I was thinking... what if Zero Kiryu did not fall in love with Yuki Kurosu, but someone else...? So I made this story.
All rights go to Matsuri Hino.
She sat in front of the fire, tending to the flames. Her misty green eyes kept time with the dancing crimson, her copper hair glowing slightly.
The girl stretched out her fingers, almost as if to touch the burning coals. The flames reached out suddenly and met her hand. She flinched and moved her fingers back.
"Rozu, when will Daddy come back?"
Rozu turned and a small girl with long brown hair and red-brown eyes. "Yuki, I'm sure he'll be back soon..."
As she said that, the front door opened with a creak and two people were illuminated by a flash of lightning.
Rozu stood up. "Father..."
Her foster father, Kaien Kurosu, didn't smile. "Rozu, please see this boy to the restroom and help clean him up. His name's Zero Kiryu. His family was killed by a bad vampire."
She nodded, walked forward slowly, and touched the boy's shoulder.
He didn't stop her.
Rozu led him to the restroom and closed the door. "Do you need help with your coat...?"
He didn't reply; she carefully took off the oversized trench coat and gasped silently.
The left side of his torso was covered in blood.
"There's hot water in the tub..." she whispered. "You can help yourself..."
Rozu got silence as a response.
Without being asked, she took a towel, dunked it in the water, wrung it, then approached him, and started patting the blood off.
She was afraid if she was too harsh, he would crumple into pieces.
Rozu winced as she wrung the towel the last time.
A clean shirt slid underneath the door; she tugged it over and returned to the boy's side. "I'll help you with this..."
Rozu shrugged his arms into the sleeves and buttoned the shirt up in the front.
Why does it feel like I know him? I remember those lavender eyes and the silver hair from somewhere...
She turned away and began cleaning the towel.
"Let me see your hand."
Rozu gasped and turned.
Zero was turned towards her, standing up, holding out his own hand.
She slowly placed her tiny palm in his.
He gently raised it up to eye level and examined it, carefully rubbing his thumb across the fingertips.
The skin peeled, revealing the pink, raw skin underneath.
Zero went to the cabinet and retrieved burn cream with a roll of bandages. "...How did you get such a bad burn...?"
Rozu turned her head. "I... I had an accident."
"Huh, figures."
He unscrewed the cap of the cream, dipped his fingers in to take a healthy dollop, and applied it very softly to her fingers. "...I might as well call you a klutz."
"...You feel better...?"
"The old man is a lot crazier than you think."
Zero bandaged her fingers and put the supplies away. "...What's your name...?"
"...It's... It's Rozu... Utsukushi..." Rozu replied quietly, blushing faintly, caressing her injured hand.
He turned to look at her with his amethyst eyes. "...I'm Zero Kiryu."
She advanced very slowly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "...Arigatou... Zero..."
Zero widened his eyes before holding her delicately. "...It's alright now..."
The door burst open and Yuki rushed in. "Rozu! Rozu! Kaname came!"
She soon quieted, her doe-like eyes observing the scene before her.
Rozu untangled herself from Zero. "...That's nice... but I th-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Kaname Kuran walked around the corner, his nightmare black coat open. He looked like a teenager, his eyes full of empty nothingness.
Zero stiffened. "...Pureblood vampire..."
Rozu backed away.
The silverette quickly reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a gun labelled "Bloody Rose", then pointed it at Kaname's heart. "...You sicken me with your smell."
Kaname smiled maliciously. "...What a surprise. Kaien, I never knew you took another hunter under your wing."
Kaien blinked. "He just came here tonight."
Zero was unfazed. "Just because I'm new, doesn't mean I'm not deadly. All I see in you... are dark secrets you refuse to tell."
So that's it. :) Tell me what you guys think. ~Artemis