CHAPTER 11- LOVE

"What?!"

Cross Kaien sighed and went on reading the papers on his table. "Yes. The Association was clearly angry for these. Another one was found last night at a dumptruck. And to make matters worse, they already went and threatened Aya."

Yagari Touga just went on smoking while looking out the window, and Kiryuu Zero was fuming in front of the serious chairman.

"What the hell were they thinking? They've just propsed a war. A war!"

"Calm down Zero. There's still time."

"For what?"

"For a real investigation. The elders doesn't believe that Aya is innocent, but the evidence are all against her. No woman would suck a human and then tear her clothes off for fun."

"So what now?"

"Both of you will go."

At that, two surprised heads snapped. "I need someone, someone I could really trust. If there were somethings you'd both find, I want to be the first one to know."

"Kaien, why is it that you talk like there's something that you don't want to happen?"

His mahogany eyes narrowed. "That's what I feel. Aya-chan has been preparing her whole life. Everything she's been doing was for what's gonna happen next. And I feel, this something is something even we are not designed for."

He stood up and opened the cabinet by the window. "Use these. There are many weapons that are being developed by the Association. These might come in handy." And tossed several guns.

"Off you go. And please don't come back empty-handed."

"Suit yourself legendary hunter."

o0o0o0o

"Umoshiroi..."

And he drank from the crystal glass. "We proceed to Plan B. These humans doesn't know when to stop."

"I'll have the others awakened immediately."

"So how do we do this?"

They're standing in the middle of the town. And without a bloody lead.

"Where have the bodies been found?"

"They're scattered all over. The first three on the river, two in dumptruck, two just thrown at the street, and one...just outside the gates of the academy."

They looked at each other. "Don't you think..."

"We should start from the inside."

o0o0o0o

"I must say Aya, you took a lot longer than I expected."

Chains began to rattle as a man tied with it struggled violently.

"Don't...touch her."

Todou Seiji looked disinterestedly at Kiryuu Zero. "Save it."

"And I thought you were done with your pathetic methods to get to me."

Dark orbs twinkled. "Nah, just like you said, I will never change."

Sapphire eyes stared back at him emotionlessly. "I did say that didn't I?"

They were walking along the dark hallways of the nightclass dorm.

"There's nothing in here."

"Patience kid."

The moon was gleaming and streaming throgh the window. It was already midnight...

A sound of bells was heard from a far distance.

"Let's be quick, they're coming soon. And I'm not in the mood to be a human happy meal."

Zero's eyes suddenly narrowed. "I smell blood."

The unsheathing of sword was heard. "Let's go. Lead the way."

"It's faint...but definitely there. Someone must have had a snack before school."

They stopped right into an opened door. Both men looked up to the label.

Hyuuga Aya.

"Bitch."

The next minute they were standing inside a large dark room with a female body sprawled against the plush white carpet.

Touga immediately touched the girls wrist and felt it for a moment. "Dead. Probably for an hour already. The blood's still fresh."

They turned the body. "Nekozawa Kiashi. One of our classmates."

Examining the torn nightgown, Zero noticed the bruises formed on the girl's neck, inner thigh, and breasts. "She touched her too."

"It still doesn't make sense."

Angry lavender eyes glared at his sensei. "All the evidence we need is right here."

"Why would Aya molest a a day class student, feed on her, and leave evidence on plain sight? She's not that of an idiot."

"But you both are."

A gunshot echoed, lavender eyes scanned the room swiftly, his eyes only on the falling figure of Touga.

And the last thing he knew was a sharp pain rippling in his right shoulder.

"You see...these humans are not as intelligent or as...trusting as you think them to be."

He knelt in front of the bleeding prefect.

"You bastard..."

The raven haired man swiped some blood from the wet shirt and licked the red liquid off his fingers carefully.

"Your blood is quite peculiar...you taste of them...how disgusting." He spat the blood back to the concrete. "You live off simply because of the life liquid from the beings you hate."

He took out Zero's silver gun from his own pocket and pressed the weapon against the prefect's injured shoulder

Zero let out a painful groan.

"Why did you bring him into this?"

He looked up with a wild look in his eyes. "I told you, you belong to no one...but me, only I can touch you...only I can drink from that neck of yours...and only I can make you who you really are."

Aya took soft steps towards the men. Each stride she took harder than the last. "You've never seen the real me."

The bricks cracked from the sudden impact of Seiji's body. A hand was clamped tightly against his throat, his lip was split, and there was a long gash across his face.

"Impressive." The cuts began to disappear from the vampire's face. "But..." on a second, she was pinned against the other side of the wall. "Not fast enough."

They struggled for a moment until Aya placed a hard kick on her opponent's ribs. A sickening crunch was heard and she threw off his body off her easily.

"You're not the only one, bastard."

Raven bangs covered his face as he wiped off the blood trickling down his chin, he stood up slowly, letting the damaged muscles and bones repair surely

"You know it will take more than that to kill me."

He eyed the forgotten weapon on the floor between them, both widened their eyes, and in a second they jumped. Both trying to outrun the other.

She got to it first but she was tackled on the floor and Seiji punched at her jaw, making her slightly dizzy for a moment.

"Real slow." He placed the nuzzle of the gun on her chest. "Maybe next time Aya. See ya." And pulled the trigger.

Zero just stared as Hyuuga Aya's chest exploded into a spray of blood which later began to pool around her. "What will you do now Aya? Him or you?"

He looked at Zero smugly, tossed the gun at his feet and left quietly.

"Oi..."

Black eyes strived to keep themselves open. "Hang on."

She excruciatingly made her way to the bloodied prefect.

The sound of metal reached his ears. "What are you doing?"

She looked at him as if he was stupid. "I'm breaking off your bonds." And with a snap, the chains broke off his wrists. "Now drink."

It was his turn to gape at her. "What?"

She catch her breath for a moment. "You're injured...it's a vampire weapon..."

He glared at her. "I know that. But your shot, at the chest, you need more blood."

She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Just shut up and do it. I can't afford to let you die here now. Kaname and the others are gonna be here soon. Please for once, stop asking me questions and demanding answers from me...give me that at least." She placed his face just above her neck.

"Stop it..."

But his fangs were already grazing the skin there. His tongue licked off some blood on her cheek then proceeded down.

"Tell me to stop...I need to..."

"Don't." Her voice was soothing him, he didn't know how many hours passed, all he knew is her.

"Kiryuu Zero. You're killing her."

Bloodshot eyes snapped open at the smooth voice of Kuran Kaname.

As his senses began to return, he got off from Aya and looked down at the now unconscious vampire.

"We're taking her back. You're injuries should be fine now."

Aidou appeared and carried her sister bridal style. "Next time you want to blame Aya, do your investigations right."

They all went off and left Zero standing. As he looked around, he just noticed that he was in the same room as he was when he nearly turned itno a Level E.

"Aya..."

o0o0o0o

"Stay the hell away from me!"

"Monster..."

"Filthy!'

"Bloodsucker."

Onyx eyes snapped open. Aya found herself staring at the ceiling of her own room, she sat up and scanned the room. The dead body was removed, everything was changed, from the curtains reeking of blood, to the soaked bedsheets. She noticed that it was midnight already, the sky dark and bottomless without any hint of light from the hidden moon.

"You're awake."

She turned to the figure sitting on one of the chairs, she mentally cringed as her chest wound was rubbed against the fabric of her nightgown. She just noticed then that it was still a little tender but not fatal anymore, it must be Ruka and Yuuki who cleaned her for she's now sporting a too-girly dress for her taste and her long black hair tied back into a braid.

"And you're here."

The man stood up and walked towards her. "I'm sorry..." was all he said.

She didn't know whether to cry or to smile. And what does 'I'm sorry...' supposed to mean?

So she settled for indifference. "For what?"

"I don't know."

That did it. All the facade she's been holding up came crumbling down, she turned her head sharply at Zero. "Get out." She snarled.

"..."

"How dare you. You push me away, denying whatever you feel for me. You accuse me of killing all those women. And now you're saying sorry for a reason you don't even know?!"

"Aya."

She sighed and turned her back on him, her eyes gazing furiously at the clouds. "Don't. Just, get out, please..."

She was biting her lower lip so hard she thought it would burst.

"I'm sorry for hurting you." And a pair of warm and sure arms encircled her small frame.

The breath she's been holding came out as a gasp. "Zero..."

He buried his face into a mass of hair. "I'm sorry for everything." He quickly turned her to face him and looked into her surprised eyes.

"I'm here because I want to tell you, I NEED to tell you." He inhaled and started to speak when his eyes closed briefly and shook his head. He gripped her arms and placed his forehead on hers. "I don't know...I want to deny this feeling but I just can't...you're killing me Aya. I try hard, I try every sinlge day to forget and to tell myself that I don't..."

Kiryuu Zero placed his hands on each side of the vampire's face. "I am hopelessly inlove wth you, Hyuuga Aya. I love you. So please, tell me that you also do."

Gentle fingertips touched his raw wrists. "Idiot. I have to be shot in the chest before you admit it." She took one of his hands and studied the injured skin..

"Don't you even think about it." He warned.

"What?"

"You're ruining the mood."

She had to smile. The way he said it and the look on his face said it all.

"I love you too, Kiryuu Zero."

The prefect expected the words, but the sudden effect of these words in his heart was what surprised him. He felt joy like never before. He felt like jumping in the air at finally hearing those words right from her own mouth.

And so he just pulled her and crashed his lips right into hers.

It started as a gentle kiss, but it soon turned demanding, scorching. The dark room was filled with groans and pants from both of them.

Zero feels like his body was on fire, her lips tasted of strawberries, she was addicting. Just as one of his hands was on her ass and the other on her chest, she pulled her hands from his neck and put it on his chest, indicating to stop.

They both parted, slightly panting, cheeks flushed, lips reddened and full.

"Where does this place us Zero?"

Zero has been in this dark hole all his life, never once has he been able to see life again. Opportunities of happiness passed him several times, each he had rejected without regrets, but this time, he won't let that happen. Aya is the most wonderful thing that happened to him and he won't let go of her. Never.

"No one can take you away from me." And pulled her into a warm and loving hug.

Aya has been waiting forever. She lost everyone she loved, the man she almost married gone in an instant, and now that Zero is here, she'll do everything to keep him safe from the very man who wanted her.

"I love you so much Zero." She tightened her arms on his waist.

Both were oblivious to the pair of dark eyes staring at them with obvious hatred.