Why bash it if you can just rewrite it? Alternative take on the aftermath between Yuuki and Zero, after Rido's defeat.
The dust settles, a harsh silence taking over the place that had been a battle ground mere moments ago; even nature appears quiet, as if waiting with baited breath what will happen next…
Long strands of chocolate brown hair dance in the wind, the familiar yet foreign face covered in dust. He can sense it; the aura pulsing from her, the revolting pull towards her form, coming from the most hated part deep inside of him… She's a Pureblood, a Monster. But, isn't she also Yuuki…?
"Zero…" her voice is light and careful, as if approaching a vicious animal; it's not wrong. "Are you okay…?"
"Don't get close to me," his voice is harsh, teeth gritted together. "How could I possibly be okay…?"
He can see the reaction almost immediately; the familiar deflated expression, though the wine hue layered upon the once russet eyes, make it harder to face her gaze head on.
"Everything…" he utters. "I'm tired of it all,"
He can see the way her hands clench onto her skirt, the way her jaw tenses, as it always tends to moments before she unleashes a rant on him.
"That's why-"
"I'm still on Zero's side," she interrupts, biting her lip almost immediately after saying the words.
Her uncertain glance and the way her long brown hair frames her face reminds Zero of how she'd been when they first met years ago; careful and kind, her warm hands working earnestly to guide him out of the dark and cold place he'd been at. Those hands… would they still be warm, even now…?
"Yuuki…" his voice trails off, words caught in his throat, the hand holding his gun quivering just the slightest. She hadn't done anything bad. Yuuki… the Yuuki in his heart, in his memories… has she really been eaten, like she'd said? But if that is so… then why can he still see her so clearly, in those unfamiliar, yet familiar eyes…?
Slowly, he lowers his gun, silence once again falling upon the scene. He feels… cold. Empty. The taste of Ichiru's blood still lingers in his mouth. He'd lost his brother, and now, has he also lost the girl he has come to treasure so very much…?
"Zero…" slowly, she takes a few steps closer to him, reaching out a single hand, her breath hitched as she waits to see if he'll let her— but then her hand touches his face, and Zero is forced to realize that yes, her hand is still warm…
"I… need time," he utters, his eyes closing, free hand balling into a fist. Even though he knows it's Yuuki, what he feels is still a Pureblood, his natural enemy, his most hated enemy-
"I understand," she whispers, letting her hand linger in place for a moment longer when he doesn't pull away, before she gently lets it fall along her side again. "I'll wait for you," she has to leave anyway. There is no place she can learn to control her powers, to learn the things she needs to learn, other than her ancestral home. Kaname… she's sure that her brother will come for her, to take her home, to teach her.
Zero nods, a single jerk of his head as the warmth fades from his cheek far too fast for his liking.
"If I write to you… will you write back?" Yuuki asks, hand finding its way back to her skirt, fingers twisting the fabric slightly.
Lilac hues open, gaze coming to rest on the smaller girl before him. The awkward, yet hopeful expression remains the same it had been all those years ago. It brings a small twitch to his lips, despite feeling that there is nothing left to smile about. "Maybe,"
Warmth touches his heart at the smile she returns to him, the surprise in her no longer russet eyes quickly overtaken by happiness as she nods. "Un! I'll write to you a lot, okay?"
"What…" he sighs through his teeth. "Don't you have anything better to do, than that?"
"Wha- how mean! Of course I have time for Zero!"
"Yuuki," The smooth baritone voice of the King interrupts them, as the older Pureblood stands a while away, half hidden by the shadows cast upon him by the trees. Before more hunters come, and before things get more complicated, it is time to leave, and to bring his precious sister to safety.
Yuuki's lips part for a small moment, unsure of what to say, before she smiles slightly at Zero, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll be waiting…" she utters again, before turning and heading towards there Kaname is waiting for her.
"Let's go," Kaname murmurs, placing a hand on the small of her shoulder, supporting the girl just as she stumbles, the exhaustion of the day catching up on her hard and fast.
"Yes, Kaname onii-sama," she murmurs, walking alongside the male. She glances back over her shoulder, just in time to see Zero's form disappear into the distance as he himself leaves, as well.
After all these peaceful years… her existence as a human is finally over.
What follows next is a weekly exchange of letters. Yuuki's letters are often several papers long, filled with ramblings about all sorts of things, and covered in no small amount of stickers.
On the other hand, Zero's letters are neat, and short. But, despite this, he never fails to return a single letter to her.