Chapter 2- My Guilty Pleasure

I wake up in the morning to the sensation of Zero's hand gently caressing my cheeks. I open my eyes and look straight into his. I smile at him. He starts to smile but then stops as if he's remembered something. He scrowls at me instead. I start to panic.

'What is it?' I ask, my voice hoarse after hours of sleeping.

'You know what you did yesterday was totally reckless, right?' he asks, his eyes angry.

I let out a breath. 'There were boys in the entrance so I couldn't go through there.'

'That doesn't mean you have to climb a tree and almost get yourself killed in the process,' he says, frustrated.

'I'm sorry,' I say, looking down, 'I just wanted to see you,' I whisper the last part. I hear him sigh and pull me into a hug. We sit in silence for a while. I sigh in content. I want to be like this forever, lying in the arms of the one I love.

'Yuki,' Zero calls, pulling away, I look up at him, 'I don't want you to go with me for the mission.'

My eyes turn hard, my gaze doesn't waver from his. 'Zero, I want to go with you.'

He shakes his head, getting up into a sitting position, I do the same.

'Your not going,' he says, looking at me, his gaze hard and intimidateing.

I let out an irritated sigh, not backing down. 'Zero, I'm going with you weather you like it or not. I want to help you as much as I can.'

Zero turns away, but his voice is hard as he says, 'You'll only get in my way.'

My heart drops and my nose twitches as tears form in my eyes. I look down and move the bed covers from my body. Grabing my clothes i had discarded last night and my shoes, I walk to the door, my eyes straight. I hear Zero sigh when I reach the door and call my name.

'Zero, I'm going with you, and I don't need your permission to do it,' I tell him before closing the door.

I stand outside his door for a second, trying to control the anger growing inside me, over-riding the helplessness I feel. Then I start walking towards the exit. I had my clothes in my arms and my naked legs felt cold. I walk towards the stairs and climb down the steps. There guys outside going for an early morning jog. I ignore their whistles and comments and make my way to my dorm. When I get there, I go straight to the bathroom and I take a shower. The rest of the week passes with me avoiding Zero and vice-versa. Though it pained me to see that he was so close but I couldnt talk to him, I was still angry at what he had said. Though I knew he had only acted that way because he had wanted me to be safe, it had hurt. Yori doesn't ask me questions and I don't mention it, not wanting to worry her.

It's winter break so there's no school. Yori and I go and eat breakfast together. I don't see Zero there but ignore the longing in my heart. I havent talked to him in a week and it's starting to get frustrating. I tell Yori that I had a party to go to at Christmas Eve. She's excited for me and tells me what to do with my hair and makeup. She was leaving the next day to go home to her parents and she felt bad leaving me alone, though she teased me about being alone with Zero now. I still hadn't told her about the fight.

The rest of the day passed with Yori doing some last minute shopping in town where I had accompanied her because I had to get my dress. We would have gone with Mitsuki but she had already returned home for the holidays. Yori picked a deep red strapless dress. I stared at the silky texture of it and went to the dressing room to try it on. It fit like a glove and complimented my slim figure, I knew this was the dress I was buying. It was long and flowed down to my feet. It was simple, yet the color and texture of it demanded attention and made me look elegant and natural. I showed Yori and she practically paid for it. I got silver buds for my ears along with it and an arm bracelet that went up just above my elbow. It was shaped as a snake with onyx stones as its eyes.

When we returned home, I helped Yori pack and then we pulled an all-nighter eating ice-cream and watching movies, playing games and talking. We both fell asleep on the floor where we had places our blancket and pillow. Yori left 4 hours later. I told her I'd call and she promised the same. We hugged and I watch her car drive off, away from the academy.

The day of the party finally arrives, I haven't seen or heard from Zero since school ended and it's taken a physical toll on my body. I feel worn out for staying up at night worrying and thinking about him. There's are bags under my eyes, and my muscles are tight. I try to relax as I make my way towards the chairman's building for breakfast. I had told him I had already brought a dress with Yuki when he had offered to take me to town. I arrive at the building and enter it, making my way to the kitchen. I smell the chairman making French toast so I go to the refrigerator, greeting him in the process, and take out the orange juice. I pour some for myself and walk to the table. I almost choke on my juice when I see Zero sitting there, he doesn't look up and I contemplate if I could just leave and have breakfast in the cafeteria. But I couldn't avoid him forever, I think to myself, but all I really wanted to do was stare at him. My guilty pleasure. I feign indifference and make my way to my chair, the one farthest from him. I drink my juice as he occasionally sips on his glass of water. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. The chairman finally arrives with the tray of food and we all eat. The chairman chatters about his life and thoughts while Zero sits in silence, not listening. I try to listen but my mind is on Zero, I occasionally nod at the chairman to let him think I'm listening. Finally, his face turns serious and I know that's my queue to start listening.

'Now, yuki, being your father, I care about your safety. I don't want you to get in trouble tonight.'

I nod at him, did nobody trust me?

'There will be vampires in the banquet hall, as well as humans. The man I told you about, Usui Takemura, I want you to try and get as close to him as possible, to see if he does anything or acts suspiciously, do you understand?'

I nod, from the corner of my eye, I see a vein pop in Zero's neck, and his jaw clench. I keep my eyes on the chairman.

'I'll try my best,' I say.

There's an hour left for the party to start. I'm standing in my room alone. I had taken a shower and had blow-dried and straightened my hair, pulling it up into a low and elegant bun. My neck looked long and graceful and provocative, the skin seemed porcelein. I put on make-up, with heavy smokey-eyes and nude lipstick. I wear my dress, pulling on the earings and the arm-bracelet after it. I put Zero's neclace on, but hide the stone under my dress, so it looks like I'm wearing a chain. Yori had left her black heels for me to wear. I pull on a black trench-coat and I grab my black clutch in my hand and leave the room, headed to the gate where a car would be waiting for me.

The chairman waiting for me there. I walk over to him, looking around to see where Zero was.

'He left before you,' the chairman tells me as I get by his side. I blush, embarassed that I had been caught. 'We thought it was a better idea that you go separately to avoid suspicion.'

I nod as he opens the door to the car. I climb in and he closes the door. open the window.

'Remember what I told you Yuki, be careful. I'll be waiting for you to get back.'

I smile and nod at him again, too nervous to talk. The chairman hit the roof of the car twice, indicating for the driver to start moving. Butterflies beat against my stomach as we drive towards our destinaton.