A/N: Just so you know, not everything in the last chapter (like different parts of the dream, etc.) or in this chapter are supposed to entirely make sense yet. There are many puzzle pieces that will snap into place later as the story continues. Some things that seem vague in this chapter are that way intentionally and will become clear later, I promise. Also, sorry for all the possibly boring talking in this chapter. I swear, the lengthy explanations contained here are going to prove quite important in the long run and I don't know how else to get them out of the way.
Another thing I'd like to mention is that the places and situations I'm using in this fic, such as An'swala, etc. are completely fictional and not supposed to relate to anything in the real world. Likewise, when dealing with the way business stuff works, it may or may not be the way things are actually done in our world. Since Vampire Knight is always very vague about where and when exactly it is set (we've never heard any actual references to country names or dates, etc.) lately I'm going more with the idea that it is actually set either in an AU kind of earth with a different history than ours, or far in the future from the world we know. Technologically, however (perhaps because of setbacks due to the wars that the series mentioned early on) they seem to be at around the same place we are now (cars, email, etc.). If anyone is seriously interested in my theories on all that, let me know and I'll ramble. Otherwise, I don't want to get too far off topic. This is just to say that unlike in my threesome series, where I was using actual places, like Brazil, etc. in this series I may be more vague, or I may make up countries, etc. with the idea that the world they know is not necessarily the same one we know. Although I will probably still refer to regions such as Europe, the Middle East, Asia, etc. by name since the geography won't have changed and that's just easier. Don't really know yet whether I'll even need to worry about all that, but I figured I'd better mention it upfront just in case.
The small flashback at the very end of the chapter is a reference to the Vampire Knight manga, Ch 33 I think, right before this series split off from it canon-wise. :)
Wow, okay, possibly my longest author's note ever. Shutting up now. ;)
Chapter Two: "Past and Present"
Three phones were ringing at the reception desk. Zero frowned at the annoying noise as he made his way past it into the restricted area beyond, giving a small nod to the women seated behind the desk. Were he anyone else, they would not have allowed him past the reception area without an appointment. But of course, everyone here knew that Zero Kiriyu got to come and go as he wished, so one of the receptionists merely gave him a nod and an almost smile as she buzzed him through to the inner offices while answering one of the phones at the same time.
"Kuran Corporate Headquarters, how many I help you?..." her voice faded away from Zero's hearing as the door he'd passed through closed behind him. All the walls around here were sound proofed, naturally, which meant that the inner offices where Kaname worked purveyed a much calmer environment than the hectic outer areas did. Usually, anyway. Today, however, Zero could swear there was a feeling of tension in here. It was his hunter senses, telling him he was surrounded by a lot of semi-agitated vampires who were probably not having a good day.
Oh just peachy friggin' keen. Nothing like being surrounded by edgy vampires to put the young hunter in a 'good' mood.
Almost all of Kaname's staff and employees in the inner offices were vampires. In a nod to the co-existence he promoted, he hired humans too, but they were ignorant of their co-workers' true natures and mostly tended to work in the outer offices. That was for their own protection. If Kaname employed lot of humans in here, mingled with his vampire employees, other vampires would misread the implications and get the wrong ideas. They would assume that the humans were actually kept on as concealed blood sources for his staff - an employee perk, kind of like donuts in the lunch room or a company car. That was not a perception he wanted to create, so he kept things somewhat segregated for the time being. Co-existence was a slow, time consuming goal.
Zero rubbed his temples, taking a moment to consciously block the uneasy vibes swirling around him as he made his way down the hall towards Kaname's office. They were giving him a headache and making his own vampire instincts skittish and on edge. Vampires could have quite the pack mentality sometimes, he had learned. They picked up on one another's feelings and responded to them, often automatically. Of course, the 'alpha' was the one who set the tone, and as Zero neared Kaname's office, he could tell why everyone else was feeling agitated.
Kaname's aura could be felt even in the hall. It wasn't exactly dark, not like it could get when the pureblood was angry. It was just... unsettled, or perhaps frustrated. The fact that Kaname was broadcasting instead of keeping it tightly under control like he usually did, however, meant that the feelings must be pretty intense.
Zero's frown deepened as gripped the door handle. Kaname had never come back to bed and he'd left for the office early, before Zero woke up. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Since the answers tended to make his eyes glaze, the hunter normally didn't pry too deeply into the intricacies of Kaname's business dealings, but he sure hoped whatever he was working on the past week or two was going to be over soon so his lover could relax a little.
Zero would have entered Kaname's office without knocking if the pureblood was alone, but he could sense other presences within, so he started to wrap his knuckles on the dark, lacquered wood before him. Kaname, however, was apparently already aware of his presence because the door merely swung inward, the handle turning on its own to admit him.
Zero started slightly, although he should be used to Kaname doing things like that by now. Taking the opened door as an invitation, Zero let himself in and shut it behind him. Kaname was seated behind his long desk, talking quietly and rapidly with a group of staff members who were gathered before him on the other side. He did not stop when Zero entered, but shot the hunter a glance that somehow managed to be warm despite the pureblood's obvious distraction. Kaname's eyes flicked to the area behind him, then back to Zero, before returning to the audience with whom he was speaking.
Zero read the silent request in the dark eyes. I'll be done in a few minutes, wait for me?
Accustomed to needing to wait, Zero simply passed the others standing in front of the desk and slid around behind to Kaname's side. Another long desk ran along the wall behind the pureblood, neatly stacked with folders and computer equipment. Graceful wood filing cabinets were built in underneath it at intervals. Zero leaned his hips back against the desk, gripping the edge as half stood, half perched upon it.
The other vampires spared the hunter a quick, curious glance, but no more than that. They were obviously intent on their discussion with the pureblood, and they had all seen Zero in and out of Kaname's office before. Official word was, Zero was Kaname's agent and bodyguard - a trusted praetorian like Seiren. But he was also the pureblood's protégé of whom Kaname was very fond and protective. Kaname made no bones about being extremely clear on the kind of respect and consideration he expected everyone to give the young ex-human.
The result was that at least within the Kuran Corporation and the Kuran Syndeo, Zero was usually treated to a level of respect and deference that was unheard of for a Level D. By now, everyone knew he had Kaname's ear and although some might be extremely jealous, they also tried to curry favor with him because of his connections. Zero thought that was just pathetic. Honestly, he kind of preferred it when other vampires in general just hated him, at least it was an honest emotion. He didn't know how Kaname put up with all the pandering sycophants. At least that wasn't a problem outside Kaname's realm of influence, where the young ex-human was still regarded as a complete pariah.
Honestly, as long as they weren't whispering, or at least, weren't whispering too loudly, that he was Kaname's thrall, Zero didn't really give a rip what other vampires thought. He knew it bothered Kaname that they had to hide their true relationship, but he himself was fairly content with the bodyguard explanation for now. He rather liked being in the position of protecting his lover, even if it seemed a mostly ceremonial position given Kaname's ample ability to take care of himself. It was certainly far less awkward then when everyone had pretty much just considered him Kaname's courtesan. Besides, it was role he found he was rather good at filling.
Even now, he realized that he had unconsciously positioned himself in the best strategic location. He was behind Kaname and slightly to his right, where he could silently observe both his lover and the other vampires in the room as well as keeping the path to the exit relatively close and clear. If he had to take someone out, he could easily do it from this angle without risk of catching Kaname in the crossfire. Not that he expected he was going to need to do any such thing, of course, but he could have.
Zero smiled slightly when he realized what he'd done. Apparently his continued training with Yagari and the occasional praetorian specific sessions that Seiren forced on him had begun to become instinctual.
Speak of the devil... Zero's gaze flitted to the doorway again as Seiren let herself into the room, carrying a bundle of papers and a steaming mug of tea. It looked like milk tea with honey, which was a favorite of Kaname's, so Zero knew who it was for even before the ash haired woman placed the cup on the desk by the pureblood's elbow, giving a respectful head bow as she handed over the papers.
Kaname took them without looking at her or noticing the tea. He was focused on a brunette man with whom he was speaking. There seemed to be some kind of problem in some stock acquisition... blah, blah, blah... Zero didn't get it and he didn't really care except that it seemed to have Kaname pretty upset.
"We had an agreement with them, they had no right to sell those shares to anyone else," Kaname was saying in that quiet, dangerous tone he had which usually signaled when it was wise to run for the hills. His aides looked like that sounded pretty good, but naturally, was out of the question. "Did you go over the paperwork? Do we have any legal grounds to go after them for this?" The pureblood's question was addressed to the brunette whom Zero guessed was probably one of Kaname's lawyers.
Zero leaned back a little more against the desk, trying to see if he could decipher what was going on. Hanging out in Kaname's office was not really his idea of fun, but he was both interested and concerned about what could have his lover so disturbed. Besides, he didn't have anywhere else he needed to be right now. The young hunter wasn't on assignment at the moment and he was enjoying a short break from training as well since Yagari was away for a semester teaching a class at Cross Academy again.
The lawyer reluctantly shook his head. "I'm sorry Kuran-sama, but they pulled out before any final binding agreements were made about the sale. There is no legal reason for them to not be allowed to sell to whomever they wish."
"Not even enough to just tie it up in court for a while?" Kaname asked, but he had a feeling he already knew the answer before the brunette regretfully shook his head. The pureblood felt like his temples were throbbing and he resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose against the headache building between his eyes. This was not good. Not good at all. He'd thought he had it all buttoned up, but his covert operations must have been uncovered and someone had obviously already gotten to the owner of the final shares he wanted. He was sure he knew who that someone was, too.
"What about counter-offers. I told you price was not an object," Kaname rounded on another one of the assembled vampires, an older looking woman with jet black hair pulled back in a bun. "I trust that you offered to double any other offer they received?" His tone suggested it would not go well for her if she hadn't thought of that.
Naturally, she was quite good at her job so that wasn't an issue. "Yes, Kuran-sama," she replied quickly. "I even offered to triple it, but was told the matter was already out of their hands. The stock has been sold to another party."
Which meant that his opponent had foreseen a hefty price battle and must have secured other leverage for himself ahead of time in order to have secured such a rapid sale. Crap. Kaname should have checked out the principle owner's family and friends, scanned for vulnerabilities - children that could be kidnapped, a spouse or parents that could be threatened. He should have taken measures against something like that... but hindsight was always 20/20 and it was too late to second guess a million what-if scenarios now.
Kaname felt the overwhelming urge to crush something, anything. Damn it! He could not afford to be a step behind. Not now. Losing was not an option. A silent, hidden shudder ran through his stomach, making him queasy. Losing could never be an option. Not again.
The lawyer cleared his throat, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "Kuran-sama... Thetados Group is also trying to get out of its agreement to sell to us." The man flinched but bravely didn't look away as Kaname's dark gaze turned back onto him. It was obvious he didn't relish being the one to have to bear more bad news. "However, they do already have a binding contract with us and I've gone over it twice, there are no loop holes and no exceptions," he hurried to add by way of assurance. "They cannot back out of the sale, but we may have to take them to court to force the issue."
Kaname looked royally pissed. "Then do it. Use our connections, bring the case to judgment tomorrow. I don't care what strings you have to pull, I want it over and done by Thursday, no excuses. Understood?" He turned to another staffer. "Pull everything we have on the Thetados Group. After we have the shares - bury them."
A soft chorus of Yes, Kuran-sama's answered him and Zero regarded his lover quietly. Kaname was so gentle and caring with him, it was always easy to forget that to the rest of the world he was capable of being quite ruthless when challenged or thwarted.
Kaname was still shooting curt, rapid orders to his staff, most of which Zero didn't understand since he had no context for any of it. The other vampires were either taking notes or nodding swiftly. It was highly unusual for their young leader to be so terse and upset and it left all of them wanting to perform at 200% in order to try and salvage as much of the situation at hand as was possible.
"... make sure we have an iron clad contract with them up front so there will be no surprises later this time. Clean their calendars for them immediately so we can get those appointments scheduled, and find me those missing reports if it's not too much trouble." he finished darkly before his gaze rounded on Seiren, who had thus far not been part of the other conversations. "Where is my damn tea?" his voice continued to be soft and controlled, but the fact that a swear word had actually slipped in spoke more volumes about his agitation than shouting would have.
Unlike the others, Seiren didn't flinch, but merely bowed respectfully. "I'll get you some more, my lord," she said quietly, not responding to the undeserved rebuke in the pureblood's tone. She'd known Kaname for a long time, she knew this was not his normal behavior.
Zero frowned. Kaname was kind of being an ass. Was Seiren really going to just go and get him another cup rather than point out that she already had brought him one and he'd just been too preoccupied to notice? The ex-human rolled his eyes. What was he thinking? Of course she was. Because this was Kaname they were talking about. Geez.
"It's by your damn elbow, Kaname," Zero drawled softly, his voice dry but neutral. The swear word was used ironically and without bite. He would not embarrass Kaname in front of the other vampires by calling him out with as much sarcasm as he might have used if they were alone.
Kaname glanced down and saw that the teacup was indeed sitting there near his elbow. He'd been so focused on the problems that he hadn't noticed, which was a pretty disturbing oversight. He was letting this get to him, acquiring tunnel vision and that wasn't good. Well, crap.
Everyone else had suddenly fallen very silent and Seiren glaredat Zero. Kaname was biting heads off left and right and it was Zero she got upset with when he actually intervened on her behalf. Go figure. A small smile ghosted the hunter's lips. Despite the unfairness of it, he wasn't upset. Actually, he found it kind of ironically amusing. It was just so... her. Seiren was a deep, silent pool that was almost impossible to read. The one thing you could be sure of, was her complete devotion to Kaname and his wishes.
Kaname picked up the cup without a word and took a long sip, conveniently using it for cover as he centered himself and tried to pull back on his irrationally swirling frustration. He realized with embarrassment that although his reasoning and logic for the orders he was giving was sound... he was bordering on acting like a jerk regarding how he gave them. Okay. Maybe more than bordering. There had been no call to snap at Seiren like that. He hated this feeling, more especially since Zero was the one who gently pointed it out. Of course, Zero was the only one who would point it out. He drew in a deep breath and told himself to just accept the situation and start formulating new plans. He hadn't gotten what he wanted, but he hadn't necessarily lost the game yet either. It was time to focus on re-strategizing, not throw a hissy fit. What the hell was wrong with him, anyway? Be calm.
Kaname set the glass down again. A petty man would have pointed out that it was now tepid and would have demanded another cup to assuage his bruised pride, but Kaname was not petty in that way. He was simply exhausted from not sleeping and stretched brittle with the tension of the past weeks.
"Thank you, Seiren," he said quietly instead, giving her a small nod of approval that also served as silent apology.
Seiren, who knew enough of the world to know that her master was probably the only pureblood with whom this situation would have gone down so peacefully, gave another small bow. The others remained still, doing a good job of impersonating office furniture. Naturally, the fact that Kaname let Zero get away with correcting him like that was not lost on them, but they weren't about to comment.
"You all have your assignments, go," Kaname said simply, dismissing everyone but Zero. The other vampires all left quickly with nods and hurriedly murmured partings, their minds obviously already jumping ahead to whatever they needed to do next. Fortunately, this lot was much too busy to think much about trading gossip, and Kaname was not a subject they would have dared discuss anyway. Showing an inordinate amount of interest in his dealings with his hunter protégé had already proved to be a great way to get fired, so they kept well away from that landmine.
Seiren was the last one out and the only one who paused at the door. "Can I bring you anything else, my lord?" she inquired quietly. There was a faint flicker of concern in her patently unreadable eyes and Zero realized suddenly that she was worried about Kaname too.
Kaname shook his head. "No, thank you. But please let me know the instant that court date is scheduled for Thetados."
Seiren nodded and withdrew, pulling the door mostly shut behind her.
"You're really lucky to have someone as patient as her, you know," Zero commented once it was just he and Kaname in the room. They may butt heads sometimes, but if there was one thing that he and Seiren had in common, it was their dedication to a certain pureblood.
"I know," Kaname replied quietly, running his hand down his face and rubbing his tired eyes. He glanced over at Zero. Speaking of people I'm lucky to have... "I'm sorry for the way I acted." It was still difficult for Kaname to apologize for things, to admit fault, but that rarely stopped him when it came to his lover. Sometimes it seemed, he was forever apologizing to Zero.
Zero pushed off the desk and came over to stand in front of where Kaname was sitting. The pureblood looked done-in. Almost without conscious intent, Zero ran his fingers softly through the dark other vampire's, wavy hair. Sometimes, it was hard not to touch the pureblood. Instinctively, Kaname tilted his head into his caresses like a cat being stroked. He loved Zero's touch. The brush of Zero's fingertips turned deliberate and even more gentle as he registered Kaname's reaction.
"I'm not the one you were being a jerk to," Zero pointed out, but his tone was mild. He could tell Kaname was apparently under a lot of stress.
"I know," Kaname sighed. "But if I apologize to Seiren she'll only feel mortified and try to make me stop, and the others would just have heart attacks," he murmured wryly. Actually, no one but Zero would expect an apology because no one else would have thought he was being unreasonable. But Kaname didn't say so. It was too easy to act privileged when everyone expected and allowed it. Zero kept him accountable and deep down, he appreciated that.
Zero chuckled softly, conceding that his lover was probably right. Vampire society had its own screwed up rules and balances.
Kaname leaned into him, resting his forehead wearily against Zero's stomach and soaking up the reassuring comfort of his presence as the hunter cradled the raven head between his hands, supporting Kaname carefully as he continued to lightly caress his hair and shoulders. Zero could practically feel Kaname's weariness radiating from him and it worried the younger vampire.
"You're working too hard," Zero murmured. "And you're not sleeping. What's wrong, Kaname?"
Kaname wrapped his arms around Zero's waist as he leaned against him, still seated in the chair. He just wanted to soak up Zero's warmth right now, he didn't want to talk. Zero felt so soothing against him and he felt so ridiculously safe and comforted in his embrace. The pureblood was still troubled by his dream last night and the totally bizarre feelings it had evoked, but it was easier not to think about it when Zero was close to him.
"You'll just think it's silly," he murmured, voice muffled against Zero's shirt.
Zero smiled fondly, one arm encircling Kaname's shoulders, the other still running slowly through his hair. "So? Try me."
"It's nothing, Zero. A long, boring story. I wasn't able to secure the controlling interest in a company that is in danger of being absorbed into another company," the pureblood sighed heavily, closing his eyes. And I was being juvenile about it...
Yeah, Zero did think it was kind of silly, but then business wasn't really his thing. Kaname was not someone to get riled over trifles, however, so it must be important in some way. "And...? Not keeping the company from being absorbed means...?" Zero prodded for an explanation. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes and ears could help, and he did want to help.
"That many thousands of people in An'swala will lose their jobs and probably their lives due to the resulting war," the pureblood replied wearily.
Zero's eyebrows shot up and he glanced down at the man he was holding. Yeah, okay, maybe just a little important. "Oh. I see." But he didn't really, he didn't get the correlation at all.
Kaname sighed, knowing that having said that much, he now needed to explain. The full picture was long and complicated, but if Zero really wanted to know he'd tell him. Besides, the young hunter would have to be briefed sooner or later, since Kaname intended to ask for his assistance.
"The company in question is Mission Oil. It's not a very big player in the market, but it's big enough. It's owned by the ruling family of the emirate of An'swala and provides the region's only truly profitable export. More than half the population around the capital and even in the outlying areas are employed in some field that relates to the drilling, refining and selling of oil. About twenty years ago, experts told them that their current deposits would be completely depleted before the end of the century. The country was going through a civil war at that point, and resources with which to search for new deposits were limited. Mission Oil's structure was revised and shares of the company were sold to various concerns around the world, in return for the funds to explore new drilling sites... and to fund the Emir's side of the country's internal conflict. Both moves were successful. The civil war was brutally put down and new drilling fields were discovered and put into use, securing the company and the country's future.
"Over time, the original shares have been divided and scattered, being bought and sold between groups and individuals around the globe. The Emir wisely retained enough of the shares to keep a controlling interest in the company and the other shareholders were only interested in the return on their investment, which has been substantial. Two years ago, the Emir and his oldest son and heir both died in a plane crash. Losing the heir apparent at the same time as the current leader meant that the company was divided between the Emir's three remaining sons and left the succession to the throne in doubt. Predictably, this led to conflict and internal strife in the country once more as the three sons began to fight and each tried to take control." Kaname shrugged his shoulders in a slightly weary gesture to indicate how tiresomely predictable that outcome had been. Vampires were not the only ones willing to tear each other's throats out for power, it was a deep affliction of the human race as well.
The pureblood leaned back in his chair, looking up at Zero, but keeping his arms loosely wrapped around the hunter's waist as he related the story.
"This resulted in more shares being sold off to finance their various bids for power. None of them had a controlling interest by themselves and with the right to rule the entire area at stake, they didn't seem to think it very important. Mission Oil has always belonged to the Emir of An'swala, and it was assumed that whoever finally triumphed would retake that position as well. Throughout the turmoil, Mission Oil continued to function although productivity did suffer due to the infighting. Eventually, after two years of bloodshed, one brother finally came out on top and has named himself the new Emir. By that time, the reunited shares of the company only amounted to about 20% of the shares outstanding. That was a controlling interest only because the rest of the shares were scattered about in even smaller portions so he still had the majority. Unfortunately for him, the country had been badly ravaged by all the years of fighting. An unexpectedly harsh winter and an epidemic that spread rapidly through much of the more populated areas of the region took a heavy toll on the emirate's population, morale and productivity. People who had supported his brothers blame the current Emir for all their troubles and a militant group blew up two key refineries three weeks ago. Without those refineries, Mission Oil is effectively..."
"Screwed?" Zero offered when Kaname seemed to be momentarily searching for an appropriate description.
"I was going to say 'in trouble', but yes, that works," Kaname returned with a wry grin. He felt like he was probably belaboring this story, most of which was of little importance except for being an explanation of how things had gotten to where they were now, but since Zero didn't necessarily have his interest in or grasp of business politics he was trying to put this forth in an understandable manner. He knew that simply saying Mission Oil had suffered a decentralization of shares and a serious interruption of productivity and capital wouldn't really paint a useful picture for the hunter... nor, in truth, would it touch on the human cost involved either.
"In order to keep from losing everything, the Emir made a deal with a large international business conglomerate known as Orion. He surrendered control of half his shares to them and in exchange they were to provide new refineries and save Mission Oil from falling apart. Unfortunately for the idiot Emir, during negotiations, he apparently failed to nail down where the new refineries would be provided. Orion owns another major oil company - Trifecta. Trifecta has massive refinery facilities located in one of the countries adjacent to An'swala. Orion wishes to merge Mission Oil and Trifecta into one company and transfer all refining and other processing out of An'swala, keeping only Mission Oil's drilling operations in place. It will save them millions and make millions more in the future. Orion had already quietly amassed a serious chunk of Mission Oil shares through various sub-companies before stepping in. Once they had half the Emir's shares, they centralized their other share holdings, ending up with a larger percentage than the Emir himself and obtaining controlling interest in the company.
"If they force the merger through, it will be utterly disastrous for An'swala's shambled economy. As I said earlier, over half the population is employed in oil related industry. On top of all their other trouble, closing down all the remaining refineries and other such businesses would effectively destroy what is left of the nation's economy and stability. When people are without hope they will lash out. That the people of An'swala will revolt against the Emir and start a war with their neighboring country, to whom they feel they are losing their very life's blood, is almost a certainty. It will gain them and those whom they attack nothing, but sentient beings can only be pushed so far."
Zero was honestly appalled to hear what was happening. Naturally, he'd heard about the internal turmoil in An'swala these past years. It had made the news occasionally and as a hunter he stayed fairly well informed on world events. But it seemed like that region of the world was always in conflict about something or another, and the internal affairs of small, squabbling oil kingdoms did not seem to garner much serious attention from the world press. "And nobody's doing anything about this?" he inquired, brows knit. One hand was resting on Kaname's arm, the other on his shoulder as he gazed down at him.
Kaname raised his eyebrows. Zero was still endearingly naive sometimes. "Why should they? An'swala's problems are generally considered to be self-inflicted and no one really cares if two little countries in the middle of the desert go to war or not. Neither have mass destruction capabilities. An'swala will either be crushed and taken over by the neighbor it will have so foolishly attacked, or, if they decimate each other seriously enough then some of the larger world powers will eventually step in, clean up the mess and take over the natural resources themselves. Orion is large enough and powerful enough that they and their production will be protected in any case. Mission Oil may be small enough to be expendable, but interruption in Trifecta's operations would seriously increase the global market price and of course," the pureblood's smile was dark. "No one wants to let that happen, right?"
Zero knew Kaname was right, but the politics of it all disgusted him. He shook his head, a curious look stealing into his expression. "I assume then that what you were talking about trying to acquire earlier are shares of Mission Oil? You were trying to buy up the scattered shares and get a larger majority than Orion so that you could take over and choose not to merge the companies. But Orion must have figured it out and is fighting back by doing the same?" Zero proved his astute capabilities by putting the remaining pieces together himself.
Kaname nodded, unable to resist a small smile at Zero's quick and accurate reasoning. "Exactly."
"So... if no one else does, why do you care?" Zero finally asked quietly. He didn't mean that quite like it sounded, but... he wasn't an idiot either. Kaname did have some pretty altruistic ideals and causes, such as human/vampire co-existence for example, but the pureblood wasn't going to involve himself in someone else's mess, especially one of this magnitude, if it didn't benefit him or his goals in some way. "I mean... why is this a concern of yours?" Zero tried to correct the way that had come across, but didn't succeed. He bit his lower lip slightly. Okay, just stop talking now.
Kaname smiled a bit wanly. He saw the thoughts in Zero's eyes. "Because this is not a purely human problem," he admitted. "Vampire involvement runs straight through the middle of it, and that is my concern."
Zero's attention was once more captured as this new wrinkle was brought to light. Kaname's habit of needing to tell the story from beginning to end before getting to the important parts was sometimes a little trying, but he was getting used to it.
"The vampire syndeo that operates in that corner of the world is headed by a noble. It's not very powerful, but for about the last thirty years it has been growing exponentially as a result of the conflicts in An'swala."
Zero looked as if Kaname had just lost him, so the pureblood elaborated. "The vampires there have been provoking the civil wars and internal strife in that region for decades. Bloodshed and chaos is good for them. They can feed as they please and kill without repercussions or notice. It's a favorite trick of lower class vampire leaders who wish to increase their followers and their power. The ability to feed freely without drawing attention, even from the Hunters, is rare in our modern world. Internally chaotic and warring nations which the world is content to ignore are a prime way for them to tempt other vampires away from their current syndeo affiliations in search of "greener pastures" so to speak." The disdain was clear in the pureblood's voice and was mirrored by disgusted horror in Zero's eyes.
"Kind of like throwing a free buffet to sell timeshares," the young hunter said darkly, his eyes hard with an old loathing that would never completely leave him, although it was certainly no longer directed at the man sitting with him now.
Kaname nodded simply. "Yes. An unfortunately apt description. It's an old, old story and given how eager humans are to start wars with or without our involvement, it's often difficult even for other vampires to spot."
Zero looked very troubled. He'd not heard about things like this from Yagari or any of the other hunters he knew. Granted, it was a slow, uphill battle getting most of the other hunters to trust him still at this point, but he found it hard to believe that in all his training about vampire methods and devices he hadn't been told about this particular tactic. "Do the hunters know about this?" he couldn't help asking. The hunters knew much about vampires, but since Zero had been living with Kaname, he had begun to realize that there still managed to be a number of things that they didn't know as well.
"I only became aware of their involvement in An'swala about a year ago, and at that time started taking some steps to try and limit the fallout. I'm fairly certain the hunters don't know about it yet," Kaname answered, then he seemed to realize that Zero's question had a double meaning and his expression too turned slightly troubled before it finally cleared again.
"I'm sure at some point they've encountered this tactic before, but whether they think they were isolated instances, or realize the pattern is beyond my knowledge," the pureblood said simply. "Vampires as a whole have tried to keep it from them, preferring to deal with these situations internally rather than expose even their enemies to hunter involvement. Understand that vampires are very territorial creatures. Those who seek to steal too many members from someone else's syndeo are likely to find themselves at odds with whomever they're stealing from, which means that eventually one of the two will succeeded in doing away with the other and absorb all their followers, bringing peace back to the area for both vampires and humans... for a time."
Zero was silent for a moment, absorbing the unspoken weight of what Kaname had just shared. Sometimes he couldn't help thinking that things Kaname told him, the things he shared so freely... other vampires would probably kill to keep from hunter ears. Kaname trusted him enough to simply talk through them like it was nothing, but then Zero was left in a quandary. When did he speak, and when did he stay silent? Despite having come to a broader view of vampires over the past couple years, Zero still felt that his allegiance lay more with humans and with hunters. No, first and foremost... it lay with Kaname, then with humans and hunters. Would it be a betrayal of Kaname's trust if he told Yagari about the things he learned? But why did Kaname tell him then, knowing he was a hunter, and how he felt?
Kaname leaned back in, resting his head against Zero's stomach again. He felt so tired. The negative adrenaline rush of finding out that Orion had caught onto his gambit sooner than he had expected or would have liked had utterly worn out the already tired pureblood. He'd been so achingly careful... buying the shares through a host of shell companies and subsidiaries, taking his time about it so it wouldn't look suspicious and what he was planning wouldn't be apparent... but they'd seen it anyway and swung into motion with devastating effectiveness. Kaname had so many of the shares now, it was almost too late for them to counter him. Almost. The game wasn't over yet, and now with these new stumbling blocks, it seemed that it might be just beginning.
In all honesty, Mission Oil as an asset wasn't that important. Yes, Kaname did feel a responsibility to try and clean up the mess that some of his more annoying kindred over in An'swala had made and yes, it would be a nice addition to Kuran Corporation's growing portfolio of global industry. Those were the original reasons why he had started to involve himself over a year ago. He had a vested interest in trying to prove that vampires were capable of policing their own and punishing unmitigated crimes against humans. It was something that was essential if co-existence were ever to become possible.
Even so, he'd mostly kept his involvement veiled because it wasn't prudent to get the reputation as a busy-body who was too interested in meddling in others affairs. The vampire world didn't take kindly to that. At first, he'd merely wanted to nudge the region back towards some stability, but then Orion had become involved and everything had changed. Now, he wanted Mission Oil because Orion seemed to want it so badly, and because... because he could not lose again. Not once he'd accepted the challenge. He could not. Kaname felt a cold, clamminess inside of him and repressed it quickly. This had become personal. But... that wasn't something he could explain to Zero.
"Zero, there's a high probability that we may come to a stalemate, with my company and Orion each owning fifty percent of Mission Oil and neither having a controlling share," Kaname finally spoke again after several moments. "In which case I shall be meeting with the head of Orion in order to pursue further negotiations. It would be sometime next week if that happens. You'll still be here then, won't you?" The pureblood asked before he could second guess himself. He cringed inwardly, thinking there had to have been a better way to phrase that that didn't sound quite so... desperate.
It only sounded desperate to the pureblood, however. Zero didn't take it that way. It didn't seem an unnatural question to him and honestly, he kind of liked the implication that Kaname hoped he was going to still be there. "Yeah," he answered easily. "Unless an emergency comes up, I'm not due to go anywhere for another couple weeks," he confirmed, fingers tangled absently in Kaname's hair once more.
Kaname felt more relieved than he probably should have. "Then you can come with me," he murmured decidedly. If Zero wasn't available, it would be Seiren, but trust her as he did, there were many reasons why Kaname would much rather have Zero with him for this particular meeting, if it should come to be. "Orion is also vampire owned," he added by way of partial explanation.
Zero groaned softly, even though he didn't mind... well... okay, didn't mind too much. Playing bodyguard for Kaname at business meetings was not his favorite pastime, although he did it fairly frequently these days. "Okay, fine. But you'll owe me," he teased.
Kaname smiled, nuzzling into him a little further. "Okay. Oh, and Zero..." he added after a moment. "If you want to tell Yagari or anyone else about any of what I said earlier..." he paused slightly. "It's all right. I trust your judgment." It wasn't like it was really a secret after all, and the practice in question wasn't one of which Kaname approved anyway.
Zero felt relieved, a vague tension he didn't realize he had been feeling sliding away. He squeezed Kaname's shoulders a little tighter. The hunter was silent for a while, content to just hold Kaname and sensing that the pureblood both wanted and needed him to do so.
Kaname left his eyes closed. He felt comfortable and able to relax in Zero's embrace. He was so tired. He felt almost as if he could... could...
Zero smiled softly, a warm, tender ache in his chest as he felt Kaname's body slacken gradually against him, the pureblood's breathing slowing and leveling out. Kaname had actually fallen asleep in his arms. Zero closed his eyes and swallowed. It was still very special to him, the way Kaname trusted him, the way he felt so safe he could just drop off in his office so long as Zero was there.
Zero shifted slightly on his feet, but remained where he was. It wasn't an entirely comfortable position, but he hated to stir Kaname when the pureblood was so tired and he knew that he'd never convince him to go home and rest. So he cupped Kaname's head gently against him instead, supporting the pureblood's softly rising and falling shoulders and letting him nap.
That was how Seiren found them almost fifteen minutes later when she came to give Kaname the update he had requested earlier. She stopped when she saw them - Kaname leaned into Zero's body, sleeping in the hunter's arms. Her neutral expression softened for a moment and when her gaze flickered to Zero's, the hunter thought he actually saw approval in it towards him for once. Silently, she withdrew again, fully closing the door behind her.
Kaname's sleep was peaceful at first, but then... then the dreams came. The door was there, beckoning to him with frightful allure and terror, all at the same time. What was on the other side? Again, he jerked back from it, heart pounding in time to the soft, muted sounds of distant sobbing. He was falling, falling into nothingness...
Kaname awoke with a start and a small gasp. He was disorientated, but this time he was aware enough to realize whose scent it was that filled his senses and against whose body he was reassuringly pressed. Long fingers tightened in Zero's shirt for a moment as he blinked, making the transition back to wakefulness and processing the fact that he'd dozed off.
Zero's face creased in momentary concern as Kaname jerked awake with an obvious sense of distress, but it was gone quickly and then the pureblood just looked tired and somewhat sheepish as he rubbed his eyes, leaning back in the chair and rubbing a kink out of his neck from the angle he'd been leaning.
"You okay?" Zero asked quietly, stretching his back and rubbing his own neck as well, sorry that Kaname had to wake up, but glad to be able to move again. His feet were falling asleep.
Kaname nodded with a small, rueful smile. "I didn't mean to drop off like that, sorry."
Zero shook his head. "No, it's okay, you should rest. You hardly slept at all last night, or the night before, or the one before that..." His gaze was honestly concerned. He bent in order to put himself at eye level with the seated pureblood, hands resting on the chair arms on either side of Kaname's body.
"I get that you're really busy with this whole oil thing, but if anything else is bothering you... you know you can tell me, right?" he said with quiet earnestness, silver-amethyst eyes searching the other vampire's face. Kaname had a tendency to push himself, to over-extend to what Zero thought were ridiculous lengths and let his natural strength cover for him. He probably always had, but no one saw it because that wasn't something the world was allowed to see. But living with Kaname like he did, knowing him more deeply than others knew him, Zero saw it happen a lot. It was quite probable that that was all this was now, but somehow... something inside Zero didn't feel right. There was nothing that his mind could latch onto for a reason, but it was just... a feeling.
Kaname felt his heart tug as he found himself looking into Zero's beautiful, concerned eyes. Close... so close to him. There was a weak, traitorous part of his heart that wanted to give into that concern, that wanted to spill forth at least some small amount of the painful truth he kept hidden. Zero was a safe place. He could tell Zero almost anything... anything but this. Because the fear that the closeness would be pulled away, that the gentleness in his eyes would be tainted with something else was too strong. Did he really think so little of Zero's love for him? No. But did he really think so little of himself? Yes.
Besides, the hunter wasn't great at hiding how he felt about people when he disliked them and if Kaname did have to negotiate with Orion's CEO and Zero was acting like he wanted to kill somebody... that would not go down well.
"I know," Kaname murmured, smiling warmly, letting the true ache of tender emotion that he felt show in his eyes and banishing anything else from them. His fingers curled behind Zero's head and he pulled the hunter in for a soft, slow kiss. "I'm sorry I've been making you worry. This whole situation with Mission Oil has me more on edge that it should. I just..." he sighed slightly. "I don't want to lose," he admitted with a small smile. Maybe that made him sound petty, but it was also quite true.
Zero chuckled against his parted lips, tasting his lover's flavor fully once more before finally pulling back. "You and your games," he murmured with exasperated affection. He had no trouble believing that Kaname could get quite worked up and over-invested if he cared about winning a gambit enough. And actually, in this instance, he had to admit that he could understand that feeling and completely support what his lover was doing. It wasn't like this was just a fight over business and power, there were lives at stake and the fact that Kaname had stated that from the start said it was a very real factor in the pureblood's calculations.
Straightening, Zero squeezed his shoulder. "I think you're doing a good thing here, Kaname. If I can help..." he left it open. He knew Kaname would let him know if there was a part he could play.
Kaname placed his hand over the hunter's, giving it a return squeeze. "Thank you," Kaname said with a small smile, mischief sparking briefly in the dark eyes. "But you'd better watch out, I'll hold you to that."
Zero chuckled. "Don't I know it."
Seiren returned again to deliver her report and after extracting the promise that Kaname would take a break later to join him for lunch, Zero took his leave and let the pureblood get back to work. Normally, Kaname hated to see him go, even when he was busy, but today it was kind of a relief. He felt guilty about that, but it was hard to act like everything was fine and make Zero believe it. Harder than it was with everyone else who simply wouldn't ask or wouldn't question him.
He'd already learned the hard way that hiding things from Zero wasn't a great plan, but he didn't really have another option at the moment. How could he explain things he only partially understood himself? Like the dreams he was having... what was up with that? Parts of them made sense. Parts of them had been real. Even the vague analogy of the door could be analyzed rationally to an extent... but not the way he had reacted. No. The way he had awoken was unthinkable and utterly confusing as hell. The pain and the fear he understood, but the pleasure? What twisted hell had that come from? It made no sense. There had been no pleasure in that pain.
What kind of a sick, twisted freak was he that the imagery and the memories in his dream could have actually gotten him off? The question was wreaking serious havoc with his mind. There was something fundamentally wrong with him, there had to be.
Kaname left his desk and went to his private restroom. Just remembering the dreams made him feel dirty, his skin unclean. He leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on his face, trying to dispel sensation and the memories, such as they were.
It was ancient history. No reason it should be causing him trouble like this now, after all this time. He had been a stupid kid. He had left himself vulnerable and he had been hurt as a result. He had been taught an intentional lesson about the price of failure and it was one he'd never forgotten. One thing the world could not forgive was a weak pureblood vampire. Their race was meant to be strong and only the strong survived.
Kaname splashed more water on his face, pressing his eyes shut, trying to forget pale charmeuse sheets and soft, mocking laughter. The memories were shameful and he pulled away from them like poison. As always, they left him wondering... what could have been worse?
Something had been. Something he had locked away behind that door in his dreams. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe the dreams and his agitation now was punishment for his unforgivable cowardice then. He'd never know unless he opened that door, but just thinking about it made him sick.
Before he realized that the sensation was more than just emotional, his stomach heaved and Kaname gagged, gripping the edges of the sink as he threw up. The heaves continued a few more times, ripping through his chest and burning his throat with bile. He'd not eaten enough recently to have anything appreciable to expel.
Shaking, Kaname gripped the edges of the sink hard enough to crack the porcelain bowl. Water dripped from his nose and the ends of his hair. He stared at the running flow as it swirled his vomit away down the drain.
Water was dripping onto the floor, sluicing slowly through the crack he'd created in the sink bowl and escaping. It made the tiles under his feet slick and cast rain-like spatter up on his dress shoes, but Kaname didn't notice. The past that he knew, couldn't explain what was happening to him now. Couldn't explain why he felt so sick and so damn... damn scared. Maybe the problem was within him. Maybe you couldn't ever truly forget some things. Maybe you shouldn't.
The strong, proud shoulders trembled, knuckles still white on the edges of the sink as a different part of his history returned to haunt him.
"Even if the hidden past is drenched in blood, do you still want to know?" his own words, accompanied by Yuki's serious, earnest expression filtered back to him across the years. Kaname reached out vaguely with one hand, as if he could touch her face in his minds-eye as he watched her nod. "Yes, Kaname-Senpai..."
Kaname let his hand fall back to his side as the image dissolved, revealing only his own pale, dripping face staring back at him in the bathroom mirror with soft, familiar pain on his haggard features. A heavy thread of self-disgust formed thickly within him. Ironic, wasn't it? She'd been so much braver than he was. He didn't have to look for answers. He owned the keys to his own secrets, but... he didn't want to face them. He... he couldn't.
Kaname bowed his head, and now, not all the moisture running down his cheeks and dripping from his chin, was sink water.