Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is property of Matsuri Hino. I do not own it, nor am I making a profit of any kind off this fanfiction, etc. etc.

Obvious

One-shot

"Yuuki, are you done with that problem yet…? Yuuki! Look, it's not my fault that the Chairman asked me to tutor you, but I thought I told you to stop glaring at me ten minutes ago!"

Yuuki's pale skin flushed at being caught… again. "Oh, sorry Zero, I was just… thinking?"

Quickly she ducked her head, eyes abashedly locked on the half finished mathematics equation, but she wasn't really taking it in. Zero had been "tutoring" her for nearly an hour now. More than half the time was spent in silence. Once Yuuki had looked up to ask an odd question about one of the stupid mathematics problems they'd been assigned for review and then she couldn't look away.

Zero eyes were distant as he had his head turned to the window. A slight frown marred his lips and he unconsciously had brought a finger up to trace his tattoo with his nail, leaving the skin scratched red. His long silvery bangs fell into his soft lavender eyes as he bowed his head, his shoulders slightly hunched and curved around himself in a protective sort of way.

He was hurting… and she didn't know why. Her heart ached. She wanted to see him happy, to see him smile. The pain in her chest grew as Zero turned away, muttering beneath his breath as he shifted in his chair, leaning back further and pulling his crossed arms over his chest tightly. He was hurting… so much.

A few seconds of absolute silence passed without tell-tale sound of a pencil scratching on paper and Zero glanced at Yuuki, then looked away exasperated.

"Yuuki, I said…"

But his breath caught as a sudden gentle touch barely ghosting over his cheek. Wide-eyed, Zero turned to stare at Yuuki who had breached the distance between them, leaning toward him, stretching her hand out to hesitantly touch his skin. His eyes almost desperately tried to catch hers, to search the hidden meaning of her touch but she refused to meet his searching eyes. Instead she focused on the touch of his skin beneath hers as she swept her fingertips over his cheekbone and down his jaw.

Surely she could feel his heightened pulse. Surely she knew what she was doing to him. However, Zero was suddenly distracted by the worry he could now sense in her touch, instead of the initial curiosity she had had. Her fingertips slid down to his throat. Her fingers rested softly against his tattoo.

Somehow she could tell. She knew…

"Yuuki." The name left his lips in barely more than a whisper. His eyes roamed over her face, taking in the anxious expression, running over the gentle curves of her face, a sight he had memorized so well, leaving her eyes for last: a deep russet brown, they were full of worry and pain instead of their usual cheerful light. It was like a blow to his chest.

"What…?"

He paused, not knowing what to say. He was unaware that he had minutely leaned into Yuuki's touch until he felt her touch fall slack. Zero's eyes slowly closed in deep remorse as he reached up a hand to slid his fingers around her wrist and pull her hand away gently. He realized he had pushed her too far. She was retreating already. Bitterly, he concluded she had just been worried about what upset him. She didn't care about him himself. As gently as he could while still being firm, he pushed her hand away, feeling all too much the emptiness in his chest…

"Zero…"

His eyes snapped open at the softness of Yuuki's voice. His grip on her wrist slackened immediately.

Their eyes met, and he felt trapped, entranced in her soft gaze that demanded his complete attention. So much so he nearly missed her small hand shift in his. His gaze flickered down to their hands as Yuuki turned her hand in his and softly slid her palm against his then carefully entwined her fingers through his limp, unmoving ones. Slowly she tightened her grip on his hand and smiled as he instinctively responded in kind.

"Zero…" she whispered again, her soft smile growing a hair's breadth as his eyes jerked up to hers then almost inadvertently to her smiling lips. She almost burst out laughing at the slightly bewildered look he gave her as she leaned in, her eyes locked on his as they flickered between her eyes and lips.

Lost as to how to respond, he let her raise their joined hands to gently push his silvery bangs from his eyes. Then hesitantly, Yuuki leaned closer, her eyes locked on Zero's, measuring his reaction. He followed her every movement, unresisting, entranced.

Their faces were inches apart, she could feel his slightly uneven breath on her lips, could feel his long lashes brush against her skin. Then very slowly she covered the distance and brushed her lips against his in a chaste kiss.

"Zero…" She breathed against his lips as she pulled away, carefully watching his face.

His eyes had closed. His breathing was uneven, she could feel his chest rise and rapidly against hers in the small distance between them. She breathed a sigh, eyes downcast, and carefully began to disentangle herself. However, Zero's grip tightened, holding her in place with gentle strength. Yuuki's breath caught as she looked up into his half-opened eyes.

"Yuuki… How can we do this?" he groaned, as his head bowed, his forehead resting against hers. He gave her a broken, somewhat bitter smile, "Yuuki…"

Then, she smiled. She cocked her head slightly to one side, smiling gently at him. Her gaze was warm, but also slightly sad. She raised her hand to gently put a finger over his lips to hush him.

"Zero, don't… regret it."

Zero gazed into Yuuki's eyes, searching. With deliberate slowness, he raised a hand to run through her short hair and then let it slide down the side of her neck. Yuuki shivered beneath his touch, and she heard Zero's breath catch but his hand didn't stop until it rested on her shoulder.

He hesitated—to gauge her reaction, to see if he would be received as he simultaneously slid his hand around to Yuuki's back, and leaned in to return the chaste kiss she had given him. Yuuki's free hand gripped at the back of his neck and slipped up through his hair. His hand rested on Yuuki's lower back, pulling her tighter as he slowly deepened the kiss.

Yuuki smiled against Zero's lips and curious, he reluctantly pulled back. His eyes were guarded yet questioning, as he held his face a few inches away. Yuuki laughed softly, flushing in embarrassment.

A corner of Zero's mouth lifted into a gorgeous crooked smile. Hesitantly, he lifted his hand to run his fingers through her hair.

"What?" he asked softly, giving their still joined hands a warm squeeze. Yuuki's smile was positively luminous by she closed her eyes and shook her head fiercely; embarrassment still flushing her cheeks a soft pink tone. Zero chuckled as he leaned in to brush his lips against both her closed eyelids. His lips drifted down her cheek then pulled away.

Yuuki opened her eyes. Zero was glad to see the bright cheerful light had returned to her warm brown eyes.

"Tell me," he chuckled as she flushed again.

She started to shake her head, their noses barely brushed with the movement.

"Please," Zero asked softly, capturing her eyes with his as he raised a hand to cup the side of her face, forcing her to meet his blazing eyes.

Yuuki still hesitated.

"I promise I won't laugh," Zero added solemnly.

Yuuki sighed, "It not that I'm afraid you might laugh…" she allowed, still avoiding Zero's more than warm gaze.

"Good," he growled. "Now then…" Zero murmured bringing his face closer, brushing his lips barely against hers. "Tell me."

It came as a demand more than a request. Yuuki sighed.

Blushing she muttered quickly and so low he almost missed it, "You gave me my first kiss."

Carefully she glanced up at Zero as he suddenly pulled back.

"Your first?" he asked.

Yuuki nodded, too curious as to the sudden change as to keep her eyes from Zero's face. He had that gorgeous crooked smile in place with a self-satisfied twist to his lips and a mischievous look that lit his lavender-blue eyes.

"Well, do you mind if I take your second?" he asked, Yukki, could practically hear the smirk in his velvet, deep voice and rolled her eyes.

But before she could answer, Zero had captured her lips with his with a hunger that made her heart drop in surprise. After kissing Yuuki thoroughly, Zero broke the kiss with a gentle chuckle.

"I think I've enjoyed that a bit more than I should."

Yuuki frowned slightly until she saw his teasing eyes. She laughed lightheartedly, Zero loved the sound.

"You know… I wouldn't mind you taking my third kiss…" she whispered as she quickly pressed her lips to his before pulling away and changing the angle. "… and my fourth…" she ducked in to repeat the chaste kiss, but before she could pull away completely, Zero trapped her by grabbing the back of her neck to hold her in place as he growled,

"Yuuki, shut up and let me kiss you."

Yuuki's teasing smirk broke into a please albeit surprised laugh until Zero gently pulled her face to his and kissed her tenderly, silencing her laugh to a sound of complete contentment.

They had both forgotten the mathematics textbook and review work and the necessary tutoring Yuuki needed. But then again if they had remembered, they still probably wouldn't have cared.

A/N: Just felt like I needed something more between Zero (who has quickly become my ultimate favorite character) and Yuuki. I was tired of seeing Zero's heart being broken by watching Kaname and Yuuki. This was the result. Thanks for reading, no reviews are necessary though.

Playlist: "Memory," by Sugarcult; "Inside Your Heaven," by Carrie Underwood; "So Close," by Jon McLaughin.