Title: My Private Sanctuary
Author: stitchy-soul
Medium: Fanfiction
Rating: PG-13 for language! D8
Pairing: Soul/Kid
Table: 3
Theme: 3,"No Worries, Darling!"
Summary: Once again, Kid is stuck at another officious banquet put on by his father. But those quick texts that he's making may lead to something much more grand...
Disclaim: Ohkubo owns all. D8 Also 'Atomic' is the same as 'Sonic'. It's incognito!
A/N: Shinkengami and Kinengami is my own classifications for certain shinigami, like speciation. Shinken = crimson, Kinen/Kin'iro = gold; it matches their eye color. The head of the Shinkengami is Light from Death Note. ;P It's my own personal addition. He broke the curse and made all of his people pretty again. X333

It was gorgeous. The tables were laden with pristine cloths, adorned with small flowers in shades of gold and orange. The settings were a glittering crystal; the candles placed nearby were flickering in small whispers. Tall mirrors bordered the tables, standing sentry along the perimeter of the room. In the center was an elegant dance floor. The guests floated across the black and white marble, some carrying drinks in gloved hands. It was gorgeous. Just the way Kid liked it. Yet... he covertly slipped his cell from his jacket pocket. Yet he couldn't help but want to disappear.

'Lol. Yeah, that sucks dude. X_X B*S's kicking my ass at Halo! D8'

Kid smiled bemusedly and punched back a quick reply.

'*evil grin* Not FEAR this time? ;P'

The shinigami smirked to himself and slipped the phone back out of sight, trying in vain to look interested in the night's events. Beautiful people filled the large banquet hall, conversing animatedly with each other. He could spot his father standing across the way, entertaining a young woman and her male companions. He sighed heavily. His father would be frustrated if he knew how unsociable he was being. Forcibly, Kid strode forward, searching out the familiar forms of Liz and Patti. A soft buzz against his hip.

'NUUUU NOT FEAR! *cry* Thanks dude, I'm going to have nightmares of Alma now! D8'

Kid weaved through the crowd, replying deftly.

'Hey, just imagine you're fighting Alma in Halo and you'll kick B*S's ass, right? ^^'

The reply was almost instantaneous.

'Yeah! Good idea. Wish you were here though...'

The shinigami smiled sadly.

'Yeah, me too...'

"KID~!" the younger Thompson sister pounced her meister, nuzzling him affectionately.

"A-Ah, hello Patti..." Kid squeaked out, prying the girl off of himself. "What have you two been up to?" he queried, tugging his jacket back into place.

"The usual." Liz smiled. She looked like an angel draped in her red velvet dress, hair half up, the rest coming down in tendrils. "Trying to look intelligent, hitting on hott guys. Uhmm... are you alright?"

"Hmn?" the teen jerked his head up. "Ah, yes, I'm fine. Just... ill at ease..."

"I hate formal stuff too!" Patti grinned, not bothering to keep her voice down. Kid winced. Thankfully no one turned around to stare.

"It's not so much that..." he confessed. His amber eyes flitted back across the room. His father was brushing back his hair with one hand, the three perfect white rings clearly visible. This time he was talking with a slender young man with auburn hair. A curvaceous woman with soft black waves stood next to them, smiling adoringly at his father... he shuddered and cleared his mind. Suddenly he really wanted the safety of his cloak and mask. It unnerved him to see his father 'in public' such as it were without his trademark concealment.

"Kid?" Liz broke into his thoughts once more.

"Sorry. It's just... these other shinigami. They... they really freak me out." This time his eyes were glued to the floor. "The Shinkengami... we cursed them for so many years. And now we're friends? It's just... unsettling. Like... how do we know to trust them?" he mumbled the last bit, a faint tinge staining his cheeks.

"It's okay, Kid. You'll get good with all this diplomatic bullshit by the time the time comes. I mean, crap, you guys live forever. You'll be alright." Liz smiled, seeing through his thoughts.

"Maybe..." he sighed heavily and took a drink from a waiter, swirling it thoughtfully.

"You Kinengami aren't so different, right? I mean, you and the Shinkengami leader are like IDENTICAL!" Patti crowed, downing a drink of her own. Kid's eyes snapped up to glare at her.

"He and I are nothing alike." he bristled, recalling the auburn haired man from earlier. "Just because he's replaced the old king means nothing."

"He single handedly broke the curse your grandfather placed on them..." Liz reminded him lightly.

"We'll see how long that lasts..." the young shinigami prince moved away from his weapons, looking for a tray to set his drained flute upon. Buzz. Buzz. He pulled out the mobile once more.

"Go to the balcony. It's nicer out there."

Kid smiled and followed the text's directions. It was true. On a chilling evening such as this, very few people would be found among the balconies, not even the main one. Approaching the large glass doors, he slipped out into the calm night air. The moon seemed brighter this night. Still as creepy as ever, but at least it wasn't drooling blood. That had to be promising. He sighed as he stretched, taking the liberty of unbuttoning his tailored jacket. It was different than his usual one; this one had lapels and was missing his trademark white stripes. Instead, gold edging trimmed the majority of the suit, the outer pockets embellished with black lace. In all, it was a highly attractive item. Kid hated it merely for the fact that it meant highly formal occasions. As much as a gentleman as he could be, there was something deeply unsettling about being on display.

He laughed softly out loud. If Black*Star had better self-control, he'd probably be really good at these things. As for Soul... he exhaled softly. Soul was perfect when it came to events like this. Something about his I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude changed to reveal a suave gentleman that was mild mannered and good at talking. It was so... breathtaking. Not to mention the fact that he had killer taste in formal attire. Then again, anything would look better than Black*Star's rockstar-esque idea of 'formal wear'.

He let his fingers toy with the wisteria growing up over the side of the balcony, thumbing the small purple petals. With a sigh, he rested his elbows on the edge, surveying the twinkling lights of the city. His domain. He laughed bitterly. He didn't want all of this. He didn't need it. He didn't need the stuffy parties, the power, the control. The fate of hundreds of people in his hands. Frankly he didn't believe he could handle it, especially if he failed. His golden eyes dimmed. "I don't think I can measure up to you, Chichi-ue..." Buzz. Buzz.

"Look down ;)"

So Kid did. And gasped. "S-SOUL?!" The familiar shock of pure white hair bobbed, and a canine-like grin shone up at him.

"I've come to spring you out of here." his smooth tones murmured. The shinigami stared incredulously.

"H-How did you get here?" He gaped, still stuck on the thought of 'Why-how-who-what-hunh?!'.

"My bike." stupid devilish grin.

"I didn't hear it..."

"That's because your classical band is fairly loud and your walls are virtually sound proof. Now come on!"

"Where's Black*Star?" Kid asked, by now blinking stupidly.

"Back at my place. I told him of your strategy using Alma as an image. He about shit himself when Tsubaki came in with her hair down." his laugh was abrupt. "They can meet up with us later if ya want. I think Maka was trying to get them to calm down with Scrabble or something."

"H-How...?" Kid stared. "How am I to slip... " he cut himself off and laughed. "One second!" he turned and ran back to the giant doors, peering inside warily through the glass. No one seemed to have noticed his causal disappearance so far... Carefully, he took off his jacket and folded it neatly over the back of a chair. That should suffice for the time being.

"Reckless. Time to be reckless." he whispered encouragingly to himself. The guilt had already started to creep in. "Not like Chichi-ue noticed all the raves I slipped off to..." he added reassuringly. He summoned Beelzebub, stepping gingerly on the board as if he'd never done so before. In seconds he had hopped off of the skateboard, and it vanished in a snap a dark tendrils. "Hey Soul." he grinned nervously. The other teen grinned back at him, grabbing his wrist.

"Come on, you spaz. We're gonna go on an adventure!"

"A-Ah! Soul? What do you mean by- ?" he stopped stalk still and stared at the motorcycle glinting before him. Soul smirked, offering a helmet to his friend.

"It's Maka's." he added offhandedly, pushing the black helmet forward. "I told her she could choose one, but none of that sissy girl crap. I think she did alright." he beamed. Kid took the helmet in his hands tentatively, spinning it to the side to examine the detailing. It looked as if someone had airbrushed a neon aqua butterfly onto the plastic, small flames and graffiti detailing the background.

"It's alright." the shinigami nodded, still holding it uncertainly. "So..." he watched Soul slide onto the metal beast, revving the engine. His friend laughed.

"Come on. Don't be a sissy!" he teased. Kid frowned - blushing because of the instinctual pout that he couldn't help - and rammed the helmet on his head. After a moment's consideration, he swung his leg over the back of the bike, straddling it nervously. "You may wanna hang on, ya know." Soul smirked bemusedly. "This isn't like anything else you've experienced." Kid's pout grew.

"Just because I'm riding bitch doesn't mean th-AT!" his eyes grew to the size of saucers as Soul punched the gas, shooting forward several yards. The bike stopped abruptly with Soul's laughter. The shinigami blushed, finding his hands clutching the back of his friend's shirt. "This is so improper..." he muttered, slowly wrapping his arms around Soul's midsection. His fingers twitched against the warmth, not expecting to feel the soft muscle beneath the thin fabric of his T. His face evanesced into scarlet. Those were definitely not observations one should be making of a friend. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he nearly missed Soul's question.

" -ready this time?"

"A-ah... yeah... yeah, I think so." Kid nodded, unconsciously scooting closer against the scythe. There was an audible smirk before the engine revved up again, and the pair smoothly rolled off the back lawn and on to the private street, gliding passed the dark forms of trees. After twenty minutes of riding, they emerged on the main street, the lights of cars streaking around them. Kid was shaking slightly, though he wasn't sure if it was from nerves or adrenaline. There was definitely something sexy about the entire situation... though, he added, that would only be the appropriate term to use if he were a girl. He bettered his grip, unintentionally rubbing his palms against Soul's abs. Blushing, again. He chided himself harshly. Surely this would all be forgotten by the morning.

"So!" Soul called over the purr of the engine. "Where do ya wanna go? I've got money to burn!" Kid could hear the grin in his words.

"Money? Where from?" he called back, a little surprised. Not many students within Shibusen worked because they were so busy with collecting souls and studying. Soul, of all people, would be one of the last people he could see as being interested in a job, next to Black*Star. There was an awkward pause.

"From Spirit." Soul confessed, laughing almost nervously.

"From Maka?" the other laughed.

"Yeah, well... he just throws his money around. Maka gave me a bit. Henh... So, where to?"

"I'm kinda hungry..." Kid admitted sheepishly. "We only had cocktails and fancy food." a small pout formed on his lips. "Uhm... would Atomic be okay?"

"The drive-thru? You sure? I can take ya to a restaurant. I've got loads of cash!"

"Yeah, nothing much." Kid smiled. "Thanks." He nuzzled into the scythe's back slightly. Sure, he was a shinigami prince. Yes, he had the privilege of access to many areas and to information. He had a two-story bedroom and maids. He was given an entire yacht for one of his birthdays and he owned the rarest, handmade car in the entire world. But he always had hated the differential treatment. It embarrassed him and made him angry. It may have been because those people saw him as something great - something to be admired and to expect loads from. Whatever it was was not how Soul treated him. Soul could do and say the same things as the others, but it never angered him. It never made him too uncomfortable, and there was something warm about the way it would embarrass him. Something genuine and ... no, Kid didn't dare think it. He refused to label anything between the two of them as 'affectionate'.

They pulled into a stall and dismounted; Kid still shaky from the new experience. "You okay?" Soul frowned, watching as the meister slid off his suspenders and untucked his dress shirt, unbuttoning it at the neck.

"Y-Yeah, just... not used to that."

"You like it?" Soul smiled ...hopefully?

"Y-Yeah... yeah, it's exhilarating." the shinigami slowly smiled. "...Food?" The scythe laughed.

"Don't do that, you look cute." If he hadn't turned when he did, he wouldn't have missed the dark coloring that spread across his friend's cheeks. "So what would you like?" he asked, stepping up to the giant menu board. "Regular burger and fries with a shake?"

"Hanh, you know me." Kid smiled ruefully. He moved off and selected a spare outdoor table as Soul placed their order. It was rather nice out, he decided. It was rather nice in general. No officious affairs, no champagne flutes, no damn Shinkengami claiming an alliance. Out here... was full of life. There were no closed doors. Just open, wild life. Flashing lights, glinting cars, people walking beside one another... Soul sitting beside him. Soul... there was something alive within him. Something that could be refined and suave but always just a trace... wild. Something that couldn't be caged in by walls or doors or rules. He was the one key that could remove Kid from his mental labyrinth of a fortress. Soul sitting beside him...

'No worries...' With Soul it didn't have to be a matter of right or wrong. No need for propriety. Just spontaneity. He leaned in softly towards his... friend? 'No worries.' Soft lips captured in his. He could feel Soul freeze beneath him in shock. Could feel, even as his eyes squeezed shut in fluttering nervousness as the scythe slowly kissed back. Could feel strong arms embrace him and pull him closer. They parted breathlessly, hazy golden eyes peering into misted scarlet ones. Soul required no reason or explanation. The shinigami leaned in imploringly for another kiss. No worries, darling.