The Healer - Kuran Kaname

Kiryuu Zero knew something was wrong the moment he felt vampires on his grounds at eleven in the morning. Still, he kept his eyes on the mixture of various medicinal ingredients he was crushing to powder, the steady pace of his hands remaining unchanged. The latest batch of orders for the burn salve was on a tight schedule. His client needed to have this completed by tomorrow.

Reaching over to another small bowl set to the side on the table he was using, he took a pinch of the gold powder within and added it to the salve. It wasn't actual powdered gold, but just the color it happened to take after infusing it with his anti-vampire abilities via his blood. Thoroughly mixing it in, he took the large bowl off its stand and approached an even larger simmering pot. Carefully tipping the bowl over, he slowly poured the finished powder in, gently stirring it as he did, with the ladle that had been sitting in the pot.

It was when he was placing the lid on the pot to simmer for another half hour that the door chime rang.

"Zero-kun, it's our son."

They certainly knew how to grab his attention. Then again, nothing else would get them up at such an ungodly hour (even for humans – it was a fucking Saturday) if not their first ever baby boy.

Stepping into what was essentially his storefront, though technically his living room, Zero narrowed his eyes as they focused on the small bundle in the cradle of Kuran Haruka's arms. His face hardened with wariness, not expecting... well, whoever the child was, when they mentioned 'our son'. The vampire in Haruka's arms was a baby all right, but that wasn't all it was. It felt unnatural. And he didn't like unnatural things. They almost always meant trouble.

"That's not your son." He said.

Juri smiled softly. "He's ours for now."

"He's also bathed in the scent of the blood of your actual son." Zero baldly stated.

Haruka flinched, though he made visible effort to hold it in. "I...I did try to wash it all off, but you know how it is, with our blood..."

Zero's lips pursed. By now, they were confirming what he began to suspect after having seen the babe sleeping away in Haruka's arms.

Kuran Ayumu was dead. No more than a year and a half, and the boy was gone. Zero had been the one to help deliver the child, and he had held a soft spot for him ever since.

"Are you willing to tell me what happened?" He motioned for Haruka and Juri to sit on one of the couches.

"We know what happened conceptually." Juri said quietly, her movements slow and measured as she sat down. "But we weren't actually there for it when..." Her mouth trembled. "He was there and then...gone. We couldn't feel him."

"And we received this little one in his stead." Haruka gently tugged the blanket aside to show the baby's face. "We named him Kaname."

Zero made no move to have a closer look, and Haruka seemed to respect his decision, stepping back and finally taking a seat next to Juri.

"We knew we had to at least try, Zero-kun." Haruka said, his tone just as quiet as Juri's. "We couldn't leave him this way."

Giving a tight nod, Zero offered them tea and some baby biscuits for the – for Kaname to nibble on.

Returning with a tray ladled with a full teapot, three porcelain cups, and the biscuits, Zero also sat down on one of the arm chairs. Filling in the cups, his voice was low as he asked, "Was it Rido?"

One of Zero's mugs cracked, a chip tumbling forlornly next to it on the counter.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry." Juri fretted. "I can get you a new one."

"It's fine." Zero dismissed. "It was nearing its time, anyway."

"...I'm actually sorry because I'm not really sorry." Juri cautiously corrected.

Zero's eye twitched. "I know." He intoned. "How oblivious do you think I am?"

Haruka cracked a smile. "Just a little."

Zero sighed tiredly. "And Kaname – what do you need me to do for him?"

Suddenly, Juri and Haruka exchanged sheepish smiles, and Zero's wariness shot back up like a startled animal. What did they want?

"Well, first we wanted to make sure he was all right, of course. Then...well," Haruka's smile widened, "We wanted to make you his reliable, dependable uncle who he can go to in times of need!"

"Offer rejected." Zero said flatly.

"Zero-kun!" Haruka whined. "I know you don't like us, but you're the only one we can trust."

"It has nothing to do with liking or not liking you." Zero said. "That – Kaname isn't just a vampire."

"Ah." Juri raised her hand to her lips. "So you noticed. We should've known you would."

"What the hell is he?"

"You could say he was the beginning of it all."

Zero could see Haruka had chosen those exact words deliberately, and his mind recalled what his own mentor and parents had taught him in regards to Hunter-Vampire relations. That the beginning of it all had been none other than:

"Kuran Kaname." Zero said softly, his lilac eyes bright with realization. "He was woken out of his Sleep?" And by Rido no less. A rude awakening to be sure.

Haruka blinked in surprise before huffing a laugh. "Kaoru...he really did love to get his hands on everything, and Riku wasn't far off."

Kaoru was Zero's mentor, who had taught him everything he knew he could teach regarding medicine and what his parents, as hunters, couldn't. Riku, of course, was his father. Kaoru and his father had been like two peas in a pod, Zero and his mother were always left to keep a close eye on them to prevent them from pulling something stupid.

"Physical regression then." Zero observed. "Has he indicated any retention of his memories from his time as the Founder?"

"I can't say." Haruka, glanced down at the baby in his arms, his eyes kind. "We've only had him for two days. But I'm going to take a wild guess and say the volume of knowledge he has accumulated would be far too stressful for the mind of a baby. He might regain them gradually, but we'll have to see."

Zero nodded. Reaching for one of the teacups, he took a sip of hot ginger tea.

It was another couple of minutes before Haruka spoke again, "So will you? Take a look at him for us?"

"And look after him?" Juri added, her voice tender. Leaning forward, her big brown eyes were soulful as she continued, "By trust, we also mean, trusting you to keep him safe. We know... We know we can't give him the things he needs."

Closing his eyes, Zero steadily breathed out. The teacup made a slight clink as he set it down. "What a baby needs, vampire or human, is a family. He's got everything he needs with you two. A mother and father are more than he's ever had from what I've heard."

Haruka and Juri exchanged glances.

"Zero-kun," Juri started, "we're over three thousand years old." She said slowly, somehow under the impression Zero had forgotten how old they were. "And from what we can see, Kaname is currently as aware as any baby his physical age. We're not exactly...what I'm trying to say is, we don't really hold the proper perspective on certain things, and we don't want to influence Kaname in a negative way."

This was getting ridiculous. So they had come here essentially because they were having parental blues? At the age of three thousand, they should know better. "Regardless of how he is now, he's still a pureblood vampire." Zero said. "There are things he needs to know if he wants to live as long as he did before. Some things, he'll have to relearn. I can't teach him how to be a pureblood vampire." He spared a pitying glance at the baby. "Though I can understand where you're coming from. Who knows what the kid is going to turn out to be, with the two of you as his parents."

Haruka brightened. "You see! This is what we mean! So can you –?"

"But he will know that you love him." Zero bulldozed on, as if Haruka hadn't spoken at all. "For a lot of kids, that's usually all they need."

Juri sighed despondently. "I was hoping not to give you too much of a chance to speak."

Haruka nodded, full lips in a pout. "Who raised you to have such an unnecessary amount of sense, Zero-kun?"

Lips thinning determinedly, Juri clasped Zero's hands in her own. "You're going to be Kaname's honorary uncle, Zero-kun. Please say yes and be happy."

"Yes, yes." Haruka beamed. "What do humans like to use? Was it godfather? Can we use godfather, Juri? I think it sounds perfect!" He dipped his head and smacked a kiss on Kaname's cheek "Kaname's godfather Zero-kun," he pronounced it like an entirely new name. "Yes, it's perfect."

Zero didn't know why he bothered anymore. He supposed Haruka and Juri actually taking the time to visit him to tell him about...this, was their own form of courtesy. They could have simply shown up, dumped Kaname into his arms, and left without any sort of explanation. It was obvious they wanted him for something that involved Kaname, but if it really was limited to just what they had told him thus far, he would eat his left foot. Haruka and Juri were too set in their ways as purebloods to just push him into the role of babysitter. They wanted him to spend time with Kaname, and for more than just Kaname's protection.

"Do other vampires know they now have a Founder in their midst, who's now physically a baby?" He cut in.

Haruka and Juri went quiet and exchanged looks before bright, identical smiles lit their faces. "...No?" They chorused.

"That's a yes." Zero decided flatly.

"Well..." Haruka dragged the word out, "They sort of do, and sort of don't."

"Some are aware, and some not." Juri clarified. "The purebloods, of course, and some of the older members of the Council." She giggled softly as she poked Kaname's round cheek. "We're honestly not too sure of the rest of the nobles."

"I'm sure those who already know would try to keep it hidden, but," Haruka shrugged.

But word would spread.

"There's only so much I can do." Zero admitted. The wards around his home weren't impenetrable, and if someone tried hard enough (though even a veteran hunter would take years, if not decades, to unravel Zero's work) it was possible to find an opening.

"Zero-kun, of course Kaname's safety is a priority, but it's because we also want him to be with someone other than, well, purebloods, nobles, and lower level vampires." Juri stated. "You're very special to us, to Haruka and I, and we want to share that with Kaname. And he's going to love you. That's a given." She grinned.

"And there are very few things we don't doubt." Haruka nodded firmly. "Very, very few."

Zero also supposed when someone was over three thousand years old, shame literally was a thing of the past. They said the most embarrassing shit as if they were just mentioning the weather.

"I'll check Kaname over, but after that you're getting the hell out." He said tiredly.

Haruka couldn't have shoved Kaname into his arms fast enough. "Thank you Zero-kun! You have no idea what this means to us!"

"Shut it, you're starting to scare him." Zero groused, carefully adjusting Kaname against his chest. He then muttered under his breath, "As if either of you would have taken no for an answer."

"Of course not, no," Juri said cheerily, "But it's always good to know you agree."

Zero tuned them both out as he took a good long look at Kaname. The baby was as young as he suspected, physically about a year old. If he hadn't been sleeping before, and now awake and intent on nibbling on the biscuits, he guessed the baby would be tottering around on his own. Gently undoing the silk bow that kept the soft, downy blanket secured, Zero felt along Kaname's small chest for his heartbeat and his respiratory rhythm.

Both were steady and, for a baby his physical age, relaxed and content. Despite getting handed over to a stranger, Kaname was completely unfazed. The half eaten biscuit in his tiny hands held all of his attention. For a baby reputed to be around eight thousand years old, he was as healthy as a pureblood vampire could get.

Zero waved his hand in Kaname's field of vision, trying to get his eyes focused on something other than the biscuit. Once Kaname looked up, he slowly moved his hand from side to side and up and down, watching the way Kaname's eyes avidly followed his movements. He then snapped his fingers and felt Kaname startle.

Yeah, the kid was good to go. If Kaname were human, he would be more extensive with his check up, but as Kaname was a pureblood vampire, there wasn't much that could go wrong. As long as the major organs he needed for survival were well in working order, Zero had no complaints.

"He's fine. No irregularities on eating habits, sleeping cycles, or his five senses?"

"None!" Haruka chirped.

Zero nodded. "Then take him back and get out. I have work."

And so ended his introduction to the newest member of the Kuran household.

. . .

A/N: Yup, a new one. Just putting up the one-shots I've accumulated like an old cat lady who's also a hoarder. Hope this one was enjoyable!