A/N: OK, back into Kain's head! Much easier to write since Kain knows almost nothing :D

Kain stared at the blank TV for a while before heading to his room, closing the door. With one glance at his charred sheets, he felt the fury as before. Clearing his head by pacing back and forth, he caught his reflection doing the same.

Tiger grace. Just like his father. In fact, the habit had been picked up by the man. Kain recalled that his father, unlike him, seemed to be like a tiger stalking its prey, his narrow eyes on his delinquent son. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear his mother shouting that it had been Aidou and Kain, being loyal to his friend, never spoke out.

He shuddered and sat himself on his bed, his phone in his hand. He called and the familiar pigtailed girl picked up.

"Lovers quarrel already?" She asked through a yawn. The atmosphere around her regarded mainly traffic. Kain raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was playing at.

"Yes…" He replied. That was when he heard Shiki scoff. He knew the brunette well enough to see his figure stalking off to her mini bar. "Should I call later?"

"No need. He'll be moody for a while. What's going on?"

"Just… angry." Kain answered. He hadn't thought about what to tell Rima.

"About?" He could almost see her slipping outside on to the balcony.

"Zero. Obviously."

"Well, that clears up everything." She clucked her tongue after her sarcastic remark.

"He called Shiki a whore." Kain replied after several minutes of annoyed sighs.

"Shiki is a whore. You know it, I know it, Ichijo knows it, Kuran knows it, the entirety of the vampire world knows it… What of it?"

"Just… To hear him say it…" His hand curled into a fist.

"Ah." He could see her nodding her head. "Hearing it come from an outsiders mouth made you angry."

Kain made a sound in assent. He could almost see Rima pinching the bridge of her nose, her eyes tightly closed. "Kain, you're supposed to be crushing on him. Pretend you like him and, he's going to say inconsiderate things. That's normal in a relationship. Honeymoon stage. He hates us, we hate him. That's just how it has to work."

Kain flopped back onto his bed, groaning. "But, how do I bring up the idea that I want to date him when you and I know that I don't."

"Well, you could do obvious mooning when he's around. The kind that you suck at. Giving secret glances that aren't so secret, looking away when he looks your way. Bringing home food. He likes to eat, doesn't he?"

"He cooks." Kain answered in horror over the suggestions. He mulled them in his mind. "Are you saying… I have to be… domestic?"

"Yes, I thought that was obvious." Kain made gagging sounds, Rima waiting patiently. "Seriously, you're being a dummy."

"But, what if it's taken literally and he asks me out? What do I say? Yes, no, maybe, not in a million years?" Rima snorted on the other line.

"You say yes. But, Zero won't believe it for a minute. He's using you as you're using him, remember? And, he already knows of your other… attachments."

"But, what if I have to ask? Oh God, do I ask?" Kain gripped his arm tightly, feeling a slight blur of colors before his eyes. He had never felt this pressured. To alleviate some of it, he stood and walked his room in a circle.

"He should be the one asking. With all your years of being single, it'd be weird if you did. As to when…" He could almost see her pressing a finger to her bottom lip. "I'd say… before the next time we're all hanging out."

Kain groaned and leaned against a wall. "Too soon."

"Better soon than never. By the by, Kaname said 'game is on' and Yuuki said 'don't hurt him'. Why are they texting me this cryptic ass shit?"

"Not that cryptic." A creeping thought came through. "Wait…"

"Waiting…" Rima replied a few moments later. Kain shook himself out of his reverie.

"What if… What if Zero is hoping to ask me out or asking me out to get closer to Yuuki and I don't sense it?"

"God, Kain. You're an idiot." Rima sighed as Kain smiled sheepishly. "He has a mind for strategy and, he's definitely gunning for the Kurans. Not just Yuuki, not just Kaname. Just, don't fall in love with him."

"What if I do fall in love with him?" Kain whined as Rima hung up on him. He sat on his bed again.

What does someone do if they have a pretend crush? What if that person finds out it's a ploy? What if he fell in love with the pretend crush and got hurt? Should he avoid Zero?

He hadn't realized he stood, much less walked toward Zero's bedroom and was vaguely aware of his actions when he opened the door. Zero had the covers over his head with only a few silver hairs to be seen. The room was darker than Kain's with the drapes completely closed. Kain wondered what Zero would be like as a fake boyfriend. Would he wander into Kain's room and watch him sleep? Would he be affectionate? Would he know that he's a fake?

Kain pulled himself out of his thoughts when Zero's phone went off, ashamed at his thinking. With no effort, he silently closed the door and stretched, leaning his head to one side then, to the other and fumbled for a water bottle, sliding a tablet in. He fumbled in the kitchen for a while, stopping once he heard Zero's groggy voice after the phone rang a couple of more times. He could hear the bed squeaking as the other shifted his position.

Kain only heard Zero's answers. "Yes. I'm around there… Yeah… First thing… Yup." Click. The guest room had minimal activity as Kain leaned against the computer, pretending to read a magazine that had been left on the counter. Zero entered the kitchen, fully dressed and poured himself a coffee into a thermos.

"I have work." He told Kain without looking at him. "We'll talk when I get back."

He slammed the front door loudly. Kain was glad for the break.

He was waiting. Kain hated to be left waiting for anyone, especially him. He glanced at his phone for the fifth time, staring as the number changed. Twenty minutes late. But, he had asked him to stay for as long as he could. Kain had agreed. And he never broke a promise.

Even in the cold, he felt nothing but boredom and impatience. That was one thing Aidou and he had in common – impatience. Aidou more than Kain though, Kain was never allowed to show it.

He checked over his shoulder, watching faceless people walking past him. At last, he felt the familiar presence of his species.

Hiding a grin, Kain turned, nodding once. Shiki held that bored expression, his eyes intense. Kain shifted his gaze momentarily, surprised to find that he had been replaced by Zero. The other nodded and took Kain's hand.

Kain sat up, a piece of paper stuck to his face. He glanced around anxiously, recognizing his office. He glanced at the watch on his desk then at his phone in disbelief. No, the time was right. Three PM.

Shaking his head, he poured himself another cup of blood water, continuing reading the contract he had been reading, his mind shifting to the dream. He spent thirty minutes with one contract out of several, not reading a word. Again, he shook his head and bit his lip, hoping the pain would bring him to reality. What had it meant?

Just as he had failed, his phone rang. He looked at the caller and sighed. Zero. Answering, he held the receiver to his ear. "Yeah?"

"You're alive." The other stated. Kain shrugged.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because it's three in the effin' afternoon and you're not home."

"I take it you're home." Kain shuffled some paper.

"Yeah. Just got in. Talk when you're home?"

"Yeah." They hung up at the same time. Kain rested his head against his hand. Had it truly been three days already? Kain couldn't remember the last time he had spent so much time here with his human employees. They stared at the vampire suspiciously as they continued with their work, some muttering if he was real, some wondering if he's single but, most wondering if he was new. He laughed at that when his secretary told him. Still, he had been here since Zero left.

He hadn't planned to answer Zero's calls. After all, he wasn't a puppy. And, the point to avoidance was to avoid Zero. He texted Rima shortly after and received a snarky: you picked up, didn't you? Pathetic!

He was pathetic. That much he admitted. Draping an arm over his eyes, Kain shut out the light and the noise. The dream came back in flashes. Even if he didn't want to, Kain couldn't help but feel a blush on his cheeks at the thought. Distracting himself, he slid the contracts into his in basket and himself into his coat.

He focused his attention on the pavement as he walked up to his penthouse. He stepped into someone, instantly apologizing but not looking up. They didn't say a word as he wandered into the elevator, closing the door. It was then that he returned his head to an upright position, amethyst eyes the first thing he saw since.

"What the…" Kain swallowed his sentence. "I thought you were going to wait for me at home."

"I got bored." Zero answered. He looked well. The outfit he had left in remained with a few holes and, what seemed to be, a knife. Kain guessed that the knife hadn't been from vampires. Zero's boots were covered in vampire blood. Kain could tell just by the smell. Zero leaned against the side wall, lifting one leg onto it. He crossed his arms. For a moment, Kain could almost see himself in that pose. Zero's eyes hardened. "We need to talk."