A/N: This story takes place after my story Of Sound Mind. You have to read that one first to understand the context of this story. I hope you enjoy. I am planning a chapter story sequel to Of Sound Mind details about that will be in another note at the end of this.

Kid had everything set up and was now anticipating his friends' arrival. He had set out movies, video games, and board games. He had hidden away his skateboard collection fearing what Blackstar might do to it. Kid had made room in the game room for all the sleeping bags. The party Kid had originally planned had turned into a sleepover. Everyone had been excited about the change of plans and Kid's dad had pulled some strings to make sure Blackstar had permission to be away from the hospital overnight.

It was now 7:50 PM. Ten minutes to go and all that was left to do was wait. Kid moved to go about rechecking everything when the doorbell rang. He looked to the clock to verify the time: 7:51 PM. He didn't know what to do. It wasn't 8 o'clock yet. Maybe he could open the door and ask whoever it was to wait. Kid hesitated with his hand on the door handle. He didn't want the guest to barge in as soon as he opened the door.

The guest knocked several times. Kid walked away from the door and sat on the bottom steps of the staircase. It wasn't eight yet. He had told everyone eight. Kid started tapping: one, two, three, four, five- His phone beeped alerting him to a text. Now he had to start over, One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. He checked the text. It was from Maka.

"I'm here for the sleepover. Are you home? It was 8, right?"

He sighed and sent back. "Yes, it is at 8."

Her reply came quickly. "Are you going to let me in then?"

"I can't it isn't 8 o'clock yet."

Maka's next text took a little bit longer. "I guess I'll just wait out here and wait then."

Kid could almost hear the irritation in the text. He felt a little guilty but then tried to justify himself. She was the one who had arrived early. What if he had been out or taking a shower? She couldn't possibly think he was the one at fault here, right?

It seemed to take an eternity for eight to get there. As soon as the hands of the clock moved into their place displaying 8 o'clock he opened the front door.

"Hello, Maka," Kid greeted.

Maka was sitting on the front steps, back facing the door. She turned to look at him, obviously unimpressed. "Hey, Kid," she replied. She got to her feet and Kid stepped aside for her to enter. Maka's eyes widened when she saw the inside of his home, but her only reaction was a calm. "Nice place."

Kid kept his demeanor relaxed but inside he was self-conscious. "Thank you. If you would follow me, I have everything set up in the game room."

"You have a game room?" she muttered.

He led her past the kitchen and down two hallways before they arrived at the game room. Inside was everything they would need for the night. A TV that was nearly as big as the wall, shelves filled with movies (although Kid had already set out the selections for the night), more shelves filled with video games, several gaming consoles, a pool table, a foosball table, a microwave, a cabinet and mini fridge filled with snacks, and comfortable seating.

Maka's gaze shifted quickly around the room as if she didn't know what to look at first.

"I had to remove some stuff in order to make room for sleeping bags. Although we do have enough guest rooms should the floor be too uncomfortable."

"You sure know how to throw a sleepover party."

"I wanted to be prepared."

Maka walked over and started absentmindedly turning the handles on the foosball table. "Kid, I actually came here early on purpose. There was something I wanted to talk to you about."

Kid frowned. There was something different in Maka's voice. He couldn't quite place what it was. "Okay, what did you want to talk about?"

She took a deep breath. "I don't know how to say-" Maka was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.

Kid held up a hand. "Hold that thought."

He quickly made his way to the front door and opened it. Liz was standing there and Soul was just coming up the walkway. Kid greeted them and took them to the game room where Maka was waiting.

A huge grin broke out across Soul's face when he saw the room. "Man… It sure pays off to have a rich friend." As soon as the words were out of his mouth Maka smacked him in the back of the head.

"Don't be an idiot, Soul!"

"Wow… and I thought my grandma had a lot of stuff," Liz commented.

Kid shifted uncomfortably. He thought he had gotten over being embarrassed about his family's wealth long ago, but it had been a long time since he had invited people over; people that he actually cared what they thought of him.

Soul and Liz tossed their overnight bags and sleeping bags next to where Maka had set hers and started to mess with the TV. Maka went back to messing with the foosball table, a deep frown on her face.

Kid moved to stand beside her. "There was something you wanted to tell me?"

Maka looked over her shoulder at Soul and Liz. "It can wait 'til later."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, grabbed one of the handles on the table, and spun it hard. "You want to play?"

Kid smirked. "You'll lose."

"I'll take my chances."

Maka won the first game and they were halfway through the second when the doorbell rang again. Kid answered the door to find Tsubaki in the middle of lecturing Blackstar.

"Blackstar, you have to behave a certain way when you are in other people's homes." Tsubaki looked up at the now open door and smiled at Kid. "Hi, Kid, sorry we're late."

"It's okay. Everyone is gathered in the game room."

Blackstar was bouncing with excitement. "You have a game room!"

Kid showed them to the game room. As soon as he moved to go back to his game with Maka the doorbell rang again. This time it was Crona and Ms. Marie. She spent at least ten minutes in the entryway making sure Crona would be okay spending the night.

"It will be fine," Crona tried to reassure her, a light blush coloring his face. "All of my friends are here. I think I'll be able to handle it."

Ms. Marie took her time smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from his shirt. "And you're sure you have everything?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

As he watched them say their goodbyes Kid felt relief that Crona now had someone who genuinely cared for him as a parent should. The door closed and Kid led Crona to the game room.

"I'm hungry!" Blackstar announced when Kid and Crona entered the room.

Kid rolled his eyes. "Snack are over there, right in front of your face."

"Don't be ridiculous! Those puny snacks won't fill me up. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big guy."

"Then what do you suggest?" Kid asked crossing his arms over his chest.

Blackstar leapt up onto the pool table. "Pizza!"

"Get the hell off of that, you idiot!"

The younger boy roared with laughter as Tsubaki tried to coax him down. "Blackstar, what did I say about respecting other people's property."

"I'm just having some fun!" Blackstar replied.

"We talked about this. Just because you're having fun doesn't mean everyone else is."

Kid had had enough. He grabbed Blackstar's ankle and yanked him off of the table. Unfortunately, he had miscalculated where Blackstar would fall and ended up with the other boy toppling toward him sending them both to the floor.

"Let's do that again!" Blackstar yelled.

Kid shoved at him but Blackstar was heavier than he looked. "Get off of me!"

They eventually were able to get the pizza ordered and they decided to have a video game competition while they waited for it to arrive. Maka and Blackstar were in the lead followed closely by Kid and Soul who were tied. Crona was right behind them. Tsubaki and Liz were competing for last place but Kid suspected it was more because neither of them were taking it very seriously. Liz was more preoccupied with her phone and Tsubaki seemed to be having more fun cheering on Blackstar.

The doorbell rang signaling the arrival of the pizza. Kid went to get the door when Maka also jumped up. "I'll help you," she offered.

"But it's your turn!" Blackstar cried irritably.

Maka handed her controller to Soul. "Here. Take my turn."

Kid and Maka went to the front door and retrieved the pizza. As they made their way back to the game room each carrying two pizzas Kid asked. "Do you think this will be enough?"

"There's no telling when it comes to Blackstar's appetite." Maka replied with a smile.

When they got to the door Maka stopped him. "Wait. I wanted to talk to you earlier-"

The door was thrown open and Blackstar grabbed one of the boxes of pizza with a yell. "Pizza!"

They set out the rest of the pizzas for everyone to eat and Kid turned back to Maka. "What-"

"Hey, Kid!" Soul called over. "What channel does your TV need to be on to put on a movie?"

Kid went to help set up the movie but he kept glancing back at Maka. He wondered what she was trying to tell him. It was obviously very important to her. He felt bad that they kept getting interrupted.

The lights were dimmed and the movie had started. Blackstar had a whole pizza to himself and everyone was happily eating their share of the rest of the pizzas. Liz was lounging in the recliner, Blackstar and Tsubaki were sitting on one couch, Maka was sitting between Crona and Kid on the other couch, and Soul was sitting on the floor in front of Maka's legs.

Halfway through the movie Maka leaned over to whisper to Kid. He shivered when he felt her breath on his ear. "Kid, I wanted to tell you-"

"Shh!" Soul suddenly turned around to shush her.

"Shut up!" Blackstar hissed at them. "This is the best part."

Maka glared around at the boys angrily but Kid could see even in the dim lighting that her cheeks were burning red. He leaned over and whispered back. "Maybe we can talk after the movie." She turned her gaze back to the movie but nodded in reply.

The movie seemed to drag on. Kid had already seen it but he was sure that it must have somehow become the extended version. As soon as the credits rolled he turned to Maka but her attention was on Crona who was asking her about a plot hole in the movie.

Soul got to his feet and scratched his chin. "I feel like something's missing," he said to no one in particular.

"What's that?" Kid asked curiously.

He looked thoughtful for a few moments and then his eyes lit up. "We need dessert."

Blackstar jumped up when he heard the word. "We should have cake!"

Kid shook his head. "We don't have cake."

"What about some of the box stuff?" Liz asked from her seat in the recliner. "I made one of those with my grandma once."

"I don't think so. Our chef makes everything from scratch."

"Well I don't know how to make a cake from scratch."

Soul shook his head. "Do any of us know how?"

Everyone looked around in silence. Blackstar's expression started to droop when Tsubaki slowly raised her hand. "I know how," she said softly.

As soon as they got out all the ingredients Kid knew it was going to be a disaster. Not ten minutes later he was proven correct. Baking ingredients covered the once pristine kitchen and the scent of vanilla permeated the mansion.

Kid could feel his right eye twitching as he took in the mess before him. Maka was suddenly beside him, her hand on his arm. "Maybe you should go set up the sleeping bags or something," she suggested gently.

He nodded as he turned away. "Out of sight, out of mind," he tried to recite in his head.

Back in the game room he moved furniture out of the way and unpacked all of the sleeping bags. He arranged and rearranged them attempting to find the perfect symmetrical pattern. It was when he finally found it, a wide grin spread across his face, that Blackstar came in.

"I thought you were helping with the cake?" Kid asked, eyes still on the sleeping bags.

"The cake is in the oven. Everyone was cleaning up and Tsubaki told me to come in here. She said I'd already done enough. Apparently my helpfulness overwhelmed her."

"Clearly."

"What are you doing?"

"I was organizing the sleeping bags."

Blackstar rushed forward and started moving the sleeping bags. "I'll help!"

"No!" As the younger boy moved the sleeping bags Kid moved quickly after him trying to put them back how he had them. "Stop! I already had them how I wanted them!"

"But I can't sleep next to Liz. I have to be next to Tsubaki and Soul. Here this will be much better."

Kid was on the verge of pulling his hair out. "You can't put the yellow one next to the purple one!"

When everyone else reentered the game room they found Kid laying in the middle of the floor with all of the sleeping bags piled on top of him and Blackstar sprawled on the couch playing a video game.

"Are you okay?" Crona asked as he prodded the sleeping bag pile.

"Blackstar, what did you do to Kid?" Tsubaki asked.

Blackstar paused his game. "I don't know. I was helping him and then he just laid down on the floor. He looked a little cold so I gave him the sleeping bags."

Liz shoved the pile off of Kid and pulled him to his feet in one fluid movement. Before anyone could say anything more Kid walked out of the room. Everyone followed wondering where he was going.

"Kid, what are you doing?" Maka asked.

Kid didn't reply until he reached the front door. "I'm going back to the mental hospital. Blackstar, is driving me insane."

They talked Kid down from taking such extreme measures and everyone ate the cake they had made. They all agreed it was the best cake they had ever had. As they ate Kid kept feeling Maka's gaze drifting back to him, but as soon as he would try to meet her eyes she would look away.

"Alright, Soul, we had dessert. What other awesome ideas do you have?" Blackstar prompted.

Soul grinned as he looked around at everyone. "We should tell scary stories."

"Hell, yes!" Blackstar shouted.

At the same time Liz yelled. "Hell, no!"

Somehow Soul and Blackstar convinced everyone this would be a good idea. They ended up all sitting in a circle, the lights off with only a flashlight in the middle of the circle to see each other. Crona was clinging to Maka while Liz was gripping Kid's arm like a lifeline.

Blackstar told his story in a low voice. They all had to strain to hear him, holding their breaths so that they wouldn't miss a word. "When she got back to her dorm room it was pitch black," he told them softly. "She went to bed silently so as not to wake her roommate. Just as she was drifting off to sleep she could swear she heard the scraping of wood. When she woke up the next morning she found her roommate gutted while still in bed. On the wall the hook handed man carved into it. 'Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the lights'."

"That wasn't scary," Maka declared when he had finished. "Everyone and their mother has heard that one."

Blackstar looked crestfallen. "Ah, man!"

"My turn," Soul announced. He cleared his throat and began his story. "Our tale begins on a high school class's camping trip in the woods."

"Really!" Liz cried incredulously. "Our class camping trip is coming up!" She gestured to herself, Kid, Maka, and Crona.

"Don't interrupt!" Soul shouted in irritation. He stopped and took several deep breaths. "I mean," he started again calmly. "Please let me finish my story."

Soul was allowed to continue and it was actually the scariest story any of them had ever heard. The suspense built until all of them were on edge. Even Blackstar and Tsubaki were holding hands out of a need for comfort. At the climax of the story Crona let out a high pitched scream that startled everyone else. A chorus of screams filled the mansion.

Soul dove toward the light switch and the room was suddenly bathed in light. The door was flung open startling them all again and there was a second wave of screams this time joined by a new voice.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Kid demanded trying to get his heartrate to slow to normal again.

"I heard screaming!" his dad defended. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, we were just telling scary stories." Maka explained as she patted Crona's hand.

"Oh, from all of those screams it must have been a good one. What was it about?"

Soul opened his mouth to retell his story when everyone threw him a glare.

"That's not important. We would rather not relive it." Kid replied.

His dad looked slightly disappointed but nodded. "Alright, well, it's getting late, so bedtime, everyone."

They all complained but their yawns betrayed how tired they really were. Reluctantly, they climbed into their sleeping bags. Kid's dad went over to his son and planted a kiss on the top of his head. "Good night, kiddo."

Kid felt his cheeks heat up. "Dad!" he hissed.

His dad chuckled and turned off the light as he left the room.

Blackstar started making kissing noises and everyone else joined in to tease their friend good-naturedly. Kid tossed a pillow at Blackstar since he was the instigator.

Once they all started to settle down Kid felt Maka's gaze on him again. He sent her a quick text. "We can talk once everyone falls asleep if you want."

She checked her phone and nodded at him in reply.

Blackstar was the first to fall asleep. His loud snores made it difficult for everyone else to drift off. Kid was growing more impatient with each passing moment. He laid there silently listening for each person's breath, waiting for it to become heavy and slow with sleep.

Nearly forty minutes later he was sure everyone else was asleep. He tiptoed over to Maka's sleeping bag. "Maka," he whispered. "You wanted to talk to me about something." He waited for her to answer but it didn't come. He squinted in the darkness and was able to make out her closed eyes and relaxed expression. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips.

She had fallen asleep.

Kid shook his head and made his way back to his sleeping bag. He would have to wait until morning to find out what was on Maka's mind. He laid down again and tried to get comfortable. But he tossed and turned. His mind was whizzing about giving him different scenarios to dwell on about what Maka wished to speak about. Some of them were good, but most of them were bad. Sleep was not going to come easily.

The next morning the chef prepared breakfast for them. Everyone seemed impressed by the spread of decadent foods. Kid was too tired to be self-conscious about it. He had stayed up all night wondering what Maka wanted to tell him.

Through a mouthful of crepes Blackstar said. "This tastes awesome!"

Everyone made noises of agreement, too polite to talk with their mouths full.

"Can I take your chef home with me?" Soul asked before he put more food in his mouth.

Kid hummed noncommittally, not really listening.

"You okay?" Maka asked.

"I didn't sleep well," Kid replied as he stifled a yawn.

"Little rich boy miss his soft bed?" Liz teased.

Kid threw her a halfhearted glare. "Ha ha," he said sarcastically.

Only half an hour later Tsubaki had to take Blackstar back to the hospital. Soon after that Ms. Marie picked up Crona. Then Soul and Liz left too.

When Maka was the only guest still there they both suddenly became shy, unsure of what to say to each other. Kid didn't know how to ask Maka what she had been trying to tell him this whole time and she seemed reluctant to say anything about it. So they both sat in the game room pretending to watch TV until her dad came to get her.

The doorbell rang signaling Mr. Albarn's arrival and panic suddenly rose in Kid's chest. For some reason he felt like once Maka left he would never have another chance to find out what she wanted to tell him. Yet he stayed silent as he walked her to the front door.

They stood there at the door for a long moment, Maka's hand on the doorknob. "I've been trying to work up the courage to tell you something for a long time," she said finally. She took a deep breath before continuing, like she was preparing to dive into a deep pool of water. "I like you, Kid."

Kid frowned in confusion. Was that it? "Well, I like you too, Maka."

"No," she said with a small laugh. "I like you, like you. I want to go on a date with you."

He didn't know how to reply. Did he like Maka like that? He thought back to all the times she had touched him or that they had deep conversations and a warm, comfortable feeling came over him. Kid smiled at her. "I like you, like you too."

Maka smiled back but she also looked a little flustered. "Good. I mean, I'm glad the feeling is mutual." A loud knock on the door startled them both. "My dad is waiting for me."

All of a sudden Maka's lips were on his own. It was over before he realized what was happening. Within seconds Maka had opened the door and she was walking away with her dad.

Kid watched them drive away before he closed the door. He took deep breaths trying to figure out what had just happened.

Had that been a kiss? Had Maka really just kissed him?

Whatever it was, it was perfect.

A/N part 2: The tentative title of the next story in this series is "When You're Lost, Here I Am". I am still in the planning stage for it so I don't know how quickly I will be posting it but please keep an eye out for it. The plan right now is that it will be darker than "Of Sound Mind". It is also going to be much more manga based. There will be characters from the manga and some spoilers for it. It will also draw parallels from the parts of the plot that are only in the manga.

Here is the tentative summary for it: While Kid, Maka, Liz, and Crona are on a class camping trip with their high school Kid starts to feel like something isn't right. Soon after he mentions this to his friends he disappears. The situation becomes progressively more dangerous for both Kid and his friends as they search for him. Will they find him before tragedy strikes?