Disclaimer: I don't own VK but i can't live without it. My first VK fanfic ;) My take on the reunion between Zero and Yuuki that i am dying to read.

By His Side

At first he thought she was a hallucination. After all, it wouldn't have been his first. Initially it was only his dreams that had been plagued by her wide, honey-brown eyes, her lips forming over and over again those dreaded words. Her vision haunted his nights and, not satisfied, she crept into his days as well. A flash of brown and he could almost feel her silky tresses tangled in his fingers. A glimpse of cream and he would envision her hands, gently holding his face. No, it certainly would not be his first,

But this was no dream. Not in his wildest fantasy would he have expected her to find him, expected her to come after the despicable, broken creature that he was. This couldn't be right. Why was she here?

"Zero…".

No, don't say my name, he thought. The familiarity with which her tongue moved to form the word was too painful. Why had she come here? It was dangerous for her to be out of Kaname's view. Bitterly he realised that as of that day, he was no longer Yuuki's personal guardian. That duty was now Kuran's and Kuran's alone.

"Zero… please say something".

Her eyes were pleading him but he remained silent. In them swirled a world of sorrow and it broke his heart but… he could not speak to her. What was there to say? He had said all he could have possibly said to completely destroy the relationship they had once had. What more was there to say?

He wished he had not been so selfish. Perhaps he would have been able to salvage a fraction of the friendship they shared. But what good was friendship when what he felt for her was nothing short of a searing, passionate love? What good was friendship when it was clear that her heart belonged to another, clear that she could never be his? And so, he had held the gun to her head when what he had really wanted to do was hold it to his own. He had frightened her, pushed her away because it was too painful to be by her side.

And now she was here, begging him with every being of her body. Begging him to reassure her, pat her head and tell her that it would be alright.

But it would never be alright.

Tears were now spilling from her wide open orbs, coursing down her face in rivers. He wanted to gather her in his arms and kiss away those tears, hug away the pain. His heart, which before would ache at the slightest frown on her petite face, now broke cleanly in two. But he remained motionless.

"Fine Zero. If you won't talk to me, I'll talk to you.". Hiccupping slightly she began. "You said to me once that I was the victim. But you were wrong Zero, I'm not the victim, Zero is. Zero always was. And now, it's my turn to give my life to you, give my everything to you. Give it, but with the realisation that it will never be enough. I walked away from you before, Zero, because I … I was ashamed. Ashamed of what I am, who I am, what I'd done to you. But now… I've realised, none of that matters. The only thing that matters is … is the promise I made to myself and to you. I promised that I would be Zero's guardian. That I would be by Zero's side, forever. No matter what. So… so it doesn't matter if you hate me. Even if you hate me, even if you despise me, I will never leave your side."

He couldn't breathe. How could she be so…so selfless? After all he had done to her, she still thought him worthy of her. How could it be? For goodness sake, he'd held a gun to her head! He was a monster that deserved to be shunned, not a friend to be welcomed with open arms! A new world had been opened to her, an amazing world that offered things beyond her wildest imagination. What was she doing vowing to stay by the side of a miserable shadow of a man? He was shocked, stunned. But what surprised him more than anything was… she had actually believed his act. She actually believed he hated her. Why, the idea was laughable…

She was looking at him now. Waiting. Anxious. Yuuki….

"I don't hate you".

"You… don't?", her lips trembled.

A bitter smile crossed lips for a second. She was so innocent…

'How can I hate you, Yuuki?", he said gently, "Do you think you being a vampire can erase the memories of years? It was Yuuki who….gave me a reason to live after …it happened. No, how I feel about you hasn't changed. It never will. But…I know that how you feel about me has changed-"

"No!", she shook her head obstinately, "Zero is my best friend! Zero will always be so!"

He almost smiled at her naivety. Almost, but couldn't. because her innocent words were at that very moment clawing at his heart strings. He had to make her understand…

"Yuuki… you have everything you ever wanted now. You have a new world. There's no place for me there."

"Then we'll make room!".

She was so childishly stubborn. He could fall in love with her over and over again. But no… he had to make her see how it really was.

"Yuuki, listen to me. I am nothing but a cleverly placed pawn on Kuran's game of chess. My purpose is to die protecting the Kuran princess and I am more than willing to do so."

"No. No… Zero, don't talk like that!".

She rushed over to him, clinging to his shirt front with a fierce determination. Her cheeks were flamed red, her eyes now dry and ardent. He placed his hands on her shoulders to push her away but couldn't bring himself to do it. Like the pathetic creature he was, he was relishing this slight body contact.

"It's the truth, Yuu-"

"NO! You… you're none of those things, You're my best friend and… and… the most precious person to me".

His body froze in shock. Had she really said what he thought she had said? No, she couldn't possibly have said that she valued him above all others…

"Don't be ridiculous Yuuki. Kaname has always-"

"Been the person I loved? I thought so too. But, in these last few days I've realised that…I was wrong. Nii sama is a person I can respect, admire, even fear. But… I do not know how to love him."

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Her voice had grown gentle and there was an enchanting bloom creeping onto her cheeks. Zero was deathly silent, holding his breath for what she was about to say.

She raised her soft brown eyes to his amethyst ones shyly. 'It's Zero I love".

And time stopped as she raised her lips to claim his.

please tell me you like it ;)