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'Undying Love' trilogy
Part III
'Freedom'
Chap.2
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"Why don't you take a seat?" Cross gestured to the green sofa of his office. He offered to take the child back, but Zero was already sleeping in the arms of the pureblood.
Kaname seemed not to mind it but still had a hard time finding a comfortable sitting position with the little man in his arms. 'How do they handle something so small'
"How old is he?" Kaname asked.
Cross pondered for a bit, "Well… I am planning on making his birthdate four months prior to the day he was found because that was his approximate age at the time. Therefore, I would say that he would be three years old in a couple of months." The chairman announced with pride, gliding over the fact that he still did not finalize Zero's official papers. Kaname found it a bit hilarious.
"Is there any problem with the papers?" The pureblood did not let the matter slide.
Cross slumped in his desk chair, "I wish I could say no."
Kaname remained silent, staring at the ex-hunter who was visibly debating about whether to elaborate or not. He honestly did not care much seeing as it was merely a way to keep the conversation going.
He was running out of topics before even starting because of how long it had been since he detached himself from the world outside his chambers.
"It seems that as soon as I get over one obstacle, a new one pops up. I am still unable to finalize the adoption papers because they would not stop digging into my past and bring up issues that 'might' make me unfit as a parent." The light haired man complained, "They even brought up the crumbling of the school building during the Rido attack and blamed it on my irresponsibility when it comes to maintaining the building and the safety of its students. Can you believe that?" He gave Kaname a baffled look.
The pureblood felt bad for the struggle that Cross seemed to go through, "I am sorry about that."
"Nah~ It is not your fault." The chairman dismissed.
"As a matter of fact, it is. I could have avoided turning the school into a battlefield. Allow me to make it up to you." Kaname insisted.
The hazel-eyed ex-hunter blinked few times, not really understanding what he meant.
Kaname had to pause to readjust the child who seemed to be slipping from his arms, "I think I can do something about the adoption and the birth certificate thanks to some phone calls to the right people, that is if you allow me to…" Kaname suggested.
Few moments of silence passed until Kaname spoke again, almost stuttering at the sight of the bawling ex-hunter who was about to grow a puddle of tears on top of his desk. "... And… I think you might need a tissue…"
"Oh~ Kaname-kunnnn~ You're… you're… *sniff* a life saver…" Kaien all but kneeled in front of the pureblood, relief washing over him after months of stressful pestering from social services and the authorities that were keen on taking the child out of his custody.
"Nothing of that sort…" Kaname sighed, "I am just trying to help an old friend."
"Oh dear!" The misplaced shriek of the Cross jolted him slightly, especially when he found him hovering over his shoulder. Kaname panicked for a second thinking that he might have hurt the child in his arms. He watched with wary eyes as Cross snatched the tissues from a box and hovered over him again, whispering.
"I am sooo sorry… I usually put something over my shoulder but forgot to give you a cloth… Now he is drooling all over your suit." Kaien flustered as he offered to take the child.
Once he understood what happened, Kaname could not help but letting out a breathy chuckle, especially when Zero gripped his tie in his sleep while his father tried taking him away. In what looked like a spontaneous gesture, Kaname prevented the action, "No, It's fine! I am heading back home in a little bit anyways, this will not be a problem."
The unexpected gesture surprised the hunter yet again, but he was grateful nonetheless. Zero was a sensitive child who does not warm up to others easily. He would dare to say that it was a miracle that he grew so attached to Kaname in the blink of an eye. He allowed them some bonding time while going to prepare some tea for his guest.
Meanwhile, Kaname threw his head against the back of the couch, and closed his eyes for a moment.
'What did I come here for?'
'...and what am I doing?'
His fingers played with the silver strands of the sleeping child, his eyes drifted around the room and landed on the photograph on top of the bookshelf.
He felt a lump forming in his throat when he met the scowling amethyst eyes of the teenager wearing an unkept day class uniform and looking away from the camera. Next to him stood the shorter female hooking her arm around his and rewarding the photographer with a full toothed smile. Behind the two hovered a taller brunet wearing a solemn expression and a contrasting uniform to theirs. Kaname still remembers the day Cross Kaien forced the three of them to take the commemorative picture in front of the newly established Moon Dorm. It was a day he celebrated years after with the rest of the night class, the day his dream of peaceful cohabitation started taking shape.
However, Kaname considered it the start of his torment because he found himself getting closer to the silver hunter and having more chances to interact with him, but drifting so far from him all the same because of how different and unforgiving their worlds were.
*Ring**Ring**Ring**Ring*
He jolted from the sound of the phone and stirred the child in his arm in the process. He looked at the annoying device and relaxed when hearing Cross's footsteps getting closer.
The wheat-haired hunter placed the tea set on the table and urged Kaname to enjoy the drink while he answered the phone.
"Moshi, Moshi! Toga! How are you doing?" Cross answered cheerfully.
"Could not get any worse!" The one eyed president of the association barked over the phone, "What the hell did you think you were doing, stupid old man!"
"Wha…Woah! Easy there… What happened?" Kaien was taken aback by the loud scolding voice.
"What did you do? What did you do? Oversea conference about the vampire/hunters affairs, does it ring a bell?" Yagari hissed.
Cross blinked a few times, "Yeah… It is sort of like the annual meeting we had but on an international scale and it involves hunters and governments' representatives. I was on the phone with a lady who explained it to me earlier."
"And you went ahead and accepted an invitation on behalf of the association." Yagari huffed.
"I did?" Cross does not really recall such a thing.
"Of course you fucking did, why else would they call and send a reminder email for the association president about the mandatory attendance of the meeting when I don't remember agreeing to such crap?" Yagari finally snapped.
When realization finally dawned on him, Cross Kaien sweat dropped imagining the fury seeping out of the raven-haired hunter at the moment. It was when he was entranced by the sight of Kaname with the child that he was absentmindedly agreeing to whatever the woman said before she hung up. That must when he confirmed the attendance.
"Toga! I am sorry… I was… distracted…" He apologized sheepishly.
"Oh no~ You are not putting the blame on a brat distracting you this time… You are not getting out of this one that easily! You better pack your bags because you are leaving the day after tomorrow first thing in the morning to represent us in this waste of time of a conference that never did us any good. That will teach you to never make any decision on my behalf from now on and you better notify everyone that you are not the president of the association anymore to avoid this kind of confusion."
Cross Kaien flinched when the president of the hunter's association hung up on him without allowing any other complain. His eyes widened as soon as he placed the handset down.
"Oh no~" He held his head with both hands.
"Is something the matter?" Kaname asked while helping the squirming child get down.
The ex-hunter immediately took the child to his playing mat after wiping his face with a refreshing towel, "Oh! I wish I could say that it was nothing."
Kaname started feeling the awkwardness of the silence that followed while the chairman pondered on how to explain.
"I should leave if you have matters to attend to, I do not mind having this get-together postponed if that is what you are worrying about?" The king of vampires reassured. He was not sure what came over him in the first place when he decided to visit his old friend, but he still came and was eager to spend the rest of the night chatting away with him before going back to rest.
"Noo~ Nothing of that sort Kaname-kun! I am very pleased to have you here and will not let you leave before we catch up. Could you just excuse me for one last phone call." Cross pleaded.
"Sure!" Kaname nodded, "I will keep an eye on him." He pointed to the child fumbling with some Lego pieces. He was not aware of the way his lips curled up when Zero fit most of the piece except for one that would not click where he wanted it to be. He waited anxiously as the child pursed his lips and puffed his chubby cheek while pressing on the tiny wall he built, going as far as standing on his two little feet.
The pureblood startled when the child lost balance and fell along with his masterpiece. He was about to jump and check for his safety but Kaien gestured a 'No' with his hands. That is when Kaname realized that he never took his eyes off the child.
The two adults observed the little Zero as he huffed and sat on the mat, then pulled the destroyed wall to build it again with more enthusiasm. When he reached the same annoying piece, he struggled with it until he run out of patience. In a fit of frustration he threw it as far as he could and went looking for another in his box of toys.
The child was not aware that the piece ended up bumping on Kaname's leg. The brunet picked it up and examined it only to realize that it was crooked badly in a couple of corners, 'No wonder he had difficulties pressing it in place'.
Twirling the piece of plastic in between his fingers, Kaname observed as Zero brought out another similar building block and put it in place properly. He found himself smiling at the proud expression of the toddler after he managed to achieve what he aimed for.
Zero looked at Cross intently while the hunter was busy trying to convince his nanny to postpone her vacation. When he lost hope of his adoptive father praising him for the good work, his big expectant eyes turned to Kaname who was resting his chin on the palm of his hand.
The pureblood stared at the sparkly look he gave him with confusion written all over his face, he did not know what the child wanted. Zero, on the other hand, started to feel dejected, that is until Cross finished his call and turned to see him.
"Oh my! Zerorin~ Such a smart boy you are~" He cooed while crouching beside the boy, ruffling his hair wildly, "You did it all by yourself this time? I am so proud of you!"
Seeing that the child was practically glowing from happiness, Kaname realized what he was missing and gave him an apologetic smile.
The host of the house finally joined his guest over the coffee table, looking more dejected than ever.
"Cross-san?" Kaname inquired cautiously.
"I am so sorry for being an awful host when you have not been over in so long. Tell me… How are you doing?" The hunter quickly amended himself.
"I am doing fine." Kaname answered curtly.
"Yuki and Zander?" Cross's face lit up, "Although I do see them once in a while, I cannot help asking whoever comes over about them." He smiled, "That boy may take after his mother in his looks but he reminds me of you as a child every time he comes to visit with Yuki-chan. Especially the part where it is difficult to make him smile."
Kaname stiffened at the mention of his wife and son. He did not want to indulge the ex-hunter on this topic, fearing that Cross would notice how detached he was from their lives.
He could care less about him finding out that their marriage had gone cold, but he was not ready to deal with a meddlesome father-in-law trying to patch them up together again.
"He is at a difficult age, I guess." Kaname shrugged.
"Wait till he hits puberty and I bet that you will consider the current state as blissful."
Cross rambled as he stood again, going towards the shelves.
Kaname's heart tightened when he saw him reach for the picture, "Yuki-chan had her moments, but Zero managed to give me the full experience of what is it like to have a rebellious teenager in the house." The father slid his shaky fingers over the face of his deceased adoptive son.
Kaname could see grief and sorrow clearly painting his expression before he put the frame back in place and rub his nose as if to chase away a sniffle.
Cross took a deep breath and turned around to face the pureblood again with a forced smile, "Sorry! I still get emotional every time… you know…"
"You don't have to explain." Kaname interrupted, wishing for the hunter to change the subject before he broke down as well.
"I find it hard to talk about him as if he is not with us anymore…" Cross sat and poured himself a cup of tea, "I spent so many years believing that he would knock at my door with his usual grumpy face. That he would storm in and head to his room, warning me against waking him up anytime soon because of the exhausting trip that kept him away for so long. I imagined so many scenarios that I believed them at some point. I may have been able to find closure if they found a body, since I tend to forget that he was a vampire, which denied me such a thing…"
The pureblood kept looking down at the twirl in his cup, his bangs hiding the painful expression riddled with guilt from his betrayed friend. His nostril flared as he inhaled sharply, in effort to put the usual mask on.
"Is that why you decided to adopt this child and give him his name?" Kaname spoke with difficulty as he willed his voice not to shake.
Cross gave him a helpless chuckle, "Toga gave me enough lectures about it, trust me. I know that it will not help me move on as much as plaguing myself with a constant reminder of the dire loss."
"I did not mean to make you look like a fool." Kaname quickly amended himself.
"No such a thing." Cross shook his head, "I know perfectly well that you meant no insult by asking? I also know that you have an inkling suspicion that answers your question… It is absurd, I know it, but I feel drawn to this child as much as I felt drawn to Zero himself. They have so much in common. I dare say it because I knew Kiryuu Zero since he was one day old. This little guy spent a whole month without a name until I decided to name him after my beloved son. He is just as bright and sensitive as him, smart but introvert, loving but wary and the list goes on…" The ex-hunter had a glimpse of pride swelling in his eyes, as he looked at the child busy with a fire truck.
"Was that the reason why you were begging the nanny to take care of him while you are away on your trip?" Kaname was almost gasping. Hearing the full name of the silver hunter sliced through his bleeding heart like the sharpest blade. He wanted nothing more than to stop this conversation.
Remembering his dilemma, Cross groaned.
"I can't believe that I was careless enough to agree in the first place. Toga is so evil for dumping such a task on me!" He whined, "It is a ten days long trip, how can I leave this little guy for that long?"
Kaname could see how conflicted the hazel-eyed man felt about the situation, which made him look for solutions without meaning to, "I believe that he is old enough to travel on an airplane, and you can always leave him in the hotel room during the time of the meetings and the conference. I do not think that they would allow him in like in the association here." Kaname gave him an apologetic look at the last statement.
Cross let out a long sigh… "I would not have hesitated to do so if he was like any other child. I am afraid that the idea will not work out with Zerorin." Cross went to pick the child who was struggling to keep his eyes open and play instead of dozing off to sleep.
Kaname watched as Zero rubbed his eyes with his tiny knuckles before curling in the lap of his soon to be adoptive father. Kaien kept caressing his face, lulling him to sleep while talking, "In addition to being overly sensitive and wary of others, he hates closed spaces and can never be left alone."
"How so?" Kaname was intrigued.
"The psychiatrist he is consulting told me that it was something like a P.T.S.D from his experience with the fire. I spent so many sleepless night calming him down when I first took him in. I was advised to let him sleep alone in the nursery and keep a monitoring device active in case he needed me. However, as soon as I close the door, he would not stop crying until I am back by his side again. When he started crawling around, the nanny advised me to put him in a playpen. I cannot describe the horror he put us through with his dramatic attempts to get out of it." Cross shook his head in exasperation before placing a loving hand on top of the silver head.
"That sounds problematic." Kaname could barely handle hearing the child wail for five minutes during the meeting, he could not imagine what it would have been like having him in that state constantly.
"Not really." Cross shrugged, having grown accustomed to the child's antics "It rarely causes me any inconvenience since I work from home ever since I adopted him. It is just difficult to find a nanny that he could get along with in such a short notice."
Kaname pondered for a moment, "I wish I knew of such a person."
Cross smiled, "I appreciate the thought, but this is-" The ex-hunter was about to say that it was his own problem to deal with as not to burden the pureblood but an idea sparked in his head.
He stood fast enough without stirring the child, whom he placed by Kaname's side and ran to the phone.
Kaname had a moment of panic when Cross uttered Yuki's name as the one he was calling. He was relieved when his name did not come up during the conversation, but winced when he could almost perceive a gloomy cloud over the chairman's head after he hung up.
"Sorry… I thought that Yuki-chan could help out along with Zander's nanny, but she told me about her trip that happened to be one the day following my own departure date." Cross explained.
"Oh!" Kaname nodded, making it seems as if he was aware of his wife's plans. Although, he remembered her saying something about going away for a moms only trip with her friends and how the children will have fun together.
He felt strangely annoyed at her selfishness. 'She could have taken the child with her and let him enjoy playing with other kids, it would not cost her anything since the servants would be taking care of them while she enjoys herself gossiping around.'
"Are you leaving together?" Cross asked.
Kaname's attention snapped to the question asked and he shook his head, "No, it is a girls only outing." He omitted the part about mothers and children as not to hurt his feelings any further.
Cross suddenly perked, "Does that mean that the nanny will be around at the castle?"
Kaname was taken aback, but he at least knew the answer to this question, "She is not much of a nanny and more of an attendant to Zander lately. So… I guess she should be around as a servant while he is away, that is, if Yuki does not decide to take her along, which I doubt."
"That is wonderful! Kaname-kun! That is it!" The ex-hunter jumped on his feet and almost engaged in a happy dance while explaining, "You could take him to the castle and leave him in her care. Yuki-chan told me that she still did not take away the stuff from Zander's nursery last time she visited. She was planning on sending them to me for Zerorin, but it is perfect that she did not do it yet."
Kaname had a foreboding feeling as to where this conversation was going, "Cross-san…"
He flinched when the chairman knelt in front of him and gripped his knees, "Kaname-kun! I could only ask this favor of you and you alone… Please… It is just for ten days and I will provide her with a detailed manual on how to deal with him and what to expect as well as the dos and don't, Ne? You would literally save me from the worst nightmare this trip could turn into if I ever find myself forced to take him along."
"Cross-san… I don't mean to decline but…" Kaname trailed.
"Look, you don't have to do anything at all. You can even give me her contact information and I will ask her for updates myself instead of bothering you?" The ex-hunter was now pacing back and forth, making plans and a checklist of what to prepare while a stunned pureblood tried to wrap his head around what just happened.
"Cross-san… What if he does not like it there?" Kaname finally managed to jug his mind and find an escape route.
Right on cue, Zero woke up from his slumber because of the ruckus his father was making. He blinked and rubbed his eyes while looking around with a cute frown on his face.
"We can always ask him." Cross chirped as he sat on the armrest near his son,
"Zerorin? What do you think about spending few days with Kaname? Daddy has to go away for few days and Kaname will take good care of you. He has a nice lady that will play with you like Mira-san does and there are plenty of toys as well." The ex-hunter was desperately convincing his son who was staring at him blankly.
Zero took his sweet time processing the information he had been told, then looked from his father to Kaname and back to his father. They watched intently as he shifted lazily and curled closer to Kaname, surprising the pureblood by resting his head on the adult's thigh to sleep again, but making sure to give his answer before sleep claimed him, "Okay~ go… with… Ka-me"
"So~" Kaname would swear that the ex-hunter was grinning before his eyes lifted to meet a pleading face.
"When Shall I come to pick him up?" The king of vampires finally conceded defeat in front of an overzealous father and an intriguing child.
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The next day, Takuma found himself confused when Kaname requested that they swing by Cross's house after they finished the last meeting concerning the royal affairs of the vampire community. The noble vampire would have expected his king to rush back home like any other day, but complied without question.
"I will be right back." Kaname got out of the car and instructed the driver holding the door for him to open the trunk before following him inside.
The green eyed council president gazed at the starry sky, remembering the good old days they spent as students in this campus as well as how much he missed the Kaname from back then, the aloof but caring pureblood. He was still puzzled as to how that great man became nothing but an empty shell driven by a task list dictating his daily actions.
He dearly missed the arrogant king who would thrive to drive his point home when it came to installing new rules, he missed the friend who would find one way or another to dump some work on him to enjoy some personal time.
Takuma might grumble and complain about such things but he would comply nonetheless knowing that Kaname would be in a better mood as long as he strikes the balance he needed between royal duties and personal life. However, lately, the king seems to be all about duties and nothing else.
Emerald orbs drifted back to the front porch when the light went on again along with the door opening to reveal a chairman dragging two suitcase and the driver carrying a big colorful box that they placed in the spacious trunk of the limousine.
The noble's eyes all but bulged out when Kaname emerged with a child snuggly bundled up in his arms. He absentmindedly greeted the cheerful ex-hunter and waited for the pureblood to give the child to his father before getting in the car again, but Kaname did not. The pureblood took a seat by his side with the little Zero sleeping peacefully in his arms.
"Ka… Kaname?" He stuttered, pointing to the child as the car moved along the streets.
"Don't ask!" The pureblood ordered with a murderous look on his face. The last thing he needed was a humiliating explanation about how he found himself stuck with babysitting a child.
"I don't even know what I should be asking about." The noble muttered, stealing glances at the angelic face of the toddler sleeping against the crook of Kaname's neck, and squealing internally. He is sooo cute! Look at how he is suckling on his tiny thumb! Gosh I want to hold him… but Kaname might not like that!
The pureblood could see the range of emotions flickering in his friend's eyes and wanted nothing more than to grant his wish, however, Cross warned him about the fit Zero might throw if he woke up in the arm of a stranger. Takuma will just have to wait for him to be awake and properly introduced before befriending the little man.
It was lunch hour (vampire clock, dinnertime for human) by the time the dark car reached the castle in Nagoya. Zero woke up in the middle of the trip and spent a good chunk of it staring warily at the blond noble. It took quite a bit of effort for him to stop scowling at Takuma, but he still shied away when he tried taking him in his arms.
Kaname instructed the butler to place Zero's things in his quarter until further notice. Out of courtesy, he invited his friend to join them for the meal.
With the child cradled in one arm, Kaname used the other to fetch the notebook from a bag and place it on the desk of his office. he flipped through the pages, appreciating the organized way Cross used to wrote down the guidelines about taking care of Zero along with a detailed schedule of his daily activities. Kaname noticed that his dinnertime coincided with the lunchtime of the vampires, so he decided that the little guest should join them as well.
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In the spacious dining hall, Yuki sat in her designated seat with the grace of the queen she was. The room was lit by the large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling as well as the candles adorning the long carved table occupying the majority of the room.
She leaned sideway to fix the bowtie of her son, patting away on his shoulder while they exchanged smiles. Zander bore a strong resemblance to his mother, be it his big brown eyes, small nose, full lips, wild and curly hair… If not for his slightly masculine air, anyone would confuse him as a carbon copy of Yuki Kuran.
The only part that would remind anyone that he is indeed Kaname's son would be the lack of expressions on his face. The child seemed to have a strong control over his emotions since young age, and displayed outstanding cognitive abilities that he certainly did not inherit from his mother.
His eyes suddenly narrowed in direction of the door, making Yuki follow the trajectory until hers widened at the sight of a child's seat being carried inside and placed by the other side of the King's seat. Takuma allowed himself in right after, greeting the two stunned royal hosts.
"It is nice of you to join us Ichijou-senpai." Yuki welcomed him warmly, happy for some company during the silent meal she always endured for the past years. At least, she would have someone answering her back when she spoke.
"Thank you for having me." Takuma nodded with a bright smile, adjusting the napkin on his lap while they waited for the king to join them.
"I don't remember that you have a child of your own, Uncle Ichijou?" Zander voiced the question swimming in his mother's head.
Takuma blinked in confusion before understanding the question.
"Oh Zander!" He shook his head, "That is certainly not the case, not yet anyways. This chair is for a guest of your father." He explained.
It was Yuki's turn to be confused at the statement.
"A guest of Kaname?" She asked, "Who might that be-" Her words were swallowed when the male pureblood emerged from the door holding a silver haired child looking around him curiously.
Her jaw slackened at the sight, mirroring Takuma's reaction at Cross Campus.
Without saying a word, Kaname carefully placed the child on the designated seat and wrapped a bib around his neck. He took a seat and pulled the baby chair closer to him while instructing the maid to heat the prepackaged food he handed her.
Yuki and Zander, as well as Takuma kept gawking at the pair during the whole meal. Kaname all but forfeited his food in favor of attempting to make Zero eat his own. The maid failed on many attempts, which frustrated the pureblood to the point of taking on the task himself. He assumed that Zero simply did not appreciate a stranger feeding him.
At first, he gave him the spoon and allowed him time to eat on his own since Cross wrote down that he was learning such a thing. However, Zero showed no sign of wanting to eat on his own, instead he kept staring at Kaname and his plate where a roasted beef shone in its glaze.
The brown haired male held back a chuckle at the greedy look of the child. 'I would certainly give you a bit if you were allowed to eat them.'
"Kaname?" Yuki attempted, unable to watch any longer, "Why is Zero-chan here with us?" the way she hissed the name made it obvious how much she disliked the fact that her father named him after her late brother.
"Cross-san asked me to take care of him for the duration of his business trip." Kaname answered her without looking away from the child.
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, the same as Takuma.
Kaname noticed the reaction from the corner of his eyes. "It is more like having Zander's nanny attend to his needs." He clarified their confusion before finally looking at his neglected wife for the first time in many years, "Come to think of it, I summoned her but the servant told me that she left the castle."
Yuki swallowed and averted his gaze, "Uhm… She took a vacation. Zander is old enough to take care of himself most of the time."
The young boy perked when he became the topic of the conversation, "I am able to dress, groom myself without any help now, father. I was also praised by Aido-sensei for passing the test of royal etiquette."
Kaname stared as the child gloated on and on until he was done talking, his eyes were cold and devoid of emotion as he commented on his son's behavior, "I guess the test did not include a warning on the rudeness of interrupting an ongoing conversation between adults."
The child all but paled at the undermining tone of his father. He always strived for his acceptance, and Yuki could feel the turmoil of her son when his father all but flushed his efforts down the drain. She bit the inside of her cheek and spoke quickly to amend the blunder of her son.
"I am sure that he is merely happy to let you know-"
"About that nanny." Kaname dismissed her excuses with a colder tone, not bothering to look at them while he wiped the mess Zero made by playing with his food, "Call her back from her vacation, as an order from the King."
Yuki's irritation started to rise but she held in any sort of retort. Lifting her chin up, and interlacing her hand in a display of confidence, she uttered the words that floored the king of the castle, "I am afraid that it will not be possible seeing that I fired her long ago."
Kaname's face snapped back in her direction, eyes narrowing on the petite pureblood, waiting for an explanation.
"I found her drawing blood from Zander shortly after she started taking care of him around the clock." A gasp escaped Takuma's lips in horror, knowing the fact that drinking from a pureblood was still a taboo in their society even if it was not punishable by death anymore.
"How could you allow such a thing to happen in the first place?" Kaname glared at his wife who countered with a challenging look.
"I did not. I have been taking care of our child single handedly for the first two years of his life, that is until his father broke down and I had to dedicate most of my time tending to him." She spoke calmly.
"Now you are saying that it is my fault." The atmosphere started getting charged and Takuma feeling uncomfortable. He pitied the six years old sitting across the table picking on his food while having to witness the debate.
"No such a thing," Yuki quipped sarcastically, "It is my fault for bringing in a qualified staff that I trusted with my child but found that she was weaker when facing her greedy lust."
"Why bother lying to me and your father if that was the case. Why bother having your child make up stories if you think that you did the right thing firing her." Kaname snapped, "Cross-san asked me to bring him over because he believed that the nanny would be around even if you were to be away."
"Well… Sorry for not broadcasting the fact that an insolent lowly servant dared attempt to drink from our child the moment I turned my back to take care of a grieving husband." She hissed.
"Guys! I don't think that the issue is worth quarreling about " Takuma tried dispelling the hostility especially when Zero picked on the vibes and started to sniffle, afraid.
"Great!" Yuki slammed the tablecloth and stood up, pushing the chair violently in the process. Kaname half expected her to storm out and never come back.
Minutes later, she emerged back with a maid at her foot pushing a cart. Kaname was alarmed when she pulled the baby seat her way and sat on the chair next to it.
However, he observed as she grabbed a cloth and dipped it in a bowl of warm water that she used to wipe the face and hands of the toddler. She took off the dirty bib and replaced it with a clean one. The king noticed that Zero was observing her intently, not really resisting the treatment, which surprised him.
Yuki then took a small plate and uncovered the content. Kaname noticed that it was a miniature of their own dinner with the exception that the vegetables were mashed and the meat shredded finely. Yuki placed the plate in front of the drooling child and used her own hand to mix the meat and mashed veggies together, she then took a lump and hovered it in front of Zero's mouth.
The toddler hesitated for a moment as he smelled the food and looked at it before actually tasting it. Takuma could swear that he saw stars lit up in his eyes as soon as the food hit his taste buds. Yuki allowed him to dip with his own hands and eat the rest while dropping half of it back in the plate.
She gave her husband a cold look, explaining herself, "I am but a mother who decided to dedicate her time taking care of her son since she seemed to have failed as a wife. I refused father's request not because I did not wish to take care of this child but because I have no one I can trust with a human child around without the risk of harming him. You would have thought the same if you were more involved in our life. The best you could do is to send this child back, for you are not qualified to take care of anyone beside yourself. Zander?" She did not wait for an answer as she beckoned her son to leave the dining hall with her.
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A heavy silence blanketed the room, with only the small clattering of Zero enjoying his food.
"Well… At least someone here is having a good time." Takuma pointed, "I wonder what was wrong with his previous meal though."
Kaname looked at the child who was almost done with his plate, and back to his own untouched food, "He…" Kaname mumbled.
"Pardon?" Takuma urged
"He is having a case of inflamed gum because his molars are growing. Cross gave me some prepackaged baby food for him to eat since it seemed painful for him to munch any solid food. I guess that he did not like the taste of it." The pureblood explained.
"Oh!" Takuma tapped a fist in a palm as he realized the problem, "That is why Yuki-chan mashed everything together. I guess she did have similar experience with Zander when he was his age."
"Probably." Kaname shrugged, starting on his own meal while his mind raced with various worries.
Takuma took a bit of his own steak before noticing the solemn look on his friend's face. He looked from the brunet to the silver haired child back to the brunet before letting out an exasperated sigh, "I will contact Aido-kun, Akatsuki and Shiki to see if any of their families have an available nanny who could come first thing tomorrow. I believe that Aido's sister had a human nanny once." He informed, as if reading his king's mind.
"I appreciate." Kaname sighed in relief.
Takuma smiled at the familiarity that he missed so much. He was glad that one thing did not change with Kaname; that no matter how much it inconvenienced him, he would not back down from a promise or an engagement he got himself into. Although such practice caused more grief than comfort.
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Takuma was happy and sad at once by the time he had to leave. Zero was starting to warm up to him and he wished to spend more time with the mysterious toddler who stole his heart with one big smile.
"Bye bye Zerorin… I will come back to see you soon~" Takuma waved from the window of the car as the child waved back over Kaname's shoulder.
"Bye! Bye!" Kaname could not help the smile upon hearing the cute voice next to his ear.
Back in his chambers, Kaname put the toddler down and sat on his desk to check the guidelines that Cross wrote down once again.
"hmmm… So after dinner time, there is… teeth brushing, obviously." He made mental note to take out the toiletry bag from the pink suitcase. He remembers Cross pointing to it as the one stuffed with hygiene related items as well as bedsheets, pillow and pajamas. "After that we have…bath time?" He dreadfully glanced at the toddler walking around the room while reading the instructions, "put a cap before even pouring water over his head because he kicks a fuss upon the first drop of water that blurs his vision."
Remembering the wailing back at the association, Kaname stared at Zero who traced the carving of the coffee table curiously with his finger. "I guess you could go one night without your bath until the nanny comes tomorrow." Kaname flipped the page to the next one wishing for it to be the 'tucking him in bed step'
To his luck, it was story reading time. It was not the worst of the two evils, but he still had to unpack the huge box if he was to get to the children's book inside of it, a task he believed the nanny would undertake.
"Zero… What story do you want me to read toni-" His words were lost when he finally laid eyes on the child, his blood run cold in his veins when he saw the sharp object known as a paper cutter in the hand of the toddler who was about to start destroying the carpet using it,
"Zero!" He screamed and all but teleported when noticing the blade closing down on a tiny finger. He startled the child by yanking the nefarious object.
Zero sucked in his lower lip and puffed his cheek while his eyes glistened, preparing for big fat tears to fall. Kaname panicked at the prospect of the child crying out loud. He looked around the room until his eyes landed on the big box sitting in a corner.
He looked back at the child who sat on his knees while his hands squeezed the fur of the carpet.
"You want to use this?" Kaname tempted. Zero nodded quickly, "Okay! Let's play with it together, shall we?"
Kaname was relieved to see the expectant look on Zero's face. He picked him up and held him against his chest by his midsection while safely placing the cutter in his hands. "I need you to hold it with both hands." Kaname instructed to make sure that the child does not cut himself. His bigger hand easily held the fists holding the blade and guided them over the tape sealing the box.
Zero was giggling the whole time he was cutting through it and Kaname started to see the fun of doing it as well. Once the box was open, Zero discarded the cutter in favor of Kaname pouring the content and asking for his help organizing it.
That night, Kaname did not spend his time signing pieces of papers, making formal calls or sitting in his couch thinking of his deceased beloved. No, he spent the night assembling a childproof plastic shelf and let Zero guide him about where everything has to go starting from toys and figurines, Lego pieces, to children's books and coloring tools.
After the task was done, they laid on the carpet, on their stomachs next to each other while Kaname read the story and Zero flipped the pages enthusiastically to see the pictures.
Kaname cursed internally when he found himself taking forever to change the boy's clothes. He was too engrossed in their crafty activities that he missed the fact that he was supposed to change Zero in his pajamas and have him drink a warm cup of milk before reading the story all while making sure that his bed was ready for when he had to tuck him in. Of course, the king did nothing of those steps and skipped to changing the drowsy child and tuck him in his humungous bed instead. Once he made sure that Zero was fast asleep, he turned off the lights and went back to his desk to do some actual work for the rest of the night.
"I am sorry for greeting you so late tonight my love," he caressed the silver box, "I had quite the eventful day that would have brought me so much joy if you were by my side because I know that you would have enjoyed seeing me tormented by the unknown." He gave a breathy chuckle, imagining his silver hunter mocking him for being so clueless when it comes to children, "I guess I did not do a good job as a father as I believed myself. I hope you forgive me that because I tried, but I could not bring myself to love that child when he shares the face of the person who took you away from my embrace." He kissed the metal and placed it back on the decorative table.
He paused as he headed to his couch and stared at the colorful shelf that stood out of place in his Victorian style living room. 'Ten days to go… It should not be that bad once the nanny comes over.'
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The next day, Kaname woke up to a wary call from Takuma.
"Kaname, I am so sorry… I tried calling every other person I know but to no avail. The Aido nanny has her hands full with the children she oversees. Hanabusa asked me to bring the child over but he could not guarantee that the children would not bully him because they attempted to bite the nanny herself at some point. The Shiki's and Akatsuki's do not have any nanny obviously because they have no children yet…. The only good news I might have is that Ruka will be visiting in two days to help out as soon as she lands from her trip to Italy."
Kaname felt an impending migraine at the thought of taking care of a toddler. He expected the coming days to be straight out of a horror movie as soon as his enhanced hearing picked up the shuffling sound from the bedroom.
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Yep! You probably figured it out already but Kaname is completely clueless when it comes to taking care of kids in this story. Let's enjoy his dilemma *evil smirk*
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XtAG
Hello there! Nice seeing you here as well and I hope you enjoyed reading the second chapter ^.^
mandy
Thank you dear! I hope you enjoyed reading this second chapter as well. I am a big fan of Abducted and Frozen Heart myself, and very happy to have the honor of carrying on the story with dear Irmina.
Another guest:
You might think that it is excessive but I truly enjoyed reading every bit of it. Feel free to contact me via email or any other way if you want to send me longer feedback ;)
It was equally excruciating to write that first part, I admit that I shed a few tears myself (as silly as that may sound)
Of course, the resolution/acceptance of the fire will be explained in time. Your observation are close enough and I think that it will make quite the unexpected twist ;)
Child development will play an important role in the story indeed, I did research a bit but I always appreciate additional pointers. Therefore, your comment would not 'rub me the wrong way'. Thank you very much for the piece of information, I already added it to the information I had.
As for the length, I would say that it is not too short, but not as long as Who am I?
Don't worry, Irmina and I already laid down the complete plot along with the ending scene and the climax that led to it. I find it easier to write that way as you said. "It'll probably make the middle 50% more comfortable/fun to write in terms of foreshadowing, resolution, continuity etc"
P.S
"Plus you are a better fiction writer than I will ever even attempt to be ;)" Why do I feel like you are not giving yourself enough credits? You never know until you actually try your hand at writing your own story. I have been beta reading for so long and always believed that I could never write a page, let alone a lengthy complex story.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback ;) and I hope you enjoyed the read.
∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ See you soon! ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞