A/N: I'm so so so sorry! I've just now finished with the semester, and exams and such, so I haven't had much time to write. Forgive me! And forgive the fact that I wrote this chapter really fast so the quality is not that good. T^T I'll make the next one better.

And as I said my lovely readers, you must have patience. Trust me, you'll get Zeki. I promise.

Disclaimer: Oh Matsuri Hino, please bestow upon me the rights to this lovely manga! *Waits* Nope. Still nothing.

--o--[Chapter Start]--o--

Two black shapes strode into view, glinting faintly in the distant, sickly orange light that emanated from the street lamp. A ragged gasp broke through the ominous silence, bouncing off the continuously narrowing walls, reverberating off those two soulless forms. The dark form opposing those shapes scrabbled backwards desperately, searching with frantic, bloody hands for something, anything to defend itself with, and was rewarded with only a discarded cigarette butt.

White teeth flashed a lethal smirk in the dirty alley. The scrabbling intensified; panicked breaths created an irregular, accelerated tempo as the black forms took another step forward. The street light, a distinct marker of hope, seemed as far away and lost as another world.

"P-please, don't kill me. I didn't know what I was doing, I swear! I didn't mean to…I didn't want to…I'm sorry, so don't kill me!" the voice came hoarse, disjointed, and near hysterical.

"It's for your sake," the reply was cold, calculated. The barrel of a gun swung down, sudden burning silver before the burning red eyes of the shadow on the ground.

"Please! Don't kill me! I'll do anything!" he screamed, praying, praying that someone would hear and come.

"There is nothing for you to do except die," the safety clicked. The finger moved.

"Please!"

Click.

The sudden, muted boom of the bullet resonated like thunder through the alley. Crimson splashed out, a spray of life and death. The gun disappeared and a pale hand grabbed the crumpling form, pulling it to the standing figure. Elongated fangs caught a glimmer of stray light.

The streets remained unaware.

Aidou paused, hand poised in front of the door, suddenly unsure. For the first time in his rush to get to the academy, successfully speeding without consequence, he wasn't sure what to do. His heart was beating awkwardly, an uncertain rhythm that he had never experienced before. A thousand broken thoughts were running through his head all at once, flowing around and through one another.

What if she wasn't happy to see him?

What if she thought it odd that he was wearing her scarf?

What if she hadn't liked the necklace?

What if…what if…?

He swallowed. What was he thinking? He was Hanabusa Aidou for crying out loud. Why should one little girl scare him? But for the first time, being Hanabusa Aidou didn't seem like much of a reassurance. Taking a deep breath, he allowed his fist to connect with the wood of the door. His heart lurched abruptly, and he had only a moment until the door was pulled open.

Yori was before him within a matter of seconds, looking slightly breathless, eyes wide and excited, though from what, he couldn't say. Upon seeing him, she relaxed instantly, forming a beautiful smile that made her eyes sparkle with happiness. The world started to spin, the breath effectively knocked out of him.

He could only return her smile, feeling himself relax in turn, "Hello again."

"Good evening," she replied with slight shyness, stepping back to allow him into her room.

It was only with effort that he managed to make it into her room without touching her. It was nearly impossible to suppress the urge to pull her into his arms, to hold her close and breathe in her perfect scent. It had been far too long since he'd last seen her.

There was a small pause, each of them gathering words, before they both said at once, "How was your Christmas?"

There was a laugh, breaking the tension, and Aidou answered, "Dull, really. But I did get to see my sisters. It's rare to see them together in one place."

"That sounds nice," she smiled. "I had a good Christmas as well. I went to the Chairman's place. His decorating is really quite…unique," she chuckled.

Aidou grinned, "I can only imagine."

"Well…," and with that prompting, she began to tell him about the Chairman's crazy ornamentation and holiday games.

A lifeless body fell limply to the ground, extremities dissolving slowly into fine grey ash. The standing figure licked his lips, eyes flaring from hungry scarlet to collected violet. He remained where he was for a long moment, watching the transformation of the dead vampire.

Suddenly, he was seized with a convulsion that wracked his body. White hands clutched at his chest uselessly, gasping. It was with terrible willpower that he managed to straighten himself, teeth clenched and shoulders trembling. He knew without having to look that his eyes had reverted to their previous red. This one vampire hadn't been nearly enough.

Nothing would ever be enough. Not to quench this thirst. What he needed was something unobtainable, something beyond his reach.

"Yuuki."

"Do you like that scarf?" Yori asked. She hadn't noticed it at first, but he was actually still wearing it.

"Oh, oops," was it just her, or was he flushing slightly? "I keep forgetting to take it off. But yes, I do. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she answered as he removed the scarf and his coat, neatly setting them down beside him.

She studied the carpet for a moment, unsure. Did he forget to take the scarf off because she hadn't made it very well, or because of something else…? She gave herself a mental shake, then, "About the necklace you gave me, Aidou-kun…thank you. Really, thank you. I didn't think I could accept it for a while. I might even have made some of the girls at the dance hate me for it," she laughed nervously, fingers gripping the edge of the bed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He grinned, "You should have told them that you got it from their beloved Idol-senpai."

She made a face, "Only if I had a death wish."

He chuckled, "Some of those girls scare me."

"It's not like they'd ever do anything to hurt you," she rolled her eyes. "They did think for some strange reason that I was dating Zero-kun, though. I really don't get it."

"Kiryuu?" he nearly spat, face contorted with aversion.

"I see you still haven't gotten over your petty differences," she commented dryly.

"That's not it!" he exclaimed. "It's just the thought that you-," he broke off, looking chagrined. "Sorry. That's really not the reason… I still don't like him, don't get me wrong, but…how could he get a necklace like that, anyway?! It's insulting!"

Yori regarded him blandly, "So you're insulted because Kiryuu is poor."

"What?" he was obviously taken aback by her statement. Realization seemed to hit him then, "N-No! That's definitely not it! I-ugh," he rubbed his eyes with his palms, frustrated. He always made everything a mess around her.

"Well then, what is the reason? Since it's apparently something a simple human can't comprehend," she folded her arms.

He shifted uncomfortably, eyes moving to the window, "It's nothing, sorry."

Her own eyes fell to the floor, her bottom lip catching in her teeth for a brief moment before she looked up again. She hadn't meant for her question to have this effect. She hadn't meant for there to be a moment remotely like this.

For so many days she had been longing to see him, to speak to him, and for a while, it was as if she had known him for years rather than weeks. Talking to him about her Christmas, sharing with him all of the Chairman's quirks and hearing, in turn, about Yuuki's antics… It had been an experience she'd craved unconsciously. To speak to someone so easily, to laugh, to simply relax. It was something she hadn't done nearly as often or as much as she should have liked. Only Yuuki had been able to bring that out in her. Until now…

"It's just…" he murmured after a moment, looking back over at her, looking uncertain, "I really can't see you with Kiryuu at all. The thought kind of…bugs me." His brows drew together, unnamed emotions running behind his eyes.

She blinked in surprise, heart stuttering for a moment before rushing faster. Logically, she tried to tell herself that it meant nothing. He only hated Zero. Nothing more. But illogically, and the part that vied hardest for dominance within her mind, she wanted it to mean something else. She wanted it to mean something like, "I can't see you with Kiryuu because the only one I can see you with is me."

Her eyes widened at herself. What was with that kind of thinking? She had never entertained such a thought in her entire life. It scared her, and at the same time…

Okay, she thought, so I might have a little crush on him.

Might have a little crush? came the reciprocating thought.

"Zero-kun isn't really all that bad. He's just a bit…antisocial. It's just a matter of how well you know him," she forced a shrug, shutting down the flow of her thoughts.

Aidou grimaced, "I have a hard time liking anyone who tried to kill me. Although, admittedly, I did provoke him..."

She fixed him with a look, "So you see, it's your own fault."

"Maybe, but he doesn't always have to be in such a bad mood all the time. Does he ever even smile?" he demanded.

"Sure he does…," she trailed off, frowning, trying to recall an instance when she had witnessed this. "Sometimes…probably… Well, I've never seen him but I'm sure he does!" There was a pause, and then she laughed. "Okay, I see your point."

He watched her for a moment, expression somehow shifting to something wistful, absorbed. She frowned slightly, eyebrows rising as she asked, "What is it?"

He blinked, a faint blush definitely coloring his cheeks this time, and looked away, muttering, "You're really beautiful when you laugh..."

She froze, stunned at this statement, her heart fully stopping before pounding into overdrive. Her head was starting to spin. For a long moment, she couldn't even remember how to speak. She just stared at him, unable to do more.

He glanced back at her, nervously, and then continued in a rush, "Don't misunderstand! It's not just when you laugh. You're always beautiful, just especially so when you smile… You should more often, you know."

She had to force herself to breathe. No one had ever said such things to her before. At least, no one she wasn't related to. She had never expected any boy to think she was pretty, but to hear that she was beautiful, and from Aidou, who had been the most popular boy of the night class, and no doubt had seen girls far prettier than she… Her mind was in knots, sticking and jumbling every thought together in such a way that she could not compose a single comprehensible sentence in reply.

Breathlessly, flushing a pale pink, she managed to snatch an incredulous word or two from the tangle of her thoughts, "Do you really think so?"

Aidou shook his head, suddenly speaking in a low, serious voice, "No, Yori, I don't think so. I know so. You're stunning."

Her voice caught in her throat. She was aware only of the sound of her blood rushing through her ears, of the way the air around her seemed to have a peculiar static electricity to it, of the way his eyes caught and held hers, completely honest and completely, impossibly blue. Like a summer lake in the sunlight, like everything she had ever wanted or dreamed of.

The blue of his eyes stretched on towards infinity, deeper and more profound than any color, any substance that she had ever seen. It was, in that moment, more than the shade of a cloudless afternoon sky or a rain slicked umbrella she held while wistfully passing the night dorm on her way to class. It was the promise of everything, of laughter and tears, innocence and sin, of a concept too vast for comprehension.

She was slipping away, into that blue. She was on the verge, she knew, of falling. Falling into the unknown, into revelation and risk. She felt the breath sweep out of her, fading into nothing. The world was hazing in and out of focus, the lines were blurring, but the blue was a source of clarity. It was the only thing she could focus on. It would only take a movement, a short step, to-

Tap tap. "Yori-chan, are you still awake?" the question splintered them apart like a hammer.

Yori gasped a little, startled and mind reeling. Her thoughts jumped from place to place, frantic to grasp something concrete. She fumbled with words for a moment, dazed, before she clamped down on herself and inhaled deeply, shoving away the remembrance of the blue that threatened to engulf her.

"Y-yes." She took another breath to further steady herself. "I was just reading."

"Have you seen Mizuki?" came the reply.

"No, I haven't," she returned, eyes closing for a moment, collecting herself.

"Oh, alright then. Let me know if you do. She hasn't come in yet."

"I will," she assured the girl.

"Thanks. Good night."

"Good night," she called.

Silence.

Aidou cleared his throat, uncertain. His tone was barely above a whisper, "Sorry."

Sorry? No. Don't apply that word here. Sorry meant something like, "I wish I could take it back."

She smiled though, smiled for him, "It was my fault."

His gaze softened, clearly dazzled by her smile, then took a breath, eyes sharpening back to reality, "No. It's no one's fault, then."

There was a pause, and then she switched the subject, unsure of what to say back, "I almost forgot to ask. Do you like sweets?"

"Sweets?" he seemed surprised by the change of topic, then nodded. "Yes, I do."

"The Chairman loaded me up with cookies and cake if you're interested in taking some back. You could share with Yuuki."

He brightened, "I might do that. She's been looking a little down lately."

"Really? Why?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm not really sure, to be honest. It happened around Christmas time, though. I can't pinpoint the day, but there was a definite change," his mouth turned down, remembering. "I'm sure Yuuki will have said something in the-" he broke off abruptly, face registering shock.

"What is it?" she asked in alarm.

"The letter…," he finished lamely, pulling it out of his jacket pocket. "I forgot all about giving this to you…"

"O-oh," she blushed again, hand flying to her mouth. She had forgotten herself. Forgotten about something so important. Forgotten Yuuki because her mind had been so filled with Aidou…

They exchanged an embarrassed look. Aidou handed the envelope across the gap between the beds, and Yori set it in her lap. She really couldn't believe that something this important had slipped from her mind. But lately, she had begun to think about seeing him again more and more, and when she at last had, everything else had shifted to the background.

"I guess I should read it," she stated quietly, realizing a beat too late how silly that sounded.

"Probably," he agreed. He turned his gaze out the window, giving her space to read in peace.

She slid the letter out, settling herself back against the wall like usual. Then, quite a bit later than she'd intended, she began to read.

Two pairs of eyes looked up, snickering with bloodstained teeth.

"What do you want?" one sauntered closer, eyes mad with lust.

A shrug, "I want you to die."

Laughter. The pair exchanged an amused glance, the first folding his arms, "Funny. I thought that you must want to die, confronting us like this."

The gun moved swiftly, slashing through the air in a silver arc.

The paper fell from her hand, eyes wide.

Engaged?

No, surely it was a mistake. Surely there was some error in the letter. It couldn't be true, couldn't. There was no way that Yuuki would accept Kaname now. Not now. Not when Zero had finally reciprocated some effort. Not when Yuuki was in love with Zero.

"Yori-chan?" Aidou jerked away from the window. "What's wrong? What is it?"

She just stared at the paper, disbelieving. No. Yuuki wouldn't destroy herself this way.

"Yori-chan? Is everything okay?" she felt a hand against her shoulder.

She blinked, looked up dazedly at Aidou's worried expression. Her lips began to form the word, the curse, engaged, and then she swallowed, saying instead, "Yes, sorry. I was just shocked."

His eyebrows slanted down, obviously still concerned.

"Really, I'm okay," she reassured him, offering a small smile. "I was just…taken aback."

"The engagement," he guessed.

She nodded, lips pressing together, "Yuuki…she…she's so young…"

Aidou thought about this for a moment, then sat beside her, "I know. But…Yuuki-sama, she's grown up a lot since you last saw her, though she still has a lot more growing to do. I don't think that they'll get married anytime soon. I think this is more of their way of sealing a promise to each other, to show that they really do intend to spend the rest of their lives together."

He leaned his head back, eyes shutting briefly before he said, "Kaname-sama will be patient with her. He won't push her into anything, and he'll be very kind to her. I know you're worried, but she's in the safest place she can be right now."

Yori nearly argued, but instead remained silent. She had a rather small opinion of Kuran. He had taken Yuuki away so very quickly and, in a sense, had stolen her life. Even before that, she strongly disliked the way he'd treated her at times. There was this controlling feel…

She would do anything to have Yuuki back with her at the academy. Not just for the selfish reasons, because she was lonely and because she longed for her closest-and only-friend, but also because she wished that Yuuki could be restored to her old self again. The Yuuki who wrote to her now was desolate and confused, despairing and torn. She only desired the carefree days at the academy, the simple pleasures and the company of the people she held most dear. It wasn't fair that she was chained in some remote mansion, alone and miserable, unable to even see the sun.

What had Yuuki done to deserve this? And why, when there was that elusive opportunity for freedom, did she lock the shackles that bound her? Why did she agree to an engagement that would promise her eternal unhappiness?

Yori swallowed around a sudden lump in her throat. Her fingers clenched unconsciously against her knee. There was no way to regain that old innocence. And no matter how desperately lonely Yori was, no matter how much she prayed for a single chance to glimpse her friend's face, she could never be with her again.

She trembled slightly. She could survive now; she could bear the days of solitude, of eating her lunch in the corner by herself or walking to classes alone, because of these letters. But this contact couldn't continue forever. What would happen when it stopped? After that time, would she ever even hear from Yuuki?

"Yori-chan…," she heard Aidou murmur. She shut her eyes. She didn't want him to see this pitiful part of her.

She felt his arm fold around her, pulling her head against him gently. She tensed for a moment, startled, and then allowed herself to lean against him, pressing her face against his shirt to hide her eyes. Breathing in his subtle, soft scent and feeling his warmth made her feel comforted, more than she had thought possible.

And at the same time, a terrible pang ripped through her heart. Because soon, all too soon she would have to say goodbye to him, too, and watch him walk out the door for another two long, everlasting weeks. Without intending to, she had somehow woven her fingers into his shirt, as if this simple action could keep him there. She pressed herself against him a little more, trying to calm down but unable to do so.

"I miss her," her voice nearly failed her; choked out in a confession of weakness she'd never thought she'd utter.

"I know," he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer, leaning his cheek against her hair. "I know…"

Still not enough. He wiped his mouth, grimacing at how the crimson blotched his skin. But that was his limit for the night. Kill anymore and he would risk incurring the wrath of not only the Chairman but also both the hunter and vampire societies. Personally, he thought he was doing them a favor, ridding them of all these level E vermin, but it seemed that the thought wasn't a shared one.

He fingered the blood tablets in his pocket. Unpleasant as they were, at least he was fairly used to them. And it wasn't like there was any solution to his thirst. Unless she suddenly appeared to offer him her blood again… He sighed, turning back towards the main streets.

No, her blood was only for Kuran now. It had always been that way, and he had been deluded to hope otherwise.

But he had still broken down and read her letters…

Yuuki gnawed at her lower lip, regarding the stack of blood tablet packages with wonder. How many did a person really need? Certainly no one else carried around this amount of them, and she was pretty sure that Aidou hadn't done so either, a few weeks ago.

Not to mention…wasn't he normally back around this time? She glanced at the clock uneasily. He should have been back hours ago. Surely he hadn't gotten into an accident, or some other sort of trouble?

She sighed. She was eager for Yori's letter, and bored without anyone else around. Then again, there was always studying…

She made a face. No, she'd occupy herself with something else. For example…playing detective. She returned to her blood tablet inspection.

Yori noticed the clock with a shock, "Oh my…"

Aidou followed her gaze, wincing, "Oops. Sorry, I'm keeping you from your sleep."

"It's okay. Tomorrow is Sunday anyway," she shrugged. After finishing her letter, she and Aidou had somehow started talking and…

And now it's nearly 2 a.m. her brain finished for her.

Yet she still wished that she could keep him longer. Aidou surprised her in ways she hadn't expected. While she'd known he was smart, one of the most gifted in the night class, she had never thought that he could actually display his intelligence in a conversation as he just had. In fact, she could dare to say that he was one of the few people that she truly enjoyed talking to. He was clever, opinionated, engaging, and often had very thought provoking things to say. There was no trace of the playboy 'Idol-senpai' tonight.

"Even so, I should have thought of it," he scowled. "But during this time…"

"You're awake, I know," she smiled. "I don't mind, though. As I said, I can sleep in tomorrow."

"Alright," he replied slowly. "If you say so."

"I do," she stated firmly, and he smiled in response.

There was a lengthy pause, and then reluctantly, he said, "I guess I should get going, then…"

"Yes…," she looked away, fingers locking against her bed. Unwillingly, she moved to the bedside table, sealing her letter inside an envelope and inconspicuously slipping the scrap of paper from Zero inside before handing it to him.

His brows pushed together, eyes downcast and struggling with something, before he accepted it. Then he stood, shrugging on his coat and the scarf and putting the letter into the inside pocket. Yori stood a moment later, heart sinking with his imminent departure. She turned to her desk, picking up a few containers of the many Christmas treats she'd collected, and giving them to him. Sluggishly, as if time were dragging against them, they moved to the door. Aidou's hand was on the knob, but he stayed where he was, eyes turbulent with emotion.

"Good night," he murmured at last.

"Good night," she replied quietly.

She looked up at him, looked up into his eyes, knowing that it would be a long time before she could see him next. As much as she wanted him to stay, she knew she would have to be patient. She could wait. She would wait. There was no other choice.

Already, she could feel herself slipping away by the tide of his eyes. She knew she should break this contact, step away and let him go, but she somehow couldn't. She wanted to be lost there, because it meant that he was still with her. So she let the blue carry away her thoughts, let it take her somewhere far away.

Adrift, she hadn't noticed when he'd come closer, but suddenly she felt the soft brush of his fingers against her cheek, bare as a feather. Within a moment, before she could react, she felt the gentle, warm pressure of his lips against her forehead.

Then he was gone.

Her fingers rose, belatedly, to touch the place where he had kissed her.

"Here," Aidou handed her the envelope.

"Um, Aidou-sempai, that's a…coat rack…," Yuuki giggled, strolling over to pluck the envelope from his fingers.

"Is it?" he asked distractedly, barely sparing it a second glance.

"Is uh…everything okay?" she inquired. "And why were you out so late?"

"None of your business," he snapped, returning to himself at a predictable moment. "And here," he thrust some delicious smelling boxes into her arms. "These are from Yori-chan."

"Ooh, these are Chairman's homemade goods! I just know it! That was nice of her."

He nodded, mind clearly elsewhere.

She tried again, "Is everything okay?"

"Yes," he spaced out a little here, and Yuuki blew out a sigh, deciding it was best to ignore him.

She moved to the couch closest to her, relieved to finally have the letter in hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Aidou with a definite daydreaming look on his face, his fingers touching his lips for a moment before he straightened and brushed past her.

"The plot thickens," Yuuki giggled to herself, thinking of her little investigation. One which kept her from dying of boredom but also…had found no conclusion. So much for her detective career.

She slit the envelope open with a nail, letting the familiar loose leaf paper fall out. Fluttering out with it was a small scrap of jaggedly torn paper, folded unevenly down the middle. It landed on her lap like a stray snowflake.

Stark and white, it called her attention in a way that she couldn't describe. She leaned forward a little, reaching for it.

--o--[Chapter End]--o--

A/N: Don't hate me xDD.