I can't believe that I'm already up to chapter 4. Well that and the fact that school is over so I have lots more free time to write. Who needs the outdoors when you have great pals like Chip, Penny, and Used Napkin… right?

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight 'cause if I did I would TOTALLY be rich but sadly no, it's all Matsuri Hino's.


I can't believe I'm actually doing this. I hid behind another corner as I had been doing for the past 15 minutes, peeking out to see Zero making another right at the end of the hallway. My hair was thankfully out of the way and once again in braids, as it would only give away my position if I let it hang loosely. As silently as possible, I tiptoed down the same hallway, pressing myself against the right corner wall to steal another glance at my target.

Target Damn, I'm starting to sound like some psycho or creepy ass stalker. Wait, didn't Masaki say stalking is to pursue or approach someone or something stealthily? Sooo, technically speaking, I'm a stalker?!

I shook that disturbing thought out of my head and focused on the prefect in front of me, who was now leaning against the wall opposite me, panting as if he'd just finished a marathon.

Jesus, he looks awful, I didn't think prefect duties were THIS bad. But Yuuki's not like this so it's got to be something else. Maybe he's sick? But then why isn't he in bed? Maybe it's –"I know you're there. Come out, whoever you are." HOLY SHIT!

I clutched the chocolates to my chest, trying to jumpstart my heart. How the hell could he tell I was here? Well, I'm not exactly the quietest person alive… Crap, he's looking at me! Don't just stand there, dumbass! I hesitantly took a step towards Zero, leaving the other half of my body still behind the wall.

"Ah…Um…" And the award for most eloquent speaker goes to…ANYBODY BUT ME.

My heart thumped erratically as finally worked up the courage to move away from the wall completely. "Kiriyuu…! I wanted to thank you for saving me this morning." Good start, I can do this!

"And since today you're supposed to thank people with chocolates…" This is it! I held out the small box of truffles with shaking hands, now complete with a little red bow on top. "This…," I gestured to the chocolates, "I made it myself…" I looked down at the last part, certain my face was as red as a cherry by now. I couldn't bring myself to meet those piercing lavender orbs.

"…"

Is he gonna say anythi–"Go away."

"Uh… Huh?!" What? After everything I went through to make them? Can't he just accept it as a thank you? Even though it's a little more than that…

"But I"

"Forget about it…" I couldn't see his face since his back was to me, but I spotted his fist clenching. Crap, I made him mad. "GO AWAY! NOW!" He slammed his fist against the wall, scaring the shit out of me.

"SSorry!" I squeaked, dashing out of there as fast as my legs could carry me. I took random turns, not caring where I was going until I finally tripped, landing on my right knee. OWW! Not again! Sitting up gingerly, I tried to understand what the hell just happened.

What did I do? All I did was offer him chocolates! Maybe Mimiko and Masaki were right about him…but, he seemed sick. Maybe he was sick and he was going to get some rest, but I stopped him? Aw crap, that means it WAS my fault. He probably thinks I'm inconsiderate AND socially awkward! (A/N: No offence to people who are socially awkward. I am too. Socially awkward, I mean. Ya know what I'm just gonna shut up now so…) If only Mimiko and Masaki were here to support me… Those two were busy with their own battle, LITERALLY. Last time I checked the chocolate exchange with the Night Class, Yuuki was barely holding back the mass of hormonecrazed girls who had wormed their way to the front. By the looks of it, Mimiko and Masaki wouldn't get their chocolates to their destinations until after curfew.

What now? I asked myself, staring at the chocolates in my hand. Going back is a no, he already rejected the chocolates. Maybe I could make him something else? What helps when you're sick?


Mom was out doing another one of her appearances on a cooking show, and so my dad was left to take care of their only child now sick with her first flu. And as of right now he was attempting to get said child to eat vegetable soup, but what kid likes VEGETABLE soup?

'They're not vegetables,' he said to my pouting 7 year old self who was lying in bed. 'They're, um, ships! Ships carrying the soldiers to fight off your flu and make you all better!'

'Ships?' I asked, looking up to him as he sat down next to my bed.

'Yep! But they can't fight the bad germs inside you unless you eat them!'

'You're lying!' I crossed my arms and turned my head away from the evil soup.

'No I'm not!'

'Promise?' I gazed up at him, taking in his light green eyes, his straight nose, and the tawny hair we both shared. I held out my pinky to him and put on my most serious face.

He smiled, hooking his pinky with my much smaller one. 'I promise, sweetheart. I would never lie to you. Ever.'


I could feel tears beginning to form at the memory, and I wiped them away before they could continue. My dad was always pretty goofy, the opposite of what most people picture when they think of an accountant. My mom, well, she was always busy with interviews and her cooking show, so most of the time it was just dad and I, but that was fine by me. He was always trying to help others, even going as far as to volunteer at a rehabilitation center on the weekends. I still hate the irony as much as I when we were told he died in car accident caused by a drunk driver. Sometimes when I go home for vacation, I still expect him to run outside and crush me in one of his bear hugs, telling me how much he's missed me, or how soon he's gonna have to beat up guys that try to ask me out.

Don't think about that. Dad's gone. He's been gone for over a year, and he's not coming back, so STOP CRYING ABOUT IT. Be strong. Dad wouldn't want you to be crying. He always said it made you look old.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and clearing my mind of those depressing thoughts, focusing on the present and trying to leave the past behind. Clink.

I snapped my eyes open at the interruption, and looked to my sides for the culprit. Oh, it's just Mrs. Arima's keys. Wait a sec… Zero isn't feeling well, and everyone else is busy with the chocolate exchange, no one would know I was in there, plus it'll be super quick… I reached down and grabbed the keys off the cool floor, brining them up to my face.

"… Eh, why not? It's been a while since I've made vegetable soup."


Shit. What goes next? I put the chicken broth, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, carrots, what els— "Shit the peas!" I dropped the book back onto the counter and swung open the refrigerator. Yes! Hallelujah, there's just enough for the soup! I brought them back over to the counter and, very carefully, shelled them from the pod and into a small bowl. When people learn that I know how to bake, they assume I know how to cook too. They are NOT the same. Baking is nice and neat, but cooking is SCARY. With all the pots full of boiling water and frying pan coated with sizzling oil, I normally stick to the toaster when it comes to cooking thank you very much. But this is for a sick person, so it's a special case.

More like it's for Zero and you like hi—No, bad Nadeshiko! I shook my head as I picked up the bowl of shelled peas. Slowly walking over to the evil pot, I held the peas at arms length over the soup and dropped it in, quickly moving my hands away from the splash zone. Yeah, I know that's not how you're supposed to do it, but no way in hell am I putting my hands near that boiling water.

"Simmer until the vegetables are tender." How the frick are you supposed to know when the vegetables are TENDER? I never got that, are they supposed to be soft and squishy, or still a little firm? Meh.

Hopefully after the vegetables were done cooking, I turned off the heat and dunked a ladle into the soup, pouring it into my Hello Kitty Thermos. It was on sale, okay? It was metal, with a picture of Hello Kitty's face on the side and top, the lid light pink and covered in plastic. My dad had bought for me a year before he died, even though I'd told him repeatedly I was too old for Hello Kitty… Now it's all I have left of him.

I mentally slapped myself. Don't think negative! Focus on filling the thermos… THAT'S OVERFLOWING! "Shit!" The ladle fell from my hand as I reached out to grab some paper towels. Ow, ow, ow. Yep, that's freaking hot. Once the counter was mostly dry, I grabbed a sticky-note from Mrs. Arima's desk upfront and wrote a little note to go along with the soup. You seemed a little pale earlier, so I thought you might need this more than chocolate. Thank you for saving me. I would have to hope he remembered me, because there was no way I was writing my name on that, not until Hell froze over. Just the thought made my cheeks warm. How long's it been since I started? I glanced at the clock across the room, absent mindedly cleaning all the kitchen utensils I used. 7:37. Not bad timing… Shit, isn't curfew at 7:00?! I froze and snapped my head back towards the clock. Still 7:37. Still FUCKING SCREWED.

Oh shit what am I going to do?! What if one of the prefects catches me in here? Mrs. Arima could lose her job because she let me be in here unsupervised! Okay, deep breaths Nadeshiko. In and out.

In a flash I quickly finished cleaning the rest of the supplies and shoving ingredients back where they belonged. I sealed the thermos and snatched it off the counter, still hot off the stove, grabbed Mrs. Arima's keys and dashed out of the room, but not before glancing at the clock once again. 7:43. Shit.

Locking the door as quickly as possible with trembling hands, I paced back and forth anxiously. However I stopped soon enough as pain shot up from my knee; I'd placed too much strain on it today with those falls earlier today. I settled for hyperventilating in place.

Um, I could say I forgot a book in class, or I was going to tip off the Headmaster about one of Mimiko's pranks. It's sad but the last excuse makes more sen–what is that noise?! Pausing in the middle of my anxiety attack, I peered out of one of the many hallway windows to the grounds outside, only to see a decently sized mob still at the Valentine's Day chocolate exchange with the Night Class students. It's STILL going on? How many girls are enrolled in this academy? Wait, this is perfect! Zero's probably helping Yuuki with damage control down there, and with so many girl still out I'll blend in the crowd! Nodding in agreement with myself I rush down the hallway, limping slightly, and make a left, planning to go past the Headmaster's office and down the main staircase.

The key word here, in case you missed it, was planning.

As soon as I made a left, I spotted light coming from the open door of Headmaster Cross's office. You've GOT to be kidding me. My plan to blend in would only work outside, but inside I was a mouse in a labyrinth: no possible escape unless you had Ariadne's string, which I did not have. Even if he didn't see you, he would have heard the footsteps coming from the open door…or maybe not. A new plan pieced itself together in my mind, a plan that was right now my only chance of avoiding a week's worth of supplementary classes with Mr. Hasegawa. It's my only option either way…

Ever so carefully, I tiptoed down the hallway, cringing at every creak or moan that came from the floorboards beneath me, until I was right besides the open door of Headmaster Cross's office. I peeked around the edge of the door frame as discreetly as possible and immediately saw Headmaster Cross, back facing me, with a blanket draped over his shoulders. Instead he was facing a large window, the curtains drawn back so he could observe the grounds. Good. He's not looking this way. It's the perfect moment for me to–"Vampires can be identified by their craving for human blood, their longevity, and their nocturnal behavior." Excuse me? I stayed put, despite every rational part of my being screaming at me to get out of there.

Is the Headmaster into Twilight or something? I had only seen the Headmaster a few times beforehand, once during the entrance ceremony, and the rest of the times were while getting disciplined because Mimiko roped me into another one of her pranks. He's a pretty cheerful guy, but he's over enthusiastic about EVERYTHING, kind of like a child. No, even if the Headmaster's childish he wouldn't be into something like Twilight…I think. My thoughts were interrupted as the Headmaster continued with his speech.

"It's a generalization, but most vampires are also unusually beautiful." Still sounds like Twilight. I knew I should forget about this and hurry outside, but I just couldn't bring myself to move my feet. This conversation had hit my kryptonite: my overwhelming curiosity. I just HAD to know what hell Headmaster Cross was talking about.

"They are extremely proud. They have superior mental and physical abilities." I found myself leaning closer to the open doorway, my knee protesting in pain, straining to hear as Headmaster Cross's voice lowered slightly. Wait, is the Headmaster talking to himself? That's just sad. Maybe he should get a cat or something. I could TOTALLY picture him with a cat, midnight black with adorable blue eyes–GODDAMNIT FOCUS.

"Hmm… looks like the students from the Day Class are still causing a fuss. The Night Class's lessons will have to start late tonight." I wonder if Mimiko and Masaki are still trying or if they admitted defeat? Nah, Mimiko would fight tooth and nail to give Aidou those truffles, and if worse comes to worse the student body might get introduced to Maigo today. At least the truffles taste fine. I ended up trying them while making Zero's soup. Hey, if he didn't want them that doesn't mean that I don't.

"Well then… Zero." Did he just say who I think he said? Leaning even further on my knee, which was now crying in pain –maybe it was worse than I thought- I was finally able to see another form huddled in the corner of the office, clutching the curtain. Their breaths were coming in gasps, and one arm was wound around their chest, their whole body curling inside itself in obvious pain. I covered my mouth with my hand to stop myself from gasping at the sight. HOLY SHIT. Is that…?

The figure raised their head and confirmed my suspicions. Zero's cold lavender eyes glared up at the Headmaster, but in his state it was meaningless. What's wrong with him?! Why the hell isn't Headmaster Cross doing anything?! The Headmaster just stared at Zero with a gaze I could never imagine the cheerful and sweet man to wear, watching him shake in pain. I was about to step into their view, punishment be damned, when the Headmaster spoke. "You can fight it or try to ignore it, but it won't change anything. Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"

The pleading look in Headmaster Cross's eyes made me rethink my hasty actions. No, there's no way Headmaster Cross would just sit back and watch a student suffer. "Shut up…" gasped Zero before some sort of seizure overcame him, racking his body with tremors. Oh god, how long has he been like this? How long have I been too stupid to realize how sick he was until today?!

Headmaster Cross simply look at him on the ground, his face void of any expression as he walked back over to his desk and poured a glass of water from the crystal pitcher lying there. At least he's doing something. But the Headmaster's serious side is kind of frightening. Kneeling besides his adopted son, the Headmaster pulled out something from his pocket, wrapped up in a folded napkin, maybe medicine? "Zero, if you drink this, the pain will stop." So it is medicine.

"What is it?"

"You know what it is."

So if he knew about the medicine, then why – SLAP! CRASH! HOLY SHIT! Broken glass and water covered the floor surrounding Zero, who was bringing his arm back from his outburst. I think that explains the 'why' part of my question. "Never." He sounded so definite, as if he'd rather die than take that medicine.

Apparently, the Headmaster had experienced this type of reaction beforehand as he only sighed. "The fits are occurring much more frequently now. If you continue to refuse it, the pain will only get worse. Why won't you understand? Even though you've endured it this far, you won't be able to keep it up much longer." What? Does that mean Zero's going to…"But you already know that, don't you Zero?"

I couldn't listen anymore, it was just too much. I took a step away from the door frame, but that's when my right knee decided to give out. My balance faltered (as if it wasn't horrible enough already) and I fell face first onto the still-warm metal thermos I was clutching in my arms. CLANG! SMACK!

"MOTHER TRUCKER THAT HURT!"

Did I just say that out loud?

"What was that?"

"Whoever's there, show yourself!"

CRAP, CRAP, CRAP, CRAP, HOLY FREAKING HELL I'M SCREWED! Without wasting a second I flew up from the ground, one arm automatically wrapping around my sure-to-be-bruised torso. My face was still stinging from my recent gravity check (in case you were wondering, it works just fine) and my knee was throbbing but I didn't care. I never looked back once, taking random turns until I found the main staircase and dashed down the steps, my leg barely holding my weight. It was only when I could see the entrance doors of the school building that I calmed down some. I swear I could hear angels were singing as I shoved the doors open, the chilly night air blasting me full force as I took deep breaths.

I hobbled towards a nearby tree, this time being gentle about my injuries, and it seemed like an eternity before I reached it. Leaning against the rough bark, I tilted my head back and closed my eyes.

It's over, Nadeshiko. Just calm down and relax. Too bad I couldn't give Zero the soup…which is not freaking here! My eye shot open and I searched my hands only to find them empty. No, no, no, no, no! Did I leave it there? How could I be such an idiot! And it has the note! Well at least my name isn't on the note, but how will I get back my thermos? I slid down the tree, warm tears already running down my cheeks. I don't want to get in trouble, but if I don't say it's my thermos, I'll lose the only thing I have from Dad…

I don't really know how long I sat there, the cool night breeze my only comfort, but eventually my tears stopped when two names ran through my depressing thoughts: Mimiko and Masaki. Hope began to swell in my heart. If there's anyone who can help me get my thermos back, it's those goofballs. They're my only hope. And with that in mind I stood up slowly, wiped the tears from my face, and limped back towards the Sun Dorms.


Back in the Headmaster's office…

Headmaster Cross stepped back into his office, carrying something in his hands hidden from Zero's sight. After hearing the shout of pain, he had gone to investigate the intruder. Shakily, Zero stood up and faced him.

"Did you find them?"

Kaien Cross shook his head and sat down at his desk before he spoke. "While I couldn't find the intruder, something tells me it was a girl…"

"Like what?"

Kaien held up what looked like a Hello Kitty thermos, very slightly dented on one side. "Where did you get that?"

"It was the only thing I could find left behind by the student. They were gone by the time I took a look around."

"Anything else?"

"There was a note, but no name written." Zero held out his hand expectantly and Kaien complied, placing a crumpled sticky note into his palm, which he stuck in his pocket to read later. Zero took his eyes off the thermos and laid them on the Headmaster. "So you're telling me some girl was breaking curfew, just to give some guy soup?"

"Apparently... although I personally think it's rather sweet!" the Headmaster gushed, rambling on about what an adorable gesture it was, his mood completely opposite of their recent discussion.

"Do you think she knows?" The air thickened in the room once more as Kaien turned back to face Zero, once again serious.

"Maybe, but it's hard to tell. For now we can only keep an eye out for any changes in the Day Class girls. I don't think any of the Night Class girls know how to cook..." Silence filled the air until Zero finally sighed. "Whatever, I'm going to go take a shower."

His footsteps clattered against the floor as he exited the Headmaster's office and toward the bathroom. Kaien sighed and stared at the thermos of soup, now cold, sitting on his desk. "This could be a problem."


DUN DUN DUN! Will Zero read the note and piece together the identity of the thermos's owner? Will Nadeshiko get her thermos back? Will she find out about Zero? The Night Class? Will I ever stop talking? Okay I'll shut up if you guys promise to R&R.

HimuroMiharu102398 (^_^)