A collection of semi-related drabbles following Yuuki and Kaname's relationship.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight and am making no profit from this story.

This particular drabble takes place before Kaien and Kaname open the academy. My one-shot Importance could be considered a prequel to this series, mainly because it takes place earlier chronologically, but it is not necessary to read it beforehand.

Enjoy!

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Kaname's gaze lifted from the paper in front of him to the door as it creaked open and Yuuki scrambled into the room, shutting the door as quietly as possible behind her.

Showing the hint of a smile, Kaname attempted not to laugh at her antics.

"Kaname-sama!" Yuuki whispered.

"Yuuki." Kaname softly replied, setting the paper aside. "I thought you were asleep."

Yuuki's face scrunched up as she tried to find the right words to explain why she was wearing pajamas and still awake past midnight. She huffed, "The Chairman didn't tell me you were coming tonight." She tried to keep the dejection out of her voice as her eyes roved around the room. "I woke up when I heard you talking and I couldn't fall back asleep without talking to you," her eyes became wider and pleading, "but I don't want the Chairman to know I'm still awake!"

Kaname recalled Kaien leaving to retrieve more paperwork just moments before, "Which is why you waited to sneak down the stairs until he left."

Her eyes brightened, "Exactly!"

"Well, he should be back soon, but I'm sure you have a few minutes."

Yuuki's face broke into a huge smile before she rushed to Kaname's side. Giving him a quick hug by flinging her arms around his neck, she plopped down on the chair next to him, tucking her legs under her and looking at him expectantly.

"Are you talking about the school again?"

Kaname nodded. He and Kaien had been frequently meeting to plan not only how the school would run, but how to introduce the idea of coexistence to vampire society.

"Yes. I'm sure you can see that there's quite a lot of paperwork involved." he said, gesturing to the neatly stacked piles on the table beside him, as well as the not-quite-as-neatly stacked piles on the Chairman's desk.

Yuuki giggled at the difference before sobering.

"Kaname-sama," she began, playing with the hem on her pajamas, "will I get to see you more often when the school starts? The Chairman says I'll be going there eventually too, and well, I just wasn't sure, and . . ." she trailed off, waiting for his answer.

You will if I can ever escape the nobles that will be clinging to me at every moment. Kaname refrained from sighing at the thought. Now, how to explain this.

"You won't see me less, Yuuki."

She noticed his omission. "But not more, either?"

He delayed responding for a moment. "You will probably see more more often, Yuuki, but not for quite as long when you do." He gauged her reaction before continuing, "There will be many other vampires there, and I will have duties to them as well. Do you understand?"

He could tell she was reluctant to respond, and more reluctant to give credence to the inevitable change coming in their relationship.

"Yes, Kaname-sama." She met his eyes and he was again reminded that this had been the easy part. Here, with the Chairman, she was young, sheltered, protected. The school, although necessary for his plans, threw so many unknowns into the future-- and her life. If only she could stay hidden like this forever. Hidden from humans, from vampires, from speculation about their relationship. Too bad the future was inevitably more complicated.

"Kaname-sama?" she broke his wandering thoughts. "How long until the school opens?" she asked with slight hesitation.

"A month, Yuuki."

"Will you be here more often then?" her eyes glimmered with hope, and his heart clenched at the sight of it.

"Yes, I will be here often for the next month."

She sat silently for a while, and he left her to her thoughts until she broke into his own again.

"Kaname-sama?"

He smiled, "Yes, Yuuki?"

She glanced away from him and took a deep breath. "Promise that you will not come again without talking to me before you leave?"

"I promise, Yuuki."

She flashed him a smile with a tinge of sadness. "Thank you, Kaname-sama."

She seemed to understand the brevity of the time they had left as well. When did you start to grow up, Yuuki?

"Kaname-sama, can I stay until the Chairman comes back?"

If he were anyone else, she probably would have added a "pretty please?" at the end, but Yuuki likely already knew he could deny her nothing.

"Yes, Yuuki, you can stay."

"Thank you! Kaname-sama!" She settled into her chair more comfortably before beginning her inquisition, "Can you tell me about the school? What does it look like? What classes do you take? How many students are there going to be?"

Kaname satisfied Yuuki's curiosity until she drifted off to sleep, which was incidentally around the same time Kaien returned.

"I found it, Kaname-kun." Kaien announced as he entered the room, holding aloft a slightly-crumpled sheet of paper. "It was between two folders in the back of my desk." He laughed self-consciously, "I must have stashed it there for safe-keeping . . ." He trailed off as he spotted Yuuki asleep, sprawled on the chair.

"Hm. So she found you after all."

"Yes."

Kaien opened his mouth as if he were about to say something before closing it again.

"What is it, Kaien?"

"Forgive me, Kaname-kun," his face one of disapproval, "but you can't let her continue this when we start the academy."

"I know." He sighed and rested his face wearily against his hand. "We discussed it earlier."

"You did?"

"To an extent."

"And does she understand?"

"Somewhat." He paused, "Enough for now, anyway."

Kaien studied him for a moment before turning his gaze to Yuuki. "I hope so, Kaname. I truly hope so."

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I can't promise that this will be updated often, and I'm planning on most of the chapters being rather short, and mainly from Kaname's point of view (that's the plan, anyway!). I'm not sure how far into the series I will take this; I really just want to experiment with giving short but cohesive glimpses of their lives.

Thanks for reading & your support! I'd love a review if you have the time!