Next: Zero Kiryuu!

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I screwed my eyes tight shut at the familiar sensation of fangs piercing my skin. It wasn't like I wasn't used to it- this was practically a part of my daily regime. It shouldn't cause me pain anymore, and it doesn't. If anything, it rids me of my pain.

That was how it started.

I'd always had a difficult life; my mother died giving birth to me, leaving me with my father. When she died, he got into drugs and self harm, not minding the fact that a young child, barely a year old, was watching every time he took a knife to his wrists. Some say that it's messed up that my earliest memory is of blood pouring from gouged slashes in pale skin, and my father's eyes writhing in his head. But the blood doesn't bother me.

Then, he overdosed on cold medicine, which he was using to help him sleep dreamlessly. So I was shipped off to live with my grandparents in Japan, at the tender age of three. They blamed me for the whole thing, and packed me off to a boarding school as soon as I was old enough. And, of course, my ginger hair seemed to get me in all kinds of trouble, purely because it was different, or 'freakish'. Those of you that think that being ginger makes you special, that ginger hair is a good quality to have when you're young and helpless, don't make me laugh. It isn't. Unless you like the idea of going to sleep in fear every night.

And, finally, I was driven to self-harm at the age of seven. Nobody found out, though there were rumours about how I always wore long-sleeved shirts, even in summer. Of course, when I reached high school, I had to wear a uniform, so it was different, and at the fitting for going to my new school, someone finally found out. Chairman Cross, the headmaster of Cross Academy, my new school. When I told him my story, he made me promise to stop, though wasn't mad. After all, I hadn't been taught any better.

And I did stop, for a while. But it was like a black hole, slowly sucking me back in, making me crave the pain, a masochist. And that was when I met Zero. He was in Chairman Cross' office, and seemed in serious pain, so I rushed to help him. I was startled by the red glint in his eyes, and, being highly superstitious due to my grandparents, knew straight away what he was. It was then that I let him drink my blood for the first time.

It was a win-win situation, really; I got the pain that I craved, and he got the blood he desired. We wouldn't exchange words, just occasional glances if we passed in the hallways, or saw each other in the courtyard. and, of course there were the notes to organise meetings, disguised as love letters in each others lockers, to hide our addiction from our classmates.

There was one in particular that we had to hide it from. Yuuki Cross.

I don't know what it was about her, but I found that I couldn't stand her. Especially when her and Zero became the guards of the night class students. I didn't understand why I disliked her so much; I didn't know her that well, barely even knew her name, and yet, whenever I saw her with Zero, a snarl rose in my throat, making me want to gag.

And then, the notes stopped coming. I checked my locker every day, and every day was another disappointment. That was when I came to realise- the only person I'd ever relied on had no use for me anymore.

I sank back into depression, except worse than before, since each day showed me more of that girl in the place where I wanted- no, needed, to be. When Yuuki Cross came into school wearing a scarf around her neck in summer, my weak support finally gave. I had been replaced.

"Kasumi! What the hell are you doing?!"

My head whirled to the voice, my eyes wide, before they drooped again, dead.

"Go away, Zero." I turned my gaze back to the stone courtyard, distant, yet soon to be close. The toes of my Mary-Jane flats hung off the edge of the building.

"You're not seriously going to jump?!" he sounded incredulous, but angry, too, " Are you insane?! Baka!!"

I heard footsteps coming towards me, and my head snapped toward him, a glare on my face. Now was the true test. "Come any closer, Zero Kiryuu, and I will jump."

He halted, and a small smile tugged at my lips. He cared enough to not want me to jump, at least.

"You don't have to do this, Kasumi, think for a second! Do you really want to leave all of this behind?!" Zero reasoned, not one to lose his cool, that much I knew.

"Yes. Why would I not want to leave pain behind?" I said calmly, "There's nothing left for me here, except..." I trailed off, meeting his eyes with a soft gaze, trying to convey the emotions I felt to him through that one look. Maybe he would be able to make sense of them; I sure as hell couldn't. "But you don't need me anymore." he seemed aghast at my words, as my expression twisted angrily, "You have Yuuki Cross to look after you."

Zero just shook his head, trying to make sense of it all, "There are things left for you here! Don't be stupid-"

"I have no parents, no friends, no life. What? What is there for me?" he looked torn, staring at me with those crystal lilac eyes that always told such a sad story. His silence answered my question, and I smirked in hollow victory. "Exactly. Nobody needs me."

And with those words, I turned my body and fell, hearing a cry of "I need you!" before I closed my eyes to the world forever.

- - -

"Zero-kun, what's the matter?"

Zero turned his head slightly at his company's question, not even able to bring himself to glare as he usually would.

"Nothing." he said blankly, before scanning the area, "All of the day class students are gone."

"Oh, okay." Yuuki said, then smiled, and, sensing that he wanted to be alone, said, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Zero-kun!"

Zero sighed, going inside the school and to his own room, picking something up, then heading out again. Despite Kasumi having been isolated from the rest of the students, the number of flowers having been placed at the site of her landing was many. Sitting down in his normal position (never one to act formal, even at a grave site) he laid the few flowers he had picked up from his room on top of the already large pile.

Just one of many... he thought, but I know she'll appreciate it.

With a small smile, he thought back over the past few years of knowing Kasumi. Sure, at first she'd just been a meal... an easy snack that also got something out of his greed, that quenched his thirst better than anything else, but she soon became much more than that. And the moment that he realised he had come to love the girl, he broke it off, staying away. The temptation of her blood was too much, and he had seen first hand how humans turned out when vampires lost control. And he would hate himself even more than he did already if he did anything to harm Kasumi.

He wished more than anything that he could have told her sooner, then maybe she wouldn't have been so alone- though her isolation made her beautiful. She was a clean spirit, untainted and unpoisoned by the evils of those around her, with her curly locks of burnt copper hair and clear green eyes. Somehow, it was that isolation and beauty that had turned his infatuation with her blood into something much stronger with the girl herself... even if he didn't realise until it was too late.

-  -  -

That was the hardest fucking thing I've ever had to write in my entire god-damn life. And I have had to write a five page essay on war poetry before. Zero has to be the hardest character to write romance for on the entire planet. Seriously. Because he's totally the most unfeeling bastard ever (don't get me wrong, I ADORE him) so it's difficult to make him do lovey-dovey, outspoken stuff. But yeah. I liked how this'n turned out.

So, yeah! This was a request for somebody- I forget your name, sorry ^^- so I expect that person to comment!! And the rest of you too! And vote also, and maybe fan? Please???

Haha, well, until next time! Ja ne!! :D