Upside to Betting
by. Poisoned Scarlet

Summary:"Do you... want to go out for some coffee?" / / Maka wages she could ask any boy out without being rejected due to her plainness. The outcome is surprisingly in her favor.
Rating: K+.
Genre: Romance/Humor.
Pairing: Soul/Maka.
Authors Note: I forgot all about Black Star and his infamous, often humiliating, bets until today, when I was watching Deadliest Catch and one of the crew members commented about placing bets. And, as a side note, I proclaim this story to be overly romantic and heartwarming. That is all. Enjoy.
Story Notes: N/A.

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.

Her hands were sweaty.

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

This was so nerve-wracking; she found herself rehearsing what she was going to say once more in her head for good measure. She let her hair down today, a sheet of ashy blonde behind her shoulders, and she had toyed with the idea of wearing something more appealing than her Spartoí uniform but shot the idea down immediately.

She didn't even mean it; what would be the point of prettying herself up if she didn't even like him that way?

Maka had an idea of what.

If he were like any other man she knew, the chances of her being shot down would be greatly reduced if she were more easy on the eyes...

Because the last thing she needed was to drag herself back to Black Star, pink faced and thoroughly humiliated, to tell him that he had been right: the bet was something out of her league and she was a plain, flat-chested, girl with a nasty temper.

In hindsight, taking on the bet was a dumb move on her part.

She wasn't much to look at as it were and she wasn't looking for a relationship – she was more focused on her Deathscythe training with Soul and she could happily say that living with said man felt like a commitment in itself – even though she'd first cut off her tongue than admit it.

Maka approached the boy she had chosen, her hands fisted by her side, with a sick feeling gurgling in her stomach.

She had never asked anyone out before. This would be her first time, and she would tell you the dread of anticipation and fear of rejection was something she never wanted to experience again in her life.

If staying single meant never having to deal with this again, she would gladly comply.

"H-Hiro?" Maka's throat was tight; mouth drier than the desert that surrounded Death City.

Hiro turned around, crystalline blue eyes curious as he paused his studious focus on finishing the homework for another student. Although he could easily be popular in any other school, preferably a regular school, in Shibusen, Hiro was nothing more than an incompetent meister with good looks; however, his looks wouldn't help him in hunting down Kishin and so many master-less weapons tended to steer clear of him. Lord Death often had him taking special recon missions he could complete without the help of a weapon.

But, for a date, Maka deduced he would be the best choice out of all.

Ox, until he took care of those ridiculous lightening bolts on his head, was simply out. Kim had dibs on him, anyway.

Harvar was far too impassive and dry – he'd reject her on the spot and not even have the decency to look awkward.

Kilik, although understanding and friendly, wasn't someone Maka could ask out – even if it were only because of a bet.

Death the Kid? He'd drive her nuts with his symmetry! And she didn't want to make their steady friendship awkward with her sudden request.

So Hiro had been the best choice... if she could somehow charm him into saying yes, that is, which she highly doubted she could.

She was relying on pure luck alone.

"Oh, good morning, Maka." An easy smile spread across his face. "Is there anything I could do for you today?"

"Um..." Maka fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I was just—!"

"Hey, Hiro, my homework done yet?" Another voice called from afar.

Maka nearly snapped that boy's neck in half. She sent him a threatening glare instead.

"Almost!" Hiro replied, wearily. "I just need to complete questions twenty through twenty six!"

"Hurry it up then! Stein's class is gonna' start in half an hour, man!"

"Right..." Hiro turned back to Maka, who struggled to contain her fury at being interrupted. Now the courage she had summoned was gone! "Sorry about that. You were saying?"

"Oh, uh, nothing!" Maka squeaked, forcing on a smile. Hiro's brows furrowed in concern. "It wasn't that important! I'll see you around, Hiro!" Maka turned on her heel and nearly ran out of the library, slamming the door behind her.

She scurried down the hall, leaning against a window sill after distancing herself from her once-sanctuary.

Her heart was beating wildly in her ribcage.

The thrill dwindled, leaving her with a weary lethargy she wished to simply sleep away.

She still had until after school to ask him out – she still had time.

In a way, she wished she didn't.

This was all simply too troublesome for her. Why had she let her pride get in the way of spending a Friday without any worries?

"Hey, Maka!" Soul's voice dragged her out of her troubled thoughts. Maka looked up to see Soul walking up to her lazily; alone, thankfully. She didn't think she would be able to face Black Star after such a failure. "Where were you this whole time? Tsubaki said you had to do something before school started..."

"O-oh! I just had to go return some books to the library!" Maka laughed anxiously, clasping her hands behind her back in her typical nervous gesture. "Sorry, did you need something?"

"... No." Soul answered slowly. His eyes narrowed. She looked shaken up. He didn't like it. "Your face is red." He observed.

Maka nearly jumped at his flat remark. "Yeah... it's a little hot in here." She lied, badly.

His shoulders squared, no longer slouched, to show she had his full attention. "Did something happen...?"

"No. No, everything's fine." Maka cleared her throat. The echoes of laughter and conversation within the hall became too much for her to bear. She just needed to collect her frazzled thoughts in a place that offered peace and quiet. "We should probably get to class before Professor Stein marks us tardy! C'mon!" Maka walked past him, avoiding the ruby eyes that hardened at the idea of someone, someone male, pestering Maka...

And Maka actually responding to him.

She had to do it now.

Black Star had sent her knowing grins and smirks throughout the entire day; enough to make Maka seethe silently and take sloppy notes.

Like hell was she going to admit to everyone (as that was part two of the bet, should she lose) that she didn't have the guts to ask someone out on a date and she was a plain, flat-chested, girl with temper problems (although, she had managed to smack Black Star on the head with a book when she heard that part).

Hiro sat on the top rows of the classroom, slightly secluded.

There was still half an hour of class left but time was running out quickly, like sand through her fingers.

Maka couldn't concentrate on the text below her, either. She was too aware that Black Star kept shooting her looks, full of smug victory although she still had time to win the bet, and far too strung up with the fact that the boy she planned on asking out, Hiro, was sitting just a few rows up from her; perfectly unaware of her inner battle.

Damn you, Black Star! Maka cursed. I won't lose this bet! Not today! She'd lost a good number of bets to the assassin but most of them had been relatively harmless; like doing his homework for a week or not speaking for twenty four hours or not Maka Chopping someone for a whole three days (the most challenging one to date – she failed, too, when Soul made a stupid comment about her pigtails...).

"Hey." A nudge brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Soul hovering over her, looking bored, as usual. "Let's go. Class is over."

Maka's stomach fell to her ankles. "Wh-what?" She choked.

Soul rose a brow, a lazy smirk crawling on his face. "Yeah, shocking, isn't it? C'mon, you can keep studying when we get home—!"

"No! Wait! I-I have to... to do something right now!" Maka exclaimed, cringing when she heard Black Star's stifled snickers behind her.

Soul frowned but shrugged. "Alright. I'll wait for you."

"No, that's not necessary! Just go!" Maka insisted, coaxing him down the stairs "I-I'll be right with you, okay?"

"But—!"

"Yo, Soul!" Black Star waved him over, a haughty smirk on his face. That smirk fueled Maka's motivation to win this bet. "C'mon! The courts won't use themselves, ya' know!" His eyes locked with hers and Maka fists clenched by her side at the knowing glint she saw.

He expected her to chicken out; to come crawling back to him, a pathetic mess of nerves.

Maka would prove him wrong.

Soul looked unsure, as he watched his friends glare at each other. "Uh..."

"Just go, Soul." Maka pushed him ahead, turning away from them. Her eyes locked on her target: Hiro. "I'll catch up in a couple of minutes. I just have to take care of something..."

"Fine." Soul sighed, slouching down the steps until he reached Black Star. He looked over his shoulder, finding his meister packing up her stuff with that persistent red flush over her cheeks.

A hand clapped on his shoulder, Black Star's bright: "You heard her! I'll race you out, Soul! Loser picks his teammates last!"

Soul dropped his eyes, convincing himself that Maka would first strangle herself than agree to a date – much less ask some poor sap out. "Yeah, whatever! You're on!"

Maka inhaled deeply, trying to calm her racing heart.

It was just a question; a simple question.

Sweat was building in her palms again, her body shaky with nerves, but she willed herself to walk toward Hiro, who was having trouble zipping up his bag.

This was it.

Maka tapped his shoulder.

This is it...

Hiro looked up and smiled at her. "Oh, hi, Maka!"

"H-hey..." Maka steeled her voice. Here went nothing. "Um... you looked like you were having some trouble with your bag. Do you need any help?" She pasted on her most friendliest smile.

He laughed, sheepishly. "Oh, yeah. The zipper sorta' broke but—!" He watched, with wide eyes, as Maka quickly fixed the zipper with a jerk and zipped up his bag. "Hey, thanks! I thought I'd have to buy a new backpack!"

A small smile graced her lips. "No problem... Say, Hiro?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you... want to go out for some coffee?" There. She said it. Now all she had to do was wait for the rejection or the acceptance; the win or the bitter defeat. She held her breath, as his light blue eyes widened at her words.

"As in... a date?" Hiro asked, slowly.

The room suddenly felt too small; suffocating, as her gut churned horribly.

That didn't sound like a good sign...

Maka swallowed. "Yes...I-I mean, it's okay if you don't want to! I was just wondering if you would! It is a little cold out today so I thought coffee would warm us up..."

After a few seconds, he nodded. "Sure!"

And that was that.

Maka nearly laughed in relief.

The awful sensation of dread cleared and in its place, sweet success.

"Let me just pick up some papers from the main office!" Hiro said. "C'mon, it'll only be a moment!"

Maka absently followed him; not hearing a single word he said because she was too busy drowning in her sweet victory. Not only had she asked Hiro out on a date but her request had been accepted!

Shove that up your godly ass, Black Star! Maka smugly thought, as Hiro retrieved the papers and stashed them in his book-bag. He swung it over his shoulder and smiled widely at Maka. "Where did you have in mind?"

Maka blinked. "What?"

Hiro laughed. "I meant, what coffee place did you have in mind?"

"Oh!" Maka's cheeks pinked. Right. "Well, I heard Deathbucks has this special on tall mocha latte's..."

"Aw, sweet! I've wanted to taste one of those since forever!" Hiro exclaimed, taking her hand in his. Maka's cheeks colored twice-fold; was this how it felt to hold hands with a guy... that way? Maka couldn't deny it: it felt nice.

Maka followed him out of Shibusen as if in a daze, still holding his hand, but was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her name get called.

Her eyes widened.

Black Star and the rest of her friends were standing by the pillars that held Shibusen up high but the blue-haired boy's laugh choked off when he saw their linked hands, the slight smile on Hiro's face and the faint blush on Maka's.

Maka grinned triumphantly in his direction.

Black Star's mouth hung open, his eyes wide in disbelief that he had actually lost this bet.

But what reduced this victory over her friend to bitterness was the shocked expression on her partner's face, followed by the icy stare at their held hands that made her stomach squirm uncomfortably. There was a darkness that shadowed his eyes which she couldn't place, a burning hate and hurt that made her want to take her hand back from Hiro's and wipe it on the pleats of her skirt as if she had touched something dirty.

It was a block after they left Shibusen grounds that she placed a name on his expression.

Betrayal.

When had this gone from a simple goal to rub victory in the face of Black Star to a desperate scramble to fix the deteriorating chances of being with Soul Eater as more than a meister?

Maka tried to focus on the latte Hiro had bought her as they both escaped the cold by making themselves comfortable on the leather couches inside of Deathbucks.

He was telling her about some bullies he managed to befriend but she was only half-listening.

He was easy to please, that much became evident when he asked her for her opinion and she had merely nodded. All it took was a mere smile, a simple nod, a slight laugh, a casual look his way, and he was as happy as he could be.

He was the type of boy who was easy to befriend; the blissfully ignorant type although he appeared to be the rebellious type with his spiked dog-collar and various metal rings in the shapes of skulls and other such objects on his fingers. It wasn't to say she wasn't slightly attracted to him; he was, as Liz liked to say, hot, but he lacked certain attributes; vital things a man needed to have in order to capture her full attention.

He lacked finesse, for one.

He lacked a lazy drawl in his words.

He lacked, dare she say it, a sense of sarcasm?

But, more importantly, he lacked eyes that shined like rubies, colorless hair that spiked in an orderly yet disorderly fashion, and teeth sharp enough to pierce through aluminum cans...

The discomfort for lying to him, acting as if she liked him, was also starting to become a bother. She wasn't this type of girl Black Star had made her into because of a few challenging words; a lying, cheating woman.

In fact, when she realized she was pulling the same underhanded tricks as her papa, such as pretending to like him or pay attention to him, the guilt she had been steadily putting aside unleashed and nearly made her buckle in its weight.

What was she doing?

She should be at home! Snuggled on the couch with a book! With Soul!

Not in the cold, on a date with someone she barely looked at, because her pride was too much to set aside...

"You look cold." Hiro commented, noticing her huddled form. He shrugged off his jacket and offered it to her. "Here."

"Oh, no, I'm okay! It's not that cold, really!"

"Just take it." Hiro insisted. Maka felt her cheeks heat up again at his smile. She took his jacket without further comment and shrugged it on. It was big on her but it was warm and soon she stopped trembling.

But the kind gesture was enough to ruin her entire day and finally let that guilt ravage her until she couldn't it anymore.

Why did he have to be so kind to her when she was just tricking him for her own gain?

This is wrong. Maka thought, miserably. I'd be no better than papa if I continued doing this!

"I'm sorry, Hiro, but I can't do this!" Maka finally confessed, slamming her cup down on her knee. Troubled, green, eyes rose to meet his.

Hiro cut himself off, blinking in surprise at the amount of guilt he saw in her eyes.

"I-I'm really sorry for tricking you like this. You're a really nice guy but... I made a bet with Black Star that I could ask out a guy without being rejected. I don't really like you like that." Maka sighed, relieved to have confessed such a burdensome motive. She bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry. I understand if you're angry at me..."

"Ah, I get it now!" Hiro nodded in understanding, confusing her. The reaction she had anticipated was outrage; disappointment; hurt. Not understanding. "I was wondering why you suddenly asked me out... I mean, you've never even looked at me twice and then suddenly you ask me out? I thought you had a secret crush on me but it all makes sense now!" Hiro smiled lopsidedly, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth. "It's alright, Maka. Although, you could have told me. I would have said yes either way."

"I...I..." Maka stared, dumbfounded. "You're not angry at me? I practically tricked you into thinking I liked you!"

"Nah, it's alright!" Hiro waved off, taking a casual drink of his coffee. "I don't mind. Besides, Black Star's bets are tough to beat – I guess you're one of the lucky few whose managed to prove him wrong, huh?" Hiro smirked at her. "That's really cool."

"Cool..." Maka whispered nostalgically, her chest tightening.

"'Sides, if you had to ask out someone, why didn't you just ask Soul out?" Hiro questioned, causing her to snap her head back up. "I mean, did Black Star even elaborate on who you had to ask out?"

"No, he just said a guy." Maka explained, realization dawning to her. "And that I had to go out with him on at least one date or else I had to tell my friends that I couldn't get a date and that I was... a plain, flat-chested, girl with anger issues..." Maka mumbled the last bit furiously.

"Ah, geez, how mean." Hiro laughed, nervously. Maka looked ready to hit someone with one of those infamous Maka Chop's of hers and he was not inclined to being her practice dummy; Black Star already used him to try out his strangulation techniques! The last thing he needed was this girl to use him as a way to release steam! "That's no way to treat a girl."

"That's what I told him! But he doesn't listen to me!" Maka huffed, crossing her arms. "He's such a jerk!"

"And he's wrong: you aren't plain-looking." At Maka's surprised look, Hiro continued charmingly: "You're actually kinda' cute."

"R-really?" Maka squeaked hopefully, fumbling with the tip of her tie. "You...you really think so?"

"Yeah!" Hiro grinned. "Sure, you're not a bomb-shell like Tsubaki or Liz but you're adorable so it makes up for it!"

Maka resisted the urge to knock him out with her book bag; as if being adorable made her feel anymore better about herself! It just proved she lacked the proper sex appeal – a sex appeal that Soul was obviously attracted to but that she lacked in the truck-loads!

"You would've probably had a better time with Soul than me." Hiro added, thoughtfully. "You two live together, right?"

"Yeah, he's my partner but I didn't think of asking him." Maka muttered. "I mean, he always calls me plain and flat-chested... and boring." She squeezed her drink, nearly popping the lid. "He would have probably laughed at me if I asked him out instead of you..." She mumbled, shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I don't think so." Hiro offered in comfort. "I mean, he's always looking at you."

Maka looked up in confusion.

He scratched his cheek, trying to put his observations into words. "Soul's always turned down dates in favor of going home with you – at least, that's the excuse he used once when the girl asked him why." At her open-mouthed response, he added: "We like to tease him about you in the locker rooms but he always waves it off coolly..." Hiro smirked smugly: "And he's always looking at you!"

"What do you mean by 'looking at me'?" And what did he mean, that girls were asking Soul out? He certainly never told her about this! She couldn't disguise the jealousy that crackled in her eyes so she opted for boring holes at her caffeinated drink.

"Like... staring at you, for example." Hiro grinned at her wide eyes. "What, don't tell me you haven't noticed?"

She thought hard; not being able to recall a single instance when she noticed his staring. Could it be she had grown accustomed to feeling his eyes on her? No, she would have definitely questioned his staring if she had noticed... "Um..."

Hiro threw his head back in laughter. "Whoa! The guys weren't kidding when they said you were as dense as a rock when it came down to relationships—!"

"MAKA-CHOP!"

"S-sorry... got carried away there..." Hiro groaned, rubbing his head. That hurt! He marveled the fact that Soul Eater received this abuse at least twice a day. Either he had a really hard head or he was a masochist; Hiro couldn't decide yet.

Maka sighed, standing up. "Thanks for the coffee, Hiro, but I think it's time for me to go."

"Oh, yeah, sure, no problem!" Hiro nodded, happy to be of service. "Good luck with Soul!" He added, having caught the conflict that crossed her forest green eyes. "Don't worry, if what the guys say is true, then he's head over heels in like with you!" He flashed her an encouraging thumbs up.

"In like?" Maka rose a brow. Wasn't the phrase 'head over heels in love'?"

"Well, yeah. Love is totally lame! It's better to just go out with girls for a little while than to fully commit! It's not worth the drama." He revealed airily, overlooking the outrage on her face. "Love and guys just don't mix—NGH!"

"Men!" She stuck her nose in the air, a book held tightly in her hand. "You're no worse than my papa! I can't believe I actually felt guilty for lying to a jerk like you!"

Hiro cracked an eye open in time to see Maka stalking away. He stood up, still rubbing his aching head. "What'd I say?" He asked no one in particular, receiving sighs from the bystanders that witnessed the small spat.

The sky was a bruised purple.

It would soon be nightfall.

Maka walked up the steps to her apartment complex, shutting the steel-enforced door behind her. The halls were deserted, whistling with a cold draft, and she heaved a sigh and forced herself up to her apartment door.

What an eventful day this had been...

When she opened it, she hoped no one would be home, but instead she was met with the sweet smell of hot chocolate and warmth from the heater. She heard the faint sound of running water and clang of cups come from the kitchen.

She shut the door as quietly as she could behind her.

But the soft click was enough for Soul.

She tensed when Soul peeked from the kitchen, hands wet. He must have cooked himself dinner and Maka guilty remembered it had been her turn to cook tonight...

"You're back." He greeted flatly, returning to washing the dishes. Maka quietly walked into the kitchen, watching him nonchalantly scrub his plate clean. "How did it go?"

He meant her date, right? Of course he did, she heaved a sigh, he had seen her walk away with Hiro, hand-in-hand. "Okay..." She answered, demurely. "How did it go in the basketball courts? Did your team win?"

"Yeah." He shut the water off, placing a dripping cup in the rack. He didn't look at her as he took off the plain blue apron, hanging it back in its rightful place. "You forgot your jacket." He remarked, using that detached tone of his.

"Hiro let me borrow his..." Maka mumbled, taking the garment off and letting it hang on the back of a chair.

"I noticed."

Maka flinched at his cutting tone.

He walked past her, not sparing her a glance, and Maka nearly drew blood from how hard she was biting her lip.

"It was a bet, you know."

Soul faltered only once. "That so?" He continued to the living room.

"Black Star said I couldn't ask a guy out without being rejected because I wasn't pretty enough..." Maka elaborated, feeling the need to. She looked at him as he rounded the couch and let himself fall back on it. "I won." She offered, somewhat hopeful he'll react to that.

"Cool."

Maka sighed, frustrated with his passive replies. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing!" Maka pushed herself off the table to follow him. She stood by the couch, trying to get a peek at his expression. "Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"Maka, drop it." He answered simply. "You won one of Black Star's bets. Congrats, you're not ugly." He finished sarcastically.

"You—!" She nearly told him off but restrained herself in favor of handling this civilly. She didn't need to prove Black Star right in the fact that she had temper problems. "Are you mad at me?" She asked, sighing.

"No."

She scowled. "Look, Soul, I've known you for nearly four years – I think I know when something's bothering you." She crossed her arms, expectantly. "What is it? Is it because I went on a date with Hiro?"

His shoulders tensed but he remained silent.

"I told you, didn't I? It was just a stupid bet." Maka sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's not like he was any different than papa, anyway." Her tone darkened. "He was just like the rest of them..."

"What did he do to you." His sharp accusation caught her off-guard. Soul trained fierce ruby eyes on her own. "Maka, what did he do to you?"

"N-nothing! He just..." Maka tripped over her tongue, remembering that if she told him what he said, she would also have to tell him something else; something she was still struggling to cope with.

"Maka..." Soul turned to her, searching her troubled face. "He didn't try anything, did he?" He growled dangerously, pulling his lip back to bare sharp teeth. If he had, he was dead meat. "Maka, answer me!"

"No!" Maka shouted, at last. "He was just...just—!" She struggled. Maka sighed in defeat and plopped down beside him, sinking into the couch. She stared blankly ahead, cursing Hiro for ingraining those hopes in her heart. He was probably getting her back for tricking him, Maka guessed gloomily, all the things he said were probably lies. "I give up on men." Maka decided to say. "They're not worth it..." Another disillusioned sigh escaped her lips.

She stiffened when she felt an arm drape over her shoulders.

Soul sighed, bringing her closer to him but not making a move to look at her.

"Idiot," was all he said.

Maka eventually relaxed and rested against him, undisturbed. There was no anxious tug in her gut, no terrible dread making her shaky, or rapid breathing and a scramble for things to say. There was only peace and she wished it could always be like this.

She wondered why she had asked out Hiro when a perfectly good candidate sat right beside her. Perhaps, given the rumors surrounding him, it had been her subconsciousness telling her that he wouldn't deny her; the he was probably the one guy in the entire school who would give plain-her a shot. But, honestly, for a few hours spent a nerve-wracked mess, it wasn't worth it. Soul would have probably understood her predicament and accepted a simple, friendly, date with her. It wouldn't feel any different than usual - it would have probably felt like any other time they'd hung out together.

"Hiro was right, I should've just asked you out..." Maka found herself mumbling drowsily. "I would've probably had a better time."

"Hiro told you that?" Soul sputtered, incredulous.

"Yeah... I told him it was a bet after a while since I felt bad." Maka sheepishly revealed. "It's not as if I liked him that way! I like—!" She choked herself off, eyes rounding in horror.

She had grown too comfortable and she had finally slipped up.

Ice settled in her stomach.

Oh, no.

"You like...?" Soul prompted, glancing down at her. His penetrating gaze wasn't welcomed; Maka swallowed thickly. "Well?"

"No one..."

Soul snorted. "Who is it?" He nearly sneered out: "Is it Kid?"

Maka's brows shot up in incredulity. "Kid? No way! He's like a brother to me, Soul, you know that!"

"Black Star?"

Maka whipped her head up to him, glaring harshly. "Don't even joke like that."

His nearly growled out: "... Ox?"

"EW!" Maka shuddered, looking horrified, to his relief. "No way! How could you even suggest that, Soul? He's so annoying and he's still trying to take my place as top-student in Shibusen!"

Soul relaxed, his arm no longer crushing her to him. "Harvar?"

"Nope." Maka flatly denied. "He's just... no." She shook her head.

He was silent for a second. "... Kilik?"

Maka shook her head again. "He's nice but I like him more as a friend than... something else."

"Stein?"

Maka arched a brow at this one. "Soul, he's twice my senior with a screw stuck in his head!"

"So, what?" Soul mumbled, uncomfortable with how this was going. She hadn't denied it. "I've got sharp teeth and red eyes."

"But you're my age." Maka pointed out.

He looked dumbstruck; almost in shock. "So... it is Stein?" Death knew he couldn't compete with that whack-job!

"NO!"

He sighed in relief but quickly became frustrated with how this was going. Who else could it be? Someone he didn't know? He tried to remember all the guys Maka had let her eyes linger on but came up with blanks. "Then who the hell is it?"

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Just tell me." He insisted.

"No." Maka stubbornly said. "Why do you have to know? It's not even that important—!"

"Because I'm not about to let some bastard hurt you!" He snapped, startling her. Maka watched him take a deep breath and collect himself again. He proceeded calmly: "Your dad already screwed you up with his womanizing habits – the last thing I need is for this guy...whoever it is...to mess you up even worse. You've been hurt enough." He softly added, tightening his arm around her shoulders protectively. "It wouldn't be cool if you're hurt like that again so I want to know just who...this guy is to give him an idea on how he's dying if he hurts you."

A warm smile spread on her lips at his protective comment. She impulsively wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her nose into his chest. There was a moment where no one moved, where she was able to convey her gratefulness through that single act of vulnerability, before his arms wrapped around her and showed her just how small she really was compared to him.

And compared to holding hands with Hiro, being held by Soul felt a thousand times better.

Not only was he warm but whatever body wash he used was absolutely intoxicating...

"... Is it me?"

"What?" Maka murmured, thrown in a daze by his scent. But it didn't take her long to understand what he meant by that. She froze and jolted back, fixing him with a wide-eyed stare reminiscent of someone caught in the act.

It was enough to convince him he was right.

With an easy, crooked, grin, he motioned her back. "Lay back down. It's cold." Soul complained. Maka glanced at the space she had abandoned unsurely. He sighed, reaching forward to pull her back. "I wasn't kidding when I said it was cold..." He muttered, resting his cheek on her head while his arm wove around her.

He guessed he wasn't going to threaten anyone of what would happen if they hurt Maka...

"S-Soul...?" Maka began, unsure of where to start. He had figured out it was him; what now? She expected this to go down more... explosively, maybe? Not as easily as if they were discussing the weather. Then again, what else had she expected? It was Soul she was talking about...

"Hey, what was the reward if you won the bet?" Soul suddenly asked.

"Black Star has to shut up about 'surpassing the gods' for a whole week." Maka answered, pleased with herself. She sank deeper into his embrace, closing her eyes.

"Can you change it?"

Her brows creased in thought. "I guess. I can probably get him to change it... why?"

"Good." Soul grinned, wickedly. "Because the new losers challenge is he'll have to ask out a guy."

Maka giggled. "Don't you mean a girl?"

Soul chuckled darkly, making the smile on Maka's face disappear. For a second there, it sounded like he was taking actual joy in making his best friend suffer...

"Oh, no. I meant a guy."