Prologue

~Dream~

"Please, do this for us," is all he kept saying. "Please, for Adrian."

"I can't, I can't do It," was the other could reply to the person literally lying on his death bed.

"Then if not for him, or you, then for me," the dying boy said. The other boys burgundy eyes grew very wide. "That is all I ask of you… is to find someone to love," he said in a whisper. This was the last sentence the boy ever spoke before he died.

~End of Dream~

"Ichiru!" Kaname awoke in a cold sweat, realizing that it was only just a dream. And that he was still here in his bed lying under the black, silky sheets. He lay still, trying hard not to think of all the things that he use to have, that he didn't notice the salty tears sliding down the sides of his face. 'Why did this have to happen to me? What did I do so wrong, that I had to lose the one I lived for?' Kaname thought. 'But now, there is nothing else to live- NO! I still have-' there was a knock at his door, interrupting his wandering thoughts.

"Uncle?" asked a small boy, with odd color hair and eyes.

He had hair that came down to the bottom of his face, a dark chocolate color, with the last inch-and-a-half a shining sliver white. His eyes were lilac, with burgundy near the edges.

The boy had poked his head in the doorway of his room. After quickly wiping away the last traces of his tears, Kaname motioned for the little boy to come over to him. He pulled the small, seven-year-old boy into his lap. "What's wrong, Aiden?" asked Kaname.

"Can I sleep in here, please?" the child asked sleepily.

"Oh, but if you do, the tickle monster will get you," Kaname said slyly and before attacking his nephew, tickling all his weak spots. Aiden laughed, "Okay, okay… I give… I give," he said in between panting from laughing so much.

Kaname pulled Aiden into a tight hug. "Now, tell me the real reason you came to my room."

"I think someone is in my room," he whispered, looking away. Kaname straightened up and sat his nephew on the bed before proceeding to check the smaller boys' bedroom.

Kaname opened the door to his nephew's room and used his aura to feel for any other being in the room. But as it turned out, no one was there. He headed back to his room. When he arrived back, the boy was no longer sitting on his bed. "Aiden, there-" Kaname stopped mid-sentence as he looked around the room, he spotted a small lump on his bed. Lying in his spot on the bed was a sleeping child. 'Yup, that's definitely Ichiru's child, only he would do something like that,' he thought with a smile. He continued to the bed and lay down next to his little nephew, wrapping his arms around the small boy before promptly falling into a dreamless sleep.

~Zero~

Zero sat forward, with his elbows on his knees and his hands in his hair. He was, at present, sitting on a couch facing the TV that was switched off. A wooden coffee table in front of him is separating him from the said contraption.

"Grab your coat, we're going out to town," said a man with reddish-brown hair and green eyes. The man picked up Zero's coat from the back of the chair and handed it to him. Zero stood, without saying a word, grabbed the coat and followed the other person out the door. "Don't bother coming back here 'till we meet up, because the door will be locked," He said.

"Aw, you're no fun Kaito" Zero replied with dry, heavy sarcasm to the green eyed man.

XxX

A while after leaving the apartment, Zero and Kaito split up after planning to meet in two hours at a small café on the corner of a well-known street. Neither wanted to do what the other suggested so this was the best solution. Zero, after browsing some other stores, was now headed for the movie store to see if they had any new 'Naruto' DVDs.

After what seemed like the third time circling the rack of videos, hoping by some miracle it would be there even though it hadn't before, Zero was getting frustrated and decided to confront the cashier. On the way there, a little boy ran into him, falling over backwards because of the impact. He was about seven with dark brown and silver tipped hair with purple and burgundy eyes. For a moment, Zero thought the kid looked familiar, but he just couldn't place it. Zero stretched out his hand and offered it to help the small boy up. But the kid didn't accept his hand; he just stared at Zero with wide eyes, unblinking. The kid snapped out of his daze and stated, out of nowhere "Dad..." It wasn't a question, but Zero looked over his shoulder in case there was someone behind him. But there wasn't. The boy rose and grabbed Zero's hand pulling him along towards another man with brown hair. The kid let go of the older man's hand, then tugged on the dark hair man's sleeve. When the other grown man turned, both men were shocked at what they saw.

~K~

Kaname had just bought the last of the updated 'Naruto' DVD pack. His nephew has a little –a lot- of an obsession with it, just like his dad. When he felt a tug at his sleeve he assumed that Aiden had found something else he wanted. Turning, Kaname wasn't prepared for the shock he would receive.

The man before him had a beautiful face with silver hair that came to his ears. His lovely lilac eyes stared at him with a questioning look. A strange tattoo rested on the left side of his neck, peeking out above his jacket.

"Ichiru..." Kaname whispered, stunned.

"That's twice I've been called something other than my own name in the last five minutes," said the other man.

"Oh, my mistake, I-I'm Kaname Kuran, and this is my nephew Aiden," stuttered Kaname.

"Oh, well I don't how the little guy could have mistaken me for his dad. Don't think I've ever been called someone's dad" he said with a chuckle. "I'm Zero, Zero Kiryu by the way," said Zero smiling politely.

"But- but, he...he..." Aiden tried to say, but ended up bursting into tears, hugging his uncle's leg.

"I'm- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone or hurt his feeling." Zero quickly apologized.

"No, no, you did nothing wrong. It's just… you look like someone really close to us, he...um, isn't with us... anymore," Kaname said trying to clear his throat.

"I'm sorry. You'll have to excuse our behavior. We're still grieving," Kaname said looking down as he said the last part. Even though Kaname had looked to the floor, Zero had seen the hurt and pain, reflected deeply in those beautiful burgundy eyes of his.

'It's interesting because it's almost as if… as if he was a twin,' Kaname thought, looking back up. His eyes were free from the emotions that he let slip. He had to be strong, for Aiden.

"Oh…I-I'm sorry, for your loss," Zero nervously replied.

"Yes, I am too. Even more so for my nephew," he reached down and petted his nephew's silky hair who had stopped crying some time ago.

As Zero watched the interaction, a dry, burning sensation in the back of his throat caused him to cough. Unconsciously, he reached for his throat near his tattoo, rubbing the skin. The cough snagged the attention of Kaname.

"How did you get that tattoo, if you don't mind me asking?" Kaname enquired. Zero normally didn't like telling people about his past, but he felt a deep need to tell this man a smidgen of it.

"I got it done in memory of my family. We were attacked...by something…Something dangerous…A monster." Zero murmured lowly. But that was a lie. That's not at all how he got the tattoo. But he wasn't going to tell some stranger that. Looking down he said,

"I don't remember much of it, little bits and pieces of it. I think I had a sibling, but I'm not sure." Zero was really starting to feel the burning in the back of his throat and it was distracting. Zero then looked back up and for a moment, he felt a strong aura surrounding him. It felt close to the aura he felt that night, and made his throat worse. Zero had become suspicious of the man in front of him. He didn't feel right, or human, meaning he was the same as Zero.

"It must have been tough not knowing who did it."

"It's complicated. Look it was interesting to meet you here, but I have to go, bye" Zero said quickly. He walked out the store as fast as possible, leaving before any one of them could say anything.

~Z~

Zero quickly made his way down the street, walking to the corner café. On the way there he pulled out his iPhone and dialed Kaito. The phone only rang twice before Kaito picked up.

'Kaito, can you come to the café and give me the keys to the apartment?' Zero asked quickly.

'Yeah, but why do you need to go to the apartment?' Kaito queried.

'I'm leaving…to Cross Academy and I don't know when or if I'm coming back.' Zero said before he hung up.

Kaito had come to the café as asked, gave him the keys, and wished him the best. He didn't ask Zero why he needed to leave; it wasn't his right to know unless Zero wanted him to.

When Zero reached the apartment he rushed to his room, grabbed a suitcase on the way, and started packing. Zero stopped mid-way through packing a shirt to make a call. This time it took a little longer for the person to pick up.

'Headmaster, could you prepare my room for me.'

'Yes, but if I may ask, why now?' the headmaster asked seriously.

'I'll tell you when I get there, if I feel like it. I still need to find the one who took away what- I think- I held most dear to me.'

'I understand. When should I expect you?'

'I'll be leaving tonight, so early tomorrow morning, around 8:00 am.'

'Okay. Oh, and son, you will be part of the night dorm, be nice to them!'

'Oh, anything for my loving father.' Zero said with sarcasm, and rolled his eyes as he hung up. Zero returned to packing, not really having much to pack because he didn't need much, just his gun and some clothes. Along, with the money that he had saved. He decided to leave half of it for Kaito. Zero messily scribbled a note to him with his contact information if he wanted to talk. And walked out the front door, headed back to the place he grew up.


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