A/N: I LOVE YOU ALL! Seriously. I say this all the time, but thank you so much for the feedback. It drives me and gives me the motivation to write – which results in fast chapters like this one! Also, I may or may not be in a miserable stage in my life and writing is my only escape so…

Either way, enjoy meeting the parents (again)!

Chapter 6: Her Boss And His Parents, Not Her In-Laws

His secretary was going on a date with the biggest douche Kaname had ever met.

Zero Kiryuu.

But it was a pity date!

A pity date. Yes.

Because she felt sorry for him and he was just too damn persistent. It's not like… he'd turn out to be really charming and share a lot of Yuuki's interests and then the two would connect and feel a certain chemistry and then they'd get married and Yuuki would leave him for good, have kids, grow old, die…

Kaname didn't swear often, but right now he felt like going to the top of the Tokyo tower and screaming his lungs out. How many expletives could he manage to yell out before the cops got him?

Oh, he could just imagine the headlines: Sexually frustrated CEO is arrested on the top of the Tokyo tower for yelling out his frustrations! Big scandal!

"Kaname!" Haruka exclaimed as Kaname and Yuuki entered the living room area of their penthouse.

Haruka Kuran was the former CEO of Kuran Inc. He'd succeeded his father and run the company for many years, expanding it and developing new areas for the company to succeed. His legacy was legendary; filling Haruka's shoes had been hard, but eventually Kaname had made it. Now, his father was still somewhat active in the business world, though he preferred to travel the world with Juuri and do charity work. Shades of silver blended with mahogany hair on his temples; and while the occasional small wrinkle was present, Haruka looked far younger than his age. "I'm the eternal stud," he'd explained to Kaname one day, to which Kaname had only rolled his eyes.

"Juuri, come quick!" Haruka called. "Our only child has returned to us! And he brought his lovely secretary too!" Haruka waved at Yuuki. "Hii, Yuuki!"

"Hii!" She responded with the same enthusiasm. Kaname rolled his eyes at the interaction.

"My son! My son has returned and he brought his beautiful girlfriend!" Juuri came dashing through the living room, her burgundy dress covered by her kitchen apron. Even if she was rushing into the room, Juuri was still the embodiment of class and royalty. A few years younger than her husband, Juuri had yet to experience any gray hairs – and to be frank, Kaname had his doubts they would ever appear. It was not just her sunny personality that made her seem young – she looked far younger than her age. People constantly wondered if she was his sister – which mortified him, but delighted her enormously, of course.

"Uhm, I'm not…" Yuuki blushed furiously. Everytime! This happened everytime she came over for dinner!

Kaname sighed. "Mother, for the hundredth time, she's my secretary, not my girlfriend. You set me up with a witch to be my fiancé, remember?"

"Oh, don't 'mother' me," Jurri hit his arm, stepping over to Yuuki and hugging her tightly. "She might as well be your girlfriend! You're with her all the time!"

"Because she is my secretary," Kaname hissed.

Juuri released Yuuki and held her at arms length, ignoring Kaname. "Are you well, Yuuki? You look wonderful. Are you hungry? I hope you are. I made dinner myself!" She squealed.

Yuuki couldn't help but grin. "I am, thank you. Ah, I can't wait for your delicious food!"

"OOHH," Juuri squealed, turning towards Haruka, "if Kaname can't be with her, can't we adopt her at least? I want her as my own!"

"…can't be with her…" In one sentence, Juuri had managed to capture the essence of Kaname's life story. He couldn't be with the woman he loved and everyone around him constantly reminded him about it.

The Tokyo tower plan seemed more and more promising.

"I don't see why not," Haruka hummed, getting up from the divan and walking over. His hand laced around Juuri's waist as he came by her side. "I wouldn't mind Yuuki being my daughter. And if she was, we wouldn't have to go through the pain of never seeing her again after she leaves the company," he frowned.

"Oh! Yuuki, do you have to study? Or could you do it on the side? I'm all about female empowerment of course, but my gosh, you and Kaname work so well together it's like a dream come true. It's almost to the point where I want to force you to marry hi–"

"Is dinner ready or not?" Kaname sighed. His parents were too much sometimes. He loved them and all, but… they were so nosy.

"Ah, this boy!" Juuri grimaced. "Did I raise you to be this rude?" She slapped his arm. By her side, Haruka only smiled, like he always did. It was clear who was the calmer and less aggressive of the two.

"Yuuki, feel free to discipline him if he is being rude to you, okay? Whopah," she made a sound with her mouth as she swung her arm through the air like she was holding a whip.

Yuuki bit her lower lip, trying to fight back her laugh. "Mhm," she nodded furiously.

Leaning slightly towards Yuuki, she looked sideways at her son as she whispered. "Though I think he might like it too…"

"Mother!" Kaname hissed. "Should I leave?"

"So overdramatic," Juuri huffed. "Did he get it from you?" She glanced at her amicable husband who only smiled adoringly back at her. "Hmm, nope, not from you. Certainly not from me… Oh well, Yuuki, why don't you go and set the table with Haruka? I need to speak with my son for a little bit."

Yuuki nodded and followed Haruka, the two settling into light conversation.

Juuri followed them with her eyes, making sure they were out of earshot. Turning around, her face softened as she noticed Kaname's eyes linger on Yuuki. She gave him a knowing look. "How are you?"

"Conflicted," he answered, still looking at Yuuki who was busy setting the table with Haruka.

Juuri wouldn't budge. Her imploring gaze willed him to divulge further.

He ripped his eyes away from Yuuki and gazed at his mother. "Which I suppose would translate to broken-hearted."

A somber expression grabbed a hold of Juuri's features. "I hate to see you suffer… It's not long before she leaves," she stroked his chin.

"I know," Kaname said, closing his eyes.

"You need to tell her at one point, you know that, don't you?"

"I do…" He relented, opening his eyes and gazing at Yuuki again before returning back to his mother. "It's just that the timing is always off."

"Timing is always off for these things," Juuri muttered, straightening out his shirt and brushing away some dust. "Unfortunately, wearing your heart on your sleeve can be painful. And life never guarantees that the ones we give our hearts to will treat it well. But she… she will cherish it if you give it to her, I know she will."

Kaname didn't respond. He was the polar opposite of his mother; where she was eccentric and flamboyant, he was mellow and minimalistic. Still, he'd always felt like if he ever needed advice, she would always have the right words to say. It was strange being a grown man telling his mother about his broken heart, but somehow it felt right too.

"Trust your mother's instinct, Kaname," Juuri hummed, ruffling his hair. "I will help you get the girl, I promised you that, didn't I?"

Yuuki had gone home first and excused herself after her first official meeting with his parents at their penthouse. As Haruka went to the kitchen with the dishes, his mother had pierced him with her knowing look.

"Admit it."

"Admit what?" He nonchalantly asked, folding his napkin.

"You're absolutely smitten with that girl. You're so in love with her that it takes only a glance at you to know."

He swallowed, refusing to answer.

"You are!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Oh, how wonderful!"

"…Wonderful?" He questioned. "Haven't you been trying to set me up with that witch for ages?"

"Oh, sure," Juuri said, leaning her face on her hand as she rested her elbow on the expensive table. "I did approve of Sara – still do, for references – but that was only because I wanted you to be happy and to fall in love – or at least have a partner, someone of your own. Of course, I need that heir from you in the future and I certainly don't mind several grandchildren, but my top priority for me is for you to be happy. Frankly, I was giving up on you falling in love…"

He glanced down at the table, unable to meet her eyes. "Well… I did. Head first. Everything hurts now."

"Aw, don't say that!" She chided, grabbing his hand and holding it. "This is a wonderful thing. Hey, Haruka!" Juuri called. He looked up from the kitchen sink across the room.

"Yeah?"

"I was totally right! He is in love with her!"

Haruka held his thumbs up. "That is wonderful news!"

Kaname wished for the Earth to open up and swallow him whole. Did everyone know he was in love with her? He thought he was doing a good job at hiding it. It didn't seem like Yuuki had noticed – thank god – but Ichijou, Seiren, and his parents – they all knew somehow. And it made him feel absolutely horrified knowing that he was so… exposed.

Even that brat Hanabusa had made some suggestions.

"I… you… She's my secretary though. It can never work. You of all people should know this!"

Juuri tsked. "Eh, so what? She'll only be that for a year. I'm sure you can keep it in your pants for that long. Or don't – fun in the office helps build a better workplace environment, isn't that what they say?" She wiggled her brows suggestively. "Hmm, Haruka?" She called.

"Grr," he replied, making a paw out of his hand and scratching through the air. Juuri blew him a kiss in return, before turning back to Kaname.

Kaname beheld the distinct notion of wanting to throw up everything he'd ever consumed.

"What about Sara?" He demanded.

"Ah, that… This is gonna sound rude, but keep her as Plan B? She won't give up easily, and yes, she is a decent girl but I'd rather you be with someone of your choice now that you've found someone. I don't care about rank or money," she said, looking into his eyes, "I'm looking for someone who can be there for my son and support him. Also, she has to be cute and share my interests – and lucky for you, she does! I love her already!" She gushed.

Kaname smiled despite himself. "She has that effect on people, yes…"

"Aw, look at you!" Juuri cried. "Haruka, look at him!"

"I'm looking at a man in love, Juuri!" Haruka replied from the kitchen.

Now, all Kaname wanted to was die of mortification. This was torture enough.

Juuri squeezed his cheeks. "You are handsome like your father, and she is quite the beauty herself. Imagine how cute your babies would be! Ohh, I can just hear tiny feet running on the floors now. Grandchildren, Kaname, I need grandchildren!"

"Mother," he blushed furiously, wringing himself free from her grip.

"I'll help you get the girl, son," Juuri promised, looking at him earnestly, "trust your mother."

"Come," his mother said, squeezing his waist and leading him towards the table. "Let's eat."

The four gathered at the table and ate Juuri's food, conversing about all kinds of different things – from entertainment news to business deals to homemade cooking.

Patience was not one of Juuri's virtues; as soon as she sensed that the dinner chatter had lulled somewhat, she directed piercing eyes at Yuuki as she began her questioning.

"So, Yuuki, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Uuh," Yuuki fought to keep the food in her mouth as she almost choked. "No."

"Is there anyone you like? Come on, a beautiful girl like you must have a lot of men running after them. I bet they are right in front of you. Maybe even right next to you."

Kaname's fork and knife clanked loudly against his plate as he dropped them unceremoniously from his hands. "Oops," he muttered robotically, shooting his mother a warning glance.

The noise distracted Juuri from her questioning. She narrowed her eyes at him, warning him to not disrupt her plan.

"Not… really. I mean, I don't think so…"

"She has a date coming up," Kaname quipped, wiping his lower lip with his napkin. "So stop pestering her."

Yuuki sunk in her seat. For some reason she felt like she was being interrogated and disciplined at the same time. Like… she was the little kid in the family that had done something bad… by agreeing to going on a date.

The Kurans were the strangest people she'd ever met; but she adored them nevertheless.

"A-a date?" Juuri spluttered, eyes shifting between Yuuki and Kaname worriedly. Brown curls cascaded down her shoulders as she leaned in closer. "With who?"

"Now," Haruka grabbed Juuri's shoulders lightly and pushed her back into her seat, stroking away her hair so it wouldn't fall into the food on the table. "Let's give Yuuki some privacy, hm? It can't be comfortable for her to talk about these things…"

Yuuki almost sighed in relief, her shoulders lowering from their tense position. Leave it to Haruka to be the sane and reasonable one.

"… Ah, but… To learn that she is moving on with her life; leaving us behind, leaving Kaname behind, quitting her job; dating a man I'm sure makes her world spin around… Really, it's…" He pouted, slumping in his seat.

Yuuki felt a sudden need to cancel her date. To tell them that she would stay with them forever and that she wouldn't quit her job and no man could take her away from them.

She felt her temples throb. This is not normal! Why do you want to apologize to your boss' parents for going on a date!?

Juuri smirked at her husband. Oh, she knew what he was doing.

"Of course, you aren't obligated to tell us who it is, though I do wonder whom it may be… Who could whisk away our son's dearest secretary? I wonder, I wonder…" Haruka pursed his lips in thought.

Yuuki couldn't take it anymore. "It's Zero Kiryuu," she blurted out.

Haruka blinked as Juuri tensed in her seat. "Oh, no…" She whispered frantically.

"What?" Yuuki questioned, her eyes wide as she watched Juuri's expression turn from surprise to horror. "What's wrong?"

Juuri sighed dramatically, leaning over the table and placing her hand on top of Yuuki's as she stared deeply into her eyes. "Oh dear, I hate being the one that has to tell you this, but… He…" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He's got chlamydia."

Kaname spit his drink out. Was she out of her mind? How could she lie about such things?

Unless…

Unless it was true? He was a superstar after all, with lots of women fanning over him… it made sense that the manchild would be reckless and contract such vile deceases. Rage blazed in Kaname's limbs as he thought of the moron that was supposed to represent his company. If it was true, Kaname would personally seek him out and beat the shit out of him for even thinking he could lay his infected hands on Yuuki. How dare he!?

"W-what!?" Yuuki gasped, holding her hands on her face. "H-how do you know?"

"Yes," Haruka narrowed his eyes, "how do you know, Juuri?"

"Oh, shush," she hit his chest lightly, "it's not like that. It's just… well, I was at lunch with some of my girlfriends the other day and one of them – you know Tsukiko right? – yes, well, apparently her daughter had dated him for a while and ended up with chlamydia. And he was the only man she slept with! I swear it's the truth!"

"Oh…" Yuuki muttered, lost in her thoughts, "that's uh… a lot of information to take in. I'm sure he didn't mean to hu–"

"Your taste in men is as excellent as your taste in music, I see," Kaname hummed, taking a sip of his wine.

Yuuki almost suffered from whiplash due to how quickly her head whipped around. She treated him to an angry glare in response. "My taste in music is amazing. You know why? Because it comes from this century, Kaname. Everyone can't have the music taste of an 80 year old like you do!" She hissed.

"If you say so," he smirked into his wine. He loved getting her riled up.

Turning back to Juuri, Yuuki straightened in her seat. "I only accepted his invitation because he was so persistent. He seems like a nice guy, we're the same age too, so…"

"Is that a big deal to you?" Like a shark smelling blood, Juuri was right back in interrogation-mode.

"I… well," Yuuki stammered, caught off guard, "not really, but it's nice to have things like that in common and be in the same stage in life. Wouldn't want to date an 80 year old, now," Yuuki turned towards Kaname as she hissed.

He challenged her by raising his brows in response.

"Awh, Kaname isn't that bad! Yes, my boy is an old soul – I had to bribe some parents to let their kids play with Kaname because he was so lonely in kindergarten – and yes I was disappointed when he only wanted some books for his 18th birthday and a classical music record instead of a wild party filled with liqueur and girls – but deep down, he's like… like a thirteen year old! You know, he can seem cold and detached, but deep down he is just a little boy longing for love and so–"

"Perhaps I'm this strange because I suffered from my mother's verbal abuse and overprotective behavior all through my childhood. I reckon if I had a therapist they'd tell me the damage was too severe to be repaired," Kaname shot her a dark look, willing her to stop her mission.

"Oh, shush, you know I'm only speaking the truth!" Juuri bellowed. "Yuuki, dear, drink some more wine."

"Oh, I've already had quite a bit," she tried to decline as politely as possible.

"Nonsense!" Juuri exclaimed, pushing Yuuki's wine glass towards her. "This is a special wine because you have to drink it all in one go to get the taste."

"Uhm, I…"

"I bought it just for you!" Juuri's eyes glittered.

Yuuki hesitantly obliged, downing the glass. Her lipstick left some residue on the glass, tinting the edge with red. She noticed this and figured her lipstick must've been smeared, so she turned towards Kaname with a questioning look in her eyes, silently asking him if her lipstick was out of place.

He stared at her lips a second too long, adoring their shape and suppleness, wishing they were on his.

Her lipstick was perfect. She was perfect.

Kaname shook his head, indicating no.

Pleased, Yuuki turned back to Juuri, feeling the alcohol burn in her throat. Juuri grinned, having watched their mental conversation unfold. "Now that you have a decent amount of alcohol in you, answer this; if Kaname wasn't your boss, would you date him?"

Yuuki gaped.

Kaname's eyes latched onto the knife next to his plate, wondering how quickly he could kill himself with it.

"I'm asking to, you know, get a woman's opinion of him as dating material. You know I only want to marry him off already, but he is too damn stubborn! Asking you is just perfect, because I know I'll get good feedback from you because you know him the best."

"What about Sara…? Shouldn't her opinion be sufficient enough?" Yuuki blushed, averting her eyes from Kaname, feeling a sudden need to get as far away from him as possible.

Juuri stilled. "Oh… oh, no she doesn't know Kaname at all. No, no, no, I want to hear your opinion."

Yuuki stammered. Unbeknownst to her, the man next to her was hanging onto her every word and expression; his heart hammering in his rib cage as he awaited her answer. He loathed himself for getting so excited over this silly concept, yet he couldn't bring himself to ignore it. He wanted to know. Even if it was hypothetically.

But Yuuki only blushed and stuttered, clearly uncomfortable under his mother's scrutiny and with him sitting next to her and listening to her decide if he was 'datingmaterial', as his mother so eloquently put it.

He was her boss, for goodness sake.

"She wouldn't," he cut in, getting up from his chair. "I'm too old and unable to share her enthusiasm for annoying pop-songs. If you'll excuse us, we'll be going now. It's late and I'm sure Yuuki is tired."

"Hey, now, Kaname, don't leave so soo–"

"Juuri," Haruka called gently, lacing his arm around her waist. "Maybe we should let them leave. It's late." His eyes spoke volumes as they communicated silently. Eventually Juuri's shoulders slumped in defeat as she acknowledged the fact that she'd maybe gone too far.

"Yuuki," she got up from her seat after Yuuki had risen from hers, "I apologize for my behavior. I suppose that wine was getting to me… Please," she grabbed Yuuki's hand, clutching it gently, "forgive me. I consider you to be the daughter I never had, that's why… I felt like I could ask you anything since we usually are so open with each other. This time, I think I overstepped a few lines."

"No, no," Yuuki smiled warmly, holding onto Juuri's arm, "it's fine. I've said some stupid things under the influence of wine too, hehe. Just ask Kaname!"

Somehow Yuuki had managed to ease the tension in the room with her carefree attitude. Kaname was both relieved and mortified; he understood that Juuri came from a good place when she meddled in their affairs like this, but it pained him watching Yuuki squirm, oblivious to his feelings

"It's true," he quipped, gathering his coat and holding out Yuuki's. She gratefully accepted, threading her arms through the sleeves as he held it up for her, "though I'm afraid those moments will have to remain between me and my secretary. She might just lose her job if people find out about her true nature…"

"Wha–" Yuuki blushed, "you… you make me sound like some drunken sailor!" She turned frantically towards Haruka and Juuri who were watching them interact with soft smiles. "I'm not! I'm very professional and dedicated!"

"We believe you, Yuuki," Haruka chuckled.

"Good!" She grinned. "Thank you so much for dinner, it was lovely despite the military-style interrogation I had to go through…" She narrowed her eyes at Juuri playfully.

Juuri had the decency to look somewhat bashful. "Well… err, what can I say? I'm eccentric! Get home safe now, okay? Kaname, gimmie a kiss!"

"No," he said resolutely, gesturing for Yuuki to enter the elevator before him.

"You can get a kiss from me," Haruka murmured, kissing Juuri on the cheek as she pouted. She blushed and smiled, giving him an appreciative glance.

"See you soon," Kaname called as the elevator doors began to close, feeling his heart stir at the sight of his affectionate parents. How he wished he had something like that for himself.

Juuri waved frantically while Haruka only smiled as the doors finally closed.

The elevator began to move, lowering floor by floor. He felt some pressure on his arm and looked down, finding Yuuki's head resting on his arm, right beneath his shoulder.

"Uuh… Your mother was right, that was some special kind of wine because…" She yawned. "It sure does work quickly."

He smiled, finding her absolutely adorable and secretly delighting over the fact that she was leaning on him like he was her boyfriend or something. If this was all he got, he'd take it gladly, savor it and replay it in his mind again and again until his heart was content.

"You drunken sailor," he teased to which she awarded him with a giggle. "Staying with me?"

"Yeah," she yawned again, straightening slightly as the elevator came to a halt. "I think that's the best solution."

He thought so, too.

Kaname couldn't believe his luck.

For some reason, the manchild had to leave for some tour around Asia, which meant that he had to cancel his date with Yuuki.

Which meant that Yuuki was still blissfully single.

Which also meant that he still had a chance of being the one taking her out on a date.

… The only problem was that he didn't dare ask her. Days and weeks rolled by, and soon her resignation would roll in on his desk and he would have to hire another secretary, as Seiren was not yet ready to get back to work.

They had their Swan Lake date coming up, though.

"You're actually going to confess?"

Kaname swallowed nervously. "Yes."

Ichijou blinked. "Wow."

"Yeah."

"That's…"

"Insane, I know."

"Well, yeah, but… brave, too," Ichijou said, sitting down in the chair in front of Kaname's desk and crossing his right leg over the left.

His otherwise calm and emotionless boss gave him a nervous glance. "…You think so?"

"I've given you a hard time, I'm aware," Ichijou admitted, green eyes serious as he studied his boss, "but it's been a year and your feelings still haven't changed. That means something, Kaname. I'll admit I initially just thought it was only lust driving you, but I see now that your feelings run deeper. And, since I haven't seen any sexual harassment reports on my desk, it seems like you've done a good job at reigning in your desires and remaining professional."

Well, that… Kaname swallowed, remembering way too many times he'd acted like everything else except for her boss. At one point he stopped caring if his flirting was obvious or not – it didn't matter as long as she didn't push him away. Also, their physical connection was… well, he'd noticed Yuuki's tendency to touch him – either leaning on him or slapping his arm or holding onto him – and as she grew bolder, he grew bolder too – however, if he had to rate his physical contact with her on a scale and compare it to his how he actually wanted to touch her, he'd say about… 4. Linking arms together and occasionally leaning on each other was sweet and all, but he was a man and men had urges – and she was just so incredibly tempting.

His masochistic side loved the fact that she could so easily drive him mad with desire with just a flirty smile – but at the same he loathed the fact that he couldn't do anything about it. Just smile and pretend like he wasn't falling apart.

Well, that would change now.

"The question is… what if she doesn't accept you? What if she only sees you as her boss?"

"I…" Kaname trailed off. All he'd been thinking about was the part where he confessed and how he would do it – but not her answer. The possibility of her rejecting him was larger than he'd anticipated – and as the CEO of a huge firm, Kaname didn't like gambling when the odds were against him.

"I just… I need you to really think this over." Ichijou pleaded, his green eyes conveying his worry. "The last thing I want to see is you getting hurt. Your feelings for her are strong – and that intensity can wreck you if you aren't careful. Think long and hard if you want to confess – you need to be prepared to handle it if she says no."

"Sounds like you're approving of your boss dating his secretary now," Kaname hummed, evading the topic of his heart possibly breaking into a million pieces should Yuuki reject him. "I'd never think we'd get to this point. I still have all your lessons about work-appropriate behavior ingrained into my brain."

Ichijou sensed Kaname's need to change up the conversation and obliged. "Good, you caveman! She hasn't quit yet so you still need to follow them. And now that she's quitting, it's different. People will take it better when – if – you start dating after she stops working here. Looks better should the press get a hold of it, and doesn't really put her in a bad light."

Kaname's heart jumped, imagining himself going on an actual date with her. Flirting without guilt, touching her, kissing her…

"But! Confess first, yes? Then we'll take everything from there." Ichijou held his thumbs up as he grinned, his usual happy-go-lucky nature returning.

"Great, well," Kaname cleared his throat, trying to suppress his thoughts from returning to the previous conversation topic, "enough about my complicated non-existent love life. I need to talk some business with you, especially about the Shouto project. I want to discuss a few points with you now that you are in the office."

Ichijou nodded, letting the previous topic go with ease.

"Sure."

It was late at night, and Kaname was prepping some documents for future interviews and filling out other important forms. Ideally, he should've been home two hours ago, but like Yuuki had often remarked, he was a night creature. He worked better and more efficiently as soon as the world was clad in dark hues.

Wrapped up in his task of writing down the interview questionnaires, he didn't bother look up when he heard the door of his office slam open.

"Ichijou, didn't I tell you to not dist–"

"Kaname…"

At the sound of her broken voice, he immediately looked up from his desk, discarding the documents he'd been working on.

Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks as she lingered by the door, looking weak and fragile as she leaned against it. Her doe eyes were swimming in tears as she trembled against the doorframe, resembling a wounded animal.

Kaname's eyes widened. "Wh-What's wrong, Yuuki?"

He got up from his seat and stepped calmly towards her, mindfully keeping some distance between them. His heart ached at the sight of the sorrowful expression on her face and her tears; had it not been for his iron self-control, he would've crushed her in his embrace the moment he saw her tears.

The pain in her eyes… he wanted to take it away.

"I…" She sobbed, trying to gather herself. "I, um, I'm sorry for interrupting you, b-but... I have a request."

"Sure, anything you want," Kaname spoke quickly, eager to find out how he could help her.

Tears spilled from her eyes as she looked up at him. Slowly he took a few steps towards her, hovering above her as he watched her tears spill. Her lower lips quivered as she fought to reign in her emotions, a frown marring her beautiful features as she berated herself for being so weak and vulnerable in front of him.

"Please, Yuuki, tell me how I can help you," he pleaded, carefully brushing her tears away with his left right hand, stroking her chin in the process.

"Please let me work here for another year."