Author Notes: Merry Christmas! I wish everyone who celebrates a beautiful, peaceful and enjoyable Christmas Eve and everyone else a relaxing winter holiday.
Appreciation: Special thanks to YenGirl, who didn`t only check the story for any kind of errors, but also gave me the permission to use some parts of her own story in this one. If you have read her beautiful fiction "The Other Half Of Myself" then you will probably recognize which parts I mean and from which chapter they are. And I can only suggest this story to you, if haven`t already read it, and are looking an amazingly written ZxK/KxZ story.^^
Silent Night
It was quiet.
No noises disturbed the peace of the night, which coated the scenery in beautiful darkness. The only light came from the brightly shining stars. Their light was reflected by the icicles, which glistened softly and bathed the whole wintery park in an atmosphere of pure magic. Silvery snowflakes danced in the breeze and brought the echo of the bell with them. Mighty and resonant, it sounded through the night and sent warmth into the hearts of the people.
Zero didn't hear the sound of the bell. He didn't notice the beautiful winter scenery.
The light of the stars was reflected in the strands of his hair, snowflakes danced around him in the freezing air and his violet orbs gleamed beautifully in the darkness of the night, but there was nothing in them besides an utter hopelessness.
Slowly, without having any idea where to go, Zero wandered through the deserted park. Neither the magic of the night nor the cold registered in his senses, while the frozen snow creaked under every step he took.
Christmas, a celebration of love... Zero would have laughed given the pure irony of the whole situation if it didn't hurt so badly. Everyone, whether or not he believed in the story of Christmas, wanted to spend that night with the person he loved or at least to go to bed with the certainty that he was loved by the person who held his heart.
Sadly, there were people who didn't have the luck to see that dream come true and Zero was one of them. A sigh escaped past his lips. No, his wish for love hadn't come true, but hadn't he already known from the beginning that this foolish dream could come true only in his wildest imaginations? So, why had he even hoped... longed for the impossible?
And why, for Christ's sake, couldn't he at least accept the fact and go on with his life instead of wandering around on this bloody freezing night, with nothing on but a pair of black trousers and a purple shirt?
Why wasn't he celebrating Christmas, together with Yuki and Cross and... the rest of the Night Class? Yes, of course, he could say that he hadn't wanted to celebrate together with those bloodsuckers, just because the headmaster thought that it was a great idea to do so. In fact, Zero had brought up all of those arguments to Yuki when she tried to convince him that he had to come with them to the Moon Dorms, so that he wouldn't be all alone on this most special night of the entire year.
Really, the young hunter thought bitterly, it was a shame that it hadn't been true what he had told Yuki, back then. If he hadn't desired to join this party, then... Zero sighed heavily and leaned back against a tree.
To tell the truth, he had wanted to join the celebration and the only reason for his initial refusal was that he had wanted to keep up appearance, so that Yuki or Cross didn't think that he wanted to spend a night with those bloody vampires. In fact, he didn't; the others bloodsuckers could go to hell for all he cared... but he had been ready to endure their presence in order to be near the one person who held his heart in his hands without even knowing it.
The violet orbs starred unseeingly into the glistening snow. It was no surprise then, that it wasn't Ruka or Aido's fault that he had left the party in a hurry, but the fault of him... Yuki and him!
Zero's eyes closed in pain when he recalled the moment that had turned the evening in a nightmare for him...
The atmosphere was surprisingly peaceful. Laughing and joking, the vampires and their guests filled into the living room of the Moon Dorms. Even Zero had to admit that he had enjoyed the evening so far. He had even found out that it was possible to talk with the students of the Night Class without holding Bloody Rose in his right hand. Maybe it was because of the delicious dinner or the wine that had been served, but Aido and the young hunter had even managed to exchange a few words without throwing insults at each other.
In the beginning, Zero had thought that this whole evening was a doomed idea and that he would never be able to enjoy himself when forced to spend Christmas with those bloodsuckers. Now, he had to admit that the students of the Night Class didn't behave so differently than their peers, expect that they were used to a higher living standard. Not even Aido had tried to bite Yuki so far.
Zero had smiled slightly as his gaze shifted to the young girl who was staring at the enormous Christmas tree and the presents already placed underneath. They looked as if they waited only for the moment when they would finally be opened and exclaimed over.
"No, I'm most certainly not going to do that!"
Curiously, all eyes turned to Aido who stood under the doorframe and scowled at a beaming Takuma.
"Aido, it's Christmas. Come on, it's just for fun."
If the mischievous smile had been directed at himself and not at Aido, Zero would have prepared himself for the worst, but since it wasn't the young hunter allowed himself a slight smile. It was only then that he realized why the young noble was so outraged. His smile grew even wider when he laid eyes on the innocent looking mistletoe that hung exactly over the spot where Aido and Ruka had fought on who should enter the living room first, just moments ago.
"I'm certainly not going to kiss him!"
Angered, Ruka turned around and would have stormed from the living room if it hadn't been for a soft laugh that froze her on the spot. Kaname's dark eyes glistened with amusement as his gaze lingered on the two nobles.
"Aido, Ruka," he spoke softly. "It's Christmas, isn't it? You don't want to ignore one of the oldest traditions of this special evening, do you?"
He didn't give an outright order, but he might as well have done so. Slowly, but determined to please their beloved leader, Aido and Ruka approached each other and – after what seemed like an eternity – their lips finally met very briefly.
No one dared to breathe and then...
"Who taught you to kiss like this?" Ruka complained. "If your little fans only knew how bad their Idol-Senpai is at kissing they wouldn`t try to get your attention anymore." She pursed her lips. "Now, I have to refresh my lipstick!"
"Ugh, do you have to wear so much lipstick? And this perfume - did you bathe in it or what? Ugh, I think I have to wash my mouth out!"
Shivering in disgust, Aido left the living room followed by a furious looking blond beauty and a grinning Takuma who tried to show them the snapshot he had just made of them. The other vampires smiled knowingly when Aido and Ruka teamed against Takuma, in order to get his camera.
"Should we start opening the presents now?" Rima then asked Kaname who nodded.
"Yes, that's a good idea, before they succeed in destroying all the Christmas decorations. But before we start, I want to... recite a poem."
Everyone turned to face Kaname, including Aido and Ruka who had returned to the room with a struggling Takuma. They quickly let go of their quarry and directed their attention at a smiling Kaname. Even Zero's eyes grew wide when Kaname moved to stand in front of the Christmas tree and unfolded a piece of paper in his hand.
"This poem is for the one person who holds my heart in their hands. I would be very happy if my feelings are returned."
Aido and Ruka were both looking hopefully at Kaname, but the young pureblood had only eyes for Yuki and smiled secretly at her when their gazes locked.
"Well, then..."
No, he couldn`t stand that!
In a hurry and ignoring the surprised cries of the others, Zero fled the room and ran out into the darkness. He didn't look back and only stopped when they silence of the park enveloped him. Yuki was like a sister to him, but he couldn`t stand to hear the poem written in her honor.
Angrily, he wiped his eyes. He wouldn't cry like a little schoolgirl who had just been turned down by her secret crush. Why had he even started to hope for something that was impossible for him to gain?
Sure, Kaname treated him much nicer than he ever had all those years before. The young pureblood had even accompanied Yuki and him to town. They had talked without throwing any insults at each other. But Zero should have known that all of it had only been for Yuki's sake. Yes, of course...
Yuki certainly wished that the two boys she loved most would get along well so Kaname had done what she wanted to bring a smile to her face. For God's sake, he had even written a poem for her and wanted to recite it in front of the most trusted members of his inner circle.
Undoubtedly, Kaname had already finished reciting it by now. Perhaps he and Yuki were kissing each other right at this very moment while Aido and Ruka emptied the last bottles of wine between them to help them overcome their loss while the headmaster tried to get everyone to sing Christmas carols.
Zero snorted, but even to his own ears it sounded more like a sob. The image of Kaname and Yuki together was enough to make his heart clench in pain and his eyes burn with hopeless tears. But at least it also meant that no one would miss him. At least not tonight.
Slowly, Zero slid down the trunk of the tree and leaned against it without taking notice of the cold that crept through his body. He closed his eyes. He didn't know if it was even possible for a vampire to freeze to death or if the worst he could get was just a cold, but it was worth a try. He had heard from somewhere that it didn't hurt to freeze to death. It was supposed to feel like drifting slowly to sleep, while everything disappeared in the darkness. That was exactly what Zero wanted: Leaving all the pain and hurt behind, forgetting about the heartbreaking moment when he finally realized that Kaname would never return his feelings... probably, no one would even miss him.
"Zero!"
Surprised, the violet orbs flow open just in time to see someone dropping to his knees in front of him and closing their arms around him. Gasping, Zero stared at Kaname, who held him in a tight embrace and didn't seem to even consider letting go of him. The young hunter blinked rapidly to clear his vision and get rid of this illusion that tormented his heart in such sweet ways. It was too wonderful to be true. But the warmth that registered in his senses and undoubtedly came from the tall body pressed against his couldn't be an illusion.
So it was true. Kaname was here. With him.
Zero froze when something wet and hot touched his neck and the scent of salt made itself known. No, that couldn't be... Kaname Kuran, the strongest and handsomest pureblood was crying in his arms! The world must have gone crazy without him noticing!
"K-Kaname."
It felt right to call the young pureblood by his given name, even as Zero's face flushed slightly in the process.
"Ah, sorry, Zero."
As graceful as always, Kaname stood up and wiped the last remaining streaks of the tears from his eyes before holding out a hand to the surprised young hunter. Zero still couldn't make sense of anything that was happening, but he accepted the offered help and found himself standing closer to Kaname than he ever had before. To make things worse, it seemed as if neither of them had any idea of what to say in this strange situation.
It was only then that Zero noticed that Kaname not only wore a coat, but had a second one with him. Zero recognized it as his own.
"Sorry," Kaname stated again when he saw what Zero was looking at. "I planned to give it to you the second I found you, but... when I saw you there... looking so..."
He swallowed and handed the young hunter his coat. Zero took his time to put on the garment in order to delay the moment when there would again be nothing to do and to say, only to stare at Kaname in confusion and wonder why he had even bothered to go searching for him.
"Well... the party is over then?"
It had to be otherwise, why should Kaname come looking for him if it wasn't? Or perhaps Yuki had asked him to search for Zero and the young pureblood who couldn't deny her anything had done exactly as she requested.
Well, it didn't exactly fit in with the picture of how Kaname had embraced him earlier, but he was probably just glad that Zero was still alive and that he wouldn't need to tell his beloved Yuki that her adopted brother had frozen to death in the park.
To Zero's great surprise, Kaname shook his head in answer to his question.
"No, they are still celebrating," he grinned faintly. "Ruka and Aido are entertaining the others with their arguments after emptying almost the whole stock of wine, while Takuma is trying get more snapshots. Yuki and the headmaster are attempting to sing... and they are really only trying... and Rima and Shiki are giving out the presents."
"Aha."
They were silent again. This time, it was Kaname who broke it.
"Why did you leave the party, Zero?"
Odd, they had never called each other by their given names, but right now it seemed like the most natural thing to do.
"I... I didn't want to..."
Zero stopped.
How should he explain to Kaname why he had left the party? The young pureblood would probably laugh at him if Zero told him that he had wanted to hold Kaname close, kiss him and never let him go. But Kaname didn't laugh when Zero kept silent. Instead, a small smile played around the corners of his mouth when he winked at the young hunter.
"You know, it's your fault that I couldn't recite my poem."
"What?"
Kaname looked innocently at him.
"Well, it's kind of difficult to declare your love to a person who just happened to flee from the room."
Violet orbs grew wide.
No, that couldn't be. That was against all natural laws. Someone like Kaname didn't fall in love with someone like him, but even that rational thought couldn't stop his hopeless heart from jumping in pure joy.
"I... I don't... don't understand."
"Zero, I..." Kaname took a deep breath before he started anew. "I have forgotten the poem, but I hope that you'll still believe me when I say that I... I love you, Zero."
Waiting, those dark orbs gazed at the young hunter who seemed too shocked to say anything.
"Well," the young pureblood laughed nervously and knotted the fingers of both hands. "You might say something."
Zero didn't react. His stunned eyes rested on Kaname as he shook his head in confusion. Endless seconds ticked by, but Zero remained stubbornly silent.
Kaname's hopes crashed all at once. He had planned everything out, but in the end, nothing had succeeded. He dropped his head and bit his bottom lip in order to hold the burning pain in check and not humiliate himself farther by breaking down in tears. Yuki's idea to write a poem for Zero had sounded so great, but the young hunter never got to hear it. Maybe that didn't matter at all, because Zero obviously didn't return his feelings and the poem wouldn't have changed that.
The only thing that was missing to make this evening even worse was a biting rebuke from Zero. Surely, the young hunter had to find it utterly amusing that his rival had embarrassed himself like this?
Snowflakes floated through the night and reflected the light of the stars. It seemed like the whole park was bathed in pure silver. It was a magical sight, but Kaname couldn't bring himself to feel anything different from the pain that clenched at his heart.
"Well... I'm going to go back then."
Kaname didn't wait for an answer, but turned around and led his steps into the direction of the Moon Dorms. He could still feel Zero's gaze on him, but he didn't dare to turn around. It would be too cruel to see disgust or pity in those expressive eyes that he had grown to love.
"Kaname, I... wait!"
Surprised and hopeful at once, the young pureblood spun around. Zero swallowed as he saw the look in those dark eyes gazing at him.
"Kaname, I..." he began when he was standing close to the young pureblood again. But he didn't know what to say. One minute ago, he had wanted to ask Kaname if he was serious, but one look in those beautiful dark orbs showed him that the young pureblood – although it seemed impossible – had really meant what he said.
There was an idea that wouldn't leave the young hunter and before he could think twice he revealed it.
"Is there a mistletoe somewhere?"
Kaname blinked.
"Zero, you...?"
He didn't dare finish his sentence, but his heart started to fill with hope again. A bright smile curved Zero's lips. He nodded in confirmation, only to hold back a disbelieving, happy sob, when the dark orbs filled with tears and a trembling smile lit up Kaname's face.
"I was so worried when you left so suddenly that I couldn't think of anything else than to get to you as fast as I could," Kaname admitted with an apologetic shrug. He hadn't thought of something like a mistletoe when he followed Zero, but he hoped that his dear hunter would forgive him for his memory lapse.
It was silent. No one spoke. The wind had stopped, the trees were frozen to glistening statues of ice.
For the first time tonight, they could both feel a faint hint of magic surround them. The smile on Zero's face was as hesitant as his steps when he closed the gap between them and locked eyes with Kaname.
"I think, in this case, I don't need a mistletoe anymore."
Stunned, the dark orbs grew wide and then, the most beautiful smile Zero had ever seen lit up Kaname's whole face. A single, happy tear escaped down his cheek.
"Then, I also can do without one."
There was no further need for words as their lips finally met in a sweet kiss.
Silvery snowflakes danced around them, the echo of the bell resounded through the silence and the magic of the night bonded their love for an eternity.