My Dear Readers, I am very sorry for keeping you waiting for a very long time. Somehow the opening of this chapter took a long time to write although the whole chapter had been planned out long ago. Also, during the summer I re-wrote the plot, so the ending of this story will be completely different than what I originally planned. I personally like it better, I hope you will too. Just read until the end to find out :) From here on angst starts, and you will see hot-tempered Zero like in the manga/anime. Without further ado, please enjoy this chapter! I hope it will make up for the long wait. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!

Warnings: AU, yaoi, mpreg

Beta reader: Lynn Vo (Gwen Truong)

Disclaimer: I only own the plot


Chapter 12: Following Destiny

"This is it!"

Zero beamed with satisfaction as he looked at his reflection in the dresser mirror. The purple gown and matching-colored cap accentuated his pale skin and lavender eyes, gold tassel hung down from the left side of his cap, gold stole with imprinted 'HONOR' hang down from both his shoulders.

The day he had been waiting for had finally come; in less than thirty minutes he would receive his Middle School Diploma and Award for Distinguished Achievement, his eight years of patience and hard work had finally paid off. Now he could join Kaname and Senri at Cross Academy, a High School and University for vampires and humans built by their parents' close ex-hunter friend, Kaien Cross, to realize the Kurans' dreams of co-existence between the two races.

The teen Prince closed his bedroom door and confidently walked along the brightly-lit corridor. A smile adorned his face as he imagined happy school days ahead with his beloved brunettes. He had missed spending time with them the last eight years. All three Kuran princes received private tutoring from elementary to middle school. Kaname finished middle school eight years ago and left for Cross Academy to continue higher education, Senri followed a year later. Due to their distance and busy schedules, the brunettes only came home on Spring break, Summer break, and Winter break. Currently both were in graduate school. Kaname was majoring in law and Senri was majoring in management. They had chosen careers that would complement their beloved Angel.

Zero's heart was beating fast with excitement as he was nearing the library where the whole family would gather for his graduation ceremony. Kaname and Senri, who hadn't been home for three months, were supposed to come home today. If their flight was on schedule and the traffic was smooth, they should have arrived and met their parents in the library, waiting for him.

"Hi, Zero," a familiar silky voice interrupted his thought as he turned the corner and bumped softly into a warm chest. Strong arms embraced his slender waist, smell of sweet vanilla and rose filled his nostrils.

'Ah…' He took a deep breath. 'So calming. How I miss this smell so much.'

The silverette looked up and was greeted by loving red-wine orbs.

"Kaname, welcome home. I miss you."

He wrapped his arms behind the brunette's neck and closed the distance between their faces, soft lips met for a long passionate kiss. They broke the kiss at the same time and gazed at each other, those eyes reflected more emotions than a thousand words. Love. Desire. Longing. Comfort. Joy.

A soft touch on his left cheek broke Zero from his trance.

"I am so happy to see you." Kaname whispered with longing, his long fingers gently caressed the smooth skin. "Finally we can be together again."

Zero leaned into the touch and gave the brunette his most charming smile.

"Me too, I have been waiting forever for this moment."

One of his hands touched the hem of Kaname's white blazer and traced along the pristine material down to the sleeve.

"This uniform looks really good on you. I can't wait to wear it!" Zero said with excitement.

"And you look great in that graduation robe. Purple really brings out your beauty best." Kaname complimented with adoration in his voice. He always thought Zero was the most beautiful creature in the universe, but today somehow he looked even more appealing. He looked very mature and angelic.

"Thank you," the silverette blushed, though it's not the first time his fiancé called him beautiful. Kaname's compliment made him happy, he had spent extra time dressing up for this once in a lifetime event. He wasn't a narcissist of sort, many people had complimented him beautiful, but honest compliment from his most beloved person always meant the most.

He gave a quick peck on Kaname's lips and held his hand. "Let's go see Senri and the others. They are waiting for us, I'm sure."

Kaname nodded and silently walked hand in hand with his lover. He wished they could spend more time alone, but he understood Zero missed Senri as much as he missed him. Senri had also been looking forward to see Zero, he'd been talking about it throughout their flight. Kaname was glad he sneaked out of the family room to greet his beloved first, the short time that they just spent relieving their longing for each other was very precious.

The library door was wide open; Senri was standing against the door frame with a wide smile on his face.

"Hi, Angel," he greeted with a warm voice. "You look great."

"Senri…" the silverette let go his fiance's hand and took a few steps forward toward the younger brunette, who received him warmly in his arms.

"I miss you so much…" Senri touched Zero's chin and gently pulled his face closer, kissing his lips gently.

Zero returned the kiss with the same gentleness while caressing the brunette's hair.

"I am so excited to go to the same school as you and Kaname."

"Me too, life in Cross Academy without you was dull. Right, Kaname?" Senri gave Kaname, who was standing behind Zero, a knowing look.

"Indeed," red-wine orbs penetrated deeply into lavender ones. Kaname said in a serious tone, "We missed your smile that would have brightened our days after long lectures. We missed talking heart-to-heart with you. We missed spending quality time with you. We missed seeing you. We had waited so long for this day, our hearts are filled with overflowing joy."

Kaname's confession touched Zero's heart deeply, his cheeks felt warm from involuntary tears. He knew how much both brunettes loved him, but hearing those statements from his most beloved persons made him really happy.

He sniffed and dried his cheeks with the back of his hand.

"You both… I love you so much…"

Both brunettes embraced him tightly; Zero hugged them as if his life was dependent on it and cried silently.

'I am so happy I could die,' he thought.

"Ehem! I know you miss each other, but the ceremony is starting." A deep yet gentle voice interrupted their touching reunion.

Zero released himself and looked up pass Senri's shoulder. Rido, dressed in a black formal suit, was standing behind Senri with a knowing smile; his blue and crimson eyes looking at his beloved son with pride.

"Okay," Zero smiled and held his lovers' hands.

The trio followed Rido to the oval table where Shizuka, Haruka, and Juuri were sitting. Rido took a seat next to Shizuka, Kaname sat next to Haruka, and Senri sat next to his brother. The Kuran Heir stood next to his private tutor, facing his family.

"Let the ceremony begin…"

One hour later…

Zero's private tutor had left; the Kurans were still sitting around the oval table, discussing Zero's future. Rido picked up a letter in front of him and began reading.

Zero Kuran,

Congratulations on your middle school graduation! You are now a Freshman at Cross Academy High School. Your registration is complete and you are expected to start school in one week. Please plan to arrive a week early for orientation. All Cross Academy students are required to live in the dormitory. Details will be discussed once you arrive. I am looking forward to having you as my student.

Sincerely,

Chairman Kaien Cross

Rido put down the letter and looked at Shizuka, hinting her to take over the discussion. The queen nodded and locked eyes with Zero. The Prince gave her his full attention, knowing the significance of the words that were about to come out from his mother's mouth.

"It is well-known to the vampire society that the male Kuran heir is the only male vampire who has the ability to bear children, and the off-springs of the Kuran heir are the most powerful vampires. Therefore it will be dangerous if you go to Cross Academy as you are now, because Purebloods and Nobles would want to mate with you for the sake of having children with the powerful Kuran power. In order to protect you we need to seal your vampirism and power. You will live as human while attending Cross Academy and your name will be Zero Kiryuu, a distant nephew of Kaien Cross. The seal is to be done by your mate Kaname, it will weaken nearing your 18th birthday, and only Kaname can break the seal."

All occupants were observing Zero, who had become very quiet. He had always thought being a Kuran heir was a blessing because he could have children with Kaname and Senri. But now he found out being a Kuran heir was also a curse, if he wasn't careful he would end up mothering another vampire's child. He suddenly shivered from imagining what could have happened if his parents hadn't come up with a solution to protect him. He was thankful for having powerful and caring parents, but he couldn't help feeling scared of what his life would be in Cross Academy. He had only known a life of a vampire with power, not any power but THE Kuran power. What would it be like to live as human? He didn't hate humans, in contrary he supported his parents' pacifism. He had a few human friends that he had known from his parents, all of them were very nice but weak. Living as human might not be so bad, but not having power? Could he keep his power while being human? 'Impossible,' he thought.

Sensing Zero's distress Kaname held Zero's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. The silverette turned his head toward Kaname and saw red-wine orbs looking at him with assurance.

"It will be okay, Zero. I will protect you with all my life."

Zero nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Kaname."

Senri reached out for Zero's free hand and squeezed it, saying, "You have me, Zero. I will protect you with all my life."

"Thank you, Senri."

Zero was very touched by his protectors' dedication.

'I am very blessed indeed,' he thought as he made up his mind.

"I really want to go to school with Kaname and Senri, so I accept my verdict."

Everyone laughed at Zero's sense of humor.

"Great!" Shizuka clapped her hands. "Let's do it!"

"Now?" Zero's eyes widened. "Isn't the school start in one week?"

"Yes, but you need to be there a week early for orientation, which is tomorrow." Shizuka reminded.

"But I haven't packed yet!" Zero was panicked.

"Don't worry son, your stuff will be sent by air in two days. Just pack enough clothes for two days."

"Okay," Zero nodded and fell quiet again. He glanced back and forth between Rido and Senri, thinking about something.

"What is it, son?" asked Rido, feeling Zero had a question in his mind.

The Prince looked at his father and asked softly, "May I have a bonding ceremony with Senri before I am sealed?"

Rido sighed and with a regret voice replied, "I'm sorry son, it can't be done. Bonding ceremony can only be performed between firstborn cousins. If you and Senri really love each other you can be together, but you can only have one bonding ceremony and one wedding. Once you succeed me as King, Kaname will be King Consort."

Zero was sad, he had dreamed of having a family with Kaname and Senri. His heart was crushed with this newfound knowledge. He loved both brunettes, he could still have both of them, but only one as husband and the other lover.

"I am sorry." Zero said with sincere apology and squeezed Senri's hand tighter. "But in my heart we are bonded."

"It's okay."

Senri smiled bitterly. He was very disappointed. For years he had been dreaming of having a family with Zero and raising their children together as the royal family. Now that dream shattered, he would never be on equal standing with Kaname. However, he still believed that as long as they still love each other the three of them could be happy together. This new hope lifted up his spirit; he patted the back of Zero's hand with his free hand and gave a genuine smile.

'We are going to be okay,' His eyes told Zero. 'Our status might change, but our feelings won't.'

'Thank you,' Zero nodded and smiled.

They gazed at each other for a long time, conveying their feelings to each other.

'I will always love you' was what those eyes reflected.

"So… are you ready for the sealing ceremony?" Rido broke the silence. Shizuka, Haruka, and Juuri waited with anticipation.

"I am ready." Zero said with confident, releasing the brunettes' hands and stood up.

"I am ready." Kaname said as he stood up and held Zero's hand, guiding him to the center of the library.

Kaname turned Zero so they stood face to face.

"The sealing ceremony will involve blood, so we should take off your graduation robe and cap."

Kaname took off Zero's cap and carefully slid down the purple grown, placing them on the nearest settee. He removed his own white blazer and threw it on the settee, leaving his black dress shirt on, and opened the top two buttons of Zero's white silk shirt. He wrapped both arms around Zero's back and gently pushed him forward until their chests touched. With their gaze locked he chanted:

"This blood binds our lives together,
This blood seals your true self and power,
A human you will remain,
Until my blood flows in you again."

Kaname bit his tongue where Zero's mark was, blood was gushing inside his mouth. He slowly leaned his face forward until his lips touched the mark on Zero's neck. He licked it in slow motion, smearing his blood all over the mark, and then a pair of sharp canines penetrated the soft skin causing the silverette to wince.

Fresh blood flowed from the bitten flesh, mixing with Kaname's own blood. The brunette bit harder and pushed the blood mixture into the two holes on Zero's neck with his bleeding tongue. Their ownership marks burned and the mixture flowed inside Zero's blood stream, altering his blood and DNA. The mark on his neck was fading and Zero convulsed in Kaname's arms, he lost consciousness and fell limp into Kaname's arms.

The room was silent; everyone was observing the now human Zero, who lied peacefully in Kaname's arms as if he was sleeping. His appearance was the same except for the skin of his neck which was now pale all around, Kaname's mark of ownership had completely disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place.

"I'll take him to his room" Kaname carried his bride-to-be out of the room.

Senri watched the scene with jealousy.

Six hours later in Zero's room…

Kaname had been sitting on a chair next to Zero's bed since he lied the silverette down, waiting for him to wake up. Shizuka said he would wake up in four hours, but two hours had passed from the designated time and there was no sign of Zero waking up. Kaname was getting worried. What if Zero's body rejected the new blood and he died? He feared for the worst and the loneliness of living the rest of his long life without Zero.

Shizuka had checked on them three times in the last two hours and suggested Kaname to rest, however the brunette politely refused. He said he was concerned with his mate's well being and wanted to be there when Zero woke up.

Kaname sighed and held Zero's hands firmly. The silverette's complexion was paler than he normally was.

"Wake up soon, My Love. Please don't leave me alone." He whispered into Zero's ear.

As if hearing the brunette's plea Zero stirred. His eyelids slowly opened, blurry lavender orbs met a white cathedral ceiling.

'Where am I…?' thought Zero, disoriented. 'I felt like I just woke up from a deep slumber…'

He turned his head slowly to the side and saw Kaname observing him with a worried look in his eyes.

"Kaname..." Zero smiled weakly and squeezed the hand that was holding his.

Kaname sighed with relieve and squeezed back, a wide smile decorated his face. He moved to the bed and sat next to his lover, looking at him with affection and caressing his cheek tenderly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"I don't know. I've never been a human before so I can't say I feel good or bad."

Both of them laughed. Zero tugged Kaname's hand to pull himself up but didn't have the strength to do so. Kaname pulled him up slowly and hugged him, the silverette laid his head on Kaname's chest.

"I can't feel my power." Zero said softly with a trembling voice. "I'm scared..."

Kaname tightened his embrace and kissed Zero's forehead, his hand was gently caressing the soft silver tresses.

"Don't be afraid. I will protect you with all my life. I will not let anything harm you." His voice was soothing, Zero felt safe already.

"Thank you, Kaname." Zero smiled and looked up, hopeful lavender orbs met reassuring red-wine ones. Just then Zero knew Kaname would keep his promise, he had nothing to fear.

From the corner of his eyes Zero saw his reflection in the mirror behind Kaname, his eyes widened upon seeing the evenly pale skin of his neck. One of his hands reached up to touch the spot where the mark used to be, he felt no tingling sensation as it usually did. Somehow it felt strange, he'd had that mark since he was a baby and now it's gone, he felt as if a part of him was missing.

"The mark… it's gone…" He whispered with disbelief, his tone was sad.

Kaname caressed that spot and got no reaction from Zero, neither a lean to the touch nor a soft moan, he felt a part of Zero was missing and it made him very sad.

"It has to be sealed for your own safety until the time I awaken you. But fear not, that mark is only a symbol of our engagement, what matters most is our hearts."

Kaname took Zero's palm and kissed it softly, then placed it on his chest by his heart.

"I love you, Zero. And I always will."

His red-wine orbs bearing the truth, Zero couldn't keep his eyes from those mesmerizing eyes.

"I will always love you too…"

The distance between their faces shortened and their lips met for a soft kiss. Their embrace tightened and the kiss deepened; flesh moved against flesh and tongue moved against tongue, they savored each others' taste to the fullest. Soon both panted and felt tightness on their pants. They let go at the same time and looked away from each other, both cheeks were flushed from embarrassment.

"What… was… that?" Zero asked shyly.

"That was…. what people call an erection…" Kaname's cheeks were as red as tomatoes.

"Really…?" Zero asked innocently.

"Really…" Kaname smiled at Zero's innocence and turned his head to face him.

"It happens when two teens or adults who love each other kiss or touch, or when a vampire is in heat."

"Heat?" Zero was looking at Kaname with confusion; the 'heat' thing went over his head.

"Have you ever felt something strange? Like… an urge… or having a strong desire that drives you crazy and won't go away until you are touched? Or have you ever had a wet dream and touch yourself?"

"I… did," Zero blushed furiously. "Sometimes I… dreamed about you and my birdie got hard, so I… touched… it… until it released white semen..." Zero admitted shyly and covered his face with both hands. He wished the ground would swallow him whole; he thought he could die from embarrassment if they continued this talk.

Kaname laughed softly and held Zero's hands, slowly pulling them down and resting them on his lap.

"You are not the only one, Zero. Do you remember that night in the tree house on my eighteenth birthday?"

"Yes, I do. You were sitting on the bathroom floor, touching yourself and panting and calling my name."

This time Kaname wished the ground would swallow him whole. Zero was surely a fast learner.

"You know vampires start having urges or heat when they are 14. That urges will get worse each year and will become unbearable by the 18th birthday, during which the heat cannot be satiated unless the vampires mate, and this heat usually lasts for about a week."

"So… what happens when vampires don't mate when they are in heat?"

"Then they will be in a lot of pain. They can touch themselves but they don't get relief."

Zero fell quiet as flashback of the bathroom incident in the tree house was replaying in his head.

"That means… you were in a lot of pain when we were there?" Zero's voice was filled with concern and regret.

Kaname nodded. "Yeah, it was especially painful when you were there because I didn't want to mate with you yet. That's why I cut our trip short, and I've been locking myself in my room once a year for a whole week since then."

"For the last four years…" Zero mumbled to himself.

"For the last four years…" Kaname confirmed.

Zero looked at Kaname with sadness and regret; he caressed both the brunette's cheeks lovingly.

"I'm sorry my lack of awareness had caused you to endure such pain for a long time. And you still have to endure that pain for the next four years because of me…"

Kaname held both Zero's hands and gazed at him deeply. His Zero was very kind and considerate. He would do anything forZero, he would endure pain for Zero.

"It's completely okay, don't worry about it. I have vowed not to take you until your eighteenth birthday and I intend to keep it. The pain that I have to endure is nothing compare to the everlasting happiness that I will have with you when the time comes."

"Oh… Kaname…" Zero couldn't hold back his tears of happiness. "You are too kind. How could I deserve such love and dedication from you?"

"You deserve all the love and dedication I have in me to give…" said Kaname as he dried Zero's tears and kissed his forehead gently. "Just promise me that you will keep your virtue for me."

"I will keep my virtue for you, Kaname." Zero said with confident. "And I will not let anyone else touch me or kiss me… well… except Senri."

Both laughed freely, the last conversation had completely removed Zero's fear of the future. He believed everything will be okay as long as Kaname and Senri are with him.

"I feel bad for Senri…" Zero voiced out his concern.

"He knows you love him, even without the ceremony."

Zero nodded and laid his head on Kaname's warm chest.

"I hope the three of us will live happy together..."

Kaname hugged Zero tightly and rested his chin on Zero's head. He had known Zero loved Senri as much as he loved him, and that's something he had accepted to be with Zero. As long as Zero is happy he will be happy.

Everything will be okay…

To be continued