Chapter 11. Transylvania

Disclaimer: Not mine. (It's 2 am over here, I'm too sleepy to say anything better ;))


"Knock, knock, Ruka-chan!" A cheerful, bright blond-haired head covered in pink Hello Kitty plasters peeked out of the door and was promptly greeted with a flying dress. "Ugh!"

Hearing the sound of someone falling down, Ruka turned around and, realising what had happened, rushed to his side. "Taku-chan? I'm so sorry, does it hurt?"

Massaging his head, Ichijou sat up and, smiling sheepishly, lied as best as he could. "Don't worry, I'm fine." Actually, his head was throbbing like mad and he was pretty sure he had a concussion. What was that dress made of, lead?

"Are you sure? That dress is encrusted with jewels and bits of silver. Did any of it hit you?"

Ichijou shook his head. "Nope, I'm totally fine." He got up quickly to show her how well he was. Too quickly. He got a head-rush and lost his balance, wobbling a bit and finally falling forwards. However, instead of kissing the cold, hard floor, he landed on something semi-soft and piles of fabric caught him. He let out another "Ugh!" as the air escaped his lungs. Trying to push himself up, he noticed how hard but soft the fabric was. What kind of pillows were these? He squeezed them. Maybe he would ask Ruka where she'd bought them and get some for him too. He wondered if they came in different colours. Looking down, he could have died right there and then of embarrassment. He'd fallen on top of Ruka. That's why the 'pillows' were so weird and had hard and...soft...? His green eyes drifted from her shocked face to his right hand. Oh dear. He gulped. His right hand was currently resting comfortably on top of Ruka's left breast. He looked at her face again and the words "Danger! Run away! Now!" flashed inside his head. Realizing the meaning of those words, he quickly scrambled away from her, sweating nervously. "I didn't mean to, I'm really sorry, Ruka-chan!"

A wide-eyed Ruka sat up quickly and answered in a meek, trembling voice, her face redder than Ichijou's now very scarlet cheeks. "I-It's okay." No, it wasn't okay, it was very, very awkward. "... it was an accident, after all." She turned her back on him and kept rummaging through her huge closet and asked, all the while not facing him. "So... erm... why are you here?"

It took him a while to stop mentally lecturing his hands about what places were good or bad and where they could take a nap, and answer her question. "What? Oh, right!" He automatically changed his mood from shocked to cheerful, remembering the reason of his visit. "Do you know what you're wearing to the masquerade tonight?" He had given up on Shiki and Rima. Ruka and Aidou were more in tune with him when it came to things like clothes and parties.

She turned to him with a bemused expression. "Look around you. Does it look like I've decided what to wear?"

The blond studied the room as she had told him to. Her and Rima's room looked just like his and Shiki's had looked like before. Every corner was full of dresses, skirts, shirts, every imaginable clothing that a woman can wear and more. He grinned, noticing that their searching habits were the same. "Do you want me to help?"

She shot him a dubious look. "You? Help me?" He wanted to help her pick a dress? Ruka had always had her doubts about him, what with his flamboyancy and effeminate behaviour.

He feigned a hurt expression as a response to her lack of faith in him. "What's so bad about it? Don't you trust my fashion taste?"

Ruka pondered for a bit. It wasn't that she didn't think he had good taste, he always dressed nicely. But she was afraid he might take this opportunity to make her dress as some manga heroine, as he had tried to do to Rima and Shiki a few years before. "It's not that, I just wasn't expecting you to offer, that's all. I asked Rima, but she sneaked out as soon as she could, so I guess you can help me, then."

"Right! Taku-chan to the rescue!" He turned to one of the piles that were on the other side of the bedroom. "I'll look there, then, is that okay?"

"Yes." Ruka was far too busy to turn around and, truth be told, she really didn't want to face him again, in case her face was still displaying a ruby shade.

Ichijou started digging right away, looking for a dress that would make Ruka be the centre of attentions. He absolutely loved clothes, they served so many purposes in life. But above all, he loved dressing other people. Shiki and Rima were his favourite guinea pigs. They were models, so they were used to being dressed up, however they never seemed happy with his choices... Well, he was sure Ruka would be easier to work with...or harder, since she would care more than the aloof pair.

His fingers suddenly brushed against a particularly smooth piece of fabric in the middle of the pile. It felt like it had some woven patterns as well, and the shape was rather unusual. Imagining how pretty it must be, he eagerly pulled it out and gazed at it. Seeing what it was, he understood why he'd never touched anything like it. It was obvious, it's because it was a... Oh. Oh...!

"Do you want me to help you?"

Ruka's voice startled him and nearly gave him a heart attack. He turned around, hiding the piece of clothing behind his back. "N-No! Everything's okay!"

The long-haired girl frowned at his suddenly high-pitched voice and nervous expression. Ichijou had always been the worst liar of them all. "Taku-chan, are you hiding something from me?

"Of course not, Ruka-chan, what would I be hiding?" He stuffed the item in his back pocket, where his blazer could cover it. After that, he held up both hands. "See? Nothing's here." Seeing that she still wasn't convinced, he decided to change the subject. "Hey, I had an idea! Why don't you wear the dress that Kain-kun bought for you in Venice?"

"Venice? Oh yeah…" Her brown eyes sparkled slightly as she remembered and a soft giggle escaped her lips.

"Ruka-chan, why are you laughing?"

She cocked her head to the side and looked into outer space, a nostalgic feeling enveloping her. "Nothing important. I was just remembering how Hanabusa and I forced Akatsuki to come along with us. That's one of the few times we ever agreed on anything."

"You, Kain and Aidou have known each other for a long time, haven't you?"

"Yeah, ever since we were little kids. I think those two were the first people my age I ever met. Our parents are friends, so we used to play at each other's mansions at least once a week, usually nearly everyday."

Ichijou grinned, remembering his first encounter with a young Kain. He wondered how Aidou looked like. "Did they change a lot?"

She placed her index finger on her chin, thinking. "Well, Akatsuki used to be a bit shy back then, but he was the first person besides my immediate family to call me Ruka-chan, and that really surprised me." She frowned, and her voice's volume fell a bit with the next sentence. "He only did it once though, when we were playing in the gardens." Her cheerful tone came back. "But Hanabusa's still exactly the same, although after meeting Kaname-sama, he stopped thinking he's the most perfect being in the whole universe."

He grinned. "Really? So Aidou-kun hasn't changed a bit?"

She sighed, pretending to be annoyed. "Well, just a tiny little bit. He now thinks he's the second most perfect being in the whole universe." He was also a bit more mature, but that was to be expected, after all they were older now.

"Ruka-chan, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"You never really wore the dress, so do you think you could wear it tonight? I would love to see what it looks like on you. I'm sure it's beautiful." Actually, he himself had helped Kain to pick the dress, and he'd been somewhat disappointed when Ruka chose other costumes to wear instead.

"I guess I could. After all, it's still brand new. Now, where did I put it..." She turned around and walked over to her closet again, looking for the present that had been given to her so long ago.

"You have it here? I thought it would be at your house." He scratched his head. Why would she have brought it to the Academy?

"My maids were sure that something like a masquerade would happen, so they stuffed a suitcase full of dresses and costumes, just in case. They went through all my clothes, so I'm sure the dress is here. I just hope it still fits me." Finding a big, old suitcase, she pulled it out and opened it and started looking at the clothes she'd forgotten to unpack all those years ago.

He waved his hand up and down, dismissing her fears. "What are you saying, Ruka-chan, of course it will still fit you. It's quite large, after all." After saying these words, he was met with a cold glare.

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

"What? No, of course not! I meant that we knew you'd grow into a fine young woman." He saw her blushing slightly and glancing down. Frowning, he looked at his outstretched hands, and saw that they were in line with her chest. He quickly withdrew them. "That's not what I meant either! No, we didn't think you'd grow this way! Not that we thought you'd be flat-chested forever!" Her eyes twitched and he nearly hyperventilated. "I'm not saying you were flat-chested back then, you had very nice...you know...not that I ever looked, but if I did, I'm sure that they would have looked lovely... Not that I imagine them. I mean..."

"I think you should stop now, before you insult me any more." His face fell on his hands, telling himself off. She giggled. "Taku-chan, I'm joking."

He looked up, relieved, and felt his heart start beating normally again. "You're an evil woman, you know that? Nearly giving me a heart attack... So, have you found it?" He sat next to her, looking at the mess of fabrics. Spotting a crimson fold, he pointed, proud of his choice. "There it is."

She blinked. How did he know which one it was? "Is it?"

His shoulders slumped. So much effort, and she hadn't even given it a moment's thought. "Ruka-chan, have you never even seen it?"

Well, no, she hadn't. She'd received many presents, and she hadn't seen all of them. Besides, she was too busy gazing at the bracelet Kaname had presented her with. Not for the first time, she slapped herself mentally for being blinded by the pureblood. She still admired him greatly and he still held the highest of places in her heart, but at least now she was trying to notice other things besides him. Stopping the blood from rushing to her cheeks, the angelic-looking girl lied. "I have, it's just that it was a long time ago."

The blond, being much more perceptive than everyone gave him credit for, saw through her right away, but decided to let it go. "Well then, let's see it once again. I'm sure it's still as gorgeous as the first time I laid eyes upon it."

Pulling the dress out of the suitcase, Ruka's brown orbs widened. The gown was surprisingly beautiful, emanating that Venetian carnivalesque atmosphere. It was tinted a deep crimson, the long, wide sleeves made up of layer upon layer of smooth silk. Sown patterns of dark-crimson velour ornamented it, and delicate black lace rimmed the square neckline and the hem of the skirt's lower layer. Looking at the suitcase again, she spotted a a pair of shiny black wrist lenght gloves and a crimson fan, both items rimmed with black lace, and a black colombina mask with crimson feathers attached to it on the left side, and on closer inspection, one could make out the forms of ebony-coloured, thin bas-reliefs in the shapes of elaborate spirals and intricate labyrinths. "It's beautiful." It was more than that. Truly a breathtaking outfit, worthy of an empress, and she regretted the fact that she had not given it the attention it was due.

"Of course it is. Kain-kun wanted the best for you, and that's what he got." Ichijou grinned as he remembered how they argued over what to buy. Kain wanted a more sober, demure and simpler outfit, while Ichijou had his heart set on a dramatic, over-the-top and brightly colourful gown. Finally, as soon as they saw this dress, they both knew they'd found the perfect costume for her. "Well, I'm sure you want to be left alone to try it on, so I'll meet you later. Don't forget to save me a dance."

"Okay, and thank you for suggesting this costume, I would have never have thought of it."

Before leaving, Ichijou looked back and asked. "Ruka-chan, I hope I'm not imposing too much, but could I ask you to let your hair down? I think it suits you more."

_____________________

"Akatsuki, are you up yet? Don't forget that today's the big ball." Aidou's excited face hovered above his cousin's sleepy visage. "Come on, if you don't get up now, you're going to be looking for your outfit, and we're going to be late. As usual."

Kain simply covered his face with his duvet, effectively blocking out his noisy cousin. Did Aidou think he was the same as him? Kain was the type of person who just threw something on, he didn't spend hours fussing over every little detail. Whenever they were late to any social occasion, it was because a certain blond spent too much time brushing every single lock of his hair into place, or making sure his perfect skin was free of spots and blemishes. Plus, the ball was being held in the Moon Dorm this year, so all they had to do was go downstairs.

Suddenly, he was forced to face the sun's bright light due to the duvets being ripped away from his hands. "Hanabusa, leave me alone and let me sleep in peace. Please." He emphasized the last word, hoping that his blue-eyed roommate would get the message. Honestly, it was impossible to be any clearer. "Unlike you, I don't need to start getting ready six hours before the actual party. You're worst than a woman."

"Wow, you're barely awake, and already you're being misogynistic."

The red-haired vampire grunted, shielding his amber eyes from the offending sun's rays with his right arm, and answered in a bored voice. "I'm not being misogynistic." He wondered if Aidou even knew what the word meant, or if he was just trying to sound smart.

"Okay, you're being sexist then. You know, it's not just girls who care if they look good or not, there are also guys who actually take care of their appearance... But I don't expect you to know much about that."

Kain arched an eyebrow, half annoyed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You heard me. Now..." Aidou shoved two pieces of fabric in front of his cousin's face. "...which colour is best? Pale blue or baby blue?"

Kain's sleepy eyes studied both outfits for a very long moment, taking into account every shadow and reflection of the light. Shrugging, he finally answered. "They're exactly the same."

"What? How can you even say that? Can't you see the different hues and saturation? They're so obviously completely different!" As Aidou started ranting about the difference in colours, Kain closed his eyes and went back to sleep, glad to be back in the silent, serene realm of dreams. "Akatsuki, don't fall asleep again, I need your help!"

Sigh. "Why do you care so much, anyway? Whatever you put on, the Day Class girls will all fall at your feet. Actually, I'm sure they'll be much happier if you don't wear any clothes." His eyes snapped open and he glanced at his cousin, smirking. "Unless... Hanabusa, is there a girl in particular that you want to impress?"

A red-faced Aidou quickly turned around. "Pffft, don't be stupid, of course not. I just want to look my best, is that such a crime? Just go to sleep and don't bother me anymore with your silly suggestions." He picked up his outfit and went to the bathroom, locking the door.

Blinking, Kain went back to sleep. He could hear the hot water fill the bathtub, which meant that Aidou would stay in that bathroom for at least four hours, and he was determined to sleep until his cousin got out of there and started having his little panic attacks for not being ready.

Trembling, the blue-eyed vampire looked in the steam-covered mirror. As he saw the hot vapour turn into cool, clear droplets, he caught sight of himself on the reflective surface. His eyes were as blue as the sky, his hair as golden as the sun, and his skin as white as the clouds. Perfect. The second most perfect being in the whole universe. Not the number one, for that position was reserved solely to the pureblooded prince. But Aidou had always had a rival for the rank of number two. Ruka Souen. And now, he was suddenly, reluctantly even, beginning to see why she was a worthy rival, and acknowledging her own perfection, that his cousin had accepted long ago. And now he was worried about her opinion of him. How pathetic. Never before had he given her a moment's thought, so why now? Of course he'd always known that she was extraordinarily beautiful, it would be foolish not to face the facts. But he had never really cared. Since when did he enjoy her company, since when didn't he like her spending time with other guys, like Ichijou? And, most importantly: when did he start caring? Was it the day he'd seen the smile that she showed only to Kain? When she had thanked him for the first time? Or maybe, when he'd been able to gaze at her sleeping face and touch her hair.

"There's no reason to be jealous." The mirror shattered as his fist slammed against it. The dull pain did its job and took his thoughts away from that dangerous path, away from her. It didn't last long, though, and as the blood dried and his cuts closed, the crystal liquid beads on the glass solidified, frozen in time.

"Hanabusa, are you okay? I heard something break."

"Everything's fine." Aqua-marine eyes glared at a packet of blood tablets that he still refused to digest. "Everything's fine..."

_____________________

As she applied the finishing touches to her lips, Ruka admired herself in her full-lenght mirror. She once again lectured herself for overlooking such a fantastic gift, and decided to not turn down every single present just because it didn't come from Kaname. 'I'll have to thank Akatsuki for this.' Looking around her, she noticed that Rima was gone already, and that it would be wise to make her way to the party now. Closing the bedroom's door behind her, Ruka saw someone near the stairs, waiting.

Ichijou was dressed in baggy white trousers and a white long-sleeved shirt with three black pompoms at the front. A thin ruffled collar encircled his neck, gently falling on his shoulders. On his head, he had a black beret, and his face was painted ivory-white, with black vertical lines over his eyes and a single, lonely tear beneath the corner of his left eye. His hands were covered with white gloves as well. Ruka immediately recognised him as Pierrot.

The blond was speechless as he stared at her, head to toe. He saw that she'd taken his advice, as her lusciously long tresses were curling over her shoulders and back. He managed to choke out some words. "Ruka-chan, you're..." Divine, stunning, splendid, ravishing, pulchritudinous. "...very pretty."

She smiled. "Thank you. You yourself are looking very nice." She noticed that he didn't move and no sentences left his lips anymore. "Taku-chan, are you okay?"

Snapping out of his trance, he blinked. "Hn? Oh, yes, yes, don't worry." He turned to one of the many flower vases spread around the stairs due to today being a special day. His fingers lightly brushed against the silky petals of a deep-red rose, but he ignored it. Being a fan of ikebana, Ichijou had studied the symbolism of flowers as well, and a rose was not the kind of flower he was allowed to offer her. True, he had tried to present her with one when she had recovered from her illness, but he didn't have any other flowers available at the time. He finally set his green eyes on the perfect plant. Removing it gently, he placed it above her left ear, making sure it was held in place by the mask's strap. He offered her his right arm. "Shall we?"

She intertwined her arm with his and they began their descent. Inhaling the sweet fragrance, she asked. "Taku-chan, what kind of flower is this?"

"A gardenia."

"It smells lovely."

"Yes, gardenias are prized bec....woah!" Being the distracted person he was, Ichijou tripped over his own shoes. Trying to regain his balance, he clung onto Ruka, hoping that the girl in high-heels would somehow stop him from falling. And being as lucky as he was, he caught her off-guard and dragged her down with him.

He gulped as he saw the floor getting nearer and nearer. The only thing he could do now was try and shield the girl in his arms. It had only been about a week since she'd gotten out of the medical room, and he didn't want to be responsible for her re-entry there, so he tightened his grip around her. He'd been lucky that no-one had noticed his little action, even luckier that Kain hadn't noticed anything, but if she had to be medically examined, he could be found out, and he really didn't want to deal with the drama that would ensue. "Ugh!" The air once again escaped his lungs as his back made contact with the cold marble, and even though Ruka wasn't that heavy, he still had to break her fall.

Opening his eyes, all he saw was brown. Had the blow to the head made him blind? Blinking, he realised with relief that Ruka's hair had formed a sort of silky curtain around them. The girl in question tried to get up. Her mask had slipped, and Ichijou could see her face perfectly, her beautiful eyes accentuated with eyeliner looking straight at him. Even though not much light could pass through her tresses, he saw the distinct start of a blush creeping up on her usually pale cheeks. "Ruk..."

"Ahem!"

Ichijou's hands let go of Ruka's waist as if she was made of fire. Maybe it wasn't just his imagination, since a certain red-haired vampire was looking down at them, accompanied by his cousin who had just cleared his throat in order to alert the two people sprawled on the floor of their presence. "Aidou-kun, Kain-kun, how are you?"

Aidou, impulsive as always, reached down and yanked Ruka from Ichijou, leading her to the ballroom in hurried footsteps. Following them with his gaze, Kain sighed, shaking his head. He should tell Aidou not to be so rude. Helping Ichijou up, he asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but I'm afraid Ruka-chan might have hurt herself. It was quite a fall." He inched closer to Kain, who was wearing a full mask, his hair and height being the only recognisable characteristics. "Is everything okay with Aidou-kun? He seemed a bit edgy."

The manipulator of fire shook his head slowly. "I don't know, he's been acting strange ever since this afternoon, I have no idea of what's up with him. He even broke the bathroom's mirror." The taller vampire turned to his friend. "Ichijou, did something happen with Hanabusa while I wasn't here? Maybe it might explain his strange behaviour."

The green-eyed Pierrot shrugged. "No, I've told you everything." Except the part with Aidou asking Ruka to drink her blood. Ichijou guessed that Kain wouldn't be happy at all with that. Plus, it didn't seem important enough to cause this change in Aidou. "Maybe it's something that happened recently, after you've come back?"

Kain frowned. He couldn't think of anything that had happened lately.

"Do you think we should follow them?"

The amber-eyed aristocrat shook his head. "Maybe, just to be sure Ruka's fine. I've noticed that she's wearing the costume we bought in Venice." The corners of his lips turned upwards in a smile that had waited centuries to appear.

"Yes, she is. See? I told you she loved it. And Kain-kun, you should call her Ruka-chan at least once, don't you think? I think that would make her happy."

________________________

"Hanabusa, where are we going?" Ruka looked around her, seeing the crowds of girls fawning over the Night Class boys. In the middle of the huge room, a storm of colours twirled at the sound of music. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Zero, in his school uniform but with a black mask, dancing with Yuuki, under the watchful gaze of Kaname.

Aidou looked back, and soon regretted doing so. "Put your mask back on, I don't want to be swamped by drooling guys." Actually, he just didn't want to see her perfect face.

"It's a bit hard when I only have one hand free." As soon as she spoke these words, he let go of her hand, albeit reluctantly, and spun on his heels, facing her. This allowed her to see his costume. He was dressed like a musketeer. But not any plain musketeer, after all he was Hanabusa Aidou. The feathers in his hat were ice-blue, and his baby-blue, pin-striped waistcoat gave way to wide sleeves that gathered at the cuff, decorated with pearls, as were his white gloves. It was such an elaborate outfit that it was more suited to a prince. The different but complementary shades of blue brought out the cyan in his eyes.

"Come on, put it on then." Aidou crossed his arms, impatient. As she adjusted the mask, he noticed the white gardenia. "That flower doesn't go with the rest of your outfit." He reached out to remove it, but she quickly stepped back.

"Leave it, I like it."

He averted his gaze, snorting. "Whatever." Looking at her once again, he couldn't mask the concern in his voice. "Are you okay?"

Brown orbs blinked, confused. "Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, you were...on top...of Ichijou, so I thought something..." The blond was visibly uncomfortable with the question that he wanted to ask, not daring to look at her. If he had, he would've seen her ivory skin turn a deep red due to his wording.

She answered, fiddling with her hair. "He tripped and we fell, but I'm perfectly fine.."

"Ruka-san, will you give me the pleasure of this dance?"

Both Ruka and Aidou looked behind her, where the Day Class President was standing, in a polite bow. Aidou's right eye twitched and he waited for Ruka to say no. However, her reply was taking longer than usual. She seemed to actually be considering it! "I..."

"Dance with me." His lips trembled as he interrupted her. What had he just asked?

"What?"

"What?" Both Ruka and the human boy stared at him. "Aidou-senpai, erm, I asked her first..."

Aidou shot him a deadly look. "You. Scram. Now." He turned to Ruka. "Dance with me. Please." Was he having a breakdown? He couldn't ask her this! Kain was the one who should be dancing with her. 'But there's nothing wrong with a little dance, is there?' Surely not. Kain could ask her afterwards.

Ruka considered his request. She had always said that she would only dance with Kaname. But he had never asked her to dance, and she had recently made the decision to stop smothering him, to notice other things. Dancing with someone instead of waiting for him seemed like a reasonable thing to do. She placed her hand on top of Aidou's. "Okay."

He placed his right hand on her waist, while her left one rested on his shoulder. Jealous looks and curious whispers immediately filled the ballroom as the gorgeous couple started to waltz. "Look, Ruka-san and Idol-senpai are dancing together."

"Wow, those two never danced together before."

"But they look really good, don't they?"

"Well, it's not possible for them to look bad."

He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered. "People are talking about us."

Ruka looked up at him. "Of course they are, it's not something they see everyday."

He smiled. "It reminds me of that day in town, when you and Ichijou spent the day together. People thought we were a couple and you got so mad."

"No I didn't."

A pleasant laughter escaped his throat, and he didn't feel as apprehensive as before. "Yes you did, don't lie. I've known you for longer than half the people here have lived. Anyway, that day, I was actually going to apologise to you."

Her face snapped up. "Apologise?"

"Yes, to apologise. I had some time to think it over, and even though I still think you over-reacted, my behaviour was shameless and unacceptable for a gentleman such as myself. I shouldn't have asked you to give me your blood, I know that it's a very important thing, and I'm sorry." Drinking blood from a cut was one thing, but purposefully asking or giving it, was considered an extremely intimate gesture of affection when performed by two equally-ranked vampires.

"Apology accepted. You know, Hanabusa, you've matured lately."

Somehow, her acknowledgement made him feel accomplished. "Have I? Is it a good thing?"

Before she could answer, the music stopped and the couples bowed to each other. An energetic Day Class girl clung onto Aidou's arm, interrupting his conversation. "Aidou-senpai, please dance with me now."

"No, me! I've been waiting for a long time!"

Soon, there was an entire queue of fangirls, all waiting to dance with the blond. Looking around, Aidou saw that he'd lost Ruka in the crowd of attention-seekers. Sometimes, he really hated being so loved.

___________________

Ruka walked over to the balcony, ignoring the invitations to dance. She'd danced with someone already, so she guessed it wa okay to just rest for a bit. The balcony was empty, with the exception of a white silhouette. Ichijou was thinking about Ruka's earlier words. They had all grown up together, under their parents' careful watch. Could it be that the Souen family was hoping for a marriage with one of the other families? Did Ruka know about this?

"Taku-chan, you're not dancing with your fans?"

The white-faced boy smiled. "I did, for a while, but I just wanted to get some fresh air now. Was Aidou-kun alright?"

"Yes, he just wanted to apologise, I guess."

"Ah..." He pondered for a while. Suddenly, he asked. "Ruka-chan, do you think I'm a fine young man?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well..."

________

*Flashback*

Kaname entered the room, looking very unamused. This wasn't the time to be playing silly games like hide and seek. Spotting the blond underneath the bed, he snorted. "Ichijou, it's time to go back."

The blond's locks shook to each side, accompanied by a loud cry from the boy who was tightly hugging his pillow. "Bwaaaahhhh!!! Nooo waaayyyy!!! I want to stay here!!!"

The dark-haired vampire fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Come on, stop behaving like a child. Your grandfather is waiting for you at home." His voice softened. "And you can always come here to see the Carnival again. Why the crying?"


Tearful green eyes looked up at him. "You don't understand, grandfather allowed me to come here only because of you. He wanted me to keep an eye on you and make sure that nothing bad happened to you. He will never let me go anywhere on my own. I never have this kind of freedom..." His words were interrupted by louder sobs.


"..." The silence on Kaname's part just made Ichijou's crying get louder and louder. The pureblood sighed. He knew Aidou was the one who had taught Ichijou to cry at the drop of a hat. He'd punish the blue-eyed aristocrat later, but now he should deal with his friend. "If that's the case, then don't worry. I will bring you here again, and your grandfather will have to allow you to come, since you'll be with me. Sounds good?"

The tears finally stopped. Drying his emerald eyes, Ichijou looked up, with high hopes. "Really?"

"Really. But only on one condition: you have to stop acting like a baby. And stop hanging around with Aidou so much, that boy's a bad influence on you."

Ichijou nodded energetically, a determined expression on his face. "Yes, I will do all of that! And then you'll bring me here again?"

"Yes."

"Really? You must promise."

Sigh. Not for the first time, Kaname regretted the fact that Ichijou knew him too well to let him off without having to make a promise. "I promise."

"No, you must do it formally."

"Fine." The heir of the Kurans was actually relieved that the blond had asked for a formal promise. A few months earlier, Ichijou had read in a manga that true friends spat on their hands before a handshake, and Kaname had to wear gloves everyday, just in case. "I, Kaname Kuran, promise to bring you, Takuma Ichijou, back to Venice in the future, when you've grown into a fine young man."

"Yay! I love you, Ka-chan!"

"..."

*end of flashback*

____

"Every year I ask him to go back, but he never took me there again. Maybe I'm still not a fine young man in Kaname's eyes."

She cocked her head to the side. "That's not it. Taku-chan, I'm sure Kaname-sama just hasn't got the time. He's a very busy man."

"Ruka-chan, you're too nice."

Suddenly, an idea struck her. "Why don't we go there during the holidays?"

"There?"

"To Venice. Instead of always going to each other's mansions, next time we could go to Italy. Rima and Shiki haven't been there yet, either."

He clapped his hands, excited. "That sounds great!" As his arms moved, his sleeves slipped a bit and she noticed that his right wrist was bandaged.

"Did you cut yourself?"

"Huh?" He followed her gaze with his, and quickly covered the exposed material. "Yeah, just a silly accident, don't worry." He grinned.

She noticed how the grin seemed displaced, and wondered why he'd chosen that particular outfit. "Pierrot is supposed to be sad, I don't know if his frown suits you, you're a cheerful person."

Ichijou looked up to the sky, where the moon hung. "Yes, he is always sad. Do you know why, Ruka-chan?"

Of course she knew why. When she was younger, her favourite story was the tale of lozenge-clad Harlequin, who, despite being poor, had won beautiful Colombina's heart with his wit and resourcefulness. Pierrot was never mentioned in the story, and Ruka thought his outfit was too bland compared to Harlequin's multicoloured attire. However, as she grew up, the whitefaced clown's black tear became a mystery to her, and she decided to find out the reason behind it. She learned that the poor fool was a romantic dreamer, used only for comic relief, his feelings never taken into consideration by the other characters of the play. "Because Colombina chooses Harlequin instead of him."

"True. His love for Colombina is never reciprocated, for she sees only Harlequin and has no place in her heart for moonstruck Pierrot. But I think his tears aren't just tears of sadness, he's too honest and naïve to mourn such a thing. I believe they are of happiness too." He locked his gaze with hers and smiled. "The little clown is happy as long as his beloved is happy as well."


Special thanks to babybell for helping with the dialogue between Ichijou and Kaname in Venice :)

Oh dear, this chapter took forever! I'm sorry, it's just that after Rome, my ideas all merged together and formed a mess in my head :'( I hope you like it though, and please review and tell me what you think ^_^