Flower Affair | Vampire Knight

Chapter 24

The one thing Hana hates was running, and so far she's been doing that ever since she's become affiliated with the academy's secret. Surprisingly she was able to catch up to Zero... well not entirely. She was only able to catch up to the point of seeing his tall silhouette allowing her to follow after him.

As she ran, picked up his uniform jacket he took off while running and a few dropped blood tablets. Hana didn't want any Day Class students to go pick them up, especially the blood tablets.

She recalled Headmaster Cross explaining to her that the vampires here didn't drink human blood. They use these small white blood tablets as a blood replacement. You just drop one or a few in a glass of water and bam, fake blood. It kind of reminded Hana was vegetarian meat.

After running what felt like forever, Zero had led her to the school's swimming pool outside. It was dark, but the night sky lit the area good enough to let her see his figure leaning weakly on the fence. He didn't look so hot

 "Zero!" she shouts running up to him. She knelt beside him placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Zero's eyes widened to see her, but he didn't move from his spot... more like he didn't have the strength to. Hana assumed he used all his strength to fight off his thirst.

Hearing no response, she looks down to see his opened blood tablet case in his clutched hand.

"You idiot," she stated. She grabbed the case and placed all the fallen tablets inside. "You were dropping them like a rice bag with a hole in it. Did you want the whole Day Class to find them?"

Again, silence but Hana wasn't finish scolding him.

"Have you not been using these? There's so much in here! No wonder you have it bad controlling yourself. I know you hate being a vampire and what they do to survive, but this isn't even real blood! Do you really want to be a danger to Yuki?!"

Hana was just so angry. He should've known better! He had the knowledge, resources, and family to help get him through this, despite Yuki not knowing yet. Hana didn't understand why he was acting like this. 

At the party before she left, she was sure Yuki looked worried. The shorter prefect probably had followed after them. Hana hoped not and that Pureblood stopped her. She didn't need the brunette finding out Zero's secret like this.

Huffing out a sigh, she was about to get up before he grabbed her shoulders down. He was breathing heavy with his head down, and Hana could closely see how much he was in pain from holding back.

"Exactly..." he manages to get out, his heavy breathing making his voice husky. She was confused until he finished what he was saying. "It's not real blood. It's no use..."

Shit.

"I've tried so many times to drink it..." he says scrunching his eyes in distaste. "It doesn't work..." He winces suddenly, and that's when Hana sees it. His tattoo on his neck was glowing. What in the world... The headmaster didn't say it would do that! 

"L-Let's go see the headmaster now. He can help you," the Day Class student starts. "Come on and get u-!"

Strong arms pulled her back down. Hana immediately felt the heat rush up from the back of her neck to her ears. 

He was close to her, so close that she could feel his hot breath at the nape of her neck. Hana didn't even try to break out of his embrace, she could already feel his strong hold on her. She was no match.

"Zero?" Hana hesitantly says.

"Just stay like this... please," he pleads, tightening up his embrace. He then buries his head into her neck inhaling.

Oh no... Was Zero going to bite her?

Her heart quickens at the thought reaching for the EPIPEN. But after a few seconds of silence, Hana realizes that his breathing was getting lighter. 

A flashback of the night by the stairs came to her. 

Deciding to do something stupid, she put her EPIPEN back and slowly put her arms around Zero. She felt him flinched a bit from her touch but slowly relaxed into it. 

Was being by her side really enough for Zero to control his urge for blood?