mint: Err... hello?
I'm sorry for not updating for... a year! I'm sorry! T.T You guys probably hate me right now... I know It's my fault...
This past year was hectic. I graduated high school and I'm a college student starting next school year. But it seems my absence brought some good, hey, I was actually doing important things! I passed my dream university, got the course I want and even got a scholarship! O_o
To all my reviewers, readers, followers, etc... I am very, very thankful for every single one of you. I read reviews, I just can't reply.
To my reviewers, again, thank you! You know who you are, it's been a lot of time, and I'll not list names in here anymore.
Anyway thank you to everyone!
NOTE: This chapter is un-betaed (did i got the word right?) because, Silver Tears 11 hasn't replied to me for some time now. (Yes, I know, It's my fault...) I don't want to make you guys wait any longer. But, I'll edit this as soon as Silver Tears 11 replies to me. For now, bear with my suckish grammar. (I'm sorry, English is not my mother language... -_-)
Sorry also if they're a bit OOC to you...
Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is obviously not mine, if it was, Zero would be with someone already. (Zero needs someone in his life!)
The rain fell hard against the forest floor and the two vampires quickly tried to find shelter. They were too far from any building of the school so they knew they had to resort to the forest but it was easier said than done. The rain quickly became a heavy downpour and it clouded their senses from smelling dry land.
'The weather must really hate me,' Zero thought smugly letting his eyes wander through the forest.
"There!" He heard Kaname and quickly led his vision to where the pureblood was pointing. It was a hollowed clearing under a rather elevated part of the forest that was laden with vines, tree roots, and grass. It was rather small, just enough for 5 adult persons to fit and cramp inside.
"It's small but we'll manage," The ex-human voiced his unwillingness.
The two crawled inside, sighing as they finally made contact with something dry.
Zero sighed as soon as his body touched dry land and his mind started to move its gears, rethinking the pureblood's question. Why from Aido? Why? He racked his brain for an answer but he couldn't. To him it felt just the 'common thing' to do, like it was 'common sense'. But the question why is one that he still cannot answer.
"What are you doing?" Zero raised an eyebrow at Kaname, breaking his concentration. The Pureblood was already half-way at unbuttoning his wet shirt.
The brunette managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes before muttering, "Well, wet clothes would do harm on us rather than good at this moment. We may be vampires but we are not immune to colds,"
Zero looked at him for a moment trying to think over what he had said, his eyes never leaving the others. He hadn't realized he was staring for a long time when he was finally awoken from his thoughts by a flicker of orange that he saw in the pureblood's eyes. The carrier blinked but the colour was already gone and from that, he knew, he was beginning to irritate the brunette.
"Sorry. I got kind of caught up with these weird colours…" he murmured.
"So it would seem." By now, Kaname had already removed his shirt.
The carrier stared at the brunette for a few seconds, admiring his beauty that he never acknowledged before, but quickly forced his sight away. Unfortunately for him though, Kaname had felt it and he fought the urge to smirk at the other vampire. Zero quietly removed his shirt with trembling hands. He wasn't so sure if it was because of the cold brought by the rain though. 'Well duh, you forgot to bring Bloody Rose in haste,' he mentally scolded himself. Zero grabbed his hair and squeezed the excess water out while Kaname watched in interest in the corner of his eye.
The pureblood knew that this was a bad idea and with Zero soaked from head to foot made it only worse. Vampires always hated the rain for it brings unnecessary scent in their noses. Now, Zero's scent was literally choking him. It's not that it didn't smell good, quite the contrary actually, but it sent the brunette clinging to every last thread of his sanity to not jump on the teen. Zero was experiencing the same thing. He tried not to inhale too much air for he could smell that thick musk of scent that plainly says 'Kaname' around him. But alas, he needed to breathe and every now and then, his fingers would be twitching, trying to move their way to the pureblood.
"This is ridiculous…" Zero mumbled causing the other vampire to look at him in curiosity.
"Excuse me?"
"Talk. I'll be civil just distract me," He said suddenly. Yes. He needed something to distract him from the overwhelming scent. He needed to keep his composure.
"From what?" Kaname asked innocently.
"From this." He replied looking at the Pureblood. "Just… do it,"
"All right," The brunette saw the tense expression of the ex-prefect. The situation must be beginning to get to him. "The weather must really hate us,"
The carrier looked at him with a startled expression before turning his head away and coughed. Two seconds later, another cough came and then continuous chuckling followed. Kaname raised an elegant eyebrow at the action though it made his lips curl up a little. It was the first time that he heard Zero laugh, well, close to a laugh, and it was music to his ears. He made a mental note to himself to make sure that he would bring the laughter back to Zero's lips in the days to come.
Finally, the carrier stopped and faced Kaname once again with an amused expression in his face, "Really Kuran? The weather?"
"I am pleased that you find it amusing," Well, he couldn't think of anything to talk about. He really would love to talk about that 'Aido incident' once again but it may just bring more harm than good.
"Sorry about that, although, I have to agree with you on that one. How long do you think it will last?"
That was a first too. Zero apologizing to him. The pureblood was seeing more and more new things about the carrier today.
"I would say probably for the rest of the day. We might need to stay here for the night,"
The silver-haired vampire frowned, "That long?"
"Probably. Do you want to go back that much?"
"I just want to take a hot bath,"
Kaname stared at the carrier, "You do not like the cold then?"
"It was winter when it happened," He snarled. The pureblood knew immediately what Zero was referring to. It was the night that he was turned into a vampire.
The two were silent for a minute when Zero spoke once again.
"Kuran. I think, I finally have an answer to your question," The silver-haired vampire said looking straight ahead in the rain.
Kaname was a little startled when he heard it but managed to keep a straight face. Deep inside, it was the only thing he wanted to talk about with the carrier at the moment.
"Is that so?"
"I've been thinking a lot ever since you asked me,"
"That is some fast thinking," Kaname observed. After all, he had just asked the question before it started raining.
"Well, I want an answer as well. I've been asking the same question to myself," Zero replied still looking absent-mindedly on the pouring rain.
Kaname did not say anything and the carrier took it as a sign to continue.
"I guess… I guess I'm…" the silver-haired vampire looked at the pureblood for a second and saw him staring and waiting at him. Their eyes were locked on each other for a second before Zero turned away again.
"I'm scared alright?" He said in annoyance as he folded his knees close to his chest with his arms resting above them. He placed his chin above his arms and his eyes seem to drift farther from the pureblood.
Kaname stared at the carrier in shock. While his mind is clouded by jealousy and anger, he never thought that Zero is scared of drinking from him. Looking back at the other vampire, he mentally scolded himself as he saw that Zero looked almost lost and confused. He knew by then that what he did was a selfish act. He was blinded by his anger that he had not think about Zero's feelings at all.
"Zero?" The said guy snapped in his daze and looked at the pureblood.
Thinking that Kaname wants a more detailed explanation, Zero started to talk, "It's because… You know that when carrier vampires drink blood, our blood cells 'attack' the foreign blood right?" He looked at the other.
"Yes."
"And then it removes all the trace of that blood right?"
"Yes."
"So you know that when I drink blood from a pureblood, your blood for example, your cells will counter the 'attack' and reverse the process,"
"Yes-" Oh…
Kaname had finally understood what Zero is scared of. He is scared of being turned to a pureblood. The reason why he became the creature that he despises the most, that he was sworn to kill and the reason why his parents are dead.
The pureblood removed his gaze from the ex-hunter and hung his head a little in understanding.
"Did you know that if I drink your blood that would likely make me a Kuran?" he asked again.
The brunette looked at the carrier in surprise.
"It's like telling the rest of the world that I'm yours," Zero frowned a little as he said it.
Yes, it makes sense. Once Kaname's blood enters his system, the carrier blood that will attack will be defeated and will be turned into pure blood. Since his blood cells will 'copy' or 'replicate' Kaname's blood cells in Zero's body, the two will share the same blood and therefore the same scent but, it will still have a small difference since the two have different bodies. Even siblings does not have the same blood, only twins can and it can be concluded that Zero drinking Kaname's blood is like having another Kaname in a different body.
"You really gave this issue a lot of thinking," Kaname observed his lips curving upwards.
"Kind of,"
A long silence surrounded the two.
"Well, are you satisfied?" the silver-haired vampire said, his frown now perfectly visible.
Kaname smiled a little, "Yes."
Zero sighed, thankful that the questioning is done at last.
"But you know Zero," Kaname started again and Zero faced the pureblood with a glare.
"I do not mind," he continued as he stood up and sat a foot before Zero.
"But I do," He nearly growled and tried to put a good distance between himself and the pureblood.
The brunette quickly grabbed the younger vampire gently in the arm before he could go away.
"Let me go!"
Kaname ignored the statement and leaned forward to Zero stopping when his lips were centimetres away from his right ear. The carrier struggled and tried to pry himself away from the other but to no avail. The pureblood was just too strong.
"I like you,"
Zero froze and all his movements stopped as he heard those words.
'I like you'
Kaname released his grip on the other vampire's arm and studied Zero's face. His mouth is slightly parted and his eyes are looking at the brunette as if looking for a sign that it was all a joke. But Kaname returned the gaze with honesty and sincerity that matches the carrier's doubt. The two stayed like that for a couple of minutes before the brunette decided to break it.
"Zero?" he asked.
"W-what did you say?" the ex-hunter stammered and Kaname chuckled in return.
"Which one? The 'Zero' one or the 'I like you' one?" The humour in the pureblood's eyes could clearly be observed but somehow, the carrier failed to see it.
"What are you saying? That's sick!" Zero shouted but a faint tint of pink is resting in his cheeks.
The brunette chuckled again and the silver-haired vampire's cheeks reddened a few tones more.
"Shut up!" he shouted once again.
"Yes. Yes." Kaname smiled and took the carrier in his arms in a tight embrace.
"What are you doing? Let go! Kuran, stop this!" Zero shouted and struggled, the red in his cheeks still visible but the pureblood refused to let go.
After minutes of thrashing and shouting, the ex-hunter's arms dropped in exhaustion and gave in to the embrace. They stayed in that position for a long time and as the dull day grew darker; Zero found his eyes closing and in that cold night, welcomed the warmth that his companion gave him.
"You failed," a deep voice echoed in the dark room.
"Forgive me my Lord. It seems that the new carrier is not one to give up easily," a red-haired man said, kneeling before another vampire that is seated in a chair. He is surrounded by women. Plenty of women and some of them are even laid unconscious in the floor.
The man chuckled, "Well, let us just proceed in our next plan Akechi," the man said.
"Yes, my lord,"
"Do not fail me this time," And with that, the red-haired vampire left.
"Kiryuu Zero huh?"