Woo! Going to move this story along quite quickly for the next few chapters.

~Belle :)

When we made it to the door of the library Aido pushed it open for me.

"After you," he said quietly.

"Ah, thanks." I said, going in carefully.

I crossed the threshold into the library and went to drop Aido's hand, being afraid someone would see us. He gripped it harder and pulled me back to him so he could lean down to my ear.

"People already think we're dating, remember? We just have to look the part."

"Not necessarily around here, right?" I said uneasily. The thought of drawing more vampire attention to myself made me nauseous.

"Especially around here." Aido said lowly. "If Kaname-sama thinks we're dating he'll probably be less focused on other things, you know?"

Like trying to erase our memory and/or kill us. My mind though bitterly.

Don't think about it. I thought back.

I worried about my hand getting sweaty in Aido's. How did other couples deal with this? Suddenly I felt a coldness blossoming in my hand and Aido lifted our hands up and unfolded them to reveal a frozen lotus flower sitting in my hand. Aido smiled slyly, dropping his own hand down to his side.

"You felt a little warm."

I laughed nervously and turned to face the library. It wasn't grand or vast or anything but it was a library and there were books I hadn't seen before so I was impressed. It was about the size of an average elementary school library and the shelves were clean and perfectly organized. After putting the frozen lotus on a nearby table so it didn't melt, I started wandering the aisles, Aido traipsing along some distance behind me. I brushed my fingers along the spines of a few spell books, and noticed how worn their bindings were.

"These look well used." I said, almost sadly at the thought of what that implied for me.

Kaname hasn't stopped searching.

"Everyone uses those." Aido said half-heartedly, and then steered me in another direction.

Uses them for what? I wondered.

Nothing. He's lying. My mind thought back bitterly.

I continued on browsing through the library and picked a book on the history of vampires.

I sat at a table and turned the pages idly. Aido sat down across from me.

"The History of Vampires? Really? If you wanted that I could have told you."

"You could tell me a lot of things, 'genius'." I joked. "Didn't I hear you write scholarly articles in your spare time?"

Aido pouted, and leaned back in his chair. "When I feel like it."

"When would you ever feel like writing an academic paper." I didn't put enough expression in my voice to make it a question. It was more a deadpanned statement.

Aido huffed. "When you're as smart as I am sometimes it just feels like a natural travesty not to share it with the world."

My jaw dropped for about three whole seconds. Closing my mouth, I replied. "... I think that's the single most egotistical thing I've ever heard someone say." I slapped right my hand over my eyes in disgust and it was barely there for a second and Aido ripped it away.

"Oh come on." He said, rolling his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"I don't, actually." I said, meeting his eyes. "I'm hardly as smart as you."

He looked at me for a second, his eyes calculating with a glint of mischief. I saw his eyes glance in the direction of the library door for a second, as if checking to see if anyone was going to come in, and then he turned back to me. His hand still on mine, he used it to pull me forward, causing me to be pulled to my feet and lean halfway across the table. He met me in the middle and it was a harsh clash of lips and teeth, but he pulled back quickly before kissing me again, more softly this time, and using his other hand to cradle my cheek like he had last time.

My mind was racing.

Um, why is he kissing us again?! My sanity thundered. I understand the first one being for show, but there's hardly any reason to do it right now, is there?!

I don't understand. I was in a daze. Maybe he likes me? But he's keeping it so much tamer than last time I hardly think this is secret, unbridled passion.

I was interrupted from my musing by a gasp at the door, which caused my eyes to fly open. When had I closed them? Aido was looking at me with a guilty expression, and he winked with his right eye, so the person at the door couldn't see.

He sat back down. "Sorry, Kisa-chan. You just looked so cute just now."

I was still in shock, when Ichijo bounded over.

"Kisa-chan! I see Aido has finally put the moves on you! How cute!" He threw his arms around me, and Aido smirked, rolling his eyes.

"It was hardly that long, Ichijo-san. I just didn't want to scare Kisa-chan away."

That devil! He did that knowing Ichijo was coming! Super vampire hearing! He could hear him!

My train of thought having finally caught up, I carefully disentangled myself from Ichijo's grip. "Sorry about that, Ichijo-san."

"No need, no need! But I am kind of sad Aido beat me to it." Ichijo pouted in a surprisingly adorable way.

I frowned, surprised that was what his problem was. "What the-"

"Anyway!" Aido interrupted loudly. "What were you looking for, Ichijo-san?"

"Oh that's right!" He said, snapping his fingers and standing up straighter. "Kaname sent me in here to get a book for him! He's working very hard you see."

Aido raised an eyebrow. "On what?"

"Oh who knows!" Ichijo sighed dramatically, throwing himself forward on the table, leaning forward on it while still standing between Aido and I. "But I always end up running errands for him if I happen to be around."

"Want us to help you look?" I asked, quickly standing up and walking over to the bookshelves.

"Oh not at all, Kisa-chan." Ichijo said. "That's okay. After all, the book I'm looking for is right here!"

Shocked, I met Aido's eyes behind Ichijo's back as Ichijo grabbed the book of spells, fingers curling into the grooves of the worn spine, and flounced out of the room.