-- Chapter 14 - Going too far part 2 --

Yuuki couldn’t walk at her usual speed with her high heels and Zero willingly slowed down his steps to match hers. When they finally neared the block of unused classrooms, they could see that the party was being held in one of the classrooms on the first floor, since slivers of muted yellow light showed between the drawn curtains at the windows, its soft glow far more gentle on vampire eyes than bright fluorescent lighting would have been.

Yuuki’s steps slowed down a little more and her fingers clutched tighter on the small present she was holding, her other hand still tucked into Zero’s arm. She wanted to see Kaname-sempai again and wish him Happy Birthday of course, but she was suddenly a little shy of actually walking into the classroom, knowing the other vampire elite would be there as well. What if Kaname-sempai didn’t want them to be there? After all, it was only meant for the Night Class to attend… Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea after all – and she had practically forced Ichijo-sempai to invite her out of good manners…

Unconsciously, Yuuki’s fingers tightened on Zero’s arm and he glanced down at her as they neared the building. “Having second thoughts?” he asked softly. He didn’t need her to answer, he could see the uncertainty on her face. “We could always turn back…” he added.

Yuuki hesitated, then shook her head. “No… we’re already here. We’ll just stay a while, OK?” she said, giving Zero a small smile. Zero smiled back but it disappeared when his eyes wandered again to the small gold wrapped present in her hand. Yuuki looked ahead resolutely. She didn’t plan on telling him what it contained.

When they reached the landing of the first floor, the classroom door opened to reveal the tall figure of Ichijo Takuma – polite, charming, and as usual, completely un-vampire-like. “Yuuki-chan! And Zero-kun!” he greeted with a dazzling smile, making Yuuki blink. He opened the door wider and gestured gracefully for them to enter.

Yuuki smiled and greeted him cheerfully while Zero remained silent, offering nothing more than a brief nod. His jaw clenched as he remembered the moment when the handsome Assistant Dorm Leader had pulled Yuuki close to his body as they danced previously. He’d looked suspiciously intrigued instead of suitably chastened at Zero’s furious glare and only pulled back when Kuran had glared at him in turn.

It was obvious who was higher in the food chain, really…

All the tables and chairs had been pushed back against one of the walls, leaving a clear space in the middle of the room. Kaname was standing with his back towards them but he turned around almost immediately, having smelled their scent. The slightly startled look on Kaname’s face upon seeing Yuuki and Zero lasted just a second then he moved towards them. Zero’s jaw clenched even harder. The way Kuran walked - it just had to be a put on. No one, particularly a male, should ever walk that well, that gracefully.

“Yuuki?”

“Happy Birthday, Kaname-sempai!” said Yuuki happily, blushing prettily as she proffered the present she’d been holding. Zero looked away but heard their exchange all the same. He deliberately put on a bored look as if he was here because he had to, not because he wanted to.

“My dear, how did you know about…” Kaname sounded a little surprised. “Well, er…” Yuuki began before she broke off, shooting a glance at Takuma who had come to stand beside Kaname. It was obvious she didn’t want to get anybody in trouble if Kaname wasn’t happy about the situation.

“Yuuki-chan overheard someone talking about the party and I invited her, Kaname” explained Takuma a little ruefully. “I thought it would surprise you…”

Kaname raised an eyebrow at this but shook his head slightly when he saw his friend about to apologise. Then the pureblood turned back to Yuuki and smiled, taking the present before raising her small hand to his warm lips. “Thank you, Yuuki… this is such a delightful surprise” he murmured. “And of course, you look beautiful.”

Zero swallowed a sudden flash of jealous rage as well as the growl that tried to escape from his throat. He’d said that to Yuuki too, hadn’t he? Suddenly, he couldn’t quite remember if he had… But he’d thought it for sure. He had.

“Kiriyu-kun…” murmured the low velvety voice as Kaname looked up at him over the top of Yuuki’s head, which still barely came up to his shoulder despite her heels. The dark eyes were amused and collected, and Zero again felt that sudden hot surge in his chest. He knew he – they – shouldn’t have come here.

All the vampire nobles were looking at him now, waiting to see his reaction and hear his greeting to their pureblood leader. Zero could sense their slight curiosity mixed with anticipation of whether he would be sufficiently cowed to greet Kaname cordially – after all, he was at their party… on their turf, so to speak. And Zero couldn’t help but respond in kind.

Amethyst eyes sparking intense dislike, he gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head and deliberately looked away without saying anything, his lips twisting in a slight sneer. It was an insulting gesture which Zero was actually glad Yuuki hadn’t witnessed. And surprisingly, it actually made him feel a little uncomfortable at his own rudeness. He felt even more uneasy as another memory of the same past dance surfaced in his head – the moment when Yuuki had told him that it was Kaname who had helped her find him, thereby giving Zero the longed-for chance to dance with her. And how he’d sought out the pureblood’s attention to give him that silent acknowledgement… almost of thanks. And that graceful nod he’d gotten in return before Kaname had actually left the hall with Takuma… almost as if he were entrusting Yuuki to Zero’s care.

Zero froze for a moment, feeling hot and cold, gripped by a strange and sudden need to apologise to Kaname. What the hell for?! He squashed that thought as soon as it had formed in his mind, aghast that he’d even thought of it. Instinctively, he glanced at Kaname again and could have sworn the pureblood had somehow read his mind, because a faint amusement now lurked in the dark chocolate depths as if their owner knew what Zero was thinking, and for some strange unfathomable reason, had not taken any offense at the deliberate slight…

Despite himself, Zero flushed a little guiltily and forced his gaze elsewhere, shutting out the murmur of Kuran’s low voice now mixed with Yuuki’s higher treble. He found himself looking at Takuma instead. The hazel eyes were a little stunned and understandably annoyed but surprisingly, held a note of understanding as well. Zero wasn’t sure if Kaname had told his friend how Zero actually felt about Yuuki but somehow, that look on Takuma’s face told him that the vampire noble knew anyway… and that knowing gaze both calmed and unsettled him.

Zero turned his head and encountered Seiren’s countenance. She acted as Kaname’s bodyguard although for what reason, Zero didn’t know because surely Kaname was more than capable of taking care of himself. Her expression was blank – that girl could teach Zero a thing or two about masking your feelings… but that wasn’t new to him, she was like a robot. Even when he’d threatened Kaname previously with his Bloody Rose pointed straight at his forehead, Seiren’s face hadn’t shown any emotion as she drew a few drops of Zero’s blood from his neck with her sharp nails, in warning.

But someone was giving him a much fiercer glare than any of the others. And even without looking, Zero knew who it was. Hanabusa Aido. Those blue eyes were neither lazy nor flirtatious now – they were filled with violent dislike and anger. Zero even felt the very air around him turn frosty as the vampire noble’s ice power acted up a little under his stirred up emotions. He could practically feel Aido shaking with rage at the slight towards his beloved leader. And Zero knew Aido was aware of the fact that Zero was a vampire – Yuuki had told him of their exchange when the impetuous blond had tried to run away from the Moon Dorm previously and had ended eating dinner prepared by them both.

Yuuki looked up now and stepped away from Kaname’s embrace. She could feel the sudden silent and cold tension in the room and saw all the Night Class students staring at Zero. Yuuki glanced at him as well, sensing the sheer anger emanating from him, beyond his normal annoyance this time. Quickly, she turned back to Kaname, whose dark eyes had swept around the room quickly, sensing the tension as well and gauging the amount of animosity from each student. Then he glanced down and saw the distressed look in Yuuki’s wide eyes. The pureblood squeezed her hand reassuringly then spoke up, his voice reassuring. Calm.

“Well, now that we’re all gathered here for my surprise party, let’s get it going, shall we… there’s only half an hour left before the next lesson starts.”

Amidst muted groans, the Night Class students stirred themselves and the silent tension dissipated. It was almost… magical… how it happened. One moment, it seemed like almost everyone was glaring daggers at Zero and now… the Night Class nobles studiously ignored both him and Yuuki as they went about getting the party started. Takuma went to the classroom next door to retrieve the enormous two layer cake he’d placed there earlier, while others started pouring out glasses of ruby red wine and opening trays of fresh pastries and expensive imported chocolates.

Kaname continued to keep Yuuki by his side and Zero retreated to a dark corner of the room, leaning against the wall with his hands in his trouser pockets, wishing he and Yuuki were already back in the main building and far away from any of the Night Class students.

Someone handed him a glass of wine. It smelled a little… off…, thought Zero as he sniffed the liquid content suspiciously. “That’s because it contains dissolved blood tablets…” Takuma said quietly as he materialised beside Zero. Startled amethyst eyes met perceptive hazel ones for moment, before the Assistant Dorm Leader moved away again.

Zero gazed after him, startled for the second time tonight. So Takuma did know what he was… and how he reacted to the tablets. Zero put the glass down on a nearby desk. He noticed that no one had passed a glass of the wine to Yuuki either, not that she appeared to have noticed.

One of the girls had brought a portable CD player and the lilting strains of a waltz filled the air although the volume was kept moderate. Zero’s eyebrows went up. The Night Class snobs apparently preferred classical to modern dance and some of the students paired up laughingly and began an impromptu waltz in the middle of the room, moving with fluid grace.

Again, the dancing couples – although dressed in immaculately white school uniforms - brought Zero back to the night of the dance when he and Yuuki had held each other tight. Involuntarily, his eyes sought out Yuuki’s. She was also leaning quietly against the wall on the other side of the room, Kaname occupied for the moment with accepting handshakes and good wishes from some of the other students. As if she could feel his gaze, Yuuki turned her head to look at him. A soft smile formed on her lips and she winked at him briefly. Zero felt his anger and discomfort vanish in an instant. She remembered too…

But he scowled once more as Kaname approached Yuuki and led her to the middle of the room to join in what was left of the waltz. The pureblood’s steps were faultless and Yuuki smiled up at him. No… she’d forgotten… Zero was too caught up to notice that Aido was once again watching him again from the other side of the room.

As soon as the dance ended, the door classroom opened and one of the Night Class teachers looked in, frowning slightly. “Kuran-sama…” he requested quietly, nodding his head respectfully. Kaname excused himself to Yuuki and left the room with the teacher.

Zero pushed himself off the wall and walked towards Yuuki but Aido was faster, his eyes gleaming with subtle mischief. “May I have this dance, Yuuki?” he asked, smiling innocently as he bent over her hand.

Yuuki glanced up into Zero’s frustrated eyes over the top of the tousled blond curls. “Well, uh…” she murmured, not really wanting to annoy the playboy vampire by refusing him outright. After all, it wasn’t as if he’d do anything other than dance with her…

Zero found himself glaring impotently at Aido, his hands clenched into tight fists again as the vampire noble led Yuuki to the floor. Aido was well aware of the glare - in fact, he half expected the curls at the back of his head to start smoking at any minute. “Well, Cross Yuuki” he bent forward to murmur softly in her ear “…you’re very brave to come to this party all by yourself…”

Yuuki fixed him with an unimpressed look. “Zero is here too…”

Aido smiled lazily. “Ah yes, Kiriyu-kun of course. Your, er – guardian…” Yuuki narrowed her eyes at him. “He is not my guardian” she said, rather primly.

“Oh… er, boyfriend perhaps?”

“No, of course not!” Yuuki could feel her face starting to heat up. Zero wasn’t her boyfriend! He was just a very, very close friend of hers, that was all. And someone you’ve kissed numerous times… among other things… a sly voice whispered in her brain, causing Yuuki to blush even more.

“Really?” drawled Aido, suppressing a grin. This Cross girl was just too easy to manipulate…

“Then he wouldn’t mind if I just… steal a kiss…” he murmured. Yuuki gasped in surprise and tried to pull away but Aido was not above using his vampire strength or powers and she felt his hand clasping hers suddenly turn to ice, freezing her to him. Yuuki struggled to free herself. “Let go of me, Aido! Now!” she snapped.

Aido swung them around, wanting to see the look on Kiriyu’s face. He heard a soft clinking sound and found himself suddenly staring up into the barrel of the Bloody Rose gun, its chains pulled taut, Zero’s furious amethyst eyes narrowed right above it. Both the gun and Zero’s gaze were steady on him, as was the thumb that slid back the gun’s safety catch. The resultant click was soft but clearly audible to everyone there.

The room was filled with tension once more as the students noticed what was happening and ceased dancing and talking. Someone had stopped the CD player as well and there was now absolute silence in the room as both Zero and Aido glared heatedly at each other.

“Er, guys…” began Yuuki nervously, her eyes shooting between them. She twisted her hand again and was successful this time as Aido’s attention had shifted to Zero. Massaging her frozen fingers with her other hand, Yuuki tried again “OK, that’s enough. Zero, put down the gun…”

Takuma came over hurriedly, his eyes troubled. “Aido?” he asked. Aido ignored him.

Yuuki moved to Zero’s side. “It’s OK…” she said softly, pulling at his jacket sleeve. He ignored her.

“Zero, please keep the gun” she said again, louder. Without blinking, Zero withdrew the gun slowly, putting back the safety catch as he did so.

Aido was angry, relieved and embarrassed at the same time and he lashed out impulsively. “Yeah, you do that, Kiriyu… listen to what Yuuki tells you to do…”

In half a second, the barrel of the Bloody Rose gun was pressed against Aido’s forehead, dead centre, as the safety catch was released for the second time.

“Zero, please…!” Yuuki’s eyes were wide with alarm. She could hear his ragged breathing and she could see his fangs lengthening a little as his lips pulled back in a snarl. It was a good thing they happened to be positioned with Zero’s back facing the room.

“Zero-kun…” Takuma’s voice was calm, even authoritative, although his face was not. Zero glanced sideways at him, seeing the look of warning mixed with faint alarm in the hazel eyes, before he turned to look at Yuuki. The same look of alarm was mirrored in her large brown eyes as well. Please… they said. Slowly, Zero lowered his gun and let it hang by his side, his thumb putting the catch back on again.

Aido started breathing once more, as did some of the Night Class students.

“Let’s go” said Zero quietly. He knew his fangs had lengthened during the heated exchange and his eyes had likely changed colour as well so he kept his head lowered, not wanting to let any of the other students see his symptoms. Yuuki nodded quickly in agreement and took his left arm in her right hand.

Behind them, Aido was annoyed to find that he was actually very relieved at Takuma’s intervention. This realisation made him angrier still and he reached for Yuuki’s left arm, intentionally digging his nails in the soft flesh at her wrist and drawing blood.

Zero and Takuma tensed up at the same time as Yuuki. The three of them stared down at the blood welling up from her wrist in disbelief, before looking up to glare at Aido accusingly.

The classroom had turned deathly silent. Each and every vampire in the room had smelled Yuuki’s intoxicatingly sweet blood and reacted instinctively to it. Yuuki’s wide eyes saw the changes in each of the faces that looked back at her – crimson irises glowing softly, the glint of fangs between parted lips, skin stretched pale and tight over finely sculptured bones.

And as Zero turned around once more to see the reaction of the students, forgetting to shield his eyes this time, Yuuki saw dawning surprise and disbelief on their faces as well. Her heart sank. Now everyone in the room knew that Zero Kiriyu, School Prefect and Guardian, descendent of vampire hunters and defiant vampire hater himself, was also – a vampire.

“Kiriyu’s… a vampire?” Ruka Souen, acknowledged blond beauty, stated the obvious - her voice sounding surprised, angered and somehow betrayed at the same time.

Zero had swung around to glare at Aido again, who looked like he was belatedly realising to some extent what he’d inadvertently done. Shit… he was waist deep in trouble this time, and with Kaname-sama… Quickly, he released his hand from Yuuki’s wrist.

As if on cue, the door burst open and Kaname stood there, dark eyes flashing angrily. He’d smelled Yuuki’s blood while taking leave of the teacher and had returned her as fast as he could. His eyes took in the scene at a glance and in the next second, he was already standing in front of Aido, looking down at the vampire noble’s bloodstained fingers.

Shit, shit, shit… Kaname wasn’t just angry, he was furious. Aido wasn’t waist deep in trouble – he was in right over his head. “What were you doing, Aido?” hissed Kaname, his red eyes boring holes into the suddenly terrified Aido.

Takuma touched Kaname’s arm to get his attention and tilted his head at Zero. The pureblood glanced from his friend to Zero, then he shot a warning glare at Aido that pinned him to the spot before turning to face the students who still bore symptoms of bloodlust on their faces.

“Yes, Zero Kiriyu is a made vampire…” confirmed Kaname, his voice quiet, collected. Reassuringly calm. “But he is also a School Guardian here at Cross Academy and his presence is vital to protect the secrets of the Night Class. That means us. Chairman Cross knows about this. I ask you all to help us to ensure it remains a secret, particularly from the Day Class students and teachers.”

His dark eyes swept over each student, getting nods and murmurs of “Yes, Kaname-sama” and “Of course, Kaname-sama”. No one looked at Zero, Yuuki, or even Aido.

Kaname nodded, holding each student’s eyes in turn with his own compelling gaze before turning back to Zero, who was looking as if he didn’t know what to do or say. They regarded each other in silence for a moment before the pureblood murmured “Kiriyu-kun, can you please take Yuuki back…”

Zero nodded but didn’t say anything. Kaname pulled out a clean handkerchief and wrapped it gently around Yuuki’s wrist before placing a graceful hand under her chin to look into her eyes. “Yuuki” he murmured. “I’m sorry for all this… please see to that wrist as soon as you get back.”

Yuuki smiled quickly, much relieved by his calm presence. “It’s OK, Kaname-sempai…” she said softly, even though she knew it wasn’t. One of the biggest secrets of Cross Academy had been revealed and she knew Kaname and her Father had to ensure it spread no further otherwise it could cause irreparable damage to all their hard work in trying to promote peace and understanding between humans and vampires, not to mention the stability of Cross Academy itself.

Yuuki also knew that Aido would be punished accordingly for the part he played in it. Even though she was still angry with his rather childish and impetuous behavior that had caused all this, she didn’t actually hate him.

Takuma hustled Zero and Yuuki quickly out of the room, the latter glancing back over her shoulder to give a sympathetic glance at the visibly quaking Aido as Kaname turned back to him.

-- End