A/U:And here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long, but here you go. Enjoy.As usual, I do not own Vampire Knight or the characters. The plot and any Original Characters are the only things that do belong to me. I do not write this for any personal gain, but purely for the enjoyment and entertainment of others.
Chapter 2: "It just isn't right."
"It just isn't right, Kain," Aido muttered, flopping down on the chaise lounge in the entrance hall. "That prefect snuck up on us and we didn't even hear him!"
Kain scowled and shook his head, sending his cousin a condescending look. "I heard him perfectly fine. You didn't," he stated, rolling his eyes. "You were too distracted by the scent of Yuki's blood."
Aido glared at his cousin, ice blue eyes narrowed into slits. Kain gazed back rather calmly. The pair didn't appear to notice, let alone acknowledge, the trio of vampires entering the room from outside. They frowned at the pair engaged in a staring contest before Takuma, the one leading his two female companions, strode forward and smacked the both of them across the back of the head.
"What would Kaname-sama say if he saw you two throwing a temper tantrum like this?" he demanded, scowling. The pair scowled at him-Aido more than Kain-before they both looked away. Hanabusa eyed the glass that had been set down beside him by one of the maids who lingered throughout the Moon Dorm. "That's what I thought," Takuma added, taking his own seat between the bickering vampires. Ruka and Rima took the chaise lounge across from Takuma and Aido, Ruka's gaze flickering to Kain as he stood stiffly off to one side, popping blood tablets into five glasses of water, Aido already having his own.
"Are you talking about that annoyingly insolent Kiryu boy?" Ruka asked with a darkly disgusted look on her face. Aido shot her a dark look of his own as he dropped a couple of blood tablets into his glass. She scowled back at him, but there was no real heat behind it.
Takuma flicked a glance from one member of the group to the next, eventually coming to rest on Aido. "Well?" he asked, narrowing his gaze at the other vampire, before falling back into his cheerful personality and suddenly smiling as Senri Shiki entered the room. He brightened as Senri made his way over to Takuma and joined the other noble on his chair, sitting on the arm and placing one hand on Takuma's shoulder. "Senri, how did it go?" he added, referring to the other vampire's photo shoot scheduled for earlier that evening.
"Well," was all Senri said before accepting the glass that Kain offered him and taking a sip. The blood tablets tasted foul, but it was what Kaname wanted them to test, and so they did. Without question. Such was a pureblood's power over other vampires of lower status. They didn't mind, not at all. They would lay their lives down for him; they trusted him, and he trusted them in return. It's partly why they were Kaname's inner circle.
The group relaxed slightly as Aido proceeded to take a sip of his own drink, making a face at the taste before downing all of it and putting the glass aside. "As I was saying earlier," he muttered, breaking the tense silence that had begun to build amongst the group of friends. "There's something up with Kiryu," he said, glaring down at his lap where one hand lay, curled up into a fist.
Ruka snorted, darkly amused. "There's always something up with Kiryu," she said in a condescending tone. "It's not unusual by now, Hanbusa. We all know this." Aido sent a scowl her way, and she glared back. Takuma sighed, wondering if he was going to have to intervene again, but the hand on his shoulder tightened and he glanced up at Senri, giving him a somewhat thankful glance.
"That's not what I meant, Ruka, and you know it!" Aido snapped, pushing to his feet. He stood glaring at her, chest heaving and his hands clenched into fists by his side. She continued to glare back, more calmly than Aido was. He calmed down slowly and proceeded to start pacing between the two lounges. "What I meant is that he's too damn quiet, even to our hearing. And he always looks like he's in pain or something, like it hurts to be near us." Aido frowned, pausing with his back to the group. "And have any of you seen the way he sometimes looks at Yuki? Especially her neck, like he wants to eat her?"
The small group of vampires exchanged glances and frowns. What was Aido getting at here? Did he mean to stay that maybe, just maybe, Kiryu wasn't what they thought? Wasn't jsut human and a Hunter? Ruka didn't look like she liked that idea and Rima and Senri just looked bored like they normally did while Kain was frowning at his cousin's back and Takuma was giving the blond ice-wielding vampire a thoughtful look. And it was Takuma who spoke up now.
"He does have a point, you know," Takuma said slowly, thoughtfully, one hand holding his chin up and his elbow perched on his knee. "Kiryu has been acting rather oddly lately." He looked at everyone in turn, including Aido, who had turned around when Takuma began speaking. "It's not exactly something I can put my finger on...but he does seem to turn up at the most inopportune moments, like when you bit Yuki earlier." Takuma glanced towards the others, a curious look on his face. "I've seen him touching his chest as if it hurt, sometimes his throat. But he's never really seemed ill to me. Pair that with the pained looks, and doesn't it sound a lot like-?"
"Bloodlust," Aido finished quickly, interrupted the other vampire before he could finish. "Exactly! That's what it is. Didn't any of you notice it? Other than Takuma, that is..." He eyed the others just as Takuma had done earlier.
Senri seemed to perk up at that and frowned at Aido, the rare show of emotion making all of his friends pause for a moment. "Hanabusa, are you trying to tell us that you think Kiryu is a vampire?" he asked and Aido nodded.
"That's exactly what I'm trying to say, Senri!"
"Hanabusa," Kain began slowly, frowning at his cousin from where he still stood off to one side. "If that's true, than wouldn't that make him an ex-human, and therefore dangerous to the Day Class members?"
Again, the group exchanged glances and frowns. Kiryu...was a vampire? An ex-human? Did Kaname know? And if he did, why was he letting Zero stay in the Moon Dorm with the others? Aido didn't like it, and from the looks on most of his friend's faces, they didn't either. Ruka especially, if the look on her face was anything to go by. They couldn't let him stay in the Sun Dorms, and they wouldn't leave it be, either. If he really was a vampire, then they'd have to find out and do something about it-Takuma especially, since he was technically the Vice-President of the Moon Dorms. And he had no doubt that Kaname would trust him to do something about the Prefect. Takuma had a feeling that the prefect may have been battling it for longer than anyone suspected, but he'd have to talk to Kiryu first. Besides, they couldn't risk leaving an unbalanced ex-human alone for long. Kaname couldn't. It could, and probably would, screw with the tedious balance the Night Class and the Day Class shared within the Academy, let alone the precarious situation Kaname could find himself in with his whole "co-existence" line in the vampire world. That was only if anything happened and word got out. The blood tablets did work, and if anything happened to make the other vampires doubt that... They had to do something, before anything went wrong. Before Kiryu began to fall.
Zero leaned against the alley wall, panting hard enough to make his chest heave. Luckily, he'd already thrown up and this was only the after-effects. But it still hurt like hell and made his head spin. Oh, how he hated that, hated how the stupid blood tablets didn't work for him and how they made him weaker than before. How they left his lust for blood stronger than before he took those stupid, stupid pills.
Finally, his little fit ended and he straightened up, pushing away from the wall. He swayed slightly before forcing himself away from the wall and further down the alley. The E was around somewhere, he knew it was. He could feel it, lurking just out of eyesight, but clearly not out of range of his other senses, both vampire and hunter. It was waiting for him. Zero reached for the Bloody Rose, not at all liking that fact. If it was waiting for him, then it wasn't a good thing. It probably thought he'd make a nice, tasty meal, and considering the little show he'd just put on, the E probably thought he would make easy prey. Really, it only made the job easier.
Movement at the end of the alley made Zero pause mid-step and quickly scan the darkened area again. This part of town was unnaturally quiet, and the silence was eating at him. As was the smell of blood-rotting, decayed and half-dry blood and other things. Zero made a face as those smell reached him, raising his currently unoccupied hand to cover his mouth and nose. It was disgusting, and it would hinder his search. But it would also help. The nastier and stronger smell got, the closer he was, and Zero was in no doubt that he was very close now. As it was, it was almost enough to make him gag all over again. How could anyone not notice this, let alone live with it?
Suddenly, the E was in front of him, having launched itself out of the shadows from his left. It was a woman, her eyes feral and her dark hair dirty and all tangled up. Zero started, dodging the first swipe of claws but falling on the second. They cut through his shirt, grazing his stomach. He hadn't expected her to go for that area. Quickly, he skipped back a step, dodging another set of slashes aimed for his neck and shoulder before manging to take aim and pull the trigger. The E fell back with a howl, clutching at her shoulder as she fell against the wall.
And that was when he hesitated. She looked like Yuki, he realised belatedly. The E stared up at him in pain and confusion for a spilt second while they watched each other. Why did he have to think about Yuki right now? This E wasn't Yuki, damnit! And Yuki was technically a pureblooded vampire bound in human form, with no memory of who or what she truly was! Geez, Zero, get a grip, would you? You're gonna get yourself killed. The warning was almost lost in a roar as the E pushed off the wall and threw herself at him again. Again, he dodged her first attack only to fall victim to the second one, and this time her claws caught his shoulder and neck, and sank in, deeply.
Zero hissed, twisting to try and dislodge her, but nothing worked. She remained firmly planted, knocking him to the ground and pinning him there. Looking up into her glowing, feral, blood red eyes, Zero could see her intent. She was going to drain him dry-and suddenly, she paused, inhaling deeply. A second later, her expression shifted to confusion. Zero didn't relax; she wasn't completely insane yet, but he was still wary. What was the E up to now?
"You smell...odd..." she growled, lowering her face to his neck and one of the many cuts she'd made. She inhaled again and her eyes fluttered closed, as if she were enraptured. Zero froze; could she somehow smell his true heritage within his tainted human-turned-ex-human blood? He certainly hoped she didn't, but what she started to say next made his blood run cold. "You almost smell like a p-"
Two shots rang out in quick succession and the E dissolved into dust, coating Zero in it. He had manged to get his gun up and in line with her heart before pulling the trigger, cutting her off mid-sentence. The last thing he needed was someone, anyone, overhearing what she had been about to say. Beside, her hesitation had given him the perfect moment to strike, and so he'd taken it. After a few seconds of intense panic, but he wasn't about to admit that. He lay there for a long moment, glad that he'd gotten to the E before she'd devoured anyone else. Eventually, he realised dimly that he was bleeding out in a dark alley where any vampire within range could smell him. And that he was losing blood. Fast, if the dizzy and lightheadedness was anything to go by.
Slowly, Zero struggled up onto his feet and stumbled, falling into the wall. One thing he hated about not being his true self? His fast healing. He'd give anything to be free of that stupid curse on his family. He was pretty sure his brother had escaped it; he'd felt the subtle change in him, the shift from human to vampire. He couldn't explain it, though. He hadn't really seen his brother in years, ever since that pureblood had attacked his family and bitten him. It had only been him, and Zero still wasn't sure why. It was probably an attempt to help him. Obviously, it had only made him an ex-human and not his true self. Zero knew the clause for the curse, and he wasn't exactly keen on breaking it, even if it meant returning to his true form. He'd have to give up a few things to do that, and it wasn't something to just give lightly either.
Zero pushed away from the wall, stumbling off down the alley. He had to get back to the Academy and lock himself in his room or he'd attack someone. He'd already been suffering from his bloodlust, and now it was worse. Now it was very bad. He was very unstable now and very weak, and bleeding profusely. He needed blood, and soon. But he would deny himself. He didn't want to hurt anyone. He just needed to get back to his room and stay there while he healed. He didn't care that he'd miss a few days of classes, or Prefect duty. Zero just needed to be somewhere safe, both so his secret would remain intact and that he wouldn't harm anyone. He was dangerous right now; he knew that. And he wasn't going to risk anything, so he stumbled along slowly, headed back to the Academy where he'd hopefully make it to his rooms before anyone-namely the other vampires- could see or smell him and lock himself in. It was the only way he'd know for sure that he hadn't hurt someone or been found out in the morning, or whenever he did wake up.
Aido peered around the tree with a frown, watching the prefect as he stumbled through the main gates of Cross Academy. Kiryu was wobbling slightly and he stumbled often, making Aido's frown deepen. Was the hunter wounded? The noble glanced towards his partners in crime. It was fairly earlier in the evening and instead of being in class, they were staking out the main gates, waiting for Kiryu to come back. The group had not seen him at class changeover, and had overheard Yuki talking to Kaname about Kiryu going out on some kind of errand for the Chairman. Had she meant he was hunting? Apparently she had, if the way Kiryu was stumbling around meant anything. And apparently he was wounded. The trio could smell blood now, and it was definitely not any of theirs.
"He doesn't look too good," Kain murmured to his cousins as they watched the Prefect trip over his own feet and fall to his knees, leaning into the tree he'd practically collapsed by. Kiryu was holding his neck and shoulder, no the untattoed side of body, and if Kain was seeing that right, Kiryu was bleeding. Rather badly. "In fact, I think he's bleeding... Do you think he needs help?"
All three turned to watch Zero and he panted, leaning on the tree for support. Aido and Ruka agreed with Kain. Kiryu really did look bad, and he was bleeding. Ruka snorted and crossed her arms. Clearly, she wasn't going to be helping the prefect, but she'd stick around while she waited for her cousins. Kain, on the other hand, really felt that he should do something. With or without the help of his cousin. Aido had a similar notion to Ruka, though.
"He is bleeding," Aido commented, taking a quick sniff and freezing to the spot when Kiryu looked into the trees. "And I think he knows we're here..." Kain and Ruka quickly followed their cousin's gaze and also froze. Kiryu was, indeed, looking in their general direction, but there was also something indefinably off about him, and none of the trio could put their finger on it. "I think he needs help," Aido admitted stiffly, but without looking as though he was about to go and help.
With a sigh, Kain moved forwards, towards the boy on his knees by a tree. Kiryu looked up when he get close, but Kain stayed just out of reach, frowning at what h e could now see clearly. He hadn't been sure a moment ago, but now he was. Kiryu's eyes were, indeed, glowing red with bloodlust. And Kiryu wasn't even trying to hide it. "Are you alright, Kiryu?" he asked, eyeing the boy before him carefully. Kiryu seemed to consider him and the words for a moment before shaking his head slightly.
"Nope," Zero groaned softly, "not at all." He leaned more heavily against the tree, pressing harder against the almost healed wounds on his neck and shoulder. They were mostly closed, but they still bled sluggishly. Zero didn't like it at all. And to have three noble vampire find him like this was even worse. He did not like to be seen as venerable in their presence. At all. "Ugh. I feel like crap," he added, tilted his head back against the tree. His eyes fluttered to half-mast in pain and he shuddered slightly, biting his lip. This was, by far, the worst case of bloodlust he'd had since he'd been bitten, and he definitely wasn't liking it.
The three nobles exchanged glances, confusion and worry evident in Kain's, at least. He studied the prefect for a moment with a frown. "You're an ex-human?" he asked, beating Aido to it. He didn't want the ice-wielding blond asking that question; he'd be not-as-nice and press when he shouldn't, and probably make it awkward for all of them. Zero didn't even bother to deny it, opening his eyes and fixing Kain with a look that clearly said 'duh, isn't it obvious, stupid?' before his eyes fluttered shut and he inhaled through his teeth, digging his nails into the tree. Elongated nails-a vampire's nails. Kain swallowed and glanced at Ruka and Aido. They had to do something, didn't they?
"We should just leave him," Aido said, arms crossed as he eyed the boy before him. "He'll be fine once he takes some tablets, right? We shouldn't bother Kaname-sama with it." Kiryu was a vampire, and so what if he was in bloodlust? He'd get over it; he'd take the tablets like everyone else, right? And then he'd be okay...only, Kiryu wasn't moving to do so, let alone even looking like he was considering it.
"Hanabusa!" Kain hissed, but Aido was noticing something his cousin hadn't. He frowned as he watched Zero, whose eyes were open again and staring at him, the red bright in the darkness of the trees. Kain shifted uncomfortably as those eyes rested on Aido for a long moment before they moved away and closed again. Kiryu was tense, trying very hard not to move. And if Kain was correct in his guess, Kiryu really did not like the idea of taking the tablets. Especially if the look that passed over his face was anything to go by.
"Wait," Aido muttered, crouching in front of the ex-human, still frowning. Kiryu watched him through narrowed eyes. "You can't take them, can you?" he asked, but Kiryu gave nothing away. "They make you sick, don't they?" This time, Kiryu merely nodded before his eyes slipped closed again and he growled lowly. It was a warning, telling them not to get too close.
Kain hissed out a breathe. "Damn," he said and scratched his head. "That isn't good... What're we supposed to do now?" he asked, glancing towards Aido and Ruka, who hung back from them. "Should we let Kaname-sama know?"
Zero panicked, and, unable to hide it, his eyes flew open and fixed on Kain, clearly distressed. "No," he rasped, struggling to stand. "Do not tell him." He manged to stand before he fell back against the tree and, with a gasp, slid down it a little. "Please...just don't tell him..."
Kain and Aido exchanged a loaded glance. Kiryu didn't want Kaname to know? That was...strange. Why didn't he want the pureblood to know? Was he hiding something? Or was Kaname the one who had turned him? Kain saw the intent in Aido's eyes seconds before the noble fixing Zero with a dark look.
"Did Kaname-sama turn you, Kiryu? Is that why you don't want him to know? Did he bite you and take blood from you?" Aido's tone said he wasn't joking, that this was a Very Serious Problem that Need To Be Fixed, and he'd do his best to do just that. But Zero flinched and shook his head, opening his mouth and then swiftly shutting it as he stared at Aido, still panicked but not exactly radiating guilt. Just...shame? Why would he be shameful?
"No," Zero whispered after a long, tense moment while Aido stared at him. The noble had been patiently waiting for an answer, and that wasn't what he expected. "Not Kuran... Pureblood female...four years ago." Aido's gaze widened and he looked towards Kain, who was also sporting an equally shocked look. Ruka, if the pair cared to look back, was also looking rather shocked, and slightly impressed. Aido knew he wasn't lying; he couldn't detect one. So...it was the truth, but really...four years? Kiryu had been suffering through this for four years? Kain almost whistled but restrained himself. That took a lot of will power, restraining yourself for that long. "Oh, god... Please, just don't tell Kaname..." Zero closed his eyes again, right on the verge of too-far-gone and not realising he'd slipped up. A few more moments, and he really would lose control and attack someone.
"Damn," Kain repeated and gave Aido a long look. "I think he needs our help, don't you?" Aido frowned at his cousin, quickly rising to his feet. "If it's true that he can't take the tablets, then he needs blood. Real blood." He gestured to where Kiryu leaned against the tree. "He could fall at any moment, you know that, right, Aido?"
Aido stared at his cousin for a moment. "And giving him blood will help? How do we know he's not falling anyway?" he asked, and Kain gave him a long-suffering look that said 'just do it, Aido' before the blond scowled and shook his head. "Fine, but I'm not doing it. And I'm definitely not telling Kaname-sama about this."
"Takuma, then," Kain said and moved towards Zero cautiously. The ex-human in question's eyes flew open as Kain slid an arm around him and pulled the prefect away from the tree. Zero didn't protest as Kain held him upright and moved a few slow steps away from the tree. He was worried that the prefect would snap at him, but amazingly, Zero just sagged against him. It told him just how bad the ex-human was. "Someone go get him." Ruka said she would and promptly disappeared, leaving Aido and Kain alone with a very hungry ex-human vampire.
"Hurry," Zero whispered, his voice strained. "I don't know...how much longer...I can resist...it." Kain didn't need to be a genius to know what he meant by that, and he didn't waste time either, quickly slipping into vampire speed and heading for the Moon Dorms. It was a dangerous and probably stupid idea, but it was the only good one they had. After all, where else could they take an injured and starving vampire but the Moon Dorms, regardless of the fact that everyone thought said vampire wasn't a vampire? Yeah, it was a stupid idea.
Takuma was in class when Ruka came rushing in. He figured she needed to tell Kaname something important, but she surprised him by heading straight for him, and whispering to him quickly that Kiryu was injured and needed help. Then she vanished back out of the classroom, leaving him sitting there, rather stunned for a moment before it sank in. Zero was injured? What? How? But that was all she'd said, injured and nothing more. Eyes suddenly wide, Takuma made to said, and was halted by the only pureblood in the room, Kaname.
"Takuma? Is something wrong?"
The noble in question glanced towards his friend and gave a barely there nod before gesturing for Kaname to join him outside. Kaname watched his friend for a moment before he stood and the pair left the room; he'd overheard Ruka when she came in to speak to his friend, but luckily he'd been the only one other than Takuma. And now he was worried; had she said Zero was injured? That didn't sound good at all, and with him being an ex-human... Kaname didn't want to consider any complications that might arise.
"Zero's injured, Kaname," Takuma said softly after the door closed behind them. "I don't know how bad, but Ruka is worried; he's not exactly himself, and he could be dangerous to the other students, human and vampire alike." Kaname smiled softly, touching Takuma's shoulder.
"I know he's an ex-human, Takuma," he told his friend. "I've always known."
Takuma smiled softly before his expression became serious. "If he is one, then he needs blood." The blond noble gave Kaname a strange look, as if considering what the pureblood would do. "Yours would be best, but that wouldn't exactly be right, letting a pureblood give their blood to an ex-human..."
"He wouldn't take it anyway, Takuma." Kaname's gaze said it all; he actually cared for the boy somewhat, and wanted to help, but the boy in question kept refusing. He really wanted the prefect to not hate him, but he doubted the boy's opinion would change anytime soon. But still, one had to hope, right? And there was still the matter of his sister, bound in human form and ignorant of who and what she was. He had time, he supposed. "Why don't you offer yours instead? You're almost as powerful as I am, and you definitely don't have any of the taboos that a pureblood does."
Takuma gave his friend a mostly unreadable look. "Are you giving me permission to help Ze- Kiryu?" he asked, astonished. They stared at each other for a long, tense moment before Takuma began fidgeting, making Kaname smile slightly. That smile was all his friend needed to see to relax slightly.
Kaname nodded. "I am."
"Oh, okay," Takuma muttered, scratching his head and offering the pureblood a sheepish smile, blushing just slightly. Kaname found Takuma endearing sometimes, but perhaps he'd never be able to tell the noble that. "I'll go see what I can do, Kaname." The noble paused for a moment, frowning before fixing his pureblood friend with an intense gaze. "What if it happens again?"
Kaname frowned, biting his lip and showing Takuma his uncertain side. "If it does, I think we can afford to let me deal with it," he said slowly, thoughtfully. And if the noble didn't like it? Well, that was his problem. "After all, I doubt noble blood will keep him sane for long, don't you?" Takuma nodded. "He'll start to fall, or maybe he'll get injured again, and I shall step in. We can't have an unstable ex-human on campus, can we? Even if it's Kiryu."
Takuma understood the way his friend was thinking, and really, pure vampire blood would be the best thing for Kiryu to drink to keep him sane and hopefully stable, if somewhat annoyed with the pureblood in question. The blond noble smiled and shook his head a little, trying to dislodge thoughts and images of the silver-haired hunter-turned-vampire engaged in questionable activities with the dark-haired pureblood standing right in front of him. "I understand, Kaname. I'll go and help him now, if you're still okay with that?"
Again, Kaname nodded. "I am, Takuma," he told the blond. "Really, I am. It's not like I can really do much with the Council hanging over my shoulder, is it?" Takuma sighed and the pureblood squeezed his shoulder, shaking his head. "Now go help him, before he attacks someone."
Takuma inclined his head to Kaname and slipped out from under his hand, swiftly disappearing down the hall at vampire speed, headed for the Dorms. Hopefully, his friend would go and help the perfect before anyone, especially Zero, did something stupid. Meanwhile, though, Kaname had a class to keep under control. Already, he could detect hints of the prefect's blood seeping into his senses, and now he could detect that classroom's unease without him in the room. That was bad. The pureblood quickly entered the room and re-took his seat, silently telling the others to sit and calm the hell down.
Zero heard Takuma enter before the two male cousins even noticed his presence and opened his eyes, focusing on the green-eyed blond. The group were in a small room off the main hall that looked like it was used as a storage room of some sort by the Moon Dorm maids, and although the light was on, someone had dimmed it; Zero hadn't noticed that, at first, but now he did. Aido and Kain had him in a chair with his back to the far wall, the pair standing between him and the door. Unfortunately, there was now window, so Zero knew he was effectively stuck there. Ruka was lingering in the doorway behind the other noble vampires, a concerned look on her face. Concerned for her cousins, not him. And now Takuma was in the room, green gaze focused intently on him.
"Oh, my," Takuma whispered, taking in the scene before him. He took in Zero's state of distress; the still seeping wound, the torn clothes and the glowing red eyes. He sighed. Definitely not good. Kaname was right to have worried; Zero definitely needed help.
Zero narrowed his gaze at the green-eyed noble. He knew that look; Takuma was planning something. And Zero wasn't going to be a part of it, if he could help it. Not that he could actually do anything, even if he wanted to. "No," he rasped, making Takuma's gaze flicker back up to his eyes, which were still bright red. The noble had been eyeing his neck and shoulder. Zero pressed harder. "Whatever it is your planning, don't do it."
Takuma just watched him for a long moment, tension mounting with every second. The other three nobles in the room moved, uncomfortable with the rising tension in the air, and the way their friend was eyeing Kiryu. Kain, at least, was worried about the ex-human, but Hanabusa and Ruka were more worried about what could happen if Zero snapped right there, in that moment while Takuma was too close to him-for their liking, anyway. Takuma's gaze was intense when it met Zero's, and something in the noble's gaze made Zero hesitate. His eyes narrowed a little further as Takuma's face fell into a frown.
Abruptly, Takuma turned on the other three nobles in the room. "Everyone out," he said sternly, gaze narrowed. Ruka, Kain and Hanabusa hesitated, gaze flickering from Zero to Takuma. They'd never seen the green-eyed noble look so serious before. Ruka snorted and turned on her heel, disappearing out the door. She wouldn't go far, but she'd wait for them. She, like her cousins, were still unnerved. Kain gave them both one last look before he took Aido's arm and practically dragged him from the room, closing the door behind them and leaving Takuma alone with Kiryu.
Zero frowned at Takuma, watching as the noble slowed turned back towards him. What was he doing? Didn't the noble know it was better to leave him locked in the room, than to risk... well, anything? He pushed upright with a groan, scowling at the other vampire. "Ichijo," he said warningly, wary of the other vampire as he approached. Zero levered himself out of the chair using on of the arms, pushing away from it and cursing when he stumbled a little. Takuma merely watched him. What was the noble doing?
"Sit down, Zero," the noble murmured, gesturing to the chair the ex-human had just vacated. When the ex-human just gave him a slightly blank look, Takuma sighed. "Please." Zero shot the other vampire a suspicious look, but a sharp stab of pain and hunger radiating through his chest made him gasp and double over, falling back into the chair a moment later. "I've had the situation explained to me, Zero. I know what you are. Kaname knows what you are." Zero froze at the mention of the pureblood's name. "He...wants to help you, and so do I..." Takuma paused, as if choosing his words carefully before he advanced on the ex-human. Zero sat stiffly in the chair, tense with what he was hearing. Kaname...didn't hate him? He should have known! Takuma came to halt with reach of Zero and gave him a sympathetic look. "I've been told that you've been fighting this for years... Have you?" Zero blinked and looked up, no longer suspicious or wary, or even angry. Just...defeated. He nodded, and Takuma let out a soft exhale. "Ah, I see." He seemed to consider the other vampire for a moment before raising a hand to his neck, trailing his fingers down it, right over the pulse he knew Zero was suddenly fixated by. "I take it you'll be needing this then, right?" he asked softly, watching how Zero reacted. The ex-human swallowed, gaze trained on Takuma's neck. The noble tilted his head a little. "Go on then," he said, keeping his voice low and soft, enticing.
"Don't,' Zero croaked, tearing his gaze off the noble's neck. Takuma smiled slightly, sadly. And there he went, fighting again. Somehow, Takuma had known the ex-human would do that. "Please, Takuma..." He swallowed again before taking a deep breath and meeting the noble's green gaze. "You don't know what you're asking me to do-" He trailed off abruptly, hoping like hell the noble didn't think it was odd.
"Don't worry," Takuma replied, cutting his neck lightly with his now-elongated fingernail. "Just remember, Zero-I offered." He fixed Zero with an unreadable look, making Zero frown, but when the scent of blood hit him, Zero's eyes bottomed out into a hungry, glowing red gaze. He was still there, holding onto his control by a thread. Takuma almost hesitated, but then he remember the look that had been on Kaname's face earlier, and he swallowed any uncertainty he currently had. He would do this-for Kaname.
Zero seem to hover between trying to suppress his bloodlust, to fight it like he normally did and deciding to just give in, to let himself fall into bloodlust. And Takuma is offering so nicely, he thought sarcastically, gaze drifting back to the noble's now-pounding pulse. He resisted for a moment, just long enough to meet the noble's gaze again and give him a dark, self-loathing smirk. "Just remember," Zero said warningly, echoing Takuma's earlier words. "I did warn you."
He reached out and grabbed the noble by his wrist, the one that had been hanging almost limply by his waist, and tugged him closer. Takuma only just managed to suppress a yelp, having been startled by the sudden movement. He didn't know ex-humans could move that fast. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought he was facing down a pureblood-but that was impossible, wasn't it? Everyone knew the Kiryus were vampire hunters, and human. Zero wasn't a pureblood-you couldn't make a pureblood. Purebloods were born. His thoughts skittered to a halt when he felt Zero's breath on his neck, right over his pounding pulse. But Zero didn't bit down right away, and the suspense was killing him. Takuma found it strange that he was wanting Zero's bite...and he wasn't quite sure why yet.
Zero, meanwhile, was hesitating-for just a moment. What would happen if he did this? He wasn't his true self right now, was he? He was technically an ex-human, right? So, it shouldn't matter if he bit the noble? Nothing would come out of since an ex-human was previously human, and, by default, most vampire physiology hopefully wouldn't affect him? But what about Takuma? Zero closed his eyes, fighting the instinct to just bite down already. He had been human, and he had been bitten and turned into an ex-human. Hopefully there wouldn't be any lingering repercussions if he bit another vampire. Zero pressed his lips against the noble's throat in a light, butterfly kiss.
"I'm sorry,," he whispered and bit down. Takuma's breath caught as he felt Zero's teeth slide swiftly and painlessly into his flesh, eyes falling closed as he slid a hand into the other vampire's hair. Zero's whispered apology almost went unheeded, but he heard it. Before he could wonder why the other vampire had said that, though, he was distracted by the intense sensation of having another vampire drinking from him. He'd shared blood before-with Senri-so he was no stranger to it, but with Zero... With Zero it was different. As far as he knew, the ex-human had never bitten anyone, so why was he so skilled at this? It made Takuma frown slightly in confusion-he didn't know how to explain that, though. He'd think about that later. Right now, Zero was working his neck, drawing swiftly but not too fast. He was still in control-but only just. Takuma exhaled softly, tilting his head a little more to give the ex-human better access. And Zero took advantage of it, pulling Takuma even closer and releasing the other vampire's wrist so he could wind his right hand in the blond hair and hold the noble's head still.
Takuma's grip on Zero's hair tightened as the dizziness began to set in, making the other vampire growl. They pair stiffened, Zero suddenly realises that he may have taken a little too much. Slowly but swiftly, he disengaged and wiped a hand over his mouth, pulling back from Takuma and exhaling loudly. He nudged the noble back a little and pushed out of his seat, avoiding the other vampire's gaze.
"Uh, sorry," he muttered, shifting away a few steps and shoving his hands into his pants. There was a brief moment of awkward silence while Takuma righted himself, wiped blood off his neck as it healed and fixed his clothing, as Zero had tugged his collar out of the way at some stage. He cleared his throat a little and glance sideways at the other vampire. "Uh, thanks, by the way...for, you know." Zero dragged a hand out of his pocket and rubbed his neck, shrugging. "Sorry...for any inconvenience." Then he shot the vampire a dark look and stormed out the door, making the three nobles lurking outside jump and quickly move out of the way.
Ruka, Kain and Hanabusa gave Zero a startled look as he stalked past, expression dark and ominous. The ex-human vanished out the front doors and the trio of nobles peeked into the room in time to see Takuma smile slightly, his cheeks a little flushed. Kain raised an eyebrow while Ruka scowled and Aido's expression went dark. They'd smelt the blood earlier, Takuma's blood, and the pair had been in the room alone for a while. "Uh, Takuma?" Hanabusa asked, a frown now marring his features when he saw Takuma perfectly unharmed and looking not at all broken.
Takuma blinked and looked up, smiled a little wider and gave them a sheepish look before clearing his throat. "Ah, I'm just going to go find Senri now," he said and stiffly walked out of the room, brushing past the other three nobles. He also disappeared out the front doors of the Moon Dormitory. Aido eyed the doors thoughtfully, while Ruka gave her cousins a mock-disgusted look. Kain just burst out laughing.
"Think he bit off more than he could chew?" Aido commented thoughtfully, not exactly thinking about what he was saying, or how he had worded the comment. He spared his cousins a look and froze. Ruka and Kain were staring at him. Ruka's expression was slightly shocked, and more than a little amused. Kain was simply smothering his laughter. Abruptly, the three of them broke out in laughter. It was good to laugh sometimes, after all.
