Disclaimer:

I do not own Vampire Knight or any of its characters no matter how hard I wish for it to be.

WARNING: Rated M for language, rape, sexual harassment, torture, boyxboy, seductive lemons, supernatural themes and the pure awesomeness that is Vampire Knight.

Enjoy!

Phoenix


Kill Me Softly

-The Pain-

Zero was shivering. His teeth chattered, his heart pounding. The water around him was like ice.

Zero sat unseeingly in the bath, he couldn't remember how long he'd been there, but he knew it had been quite a while as the hot steaming water had turned cold some time ago.

His skin was red raw, it had not healed from his own vicious self cleaning hours ago. Or least it felt like hours, Zero couldn't place time anymore. Normally his skin would've healed by now, but after being exposed to the anti-vampire cuffs for so long, the effects still lingered in his blood, slowing his healing process.

Zero shivered again, this time not from the cold, as he glanced down at the bruised red rings around his wrists.

They did this to me... they...

Zero gripped his head in his hands roughly. His fingers curling around the silky silver strands in a death grip as if he planned to yank the stands out.

Don't think about that. Don't think about them.

Yet his mind kept conjuring up images, memories, of his past week. Katashi breaking his wrist, Hibiki whispering cruel words in his ear as he stroked Zero into oblivion and Kiyoshi...Kiyoshi.

White hot tears leaked out of Zero's clenched eyes and rolled in waves down his cheek. He couldn't save Kiyoshi. He'd done...those things for nothing. He'd lost his pride for nothing. For all his actions and decisions hadn't saved the orphan boy who looked so much like his own twin brother.

Needing to distract himself from his thoughts, Zero picked up the scrubbing brush once again and began to scour at his redding skin with such force that it was more like self-inflicted punishment than actual bathing.

Dirty...I'm dirty because of them...

"Zero..?" Akatsuki's voice came beyond the door.

Has he been waiting for me all this time?

"Zero are you decent? May I come in?" The voice was at the door now. The hunter frowned at the noble's choice of words.

Decent? I've just got back from whoring myself off to my captors? How could I ever be decent again? Zero returned to his scrubbing. When Akatsuki received no reply he opened the door.

"Zero?" Akatsuki's head slipped around the door. He took in the sight before him."Zero!" Akatsuki rushed to the hunter's side. His hands wrapping around the scrubbing brush that Zero had elected as his own self-punishing device.

"What are you doing?" Akatsuki demanded, his tone very much unlike his norm. It was soft, edgy and panicked. Zero couldn't blame him, the hunter knew he looked like a mess; seated in freezing water, colored by the blood from his wounds, his lower region covered only by Akatsuki's bloodstained jacket and scrubbing mechanically like a man possessed.

Zero turned to Akatsuki with hollow eyes.

"Cleaning." He stated simply.

The noble regarded him for a moment. Horror, rage, frustration and sadness were all evident in his gaze, before he finally composed himself.

"Not in that water." Zero recognized the switch in the noble's tone from the soft panicked one to his partially bored but all seriousness business one.

Using quick, determined movements, Akatsuki rolled up the sleeves to his shirt, strode over to the bathtub and pulled the plug. Zero watched blankly as the bloodied water left the basin. Kain replaced the plug afterwards and proceeded to refill the bath tub with steaming hot water, checking the temperature every few moments as to make sure that the water never grew too hot or cold.

With gentle, yet forcing hands, Akatsuki took his jacket off the hunter and chucked it into the wash basket. Zero now sat naked in the bath, his arms consciously wrapped around himself although the Noble was keeping his eyes quite clear of Zero's lower region. Kneeling beside the bath, Akatsuki picked up a bottle of shower gel, squeezed a small amount into his palm and then, much to Zero's surprise, began to massage the liquid into Zero's back.

As soon as Akatsuki touched his skin, however, the hunter flinched away violently. His subconscious suddenly all to aware of the likeness of the situation of him being naked and touched by another.

"It's me Zero. I'm not going to hurt you." Zero paused for a moment, cursing the stupidity of his actions. "Do you want me to stop?" Zero clung onto the sound of Akatsuki's voice, the warmth of his hands.

Slowly, Zero shook his head.

Akatsuki took it as a confirmation to continue and returned to the task at hand. As Akatsuki continued to work his hands in soothing motions up and along the hunter's back, Zero found himself turning away from his darkened memories and focusing more on Akatsuki's touch and the relaxing effect it was having on him. But too soon the hunter felt a light blush grace his cheeks as he realized that he was completely nude in font of the noble. His consciousness was quickly silenced, after all he was a pet, brought and paid for and this was his 'master', it was expected that a pet should be viewed naked. Besides, it wasn't like the hunter hadn't been seen by others already.

Zero winced at that thought. Akatsuki paused in his ministrations.

"Did I hurt you?" Zero shook his head silently. The noble paused for a moment longer before he continued. "Do your wounds still hurt?"

Which ones? The hunter thought a psychotic moment of sarcasm passing through him suddenly.

"Is your broken wrist has healed right? Akatsuki prompted when the hunter remained silent for too long. Zero's only reply was a quite nod. Unsatisfied with the answer yet deciding not to push it, Akatsuki finished washing Zero's back and moved to the hunter's arms in the attempt to investigate the break himself.

Akatsuki took his time in examining both arms and wrists, checking the movement and the flexibility. His fingers traced the cuff link wounds around the hunter's wrists delicately. Before switching to trace the hunter's jaw that was still swollen, despite his recent intake of blood.

Zero unconsciously leaned into the touch, the warmth that was so much unlike his captors soothing him more than anything else.

"I'm sorry" Akatsuki murmured softly. His eyes suddenly dark with an unknown emotion. Kain tipped Zero's chin upwards so the hunter was forced to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry." Akatsuki repeated. "I was supposed to protect you." Zero shook his head.

"I'm fine" The hunter rasped, his throat tired as he had not used it since Akatsuki had saved him.

"You're not." Akatsuki sighed. "And it's my fault. I swear to you, I won't let anyone ever hurt you again." Zero felt his eyes glaze over and he ducked his head to hide just how much those words to meant to him.

He said it again.

Although Zero could still feel the noble's gaze upon him, Zero refused to look up and after a moment, Akatsuki returned to cleaning the hunter before rinsing him off with a clean, damp washcloth.

"I'll get you some something to wear." Akatsuki rose from the side of the bath tub. As soon as he had left the room Zero found himself being dragged back into the haze of vicious memories that Akatsuki's presence kept at bay. Zero shuddered visibly as he felt cold hands running across his skin, stroking him, dipping between his legs and destroying what little innocence he had left.

"Zero?"

Zero flinched as he was jerked from his memories. A warm hand cupped his face gently, the thumb wiped away the single tear that trailed down the hunter's cheek.

When had he started crying?

"Come on, get dressed." Akatsuki placed Zero's bed clothes on the sink counter. "I'll be just outside." Zero nodded, waiting for the door to close before emptying the bath and rising from the quickly disappearing water. After drying himself with one of the plush towels, Zero pulled the silken garments on, grateful to be finally clothed after going so long without.

Knowing the noble was waiting for him, Zero opened the door and slipped out of the bathroom where Akatsuki was waiting in his bedroom.

"Feel any better?" Zero nodded and headed for his bed. The events of the past week were finally catching up on him and he felt exhausted. Akatsuki's helped him settle and pulled the covers over Zero.

"Zero?" The hunter blinked sleepily in question. "You should feed before you sleep, it will help with your wounds." Zero could only blink in response his energy was evaporating before his eyes- just how many hours had he slept lately?

Realizing Zero's weakness, Akatsuki sat on the corner of the bed and pushed back his collar, before leaning down so that his neck was pressed right against the hunter's mouth. Zero drank without hesitation, taking deep and heady gulps before drifting off to sleep. Akatsuki cleaned his wound with a cloth realizing the ex-human must have been beat if he couldn't even finish drinking, let alone close the wound.

Akatsuki brushed a silver lock out of the boy's face.

"Sweet dreams Zero."

Akatsuki gave the hunter one last look before returning to his own room. Instead of heading for his bed, Akatsuki returned to his private study, knowing he wouldn't find any comfort in slumber tonight. Akatsuki poured himself a fresh glass of blood wine and light another cigarette- what was another day without sleep anyway?

Akatsuki settled into his chair and took a grateful sip of blood wine, trying to replace the images of Zero's pain with the effects of alcohol. Kain rubbed his temples as a headache threatened. He'd waited hours for the hunter to finish in the bath, he hadn't even thought of checking on the hunter until it hit the two hour mark only to find the boy sitting in bloody water which had turned cold long ago. Akatsuki sighed gravely.- When he purchased Zero over two weeks ago, hadn't he done so with the full intention of caring for the boy's well-being? So far that promise had ended with him partially molesting the hunter, allowing the boy to be kidnapped, tortured and then left to freeze in a bathtub.

Some carer he was.

But that wasn't entirely true either, he wasn't Zero's carer, his lover, his friend- no, he was Zero's master and Zero was his pet. Hadn't he said the same thing to Peter a few days ago?

Akatsuki took a deep drag of his cigarette and let the smoke out in a heavy sigh.

Why did the term 'Master' and 'Pet' irritate him so much lately? He wanted to posses the Hunter, to claim him fully as his own, he wanted the hunter's to fill the painful, empty holes in his life when there was no more work to do, to be something...someone he could come home to- but did he really need a pet for that? Akatsuki already had a whole battalion of people who he could quite happily order around- did he really want another one? And if he ordered Zero around, manipulated him into saying and doing things for his own amusement- how was he any better then the snatchers that had taken Zero and tortured him?

Akatsuki groaned in frustration, putting aside his eighth glass of blood wine and putting out the last of God only knows how many cigarettes, his thoughts had taken him through quite a few packets and now an uneasy churning of nicotine and smoke sat like a stone in his gut. Kain folded his arms and rested his head on his desk. Why did things have to be so complicated sometimes?

He needed some advice.

Kain picked up the phone and dialed without needing to look at the keypad.

"Hellooo?" Takuma's sunshine voice, despite the hour, did nothing for Akatsuki's mood. Akatsuki opened his mouth to tell him the reasoning of his call and he found himself at a blank.- 'hey Takuma I'm just calling because I think I'am a sadist bastard who likes to make promises I can't keep and am doubting my ability to make sensible decisions- Help me'- now somehow Kain just couldn't see that one working.

"I have caller ID Kain, I know it's you." Akatsuki sighed.

"I'm sorry Takuma, I don't know why I called...good-day." Akatsuki hung up the phone quickly and returned to resting his head on the desk.

The phone rang.

"It's Zero isn't it?" Akatsuki sighed inwardly, of course the blond wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.

"How'd you know?"

"With you it's easy."

"Oh." Akatauki didn't even want to know how the blond came to this conclusion.

"So what happened." Akatsuki paused.

"I almost lost him."

"Again?" Kain winced. Did Takuma have be so blunt?

"Snatches got him, I only just got him back today."

"Snatches? Kain, I'm so sorry- how is Zero now?"

"I don't...I really don't know. Sometimes I see him drifting off and I don't know how to reach him, he flinches at my touch and he just shuts down or cries when I leave him even for a second."

"Oh no Zero."

"Listen Takuma...I know that his captors tortured him...in every aspect of the word physical and I think there's some metal abuse there too."

"Where is Zero now?"

"Asleep?"

"Is he okay?"

"Huh?"

"Is he having nightmares?" Akatsuki felt himself slap his own forehead in a moment of stupidity.

Why didn't I think of that? Akatsuki rushed to check on the hunter, only to find the boy slumbering a a deep, dreamless sleep.

"He's fine."

"Keep and eye on him Akatsuki and I mean a close eye. He's probably feeling more vulnerable then ever and he's going to need to have someone there."

"But what if he doesn't want to talk to me? He hardly says anything anymore."

"Let him talk in his own time, all you need to do now is let him know that you're there and you won't let them get to him again. Where are the snatches now?"

"Dead, mostly. The other two are strung up in my warehouse."

"Kain." Takuma warned.

"They are going to pay Takuma, you expect me just to let them get away with hurting Zero?"

"You? Never. Just make sure Zero doesn't find this out"

"What?"

"Don't let Zero know they're still alive, he's better off believing that they're dead."

"But wouldn't he prefer to know that they're getting what they deserve."

"Zero's not like you Kain, and he's just been through a traumatic experience, the last thing he wants to do is be reminded of that. Believe me, he wants this whole experience to be over and to move on."

"I suppose."

"Now I can't stop you from taking it out on the snatchers, but just make sure you deal with them quickly, the longer you dwell on this, so will Zero."

"Anything else?"

"Well Zero's in a fragile state of mind at the moment and he could go two ways; the first is that he shuts down. If he dose this he's going to refuse food, blood and anything else that involves living. He'll probably find some dark enclosed space and hide in it, like a library or a bedroom. He's going to be tired all the time and the communication lines won't be open."

"And if that happens?"

"Force him to eat, but only small amounts- that goes for blood to. Get him up and about- including going outside. If he wants to sleep let him, but only for reasonable hours and try to get him eating chocolate or exercising."

"Chocolate?"

"It has an ingredient or something that triggers endorphines which makes people happy- forget what it's called- and exercise dose that to. Speaking of which, Kain you should get out there with him."

"Why me?"

"Because your just as bad as a depressed person when you're in your moods."

"Rightttt..." Akatsuki cleared his throat quickly. "Anything else I should know about?" Akatsuki quickly changed the subject, he did not want to discuss him mental state with anyone thank you very much.

"Yes, if Zero doesn't start acting like this he'll probably react to this whole experience in the second way I mentioned earlier."

"Which is?"

"He'll appear more happier, or well in Zero's case more like his old self, but in an exaggerated form. He may eat too much or become way too active, making sure he always keeps busy in order to distract himself from thinking about his ordeal."

"And if that happens?"

"Confront him. The whole happiness and everything is a cover up for how he's really feeling. You have to confront him, make him talk about what is happened. He's probably going to have a breakdown- yes Kain that dose mean you have to comfort him and then you both have to work together in talking about it, resolving the situation and moving on."

"Are you serious?" this was sounding more and more like a chick flick.

"I mean it Kain, make sure he knows you're there for him. When he dose turn to you he's going to need you for all his support and confidence. You will literally have his heart in your hands."

"How do you even know he's even going to turn to me?"

"Who else dose he have to turn to?"

"Well..." Akatsuki frowned, there had to be someone from the Hunter's association that Zero was friends with, but then again didn't they hate vampires? Zero was probably cast out from them and even if he wasn't he would be now that he was a pet. And even then, this wasn't really something Zero could talk about with his work collegues.

"See?"

"Yeah alright." Akatsuki let out a tired sigh. "Anything else you want to lecture me about?" Akatsuki mumbled with a hint of sarcasm, reaching for the blood wine bottle as he did. The sudden overload of information had made him feel like another drink...or six.

"I think you've had enough for one night."

"Damn straight."

"Take care Kain."

"Likewise." Akatsuki hung up the phone and -for what seemed like the hundreth time that night- sighed. The phone call with Takuma had achived nothing- zip, zilch, zero. He'd originally called to sort out his feelings towards the hunter, wondering why he was feeling so goddamn guilty about how he'd treated the boy; his pet, when it was perferctly normal for his race to do so. In the attempt to advert a personal heart-to heart with Takuma- or anyone for that matter- Kain had ended up following Takuma's lead and talking about Zero and his current state of mind.

Zero, Zero, Zero...-was everything about that friggen hunter nowadays?

From the moment Akatsuki had purchased the boy, all he could think about was Zero this, Zero that. Zero needs to be saved, Zero needs to be punished, Zero's been kidnapped, Zero needs help- Zero, Zero, Zero! Akatsuki slammed down his glass, sloshing the remains of the dark liquid in the crystal glass. God could he get a fucking moment to himself anymore?

Did he even want to?

Akatsuki groaned as his the migrane that had threatened before, finally reared it's ugly head. Akatsuki pulled open his desk drawer and popped six white pills, swallowing them down with the last of his wine and finishing it off by lighting another cigerette and taking a heady breath. God he had to get out of this habit. He knew he drank quite a bit and smoked too much when he was stressed, but all he seemed to do now was drink, smoke and worry about that god-freaking hunter.

The boy was turning out to be more trouble than he was worth; 'be the boy's shoulder to cry on'- honestly, when had he signed up for that role? He was Zero Master Goddamnit, not some friggen baby sitter. And...and Zero- he was supposed to be a pet, his job was to take care of his master not the other way around.

Sometime during his interal rant, Kain had risen from his seat, unable to stay still any longer. Nervous rage rolled off of him, emitted from the very pores on his skin.

The truth, Akatsuki realised with a hint of irony, was that since his mother died all those years ago, and his father's murder not long after, Akatsuki had stopped caring about anyone or really anything. Sure he had friends; he had Takuma and Shiki, Ruka and Aidou, Yuki and Kaname, Alfred and Peter, Hell, even his driver, Dorian, were all close to him... and yet with them he had never felt more alone in his life. They were simply part of the facade he put up; The Nightlife King and all that, they fitted the M.O.: rich night club tycoon being BFF's with a horde of aristocat nobles and a pureblood vampire, making a huge foot in the door to fame and fortune. He had hundreds of followers, of workers, of employees all following him around like a bad smell and yet.. up until two weeks ago he'd felt as aged and hollow as a decayed tree; no life in him at all. The only energy he had was to his work, to being there for Ruka, to sorting out his cousin, to being Takuma's other friend and Kaname's loyal subject. He had put his whole life towards being The Night Life King, he lived and breathed the title. And when he didn't have that task before him, when all the paperwork was done and there were no friend's drama deliema in the way, when he had nothing about his job to occupy his mind... he was a hollow shell once again.

The truth was that beneath this facade he put up he was just some random vamp with no family, no life other than work, no meaning except to keep up the role he played so well and of course, no one to care for...until now.

Zero had come into his life, shaken him up, rocked him to the core. He'd got under his skin and turned Akatsuki's world upside down. Akatsuki had brought the hunter, without knowing him, souly because he'd had the spontanous instict to protect the hunter- to care for him. He'd cared for his friends all these years right? How was taking care of one measly little hunter going to be any different? Oh how wrong he'd been. Akatsuki had never met anyone who he clashed with as much as this twenty-somthing year old hunter: a mere child in vampire years. Maybe that was what had shocked him the most; someone actually disagreed with him- on Kain had tried to comfort Ruka's pining heart for Kaname, or when he'd amused his cousin in order to calm him, or listened to Takuma's longing for the man he adored but unsure how to express it- they'd all turned to him for advice, welcomed his imput and followed his advice.

Not Zero.

No, instead the hunter had fought him tooth and nail about everything, about anything; drinking scheduals, behaviour in public, behaviour towards himself, business- absolutely everything. He'd shaken Akatsuki up, had made him feel emotions he'd never had to feel up until this point, made him care about things that he hadn't had to care for in the past. Akatsuki realised that now, when he wasn't doing his job as a nightclub owner/bar owner/hotel owner/friend/boss/councellor, he no longer had hollow moments of pain, of aching lonliness. Instead he was thinking of Zero. In fact recently, all he'd been thinking about was Zero and his well-being, much more even than his own job. The hutner was like his new...job almost- more like a new obsession. Every thought was followed by something to do with the hunter: 'I wonder why Zero dosn't like drinking.' 'It must be hard hating what he is' 'Why can't the boy just listen to me?' 'I wonder if I can get Zero to kiss me again like that' 'Should I punish him for saying that?' 'God Zero looks so good tonight?' 'Why can't I bite Zero?' 'I have to get Zero back!' 'Zero's hurt?' 'Zero's taking a long time in the bath.' 'Zero's more trouble than he's worth.'...-God Damnit! How had the hunter have changed him so much in such a short amount of time? How had he forced him to think, forced him to care?

Akatsuki rubbed his pounding temples.

Zero didn't realise it, and probably no one apart from Takuma had suspected it, but in just over a fortnight, Zero had become the most important thing in Kain's life. He cared and thought about the hunter more than he did his facade that he'd worked so hard to build, to fit. His night life career could go up in flames, his employees could leave him, his friends could hate him, but Akatsuki knew with mixed emotions, that his first thoughts, whatever they were, would be to Zero.

Akatsuki sighed.

He was so well and truly fucked.

A distant cry, muffled by the walls inbetween, pulled Akatsuki from his thoughts. He paused. There. Again. Another cry of distress.

Zero.

Before Akatsuki had even thought to move, he was racing forward, ripping open the doors to his study and the double doors that seperated his and the hunter's rooms. Kain paused in the doorway. Zero lay tossing in his bed, his arms failing, as if he were trying to fight off the invisible enemy in his dreams. Tears rolled down his cheeks and a sheen of sweat covered his forehead. Akatsuki raced to his side and pressed a hand to brush back his face in the attempt to coax the hunter out of his nightmares.

"Zero, it's okay, you're safe. I'm here, they can't hurt you anymore- I won't let anyone hurt you anymore." At the sound of Akatsuki's voice, the hunter began to still. Frightened violet eyes snapped open.

"Wha-?" for a second, there was a moment of shocked and confused silance.

"Oh God..." Zero put his head in his hands, his face distorted in pain and sorrow.

"Zero, it's okay." Akatsuki instinctivly pulled the boy into his arms, craddling him and holding his weeping face to his chest. "They can't hurt you anymore Zero, you're safe now."

Zero found himself unable to contain the gut-wreanching sob that ripped from his chest. He was safe, they couldn't hurt him anymore. So why couldn't he stop Goddamn crying? Hot tears rolled down his face and shudders raked his body. He was trembling all over from the dark chill that had crept up his spine and his heart was pounding in his chest. Yes he was safe, yes it was just a dream...-a memory and yes, it was all over now.

So why the Hell was he still Goddamn crying?

Zero clung to the farmilar warmth and scent of Akatsuki, allowing his prescense to chase away his fears. Akatsuki held the him gently, rubbing his back, stroking his hair and mumuring comforting words until he'd soothed the hunter's original panic. When his fears had been settled, Zero felt a farmiliar flush of shame and embarrassment colour his cheeks.

He was cuddling up to a vampire- no, clinging onto him for dear life.

And at that moment he couldn't seem to find the strenght to let him go.

Akatsuki laid down on the bed, never releasing the hunter as he did. He continued to stroke the boy's soft, silvery hair.

"Are you okay?"

If the hunter had any more energy, he would have snorted. Instead he lightly nodded his head.

"You should go back to sleep Zero." He felt the boy tense. "Do you want me to stay here?" Akatsuki asked tentively, trying to remember what his mum used to do when he'd had nightmares as a kid.

The hunter nodded again and gripped Akatsuki's shirt tighter in a silent response.

"Sleep now Zero."

Akatsuki found himself awake long after the hunter had drifted back to sleep, his thoughts turning wildly in his head. He wasn't used to sleeping in a bed other than his own, let alone sharing a bed and yet, he felt strangely comfortable.

I could almost get used to this.

Akatsuki's thoughts brought him back to his original mental discovery and he let out a sigh of dread. What the hell was he going to do now?

Beside him, Zero suddenly began to whimper. He fought Akatsuki's embrace.

"Please...don't...don't hurt him."

Here we go again.


Okay chapter eleven done!

Thankyou to all my stunning reviewers who bring so much joy into my life and my writing- keep up the good work!

Please keep voting on the poll on my profile as to what should happen to Hibiki and Katashi.

Next chapter should be up on the 17th.

Til next time

Phe