His Only Princess: Chapter 9
It was sluggish and gray outside. Snow fell in heavy sheets, blanketing the ground in pristine white.
Buttoning the last button of her blazer, Yori examined herself in her mirror. Her hair laid flat against her head, no matter how many times she tugged her fingers through it. Every piece of her uniform was in exact, perfect order; she had completely replaced her white button down shirt, the other having no chance of being restored to its original shape. There was just too much blood on the collar to try and get out. The thought of it sent a shiver down her spine, and she toyed with the pink satin ribbon, the one from the roses from her father, she had tied around her neck. Her thoughts went back to last night, studying with Zero, him storming out, the sting of his fangs breaking her skin.
She was having a difficult time wrapping her mind around the fact that Zero was a vampire. It shouldn't have been so difficult; her best friend turned out to be one, as well as half of the student body at Cross Academy. But, Zero was a vampire hunter, and he had made his grounds about his view on vampires very clear. He despised them all, found them to be revolting, vile creatures only out to ruin human lives'.
"I don't have time to think about this," she grumbled to herself, perturbed with the fact that she was lagging around so much, and put on her brown, knee length coat, scooped her books into her bag, threw it over one shoulder, careful to avoid the sore side of her neck, and left her dorm room, closing the door behind her.
He felt like an emotional wreck. On the outside, he appeared to be his collected, cold self, glaring at anyone who crossed his path, but inside, he was furious with himself. He had sworn to himself he would not stoop to that point anymore, that Yuuki would be the only one. In reality, he wanted nothing more than to lock himself up in his apartment, away from the world, away from her, destroy every blood tablet in his possession and leave himself to rot from starvation.
But, of course, he wasn't about to get his way, especially not when a very chipper Chairman Cross practically dragged him outside, kicking him all the way to the Academy.
Now, he sat outside of the building, leaned up against a tree just outside off the gates to the Sun Dorms, arms crossed and head bowed. He began ignoring every student that walked past him on their way to class, that is, until one made their way outside. He recognized them instantly, and his long fingers gripped at the material of his blazer sleeves as he focused on paying no mind to them.
Yori ran outside, easily out of breath once she reached the gates, proving the fact of her never being an athlete. She had always admired Yuuki for her impeccable skills, always flipping around and jumping out of windows. She was certain she would have met some horrible fate if she ever tried any of those stunts herself.
Taking a moment to catch her breath, she lifted her winter numbed fingers to her neck, checking the placement of the ribbon, when her eyes landed on a figure under a tree.
Zero.
He, what appeared to be to her, was sleeping, but his silver hair fell in his face, obscuring his eyes from her vision. His legs were stretched out in front of him, and she briefly wondered if the snow was freezing him, even though he sat perfectly still.
Sighing, she lowered her head, watching the ground directly in front of her and started her way to the actual Academy building, which meant walking past the stoic hunter. The result ended in her favor, however, because he didn't even seem to be aware of anyone's existence.
He must really be asleep, she thought, an unmeant sigh of relief being released. She didn't really know how she felt about the confrontation that needed to happen between the two of them, soon, but she would avoid it as long as possible. She left the scene, continuing to her class, not noticing the eyes following her or how they finally moved once she was out of sight.
"Okay!" Takamiya yelled at the class and slammed his ruler against the chalkboard, startling them all into silence. He paced back and forth, eyeing them all disdainfully. "So, all of your tests were terrible. I mean, come on! I didn't give you all that study period for my own benefit," he griped, waving the stack of papers around in the air before tossing them in the waste bin. "That means that each of you will be retaking the test next week." He was met with a chorus of groans from the class, which fed his frustration all the more.
"Takamiya-sensei?" An overly-wise looking boy raised his hand in the hair, pushing his glasses up higher on his nose with the other.
"Yes?" Takamiya turned to face the board, already uninterested with whatever smart comeback the kid had thought up.
"I really can't believe I failed," he sounded a little hesitant to speak, but did so anyways. "I studied the most out of everyone in here."
Takamiya interlaced his fingers and turned around, grinning smugly.
"Why don't you come down here and pull your paper out?" he gestured to the waste bin with the rolled up papers in it. "Tell the class what all of your studying got you."
The boy flushed crimson and lowered himself in his seat, obviously mortified because of his words.
Takamiya wasn't relenting any time soon, though.
"Oh, Michishige, what's the matter? Shall I retrieve your paper for you?" He approached the waste bin, fully intent on shaming the kid further, when a hand shot up and a voice rang out.
"Takamiya-sensei?"
"Yes?" He straightened up, but didn't turn around. He didn't need to to know who had spoken out.
Yori realized she had bucked up the ability to be more bold since she didn't live in the shadow of her best friend anymore, and a small sense of pride glowed within her. Before, she had never really spoken up in class, always being the quiet, smart girl. But now, she almost felt the need to produce a new image for herself.
"Shouldn't we begin class, then? We won't do any better next time if you don't help us," she stated matter-of-factly.
Takamiya felt the urge to roll his eyes, but a prideful smile took hold of his mouth. She certainly was proving to be a wonderful match for him, whether she fully realized it yet or not.
"Alright, Wakaba, you're right," he strode over to his desk and lifted one of his many large textbooks, flipping it open. "Please turn to page forty in your Ethical Theories textbook and let's begin."
The students were groaning and rubbing their temples by the time the bell for class to end rang. Takamiya had showed them no mercy and crammed every little ounce of information into them as he could, determined to make sure they passed the test next time he gave it out.
With strong words of encouragement, he bid each student a good day as they left the classroom, subtly reminding them to study, or else.
Before Yori could leave the room, however, an arm blocked her passage, causing her to stop abruptly.
Takamiya smiled down at her.
"Mind if I have a word with you?"
She shook her head no and followed after him as he seated himself at his desk, keeping about three steps away. She may have offered to get to know him better, but she wouldn't allow anything improper to occur, least someone catch them, which would effectively ruin not only both of their reputations, but possibly get him fired as well, despite him being her fiancé.
Takamiya rested his elbows on his desk, burying his face in his hands, his fingers twisting in his copper locks. When he wasn't scolding students or yelling, he didn't seem as intimidating. Actually, he looked rather nice.
"You were the only one who passed," he sighed, running his hands down his face before glancing up at her.
Her face remained emotionless, except for the minuet widening of her eyes at his confession. She played around with that thought for a moment; at first, she wanted to bask in her joy of being able to pass the supposedly very difficult ethics exam, but then her logical part came into play, and she remembered the way he had helped her cheat on a few questions.
"That was only because you helped me, Takamiya-sensei," she admitted bashfully, lowering her gaze to her feet. She fiddled with one of the buttons on her coat.
"No. No, I don't think that's why," he proclaimed, standing up and coming to stand before her. She gulped a little at his sudden close proximity, but then reminded herself she needed to get used to this. They would possibly be spending the rest of their lives' together. "I just think you're that bright." His compliment caused a blush to creep up her neck, and she rubbed at the side where her bow was tied, forgetting for a moment what was there. She flinched a little when her fingers pressed against the bite mark.
"Hm, what's wrong?" Takamiya gingerly reached out a hand, its destination clearly the ribbon around her neck. She backed away instantaneously.
"Nothing," she assured him, laughing easily. She had become well-versed in the art of lying, always having to cover for Yuuki when she would sleep in from having a rough night on duty, and prayed that her deception would work on him, too.
It didn't seem to do so well, for he still approached her once more and caught the end of the ribbon between his fingers before she could move again, leaving her in a slightly panicked state. She felt the ribbon shift against her neck as he dragged it through his fingers, trembling from the immense relief she felt when he didn't untie it.
"Is this new?" he titled his head in inspection, his bangs falling over his eyes. "It looks really familiar."
"Class hasn't even been in session for a month, Takamiya-sensei!" she quickly interrupted his musings. "You really couldn't know what belongings of mine look familiar or new."
"I suppose you're right." He released the ribbon and lowered his hands, yet a suspicious look remained on his face. "It just seems...odd. Having a ribbon tied around your neck."
Yori didn't really know why she was covering so strongly for Zero. After all, she was mad at him for doing what he did, wasn't she?
No, she thought in honesty to herself. I just want to protect him. I want him to be the Zero he once was.
She was confused, yes, but she believed that, if it were to get out that Zero was a vampire, he would be permanently removed from the Academy and sent who knows where. She believed that she was the only one in the school who knew about him, completely unaware of those who also knew of his other half. And so, that set root in her believing she needed to cover for him as long as possible. Which meant tying ribbons around her neck until the bite mark healed.
"Maybe. But, I tend to be an odd person," she replied quietly, trying to draw herself back in her shell she had grown so comfortable with staying in. Since Yuuki had left, she had, more or less, been forced out into the world, no longer having her other half tied to her side. And her fruitless endeavor to cheer Zero up had also caused her to become a little more sociable, or at least as sociable as the guy of few words and many glares would allow her to be.
She was slightly taken aback when Takamiya belted out in laughter.
"You sure are an odd one, Wakaba," he teased, reaching out to ruffle her hair. She shook her head in protest, smoothing back down the damage he had caused to it. "An odd one, indeed. But, I guess I'm lucky, after all."
Yori was puzzled.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because, normal is too boring to want to live with for a long time," he winked, his innuendo quite clear to her. "And, Kiryuu doesn't seem to like odd so much. He's more into the whole regal, classy type, it looks like."
Blinking several times, Yori resisted slamming her head against the wall, doing it mentally instead.
"Ah, Takamiya-sensei, you're really making no sense."
"Oh, but I am," he obviously knew what he was talking about, but he had lost her completely, and he was aware of it. "But it's not important right now," he looked up at the clock hanging above the door. "You should probably head back to your dorm."
She too checked the time, and with a bow to him, she eagerly left the room, still confused.
"That ribbon," he thought aloud, running his index finger along the side of his neck, stopping at the hollow of his throat. "Surely he didn't."
She had gone straight to her dorm room, not stopping for anything along the way. Reaching her door, her mind was set on one thing only; get her homework finished, and then wait the rest of the day out in her room. She didn't even want to go and eat dinner.
"I'll be glad when you come back, Naomi-san," she spoke to herself and reached for the key to her door, confused when it didn't take. Twisting the doorknob, she discovered it hadn't even been locked. "I thought I locked this." She stepped inside.
It was dark, too dark to even see her hand in front of her face, and the fact that Naomi had hung black out curtains the one night she had had a headache didn't help any. Without the aid of the outdoor light, Yori fumbled and felt along the wall, joyful when her fingers found the light switch. Shedding her coat, it dropped to the floor carelessly when she turned around, being met with a more than unexpected surprise when the light came on.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, arms crossed and long legs out straight, was the one person she had spent the entire morning making sure she avoided, only to protect hours later. After having been so careful to not be spotted by him, seeing him in her room baffled her.
Had he been here the whole day?
He watched her through narrowed eyes, snowy fringe covering the lilac daggers. At an agonizingly slow pace, he arose from the bed, arms still crossed, and took a handful of steps towards her.
"Z-Zero-kun, what are y-you doing here?" she laughed nervously as she spoke, which caused some of her words to break up. Unconsciously, she lifted her hand to her neck, pressing her palm over it gently.
Zero glowered.
"That." He took another step closer, and by now, Yori was pressed against the door. Not really able to think straight, she didn't reach for the doorknob until he was practically towering over her, his own hand gripping it instead. His arms had her caged, and she felt like a rabbit being pinned down by a wolf. Screwing her eyes shut, she awaited her assumed fate in his hands.
"Why don't you try and look a little more terrified from me being close?" he growled out, pushing away from the door and stalking over to the window. She cracked one of her eyes open. "As if I don't already feel guilty enough for what I did." His voice had dropped, and she barely heard his words. But as she watched him sink back down and grip his hair in his hands, she felt a wave of guilt crash over her.
"Zero-kun," she spoke to him after a moment of silence. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad." She truly regretted her actions now, because it had seemed to upset him.
He raised his head, but didn't look at her.
"You didn't."
Yori remained silent, giving him the go-ahead to speak if he so wished to.
"I have felt that way since the very second I did...it," he spit the last word through his teeth, it sounding like venom. His hands shook and he tightened them into fists. "And you, you wanted to help me?" He laughed bitterly. "I'm nothing more than a damnable sin."
"That's not true!" she exclaimed, clamping her hands over her mouth as soon as she spoke. She didn't mean for the words to come out, but it was too late to take them back now. She attempted damage control by rewording and constructing a clever statement. "You're...a terrific hunter, from what I know about you. And you were a great Guardian for this school. Not to mention you're actually not so scary when you tone down those glares of yours," she smiled in thought of how she had spoken similar words to him at the horse stables a few months back.
But Zero wasn't buying any of it.
"What of it? You know what I am now," he looked over his shoulder at her, then back at his hands. "Yuuki found out in a way like this, as well," he sounded sad when he spoke of Yuuki, and she could understand why. She was when she did, too. However, she dared not speak, afraid she would cause him to close back up. This was the most he had ever bothered speaking to her about personal matters, and she didn't want him to stop now. "The only reason why it was so easy for us was because she was special. We had a bond that no one could ever have," he almost sounded as though he wasn't really speaking to her, lost in his own thoughts. But then his tone changed entirely. "You're just you. I'd expected you to run off and tell your precious Takamiya about what I did." His angry words caused a pain to erupt in her. She already knew she wasn't anywhere near as great when compared to her best friend, but to have him spell it out so clearly hurt her.
Crestfallen, she reached for the doorknob, ready to leave, or at least ask him to, when a thought struck her. Removing her hand, she walked to the side of the bed opposite of the sulking vampire.
"Yeah, I'm just me," she was seething, and her voice shook from all of the different emotions coursing through her. "But this me kept this hidden all day," she ripped the ribbon from her neck and threw it down. "This me avoided Takamiya-sensei while he was questioning me about what I was hiding." Building up enough bravery, she moved around the bed and stopped in front of him. He stole a glance up at her, meeting her rather angry expression instead of the tears he had expected. "And this me just wants to help you. But you keep shutting everyone out, even when you do something that's not your fault," she put emphasis on the last words.
"Wakaba, it is-,"
"Not. Your. Fault. So be quiet," she ordered. "Zero-kun, whether you like it or not, I consider myself to be your friend. And friends help each other when they're in need." She stared at him pointedly, and her eyes were full of such intense sincerity, he couldn't find it in him to look away from her. No one had offered up such sincerity to him so readily in a long time. "And right now, you're in need," she added in a whisper. Tentatively, she moved closer to him and reached her hand out, placing it on his shoulder as a form of comfort. "So, please," she begged in a hushed whisper. "Let me help you."
It was the exact words she had spoken last night that caused his stomach to twist in knots, but she had him at his breaking point.
Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. She let out a squeak from his actions, and he nestled his head against her stomach. Beforehand, she would have found their position shameful, but he had already drank from her, and she didn't think anything could get as intimate as that. Now, he was just a friend in need of major comfort and help. With soothing fingers, she gently combed through his hair, and his hands relaxed from their fisted form, covering a good portion of her back now.
He sighed, and she could feel his warm breath through her shirt, causing a shiver to run down her spine.
"Wakaba...," he whispered, almost as though he didn't want to break the tranquility of the moment.
"Hm?"
He shook his head against her, and she thought she felt his hands hold her a little tighter. Either way, she leaned her body down a little, just so she could wrap her own arms around his neck, her fingers keeping up their gentle movements through his hair, and rested her chin on the crown his head.
Er, not my best. And it's been over a week since I updated?! What's wrong with me? ~_~ Actually, I've had the flu, so please bear with me. I thought this one over several times in my head while I was actually awake. That, and playing otome games...
So, here's a getting well gift from me to you :)
Thank you time!
DrkSpphrGT: Oh no! Don't do that! D: Here's the update, so your 51st check will be of use! I spazzed out over your review, because it made me happy that that chapter caused spazzing. Spazzing is good in the fanfic world, in my opinion! They really are kind of like a drug xD Oh, and no, I don't have a Tumblr. Sorry :(
HYPERASSGIRL5: I really cannot resist vampire!Zero. At all. He's too sexy (why can't he be real?!) More so a love triangle now?
Anon: I really enjoy your feedback, and thank you for reassuring me that I've gotten them in line. Chapter 7...I don't even know what that was. But, I was actually playing around with the idea of bringing her back in later chapters, so I guess we'll just have to see.
Lakemet: My username? IdleScribe? xD Cant' resist a good Zero going vampy moment. It's such a wonderful thing ;D
Julianne: Woot for having sexy/sweet Zori moment in my story! I didn't think I could manage that like other authors have. Thank you! :)
Melany White: Don't worry, your English is good :) Thank you for your wonderful review!
*and to you awesome readers', keep reading! You all make my day that much brighter!
Until Chapter 10! (I can't believe we're that far in!)
-artificialTrickster