a/n: i've watched hamilton a hundred times

[Tall Tales]

Naomi paced in front of the academy's gate with her arms crossed against her chest as she brought her right hand up and began to bite her nails while her other hand gripped the polaroid on her side. She wasn't afraid of confronting Tanaka, she has fought with him before, she didn't even know if they were going to fight... but she was afraid of the insane cult that currently wants her head on a platter for 'killing' Shizuka Hio.

What if they were waiting for her right outside these gates, waiting for her to leave the safety of Cross Academy? Naomi wasn't frightened of dying per say, but she was not so pathetic to have her death be because of some crazy, irrelevant lady, who Naomi only remembers bits and pieces of in a self-induced drug haze. If she was going to die, she was going to die for something that mattered.

She wondered, Why did I take the blame? Zero would've been fine...

Naomi never thought as to why she did what she did that night, but she realized in that moment, the question she should be asking herself isn't why she took the blame, but for who she took the blame for?

Her heart began to pound out of her chest, This is not the time. I have to worry about myself.

She couldn't like either them.

What kind of future could I have with either of them? They're both vampires, they'll live longer than I ever could.

She won't allow herself to have affections for either of them.

And I don't even know if I have feelings for the two of them... It doesn't matter, what matters right now is the truth not my feelings and it's probably nothing.

She inhaled deeply, I probably feel nothing for them. I mean for god's sake Zero is going to become a raging bloodaholic, and Kaname is a liar and he took my memories.

Another breath, Not to mention, they're both in love with Yuki... It's so obvious.

This shouldn't have hurt her as much as it did, so she did what she did best; she buried it.

I am the priority.

Naomi could wait until it was safe to leave but how long could she truly wait until it was too late? And what if it was too late? What if everything she was doing now was worthless? What if her fate has already been decided, set? What if there was nothing she could do?

She was probably way in over her head thinking she could train under Yagari and be able to take on a pureblood vampire, she couldn't even handle Kaname on a good day much less one that was clearly obsessed with her, and has shown no intentions of leaving her alone.

No, this is not the time to give up.

Naomi unlocked the gates as she pocketed the crumpled picture, and took out her butterfly knife. There was a time, no too long ago actually, when she would've forgotten it, whether it be on purpose or not. But now, she felt reassurance from the cool metal resting on her palm. Naomi instinctively did tricks with it while walked and kept her eyes focused on the shadows, instead of the light... waiting for someone to pounce.

Naomi was too focused on any possible incoming attacks to notice she was already in front of Tanaka's coffee shop. She furled the butterfly knife and thought of a million things to say to him, a million things to ask him.

This time she wouldn't let him usher her out, this time she would stay until she was satisfied.

Naomi pulled the door open, a clear ring escaped the bell as it swung a few times after the door closed behind her.

"Welcome-" Tanaka looked up from cleaning the counter with a clean washcloth, "Naomi, what are you doing here? You're not supposed to leave the academy. Damn it, I haven't gotten vampire hunter association to agree to protect you-"

Naomi gripped the crumpled picture as she walked up to the counter and placed it infront of him. She didn't slam it like she thought she would and she felt oddly calm.

"I found this in my attic," She started, "I threw it away, thought it was nothing but then I found it in Kaname Kuran's room." She smiled tightly, "Did you know I have a pureblood stalker or did I forget to mention that?"

No, Naomi was not calm, anyone who knows her as long as Tanaka has learns to read her eyes for the truth, and her eyes were turbulent. If Tanaka said the wrong thing, she was going to explode.

He threw the washcloth over his shoulder, "What do you want to know?"

Naomi sat on the stool, "So you do know." She clenched her hands and she felt the anger begin to rise, "Who is he? The pureblood who's been following since I was three?"

Tanaka walked around the counter, it was so quiet... she was so quiet. He turned the sign from open to closed.

"He hasn't been following you since you were three, Naomi." Tanaka said, "He's been doing it a lot longer than that."

Naomi was simmering, "I want his name."

"Rido Kuran." Tanaka confessed.

Naomi's eyes widen, "As in Kaname Kuran-"

That actually makes sense. Why else would Kuran be so cagey?

"Yes," he continued, "You're parents don't know anything by the way. Aidou Hanabusa was being a nuisance and confusing you're parents, you should be glad I was there to stop him."

Naomi frowned, "I may have been wrong about which person was lying to me - wait, what did you mean by he's been following me for 'alot longer than that.' "

You know exactly what he means, Naomi thought, Rido told you in your dreams... 'I wanted you since before you were born.'

Tanaka made his way to the stool next to her and sat down. He looked like he was searching for the right words as he sighed and said:

"Your mom was about five months pregnant, your dad was working wanting to earn enough to move out of the apartment they used to live in before you were born." Another sigh escaped him, "I accompanied your mom to her doctor's appointment, she kept saying she was too afraid of going alone that she felt like someone was watching her."

Naomi pursed her lips, "I know the feeling."

Tanaka's expression morphed into one of worry, "I stepped out for just a second, your mom was feeling sluggish... she must have fallen asleep or maybe Rido made her fall asleep, I don't know." Tanaka's brows furrowed, "But when I came back, he was laying his head on your mother's stomach."

He remembers that day like it was yesterday, he remembers the chill in his bones when he saw Rido Kuran caressing Sayako's belly with his haunting eyes closed as he hummed softly. Tanaka didn't know what to do, he was a retired vampire hunter with no weapon and as far as he knew the deranged pureblood was meant to be incarcerated, yet here he was listening to Naomi's heartbeat so contently.

"By the time, I moved to do something," Tanaka said, "he was gone. I kept a much closer eye on your parents since then but he never showed up again, so I thought maybe it was fluke or my imagination... I sincerely hoped I imagined it that thing is a blight."

He didn't usually speak ill of vampires, particularly those who had no choice and were turned through sickening purebloods. He suppose the vampires he did speak ill of were purebloods perhaps a how lax they were with their bite and appetite; not all of them of course, but Rido Kuran deserved every horrible remark, every spiteful act ever acted upon him.

Naomi wanted to throw up but instead she snapped at Tanaka, "And when did you figure out that you didn't imagine it? How long did you do nothing-"

"I did do something!" Tanaka expressed, "The moment you mentioned him," He grabbed the wrinkled picture, "I called Haruka Kuran, he put a block on your mind and he erased your memories at my behest."

'Chip away at the last line of defense my meddlesome brother gave you.'

It's all making sense now.

Naomi was an intelligent child especially for a three year old. She knew how to sneak from her mother's grasp without her knowing and she also knew where to go if she ever got lost: straight to Tanaka's, or home, if she recognized the street she was on. Unfortunately, she didn't know where she currently was but she could always find her way to the small coffee shop. However, she was long ways away from there though and the sun lowering, it would be dark soon.

Naomi was bouncing on her heels waiting to cross the street into the cobblestone alleyway, it was a shortcut she learned a few months ago. She couldn't take too long, her parents and Tanaka told her never to be out at night alone. Naomi thought, maybe she should run... she'd make there faster but a child running would raise alarms. Someone would try and stop her, and maybe ask her if she was okay? She shook her small head as she peeked her head over the side of a brick building, she saw a few people: a couple getting a little too handsy with each other, a man talking to himself in a corner, and another man with glowing red eyes watching the people with fervor.

Weird.

Naomi stepped out as she patted her dress off any dust or dirt. She didn't notice the two pair of eyes watching her, the man watching the street broke his attention from the passionate couple and turned it towards her. Naomi skipped lightly trying to get to Tanaka's as fast she could without raising any attention. The man walked across the street as he prowled after her, he inched closer and closer to her... a child on their own; odds are no one cares for her.

Of course, he was wrong which he would soon realize when the other pair of mismatched eyes took care of him before he could so much as lay a hand on Naomi's pretty little head. Nonetheless, Naomi swayed as a large gust of wind came blowing from behind her; her dress went just a bit as she twirled to see what was going on. She didn't see anyone but she did see a large pile of ashes near her. She cocked her head to the side and took step towards the ashes-

"Always getting yourself into trouble." A dark voice clicked his tongue in amusement in her ear.

Naomi spun to come face to face with Rido Kuran. He was kneeling down to reach her small frame, despite this Naomi still had to look up to meet his hetero-chromatic eyes. She could see his fangs through his grin... she had seen before and this was not the first time he's talked to her. She wanted run away but the last time she tried that he caught before she could even get a step in. This time she had different tactic, Naomi put all of her force into one kick but then again she's kicked him a lot of times so it wasn't a really a 'new tactic'. Last time, it was her mother, who witnessed what happened.

Rido chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her tiny body, "So cute."

Naomi thrashed and squirmed under his grip, "Let go of me!" She pounded her tiny fists against his chest.

He held her tighter.

Naomi let out a small wounded cry, she thought her bones were going to crack under the pressure.

"You had my memories erased?!" She cried out.

"You ran in here crying and you never cry," Tanaka said, "I've never seen you so scared... Haruka was his brother, Kaname's dad, and I trusted him a hell of a lot more than any other pureblood."

Naomi ran her hand through her hair, "That's why you wanted me to stay away from Kaname, not because he's pureblood, but because of this."

He was there... that's why he acted like he knew me.

"I just wanted to keep you safe."

Naomi stood up as she breathed in and buried her rage with the rest of her emotions, "Yeah, well, you did a terrible job." She swiped the picture from Tanaka's hand as she began to leave the coffee shop.

"Naomi..." Tanaka called out, "I thought he was dead, everyone thought he was dead along with Haruka and Juri." He reached for but Naomi snatched her her arm back, "Had I known he was still alive I-"

"You would've what?" She opened the door, "You couldn't do anything then, and you can't do anything now."

Naomi walked out without glancing back, she didn't have too she knew his was down in shame.

Guilt overwhelmed her, "You tried your best, Tanaka. I know you did."

A clear ring resonated as she walked out.

a/n: who's ready for Naomi to explode on some people cause i am