A Pureblood's Party
AN: Alright, so, this story takes place AFTER Kaname and Yuuki leave the school. Please excuse any typos or rushed endings; I needed to rush this in order to get it out before Christmas was over:P I hope you like it, and Happy Holidays!
Oh, and excuse the angst. It was going to be a humor story at first, but I'm better at the sad stuff.
"I hate vaginas!"
The call comes from a suit-clad figure, his tie and buttons loose as he stands on top of one of the many highly decorate dinner tables. He's wearing only one show, the other lost among a bowl of homemade mashed potatoes. There's a lazy smile consuming his perfectly porcelain features as he holds a half-full bottle of wine over his head, threatening to spill it with every shaky step he takes over the silverware. Every person in the room freezes, some with smiles and some with scowls. Still, they all seem a bit bored, as if they saw this coming no matter the manner in which it was addressed.
They continue to stand still as a silver-dressed figured slides smoothly between them, smiling politely at all of them and nodding her head when their eyes happen to lock. Some can't help but to admire her beauty, for she so easily mirrors her brother's image that she's just as flawless. She may not be as elegant, but she's just as breathtaking. Her pace picks up when the drunken figure suddenly slips, catching himself last second with a fit of hysterical laughter.
When she reaches the table, she cocks her head upwards to smile sweetly at the boy. "Yuuki," he whispers, smiling back. "Guess what?"
"Now isn't the time, Zero," she coos. She grabs hold of his sleeve and pulls his arm down, taking the wine from his tight grip. "Maybe later? In private?"
He scoffs. "And keep it a secret from all these bloodsuckers?" He pulls away from her hold to sweep his hands in a motion to suggest the large group around them.
"Well, just for now, at least…"
He chuckles lightly before leaping from the table and flashing that dazzling, fanged smile for all to see. If they knew nothing of his status, then some of the vampires may have voiced their approval, but each and every one of them could smell the Level D in the air. Compared to some of the nobles in the room, though, the hunter is a rather magnificent creature.
"Would you like to know a secret?" he asks, pointing wildly around the room in order to address each and every party-goer. He doesn't wait for approval, he just goes on. "I'm not straight!"
While a few vampires take the effort to gasp, most just roll their eyes or look the other way. This, to them, is nothing new. If they hadn't seen it themselves, then they heard of the hungry looks the hunter gave other men. They all know of the fitful sleeping that came to an end with this or that name falling from his lips, often in a moan loud enough to wake half the neighborhood.
"Zero," Yuuki insists, grabbing his arm. "I think it's time we go somewhere a bit more private."
"But Yuuki…"
She uses her superior strength to pull him away, dragging him through the crowds of vampires with all the pride that can possibly muster in such a situation. While pulling him through, she doesn't miss the whispered name against his lips.
-x-
"I now know to never let you drink alcohol."
The hunter steps lazily from the bathroom, wiping his mouth as he glares at the pureblood on his bed. "Shut up, Yuuki."
She smiles against his bitter remark. "It was so nice of the Headmaster to let us have the party here. I've missed this place."
"I'm sure you have."
Yuuki watches as she throws open his drawers and starts tearing them apart. "What are you looking for, Zero? You're dressed rather nicely already!"
"I don't wanna to look nice."
She sighs. "You really are drunk, whining like a toddler. There's no need to throw a fit."
"Says you!"
"Zero…"
"No, Yuuki! I'm do god damn sick of you purebloods! You're always getting in my head!"
"And that's our fault? Face it, Zero, the only reason any of this is happening is because even you, one of the strongest of your race, can't keep hiding his emotions. Tell me, Zero, how long have you been keeping this secrete?"
"Not very long…" He's able to lie now that the vampire in his blood is slowly destroying the alcohol, knocking the drunk right out of him. He knows they're not talking about his interest in men, for that was secret was never one well-kept, and this new question is one that he refuses to answer. "Not long at all, actually."
Standing up straight, Zero turns to face Yuuki with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt folded over his arm. The clothes are cold against his skin, almost damp from having been left in the drawer long after his departure from Cross Academy. He hasn't grown much since, if at all, due to the fact that, where he is now nineteen in human years, the vampire in his blood keeps him relatively close to the same as he was all those months back. The clothes won't be too snug, he concludes, and, at this point, he'll do anything to undress himself of the stuffy old suit that the Headmaster had let him borrow. Now drenched in spilt alcohol, the outfit did little to please him.
"You can't lie to me, Zero," Yuuki whispers, her eyes focused on something above his head that he knows isn't his to see. "You've always been an open book. I just never got the chance to realize it when I was a human. Now, why can't you save us both the time and just tell me already? Who's got you hooked, Zero? Maybe I can help?"
Pleased at the thought of finally coming to terms with his "problem", Zero is close to smiling with the hope that he has for so long denied himself. Still, he knows how impossible their relationship would be, even if his unrequited feelings were somehow returned; as unlikely as that would be. He knows better than to wish for something so magnificently untouchable.
Yuuki does not miss the deflated mood in the air. "Hey, Zero? Are you…"
Before she can finish, Zero storms past her. "You can't help me, Yuuki. Just drop it, alright?"
Opening the door and slamming it closed, the hunter leaves the Princess in silence.
Sighing softly, she falls back into the sheets, drowning in the stale scent of Zero. She's brought back to simpler times, to when Zero's secret wasn't one specific to any name or person.
"Why must the men in my life be so stubborn?"
Dressed elegantly in fine, red silk, Kaien Cross smiles at his reflection. He has to adjust the flower in his hair, but, other than its being crooked, the Headmaster can see nothing wrong with his dazzling appearance.
"With looks like those, we might just have to miss the party."
The ex-hunter's smile only intensifies as Yagari's reflection pops up behind him. "You look just as nice!" He eyes the slimming suit that the man is sporting so effortlessly.
Rolling his eye, the taller hunter leans down to place a chaste kiss against his lover's lips. "Always so innocent. Whatever will I do with you?"
"Whatever will you do without me?"
Suddenly lighter now that he's with Cross, the one-eyed hunter doesn't feel so embarrassed about asking the one question that's been nagging him for quite some time now. One to care but never one to show it, the hunter was a bit upset with himself for seeming so soft-hearted. He hated to admit that some of his lover's personality had rubbed off on him, leaving him just as emotional as his other half. While it wasn't something that he took much pride in, he couldn't help but to act on his thoughts.
"Hey, Kaien, can I ask you something?"
"Anything!"
Watching the slightly smaller hand overlap his own, scarred one, Yagari can't help but to feel ten-thousand times better about the situation. "Have you noticed something…strange, about Zero? I know it's not my place to meddle, but he was my dearest student, and I can't help but to worry over him."
Knotting his eyebrows in confusion, Yagari watches as Cross cracks a smile ten-miles wide. "Indeed, there is something bothering him, but I wouldn't go as far as to call it wrong."
A bit miffed at the thought of his ex-apprentice choosing the Headmaster over himself to relay such information to, Yagari grows the slightest bit impatient.
"Well, what is it then?"
Chuckling, the sharply dressed man goes as far as to wipe a fake tear from his eye. "I'm surprised you haven't heard! Everyone at the Society is buzzing over it, starting rumors and what-not. They've already accused him of having a boyfriend or two…"
"Boyfriend? Why in the hell would they accuse him of that?"
"Maybe because he's gay?"
"That's completely absurd! The last thing Zero is, is gay!"
Frowning, Cross can't help but to be offended. "We're gay, Yagari! Or are you trying to tell me something?"
"No, no, I didn't mean it like that. I'm very proud of the two of us, actually." He runs a calloused finger through soft, brown hair before smiling adoringly at his lover's reflection. "But, really, does Zero seem gay?"
He adjusts the glasses at the bridge of his nose before answering, as his only response, with a question of his own. "Do you seem gay? Is it impossible for men to be both rugged and flamboyant at the same time?"
"Well, in Zero's case…Yes."
"Oh, Yagari, so stereo-typical!"
"Not my fault! Besides, didn't he have a thing for that pureblood girl?"
He shrugs his shoulders, just as lost as his partner. "Don't count on me to answer for that boy. He's lost, just like you were before you found me, if I do recall correctly."
"Well, what do we do? Find him a partner?"
"As fun as it would be to interfere, I get the feeling that things will fall into place soon enough."
While resting his chin on Cross' head, Yagari can't help but to smile. He knows how hurt his ex-apprentice feels, how lonely he is, simply because he once felt the same. Sure, it was a long time ago, but the aging hunter would never forget the years spent living as his own companion, with no one but himself to turn to. Even more memorable, though, was they way he felt when he first set eyes on the Academy's Headmaster. The confusion eventually relaxed into a perfectly sculpted form of happiness, and, in the blink of an eye, Yagari was the happiest man alive. It took a while to find it, but Toga Yagari finally had the one thing that made him who he was, that one thing that let more light into his life than he'd ever seen before.
And its name – his name – was Kaien Cross.
"Hey, Toga, are you alright?"
Ducking his head and grabbing Cross' chin, he whispers, "Never been better."
After having shed the suit and tossed it in a nearby trash bin, Zero suddenly feels much better in his lighter attire. Since the alcohol is now no longer in his system, he heads back to the party with the intention of re-stocking. Here, in such an environment, is the last place where he wants to be sober. Everything has him tenses, ready to spring upon the first thing that bugs him. He wants to shoot his gun, but he doesn't want to spoil Yuuki's party, so he settles for the next best form of relief.
Sure, he had already broken some dinner-ware and spoiled his not-so-secret secrete, but he figured that fell second to shooting of an anti-vampire weapon in a room full of vampires who already hated him for this or that reason.
While the alcohol is no longer in his system, his otherwise acute senses are dulled by the effort it took to expulse it. What was once perfect vampire-like sight is now very human, as well as his sense of smell and taste. Even his reflexes aren't as finely tuned, his muscles slightly sore from the huge fight his entire body put up to erase any trace of the wine from his blood.
That's why he doesn't notice the presence behind him, as strong and individual as it may be. The pulsing aura of the person behind him does next to nothing to the boy's senses, allowing him to walk with a false sense of loneliness. He doesn't even notice the clacking of expensive shoes until it's already too late.
"Ah, Kiryuu-kun! So nice to see you!" Smiling devilishly, the vampire behind him uses his speed to appear, as if out of thin air, in front of the hunter. Brown eyes meet lilac, and hell let's loose a parade of mixed emotions. "I sense that you've had a little too much to drink."
"Fuck off, Kuran! Yours is the last face I want to see right now!"
"And why is that?"
When Zero goes to push past him, the slightly taller frame of the pureblood stiffens to the point of becoming unmovable. Then, when he goes to walk around, an arm snaps outwards and elegant fingers curl around the hunter's muscled arm. There's a brief smile on the older vampire's face, but it's short-lived, managing to go unnoticed by stubborn ex-human. He then goes on to pull the boy closer, stopping only when the back of his head smacks against the pureblood's neck, his nose almost grazing that dazzling stretch of skin. He manages to pull away quickly, the only thing connecting them being the fingers latched onto his skin. This time, Kaname can't hide his smile.
"There's no need to run away from me, Zero," he whispers. His smile can only grow at the shocked look on the hunter's face. "Surprised that I called you by your name, Zero?" The name is sweet against his lips, familiar against the face that this is the first time he's ever said it out loud.
"Stop it, Kuran," the silver-haired boy hisses, eyes lowered to avoid capturing the chocolate orbs of the vampire before him. He mumbles a few curses beneath his breath, all of them going unheard. The pureblood is aware only of the look in Zero's eyes. As guarded as they are, there's no mistaking the hurt, tired look in those amethyst orbs.
"Do you really want that, Zero? Is me saying your name really that unsettling?"
"Yes, actually." His voice has lost its anger, fading from growl to huff of annoyance. "Just leave me alone, Kuran, before I have to shoot you."
This time, the pureblood king let's the hunter leave, watching his form retreat and counting his footsteps. He wants to play with him a bit more, to trick the boy into saying what he knows he wants to, but now is not the time. IT seems that Zero needs to relax a bit, but he thought of the hunter growing tipsy makes Kaname growl in annoyance.
There has to be some other way…
Smiling at the sudden though, Kaname turns to follow Zero, much like his own shadow.
When Yuuki finally leaves Zero's room, she can't help but to smile at her own train of thought. The air around her carries both the scent of the hunter and her brother, a sign that they must have bumped into each other at some point. When, she wonders, will those two just stop their pointless games and admit it already?
"Hey, Touga, do you smell that?"
Shaking his head, the hunter finally tore his eye from the sweet figure of his lover in order to recognize the scent to which the shorter man was speaking of. "Um…cinnamon?"
The ex-hunter rolls his eyes. "No, you idiot! Don't you smell Zero?"
A bit confused, Yagari brought a hand back to scratch at his head wearily. "Well, yah, but…why…"
"Touga! Do you even remember what we were talking about earlier? About finding our Zero a boyfriend?" His eyes are bright and his cheeks are rosy, adding to the Christmas cheer that the ex-hunter can't help but to feel.
He shakes his hand and slips an arm around his partner's shoulder. "Didn't you say it was best not to interfere? Besides, you know he won't listen to us."
"But, Touga…"
"He'll figure it out for himself, Kaien. That, I can guarantee. I don't know why or how, but I have this feeling…"
Shiki Senri watches with extreme interest as his lover maneuvers the room with utmost care and grace, doing his best not to bump into any of the guests or waiters. He couldn't keep his eyes off that figure, so sweet and lean that it had is fangs poking through in a matter of seconds.
He told himself that later, once their announcement was made and Kaname received his gifts, he'd be able to show his other half just how much he meant to him. It was more than just a blood bond, that he knew. What those two had…it was something better than just a physical bond between to blood-thirsty creatures.
Simply put, it was love.
Not brotherly love, either, for that would never be enough for the two. Even before the inevitable sharing of their sweet life blood, there was no denying the way those two felt about each other. Everyone felt it when they were stuck in the same room as the two; it was impossible not to feel.
That's why, while Kaname was on the search for Zero, he couldn't help but to stand and stare at the loving look in his beloved cousin's eyes. For a moment, he was almost pushed to double-over with the pain that shook his chest, but he fought through the loneliness and despair, silently praying that everything would go as planned with the two where it couldn't – and wouldn't – go right with him. While his affections were not for either of the two of them, he couldn't help but to grow jealous of what they had, especially since he lately feared that it would never be his own.
The silver-haired boy made his way through the crowd with ease, parting it more effectively than even Kaname ever could. This brought a small smile to his features, but it was quickly shoved back when he realized just what he was thinking of. His pace quickened, and, soon enough, the drink table was in clear view, offering him a gorgeous view of the fine assortment that the Headmaster had worked to purchase. Because of how expensive each bottle was, it was the only thing the ex-hunter was allowed to give, much to his disappointment.
He let a sigh of relief fly from his lips when his fingers grasped the perfect curves of one of the most expensive bottles of wine on the table. Really, he was never much for this or that sort of alcohol, but, when he could get it, he went for the rich stuff.
His finger flew for one of the glasses, but it was quickly stopped by a set of elegant fingers curling around his own. "Now, Zero, you should know by now that guests of honor are not allowed to pursue the goal of being wasted. Drop the glass, please?"
Zero's body was tense as Kaname pressed his stomach to the hunter's back and tightened his grip on the boy's hand. Don't, Zero…He's just playing you!
"Get off of me, Kuran!" His voice was loud enough to attract some attention, but all curious eyes glanced the other way when they saw just who was making the commotion.
"Really, Zero, there's no need to make a scene. Just imagine how upset Yuuki will be when she finds her beloved hunter drunk? Do you really want to see her reaction? Such pretty eyes so sad?"
Something twists in the boy's chest. Why is it always Yuuki? Why is it never… "She's of no matter to me, anymore, Kuran. I thought you knew that."
Kaname senses just how deflated Zero sounds, but he doesn't let up his grip on the boy's hand. His eyes grow wide with shock for a split second before he regains his composure. So busy with other matters, the pureblood was never aware of just how much the boy had changed since their last encounter so many months ago. "Why is that? Is she not good enough?" He meant to sound intimidating, but anger was one of the last emotions the pureblood was currently feeling.
"Afraid not."
"What do you…"
"Kaname-kun!" The Headmaster's shrill voice cuts through their encounter, and, a bit reluctantly, Kaname leaves the warmth of the hunter's body. He fights the shiver that seems to want to shake his already nearly-quivering body. He ignores the disapproving but curious glance that Touga Yagari gives him as Zero slips away, wine in hand. Kaname never even got to see the blush on his sweet face…
"It's time for announcements, Kaname-kun!", Cross squeals. His excitement is absolutely genuine, especially after what he just witnessed.
The pureblood nods his head before following the couple before him. He doesn't miss the way the hunter angles his head to carefully examine him, and he almost welcomes it. For reasons unknown to him, the pureblood always saw this moment coming.
Now, if only things will go as smoothly as planned…
Takuma happily places himself on the receiving end of their heated kiss as Shiki hungrily attacks his mouth, causing the cheering crowd around them to disappear all together. When the pull away to wave at the crowd, the pair can't help but to stare lovingly at the golden bands wrapped around their left ring fingers, a permanent bonding, an ever-lasting vow.
In front of every important vampire, Shiki asked his glorious lover to be his husband.
Behind all the screaming, cheering vampires, one silver-haired hunter stood, leaning against a wall and sipping his wine, holding back the tears of shameful jealousy.
Why can that not be us…?
His feelings are wrong, against every rule ever made for him, but he's been holding them in for too long now. Really, it's about time this happened.
He drops the glass, sending it to the ground in a million shards of fractured glass, before choking on a sob and running towards his room.
When Kaname stood before the crowd, his eyes unintentionally started scanning the room, looking for the one person who seems to have run away from him again. His sigh is quiet and unheard, but it's there all he same. This speech is important, one that he makes every year, but it's the last thing he wants to do.
Before stepping up here, he was glowing with happiness for his friend and cousin, but now…Well, now…
His voice is clear and strong, leaving everyone to believe that he's the perfect, well-put together pureblood that they all expect him to be. "First of all, I'd like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas." The room erupts with cheer, but it quickly dies down after they notice how calm Kaname is.
"I'm expected to speak of how well things at Cross Academy are going, of how business is doing and of how I plan to change this or that object of interest, but, given the conditions that I've recently found myself under, I can't help but to want to speak of something slightly more…important." He misses the knowing look that graces his sister's features, but not the way the crowd reacts. Every vampire in the room sighs with relief as their shoulders slump in relaxation.
"This subject might not affect any of you, but it just might. I want to…I want to speak of love." Glances are exchanged and smiles are wide as cheeks flush and hearts stutter. Even vampires feel things, Zero. If only you could see…
The pureblood swallows his fear and goes on. "Around this time of year, especially, we realize things about ourselves. Just look at Shiki and Takuma, engaged on this special day of the year." Eyes travel to find them, but it's no surprise when they're gone. Someone daringly sends out a suggestive cat call. "It hits us, all of a sudden. All this time, we've loved someone with all of our hearts…Every last inch of us is living simply for them and their well-being. Nothing else matters much at all. It's always been for them, and yet it took us so long to realize." His heart warms when he sees the way Yagari pull Cross into his arms, the way Aido nervously glances at his sister, and the way Ruka steps back into the warm embrace of the blonde-haired noble's cousin.
"Finally, though, we are able to fully admit our feelings, to say those three words that have been forever haunting some secret part of us, hidden for so long. I love you. I love you…"
The crowd is a swarming mass of cheers and kisses. Streamers are set free from a net on the ceiling, their red and green material tickling the skin of eager and free lovers. Kaname can watch for only a moment, because he's gone the next, finally ready to do what he's always wanted, no matter what the turn-out may be.
Zero is lying on his bed, completely sober and completely miserable. His body is rocked by unwanted sobs as his salty tears stain the damp sheets, causing his cheeks to stain with the moisture. There is an ache in his chest, one that made him wish for every wound he'd ever received in order to make it go away, to numb it. Even then, though, he feared that it wouldn't be enough. Only death would be enough…
Not for the first time in his life, his hands move of their own accord, reaching for the gun he always kept attached to his belt. He unhooks it and removes the safety, placing it to his forehead before letting a miserable sob break from his throat.
"Why was I such an idiot? Why would he ever look at me? I'm nothing to him…Nothing!"
Vaguely, he realizes that this is nothing like what he used to feel for his beloved Yuuki. Even when she was human, the pain in his heart was never this intense, this disturbing.
"I'm sorry for ever having loving you…"
Right when he's about to pull the trigger, the door slams open, and a blast of warm air ruffles Zero's hair and clothes, revealing his tear-streaked face and sorrow-rimmed eyes.
A body slams down onto the bed next to him, taking the gun from his grip before he can register any of this. It wasn't fair, not when he was so unguarded. Whoever this was…
"Ka-Kaname!" He scrambles to sit upright in his bed and wipe his eyes as the pureblood's scent hits his nose. When he's finally as put-together as he can be, his body freezes with the terror of realizing that he just called his biggest rival by his first name. "I-I mean…!"
"Don't, Zero," he whispers. He places a gentle hand on the boy's face, and holds it there when Zero tries to squirm away. "Don't do this. You're too special to leave. No yet, Zero."
"Kuran, why are you…"
"Don't be angry with me, Zero. Not when I care for you so much." The silver-haired boy parts his lips to speak, but Kaname doesn't let him. He places a long finger on the boy's mouth, trying not to shiver with how soft they are. "Do you even know how strongly I feel for you? I'm sorry for being so cruel to you over the years; you were never that chest piece that I once made you out to be. You were always so special…"
The boy's eyes widen with disbelief and shock. His mouth falls open against Kaname's fingers.
"Zero, I love you."
At this point, the pureblood cannot help himself. For years, he has craved the same thing, and no longer can he fight his longing. If Zero will not have him after this, then he will forever remove himself from the boy's life, but he needed to try.
He leaned forward slowly, removing his finger from Zero's lips as he did so. "And don't you ever pull a stunt like that again. Your life is too precious."
Before he can respond, the boy is caught in his first kiss. It's soft and slow, so breath-takingly loving that he can't stop his shaking.
Finally…Finally, Kaname, I…
"I love you, too." He moves his lips against the pureblood's in order to speak the words that he's for so long denied himself the right to speak. Screw the rules, the expectations; Kaname was too perfect.
"Zero?"
"Kaname, I-I have always…loved you." His cheeks are flushed red as their lips brush and the words finally come through.
The pureblood's smile is one that Zero will never forget. Both their eyes flood with tears as Kaname does the only thing he can.
It's a kiss full-to-the brim of every hidden emotion and every secret desire. It's a promise of something sweet and forever-lasting.
It's love.
Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope yours is full with as much love as Zero's!