Author's note: Hi again guys! ^^;; *is nervous* So this is my second time posting a story! Thanks so much for those who reviewed 'Chapter of Eternity' my very first posted story here!
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight. It belongs to Matsuri Hino-sama and I just borrowed the characters with adoration and much loves and kisses!
P/S: This story is somehow related with 'Chapter of Eternity' (CoE), because basically I used the same Kaname and Zero from there! However, you don't really have to read the first one-shot because this story can survives as a stand-alone story! ^^ Although, I did put the Lullaby mentioned in CoE here, if you can find it of course! *giggles*
Warning for the whole story: Angst, tragedy, some romantic fluffiness in the next chapters, mild citrus (really light citrus, not lime or lemon), bloodshed, OOC-ness and...M-Preg!
Petal 1: Longing for You
A petite boy with dark brownish auburn hair descended the flight of glass stairs graciously, taking each step with a firm move. His right fingers trailing the railing lightly while eying the figure which stood beside the huge mahogany piano in the living room.
As soon as he descended to the bottom of the stairway, he decided to slowly approached the figure and encircled his arms around the latter's knees from behind.
"Otou-san..." The young brunette finally voiced out a word as he tilted his head upwards when his father turned around, meeting his gaze.
Kuran Kaname abruptly knelt before his son, leveraging his head to be leveled with the latter. For a moment, they remained in that position. He can't helped but kept on staring into his son's eyes, the eyes that reminded him to the very person that he cherished for eternity. The soft hues of amethyst eyes stared back of him, bringing along the feeling that was almost nostalgic if not longing.
"...Otou-san?.." The called from his son brought him back to reality, jolting him out from whatever thought he was preoccupied with seconds ago.
Eventually, Kaname pulled his son into a loving embrace of his arms until he managed to find his voice.
"Happy Birthday... Mamoru." The pureblood said and pecked his son lovingly on the forehead, earning a light giggled from his son.
"Thank you! And you're the first one to wished me this year too." The boy known as Mamoru returned as he smiled at his father. He leaned forward and kissed his father on the left cheek, the gestured that never failed to make Kaname's heart swirled with warm.
Today was 14th of February and Kuran Mamoru precisely turned 10 years old. It's the exact year for a Pureblood vampire boy to undergo into full transforming of being a true pureblood, or in Mamoru's situation, a Pureblood-Vampire Hunter.
The child dressed fully in white attire with a pair of black boot and a thin dark crimson necktie tied around his collar. A black thick mini trench coat served as a jacket, protecting him from the cold outside. Even though Mamoru was a pureblood, he had yet to fully learn on how to manipulate his power, and the cold weather outside courtesy of the fallen snow last night won't do him any good.
"...Are you ready?" Kaname asked his child as he stroked the latter's auburn locks. They were going somewhere and he didn't need to voice out the place, knowing that his son are used to the customary by now.
He earned a confirmation nodded from his son, and he grabbed his white trench coat laying on the lid of the grand piano. Kaname wore a white dress shirt contrary with his black slack and black boots. A silk necktie in silver adorned his collar and the trench coat completed his attire.
"Let's go, son..." And they went out through the ancient double door leaving the Manor in an eerie silence.
-KxZ-
The ride to their destination was comfortably quite, with Mamoru gazing out of the window once in a while adoring the pure white scenery outside. The weather was thankfully calmed and the snow had stop falling that morning, the sun doesn't shine too bright and that was an advantaged for a born vampires like them.
Finally, they arrived at their destination near the hillside, and Kaname parked his car under the shady dead tree. Kaname was the first out and he spotted a familiar ivory car just some meters away from where he stood.
The single occupant of the shiny ivory car came out and Kaname immediately recognized that person. Mamoru came out of the car and trailed off to the other man, bringing along a single White Calla Lily tied with a silvery ribbon around the stem with him.
"Good afternoon... Kaito-ojisan!" Mamoru greeted as he bowed childishly to the ash-blonde hunter.
Kaito bent forward and pat the auburn head in front of him. The boy has yet to grown out of his child body, that totally reminded Kaito of someone who he had known for the first time during his training in the past.
"Good afternoon... and Happy Birthday, Mamoru-kun." Kaito can't helped but kept his gaze on the boy in front of him. Mamoru had a short straight silky hair contrary with Kaname's slightly wavy hair, and the child inherited that from his other parent.
Mamoru nodded his thanks and came back to stand by Kaname's side when his father arrived to the scene.
Kaname pinched Mamoru's left cheek lightly, earning a protest from his son.
"How many times do I have to remind you, don't simply walked toward someone without me by your side, huh?" Kaname's questioned his son. He knew that the person standing in front of them was Takamiya Kaito, but still he needed to always be cautious. Just no one can predict if the enemy decided to disguise themselves, and he had reminded that to his son countless time.
Kaito just stood there and smirked as the child puffed his cheeks and bowed his head in an apologetic manner. He truly understood what lesson that Kuran wanted his son to learn and needless to say, he agreed with the pureblood.
"It has been awhile since we last met, Kuran-san." Kaito said as he bowed formally to the pureblood as Kaname returned the same formal gesture.
Kaname's eyes landed on the half-dozen of the Red Carnation tightly wrapped with a silk white ribbon in Takamiya's grasp as he straightened back.
"Yeah... and I see that nothing much changed on you, Takamiya-kun." Kaname replied while observing the hunter in front of him. Hunter varies from their bloodline aged slowly too, just like the Vampire. After all, the origin of the Hunter's ancestors were related with vampire's blood itself.
"You too, Kuran-san." Kaito returned the repartee. He and Kuran was never on the same track until years ago. About a couple of years before Mamoru was born, they had somehow managed to tolerate each other and came to a mutual respect for the sake of that person.
"I take it that you came for a visit too, Takamiya-kun?" Kaname asked although he already knew the answer. The Red Carnation was obvious enough on what Kaito's agenda truly is, and Kaito just nodded and held the flowers to his chest.
"If you don't mind, can you accompany my son going in there with you first?" It was such a rare occasion when a pureblood asked for a favor from a hunter, and Kaito can't help but wanted to know the reason of it.
"Why? Aren't you're going in there too?"
"Yes, but you do understand right, Takamiya-kun? That I needed time for myself...alone with him." Kaname said as he looked through the hunter's eyes for the other to get what he truly meant. Apparently, Kaito did and held out his hand to Mamoru who gladly took his unoccupied hand.
The both of them disappeared through the gate as Kaname gave Kaito his silence thanks.
-KxZ-
After what seemed for forever, Kaito and Mamoru emerged back through the same gate, and Kaname straightened himself up from his sitting position under the shaded dead tree seconds ago.
"We're done... Kuran-san." Kaito said as Kaname took in their situation in silence.
Kaname could see the wetness on the cheeks of his son, and he crouched down to wiped away the remaining of tears from his son's pale fluffy cheeks. He noticed that Kaito was trying to hide his slightly red and puffy eyes under his bangs from the pureblood too. And Kaname decided to focus his attention on his son knowing that the hunter would appreciate that.
"Hey...Don't tell him this, I know that we're not related by blood, but he's such a great loving younger brother that I could ever asked for..." Kaito started as his mind replayed back the past occurrence which can never be erased from his mind.
"There was a time, when I tried to shut people out of my world in the past, and he was the only one who actually cared and successfully crushed the wall that I had built to keep people away from me." Kaito added as he crossed his arms and turned his back to Kaname. Somehow he trusted the pureblood that he let his guard down in front of him.
"Why are you telling me this, Takamiya-kun?" The brunette asked as he comforted his son at the same time. Kaname saw that Kaito's shoulder was shaking slightly and he knew that the hunter was shedding his manly tears.
"Because you're probably the only one who truly understand how it felt to lost him forever. There's so much that I wanted to tell him, I had always been rough with him and never did I show directly that I actually care for him so much. Because I thought that since we're a different creatures, he will be the one who'll attend my Funeral Day. Not the other way around..." The ash-blonde hunter said and the atmosphere fell into deep silenced.
The only sound that could be heard was the sob from Mamoru and Kaito. Mamoru was clutching the pendant that he was wearing tightly while sobbing into his father's chest.
The object in his hand, it held so much meaning to him, and Mamoru refused to let go of it.
Several minutes later, the silence was broke by Kaito.
"I think I have to go now, Kuran-san." Kaito said as he turned around again finally meeting Kaname's gaze. For some reason, the pureblood managed to keep his normal façade intact.
Kaname was about to reply when Mamoru interrupted him.
"Otou-san, can I follow Kaito-ojisan back?" The child asked as he looked up at his father.
"For what?" Kaname stared at his son and then at Kaito back. It seemed like his son was up for something.
"R-Reika-chan promised to give me something on my birthday, if I went to meet her!" Mamoru blurt out and both adult could see the visible blush tinted the boy's cheeks.
Kaname hummed in understanding. Reika... or Takamiya Reika was Kaito's daughter together with Yuuki. Several years before, it seemed like his sister had taken a liking towards the hunter. And Kaito had politely asked his permission to date his sister which Kaname agreed with a long list of conditions. Since Kaito came from a strong bloodline of hunter, and Yuuki was a Kuran, that made Reika a same mix blood like Mamoru too.
"Alright, son. Go get your present, but be sure to behave and asked Kaito-ojisan to send you back home before 8 PM, okay?" Kaname let his son go with Kaito, knowing that the hunter was more than capable to protect his precious son. It seemed like the both of them had discussed the matter beforehand because Kaito just welcomed Mamoru without further argument.
"Wait! Mamoru!"
The said child turned back around only to be surprised with Kaname pecking on his left cheek, the part that Kaname had pinched earlier. Apparently, the younger Pureblood blushed enormously at his beloved father's public display of affection. The grinning face that his uncle was giving him didn't improve his situation any better.
However, as if on cue, Mamoru returned it back and landed a smooched at the apple of his father's left cheek.
"Take care, son." Kaname finally let his son go but not after giving him a big bear hug.
He watched silently as the two figure disappeared into the car and left the isolated field.
-KxZ-
His heart yearned for him and yet each step that he took made his legs felt as heavy as lead. He was afraid, every time he was nearing this place, he felt afraid. It was such a cruel reminder to him that how reality had crushed on him incorrigibly.
Everything went silence as he stepped in into the resting garden of the dead. He didn't need the guide for a direction, he remembered the way to his destination by heart.
Tentatively, Kaname gazed through the scenery before him. The Yews were almost everywhere and covered with thick blanket of snow. Some tombstones have been badly abandoned and stray plants had popped up from under the ground at certain part of the cemetery.
He closed his eyes as he listened to the soft hummed of the winds. Slowly, he let his heart led the way and let his legs walked the way. It was ironic, on how the crunching sound of his boots against the snow filled ground sounded almost soothing, and how the calmed gust of winds gave him the feeling of serenity when the reality was far from that.
Finally, he came to an abrupt stop and opened his eyes when he was a step away from facing the inevitable. There under the shade of lonely old Cypress tree, that was the place where his lover was deep asleep, fell into eternal slumber.
A step was all it took before the Pureblood finally lost his composure and let himself fell onto his knees right in front of him.He stretched out his hand and trailed his trembling fingers onto the carving on the silver marble.
Kiryuu Zero.
Died at the age of 22.
With a great effort of trying to be still, he laid out a bouquet of Forget-Me-Not flowers mixed with White Roses at the base of the memorial. The soft lilac color mingled with the pure white roses reminded him of the soft feature of his other half. Each petals representing his devoted love for his lover. Scratch that, even if he brings a vast field of flowers here, it would never be enough for him.
"Because you deserved more than that, Zero..." Even the mentioned of his name burned his heart with memories from the past. He leaned forward and kissed the memento in front of him.
The erected monument was different from the others. There at the top of the relic was carved with double roses, the insignia of how deep his love for the other and how the other had sincerely returned the same. The vines of Rose surrounded every edges of the tombstone, showing how much precious the person who resided there.
Kaname settled himself there, lying on the cold stone in front of the monument, not caring if anyone saw him right now. He curled himself into a ball, the stone felt cold under his hands and cheek.
"Zero... I miss you..."
Kaname shut his eyes tightly and let a single tears fell down only to be crystallized by the cool air surrounding him.
"I need you..." He whispered to no one but himself, hoping that his lover would eventually heard him, even though that sounded like an empty dream. He suddenly feel so cold and realized that the snow had started falling and landed on his form. The need to cover himself in a thick blanket sounded appealing, but he didn't need any of that right now.
He wanted to convey his feeling to his lover, to let out everything that have fallen onto his being. Even if he was freeze to death, he didn't care, although the process of him dying may take forever. He was a vampire, a pureblood at that, the chances of him freezing to death was absolutely none.
"Please... come back to me..."
His eyelids felt heavy, his whole body felt heavy. He was feeling sleepy and he tried to recall back when was the last time he slept properly. A week before? Perhaps a month? No, he couldn't remember any of it. A sweet dream wasn't his best friend anymore and the nightmare kept haunting him.
Love this is my promise,
You shall sleep and I'll ensured your peace.
Somehow he had heard that voice before. No, he recognized the voiced very well but thought that he's only hallucinating. Maybe he's too exhausted and it finally taking its toll on him.
Love this is your bliss,
You shall sleep and you'll earned my kiss.
When was the last time he heard that soothing Lullaby? It has been 10 years since someone sang that melody to him, and there was only one person who knew about it. But he refused to surrender, once he slept and the nightmare would haunt him.
If you're afraid, I'll cast away your fear,
If you're awake, I'll sing to your ears,
He wondered why that voice sounded so close to his ears and he suddenly felt like he no longer cared about the tormenting nightmare anymore.
If you're cold, I'll warm you up,
If you're restless, I'll calm you down.
He started to nodded off into his sleep but he try as he might, he wanted to keep his conscious.
So hush my love,
Because all your worries will be cast away.
So hush my love,
Because all your nightmares will be cast away.
And he was trapped into the darkness the moment his eyelids fluttered close and sleep finally claimed him. But he didn't miss a feeling of something warm pressed against his cheek, just like a Déjà vu that years ago, someone will kissed him endearingly the moment he fell asleep... Zero...
-To be continued-
D-Did you like it? I mean, should I continue with the next chapter or just ended it there? Actually, I know that I don't really have the talent to write something on tragedy! So it doesn't matter if none of you cried, even though I cried myself! ^^;;
This is actually a one-shot, but I cut it into several parts because it's too long for a one-shot, hence this story will be dragged on until about 3 to 4 chapters or so! Since I put Kaname to sleep, the next chapter will be solely on flashbacks, and I will explain everything from time to time!
Anyway, English isn't my mother language, hence you may found some critical grammatical mistakes here in my story! Pardon me for those unintended mistakes because I'm still learning! T.T
Will anyone kindly give me a review? T_T