Reading recently a bunch of Vampire Knight stories I had the sudden urge to write one myself. Really, I don't why it just had to be about blood but there you have it. The title, My Understandings, and the whole story, actually, was inspired by the song "My Understandings", Of Mice & Men. You should really listen it if you have time.

So without further ado, I really hope you'll enjoy. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

I don't own Vampire Knight.

The night was everything a perfect night should be; dark and silent, full of shadows. Moon had just risen to bury the land in its blue glow. But two individual souls had decided to break the serenity of the scene by breaking the rules and sneaking out. Both of them had had a different goal in mind but as the fate planned it, their paths had crossed in a deserted corridor outside the school building.

Two souls from two completely different worlds, but as it happened they were not just some strangers.

Her familiar scent was clouding the air, forcing his primal instincts, his vampire, to the surface. Aidou's eyes sought out the curve of her slender neck, finding the spot where his keen eyesight could detect the slight contractions of her artery. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump.

He swallowed hard, suddenly finding his throat very dry and raw, burning.

Yori watched him with clear and open eyes, just a hint of curiousness, completely unaware of his inner struggles. Tilting her head to the side she unconsciously sent him a message 'I'm ready. I'm willing. What are you waiting for?'. Aidou clenched his teeth violently and took a shaky step backwards. He couldn't lose control now! Oh, but so tempting…

"Aidou-senpai, are you all right? You look a little pale," Yori frowned. She noticed the way his hands were trembling and how his breath had started to come out in labored pants. She approached him cautiously, reaching out her hand.

Aidou flinched and slapped her hand away. "Don't! Don't touch me! You- You have to leave. Please."

Yori was startled by his uncharacteristic behavior but nonetheless kept her calm. Something was obviously not right and despite herself, she was worried of him. So ignoring his words she closed the space between them and lifted her delicate fingers to brush against the side of his face. She had to stand on her tiptoes as their height difference was so great.

Yori held his gaze. "Aidou-kun, please tell me what is wrong. I want to help you."

Her touch was electrifying. Yori was so close and her scent was so overpowering that all thoughts fled from Aidou's mind, leaving only his urges behind. His gums began to tingle as he felt his razor-sharp fangs extending from the inside, reaching lengths they had never before, proving the extent of his bloodlust. His vision swam in red as he finally dared to inhale her forbidden aroma. So delicious.

Aidou was slowly losing a battle against his very own nature.

Yori found herself staring right into the depths of his blood-red eyes, and she froze. Not often did she find herself scared because usually situations could be better solved with calmness and reasoning. But now, she started to realize that everything was spiraling out of her own control, leaving her extremely vulnerable.

Aidou grabbed a hold of the hand that had been brushing his cheekbone and brought it in front of his lips. Holding her gaze he slowly and sensually licked alongside her palm and then circled her wrist with his tongue, leaving a trail of glistening saliva on her skin. Yori started to shiver, and she tried to pull her hand free with no avail. His grip was like iron.

Aidou chuckled at her futile attempts to free herself and pressed a tender kiss right on the pulse point of her wrist, never breaking their eye contact. He could see a slight pink color dusting her cheeks and her eyes were wide like she was a deer caught in the headlights. And despite his gentleness Yori could see the violent passion hidden somewhere behind his actions, just waiting to be released.

Just then his whole body jerked violently and he squeezed her wrist tighter, to the point it was almost painful. "Yori- can't stop- must- no, leave- can't stop. Can't stop," Aidou panted, with voice so strained and husky that if some of his fangirls were to hear it, they would have fainted right on the spot. But Yori could hear the desperation mixed with the desperate wanting, and she understood. She understood.

Yori had always considered herself as an intelligent person. Not just the way her grades were always on top of her class, but she had also been granted with lots of common sense and a good judgment. She had seen immediately something was up with the Night Class but it wasn't in her nature to pry into things that were none of her business. She had been content knowing that whatever it was that made the residents of the Moon Dorm special, had no part in her life.

Until she discovered how very entangled Yuuki was in the web of secrets surrounding the Night Class. Until she started to worry, tossing and turning in the dark of the night, and wonder about the exact nature of those beautiful students. They were simply perfect. And what was it that her grandmother used to say…

"Our flaws and mistakes are nothing to be ashamed of, they make us human."

So Yori started to suspect. For Yuuki's sake she kept her silence but never let her defenses fall. And so, when Aidou first approached her all those weeks ago with his famous smirk and flirty pick-up lines she didn't let his appearance fool her. Yori was nothing if not guarded. But still he managed somehow to work his way inside her fragile heart.

Now, everything had changed. She no longer had to suspect, she knew.

Aidou was fighting a lost battle. Everything about her was just singing for him to take her, to make her his own, to mark her. Never before in his long lifetime had he experienced a thirst to powerful that he was afraid for his own sanity. What's more, he was so afraid that once he started he wouldn't be able to stop. Aidou was not going to lie, it wouldn't be the first time he had sucked the blood of a person to the last drop, he was a designed killing machine after all, but this was Yori he was talking about. His precious human.

But the call of her blood was just too much. The last shred of his control snapped and his conscious was entirely drowned in the river of red haze.

Roughly, Aidou slammed Yori against the hard wall of the corridor. Yori yelped in pain and her skull and left shoulder ached from the impact. She noticed that his eyes were even deeper shade of red now, they were practically bleeding, and his fangs glistened in the moonlight that was reflecting through the large windows. He grabbed her arms so tightly that his fingers were bound to leave hand-shaped bruises, and pinned her against the wall, further agitating her already injured shoulder.

Ripping the collar of her white uniform shirt into shreds Aidou exposed the milky skin of her neck and collarbone, causing goose bumps to rise all over her flesh. Aidou buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the sinful scent that had driven him mad. Yori let out a startled gasp. Her mind was spinning, but there wasn't room for fear anymore as a silent determination had taken its place.

"Aidou-kun. Even if I don't really have a choice, you have my permission," Yori whispered. Her voice was wavering slightly but it still had an edge to it, telling him even in his bloodlusting state that she had made up her mind and his sins would be forgiven. In a gentler voice Yori continued. "I trust you."

Aidou focused with his entire might and was able to answer her. "You are… a fool."

Yori's mouth curved into a shaky smile. "That makes two of us…"

He smirked against her neck and his tongue snaked out to lick her warm skin. Aidou changed his grip on her, allowing her arms to circle around his waist and back, and buried his other hand in her soft curls while the other one held her firmly in place by her shoulder.

Aidou nicked the sensitive flesh of her neck with his fangs, leaving red scratch marks, and Yori sighed and closed her eyes, letting her head fall to the side, completely exposing her neck. She was his prey now, surrendered and falling under his mercy. With last sniff of her addicting scent, he pierced her skin with his needle-sharp fangs.

Yori arched her back and half-shouted. "Aidou-kun…!" It felt like her neck was burning. Liquid fire was spreading from the wound while in exchange her blood was being pulled out from her body, leaving her slightly light-headed. The sensation was one of the most painful she had ever endured. She was breathing heavily and clutching Aidou's shirt with trembling hands.

Even louder than Yori's occasional whimpers were Aidou's greedy gulps and gurgles. His throat was working faster than ever, every swallow acting as a proof of his endless desire. His drinking was so out of control that blood was staining both of their clothes. Drip after drip seeped through the material of her white shirt and his equally white jacket, acting as a reminder of the forbidden blood spilled.

Aidou had already taken his usual dose, and now he was tempting the fate. He knew that with each swallow Yori's fragile heart weakened, slowing, slowing, slowing… until she was no more.

"I trust you."

It was the memory of the honest faith in her words that finally made Aidou come back to his senses. Opening his eyes with a jerk he quickly pulled out his fangs, and lapping all the excess blood that flowed out from the wound he soothed the angry skin with his tongue. He was panting like he had just ran miles and miles, but the red haze was starting to lift from his mind.

When the blood flow had stopped he took a deep breath, and dared to lift his head up to look at her face, afraid of what he would find there. Their eyes met and she dissipated his worries with just one tired smile. Aidou lifted her exhausted form into his arms, offering her his support and strength. Yori leaned her head into his chest as he carried her away.

He cleared his throat, not really sure what to say. So he settled for the obvious. "Yori. Thank you." Despite Aidou's conflicted emotions, his words were probably the most sincere he had ever uttered. Somewhere deep inside lay hidden all the shame, guilt and want, but they remained untouched. Words 'I'm sorry' and 'I forgive you' rang between them, unspoken but heard nonetheless.

Slowly, Yori extended her arm to wipe the blood trickling down his chin.

"So, this is how it feels like to be bitten by a vampire…"

Maronn