The three guardians listened to the two blond vampires as they argued which each other. Setsumi sighs in annoyance as they waited for a perfect time to step in. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Yuuki being to move towards the vampires. 'Shit!' She thought then quickly tried to grab her sister but Yuuki was already to far out of reach.
"I swear," She muttered angrily while Zero groans, dragging a hand down his face.
"Is she trying to get herself killed?" He asked her as they moved into the shadows closer to the youngest of their group and listen in.
"Cross Academy is peaceful!" Yuuki butts in causing the two blonds to turned to her.
"Yuuki-chan!" Ichijou said in surprise.
"Uh, so, the Headmaster said he would like to ask you to donate a lot for the Academy this time around as well," Yuuki said before realizing something. "Uh, hold on. You are actually Ichijou-san's grandfather, aren't you?" a pale, feminine hand reaches out and lightly taps her on the back of the head.
"Nee-chan!" Yuuki pouts as Setsumi steps out from the shadows with Zero.
"Tact, Yuuki-chan, tact," Setsumi told her before turning to the older Ichijou. "We're here to escort you."
"Follow us," Zero said, "We'll take you to the Headmaster's office."
"Very well," Ichijou replied while he stared at the pale girl. He was trying to shake off the shocked thoughts invading his mind about how this girl looked, especially that icy stare, that was his stare.
"Ichijou," Kuran's voice called to him.
"Kaname-sama, what are-" Setsumi covered her sister's mouth with her hand.
"I look forward to seeing you again in the future," Kuran said.
"The same goes for me as well," the elder replied then bowed, "Goodnight," Zero and Yuuki lead the elder Ichijou away while Setumi turned to the younger.
"Ichijou," the blonde blinked at her in confusion as she tossed him something. "Sorry it's late," she told him as she walked away.
"Cross-chan?" Setsumi just gave a lazy wave and followed after her fellow guardians.
~o~
Setsumi sighed as she walked towards the bathroom 'That Dracula looking freak kept staring at me while he talked to Otou-san, it was fucking creepy,' she thought as she put her hand on the door handle. 'His presence made me feel sick unlike the others.' she opened the door then stared at Zero in shock.
"I thought you followed proper etiquette?" Zero asked.
"Oh," Setsumi said, slightly out of it, still staring at Zero's naked chest, "Sorry, I guess I was lost in thought."
"I wonder what Kaname Kuran has in mind for you." Zero suddenly said.
"What?" she inquired.
"Nothing. Nevermind," he turned away from her. "Just leave already."
"No, tell me what you meant you don't say things like that without a reason," Setsumi protested, having finally broken out of her ogling of Zero's toned chest. Zero sighed in irritation. He couldn't believe that she didn't see it.
"The way he acts around you. It's like he's fixated on you for some reason. Do you even see it?" Zero bit out. That was apparently the wrong thing to say because Setsumi's face hardened and she advanced on Zero until she was practically toe to toe with him.
"Of course I see it!" she raged, "What the fuck do you expect me to do about it? He's a vampire and a Pureblood at that! Despite what you may think I do know when to pick my battles. If I ignore him long enough he'll move on," Setsumi snapped harshly. Zero grabbed Setsumi by the waist and lifted her up to shove her against the wall. Setsumi had wrapped her legs around his waist and wrapped one hand around his throat instinctively. Setsumi and Zero were frozen, staring at each other and Setsumi could feel the whip wrapped around her thigh cutting into Zero's pant leg, but he either didn't notice or didn't care. They were nearly nose to nose glaring at each other.
"Is that what you really believe?" he asked her softly.
"I have to because I don't know what else to do. There is no reason for him to be so interested in me," she answered just as softly.
"Can you really think of no reason?" Zero questioned and shifted ever so slightly closer to her and the hand she had wrapped around his neck shifted so that it was cupped around the side of his neck. All of a sudden it was like the peverable light switch had clicked in her head and she realized exactly why she was so protective over Zero. She was falling in love with him. Suddenly Setsumi had to get away from Zero and this situation. She shoved Zero away from her and in his shock he stumbled back. Setsumi turned and walked silently out of the bathroom.
~o~
'I feel like we're running in circles.' Setsumi thought as she walked down the stairs of the dorms. 'But one day, one of us won't make the lap,' she looked outside, staring at the forest before her. Setsumi looked over as the door to the building opened and Zero walked out. Ever since that moment in the bathroom last night, Setsumi had been avoiding Zero. She had no idea what to do about her feelings. After she had returned to her room she had sat down and thought about everything and realized that she had been falling in love with Zero since the moment she had met him.
"I wonder where he's going?" she asked out loud before following him into town. "What is he doing here?" she tilted her head as she stared up at the abandoned building.
"Look, it's the Disciplinary Committee," Setsumi turned around.
"Shiki-san, Toya-san," she replied in greeting.
"Cross-chan," they said in unison. All three looked up sharply at the sound of gunshots.
"Was that-"
"A gunshot," Setsumi raced into the building. She stopped at the stairs when she ran into a man sitting there.
"Well, now, a friend of the Hunter, are you?" the man asked. 'A Level E,' she thought as she snapped her whip out. "Tell me, are you going to try to seal my dessert from me, too?" Setsumi cracked her whip at the vampire but it dodged her hit. She continued to lash out at him until the room is covered in a cloud of dust.
"Where is he?" she questioned as she ran up the stairs. Setsumi turned down a hall when something comes crashing through the floor and grabs her foot.
"Ah!" she shouts as she falls to the ground. Her whip falls out of her hand. Setsumi glances back as the vampire laughs manically.
"My luck keeps getting better," he told her, "You're number two today," Setsumi reaches for her weapon. "Now, now, don't be scared. I promise I'll do my best to be gentle," the vampire let out a shriek of pain as he's shot in the shoulder.
"Get your filthy hands off of her now!" Zero ordered as he stalked toward them. Setsumi rolled and grabbed her weapon as Zero walks past her and placed a foot on the vampires chest. "This ridiculous chase ends here," Setsumi watches Zero silently as he brings a piece of paper out of his jacket.
"I'm carrying out an order as a vampire hunter," he shows the Level E the page. "Your desire for blood has turned you into a serial killer. I will purge you of your sin."
"So then, it's over, hun?" the vampire inquired softly. "I guess, this means I will finally stop killing people," Zero fired once and the vampire turned to ash.
"Hey, Disciplinary Committee," the two pale haired teenagers turned to the noble vampires, "We picked up a girl in another room. You want her? She's still alive," Setsumi wanted to scoff. What the hell kind of question was that, of course they would take the girl. She needed to go to the hospital. Zero answered, probably to keep Setsumi from saying something that was both offensive and sarcastic.
"We'll take her," Zero agreed. Setsumi moved forward and took the girl from Senri and situated her on Setsumi's back.
"If that's all, we have places to be," Senri informed them sounding bored. Before either Zero or Setsumi could answer the two vampires turned around and vanished. Now that they were alone Setsumi was doing her best not to look at Zero. The last thing Setsumi needed to do was start blushing and Zero wonder why.
"We should probably get her to the hospital," Setsumi said quietly. Zero was staring at Setsumi with a confused look. She had been avoiding him and he wasn't sure why. He was wondering if he had taken what happened in the bathroom last night a little too far. He hadn't meant to grab her and pin her to the wall like he had, but he had just wanted, no needed, to do something to prove to her who she truly belonged to.
"Yeah," Zero agreed.
