Ⓢⓤⓡⓟⓡⓘⓢⓔ?

Taking Precautions

Maka's POV

The first thing she noticed was how gentle his kiss was—like he kissed her but didn't want to force her to kiss him back. The second thing she noticed was how he moved the hand by her head and began caressing her face gently. The third? His other hand had released her wrists but kept one of her hands, fingers intertwined.

And the fourth thing was that when he pulled away, she really wished that he hadn't.

He kept his forehead against hers as they stood in place, breathing irregular and enticing the other. Soul's hands remained where they were, one stroking her face softly, the other never relinquishing its hold on her captive hand.

"Wow," she breathed, a dazed smile on her lips.

Soul nodded, grinning. "Yeah," he said, equally as breathless as his meister. They gazed at each other, silent except for their breathing, until he spoke again. "So...if you thought I "felt the same way", then you should tell me how you feel first before I can confirm my own feelings."

She blushed prettily, her smile turning shy. "W-Well, for a while now, I've...um...had feelings for you, yet I never did anything about it, because I treasured our friendship too much to risk it. But when I was leaving, your behavior...I don't know, I guess it made me think you felt something for me, too." She turned her gaze from him, cheeks reddening even more.

He chuckled. "You were right," he whispered, before he captured her lips once more.

This kiss was passionate, albeit clumsy, since they were inexperienced, but neither cared for that, only focusing on the pleasure and excitement that ran through their bodies. Maka's free hand wound itself in his hair, pulling him closer, while Soul's free hand moved from her face, sliding down her arm before it landed on her lower back, pulling her body closer to his. His other hand, which held onto Maka's other hand as well, released itself and moved to tilt her head to the side. He broke away from her lips and trailed kisses down her jaw, then her neck and shoulder, causing Maka to let out a breathy moan. Her hand, now free from his grasp, absently trailed down his chest, and she shocked herself as she slid it underneath his shirt, fingernails lightly scraping against his skin. She felt him shudder, shortly after feeling his tongue trace the shell of her ear. Her knees felt like they would give out at any second, until suddenly Soul's hands moved to her legs, lifting her up and wrapping them around his waist. The friction they both felt made them more hungry for each other, and Soul moved to suck at the underside of her jaw.

"Hello, Hello! Maka! Are you there?"

The sound of Lord Death's voice startled them, both jumping apart so fast it made them dizzy. Both were panting heavily, faces red and hair slightly disheveled, as well as their clothes. Maka cleared her throat before answering, "Yes, sir, be there in a moment!"

She took her hair down, combing her fingers through it, then patted and smoothed down her clothes. She took a deep breath, and suddenly—much to Soul's dismay—she looked as if nothing had just happened between them. Her face looked serious, and she glanced at him, giving him a small smile before heading into the living room, where they recently installed a large mirror above their couch (it was very inconvenient to use it in the bathroom).

She walked over and stood in front of the mirror, politely smiling at her principal. "Hello, Lord Death, how are you today?"

Lord Death gave her a big thumbs up, his antics making Maka's smile widen. "I am quite well, thank you for asking! Does Soul know about your trip being postponed?"

She nodded. "Yes, I told him about it as soon as I got home."

"Good. Could you call him over please? I must speak to both of you."

"Right away, sir." She went back into the hallway, noticing the bathroom light was on. She walked over to the open door and saw Soul splashing water onto his face. "Soul? Are you alright?"

He took a hand towel and dried his face. "What? Oh yeah, no I'm fine. Just...cooling myself off a bit."

Maka blushed. "I'm sorry that we got...interrupted," she said quietly, "but Lord Death wants to speak to both of us."

He nodded. "Okay."

They both walked over to the living room, and Lord Death spoke as soon as Soul was visible to him. "Good! Now, this is important!" He cleared his throat. "So, you are both aware that this meister trip was postponed due to certain circumstances. Earlier today, the plane that was to take Maka and all her fellow meisters on their mission was delayed. However, there was a plane that left at their scheduled departure time, and not long after it became airborne, it disappeared. Maka, I'm assuming you've thought this over already and have some idea of the problem?"

She frowned. "Yes, sir. It occurred to me on the way back home that we were the ones who were supposed to be on that plane. A big mission for graduating meisters? What better way to get rid of them by making them disappear? The less meisters there are, the more weapons there will be that will have no handler. Of course, they could go on their own like Justin Law, but...I'm afraid that was all I was able to think of, sir."

"You think the same as me, my dear. I fear we have a spy of sorts among us. Someone is trying to sabotage our school and our students, which is unforgivable. Therefore, I'm taking some precautions for this trip." He lifted a hand and Spirit walked into the frame. He nodded at his daughter with a smile (which Maka ignored, of course), and turned to Soul.

"Soul, you are going to accompany my daughter—your meister—on her trip. We don't know what will happen once we get into the air, which is why every meister will be bringing their weapon, or weapons, with them for additional protection and to help defend any civilians that may be present. I, along with Marie, will be accompanying you."

Maka and Soul glanced at each other briefly before nodding in understanding. Soul smirked. "I read you loud and clear, old man."

Spirit grumbled in annoyance, then left Lord Death's side. Then the principal spoke, "Your trip will be in 3 days. Make sure to pack everything you may need. Good day!" Then he disappeared and all that remained was their reflections.

They were silent. Then, "Well, now you can't make me stay here."

"Shut up, Soul." And they both smiled at each other.