A/N: hey guys! This is another one shot from us, our creative team; credits to snophangler, dibaaliya, abasiccrow and myself and our beta reader Nachete! Thanks for the hard work!

also just wanted to say that words in this [] are thoughts.

It was Valentine's Day, a holiday, and Maou was bored out of his mind – no one was in the Demon Fortress; Ashiya was out with Rika; Lucifer was out with Suzuno; and he was just sadly there, sorting out paperwork from his landlady. Maou had asked for permission to install an air conditioner in their fortress, as summer was approaching soon, and Ashiya suggested buying said machinery now as it would be cheaper in the wintertime.

Anyways, Maou was almost finishing up when he heard the doorbell. He got up to open it only to find it was Emi. She looked a bit down, but Maou didn't dare ask about that.

"Hey. By any chance, do you know where Bell is? I tried knocking on her door, but there's no answer," Emi asked, signaling to the door beside Maou's apartment.

"Oh, she and Lucifer went out to get some ice-cream, I think?" he said. "Wait. She didn't tell you?"

Maou saw Emi's face fall even more after he mentioned them going out to eat somewhere.

"Hmm, alright."

Emi stared at her mobile and after standing there for a half minute, "...Hey, Emi," Maou called.

It looked like she was planning to wait for Suzuno to return.

"What is it, did I forget something?" Emi stopped and turned to him.

"No-uhm, anything you want to let me know?" he was just checking up on her.

"Nothing that matters. Just leave me alone." Emi sat down on the stairs, sullenly facing the road.

Maou noticed she was not acting her usual self . "You don't linger around like this unless there's something bothering you."

"Huh. If you know everything so well, then shut up and let me be," Emi replied looking straight back at him.

Maou got a little irritated and walked towards her.

"I am planning to go out to get groceries. Ashiya's out with Suzuki Rika for his mobile phone and Suzuno's not coming back until 9pm," he said as he approached. "Want to join me?"

"..What?" she looked up, not understanding why the sudden invitation came in.

"Hey, I just asked because I don't want any of my Demon Generals to be so out of spirit," he tried to explain.

But Emi stood up anyway, and started walking down the stairs.

"Fine, I need to get some stuff as well," she said without looking back.

Maou felt something was definitely off then, as she did not even protest when called a Demon General.

As they were walking towards the grocery store, Maou kept stealing glances at Emi. She had been sighing from the moment they left the Demon Fortress and Maou was running out of patience.

"Stop doing that, will you?"

"If there's something on your mind just tell me."

"..."

"(Sigh) I'm not gonna' make fun of you, alright?"

"It's not something I'd like to share with a guy and definitely not with you. You will make fun of me anyways," Emi finally answered.

"I won't, I promise. Now would you please tell me?"

"If it makes you feel better just think of me as Suzuno then?"

"Why, hello, my name is Suzuno Kamazuki," Maou said in his best Suzuno impersonation.

Emi burst into peals of laughter after seeing Maou's silly action.

"Stupid. Stop it, you look stupid. Fine! I'll tell you."

"Okay, well, you see..," Emi trailed off. "There was this guy at work who was nice to me and I do like him a bit…"

Upon the mention of a guy, Maou felt like somebody punched him in the gut.

He hated that feeling. He already hated the guy, whosoever he is. But Maou didn't show a trace of what he was feeling on his face – he thought he was doing a good job.

Emi, however, kept on speaking,"...and today, well its Valentine's Day, so I thought I'd ask him out."

"But guess what – he has a girlfriend! I was so annoyed and a little heartbroken; though it isn't his fault, its mine; I kept hoping for something that's never gonna' happen," she said with her head in her hands.

OK, Maou thought, he has a girlfriend. [[Good riddance!]]

Then he thought, [[What am I thinking?!]]

He shook his head, and focused on Emi.

"Well, so what? It doesn't matter, cheer up!"

"Er, maybe it wasn't meant to be?"

"Yes, well, it is hard to get over sometimes" Emi said sadly, making a face.

Maou couldn't bear to see her so upset. He felt the urge to do something quickly, to make her smile and feel happy again.

It suits her, smiling, it's nice when she smiles, cute even. [[…What am I thinking?! What's wrong with me today?!]]

Before he knew it, the words came out of his mouth, "Oh come on! Hey how about this, I'll take you out to eat today, my treat. And we can visit this place I always go to clear my mind up? And after that, we can do groceries'."

Emi was stunned, [[Wow. That's new.]]

"Really? You would do that?' she asked, still shocked.

"Ya, why not? I can't see my General like this – I take it upon myself to make you smile again!"

To this Emi blushed so much, she couldn't believe Maou, he does realize his words right?

"...dense idiot," she mumbled to herself.

"Did you say something?!"

"N-nothing. Let's go," Emi stuttered. She couldn't believe herself that she was actually going along with Maou's proposal.

They arrived at Maou's favorite spot a few minutes later.

"Yakiniku? Seriously? Do you even have enough money for this?" Emi asked with a blank look.

"It's fine, it's fine. As long as we don't tell Ashiya then its fine."

"And by the way, today's my treat. I'm a good man after all." Maou chuffed at Emi.

"Fine. If you insist then I won't hold back," Emi answered with a sinister smile.

Maou asked the waitress for some menus so they can look at what they can order.

''I wonder what should I order… this looks yummy! All right, I think I'll have this,'' Emi said with a smirk.

''OK, then I guess I'll be ordering this," Maou said in a worried tone.

After a while, their orders came in and they began to eat. Suddenly, Maou looked at Emi and noticed she had some sauce on her face. "Here Emi, clean yourself with this. Seriously, can't you take it easy with your food? You look like a child."

"Don't tell me what to do" she sticked her tongue out to him.

Both of them reached out for more napkins – at the same time. When their fingers inevitably touched, Emi immediately pulled back. "Hey, don't tell me you're planning to wipe my face with that," she said.

"No, I was not... but now I will! Since you've eaten like a baby," he shook his head, reached out and wiped all the sauce off of her cheek.

Emi looked away to avoid his gaze, blushing furiously and there was a moment of awkward silence.

"So... what did you plan for today if it worked out with him?" Maou asked curiously.

"Honestly, I don't know what to expect," Emi was staring out the window. "I just wanted to try and see what it would be like to experience a normal person's life – not being Emilia the Hero for a day, just Emi Yusa."

"Emi, forget about it, forget I mentioned that actually!" Maou said as he saw her getting down again. He continued, "Let's go now, let's get out of here; I'm done, how about you?"

Looking at Maou, Emi realized that he really was trying to get her in good spirits and was determined to not make her sad again. The thought made Emi smile, [[What was she even sad about?]].

She couldn't remember.

That smile did not go unnoticed by Maou though, he thought, [[Wow. Just wow.]]

And he blurted out loud, "You are way more prettier when you smile like that! You should do it more often."

Before Maou could realize what he said, Emi, who was blushing so hard, thought, [[What's gotten into him – Oh my god. Does he like me?!]]

Maou however put his hands on his mouth after saying those words, smiled nervously and said, "E-eh I meant like you know you are always so mad at me all the time…"

Emi thought, [[Oh my god! He has no idea what he's doing to my heart.]]

Her heart was indeed beating faster – maybe it skipped a beat? Emi wasn't sure.

Blushing beet red, Emi tried to clear the air between them as the situation turned awkward, "Uh-huh. Let's just go to wherever you wanted to take me to after this?"

"Actually, Its getting late, just realized that Ive to be home before Ashiya comes back but I promise next time ok?!" He said sheepishly rubbing the back of head.

"Alright, ill hold you th- I-mean that only you wanted to take me there that's why I am agreeing for a next time" Emi said nervously stuttering, [[no matter how much she denies it, she had fun today she doesn't mind going with Maou next time]]

As they came out of the restaurant, Alas=Ramus appeared in Emi's arms.

"Uwu – Papa?"

"Hey, Alas=Ramus! I thought you were with grandpa," Maou was surprised to see her.

"My father went to Nerima to spend the evening, so I had to keep her with me," Emi replied.

"O-oh."

Alas=Ramus then started running on the sidewalk, tugging onto Maou's finger, "Papa, run, run!"

Following slowly behind them, Emi had a very heart-warming and comfortable feeling.

As they were approaching Villa Rosa Sasazuka, Maou started talking while holding Alas=Ramus in his arms, along with some hastily-bought groceries.

"Hey, Emi. Sorry your day did not go the way you really planned!"

"Mhmm..," Emi responded, looking at Maou and Alas=Ramus, following them closely to room 201.

[[You're wrong, today went exactly the way I wanted it. Definitely a great valentine day indeed]]

Emi could not stop smiling to herself thinking this way, as they called it a day.