Damn him. Damn Zero Kiryuu.

I could smell it from here; the scent of Yuuki's blood. He'd finally lost control, and it had to be Yuuki that got caught in the crossfire. Well, no matter. I would find him, and right the wrong that Headmaster Cross had committed, in keeping that Level E alive.

"Dorm President?" said a hesitant voice from the door to my room. I turned and saw Hanabusa Aidou peeking in around the door, his blonde hair falling into his large blue eyes.

"Yes? What is it?"

Takuma Ichijou peered in over Aidou's head, his green eyes narrowed with worry.

"The Night Class is in somewhat of a stir, Lord Kaname," said Ichijou softly. "We've all caught the scent of spilled blood. Shiki said it smelled like Yuuki Cross. I agree—it does. But… You didn't take it, did you?"

I smiled, with little humor, and shook my head.

"Of course not." My voice was bland, my usual monotone, but perhaps it wasn't as perfectly executed as I thought, because Ichijou and Aidou shared a glance before looking back at me. Ichijou sighed, and pushed the door open. Aidou, who it seemed had been leaning on it, tumbled to the floor. Ichijou stepped delicately over him.

"But then who…?" Aidou asked, confused, as he climbed swiftly to his feet. His ears were bright red from embarrassment.

"That is none of your concern. Now, go back to class. I must speak with the Headmaster." I said firmly.

Aidou and Ichijou both bowed their heads and backed out of my room. Behind me the window cracked and shattered.

"Oops." I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. I left the dorm without a backward glance at the decimated window.

"Headmaster Cross, you can't seriously defend that abomination!" I exclaimed in outrage. "He took your own daughter's blood!"

Kaien Cross looked at me over the top of his glasses, eyes flashing.

"With her insistence."

"He—what?"

"Those two have already confronted me about the issue. We all knew that he was rejecting the tablets. Yuuki was the one clever enough to see a way around that obstacle. She convinced Zero to take blood from her. She really had to try—he didn't want to, not at all. But she did it. You see, Kaname, what happened was completely Yuuki's doing. She was ready and willing. You can't condemn Zero for that, surely?"

I stared at him, mouth agape. Yuuki…Yuuki had allowed Zero? That wasn't…No, that couldn't be right! Not my Yuuki. Why would she give her own blood, her own life, to save that wretched Level E?

"Maybe you can't, Headmaster," I growled, standing up. "But I have no other choice."

I pushed past the door to the Headmaster's office, ignoring Kaien's calls for me to come back.

So, if the Headmaster would do nothing, then I would take care of things myself.

~Zero~

I reached out, trying to stop the blood that poured from Yuuki's neck, from the two bite marks I had left. She whimpered. When I shifted my hand, pressing to try and stop the bleeding, more of her skin tore. I snatched my hand away, horrified, staring at the gash in her throat. She grasped my hand, and I heard more tearing sounds. I staggered away from her, terrified. Her hand, too, was now bleeding. Wherever I touched her, she bled.

"Zero…" She coughed, and red stained her lips.

"Yuuki!" I cried.

"Zero." Her voice was different now. No longer hoarse and pained. "Zero!"

I shot bolt upright, smacking my forehead on something that had been hovering very near my face. Yuuki leaned back, rubbing her own forehead and grumbling.

It was a dream?

"Zero, are you oka—" She cut off when I threw my arms around her and pulled her close, breathing in her sweet scent, so free of blood. She returned my embrace hesitantly, wrapping her arms carefully around my waist.

"You're okay!" I gasped, eyes stinging. I was crying. The dream had frightened me so much I was crying.

"Of course I'm okay!" Yuuki said, disentangling herself from my arms. She took a careful examination of my face.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. Why was she in my dorm room? I looked around, and felt warmth creep up my neck. She wasn't in my room. I was in hers. How did that happen?

"What were you d—"

"How did I get in here?" I interrupted before I realized she was speaking. She looked a little put out that I had cut across her, but she ignored it.

"We came here last night to get me a bandage. You fell asleep almost the minute you sat down, and I didn't want to wake you up."

"Oh…"

"Zero?"

"Mm?"

Yuuki was blushing.

"What was your dream about?"

My jaw clenched and I looked away.

"Nothing."

Her face fell.

"Well, if it was nothing, then why were you crying out?" She asked hesitantly. "You were shouting as though someone was trying to kill you or something."

Not me. Nothing was trying to kill me but fear. And maybe Kaname Kuran, for whatever reason. It's not like the Pureblood didn't know that Yuuki didn't care for me.

"Doesn't matter. It was just…just a dream."

Yuuki sighed, then stood and walked to her door.

"Come on, Zero, we need to go patrol the crossover. You slept all day."

Sighing, I clambered to my feet and followed her out the door.

Why Headmaster Cross thought that the Day Class could be corralled by just Yuuki and I was a constant mystery to me. The class was huge, and Yuuki and myself…well, we were only two people. How could we be expected to hold back so many rabid students? They pushed and shoved and charged; three times they stampeded right over Yuuki and my breath caught until she popped back up and began pressing against the mass. It was easier for me, though. Most of the class was afraid of me, so all it took was a solid glare in their direction and they cowered away.

"Zero! The gates!" Yuuki called. I glanced up to see the giant wrought-iron gates swinging open, releasing the much smaller Night Class in their white uniforms. Vampires. Beasts in human form. But then, so was I.

"Get back to you dorms, all of you!" I shouted at the Day Class. A few turned on their heels and fled, but the majority remained. "NOW!"

Most took off screaming for their dorms at that, and I let out a long sigh.

"Thank you, Yuuki. Zero," said a cool voice at the head of the pack. I looked over my shoulder. Kaname Kuran, with his creepy burgundy eyes, was watching me blandly. But something about that glint in his eyes led me to believe that his thoughts were not near as bland as his manner.

Yuuki, as always, was oblivious to the friction, and bowed respectively.

"Y-yes! Of course, Lord Kaname!" She said hastily. Kaname smiled at her, and I felt my stomach twist.

Ruka threw Yuuki a dirty look.

"Don't be so reserved, dear Yuuki," said Kuran warmly, stepping toward her. "It makes me feel…quite lonely."

I ground my teeth, and I saw both Aidou and Ruka do the same. Yuuki blushed.

"I—I'm sorry. I guess it's because you saved my life all those years ago."

I rolled my eyes. Did she really always have to bring that up? It was rather tiresome. Purposefully I strode across the path to her and took her elbow.

"Come on, Yuuki, your father wanted to see us, remember?" I almost growled, then added as an afterthought, "If that's okay with you of course, Lord Kuran."

The Pureblood's eyes flashed, but he simply nodded.

"Of course. I would hate to keep you from the Headmaster. But Zero?"

"Yeah?" I growled, already towing Yuuki away.

"I'd like to speak with you sometime in the near future. In private."

I raised my eyebrows, but nodded and continued to drag Yuuki toward the school.

"Zero!" She exclaimed indignantly. "Cut it out! Let go!"

Obediently I released her, and she spun around and smacked me in the middle of my chest.

"What was that Zero?" She demanded. "You were so rude to Kaname!"

I shoved my hands in my pockets and shrugged.

"I don't like him. He doesn't like me. Why pretend any different?"

She frowned.

"That's not true. Kaname doesn't dislike anyone. He's—"

"If I have to hear one more lecture on how perfect Kaname Kuran is," I interrupted. "I am going to shoot myself through both ears."

"He's not—I never said—why would you think—"

"The way you look at him? The way to talk to him? You're like some lovesick puppy. All but rolling over on his command. It makes me sick." I snapped.

I wanted to take the words back the second they left my lips. Yuuki's face crumpled with hurt, and she turned away.

"Is it my fault he saved my life, Zero?" She said quietly.

"What does that have to do with—"

"Is it my fault that I can never stop owing him for that?"

"That doesn't mean you have to act—"

"I repay my debts Zero. I'm not like you—I can't brush off anything and everything just because I feel like it. I can't ignore when I'm indebted to someone. I'm not an unfeeling robot."

"And I am?" I said woodenly.

She looked back up at me, and I saw the tear tracts streaking down her face, where they'd been invisible in her voice.

"Sometimes, Zero, that's all that comes to mind."

I stared at her numbly.

"You think…I don't…feel?"

"I don't know what to think, Zero," she grumbled. "You certainly don't act like you care about much. Not that I can see. Everybody says we're friends, but are we Zero? Are we really? Friends are supposed to trust each other. Supposed to feel something for each other."

"You don't trust me?" That hurt.

"Of course I trust you, idiot!" She snapped. "It's you that won't trust me."

"I trust you!" I said indignantly.

"Oh? Then how come I have no idea what goes on with you? Why don't I have the faintest idea what you might be thinking about when you get that look like you're a million miles away? Why don't I know anything about you? You've never told me anything, Zero. You've never shown me anything but hate towards the vampires, and self-hatred that you are one. That's all I've seen."

Was that true? Had I never let Yuuki, who I did indeed consider my best friend, see past my apathetic shell? Had I really never told her anything that could help her unravel the person I was?

I knew the answer. No, I'd never let Yuuki past my outer layer, my protection of sorts. Never told her anything of the person I really was. But that wasn't because I didn't trust her. No, of course not! I was afraid. I'd been afraid since the moment Shizuka Hio had ruined my life that growing close to someone would just hurt more, because no matter what, they always left. They were killed, they died, they disappeared. I was afraid that, if I allowed someone back in, they would be hurt, and that would just hurt me more. But…I was hurting Yuuki anyway. I wasn't protecting her; I was pushing her away. Part of me knew that that was the best thing for her. Why let her grow close to a hopeless case, one that would devolve into a Level E and have to kill or be killed? But the other part of me—the bigger, selfish part—was willing to risk it. It wanted to be close to Yuuki, to have nothing between them.

And so, without any thought to the possible repercussions of my actions, I wrapped my arms around Yuuki's slender waist, leaned down, and pressed my lips softly against hers.

The response was instantaneous. She gasped, and fell limp against me. And then, unbelievably, amazingly, impossibly, Yuuki, the girl I had loved for years, my best and only friends, was kissing me back! Her lips moved perfectly with mine, her hands sliding up my chest, around to the back of my neck, and tangled in my hair, pulling me closer. Her lips parted against mine, and I followed her lead, but I wasn't prepared for the shy probing of the tip of her tongue. I let out a low groan and crushed against my chest, tangling my tongue with hers. She made a surprised squeak, but she didn't pause or pull back.

When we finally broke apart, it was due to lack of air. Breathing heavily, I pulled Yuuki in tightly, tucking her head in the crook of my neck and leaning my cheek on her crown.

"Yuuki?" I said roughly. I cleared my throat before continuing. "Do…do you understand…a little better now?"

She took a shaky breath.

"I—I understand, some of your behavior now. But why did it have to take you so long?"

My turn to take an uneven inhalation. I opened my mouth, intent on answering, but no sound came out. Coming to the realization mentally and voicing it, out loud, were two very different things. One being far more humiliating.

"Zero?"

I tried again.

"Iwasafraidyouwouldn'tfeelthesame."

She giggled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that."

I grit my teeth and forced myself to slow down. Third time's the charm, after all.

"I was afraid…you wouldn't feel the…same way," I grumbled.

I heard a sharp intake of breath, and Yuuki pulled back slightly, looking me straight in the eyes. Warmth started to creep up my neck.

"Zero, never be afraid to talk to me, okay?" She grinned.

"I'll try," I sighed.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Great! Then let's go patrol!" She said happily, and bounded out of my arms and off toward the main building.

I sighed and shook my head.

"I'll never understand that one."

...

Well, finished just in time for the Christmas Holidays. I wasn't planning on adding extra chapters, but I did on request ;)

Zero: You're too nice. How hard is it to say "no"?

Yuuki: Oh, shut up.

Zero: That was directed at you Yuuki.

Yuuki: Bite me

Zero: Careful what you wish for