A/N: first, I wanna say thank you to hitsugaya07 for being my first reviewer, thank you very much, your review really made my day… yes, this is an AU where everybody were just humans… and I'm glad that you enjoy them as much as I do… so I want to dedicate this second chapter especially for you.. ^^

Disclaimer: we all know Matsuri Hino-sama owns VK…

The Only Reason for Living

: Chapter 2 :

Pain and Worries

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Zero's POV

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I opened my eyes slowly— they felt so heavy. And when they opened, the blinding bright light flowed into my eyes, flooding my irises. Everything that surrounded me was white— the walls, the curtains, the floor and the bed — and the room smelled of something strong like chloroform. They were enough to obviously telling me where am I. The hospital.

I sighed tiredly. White fog immediately formed on the plastic mask that was put upon my mouth and nose to help me breath. When I tried to lift my hands, I felt something weighed my right arm down. I turned my head so I could see what was it and I found Yuuki. She was sound asleep on a chair that had been pulled so it stood right at the side of my bed, with my right arm as her pillow. She looked really peaceful except for the dark purple circles under her eyes. She must be really tired, waiting for me to wake up.

I raised my left hand and caressed her cheek gently. Tucking a few strands of locks that fall to her face to the back of her ears. She stirred slowly and mumbled something unintelligible in her sleep. I felt a pang of guilty in my heart, knowing that I was the one who caused her pain and worries. Damn my stupid disease. I grabbed her tiny hand tenderly to calm myself down. But the motion woke her up.

"Zero?" she asked softly.

"Hey…" I forced my parched and dry lips to form a weak smile. To show her that I was alright.

"Oh, Zero!!" she grasped my right hand that she used as her pillow a minute ago and cupped it to the side of her face while drawing soothing circles at the back of it with her thumb. "Haven't I told you to tell me whenever your chest hurts?" she scolded me weakly.

"My bad…" I shrugged rather indifferently, "Won't happen again, I prom— "

"Zero! Take this seriously, can't you?" she cut and half-hissed to me. "Don't you know I almost fainted when you suddenly had your attacks back then?"

"Yes I know. I'm sorry! I won't cause you any trouble again…"

"It's not about that Zero! I don't care about you causing me troubles! I just can't bear it whenever I see you in pain!" tears started to trickle down her pale cheeks. Her shoulders trembling and her knuckles white from clutching my hand tightly.

I was speechless. Just like her, I didn't want to see her in pain. "I'm sorry…" was all that I could manage to come out from my lips. "I'm sorry…" I kept on whispering my apologies while trying to lift my left side so I could embrace her gently. Of course the motion made my body hurt like hell, but I didn't care. All I want to do is to sooth her trembling figure. She sobbed on my shoulder, while I patted her back gently.

After a long 5 minutes, she calmed down. "Sorry…" she mumbled to me hoarsely.

I gave her a curt nod and forced my lips to form another smile. I leaned back to the pillows that stacked behind my back. And tried to lighten the mood. "So… when will I be able to get out from here?"

"Umm, Father is talking with the doctors since half an hour ago. Maybe after he get back here he can tell us when…" she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands tiredly. And right after she said that, Chairman Cross opened the door and entered the room.

"Oh, hi, Zero… glad to see that you're awake… you've been sleeping for what seems like eternity you know…" he glided across the room to Zero's side then let out a nervous chuckle and eyed Yuuki warily. "Uhm, Yuuki… could you accompany me to the cafeteria? Besides, it looks like you need your lunch too…"

"Oh, I'm fine Dad… Sorry I can't—"

"No, Yuuki. Get your lunch…" I cut her rather sharply.

"But—"

"Yuuki, please… you need to take more care of your health…" I looked at her straight in the eyes.

"But who will look after you Zero?" she whimpered.

"I'll be just fine… don't worry…" I gave her a reassuring smile. I didn't want her to get sick from lack of sleep and food just because she worried too much about me.

She sighed in defeat then grasped chairman's arm, dragged him out from the room while shooting me a hard 'fine!-now-be-a-good-boy-and-take-a-rest!' look. I couldn't help but to let a small chuckle escaped my lips. And right after they left the room, I leaned comfortably on my pillows, and quickly dozed off.

ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo

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Yuuki's POV

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Down at the cafeteria, Father bought me a lot of food—especially sweet ones. Cakes, chocolates, puddings and waffles for me, and a bowl of salt-noodle for himself. I sighed and bit my waffle lazily.

"Yuuki, I bring you down here not just to accompany me… I have something to tell you…" he told me seriously from across the table. We were sitting face to face on the table at the corner of the cafeteria right now.

"Wha's izzid Dhad?" my words came out jumbled because of the large chunk of waffle that I was chewing in my mouth.

"It's about… Zero…" he started hesitantly and his eyes stared at me uneasily.

I stopped chewing and put my waffle down immediately. "What's about him?"

"No Yuuki, please continue eating you food —you need it, for heaven's sake, when was the last time you eat? — well, it's… about his… disease…"

Absentmindedly, I took the waffle I dropped previously and bit another chunk half-heartedly. My eyes never leaving father's.

"You already know, that he has had this problem since he was small…"

I swallowed the waffle— that tasted like dirt now— hardly and nodded once.

"Uh… The… the doctors, they… they said, that he's reaching his limit, right now… it was a miracle though, that he could survive until now… but… uh… his heart… his heart maybe couldn't take it anymore…" father sighed and stared blankly at his bowl.

"Are you… are you trying to say, that Zero is dying right now?" my voice became higher towards the end in disbelieve. "That he will… he will die in —maybe — less than a year?" I started to hyperventilate. I couldn't think about a dead Zero. I didn't want to imagine it—Zero lying perfectly still. His face as pale as a sheet of paper. His hands cold and lost the softness they used to held. The sight just felt so wrong. So strange and weird.

I can't let him die… I won't let him die!

"Yuuki… take a deep breath… take a sip of your tea, it's getting colder…" father suggested anxiously. He knew that I was going to burst— either of fear, sadness, or anger.

Pools of tears started to form on my eyes. "What's this? You must be kidding me… right Dad?" I let out a humorless laugh that sounds unfamiliar even in my own ears. The sound of it— so hollow, so empty and so lifeless— sent shivers down my spine.

"No, Yuuki… I've told you nothing but the truest truth…" he shook his head sadly and cast his gaze down, to his half-eaten noodle. Stirring it absentmindedly.

"Is there nothing we can do to help him?" the pools in my eyes had overflowed to streams of fresh tears, gliding down my cheeks, and dripping to the back of my clenched hands that rested upon my knees.

"Well, there is an option… And that's why I brought you down here, where we could discuss about it." Father moved his gaze back to me.

And there, in his eyes, I could see that he too was suffering. For him, Zero and I were like his own children. He loved us just like a father would love their true children. I knew that he too bore the same pain as I did. So I brushed my tears away with the back of my knuckle and look at him straight in the eyes. Tried to be as strong as him. "What's the option?" I made my voice as calm as possible, though, still it vibrated a little bit.

"The doctors told me, there is an operation that can save him… but the chance is quite small, about 15% - 20%... I won't decide for him since it's his life that we put on the line. I'll let him decide whether he'll take the operation or not…"

"If… if he doesn't take the operation, how long… how much time left for him to survive?"

"About 8 or 9 months… or if he keep struggling and fighting, it will be about a year… but more than that is impossible…"

Less than a year… I only had less than a year to spend with Zero. Somebody must be kidding me. I wouldn't let that happen. But 20% is a small number… what if Zero didn't make it? I'd surely couldn't forgive myself if Zero failed the operation which he was forced to take. I would be the one who killed him. Should we take the risk with all of its consequences? Or had him safe and sound, but just for barely a year? What should I do?

"I… I'll talk about this with Zero..." I murmur hesitantly.

Father nodded his head in agreement while my eyes shifting restlessly. I was so confused and torn in two…

What should I do?

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Okay, so 2nd chapter's here. Yaaaaaaay!!! It's quite hard to write though… what's with Yuuki's dilemma. I'm not an expert in English hence I found it quite difficult to express her wariness and the battle that rage in her mind right now.

So, If you have any questions, just ask me. And please leave some reviews just to make me smile… pleeeaaaseee?