a helpless little girl, okay? I... I appreciate your care and concern and—" this was awkward. She was trying to look anywhere but at him, but she wanted him to know she meant what she was saying, so she kept feebly attempting eye contact.

"Maka, I know tha—"

"Shhh! Just... sshhh, for a second, let me think," her composure was dwindling fast.

"I mean, ugh." Pure exasperation, she couldn't escape his image burned into her brain.

She wanted to sweep his drying hair out of his eyes, "I know how relationships work and that there's a risk involved and uh," she trailed off again, "...will you put a damn shirt on or something?!"

Shit, did I just say that aloud?

Her face reddened, his face reddened, their eyes were locked for an eternity, and then Soul did something that warranted the very last Maka-chop he would ever receive: he laughed. He laughed in her face and was almost in tears until that godforsaken giant tome struck his head.

"For fuck's sake, Maka, you said never again!" He said through broken laughter. "That hurt, damn you."

"Yeah, well, you laughed at me," she mumbled, her face was unbelievably red.

Despite the pain (and undoubted swelling), Soul continued to grin, "You're much faster than you were when we first partnered up," he said.

(Somehow, she had managed to leap from the bed, pull that damn book from Shinigami-knows-where, hit him, and retreat back to the bed to bury her face in the abundance of pillows within the blink of an eye.)

Grumbling into the pillows now, "Well, I'd hope so after years and years of training and field experience." She found herself smiling a little, happy that the room didn't feel quite as heavy (she was still mortified, though).

Debating whether to approach her or not, Soul couldn't help but feel elated at her outburst. Why, he wasn't exactly sure.

Maka had grown to be quite attractive, of course. Incredibly fit from years of battling evil souls and endless training, she had long, slim limbs with the perfect amount of tone, a nice ass and, while her breasts were modest, they looked to be a decent handful and their slope could be entrancing.

Until recently, he had been sure he couldn't really feel that way toward her. He'd been sure that a strong, platonic relationship would be perfectly fine for them. Now, though? Now he was afraid he'd ruin everything if he were to truly admit he was attracted to her. He was, though, wasn't he...

"Soul, I'm really sorry."

His head snapped up at the sound of her voice, "What? What for?"

"You're pretty stupid sometimes, you know," she giggled, though her eyes still showed her apology. "I broke a promise that I'd never hit you again. And... and I have been keeping things from you. From everyone."

Heaving a great sigh, she patted the other side of the bed and looked away from him, again.

"Maka," he began as he walked around the four-poster to sit next to her, "you don't have to tell me anything if you aren't ready. I should be the one saying sorry, you told me earlier that you'd tell me when you were ready, I shoulda just let it go." He sat and shrugged half-heartedly. Despite himself, he was curious and very nearly desperate to know what she'd been hiding.

Sitting up now, she brought her legs up to her chest. Before she would turn to look at him, she thrust a pillow into his chest, "You gotta keep yourself covered or else I can't do this seriously."

He smirked at her, that was his Maka. She always had been pretty good at shoving a bit of light into solemn situations. "Maka, you need to control yourself."

Scoffing, she looked him dead in the eye and said dryly, "I'm trying." Unknown emotions passed between them and suddenly, she was a little farther away from him.

That damn silence kept coming back to haunt them.

Finally, she said, "I don't know where to start. It still doesn't really make sense in my head, which is mostly why I haven't told you, or anyone, really," Soul sat patiently, giving her time to sort her thoughts as he could feel her hesitation.

"I'm ashamed of myself," she blurted. "I—I sometimes feel like my mind might just snap. Ya know, it's weird to say, but it feels like sometimes I'm still on the verge of Madness."

Whatever Soul had been expecting, it hadn't been this. He knew she'd been deeply troubled, but this was a much more profound problem than he'd anticipated.

She continued, "I'm ashamed that I can't stop it. I mean, everyone else seems to be doing just fine. I feel like you, Black Star, Kid... you guys had a much closer brush with the Kishin's Madness than I did and you've all seemed to have forgotten and moved passed it. But I, I struggle almost daily." She was on the verge of tears now.

Soul badly wanted to reach for her, to hold her to him, but felt it best to let her get out what she had to say without distraction.

"I mean, I have my good days, of course, and it helps to be surrounded by you all. You keep me light and grounded, that's something that I truly came to realize tonight," she looked to him with a weak smile.

"I'm ashamed that I pushed you all away, instead of seeking help. I'm ashamed that I even feel like I need help at all. I feel weak and vulnerable all the time, I just want it to stop," she choked back a sob and bit her lip.

Now, Soul did grab her and she didn't resist as she allowed herself to be cradled in his strong arms. She openly wept and Soul had to force himself from being engulfed by her despair. Their connection had suddenly flown wide open and it was fearfully overwhelming. It wouldn't surprise him if the rest of the occupants in the house could feel her powerful emotions.

"Maka, all of this... this is what you've kept locked inside these past five years?" he whispered into her hair, trying to soothe her with their soul connection and by rubbing gentle circles on her back. She could only sob in return.

After a few minutes of sullen silence, broken only by her soft sniffles and gradual hiccoughs, Soul pulled away to look at her face. She thought herself weak, but he was astounded by her strength. Holding all of those wretched emotions in, all the while seeming normal to the outside world... she had to be constantly battling herself to not give in to her own mind.

"I can't forget It. I can't forget what it was like to feel the Madness. It feels like it'd be so easy to give in to It," she whispered, not meeting his eyes. "Even though the Kishin is gone, I still feel the chaos he wreaked on the world, it's like it dug claws into my brain," she stilled a moment.

"A sound soul dwells within a sound mind, and a sound body," she snorted, more to herself. Repeating those words, over and over again, had been one of the only things to keep her from tumbling over the edge into the darkness of insanity the past few years.

Gently grabbing her chin, Soul forced her to look into his eyes, "Maka, you aren't alone, and you are not weak." She began to pull away, but he refused to let her, "No! You're gonna listen to me and you're gonna realize that you aren't by yourself in this!"

He could feel her try to shut down their link, he could sense that she didn't want to drag him with her, but he wasn't having it, "Maka, listen to me, you are strong, you are sane, and you are capable of fighting Madness. You need help though, and not just from me, from all of us.

"Haven't you ever thought about goin' to Stein? You know he's been dangerously close to Madness, has given into it on more than one occasion, but look at him now! It wasn't until Marie came into his life that he could truly overcome It. He needed help, and so do you. That's okay, that doesn't make you weak, you idiot!"

Soul struggled to compose himself, so overcome by all of the emotions swirling in the room. He had to make her understand.

"Me, Kid, Black Star... we... we've talked about it amongst ourselves. I didn't know you felt this way, or else we would've helped you before, I'm sorry," he said seriously. "I should have realized- we all should've realized that you would be dealing with this, but you shut yourself down and hid!" He eyed her earnestly, trying to convey how sorry he felt for her, for himself, for them, and for their tight-knit group.

"I shoulda realized that our last meeting with Crona wasn't going to be enough to end it all for you. You said you'd go back for him..."

"'...such feeble support will break easily. It will be all over when it breaks and the Madness will take over again. Goodbye till then. Stay fearful with me until that time,'" Maka repeated Asura's last words with haunting poignance.

"I can't forget him. Crona. He had such faith, such courage from my pursuit of him, I think... I think after that, I had... I have..." the words died in her throat. The last of her strength was waning, exhaustion was about to overcome her. Only Soul was keeping her in the moment, but just barely.

Words she needed to hear eluded him. He held her tight, allowing all of her emotions that drained her, to drain him as well. While he hoped to alleviate her pain, a sudden memory bombarded him.

"'We'll show everyone throughout the world. This courage,'" he said her own words to her softly. "Remember that, Maka? The day of Kid's enthronement ceremony? You said that. You believed it. I—we, will show you that courage again."

A moment of silence passed between them as she let the words, her words, sink in.

Slowly, she lifted her head from the crook of his neck and gazed at him. He was staring off in the distance, lost in his thoughts on what to say next. She gave herself a brief moment to observe the sharp jut of his jawline and the short, white stubble that had begun to grow since he shaved that morning. He could be stunning, when he wasn't being a jerk. She smiled to herself and lifted a hand to cup his cheek.

"Thank you, Soul."

His eyes slightly widened at her touch and he gave her a sideways glance. The soft smile on her face made his heart flutter. The world slowed as he turned to face her fully.

"Maka, Soul, are you guys o-"

The aforementioned couple jumped apart, as if burned. Their faces were identical shades of red.

"Damn it, Liz, I told you we should have knocked!" Kid chastised as he rushed in after her. He quickly assessed the scene before him, feeling more than a little uncomfortable and schooled his features to be unreadable.

"Well, you felt what was coming from in here, I thought something terrible had happened!"

Kid mumbled something to himself while turning away to leave.

"Don't make this my fault, we were all concerned! The distress coming from Maka's soul was nearly unbearable!" Liz squawked indignantly.

Still with his back turned, Kid said, "Even so, you don't just go barging in on people, it's impolite and you might discover something you wish you hadn't."

He looked over his shoulder to address Liz, "Furthermore, what harm could truly come from within the Gallows' walls? Honestly, don't you ever use your brain?" With that, he stalked out of the room, leaving the remaining three in an awkward silence.

Recovering the quickest, Liz closed her gaping mouth and turned from the door to confront her two friends, now sitting on opposite sides of the queen bed, "So? You're just in here makin' out and all of those dreadful emotions were ripping away at you? You guys must be terrible kissers." She'd have smirked, if she hadn't been so shocked and the concern she felt before still had a small grip on her.

As the two accused stuttered, a knock sounded on the doorframe. Momentary relief swam through Maka's veins as Tsubaki stepped into the room.

"Erm, is everything okay? I'm sorry, I tried to keep Liz in the living room, but she couldn't take it anymore, especially with the sudden lack of, um... feelings coursing through the air."

"What did you think had happened, Liz? That I'd smothered her or something?" Soul said, affronted.

Liz looked utterly furious, "No! Of course not, idiot, it was just so sudden! We were all concerned!" She looked wildly, accusingly at Tsubaki.

"Yes, yes, of course, we were all concerned, but we knew that the situation had to be under control," Tsubaki said placatingly, giving Liz a pointed look.

Liz bristled, "Alright, fine, I guess that's the rational way of seeing things..." she rolled her eyes and crossed her thin arms, "I'm- I guess I'm- ugh, I'm sorry."

"We weren't making out," Maka huffed and crossed her arms, too.

Liz rose an eyebrow, "It sure looked like something was happening when I walked in."

Tension crawled up Maka's spine at Liz's words. What had been happening? Maka had been so lost in the moment, so lost in all of her feelings and the comfort she got from Soul. She felt confused and conflicted at what may have happened had they not been interrupted.

"I was just telling her how much of an idiot she's been. Keeping things locked away until she felt she was falling into Madness," Soul said offhandedly.

Everyone was dumbstruck by his statement, Maka namely. If it weren't for the concerned looks she was getting from her two female friends, Maka would have slapped him. Gritting her teeth, Maka reminded herself that she would never intentionally harm Soul again. Telling the rest of the group was something she knew she had to do anyway, Soul was right about finding her strength in her friends and their experiences.

As she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to ready herself, she felt the weight shift in the bed. Soul had taken this opportunity to leave the room, knowing that Maka would be fine with (and trapped by) Liz and Tsubaki. He quietly exited as the two girls took his place on the mattress. Stealing one last glance at Maka, he shut the door.

Soul ambled down the hallway, determined now to get a cold shower and ready for sleep. Mind reeling with thoughts of Maka, and her struggles, he didn't notice that everyone in the common room stared as he walked by.

Black Star, Kid, Blair, and Patti stayed silent, letting him go undisturbed even though they were burning with questions (and accusations). They pretended to be engrossed in the movie (a comedy and not hardcore porn as Blair had suggested) until they heard the shower running in a guest bathroom down the hall.

"What happened in there? Kid, you really didn't notice anything abnormal when you went in there?"

"No, Patti, nothing."

"Oh come on, Maka was clearly distressed judging from her soul wavelength. Was Soul trying to put the moves on her?" Blair waggled her eyebrows, though her eyes were somewhat serious. The cat was oddly perceptive, much to Kid's annoyance.

Blair kept sending him knowing looks and he found it highly unsettling. Having kept his outward appearance cool and calm didn't seem to be convincing her that he was fine as it did with Black Star. Patti, knowing her meister well, didn't even seem to be as attuned to his inner feelings as Blair did at the moment. Damn cat and her meddling, sexual nature.

"No. Well, I don't know, really, but Maka hasn't exactly been herself for awhile, I imagine it had something to do with what's been troubling her." At the questioning eyes he received, he reluctantly continued, "She pulled me aside earlier tonight to speak with me, but in the end it was fruitless, she wasn't ready to divulge any information to me," he said with just a hint of disgruntlement.

Of course, Soul would be the one she would eventually open up to, but for one fleeting second, Kid had thought that maybe Maka would find comfort in him. Foolish, really, it was always Soul that won when it came to Maka. Kid did have one triumph tonight, though, and that was Maka wearing one of his old t-shirts as her sleepwear. Oh, and she had ogled him while he was undressing earlier. A small smile graced the Shinigami's lips. Don't be a conceited prick right now, Maka was in serious suffering earlier. Kid scolded himself.

Not having quite covered his smirk quick enough, Blair spoke up, "Kid, tell me, what do you feel for Maka-chan?"

Kid froze as Black Star and Patti turned their eyes to him.

"What?"

"Oh, come on, Kid, you aren't fooling me. Are you forgetting who I am? I am the queen of desire and seduction," Blair said with a flourish of her hand and a flick of her hair. Her maniacal grin and general nuisance behavior was slowly unraveling Kid's hold on his clear mind.

"I don't feel anything for Maka besides friendship and concern about her struggles as of late."

"Uh huh, and that's why you are so resentful about what you saw between Soul and Maka?"

"I'm not resentful about anything, if they have a romantic relationship, then that is there business," Kid said coolly, or as coolly as he could, considering he felt that annoying, ugly sense of jealousy rising within him. Without his consent, Kid's cheeks flared a light shade of pink that didn't go unnoticed by the other three in the room.

Black Star grinned at his friend, "Dude, you totally have a crush on Maka."

"I do not, a Shinigami takes no consorts or mates of any kind." Kid blabbed, not really even knowing what he was saying.

"Who says? I've never heard that before," Patti piped up.

"It's a—well, it's um..." Kid stumbled, his blush deepening. "It's an unwritten rule, of sorts. My father never had any women in his life, and neither shall I."

Patti cocked her head to the side, "How do you know your father never had a woman in his life? He lived for hundreds or thousands of years—how old was he, anyway?"

Kid was exasperated now, but happy Patti had taken the conversation slightly off course, he answered, "He was very old, timeless, I imagine, he never spoke of any Shinigami before him, so I don't know, really."

"Well then, smart guy, how would you know if he had any women or not?" Black Star said as he poked Kid in the ribs. "And didn't you say earlier that 'we're all grown men, now, we have our needs'?"

Kid jumped up from the loveseat he'd been sharing with Black Star and glared down at him. His temper was rising and he could feel his OCD kicking in. Fighting it down, trying to ignore the fact that Black Star's hair looked especially asymmetrical at the moment, he bit out, "The only children my father produced were from fragments of his own soul, I am not a human, as you all are, and you would do well to remember that."

As he attempted to turn away and leave, Black Star stood up and grabbed his arm, "Don't think you're above me, I surpassed the ability of normal humans years ago and you definitely look more human than your dad did. Don't forget that he created you to be a better bridge for gods, humans, and witches. You've got a lot of humanity in you."

Blair and Patti watched tensely as the two boys stared each other down. Blair felt a little bad she had caused this situation and shifted uncomfortably. Patti, having had enough solemnity for the night that was supposed to have been a fun celebration with friends, took it upon herself to settle the situation. She may be the silliest and the simplest of their group, off in her own world most of the time, but she was not stupid and she refused to be kept from her happy bubble any longer.

"Let's stop comparing dicks," Patti said in her serious voice as she walked up to Black Star and Kid. They both turned glowering eyes toward her as they towered over her, but she was never the type to be intimidated.

Her and Liz had made grown men cry when they were on their own in Brooklyn. Before meeting Kid, Patti had been much more aggressive than she was now, and to think that she could not access that part of herself again was a mistake. A mistake that Kid and Black Star had both made a few times in the past years since they'd known the Thompson sisters.

Neither guy seemed to pick up on the imminent danger they were in, as Black Star scoffed and Kid rolled his eyes.

"Don't try your scary crap with me right now, I gotta force Kid to realize he isn't the only god in town and get him to stop being such a pussy," said Black Star.

Kid growled, "Damn it, Black Star, I'm not a pussy. Stop insulting my manhood and get over yourself, would you?!"

"Ha, so you admit your man enough to claim 'manhood'? But not human enough to claim a girl?"

"What?! That doesn't even make sense, you imbecile!"

They were toe to toe again, completely ignoring Patti's presence that grew more menacing each passing second.

"It makes perfect sense. If you want Maka, you clearly have human emotions and desires, right? Get over yourself and realize that you have a dick and it should be used."

"Of course I've got a—a dick, you saw it earlier. And stop being so crass, that is our friend that you're referring to, you know!" Kid shouted. He was almost completely unraveled at this point, one eye twitching and arms itching to reach up and rip the asymmetrical hairs out of Black Star's head.

"Yeah, our fucking hot friend that is begging to be ravished by someone. I might just take that chance if you can't get your dick up because you're too stuffed up with your Shinigami duties," Black Star provoked further with a final smirk at Kid. He knew he struck a nerve and was feeling triumphant as he saw the defiance in Kid's face.

Kid raised an arm, not to rip out Black Star's hair, but to throw a punch. He never got the chance, though, as Patti suddenly bashed their heads together, forcing their lips to smash against one another's. Stunned silence suffocated them all for a few seconds as Patti gleefully looked on at what she had created.

The snapping of a picture broke everyone out of their stupor. Black Star and Kid's noses both began gushing blood from the force of them crashing together. Blair snapped another picture as she giggled at the looks on their faces.

"Patricia Thompson, what the hell is your problem?" Kid demanded as he whirled to face his weapon.

"Yeah, what the fuck, Patti, that fucking hurt," Black Star grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Patti merely smiled and said, "Guess you both better quit forgetting that I don't take 'no' for an answer very lightly." With that, she skipped off to join Blair on the couch and they both laughed loudly at the pictures the cat had taken.

The two men looked at each other, eyes widening when the realization suddenly hit that they had locked lips. Both quickly averted their eyes, faces heating with embarrassment.

"Patti, you... you made us- I mean, we- You jus—"

"Yeah, you guys kissed and it was incredibly attractive, I must say. I'm never getting rid of this picture," said Blair, upturning her cheshire grin to Kid. "I'll send it to you, Patti, hold on. This is prime masturbation material we've got here."

"Don't you dare. Blair, delete that immediately!" Kid said. To his credit, he only sounded a little desperate.

Black Star took a more hands on approach, as he all but tackled Blair. Lucky for Blair, Patti was there to help in the scuffle. Kid could only stand and watch in horror, his brain had seemingly short-circuited.

As Soul stepped out of the shower, he could hear muffled shouting and... laughter, maybe? It could also be hysterical sobbing, he wasn't exactly sure. He rushed to towel himself dry to see what all the commotion was about. Quickly as he could, he dressed himself in red pajama pants and brushed his teeth. Flinging the door open, he jogged down the hallway toward the common room, only to be met with a sight of, well, chaos. He stopped himself short of entering the room and simply observed.

Black Star was flat on his back with Patti and Blair on either side pinning him down, tickling him. Truly, Tsubaki had damned him the moment she told Maka of his weakness of being torturously ticklish. Kid was still standing in his catatonic state. Blood was dripping down his face, his nose appeared to be the source. There also seemed to be a bit of drool pooling at the corners of his slightly open mouth that threatened to spill over any second.

Soul stood dumbfounded, unable to figure out what the situation was, exactly, or how it had come to be this way. Speechless he cleared his throat, hoping to gather someone's attention. Apparently, he wasn't loud enough, though, so he coughed loudly.

Black Star hollered at him, "Soul, help!" He laughed manically, legs thrashing wildly, "The-they have incriminating photo—" more uncontrollable laughter ripped through him, effectively cutting him off.

Well, I guess that explains the insane laughter I heard, but what the hell is wrong with Kid? Slowly approaching Kid, Soul kept an eye on the two girls that were on the attack. He didn't know the situation and he didn't really want to be swept up in a brawl between the three people on the floor, so he proceeded forward with extreme caution.

Creeping quietly toward Kid, he spoke, "Uh, Kid? Are you okay? You look terrible."

Getting no response, he finally was close enough to put his hand on Kid's bare shoulder, causing Kid to flinch back into the world of the living. Quick as a flash, Kid grabbed Soul's hand and twisted his arm behind his back.

"Ow, the hell, Kid, what is wrong with you?!" Soul spat angrily, having had enough of this night's tiresome antics. Soul kicked backward to knock the Shinigami away from him and wrenched his arm free. He spun around to level a glare at his friend who was now on the floor, wiping the blood off his chin with a confused look on his face.

Turning his face upward to Soul, then to the tickle fight happening a few feet away from him, reality finally seemed to kick in. Kid gave a quick apology to Soul as he lunged toward the couch to retrieve something.

Now Soul could only watch as Blair and Patti realized they'd made an error in not watching Kid closely and made to move toward him to block his path to the mysterious object. However, they weren't quick enough, as Black Star took a firm grasp of their legs and pulled them back toward him, the three of them collapsing on the ground again in a mess of tangled arms and legs.

Suddenly, Kid stood up, wielding a cell phone and triumphantly yelled, "I've got it! The photos have been disposed of, no need to worry Black Star!"

"Ha! Seems you've miscalculated, ladies. You could never best two gods!" Black Star said, grinning like a fool.

"No, you've miscalculated. Those pictures have already been sent to Liz, Maka, and Tsubaki," Patti said with a laugh. "Ah, speak of the devil."

The aforementioned girls walked into the living room now, all with the same bemused look on their faces.

Liz held up her phone, "What the hell has been going on in here? We leave for ten minutes and you all have some weird blood orgy?"

Kid, Black Star, Blair, and Patti all had blood either on their clothing, or their faces. Soul seemed to be the only one unscathed, but he had a look of a person who just happened upon the wrong place at the wrong time. His peeved expression had a vague sense of confusion behind it.

"Patti bashed our heads together!" Black Star growled as he picked himself up from the floor. He began wiping at his face to try to get the still-flowing blood off.

Maka giggled, "Really? From these pictures, it seems you both were a little too eager to get at each other and gave yourselves bloody noses."

Kid, who had been in the process of (reluctantly) helping the girls off the floor, balked, "No, that is absolutely not what happened!" His face flushed and his attempt to pull Blair from the floor was abandoned, sending her butt back to the ground.

"Ow, Kid, thanks for nothing!"

"That's what you get, you stupid cat!"

"Whatever happened to you being a perfect gentleman?!"

"I think that went out the window the moment you snapped those pictures and tortured Black Star!"

"Oh, that was harmless fun and Patti's the one that started it!"

"And I'd do it again, too! Those pictures are priceless," Patti was utterly beside herself with glee. She had made her way back to the couch and collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"The first one is pretty cute, guys," Tsubaki grinned broadly. Black Star sent her a glare, which she met with a somewhat apologetic smile. "I'm sure you deserved it, at any rate."

"Tch, no one deserves this pain and humiliation," Black Star grumbled as he sat himself back on the loveseat. "I was just trying to get Kid to stop being a pansy and admit that he li-"

"ANYWAY, I think it's time we all head for bed, don't you? Let's just forget thi—" Kid's panic could hardly be contained.

"Get Kid to admit to what?" Liz couldn't resist a juicy admission.

Black Star smirked, "You know, that he has a—"

"Black Star, I will end you," the Shinigami would not have his feelings outed in such a way. Not only was this the wrong time, but he'd like to keep it a private affair, if it were to ever happen at all.

"Grow a pair, dude."

That was it, Kid couldn't take it anymore. Too many things had happened tonight and his sanity was teetering on a sharp edge. He lunged for the blue-haired meister, but Soul caught him before he could do any damage.

"Let go of me, he deserves a beating!" Kid thrashed against his captor, but to no avail. Soul had both of his arms locked under Kid's armpits and was tall enough that he could slightly lift his friend off the floor.

"I'm sure he deserves it, but cool off, Kid, just let it go," Soul grimaced with the effort he was having to put in to keep his restraint firm.

"No, let him, Soul. He's got a lot of pent up feelings that he needs to get out." The serious look on Black Star's face made everyone uneasy. The tension in the room was tangible as Kid and Black Star sent murderous looks at each other.

Tsubaki walked across the room to face her meister and leveled him with a glare, "Whatever is happening right now, it needs to stop. Stop antagonizing and let. It. Go." She pinched the bridge of his nose, eliciting a yelp from him.

"Don't give me that, you're much stronger than to feel such a measly amount of pain, grow up." Forcing Black Star to stand, Tsubaki marched him out of the room and down the hallway toward the guest bathroom. Let it not be said that Tsubaki couldn't control her wild-child of a meister.

Soul finally felt it'd be alright to let Kid down, he'd stopped struggling once Black Star was out of the room. "What the fuck is going on?" he asked no one in particular.

Everyone remaining stood transfixed for a second. Things had escalated so quickly, no one was really sure what had happened, except for perhaps Blair and Patti. Soul turned his gaze to the two women sitting on the couch. At some point in the skirmish, Blair had found her way next to Patti and they both had culpable expressions on their faces.

Maka and Liz had come around the couch to stand next to Kid and Soul. They all (save for Kid, he seemed to be lost in his own world) looked expectantly at the guilty party on the couch.

"Well, you see, um... Black Star and Kid kinda—I mean, they were kinda getting into it, earlier and I put a stop to it by bashing their heads together." Patti finished in a small voice.

"Yeah, and uh—I snapped pictures," Blair added weakly.

Maka was stunned at the behavior of her friends, she hadn't seen Black Star and Kid fight in years. She certainly hadn't missed the intensity of the darker side of their friendship. "When you say they got into it, were they fighting or arguing?"

"Yeah, there was an awful lot of blood, was that just from the headbutt you caused?" Liz asked her sister, accusation clear in her tone.

Patti wiggled under their stares and looked away, "Yes, the blood was just from their noses. They had only been arguing, but they were about to fight physically, so I took matters into my own hands."

"What were they arguing about?" Soul prodded for more information. Seriously, what a bad time to have needed a shower, Soul missed out on yet another odd event the evening had brought forth.

Blair and Patti looked at each other, clearly unsure if they should say anything more about the matter. They seemed to communicate with their eyes before coming to an unspoken decision.

"Nothing," they all jumped at the sudden sound of Kid's voice. Having been so quiet and still since Black Star's exit, he had gone unnoticed. Hearing the others talk about him had woken him from his reverie. "It was nothing. We are not discussing this anymore. The whole thing was stupid and it's over now."

He spoke with such finality, that no one dared to push any further for the time being. Even Liz, who was positively brimming with curiosity about what her meister was refusing to admit, quelled her nosiness to the back of her mind. Kid was clearly upset, had been unhinged moments before, and needed to be left alone.

"Let's all go to bed, it's been a long, strange evening. We could all use some rest," Maka softly said the words as her eyes fell to Kid who was looking at the floor, unmoving. Everyone else in the room began to make their way to their respective bedrooms, while Kid kept staring blankly. "Kid?" No response. "Kid, c'mon, let's get you cleaned up."

The blood flow from his nose had stopped, but it still dripped lightly from his chin. There was a trail of it down his chest and stomach and it had begun to stain the top of his grey sweat pants. Kid looked up at her words, looking dazed and then he looked down to observe himself.

Now that Maka regarded the room, there was blood all over the cream-colored carpet and a little splatter on the couch. She sighed to herself, "What a mess. I'll go get something to take the stains out, you should go get ready for bed."

"No, don't trouble yourself," he said quietly. "It can wait until morning."

"It cannot wait until morning, the longer it has to sit, the harder it'll be to get out. Plus, it's already morning, anyway," she had taken her phone out to see the time- 3:30 A.M. She groaned inwardly, but knew it needed to be taken care of. Kid was clearly not himself at the moment, or else he'd be freaking out about the asymmetry of the splotches that marred his carpet. At least the couch was black, it was harder to see any imperfections there. She would have missed it had the blood not been glistening under the light of the nearby lamp. That being said, had Kid been in his right mind, she was sure he would've noticed any and all blemishes in the room.

Soul had hung back to make sure Kid was alright and to make sure Maka got the rest she needed after the emotional drainage she'd suffered. "I can help, it won't take too long," he offered. Maka sent a grateful smile his way and his heart palpitated.

"Really, it's alright," Kid seemed to be coming around. "I can take care of it, this is my mess after all. You two go get some sleep." He hadn't missed the small interaction the pair had just then. Slight pangs of jealousy tried to force up through his belly, but he clamped them down, knowing he was being ridiculous. That was the cause of this whole mess to begin with. Just get over it, Kid, let it go, he told himself.

"Kid, there's no way that I'm letting you clean this by yourself, you'll get carried away and be awake the rest of the day cleaning the entire mansion," Maka was stubborn and she knew Kid better than he realized. He looked at her sheepishly and seemed to be about to politely reject her help again but she refused, "Soul, take him to his room to get cleaned up, I'll gather the cleaning supplies we need. I assume it's under the kitchen sink?"

"There's some under the sink, yes, but I have a whole closet dedicated to cleaning supplies in the hallway that leads to the laundry room," Kid replied, moderately embarrassed at how passionate he sounded for a moment. He saw the amused face of Soul appear before him and heard a heavy sigh from Maka, "I mean, whatever is under the sink should suffice, yeah."

"C'mon, Kid, you look like death right now—"

"Well, I am Death, you know—"

"Shut up, idiot, you know what I mean. Your pristine flesh is covered in your own gore, you need another shower," Soul said with a smirk as he lead Kid out of the common room.

Maka couldn't keep the grin from stretching across her face. She loved her friends dearly, but they were crazy. Turning around, she made her way down the opposite hallway that her friends had taken. Hopefully she could get this cleaned up quickly.

"Soooo..."

"So?"

"You're really not going to tell me just what the fuck happened back there?"

"No, I'm not. I told you I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Soul was digging through Kid's bathroom cabinets to find a towel while Kid was waiting for the shower to heat up.

"You know, I'm perfectly capable of cleaning myself, I don't really need your assistance, and you're making a mess of my cabinets." He frowned at Soul as he continued to rummage around. "You can go to bed, I figure Maka will have everything situated out in the common area by the time I'm done here. Neither of you needed to go through any trouble on my behalf in the first place."

Seeming unusually sour, Soul turned to look at Kid, "Dude, seriously, what happened? It's better to talk about these things than to let them stew deep down." Soul had had enough of people bottling their emotions for one night. He studied his friend closely, noting that Kid couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with him.

Soul turned away, allowing Kid some privacy to relax and strip down as the steam from the shower wafted through the air, "You guys haven't fought like that since The Book of Eibon, what sparked it?"

"Just Black Star being an ass, I guess," Kid's noncommittal tone rose more suspicions in Soul.

"Uh huh, so you were ready to bash his head in because Black Star was being Black Star?" Soul didn't receive an answer as he heard the glass shower door slide open and shut behind him. "He's not as bad as he used to be, we all agree on that."

"I suppose so," came Kid's muffled voice. He had no idea what to say to Soul. He couldn't very well tell him that he liked the same girl as Soul and that she was the source of the spat he and Black Star had. He couldn't tell Soul that he was driven to the edge of spiraling despair by the torrential outpouring of Maka's innermost soul. He absolutely could not tell him that seeing the weapon and meister together made him cringe with jealousy and unmitigated inadequacy. Maka and Soul were his friends, and if they decided to find happiness together, he should be happy for them.

Even so, Kid couldn't help feeling that it may be nigh impossible for him to ever fully support a romantic relationship between the two. He growled lowly to himself, thinking of what an insolent friend he was. Truth be told, he didn't even know if anything was happening between his friends or not, so why was he feeling so resentful? Still, not knowing this for sure didn't keep him from knowing that when all was said and done, one or all of the parties involved would end up hurt.

Soul let the silence pass for awhile. He had finally located a fluffy white towel for Kid, hung it on the towel rack, and then allowed himself to slide down the bathroom door to a sitting position. Facing the frosted shower doors, he could tell that Kid was unmoving. "So are you gonna wash or what?"

Kid flinched at the sound of Soul's voice, "Ugh, would you just leave me be? I'm enjoying the hot water." His haughty tone made Soul laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm staying put until I'm sure you won't go into another psychotic episode and try to drown yourself."

Letting loose an exaggerated sigh, Kid reached for his body wash and slowly worked on removing the remaining dried blood from his face and torso.

"Patti really did a number on you guys, how's your nose feeling?"

"It's a little tender, but give it an hour or so and I'll be fully healed, no problem."

"Must be nice having godly healing abilities."

Kid gave a short, mirthless laugh, "Yes, well, I suppose being a Shinigami has some pros."

Soul didn't miss the underlying sulkiness to Death the Kid's statement. He knew fairly well how Kid felt about being the new Shinigami. They and Black Star had enough 'guy nights' to really delve deep into each other's psyches. After some alcohol and mild banter, they'd eventually end up talking about their futures, life and death. Soul understood that Kid wasn't necessarily happy about having a much longer life span.

"By the time you all are old and wrinkled, I'll still be looking youthful and full of life." Kid had said. He had drunk enough that night to reveal all of his misgivings with near-immortality. "I'll constantly be reminded of how tenuous life is, as I watch, over and over again, the people I care about pass on." It hadn't been a particularly uplifting drinking night...

Thinking on this, Soul snorted, "C'mon, Kid, you gotta let that go. It's a part of fate we've all been dealt. You're still stuck with us for at least sixty more years, anyway."

Kid continued to sulk, "Yes, sixty years in the span of thousands, I'm sure it'll seem like forever for me."

Sarcasm was heavily evident in Kid's words, and all Soul could do was close his eyes and smile. He didn't envy the reaper at all. Living an unknown expanse of years was not something he'd want to experience. Life was precious, only to be given up in the event of extreme duress with no other way out (such as for the life of a loved one), or to old age.

Once more feeling worthless when it came to cheering up his friends, Soul said, "You don't really know what your lifespan will be like. Just clean yourself up and then we can go help Maka."

"Yeah, alright," came Kid's unenthusiastic reply.

Maka just finished her work in the common room when Kid and Soul showed up. The movie had ended and its menu music began to loop.

"Nice of you guys to show when all the works been done," she said airily as she flipped her hair behind her shoulders (she'd abandoned her pigtails years ago) and threw a red-stained sponge into a bucket she'd found under the kitchen sink.

The boys' guilty expressions made her laugh, "I'm kidding. It wasn't that big of a deal. Just a little elbow grease and some efficient cleaners, really, you guys could've just gone to bed."

"Sorry, Maka, I had to be sure Kid wouldn't drown himself."

"I wasn't going to drown myself! I was perfectly fine, he wouldn't leave me alone!"

Maka laughed heartily in their mutually accusatory faces, "Calm down, guys. It wasn't that bad, anyway. See? I'm all done here."

"Yes, well, it all seems to be back to normal," Kid trailed off. His eyes were scouring the room to look for any left over bloodstains.

"Kid, I promise, I got everything. It's time for bed, now," she said with a pointed look to her phone that read 4:15 A.M.

Maka grabbed a remote from the black coffee table in the center of the room and turned off the television. "Now, bed. Both of you."

"Yes, mother," Soul scoffed as he turned to head to an open guest room.

"Yes, well... Maka, could I speak with you for a moment?" Soul's back went rigid at Kid's words.

Maka was utterly exhausted, but she couldn't ignore the underlying importance in his request. "Oh, sure, Kid. Soul, I'll see you later, okay?"

Soul refused to turn to look at the two of them, "Yeah, alright. You guys go to bed soon, though. Maka's been through enough tonight." He continued down the hallway alone as Maka stared at his retreating form. She hadn't missed the tension present in his well-sculpted back.

Shaking her head slightly, she turned to Kid, "Is everything okay?" Not wanting to bring up the confrontation between he and Black Star, she left the question open.

"Well, I don't know, why don't you tell me?"

Maka fidgeted, slightly uncomfortable, "Everything is fine." She attempted a smile but it didn't quite meet her eyes and she knew it wouldn't pass under Kid's scrutinizing gaze. "Well, I mean, everything is better, at least."

Kid watched as she collapsed on the loveseat. She looked ready to drop any minute and he considered telling her their talk could wait. As she held her head in her hands, he sat down next to her, "I'm sorry, if you don't want to talk, that's fine. I—well, I just want to know that you're okay, that's all. Earlier it was really..."

"It's okay, Kid, I should tell you what's been happening," she sighed. "Soul said it'd be easier for me to deal with if I would just open up and reach out for help from my friends... like I should've done in the beginning."

Kid felt a slight sinking in his chest as she said Soul's name. Forcing himself to ignore it, he spoke quietly, "While I don't know exactly what's going on, I'm inclined to agree with him, judging from what I felt permeating from your soul." Looking down at her hanging head, he mentally shook himself, "However, we don't have to discuss anything tonight. I just want you to know that I'm always here for you, Maka, an—"

His words were cut short as Maka lunged herself toward him and embraced him in a warm hug.

Momentarily stunned, Kid didn't know how to react, until he felt warm tears dripping down his chest. Slowly, he raised his arms to encircle her and provide what little comfort he could.

She wasn't sobbing, just letting the tears roll in silence, allowing her exhaustion and remaining fear, latent sadness, and stress to exit through her tear ducts. Her head was still throbbing from her earlier outburst and she knew that the renewed tears would do nothing to soothe her headache, but she could steadily feel her heart's heaviness lightening.

"I'm sorry, Maka, I should not have said anything. You've already spoken to Tsubaki, Liz, and Soul. You don't need to relive what's been troubling you again, not tonight. Come, let's get to bed."

He pulled away from her and made to stand but was stopped by one of her slightly calloused, slender hands gripping his forearm.

"Please, just stay with me. I don't want to be alone right now. I-I don't feel like explaining, again, at the moment, but I... I want you here with me."

Heart slowly picking up speed, Kid met her wide, imploring eyes. They looked to be a richer shade of green... It felt as if his heart and stomach were on a roller coaster and had left an empty brain behind. He could do little else but sit back down and look into her eyes.

Suddenly feeling slightly foolish, Maka tore her eyes away and looked down at her hand that was still grasping his arm. She pulled away and cast a sheepish look his way.

"I'm sorry, I know you must be tired, too. You seemed to have your own mishaps to deal with tonight."

The sudden loss of contact slammed Kid's heart back into his chest and he could feel a weak blush on his pale cheeks. Clearing his throat, he tilted his head, slid his arms outward to place his hands on his knees and sighed deeply, "Black Star was just being his annoying self. It wasn't a big deal... I was already on edge, though, so it was easier than normal for him to get under my skin."

Maka didn't want to pry, but she couldn't help but wonder about the fight she'd almost witnessed. Kid seemed resistant to give her an outright answer, and she couldn't blame him, not when she was keeping something from him. Her hands stuffed between her legs, she had made herself as small as possible. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, but she knew he wasn't looking at her either.

Her imprudence in asking Kid to stay with her began to cause a mild panic. What was she thinking? She should have just insisted that they go to bed and talk later, instead she had begged him to stay with her.

"Kid, I'm sorry. We can go to bed now, I'm fine."

He turned his calculating eyes on her and she hesitantly met them with her own.

"Don't apologize, Maka. I'll stay with you as long as you need me to. We don't have to talk, but I'm always here for you, if and when you're ready."

His warm golden eyes stirred something primal deep within her. She reached an uncertain hand toward his face, gingerly caressing his pale cheek.

"I'm sor—" she stopped herself short, he had just told her to stop apologizing, after all.

She was at a loss for words. The same questionable feeling that filled her in her last moments alone with Soul were occupying her heart and mind now with Kid. Only this time, there was no chance of someone interrupting.

He slowly raised a hand to lie on top of hers. Leaning into her touch, he closed his eyes and released his breath slowly.

He wanted this, badly. His feelings for Maka were bursting, but he could sense her trepidation. Never would he force her to do something she didn't feel comfortable with. As much as he wanted to scoop her up and consume her, he just settled and let the warmth of her touch fill him.

A sudden flash of Soul's betrayed face flashed in his mind. Abruptly, his eyes popped open and he pulled away from Maka.

"I'm, uh, I mean, I just want you to be okay, is all," he mumbled, feeling idiotic as he knew he sounded like a broken record.

His scrambling left Maka dumbstruck. Her hand that had covered his cheek now hovered in the air for a moment. She didn't quite understand it, but her feelings were a bit marred from his swift retreat.

His eyes looked to the floor, and all she could do was stare at him, attempting to gather what had just happened between them.

"You've gone through a lot tonight, maybe we should just go to sleep."

Maka looked at her hand that lingered in the air, clenched it to a fist and lowered it to her lap. She didn't know what to say, but she knew that she didn't want it to end this way.

"Kid, I..."

"It's okay, Maka. Honestly, you don't have to say anything."

And she didn't, but she did reach up and pull his face to hers, locking him in a tentative kiss.

His eyes were open wide, but hers were resolutely closed. His mouth was unmoving against hers, as she pressed against him. It felt both right and wrong at the same time.

Maka pulled away from him with her eyes closed and cast her face away from him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't hav—"

He pulled her to him in a fierce hug, not wanting to let her go, though he knew he should.

"Maka, you've been through so much..."

She buried her face into his shoulder and let out a sigh, "I'm... I just want..."

Breaking into silence, he just held her. Neither one of them knew where to go or what to say. Kid slowly maneuvered their bodies into a lying position on the couch and spooned up against her small frame.

"Stay with me?" she questioned cautiously.

Uncertain, Kid shuffled his body so that he could stare at the ceiling. He knew that someone could walk in and gather their own assumptions, but he didn't have the heart to leave her alone.

"Let's go to my room. You can stay there as long as you like, but I don't think anyone should catch us like this."

They stayed quiet in their positions for a moment before she shifted to look at him. His golden eyes were locked on the ceiling above, unseeing. She resisted the urge to touch his face as she moved her gaze to the back of the couch.

"If that's okay with you, I'd really like that," she said in a small voice, barely above a whisper.

A minute smile made its way to his lips. He gently removed his arm from beneath her and pushed himself up from the couch. He stood and offered his hand as she slowly mirrored his movements.

"Let's get a little rest, before everyone else wakes up, shall we?"

The slight upturned quirk of his lips made Maka's heart skip a beat and she was suddenly very aware of his naked chest.

Kid wasn't quite as broad chested as Black Star, or even Soul, but he was tall and toned. He was lithe and his narrow waist led her eyes to his sinful hips and defined obliques. The grey sweatpants he had worn earlier were traded for loose-fitting, black pajama pants.

"Okay," she said quietly taking his hand.

Silently, he turned the lamp off in the common room and lead her slowly to his room. Trying not to focus too much on her warm hand in his, he opened his bedroom door. Pulling her to his bed, he gently escorted her toward his king sized mattress.

"Get some sleep, now, Maka," he whispered as he pulled the covers back for her.

He crossed his room to reach the opposite side of the bed and climbed under the comforter. She still stood on the far side, eyes unseeing in the darkness.

"Maka?" he questioned.

"Thank you, Kid."

What she was thanking him for, neither of them were sure. She gathered that she felt grateful he hadn't pushed her to answer his unending questions. There was something else, though, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Shaking her head, she followed suit and climbed into Kid's large, comfortable bed. Noticing he had his back to her, she turned hers to him as well.

"You're welcome, Maka."

With that, they both drifted to sleep.

The Gallows Mansion was silent, full of fitful slumberers.

A/N: Blah, I feel like this was terrible and rushed. Which is funny, because it took me MONTHS to update. I'm sorry, genuinely, to anyone who still has an interest in this story. There have been a lot of things going on in my personal life that have kept me away from writing. Loss of a job, the gain of two new jobs, the illness of a family member. I am very sorry. I'll do better from now on, hopefully. My head is a bit more clear now, so I think the next update won't be so far off.

Read and Review, if you've got the time. Any constructive criticism is absolutely welcome.