Author Notes: Hello, everyone! Thank you once again for the wonderful reviews! It's been a really busy time for me but here is the 3rd chapter at last with a final one to follow. Enjoy this chapter and I look forward to your feedback :)

- Chapter Start -

"I want you both in my life!" she exclaimed. "Don't you see? It's the most obvious answer!"

In the bewildered silence following Yuuki's exasperated outburst, Kaname and Zero both stared at her as if their brains were suddenly incapable of processing her words.

"That's your answer?" Zero asked at last, his deep voice rich with disbelief. "You want us both? Really? What are you, still twelve?"

Cheeks flushing red - Zero hadn't lost the knack for making her feel both small and stupid - Yuuki tossed her head again and glared at him, her hands now fisted at her sides. She sure as hell wasn't twelve anymore and she sure as hell wasn't going to back down from this either!

Wow, look at that - she had sworn too. Twice.

"You didn't kiss me like I was twelve just a minute ago!" she shot back.

Zero blinked, his mouth falling open at her rebuttal before he snapped it shut, looking disconcerted and even embarrassed.

Well, that shut him up all right, thought Yuuki and almost spoiled it all by giggling. She kept her lips pressed together and tipped her chin even higher, daring him to comment further. Instead, Zero frowned and turned to Kaname, giving a tiny shrug and jerk of his head as if saying 'I tried. Your turn.'

Breathing out a soft sigh, Kaname turned to Yuuki again.

"Yuuki," he began in a conciliatory tone. "You can't have us both. It... doesn't work that way."

She just raised her eyebrows. "Why not?"

Kaname blinked.

"Because we are... he is-" Breaking off abruptly, he half swung to Zero and then back to Yuuki again, his eyes slightly narrowed this time.

"Because Zero would never share and we both know that," he stated with absolute certainty.

Eyebrows still up, Yuuki just tipped her head at Zero, wondering if he realised her onii-san had thrown the ball back in his court.

"You don't know-" Zero began before he broke off, scowling in frustration and making Yuuki swallow another inappropriate giggle.

"There you go," Kaname said as if Zero had just proven his point.

"But what about you, onii-san?" Yuuki asked sweetly. "Would you be willing to share?"

When he didn't say anything, she suddenly knew how she was going to go about this. Simple - just play one against the other and take advantage of longstanding rivalry, stubbornness, sheer male pride and hope like crazy that she would get what she wanted. Yes, the whole thing might just backfire on her and yes, it wasn't fair play, but hey, Kaname hadn't told her his reason for inviting Zero here, and Zero hadn't told her how he had felt about her all this time. Yet here they were, asking her to choose between them!

They were so much more alike than they wanted to admit and so exasperating sometimes. She would knock their gorgeous heads together right now if she didn't love them so much.

Kaname was still staring at her and Yuuki's breath caught in her throat when she saw the flash of rare indecision in his eyes before it was gone.

"Onii-san? Would you be willing to share?" she repeated in a soft, coaxing voice.

Kaname licked his lips as if to stall for time, his expression that of a haunted man who had just been given a second chance at life... at the price of his freedom. There was a moment when he seemed on the verge of shaking his head, but then he exhaled and nodded instead, shoulders slumping a bit beneath his tuxedo jacket.

"You know me all too well, dear one," he finally said in a low voice. "If the alternative is to live without you, then I would."

Yuuki's lips parted in surprise - she honestly hadn't expected it to be this easy. She felt giddy all of a sudden, like the time she had drunk a whole glass of champagne on an empty stomach.

"You would?" she whispered. "Even if it's with Zero?"

Kaname nodded, holding her gaze with his, a tiny and rueful smile now hovering about his lips.

"You would what, Kuran?" Zero demanded.

One of Kaname's eyebrows went up and then he turned to the hunter. All traces of uncertainty were wiped clean from his face, leaving him once again the cool and collected pureblood.

"I would be willing to share, Kiryuu, since that is what Yuuki has decided," he replied calmly. "Would you do the same for the girl you love?"

Zero looked stunned as his eyes went from brother to sister and back again, his mouth opening and closing a couple of times without any words coming out.

"You - you can't be serious!" he finally burst out. "This is insane!"

His bewildered expression made that same giddy feeling bubble and rise inside Yuuki, but she didn't let it show. Instead, she gave a resolute nod and folded her arms across her chest.

"No, it's not," she countered. "I love you both - it's as simple as that."

Zero raked both hands through his silver hair, looking exasperated.

"Simple, how? This would never work!" he protested. "How would we even - what sort of arrangements..." He trailed off, shaking his head.

"And yet, you haven't said no," Kaname gently pointed out what Yuuki hadn't realised.

If looks alone could wound, Kaname's pale skin would be sporting serious burns from those infuriated amethyst eyes.

"I don't have to," Zero snarled. "You're a pureblood and," his gaze flicked to Yuuki, faltered and then hardened, "so is she. There's no place for me here."

Yuuki wondered if he could hear the bleak tone in his voice. Ignoring his glare, she took a step closer and gently touched his arm.

"Zero, this has nothing to do with what we are, only how we feel. Please don't ask me to choose between the two of you. I can't. I won't. I did it two years ago and I've regretted -" biting her lower lip, she cast an apologetic glance at Kaname, "well, not regretted, but I... uhm..."

When Kaname just smiled at her and shook his head, Yuuki gave him a tremulous smile in return before turning back to Zero. He had turned his face away, but her hand was still on his arm and more importantly, she knew he was still listening.

"I don't want to live without you, the same way I don't want to live without Kaname. Can't we at least give it a try?" she asked softly. "Please?"

Zero didn't move for almost a minute, his chest rising and falling quickly as he fought with himself. Then just as Yuuki was sure he would say no, he exhaled loudly and dipped his head forward in a gesture of defeat, silver hair covering his eyes.

"You always have to have your own way, don't you?" he mumbled.

Yuuki pressed her other hand to her mouth. Had she - had she heard right? Had Zero just said what she thought he had said?

"Are - are you saying..." she whispered.

His head snapped up then and he glared at her with narrowed eyes.

"I'm saying yes, alright? Alright? You win, damnit!"

"Oh, Zero!"

Ignoring his ferocious glare with the same ease as she had his previous one, Yuuki flung her arms around him, pinning his arms to his sides and hugging him tightly. Tears were stinging her eyes and her heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest - she couldn't breathe properly - but she didn't care. She had known it would be easier to persuade Kaname, but she thought it would take longer to bring him around and longer still - much, much longer - to persuade Zero.

But miracle of miracles, she had somehow managed to convince them both! And in the same night!

Perhaps there was something to be said for competing male pride after all.

Grinning widely, Yuuki turned towards her resigned looking onii-san and reached out a hand. When he took it, she yanked him close with a strength borne of sheer happiness and relief. The startled squawks Kaname and Zero made as they collided with each other and found themselves pressed cheek to cheek made her laugh out loud.

"Don't make me regret this," Zero gritted out as he took a hasty step back.

Yuuki looked up at him with an impish smile, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"You won't," she said and reached up to kiss him, cupping his face with her small hands. She took her time about it, making it a kiss that was sweet and grateful, unconsciously teaching him like how Kaname had taught her in the beginning.

Zero responded to her tutoring as she had known he would, hesitantly at first and then with growing confidence, the fingers of one hand tangled in her hair and the other splayed at the small of her back to pull her even closer. Yuuki's heart sang with pure joy as she let him take over the kiss. She couldn't deny it felt a bit awkward to kiss him so passionately with Kaname standing just inches away... yet it was also freeing because she no longer had to hide how she felt about both of them.

When Zero finally released her, his eyes dark with passion, Yuuki smiled at him and turned to Kaname. She reached up to curl slender fingers around the back of his neck. He resisted at first, likely balking at the idea of kissing her right after Zero, but when she nodded encouragingly and applied a touch more pressure, he dipped his head obediently. Yuuki was still standing close enough to Zero to feel his body stiffening and instinct made her grab his shoulder to keep him from moving away.

Kissing Kaname's soft lips was a sweetly familiar joy, one no less enjoyable than kissing Zero's. Yuuki took her time with it as well. Perhaps on a subconscious level, there was an awareness that they had to get used to seeing her kiss each other anyway, but mostly, she just wanted to convey to Kaname how grateful she was for giving her this chance.

By the time she drew back, her fangs were starting to tingle, hunger of a different kind making itself known. Seeing the telltale flush on Kaname and Zero's faces and the faint glow in their eyes, she knew they were feeling it too. What should come next was what would usually follow for Kaname and herself if they were alone - she could sense through their blood bond how much he longed to feed from her again and have her do the same to him.

But they weren't alone now.

Zero was here too and she wanted the same thing with him - to be blood bonded with him the way she was with her onii-san. Zero had bitten her numerous times in the past, but she was human then and those times hadn't counted. She had bitten him just before leaving Cross Academy, so if he returned the favour now, it would complete their bond. They would be lovers as well as bond mates, the way she and Kaname already were.

"Zero, I want you to bite me," Yuuki said before she could change her mind, her words coming out in a breathless rush.

Those dearly familiar amethyst eyes widened in surprise before narrowing at her.

"You bit me the day you left," Zero said in an 'I can't believe you forgot that!' kind of voice.

"I know."

"So you should know if I bite you now, it would-"

"I know," Yuuki repeated, her voice trembling. "It would complete the blood bond between us."

Zero stared at her before swinging to Kaname.

"And you're OK with this?" he demanded, his tone as disbelieving as before.

Yuui turned to Kaname as well, biting her tingling lower lip. Again, it wasn't fair to him, but how could she share a blood bond with one and not the other? How could she claim to love Zero as much as Kaname if he didn't have the same claim on her that Kaname did?

Her anguish must have been transparent in her eyes or perhaps Kaname knew her only too well because after a moment, he turned to Zero, his expression as calm as before.

"I am," he answered.

"But why?" Zero looked flabbergasted.

Kaname reached for Yuuki's hand and raised it to his lips, brushing a gentle kiss over each knuckle as his eyes smiled at her. Then he turned to Zero.

"Because, Kiryuu, when you turned up here this evening, I was already prepared to lose the one thing I hold most dear in the world. So even though this arrangement is not something I would choose, it is still more than what I expected to have."

Yuuki blinked rapidly, her eyes stinging again. Her onii-san's love for her was truly selfless. She didn't deserve him, but if she wanted his happiness, she would have to secure her own first. Perhaps her decision, unorthodox as it was, would allow her to secure the happiness of all three of them.

"So, what do you say, Zero?" Kaname prompted and gave a small, wry smile when the hunter's eyebrows shot up. "Like it or not, we will be meeting each other more often from now on. You might as well call me Kaname."

When Zero nodded, Yuuki took a deep breath and held out her free hand to him and then smiled at both males in turn.

"In that case, gentlemen, may I suggest a more private place to adjourn to?" she asked, her heart beating quickly at what would follow.

At their nods, she led them through the living room and to the foyer, towards the wide marble staircase that led upstairs to the master bedroom.

To be continued...