A/N: I can't believe how many of you are still/now reading this. I really wish I was a better author to make this story better for you all. Thank you for being patient. Also, the chapter after this is pretty much done so expect it tomorrow if not the day after. 3 Chapters in 3 days wouldn't be too shabby, huh? :D

Disclaimer: Yes, yes, I don't own VK.

"Don't. Say. Anything." Aidou stomped through the room, tossing Yuuki the envelope which encased Yori's letter.

Yuuki turned her face away to hold back her laughter, though she could feel her lip twitching at the sight of Aidou in such a ridiculous disguise.

"I'm going to take a shower." Then, eyes clouded, "Is Kaname-sama here?"

"Of course," Yuuki replied, mouth stiff with effort to speak without bursting into laughter. "But he's been holed up who-knows-where for hours." She threw in the new phrase she'd learned to show that she did retain at least some of what she learned.

"I see you made use of one of your vocabulary words. I knew some of the knowledge was holed up in your brain somewhere." He seemed to relax slightly, shoulders loosening. He removed the sunglasses, scarf, and coat, draping them over his arm, though he strangely did not remove his hat. She shook her head a little. After living with him for this long, she had found Hanabusa Aidou to be one of the strangest people she knew.

Seeing her expression, he came closer, whispering, "Take that someplace you won't be disturbed." His eyes were serious.

She nodded, suddenly feeling a little anxious herself. She slipped the envelope in her skirt pocket quickly. She couldn't really smell Yori's scent on him, but it was definitely on the envelope. She breathed in deeply, concentrating. Right now, Kaname's scent was subtle. He was still hidden away somewhere. However, that could change at any moment. The urgency she felt squeezed her like a vice. They both had to rid themselves of all incriminating evidence that could be traced back to Yori or the academy. It was more dangerous than ever for Yuuki to exchange letters with Yori now that Kaname was home.

Aidou was already hurrying up the stairs. For once, Yuuki felt a sudden surge of gratitude shoot through her. Aidou was putting himself at risk, too. Considering Kaname's presence, he shouldn't have risked it at all. However…

"Aidou-senpai," she called, voice barely a murmur and yet reaching his ears as clearly as if it were a shout. "Thank you."

His eyebrows flicked upwards slightly before he gave a brief nod and disappeared out of sight.

Yuuki glanced around rapidly. Right now, there was no one around, but she had to find a safe niche where no one would bother her. She giggled a little, and then scurried down the hall, ducking into her chosen room and latching the door shut. Even Kaname wouldn't bother her here...in the bathroom.

She settled herself on the edge of the tub, feeling a little silly but enjoying herself at the same time. It was a little like being in a spy movie.

Opening the letter, she breathed in the scent of the envelope before disintegrating it. Any trace of evidence would be more than enough to fully alert Kaname-sama to the letter exchange. And once he knew… She cringed. The thought made her shudder in trepidation.

No. That wouldn't happen. She was not going to let Kaname-sama find out about this. And Aidou was certainly doing his best to keep it from happening, as well. Probably, it would be him who would receive the worst punishment, after all…

She shrugged off her thoughts and began to read. The wait for this letter had been longer than usual, but it was well worth it. She was excited to hear back from Yori, but more than that, excited to know just who it was that had captured Yori's attention. She bounced a little on her makeshift seat in anticipation.

Yori wrote, as usual, about life at the academy. She wrote about the Chairman's new herb garden project, the terrible cafeteria food over the past few days, and even Zero's umpteenth detention for falling asleep in class. She reported that Zero was as healthy and antisocial as ever, but when Yuuki shuffled through the papers hopefully, she could see that he hadn't sent her another note. She bit her lip to keep from feeling too disappointed and continued reading.

So you're in love with both Kaname and Zero-kun, Yuuki?

The words leapt off the page into her eyes. Yuuki stared. What? When had she said that? Oh yeah… She'd mentioned that she thought all the time about both of them in her last letter… Her heart palpitated painfully. That was true… She thought of both of them often, perhaps even equally. But if it was completely true…then why was it that she was so terribly, painfully thirsty…? Why was it that her entire being gravitated towards that silver so far out of her reach…?

She bit her lip harder this time, focusing on the pages in front of her.

Must be nice to fantasize about two men. I thought you were engaged. Naughty, naughty, Yuuki. Engaged women shouldn't fantasize about other men.

What?! Yuuki flushed hotly, glaring at the paper.

"I am NOT!" she whispered at the letter, face temperature increasingly rising by several degrees at a time.

She was not fantasizing about Kaname and Zero. Not. At all. She folded her arms, glaring accusingly at the paper. She had said 'thinking', not 'fantasizing!' There was a huge difference there! Besides, she was engaged after all. She should not be thinking about Zero like that. She definitely wasn't. Nope.

Yuuki giggled suddenly, heart contracting a little afterwards. She missed Yori. She missed her sarcasm and her teasing and…everything. Her lips folded downward. She just wanted to go outside again, to taste the sunlight and feel the birdsong and see her friend again. See Zero again. See her adoptive father again. She could almost hear Yori beside her, teasing her in that familiar tone about the attachment she couldn't seem to break with Zero.

Must be nice to fantasize about two men.

"The more the merrier," she stuck out her tongue at the letter.

Then, "Wait. Who are you fantasizing about, Yori?!" She seized the letter, scanning rapidly for the answer to her question. At last, she found the reference to her question. At least, as close as she was going to get.

I didn't say anything about asking for myself, Yuuki. Don't jump to conclusions. When was the last time I liked anyone?

"Liar, liar, pants on fire, Sayori Wakaba," Yuuki squinted at the lines of ink in frustration, as if they would somehow feel guilty and rearrange themselves into the proper answer that she wanted. It was a typically evasive Yori-response. She knew her friend well enough to know that much! And if Yori wasn't going to tell her easily, Yuuki would drag the answer out somehow!

She finished the letter, and disposed of it directly after, sniffing the air to make sure there was no trace of Yori's scent in it. When she found none, she breathed a small sigh of relief. Kaname wouldn't know about this letter. She also would not write her reply until the day of the next test Aidou gave her. The less time the letter existed, the less opportunity for Kaname to find it.

For a moment, she remained in the bathroom, thinking over the letter. Was that really the case? Was she really fantasizing about Kaname and Zero, even while she was engaged? Certainly she thought of both of them. She loved them both. But to say that…

Her throat closed abruptly, dry and rough with thirst. Her fingers clenched on the rim of the tub beside her. No, no, she couldn't let this happen. She was engaged to Kaname now. She shouldn't thirst for anyone else.

But she could still see him. Silver in her vision, silver in her heart. Violet eyes tinged with silver, tinged with a powerful thirst of his own. For her. For her blood, just as she was drawn to his. Kaname's blood could never sate her, not while she was like this. What she wanted… What she needed…was to drink in that silver until it flooded through all her veins, until her heart was engorged with it.

She inhaled shakily. Her throat and chest felt tight. It was harder to breathe. She longed for the one person's blood she could not have. She would never have. The thought sent a new spasm shooting through her, and she coughed a little, sucking in air desperately.

Zero…

Her eyes stung bitterly. It was her fault that he was beyond her reach. Her fault that his rough but gentle presence would never again be by her side. Her body was trembling. She wanted to see him again, just to know that he was really okay. To look into those eyes again, or touch his cheek, or… She wanted all of him. She wanted to taste that silver blood.

Zero, are you hurting now? Are you happy?

She blinked dizzily. Somehow, she had stumbled out of the bathroom without realizing it. Her thirst was blurring her consciousness, searching for something it would never find. Searching for silver in a world of deep, bleeding crimson.

"Hey, you!" she heard a sudden shout. "What are you doing getting hurt and wandering around randomly?! Do you have any idea who Kaname-sama will be angry with if he finds out?!"

She turned around in confusion. Where was she? These halls weren't familiar. They were dark, foreboding. Some malevolent presence clung to the stone. She had no memory of coming here.

"What are you doing, really?" The question was concerned this time.

"This door…" She trailed off forgetfully, eyes vague against the door at the end of the hall. "I thought I smelled the scent of Kaname-oniisama coming from here, so I…" She frowned. So she, what? She couldn't remember. Her mind had been so full of her thirst for Zero that she hadn't been fully conscious of her actions.

"Actually, now that you mention it, what is this place?" Aidou looked around curiously. "I don't remember hearing about a place like this in the house before."

"Yeah, I didn't know of it either. I was just very sensitive a moment ago, so I randomly found the entry by scent."

"Huh… You've got blood on you."

"Ah…" She smelled it, now. There, on her chin. She wiped it off hastily.

"You… No way. Don't tell me you actually bit yourself? Did you think you could actually feed off yourself?!" he exclaimed in disbelief. "There's blood on your sleeve, now. What are you, a moron?! I'm teaching a moron!" He smacked his forehead with the butt of his palm in exasperation.

She flushed a little in embarrassment. "I was just too hungry so I wasn't thinking much, and…I just went chomp." That was right. She could remember now, fuzzily, in her desperate hunger for Zero… "I kind of did it out of curiosity, but… It's pretty pointless for the nutrition. And it hurt like WHOA, too." She laughed a little at herself. Really, she hadn't been thinking at all.

"You…you're getting blood from Kaname-sama though, aren't you?"

"I do, in a rather spoiled manner, but… He's pampered me because I couldn't use my fangs."

"Then why are you thirsty?" he demanded suddenly. His eyes were piercing. Staring right through her. For a moment of utter fear, she thought he was staring straight into the hidden recesses of her mind, where all of her hidden desires huddled together. It was as if he knew that the bloodlust she felt, even now, wasn't for Kaname at all…

Fearful, she responded quickly to deflect suspicion from herself. Her eyes darted to the package of blood tablets sticking out of his pocket. They seemed to have been hastily stuffed inside. "I could ask you the same thing. Why are you so thirsty lately, Aidou-senpai?"

He blinked, clearly not expecting this. "I…" For a moment, he seemed lost for an answer. Then he straightened. "That's none of your business." His tone changed a third time, quieter now. "Ah, well, for now, just go ahead and take these while you wait." He held out the package of tablets.

She hesitated. Would Kaname-sama be mad if she took them? Purebloods really shouldn't require such means to feed, but then again, every other vampire took them. Aidou certainly did, though she knew how bad they tasted from his complaints.

"Please don't give those tablets to Yuuki." The voice was deep, dripping with disdain. Yuuki flinched a little.

"Kaname-sama-!" he exclaimed. Yuuki could feel his horror. He seemed on the verge of a long apology.

"Thank you, Aidou," Kaname cut him off before he could begin. "But it's okay now, you can leave us."

"Yes, Kaname-sama," he bowed formally.

Kaname's polished shoes clicked across the floor as he moved to engulf Yuuki in his arms. In that embrace, she felt like she was slowly being strangled. Over his shoulder, Yuuki saw Aidou turn his head slightly, eyes flickering against hers for the briefest of instants, and the fear sprung through her once again. It seemed as though he really could see, that he already knew the terrible truth. She was thirsting for Zero, and it was a thirst that could never be abated as long as she remained in the Kuran manor. Or, perhaps, ever.

As she moved heavily to return the embrace, and as Aidou left the passage, the thought jolted through her: Who are you thirsting for, Aidou-senpai, that you know what I'm feeling?

"What a silly thing to do, biting yourself," Kaname's voice broke through her thoughts like poison. He took a step back, releasing her except for her hands. "But, at any rate, it seems you have remembered how to use your fangs."

"I did," she murmured, refusing to meet his eyes . I did because I couldn't control myself. Because I was thirsting for someone else…

He pulled her hand up to his mouth, kissing her wrist gently. His eyes smoldered against hers like burning coals. They burned, and yet she couldn't pull away. She knew what he wanted before he said it.

Somehow, the scent of his blood was making her sick. Her body was rejecting it. She didn't want it. She was too infused with red. She wanted silver, craved for silver. Her body longed to balance out the overdose of Kaname's scarlet tint.

"You must be thirsting for my blood, aren't you?" his voice was low, seductive, toxic. She shuddered, feeling a little nauseous. "If you are, then please, take only my blood to prey upon."

She took a breath. This was the life she had chosen. She had to face that. Slowly, the nausea she felt faded to a dull, insistent ache in the background. For now, she was simply thirsty. And for now, Kaname-sama, the man she had promised her life to, was offering her his blood.

"Just as you thirst for mine, my onii-sama? So strong and so beautiful…" she murmured as he knelt before her, offering her his neck. "How is it possible that you are mine?"

Her fangs sank into his flesh just as the fangs of her deceits sank into her heart. But what else could she do? There was no choice. She loved Kaname, too. She loved them both.

"Good afternoon, Zero-kun," Yori greeted him pleasantly as she passed him by on the path to the dorms.

He glowered at her. Then, "What, you're not going to throw paper at me today?"

"Not today. Have a good day, Zero-kun," she smiled.

"Just a moment, Wakaba-san."

"Yes?" she paused, a little hopeful that he might have something for Yuuki.

"Not that it's my business, and I don't really want to know, but whenever you get those letters you stink."

"I stink?" she raised an eyebrow, incredulous.

His nose furled and he gritted his teeth a little. "With the smell of that one…"

"I really don't know what you're talking about, Zero-kun. I don't think insulting me is necessary, is it? Goodbye."

"Aidou," he practically spit the name out, mouth rejecting the word. She stopped, holding her breath. He couldn't know. He wasn't supposed to know. "Tell him to stay the hell off my campus."

Her eyebrows shot up another two stories and she turned to face him. "I'm afraid, Zero-kun, that it's not your campus. Anyone can come and go as they please. That includes former classmates, be they human or otherwise."

"Whatever. I don't care which…means…she's using to communicate with you. But if I see him, he's dead."

"For heaven's sake," she rolled her eyes. "You'll do no such thing. Think of how sad Yuuki would be if she couldn't send you more letters."

"Hell if I care."

"Goodbye," she repeated firmly, and continued walking.

Once back in her dorm room with the door securely shut, she took a moment to breathe deeply, despite the fact that it had been a long time since Aidou had last visited her here. Her room smelled just like always. Zero might be able to smell the traces of Aidou's scent on her from time to time, but she certainly couldn't. The thought made her feel a little lonely.

"Yuuki…" Kaname's eyes were shadowed as he stared into her own, demanding. "What are you hiding from me?" He licked his lip, wiping away the trace of her blood from where he had bitten her in return.

She could have cried from anxiety and relief. He knew she was keeping secrets from him, but not what those secrets were. He didn't know about Yori or Zero. But he did know that something was wrong. She wasn't out of the danger zone yet.

"Nothing, I…"

"Yuuki…" His fingers dug into her arms like claws.

She mastered herself, looking into his eyes with fake sincerity, "Nothing to worry yourself with, Kaname-oniisama. I didn't want you to worry. I've just been anxious about being presented at the ball. And…" Her eyes flicked away, then back to his face nervously, "I didn't want to ask you, but I was wondering if I would be able to see Daddy again." She mentally crossed her fingers. Perhaps these princess lessons might have helped her to be a better actress, as they trained her how to keep her expression cool and impassive, despite what was said or done around her.

The shadow passed from his eyes. He smiled then, hugging her gently. "Don't trouble yourself about the ball, Yuuki. You'll do wonderfully. As for Chairman Cross…I'm not sure if the Hunter's Association is requiring his presence. But I'll see if something might be arranged."

"Thank you! Thank you, onii-sama!" Although it had been an attempt to deflect his suspicions, she was honestly delighted at the thought of seeing her adoptive father again. She missed him sorely, as well.

Yuuki kissed her brother's cheek gratefully. She had avoided the crisis this time, but next time she might not be so lucky. For once, she hoped that Kaname would have some other business to attend to for a while. She needed time to think.

A/N: My friend and beta-tester Sophie described VK in 2 words: Bloodlust feels. –Giggles- It's so appropriate. If you had to describe VK in 2 words, what would they be? :O