'I can't believe Zero's skipping duties again!' Yuuki thought as she made her way to her room in the headmaster's building. As members of the disciplinary committee, she and Zero were supposed to oversee the shift between the Day Class and the Night Class students, and patrol to make sure none of the Day class students wandered about campus while the vampires attended class.

Cross Academy was the only school in the world that had vampires enrolled as students. They are separate from the humans and drink blood tablets instead of human blood, but accidents happen and it was hers and Zero's job to take care of things like that.

It was a thankless job sometimes. School during the day, stress from monitoring teenage girls too infatuated for their own good, and a couple hours patrol the school's large grounds left the brunette with very little time for her own schoolwork and sleep, never mind free time. And her partner not doing his share of the work certainly didn't help matters.

Kaname Kuran, a Pureblood vampire, one of the few who could trace their blood back to an original Pureblood ancestor. The others were the Ouri, Shirabuki, Hio, Hanadagi, Toma, and Shoto. He was also the Dorm President of the Night class. He believed in the chairman's pacifist ideology and that humans and vampires could one day coexist peacefully.

Kaname is also the one who saved Yuuki's life, that winter ten years ago. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be alive. 'Zero may not get along with and openly despise vampires for their attack on his family, but he needs to stop shirking his duties,' Yuuki thought angrily. 'I can't keep doing this on my own. I mean it's physically impossible. The never ending stress would make my duties even harder. Not to mention class. I can just imagine all the detentions I'd get for falling asleep.'

Her internal rant was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Zero Kiryu must transfer to the Night class."

'That was Kaname's voice!' A hand rose to touch the still visible fang marks on her neck. Just a few hours earlier her best friend had bitten her and drank her blood. Yuuki felt horribly guilty. How could she not have noticed his transformation into a vampire these last for years? They lived in the same house! She had helped clean him off the night he first arrived. Surely she could have remembered seeing the bite marks.

But Kaname's words made it reality. It wasn't a nightmare caused by too much studying for finals (which she admittedly didn't do much of to begin with). Zero really was a vampire. He needed to be among them and learn to become one. He had to start on a steady diet of blood tablets or he would always crave the taste of fresh blood, he blood most likely because she had been his first taste of it. And if that happened he would have to leave Cross Academy and she would never see him again.

"His rightful place is with vampires now. He belongs with us."

'Yes, he does.' Jealousy flared in Yuuki. She shook her head, trying to ignore it. How she wished sometimes she was a vampire.

There was only one problem. In order for the transfer to be valid, permission and signatures had to be obtained from the headmaster, both dorm presidents', Zero's class president, and a disciplinary squad member. However, there was no way Zero would sign off on the transfer that would force him to be in close vicinity to the creatures he abhorred. And Yuuki knew neither her adoptive father nor Kaname would approach her and ask her to sign what they believe she would perceive as a betrayal of her friend.

Yuuki could still hear the headmaster and Kaname discussing Zero's placement in the Moon dorms when she reached the door to her room. She slipped inside and readied for bed, vowing to talk to both the chairman and Kaname in the morning.

Xxxwherethedicefallxxx

The headmaster paused mid explanation and his jaw fell open. "You agree?" he stuttered.

Yuuki smiled brightly. "Of course I do, Headmaster. Transferring into the Night class is what's best for Zero, so I'll do whatever is necessary to see that it happens. Even if I have to drag him to the dormitories myself!"

Kaien Cross leapt over his desk to wrap hid daughter in a tight bear hug, tears streaming down his face. "What a wonderful daughter you are! Could you help father by getting all the signatures for me? It would make me so happy!" he cried.

Yuuki rolled her eyes, used to her adoptive father's odd behavior, as she took the transfer form from him. This was just the excuse she needed to visit Kaname.

'Not that I need one,' she quickly thought, but she knew the other vampires would be more accommodating of her if she came on official school business and not because she wanted to chat casually with one of the most powerful vampires in their society. None of them understood their relationship. Kaname Kuran was a pureblood, so why was he so fascinated with a human girl?

Yuuki didn't understand it either. All she knew was that Kaname was her beginning and her whole world. Without him she wouldn't even be alive today. She owed him everything, but the only thing he seemed to want was her company.

The fifteen year old first sought out the dorm president and class president. She knew neither would be sad to see Zero go, quite the opposite actually, and would gladly sign.

And she was right. Yuuki had barely explained herself when they had snatched the form out of her hand and signed their names with a flourish. After she thanked them and turned away, they shared a smile. Both would be glad to see the last of Zero Kiryu.

Xxxwherethedicefallxxx

Yuuki hesitated outside the gate to the Moon dorms. The only signature she needed was Kaname's, but it was daytime and he was surely sleeping by now. She paced as she debated. Should she enter and wake him, risking the ire of the rest of the Night class, or should she whisper to him during the switch over so they could talk when he got out of class later tonight?

Yuuki took a deep breath and tried to settle her nerves. She had to do this while Zero was still in class, otherwise he would find out and be furious with her.

The man in charge of recording visitors to the Night class barely spared her a glance as she walked through the gate. She paused briefly in front of the doors.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

'There,' Yuuki thought pleased. 'No going back!' She was determined to see Kaname. Zero needed to be moved into the Night class.

The door creaked open and a blonde tousled head popped out, looking as though he had just rolled out of bed. Although he might have considering the inverted sleeping schedule.

"Idol . . . I mean Aidou!" Yuuki exclaimed. "Is Kaname here?"

"And her I thought you had finally come to offer me your sweet blood." Aidou teased, letting her in. "He's in his room."

Yuuki followed him up the stairs. Aidou paused halfway. "So tell me, Yuuki. Whose bite marks are those on your neck?"

The brunette raised a hand to cover them. "The smell of blood wafted into our classroom last night. Put the vampires into quite a frenzy. Dorm President Kuran had us all return to the dorms and told us to ignore it. So we did. But I recognized that scent. I was the only one who did.

"It was the smell of your blood, Yuuki." Aidou said looking at her with hardened blue eyes.

His fingers clenched the railing. Ice spread from his hand down the banister and to her feet. It crawled up her legs to her knees, completely encasing them in ice and trapping her.

'I can't move!' she thought frantically. 'This is the power that only purebloods and vampire aristocrats possess.'

Aidou descended towards her, and encased in ice, Yuuki found herself afraid of a vampire for the second time. A child's voice whispered in the back of her mind 'I'm scared' over and over.

"Just what are you to Lord Kaname?" he hissed menacingly. The candles flickered and died. The temperature dropped.

"Kaname saved me from a bloodthirsty vampire ten years ago. It was going to eat me. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him." She defended. Yuuki didn't know how else to say it. "I'm indebted to Kaname."

"Well, then," Aidou relaxed, "that changes things. Lord Kaname saved your life. You should reward him by giving him your blood."

"My blood?"

"I understand now. Your blood belongs to Lord Kaname. You should go upstairs now and offer up your neck and your delicious blood to him. The feel of his fangs sliding into your neck and the sound of your blood rushing through your veins and into his mouth. The feel of his lips on your neck as he drinks from you will be like nothing you have ever experienced. You'll definitely enjoy it, Yuuki-chan."

The blonde leaned in. "Don't let anyone else drink your blood, Yuuki. Not even me. Your blood belongs to Lord Kaname," he whispered.

SLAP!

Aidou staggered and raised a hand to his cheek where a red mark was already forming. Steam rose as Yuuki turned; barely even noticing she was free of the ice, to see Kaname standing beside her with a hand still raised.

Kaname's voice rang clearly and strongly. "Did I ask for this, Hanabusa?"

"No. I'm terribly sorry, Lord Kaname," the vampire replied, his head hung as he knelt in front of his superior.

"Leave," he ordered.

Without another word, Aidou turned and ran up the stairs. Kaname turned his wine colored eyes on Yuuki. "That was an unpleasant encounter for you. I'm sorry, Yuuki."

"No, no! It's fine. Really. No need to apologize! It's not a problem, Kaname." Yuuki waved her hands to empathize her point.

'Stop babbling. He'll think you're stupid!' her brain screamed at her.

Her nonsensical rambling cut off when Kaname brought a hand up to cup her cheek. Without thought she leaned her cheek into his palm. They fit perfectly together, as if they were made for each other.

"All you need to do is remain yourself, Yuuki. You're different form the ones under me. It'll be enough if you remain warm."

Yuuki studied his face. His eyes seemed so sad and his tone sounded dejected. 'I wonder why he's so lonely.'

"The girl whom I cherish and deem most important to me has been bitten by another." Kaname answered.

'Does that mean Kaname wants to bite me? Oh my god! I must have said that out loud." Yuuki blushed, embarrassed.

"You look beautiful with you face flushed. Did you know that, Yuuki?" Kaname asked.

The heat radiated from her cheeks. 'My face is probably on fire,' she thought miserably.

Kaname dropped his hand from her warm cheek and brought it to rest on her shoulder. "All right. It's time for you to go back."

Yuuki stepped out of his arm and turned to face him. "Wait! There's a favor I needed to ask you."

The pureblood vampire looked at her thoughtfully. "A favor. Perhaps it would be best if we relocate to my rooms. We will be insured privacy there."

"I . . . all right," Yuuki stammered.

She followed him to the second level, attempting to keep her attention on his back and not look at the other vampires staring and whispering from their doorways.

They reached his rooms in silence. Kaname opened the door and stepped aside, allowing her to enter first.

Yuuki took a good look around. The room was designed as a combined living room and study area. Off to her right was a white couch and dark wood coffee table sitting in front of a large fireplace. In front of the window directly in front of her was his desk. The walls to the left were lined with floor to ceiling shelves and stocked with books. She guessed the only door in here led to his bedroom. She was curious about the already started chess game that sat on the table.

"Come. Sit by me." Kaname called. "What is it you wanted to ask of me, Yuuki?" he asked as she sat down on the couch.

"I wanted," she paused, "I wanted to ask you to move Zero into the Night class!"

Yuuki peered upwards at him, waiting for a response. Surprise was visible in his eyes, and as quick as it had come it was gone. He had obviously heard her outside the office last night, but Kaname had clearly expected her to defend Kiryu and beg for him to remain in the Day class.

Did he see fear in her brown orbs? Was she afraid that Kiryu would attack her again like he did last night? That he would be after her blood? Did she feel she was no longer safe with him? Did she not trust Kiryu anymore?

"If that is what you desire," he promised. Anything to keep his Yuuki safe and happy.

"It is." Yuuki said strongly. "I have the transfer form for you to sign." She placed the piece of paper bearing the signatures of the chairman, day class president and dorm president, and herself on the table.

"Is there some other matter you wished to speak of, Yuuki?" the leader of the vampires didn't look at the transfer form, more focused on the question visible in her chocolate eyes.

"I . . yes. There was something else," she said nervously. "Was Aidou right? Does my blood belong to you?"

Kaname sighed, silently promising to find a suitable punishment for Hanabusa for worrying Yuuki. "Don't let that concern you."

"But I need to know!" she pleaded.

He sighed again, finding himself incapable of saying no to her. "Yes, it does."

Nothing was said for a minute. Then, "Do you want some?" Yuuki offered quietly.

"You silly girl. Of course I want your blood." Kaname hugged her tightly to him. "The scent is mouthwatering. It calls like a siren."

"Not now, Yuuki," he said as she tilted her head to expose her neck.

Tears of embarrassment and rejection welled in Yuuki's brown eyes.

"Sharing blood is an intimate thing between vampires. It is only done between partners, or a young child and parent," the vampire explained. "If I took blood from you, I would be declaring you my lover."

Yuuki surprised him a second time when she leaned forward to kiss him lightly. "I don't mind," she whispered against his lips.

Kaname caught her mouth in a fiercer, more passionate kiss. "Is this what you want?" He needed to be sure.

"Yes," she breathed. Kaname was her world. Yuuki had loved him ever since he had saved her that winter night. She would sit by the window, awaiting his arrival, always greeting him with a warm hug and a peck on the cheek. The hero worship of her savior had evolved into love as she matured. Although he could never visit often or stay long, Kaname listened as she told him in great detail everything he had missed. He devoted his attention entirely to her and her whims, making her feel special and loved.

There was nothing she wanted more than the knowledge loved her as well and that she belonged to him.

Kaname pulled her up from the couch and carried her bridal style into his bedchambers. He amended his earlier thoughts, now promising to find an appropriate gift for Aidou for delivering his Yuuki to him.

Zero, the transfer papers, Aidou, and the other vampires were all but forgotten until the pair reemerged that evening.