A/N: If you didn't read my apology on Of Sunburns and Pocky, here it is again. I'm sorry, I missed my deadline, I don't do well in heat and I had to have my medication levels tested. I know I'm several days off; I'll try harder next week.

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or make any profit from this.

"Will it scar?" 13-year-old Ruka's voice trembled as her best friend Akatsuki picked gravel out of the cut on her knee. "I really don't want a scar."

"It shouldn't." Akatsuki set the tweezers down for a moment and ran his hand across her knee. "You shouldn't wear high heels in the yard like that."

Ruka bit her lip and didn't reply. She flinched as the cut started to heal, the sting making her shake slightly. "Akatsuki?" She whispered as she stood up, nearly knocked over the bowl of gravel that Akatsuki had picked out of her knee, and went down on her one good knee to hug him tightly.

"Are you alright?" Akatsuki wrapped an arm around her and held her. Even at that young age, he knew. He loved Ruka Souen; there was no doubt about it in his mind. He would do anything for her, anything from picking gravel from her cuts, to painting her nails for her, to running to the store to buy her tampons. He was devoted, or as Hanabusa said, "whipped".

"Kaname didn't say anything." Ruka whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck instead of him now. "He didn't say a word."

Akatsuki blinked, trying to think of what she could be referencing.

"He was in the yard when I was out there." Ruka murmured and her voice was clogged with tears. "He was there when I fell and he didn't say anything at all. He didn't ask if I was alright, nothing. He just watched."

Akatsuki found himself in the best situation his mind could imagine; Ruka needed to be comforted and here he was, there. But he couldn't pull anything too drastic, that would only hurt her more and she wouldn't believe him.

"He doesn't love you, Ruka, I'm sorry." Akatsuki whispered, holding her closer.

"I heard... a rumor a few days ago." Ruka sighed, and her breath was on his neck.

Akatsuki chose to listen very carefully instead of focusing how her warm breath felt on his skin.

"It was about you." Ruka continued, and her voice chimed with something that Akatsuki couldn't quite identify. "Hanabusa said that you loved me."

Note to self; kill Hanabusa, Akatsuki thought as he slowly released Ruka.

"Is it true?" Ruka looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowed.

"I-" Akatsuki began, but was cut off almost immediately.

"Wait! Because... for months now, I've felt like..." Ruka paused and took a few deep breaths, biting her lip for just a second. "Like Kaname doesn't care. And you do... you're so sweet. You take care of me, and I love you so much... things are changing, Akatsuki, and I think they're for the better. So now, tell me, is it true?"

The orange-eyed boy blinked for two seconds, and then grabbed Ruka and kissed her.

Yes, things were changing, and yes, they were definitely for the better.

A/N: In this one, I had the idea to start with Ruka being injured because of a pair of heels, while she was trying to impress Kaname. I did what I could. What did you think?