Hey there, here's the eighth drabble. Funny how I suddenly ran out of things to say, but I'm certainly sure I could have something to say about this pairing. Truth be told, I've always liked Shiki more than Naru and Yukihara, which pretty much explains why I had a lot to write when it came to their drabble (if you can call it a drabble, heck, I think it's even longer than three drabbles combined). Anywho, like anything else I greatly enjoy, this was done with a lot of heart and thought, so I hope you guys enjoy. ;)

Drabble 8: Shiki x Yuka

Main Genre: Friendship

Word of the Drabble: Alright

Dedicated to: To possibly anyone who thinks Shiki deserves a fighting chance at getting the girl, this drabble if for you.

On the walk home to his dorm, Shiki looked up at the sky and found dusk quickly approaching, twilight kissing at the horizon, tinting the sky with bold streaks of orange and pink. Student council meeting, mid-term examinations, teacher evaluation, peer counseling – the list just went on and on. Apparently, the Gakuen blokes were oblivious to the fact that the council president wasn't superhuman. They always seemed to get pleasure from practically beating and tiring him out to death, which always called for those eleven shots of espresso, two Advils®, andan ice pack just to get him by a long, rough day.

And unfortunately, today was one of those days wherein he'd want nothing to do with being the student body head or the nephew of the junior high principal, because practically everyone – exempting the blokes mentioned earlier – in the school knew that when he was having one of those unbearably long and exhausting days, he was simply irritable, unpleasant, and… irritable.

"Ouch! Let me go, you bastards!" a loud cry caught him off guard. It was definitely a female's voice, from what Shiki intercepted it to be. Without any hesitation, he quickly rushed ahead to help.

And that was mainly because trouble was clearly the last thing he needed right about now.

He only saw the need to intervene as the sight of two guys beating up a girl that was lying helplessly on the ground came into view. But as he approached them closer, the girl that was getting beaten just so happened to be Yuka.

And no one messed with Yuka under his watch. No one.

"Hey!" he called out sharply. The two guys turned to him and almost cowered at his sudden appearance.

"What do you guys think you're doing to her?" he asked them none too mildly. His face was foreboding, while his aura just became more and more threatening.

"Uhh… uhm, nothing, n-nothing at a-all Masu-suchika-san…" the first guy said fretfully, his face glistening more and more by the minute with perspiration.

Shiki glowered at him in an intimidating manner. He took a step forward, "Does your friend here care to explain what happened?"

The second guy turned to him with frightened eyes, "Y-you know, M-Masuchika-san, j-just sh-showing A-Azumi ar-around."

Shiki shifted his gaze towards Yuka, who was now sitting up on the ground with her head bent low and her arms folded limply on her lap. "Is this true, Azumi-san?"

"Yes."

He turned to glare back at the two terrified students, "Well?"

"W-we promise th-that we won't b-b-be bothering A-Azumi-san a-a-again, M-M-Masuchika-san," they stuttered out in unison.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'd take it that I can count on that?"

"Y-yes Mas-suchika-san." They bowed low, unease and unparalleled fear still residing within them.

His expression hardened, "I think you'd better leave now."

"R-right away, Masuchika-san." One of them said, quickly leaving alongside his companion as fast as their feet could take them.

He ran fast to Yuka's side the moment they were out of sight.

"What did they do to you?"

Yuka kept her head bowed as she weakly shook it.

"Are you sure you wouldn't want me to deal with them?" Shiki asked, an almost yearning tone to his voice. By that time, he was pretty sure that Yuka was aware of what "deal with them" meant, as he was comfortable in using the term around her.

She looked up at him. Her round, deep hazel eyes held its usual calm tenderness, but as he looked at her as a whole, it told a different story altogether.

Right under her eye, were three bleeding gashes that stained her left cheek with blood. She had bruises by her jaw, her right eye, and several areas on her cheeks and neck. On her arms were several wounds and black and blue spots while her left ankle looked swollen as if she had sprained it earlier.

"Shiki-senpai, I'm fine," she told him reassuringly.

He cast a wary look at her sprained ankle, then at the three cuts on her cheek, then back at her again. He felt poisonous anger bristle within him, filling his thoughts and vision with nothing but red. He closed his fists as they quavered, while he clenched his jaw, being unable to fight the rage that was starting to fester inside him.

This time, it was his turn to keep his head low. He made a move to scoop up and carry Yuka by inconspicuously slinking an arm around her shoulder.

That was, until he got caught and had his hand slapped away by the same person he attempted to help out.

"What do you think you're doing?" she looked at him through narrowed eyes.

"Nothing, nothing at all," he bluffed smoothly.

Her eyebrow arched. "You sound like someone I'd met down the road earlier," said Yuka with feigned confusion. "And for a second there, I almost thought you were going to consider on carrying me to my dorm."

Shiki looked away guiltily, not knowing what to say.

This time Yuka really did seem puzzled. "Were you?"

Shiki tried averting from the 'increasingly-getting-awkward' matter. "Would you like to have some canned coffee?"

"No thanks, and stop trying to change the subject," she snapped. Man, was she sharp.

"Fine," he hated lying to or around her because she always sensed it whenever he did, "I tried carrying you to your dorm," he admitted with pretend nonchalance, his shoulders slumping ever-so slightly.

Yuka studied him under a scrutinizing gaze, "You can be awkward sometimes you know that?" she freely spoke out in the open, unmindful of her impolite honesty.

His face softened, and from inside him, he felt the turmoil of his incensed emotions gradually lessen, bit by bit. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Yuka gave out a small chuckle, her gentle eyes dancing a little to the lighthearted humor.

And that was enough for every one of Shiki's previous emotions of hate and fury to pop away like a bubble and just disappear.

"But can we still have that coffee?" Shiki stood up and held out his hand to Yuka.

"Of course." She took his hand and hefted herself up, huffing and panting at the pain all her injuries brought to her.

Shiki couldn't help but feel the hatred return to him again, just along his feelings of pity and empathy for Yuka's current condition. "Don't you think I should really carry you home?"

Yuka looked at him as if he'd just said the most mundane thing she's ever heard. "Nah."

He turned his face away from hers and started to walk down the path in an uncomfortable silence. From the corner of his eye, he could see Yuka limp closely behind him in a pathetic wobble. But he respected her decision, and kept at that, walking right beside her the whole time, making sure to slower down his paces to keep up with hers and keep his hands folded at his back in case that itch to help her out ever came out in the open.

They reached the nearest vending machine five minutes later, Yuka collapsing right away on the bench that sat across it. Shiki coined in for two cans of coffee and handed one to Yuka as soon as he got to her.

"Here, it's been a long day for both of us. I think you'll need it."

"Thanks." Then for what seemed to be a lifetime, she stared at Shiki intently before sincerely divulging, "Seriously, you're practically like a walking saint, being there for me most of the times I needed you. I can almost see your halo, just hope you know that you're my saving grace."

Shiki was appalled, but held back the flattery that apparently came with it. "Yeah?" He took a seat next to Yuka.

"And it almost seems… I don't know, surreal? Senpai, honestly, are you spying on me or stalking me or whatever? I mean, always appearing at the right time and place and yeah…" she trailed off, somewhat getting the feeling that she'd already said what she needed to say.

"Nah, I think it's just my intuition," he shook his head placidly, and gave Yuka a smile.

"Yeah?" She gave him a mischievous, knowing grin, pressing the can of cold coffee to her propped up foot. She sighed in relief, "That's the stuff."

Somehow it felt right, being distracted from doing the things he had really needed to do. And for the second time that late afternoon, Shiki looked up at the sky and found dusk quickly approaching, twilight kissing at the horizon, tinting the sky with bold streaks of orange and pink.

At the moment, trouble appeared to be a thing that was the least of his worries, being with her now – because all of a sudden, it just simply made the day turn out ok.

Everywhere I'm looking now, I'm surrounded by your embrace,

Baby, I could feel your halo, you know you're my saving grace.

You're everything I need and more, it's written all over your face,

Baby, I could feel your halo, pray it won't fade away.

Halo – Beyoncē

Well there goes the longest drabble I've ever made. Baah. But question is, did you get bored midway? Or did you like it? :D Pray tell. (:

Be nice. Review. (: