Hi again! Chapter 2 comin' up! Thanks to all that reviewed the first chapter. I really appreciate you!

Remember, we're aiming for a short fic, so this one's moving at lightning speed and stuff.

Aaaand I don't own the characters of Vampire Knight. Matsuri Hino DOES.

X-O-X-O

The latter part of the week passed quickly, Yuuki discovering with awe that she wasn't nearly so lost as usual in her Calculus class. Zero, she thought, really was amazing. Before she'd met him, she was sure that she'd be repeating this God forsaken class, though now he'd rekindled the flame of hope that had burned out long ago. Now, she thought, she actually had a chance to pass the class that had always managed to make her consider skipping it altogether.

By Friday evening, she was still in no mood to work any more Calculus problems, though she found herself to be rather looking forward to seeing her tutor once more. She wondered how she could covertly go about grilling him for more information about himself, since he'd not uttered a word about himself since she'd first met him. Perhaps, she thought, he was all business and would have no part in answering any personal questions she would pose.

The knock sounded, her heart beginning to race once again as she got to her feet, opening the door to reveal the usual sight of Zero standing there, his lavender eyes locked onto her. She felt momentarily self conscious, wondering if he could sense the disturbance within her as she moved to let him pass.

"Hi. Come in," she invited, the man gliding past her before she closed the door behind him.

"Hey. It's really nasty out there. I think they're already shutting down the transit because of the snow," he said, shaking snowflakes from his hair before shedding his coat, the girl hanging it on the hook by the door.

"Sorry you had to come out in this. We could've postponed the lesson," she told him, Zero quick to answer.

"That would've been fairly difficult, since I don't have your number," he pointed out, Yuuki immediately acting to remedy the situation.

"Here, give me your phone," she said, proffering her own as she pulled it from her pocket.

"That way, if something like this happens again, we can work something else out," she told him, Zero handing her his phone before the two went about entering their numbers into the phone of the other. They switched once more, each stashing their phone away before Zero delivered his question.

"So how's class going?" he asked, following her across the room.

"Much less painful, actually. So I suppose it's working," Yuuki responded, taking a seat at the desk in the corner, Zero sitting next to her soon afterward.

"Glad to hear it. You ready?" he asked, the girl nodding in response.

"Yeah. Let's go."

The hours flew by, the two making idle chit chat as Zero continued showing her how to conquer the problems before her. She felt the same nervousness that she always felt in his presence, as if she'd bring herself to ruin at any given moment spent under his gaze.

It was as she sat working out one of the last equations that the lights flickered before going out entirely, leaving them in near pitch blackness.

"Shit," she muttered, carefully getting to her feet.

"I guess the storm's gotten really bad," she noted, her arms stretched out before her as she attempted to make her way across the room in the darkness in order to light the candle sitting on her coffee table. She heard his chair scratch across the floor, gasping as his hands came to rest on her hips.

"Here, let me help you," he said, having taken note of the gasp that left her as he laid his hands upon her.

Together, they managed to maneuver around the futon in the dark room, Yuuki trying valiantly to keep her heart rate down as she dug through the coffee table drawer for the matches she kept there. His hands remained upon her hips as she fiddled with the matchbook, at last able to strike a match, lighting the room in an orange glow. She managed to light the candle before blowing out the match, turning then to the man standing behind her.

"Well…I guess the lesson's over for today," she noted, realizing that the power outage meant the heat had also been cut off, the room already beginning to grow colder.

"Looks like it," he said, at last removing his hands and leaving her a bit disappointed. She watched as he walked over to the window, peering outside. He was shocked to discover just how much snow had fallen, the wind gusting and causing it to drift, the roads and sidewalks piled high with accumulation. Yuuki joined him at the window, looking on with disbelief as she surveyed the scene.

"Damn, it is nasty out there," she said, stealing a glance at the man beside her.

"Well, this is gonna' be fun," he noted, turning towards the door. She nearly stared after him, taking one last look outside before starting after him.

"Don't tell me you're planning on going out in that," she said, pointing towards the window as she watched him turn to her.

"What else am I supposed to do?" he wondered, her words flowing forth before she could rein them in.

"Just stay here until it dies down. There's no way you can make it home in that mess," she told him, immediately realizing what she'd suggested. He considered her words for a moment before delivering his rebuttal.

"You sure that's a good idea? I mean, you don't even really know me, do you?"

"Well, no…but that doesn't mean that I don't want to," she answered, cursing herself for being so blunt. She watched as he came towards her, stopping just a foot before her. She couldn't help but note how the candlelight bathed him in its glow, his features highlighted by it as he looked down at her.

"Is that so?" he asked, his hand reaching out, the backs of his fingers brushing against her cheek and nearly causing her heart to stop.

"Well, yeah. Since "they" don't know shit and all…I thought I should find out for myself," she told him, her eyes shining in the candlelight.

"I'm not really one to talk much about myself," he said, still stroking the softness of her cheek. He noticed how cold it was, his hand at last dropping in order to take hold of one of hers. It too was rather icy, the man shocking her yet again.

"You're already cold," he pointed out, Yuuki's breath catching in her throat as his hands rubbed hers vigorously in an attempt to warm them.

"It's ok. I've got a blanket," she said, slipping away from him in order to retrieve it from the linen closet. She returned shortly, proffering the blanket to her companion. She nearly squeaked as his hand took hold of hers before he led her over to the futon, motioning for her to sit.

She did as he bade, sitting beside him as he draped the blanket over them both, Yuuki curling her legs beneath her as she attempted to keep herself calm. She wasn't sure if the blizzard raging outside was a blessing or a bane, though she was yet content to be kept company by the man beside her.

"So," she began, unsure how to properly initiate the conversation she wished to have. "You think you can come up with something to tell me about yourself?" She felt his eyes gazing over at her, the girl's heart still thumping rapidly within her chest.

"You want to know so badly?" he asked, Yuuki immediately feeling sheepish for having even asked.

"I told you I did, right?" she answered, feeling him shift as he sighed mightily.

"Persistent, aren't you? Well, what would you like to know?" he wondered, Yuuki turning to face him, leaning her head against the back of the futon.

"Well, how about where you come from? Family?" she asked, the girl noticing the visible change in his decorum as silence descended upon him. At last he spoke, Yuuki unleashing the breath she only then realized she'd been holding.

"There's not much to tell, really. My parents live in the country up north and I got lucky and got accepted here…so here I am," he told her, Yuuki chewing her bottom lip a bit nervously as she again began her line of questioning.

"So you grew up away from the city then? Must've been nice and quiet," she noted, Zero leaning his head back against the futon as he rubbed his eyes. He still seemed agitated, the realization bothering the girl by his side to no end.

"More like nice and boring. I like it a lot better here. You don't have to walk half an hour to reach civilization here," he said, a small smile touching her lips.

"But it sucks when you don't want to be near civilization, because here you can't escape it. Anyway…do you have siblings?" she asked, his head turning towards her, his arm stretching out along the back of the futon.

"No. It's just me," he answered, Yuuki swearing she could detect a touch of melancholy lacing his voice.

"How about you?" he wondered, her smile returning as she gave her answer.

"I've got one older brother. He's at law school halfway across the country, so I don't get to see him much these days. He only comes home on holidays and even then he has his nose stuck in a book the entire time. I kinda' miss him," she revealed, her heart beginning to race once more as she noticed his finger twirling a lock of her hair around it absently.

"You're from a family of overachievers, huh?" he asked, seeming not to notice her minor distress.

"So you know about my father?" she asked, an unexpected chuckle leaving him.

"Who doesn't? He's pretty important around here, right?"

"Maybe. Dad…well, he's pretty particular about lots of things, especially about me going to our school. He pretty much bashed me over the head and drug me here so I could follow in his footsteps. Sadly, his plan has been foiled by my pronounced lack of intelligence," she joked, Zero hearing her teeth begin to chatter a moment later.

"Come here," he said, hearing her gasp as he slung his arm over her shoulders, pulling her in close against his side. The warmth of his body immediately began to permeate her, the girl momentarily stunned and unable to articulate a single syllable.

"Sorry, but I can't sit here and listen to your teeth chattering when I can keep you warm," he told her, Yuuki looking up at him. In the candlelight, she could see him gazing back at her, a shiver coursing throughout her. The small action didn't go unnoticed, his voice reaching her once more.

"Maybe you should get in bed. You'll probably be able to stay warmer there," he suggested, her retort immediate.

"What about you?" she asked, the warmth of him doing wonders to ease her discomfort.

"I'm fine on the futon," he answered, finding himself to be rather appreciative of her warmth himself. He felt her shift, her body pressing closer against him.

"Then so am I," she said simply, nearly cringing as she heard the sound of the gusting wind outside rattling the windows.

"I'm really sorry for stranding you here," she told him, picking absently at the hem of her shirt.

"You can't change the weather, so don't worry about it. Now, if the damn power would come back on," he griped, "we could get something accomplished."

"I'd had enough for one night, I think. Any more and I'm sure my head would've just exploded," she muttered, recalling the hellish equations she'd been made to solve earlier.

"You don't give yourself nearly enough credit, you know. You're smart, you just don't have the right amount of faith in yourself," he told her, though she remained unconvinced.

"Whatever you say. I'm still nervous about finals. If I bomb, my parents will likely murder me. Can't go and embarrass them," she said with a sigh, shivering despite the warmth her companion offered.

"Is it hard on you?" he asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Is what hard on me?"

"Well…all the expectations they have of you. It seems like that'd get tiresome after so long," he said, having touched a nerve.

"It's true. Maybe it makes me ungrateful, since they've always made sure I've had everything I've ever needed or wanted, but yeah, it is hard sometimes. I feel like I'm an outsider in my own family half the time. I mean, there's my brother, who's perfect and can do no wrong. He's great at everything he does and never screws anything up. Then you have me, who just slips by because of who my father is. I don't even know what I want my major to be. Wasn't I supposed to figure that out in high school? It just feels like I don't belong. I get sick of everything being a farce and putting on a happy face all the time," she divulged, only then realizing how much of herself she'd just revealed to her tutor.

"Looking at you, I'd never know that you felt that way," he told her, his arm still holding her against his side.

"What do you think when you look at me?" she asked, genuinely curious as to what his answer would be.

"I think how such a capable girl should try believing in herself, even a little. You don't have to accept being a marionette if that's not what you want. You can make your own destiny if you choose to," he answered, Yuuki taking a moment to consider his words.

"I wish it were as easy as deciding to change. My family wants me to be someone that I can never actually be. I wish they could see things the way you do," she said, rubbing her hands together to warm them.

"I'm sure you'll figure things out. Don't stress over it and let it bring you down. It'll just make life even more bothersome," he said, surprised as she rose to her feet.

"Thanks. You know, I may sound strange saying this, but I'm glad I got to meet you. You're the first sensible person I've ever known," she informed him, taking hold of his hand as she began pulling him to his feet.

"Same here. You're much more interesting than most," he said, watching as she laid the futon down to form a bed.

"Glad someone thinks so. Anyway, I'm kinda' tired. I don't think this storm is gonna' die down anytime soon, so you can crash here as long as you want. I'll get you another blanket," she said, disappearing into the adjoining room before returning with one in hand. He removed his boots as she spread it out atop the futon, the chill of the room enveloping her, the girl wishing for the warmth she'd previously known.

"Well, goodnight then," she said, turning to retreat to her bedroom. Her heart leapt into her throat as his hand took hold of hers, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"I'd hate for you to freeze to death knowing that I could've prevented it," he teased, her cheeks warming as his words registered.

"I…is that ok? You wouldn't mind?" she wondered, the man turning down the blankets for her.

"Not at all. But if it bothers you…"

"No, it doesn't," she blurted, cursing herself for her bluntness.

He watched her crawl onto the futon, slipping under the blankets before watching him do the same, one arm snaking across her shoulders before the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her in against him. Her breath caught, her palms coming to rest against his chest, his breath beating down upon her forehead.

"You're really warm," she noted, the warm scent of him bombarding her, Yuuki closing her eyes as she felt his lips touch her forehead.

She realized what was happening, though she made no move to resist it, the girl already harboring some strange yet intense emotions concerning the man beside her. She held all her other thoughts at bay, concentrating only on the moment at hand, his lips moving next to one cheek, then the other. Her hands fisted in his shirt, her heart racing as she heard him speak.

"Better?" he wondered, feeling her nod in response.

"Yeah. Thank you," she told him, still awestruck by the gentleness he was showing her, his forehead resting against hers as the backs of his fingers trailed along her cheek.

"My pleasure. You still feel cold, though. Here…hold onto me," he told her, Yuuki hesitating for only a moment before lacing her arms around him, her body pressing along the length of his, sparks coursing throughout her from their contact.

His warm breath beat down against her brow, her heart feeling as though it would leap from her chest at any moment as she lay silently in his embrace. The wind rattled the windows once again, though she paid it no mind. All that registered was that she was lying in the arms of the man she'd come to so admire since she'd met him not so long before.

"Yuuki," he said, the girl tilting her head back, being caught off guard as his lips touched hers, her breath catching as her eyes flew open before closing altogether.

Her head swimming, she allowed herself to become lost to his kiss, her fingers gripping the front of his shirt tightly, his hand cradling her head as he titled it back, his kiss intensifying further. His tongue touched her bottom lip, soon slipping inside her mouth and leaving her clinging desperately to him, unwilling to release him as he kissed her breathless. He broke away slowly, his arm holding her close against him as he listened to the sound of her labored breaths.

"Sorry," he said, his voice a deep whisper as she struggled to regain her composure before she did something to make a fool of herself. Yuuki was still too awestruck by the situation to reply, her lips still tingling from his kiss. At last she was able to speak, her hands still gripping the front of his shirt.

"No, it's…it's ok," she responded, her head swimming as she gazed up at him.

"Then I'm not sorry," he told her, before descending upon her once more. Her small body felt so delicate in his embrace, his arms strong around her as he kissed her breathless. Yuuki felt the heat spreading throughout her, her arms slipping about her companion's neck as she pulled herself impossibly closer to his warmth.

The thought struck her suddenly, panic quick to rise within her as her mind demanded she put an end to what was occurring between them.

She pulled back, his arms tight around her, her head still swimming from his kiss. She looked up at him, the man noticing her distress. Her heart was racing, Yuuki feeling as though she'd melt into a puddle as silent moments passed them by. His eyes were dark, what she easily recognized as want swirling within their depths. What the hell was she doing? Snapping out of her momentary stupor, her protests began despite the longing that was steadily growing within her.

"I think I fucked up. I really…I can't do this," she tried, though his arms remained like iron around her, the man unwilling to let her go.

"Why?" he wondered, drawing her impossibly closer as he kissed her again, his tongue slipping between her lips as she met his kiss in kind, her tongue invading his mouth. She tasted sweet, his body responding wickedly to their proximity despite his attempts to hold his own feral nature at bay.

She kissed him back, totally lost to him, her mind and body demanding separate actions entirely. Soon she felt his hand moving along her body before slipping beneath her shirt, molding to the tender flesh of her breast and causing heat to pool between her thighs, her body desperate for his touch.

Breaking away, she tried to compose herself, his hand still up her shirt, his breath hot against her lips. She found herself longing to see just how far he would go if given the opportunity, knowing full well what dangerous ground she was treading upon.

"I can't," she said again, though she was unable to resist as he placed another chaste kiss upon her lips, savoring the saccharine taste of her.

"I…I have a boyfriend," she said, shocked by what she heard next.

"I know," he said simply, the girl finding herself on her back, his body coming to rest atop her. She was so small beneath him, her cheeks flushed from their contact, her palms resting against the wall of his chest as she looked up at him.

"And that's not a problem?" she managed, watching as his hands moved down the front of her shirt, deftly undoing each button before laying it open. Her hands covered his, halting any further progress, her eyes full as she looked up at him. At that moment, something was triggered within him, something that overshadowed the game he'd sought to win. This new desire was blinding, the girl before him causing his body to pain him, the man wishing to possess nothing short of all of her. Those eyes, he was sure, were looking directly into his soul, leaving him feeling stripped of the defenses he'd tried so hard to keep intact.

"Are you happy with him?" he asked, Yuuki swallowing hard. How adept at reading things was this guy, anyway?

"I…it's really complicated," she tried, her eyes closing as his hands unclasped the front of her bra, revealing the perfect swells of her breasts, Zero descending hungrily upon them. His lips closed around one, his hand molding to the other, causing a soft moan to escape her. Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him to her as he devoured her, her body aflame as he drew forth more pleasurable sounds from the girl beneath him.

"If you hate this so much, push me away," he said, knowing full well that she'd be absolutely incapable of doing such a thing. Her arms laced about his neck, her eyes pleading for him to continue.

"I…Zero," she sighed, his name like heaven as it left her lips, his teeth nipping along her breast as his hands moved to unbutton her jeans, beginning to slide them down, his hands running along her hips.

"Touch me," she said softly, her legs lacing around him, the girl feeling her body taking total control, her longing raging beyond all reason as her hands slipped under his shirt, feeling the taught muscles beneath her palms.

"I thought you had a boyfriend," he taunted, knowing full well that they'd long since passed the point of going back.

"In name only," she managed, writhing beneath him, her body arching into him as his tongue trailed along the naked skin of her chest.

"Then why are you with him?"

"I told you, it's…"

"If it's so complicated, why are you still putting up with it? Do you love him that much?" Zero asked, shocked by the ferocity of her reply.

"I don't love him. I'm expected to, but I don't. Not even close," she informed him, her fingers anchoring in his hair as she pulled him down, the girl no longer concerned by what Akio would do should her actions come to light.

Just then, her phone rang loudly, Yuuki rolling her eyes as she cursed the absurdity of the timing. Of course this would happen at this precise moment.

She watched as he moved to sit on his knees, the man still gazing down hungrily upon her as her phone continued to ring furiously from the inn table. Guilt and worry were soon to strike, the girl at last realizing her position after being snapped out of her lust induced stupor. She lay spread out before her tutor, her chest bare to his view and her breaths ragged as her hand reached for her phone. Her heart flew to up into her throat as she saw who was calling, dread filling the pit of her stomach.

"Shit," she muttered, looking from her phone to Zero and back again as she attempted to render a decision. At last she made up her mind, silencing the ringing before quickly pulling her shirt in tightly about herself. She looked up, sighing mightily as she realized that nothing further would be occurring between she and the man before her tonight. Amused by how flustered she'd become, Zero got to his feet, his eyes still upon her.

"I suppose that was him, right? How about I just go if it's going to get to you so much," he said, turning to retrieve his coat. His brow rose as her fingers caught his shirt sleeve, holding him in place as she too rose.

"Look, I just…I don't know what to do right now, so I'm going to take the coward's way out and go to my room like a good girl. But don't go out there until it stops, ok? I don't want anything happening to you," she told him, at last releasing his sleeve before beginning to brush past him. It was he that caught her then, his arm snagging her about the waist.

"You're running from me already?"

He heard her sigh, her body heat permeating him despite the chill of the air surrounding them. Her delicate scent bombarded him, made him lose a bit more of the self control that had already slipped so far. He was beginning to think himself mad for becoming so beguiled by her, the man more than a bit reluctant to allow her escape. This, he attempted to remind himself, was all a ruse, though he felt something sinister stirring within him…something he'd not foreseen being born of this game he'd chosen to begin.

"If I don't, I'll just do something stupid that we'll both probably regret," she said, her hands gripping the arm that kept its place around her waist.

"There's nothing I'd regret doing with you," he responded, only succeeding in making it even more difficult for her to pull herself away from him.

"Zero…"

"Ok, I won't do anything else tonight. Just sleep beside me," he asked, Yuuki realizing that he'd already won this battle.

"I'm afraid to," she told him, feeling him smile against her hair.

"Afraid of what I'll do? Or of what you'll do?"

"Both," she admitted, turning to face him, his arm still around her.

"Don't worry. I promise I'll behave," he told her, his fingers smoothing along her cheek. She sighed, at last relenting and sinking back down upon the futon, Zero soon to follow. Again his arms were around her, though she allowed herself the simple act of enjoying the warmth they offered.

The storm still blowing outside, Yuuki concentrated on the rise and fall of her companion's chest, her eyes closing at last as sleep began tugging at her. Despite what had occurred between them, the haven of his arms had managed to erase all thoughts of guilt from her mind, leaving her more at ease that she could ever recall.

"You ok?" he asked, the girl nodding in response.

"I'm good. Goodnight," she said softly, defying her own rule as she placed a tender kiss upon his lips. He was quick to respond, kissing her forehead before settling in, tucking her in under his chin.

"Goodnight, Yuuki."

X-O-X-O

Chapter 2 done! Thanks for reading!

*Cosmic*