Aido stood beside Akane, ready to leave for class. He'd moved closer after hearing Akane laughing at something Ichijo had said. Seeing her getting along with the eccentric Vampire so well, still caused jealousy he wasn't ready to admit. It was nearly time to leave and despite the fact she'd experienced the changeover once already, Akane kept bouncing her foot, a clear signal to Aido, she was agitated. He guessed the cause after their recent conversation. She was apprehensive about seeing Zero.
"Calm down, Nakamura."
"Akane," she again, corrected, without looking at him. He grinned; despite the frown she wore. He was still so elated she was letting him use her name to address her now.
"Akane, calm down," he amended. She looked up at him, folded her arms but halted her tapping. Kain stood with them and many others were close by, so Aido didn't want to say too much when he had no right, but he needed to make her realise she was wrong about this. "Listen," Aido whispered, bending to her ear. "There isn't a person here who doesn't hate that guy, but it wasn't him. It just couldn't be, so stop worrying about it! We'll figure it out later, ok." Akane frowned at Aido's serious expression but nodded, all the same.
Kain didn't know or want to know what their conversation had been about, but he did see some inquisitive looks from others stood around them. One look at his hard glare had them turning back around or continuing with their own conversations. He may not care to know what Aido and the ex-Human were discussing, but it was clearly a personal matter between them, and he didn't like to think others were prying into his little cousin's business.
Akane took a deep breath as the doors to the dorms opened, and the sound of the Day Class girls screams became more noticeable. Aido's point was valid. If a Vampire had attacked Zero's family, there would be no way he'd have involved himself with that woman, and it wouldn't have fit in with Kaien's pacifism. She knew this, but she still couldn't help the twitch in her eye and the itch her hands had to wrap around something. As the gates began to open, Akane, shook herself. Miu and everyone else was waiting for her. She wasn't about to give them cause for concern because she jumped to conclusions. So, with difficulty, Akane forced her anger and suspicion to the back of her mind and looked for her friends amongst the crowd.
"Akane! Akane!" She heard Miu bellow from within the mob. She couldn't get to the front to see Akane today, it seemed, and was stuck, hopping up and down and waving energetically, all to be seen by her friend. Aido stopped next to Akane, seeing Miu's arms waving from inside the hoard. He chuckled before abandoning Akane and plucking Miu with practised ease from the group and deposited her at the front. Miu blinked comically up at him before seeing the bewildered look on Akane's face and launched herself at her.
"Akane!" Miu cried as she wrapped her arms around her. "Look what I've got for you!" Akane blinked at the rucksack currently being held up to her face. "There are some clothes, new underwear for you too," Miu clarified discreetly, bringing the bag back to a more reasonable level and distance from Akane's face. She tilted her head in question at her shorter friend while Aido did the same from beside her. "I know you didn't have much packed when you got here anyway, and I figured, you wouldn't have time to get more, being in the Night Class now, and you used to use my clothes anyway, so I've got some for you from home. The underwear is new, of course."
Akane accepted the backpack from her friend with a humbled heart. Miu was always thinking of her, always worried about her. Akane had never had a friend like her. Even after all the times she'd annoyed, or downright upset her, Miu had never held it against her.
"Thank you, Miu. You didn't have to," Akane said, bringing the bag to her chest.
"Don't worry about…!"
"Hey!" Miu was interrupted by an angry shout, from a voice Akane had never heard before. The trio turned, Aido glared, Miu pouted and Akane stared, as Zero Kiryu moved towards them, a dark scowl on his face.
"Get to school, Night Class, and you, back in line!" he ordered them harshly.
"Whatever Kiryu we're…" Aido began but cut himself off when Akane walked past him, moving towards the Hunter. His heart leapt into his mouth as he saw Zero's eyes narrow at her dangerously. Zero watched as the Vampire neared him, her eyes boring into his with a stare he couldn't break from. He stared, turning his head to follow her as she stalked around him slowly, challengingly. Other Night Class students had stopped to watch. Ichijo was biting his nails while Shiki and Rima stood next to him, their eyes widening as the ex-Human circled the Hunter.
"What do you think you're doing, Blood Sucker!" Zero growled quietly as she came around his other side.
"With a house like yours, I'm surprised you can afford to throw stones, Kiryu." Zero stiffened at her voice, more so than her words. It was quiet and held a deadly calm to it, he found it hard not to shudder at the sound of it. "And I don't take kindly to that term, especially coming from the likes of you!" she growled up at him before turning on her heel and walking back to Miu and Aido, leaving Zero rooted to the spot.
The pair said their goodbyes and left a perplexed Miu to head to class, but before they could enter the classroom, Aido pulled Akane to the side with an angry frown on his face.
"What the hell happened to calm down, Akane?" he whisper-shouted, flailing his arms for emphasis.
"What? Nothing happened. That guy needed to watch his mouth. There was no need to be rude."
"Rude is the only language Kiryu understands. Tell me, were you trying to piss the Hunter off or something?" Akane didn't answer but looked away, petulantly. She didn't like this, being scolded, by Aido, of all people.
For most of their classes, Akane ignored Aido. To give her time for her anger to subside, more than anything. She didn't like that Aido's argument made sense, when her rage at finding the identity of the Pureblood who'd attacked her family, and the clone of the boy who'd helped her, was still so fresh and fiery. The silent treatment did not please Aido either.
"You're being a brat, Akane!" he'd whispered to her when she'd grumpily turned away from him when he'd tried to speak to her during their break.
He didn't attempt to talk to her again, but by the last lesson, History, Akane's guilt and logical way of thinking had caught up with her. Zero was a Hunter, apparently, his family had been attacked by a Vampire, a Pureblood most likely, and he obviously had animosity towards Vampires. Akane sighed. She was just a Level D Vampire, no more a threat to a skilled Hunter than a lamb would be to a lion. She turned to the scowling face of her bench partner as he adamantly stared at the teacher, not so much as glancing at her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered lightly. Aido still didn't turn and his frown persisted, but he was watching her out of the corner of his eye. It's a start. "I was still angry about everything. I won't rile him up again, I promise." Her quiet apology was sincere, and the downcast eyes and worried frown were almost enough for him to wrap his arm around her in a reassuring hug, but they were in class. Everyone could hear this and some (Rin Yamiyo, he knew) listened intently.
Why he suddenly felt embarrassed about comforting Akane when he'd done it many times before, he was uncertain, but he needed to do something. She was staring at him in hurt confusion now, waiting for him to accept an apology she hadn't need to give. He understood why she was angry; he'd just been worried. Zero needed next to no reason to get into it with a Vampire. Killing a Pureblood, like Kaname, would have major ramifications, killing Akane, a Level D, would have meant nothing, and been all too easy for him.
Keeping his expression blank he brought his hands to his lap and discretely reached out to Akane's hand and squeeze it, trying to reassure her she was forgiven. He was unaware her eyes were like saucers staring at her hand, a hand he was brushing his thumb over lightly, tickling her skin. He turned to her after hearing her heart double in speed and grinned at the blush she sported. He had been about to let her hand go, but seeing that stunned and flustered expression, he couldn't resist taking advantage of her shocked silence. Also, being in class, he knew she couldn't scold or hit him away like she usually would. It would draw too much attention. So, she was stuck!
Aido's grin broadened when Akane finally caught up to his trail of thought and glared at him. He stifled a chuckle and made a show of shifting in his seat, getting more comfortable and bringing her hand more fully into his. He was quietly pleased she didn't pull away as well as maliciously thrilled at the scowl shot at him from Rin.
The night was chilly on the walk back to the dorms and Akane was hugging herself against the chill from the wind. Ichijo was chatting to her pleasantly, seeming unaffected by the weather and unperturbed in his speech as Akane yawned tiredly. Aido snorted at her tiredness and lightly reprimanded her, telling her she should sleep more than waste her days reading in the library. A hard nudge was his response from the ex-Human.
Aido was trying to keep the lighter mood he'd put her in after his antics in their classes had successfully brought out the usual banter and conversations they enjoyed. He watched Akane's tired and irritated expression morph into a scowl as they drew nearer to the dorms. He nudged her again, lighter this time to gain her attention, sending her a meaningful look. She sighed and nodded but her frown remained as the group walked up to the main gates of The Mood Dorms, following their Dorm President.
"Good evening, Night Class! Welcome back!" Yuki greeted, smiling pleasantly. Emerald eyes bored into hard amethyst as the Hunter and the Vampire dared the other to look away first. Aido sighed but stood, ready to drag Akane into the dorm building if he had too. Ichijo thinking the same as he discreetly looked from one to the other.
Kaname smiled and greeted the flustered prefect.
"Good evening, Yuki. Did you have a busy night?" he inquired politely, causing Zero's gaze to shift from the ex-Human to the Pureblood before darting back and narrowing his eyes at the satisfied look on her face. He'd looked away first.
"No, tonight was quiet."
"That's good," Kaname said as he continued to the courtyard entrance of The Moon Dorms. Akane followed, not sparing a glance for the scowling Hunter as she breezed past him, her scent wafting up into his face, his nostrils flaring at the aroma.
"Um… Lord Kaname?" Yuki began uneasily. She had wanted to say so many things, wanted to be brave and ask him about his night, but what came out was, "Goodnight." Kaname had turned to her and smiled, making her heart flutter wildly in her chest.
"Goodnight, Miss Prefect," he replied and inclined his head before continuing through the doors. Yuki sighed, dazed for a moment before a loud sigh from Zero alerted her to the fact this was not a private conversation.
Akane heard as the two began bickering with each other as they walked away from The Moon Dorms and headed back to their beds. She wanted to go to bed herself, tonight's lessons had been exceptionally in-depth and Akane was feeling the mental strain, but she had to study.
"Hey, Nakamura?" Akane turned to Rin as he sauntered over, leaving a disgruntled looking Kyou Himura at the entrance to the downstairs dorm rooms.
"Yamiyo," she replied dully. Aido stood beside her, glaring at the lesser ranked Noble who'd had the nerve to speak to her in his presence, after what he'd said.
"I wanted to apologise for how I acted the other night." This was unexpected and Aido's wide eyes and slack jaw proved it, but Akane was still stony-faced. "I was rude and…"
"Insensitive, mocking, crude, disrespectful, I could go on," Akane drawled, interrupting the Vampire, counting off his lesser qualities on her fingers. Rin's apologetic smile was waning, his left eyebrow twitching. He was angry.
Aido didn't much care for the attention of the Night Class girls, he was happy being fawned over by the clueless Humans, something Rin found deplorable yet amusing to watch. Aido had never shown a real interest in anyone but himself, or their Lord, but he had snagged an Unfortunate, right from under their noses and wasn't even being punished for it! Rin had wanted to pounce on the girl the moment he saw her charging through the changeover the night she was turned. Her scent had intoxicated him, and he had indulged in many days with Kyou to stave off the lustful hunger.
When she had finally emerged from her room, being dragged around by the resident golden child, he'd wanted to see if her blood was the same. It had lost its overpoweringly addicting smell, but it was still there, calling to him. His mouth had watered the other evening when he'd finally found her alone and tried his luck. She'd captured him in her stormy, green eyes. The anger had been an exquisite site, an emotion he rarely saw in the eyes of his conquests, but one he longed to see again in hers, along with tousled hair and a panting chest. To do that, however, he needed to placate her, something he was sure his appearance would achieve, on the most part.
Akane was unmoved by Rin's efforts, seeing through the smiles, the eyes, right to the rotten core inside. Rin was untrustworthy, and quite frankly, a dangerous individual in Akane's book. He could have done anything to her if he'd been so inclined. She was under no delusion that being turned into a Vampire meant she could ever hold her own against a Vampire like him.
"I'm sorry, Yamiyo, but I have a quiz to complete and some notes to go over with Hanabusa. I'm afraid, I will remain quite unavailable to you." The implication of her words earned quiet sniggering from anyone who'd cared to stay and watch this strange exchange. Rin was left standing with an outraged expression that a Level D had rejected him so snidely and publicly. Unable to say a word as Akane and Aido glided past, the latter sporting a triumphant, fanged grin. Rin spun on his heel and stalked down a corridor, following the scent of Kyou to her room.
Aido's grin remained long after climbing the stairs and walking the corridor to Akane's room. She'd said his first name, in front of everyone, and put that little wannabe gigolo in his place. He couldn't have felt any more satisfied with the look on Rin's face.
"Whatever you're thinking about," he heard Akane say as they walked into her room. "Stop it! It's creepy." Her voice was amused as she glanced at him before placing her bag down on her dresser and pulling off her blazer. Aido's grin persisted but he pulled out his notes to start their lesson.
Tonight's make up lesson was, as Akane had said to Rin, a quiz about the Vampiric version of history that Aido had spent numerous hours tutoring Akane on. Hours he found amusing and frustrating in equal measure as Akane's dislike for the subject extended from the Day Class to the Nigh Class. Akane was thankful yet surprised when Aido tossed his book, unceremoniously onto the vanity top less than an hour later. He was sat in her armchair, his feet crossed and resting on the end of her bed while she sat cross-legged, reading over the notes Aido made on her completed and marked quiz. She raised an eyebrow and quirked her lips in a questioning smirk at the sudden and frustrated gesture, as Aido had sighed dramatically as the book landed.
"What's up with you?" she asked amused.
"I don't want to do any more studying tonight. Let's do something fun!" Aido replied with a wide beaming grin. Akane shook her head and rolled her eyes but chuckled to herself and shuffled to the end of the bed to place her papers on the bedside table.
"What do you have in mind?" she asked, coming to stand in front of him with her arms crossed and her hip cocked to one side.
Aido was slouching in the chair, his feet still crossed and resting on Akane's bed, and his hands laced together and laying on his stomach. He looked up at her, about to suggest a walk or a trip to one of the leisure rooms they had available in the dorm building, but a knock on the door interrupted them. Akane stiffened as the scent from outside drifted into the room. She turned her head and glared irritably at the door while Aido jumped to his feet and scurried to the door to open it for Kaname.
The Pureblood stood calmly in the corridor and offered a small smile in greeting to the wide-eyed inquisitiveness across Aido's face.
"Lord Kaname," he breathed, causing Akane to roll her eyes. "What brings you here?"
"I need to speak with Miss Nakamura. It may take a while, so you are free to go to bed, Aido." The Noble stiffened. He was being dismissed and removed from Akane's side again. It irked him, and he couldn't stop the twitch of his eyebrow as he forced his face not to contort into a frown of annoyance.
"What is it you need, Kuran?" Akane called as she walked to the door to greet her unwanted guest. She wore a mask of indifference but the hold she took of the doorknob (that Aido had released when he swung the door open for the Pureblood), displayed how much she wished to just slam it in his face. Kaname's gaze travelled to Akane and levelled her with a thoughtful stare before he answered.
"Just a matter I feel may be more comfortably discussed, in private."
Akane sighed but nodded and stepped aside to allow Kaname to enter. Aido shifted from one foot to the other for a second before twisting and gathering his books, bag and blazer in his hands and bowing to Kaname before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. The room was silent for some minutes as Akane walked to her armchair and got herself comfortable. Kaname remained standing. She looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to start with whatever it was he needed to talk to her about, but her sire remained quietly observing her with calculating interest as if he was trying to decipher something.
"If all you're going to do is stand there, you can leave," she said tiredly.
"I want to hear your version of events about what happened at the changeover this evening." Akane groaned and rolled her head back, frustrated.
"Save the lecture, Kuran. I already heard it from Hanabusa, I don't need it from you too."
"Still, I would like to know. Why did you decide to antagonise him?" Kaname placed his hands into the pant pockets of his white, Night Class uniform and watched her expectantly but with a reproachful frown barely visible on his face. Akane glowered back at him.
"That's none of your concern."
"It is when a Night Class student intentionally attempts to invoke a negative reaction, especially from the committee members," he answered sharply, cutting over Akane's last words. They glared at each other, much like Akane and Zero had when they came back from school a mere hour ago. On this occasion, however, Akane found herself looking away from those deep, dark, brown eyes that seemed to pierce into her soul. She glared at the floor, trying to think of an honest but not revealing answer, to the Dorm President's question. Of course, he would question her! She could have started a fight if Zero had been in a fouler mood, or if she had said more to him like she'd wanted to.
Eventually, Akane grimaced as she looked back up at Kaname's frowning face, an expression she hadn't seen before but was certainly terrifying in the right circumstances. She sighed.
"Look, I told Hanabusa, I wouldn't do it again. I'm sorry I caused trouble, but I've had a lot to think about lately. He just pushed the wrong buttons, that's all," she answered, raking a hand through her dark hair. "I'll even apologise to him if he's so pissy about it," she added spitefully, looking away from him.
The Pureblood continued to watch the ex-Human, letting her fidget in her seat. As much freedom as he'd given her upon his declaration, she only ever needs to listen to him once, he could not allow any Night Class student to cause trouble with the Discipline Committee, even Zero. He knew any other student would receive punishment for this kind of behaviour. But what could he do with Akane? Punishing her like he did Aido, for example, would be pointless. He cared about his image and did not like being looked down upon, something Kaname used when dishing out his punishments. Akane spent a lot of time in the archives below the dorms, and many hours studying with Aido in the early morning. He would have to use that.
With a regretful sigh, Kaname brought Akane's jewel-like eyes back to him.
"I'm sorry, Nakamura," he began cordially. "But this sort of behaviour is unacceptable. An apology to Zero Kiryu will be expected, and you will be confined to your room for three days, without visitors." Akane glared but nodded without complaint, looking away from Kaname again.
"He called me a Blood Sucker," she mumbled sourly after a beat of silence.
"I'm sorry?" Kaname asked. He'd heard Akane, of course, but he was not about to have a conversation in whispered sentences.
"He called me a Blood Sucker," she repeated, louder. "It's ironic to me he feels he has the right to call me that. Damned hypocrite!" she seethed angrily, her hands clutching the arms of her seat. Kaname paused to digest Akane's words.
"So, you know of Kiryu's condition?" Akane looked up at him, confused.
"Yeah. Doesn't everyone?" she asked with a tilt of her head. Kaname shook his head.
"No. Not all Vampires have fully heightened senses to be able to detect one another," he explained calmly.
"I could tell by his smell. Is that normal?" Kaname nodded. "Level C and D Vampires tend to have a sharp sense of smell. It's no surprise you have the same ability, Nakamura." Akane nodded a thoughtful frown on her face.
"I take it this is one of those, 'don't tell anyone or I'll have to kill you' scenarios."
"Nothing as drastic, but the Headmaster has asked for us not to draw attention to it. Kiryu is very sensitive about the whole thing and, as you can appreciate, a Hunter's worst nightmare is becoming the beasts they hunt. He's had slip-ups recently and is even more unsettled by it."
Akane frowned understandingly. She couldn't imagine the kind of stress that kind of mentality caused. From what she'd read in the books about Hunters and Vampires, there was less of an uneasy truce between the races, as there was an unsatisfying stalemate. The Vampires had time, strength, and freaky powers on their side. The Hunters, cunning, weaponry, and numbers on theirs. If one side were to tip the scale, the world would tumble back into the same wars and chaos it had risen from, after Vampires first appeared.
A Hunter, like Zero, would stop at nothing to ensure that didn't happen, but the side of the fence he was on, was now skewed. The lines that separated him, as a Hunter from Vampires was blurred, and he was now trapped between fighting for his humanity and the need to unleash his new instincts, something Akane realised, she could relate with. Too many times she'd scolded herself for looking too long at Aido's neck or breathing too deeply of his and Miu's scents. If she had been raised to see these behaviours as not just strange, but a shameful and disgusting display of savagery, hidden beneath the surface, she believed she would be spitting fire at others of her kind too. Oh, grate, now I sympathise with the freak! She thought crossly as she brushed her hands through her hair again and stood to walk to her window and sat on the window seat.
Kaname continued to watch Akane, to her annoyance. She wordlessly gestured for him to take the seat she had just vacated for himself. He inclined his head gratefully and settled into the comfortable cushion.
"I won't mention it," Akane answered with a long sigh while looking out of the window as a new dawn, began.
"I'm glad. This has affected Yuki also. Kiryu and she are… close." Akane's face didn't betray her intrigue at his tone or the realisation that the bite marks she'd seen on Yuki, had come from her fellow committee member.
"Got it," she replied neutrally, not allowing the hypocritical comment Zero threw in her face (after his slight against Yuki), to affect her visually, while internally, she still seethed indignantly.
"Was there anything else you wanted, Kuran?" She asked impatiently.
"No. Today you will remain, inside your room, until Ichijo or I, come to collect you for school this evening. You will be escorted back here after school and a bathroom-brake if required. Saturday and Sunday, you will stay here until Ichijo or another of the Night Class comes to escort you to the shower rooms to freshen up. Is that clear?" Akane nodded glumly.
Satisfied he had disciplined Akane accordingly, Kaname stood and made for the door, when Akane spoke.
"Listen, Kuran." Kaname turned, a hand raised for the doorknob. "I didn't mean for my temper to get the best of me. I'll apologise to Kiryu, and I won't cause a fuss for the babysitters. But why isn't he in the Night Class?" Akane had wondered this since she'd scented Zero.
When Akane was turned she'd been brought right to the Vampire's building, even before she'd woken up in her new body. Why was Zero being allowed to stay in the Day Class when it was clear he couldn't control himself around Humans. Akane understood the draw Yuki had, she'd smelt it with her new senses, but she had been more than able to control herself. Why was Zero succumbing to the bloodlust and she wasn't, and why was Kaname allowing it?
Kaname thought over his words carefully for a moment before settling on his answer.
"Yuki requested it." With no more to say, Kaname left the room. Akane's frown deepened considerably as she watched the hours go by, the sun, rising higher into the sky. Kaname allowed Zero to stay in the Day Class because Yuki asked nicely? That didn't sit well with Akane. Kaname wouldn't let a potential danger threaten Kaien's pacifism ideology. Speaking of which, Kaien also knew about Zero and had agreed to let a Vampire stay in the Human section of the school while the rest of them were segregated like criminals.
It angered her that they put more faith in a Hunter turned Vampire with questionable control, than in her. If she'd been given an option, Akane would have chosen to stay with Miu, Kimiko and the others. So, why the preferential treatment? Eventually, her mind worked itself into a whirlwind of thoughts, all more scathing than the last. Before she forced herself from the window seat, closed the black-out curtains and changed for bed. Akane lay awake for mere moments before she fell asleep, an indignant frown still playing on her lips.