The Price of Bliss

….

Summary: Zero was, more often than not, easy to tempt. So it was no surprise that he couldn't resist such an offer.

Author-person: This idea was stuck in my head for WEEKS. But because I had a major case of writer's block, I couldn't make it into a proper fanfic sooner. And add the fact that I was always doing schoolwork and busy with the paper and yadda yadda yadda…

So, uhm, here! For all you YuukixZero fans.

Possible OOC-ness.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight. Really, this is getting old.

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It was tempting.

Really, it was. But men had their pride, and he refused to stoop down any further than he already had. Unfortunately though, his desires were too great even for someone like him to control. And so, no matter how many times he debated with himself whether to go to her or not, the side that screamed 'YES!' always prevailed.

A part of him agreed to do it. To just go up to her and ask her face-to-face. But then, another part just told him to wake up from his silly fantasies and accept the cold, harsh, truth... That he was simply being too hopeful. That after he was done with what he was ever attempting to do, it would all be forgotten… and they would go on with their lives as they normally did… Pessimism is not a good thing, he reminded himself, but he could not help but be… realistic. Because let's face it, would Yuuki Cross ever like an emo-kid with a pole stuck up his ass? He certainly didn't think so.

Of course not. She knew better despite her naiveté.

So he settled with just watching her from afar, just like he did a few months back at the ball. He didn't mind staying by the sidelines as he watched her. He would be content with just seeing her warm smile that he loved so much.

As long as Kuran wasn't with her, he thought.

Because Kuran always ruined it for him.

He leaned against the old oak tree, watching his schoolmates run about as they busily attended to the customers that had visited for the school festival. Inwardly, Zero smiled. It had been long since he'd been in the company of normal folk, and despite being a vampire himself, he preferred being with people than being with those of the Night Class. Their kind murdered his family after all, it made perfect sense to him.

Fortunately, the vampires wouldn't be attending the festival (much to the dismay of the Day Class girls) because the affair was only planned to be carried out during the morning and in the afternoon. It would be much safer that way… and surely much easier to keep the students in order, especially since there would be no Night Class to fawn over.

Soon, he averted his eyes from the bustling crowds and focused again on the tiny dark-haired girl that had that annoying white placard hanging from her neck. His eye twitched as he read the sign that was in bold letters. He felt a little unsettled with what Yuuki and her friends had thought of selling, or rather, offering for the festival. It was ridiculous to say the least…

…but undeniably tempting.

Zero shook his head. He refused to do it. He would be completely insane if he just came up to her and asked for Yuuki to do the most ludicrous thing for him. Especially since they'd be doing it in public. He wasn't crazy. Sure, he was a bit anti-social and he had a little obsession when it came to killing the whole of the vampire race… but he wasn't crazy. Of course not.

But then, why was he walking towards her, hand in pocket and fumbling for some loose change?

"Oh, hi Zero!" She said, with warm eyes and a cheerful smile.

"Uh..."

She tilted her head and stared at him quizzically. "What is it? Something wrong?"

His heart banged against his ribcage, almost as if it was going to burst out and roll onto the school's lawn.

"Nothing's wrong." He gulped. "But I would like to, er, acquire you services." His eyes slid sideways.

Yuuki blinked. "Really? Awww. That's so cute, Zero!" She then, inched towards the male prefect and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace.

Zero, after much uncharacteristic inner squealing, did the same, albeit a little too tentatively.

He basked in the moment and took in her lovely spring scent as she stayed there, with her head resting on his strong chest. The silver-haired boy didn't care that people took time to stare at them and giggle at the sweet sight… That their female classmates sighed dreamily and attempted to take photographs... And that Kaname Kuran was looking down at them from his dorm window, semi-strangling a very blue Aido with one hand.

Ha.

Yuuki pulled away after a moment and flashed him another smile. "Okay then." She said, and held out her hand.

Zero lifted an eyebrow at her gesture but realized, when she pointed to the sign that hung from her neck, what she meant.

HUG, ONLY FIVE CENTS

Shoot.

….

Author-person: Immensely short, I know. And I'm truly sorry. But this was the best I could come up with for the moment… since my mother will be furious if she sees me using the laptop at 1am on a school night.

Thank you for reading, and please review!