Cold leeched in through the glass of Zero's dorm room window with a single-minded intent, though the silverette in question couldn't quite bring himself to care. He'd long ago become too lulled by the rain for the vaguely numb sensation spreading from where his face touched the glass to matter much.
Dressed in the clichéd clothes of semi-depressed – a large, shapeless, long-sleeved T-shirt and drawstring jogging pants in an uncaring shade of grey, his feet and hands bare and chilled to the point of comfort – he made the perfect picture of an introspective youth.
5am had come and gone, shifting into its parallel in a storm of easily completed homework and extra credit assignments, leaving Zero with little to do but think. He'd entertained the idea of going to see Lily, something he hadn't felt good enough to do in a while, in an attempt to stall his inevitable brooding, but after the whirlwind of homework and a dismal shift in the weather he'd found himself feeling oddly lethargic once again. Apparently the exhaustion-induced coma he'd slipped into after returning from the club during the early-morning blue hours Friday the 24th hadn't been enough.
Oh, the club, Zero thought ruefully; now that brought back memories worth brooding about.
Goddamn Kuran and his fucking plans; bastard wouldn't know honesty if it slapped him in the face, Zero thought petulantly, violet eyes sweeping across his room to his bedside table. Sitting there innocently in a slim, crystal vase was the rose Kuran had given him. The flower had been retrieved and healed of any damage inflicted upon it by the pureblood's magic at the end of their 'discussion', possibly as an allusion to what their 'agreement' had insured was to come.
Zero liked to think he hadn't just tossed the thing because of the emotions brought on by the bond, or because he was a rational person at heart and he knew insulting his 'future mate' would be a bad way to start off this new arrangement of theirs. If he'd wanted to be truthful (something he desired to be less and less as of late), he would have admitted that he'd kept the flower because once upon a time purple roses had run rampant over the Kiryu Manor and he was a sentimental goof.
And if he'd wanted to look below the surface of that last thought, he might have even found that he hadn't tossed the flower because, even if Kuran hadn't known about its history, he was still just a little touched that the pureblood had thought to give it to him.
It was truly amazing what could be stirred up by something as simple as a flower, wasn't it?
With a small, bitter smile Zero looked away from the vase – something he hadn't even remembered owning until he'd needed it – and let his gaze flitter off over the woods at the back of the Sun Dorms. His room was a corner dorm on the top floor at the back of the building, it having been assigned to him after the Rido Incident as a bit of a jab by Cross about how much time he spent wandering the woods.
Of course, no one clued in to the secrets of Cross Academy missed that Zero's dorm was also the closest to the Headmaster's private abode, especially as the crow flew (or, perhaps, more fittingly, as the vampire ran/jumped), but Zero liked to pretend that that fact was neither here nor there.
Frowning, Zero dragged a hand through his disheveled hair, a sigh slipping past his somewhat chapped lips. His previous tiredness was beginning to melt into a kind of twitchy energy, especially as it got later in the day and closer to the designated time of his and Kuran's meeting. He needed to find something to kill a couple of hours with.
Swinging his legs down from where he'd curled them when he took his seat in the window box, Zero pulled himself to his feet. He stumbled off a couple of steps worth of pins and needles in his legs, and then collapsed rather seamlessly into his computer chair. Grabbing his phone from its place of abandonment atop his own personal leaning tower of newly completed homework (it was amazing how productive he was when he wanted to avoid something), he flipped the little thing on and read through his messages.
He was hoping Yori or Kaito had left him an amusing rant to reply to regarding the excuses he'd sent them to cover for his disappearance Thursday evening/Friday morning. He'd had close to thirty worried messages on his phone between the two of them when he'd return to consciousness sometime around 4:30 am, Saturday morning, so he was hoping for some fantastic replies to his weak explanation.
(Actually, most of those worried messages had been from Kaito, which had struck Zero as odd at the time because it was usually Yori who played mother hen when he didn't check in. Weirdly, he'd only gotten one from her sometime around late Friday night. He'd brushed it off, thinking that maybe she'd just been busy.)
Unfortunately, it had turned out all he'd gotten in reply was a frown-y face and a 'not cool, man' from Kaito and a 'good, K' from Yori. Cross had clogged his mailbox with overly-emotional responses to the 'I'm fine' Zero had sent him, but he wasn't desperate enough to actually send anything back to those besides a trip to the delete box. No distraction there, then.
Setting the phone down on his desk, Zero checked the time, finding it half past five. He winced; he was supposed to be meeting up with Kuran at six thirty for this little experiment of theirs. Sighing, Zero pushed himself away from the desk and stood. Flipping open his laptop he hit and clicked a few keys and buttons and after scrolling through some hundred playlists he'd mixed, Zero picked one with a particularly harsh tone and let it play. Half a second later a fast, bone-shattering drum solo broke free from the speakers, the chaotic sound soothing away some of the silverette's tension.
The music successfully beating his doubtful inner voice into submission, Zero went over to his closet and started the daunting task of trying to figure out what to wear. Unlike their last two meetings, which had been both very touchy, tense, and spontaneous, Kuran (who he should really start referring to as Kaname, Zero mused) had stressed that this – experiment, let's call it – was to be well, casual. And normal. Kuran had gone so far as to call it 'hanging-out', which had been admittedly fun to watch Ku – Kaname, dammit – say.
But for all the fun it had been watching the imperious and rather up-tight Kaname Kuran describe what was essentially a casual coffee type-thing, it left Zero with an issue. See, Zero didn't have a particularly large social life – besides Yori, Kaito, Yagari and their occasional trips to Vermillion, he didn't really have one at all. This left him with little to no experience with how one would conduct such meeting, nor how you would dress for one.
Turning on his heel, Zero went into the bathroom and started up the shower, the sound of rage-filled music following him. He'd figure out what to do about conduct and appearances in a bit. Besides, if he really fucked it up then whatever; it wasn't like he hadn't survived worse with his pride intact.
And besides, he'd been past the place Kaname had suggest they meet up at; it was hipster-casual personified. In fact, Zero's loner/bad boy pride would have protested setting foot in the place if not for the fact that there was ample parking surrounding it, which meant Zero would be able to take his own motorcycle to get there. Zero rarely ever passed up a chance to ride his second-most prized possession.
Shedding his clothes and stepping into the spray was probably the best feeling Zero had experienced in the last few days, seeing as he wouldn't let himself count the feeling of Kaname's kisses nor the pureblood's caring caresses. Even though he hadn't felt any of the usual symptoms he'd come to expect along with living and being a Kiryu since meeting up with Kuran (and he was almost scared to confirm his theory on why that was), meetings with the pureblood still came with tension and stress that he hadn't gotten a chance to try and wash away due to his falling asleep as soon as he'd spotted his bed.
Now though, he could feel the last of the tension leave his mind; something that was rather ironically timed, as he was due to meet the bastard in not even an hour.
Laughing a little to himself at the absurd way his life worked, Zero got out of the shower and went through the menial tasks one dealt with when preparing to face the world after hiding away for around two days. That done, he went to go battle his closet, cursing Kuran and his own lack of fashion sense the whole time.
And if all of that cursing and growling were merely a front to hide his nerves and perhaps, even excitement, well, you wouldn't catch him saying it.
Kaname watched as Seiren unpacked the newly de-spelled books Aidou had fetched from the Hunter Association with hidden interest, a glass of red wine in hand. He'd sent her with the mission just after leaving the club, which he'd done only after he'd calmed himself down from the rage he'd felt when he'd seen Zero get a ride home on the back of a motorcycle with some hunter or another. Thankfully, the memories of the kisses they'd shared in Privet Room 12 and Zero's agreement to join him for coffee had kept him from doing anything regrettable.
"Kaname-sama, is this all you need?" The female vampire asked. Kaname nodded once in response but didn't send her away immediately.
"Did you happen to retrieve a copy of which spells they pulled from the books, Seiren?" Kaname Kuran was not a man who enjoyed not knowing things, and the spells that had been cast on those books had been quite alien to him. His paranoia as well as his curiosity demanded more information.
Seiren gave a slight nod and pulled a sheaf of papers from the smart over-the-shoulder bag she wore.
"I had a feeling you would be interested so I got Muryuki-san to give a basic description and approximate age of each spell. Muryuki-san also encourages you to contact him if you need any further information." The way she said the last bit and the glimmer in her usually flat silver eyes belayed how much of an ass-kisser she thought 'Muryuki-san' was. Kaname was inclined to agree with her, but Muryuki was easily the most capable of Kaname's pseudo-court with hunter spells and his greed kept him deep in Kaname's pocket.
Resisting the urge to quirk an eyebrow at the sizable number of papers – each covered in precise black ink; whether it be via diagram or word – Kaname was just about dismiss his body guard/assistant when Seiren's cool voice broke the soft silence that had descended on the room.
"Kaname-sama…" She didn't sound like she usually did. She sounded unsure, cautious; much more so than her usual blank tone would allow. Kaname gave her what passed for an encouraging smile.
"It's just – those books were very dangerous. I watched while Muryuki de-spelled them; some would seem completely normal and then you'd turn to a certain page and be electrocuted. They're safe now, but… please be careful, Kaname-sama."
Kaname nodded and gave her a reassuring smile but mentally took her warning to heart. Seiren wasn't one for displays of emotion and she was easily the least shakable of his inner circle; exactly why he trusted her with such sensitive assignments. It was also why he trusted her word above all except Takuma's. If she cautioned him to be wary, then he'd give it some consideration.
"Is that all, Seiren?" The mostly-recognized King of Vampires asked; focus already drifting to the books atop his desk as though they held all the answers he would ever need.
Or more questions, Kaname thought ruefully, as seemed to be the case when dealing with his tricky little mate. Kaname already had several circulating his mind, such as just how old Zero's family really was to have connections to the Monarchy times and how the Kiryu Clan had become so close to the Kuran Clan that they'd be mentioned in personal diaries, yet not in official records…
Those questions also brought him back to something Miss Wakaba had said during their discussion, about how if the Kiryu family hadn't been so integral to the Association, Zero would have been killed. What was it that made the Kiryus so crucially important to the Association? Yes, they were powerful, but Kaname couldn't remember the family ever being terribly political as of recent, nor did he think they were they insanely rich or influential. He couldn't figure it out and that led him to putting all his hope in those journals.
He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Seiren politely clearing her throat.
"Actually, Kaname-sama, Takuma-san asked me to enquire if you were planning on hosting a Samhain celebration this year." Seiren stated promptly. Kaname blinked owlishly at the question, a little shocked at how out of the blue it was, before slipping his mask back into place.
"Takuma knows I detest those events…" Kaname stated bluntly, figuring it would sound better than asking if his second-in-command had been hit on the head recently.
Though knowing Takuma, this could merely be an idea sparked from one of those blasted manga he insisted on reading constantly. Kaname restrained a smile at the idea.
Seiren's lips twitched, giving away how amused she was by Kaname's reaction. Said pureblood merely narrowed his eyes at her.
"Yes, my lord, we are all aware of that but in light of, ah – recent events – throwing a ball would show that you are not as affected by them as the rumors may suggest." Seiren stated coolly, the 'events' she was referring to obviously being his break up with Yuki. "It would also open up new opportunities for you to meet with those remaining influential families who main side against or in neutrality to you." The 'something you seem to have forgotten about' wasn't said but it was present, as was the curiosity as to why he wasn't focusing as much on politics as he had been up until a month ago.
Sighing inwardly Kaname nodded, showing his agreement while his mind worked to find a way to bend the aspects involved with a ball to his will. Perhaps, if he got Zero to agree, he could use this event as a way to introduce himself and Zero as mates to the vampiric public. The timing was perfect, both giving him enough time to show respect towards Yuki and to lend himself validation for dumping her so suddenly. Samhain was also a strong magical occasion for vampires, one that was only contested by the winter solstice. Revealing his and Zero's relationship then would also endear the both of them to the more traditionalistic vampires, something they'd need to do as Zero's hunter/former-human status would clash with the ideals of many of that faction.
Nodding to himself Kaname checked the time, finding himself caught somewhere between annoyance and excitement when he saw he only had half an hour to go before he was supposed to meet up with said hunter for their date, which had been Kaname's rebuttal to Zero's point of not knowing each other. After all, if it worked for humans, why not vampires?
He absently glanced at the books, sitting in tall, untouched piles on his desk. He'd been hoping to crack into them before meeting with Zero but that apparently wasn't going to happen…
With a mental sigh the pureblood turned back to Seiren, a list of for-sure orders having accumulated in his head.
"I need you to contact the caterers, decorators, musicians, and Hunter Association Security Board. Have the first three ready to meet with me sometime around six pm, Friday night and apply for a hunter security team at the last. Also contact the staff at Kuran Manor and inform them that a Samhain ball will take place there on the 31st of October." There were a hundred other things to do, from invitations to costumes (a tradition going back thousands of years), but the ones he'd listed were the most important at the moment.
Seiren nodded, her eidetic memory making sure she didn't need to take notes. Satisfied, Kaname pulled himself from his desk chair and went over to the exquisite chessboard set up on a table for two by the main window. Casually, he began moving the pieces back to their starting positions in preparation for a new game.
"Is that all, Kaname-sama?" Seiren asked a moment later, parroting back his earlier question.
Kaname paused in his moving of the pieces for a moment, his finger resting absently on a white pawn.
It would be best to inform his court about Zero sooner rather than later, Kaname thought, as he considered giving the order for Seiren to spread around the news of a meeting to his inner circle, at the least. He certainly couldn't inform them at the ball amongst the rest of the rabble, not without them taking it as an insult. Besides, Takuma, Senri, and a few possible others already knew. There would be little risk in filling in the rest of them.
But then there was Yuki to consider, her and the troop of lower class gentry she was gathering about her like flies to rotten fruit. He didn't particularly want to inform her in a gathering where she had a chance to make drama, but nor could he keep it a secret from her without the others thinking him cowardly. He didn't want to inform her ahead of time either, as that would make it seem like he was favoring her when the way she was acting made it look like she was intentionally working against him.
She was still his sister though, a voice in Kaname's head, perhaps his conscience, murmured. Even if she was acting like a spoiled child, he was the one who had woken that side in her. In part, she was his responsibility both for awakening her pureblood side and due to that fact she was part of his House. He would need to deal with her before he did anything else.
This decided, Kaname let his hand fall away from the board and instead rest at his side. Turning back to Seiren he rattled off his additional orders, one eye on the clock. He didn't want to be late to meet Zero, after all.
"I need you gather my inner circle," he said after a moment. "Bring them here as soon as the sun goes down this Sunday and also I'd like you to inform Yuki to meet me at my office after classes Monday night."
Seiren nodded, "If they ask for the subject of the meetings?"
Kaname smirked, "If they ask for clarification, I suppose you can tell them it's in regard to the events of late, as you put it, Seiren. I trust you could make it sound better than I."
His assistant/bodyguard/spy/Jack-of-All-Trades blinked a moment before giving him a chilling grin.
"With pleasure, my lord. I'll get started on it right now, if you'll allow It." She stated, adjusting herself in preparation to leave. Kaname raised a hand for her to stay a moment later.
"One last thing." The pureblood said. "When you apply for a hunter security team, may I ask that you request that Team Yagari not be assigned?"
Seiren blinked once, suspicion slipping into her eyes before being quickly washed away by professionalism. "And if they need a reason to comply, my lord?"
With a kind of casual focus Kaname scooped up the white queen from the chest board, twirling it absently between his fingers.
"It would be annoying if four of my guests were unable to enjoy themselves because they were ordered to work the event, would it not? It would put quite the wrinkle in my plans for a nice night, especially if Zero were to be assigned." Kaname drawled, placing the piece back on the board and chuckling inwardly when Seiren's eyes widened microscopically in understanding.
"Indeed I imagine it would." She murmured. "And that will be all?"
Kaname gave her a wicked smirk, "For now? Yes, I think that will be quite enough."
Seiren nodded before pulling herself together and leaving quickly, her standard Night Class boots making no sound on the plush carpets of Kaname's office.
Smiling slightly at the way things seemed to be pulling themselves together, Kaname stepped away from the chessboard and busied himself with preparing for his and Zero's date, though he doubted his little hunter would think of it like that.
More likely, Kaname thought as he changed into something a little more date-worthy than a rumpled dress shirt and jeans – having already showered earlier – that Zero probably think of it as some kind of plot. Which, Kaname guessed, it had been originally, but he was going to ignore that fact.
He was determined not to think of any plots or plans while with Zero that night. He was going to focus solely on the hunter and hopefully get to know him better personally instead of, well, just as an enemy.
A few minutes later found him stepping into the luxurious interior of his private car, his chauffer pulling away from the curb the moment one of the Night Class's servants tugged the door shut. He didn't pay much attention to the stares he felt following the car as it left the dorms, seeing as someone was usually staring at him. But perhaps, he might have if he had noticed the burning jealousy in the watcher's gaze.
As it was, Kaname lived in ignorance of that fact; for how much longer, though, was debatable.
And here I'd thought I was going to have trouble getting this chapter to three thousand words. Pshhh. More like I had trouble stopping at a balanced place.
Anyway, hope you all loved this as much as I love your Reviews! Thank you to LuanRina, Guest, BlitzkriegGirl14, ben4kevin, MissHikaHaru and everyone else who's Review since before I decided to get into the habit of listing the people I want to thank for Reviews!
Also thank you to all the Alerts/Favourites I get, you guys are awesome too!
And of course to my wonderful beta, thank you SunaT.U!
Sincerely,
BlackRoseGirl666