Maka Albarn has never been a hopeless romantic. In fact, when it came to romance, she was actually rather cynical about such things. So, naturally, Valentine's day was always stupid and cheesy in her eyes. Silly heart decorations that appeared in stores even before the year starts, cheesy romance movies playing everywhere, couples going out and making kissy faces at each other as if just a day on a calendar somehow increased their love. It was all nauseating.

Trying to get away from all the romance and hype of the cursed day was always difficult seeing as how it was quite literally everywhere. Previous years she had stayed at home and read a book. This year, she had friends who were insistent on getting her a date. She found herself unable to get out of the situation as they kept badgering her with questions of "Are you okay with long hair," "Does he need to have a nice smile," "Does he need to be a he." Eventually she grew tired of the whole thing and decided to do the only thing that may give her an acceptable excuse; lie.

She had told her friend Liz, the most persistent to get her a date, that she was planning on trying to get a date with a guy she had had her sights on for a while. That was a mistake. Liz then started badgering her with questions asking her what this guy was like. She had just told her that she didn't want to say anything about him until she got a date with him.

Since she had told that lie, she could no longer just lock herself away in her house and read a book. Liz would be able to sense if she had done that. So much for rereading Harry Potter for the umpteenth time.

So here she was, sitting on a stool at a bar that was not too far from her apartment. Of course, she hadn't expected it to be reeking with rejection and desperation.

There were either people drinking away their sorrows of not having a date, or trying their hardest to get a date. Not her crowd and definitely not a place she particularly wanted to come back to.

The bartender was a tall man whose appearance made Maka take a double take to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. He had white hair, but his tan face showed no sign of old age. In fact, he looked about her age, at just a few years out of college. His eyes were particularly striking. They were a deep crimson and they looked as if they could look into her very soul.

"Well, don't you look chipper for someone who's alone on Valentine;s day?" he said when he came up to her after getting a drink for this one man a few seats over from Maka, who had already been drunk when Maka arrived. He looked about her age as well, despite his balding head, and he kept muttering through his tears about his girlfriend leaving him for another girl.

"Sure I'm chipper. There's no reason for me not to be." She replied to him.

"Well I mean, it is Valentine's day, I'm just used to people being completely devastated for their date leaving them or…"

It was then that the man next to them let out another very loud sob, crying out "I'm better than she is, right?"

"People like that." the bartender jabbed a thumb in the direction of the emotional drunk.

"See Valentine's day is just a day on the calendar that is overly glorified by candy brands and movie companies to make more money, and by the media to build up their social construct about how one can not be happy unless they're happily in love."

"So did you get dumped about a week ago, or do you just really dislike the holiday?"

"The latter. I could care less about getting a date, thank you." Maka answered, trying to somewhat suppress her indignation.

"Alright , Miss Single-and-not-Ready-to-Mingle, what kind of drink would you like?"

Maka made a face at the "nickname" he gave her, and just shrugged, "I don't care. How about a strawberry daiquiri?"

"Going with the theme of the overly glorified day on the calendar, I see. Coming right up." He turned around to make the drink and she just sat in waiting.

She grabbed a cocktail napkin and pulled a pen out of her pocket and started writing some random poetry that was suddenly entering her mind.

She had gotten lost in the words forming in her head and flowing onto the paper she didn't notice the glass that was set down in front of her. It wasn't until she heard someone say, "A poet who doesn't like Valentine's day?" that she was pulled out of her writing zone.

She jerked her head up in surprise, banging it against the bartender's forehead, as he was leaning on his elbows, much closer to her than before.

"Ouch! That hurt, dammit." she cried out grabbing her head.

"Well at least you won't have a visible red mark. Anyway, Miss Proud-Single-Poet, there's your drink." He said rubbing his forehead.

"Thanks. And my name is Maka, so you don't have to keep coming up with random "nicknames" or whatever you want to call them."

"What? Miss Single-Lady-Who-Isn't-a-Fan-of-Nicknames isn't a good name for you?"

"You know, you always add in the fact that I'm single. Trying to communicate something?"

"Yep. I actually want to go out with you, so I figured just repeatedly mentioning the fact that you're not dating anyone would be a great way to score a date. Is it working?" He gave her a goofy smile that matched his extreme sarcasm.

"Oh yeah, totally. But you might want to give me your name before we go out together. Call me traditional, but I personally like to know my date's name." She joked back at him.

"Alright, my name is Soul. So shall I pick you up at seven tomorrow night?"

Maka could no longer suppress her laugh, and she let a small one slip. "You know, I would, but I'll too busy not caring about dates and eating half priced chocolate while reading a book."

"Well, if it's chocolate you want," he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a mini Hershey bar and handed it to her, "Then here you go."

Grabbing the chocolate out of his hand, she looked up at him, curious, "Any reason you keep chocolates in your pocket? You wouldn't happen to have problems with Dementors at this joint, do you?"

Soul arched a white eyebrow and looked at her with utter confusion. "Pardon?"

"Harry Potter reference, did you seriously not get that?"

"Haven't seen the movies," he answered with a shrug.

"There are books as well, you know."

"I'm not a big reader, really."

She brought her fist down on the bar a little too hard. "That's it. We talked about going on a date, but I can't go out with someone who has never read or seen Harry Potter. This can no longer work out."

"Do you have the movies?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, then how about, after my shift is over, you and I go and watch the movies together. All, what? Eight of them? If you don't feel like letting me into your place, you can just bring the movies to my apartment, and we'll watch 'em there." He explained so casually as if this were a normal thing for people to do.

"Are you being serious right now?" Maka could honestly not tell what was serious or not his expression and his apparent advanced skill in deadpan joking and extreme sarcasm.

"Yes, I am being completely serious. I wouldn't want anything to get in the way of my chances with Miss Harry-Potter-Loving-Poetry-Girl. I get off in about half an hour, depending on how late my replacement is. What do you say?"

Maka eyed him cautiously. She mulled it over in her head, and deciding that he wasn't a rapist and/or murderer, and knowing that she could beat the shit out of him with her martial arts training if he tried to pull anything, she nodded. "Alright, Mister Sarcastic-Nickname-Guy, it's a deal. Your place or mine?"

"No, no, you have to choose. That way I don't sound too forward."

"Right, like offering we go and marathon all the Harry Potter movies isn't forward enough. Let's just do my place. I'll hang out here until you're done with your shift, and then we'll head out. Sound good?"

"Alright, it's a deal."

"Now it will take twenty hours, and you can't go falling asleep, okay?"

"Got it."

"Good." she said before he had to turn to go serve another customer. As he walked away, she could not stop the corners of her mouth from pulling upwards.

After a half hour of writing random poetry on cocktail napkins, another strawberry daiquiri, and a few sarcastic comments about the pathetic people who were miserable about being single, they left to start their day long marathon. Soul didn't fall asleep for any of it, but Maka did take a short nap during Goblet of Fire. And once all the movies were finished, Soul crashed on the couch, and Maka went out to get some half priced chocolate.