I AM SO SORRY. There's been a…complication, I guess you could say. Kimmy, my editor and partner in this fic, is no longer able to work with me. She's busy with school and she probably doesn't want to spend time editing my lame writing (Nah, Kimmy's not that mean). We talked it through, and this chapter was going to be the last chapter that she edited, but I've decided to post it anyway since it's already been a month and a half since this chapter's been written (but unedited). I've left this chapter untouched, just in case she does find the time to edit it and replace it. Please don't get mad at her. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's!

xxx

Since I didn't want you guys to wait any longer for this chapter, I decided to cut it short and go ahead and let you guys read it. I feel really guilty about this taking so long. And to make things worse, I've joined a sport. I'm now a member of the soccer team at my school, and it's taking a lot more of my time than I originally anticipated. I'm really sorry!

Now that I've finished begging you guys not to kill me, I would like to dedicate this chapter to someone, TsukiyoTenshi to be exact. This chapter wouldn't even be here before Thanksgiving if it wasn't for her giving me ideas and advice. I'm telling you, this person's amazing. She's the best ever!

And let's not forget the awesome sauce list!

TsukiyoTenshi-Your thank you letter is above.

alexie212- Thanks so much for the dress suggestions even though my computer wouldn't let me see the pictures!

Anlia- I'm a bit confused. Kain did ask Ruka to the ball. Did that part somehow get chopped off in the chapter? I'm pretty sure I wrote that scene.

XxNightShroudxX – I did try to put some TakumaxYuuki fluff with a jealous Kaname in here for you. Hope you like it!

AnimeLover 261- Thanks so much for wishing me good luck! It brought a smile to my face!

– Never fear! You'll find out what happens next now!

GothicLover13 – Well, I finally got the next chapter out! Hope you like it!

KuranPrincess – Don't worry about the missing reviews! I'm just glad you like the story! I hope I filled some of your requests in this chapter!

sweetwithobsessions- I did actually fulfill your request about Rima's dress. Thanks for the advice!

Kazumi-chan –I've updated! Thanks so much for reviewing!

AnimeLover261 – I loved your little conversation with Yuuki and Zero! Thanks for your support!

xCiciNx- Glad to know that you think I'm doing a good job! Thanks so much!

Holly- I can't help you with finding any other human KanaYuu fics. Sorry! But, I am planning to possible write another one if I can finish this story!

Thank you all for your support! The amount of reviews for the last chapter really motivated me to have this chapter done before Christmas Break. I love you all! Please enjoy the chapter!

xxx

It was finally the day of the ball. The ballroom had been decorated beautifully and was soon to be filled with people. Meanwhile, the students waited outside in the hallway.

"Yori!" squealed Yuuki, who had just caught site of her best friend.

"Hey, Yuuki," greeted Yori with a small smile. "Where's your date?"

"Right here," Takuma Ichijou replied, smoothly stepping in beside Yuuki. "I have to thank you for picking out Yuuki's dress, Yori. She looks gorgeous tonight." Yuuki blushed.

Yuuki's dress was a beautiful red satin dress with a bubble skirt. It was sleeveless and had one black ribbon circling Yuuki's petite waist. Yuuki wore black heels, making her seem taller than usual. The red of the dress really brought Yuuki's cinnamon eyes out, and Yuuki's hair was twisted up an elegant updo.

Yori flapped her hand at the class president, "There's no need to thank me. I should be thanking you, Takuma. If you hadn't asked her, I would have had to go through all the shops in town before we found her dress."

"Yori! That's not true! Don't be so mean!" exclaimed Yuuki.

"She's telling the truth, Yuuki. Believe me," a dry voice commented. Yuuki looked up to see Zero and his date.

"Zero! I'm so glad that you decided to wear the suit I got you!" exclaimed Yuuki, "And Shindo! You look gorgeous! I love your dress!"

"Thank you, Yuuki," said Shindo, "but you look absolutely amazing!"

"Thanks, Shindo," replied Yuuki with a grin. "Zero treating you well?"

"He's been nothing but a gentleman. He really does have a nice side under all the gruffness."

"Oh, I'm so proud of you, Zero!" exclaimed Yuuki, reaching up to give Zero an affectionate hug.

"Get off me, Squirt! You're so damn annoying!" growled Zero, trying to pry Yuuki off him.

Yori watched the two with a small smile on her face. Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see her date.

"You look beautiful, Yori," Kaito Takamiya complimented.

"You look really nice too, Kaito," Yori replied.

"Thanks," said the older boy, a grin on his face.

Kaito Takamiya was a grade above Yori, but the two knew each other due to Zero. The boy was close friends with Zero, both of them having trained under Yagari. Kaito had first thought that Yori was Zero's girlfriend because she was the only girl would talk to anti-social twin besides Yuuki. The two had become fast friends, always paired with each other when they and Yuuki and Zero hung out.

Yori heard a gasp and turned away from her date to see Yuuki's pointing an accusing finger at her, "You didn't tell me you were going to the dance with Kaito!" the girl exclaimed.

"Did I need to?" inquired Yori, "Besides, I didn't feel like having to hear your squealing."

"I wouldn't have squealed!" retorted Yuuki.

"Yuuki, you and I both know that you would have squealed and then go tell everyone you could," said Zero, butting into the conversation.

"Stop ganging up on me, you two!" pouted Yuuki, "It's not fair!"

Zero just smirked, "You just know you're losing the argument, Squirt," he replied.

"Like I would lose an argument to you!"

"You do every single time we argue. I always win our arguments. It's a fact."

"Okay, you two! Break it up!" interrupted Takuma, "That's enough for now. Besides, don't you think we should go and say hi to Ruka and Rima?"

"Fine," huffed Yuuki, "Let's go, Takuma."

Shindo was left with Zero now, since Kaito and Yori had decided to go and greet Ruka and Rima with them.

"Would you like to go say hi to your friends, Shindo?" offered Zero.

Shindo smiled at her date, "That'd be nice. Thanks, Zero. You know, you're not as mean as everyone else says. I'm glad I'm your date for the ball." They normally shy girl smiled.

Zero looked down at his date, "If you ever tell anybody that, I will kill you," he growled menacingly.

Shindo just laughed, "You got it."

Meanwhile, Yuuki and Takuma were caught in a deep conversation with Ruka and Rima and their dates.

"Rima, I just love your dress! You have to tell me where you got it!" squealed Yuuki.

Rima was wearing a deep dark blue dress that emphasized her petite waist and brought out her ice blue eyes and the golden strands of her hair. It had a lace collar that had a triangle cut out right above where the dress started. The dress fell in petals of different shades of blue at her hips.

Rima smiled, "Thanks, Yuuki. You're so sweet!"

Meanwhile, Shiki and Ichijo talked together as the females conversed excitedly.

"I didn't think you'd have the guts," commented Shiki idly.

"I'm sorry, what?" replied Ichijo, confused.

Shiki nodded over to Yuuki, who was excitedly telling Rima about how Ichijo had made her open a fortune cookie that hid a fortune asking her to prom. Ichijo immediately understood.

"I'm glad she didn't kick me anywhere, um, strategical, when I asked her," admitted Ichijou.

"You know, Kaname's going to kill you," stated Shiki.

"Why would he kill me? He's dating Sara. Yuuki is free game."

Shiki gave Ichijo a pointed look, "You know how Kaname feels about her."

Ichijou sighed, "Again, it's not like he's dating Sara. Anyway, don't you think we should actually define what Kaname feels for her before we start jumping to conclusions?"

"Ichijou. The man threw all the chocolate he got on Valentine 's Day in the trash except hers. What more do you want?"

"A confession?" weakly defended the class president.

"Like that's going to happen. You know how he is."

Ichijou snorted, "You're right there. If there's a hot girl, it'll take him less than two seconds to run up to her and ask for her number, but if it comes to anything remotely emotional, nothing can get him to speak."

"Yep," agreed Shiki.

"Why is he dating Sara then?"

"Because she's hot."

"I guess."

Suddenly a squeal went up, and the group looked up to see the doors of the ballroom opening. Ichijou turned to offer his arm to Yuuki, and the two walked into the ballroom for the first dance.

The ballroom was beautifully decorated, with dark blue ribbons of curtain hanging from the ceiling. Sparkling chandeliers illuminated the large room, and the night stood serenely outside the large floor-to-ceiling windows.

When they walked into the room, Ichijou turned to Yuuki, "Ready to go?"

A smile rose on Yuuki's face. The night was young. She looked beautiful, and she had a date tonight. She wasn't going to let anyone ruin her evening, "You betcha."

The two joined the couples already on the dance floor. True to Cross Academy tradition, all couples were waltzing on the dance floor. It was an elegant sight, the boys in their suits and the girls with their various dresses.

Kaname, who was dancing Sara, caught sight of Ichijou and Yuuki gracefully waltzing, and immediately felt a flash of jealousy run through him. Confused by this feeling, he decided it to ignore it for the moment and focus on the beautiful blonde on his arm for the moment.

Sara was beautiful in a white dress that draped over her slim body, making her look like a Grecian goddess. Her long blonde hair fell in soft waves to her waist, and her blue eyes sparkled like sapphires.

Kaname lifted her hand to his lips, "Would you like to dance?" he asked.

Sara smiled, "It would be my pleasure, Kaname."

Sighs of longing could be heard from throughout the room. It was the rare boy who did not want to be Sara's girlfriend. It was vice versa for the girls. Wistful murmurs ran around the room.

But for Yuuki, the one thing that stood out the most was how well the two complimented each other. If there was another that looked as good Sara did with Kaname, Yuuki had yet to meet her. Both were very attractive people, and both had the same aura about them, that aura that commanded attention wherever they went. There was no way Yuuki could ever end up with Kaname. She just wasn't pretty enough. Sara was way more beautiful than Yuuki ever could be. Kaname deserved to be with Sara.

Yuuki's attention was ripped away from the beautiful couple when Ichijou gently guided her into the next step of the waltz. The girl blushed in embarrassment, "I'm so sorry, Takuma! I guess I was lost in thought."

"It's fine, Yuuki. I'm just happy I asked you to the dance. After all, it's not every day that a guy gets to take the prettiest girl in the class to the ball," replied Ichijou cheerfully.

Yuuki blushed once again, "You really think I'm pretty?" she asked shyly.

Ichijou just smiled, "Of course, Yuuki. You're very beautiful. I'm proud to be your date this evening."

Yuuki looked down at the floor trying to hide her emotions. No boy had called her beautiful before. As a tomboy, Yuuki knew she did not fit the conventional standards of beauty. The girl did not see what others saw. Yuuki was model-thin due to her love of outdoor activites, and her large cinnamon eyes were overflowing with love for her friends and a certain innocence that was compelling.

Ichijou and Yuuki enjoyed the new few dances together, laughing and talking as if they had been best friends their whole lives. Takuma Ichijou always wore a smile on his face, and his very presence seemed to lift other people's moods. There was just something about Ichijou that made one relax in his presence.

"And then he chose a buffalo and named it Buffy. He could have any stuffed animal he wanted, and he chose a buffalo!" exclaimed Ichijou. He was telling Yuuki about the time he had treated Shiki to any stuffed animal he wanted. His date couldn't keep her giggles to herself.

However, the happy couple was soon interrupted. Yuuki was surprised to see Zero behind Ichijou's shoulder.

"Excuse me," said the silver-haired boy, "Could I have the next dance?"

"Sure!" replied Ichijou cheerfully, "She's all yours."

Zero moved in to take Ichijou's spot, and Yuuki was left alone with her adopted brother.

"How's your date with Shindo going, Zero?" asked Yuuki, knowing it would annoy the older teen.

Zero glared at her, "It's going fine, thank you. Don't forget you owe me a favor for doing this."

"I'm sorry, Zero! It's just that she looked so pitiful, and she really wanted to go to the dance with you, and I really wanted you to be more sociable. You're always by yourself, and I just wanted you to have fun," exclaimed Yuuki, her head hanging down.

Zero smiled gently and patted the beautiful girl's head, taking care not to mess up her elaborate hairdo, "It's okay, Yuuki. I understand that you had good intentions, just not again, okay? If you're really that desperate for me to have a date, then take me yourself, okay?"

Yuuki's face turned from being upset to annoyed in less than a second at her adopted brother's last comment, "I'm not taking you to a dance ever again. I never realized how sucky a date you were until Takuma took me to this ball," declared Yuuki.

"I wasn't that bad of a date," protest Zero, "What does that blond idiot have that I don't? And since when did you become on a first name basis with him?"

"First of all, Mister I'm-such-an-awesome-date, you hate dancing." When Zero opened his mouth to protest, Yuuki glared at him, effectively shutting him up. "Second of all, you're so oblivious, your sister had to arrange a date for you because you can't recognize when someone's waiting for you to ask them to a dance. Third, you have a tattoo and piercings."

"Hey! There is nothing wrong with having a tattoo!" exclaimed Zero.

Yuuki glared at him, "Zero, you have a glare that can scare girls from a mile away. You're not exactly every girl's dream."

When Zero opened his mouth to protest, Yuuki shot a glare at him, "Nevertheless, my dear Zero, I will admit that you are a prize that a girl would be proud to be going to any event with. You have a nice heart under all your gruffness, Zero, and I'm proud to know you."

Zero smiled a gentle smile down at Yuuki, "I'm very proud to know you too, Yuuki. After all," Zero smirked, "you are the prettiest girl in this room today."

Yuuki smiled at her adopted brother, "Thanks, Zero. You're the best."

The two chatted for a little bit more until the dance ended. Zero handed Yuuki back to Ichijou, "Here you go, President. She's all yours. Treat her well, or I'll kill you."

Yuuki was dancing with Ichijou when the two were interrupted by Kaname Kuran.

"Excuse me, Ichijou. May I have the pleasure of dancing with your lovely dance partner for the next dance?" he smoothly asked.

"That's fine, Kaname. Just make sure I get her back later, okay?" replied Ichijou.

"Don't worry, Takuma. I'll take good care of her," promised his best friend.

Meanwhile, Yuuki watched the exchange perplexed. She didn't understand why Kaname would want to dance with her. She was sure his girlfriend would not be happy about it. Quickly scanning her eyes around the room, Yuuki found the beautiful blond dancing talking excitedly with her friends, but any further thoughts were interrupted by a deep, warm voice.

"May I have this dance?" asked Kaname, following years of tradition and etiquette.

Yuuki blushed. The answer, practiced many times during etiquette lessons, rose unbidden to her lips, "It would be my pleasure."

Placing a hand on her slim waist, the two waltzed to the music in silence for a few minutes until Kaname finally broke the silence.

"You look beautiful tonight, Yuuki."

"Thank you," replied Yuuki, glad that the awkward silence had finally been broken.

"I'm curious. How exactly did you end up going to the ball with Ichijou?" asked Kaname, wanting to know just how Ichijou had managed that impossible feat, "I mean no disrespect. It's just that I've never seen you two hang out with each other, so forgive me, if it seemed a bit odd that he would take you to the ball."

"No disrespect taken," replied Yuuki, although she was a bit insulted, "We just kind of ended up hanging out during the time we were allowed to go out to the town, and he randomly asked me."

"I see," murmured Kaname, internally seething. Ichijou should not have been "hanging out" with Yuuki and nor should he be taking Yuuki to the ball. If anyone should be doing that, it should be him, Kaname Kuran! Kaname stopped that thought right there. He shouldn't be thinking about Yuuki. He had a girlfriend, a pretty girlfriend too.

"Are you okay, Kuran?" asked Yuuki, "You've been kind of quiet," noted Yuuki, snapping Kaname out of her thoughts.

Kaname smiled down at the beautiful girl on his arm, "I'm sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts. Please, excuse my behavior. And please, call me Kaname."

Yuuki blushed again, "Okay, Kaname."

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Yuuki looked down, "No."

The dancing couple was silent for a little longer; both did not know what to talk about.

Finally Yuuki broke the silence, "Won't Sara be mad that you're dancing with me?" she asked timidly.

"She's gossiping with her friends right now. She could care less what I'm doing right now."

"So she's not going to kill me when she sees me dancing with you, right?"

Kaname smiled, "Right."

"So, just out of curiosity, why did you ask to dance with me instead of talking with your buddies," asked Yuuki, "I mean it's not like we're best buddies in class."

"It's wrong for me to want to dance with the most beautiful girl in the room?" asked Kaname.

"You better pray that your girlfriend doesn't hear you say that," warned Yuuki, although her cheeks were slightly pink.

"Sara is beautiful, that's true," admitted Kaname, "but you're also beautiful. You've got your own," Kaname stopped for a moment, scrutinizing the petite girl in his arms, "something," Kaname concluded vaguely.

Yuuki laughed, "That's going to get you so many points with girls," she sarcastically reassured Kaname, a big grin on her face, "I really want to hear you say that when you try to pick up a girl."

And like that, the awkwardness between the two was broken. The two spent the next two dances learning about each other and having a great time.

When Ichijou interrupted the couple to claim his partner back, he was shocked the two getting along with each other so well. He had been almost sure that there would have been an awkward silence or an insult war going on. The class president had been sure Kaname would say something to offend Yuuki, but it seemed that he had been wrong.

As he danced with Yuuki, Ichijou had his usual carefree grin in place, but he was deep in thought. Why had Kaname finally approached Yuuki? And why had he done it when he had a perfectly beautiful girlfriend waiting for him?

xxx

I hope that pleases some of you guys who have been begging for some KanaYuu action. I know there hasn't been a lot, but please think about it. If you were dating the hottest girl in class, would you really be thinking about the tomboy chick at all? This is going to have to be a gradual process. But it will happen. I promise.

Moving on, anyone have any ideas or requests for the next chapter? I really have no idea what to write, so give me something to work with! You never know! It might get put in!

Please review! Feedback gives me something to work with and convinces me I'm doing something right. I love you all, even you silent readers out there!