Title: Roses
Pairing(s): Kain/Ruka
Words: 856
.-.-.-.-.
"This is stupid," three-hundred-and-fifty-six-year-old Ruka said with a sniff.
"It is stupid," three-hundred-and-forty-two-year-old Rima agreed blandly.
"I hate your mother," three-hundred-and-sixty-one-year-old Kanae snapped.
Three-hundred-and-sixty-six-year-old Seiren just nodded.
Because despite of their towering centuries, in human eyes, the Soen's daughter was merely sweet sixteen, the proper age to debut in society. Nevermind that Ruka had debuted in vampire society at the proper age of a hundred and fifty. Nevermind that her friends had nothing to do with her mother's whims. They had all been roped into a debutante ball, thrown by her mother's rich, human friends with old families (their great grandfathers were probably younger than Ruka herself), merely because her grandmother was adamant to appear rich and proper in both societies.
So now the four sat in boredom and annoyance in front of four lighted mirrors, surrounded by rich human teens in white dresses, and their rushing, scrambling servants. The humans snobbishly ignored the four gorgeous girls, probably because they were emitting rather sinister auras, or because they knew that each of the vampires was likely more than fifty times more beautiful than plastic surgery could ever make them.
Ruka slouched in her chair, glaring at the ceiling. Her mother had forced her into a white dress, off the shoulders, lined with white lace, strings of pearls drooping from the rose in the middle around her arms and back. The skirt was a massive array of silk and chiffon, and Ruka could swear the whole phenomenon weighed more than she did.
Beside her, Rima dozed in a pretty white dress with an empire waist, and satin flowers with jeweled centers sewn onto the bosom of the dress. On Ruka's other side was Kotonami Kanae, her black hair once again twisted to the side with a single red flower, her dress adorned with more layered flounces than a wedding cake. Beside her, Seiren had set her chin on her vanity, dressed in a white silk qipao with a flounced petticoat.
"Soen? Soen Ruka?"
The golden-haired girl lifted a hand. Her willowy mother smiled, and maneuvered herself through the masses of white bodies, a bouquet in hand.
"This just arrived from your escort," she said with a smile, offering her daughter the bouquet before turning to her friends. "Rima-chan, Kanae-chan, Seiren-chan," she chanted, "Shiki-kun, Takuma-kun and Aidou-kun have arrived."
"Who's my escort?" Ruka demanded.
"He might be a little late."
Ruka sighed and took the flowers from her mother's hand. She froze.
"Mother. You didn't. He's busy!"
"Oh, nonsense, sweetheart," Soen Kyoko chirped happily. "He's just a little delayed. He'll be here."
With a hum and a bounce, she disappeared, offering cheerful greetings to the girls who were now jealously glancing at Ruka's present.
Kanae leaned over, plucking giant red roses from the bouquet and occupying herself by weaving them into Ruka's hair. Seiren lifted her head from the vanity, and asked, boredly, "Who is it?"
Ruka threw a rose at her.
"Ah," she replied with a sly smile.
Because only one man they knew in the entire world ever gave roses as big as your hand.
.-.-.-.-.
"Touya Rima, daughter of Touya Soujirou and Touya Minami."
Ruka tapped her foot impatiently as Rima's father escorted her down the stairs, before handing her off to an extremely miffed looking Shiki.
"Soen Ruka, daughter of Soen Yunoki and Soen Kyoko."
Ruka took a deep breath as her father smiled down at her.
"Sorry, sweetheart," he muttered under his breath as they shot brilliant smiles down at the audience. "I tried."
"It's okay, dad," Ruka breathed as all male eyes riveted on her.
The spot at the end of the staircase was empty.
They were nearing the floor with every step and swoop of the orchestra. Mumbles began, where was the escort? How embarrassing. How embarrassing.
Ruka shot a worried glance at the first blonde head she could find. Hanabusa shrugged at her, looking rather anxious himself, Kanae whispering rapidly into his ear. Takuma smiled at her reassuringly, but Ruka was developing a sick sensation in the pit of her stomach with each step, and now, she was on the last one and--
Suddenly he appeared, his rust-colored hair a little rumpled, his golden eyes fixed on her, looking thoroughly handsome in his tuxedo, another bouquet in his hand.
"Sorry I'm late, princess," he grinned. Ruka let out a breath and took his arm as he offered her the roses.
"Thanks for coming," she whispered as the audience settled.
"Anything for my princess," he positioned them next to Shiki and Rima, the latter of which looking extremely relieved.
Ruka smiled at the nickname, and tilted up to peck him on the cheek. He turned, smiled at her, and turned his face back as "Saori Sakura, daughter of Saori Ryosuke and Saori Shima" sounded.
As the night ended, she couldn't predict the visit of a certain pureblood the next day.
She couldn't possibly know that the closeness they enjoyed was going to go right down to hell.
She only knew, as he took her home, that Akatsuki Kain was a gentleman.
And he always brought roses.
.-.-.-.-.
I have insomnia. Like, really bad insomnia. So what do I do in my lovely midnight hours? I draw!
And then came this picture of Ruka in a pretty dress, with a bouquet of roses in her hand. And then, of course, the debutante episode of The Gilmore Girls. Well, it clicked. And there is nothing you can do to stop the creative process once there is a click.
Review, please!