Disclaimer : I don't own VK nor its characters. Any resemblance to any fanfictions, the living or RIPs is highly unintentional.

Thanks LOADS to everyone who reviewed, added my story to their alerts, favourited it as well as listing me as their favourite author (*bows*). I really, really appreciate your support! I never thought I'd actually reach more than a 100 reviews either :D I didn't list out anyone coz I don't want to miss out on anyone's pen name unintentionally, and then I'll feel very, very bad (Gomenasai!!)

Here's the last chapter :D Hope you enjoy!

# EPILOGUE

"I love you."

At those words, Seiran was completely taken by surprise as Zero's lips crashed squarely on hers after his confession. Her eyes closed on reflex, enjoying the feel of his lips…so velvety smooth…on hers and she forgot to breathe. Zero deepened the kiss, his tongue probing to enter her mouth. That was when her rationality crashed in and she started pushing him away, gasping for air at the same time.

But Zero wouldn't let her go. His grip on the back of her neck tightened as he poured all his pent up feelings into that one resounding kiss. Only when he was satisfied he got the message clear through her…

"Looks like you wanted it too…," he breathed at her once he ended their kiss. Seiran's gaze faltered for a moment before she raised her hand to plant a resounding slap onto his cheek. Zero was shocked – the way she had melted into his arms and responded… – his hands dropped limply to the sides, ignoring the painful sting.

"How dare you!" Her lower lip was quivering and swollen from all the intensity much earlier. Tears welled up in her eyes as she glared at him.

Seiran edged away from him, removing her heels while keeping a wary eye on him all the same before fleeing. Hot tears stained her cheeks as she ran.

The silver haired teen just stood dumbly there, watching her run off. I must have gone too far…I must have hurt her…I was too rough…What the hell was I thinking? Damn it! He had been euphoric when she lost the challenge and he had damned well clearly lost his marbles when he suddenly kissed her just like that. His legs started pumping again in the direction she went. I have to apologize. Even if she doesn't forgive me…

*

In total honesty Seiran should have been happy hearing the person she had feelings for reciprocate them…but she wasn't. The hunter-pureblood continued running blindly, not knowing where her feet were leading her – her tears were now rivulets and her eyes too bleary and painful. What did I do? Why did I slap him? I'm such a total idiot!

The kiss had been wonderful…perfect…

Her first kiss.

With the guy she had feelings for.

Her body had responded…

It hurts…It hurts too much! She clutched at her dress where her chest was heaving. The reason why Zero had kissed her was because he felt indebted to her. Just that simple.

The words 'I love you' were total crap!

Empty words.

And yet she had fallen straight for them.

During the time when she let Zero drink her blood after the Level E hunting, she had seen the image of Zero aiming his Bloody Rose at Yuuki Kuran. He had wanted to kill Yuuki because she was a pureblood, although he had loved her when she was Yuuki Cross. That image haunted her mind at every angle. Zero HATED purebloods.

She laughed bitterly. I'm such a fool! Maybe he deserved more than that slap after all. Kissing me when he hates pedigree vampires like…us…And yet the way I reacted, like some love sick stupid girl! I should have been a lot stronger than this!

Seiran stumbled as she tripped over a protruding tree root. That's it! I'm a pureblood…I can erase memories! Her hands tremblingly moved to her temples, willing herself to concentrate. She could do this…Erase everything about Zero.

Even if she met him in the academy, she wouldn't know who he was. He would just be some random Day Class boy and grouch of a prefect….She squeezed her eyes shut. I need to forget…forget…

*

Zero's heart almost stopped when he finally found her. He dashed towards her, grabbing both her wrists as they both fell onto the cool dewy grass. "No!" he shouted at her. She was trying to erase her own memories! He had never seen or heard any pureblood attempting such a thing before, but nevertheless the consequences could be dire – possible insanity, or even worse, death – because of brain damage. No one knew how the outcome was like.

"Let me go, Kiryuu!" Seiran really didn't want to hurt him. His grip still didn't loosen from both her wrists.

"No! I'm not letting go!" Zero's voice was hoarse.

"I'll injure you if you don't!" To prove her point, Seiran froze his arms. His face distorted in pain as he felt himself lose the senses and feel in his fingers as his hands began turning purple. But his grip on her didn't waver.

"Why aren't you doing anything, damn it!" The hunter-pureblood's heart bled at the way Zero was controlling his pain. I can't…I can't do it! Her fire powers removed the ice from his hands by warming them. "I'm fully capable of killing you, and you know that!" she threatened again, trying to seek her escape.

Zero closed his eyes momentarily before looking directly into her tear filled ones. "Go ahead. After everything you've done for me…," his words were lost in his throat as he remembered he once submitted to Yuuki that way.

"Your feelings for me are just bullshit, aren't they, Kiryuu?"

His heart felt a stab.

"If you wanted to repay me debt so badly, you could have just let me have my way and leave the academy in peace! But no, you had to torment me, issue me a fake challenge which made me a fool! Fuck it, Kiryuu! I hate you! I hate you!" she screamed at him, trying to kick at him but it was difficult as he was on top of her in a very compromising position when he lunged at her earlier.

He was still quiet, watching her. So you hate me…?

"Since you hate all purebloods, why don't you just blow my brains out with Bloody Rose right now?" she continued her rant.

Zero finally understood what Seiran was getting at. He had a prejudice against purebloods while she had insecurities about his old feelings for Yuuki. Basically they were both his problems.

"My feelings for you are sincere. I really love you…whether you'll have me or not. Yes, I hate…," he paused, "…vampires, but not you. Because you're different. It's just the same way like I used to like Yuuki but now I don't. Even though I've known her a lot longer than I've known you, but she's not you. She's not you."

To the hunter-vampire, Yuuki had been his steady companion and that was it. He always thought she was too nice to the Night Class, especially to that dratted male Kuran because he saved her before so she believed vampires were mostly good. But for himself, he suffered a traumatic experience when Shizuka Hio fed on him…mentally raping him in that sense.

If there was something he recently learned about purebloods was that when they loved, they loved with deep passion and the fragility it caused their hearts to be – just like everyone else – but they had to maintain their demeanor of coolness.

Seiran had ceased to struggle against him and was closing her eyes defiantly, trying to shut out the sight of him. Somehow she couldn't stop herself from not listening to him.

"If you'll have me…Seiran," he gently repeated, hesitatingly removing one restored hand, although still numb, to brush away her tears.

She shuddered slightly at the contact. "But you hate purebloods…" Her thoughts just didn't function.

"I love you, Seiran Kaede," Zero whispered into her ear, pushing both of them into more comfortable sitting positions – he was sure she would be feeling very awkward about him being on top of her. "Please don't erase your memories…Our memories…"

The hunter–pureblood gripped at his coat, burying her face into his chest without saying anything. So he really loves me…Really loves me…

In hesitating tones he apologized, "Please forgive me...for all the pain I caused…"

Slowly, Seiran looked up to see a very worried Zero looking down at her. Her hand shakily went to the cheek she slapped earlier – it seemed slightly red still. "I'm sorry too…Zero…"

The silver hair youth's lips opened to answer her that it was okay, but she leaned forward and kissed him instead. And this time she allowed Zero to French kiss her. It felt somewhat weird feeling Zero's tongue probing against hers, tasting her…but she decided she rather liked it.

"I think I love you too…," she shyly whispered, her cheeks pinking after they broke off the kiss.

I'm glad…He wiped off the tears from her eyelids. "It's a taboo for a pureblood to cry, you know."

"I wasn't raised as one…I'm happy to break all the rules. I won't change just because…I'm a pureblood! I'm Seiran first, hunter second and lastly a pureblood!" she strongly replied as she looked at him directly.

"What about always being Zero's saviour?" You were always watching my back…Helping me when I never asked because you knew what I needed…

"I think that can be second on my list…Besides, we already broke the greatest taboo of all by falling for each other – a vampire hunter and a pureblood or a vampire with a hunter in training…"

"But I'm in between Level C and D, Seiran…," Zero wanted to continue, say that he was unworthy, but Seiran put a finger onto his lips, hushing him. She knew what he wanted to say.

"I made my choice, Zero. And you are not a Level C or D to my eyes. For all it takes, I'll continue working on a cure…" I'll make sure you won't suffer like this any longer…

The male teen was silent, just looking at her. Finally he confessed, "We'll have a lot of issues to work on…and a lot of people will not like the idea of us being together…"

"Zero…we'll face them together…We'll be each other's support…"

Zero felt a lump in his throat when he heard her sincere words. "Thank you... Thank you for always being there for me…You're really one of a kind, Seiran…"

He removed his coat, wrapping it around Seiran as she snuggled happily into his arms and his warmth. A heavy emotional tumult had been lifted from her shoulders – Zero accepted her status as a pureblood and he truly loved her. Zero himself was thanking the fates that Seiran hadn't done anything rash, and that she loved him although he was just a lowly – ugh! – vampire. I guess…I've accepted my fate as a vampire too…Because I have her…

"Zero…"

"Hmm?" He nuzzled her hair while she had her fingers entwined in his.

"When did you first start liking me?"

The million dollar question… Zero turned red at that question. "Umm…remember-the-time-when-you-woke-me-up-because-we-were-going-to-be-late-for-classes-but-I-grabbed-you-instead?-Then-I-woke-up,realizing-what-I'd-done-but- looked-into-your-eyes-which-were-like-sapphires…" He said it all in one breath and looked heavenwards, immensely flustered when Seiran stared at him.

No way…thought Seiran.

"When did you like me?" He asked in a strangled voice, turning redder.

"When you pulled me into your arms sleepily at that time…"

In amazement at how exact they fell for each other, they burst out laughing. Perhaps…Fate wasn't that cruel after all.

"I want to see you in a Day Class girl's uniform…" Zero playfully whispered near her ear, his hot breath tickling her earlobe.

"What, and disappoint all the Day Class girls when they realize I'm actually a girl? Even when I have such a fan club which might give Aidou a run for his money? They may like my new hair colour, you know." she cheekily replied.

Since when were you so vain? Zero carefully kept quiet, but his lips were turned upwards.

"Oh, I know…How about we transfer to the Night Class?" Seiran was still teasing him.

"No way! Under that Kuran's authority? I'd rather sleep in the stables!" he nearly growled.

"But you're mine…And he can't do anything about that…" The hunter-pureblood's smile was coy.

I like the sound of that… "Hmm…we'll see…" Zero swooped down to lock lips with Seiran again. Much, much longer this time.

Lesson no. 36 in Zero Kiryuu's life : With great love comes great risks.

THE END


Aidou : I can't believe I'm not even featured in this last chapter! Aren't I the most popular vampire after Kaname-sama?

Yori : You idiot... You're not even the main character of this story. *Wonders why she is even dating him in the first place...*

HY : Hehehe ('evil' laughter) *Walks away and bumps into Kaname later*

Kaname : I can't believe you didn't even put me in the last chapter too...Aren't I the almighty pureblood? *Bruised ego*

HY : *Laughter totally wiped off - freaked out now* Are you and Aidou on the same brand of crack to end up having the same thoughts...?

HY : I hope everyone enjoyed how this finale would be - I know I pulled a few shockers at the beginning of the chapter ^.^ But I'll make a lil confession... This wasn't originally the epilogue, but an extra chapter written for the kicks of it. Since some of you wanted a longer chapter, I decided to switch my original ending with this one so I hope everyone is satisfied :D I'll post up my original ending later since I'm swamped up with homework (but that chapter is really short - I was embarrassed by how short it was, since I tied everything up fluffily there -.-" lol). Anyway, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH for being patient with this story, giving me tremendous support and following it faithfully!