Caged Nightingale

Chapter 4: Teddy Bear

She wasn't aware of the specific circumstances, but the screaming outside made quite a point. Hitomi attempted to drown out the noise of the raging fan-girls by shoving her face in the pillow, with no luck. Who could sleep with this kind of racket?

"I'm sorry for the noise, Hitomi-san." Ichijo's voice suddenly appeared, and his voice was truly apologetic. She stretched her arms into the air, rubbing her eyes.

"Why are they screaming so early?" she asked tiredly He chuckled.

"It's St. Xocolatl's Day."

"St. – what?"

"St. Xocolatl's Day." he repeated. "a human custom; when girls give chocolates to the guys they like, as a sign of adoration or even love."

"Chocolate? Really?" her inefficient eyes began to sparkle. Inside her head she went over numerous methods and options for this strange human tradition. Ichijo yawned, as tired as she was, and slowly slipped from the room. As the door shut, she hastily put on her uniform and dashed out the large building without so much as a squeak. Kaname sighed from his room, not wanting to chase after her again.

"Aido." he called quietly. The door opened within two minutes, Aido was fully dressed and attentive, ready to serve his lord.

"Yes, Kaname-sama?"

"Go fetch Hitomi, she's run off again." Aido nodded obediently, exiting the pureblood's room silently.

It was hard to focus with so many scents in the way, but she managed to make it, what it seemed to her as, the gate. She kicked off the ground, leaping over the large iron gate with ease. Little was she aware that a pair of amethyst eyes were watching her; Zero's eyes narrowed from where he stood, immediately suspicious of where a small blind vampire girl was going by herself. He lept from a nearby ledge, maneuvering himself to follow her, though he wasn't truly aware why he even cared to follow her.

She happily skipped down the millions of steps to the outside; a nagging feeling telling her that she should go back, and that this wasn't allowed. However, she was on a mission, and no little voice was going to interrupt. Within about twenty minutes of skipping and humming, she reached the town and heard the bustle of people. The aroma of chocolate on sale invaded her nostrils, she rejoiced and dashed to the source, inching inside the store.

"Can I help you, miss?" a kind female voice asked.

"Yes! I'd like some chocolate." the cashier blinked. There was chocolate all around them, why hadn't this girl seen them yet?

"There's chocolate everywhere, miss." she replied politely. Hitomi giggled very slightly.

"Where is everywhere?" Hitomi added curiously, cocking her head to the side. An awkward silence proceeded. Hitomi sighed.

"I apologize, but I can't see the chocolate, I can't see anything." the woman gasped, extremely embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Here, let me show you." the human woman gently grasped Hitomi's hand, letting the small vampiress' pale fingers trail across some samples of chocolates. Hitomi stopped the woman half-way, her hand hovering over the sample that was shaped like the head of a rose.

"Me-chan would love this!" she exclaimed, grinning exuberantly. The saleswoman smiled. Zero was outside the shop, observing Hitomi curiously as she talked with the saleswoman so easily.

"Is this Me-chan your boyfriend?" Hitomi blinked, confused. Boyfriend? Well, he's a boy, and he's my best friend so I guess that's it.

"Yes, he's my best boyfriend!" Zero's eyes widened incredulously. All this time, Kuran had been acting so intimately towards Yuki, while he had a girlfriend? His hand clenched into a tight fist, his razor sharp teeth grinding together.

"Oh, well I hope he enjoys it." Zero had ran off by then, infuriated.

"And this one!" Hitomi added, stroking one shaped like a teddy bear.

It reminded her too much of Zero. The saleswoman sighed, and gave the vampiress her chocolates. With a squeal, she skipped merrily out of the shop, making her way back to the school.

"Aido-chan?" Hitomi called, recognizing the scent. His hand suddenly latched on to hers.

"You really need to stop running off, Hitomi-san." Aido murmured, annoyed as he began leading her back to the campus. "I'm sure Kaname-sama doesn't appreciate always having to send one of us after you, and I can assume you'll be punished for this."

"But I was buying chocolate." she replied childishly, her free hand gripping both the chocolates and Kimi tighter. Aido chuckled.

"You didn't have to go all that trouble just to buy me chocolate." He commented, arrogantly flipping his hair. Her eyebrow rose.

"Huh?" she questioned.

"No need to be embarrassed, you bought those chocolates for me right?" she blinked.

"These aren't for Aido-chan." she clarified, confused. This made his feet stop in their tracks, his eyebrows arose incredulously.

"Then who are they for?" he demanded, a hint of jealousy in his tone. Why wasn't she getting him chocolates, who could be more worthy of these gifts than him?

"Me-chan," she answered. Aido was aware of her nickname for Kaname, and it irked him to no end. Though when he voiced his chagrin with that nickname, Kaname had dismissed it, stating to let her have her fun. She wasn't done though. "And Zero-chan!"

"WHAT?" Aido exclaimed furiously. No! Kiryuu was better than him to this girl? Kiryuu? Of all the people who could be even remotely close to his self-acclaimed beauty, how the hell is it Kiryuu?

"Kiryuu?" he repeated incredulously. "You'd rather give that vile vampire hunter a chocolate, rather than me?" she really was blind.

"Yup." she answered, smiling innocently. Aido cursed under her breath, not wasting any more time, and stormed off with her, back to the school.

She pranced into Kaname's room, not caring enough to knock. Kaname looked up from staring at the ceiling, smiling ever so slightly.

"I got you a present, Me-chan!" she sang cheerfully, skipping from side to side, twirling in little circles. He sat up, chuckling.

"Oh?" he asked, amused by her excited mood.

"Yeah!" she hopped forward, handing the small box over to him. He smiled, holding up the small rose shaped chocolate.

"Thank you." he said, grabbing her hand and squeezing it gently. He glanced at the other box. "Did you get me two, or is that for someone else?"

"Someone else."

"Who?" she giggled, so childishly, and yet, it managed to almost lift him out of his sour mood.

"That's a secret, Me-chan." she didn't let him say anything more, and skipped gleefully out of the room. Kaname sighed from where he sat, staring after the oddly cheerful girl. He knew she was attempting to get close to Zero. He wasn't going to tolerate much more. Kaname would not allow her happy moods to be ruined by Zero, because he could foresee what was coming. Never would he allow the innocence and happiness that he so adored to see on his best friend's face, disappear by Zero's hand. His long, pale hand clenched into a fist. No. This is one thing I won't deal with seeing.

It was finally time for the St. Xocolatl's Day event. The fan-girls screamed, lining up in their places to hand their dream men the chocolates they specially bought. Hitomi searched for Zero's nearby scent, waiting for the moment where she could steal him away and present to him his gift. After all the squealing died down, and the night class began moving back to their classrooms, Hitomi seized the moment and dashed over to find Zero.

"Zero-chan." she called in a whisper. No answer. It was odd, for she could smell him so clearly. Then she heard heavy breathing.

"Who's there?" Zero snarled, she peeked from over the wall. His eyes narrowed.

"I bought you a chocolate, Zero-chan!" she announced happily, skipping over, attempting to hand it to him. It smacked out of her hands, slamming roughly against the wall. She flinched backward.

"Won't Kuran be mad you're giving these to me?" he growled menacingly. She blinked.

"Why would Me-chan be angry? Yuki-chan gave him chocolates, too." this confused him.

"You're his girlfriend, aren't you?"

"Yes?"

"Then why are you giving me chocolates?"

"Because Zero-chan is my boyfriend too!"

"Your what?"

"You're a boy and you're my friend! So you're my boyfriend, just like Me-chan." he understood what she meant now. She couldn't understand the concept of boyfriend, locked in the royally decorated estate for all her, of course she wouldn't understand such things. Vampires could always lie, however. He wouldn't allow himself to fall into her false friendship trap. He knew vampires too well. A cold metal object came up to her forehead right then.

"What do you want with me, vampire?" he snapped furiously. She cocked her head to the side.

"Want with you?" she repeated, her tone genuinely confused. "I don't want anything from Zero-chan."

"Then why are you even talking to me?" he demanded, pressing the bloody rose further into the skin of her forehead.

"Because Zero-chan is my friend." she replied, pouting, puzzled.

"I am not friends with you," he growled. "Never, would I be friends with the likes of your kind."

"My kind?" his anger made no sense to her.

"You beasts in human form. Vile, retched, selfish beings. Vampire. That's who you are, and that's all you'll ever be. Never even assume that I'll ever be your friend." and the metal disappeared. Zero smashed his foot into the box she brought for him, storming off. She stood there, motionless, her eyes wide and helpless.

"Hitomi-san?" Aido saw the small fragile figure shaking just before she ran off. He examined the ruined box of chocolate through narrowed eyes.

A/N: … Now I feel evil for making Zero so damn mean. ;-; It had to be done, though. And also, I WILL be using scenes from the anime/manga, but not in order. More reviews pleaseee! :x