Thank you for all those readers who dropped me a review and added this story to their favorites and alerts list. You guys have inspired me so much to write another chapter to this fic and I'm glad that you guys liked the idea concerning libraries, grimoires, and so on. Once again, thank you very much. =)
Here's another chapter to this story. Please Read and Review. =)
Chapter Two – Memories and Mission
Four years.
It had been four long years since she had last saw him.
Shizuka Hiou thought to herself as she walked along the deserted streets of the town near the Central Library. She had not seen him since that day when she decided to leave him and went into hiding. After the murder of the Kiryuu's, it seemed that things had gotten too complicated for her and she had no choice but to disappear until things calmed down enough. She remembered that ever since her lover died, she had accepted that she would always be alone in this world. That she was destined to suffer for all eternity. Those were thoughts and it brought about such a terrible ache deep within her heart.
She had realized then and there that she was afraid of being alone.
But then, she met that young man.
She would have never imagined that such a beautiful and kind person would be the son of those vampire hunters. The hunters she was determined to kill as revenge for their crimes against her. She had watched him from time to time after their first meeting but she never approached him again. She always gazed at him from afar as he went about his life without knowing anything about her true goal and her feelings. She saw how those hunters, the ones who killed her lover, treated their son. And as she watched the family interact, she had realized the best revenge she could possibly give to them.
One that didn't involve having to kill the young man as well.
A plan that would ensure that she would get what she wanted.
It was like killing two birds with one stone.
Everything else fell into place soon afterwards and she had murdered the two vampire hunters while she had spared their precious son. After all, she had decided since long ago that he would be the perfect person to have by her side.
She saw once how those unique amethyst eyes of his burned with hatred for her and she found herself being amused by it. How long has it been since someone gazed at her that way? No one had the nerve to defy her for so long that she found that notion to be endearing. She already knew that she wanted him to love her. To want to be by her side. She knew that he hated her deeply and that he despised her for what she had done to his life. But that could change. He belonged to her after all. She could easily take away those painful memories. She could have him start from scratch again. He didn't have to remember anything else about his past. She would even teach him to love her. And she would love him back.
She was a pureblood after all. This sort of feat isn't impossible for someone like her.
But other vampire hunters had arrived before she could finish what she had set out to do. She left him with a promise that she would come back for him someday. After all, he was now the only person in the world who could drive away her loneliness even if he didn't want to be with her. She didn't think that she could stand another year being separated like this and she knew that his time was almost up. He would be almost at his own limits. The curse had already spread throughout his body.
But she wouldn't let him escape her grasp by choosing to die.
"You would never be able to escape your fate, my dear Zero…"
She would do anything to take him back and she would not let those wretched hunters get in her way again. No one would be able to stop her this time from having him.
"The time is drawing near…"
Her light red eyes looked kind of sad as it reflected on the cold surface of the glass across from her. She walked towards it and touched it as though she were looking at another individual's reflection. Her long white hair framed her beautiful face just like an unearthly spirit. The white kimono she wore fluttered along a gentle breeze. Every one of her features reminded her of what she had lost all those years ago. She wanted to go back to those times. To those peaceful days where nothing else mattered. She wanted to be saved from her own loneliness. The gripping sadness that slowly consumes her own sanity.
'Are you okay? Did something terrible happen?'
'If there is any consolation in the tragedy of losing someone you love… it's the necessary hope that maybe… it was for the best…'
'I'm glad you're okay…'
She closed her eyes as she remembered their first meeting, it was only a brief encounter but he had left a lasting impression on her. She knew that he was unaware of her true nature back then or else he would have never approached her. He eased her suffering even for a little while. In that short moment, she felt the pain of losing the love of her life lessen because he comforted her.
A mere child yet so much more to her.
She didn't regret killing his parents but she regretted having to destroy his happiness.
She already knew that she had shattered his heart completely with that one act of revenge.
She opened her eyes once again and this time the sadness was gone. It was replaced by the burning fire of her determination. This time she would take him back regardless of whether he would willingly come or not. After all, she only needed to get back what she had lost. Everything else comes after that.
Even the Order of Lost Souls comes after that. She only joined that filthy organization for one purpose and she did not do it out of loyalty for its leader. She hardly cared about what it did as long as it did not interfere with her own plans. They could conquer the world for all they want to as long as they left her alone to do what she wanted.
"Zero Kiryuu…" she whispered his name as she smiled to herself. Relishing in the promise of what would come in the future. Suddenly a sound of gun being fired brought her out of her thoughts. She moved a few steps back as she gazed coldly at the other end of the alley. Despite her neutral features, her eyes betrayed the anger she felt at being interrupted with her important musings.
"What are you planning this time, vampire? Haven't you done enough to that kid?" a deep voice shouted with anger and contempt.
Shizuka Hiou turned her attention at the vampire hunter with a hint of anger in her light scarlet colored eyes. She kept her gaze steady and calmly faced the man who did not fear her status or her power. She could see the fair outline of an anti-vampire shotgun pointed straight at her chest. This man had been chasing her for years it seemed. He had been one of the primary individuals responsible for the failure of her plans in the past. A thorn in her path to be exact. A dark, seething rage overtook her heart and it leaked through her suppressed aura. She wanted nothing more than to tear this man to shreds for his insolence. "Touga Yagari… a pleasure to see you once again," she whispered softly, trying to contain her raging emotions.
"Don't even think that I won't shoot you down this time vampire. I only need your blood and I am familiar enough with your kind to know that your body won't turn to dust the moment I kill you," Yagari said in a dangerous tone as he stood his ground and kept the weapon trained on the pureblood in front of him. The tone of his voice suggested that he was serious about his threat. "I promised years ago that I won't let you near that kid no matter what happens and you should know that I am a man of my words," he added seriously. He had never forgiven her for what she did four years ago and he would be damned if he let this vampire ruin Zero's life more. He knew that the kid deserved better and he would do anything to make sure it comes about.
Even if all of this actions and steps went against his teachings as a vampire hunter. Even if he had to disobey the rules of the Hunter's Association just to ensure that Zero would have a future away from this monster.
Given the choice of having his pride as a vampire hunter intact or having Zero live the life he never had. Zero would always win hands down. Of that he was quite sure.
"Do you really believe that someone like you could harm a pureblood like me?" Shizuka asked darkly as she gazed at Yagari with pure hate. "I think that you have overestimated your abilities as a vampire hunter too much and it seems that you are mistaken in thinking that I am weak like the others of my kind," she added as she kept her rage in check but this hunter was seriously grating in her nerves. She remembered how he stood in her way so many times. Derailed a lot of her plans and forced her to flee on so many occasions. This man had angered her to no end but fighting him would only lead her enemies straight to her like some kind of beacon.
"We'll just have to see about that," Yagari answered back. "I'll show you bloodsucker what a true vampire hunter really is," he added in a confident tone as he readied himself to attack the pureblood woman in front of him. He had hoped some time ago that it wouldn't come to this moment. He didn't want to risk ending the fragile coexistence between the vampires and hunters but he knew that Shizuka wouldn't give her blood willingly. She would let the poor kid suffer instead. If killing her so he could take her blood would save Zero, then he was willing to do just that. The consequences didn't matter to him anymore. It had always been like that for four years. And it would continue to be so even in the future.
He should've known that she wouldn't give up that easily. He had always predicted that she would come after Zero but he didn't really know the exact reason. He could only guess as to what she had planned for the young man. He didn't want to think that she wanted to finish what she started. That despite everything she had done, she wasn't satisfied to let things end with the Kiryuu couple's death. He couldn't let her do as she pleased because he promised…
He promised in their graves that he would protect their son.
And he always kept his promises.
Every single one of them.
"There is no need for such a thing to happen, Touga Yagari. It seemed that I have overstayed my welcome in this city," Shizuka uttered as she smiled at him. "Don't forget, there is always next time and I can assure you that you won't get in my way again. I would accomplish my goals one way or another," she uttered with seriousness as she kept her features neutral. Right now, she didn't want to waste her time with this interruption. Besides, she knew where Zero was and that was enough for her. Soon, she would finally have him all to herself. She closed her eyes as dark winds came out of nowhere. There was a rustle of clothes and finally she was gone, not even giving Yagari time to react, leaving no trace of her presence there at all.
The only thing that reminded anyone that she was there were pieces of sakura petals and the faint echoes of tiny bells.
Yagari was momentarily distracted by what she said and he stared unseeingly at the empty alley, cursing himself for not reacting sooner. It seemed that he needed to keep an eye out on Zero more than usual. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and took out his lighter. He watched the smoke trail lazily from the end of his stick. After a few minutes, he decided to leave the place. He knew that Zero would want answers. He only hoped that at least he could protect that kid like he promised to the Kiryuu couple.
After all, their murderer stated her interest on their child.
He was also worried about Zero's condition. It had been days since he last saw the kid and he recently got a call from Kaien Cross stating that Zero had another attack. The times of the attack had gotten shorter and Yagari was certain that he needed to get the blood from Shizuka soon.
He sighed deeply as he contemplated the problems he was facing.
He gazed up at the night sky and knew that it was time to head back to the Dark Woods Library. It was time that they faced their problems head on instead of running away from it. He knew that Cross would need to do something about the dark organizations and the mysterious final grimoire.
-xxXxxXxx-
Kaname Kuran stood near the windows of his room and the maroon-colored curtains were drawn back, giving him a good view of the broad expanse of the garden below. There were several people already walking about but he figured that since it was only six in the morning, some of the others were still fast asleep. He wanted to do that as well but found out later on that he was already wide awake, so instead of doing nothing, he just went about his room preparing for today's work schedule. It had already been a week and a half since he arrived at the Dark Woods Library and as of now, he was already familiar with most of the things he was supposed to do.
He could not contain the surprise that bubbled up inside of him when someone else came up to him the morning after his arrival and acted as his library tour guide. That person was a petite young woman with short brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. She introduced herself as Yuuki and her overly cheerful behavior reminded him completely of the head librarian. Later on, he found out that she was Cross' only daughter. It surprised him nonetheless since he never expected Cross to be married and least of all, have a child of his own. That concept just did not appear in his mind for even a second.
As she toured him all around the large library which consisted of four separate buildings, his thoughts kept on shifting to that silver haired young man named Zero Kiryuu. Despite meeting Zero for that short period of time, he felt a certain attachment to him that even someone like him could not quite explain fully. Even if Yuuki made up a very nice and cheerful company, he very much wanted to spend his time with the stoic young man. It was definitely weird for him to feel that way at all about anyone, but he reasoned that maybe it was because he wanted to be on good terms with his supposed partner.
It would not do him any good after all if his partner decided to dislike him. According to the schedules and such, he would be usually spending his time with his partner and unwanted feelings such as hate would get in the way. Yet, that worry was all for nothing when he remembered what kind of person Zero was.
In that small interaction, he had seen how emotionless his partner was and he wondered what happened to the young man to end up that way. His movements and facial features didn't give anything away and Kaname was glad that he was a rather perceptive person. The only part of Zero that was readable was his eyes and despite that, there were times that it was too well-guarded to enable even him to discern some shred of feeling. He seemed to have ended up with a difficult person but nonetheless he enjoyed a good challenge.
He would make sure that one day he, Kaname Kuran, would be able to make Zero Kiryuu open up.
While thinking about his partner, he suddenly remembered Yuuki's weird reaction when he inquired about the young man.
'You see… he…well, he had something important to do for the head librarian. It was urgent so he had no time to tell you about it,' Yuuki said promptly but her eyes seemed to tell a different story altogether. There was something in those brown orbs that Kaname noticed quite subtly. 'He wanted to apologize for not being able to offer his assistance since this was his job after all,' she added in a less cheerful tone than before. There was a forced smile in her face and Kaname was sure that there was indeed something amiss.
'It is quite fine with me. That is part of his job as well and I understand it completely,' he replied in a gentle tone as he tried to put together the pieces of Yuuki's behavior. For him, it seemed as if she was hiding something important. And his intuition told him that it was something worth knowing about. 'I hope that he comes back soon. I haven't been acquainted with him properly after all and he is supposed to be my permanent partner,' he added after a while.
'I hope so as well. It's been really different if he's not here to tease me or talk to me about things,' Yuuki uttered with a hint of sadness in her tone. As if she realized that her mask was slipping, she forced herself to smile once again. 'Umm… let's head on to the next building then,' she added and her cheerfulness returned as if trying to drown the somber mood from before.
'By the way, if I may ask, how long have you and Zero known each other?' he asked with a hint of curiosity. He reasoned that he just wanted to find out some things about his partner and it wasn't as if he was going to press the matter if Yuuki didn't want to talk about it. There was just something about Zero that he couldn't quite put a finger on and he definitely wanted to find out what it was.
'Let's see. He arrived here about four years ago and he became an official librarian a year later. He is the youngest member back then since I only became a librarian about a year ago. He hasn't changed much all those years now that I think about it,' Yuuki said cheerfully. 'Zero may appear cold and detached most of the time, but he's a really caring and kind person,' she added as she stared at Kaname with her brown eyes.
'I know. I may not look like it but I am quite perceptive person,' he told her gently.
Yuuki laughed, her eyes shining with joy. 'I see. Well, since you put it that way, Kaname. Please take care of Zero since he's pretty reckless when it comes to certain things especially during missions.'
He only nodded his response to her words and the tour commenced afterwards in a good note. The day passed by uneventfully for him and looking back, it seemed that time had flown by so fast. Despite that, he had not seen nor met again with Zero. The last time he had glimpsed his partner was way back when he arrived in this place and that hasty disappearance didn't help one bit to settle his nerves. He was honestly a little bothered about it and the vague answers he received from some colleagues when he asked about why his partner was nowhere to be seen fueled his suspicions that they were hiding something important from him.
And that secret somehow concerned Zero Kiryuu.
No point trying to get myself worked up over it. I'll just ask Zero in person when I see him, he thought to himself before sighing deeply.
His musings then centered on the other librarians he had met and he was surprised to see that Zero had been partly right in his statement the first time they had talked to each other. Everyone here seemed to be different than what he expected. Some of them didn't seem to take things seriously and preferred to breeze through things. Of course, there were others who did take things seriously though on a whole new level. All in all, the librarians at this place were a fascinating bunch of individuals and he was now certain that there would never be a boring day from now on.
Foremost, there was Zero Kiryuu, his supposed partner in missions or assignments. Aside from that brief conversation, he had not seen the silver-haired young man since then. Zero was an enigma and a puzzle to him. There was just something about the young librarian that strikes him as odd but despite that, he quite liked his partner. He was on the serious and cold side of things, but there was a hint of kindness and warmth beneath that exterior as Yuuki seemed adamant in pointing out. One thing he could not forget about Zero was his calculating and intense gaze which somehow sent his nerves alight. His heart also skipped a beat at that moment when their eyes met. His own heart! He didn't want to think about why it did such an action because he knew where it would suddenly lead to.
He mentally coughed and steered away from those weird and dangerous thoughts.
Then there was Yuuki Cross. The young woman who toured him around the library and who seemed to know Zero very well. A cheerful and optimistic person in his point of view. She was usually at the front desk, talking to visitors or clients. Her only problem was her clumsiness which Kaname had a first hand experience during their tour. He tried not to dwell on the fact that she got lost on some parts of the library and when she almost fell down the stairs. Luckily, he had good reflexes and caught her before she fell and hurt herself. It was then that Yuuki admitted that she messed up at missions sometimes.
He somehow felt sorry for her mission partner with that confession.
During the tour, he had been introduced to Lilianne Meitzen. A young woman who had a gentle and soft-spoken demeanor. She was currently looking at the spell books in the first basement of the main building. He learned from Yuuki that Lilianne was a spell caster and had descended from a long line of sorcerers. Nothing much was known about her except that she came to the library unannounced three years ago and expressed her wish to become a librarian. And her partner, Kaito Takamiya, was a former vampire hunter from the Hunter's Association. The two girls assured him that Kaito isn't biased in his opinions about vampires and they were sure that Kaito wouldn't judge him because of his true nature. He had yet to meet Kaito but if what the others told him were true, Kaito is someone easy to get along with.
The meeting was unexpected but he did learn quite a lot from Lilianne's explanations regarding magical theories and spell casting. She was pretty knowledgeable about vampire magic as well and he quite liked the lessons. Kaname noted that she had also mentioned the same thing as Zero regarding grimoires.
'Grimoires are dangerous things with its contrasting common wisdom and altered laws. It has its own poisons, regardless of good and evil.'
Surprisingly, he also met up with Takuma Ichijou, who was someone he met a long time ago. He didn't think that his childhood friend would be working here as well. Takuma was still as cheerful and easygoing as he had in the past. It somehow made Kaname feel a bit nostalgic. He was also shocked by the appearance of his cousin, Senri Shiki. Takuma told him that he and Senri started working here about a year ago. It made him quite glad to have someone he could easily share his concerns with. Takuma was a pretty good listener after all.
After that, Yuuki told him that there are many other librarians working for this library but only a few were using the dorms at the east building. Kaname discovered that the librarians were made up of different races like humans, vampires, hunters, spell casters, and now a pureblood vampire was added to the mix. But it was fascinating to learn that everyone got along well despite the light banter and differences here and there. It seemed that coexistence existed in such a small place like this.
Looking back at those discoveries, he never regretted coming to this place at all. And he would still feel that way in the future.
He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a soft knock on the door. Without wasting any second, he walked the length of his room to see who it was.
-xxXxxXxx-
Innocent and pure… the color that fell from the skies…
It was snowing.
It fell quietly… so calm that it was startling… yet beautiful, amazingly beautiful…
That day.
That moment where it all ended and where it also began.
It was winter and snow fell harshly throughout the small town in a heavy blanket. Even the ugly things turned beautiful in that season. Yet somehow, it was also cold and lonely. It was as if everything was devoid of colors and feelings. There was no one else. The sights and sounds had been jumbled and all that he could hear was his harsh breathing. The fear was there.
In his heart.
And in his soul.
She was there. He felt it.
That night. That fateful night.
He knew something was wrong, the moment he saw the opened doorway. As he treaded on the usual path, he saw blood lining the snow. Little flecks of crimson against the pure white. His heart thudded on his chest and fear crept into his veins. He refused to believe that what he would see was real. The door was taken of its hinges and weapons were scattered about the house. There was a fight. Of that he was quite sure.
'Please don't let it be real…'
He whispered those words as he entered and he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw it. Blood. His own family's blood. It was a crimson color that he knew would haunt him forever. He felt like the world crashed down on him and tears fell openly from his eyes.
The sound of bells…
Her presence.
Her cold touch.
He didn't even have time to turn around as she wrapped her arms around him tightly. His eyes widened in fear as she held him and whispered in his ears those words. The words he was sure would follow him over and over again if he ever survived this event.
'Don't worry, my dear Zero. When the day that the pain becomes too unbearable, I will come for you again. After all, you are destined to join forces with me. And I will make sure that no one would come in our way again.'
Everything was a haze afterwards. He couldn't remember what happened that time.
It was as if he had forgotten something important.
He could only feel her hands, running through his hair as he gazed at her with deep hatred. It was the only thing he could do since his body refused to move. He willed himself to feel only that burning anger and hide away his fears. Hide away his feelings from this woman.
'You cannot escape from your destiny, Zero.'
'You and I are destined to be together…'
'For eternity…'
Zero woke up with a start amidst the echoing noise of the clock as the dream ended in a flash.
Striking bright rays of sunlight filtered through the gaps of the closed blue drapes, mildly illuminating his darkened room back at the Dark Woods Library. The pieces of furniture in this particular room were well-furnished ones and the floor seemed to be covered by a plush carpet the same color as the curtains. All in all, the place seemed to be built for comfort and relaxation. There was a duvet near the windows whose covers were of some lighter color in the shade of blue and on it lay Zero Kiryuu.
He stayed silent as the alarm clock rang that six in the morning and he turned his gaze to see that the sun had already fully risen. He lay down on his bed, staring at the blank ceiling, wondering about the dream and some things that happened the last few days. Yagari had visited him a couple of times but he was too sick to remember what they talked about. Cross mentioned that aside from those who knew about his condition, no one else had figured anything suspicious about his sudden disappearance.
And it would remain that way for as long as possible.
It had been almost a week and a half since the sudden attack back at Kaname's room and he had to endure being in bed during those times, listening to Yuuki worry about him incessantly and berate him for not even trying to take care of himself properly. He knew that she was pretty worried and concerned about him but she had to accept the fact that it was a situation that couldn't be helped. Having an attack like that rendered the blood tablets as well as his specially made medicine useless. He felt quite guilty that he had to take blood from her again to help ease the pain on his body and to stop the blood lust from gaining control of him. Even if Yuuki assured him always as he took from her that it was fine, that she was doing this to help her family, it still didn't sit well with him. It always reminded him fiercely of what he was. The monster he believed himself to be. He realized that maybe it was one of the reasons he didn't want other people even some of his co-workers to know his true nature. He wanted to be treated as normally as possible but he knew that it would be a matter of time until the truth was uncovered.
If so, he could still use the time left, couldn't he?
Most people who knew about vampires thought of them as beasts. Or monsters. Which ever they preferred.
Zero draped an arm over his eyes after a while and sighed as he pondered over his thoughts. He remembered that he was of the same opinion quite a few years back. He thought that vampires were just monsters and nothing more. Filthy bloodsucking creatures that prey on humans just to survive. Those who live on blood and brought nothing but disasters.
How ironic it was that he became that which he had hunted with his parents when he was still a young child.
He hated himself deeply in the past especially when he realized that he could never go back to those peaceful days. In those primary days, he did not show any will to live, he preferred to just waste away so that he would never get hurt again. He avoided everyone as much as possible and opted to spend his time alone. He truly hated his existence back then and he wished that someone would just end it. He could not take anymore of those attacks and he would prefer a swift death over that. But, interacting with everyone changed all of that. Somehow, he began to let go of his hate and self-loathing. He learned that maybe vampires weren't different from humans after all. Just as there were good people and bad people. The same applied to vampires. He learned to accept that fact even if it hurt him a bit. Of course, he wouldn't be able to do so if he never went here in the Dark Woods Library and met Yuuki Cross, Touga Yagari, and everyone else.
After all, he knew just like everyone else that no one can ever change the past and no matter how much he held on to it, nothing will ever change. The truth was kind of painful to accept and it took some time for him to accept that fact.
He regained his will to survive but despite that, he chose to keep his emotions locked up. He just couldn't bear to show his weakness and remind him of that tragedy. It did not matter if people thought of him as uncaring and cold-hearted. This was his only defense and somehow as years passed by, he seemed to gradually forget what some certain feelings were all about.
He sat up on the edge of his bed as he took two pills from the bottle on his bed side table and downed it together with a glass of water. He hoped that he wouldn't have an attack like the one that happened a week ago. He didn't want to waste time after all. He looked at the folder sitting on the table a few feet from him, one that had the details about a certain mission he had yet to take. He had already decided to take Kaname with him just as Cross suggested some time ago.
Kaname Kuran…
He didn't really know what to think of his partner, aside from the fact that Kaname was very different from everyone he ever met. He already knew about the famous Kuran family name and he realized that his partner was very different from what he imagined him to be. After all, Kaname didn't really act the same as any vampire he knew. He thought that he would hate Kaname on first sight but surprisingly, he felt at ease with him. It somehow made him a bit curious to know why it happened.
He had only met Kaname Kuran once but it felt like he knew him from so long ago. It was as if he had always known who Kaname was. It was weird to say the least but he really felt that way. It was not like him, he really didn't get along well with other vampires especially a pureblood vampire one at that.
But for him, Kaname was a different case.
For one thing, Kaname did not act like a pureblood and there was something about this pureblood was likeable enough. He did not treat others like dirt and trash like some of the others he met. It was true that he could see in the pureblood's eyes his determination and kindness. And Zero also knew that his partner could be quite cunning when he wanted to be. All in all, Kaname was definitely someone worth studying.
Maybe this time, he would get to understand some of the emotions he had forgotten.
He sighed as he pondered about those things. Why was he so curious about Kaname? Why did he feel differently about that person? He had asked himself that a couple of times when he was resting but he could not find a definite answer to those questions. It was true that they met only recently but being with Kaname had been so normal. Well, he was his normal indifferent self but Kaname did tolerate his presence. Like it was just an everyday occurrence. Kaname was easy to talk to and a good listener at that. He was serious in his job and it was something Zero favored well since the others here were pretty rowdy and careless.
Zero also knew how dangerous it was for someone else to be close to him like that, seeing as he wasn't human in the first place and that someone was after him. He wondered how many screws were loose in Cross' head to suggest such thing as having a partner. But then, it might be his selfishness speaking, he didn't want to let this opportunity go. As a trained librarian and former vampire hunter such thinking was unacceptable, but right now he was just Zero. Just a person seeking company and satisfying his curiosity about some things. But then in the future, if all he would do was hurt Kaname's feelings and reputation, he promised that he would end this semi friendship and partnership without thinking twice.
Wouldn't it be better?
Before both of them regretted ever meeting each other.
He shifted his thoughts away from those and focused instead on the problem he had for four years.
The one concerning Shizuka Hiou.
He knew that she would come back someday and it sent fear to his whole being, knowing that she was out there waiting for the right time. He didn't want to think about what would happen if she ever appeared before him again. After all, he had no power to stop her completely. And with his condition getting worse, he knew that he would have a hard time fighting her. It was a losing situation for him now that he thought about it.
And he also knew that the time was almost here. The voice he heard in his head seemed stronger this time and he faintly felt her close by.
He closed his eyes and tried to forget about that issue for a while. It wouldn't do him some good worrying about those things all the time. He opened them and sighed deeply before standing up to get ready for the day. He hoped that taking a mission would help him forget about his problems for a while.
A few minutes later, he grabbed his jacket from the closet and put a scarf around his neck. He didn't want to risk Kaname seeing something on his neck and exposing what he was to his partner. It wasn't the right time. He went over the mission in his head as he gazed at the words written on the folder.
Looks like it's time to pay Kaname a visit, he thought as he strode out of his room and into the hallway, heading to the door at the end of it. He stood in front of it and knocked softly, waiting for the person inside to answer it.
-xxXxxXxx-
There was a soft knock on the door and Kaname instantly crossed the room to see who it was. He wondered if it was either Yuuki or Takuma paying him a visit again. His childhood friend came most of the time to have a little chat or a cup of tea and Yuuki sometimes dropped by to hand him some announcements from Cross. As he opened the door, the person waiting outside was definitely the person he least expected to see.
Zero Kiryuu stood in front of his room, looking up at him with the same intense gaze as last time.
"It's been a while hasn't it, Kaname?" Zero said in greeting as he tried to shove the thoughts about what happened here last time away from his mind. He could clearly remember the disastrous first time in this particular room and he wondered what Kaname had thought about his sudden disappearance. He hoped that his partner didn't suspect anything amiss. The last thing he needed was for Kaname to find out the truth about him.
"It sure has, Zero. I was surprised to see someone else take me on a tour around this place," Kaname replied calmly though he emphasized the word someone else. He gazed at his partner for a while and he noticed that Zero was wearing a scarf again though in a different shade of blue this time. Somehow, he felt happy to see that Zero was finally back and he thought that maybe he would have the chance to get to know more about this mysterious individual. It had been so long since they had last seen each other and despite their first short meeting, he was sure that he definitely liked the silver-haired young man's company.
"Something unexpected came up," Zero answered vaguely in a toneless voice that Kaname was left to wonder what it was about. Though, he was prudent enough not to press the other about that matter. It was quite obvious that Zero was trying to avoid the subject as much as possible and he had to admit Zero was hard to read right now.
"What brings you here, Zero? I have a feeling that you're not here to have a little chat," Kaname uttered as he changed the subject for Zero.
Sensing that Kaname had changed the subject on purpose, Zero let his defenses down a little bit and though he would never show it, he was glad to avoid the subject of his disappearance. "Let's take a walk around the library. I'll tell you the details along the way," he replied in the same tone.
Kaname nodded in response and picked up a jacket from his room before following Zero outside. They went down a flight of stairs and made their way towards the gardens located near the west building.
"Cross wants us to go on a field mission or rather, he wants you to take one to get a feel for it," Zero told him as they passed a number of people who greeted them cheerfully. Though some seemed to avoid Zero's eyes completely. "We're supposed to leave tonight so getting a good rest would be the best option," he added.
"A field mission? I somehow did not expect to go on one so soon."
"Apparently, Cross trusts your talents and of course, I am not lying when I tell you that I am partly interested as well," Zero replied in a straight tone. He sighed mentally as he went over the mission details in his head. This particular one had been handed to him a day before he met Kaname and he thought that maybe it was time to retrieve the book. "Our mission this time is to retrieve the Celaeno Fragments."
"I see that it involves a rather well-known grimoire," Kaname commented as they stood under a giant maple tree. He remembered reading about that book and it referred to a huge library of alien literature. But aside from that, the book contained several spells that he was sure to be very dangerous in the wrong hands.
"The reports stated that someone stole this book from its hiding place and the library therefore wants it back before it could cause some damage."
"It doesn't seem much like an average mission to me," Kaname replied truthfully.
"Considering those facts, we might be in for a fight."
"You seemed quite okay with that prospect," Kaname commented lightly.
"Not really. But it has been a while since I went to a mission like this one," Zero answered as he leaned against the thick bark of the tree. His eyes had a far away look to them that Kaname knew that his partner was thinking about something important.
"I thought that you always do missions like these," Kaname asked with a hint of surprise present on his tone.
"I… went to a vacation of some sorts," Zero answered and Kaname knew that it was only half of the truth. There was something his partner was hiding from him and he hoped that one day Zero might trust him with that secret as well. "We should get going. Breakfast would be ready in the dining hall by now," Zero added as he started leaving but a hissing noise caught his attention.
From the distance, he and Kaname saw a large black cat running in their direction. The cat seemed bent on avoiding something and Zero caught a glimpse of a pentagram on its collar. They heard shouts in the distance, a woman's voice to be exact. In that one split second, the cat tackled Kaname who quickly lost his balance at the sudden force of the feline.
He fell backwards as the weight of the rather large feline descended upon him. His fast reflexes wasn't even enough to maintain his balance as he began to topple backwards aided by the weight of the cat.
Zero reached out a hand automatically to steady Kaname but as luck would have it; his sense of balance was severely disrupted by Kaname's momentum and weight. He vaguely heard Lilianne offer a swift apology as she dashed off in search of her running familiar. The one who caused this – this mess to happen. He tripped forward as Kaname fell backward, dragging him along to the ground swiftly.
He expected to hit the earth but what happened instead was he fell on top of Kaname. His eyes closed as a reflex to the pain. He then put a hand on the ground and lifted himself a bit. He did not utter a sound despite the impact earlier on and he heard Kaname mutter something indistinct, after a few seconds he opened his eyes. In that one moment, the two became aware of their rather intimate position.
Zero was on top of Kaname with only a hand on the ground supporting him. One of his knees was positioned in between his partner's own. But what surprised them the most was just how close their lips were from touching each other.
Kaname couldn't help but be surprised by the sudden turn of events. He could only gaze numbly at the person on top of him. He saw Zero's own surprise in those amethyst orbs since his face did not show anything upon realizing what happened. His eyes drifted to Zero's and he saw clearly how fascinating his partner's were. Seeing Zero's eyes up close, Kaname could only think about how beautiful those amethyst orbs were.
After they recovered from the shock of being in close proximity to each other, maybe too close for comfort, the two stood up in a rush and quietly avoided each other's eyes for the moment. The embarrassment was too much and Kaname couldn't help but turn red from that brief event. The day seemed to be getting more and more out of norm for him. He hoped that it wouldn't be a permanent one. After all, he was quite used to getting things in control even his emotions. But somehow, being with Zero changed all of that drastically.
He could only think about how close their lips were from touching…
Zero got that close to him all of a sudden… he could even feel his partner's breath. Wait! What the heck was he remembering!
Kaname shoved those thoughts furiously from his mind and reprimanded himself for even thinking that way about his partner. He needed to focus but his thoughts were being redirected to that moment. He chanced a gaze at Zero and was momentarily surprised by what he saw in the other's features. His partner was blushing a little bit and was pointedly looking away from him. Somehow, his mind processed that it looked…
Quite adorable.
He mentally smacked himself for those stupid thoughts again and he breathed in deeply. Things weren't getting anywhere if they stayed like this and he was sure that he didn't want this kind of atmosphere between them. This awkwardness had to go. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Well… uh… let's just forget that incident… ever happened," Kaname said uncertainly and he wondered where the hell his confidence went to. It was just there a second ago but when he began speaking, everything else became blank.
Zero suppressed a sigh and finally turned his gaze to Kaname. "Very well. Let's forget this ever happened then," he replied and he felt relieved that he wasn't the only one who felt embarrassed by it. He had finally calmed down enough and composed himself a little bit. At least, he was sure that he wasn't as shocked as before. "Well, we should get something to eat back at the dining hall instead of standing around here doing nothing," he added as he started walking away with his hands in his pocket and hoping that before he reached the building, he would forget the incident even for a bit.
"Sure, I think almost everyone's awake by now. By the way, I forgot to tell you something" Kaname said as he tried to say what he had been thinking about since that morning. There were lots of things he wanted to tell his partner but somehow he couldn't find the right words. He watched as Zero turned back to look at him. "Welcome back, Zero," he said gently as those two words came to him suddenly.
Zero was surprised by Kaname's words and somehow, it warmed his heart. He never really felt like this before and he even thought that he was not capable of such warmth and emotions. He left those things behind that day four years ago. Still, it didn't feel bad at all to accept this unexpected warmth for now.
"I'm back," he said in his usual tone of voice and stared at Kaname and tried to ignore the painful feeling in his heart.
'Maybe I could still find some things to do with Kaname while I still have some time left…'
'After all, I already know that my time is running out…'
Extra Notes:
Celaeno Fragments – is credited to August Derleth. In his novel The Trail of Cthulhu, "Celaeno" refers to a distant planet that contains a huge library of alien literature. Professor Laban Shrewsbury and his companions traveled to Celaeno several times to escape Cthulhu's minions. Shrewsbury later wrote the Celaeno Fragments, a transcript of what he remembered of his translations of the books in the Great Library of Celaeno. He submitted the transcript, which consisted of about fifty pages, to the Miskatonic University library in 1915.
