Hey! This is an Aidori one-shot I scratched out of my laptop archives. I hope that you like it!
Tears of Glass
If I was standing on the balcony and you were walking down below. I'd feel rather depressed and out of place and lonely just to watch you go…
Yori was certain that she would never forget the day that she had first become more personally acquainted with Aidou Hanabusa of the night class. It wasn't that she hadn't known him before. It was just that before that time she thought nothing of his playboy demeanour and frivolous actions. She lived on another spectrum to the shallow life she believed that he led. She knew now that she had been grievously misguided if not a bit naïve. Yes, that was where the whole story started. A story that she understood so much better now. She remembered the day as clear as a finely crafted glass.
It had been a beautiful spring evening halfway through her final year of high school. She had been attending Cross Academy for nearly four years by that time. Yet she had never felt any sort of inclination to swoon over the night class like a majority of the girls in the day class. She was a dedicated student, and she found a much better use for her time in the library. Over the years she had gained the trust of the stickler of a librarian, and been awarded the title of library assistant. This meant that Yori spent most of her evenings in the library checking return books into the system and placing them back on the shelf. The Headmaster and Kaname - sempai knew that she was not in the classification of rabid fan girl. This paired with her impeccable student record earned her a great deal of trust and responsibility. It was this that granted her extra privileges of coming and going from the library as she pleased. Yori often worked late and it was on night like this that they met.
She was making her way back to her dorm room around 10 pm at night after sorting out a particularly chaotic shelf. It was as she was passing some rather large shrubberies on the grounds when she heard the faint rustle of leaves. She was a perfectly practical and logical person so this didn't worry her too much. She was not the type of person to panic unnecessarily. Yet, she was not stupid and knew that it could hardly be a good sign either. So when the large Bougainvillea bush to her left moved violently and a figure pounced out of the darkness, she was quick to react. Her reflex response was immediate and she used the only tool she had at her disposal. Her enormous book of 'English Literary Devices and their Uses' made contact and slammed straight into an unsuspecting face. She heard a perfectly audible cracking sound and then an agonized yelp.
"My nose!" The voice wailed in despair, "You broke my beautiful nose!" The figure seemed to be quite distressed and hardly a threat to her. Yori had rolled her eyes and given her oddly dramatic attacker a disapproving frown. He was still cursing and complaining whilst he clutched his face. What a drama queen. Yori had readjusted her position so that she could identify him as he continued to rant about her brutality.
"It was hardly a scratch, Aidou - sempai" She had told him simply. "I barely hit you at all." She had pointed out drily while she hugged her book to her chest. Knowledge was power after all, and this book was a fearsome force.
Aidou – sempai had paused his overflowing tangent to gaze at her in disbelief. His clear blue eyes widening in surprise at her assessment of the situation. "You broke my nose!" He had huffed indignantly and then reset it with a wince of pain. Yori had hardly been affected by his accusation.
"You crept up on me and then jumped at me from behind a bush like some sort of creepy stalker." She countered, "You should have foreseen the possibility that I would defend myself."
Aidou frowned at her in silence for a split second before he began to protest indignantly. "Wait just a minute – " He declared but Yori did not give him any time to regroup before she cut him short.
"Well, if you are quite done being creepy," She sounded almost bored. "I will take my leave." Aidou's frown seemed to engrave itself in his handsome face as she turned away. Yori was already nearly five steps away from him when he called after her.
"Seriously?" He asked her as she turned on her heel to glance back at him. He seemed to be struggling for words. A rare occurrence for the school's smooth talker and Yori found it rather amusing.
"Seriously what?" She enquired with her one eyebrow raised. Aidou seemed to pause again before he spoke.
"Are you new here?" He suddenly piped up curiously. Yori had to hold back the urge to chuckle. Of course he wouldn't know who she was. She never went to the evening crossover so he would never have seen her before. "Do you know who I am?" He asked her, almost not believing that she might have been here all this time and not been a part of his fan club.
"No, I am not new." Yori had told him with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Of course I know who you are, Aidou – sempai." She had said, and Aidou seemed to take a deep breath. Then as an afterthought she added, "The real question is: Do you know who I am?" She had caught him off guard and he looked as though he had been slapped. No girl had ever asked him that before.
Yori had been about to leave again (before Aidou could get a reply in) when Kaname – sempai appeared near them. He had taken in the scene with quick eyes. He had turned to Yori and given her a polite smile, "Good evening Wakaba-san." He greeted her and she smiled gently in response.
"Kaname-sempai." She nodded back at him, making Aidou's jaw drop open in surprise. Yori paid him little attention. "What bring you out here at this hour?" She asked him out of formality more than interest.
"I am merely retrieving Aidou from his skipping class escapade." The tall man had answered as he gave Aidou a 'we will talk about this later' glance. "I trust he was not bothering you?" He enquired of her, and Aidou seemed to pale. Yori had shaken her head and her closed lipped smile beyond amused.
"Hardly," She reassured him. "We were merely discussing his lack of attention to people who are not in his fan club." She added almost nonchalantly, "Aidou – sempai was rather baffled that I was not a member."
Kaname's wry chuckle made Aidou pale even further as he looked between the two of them in deep confusion. "I must be heading back to the dorms." Yori told them, "It was nice to see you again Kaname-sempai," she added. "Enjoy the rest of your evening." She gave him a polite half bow. "Aidou-sempai." She added his farewell as an afterthought and then took her leave.
The following evening Yori found herself receiving an unexpected visitor in the library while she was working. Aidou-sempai was little help as he lounged around on the counter where she was trying to scan books. There was no mention of the previous night. It was as if it had never happened. He would strike up odd conversations and pull Yori into some of the most intellectually stimulating debates of her life.
After his visits became a regular occurrence, she had taught him how to help her do her library work. If he was going to hang around he may as well do something useful. It became their ritual. Yori would never seek or see him outside of their three hours every night in the library and vice versa. They would talk about everything from politics to the environmental crisis to their favourtie pastimes. It was strange that they knew nearly all the completely insignificant things about each other, like his love for jelly beans or her fear of moths, but she knew nothing about his family and he knew nothing about hers. She didn't know where he was from or if he had any siblings. He didn't know where she lived or what she wanted to do with her life. It was odd, but comfortable and it worked for them.
The first time that Aidou-sempai had actually interacted with her outside of the library was on their graduation. He came to the day class ceremony and then met her at her dorm room presenting her with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers she had ever seen. He congratulated her on graduating at the top of her class and she merely smiled at him happily. That day was the last time they would see each other. They had not exchanged any contact information, nor had either of them brought it up. It was sort of an unspoken agreement between the two of them. Aidou-sempai had simply helped her carry her cases to the car waiting for her on the long stone driveway. She had given his hand a squeeze as she got in, and wished him nothing but success and happiness in life.
The last she saw of him was out the back window as they drove away. She hadn't seen or heard from him since and it was alright. They didn't have that type of friendship to begin with anyway. Yori had Yuuki for all that mushy friendship stuff and the girl was very good at it. Yet, sometimes her thoughts would wander to her old friend and she would feel a tug on her heart strings. She missed him at times. The intellectual stimulus that he presented was unlike anything that Yori could find anywhere else. Yuuki was an amazing friend, but she wasn't exactly the sharpest crayon in the box.
Not that Yori was complaining. Yuuki had been nothing but an amazing friend to her. She was forever in Yuuki's debt. If it wasn't for her friend, Yori wouldn't even be here today. It was Yuuki who had saved her from certain death. It was Yuuki who dragged her mangled body from the ruins of that car, and it was Yuuki who helped her to disappear. Yuuki had smuggled her out of Japan, taken her abroad to England and given her a new identity. Now Wakaba Sayori was long dead to the human world, perished in a tragic car accident. Only to be replaced by Cross Yori, close friend of the pureblood siblings.
She was a mystery to many of the vampires back in Japan who had never met her. At least not until recently. These were dark times for vampires as the novelty of peace between vampires and vampire hunters had plummeted after Pureblood Kuran Rido had reared his ugly head. Zero had dealt with him accordingly, but the delicate relations between the previous enemies were long broken.
Headmaster Cross was doing all he could to do damage control, but there were few options for vampires but to go into hiding until things were smoothed over. Things were starting to look up again as vampires and vampire hunters re-entered negotiations after countless years put in by Headmaster Cross. Now they had returned to Japan for a pressingly necessary meeting with the leaders of all the noble clans. It was also thanks to Yuuki that Yori was at this meeting. Yori was, by Kaname's orders, to never leave Yuuki's side for the occasion.
It was the first time since Yori had 'died' that she had set foot back in Japan. If Yori had had her choice she would have kept Yuuki as far away from this place as possible. Nothing good could come from this gathering. At least that was what she had thought. Except it was here, at a socialisation ball for vampire nobility, that Yori found herself staring with disbelief. There, standing less than twenty feet away from her, for the first time in seven long years, was Aidou-sempai.
Yori knew now that the night class was made up of vampires. Yet she had never quite thought about it long enough to put the picture together. Aidou-sempai was in the night class, so that obviously made him a vampire. Yori just never thought that she would run into him again. Especially not like this. Yori wondered if she should just remain invisible and not approach him. He probably didn't remember her anyway. It had been just over seven years and he had probably heard of her supposed 'death'. Yori was still busy staring at the handsome form of Aidou-sempai when Yuuki grabbed her wrist and pulled her over towards Kaname who was conversing with the blonde. Yori didn't have time to even bother making up an excuse, and she was told to stay with Yuuki no matter what happened. Yori felt an unexpected nervousness clawing at her chest. What were you supposed to say to a person you thought you knew and considered a friend, but hadn't seen for many years only to discover you really knew nothing about them at all? Yori decided she would have to wing it.
A glass of champagne in hand, Aidou took a healthy sip before excusing himself from his conversation to speak with Kaname-sama who had just arrived.
Aidou approached his leader and bowed respectfully, "Kaname-sama, it has been awhile." He greeted with a smile. He hadn't seen Kaname since he had taken his sister, Princess Yuuki, and fled into hiding to preserve the pureblood line. Purebloods were the only ones who could change humans into vampires, and therefore if they were destroyed no more vampires could be created. They were the ultimate target of the vampire hunters once relations had broken down. Aidou had kept in contact with his leader via letters, and was still considered one of his most trusted soldiers. However, Kaname-sama had wanted Aidou to remain in Japan as an informant. Aidou had obliged, but he was pleased that his Lord was back in Japan. He preferred to remain at his leader's side.
"It has been, Aidou," Kaname nodded slowly. "It is good to be back in Japan, even if it is under such delicate circumstances." Kaname's words were euphemistic to say the least.
Aidou couldn't agree more. There was something off about this gathering. He felt the spark of expectation in the air. Nearly all the noble vampires in Japan had made an appearance on Kaname-sama's orders, but the tensions were high. No one wanted to be here, there was too much suspicion. Aidou only hoped that everything would run according to plan.
"Anyway in which I may be of assistance?" Aidou enquired from his leader. He was one of the pureblood's most trusted soldiers after all.
"I am concerned for Yuuki's safety," Kaname told Aidou quietly, as not to be overheard. "I want you to ensure that you keep your eyes on Yuuki at all times." Kaname ordered Aidou and he gave his leader a dutiful curt nod in submission of his instructions. Aidou was about to ask Kaname-sama how Yuuki- sama was doing when he saw his leader turn and face two figures who had just arrived at their sides. Aidou immediately recognised the pureblood princess and bowed respectfully as he had done with Kaname-sama. "Yuuki-sama, it is a pleasure," His greeting was quiet and respectful. Nothing like that way he had spoken to her when they had both been at Cross Academy.
Aidou then straightened out of his bow and turned to inspect the figure at Yuuki-sama's side. Her guard, he presumed. He took in the small lithe form and nearly blanched in shock. It couldn't be! The woman who stood at the princess's side was supposed to be dead! Aidou stared in bewilderment at the girl he had tried to find a few years ago. Sayori Wakaba stood calmly to Yuuki's side, looking just as nonplussed as he remembered.
Her hair was a bit longer, if not slightly more shiny and her deep caramel eyes were exactly the same. She wore a burgundy cocktail dress, with a skirt that was slightly flared and simple silver strapped heels. Aidou would never forget this girl. She was after all, the first and only person to break his nose with a book that weighed almost as much as she did. She was the only person who didn't put up with any of his nonsense, and he had respected her for it. He had heard that she had died in a tragic car accident years ago. He hadn't been devastated. There was no time to be upset about the loss of a good friend. Yet he found that he had missed her quick tongue and intelligence. Aidou wondered what she was doing here with Yuuki when she was supposed to be dead. It was during the spilt second monologue in his head that he suddenly realised a very important detail that he had missed. It was in the ethereal way she stood, her beautifully enhanced features, and manner in which she seemed so comfortable in the presence of him and his own kind. And finally it was in the perfect razor sharp canines she displayed as she grinned cheekily at him.
"Aidou-sempai," She gave him a small bow. "Fancy us meeting like this." She teased him and Yuuki giggled. Even Kaname's lips twitched slightly at the exchange. The whole gathering seemed to fade into the background, so that he and Yori were in their own world, like their own private joke.
"Yes, fancy that, Yori." He grinned and bowed back as the pieces fell into place like a twisted, deeply ironic puzzle. It was a wonder he didn't see it earlier.
Yori was a vampire.
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