Secrets
Zero, alone now that Yuki's true vampire form had re-awoken, stared down a pack of Day Class girls. They whimpered.
Eight o'clock at night, the time by which the Night Class was forced to rouse itself from sleep, dress in white uniforms, and languidly strut to school, past squealing girls and heartsick boys. Humans, wishing they could be as beautiful as those strange night students, who were, by the way, vampires. A secret not meant to be shared.
The supermodel-worthy students would smile, wave, and even, in a few cases, blow kisses. Senri Shiki and Rima Toya would not only strut like super models, they'd do it the right way, because they had the fortunate occupation of modeling. It was the Disciplinary Committee's job to keep the two (is species quite the right word?) groups separated and safe. Once upon a time, the Disciplinary Committee had consisted of both Zero and Yuki, but with Yuki's awakening, Zero had been given the job and the Headmaster was not ready to trust anyone else to be Zero's partner. Since Yuki's change, and the appearance and following loss of his twin brother, Ichiru, Zero was volatile at best, and, though he missed Yuki terribly, did not mind the solitude of his job. His constant anger did frighten off some of the day students, for which the Kurans were always grateful.
Though Yuki was obviously trying to hide it, Takuma was aware of her longing glance at her once-close friend, and guardian, Zero, who stood, not proud, but presentable, in front of a gaggle of high-pitched female humans, who angrily demanded he step aside. The president smiled, noticing this too; no hint of the fangs that lay beneath his lips. Not for Kiryu's sake, though. No, Zero knew and kept the secret well—it was almost his, too. But seeing as the other students didn't know, it was best that sharp teeth stayed in.
Seiren and Ruka Souen paced respectfully near him, Seiren because she was his self-appointed (and very skilled) bodyguard, Ruka because she felt she must be with him, if not romantically, then at least as a friend. She no longer glared coldly at Yuki, who had slowed her steps as they passed the lone DC member. Ruka stood by the Kurans, proud to be under their aristocracy. Seiren's eyes blazed into Zero's. She would never forgive him for threatening the pureblood the previous year on Takuma's birthday, the same day Takuma'd received the cut. She would never forgive the once-human for any threats. Not until he proved his worth.
In front of them, looking gorgeous, Hanabusa Aido and Rima Toya sauntered together, both talking quietly. Rima was just as embarrassed as she had been the previous night; stumbling on the heels she, as a model, was so accustomed to walking in, and kept peeking over her shoulder at Takuma, reddening with every look. He focused on Kaname's back, a few meters ahead of him.
"Good evening, Ichijo," Akatsuki Kain, Aido's elder cousin, another blond, eased into step with the vice president. "Pissed off? I'm surprised." Though mellow, he never meddled with pleasantries, always speaking plain truth. His laid-back, cool attitude often caught him unawares in less-than-pleasing situations for which he was blamed—mostly his cousin's misgivings. These mishaps earned him the nickname "Wild" from mislead day student fangirls.
Behind them, the other students of the Night Class flowed towards the school doors.
Senri Shiki walked alone, licking his fangs unconsciously, a nervous tick he'd developed the first time he denied himself blood from a living creature. (It had been a thirteen year old day student on the second night of Shiki's first year at Cross Academy. Ichijo, already used to the massive change in sustenance, had been there with him, begging him to leave the kid alone. And so Shiki had, instead taking him to the Headmaster where his memory could be erased. The two vampires had been close ever since. Until about eight months ago.) Shiki cleared his throat and continued to move his tongue. He wished he didn't have to wear the horrendously thin, but stiff, jackets that always constricted him in the heat and failed to shield him in the cold. Ever since being possessed by his father, his senses had become heightened, acute, and when he was very tired, paranoia overtook him. The little stint involving Takuma and their crumbled friendship didn't help.
After reliving the same memory Shiki had, simply from noticing the other vampire's anxiety, Takuma shrugged and drew on a smile pinched at the corners. He nodded at Aido, who had just fallen back to whisper some joke pertaining to squealing fangirls into Kain's ear. Aido pointed, laughed hysterically, checked the slow-to-grow only-partially amused grin on Kain's face, and then turned to Takuma.
"I hear you had an interesting sunrise, Ichi," chuckled the wispy haired idol, draping an arm over his shoulder amiably. Takuma glared at him, catching another glimpse of Shiki.
"I don't want to talk about it." (A cliché to match all clichés.)
"Jealous much?" grinned Aido, prodding Takuma in the side. He raised an eyebrow, eyes twinkling in delight.
"I am not jealous," snapped Takuma, picking up his feet to stand beside Kaname, who inclined his head, eyes wistfully straying to Yuki, who hesitantly turned on her heel and began to make her way toward the silvery-haired Disciplinary Committee boy.
Takuma watched the president chew his lip, a pointy fang testing the strength of the skin there. Kaname and Yuki's history was complicated at best, but Takuma was a vampire, and he understood their bond. And then there was Yuki-sama's stale relationship with Zero Kiryu. Though Kaname and Zero hated each other, and constantly bickered over Yuki—bicker being a word that stretched over guns and crazy bodyguards—they couldn't actually hurt each other. If they did, it would destroy Headmaster Cross' peace ideals. And, in truth, Yuki wouldn't be able to forgive whoever ended up winning, even if she was engaged to, and seemingly preferred, Kaname.
Sighing, knowing that his troubles were so unimportant in comparison to Kaname's, Takuma nodded to Seiren, who graciously held open the door to allow the president and vice president to pass. She twitched her neck in a stiff reply, keeping her eyes on the rowdy group of human fan-people. He followed her gaze, but continued when her eyes stopped on the Disciplinary Committee, his own lighting on Shiki, who was know exchanging a few quick, anxiety-filled words with Rima. At this, Takuma turned rather faster than he had intended, knocking into Kaname, who steadied his friend.
"Are you okay, Taku?" Kaname asked, hand on the manga-lover's back, standing inside the door to wait for Yuki. Takuma grinned awkwardly, but kept his head down the rest of the day and told no one of his disquietude, though everyone realized something was off. Although Takuma lacked the darkness of most vampires, when he was sad, he simply acted like an angst-ridden human and still seemed to differ from those of his kind. Kaname allowed him space to breath anyway. He respected Takuma and did not plan on barging into his best friend's emotions. What Takuma needed was time, a need Kaname knew all too well; Takuma would have all the time in the world.
xox