Woohoo! Finished before school starts! So, to explain why I didn't update for a while, it's because I went on a two week vacation! Greece and Rome, baby! It was fantastic! I'm going to retire in Rome, in case any one of you guys wants to know. At least, that's the plan. My other excuse? Summer reading. I had to do a book report on an 800 page history book. Kill me now. But otherwise, I really have no excuses. I'm really sorry, you guys! I'm really, really sorry!
But, I'm actually kind of proud of this chapter for once. We're finally getting some action, although the KanaYuu moments are coming slow. I'm also planning a Zeki fic if anyone's interested. Although, I'm going to plan that one, so don't spend your time waiting for it.
I know I said last time that Kasumi Kageyama was class president, but I made Ichijou class president also. Let's just pretend they're both class presidents, okay? Sorry for the confusion.
So now it's time for the pocky list! If you reviewed, then I'll give you some pocky.
LullaFiDeCullen-I've got a little KanaYuu in her for you. Not much. But some.
TsukiyoTenshi-Thank you so much for understanding about updating. It means a lot to me.
SarahJayne-Bwahahaha! A Zeki fan, huh? Thanks so much for reading my fic even if it's KanaYuu.
MidnightVampire18-I hate to say it, but your record has been broken. You were the second reviewer for this chapter. However, you still hold a dear place in my heart for being such an awesome reviewer.
Bree-Well, I was planning on the whole cheesy dress scene for Kaname and Yuuki, but I'm not quite sure I'll go that direction since I already used that for Yori. But we'll see.
Thank you all so much!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, would I really be letting you people read this stuff for free.
xxx
"Yuuki!" called out Yori as she spotted her best friend looking at some jewelry.
Yuui turned to see Yori wearing the dress, "Yori! Oh my freaking god! You look stunning. We're getting that for sure. I don't want to hear any complaints from you. This is the dress. And ohmygodohmygod, I feel like a mom with her daughter getting a weddings dress. I'm so proud of you, Yori. I love you, you know that, right?"
Yori laughed. Yuuki was so weird sometimes. There were times she would be cranky as hell, but other times she would be all bubbly and excited. It was what made Yuuki special. Yuuki Cross was not a stereotype. No, she was an individual with her own special quirks and lovable traits, and she was proud of it.
"Anyway, you'll never guess who I just talked to, Yuuki! It was so weird!" exclaimed Yori.
"Who? Tell me! Was it a guy? A cute one? Because if it was, I'd be so proud of you, Yori! My little baby is growing up!" Yori took a small step back. Yuuki's eyes were sparkling. Literally. It was kind of scary.
"Um, I don't know how to say this, but I bumped into Aidou. And we talked for a little bit, and, he, um," Yori stopped for a second; she looked at the floor, embarrassed.
"Yori? Aidou did what?" asked Yuuki anxiously, worried that her best friend had been insulted.
"He said that, I, um, uh, he said, hesaidthatilookedpretty!" Yori finally blurted out quickly, her face turning red.
Yuuki cocked her head to the side for a second, looking at Yori intently, as if just staring at Yori would give her a clue as to what Yori had just said. After about ten seconds, Yuuki's face suddenly lit up, and she grabbed Yori in a big hug, squealing.
"Oh, Yori! I told you that you were beautiful! You just don't believe me!" Yuuki, after letting Yori go, took a seat next to her best friend on a bench and sighed wistfully, "You're so pretty, Yori, you just don't realize it."
Yuuki was silent for a bit. Startled by the silence, Yori took a look at her best friend, and was immediately worried. Yuuki's burgundy eyes were focused on an invisible point, and Yori could tell exactly what Yuuki was thinking.
"You're beautiful too, Yuuki. You're prettier than I'll ever be," Yori stated, looking a bit worried. She hoped that Yuuki wasn't going into my-life-is-worthless-and-I'm-such-a-phail mode. "Okay, Yuuki? You're amazing! Don't get all depressed one me, please?"
Yuuki remained silent.
"Yuuki?"
"I love you, Yori. Thank you so much."
Yori turned to see Yuuki's eyes brimming with thanks. Yori sighed internally. Yuuki's mood were like a roller coaster today. Yori blamed PMS.
"Come on, Yuuki! Let's go pay for this, and then we can head to the next shop!" Yori exclaimed suddenly, hoping to break Yuuki out of her bad mood. It worked.
"Yes, ma'am!" squealed an excited Yuuki. If there was one thing Yuuki loved, it was being with her friends. Yuuki Cross loved her friends, and that was that.
Yuuki and Yori went through more shops, looking for the perfect shoes and jewelry for Yori. As they made their way back to the Academy, they were joined the Takuma Ichijou, the class's president.
"Good afternoon, Takuma," greeted Yuuki brightly.
Takuma Ichijou had blond hair that was always slightly disheveled. He had emerald green eyes that always sparkled, and he almost always wore a smile on his face. He was known to be a true gentleman among the girls, but to this day, he had never had a girlfriend. He was also Kaname's best friend. The class president was the opposite of Kaname in many ways. While Kaname was arrogant and commanding, Takuma was humble and light-hearted. In fact, Takuma was so light-hearted that no one could hold a grudge against him, save for Aidou. Takuma had made a habit of teasing Aidou. The two had been friends since they were in kindergarten.
"Hello, Yuuki!" greeted Takuma brightly, "Hello to you too, Yori!"
Yori smiled wryly. It was impossible to dislike Takuma when he was like this. The boy was just so friendly and nice that one couldn't help but smile when he was nearby. His joy was infectious. But Yori knew that under the friendly exterior lied a serious nature. Takuma Ichijou wasn't class president for nothing at all.
"Afternoon, President," Yori greeted back.
"Please, don't call me President, Yori! It sounds too polite! We're all friends here, no?" asked Takuma.
"Fine, Takuma it is then," Yori agreed.
"Excellent! Then let me escort you beautiful ladies back to the Academy, then," said Takuma, flourishing his hand, indication Yuuki and Yori should step in front of him.
Yuuki giggled, "You are a true gentleman, Takuma Ichijou."
"I do my best, Miss Cross," the class president stated, "After all, when in the company of two lovely ladies of yourself, one must act with the finest manners possesses and then some."
Even the normally composed Yori couldn't help but giggle that time.
"Well, Takuma Ichijou, I must say you have the finest manners I've ever seen," declared Yuuki, taking the class president's outstretched arm.
"Yori?" the emerald-eyed boy enquired, holding out his arm.
Yori couldn't suppress the grin that rose on her face and took the proffered arm, "You really are a gentleman, Takuma."
"What can I say? My mother taught me manners so I could use them when I met such beautiful ladies as you two," Takuma smoothly replied.
"Well, give my compliments to your mother then, Mr. Class President," Yuuki replied.
"I'll make sure to do so," said the Class President, making a half bow in Yuuki's direction.
As Yuuki and Ichijou continued talking, Yori was lost in her thoughts. Were Yuuki and the Class President flirting? It sure seemed that way. If so, Yori was glad for her friend. Yuuki needed a good friend, and Ichijou would be a good person for Yuuki to have around. And if Yuuki and Ichijou ended up going out, who was she to stop them?
The trio finally arrived at the girls' dorm, and Ichijou then left for his dorm. However, the green-eyed boy didn't leave before making plans with for the trio to eat together at a small café the next day.
Back in their dorm room, Yuuki and Yori collapsed, exhausted from walking so much. Sighing, Yori got up and hung up her dress in the closet.
"I'm really glad we found your dress, Yori. Now we just have to find me a dress," commented Yuuki, watching Yori put up her dress.
"Well, if you weren't so picky," teased Yori.
"I just want to have an amazing dress. What's wrong with that?" asked Yuuki, defending herself.
"Nothing's wrong with that, Yuuki. It's just that you're so picky."
"I'm not picky. I just have high standards," sniffed Yuuki.
"Sure, sure, that's what it is," Yori jokingly agreed, "You think Ichijou is going to ask you to the ball?"
"What?" exclaimed a bright red Yuuki, "Why would you say that?"
"I don't know. It might have a little to do with 'Oh, you're such a gentlemen, Takuma,' , 'Oh, I only act like a gentlemen for super pretty people like you, Yuuki darling,', 'Oh, you're such a dear, Takuma,' and other sappy stuff like that."
Yuuki blushed, "Were we really like that?" the brown-haired girl asked.
"Yep. It was absolutely disgusting." Yori wrinkled her nose.
"I seriously doubt that he's going to ask me to the dance, Yori."
"Didn't he ask to meet you again tomorrow?" Yori rebutted.
"Yeah. But he's Takuma. He's friends with everybody. He can ask anyone he wants to the dance. Why would he ask me?"
"Because you're pretty and nice, and he just asked you to meet up with him for lunch tomorrow."
"He invited you too."
"Yeah. Out of politeness."
"Or maybe he wants to ask you to the dance!"
"Sure he is, because he spent the whole trip talking to me and not you, right?" Yori sarcastically replied.
"I still don't think he's going to ask me," Yuuki huffed.
"Fine. If he doesn't ask you, then I'll do your math homework for you. If he does ask you, I get to pick out your dress. Deal?" Yori was tired of Yuuki's pessimistic attitude.
"Deal." Yuuki's eyes sparkled at the prospect of a night without math homework.
"Well, now that's covered, let's call Rima and Ruka over and see if they got any nice dresses."
Yuuki quickly called Rima and Ruka over and two girls came over the dorm room quickly.
"You two get any nice dresses?" were the first words out of Ruka's mouth.
Yuuki giggled, "I didn't. But Yori did. You should see her dress. She looks really good in it, and I'm not the only one who thinks so."
Ruka and Rima suddenly turned to face Yori, whose face was very red.
"Yori?"
"Yes, Ruka?" Yori timidly replied.
"Tell me everything. Now. And I want details."
Yori fidgeted under Ruka's gaze, "I, well, I bumped into Aidou when I came out of the dressing room, and he just said I looked nice in the dress. Nothing special, you know? He must tell that to a dozen different girls every day."
Ruka snorted, "I hate to break your humble nature, Yori, but Aidou usually tells the truth. He might exaggerate sometimes, but when he tells a girl she's pretty it's because he thinks she's pretty."
"Anyway," said Yori, hoping to change the topic, "did you and Rima find a dress, Ruka?"
Rima smiled, "You should see Ruka's dress. Kasumi Kageyama is going to be drooling all night."
"Don't you mean Kain is going to be drooling all night, Rima?" Yuuki joked.
Ruka blushed. "I have no idea what you guys are talking about," she firmly stated.
"Don't you?" goaded Rima, "I mean, you always blush when you two make eye contact."
"Rima! That's not true!" declared Ruka.
"It is so true," agreed Yuuki. "Do you think he's going to ask you to the dance? I mean, he knows that you turned down Kageyama."
"I hate you people," muttered Ruka.
"We love you too, darling," said Yuuki. Ruka glared daggers at her.
"I want to hear about Ruka's dress, if you two don't mind," Yori announced.
"Fine," Yuuki pouted.
"Well," said Rima, "I know I hyped it up, but it's really more elegant than sexy."
"I don't care! Just tell me about it!" demanded Yuuki.
"Well, it's off the shoulder. It's blue, and on the trim on the top are roses," reported Rima.
"That sounds so pretty," sighed Yuuki, "I wonder if I'll be able to find a dress that beautiful."
"You won't, Yuuki, but I will, because I'm going to win that bet."
"What bet?" asked Ruka.
"I told Yuuki that if Ichijou asked her to the dance, I'd get to pick out her dress."
"And if Ichijou doesn't ask her?" asked Rima calmly.
"I do her math homework."
"Well," said Rima, a sly smile appearing on her face, "I'm going to take Yori's side of the bet. So if Takuma doesn't ask you to the dance, I'll do your math homework one night and Yori will do your math homework another night."
"Deal," agreed Yuuki.
"I'm staying out of this," commented Ruka.
"Fine," replied Rima, "No need for you to get in this debate, anyway."
"I want to see Yori's dress now, if we're finished gossiping," said Ruka.
Yori sighed and pulled the dress out of the closed, "I'm a bit worried it's going to show too much skin."
"Psh. The only one who thinks that is going to be you," snorted Ruka.
"It's not my fault!" exclaimed Yori.
"We didn't say it was your fault. I think it's cute that you want to have your skirt hem under your knees, but I'm not going to allow it for the dance."
"Fine," Yori agreed.
"Go try that dress on! I want to see it!" demanded an impatient Rima.
"I'm going! I'm going!" exclaimed Yori, heading to the small bathroom she and Yuuki shared.
When Yori came out of the bathroom, Ruka wolf-whistled, "Damn, Yori! You look hot! No wonder Aidou tried to make a move on you!"
"He didn't try to make a move on me, Ruka. He just complimented me," replied Yori, self-conscious.
"Same thing."
"Yori, you look beautiful," commented Rima.
Yori blushed, "Thanks, Rima."
"Did you get a dress, Rima?" asked Yuuki.
"No. Shiki and I are going out again tomorrow to see if we can find something."
"You're bringing your boyfriend along with you to buy your dress? Are you an idiot?" demanded Ruka.
"No. I made a deal with him. If I let him approve which dress I wear, he has to buy me some more pocky." Rima grinned triumphantly.
"You two are so weird," said Ruka, shaking her head, "God have mercy that when I get a boyfriend, our relationship will not revolve around a snack."
"Well, at least I have a boyfriend," retorted the strawberry blond model, "unlike a certain someone I know who's still pining after her childhood friend."
"I am not pining," declared Ruka.
"Time out, guys!" interrupted Yori, "Let's go and eat dinner and we can continue this conversation then, okay?"
"Fine," grumbled Ruka.
In the dining hall, the four girls were talking when Kain sat down at their table. The four girls welcomed him whole heartedly, and soon Shiki, Zero, and Ichiru came and sat down. Shiki silently handed his girlfriend a box of pocky with two black ribbons tied around it. Rima opened the box and pulled a piece of paper out and smiled. She turned to Shiki and took his hand and whispered into his ear. The normally stoic boy smiled and helped his girlfriend put her hair into pigtails with the two ribbons he had just given her.
It was such a sweet moment that Yuuki had to look away. She turned her head and met with the eyes of Kaname Kuran. Yuuki froze for a moment, feeling as if time had stopped. However, she suddenly remembered where she was, and quickly turned her attention back to her table just in time to see the piece of paper Shiki had hidden in Rima's box of pocky.
"Oh, that's so sweet!" exclaimed Yori.
The paper only had six simple words on it.
Go to the dance with me?
Yuuki gave Shiki a thumbs up, "Good going there, Shiki!"
The rest of the dinner progressed normally. The group got up to head back to their dorms. Yuuki, Zero, and Ichiru took a different route, informing the group that they had to report to the headmaster. Yori headed straight to the library, claiming she had a project she needed to work on. Shiki and Rima left to take a walk in the gardens, so Ruka and Kain were the only ones walking back to the dorms. The two chatted about childhood memories, reminiscing the time they were still close.
"I wish I could go back to those times," lamented Ruka, "I was a lot more care free then."
"Me too," admitted Kain, ruefully.
Ruka looked up at Kain, "Do you think we'll ever be able to get back to those times? Just you, me, and Aidou?"
"Probably not," Kain answered truthfully, "But I would to be able to, and I'm sure we'll be able to have some moments in our lives like that, I don't think we can just go back to the time when we were children, Ruka. We didn't realize it when we were children, but the world has a lot more people than we knew back then. We were very narrow-minded back then, and now we have to make room in our lives for other people."
Ruka 's voice started to tremble as she felt her vision blur from tears, "Does that mean I can't hang out with you anymore?"
Kain was shocked to see Ruka crying. Ruka was a very strong person and to see her cry was a shock for him. He quickly led the crying girl to a bench and sat down next to her.
"I didn't say that, did I, Ruka?" Kain said in a calm voice, "I said there would still be moments. I would very much like you to be a part of my life. I still think of you as my friend, even if we don't get to talk to each other as much now. When I said we had to make room for other people in our lives, I mean people like Yuuki and Yori. They're like sisters to you, aren't they? I don't think that you would want to cast them out of your life and just hang out with me and Hanabusa all day." Kain chuckled, "I think Hanabusa would be a particularly bad person to trade for those two.
Ruka had stopped crying, "You still think of me as your friend, after all this time?" she asked, incredulous.
"I do."
"Wow…"
"Actually," said Kain, "I was going to ask you to go to the dance with me. Would you please do me the honor of going with me, Ruka Souen?"
Ruka was shocked. Kain was suddenly in front of her with his hand outstretched, bowing low.
"Please, Ruka? It would mean a great deal to me if you went as my date," pleaded Kain.
"Yes," replied Ruka, "Yes, yes, yes! I'll go with you to the dance!"
Ruka took Kain's hand and they both smiled. Kain's eyes were filled with relief. She had said yes!
"Do you want to go eat lunch together tomorrow then?" asked Kain.
"Sure. Why don't we meet at Lucy's café around twelve?"
"No problem."
Ruka headed to walk into the girls' dorm building when Kain grabbed her by the crook of her arm. The blonde stumbled into his chest.
"W-What is it, Akatsuki?" stammered Ruka, blushing.
"Just wanted to say good night," said the tall boy.
Kain gently pressed a light kiss on Ruka's forehead and whispered, "Sweet dreams, Ruka."
"You too, Akatsuki," replied Ruka, her face still a brilliant red.
xxx
Thank you all so much for reading! Please review! I was a bit disappointed last time because I didn't get many reviews. If you guys would review, it would make me so much happier and write a lot faster. Thank you all so much!
BTW, if anybody's got an idea for Rima's dress, then tell me. I'm completely lost there.