When Yori awoke she was alone. She was jerked to consciousness with a gasp, mind reeling from the grasp of a dream that drained away the moment she opened her eyes.

She was lying somewhere. A bed? Her fingers twitched, felt the material of a fitted sheet over a mattress, and felt a little more grounded. A bed was familiar, even if the room she was in was not. It was cool and dark, a pitch-black that she should never have been able to see in, but somehow the faint light of the moon outside the window, even hidden behind clouds as it was, was enough to illuminate the small room she was in. She didn't recognize the contours of the chamber, but she knew that it was a bedroom, and somehow that was enough.

Beyond the immediacy of her surroundings, however, Yori was overwhelmed with a dry, burning sensation that scorched down her throat, pierced her gums, and throbbed in her very teeth. She desperately needed a drink, but something told her it was not water that she craved... The thought terrified her. Instead, she pressed her fingertips down into the mattress and concentrated on her breathing. Anything to redirect the dangerous flow of her thoughts.

In...

Out...

The door creaked open.

Yori shot up into a sitting position, eyes trained on the figure that entered now. She wasn't sure how, given the dim lighting, but she could make out his features perfectly in the darkness. The aristocratic line of his nose, the full tilt of his mouth, the dark eyes and darker hair that fell down to his shoulders... Through the stretch of pale, pale skin, she could just make out the tracing of bluish veins... And there was a scent...one she couldn't name...the sweetest, most mouth-watering scent she had ever smelled in her life...

Abruptly, the burning in her mouth was unbearable. A noise left her in a rush-a hiss? And she trembled on the bed, stomach roiling hungrily.

Oh my God, I want to eat him... The thought thundered through her mind, jolted through her limbs, and scared her enough that she was able to fight off the terrible urge to launch herself across the room at him.

Kaname Kuran flicked up a single eyebrow and muttered, "Admirable." He stayed in the doorway however, and continued, "Well, I'm sure you have many questions. Before that, however, there's someone who wants to see you." Before he left, she heard him add, "Thank you. For saving Yuki."

Then he was gone, and a new scent filled the room. This time, it was one that Yori knew. She wasn't sure how, since she had never before consciously registered such a thing, but she knew who it was before she even registered the blond hair and vivid blue eyes. "Hanabusa-kun," she murmured, and a moment later his arms were around her in a tight embrace.

"Yori-chan," he whispered hoarsely. It seemed as though he might say more, but he shook his head instead, separating the two of them far enough that he could cup her face in his hands and give her a shaky smile as he touched their foreheads together.

"I'm okay," she assured him, although discomfort spiked through her tongue with each syllable. However, each time she examined where that discomfort stemmed from, it immediately shut down for a moment of utter horror.

"Before you woke up, I was thinking of how much I'd yell at you for being so stupid. For challenging Shizuka Hio. But...now that you're awake..." His thumbs brushed over her cheeks. He swallowed, then, "You are the bravest woman I know."

Even in her current state, Yori was still able to flush.

"You must be starving, though." The look he gave her spoke volumes-volumes she didn't want to read into. Immediately, she shuddered and shook her head quickly. Aidou's lips quirked sympathetically, and he said, "It's not so bad. You know how much I enjoy it."

The caramel-haired girl pressed her lips together stubbornly.

"I'm sorry, Yori-chan. There's really no other way. And it's not safe for you to see Yuki or any other humans again until you're stable..." He really did look sorry. She'd thought when she saw him that he might have been happy; after all, they could stay together now indefinitely, couldn't they, if he wanted to? Instead, he looked pained.

Nevertheless, the thought of seeing Yuki again spurred her to whisper, "Okay."

"You're brave, see?" He chuckled. "Brave enough to face off against a pureblood as a human. And you did save Yuki. I don't know if Kaname-sama told you. She's safe. You bought Zero Kiryuu enough time to break out of his compulsion."

A rush of relief flooded through her. So her sacrifice hadn't been in vain. Her shoulders sagged a little as some of the weight settled on them lifted.

"I promise, it won't be bad. I'll make it easy," he assured her, and lifted his hand to scratch two long, dark lines of blood into the base of his neck.

Red pulsated through her vision and an intense spasm of pain gripped her throat. The scent of blood that wafted from his skin was maddening, and before she realized it her instincts had already kicked in and driven her to lean towards him. She could see the web of veins weaving outward, could smell and feel the heat of blood that drove through them, and her body trembled as she fought to keep her reason.

It should disgust her. She had tasted her own blood before. It was metallic, like iron. Yet, as her tongue darted out to taste the crimson liquid that had broken the surface, she realized that her human experience could not be compared to this. This was...exquisite. Divine. The very essence of Hanabusa Aidou was on the tip of her tongue, ice and fire and spring, and her mouth ached, her willpower snapped, and her teeth automatically sank deep into his throat to drink him in.

"That's it," he encouraged her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. She had felt him shudder the first moment her fangs had pierced his skin, but now he was still, stroking his hands through her hair and down her spine. The familiar warmth of his arms comforted her in spite of the strangeness of her situation.

Yori lost herself to the taste of him and to sating the ravenous feeling in the pit of her stomach, but after a short while she was able to loosen her hold on him and slow down. When she wasn't swallowing down his blood so frantically, she could catch other things there, fragments of thoughts and feelings. His regret for the loss of her human life. At least, regret for the loss of the choice, because he'd always hoped she'd choose to become a vampire and stay with him. His relief that she and Yuki were alright. The pleasure he felt from her fangs, a strange reflection of how she had always felt about his. His reassurances that she would be alright, and that life as a vampire could be just as fulfilling as a human one... She hoped that was true, considering what she had just lost.

At last, she was able to stop feeding. She removed her fangs and slowly the skin over the bite wounds closed. Perhaps instinctually, or perhaps remembering Aidou's etiquette, she cleaned the blood off his neck with her tongue. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do now. She was simply trying to keep her mind from thinking too much about what she had done. That she had just consumed...blood... No. She halted this train of thought and leaned her head against his shoulder instead, wrapping her arms around his neck and settling against him. He returned the embrace, kissing the top of her head and laying his cheek against it.

"What happened to Shizuka?" she managed after a moment. It was best to keep her mind fluid, moving. The moment it started to settle, her joints locked up with fear.

"She's dead. Kaname-sama killed her," he answered simply. "Don't worry, though. Thankfully, she gave you some of her blood...so you won't fall to Level E."

"What about Zero-kun?"

A pause. Then, "He didn't... She died before he could..." A breath. "But, Kaname-sama is helping to stabilize him..."

"So he agreed to it after all." Her thoughts echoed, So he is a pureblood, after all. Perhaps that was why he had smelled so different. She added that to a list of growing questions that she would have to remember to ask later.

"Yes. I like to think that you inspired him."

"Unlikely." She gave a snort through her nostrils.

He chuckled. "I said I like to think that, so let me think it."

"Fine." She giggled, relaxing more against him. And then stiffened just as suddenly, sitting up to stare at him as her pulse skyrocketed. "Will I have to forget you?" she asked, heart dropping into the pit of her stomach.

"No," a deeper voice said from the door, and both she and Aidou turned to see that Kaname had returned. Aidou leapt to his feet instantly, but the darker vampire motioned him to sit back down. "I was already made aware of your situation. Hanabusa found you and told me everything."

Aidou had found her? Her eyes darted to the blond, who flinched, although from what she couldn't say, and then turned back to the Night Dorm leader.

"In the future I will be far more vigilant in order to prevent such...affairs..." Kaname directed an ominous look at Aidou. "However, under your circumstances, it would be cruel and needless to erase your memories. You are one of us, now, after all."

"What will happen to me?" she asked softly.

Yori thought she glimpsed some sympathy in his eyes. "You will join the Night Class, of course," he told her. "Your life needn't suffer great change at the moment. As the owner of this academy, your father was already aware of our existence, and he's already been informed of the incident. He will want to know that you're awake."

"Oh. Thank you." She was stunned. And grateful. She had always disliked Kaname Kuran, but perhaps...well, she wondered if she'd misjudged him a little.

"I'll leave you two alone. I only wanted to assure you that you have a place in the Night Class, and that I will answer all your questions later, after you've recovered."

He turned to go, but she stopped him with a quick, "Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I have one question now. If you...don't mind..." Yori was still herself. And she was still burning with curiosity. He waited quietly, so she inquired, "How is it possible that you are Yuki-chan's brother?"

She heard a rush of breath. A laugh? Then, "My little sister was once a vampire."

What?! Yuki had once been..? Her mind was reeling from this information...and confused. "How?" she questioned in a rush.

"Yuki can tell you our history later herself, but our mother sacrificed her life to change Yuki into a human and keep her safe... That is what she is now. And that is why I am grateful to you for protecting her... Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Very well." Like before, Kaname disappeared as swiftly as he had appeared, leaving Yori in a daze.

"A vampire..." She stared with wide eyes at Aidou.

"It is a very well-guarded secret...," the blond admitted. "I'm glad I don't have to keep secrets from you anymore..."

"Me, too."

In the weeks that followed, Hanabusa thought that Yori had adjusted rather well to vampire life. She attended classes regularly, and still went riding on the weekends. She wasn't rooming any longer with Yuki, since she'd been moved into the Night Dorm, but the two girls were finding more time for one another now, and Yori looked happy. As for Hanabusa, he was relieved that he could finally introduce her as his girlfriend. Even if his father had written him a very lengthy, irritated letter explaining why he could not marry a Level D... Well, he'd worry about that later.

Just now, he wasn't worrying about anything. Not with Yori's delicate teeth in his throat, sending chills skittering delightfully down his spine. She was still reluctant to bite him, but when she did he enjoyed it more than he cared to admit. She must have read it in his blood, however, because he felt her lips curve up against his neck, and he laughed.

"Don't spy on me," he teased, tugging on her ear.

The caramel-haired girl lifted her head, licking away the excess blood, and chuckled. "I can't help it. You're all but shouting at me."

"I am a noble vampire. I do not shout my thoughts," he sniffed.

"You definitely do." She grinned, and his eyes traced the length of her still-receding fangs, settling on a bloodstain at crook of her lips.

"You missed a spot," he breathed huskily, lips brushing the corner of her mouth, tongue tracing an arc from her lower lip to her upper. He felt her gasp involuntarily, shivering slightly at the contact.

Hanabusa pulled back just enough to lock his gaze with hers again and whispered devilishly, "I think you took a little too much. I'm going to need some of that back." And once again, before she could even blink, his mouth was against hers, insistent and hot, tongue sliding along hers as he took back the residue of his blood that lingered there.

He gave her a moment to breathe.

"If I took too much, you could have just bitten me," she pointed out wryly once she had caught her breath.

"Don't ruin the mood," he chastised, nipping at her bottom lip and lapping up the single droplet of blood he raised there.

"You're going to run out of different places to bite, at this rate..."

"I won't," he denied. "After I've bitten every possible inch of you, I can still bite you in different places."

Yori rolled her eyes. "That's a pun, isn't it."

"Maybe...," he hedged.

"It definitely is."

He smirked. "And I can get very, very creative, I hope you know." He didn't mistake the flush that rose to her cheeks now, and he took advantage to press his lips back against hers, savoring the way their mouths fit together and the spike in her pulse the moment he did so.

When they came up for air again, Yori lay the flat of her palm against his chest and reminded him, "We have class."

"You are really determined to kill the mood, aren't you?" he grumbled, expression threatening to turn into a full-on pout.

She giggled. "There's no rush, you know. We have all the time in the world now. Forever..." Her expression sobered now, obviously reminded of the long lifespan that now stretched before her.

"You're right." He took her hands in his and smiled. "It's probably too soon for me to say so, but I plan to stay with you. It's not so scary if we'll be together, is it?"

"It is definitely too soon, Hanabusa Aidou," she chastised. Her cheeks were painted with a pretty flush once more. "But you're right... if you're there with me, it won't be so scary..."

"Even the indefinitely grumpy Zero Kiryuu will still be around," he added sourly. "And all our mostly idiotic classmates..."

"Will we still have to go to class?" She glanced down at her watch.

"You'll probably want to. So, yes."

"I will not!" she protested.

"Sayori Wakaba, giving up her books and learning? I don't think so."

She was laughing now, and his heart lifted. He hadn't told her just how attached he was to her, or that he was falling in love with her. Not yet. But he thought he might soon. Very soon...

In the meantime, however, he stood and pulled her up, announcing, "Alright, time for class."

She fell in place beside him, hand in hand, and Hanabusa was happier than he could ever remember being.

It was the end of summer when Aidou first whispered, "I love you." Yori was unsure about what was going to happen or how much her life had truly changed after becoming a vampire, but she thought that if there was one thing she was sure about, it was Hanabusa Aidou.

So, despite reservations, despite thinking that it was perhaps too soon to say such a thing, she answered, "I love you, too." Somehow, she always said more than she intended to with him.

Somehow, loving Aidou became the one constant in a lifetime crowded with thousands of ever-changing variables. Maybe she had spoken too soon on that rainy August night, but the words only became more and more true over the years. A thousand years later, and she still loved him. She always would.

FIN

AN: Sorry, I know I could have made this a lot longer and better but I didn't want to drag it out. I said this at the end of Bluest Eyes but I'll say it here, too- I've been working on another fic (that I have way more inspiration for), so I wanted to finish up this one so that I could start publishing it. I'm going to upload the prologue for it probably today...it's very different than anything I've attempted before so...we'll see how it goes.

Anyway, if I'm hit with inspiration for this one in the future, I can always go back and edit it and make it longer! Thank you guys for reading and for all your support. You are the best! -heart-