Anything for You (Total Surrender)
Title: Anything for You (Total Surrender)
Pairings: One-sided ZeroxIchiru, one-sided ZeroxYuki, implied one-sided KanamexYuki. Basically, it sucks to be either Zero or Yuki. But mostly Yuki.
Rating: M for Murder and Masturbation! ...No, seriously.
Warnings: Everything is AU starting from the night Ichiru overheard his parents saying they preferred Zero over him. Zero is not a vampire. Ichiru did not go with Shizuka and thus did not receive her blood. So, yeah. Besides that, just assume everything in canon is true here. Also, this story is planned to have some very gory scenes in the future, so if that bothers you, I wouldn't read. I delight in my gore. Oh, and creepy twincest overtones throughout the story, so again, if you are bothered by that, don't read. I won't be held responsible if you ignore this and flame me for it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight. If I did, chapter forty would have never happened. I'm still semi-convinced it didn't. So there.
Part I
Bloody Valentine
I only need your love, Zero...
The sun had already been occupying the cloudy sky for several hours by the time Zero Kiryu finally roused himself from his usual light sleep. His lilac eyes slid to the analogue clock sitting on the night stand beside his bed. Damn. He overslept again. His home room teacher would have a fit. Oh, well. They really had no reason to complain. His grades were immaculate.
Wait... Didn't I set my alarm when I got back?
Giving a great yawn, Zero tossed off his blankets and pushed himself up into a sitting position, stretching his arms over his head. That was when the young man noticed a figure perched on the bed across the way from his own, as though it had been waiting ever so patiently for him to wake.
This person would be precisely Zero's double were it not for the longer silver hair, lack of piercings, and general air of frailty around the boy. Ichiru Kiryu had been sickly since birth and it showed. He was much paler than his older counterpart and much slimmer, almost wisp-like. His weak body would never allow him to reach the more solid build that his brother possessed. This fact alone was part of what drove the elder Kiryu to be so protective and devoted to his younger half. The other part consisted of the guilt he felt over causing Ichiru's condition.
That's right. It's my fault Ichiru's like this. I stole from him. So, I'll do whatever he wants. After all, we're all each has left.
"Good morning, Big Brother!" Ichiru greeted his twin brightly, completely oblivious to the heavy thoughts out of which his cheerful voice had jerked Zero.
"Yeah, morning, 'Ru," replied Zero in a murmur, using his affectionate nickname for his younger brother. Rubbing the back of his head, Zero yawned once more and asked, "How long have you been up?" He figured it had been a while considering Ichiru was already fully dressed in his Cross Academy uniform. Unlike the elder Kiryu, the younger wore his uniform to the letter.
"Oh, since about six-thirty."
Zero blinked. Six-thirty? Wasn't that the time he had set his alarm for? He wasn't exactly a heavy sleeper (in fact, he was just the opposite). He would have definitely heard it go off. Maybe he actually did forget to turn it on. It wouldn't be the first time. Glancing towards his clock, Zero said quietly, "My alarm..."
"Huh, that? Oh, I turned it off!" Appearing quite proud of himself, Ichiru straightened his back and beamed at his twin. However, when his elder brother snapped his gaze towards him, the merest hint of anger and frustration flickering in his eyes, the younger boy visibly deflated. "Was I not supposed to? I'm sorry, Zero..."
"Of course you weren't supposed to!" Zero scolded, uncharacteristically cross with his twin. Leaping out of bed, he made a mad dash to the window next to his bed, searching frantically through it. Damn it. He couldn't see the Moon Dorm from here. It was probably a mob outside those gates! Snapping his glare back to his brother, he barked, "Why on Earth would you do something like that? Don't you know what today is?"
His bottom lip trembling slightly, Ichiru's amethyst eyes grew wide and oddly watery and bright. "I-it's St. Xocolatl's Day, " he answered his brother quietly, his voice cracking a bit. "I-I just... I just thought..." He gulped. "I just thought that since Big Brother works so hard as a Guardian and has to stay up all night that... that... he deserved to sleep in and get some real rest. I'm so sorry..."
Sudden guilt instantly cooled Zero's ire, racking his entire being. How could he have lashed out at Ichiru like that? His good, sweet younger brother, the only family he had left. How could he do something so thoughtlessly cruel as to drive his delicate twin to tears? He was supposed to care for Ichiru and make sure he received everything he ever wanted. He couldn't afford to cause his brother any more suffering. "No, 'Ru, I'm the one who should be apologising," Zero admitted, moving from the window over to Ichiru's bed, wrapping his arms around the smaller form. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. You did nothing wrong. You're right – I need to get more sleep. I'm sorry..."
Ichiru returned his twin's embrace, pulling Zero closer to him. "It's okay, Zero," he assured the other silver-haired adolescent, his usual smile once more lighting up his face. "I don't mind. As long as you love me."
"Of course I love you." Pulling away from his younger counterpart, Zero cupped his twin's slender cheek and met his gaze sincerely. "I will always love you."
"No matter what?"
"No matter what."
His smile brightening even more (if that was even possible), Ichiru cheered, "Good!" Kissing his brother's cheek, the younger boy added, "I love you, too, Zero. Forever and ever. Oh!" As though he suddenly remembered something, Ichiru leapt from behind his bed and rushed to the small washroom attached to the main bedroom, fetching something from behind the door. "I got your uniform ready for you whenever you decided to get up," he explained, holding up the uniform in question as evidence. "I even got your belt!" He pulled out the white studded belt Zero was fond of from amongst the other clothes.
"I see that, thank you," Zero said, taking his uniform from his brother. Laying the apparel on his bed, the elder Kiryu began to strip. He was in the process of taking off his shirt when he noticed Ichiru watching him, rather intently, the same pleasant smile on his face. "Uh, 'Ru...?"
"Hm?" Ichiru tilted his head to the side in an innocently curious fashion.
"Um, well, you're kind of making me uncomfortable, watching me like that," confessed Zero, somewhat awkwardly. He shouldn't feel uncomfortable with his own brother watching him undress seeing as they were identical twins and all. However, there was something about the way Ichiru was looking at him...
"Oh, I'm sorry," Ichiru said, his shoulders drooping a bit and his smile faltering. "Do you want me to wait in the other room?"
Zero hesitated, noting the slightly dejected aura surrounding his little brother. Damn. He had done it again. He had hurt Ichiru. That was twice this morning, twice in such a short span of time. He must be having an off day in regards to being a big brother. No, there was no excuse. He would have to be better. "No, you don't have have to leave," the elder of the pair answered with a sigh. "Just... turn your back, okay?"
Nodding, Ichiru performed a pert little turn, his normal smile reappearing on his face. Zero continued undressing, now feeling more at ease. Perhaps that was because he didn't notice Ichiru peeking over his shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips as he devoured his older twin with his eyes.
Happy St. Xocolatl's Day to me.
*ヤ*ン*デ*レ*
Just as Zero had anticipated, there was a literal mob of Day Class girls swarming around the gates of the Moon Dormitory. Of course there was. It was St. Xocolatl's Day, and the Night Class was chock-full of unearthly handsome men. Zero honestly failed to see the point of the whole holiday, even though Yuki constantly insisted it was one of the most important days of a teenage girl's life. Perhaps it was because he wasn't a teenage girl, but the young man thought it a rather pointless gesture to offer chocolate to the boy one liked, especially when most respectable teenage boys would never admit to enjoying sweets. Although the reason for this bitterness could be he knew for a fact that he wouldn't be receiving any chocolate from the girl he liked.
Sighing inwardly, Zero began scanning the over-excitable crowd from a distance, resigning himself to go and attempt to assist his fellow Guardian keep things under control. Damn, I hate this job. That was when he noticed one of the hormone-crazed girls seeking to scale the wall outside the Moon Dorm with the aid of her friend. Idiots! Were they crazy or just stupid?
"Ichiru, stay here!" he ordered his little brother as he rushed off to prevent a disaster. He only made it just in time to catch the girl as she lost her balance and tumbled from her friend's shoulders.
Shindo Nadeshiko, as Zero vaguely recalled the girl's name as being, seemed to be a bit shocked to find herself in his arms. That was perfectly understandable since the young man didn't truly socialise outside of the other member of the "Disciplinary Committee" and his own brother. A blush rose in her cheeks as Zero set her gently on the ground, just managing to stammer, "Um... th-thank you, Kiryu."
"Good job, Zero!" cheered Yuki Cross, the adopted daughter of the headmaster and the other half of the Guardians, from her place atop the wall. Zero had to fight down a flush of his own.
"That wasn't just a 'good job!' That was a great job!" This cry came from Ichiru, who was now forcing his way through the crowd, his pallid face flushed. As soon as he reached his twin, the younger Kiryu erupted into a violent coughing fit, most likely caused by the exertion he had forced his weak body to endure by arriving there so quickly. There was a reason he was exempt from P.E.
"Ichiru!" Rushing to his ailing half's side, Zero allowed his brother to lean against him as he caught his breath. "You shouldn't force yourself like that! I told you to stay put! I would have been right back!"
Finally able to breathe enough to speak, Ichiru whispered hoarsely, "I know... but I wanted to be with Zero..." He lifted his head so that his elder twin could see his adoring smile.
Zero sighed in exasperation. He was beginning to get the feeling that Ichiru would follow him to the end of the world, and there was nothing that could be done to stop him. "Are you all right, at least?"
Nodding enthusiastically, Ichiru replied, "Of course I am! You needn't be worried about me, Big Brother!"
Returning his twin's nod, Zero turned his head to glare at the girls surrounding them, engrossed in the scene they had just witnessed. It was the general consensus amongst the Day Class that the relationship between the orphaned Kiryu brothers would be touching were it not for the fact the elder twin had a tendency to be terrifying. "Let me tell you something," Zero began, addressing the Day Class girls as though he was preparing to lecture them, which he was. "The Night Class never leaves their dorm during the day. If you have something you want to give them, come back at twilight when they come out to attend class. And keep in mind, if you make too much of a fuss, this event may just be cancelled."
After a few moments of stunned silence, a disapproving grumbling and many insults directed towards Zero ran through the crowd, but they all dissipated nonetheless. This had been precisely Zero's intention. He didn't particularly enjoy seeming this unpleasant, but it was the only way to get the otherwise unruly Day Class. It was for their own good, anyway. Since the Night Class consisted entirely of vampires, one could never be too careful.
"You know, Zero..." The sound of Yuki's voice as she leapt from the wall gave Zero enough incentive to tear his eyes away from the retreating backs of the Day Class. "You don't have to say things that make the girls all hate you on St. Xocolatl's Day. At this rate, you won't even get friendship chocolate!" Sweating slightly, the brunette girl reached up to pat the older boy on the shoulder.
"I don't c-"
"Zero will, too, get chocolate!" Ichiru cut in abruptly, glaring at Yuki as he clung to Zero. "I give Zero chocolate every year!"
"You're his brother, so you don't count," Yuki pointed out, blinking in surprise at being snapped at like that. "Besides, you're a boy. You shouldn't be giving anyone chocolate!"
"I do so count!" Ichiru insisted, almost violently as he tightened his grip on his twin's arm. Zero winced as the pressure began to cut off his circulation. Damn, when did Ichiru become so strong? How could he even be with his body being so frail? "Zero, tell her I count!"
"H-he counts. All right, Yuki? Now, 'Ru, could you please stop crushing my arm...?"
Just like that, Ichiru leapt away from his other half as if he had been burned. "Oh, I am so, so, very sorry, Big Brother!" he cried, his eyes watering in a very similar fashion to how they had earlier that very same morning. "I never meant to hurt you! Please forgive me!"
Zero could have slapped himself. He needed to stop upsetting his little brother like this. Ichiru should always be smiling. The boy shouldn't have to worry about anything, most specially not him. "Of course I forgive you, Ichiru," he sighed, reaching out to pet his twin's soft hair. "I could never be angry with you. Now, let's all just go to class, all right?"
Wiping the tears from his eyes, Ichiru beamed once more and replied, "All right." He reached for his brother's had, but Zero instinctively jerked away.
"Ichiru, we're seventeen," he murmured through gritted teeth. "Don't you think we're a bit old to be holding hands?"
Ichiru blinked, his grin slipping away for half a moment before returning. "I don't think that at all," he said, once more reaching out for the hand of his other half, which he received as Zero gave in with a resigned sigh. The younger Kiryu could be a touch childish at times. Unfortunately, this came complete with tantrums, which could turn violent if not quelled in a timely manner. Therefore, it was usually best to play along with his whims. At least, it was in Zero's mind. Other people had a tendency to disagree.
As the younger Kiryu tugged his elder counterpart along, humming a happy little tune to himself, Yuki fell into step beside Zero. Her large brown eyes were trained on Ichiru, a light frown tugging on her lips. "You're too soft on him. You know that, don't you?" she pointed out to Zero as quietly as she could so that she wouldn't anger the other twin. "You spoil him. He's going to turn into a total brat if you keep this up."
"Shut up," Zero growled out of the corner of his mouth. Then, with a quick glance at the taken-aback girl, he sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Look, I know you're just looking out for us, but it's my responsibility to take care of Ichiru. I think I know what's best for my own little brother, thank you." He was honestly grateful for the concern Yuki displayed for him and his brother, which was especially impressive considering Ichiru openly despised her. It was one of the many things Zero adored about the girl. Even so, it was his duty to look after Ichiru, as it had been for the past four years. As a result, he wasn't particularly appreciative of other people telling him how to handle the boy he has known since birth. Since before then, even! He was perfectly capable of raising Ichiru on his own.
After all, he thought he had done a pretty good job so far.
*ヤ*ン*デ*レ*
Class was extraordinarily dull, as was only to be expected for a genius like Zero Kiryu. The fact that he was actually supposed to be a year ahead of the rest of his classmates didn't help. However, when Ichiru fell gravely ill in their final year of junior high and had to be hospitalised for an extended period of time, Zero had refused to leave his side for even a second. This resulted in both twins missing a sizeable amount of school, including finals, forcing them to repeat the year. This landed the brothers in the same grade as Yuki and her best friend, Sayori Wakaba. Thus, even though he was bored of his skull during most lessons, Zero at least received the consolation prize of spending more time with the girl he liked.
Afternoon break at last rolled around, meaning there was only one class left in the dreadfully long day, and the conversation almost immediately turned to chocolate. Who was giving chocolate to whom (members of the Night Class were the most popular answers), what sort of ribbon was used to wrap the decorative boxes, whether the sweets were store-bought or hand-made... Not even Yuki and Yori were immune to the allure of the St. Xocolatl's Day.
"So, who are you giving chocolate to, Yuki?" the petite blonde girl inquired of her equally petite brunette friend.
An attractive blush spread over Yuki's face as she avoided eye contact with Yori. "N-no one!" she insisted, rather forcibly. "I'm too busy to even think about giving anyone chocolate! You know, with my Disciplinary Committee duties and all..."
"I can see the ribbon sticking out of your pocket."
"Ah!" Trying desperately to shove the shiny red box bound with gold and red ribbon out of sight deeper into her pocket, Yuki continued to insist, "It's nothing, it's nothing!"
"It's for Kaname Kuran, isn't it?" Yuki and Yori simultaneously turned their heads to Zero, who was lounging in the seat on the other side of Yori, although his real seat was one row back.
Yuki's flushed deepened. "Wh-what would make you think that?" she stammered, staring resolutely at her desk in order to avoid looking at her childhood friend.
Rolling his lilac eyes, Zero answered, "Um, because you've only been in love with him since you were five?" He ignored the pain that briefly surged through his heart as these words escaped his lips. The silver-haired adolescent had already reconciled with the fact that Yuki was in love with the pureblood vampire. He was undeserving of the girl, in any case. She was so innocent and unfettered. She deserved someone who was able to give themselves to her whole-heartedly, something he was just not able to do. With their parents gone, Zero was the only one left who could care for Ichiru. The younger Kiryu would never be able to support himself, not with his chronically poor health. Zero was irrevocably bound to his younger brother. Not that he had a problem with that. It was simply life.
"Well, it's not like my chocolate is home-made or anything like everyone else's," Yuki muttered, her shoulders slowly creeping up to her ears in shame. "It's store-bought. None of the ones I made turned out right..."
"Well, lucky break for Kuran, then," butted in Ichiru snidely from his perch behind his brother, stroking Zero's quicksilver hair possessively. "Your crummy chocolate would have probably given him food poisoning. I wonder, can vampires die of food poisoning? Imagine that, Cross! Kuran dying from your declaration of love!" Covering his mouth with his hand, Ichiru giggled in fiendish delight on the devastated expression on the small brunette's face.
"Ichiru!" scolded Zero harshly, slightly astonished that his twin would say something so blatantly cruel. Usually, it seemed Ichiru didn't have a vicious bone in his small body, but for reasons lost upon the elder Kiryu, Yuki appeared to bring out the devil in his brother. His hatred of her was completely unadulterated. Speaking of Yuki, Zero directed his attention towards the girl and assured her, "Don't listen to him, Yuki. He's just being an ass. I'm sure Kuran will love whatever you give him because you're giving it to him." I know I would.
"Oh, what would you know, Zero?" Yuki snapped, the younger Kiryu's taunt still getting to her. "You don't even have a girlfriend!"
Zero opened to his mouth to retort, but Ichiru answered for him before he even got the chance.
"Zero doesn't need nor does he want a girlfriend," the younger twin informed Yuki quietly, almost darkly. His narrowed eyes remained fixed on her as he wrapped his arms around his elder counterpart's shoulders and rested his cheek atop his head. "Isn't that right, Zero?"
His eyes flickering briefly up to his brother, Zero gave the girls a sideways glance and said, "...Yeah. Having a girlfriend would sort of be a nuisance, you know? Besides, all the girls here think I'm "scary.""
"Oh, I don't know about that," Yori corrected fairly in that wise little voice of hers. "I've heard through the grapevine that Shindo Nadeshiko's become quite enamoured with you after you rescued her from falling this morning, Kiryu. I even hear that she plans on giving you chocolate after this evening's big event. Oh dear, it seems I've gone and spoiled the surprise..."
"Really? She i- ow! 'Ru, you're hurting me again..."
"Oh, sorry, Big Brother!"
"Never mind, class is about to begin," Yori interrupted the Kiryu brothers as the school bell rang, signalling the end of break. Everyone slowly returned to their proper seats, pulling out their textbooks and such as the teacher entered the classroom, preparing to start the last lesson of the day.
*ヤ*ン*デ*レ*
"There! It's perfect!"
Ichiru beamed as he tied the sheer lilac ribbon around the matted silver box. The younger Kiryu had taken this opportunity to prepare his annual St. Xocolatl's Day chocolate for his brother as Zero and Yuki were performing their Guardian duties by supervising the "Chocolate Hand-off Race." He always took pride in the fact that, unlike Yuki's dinky store-bought chocolate and silly errand coupons, his gifts were always thoughtful and home-made.
"They looked just wonderful, Ichirun!" praised Headmaster Kaien Cross, clapping his hands together exuberantly and ignoring the annoyed twitch of the young boy's eyebrow at the use of the much hated nickname. "I swear you get better every year! You're becoming quite the little home-maker, you are! You're going to make some lucky man an excellent wife one day!" The bespectacled blonde laughed heartily at his own joke.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Ichiru said quietly, cupping the chocolate box in his hands as though it were a delicate butterfly. His face fell slightly. "Do you think Zero will like it...?"
"Huh? Of course he will!" Cross assured the silver-haired teen, placing a hand on the boy's slender shoulder. "He always likes the chocolate you make for him, doesn't he?"
The look on Ichiru's face clearly stated that he wasn't so certain. "Yes, he says he does, but..." Taking a brief pause, the slight boy clutched the box to his chest, his smile returning gently. "Every year, I worry that I'm never good enough for him..."
Cross smiled sadly at his young charge. He was well aware that this boy's single-minded devotion to his older brother would strike most people as odd, especially since Ichiru, along with Zero, had turned seventeen not a month ago. However, there was something about Ichiru's slightly childish demeanour and his slim build that made him appear younger than he truly was that managed to make the trait cute rather than strange. Besides, after the tragedy that had befallen the Kiryu family four years ago, it was difficult not to see why Ichiru clung to Zero so. "Oh, Ichiru," the wiry man sighed, shaking his head. "Zero loves you. I'm sure he thinks whatever you give him is absolutely wonderful."
"You think so?"
"Yes, I'm certain of it."
Ichiru's smile returned full force. "Thanks again, Headmaster," he said, tucking a strand of silver hair behind his right ear.
Glad to see the boy happy again, Cross folded his arms over his chest and glanced out the window, from which he received an excellent view of the Moon Dorm. "Oh! It seems the Chocolate Hand-off Race is almost over."
A great clattering from the kitchen startled the blonde headmaster. He spun around to see Ichiru standing amidst the pots and pans now scattered all over the tiled floor, his hands clasped over his mouth. "Goodness! Ichiru, are you all right?"
Nodding, somewhat numbly, Ichiru responded in a flat voice, "Yes, I'm fine." The boy then shook his head as if to clear it, grinning at Cross. "I'm sorry, Headmaster, but may I please clean this up later?" he asked as politely as could be. "There's something I really need to do right now."
"Oh, all right," Cross answered with a nod. After all, how could he refuse such a sweet boy like Ichiru? "But don't you want to clean yourself up a little? You're still covered in chocolate..."
"Thank you so much, Headmaster!" Clearly not listening to Cross' last two statements, Ichiru removed his apron and tossed it over one of the nearby chairs at the kitchen table before rushing out of the apartment.
Cross tilted his head, bringing a knuckle thoughtfully to his lips. "Hm, I wonder where he's off to in such a hurry?" he pondered aloud. Probably to meet Zero, considering he took his chocolate with him. That boy simply could not stand to be away from his brother. Unless he was doing something for his brother, of course. It had been that way for as long as the headmaster could remember, even before the Kiryu twins had come to live with him and his adopted daughter. He only wished Ichiru could get along with Yuki that well. They were practically brother and sister, after all.
Oh, well. At least Zero and Yuki got along well.
*ヤ*ン*デ*レ*
Shindo Nadeshiko. Sixteen years old. First year student at the prestigious Cross Academy. Nervous as hell.
Clutching the box containing some of her home-made chocolate, the blonde girl desperately tried to stop her knees from quivering. Sweat dripped from her forehead and over the bridge of her nose, causing her glasses to slip. She was certain she looked a sight, something that did not help to soothe her nerves. It also did not help that the person she was hoping to run into was absolutely gorgeous.
They say one couldn't help with whom one fell in love, and Shindo was beginning to discover how true that statement was. After all, how else could one explain how she had fallen for Zero Kiryu, of all people? Or, at least, she was starting to fall for him, anyway. One didn't fall in love over a single incident. Even so, she wanted to give Kiryu chocolate as a thank you, at any rate. She couldn't care less if her friends called her a fool. Kiryu may come off most of the time as something of a juvenile delinquent, but Shindo could sense he was a good person at heart. Just look at the way he cared for his younger brother! Besides, it was just the right thing to do.
Now, if only she could remember to breathe.
A noise from the hallway perpendicular to the one she was hiding in caused Shindo to nearly leap out of her very skin. After taking a moment or two to calm herself, a sense of hope filled the girl. Perhaps it was Kiryu! The blonde girl was well aware that the Disciplinary Committee member often came this way when venturing to report to the headmaster. This could be her chance!
"Kiryu!" Shindo cried, perhaps a bit breathily, as she dashed out into the darkened hallway, hoping to see the boy who had saved her life. Oh, her heart was pounding so hard!
"Nope! At least, not the one you were hoping for..."
Shindo blinked, her heart calming, as the figure who apparently had made the noise stepped into the pale light pouring through the window, moonbeams glinting in his mercury hair. It was a touch startling how strongly Ichiru resembled his older brother in the half light. Despite being identical, the Kiryu twins were ordinarily fairly easy to distinguish from each other. The elder would rip one limb from limb if one so much as glanced at him the wrong way. The younger would never even hurt a fly.
"Oh, well, Ichiru," the bespectacled girl greeted the older boy anxiously, fiddling with one of her braids. "What are you doing here?"
"Heh. I was just about to ask you the very same thing..." The boy took a step toward Shindo, a hand held behind his back. The girl instinctively took a step backwards.
Her heart rate picking up once more in speed, the schoolgirl blushed and replied, "I-I'm s-searching for your brother. D-do you know where he is?"
"Oh, I always know where Big Brother is." Ichiru's voice retained its familiar light, airy quality. He took another step toward Shindo. "But why do you want to know where Zero is?"
"I-I wanted to give him s-some chocolate. Y-you know, t-t-to th-thank him f-for saving me t-today." Where was this fear coming from?
"Is it home-made?"
""Y-yes?" What sort of question was that?
The boy giggled. "Oh, I wish you wouldn't have said that~"
Ichiru was now standing precisely in front of Shindo. The girl noticed then how his friendly smile was rather fixed. He also seemed to be quite giggly. His entire slender frame seemed to convulse with suppressed laughter.
He continued.
"Now, I'm sure that, to some people, you are a very nice girl. But they're wrong, aren't they? I see you for what you really are, Shindo Nadeshiko..."
"Wh-what are you talking ab-"
"Do not interrupt me when I'm talking!" The boy's shriek echoed shrilly throughout the dim corridor. Shindo jumped, staring horrified at her classmate. What on Earth was going on?
Heaving slightly, Ichiru gritted his teeth for a moment before his usual smile returned. "You're a whore, Shindo Nadeshiko," he informed the girl with a small laugh. "You're a whore, just like all those other girls. They all wanted to take Zero away from me, the sluts. But I wouldn't let them, like I won't let you." Giggling madly, the boy finally pulled his hand from behind his back.
The large butcher's knife glinted in the moonlight.
Shindo could clearly see her reflection in the blade. Her absolutely horrified reflection. "I-Ichiru... What are you going to d-"
"I'll die without Zero!" Ichiru insisted suddenly. He appeared as though he were about to cry, though his smile remained. Shindo would have perhaps felt more sorry for him if it weren't for the knife he now had pointed at her throat. "I'll die without Zero! Why do none of you understand that? Why do you all want to take him away from me?"
"Ichiru! I'm not going t-"
"Well, if you all want me to die so badly, I guess I'll just have to make you all die first."
"What...?"
Grinning manically, Ichiru flipped the knife in his hand. He placed the sharp blade against the girl's throat. "Congratulations, Shindo Nadeshiko! You're going to be a sacrifice for our love! You should feel honoured..."
"Ichiru... Please... Don't do this..."
Ichiru's grin only deepened. "This is for you, Zero, my love."
A shrill cry. Blood splattered on the window.
*ヤ*ン*デ*レ*
Ichiru must be sleeping...
That was the only explanation Zero could think of for the lack of his little brother's nigh constant presence. This worked out well on two levels. The first, Ichiru was finally taking care of himself and resting instead of waiting up all hours of the night. His poor health simply couldn't take that. The second, Ichiru's absence gave Zero the opportunity to breathe. He loved his twin, he honestly did, but the pressure of acting both as an older brother and as a parent to Ichiru was more than a bit exhausting. On many levels. He enjoyed what little time he had away from his brother to just be Zero.
"There you are! So, you think you can just ditch me like that, huh? You're such a jerk, Zero!"
Glancing up from his preparation of a midnight snack, Zero's eyes alighted on the other Guardian, who appeared to be fuming. This did little to faze the silver-haired adolescence, however. "Oh. Hey, Yuki."
"Don't 'oh-hey-Yuki' me!" snapped the small girl, wagging her finger at her childhood friend in a scolding manner. "You ditched me in the middle of the event! That's not cool! You know, Zero, I'm getting sick and tired of selfishness of yours..."
Zero rolled his violet eyes in exasperation. There she went again. Yuki often felt the need to lecture him about something or other. The girl's favourite subjects were either shirking his Guardian duties and not taking good enough care of himself. She often justified nagging him about the latter by saying he was much too busy looking after Ichiru to look after himself, so he needed someone to do it for him. Like a big sister, the irony of which being that Zero was a year older than Yuki. However, the fact Yuki thought of him as nothing more than a brother did not raise Zero's hopes of her reciprocating his feelings for her. "First of all, I did not 'ditch' you in the middle of the event," he pointed out, returning to his masterpiece of a sandwich. "It was pretty much over by the time I left. Besides, I had an appointment to keep."
Yuki blinked and tilted her head questioningly. "Appointment? What appointment?"
As an answer, Zero extracted a folded-up bit of paper from his pants pocket. "Shindo Nadeshiko," he explained as the brunette girl stared blankly at the paper. "She slipped this note into my locker asking me to meet her after the event."
"Oh!" Comprehension seemed to dawn on Yuki as she apparently recalled Yori mentioning something about to that effect earlier. "Wow, really? You actually went? I though you couldn't be bothered with a girlfriend! Besides that, Nadeshiko hardly seems your type..."
Shrugging casually as he carried his sandwich to the table, Zero said, "I figured it was better to let her down in person."
"Aw, see? You really are a good person deep down, Zero!" Zero snorted in a most unbecoming manner, but on the inside, he thrilled with warmth at this compliment. "So? How did it go?"
"...She never showed."
A silence fell over the kitchen. Yuki stared at the other teen, seemingly lost in thought. Zero proceeded to eat his sandwich. He had almost expected this to happen. It didn't bother him in the least. Yuki, however, was not about to let this alone.
"Why do you think she didn't show?"
Zero shrugged. "Probably got cold feet."
Yuki let out a frustrated sigh. "You see, Zero?" she began, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "You act like too much of a bully and all the girls will be too afraid of you! No wonder you never get any chocolate... You'll never get a girlfriend at this rate!"
"For the last time, I don't care about getting chocolate and I don't need a girlfriend," Zero reiterated for what seemed like the umpteenth time. He was genuinely sick and tired of repeating these facts to people. "Having a girlfriend would distract me from Ichiru."
"Maybe you need to distract yourself from Ichiru," Yuki pointed out in what surely in her mind constituted as fairly. "Think about it, Zero: You devote whatever time isn't taken up by school or your Guardian duties to that brother of yours. Sometimes you even cut time out of those two to dedicate even more time to him! This isn't healthy for either of you. Have you noticed that Ichiru has no friends? Which is weird, considering most people think he's really nice." The roll of her large brown eyes demonstrated the girl's opinion of that. "The point is the two of you should branch out! You can't become each other's entire world."
For quite possibly the first time in his life, Zero felt the perhaps unreasonable desire to slap the girl he had been in love with for nearly four years. Why did no one understand the reason he was so obsessed with taking care of Ichiru? Well, the reason he gave everyone, not the true reason, but a good enough reason in and of itself. "Yuki," the silver-haired boy began, massaging his temples with his middle and forefingers, "I simply can't leave Ichiru. Don't any of you get it? Ichiru will die without me. He's just too weak to take care of himself! Can you imagine what would happen if he fell seriously ill again and I was off with some girl? No. Ichiru's the only family I have left. I'm not going to let that happen."
Yuki was quiet for a spell, during which Zero flooded with remorse. He knew he shouldn't have lashed out at the girl like that. She was merely trying to help. However, she needed to know how things stood, even if she didn't understand. How could she? She had never been in his situation before. She might not be able to recall her biological parents, but Yuki had been cherished and cared for all her remembered life nonetheless. The cute little brunette had never been isolated, had never had her parents' mangled corpses seared into her memory, had never had to care for a chronically ill sibling. There was no way she could comprehend the immense pressure regarding all the responsibility he had been shouldered with after the death of his parents.
"...You know, they have clinics, up in the mountains. They say the air is healthy for people who are really sick," Yuki mentioned quietly, sounding almost timid as she glanced anxiously between her companion and her shoes. "You could send Ichiru there, have doctors and nurses take ca-"
"Yuki, I can barely afford the medication Ichiru needs. How do you suppose I pay for something like that?" Zero pushed his plate away. He suddenly wasn't hungry any more.
Gnawing on her bottom lip, Yuki suggested, "I'm sure the headmaster w-"
"No, Yuki. I'm not going to send my little brother away." Zero rose from the table, carrying his plate to the kitchen counter. He than leaned against said counter, folding his arms and gazing at his shoes. "Ichiru doesn't like doctors, anyway. He throws a fit whenever we have to go to the hospital. No, I think it's best that I continue his care." The young man lifted his lavender eyes to the girl, his expression solemn. "I know you and Ichiru don't like each other, but I'm not going to send him away just to make you happier."
Yuki hesitated a moment before replying, "It would probably make you happier, too. You wouldn't have to worry about him so much."
Zero shook his head. "I will never stop worrying about Ichiru," he informed the girl softly. "I would rather have him by my side where I can worry about him in person than have him one hundred miles away in some clinic where I could never be sure if he was really all right. So let's just drop it, okay?"
Once again, Yuki wavered before answering. Nodding slowly, the girl said, "Okay. I'm sorry, Zero. I really am." The look she then fixed Zero with was so honestly apologetic, the elder boy was inclined to believe her. He sighed.
"It's fine," he assured her. "I know you just want to help. You just couldn't possibly understand." How many times had he used that excuse before? Zero realised it must seem like such a cop-out answer, but it was true. The Kiryu twins' situation was a difficult one to comprehend. He couldn't even conceive of how to explain the reasoning he gave to the guilt that forced him to stay with his brother. He was certain he would sound positively mad if he even tried.
Silence once more blanketed the kitchen of the headmaster's private quarters. The pair of childhood friends had their eyes dart around the room, neither eager to make eye contact after such a heavy conversation. At last, after what seemed like an immensely uncomfortable eternity, Yuki had the presence of mind to break the ice.
"You know," she began, smiling tenderly as she dove into the pocket of her skirt, "I feel sort of bad that you didn't get any chocolate..." She removed a small spherical object wrapped in pastel pink tissue paper from said pocket. Tugging on the shimmering golden ribbon wound around the top, she caused the flimsy wrapping to fall open, revealing a single ball of chocolate. Grasping in between her thumb and forefinger, she offered it to Zero and said brightly, "Here!"
Zero's eyes widened. Was this honestly happening? Was Yuki Cross, the girl he had been in love with since he was thirteen, truly giving him chocolate? On St. Xocolatl's Day?
As though the silver-haired teen's wide-eyed stare of astonishment made her nervous (although really, why should she be? She wasn't the one being offered chocolate by her unrequited love on St. Xocolatl's Day), a light blush crept into Yuki's pale cheeks. "A chocolate... for you," she explained softly and unnecessarily, pressing the candy against Zero's lips. Then, pressing it gently into the boy's mouth, she added, "Don't say that I give you the same thing as I did in grade school!"
"..." Zero was speechless.
Pulling her hand away, Yuki beamed, obviously impressed with herself. "I managed to make one chocolate right!" the brunette informed her friend proudly. "It's the only one in the world, so thank me for it!"
Zero did thank her for it. He thanked her for it a million times over, if only in his mind. He simply could not believe this. He must be dreaming! He must! His heart was racing so fast...
No. He must keep his cool. He could never let Yuki know of his feelings for her. It would only complicate things. So, he screwed his face into what he hoped was an expression of disgust and exasperation.
"Hey! Don't make a face like it doesn't taste good!" Yuki snapped, clearly affronted. When Zero continued to make the offending face, she turned on her heel in a huff so that her back was to the boy. "Whatever!"
Swallowing what was perhaps the most wonderful chocolate he ever received, regardless of how it actually tasted, Zero responded, "Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad. Don't be so damn touchy."
"I'm not being touchy! You're j—"
"Besides, it's not like I wouldn't have gotten chocolate at all today," Zero pointed out, cutting Yuki off from what he could tell was shaping up to be a very tiresome tirade with many aspersions on his character. "I still have Ichiru's chocolate waiting for me back in our room." Then, barely managing to stifle a snigger, he jabbed teasingly at the girl, "Perhaps you should get him to teach you how to make it properly!"
"Hmph!" Crossing her arms and appearing quite insulted, Yuki snapped, "Well, if you have such a huge problem with my chocolate, why don't you teach me how to 'make it properly?' Hm? After all, wasn't it you who taught Ichiru how to cook?"
Whatever jovial manner Zero had momentarily adopted vanished in an instant. "How to cook, yes, but I don't do that girly stuff like making chocolate and baking and crap," the young man insisted firmly, his male pride taking a bit of a blow. "Wherever Ichiru learned all that stuff, it definitely wasn't from me. Who knows? He may have even taught himself. He's resourceful like that." After a moment's thought, he added, "He's really good at it, though, isn't he?"
Yuki shrugged. "I wouldn't know," she admitted. "Last time I tried to eat something he made, he stabbed my hand with a fork. Remember?" Oh, that was right. Zero had almost forgotten about that incident three years ago. If he recalled correctly, that was one of his brother's first violent outbursts, something rather jarring coming from the normally gentle Ichiru. The psychiatrist the younger Kiryu had been sent to following the attack had attributed it to the trauma of losing his parents in such a violent manner. He then suggested therapy sessions, but Zero was certain whatever problems Ichiru had could be solved if he just worked with him as easily as they could be with any therapist. So, he convinced Cross not to force Ichiru to attend the sessions. In the end, everything turned out all right. "But if you love his chocolate so much, why don't you rush off to your dorm to eat it, then?"
"Huh?" Too wrapped up in memories to fully register what Yuki had barked at him, Zero stared blankly at the flushed girl as he waited for his brain to catch up to the present. "Oh, right. Um, well, I figured Ichiru's sleeping since he's not here, and I wanted to shower and eat, so-"
"What? Ichiru's not asleep." Yuki blinked in puzzlement, tilting her head and jabbing her thumb over her shoulder. "I saw him not long before coming here, out on the grounds. I think he was hurt or something. He was covered in blood..."
"What? Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Before Yuki even had a chance to answer, Zero dashed from the kitchen, the opening and slamming his only words of farewell.
*ヤ*ン*デ*レ*
why must it always be so messy? their blood always gets in my hair. blood is hard to get out of hair...
it's sticky too. and crusty when it dries. and the whores always have soooooo much of it! if Zero were a vampire though He'd probably like it. then i'd like it too. i'd let Zero have my blood. i'd let Him kill me if He wanted...
blood makes me ugly. i can't look ugly for Zero. i have to be cute. Big Brother likes it when i'm cute. i have to be cute and sweet. Zero likes cute and sweet. Cute, sweet, and helpless. Zero likes to protect things. i'll let Him protect me. He's so strong. Big Brother is so strong. He can protect me. He was made to. but i have to protect Him. protect Him from all the dirty, rotten, lying, thieving whores. they're all over the place Zero! why won't they just leave us alone...?
the whores are heavy. fat cows. dragging them makes me tired. it's hard to breath too. the air hurts my lung. but they can't be here. Zero would be upset if He saw them like He was with them. i don't want Zero to be upset. i want Zero to smile. i want to make Zero smile. i'll do anything to make Zero smile.
i have more hair though. another memento of the sacrifices i made in the name of our love. Zero will surely be pleased with me when i show Him someday. then He'll know what i went through for us. how hard i worked for us. then He'll love me. no one else loves Him this much. i'm the only one. He'll see that soon.
Zero will be back soon. i need to be clean for Him. i have to be clean when He sees me. He can't see my red hands. He would be upset. i did it for Him though! He should be happy! they were going to take Him away from me! He'll understand some day. then He'll be happy. then He'll love me. i love you Zero! i love you so much!
i shouldn't have gotten rid of it in my uniform. Zero will wonder where it is. He'll be mad if i tell Him i burned it. i don't want Him to be mad. always happy always happy. He might let me wear His. i'd have Zero's scent over me all day. i love the way he smells. like musk and muscles and sex. always like sex. but not yet. it's not time yet. it has to be special. He has to want me. and He will soon. He'll want me and only me. Zero will love me. He has to.
they all just have to go away first. they can't have Him. they can't have Big Brother. Big Brother is mine. so they have to all go away. it's for His own good. they're all dirty. Zero can't be with anyone dirty. not Zero. Zero's clean. Zero's perfect. and i'll make myself clean and perfect for him too. they all have to go away first. they all want Big Brother and they want me to die. i'll die without Big Brother! i will! that's why He has to stay with me.
i only need your love Zero...
ah! He showered! i hope He holds me soon... Zero smells so good after He showers... and the water dripping off Him... i bet it tastes just like him. i want to lick it off him so bad...
why is that whore here? why is it talking to Zero? my Zero? why is it giving Him chocolate? it doesn't like Him! it doesn't like Him at all! it likes the vampire! stay away from Him, whore! you don't understand Him! not like i do! He was meant for me, not you! whore! slut! thief! Zero.. oh Zero You don't love it do You? please tell me You don't love it. You only love me right? it would be so much easier if You didn't love it...
it doesn't matter. it'll have to go away. just like all the others...
when did these splinters get under my nails? they'll have to come out before Zero sees. He hates seeing me hurt...
*ヤ*ン*デ*レ*
Zero was gasping for breath by the time he reached the dorm room he shared with his little brother. Of course he was. He had sprinted all the way there. It didn't matter that every intake of air pained him. All that mattered was his baby brother could laying just beyond the door, severely injured. Yuki had said he was covered in blood...
The elder Kiryu burst through the door without pausing for even a moment. "Ichi-"
"Zero!" Before the young man had a chance to react, a willowy mass with silver hair collided him, wrapping his slim arms around his neck. "I'm so happy you're back!"
"I-Ichiru...?" stammered Zero, a bit bemused as to what was happening. Ichiru was... all right? Then what was all the blood Yuki saw? Had someone else been hurt and Ichiru had tried to help them? But if that was the case, why hadn't Ichiru come to him for help? Unless... No. Ichiru would never hurt another living soul. There must be some other logical explanation for the blood Yuki witnessed. "Um, ah..."
When his elder brother didn't return his embrace, Ichiru took a step back and cupped Zero's face in his warm hands, his mouth turning downwards in a concerned little frown. "Are you all right, Big Brother?" he asked in a childishly sombre manner. "You don't look happy to see me... Did I do something wrong?"
"What? Oh, no! No, Ichiru! Of course you didn't do anything wrong! Yes, I'm very happy to see you! It's just... 'Ru, are you okay?" Gently removing his twin's hands from his face, Zero critically examined every inch of Ichiru that he could just short of stripping him. Even so, he could find no trace of any sort of injury, major or minor. Ichiru was flawless, like always.
Breaking into a giggle fit, the younger Kiryu answered, "Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be?"
Now standing behind Ichiru so that the younger boy had to turn around to face him, Zero shook his head. He combed his fingers fervently through his sterling hair as he continued to scan Ichiru, even though he had already determined his other half was unharmed. "Yuki saw you earlier," he explained, his heart still pounding. "She said... she said you were covered in blood."
Ichiru's smile faltered for half a second. He shook his head. "She's just a silly girl, Zero," he informed his brother, laughing softly. "She doesn't know what she saw."
"Ichiru?"
"Yes, Big Brother?"
"Why were you outside?"
The younger twin did not answer right away. He merely stared at Zero for several moments, unnerving the other Kiryu slightly. He then slowly shook his head. "I wasn't outside, Zero," he said quietly.
"But Yuki-"
"I'm your brother, Zero! Your flesh and blood! And you're going to believe that stupid girl over me? Zero, you... you.. jerk!" Burying his face in his hands, Ichiru's small frame shook with sobs.
Zero's heart plunged into the pit of his stomach. He had been the cause of Ichiru's tears yet again. Why did he refuse to learn the lesson that was obviously trying to be taught to him? How could he take Yuki's word over Ichiru's? Ichiru would never lie to him. He had no reason to do so. Yes, Ichiru was honest. Innocent and honest. He should always trust Ichiru. "I'm sorry, 'Ru," he sighed, stepping forward to wrap his arms around his little brother. "I should have believed you. I'm sorry..."
Returning his older brother's hug, Ichiru's smile reappeared and he murmured, "It's all right. I'm glad Zero cares about me..." The younger boy pressed himself closer to his brother, inhaling deeply. "You showered not long ago... Zero smells so good..."
"What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing! Oh!" Releasing his twin, Ichiru rushed to his night stand and snatched up an argent box from atop it. He dashed back to Zero and held out the box of chocolates with both hands, beaming. "For you, Big Brother!" he announced as Zero took the box from him. "Happy St. Xocolatl's Day! ...Although I think it may be a little late." He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.
Shaking his head, Zero clutched his brother's gift tightly as a small smile appeared on his face. "It's all right," he replied. "Thank you, 'Ru."
"Well, open it!" cried Ichiru excitedly, plopping down onto his brother's bed. "I want you to eat some and tell me if it tastes good!"
Zero hesitated, but did as his beloved twin hard ordered nonetheless. He lowered himself onto his bed beside his brother and pulled on the translucent lilac ribbon, unravelling it to be able to open the silver box.
"I chose the box and ribbon because they're the same colour as your hair and eyes," Ichiru mentioned softly, resting his head on his brother's shoulder.
"Yours, too," Zero pointed out.
"Yeah, but yours are prettier."
Chuckling quietly, Zero lifted the lid of the box, revealing several of what he knew to be the most delicious chocolate he had ever tasted. Of course, he could be just a bit biased on that part and he never did partake in many sweets, not being the biggest fan of them. He always made an exception for Ichiru, though, as the boy simply loved making sweets. Ichiru had probably spoiled him on that point, anyway. He removed a piece of chocolate from the box and placed it in his mouth. "Oh, Ichiru! This is wonderful! Now I really do thank you!" Zero sucked on the chocolate slowly, savouring the flavour as it melted in his mouth. "I swear you get better every year... But now I have to wonder what I did to deserve this...?"
"Zero doesn't have to do anything! Zero's perfect just the way he is..."
No, 'Ru. I'm not. But you'll never find that out. "And now I'm wondering what I did in a past life to deserve someone as fantastic as you for a little brother."
"No, Zero!" Suddenly sitting upright, Ichiru placed his hands on his knees and stared at his elder counterpart, his pastel violet eyes wide with horror. "It's me who doesn't deserve you! Zero's so wonderful and strong and talented... I'm nothing but trash."
Sighing at his little brother's complete lack of self-worth (a problem that had plagued him since childhood), Zero wrapped his arm around Ichiru's shoulders and drew him into a tight hug. "You're not trash, 'Ru," he told his twin firmly. "You are the most amazing little brother a guy could ever have. And this chocolate is definitely the best thing I have ever tasted, so that just proves you're good at something. You are not trash. You hear me?"
Zero could feel his little brother smile against his neck. "Thank you, Zero... You always know just what to say... ...Hey, Zero?"
"Yeah?"
"About my chocolate... Is it better than Yuki's?"
"What?" Releasing his twin in shock, Zero stared wide-eyed at his mirror image, mouth slightly agape. "How did y-"
"Oh, nothing! Forget I said anything!" Bringing his knees to his chest, Ichiru smiled innocently at his older brother, a smile that would be hard put not to cause every person in the vicinity not to fall in love with the boy. Zero occasionally wondered why his twin hadn't snagged himself a girlfriend yet. Then, he realised that Ichiru seemed to inspire more maternal feelings in the opposite sex than ones of attraction. Girls tended to want a strong man, one who could protect them. Ichiru was always the one who needed to be protected. "Hey... Zero."
"What is it, 'Ru?"
"Don't... fall in love with that girl." Ichiru's smile had vanished to be replaced by a pathetically pleading expression. His pallid amethyst eyes were misty.
"Who? Nadeshiko?" Zero had no intention of making light of his brother's plea, but he was honestly confused as to whom Ichiru was referring.
"No, Big Brother! Yuki! Don't fall in love with her! Please don't fall in love with her! You'll only get hurt and I... I don't want Zero to get hurt... Promise me you won't fall in love with her!" Ichiru was now clinging to the elder Kiryu's sleeve, tangible tears now glistening in his eyes. "Please, Zero..."
Now Zero knew for certain that he was the most horrible elder brother who ever existed. Here Ichiru was, concerned with nothing but protecting his big brother's heart, and he had already gone and disregarded his younger half's probably sound advice. Being in love with Yuki had brought him nothing but misery so far. Three long years of unrequited feelings, of watching the girl he was in love with gaze longingly after someone she could never have, someone all of Zero's teachings told him he should hate. He did not hate the pureblood vampire Kaname Kuran, however. He resented him a bit for putting Yuki through what he himself had suffered, only for three times as long, but he didn't hate the man. In a way, he was sort of thankful to the bloodsucker for creating an invisible bond between him and Yuki, a bond about which the girl knew nothing. They both longed for someone they could never have. Zero only wished Yuki could find someone like Ichiru, a soothing balm for her weary heart that would love her unconditionally. Zero did, of course, love the girl unconditionally, but Yuki could never know that. And neither could Ichiru.
"Of course I won't, 'Ru," the elder Kiryu murmured, rubbing his twin's arm comfortingly as he lied to spare the younger boy's feelings. "I won't ever fall in love with Yuki Cross and I won't ever leave you behind. All right?"
"Mm, thank you, Big Brother." Ichiru leaned against Zero once again. "That's all I needed to hear."
Zero nodded, stroking his younger counterpart's silky hair. Ichiru's hair smelt sweet. Like his shampoo. He must have showered earlier. His eyes then slid over to the door leading to the washroom. "Hey, 'Ru?"
"Yes, Zero?"
"Have you taken your medication yet?"
Ichiru stuck out his tongue in disgust. "I don't want to," he whined. "They're not honestly doing anything, anyway. They're just blanket antibiotics that the doctors hope will fight off any random infections I might get. Besides," Ichiru gazed adoringly up at his big brother, "I feel better when Zero is with me."
Continuing to pet his brother's hair, Zero sighed. "I know, I know," he said. "But it would make me feel better if you did. So, please? For me?"
Gnawing on his bottom lip, Ichiru seemed to mull this over for a few moments. "Fine," he answered at last. "For you, Zero. Only for you."
"Mm, good boy," Zero replied, kissing Ichiru atop his silver head, making the younger brother giggle. "You do that while I get undressed."
"Zero, can I sleep in your bed tonight?"
The elder Kiryu hesitated. It was made Zero feel slightly uneasy when he shared a bed with his twin, mainly because of Ichiru's incessant desire for physical contact. Besides, they were seventeen years old, for God's sake! They should have outgrown such childish habits by now. However, he could never deny his little brother. He would do whatever Ichiru wanted him to do. He had promised himself that long ago. "...All right, fine. Now, go take your medicine."
"Thank you, Zero!" Kissing his brother swiftly on the cheek, Ichiru leapt from the bed and bounded towards the washroom, where his medication was kept. "Hey, Big Brother, do you want me to close the door while you undress?"
Zero thought about this for a moment. "Yes, please, if you could," he answered. He didn't think he could go through this morning again. The way Ichiru had looked at him...
"All right." As Ichiru entered the washroom, he closed the door behind him. Mostly. He didn't latch it, meaning he could open it just a crack as Zero undressed. Zero didn't notice him watching. He never did.
A minute or so passed, Zero now in the sweatpants and T-shirt he used for pyjamas and Ichiru having taken his medicine. The elder Kiryu was climbing calmly into bed, but the younger felt it more appropriate to pounce right on the mattress, bouncing a few times and jostling his brother in the process. Zero rolled his eyes. Ichiru could be such a kid sometimes. He glanced over his shoulder to see Ichiru grinning brightly, his arms wrapped around his knees as he waited for his older brother to lay down so he could position himself accordingly. Sighing, the older boy obliged his twin's silent command, laying gingerly in bed.
Ichiru squirmed under the covers soon after, pillowing his head on Zero's shoulder. He then moved himself as close to his twin as he possibly could be, draping his leg over his brother's and tracing the contours of the elder Kiryu's toned chest and stomach through the thin cotton fabric of his shirt. Zero had to hold his breath as his little brother did this, it taking every ounce of his self control not to throw Ichiru off of him. Ichiru liked to "cuddle," as he called it, and Zero understood that. However, his brother's "cuddling" made him feel immensely discomfited. It seemed to be more like how a pair of lovers cuddled than a pair of brothers. Still, he could never refuse Ichiru. He would just have to bear with it.
"Do you love me, Zero?"
"Of course I love you, 'Ru. I'll always love you."
"No matter what?"
"No matter what."
Ichiru buried his face in the crook of Zero's neck. A little smile played on his lips. "Good."