I did not sleep at all during the rest of the night. I was too afraid. Plus I didn't feel sleepy at all, the nap had been a power nap and I just felt like I was brimming with energy. Which led to a lot of agitation, I couldn't stay still. And normally when I'm agitated, I practice singing. But at the moment I lack a voice. So for the next six hours I was in the kitchen baking, just to do something with myself. Needless to say Kaien and Yuki were overjoyed to have something sweet for breakfast when they came down but Zero was really grumpy when he realised I had used up all the eggs so he couldn't have egg friend rice.

I had around half a dozen of boxes with little cakes, brownies and cookies that would need to be eaten within the week. Yuki seemed eager to eat them all but I began thinking about what Rido had said to me.

So that's how I ended up balancing the boxes in front of the crowd of fangirls at crossover. They were all giving me a sceptic look as Yuki helped by taking some of the load out of my arms and I grabbed my whiteboard to write down.

I couldn't sleep so I ended up baking a lot of sweets.

The first row of girls muttered to one another as the message seemingly spread back to the back row. I put away the whiteboard, took a box and opened it. The aroma of chocolate brownies wafted out and the girls looked hungry.

"Mana's suggesting for you to help us eat them before they go off," Yuki smiled as her arms began wobbling with the weight of the boxes she was holding.

I placed the box into the nearest girl's hands and grabbed three more boxes off Yuki before she dropped them all. She sighed in relief as Yori helped by taking one of the boxes off from me and we turned to see that the girls had surrounded the brownie box and were eating them curiously. A certain brunette with pigtails turned and exclaimed.

"Mana, these are really good!"

I stared at her, feeling a little haunted as the girls began circling me, asking questions about my cooking skills and curious why I had spent half a night baking. Yuki answered for me whilst I just opened the cupcake box. The girls practically pounced as I had used different colouring icing for the cupcakes and they looked pretty damn tasty.

"How did you make the marshmallow filling?"

"Marshmallow filling?!" Yuki exclaimed and looked at me "You used my marshmallows?!"

I shrugged, a little helpless and my arms pretty full with the sugar craving girls grabbing the cupcakes.

"Hey, hey, what's going on here?"

The girls drew back, crumbs around their lips as I turned to see Takuma and Shiki approaching us. Takuma gave that charming smile as the girls parted like the Red Sea so the Night Class could pass.

"Oh, cupcakes!" he exclaimed as some of the Night Class walked straight by "May I?"

I nodded and he grabbed a cupcake with pink icing on. He took a bite and smiled at me.

"These are delicious, did you make these, Mana?"

I nodded and he grinned wider.

"May I?"

I glanced at Shiki who graced me with an eerie smile and I nodded, letting him take one of the cupcakes. His gaze lingered on me for a moment and I felt hunted. Like he was sizing me up, wondering whether or not my blood is tasty. It wasn't too different to Rido's stare. And it chilled me to the bone. Shiki took a slow bite as Takuma led him off to class and Kuran approached next.

"Mana, may I have one too?"

I wanted to shake my head but I nodded, silently hoping he would choke and die on the cupcake he took.

"Thank you, your cooking is always delicious."

Ugh, don't remind me. And don't even think of popping round for dinner tonight. Once the Night Class were completely gone, the girls pounced again.

"Mana, could you teach us how to cook?!" was the main collective question.

I was bowled over as they gathered around us, still snacking on the sweets that Yori and Yuki (and surprisingly Zero) were holding the boxes of. They all gave me a pleading look and I glanced at Yuki and Zero. Yuki nodded whilst Zero shook his head behind her. I looked back at the girls before finding my whiteboard and pen.

Saturday at 12:30?

The girls screamed before grabbing the rest of the boxes and sprinting back to the dormitories. I sat there, feeling a bit dumbstruck. Really? Sweets and promised cooking lessons are what get them back to the dorms? Huh.

"And how are you going to fit all of them in the kitchen?" Zero drawled with folded arms.

"We'll think of something!" Yuki said with a soft bounce.

"Maybe you could get permission to use the school's kitchens?"

I don't know, I'm not familiar with the layout…

"Chairman will get the cooks to let us use the kitchens," Yuki smiled widely as I got up and brushed myself down.

Yeah, let's talk with him. I suddenly began feeling sleep and yawned. Yuki smiled as she leaned on my shoulder.

"Sounds like someone needs some sleep after spending all night baking," she said in a teasing tone.

I shrugged her off and stretched my limbs out as Zero approached us.

"Are you sure you didn't catch something to make you so sleepy?"

"Stop being so suspicious, Zero," Yuki shoved him gently.

Yes, please stop being so suspicious. I don't want to be put in a psychiatric ward for claiming to be getting presents by someone who's appearing in my dreams. I swallowed uneasily. I'm still coming to terms with it.

I waved goodbye to Yori, Yuki and Zero and headed back term after Yuki's insistence that I get some rest. But the closer I got to home, the more I wished that I didn't have to go to sleep. I didn't want to go to sleep and appear in another dream where Rido was there waiting for me. But that didn't stop me from getting back home, getting up to my room, putting on my pyjamas and sliding into bed.

Well, you can probably guess what came next. The next thing I registered after pulling the blanket over me, I was on a red loveseat, curled up with a book in my hands. I had read like a line or two before realising my position and lifting my head to take a look at my surroundings. It was a dark evening outside, I could see a full moon above some woods. The large windows were framed with deep red drapes and in front of me was a roaring fire. I could smell the burning wood and feel the warmth. There were bookshelves lined up behind me, making me think that I was in some sort of library. And I wasn't in my pyjamas, I was wearing a scarlet long sleeved dress. It felt like it was velvet and it covered my feet which were cushioned on the other side of the loveseat.

"You look beautiful as always."

Rido's voice sent shivers up my spine as he came out of the shadows and approached me. I closed the book and swung my legs off the loveseat. But I couldn't get myself to get to my feet. Rido walked around the back of the loveseat, his fingers trailing along the red material before taking a seat next to me. I wanted to bolt, run away from him but I was firmly fixed to the loveseat.

"Sorry, Mana but I'm afraid this is my dream. With little experience in this field and a human, you don't have as much free will here compared to if this was your dream."

I swallowed before trying all I could to wake up. But something was stopping me, it felt like my eyes were welded shut. And my senses kept on trying to convince me that I was actually here in the middle of some library by a cosy fire, not in some bed wrapped up in a warm blanket. Rido seemed amused by my attempts, leaning against the back of the loveseat with an elbow, his odd eyes staring at me intently.

"And you aren't going to wake up any time soon."

"Please, let me go."

Rido sighed, tilting his head then shaking it.

"Why don't we just talk? Nothing else."

I don't think I have much of a choice. I looked around the dimly lit room again, feeling like I was in some European Romantic novel. I glanced at Rido again who was sitting patiently, watching me.

"Talk about what?"

"Whatever you want."

I nibbled the inside of my lip, looking around the room and taking in a deep breath.

"If this is your dream then this is a form of one of your desires?"

Rido grinned and I didn't like the look of it.

"I've always dreamt of retiring to a warm room," he spoke as he took a look around the room "and have a beautiful lady to keep me company."

I felt my cheeks grow hot and looked away.

"I'm just average."

"…You remind me of someone whom I cared for dearly before she passed away."

I was caught off guard when I heard the underlying sad tone. He looked sombre.

"She was my sister-in-law; she chose my younger brother over me. But I still loved her."

I suddenly felt empathy.

"Wait…your nephew's mother…?"

Rido smiled grimly.

"Yes, my dear nephew's mother. You can probably guess that we don't get along after he found out."

"What happened?"

Rido looked into the fire, looking wistful.

"There was an attack, both my brother and his wife perished leaving Kaname an orphan."

"You didn't bring him into your care?"

"I was involved in the attack and I'm still mending my body to this day."

I grimaced as I thumbed the spine of the book in my lap.

"Why did you come to me in my dreams?"

"My son goes to the school, he told me about you when we shared dreams."

That caught my attention.

"You have a son?!"

"An illegitimate son, but I care for him."

I felt a little confused.

"But you said you loved your sister-in-law?"

"I did, I never stopped. But seeing her with her family, I knew I had to move on. She was happy, that should have been enough for me."

"But why is your son illegitimate? Did you not marry his mother?"

"The world of vampires is complex, I don't want to bother you with the details."

He looked perturbed so I stopped asking. We sat in a silence for a while and Rido looked at the book in my hands.

"Would you like that book?"

I glanced at him and glanced down at the plain brown cover.

"I don't know what it's about."

"Let's read some of it together then."

When I opened the book, I gave him another glance.

"Another part of your fantasy?"

"Good company, a warm cosy fire and an intriguing story? Humble but it's a nice dream."

I offered a smile before looking down at the pages and began reading. The first chapter seemed slow and judging by the use of the language, it was an old story. It had a sad beginning. A young orphan living with cruel relatives who single her out for her illegitimacy and her curious interests. By the end of the first chapter, the girl is faced with her uncle's rage after striking her cousin out of a fit of fury.

When I had finished the page, the scenery changed outside, showing the sky slowly turning light blue/green and Rido grimaced.

"It's morning."

I don't know why but I felt disappointed. I closed the book and grimaced.

"I'll see you tomorrow night."

That picked my spirits up, surprisingly. I smiled at him and nodded.

"I'll look forward to it."

"Keep the book, I want you to have it."

I found myself clutching the book tighter.

"Thank you."

He took my hand and pressed his lips to my knuckles.

"It's a pleasure to get to know you."

I was still smiling as everything began fading away.

I woke up with the book clutched to my chest. The unease began settling in but it was overtaken with a feeling of joy. I felt happy to be given this book and I felt eager to read it. Perhaps I'll read it during breakfast. I can smell that Zero is cooking eggs, indicating that he had gone out to buy some more. I smiled. I just felt so…happy…