Hello! Thanks for the reviews! I still have to reply to many of you and I will, just be patient [Lenko, please forgive me]. The below is me trying not to stay stuck. May fix it later when I am saner.
Alliances
by lightpathetic
PATRICE watched with her own private amusement as Ichiru approached her. It would be the first time he would deign to do so. Usually he stayed to the side-lines and let Aidou act on their behalf but today he had been looking over at her and away again as if gathering the courage to come over. She could tell right away he was nervous and more than a little concerned about something. But there was something else again that was fairly surprising to her even though she had been privy to those astonishing words uttered in the dead of night between the male captives...
"Patrice. May I... join you?"
Patrice had met the silver-grey gaze as he shyly approached her, his hands in the pockets of his fur-lined jacket, his breath fogging a little and surrounding him with an ethereal glow as the vapour caught the light from the half moon and stars as did his extraordinary hair, come to think about it. He was a beautiful boy... for a human, Patrice conceded, choosing to let the fact that she'd been salivating over him since the moment he arrived go unacknowledged in her musings. If she'd let herself admit it, she would recall her unguarded fantasies about sinking her teeth slowly into that strong neck as her limbs wrapped tightly around his large, toned frame, drawing deep of his hot blood, those large, calloused hands creasing her skin as he held her, those eyes closing as that husky, deep voice, with still an endearing hint of immaturity echoed in an aching moan... Dammit, Patrice! He was off limits! Off. Limits!
Patrice looked away at his uttered words, ostensibly to keep an eye on the others who were strolling around the gardens and pretending to admire foliage as if they were at liberty to do so. She had no objections to holding a brief conversation with any of them. That was the idea behind her kinder, gentler façade: to get to know them. But him... She became perversely angry considering the harmlessness of the request. She wasn't a fool. Even as she'd heard what he'd said, she also had heard the agitated scribbling her charges had taken to indulging in when they wanted their conversations kept secret. There was a plan afoot. She was sure of it. And it included, at the very least, his distracting her with his charms.
"I have no objections, Ichiru. I do welcome the sudden change in your attitude towards me," Patrice replied, all but snapping at him. It never hurt to come straight to the point. Besides she didn't feel like caring about his feelings when his motives were suspect. "I do hope you'll make this play for my affections quick. It is nearly dinnertime."
Ichiru looked taken aback at this and fidgeted uncomfortably. Patrice rejoiced at this. Perhaps he'll turn around and head right back over to the others... Honestly did he think she was born yesterday? His mother's breast milk wasn't even dry on his lips and...
Ichiru smiled then chuckled, his hand appearing from his pocket to sweep his hair from his eyes. It was time for a trim and if he were back on the ranch, Kaname would have, perhaps a week prior, already placed a chair on the front porch and pointed to it in a silent but firm command and Ichiru would have obliged, no matter what he was doing. Ichiru liked when Kaname did his hair. It was a type of gentle magic. He never used a shears. Just his soft, light touch and what seemed like a stiff, warm breath... But no-one cared about such things as adequate grooming now. He replaced his hand in its warm nest and turned to catch Patrice's gaze.
"How did you know?" He was almost relieved to tell the truth...
Patrice scoffed and rolled her eyes, unable to stop herself as she tried to fathom such innocence. Or such stupidity. Was he serious?
"Where do I start? The sudden attraction for me? Inexplicably saying those words aloud? The fevered plotting in the middle of the night or the sheer terror that you reek of after spending several minutes getting up the courage to come over to talk to me? Out of curiosity, what would have been your opening line?"
"I haven't thought of it. I was trying to think of something but I gave up as time was running out. So I came over to just chat and to see where your interests lie. I feel a bit foolish now..."
"You should. I am Rido-sama's most loyal and trusted servant. To say the least, it is unlikely that I would see him harmed over anything as insignificant as you. I am insulted that you would even try."
"But you can't blame me, can you? From what Aidou says we are in a lot of danger."
From what Aidou says...
Patrice knew what her orders were but she couldn't help but be curious herself. What had it been like on the ranch with Kaname Kuran? These children had none of the usual terror or vacancy or even spirit-killing resignation humans that were kept by vampires usually had. She'd have to say that they were remarkably carefree. Even she could tell that part of Ichiru's fear lay in the unknown. There were no bite marks on the children's bodies, no signs of abuse. Few scars. It was damned unusual considering Kaname Kuran's isolation on the ranch. Hell, she had access to blood and was still having a hard time remembering herself where they were concerned...
"I don't understand..." She whispered before she could think better of it.
"What?" Ichiru asked almost as quietly, his eyes wandering back from his shoes to Patrice's gorgeous face. Her pale green eyes were just a little too widely spaced, but it gave her a sort of feline quality that made her even more appealing. With her very evident confusion softening her normally cold features, it was easy to forget she was... a killer.
"All of you... It is as if He actually took care of you all... Which is ridiculous...!"
"Why? Because we are human?" Ichiru retorted, more than a little tired of Patrice's condescension.
"No! Because he is Kaname Kuran! I can't believe you don't even know what that means! Not after everything He's...!" Patrice stopped herself, on the verge of divulging too much to this boy. She should be interrogating him, for heaven's sake.
"What do you mean?" Ichiru asked, turning fully towards Patrice, alarmed by her very evident confusion and distress. Where had that come from?! She was normally so cool. And over Kaname?! "Aren't you over-reacting a bit? Is it so hard to believe that a vampire could treat a human as an equal?"
"An equal!?" Patrice repeated, wearing a look of incredulity so exaggerated Ichiru actually stepped back in shock. "Kaname Kuran has no equals and he knows it! We all know that he knows it!" Patrice had spat the name as if it was a bad taste in her mouth and all Ichiru could do was watch. It was obvious even to him that...
"You hate him," Ichiru marvelled, his own face registering his disbelief as he noticed she shook from the sheer magnitude of the sentiment. "You actually hate Kaname."
Patrice caught herself and swung away, trying to gather herself. Damn! Why couldn't she control herself where he was concerned? She was ruining everything!
"It is time... to return to your room. Go get the girls..."
"Wait! Patrice!" Ichiru reached to grab her arm and was hauled forward as she pulled away. Luckily Patrice reached out to steady him or he would have catapulted forward onto his face.
"You should know better than to place your hands on a vampire like that..."
"There must be a mistake! There is no reason to hate Kaname! He is a decent...!"
"Decent?!" Patrice bit, her voice tight with disgust, as she advanced on Ichiru. She could just... strangle him! Decent?! It was too much! "I don't care anymore what he did to me. It was hell, but it was nothing compared to what he did to my children afterward. After he promised me... promised me..." Patrice forced herself to continue, that pain was one she would always have to live with. "I swore on their heads that I would not rest until I saw him dead. And that is what binds all of us here. That very oath. Written in the spilt blood of our families by His hand. You would do well not to say anything like that here about Kaname Kuran ever again."
KANAME looked across the table to where Zero sat forcing his food down just to please him. Most of it, though, was pushed around the plate or hidden beneath the lettuce and Kaname sighed and stood.
"Zero, you are doing it again. I have already arranged for the tube, you know. Can't you see how thin you are getting?"
Zero too sighed and pushed his plate away, deciding not to continue with his deception. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep without help. He was becoming a bundle of nerves and it got worse with each day with no news. Two and a half weeks with no word. Zero was starting to lose hope. It was like with his parents all over again. Their absence gave him the opportunity to lie to himself most of the time but there came moments of lucidity where you just knew that it meant that they were dead. In those moments he felt despair beyond imagining. He was having those moments about his family more frequently lately.
"I'm not hungry, Kaname. Nothing is working. We've destroyed all those houses and... and nothing..."
Zero didn't want to add what else they'd destroyed but it played over and over again in his head. It was the other reason he couldn't eat. Kaname handled such cruelty very well but Zero still had nightmares of those burning people. He'd made sure they couldn't escape...! Couldn't save their...
"He's covered his tracks well. But then, he has had some experience with dealing with me," Kaname answered, coming to sit next to Zero at the long dining table, ignoring as he usually did the astonished scrutiny of the staff present, and the roll of Seiren's eyes as he took Zero's utensils from him and tried to get him to eat some more with a tenderness they never thought they'd see him express to anyone. After some inspection he placed the utensils on the plate and "lifted" it to his left and a servant appeared almost instantly, knowing that Kaname-sama desired a fresh, heated offering. "I have one other rock I can look under, Zero. Please don't lose hope."
"It is hard not to, Kaname," Zero propped resignedly on the edge of the table, knowing what the disappeared plate meant, submitting to Kaname's gentle, soothing caress of his hair. Kaname was so stubborn, but he was trying to take care of him as he'd always done. Zero conceded this as he stared at the table's decorations of fruit and flowers all placed in beautifully hand-painted ceramic bowls and vases, all set on a heavy cedar table with a pale gold silk table-cloth embroidered with what he eventually realised was the same symbol he wore on his neck. Who knew he and a table-cloth could have that much in common? Zero thought bitterly. "It's been days since the incident with the carriage and no word. Even after so much... destruction."
Kaname paused with his long, slender fingers threaded through the hair at his nape and used his left hand to touch Zero's chin and turn him to face him. Maybe Zero hadn't gotten over it.
"This is about what happened, isn't it? You are still upset about what I did. But I had explained, Zero..."
"Please Kaname!" Zero snapped, shrugging off Kaname's touch and moving to stand, not wanting to talk about that anymore. Yes, Kaname had warned him about what he was going to do, had warned him about the things he would see but he had insisted on going. Was adamant. He had only himself to blame. They were vampires! They were the bad guys! But they could also feel pain and indeed... had let him know in the worst way how much pain they had felt... Zero closed his eyes briefly, his anguish very visible. He'd apologised over and over to God and Heaven and their tortured souls for being forced to do this. He had to find his family... It was really this Rido's fault... Right? Then why did that voice from the depths of his soul come to him in his stillest hours and tell him he was lying to himself. That this was all his fault. His fault for knowing what Kaname really was and giving him his blessing to do the worst things imaginable to… "Let it rest. I told you: I am not hungry."
Kaname opened his mouth to speak but closed it as the fresh plate of food arrived. He "tugged" delicately at Zero to indicate his wish that he return to his seat and Zero turned back towards the vampire and sighed. He came back to sit, deciding it was easier than fighting.
"Try eating half perhaps," Kaname bargained, cutting the moist, roasted chicken and sautéed vegetables into manageable pieces. "Then we'll go to bed. I'll spend the day with you today I think. But just sleeping. You are still quite weak..."
"Where do you sleep, Kaname, when you are not with me? I went looking for you a couple days ago but you weren't in any of the bedrooms..."
Yes. He'd heard about that. His servants are under strict orders to not bother Zero in any way but they were to keep an eye on him and wake him if Zero tried to leave. However, Zero was unaware of this and invariably returned to his room if he ran into one of Kaname's servants, mistrusting them completely as he did. And it suited Kaname to keep it that way. In this case as well as he had eventually given up and gone back to his room but not without searching most of the house...
"My room is below ground. Those bedrooms are really for human guests and appearances. Vampires prefer not to chance coming in contact with sunlight," Kaname explained, while popping the loaded fork between Zero's lips. Zero grimaced but began to chew carefully, stalling the next forkful.
"The basement?" Zero said eventually, having swallowed the result of his earnest labours. "Is it like the caves? May I see it?"
"Yes it is and no you can't. Not yet. It needs to be sorted out. It has been vacant for a long time. Normally I am too tired to care..."
"I don't care if it is untidy, Kaname," Zero begged, glad of a change of subject from the usual depressing impasse with Kaname's uncle. Kaname's bedroom! Zero wondered... "I want to see what your bedroom is like. If there is a coffin and a harem of vampire brides..." Zero's tongue was firmly in cheek and Kaname saw that. He frowned in mock censure however.
"Ha Ha. Very funny. What vivid imaginations humans have. I think the most interesting thing in my room is my underwear drawer."
At this Seiren shot Kaname a look that Zero didn't miss. She seemed secretly amused by his answer as if... it was a lie the size of the Atlantic Ocean. Zero thought about this as he opened his mouth for another load of food. The old man had alluded to a collection of sorts. Zero wondered if Kaname was hiding that. But then, did he really want to know? He asked himself as he remembered those houses, those people, Kaname's glittering, interested eyes as he watched when Zero could only turn away... Maybe there were some things about Kaname he should leave to the imagination. It was probably easier that way...
"Okay, Kaname. Perhaps another time then."
Kaname noted Zero sudden change in attitude again and again he felt the fear of Zero drawing away from him. He hated this situation as much as Zero did. He longed for the virtually carefree existence they'd had before this when the children didn't hold back where he was concerned. He even missed the very disturbing pats on the butt from Ichiru as he leaned too close to him while he was cooking. He didn't want them to be like the others. He didn't want them to operate from positions of fear, distrust and intimidation. He'd felt what it was like to truly be loved and cared for and like a plant with just a taste of sunlight, he cherish it and wanted to thrive in it as long as he possibly could. It had been a mistake to bring Zero into his world completely. He could never be expected to cope with his full nature. Nor should he have to. Despite his maturity in many ways he was still an innocent human child and Kaname needed to be mindful of that. To shield him. And bring this to a close as quickly as possible.
This is why he needed to go and see Him... Kaname was avoiding it for many reasons, the majority of which were political. There were few purebloods in the world and all were no match for him individually. But together they could do him a hell of a lot of damage. It was why he left them mostly alone, always treated them with respect and favour. And in return they did nothing to undermine his rule. To do this... to go and threaten one of them now could be political suicide. But he had no choice. Takuma had schemed with Rido to dispose of him and odds were he'd had encouragement from his fiercest critic among the purebloods. Asato Ichijo. Takuma's grandfather.
Kaname forced himself to move and continue to feed Zero, all while his mind worked feverishly. He'd have to plan it carefully. Make his death, if it should occur, look like an accident. He'd have to visit him secretly. But how could he get him to speak? He'd probably already suspected what happened to Takuma... Again Kaname wished he could just walk away. His practical side weighed starting a war with other purebloods against the lives of four humans and recoiled. But... Yuuki... Ichiru... Zero.
"Zero, please," Kaname begged, as he noticed Zero become quiet again, his teasing smile a distant memory, his head turned away to avoid the advancing fork. "I promise you this last rock will turn up something. He and Rido know each other very well. Odds are he will know where they are..."
"Then why didn't you ask him before!" Zero demanded, thinking how much suffering could have been avoided. His as well as...
"It is complicated. And dangerous. He was... a last resort..."
Seiren gasped at this and looked over at Kaname who ignored her agitated gaze. She loudly scraped back her seat and left the room, her disgust obvious and violent. Kaname sighed. He couldn't blame her.
"Dangerous! For you...!?"
"Not in the way you think. We'll see, alright? And I'll make you a deal. You finish the plate and I will show you my room. You'll see there are no bats or horrible things anywhere and put your mind to rest, okay?"
Zero smiled again and opened his mouth also taking the fork from Kaname's fingers. He realised what Kaname was trying to do and tried to go along with it. He really was trying his best to keep him happy and Zero felt churlish fighting him all the time.
"You don't have to show me until you are ready, Kaname..." Zero mumbled over the crunching vegetables, spearing another piece of chicken.
"I know. But you'll think I have rotting carcasses everywhere and not get any more sleep. I know how your mind works by now, Zero," Kaname quipped, watching him eat happily, a relieved grin breaking out over his face. Maybe they will neck a bit today, as a reward, before they went to sleep. Meanwhile, he'll have his servants prepare his room... for viewing.
AIDOU could tell the meeting hadn't gone to plan. He had watched surreptitiously as Ichiru had approached and the ensuing exchange. He was sure no progress had been made where bedding Patrice was concerned when she had suddenly marched away leaving the positively stricken teen in her wake. It was for the best, Aidou had thought to himself. It was too dangerous. They had to think of something else. However, it puzzled him no end when, even on their return to their room Ichiru avoided his eyes. Even when they were left alone to eat dinner, the boy still sat in pensive silence only speaking when asked a direct question or replying to Yuuki's animated speech about her day. Aidou began to wonder what had really been said.
"Conference," Aidou whispered to Ichiru as they finished and stood from the table. "Excuse us, Ladies..."
"Not right now, Doc. I am very tired..."
"What do you mean 'tired'? Doing what? Ichiru..."
Aidou walked to Ichiru and looked into his eyes, checked his pulse, slapped him...
"Ouch! What the hell...?!"
"I was just checking. I thought maybe..."
"Nothing happened to me. And she knows alright? She suspected immediately. I just want some time to think!"
Aidou let Ichiru go as he wrenched himself away and opened the doors to the balcony. Aidou decided to give him time. It must have been very disappointing to put all your hope in something like that and have it dashed aside so easily. He felt regret at having encouraged it as he did and hoped another opportunity would present itself soon. For all their sakes.
Aidou looked back at the stunned girls and smiled reassuringly but they weren't buying it. Yuuki looked past him to where her brother stood with his hands planted on the rails, his body tense, knowing he was deeply troubled about something. She thought she'd give him an hour and then ask what the matter was...
"Perhaps you girls should turn in. Don't worry, I'll give him a few minutes and see what's up, alright?"
ICHIRU though, knew he could never discuss what was currently in his heart. The doubt he was feeling about this entire situation. The thoughts all whirled around in his head pointing to one troubling conclusion. It could have been an act. It could have been. But the way she had been, so passionate in her hate. The way she had avoided him since as if ashamed of her behaviour. What had that other vampire said about Aidou's mark? That he belong to Kaname? It fitted the conclusion. The trepidation Aidou had shown when they discussed their plan. The relief he'd seen when he'd told him it wouldn't work... He knew Kaname was a killer but that was for food only, wasn't it? Normally he was kind, gentle, stern but jovial. They all adored him.
But what if it wasn't the whole truth? After all, they'd known Kaname all of four months? Could he ask Aidou about it? The doctor obviously feared Kaname and was under some sort of... obligation to him. They had noticed how Kaname gave orders to the doctor when he relaxed his guard too much and forgot to pretend. Noticed how Aidou acted without hesitation. How Aidou was suddenly always there. Why did he never speak of their past together? What if there was a good reason for that? What if Kaname was hiding his past, not to escape from it as they had thought, but because of... how horrifying it was...?
"Ichiru... Are you sure you are okay?"
Ichiru turned away as Doctor Aidou came to stand beside him, placing a warm hand on his arm. It was only concern. Maybe. But Ichiru couldn't be sure. Not the way he felt. He had to find something, remember something that pointed to Patrice's story being a lie but so far... nothing did.
"I'm fine. I just want to be alone..."
"There'll be other opportunities, Ichiru. Please don't be too disappointed. We are alive and as long as that is the case there is hope..."
Ichiru sighed. Aidou was actually worried he was disappointed his plan didn't materialise. He was comforting him. The teen turned back to meet Aidou's worried gaze and met it, searching for any ulterior motive. Any falseness... And saw none. He didn't know what to think.
"Doc..."
"Yes?"
"Do you... like Kaname?"
"Like...?!"
Aidou faltered crucially, as if the issue had never occurred to him. He looked away from Ichiru's scrutiny and laughed weakly. "Of course I do! What an odd question! Did Patrice upset you today?"
"...Besides not taking the bait? No. Not really... I was just thinking..."
"Don't believe anything she says. I've warned you about..."
"Yes, I remember, Aidou," Ichiru replied impatiently. Still...
"I'm going out for some air," Ichiru declared, pulling away from the blond and crossing the room quickly to the door.
"What! You shouldn't leave the room!"
"I don't care. She can stop me if she wants to. Right, Patrice?" Ichiru said firmly but not too loud as to wake the girls. He walked over to the door and yanked it opened knowing what he would find, gratified to be met but the wide, green gaze.
"Your time for fresh air is over. Go back inside."
"I want to speak to you," Ichiru whispered, holding her eyes, pleading. "Please?"
Patrice knew what this was about and felt no desire to rehash her moment of weakness earlier. She opened her mouth to say so when the boy did a curious thing.
"Ichiru! Have you lost your mi...?" Aidou gasped as the boy began to remove his jacket and shirt, pulling his arms clumsily from the sleeves. He then closed the distance between him and the vampire, going too close, his head tipping to stretch his neck, the vein outlined against the skin.
"I've noticed how Kaname always lifted his head and scented the air when either of us removed our shirts," Ichiru spoke, his lips just skimming the shell of the ear of the woman who was too... overwhelmed to back away. "There is something enticing about the scent of our bare skin. Am I wrong, Patrice?"
Patrice's mouth fell open and a flash of red ghosted in her eyes... and suddenly Aidou was alone.
"Ichiru!" Aidou called running out into the hallway, only arrested by the arms that immediately appeared to stop him. "No! Please! Don't hurt him!"
"ZERO..."
Kaname groaned, unable to resist letting Zero touch him. He loved it. The contact. The sensation of his fingers alone on his skin shot through him to... very sensitive areas. But it was more than physical. Zero's nearness, his contact, was comforting. The teen was safest with him and this was when Kaname most felt he was accepted. Also, he loved giving Zero pleasure. Kaname always vowed that when this was over he'd spend the rest of their lives making sure no harm came to them, that they were as happy as possible. He'd even toyed with the idea of having them stay with him. Taking them around the world, showing them as much as they could see before... But Zero's sorrow today made him second guess himself. They'd never, even if they understood it, accept his way of life. He'd always be met with such looks of intense sorrow and he didn't want to cause them pain. Far from it...
"Kaname! Christ!"
Zero tossed in frustration as Kaname rolled and pinned his arms at the point where he had been trying to remove Kaname's trousers and position him beneath him. The vampire broke the kiss...
"You can't... You mustn't..."
"Dammit, Kaname! You are driving me crazy...!"
Zero lifted his hips and rotated them in a rather unsubtle attempt at persuasion against Kaname's groin, making the vampire gasp in singular need. Zero wasn't the only one almost driven out of their mind by these restrictions. Even kissing... He felt as if his heart would break when Zero made that sound when he felt Kaname's fangs begin to grow and when he whimpered at the vampire having to break the kiss. Kaname always tried to fight it for as long as possible but the sad truth was that Zero turned him on. In every way...
"We've just made love two days ago, Zero. You need time to recover..."
"Kaname..." Zero moaned, a desperate plea. A calculated demand.
"Don't do that!" Kaname growled pushing away to stand and back away from the bed. Zero was trying to be reckless and God knew Kaname couldn't handle when he was like this. Saying his name like that... "I'm leaving," Kaname announced, heading for the door. He had no choice anymore but to sleep elsewhere.
"Wait! Wait! I'll behave! Please don't leave me alone."
Kaname stopped and turned to face Zero who'd also risen from the bed to catch him. It was easy for him to believe that. He wanted to so very badly.
"We'll go to sleep..."
"Yes. I promise. Just don't leave."
"...Okay."
Kaname circled Zero at a very wide berth and walked back to the bed, climbing in and pulling the covers up over his head as was his custom. He waited for the teen to return to the bed, every fibre of his being tense with expectation. Finally he felt the bed sink as the boy's considerable bulk weighed in.
"May I join you?"
Kaname pulled the blanket tighter and shook his head not daring to speak. There was an extra blanket for Zero's use. They both knew that.
"I want to hold you," Zero persisted, moving closer just a bit as a cat would stalk a nervous mouse. The lump of bed clothes moved away almost in unison. Kaname was aware of the game. The boy knew he'd give in as soon as he touched him. But Kaname was smarter than that. He wouldn't allow it.
"Go to sleep," came the muffled order, before the lump rolled over and pretended to do just that.
Zero gave up and pulled up the extra blanket over his nudity, his having discarded his pyjamas before getting into bed. He could press it but he had to concede that if Kaname chose to leave he couldn't stop him and he didn't want him to. He disliked sleeping in this house alone.
Zero rolled onto his side and inhaled a deep breath trying to calm himself. He was painfully hard. Made worse by the visions of Kaname nude that kept popping into his head. How did he fall in love with a man? Zero wondered shaking his head ruefully. How did the thought of cleaving Kaname's firm behind, the sight of stretching his body, sinking into him over and over to his joyful cries come to feature so heavily in his fantasies? But it did. Even just seeing Kaname nude excited him. He hardly thought of her anymore... Zero's face fell. Sayori... His... fiancée.
Zero hardly realised when his painfully delicate situation became less so as his thoughts again turned to his captive family. More specifically the person he had promised to marry. He'd have to tell her. Break it off. But how could he tell her about this? About his love for Kaname. A male vampire! It would break her heart. She'd probably call him crazy. Or bewitched. Point out that they could never have children... Zero began to think of that. His one dream: having a family. Caring for his own son. Teaching him about the world. Protecting him... Even having a daughter that would actually listen to him appealed to him. He wanted to do it right. He wanted to raise a family and be there for them. And the truth was... he couldn't do that with Kaname. Hell, he couldn't even make love to Kaname when he wanted.
Zero rolled over carefully and looked again at the lump of bedclothes. He reached out gently and caressed the material pretending he was touching the man underneath. This... whatever this is... was wonderful. Make no mistake. Maybe if he had more than one life to live he'd spend one of them here with him, fighting endlessly about when they would make love and cherishing when they actually did. But he didn't. He had only one and he had a chance get everything in life he'd always wanted before Kaname came into their lives. Kaname, who waspoisonous to him. Who was born to kill and eat people. They were fooling themselves. This could never work. Could never last...
Zero pressed his eyelids closed and inhaled again trying to dispel the suddenly burst of pain in his chest and he knew he'd reached his decision.
Sayori would be told nothing.
"YOU have some nerve coming here!"
The rakishly handsome gentleman slammed the door to his den, pale-gold hair flying, blue eyes flashing as he entered and rounded on the dark-haired, beautiful man that lounged comfortably in his chair, helping himself to his imported whiskey.
"It was the only safe place in the city. In case you haven't heard, all my houses and those of some of my friends have gone up in smoke."
"Now you've come to add this one to the list?!"
"Please. Kaname knows better than to threaten another pureblood. I'm different because I'm family..." The heavy tinge of irony to his tone was intended.
"This is a result of your carelessness. He should have been dead a long time ago..."
"Believe me. I've tried. But the bastard is extremely hard to kill."
Rido paused to throw back the glass of whiskey he'd poured and reach for another. He was going to become drunk first, pass out, and then think on his next plan of action. He was too angry right now to do so clearly. He was this close to going back to the house and doing as he'd threatened to do to the girl just to hurt Him…
"You have to give them back. You have no choice."
"Then what? Run whilst looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life?"
"At least he would back off. Give us a chance to regroup..."
"Maybe. Or maybe he'll continue until we are all dead. I lay bets on the latter option. My nephew is a nasty piece of work."
"Then what do you suggest? Using the children to trap him? No pureblood in his right mind would endanger himself over human children..."
"But these children are different. They have something on him. He shows fear when I threaten them. We can use that. I just haven't figured out what it is..." But I will. Soon...
"Maybe the answer is simple. Maybe… he loves them."
"Ichijou, come sit and have a drink," Rido suggested, throwing a full glass on the other side of the oak desk in a manner that showed his contempt for the suggestion. "Maybe then you'll remember Kaname doesn't know what love is."
to be continued
lightpathetic wrote this but these are not my characters – except Patrice. They belong to Vampire Knight.
Rev: 01242015