Hey everybody! So I thought I would get another chapter out there, I just couldn't help myself lol. I apologize for the slow responses to the reviews. I really do cherish all of your feedback. Thank you all so much for reading, following and reviewing my story, I am so glad that you like it! So since I didn't get to them before posting another chapter, the anonymous reviews from the last chapter are at the bottom of this chapter as well.
Chapter Summary: Haruhi is so excited to be able to admit that she likes Zero Kiryuu, but a little encounter with a Night Class student has her wondering if Zero likes her or just likes looking out for her.
Hero Syndrome
Haruhi woke up just as her head lolled back painfully. It was dark and her legs felt cramped. Her head ached as she blinked and looked around. The moon streamed in from the window she was sitting in front of. It made the polished work desk gleam where it stood in the center of the room. She was in one of the study rooms of the dorm complex. As she glanced outside the window, her sleep-heavy mind thought of how it had been bright before she fell asleep. There was a book folded up in her arms and as she moved to release it a pain itched on her arms. Red lines marred her forearm from where they were pressed into the hard covers of the book.
Pins and needle exploded down her legs as she untangled them and pushed them off the chair. She groaned as she rubbed them, wondering how in the world she had managed to fall asleep in here, and how nobody managed to notice. She had two roommates after all. Last time she had shone up missing, there had been a search party.
Slowly she stretched, rubbing the kinks out of her neck as she got up to place her book on the desk. The room was fairly small in size, the large desk taking up most of the space. There were three desk chairs around the table and two armchairs that framed the window. It looked no different than the seven others that lined the bottom floor of the dorms, she noted as she left the room and moved down the hall toward the stairs. As she passed by a framed picture she caught her reflection on the surface and paused, examining her tired face.
It had been almost a week since their break. Haruhi had spent the last few days of break with her dad as he worried over her bruised face and sore body. It had been nice to lay in her own bed with her dad taking care of her. It wasn't until she saw him that she realized how much she missed him. They spent almost the whole time together, talking and catching up. She hadn't even seen any of her Ouran friends while she was home. When Sunday rolled around, it was bittersweet. She couldn't wait to see all her friends again but she was somber to leave her dad, and anxious about the time left to be at Cross Academy. The mood only intensified when she got back and found out that Zero was not there. Yuuki told her he was a part of some leadership association and he wouldn't be back until the end of the week. They hadn't really talked on the way back down the mountain, not with everyone constantly attending to her and Yuuki. They were both aching from tumbling down the mountain and the trek back down was a painful reminder as each step made something throb. They had ridden the buses the same way they had on the way up and when they finally made it back into town where their charter bus had dropped them off, Kyoya's family driver was waiting to take them home for the rest of the break.
There was so much she wanted to say to her silver haired savior, but she never had the chance, not with everyone around. She could only offer a "bye, Zero," and a smile as her eyes lingered on him for a moment before she got into the limo with the others.
She sighed, silently berating herself for not having the gumption to just say something, to pull him aside or something. Now it was too late, too much time had gone by, too much time for him to take it back, to change his mind about whatever it was that had happened.
There was something in her throat, a laugh maybe, at how pathetically silly she was being. But she couldn't help it, she had never felt this way about anyone, never thought about anyone the way she thought about the silver haired boy. She couldn't wait to see him, to talk to him. Her mind swam with images of him, tall and strong, smiling sweetly at her, she couldn't wait to just… She sighed, shaking her head as if to clear her dreamy thoughts, she didn't know what she couldn't wait for when in all honesty the next time she saw him she would probably freeze up like a popsicle.
Zero limped into the entrance of the Sun Dorms. He had been put on another assignment, another test by the association. They had sent him a few towns over to deal with a level E vampire on the loose. It was an easy enough case for an apprentice hunter, even one so out of practice as Zero. But someone had made a mistake, for it had not been only one level E, but three. The third time they had knocked him to the ground, and the Bloody Rose bounced off the hard concrete he was sure he would not be able to stand again, vampire strength or not. The thing that made level E vampires so dangerous was that, as their minds died, their strength and agility increased, becoming more animal than anything. But Zero grit through it, pushing forward with determination. It was either him or them, and it wasn't going to be him. Aide came the next day, utterly in awe that he was able to take them all by himself. Even in all their praise and recognition, Zero was humbled by his aching bones and bloody wounds. It had been a feat for an apprentice hunter, and he had great skill and great promise, he was trained by one of the greatest hunters around. But he knew that was not what helped him to survive. Kaname's voice was in his head, "If you had not been a vampire, you would be dead." and it was true yet again.
As he came into the lobby he collapsed onto a couch. He wished he could just go to the privacy of his room at the Chairman's home, instead of his dorm. It would be better for everyone, he wouldn't have to wake up Ichiru and he could sleep in tomorrow. But alas the Ouran kids were here, and that meant his room was being occupied by Hikaru and Kaoru. A small smile pulled at his lips as he lifted his arm over his face. The Ouran kids were here. Haruhi was here. There was no denying the growing bubble in his throat at getting to see the shorthaired girl. He had thought about her constantly since that night. Since she kissed him and he kissed her back. He could still feel her lips on his, her small body in his arms. After what happened with the level Es he had wanted to see her so terribly bad. Haruhi's innocent eyes, unknowing of this horrible world in which he lived, where monsters were real and he was one of them, eyes that just saw a boy. Not a hunter, not a vampire, just a boy.
Lost in her thoughts, Haruhi slowly made her way to her dorm crossing through the main lobby. She was just about to head up the stairs when she heard something from across the room. She peered out into the dimness, looking for the owner of the sound. Someone was lying on one of the couches. She could see the point of their elbow, a hand thrown over a head covered in silver hair.
Zero.
Slowly she made her way to the figure. He was asleep, as she came closer she could hear his soft breathing. She knelt down on the carpet in front of the couch unable to contain the smile as she looked down at him. His arm covered the majority of his face but she could see the end of his nose and his mouth, slightly parted lips let out even breaths. His lips, pale and soft, had been the object of her thoughts for the better part of a week. He was finally here, finally back. She thought of those lips, warm and soft as they pressed into her jaw, she couldn't stop her hand from reaching up, a feather-light touch across his lips, feeling that warmth and softness. Her fingertips traced down his jaw, her brown eyes dilated as she took in every detail of his face matching it up to the image in her head. He didn't look as pale as he had that night, having just escaped the cold water. He was warm under her fingers. She shook her head. What the heck was she doing? Touching him while he slept, that was beyond creepy. Overstepping respectable bounds when Zero was around, yep that had not changed.
But as she drew her hand back the object of her attention stirred. Haruhi froze where she was, heartbeat accelerating as Zero groaned softly, arm leaving his face and pale eyes blinking away sleep. Offhandedly she wondered how long he had been in here, if he was here sleeping while she was sleeping only a little ways down the hall.
Then those pale eyes were on her, registering surprise and then something softer as he gazed up at her.
"Hey," she said sheepishly, her expression making him grin.
"Hey."
Her mind went back to the moment on the mountain. This is how she had greeted him before. And he had looked at her with that same soft look, suddenly she was reassured and she looked at him with more honesty.
"I'm glad your back."
"Me too." he said softly, eyes tracing over her, noting the pinkness rising in her cheeks and tracing down her jaw. It was completely healed now, there was no sigh of the horrible bruised mess from before. His hand came up on its own, softly touching her jaws where the bruises used to be.
Haruhi practically melted into the gentle touch, allowing him to tilt her head to the side as he examined her.
"It looks better."
She nodded, "All better." She felt his fingers caress her jaw, noting how his eyes kept glancing to her lips.
"Good."
"Did you have a good time at your meeting thing?" She asked softly, hoping the tremble she felt was not obvious in her voice.
Zero was only puzzled for a moment. Yuuki must have fed her some story about his absence. She would have to fill him in on whatever it was. "It was a blast," he said lightly. Watching the pleased smile tug on those petal pinks lips.
A moment more and he might have kissed her. But, as if hearing his thoughts, Yuuki came in through the main door, looking exhausted. Haruhi turned to look and Zero dropped his hand, sitting up as Yuuki stopped mid stride.
"Zero? Haruhi?" she began, looking puzzled.
Haruhi rose to her feet, "Well that explains why you haven't come looking for me."
The puzzled expression only grew more prominent, "What?"
"I feel asleep in a study room, I woke up just a minute ago." She explained earning a curious glance from Zero.
"The Dorm President didn't find you?" Yuuki asked incredulously. It was their job to make sure no one was hiding around inside the building.
Haruhi scratched the back of her head, and shrugged. "Maybe she didn't see me. I was curled up in a chair by the window."
She heard Zero chuckle beside her. "Still breaking rules, I see." He teased.
Yuuki laughed too, moving closer to them. "You just get back, Zero?" She asked, sobering quickly as she noticed he was favoring his left leg. "Did everything go alright?"
The boy nodded giving her an assuring smile, "Everything was fine." Nothing that won't be better in the morning.
The girl smiled with relief. "Alright. Well, we should all get to bed, it's really late." She began to head toward the doors, goading them to follow. "I am so glad you are back Zero, the Chairman has been helping me patrol and he talks non-stop." She said with a groan.
Zero smirked at Haruhi beside him, "Can't imagine how that feels," He deadpanned.
Haruhi laughed and shook her head at him, but Yuuki didn't seem to catch on.
"Well trust me, it's exhausting." she prattled on.
"No, no you aren't listening." Haruhi said shaking her head toward Kaoru walking beside her. She shifted the box in her hands to her waist as she looked at him. "When you are checking the angles, the ones in the middle are the opposite interior angles, so they will match the one diagonal to it on the inside."
"How does that make any sense, if you cut through two parallel lines in the exact same way, then the angles should match." Kaoru demanded his own box clutched to his chest. The boxes were filled with supplies for their science lab. He had been a gentleman and allowed her to carry the one with only the plastic beakers and dry ingredients while he lugged the heavier one with the liquids and weights.
Haruhi shook her head, speaking slowly, "They do match." They moved down the open hallway, moving just past a large fountain as she tried to explain. "They aren't mirror images of each other, they are more like-" someone coming from the other side of the fountain smacked into her, knocking them both off their feet and sending the supplies spewing out of the overturned box.
Haruhi scrambled to her knees, offering an apology as the boy who smacked into her moved to put everything back in the box. Kaoru, with the heavier box and slower reflexes, only started in shock. There were beakers strewn all around the ground, along with test papers, boxes of wax paper and other random items.
"No I'm sorry, my mother always tells me I should pay attention to where I'm walking" the boy said with a soft voice, clearly just edging into puberty. He grabbed a bunch of the same test strips Haruhi had and turned to hand them to her. As he did he paused staring up at her face. Haruhi too paused, shocked to see pale violet eyes that were almost an exact match to the shade of Zero's and Ichiru's. Embarrassedly she could point out that they were a tad darker, but still fairly pale when compared to the jewel tones of Tamaki's eyes.
He was very handsome, holding that strangely attractive appeal that she had always associated with the Night Class. "No that's okay I wasn't watching either," she observed how those eyes glowed with approval. As he turned to pick up some more beakers, Kaoru had finally set down his box and was helping him.
"That's a cool hairstyle," Kaoru was saying, "My dad would flip if I shaved part of my head like that."
The boy smirked as Haruhi studied his brown locks. It was fairly long on one side, wavy strands falling stylishly around his face and the nape of his neck. He had a small pony tail in the back, sticking up much like hers would if she put a band in it. It looked normal enough until he turned and looked at you straight on, His hair was parted very far to the left and on the other side it was shaved close to the scalp. She could see a faint scar under the short hair. "Well my dad isn't that conventional himself." the boy popped off.
"I'm Haruhi," the girl greeted standing and sticking her hand out when they were done. The boy had the box now and he put it on his hip. He was smiling wildly as he went to reach for her hand.
"I'm- uff, Hey!" The boy demanded as Zero came out of nowhere and grabbed him by his collar.
"Stay away from them." Zero gruffed in a voice Haruhi hadn't heard in a long time. It was cold and stiff, lacking any of the warmth she had come to associate with the boy. This was not the Zero she had saw last night.
"Zero, it's alright. He was helping me," She said, taking up for the poor boy where he stood slightly behind Zero, looking like he had been slapped.
As Haruhi spoke she chuckled at the way the boy seemed to beam vindication up at Zero. Standing next to the prefect made him seem very young and cute in the way that little kids or little brothers are. The taller boy only glared back at him, snatching the box from his hand and giving it back to Haruhi.
When the prefect turned to address the girl, the softness seemed to bleed into his expression, "Are you alright?" She looked up at him puzzled, glancing back toward the boy to see his offended look.
"Maru!" Another voice quipped just as it's owner came from the other side of the fountain. "Why did you wander off?" He demanded.
"Holy smokes, how many twins go to this school." Kaoru exclaimed. It was true, this other boy looked just like the first, except his brown hair was fairly shorter barely curling around his ears and the nape of his neck. But those violet eyes were exactly the same.
"We aren't twins," the other boy denied, "That's my cousin." They way he looked at Kaoru made the other boy blush.
"Oh sorry, I just- you look a lot, like, uh him" He rubbed aimlessly at his neck.
Zero rolled his eyes, "Whatever come on, I have to get you to the Moon Dorm already."
So they are Night Class students, Haruhi though mildly as Zero pushed Maru in the direction they had come. Then he turned back to Haruhi one last time. "I will see you later ok." He ruffled her hair slightly and she smiled up at him.
After they left she turned to see Kaoru staring at her. "What?"
"No you what? What the heck was that? Kiryuu practically attacked that kid for even talking to you." He said in astonishment. "What is he your new bodyguard? Am I standing too close?"
Haruhi laughed, shaking her head.
Kaoru shrugged, walking back toward the class they were definitely holding up by now.
"Seriously though, what is with the superhero act?" He asked again as he held open the door with his hip. Then he froze, eyes wide like an excited cat, "Are you two..?"
She blushed, stumbling on her words as Yuuki showed up.
"Hey, Ditta-san sent me to see if you needed help."
Haruhi shook her head, grateful for the distraction, "No I ran into a Night Class student and dropped the box. But he helped me pick it up."
The other girl looked concerned, glancing over at Kaoru. "He didn't trying anything… weird did he?" Like trying to drink your blood.
Kaoru chuckled, "He never had the chance. Zero showed up on his white horse and knocked him out."
"Knocked him out?"
"He's joking."
"Yeah he didn't knock him, he just became wildly protective and sent him back to the dorms with his cousin. He has apparently developed some sort of Hero syndrome after pulling you guys out of the lake."
Haruhi rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous."
"Well if it's not that, then what is it?" he challenged, daring her to say it.
"Can we go to class?" the girl groaned. Kaoru smirked before turning and walking back down the hall.
"You know Kaname is sometimes like that. I never told you, but when I was little Kaname saved me from... a bad person. Sometimes it feels like he is still trying to protect that helpless girl." Yuuki said after awhile.
Haruhi watched her with sad eyes, "That must be hard."
She nodded, "Kaname has always been like that, trying to shoulder all the responsibility. He never sees me as capable." Yuuki kept her eyes forward, her shoulders heavy. Suddenly she remembered Haruhi beside her and squared her shoulders, "But I don't think that is what Zero is doing. Zero never questions my ability to handle things. And you are more capable than me. I'm sure he isn't suffering from, uh, hero syndrome." She tried to reassure. But it was too late. Haruhi's mind was stuck on this idea. She decided she would be visiting the library during free period.
Kaname sat in the chair in Cross' office, watching the man check off some last minute scheduling fixes. "I understand now." He said quietly, watching as the man peered up at him over his glasses.
"Understand?" Cross repeated. Kaname had been sitting quietly for a while now, comfortable watching Cross work. Kaname was a boy who lived much in his own head, planning and deciding, Cross was used to sharing a space with him without actually conversing with him. It was something that always unnerved Yuuki, and she would fill the silence with useless babble, fearing that Kaname had grown bored. Hopefully one day she would come to understand the pureblood's tendencies the way Cross did. He had known the boy for ten years, he had always been a careful, contemplative soul somehow both wise beyond his years and a lost innocent child.
"If it is your choice, you push harder, you fight harder." Kaname explained, he got up, looking over the many pictures on Cross' bookshelves. There was a lot of Yuuki as she had grown, and he and Zero as well. "It's almost frightening how much more intense a person can become, still working fully in the realm of their own will." His mind flashed and image of Zero as he pulled him our of the lake, a cold dead weight, "I understand why it must be this way. I just hope, that its not too late."
Cross was thoughtful for a moment, having to weave back into what they were previously talking about to understand the boy's comments, "Somehow I still think you are missing it."
Kaname smiled at a picture of Yuuki in her yukata, then he turned back to where the man sat, "No, there is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer. That's why it has to be his choice."
The man shook his head, rising to come and stand beside the young pureblood, "Kaname-kun, when you describe your willingness to give your life for Yuuki, is it because you have been possessed by the heart of a volunteer?" Maybe if he explained to him the sacrifice of what was being given in a way that hit home, maybe then he would stop looking at it so calculating.
Kaname's elegant brows furrowed, looking down at an interesting photograph, definitely a new edition, "It's not the will to do it then, is it? It's love."
Cross was beaming up at him, "And that's why we cannot force it or make it move faster, love doesn't work that way. You know I'm glad that there is still something for me to teach you."
The boy smirked, running a hand through his dark hair and nodding. Then he picked up the picture "Does Zero know that you have this?"
The wise old man, with his grace and calm shriveled away into a jittery mess, "NO! And you have to promise me you won't tell him, Kaname-kun!"
He laughed gently, setting the photo back down. "I'm sure it will be more fun to have him find out on his own," he grinned.
Then he added, "You might say I will do it out of love."
Haruhi brushed the coat of the horse carefully, watching with a bit of child-like awe as the coat seemed to become even more luminous with each stroke. She liked brushing the horses, they were such big majestic creatures and it was an awesome experience to feel every muscle and cord shift under your hand as the powerful creatures moved about. When they got back to school she had decided to join the equestrian club. This Sunday was the first Sunday that she actually got to be alone with horses, the club assigning her grooming duty. Normally she would be going to join the others for hosting in an hour, but she had been given a pass for this week.
Haruhi hummed some old melody to herself as she brushed the grey mare's, coat, acutely focused on what she was doing. Lily for her part, had been calm, give a few height and a tap of her foot at Haruhi's ministrations.
"See, Lily, we can be pals you and me," Haruhi said after a moment. Of all the horses Lily was the most skittish, Zero had told her it was because she was a rescue horse. So Haruhi was a little more cautious and a little more talkative when it came to this particular horse. She even saved her for last to give the animal time to acclimate to her presence. She had found that singing to the horse had allowed it to get used to the girl that much faster. So she sang whatever came to mind, humming an old tune she had long forgotten the words to when she couldn't think of a song.
Suddenly 'calm Lily' bucked up excitedly, frightening Haruhi as she assumed she had done the wrong thing. "Whoa," she tried to soothe, hands up in a placating manner. Lilly only seemed to become more excited and Haruhi yelped when she tried to rear up. But a pair of hands came forward to take hold of the bridle reins Lily was wearing, a deep and soothing voice asking the animal to calm down.
Haruhi turned to smile gratefully at Zero, but then it fell flat as realization struck her. "See I told you she only does that when you come in. A second ago we were the best of friends and then the second Zero walks in that's it, I go back to annoying brush girl." She waved the brush in Zero's face for emphasis.
The silver haired boy chuckled as Lily nuzzled into his arm. "Here let me do it." He offered, taking the brush from Haruhi with an apologetic grin. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Haruhi shook her head, "No you're fine. I was just kind of zoning out."
He nodded. "So the host club is really okay with you missing out today? What about your debt?"
She shrugged, "I bring in more customers when I'm a boy." She grinned at the expression Zero shot her, "It's true. Apparently I act too much like one of the boys, Kyoya said it must be intimidating for my customers."
He grinned, "Alright. Well Yukki stopped me after detention and gave me this", he produced a small book bound in old fashioned, olive colored leather.
Haruhi recognized it immediately, suddenly feeling relief that someone had picked up the book she had thoughtlessly forgotten. "She said it was yours and asked me to bring it to you."
"Thanks," she said, taking the book and moving to sit on a stool that was against the stable wall.
They were quiet for a moment, Zero brushing and Haruhi looking over her book to make sure nothing had accidentally fallen out.
"So," Zero began offhandedly, "that seems like an interesting read," it was a book on different human psychosis and he couldn't help to be curious why she had it.
Haruhi became even more quiet. The book in itself was enough, but the reasons why she checked it out were kind of embarrassing, especially when one of those reasons was currently in front of her brushing a horse.
Zero cringed, she had been acting kind of strange ever since the whole incident with the new Night Class boys. From her point of view, it probably looked like Zero had acted like some possessive jerk, and it would be a lie if he said he wasn't somewhat possessive over Haruhi. But that had been different. they were vampires, new and unknown, he couldn't possibly trust them to abide by the rules just yet and definitely not in the face of someone he cared about. Feeling like she was clamming up but not quite ready to let go, Zero asked casually, "What's 'Hero Syndrome'?"
He looked back when he heard the book hit the floor of the stable with a loud thud. He heard the mumbled apology as she stooped to pick it up but he was faster, kneeling down and picking the book up for her. Haruhi was acting a bit strange lately, sending mixed signals. To be honest, Zero was glad Yuuki had given him a reason to come a find her and maybe he had been a little too curious about the sticky tab, hanging from a page. The silver haired prefect chewed on the inside of his cheek as he looked up at her from his position. He just had wanted to talk to her about something that was obviously interesting to her, just to talk to her and move past that awkwardness. But Haruhi's behavior was making him feeling like he had the wrong idea about how things were and he didn't like it.
"Sorry," he apologized again, "I only saw the little note on the tab."
She could see the beginnings of doubt start to form on his handsome face and she knew she had to tell him, no matter how red it made her face.
She sighed, "I have been reading about some of the psychological effects of saving someone's life. I'm sure that's not the right term, but Kaoru said it and it stuck. The truth is, I was worried that maybe the way you have been acting towards me was because you suddenly felt this sense of responsibility to my life and well being, kind of like this burden, or something. It's how the book describes it." she rambled (and Yuuki described it), her voice slowly turning introverted as if she were talking to herself.
Zero couldn't help but scoff, not knowing if she had meant to offend him but feeling offended all the same, "So you are afraid that I don't really like helping you? That I'm acting this way because of a few basic patterns in my brain that have been stimulated causing me to behave like your 'hero'."
She didn't look at him. For some reason when he said it, it sounded silly. Maybe it was that condescending tone. She didn't have time to ponder as a hard thump to her head made her brain feel like it was rattling about. She cried out, reaching up and rubbing against the area where zero had flicked her. She looked back to where he was still kneeling in front her, eyes showing her distraught and confusion.
There was a smile a mile wide, "Does that help you understand how I feel?"
She glared at him, earning a soft chuckle. Then his face turned serious, "Look, you aren't just some girl I pulled out of the lake. If I want to help you, it's not because I feel sorry for you. I- I like being around you, I like helping you. If you try to use that hero thing, then there is no way for me to do anything to not justify it, except turn and walk away."
He got a sudden realization flood him like a horrible monsoon, "Unless, that's what you want?"
Haruhi shook her head, oh no she definitely didn't want that. "No, I don't." She inhaled sharply, she would have to explain a little more, watching him rise back to his feet and continue to brush Lily. "Yuuki and I were talking and I just got this thought stuck in my head. She told me about when she was little and how Kaname had saved her from someone. She told me she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him and how much he is devoted to her. She worries that it's out of obligation or duty and that's why she tries her best to show him how much she is thankful for what he did. She is devoted to him."
For the second time zero paused, feeling that unholy uncertainty all over again. He knew all about Yuuki's utter worship of the 'wondrous; pureblood that saved her life, it was always the way she tried to justify acting the way she did toward him. Anytime she made something or said something, even when he would catch her staring. She would always runoff on some spiel that it was because he had saved her life. For the most part, he knew it was so he wouldn't ride her tail about her feelings, but a small part of him would always feel sick with the idea that the only reason why she was so obsessed with Kaname is because she owed him her life. And now that small part of him grew exponentially at the thought of his and Haruhi's situation being anyway similar.
"So," he started softly refusing to look back toward her again, "are you saying that you- that the kiss," the word barely even came out, "was a show of gratitude?"
Haruhi blinked in surprise, how had she managed to put her foot in her mouth for the second time in a row. "Wha- No." She denied quickly, she hadn't even realized she was standing up. "I kissed you because…" She moved closer, noting the way he wouldn't turn around. "Well because, you almost died and-"
"You wanted to show how grateful you were? That I was willing to go so far?" He interrupted, finally remembering to continue to brush Lily, she whinnied softly in reply.
Haruhi shook her head even though she knew he couldn't see her. Then her hand came up to grab onto the sleeve of Zero's school shirt, stilling his hand. "Because," she started again, a new determination in her voice, "I was so happy that you didn't. Not the Zero that saved me, the Zero that is my friend, that I care about."
"Ow," she yelped when Zero suddenly thumped her again. "Stop it!" That had been hard enough to say without the thump, but as she looked up at him she could seem similar flush on his face.
"Well you've made it impossible for me to show that I like you any other way!" Zero retorted playfully, his heart rate increasing as he registered that he had told her that he liked her, not just hanging out with her.
"Jerk," she whined. Her hand still clutched to his shirt as she looked up at him, her brown eyes dilated dramatically, "I- I like you too." She said shyly. Zero leaned into her, pressing his forehead to hers, feeling her soft exhale.
They stayed like that for a moment until she laughed embarrassedly, making him laugh too. Her arms came up to wrap around his shoulders, burying her flushed face into the side of his neck.
Zero stiffened as he felt her lips against the side of his tattoo. That place was the sight of only terrible memories and having her touch it made them all flash through. The feel of Shizuka's fangs sliding in and ruining his life, Yuuki's gentle hand when he tried to claw it away, the sting of the tattoo and all its magic and meaning. A tamed monster. It all seemed to weigh itself on his heart and he felt the darkening sickness coming for him. He was just about to pull free when he felt her cool fingers on his neck, sending shivers down his spine and calming him. Their innocent and unknowing touch, he inhaled deeply, pushing the thoughts away, asking him to focus on Haruhi's warm breath as she whispered to him.
"I got stuck on something silly again, I'm sorry," she said remorsefully.
Zero shrugged, "Next time it happens I'll be sure to give you a good thump on the head."
She scoffed, pulling back to look at him incredulously, "I'm not a broken record player, you know?"
***ANON REVIEWS***
Chapter 18
Chey721: lol wow, thank you so much for the review and support!
Darkkami: hehe, zero is always nice, he is the only one that doesn't think so lol
Meow: lol I am glad that you like it so much. Sorry for the slow updates and I think i would say couples... lol
Chapter 19:
Darkkami: Yay kiss! lol I am glad you liked it and thanks again for reading and reviewing.