'Not to close my eyes… while everything burns.' - Madina Lake

That Persistent Burning

"No! Get off!"

"Oh, but it's the rules!" Yuki shouted back, attempting to get the red bow onto her second best friend.

"Perhaps you should just leave her alone Yuki. You know how she can get." Yori said absentmindedly, as the girl in question stuck her tongue out in defiance.

"Shut it Yori! I don't want to be seen wearing this thing in public. I'm sorry Yuki, but I just can't." Yuki sighed in defeat and allowed Lyric to pass by her with a proud smile.

"Why don't you just go see your precious night class," Yori commented bitterly, "I'm sure you just can't wait to see Kaname-Senpai." She added with a smirk.

Lyric choked and gagged, "I hate that damn bastard! He's got one hell of a mind to go after my innocent, cute Yuki too! Don't worry Yuki, if he even thinks about touching you; I'll kill him!"

"Boy, she's as bad as Ruka, though for entirely different reasons." Yuki mumbled, as Lyric's silhouette faded into the sunset distance.

"Yuki," Yori said, turning the page of her book, "Shouldn't you be at the gates by now?"

Yuki gasped with a sickened look, "Oh no! Zero's going to kill me if I'm late again!"

As she ran off in a blind panic, Yori smiled to herself, "I like Aidou best… yes, definitely Aidou. I'll have to see about getting a picture of him."

"Zero! Sorry," Yuki gasped for breath, "That," Again she had to lean against the wall for aid, "I'm late!" She slowly slid down the bricks to the graveled path below. Her bottom made a small 'thump' sound as she hit the ground with an 'oof!' protruding from her pale rosy lips.

"Whatever…" Zero muttered with a glare, "Your friend is running around with the night class again."

Yuki looked up from rubbing her sore bottom and let out a wolfish laugh, "Yeah, she's like that. Zero you've known her as long as me. We all know each other so use her name. Come on - say it!"

Folding his arms, Zero swiftly turned his head to the side and huffed. "No." He murmured.

"Oh, come on!" She demanded with her hands on her hips and a determined pout, "You know you know it. Now say it."

He turned back to her and unfolded his arms. "No." He said with a more pushy tone.

"Yes! Now say her name!" Kaname's attention was soon taken from the annoying and bubbly Lyric Nightlyn and to his lovely, adorable Yuki… who was screaming her head off at the other prefect.

"No, now be quiet your making a scene." Zero ordered with a small red tinge emerging on his face, as the other vampires watched them. However, Lyric was still oblivious, as she was being somewhat entertained by Shiki who was kindly offering her a piece of his pocky.

"Thank you," She said politely to her friend, "Now, how are you going to ask Rima out?"

Senri's eyes widened a tad bit before returning to the emotionless and weary gaze he had long ago perfected. He blandly asked, "What are you talking about?"

Lyric pouted, "Well, I know you like her. Everyone can see it."

Shiki sighed and shook his head, "You've been around Takuma too much."

She grinned at him and was about to spill out Rima's own little confession to Ruka. However, her comment was broken, twisted and burned as soon as she heard Zero call her name. The entire conversation with Shiki was forgotten and abandoned.

"Lyric Nightlyn!" Lyric flinched a little, hearing her full name and the agitated tone along with it, but none-the-less she tottered over to the negative man.

"Yes, Zero, what is it?" She sang with a happy tune, as the vampires and fangirls around them stared on with morbid fascination. Zero's cheeks flared, as he spun round on his feet to see the young lass behind his back.

"Err," He stuttered a little - unlike him - but was able to spew out a few words, "Nothing, go away." He spoke harshly and pushed passed Yuki with enough force to make her trip to the cobles.

Tilting her head, Lyric blushed at the crowd that she suddenly noticed, "W-why is everyone looking at us?" she timidly asked Yuki, who was trying to pull herself up.

"Zero wouldn't say your name so I got him too," She stated, "That and I think something's wrong with him. Would you go and check. I have to take care of the night class."

Eyes wide, Lyric gasped out a frightened 'yes', as half of the night class watched her trod off towards the Day Dorms with cheeky smiles.

"Eh, he won't be able to woo her if he's moody like that all the time." Aidou announced with a chuckle, as he and Kain shared knowing looks.

Takuma laughed hesitantly, "That may be so, but Lyric herself can have quite the temper. Hmm, they'd make an interesting pair. Don't you think so, Ruka?"

She merely offered the sunny vampire a small grin, as the fan girls crowded round them and Aidou ran off to distibute childish exclamations of 'bang, bang!'

"What an idiot…" Kain whaled, shielding his eyes from the dimming sunshine.

"Zero… Zero." Lyric whispered quietly, as she walked down the halls of the boys' dormitories.

She heard a door opening and hurried down the corridor only to run into Yagari-sensei.

"Ah!" She screamed with surprise and fear, blocking her arms over her face for protection.

He blinked slowly and put his gun away, "What are you doing?" It was obvious by his tone that he thought she was nothing more than a foolish girl.

"I'm, err, looking for Zero. You haven't seen or heard him, have you? Yagari-sensei!" She added quickly, hoping she had not angered him into shooting at her again… long story…

He grinned at her and she shrank back. "He's probably in his room. If not, then you can just wait for him there." Closing the door behind him with a slam, Yagari returned to his whisky and evening newspaper.

Her mouth falling open and gasping like a fish for more oxygen, Lyric continued on her way and soon reached Zero's bedroom. She was stood before his oak door for twenty minutes. That was about when she got spooked by a scattering noise in the hall and dived right into his room.

She could hear running water from the bathroom, but he couldn't have been showing since the door was open. She pressed her hand flat against the wood and pushed the door further until she had a full view of Zero. He was sitting on the floor with his tie on the sink and his jacket thrown into the shower. The shower was in fact on, but it seemed as though he merely gone in head first without taking any clothing off.

'What an odd thing to do,' Lyric thought to herself, as she shyly took a step into the steaming bathroom, 'Why shower in your clothes?'

She finally made it in and closed the door behind her. "Wow, Zero… Yuki's right," She said, trying to start a conversation, "Something is wrong with you."

He glared at her boots. His dark gaze soon made its way up her legs though, raked over her stomach and chest, only to find her reddening face. "Why are you here?" He asked with a rancor voice.

Gulping, Lyric took another step even closer to him and began to bend down to his eye level, "Well, Yuki-"

"Yuki," He cut her off with a bitter look, "Your only here because of Yuki!"

He pushed her back and as she hit the tiled floor with a cry of pain, he laughed, "Always Yuki! Everyone cares about her! Even I care about her, but why do you have to care about her?" He finished in a horrified whisper, as he leaned over the shocked girl, with a malicious grin, "Why couldn't you care more about me? I've known you just as long as Yuki, and yet, you seem to ignore me."

Lyric took a shaky breath, as he let go of her wrists and allowed her to stand.

"I'm sorry," She told him with a raspy voice, "I just couldn't stand to be by you for a long time," He looked back at her in the mirror with a pained expression, "I was just too shy."

Zero's visage contorted with confusion, "What are you talking about?" He asked with a somewhat shaky voice.

Lyric gave a shy smile and looked down at the black boots of her uniform, "I've liked you for a long time Zero."

His eyes widened, shock plastered all over his face. His posture relaxed drastically, as he gaped at her reflection in the mirror. "You - you - you've; liked me?" He stammered. It was as though he were becoming hysterical. Zero choked suddenly and gasped, grabbing the sides of the sink.

Bowing his head, Zero stared at the white marble sink, contemplating his chances. Would it be possible? Would he not eventually kill her? He looked up a little, as he heard a crash behind him. Hastily turning, he spotted Lyric and saw the red tinge in her once luminous yellow eyes, "You!" He mumbled, "What is going on?"

She grabbed at her throat, but after a few moments of pain she calmed down and the blood thirsty look in her eyes faded into the deep pools of gold. She gasped out, "That keeps happening! I don't know why!" She cried.

Zero felt compelled to hug her, but backed away instead.

"Your one of them: a monster!" He yelled.

"Are you not one too, Zero?" A firm voice confidently asserted. Zero's eyes scanned over the headmaster, as he slowly entered the bathroom. "Yagari said he saw her, asking as to where you were."

"Why is she in the day class if you knew she was one of them? Though it's a shock, it does explain how she could ever be friends with those things. She is a beast too." His voice broke, but he was determined to hate her.

"Now Zero, how do you think your decision will make her feel. You're no better than her, so don't act like you are!" The headmaster ordered with a sad and pitying look, "Her father was a vampire, just like you."

Zero glanced at him with an interested expression, as Kaien explained, "Her father was bitten, but he did not know what would become of himself. Ignorant, he continued with his life as though nothing had changed."

"However, you can't keep the beast locked within yourself forever. Lyric was only two when her father took her mother's life. Afterward he found out that he had passed on his curse to his beloved daughter." Kaien reached out and took Lyric into his arms, he revealed, "He tried to burn the house down with himself and Lyric inside."

Zero silently watched, as Lyric huddled up to the headmaster, crying and mumbling about flames and blood. Her eyes were closed tight and her hands made small fists, as she whimpered. "That is why she doesn't like candles on her birthday cakes."

The headmaster said with a more cheery tone, "Now dear, why don't we get you cleaned up!"

"Wait!" Zero hastily hollered, as they made their way out of the bathroom. He quickly walked up the her. "I'm sorry about what I said," He told Lyric with a subtle apologetic smile. "I'm sorry." He leaned down and kissed her cheek, as she blinked away her tears.

Almost immediately, Lyric recovered and launched herself into his warm embrace. "I forgive you, Zero." She said with new high spirits, as she kissed him fondly. Zero returned the kind kiss, beaming just as brightly as her admirable eyes.