This is my first Fanfiction ever, so please be gentle to this n00b. However, I would greatly appreciate any constructive criticism offered. Thank you and enjoy!

DISCLAIMER - I do not own Soul Eater or these characters.

Maka looked down at her pained feet and huffed in frustration, the puff of air disturbing her bangs. She was standing in the Shibusen banquet hall wrapped in a tight black dress that felt oddly like wearing spanx, and a pair of uncomfortable heels. Around her, the room pulsed, music causing the floor to vibrate under her in a forceful, urgent manner.

She looked up to find Tsubaki, discovering her friend was dancing with Black Star about 20 feet away and had lost all manner of interest in Maka. Tsubaki had dragged Maka here after bribing Liz into stuffing her into this uncomfortable outfit. Maka had been perfectly content sitting on her couch reading her latest library conquest. Sighing loudly and dropping her head in defeat, she thought impatiently of the delectable book awaiting her on the end table. Why did Tsubaki go through the trouble of bringing her here only to ditch her for Black Star 20 minutes later?

"Maka!" an annoying male voice called from somewhere off to her left. Looking up, she was met with a pair of blue eyes and a mass of blonde, carefully constructed bed head. It was Dylan, the semi-stalker senpai she had met in the library only a week prior. Since then, he had approached her every chance he had, interrupting her reading and flirtatiously dropping hints about his interest in her. It was exceedingly unwelcome and mildly creepy, but she had yet to find a method of deterring him effectively.

"Hi…" she trailed off, turning to walk towards the exit. Dylan's arm darted out swiftly and caught her wrist, pulling Maka into his chest roughly.

"Wait, don't go. Dance with me," he said urgently, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist.

She struggled against his hold angrily, "Let go of me, Dylan!"

"What do you think you're doing?" a familiar, irritated voice asked, making Maka's heart skip a beat.

"Soul," she exclaimed helplessly, giving him a pleading look.

"Who are you!?" demanded Dylan, pulling Maka closer.

"He's my par…"

"I'm her BOYFRIEND, and you better unhand my GIRLFRIEND before things get VERY ugly," he replied forcefully, waggling a scythe-shaped arm for effect.

Dylan dropped his arms in surprise and immediately stalked off angrily, grumbling something vaguely like, "…she never mentioned a boyfriend…"

Maka looked at Soul, shock written all over her face. "Why would you tell him that!?"

Soul shrugged noncommittally, "It made him leave. You should be thanking me. Besides… does it really matter if he thinks we're together?"

"Argh!" Maka huffed, throwing her arms up with frustration. "I don't want to discuss this here. Please take me home," she responded, turning on her heel indignantly and moving towards the door.

Soul looked down and scuffed his feet against the floor, thrusting the disappointment down and forcing a neutral expression before following after his meister.

When he arrived at his motorcycle, he discovered Maka had already removed her shoes and stashed them away. She was straddling the motorcycle, her long legs appearing to extend for miles while her tight dress rode up in ways that made his heart pound and his palms sweat. "Damn," he thought to himself.

Soul had been in love with his meister for as long as he could remember, but in the last 2 years it had become increasingly difficult to ignore his urgent teenage hormones and her exceedingly hot body. 'I need to keep control over myself, keep it platonic,' his mind badgered him. If he let slip his longing for her, things would never be the same. Her fear of relationships was so strong, she may even leave him over something like this.

"Hurry up!" she called impatiently, startling Soul out of his reverie.

"Maka, you're going to flash the world," he complained in response as he walked up, removed his jacket, and draped it gently over her legs, effectively covering the show.

Maka blushed, his concern for her causing her chest to tighten as Soul hopped onto the bike in front of her and started it. She wrapped her arms around him securely, secretly pleased at being able to hold him so close to her body. This was the highlight of her day, the few moments she could actually cling to him without it implying anything else.

Maka's love for Soul seemed to grow by the day, no matter how controlled and calculated she behaved. It was a constant struggle, forcing down feelings she knew he couldn't accept. He wanted to know why it upset her so much when he called her his girlfriend? Well that was simple, it was a reality she so desperately yearned for that she couldn't have. Why did she torture herself like this?

Maka's blush deepened, the frustration causing her to bury her face into Soul's back and take comfort from his warmth. Much sooner than she would have liked, the bike began to slow and finally came to a full stop in front of their apartment.

Maka didn't let go immediately; the feeling of her body pressed flush against his back making Soul's slacks tighten uncomfortably. "Maka… we're here…" he said tightly, struggling to maintain the calmness of his voice. She released him instantly, leaning back and stepping off the bike. The loss of her warmth caused both relief and disappointment to wash through him; the contradiction that was his daily life.

Soul looked down at the controls, not ready to move yet. "Maka… who was that guy?"

"Ahh… Dylan? He's some guy that's been flirting with me every day in the library for the past week. I haven't been able to deter him. I don't really appreciate your methods, but I think telling him you were my boyfriend was the most effective deterrent yet," she responded matter-of-factly.

"Oh? Perhaps I should escort you to the library and continue to pretend to be your boyfriend there…" he asked tentatively, hoping to god she didn't hear the tremor in his voice. "You know, to ensure he's got the idea and leaves you alone."

Maka sighed exasperatedly, turned, and started to walk towards the apartment. 'What am I going to do?' she thought to herself. 'Dylan has been a nuisance, and I haven't been able to study at all. But… Soul pretending to be my boyfriend? This could be the only chance I have to be with him in some semblance. Is it worth the pain when we stop pretending? Is it even worth the pain of pretending in the first place?'

She fought with her internal monologue the entire way up to the apartment, all through a shower, removing her makeup, and changing, until she finally reached a decision. Walking into the living room, she found Soul sprawled across the couch dejectedly, his internal monologue having spent the better part of the last 30 minutes berating his stupidity.

She stopped in front of him and waited patiently. Soul removed the arm that had been covering his eyes and looked up. Maka was standing before him, her hair still dripping from the shower, in only a t-shirt. The sight caused his breath to hitch, the image of his hand running up those long legs, ghosting under her shirt towards more forbidden lands flashing before his eyes vividly…

"Soul!" Maka shouted, chopping him with a book that had been sitting nearby. "You weren't even listening!"

"Uhhh…" he responded gracelessly.

"I said yes, baaaka."

Soul continued to stare at her, confusion etched all over his face.

"To your proposal… about Dylan…" she mumbled, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Oh, right, yea," he said, finally catching on. "I'll come to the library with you then. It's a 'date,'" he said, air quotes included.

Maka nodded almost imperceptibly, then took her book and stomped off to her room. Groaning loudly, Soul returned to his position of utter dejection and continued to berate himself internally. How could he have suggested something so stupid? There was no way he was going to keep his feelings for her a secret now.