"I absolutely adore your earrings Tsubaki!"

"Really? I thought they were kinda boring..."

"Oh, of course not, Tsubaki. You shouldn't talk about yourself like that, you look as pretty as always!" Maka Albarn smiled, hands on her hips. Tsubaki, the unknowing helper in her master scheme, blushed and giggled and said something humbling and degrading, which Maka once again deflected. Even if this wasn't all an act, she truly did have to admit that they were in fact cute earrings. But the real matter on hand, the more important matter, would be her self-righteous task of defeating Harvar D. Eclair in this game they'd been playing for the past two weeks. In theory, she knew in the back of her head that he had likely never even played to begin with and that this was a most foolish way to handle her time. He was most certainly not worth the A- she now currently held in her favorite class, right?

Wrong.

Harvar, as she had come to terms with, was the only worthy adversary in the entire school. And she adored him for it completely. At least, it was one of the reasons why she adored him. And it was no joke, she was winning. Maka was obviously the superior planner, setting up this perfectly believable interaction with her favorite female friend. Poor Tsubaki didn't need to know her motives, though Maka doubted she'd mind if she did. But Tsubaki could never know. No one could, this fight was hers and hers alone.

She cast a small side glance, drinking in a three second glimpse in his direction.

Damn, he's gorgeous.

Maka shook her head, freeing the thought. So, once again, she was forced to accept that he was simply salivating to look at. She bet his hair was soft. I wonder what it's like to tangle her fingers in a few locks and pull as hard as she could...

Once again, her eyes wandered across the room.

And met his.

He stared through her, and dismissed her, throwing away her beautiful disguise.

That bastard!

Alright, that was it. This was the end, she was ending this. Over. She was taking her victory. How dare he dismiss her like that? Honestly! His nerve, his, his...

The bell rung, and she was off, crossing the room in a b-line to meet the weapon head on. Maka didn't feel like making a show, not yet. This game? Private. Instead, she grabbed his sleeve, dragging him into a small alcove of the hallway with slightly less force then she expected. Did he want her to take him? Take him... No, Maka. We are not thinking that way. No.

"Harvar D. Eclair. I am formally asking you in a civil manner to knock it off." She said with a purse of her lips, crossing her arms. Maka was winning, all he could do was submit. Hail to the queen.

"Knock what off, Maka Albarn? And was it truly necessary that I be taken in here? Honestly, Miss Albarn, self control and practicality."

Maka paused, for a moment, stood in awe. How. Dare. He? What was this defiance he was showing? Maka had never been directly challenged in such a matter, never once. Her authority among her social circle was absolute, at least in her own mind. Even if she didn't get her way at first, she always got it in the end. She earned it, deserved it! And yet, here was this boy. This gorgeous, intelligent boy, who rivaled her in a way she had never before come to face. If she had done such a thing to any of her other companions, they would've quickly accepted and moved on. But here? With him?

Did he really not know what she was getting at? Oh, of course he did. No way he didn't, he had to know. He just did. If he didn't he wouldn't have let her take him in here, and he'd of left. No, she knew that he was fully aware of their little affair, and she was not going to make it that simple. She was not going to give him a weak, pretty "So you weren't playing?". Or at least, not yet. She didn't think it would come to that, her resorting to that kind of tactic...

Was she even really considering that...?

"You, have been intentionally bothering me. And I, am telling you not to be an ass, and stop. Let's be mature, Harvar."

Her arms moved away from her chest to rest on her hips, raising a brow. He made no immediate response. Not a twitch. What was he thinking? Maka shifted her wait attempting to rule out his thoughts that were about as clear as the near opaque lenses of his visor. His eyes those dark, sexy eyes, they were expressive enough for her to call out his inner workings like they were scripted. She was good at that. If it wouldn't have been obvious, she'd of attempted to read his soul, but she didn't feel currently like sinking to the level of using her sixth sense. Now, if only he took of that visor...

Besides, it really was rude of him to wear those inside. Honestly. "And didn't your mother ever tell you that it's rude not to look someone in the eyes when you speak to them? Take off that visor, please."

"Intentionally bothering you?" He asked. "I have no logical means of doing that." He rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. As if that made him powerful, or something else absurd Maka narrowed her eyes. "Maka," He continued, "We sit on other ends of the room, and do not interact Has something I do subconsciously bothered you? Furthermore were you looking at me enough to be bothered?"

She opened her mouth and closed it, astounded. What if he was right? If he was telling the truth and not simply being difficult, he...didn't...care...

Furthermore, he blatantly ignored her request about his visor, instead continuing his speech.

"My parents passed away at the age of six. Violently, for a cause they fought their lives for if you must know. I apologize if my concept of 'rude' differs from your pedigree one." He was flat, cold and stoic, unfeeling from the viewpoint behind his visor.

Maka froze. This was not the kind of bluff that one could pull for this type of matter, this one had to be a truth. Her mind flew, her bleeding heart twisting itself into knots, then re twisting out of loathing, and twisting once more out of compassion. This left Maka feeling...mild conflicted.

Maka was a righteous girl. She was a power player and stood for what she believed, and this qualified as the type of situation she'd normally take hold of. But she had to think. Maka couldn't pull out her protective instinct, not now. She'd lose. He was being gusty, she'd give him that.

His parent's died? Is that why he lives with Ox? Violently...So that's why he's so closed off, I was right...The poor thing, I...I could never take advantage of that, could I? Maybe, I could but not at once. I can do that.

"...Take off your visor." She whispered calmly.

He protested.

She swallowed.

And leaned forward, snatching them off of his face. He really did have gorgeous eyes...

.In an instant, his hand shot out, taking hold of hers and the visor in her grip. The area where their skin met tingled a little. She couldn't have imagined that could she? His eyes clouded. "Maka, I have studying to do. Return my sunglasses and we're not to speak of this again." His voice was unchanging, calculated.

He was running away. She was winning.

Maka felt an odd fluttering in her chest, swallowing. Her hand didn't move, white knuckled fingers clenched around her prize, eyes still locked on his. It felt glorious. Her heart thrashed in her chest, a faint blush raising to her cheeks. She did not falter though. Maka refused to falter There was a tension between them, alive and thick and smothering in the tiny room. It sat in her lungs, down her spine and through her thighs, little quivers of excitement Just standing there, eyes set, it felt almost...sensual, in a way. Exhilarating, by every means of the word. She dared not move, barely even daring to breathe, longing to hold this as long as possible. His gaze was intoxicating, so deep that maybe he should keep them covered in public. But they were not in public. They were in a closet in a hallway. No one was around, not a single witness.

She leaned forward, cutting at the normal bubble of personal space to a point where the slightest movement would result in a large scale collision of touch. Maka arched her back slightly, lightly pressing herself into his chest. She couldn't help herself.

Calm yourself, Maka.

"Fine." She said calmly, loosening her grip on the glasses for him to take. "We never speak of this." Maka let herself smile, parting her lips slightly and leaning forward still.

And in a quick, fluid motion, she pulled herself away, opened the door and drifted out, not daring to look back over her shoulder.

Maka won this round. She knew it, deep in her core.

And she was more than thrilled for his next attack.