Title: Those Three Little Words

Pairing: ZeroxIchiru

Rating: M for, um, this chapter and possibly some more lemon later. So, if you are at all squicked out by incest, yaoi, or male pregnancy, seriously DO NOT READ

Warnings: Actually, I have quite a few for this story. First off, this story is AU as of chapter 47, in such ways as Yuki and Kaname did not leave Cross Academy and Ichiru did not die (although I'm still in partial denial about that, anyway). Other things include mpreg, twincest, and some possibly quite political issues for which I would be very appreciative not to be flamed. In all seriousness, this is JUST a fanfic. There's nothing to get all riled up about, okay? Right? Good. Oh, and if you're wondering about the whole school year things, I've decided to go with the Japanese school schedule which starts in April and ends in March with breaks in between the end and beginning, summer, and winter. This was mainly done for story purposes. So, yeah.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

Prologue

How It Began

Ah, spring. What a wonderful time of year.

The days were gradually lengthening. The air was beginning to warm. The cherry blossoms were starting to unfold, lightly scenting the April breeze with their intoxicating perfume. Everything was slowly awakening after a long, cold winter of death-like sleep. Pale green buds were forming once more on the previously barren trees, and animals were starting up their yearly mating rituals, seeking to replenish their population with fresh offspring. It was the time of year for new beginnings, for change. In fact, the most recent term at Cross Academy had only just begun a couple weeks ago.

It seemed love was in the air (along with other things such as pollen and other allergens) and the prestigious boarding school was no exception. Having been forced to remain separated from their beloved Night Class during the several weeks of break in between the school years, the Day Class seemed hell-bent on venting all of their pent-up adoration all at once during these first few weeks after returning to Cross Academy. This, of course, proved to be quite the hassle for the Disciplinary Committee, who, despite having gained a new member, found themselves more swamped with responsibilities as ever, leaving them all very little free time. This was especially frustrating since all three of the students who made up the Guardians had recently formed new relationships which none of them had had the time to which to attend.

This vexation was felt even more excruciatingly by the newest Guardian, whose lover saw fit to deny there was anything romantic going on between them, despite months of altercations that spoke to the contrary.

Ichiru Kiryu was only half-heartedly preforming rounds, a habit he had picked up from his predecessors on the so-called 'Disciplinary Committee.' No, he was truly more interested in locating his fellow Guardian than searching for idiot Day Class girls who were breaking curfew. God damn it! Where was the man when he needed him? It felt as if they hadn't spoken since the school year began...

Rounding a corner into the courtyard, the silver-haired adolescent scanned the area in hopes of discovering the person for whom he was looking. Sure enough, his lilac eyes alighted upon a lone figure leaning against one of the several trees. Ichiru smiled softly to himself, not allowing himself to appear overly eager to see his lover. Ah. So there he was.

Knowing the objection of his affection was perfectly oblivious, Ichiru had no trouble sidling over, unnoticed, to the lounging form. For a moment, he simply watched as the other boy stared pensively at the star-strewn sky above. He sometimes wondered what the man thought about when he gazed off into space like this before he stopped himself. No, it was no use. His lover would never share his thoughts with anyone. Besides, with all the negativity brewing in that head of his... Sighing quietly to himself, Ichiru shook his head. Well, so much for being eventually noticed. He punched the man in the side.

Zero Kiryu spluttered as a sharp pain abruptly roused him from his thoughts. Clutching at his side, he rounded on the person who had attacked him and barked, "What the he-" before cutting himself off when he realised that it was his twin brother standing beside him, smirking self-righteously. "Damn it, Ichiru! You can't just sneak up on people like that! I could have seriously hurt you!"

"What? You mean with the Bloody Rose?" Ichiru retorted with a partially amused snort, crossing his arms. Shooting his elder brother a mocking grin, he continued, "I thought we'd already been over this, you wannabe hunter. Your gun can't hurt me."

No, but I can. Zero quickly shoved that dark thought out of his head, but he knew it would resurface soon enough. The fact he could so easily harm his precious little brother had been weighing heavily on his mind ever since the whole fiasco with Rido all those months ago. Ichiru had escaped with his life, but only barely. It had taken about six weeks in the hospital, approximately two of those had been spent on life support, and Lord knows how many blood transfusions before the younger Kiryu was himself again. The memory of his twin laying in that hospital bed, lifeless and frail, with machines being the only things keeping his heart beating still haunted Zero. It was his fault, all his fault... "Well, better a wannabe hunter than a wannabe vampire," he growled, trying desperately to distract him him from the guilt rising in his chest.

Ichiru narrowed his eyes in a venomous glare. "That's right; I'm suppose to be angry with you," he snapped, gritting his teeth.

"Angry with me? Why? What did I do?"

"Hm, let me see..." Ichiru stroked his chin in mock thought before snapping his attention back on his brother. "How about ditching me and Yuki during the changeover. It was a mob out there tonight!"

Zero made an incredulous noise, folding his arms as well. "Yes, because you give a damn about Yuki," he pointed out gruffly.

Rolling his eyes, Ichiru admitted, "Okay, so I don't. However, I do give a damn about myself. Don't think that just because I here now to help you guys out means you get to loaf around any time you want!"

With a soft chuckle, Zero allowed himself a small smile as he glanced over to his younger counterpart. "You know, sometimes you sound exactly like Yuki."

At this, Ichiru was insulted. His mouth agape, he stared wide-eyed at his twin although he could not believe his ears. Was Zero really comparing him to that idiot girl? Dear God, not even becoming a pureblood vampire had done anything to make her less pathetic. "I am nothing like that moron!" he insisted, his cheeks growing warm and his hands balling into fists at his side. "For one thing, I have an IQ greater than that of the average dust mite, and two, I don't need you to constantly save my ass!"

"Okay! Okay! I get it! It was just a joke, anyway." When Ichiru still appeared terribly upset, he sighed. He could just never win with his little brother. It was almost pointless to try. "Look, I'm sorry. You're right, you're nothing like Yuki."

His eyes flickering over the slightly depressed form of his elder brother, Ichiru regarded his other half warily for a moment before muttering, "Damn straight, I'm right." Then, with a smile that was bordering on edge between manipulative and seductive, the younger Kiryu sauntered over to his twin and wrapped his arms around his neck. "You upset me, Zero. Now, you have to apologise properly..." Closing the minimal amount of space that existed between him and his twin, Ichiru pressed his lips against Zero's. As soon as contact was made, he felt that sinful little zing of excitement that always thrummed through him whenever he and his secret lover showed public displays of affection, even if there was no one to watch.

Unfortunately for him, it was Zero that he was kissing. The elder Kiryu pulled away while simultaneously pushing Ichiru back. "No, 'Ru," he murmured, not looking at his little brother. "We can't do this. Not here."

Blinking once, a bit taken aback, Ichiru quickly regained his senses as he chucked, "Do what, Zero? Kiss? It's not like we've never done it before. And it's not like we haven't done worse..." He shot his brother a teasing smirk, to which Zero's response was a scowl. "Now, come on," the younger twin continued in a murmur, kissing his brother's cheek and moving down to place hot kisses along his jawline. "Don't be such a prude..."

"Ichiru, I'm serious," snapped Zero, his tone more assertive than before. "We can't do this here! We're out in the open, for God's sake! What if someone saw...?"

Taking a step back, Ichiru frowned, slightly confused. "Who would see us, Zero?" he asked, furrowing his brow slightly. "There's no one out here but us and..." He trailed off, his eyes widening as he recalled the third leg of the Disciplinary Committee. "Oh... oh." Angered by his twin's reluctance now that he understood its cause, the human brother shoved his other half, hard, against the tree trunk, knocking the wind out of him. "I get it now. You wouldn't want your precious Yuki to catch us, would you? Because if she knew you were sleeping with your own brother, you wouldn't stand a chance with her! Am I right?" When Zero didn't reply, Ichiru gritted his teeth, his temper flaring. "I am right! Damn it, Zero! Why do have to be such a... such a jerk!"

"Wait, so I'm a jerk?" Zero bit out, finally catching his breath as he glared at his tantrum-throwing younger brother. "Well, if that's true, then you're the most selfish little brat I've ever met!"

"Selfish?" Ichiru snapped incredulously, almost laughing through his ire. "You're calling me selfish? Well then, what about you, Zero? You're the one who sleeps with his own twin in order to assuage some form of guilt that you constantly carry around with you — mmph!"

Zero, having moved much too quickly for the human eye to see, appeared in front of his distraught twin and clapped a hand roughly over his mouth, effectively silencing him. "Shut up, Ichiru!" he hissed as his brother struggled against his grip. "Do you want the entire school to find out about us? And you know that none of that is true." The particularly murderous glare Ichiru was now offering him told the elder Kiryu that his lover wasn't buying this. He sighed. "If I let go of you, do you promise not to scream?" Ichiru nodded and Zero was forced to release him, taking a step back.

Wiping his mouth, Ichiru gazed sternly at his twin for a moment before inquiring, "Let me ask you one question, Zero: if you hadn't felt so guilty, would you have slept with me that first time? Would you have any other time after that? And don't lie to me! I hate it when you do that."

As expected, Zero hesitated before answering. He couldn't tell Ichiru the truth. A lie would be kinder. No, if not for the guilt he felt in causing his precious little brother so much, he would have probably never allowed his twin to seduce him. However, it had been what Ichiru wanted. It seemed that, somehow, his younger half had always been infatuated with him, a revelation that had frightened Zero a bit. Still, he had gone along with it, partially to ease his own guilt, but also because he had recently lost his first love to the filthy bloodsuckers. At least Ichiru was human. Blessedly, blessedly human... Even so, the longer this affair went on, the more the former human realised he was only hurting his brother, one of the few people who cared about him. This couldn't go on. "Ichiru..."

"I knew it," growled Ichiru under his breath, clenching his fists at his side. He tried desperately to not show how badly this realisation hurt him. He wouldn't allow his twin the pleasure. It was just... he loved Zero so much... "I should have known it all along. After all, what kind of person takes another's virginity and doesn't even has the decency to say that they love them, even if it is a lie?"

A horrible, horrible person, that's who. "Ichiru, I swear to you, it's not like that," Zero tried to defend himself, his voice sounding slightly pained. He despised himself for the hurt flickering in his twin's amethyst eyes, knowing that he had caused it.

"It's not, is it?" Ichiru demanded. "Then what is it like? Hm?"

Zero opened his mouth and closed it again. He repeated this action several more times, trying frantically to figure out what to say. Truth was there was nothing to say. At least, nothing that would make Ichiru feel any better about this entire confrontation. So, he decided to just avoid this whole thing. "What is this really about, 'Ru?" he asked, crossing his arms. "Why are you blowing this whole thing completely out of proportion?"

"I'm not blowing thi-" Ichiru faltered, however, at the stern look his brother now gave him. Trying desperately to fight the blush threatening to colour his face, he muttered, "You've been ignoring me ever since school started. I'm beginning to think you've lost interest in me. After all, this is only a fling to you, isn't it?"

So, that's what it was. "Oh, Ichiru..." Zero shook his head sadly. How badly he wished he could tell his younger brother that that wasn't the case. How badly he wished he could convince himself that it was. He couldn't, though. He just couldn't. Every time he reached that part in his mind, a mental roadblock was thrown up, preventing him from pondering any further on the subject. However, his mind had nothing against him showing his brother he had it all wrong.

He took a step towards his young lover, who was still looking for all the world like he was about to do something drastic, whether it was ripping Zero to shreds or burning down the school, Zero grabbed Ichiru's wrist and pulled him closer.

"Zero, what are y-" Ichiru never got much further, however, as a pair of warm, soft lips enveloped his own, rendering all speech functions obsolete. This was odd. It wasn't like Zero to make the first move. It normally took some... persuasion to get him to do anything that required intimacy. All the same, the younger Kiryu wasn't about to question this sudden boldness in his twin. He simply was going to enjoy the moment.

Wrapping his arms around his brother's neck, Ichiru eagerly returned Zero's kiss in earnest, pressing his lips against his lover's with bruising force. His heart rate pick up a fraction of a second when he felt his other half encircle his waist, pressing their bodies nearer together. He smirked into the kiss. Even if his older brother didn't want to admit it, Ichiru could certainly feel Zero was incredibly turned on by this whole encounter. Must be the love in the air...

Ichiru was not an patient man. Zero was taking way too damn long to progress. Instead of waiting for an invitation to further explore his lover's mouth, the young human shoved his tongue through his lover's lips, taking a moment to prick the tip of his tongue against his twin's vampire fangs, just enough to draw a few drops of blood. He knew Zero hated it when he did that, but he couldn't help it. He simply found it terribly sexy when his former human other let his vampire side loose, if only for a moment.

Zero, however, did not appreciate this attempt to arouse his bloodlust (along with... other things he was certain didn't need any more arousing at this point). He drew away. "Ichiru, what the hell are you doing?" he growled, obviously angry but utterly unable to keep the heat out of his voice.

Pouting childishly, Ichiru replied, "Nothing..."

"Like hell that was nothing!" snapped Zero, panting ever so slightly. Fury was slowly seeping through his slightly hazy mind. Was Ichiru an idiot? He should have realised by now that he couldn't always control himself when his hunger took hold. Hell, he had almost died because because that flaw in his system!

The younger Kiryu rolled his eyes. He knew what his brother was thinking, but at the moment, he was in no mood. There was only one thing he wanted at this point in time, and it had absolutely nothing to do with his lover's many perceived issues. "Zero, please don't ruin this," he whined, his body much too warm to care much about composure. "Come on! It's a beautiful night, and it's been a while..." He began placing hot, open-mouthed kisses along his twin's jawline, eventually moving on to his neck, willing to do just about anything at this point to make Zero forget this little indiscretion.

Sighing, Zero rubbed his younger counterpart's back absent-mindedly. Ichiru really wanted this. He was more than reluctant to oblige. Hadn't he just been thinking not five minutes ago that he needed to end this thing with his brother? It wasn't healthy for either of them. They were only hurting each other. Even so... it was quite obvious they both had rather urgent demands that needed to be met. Surely, one last night together couldn't do any more harm. "Unnh... fine," he moaned resignedly, kissing Ichiru atop the head.

Ichiru tried very hard not to seem overly eager at this. Yes! Finally! Now they were getting somewhere. Smirking triumphantly, he grabbed Zero by his cardinal neck tie (which he never fastened properly, something which bothered Ichiru to no end) and ensnared his lover's mouth in a deep, possessive kiss, leaving the elder Kiryu completely breathless and dumbfounded when the embrace was finally broken. This made it incredibly easy to lead him to the abandoned Moon Dormitory. Well, perhaps 'easy' was fudging it a little. It seemed the weeks of celibacy had affected the twins more than they had realised. Vests, jackets, and shirts were all undone, completely or incompletely, by the time they reached the old building.

Kicking the door open (mainly because his hands were currently too preoccupied to bother with locks) and stumbling blindly through the entryway, Zero leaned his lover against the wall and kissed him in earnest, eagerly exploring the warm, moist cavern of his twin's mouth while trying his hardest not to nick his delicate flesh with his fully aroused fangs. He was already hurting his little brother enough as it was. He didn't need to injure Ichiru any more than he already was. Ichiru was right. He was so god-damned selfish.

On the other hand, Ichiru was not at all concerned about his brother's vampiric nature. He had already stated that it turned him on. In fact, he was almost subconsciously trying to get himself bitten (or perhaps, not so subconsciously). Almost greedily, he devoured his lover's mouth, sucking needfully on his lips and running his tongue desperately along his teeth, paying special attention to his fangs. Zero, unfortunately, caught on to this and sought to distract his little brother from his quest.

Not able to contain a sharp gasp as his brother shoved his knee between his legs, rubbing his thigh maddeningly slowly against his more... sensitive areas, Ichiru scrabbled for a moment against the wall behind him before remembering what was happening. He gripped the silver hair on the nape of his lover's neck, pressing them closer together as he sought to reclaim Zero's mouth. The friction his twin was causing was driving him mad... and here he had been thinking his pants couldn't get any tighter! "God, Zero..." he panted between kisses. "I want you so badly..."

"Shut up," Zero growled, although not as threatening as usual. He was just as wrapped up in the whole moment as Ichiru was. He just... didn't want to hear his lover's voice. He didn't want to be reminded of who he was about to take to bed. This was the last time. The last time... Pulling away from his brother in order to preserve at least a small fraction of his sanity, he grabbed his twin by the wrist and began dragging him along the dark, dank hallway, intent on finding the nearest bed and getting this over with before something happened that he regretted forever.

Face flushed and bones feeling as if they were roughly the consistency of jelly, Ichiru loyally followed his older brother. His mind was in a fog, a delightful, warm, passionate fog that he almost wished would never go away. Oh, God! Why did Zero need a bed? Why couldn't they just do it here, in the hallway? He certainly wouldn't mind. Really, he was prepared to do anything that would alleviate the aching in his pants... and in his heart.

Upon at last finding a room that wasn't completely repugnant or utterly destroyed (much cleaning up still need to be done after he had pretty much trashed the place during the battle with Rido), Zero roughly shoved Ichiru threw the room's doorway, earning himself a smirk from his younger half.

"Oh, Zero, what a man you are," the younger Kiryu purred, almost mockingly, his chest heaving slightly as his lilac eyes were all bur utterly consumed with black. "All ready to prove to me how strong and virile you are, hm?"

Moving with vampire speed, as he had earlier this evening, Zero pushed Ichiru forcefully back onto the dusty queen-sized bed before crawling on top of him himself, pinning his twin's wrists to the mattress. "I thought I told you to shut up," he muttered, his heated voice losing some of its gruff edge. Using his own tongue as a gag, the elder Kiryu removed his hands from Ichiru's wrists and promptly began removing his clothing. First to go: his jacket.

Ichiru was grateful to have his hands free. It meant he was allowed to participate this time. There were times, the ones that he hated the most, when Zero simply wanted to satisfy the physical needs. While that was all well and good, it did make the younger of the twins feel a bit lonely. He didn't want to be only a booty call for his older brother. He desired a deeper connection than that.

Kissing his lover as though it was the last time he would ever be able to hold him like this, Ichiru made quick work of Zero's sloppy tie work and tossed the red garment to the side before turning his attention to his brother's vest and jacket (Zero had already taken the liberty of relieving him of his). The elder Kiryu was already systematically popping open the pearly buttons of Ichiru's white shirt, placing a heated kiss on each new search of pale, porcelain skin he revealed. He moved his mouth lower and lower until he reached the top of his lover's pants, gripping his younger half's hips as he moaned and arched his back, gripping his silver bangs as hot molten desire flooded his stomach, travelling lower to pool below his belt. God, Zero was so close...

Belt buckles were the most frustrating instruments in the entire world. This was the discovery Zero made as he attempted to loosen his brother's belt so that he may remove his pants. He struggled with the damned contraption for the better part of a minute, his fingers not as deft as they normally were in the haze of vexation and arousal. Damn it. He hated himself for this. He shouldn't want Ichiru this way. It was wrong. This was his little brother. He was taking advantage of his precious, fragile little brother. God damn it. How could he do this...?

The buckle on Ichiru's belt finally gave way, efficaciously wiping all the self-loathing thoughts from Zero's mind as he was now able to slide his lover's black slacks down his slender hips, along with his underwear. Ichiru gasped as his hot body was exposed to the cool air, clutching the musty bedsheets above his head. When his brother's cool hand enclosed him soon afterwards, he could hardly keep still. "Ah... ah! Z-Zero..."

"Stop talking," the elder of the pair growled, fisting his brother so tightly the younger practically had to shove his fist in his mouth to keep from screaming. Bowing his head, Zero pressed his lips to his lover's flat stomach, enjoying the shiver running through Ichiru's body. He began trailing kisses up his twin's belly, pumping him continuously as he did so.

Ichiru moaned deeply as his brother played with him, wringing the blankets in his hands as he drew his legs up and curled his toes, pleasure racking his entire body. "Ah... haaa... You're getting... much better... at this whole... foreplay thing, Zero," he gasped, chuckling breathlessly as his lover reached his chest, placing a warm, bruising kiss on his sternum.

"God, 'Ru," Zero snapped, although his voice had almost no bite to it. "Has anyone... ever told you... that you talk way too fucking much?" He made to nibble on his brother's collarbone, moving his hand along his twin's member in slow, tantalising strokes, taking pleasure in each little twitch, every hitch of Ichiru's breath, every deep-throated moan his lover emitted. Then, his mouth made it to Ichiru's neck. This was dangerous territory. Realising this, the former human released Ichiru and gripped his hips, positioning himself more fully between his lover's legs. He began to rock his hips, slowly at first, but soon picking up pace, increasing the delicious friction between his other half's naked body and his own clothed one.

Letting out a throaty groan, Ichiru wrapped his legs around Zero and entwined his fingers in his silver hair, kissing the side of his face over and over again. "Do it, Zero..." he pleaded, almost desperately. "Just do it, big brother. I know you want to... Go on, take what you need. You know I don't mind..."

No, that much was definitely true. If there was only one thing the elder Kiryu had learned in the last few months he had been with his brother, it was that Ichiru in no way minded being bitten. Despite the rather traumatic experience of his first bite (almost tantamount to his own, if Zero said so himself), the younger Kiryu seemed to find the act of being bitten incredibly arousing. He often trying to entice his vampire twin to bite him, something which annoyed Zero to no end. Still, he couldn't deny, try hard as he might, that he found Ichiru's blood unbelievably intoxicating. He craved it. He craved it more than anything in the world, along his brother's body, his company... and here it all was. All of Ichiru, laying right beneath him, his for the taking. His blood, young and fresh, was pulsing so strongly through his veins, right beneath his mouth...

"Zero... please..." Ichiru practically sobbed, wrapping himself tighter around his lover. "Bite me... Drink my blood... Make me a part of you... I want to be one with Zero..." His warm breath rushed past Zero's ear, sweet and enticing. Zero could hardly resist the call...

Ichiru gasped as his brother's fangs blessedly sank into his neck. The sensation nearly tipped him over the edge, but only just. White hot stars blinked in front of his eyes as Zero took deep, greedy draughts of his blood, grinding against him almost feverishly. Sure, the experience was painful, as anyone would imagine having a pair of oversized canines being plunged into one's neck would be, but the bliss that followed was more than enough to override any discomfort. It was very similar to sex in a way. There was pain in the beginning, but then there was ecstasy. Complete and utter ecstasy that far outweighed anything else. That was what made everything totally worth it.

However, the time came when enough was enough.

His head was spinning. The little white stars dotting his vision weren't so warm any more. Damn it. Zero was taking too much. "Nnh, Zero," he murmured, his words a touch slurred. "Zero, that's enough... Zero, no more... Big brother... Stop it! Stop it, Zero! Stop it right now!" Gripping his twin's shoulders, the younger Kiryu tried to force his partner off of him, barely managing to do so before Zero drank so much he fell unconscious.

Only when Ichiru had forcibly pushed him off of him did Zero realise what he had been doing. Sitting back on his feet, the hunter stared down, aghast, at the scene. His little brother, his frail little brother whom he cared for more than anything else, whom he was supposed to protect, was laying sprawled before him, blood oozing out of twin puncture wounds on his neck, staining the sheets beneath him. His eyes were glassy and his breathing was shallow as he gazed up at his elder brother, his face still flushed. This was all his fault. If he had gone any longer, he might very well have killed Ichiru. If he had done that, he wouldn't have been able to live with himself. This had to stop. Right here, right now.

"Oh, Ichiru," he whispered, his lavender eyes wide in horror. "I'm so sorry... I'm so very sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have – we should stop this. I should go." He made to get off the bed, to gather up his discarded items of clothing and to run like hell as far away from this place as he possibly could, but Ichiru stopped him.

"No! Wait!" he cried, the pain of losing his beloved's warmth suddenly more than he could bear as he sat up quickly and knotted his fingers in Zero's shirt. As soon as he did so, he very nearly passed out, his head swimming as he collapsed into his brother.

"Ichiru!" Zero gasped as Ichiru's weight fell onto him, practically kneeling in his lap. Wrapping his arms around his twin's shoulders, he asked panic-stricken, "Ichiru! Are you all right? Did I take too much?"

Taking a moment or two and few deep breaths in order to recuperate a bit, Ichiru pushed himself away from Zero and settled himself more fully on on his brother's lap. "No, no, I'm fine. See?" He offered his other half a reassuring smile, stroking his face tenderly. Then, his face fell. "Please don't go," he whispered sadly, a morose light flickering in the depths of his gaze. "Please, please, please don't go."

Zero shook his head. "I have to, 'Ru," he told his twin quietly. "We shouldn't be doing this. We're just... we're just hurting each other, doing this. God, I can't even believe you still want to after what I just did to you!"

Also shaking his head, Ichiru began tucking strands of hair behind his lover's ear as he murmured, "I don't care about any of that, Zero. You're just... you're just you. I know you can't help it. We just have to be more careful next time, that's all! Besides," he bowed his head, pressing a tender kiss on his other's lips, "I love you. God, Zero, I love you! I love you so much it hurts sometimes! And I know, that some day," he kissed Zero again, a little more deeply this time and letting it linger, "you'll be able to say the same thing back to me. So just please. Let's do this. For me?"

While he could hardly resist the pleading look in his younger brother's eyes, Zero also knew he couldn't do this any more. He couldn't hurt Ichiru, who loved him so much, any longer. There would be no 'next time,' as his twin presumptuously suggested. "Come on, 'Ru," he tried to reason with his twin. "After I drained you like that? You must be exhausted... Let's call it a night and try again later." Or never.

Ichiru, however, was not going to give up that easily. "Oh, come on, Zero!" he groaned in frustration. "If you give me some of your blood, I'll be fine! And besides," he pushed himself suggestively into the quite evident bulge in his brother's pants, "you still ready to go."

Flushing furiously, Zero grumbled, "I can take care of that myself later."

Obviously displeased with this answer, Ichiru replied with a frown, "You promised me, Zero. You promised me that we would do this. So, I'm begging you, Zero..." He kissed his mirror image again, this time trailing a path to his ear. One gentle kiss on his lobe, and Ichiru whispered, "Take me. Make me yours."

Zero's breath hitched in his chest. Such an offer... he didn't know why (which was a lie; he knew perfectly well why), but he found just couldn't refuse. Ichiru was pulling his face away from his and their eyes locked. Just like that, they were lost. The world around the sinful lovers vanished. Within an instant, they were joined at the lips, initiating a passionate clash of lips, teeth and tongue that was half battle, half dance, during which Zero somehow lost his shirt. The spark that had momentarily vanished returned in a flash. It wasn't long before Zero was laying Ichiru back down on the mattress, completely engrossed in the wonderful being that was his little brother. Removing his lips from his twin's for a second, he turned his attention to the still sluggishly bleeding wound on the younger's neck. It would stop bleeding soon, but for now, he intended to clean it up the best he could. He ran his tongue ravishingly over the bite marks, savouring every drop of his lover's lifeblood. It was so sweet, so decadent... A weak moan broke his concentration.

"Zero..." Ichiru rasped. "Zero, slow down... My head... I'm getting dizzy..."

Oh, shit. That was right. Ichiru must still be a bit anaemic from the blood loss. Pulling away from his current preoccupation, Zero bit his own wrist and filled his mouth with blood. Lowering his head, he motioned for his lover to open his mouth and, once that was done, deposit the blood inside. He did this several more times, making sure Ichiru received enough to regain some strength. Once he was finished, the young hunter gazed down at his twin and panted, "Are you all right? Do you feel better?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Ichiru answered breathily, "Yeah... yeah. Yeah, I am. Great, even! You know I just love it when you're inside of me..." Smirking heatedly, he rubbed suggestively against his lover.

Rolling his eyes at the blatant innuendo, Zero initiated another kiss and murmured, "Well, I better get right on that then..."

Still with that aroused smirk on his lips, Ichiru purred, "Yeah, you better..." His amethyst eyes travelling down his brother's prone form, he added, "We better start with your pants. What the hell are you still doing with them on?"

"I suggest you do something about that," Zero replied, kissing Ichiru gently on his forehead.

"I intend to." Pushing himself into a sitting position, Ichiru immediately began work on loosening his lover's belt, a task which was made much more difficult than it should have been as Zero seemed intent on distracting him: blowing in his ear, nibbling on his neck, placing hot kisses along his jaw... Finally, with a soft laugh and a wide smile, the young human said breathily, "Zero! Stop it! I'm trying to get this damned belt off..." That was when the buckle finally gave way, opening the door for Ichiru to remove his twin's troublesome trousers along with his underwear. The teen smirked delightedly at the treasures he revealed. "Well, looks like someone's all ready to go," he murmured as he grabbed his lover's arousal firmly, causing Zero to grunt loudly through gritted teeth as the younger Kiryu kissed him hungrily on the neck, sucking on the sensitive flesh in the area of his brother's tattoo.

"Oh, I'm more than ready," Zero muttered warmly into his brother's bare shoulder, kissing it tenderly before resting his head against it as he groaned heartily, his twin still fondling him in that maddening way of his. For a moment, the elder Kiryu considered biting Ichiru again as punishment before his hazy mind recalled that his lover actually enjoyed that. Well, if the usual forms of punishment wouldn't work, there was always other ways of torturing his partner.

Seizing Ichiru's hand roughly away from him, Zero pushed his brother roughly back on the mattress and grabbed his twin's other wrist, bringing them both above his head and holding them together. After a few quickly muttered words, he released Ichiru's wrists and watched for a few moments as the younger adolescent struggled to separate them. A wicked sense of pleasure rise in the elder Kiryu's chest. Ah, so this was how Ichiru felt every time he knew he had him trapped.

Ichiru, however, was less than pleased with his current situation. "Bastard!" he barked, still attempting to pull apart his wrists. "What the hell did you do?"

Zero shrugged. "Simple binding charm," he admitted. Then, a smirk came into play on his lips. "Normally, we use it to bind vampires, to make them easier to deal with, but I'm glad to see it works just as well on you." Chuckling at the shocked expression on his brother's face, the young hunter bent down and claimed Ichiru's mouth with his own, sucking his other's tongue into his mouth. It was no wonder Ichiru was shocked; bondage was more his bag, not Zero's. The elder Kiryu normally just went along with whatever his twin wanted to do. When Zero at last resurfaced for air, he gasped, "Don't worry; I'll let you go soon enough."

Pouting slightly, Ichiru whined and squirmed in discomfort. He didn't like not being able to use his hands. It was a clear sign that Zero did not want him to participate. This tore through the younger twin's heart. He didn't want to be just a way to get off for his brother. He wanted to take equal part in their love-making. The desire to create a bond with his other half was strong within him. He couldn't do that if Zero just planned to screw his brains out, satisfying only the physical needs but not the emotional.

Paying no mind to his twin's dissatisfaction with this new arrangement, Zero began moving his lips down Ichiru's body, starting with nibbling tantalizingly on his neck before travelling lower... and lower... and lower until his mouth reached the tip of his brother's weeping member. A grin grew on his lips as Ichiru's whimpers reached his pierced ears. He slipped his mouth completely over the end of his lover's arousal, sucking hard. Next to his head, Ichiru's long pale legs kicked wildly as the boy himself whimpered and moaned loudly. Zero only drew harder.

"Z-Zero!" cried Ichiru, his toes curling and his face warming immensely. "Oh God... o-oh God... nnnh!"

With one last good suck, Zero released his partner, the younger Kiryu collapsing back on the bed and panting heavily. Crawling back over his brother, the elder twin resumed kissing his other's neck. "You like that, don't you?" he murmured, to which Ichiru nodded fervently. "Do you want more?" Again, an enthusiastic nod. "Well, too bad. I think it's time to move on to something else..." Pulling away from his twin, Zero knelt between his lover's legs and, shifting slightly, ran a hand along the milky smooth skin of Ichiru's thigh, sliding it down to cup his firm buttock. He then moved to tentatively finger the puckered skin around his lover's entrance. "Hey, 'Ru?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you happen to have any... you know?" Zero flushed.

Ichiru blinked, at first confused, but then catching his brother's meaning. "Oh... oh, yeah," he breathed. "There's some in my pants pocket."

"Seriously?" Zero asked, somewhat incredulous. Then, he became a bit suspicious. "You weren't..."

"Anticipating tonight?" Ichiru finished for him. Writhing slightly in impatience, he grumbled, "No, not really. I was sort of just hoping that, you know, we'd eventually end up in this position." He flashed Zero a mischievous smile before wriggling a bit more. "Now, would you hurry up and fuck me?"

Returning his lover's smirk for once, Zero placed a kiss on Ichiru's lips and forehead before dashing off to rifle through his brother's pockets. After several frustrating seconds, he discovered exactly for what he was searching: a small tube. He grinned triumphantly and returned to his partner, kissing him passionately in celebration before moving to kneel between Ichiru's legs and squirt some of the clear gel from the tube onto his fingers. An impatient moan and wiggle directed his attention back to Ichiru, whose eyes were fixed on his twin's gel-coated fingers. With a quiet chuckle, Zero murmured, "Don't worry; I'm getting to you." Once again positioning himself between his partner's leg, the elder Kiryu dropped his mouth to Ichiru's chest, pressing his lips slowly and tenderly against his flushed skin as he once again began exploring the younger teen's entrance. He gently pushed a single slender digit into his brother.

Ichiru gasped before the noise dissolved into a moan. As Zero slowly moved that single finger inside his heat, impatience nearly overtook the younger of the brothers, who bit his lip in order to silence any complaint he might have. He knew he was lucky to have tonight. His elder brother was always so reluctant to accept their relationship, to admit they needed each other. He should be wanting tonight to last as long as possible. However, he was throbbing so hard and all he wanted was some release. Unable to contain his restlessness any longer, he began to squirm, silently urging his lover to hurry up.

As though he had been reading his twin's thoughts, Zero inserted another finger, thrusting them deep inside Ichiru and scissoring them apart. At the same time, he dipped his tongue into the hollow space at the base of his brother's neck, savouring the salty taste of his other's flesh.

Emitting a throaty groan, Ichiru arched against the mattress and gripped his lover's hair, effectively changing that position of his brother's fingers inside of him. "God, Zero!" he moaned in exasperation. "Why do you have to be so fucking slow? Just fuck me already! We haven't got all night!"

"Would you just shut up?" growled Zero, adding yet another finger to the pair he already had inside his lover. "My God, you are the whiniest, most impatient person I've ever slept with!" He resumed the stretching and lubricating Ichiru's warmth, preparing his body fully for penetration.

This last statement sent up a major red flag in Ichiru's mind. Struggling to sit upright (Zero still had his wrists bound with that ridiculous charm), once again changing the placement of the digits Zero had inside him, causing him to moan aloud, he regained enough control of himself to glare murderously at his brother. "I better be the only one you're sleeping with, Zero Kiryu," he growled darkly. "Because if I'm not, there's going to be hell to pay."

Rolling his eyes, Zero removed his fingers from within Ichiru and moved to kiss him deeply, drinking his lover in like a man in the desert dying of thirst. As intended, the kiss rendered the younger Kiryu speechless. "You are also the most possessively jealous person I have ever met, Ichiru Kiryu," he pointed out, bowing for another immersive kiss as he took hold of his twin's thighs and pushed them up. Releasing his hold on his brother's mouth, Zero pulled away and repositioned himself, preparing to make his lover his. If his mind weren't so damn hazy at the moment, he would have berated himself for how... vampire-like he sounded when he thought like that. That was not what was occupying his mind at the moment was how badly he wanted to be inside of Ichiru. It just so happened that this was what released the charm binding Ichiru.

Pain ripped through Ichiru at the first penetration, pain that quickly dissolve into the pleasure at knowing his beloved was finally inside of him. "Ah...!" he cried out, arching his back and knotting his fingers in the bedsheets, his hands free at last. Finally! This was what he had been waiting for all night! This feeling, this sensation of being one with Zero. It simply felt so right, more right than anything else in the world...

Another thrust sent Ichiru's mind reeling. Just when he thought he couldn't get any warmer, it seemed like his temperature spiked another two degrees. Zero moved slowly at first, carefully repositioning himself and only allowing himself to enter a little bit at a time, but Ichiru soon grew tired of this maddeningly slow pace and sought to take back some of the control for himself. He began to meet every one of his lover's thrust with a jerk of his hips, plunging his brother further into than he had anticipated. After a few times of this, the elder Kiryu finally got the hint. He picked up the pace.

"Nnnh... ah... ha... haa...!" Ichiru panted, snaking his arms around his brother's neck and holding him as close as possibly, kissing the side of Zero's face almost desperately. "Unnh... God... O-oh God! Zero, I love you... I love you so much..."

Zero didn't respond. All the blood that remained in his brain was being put to work blocking out these heated cries from his brother so that he may finish. For this, he was thankful he could be so turned on in such a sinful way. Arousal and pure desire normally fogged up his mind enough to discourage the guilt that deep down he knew he would be feeling once they finished. He didn't want to think about that right then, however. There were more important things that to which need to be attended...

Ichiru bit his bottom lip so hard hard it was liable to bleed. Zero was really ploughing into him, so much so it was just about past the younger Kiryu's pain threshold. "Nnnh... Zero... Z-Zero...! S-slow down! Please, slo-"

"Just shut the fuck up, Ichiru!" snapped Zero, ceasing in his movement for just a moment. Ichiru instantly fell silent, his eyes widening slightly. The elder Kiryu's breath came out in short, ragged gasps, his face contorted in unnecessary anger before noticing the tears glinting in his twin's eyes. His expression fell, stricken over the fact he had just hurt his little brother, the one thing he hadn't wanted to do. However, it was a bit too late to turn back now. Dropping his head to Ichiru's chest, Zero panted, "'Ru... I'm so, so sorry. I just... need you to be quiet for a while. Okay? At least, just don't talk. Please... I just want to get through this..."

Hesitating at his brother's use of the words 'get through this' as though them being together was such a horrible thing, Ichiru eventually moved his hands to Zero's head, stroking his hair gently as he nodded. "All right," he whispered. "All right, I'll stop talking. Let's just," he gulped, "just get through this."

Pressing a hot, grateful kiss on his lover's chest, Zero murmured, "Thank you..." He pushed himself back into a more upright position and once more gripped Ichiru's thighs, beginning to move yet again. He kept his pace slow at first, just like before, but it was much more difficult to keep up this pace this time. It wasn't long before they were right back where they had left off, each thrust of Zero's scooting the pair further back on the bed until Ichiru's back was against the headboard. He knew he would be bruised and sore when the sun rose tomorrow, but for now, Ichiru was just going to enjoy this stolen moment with his beloved. Zero was plunging straight to his core, sending electrifying jolts of something completely indescribable zinging through his entire body.

"Nnnh... unh, Zero... Zero, I think I'm going to... going to... ah!" With that, Ichiru toppled over the edge into orgasm, white-hot light blotting out his vision as his mind went blank with ecstasy. Clutching the headboard behind him, he arched his back, changing Zero's position inside him which caused him to cry out, so loudly in fact Zero was surprised the entire campus didn't hear his little brother. He didn't have long to think about that, however, for soon the older of the twin lovers was following his lover's lead, spilling in the sea of climax. His thrusts became more frenzied, the need to bury himself completely inside his brother becoming nearly unbearable. Ichiru seemed to be thinking along the same lines, jerking his hips in time with his twin's thrusts as they rode out the orgasm together.

With one last unrestrained cry, Ichiru peaked, releasing himself all over his twin's stomach. Zero soon followed, exuding his seed deep within his lover's contracting body. It wasn't long before both brothers were laying, limp and spent, on the bed, Ichiru petting his other's sweat-matted hair as Zero rested his head against his chest, trying to catch his breath. Once he did so, he slowly pulled out of his partner, Ichiru grunting uncomfortably as he did so, before flopping on the mattress beside him, his chest heaving. A sudden weight on his side made him glance over to his younger twin, who was half laying on top of him.

"Thank you, Zero," Ichiru whispered between the kisses he was placing on his brother's glistening skin. Then, the call of sleep beginning to settle over him, he laid his head against his lover and grinned coyly up at him, murmuring, "I love you. I love you so much..."

Zero made a non-committal noise, gazing determinedly at the cracked ceiling above him. He waited until his little brother was fast asleep before carefully sliding out from under him, carefully setting him down on the bed and covering him up tenderly. There he stayed for several moments, simply watching as his twin's breath evened out in slumber, his lips relaxing in a light frown. His sweet, precious little brother... Why did he do this? Why did he feel this intense need to dirty his other half? Zero had already resigned himself to the fact that he was going to Hell. Was he really so lonely that he had to drag his twin with him?

Growling in displeasure with himself, Zero slid to the edge of the bed and picked up his discarded jacket, rifling through the pockets. He soon discovered what he sought: a half empty pack of cigarettes he had stolen from Toga Yagari last time he had visited Cross Academy. The elder Kiryu had picked up smoking not long after the incident with Rido. After making separate promises to both Yuki and Ichiru that he wouldn't kill himself (at least, not outright), he saw smoking as a form of lazy suicide. Giving his vampire physiology, he had no idea how long these cancer sticks would take to kill him. Hopefully, it was slowly enough that he had time to repent for his many, many sins but quickly enough for him to leave this earth in an untimely fashion. It would be all for the best, really.

Placing the cigarette between his lips, Zero removed the lighter he also kept in his jacket pocket and flicked it open, lighting his cigarette. He flipped the lighter closed and tossed in back on his jacket, taking a long draw of his cigarette. Blowing out a long stream of smoke, he glanced over his shoulder to where Ichiru was sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of his brother's internal dilemma and completely in love with him, regardless of anything else. Zero loved to watch his twin sleep. It was almost as if he were gazing into the past, looking on the little boy who had always followed him, who always clung to him so desperately in sleep.

With a heavy sigh, Zero scooted closer to his younger brother, stroking his moonlight-dappled hair softly, careful not to wake the slumbering teen. God, he was hopeless. He was hopeless and sinful and he needed to be punished. There were times, so many times, when he wanted to reveal what he and Ichiru were behind closed doors so that someone, anyone, would berate him for what he had done, so that at least an outside source would condemn him for what he was instead of just his own conscious.

It would also force him to admit to his own feelings.

Zero loved Ichiru. He loved him more than anything else in the world. It wasn't the brotherly love he had known as a child. No, it was full-blown true, romantic love, the same feeling he recalled once having towards Yuki Cross, now Yuki Kuran. He didn't know when such feelings had transferred from the petite brunette to his twin. Ichiru was nothing like Yuki. He wasn't gentle with him, the way the girl had been, although he was just as selfless. He wasn't openly kind, insisting that any good deeds he preformed were out of pity or for self-serving reasons, despite the fact Zero knew better. His mood was constantly unstable, swinging back and forth between emotions more readily than any girl the elder Kiryu knew. On top of all of that, he was a nigh incorrigible tease. It was a wonder sometimes that Zero could stand being around him, but it appeared he simply couldn't be without him. Surely, Ichiru wasn't anything like Yuki.

Zero had no idea when these feelings of love transferred from Yuki to Ichiru. It had taken him quite a while to realise they had. Despite taking up her rightful spot as the night world's princess, Yuki had chosen to remain in the Day Class, much to her fiancé's disdain, and continued to keep Zero (and Ichiru) company. Since the three were almost always together (much to Ichiru's annoyance), being in all the same classes and given their Guardian duties, Zero just assumed he was still in love with Yuki, despite through all she had put him. It wasn't until the night he had taken Ichiru's innocence that he understood that his feelings weren't being directed towards the girl he had spent the last four years of his life with, but towards his little brother. This realisation had frightened him more than anything else he had known. He was in love with his own brother? How could that be? It was wrong! Just... wrong!

However, it was how things were. It wasn't just Ichiru's body Zero craved. It was everything about him: his laugh, his touch, his mere presence. Zero wanted all of it and he hated himself for it.

So, he denied it. He buried these sinful affections deep down inside of him, satisfying only the physical urges he couldn't fight, much like his bloodlust. However, doing that was only hurting Ichiru. He could see it in his eyes, just like he had tonight. The loneliness, the pain that he couldn't make go away, pain that he caused. He truly needed to end this before something happened that both of them regretted forever. Zero wished he could tell Ichiru that he returned his feelings for him. Oh, how he wished he could! However, all those mental blocks, the world he had been raised in, everything prevented him from accomplishing that. All he could do now was hope that these feelings would fade with time. They had to, they simply had to do so.

Besides, he, Zero Kiryu, did not deserve to be loved.

Heaving another sigh, Zero bowed his head and placed a gentle kiss on Ichiru's cheek. "I love you, 'Ru," he whispered. "I love you so much it hurts sometimes. God, why can I only tell you this when you're asleep? You deserve so much better than me..."

Zero finished his cigarette a few minutes later, grinding it out on the floor beside the bed before crawling under the covers with his brother. Taking Ichiru's hand, he spent the next several moments just staring at his twin, watching his peaceful face before drifting off into sleep himself.