#hamm3rheart

Soul rolls his eyes, “Why does it matter anyway? Nobody needs a boyfriend.” His tone is bitter, and it catches me off guard. He’s normally not so harsh sounding.

“I’m just saying, it would be nice if a boy actually took interest in me.”

“Maybe you’re putting off the wrong vibes,” he tries, but I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean.

“Wrong ‘vibes’?”

“Yeah. Like you don’t want boys to see you.”

He definitely deserves the Maka-Chop I indent his head with.

“Owwwwwwwwwwe, what was that for?”

I fold my arms over my chest and pout, “You know exactly what it was for.”

Rubbing the top of his head, he sighs. “Look, Maka. I don’t know why, but I sort of feel bad for you. So I’m gonna help you out.”

“Help me out?” I raise an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah. I am going to train you in…” He glances around, then leans closer and whispers, “the art of seduction.”

I can’t help but give him the dumbfounded expression on my face. “Uh, seduction? I’m not sure I can-”

“Nonsense, Maka,” he stops me with a flick of a hand. “No one can fail under my instruction.” His voice grows increasingly loud as he lectures, making my cheeks flush at the attention he’s drawing. “My dear meister, by the time I am through with you, not one boy at the DWMA will be able to pass you by without gawking like an ape. You will have their undivided attention no matter where you go, and it will all be thanks to my secret tips and tricks to winning the heart of whomever you desire. Trust me on this one, Maka. My advice has never failed me once.” He pauses, glancing down and bringing a finger to his chin, “Okay, well, maybe once. But she doesn’t count. She was… different.” I notice the tint of red in his cheeks, and in the back of my mind I find myself wishing he was thinking of me like that.

I shake the thought away, determined not to be dragged down by my little “crush”. It was never going to happen between us anyway, so I’d recently decided to give up on perusing Soul. Hence, my distress this fine afternoon, searching for a new boy to devote my girlish fantasies to.

“Soul, that’s great and all,” I say, trying to avoid the odd stares of people passing, “but can we do this somewhere a little more private?”

“But how are you gonna practice then?” He extends an arm out to the watching passerby’s, “Look at all this fresh meat you can work with here!”

“Well, I could just practice on, uh, on you, I guess?” I feel my heart flutter, and Soul’s maroon eyes go wide for a moment, until he coughs it off, looking away.

“Oh, r-right. Yeah, I guess that could work too.” He laughs awkwardly, “What better way to prove your skill than by sparing with your instructor.”

“Exactly,” I answer a little too quickly, glad he found a logical excuse for my suggestion instead of allowing the assumption that I’m trying to seduce him.

Which I’m not.

~~~

I can’t help but smile as I sit on the couch, legs crossed, and facing Soul. He looks a little frazzled, like he’s not sure where to start, but he seems to pull his thoughts together before he speaks.

“Okay. So, Maka, when you’re trying to,” he clears his throat, “ehem, seduce, someone, it doesn’t take a lot. You just have to be gutsy about it.” He shifts a bit closer to me, and I can feel my palms sweat. “We can start easy first.” He offers with a small smile.

“Alright,” I hardly whisper back.

“Hey, if you’re nervous, it’s no big deal. It’s just me.” 

“I know.” I give him a reassuring smile, and that’s enough for him to continue.

“So, in my opinion, I think touching is the easiest thing about flirting.” He leans in and places a warm hand on my shoulder. “See? It’s pretty simple to just touch someone’s arm, or nudge them,” he gives my shoulder a gently push, “when you’re having a conversation. Right?”

I nod.

“But if you really want to make sure they get the hint, then you have to just take it a little further. You have to let the touches sort of… linger.” He trails his hand down my arm, watching it with concentration, until with the slightest motion he pulls it away. It sends a shiver down my spine, and I can still feel the weight of his hand on me even when it’s gone. “You wanna try?”

Again, I nod. Because I seem to have forgotten how to speak.

“Cool. I think it’s a bit easier for girls,” he says while picking up my hand and bringing it to his chest, “because if a guy did this, he’d get punched in the face.” We both laugh, and it lightens the mood a bit. At least until he releases my hand, and suddenly I’m left to fend for myself.

I don’t know what to do, and I think he can tell, because he shakes his head and chuckles as I stare helplessly at him. “Now what?” I manage to get out.

“Now you just pretend you’re talking to the guy you like. Ask me a question or something. You don’t even have to look at me when you do it. It’s okay to be a little shy.”

I take his advice and look down at my hand, unable to make eye contact with him. I take a deep breath before I speak. “Um, hey,” something tells my fingers to start trailing down his chest, so they do. “I was wondering if maybe you’d like to… uh, go see a movie, or something?” I glance up quickly, but immediately avert my eyes because the way he is looking at me isn’t even cute, it’s straight up hot, and I forget about the “lingering release” and instead I just drop my hand abruptly.

“Sure,” he shrugs, and my head shoots up at the response.

“What?”

“I mean, if I was the guy, I’d say yes. Except you kind of lost it at the end there. But it’s okay; it was cute.”

My heart skips into my throat, and suddenly I have no idea what he means by this “other guy” because all I can think about is him. And how he just called me cute. And the pooling heat in my lower belly that continues to grow the longer he smiles at me. “Really?” I ask, more confidently and pleased this time.

“Yeah, absolutely.” He winks. I feel like I’m starting to lose it. My sanity, that is.

“Okay, so what next?” I prompt, eager to feel his touch again.

He looks sort of surprised by my excitement, but he continues. “Well, the next part is a little more difficult. I wouldn’t really use it until you’re trying to make a move on him or something. It’s less… innocent, than the other stuff.”

My stomach is knotting and twisting, knowing that he’s going to have to show me first, and in my head I couldn’t really care less about being innocent right now, especially with his hand moving to my bare knee. I’m not sure what’s coming, but I’m fairly positive I’ll like it.

“You’re gonna do the same as last time, but just touch him in a more intimate spot.” His voice drops lower than before, and he’s murmuring as he talks, looking away again. “Anywhere on the leg is pretty much okay,” his palm slides up to my thigh, “but be careful not to be too pushy. You can touch his neck too,” he does so to me, and his thumb starts rubbing small circles just behind my ear. I feel my eyelids droop at the soothing motion, and I can’t really focus on what he’s saying. “And this is the important part, so listen.”

I bring my attention back to him, and he’s now deliberately staring down. “Alright.” I say quietly.

“You need to look him in the eyes, and tell him exactly what it is you want without speaking. Whether it’s to hug, or to kiss, or to-” he falters for a second, not finishing the sentence. “You have to show him with your eyes.”

And then Soul’s eyes meet mine, and I feel something inside me explode into uncontrollable arousal. I can read exactly what he wants from the hungry, desperate gaze he gives me, and that’s what scary. He looks so sincere about it, and for a moment I’m convinced that he’s actually going to tackle me into the couch and take me right there. The hand on my neck feels like it’s drawing me closer, though I’m not sure if it’s him or me actually doing it, and instinctively I grip the collar of his t-shirt.

I give a tight pull, and then our lips collide.

I’m not sure what gave me the courage to do it, but it doesn’t matter because Soul’s lips feel so warm and perfect against mine, even if he is shocked into unresponsiveness for a second or two. Eventually he loosens up and starts to kiss me back, slowly and carefully, until finally I feel my lungs growing tight and I remember I need to breathe. I pull away with a gasp, and he’s panting and starting at me with the most incredulous look on his face.

“Wow,” he sighs. “There’s one thing I won’t have to teach you then.”

I let out an airy laugh, but before I can even pause to think he’s kissing me again. I’m needy and forceful with my movements, grabbing at his hair and pressing my chest against his. I can feel him fighting it, trying to ease my frantic pace. He gently bites my lip, tugging at it with his sharp teeth, then he releases it, lips still brushing mine.

“No, Maka. Like this,” he takes his time leaning back in and recapturing my mouth in his. His movements are languid and tender, and he puts a hand over the one I have grasping his neck, melting my tight hold.

I give a soft moan in response, and he deepens the kiss, easing my mouth open with his and slipping his tongue in. It’s blissful and sweet and nothing like I ever expected to feel while kissing Soul. His hand moves up to one of my pigtails, and he pulls off the rubber band, doing the same to the other one after. He twists my hair around his fingers and I feel his smile under my lips.

“I like it better when your hair is down,” he mumbles, combing his hands through the blond strands. My skin is on fire and I know my cheeks must be redder than his eyes. I’m so absolutely turned on by every movement he makes, every word he speaks, and so when he lowers me down onto the couch, I’m more than ready for him to just tear my clothes off.

It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen though, because suddenly he sits up, still straddling me, and there’s a worried look on his face that crushes all hopes of my sexual fantasies coming true. “Maka,” he sounds apologetic, “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I didn’t mean to force you-”

“Soul,” I stop him, “you’re not forcing me into anything. You honestly think I would let you do that anyway?”

He lets out a small, relieved laugh, “I-I guess not.”

“Good. Now please, continue seducing me.” I pull him back down to me for a quick kiss before he breaks it.

“Me seducing you? I thought it was the other way around,” he smirks, and it's my perfect chance.

I take the upper hand and flip him over onto his back, leaning down to whisper in his ear, “Now it is.” I start kissing his neck, and it’s nicer than I would have thought. He groans when I bite down, and it’s more than satisfactory.

“You know,” he pants, “I’m starting to think this was all some plan to get with me from the start.”

“Don’t be so cocky, Soul.” I play it off cool, leaving a passionate, hot kiss on his lips. “If I wanted you, I would have gotten you a long time ago.”