"Pride v. Feelings"

The drive home was quiet. In the car, Haruna on the far right while Isley sat on the far left. Haruna didn't speak. Isley didn't, but he had a way of expressing himself instead. When he was upset, like now, he would send invisible vibes to Haruna that told her she was as good as dead. When the car finally came to a stop in front of Isley's mansion, she was the first to exit the car.

Haruna took in deep breaths of air, feeling like he was constricting her lungs back there. She didn't dare look over her shoulder because she knew Isley was following her. She looked around the house, seeing that all the housemaids had scurried off. Even they could sense Isley's anger from miles away. Great. If he were to kill her here, no one would be able to witness it.

She made her way into their bedroom, getting ready for bed as the sun prepared to go down. Usually she'd be awake at sunset, but since they took the day to move Isley's things over to the academy, they both had sacrificed some sleep. "I tell you to avoid Aido and today you go prancing up to him like a dog begging for a treat."

Haruna sighed at his immature behavior. "It's not like I was making out with him and cheating on you-"

Her heart literally stopped for five seconds as Isley pushed her down hard on their bed. He straddled her hips, placing both hands on either side of her head. Haruna was dumbstruck. Isley leaned closely so that his nose touched hers. Without blinking, he whispered harshly, "With the way you looked at him, anyone could tell you wanted his dick up your-"

Isley grabbed his jaw, feeling it become dislocated after Haruna clocked him good. Her brown eyes glistened with unshed tears, "I really do hate you after all," she pushed him aside, exiting the room. Isley lay still, mentally cursing at himself for getting carried away. He grunted, pushing his jaw back into place.

Next Night - Cross Academy

"Isley-sama..." Misha panted, laying crouched on the floor with her head bleeding quite badly. "I'm sorry-" A dying gasp escaped her chapped lips as Isley sent another kick at her gut. He was merciless when he was angry. When he inflicted pain on someone, it didn't matter if it was a man or woman. Once someone messed things up with Isley, it was over for them. "I didn't mean to... let my emotions get the best of me," she cried.

He grabbed her by the hair, kneeling down to see her at eye level. "I said I wouldn't treat you kindly if you hurt Haruna. I keep my promises," he whispered, finally stopping his punishment. "Slap her again and I'll make sure you won't leave this room with all your limbs intact." He was angry because she slapped Haruna, yes, but he was also upset because of her rampaging around without thinking. If she were to treat only Haruna with malice, of course suspicions would arise and their little lie would soon be discovered.

"Thank you for sparing my life, Isley-sama," she managed to hoarse out.

"Screw you," he simply said, "and heal up before leaving this room. We wouldn't want someone noticing that I use a wench like you as a punching bag," he left her in the dust, completely uncaring.

Haruna's Residence

"Did you and brother Isley get into a huge argument again?" Sakura asked while Cara sucked on her lollipop, already used to Haruna coming over to spend the nights whenever she and Isley fought. "Mom says you should just go back to brother Isley because a man like him is hard to find. It's once in a lifetime she says!"

Haruna lay in bed, curled in her blankets. The thought of him being one of a kind was laughable. Jerks like him are found at every corner! "Mom is just blinded by his wealth and good looks," she huffed, covering her ears.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the bedroom door. It was their mother. "Haruna! Isley's downstairs, so hurry up and go back with him already- ah!" She ducked as Haruna threw her engagement ring at her. That was the third one so far; Isley would have to buy her a fourth engagement ring. "Now, Haruna. If you don't go willingly, I will have to drag you down there myself, understand?"

"No. Since you're so insistent, you go marry that devil then."

Her mother blushed, flustered, "Don't you know that if I could, I would've done that a long time ago? Now hurry- ah... Isley, you're here." Haruna glared, throwing the covers over her face. "Maybe you can talk some sense to this stubborn girl. Come on Sakura, Cara, let's leave these two alone."

Haruna heard the door shut and she could feel the devil's presence nearby. The mattress sunk a little as Isley took a seat beside her. "What I said was immature, I'm sorry. It just bothers me seeing you with another man, that's all."

Ha, how laughable, Haruna thought. "That didn't give you the right to call me a whore-"

"I didn't say you were one."

"You were implying it."

When she heard him sigh, she knew he admitted defeat on that one. She winced at the lamp shade shining its light at her once Isley pulled the covers off her. "I know, I'm an ass. If it makes you feel better, I'll let you punch me again." He brushed the hair out of her face, caressing her lips with his thumb.

Haruna shook her head, "That's not necessary... I've been thinking and I came to the conclusion that... Maybe we should break up." Before Isley could say anything, she made sure to get her point across, "I'm just so tired of all this fighting and fussing. We fight and then we make up; it's a daily routine. I don't want to have to pick a fight with you everyday, but you're always quick to blame me for something."

"Then I'll stop picking my battles with you, done."

"But there's this other problem that you can't fix. I haven't been honest with you but, I've never loved you in that romantic sense. I honestly tried to like you but, it just doesn't click."

His determination didn't waver at her honesty. "That's fine with me. You'll come to like me too some day," Isley replied. He really believed that within time, their feelings would be mutual. Haruna cringed to see him so infatuated with her. There was no way she could get him to understand her. "Don't look at me like that," he glared. She looked terribly sad.

"I don't think that day will ever come."

Isley curled his fingers into the mattress, slowly ripping it apart. His stoic expression rippled a bit, "And you think you'll be able to support your family with the low income you're making? You'll let your sisters go to bed hungry?"

Haruna died a little, "I... I can take a second job and my mom will be helping too-"

"Don't deny it. You need me." A smirk graced his lips as he knew he had the upperhand, "Now Haruna, let's go home," he extended his hand to her. She hesitated, regretful in her decision as she took his hand. "Mother," he greeted his in-laws downstairs, "we'll be leaving now."

Haruna could see how delightful they were to see that she and Isley had 'reconciled.' Yes, she needed Isley in order to keep her family happy... "You're so cruel," she whispered. She sat in the passenger seat while Isley drove his incredibly expensive car. Even over the roaring engine of the stick shift car, he could hear her low whimpering.

"No Haruna, you're the one who is cruel. In the end, you're just marrying me for my money." Isley didn't feel guilty at all, even when he saw her wiping away a few tears with her sleeve. "I love you, Haruna," he ran a thumb across her cheek. She looked in the opposite direction, ignoring his efforts.

Haruna's Workplace

Once Haruna was done sweeping the shop and putting the supplies back where they belonged, she turned out the lights and locked the door to her workplace. It was late at night and Haruna could see the full moon hiding behind the grey clouds. "Moonless sky," she uttered, recalling Mugetsu's face. Of course, she wouldn't see him again. "Ken?"

She looked around, looking for a certain butler. Usually, he would be there to come pick her up from work since Isley's mansion was quite a long drive from here. Haruna thought it was odd since he usually came on time. Perhaps Isley fired him? She sighed, hoping that wasn't the case. She delved into her purse, searching for her cell phone-

"If you're looking for that old man, I sent him away." Haruna glanced up to see Aido. Her eyes grew weary at the sight of him. Quietly, she asked him what he wanted. He didn't quite get the vibe that she didn't want to see him at the moment. Of course, after being slapped and scolded for just hanging around him, she didn't want anything to do with him anymore. Plus, the more she was around him, the more these funny feelings inside her grew. "Well," Aido sighed, quite unsure how to say what he wanted to say, "last time we met, things got... ugly."

Haruna shrugged, "It's alright. It happens a lot." Being engaged to Isley, her life was always hectic.

"Yeah," he awkwardly said. After that, he just didn't say a word. Haruna was still waiting for an answer as to why he came to see her. "Oh, right," he laughed, hoping to light up the mood, "would you like to go for dinner? My treat, of course."

"No," she said flatly. "If you're just doing it because you feel bad for what your wife did, it's fine. I don't hold grudges; she had a good reason to do it anyway."

"Then what if I say it's not for compensation? What if it's just a friendly date?" Haruna ignored him, still digging around for her phone. "Stop ignoring me," he snatched her cell phone away as she began to dial for Ken.

Haruna crossed her arms, "The last time we had a 'friendly' hug and things didn't end too well. What do you think will happen if we're caught having a 'friendly' date?"

Aido smiled, "Then let's go where we won't get caught."

Somewhere Out in the Ocean...

"Ah... Sometimes it's nice to just get away from the city life, you know?" Aido spoke, turning back to see Haruna holding tightly onto the table as the luxury yacht they set sail on shook slightly against the ocean waves. They both were the only ones on the ship. It frightened Haruna a little because she wasn't sure if Aido even knew how to sail such a boat.

Indeed, they both wouldn't get caught out in the ocean. Wherever she looked, she only saw the dark waters surrounding them. They were far from home, she thought. Aido pulled out a rose from beneath his suit, placing it in the empty vase on the table that was next to two lavender scented candles. Haruna was starting to think that this wasn't such a friendly date afterall. "Wh-what's with all this decoration?"

Aido blinked. He didn't think he was overdoing it. "Too dramatic? Nonsense," he laughed it off. Had Haruna actually taken the time to wear something more fancy to the dinner table, it would've been the cherry on top. Instead, she was dressed in her casual overalls. Of course, Isley had given her a nice wardrobe, but she couldn't let go of her old clothes. Well, her sense of fashion didn't seem to bother Aido one bit.

'How can you sit there and eat so calmly while I'm here mentally biting my nails,' Haruna thought, dying of anxiety. She didn't like being around him. It wasn't because she hated him, but because there was something about him that drew her in. Haruna feared that eventually, he would completely overwhelm her. "We should go back-"

He cut her off, changing the subject, "Has Isley-sama allowed you to attend Cross Academy?" Haruna simply shook her head. "That's unfortunate," he said dully, not too concerned. He gently patted his lips with a napkin, then held out his hand like how a prince would to a princess. "Would you care to dance with me?" Before Haruna could even give an answer, he lifted her up off her feet and lead her towards the deck. He wouldn't take no for an answer.

With one hand, he held hers in the air while his other one was placed on her hip. Haruna's hand lay on his shoulder and they both swayed to the sound of the waters. Haruna was bewitched by his icy blue eyes that paid all of its attention on her. Slowly but surely, she was being devoured by him. "Why are you doing this?"

"I told you, it's a friendly date," he held her closely, humming lowly.

Her heart jolted with pain; was that all it was? Just a friendly date? "You're a married man with a child... You don't think this is considered cheating on your wife?"

Aido frowned. "Haruna-chan, I'm not a man who would stoop that low. Of course, me and my wife have issues, but I love her dearly enough to not to cheat on her. We're just dancing," he chuckled.

'So all this time, I was the only one feeling confused and anxious...' Haruna pulled away from his grasp. Her cheeks burned with shame and embarrassment; there was no lying to herself about her true feelings. "I'm sorry, but I really want to go back home," she spoke, panicking a little.

Aido grabbed her wrist, pulling her to him so that he could see her face clearly. Her eyes swelled with unshed tears as she desperately tried to calm down, "Haruna-chan... Could it be that you like me?" She felt so scared as to what he would say or do. Would he respond back positively? Or would he laugh in her face? But even so, she knew it was wrong to like him because she was engaged and he already had a family of his own, and that was exactly why she hated loving him.

There was no denying it; she nodded. "I never meant to," she quickly spoke as though she had done something wrong, "but for unknown reasons, I find myself liking you more and more each time I see you."

Aido felt guilty for unknowingly leading her on like that. If he had known, he wouldn't have tortured her by popping up out of the blue all the time. Haruna waited, secretly wishing he'd feel the same even though it was wrong. "Haruna-chan..." He didn't know what to say exactly. "I like you too, but not in that way." Her heart plummeted with those few words.

Why was she expecting him to like her back? It's not like they had each other's back through thick and thin. When he tried to apologize, she could only shake her head. "Don't be. You have no reason to be because I'm the one who mistook your generous acts as something more than just that."

Still, he tried to explain himself to her just to let her know that it wasn't because she was unlikeable. "You see, I love my wife very much, no matter how heartless she can be. Also... I'd be letting my father down if I were to like a woman who wasn't a natural born vampire." Haruna frowned, unsure of what he meant. "My father passed away recently and I know he wouldn't like it if I were to be romantically involved with an ex-human... In this case, you."

Haruna could see where he was coming from. "I understand," she gave a reassuring smile. "You must think of me as a dirty woman for liking some other man when I'm already engaged."

"Not at all. It's my fault for misleading you. Anyway," he stepped away from her, "let's go home, shall we?"

Haruna nodded happily, though sulked when he turned away from her. How could she be happy? There was no way he'd look at her with adoration. In the end, she's just a lamb, wanting to reach up to Aido, an unreachable star.

One Month Later

"Do I look like a bride?" Haruna twirled around in her strapless white dress. It wasn't a sexy and overly-decorated dress. It was beautiful and elegant. It was an empire wedding dress that had a high waistline. At the waistline was a pretty greyish lavender colored ribbon and above that was some pretty lace decorations on the chest. Below, the dress was completely white and flowed smoothly near her feet.

Isley grinned devilishly, "You look like my pretty bride," he came up behind her, kissing her at the nape of her neck. "Only one more month until you're officially mine."

Haruna's knees buckled in weakness. She turned around, patting his chest, "I can't wait," she smiled, looking away. Isley wasn't too dumb to not notice the grimace following her 'cheerful' expression. After the fitting was finished, Haruna changed back into her regular clothes as they left the bridal shop. "Are you going back to the academy?"

Isley rolled his eyes. "I hate it there."

"You'll manage," she promised. Speaking of the academy... She hasn't gone there since the last time. Also, ever since the night she spent with Aido, she hadn't met him afterwards for an entire month.

"You're thinking about Blondie again?" Isley found out her feelings a little after she had her 'friendly date' with Aido on the yacht. Isley discovered it when he drank her blood and found out her new feelings. Of course, he went on a rampage and destroyed half his mansion but he eventually got over the fact once Haruna promised to stay faithful to only him.

"I only think of you."

Isley scowled. For the past month, her lies were becoming frequent. He knew she was lying and it bothered him that she was still attached to Aido. Some mornings when he comes home, he can't sleep next to her knowing that she secretly wished she was engaged to 'Blondie.' He slapped Haruna's hand away when she tried to reach out to him, "I'm going to the academy," he didn't bother to say goodbye.

Night Dorms

"Hanabusa," Misha whispered, wrapping her arms around Aido's neck as he collapsed beside her, panting after they had just finished making love. "That... was great," she nuzzled close to him while running her fingertips along his chest. "I was starting to think your love for me was dying."

Aido glanced at her, "Women... You all don't have enough faith in men," he laughed.

"I didn't until a month ago. You changed for the better," Misha smirked. There was no doubt that he would leave her now; he was practically being manipulated by her like he was a puppet. "Every time we screw each other like this, it gets better and better. Are you cheating on me?" She asked, though jokingly.

Still, Aido didn't respond to her. Ever since he found out Haruna's feelings for him, he wasn't able to get her off his thoughts. He wasn't sure how he felt about her, but he found himself... missing her. Was he cheating on Misha? He couldn't gain the courage to tell her that the reason he got better at sex was because when he was in her, he was secretly imagining himself making love to Haruna. It's not like he wanted to, but her face just unconsciously appears at times.

"You'd better leave before the dorm president finds you in here," Misha gave him one last kiss. Aido groaned; he hated climbing out the window most since he thought it was uncool. Messily throwing on his clothes, he took a step out of the balcony.

"Really... I come here to give her some morning sex and in the end she doesn't even thank me-" Aido became tongue tied when he saw Haruna standing outside behind the Night Dorm's gates. It was the first time he saw her since their date and he had a sudden urge to go say hi. Effortlessly, he jumped off of the third floor and landed gracefully onto the ground.

As he headed her way, he worried about his appearance. He quickly slicked his hair back and tucked in his shirt. When Haruna finally caught sight of him, she instinctively backed away a few steps even though there was a gate separating the two of them. It didn't occur to Aido why she was so uneasy. "G-good morning," she simply said.

Haruna could tell from the hickies on his neck and the way that he presented himself that he just paid a visit to his wife. Was this some way to torture her? She just wanted to sprint off in the other direction. "Hello Haruna-chan," he greeted back, "what brings you here?" Aido noticed the books she held against her chest.

"Isley forgot his books, so I brought them here. Do you know where he is?"

"He's having a meeting with Yuuki-sama. I could bring them to him if you'd like."

"That'd be great - just don't tell him I came here. Just say that Ken delivered them." Haruna feared that Isley would have another meltdown again. She worried he would have a heart attack one day. Aido nodded, reaching past the barred gates and taking them from her. "Thanks again." Haruna let out a sigh as she escaped the conversation.

"Would you like to have a walk in the gardens?"

Haruna looked over her shoulder to see him pleading with his eyes. "Sorry, I can't, even if it's just a friendly walk." How could he expect his friendship with her to be the same after he rejected her feelings last time? It was so embarrassing for Haruna to even make eye contact with him.

Haruna shifted a little when he jumped over the gates, flawlessly landing before her. "Mugetsu's in the gardens with Mugen. Wouldn't you like to see him one more time?"

Damn. She couldn't say no. Mugetsu was like gravity; he kept pulling her in towards him. Haruna nodded regretfully. "Is he behaving?" Aido nodded, though still called him a crybaby. "He must miss his mother," Haruna added.

After Aido left the books on a nearby bench, the two followed a path into the woods, "Only the most beautiful flowers grow here where nobody can find them. It's kind of like women - they're hard to find, but if you look hard enough, you'll eventually come across one. I know I did."

Haruna didn't understand his motive. Did he just want to rub salt into her wound? "I'm sure your wife is one of a kind," she smiled a little even though it hurt. Haruna's hands brushed along the bushes, feeling the morning dew on her fingertips. The shadows casted all around them; she could only see where patches of light made their way past the trees and into the woods.

"I wasn't talking about my wife," he finally said. They soon stumbled at a clear opening that revealed itself to be a small meadow. Haruna could see him clearly and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Aido was calm for the most part, but he looked as though he was searching for something.

"What do you mean by that?" was all Haruna could ask.

"I lied; there's no one else in the gardens but us." Haruna trembled, wondering if she should run, but she thought that was stupid because she didn't sense any malice from him. "For the past month, I've been so confused; I'm not sure what I want anymore."

"Are you saying that you like me too?" Haruna whispered, shying away.

Aido sauntered towards her, "I don't know. I can't tell what I should be obeying: my pride or my feelings."

Haruna knew that by pride, he meant his family and his father's wishes, and by feelings, he meant his attraction to her. Haruna lifted her arms and pushed him away, "Go back to your family Aido-san. I'll leave first and after I'm gone, just know that this conversation never happened-"

Haruna trembled as he pushed her up against the tree; his eyes glowed red. "Even if I get killed for doing this to the future mate of a pureblood... it's worth it," he pinned both her shoulders while he parted his lips, revealing a set of sharp fangs. He covered her mouth with one hand to keep her quiet, "Just a taste," he murmured before biting down into her flesh.

And just like Isley last time, Aido entered her subconscious thoughts. He looked up at the moonless sky and saw the endless snow falling from the sky even though there were no clouds to be seen. Aido stood beneath a streetlight while getting overwhelmed with cold and empty feelings. "It's really you Aido." He turned around to see Haruna, though this Haruna seemed to be different from the one he knew. Her lips curved into a happy smile, "Because it's creepy, I won't say, 'you don't know me but I know you.' Instead, I'll just tell you that when you regain your memories after this, I don't mind whatever choice you make. If you choose your pride, then I'm fine with it."

"How could you be fine with that?"

Haruna shrugged, "I've been known to be a little too modest at times. With everything that's happened, I won't blame you for what you decide."

Aido slipped out of her thoughts and just as he said, the memories he had forgotten quickly made their way back to him. He recalled the day they first met, the day they first made love, and the day everything fell apart. "Haruna!" He caught her as she collapsed from blood loss. He lifted her up into his arms, carrying her back to the nurses office.

'I don't mind whatever choice you make.'

Aido couldn't believe Haruna would say something like that. "What happened to her?" The nurse asked though it was quite obvious what happened. "Oh dear... If Isley-sama finds out what you did, he'll behead you," she warned while patching Haruna up.

"Speaking of that pureblood..." Aido clenched his fists, "I'm not sure who'll be decapitated at the end of the day," he left the room.