A/N: Thank you all for the faves/alerts! (and those of you who took the time to review, I really do appreciate it!) Chapter 4 is a tad longer than usual, I hope you enjoy the read! ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, it belongs to Matsuri Hino, I only lay claim to my original characters and plot bunnies.

This will be a slow-building romance and most characters from VK will make an appearance.

"Kaname-sama!" The exclamation was muted rather than loudly shouted and a sudden throw of his hand, Aido cast a glob of ice on the sharp shards of glass, preventing any unnecessary accidents.

Takuma was instantly beside the pureblood's standing figure as he stared at the strip of grey dust. He tried to recall the name of the young redhead, but his mind stubbornly refused to focus. Those sorts of necessary details seemed rather mindless in the moment. He could only remember seeing the lovely gown, the contorted face and feeling a distinct sense of helplessness as the girl died.

A needless, pointless death, his mind screamed at him.

Takuma opened his mouth to speak, then shut it with a glance at Kaname's face. The pureblood had grown unnaturally still and his hand still poised beside him as if holding the glass.

Aido ventured closer as well, one hand reaching towards Kaname, before it dropped back to his side. He licked his lips, about to say something, when he also caught sight of the pureblood's countenance. His eyes fell guiltily to the floor and he took up his position to the pureblood's right, studiously ignoring Takuma. There was nothing he could do now.

There was nothing to be said.

It was only a matter of minutes before several maids came forward and the mess was immediately swept away. The party resumed in a heartbeat and at Seiren's appearance and whispered words, Kaname left the ballroom and moved to the adjoining study.

The moment the doors slid shut behind them, Kaname began to pace. His accompanying trio of friends and bodyguards immediately dispersed, allowing more room. A restless aura flew outwards from the pureblood, filling the room until Aido coughed from his corner near a bookshelf. Seiren cast a glare in his direction and Takuma pretended not to notice.

Kaname read what wasn't said.

The vampire aura faded to a near tolerable level.

Takuma moved from his position near the door and crossed the room to stand by the desk. He sat—briefly—in the chair behind the desk and then moved to sit on the desk itself, before sliding off, hands in his pockets. "Kaname…"

Garnet eyes fixed on him for a moment, pausing in mid-pace before Kaname moved to sit in the desk chair. He sat, motionlessly while Takuma poured him a fresh glass of water from a pitcher on the nearby refreshment table. He paused long enough for Seiren to drop a few blood tablets in the clear liquid, before handing over the glass to the agitated vampire.

Kaname held it, staring morosely into the crimson swirls. He took a sip, grimaced, and took another. "That's what, the sixth one, Takuma?" His voice was tight.

His friend didn't answer right away.

"Everywhere I go…" Kaname whispered. "Everywhere I go, Takuma. Can't they just leave them alon-"

Takuma cut in. "Kaname, you have to get a hold on yourself. There was nothing that could be done." He willed the truth to show in his green eyes. He couldn't explain everything in their present company—not without Kaname's express orders and at the moment, he remained under oath. "Please, there was nothing anyone could do."

"Was there?"

"Yes, there was. Even you couldn't have—well, there wasn't anything, was there?"

Kaname's answer was to drain the entire glass. He set it down with an audible clunk on the desk, a myriad of emotions flickering through his expressive eyes before they went dull. The vampire aura began to forcibly multiply and the three noble vampires stiffened.

With a resigned air, the pureblood rose from the desk, his entire being changing, the atmosphere shifting to match his change in mood.

"Kaname-sama?" Aido ventured, wanting to be in the loop, but not wanting to ask if it made him look the slightest bit stupid in a certain new vampire's eyes. Green eyes, to be precise.

"Seiren, get the car ready. I'd like to return to Cross Academy as soon as possible." Kaname said, quietly.

Seiren touched her right fist to her left shoulder in acknowledgement. In a blur of color, she was gone. Takuma blinked, slowly, his green eyes growing sharp. "You're leaving now?" There was the faintest hint of disapproval in his voice.

"I'll come with you." Aido volunteered, at once.

"No, Aido." Kaname gave the faintest of smiles. "I think it would be better if you stayed and came with Takuma." He turned to his friend, giving the tiniest of nods in acknowledgement to the unspoken question. He needed to leave now—it was best for them all.

"What? But why?" Aido started forward. "Kaname-sama, I can be of more use to you if I am-"

"He might be." Takuma smiled, picking up the thread of conversation for what it was. "You should take him with you, Kaname. I don't think I could leave straightaway, not right now anyhow. Grandfather won't like it. That could cause more trouble."

Aido glared at him. "If Kaname-sama says that-"

"How soon can you leave?" Kaname tugged at the silken tie on his dress shirt. It was beginning to bother him in the way that certain things usually did. He rolled his neck slightly to the side, relishing in the slight freedom that came with a loosened tie. He couldn't take it off completely, he might run into someone on the way to the entry exist. The timing for this particular incident was really horrible. He needed to be home—and that was currently Cross Academy.

"I'll try to leave as soon as possible." Takuma shrugged. "It's hard to say. I'll need…time, you know that."

He did, Kaname allowed. But he also knew Takuma. "How soon?" he repeated.

Takuma frowned. "It depends." Kaname perked a brow. Takuma smirked in response. "As long as I'm not interrupted, no longer than a few hours, three or four at best."

"Good. You have two." Kaname murmured. "I'll see you then and I expect everything."

"Two?" Aido's head snapped back and forth between the two vampires. He wasn't following them at all. None of it was making any sense. "Two hours? For what? Why?"

"Two hours, only." There was the faintest hint of iron in Kaname's voice and Takuma's smile adjusted accordingly.

"But Kaname-sama…?" Aido licked his lips. "Certainly I can-"

"You'll be in the way if you come now." Kaname frowned. "Takuma has work to do, help him."

"But-!"

"Stay, Aido." The pureblood threw over his shoulder, his garnet eyes fluxed red with energy. "Two hours, Ichijo." Seiren's quiet tap on the door alerted him that she'd returned. It was time to go. He swept from the room without another backward glance.

Aido stared after him.

Takuma merely smiled.

~*~*~*~Thanks for reading, please leave a comment if you feel so inclined.~*~*~* ^_^

A/N: In order for this story to work, (since it is AU), I'm taking some liberties, such as Takuma not attending Cross Academy from the get go, having only recently convinced his grandfather to allow him to attend. See you next chapter! ~_^