DISCLAIMER: I am in no way affiliated with Vampire Knight.
Author's Note: I tried to stuff so much into this 2,033 word chapter. I read this over twice, so, I shouldn't have missed any mistakes. If I did, please let me know.
Yuki silently entered Hanabusa's room and gazed at him with compassion in her eyes. The blonde hadn't said a single thing since Akatsuki and Ruka had left a few days ago. Yuki understood that he was still grieving and it was a comfort for him to have had two of his family members by his side, but it pained the brunette to see him so forlorn. She was aware that she was partially the cause since she had asked his cousins to find Kaname for her, but she still wished he would talk to her, even if it was just to insult her or her brother.
To be honest, Hanabusa's current behavior reminded her a lot of Zero when he had first arrived with the Headmaster. Even though the two young men were completely different, she couldn't help but compare them. Zero had also refused to speak after he had lost his parents because what he had witnessed had been horrific and, even though Hanabusa hadn't witnessed bloodshed like Zero had, the sight itself had surely shocked him. She also felt like she could relate to Aido's situation. Her own mother had also died right in front of her. The brunette wouldn't admit it to anyone, but Juri's blood streaked face still haunted her.
Yuki mentally shook her head then slowly approached the form that sat on the bed. She lightly placed her hand on Hanabusa's shoulder and a gentle smile appeared on her face as he looked at her. Just by the look in his eyes, Yuki could tell he wanted to know why she was invading his space.
"It's time for your bath," her voice was soft and understanding. "I know you normally have a... conversation with Akatsuki-san before you bathe, but, wherever he and Ruka are right now, their phones have no service." Hanabusa just stared at her with a blank expression. "I tried reaching them before I came up," as usual, she received no answer. "Come on." Yuki helped him off his bed and led him over to the bathroom where the tub was filled with his favorite lavender scented bubble bath. A change of clothes, a mint green pajama set, sat on the marble counter. "I'll be right outside the door if you need anything." Hanabusa moved into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
The smile fell from her face as a crestfallen look replaced it. Hanabusa really was just like the boy she had helped five years ago (1) and it caused her to wonder just why the two of them acted so similarly after someone close to them died. Yuki slumped against the wall to the left of the door with her head bowed. She didn't want to admit it, but she missed Hanabusa's bright smile and how he always harshly scolded her whenever she got something wrong on an assignment or test. He had been her constant companion and confident for a year so the abrupt change of his personality frightened her. Even though Yuki didn't expect him to act the same as he always did, she just wished he would say something, even if it was as simple as "hi" or "go away".
Yuki waited patiently by the door the entire hour that Hanabusa had locked himself in the bathroom. He exited the room in the mint green pajamas that she had personally set out for him. The princess inaudibly sighed due to relief because she noticed that he hadn't done anything incredibly idiotic when he was alone. Yuki had no clue if he was the type to self-mutilate due to grief and was glad he wasn't. She could only hope that he'd start talking again sooner rather than later.
"Do you wanna go back to your room or eat something in the dining room," Yuki inquired with a soft grin. "It's fine if you don't want to eat in the dining room, I could always bring something to your room." Even though her question called for a reply, he gave none. Her smile faltered a bit, but she managed to keep it in place. "I'll take you to your room then and, if you want to come down, feel free to." Yuki moved to his room and he silently followed her.
Once they reached the dark space, the young woman loosely grasped the young man's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before she released it. Hanabusa quietly went into his bedroom and closed the door just as the smile left her lips. Yuki still felt so unsure of what to do since everyone handled death differently. She knew that his family still needed to be informed because they thought Lord Aido was out running an errand for Kaname. The brunette sighed, she had no idea if her friend was even ready to talk about it. She knew that one of them had to inform his family if Akatsuki and Ruka hadn't. Yuki moved down to the basement where she knew a piano was kept since her mother had taught her how to play so long ago and she had picked it up again a few months after returning to her rightful home.
She sat down on the small bench directly in front of the black grand piano. Yuki's hands stayed above the keys for a few seconds as she thought. The brunette decided to just play whatever notes or songs came to mind. Her hands glided across the keys which caused a soothing yet mournful tune to fill the room. She allowed her emotions to flow out through the music. Yuki herself still couldn't believe that the man she held so dearly had murdered her friend's peaceful father. It seemed like something that a certain hunter, the one who she had vowed to keep running from, would do.
Yuki was far too absorbed in playing the piano that she didn't even notice the door to the music room open. Her eyes slightly widened when she felt the tips of someone's hair tickle the side of her neck. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw that it was just Hanabusa who was resting his head on her shoulder. A relieved look appeared on her face since he had decided that he actually wanted to be near someone instead of wallowing in his misery all alone. Yuki wanted to stop playing in order to actually be able to comfort him, but stopped herself since she figured that the reason why he was there was to have a place to rest his head and to listen to the piano. She forced her fingers to cease pressing seemingly random keys and started the Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig Van Beethovan (2).
Once she had finished the piece, her hands left the piano and she loosely wrapped her arms around Hanabusa since she wasn't sure if he wanted to be hugged or not. To her surprise, he didn't push her away, he just sat there and his head remained on her shoulder. Yuki knew that Hanabusa was allowing himself to be comforted by her presence. She didn't know how long the tranquility would last, but she didn't want to ruin it by bringing up the inevitable: he had to tell his family. The brunette didn't know if he was ready to inform them or not, so she was refusing to pressure Hanabusa into it since it wouldn't make anything better, it would probably only make things worse. Yuki had a feeling that whatever progress Hanabusa had made would just disappear if he was further stressed.
Yuki had been too absorbed by her thoughts that she didn't even notice the breath on the side of her neck. Once she came to her senses, she looked at Hanabusa out of the corner of her eye. She saw that his normally cerulean eyes had been painted crimson. The brunette instantly knew that his lust for blood wanted to take control. Yuki remember that Kaname had once told her blood tablets barely helped grieving vampires. That piece of information only aided in her decision.
Yuki slowly tilted her head to the side and moved her hair off of her neck in order to make it easier for Hanabusa. "It's alright," her voice held reassurance.
It didn't take long before his fangs sank into her smooth skin. Yuki listened to Hanabusa greedily drink her blood. In fact, that was the main thing that registered in her mind. The brunette had had her blood taken from her so many times in the past that the sensation barely phased her anymore. The only thing that could be noted was how each of them took her life's essence. Zero was never gentle when the beast took over. To be honest, whenever he had bit her, no matter what she had said afterwards, she had felt like she wasn't going to survive. Kaname was always gentle and he would do the feeding slowly so as to not cause her unnecessary pain. As crazy as it sounded, his bite had always made her feel loved. Hanabusa was different than the two who held her heart. He was neither gentle nor rough, it was strictly in between. It also didn't feel like she was being eaten alive or that she was a porcelain doll, she felt human, or as human as she still was, with him. Yuki could hardly fathom that something as simple as a bite could be so different, but she wouldn't question it. She was pulled out of her thoughts when Hanabusa removed his mouth from her neck.
Yuki looked directly at him and noticed how horrified he appeared to be. Before she could do or say anything, Hanabusa fled the room. Even though she was slightly woozy, Yuki sprinted after him because she knew she had to find him and felt that, if she didn't, he would do something completely idiotic.
She searched all the rooms of the mansion with absolutely no sign of him. Yuki had no idea where he would've run off to since there was no place to run due to the surrounding forest. The brunette had a feeling he was either in the secret escape tunnel or trying to find his way through the forest and to the nearby town. Whatever the case was, she knew that she had to find him before he was too far away. Yuki knew that the only sure way to find him was to follow his scent. As much as she didn't want to rely on her senses, she knew that she had to do so in order to talk some sense into him.
Yuki allowed herself to recall the lavender and rose smell that was uniquely Hanabusa Aido. It only took her a few moments before she picked up the faint trail he had left at the manor. She promptly followed her nose and didn't even bother to grab a coat before she went out in the bitter cold. The brunette ran as fast as she could in the direction he had gone. Yuki ignored the shallow cuts that the leafless branches administered to her torso, she couldn't allow herself to notice the pain lest she fall too far behind. The brunette was just glad that her cuts healed quickly due to being a vampire.
Even though her legs had grown tired and her lungs were sore, Yuki refused to take even a second break since resting was a luxury she couldn't afford. She pushed herself through the exhaustion that had started to set in.
The brunette forced her legs to move faster when she was sure that she had seen a silhouette not too far away. Yuki collided with the form and they fell to the ground in a heap. She hurriedly got off of the figure and took a few steps back only to find that it had only been an animal. Yuki collapsed to the ground and hugged her knees to her chest. She couldn't believe she had actually mistaken an animal for her missing friend. The brunette buried her face on top of her bony knees and allowed herself to cry in the peaceful forest.
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be up when I find the time since I'm gonna be overloaded with homework for awhile.
1. Since at least one year has passed since the school arc, Yuki would've cleaned Zero up after the attack five years ago.
2. The Moonlight Sonata is Beethovan's Sonata No. 14 in C#minor "Quasi una fantasia". If you wish to listen to it, I know that it's been uploaded onto YouTube.