Yo! Soo, I'm kinda back? Well, I think I'm back for good, at least for a while. Things at work are back to normal so I should be able to update more frequently now. If my oh-so-fickle muse decides to stick with me, that is :P Seriously, this chapter was supposed to come out yesterday, yet... it was re-written two times, I think. Such is the fickle little voice in my head :P
Anyway! Enjoy to the fullest! ;)
Previously on Our true self:
The room was completely empty, except for a vat and lines of shelves hang around on the walls. On each there were small flask with some strange silvery-like substance.
And on some strange subconscious level Zero knew what the pain tried to tell him.
That he needed to get one of those.
So just as he was about to touch it, he heard it, the strange voice in his head.
'Not yet,' it whispered, and as soon as his fingers curled around the glass object, he fell to the ground unconscious.
Quite a distance away from the Association, burgundy eyes snapped wide open.
'You're a good boy… Kaname,'
The emptiness.
Darkness.
Silence.
Those were the three things that Kaname was most afraid of. Loneliness was, at some point his salvation, still is 'till present days, yet, it gained new meaning after meeting her.
He knew he was sleeping. The lightness of his body told him so.
Yet, as always, he didn't like this dream either. Because there was nothing in it. No memories from his ancient live, no nothing.
Only the void.
'Even if I'm not with you, you must work hard,' the strange voice whispered and Kaname turned in search of its source.
He knew that voice. How could he not? After years, centuries and millennia of searching, just when he lost all hope. Why was he hearing it again now of all times?
'You're a good boy… Kaname,'
The pureblood sat up straight in his bed-his eyes wide, breathing erratic.
Why now?
What purpose served it to dream about it now?
He groaned quietly and rubbed his temples, noticing it was still light outside.
"Nii-sama? Are you up already? You should sleep a little longer," Yuuki said entering the room. She felt her brother's distress and decided to see what was wrong.
"Are you alright? Nii-sama, you're so pale!" She quickly rushed to his side, yet Kaname made no move of acknowledgment. His thoughts were swirling around the dream he just had. Or was it a vision? Memory, perhaps? Despite all the hopeful feelings swelling in his heart he wished- for the sake of everyone- that it was the latter.
"Yuuki," Kaname whispered, only then noticing something silver that glimmered on his sister's small wrist.
"Why do you have that?" He asked, grabbing said limb and pointing accusingly at the bracelet with his eyes, demanding explanation.
"Zero gave it to me before he left," Yuuki explained innocently, startled when she saw those burgundy eyes go wide.
He left? The pureblood thought, trying to ignore the sudden, frantic beating of his heart.
Would Zero, could Zero, really leave, just like that? Kaname sighed, closing his eyes.
Of course he would.
If there was any hope of the hunter staying here, he crushed it himself, when those stupid words left his mouth back then, in the kitchen. Kaname groaned, remembering the events from earlier, ignoring Yuuki's concerned gaze.
Why, oh why'd he said that? Because the truth of his discovery was so overwhelming he couldn't suppress it? Because it shocked him to the core of his very dark and tainted soul?
Because he wanted Zero to know how he felt? Wanted him to answer to the question poised back in the woods?
With another sigh, the pureblood got up and motioned for Yuuki to follow him. Worrying about it now was a little pointless, wasn't it?
Still, it worried him that the mere thought or mention of the hunter was enough for him to forget all about that dreadful dream he just had.
"Nii-sama?" Yuuki asked, trying to gain his brother's attention, pointing at the commotion that was going on at the main doors.
"Takuma, is there a problem?" Kaname asked gaining everyone's focus.
"You're the big monkey here?" The voice from outside the building said.
"That depends on who's asking," the pureblood replied, regaining his mental composure, all thoughts occupying his mind earlier banished for now.
"I'm Takamiya Kaito, Zero's substitute," the man said, finally coming in the other's line of vision.
At the mention of the hunter's name something unpleasant twisted in Kaname's gut.
He really left, hadn't he?
"Today is just a greeting," Kaito started, before a frown graced his features, "or should be, but that damn idiot went and got himself knocked out, again," the last part was breathed out in irritation.
"What happened? Is Zero alright?" Yuuki asked hurriedly and the pureblood couldn't help but notice the way her small arms were squeezing Ichijo's one. Or the concerned look said noble was giving his sister.
"He's fine, Lion cube. The idiot went and fainted in the underground area of Association not too long ago. What a dumb thing to do, and on his day off, too," he murmured and blinked at the confused gaze the 'big monkey' was giving him.
"Anyway, for the next two days or so, I'll be taking over his duties so if you don't mind, I'd like to get acquainted with the place," Kaito said, his speech directed at Kaname. The pureblood nodded, still in the middle of processing every bit of information he received.
"Takuma will show you around," Kaname said and motioned at his blond friend who nodded in return, before allowing their guest inside. Then his eyes landed on Yuuki, whose own were begging him for permission to go with the two. Why? Kaname had an inkling suspicion, but let it slide this time. There were other, more pressing matters at hand.
"He should be here in about an hour, if you're so worried," Kaito whispered in his ear so quietly that he barely heard it. And even though his face was as impassive as always, his insides were doing things no pureblood should ever feel.
Yet, exactly one hour later Kaname was waiting patiently near the front gate to the Academy grounds, glad that the weather was in his favor today.
So he may have lied to Yuuki when he said that he was going for a little stroll in the woods. Not that the girl noticed, he supposed. She was quite infatuated by Ichijo's presence, as well as the witty jokes Zero's substitute was making at the time.
Zero.
The name alone was enough to stir the pureblood. Not because of the boy himself, but because of the events that took place today.
Now, it wasn't that he didn't believe in coincidences, but he knew from experience, that usually- more often than not- there was always something, a deeper meaning, behind them. And he had a feeling that the hunter's fainting and his dream were, in a strange, twisted way, connected.
There were so many questions.
And he needed answers.
As concerned for his adopted son as he was, Kaien knew that a certain someone standing few meters away from him wanted some answers. Hell, he would want some, too. All he managed out of Yagari was that Zero-rin fainted and was found in that room.
"Kaname-kun, what can I do for you?" Cross asked without turning around to face the pureblood.
"Chairman," the vampire started, stopping next to the man, "I was just informed of what transpired,"
"I'm sorry to say this, Kaname-kun, but at the moment I know as much as you do," Kaien intercepted the flood of questions that was just at the tip of the pureblood's tongue.
"I see," Kuran murmured, watching as the car drove and stopped on the other side of the gates.
"It wasn't bloodlust, if that's what you're wondering," Cross said, watching the other's reaction from the corner of his eyes.
"It did cross my mind at one point, I admit,"
"But…?"
"The place where Kiryuu collapsed," Kaname started and Kaien's eyed widened slightly, "… it was that place, wasn't it?"
The ex-hunter tensed and for a few agonizingly long seconds there was a silence stretching far and wide.
"Yes," he finally admitted, exhaling in defeat.
"I figured as much," the pureblood commented, his eyes following the vehicle before it stopped in front of them.
"You didn't know, then?" Kaien asked, surprised.
"No, I didn't," the pureblood admitted, seeing no sense in hiding that part of information. The dream however, oh yes, the dream was his and only his secret. At least until he could confront the silver haired hunter.
Which will have to wait, because the person he wanted to talk to the most was, at the moment, carried unconscious in his master's arms.
"Is Kaname inside?" Ichijo asked, while Yuuki used the bracelet, allowing him to step inside the barrier.
"No, he… Nii-sama went outside, again," the girl sighed, opening the door to her room and letting the other in.
"I see," Ichijo murmured, his eyes narrowed, yet with a concerned look in them.
"It's been two days already. Do you think he's…"
"With Kiryuu-kun, probably," the blond answered, moving slightly to embrace the trembling silhouette.
"Ichijo-sempai, do you think he's going to be okay?" Yuuki asked, circling her small arms around the other's waist.
"Don't worry. Zero-kun went through a lot worse and still came back in the end, right?"
"Yeah," she breathed, inhaling the comforting scent.
But it's not Zero I'm worried about.
Zero groaned turning his head away. Trust his cursed luck to see Kuran as the first person after waking up.
"Not what I wanted to see," he mumbled in the pillow. Trying to sit up, he blinked at the sudden dizziness that overcame him. And just as he was about to hit the floor, he felt the warmth on his shoulder and saw an arm pushing him slightly back to the sitting position.
"Slowly," Kaname said, his arm back limply at his side.
"What the hell do you want, Kuran?" Zero spat and the pureblood couldn't help the small twitch of his lips. It would appear that the hunter was a grouchy kind of person right after waking up.
"Is that an attitude you should have towards someone who was worried about you?" Kaname asked back, his eyebrow quirked up in amusement.
Zero snorted, quite loudly, to emphasize his point.
Kuran worried about him?
Yeah and the world just came to an end.
"What do you really want?" the hunter spat, glaring hatefully at the pureblood.
Hate was good, it kept his other emotions in check. It blocked the confusion from flooding back in.
Kaname's face remained impassive, unfazed by the treatment. Instead, he took of his white uniform jacket and loosened his red tie. Lilac eyes immediately widened.
"I don't want your blood, you bastard! I didn't-"
"I know," Kaname cut in, unfastening the first button of his black shirt, "I know you didn't collapse because of the bloodlust,"
"Then why-" Zero started again. And again, the pureblood intercepted his question.
"I want you to see something,"
"See something?" the hunter huffed, quite irritated at being interrupted. Kaname only nodded, sitting next to him on the bed- his collar and throat exposed.
"Why the hell do I need to bit you to see something?"
Kaname sighed, of course Zero wouldn't know about that aspect of vampires.
"It's a memory," he answered, yet all he received in return were even more confused lilac eyes.
"You've experienced it before, haven't you? Seeing my… memory while drinking my blood," the pureblood said knowingly. After all, he allowed him to see it.
Zero nodded absentmindedly, thinking about that time in the dungeons with him chained up to the wall and fangs down in the other's neck.
"Drinking is not only for allowing us to live longer. It also works as a form of communication," Kaname said, grabbing the hunter at the back of his neck.
"So just tell me about it, if it's oh-so important," Zero growled, yet stilled at the sudden touch and push forward.
"I can't," Kaname whispered, his breath fanning over the other's ear, before pushing the hunter to the crook of his neck,
"It is something you need to see, to hear," he finished, tightening his grip.
"I'm not your puppet anymore, Kuran! Whatever the hell you're planning I'm not going to-"
"Please, Zero," Kaname murmured, completely disregarding the fact that he just called the other by his name.
Zero, however, noticed it, quite clearly if one might add. Yet it wasn't even the shock at hearing his own name from the pureblood's mouth that had him hovering just a few inches above the exposed skin- fangs elongated and ready to pierce.
It was the crushing honesty and a plea of something. What it was, Zero didn't know.
Not yet, at least.
But those things could wait.
The pulsing vein just under his tongue, couldn't.
So yeaaah :P That's it. I know, I know. Not what you expected? Sucks? Tell me straight! :P But honestly, I'm not actually quite sure where to go with this story now. It's not what I had in mind for the longest time now. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Anyway!
I found this awesome, AWESOME book that's just sooo for Kaname x Zero that I'm thinking about turning it into a story about them :P Well, I don't think I'll publish it, I mean, not sure if it's allowed here :P Just for the heck of it ;D
So yeah, back to bussiness.
I think the next chapter should be somewhere on saturday/sunday if my muse won't throw a tantrum at me :P
So, see you 'till then! ;)