His Only Princess: Chapter 13
Snow fluttered gently from the pallid sky, showing no signs of letting up anytime soon. Not that it really should, seeing as how Christmas was merely around the corner...
Though a weekend necessarily to herself isn't what she had ended up receiving, Yori felt as though her expeditions proved quite fruitful. She and Takamiya...or, she supposed it was Kaito, now, remembering their agreement in front of the little shop, had had a wonderful day spent together, and, if she were being honest with herself, she hadn't felt that relaxed or happy in a long time. It seemed as though the two of them had made substantial progress in their relationship. And not only that, but Zero had opened up to the idea-on his own terms, yes-of pursuing an actual friendship of substance with her. Which was progress, on his part, and made her giddier than a school girl being confessed to. She even had an eager bounce to her step as she made her way to her Ethics class, which was quite the unusual sight, seeing as how everyone was so used to Sayori Wakaba melting into the shadows. It was odd to see her turning into a vivacious figure, but not quite unwelcome.
Upon entering the quite classroom, the heels of her boots creating a soft click against the wooden floor, only a minute twinge of sadness niggled its way through her when she took note of Zero's seat being abandoned. Of course, this way nothing really new, and with a quiet sigh and a gentle shrug of her shoulders, she continued to make her way to her seat, only to be stopped suddenly by an arm blocking her path.
Warm hazel eyes and and even warmer smile greeted her shocked eyes once she glanced up, and Yori could feel a warm tingling flutter within the pit of her stomach at the sight of his cheerful face.
"Good morning, Sayori," he spoke with a subdued tone, one that was privileged for her ears alone, but it didn't fail to create a spectacular shade of scarlet across her cheeks as her name left his lips.
I hadn't realized how much I actually did miss his company.
"Good morning, Takamiya-sensei," she slipped into customary honorifics, much to his chagrin, and managed to keep all laughter at bay at the un-amused look that crossed his face as she added, "isn't the classroom an inappropriate place to be so informal?"
Takamiya sighed through his nose and set his mouth in a grim line, eyeing the girl before him for a few seconds before speaking again.
"I suppose you're right, Wakaba-san," he purposefully added extra emphasis on her surname as a mean to irritate her, but soon realized that that idea backfired as she remained standing there, her face still the epitome of calmness, like always. "Like always." He side-stepped around her and extended his arm, motioning her in the direction of her seat with his hand, and with a quick bow of her head, she continued on.
Class was more than half over when the door creaked open slowly, alerting everyone to the presence of someone. And when Takamiya lobbed the eraser for the blackboard in the direction of said someone, mostly everyone in the classroom knew exactly who had walked in.
"Would you like to explain to me why you're so late, or would you rather keep me entertained after class during detention with the story?" sarcasm dripped from his voice as he practically glared down his late student, but his look, which, by now, would have had any of the other students cowering in a corner, had no effect whatsoever on the stoic young man standing in the doorway.
Zero strode across the silent room, ignoring every pair of eyes that was on him, and ascended the set of stairs that led to his desk on the upper level. However, before he reached his own seat, he stopped by one table in particular, the occupant tensing up with confusion as he did so.
Yori watched carefully as his eyes shifted over to her, and she smiled the brightest smile she could possibly muster in greeting towards him, feeling a sense of satisfaction seep through her being when he tilted his head forward in a nod of acknowledgment before taking his seat and promptly covering his head with his arms.
Yeah, it was definitely progress.
Before any of them knew it, time had gotten the best of them and had practically slipped through their fingers, for the chiming of the bell in the courtyard rang out steadily, breaking through the stale winter air as well as the tepid atmosphere in the classroom. The shuffling of feet and papers soon filled the silence as the students filed out in a cacophonous crowd, chattering away about how they planned to spend their nights and grumbling about how rough of a teacher Takamiya-sensei was. Yori had gathered all of her things, neatly tucking them away in her bag and hoisting it over her shoulders before looking over her shoulder and sighing lightly.
Zero had definitely fallen asleep not long after he had settled himself in his seat, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing that kept him so tired since he no longer had Guardian duties. His face was just barely visible through his hair, which cast odd shadows across his thin, angular features, and instead of the normal cold scowl that was set upon his visage, it was slightly relaxed, making him look much younger and innocent.
Approaching the sleeping male cautiously, much like one would approach a wild animal, Yori extended a hand towards him, only to have a larger one wrap itself around her wrist, stopping her actions.
It was only at that moment that she realized they were the only three individuals left within the classroom.
"Let me deal with him," he spoke quietly, as though he were purposefully trying to not wake his slumbering student, casting a disdainful look in his direction before offering her a warm smile much like the one he had before class had begun. "You look tired...Sayori," he spoke her name slowly to test if she would reprimand him for calling her by it in the classroom once again, but when she remained silent, he relaxed visibly. With careful movements, wary of scaring her off, he lifted his free hand, curling all of his fingers except for his index, to which he touched the long digit right below her eye. She jumped at the contact, and red, a color that he was soon coming close to associating her with, took up residence across her nose. "You have dark circles forming under your eyes. Have you not been sleeping well?"
Her strange dreams popped into her mind the second he questioned his concerns, but she wasn't comfortable enough with him to mention anything about them. She wasn't comfortable enough with anyone to mention them. So, with a wave of her hand in denial, she offered him a gentle smile and slowly pushed his hand away from her face.
"I'm fine, Kaito," she noticed how he practically lit up like Christmas lights when she remembered to call him by his name, and her smile broadened just a little. "I've just been stressed from all of this homework." Playfully, she shot him a glare before hanging her head in defeat, not expecting the response her false accusation would receive.
"Would you like for me to give you a break?"
Her head snapped up at breakneck speed, eyes widening in shock.
"E-eh?! N-no, I was just kidding!" She shook her head and waved her hands frantically in front of her, earning a chuckle from Takamiya. He lifted his hand towards her once again, but higher, resting it open-palmed against the crown of her head and smoothing it backwards, her silky hair tickling his fingertips.
"You're so easy to fluster, Sayori," he mocked, then pouted a little. "I don't know whether it's fun or a bad thing." Subconsciously, his eyes drifted to the Hunter, who was now stirring, agitated.
"Would you two shut the hell up?" Zero growled, his voice gravelly with sleep.
"Ah, did we wake you? Sorry, Zero-kun."
Zero 'tch'ed' in irritation, sitting up straight and crossing his arms over his chest.
"Let's go ahead and get this detention out of the way," he spat out, glaring icy daggers towards the other male. "Takamiya."
The tension in the room was thick, stifling, and it made Yori shift uncomfortably as she watched the two men. Takamiya withdrew his hand from her head after giving her a quick pat, telling her with his eyes to leave. Nodding her head, and with a polite bow, she exited the room, not even glancing back at her friend, to which he curled his fists in the fabric of his sleeves in annoyance.
The door clicked shut, and their moods went south from there. In an instant, Zero had shot up from his chair, the wooden frame clattering to the ground noisily, and stalked over to where Takamiya stood, hands itching to grip him by his collar until he was blue in the face.
"Ah, Zero Kiryuu, you look angry," Takamiya snickered and turned his back on the violent young man as though no threat loomed over him. "But, then again, what's new? That's kind of your default expression."
"When did you two become so close?" he felt furious, and, to his resentment, jealous. His and Yori's overly comfortable conversation had roused him from his sleep, and it confounded him how they were already so close in such a short amount of time. Especially considering the fact that she had known himself for well over a year now and yet, she still refused to drop the honorific, no matter how informal, from his name...
"I see no problem in becoming close with my fiancée," he perched himself on the edge of his chair and leaned an elbow on his desk, resting his chin against his knuckles. "How does that concern you, though?" When Zero remained silent in the face of that question, Takamiya chuckled emptily. "This is a rather strange detention, if I do say so myself. It's more like you're spouting your jealousy towards me. Are you sure that you don't love her?" Takamiya expected him to lash out at his question like usual, to yell that he was wrong while curling deadly fingers near his neck. But when the silver haired Hunter continued to remain deathly silent, fringe covering his usually rage-filled eyes, a feeling of dread settled itself heavily in the pit of his stomach. Taking a more vigilant approach, he thought carefully on how to reword his question. "Zero, are you-"
"Are you finished speaking nonsense yet, Kaito?" Ever the collected individual, Zero remained rooted in his spot, eyes still hidden from the elder Hunter.
Takamiya huffed in irritation at the younger man's stubbornness, watching with subdued interest as he finally moved to stand in front of the large window, the early afternoon sunlight casting an odd glowing halo around his head. He pushed himself up from his chair, striding slowly over to his student.
"You didn't answer me at first, Zero." He whined teasingly, a smirk tilting his lips.
"Do you really expect me to pay attention to all of the crap that comes out of your mouth?" was the disinterested reply he received.
"Woo, did it get chilly in here?" Takamiya questioned in regards to Zero's cold tone, coming to a stop once he was shoulder-to-shoulder with the slightly shorter male. Hazel eyes scanned the area beyond the thin glass, warm, pale fingers pressing small circles against the frosted surface. "I don't suppose you heard about the ball?" When he was greeted with silence once more, he smiled. "The precious Pureblood Princess is supposed to be making an appearance. At least, the last thing I heard was that Kaien was planning on sending an invitation to her and Kuran. Won't they just be the life of the party?" He was being snide, a feeling of satisfaction coursing through him as he noticed that Zero had stiffened considerably while he spoke. "I wonder if Sayori knows."
"If you know what's best for her, you won't tell her," Zero ordered, monotone voice seeming more threatening in that moment than if he were yelling. Lavender colored irises shifted over to the ashen haired man, a hint of irritation hidden behind their calm demeanor. "If this inane idea of his actually happens, I'll be taking up Guardian duties again. I'll know if she's there." The hollow threat of his words rung lowly in Takamiya's ears, and soon, a humored chuckle broke the serious mood they had inadvertently cocooned themselves in.
"Ah, Kiryuu, you're a card," he faked wiping a tear, composing himself once again, but not without the presence of a mischievous smile and glint in his eyes. "The Pureblood Princess, I see her as a lion cub. Right now, she's relatively harmless. She won't do anything, at least, not to Sayori." A knowing glare was directed towards him. "Not intentionally, anyway."
"Is this detention over yet?" Changing the subject, Zero managed to keep his natural cool demeanor, already headed towards the door.
Takamiya sighed heavily, squinting his eyes against the harsh light that only continued to climb higher in the milky sky.
"I suppose so. But, Zero." Zero paused, hand gripping at the cold metal doorknob. The elder glanced at him over his shoulder, visage devoid of all emotion now. "When you finally come to terms with your feelings, don't think I'll let you win."
The door slammed, rattling slightly on its hinges, and Takamiya stood in the quiet lonesome once again.
"Wow, it really got cold."
Huffing out a breath, the opaque puff evaporating before her eyes, Yori trudged through the slushy snow. She stuffed her hands as far as she could manage into her coat pockets, silently cursing herself for wearing such a thin garment as shivers coursed through her. Wide hazel eyes took in her surroundings, almost all of them having some sort of back story involving her and her best friend. She paused at the side of the Sun Dormitories, looking longingly up at the balconies protruding from some of the windows, lost in thought.
"Geez, I think these things get higher every time I do this!"
Yori watched with fear-filled eyes as her best friend scaled up the wall, delicate looking hands gripping at generous areas along the brick wall.
"Yuuki, that really isn't safe!" she called up to her, only to be met with the brunette's sardonic laughter.
"I've done this so many times, I could do it in my sleep, Yori-chan!" she paused, seemingly lost in thought, and then flashed a blindingly bright smile down to her companion. "Come to think of it, maybe I have done that!"
"It wouldn't surprise me with how often you fall asleep," Yori deadpanned, but, despite the reassurance offered, she was still a bundle of nerves, watching every movement Yuuki made until-
"Got it!" she grunted out, hoisting herself over the balcony railing before raising her hand high above her head and shooting a peace sign down to Yori, allowing the girl to finally release the breath she hadn't been aware of holding.
"Just what the hell are you doing?"
Yori looked behind her, not surprised when she saw the other school Guardian's eyes locked on her friend's rejoicing figure high above them, face set in a scowl.
"Zero!" Yuuki appeared momentarily shocked at his presence before regaining her haughty attitude. "Lighten up, why don't you? I do this all the time!"
"Yes, and fall on your ass most of those times," he rebutted, but she only laughed louder.
"But I didn't fall this time!" She twirled around, examining her hands and the exposed areas of her legs, grinning proudly and sticking them out for the other two to see. "See? Not a scratch on me!"
Her partner groaned, crossing his arms and stalking off in whatever direction he had come from. But Yori caught a sentence muttered under his breath before he left.
"Stupid idiot. What will I do if you hurt yourself?"
A laugh-not a joyous one, but rather a melancholy sound-escaped her, and her chest burned with the aching feeling the memory tattooed on her heart. Wiping shaky fingers over her moistened eyes, flinching at the stinging cold of her icy digits, she faintly picked up on the sound of someone shouting her name.
"Yori-chan!"
Preview for Chapter 14:
He couldn't, no matter how many times in vain he desperately tried to, keep his eyes off of her.
Dressed in sapphire blue, the color contrasting enticingly with her pale features, she was an ethereal beauty placed in a corner for eyes to feast upon. Even though his direct order to keep her as far away from the gathering as possible was blatantly ignored, he couldn't bring himself to feel much bitterness towards them as he watched her.
But, despite the thought that something so beautiful can only hold a sole existence, tonight, there was another.
Yuuki was the epitome of regalness, adorning the carmine gown instead of it making her more beautiful, it standing out against her ivory skin and blending with her dark locks and burgundy brown eyes.
Two complete opposites: one, a fire, bright and unyielding. The other, ice, not cold, but rather, coolly collected, and delicate, like a snowflake. Both holding a part of his heart captive.
"And so we have a lamb among us," the lilting voice brought him back to reality. "Don't fret, Zero. I'll protect Sayori until I breathe my last breath." His collar was snatched up in a tight grasp, but it didn't phase him.
Glaring through snowy locks, Zero muttered a, "You'd better," before he caught sight of something in his peripheral vision.
The lamb had ambled into the lion den.
A/N: Okay, I'm back! I don't really know if I have any reader's left or not (I'm hoping I do!), but I was extremely busy during those few months off with University T_T But, I have a break now, and will be able to update more often! This chapter didn't have much Zero x Yori interaction, because I feel I'll get repetitive if I let that happen every chapter. But, "nice" conversations between Zero and Kaito are always fun!
I have so many ideas for this story, and soooo many fluffy, romantic Zori moments I want to give to you all, but they have to wait because I don't want to speed this up (unless, of course, you all would like romance-y one-shots. Which I'm totally up for!)
Hazel: I'm guessing you're a Yuuki fan? Eh, we can still get along ;) haha! I hope you won't get bored and think they're at a stalemate, because their relationship won't be that slow! I'm glad you enjoy how I've portrayed their relationship :)
CrimsonMaidenXXX: Thank you! I thought, since Yori is more...innocent(?), there should be some charm in their relationship, since if it moved too fast, it could seem abnormal. And just imagine all the moments involved within that love triangle (especially the Zori romance ones ^_^) I'm glad you don't find Naomi irritating or anything. She'll be showing back up again soon, after the Christmas arc. And I'm glad you love my story!
DrkSpphrGT: 100 chapters?! Hmm...who knows? Haha, this will be a long story, I can already promise that, I just don't know how long. And I don't want people to get bored with it ^_^" More bite scenes will definitely be taking place, don't worry. Thank you for your support!
Ally: Thank you for the support! Your fluff-needs shall be fulfilled even more in later chapters ;)
*To anyone who is still reading this/would like to, thank you very much as well! I hope to hear from you all soon!
Until Chapter 14!
-Anzu-chan