I do not own Rosario+Vampire. If I did, there would be more Kokoa. I said it before, but it bears repeating. X3

Whew, it has been FOREVER since I updated this damn story. You know, originally, I posted up all these stories so I wouldn't forget them... I made a HUGE mistake, since I swamped myself. I can't focus on multiple stories at once, but I can't just take them down. I said 'On Hiatus' on my profile, but people keep saying crap anyway. Meh. Here is the next chapter. Keep in mind, don't expect all of these stories to be several chapters. This one might be five, maybe six chapters max. Anyway, here we go...

Deciphered Heart

Tsukune sighed as he poured yet another drink for a customer at the bar, giving a strained smile to the man. Usually it was no problem being polite, but it had become a serious effort in the last few months, for multiple reasons. The first was that he was feeling more and more detached from Moka. The second was that he was still having fantasies about Kokoa... every night.

Third, he was confused by Kokoa's strange behavior. She seemed to be flipping between her normal self, nastier to him than usual, and almost disturbingly NICE. Even stranger, she seemed to feel guilty whenever she snapped at him... sometimes she would even apologize. It was extremely strange... and worse, it lead into the fourth problem.

Fourth was that his feelings for Kokoa were growing. It wasn't just fantasies anymore. Even during the day, he found his thoughts lingering on the fiery vampire. It wasn't just the beauty she'd gained in the past three years. He was starting to see another reason why he'd begun to see her in a new light.

While yes, she was a violent one on the best of days, she truly had a good heart. He had seen how affectionate she could be with Moka and, on strange and rare occasions, even with himself and others. She made for good conversation when she was in the mood to talk, and she'd recently discovered a love for video games and, surprisingly, reading. Of course, most of the games and books were violent in some way, but still...

Fifth, Gin was taking every chance to tease Tsukune about this and, unfortunately, even Mizore would join in a bit. It was one of the things he wished she hadn't gotten from Gin. Finally... finally, was perhaps the most frustrating of the issues. About a year ago, he and Moka had begun sleeping together. Often. However, they had started doing it less within the last few months, since his feelings for her had become more muted.

After that first fantasy of Kokoa, they had stopped altogether. Not that Moka didn't try, but Tsukune just couldn't do it. Partly because of guilt, and partly because he couldn't stop thinking of Kokoa when with Moka... and even wishing he was with Kokoa at times. So he came up with excuse after excuse to turn down Moka's advances.

So, he was having fantasies every night, turning down Moka's extremely effective attempts to get him excited, dealing with Gin's teasing, and having to now see Kokoa running around in her work uniform. A uniform that, thanks to Gin's suggestions to the owner of the restaurant, was jeans and a red and black tank top similar to that of the uniform of an american business called 'Hooters' or something. No sex at all in the past three months, in this situation.

"I'm going to kill myself. Yes, that's what I'll do. Then everything will be fine, because I'll be dead, and unable to have these thoughts. It's perfect."

"Yes, Tsukune, people die when they are killed. I'm glad you could put that together." At Gin's words, Tsukune's eyebrow twitched. He was not in the mood for this...

"Gin... don't make me hurt you." Tsukune's mood plummeted further at Gin's resulting laugh as he patted Tsukune on the back.

"I'm just messing with you, Tsukune. You've been too tense lately. Maybe you should drag Moka into the bathroom and relieve some stress... or maybe instead of Moka, you'd prefer-" He cut himself off as Tsukune turned a downright evil glare on him, and he swallowed. Tsukune was kind of scary like this. "Hey, calm down... I was kidding..."

"...Good." He forced a smile as a customer came up to the bar, but once the 'coast was clear', he actually growled a bit... and then his eyes narrowed as he spotted a drunken patron harrassing Kokoa. "...Excuse me, Gin." He started to move.

Kokoa was not happy. Not in the slightest. She was frustrated as hell about her feelings for Tsukune, her stupid fantasies, and the fact that Moka was worrying about her and trying to help her... which only upset her. She loved her sister, but she did not want love advice from the person who was preventing her from pursuing the object of her affection.

This was why, when a drunken asshole started hitting on her, and not taking no for an answer, she found her self control to be slipping. Quickly. She had promised she would not attack people. She wasn't going to let this idiot screw that up. However, she was losing the battle to control herself anyway... until something surprising happened. The man grabbed her wrist, trying to pull her into his lap. Before she could react, however...

"Hey, back off!" The drunk was suddenly on the floor, blinking up at Tsukune, who was glaring down at him after having actually struck him. Everyone simply stared. The regulars, and Tsukune's friends, were all shocked by the normally calm young man suddenly acting like that. Kokoa just looked at him like he'd grown a second head.

"What... the hell was that?" Tsukune blinked, and looked at her, before quickly looking away, and storming toward the door. "Whoa, where are you going, you idiot? Answer me!" He didn't answer, and was quickly gone, leaving a stunned silence in his wake. Everyone was snapped out of it by the drunk starting to complain, and Moka preparing to follow Tsukune. Kokoa wasn't having that, and grabbed her hand.

"Kokoa, please let go, I need to see what's wrong with him!" Kokoa just shook her head, glaring at the door.

"No, you stay here. It's my business he got into, knowing I can protect myself, the idiot. Besides, you're more popular with the customer's than I am. Don't worry, I'll bring your precious Tsukune back." There was a bit of venom in her words, which shocked Moka, but she relented.

"Oh... okay..." Moka was very confused, but not as confused as Kokoa, who left, going after Tsukune, wanting to give him a piece of her mind.

'Stupid Tsukune... I'm not some doll that needs his protection... what the hell is wrong with him...' Her angry frown became one of worry though. 'I... I hope he's okay... what made him snap like that... and he left after looking at me... is it me? Is it how I've been acting?' She swallowed hard, biting her lip. Had she hurt him with her actions again? She had to find him...

Tsukune had started running as soon as he'd gotten out of there, and was now sitting on a bench outside of some bookstore a few blocks away. "This is ridiculous... I'm losing my mind or something, acting like that..."

"Acting like what?" Tsukune jumped maybe a foot in the air as Mizore spoke, peeking from under the bench. While Tsukune tried to calm his pounding heart, Mizore climbed out from under the bench, sitting down and pulling Tsukune down to sit next to her. "Shouldn't you be working right now? I'm on leave because of my pregnancy, but I'm fairly sure you are not pregnant, Tsukune."

Tsukune threw her an annoyed look, but then sighed. It was hard to stay made at her when she was near constantly smiling, now that she was three months pregnant. Still... "Mizore, I told you not to sneak up on me like that anymore... and a pregnant woman really shouldn't be hiding under a bench." She shrugged, patting his knee lightly.

"And I told you that I will continue to sneak up on you because it's habit, and your reactions are funny. And I'm pregnant, so I can hide where I want and you can't say anything."

"How does that make sense?" Again, she simply shrugged.

"So... want to tell me what happened?" Her smile was disarming, and after only a bit of hesitation... Tsukune told her what had happened. She simply sighed, nodding. "I see... you really should tell her, Tsukune. Worst she could do is say no. Or beat you to death."

"Thanks, Mizore, that really makes me want to tell her." He palmed his face. "Anyway, suppose I did tell her. What about Moka? What do I tell her? How could I betray her like that? I... love her..."

"You know, you've always hesitated when you said that. Now you sound even more unsure of what you are saying. You never loved her, Tsukune. You had strong feelings, and Moka's love for you made you want to return it. So you tried to, and tried to pretend until you actually did, right?" When he just looked at her in shock, she nodded. "That's what I thought."

"...You knew? But... you said that you gave up because you knew I loved her..." Mizore just smiled, shaking her head.

"I knew you wanted to love her. There was no room for me in your heart when you were trying so desperately to love someone else. I eventually realized that I was torturing myself by trying. So, I gave up. Good thing, too. When it came time that I would have been forced into marriage, I was going to kidnap you if I had to. Now, I'm quite happy with Gin. He's a good man, surprising as that was to me at the time."

"...I... you know, I don't think I'd deserve you even if I had seen you that way. You may have stalked me and everything, but you really loved me back then, didn't you? And now you are my best friend..." To his surprise, Mizore laughed a bit.

"I still love you, Tsukune. I never stopped. The difference is that I've given up. You don't see me that way, I'm married, I'm pregnant, and I refuse to betray my husband. We will only ever be friends, and I've accepted that."

"Yeah... you know... if I hadn't been such an idiot back then, I probably would have ended up with you. If I'd really gotten to know you like I do now." Mizore shrugged, then briefly popped her sucker out of her mouth, and leaned toward him.

"Do me a favor? Just one kiss. It's the only regret that really gets to me anymore, that I never even got a real kiss from you." Tsukune was surprised, to be sure, but let out a soft sigh, before smiling and nodding, before leaning forward to capture her lips with his own. It was soft, sweet, and all too brief. They parted, and Mizore closed her eyes, smiling a bit sadly. "Thank you, Tsukune." He chuckled nervously.

"Y-yeah... um, you're welcome?" She put the sucker back in her mouth, rolling it with her tongue briefly.

"Hm... you know, I want you to be happy, Tsukune. You're not happy right now, so some advice. Spend some alone time with Kokoa. Get to really know her, and find out if it's just some fantasy, or something more. Either way, I think it's obvious that Moka... you and her just don't work anymore. Maybe you never did. You need to end it."

"...I... but..." Tsukune knew she was right, but he wasn't sure how to do it. Mizore suddenly grabbed him by the ear, something that not only hurt, but caught him off guard.

"Tsukune, you need to break up with her before it's too late. You can't pursue another woman until then, and what if you got caught up in the heat of the moment? What would break Moka's heart more; you breaking up with her, or her finding out you cheated on her?" Here, Tsukune fidgetted.

"But if I broke up with her, and then things actually worked with Kokoa, Moka would know I left her for Kokoa..." Mizore sighed, and released his ear, shaking her head a bit while he massaged his ear.

"Yes, and that would hurt. Alot. But she'd know that, at least, you respected her enough to be honest, and not betray her trust by cheating. She'd be upset, but she'd respect you more if you tell her exactly what's going on. It would also be more likely for you to remain friends that way." Tsukune nodded slightly, and smiled weakly.

"You... are really wise, Mizore... thank you... hey... Mizore? Mizore?" He looked around, blinking. Where had she gone?

"Tsukune, you idiot!" He turned quickly, seeing Kokoa stalking toward him. "What the hell is wrong with you, butting into my business and running off like that? We were all worried about you! ...I mean, they were all worried. I'm just pissed at you." 'That was believable, right? He didn't notice, right?'

"...Hey, Kokoa, have you ever really wanted to be with someone, but couldn't?" Kokoa froze, looking at him with slightly wide eyes.

"...W-what did you say?"

"I... I asked if you'd ever really wanted to be with someone, but couldn't." He watched Kokoa's confused face, before she stalked forward, pulling him up be the collar of his shirt, shaking him a bit.

"What the hell are you talking about? Spill it! Are you cheating on my sister with that cow!" This, of course, actually irked him. Why did she always accuse him of cheating on Moka with Kurumu?

"No! I'm not cheating on her with anyone! I just-"

"You just what, Tsukune? You don't ask a question like that without reason, so what is it? Tell me!" She shook him again, her anger rising, and she didn't even know why. His next words shocked her.

"Because I can't stop thinking about you!"

"...Eh?"

Well, there ya go. Chapter three. This won't be a long fic. Either in chapters or chapter length. It's just a little plot bunny I needed sorted out, ya know? Anyway, if all went well, I'll be posting this chapter up alongside chapters for other stories, as a sort of 'Ha ha, I'm not dead, and neither are these fics!' event. Let us hope... Also, should mention again, I have no beta, so please, try not to freak out over mistakes.