FOUR YEARS LATER by the way…same disclaimer.

I was walking back from class alone, as I had for a long time. I figured I may as well get used to it, because I doubted that Louis would want to talk to me after the memory I wasn't supposed to see. He had been avoiding me for four years. I talked to Zero all the time in between classes, but that didn't allow for much.

Class had been unremarkable. The teacher had gotten annoyed when I wasn't paying attention. I was looking at Louis most of class, wondering if he would look at me. He did, once, but when he realized I was looking, he looked away.

It was all so sudden.

The smell of blood was in the air. I knew that blood. I would know it anywhere.

Hanabusa Aido wasn't anywhere in sight.

I sprinted in the direction of the smell. I recognised the smell although it had been years ago since I'd smelled it—it belonged to Louis Lawliet.

I heard voices, so I slowed. I wondered if it was Headmaster or someone come to help. I peeked around a corner.

Louis was standing, cornered. His books were on the ground. I could see a rivulet of warm blood running down his finger; a paper cut. I assumed he had dropped his books and when he picked them up had accidentally cut himself.

That wasn't the interesting part, however. The part that scared me was that Akatsuki Kain and Hanabusa Aido were cornering him.

"May I drink some of your blood, please?" Hanabusa was saying. "It smells so good—like candy, almost. Like sugar."

"Don't bother asking when you know the answer, Hanabusa," drawled Akatsuki. "We'll make this quick, so no one sees."

I saw his move a second before he made it.

I launched myself at him just as he pounced at Louis.

I landed on top of him, but as we hit the ground it knocked the breath out of me. I seemed to have knocked sense into Akatsuki, but Hanabusa was still hunting Louis. I had to stop him, but I couldn't breathe. I suddenly remembered a time not so long ago, when I had lost my breath from a vampire knocking into me.

I gasped for a second, until I got enough air to whisper, "Sorry," to Akatsuki. Then I shoved myself up and immediately regretted it. Black spots swam before my eyes. I had stood too quickly.

I didn't have enough air. I was about to pass out. I could tell. I had fainted a few times before. It was just like this. My vision faded to a small circle, and finally to black.

"Hanabusa," I rasped weakly, feeling dizzier with the air it took to say it. "No…"

And I felt my head hit the ground.

*******

I sat bolt upright.

"Louis!" I screamed.

"Shhhhh," someone whispered, gently pushing me down. "You'll make yourself dizzy."

"Z—Zero?" I whispered feebly.

"Yes?" he replied anxiously. "Are you okay?"

"I…I'm fine," I replied. "I think…where's L—uhm, Ryuzaki?"

"I don't know if you've noticed…you keep calling Ryuzaki, Louis. Because I've noticed. Is something up?"

"Uh…" I thought fast, not easily, since I was still a little slow. "Uh….okay you got me…he, uh, looks like this…friend I used to know…"

"And?" he inquired, politely, but it was clear he could see right through my lie. Zero was cool like that. If he knew I didn't want to tell something, at least not yet, he wouldn't pester. I guess because he would understand secrets.

"Uh, he…moved away. Haven't seen him since." My story fell flat. Zero seemed to know whether I was lying or not, even though no one else would ever know. I was a good liar; I had to be—my old town wasn't exactly the land of sunshine and rainbows and butterflies.

"I see…" he muttered.

"So, where's Ryuzaki? How'd you get here? What…happened?" I fired the questions in a rapid succession.

"Well," he started, "I heard…fighting, so I came to check it out. And the smell…I can see why they wanted his blood. I found you passed out, Kain on the ground, and Aido on top of Ryuzaki."

I gasped. Zero went on, ignoring my horror.

"I…broke up the fight—"

"You nearly threw me through a wall!" yelled Hanabusa. I turned, noticing I was in the infirmary. So was he.

"Anyway, so then Kain went with him to the moon dorm, and I carried you here. Yagari Sensei went back for Ryuzaki."

"Is he…okay?" I asked, worried. He shouldn't be dead, he still had a while, by his numbers…had his paper cut changed that?

Just then, Toga Yagari burst through the doors. In his arms was Louis. I was overwhelmed by a sense of Déjà vu.

"Ryuzaki!" I yelled. Zero frowned. His expression was…almost anger, mixed with a portion of longing and a healthy serving of despair.

"Zero?" I asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he muttered. "I have class to get to." He got up too fast and speed-walked from the room.

I sat up slowly, swinging my legs off the bed. I stood even more slowly. Once I was sure that I wouldn't pass out again, I rushed to Louis' side.

He was unconscious.

Were we too late?

Toga Yagari left, saying, "None of my business anymore…"

I was alone with Louis.

"Louis," I said, close to tears. He was all bloody. It smelled good, but I was in no danger. I valued him so far above his blood that it didn't bother me anymore.

"Louis, can you hear me?" I whispered tearfully. He didn't move.

His numbers told me he was still alive, but for the moment, he didn't look it. Could the numbers lie? His breathing was so shallow and ragged…

"Please, Louis…don't die," I begged. "Please…"

He sighed. I took that as an 'okay'.

"I can't stand the thought of you dying," I whispered. "You can't leave me. You're staying with me. I won't let you go!" my voice rose with the emotion.

His eyelids fluttered, but remained closed. His breathing stayed the same. Still unconscious, but waking.

"Louis…I…I don't care if you…like me or anything. That definitely doesn't mean I won't want to talk to you. I can't…I…if you died…I couldn't…"

Hearing someone talk to him seemed to be helping. His breathing sped a little, but he still seemed out.

"Please, Louis," I begged, clasping his hand. I tried hard not to accept any visions. I figured maybe, just maybe I could learn to control my little talent. "Please…"

"Unh," he grunted, eyes opening. "What the…"

"Louis!" I yelled happily, hugging him as he pushed himself up on one elbow. "You're okay! I mean, I knew you wouldn't die, but it's not always so easy to trust the numbers…"

"I…you talk a lot," he said, blinking. "Uh, I…I think I was comatose. At least, I couldn't move, but I could…could hear…"

"Oh…" I blushed. "I…really mean it, you know. You can love me, hate me…whatever…I'll still want to talk to you. Nothing will ever change that."

"I…" he trailed off. "I wasn't worried as much about you…as my own cowardice. I couldn't face telling you, but you found out anyway…then…I was afraid of what you'd think. But my fear was clearly for nothing. Your heart is pure as gold."

I blushed deeper. "I couldn't imagine hating you…or even…not liking you, Louis. I…I…I love you too, Louis."

He looked at me incredulously. "You do? But…I'm…I mean…"

"I…should go…get some rest…you too, you know. Class, and everything…although I'm not sure you should go, in your state…"

"I'll be fine…" he said awkwardly, yet clearly still happy. "Morning, Lilith."

"Morning…Ryuzaki," I grinned. Then I turned and sauntered to the door. I threw the door wide, a smile wide on my face.

"Zero!" I said, surprised and happy to see him. But my smile quickly faded at the expression on his face. He covered it up in a second, but for that second, the expression I'd seen on his face had been clearly…pain. I let the door swing gently shut behind me as I took a little half step toward him.

"Zero, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly, urgently.

"Nothing," he said, but his voice clearly showed the pain. He couldn't hide it.

"I know you, Zero. Tell me what's wrong!"

"Why would you care?" he said in a dead, broken voice. It scared me more than if I had yelled. "Just…just go. Leave. NOW!" he screamed the last word, but instead of waiting for a response, fled in the opposite direction of his classes.

I walked brokenly back to my room. I wondered where Ryuk was when you needed him, stupid reaper. I hadn't seen him in ages, but it would be nice to have someone try to cheer you up now and then, like he always had when I was upset. But who can trust a reaper? Who can trust anyone?