Chapter 10

I walked down the stairs again, a towel wrapped around my long brown hair and a pair of pajama's on, to see Kaname sitting on the fluffy armchair I had occupied earlier reading a book. He looked up at hearing me step off the stairs. He smiled at set the book down on the coffee table. He opened his arms, I smiled and began to walk toward him.

"Have a nice shower?" He asked as I settled onto his lap. He laid his forehead on mine.

"Mm Hm," I sighed and closed my eyes in content. He smiled again. He nudged his nose to mine.

"I love you," I opened my eyes and looked into his. I smiled.

"I love you too," I replied. I leaned forward and gently pecked his lips. He smiled as I pulled away. I snuggled down into his arms. My eyes traveled around the now clean living room, a large fireplace rested on the wall and an even larger bookcase sat on the wall opposite the fireplace. "What book were you reading?" I asked as I turned my eyes back to my love, thinking of the red hard-back book I had seen in his hands.

"Nothing special," He shrugged. "Something about the Civil War." I smiled at him.

"Really, I figured you lived through that," I couldn't stop myself from teasing. He growled low at me. "What is it not true?" I asked, playing as though I was offended. He smiled.

"Yes," We laughed with one another. Before he kissed me gently again. When he pulled away from me, I smiled.

"How come I never saw this side of you when we were alone when I was human?" I asked.

"You did," he smiled, "Especially when you were younger." I laid my head on his shoulder and kissed his neck lightly. The puncture wounds I had given him had already healed. I felt a slight shiver run through him.

"How fast do we heal?" I asked, curious.

"Almost right after we are wounded, unless it's with a vampire hunter weapon then it would take very long to heal," he explained. I raised my hand and drew little figure eights on the hand that held my other.

"Because vampire hunter weapons are designed to kill us. It stunts our healing power, right?" I whispered, remembering the friend and crush I had left behind. I closed my eyes as a slight sadness ripped through me as I pictured his pain at my letter of goodbye.

'He truly deserved to hear me tell him goodbye. "You thought it would be a good idea to become a vampire?" I had heard the anger in his voice, Zero…I've hurt you badly over the years… "I won't allow you to become something like that. Even if the price is for Kaname Kuran to become my enemy, or for you to end up hating me." No, Zero, you fool. I could never have hated you…'

"….Where did you learn that?" I opened my eyes again and came back from my thoughts just in time to hear Kaname finish his question.

"Zero," I said, "And Kaien taught me how to use Atermis and Zero taught me to use a gun. I had to be well informed." I smiled, grimly.

"Yuki, you're holding the gun wrong," Zero's voice called to me. I sighed in frustration and turned to him.

"Then show me how to hold it oh amazing sensei!" I snapped. He chuckled lightly and kicked off the wall. He slipped up behind me and set my hands into the proper place. I ignored the blush that was threatening to rise. He placed his finger over my much smaller one and pulled the trigger. My body jerked back into his slightly. I kept my hands in that position as he slid his hands away from mine and returned to the wall.

"Okay, now try again," He demanded. I nodded and pulled the trigger. The bullet grazed the bull's eye but didn't hit. I squealed, happy that I'd gotten that close.

"I did it!" I spun around toward Zero, "I really did it!" I hugged him without thinking, he wrapped his arms around me awkwardly.

"Good job, Yuki." He whispered, I smiled widely and let him go; he dropped his arms from around me. I turned and ran out of the shooting range to tell Kaien.

Kaname wrapped his arms around my waist and squeezed me tightly.

"Yuki, I'm sorry," He whispered into my hair; his breathe brushed against my neck.

"For what?" I asked him.

"Taking you away from him," I could hear the pain in his voice, "without letting you tell him goodbye. I was just so afraid that he was going to do something rash…"

"Like kill me," I finished for him. I could feel him nod.

"And now I've caused you pain," The regret in his voice was piercing through my heart. I turned in his lap, my legs on either side of his hips. I grabbed his face in my hands and looked deeply into his eyes.

"No, Kaname, you haven't caused me any pain. It's Zero that you've caused pain too. If it's anyone you should apologize to it's him. Don't ever say that you've caused me any type of pain! You haven't!" I leaned toward him, putting my face at level with his. "Please," I laid my forehead on his, "please, don't ever think that you have. I love you, Kaname. I came with you, didn't I?" I kissed him after my long rant. He wrapped his arms tighter around my waist and replied with as much as passion as I delivered. We pulled away, breathing heavily.

"I love you too." He whispered, his forehead resting on mine. "But I'm not apologizing to Zero." I laughed lightly.

"I know you're not, I was just making a point. He would probably try and kill you at the moment," I felt a sense of guilt rush through me at the thought of how badly Zero was hurting at the moment. Knowing that I couldn't be there for him now.

'Zero, I fear that it is you who hates me.' I couldn't stop the thought as I laid my head on Kaname's shoulder.

"Kaname, would it be unusual for a vampire to sleep during the night?" I asked. Kaname laughed, the action bounced my whole body. I blushed lightly.

"No," He said, "We've both had a long day; it wouldn't be unusual at all." I threw my arms around his neck once more.

"Good," I smiled sleeply at him, "Then carry me to bed." He laughed.

"As my lady wishes," He smiled down at me and then stood from the chair; he carried me bridal style up the stairs and into the first bedroom he found. He laid me on the bed and kissed my lips lightly. "Goodnight, my love." He laid down next to me, still in his clothes, and wrapped his arms around me. I sighed and slid even farther back into him. Once more, I found myself in a memory:

Kaname and I had been sitting on the couch in the basement, my room. Kaname had a book in his hands while I lay curled up in his lap with my thumb in my mouth. I could feel myself dozing as he read:

"You fought for me..." She said, her eyes wide as she stared up at him. The man just smiled and said:

"Of course I did," He walked toward her and wrapped his arms around her small body, "Do you think that if I couldn't have you that I would let him?" He asked, jerking his head toward the knocked out man. She glared at him.

"As sweet as the gesture was, I believe you just ruined it." She huffed, shoving the man away from her.

I could feel myself drifting deeper into sleep.

"Goodnight Yuki." Kaname had said.

"Goodnight, Kaname," I sighed as sleep took me over.