Moonless: Vengeance Of A Broken Heart | Vampire Knight

I X

SATURDAY | DECEMBER 7

The bathroom echoed from Zero's coughing and water running from the sink. Desperately, he tried to get out the bitter tablet that refused to go down his throat, no matter how determined he was to quench himself. After a few more heaves, he spat out what he tried to ingest, the tiny tablet bouncing in the sink before resting on the small amount of water collecting at the bottom.

The tablet dissolved; a dark red line descended the drain.

Zero gritted his teeth, left unsatisfied again from his failed attempt to take the tablet but, more so, disgusted by what he was doing to keep himself sane.

"Damnit..."

The bathroom door suddenly opened, and Mizuki came in, yawning, with partially opened eyes. He quickly hid the little black box in his pocket and washed the tablet down the drain. He glanced at her through the mirror and saw her rubbing her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Zero asked, putting his hands in the water to pretend as if he was washing his hands.

"I slept here," she replied, her voice hoarse from slumber. "I couldn't sleep in the dorm..."

"Same." Zero looked back down, turning off the water. "And then Kaien went and woke me up, telling me something about a damn surprise. Two in the afternoon..."

Mizuki approached him and then felt his face. He tried to turn away, showing he didn't want to be touched, but she didn't bother to read his action. Zero didn't mind when she checked his temperature; she had done it all the time ever since he started living with them. But because something was happening with him, he feared she would figure it all out.

"You're hot. Are you all right?" she asked, touching his forehead more.

"I'm fine," he responded.

Mizuki stared up at him for a while, searching his face as he avoided her gaze. He sighed, knowing she didn't believe him. He then leaned away when Mizuki leaned in, her eyes focused on his eyes. Her golden eyes went from eye to eye as if reading him like a book.

"What?" he asked.

"You haven't been acting right lately," she said.

"Here we go..." Zero rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm not in the mood to be lectured right now," he said, moving around her to walk away. She grabbed his arm and pulled him in to keep him still. He sighed, rolling his eyes again, and looked down at her.

They stared at each other for a minute, and Zero couldn't help but think of when they were a couple. He would become closed off, distant from her, and unable to express himself as he'd like. But, when the time was right, she would bring him in and speak gently and earnestly.

He would open up so many times and talk to her about his frustrations and concerns and the grief he had for losing his family.

"I know you, Zero," she said. "You've been irritable, you're sleeping a lot, you—"

"I'm sleeping a lot? Where did you hear that from?" he grumbled.

"Yuki, of course."

Zero sighed, feeling he couldn't do anything different around Yuki, or she would report it to Mizuki. It was just like that embarrassing time when he was going through puberty and started spending extra time alone in his room.

"Even if I didn't hear from other people. I know you've been skipping meals, your complexion has become so pale, and...you smell..."

"I smell? Thanks," he said sarcastically.