Note: The relationship between Yuuki and Kaname in this fic is purely friendly. No romantic feelings involve. Okiez and thanks for reading!

"Love is supposed to be sweet, bringing happiness to all who experiences it. It is also supposed to be the most amazing feeling in the world. I have experienced love long enough to know that it does bring happiness to one's life. Yet...why does everyone say that love only brings happiness and joy? They never mentioned that because of love, one would also feel pain, despair and bitterness..." -Akatsuki Kain


Chapter 1: Invitation to a Dance

The group of impossibly beautiful people walked down the corridor towards their lockers. Accompanying them were the usual whispers of "They're so hot!" by lovestruck girls (and boys), as well as the obsessed followers who tagged behind them. Those who had given up or been rejected in the past merely sighed at the sight of them. As usual, there would be at least one who called out to the group.

"Aidou-kun! Will you go out with me?!"

The blonde-haired boy turned towards the source of the sound, which turned out to be a long-haired girl with a very cute face and the confidence of one who knew she had a killer figure and has dated many guys in the past. He smiled, an act which melted the hearts of all those present, as well as the female teacher who walked past at that moment.

"Ahahaha...Yeah...But I have to say no. " He answered briskly before turning away. A hush descended upon the people gathered there.

"Hanabusa, we are trying to be friends with humans, not shatter their hearts and make them cry," Akatsuki Kain whispered to him. "Oh, wait. You just did exactly that." He rolled his eyes.

The others in the group kept on walking, ignoring what just happened. The rejected girl turned and ran off sobbing, followed by her friends, each of whom gave Hanabusa a look that was a mixture of "How could you do that to her?" and "Will you go out with me then?"

Hanabusa shrugged and followed the others down the corridor. Akatsuki sighed and did his trademark hand-through-hair action. He looked briefly at the disappearing girl and turned to catch up with his group.

"What was that look for, Akatsuki? Could you be interested in that human?" asked Yuuki Cross. "Oh wait, you're not planning on running after her and comforting her and then eating her are you?"

"Yuuki, do I look like I would do that?" asked Akatsuki.

Murmurs of "Yes" floated around the group. Yuuki giggled before asking, "You know why they're becoming more...excited right?

"Huh? Oh yea, the dinner dance is like, a month away." Hanabusa replied.

"Yep. So Hanabusa, if you want to avoid being mobbed by sadly disillusioned girls hoping to be your date, then you better ask someone out quick. None of us has asked someone out yet. Besides Rima and Senri of course. We all know who they're going to ask." Yuuki smirked.

"Say what?" Senri asked, in his usual sleepy tone. He took out his ever present box of Pocky and handed one piece to Yuuki. "Want some?"

"No thanks. I feel sick looking at them. Remember when we had that Pocky feast? I can't look at them without feeling the need to throw up now." Yuuki replied, shuddering at the once-loved food.

The Pocky Feast was a night a few weeks ago that the group of vampires had that changed how they viewed Pocky forever. Senri had ordered a whole box full of the chocolate sticks. Needless to say, the vampires' curious addiction to the biscuit had led to the consumption of no less than 100 packets of Pocky that night. None of them, except for Rima and Senri, as well as Kaname (who was not present that night) had had one bite of the sticks since then. More than one of them had been sick the next day.

"So, Akatsuki, eyeing anyone who could be your potential dance partner?" Takuma Ichijou asked.

Akatsuki knew who he wanted to ask to the dance. Heck, he had known who he wanted to dance with for a long, long time. He just never had the courage to ask her out... Ruka Souen, the girl he has been in love with since he was young and-

"Hey, Ruka! Do you want to be my date?" Hanabusa asked abruptly.

Everyone turned around to face him, each one with a look of incredulity.

"What? Oh, it's because a girl asked me to the dance this morning. I was like, no thanks. She was like oh, are you going with someone else? I was like: Yep. And then she ran off crying."

"And I bet you just walked off without a second thought to how you shattered her heart completely?" Yuuki asked.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"You really are an insensitive bastard, aren't you?" Yuuki said, shaking her head.

"Yep, and proud of it."

Akatsuki couldn't contain the question inside him, and cut in, "So, why ask Ruka?"

"Well, obviously I have to go with someone or she'll know I'm lying. Actually, make that her and 5 other girls," Hanabusa replied with a laugh. "Yuuki is going with Kaname on some Council mission, and Rima is obviously going with Senri. So that leaves only Ruka. Oh, and I would ask Takuma, but I don't swing that way," he smirked at the other blonde-haired boy.

A heated discussion concerning gender soon followed, but Akatsuki heard none of it. He had lost his chance again, and to his best friend and cousin, he thought bitterly. He knew Hanabusa wasn't to blame. Akatsuki had told no one of his feelings, although he suspected Yuuki knew. He was fairly certain that Hanabusa did not hold any romantic feelings towards Ruka. The blonde-haired boy would hate to be tied down to any relationship, except for the one he had for Kaname, but that was a one-sided relationship that consisted only of Hanabusa worshipping the pure-blood. Nevertheless, Akatsuki realised that Hanabusa had more guts than him to ask Ruka out, although it was also true that it would be harder on Akatsuki to ask her out.

Akatsuki realised he must have made a face that showed his emotions when he caught sight of Yuuki staring at him with a look that confirmed his suspicion that she knew of his feelings. Yuuki turned away suddenly. Akatsuki found out the reason why the next second.

"Oh, alright then, Hanabusa. Can I just say that your dancing skills are woefully inadequate, and if you wish to dance with me and not look like a complete idiot, then you will work on them." Ruka smiled.

Laughter broke out amongst the group, and even Kaname's lips turned upwards slightly. Akatsuki sighed inwardly. It was fated, it seemed, for him to never be able to ask Ruka out. He didn't know if he still wanted to go to the dance. He made a note to ask Yuuki afterwards where she was going with Kaname, and whether he could tag along with them.

Akatsuki fell backwards onto his bed with a sigh. He looked outside the window and silently admired the silver, full moon shining brightly. The bedroom he shared with Hanabusa was dark except for the silver rays of moonlight that shone through the windows. He recalled the times he had during full moons. They were the best times of his life. Playing with Hanabusa and Ruka, having his 5th birthday under a full moon, falling in love...

He was only a boy who was turning eight in two weeks. Hanabusa was sick, leaving only him and Ruka playing alone in the sandbox. It was their tradition. The three of them would always spend nights with full moons together, be it in the sandbox or not. Those nights were and still are special to them. That night, Ruka and Akatsuki were trying to find out how deep they could dig down into the sand. All of a sudden, Ruka looked up towards the moon wistfully.

"Hey, Akatsuki," the long-haired girl asked. "How did we start this whole full-moon tradition?"

"Umm...I cannot remember." the orange-haired boy admitted.

"Well, I'm glad we have it on nights like these. The moon is so beautiful...I wish I could hold it in my hands and keep it with me forever."

"There's a full moon every month, so it's not like it's a rare thing to see."

She laughed, a sound that made Akatsuki feel an emotion that he had never felt before.

"That is very true. Still...on a night like this, I wish it would never be morning..."

His spine tingled slightly, and his heart skipped a beat. He gazed at the girl, and suddenly, his eyes saw her as a beautiful girl instead of just a pretty cousin. Her innocent, beautifulface, as she gazed up into the star-filled sky, enchanted him. The young boy could not know that what he was feeling was the beginnings of his love for the girl that would never waver. At that moment, he only knew one thing, and that was to wish that this magical night would never end...

Akatsuki jerked abruptly from his reverie to the sound of Hanabusa entering the room and complaining loudly about the lack of hot water in the shower. He stopped his ranting when Akatsuki fell back again with a louder sigh than before.

"Oi, Akatsuki, are you alright?" Hanabusa asked. "You didn't look that great during dinner."

"What? Oh, nah...I'm fine. Long day..." Akatsuki made an attempt at smiling but failed.

"Akatsuki, I've known you for a long time, and I can tell that you're not fine. You seem to be thinking about something very, very serious."

Akatsuki was silent for awhile. He tried but couldn't resist asking, "Are you sure Ruka really wants to go with you? You know her, she's been hoping Kaname would ask her out for years now."

"She knows that this time Kaname isn't even going to the dance. So, I figured, she wouldn't mind going with me since I actually need a date." Hanabusa replied, shrugging.

"So...she didn't have anyone else she wanted to go with in mind?" Akatsuki knew he was pushing his limits too far. He couldn't risk Hanabusa suspecting his feelings. Even though they were best friends, Akatsuki was a very private man, and didn't like sharing his emotions with others.

"Nope," Hanabusa answered briskly. "Didn't have anyone else, at all."

Akatsuki inwardly bit down his hurt that Ruka hadn't even considered him as a date for the dance. He turned away from Hanabusa to avoid showing his face, which he was sure was showing his inner feelings. This unusual characteristic of Akatsuki to ask these types of questions piqued Hanabusa's curiosity. Akatsuki never seemed to care who dated who. He was a man that didn't care about love or romantic feelings. But now...Hanabusa wasn't sure if that was who Akatsuki really was.

It was a few seconds later that Hanabusa suspected the reason for Akatsuki's questions.

"Akatsuki, does it bother you that I asked Ruka to be my date for the dance?"

Akatsuki's heartbeat quickened. No...it is impossible that Hanabusa could suspect my feelings for...

"No...why would you think that?" He asked, trying to remain cool.

"Why else would you care who Ruka is going with, or who she wanted to go with?"

"No, no..." Akatsuki answered with an attempted mocking tone. "Hanabusa, I don't care who she's going with. Have fun with her." He added a derisive snort.

"You know that I have no romantic feelings for Ruka. This dance is totally casual. If you like her then tell me. I'm serious here." Hanabusa said with an earnestness that Akatsuki didn't doubt. He knew his cousin really didn't like Ruka romantically. But Akatsuki found that he still couldn't reveal his true feelings. Not yet...

"And I'm serious too. Just go to the dance with her. I don't care."

The tone Akatsuki said those words with made Hanabusa seriously doubt his words. He stared at Akatsuki for a moment, trying to figure out why he was acting like so. It took several seconds for Hanabusa to realise what it was.

"Akatsuki, are you in love with Ruka?"

-Chapter End-