Warnings: Kaname (and maybe some of the other characters) might be a bit OOC, but that's because this story is slight AUish. This is rated M for possible limes and lemons. I'm not sure yet. But, we all know I may end up writing that anyway. Also, it may be shotaish...I mean...Kaname is older than Zero in the beginning, but he's 14 or...fnvkdsnjgkfsd. Just trust me and read. orz

So this story has been waiting around 3 years or so to be written. It is the story that inspired me to write My Insolent Butler. It is also My Insolent Butler's prequel story. :D Yay, I'm finally writing it. *throws confetti* I've been putting this story off because I wasn't very confident that I could write it well, and as much as I know I shouldn't post this yet, I couldn't help it. Its the first new story I've posted for 2014!

To Serve A Pureblood

by: TheseScarletDropsofINK

Chapter one::Prologue::

"Eat it."

The shivering boy ignored the order from the withered old hag nagging at him. With hands clutching at the warm blanket around his shoulders, he kept his fixed gaze lowered. The flames from the fireplace crackled and popped, its heat earning his gratitude as the bitter cold was beaten back. He'd been lying there for a while, back at his own house. He didn't know how long he'd been lying there on the ground- too long, maybe. He'd gone numb; both on the outside and the inside, before he'd been picked up by some stranger who brought him here. The last few hours of his life were nothing but a blur.

"Stubborn child! If you refuse to eat, you will starve," the woman complained, annoyance rippling over her face as she lifted a spoonful from the hot bowl of porridge that rested on the table. "Don't throw away the young master's kindness with that hard head of yours. Now eat."

Laggardly, a soft pair of lilac eyes lifted beneath silver lashes to acknowledge the thick maid who stood there with the spoon in hand, a determined fire in the blue gray of her eyes. To the untrained person, this woman was nothing but ordinary. There was nothing remarkable about her black, graying hair coiffed back into a perfect chignon that hung low at the back of her head; nor of her experienced eyes that were lined with wrinkles that told of her many years. There was nothing out of the ordinary about her stubby fingers and the weathered hands that were made tough by hard labor. And though she looked like a normal old woman, he knew...yeah, he definitely knew: this woman was a...

A flash of disdain brought his eyes to life and with a sharp sweep of his aching arm, the spoon clattered loudly across the room, hitting the wall and flailing to the floor. The woman gaped at the fallen utensil, her eyes wide in surprise. The fire crackled in the silence. She took a breath as the boy hissed under his own.

"...vampire..."

She breathed in the word before indignation swept in, pooling from the tips of her fingers and burning in her veins. "Why you insolent little-!"

"Is he still refusing to eat?" The quiet question cut through the woman's sudden rage. The hand she'd lifted fell quickly to her side as she turned to gape at the doorway, lest she strike the boy in front of the master of the house.

"Kaname-sama." The main bowed hurriedly. "Forgive me, my lord, but the child still stubbornly refuses."

"I see."

Said child's eyes followed the vampire's gaze, slow like a predator, towards the door way. The sight of dark hair greeted him as the man bent to pick up the spoon Zero had slapped away.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked in a rich voice that conveyed nothing but patience and authority. As he rose, Zero caught a glimpse of his face. Like flashes of lights, memories of those eyes- of that voice, all went off around him. The trembling of his body worsened and his head swam. There was a pull at the pit of his gut, yanking away as his senses roared... A bright glint on the table caught Zero's attention and as the new comer stepped forward, Zero reached out and caught the flatware on the wooden surface. Lurching forward, he charged the vampire who had found him and brought him here.

"Kaname!" Someone cried out in warning near the doorway, but there was no need. The brunette caught the boy's wrist with ease, frowning at the tears streaming down the soft cheeks of the young boy.

"Pureblood!" The boy hissed under his breath, his entire body trembling as he continued to try and force the knife forward; as though he believed he would be able to avenge his family with this pureblood's death. With a flick of his wrist, the knife clattered on the ground as Kaname narrowed his eyes. "Attacking me in such a manner...do you not have a sense of decorum, even for the one who saved your life?"

"Let go!" The little hunter snapped, trying fervently to yank his arm free. A look of rage and fear was potently mixed on his young face, tears still running down from hardened eyes. Sighing, Kaname Kuran released his hold on the boy and watched as he stumbled back on shaky legs.

"Zero Kiryu, my name is Kaname Kuran. I am the master of this house and from this day forward," Kaname lowered to pick up the knife from the ground, meeting the boy's gaze at eye level before standing to his full stature, "I will be your new master."

The boy flinched as though he'd been physically smacked. The dead look in his eyes that Kaname had witnessed hours earlier vanished from the moment he'd sensed what Kaname was. Now, that look returned. "...my...?"

"I've decided to take you into my care," Kaname said, watching as the boy's head lowered and his fists shook at his sides. He could easily imagine what was running through the boy's head. Were Kaname in his place, he was not sure how he would react. Just a few hours ago, the boy's parents had been murdered by a pureblood, and now he was here, under Kaname's care. "You'll work to serve me in my home."

"I..." The boy's trembling increased and he swayed on his feet, a hand reaching to clutch at his head as he attempted to speak. Kaname moved forward to steady the boy, but froze when the boy's gaze suddenly lifted. "I will never serve you! I'd rather die!"

Behind the pureblood, Zero heard a chuckle. "Guess he doesn't like the idea too much," came the voice of a smiling blond who gave Zero a little wave. He was a vampire, Zero noticed with a glare.

"You don't have much of a choice," the pureblood before him said. Zero's body shook with rage as the monster turned his back to him and began to walk away. He wasn't done yet! There was no way he was going to become a pureblood's slave! "Don't-!" He tried to shout, but found his vision going blurry.

Before the boy's body could hit the floor, the housekeeper caught him in her arms and lifted him effortlessly. "His room has been prepared, Kaname-sama. I shall go and let him rest for the day. Tomorrow-"

"No." Kaname glanced over his shoulder to stare at his housekeeper. She had been with the Kuran family since before he'd been born and had always been great at her job. She was a strict woman who would no doubt help shape the little hunter into a good enough houseboy. "Let him have his time to mourn. He's just lost his entire family to one of my kind. It's the least we can do for him."

She bowed her head at his request. "Yes, my lord."

::X::

Takuma Ichijou sat patiently outside the hunter's association, aware of the keen eyes that were trained on his vehicle. He had been waiting for a mere hour when his old friend reappeared, taking his seat besides him in the back. With a brief nod to his driver, the vehicle began moving away.

The expression on Kaname's face was the same as always and it gave nothing away. While trying to hide his curiosity, Ichijou wondered just what it was the hunters were thinking. Outside the window, the snow was still falling: it draped the land in white and hid away the colors of the world. It would hide away the evidence of the tragedy that occurred hours earlier, he was sure.

"Any signs of her?" he asked quietly, tracing lines on the cold window.

"None."

"I see." Green eyes caught the reflection of the pureblood besides him. Kaname looked weary, holding his head up with his fingers, his eyes delicately shut against the cream of his cheeks. Since his friend didn't seem to be brooding, Ichijou took it to mean all had gone well. He let out a soft sigh, fogging up the pattern he'd just been drawing on the glass. "Its quite depressing how easily they discard their own over something like being bit by a pureblood."

Kaname didn't bother to reply.

"Poor boy, loosing his family and now being abandoned by his own kind." Ichijou ran his finger along the glass once more, creating a round face with shaggy hair and sleepy eyes; a familiar face he longed to see. "I don't think he'll take the news very well."

"It's understandable," Kaname murmured, his thick lashes parting as he stared out the window where the snow was showing no signs of stopping. "His family was killed by vampires, now he is being forced to live and serve them."

Ichijou turned to Kaname. "Isn't it more cruel to force him to live in his shame rather than allowing him the mercy of being put to death by his own people?"

"...is it? I wonder..." Kaname sighed and turned away. "Nonetheless, I cannot help but feel somehow responsible for what happened to him. For now, he has no other option but to bare it. Sooner or later, he will begin to change. It is only a matter of time."

::X::

The Kuran Manor was quiet when its master returned. He was greeted by his housekeeper who had full run of his home since the unfortunate passing of his butler. Kaname was a man who enjoyed his privacy and did not have the time to seek out a new butler, one whom he trusted. Which was why he gave his housekeeper full reign of maintaining his home and staff- regardless of gender.

"How is the boy?"

"He's fine, Kaname-sama," she assured him. "I've left him to rest in his room."

"Very well. Has he eaten?" he asked, tugging at the noose of a tie around his neck. The maid made a disgruntled expression, one he caught before she smoothed it out. "He has barricaded the door and refused to open it. In keeping with your commands, I have let him be."

Kaname couldn't help but smile a bit in amusement. His usually strict housekeeper certainly sounded bristled by the young hunter's actions. Giving her leave, Kaname headed into the kitchen, asking one of the maids to bring him a tray. Browsing through the contents of the large fridge and pantries, he began to laden the silver container with food.

::X::

The fire in the fireplace was crackling against the distant sound of snowy winds. Zero faintly heard them as he lie in the single bed facing the off white color of the paint on the wall. He wasn't sure when, but that old hag had lit the fire before stepping out. If not for that, he was sure he'd be freezing again, even beneath the thick blanket he was huddled in.

When he heard footsteps outside, he tensed. A familiar sensation glided over him, and though he couldn't detect it as strongly as before, he knew it was a pureblood. Sitting up in bed, he glared at the narrow door that was blocked by the dresser and nightstand. Even though he knew they could easily break through it, it helped to ease his mind a little.

When a few seconds passed and no one had barged into the room, Zero suspiciously listened for any noise that indicated what they were doing were doing. The sound of footsteps returned, but they were moving away from the room and heading back down the hall. He sat there for a few minutes until he was certain there was no one out there before he stood up. Curiosity to great for him to overcome, he silently moved towards the door and pushed the furniture aside.

There, at the foot of the door in an empty hallway was a platter filled with bread, cheese, grapes, an apple, ham, and a glass of milk. His mouth watered and, in an act of betrayal, his stomach growled. Suddenly shaken with hunger, he reached for the silver tray, casting glances up and down the hall. Pleased with the lack of vampires around, he brought the food into the room before barricading the door once more.

Well, there you go. ^^ Let me know what you guys think and happy (belated) New Years~