'Kayy now, starting a small collection of RukaxAkatsuki drabbles with a vague chronological connection ^.^ I've had all chapters written but one (the number of chappies is 6, btw). If it goes the way I plan, then I'll update every Wednesday xD Even lack of reviews won't stop me. Which reminds me - click that blessed green button down there and tell me what you think? I'll be very glad

Discl.: No copyright infringement intended.

Scarlet

Or Early Red Moon

Prologue

Fairytales tell of mighty knights and beautiful damsels. The prince comes to cure the princess from a gruesome curse, she falls in love with him and they live happily ever after. The evil sorceress is forgotten, deeply buried within the willingly disregarded dark memories. Such stories are read only by the youngest ones, those who've never been struck in the heart and then left alone, for those women lovelorn will never want to read something like that. Those girls whose hearts have been stolen and spit on and stepped on, they will never open such a book for the happiness of the easy couple on the white sheet will grasp their sad hearts and squeeze until the smallest bits of happiness, lingering deep within, disappear. They tell themselves that they aren't so naïve and stupid to trust the first man to grace their sight.

Despite that, princesses and wanting-to-be princesses will continue to exist. They will continue to sleep under the clear sky, waiting for their beloved prince to come and kiss the curse away. They will continue to lean into the frog. They will continue to dance with the Beast. They will continue to be mesmerized by the cheap gold plating and the flowery words.

And whereas some might understand the stupidity of their actions, most will continue to reach out for the far-away rose, unaware of its thorns, while not noticing the simple beauty of the wildflower, blooming just under their feet.

Chapter 1

Kain was sure he was an impostor. There was no way Shiki, quiet, calm, bored Shiki could do something like that. Shiki would never dream of trying something like that on a female. Shiki would mumble something like "Too boring" or "Too tiring" and stay next to Rima who'd always keep him in check if he ever decided to try to act in such a matter. But, apparently he'd been fooling his mind about his red-haired classmate – and comrade. Apparently Shiki Senri thought in a different way towards Ruka. Why, why her? It could have been any other girl.

The thought that he was terribly selfish swam in his head, painfully obvious, as Kain parried the hand that was going to Ruka. With a swift motion he pinned the bastard against the wall, almost throwing him in the process, but being mindful of the fact that despite everything, he was fighting with a fellow vampire. His palm formed into a fist, ready to punch him. And the other guy just grinned from where he stood. Boy, did he have some audacity.

With his peripheral sight, he could see Ruka lifting her head, eyes somehow unseeing, as her lips formed the name. But instead of…

"Kaname-sama…"

Then there was darkness.

…

Alarm screeching. A feather resting on his nose. Wind brushing his face and playing with his hair. Sunlight shining right into his left eye, the other one hidden safely in the shadows. A groan, surprisingly coming from his mouth. A shift of his body so it's all in the shadows and his eye doesn't burn now.

But one picture remains under his lids and still stings despite that fact that the sun's not touching him now. Or maybe one shouldn't compare him to the sun – the sun is evil, yes, it burns their sensitive skin, too used to the dark satin of the night, but that is different. Far more powerful.

With a stiff gruff, Kain decides to stand up finally and start to get ready for school/the pretense they have to endure because of their Kaname-sama. His clock still rings a few hours before the actual start of the school hours no matter how many times his cousin whines about getting woken up early. Even 'Wild' doesn't know why he wants his alarm to ring so early. He isn't slow in getting himself ready for school, so it is for wondering.

The red sun rays of a setting sun waltz with the dust motes in the room as he gets ready for a few minutes and then moves the chair, closest to the window, out of the light, in the shadows in order to sit. He does that every day, the same minutes taken to do whatever he needed to, the same snoring coming from the other bed, the same landscape outside in the world, be it bathed in light, green from the incoming spring, or dark, clad in a snow cloak. It has become a routine already.

But it isn't a routine that he has a nightmare. Such a nightmare. With her.

Kain doesn't know what's so unsettling about him getting mistaken for his leader. It isn't a bad thing, he guesses, if it's coming from someone who hasn't kept an unrequited love for him. Someone who doesn't think that Kuran Kaname-sama will always save them, will always come rushing to their side. That isn't his job, after all. His job is to lead, and that surely means that he has to overlook those under him.

Ruka will probably get over him.

Maybe. Or maybe not.

Or maybe he's just jealous.

Akatsuki prefers that he does not think about that in such a way. He'll prefer it if Ruka got with whoever she loves, even that fan of hers from the Day class, rather than pursuing her.

The sun has set. Time to go.

Standing up, he goes up to see whether Hanabusa's gotten up. While his sheets and blankets are still tangled up (because the Idol of the Day Class girls always twists and snores and has one of those nightmares, in which pink ninjas want to destroy his hair gel. Always) and his pillows are on the ground, there isn't any bundle of vampire flesh and blonde hair.

Suddenly wanted person springs from behind with the full intent to scare Kain. No success, as usual.

"Let's go," Akatsuki says and goes out, followed by a moping Hanabusa.