"Up for a little sparring?" Kaito asked, after they had all retired from the table. His hazel eyes caught Zero's own violet ones. Kaito liked to hide his eyes behind a messy fringe of ash-brown hair, but the brazen challenge glinting there was not hidden at all. Zero hesitated, but he knew his old friend would torment him ceaselessly if he didn't accept.

"All right," Zero agreed, tentatively, after glancing at his sensei for approval.

Yagari trailed after them as the two younger hunters went outside the find a clear patch of ground behind Cross' house where they couldn't be seen from the Sun Dorm. It was dark out, with only a slender crescent of moon, but those were good conditions for hunters to practice in, given that vampires tended to hide in dark places.

Zero hadn't shared with the other hunters—or Cross, for that matter—exactly how much pure blood he had consumed over the years, except to say that he was no longer in danger of falling to level E. He had originally gained only a slight advantage in speed, strength, and senses when he was bitten by Shizuka, but the gap was much wider now. How wide, Zero wasn't sure exactly, except to be sure it was more than the Association would feel comfortable with.

Unaware of Zero's recent power-ups, Kaito probably thought he could beat the younger hunter as easily as he had in the past. Kaito had more experience and got more regular training, since he was employed full-time as a hunter whereas Zero was still an apprentice. Still, he was at least aware that Zero had an advantage in low lighting, which might mean Kaito was feeling cocky. Zero wondered if he should take the match seriously or just let his senpai win.

"Go," Yagari signaled them, and, without any further warning, it was on.

The two circled each other slowly at first, waiting for an opening, and then Kaito darted forward, aiming a blow at Zero's throat. Zero blocked, but too late he realized that it was a feint, and then Kaito's foot connected with the side of the head. Zero rolled with the blow and yanked Kaito off balance by the ankle, but Kaito recovered gracefully and came after Zero with aggression, raining blows down on him, all of which Zero blocked after that initial mistake.

Eventually, Zero got tired of being on the defensive, and with a flash of speed he dropped and used his leg like a whip, trying to sweep Kaito's legs out from under him. Kaito jumped, but Zero had been expecting that, and he snatched the hunter from midair, slamming him down to the ground and pinning him there. Kaito struggled, but Zero exerted just enough of his strength to keep the other pinned.

Zero glanced up at his sensei, expecting him to declare an end to the match, but all he saw was the cherry at the end of the man's cigarette flaring as he inhaled. Then Kaito spoke a word, and pain slammed into Zero, knocking him back a yard and sending him reeling. Kaito had used a hunter charm against vampires.

Shocked, Zero retreated before the other hunter's whirlwind of attacks. He was too dismayed to fight back, until Kaito hit him with another charm that disabled one of his arms, and for the first time real fear blossomed in Zero. Had Kaito snapped at being pinned by a vampire? Was he fighting Zero for real?

With a growl, Zero stopped holding back and let Kaito have a taste of the strength that could disintegrate E's in one hit. His first blow spun the other hunter around, and his second flattened him. Zero stood over his friend, biting his lip as the other man groaned on the ground and wondered if he was about to be disciplined for assault.

"I knew you were holding back," Kaito wheezed, getting to his feet at last. "Damn vamp."

Zero was off-balance enough to flinch visibly at the term. No matter how often he had heard it, or even uttered it himself, the sting never quite went out of the word. "I didn't want to hurt you," he muttered.

Kaito scoffed. "Like you could."

"Had enough, Kaito?" Yagari inquired with a touch of dark amusement.

"I'm just getting started," Kaito replied, flicking his sweaty fringe out of his eyes and falling into a fighting stance once more.

Yagari stubbed his cigarette out in an ashtray. "If that's how you start, you'll finish in the hospital. Come on. We need a good night of sleep. You too, Zero."

Zero relaxed somewhat, reassured by his sensei's easy manner but still uneasy at having displayed so much of his vampiric strength. Kaito went grumbling into the house, and Zero made to follow him, but Yagari caught him by the sleeve and held him back.

"Gimme a minute of your time, kid," the tall, gruff man said.

Zero stopped, and turned with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension to face the older hunter.

"You okay?" Yagari asked.

"I'm fine," Zero replied quietly.

"Not hungry?"

Zero bit his lip and dropped his gaze to the ground. "No."

"You sure? I need to be able to rely on you on this mission. It's serious this time."

"I'm sure."

Yagari eyed him speculatively, but then nodded. "All right. Go get some rest. We'll head out early. Have your shit ready to go at five."

"Thanks, sensei," Zero murmured diffidently.

Yagari ruffled Zero's silver hair and gave him a crooked smile. Zero's heart seized with a sudden pang of emotion at the simple gesture, and he looked away.

Kain was in class when he received the text message. Tonight. That was all it said, and all he needed. He had checked on the hunter earlier, but Kiryuu had dismissed him, so it was a surprise to hear from him now. Kain hoped nothing had gone wrong.

He sneaked out of class, ignoring the inquisitive looks, and headed for the Sun Dorm. As he neared the chairman's house, he sensed the aura of a strange hunter in addition to Cross' usual presence and Yagari's not uncommon one. Kain moved faster at that, worried at the possible implications.

In Kiryuu's room, the hunter magic welcomed him far more easily now than it had the first time. Kain didn't know if that was because he was used to it or because it was used to him. It had been a month since he had first entered one of Kiryuu's circles, and he had stepped through quite a few since then.

Although the nights he spent with the hunter were pure bliss, somehow they always left him with an empty aching inside. Kiryuu was more used to his presence, now; he no longer protested when Kain washed him, or begrudged him a spot atop his covers. Kain had worked his way into the hunter's life, yet he couldn't help thinking that his presence was like a sliver lodged under the hunter's skin, and he dreaded the day he would be plucked out. If only it were so easy to enter the hunter's heart—but, then, if Kiryuu were more generous with his affections, he would not be the person Kain had fallen for so desperately.

At the center of his chalk circle, Kiryuu paced back and forth, biting his thumbnail.

"Are you all right?" Kain asked, clasping the hunter's shoulders and inspecting him from head to foot. It was not like Zero to wear his anxiety so openly on his sleeve.

Kiryuu brushed his hands away with a curl of his lip. Kain wondered if the hunter knew how much that tiny gesture hurt. Nevertheless, he backed off, respecting the silver-haired man's space. He had learned that overt gestures of concern were never trusted or accepted. Like a feral cat, the hunter would accept kindness only on his own terms.

"I'm fine," Kiryuu replied dismissively. Of course, he would probably have said that even if he was bleeding to death.

Kain settled himself onto the bed. "You're not…you know…like that?" It was hard to talk about a problem that had no name. The phrase 'like that' was about the best they could seem to come up with.

Kiryuu's face twisted like he had tasted something bitter. "No."

Kain waited a moment, but the hunter simply kept pacing. So Kain stretched out on the bed, toeing his shoes off, and made himself comfortable to wait. It was no good trying to rush the hunter into anything.

"It's just…" Kiryuu began finally. "I have to go on a mission tomorrow. With—with Yagari, and Kaito."

"The hunter that's staying with Cross tonight?"

Kiryuu nodded. "I'll be gone for a few days," he continued.

Kain sat up slowly as he began to understand. Kiryuu's attacks came every three or four days.

"Maybe you shouldn't go," Kain advised cautiously.

Kiryuu snorted. "Like I didn't think of that? I have to. This is my last mission as an apprentice. If I fail it, I'll never be a fully qualified hunter. I'd have to be supervised on every mission."

"Can't they reschedule it?"

Kiryuu looked at Kain like he was dumber than a potted plant. "The Association isn't really big on second chances, and they've never even heard of third chances. Every time they don't shoot me in the face, they feel like they're doing me a giant favor. If I ask for anything else…" He left the rest to Kain's imagination.

"And you want to devote your life to this organization?" Kain asked in amazement.

Kiryuu glared.

"So…you want to—kind of—get it out of your system early?" Kain suggested. "Will that work?"

"How the hell should I know," Kiryuu growled. He started gnawing on his nails again.

"Well, have you tried having sex when you weren't like that? Since this all started, I mean?"

Kiryuu gave him a slightly wild-eyed look. "I—I've never done it when I wasn't…like that."

Kain's amber eyes widened. "You mean ever?"

Instantly, he realized that his reaction had been a mistake. He should never have let Kiryuu detect his shock. The hunter's cheeks burned with embarrassment, and he turned his back on Kain, muscles rigid. But, Gods, what a wretched thought—for Kiryuu to have lost his virginity to a pack of filthy—ugh, Kain couldn't let himself think about it. He'd start punching walls like Kiryuu if he had to imagine that.

Kain wanted to say something reassuring, like that having sex under the influence didn't really count, but of course that would imply that he might be taking Kiryuu's real virginity. And since he didn't feel much like being defenestrated, Kain kept that thought to himself.

Unfortunately, not saying it didn't make the idea depart. Kain suddenly felt terribly nervous, almost as nervous as he had been before his own first time, which had been with Takuma, after his 14th birthday party—the real party for his close friends, not the showy one for his relatives—when Aidou had ruined the cake by shoving Takuma's face in it, and then Ruka had dropped a handful of it down Kain's pants, and suddenly the whole party had broken into a no-holds-barred food fight.

For some reason, Takuma had burst into tears, and Kain had ushered him away to get cleaned up. One thing had led to another and before he knew it, Takuma was licking frosting off very inappropriate parts of Kain's body. Ruka and Rima had broken into the room the second it was all over and collapsed in fits of giggles at the sight of Kain covered in the remains of the birthday cake. He had accidentally set fire to a pillow with mortification, and even now he couldn't comfortably eat cake with Takuma, Ruka, or Rima in the room. It made birthday celebrations a unique pleasure.

"Umm…" Kiryuu said. Kain looked up and realized that the hunter was eyeing him askance. "You okay?"

Kain shoved the memories away and nodded, with a soft smile at Kiryuu's unusual display of concern.

"I mean..." Kiryuu swallowed, fixing an uncertain violet gaze on the noble. "You can, um, you can do it, right?"

"What do you mean?"

Now Kiryuu was the one to redden, as his eyes darted around the room. His words came out in a halting, awkward string that spoke of his profound discomfort. "That's…I mean…I'm probably…might not be as good as…when I'm…like that…but…"

All at once Kain understood. He understood that despite his thorny exterior, Kiryuu was as insecure as anyone when it came to sharing his body. The hunter had no more real experience with how to navigate that exchange than Kain had at fourteen. In a very significant way, Kiryuu was still innocent, and to hear him apologize for his own potential lack of skill was like being offered that innocence on a platter.

Without thinking, Kain sprang to his feet and wrapped Kiryuu tightly in his arms, silencing his uncertainties by pressing the silver head into his shoulder and stroking the hunter's back. Kiryuu's body was rigid with tension at first, but after a few moments, he relaxed, and slid his arms around Kain in return.

"It's okay," Kain murmured. "I can do everything, if you want."

Kiryuu gave a short little inhale and exhale. "Okay," he answered very quietly.

Kiryuu's hands slid back around to Kain's shoulders, and he allowed himself to be kissed without either responding or protesting. Kain savored the other man's mouth. Just knowing that he was kissing the real hunter and not the insensibly maddened version was thrilling. In between raining kisses on him, Kain guided them to the bed, and when he had Kiryuu beneath him, he took his time peeling off the hunter's clothes at a leisurely pace, taking the opportunity to thoroughly taste and tease each new place that he revealed.

Kiryuu was much less vocal than usual, and his responses more muted. His pleasure told in smaller gestures—the curl of toes rather than the scratch of nails, a stifled gasp rather than a wanton cry. Kain found that restraint tantalizing. He was almost overwhelmed with excitement at finally being allowed to touch the real Kiryuu. It might well be the last time he ever got the privilege, and he fully intended to make the most of the opportunity to show Kiryuu how good it could feel.

When Kain took the hunter's manhood into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it, he finally managed to coax a moan from Kiryuu's throat, and when he looked up, those amethyst eyes were fixed on him with an expression of mingled wonder and terror. Kain hummed around his prize, and Kiryuu's eyes squeezed shut with unutterable pleasure.

The noble vampire used every trick he had ever learned, and a few he had never tried before, to turn Zero Kiryuu into a quivering, thrashing mess of raw nerve endings. Kain drew it out as much as he could, milked the hunter for all he was worth with his mouth and hands, until finally Kiryuu came, his cry of pleasure muffled by his own fist, and the noble lapped up his seed as eagerly as blood.

Then Kain rested his head on the hunter's stomach, and stroked his angular hips, and waited to be thrown out of paradise once more.

"Is that it?" Kiryuu asked, sitting up on his elbows and regarding Kain with a frown. His hard-packed abdominal muscles flexed under the noble's cheek. "Isn't there usually more?"

"Did you want more?" Kain asked.

Kiryuu blushed. Kain smiled at him with lazy contentment.

"I just…want to do it properly…" Kiryuu explained with an attempt at grumpiness that did little to conceal his uncertainty.

"Are you sure?" Kain asked with concern. "I mean, I know you think the Association is already giving you a break, but honestly Kiryuu…they're lucky to have you, and they must know that."

The hunter snorted and replied darkly, "There are plenty of people at the Association who would love to see the Kiryuu line die out, and all the other true descendants with us."

Kain blinked. "True descendants?" he repeated, bemused.

Kiryuu frowned. "Forget that."

Kain let it go, but tucked the bit of hunter trivia away for later. "Well, I think Yagari at least would be far more understanding than you give him credit for. Can't he help you out?"

Kiryuu looked stricken for a moment at the mere idea of confessing to his master. "Sensei's already put everything on the line for me. I can't let him down."

Kain sighed. "Your family pride and your sensei's approval…" he mused. "Those don't seem like great reasons to keep suffering in silence."

At Kain's well-meaning but thoughtless statement, the hunter's wrath, which Kain had been foolish enough to momentarily forget in light of Kiryuu's recent vulnerability, went off like a landmine.

"What else do you think I have!" Kiryuu shouted. "Do I seem like someone with a lot to live for?"

Kain drew back somewhat and regarded the hunter with a mixture of sorrow and hope. He had to step carefully, because there were undoubtedly more bombs buried near that one. "I think you could have a lot more to live for, if you let yourself."

Kiryuu scoffed. "Like what? You?" He registered Kain's frozen dismay but kept right on going, cutting him down to the quick with his words. "Don't think I haven't noticed you getting all sappy over me. I'm not stupid, you know. You must be a real masochist to fall for someone who's only using you."

Kain sat very still, barely breathing. In that moment, even existing was painful. Sometimes he wondered why he even kept trying to get close to this person. Whether Kiryuu, whether anyone, was worth enduring such cruel and humiliating treatment.

Then he looked up, and for a split second saw the stricken guilt on Kiryuu's face before the hunter adopted his unfeeling mask once more, and at that the grip on Kain's heart loosened. He needed to see that, to be sure there was something inside the hunter's fortress of thorns, something worth guarding even if he could never reach it.

The hunter was glaring once more, but the way he had pulled his knees up to hide his nakedness said all Kain needed to know. The hurt didn't leave Kain; if anything, it only wound its way deeper into his heart. But it was a pain he could live with now. Kain smiled around the ache.

"A while ago, you accused me of only pretending to care about you," Kain reminded the hunter. "So which is it? Am I a liar or a masochist?"

"How should I know," Kiryuu muttered stubbornly, puzzled and disarmed by Kain's smile. "Maybe you're just stupid."

Kain leaned over and kissed the hunter's knee. Kiryuu's leg jerked, startled. Kain stroked his calves and planted kisses all around the two knobby peaks that Kiryuu had raised between their bodies, until at last Kiryuu's legs parted, and Kain kissed his way down into the valley of his thighs, driving the lines of anxiety and distrust from the hunter's face and replacing them with fluttering lashes and lips that trembled with sighs of pleasure.

"More?" Kain asked, drawing back.

Instead of answering, Kiryuu reached over and fumbled in his nightstand drawer for the lube. He did not give it to Kain, however, but instead squirted the slippery fluid onto his own fingers and then reached down to prepare himself. Kain watched, enthralled, as those long, pale fingers sank into the hunter's body and stretched the entrance until it was yawning for Kain. The sight was unbelievably lewd, and unspeakably erotic.

"Do it," the hunter ordered, spreading his legs.

The words and the gesture were utterly devoid of sentiment, but they nevertheless made Kain's mouth go spitless and his cock strain to obey. He buried himself to the hilt in one smooth movement.

AN: Was it as good for you as it was for me? Lemme know. Leave a review.