Stay

5 Yuki's POV

Zero didn't come to class very much over the next week, but he usually showed up for the class switches and our night time patrols of the grounds. I spent most of the week trying to come up with a way I could help him and I had finally come up with something. I knew Zero would most likely fight me on it, but I couldn't back down on it. I would help and protect him. The one thing Zero needs to stay in control and to stay alive is blood....I could give him that. It was a small sacrifice if it kept him safe.

When classes started for the day I was surprised to find that we had a new Ethics instructor. The other girls were giggling and whispering about how he was good looking, wondering who he was, and wondering about his eye patch. "My name is Toga Yagari." He inroduced himself as he scrawled his name across the black board, "Does anyone have any questions?" In my personal opinion Yagari looked a little too rough to be a teacher, but stranger things, right? The students had erupted into a million questions, but none of them seemed to be about Ethics. "Are you single?" One girl actually called out. I saw Yori roll her eyes and couldn't help but laugh. Yori wasn't like the other girls here. She was never among the mob of girls at the class switches, she didn't drool over boys...

"Nice of you to join us, Kiryu." I looked up to see Zero sliding into his seat. The look on his face told me he had met this Toga Yagari before today. He actually looked really uncomfortable and Yagari was watching him like a hawk. I would definately have to ask Zero about that later.

Unfortunately after class, Zero was gone before I could ask him anything. I looked for him in the stables and then his dorm, but he wasn't at either. With a sigh I decided to go clean up before going to deal with the mob of girls waiting for the twilight class switch.

I made my way to the head master's personal bathroom. Being Kaien's daughter had it's perks I suppose. Where could Zero have run off to? Who was Toga Yagari to Zero? Why did his presence here make Zero uncomfortable?

I was so distracted with my own thoughts that I didn't notice the towel hung over the bathroom door knob. "Will you ever learn to knock?" Zero's voice made me jump. He was sitting on the floor with his container of blood tablets. "You're the one who never knocks." I said defensively. My face turned red when I finally noticed the towel...I had told him to put one on the knob so I would know he was here and I wouldn't come in, but I hadn't seen it even though it was bright yellow...Well, he's not naked so....I stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. "What do you want, Yuki?" I had a few questions that I needed to ask, I needed to tell him how I could help him, but none of those things came out.

"I'm so sorry." I said instead and dropped to my knees in front of him, "I'm sorry for being so stupid and blind, Zero." A few tears slipped down my cheeks as I forced myself to meet his gaze. "What are you talking about?" He looked and sounded a little stunned. I gently touched his face. "I've been so clueless." I said quietly, "You've been shouldering this the whole time and I was to stupid to see it..." Zero took my hand from his cheek and held it lightly in his own. "Yuki.." He breathed my name, "What do you want?"

This wasn't what I had intended to happen. "Please talk to me, Zero." I could hardly look at him, all the pain and sadness in his eyes felt as if it would crush me. "Let me be here for you, you don't have to be alone in this anymore." Zero looked away  working his jaw, but he pulled me to sit beside him. "I was such a mess when we first met." He said softly, "Kaienn told you to be nice to me, so you took me to the wash room and cleaned all the blood off of me." He forced a small smile. "I remember you checking on me every night, staying all night with me if I wasn't alright.." He gave a sad chuckle, "You shared so much of my pain back then....but I don't know if you can share this, Yuki."

I slipped my fingers between his and rested my head on his shoulder. "Let me try." I whispered squeezing his hand. Zero laid hes head against mine. "The pain is worse than if I had died...the longer I fight it the more it hurts." He explained, "My body has started to reject the tablets." My way of helping him was looking better and better. "I'm afraid, Yuki." He said in a voice so quiet I could barely hear him, "I'm afraid of what I'm becoming...what I might do.." I brought my head up and looked him in the eyes. "You are Zero Kiryu." I said in a firm voice, "One of the people I care for most in this world, I would give my life for you without hesitation, I won't let you become a monster, Zero, I won't let you give up on yourself."