A/N: SQUEEEEE!!!! *dancing around!!!!* Over a hundred reviews! How did this happen?!?!?! Did I mention how much I love you all?! *huggles everyone*
Ahem, anyway, so just to clear this up, Luca's name is Luca. Lol. At first it was written as Ruka, but then Hino said that it was actually pronounced Luca. O_O Whut? Yep, it's true!
Fufu, aren't I so good? Three chapters in a few days! 8D
Disclaimer: *glances at the VK copyright* Nope, still don't own it.
--o--[Chapter Start]--o--
Zero, how are you feeling today?
Zero, have you been eating well lately?
Zero, today Aidou-senpai made me do even more practice drills! I thought my head would combust!
Zero, it's lonely here without you or Yori.
Zero, today it did nothing but snow. I watched it all day. It's so pretty. Is it snowing there, too?
Zero, I got an 88 on my test! It's my best score yet!
Zero, Aidou-senpai is still being especially grouchy. What did I do to deserve this?!
Zero, what did you do today?
Zero, how is school going?
Zero, I miss you.
Zero…
Zero…
Zero…
His fist clenched, sudden agony bursting through his chest. Imagining the expressions she would have shown with each sentence only made the pain worse, yet he couldn't drive the images out of his head. He didn't want to. Deprived of her for so long, it brought a strange, aching relief to be able to envision her, to hear her voice through the words.
Sitting among discarded letters and envelopes, he could very faintly detect her scent. It was nearly imperceptible, but all the same, it was there. Beside him lay a pile of blood tablet packages, and more were scattered across the floor, but for the first time in months the thirst was almost manageable. Almost.
Zero, Christmas will be here soon! Eat an extra slice of Daddy's cake for me, okay? And don't tell him I called him that!
"Yuuki…you idiot…," he choked, his heart constricted, somewhere between laughing and crying.
He leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling. Why had he denied himself this sinful pleasure for so long? Closing his eyes, he allowed a constrained smile to stain his lips. Yuuki was alright... But more than that, most of all…Yuuki was still Yuuki. There was still something left of her within the monster. Incredible sadness flooded his veins, and at the same time, a sense of peace and relief. She might be lost to him, but her soul wasn't completely lost. And that was all that mattered. That was everything.
Abruptly, his eyes jerked open. He glanced down at his watch and cursed out loud, standing up so quickly that tablet boxes and paper were strewn every which way. Quickly, he snatched up a torn off edge of paper and a pen and scribbled three words. Then he turned to his closet hurriedly. It would be a nuisance to be late.
"Wahh, Wakaba-chan, you look so beautiful!" one of the girls from her class breathed. "That shade of green really suits you!"
"Thank you," she replied with a small smile.
"No way!" Ami, the girl's dorm president, exclaimed.
"What is it?" she asked politely.
"Don't tell me that's designer!" she stabbed an accusatory finger at the necklace, which Yori hastily covered with one hand.
Glancing away, she murmured, "I really wouldn't know."
"Wakaba-chan has a secret," the first girl giggled.
"You're dating Kiryuu, aren't you?!" Ami gasped.
Yori blinked in shock. Where had that idea come from? She stared at the president in complete disbelief, and after a moment, amusement, "Please don't misunderstand anything, Ami-san. We only know each other through Yuuki."
"Oh, is that all?" she seemed suspicious, but quickly brightened, "Well, then who are you dating, Wakaba-chan?"
"I'm not dating anyone," she replied firmly, purposely moving her attention to the dance floor to show that the conversation was over.
"She's avoiding the question," Ami whispered loudly to the other girl.
"Then she is dating someone," the other nodded sagely.
Yori held back a sigh. Really, why had she worn the incriminating piece of jewelry? But it would have been a waste not to wear it. After all, Aidou wouldn't be back for another two weeks, so there was no way to give it back any sooner.
You're in denial, she chided herself, and bit her lip at the thought.
So maybe she was in denial. Maybe she would have worn it anyway. But why not wear such a nice present to the occasion it was made for? It would be rude not to wear it. And also… Her fingers gently touched the small green gem, the image of Aidou's delighted, warm smile and unfathomable eyes flashing through her mind.
A giggle snapped her out of her reverie, and she noticed that the first girl was only inches in front of her, grinning ridiculously. Misaki, if she recalled the name correctly, was giving her a pointed stare.
"What is it?" she asked coolly, dropping her hand now as if it had been burned.
"What was that tender look on your face just now? You were remembering something, right?" Misaki folded her arms.
I don't like him, her mind protested obstinately.
"I was only remembering something my mother told me about Christmas. Now, if you'll excuse me…," that stated, she briskly made her way to the refreshment table.
He's annoying. And arrogant. And childish. I definitely don't like him, her hand tightened around the glass, and she brushed away the feeling that threatened to creep into her mind. Definitely not.
"Wakaba-san," a gruff voice acknowledged, and she turned in surprise to see Zero, formally dressed in his black suit and tie.
"Good evening, Zero-kun," she returned pleasantly, relaxing a little. "Enjoying yourself tonight?"
A scowl momentarily transfigured his face, but he quickly removed it and muttered, "I don't like dances."
Yori nodded. Without Yuuki, there was little point to the whole event. If the night class had been there, some entertainment value might have been taken from it, but as it was, the party was rather lackluster. Not to mention, all of the night class had been astonishingly good dancers. The same could not be said for the majority of her classmates.
"Oh, here," Yori murmured, pulling an envelope from her handbag. It had been a tight fit, but she'd managed to get the paper safely within the bag's confines.
He took it wordlessly, slipping it into his inner jacket pocket, and then removed something, handing it to her. Glancing down at her palm, she saw that it was a simple, folded piece of paper. She blinked in surprise, hope suddenly flaring within her as she placed it into her handbag.
"This-" she began, only to see his retreating figure.
"Have a good evening," he returned brusquely over his shoulder, and then disappeared into the crowd.
Yori shook her head, and then smiled, her heart feeling absurdly light. Zero was sending a note to Yuuki! She could picture Yuuki's face lighting up, finally receiving something to show that all of her efforts hadn't been in vain. Yuuki needed this so badly, and just when Yori had been ready to give up all hope, everything had been restored. It was more than she could have hoped for.
Eyes sweeping over the room, she noticed Ami glaring at her darkly and whispering to Misaki, who was nodding in agreement with whatever the president was saying. With those two watching, of course her and Zero's conversation would be taken as something more. She continued towards the table. It mattered little to her.
Refilling her glass, Yori settled down to watch the festivities. The ballroom, bedecked almost ostentatiously with holiday decorations, was vibrant with cheer. Couples danced animatedly in the center of the room, friends chatted, and gifts were exchanged. Every student in attendance was radiating a happy glow. It was no wonder that Yuuki had always loved Christmas more than any other time of the year. For once, everyone was simply having fun.
"Enjoying the dance?" a resounding baritone asked, and she turned in surprise to see Yagari, the part time Chairman and teacher of Cross Academy.
"Yes, thank you," she replied. "And yourself?"
He chuckled, "It's tolerable. I wonder if you're enjoying it, though. It seems to me that it would be rather difficult to participate in the dance from over here."
"I like to watch," she answered with a slight shrug.
"Hm. In any case, a certain hyperactive person," here his eyes flicked briefly over to the balcony, where the Chairman was dancing by himself and humming loudly, "wanted me to tell you that you're welcome to celebrate Christmas with him and Zero as usual."
She smiled, touched, "Thank you. Tell him that I'll be there."
"Alright then. Have a good night," he waved and disappeared into the crowd.
After a moment, she turned to watch the dancers, feeling peaceful. Christmas wouldn't be the same without Yuuki, but it wouldn't be completely lonely, either. She wondered how Yuuki's holiday would be, alone in that far away mansion with Kaname and Aidou.
Aidou… Would she enjoy Christmas, even without Yuuki, if he were there? She shook herself, commanding her attention back to the present. What was she thinking?
I don't like him.
It's simply inconceivable.
Yuuki stopped, frowning in concentration. She listened again, and yes, the sound continued. Her brow furrowed. Who would be humming Jingle Bells in the mansion? Had Kaname invited another guest? The song continued, and she let her feet guide her to a slightly opened door at the end of the hall.
Peeking inside, she felt her eyes widen in disbelief and bit back a laugh. She should have known.
Of course it was Aidou. She should have guessed that immediately. No one else in the mansion would sing under any circumstances. Well, that wasn't necessarily true. Kaname might if she asked him nicely enough…though certainly not a song as silly as Jingle Bells.
Aidou was facing his bed, staring down at something as he hummed. Nothing was visible however, except the oddly familiar wrapping paper lying about, which he was gathering up to throw away.
Curiosity overwhelmed her, and she rushed forward into the room, crying, "Aidou-senpai, what's that? A present?"
"AH!" he made a noise somewhere between a strangled shout, a cough, and his abruptly broken off humming. Whirling around, he quickly threw his arms out to the sides to shield whatever was on the bed, expression shocked and murderous.
Barely containing her laughter at this comical sight, Yuuki attempted to look past him as she continued, "Is it something secret? Let me see! Who gave you a present?"
"None of your business!" he snapped, effectively blocking her efforts as he tried to herd her out of the room. "Get out!"
"I just want to see!" she was enjoying herself far too much.
"Did no one ever teach you the word 'privacy'? There's no doubt about it! Your next lesson is on vocabulary!"
"I just wanna see," she replied innocently, ducking under his arm.
"HEY! Get out right now!" he flailed, but it was too late.
Staring at what was on his bed, something nagged in the back of her mind, pushing forward. "Who would give you an umbrella as a Christmas present?"
"I said it's none of your business!" he repeated angrily.
Beside the umbrella was a well knit scarf, and it was this that her attention was truly focused on. The neat stitching was something that she was all too familiar with. Running her hand across the fabric, even before she caught the autumn and lavender scent that came with it, she knew.
"Yori gave you a present?" she asked in surprise. "Huh, she made this herself, too…"
"If you must know, yes she did," he snatched the scarf away from her, clutching it to his chest like a little kid. "And it isn't yours, so go away!"
"Aidou-senpai," she giggled at his expression. "I'm not going to steal it. But really, why an umbrella, too?"
He made an interesting face, one she had no name for, and then mumbled mysteriously, "In case it rains."
"Why would it rain?" she stared at him in puzzlement.
"It just might!" he huffed, grabbing up the umbrella and stalking out.
"Huh…," she stared after him blankly.
"Oh, and one more thing!" he stuck his head back into the door. "Your lessons start again the day after Christmas!"
"What?! No! Why?! That's so unfair!" she objected, running to the door only to find him already gone.
And just like that, life was back at the normal pace. She moved slowly back to the bed, kneeling to pick up the scraps of wrapping paper that had scattered everywhere when he'd thrown his arms out. Yori's soft scent still clung to the festive tissue, and Yuuki smiled a little. At least Yori was doing alright.
She dropped the paper into the waste bin, staring down at if for a long moment. Red glinted from her left hand, and she shut her eyes. Kaname would be leaving again after Christmas, but the promise remained. It would always remain.
--o--[Chapter End]--o--
A/N: Gomen for making up random people but I just needed people to babble at Yori and I couldn't think of any of the day class girls other than Shindo.
And just to clarify, yes there is a Christmas break, but not all of the students go on it. That, or they could leave after the dance. And the Kuran party was NOT on Christmas (Eve). Kaname and Yuuki still have yet to celebrate that day. *evil laughter* Anyway, did you really think Aidou could slip off on Christmas (Eve)? Or that Kaname and Yuuki would have no gifts for each other?
By the way, what did you think of Aidou's musical debut? LOL.