Ball

It was a small success, but still a success.

Kaname-sama was hosting yet another ball. Some might think the only thing he was doing was host balls so his lover Yuki could get more attention and recognition from the vampire nobility. The actual reason wasn't far from the truth, but no one dared to ask for details. No one had a death wish, after all.

But, regardless of reasons, it was a good opportunity for everyone to get identified by the society, to forge relationships or to make them stronger. Kain was doing just that.

Ruka had agreed to be his partner at the ball. And now he was wondering what to wear.

She wasn't just some lowly vampire who was used just for the moment – he had to be presentable. She had class and exact preferences – he had to be presentable. He couldn't just be that shaggy guy with two fastened buttons from ten on the whole. Her parents were most likely to be there, wanting to learn more about Kaname-sama and he had to look tidy enough for them to acknowledge that the previous Akatsuki Kain was still here, not lost under that 'punk', as he once heard them say.

Probably the problem wasn't that much with her parents, but with Ruka herself. She mustn't be ashamed with his appearance.

And so he was stuck in front of the mirror, in his half-naked 189-tall glory, wondering how to dress up. His blonde hair was more tangled than usual, his eyes shining like nothing but some kept inside emotions (while they had to be calm and composed). He looked like a street rat, dressed in a towel.

Kain made a face at the mirror. The image responded with the same. Just as expected.

"Even if you make faces at the mirror, your looks won't change y'know?" the cheerful voice of his cousin, Hanabusa came from the bathroom door and the blonde vampire came out, rubbing his hair with the towel which was supposed to be for his body. Quickly evading his 'treasures', he continued on to his bed and sat down. Kain turned half a face towards him.

"I know that," he grimaced again and looked at his reflection, doing everything he was. In one corner, the mirror image of 'Idol' was scowling.

"You're going to make yourself permanent lines on your face," he brought the already wet towel down and threw it in some unknown direction "Why exactly are you in front of the mirror, anyway? Kinda strange."

"No reason," Kain ran a hand through his hair and sighed inwardly.

"Yeah, right. For no reason you decided to ogle yourself in the mirror, while you usually pass it without a second glance," Hanabusa's mouth formed a thoughtful pout "Seriously, what's the matter? Are you self-conscious?"

Leave it to him to be on the right mark, yet still be miles away from it.

"No."

"You were half a second too late to say that," he grinned, then got a serious expression "You aren't afraid Ruka won't like how you dress," not waiting for a response, he continued on, "Look, I can give you only one advice as the one more experienced with heart problems. Ruka's a girl with class. So don't go there with an unbuttoned shirt. Be neat for once."

Kain looked at himself in the mirror, darker than usual eyes staring back at him. He hated the feeling of collars around his neck (they felt as if they were created to suffocate him), but he'd loathe himself if he was ever to embarrass Ruka. He turned to the shirt which was lying on his bed and started putting it on.

"Are you going to tell me something?" Hanabusa looked like a kicked, but hopeful puppy for a second. Apparently he wanted a 'thank you'.

"Who's the idiot who is gonna be your partner?"

The kicked puppy face melted into a look or irritation, then into excitement as the blond guy started his tale about some human girl.

…

The atmosphere was better than the one at the previous parties. Despite the fact that Kaname-sama was a pureblood, he didn't know very much about such events because it was a short while ago that he started hosting those dances. And he was still learning; he wanted to make it perfect.

And Ruka wanted to stay away from the reason his perfectionism had been born. Despite the fact that she'd mostly overcome her love ever since it became obvious that that girl Yuki was everything he wanted, it still hurt. How could it not hurt: it took more than a few months for a lasted-throughout-the-years vampire love to go away. It would take more time than what she knew she expected: it always came like this.

At least Akatsuki would always be next to her. About that she could be absolutely sure.

Speaking of whom, where exactly was Akatsuki? Usually he came a few minutes before her, but now he was late; she'd been waiting for ten minutes already.

The first song had started playing: somehow in a daze, Ruka watched Kaname-sama as he swirled with that Yuki, the girl hesitant in his arms, eyes always wandering away to the silver-haired Ex-human. The idiot. What would have she done to-

And then Ruka Souen realized that her accusation had lost its passion. It had been merely a habit. That realization struck her although it wasn't very surprising.

The music changed to a slower pace and she grew squirmy. Why was he taking it so long? He wasn't doing his make-up, was he?

A hand touched her shoulder, almost making her jump. Almost. Calm on the outside, startled on the outside, Ruka turned around to see her partner who was supposed to never be late, but was now late with fifteen minutes. And was stunned into silence.

Akatsuki was dressed like a normal vampire – like those that were already on the dance floor, holding their respective female and leading them into an elegant dance. All his buttons were pinned, his collar was perfect and his hair was looking as if it was actually combed. If it wasn't for his eyes which were unchangeable, she'd have thought that he was another person.

No wonder he was late. He wasn't used to doing such stuff.

Kain was highly uncomfortable with his attire. The collar was suffocating him, cutting out the little air he had because of the hot atmosphere and the fact that Ruka was with him, his hair felt like glued on his scalp. His fingers were itching to go up and unbutton his shirt: only the sheer force of his will and wish to be perfect prevented them from doing that.

In front of him, Ruka was scowling.

"Why're you so late?" she asked, eyes annoyed. Ops, he shouldn't have listened to Hanabusa when he told him to be late so she got anxious and be happier when she saw him.

"It's called fashionably late," he managed to stutter out, angry with himself, intent on giving his stupid cousin a piece of his mind later on.

Ruka 'tsk'-ed and then walked over to him. With a strange glint in her eyes, she extended her hands until they touched the first button of his shirt. They worked carefully, gently treading at the holes and the pins, for milliseconds touching his skin and leaving feather-soft feelings after.

In seconds she'd made his shirt the way it was usually and then ruffled his hair. Akatsuki almost heard himself sigh with contentment. But despite how good he felt, the question why she did that was swirling in his head.

"Why are you making such a face?" Ruka asked, puzzled, "You just looked too uncomfortable so I thought I should ruff you up a bit," her arms shot up to rest on a slender pelvis.

Akatsuki grinned with contentment as his neck's muscles eased a bit. He quickly mumbled a small 'thanks' to her.

Then he remembered that she was his partner and was probably waiting for an invitation for a dance.

With a small barely-visible smile and a gentleman smile, hand and invitation before that, Kain led her to the dance floor, away from Kaname-sama and that Yuki. Away from Hanabusa who was pleading a human girl for something. Specifically away from him.

Akatsuki, I hate you. I think up something nice and remotely funny, but you just have to ruin it with the fact that you're always angsty around Ruka. Well, almost always.

Ruka's really OOC, but whatever.