Chapter 14 – Thank You – Kaname's POV
The blood curdling shriek silenced the Cafeteria.
Along with it came a sudden hollowness, as if I just lost something incredibly dear to me.
Yuki was at the balcony with Krysa, but where...
ZERO!
I sprinted out of the cafeteria as fast as humanly possible and to Krysa's side. The tears were streaming down her face, her sentences broken by her sobs.
"Zero... she... railing... sea..." At first I didn't understand, but then I turned to the railing and saw oxygen bubbles rushing to the surface, something thrashing wildly just below the surface.
Then everything clicked into place.
Zero! Damn it he can't swim!
Without hesitating I jumped over the railing; diving into the water I began pushing myself to go deeper into the sea. The water was murky, but my eyes just about managed to pick up something pale flailing in the water. I swam faster, hoping to catch up as he was sinking fast...
Then all his movements stopped.
Forcing my body not to freeze in shock I kept on swimming, all I needed to was to get a hold of him—
I shielded my face as a school of fish suddenly swam by, completely obscuring my vision and forcing me to halt my movements.
For fuck's sake!
When they passed I pressed forward, the waters around me now a darker blue, the pressure of the deep finally beginning to cause my chest to hurt. I fought on nonetheless and just as I was about to reach for Zero's hand...
The last of his oxygen flew from his mouth, and I saw as his eyes rolled back into his head.
No...
I reached out and wrapped an arm around his limp body as I drove towards the surface.
God... please...
I broke the surface with a gasp, holding up Zero's body.
"Zero!" I shook him trying to get a response... but I received none.
"Kaname-sama!" I looked up and saw Takuma, through a life ring over the railing towards us. I caught it, before slipping it around us, "Pull!"
God... please... no...
I clung onto Zero as we were hauled up the side of the boat, constantly checking for any signs of life. I pressed my fingers to his neck...
...there wasn't a pulse...
"Kaname!" I clenched onto the railing, slipping out of the ring so the others could safely carry Zero over. I ran to his side on the floor, shouting orders.
"Seiren, find Cross and tell him what happened! The rest of you, try and calm down the other students!" I leaned over Zero's body, his pale white skin holding a now slightly blue tinge, who would DO this to him?
...Yuki
"Aidou! Ruka!" I heard their footsteps approach, "Find Yuki" my words were barely inaudible as I tried to reign in my fury,
"With pleasure," was Ruka last words as the two exited. I pressed my mouth to Zero's, trying to get as much air into him as possible.
"Krysa! Help me!" I didn't even need to say the words, as she was already on the other side of Zero, pressing hard against his chest, covering the other half of the CPR.
God...
"Kaname! He's not responding!"
If you're up there...
"Try harder Krysa!"
Please...
"I am!"
Not Zero...
"Kaname, Krysa, what the hell happened here? Why wasn't I called sooner?"
Don't take Zero from me...
"Cross, not now! Kaname, keep going!"
Please...
"ZERO! DON'T DO THIS TO US!" I couldn't hold back my shout, as I continued to breathe for him, barely aware anyone else. Barely aware of how the time had passed...
Please...
"Krysa... Kaname... stop"
We never stopped,
"It's been thirty minutes, if Zero was going to respond, he would've already."
No...
"Krysa—"
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screamed at Cross as I didn't even bother to acknowledge his words,
"Kaname..."
My lips remained on Zero's, now forcing air into him as tears finally began to fall down my tears. My logical fucking brain had registered his sentence, and it was already processing it.
Zero should've responded by now...
As hands grabbed for my shoulders I shrugged them off, never giving up. It was only when hands grabbed my shirt and wrenched me away that I bothered to look at Cross.
"Kaname! Stop this! You're making things even harder for us!"
"I can't let Zero die! I can't—"
"Kaname use your brain—"
"NO! I WON'T USE MY FUCKING BRAIN! IT WAS MY BRAIN THAT TOLD ME IT WOULD BE BETTER TO END THINGS WITH ZERO! IT WAS MY BRAIN THAT TOLD ME I WOULD LEARN TO LOVE YUKI! BUT MY BRAIN WAS WRONG! LEAVING ZERO WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE! I CAN'T LET HIM DIE LIKE THIS! I CAN'T LET HIM DIE WHILST HE THOUGHT I HATED HIM! I CAN'T DIE WITHOUT TELLING HIM I LOVED HIM!"
A hard slap cracked against the skin of my cheek, shocking me into silence and forcing me out of my hysteria. Then, I really looked at Cross' face, and it was then that I saw the tears welling behind his glasses.
"Kaname... please... don't make this harder..." He bit his lip as he let me go; turning away as I slumped next to Zero's freezing body. Everything was so quiet; the sun was setting, casting a warm glow against the boat. Krysa had curled up next to Zero, her sobbing never ceasing. I turned towards Zero's body, his hair golden in the light; his face was so peaceful that it ripped through my heart. I was silent as I crawled over his body, constantly swiping away my tears as they fell.
God, if you're up there...
I extended my claws, gently pulling his mouth open as I moved my other arm so my wrist hovered just above Zero's lips.
Please, let this work...
I dug my fingers deep into my wrist, and watched as my blood began to drop onto his open mouth.
Five minutes passed...
Please...
Ten minutes passed...
Please...
...
Utterly defeated, I pulled my claws from my wrist and began to move my wrist away...
And jumped as fangs sunk into them instead.
Shocked, I turned back to Zero's body to realise that he'd instinctively latched his fangs onto my wrist.
He was feeding.
"CROSS! ZERO! HE'S FEEDING!" I screamed as two familiar pairs of footsteps ran up behind me,
God...
"Cross! He's feeding! He's alive! He's okay!" A new kind of sob broke from Krysa's lips as she barely finished her sentence.
If you're up there...
"You two stay right here! I'll go bring some blankets and some help to get him inside!"
Thank you...
Bet you can't wait to see what Kaname does to Yuki