MISUNDERSTADING (Ichiru One-shot)

What would I not give just to turn back the time? In my whole life, all I ever wished for was to go back to that time where I should have never shrugged that thought away.

It was night back then. We were still the little children we were used to be. Back then, he and I were inseparable. Even his brother couldn't separate us once we were already together. He had a fragile body and his health wasn't that good, too, but that didn't stop him from being friends with me. He even tried his best just to cope up with my crazy thoughts. But why did all of our happy times disappeared?

Why did he not wait for me? Why did go with that woman and betrayed us all?

"Hey, _," Zero grunted as he patted my shoulder, "Snap out of it."

Oh right. We were on our prefect duty so I really shouldn't space out. Currently, he was enrolled in our school. And ever since he came here, I never had any peace of mind. Zero already walked ahead of me. We were to inspect the dorms today. Yuki, who was walking behind us paced up beside me.

"_," she called. "I just notice that you've been spacing out a lot lately."

"Uhm…yeah, I guess," I replied. "I haven't got any good sleep that's why."

"Hm…" she just nodded at me though I thought she really didn't believe it.

=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.FF=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=

At last, we were finished inspecting the dorms. I was glad that Yuki volunteered to take the confiscated items which left me and Zero on patrol—though I highly doubt that Zero would really do the patrol tonight. But surprise, surprise…he was actually walking beside me right now as I walked through the woods.

"What did you eat today Zero?" I asked out of blue.

"Hn?" he looked at me with a confused face out from the corner of his eye.

"I said what did you eat today for you to actually patrol?"

Instead of answering, he just grunted. I just sighed. I already knew why. He was just making sure that I would not run into Ichiru alone. Zero knew too well that I hadn't move on from the night when the Kiryuu family was murdered by a pureblood vampire.

When the teacher announced a week ago that we would have a new student, I never really gave a care. But when the new student was introduced, never once had I expect it to be him: Ichiru Kiryuu.

"Are you okay with him in the same school as you?" Zero asked suddenly.

I just looked ahead of us. "Why are you asking about that now? Aren't you the one who kept the enrolling thing from me?" I crossed my arms against my chest. It was true. Right after the day Ichiru walked in our class, Zero told me that the headmaster asked him if it was okay for Ichiru to be enrolled here a week before that day.

Zero just ignored my words. "Just answer it."

"No, I'm not! Are you happy now, onii-chan?" I asked childishly.

From the corner of my eye, I saw how irked he was. A year after his parents' death, he became distant. But after a year, I also became an orphan and it was Kain Cross who took me in and I was again reunited with Zero who I began to call 'onii-chan'. And right after calling him that name the first three times, I immediately figured out that it annoyed him to no end.

"You better really stop calling me that," he complained.

After just a few hours of patrolling, we decided to just sneak out and go to our dorms to sleep. I didn't mind. It was not like the headmaster would find out that we were snoozing. But…it was a big mistake for me to not let Zero walk me to the dorms…

"_."

I knew that voice—Ichiru. And instead of stop walking, I ran. I ran away and I had no plan to stop until I was sure that he was no longer near me.

"_!"

Great, now he was chasing me. What could he want now? After what he had done—betraying and turning his back upon his brother…upon me…what else could he want now?

"Aah!"

Too late. His hand grabbed my arm, effectively making me stop. His grip on my arm was vice that I could not break away easily.

"Let me go!" I shouted but he only turned me around to face him. I only looked at the ground. Never again would I lay my eyes upon that deceitful face of his. "I said let me go, Kiryuu!"

"No! Not until you listen to what I have to say, _-chan!"

SLAP! My free hand flew to his cheek.

"Don't ever call me that! You don't have the right to call me that nickname after betraying me!"

This time, I looked straight to his eyes. He just glared at me, ignoring the stinging pain on his now red cheek.

"Betray? You're the one who betrayed me! I waited at that time but you never came!"

=.=.=.=.=.=FLASHBACK (10 years ago, before the Kiryuu family murder)=.=.=.=.=.=.=

"I'll be waiting for your answer," said a blushing young Ichiru as he walked away.

I just stood there like any young girl would right after her best friend confessed to her. Yes, at a very young age, Ichiru Kiryuu confessed to me. He didn't even give me a chance to say anything. He just straight out told me that he liked me more than a friend and he would wait until midnight tonight under the sakura tree for my answer.

That afternoon, I just cooped up in my room all day until it was already 11:48 in the evening. Should I go? Or should I not? Sure I liked Ichiru but it would be embarrassing! At 11:54, I decided to go and confess as well. It was funny though. We were just kids.

On my way, I crossed upon a very worried young Zero.

"hey _," he said as he walked to where I stood, "Where are you going at this time of the night?"

I blushed. "How about you?"

"I'm looking for Ichiru. Have you seen him?" he asked.

"I…I am on my way to see him," I replied as my cheeks got redder.

Seeing my reaction, Zero suddenly laughed. And ruffled my hair as I got redder. "I think I'm sensing some puppy love here."

"Stop it!" I stammered.

But before one of us could say a word, we heard a scream from the Kiryuu residence. With that, Zero ran back home, with me trailing after him but he just yelled for me to go back to my house. I did not follow him because I sensed his fear from his voice. Instead, I ran to the sakura tree where me and Ichiru was supposed to meet. But when I got there, he wasn't there. He was nowhere to be seen. But on the tree were words:

"Goodbye, _-chan."

=.=.=.=.=.=.END OF FLASHBACK=.=.=.=.=.=.=

"I waited…and waited…until I couldn't take it anymore," he explained, "I decided to look for you and I did find you." His glare intensified. "I found you with my brother. What I've seen was enough to prove that you really don't care about me. You only care for my brother like the others!"

"I did care! I do care still!" I yelled at him. I was struggling to keep my tears from falling. "I was going to meet you…Zero found me and he was looking for you…I never betrayed you! But you…" tears now found their way to my face. "You betrayed us…You went with that pureblood after your family was killed…You left us…You left…me…"

"_-chan…"

The next thing I knew was his arms around me with his head on my shoulder and I could feel his breaths on my neck…as well as his tears.

"You…you were going to meet me? Is that true?" he asked.

I just nodded my head as leaned on his chest. "Yes…"

"I…I'm sorry…I didn't know…" he sobbed. "Forgive me…I thought…" he sighed. "I got it all wrong, didn't I? I'm so stupid…"

"I already forgave you…" I murmured. "You should apologize to your brother…not to me…he's more hurt than I."

He then pulled away, wiping my tears with the back of his hand. "I will. But before that, please give me the answer I've been waiting for all these ten years…_-chan, please…"

"I…" I slowly held his hand against my cheek as I stared back to his needing gaze. "I liked you, back then…but now…I… I lo—"

And without having heard my next words, he leaned in so suddenly and sought out my lips with his. My eyes widened at the action but I slowly melted into him. I returned the kiss and his both of his arms snaked around my waist as mine around his neck.

"I love you, _-chan," he whispered against my lips as he pulled away. "And I want to be with you from now on."

I just smiled at him. "I love you, too…"

Still, note to self…I needed to make sure that I would be the one to tell Zero about this properly before he would get the wrong idea…Or maybe I needed not to do that…'cause he was already watching us from where he hid on a tree...with a smile.

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(A/N: I know that this isn't really that good…Gomen…I am up for more than 48 hours right now that my mind isn't in the right track and whenever I get any sleep, I keep waking up on the wrong side of the bed! -.-" I really need to sleep now…Please leave a review, I feel so rusty at the moment..thank you for reading! Nya~)