Hey folks this is my latest story...I know I should be working on Corazon but I just couldn't get the idea out of my head.
So this is an AU set in late 1920's New York.
I'd like to hear what you think of it.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own the 1920's or Vampire Knight for that matter either.
High Rollers & Smooth Talkers
Chapter 1 A Chance Encounter
When Zero Kiryuu woke up with agonizing pain in his chest and a large man standing over him who currently had a shotgun pointed at Zero's head... that was when he knew that his bad luck wasn't over really it had only been on having a nap.
Now that he thought about it maybe getting involved with Yuuki was a bad idea...from the moment he'd met her nothing about their relationship had been chance ever since their accidental encounter.
Thus proving he really should have knocked on wood when he said his day couldn't get any worse.
6 Months Earlier
The soft jazz music played on the gramophone and cigarette smoke floated through the air of the dingy club. Zero had been waiting at the bar for twenty minutes now for Kaito to get his ass down there.
He sighed for the sixth time that hour and slapped down some money on the counter for his glass of cheap whiskey he'd been slowly drinking, it was obvious by now the lazy bastard wasn't coming.
"Hey Zero you leavin' already?" the bartender asked as he wiped the glasses clean with a rag, it was the middle of the afternoon so the place was virtually empty.
"Yeah Touga...I got somewhere to be" he said putting on his jacket and fedora then picked up his old tired looking guitar case.
"Grrr how many times do I have to tell you it's Detective Yagari to you brat...and tell that damn no good Uncle of yours to come down an' help me out!" the older man complained running his hand through his own messy black hair.
"Yeah yeah old man" Zero muttered and the soft jingle of the bell above the door as he walked out.
Zero leaned against the brick wall outside and pulled on his already loosened tie as the summer sun beat down on his pale skin. He had nowhere to be until he had to go to his dead end job as a security guard at the local department store later in the evening, he could almost hear the screams now of the rich little bitches ran around drooling over the latest imported fashions; it made him sick.
He thought maybe he'd walk around for a bit hell maybe even go over to see Jinmu about that gig he'd supposedly secured for them...anything to avoid having to go back to that rat hole of an apartment he unfortunately also had to share with his twin brother Ichiru and their 'friend' Kaito Takamiya.
Ah! Yes the late 1920's where the rich got richer and the poor poorer and in New York the Mafia was around every back alley...yeah it wasn't that good of a time to be a musician in a three piece jazz band when most people wanted swing.
"I'm tellin' ya Zero my boy people just don't want to hear that black music...now come on you're a talented boy just play what the mainstream wanna hear an' ya'll be swimmin' in it" Jinmu told him whilst chomping on his cigar "I'm sorry the gig fell through, that's just how the biz is kid anyway Kaito came round earlier an' picked up ya cheque for that show down in Jersey last week" he rambled on as he handed Zero different pay cheque "this is the one for your backing up Dolly honestly without you there it would've gone to shambles, ya know what I mean she's alright but she's all tits an' no brains".
Zero stared down at the slip of paper, he examined the number on it closely "I only got $40 bucks last time I did a back up gig...this time you gave me $70" he said his voice low and threatening "I've been wondering for some time if you've been holdin' out on us Jinmu"
"Honest I haven't, would I do that to ya?" he told him nervously rubbing the scar that ran across his face "I knew ya parents! Why would I try to rip ya off".
"I think you'd rip off your grandma, I only came here because you were the cheapest manager around and now I find you skimming" Zero was almost yelling now and picked the middle aged man up by his suspenders "I bet if I go home the cheque you gave Kaito will've less as well".
"Okay okay here's $100 and lets call it even" he bargained shoving some bills into Zero's hand "Now get out before I call da cops...see how far you get in this town without my help ya stuck up brat".
"Fine! I'm gone and screw you!" Zero shouted and slammed the glass paneled door on his way out of the office.
Damn him! Here he was living week to week barely making ends met and the person who was supposed to help them had tried to screw them over...though he guessed that's how it'd always been hell his Mom and Dad were supposed to take care of them and they're dead so why not someone outside the family.
Just as he was in the middle of his mental rant someone crashed into him.
Zero glared up at whoever had knocked him over...as if his day could get any worse.
"Omph! Opps sorry!" A teenage girl apologized "I'm so sorry mister" dusting off her skirt quickly and glanced around left and right nervously.
"What's your problem?!" He couldn't help but shout at the obviously frightened girl.
Suddenly he noticed some people running down the street, they looked like some pretty nasty pieces of work and Zero felt kind of sorry for her "Quick in here" he ordered her and grabbed her small wrist pulling her along with him as he ran into a near bye alleyway between the rundown shopfronts.
He held her to his chest as the idiots chasing them ran straight past.
"So you wanna tell me what that was about?" he asked her.
"Mister Takuma warned be not to wander off...I just asked for directions and the men came up to me and tried to hold me down" she said still a little scared "So I kicked one of the bastards right between the legs just like Miss Ruka taught me and ran like the wind...I'm so sorry I ran into you and thank you for helping me...oh I'm Yuuki by the way Yuuki Kuran" Yuuki said exuberantly and held out her gloved hand while she rearranged her pink cloche hat that sat lopsided on his short brunette hair with the other.
He shook her hand briefly though not really sure why such a young girl was being so formal.
"The name's Zero Kiryuu, you're not from around here are you?" Zero replied tipping his hat to her slightly.
"No, I was born here in the city but the past few years I've been away at boarding school in Georgia" Yuuki said "I don't know how I can ever thank you Mister Kiryuu" she look down at his guitar case "you're a musician aren't you well you just must come play at my brother's club I'm sure he'd let you knowing what you did for me -"
He cut her off before she started her nervous ranting again "For starters stop calling me mister okay Zero's fine and second do you always go around spilling such personal info at the drop of a hat I could've been a serial killer for all you know" really did someone put opium in the boards coffee or something "and I don't need you to do that I make my own way... anyway I just did whatever anyone else would do" he lied and was being unintentionally stubborn about it.
"Oh...okay" she murmured softly.
Suddenly Yuuki jumped when she heard a car honk its horn.
"Miss Yuuki I have been looking everywhere for you, just imagine what Kaname would say if I couldn't find you" a tall blonde haired man called out as he ran across the street.
"I am sorry Mister Takuma, I just got distracted for a second and then I was lost, this good sir saved my life" Yuuki tried to explain as he lead her away.
"That's alright Miss Yuuki now lets get back, your brother just got back from his trip and he would like to see you" Takuma told her.
"Goodbye Zero...I would really like to see you again if that would be possible okay" She called back to Zero as she waved goodbye.
Zero sighed, now was that some unneeded excitement or what? 'I think I better just go back home' he thought and walked back in the opposite direction he had been going in originally.
&.&.&
The apartment wasn't much the place was built only fifteen years ago, just before the Great War, and sadly it was already a piece of crap. Their place was on the fourth floor at the back of the building, a shit little one bed with a tiny kitchenette and a bathroom that had only a shower and a toilet.
Oh well it was all they could afford and at least it had windows.
Heh...yeah right it was so cold in winter he and Ichiru had to sleep curled up together to keep warm...the cold even drove the rats and cockroaches away that year.
He opened the door and wondered if he really wanted to complete the trek up the three flights of stairs to get up there.
Half an hour later when he finally got up to his place guess who was there to greet him.
"Zero where the hell have you been?" his brother nagged him "Did you get the money?" right, he just had to remind him of what happened with Jinmu...that's just what he needed right now.
"Yeah yeah Kaito got it already now you go badger him unless you want him to go blow it on booze and hookers" Zero muttered throwing his jacket and hat on a hook and flopped down on the sofa knowing it would piss Ichiru off.
"Get your damn feet off Zero I just fucking cleaned" he complained as he pulled Zero's legs of the sofa.
"Well if you'd just get a job you wouldn't have to be stuck around here cleaning all day, honestly am I the only one who pulls their weight around here" the older man moaned running a hand through his own slightly shorter silver hair.
"Really what's your problem?" Ichiru asked sitting down next to him.
"Jinmu cut us...I...caught him skimming from our fees and...I just exploded at him" he whispered with his head in his hands.
"It's okay we can find another manager, did you get the money back?" Ichiru questioned him "How's your ear?"
"Jesus brother is money all you care about, I wonder if you're not a mobster some days" Zero replied "...it just hurts a little sometimes...I can deal stop being such a mother hen your health is worse than mine" he punched him in the arm playfully.
"Kaito's out wanna go through his stuff? I think he won some last week at poker" he joked "can't trust a drummer I say"
"Yeah...he'd sell you glass saying it's diamond the bastard swindler" Zero agreed shaking his head in mock disgust "So anything on the radio?" he stood up walking over to the beat up standing piano in the corner and started playing some random tunes absentmindedly.
TBC