Twisted Truth Chapter 14: Dare to find the truth?, a vampire knight fanfic

Chapter Thirteen of Twisted Truth.

For Disclaimer see Prequel.

Warning: Long long chapter ahead and something of a lemonish scene. Hope you like it.

Dare to find the truth?

The truth hurts ... but the lie is just cold comfort, a grave's dire realm. It's just false warmth.

Yet, sometimes the lies go back so long that they became myth ... and then forgotten.

Sometimes there's no difference between the truth and the lies...

What is wrong and what right? Do you dare?

Dare to find it, find the truth in the death of night?

What if it tears you apart? Where's your salvation then?

Truth or lie? Take your pick.

What if the lie is weightless like a feather yet the truth weights more than a mountain.

Yes, sometimes, it's better not to know the truth – for you'll never know what it prevails...

But ... yet, you long to know, to know what waits behind the mirror ...

So, you long, search and struggle with yourself until ... one day, you cannot fight it anymore ... and then you fall ...

Lies in plain sight...

Her past was covered in lies, Yuki thought sadly. She had believed that it was the facts she didn't know, but it wasn't. A lie by omission was still a lie, right? And now, there were lies she only recently became aware of. Her past, it was covered in endless white, red and then nothing, vanishing into a mist of twisting snowflakes making it impossible to see clearly.

For long she had thought – no, dreamed that it would be Kaname-senpai, who would rescue her, like in a fairytale for he had rescued her back then, hadn't he? And the prince did marry the princess in the end, didn't he?

Princess, the snorted with disdain. She was not just a pretty puppet to be played with and doted on; she refused to be so shallow.

Her prince, she thought and frowned at the thought for its pure innocent adoration – too innocent. It was a naïve thought and now she knew it, yet in a part of her heart she still wished, still hoped for that fairytale ending she had been dreaming of all her life since that night.

Only, now, Yuki was very much aware that she wasn't a princess and but he surely was something akin to a prince. Only he was also something other, far away from what any fairytale prince could ever hope to be. He was a pureblood vampire, a Kuran. She thought she'd known about vampires, but now, after all these weeks, months, with Yagari-sensei to teach her, she knew more than she ever wanted to know, things she didn't want to see, even though they were there.

Lies, again, and truths in so many shades of grey that it was really hard to think clearly sometimes. What was right and what wrong? Things had been so easy before, but that was gone now.

True, Kaname-senpai, he had been there, had rescued her, but what had happened before that? Why had she been out in the snow in the first time, all alone? Where had been her mother and her father then? H-had they already been dead then? Killed by the same vampires, who tried to kill her too? She trembled at these thoughts, not wanting to think any further because it hurt, hurt to do so. Why ... had they been there?

Why did they have to go and leave her alone?

Everything had been easier before, before she knew what she was, where she'd came from – but now, she was a hunter and she and Kaname-senpai, Zero too, they were natural enemies now, right? She shivered hugging herself to try to ease the pain a little, all the while hoping, wishing that they didn't have to be enemies, not ever.

No, she decided, whatever the others thought, she would not start to travel down that road as well. She couldn't see them as enemies nor could she see all vampires as brutal beasts, merely rabid dogs who needed to be put down. No, she couldn't do that, not ever, yet .... it wasn't completely wrong for some were just that, bad vampires, who hurt and killed humans to satisfy their thirst for human blood. They weren't so different after all.

"My mother," she whispered to herself while touching the bracelet her father, her adoptive father, had given her only recently. He had said it had belonged to her – and that she wanted it to be her daughter's if she should ever grow up to be a hunter like her mother had been. Her mother wanted to protect her, even in death.

"Yagari-sensei…" She said again, turning around to face the man, who spent his time to teach her about being a hunter so she wouldn't have to bear having a stranger for a teacher.

"Yes, Yuki-chan?" The tall master hunter smiled an unusually fond smile at his current student. He couldn't help it but Yuki turned out to learn quickly – and in spite of her obvious generous nature, she seemed to start to understand that their business was needed.

Some vampires had to be killed to keep everyone else safe; safe, my real parents hadn't been safe...

"Have you known my mother, my real mother?" Yuki asked shyly like she was suddenly afraid of the possible answers to her question – or maybe she was afraid that he would say he hadn't known her mother at all, which wouldn't help her at all in this.

"Not very good." Yagari replied while fiddling with a cigarette between his fingers, looking pretty uncomfortable having to face such a personal question. He should have seen this coming but he had always avoiding thinking about it, thinking about one of them leaving the Association behind like that. No, he didn't like to speak about his old friend's sister, no, not at all. It brought way too many questions up, questions, he didn't like to notice ... because if he did, he would notice other things too – and from there it wasn't far to question everything he held dear, everything he believed in.

No, he thought, he couldn't do that. Well, he'd better deal with this one now and hope everything else would stay as it always did.

"She left the association long before you were born, Yuki-chan." He said in a strangely soft voice and his hands seemed to itch for another cigarette, just to calm his nerves. He fought them down for once, not liking to be out of control like this. He sighed at seeing the disappointment splattered on Yuki's face.

"Why?" She muttered. "Why ... did she let this happen?" The young hunter couldn't help to think. If her mother had been like Yagari-sensei, like her adopted father, she should've known how to defend her family better against vampires, right?

Yuki's memories were still shaky at best, even after her past had been revealed and her blood awakened. Sometimes she could see a couple of smiling faces, a dark haired woman and handsome, kind looking man,who, she supposed, were her real parents.

"I really don't know." The master hunter replied in a quiet sounding voice. "We all make mistakes, sometimes." He admitted and smiled slowly.

"How?" She repeated then frowned, as if realizing something amiss which hadn't there before. "How did Kaname-senpai find me?"

"I don't know." Yagari shook his head. "You'd better ask Kaien about this. He was there when you'd were brought in here. I was not."

"I think I'll do just that." She nodded. "I think we're done with this for today, right?" She glanced back to the target practice and gave it long thoughtful look before returning to face the master hunter.

"Yeah, you did well." Yagari nodded his agreement, but he couldn't completely hide his relief that he didn't have to talk about Yuki's parents anymore, for now.

"I don't think these are for me." Yuki said thoughtfully at last while placing the gun back into its holster. "It doesn't feel right for me to use it." She explained her musing. No, holding this gun felt foreign. It would do good for a backup or something but not for her main weapon.

The master hunter nodded at that and reached back under his coat, forcing a familiar long rod out. "Then you should just use this."

"Artemis Rod?" She eyed her it warily noting the strange feel it now had on it. It somehow seemed ... much darker. Yet, beside the darkness she could feel resonating from it her hand reached out to take it back and gasped as it touched her skin.

She could hear the master hunter chuckle at that. "I guess you take too much to after him to fight with anything else but a blade, Yuki-san." Yes, right now she reminded him very much of his old friend Kaien Cross back during when they worked together. He could only wonder how much inborn skill this Cross might have.

Yuki looked at the weapon in her hands, inspecting it closely and nodded. He was right, it was indeed a long slightly curved, elegant sword she held in her hand now where had been a simple looking rod before. It looked as sleek and deadly as any sword she had ever seen, and Yagari was right, it looked similar to the sword her adoptive father had used, back when he was a hunter – and it felt right in her hand, just like the gun had not.

"Keep the gun as well, Yuki-san." Yagari said dryly. "You'll never know when you might need it."

xxx

Truth -- from a certain point of view is not a lie, or is it?

He was alone in his room tonight, since Kaname was busy dealing with the Council and he didn't feel like talking to any of the others. It wasn't exactly a good thing because that also meant he had too much time to brood, to think of all the possible reason 'they' had done this ... done this to him and brother.

Zero found himself relieving that night again, only it felt so much different now, now that the bitter hate was gone. No, he still felt somewhat angry at what had happened, but it was like his parents had become strangers now and he was watching without being really touched. It was wrong, what happened, but that was all he felt.

Shizuka ... had killed them and taken his brother ... but why couldn't he forget the pain in her mad eyes? What had happened to cause so much agony that she had became like that?

Similar agony he'd seen in Ichiru's eyes whenever he had been dismissed to be of any worth of a hunter by the same people who should have supported him – should have, that was if...

He froze, Ichiru. Had he suffered so much because their parents knew the truth about them and his brother failed to live up to their expectations? Had they ever loved them?

Would things have been different between them if ... if they had grown up as the purebloods they truly were? Would Ichiru have suffered as much as he had if they had known their birth parents? No, he shook his head in resignation. Ichiru still had betrayed him ... and he, he still felt like it was somehow his fault that everything had gone to hell like that.

Then Zero suddenly froze, knowing that he wasn't alone anymore. How had he gotten here without him noticing it, he wondered for a moment before turning around to face him.

"Zero?" Yagari stood just next to the door he had to have opened to enter the ex-hunter's room. On the outside he looked as calm as always, but Zero could see that he felt anything but that. No, the master hunter felt not at ease being here, which wasn't exactly unexpected. Things were awfully awkward between them ever since Zero's pureblood had awoken. Yagari had been acting like a stranger for most of the last few weeks, which was better than his first reaction to his change, of course.

He could still remember the accusing look in his previous master's eye during that time when he'd just found out what happened to his ex-pupil. From there on he had acted very erratically, swinging from almost friendly to open hostility.

"Damn him." Zero cursed to himself, since there was obviously no easy way around this. It hurt, it hurt too much to be rejected like this, twice at that too. He understood why but it still hurt. It made him feel weak – and he hated being weak, more than anything.

"What do you want?" He blurted out, feeling suddenly angry at himself and at his previous master. Couldn't Yagari just leave him alone? He could feel the hard eye of his previous master on him. There was no emotion in them now. It all changed when he learned the truth, the truth about himself. Not that Zero could have done anything about it.

"It's important, Zero-sama." His old sensei had a strange look onto his face; he was staring at him and his voice sounded off, like he only realized that he lost something important. He sounded as if he almost strangled at the honorific he had addressed Zero with. Yagari had never done that before.

Zero gazed down onto at his clothes, Night Class. He wore only his black dress shirt now, but it It was rather obvious what he was now, wasn't it? It felt comfortable now, so maybe, he had changed more than he thought he had. He sighed in defeat; he couldn't undo his … change; not that he really wanted to, not now, not even to gain his old master's approval. No, not if that meant to lose what he had with Kaname. Besides, he had been born like this, so he shouldn't feel guilty about what was just natural. It wasn't his fault that Yagari couldn't handle this, right?

"Come in, Yagari-sensei." Zero replied, deciding to be polite for once and invited him to come closer, but it was more because he didn't know what to do than anything else. He was also more curious than he wanted to acknowledge to himself.

Yagari entered the room slowly, hesitatingly. The hunter's nervousness was rather obvious. Zero could seeunasked the master hunter's hand itching for a cigarette but refrained from reaching for one. Zero frowned and wondered what had the hunter in such state of unease? It had to be something important he decided or else the older man would've never come to him.

after all it seemed more like he had gotten closer to

"You haven't really changed." The hunter gave the young pureblood a quick glance then looked away. He looked so familiar yet very different to him. Zero stood by the window in his darkened room, brooding like he used to do. He had done that even back when he was still his pupil after the incident, where Yagari had lost his eye in protecting the boy. Then Yagari shook his head sadly trying to get rid of this ... illusion that nothing had changed, because it had, very much.

"Why are you here?" Zero enquired finally and felt something shifting inside of him at the same time – becoming distant. He started to watch the older man like he was truly a stranger, maybe he was for they really had never known each other ... or had they? He didn't know, for he had been someone else then too. Back then, when Shizuka happened, Zero thought he had lost himself, but after all it seemed more like he had gotten closer to finding himself after all, even if had hurt like hell – only, now, he started to believe that it had been worth it.

"Your father's diary." Yagari finally said aloud in a voice, which sounded unusually unsure for the tall master hunter, yet he tried to sound casual as if it was completely normal for him to walk in the young pureblood's room, unasked, no less, doing whatever he was up to, too. He put a small book on the desk in Zero's room. It looked nothing special at that too, just an old worn out looking book.

Zero only raised an eyebrow in questioning but then took a look anyway. It was his late father's diary, he noticed, and his frown deepened. It felt so wrong, and worse he didn't know why it felt that way. It felt almost like this little innocent thing was going to attack him any time now, which was ridiculous. Books did nothing of that sort.

"Why?" He asked in a shaking voice and glared, well, tried to glare at the master hunter, but failed utterly because of the sudden ache he felt in his heart. This-this book, while it might give him an insight of his past, it made the lie also more real, not that it hadn't been real before.

"Ah, yes, I know he is not your real father," Yagari said dryly and smirked. "But I think you can learn something more about your past, Zero."

"What, what if I don't want to know? What if?" The ex-hunter muttered, sounding utter forlorn for a moment before his expression changed into one of suspicion and hurt, finally rage when he put two and two together. Had he known all along ... and kept him in the dark about this? He had to have kept this for a while, hadn't he?

"You've known?" Zero glared accusingly at his ex-teacher, this time succeeding. "You've known all this time about me and Ichiru? And yet you had never the guts to tell me even after they were dead!" His eyes were burning with unshed tears and he had trouble to keep his temper in check or else he'd smoulder the master hunter in front of him. "Ichiru," Zero muttered and growled in anger.

"He, wait, is this the reason for his illness?!" He couldn't help but remember something he had been discussing with Aido several days ago. After all what the young noble said, pureblood twins were even rarer then hunter twins, only that they weren't cursed. No, there had been almost something like awe in the blonde noble's eyes when he heard that Zero and Ichiru were twins.

Pureblood twins were the exact opposite, a blessing and wonder to behold. Of course, it was also something to be afraid of because pureblood twins were able to link and double their powers at that too.

Things, they could've been better – and he wouldn't have to feel this ... alone, like a part of his soul was missing and he didn't know where to look to find it.

"I don't know." Yagari shook his head. "I had no clue, about you and Ichiru. He made me swear to keep this safe from everyone." He looked down, not knowing if he should say anything more, with the dark aura being emitted by his former pupil, which made it even more real to him -- a pureblooded reality and certainly not human at all.

"Why now?" Zero inquired. "Why not before ... this all happened?!" Zero just stared at him, examining the master hunter's expression but could only find honesty in it.

"Because he asked me to do so." Yagari sighed in frustration and reached for a cigarette, put it between his lips, but didn't lit it. "At that time I didn't understand what he meant with his words, Zero. I didn't know what he meant but I was bound by honour to keep this safe until he was dead and you would be free to know about your past." He looked down, unable to say anything more to defend his position. "I think he knew that what they did was a grave mistake, but couldn't do anything about it."

Zero looked away as well, unable to come up with a proper reaction to the honesty in the master hunter's words. Yagari might loath him, hell, he might even try to attack him if he deemed it necessary, but there had been no deception in the hunter's eye.

He really wanted to believe in this honesty, but somehow couldn't accept it, not yet. He had come to expect deception from too many directions after all what happened and now, he couldn't help but wonder how much they, the Association had really known. Was it all only a masterfully planned charade of sorts?

The ex-hunter had a very bad feeling about that, afraid that things weren't what they seem to be. Only, there was nothing he could do about that now, nothing but see for himself if this diary really held the answers to his questions.

He doubted it, but took the book none-the-less and sat down without a further word, dismissing the master hunter completely. Zero began to read, at first slowly not really wanting to do this then flying over the pages until things became more ... painful.

A child for a child, twins for twins; No, I don't believe it had been right. But Midori had wished so badly for children. So badly that she tried to kill herself after our twins had been killed; killed by Them. I have been so afraid, of losing her that I feared to lose myself, when I realized that all, which her kept from repeating was trying to kill everyone of Them she could get her hands on.

I couldn't have been more surprised when we found you two. I knew from the first time I saw you that this was wrong to do. Yes, even killing you would've been better. You're of the enemy after all.

Yet, I've been weak.

Midori had been so happy watching you and your brother that I could only give in to her wish to keep you as our own, even if I knew you weren't really. She thought it would be only justice to take you for our own lost twins.

I'm sorry. I really am and I can only hope that you may be reading this some time, when you need it. Cause you deserve to know, to know the truth about what you are. Yes, even if you're not of my blood or even of our kind you were ours. It was hard at first, but then I realized how very little difference there was between our kinds, besides the obvious of course.

I can only hope they will never find out what we did.

The last line was a bit blurred, almost like the writer had difficulties to write it, to hold the pen steady at that. It was obvious that he had been afraid of something, but who were 'they'?

The ex-hunter frowned at the words then it dawned on him. 'They' had to be his parents and the whole damn Vampire Council. They would want revenge, of course.

His vision blurred for a moment and he found himself in a place he could only barely out make but he was sure that he had never seen it before. While things were kind of blurred he could out make ... bodies and rising flames at the far end of the room. It looked like a battlefield with all the destruction in it and the dead empty stares. Those bodies, they had been human, but somehow he knew that there had been vampires among the dead as well. The smell of smoke and death was suffocating and more than a little hard to bear with.

It made him want to run, but he couldn't move, could only watch. He felt helpless and small, to helpless to be able to run away. He couldn't even scream because his voice failed him but he found it very difficult to breath with all the smoke in the air.

Then there was a dark figure, a woman, he realized, tall and scary looking and her eyes they were bright, shining with a strange intensity. She whispered something he could not quite understand but it sounded like a curse or something.

Then he heard another voice, male this time, muttering something gruff, then the voice got louder, loud enough that Zero could finally understood what the man said.

"You're sure this was necessary?" The man asked to the woman.

"Yeah, it was." She said in a hate-filled voice. "They're not better then the enemy. They're damn traitors." She cursed some more under her breath and gave the nearest corpse a kick.

"Maybe, but they're still humans." The man sounded guilty and very uncomfortable at that.

"No, not if they're selling their own soul to those damn bloodsucking bastards." She spat out in anger and then Zero's view turned down to one of those bodies lying close.

For a long while he was forced to stare at the horrible sight of a pale face of a middle-aged man with glassy empty eyes. It was enough to notice a strange mark at the man's neck which looked like a tattoo to him. Why was the man marked like this – and by whom?

Next he knew was that the woman walked closer to him, looming over him. It made him feel very small and then he realized that she started to whisper -- no she was chanting something what could've be only a spell. The spell surrounded her with an eerie glow and he could finally see her face.

Then in a flash of agony and finally darkness everything was gone and Zero was back in his room gasping for air he had been holding back unknowingly.

He had recognized the woman, she had been the one he had always thought to be his mother, yet she was not. Zero shook with anguish. Why had she done this? He looked up to find himself staring into Yagari's single eye. There was emotion in his eye only Zero found himself unable to identify it. Was it pity or may be compassion after all? No, that couldn't be, could it? Yet, the master hunter must have watched him the whole time. Why? He wondered for a confused moment then remembered what had happened before he had this vision.

"Why? Why had they done this?" Zero's voice trembled more than he liked to show but he couldn't help it. Everything felt so terrifying real now when had been more of a concept, an idea, before. Technically he had assumed as much but that's all what it had been, unreal.

He hadn't really thought about the dimension of what had happened, of what had been done to him and his brother but this made it impossible for him to look away any longer. He hadn't been aware how much he still was in denial even if he had accepted his change on the surface.

"Who had been my birth mother?" The ex-hunter inquired. "Has ... he written that down here, too?" He had to know for he couldn't take the uncertainty any longer, the not knowing which left his thoughts in a mess. A vicious circle which lead him always back to her, Shizuka. She had said that they were alike then, but what if there was more now?

He hated her, did he not? No, Zero shook his head. That had been then, now, now he didn't know what to feel but he could clearly remember the agony and rage in her madness tinged eyes. Whatever happened to cause that must have been bad. Just like having your children stolen, a cruel voice whispered at the back of his head. And what about his real mother? She must have been devastated at that time. Had she become like Shizuka?

Damn, every time he tried to get through this all he could see the pureblood's pale eyes mockingly at him. Now, he only wished to know the truth then why was this so hard?

"I didn't know of this," Yagari said in quiet voice, knowing that he didn't have the answers Zero was looking for. "I've only known about this book - I haven't read it. What do you think me to be?" Did Zero think that if he had known he would have been able to train him like he had? Giving so much of himself for one little boy?

"I don't know, Yagari." Zero replied, leaving out the honorific suffix on purpose. "I just don't know; not anymore. I don't know what to believe." Yes, it was true. Once in a time, his relationship to Yagari and him had been clear: They had been teacher and pupil, nothing more nothing less than that.

Now? He guessed they were probable enemies, master hunter and pureblood vampire. It was still hard coming to terms with that fact that he, Zero, had not one single drop of hunter blood in his veins; that he wasn't human at all.

He tuned his gaze back to the book in his hands and continued reading.

Midori, she put her spell on both of you. A spell to prevent you from becoming your true self, pureblood vampires. Ah, I know you're probably wondering how that turned you into hunters, aren't you? Well, it's simple. I think you might have heard all those rumours about the beginning of hunters, haven't you? Forget them for they are wrong. Early hunters eating pureblood vampires to gain their powers? Silly. No, it's a bit more complicated than that.

The truth is that our ancestors were indeed purebloods themselves, genetically defective purebloods. They couldn't awake, ever; they were their failed children and we their legacy. Isn't it ironic, we, hunters are just like our enemy, just the other side of the same coin.

We, hunters, are basically vampires, who are unable to awaken, but you my sons, you are not. You were not hunters, no, you never were. All you have to do is find a way to break her spell.

I wished Midori hadn't been so hard on you, but she was afraid, so afraid of your turning. It wouldn't have been so bad, if it hadn't been so hard on your twin, Ichiru.

For he, he reacted worse to the spell so that it took much more away from him then we ever intended, making him more ... human, poor boy. I wish I had been stronger, but ...

"Go." Zero suddenly said, giving Yagari a indifferent look, willing the master hunter to say something yet on the other hand hoping he wouldn't say anything. Whatever had been done wasn't Yagari's fault but, right now, Zero didn't trust himself not to do something stupid, something he would regret later.

The master hunter nodded almost like he really did understand Zero and then left without another word.

xxx

Comforting truth...

He left his room for tonight, finding it too unsettling after all the things he learned earlier. No, he couldn't forget ... but he somehow needed still comfort, peace and some stability, something what hadn't changed, just like Lily.

He wasn't aware of it, but Zero had a tendency to wind up here whenever he was troubled or needed to think. He felt most at ease tending to Lily. Lily, he mused, most of Day Class students were too afraid of White Lily and vampires and horses didn't mix, normally.

Zero knew by now that he definitely was different in that way or may be it was only Lily? He didn't know. As long he remembered the white mare had never shown any fear of him.

She was a wise one too – she probably thought him silly in his brooding and all. Why he thought knew this he didn't know, he simple did. It was in the way she snorted at him and nibbled at his hair, teasing him like she usually did.

"You know how very strange this is?" Zero heard a voice behind him. He looked up to find Takuma standing in the aisle, watching him and Lily. Zero knew he had been there for quiet a while – he had just chosen to ignore the blonde noble for the time being. He had been quiet enough. The blonde noble was also one of the few vampires, who could manage to go near the horses without scaring them to death.

"It is?" The ex-hunter returned softly. Zero was in a strange mood tonight. "I don't think so. It's just Lily." Zero smirked softly which turned into a smile as he turned his gaze to Lily, his Lily. His smile turned into soft laughter as he felt her ruffling his hair.

"This is strange." Takuma replied with a soft smile on his own. Oh, yes he had noticed, that Zero, whom he had never seen laughing like this, seemed like a complete different person here with this strange horse.

Yes, Lily was indeed strange for he could sense no fear there, but an acute wariness. The mare was guarded. She was very aware what he and Zero were, but she had chosen to trust Zero and so far trusted him to keep them safe.

"Zero, don't you know that most animals tend to avoid us?"

"I don't know." He gave Takuma a wry smirk. "I never noticed." He was lying, of course he had noticed, but Zero was in no mood to think about another bit of himself that was different again. He hated being different.

"You are still uneasy being around us, Zero-sama, aren't you?" Takuma asked softly.

"Uneasy," Zero repeated slowly, "well, that's a way to put it. It's more like..." He trailed off; he didn't knew the right words for how he felt. He rolled his eyes for a moment because of the sudden awkward way he felt about all this.

"Overwhelming, isn't it?" Takuma chuckled at this.

"Well, it would help if you lot would drop that damned -sama thing, you know?" Zero gave him a little glare. "I feel darn uncomfortable hearing it from people far older then me."

"All right it's fine with me," Takuma agreed but sighed. "But you'd better get used to it, cause you're going to hear it a lot."

"I know, I know, Takuma." Zero nodded, acknowledging Takuma's words. "But I don't have to like it." He glanced at the blonde noble for a long while then swallowed when realizing the knowing look on Takuma's face.

"You know, don't you?" The ex-hunter asked in a whisper, barely daring to to even speak his fears aloud.

"No," Takuma replied shaking his head. "All I've got is assumptions ... and the Hio clan is not the only one with silver hair like you've got." Yes, that was true, although they were the only ones with such a strong connection to nature ... the same one he could feel in the young pureblood in front of him.

"No, I suppose they're not." Zero said, but both knew he was only saying this to convince himself, so he wouldn't have to face reality – and for now it was enough.

xxx

Dangerous Truths...

Yuki woke up with a headache, almost like she had been drunk the previous night, which she hadn't been, but the effect was the same at that. After this, she went in a hurry through breakfast and then off to class – and forgot almost that she wanted to ask her adoptive father, her uncle, about what really happened. Yes, she thought after having thought about this issue for a whole night after talking about it with Yagari-sensei she knew that there was something amiss – something, her uncle hid from her, whatever his reasons may be for that.

She would get an answer – and even if it took some violence to do that. She chuckled at that foreign thought. Violence, that had been always Zero's way of handling her uncle, eh, adoptive father.

Her father, she thought but then didn't know quite why she thought of him now, her real father not her uncle turned father. There was that dream, wasn't there? The one, which made her head ache and her heart beating unsteadily because it was covered in darkness and the only things she remembered where blood on newly fallen snow, almost like something had been sacrificed to the gods of winter.

There had been screams in her dream, but she couldn't place them as well. They were too far way and however much she tried, she never could understand what the words had been.

Yuki shook her head and wished she hadn't done that because her headache returned with a vengeance. There was more, she was sure about that but couldn't recall it as often she tried to remember the rest of her dream.

She went up to go to class, and did it in a hurry, since she overslept once again.

xox

She managed to arrive for class in time, but then had her usual trouble with staying awake, only today it was much harder. While she was tired from uneasy sleep, her head hurt too much to fall easily asleep but it prevented her from understanding what the teacher wanted them to learn. She could hardly concentrate on his words so she didn't even try that, just pretended to listen.

Class finally done, she thought with relief and moved slowly to leave the classroom.

"Yuki?"

"Yori?" Yuki answered and turned around, eyeing her friend warily.

"Have you forgotten about me?" The blonde girl asked and couldn't help but sound disappointed and hurt.

"Um, right, I'm sorry." She nodded then shook her head. "I didn't do it on purpose, Yori. Something came up ... but if you like we'll go to the headmaster right away?"

"That would be nice." The other girl answered in almost eager voice then took another look at her friend and frowned. "You haven't slept well, have you?" She asked with worry in her voice.

"No, I haven't." Yuki sighed, still feeling a little tired. "I'm all right." She added with another sigh at seeing the kind of worry in her friend's eyes and then thought to try something to lighten up the mood.

"Ah, Yori, it's not that exiting to be prefect, you know."

"I know, Yuki, but it really is a big change, something new to me." Yori objected heartily.

"Yeah, it is." Yuki muttered in return and let themselves to the headmaster's office. "Here we go."

They didn't have to go far to see the headmaster waiting for them, right in front of his office door. Had he seen them coming? Well, it certainly looked like that.

"Yuki-chan ... and Yori-chan?" The headmaster asked slowly with a frown on his face only to finally nod. "Come in and take a seat." He said softly and closed the door behind them since he didn't want anybody to listen in.

"What do you know about the Night Class?" He started after the two girls were seated comfortably.

"The Night Class?" Yori raised a brow wondering where he was going with this. "They're very good looking like movie stars or something ... and some have a similar attitudes too."

"And?" The headmaster inquired with a weird glint in his eyes.

"They're ... only seen at night?" Yori murmured then stopped. "They're pale, beautiful ... frighteningly so ..." She stopped again and stared at the headmaster then at Yuki. "No..." The girl murmured. "The rules ... not going out at night ... They can't be, can they?"

"I'm afraid they are." The headmaster nodded, laughing aloud now.

"But, but vampires aren't real!" Yori objected but then sighed in defeat knowing that all the facts were too strong to be overlooked.

"They are very real." Yuki said in a soft voice.

xox

"Poor Yori," Yuki murmured to herself as she watched her friend go then shook her head. "But I think she already suspected something, or otherwise she would've reacted much worse."

"Have faith." The headmaster smiled at her in his nearly silly fashion, which indeed showed how serious he took this.

"I do." Yuki returned the smile then frowned as if remembering something. "Father?"

"Yuki?"

"Father?" She asked and gave her adoptive father a puzzled look. What was this about?

"This is for you." He said slowly while holding a necklace out to her, it contained a single pedant, which looked like the traditional sign for Yin and Yang. "It's from your real father, Yuki."

"Why-why now?" She muttered.

"Because I had hoped this wouldn't been necessary and that you won't need to remember that dreadful day."

"But?"

"But I was wrong. I'm sorry, Yuki." He swallowed. "I really hoped I would be able to protect you better than this."

"What?" She started then took the pendant, put it in one of her uniform's pockets and wrung herself on her uncle's neck, hugging him tightly. "No, no-no, you didn't do anything wrong..." Then she sniffled again before she pulled her back again.

"Why did they die? Why did my parents die?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure." Kaein Cross answered then pulled something out of his pocket.

"But you have a guess, father?"

"Maybe," he muttered, "may be it was about who your parents were. About what they were."

"What?!"

"You're father wasn't exactly a normal human, Yuki." The headmaster sighed in defeat, once again.

"He was not?" Yuki blinked in surprise. "I thought my mother married a normal man."

"No, he had certain gifts, certain powers, like many of us did."

"He was a hunter, too?"

"Yes, and no." Kaein said in a quiet voice. "He belonged to a group, who left the Association long ago. They were dissatisfied with all that killing ... and wanted to stop it. They called themselves 'The Balance' for that was what they sought."

"They were rebels?"

"Not exactly, they never went directly against the Association or anything like that." He said sadly.

"They were destroyed?" Yuki asked in the same kind of quiet voice.

"Yeah, they were. They ... were too extreme, what they did was blasphemy to what the Association felt what was known to be right and good then."

xxx

Dare to help...

"No," Yuki muttered to herself and then cursed herself for feeling so helpless but it didn't made it more obvious but that she really needed some help or her algebra marks would decrease even more. That alone was bad enough, but with the upcoming winter ball it was far worse than that meaning that she and her class mates would have to do duty on the ball if their average marks would turn out too low.

Why was everything always so complicated? Yet, she knew that Day Class president was right, if she didn't do something soon about her marks she'll have to to do duty at the winter ball and possible her whole class as well if she pulled their average ranking too low.

"Damn." She cursed again, this time aloud then shook her head. She needed help, help like Zero had given her always – but now? She couldn't just ask him to sacrifice his sleep like that, could she? Besides he would cause an uproar if he was seen in the Sun Dorms now, like any other Night Class student would course.

"Are you all right?" A soft voice asked from behind startling her up from the homework she had been trying to finish all sitting in the calm place, which was the Academy's library.

"Aido-senpai?" Yuki jumped up in surprise to face the blonde noble. "What are you doing here?"

"I've seen you talking to that leader of yours. " He began trying to sound casual like it was the most normal thing for him to show up here in the early morning on a Saturday like this.

"They don't like you much, do they?" He continued in a wry knowing tone.

"Tha-that's none of your business!" She objected almost violently and gave him a glare strong enough that he nearly thought that she'd been taking lessons from Zero at that. "And what are you doing here any way at a time like this? Shouldn't you be asleep in your room?"

"I just want to help, Yuki." He said softly and gave her a bright smile, the same one, which would have most of Day Class swooning about him. Sure, Aido looked handsome, but the female hunter knew also what he was and she would've been suspicious around him even if he were not a vampire.

Well, Aido looked kind of adorable right now, with a slight pout on his face and the sleep ridden eyes. He looked like he wanted honestly to help her – only, that made her even more suspicious about him and she wanted to dismiss him just that. She would've done so, but then there was just something off about him which made her pause and then decide, that just maybe she should go along with it, just for now.

"With what?" Yuki asked finally and swallowed.

"With your homework?" He asked with mischief gleaming eyes but his voice was completely serious.

"Really?" She answered slowly.

"Yes, really." He chuckled and sat down next to her. "Here, let me help, yes?"

"The-there are no others around?" She muttered remembering the last time 'he' had been so nice to her. It had been only to taunt her and in the end she had ended up being chased by his fan-girls.

"Oh," Aido said then rolled his eyes. "No, of course not." No, of course not, he hadn't gone to all this length only to be watched by them when he wanted to be alone with her.

"Really?" Yuki bit back a fit of giggle at that. The situation got weirder by the minute. Aido wanting to honestly help her of all things?

"Yeah, really." Now, he sounded almost annoyed at the lack of trust from her but ... well, it was only understandable for he hadn't been really nice to her in the past.

"Yuki, please trust me in this. It's not plotting or anything but I really want to help you." He explained in a calm voice but he couldn't help but stare at her. She really was beautiful he thought – and yes, he was not completely truthfully at that. He wanted her, wanted to taste her sweet blood again ... and a little more, like seeing her smile at him like she meant it. Why did that thought made him feel so strangely warm now?

"Oh, okay then. Please explain these to me, Aido-senpai." She answered with a grin of her own at that. Suddenly she itched to test out how much he really did know and may be she wanted to beat him at his own game ... or did she just wanted to see him fail at something as ridiculous as teaching math? It would be hilarious seeing that even knowing that Yuki very much wanted to get better at this so she wouldn't have to bear the brunt of her class mates at the winter ball.

Well, she'd just to make sure to keep them in the dark about this, didn't she?

xxx

Dare to be happy...

"How are you?" Zero eyed the older pureblood closely. Whatever happened at the Council had surely taken its toll on him. Kaname looked really kind of worn out and tired now. Well, that was exactly what the ex-hunter had expected to happen, so he had prepared something for them both to relax.

"I'm glad to be back." Kaname smiled at the silver-haired ex-hunter and couldn't help but feel a shot of warmth at seeing the concern on the other one's face. "It was quite boring, you know."

"I'm sure it was." Zero grinned in return the shrugged. "I really don't get it how you manage it this calmly." The ex-hunter knew for sure that if that would be ever asked of him he surely end up in a killing rage before the meeting was done. No, paperwork and politics wasn't for him – and it felt him with dread thinking that one day he might have to do that as well.

"Practice." Kaname explained. "Lots of practice, Zero. Believe me, it's not that bad."

"Hmm, sure," Zero replied then raised one silver eyebrow. "If you say so." He added and pulled Kaname into a tight hug.

"I missed you."

"So have I, so have I, Zero." Kaname answered like wise.

"Come, Kaname," Zero whispered and pulled the older pureblood behind him, upstairs to his room. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really," he said then stopped looking hard at the younger pureblood only to raise one perfectly formed brow in questioning. "Well, now that mention it, I just may be."

"But?" Zero replied in a tone so dry it made Kaname almost burst out in giggles.

"That depends, on what you've planned. I assume you've got .... something on your mind." Kaname eyed the silver-haired ex-hunter with a curious expression and couldn't help but return the mischievous grin he received from Zero. He was certain that the other had planned something very interesting.

"Come, let's go in." The silver-haired ex-hunter said in a conspirational tone and pulled Kaname behind him, holding the older pureblood's hand firmly.

"If you like to." His companion whispered in return, sounding pleased and a little excited, knowing that behind his serious looks Zero could be as devious as anyone of them, not that he wanted it any other way. Zero was such a very enticing mix of rough edges, hidden charms and a very, very devious mind at times that Kaname forgot all too easily that he hadn't been raised as a pureblood vampire. Well, may be, just maybe, that was just another point that vampires and hunters had more in common than most thought.

"That's better," Zero said and smiled slightly, which had been a rare thing but recent changes made him smile way more often than not. Right now, it was blinding. He pointed towards the sofa on the other side of his room. "Here, sit down. I'll get us some refreshment."

"Zero, wait, you prepared all this only for us to watch TV?" The older pureblood couldn't help but notice how different the room looked, very tidy, which was the usual but the way the table was decorated like for some celebration was certainly off the scale. He could also smell a hint of scented oils of some sort. So, what ever it was, it certainly wasn't only about watching TV or some film.

"Um, yes, kind of." The younger pureblood grinned. "Is ... that not okay with you?"

"No, of course not." Kaname returned the grin and sat down. "I'm happy to do something normal from time to time." Yes, he meant it. It felt so good to just relax and have fun ... like normal people and forget for a short time what it meant to be him, to be the last pureblood vampire of the Kuran line.

"Here, take this," Zero said with a soft smile, but Kaname couldn't help but notice the mischievous gleam in the ex-hunter's violet eyes, again. It was more intense for all Kaname could tell now. He was definitely up to something, that was a sure thing and the kind of refreshment he had brought was certainly interesting for it was a very exquisite red wine of the sort they used to serve only when celebrating.

"Thank you." He took a sip and smiled even wider while closing his eyes to really enjoy the full taste of it. French, he thought, it was and very enjoyable. Yes, indeed, something was very off but he said nothing at that and just enjoyed this unusual night. It felt strangely comforting to watch a movie like this and it didn't hurt to feel Zero's close proximity at that too.

Kaname barely registered the movie, the ex-hunter had chosen, at that point now so enraptured was he by the way Zero had sneaked his arms around him to held him close, and then there was the way he felt the younger one's breath at his neck. It was a heady feeling to be so close to each other, and Kaname wasn't the only one affected by it, not with the way Zero was inhaling the older pureblood's scent like it was the sweetest thing of all. I

"Hmm, like that, don't you?" Kaname murmured back, leaning into the ex-hunter's touch. Yes, things were definitely going to be interesting tonight.

"Yes, very," Zero said in a playfully voice. "Actually..."

"Actually what?" The older pureblood raised an eyebrow to gave his -- lover, no, they weren't that yet but they were certainly more than friends nor were they brothers. He frowned while feeling unable to come up with a proper term. He felt so very connected to the silver haired ex-hunter that it surprised him sometimes, that they had not a bloodbond yet. Maybe, there was no word for this, for him and Zero, not that he needed one.

No, they needed no words. Yet, he was a bit startled at the strength of emotion he felt while Zero's hands seemed to have a mind of their own, getting a little bolder as they wandered over his body then reached under his shirt, finally sliding beneath its fabric. "Zero," he muttered sounding more huskily then he intended to but he couldn't help it. "You know what you're doing, right?" He tried to question the younger one's intention, trying to probe if it really was what he thought it was.

"Yes, I know." Zero murmured then placed soft kiss to the neck in front of him, lingering a while there almost as if he felt unsure what to next -- and the next moment he was gone, leaving Kaname's back uncomfortably cold.

"Zero, what are you doing?" The older pureblood asked while trying not to sound too whiny because of the loss of contact he was suffering. He wanted him back, now, and almost growled in protest.

"I'm here," Zero said almost inaudibly and eyed the bottle he had brought from the shelf near by, hoping the older pureblood would like this. Yes, sure, he'd like this, he thought and smirked.

"Kaname, take off your shirt," Zero stated dryly a moment later and fought down a chuckle for he had almost said clothes instead of shirt. Had he really managed this while sounding calm, without stuttering or anything of that stuff?

"Why's that?" Kaname's heart stopped for a fracture of a moment before speeding up faster and faster in anticipation for whatever Zero might have planned.

"It's really better that way." Zero explained in a whispered tone. It sounded like a purr to Kaname, a low sensual purr driving him nuts and the scent of vanilla certainly didn't help matters much at that.

"C'mon, Kaname I just want to return the favour to you, the massage you'd given me on the first night here."

"Oh, all right." The dark-haired pureblood rose a brow, looking slightly over his shoulder then and smiled brightly. "Nothing naughty then?" He could very clearly smell the oil the ex-hunter had brought for massaging him, nothing naughty indeed. Well, whatever it was, it smelled delicious to him and he couldn't help but tense in anticipation to know how it would feel to have the ex-hunter's hands on his back, on his bare skin and on other places. Kaname shivered at that sort of delightful idea. Yes, indeed that seemed like a very delicious idea to him.

Yes, it was almost enough to do more than only comply with Zero's request but rip his shirt off right here and now for him ... but then he got a better idea.

"Yeah, nothing naughty." Zero agreed, but his voice had turned almost into a purr again. "Turn around."

"As you wish." The older pureblood replied playfully. "I'm all yours."

"Hmm." Zero murmured while giving Kaname's back a careful look thinking of where to start first then raised an eye brow. "But?"

"There's a catch, you know." Kaname whispered. It sounded like a promise.

"A catch?" He arched a silver eyebrow at this, eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Yes, a catch." The dark haired pureblood replied and it sounded even more like a promise, no, it was better, it sounded like ... heaven.

"You've got to remove it for me, Zero." He said while staring into the younger pureblood's intense eyes, sinking, drowning and almost begging Zero to come closer and get the damn clothes away from him, almost only, because he knew that they weren't ready for that step, not yet.

"I-, sure." Zero nodded and approached Kaname slowly, almost a little hesitatingly now, that he was about to do what he had planned to do. He couldn't help but he was very aware of how even the lightest touch made the older pureblood shiver and how his body reacted to that. Part of him wanted to rip that shirt away and not only that shirt, but he kept his movements slow and tentative.

When Zero had removed the last part of Kaname's shirt, it almost undid his self-control but he managed to continue that what he had promised and nothing more, for now. However, he had no idea at all how long that would last.

The ex-hunter spend for some time massaging the dark haired pureblood's back, which wasn't actually much of a massage but more a caressing of the perfect skin under his fingers, so enraptured was he at the feel of Kaname's bare skin but he didn't care. No, but it was really tempting, tempting to hold Kaname closer, tempting to kiss the skin there, just beneath his fingertips. Would it feel as wonderful as touching it did, he thought briefly before giving into temptation and kissed the spot he had just touched right away, kissing the older pureblood's shoulder. It tasted so much better than just touching it.

"Nothing naughty, eh?" Kaname whispered back but leaned into the touch and received a delightful shiver glaring at him followed by the low sound going through his body for it, and then yet another kiss. He turned around slightly so he could look into Zero's eyes.

"Yes," Zero murmured and closed the distance between them to place another kiss on Kaname's lips. It was a gentle kiss, not much more than the brush of lips on lips yet it was breathtaking enough. It got worse when Kaname felt the tip of Zero's tongue trailing his lower lip, silently asking permission to enter – which he gave with slight hesitation. Kissing Zero like this held certain dangers ... but it was too enjoyable to not give into this pleasure. He pulled him closer until Zero was practically straddling him, which made things even more interesting.

It was a strange mix of sensuality, comfort and passion, kissing each other like this. Comfortable happiness, heady steady warmth one could never get enough. No wonder this kind of kiss was kept for the bedroom by most people. Kaname wanted more, much more and in an impulse he tried to pull them both away from the couch towards bed near by. There would be much more room for them too.

If only, but no, Zero didn't bulge from his position and Kaname found himself mesmerized by the strength of the ex-hunter's gaze. He couldn't help it, but he didn't think the younger pureblood had ever looked more alluring than now with his eyes glazed over with a tinge of red thus changing their colour to a dark amethyst and his fangs slightly visible behind his lips. He looked breathtaking, good enough to eat, he thought and had to pull his gaze violently away from the glimpse of pale skin at Zero's neck.

It was far too early, he shook his head but it didn't help much, not with the way Zero was weighting down on him. Comfortable, teasing weight – temptation if there was ever one such for him.

"Release me." Kaname whispered in a commanding tone, knowing full well how Zero would react to that tone. Yes, just like he thought. Zero narrowed his eyes at him, glaring at him followed by the low sound of a growl. He loved being able to do this, teasing the ex-hunter like this and, well, just maybe he would get his wish and coax him to that comfy looking bed over there.

"No." Zero said dryly. "I won't." He added then growled again. "Never."

"Never?" Kaname raised a brow playfully then became serious. "You're serious?"

"Yes, Kaname. I'm serious." The ex-hunter whispered in a voice almost too husky to understand. "I can't let you go, not now that I've only found you." Zero leaned in closing the distance between them and kissed him, again, only this time it was different. There was energy in this kiss, making it hard to stay steady so they had to clutch each other for that.

"Hmm," he murmured into the kiss before he was lost in the kiss again, being swept away. "Don't ... have to."

"Hmm, I don't have to do what?" Zero managed to get out when they had to break the kiss to breathe.

"Don't let go." Kaname repeated. "Just take me with you?" He raised a brow managing to bring the bed into their view.

"Hmm, you're right." Zero nodded his agreement and then in one swift move he got up but only to pull Kaname behind him straight to the waiting bed and crashed down on it. It must have made out of some study material to stand to such abuse, though.

They came face to face again, lying next to each other and for a very long moment they stayed like that, just staring at each other. It was almost as if they were trying to figure out how much they could allow to give in, questioning how far they could go without going too far. It was strange, because in a way both knew that on a certain level they both wanted to go further, go beyond and risk being bonded to each other but something held them back.

Yes, both knew that they held back for good reason. In the back of his mind Kaname wondered briefly how they managed not to lose control, tempting each other like this. Some how they managed to stay just a few steps from drowning, so maybe, they were soaking in it instead of drowning. It was much more comfortable for now, too.

Zero had come far along into this, for now he knew, or he at least thought he knew what would happen if, no, when they would lose control. It was damn risky, for both of them because it would leave them utterly vulnerable to each other and any others, who should come to know of this. No, not a small thing, and the fact that he still didn't know who exactly he was didn't help too. Yet, none of that mattered right now, he thought dreamily.

They got lost in the soft touch of wandering hands and butterfly kisses, tracing the strands of of shiny pretty hair and all. Hair that became tangled up as Zero leaned even closer to trace the delicate structures, which made up the older pureblood's neck and collarbone, with his lips and tongue. Kaname's left hand reached out to some of these silver strands, which were so conveniently close to play with. Zero's hair felt very nice, almost like liquid silk in his hands.

"You know, if this grows any longer than this you'd look like that guy from that game, Sephiroth, I think..." Kaname said playfully.

"It really needs a cut," Zero mused in return then frowned, realizing what Kaname had just said to him. "You've played Final Fantasy VII?" He gave the older pureblood a good, surprised stare.

"I was a child once too, Zero." The older pureblood chuckled low in his throat."Even if I am a pureblood."

"I know, it's just – it sounds so strange to imagine it, Kaname." The ex-hunter nearly babbled at that for he had a hard time picturing the older pureblood doing any such an ordinary thing like playing a computer game.

"Well, I like fun too." He couldn't keep the slight tinge of sadness out of his voice at that thought but it was gone as soon as it came; eased away by another kiss from Zero. No, Ichijo definitely hadn't liked that; said that it wasn't befitting his pureblood status even he was a child then. It could've been much worse, he knew, weren't it for Takuma to cheer him up when ever he could. Yes, things like that, playing video games when Takuma's uncle wasn't there among other stuff.

"I know." Zero agreed with a chuckle of his own then frowned again. "But I'm nothing like him." His frown turned into a slight growl at the thought that he might have anything in common with a psycho who wanted to destroy the world, even if the ex-hunter had no real idea how strong he truly was. He wasn't any general at that too – and in afterthought he was thankful about that too, thinking that if he were to remain a hunter he might have end up in just a position like that.

"No, you look much better." Kaname half slurred half purred in reply. "I like you eye colour just like it is, Zero." He smiled then leaned closer and frowned, wondering for a friction of a moment why he hadn't thought about this earlier. "I think you've got too much clothes on." Kaname purred low in his throat before he pulled the remaining part of Zero's shirt away from him.

"Hmm, let me return that favour of yours." The older pureblood murmured before he leaned in and give that enticing skin some more attention and was rewarded by a low noise, which sounded like a strange mix of a purr and whimper. The noises Zero made when he gave that taut nipple some attention made him so happy and he was totally obvious to the fact that he himself made similar noises when Zero touched him in return.

Kaname couldn't help but marvel at how different and alike they were. While Zero had a more muscled build than him, he still held an eerie elegance, which was a lot like that of a ... bird, bird of prey at that, why did he think like that? Those bright eyes, weren't they so very similar? Maybe it was because of how caring and protective Zero was, much like a female hawk, who defended her young.

Zero was, had always been like that, all gruff exterior and caring heart. Kaname knew, he himself was looked a lot softer, like silk covered steel, but had learned not to be, but what he found most amazing was how perfectly they fit together, hard angles, lean muscles covered with smooth skin for both of them.

After a while those touches got bolder, a lot bolder until all there was touch and blindingly bright, intense emotion as they found themselves again locked in a kiss that wouldn't seem to end.

Bodies tangled up, legs nestled close to each other, being so close until none of them knew or even cared which one of them began or ended – only that they were here, together. Of course, their bodies knew what to do as they moved against each other, trying for more friction, to be even closer, closer than close.

Then somehow, Kaname let one of his hands wander lower until it reached the ex-hunter's belt, undid it and finally let his hand slip underneath.

"K-Kaname!" Zero gasped for air at the sudden heat this touch had sent through his body. He covered Kaname's hand with his own, feeling suddenly unsure about this. He had never done this before and didn't want to disappoint the older pureblood with his inexperience.

"Shish," Kaname replied huskily then frowned once more. "You do want this, don't you?" He fixed Zero with a pleading look.

"I do," Zero whispered almost inaudibly.

"But?" Kaname replied, noticing the nervous look the ex-hunter had about him now.

"Please," he said then growled in frustration. "I've never done this before. I've never been with anyone."

Kaname replied with pulling Zero closer to him then pulled one of the ex-hunter's hands to his chest. "Feel this, Zero?" Letting him know how excited he was for them to be together like this and that he too felt a little nervous, even he didn't let it show.

"You're the first, Zero." Kaname said in his most serious tone. It was tinged with a hint of sadness and past loneliness but also happiness.

"You'll never disappoint me," he murmured into Zero's ears then took advantage of the younger male's piercings then pulled Zero's hand further down his body, needing the ex-hunter to feel how exactly he felt about him.

"Touch me." He commanded. "Please touch me, Zero." His voice turning into a husky purr of plain seduction. It was a seduction the younger pureblood could not resist and he complied, reaching down and mirrored Kaname's previous action, then became a little bolder to actually touch him there – and was rewarded with the brunette buckling against him.

He did it again and got another moan in return and again and again...

"Zero," Kaname moaned in protest when he felt the loss of the ex-hunter's touch.

"Too many clothes." The ex-hunter growled and tried his hardest to get rid of those damn constricting trousers but found it very difficult to get the task done concerning their position on the bed and all.

"Oh, right." Kaname agreed and helped him to get them both out of those offending garments, which was easier said then done, of course, since their hands seemed to linger ever so often to uncover previous forbidden territory, but then they were finally done with this task.

"He looks beautiful," Kaname thought while trying to get himself back in control, but he couldn't help it – for the younger pureblood was really a sight to be seen, breathtaking. Zero was everything a pureblood was supposed to be, deathly beautiful.

"Kaname?" Zero murmured then flushed, partly because he caught the dark-haired pureblood staring, partly because he knew he was staring as well. Kaname looked breathtaking like this, pearly skin, dark hair and even darker eyes, almost like a dark angel.

"Hmm," Kaname purred in return. "Beautiful, so beautiful." He added then leaned closer to nuzzle Zero's neck. "My beautiful."

"Nnng." Zero tried to say something but couldn't because he felt kind of overloaded with ... everything. He felt like drowning, falling fast and reaching for something, anything to hold on and clutched Kaname even closer to him.

Then in a moment of mischief Zero reached down again, closing his hand around him only to have the older pureblood acting out of character, cursing and gasping in reaction. The ex-hunter smiled and tentatively moved his hand down and up, then repeating it, getting faster too.

It wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to feel the older pureblood moan and writhing like this, he decided and pulled one of Kaname's hands, which had been grasping his sides almost painfully now, and pulled it farther down to his arousal – and found himself buckling violently at the first touch.

Then it got worse, much worse. He felt like he'd explode any time soon.

"Kaname." Zero moaned loudly. The pleasure was getting almost painfully intense, which made him doubt they would last much longer now.

"Zero..." Kaname's voice had gotten a pleading tone. "I-I can't..." Kaname didn't get out more because the ex-hunter's lips came crushing down on his and then he found himself kissing him greedily back until it sent them over the edge and left them not a little unshaken at that, too.

For what seemed like an eternity they just stayed like that, holding each other close, neither daring to make a move then before both relaxed and laughed at each other, together.

"Me too." Zero murmured, his voice nearly inaudible.

"What?!" Kaname asked, not knowing what the ex-hunter wanted to say.

"You know I thought it would never happen to me." Zero said thoughtfully, sounding almost a little melancholic too. "I never thought I would fall in love like this."

"You--" Kaname stuttered in return, feeling overwhelmed with what he could only recognized as happiness. "You really love me?" He couldn't help the uncertainty in his voice, since he wasn't really used to this, for people to love him back, just for what he was. It was sad, but the only time he had felt loved like this had been when he had been a little boy and his parents still alive. It didn't compare to this, though.

"I-I ... I do." Zero admitted in rough voice. "I really do, Kaname."

"Hold me." Kaname murmured. "Hold me close ... and never let go."

"I won't." Zero nodded and pulled Kaname even closer, draping the sheets around them for a little more comfort. "I promise."

xxx

Truth to be told...

"Zero? Kaname-senpai?" Yuki eyed the two purebloods with a puzzled glance. Why were they now here? There wasn't any reason, right?

"Yuki," Kaname began then pulled her into his arms. "I hope you can forgive me, forgive us." He whispered in a strangely fragile sounding voice.

"What for?" The female hunter asked, now feeling even more confused then frowned after giving them a long look over.

"It's about us." Zero answered in serious voice. "Kaname and I, we have come to a decision." He nodded to himself and to the older pureblood sighing softly at that.

"Yuki..."

"I know." Yuki suddenly said and gave them a funny look. "Zero, I know."

"You know?" Kaname stared at the brunette girl in surprise.

"Yup, I know. You guys are quite obvious, you know." She chuckled at that.

"You're not mad?" Zero asked. "I mean you've got a crush on Kaname for as long I've known you..."

"No, I am not." Yuki nodded then frowned. "But ..." She eyed the older pureblood almost nervously, like she didn't quite know what to say or how to say it.

"But what?" Kaname inquired.

"You've got to give me some space too." Yuki said in serious tone. "You can't follow me around all the time like I'm a little child."

"Yuki..."

"It's Yuki, Kaname-senpai." She chuckled at the puzzled look in Kaname's eyes who just stared back at her like she had started sprouting wings or something like that then he nodded after a long while.

"Okay," he said slowly,"but only if you'll stop calling me Kaname-senpai."

A/N:

Hope you enjoyed this chapter even if it's really really long. Thanks for all your kind reviews and for your kind help, YenGirl.

Um, about the FinalFantasy VII reference: it's just that I found myself in the mood for that lately and couldn't help it seeing that Zero's hair is silver as well. Final Fantasy belongs to Square-Enix, of course.

Updated chapter to fix some of the typos.

Mia