" I missed you, too." Kid looked off to the side in an attempt to hide his blush. Soul grabbed his hand.
" You don't have to be embarrassed, I love when you turn pink like this." He teased. Kid faced him and admired the smile covering half his face. His sharp teeth never failed to amaze him when they should've made him scared. Still though... why would anyone like the ugly pink color on his face?
" Ew why?" Kid grimaced.
" Because you're beautiful, that's why."
" I-If you say so..." Kid stuttered.
" So um... how are you?" Soul asked. The conversation he was making was awkward before it even began. Kid couldn't hold himself back anymore.
" Fuck it." He said while scooting into the white haired boy's lap. He wrapped his arms behind his neck and leaned by Soul's neck, hugging him shyly. The thought had been crossing his mind all day, being close to him and feeling Soul's hands on his body. Now that he'd managed to get closer to him, it was impossible to not crave more.
Soul placed his hands on Kid's hips and began to blush heavily. He didn't expect someone as shy as him to be so forthcoming with his actions, but he definitely wasn't complaining. He pulled Kid even closer and the reaper was unbelievably flustered.
" I couldn't help it..." Kid whispered. " I just wish we could do things like this without having to hide..."
Soul pressed their foreheads together.
" I told you... after all this dance bullshit is over, I'm trying everything with you." He assured.
" I'd be happy to try everything right now~" Kid hesitantly purred, still nervously sitting on top of him. If he eventually did want to tell Soul all the things he'd thought about, the least he could do was allude to sexual things.
" As much as I'd love that... cool guys don't go too fast." Soul chuckled.
That just made Kid want him more. It didn't even necessarily mean sex, though he was hormonal and wanted nothing more than for them to get that close. It also meant that he wanted to have Soul over and do all the little things boyfriends did. But with Maka and the dance... things were impossible.
" Whatever, Romeo." He teased, still up by Soul's face, and with no intention of moving either. It felt like he was in his rightful place when he was in Soul's lap.
" Romeo was a real gentleman! You should know that, Juliet." Soul playfully retorted. He was actually happy to know Kid was familiar with Shakespere and could make jokes like that. It made him wonder about his other interests and he knew he'd ask all about them some day.
" I don't know who this Juliet character is, but tell her if she touches you, I'll shoot her fingers off." Kid huffed. He was entirely kidding of course.
" Will do." Jealous Kid was a real turn on for the now red-faced weapon. " So are you going to the dance?" Soul asked, changing the subject.
" I don't want to if I can't go with you." Kid turned himself around so that he was sitting facing away from Soul. He didn't want to seem like he was guilt tripping, but stayed in his lap.
" Sorry about that." Soul hugged his arms around the black and white haired boy.
" It's okay. If I go I'll just stay with Liz and Patty." He looked off to the side, something he did often. They sat in silence for a moment.
" Hey um I was wondering... and it's totally fine if you don't... really know either... but what are we?" Soul very clumsily tripped over his words. To see him doing that, it was clear that he was really talking about his feelings. He'd never been very good at that.
" We're whatever you want us to be." Kid told him.
" Can we... be boyfriends? You know... the weird kind that hide on the steps and who get together for real after this dumbass dance?" Soul asked, scratching the back of his head. He knew what he'd said... how he didn't know for sure what he was feeling, but still... it was like there was a little voice in his head just telling him to go for it.
" I'd love that." Kid laughed and leaned back against his new boyfriend's warm chest. Soul smiled to himself lightly.
" Just a few more days."
The following days would feel like an eternity for Kid especially. He had liked Soul for forever now, but things had changed. The weapon was his, and for some reason it all seemed like a vivid dream.
{ DWMA Steps: one day before the dance }
The couple lunch periods in the days since they were official were pretty much the only time Soul and Kid got to be alone, just the way they liked it.
Maka had finally accepted the fact that Soul wasn't coming to lunch. He had given her the lame excuse of "studying" and she knew he wasn't being truthful with her. But what could she do? Was she the type of controlling, overthinking, paranoid "girlfriend" who would get to the bottom of things? Yes. Exactly that kind. But asking Soul for the truth was too simple, no, she needed to be sneakier about things.
As Soul sat down on the steps, he felt nothing was different. Kid, on the other hand, knew they were not alone. The weapon greeted him happily and scooted closer, about to wrap an arm around his shoulder.
" So, Soul, what is it you needed help with today?" Kid threw his voice so their spectator would hear him. Unluckily for him, his boyfriend wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. He gave a perplexed look. The reaper whispered so only Soul could hear.
" Maka followed you out here, I'm picking up her soul wavelength." Kid was careful in making sure nobody watched them. He didn't want a repeat of the Liz and Patty photo-op.
" Oh." Soul mouthed, finally catching on. " I need help with some of the phasmology concepts we talked about yesterday." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. Neither of them could believe Maka had been snoopy enough to stalk her partner this way, but at the same time they could. Soul knew she wasn't happy with him, and Kid had suspected she was starting to jump to conclusions.
The very nosy blonde hid herself near the top of the stairs. Why couldn't Soul just ask me for help? She asked herself.
Kid whispered to the boy next to him nearly inaudibly.
" Should I call her out?"
Soul nodded. Kid perked his head up and turned around.
" Maka! If you wanted to come study with us so badly why didn't you just say so?" He called. She looked horrified, the expression still grasping her features as she shamefully emerged from the shadows.
" Maka? What're you doing here?" Soul pointed his gaze at her along with Kid. She walked down the steps, pissed at herself for being discovered. But still... she had to play it off.
" I could ask you the same thing." She said, folding her arms.
The boys looked at each other, then back at her. Kid was an excellent liar when it was pretty much anyone besides Soul. Reapers had to know how to be cunning and he was no exception. It just didn't show around Soul.
" I've been tutoring Soul for the past couple days."
" You've been tutoring him?" Maka seemed hurt.
" Yes." They answered together without even thinking. Maka frowned at her partner, but did so passively.
" Soul, why didn't you just talk to me? I am at the top of our class you know." She murmured while taking a subtle jab at Kid's grades. The reaper was livid, even if he refused to show it. He couldn't stand it when people didn't just say what they meant.
" Well, he told me you two have been fighting lately and he needed help." Kid answered for Soul and placed his hand on his shoulder. " I figured if you didn't want to help him, I would. We're a team, after all." He said, a hint of smugness in his voice. He knew Maka was envious to no end. Soul sat there quietly up until then. He didn't want them to fight. Even if Maka had been really off as of late, she was still his partner.
" Maka, would you like to join us?" The white haired weapon asked uncomfortably. She wasn't happy at all.
" No. I think I'm going to go inside with the others and let you two study in peace." She looked down and turned tail swiftly. She didn't waste time getting back inside the building.
Kid's hand slipped down from Soul's shoulder and gripped his hand. Soul squeezed it back, happy to be alone once again.
{ Kid's Mansion: later }
" Kid!" Liz knocked on his locked bedroom door. Not this again. He was still pissed about earlier and just wanted to be alone. But these things couldn't just be suppressed. Anger was anything but healthy if left unchecked.
" You've been hulled up in your room ever since we got home. Can you talk to me at least?" Liz pressed against the door. There was no use in arguing about it; he'd have to let her in eventually. Knowing that, he opened the door. He wore a look of jealousy and his teeth were clenched. " Will you tell me what's up?" Liz sat on the bed.
" It's Maka." Kid said, looking up and clearly restraining himself from ranting.
" What about her? She got to lunch late today and was looking pretty steamed." Liz said, rubbing his shoulder.
" There's a reason for that. Maybe she wouldn't be so mad if she would've minded her own godDAMN BUSINESS!" Kid snapped, not meaning to. Liz grew wide eyed.
" Well now you need to tell me everything. Did she say something to you?" It was unusual for Kid to get this mad at something not asymmetrically orientated. He chuckled, very irritated.
" Okay. So she came outside today while Soul and I were on the steps. She literally followed him to see what he was doing and was trying to spy on us! I called her out and she was being passive aggressive with me! I think she was just jealous that Soul was with me and not her." Kid was talking at near lightning speed and forgetting to breathe half of the time. " I'm telling you! I could've just went off on her and Soul was trying to keep the peace. She can't just treat us like tha-"
" Maybe she's just jealous because you have a better ass than she does." Liz joked, trying to cheer him up. Kid blushed and put his face in his hands, now self conscious. " Listen, Soul is on your side here." She said, hoping to calm him down.
" But what if she lies to him? What if she spreads some horrible rumors about me? Wha-"
" Shut it. Even if she tried to do that Soul wouldn't listen." Liz wrapped her arm around Kid supportively. " He cares about you a lot."
" How can you tell?" Kid was very anxious and worrying his head off by then.
" Well, for one, he leaves lunch everyday to go out there with you. And he said he wants to wait right? If he didn't care about you, you two probably would've done it in the bathroom a couple days ago."
" That is true, but what if Maka suspects something?!"
" Like...? What exactly? She didn't see you two doing anything, right?" Liz had a talent for consoling people and it came very in handy right then. That was partially the reason why she and Kid made such good partners along with Patty.
" Well no... we just acted like we were studying because I knew she was there right away. So as far as she knows, I'm tutoring him." Kid said, rethinking things. It was funny how all Liz had to do was point out the obvious.
" She wouldn't have any reason to think you two were together then, would she?"
" Intuition maybe." Kid just couldn't stop thinking the worst. His OCD was relentless and he tried his best to fight it off.
" Stop fretting so much. You're gonna make yourself sick." Liz said. " And sick people don't get to go to the dance, you know."
" You're not going to leave me alone about that dance are you?" Kid questioned.
" Nope." Liz grinned. " So... will you go?"
" Soul is going to be there with Maka." Kid pouted. He didn't know if he could watch them together and keep his cool. It wasn't like the fact that they were partners bothered him. He could respect that and it wouldn't be his place if he didn't. It was just that Maka didn't realize how cruel she was being by expecting Soul to do this.
" And Patty and I will be there." Liz pointed out.
" Where is Patty anyways?" Kid asked as he had finally noticed her absence.
" Right here!" Patty giggled from the doorway. Talk about perfect timing. Liz didn't really care where she'd been or what she'd been doing. Hell, she was probably coloring with crayons or something.
" Help me with this!" Liz ordered her sister. " Kid should come to the dance, right?"
Patty walked in the room, now a part of the conversation.
" Please come!" The younger sister begged and flashed her puppy dog eyes.
" We'll be with you the whole time! It'll be fine, I promise." Liz added. Kid would have really liked to stay home, most likely to wallow in self pity. Handling the sight of Soul with Maka would be self torture, but something told him he should go. It wasn't their constant begging, but rather, his sense of conscience. The reaper inhaled deeply, something that made the girls pause in anticipation.
" Fine, I'll... go." He said. Squeals rang out from his weapons and Kid cringed. " Calm down."
" Finally!" Liz indulged at the closing of her hard fought battle, from which she had just emerged victorious. " So what're you going to wear?"
" I don't know." Kid didn't really care what he wore so long as he was symmetrical. Liz's eyes gleamed and she darted to her meister's walk-in closet. The room was bigger than most people's bedrooms and kept completely straight. " Liz! Don't go in there! If you mess up my closet I swear!" Kid followed her in to see she had already fucked up half of it while rummaging her way through. " What hAVE YOU DONE!!!! THE SYMMETRY!" He panicked and immediately started fixing everything. Liz held up an outfit she had oh so quickly thrown together.
" This." She said and Patty, who was standing in the doorway of the closet now, nodded. The reaper, who had finished putting everything back, stared at the masterpiece Liz had in her hands.
" That." He agreed.
{ Soul and Maka's apartment: same time }
" Sorry. I know I've been being a little bit difficult lately." Maka said. Soul just wanted things to go back to normal. They sat at their dining room table eating dinner.
" It's fine. This dance is just stressing you out." He didn't want her to be angry with him, but a relationship other than friends just wouldn't work. Maka and himself were compatible as partners and maybe even as best friends on a good day, but never as a couple. Especially not with Soul's newfound feelings for Kid. He just had to get through the dance, then if she tried to further anything, he'd let her down gently. Something told him, it wouldn't be that easy.
{ DWMA steps: the day of the dance }
And just like any other, the anticipated day of the dance had arrived. School seemed to go by in slow motion for the students who had been eagerly waiting. But Kid, for once, didn't want school to end. He wanted to procrastinate as much as possible and push the dance from his thoughts, further than that, actually. The dance could jump off a cliff.
Maka hadn't been daring enough to follow Soul again. He and Kid sat side by side with their fingers gently laced together.
" I'm going to the dance." Kid said bluntly. Surprise rippled across the other boy's face.
" Really? I didn't expect that one." Soul said, genuine.
" Well... I just feel like I should be there. After all, my Father runs the academy." Kid leaned on Soul's shoulder.
" Liz and Patty nudged you into deciding this, I'm guessing?"
Kid sighed at the weapon's all knowing smirk.
" You could say that." They both absorbed each other's company, pausing momentarily.
" You know that you're... gonna have to... keep your distance... right? Maka will be pissed if the night isn't about me and her." Soul said awkwardly. He didn't want to offend him.
" Yeah... I know." As much as it pained the reaper, he was aware. He couldn't get too close, because he was playing with fire. And Maka was the one with a can of gasoline.
{ Kid's mansion: 2 hours before the dance }
Kid laid flat on his back atop his ridiculously soft bed. He stared at the ceiling and listened to the bickering of Liz and Patty from the bathroom down the hall. The two sisters had been in preparation for the dance since school ended. Kid wondered how anyone could care so much about one night, how they would waste away half the day doing makeup, or hair, or whatever the fuck it was. He might've obsessed over that stuff sometimes, but it didn't take nearly as long.
He wasn't undressed from his school clothes yet. Once he was home, the bed grabbed a hold of him and didn't plan on letting go anytime soon. Kid was beginning to have second thoughts about whether he should go.
" Kid!" Liz shrieked from the doorway. He shot up, nearly having a heart attack. " You're not even dressed yet?! Oh my Lord." She facepalmed. Her makeup was nearly flawless. The wings adorning Liz's eyelids were perfectly symmetrical and sharp enough to stab a bitch had she wanted them to. Her eyebrows were artfully sculpted and complimented her face shape. She looked stunning.
" The dance doesn't start for 2 hours." Kid rolled his eyes, finally not startled anymore.
" So?" Liz asked, sass dripping from her tone. The reaper looked off to the side in a huff. " You're going, Kid. You told Soul you were, so there's no getting out of it now." Liz's eyebrows furrowed as she spoke. A sigh rang out from the boy.
" I know." He cupped his face. " I know." Kid was stressing himself out just thinking about the dance, thinking about Maka dancing with Soul, thinking about him being miserable as her arms wrapped around him. Thinking about the two made him sick with envy.
{ Soul and Maka's apartment: same time }
" No! That's not tight enough, dummy." Maka exclaimed with an expression of irritation settling on her face. Soul was emerging from the hall in a black suit with a white undershirt. Around his neck, there was a loosely knotted green tie.
" It's fine, Maka." Soul rolled his eyes. She was lucky he even agreed to wear the tie at all. Green was not his color by a long shot; it didn't work with any of his features. But Maka couldn't have cared less about what Soul liked or didn't. She just wanted him to match her emerald green dress, which she actually looked cute in. Even though it was strapless and showcased her flat chest to world, she loved the fact that it matched her eyes.
" No it's not fine." She came forward, somehow able to walk in her too-high-high-heels. She righted Soul's tie, nearly choking him to death in the process.
" Knock it off!" He said, swatting her away.
" You need to look presentable." Maka retorted. He loosened his tie, as it was turning his face bluer by the second.
" I look fine." Soul argued. He plopped down on the couch and rested his feet, which were already itchy from the dress socks, on the table.
" Hmph." Maka rolled her eyes, very irate. " You wanna look like crap?! Fine! I won't stop you, but if you'll excuse me I have to go finish getting ready." She said, bitter, before making her way down the hall to the bathroom, where she shut the door way too hard. Soul's tie was too loose and it was bothering her way more than it should've.
Soul took off his tie and chucked it on the coffee table like a toddler having a temper tantrum. She was being so prissy that day and he just didn't know how to deal with it. He pulled out his phone and texted Kid. That was something he knew would make him feel better.
Soul 6:01 PM: Hey
Kid 6:03 PM: Hey
Soul 6:04 PM: Just wanted to talk to you.
Kid 6:05 PM: Is everything okay?
Soul 6:05 PM: Yeah. Everything's cool... it's just Maka is being... Maka.
Kid 6:08 PM: I'm sorry you have to deal with that.
Even though Kid was being forced into his outfit by Liz, he still managed to respond.
Soul 6:09 PM: Don't be. Talking to you is already helping.
Kid 6:11 PM: You're welcome? Lol
Soul 6:12 PM: Thanks y'know ... for being here.
Kid 6:13 PM: I'll always be here for you.
Soul 6:14 PM: Be a little more cheesy will ya?
Kid 6:16 PM: Don't ever forget.
Soul 6:18 PM: You're much more charming over text.
Kid 6:21 PM: That's because I'm not looking at you. Your eyes make me really distracted
Soul 6:21 PM: I'll take that as a compliment.
Kid 6:23 PM: Good. That's how I meant it.
Soul 6:25 PM: So... how are you?
Kid 6:26 PM: Good I guess. Liz and Patty are forcing me to go though.
Soul 6:27 PM: Tell them thanks from me.
Kid 6:28 PM: Why?
Soul 6:28 PM: Because I can't wait to see how good you look.
Kid 6:31 PM: I thought you were supposed to focus on Maka tonight?
Soul 6:32 PM: Only when she's looking.
{ A/N: The tea is strong with this one. Also thank you to everyone who votes, comments, and reads my stories! It means so much to me and brightens up my day when I see I'm making others happy <3 }