Cupid's Arrow

He was there – again – standing in front of the golden double doors and it irked her.

It shouldn't have surprised her. Soul had been visiting the maid cafe ever since he first walked in over a year ago, but a small part of her had hoped that by some form of sheer luck he wouldn't show up that day. Out of all the days in the year, he just had to not have plans on Valentine's Day. With all the confessions and letters he received on a daily basis she had expected he would have at least one date, but no. Instead, Soul chose to step foot into the maid cafe.

Usually it wouldn't have been a problem, but it was Valentine's Day which meant only one thing: theme day.

Maka stood near the back of the restaurant, her bow and arrow in one hand as she adjusted the strap of her wings. It was worst enough that the three idiots from their high school had already been there for over an hour catcalling Tsubaki and Kim, she did not need a low life like Evans insulting her as well. If it were up to her, she would have preferred to stay out of the line of fire when it came to pervy and rude men, but today was not a day for wish granting.

Standing up a little taller and puffing out her chest, Maka walked toward the boy with her fakest, most sincere smile plastered on her face.

"Welcome home, master! I hope cupid's arrow was aimed toward your heart today."

Maka stood in the position Blair had shown the girls that day, aiming the bow and arrow toward the wall, and smiling while trying to suppress an eye roll. It was cheesy, and she knew it. If she wasn't being paid double that day, she wouldn't have even shown up.

Soul – whose attention had been directed toward Black Star, Ox, and Kilik's table – turned his attention back to her, and she noticed his eyes grow a little along with what appeared to be a light blush on his cheeks. She cocked her head to the side and questioned his reaction. It reminded her of the same way the men in her romance novels reacted when they saw the woman they were in love with, but it didn't make sense. The man in front of her was not the type of person who dated girls much less liked them.

However, in no time Soul's face retorted back to its usual scowl and nonchalant expression.

"An angel? Really? Cute. Typical, but cute," he said.

She dropped her stance and glared at him. "Thanks. That means so much coming from you, sarcastic little–"

"Woah!" he cut in. "You do know you're working and not being hall monitor at school, right?"

"Shut up, Evans, and follow me to your usual table."

Maka turned on her heel with Soul right behind her as they made their way to the table in the farthest corner of the cafe, ignoring the wolf whistles from the three idiots. It was a hell working in the cafe with Star and his crew along with Soul pestering her every single day (granted Star, Kilik, and Ox preferred to annoy the other women as well), but it was good money. She found in the first few weeks of the white haired boy appearing uninvited that living by a mantra of "you can do this" was sufficient enough. But today she had the feeling not even that was going to get her through the hijinks the four boys were going to pull.

Why in all that was holy did Blair decide it was a good idea for them to dress up as angels?

"Would you like your usual?" she asked once the boy was settled. He quirked an eyebrow at her, and she rolled her eyes. "Would you like your usual, master?" The word felt like poison as it left her lips especially since it was him she was directing it to.

"Thanks, that'll be great."

"You're welcome, master." She took his menu, and stared at him before speaking again. "You know I would have thought you'd be out with someone from your fan club today. Never did make much sense to me why you're always single with them around."

She turned around without waiting for his answer to go back to the kitchens, but didn't get far as he opened his mouth to give her his own retort.

"That's because I'm holding out for someone else," he said. His voice was low so that no one else heard him, but she did.

Turning back toward him, she wanted to glare, but the smirk he threw her way was too intoxicating and sincere for her to do that. There was something beneath – something she had never seen from him before – that told her his statement was true, and that it involved her somehow. As her heart jolted and heat crept up her throat, she knew she was right, and for some odd reason she felt her own body shift from being on guard with the man to dropping the same wall she had built between them.

But there was no way she was going to allow herself to fall in love with Soul Evans even if her heart was beating ten times faster than normal, and she became hyper-aware of her movements. He was a pest in her life. There was nothing between them except for pure hatred, and their relationship was based on him annoying her to no end. There was absolutely no romance between them, and she was definitely not going to be falling in love with him.

Shaking the abnormal feelings from her (and closing her mouth) she scoffed and walked away. "In your dreams, Evans."

"I'll count on it!" he yelled back, and Maka's cheeks warmed as the three idiots burst into laughter, no doubt seeing the whole situation unfold.

"Shut up, you three!" she screamed at them before disappearing behind the doors.

One of these days she was going to murder all four of the boys who insisted on being little shits in her life.