A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys! Good news, though. The next 4 chapters are ready to go so what I shall do is upload one every 2-3 days while I work on the next bunch. I wanted to do it this way so there wouldn't be a wait for y'all. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own VK.

"It's obvious even to me that they still care about each other," Aidou complained as he pulled into a parking spot.

"Yes, but you know it's more complicated than that. Zero-kun can't accept that Yuuki is a vampire now. At least, that's what I've gathered so far," Yori pointed out, unfastening her seatbelt and opening her door.

"Kiryuu's always had some kind of complex about us." He rolled his eyes, closing his door and waiting for her before they began walking back to the dorms.

"But, considering all of Yuuki's letters, you would think… Oh." She stopped, glancing at Aidou. He didn't know about Yuuki's secret letters to Zero. She didn't think he would object to them, however, so she told him plainly, "Yuuki always included letters for him, too, along with mine. So you would think that would change something."

"I guess you were the messenger for those?" His eyebrows had lifted a little, but he didn't seem that surprised.

She nodded.

"Better you than me," he muttered. "Hell if I want to see Kiryuu more than I have to."

"He's not that bad. Just grumpy most of the time. It's gotten much worse since Yuuki left."

"As I said… That guy has serious problems. Did I ever tell you how he tried to shoot me, once?" He grimaced.

"You probably deserved it," she told him dryly, holding back a smile.

He laughed, grinning at her. "Yeah, actually, I did."

She laughed now, too, shaking her head. "So you see. Just grumpy. At least he treats Yuuki a lot better than Kaname does." Her face twitched automatically in an expression of disgust. There were very few people that she had such a strong aversion to, even before she knew them, and Kaname Kuran was one of them.

"Hey!" Aidou exclaimed. "Why don't you like Kaname-sama? He may be a bit scary sometimes, but he has the best interests of the vampires in mind and leads us well. And he really treasures Yuuki."

"I can't really say how he is as a leader, but… The way he looks at Yuuki…" She shivered a little. "It's a very…possessive look, I guess. Not to mention, he took her away from everyone and locked her in a house. This was the first time she's been outside in months. "

"That was for her own protection. Yuuki is a pureblood, and one who doesn't know how to fully use her powers. That makes her a target."

"Why couldn't he take her out with him? At least let her walk around outside a little! Over-protective in this case is a bit of an understatement."

"I think he was afraid if someone saw that the pureblood princess was a young girl, and a very trusting one, that something bad might happen."

"Whatever his reasons, I don't like it." Yori frowned.

"I will agree with you on one thing, though," he said.

"What is that?"

"I do think that, romantically speaking…that Kiryuu is the better choice for her."

Yori looked at him, then. They had come to the dorm now, and paused outside the door for a moment to continue talking. She was very surprised, given his obvious admiration and respect for Kaname, that he would say such a thing.

"It seems to me," he explained, "that Yuuki is infatuated with Kaname-sama, but truly in love with Kiryuu."

"I think so, too," Yori replied quietly. "But now she's engaged…"

"I know." He seemed to sober as he said it, thinking. Then, "Nothing is final until she marries him and makes her vows, though. She may realize it in time."

"She may already realize it… But unless Zero-kun changes his attitude towards her, she's not going to feel like she has a choice."

For a moment, the silence reigned, both lost in solemn thought. Yori hoped fervently that, if Yuuki didn't already realize her own feelings, she would before it was too late. If she bound herself to Kaname forever, there would be no going back. She would be tied to a life of solitude and secrecy for as long as she lived. And, from what Yori could tell, that would be a very, very long time.

She pushed those thoughts aside and inquired, "So, how exactly did you get into the dorm before without being seen?"

He grinned then, tapping his ear. "I listened."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it. It's easy to tell if someone is in the halls."

"How about right now?"

"No one." He opened the door. "After you."

Even though he'd told her no one was around, Yori still felt more comfortable trying to be as quiet as she could. If anyone heard them walking about, they might come out to say hi, and that was the last thing she wanted. If she had brought back a boy, some of the girls might have let it slide, but if any of them saw her entering the dorms with Hanabusa Aidou… She would never live to see the next day.

The trip back to her room was uneventful, however. He only stopped her once for a moment as one of the girls returned to her room from the bathroom. Other than that, no one was about. But then, it was also very late, and everyone was likely to be asleep. Once back, she snuck off to the bathroom herself to change into more comfortable clothes. She was glad that she had the luxury to do so. Aidou had to make do with taking off his jacket and shoes.

When she returned to the room, the two of them regarded each other for a moment in an almost awkward silence. It was the first time they had been alone together like this since the night he had taken her blood; the first time that both had acknowledged their own feelings and realized each other's. Yori was glad for the opportunity to have several uninterrupted hours with Aidou, but at the same time was feeling a touch of shyness because of the newness of the situation.

"Well…" she started hesitantly.

He seemed to sense her uncertainty. "Come here?" he asked, extending a hand towards her.

She only paused for a beat before she placed her hand in his and let him pull her over to sit beside him on the bed. He smiled at her then, keeping her hand securely in his own, and said, "There. Just like always."

Yori laughed, feeling more than a little foolish for her moment of awkward uncertainty. Aidou was Aidou. They had always been like this. Nothing had really changed; she had only gained the opportunity to grow even closer to him, as she'd wanted. She felt herself relax.

"Except there's no letter," she pointed out.

"No," he agreed, "but a lot of times we forgot the letters for a while anyway."

"Poor Yuuki," she giggled. "We left her waiting for so long a couple of nights." She paused thoughtfully. "Do you think Yuuki found a chance to talk to Zero tonight?"

"I don't know. Considering the way they are…"

"True…"

"I'm really glad I don't have some major complex like Kiryuu does to needlessly complicate my life," Aidou declared. "I know what I want." His eyes were riveted on her now, consuming. She felt her heart quicken a little in response. "I'm not going to hesitate about it anymore."

He leaned forward then, mouth pressing against hers in a kiss of heat and promises. She felt the heat flush through her, followed by the promise of a thousand more kisses like it, shared in these bittersweet snatches of time that Yuuki had given them. She only wished that they had more time together, unmarked by the separation of days or even weeks. Though the loneliness had receded, his absence, as well as Yuuki's, left a hollowness in her heart that she couldn't shake during the times that they were apart.

After a moment, he broke off the kiss and settled himself against the headboard, pulling her against his side. She relaxed, leaning her head against his shoulder, fingers twining with his. Like this, Yori felt a quiet, perfect peace. She wanted to keep him here with her always, though she knew as soon as one of the hunters returned from the ball he would have to leave again.

She tried not to think of that. Instead, she let herself fall into the easy conversation that the two of them always had. She focused on the sound of his voice, the warmth of his body, and the feeling of his fingers wrapped around hers. She wasn't sure how long they stayed that way. She didn't dare look at the clock. After a while, however, she began to feel her body tiring despite itself. How long had it been since she'd last slept? She wasn't sure, but she wanted to hold onto these moments for as long as she was able.

"When is Yuuki's next test?" Yori asked, muffling a yawn.

"Soon. Two weeks, probably." His hand stroked her hair, and she could feel her eyes growing heavy. It was so comfortable here with him, so warm…

"I wish you and Yuuki could come back to the academy…"

"That won't happen as long as Yuuki stays with Kaname-sama. But…" He paused, lost in thought for a moment. "…I do, too…" The words were very quiet, almost pensive.

"Aidou-kun..?" Her tone questioned his response.

He smiled. "Go to sleep." He kissed her forehead gently.

She shook her head. "I'll wait until you leave."

"You're tired," he chided. "And it's late."

He began to shift away from her, but her fingers remained tangled in his shirt. "No… I can't sleep yet. Stay…"

His smile softened further, and he touched her cheek gently. "I'm not leaving. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?" she whispered.

"I promise. Now, go to sleep."

He leaned down to kiss the top of her head. She could feel her eyes shutting, leaden with weights. It had been so many hours since the night before, and she was so tired… She didn't want to waste these precious minutes, but she didn't think she could fight her fatigue any longer. Already, her thoughts were becoming vague fragments of dreams. Sleep had distanced her mind from her body, rendering it immobile and far away. There was no way that she could open her eyes now. With reluctant surrender, she let herself fall asleep.

It was nearly noon when Aidou felt Yori stir. He wasn't surprised that she had slept so late. She hadn't fallen asleep until nearly morning as it was. He stifled a yawn of his own. It was really past his bedtime. Not that he cared. He was perfectly content to remain as he was, sitting quietly on the bed with Yori snuggled up and asleep at his side. He really should have moved her onto the bed and gone to sit on the other one, but… He glanced down at the girl beside him, still half asleep with her fingers tangled against his shirt, and felt infused with her warmth. He smiled. Really, this girl… Who would have thought that Hanabusa Aidou would be capable of sitting still for several hours just to let someone sleep against him? She certainly had an effect on him.

He knew he should have been gone hours ago. Morning was already ending, and Kaname-sama would have expected him home already. The hunters had returned a few hours ago, anyway. However, he didn't want to leave. He would have happily remained here for the rest of the day. Heck, the rest of forever. And at least he had an excuse for why he had stayed later. The hunters would probably go to sleep for a while, and Yori would be equally unprotected during that time. So really, he was just doing his job.

Yori had finally opened her eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them and blinking dazedly in the light. Aidou gave her a moment to wake up before saying, "Good morning."

Her eyes focused on him. She seemed a little surprised that he was still there, exactly as he'd been when she'd fallen asleep, but all she said was, "Good morning."

"I told you I'd be here when you woke up," he reminded her quietly.

She nodded, mumbling something close to, "Mmhmm," and then snuggling closer.

She was just too damn cute… It was going to make leaving a lot harder. Especially when it was obvious that she was exhausted and probably wanted to go back to sleep. He scowled. This whole arrangement really sucked. Yori had said that she wished he and Yuuki could come back to the academy. It had come almost as a shock to find himself agreeing, because it made him realize that part of him didn't even want to serve Kaname-sama anymore. Something else had become more important: Sayori Wakaba. He had suddenly wished that he and Yuuki really could come back here. Perhaps all of them could actually be happy that way. Yuuki and Kiryuu could finally get over their issues, and he would have no barriers to prevent him from seeing Yori every day.

He shook his head. What the hell? He was loyal to Kaname-sama. Yuuki was engaged to him. He shouldn't be thinking like that.

Unhappily, he touched Yori's cheek, murmuring, "I have to go…"

He felt her fingers tighten against him. Her eyes opened. "Already?"

"Already… It's almost noon…"

She frowned. Then, glumly, "I couldn't stay awake."

"You needed to rest. It's okay. Besides, you're really cute when you sleep." He grinned at her.

She flushed slightly. "Zero and the Chairman are back?"

"They came back a few hours ago." He sat up a bit more, so that Yori had to as well, and gave her a kiss. "I'm sorry I have to leave you, but if I stay much longer it will look suspicious to Kaname-sama."

She nodded. "I know." Then, seeming to wake up a little more, she asked, "How are you going to get out without being seen?"

"The window."

"That's not suspicious at all…"

"Is there another way out beside the hall?" he asked.

"No..."

"Well then… Window."

"Will you be okay, though? This isn't the first floor…"

He shrugged. "I got in before that way, didn't I?"

"Just be careful." She frowned at him worriedly.

"I will be." He stood up then and moved to the window, Yori coming behind him after a moment. Fortunately, Yori's window was along the back wall of the dorm building, which made sneaking out convenient. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he told her as he opened the window.

She smiled at him. "I'll be waiting."

"Me, too."

He kissed her one last time and stepped up on the window sill. With a murmured goodbye, he dropped lithely down to the ground, turning to wave before he quickly moved off to avoid being seen. Two weeks had suddenly become an eternity.

A/N: Review! :3