Eris: Managed to type something before my short-lived break ends…..Then it's time for me to burrow my nose in my medical books once again. I have to keep up my grades so I can keep my U. Scholarship- though I doubt I'll be keeping it for long T_T….Everything's a thousand times more difficult….oh well….here's a full chapter now.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except this panda coffee mug I'm sure all of you are envious about. :P

:::::

Chapter 1- The Roseinberg Friar

Zero's wild glare and Kaname's uncaring stare slowly met.

And just as slowly, a mocking smile made its way to the handsome, chiseled face.

"….."

Zero could only stare at Kaname's back as he made way to the overly disordered cafeteria line, which was turning more chaotic due to his arrival.

'That guy just now, was he making fun of me?'

His nose crinkled as he replayed that moment; back to that time when Kaname presented that infuriating look.

The guy never ever made an effort to make any connection with someone from the student body. But just a few seconds ago, the first time he initiated any form of contact was through some brand of ridicule towards Zero:

with shining orbs of unadulterated mockery, and the edges of his mouth raised, forming a condescending look that would drive anyone into a whirl of self-consciousness- Which was definitely not a character he'd like to associate to himself.

'But what triggered that shitty expression?' he wondered.

His eyes trailed from his worn-out chuck taylors, to his scruffy-looking khakis….to his pale but otherwise, flawless skin.

Skin that now had orange-pigmented, viscous liquid dripping on it with the speed of a lethargic snail.

'Oh…..look. My uniform's soaked too.'

The poor boy was now plunged into the awareness of his discomfiting state.

'This was it!?'

Zero was utterly revolted at the childish behavior of the new student. It made him want to poke a finger into one of those perfectly shaped eyes….make one of them bleed dry….

That's an awful idea though. Zero didn't want to go through any sort of punishment. He wasn't the type of guy who broke the rules or display any sadistic tendencies. He didn't want the teachers to dislike him anymore than they already did. It didn't help at all that he looked like a casual miscreant and was often late or absent for classes.

'If the prick found amusement in something like this, then he must be a very shallow person.' Zero mused to himself. This was enough to convince him to back down.

He decided to leave it be, as he was someone who would never take action on something that didn't deserve his attention. Oh, but not in the same manner as that bastard Kuran. If someone asked for something that set Kaname Kuran and himself apart, it would be that he had friends here, as well as many, many other reasons.

He gathered a handful of translucent and probably discounted tissues from the table top and began wiping furiously.

Kain took notice of this and pulled a locker key from his side-pocket and then dangled it in front of the silver-head.

"Here, go grab my university jacket instead. It's better for covering Hanabusa's handiwork."

Upon hearing his name, Aidou snapped his head to attention.

"Look, I'm sorry about that, okay? You just chose the wrong time to phase-out on me….I was venting out my anger on you, for Christ's sake! He's making the news here on a daily basis! And all the teachers favor him as well. Doesn't that bother you at all?" The exasperated blonde defended his past actions, all the while, boring holes at his current enemy, sitting five tables apart from them.

"…Stop ogling him like a love struck preteen, Hana." Kain couldn't stop himself from teasing his cousin. He knew that an unanticipated comment like that would cause a frightening eruption from the blonde.

3

2

1

And there he blows.

"Akatsuki!Why I ought to-!" Aidou yelled at the top of lungs, as he pummeled his cousin repeatedly, looking like a mad ostrich as he did so.

The other students just looked on with the usual bored look plastered on their faces.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Zero ran his fingers through the selections haphazardly displayed on the cheap oak wood shelves lining up before him.

The library was not a place you would find one Zero Kiryuu, but as of this moment, he had to endure the strange feeling that crept up to him due to being in an eerily silent place, as well as that strange musky scent you could only ever smell from books that probably dated as far as ancient civilization; Or probably just last year, since the school never did try to keep its facilities and materials in their best condition.

His English teacher wanted everyone to recite a short story and analyze it during their next meeting. She personally assigned one to each of them, and he was just informed that he would be reading about the 'Roseinberg Friar'. He needed to do this properly, since his grades were slowly slipping from his frequent tardiness.

'Especially on this one.' He lamented.

English happened to be scheduled as his first period this year, and though a very easy subject to deal with, his grade was getting a constant beating from being absent and unable to participate in class. Participation, apparently, was what built the core of a communication and language arts subject such as English.

Zero was for one, far from mental incapacitation. He found no difficulty absorbing any current lessons, in fact, whatever he learned of recent would remain in his head up til the next week-without any reviewing.

Too bad his carelessness, and most probably to blame for, laziness, always kept him out of the top ten in the academic G.P.A. listing. And now he was struggling.

Like a brainless oaf.

Of course, it was nothing a little effort couldn't mend.

Catching sight of the title he was looking for, he wasted no time in snatching it from the upper shelf and began flipping the pages furiously like he was on timer. His face morphed into something similar to a grimace.

'26 pages of recitation.' He resignedly sighed at this discovery.

Zero never liked being the center of everyone's attention; not even for a few seconds. Having to be watched as he read the piteous life story of a crippled friar written in pages was going to be hell for him.

'Hell for reading about a holy man…..' He shook his head slowly at the irony of it.

Realizing that his purpose for being here was over and done with, he decided to head for the librarian's desk, only to find himself doing an extreme halt when his lilac eyes were met with familiar, toned back and sleek dark brown hair.

Kaname Kuran was talking to the librarian.

Zero's eyes narrowed on instinct.

His ears…..well, out of 'curiosity', his ears strained to hear the conversation a few meters in front of him. Of course, for added drama effect, he hid his body behind the nearest bookshelf. Nothing would beat doing things 007 style.

"Ma'am, do you possibly know which area to direct me? I need a book from the classic literature shelf."

Kaname spoke in a clear tone. The librarian was leaning far too much on her desk; her face only inches away from the visibly younger student before her. Her eyelashes batted superfluously as he spoke.

"No problem, I can give you…what you need." she winked in an indecent manner. Zero, who still had his eyes glued at the scene before him, couldn't help but blanch at the not so innocent innuendo.

"'Roseinberg Friar and other excerpts', if you must." Kaname cut her off from her aggressive flirting.

Zero could only lean on the oak wood shelves as he heard this.

'He got that one too for his English class!?' impulsively, his grip on the leather-bound book tightened. There was only one copy in this library, and he had it in his hands. He wouldn't give a damn about the other guy, definitely not after he—

The silver-haired student paused for a moment.

But that was being childish, wasn't it?

He didn't want to be like how Kuran had been, mocking him for looking like he had an overdose of beta-carotene. The orange artificial color didn't do any good to his naturally pale strands and skin. But now that he thought about it, maybe the teasing smirk had only been in his head. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding.

'Yeah, that was it.'

Besides, it wouldn't do any harm at all, probably even make him saintly to give Kuran the opportunity to read on his English assignment. Having made up his mind, Zero casually strolled over to the librarian's desk like he had just arrived on the scene.

The librarian was still being pushy.

"I could find the book for you, but you need to come with me so you won't get lost the next time." An outlandish string of high pitched giggles followed after that.

Zero took this moment to clear his throat.

Both of them immediately gave their attention to the newcomer; with the librarian shooting him a homicidal glare for interrupting her poorly executed…mating call, or whatever it was she was trying to do. Zero just rolled his eyes and spoke in a laid-back manner.

"Hey."

"You gonna check out something? Hurry it up, you little runt." The tight-lipped lady spoke, her voice now void of the animated tone from awhile ago.

"Zip it, auntie..." Zero smirked victoriously at his retort.

'The woman should look in the mirror before hitting on someone half her age…blerghh..'

His face contorted at his thought, but then cleared it before facing the man beside her.

"I hear…you need this book?" Zero pointed to the book in his hand, all the while he tried out a friendly grin, which of course came out awkwardly. "Thing is, ermm…Kuran, the school would often buy just one copy of each book. I also need this for tomorrow, but we could do this like how everyone else in this institution does it."

"…That, being?" Kuran raised an eyebrow at him, his fingers drummed on the desk in a constant rhythm as he stared at Zero expectantly.

"…To make a copy of the same pages…there's a copier in the convenience store just several blocks from the school, if you didn't know that." He was unsure of how to converse with the brunette. Kaname's responses were always laced with arrogance, and his eyes were staring at him, with a strange…intensity. Zero wasn't patient enough to deal with this type, unfortunately.

Somehow he knew that he was a victim to a horrible play of words as soon as a dastardly smirk drove across the handsome male's face.

"Alright then, good samaritan….go print a copy for yourself. I'll wait here." His grin only grew wider and wider.

And Zero's frown grew deeper at the same time.

"Just so you know, I happened to get the book first, so I get to have it. Not YOU, you ungrateful, arrogant bastard!" Zero snapped at him like there was no tomorrow. He definitely didn't care now if he sounded childish to the people around him, didn't care if he was arguing in the library, or that the librarian was making hushing sounds right after his outburst. In fact, he never should have cared at all if the prick didn't have a copy to read for tomorrow.

"You didn't specify who would be getting the copy, and you were outright in saying that you knew where to photocopy the book. As for me, I have no idea…" Kaname faked a sigh as he snuck a glance at the librarian, expecting her to react to this.

Upon making eye contact with the brunette, the woman immediately spoke up.

"You should just let him have the book. It's not like you've never experienced using just a copy of an original."

"Oh, let him experience it, you make it sound like he's going to sleep on a bed of burning coal!" Suddenly it wasn't all about who was getting the book. Zero didn't want to let the pompous ass have an advantage over everything. He hated that Kuran had an ally in this argument, and it had to be the librarian, whose job was to sign every book that left the room. Damn!

"He can't even find his way through the shelves, don't be bullheaded." Her comeback actually made sense. Was he going to lose this argument?

"But I-"

"Well I'll be damned if you let the new student let you have your way, Kiryuu-kun"

Now he definitely lost.

He slowly turned around and faced his math teacher, who was unfortunately female, and very single. She smiled at him and expected the boy to comply.

Zero sighed and nodded in defeat. He had been cornered by three people and there was no other way out of it. Talk about an unfair battle. He looked dejected as the librarian signed Kuran's library card.

"Alright then, here's the book. Go make a copy for yourself while I retrieve something from my locker." Kuran handed it over with amusement written all over his face.

Suddenly he leaned in closer to Zero's face, and said silverette flinched reflexively at his sudden movement.

"Don't take too long, 'Kiryuu-kun'." He whispered in a teasing manner and then quickly left the amethyst-eyed boy to stare at his retreating form with wide and frustrated eyes.

:::::

A/N:

So Kaname finally gets to know Zero's name. Wow, progress is definitely slow -_-". I'm still building up everyone's aggravation towards Kaname. It wouldn't be right for anyone to take action without a good enough reason. Hehehe…..guess we have to bear with this, for now. I pretty much know how this story will progress and end. I just need time….and patience…..as well as a little push to type everything. X_x

Thank you to everyone who gave me attention through messages and your reviews.

I'm very lonely right now and getting to know you guys make me happy.~