Hi everyone :) This is a story I wrote for Vampire Knight, an AidouXOC story 3 I hope you all enjoy this first chapter. TTYL :)
(Aidou's POV)
It was yet another dull and dreary day. The cherry trees were in bloom, with powder pink petals fluttering to the ground around us as we ventured out of our dorm, and to the awaiting Day Class girls and boy. For some reason that I couldn't quite comprehend, I didn't want to be noticed by the girls who cried out my name, or by my alias Idol. What was the point? Why did I do this every day? There were days where it felt like my sole purpose in life was to please them, to flirt with them. Was there nothing else to me?
I edged closer to the centre of my group, contemplating this new theory of mine. Perhaps I had put myself in that position, becoming a flirt for the girls. My hands clenched around the books I had brought for a class that meant nothing to me.
"There is more to me…I'm not something to fawn over. I am a person too…" I wanted to say those words…but I couldn't.
I should have stayed at the dormitory, in the room filled with my collection while I still possessed it.
I released a sigh that didn't seem to loosen the weight on my chest. Perhaps it was time I returned home to my family, to bid farewell to my life here at Cross Academy. I wasn't in a good place these days, the colour appeared to have been drained from my world to be replaced by a monochrome of greys, blacks and whites. When I looked at something I knew of, such as a cherry tree, I knew the petals should be pink…but I could no longer see it. As the weeks had passed, I had found myself irritated. But I didn't want to concern those around me, so I kept it to myself and aimed for my usual enthusiasm where I could. But I was failing miserably, and those around me knew something wasn't quite right.
"Are you alright, Aidou?" a voice asked, a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to see the grey image of Rima Toya.
"Yes, are you alright?" Ruka asked as she caught up to us, her grey hair loose around her shoulders.
I didn't say anything, knowing no one could understand this feeling of mine. It appeared I lacked the energy for simple conversation with most people these days. I sighed once more and continued walking, knowing that I was stuck like this until I uncovered what had caused me to feel this way. Was it the fact that my eldest sister had announced her engagement to an idiot of an aristocrat? Or that my middle sister had moved her things into my old room as it was the "master" room? Or perhaps it was my youngest sister, who was ill again? Any one of those factors would be enough to cause a person to stress and their hair to turn white. I would try to call each sister tonight to talk to them, see if that made me feel better. But that could be done later, as I unfortunately, had class now.
I walked up the steps of the school building slowly and took a hold of the door from Takuma Ichijou, who was smiling again over something trivial. Perhaps it was the upcoming St Valentine's Day that had given him a spring to his step, or the Social Ball after the holidays. Did it really matter at all these days? Did anything matter when it came to fangirls? I was at my wit's end with the girls throwing themselves at us, and wished I could forge a barrier between myself and them, make a bubble and hide from them.
Senri Shiki took the door from me and I stopped in the hallway as my friends, Lord Kaname and my cousins walked ahead of me. What was the point of attending this school, knowing we did nothing here? We were classed as high school students, but it meant nothing. We had no assignments or projects, tests or work that would further our grade while we resided here. On paper, we were students of a fictional class, the pawns of a Pureblood vampire.
"What a lovely way to dampen my already low mood," I thought to myself.
"Are you coming, Hanabusa?" Akatsuki asked and I glanced up to see everyone was watching me, including the aforementioned Pureblood.
I walked forward like a robot, not saying a word to answer the question posed to me. I climbed the stairs as I had outside, only now I felt lethargic, my muscles demanding that I stop moving. I could give up now, and no one would blame me. Sure, there would be questions, ones that I couldn't answer, but perhaps I would be happier. I could ponder my choices during class…or that's what I believed anyway.
A soft melody invaded my internal monologue, forcing me to lift my head in curiosity. The door to the classroom was opened, Takuma having seen to that as he peered inside. Lord Kaname was standing a little further from the rest of us, his eyes calculating as the music wrapped around my body, making me feel warm for the first time in a very long while. My worries seemed to lessen, and I could finally breathe. I stepped closer to the door, wondering what had caused us to still, leaning across Takuma to see inside the room.
It was the same classroom as before, the benches lined the floor in a slope with a teacher's podium on the stage at the bottom, a blackboard stuck to the wall with hints of chalk from a previous lesson. I moved closer into the room, hearing the music clearly as I did so. Had someone put on a speaker to play the melody? I looked over the benches, spotting what looked like a pair of thigh highs, the school blazer in Day Class colours, a turquoise case, a tote bag…and my eyes lifted higher to see boots, and our school cardinal red ribbon. But none of that held my attention, for there was something much more interesting to view.
A young girl was standing near Lord Kaname's chair, a metronome balanced on books was swaying gently to her left, and she appeared to be moving as well. She had stripped down to her black skirt and white shirt, with the latter lifted a little to expose small scars along her abdomen. A butterfly tattoo rested on her hip in cerulean blue, and from here, it looked ready to take flight. The girl had rolled the sleeves of her shirt up, to avoid them getting caught as she moved her bow across the strings of a light brown violin, the source of the melody I was now hearing. Her skin was a light ivory which could be classed as porcelain were a person to view her under the moonlight, and her hair reminded me of raw starlight. The icy blonde strands flowed down her back to the last of her ribs in loose curls. A black ribbon was tied around her head to hold some of her fringe away from her eyes, but a few threads had escaped and touched her sweaty brow as she played.
I found myself edging closer, drawn to this beautiful violinist and her delicate features. There were thin scars on her hands, which appeared years old. Her eyes were closed as she focused on the song she was playing, giving it a life of its own. I spotted the silver school necklace the girls were requested to wear around her neck along with a thin blue bracelet which was tied around her wrist, and appeared worn down and old. She had probably been wearing it since she was a child, but who could say.
The music reached its inevitable conclusion and the violinist stood there, her chest rising quickly as she caught her breath. She raised the hand holding the bow to rest over her heart, measuring the beats. Her heart reminded me of a hummingbird, it was so bitterly fragile. She turned to her left without looking down at the door and picked up her phone, glancing at something on the screen.
"Ten seconds too fast," she whispered before tapping the screen.
She placed her phone down near the metronome before turning to face the front of the room, her violin posed to play the song once more. She would have, had her eyes not stopped and focused on me. I could see their pale grey colour with a hint of another colour encircling the core, giving her an unusual appearance that could be considered cold by some people. A part of me believed her eyes, which reminded me of ice, would melt when she was with her friends. Her lips were painted a pale pink and her face was flushed with heat. She lowered her violin to rest along her leg as she took a tentative step forward.
"Hi there…?" she said gently.
"You must be the violinist the headmaster was telling me about," Lord Kaname stated as he walked into the room.
"Only nice things I hope," she replied, "you must be the Moon Dormitory president. But what are you doing here? Isn't it a little early for you all?"
"We have class now," Takuma replied, "I thought curfew had been called already."
"It's called at six and it's…" she turned to pick up her phone, tapping the screen before the colour drained from her face, "twenty past six."
"Did you lose track of time?"
"I must have," she whispered as she put her phone down, "I've been here since five…sorry about this. I'll pack up."
"There's no rush," Lord Kaname stated as she picked up her bow and violin and walked down to the turquoise case, setting them inside the lined box to protect it before locking them away. She grabbed a tote bag and gathered her metronome and a few books, before setting the others under Lord Kaname's chair. She picked up her clothes as she walked back down to us, a faint blush evident on her cheeks from embarrassment.
She stopped a foot from Lord Kaname and bowed to him, her hands clutching her tote bag and violin case tight between her fingers. Her hair parted at the back of her head to fall over both of her shoulders before she raised her head.
"I'm sorry," she restated, "I better hurry before the guardians spot me."
The last words were said with the hints of a smile playing on her lips, but it never reached her eyes and they appeared as icy as I had first believed. She walked passed me, and I noted that she was a small girl, her head not even level with my shoulder with a slim body that could be considered unhealthy by today's standards. She stopped halfway through the Night Class to look back over her shoulder, her eyes watching me with an odd curiosity that seemed to melt some of her grey eyes. With her this close, I could make out a thin ring of blue at the core of her eyes, making it seem like I was observing the sky. She looked confused for a moment, her mouth open as if she wished to say something else before she closed it. She turned away and left the classroom, with Akatsuki closing the door behind her.
A small part of me wished to know what she had wanted to say, what she had been thinking when she had looked at me. It wasn't a look I was completely familiar with, one the fangirls had not possessed during my time here. I wanted to compliment her melody, even if it had been ten seconds too fast. I looked at the door as everyone else took their seat, only to realise something I had missed. There was colour around the door, enough so that I could make out the oak brown surface and golden handles. The more time I spent looking at it, the more colour that was leeched from the inanimate object. I rubbed my eyes only to see the colour was still fading. When had colour returned? Why hadn't I noticed it? I tried to think when I had seen colour…and realised it had been when I had seen the violinist. She had brought colour back to my life, allowing me to enjoy the world I had forgotten.
I felt an urge to track her down and thank her, knowing she wouldn't understand what I was talking about. I stepped forward, towards the door when a hand caught my shoulder and pinned me in place.
"Hanabusa, we have class now," Akatsuki commented and I nodded, following him to our usual seats, rather reluctantly.
I watched as the door lost its vibrancy and my world returned to its once dreary state. I took out my notebook, not sure what I wished to do as I began to draw…eyes that were expressive and made up of two colours, of hair like starlight, of hands marked by scars and a violin. I wished now as I finished the violin, that I had asked for her name. I wanted to know who she was and what made her tick…what made her heart beat as it had…
Class ended earlier than normal and I packed my books away, my hands lingering on my notebook. I had been in the process of drawing a girl, long hair and beautiful eyes, when Toga Yagori had deemed it necessary to ask me a question about ethical solutions to world problems. Admittedly, I had stared at the space over his head and he had grunted before returning to the lesson. However, to prevent myself from being caught again, I had foregone drawing so as to focus on his class, and the girl had remained only half complete.
No one moved from their seats, waiting for Lord Kaname to excuse us. But the Pureblood was distracted by something in his book, or appeared to be, so he didn't allow us to leave. I could return to my picture, maybe add some life to her eyes and make her look like the girl I recalled. I flicked open my notebook and picked up my pencil, only for the book to be pulled from my desk and lifted up by another person.
"Looks like someone has a crush," Ruka muttered, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she scanned the pages.
"Give me my notebook back!" I snapped as she moved just out of my reach, her grey eyes alight with humour.
"Who is she?" Ruka questioned.
"Nobody!"
"Hardly," my cousin mumbled as she turned onto another page, "you have four pages of eyes alone here. Actually, she looks a little like the violinist from earlier…"
"I will kill you, Ruka!"
I had gotten to my feet and leaned forward to catch her, and she danced out of my reach, my notebook still held tight between her hands. Someone a bench below caught the notebook to look at the girl I had been drawing, her grey twin tails wrapped with a darker ribbon as she showed it to Senri Shiki who was sitting with his eyes closed.
"That girl did smell rather yummy," he commented once he opened his eyes, "shame she plays such a boring instrument."
"Shiki," Takuma muttered from his seat, his hands under his chin as he looked over at us.
"Time to feed," Rima stated with a sigh as opened her blood tablet container and threw a couple into his mouth.
"Lord Kaname, you mentioned that she was a violinist," Ruka said, turning her attention to the Pureblood as he read his book.
"She is," he replied as he turned the page in his book, his eyes not lifting to view us.
It seemed that those present in the classroom were curious to know who she was, and what she had been doing in our room. But no one wished to provide us with information, and the topic was dropped. Ruka retrieved my notebook and set it down in front of me, allowing me the opportunity to see the girl once more. She was beautiful, but my ability to capture her to paper was nothing compared to what she truly looked like. I could draw her a hundred times, and never make an exact copy of her. I scratched a note down, asking what her name could be. Would it be something beautiful like Nagisa or would it be something colourful like Chou? I wrote down those names, yet none seemed to fit her. Not the violinist or my drawing…
"What was the name of the song she was playing?" someone asked, "I feel I've heard it somewhere before."
"Greensleeves," Rima replied, looking at the student who had posed the question.
With the question asked, I felt like I could hear the music as I had a few hours previous. Her body moving with the music as she gave it life, her eyes closed in concentration with a blue butterfly resting on her hip. But no colour returned with her image, and I felt it would require her presence. Would I see her again? Would she lose track of time again?
"It is time to return to the dorm," Lord Kaname stated as he got to his feet, his book held at his side as he took the aisle down to the ground floor.
"Yes, Lord Kaname," we all replied as we left our desks to follow after him.
We left the school building on our own, Lord Kaname wished to speak to the headmaster and left us to return alone. I stayed behind for a few moments, allowing my cousins to get a head start on me, not wanting to be caught by them to ask about my drawing. Once ten minutes had passed, I opened the door and stepped out into the chilly night. For a brief moment, I wished I had brought a coat with me as I sighed, seeing the faint traces of steam in the air. I descended the stairs that lead to the school and focused on the noise my shoes made against the pebbled pathway. Perhaps I could clear my head of the violinist on my way back to my dorm.
"You should head back to your dorm immediately!" a voice shouted, drawing my attention from my footwear, "it's not safe for the both of you outside at this hour!"
I sought the voice, only to see Yuki Cross hidden behind some trees, her hands pushing against the shoulder of a reluctant Day Class student. There were two of them that I could see, one who was causing the guardian some hardship while the other was on the floor, a camera held tight between her hands as she cried. The one standing had her hair in a ponytail and her eyes were a little big for her face, while the other had short hair and gentle eyes.
"You don't understand! We just wanted to take a few photos!" the girl standing up shouted at Yuki.
"I have your names and classes!" Yuki snapped.
"We will be passing them onto the headmaster," Zero Kiryu commented dryly.
I hadn't noticed him standing there, let alone when he had arrived. He looked sullen tonight, and the girls looked ready to fight for their photos. But only if they were up against Yuki…Zero was another problem, one they weren't brave enough to take on.
"That's not fair! We didn't do anything wrong!"
The girl with the ponytail pulled free from Yuki to adjust her uniform sleeve, as if the guardian had defiled her by touching it. She glared at the guardian once she considered herself proper and turned to her companion.
"Get up, Miki!" she snapped at the girl with the camera, who then got to her feet.
The pair walked out of the treeline, complaining before they reached me. Once they spotted my uniform, which was considerably different to theirs, they froze to look up at my face, one that I wished I didn't possess at that moment. Perhaps then, they would have left me alone.
"Aidou!" the crying girl said with a smile.
"Idol!" the ponytail girl said at the same time before the camera was lifted, "I have to take a picture!"
The camera made a buzzing sound before it flashed and my image was captured. Of course, since they had been so close to me, the flash had blinded me and all I could see was white. No trees, no path…nothing. I could hear the sound of curses coming from where the guardians had been, before the sound of boots running followed.
"I was wondering where you both had gotten to," a feminine voice commented from behind me.
"We just went for a walk, to clear our heads," the girl closest to me said.
"And you brought a camera?"
"Yeah…the flash is just as good as a torch."
"Right," the voice said as she got closer, "you know you're on thin ice already, right?"
"It doesn't matter!" the girl replied, "Daddy will bail me out like he always does. This academy needs a new library wing anyway!"
"I wouldn't know," the familiar voice said, "but he doesn't have to be your target, Ameira."
A cool finger ran along the back of my hand, and I opened it slowly, allowing her to hold it. Her hand was cool to the touch, which told me she wasn't wearing gloves on her walk. The girl pulled me towards her, allowing my other hand to feel the coat she were wearing over her own clothes. With a gentle breeze, her hair moved and ran along my face, sending with it a fragrance of white roses and peppermint.
"I'll bring him back to his dorm," the voice stated to someone else before pulling me along with her.
"You two," Zero's voice stated, "follow us to the headmaster's office."
"How is that fair?!"
The girls were escorted away, leaving myself and my "saviour" alone. Who was she anyway? Why hadn't the guardians commented on her going with me? She pulled me forward, our shoes hitting the floor with a comforting tap-tap sound. I should probably say something, ask her what her name was. How did one bring that up?
"You're the guy from the Night Class," she said as we walked, "you were staring at me."
"I was?"
"Yeah," she replied, "admittedly, I was in your classroom when it should have been empty."
She laughed a little, and something told me it didn't reach her eyes. I tried to figure out what she was talking about…when I felt myself stop. It couldn't be her…could it?
"Are you the violinist?" I asked.
"I'm certain there are more violinists in this school than just me," she replied, and it sounded like there was a smile in her voice, "but yes."
"Wow," I whispered and heard her giggle.
"What earned me that reaction?" she asked, turning to move closer to me and if I could have seen her, I'm certain she would have been grinning.
"You're good," I whispered, wishing I could see her now.
"Thank you," she replied, "did the flash blind you or something?"
"You could say that," I replied.
"I've been telling her to turn it off," the girl mumbled, "do you want to sit down and wait for it to pass?"
"I don't think I'd be able to get back to my dormitory otherwise," I replied, "unless you're offering to help me?"
"I'll bring you back."
She tugged me to the right where I felt cool grass and trees before the space opened up. She moved me towards something and pushed me down onto a bench before she took a seat beside me. We must have been a sight, the violinist and the vampire. As the moments ticked by, so my sight returned. I could see the moon hanging over the lake that surrounded the academy, trees lined the sides with cherry blossoms swaying in the night breeze. Cool air wrapped around us as she tucked hair behind one of her ears, revealing a pair of diamanté earrings.
"Beautiful," I whispered as I looked over her, seeing her hands clasped on her lap.
"It is a beautiful place," she whispered before looking at me, her eyes a silvery glow.
"What's your name?" I asked and she gave me a gentle smile that made her eyes melt.
"Kaori," she replied, "Kaori Tachibana."
"Hanabusa Aidou," I said and she nodded.
"It's nice to finally put a name to a face," she whispered, "how are your eyes?"
"Better," I answered, grateful to see colour again.
She turned back to look at the lake, her hair sliding free from her ear to cover her face from my view. I reached out slowly and pushed it back, feeling her stiffen under my touch before looking back at me. Her mouth was open as it had been in the classroom, as if ready to say something, my hand touching her cheek now. Her skin was soft, cooled under my hand from the night air. I had been right about one thing, however. Her skin was lit like porcelain in the moonlight, her eyes reminding me of a silver I felt I could become lost in. I moved closer to her, feeling drawn to her as I had in the classroom, and she turned to face me. My nose grazed hers and she didn't move away as I leaned forward to kiss her painted pink lips.
Her lips tasted like cherry liquor, which had a bitter sweet quality. My hand moved of its own accord to cup her face, holding her close and it took a moment before she reacted to me. Her body turned and she raised her own hand to cup my face, and our eyes closed. Once she had relaxed, she deepened our kiss. I no longer felt the cold of the night, nor the breeze that encircled Cross Academy. For a brief moment, the world was the bubble that I had once craved, and made up of just the two of us.
But all good things come to an end, and our bubble eventually burst to allow reality in. I opened my eyes to watch as Kaori pulled away from me, her cheeks stained a pale blush. I could hear something calling, and took that to be what had ruined our moment together.
"Hanabusa!" a voice called, one I recognised as Akatsuki.
"You better go," Kaori whispered as she fidgeted with her hands.
"Hanabusa!"
"Can we meet again?" I asked her quickly and she smiled.
"Sure," she whispered before looking back at me, "I'd like that."
I got to my feet, and moved towards the treeline. I cast the violinist one look, wondering if it was safe to leave her there when Akatsuki called for me again. He was getting closer, and I didn't want him to find me with her. I didn't want anyone to see us together, and ruin this perfect moment any further. So I sighed and exited the area and walked towards the path, only to find I was a metre from Akatsuki. He must have been heading back to the school, his intent to retrace the steps I should have taken. He wouldn't account for a detour, nor seeing the beautiful violinist once more.
"I'm here," I called and he turned to look at me.
"You didn't come back to the dorm," he stated as he walked back to me, his hands in his pockets.
"I felt like some fresh air would do me some good," I replied, finding the colour of my world wasn't fading away. Had Kaori done this to me?
"Did it?"
"Yes," I replied, finding myself smiling, "it managed to make me feel a lot better."
I awoke the next evening, and with a spring in my step, I got dressed and ready for class. I fixed my tie and cufflinks before grabbing my books and leaving my room. I descended the stairs and made my way through the other students to stand by my friends and cousins, who were loosely gathered around Lord Kaname and Takuma. I felt a smile pull at my lips as I stood near Akatsuki, who cast me a strange look. But not even that could dampen my mood. I felt like my normal self, and I put it down to that kiss I had shared with Kaori Tachibana. It had somehow managed to reinvigorate me, make me feel alive and give me a reason to remain at Cross Academy.
"You're in a good mood," Ruka commented, "what changed?"
"Oh nothing," I replied.
"Where did you go on your walk last night?" Akatsuki asked and I shrugged my shoulders.
"I'm glad you're in a better mood, Hanabusa," Takuma said with a smile.
"Thanks," I replied as the doors opened and we filed out behind Lord Kaname.
We passed the gatekeeper who cast us one withering look before turning away, returning to his notes about visitors or whatever the headmaster had assigned him to do. We reached the gates rather slowly, much too slow for what I wished them to do. I wanted to see Kaori again, and I had a theory that she might be beyond the gate, either in the fangirls line-up or in our classroom again, the time flying passed without her notice.
The gates opened slowly and we were greeted by the screams of the fangirls, their signs posed and ready for our attention. To our right was Yuki, her arms spread out as far as she could to block the girls while Zero was opposite her, not using as much effort and merely glaring at any girl who took a step too close to us. I couldn't see Kaori, she wasn't in the crowds so I moved onto my theory that she was in our classroom, playing the violin to her heart's content. Maybe she'd play a different song…?
But when we reached the classroom, she wasn't there either. Where could she be? Why hadn't I seen her? Had I missed her entirely? Perhaps she had been waving to me and I hadn't seen her, would she think I was ignoring her? My heart was hammering as I took my seat, deciding to sit at the top of the room and near a window, wondering if I would see her again outside. Would she be walking around in her coat, getting some air while she could?
"Are you looking for someone, Hanabusa?" Takuma asked as he sat nearest to Lord Kaname.
"Yeah," I replied as I looked down at him.
"Is it someone we know?"
"Not really," I answered as I looked back out the window, "I thought I'd have seen her by now."
"You're late," a voice commented from outside, and I leaned forward in my seat to see the speaker was Zero. Beside him was Yuki as they both leaned against the barrier that surrounded the rooftop area outside our window. But I couldn't see who he was speaking to, and felt certain it wasn't directed towards Yuki as she was already present.
"Hi to you too, Zero," another voice replied, though I couldn't see the speaker.
"Where did you disappear to?"
"I had a meeting with the headmaster about the upcoming competition," the voice replied.
"When is that again?"
"Two months this Friday," the voice replied, "And I needed a break from playing. I've somehow managed to make the song sound a full minute faster than what it actually is!"
"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Yuki stated with a smile as the new person moved to the barrier and earned a gasp from me.
Her starlight blonde hair was tied into a ponytail with a black ribbon wrapped around the bobbin. Her uniform was intact and she had a silver bracelet on her wrist which seemed to match Yuki's. Kaori had a smile on her lips, similar to the one she had shared with me before. She pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear and away from her face before she turned to lean on the barrier, exposing her front and the armband I had grown accustom to seeing on Yuki and Zero. A white band with red lines and the academy's logo…
"She's a guardian?!" I commented, earning the attention of the other students in my class.
With this new information, a few of my unanswered questions faded to nothing. The guardians had left me alone with her, because she was one of them. She knew what I was, and had still sat with me…allowed me to kiss her. She must either be very brave or very stupid. She leaned back against the barrier on the roof, her eyes moving up along the stonework before they spotted me. She was still smiling as she raised one hand and waved to me, which ended with her fingers forming the peace sign.
"Who are you waving at?" Zero asked.
"Someone I know," she replied as I lifted my own hand to wave back at her, "is that a crime?"
She crossed her arms across her chest and looked ready to fight Zero. The latter moved closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, all the while, Yuki had raised her hands in surrender to calm the situation.
"I don't want you getting hurt," he said to her, gently as they both looked into each other's eyes, "that's all."
"I know," she replied and placed her own hand to cover his hand, "I wouldn't do anything stupid."
"Who were you waving to?" a voice asked and I jumped before looking to my side, seeing Takuma was leaning on my desk to view the roof and the guardians.
"Her," I replied and pointed to Kaori.
"The violinist," he stated and I nodded, though he didn't appear too impressed by my admission.
At that moment, Toga Yagori decided to walk into the room, his ethics book covered in knife marks and stabs which didn't seem to render the book unreadable. I opened my notebook and pretended to pay attention to him telling us we could be considered an abomination on society, but my eyes drifted to the roof as Kaori sat on the ledge and viewed me. Her grey eyes were alight with humour as she opened her mouth, as if ready to speak.
You should listen to him, she mouthed to me before her lips formed a playful smile.
She lifted one hand to point to the window pane, and I followed it before seeing that a few of the windows were open, allowing the lecturer to be heard. I hadn't noticed it was open, and had considered my hearing to have improved. She must have heard my exclamation, and then searched for the source. She must then be able to hear Toga Yagori talking, but didn't wish to yell up to me. She was an odd girl; that was obvious as she closed her eyes to listen to the lesson before something drew her attention away.
With a sad nod, she turned to look back at me and gave me a wave before jumping off the roof and disappearing into the night. I was disappointed, not sure I liked the idea that she was a guardian of this school, and that she was trained to kill vampires without worry or concern. But what struck me as odd was the fact that I hadn't heard or seen this new guardian until yesterday, so where had she been up to now? Had she been enrolled in this school? Had I just not noticed her?
Once class concluded for the evening, I followed the same routine as the night before. I waited for my friends and cousins to walk ahead of me by about ten minutes before I ventured outside. It was my hope that by doing this, I would find myself in a similar situation with Kaori Tachibana again. I wanted to see her, only this time, unobstructed by panes of glass. I wanted to touch her soft skin, to see her beautiful silvery grey/blue eyes while I kissed her cherry liquor lips. The latter had probably been a spur of a moment decision between the two of us, with no chance of reoccurring…but part of me wished it would.
Once my time was up, I got to my feet and opened the front door of the school building and stepped out into the cool evening air. The moon was high with a few clouds surrounding it like an undersized blanket, the stars its safety lights for the night ahead. I pulled my coat closer to my body, grateful I had remembered it this time. Perhaps then, I could enjoy her company more.
"I was wondering why you weren't with the others," a feminine voice stated and I sought it out, my eyes focusing on a darkened archway near the main school building.
A figure was shrouded in the shadows, one foot propped against the wall while arms crossed a thin chest to cover her heart. She pushed against the wall and walked into the lamplight, her eyes silvery and her hair still tied into its ponytail. The ribbon had come undone and was wrapped around her wrist, snagging her bracelet against her wrist and leaving marks on her skin. It looked rather painful, but I didn't wish to upset her by mentioning it. She looked beautiful as she walked towards me, her arms the only protection she had against the cold this evening.
"I had some work to do," I replied and she smiled, lighting her eyes a little more.
"It must have been very taxing," she whispered, "especially for a person like yourself."
"It can be," I replied as I took a step forward and she followed me, "are you escorting me?"
"Have to ensure that you arrive at your dormitory safely," she responded and I found myself mirroring her smile.
We walked slowly, my hands in the pockets of my coat while she walked beside me, her hands wrapped around her chest like a body warmer. As she breathed out, I noticed steam before she rubbed her arms gently. I knew it would only get colder as the night wore on, and who knew how much longer she would have to patrol. I undid the buttons around my coat and took it off, and stopped walking. She was so focused on keeping warm she had continued to walk without me, so I reached her and put my coat over her shoulders. She froze for a moment before looking at me, her eyes filled with confusion.
"You better wrap up," I whispered as I started walking again.
"You'll get a cold!" she called out but I shook my head.
"I'm nearly at my bed, just wrap up and stay warm," I called back and heard her mumble before reaching me, the coat hanging off her at odd angles. It looked like a child trying to dress like an adult, which made me laugh as she pushed the sleeves of the coat up to her elbows.
"Thank you," she whispered after a moment and I nodded, "are you not cold?"
"Not in the slightest," I lied and I felt she could sense it, why else would she have moved closer and put her arm through mine? She rested her head on my arm as we leaned into each other.
"So you're a guardian," I said after a few minutes.
"Yeah…" she replied, "have been for the last few days."
"Have you always been a student at this school?"
"No," she whispered, "I was offered a scholarship recently and my aunt suggested I take it."
So had she been raised by her aunt? Where were her parents? Should I ask her about them? Would it be rude if I didn't?
"No parents?"
"Not for years," she replied, "I haven't seen them since I was younger…I don't really remember them, to be honest."
"How old are you?"
"Fifteen," she replied softly, "what about you?"
"What about me?"
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen," I answered and she nodded against my arm.
"Parents?"
"My father raised me," I replied, "my mother has been gone a while now."
"Sorry about that," she whispered.
"My sisters made up for it though," I continued with a laugh.
"How many do you have?"
"Three," I replied and as I looked down at her, I saw the hints of a smile on her lips, "do you have siblings?"
"No, I was an only child," she whispered.
"That must have been tough," I said and she shrugged her shoulders, "and quiet."
"It was lonely at times," she responded, "there were days I wished there was another kid my age to play with. But it's alright. I was friends with a few neighbours and their children often kept me company…"
I had had my sisters for as long as I could remember, my eldest being like a mother bird around me. She looked like my father, her hair was a light chestnut brown and her eyes were a similar shade. She had taken care of me when I was sick, along with my other two sisters. I should ask her if Deanne was alright these days, before her wedding, and maybe it would stop me worrying about her too much. She was the last daughter of my mother, before she left us. For as long as I could remember, I had always been protective of her, always watching her back as she explored the world around her. Did that make me overbearing as a brother?
"Are you alright?" Kaori asked after a moment and I turned to see she was looking up into my eyes, "you blanked for a moment."
"Yeah, just thinking about my sisters," I replied.
"Oh," she whispered as she snuggled closer into my arm, "when you mentioned siblings, I remembered something. I met a boy once. He was like an older brother to me, protective…I…"
A tear ran down her cheek which I leaned forward to wipe away. She looked up at me, a sad smile on her lips as she sighed.
"I can't remember his name," she whispered after a moment, "how bad is that?"
"You must have been a kid," I replied as I wiped away her tears, wishing to see her smile again, "before I talk to my sisters, I have to drink coffee."
"Why?"
"Two of my sisters look nearly identical," I replied honestly, "and my third sister looks like a blur before noon."
I looked over at Kaori to see she was smiling, her eyes glowing as we walked and her tears forgotten about. I was glad to see her like that, knowing I wouldn't wish for her to cry again. If I could, I would make sure she didn't, even if it meant making a fool of myself. But everything sweet had to come to an end at some point, and our ending came when we reached my dormitory gate. I didn't want to leave her side, I would even accompany her on her patrols if it meant I could spend more time with her.
"Tomorrow?" she asked, and her cheeks were stained a pale pink in the moonlight.
"Sure," I replied and leaned forward to catch her chin so I could look into her eyes, "and every night after."
I kissed her lips gently, like the night before. It was a goodnight kiss, leaving you with a want for more. But I ended it, not allowing either of us to deepen it. Kaori looked slightly stunned before she stood on her toes to kiss me chastely on my lips.
"Tomorrow," she whispered before looking down at my coat, "do you want this back?"
"Keep it until tomorrow," I replied and opened the gate, "goodnight, Kaori."
"Goodnight," she whispered as I stepped over the border, "Hanabusa."
The world was colourful, covered in shades I hadn't even known could exist before I met Kaori Tachibana. Being in her company managed to unfreeze my heart, breaking the ice away and remind me of what it was like to feel something more. My cousins said my mood had improved dramatically, that I was my normal self. Takuma told me he was glad I was back to being me, and Lord Kaname…well, he was suspicious. I didn't cause as much ruckus, throwing away my collection myself to avoid unnecessary suspensions so I could see Kaori. That day, while I was cleaning up my bedroom, I looked over what I had once considered important.
A silver fork, bent in half, which demonstrated the power Lord Kaname possessed. A portrait of a girl on a farm, slashed along the edges by Lord Kaname. I knew that I still cared for him, still felt like I could be there should he require me. But now, there was someone else. And she stood as high as him in my books.
Class concluded early that evening, and I was tired. I hadn't realised how much of a collection I had amassed over the last few months, but it was now in bin bags ready to be thrown out. I had even found our sofa under the mess and cleaned it, not remembering when we had been given one or if we had always had it.
"Hanabusa," Akatsuki said as he reached my desk, which I had moved to the back of the classroom so I could see onto the roof space where Kaori often sat, "we're having a meeting at the dormitory about the increase of Level E activity."
"Tonight?" I asked, not wanting to give up my time with Kaori.
"Yeah," he replied, looking me over carefully, "did you have other plans?"
"Sort of," I answered as I sighed, "is the meeting right now?"
"We're walking back now," he replied, "were your plans important? Can you break them?"
"I can," I replied sullenly, "unfortunately."
I gathered my things and left my seat to follow behind my cousin. One quick glance out the window told me Kaori wasn't there, and she was waiting for me. How could I tell her I couldn't walk with her tonight? I didn't want to appear rude to her, the girl that mattered so much to me.
Takuma was walking ahead of us, his eyes facing forward as he spoke to Lord Kaname. I could hear the words "Level E" and "abductions" but nothing more. It must be serious if they wanted us all to talk about it. The front door opened and we stepped out into the chilly night, and for one brief moment, I wished I still had my coat. But I had given it to Kaori to keep warm.
"Hanabusa?" Takuma asked and I looked up at him, "are you alright?"
"Sure," I replied quietly as I looked to my left and spotted the guardian, my coat loose around her thin body as she leaned against the archway. She lifted her head, revealing that her hair was up in a chignon today with a bluebell attached near the top. She had foregone her scarf and was watching me, knowing we shared this time alone. She wouldn't step into the Night Class and I wouldn't force her to. She gave me a sad smile.
"Tomorrow," she mouthed to me before slipping into the darkness.
"Kaori," I whispered, wishing I could go after her. The last thing I saw was the bluebell as it broke free from her hair and fell to the ground. But I would make this up to her, I promised myself I would.
We reached the dorm quicker than I normally would have, which had probably been down to me walking with Kaori. I didn't want to lose time with her, and something told me she didn't either. I'd have to get her something as a sorry from me. But what the hell do you buy a girl you've been seeing for nearly a week?!
"Aidou," Lord Kaname said in a monotone and I glanced up to see everyone had taken a seat and I had stopped in the entranceway.
"Sorry," I replied as I sat beside Akatsuki, holding my hands on my lap to stop from fidgeting.
"Everyone," the Pureblood said once we quieted down, "these has been a report of two Level E vampires in town terrorising the locals. Young girls have been abducted and recently, presumed dead."
"We need some volunteers to help catch these vampires," Takuma said as Lord Kaname took his seat, "the guardians are offering their support and one of theirs has volunteered to assist during the investigation."
"Yuki or Zero?" Ruka asked, clearly deciding which one she would prefer to work with.
"Neither," Takuma replied, "the headmaster has assigned a new guardian to the school, he believed the sheer volume of fangirls was too much for two guardians alone."
Oh please no…don't let it be her…
"I believe her name is Kaori Tachibana," Takuma concluded.
"I volunteer," I said quickly, not sure what the hell I was doing. Why did I want to kill Level E vampires? I hadn't done much of it in the past, why now?
Because she could get hurt…and you don't want that…
Yeah, that was why I volunteered…
So what did you think of Hanabusa and his inability to see colours prior to meeting Kaori? What did you think of my OC, Kaori? I hope you stick around to read the rest of their story. Until then, let me know what you think by a review or PM me if you have any questions :)TTYL