In honor of one of my best friends, Izzy, who prodded me to write this.

Maka turned around the corner- or tried to. She let out a muffled squeak as a hand clapped over her mouth and she was pulled back around the corner. She glared and was prepared to unleash a world of hurt on the one responsible and dig her teeth deep into their hand until she saw it was Kid and BlackStar, both of them giving her desperate looks and making shushing motions.

She stopped struggling and they cautiously let her go- at which point she merely smiled at them... then stomped with all her might on BlackStar's foot. He leaned back against the wall and held the injured appendage, face scrunched as he fought to stay silent.

"That was for scaring me, you jerk." She whispered furiously. "Now what are you two idiots up to?"

Kid motioned her closer, "Clay asked for some help with how to get Akane to notice him. He's been having trouble because he's sort of... accidentally admitted to liking no fewer than three people and he was worried Akane wouldn't believe him."

Maka's eyebrow rose higher with every word, "And he went to... BlackStar for relationship help?"

There was an affronted 'Hey!' beside her and she turned to him. BlackStar puffed his chest out, "I did manage to land Kid, obviously my advice is on a God Level."

She facepalmed, "What did you tell the poor guy?"

Star shrugged, "To go with his gut."

"That... is surprisingly good advice."

Kid nodded, "Right?" His own disbelief barely held in check.

"Hey!" They both ignored BlackStar's indignant exclamation and leaned around the corner to watch the results of the advice. The three of them looked like a new age totem pole as they watched, Maka on the bottom, Kid just above her, and BlackStar watching from the top.

Clay was visibly nervous as he approached his Meister, his cheeks pink, and Akane looked up from where he was talking with Tsugumi questioningly. Clay took a deep breath-

Maka's whole face flamed as Clay pressed his partner against the wall and- "Oh my god, what is he doing?!"

Kid's eyes narrowed, then he facepalmed, his own cheeks beginning to glow, "He's... He's... using his gut, I do believe..."

Maka facefaulted, falling to the floor, Kid on top of her and BlackStar on top of him as they lost their balance at watching Clay rub himself on Akane.

Akane's face flamed a painful shade of red and he covered his mouth with a hand. Tsugumi looked like she'd been hit upside the head with a two-by-four and backed down the hall before turning and running off. BlackStar whooped and cheered, "Go, Clay! Now seal the deal!"

Hesitating for only an instant, Clay nodded determinedly and then leaned in, moving Akane's hand, and kissed him. The sword Meister couldn't have looked more shocked had he been hit by a lightning bolt, but he didn't fight it, standing there disbelievingly. Clay pulled back and blushed, "How was that?"

Akane was famous for not losing his cool, but apparently there were limits even for the unflappable Meister, and he'd reached his: "It- it- it... You, I-" He cleared his throat, "You could... use some practice."

Clay's face lit up, "Okay!" He leaned in and kissed the Meister again. Akane raised his hand like he was going to make a point, then let it go, burying it in the short sandy locks of his weapon partner.

BlackStar jumped up from the pile, "YEAH-HAH! BLACKSTAR THE AMAZING SAVES THE DAY AGAIN!"

Maka let her head thump down on the linoleum flooring. How could even the simplest advice go so askew? The answer was dancing around on top of her as Kid shouted at him to stop stepping on them: BlackStar. And the only reason it had turned out well was the same reason it always did when involving BlackStar. Maka raised her head and pillowed in on her hand as she watched the dorky blue-haired Meister tackled to the ground by Kid. Sheer... dumb... luck.