Liberty

Yuuki was holding back the crowd of Day Class girls who were looking forward to see the Night Class. "For the one-hundredth time, go back to your dorms!"

The portal opened and again Yuuki was powerless. The girls started to squeak and knocked her over, trying to get close to Aidou and the other Night Class boys.

"Ah, not this crowd again...," Aidou sighed.

"Those words out of your mouth, Hanabusa. I thought you like being close to your fans," Kain said.

"Actually, I do but I've had enough now," Aidou replied. "Well, I'm gonna scoot. Anyone join me?"

Leaving these words behind he ran off, followed by the rest of the Night Class and chased by the crowd of Day Class girls.

"At least one of us thinks practically," Zero mumbled, glancing at Yuuki who was sitting on the ground, sulking about how easy the girls had gotten past her.

"Shit!" she whispered. Zero didn't pay attention to the one Night Class student who did not follow the others and suddenly stood in front of Yuuki, holding out his hand to help her up. She looked at him in surprise before taking his hand and allowing him to pull her up. "Thank you," she said sheepishly.

Suddenly Kaname took her into his arms, holding her tightly. "Yuuki... I hope you didn't forget about the promise you made to me. I'm looking forward to..."

At this point Zero had enough. He stepped between the two, parting them.

"Zero!"

"What do you think you're doing, Kiryuu?" Kaname growled.

"Don't you think you're taking it too much to heart?" Zero gnarled back. "You don't leave Yuuki any liberty. All the time you're around her, confusing her and then I'll have to do deal with the consequences. Leave her alone at last!"

"Zero! Kaname-sempai!" Yuuki said but none of the boys paid attention to her.

"We have an agreement, Kiryuu, you remember?" Kaname said now. He was hinting at the exchange for the blood he had given to Zero. It was all about Yuuki.

"I don't remember having agreed," Zero replied coldly.

"Damn hunter, don't be so pert!" Kaname stepped closer to Zero who stood there rooted to the spot.

"No, don't Kaname-sempai!" Yuuki cried, shielding Zero.

"Yuuki, step aside!"

"No! He didn't do anything to you! Why are you threatening him, Kaname-sempai?"

"I don't understand you, Yuuki!" Kaname started to shout. "Why do you protect that hunter?! How can you betray your own blood?!"

"What?" Yuuki asked confused.

"Never mind," Kaname evaded, returning to his calmness. "I'm very disappointed by you, Yuuki."

"Kaname-sempai, I...!"

"Later, Yuuki," the vampire said, walking away.

Helplessly Yuuki looked at Zero, who gave her a disgusted look back. He turned his face off her and started to walk away, too. Yuuki followed him.

She followed him to his room in the boys dorms, trying to get some answers to her questions out of him. But he simply ignored her until they arrived. Yuuki closed the door and turned around, her arms crossed, facing Zero who leaned on the window sill, avoiding her gaze.

"What do you still want?"

"I've asked you something and I'm not gonna leave before I get an answer from you!" Yuuki made herself clear.

"Shut up and leave," Zero gnarled.

"If you want me to leave you have to drag me out of here." She knew that right now he was too angry with her than willing to be close to her. So there she stood looking directly into his eyes, waiting. "What kind of agreement did you make with Kaname-sempai?"

"Stupid, didn't you listen? I didn't agree!"

"What is it about?" Yuuki demanded.

Zero evaded and asked her a question in return. "You're full of remorse now, aren't you? Having disappointed your beloved Kaname."

Yuuki fell silent. She didn't want Zero to know but of course he was right. However her reaction told him, wordlessly.

"Do you think he's angry with me?" she asked sheepishly.

"I knew it!" Zero shouted out. "You can't stick to your mind as soon as Kuran is involved!"

"Why do hate him so much?"

"Stupid, you don't understand anything!" Zero released all of his anger by shouting at her. "Kuran's planning to do something with you! He's planning to do something to you. And this thought that Kuran's doing something to or with you makes me a whole different person!"

"Yes, I noticed," Yuuki said stiffly. "I don't know why you hate Kaname-sempai so much and why you keep to this stupid theory of him being evil. But you know what? Kaname-sempai is the one who's right and you're the one who's wrong. The one who's giving me no liberty is not Kaname-sempai, it's you!" Taking advantage of his short moment of surprise she left the room and slammed the door shut.

Still infuriated by her he grabbed the next object – the bedside lamp – and smashed it against the wall. "YUUKI, DAMN IT!"

Walking down the hallway Yuuki did not miss the sound of breaking porcelain. She shook her head uncomprehendingly.

Back in his room Zero sat down on his bed, still trembling in fury. His hard breathing became slow. His fury changed into incomprehension... and maybe despair? For a reason he could not give, he was terribly scared for Yuuki. Why wouldn't she understand and listen to him? How could she still defend Kaname after he threatened him, her friend Zero. Shock caught the hunter when a sudden thought struck his mind. Yuuki was not going to betray him, was she? Would she really betray him? Questions he would normally answer with "no" somehow became impossible to answer. He couldn't tell. He just couldn't tell about Yuuki's loyalty to him. The fact that she apparently preferred Kaname over him had surprised him, had upset him deeply. He was scared of losing her, losing her to someone like... No! He had said it before and he still meant it.

Flashback:

"You will never let him drink your blood. Promise me this! Please!" Zero begged her. "I'm not gonna let that happen to you!"

"I don't know why my blood is so seductive to everyone but you'll remain the only one who ever came to taste it," Yuuki ensured him. "We'll always be together. Nothing's gonna change."

End of Flashback

And what about you, Yuuki? Zero sadly thought. Do you still mean it, too...?

He had no time to think about it as suddenly a high pitched scream echoed through the whole academy. Zero immediately knew who it came from.

"Yuuki!"

He got up and stormed out of his room. Running as fast as he could he crossed the long hallways of the academy to the girls dorms. Imagining the worst he forced himself to run even faster. His heart was beating hard in his chest. His breathing was fast and irregular. All he could think about was Yuuki. He reached her room out of breath, kicking the door open he found the room empty. No sign of Yuuki, except for the intoxicating smell of her blood. "Please, no," Zero begged and headed for the open balcony. His heart stopped at the sight below him.