~Ohayo people! Watashi wa SonamySistah, desu here to tell you *points finger* that chapter 1 is in the house! XD Teehee I figured how to get through high school and write for you…write down chapters in class! XD

People: Well duh -_-'

SS96: so mean…Zero they're being mean!

Zero: *glares at people and hugs SS* want me to shoot em?

SS96: Nah do the disclaimer please though ^_^

Zero: Vampire Knight belongs to Matsuri Hino-sama

SS96: Thank you Zero-kun! XD Now onward! ~

*OMG 6 REVIEWS OVERNIGHT! This calls for dedications! X)

CHAPTER 1 IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY…

Ascel

irmina

xxxDarkenedSkyxxx

KaZe

LuanRina

Love332

I loved all your reviews sooo much! TT^TT so this is dedicated to YOU!*

P.S.: Unlike most people I know, I love Yuki Cross dearly. She is just so adorable so yes, she will play a big part in this story. However she will in no way effect the yaoi goodness of Kaname and Zero lol. Just so you know. Ok gomen, I'm rambling now it really starts :)

Kiss One: Phobia

A petite, auburn haired girl walked quickly to the front door to open it for her adoptive father as he rang the bell. With a bright smile plastered to her face, she swung the door open ready to give him a loving hug. That is, before she caught herself just in time to notice that she was instead face to face with a young boy about her age with silver hair and downcast lavender eyes.

The girl's adoptive father, Kaien Cross, looked down at her with a warm smile before ushering them both into the warm safety of the house. Once inside, the girl seemed to some out of her trance and extended a hand to the boy in a friendly gesture.

"Hello there. My name is Yuki Cross. Yuki is written with the characters for 'snow,' but don't worry I'm not cold hearted, haha." She said cheerily and waited for a response. The boy she spoke to didn't respond, but instead turned his head away and sighed. Kaien looked at his "daughter" sympathetically before ruffling the boy's hair, earning him a glare, and beginning to speak to Yuki.

"Yuki this is, Zero Kiryuu. I know he's not very talkative right now but he's been through quite a traumatic ordeal so he will be living with us from now on. He is now your ne brother!" the man finished with a ridiculously happy grin while clapping his hands together enthusiastically. Yuki beamed up at him, then began doing a similar gesture while voicing shouts of joy.

'These people are idiots.' Was Zero Kiryuu's first thought on the Cross family.

~*xXx*~

It had been three weeks since Zero moved in with the Cross family, but his behavior had yet to improve. He remained silent and sulked around the house not doing much of anything. Time and time again, Yuki would drag him around to do fun activities with her. The young boy would usually glare at her in mild annoyance but he never protested, and allowed himself to be dragged around in silence.

Despite this, Yuki became very attached to Zero in a surprisingly short amount of time and began to try and get him to talk to her. Little by little, Zero began to relax and even strung together small sentences to satisfy the hyperactive girl. O course, they weren't full on conversations, but Yuki was overjoyed that he at least trusted her enough, none the less.

Kaien was happy seeing how Zero was adjusting to his new life and living with them. He had improved in behavior immensely and even began referring to Kaien as, "Cross-san." Naturally, he would have preferred to be called, "daddy," but beggars can't be choosers. He had noticed a warm atmosphere that continued to grow when all three of them got to understand each other more.

Cross was sure that this warm feeling would only increase after tonight's Christmas Eve dinner, but like in most situations, fate had a whole nother plan.

~*xXx*~

Yuki excitedly ran around the kitchen helping to cook this, that, and the other. Zero watched in mild amusement while he stood against the wall munching on a candy cane. Once the petite girl slowed down enough, she eyed Zero carefully and sent a small glare his way.

"Oh no you don't, mister," she began. "Don't go filling up on candy. I've been slaving in this kitchen all day to prepare a meal that will satisfy you boys!" Zero quirked an eyebrow at her and gave a slightly amused grin.

"Yuki you've only been running back and forth in the kitchen pretending to cook for about an hour. You know as well as I do that Ms. Momo-yama does the cooking. Usually you, and/or, Cross-san end up burning something." The auburn hair girl sighed and her face made a small pout as she crossed her arms in defiance.

Just as she was about to retort, Kaien poked his head into the kitchen with a silly grin on his face.

"Oh Yuki, look who came to see you!" he said in a sing-song voice. Both she and Zero turned to the doorway to see a young man, around Zero's age, with chocolate brown, wavy locks that framed his face contrasting nicely with his pale skin.

Wine brown eyes looked back at them with a tint of mystery behind them. He wore a long brown overcoat over his pressed to perfection outfit consisting of a black dress shirt and black slacks. The boy's face was stoic, beautiful, and he bore a small smile that was directed towards Yuki. This young man was the definition of handsome.

He was calm.

He was mysterious.

Zero wanted to kill him.

"Kaname-sama!" Yuki shouted and ran towards the boy. She didn't get very far, however, because the last person she ever thought would, Zero, stood in her way. "Zero? What are you-?" she began but the panicked boy cut her off.

"Stay back Yuki! That…that thing is a vampire, and not just any vampire!" he swung around and picked up the nearest sharp object. A butter knife. Zero held the knife out in front of him, aiming the blunt point at Kaname's heart. Said boy was calm as can be despite having a knife pointed at him. "He's a wretched pureblood!" Yuki visibly winced at the venomous tone that was emphasized on the word, "pureblood."

Without any previous warning, Zero launched himself at Kaname, going straight for the heart. He chucked the knife forward with a quickness that surprised even Kaien. However, Kaname merely side-stepped it and slammed Zero into the wall. The said silver haired boy clawed at the hand that was clasping his throat in a vice grip.

"You have a lot of nerve trying to attack me, human," Kaname spoke in a calm tone, but with a hidden threat within its meaning. He barred his fangs in a snarl and emitted a low growl. Zero's face paled greatly and his body shook in unconscious fear. A strangled sound came from his throat that would have been considered a small sob if he could breathe properly. Kaien gasped and came up behind Kaname, putting a hand on the young vampire's shoulder.

"Kaname calm down. Let Zero go, he's just afraid is all. You have to let him go." He pleaded and would have grabbed the boy from his grasp, but with the strength the pureblood possessed, it was better just to ask. Kaname hesitated and looked back at the boy in his grasp preparing to glare daggers at him, but he stopped short when he caught sight of…tears? Was this boy, this Zero…crying? But he was so eager and ready to drive a butter knife through his heart a few seconds earlier.

Before he could ponder this any further, Yuki was at Kaname's side tugging on his arm desperately.

"Kaname-sama please let him go! He didn't mean it! Zero can't breathe let him go!" she yelled and pulled harder. The pureblood immediately let go realizing that the boy was indeed starting to have difficulty breathing.

Zero dropped to the floor gasping for breath as Yuki kneeled next to him asking if he was ok. Kaname stared down at them with an expressionless face as he took in the sight before him. He felt bad that he had upset Yuki and was now deeply regretting his actions, but another thing was also pulling at the back of his mind. Why had that boy tried to attack him? What had he done to provoke him in any way, after all, this was their first time meeting.

Another more important question then came to Kaname. Why did this Zero start to cry? Was it perhaps because he was afraid of death? No, that couldn't be it. The silver haired rebel had just come at a pureblood with a kitchen utensil with intent to kill. He must not have been afraid to die. So then why?

The young pureblood shook his head lightly. Why was he even dwelling on the subject? This boy was nothing more than a simple human being that was leeching off of Cross and Yuki's kindness that allowed him to stay in their home. This Zero was not worth his time. So then why was he plagued by the heavy weight of guilt?

Kaien came up to him slowly with a somber look on his face that really made him look much older that he was.

"Kaname," he said softly, getting the boy's attention. "Can we talk in private for a few moments?" the boy nodded and the two exited the room rather quickly, leaving Yuki and Zero alone.

Zero sat there on the floor breathing deeply for a long while, replaying what had just happened in his mind over and over again. 'Damn.' He cursed himself mentally. 'How could I have been so weak as to show that stupid pureblood tears? That was pathetic! And to top it all off, he almost killed me! To make it even worse, Yuki had to see this. I'm…so sorry Yuki.' He stopped, looking to the girl next to him.

Yuki sat there quietly in the same bent over position as Zero, just staring off into space. The silver haired boy waved a hand in her face and she snapped back to reality. She looked at him, her brown eyes shining with the faintest glimmer of tears. Needless to say, Zero was taken aback, just a little bit. He bit his lip wondering what to say, but Yuki beat him to it.

"Why did you attack Kaname-sama?" she asked in a small voice, almost a whisper. Her "brother" hesitated for a moment before sighing and answering.

"Because he's a stupid pureblood. The worst vampire scum there is. In my opinion, they all deserve to die." He said equally as quiet. The room was quiet for a few minutes before the auburn girl's fist connected with the top of Zero's head. He recoiled and rubbed fiercely at the spot where she had hit him. "Ow! Jesus, what the hell was that for, Yuki?"

"How could you be so stupid?" she suddenly rounded on him, her eyes threatening to spill tears. "Kaname-sama is the nicest person I've ever met and you had no reason to attack him like that! Imagine how he feels, suddenly targeted in a place he's supposed to feel safe in!" tears cascaded down the young girl's face, but Zero couldn't bring himself to stop them so he sat there guiltily and watched.

Yuki sniffed a few more times before calming down and looking at him. "At the very least, just tell me why you hate vampires so much."

The silver haired boy bit his lips and drew in a shaky breath, not sure on whether he should tell her or not. He shook his head; it wasn't as if it mattered now anyway.

"Alright, Yuki. You do deserve to at least know why I attacked your friend." It was then that Yuki only wished she had been able to stay blissfully ignorant.

~*xXx*~

Kaien and Kaname sat in the family room in opposite chairs facing each other. Silence reigned for a while as neither could find the right words to say. Finally when the silence could no longer be tolerated, Kaien spoke.

"Kaname, what happened back there with Zero was neither of you boys' faults. I deeply apologize for him having attacked you like that, but you must understand that there is a reason for it that goes well beyond all of our understanding. Will you allow me to explain?" he asked and gave a small smile when Kaname nodded his head slowly. Cross drew in a sharp breath and began.

Kaname sat and listened to the story, only vaguely being able to imagine what the boy had been through. He tried to picture the blood, the fangs piercing his flesh, the constant worry for his family, but it wasn't all that hard. He, too, had lost his parents…and a sister. Though he would never admit it, Kaname found himself leveling with Zero in an emotional sense. The pureblood knew what it was like to lose a family and to have seen things that will haunt you for the rest of your unnatural life.

A new wave of guilt washed over the vampire as he listened to the rest of Kaien's explanation. But why? That was the sole question that wracked Kaname's brain. He had just met the boy a few agonizing minutes ago, and he already felt some form of attachment for the boy. So much that he was regretting his actions. Was it because he now knew the whole story? No, that couldn't be it because he had found himself feeling bad over it back in the kitchen. No matter how much he thought about it, Kaname couldn't come up with a reason why. The pureblood shook his head softly.

A headache was forming quickly.

Kaien finished the story and checked Kaname's face for any trace of rejection or intolerance. He was relieved not to see any on the usual expressionless face of the young vampire, but even to this day Cross could have sworn he had seen a faint glimmer of compassion in those eyes. So faint that it was gone before he had a chance to truly dwell on the fact.

"Thus we come to the reason as to why he attacked you, Kaname." The boy's eyes focused on Kaien at the sound of their name. "It seems that Zero has developed a form of phobia that consists of him fearing all purebloods. He may never admit it as long as he lives, but I've seen him go into shock from the fear that the memories of that night give him. Even though I have sworn to myself to keep these episodes from Yuki so as not to worry her, I can't help but wonder if the boy's sanity will be alright. His fear seems to be growing instead of receding, that I confirmed tonight when you bared your fangs.

The look on that boy's face could easily tear straight through your soul. Kaname, you scared him on a level I didn't think even existed. So all I ask is that you apologize. I'm not saying that you were in the wrong to defend yourself; I just want Zero to know that not all purebloods are like the woman that bit him. Who knows, you might even become friends." A small smile graced the man's lips at the thought of all three children growing closer and doing fun activities together. Festivals, theme parks, and vacations together, the list was endless.

That was when Kaien left Earth and took a trip into the Twilight Zone.

Kaname could only shake his head at the man's antics but did plan to apologize to the boy for his actions. It seemed right, and he felt that if he didn't he would never forgive himself, as strange as that may sound. So Kaname snapped Cross out of his thoughts and the two proceeded back to the kitchen, only to stop short as they discovered Yuki and Zero sitting at the dining room table having a friendly conversation.

Yuki was first to notice their presence and beckoned both to the table. Kaien and Kaname sat down opposite of them and the petite girl began talking about a T.V. episode she had just watched lately. Kaien was very into her story and even put in a few missing details, but Kaname and Zero were in their own worlds. They sat silently thinking to themselves until Zero broke the awkwardness.

"I apologize for the way I acted earlier, K-Kaname-sama. It was unbecoming of me and I am at the mercy of your forgiveness," 'Ugh, I sound like I stole his wife from him or something.' The silver haired boy thought to himself as he looked rather shyly at the vampire seated across from him.

Kaname shook his head in a dismissive way.

"Don't worry about it, Zero-kun. Cross-san explained it all to me, and my deepest apologies got to you. What I did was uncalled for and I am truly the one at the mercy of your forgiveness." He said truthfully. The words were so sincere that Zero uttered an immediate,

"I forgive you," before he even knew what hit him. A small smile graced Kaname's lips as he began to listen to the conversation that Kaien and Yuki were having.

'What the hell was that?' Zero wondered as the food was served and the light tension that had drifted into the room, suddenly lifted.

~*xXx*~

Dinner had ended, and all four people were seated in the living room making casual conversation. Except Zero who eyed Kaname cautiously from time to time. Pretty soon, Kaien announced that it was time for bed, and had to tell Yuki that Santa wouldn't bring her presents is she didn't sleep before she could even start her protest. Both Zero and Yuki bid Kaname goodnight and exited the room to prepare for bed. Kaien turned to Kaname.

"You know you could always stay here for the night, Kaname. We have plenty of room." He offered but the boy declined politely.

"No thank you, Cross-san. I have matters I need to attend to elsewhere, but I will be back in the morning to bring presents and give Christmas wishes." He said and stood up. Cross did as well and shook the boy's hand.

"It was a pleasure having you here tonight, Kaname. Thank you for being understanding."

"It was my honor. Goodnight, Cross-san." They both nodded to each other as Kaien went off to his room. Kaname made his way to the door, but stopped short as he saw a hallway with two doors opened halfway. The first door led into Yuki's room and Kaname could see her nestled in her bead with a cute little smile on her face. He sighed in contentment and whispered a, "Sweet dreams, Yuki." To her before closing her door softly.

He looked upon the second door and peeked inside seeing as he was curious. He discovered the sleeping form of a Zero Kiryuu who was sprawled out over his bed, hair messy from subconscious movement. The moonlight from the boy's window was shining on his and seemed to cast a glow on his young face.

Before he knew it, Kaname found himself entranced by the scene. 'He looks like some sort of…small angel.'

Hold it.

Rewind.

He did not just think that. Kaname shook his head roughly as if that very thought he had experienced just sentenced him to an eternal hell. He quickly crept away from the door and made his way to the entrance of the residence once more. 'Why did I think that? About Zero of all people? I must be more exhausted than I thought. I just need to sleep is all. By morning all these strange feelings and all should be gone. Then I can enjoy Christmas day with my dear Yuki and her family. Yes, sleep will solve everything.' He thought, and with a determined mind, left the house to go home for the night.

Too bad for Kaname, that little scene he had just witnessed would prove to be the hardest thing to ever forget.

Because now Fate is interested.

Fate wants to play.

And what Fate wants, Fate gets.

~Done! Ah! 12:24am? Er well I got it done. Lol Hope you enjoyed this!I'm really excited about this story so if I start to slack on it slap me! lol. I think yaoi will start slowly setting into the chapters now. Teehee don't worry they won't stay kids for very long. I have plans for Kaname and Zero that require them to be of legal age lol. So you likey? Tell me I love to hear what you think and remember, reviews give you cookies! Love you all! Sayonara! XD ~

P.S.: Same 3 or 4 (or more lol) reviews and you gets another chapie before weekendie! Haha ^_^