I've decided to put this one-shot up. I uploaded it onto my LJ/community LJs/dA account about three years ago. I thought it might be time to move it over here. It's pretty short and it might feel abrupt. Hope you enjoy it anyway! Reviews are welcome:)
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the idea of the story.
It was early in the morning, the sun just rising and the dawn, breaking. Yuki Cross slipped out of her nightdress and into her day clothes. The morning seemed perfect for her to inspect the grounds of her school, Cross Academy. It was the holidays and nearly all the pupils from the Day and Night classes had returned to their homes. A few students had stayed behind, three from the Day Class, including herself, and two from the Night Class.
Yuki traipsed across the school grounds and headed to the Chairman's office. The Chairman, her foster father, would most probably still be asleep in his room and Yuki was anxious to see the names of the pupils who were staying behind. She turned the door handle slowly, careful not to disturb the stillness of the building and entered the office.
Right in the middle of the Chairman's table, Yuki saw the list of the students who were staying at Cross Academy during the school holidays. She read the names out loud.
"Yuki Cross, Zero Kiriyu, Sayori Wakaba, Takuma Ichijou and... Kaname Kuran?" she paused. Why was Kaname staying here for? And was Ichijou staying here to keep Kaname company? "This is weird."
Ichijou looked fondly at the brown-haired, doe-eyed beauty who was peering intently at the list placed on the Chairman's desk. He felt amused at the way she was reading the list. She was so absorbed by it that she didn't even notice that he had been watching her while she was reading. He finally decided it was time she was aware of his presence.
"What is weird, Yuki-chan?"
Yuki looked up. She saw Ichijou sitting on the tree branch outside the window. Her eyes widened.
"Careful, Ichijou-senpai!" warned Yuki. "You may hurt yourself."
"Ah, Yuki-chan, will you never learn that vampires can do this?" he asked smiling. "Come out here. I want to talk to you."
Ah, thought Ichijou, she's always so kind and thoughtful about others – she was always ready to protect but hardly ever gave a thought about herself.
Yuki left the office through the window and jumped to the ground, landing softly. She stood up, brushed the imaginary dirt from her hands and straightened the front of her dress.
"You are the one who should be careful, y'know. Kaname wouldn't want you to get hurt," said Ichijou, frowning.
"Kaname-senpai..." mumbled Yuki softly and she turned slightly pink. "Why is he staying behind here?"
Ichijou's frown lines deepened. "Isn't that something you should already know, Yuki-chan?"
"Huh?" Yuki stared blankly at Ichijou.
Yuki felt preplexed. How would she know Kaname's reason for staying behind at Cross Academy? What a joke! Kaname hardly told her anything that he was planning to do.
Ichijou peered at Yuki. "YUKI CROSS, who is so important to Kaname, does not seem to return his affection. How can this be so?"
He had a thoughtful look on his face.
"Ichijou-senpai..." Yuki's voice wavered. "I have absolutely no idea what you are trying to get at. Don't tell me that you came all the way here just to tell me this?"
"Yes, Ms Prefect," said Ichijou with a smile on his face. "Now, you are aware of Kaname's affection toward you, am I right?"
She should be, shouldn't she, thought Ichijou. Hasn't Kaname been quite obvious about that regarding the way he always treated Yuki specially?
"Affection? Don't talk nonsense, Ichijou-senpai!" retorted Yuki, her forehead reddening.
Ichijou smiled sadly. "You do not realize that Kaname is staying behind here to protect you? I do not even play a major part in this. I am just staying behind to keep Kaname company in case he feels bored. He's reading his books now, so I decided to come here to talk to you."\
I just wanted to make sure you were safe and sound, Ichijou added mentally.
"Kaname-senpai... wants to protect me?" asked Yuki, even more awestruck.
"You sound like as if he didn't tell –"
"Obviously he didn't tell me or else I wouldn't be asking you!" Yuki snapped.
Ichijou looked away. "I guess there are still many things that Kaname hasn't made known to you yet. Yuki-chan, good luck to you in your future. Be happy, be the Yuki Cross you always are."
Yuki watched as Ichijou turned and left her. What was he trying to tell her? It all seems so mysterious. Be happy, be the Yuki Cross you always are. Those words kept ringing in her ears. Why? Why had he said that? Could it be – no, it couldn't. Yuki ran after the retreating back of Ichijou.
"Ichijou-senpai, what were you really trying to tell me?" she asked between breaths of air. "Just spit it out."
"Yuki-chan, you realize that everyone cares about you?" asked Ichijou, not looking at Yuki.
Yuki stared. That thought had never occurred to her before. "I never knew..."
"It was just shown in different ways," explained Ichijou. "Especially, from the group of us from the Night Class."
Especially me, Ichijou thought sadly as he looked at the pretty, naive, young girl in front of him.
"Oh." Now that he had said it, it all made sense to Yuki. That was why they were always following her and helping her with nearly everything.
"All of us are on Kaname's orders to look after you. Most of us do it mechanically – just because Kaname is a pureblood we have to obey him so the duty is done. However, a few of us, really care about you. And we have always been guiding you since we knew of Kaname's affection towards you."
Yuki didn't know what to say. She felt a tear slid down from beneath her eyelid. Ichijou wiped it away. He couldn't bear to see Yuki cry. It broke his heart to accept the fact that only Kaname was in her heart no matter how many times Kaname had avoided telling her the truth. It had always been Kaname who was first and foremost in Yuki's thoughts. No one else. Not even Zero Kiriyu whom spent her school days with.
"Don't cry, Yuki-chan," he said as he wiped away her tears. "I'll always be here for you, as your friend."
Yuki's lips trembled. Ichijou turned away from her and looked out into the sky as he finally said what had been on his mind for a long time.
"Kaname loves you, Yuki."