Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

Title: Importance.

Summary: A tale of Kaname... and his obsession with Yuuki's hair. Young Kaname & Yuuki

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"Kaname-sama!" Yuuki bounded into the room with exuberance, rushing heedlessly up to Kaname and propelling herself into his lap.

This was not quite the norm for their greetings, although it had happened before. Usually, Kaname's first glimpses of Yuuki when he came to visit her and Kaien were of her eagerly waiting outside the house, or of her enthusiastically yanking the door open to welcome him. But this time, Kaname was glad he was sitting down.

Yuuki's head was currently buried in his chest, shorter arms trying to wind themselves around his larger form. Kaname quickly remembered to return the hug while shooting a glare in Kaien's direction that clearly demanded to know: what did you do?

Unfortunately, the man had suspiciously already busied himself in the kitchen, very studiously cutting mushrooms.

Kaien. Kaname inwardly groweled. There had better be a good explanation for this. He moved one had up to brush Yuuki's hair absently, and was jarred back to the problem.

It had been the first thing he noticed when she rushed into the room: her hair. Her beautiful, long, flowing hair, so much like their mother's, was distastefully cropped above her shoulders.

Kaname felt Yuuki pull away from their hug and instantly transformed his harsh glare into a gentle smile.

"Hello Yuuki." If possible, her smile grew wider at his words.

"Kaname-sama," Yuuki began, taking a deep breath and looking as though she was searching for the most important of the thousand things she wanted to say to him, finally settled on it.

"I missed you."

Her tone was soft, and sounded much older than her short years. The words were said with eyes that held in them the remembrance of each disappointed hope and long nights of tears in his absence. Kaname could see the hurt there, hurt from the long time spent away; a much, much longer time than he had anticipated. He reached down and held her small hands in his own.

"I'm back." His voice held more meaning than she should have been able to pick up on, but Yuuki squeezed his hands in instant forgiveness, and Kaname was reminded once again why he went through so much trouble for this darling girl. "What has happened since I was last here?"

Yuuki peered up to him with her wide and innocent red eyes, and began her rampage of stories. He learned about her adventures-- and misadventures-- in school, her newest stuffed animal-- a fluffy pink elephant, already ratted from constant parading about the house-- and Kaien's disastrous dinners-- with Zero, he mentally supplied, although she wisely hardly mentioned him.

Finally, Kaname could put it off no longer. Kaien was almost finished with dinner, and consequently any excuse to keep him in the kitchen, so Kaname decided to broach the question.

"Yuuki," he began, lifting a strand of her short locks and briefly running his fingers through it. "When did you cut your hair?"

Yuuki stared blankly at him for a moment before Kaname saw recognition spark behind her eyes.

"Oh!" she exclaimed before hesitating. "Umm. . . I forgot," she continued sheepishly, but a second later looked up at him searching for approval. "Do you- do you like it, Kaname-sama?"

She waited patiently for his answer, eyes never leaving his own. Kaname inwardly cursed Kaien for leaving him alone, and forced a small smile and nod of consent.

"I'm so glad!" Yuuki continued, mindless of his hesitation and encouraged by his acceptance. "I thought it might be good to make it short. . . so one day I just did it!"

"You cut your hair?" he questioned her, hoping it sounded more like teasing than the disbelief and horror he really felt.

"Well I started to, but I couldn't finish it right," Yuuki trailed off as she pouted. "Zero's the one who really cut it," she added nonchalantly.

Kaname's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he was thankful for the distraction- because he was sure his eyes had just flashed bright red when Yuuki looked away- when Kaien stuck his head out the kitchen door to clarify.

"What Yuuki means to say, Kaname-kun, is that she insisted on her hair being cut that instant, and since only she and Zero were at home, it was left up to him to finish the job."

Kaname looked down at Yuuki, who was intently not meeting his gaze. Despite her age, Yuuki was very intuitive. He knew she rarely spoke of Zero in front of him because at some point she had realized that the subject was more than distasteful for Kaname. She probably did the same for Zero.

Similarly, Kaname was sure that Yuuki had not forgotten that he had not seen her short hair. She was not used to it yet, and he way it had constantly fallen into her face before she hurriedly brushed it away as they talked told him that she cut it recently. When they talked earlier, there were a few times when he was certain she would bring up the topic, only to listen to her move on to another. And now he knew why.

It was Zero.

Every story she told him had a conspicuous absence of the white-haired boy with whom she lived. Yuuki probably did not want to create a reason for the tension which inevitably followed any mention of Zero.

Kaname felt a smile grow on his face. She had been trying to protect him. And Yuuki did not even understand the entirety of what she was "protecting" him from.

In the beginning, Kaname had tried not to let his jealousy of Zero show, but it had been unavoidable. Zero was always with her. They lived together, played together, ate together. He was turning into the brother Yuuki had forgotten she had, and Kaname had to settle with sporadic visits, where each time he came he was reminded of how much of her childhood he was missing by being away. It had been difficult to listen to Yuuki describe her time with Zero, and somehow, she had come to understand that.

Kaien still stood in the doorway, knife absently held in one had, and Yuuki still avoided his gaze.

No, Yuuki, don't worry about me. If you can stand Kiryuu, then so can I.

"Tell me what happened," he pause and smiled amusedly, "when Zero cut your hair."

Yuuki's head snapped up, eyes sparkling with excitement and mischief, as she began her story.

Kaname listened intently to the rise and fall of her voice as she explained each detail with large hand motions.

At least her voice will always be there. Kiryuu can't take that away.

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