Chapter 13

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Vincent was currently wondering if what sinners had to go through in hell was any better than this.

Because this… was torture. The boredom… The mind- numbing boredom… It. Sucked.

How was he supposed to get any sleep when he knew the sun was shining just as bright as it had been yesterday morning? Grr.

Sitting up on his bed, he glared at the window, where bright sunlight streamed through, warming his face, beckoning to him. He wished it was overcast, because then he could sleep.

Flopping back, he threw an arm over his eyes, and groaned. Curse whomever invented the Night Class- he was not nocturnal, no matter how much his body seemed to love the night. His senses were more alive in the night, more sharp and alert. However, his body loved the day too, wanted to go out and bask in the sunshine, soak it up and enjoy it.

With a curse, he got up, throwing the blankets off of him. To hell with this; he wanted out.

Quickly throwing on another casual outfit and his same shoes as yesterday, he snuck out again, grinning as soon as he was outside. The sun felt wonderful on his skin, and he looked down, absentmindedly rubbing his arm. Maybe he could get some color into his pale skin; he probably looked like a ghost.

Crossing to the wall, he hastily scaled it again, frowning a bit as he did so. Was it him, or did it seem easier than yesterday…? Eh, whatever.

Dropping down, he wasted no time in starting to sprint down the bridge, eager to explore some more of the grounds while the Day Class was in their classes. He bypassed the gardens, intent on scouring the halls of the main buildings for anything interesting rather than whiling away his time in the gardens.

Reaching the edge of the bridge, he stopped as he heard the bell tolling, the signal for the end of class. Eyes widening as he heard doors opening and the chattering and laughter of the Day Class, he cursed and ducked behind a bush, waiting as people passed him, praying that he wouldn't be discovered.

Because he didn't know if he would be able to outrun the fangirls. And the thought of being mobbed… He shuddered at the thought.

The sound of students eventually died down, and he poked his head up, coming face to face with none other than what he was fearing most; a girl. He tensed, waiting for the scream, but nothing came. He cocked his head to the side, surprised. "…Um, hello?"

The redhead smiled, amusement in her deep brown eyes. "Well, hello Valentine- sempai. Fancy seeing you here."

He blinked. The girl, seeing his confusion, laughed. "Oh, don't worry. I won't mob you, or anything. Now if it was Kain- sempai…" Her eyes turned dreamy, and she let out a small sigh. "That would be a different matter."

Oh. Well, that made sense. "Don't tell anyone I'm here?" he asked hopefully.

She turned back to him, eyes growing wicked. "Only if you get me Wild's autograph. I'm always here at this same spot at this time, and I'm assuming this isn't your first time sneaking away?"

He shook his head. These Day Class girls were something else. "Blackmailing is dirty… but I'll do it." Although how the hell he was going to get Akatsuki's signature was beyond him.

She grinned, rubbing her hands together. "Wonderful. I can see why you're becoming popular; you're quite nice." She looked around, and gestured to the now empty halls. "Coast's clear, if you wanna go."

He looked around as well, before jumping up. He glanced back at her. "Thanks."

She grinned at him, mimicking a writing motion. "Anytime." She watched as Vincent left, warily looking around to see if there were any girls. Not that there would be; she was the only one allowed out of the classrooms with permission; she had a special pass that let her go outside to learn. Some kind of skin disorder that made her need more sunlight than others.

She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows a bit and lean closer as she watched the casually- dressed Night Class student walk away. She was a Kain fangirl all the way but… Damn. She couldn't help but admit that Valentine- sempai was hot, even if his features were a bit too feminine for her tastes. He pulled it off very well though, and she leered a bit as she got a good look at his back.

Damn, but he had a nice ass.

She snickered at the thought, and then went back to reading her book, chuckling in glee about getting Kain- sempai's signature, and being able to lord it over all the rest of his fangirls.

Vincent slowly relaxed as he walked down the halls, his wariness dissipating as he simply took in the lovely day. It was different, walking down the halls of the main building during the day. It was a nice change, one he appreciated.

He stopped to smell one of the day lilies that grew along the path, gently breaking it off from the rest of the plant, and bringing it up to his nose to smell it. He smiled; perhaps he'd visit the garden before he left for the dorms, and pick a few flowers to put in a vase. They would brighten up his room. Clutching the lily to his chest, he started walking again-

Only to freeze, eyes widening as he heard footsteps, and girlish laughter. "I never thought I'd see Kuran from the Night Class in the building!"

"It's not time for the class change-over yet, either!"

Kuran…? What was Kaname doing out here? He ducked behind a pillar, trying not to give his presence away.

Was it just him, or had he been doing a lot of sneaking and eavesdropping lately…?

Two sets of footsteps passed the pillar, and Vincent froze as Kaname's smooth, low voice was heard.

"I didn't expect to meet you here, Kiriyuu." Zero?

What a hypocrite. He got on others for skipping class, and yet the Day Class student seemed to be doing the same thing. And why hadn't he gotten the two girls that he just heard giggling?

"Yuuki isn't with you today?" No, she's probably not skipping out on class like you, hypocrite.

"She has extra classes." Zero's voice was cold, as it always was when he addressed Kaname. And Yuuki having extra classes… wasn't that like detention?

"Hm." There was a pause before Kaname continued. "Kiriyuu… How are you feeling?"

Wait. Did Kaname know yesterday, about his episode in Kaien's house?

There was a tense silence, in which Vincent could imagine Zero leveling a cold glare with his lovely amethyst eyes.

"Take care now." Kaname's voice held a smirk at which Vincent frowned at. If the brunette did know about Zero's episode, then taunting him was cruel. It would be almost like taunting him about his memory loss. He knew the two didn't care for each other, but to do something like that…

"Oh my God."

Vincent's brain screeched to a halt as his eyes slid over to his left, and saw the two girls he saw earlier pointing at him, mouths wide open, and eyes glazed with happiness. "Valentine- sempai…"

He smiled weakly. "…Hello?" Please don't scream…

His prayer, however, went unanswered as they did, in fact, scream. It shocked Vincent, Kaname, Zero, and Ruka, who was also with the brunette.

Eyes widening in shock and horror, Vincent dropped the lily and sprinted away from the pillar, back towards the Moon Dorm, intent on getting away. "Valentine- sempai!"

Vincent Valentine was usually not one to swear, but in some situations…

...Son of a bitch.

Cursing was definitely appropriate.

On the other side of the pillar, Kaname cringed as he heard the shriek, followed by a calling of a name he knew all too well. "Valentine- sempai!"

The name was followed by a flash of color darting away from the other side of the pillar. With a mixture of amusement and confusion, Kaname watched as Vincent shot away from the main building, running down the path to the Moon Dorms.

What was Vincent doing out here anyway?

Zero, having gotten over his shock at Kaname's seemingly innocent question, glared at the girls. "What the hell are you doing out of classes?!"

Looking back at the pissed- off prefect, the girls cringed before backing away and running to the place they were supposed to be. Kaname, meanwhile, went behind the pillar to where Vincent had been. How had he not smelled the boy's scent before? It was on the pillar and all around the ground.

Spotting the lily, he leaned down to pick it up, a small smile starting on his face. The lily was the same color as Vincent's eyes when they were in the library those few nights ago. When the fire had been reflected in them, making them glow and flicker orange and red, just like the flames themselves.

Although the lily could never compare to Vincent's own unique color.

His russet-colored eyes flicked up towards the bridge, where Vincent had disappeared to. He knew the ravenette was sneaking out during the day, as he had yesterday, but why?

It's going to get you in trouble one day… Kaname thought with a smile.

"Kaname- sama, your meeting with the Chairman…" Ruka's voice was an unwelcomed interruption to his thoughts, and he glanced idly back at her.

"I know, Ruka." There was a familiar presence behind him that chose to make itself known at the time. "Hello, Seiren."

The silver- haired girl glanced at the lily in his hands, and held out one of her own. "I can take that for you, Lord Kaname." Ugh. He sincerely hated that title.

Shaking his head, he gently brushed his fingers along the petals. Vincent's smell mingled with the lily's own floral smell, a scent that was wholly different than the ravenette's normal smell. But it was a wonderful smell, one that Kaname found addicting. He wasn't ready to let go of the flower just yet. "That's not necessary, Seiren. I can hold it."

Seiren gave no sign of her emotions at Kaname's unusual actions- he never held onto the gifts the Day Class gave him. But then again, this wasn't a gift, nor was it from any of the Day Class. "As you wish." And then she was gone once more.

"Ruka," Kaname said, addressing he vampire beside him, "you can go back to the Dorm for class change- over. My meeting won't last long."

"Of course, Kaname- sama." She bowed and turned to head back to the Moon Dorms, while Kaname, still holding the lily, walked back onto the path and started heading towards Kaien's house.

Vincent was just hoisting himself over the walls when the sound of the door to the Dorms opening was heard. He dropped to the ground gracefully, and headed over to the door, surprised when Kain and Aido came out.

What were they doing out here?

"Hello, Vincent," Kain greeted him, looking around, "What are you doing out?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I'm afraid I haven't quite adjusted to the new schedule yet." He shrugged, tilting his face up a bit to catch some of the sun's rays. "I find myself missing the sun when I'm supposed to be asleep."

"I see."

Vincent bent his head back to normal with a sigh. "I would have been out longer, but a few Day Class girls saw me." He grimaced, remembering the ear- splitting shriek, and then recalled something else. "By the way," Vincent said, "I saw Kaname out there, along with Ruka. It's not time for class change- over yet." There was a tentative question hidden within the statement. It would be rude to ask outright what the Night Class Leader was doing out and about, but he was curious.

Hanabusa's fists clenched at the informal use of Kaname's name. Even he didn't address Kaname without some show of respect. Either the crimson- eyed boy really was clueless on how to show respect, or…

Kaname had given him permission.

And that thought didn't sit well with Aido.

He studied the newcomer closely for the first time. His crimson eyes still made Hanabusa want to cringe slightly; they were unnatural in the eyes of a human, or whatever it was Vincent was, since Kaname didn't seem to be convinced that he was. They were even more so in the light, when the sunlight reflected off them, making them seem like they glowed.

He was… attractive, Hanabusa supposed, if you were into the pretty types, although Vincent was saved from outright feminity by virtue of his height, only a couple of inches shorter than Kaname. And the pureblood was tall.

And well, Hanabusa had to admit, the boy did smell good. Extremely good.

So Aido could see Kaname's fascination. Still, it made him jealous, a relative stranger becoming that close to Kaname just within a few days.

"Kaname- sama is currently at a meeting with the Chairman. He left early so he might get back in time for class." Kain tilted his head to the side, a knowing look on his face. "Unlike you, who seems to disappear every class."

Vincent sighed. "I know. But there were things I needed to discuss with Kaien."

Kain raised an eyebrow. "If you don't mind me asking…?"

Shaking his head, Vincent replied, "I would tell you, but… if you wish to know, ask Kaname. He knows." He looked up at the sky, just where the sun was barely beginning to set. "I need to get changed for class. I'll see you then."

Waving to them, he started off to the dorms, leaving Akatsuki to stare after him, Hanabusa silently fuming at his side. "That boy! He doesn't treat Kaname- sama with the proper-"

"Leave it, Hanabusa." Akatsuki's voice held a warning tone. "Kaname- sama has his own reasons for everything he does and allows. And somehow, I think it would anger our leader if he were to discover anything happened to Vincent." That much, Kain was certain of.

Kaname acted different towards the boy than he did with everyone else, even that human girl he seemed to have such an affinity for. He treated the nobles, his friends, with cool courtesy, polite and friendly yet distant at the same time. Yuuki Cross he treated gently, tenderly, as if she were something precious.

But Vincent… he was somewhere in between. When Kaname spoke to Vincent, it was… inquisitive, as if he was truly interested in everything the ravenette did. As if he were fascinated by the boy. And every time Vincent looked away from the pureblood, Kaname's head would automatically turn to Vincent with curious eyes.

It was odd, to say the least. Everything about the situation was odd, from the boy's sudden appearance, to Kaname's interest, to the very boy himself. But it was Kaname's problem, whatever that problem happened to be. So far, it didn't concern them, and so for now, he was going to let it be. For all intents and purposes, Vincent didn't seem like a bad person, a bit shy, but someone Akatsuki could see himself getting along with.

But for right now, he wasn't going to worry. It was getting close to classes, which meant that it was dusk, the one time of day besides dawn that vampires could stand the sunlight. And Vincent had been right; the sun, in small amounts, did feel good even to vampires. And so Kain and Aido had come out here to enjoy the short time in which the sun wasn't painful to them.

Vincent ran a hand through his hair as he ascended the stairs that led to the rooms.

He had gotten lucky earlier, he knew, when the girls had spotted him by the pillar. They hadn't had a chance to do anything other than scream before he was gone. And earlier, with Aido and Kain...

For some reason, the blonde had looked angry. Was it because of his remark about Hanabusa wanting to keep his figure? If it was, he wanted to let the blonde know he was simply making a joke to get a point across to the girls yesterday.

Perhaps he should apologize after getting changed…?

However, he discarded that option as soon as it was brought into thought. Kaname had called him feminine, and he didn't get upset. If he could handle it, Aido could as well. The blonde vampire, if that was what he was upset about, was getting angry over nothing. He could just deal with it.

Speaking of Kaname…

Vincent sighed as he opened the door to his rooms, stepping inside, and closing the door. He hadn't really seen the brunette since last evening, and even then, it was just a near- silent walk to the gates. He found himself missing Kaname's company, even if it was just a silent presence.

There was something about the brunette that was… comforting, something that drew him towards Kaname. He didn't know what it was, but he found that the dorms were oddly empty without the brunette's presence. Even when he had been out wandering around, it had made him feel better to know that the Moon Dorms were waiting for him, with Kaname inside…

And now he was sounding sappy. Yet, it was true.

Sliding his shirt over his head, he tossed it onto a chair gently, and then slid out of his pants and shoes absentmindedly, his thoughts focused on Kaname.

He had been the one who found him, brought him to safety after his accident. It was natural, he supposed, to feel some lingering attachments there, some emotions of gratefulness and attachment. But, did it involve things like this?

Like wanting to see Kaname, know his eyes were on him when he wasn't looking? To see his face that he had admitted to being handsome not too long ago, just as he had referred to Vincent as being beautiful.

That night… when Kaname had told Vincent that, when he had had his face held in Kaname's larger, smooth hand… it had done weird things to him inside. Made him feel hot and breathless. Yet, it wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but Vincent wasn't entirely comfortable with it, either. It was foreign and odd, and he didn't know what it was about the brunette's touch and words that made him feel that way.

But ruminating over it while standing in the middle of his room nearly nude wasn't going to help, was it? No, it wasn't. Shaking his head, he went over to his closet, picking out a uniform, and went through the arduous task of putting it all on, scowling as he did so.

Who the hell made uniforms this complicated? Even his suit when he was back in the-

He froze suddenly as the thought stopped. His suit? He didn't remember ever owning a suit…

And he sure as hell didn't remember ever being in an organization. Which meant that slowly, his memories were coming back.

He grinned, suddenly not minding the complicatedness of the uniform anymore. If his memories kept retuning, maybe, just maybe, he could figure out who he was, and what he had been doing on the grounds if he wasn't a student.

Finishing doing up his tie, he raked a hand through his black locks, determining that that was the best that they were going to look; he wasn't willing to spend copious amounts of time on them.

Glancing at the clock, he sighed when he noticed it was still an hour before he had to be at the gates.

The moon was just starting to show, the sky beginning to turn dark, he could see from the light filtering through his window. Vincent saw Kain and Aido still outside, milling about. Kain had his hands tucked into his pockets, and was leaning his head to the side, no doubt listening as Aido talked animatedly about something, his hands making motions in the air to illustrate his words.

He glanced about; there was nothing in his room to do, so on a whim, he decided to go out and joint the two. Besides, he still had to ask Kain for his signature to give that girl in return for her silence.

He gave himself one last look in the mirror to make sure everything was in place before he left, and then exited the room, descending the stairs once more. He saw Senri and Rima lounging on one of the couches in the library through the open door. They acknowledged him with a nod, (from Senri) and a wave, (from Rima). He gave a nod in return, and then continued on his way.

Pushing open the doors leading outside, he unconsciously straightened his jacket as he walked towards the gates, where he had last seen Kain and Aido. The air was crisp, and the air was just beginning to get crisp, and indicator of the night that was fast approaching. He looked up at the moon; it was nearly full, and for some reason, the thought sent chills down his spine, and his shoulder blades tingled.

Rolling them to get rid of the odd felling, his eyes turned away from the moon, and down farther to the gates, which he noticed were open. It was weird; it wasn't time for class changeover yet-

Eyes widening, he took in the reason the gates were open in the first place.

A flash of silver told him Zero was there, and he was surrounded by a few students of the Night Class, whom Vincent recognized as Ruka, (wasn't she with Kaname?) Kain, and Aido, along with a few others he wasn't familiar with.

There was a distant "clink" as Zero reached into his pocket, and in a flash, drew out something and pointed it at Ruka, who stared at Zero emotionlessly. What was the prefect doing with a gun?!

"What do you want?!" he heard Zero question angrily, at which Ruka got an annoyed expression on her face. Her response was too quiet for Vincent to make out, and then Kain stepped forward, also saying something that was too low for Vincent to hear. He saw Kain lay a hand on Zero's outstretched gun arm, and a hidden knowledge reared itself up within him, almost making him cringe. Stupid! You never lay a hand on the gunman's arm when he's pointing a weapon! It could cause him to jerk and the weapon go off!

However, Vincent's concern was unneeded, because Zero was too good at what he did to be startled into doing a stupid thing like that. Instead, Vincent watched in mixed fascination and trepidation as Zero used his free arm to grasp Kain's arm, and flipped him over his bent body, making the redhead land on his back on the ground.

Kain lay on the ground, no doubt stunned, and seeing the tall, muscular man laid low broke Vincent from his shock. He rushed forward, getting between Zero and the Night Class in a flash, before Zero could aim his gun back at Ruka, holding his arm down. "Zero! What are you doing?!" he hissed.

The prefect's eyes were glinting with anger, along with something else… pain? Whatever it was, it was quickly masked as Zero shook Vincent's arm off. "It's not your business, Vincent."

Unknown to Vincent, gold flashed for a brief second in his eyes before they returned to their normal crimson, although they were angry. "No, Zero," Vincent nearly growled, in a voice deeper than his naturally low, melodic voice. It shocked Zero and the three Night Class who were familiar with him, but especially Zero, because he was the only one who had also seen the brief changing of crimson to gold and back again in Vincent's eyes. He grasped ahold of the prefect's arm once more, although in a harder grip. Zero's eyes widened at the almost unnatural strength in the grip. "You're being foolish, letting anger control you."

Giving the arm a last squeeze, he then turned to the other Night Class students, glaring at them. "And you all were being stupid for provoking him, since Zero- kun doesn't seem to be one who would pull a gun without some sort of reason."

"Exactly!" A light, feminine voice sounded, right before a thud and flash of brown and black. Yuuki stood up, anger evident on her face, and a staff in her hand.

Was everyone carrying weapons today?

"No fighting allowed! Didn't you read that in the student handbook?" Yuuki said, glaring at the Night Class. "So regardless of whether it's Zero or a student from the Night Class that's trying to start a fight, as a prefect, I will not allow it!" Yuuki yelled, flashing her Disciplinary Committee armband.

Kain's expression turned annoyed as he stood up. "Look, can't we just drop this already?" He had never wanted this to escalate into a fight, and was glad that Vincent came along when he did. He had been the one trying to calm Zero down, not that it had worked. The prefect hated vampires too much to listen to one.

Ruka glared at Zero. "Fine," she sighed irritably. "It's not worth it anyways. Let's go get ready for class," she said, turning away with a haughty flick of her hair.

Striding back to the dorms, she was followed by Kain, Aido, and the rest of the Night Class, except Vincent.

He waited until they were gone, before turning to Zero. "What was that?" he asked, half angry, half curious at why he seemed to hate the Night Class so much. What had caused such animosity between the prefect and the white- uniformed students? And especially Kaname…

Vincent recalled the coldness of the prefect's glare whenever it rested on the brunette, and the way Kaname always seemed to know exactly what to say to nettle Zero.

Turning away, Zero ran a hand through his hair, still bewildered at the change in Vincent's normal mannerisms, and the way his eyes had flashed from crimson to gold.

What the hell had that been? There was something lurking within the boy, something that Zero wasn't sure was friendly. Something unknown, and supernatural, that much was certain. Vincent seemed to be oblivious to the change, however, so he pushed it to the back of his mind for later examination. "That? That was nothing," Zero replied coldly. "Just… a misunderstanding."

Vincent raised an eyebrow, casting a glance over towards Yuuki. She was gazing concernedly at the silver- haired prefect, worry written all over her face. Something was going on between the Night Class and Zero, that much was certain. But, he was positive it had been going on before he had arrived here.

So what right did he have to interfere?

I don't, he realized. He didn't have any right to meddle in affairs that were not his own, that he had no idea about. And his interference was unwelcome, to say the least. He could see it now, in the angry set of Zero's shoulders, and the worried gaze of Yuuki.

Unconsciously, he let his shoulders slump at the thought. He was an intruder; he knew nothing of the things that went on here, had been going on for years. They all knew each other here… and he? He was an outsider, no matter how kind everyone was. "Of course… nothing…" Vincent repeated, a little numbed at the newest revelation his mind had come up with.

"Of course… nothing…" Zero stole a glance back at Vincent, who had just uttered that sentence. His brows drew together slightly in an almost unnoticeable frown as he noticed the hollow tone to Vincent's voice. His crimson eyes seemed shocked, almost as if he were in a daze.

Yuuki must have noticed, because she was examining the long- haired ravenette with concern. "Vincent? Are you alright?"

Her voce seemed to snap him out of the daze he was in, because he visibly jerked, blinking as his eyes met Yuuki's.

He smiled- but to Zero, it seemed forced. He didn't notice the flash of hurt that briefly showed in mesmerizing crimson eyes. "Yes, Yuuki, I'm fine." His voice held that same hollow tone, and Vincent slowly began to back away. "I… need to go meet the others for class. If you'll excuse me…?" Turning away without waiting for a response, he hesitated before saying, "I hope that you're better, Zero," before walking away.

Zero flinched; he recognized that walk, even if he didn't recognize the tone. He mentally slapped himself; he had said something to hurt Vincent again. He was about to open his mouth, call Vincent back so he could apologize, when he was hit with another surge of bloodlust.

He froze as he heard the insidious voice creep into his mind once more, demanding blood. As the pain from the bloodlust increased, so did the effects the lust had on his senses. He could clearly see the long, ivory neck of the boy walking away, hair gathered over one shoulder to keep it out of the way. His sense of smell increased as well, the alluring scent of Vincent's blood blooming within his nose, and it took all of his willpower not to overtake the boy, pull him close and bury his fangs in that delectable neck.

With a jerk, he broke out of the bloodlust, years of practice making him able to shove the beast down long enough to be able to get away from the delicious-smelling Vincent, and still delicious, but not as good- smelling Yuuki.

Whipping around, ready to flee, he held back a groan as the sleeve of his jacket was grabbed, freezing in place to prevent himself from jumping Yuuki. "Zero."

He jerked his arm away, fighting off another wave of bloodlust, the beast within him cackling into his ear about how imply delicious Yuuki would taste- No. "Just leave me alone." I don't want to hurt you.

Leaving Yuuki staring after him in shock, he strode as quickly away as he could, intent on getting to Cross's house, where he could take a shower, and then lock himself in his room in same said house.

...