Chapter 8 from Kaname's perspective


"Kaname…everyone has already gathered downstairs."

The pureblood was seated behind the large wooden desk in his office. His eyes remained glued on the door. Of course he heard Ichijo's call but simply chose to ignore.

"Kaname…?"

This time however Takuma sounded like he was in hesitance. The lack of response made his friend worry and Kaname felt selfish for not levitating his friend of such hassle. The blonde had so much on his shoulders since he has been unable to attend classes properly.

Takuma called him couple more times but he only removed his gaze from the door and focused them on the chess board setup in front. He had been thinking about playing for while…maybe this would not be a bad time.

"Don't worry about class, I will manage it tonight. You take rest Kaname okay."

After figuring out his foul mood, Ichijo finally gave up.

Once Ichijo's footsteps faded away he breathed in a good load of air, slouched his shoulder, and ran a hand through his head before reclining back on his seat to gaze at the empty ceiling. He probably would have lost his eyes there but was forced to tear his gaze away once Yuki's frightened face flashed before him…his heart tightened. It happened every time he recalled that face of her. The shock, the fear she received the other night from the very sight of him drinking blood.

It was all done for her betterment, her safety. He reminded himself constantly.

Yuuki didn't know that he intentionally kept the gap on the door. Because he wanted-no he needed her to see what vampires are capable of in their lustful state. And break her illusion that he was no different! No matter how gentle he was with her it didn't change the fact that he was a vampire in the end.

Standing up, he left behind his desk and walked to the terrace attached to his suite. Even before putting his first step onto the balcony he felt the air caress his body. The temperature was cold but not cold enough to affect him. He closed his eyes and leaned down on the hand rail to feel the chill of the evening wind. He felt his hair move in every direction but he could careless to fix them.

Yuuki…Yuuki…Yuuki…

His heart gave out few unstable beat and his blood ran cold. If only she knew the pain it gave him, to see her withdraw from him like this. If only she understood how lonely he was without her.

Kaname sighed, a sigh that reflected his real state of mind, that loneliness, that helplessness…

His heart wondered, if ever a time would come when Yuuki will once again be his!? Oh much he would sacrifice for that for a day like that. He would do anything and everything in his power to have her back in his arms once more.

Anything for you, my sweet Yuuki…


"Good evening Kaname-kun!"

The chairman answered the door. Kaname was not shocked by it. However, the fact that it was not Yuki who answered the door like before saddened him. He missed the way she always shyly smiled while her flushed face and eyes lighted with excitement. It was his only source of light to live this life.

"Please come in and make yourself comfortable. I'll go get tea. Without tea and biscuits conversations are always bland don't you agree?"

Even before he took the seat the chairman rushed into the kitchen and came out with a tray full of various kinds of cookies and two cups of tea. Kaname noted how extra hyper the chairman was. Cross had a bubbly personality but before him he mostly kept his serious side. So what was so special about this day that he could barely hide his excitement? Has something happened that he does not know off?

Kaname was not in mood for anything not even tea but only picked up the teacup out of politeness. And all he did was swirl the liquid inside. He did not come here to drink tea, he came here for Yuuki. The urge to see her, the overpowering desire to hold her brought him here.

"You visited after so long." Cross was the one to start the conversation after the first sip. "…it seems that night class is keeping you quite busy."

Kaname kept quiet and allowed the chairman to go on with his share of taking.

"Yuki misses you very much. She mentioned you several times in the last couple of days…"

His heart fluttered at the information. He felt a strange kind of happiness taking over him.

"It appears that our times are quite conflicting now."

Kaname kept his words diplomatic. But he knew well that Cross noticed his discomfort at the mention of Yuki's name but he was thankful for the fact that he chose not to question him. Chances are there that he may even be aware of what happened that night.

"Speaking of Yuki, where is she?" Kaname finally joined the conversation. He could sense her presence. She was upstairs. But why has she not come down yet? Does she not want to see him anymore?

"Yuki is actually upstairs, studying with Zero-kun." The frown on his face deepened at the information. The chairman noticed it as well and tried to change the topic. His first encounter with the Kiryu boy was not a pleasant and the ones that followed after didn't turn out any good either. The hostility and tension was always there.

"…should I ask her to come down Kaname-kun?"

Kaname only nodded his head no before taking a sip of his tea. He took another breath only to have the unfamiliar scent invade his nostrils this time.

"Is there someone else with Yuki?"

The chairman who just started to rant over day class students' fascination with the night class stopped mid-way. His face looked happy and excited. All of a sudden, he was his childish self again.

"Oh yes Sayori-san is with them. It's actually her study date with Yuki-chan."

All Kaname had to do was raise an eyebrow and the headmaster understood all his questions and queries right away.

"Oh-ho how silly of me to forget such important matter to tell you; Kaname-Kun our Yuki made her very first friend."

For some reason the inside of Kaname dried out hearing that piece of information.

"…her name is Sayori Wakaba."

"You mean the daughter of councilor Wakaba?" Kaname cut in to ask. He has heard that 'Wakaba' name before. Though Kaname never personally met that man but Ichio mentioned him in various occasions.

"She is also Yuki-chan's room-mate in the sun dorm. That is where their friendship actually flourished. I tell you Kaname-Kun she is a very good girl. I personally thanked her for being considerate enough to be Yuki-chan's friend..."

Kaname put the cup down and took deep breath. He has heard enough! By this point Chairman's excess chatter was really getting into his nerves. It left him with no choice but to excuse himself from there.


That night he walked through the forest aimlessly. He sighed while running a hand through his long dark locks to calm down his mind that was not only stirred up but was all over the place.

The wind blew his hair and his dark long coat in two different directions.

Kaname looked up at the sky to see the moon looking down on him. The sight of full moon reminded him of the nights in Kuran manor. His time with Haruka and Juuri, the ones who gave him the place of their son, his time with Yuki, the days he spent cuddling her and then Aiyora…the member who joined them later. Now these memories brought noting but pain into his heart. And what further increased this pain was Yuki's distance. He hated to see her make new friends. It felt like she was moving on with life and he was being replaced, which probably was the exact case. A part of him was glad, because this is what Haruka-Juuri wanted for their daughter, a carefree human life while he would watch over her on their behalf.

...He should have been happy for her yet his mind went green with envy!

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.

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The next few days Kaname spent his days only watching Yuuki.

He watched her from far around the corners, hidden in the shadows, from the safe distance and anywhere and everywhere safe possible from where no one would know. He watched her going to class with her new friend Sayori Wakaba, then with the headmaster as she assisted him in gardening and cooking. He also saw her spending lot more time with that wretched Kiryu boy. The way she worried for that soon to be level-e made Kaname feel sick.

His heart broke the day the headmaster brought Yuuki over to him to show her new hairstyle.

She cut her hair…!?

Kaname [raa1] couldn't believe his eyes. Her beautiful long hair was all gone. All that remained was small bob that ended close to her chin. He admired her long hair, and she knew that, she was aware of how much her hair meant to him. Yet she chose to it cut if off without a mercy.

It felt like she just cut a part of him and threw it in trash-can.

Although the headmaster told him that Yuki was inspired by her friend Yori's short hair. But Kaname knew all too well, it was push to her feelings for him away. She has come to accept the fact that they can no longer be together. Their worlds were far too different. And the realization burned his heart from inside out!

At least she laughed freely, smiled widely, bathed under the brightest of sunlight with no harm at all. She can now live her life exactly the way her parents desired, as a human, free of all burden of a pureblood. While he will survive to watch over her and protect her when the danger arrives…

For now Kaname saw no option but to accept it. It is true that without Yuki, everything around him looked grey, felt gloomy. It simply became dull and boring. Even by using all his powers he could do nothing to prevent it. But he needed to be strong, if not for him for her sake… which was why he to needed to keep himself occupied so that his mind does not go astray.


Desperation!

It was nothing but utmost desperation that has been bringing him back to the Shiki manor again and again.

Distance with Yuuki surely had its effect on him in more ways than he anticipated. With each passing day the pain in his heart increased while the loneliness was becoming unbearable. His life was turning miserable. All day he kept himself locked up inside his office and at times he secretly sneaked out to watched his precious girl and be stabbed at the painful outcome if.

He may have loathed admitting it but the truth was clear as water, he was jealous! Jealous of her on growing friendship with councilor Wakaba's daughter but what bothered him more was the way she was getting attached to that soon to be hunter boy.

With days it became more evident that he needed a way to distract himself. If not then soon he would lose himself completely and if anything happens to him then who will protect Yuki? Who will watch over her?

Therefore to seek solace at a time like this, visiting his fiancée appeared to be the best option. He chose to follow that path. Good part was that it served him both ways, more like killing two birds with one stone. One way he could keep himself distracted and at the same time he could get an idea about how she will perform as the piece on his game.

"Aiyora-sama look, who has come to see you."

The maid cheerfully called his fiancée who was giggling at the program she was watching on television. But just as Aiyora turned and saw it was him the smile from her face dropped.

That one expression was good enough for Kaname to understand dealing with the situation wouldn't be as easy as he initially predicted. He couldn't even blame Aiyora for that. It was his foolish mistake that brought this result. She did nothing wrong just made the mistake of asking him quite a personal question thinking they shared a close relationship.

"Do you love another woman?"

The question was simple and so was the answer (yes), but the situation is complicated.

She is his fiancée for now. So he could not tell her the truth that he was in love with another and will forever do. Therefore in response he snapped back at her.

He wanted to teach her the lesson to not poke nose in his affairs. And most likely that lesson was taken a bit too far because since that day she hasn't been the same and distanced herself from him to the point where it became inconvenient for him to proceed with his plans.

Aiyora barely spoke to him, only answered what was asked.

It was not like Kaname expected her to be normal right away. He knew she would need her time, her space and he was ready to give her that. But on the other hand to make her get used to his presence he needed to be around her more often as well.

Much to his dislike the situation became quite messed up… he needed to be more around the person whom he loathed and lesser around the only one whom he loved.

Oh how awfully twisted!


During his visit Aiyora was always on full alert. At first Kaname didn't put much thought to it but then it reached a point where he could notice the stiffness of her body. In fact anyone could with just their bare eyes.

Like decided earlier, he gave her time, he gave her space.

Most of their time spent was more like him indulged into a book in one corner of the library and she at the other corner doing one of her usual drawing or practice knitting or playing with the dolls.

Kaname personally preferred when she played with the dolls. It was when she put her guard down and lost herself to a different world making it way easier for him to study her.

Every now and then from time to time his eyes would sneak a glance at her direction and if by any chance their eyes ever met, he always made sure to give her one of the specialized tender smiles even if the return nothing. Because she simply looked the other way.

The real question was for how long will she be able to keep this up? For how long will she turn her head from his smile? She has a kind heart and it will melt one and make her return the smile.


He lost count of days that have passed yet Aiyora was still not normal around him.

Being the patient person he was Kaname decided to give her the sweet time but it somehow seemed to have stretched for too long. Months have passed and he barely noticed any difference in her. The only improvement probably was her asking him 'How are you?' on her own accord.

The picture made it clear that time has come for him to take the first step.

And Kaname Kuran made his first move!

He looked out for chances to make small talks with her. He inquired about her life, told little about his life, Cross Academy, the night class that he established, the peaceful co-existence with humans that he was working on. He also told her when she reaches a proper age he will get her admitted into the night class.

Her only question on that scenario was "I will be able to see Senri-chan more often then?"

Kaname was baffled at first but he kept up the straight face and responded enthusiastically.

"Yes of course you will be able to meet him." He replied keeping up the face that said he understood nothing when deep down he took note of the way she uttered the Shiki boy's name.

"Are you very close to him…Ai?" he asked to see if he could bring more out of her.

"I miss him. Now that he is gone Cross Academy I barely have anyone to play with." She cast her eyes down sadly.

Kaname said nothing to that, but that does not mean his mind didn't wonder, because the Shiki Senri he has seen doesn't seem like the one who would be interested in playing with her. Their personalities contrasted way too much.

So what was going on here?


Couple more weeks passed by yet no good of an improvement that was worth mentioning. She may have started to talk but her words were calculative and well thought off. He was still blocked from entering her comfort zone.

Although he kept his patient face upfront but inside he was becoming a quite frustrated. From where he is picturing she will play a very vital role in his game. She is the piece that holds majority of importance, one of the main pieces. If you put it in simple words she happened to be the piece that has the power to make or break his game!

But the problem was this particular piece seemed to be slipping out of his grip. If this is how it moved then it would not be long when she will be completely out of his reach. And he could not afford that; he definitely could not afford that. Not at any cost!

It may sound savage and awful but at this point he needed her more than she needed him.

Standing atop the stairs he watched her as she conversed with her nurse-maid whom she mentioned few times as Mari. The way Aiyora was speaking was quite amusing for him to watch. She looked so lively. The way her eyes sparkled, her hands moved and how enthusiastic her voice sounded. But when it came to associating with him she became a completely different person.

And by this point it started to make him sad. It made him wonder was he that horrible that she made up her mind to completely pull herself from him?

First Yuki and now Aiyora too?

Suddenly Kaname found out he was lonelier than he ever. His life felt like mirage in dessert from far it was picture perfect but when one would look closely there would be nothing!


That morning he barely got any sleep. The morning turned to afternoon yet Kaname could not move from the couch he was laying on. There was no ounce of sleep in him. His eyes looked out through the window. His mind occupied with one thought…

Aiyora.

He suppressed the urge to laugh. Never has he thought that a day would come when he would lose nights of sleep thinking about Aiyora! Rido's daughter Aiyora! How ironic…

By now one thing was clear time for talk is over. Actions must begin soon.

All he needs is a good opportunity, a chance to prove his worth. Maybe then Aiyora will be able to trust him the way Yuki does. But then question remains how and what kind of opportunity? Because he could not simply throw her in front of a level-e and then save her to win her trust. That was just absurd! But there has to be a way in which he can win her over? What could it possibly be?

Kaname closed his eyes and sighed.

If only Haruka and Juuri would not have taken in Aiyora that night none of these would have happened. They would all have been together and happy. It was their one mistake that changed everything…

…and now he and Yuki are left to pay the price.


He reached the Shiki mansion as per schedule but Aiyora was still asleep. Although the maid offered to wake her up but he decided to be generous and allowed her to sleep in while he utilized that time to finish up some discussion in regards to the council with lord Shiki.

By the time Aiyora woke up it was past evening. He gave his fiancée company during her breakfast. The two of them sat down at the private dining hall that was reserved for the close friends and family members.

Kaname drank a cup of tea whilst Aiyora sat down with whole meal for breakfast. Their eyes met several times and every time it ended with Aiyora averting her gaze away. Either she looked down at her food or looked elsewhere. Meanwhile he took notice that she was barely eating. Nothing was touched. Breads, butter, jam, egg, and fruits everything lay there untouched aside from the small slice of apple that she was nibbling into for the past half hour.

"Why are you not eating?" he pointed out with the intention to start a conversation.

"Not hungry!"

She responded right away not taking her eyes of the half eaten fruit in hand. Good for him there was no hostility in her voice and that further encouraged him to go on.

"Is it not delicious?" he tried to keep going with the chat but Aiyora barely showed any interest. She looked and sounded like one of those lost in depression child who was waiting for the chance to lash out.

"It is delicious…I guess, but I don't feel like eating."

"And why is that?"

"I don't know." She said with a click of her tongue, not hiding her annoyance. Kaname took notice of her body language, she looked cranky.

"Did you not have good sleep?" he really pushed for the conversation to go on.

"Sleep was not that great. I had a nightmare."

"Want to share about this nightmare?"

"Nope!"

Her word came out like bite on his skin and his eyes narrowed down as a result. He felt irritated and hated her ignorant tone but then again, reminded himself why he was here in the first place.

An odd pause fell upon the chat. In that movement Kaname really wanted to give into the temptation to slap this child for her unnecessary arrogance in hopes that it probably would teach her the lesson right there about who he is, however the damage it will cause will probably be un-repairable. So for sake of his plan he was left with no option but to suck it up.

The brunette focused his attention back at his fiancée once again after placing the cup back on the table. She took another small bite of the apple and her face contoured in displeasure. The silence between them still lingered and Kaname knew all too well that he would have to break this silence since she will not speak unless he does first. The realization turned his mood extra bitter but he chose not to go that far into investigating it because his head must remain calm. It has to be…

"I can see that you are not enjoying what you are eating."

His words grabbed her attention. She looked at him with curious eyes and gave him the floor to go on and he made good use of this opportunity.

"I have something for you…perhaps it will increase your appetite." He quickly searched his pockets remembering the chocolate he purchased for Yuuki few days prior but didn't get the chance to give her.

"Here…" he slid the fancy packed chocolate bar towards her.

She took the item in her hand and studied it. "Chocolate huh…!?" she said skeptically.

"Not to your liking?" he inquired.

"…"

Again the silence.

All she did was just look at him. His eyes narrowed in hidden rage. She really was really driving him towards the edge. The audacity she had to act this way, not even his precious Yuki dared to be so impolite. He just gave her the present he bought for Yuuki; the least she could do was appreciate his effort but no she has to act so stubborn. It made him wonder who was in charge of teaching her manners here because that person was surely doing A TERRIBLE JOB!

"…thank you," she spoke finally after a very long pause. And it took Kaname by surprise. He really did not expect to hear those words. But those manners lasted till she tossed away the chocolate towards the fruit basket.

"I don't feel like eating anything now but will eat it later for sure."

"…"

She waited few second for his response and when nothing came from his she added while getting off her chair,

"Thank you for keeping me company, I'm done with my meal."

She then turned on her heels and left him alone in the dining room as silence being his only companion other than the timid maid who just walked in to clean up.

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.

.

That night he went back to the academy in a mood so bad that it made not just all but even Takuma staying clear off his path.


Kaname stood patiently and waited for the maid open the door to Aiyora's bedroom.

Like expected the door was answered by Aiyora's nursemaid. She bowed respectfully and invited him in.

It was the first time Kaname ever entered her bedroom. The fact that it was a girl's bedroom was screaming out from every angle. Everything was decorated in bold colors. The floral printed wall papers, the cartoon printed curtains and matching bed-sheets and the faux starlit ceiling.

For a moment there Kaname thought he standing inside a doll house.

The maid exited soon after Aiyora came out dressed for bed. Leaving the two of them in another awkward silence.

Aiyora wanted to ask why he was there but didn't. Instead from her spot she gave him the look that clearly demanded 'what the heck are you doing here at this hour? Go back I need to sleep.'

Kaname too remained there, unmoving from his position. His eyes poured into her form. He may not have commented out loud, but in that moment Aiyora was indeed a fitting figure for that room. She appeared no less than a doll dressed in those soft lavender color pajama set with her hair tied up in two pony tails on both sides of her head and those fringe-bangs that partially curtained her hooded eyes.

A beautiful child you are…

"It is time for my bed." Aiyora was the first to speak. Her voice was surprisingly soft, it perfectly matched her beautiful appearance.

He observed as she looked down at her feet while her hands crumble the sides of her pajama pant. He also noted the confusion, the curiosity and the suspicion that those young eyes reflected at him. But the fact that she remained polite and respectful made him happy.

Why the sudden change in her attitude?

His mind questioned but he pushed that thought back. He did not care nor was he bothered. In that moment he simply wanted to make the most of it…

"I apologize, I'm well aware of the inappropriate time but…a part of me really wanted to see you." She blinked her eyes confused.

He took careful step towards her, but the way her eyes looked left and right as if she was looking for escape made him change his route and walk towards the bookshelf located on the side of her bed instead.

"Is that really why you are here?" she simply asked, wasn't interrogating him.

Kaname chuckled.

"Is it wrong of me to want to see my fiancée?" he counter attacked while searching for the book that might suit her taste but little did he know something better was waiting to come out of her mouth.

"Do you not wish to see your little-sister? I always wish to see my big-brother."

He froze. His finger stopped over a particular book. The depth of her words paralyzed him momentarily. Suddenly he felt defeated. He was no longer sure how to counter that. Time was ticking fast and he knew he would have to come up with something that would match her.

"Aiyora…do you remember the times when you couldn't sleep without me reading to you?"

"I do…" she admitted honestly "…but only some it."

"Would you let me remind you more off it?" he offered.

"…I have the strange urge to relive the old times…" He stated after picking out a particular book. Then turned to face her and gave her a gentle smile in return.

She blinked her eyes, batted her lashes, with her innocent features she tried to assess the truth behind those words. And her fiancé proved her wrong when he sat down on one side of the bed with an open book in his hand, like the decision was already made regarding which story he would read to her.

She did not even move an inch from her spot. Sensing her uneasiness Kaname petted on the empty side and ushering her to come forth.

Once Aiyora fully nestled under her duvet he started to read out to her…

The book was finally closed down when the sound of her soft snores reached him. He looked down for confirmation and found her head resting right above his stomach. Seeing that she succumbed to her slumber he planned to leave. But just as he was about to slide out from under her body he noticed how her one hand was tightly gripping onto the fabric of his shirt on his side towards the waist.

And he was no longer sure what would be the wisest move to make…

Should he leave or stay?


He walked along the long corridors of the Shiki house. He was on his way back to the Academy. The expression of his handsome face was neutral like every other day. His mind however was a little disturbed mainly due to this visit kind of going to waste. During this particular visit he couldn't spend much time with Aiyora. Soon as he arrived lord Shiki pulled him aside and informed him that matters concerning the council needed his attention and that resulted in him being locked inside lord Shiki's office with few other members of the council.

While passing by Aiyora's room he heard strange noises coming from inside. No doubt that the voice belonged to her and that was enough reason to get hold of his attention. His feet halted and changed its track immediately.

With a subtle knock on the door and without waiting for the permission he opened the door and walked in.

Aiyora was sitting before the dresser with a maid standing behind her who was brushing her hair. Both Aiyora and her maid turned seeing his refection on the mirror. The expression on their faces showed how startled they were.

He asked the maid to leave. Once the maid was gone his focus was back on Aiyora.

Her hair…

His breath hitched, he was taken aback by those long dark luxurious locks. His senses were temporarily hypnotized. Her hair was beyond anything he has ever seen. It had everything! The shine, the silky texture, the softness…he not only wanted to see it, he wanted to feel it as well. In that moment weakness for long haired shined in those wine orbs that Kaname couldn't bother to hide.

Aiyora went back to brushing her hair after the maid's exit. She was so occupied with her action that she barely paid any attention to her surrounding. Therefore she failed to notice her big-brother closing the distance between them. Nor did she pay attention to how close he was till she felt someone pull her hairbrush.

"Don't treat your hair so harshly, it will fall off."

Before Aiyora could react Kaname snatched the brush off her hand and started to comb through her hair as if giving a demonstration of how the hair should be handled.

Aiyora looked him through the mirror confused.

Kaname looked at the mirror and chuckled at the face Aiyora made. Being young it was hard for her to conceal her emotions. Therefore her eyes were almost wide as plate as she watched him work on her hair. She was having hard time processing what she was seeing. How did he know to brush hair like that? Till now many have brushed her hair including herself but one played with it so tenderly. His hands felt like magic, she did not feel single pull or tug but all the tangles were easily detangled.

"There you go." he said proudly placing the brush atop the dresser.

She blinked her eyes couple of times before softy muttering a thank you.

"You have such beautiful hair. A blessing it is indeed."

He complemented while surfing his fingers through her locks, taking in its soft feel. In a way messing up his own hard work.

This was one particular complement he truly meant. The girl had gorgeous hair. It's not like Yuuki and Juuri's had bad hair. But their hair needed more maintenance but for Aiyora the quality of her hair was different to begin with. It's not something that one would see every day. It had quite the volume, that blinding shine and at the same times the softness and silkiness. Plus it was all genetically inherited from her mother's side of the family. The females born into the Hanadagi family had such kind of hair. Her mother had it too, so did her grandmother…

"Are you done?" her voice snapped him out of his zone.

"Sorry…?"

"You've been playing with my hair for quite a while." She felt the need to point out.

He took few lock of her hair between his fingers, brought it up close to his lips and kissed the end of it.

"Oh, does that bother you...?" He let out his voice in a whisper. "…because I would like to do more."

It was only then he noticed the sight that stood as evidence, showing him, his plan has finally begun to work. The beautiful rosy blush that suddenly adorned the apples of her cheek, gave birth to new hope inside him…his months of hard work has finally started to display the results.

Finally…


"Come with me."

Before Aiyora even had the chance to ask 'what' 'why' or 'Where' her hand was already in his grasp pulling her off the seat. It was quite a bold move on his part. Borderline aggressive but Kaname was glad that she did not take notice of that. Instead her focus remained on where they were heading.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, coming back to her senses after being astonished by his sudden out of character like act.

"To the garden!" he replied his voice deep yet contained hints of light humor.

"To the garden?" she repeated his words in form of the question. "Why are we going to the garden at this hour?"

Kaname felt her glares on his back as they passed through the main foyer.

"Its full moon tonight and I was hoping we could see that together."

He hoped she would understand that from his perspective.

"You want to see the moon with me?" her voice sounded like she thought he was crazy. In a way it was true. His recent strange acts confused her more than ever. First he did not care but now all of a sudden he was acting so kind…why? None of it actually made any sense.

"I don't understand why you want to see the moon with me?" it was natural for her to have question in mind. Kaname expected that.

His steps came to an abrupt stop and that made her bump onto his back.

Kaname looked over his shoulder to give her a look only to see what surprise she received from his action. It was written all over her face in bold capital letters.

One thing was clear, she was overwhelmed by his affections and he did not blame her for that. For a child such young age it was a lot to take in at the same time. One moment you ignore then the next moment you shower affections it leaves room for confusion. Aiyora is in state of confusion and now it is his responsibility to change her confusion to happiness.

He fully turned to face her. Letting go off her hand that was in his in grasp, he placed that same hand on her face to caress it.

He bent down, bringing their faces closer he whispered, allowing his hot breath brush over her face and watched as she shivered with goose bumps appearing on her skin.

"Is it wrong of me to have such desires?"

"N-no." she stuttered. Her face flushed and her heart gave out an uneasy beat. It was adorable the way she looked left and right trying to figure out which way to hide her face before looking the other way. On top of that it was a smart move on her part to not hold onto to his gaze for long or else that gaze would have surely enslaved her.

"Aiyora…" he whispered her name with slight hint of lust in hidden underneath his smooth deep voice.

When she refused to look he cupped her face with both his hands and made her face him using slight force.

"…I know in this past few years a distance has been created between us."

Aiyora glared at him but still remained quiet giving him the floor to go on.

"… and I do not blame you for that. It is I who shall take responsibility for this. However it would not hurt to try and rebuild that lost connection right…what do you say?"

She could only blink her eyes and Kaname understood she was still processing. So to make it clear he made a different approach. He tried to be a bit more intimate.

"At least give me a chance." He inched his face even closer trying to close the gap between them as much as possible and chose his next words very wisely.

"Give your onii-sama one chance to correct everything." And it worked. Her eyes turned wide and she looked into his eyes searching for honesty and he made sure she that wouldn't find anything other than that.

A while passed...

The pureblood duo still had their gaze locked. This time the silence between them was like some competition. Whoever breaks it first would be the one to lose.

"Onii-sama," It was Aiyora who broke the tensed silence. She was the one to give up and lost the competition.

Finally!

She offered him a hand along with a smile that was powerful enough to melt a rock.

"…let's go see the moon."

"Of course."

He seized her offer instantly in fear what if she changes her mind the next second. And feeling bold after her gesture he made the next move…he bent down and pressed a firm kiss her forehead.

Bird is finally flying towards the cage.


"The moon is so big tonight." Aiyora whispered. "I have never seen a moon this big."

They lay on the grassy field, eyes fixated on the bright clear night sky. From the corner of his eyes Kaname looked at her in order to study her. Though she was talking about the moon but her attention was barely on it. Her focus remained more on the stars. She was trying to count their exact number.

"It seems to me that you are more engrossed into the stars?" he turned slightly on his sides to give her his full attention.

"I like to count stars. It has become a hobby of mine since Senri-chan left." she turned, facing him, a smile intact on her lips but eyes only reflected sadness and loneliness.

"I see you have grown quite attached to that boy…" he mused whilst his hand reached forwards to collect a lock of her hair between his fingers.

"He is my…best friend." She said almost instantly but had to think for a while to safely describe the way she thought of her relationship with the Shiki boy.

Kaname said nothing to that. He continued to play with the lock of her hair but that does mean he didn't notice the way her eyes sparkled. He was not foolish enough to overlook that epic detail.

Breaking the eye contact with him, Aiyora trailed her eyes over to the lock of her hair that was between his fingers. For a while she watched the way he played with it before shifting her attention back to him.

"Senri-chan I have lot of fun memories regarding moon, majority of which revolved around my childish demand for it to be brought down. Then there were times when I stood on his shoulders in hopes that I would at least be able touch it…Which is why now for me to admire the moon is hard without feeling sad." she went on to explain it all in details.

"Tell me more about Shiki." He fueled her fire.

"Hmmm…there is not much to say about Senri-chan except for he is a very nice person. Has a kind heart. He always looked after me like I was the most precious thing in the world for him." She paused suddenly and looked up at the sky again. "…please take care of him at the academy onii-sama."

Kaname understood that the last line was a request for him. He took notice of how Aiyora was really speaking. She was losing track. All of a sudden she was speaking a lot more than she has done in months. However it worked out for him, because in the end she naively gave out some crucial information.

Kaname turned to lie on his back again.

This time he let his hand wonder down till it found her hand. The time was so perfect that he even felt bold enough to take hold of her hand, entwine it with his and laced their fingers together before bringing it back to place over his chest. Over his heart to be precise! He wanted to her to feel each pump of that organ.

He looked to see her reaction but she did not even turn. She successfully kept her eyes glued to the sky.

"Ai…?" he asked. "So have you replaced your onii-sama with that boy?"

"His name is Senri!" The way she spoke made it clear that she was offended but Kaname chose to ignore that anyway and move forward.

"Have my words offended you!?" he taunted her.

She wasn't sure if he was asking her or just starting a fact but she decided to be straight in either case.

"…Yes." She was frank. "I don't like it when anyone means insult towards Senri."

"How about me?" he asked this time looking at her.

"What about you?" she asked back.

"What if someone insults me? Would that not upset you?"

"…" again with the silence! That was how she responded.

And that led to a heavy silence between them during which Aiyora tried to take her hand back from his grasp but he only acted by tightening his grip further.

"What if I try?" he asked breaking the silence after some time.

"Try what?" she snapped her head and spat. She wasn't afraid to show that she was irritated.

"Try and become the most precious person in the world to you?" he once more fully turned towards her.

Her mouth opened and closed down. The gaze of her eyes told him how angry she was at that moment. The frown on her face turned deeper. All of a sudden she not only felt frustrated but also suffocated by his very presence.

As tears that gathered at the corner of her eyes threatened to fall he scooted himself closer and was about to kiss her tears away but…

"Ai-chan!" a third voice interrupted.

Both the purebloods froze. Aiyora snapped her head back whilst Kaname simply tightened his grip on the hold he had on her hand. And the next thing he knew was his eardrums getting pierced by his little fiancée's high pitched deafening scream calling out the intruder's name.

"SENRI-CHAN!"

Why on earth was he here? Even before the Kuran prince could fully process, his fiancée was already out of his grasp. She was already there, running towards the third party, galloping like a pony. When all he could do was watch her pounce on the younger male.

In shock and disbelief Kaname looked down, his focus was now on the hand that was holding her tiny wrist not long ago, and now its left empty. His head turned to look at the embracing half-siblings with only one question in mind, the answers to which he could not find.

How did she manage to break free her hand that was held in such tight grip?

To be continued...


a/n: Thank you all for reading. writing this chapter was hard! Actaully for me writing Senri was far easier than writing Kaname. I'm so used to the Alternate Universe. if you guys think i messed up Kaname's character feel free to point. the last time i wrote him in VK universe was in Maya and made him total OOC and don't wish to repeat the same mistake. also this chapter was quite long i actually wrote more than 18k words but had to cut out more than half those scenes because i felt like it was too much for one chapter. but i have them stored. so hopefully i will be able to make the new chapters out of it.