Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This is for Merrow's challenge! *ties headband tighter* Following events from the manga, Chapter 75, I present here, a Kureno X Uo story. This part is told from Uo's POV, roughly six months AFTER part nine. It's been so long, you say! What could've happened?! Well, read to find out. ^^

Part Ten - Life Goes On

By the gods I can't believe it's here.

I can't tell you how long I've waited. Well, all right I can.

Six long months to be exact!

I managed to get through midterms with little problem and my scores on my final exams were the best they'd ever been. All this despite the fact that I rarely studied. Perhaps my senior year at Kaiwaia High School was a special one after all.

It's here! Finally!

Graduation day.

It's a special day for all of us really. Tohru is keeping her promise to her mother. She's even going to a culinary school on a full scholarship! I knew she could do it.

Hanajima is just happy to be finished with school, although I know she'll go to a junior college in the fall. I'm not sure what she'll study, though. Quite honestly, I'm pretty sure SHE doesn't even know. I can picture her running her own business, perhaps. Some sort of occult store, or...strangely enough...a bakery. She always liked sweets.

Yuki, I knew, was going to a highly recognized university in the fall. Rumor has it that he and Tohru are going to be sharing an apartment. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but I'm happy for him. For them both. It took FOREVER for the two of them to say something to each other, despite our best efforts to help.

Of course, there's also Kyo. Strangely, my picking and teasing had slowly come to a halt over the last six months. I think it's something to do with my relationship with his cousin. And partially because I know his secret.

I'm happy to say that I haven't told anyone, either. Yuki and Kyo included. I must admit it was difficult at times. But trying to picture the writer as a dog was always good for a laugh.

Me, I'm happy to say that I have a partial scholarship to a school in the United States. I'm not sure how I got accepted, although I suspect that a certain someone had something to do with it. My English sucks, but I've been assured that I'll fit in just fine.

And as long as he's there, I could care less about the world around me. At least for a little while.

Kami only knows what I'll major in. I've always been partial to art...perhaps something in design. But my drawing skills are as bad as my English skills so...perhaps not.

The ceremony is short, at least to the spectators. It feels like a dragging oration to us. Yuki's speech, which was amazing short, was actually very heartfelt, open and -- if I have to admit it -- inspirational. He's really an okay guy.

Finally the names are called and I receive my diploma close to the end of the line. Thankfully it's not a hot day, or else my palms would've been too sweaty to shake hands. I accepted my piece of paper with a grateful nod, shaking the principal's hand as I passed, and joyously took my seat among my fellow students.

The festivities ended around two o'clock. I made one last round of congratulations and good-byes. Hanajima wished me the best of luck. Tohru hugged me tightly telling me to keep in touch. I shook Yuki and Kyo's hands, wishing them the best. They smiled and echoed Tohru's suggestion of keeping in touch.

Time seemed to be flying now and if I didn't hurry I was going to be late!

And there's someone waiting for me at the airport.

The flight arrived fifteen minutes late, but that didn't matter. He was still waiting by the terminal entrance when I checked in. He waved to me while I was at the desk and I waved back.

Couldn't the attendant move a bit faster?! He's standing just yards away and I haven't seen him for six months!

Kureno.

He welcomes me with a warm kiss and a brief squeeze. We can't hug so it's the next best thing. Well, all right, we COULD hug, but it would just lead to a bunch of problems.

His plan was to get into a school in the United States to study business. And he did, much to his own surprise. He'd pleaded his case with Akito -- whom I still haven't met, thank the gods -- and was given permission to attend a school in California. It would only be for a year and a half, since he had most of his courses completed through a tutor, but that mattered little. He was happy to get away.

Finally.

His first semester, according to his phone calls, was so much fun. Here was a man nine years my senior talking about the joys of school. It was rather funny now that I think about it. He never knew school would be so exciting. I'm not sure what's so exciting about it having done it for most of my life, but I didn't argue with him. He was having a good time and, within a few short months, I'd be joining him.

Again, just as planned.

If anyone outside of Hatori knows what Kureno's plan is then no one's letting on. He'd told me Hatori knew. That he'd told the doctor simply to have an ally against Akito. Hatori didn't strike me as a tattle-tell, nor did he come across as misguided in his loyalty to Akito. Not after what the bastard had done to him.

To be honest I like Hatori for what little I know of him. The doctor had been at the graduation ceremony, but had not said a word to me. Perhaps that is for the best.

Oh, and get this...the day before he left for California, Kureno decided to surprise me at my apartment. And it wasn't just any surprise mind you. It did include a ring, a neat looking promise ring with a tiny diamond in the center that I wore on a chain. But he also decided that he wanted me to see him. The real him. His zodiac form.

It took everything I had not to laugh.

The situation itself was very serious. He takes his transformation seriously and was bright red when he told me to hug him. I did as he asked, uncertain of what would happen. He didn't explain it very well. The smoke took me by surprise and I coughed until it dissipated. When the smoke cleared as well as my vision, I was surprised to find a bird in my kitchen.

And not just any bird, but a beautiful -- if not strange looking -- rooster.

His elongated body was a brilliant red from head to toe. His feathers were warm and soft to the touch. There was a stripe of orange on his forehead and his stomach. A plum of gold raised on his head and his tail was an even bigger, more magnificent plumage. All glittery gold.

When I had pictured a rooster before, I had not pictured this...this marvelous creature.

He was absolutely stunning!

But when he starting walking around the kitchen, it was difficult to hold my laughter at bay.

And don't think I didn't take advantage of his nakedness when he transformed back into a human, either.

Honestly I didn't want to let him go the next morning. But in the end I'm glad I did. The last six months have been hell on my sex drive because of him, but once I get to California, I can pay him back.

My mother called me last week. I'd left her a message just the day before about graduation and my intent to go away to college. She sounded rather proud of me, although I'm not sure why. I haven't talked to her since she walked out on Dad and I. I was surprised, though, that my father had still been in touch with her. How else did I get the number?

But if it hadn't been for Kureno, I never would've called her at all.

My problems probably seemed rather small compared to his. But with my mother's disappearance and the verbal if not physical wounds that had been inflicted by my father, I'd like to think that I turned out okay. I was still a bad girl on the inside, although I managed a pretty decent good girl on the outside.

And for that I have Kyoko to thank. Tohru's mother.

Kami how I miss her.

My father actually showed for the graduation ceremony. He'd been staying with relatives after a fight we had roughly seven months ago. The rent was still paid, but I was stuck with the utility bills. Oh well. I was quite surprised to see him there and actually hoped that I could speak with him if only for a minute. But he only stayed long enough to watch me walk across the stage and receive that crummy slip of paper.

My mother was no where to be seen. Probably just as well. But she has asked me to write her often from the United States. I agreed reluctantly, but Kureno thinks it's a step in the right direction.

'You may never patch things up with them,' he told me that same night before he left. 'But don't ever stoop to their level.'

Does it get any lower? Seriously?

"Hey, penny for your thoughts."

I blink, staring at Kureno over a newspaper I haven't been reading. We'd settled into a small cafe in the airport. He'd just returned with our drinks when he startled me from my thoughts. I offer him a smile.

"A penny's rather cheap by American standards, isn't it?"

He chuckled, sipping his coffee. "I suppose it is. It's also a saying they have. I just wanted to know what you were thinking about."

I shrug, tearing the wrapper off my straw and sticking it in the soft drink I'd ordered...or rather he'd ordered for me. "A lot I guess. It just seems that so much has happened in six months and yet, I wonder if it's all right."

"Did you get everything taken care of with the apartment?"

I laughed, almost harshly. "Yeah. I left my key with the landlord so my dad can pick it up. He probably left the graduation ceremony early to assess the 'damage' I've supposedly done to his place while he was away."

He takes another sip of his coffee, contemplating. "Have your boxes been shipped?"

"Yesterday," I say with a nod. "Everything else that wasn't nailed down is in those three bags I checked in." He raises an eyebrow in speculation and I shake my head. "Trust me, it's more than it looks."

"I'll bet," he says with smile. "How was the ceremony?"

"Long and boring...although Yuki's speech was much more uplifting than I'd give him credit for." I sigh, taking a long sip of my drink. "I'll miss them though. My friends."

"Are you sorry to be leaving all this?"

I sit the newspaper on the table. Leaning over I look him directly in the eye. "Having second thoughts?"

"No," he says, eyes wide. And he's not. I know it. But he's so cute when his feathers are ruffled...so to speak. "I just...I wasn't sure...." He pauses, sighing to himself. "Are YOU sure?"

"Hai," I say, grasping one of his hands lying on the table between us. "I'm sure. Life goes on, ne?"

He smiles at me, that boyish yet sexy fanboy type smile. I've missed that so much. "Hai. That it does."

"You're not getting rid of me easily, Kureno Sohma."

"The same goes for you Arisa Uotani. You're stuck with me."

"Do you hear me complaining?"

"Just wait...."

We kiss each other over the table, earning a few grins from older couples and some longing glances from singles sitting around us. I wish I could take him into the restroom and blow his mind, or vice versa, but it can wait until we're in California.

Until we're home.

Home...what a strange, yet comforting word.

Yep, life goes on.

And it can only get better!