VK Fic, "A Light in the Dark" Part Three
This ISN'T the final version of Part Three of this fic -- it's just a back-up while I keep working... (Also, chap is not entirely finished, either...)
Parts I & II : Here (Well, ok, it's the link to the link to the ff.net version...)
Title: “A Light in the Dark”
(Thank you fanfic for Kyoya)
Fandom: “Vampire Knight”
Pairing: Kaname x Yuuki
Genre: romance, PWP, gen (Lemon/Smut???)
Rating: 14+ (POSSIBLY bordering on M in this chapter... I'll be revisiting this later, hence the '???' above)
Words: approx. 3,000
A/N: “Vampire Knight” belongs to Hino Matsuri and all related rights-holders.
This is a thank-you fic for Kyoya!
This fic doesn’t fall in any particular time or space within canon, it’s a simple ‘PWP’. Enjoy!
Part Three
Yuuki felt more than saw her sempai move closer to her on their secluded sittee. She felt his warmth, his soft breath, the smooth fabric of his sleeve as his hand trailed down her head in a gentle caress, his fingertips leaving trails of heat on her skin so intense she was sure she’d see whispers of smoke if she were to just turn and look at him. Then he did just that, the pads of his elegant, long fingers sliding beneath her chin to raise and turn her head just enough to meet his heavy-lidded, smoldering eyes.
He was focused entirely on her; he took in her wide, hazy gaze; the way her lips opened slightly and her sweet breath slipped out in a tiny gasp; and how she trembled when she recognized the look reflected in his own.
Lust.
Whatever act had been developing onstage was forgotten, in fact everything around them, from their public milieu to their social rank, slid from their consciousness as they were pulled to each other, leaning ever closer. The only sounds they heard were their own breathing, becoming incrementally shallower.
Anxiety lanced Yuuki and she clutched at her sempai’s jacket; he in turn pulled her gently, confidently to his lap, one hand at the small of her sensitive back, the touch of his fingers strong and firm against her. His other hand’s fingers now threaded delicately in her hair, loosening it from the curls so it fell in wavy locks around her flushed face in a lovely cascade.
In her stomach Yuuki felt hesitation, then a slow, building warmth. Anticipation.
“Yuuki,” he whispered, and she felt him rub his hand up her side in slow, pleasurable strokes. “Come here.”
When he said her name, the longing in it pulled at her core- as did his hand that slid from her hair as it slowly, deliberately pulled her scarf from around her graceful neck, exposing her shoulders, her arms, and most of her back. Gooseflesh rose along every inch of her naked skin, though it wasn’t from cold. The coiling fire in her stomach shifted, crept lower, and she shifted herself anxiously to try and ease it, but the feeling spread further, through her core and soon down through her legs.
As he leaned in closer, the young girl noticed the blood in her veins speeding up, a faint dizziness buzzing in her ears, and her heart beat hard inside her chest. He was making her feel this way, this crazy way as if her body wanted nothing more than to meet with his. To connect. To feel him as part of her. She wanted to kiss him.
“Kaname…-sempai…” she breathed cautiously, and her hands were now around his neck, holding him to her, her silk-wrapped bodice pressed against as close to his front as she could hold him. She felt a bit afraid, but knew he would never hurt her. Closing her eyes she swallowed hard as she felt him adjust her across his lap, settling her more comfortably with her legs on either side of him, one of his hands now at her hip to hold her safe, in place, where he wanted her. When she opened her eyes again, he was smiling reassuringly at her, and brushed a lock of loose hair sweetly from her face.
“It’s ok,” he whispered, and his lips met her forehead in adoration.
The Pure Blood’s lips ghosted down to her neck, and she ducked her head into his shoulder in shock, a thrill of nerves exploding deep within her and making her core melt and whorl, feverishly seeking more. A tremor shimmied down her spine into her lower regions, and she knew he felt it shiver through her. Her fingers dug into the expensive shirt that covered him, wrinkling it beneath her clutched, curled fingers. The air couldn’t seem to come quickly enough to her to cool her down; for all the coolness of the theatre, their location away from the rest of the students, and her semi-undressed state, they both felt hot, far too hot.
His kiss on her neck deepened, and he gave a soft suck on her pulse, driving her wild. Without consciously realizing it, Yuuki had pushed the perfectly tailored jacket from his shoulders to the floor, and her hands roved over his back to seek purchase in his hair. She couldn’t help purring happily when she twisted her hands in the raven-coloured fringe. She could finally hold onto some part of him that wasn’t his clothes…
He squeezed her calf firmly in appreciation, and nudged her ear with his nose causing her to gasp faintly. Kaname’s tender lips smiled into her neck and he nuzzled her, seeking her approval to do more.
And Yuuki closed her eyes when she felt his teeth gently graze the pulse in her neck, her face buried in his shoulder and without meaning to tugged some of his loose, dark hair; at his sharp intake of breath, and she nodded.
When she moaned audibly as his hands splayed across her sides and he took his first, delicious nip, none of the spectators below were any the wiser.
Play completely forgotten, they moved forward, their hunger increasing with each kiss, each bite.
Kaname hissed with pleasure and stifled a groan in his throat when Yuuki grazed her teeth cautiously across his chest. His shirt hung open where their fingers had instinctively scurried to reveal more of his flesh for her when his hair wasn’t enough anymore. The sound he made enflamed her, and he brought his arms around her, under her rear, and pulled her flush against him. He shoved her skirts higher, wrapping her legs around him and suddenly she felt his urgency pressed up against her, hard and warm despite the layers of clothing that still separated them. She heard herself moan weakly when he rocked his hips gently to hers, bringing them together intimately, and he immediately slid a hand across her mouth to stifle her guilty pleasure. Slowly, he released the hand and it slid down her shoulders to her hips where he held her in place and rocked her again, just as gently, showing her how to move with him. And again. And again… and again…
Yuuki’s eyes closed, her face red and her breathing becoming more and more erratic at his slow, erotic pace.
How did he know how to do this? Did he have any idea how it was making her feel. Another moan escaped her, and she realized yes, he probably knew exactly how it was making her feel. As the wave inside her beat harder in demand to be released, she almost whimpered at its insistence. She had to do something.
Bending her head forward, her cheek against his, their warm breath mixing and mingling in the air between them, she took a tentative initiative, and moved back against him.
The way Kaname’s breath whooshed from him in that moment told her she was doing exactly what he wanted now. Reciprocating.
She tried again. And again… and again…
Their heads were buried in each other, trying to stifle the sounds of their excitement and fervour. Instict took over and they caught their rhythm, and it became more natural. And soon, more insistent. The fire inside her had spread through her limbs, but was focused in the part of her body that touched his most intimately. She didn’t know exactly what she wanted, but she wanted to beg him for it.
Their breathing rose in pitch, and she wanted something more, but wasn’t sure how to ask for it. She also didn’t want to reveal how little she knew about where they were going. Frustration and arousal warred within Yuuki, and she wanted to weep with how strongly they fought for dominance. The way she felt, she wanted to know if Kaname felt it, too. What he wanted.
As the pressure built within her, slowly at first, and then faster and faster, she nipped at his shoulder in an attempt to release some of the mounting… not discomfort… but intensity. Her need for him, what he could give her, melted her inside and she knew the release would come soon. It rose with waves, receded a bit, and then rose again, bigger, faster, wilder. His hand rose to hold the nape of her neck, then her cheek as he dipped in and made love to her throat with his mouth.
He shifted her slightly in his lap as she pulled desperately at his shirt, his other hand rising to help her with the remaining buttons, and they both shuddered a bit at the change in friction. The wave of her release crested within her, she felt it about to break, and leapt forward--
“Harder,” Kaname breathed harshly as her teeth sank into his shoulder and she accidentally bit him to muffle her mounting cries. She felt him tense as he stifled a groan of pleasure when she bit him with more force. “Yes,” he said tersely. “Harder, Yuuki…”
His hands grabbed her then, roving restlessly over her dress, pushing it down from her front to caress her breasts while the other squeezed her thigh above the edge of her stocking, thumb rolling over, then just under, their lacy top. For her part, Yuuki could hardly breathe for the waves’ intensity, and would have winced if she’d noticed the remainder of her inhibitions disappearing from her when Kaname reached for the delicate zipper at her back.
Her fingers were already undoing the heavy buckle of his belt.
******
Zero had stepped out at the first intermission to check on Yuuki’s progress through the halls, but returned to his seat after supervising the break. When she didn’t return by the beginning of the third Act, he gave a sharp glare to the entire student body that distinctly ordered them to stay exactly where they were or face the consequences, and then set off to look for her.
Headmaster Cross had told him Yuuki may be absent temporarily, but that she would return. He’d also mentioned something about Kaname Kuran being involved, but at that point his temper had overtaken him and he’d stormed from the office. He didn’t want to hear about anything remotely relating to the leader of the Night Class. Even if it did have to do with Yuuki.
While the students behind him chatted softly in their seats, the curtain rose on the third Act and he found out from the security desk that his counterpart had signed out a flashlight to explore the upper ramparts of the theatre earlier, before the first curtain had risen that night.
On the mezzanine, the vampire hunter stood very still, and eyed the entire theatre below, searching for any shaft of light which would indicate Yuuki was making rounds, was still on duty, was safe… There was no sign of her anywhere below. His focus turned higher, to look above him at the rows and rows of empty seats. Nothing. No movement, no sound, no light.
The play on stage had re-started and the spectators had grown silent as they heard the story unfold before them. It was obvious the outing was a success, and all the students had behaved themselves, and it seemed even the Night Class had put on a brave, patient front while they were occasionally oggled by the Day Class students. Really, Headmaster Cross should be proud that everything had gone off so well.
Apart from that his beloved daughter was missing.
Still calm, though feeling somewhat responsible for her disappearance, Zero took a short breath to calm himself, closed his eyes, and tried to think of where she could have gone. Even the washrooms had been empty. And she hadn’t returned her flashlight. She was a flighty one, but Zero knew she would have politely returned the torch when she was done her rounds… if she’d finished them.
Where did you go, Yuuki? He thought, a little cross but mostly frustrated.
It came to him then, in a lull in the action on stage when he heard the tiny, muffled female cry from above him.
Not from the balcony, but off to the side, and slightly higher - one of the private boxes.
He couldn’t see inside the secluded outcropping, but there, on its ceiling, was a shadow cast by candlelight of a woman, head thrown back, arms in front of her on the shoulders of a man. Holding him off or holding on for dear life, he couldn’t tell, but he knew who it was and his entire face darkened in recognition.
“Kaname Kuran.”
Part of him told himself to walk straight back down to the main auditorium to supervise the rest of the students. Because he knew he didn’t want to see what was happening, what could possibly be going on between the two of them if it were the latter.
That wasn’t the part of him that his feet and legs listened to as they pumped madly in his rush to get to the box to get to his friend. “Yuuki,” he mumbled viciously, “what are you thinking?...”
He’d drag her out, yell at her about being a good daughter to her father, and then make her sit with him for the rest of the play, that was it, that was all he’d do; he told himself this over and over as he hurried to get to her before she… before she… Yell at her, yell at her, yell at her, he repeated to himself, blocking out any further uncomfortable images. Even as he remembered that Headmaster Cross had known, had even told him Yuuki would be ‘temporarily absent’ from the spectacle for a while, he severely doubted Kaname Kuran had confided to her father what he’d intended to do with her. For all his modern tolerance and preaching of peace between the cultures of vampires and humans, Zero Kiryuu knew this kind of ‘physical good will gesture’ was beyond the scope of Yuuki’s father’s encompassing benevolence. And patience.
He was infinitely grateful that he’d seen the theatre’s floorplan that night, as had Yuuki, before they left. He arrived at the base of the stairs, by now following the sounds and intimate noises they made as he approached them.
Of course, Kaname Kuran made sure he wouldn’t be disturbed.
“Get out of the way,” the hunter ground out as he faced Aido, Kain, and Ichijo. The trio stood patiently, leaning against the wall or on the stairs, as if they’d been just waiting for him to show up. They probably had been. Pure Bloods held immense power over their subordinates, he knew, but was also aware that Kaname did not often exert that influence. Tonight, he wondered if the bloodsucker currently with Yuuki would have used that power to guard his privacy.
Kain and Ichijo exchanged a brief look, and glanced at Aido, and they all sighed or breathed out and uncomfortably shifted as they heard a quick, distinctly feminine ‘Sempai…’ whisper sweetly down the stairwell to land awkwardly between them.
“We can’t fight you to stop you,” agreed Kain, his hands held palm up before him in a gesture of peace when Zero took a step closer. “However, this is none of our business… or yours, either.”
“I doubt her father would agree with that,” said Zero coldly, and felt himself straighten as he prepared to push through the wall of vampire nobility that held him at bay. “Would you have let your sisters or cousins remain in such a position? Think of her reputation.” He didn’t like negotiating or talking with them, but Headmaster Cross had made it very clear there was to be absolutely no hint of violence that night.
Another look passed between the vampire men, and Zero realized they were looking at the situation slightly different that he would have; for them, if one of their female family members to… be with their leader in such a way, it would bring prominence and prestige to their family. It would be an occasion to merit celebration. Such was the honour to assist a Pure Blood in any fashion. Zero found it despicable.
“I’m here to bring her back,” he said, sick in his stomach at how the vampire society worked. The way before him emptied of obstructions, and he felt Ichijo clear his throat as he followed behind him to announce the private couple had a visitor.
“Kaname-sama, one of the Prefects has come to collect your guest…”
Yuuki looked up at the sound of their footsteps on the stairs and felt her face colour all over again when the men filed in. She wasn’t in an entirely presentable state.
She felt the weight of something settle gently on her shoulders and ducked her head in mild embarrassment as Kaname pulled his jacket tight around her to recover her modesty.
If she had turned her head ever so slightly to the side, she would have seen the deep red that flared in Kaname’s eyes upon the vampire hunter’s arrival and interruption. As it was, she studied the floor meticulously.
“Hello, Precept,” greeted Kaname politely. He held Yuuki to him closely. “Is my Yuuki required to join you downstairs?”
“Now,” replied the pale-haired man, taking in the unmistakably possessive hold the vampire had on the young woman who was, of all things, sitting in his lap, wearing his clothes, cowering with her head tilted away from them all in shame.
“Ah… She’ll be right there. Do you need me, too?”
Zero’s eyes narrowed in all the answer Kaname Kuran needed.
Kaname nodded with a tight smile as Zero waited impatiently. Unsure if they could trust the murderous-looking hunter in the room with their leader, the other three vampires stood calmly off to one side waiting for orders.
Kaname glanced down at Yuuki who trembled slightly. The young woman he cradled was afraid to move.
“Perhaps you could afford her some privacy?” he suggested, and the vampires left the now-crowded room in understanding. Zero glared directly at him a moment before leaving abruptly to stand just outside the hall, his back turned to the occupants inside the theatre box.
He didn’t say anything, but the sharp cut of his shoulders indicated Yuuki should make it quick.
“It’s ok now, they’ve gone,” Kaname helped Yuuki to her feet while she still clutched his jacket closely.
*******
Just uploading here for now while I keep working on it. I rec'd a 'white screen of death' the other night (not blue, WHITE), so I'm just backing up roughs for now...
(Expect another WIP or two to pop up over the next little while. I'm getting antsy about this potential third hard-drive failure looming... this'll be three in the past 12 months, ugh...)
EDIT: Also, I just noticed that I spelled a character's name two or three different ways. Ugh. Gotta fix that. (Aido, Idou, Aidou... WTF is wrong with me!??!?! Consistency please, kthanx...Rrrr...)
Parts I & II : Here (Well, ok, it's the link to the link to the ff.net version...)
Title: “A Light in the Dark”
(Thank you fanfic for Kyoya)
Fandom: “Vampire Knight”
Pairing: Kaname x Yuuki
Genre: romance, PWP, gen (Lemon/Smut???)
Rating: 14+ (POSSIBLY bordering on M in this chapter... I'll be revisiting this later, hence the '???' above)
Words: approx. 3,000
A/N: “Vampire Knight” belongs to Hino Matsuri and all related rights-holders.
This is a thank-you fic for Kyoya!
This fic doesn’t fall in any particular time or space within canon, it’s a simple ‘PWP’. Enjoy!
Part Three
Yuuki felt more than saw her sempai move closer to her on their secluded sittee. She felt his warmth, his soft breath, the smooth fabric of his sleeve as his hand trailed down her head in a gentle caress, his fingertips leaving trails of heat on her skin so intense she was sure she’d see whispers of smoke if she were to just turn and look at him. Then he did just that, the pads of his elegant, long fingers sliding beneath her chin to raise and turn her head just enough to meet his heavy-lidded, smoldering eyes.
He was focused entirely on her; he took in her wide, hazy gaze; the way her lips opened slightly and her sweet breath slipped out in a tiny gasp; and how she trembled when she recognized the look reflected in his own.
Lust.
Whatever act had been developing onstage was forgotten, in fact everything around them, from their public milieu to their social rank, slid from their consciousness as they were pulled to each other, leaning ever closer. The only sounds they heard were their own breathing, becoming incrementally shallower.
Anxiety lanced Yuuki and she clutched at her sempai’s jacket; he in turn pulled her gently, confidently to his lap, one hand at the small of her sensitive back, the touch of his fingers strong and firm against her. His other hand’s fingers now threaded delicately in her hair, loosening it from the curls so it fell in wavy locks around her flushed face in a lovely cascade.
In her stomach Yuuki felt hesitation, then a slow, building warmth. Anticipation.
“Yuuki,” he whispered, and she felt him rub his hand up her side in slow, pleasurable strokes. “Come here.”
When he said her name, the longing in it pulled at her core- as did his hand that slid from her hair as it slowly, deliberately pulled her scarf from around her graceful neck, exposing her shoulders, her arms, and most of her back. Gooseflesh rose along every inch of her naked skin, though it wasn’t from cold. The coiling fire in her stomach shifted, crept lower, and she shifted herself anxiously to try and ease it, but the feeling spread further, through her core and soon down through her legs.
As he leaned in closer, the young girl noticed the blood in her veins speeding up, a faint dizziness buzzing in her ears, and her heart beat hard inside her chest. He was making her feel this way, this crazy way as if her body wanted nothing more than to meet with his. To connect. To feel him as part of her. She wanted to kiss him.
“Kaname…-sempai…” she breathed cautiously, and her hands were now around his neck, holding him to her, her silk-wrapped bodice pressed against as close to his front as she could hold him. She felt a bit afraid, but knew he would never hurt her. Closing her eyes she swallowed hard as she felt him adjust her across his lap, settling her more comfortably with her legs on either side of him, one of his hands now at her hip to hold her safe, in place, where he wanted her. When she opened her eyes again, he was smiling reassuringly at her, and brushed a lock of loose hair sweetly from her face.
“It’s ok,” he whispered, and his lips met her forehead in adoration.
The Pure Blood’s lips ghosted down to her neck, and she ducked her head into his shoulder in shock, a thrill of nerves exploding deep within her and making her core melt and whorl, feverishly seeking more. A tremor shimmied down her spine into her lower regions, and she knew he felt it shiver through her. Her fingers dug into the expensive shirt that covered him, wrinkling it beneath her clutched, curled fingers. The air couldn’t seem to come quickly enough to her to cool her down; for all the coolness of the theatre, their location away from the rest of the students, and her semi-undressed state, they both felt hot, far too hot.
His kiss on her neck deepened, and he gave a soft suck on her pulse, driving her wild. Without consciously realizing it, Yuuki had pushed the perfectly tailored jacket from his shoulders to the floor, and her hands roved over his back to seek purchase in his hair. She couldn’t help purring happily when she twisted her hands in the raven-coloured fringe. She could finally hold onto some part of him that wasn’t his clothes…
He squeezed her calf firmly in appreciation, and nudged her ear with his nose causing her to gasp faintly. Kaname’s tender lips smiled into her neck and he nuzzled her, seeking her approval to do more.
And Yuuki closed her eyes when she felt his teeth gently graze the pulse in her neck, her face buried in his shoulder and without meaning to tugged some of his loose, dark hair; at his sharp intake of breath, and she nodded.
When she moaned audibly as his hands splayed across her sides and he took his first, delicious nip, none of the spectators below were any the wiser.
Play completely forgotten, they moved forward, their hunger increasing with each kiss, each bite.
Kaname hissed with pleasure and stifled a groan in his throat when Yuuki grazed her teeth cautiously across his chest. His shirt hung open where their fingers had instinctively scurried to reveal more of his flesh for her when his hair wasn’t enough anymore. The sound he made enflamed her, and he brought his arms around her, under her rear, and pulled her flush against him. He shoved her skirts higher, wrapping her legs around him and suddenly she felt his urgency pressed up against her, hard and warm despite the layers of clothing that still separated them. She heard herself moan weakly when he rocked his hips gently to hers, bringing them together intimately, and he immediately slid a hand across her mouth to stifle her guilty pleasure. Slowly, he released the hand and it slid down her shoulders to her hips where he held her in place and rocked her again, just as gently, showing her how to move with him. And again. And again… and again…
Yuuki’s eyes closed, her face red and her breathing becoming more and more erratic at his slow, erotic pace.
How did he know how to do this? Did he have any idea how it was making her feel. Another moan escaped her, and she realized yes, he probably knew exactly how it was making her feel. As the wave inside her beat harder in demand to be released, she almost whimpered at its insistence. She had to do something.
Bending her head forward, her cheek against his, their warm breath mixing and mingling in the air between them, she took a tentative initiative, and moved back against him.
The way Kaname’s breath whooshed from him in that moment told her she was doing exactly what he wanted now. Reciprocating.
She tried again. And again… and again…
Their heads were buried in each other, trying to stifle the sounds of their excitement and fervour. Instict took over and they caught their rhythm, and it became more natural. And soon, more insistent. The fire inside her had spread through her limbs, but was focused in the part of her body that touched his most intimately. She didn’t know exactly what she wanted, but she wanted to beg him for it.
Their breathing rose in pitch, and she wanted something more, but wasn’t sure how to ask for it. She also didn’t want to reveal how little she knew about where they were going. Frustration and arousal warred within Yuuki, and she wanted to weep with how strongly they fought for dominance. The way she felt, she wanted to know if Kaname felt it, too. What he wanted.
As the pressure built within her, slowly at first, and then faster and faster, she nipped at his shoulder in an attempt to release some of the mounting… not discomfort… but intensity. Her need for him, what he could give her, melted her inside and she knew the release would come soon. It rose with waves, receded a bit, and then rose again, bigger, faster, wilder. His hand rose to hold the nape of her neck, then her cheek as he dipped in and made love to her throat with his mouth.
He shifted her slightly in his lap as she pulled desperately at his shirt, his other hand rising to help her with the remaining buttons, and they both shuddered a bit at the change in friction. The wave of her release crested within her, she felt it about to break, and leapt forward--
“Harder,” Kaname breathed harshly as her teeth sank into his shoulder and she accidentally bit him to muffle her mounting cries. She felt him tense as he stifled a groan of pleasure when she bit him with more force. “Yes,” he said tersely. “Harder, Yuuki…”
His hands grabbed her then, roving restlessly over her dress, pushing it down from her front to caress her breasts while the other squeezed her thigh above the edge of her stocking, thumb rolling over, then just under, their lacy top. For her part, Yuuki could hardly breathe for the waves’ intensity, and would have winced if she’d noticed the remainder of her inhibitions disappearing from her when Kaname reached for the delicate zipper at her back.
Her fingers were already undoing the heavy buckle of his belt.
******
Zero had stepped out at the first intermission to check on Yuuki’s progress through the halls, but returned to his seat after supervising the break. When she didn’t return by the beginning of the third Act, he gave a sharp glare to the entire student body that distinctly ordered them to stay exactly where they were or face the consequences, and then set off to look for her.
Headmaster Cross had told him Yuuki may be absent temporarily, but that she would return. He’d also mentioned something about Kaname Kuran being involved, but at that point his temper had overtaken him and he’d stormed from the office. He didn’t want to hear about anything remotely relating to the leader of the Night Class. Even if it did have to do with Yuuki.
While the students behind him chatted softly in their seats, the curtain rose on the third Act and he found out from the security desk that his counterpart had signed out a flashlight to explore the upper ramparts of the theatre earlier, before the first curtain had risen that night.
On the mezzanine, the vampire hunter stood very still, and eyed the entire theatre below, searching for any shaft of light which would indicate Yuuki was making rounds, was still on duty, was safe… There was no sign of her anywhere below. His focus turned higher, to look above him at the rows and rows of empty seats. Nothing. No movement, no sound, no light.
The play on stage had re-started and the spectators had grown silent as they heard the story unfold before them. It was obvious the outing was a success, and all the students had behaved themselves, and it seemed even the Night Class had put on a brave, patient front while they were occasionally oggled by the Day Class students. Really, Headmaster Cross should be proud that everything had gone off so well.
Apart from that his beloved daughter was missing.
Still calm, though feeling somewhat responsible for her disappearance, Zero took a short breath to calm himself, closed his eyes, and tried to think of where she could have gone. Even the washrooms had been empty. And she hadn’t returned her flashlight. She was a flighty one, but Zero knew she would have politely returned the torch when she was done her rounds… if she’d finished them.
Where did you go, Yuuki? He thought, a little cross but mostly frustrated.
It came to him then, in a lull in the action on stage when he heard the tiny, muffled female cry from above him.
Not from the balcony, but off to the side, and slightly higher - one of the private boxes.
He couldn’t see inside the secluded outcropping, but there, on its ceiling, was a shadow cast by candlelight of a woman, head thrown back, arms in front of her on the shoulders of a man. Holding him off or holding on for dear life, he couldn’t tell, but he knew who it was and his entire face darkened in recognition.
“Kaname Kuran.”
Part of him told himself to walk straight back down to the main auditorium to supervise the rest of the students. Because he knew he didn’t want to see what was happening, what could possibly be going on between the two of them if it were the latter.
That wasn’t the part of him that his feet and legs listened to as they pumped madly in his rush to get to the box to get to his friend. “Yuuki,” he mumbled viciously, “what are you thinking?...”
He’d drag her out, yell at her about being a good daughter to her father, and then make her sit with him for the rest of the play, that was it, that was all he’d do; he told himself this over and over as he hurried to get to her before she… before she… Yell at her, yell at her, yell at her, he repeated to himself, blocking out any further uncomfortable images. Even as he remembered that Headmaster Cross had known, had even told him Yuuki would be ‘temporarily absent’ from the spectacle for a while, he severely doubted Kaname Kuran had confided to her father what he’d intended to do with her. For all his modern tolerance and preaching of peace between the cultures of vampires and humans, Zero Kiryuu knew this kind of ‘physical good will gesture’ was beyond the scope of Yuuki’s father’s encompassing benevolence. And patience.
He was infinitely grateful that he’d seen the theatre’s floorplan that night, as had Yuuki, before they left. He arrived at the base of the stairs, by now following the sounds and intimate noises they made as he approached them.
Of course, Kaname Kuran made sure he wouldn’t be disturbed.
“Get out of the way,” the hunter ground out as he faced Aido, Kain, and Ichijo. The trio stood patiently, leaning against the wall or on the stairs, as if they’d been just waiting for him to show up. They probably had been. Pure Bloods held immense power over their subordinates, he knew, but was also aware that Kaname did not often exert that influence. Tonight, he wondered if the bloodsucker currently with Yuuki would have used that power to guard his privacy.
Kain and Ichijo exchanged a brief look, and glanced at Aido, and they all sighed or breathed out and uncomfortably shifted as they heard a quick, distinctly feminine ‘Sempai…’ whisper sweetly down the stairwell to land awkwardly between them.
“We can’t fight you to stop you,” agreed Kain, his hands held palm up before him in a gesture of peace when Zero took a step closer. “However, this is none of our business… or yours, either.”
“I doubt her father would agree with that,” said Zero coldly, and felt himself straighten as he prepared to push through the wall of vampire nobility that held him at bay. “Would you have let your sisters or cousins remain in such a position? Think of her reputation.” He didn’t like negotiating or talking with them, but Headmaster Cross had made it very clear there was to be absolutely no hint of violence that night.
Another look passed between the vampire men, and Zero realized they were looking at the situation slightly different that he would have; for them, if one of their female family members to… be with their leader in such a way, it would bring prominence and prestige to their family. It would be an occasion to merit celebration. Such was the honour to assist a Pure Blood in any fashion. Zero found it despicable.
“I’m here to bring her back,” he said, sick in his stomach at how the vampire society worked. The way before him emptied of obstructions, and he felt Ichijo clear his throat as he followed behind him to announce the private couple had a visitor.
“Kaname-sama, one of the Prefects has come to collect your guest…”
Yuuki looked up at the sound of their footsteps on the stairs and felt her face colour all over again when the men filed in. She wasn’t in an entirely presentable state.
She felt the weight of something settle gently on her shoulders and ducked her head in mild embarrassment as Kaname pulled his jacket tight around her to recover her modesty.
If she had turned her head ever so slightly to the side, she would have seen the deep red that flared in Kaname’s eyes upon the vampire hunter’s arrival and interruption. As it was, she studied the floor meticulously.
“Hello, Precept,” greeted Kaname politely. He held Yuuki to him closely. “Is my Yuuki required to join you downstairs?”
“Now,” replied the pale-haired man, taking in the unmistakably possessive hold the vampire had on the young woman who was, of all things, sitting in his lap, wearing his clothes, cowering with her head tilted away from them all in shame.
“Ah… She’ll be right there. Do you need me, too?”
Zero’s eyes narrowed in all the answer Kaname Kuran needed.
Kaname nodded with a tight smile as Zero waited impatiently. Unsure if they could trust the murderous-looking hunter in the room with their leader, the other three vampires stood calmly off to one side waiting for orders.
Kaname glanced down at Yuuki who trembled slightly. The young woman he cradled was afraid to move.
“Perhaps you could afford her some privacy?” he suggested, and the vampires left the now-crowded room in understanding. Zero glared directly at him a moment before leaving abruptly to stand just outside the hall, his back turned to the occupants inside the theatre box.
He didn’t say anything, but the sharp cut of his shoulders indicated Yuuki should make it quick.
“It’s ok now, they’ve gone,” Kaname helped Yuuki to her feet while she still clutched his jacket closely.
*******
Just uploading here for now while I keep working on it. I rec'd a 'white screen of death' the other night (not blue, WHITE), so I'm just backing up roughs for now...
(Expect another WIP or two to pop up over the next little while. I'm getting antsy about this potential third hard-drive failure looming... this'll be three in the past 12 months, ugh...)
EDIT: Also, I just noticed that I spelled a character's name two or three different ways. Ugh. Gotta fix that. (Aido, Idou, Aidou... WTF is wrong with me!??!?! Consistency please, kthanx...Rrrr...)