Inescapable
Part I
"My blood is your blood; and with it, I give you my everything…"
. . .
"Hanabusa-sama, your lessons…" A thin teenage vampire looked worried by the door, eyes darting back and forth from down the hall to the small from of her young master looking intently down at a chessboard, refusing to move.
"I want to play with Kaname-sama!" The blond demanded, bright blue eyes still on the game pieces, knowing if he just had five more minutes, he would find the solution to getting another step further towards victory.
The brunet sitting across from him tilted his head. "Aidou, you should go to your lessons." He advised. "My father tells me knowledge is power, and if you miss your lessons, you'll be missing out on your education," he recited.
"But Kaname-sama…"
"Ruka told me she made a perfect score on one of her exams," the pureblood remarked off-handedly, poking at one of the pawns he had captured. "She was very happy about it."
"I can do better than Ruka, Kaname-sama! I'll show you one of my tests too!" With a new goal in mind, the blond swiftly stood up and practically flew out of his room, face set with stubborn determination.
The attendant by the door blinked and looked down the hall where her young master had rushed down before turning back to the pureblood still sitting on the rug. "Thank you, Kaname-sama," she bowed lightly with a smile, "Should you need anything, please feel free to call." She gently closed the door after her, leaving the brunet to hum in amusement.
Now…what to do, he wondered. With his host off to fulfilling his academic duties, he had an extra few hours on his hands. Sweeping the room around him with disinterest, he meandered towards the window, eying the eerily calm weather. Not even a breeze seemed to have the courage to pass through, the few leaves still daring to hang on to gnarly branches motionless under the light of the moon.
It was, "quiet," he whispered, his dark eyes lowered to the grounds below. His father had told him of such nights; dark and still with an air of unsettling familiarity and comfort, making his brows crease with the contradictory emotions. A part of him delighted in the unease Mother Nature seemed frightened enough to show, and another part of him took to fear and caution at what might be the cause of that unease.
Tracing the small round moon with a finger against the window, he watched as the glass fogged from the warmth of his breath. "A full moon," he murmured. They tended to shed light on things usually unseen during any other night. Or day. "What are we waiting on?" He thought aloud. Something was coming.
"Kaname…"
Jerked out of his thoughts, he turned around, lowering his hand. "…Father?"
Haruka sent him a bemused smile from the doorway. "Are you all right? You seemed pretty involved with the window."
He smiled back, now feeling a bit sheepish. "The weather is strange."
The older pureblood nodded, his eyes sparing a quick glance behind his son. "You're right, of course," he said, though he looked more contemplative than worried, "something is coming."
. . .
Or rather...something was calling him. Slipping from his bed with the quiet rustle of sheets, Kaname pulled on his favorite fluffy robe, slipped his pale little feet into warm slippers, and padded out the front door.
Squinting, he realized it was early yet, for young vampires like himself to be awake. Evening was some ways away, the sun's rays still lingering over the sky in shades of orange and red. He also supposed taking a walk in his current attire would gain amused, if not disproving looks from his parents, but gave a light shrug and moved on.
Focused on simply placing one foot in front of the other, he didn't bother to keep track of how far he'd walked, which turns he made, or how far he was from his home. He had a destination, a place to reach, no matter how vague the directions, and everything else came after. The emotions calling out to him overrode anything else. It was the despair and resignation that tugged at his heart, the heavy unmistakable taint of death and remorse pulling at his mind, that had him moving, his feet padding along as though with a will of their own.
When the sky had turned dark, and his slippers muddied and filthy, he found himself looking up at a three story manor, pale and pristine, terribly beautiful in its exquisite structure. His long walk leaving him in a daze, he took his time approaching the door, his steps slow and unhurried.
Raising his hand for the knob, he felt a familiar presence materialize at his back.
"I was afraid you might be here." Haruka murmured, smiling down at him. "Haven't I taught you it's rude to enter without being invited?" His voice gentle, he coaxed his son away with him, away from the door and back to their home.
Looking up, he sent an apologetic smile to one of the windows.
The wispy figure gazing down at them dropped the curtain, the heavy cloth swinging closed with a flutter, guarding against the outside world once more.
"Father, who is it that lives there?"
"Lives where?"
"In that big house." He gestured with his arms, spreading them wide to show how big. "White and beautiful. With long windows."
Haruka chuckled, patting his head. "Mm," he hummed, placing Kaname in his lap. "Who knows," he said with a flair of ambiguity, "a ghost perhaps."
"Ghosts aren't real, Father."
"Oh, don't be so quick to judge, Kaname," Haruka shook his finger, "you might meet one, one day, and then what'll you do? Deny what's right in front of you?" He laughed softly at the look Kaname sent him and leaned down to press his lips against silky brown curls. "But yes," he admitted quietly, "it isn't a ghost that lives there."
It wasn't until another full moon Kaname felt a second tug on his mind. Now more prepared, he changed properly into a shirt and pants, grabbing a coat on the way, and tucked his socked feet into a pair of leather ankle boots. Risking his father coming after him again, he closed the door after him, setting a moderate pace for his 'walk'.
Coming upon the same manor, he remembered his father's words and raised his fist to offer a few knocks this time, wondering if whoever was inside would be able to hear them. When no answer came forth, he held in a disappointed sigh and pressed his lips together, refusing to let one rejection affect him. He was being called here for a reason, he reassured himself, so it must be that he was somehow needed here. He raised his fist to knock once again, but hit nothing but air when the door slowly opened with a sharp click.
Taking it as an invitation to enter, he pushed it open further and stepped in, forgetting to close it behind him as he blinked at his new surroundings. There wasn't much to look at, the entryway practically empty with the exception of a furry rug and long columns.
He was much more taken with the wide staircase, its iron rails strong and delicate, coming to elegant outward curls at its end. Testing the stairs, Kaname started out slow and cautious, mindful of his steps, as though expecting a reprimand at any moment, but as the silence persisted, his small lips lifted in a smile and he rose with more confidence, soft clicks from his boots filling the stale air.
Still relying on his instincts to guide him, his eyes settled on the third door they came across, smooth and polished, with an ornate silver knob; perfect and round like the moon he was becoming intrigued by.
Reaching for it, he paused with a childish giggle, reconsidering his actions and lifting his fist to knock instead. Just as before, the mysterious 'ghost' took its time before giving an answer,
"A curious little pureblood."
The husky whisper came right by his ear, and Kaname involuntarily let out a squeak of surprise before composing himself, slowly turning around to face the owner of the alluring voice.
"…Hello."
The caller of his mind was tall, maybe even more than his father, but that was as far as similarities went. While his father had dark features to compliment his pale skin, the stranger was simply pale. His hair, his eyes, lashes, and even the piercings he could see peeking out from under a few strands of that pale hair all had the barest hint of color. He alone stood out in the unlit hall like a faint beacon, refusing to be swallowed by the darkness the lack of light induced.
Like the moon.
Kaname was very much entranced.
Cool assessing eyes traveled to every corner of his person before coming to rest on the far wall some feet away in a dismissive manner. The stranger turned away completely, his back to Kaname as he walked down the stairs, his figure disappearing out of sight with every descending step. The young pureblood rushed after him, going down after the stranger before blinking, seeing no sign of him. There wasn't even a scent to trace him by. As though triggered by something, Kaname was overwhelmed by a sudden irrational distance he knew wasn't right to feel for someone he didn't know. He'd never met the man before, but there was no mistaking the distinct loss he felt as the stranger walked away from him so easily. He must have offended him somehow, he decided morosely, with either his words or manners. He'd caused the stranger to be displeased with him. So displeased the stranger had left.
The realization left him more pained than he could ever imagine being when compared to making his friends upset.
"…S-sorry…" He croaked out weakly. "I'm sorry." I didn't mean to make you leave.
"Who are you talking to?"
The stranger's voice came from behind him again, and Kaname quickly turned, a little dumbfounded before feeling relieved enough to let out a bright smile. "Hello!"
Pale eyes blinked down at him in bemusement. "Are all little vampires so strange?" He murmured before his expression shifted back to the cool blank mask Kaname had first seen. "You should go home." He didn't react to the sound of the front door closing and the amused tones of Haruka coming up the staircase.
"Kaname…"
"Father." Kaname smiled.
"I think you've intruded on him enough for the night, little imp." Haruka scooped him up into the folds of his arms.
"But Father, the man was—" He turned to point the tall stranger out only to be greeted with an empty hall.
When the third call came after the next full moon, Kaname, with new goals in mind, was quick to reach the manor and wasted no time in giving a few knocks. Just as his second visit, the door simply opened to let him inside, as though recognizing his presence.
He made sure to close the door after him this time, and headed straight for the third door on the second floor. Knocking it, he braced himself for a greeting from behind, but even after waiting for a few minutes, that deep whisper never came.
Against his better judgment, he reached for the knob, knowing it was terribly rude to enter without permission, but letting his curiosity put a dampener on etiquette for the moment.
Just a peek.
"Here again?"
Kaname gasped and whirled around to meet a pair of cold pale eyes. Quickly slipping his hand from the knob, he fidgeted guiltily. "…Hello."
"You should leave."
"But—" About to protest, he stopped short at the flat stare he received. Confused now – things didn't make any sense – he steeled himself for the question he most wanted to know the answer to. "Then…then why do you keep making me come here?"
The stranger fixed him with a long even stare. "Am I?" He murmured, more to himself than to Kaname. "No…" He reached down, hand outstretched, to gently trace the young brunet's lips with his thumb. "But…you are telling the truth," he said softly. "Still, I'm not the one who calls to you." Curiosity lighting his eyes, he leaned further down, now on his knee, and cupped both of Kaname's cheeks. His hands were surprisingly warm.
"…He did so," he continued, the slightest touch of confused amazement blossoming in his tone, "for me." He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Kaname's, letting out a sigh. "That - why did he...? He knew I wouldn't..." He sounded unsure of himself. "He should've known…" And when the stranger leaned back and opened his eyes, Kaname watched, with not a small amount of awe and fascination, as the pale, luminescent irises bled crimson.
"He brings you here, for me, but I won't have you." He trailed over Kaname's lips with his thumb once again. "You better leave." Tilting his head, he turned to look down the stairs. "Haruka is here."
As though on cue, said pureblood's voice rang from the first floor. "Kaname?"
The stranger suddenly stood up, brows creased. "Kaname? …He named you…?" Eyes flashing, he glared down at a sheepish Haruka, who was looking between them with a smile. "You dared to…!"
"I'm not sorry for it."
The stranger's glare didn't lessen in intensity.
"We wanted to do something to honor him. We wanted to keep his memory alive somehow. He was important to us too."
Pale eyes narrowed until only slivers of glowing lilac remained. "So you gave him his name?" His low voice sent shivers down Kaname's back.
Haruka simply nodded. "Isn't he cute? He's our firstborn."
The stranger snorted, but Kaname noted he no longer seemed so angry. "Whatever he looks like now, he won't be for long. All of you Kuran males are the same – great pains in the ass."
Startled by the crass insult, Kaname nearly went slack-jawed as he looked up. He'd never heard someone…well, curse like that before, especially towards his father. And the stranger's abrupt change in speech pattern took him a moment to take in. The man had seemed…more docile, when Kaname had conversed with him. Distant, curt, and a little cold, but he took time with his answers, as though measuring each word he spoke.
Haruka was hardly bothered however, laughing out loud. "Well, I won't deny that. I sometimes wonder how Juri ever puts up with me. We can't all be like Uncle. He was a content bachelor to the end."
The stranger's eyes clouded. "Was he?"
Haruka's expression softened. "Of course. If he felt for you even a fraction of what I feel for my children, I've no doubt."
Confused as to who they were referring to and upset with being left out, Kaname mumbled, "Uncle? But Mother said he was a no good mean bully."
"What?"
Haruka coughed. "He's talking about Rido."
The stranger blinked down at Kaname in curiosity before his lids lowered in faint amusement. "Charming, isn't he."
Haruka beamed. "He is! I bet that's why—"
"But he isn't him. Take him back, Haruka."
"Zero-san…"
"I don't need anyone else." The stranger, Zero-san, his name seemed to be, was quiet. His somberness was back, and the bantering attitude he had with Haruka was gone in a flash.
"You may think so, but I know he wouldn't want you to live this way." Haruka said gently, not ready to give up yet. "He wouldn't," he said more firmly as the pale man looked at him skeptically. "I bet you've no idea how long you've been here." It was enough to turn someone insane, vampire or not (he wasn't talking about a couple of measly little centuries here) and Haruka didn't doubt Zero had remained unaffected. The eerily flat disinterest he was being faced with did nothing to reassure him.
"You can speak for him all you like," Kaname watched as the stranger's tone went completely frigid. "He always listened to me in the end."
"You are acting like a spoilt child." Haruka countered. "You're sulking."
"He would let me." Zero-san said with an uncaring lift of his shoulder. "Even if I am sulking," he emphasized on the word with a hint of sarcasm, "he wouldn't have minded."
"He may not have," Haruka conceded wearily, "but not for long. He wouldn't have wanted this for you." He repeated.
"But I'll never know that, will I," Zero-san said with a final air. He obviously did not wish to continue on any further.
Kaname didn't know who 'he' was, but he could tell 'he' meant a lot to Zero-san. And maybe, just maybe, since 'he' was not here, 'he' might not be alive anymore, like what his parents said about his grandparents.
"You miss 'him'." He whispered, before he even knew his mouth was moving.
The stranger's, Zero-san's eyes turned to him then. They were pale and glowing and beautiful, but the young pureblood thought they also looked deeply empty.
Remembering the hauntingly dark emotions that had pulled him to this manor in the first place, he vaguely wondered if this wispy man were the source. A sharp inner tug that made him blink in surprise told him otherwise. Zero-san seemed the only person living here, but he was not responsible for Kaname's visits every full moon. Just as he said, he was not Kaname's 'caller'. That was someone else. It was the 'he' that his father and Zero-san kept mentioning.
Gem-like eyes were back on Haruka. "I don't want anyone else." He repeated, his voice considerably softer. "I don't care if this child has the same name." He turned away as though wanting to reject their presence, his body melting back into the darkness of the halls. "He isn't him." His voice faded, lingering long enough to reach their ears before silence took over once again.
It was another while before Kaname spoke. "Let's go home, Father."
It was the last time Kaname would see the manor or Zero-san for the next year and a half.
. . .
Thank you for reading :) Glad you made it this far XD *smooch*
Disclaimer: No own.
