Night Thirty-Seven:

"I want to go back to the Academy." I said simply a week after my party. Toma looked at me in surprise, the cup of blood on paused in his hands. We were currently sitting outside, enjoying the beauty of the fullest most golden moon I had seen in such a long time.

"What? Why? I thought your tutoring was going so well." Koume said with a bit of a pout as she sat her cup down with an audible clink of the precious, valuable china. I looked up at her with a slight grin.

"I think it's going very well as well, but I want to go back." I said simply, taking a bit out of the cake I was eating.

Truthfully, I couldn't get Yakumi, Mikami, or Zero out of my mind since that night. I wanted to talk to them, if only for one time. Although I knew it was most likely impossible for me to ever talk to Yakumi again, I thought… Perhaps it would be easier for me to talk to Zero again. For some reason, that felt infinetly better than talking to Yakumi, who always held me at arms length. Even more, I wanted to talk to Mikami as well. He would be the easiest, but in the situation I was currently in, talking to any of them would be near to impossible. At least if I went to the Academy, I could try to talk to Zero.

"Why? What are your true intentions?" Shion asked, looking up at me with a cool expression.

He was obviously trying to keep his expression friendly, but even his smile seemed to hold an expression like he could read my very mind. It was highly intimidating, and I had to use all my will power not to lose my poker face.

"I'm a pureblood princess." I started simply, looking away. I took another moment to pause, and then took a small breath as I continued on." I'm a pureblood princess, and yet… I hardly know anything about the vampire world other than what I've been told as… A Hunter. To truly understand my kind, and to show that I am different, then…. I think it would be beneficial for me to emerge myself in the vampire world in a… Safe and secure place like Cross Academy." I offered, looking at Toma and Koume with a hopefully reassuring smile. They looked at each other with surprised, but relieved smiles before looking back at me with a much more relaxed demeanor.

"Sounds wonderful. As long as you're sure." Koume stated simply. I nodded, beaming at them. However, I could feel Shion looking at me.

I glanced at him through the corner of my eyes as he sipped at his blood. His eyes looked at me with a cool expression. Reminding me of how a fox might watch its prey. I looked away quickly, biting my lips. I couldn't let him see through me at a time like this.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

I was happy that Koume and Toma agreed to send me back to Cross Academy. I felt like I was floating on a cloud as I listened to Koume make arrangements with Kaien Cross, but was scolded by my tutor when she realized I wasn't paying attention. As always, Shion was close to me, seemingly watching my every step. My every facial expression. Trying to read my thoughts. It was unnerving, but I had to ignore it the best that I could.

"So… What are your true intentions of going back to Cross Academy?" Shion asked again later on in the night as I was reading a book while he was eating an apple.

"I just want to go. It's just as I've said to… Mother and Father." I said simply. I was being careful to call Koume and Toma mother and father, even though they still felt far from being anything like my parents. Still, Shion didn't seem to beleive me.

"Why do I believe otherwise?" He questioned, making me tense slightly.

"I have no idea. I am telling the truth." I replied, flipping a page as I tried not to let my tension show too much.

"...No. Just a portion of the truth." He stated softly, looking off. I looked at him, my eyebrows drawn together. He then looked at me with a slight grin."Did you think I missed that expression you gave to the boy at the party? You want to go back because of him." He stated coyly, grinning at me with a sideways grin.

I stiffened, unable to hold back the heavy gulp I gave. His smile became even more coy grin to me. He saw me look at Zero? But… It was not like I gave him any reason to think I had romantic interest in the Kiryu boy. I simply missed… Everything, hard as that was to admit at the time.

"The… The boy?" I questioned, clearing my throat as I looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Sure! Ya know, not a bad choice if I say so myself." He said simply, nodding as he looked off.

I was thankful for the dark that hid my reddened cheeks. It was odd for a pureblood to think that a former human, a hunter no less, would be a good choice for anyone in their family to be with, but could it be that I was misunderstanding his intentions?

"Why do you say that?" I asked with a little laugh, tucking a piece of brown hair behind my ear. I tired to hide my unease at his words. Shion looked at me, and shrugged slightly.

"The Kain family is a highly prominent vampire family. Almost on the same level as the Aidou and Ichijo families." I felt surprise at his words.

The Kain family? He was talking about… About Akatsuki?

I tired to think back to that night of the party, but all I could think about was Zero. His pale, handsome face that was pulled into a heavier frown than usual that night, looking highly uncomfortable. His violet colored eyes scanned the room with distrust and almost hate. However, he also looked… Highly uncomfortable. It gave him a rather pitting look about him, and I understood better just how dueling the situation was for him… And for me as well.

"I.. Umm… There's nothing going on between us." I said simply, stumbling over my words, only to feel a sense of guilt at denying anything had happened between us.

How could I forget those notes? The flowers? The stolen conversations? The expressions exchanged with one another? The dance? The kiss? Or the way his eyes looked at me at the party? How soft his eyes were when looking at me? As if we were the only people in that room, and nothing or nobody else mattered? As if no time had passed,and neither one of us had changed? The way it felt to be in his strong arms? So comforting, so easy to be around him, and be comforted? As if nothing was wrong at all? Or the way his hands slyly slid lower to my waist than a normal man would have his hands properly when dacing with a woman? How could I forget how comforting,and easy it was to be around him? How could I just… Forget and deny any of that?

"Is there someone else?" Shion questioned softly, glancing at me." Do you truly care for this Akatsuki Kain?" He continued, waiting for my reply.

I froze again. How could I answer that? It was so simple a question. It should have been a simple yes or no, but I couldn't answer like that. It felt too… Complicated to answer it as simply as yes or no. So, I simply sat back on my hands, trying to gather my thoughts before I could give a good, clear concise answer.

Mostly because the question brought up something I had never bothered to ask myself, so I had to think to sort out how I truly felt. After all, how could I truly answer my brother without feeling guilty if I don't sort out my feelings myself? SO, I took a moment to think.

The only person I had an interest in was Akastuki, but the more I think about it, the more I can't help but to wonder…

Was it really interest? Did I truly care for him? Or was it simply infatuation? Fascination with him? Because he was the first person to catch my interest so strongly?

The answer was simple the more I thought on it.

Yes.

I cared for Akatsuki. I cared for him very much. He was different than any other vampire I had met previously. He was loyal. He was kind. He was protective. He was someone who was genuine wiht his every word and thought. Never saying anything that he didn't mean. He was intelligent,and observant. Though he was protective, he respected spaces,and let his loved ones make their own mistakes. Though, he was always there when they needed him, even if it meant he also got in trouble as well.

Not to mention, it was hard to deny how good looking he was. I couldn't deny how safe I felt in his strong arms. How tenderly he would look at me, or hold me. It set a wamr feeling in my entire body, and I couldn't deny the thought of how I felt towards him.

So, yes. The interest I held for him was genuine. I truly cared for him, and liked him. I was happy to be in his strong, but oddly calming presence. He made everything seem like it was going to be alright, even if I knew it wasn't going to be that way at all. I liked that stability most of all, however I couldn't help but to have my mind wonder to someone.

Someone more… Surprising. Even to me as I sat to think on it at that moment.

"Why would there be?" I questioned, glancing back at Shion, who gave me a curious expression before shaking his head, and looking off.

"No. I'm just being silly." He smiled at me, ruffling my hair slightly as he stood up, and walked past me. I sighed in relif, looking off.