I don't own Vampire Knight or any of the characters in the series.
A/N: Chapter 11 is here! :D
I've been looking at my university timetable for the coming semester and realising that I have so many early morning classes...How can they expect me to wake up that early!? (0_0")
Also: I brought one of those mini-mannequin things for my drawing and I've decided to call it 'Zerp' in honour of the number of times I write that instead of 'Zero'. Honestly, it's probably my most common typo...so I made it a name! :)
Irmina: Yagari was the one who found Kaname and was with the chairman when they decided to send Kaname to Zero's place. So, Zero isn't worried about opening the door because he knows that Yagari already knows that Kaname is there. Thank you so much for your review and I hope this answers your question! :D
WriterForLife15, AokyorRenka, Aoi. y. love. forward: Thank you so much for your reviews! :D And, our Zero and Kaname are in love! But, can they admit it...? ^^
I wrote this chapter about three times...I think (hope) it's good now! (^_^")
And, it's quite a long chapter too! I hope you like it! :)
Please read, review, fave and follow! But, most importantly, please enjoy! :D
Chapter 11: More Guests
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
The knocking was also accompanied by the distinctly strong smell of tobacco, letting Zero know exactly who was there before opening the door so that he was ready to greet them:
"Good morning, Yagari-sensei."
"Morning, kiddo." The older man with raven-shade hair replied in his gruff accent, messing with Zero's hair, just like old times, before striding into the apartment as if it were his own home.
As he moved forward Zero noticed the second man, another visitor. With long blonde hair, neatly tied back, and a pair of thin-rimmed spectacles perched on his nose, this man was none other than Zero's adoptive father, Kaien Cross.
"Chairman…" Zero said recognising him, before the inevitable happened.
Tears appeared at the corner of Kaien's eyes before spilling over in streams.
"Call me daddy!" He insisted through his sobs as he threw himself at Zero, enveloping the younger man in an uncomfortable yet inescapable squeeze, otherwise referred to as a hug.
"Get..off…me..." Zero tried to breathe enough to shove Kaien away from him.
He found that, once again, he was regretting the strength that he had lost over the years.
Eventually Kaien pulled back, keeping Zero at arm's length so that he could observe the silverette.
"Oh goodness, look at you! You've grown into such a fine young man, though you still have those rebellious piercings… Daddy's missed you!" Kaien was about to attack Zero with another hug, but was stopped…by Zero's fist.
*Thunk*
However, it didn't do as much damage as Zero intended. So, he'd have to settle with a nice sharp glare instead as he gave the man a piece of his mind.
"YOU PUT A TRACKER IN MY FAVOURITE COAT!" He yelled at Kaien, remembering what Kaname had so kindly told him.
"Daddy was worried about you…" Kaien tried to defend his actions.
"No excuses…" Zero growled, still annoyed.
"Please forgive me!" The chairman begged, trying to once again latch himself onto Zero.
But, Yagari was faster and caught Kaien by the collar of his coat, dragging him away from Zero.
"I know you haven't seen him for ages, but please restrain yourself. We have business to attend to, Kaien." Yagari warned.
"Ah,yes." Kaien conceded. "I'm so sorry for being over-emotional, Zero-kun, but I haven't seen you for years, even though I've been sorely tempted to many times. Truly, not seeing my son has been my life's hardest struggle!" The blonde man put his hand to his heart trying to dramatize his internal struggle. "But now, we are reunited!" Yagari towed Kaien towards the lounge area before he began crying again.
As Yagari walked past him with the chairman, Zero mouthed a 'thank you' to his former teacher, before shutting the door and locking it to prevent any more unwanted guests.
Walking back to the lounge area, Zero saw Yagari dump Kaien on the couch, the opposite end from where Kaname was sitting.
"Nn!"
Kaname jolted awake. He blinked a few times to get his bearings before his eyes went wide. Seeing Yagari and Kaien first thing in the morning was certainly not what Kaname had been expecting.
"What…?" He vaguely asked as he rubbed his eyes, still feeling tired at this time of morning.
"We're here to have a little chat with you two about a few important things, okay?" Yagari explained snappily.
Yagari, not particularly wanting to sit in between a powerful vampire and a 'crazy old man' on the couch, pulled up one of the dining chairs to sit on instead. Zero gave in and sat in the remaining couch seat, unconsciously sitting closer to Kaname to escape the clinging paws of Kaien.
However, he didn't sit for long, quickly standing up again and drawing the attention of everyone else in the room.
"I'm so sorry, I forgot to offer tea. I'll go and make some now!" He said before heading towards the kitchen.
But, he didn't get too far. In fact, he didn't even leave the lounge area. He was stopped by Yagari's strong arm. Looking back, he saw that Yagari was eyeing him with a very odd expression.
"Would you prefer coffee, shisho?" Zero asked, confused with Yagari's reaction.
"Since when do you offer tea and coffee?" Yagari questioned.
What's wrong with offering tea and coffee…?
Zero vaguely wondered what the point of Yagari's question was when Kaien spoke up, eyes glistening.
"I never thought I would see the day when my darling son would offer me tea like this. Really, I think it's a pleasant change." Kaien blurted out.
A pleasant change…
Then it struck Zero that the last time he had seen these two was quite a while ago, during the years he was at his most rebellious. Yes, the last time he had seen them was when he was a moody, angst-filled teenager, struggling to cope, about to disappear. At that time something as trivial as making tea for guests couldn't have been further from his mind.
He had changed since he had left them.
"You've become domesticated…" Yagari explained aloud.
"…" Zero didn't answer…because he knew it was true.
During the years he hadn't been in contact with the two hunters he did his best to distance himself as much as possible from his blood-filled past. Mostly preferring to stay inside, Zero hadn't fought anyone for a long time, nothing had been pushing him to test his physical ability. The most dangerous thing he had handled in recent years was a kitchen knife, clearly no comparison to a hunter's weapon. Painting and cooking took up most of his time…fighting was no longer second-nature to him, his senses had dulled. Zero had, indeed, become domesticated.
Under the eyes of his former teacher he felt slightly ashamed for letting this happen to himself. The hunter blood which flowed through his veins, tainted by his vampire side, was the only inclination of what he once was.
"I never wanted to come back into all of this…" Zero made his excuse quietly as Yagari's arm dropped, allowing him to move towards the kitchen again.
Once in the kitchen, Zero set about making their tea. Making tea relaxed him. His kitchen was his refuge. It gave him space and time to think.
I never wanted to come back…but I have to. I know that I have to make my return as a hunter.
After he had made the tea he brought the tray, with four cups, into the lounge area and set it down upon the coffee table. He once again took his seat between Kaname and Kaien.
The room was silent and tense. Everyone was hesitating to speak. If only their reunion could have been on better terms. They may have been able to catch up on what they had missed from each other's lives during the past years. But, they couldn't. They had more serious matters to talk about, though they didn't particularly want to talk about them
"So…what 'business' is it, that you have come here for?" Zero bit the bullet and decided to start the inevitable conversation.
"Firstly, we're here to assess him." Yagari pointed to Kaname. "He does certainly look a lot better than when we saw him last." He commented.
"I certainly feel better, thank you, Yagari-sensei. I think that everything has healed now. But, my joints are still a bit stiff and I haven't really used my powers since before Yuki…locked me up." They all knew exactly what he was referring to and didn't feel like elaborating more on that traumatic subject.
"It's good that you've healed. But, the charm which is covering your blood scent is fading and we'll need to replace it. As I'm sure you're well aware, we don't want you discovered until the time is right." Kaien explained.
They all knew that 'the right time' would be when the fighting started. But, none of them really wanted to talk about such things.
"As for your powers, we will want you to practice and train before 'that time'. We are currently working on a space at the Hunters Association that will hide your presence while you test your powers. We will let you know when it is ready." Yagari added.
"Thank you." Kaname replied succinctly.
"Though, Kuran isn't the only one who will have to practice." Yagari continued, facing Zero.
He then reached inside of his long brown jacket and pulled a cloth-covered box from one of the inside pockets. Removing the cloth, he placed the box on the table and slid it closer to Zero.
"I believe this is yours." Yagari explained.
Zero looked at the box. It was made of a dark wood and was carved with extreme detail. The surrounding edges of the box displayed many patterns, particularly featuring cherry blossoms and wolves, both symbols relating to the Kiryuu hunter family. To support this notion, the top of the box was embellished with a carving of the Kiryuu family emblem. It was clearly old, an artefact, and a family heirloom. Something he knew, but hadn't seen in so long. It deserved to be treated with care.
Gently he lifted the lid.
Upon a bed of navy velvet lay the most superbly crafted hunter weapon, a gun named 'Bloody Rose'. Although it had not been used for many years the metal still retained its silver shine. Even the wood, set in the handle, appeared as glossy and un-tarnished as ever. It had its own aura which spoke of its power.
"Bloody Rose…" Zero spoke quietly, recognising the gun as his old battle companion.
But, he didn't take it out of the box. He left it where it lay, untouched and closed the lid.
"Aren't you going to at least pick it up and get a feel for it again?" Kaien queried, honestly sounding let-down, expecting something more dramatic than what he had just seen.
"I haven't used a gun, or any weapon, in years. I'm not worthy of it." Zero explained.
"Too right, you're not worthy." Yagari agreed.
Zero felt the sting of his old teacher's words.
"You will start training with me as soon as possible. We want you in prime condition as soon as possible. In the meantime, while everything is being arranged, at least pick up a set of weights and get your body back into shape." Yagari requested.
"Yes, shisho…" Zero quietly agreed.
"I will leave Bloody Rose with you. Even if you can't wield it yet it is yours. Get used to its presence and think about what must be done." Yagari advised.
Zero nodded in response. Satisfied, Yagari turned his attention to Kaname once more.
"Since you appear to be feeling much better now, have you considered contacting your vampire friends?" He asked the pureblood.
Zero knew that Kaname hadn't, and that he wasn't intending to, remembering the conversation they had several days ago about Akatsuki.
"No." Kaname replied.
"I think you should try." Yagari prompted.
It was obvious why, from a strategic standpoint, they would want some of Kaname's friends aiding them. A few noble-level vampires could be more than enough to sway a battle.
"But most of the people I used to trust follow Yuki now. I have no guarantee that they will keep my location hidden from her. It's too dangerous." Kaname tried to explain.
"I know that you think it's dangerous which is why I think that maybe you should start with Akatsuki-kun." Kaien gave his opinion. "Besides, as my lovely Ichiru's boyfriend, he's been to dinner at my house a few times now and hasn't tried to poison me, attack me or anything like that, even though I'm the leader of the Hunters Association which Yuki seems to dislike so much these days. I think he's safe. And, if you're really worried we can have Ichiru, who's obviously on Zero-kun's side, threaten to break his heart in two should he tell your position to any of Yuki's followers!" Kaien explained smiling.
"…I'll think about it." Kaname conceded, not wanting to make a solid decision too hastily.
"Good." Kaien showed his approval.
While they were talking, Yagari took the opportunity to glance at the clock on Zero's wall.
"Kaien, as much as I'm sure you want to talk more, we have to get going. You have a meeting, remember?" He prompted Kaien to wrap up his talking.
"Fine, fine… Meetings are boring though." Kaien mumbled, getting to his feet.
He then walked over to Kaname and placed his hand on the pureblood's head. A purple shine emanated from his hand and appeared to flow into Kaname.
"This will seal you blood scent and aura. And, it's a stronger charm than the last one." Kaien explained. "As long as you disguise yourself well enough it should be fine to leave the house. I would really recommend getting some fresh air, you're looking paler than normal." He suggested.
Kaname thanked the chairman for his actions and then stood, with Zero, to show the two hunters to the door.