Forever Mine

. . .

He had lost him. So long ago, he had lost him. To age, to time, to the inevitable call of nature, he had lost him.

"Don't be sorry, Kaname."

But he hadn't lost him for good. He'd been promised, by the very gods that be, he would never lose him forever. They shared a connection beyond death, beyond time, beyond any flimsy human limitations.

He was just going to be gone for a little while. He just needed some patience. As long as he trusted and kept faith his greatest happiness would be returned to him once more.

It was what he was promised.

"I love you, Kaname, never doubt it."

Lilac eyes. Moonlit hair. His beloved. His Companion. His life.

"Please, give him back to me."

Soon, they whispered, soon, and he calmed, however minutely, at the wispy tendrils of assurance, cryptic and sweet, echoing in his mind.

He will come to you.

. . .

"Zero, hurry up!" What was he doing? Styling his hair? Ichiru shifted impatiently by the door. "The truck is leaving, and Mom and Dad are too! If you don't want to be left behind, move faster!"

"Ichiru, don't yell." Zero commented.

"Finally!" Ichiru dragged the word out, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly. Eying the object in his brother's arms, he frowned. "You're bringing that too?"

It was a stuffed animal, a bear. With a dark rose embroidered over where its heart might have been, collared with a silky long ribbon just as dark. It never got dirty, and it never turned scruffy. No matter how much time passed, it kept its clean, pristine appearance, its fur wonderfully soft; its round beady eyes gleaming.

Their parents simply thought Zero was taking exceptionally good care of it, but Ichiru knew better. Although Zero did take care of it, he wasn't arguing otherwise, Zero took it with him everywhere, and even as a twelve-year-old, he knew its perfect condition after the amount of wear and tear it'd gone through was abnormal. Not when comparing it to the other regular stuffed animals they owned.

Binky the dragon, he recalled, had been fixed a total of five times since they first received it. Its horn had to be sewn on tighter after its seams loosened too much as well as its arm after being torn off by a playmate. Other 'fixing' incidents were much the same, all accidentally induced, and their mother had needed to come to the rescue with her thread and needle. That bear was the only one left untouched. And it was older than any of the other stuffed animals they had. Ichiru couldn't remember a time the bear wasn't a part of their room or with Zero. According to their mother, it'd been a gift from one of her friends right after they'd been born. A small party had been held for her returning from the hospital along with the twins, and someone, she couldn't remember who, had left the bear for Zero.

Even stranger was his brother's attachment to it. Zero was the mature one, quieter, more behaved, more obedient. He was the one who apologized first in a fight, who gave up his toys for Ichiru to play with, who made sure to keep curfew, and watched over other kids so they didn't get into too much trouble. It was completely unlike him to cling to a stuffed animal for peace or comfort.

Ichiru couldn't really understand that aspect of his brother any more than their friends did, but he wasn't against his brother keeping it. He could see how much Zero loved the thing, no matter how old it was.

He was just a little freaked out by the bear itself, with its unnatural presence.

"I am." Zero's hand tightened around the stuffed bear. "Are Mom and Dad already in the car?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Without a backward glance at the house they'd been raised in for the past twelve years, the twins closed the door behind them and climbed into the cluttered back seat of the car, eagerly asking their parents how long the ride would take to reach their new home.

Upon arriving at their new neighborhood, Ichiru was the first to sprint out of his seat, eyes wide as he looked up and down the recently repainted house, from the small windows to what had to be the attic to the wide open porch and front doors decorated with tinted glass reflecting soft reds and blues.

"Mom said our room is going to be bigger." Ichiru dragged his brother upstairs to see what it looked like.

"Everything is bigger." Zero commented, trying to keep up.

While Ichiru explored what was supposed to be their room, Zero walked up to the tall windows; drawn to the large house he could see some ways away. Leaning forward for a closer look, his hand tightened around the bear in his arms, squeezing it against his chest. Their distant neighbor looked dark, foreboding and weirdly enough, terribly lonely. He'd never thought of a house as lonely before. Isolated by surrounding trees, it couldn't be described any other way. He wondered if it was abandoned and maybe that's why it seemed so sad, since it didn't have people inside to make happy memories with.

"Wow, that house looks creepy." Ichiru, who'd had enough of their new room for the moment, came up beside him, eyes wide. "Do you think it's haunted?"

"…No."

"Zero? Ichiru? Can you come down? There's someone I want you guys to meet." It was their mother.

Forcing their eyes away from the dark house, they skipped down the steps by twos and landed neatly on their feet.

"Is it the friend you were talking about?" Ichiru chirped. Their mother smiled.

"Yes, her name is Juri. She has a daughter just a year younger and a boy two years older."

"Hello!" Juri smiled brightly. "Yuri loves my lemon cupcakes so I brought some over." Her gaze lingered curiously over Zero, her smile turning soft, before she brought her daughter forward.

The girl by her side smiled shyly. "Hi, I'm Yuuki."

The twins nodded. "Zero."

"I'm Ichiru, you're small for eleven." Ichiru grinned.

Seeing her pout in response, Zero simply patted her head.

The bear's eyes gleamed.

. . .

"Looking at that house again?" Ichiru looked from Zero to the view outside their window with a frown. "Yuuki told us we shouldn't go near it. People go missing and weird stuff happens." Everyone was wary of approaching the seemingly imposing house. Ichiru was more worried about his twin's unhealthy interest in it.

"…I've been there."

It took a while for the words to register. "What!" Ichiru demanded. "When?"

Zero didn't say anything, his eyes eerily vacant. He was still looking out the window, but he wasn't. His lids lowered and Ichiru watched as the soft lilac in his brother's eyes seemed to retreat amidst a sea of grey and specks of blue. His lips parted to mouth something, but Ichiru, having had enough, grabbed at his arm. "Zero? Zero!"

Lilac eyes blinked (they were the right color again, Ichiru observed uneasily), coming to focus on his face. "Ichiru?"

His stomach twisting in knots, he forced a smile, fighting off the sharp stinging spike of fear still lodged in his heart. "Um, nothing, just…" You changed…

Zero tilted his head, his expression calm if not bemused, and leaned in to wrap his arms around his brother's shoulders, gently rubbing his back. "It's okay," he murmured, "Don't be scared."

All Ichiru could do was nod, hands fisting his brother's shirt. "Just, just don't leave, okay?" Don't leave.

Zero kissed his cheek and suggested they go downstairs for a warm snack.

Ichiru followed after him, lips pursed at Zero's unusual reaction. Zero usually offered to lie down with him whenever he had a scare, leading to a comforting nap. Never had he dismissed it with a snack and a kiss. It wasn't over yet, his heart thudded.

Shooting a glare outside the window, he barely kept himself from slamming the door closed behind him.

He officially hated that house.

. . .

"Hurry guys, hurry!"

Deliberately taking a slow bite of his pancakes, Ichiru frowned. "What the hell's the matter with you?" He and his brother had been minding their own business, enjoying their breakfast when Yuuki came barging in like an excited puppy, urging them to eat faster so they could get to her house asap.

"My brother's home! I want you to meet him." She beamed. "He told me not to tell Mom and Dad 'cause he wants it to be a surprise, but I'll go nuts if I don't tell someone!"

"Oh… Kaname-san, right?" Zero tilted his head.

Ichiru sipped at his orange juice. Yuuki had mentioned Kaname in passing. From her rambling, he gathered her brother was the proud firstborn son any parent could hope to have – responsible, reliable, and adored by nearly every female in the neighborhood. Supposedly, he looked very much like his father, but was quite devious and prone to playful teasing. He wasn't around for most of the year since he attended a boarding school a plane ride away.

"Yup. I hope you like him. I think he'll like you. I told him to come straight here if I wasn't home."

On cue, the doorbell rang.

"Is that him?" Zero asked.

Yuuki rushed off to answer the door in a split second.

Hearing a loud squeal, Ichiru and Zero exchanged amused glances and continued with their breakfast. Keeping half an ear on the faint chatter at their entrance, they finished up the last of their pancakes, with Zero gathering the empty plates to place in the sink, grabbing a sponge.

"We can wash them later, Zero. Let Yuuki get her introductions out of her system or she'll bug us forever until she does."

Before Zero could offer an answer, Yuuki marched in, pulling a tall boy behind her, chirping, "Here he is!"

Reluctantly letting the plates sink back into the large water-filled bowl, Zero dried his hands and turned around.

Only to freeze as he caught a better look at Kuran Kaname's face.

Kaname seemed to be in a similar predicament once their eyes met.

Ichiru blinked, slowly looking from his brother to Yuuki's, baffled, before a sly smirk widened his lips. Ooh~…

Oblivious to their awkward reactions, Yuuki continued, "This is my brother, and Kaname, Zero's wearing blue and Ichiru's wearing white."

"…I see." Kaname lightly cleared his throat. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you. Yuuki has yet to stop talking about you two."

"She didn't mention you were a pretty boy," Ichiru snickered. "Though I should've guessed. From the way the girls all gush about you, you might as well be a celebrity. As long as you like soccer, you're okay in my books." He made a deliberate show of studying the older boy head to toe, eying the prim, pressed clothing with distaste. Those had to be tailored. "You do know how to play, right?"

Kaname smiled sweetly. "Oh and then some, Ichiru-kun."

Ichiru nodded approvingly. "Why don't you go change out of your pretty clothes and we can play one-on-one?"

"I could use a bit of a stretch after my trip." Kaname took the challenge head-on, much to Yuuki's protests, and with a lingering look over his shoulder at Zero, left to find casual wear.

The moment the Kuran siblings left, Ichiru turned on his brother. "Okay, what the hell was that?"

"What…?"

"That! Making cow eyes at Yuuki's brother like one of the dumb girls at school! That!"

Zero flushed, lowering his head. "I wasn't."

"You were." Ichiru stated. And proceeded to make a comical imitation of his brother's 'cow eyes', snickering when he received a whack to his arm in retaliation. "You were!" He sang. "You have a crush on Yuuki's brother~!" He fluttered his eyelashes exaggeratedly and clasped his hands. "Was it love at first sight?" He said in a simpering voice. "I mean, 'cause he's just so pretty, right?"

Zero shot him a flat look. "You said it, not me."

Ichiru shrugged. "Well, he is. Or were you too busy in your fantasies to notice?"

The fire was back in Zero's cheeks and he scowled. "I only thought he was really pale."

"I doubt that's all you thought~"

Zero huffed and pointedly reached for the soaked plates. "I was going to ask if you'd want sandwiches after your game with him, but you obviously don't need any," He said coolly.

Ichiru backpedaled. Fast. "What was I saying? That you were only staring, not drooling in your mind as you did it? Yeah, I think so. No girly faces were seen, not one! And that blush? It must've been 'cause you were hot. Temperature, you know? Maybe the heater's on too strong—"

Zero nearly rolled his eyes. "Fucking jerk."

"…Does that mean you'll make sandwiches?"

He smiled wryly. "Yes, Ichiru, it does."

"Cool." Ichiru leaned against the counter. "So…looking forward to Kaname getting hot and sweaty?"

He laughed and yelped as a spray of water hit his face when Zero flicked his wet fingers.

When Kaname returned, now in a plain shirt and jeans (yes, he did own them), it was to witness a cackling Ichiru in a headlock by Zero, barely catching the words, "You were!" and "Shut up!"

The stuffed bear lay on the table, beady eyes bright.

. . .

When Ichiru was fourteen (fifteen in two months!), he walked in on a rare sight: Kuran Kaname talking to himself.

The seventeen-year-old's guilty monologue went somewhere along the lines of: "He's only fourteen, fourteen!" and "Just started high school!" with a bit of "Am I a pedophile…?"

Barely holding in a snort, Ichiru slowly, slowly walked back out and laughed to his heart's content when he was sure he was out of hearing distance. Hanging onto the wall for balance, it took a good ten minutes to get his breath back. 'Cause man, what a dork! He chortled. Zero sure knew how to pick 'em. That was his brother for ya.

He felt happy for his brother too, of course, what with the proof of Kaname's…er, more inappropriate feelings. He knew Zero sometimes thought the older boy would forever see him as Yuuki's best friend, someone on the same level of acknowledgement as a younger sibling. But yeah, Ichiru might have problems with Kaname lusting after his fourteen-year-old brother – as would a whole lot of other judgmental people (which hopefully included their parents who would agree Zero shouldn't be doing 'grown-up' things yet and tell him to wait until he was, like, forty.)

Yeah.

But on the whole, Ichiru was glad for Zero's little crush, since it kept his brother's mind away from that house and even (miraculously) the stuffed bear. Zero was too busy getting anxious and anticipatory over Kaname's next phone call or text or email or visit to pay the same amount of attention he used to for the inanimate object. Nowadays, the bear just sat by his brother's pillow, getting a pat or a cuddle whenever Zero happened to remember it was there.

Zero's strange eye color morphing stopped too, and he barely spared but a glance at the house from their window.

Ichiru felt a smug sense of satisfaction whenever he caught sight of the creepy house and that bear. Zero wasn't getting affected by any of their freaky powers anymore since he was involved with an actual human being, real and alive, and (questionable morals aside) a pretty decent guy overall.

That didn't mean they still didn't give him the heebie-jeebies. He couldn't do anything about the house (short of burning the damn thing down) but he could wish for the day Zero would find the bear insignificant enough to throw away or shoved in the attic.

Sitting at the edge of his brother's bed, he warily poked the bear on the nose, nearly tipping it over. The ribbon around its neck was fresh and soft as ever and Ichiru tugged on it lightly, rubbing the material between his fingers. It really hadn't changed. Letting it go, his eyes narrowed, now focused on the rose insignia on the bear's chest. The mark had always been dark, but had it been that dark? He rubbed at it with his thumb as though to scrub away the color. It remained, looking like a blot of dried blood.

Was it finally starting to show signs of wear? But the thing hadn't changed for twelve years…until they moved. It'd been close to two years since they moved in. Picking the bear up, he checked it over for other possible signs of age, but the seams were still tight, the fur downy soft, and the eyes… He paused. It could just be the surrounding fur or his own twisted imagination making something out of nothing, but the dark beady eyes looked a bit forlorn.

…Aaand it's official – Kiryuu Ichiru has gone insane.

Chuckling to himself, he placed the bear back down, shaking his head. What the hell was he thinking?

. . .

Zero yawned softly and poked at his breakfast, looking ready to keel over face first into his rice.

Ichiru frowned. His brother had been like this for the past week and a half. While he would attribute it to being exam week soon for anyone else, his brother had never pulled all night study sessions. "Have you been sleeping?" Zero sometimes lost track of time talking with Kaname, either on his laptop or on the phone, though Kaname usually made sure to end their conversations on a timely manner.

Zero nodded. "But I still feel really tired when I wake up." He rubbed at his eyes.

"It's been more than a week." Ichiru glanced at his brother's full plate. "You've been eating less. Have you told Kaname?"

Predictably, Zero shook his head. "I don't want to worry him." He said softly. "He's preparing for college entrance exams."

Saying Kaname would drop all of that in a heartbeat if he thought Zero were in trouble didn't seem like the right thing to say at the moment, and Ichiru stayed quiet.

"I'll try to sleep earlier." Zero murmured.

"…Yeah. And eat." Ichiru added. "You're making it worse by starving yourself." He pointed at his brother's breakfast. "You can start by finishing at least half of that."

"Mm."

After parting ways for their first class, Ichiru pulled out his phone while making sure the professor was occupied, and quickly sent a message to Yuuki.

'Has anything changed about that creepy ass house?'

Her reply was discouraging. 'Nope. Creepy as ever.'

'Thanks.'

He was surprised to feel his phone buzz just seconds later. 'Is something wrong with Zero?'

He didn't bother to think about how she knew. Yuuki could be perceptive when she put her mind to it. 'Dunno.'

'I'll keep an eye out.'

'Thanks.'

When lunch rolled around, he stuck Zero with Kaito along with strict instructions to watch his brother like a hawk until he ate everything, and went to their shared dorm room, an uneasy chill settling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't want to be right, he wanted to be wrong, but when he checked the bear by his brother's pillow, he saw its rose mark had darkened to a near black hue. The shine on its ribbon was duller, and the soft fur seemed weighed down.

"What the fuck are you?" He demanded fiercely. "What the hell are you doing to Zero?"

He didn't expect an answer and the bear never gave one.

Two weeks later, their sophomore year came to an end and Kaname had gotten accepted to his first choice of college with top marks on his exam, now free to visit for the summer.

"Hello, Ichiru-kun."

Zero was out grocery shopping for their mother when Kaname stopped by.

"Hey. You can wait here or in Zero's room." Ichiru nodded to the stairs.

He smiled when Kaname chose to sit in the living room, most likely too polite or shy to simply invite himself into Zero's bedroom without his permission. Handing the older boy a glass of iced tea, he nodded to one of the shelves. "You ever see our baby pictures?" Their mother didn't keep any of them out in frames, deeming them too personal to hang them out for any old stranger to look at.

"Are you implying something?" Kaname asked wryly. He was aware Ichiru knew of his feelings for Zero, who at sixteen, was still young.

Ichiru laughed. "No, not this time. Just thought you might want to, since Zero will never show them to you. Part of my duties as an annoying brother." He took one of the albums out and passed it to Kaname.

Flipping through it, Kaname murmured, "You were both beautiful babies."

He snickered. "Thanks? Those were at our second birthday. That's Zero there, with cake all over his face."

Kaname chuckled. "He seemed to have enjoyed himself immensely." He flipped another page and blinked, bringing the album closer. "This…" He shook his head, smiling fondly.

"M?"

He tapped one of the pictures. "This bear is an exact replica of the one I used to own with the exception being its color. Mine was white." He took a sip of the tea. "My mother must have made one for Zero and sent it as a gift. It's a family tradition of hers, to make a protection bear for the firstborn." He explained.

"Protection bear…?"

"They supposedly work to keep the child safe from harm. Like an omamori."

Ichiru swallowed. "…Do you know what the rose mark thing means?"

"It represents the center for emotion, either from its maker, its owner, or something else."

"Just emotion? It doesn't have freaky powers or anything?"

Kaname smiled bemusedly. "Even if it did, I would think it'd be used to protect its owner. Is everything all right, Ichiru-kun?"

Neither spoke for a few minutes before, "…You're going to think I'm crazy."

"You yourself would say that's nothing new."

He laughed humorlessly. "True that. But this is serious shit. I mean…this entire time, I thought everything had to do with that…that, with Zero's eyes switching like mood rings, looking like a zombie, and—" He cut himself off with a frustrated sigh. "And I don't know what the fuck I'm saying."

Kaname, looking back down at the photo of a young Zero, barely three or four with the bear in his arms, curiously asked, "Does he still keep this with him?"

"Uh…yeah, he just keeps it by his pillow though, doesn't carry it around or anything."

"But he has kept it close."

Ichiru warily nodded.

Kaname was silent until, "…I always found it highly fascinating, Zero felt so…clean. He was untouched in a way I've never experienced from anyone else. There is a sense of purity about him, in what he feels, in how he views things, in the things he does. He's a very unique mixture of influences."

"…Are you saying it's because of that bear?" He'd never thought of his brother that way, but he guessed it was applicable.

"I'm inclined to think so, yes. My mother is very sensitive to certain energies and has…influences of her own. I wouldn't be surprised if the bear she made for Zero harbors some sentience, allowing it to truly fulfill is created purpose."

"Then…then what's wrong with him now? If it's not the bear…" If the bear had in fact, been helping Zero, then what was it protecting him from?

"Ichiru-kun?"

"He didn't want to tell you," he sighed. "He didn't want to worry you."

Kaname smiled knowingly. "Should I go straight to Zero?"

Ichiru frowned indecisively before nodding firmly. "…You know what, yeah, I think you should." He sent an apologetic look to the photographs of his brother. "Now that I think about it, I doubt it's just me, getting freaked out by this. Zero's good at hiding shit like that. He'll spill something if it's you. Just don't tell him it was me." He added quickly. "He thinks the sun shines out of your ass, you can tell him it was your omniscient stalker powers that told you and he'll believe it." Or something.

They heard the door open and exchanged glances, Kaname standing to gladly greet Zero, persuading him to abandon the groceries to spend time with him while Ichiru hurried to put the album away.

"Let Ichiru-kun handle those, love, I've missed you."

. . .

"Stop…stop…"

"Muh…?" Groping around his nightstand for his alarm clock, Ichiru blinked blearily. Three in the morning?

"Please…"

Groggily rubbing at his eyes, Ichiru murmured, "Zero? What's wrong?"

He only heard muffled whimpers from the other side of the room.

"Zero?" He called louder, pulling the light covers off, sliding his legs over the side of the bed.

"…Ichiru?"

"Yeah. Nightmares?"

"Ye—no, I don't know," Zero groaned. "It's…he thinks he's Kaname." He burst out. "He keeps telling me, even when I know he isn't."

"What…" Ichiru inhaled slowly. "He? Who is it? Why is he saying he's Kaname?" This was getting creepy beyond belief.

"I don't know. I don't know who he is. He looks like Kaname, but I know he isn't. Kaname wouldn't say—" Zero's breath hitched. "He wouldn't say things like that. He's…looking for someone, and he thinks it's me."

Ichiru got up to cross the room, pulling the curtains closed as he passed, keeping the house out of sight. Just in case. "Is he calling you by someone else's name?"

"…No. But I don't know any of the things he says. He says I should remember, but I don't remember anything…! I only know the Kaname I know now!" He sounded incredibly stressed.

"Hey," Ichiru said soothingly, reaching his brother's bed, gently grasping his arm. "You feel warm, you want a drink?"

It was a few seconds before Zero nodded wearily. He looked worn out.

Convening to the living room nursing a cold cup of tea, Zero smiled tiredly when Ichiru plopped beside him on the couch. "Thanks."

"Yeah. So this creeper Kaname-look-alike, what's his deal?"

"…He's looking for someone. He's waited so long, he sounds desperate," Zero said quietly. "But I know I'm not who thinks I am."

Ichiru stuck his finger inside his own cup, twirling it, making the ice clink against the glass. "When we first came here, you said you've been to that house before. Your eyes changed – less purple-y."

Zero closed them. "He's looking for me that isn't me. He pushes memories against me, as if forcing it would make me realize something, but if what he says is true, it shouldn't feel so foreign. He's…lost his 'Zero'," he explained awkwardly, "but I can't be a replacement for someone else. I have my 'Kaname'. I'm his 'Zero', and I wouldn't hurt him by running to another 'Kaname'."

Barely keeping up with his brother's rambling, he whispered, "You think he's real? This creeper?"

Zero sent him a wry smile. "He feels real enough. I've been trying to convince him he's got it all wrong, but I don't think I'm getting through."

"You want to talk with Kaname?"

"Tomorrow, maybe."

Things were coming to a head, Ichiru sighed. This was drastic. When he'd first noticed on something strange four years ago, he never would have expected any of this. If he'd known beforehand, he might have been against moving at all. Thinking about it, it was their parents that had let he and his brother choose where their new home should be, and Zero had immediately chosen...

. . .

Kaname looked about the first floor of the abandoned house, the light of dawn barely making past the fog through the windows, his wine red eyes settled on a cool glare. He hadn't been off his mark. The strange energy residue he'd felt around Zero matched the one haunting this place. "You've overstepped your bounds. I don't know what you are, but I will not allow you to hurt Zero any longer."

The stale air seemed to freeze. "…He is mine."

Even after numerous generations, the voice, whatever it was, sounded strong. There was a negative taint to it, most likely from its warped concepts and emotions. What once might have been a low sensual voice was now guttural and angry.

"He is not. He doesn't belong to anyone, much less you. He's told me what you have tried to do, impersonating me, trying to force him to…!" He pursed his lips. "He is not who you are looking for. Your lover does not reside in Zero; you should know this. He's never been anyone other than himself."

"He must be. He looks so much like—"

"Zero says the same of you, how we resemble one another, but we are clearly two different individuals. This 'Zero' you want is not him. They share appearances and their name, but they are not the same."

Taking a breath, he firmly said, "The one you seek is not to be found here."

There was a surprised pause. "What, what have you done?" His voice was starting to weaken.

"What should have been done long ago." Kaname said tonelessly. "My family has allowed your presence here as you were harmless before this, but I can't let you hurt Zero with unreasonable demands. You do not belong here; your time has passed. The one you seek is elsewhere." He repeated.

"No… No…! How dare you…!"

He stepped aside as a stray chair came flying at his face, leaving it to crash into the wall behind him. "I dare because I love him, as do you. Please leave."

"Zero!"

Kaname closed his eyes as he felt the presence of whatever it was fade off, letting out a sigh. That took more out of him than he'd expected. He knew he was abnormally gifted, but he actually had to exert some effort this time around.

"I couldn't let you take him."

He turned to the door.

"I do hope you find who you wanted."

. . .

Back in his own room, Kaname smiled at the white bear decorating his shelf, its neck adorned with a pale violet ribbon, a warm grey rose embroidered over its heart. "You led me to him; you knew the connection between us." He chuckled lightly. He'd felt an instant attraction to Zero the moment he laid eyes on him. Not of lust or love, but he was impossibly drawn to him. It was inexplicable then, but it'd also felt undeniably right. However their relationship developed, he knew Zero would be a large part of his life.

But really, his mother was much too clever for her own good. She'd created two identical bears, one for him and one for Zero, two halves of a whole. She knew. He had a lot to thank her for.

. . .

Disclaimer: No own.

Thanks for reading! Hope if wasn't too confusing, what with the two Kanames squabbling over Zero XD. I wonder what Kaname would do if two Zeros were fighting over him...probably take advantage of the opportunities offered to him and give us fangirls much to drool over.

Another point for ppl who might not know: Omamori are in general meant as charms that offer protection, but there're lots of different kinds. Students often buy charms for good luck or to help focus on their studies, girls might get ones for romance that better their chances at getting a positive answer when confessing, etc.