Hey ya'll! I'm loving it over here in the east! It has a lot more charm and greenery than over where I live. It's also a lot more quiet.

I got white streaks in my hair! Unnaturally! Yes, some people have called me insane but I AM crazy! ACCEPT IT!

This is the first time I've ever done a Vampire Knight story and I'm not so sure it'll be my last.

I don't own the characters. I attach strings to them and shout, "Dance marionettes! Dance for my pleasure!"

The cold out there was so bad that the weatherman said it was to be the worst blizzard the town had seen in years. That's why I was waiting eagerly for him.

My adopted father laughed as my cheeks puffed up in eager anticipation. "Yuki-chan, Kaname-kun will come when he comes. Don't worry about the storm. Its not like some snow will stop a vampire."

A vampire; beautiful, inhuman beings who drink blood. I've known about them since my...hero, I guess you could call him, saved me from a vampire trying to eat me when I was five. I'm fourteen now, in eight grade, and it has been nine years since that vampire attacked me. I still get nightmares of him coming after me. Even when I wake up in a cold sweat, I still feel his eyes watching me, waiting for me to succumb to the darkness.

That can never happen since Kaname killed him, but I sometimes I still don't feel safe.

"-uki-chan. Yuki-chan!" I flinched as Cross-san startled me. "I almost forgot. Did you put on the powder like I told you to?"

I shook my head. I had been so eager to see Kaname that I forgot to put on the concealer. I had gotten into a fight...actually I had gotten into the middle of a fight that some of our classmates had gotten into with Zero. They were teasing us about being adopted and when Zero said something cocky that angered one of them, I protected Zero and got hurt. Zero immediately felt bad afterward and it took some major consoling from me and a doctor (who assured us that nothing was broken) to get him to come out from his room to dinner. Momoyama-san had lent me some of her granddaughter's older brand for me to use. It covered up some if not most of it. That's why I wore a turtleneck to cover the rest. All I had to do was keep it from him and the next time I saw him it would be gone.

I heard the doorbell ring and rushed to my room to apply the stupid powder. I didn't like many forms of makeup and I only ever used it when necessary. Kaname-sama was coming and that was considered necessary.

"I'm coming!" I heard Cross-san call. I hurried to apply the thick powder and mix it with my skin. After a few minutes, I had mostly covered it up. Only the parts under my thick collar remained. I decided to leave those alone since I was sure he was waiting. I quickly ran from my room and rushed down the stairs to his waiting arms.

"Kaname-sama!" I cried joyfully. "I missed you!"

He chuckled and hugged me back. "It's wonderful to see you again Yuki. How are you?"

I smiled. The action hurt my jaw but I ignored my pain. "I'm doing great! I'm just so happy to see you." He smiled, but there was something about it that seemed forced. "Kaname-sama? Is something wrong?"

"Yuki," He leaned down and put his lips on my cheek, exactly where the bruise was. I couldn't avoid the involuntary flinch. "why do you have a bruise?"

How the heck can he see that well? I tried to laugh it off. "I don't know what you are talking about Kaname-sama! Why don't we go-" He cut me off my blabbering by pulling on my arm lightly, guiding me to the bathroom. He placed me beside the sink and made me sit down on the edge while he took some cloth and lightly doused it with water.

"It's honestly not as bad as it looks." I offered lamely. He ignored me and continued to rinse the towel with water. After he finished, he gently started rubbing my face.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Even though I could tell he was upset, he hid his emotions well. "I don't want us to keep secrets from each other."

I sighed and began my explanation.

"Hey! Kiryuu! Cross!" We turned to see Michiru-san, the biggest bully in the school. Only an eighth grader and he had the 9th graders in the high school division hearing about him. We didn't pay any attention to it since he was in a different class than we were. We were surprised to see him and his fellow rich "gang" following us on our way home from school.

He sneered when he saw us turn to him. "So I heard you guys are orphans huh? No mommy to keep you company while you cry about being losers?" The mommy comment triggered a few tears from me that Zero saw. Ever since that moment by the fireplace he had been protective of me. I guess it was just his protective instincts since I was at least a head shorter than him, but who cares? When he saw, I could have sworn his eyes turn red.

He turned to Michiru-san. "At least our parents cared about us." His tone was even, smooth, but you could hear the layer of anger underneath his calm exterior. "The only reason why you are here is because this was the closest boarding school your father could drop you off at. You don't even go home for the holidays. Too many memories of your dead mother."

Michiru-san flushed and his gang behind him started to whisper. He gathered himself quickly and shook his head. "At least I have a father! So don't you dare talk to me like you're better than me Kiryuu!" Apparently it was so funny to him that Zero felt the need to chuckle. It made Michiru-san flush harder and lunge at Zero, his fist cocked back and ready to strike.

Call it sisterly instincts, but the moment I saw Michiru-san's fist being aimed at Zero I just felt a strong need to protect him. So I jumped in front of Zero and closed my eyes.

"When I woke up, they told me that he hit me hard enough to give me a concussion and a nasty bruise that will stay with me for a while."

He was silent for a while. "What happened to the boy?"

I shook my head. "All I know is that he was called to the Headmaster's office and the next day he left."

I caught a look of relief spread across his face but he quickly covered it up with a frown. I tilted my head a little, like I always do when I'm confused. "Kaname-sama?"

"Why did you think you could hide this from me Yuki?"

I bit my lip and sighed. Here comes the hard part. "I didn't want you to worry about me."

"Is my worrying about you somehow a nuisance to you?"

I shook my head so fast I staggered a bit as I tried to hop down from the sink counter. He expertly caught me, but I still blushed a little. "I always feel like I'm just a bother to you Kaname-sama. You are already busy enough back in your world, the world where I can't go to. When you come here you forget all of your worries if only for a little while. Cross-san told me when you go back to the vampire world, you have lots of duties you must perform to please the Council. He told me it was a very stressing job and that the time you spend with me is relaxing. I didn't want to stress you out on the day you were supposed to relax."

He abruptly got up and shot out of the room with a quiet, "I'll be right back." I heard a door slam and some screaming start.

"Yuki-chan! Yuk-ow! Ow! Kaname-kun I know your-ouch! What is you-owowowow! HELP!" A slam. And a few seconds later he came back in all smiles and glitter.

"Kaname? Is something wrong with the headmaster?"

He shook his head and smiled. "Not anymore. I have a suspicion he will stay quiet for a while." Why is it that when he said that it made cold shivers run up my back? I shook it off. "Anyway, I just want you to know," He bent down to my level. "That you can tell me anything."

"I know I can. I just..." I sighed. "I just didn't want to trouble you."

"How can I not be troubled when something very precious to me is hurt?"

How could I not blush? "T-Thank you for your concern."

He smiled and kissed my other cheek. "Next time something happens, please don't hesitate to tell me. I will do everything in my power to make you safe."

I timidly smiled. "Thank you Kaname-sama. I promise."

The ending could have been better, but I ran out of ideas. I hate endings. Review and comment please!