After a few moments of driving Soul pulled the bike over. Leaving it idling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a long piece of black silk.

"What's that for?" Maka asked curiously. He grinned, a shark's smile.

"It's to blindfold you. This is supposed to be a surprise." Trusting him implicitly despite her curiosity, she agreed to let him wind the black material around her eyes. After he'd checked to make sure she couldn't see anything, he turned back around and urged her to hold on as he kicked the bike back into gear. It seemed like a relatively short ride and then the bike was slowing again, only this time when it stopped the engine cut off. She dismounted carefully and stood, waiting until Soul took her hand and led her forward. Her soul perception could feel another person nearby, and with a hitch in her breathing she suddenly knew where she was...and why she was there.

"Soul, you didn't..." she whimpered. She could almost feel him smirk.

"I didn't what?" he asked carelessly before leading her through a doorway and down what felt like a hallway. She could tell by the way sounds moved that they'd come to a stop in a room, and as he released her hand and stepped away she stood there with her nerves quivering and her body afire, knowing exactly what her 'special present' was. She was frozen with embarrassment and the most intense surge of arousal she had ever felt when she heard footsteps approaching. The sensation of silk slithering against her face was over quickly and she was left suddenly staring up into green eyes dark with lust.

"Happy birthday, Maka," the professor whispered huskily.

He watched patiently as Soul led the blindfolded girl into the center of the room. She was exquisite. The clothes she was wearing hugged her slim form to perfection, and oh Death, her legs in those heels were going to give him a heart attack. Unable to take any further waiting he stepped forward and carefully unwound the silk from her eyes, and nearly gasped as she looked up at him. Such a combination of beauty and innocence and pure carnal desire should not be able to exist in one person. It wasn't fair. Holding her gaze, watching the understanding light up her emerald eyes, he had to force himself to breathe.

"Happy birthday, Maka," he managed to say around the dryness in his mouth and throat. Some part of his periphery registered Soul sitting casually on a nearby chair but Stein's entire being was focused on the nymph before him.

"Thank you, Professor," she whispered back, his title slipping from her lips like warm chocolate. He shouldn't be so completely undone by such a little thing, he thought, but knowing she was supposedly off-limits despite the fact that she was standing inches from him sent a charge through him that was almost like electricity. He forced himself to stop gaping and gathered his thoughts. Reaching out he lifted one of her hands in his own, struck anew by how petite she was next to him.

"You know why you're here," he said slowly. After a moment, she nodded. "I told Soul I will not be party to this unless I hear your consent from your lips. So what is your answer? You can walk out right now and this will never be brought up again. Or you can stay. The choice is entirely yours." With shaky breath he regarded her, refusing to let her see how much she had affected him, how easily she could be the one to unmake him. She looked him over thoroughly, her eyes raking down his body with the burning intensity of a hundred suns, before returning his stare, her deep green eyes locking with his for untold moments. Finally, she answered, though not in the way he'd expected. Reaching up, she plucked his forgotten cigarette from his mouth and dropped it on the cement floor before pulling his mouth down to her own.

He was standing. Right. Here. In front of her. He'd obviously dressed up a bit as well, the tailored – yet still stitched – white dress shirt tucked into smooth black slacks. He'd left the top few buttons undone, the tie around his neck not tightened but rather looped loosely as though they'd shown up a few minutes early. She could see the edges of the scar on his chest, make out the definition of those muscles that had turned her on so much underneath the linen shirt. She knew she couldn't trust her voice to make an appearance at that moment, and he was waiting for her answer, so she did the only thing she could to prove her willingness. Reaching up to take the cigarette from his mouth the let it drop carelessly, heedless of where it landed. All she could think of was that her fantasies were coming true. Maka slid her hand behind his neck and pulled him down to her, slanting her lips across his and pressing herself against his solid form.

Flames licked over her entire body at the first touch of her lips on his. His arms snapped around her so tightly she thought she'd lose her breath as he lifted her from the floor to drag her closer to him. She could feel the strength in him as he held her immobile, his mouth memorizing the contours of hers with a fever that was spreading throughout her entire body. And just as suddenly as it had started, he'd broken the kiss and set her back on her feet.

"Maka," he said, the sound somewhere between a moan and a growl, "I'd like to tell you you can change your mind at any point, but I'll be honest. I'm not strong enough to let you go. If you stay, you are mine tonight. End of story. You will belong to me, and I will possess you in every way I can." She had a brief moment of hesitation – not for herself, but rather wondering what Soul would have to say to this. But when she turned to see her partner he just smiled, and she suddenly understood that this was part of the bargain as well. She knew he liked to watch – apparently he'd made a bargain with the devil for the benefit of all three of them. Her libido slammed into full gear as she realized that this must have been why no one would touch her all week. A smirk came to her face as she looked back at her soon-to-be lover. The side of Maka that was still new, the naughty side that enjoyed the games, came to the fore and she slid her fingers along the visible part of Stein's scar. Leaning close, she stage whispered to him.

"How do you want me first?"

Damn you, man, get hold of yourself. You're not some teenager! Stein berated himself. Her fingers on his skin were heaven enough, but when she spoke in that low voice, that whisper of lust, he nearly lost his mind. Clearing his throat, he reached up and slid his hand into her smooth golden hair.

"Follow me," he managed, and with her hair still winding through his fingers he turned and left the room. She followed him, slightly behind and to his right, and he thrilled at her obvious obedience. At heart Maka was still and would always be a good girl. The thought made him harder than he was before. Good girls were always the best.

He led her into one of his examination rooms, and a glance backwards showed him that though she may have been confused she wasn't backing down. Soul slipped in unobtrusively and took a seat in a chair at the side. Maka's eyes flickered to him as well, and Stein knew she understood the arrangement. He was pleased to see that nothing in her demeanor or expression changed. Letting go of her hair he turned to face her fully.

"Up on the table, Maka," he said calmly. Watching her boost herself onto the cold steel was arousing in itself, the slight bounce of her breasts, the way her legs stretched as she moved. He knew then where he would start.

"Do you want me to leave you free, or would you rather I strapped you down?" he said almost conversationally, taking note of the way her nostrils flared at his suggestion. Her lips curved as she answered.

"Maybe you'd better tie me down, Professor. I might thrash around and hurt myself otherwise." Sin. She was pure sin. And he planned to drown himself in her decadent depths. His movements were sure, precise, as he fastened the leather straps around his willing victim's ankles and wrists. He could see her chest heaving as she panted, saw how her body unconsciously arched towards him as he leaned over her to make sure she was secure. Standing up, he saw her eyes claiming him and decided to tease her a little. With deft motions he unbuttoned his shirt, pulling his tie from around his neck and tossing it over a nearby IV rack before slipping out of his shirt and hanging it on the other side of the metal stand. Her eyes were blazing as they devoured his shirtless form, and for the first time in a long while he felt smug knowing that the results of his rigorous training had such an effect on his young toy. He felt her gaze like a physical touch as he turned away, but when he turned back and she saw the gleam of metal in his hand she went very still. The darker part of him relished the brief flicker of fear in her eyes, but mostly he just smiled reassuringly.

"Despite what I may have said at our first meeting, your skin is far too perfect to mar." She relaxed a bit, but still eyed the scalpel warily. He returned to her side, moving slowly to the end of the table until he was standing at her feet.

"What are you going to do?" she asked in a quiet voice. He smirked.

"Well, I can't examine you when you are wearing so many clothes." Her eyes widened almost comically, shock warring with lust. Lust won out and she moaned as he laid the sharp blade on the table between her spread ankles. "However, I would hate to ruin such sensual shoes." His finger ran over her legs, untying the sandals skillfully, and the feel of her under his hands even briefly drove his desire up another notch. Once he had them removed, however, he placed them on the floor and picked up his familiar tool once more.

Not another word was spoken as he gently ran the flat of the blade over her calf, up higher and higher with slow precision. He could feel her quivering as he pushed her skirt up, and he knew she heard his quick inhale when he found the garter straps. He made a mental note to thank Soul and his friends when this was all over.

"There should be a law against someone as lovely as you wearing something so obviously designed to incite lust in any who see it," he murmured, and with a deft motion he'd sliced through all of the garter straps before she could even blink. Her gasp was music to his ears.

"Professor," she whispered breathlessly, and he smiled at the note of need he heard. She'd learn he couldn't be rushed. He was far from being ready to be done with her.

His hands were sure as they peeled the stockings down her legs, inch after inch of perfect creamy skin bared to his hungry gaze. As he reached the ankle restraints he opted to simply slice through the material until he could pull it off rather than loosening the buckles. Dropping the sheer scraps to the ground, he ran his palms over the miles of skin he'd recently uncovered. She was warm beneath his touch, and he had the stray thought that she would likely be as hot as flames when he finally worked himself into her.

"I must say I don't believe I have ever had such a delicious looking subject on my table before," he murmured, leaning down to stroke his lips over her ankles. She moaned his name and he smiled. "Or one with such a beautiful voice. Cry for me again, kitten," he murmured against her leg, his lips moving higher, switching from one limb to the other with agonizing slowness.

"Stein," she begged. He could pick up the scent of her arousal and knew she was likely near insane with need. A wicked grin spread over his lips as he made the decision to see if he could make her scream in orgasm without once touching any of the areas she likely understood to be erogenous. His goal defined, he turned his considerable intellect and determination to the achieving of said aims.

Soul sat quietly in the corner, making sure he had the best possible view of his bound girlfriend and the man who was going to fuck her. He'd thought he might feel a little bit of jealousy. After all, Black Star, Kid, the girls...they were all about his age, all near his level of experience. There wasn't a lot of envy he could feel towards them. Stein, however – just in these first ten minutes he could already tell the instructor was on such a different level as to be awe-inspiring. Maka was already whimpering, Soul could recognize her little pre-climax sounds and motions, and all Stein had done was take off her stockings. With a scalpel. The doctor was right...it was hot to watch the slim blade trace a path over the material, to watch the fabric part from a touch so light it seemed nonexistent. He watched the older man's muscles flex as he leaned forward and began to tease Maka with his lips. Soul found himself getting harder than he'd thought possible. Leaning forward, choosing for the moment to ignore the press of his erection against the fly of his jeans, Soul watched like a hawk. He didn't want to miss a single thing.

He worked his way up to the hem of the skirt and stopped. Her hips lifted, her body begging him for completion, but instead he stood up and walked up to stand beside her head.

"So, Maka, how are you enjoying being my toy?" he murmured.

"Please, Professor..." she whined.

"Have I mentioned how much I love hearing my title slip from your lips?" He kept his voice low, calm, not letting more than a hint of his own lust creep in.

"Where should I start next?" he mused as though to himself, even as he kept his eyes trained on her wide, nearly frantic ones. He deftly spun the scalpel between his fingers, watching as the glitter of light along the moving length caught Maka's attention briefly. "How about here?" he asked, running the handle of the instrument down between her breasts. "Or here?" he said as it traced a path across her skirt, lightly brushing her mound. She was gasping now and the sound was enchanting. "I know," he murmured, and smiled inwardly at the shock in her eyes when he ignored her body completely and sliced through the lace adorning her wrists. First one, then the other piece of shining fabric dropped to the floor, and he placed the scalpel carefully on the bare skin of her stomach before leaning forward to close his teeth with gentle force on the inner skin of her right wrist.

"Oh Death!" she yelped, her voice cracking. He proceeded to lave his tongue against the bite mark he'd left, tracing the nimble muscle along her palm before wrapping it around her middle finger. She moaned and she sucked hard on the digit, sliding it into his mouth and scraping his teeth over it. Back and forth he moved, his lips wrapped around her finger, the gentle suction making her plead. After a moment he shifted to her ring finger, moving from finger to finger until she was whipping her head back and forth in need. With a careful shift he released her hand and moved to repeat the treatment on her left side, first the bite, then the lick, then the languid suckling. His eyes stayed on her face, flushed with desire, and he was pleased when he saw a tear slide down her ivory cheek.

"Even your tears are beautiful, my dear," he whispered, leaning forward to lick the salty drop from her soft skin. Unable to resist the temptation he let his lips claim hers again, and by the desperate way she kissed him back he knew his plan was succeeding. He could almost taste how close she was, and figured he'd be generous. With a motion as quick as a striking snake he slammed his hands down around her wrists, clamping them tightly in his strong grip as he plundered her mouth. The added feeling of helplessness did exactly what he figured it would and with a cry that was muffled by his lips she shuddered into orgasm, her body shaking beneath him. He gentled his kiss, giving her the space she needed to breathe, and felt her slowly return to the land of the living. Her face was slack, amazed, and he smiled wickedly at her.

"That...how..." she gasped, unable to get any other words out.

"I know the human mind almost as well as I know the physical body," he whispered. "You, for example. You want to be admired, you want to be thought of as sexy and beautiful, but you feel you shouldn't want that because being sexy and beautiful should be less important than being respected and trusted. You are such a strong leader that you crave the chance to let someone else make all the decisions. At the same time you fear it, that lack of control. You feel you have to remain in charge. Tonight, however, you know as well as I do...the choice is out of your hands. You are mine to use as I wish. And that excites you. You want me to take over, to impose my will over yours. To make you into my toy, to claim you and to shred you and to rip you apart. The fear is just as arousing as the lust, isn't it, kitten?" She simply stared at him, likely unaware her mouth was gaping open. He smiled and leaned down to bite her lower lip, drawing a gasp from her.

"What were your fantasies, I wonder?" he mused, one hand playing idly with the edging of her bodice. "Were you envisioning romance? Gentleness? Me, teasing and satisfying you before shifting to slide into you, making love to you until we collapse in ecstasy?" He grinned, a knowing smile. "Somehow I don't think so. A fantasy like that would do you no good. You already have a man who loves you, a group of lovers to see to your every need. What you want from me is something different, isn't it? You want me to take you and set you free, to make you let go of your own inhibitions. Maybe you want me to hold you down, to cram myself into you until your cunt burns. Maybe you would think about me holding your head in place while I fucked your mouth. That seems to be more what you need, my angel. You crave the darkness. The insanity. The slow slide into debauchery."

"Professor." Her whimper was almost inaudible, and he could feel her shaking as he leaned across her, holding her gaze with his own.

"Just remember. You came to me. And you will not leave until I am finished with you."

Soul watched and listened in fascinated astonishment as Maka fell apart from what seemed to be nothing more than a kiss. He could see the Professor's white-knuckled grip on her wrists and had a brief moment of worry, but he doubted that Stein would go so far as to permanently hurt her. In his own way the older meister cared for her. Still, the weapon's shock at her quick and startling orgasm was nothing compared to what happened next.

Stein was toying with her. His words, his slow, sensual movements...Soul could watch her unravel before his eyes. And oh, what words. The young man was no stranger to talking dirty – had in fact considered himself quite good at it. But hearing the Professor set up her psychological profile in that smooth, even voice, sounding almost seductively clinical and then coming out with phrases that were so blatantly sexual as to be startling...Soul realized he would never ever consider himself a master at verbal sexplay again. Far from being worried, he understood exactly what was happening. This was precisely what Maka needed. How the instructor could dissect her mind so easily when her own weapon had problems reading her, Soul didn't know. But it was breathtaking to watch, and he was unable to tear his eyes away.

The hours passed by. Under his fingers, his lips, his voice Maka came apart again and again, and yet he still hadn't removed even one more article of clothing. He brought her off once simply by alternating the force with which he pulled her hair while he described in detail how he would like her to service him. By this point Stein was so wrapped up in the pleasuring and tormenting of the pliant blond that he'd forgotten completely about her boyfriend who was sitting, awestruck, in the corner. Finally, though, Stein decided it was time. As she came down from her last peak he skillfully sliced through the rest of her clothing, dropping the various pieces to lay where they would. Nude, flushed, breathless, Maka Albarn was the picture of desire, and Stein wanted desperately to lose himself in her as he'd made her lose herself in his attentions.

"I'm going to take your restraints off, kitten." Her moan was part disappointment, part anticipation. "Yes, you know what's coming next, don't you?" One by one the buckles came undone and he rubbed her wrists and ankles individually, making sure the circulation was still active. As he'd expected, as soon as she was able to get off of the table she did, moving to stand in front of him, totally unashamed of her nudity. She reached out for his hands and placed them on her breasts.

"Please, touch me?" He decided to oblige her for a moment, but only on his terms. With a swift movement he swung her slender form into his arms and guided her legs around his torso. He'd lifted her up until he could lean forward and capture her nipple in his mouth, and the sounds she made were even more arousing than anything he'd heard from her so far. She rubbed herself against him shamelessly, a cat in heat, her only thoughts resting on her own completion. After a few moments of suckling her breasts he let her slip down, kissing her deeply before setting her back down on her feet. Her green eyes stared up at him, kiss swollen lips parting with each gasping breath.

"I've been generous, kitten. Now it's your turn." Gone was any lingering shyness, any coy innocence. She dropped to her knees with a graceful movement and her fingers tugged at his pants until she had the button open and the material down around his ankles. And then, much like his fantasy, he got to watch her as she learned and pleasured his cock. She seemed particularly fascinated by the small ridges of scar tissue and by his size. Not surprising, he thought, since she's never been fucked by a grown man yet. Knowing he'd be the first to truly lay into her made his cock jump and she watched with obvious delight and fascination. Without waiting for his prompting, she leaned forward and began to explore his entire rod with her lips and tongue.

"You know," he said mildly, forcing his voice to remain steady despite the sensations she was causing, "you are a natural-born cocksucker." Her eyes cast up to his, and the way her cheeks hollowed as she sucked his shaft made him gulp and close his eyes in an attempt to keep his tenuous grip. After a moment he was back in control and staring down at the blond girl. "You'd probably swallow if I asked you to, wouldn't you kitten? Such a good girl." He could swear she nearly purred when he stroked her hair. "But tonight, I think I want to flood you in a different way. Maybe I'll feed you some other time." With a show of reluctance he pulled back, feeling her lips release his cock with a soft pop. He pulled her to her feet and leaned down to kiss her, threading his fingers through her long hair and humming happily when her small hands came up to explore his chest.

"I want you, Professor," she said against his mouth. "I want you inside me." That was the signal he'd been waiting for. That was when he knew he'd succeeded. He'd freed her from herself, and now she wanted to taste that freedom.

"It would be my pleasure," he murmured in return, and with one quick motion he scooped her up and carried her back out to the living room, laying her on the sturdy couch. She was beautiful, she was eager, and tonight Maka would be his.

Soul was astounded. Maka – his sweet Maka – was slurping on the Professor's shaft like it was her favorite candy. The white-haired weapon was shocked, as she was usually somewhat reticent when it came to giving head. She would do it, but she always seemed...embarrassed, somehow. Not anymore, he thought. She was moaning around the large shaft with obvious enjoyment and Soul moaned as well at the blatant display of her desire. Never could he have imagined this night, not in his most vivid dreams. Then Stein...once more, the words spilling from the instructor's lips were designed to be both crude and arousing, and they did their job well. To his shock – for he fully expected Stein to finish in her mouth – the man pulled back almost lovingly. Soul thought he'd seen it all by then, but then Maka spoke. Her voice was shaky, which was understandable considering how much moaning and gasping she'd been doing in the last hours, but she was sure and firm. And when Stein picked up the little blond goddess and left the room, Soul jumped up to run after them. He'd be damned if he missed even a second of this.

With a sigh she settled back on the couch and lifted her arms in obvious invitation. Stein slipped on top of her, feeling her wrap her legs around his waist. For the first time in ages he caught sight of the third member of their unusual trio as Soul clambered into a chair directly across from them. The boy shifted until he could open his pants and push them down around his ankles, obviously settling in to enjoy the show. Stein smiled. He wanted a show, he'd get a show. Without another thought for their silent audience, the man turned his full attention to the squirming girl beneath him.

She was so much smaller than he was. He'd always known that, in class or out, but having her naked and writhing beneath him was a jolt to his libido. Regardless of how much she'd fucked around with her group, he knew it was likely to hurt a bit when he took her. For some reason that made him grin.

"If you want me you'd better prove it." He moved her small hand down until it wrapped around his hard shaft, and then he let go. Before he could say anything, give any instruction, she already understood his intentions. She placed him against her dripping slit and widened her legs even more, throwing one over the back of the couch and bracing the other on the coffee table.

"Now, please, NOW," she cried softly, yanking him down to kiss her. As she attacked his mouth with hers, he began to push into her. He had been right in his assumptions – she was incredibly tight and hot. Her juices coated him and yet he still had to go slowly, easing his way into her quivering folds.

"Oh...Professor...oh Death oh...aaah..." She was muttering nonsense wrapped around his name and wordless pleas and he lifted one leg over his shoulder, delighting in her slightly pained yelp as he claimed a bit more of her depth than she'd been ready for, but the next instant found her arching into him, pressing hard until every inch of his cock was buried in her heat. His eyes nearly rolled back in his head. She wriggled and shifted and he obliged, pressing fully into her and shifting as well, letting her truly feel him, every ridge, every inch. She reached her arms up to wrap around his neck and pulled him down to her.

"You can fuck me now, Professor." He grinned.

"You asked for it." Pulling out, he slammed back into her, her small body bowing under the force of his thrust. She squealed and shuddered.

"More," she moaned. Finally buried to the hilt in the gorgeous meister, Stein was only too happy to oblige. He set a hard rhythm, loving her yelps and curses as he repeatedly plunged into her. He was relentless. A part of him – some small part he refused to listen to – was reminding him that this was a one-shot deal and that he'd better take everything he wanted before he let her leave because it was the only chance he'd get. Whether that drove him or just the feel of her underneath him was enough, he pummeled her into the cushions. And she loved it all. Her first orgasm came as a shock to both of them – one minute he'd shifted her legs to give himself a greater range of movement, the next she was screaming and shaking and clamping down on his dick so hard it was painful. After she'd finished and he'd ridden out the shockwaves, he pulled out of her and draped her over the back of the couch. The position left her spread and ready for him and he took a moment to appreciate his handiwork, so to speak. Her skin was red, her slit slick and puffy from the friction. The sight was extremely arousing, and he wasted no time in arching himself over her, taking back every inch of soft skin he'd claimed. She yowled when he pulled her hair...she shrieked and came when he bit the nape of her neck. This time he wasn't nearly so easy on her, loving the feel of her squeezing him while he kept thrusting. She was a shuddering mess when he finally flipped her onto her back once more.

"Yes," she murmured, voice almost gone, as he slid back into her.

"You love this, don't you," he whispered, planting small kisses on her eyelids. "You know I could give you what you needed."

"Yes," she replied softly.

"Good." He lifted his hips and pounded into her again, enjoying how weak she was, how very pliant. He spent quite a while testing out the flexibility he'd been so enthralled with, and though she was obviously exhausted she acquiesced to his every desire. Finally, though, he knew he couldn't hold back much longer.

"Maka," he murmured. "Tell me you want this."

"I do, Professor. I want you so much." She slid gentle kisses against his cheek, licking his scar softly.

"Look at me." Tired and sore, she opened her eyes – those beautiful emerald eyes, still glittering with desire regardless of her current lack of energy. He smirked and reached his hand down between her legs.

"Happy birthday, Maka," he said, pinching her swollen clit hard. She screamed one last time before collapsing in a dead faint and Stein let himself go.

Soul was amazed. The positions their teacher put her in – he'd never thought anyone could bend like that, let alone his meister. He was going to keep some of those in mind for later. He looked at Maka, seeing how worn out she was, and the sight was unquestionably hot. His hand slid faster and faster over his own aching shaft. When Stein repositioned her over the back of the couch Soul got a good look at her beautiful body, at the moisture slicking her thighs, at the line of her back as she arched over the cushion. He was so close, but he didn't want to come, not yet. Not until they were both ready. It was unbelievable, watching the two of them together. Watching her accept everything she'd been handed and beg for more, Soul thought there was no way he could love her any more than he did in this exact moment. And when she whispered her desire to Stein, Soul could hold on no longer. With a low cry he came, shuddering as he spilled himself over his hand and onto his pants. He couldn't even bring himself to be upset at the mess, not when he was watching his beautiful Maka scream underneath the ministrations of the teacher she'd been so fascinated with. He watched in a daze as she sagged into the couch, as every muscle in Stein's body tightened, as he very obviously filled her with his seed. Soul's disjointed mind had a brief thankful thought that Maka was so insistent that all of the girls take contraceptive pills, because otherwise Stein would have had to wear a condom and Soul wouldn't have the chance to watch him fill her to overflowing. Emotionally and physically drained, far more than he'd expected, he absently cleaned himself off with some tissues from a nearby box and leaned his head back, slipping comfortably into sleep.

She awoke slowly. Every single inch of her body was in pain. After some struggle she managed to turn her head and see her weapon, pants around his ankles, snoring lightly in the chair across from her. More important though, was the bottle of painkillers and the glass of apple juice sitting within arm's reach on the coffee table. She took two and savored the cold liquid as it made its way down her parched throat. Stein was nowhere to be seen, but he'd left her the aspirin, the drink, and as she came more fully awake she realized she was covered with a superbly soft blanket. She felt a warmth spread through her at his consideration and leaned her head back again, intending only to close her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again she could see traces of sunlight creeping through the high windows. Her glass had been refilled, and this time there was a folded pile of clothing on the table as well. The pants were so big she had to roll the cuffs up a dozen times, and the shirt all but swallowed her, but she was thankful for the kindness. Besides, they smelled like him. Her shoes had been placed in a bag and set carefully by the end of the couch, and on top of the bag was a thick pair of socks.

"I didn't have any shoes in your size." She whirled around to see the meister leaning casually against the kitchen doorway, still shirtless, sipping a cup of tea. He was relaxed and normal and looking at her with eyes that didn't even remotely hint at the fire she she knew for a fact burned within him. Maka had a brief thought that she should feel awkward somehow, but she really didn't. He read the befuddlement on her face and correctly interpreted it.

"I took every one of your preconceived notions from you last night. You are looking at yourself with a new understanding. It's a bit confusing, I imagine."

"Yeah, no kidding," she murmured, facing him fully. "I feel like I should feel guilty or embarrassed. But I don't."

"It's because you've come to an understanding within yourself. It may be a while before you fully understand it, but it's there." He took another drink of his tea before pulling a cigarette from his pants pocket and lighting it.

"So now what happens?" she asked, unaware that she'd spoken out loud until he smiled.

"You wake up Soul and go home. Take a long day off. Think about everything if you must, but remember that it wasn't just your body that I made my plaything last night." He took a drag from his cigarette. "Tomorrow you go back to school. You perform excellently in all of your classes as you usually do. And life goes on."

"Will I see you again? You know, like this?" she gestured between the two of them. He shrugged.

"Who knows? Nothing is written in stone. But for now, there's a whole life out there that you need to get back to. And if all goes well, you'll learn more about the people you love and the life you want than you would have been able to before."

Maka stood up, straightening her borrowed clothing, and walked over to stand before her teacher.

"Thank you. This has been the best birthday I could have ever imagined."

"Thank Soul. It was all his idea." She grinned, and he smiled back.

"Oh, I will, believe me." She turned to walk over to her still-sleeping partner but paused. Looking back over her shoulder at the man in the doorway, she felt she had to ask.

"Is there anything I can do for you? To repay you, you know?" She watched his olive eyes as they fluttered shut for a moment, a small smile gracing his talented lips as he shook his head slowly.

"You've already given me more than you will ever know. But thank you anyway."

The ride back to Kid's house was quiet, both of them lost in their own thoughts. They pulled up in front of the mansion and Maka stepped down gingerly, glad that Kid was so particular about keeping the sidewalk swept. Thick and warm though the socks may be, she knew they wouldn't be much protection against rocks. Soul reached down and took her hand, and she stared up into the crimson eyes she loved so much.

"Soul...thank you. For getting me the present I never would have asked for." His grin was slow and sensual.

"I should thank you, for letting me share it." He winked, she laughed, and the quiet mood was broken as they walked hand-in-hand up the walkway and into the house where their friends were no doubt burning with curiosity. For Maka, the world felt brand-new. And she was okay with that.

Author's note: So...yeah. And stuff.

I might actually do a series of one shots some other time showing how their group came together, but this time as for Maka. She needed to see that the world is both bigger and better than she originally believed.

Also, Stein is freaking hot, and I had to let him out to play.