Zero Kiryuu stared blankly ahead, head in hand, as class ended and his fellow students began to file out around him. Usually, he would have filed out with them. There were no classes for at least an hour now, so he had no reason to hang around. But his best friend, Yuuki Cross, had insisted that she would 'pick him up' from his classroom.
The usual inane babble that accompanied the exiting students was turning to the upcoming prom, small groups remaining behind to discuss the topic. He couldn't seem to escape the talk of the dance lately. Wherever there were students, prom talk followed like a shadow.
"So, who are you gonna ask? I'm gonna ask Toya!"
"Good luck with that. She's obviously going with Shiki."
"Not if I get there first."
"I'm going to ask Ruka." A third voice piped up, causing Zero to scoff gently to himself. This band of boys had no chance; setting their sights on such unobtainable girls. Ruka especially would be holding onto the vain hope that Kaname Kuran would attend, despite him having graduated a couple of years beforehand.
"I'm going for Yuuki."
"Shush! Kiryuu is right there!"
"So?"
"Everyone knows he has a thing for Yuuki!"
"It shouldn't be too hard to steal her."
"Dude, shut up!"
Zero scowled at the suddenly silent group, before returning to disinterestedly waiting for Yuuki. He had no intention of going to the prom, so they could ask her without fearing his wrath. It wasn't like she was obligated to say yes. He wasn't going to tell them that, though.
"Zero! Good, you waited!" He was looking into Yuuki's warm chocolate coloured eyes a second later as she placed her hands down decisively on his desk.
"Where else would I go? You'd just hunt me down."
"Damn straight!" Her nose wrinkled as the implication of his words hit her. "Hey!"
He smirked, patting her on the head.
"Don't worry, I'll wait where you want me to. After all, you'd be lost without me."
"I can cope without you!" She crossed her arms in a gesture of defiance.
"Yeah, yeah." Zero stood, the temptation to ask her just to give the watching group of boys a show rising. It also didn't help him that she always looked adorable.
"Anyway, Yori's waiting for us outside. Best not keep her waiting too long." He glanced back at the group of boys, catching sight of one particularly disappointed face as he left the room with her.
~Z~
Zero had been happily aware that his tiny circle of friends contained the only two females who hadn't even mentioned the upcoming dance. He had thought that they were as uninterested in the festivities as he was. So when Yuuki and Yori began to talk eagerly to each other about potential dates and what they would wear, he had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. The fever had finally reached them, too.
"Don't ignore me, Zero!" He heard Yuuki's voice from beside him, bringing him out of his self-induced stupor.
"Zero does zone out a lot." Yori placated Yuuki, who had her cheeks puffed out in irritation. Zero looked between them to see if he could decipher what Yuuki had said to him.
"Never mind. You're boring, anyway." She teased as she used her body to herd Zero out of the way of her locker. He snorted.
"Maybe you're the boring one."
"No way!"
"Have you considered that you're both boring and are therefore perfect for each other?" Yori piped up, causing the other two to scoff simultaneously. They glanced at each other before Yuuki successfully opened the locker.
"What's this?" Yuuki pulled a dusty pink envelope from her locker. A quick inhale informed each that the letter had been perfumed with a light, floral aroma.
"Ooo, looks like Yuuki has a secret admirer. Better act fast, Zero!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Wakaba."
Yuuki seemed oblivious to the exchange, eyes wide as she read through the letter. Yori peeked over her shoulder to catch a glimpse.
"It really is a love letter!"
"Who'd be writing love letters to Yuuki?" Zero muttered, before Yuuki's fist collided with his arm. "Ow!"
"I'm still more desirable than you!"
"To boys? I should hope so. Although, there is nothing there…"
"Hey!"
Both were distracted by Yori as she started giggling beside them. "Oh, you two carry on! Pretend I'm not here!"
"I wonder who did write this. There isn't a name here. Just the letter K." She was looking at Zero as if he held the answers. He quickly wracked his brains. There were plenty of boys attending the school who had names beginning with K. But how sure were they that this was relating to his actual name and not a nickname? If the letter writer was too shy to actually speak to Yuuki, was he also too shy to sign with his own initial?
"I don't recognise the writing."
"Mmm… Well, I guess I'll look into it later." She placed the letter back in her locker, apparently having forgotten what she had initially gone in there for. Suddenly, she clapped her hands together. "About next Saturday's activities!"
"You've decided what we're doing?"
"Nope. But I know how we can decide!" She was rubbing her hands together eagerly. "We always have such trouble agreeing on what to do, so what if we each write down three suggestions and pull one from a bucket? It'll be a lot more fun, too!"
"That'll cut out so much griping!" Yori glanced at Zero pointedly, who merely raised an eyebrow at her.
"Good. Now that that's decided, we'll bring in our options tomorrow!"
~Z~
Despite Yuuki's confident declaration that their ideas be written by the next day, the trio found themselves too busy to come together and decide until the following week. Yuuki had consistently found a new love note in her locker each day, convincing her that the mysterious K was indeed serious in his affection. Yori herself had received a few notes of her own, and she had been turning down boys in droves.
Zero had been steadily ignoring the longing looks he was getting from girls eager for him to ask them. They would soon settle for second best. Yuuki pulled a single piece of paper from the tiny basket and read it out loud.
"Rock climbing, eh?"
"That sounds like a lot of fun."
Zero gave Yuuki a small smirk, receiving a roll of the eyes in return. His rock climbing suggestion had been the only one of his options that was actually feasible for three high school students; he had wanted to see Yuuki's reaction when something impossible was chosen. Yori pretended not to notice the small exchange.
"I know just the place, so I'll make arrangements for us." Yori brightly informed her friends.
Yuuki gave Zero an impish grin. "I bet I can climb way higher than you can."
"Do you really think a tiny little thing like you can best me in height?"
"Every time! Bring it on!"
"You have over a week to practice." Yori quipped.
"I'm definitely taking advantage. Enjoy twirling about in your pretty dresses and sighing over your many love letters while I'm training to win."
"You know what? I can still beat you even losing time like that!"
"I'll be cheering for both of you."
"Yori! You can only cheer for one of us!"
"Yeah, cheer for Yuuki. She actually needs it."
"Quiet, you!"
She looked disappointed when the class bell rang, interrupting their first get together in a week.
~Z~
Zero was thoroughly enjoying himself already. Though he and Yori had successfully donned their harnesses, Yuuki was struggling. She had also turned away any offers of help in her frustration, frantically informing her friends that she was capable of putting on a harness. She had no idea how adorable she was in these moments. Like a kitten trying to wrestle its way out of a paper bag.
As Zero was considering ignoring her warnings and fastening her harness for her, another male stepped forward to help her.
"Oh, thank you."
"No problem." He beamed at her. "I couldn't leave a lady to struggle like that."
Zero snorted audibly, ignoring the stab he was sure he heard in the other boy's voice. He vaguely recognised the newcomer. Yuuki glared at him.
"You're thinking I'm not a lady, aren't you?"
"Hey, you said it."
"You know, you should treat her better." If looks could kill, the other boy would have been a smoking mess on the floor. Did this guy have a problem with him?
"There's nothing malicious in it, you know." Yori stepped in to defend Zero. She looked as though she were restraining her own annoyance.
"Sorry." He replied with a smile to Yori, which dropped from his face when he glanced at Zero. "I'm Keisuke. You're Yuuki, right? We go to the same school."
"You've been writing Yuuki the love letters." Zero jumped in before Yuuki could reply as it clicked into place. This boy was the same boy who had been telling his friends that he'd be asking Yuuki to the prom a couple of weeks ago. He had decided to ignore his friend's warnings to stay away, and was apparently making an effort to get to Yuuki.
Yuuki's eyes widened. "Oh, that was you? You're such a good writer!"
"Haha, yeah, you got me."
Zero could pinpoint the moment that the implications in this boy being the letter writer hit Yuuki. She stepped back from him awkwardly, settling next to Yori.
"If you don't mind, maybe we could join forces today?"
"Join forces?" Yuuki's brow furrowed in confusion.
"For the climbing."
"That is why we're here, Yuuki, not to pick up boys." Yuuki turned to Zero with a cute scowl.
"I am not picking up boys!" In an act of defiance, she turned to Keisuke. "Yes, you can join us!"
"Yuuki…" Yori began.
"It'll be fine! The more, the merrier, right?"
Yori rolled her eyes at Yuuki's obliviousness, stepping closer to Zero to whisper a soft "sorry, Zero."
"Let's just get this over with." Mood thoroughly soured, Zero jumped up onto the wall.
~Z~
Zero and Yori found themselves frequently robbed of Yuuki's presence by Keisuke after their outing. Now that he had found a way to begin conversations with Yuuki, he had ceased to write her notes, instead opting for roses and occasional chocolates. He had something for her each time he approached. Yuuki was flattered by the attention and didn't seem to realise that she was beginning to neglect her friends.
As Yuuki and Zero prepared to leave the library in which they had been studying a week and a half later, he approached empty handed. Fixing a glacial glare at Zero, he spoke.
"I need to speak to Yuuki, if you don't mind."
"Not at all." Zero replied icily. "I'll wait for you outside." He added to Yuuki. He gave him a worried glance before nodding her assent.
She was by his side a few minutes later, looking like she was deep in thought. Zero had an inkling about what had occurred, and it rankled him more than it should have. He had no claim to Yuuki, after all.
"So what did you say?"
"Eh?"
"He asked you, didn't he?"
"Yeah, he did. I told him I'd think about it."
"You should have just said no if it's going to bother you this much."
"But he spent so much time writing those notes to me. And no one else has asked me." Yuuki's voice tapered off as she spoke.
"Then say yes."
"But you and Yori don't approve."
"We can handle it. I won't blame you if you say yes."
"What do you think I should do?"
"I think you need to make your own mind up here, Yuuki. Whichever decision you make, I'll stand by you."
"Mmm…" She was looking at him as if she wanted to say more, but no words escaped her. He petted her head in an effort to remove the troubled look from her face.
"What's wrong? You're not usually so indecisive."
"Well, I guess, he's just not you…" Her voice was so quiet that Zero couldn't be sure that he had heard what he thought he had.
"What was that?" Yuuki jumped. Seemingly, she hadn't meant to speak out loud at all.
"Nothing! I didn't say anything!" With that, she ran off, leaving Zero in a state of confusion.
~Z~
"What is going on between you two?" Yori demanded to an irritated Zero.
"Nothing." Zero switched the hand he was using as a rest for his chin as Yori sat herself down next to him. She fixed a determined gaze on him.
"Yuuki is avoiding you. That doesn't seem like nothing to me."
He remained silent, allowing his irritation to show. The students sitting at nearby tables kept sneaking wary glances his way to watch for signs of impending danger. Yori gripped his free hand, forcing his attention on her.
"You can talk to me, Zero. We are friends, after all."
"She said something she didn't intend for me to hear." He sighed.
"What did she say?"
"She implied that she likes me."
"That sounds like her. I'm impressed that she said anything at all." Yori gave a sigh of her own. "Though it's not fair of her to run away from you."
"You make it sound as though she does like me."
"Oh, she does." Yori smiled widely. "To be honest, I've been wondering when you two would even notice that you're completely in love with each other."
Perhaps he should have paid more attention to the observant Yori's prods. She wasn't the sort to keep up the pressure in such areas if either party were uninterested. She liked to see people happy. He had been made painfully aware of his own feelings for Yuuki over the course of the past few weeks. Seeing others making their feelings for her known due to the upcoming prom had put him on edge despite his own disinterest in the party. He didn't want her to go with anyone else. Yori seemed to be aware of his thoughts.
"She still hasn't responded to that boy. She's still waiting for you to ask her, I think."
"How am I supposed to ask her if she's too busy stressing herself out to come near me?" He griped. Even if he was interested in her, and even if he was willing to put aside his distaste for the prom to attend with her, it didn't feel right hunting her down like a wolf with a rabbit. She needed to come to him.
"I can talk her round. Leave it to me!" Yori gave him a reassuring squeeze to his hand before she rose. Giving him one final assuring smile, she left to find her best friend. She left Zero in a better mood than she had found him in.
~Z~
Zero thanked Yori's talent for advice giving as Yuuki finally approached him. He hadn't realised quite how much her continued avoidance of him was upsetting him until she was stood nervously in front of him. A few awkward moments passed as they decided on their words.
"Sorry, Zero. I haven't been a good friend to you lately. And it wasn't even anything that you did." She was playing with her hair, a nervous habit that had endeared her to Zero very early on in their relationship.
"It doesn't matter. You're talking to me again now."
"Yeah…" Yuuki made a conscious effort to remove her hand from her hair. She had no need to be so nervous around Zero. "Yori said you had something to talk to me about?"
He took a deep breath. He no longer had a reason to fear ruining their friendship. Yuuki clearly thought that she had done so when she had unwittingly made her feelings known. It was now or never.
"I was wrong to tell you to say yes to Keisuke. I don't want you to go with him. I want you to go with me." Yuuki jumped slightly at his words, the hint of a blush forming on her cheeks. "Will you go to the prom with me?"
"I thought you weren't interested in prom."
"I'm interested in you. I only want to go with you."
He didn't think he'd seen Yuuki look as feminine as she did now. She was fiddling nervously with the hem of her skirt, peeking up at him through her fringe as the pretty blush reddened her face. She looked surprised, but happy.
"I only want to go with you, too." Confidence filled her posture as she allowed a radiant smile to cross her face. "I've been waiting for you to ask for weeks! I was so close to settling for Keisuke."
"I'm sorry it took so long."
"It's my fault. I always knew you were slow!" She stuck her tongue out playfully at him. The tension that had been between them had dissipated; both teens perfectly content to return to their comfortable familiarity now that they were both back on the same page.
"It's hard work keeping up with you."
"But worth it."
"I wouldn't go that far."
"You're just so romantic, Zero."
A small smirk was all the warning Yuuki got before Zero pulled her into a passionate kiss, pouring his pent up feelings into it. She hesitated for only a second before returning it just as passionately, and Zero could tell that she had been harbouring her own feelings for him for just as long as he had for her.
"No more until after prom!" Yuuki told him breathlessly as the kiss broke. She took a step back, giving Zero an affectionate pat on the shoulder. "Which I'm all ready for, so I'll be expecting you at seven on the night!"
"I'll be there."
"I guess I'll go break the news to Keisuke. I hope he doesn't take it too badly… I've been stringing him on for so long…"
"He was warned." Repeatedly, he was sure. He should probably thank the boys like Keisuke's friends. He had so many of them needlessly fearing the ground he stepped on that they had probably kept each other away from Yuuki lest he punish them. He had had no inclination to enlighten them. The bright, bubbly girl was more popular than her single invitation would lead their fellow students to believe.
"What?"
"Never mind."
~Z~
Zero settled his rebellious cufflink as he awaited Yuuki's appearance at the door. He had made sure to find and thank Yori after their successful reunion. She had seemed relieved that they had finally gotten together after she had spent so many years encouraging them. She had garnered the attention of their blond classmate, Hanabusa, and had agreed readily when he had asked her to go with him.
As aware as Yori had always been of the affection between Zero and Yuuki, so too had Zero and Yuuki been aware of her crush on Hanabusa. It was only fair that Yori get her happiness after working so hard for theirs.
Keisuke had spent the past few days giving Zero sub-zero looks after Yuuki had told him that she wasn't going to accept his invitation. She had been adamant that she hadn't told him that Zero had asked her also, and Zero believed her. He was willing to take a few hard glares for the sake of being with Yuuki.
At last, the door was opened, and Yuuki quickly stepped out. Zero had to admit that when Yuuki put in the effort, she ascended from cute to absolutely stunning. The light coloured dress that she had chosen complimented her hair and eyes gloriously. He wasn't usually one for showing off, but a part of him was eager for everyone to see her.
"Mi'lady." He raised his arm for a giggling Yuuki to grip hold of.
"Why thank you, kind sir!"
As they began a gentle meandering pace, Zero found that he was thoroughly looking forward to the night that he had been so indifferent to just a few weeks ago.