chapter xiiii.
Honestly there had been a reason why Zero had been one of her favourite anime characters from the original series. Perhaps it was his dry humour, his sarcasm, his wit — but Asuka enjoyed it. In a world where her brother and Ri-chan often worried over her, here was one person who didn't care about her past, or the potential dangers that lurked behind the scenes. Someone who treated her like an equal, and well almost like one. If it wasn't for the fact, she was a pureblood vampire. And she knew he didn't trust her as of yet, but she hoped that eventually he would come to extend that hand of trust to her.
"Why the heck are you smiling, huh?" Came the grunt of the silver haired boy as Asuka grinned at the other, enjoying their walk as they explored campus. Whilst she relished in the company of others, there were times where Asuka enjoyed her own peace and silence. She didn't like to be constantly surrounded by others, and she was coming to find that there were little pockets of places she would be able to escape to when the Night Class were too overwhelming. That, or the fact that they would be great training spots where she could hone her powers, and make sure that she remained in shape.
Shaking her head in mirth, knowing that Zero would probably not like her true answer, she shrugged as she replied unfazed to his sharp retorts, "Is it so hard to believe that I'm enjoying this tour?" And perhaps for the Level E vampire, the notion that a pureblood was enjoying their time with him was a foreign one. But at least he could tell that he would not have problems with her like he did have with so many of the other pests.
And whilst he did not outwardly trust her good nature one bit, he couldn't deny that perhaps his cold heart thawed a minute amount as he watched her genuinely enjoy exploring the campus, (hadn't the Headmaster mentioned something along the lines of this being the first time she was attending school?) Well as long as she didn't cause trouble, he guessed that he could put up with her. At least for now. Till she proved him wrong. Grunting at her reply, (for some damn reason her cheery nature eerily reminded him of Yuuki) he rolled his eyes as he watched the twilight hours begin to recede, the rays of sun beginning to peak through the clouds.
"You should probably head back. It's getting late, and I'm sure your precious Dorm President would not be pleased if you were out longer." Pouting slightly at Zero's reply, Asuka couldn't deny that she wished that she could have stayed out longer. Now she would probably have to play nice with the nobles before sleep. And wasn't that a headache of a thought. And whilst she almost whined in her reply, she sighed as she replied, "Alright. But you'll finish the rest of the tour tomorrow, right?"
And if there was a hint of a puppy eyes in her look, to help her case against the stoic Zero, well that was only because she knew how stifling the Night Class was going to be once she ended up back in the dorms. Please, please please — Zero fall for the trap and let me traverse the campus with you tomorrow night! If only because then she might come across the paths of Yuuki. Plus it didn't hurt to build a good rapport with Zero, if only because she knew he made a good protector for her sister. And because she knew he was a loyal friend, unlike so many of the vipers that she knew lay in the pit.
He wasn't falling for that look — no he wasn't! And yet, one glance at her widened doe eyed gaze, and Zero sighed. Why the heck did he feel himself feeling sorry for the girl? She was a fucking pureblood vampire for goodness sakes. It was beings like her that had caused him to become a monster in the first place. Groaning as he ran a hand through his hair, he came to a stop as he looked to see if he could sense any deceit within her façade that would be a reason to not grant her with her request. And whilst he would have loved to just outright deny it, he also remembered the Chairman saying something along the lines about welcoming her, and that she had a rough life before coming here.
And whilst he didn't know anything about her past, there seemed something honest about Asuka, and at least if he agreed to her request, she would be roaming the grounds under his watch. "Fine. But you owe me vampire. And don't think I won't come collecting." He replied as he folded his arms, his gaze hardening as he watched her figure.
She hadn't expected him to agree to her request, (she probably would have snuck out anyways if he didn't agree) but here Zero was — surprising her! A large smile appearing upon her lips, she moved swiftly towards the other to embrace him quickly, before clearing her throat as she stepped backwards. Oh, he probably would have hated that. She just hoped that he wouldn't change his mind over a small hug. "Thanks, Zero." She replied warmly, as she moved towards the gates of the Moon Dormitory, waving him off as she disappeared under the cover of darkness.
It was best to leave on better terms than for him to pull out the gun again because she had decided to hug him. Yikes, she was glad that none of the other nobles had seen that. They would probably have judged her for her rather human affections. No, she had to steel herself against the others, demonstrating her pureblood etiquette, lest they think she was easy prey.
Ugh, all she wanted was a nap. That, or to find out where Ri-chan or Ka-chan were.
His gaze watching his sister's figure finally approach the Dormitories, (she had been gone for a worryingly long time without him by her side), his eyes narrowed as he saw that she was accompanied by the silver haired prefect. Zero Kiryuu. Now that wouldn't do. Just what did the Vampire Hunter have to do with his sister? How long had they been together? Did he threaten her with his weapon? Oh, how he would love to crush the heart of the boy if he had. There were no words to describe the unexplainable pain the other would have been in if he had threatened his sister.
And this was all before he saw his sister, Asuka hug the other Hunter before leaving him! The rose held in between his fingers disintegrating to pieces at the affection that she had offered the other, Kaname's eyes briefly turned crimson as he gritted his teeth at the fact that his sister had moved towards the other to allow herself to be in such close proximity to him. And perhaps if he was thinking more rationally, Kaname would have realised that he was jealous that his sister so freely offered such intimate interactions to other beings, other than him.
And if Zero was considering to be romantically inclined to his twin, just like he was sure that the Hunter was to Yuuki, he would come to be sorely disappointed. It was bad enough he had to battle Senri Shiki, their insipid cousin who had somehow come to find his own place in Asuka's heart, and there was no way that he would allow himself to be so easily pushed out, not when he had earned his place first.
It had been them before anyone else. They had arrived in the world together, and they would be together forever. That had been their promise, and this meant forever and always to him. He could only hope that one day she would come to return his affections.
But first to plan their weekend away together. He had already mentioned to Takuma that he would be in charge of the Night Class over the days they would be away, wanting to have no problems from that end so that they could spend time alone together, undisturbed. The only problem that could arise from this, was if Senri decided to get in the way. He would just have to come up with a certain distraction for his cousin to make sure that he wouldn't preoccupy Asuka's time, and so that all her attention could be spent on him.
Was he selfish? Yes. But he had earned it. He had been alone for all those years as the first vampire. He had suffered. He had watched empires rise and fall. And for the first time in his life, he had felt what it meant to be happy. And now that he had tasted it, he would be stupid to let all that go. So, he would fight to the ends of the Earth for his taste of heaven, fight dirty to have her by his side. Nothing else mattered.
Meanwhile, whilst these dark thoughts stirred in Kaname's mind, his twin sister took a deep sigh as she entered the corridor to notice the various Aristocratic vampires seated in different areas, deep in conversations, games or anything that they deemed of interest. Oh, how she wished that she could disappear to her rooms. But she knew that for the sake of protecting those important to her, she would have to gain her own ties to the vampires herself — not just rely on their loyalty to Kaname.
A small smile upon her lips, she decided to approach Rima and Ruka who she saw seated upon a couch with no other vampires, deep in conversation about the latest fashions that had come out recently. God, she hated introductions, and the chit chat that came with that. Please let this not be a fail.
"Hello, do you mind if I sit with you two?" A short introduction, but one she hoped that they wouldn't baulk too much at. Polite as a pureblood, but not too forward as to assume friendship from the others. Pleased that they didn't seem irritated with her presence, (that was at least a bonus), her smile widened slightly as they nodded and ushered her into their conversation through introducing themselves and conversing about the latest fashions that Rima had been modelling in. Oh, that was right. In the original series, Senri had modelled with Rima by his side. Would he pick this up again?
Continuing to think about these thoughts, she began to drift away from the conversation, although she tried her best to maintain her replies, hoping that it wasn't too obvious that she herself was rather disinterested in the topic itself, (she didn't care too much about fashion, she just wore whatever usually looked good.) That, and it was usually Senri who told her what would look best depending on the weather, etc.
But perhaps this didn't matter, as they continued to enigmatically include her in their conversations, not minding that her replies had become sparser and briefer although they continued to remain friendly. And perhaps if she was concentrating harder upon the pair, and not over how much she might have potentially changed by existing in this universe she would have wondered why it seemed much easier than usual to break through Ruka's and Rima's facades.
That, and why Ruka didn't seem overly jealous by her presence or appearance — especially since everyone on the planet knew that she had a huge crush on Kaname, and probably would until she realised that she had her perfect knight all this time in Kain. Clearing her throat as she decided she had spent enough time with the Aristocrats for tonight, (that and she was becoming quite tired), she allowed for a kind smile to remain upon her features as she stated, "It was lovely to meet you two. Unfortunately, I will have to retire to my rooms, but I'd love to continue tomorrow?"
Whilst it had been practically ordained by Kaname-sama for them to be polite to his twin sister, Rima couldn't have imagined what Asuka-sama would be like. Whether she would be stoic, cold and charismatic like her brother, or kinder like she had seemed with the human that she had helped out. And whilst she had been apprehensive when Asuka-sama had decided to approach them, Rima had come to be pleasantly surprised as it seemed that she truly wanted to get to know the others. And whilst it was evident, she might not have been as interested in fashion which she and Ruka had been conversing about, she still made an honest effort to continue the conversation.
And for that, she had already won Rima's respect, and from what she could tell from Ruka's figure — she was beginning to win the other's as well. And whilst she knew that most of the Night Class had been taken aback by Kaname-sama's announcement that they were practically engaged, she knew that Ruka's heart would have been crushed at this. But she was proud of Ruka for the fact that she was still attempting to be kind to the other, (it was probably because Kaname-sama had ordered them to be, but perhaps also because Asuka-sama seemed to be someone that could be admired?)
No matter, she would be able to find out later from her friend. But as their conversation came to a close, Rima decided to reply for the pair as she nodded, before saying, "Of course Asuka-sama. We would love to. Please have a good night."
He could sense the moment she had arrived back in the Moon Dormitory. Perhaps it was because he was so highly attuned to her aura, but he certainly felt the moment she had stepped foot into the building. Glad that she was safe, Senri turned his attention back towards his book as he thumbed his way through the yellow paged novel. It was one of his favourite past times — to be able to escape the world through reading. A yawn escaping his lips, he almost reached over to turn out his bedside table lamp before hearing a knock to his door.
Having an inkling over who it was, he replied, "Come in." Unfazed by the appearance of Asuka, a small smile tugged upon his lips before he placed his book upon the bedside table to allow him to fixate his attentions upon her. She seemed happy. And that was all that Senri needed to see to know that they had made a right decision to come here. At least for now. And whilst he wouldn't deny that he already missed their home in Australia, he knew that a part of Asuka had been missing without her twin by her side.
And how could he deny her that?
Not when he knew that she felt incomplete without him by her side. But just because he was there, didn't mean that he would win in the race for her heart. And to win against the arrogant pureblood would truly be the icing upon the cake. But those thoughts were for a later date, not when Asuka interrupted the train with, "Did you have a good first day?"
Nodding briefly, deciding that she didn't need to know about his rather terse relationship with Kaname just yet. "It was alright. It will take some adjusting, but it's not bad."
And with that reply, Asuka's heart was lightened, knowing that Senri wasn't completely unhappy with the move. She had worried at first, thinking that he would hate it here. Especially since he certainly wasn't a social person. He hadn't even been much of a social bee in the original series, and now thanks to his dear Father's actions, he knew even less people. But she hoped with this move he would come to make friends and come out of his shell.
Even if that meant that she had to move out of the way for him to truly be happy. And whilst that might hurt her own heart in the process, that's all she ever wanted for the people who were most important to her. She wanted them to all be happy, even if it was to the cost of her own happiness. And she knew that Senri's would be probably just around the corner. With Rima. And Kaname with Yuuki. And hopefully, just hopefully there would be someone for her.
But if not, she would pleased that her actions had lessened the pain and hurt of others. Especially if Zero didn't have to go through the self-loathing that he had in the original anime. She already had plans for that. Not that others had to know about that just yet. She just had to make friends with him first. And hopefully with tonight and tomorrow, this would lay the foundations for it.
"Oh, I'm glad that you're beginning to settle in. And I'm so glad that you and Kaname are beginning to get to know each and are getting along!" Came Asuka's reply as she reached over to squeeze his hand, seating herself lightly upon the edge of his bed.
This was so familiar of their patterns, and he couldn't help but squeeze her hand back the moment she had extended it towards him. It was like his world rotated around her presence, and that she brightened it every time she re-entered it. But sometimes he couldn't help but be amused by her naivety when it came to human relationships, for someone so intelligent — she was lacking a few brain cells to this notion. It was cute that she thought that he and Kaname were getting along, he wondered what she would say if she truly knew what had happened in their conversations without her presence.
She probably would not be pleased, and they would have both known it.
Chuckling as he nodded at her reply, he reached out to stroke a couple strands of her brunette hair that had fallen wayside of her ponytail as he replied warmly, "You should head to bed, you look tired and must still be jetlagged from our flight." He could see the small dark circles begin to appear beneath her eyes, and squeezed her grip again as he continued, "You'll see me later tonight, go have a rest."
Sometimes Asuka didn't know what she would have done without Senri by her side. He knew her almost better than she knew herself, and always was there to care for her. She would miss that when he would one day be looking after Rima. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, (she knew that Senri would realise something was up otherwise), she nodded as she replied, "You're right. Have a good sleep Ri-chan."
author note: wow another update! honestly quite a bit of muse has been flowing over this past week, so you have all been blessed with some frequent updates! cannot guarantee this for the future haha though as i'm getting quite busy from both work and university. but this story is always my primary one and is the one that i update the most, so fear not — it is my priority! hope you enjoyed this tidbit of a filler chapter, with more zero and asuka interactions, and finally seeing a glimpse of another aristocrat vampire pov. did you enjoy the asuka and zero slight banter? i imagine that eventually they will get along with their snarky and sarcastic quips, making good friends. he truly is one of my favourite characters and so you'll be seeing more of him in the story! what do you think asuka's plans are for zero to lessen his suffering? will kaname be happy about it? (i can almost practically guarantee you that the answer will be no.) but it's always nice to be optimistic, isn't it?
thank you again for all the pms and reviews i've gotten for the last chapter. it always makes my day when i see them — and really encourages me to get off of my ass and continue the next chapter so that i can update faster. that, and it reassures me that my writing isn't for naught and that there really people out there who want to see what happens next. it definitely isn't smooth sailing for asuka from here on out, but i love seeing you guys excited about what is to come, and that you guys definitely have opinions on which pairing you want most. it is interesting that most of you would like to see the triad pairing of asuka/kaname/senri, which i am not going to lie is my preferred pairing at the moment! but my poll is still open and i am keeping watch over which is the most popular, so if you disagree with this, please do vote through sending a pm or review! i am still not sure how this will come along, but we will see! romantically inclined asuka is still a bit off since she is still mostly oblivious inclined asuka at the moment so you'll have to hold your horses for this! but if you have any ideas for how the guys can bash it through asuka's head that they are interested in her please let me know! she's so concerned in making sure everyone is happy the poor girl forgets about her own happiness and that she herself can allow herself to be happy too. we! just! want! everyone! to! be! happy! here!
and as always — thanks to the people who have been favouriting and following this story. it is so encouraging again to see the numbers go up, and i thank each and every one of you for reading my story and getting through the chapters. please let me know if you have any ideas you'd like to see to come in the future chapters. i honestly don't have an ending plotted out at all, so this story could go on forever (especially considering my snail pace so far lol).
i treasure you all!
and till next time. xx