15-year-old Marie sat at her desk, looking around at all of the other girls, happily opening their Valentine's Day cards. Even her teacher had a card. But she didn't. Not one boy had stopped to think, 'Hey, maybe that blonde girl would like a card.' No. Not a single stinking card. All men were the same. They didn't care about girls like Marie; no, they cared about girls like Ashley, who was in a push-up bra by the time she was twelve and had been caught in a compromising position behind the school gym on more than one occasion.
She leant her head in her hands as Azusa sat next to her, stuffing away the cards she had received.
"Marie… I'm sorry. I'm sure someone will give you a card." Azusa said. Marie sniffled and looked up at her.
"I don't care," she said, indignantly, "I hate this holiday, anyway." Marie said, picking up her bag and leaving the classroom. Azusa followed her.
"There's no need to get like this, Marie." Azusa said, pushing her glasses up against her face. Just as Marie turned around, a sea of people walked towards her. Obviously, all of their significant others were in classes other than Crescent Moon, and they needed to find them. In the rush, Marie felt a small tug on her sleeve and an envelope fall into her hand. After she had waited out the rush, she looked down at the back of the envelope.
"Someone must have dropped it." Marie thought to herself. She casually turned the envelope around to see who it was addressed to. When she saw her own name on it, her eyes widened and she pulled it close to her chest.
"Marie, come on." Azusa said.
"Yeah, uh… you go ahead. I'm going to the bathroom." Marie said. She ran off in the other direction, burst through the bathroom door and saw Ashley in the corner, a boy stuck to her face and her blouse half unbuttoned.
"Really?" Marie asked, running into one of the cubicles. She put the lid of the toilet seat down and placed her bag on the hook. She looked down at the rather neat, spidery writing on the envelope. She opened it and pulled out the card. It was rather nondescript and generic, but Marie hated the big, garish cards that some people got. They'd draw too much attention to her. She opened the card and started to read.
Dear Marie,
That was a good start.
We're friends, you know me, I know you.
Marie raised an eyebrow. That narrowed the field considerably, but didn't eliminate everyone.
I must admit, I'll often catch myself staring at you. And I feel different whenever I'm around you, and I don't quite understand it.
Marie looked down. Someone stared at her when she wasn't looking? She didn't know how to feel.
I know that you'll probably get a lot of cards today. You are very good-looking.
Marie felt a blush crawl across her cheeks. She glanced up and around the small cubicle. Her heart began to race. She sighed and looked down at the card once more.
But, I just wanted you to know that I feel for you more that I feel for most people.
Marie smiled at that. She felt…special.
Yours truly, your secret admirer.
A secret admirer?
Marie felt herself going faint. Who could he be? She looked over the card; it really didn't have any defining features. She thought to herself. Could it be…no. No, it couldn't be him, either.
And then it clicked.
She'd only ever told one person her last name. She'd never even told her meister. She'd never even told Azusa. And it was there, on the front of the envelope, clear as day.
Marie Mjolnir.
She unlocked the cubicle and ran out of the bathroom.
"Where would he be?" Marie asked herself. Then she realised. She ran down the halls of Shibusen, getting several funny looks as she did so. She eventually got to the place where she knew her 'secret' admirer would be. She knocked on the doorframe.
"Yes?" the boy turned around to see Marie. He stood back slightly as she held up the card and walked towards him. Marie looked up at his green eyes.
"Stein." She said, quietly.
"H-Hi, Marie." He said, putting down the scalpel he held in his hand. He took off the gloves her was wearing and pushed his glasses back on.
"This is… This is really sweet, Stein. Really." Marie said, sincerely. Stein rubbed the back of his neck.
"How did you know it was me?" he asked, quietly. Marie held up the envelope.
"I've only ever told you my last name." she replied.
"Oh." Stein said, looking down, cursing himself mentally. Marie took his hand in hers.
"No, Stein. It's alright. In fact, it's more than alright. That was the only card I got today." Marie said, softly, placing the card on the laboratory bench.
"Seriously?" Stein asked.
"Yeah. But it was by far the best I've seen out of anyone else's." Marie said, a firm grip still on Stein's hand.
"It was nothing…really." Stein said. Marie looked up at him. She shook her head.
"It wasn't nothing. It was something. It was something amazing." Marie said. She stood on her tiptoes slightly. Stein leant down at the same time. Marie wrapped her arm around Stein's neck and pulled his lips down to hers. Neither of them really knew what to do; they'd never kissed anyone before. It was like nothing either of them had ever felt before. It was like there was nobody else in the world.
After they broke apart from the kiss, Marie blushed slightly.
"I'm sorry." She said, gently. Stein shook his head.
"Don't be." He said, a small smirk crawling across his face. Marie giggled slightly.
"I'd better go back to Azusa." She smirked.
"Yeah."Stein said back.
"I'll see you later?" Marie asked. Stein nodded.
"Alright." Stein said, turning away from Marie. He smirked to himself as Marie walked out of the room, blushing.
Marie eventually sauntered back over to where Azusa was sitting. Her blush hadn't lifted and she still felt like she was walking on air. She smiled at Azusa as she sat down, pulling her skirt down and tucking her legs under herself.
"Why are you blushing?" Azusa asked. Marie smirked back.
"I got a card." Marie smirked. Azusa raised an eyebrow.
"So that's why you've got that red ring around your lips, because you got a card?" Azusa interrogated. Marie covered her mouth quickly.
"Marie…" Azusa said.
"What? I got a card and… one thing led to another." Marie said.
"Who?" Azusa asked. As if on cue, Spirit walked up behind the two.
"Ah, Marie! Just saw you and Stein in the lab, eh?" Spirit said, waggling his eyebrows at her. Marie's face went completely red as she covered her eyes. Azusa glared at her.
"Stein? Really?" she asked. Marie looked up at her.
"Yeah. Really. And why not?" she asked.
"Because he refuses to follow the rules, he's always in that blasted laboratory and he's a complete loner!" Azusa said.
"Yeah, well, he's actually very kind, he's dedicated to his work and he's very handsome!" Marie said back. Azusa's jaw dropped and she pointed behind Marie. Marie turned tentatively to see the silver haired meister behind her.
"Stein… w-what are you doing here?" Marie asked, nervously. Stein smirked.
"You forgot your card." Stein said. Marie took it from Stein and blushed.
"Did you mean what you said before?" he asked, quietly. Marie looked up at him.
"Yeah…" she said, rubbing her hands together. Stein smirked slightly. Marie turned to face Azusa and Stein put his hands on her shoulders.
"And, Azusa?"Stein asked.
"Stein?" she asked back.
"I'd watch what you say about me, because the anatomy of small creatures is eerily similar to that of humans." He smirked, sadistically. Azusa recoiled and snarled at the boy. Marie turned to Stein.
"Don't threaten the girl." She said, quietly. Azusa sighed.
"You two have been going out for fifteen minutes and I'm already a third wheel?" Azusa asked. Marie and Stein broke away.
"We're not going out." Marie said, swiftly.
"No, no." Stein said. Azusa smirked.
"Mmhm. I'm sure you're not. Because I'm sure that, if I left you two alone right now, you wouldn't have your hands all over each other like all of the other couples around here." Azusa said, walking off. Marie and Stein looked at each other.
"We should prove her wrong." Marie said. Stein nodded.
"Yes, we should." Stein said. He and Marie walked over to a tree which sat near the outside of the main Shibusen building. Marie looked at Stein. Stein looked at Marie.
Their plans to prove Azusa wrong went awry very quickly.