"I'll only dance with Lord Kaname," Ruka declared, turning her back to Akatsuki. He looked at her for a moment before taking his hands out of his pockets, placing one behind his back and the other out to her, and bowing, asking for a dance. She turned around and stared at him in disbelief, not sure what to do.

Akatsuki glanced up at her, able to tell she wasn't going to accept, and stood straight again, sticking his hands back in his pockets. "Have it your way," he said, closing his eyes and turning around.

I quickly ducked out of view, but not before seeing the hurt Akatsuki was trying to hide from his face. I strolled over to the staircase and acted nonchalant, watching the couples dancing on the ballroom floor.

Akatsuki sauntered back in and scanned the room, as if he was looking for someone. When he spotted me, our eyes locked and I wondered if he knew I had been watching him and Ruka. Not able to stand his gaze anymore, I turned my head and pretended something else caught my attention. I could still feel his stare for a few more moments before he walked away.

I let out a sigh of relief and lifted my hand to my chest, feeling my heart pounding under it. Damn you to hell, Ruka, I thought. How could you do that to Akatsuki?! Are you blind? Could you not see how much you hurt him? Ruka may not have been able to see how Akatsuki felt about her, but I could. I could see the love he showed her because it was the same love I had for him. Why, Akatsuki? I wondered. Why can't you see my love for you? Is it because you're blinded by your own love for Ruka? Can't you see she doesn't see it because she too is blinded by her own love for another? Why is it that we adore the ones that ignore us and ignore the ones that adore us? I gazed up, not seeing Akatsuki anywhere, and exhaled sadly. "Akatsuki…" I whispered to myself.

"Akira?"

I jumped at the voice and whirled around to see Takuma. "Takuma, you scared me," I stated with a breath of relief.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," he said with an apologetic smile.

"It's all right," I replied, smiling reassuringly.

His smile returned to his usual friendly one, but faded when he noticed how isolated I was. "Why are you standing here alone?" he questioned with a worried expression. "Are you not enjoying the dance?"

"Oh, of course," I answered. "I'm just watching."

"You're not dancing, though," he pointed out. "And this is a ball."

"Uh, I don't feel dancing at the moment," I lied, averting my eyes to the ground.

"But I haven't seen you dance at all tonight," he asserted. "You must dance with, at least, one person before the night is over." There is one person I want to dance with, I thought, but he's gone. Takuma held his hand out to me, placing his other behind his back, and bowed.

"Takuma," I started, "you don't have to—"

"I insist," he interrupted, regarding me with his bright green eyes.

"What about all those day-class students that are dying to dance with you?" I inquired, recalling how Takuma had been surrounded by day-class girls earlier.

"I'll dance with them later," he answered. "You haven't danced with anyone and I feel like you should dance at least once. Even if it's not with the person you want."

His last sentence caught me off guard and I studied him, wondering if he had heard me say Akatsuki's name earlier, though he kept his head down so I couldn't read his expression. I was about to decline his offer again, but thought of how Ruka had rejected Akatsuki on the balcony. I didn't want to be like her, waiting for someone who may never love me back.

So, instead, I took Takuma's hand and let him lead me to the floor. I laid my other hand on his shoulder and he rested his on my hip and together we slowly began to dance, circling and swaying around the floor. It felt nice to forget about my worries and just enjoy myself. I should thank Takuma for the dance when this is over, I reminded myself.

As we danced, I noticed the stares we were receiving, mostly from day-class students, and blushed, unfamiliar with such attention. "People are staring," I uttered shyly.

"Are you okay?"

I looked up at Takuma, surprised by his sudden question. "Huh? Yes, I'm fine."

"I know I'm no Akatsuki," he declared, "but I'm just trying to make this night better for you."

"Wh-what?" I questioned, confused and shocked. "H-how did you…"

"It's kind of obvious," he confessed with a guilty smile. Realizing, by my speechlessness and light shade of pink forming on my cheeks, that he had embarrassed me, he quickly added, "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that. It was rude of me. Please forgi—"

"No," I interjected, "it's all right." I sighed and glanced down. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Maybe it's just me," he replied, still trying to make up for earlier. "I can be over observant."

"No, it probably is easy to see." Takuma remained silent as we continued to dance, but I could feel his eyes on me. "Takuma?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think he'll ever return my feelings?" I wondered. "Or even acknowledge them?" A silence passed, answering my question, and I murmured with disappointment in my voice, "I see…"

"Akira, I'm—"

"No," I interrupted, "don't be. If that's what you think then chances are you're right." I exhaled weakly.

"Excuse me, Takuma?" a voice inquired from behind, causing us to halt. "May I cut in?"

I spun around and came face-to-face with Akatsuki, his hands in his pockets and his usual apathetic expression on his face.

"Of course," Takuma said with a smile, releasing me. "Thank you for the dance, Akira." He bowed, winking when he stood, and made his way through the crowd, immediately swarmed by day-class girls when he reached the catering table.

"You know," Akatsuki spoke, recapturing my attention, "for us to start dancing, we need to be a bit closer." He stepped closer and my heartbeat picked up. "At least, from my experience." He smirked and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. He held his hand out and I gingerly placed mine in his, hoping he wouldn't notice how clammy it felt. Just like with Takuma, he positioned his hand on my hip and I set mine on his shoulder. "So," he began as we commenced dancing, "how have you been?"

"Fine," I replied, keeping my gaze to the ground. "And you?"

"Same," he answered, though his tone said otherwise.

"That's good," I responded, suddenly thinking about him and Ruka on the balcony.

"Something wrong?" he enquired, his eyes palpable on me.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you haven't looked me in the eye since we started dancing," he stated.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I apologized, maintaining my downward gaze.

Akatsuki abruptly stopped and relinquished my hand, placing his index finger under my chin. "If you're really sorry," he said, tilting my head up so I stared directly at him, "then you'd look at me." He returned his hand to mind and resumed dancing as if we had never stopped at all.

I couldn't hear anything but the sound of my heart pounding in my ears and knew, without a doubt, I was blushing madly. The smirk on his face confirmed my thoughts, but no matter how hot I knew my face was getting, I couldn't tear my eyes from his amber ones. I wanted to tell him, here and now, how I felt. "Akatsuki—"

"You were there."

"Huh?"

"You were by the balcony when Ruka and I were on it, weren't you?" His smile slowly started to fade back into his apathetic expression.

"I-I…" I didn't know what to say, stunned that he knew. I glanced away embarrassed and tried to think of what to say to defend myself. Nothing came to mind and after a few moments of debating whether or not to say what I wanted to, I figured I had nothing else to lose. "She doesn't deserve you," I whispered, avoiding eye contact.

"What?"

For some reason, animosity built up inside. I had no idea know why I was angry at him all of a sudden, but I couldn't hold it in. "I said she doesn't deserve you," I repeated in a louder tone, causing us and others nearby to cease dancing. They, along with Akatsuki, stared at me in shock, though I was too angry at the moment to care. I marched out to the balcony, leaving Akatsuki in the middle of the dance floor.

The cool nighttime air brought me back to my senses after a few minutes, but the damage was already done. I held my arms and gazed over the treetops. Idiot, I scolded silently. Why the hell did you get mad at him? He didn't do anything wrong. I covered my eyes with one hand and let out an exasperated sigh.

"What makes you say that she doesn't deserve me?"

I started a bit at the sudden voice and turned toward the doorway to see Akatsuki. Unable to face him after the scene I made inside, I shifted my eyes up to the moon shining down on me. "Isn't it obvious?" A breeze blew by as my only response. "She doesn't feel the same way as you do. She doesn't even acknowledge your feelings for her. She's too blinded by her love for someone who will never love her back," I elaborated, wondering if I really was talking about Ruka and Akatsuki or Akatsuki and I. "Maybe you should just give up on her," I suggested, knowing I was talking about myself for sure now.

"Me give up on Ruka?" he questioned, walking onto the balcony. "Or you give up on me?"

My eyes widened in astonishment. H-he knows?! I could hear his footsteps coming closer. "We're all blinded by love. It's just that…I don't want to be if you're not going to feel the same way." A tick of quiet went by before I felt Akatsuki's hand on my shoulder. He turned me around, but I fixed my eyes to the ground.

"Neither do I."

I stared up at him in disbelief. "Y-you don't?" I asked, refusing to believe him until I noticed the same loving aspect he always gave Ruka in his eyes.

"No, I don't." He smiled affectionately at me. "It seems like we've both been adoring the one that ignored us," he said, gently caressing my cheek.

"For too long if you ask me."

"You're right. I'm done adoring the one who ignored me. It's time I start adoring the one who was always there for me." Suddenly he pulled my face closer to his and brought his lips to mine.

At first I was too stunned to do anything, but soon I closed my eyes and kissed back. For so long, I had wanted this, dreamed of it, and now it was finally happening. The balcony, the ball, everyone inside; they all disappeared. I lifted my hand to the back of Akatsuki's neck, deepening the kiss, and, in return, he slid his arm around my waist, pulling me closer.

After a moment, we parted and gazed into each other's eyes. The adoring feature was still in his, but it seemed even stronger than before. "I love you, Akira," he murmured with a tender smile.

"I love you too, Akatsuki."

"I'm sorry it had taken me so lo—"

I placed my finger on his lips to silence him. "No, don't be." I beamed at his expression, which had a hint of confusion in it. "All that matters is right now; this moment."

"You're right," he agreed before leaning down and kissing me again. Finally, I thought as I kissed back, you're seeing clearly now.