rainbows in oil puddles

xi

Holy ever-loving cannoli, guys. How did we get to this? Another chapter? This is kind of an introspective chapter, and one that kind of kickstarts the whole LGBTQ+ part of this work. 

And I changed the cover! Courtesy of ace on Wattpad (I don't know how to mention people, it never works).

I really went off on a tangent here. 

<->

"Mr. Yagari?"

Yagari looked up from the book he was reading to look Zero over. "Hell, kid, you look awful. What is it? Feeling sick again?"

"I feel awful. So much stuff has happened today, and I just realized I haven't even finished that homework you gave me."

"It's due on Thursday, anyways. So you have some time. What is it you wanted to tell me?"

"I need to go to the Headmaster's again to grab my arm band. I forgot it."

"Right. Kaien told me you forgot it. I was going to bring it to you, but stuff came up. He's busy right now, so.." Yagari turned back to his laptop. "I can shoot him an email and ask him to drop it off after class."

"Yea, that'll work." Zero shuffled back to his seat, laying his chin on his crossed arms, trying to make sense of the day. It wasn't like he was a stranger to stressful days. But he had so many unanswered questions right now, he didn't have room in his head for anything else. Thankfully this was his last class of the day. 

<->

First, Kaname Kuran's behavior during their conversation. 

The pureblood was pretty much unreadable all the time; Zero had never been able to discern his true motives. But the emotions in his eyes, the way he acted during the whole thing. The concern in his voice when he asked Zero if he was sick. 

Of course the concern could have been faked, so he could get the answer to his question, Zero told himself. But his reaction to me saying I was going to dance with Yuki...was he disappointed because he wanted to dance with her? He always wants to dance with her.

Then, his mind offered up a solution he hadn't thought of before. One that made him pause. 

Maybe he wanted to dance with you, Zero?

"What?" Zero responded, unaware of the fact that he was speaking out loud at first, until a student looked at him. That's bull, he responded. 

Think about it. He went out of his way to ask you about that. When he probably knew already you were going.

"But," Zero responded, in utter disbelief. "How? Kuran hates my guts! And I'm pretty sure he doesn't swing that way. Not after the displays he's put up with Yuki."

Exactly. They could have been just displays. Remember, you've called him the 'master of disguise' more times than I can count in your own head. 

"He's put up a disguise just like I have."

If what his mind was telling him was true, Kaname had hid his true orientation just like how Zero had hid his bloodlust for four years. Zero couldn't imagine being in the closet, let alone for that long. Pretending to have interest in something he didn't.

Zero's mind whirled. "You're grasping at straws here, though." He responded. "I don't know for sure if he swings that way, and I don't want to assume anything."

Suit yourself, the voice responded, then fell silent, leaving him to his own thoughts. 

Well, that hadn't helped anything. Now he was left with something else crowding his already filled mind. A speculation he barely had any evidence, except the conversation earlier, to support. 

<->

There was a knock on the door, and Kaien popped his head in. He looked around, then located Zero. He walked over and dropped the arm band on Zero's desk, then left. 

"Oh, Zero. You got your arm band after all." Yuki noted

"Yea," Zero sat up. "I'll be able to patrol with you after all."

"You could've done so without your badge. Everyone here knows you're a Disciplinary Committee member."

"True." Zero slipped the arm band on.

"Will you be able to patrol, though? You said you weren't feeling well."

"I'll try to go as long as I can."

"You know, I can always ask-" She coughed, and grabbed her water bottle, taking a sip to whet her mouth before she spoke again. "-Sorry. I can always ask the Headmaster to fill in for you."

"Maybe. He's done enough for me today."

"He's our father, Zero." With that, she turned back to the worksheet she was filling out. "He's supposed to help us."

"I know." But that didn't make it any better. It was just another burden he'd placed on somebody's shoulders.

<->

Five minutes later, Zero was halfway through a worksheet when the bell rang. Students filed out of their seats towards their dorm rooms, looking forward to sleeping. 

"Come on, Zero. Time for us to go on patrol. Hopefully there are no students out tonight."

"Yeah. Or Night Class members." He added, then thought of what his mind had come up with earlier. Part of him wanted to ask Kaname about it, the other part of him knew well enough to not bring it up. 

"Especially not with what happened earlier." Yuki said, mentioning the conversation that had taken place during lunch. The infamous conversation that had been a part of this whole mess. 

"Yeah. Definitely." 

"Well, come on."

<->

"Wonder what the Headmaster has in store for dinner tonight."

"Hopefully not another one of the 'his style' meals." 

"Yeah. Sensei should be the only one cooking, honestly." Zero laughed. He had basically grown up with Yagari's cooking. The smell of barbecue and smoke outside meant the evening was going to be good.

"Is he a good cook?" Yuki asked.

"He's awesome. Can cook a lot of stuff."

"We should ask him to cook for us someday."

"I agree-" Zero was about to add something, but a noise caught his attention. There was the sound of a lighter being flicked, then a sizzle as something caught. The faint smell of cigarette smoke drifted to his nose a second later. 

So it was either his sensei, another student, or Akatsuki really did smoke. Somehow, it was rather fitting for someone like him to do that. For one, he had fire powers. And second, it just fit his image. 

"Zero," Yuki crinkled her nose. "Do you smell that?"

"Yeah."

"Should we go see who it is?"

"Maybe." Zero waved at his nose. "To tell them to stop."

"Alright, then. Let's find them."

They walked over to the abandoned Moon Dorm building, and rounded the corner. 

<->

I'mma leave you guys on a cliffhanger. Who do you think they found smoking?

:>)