The Humans and the Vampire
by lightpathetic
SEIREN STRAIGHTENED in her seat and leaned forward, one slightly shaking hand pushing the curtains on the carriage to one side so she can peer out. She had heard… It couldn't have been. He couldn't have said that…
"What is it, Seiren-ken?"
Yuuki released the curtain on her side and brought a temporary halt to her vigil of the ruin to look over in concern to the petite, blue-haired woman that Zero had said was way older than her paternal grandparents and should be treated with even more respect and caution. However, they had come to know each other quite well, Yuuki often assisting in taking care of her and moving her around, that she felt quite comfortable in her presence. She watched and waited as Seiren inspected her environs thoroughly before lowering the curtains again.
"N…" She replied, shaking her head once and settling back in her seat. Yuuki exhaled, not knowing until then that she'd held her breath and lifted the curtain again.
"Jeepers! I was hoping it was Kaname."
Seiren only stared down at nothing in particular and didn't reply. It had been him. Telling her not to interfere. Only to keep the girls inside the carriage, whatever happened, until he came for them himself. Seiren allowed herself a glance at the two girls ahead of her on the other seat. It seemed as though his obsession with these children was over, from his tone. It was about time, Seiren thought. He was being ruined by it. He was the last remaining Kuran prince. He was destined to be a strong, ruthless vampire leader, not a nursemaid to children. His name was to be feared and respected not ridiculed. This was what she had been hoping for from the time he'd almost reverently laid that boy beside the fireplace, only sparing some time to warn her off him before he passed out. Look how much he'd suffered and worried for their sake, look what he'd been forced to do. Look what had happened to her. Mortals were never worth this unhappiness, were not worth becoming such a weakness. His sanity was obviously returning and Seiren will rejoice in it.
"Here put this around you. The evening is getting colder. Do you want a fire?"
Seiren came out of her reverie to notice the tender face of the little girl, waiting for her answer as she tucked a blanket around her and over her feet. She finished to regain her seat and wait some more, folding her little arms around herself to keep warm. They didn't understand that she didn't feel the cold like they did. If she refused such things, they would insist anyway and it was easier to just go along with it. Such irritating, presumptuous creatures! If she had had better control of herself who knew what would have happened to them during those initial weeks. She certainly wouldn't have stood for it. She certainly wouldn't have gotten to know them as she had and…
"N…"
"Okay. I'm sure they won't be long. But if they don't come out in an hour, I'll start a fire and make us something, alright?"
"I certainly hope it won't be that long," Sayori chimed in, her hand tensing on the handle of her revolver, certainly not addressing Seiren. To know that she was a vampire was enough. "This place is evil. I can feel it. The air just reeks of menace."
That would be Kaname, Seiren thought, going back to her downward stare. She wondered what he will do. Unease took over Seiren, making her breath rate increase a little. It was strange. She got the strangest feeling… like she should probably do something to stop him.
"THIS PLACE IS A MAZE."
Zero stopped in his tracks and lifted the lantern high, trying to shed some light on the tunnel before them. He ignored the irritated squint from his brother and tried to look around him. The place itself was unremarkable, just a series of smoothened, box-shaped tunnels, hewn into the rock, that seemed to interconnect at random. They had no idea where they were going. At least he didn't think so.
"Ichiru! Where did he go?" Zero cried as his brother suddenly disappeared.
"Down here, Zero. To your left! Come on…!"
"I don't like this," Zero stated aloud, reluctant to go any further into this maze, hesitating at the turn to watch his brother head down yet another featureless corridor. He wasn't even sure they would find their way out. "Ichiru, this is enough. Let's turn around…"
"I agree," Doctor Aidou replied, also standing in the middle of the tunnel but with less bewilderment or hesitation in his stance. He frowned as he looked around and listened carefully for any signs of movement, thoroughly suspicious of the inactivity. Kaname obviously didn't want to be found and he didn't fancy wandering around down here until they starved to death or Kaname got into the mood to be cruel. "If he hasn't shown himself by now, it's better to go back to the steps and take other measures." Like leave. Now. "I think I remember the way back."
"Did you hear that, Ichiru! Come back here!"
"Come on, Zero! I can… feel him! He's close. Just…" And Ichiru disappeared around another bend.
Zero and Aidou exchanged a telling glance: the teen rolling his eyes at his brother, the doctor wondering if he had to knock him out and drag him from this place. Sure, he had been a witness to Kaname's "sudden" metamorphosis into a loving, caring individual but he had known him from when… he was not. Aidou's heart-rate went up as Ichiru got farther from them. He's leading him away from us! We have to go. Now!
"Zero, come on." Aidou turned and began to haul Zero back toward the entrance.
"What? We can't leave h…"
"Yes, we can. He's a vampire. He can see in the dark and his senses are keen enough to lead him back." And it is better not to sacrifice the rest of us for one…
"AAHHHHH! AAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Ichiru! ICHIRU!"
"No! Zero! Leave him!" Aidou shouted as Zero wrenched his arm away and ran back toward the sound of the scream. As the footsteps drew away down the tunnel and Aidou was left in the dark, he felt the cold sensation of grim realisation crawl down his spine. They were separated. Perfect.
"You shouldn't have come down here in the first place, Aidou. Did you really think I would let you just leave?"
"No. But I was rather hoping you would. I take it your stint playing nursemaid is over?"
There was a low rumble of a laugh close to his ear but Aidou didn't turn around. There was no point. He did close his eyes in defeat when he smelled the evidence from the hot breath hitting his face. Kaname had been drinking. Fuck…
"Quite. I'm now in the mood for a little fun. Care to join me?" A bottle sloshed as Kaname paused for a while, and long gulps were heard in the dark. Aidou's heart sank even farther. "It will be like old times. I have a sharp knife you can use instead of a scalpel. I really do miss what you used to with the intestines while they watched…"
"…No thanks, Kaname-sama. I think… I'll sit this one out."
"Suit yourself."
Aidou felt as Kaname moved away from him in the direction of the boys. He couldn't let him do this. He would regret it. He would! Aidou's hand reach up to touch his gun, his hand grasping the handle… and found himself slammed by the throat into the rock-face for his pains, a pair of crimson eyes staring up at him. Doctor Aidou coughed as he felt his back cave in. A few broken ribs and the feeling of extreme stupidity…
"I do believe… your loyalties are divided, Aidou."
"They are not, Kaname-sama. Don't do this. You'll regret it… later. You'll never forgive yourself. Just go and… sleep this off. Think about this…"
"No. I think I'll stay drunk, Aidou. I feel nothing like this. Nothing. Not even for you…"
"You bastard! You would just kill us all and move on? Like it all meant nothing…!"
"But you knew that, Aidou. You knew. This is the real me. I'm finally back."
"ICHIRU! What is it? What happened?"
Zero ran to where his brother lay cowering. He rolled him over and held the lamp to his face trying to see, but Ichiru tried to swat at it. Zero moved it away and placed it on the other side of the tunnel, immediately contrite. He turned back to where his brother lay trembling, his teeth chattering, foam forming at the corner of his mouth. Zero held him tightly, trying to get him to stop.
"Ichiru…!"
"Ka-name. His…"
"Come on. Let's get out of here. Can you walk?"
Ichiru tried to get up but was immediately floored again. His body was paralysed by whatever Kaname was doing. His muscles wouldn't work and his body felt as if a slithering, excruciating pain was emanating from the very core of his bones.
"Go…! Leave… me…"
"The hell I am. I gonna go find that son-of-a-bitch…!"
"No! Zero…!"
Ichiru had tried. He really had. But he couldn't stop him. He too was having the feeling that something wasn't right. The Kaname they knew wouldn't do something like this. Would have died rather than hurt or terrify them. He had the feeling that this was the moment they'd all feared: when he would eventually turn on them. And here he was, unable to even move. Unable to stop his brother as he ran further into the tunnel, yelling…
"Kaname! You show yourself right this minute, you fucking bastard! Haven't you the decency to face us like a man? I made the choice, dammit! I made the decision! They had nothing to do with it! Leave them alone!"
"But they too will reap the consequences, Zero."
Zero whipped around to look behind him, to see Kaname leaning against the wall as if he'd always been there. There was blood smearing his face, his hands, the large bottle of amber liquid he gripped in his left hand as if it was his only lifeline. He seemed to lounge as if he was right at home looking down at Ichiru's terrified face as if deep in thought. Detached…
"Stop it," Zero shouted, walking over to him. "Stop it this instant! Can't you see you are hurting him?"
"Are you presuming to order me around, Zero? Have you really not grasped the situation? I'll bet you do, don't you, Ichiru? I'll bet you sense the change in me…"
"Zero…!" Stop it! He was right. Something was off.
"You bastard…! Let him go! Now!"
Zero swung, expecting to land his punch. After all, Kaname had made him think he had a chance where that was concern, always letting him connect. But not this time. One moment he was there, the next he was leaning on the opposite wall taking a long drink from his bottle and Zero's fist smashed into the rock. Zero screamed as if he was losing his mind, in no doubt the bones in his hand had shattered. Kaname watched this, again with that chilling detachment.
Zero dropped to his knees holding his pulverised hand. The skin was broken on his knuckles and a few tell-tale points in his palm confirmed the theory. The additional strength had worked against him. He'd felt that all the way up to his shoulder.
"I can feel it. The pain. You didn't know that, did you? I can feel when you are hurt. No matter how minor. Your pain is mine, my energy is yours. I did that for you. And Yuuki. I made you both a part of me like no one else has ever been. Not even… my own daughter. And it meant nothing to you. 'Thanks for everything, Kaname! So long! I'm off to marry anyone else!'" The sneer was nasty. Even Ichiru got more disturbed because of it.
"Kaname! No! I…" Zero grimaced, as he turned to face him, the pain making his jaw work from the pressure of his clenching his teeth. "I didn't… mean to hurt you… I wanted you. I still do. But…"
"But. But. But. You and your 'but's'. You can have them. Keep them. Take them to your fucking grave. It is as you say: I am a vampire, and you are a human. Vampires and humans don't belong together. And you are right. They don't. It's time… I showed you where you do belong," Kaname pushed off the wall and began to walk away from them, waving the bottle dismissively. "Where you all belong…"
"Kaname! Listen to me! Wait!"
But the light went out and Zero was plunged into the dark. He crawled forward for Ichiru but he wasn't there. Shit!
"Ichiru! Ichiru! Where are you! Ich…!"
Zero was suddenly airborne and rushed along the tunnel. He screamed as he felt himself go deeper into the earth away from ever seeing daylight again. He felt himself drop to the ground, his slowly recovering hand banging against the floor. He screamed again at the pain, just before he began to slide even further, his clothes, his skin shredding by the friction against the rock before he landed, feet first in a pile… a large pile of…
"AAHAHHHHHH!"
Zero screamed and screamed as he pushed the bones away from him trying to get to a wall, trying to get to a place he didn't have to feel the crush of decaying limbs. Bodies… No! No! This wasn't happening! Oh GOD!
"KANAMEEE!"
"Don't worry. You won't be alone down there much longer. I'll see if I can invite Yuuki and Sayori to join you. And maybe a few more… humans..."
"NOO! LEAVE HER ALONE! YOU MONSTER! You fucking monster! I'll give you anything! My life! Just… please don't…! What do you want from me? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!"
"I want nothing from a human, Zero. What I want I will take."
Zero, who had succeeded in finding a wall, looked over in the darkness to his right, balanced as he was awkwardly on the remains. He was in here. His voice seemed close.
"How does it feel? You are now where you belong. I'll come back later for my lunch…"
"You bastard! You low common swine…!" Zero screamed again, clearly hysterical.
"Just how I feel, Zero. Humans are beneath me. They are food. Playthings. Stupid, weak creatures that are prey to be devoured. I don't want ANYTHING from a human. But it doesn't matter anymore. What I want I'll never have. I can see that now. I can accept that. Truly…" The bottle sloshed again and long gulps were heard…
Zero tried to calm himself, forcing his breaths to become deeper and farther apart, even in the stench. He had to think. This… was like that day. Kaname was hurting, lashing out. He had to get him to see reason, had to get him to stop drinking. Or they could all d…
"You're… wrong, Kaname. We all love you or we wouldn't have come here! We searched every day for you. We want you to come home…"
"I have no home with you! I was fooling myself. I belong with my own kind…"
"Kaname, I'm sorry about what I said to you. I've regretted it ever since…"
"NO! Don't lie to me! DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME! You had a chance until you told me that filthy lie!"
Zero held on to the wall as the earth rumbled. Some dust showered from the ceiling and he closed his eyes to protect them but he didn't back down. He turned toward the direction of the sound of liquid shaking in a bottle. Kaname really shouldn't drink.
"I am not… lying. Remember how we were together? How I couldn't get… enough of you? I still feel the same way. Even now," Zero tried to move along the wall towards his voice. If only he could touch him, he thought, as he fought to keep the terror out of his voice. "I wish you would let me hold you. I can't stand to hear the… pain in your voice…"
Kaname scoffed. "What pain? I feel nothing for you…"
"Now who's lying…?"
Zero flinched as the bottle exploded by his head, the pungent liquid splashing him liberally.
"Why did you come here?!" Kaname shrieked, going to grab the teen by the throat. He was going to kill him. Anything to end this suffering. He was miserable. Wasn't that enough? What more did they want!? "I was perfectly willing to leave you to whatever you desired. I made myself leave so I wouldn't hurt you. Any of you. Did you come here to torment me? Knowing you can never give me what I want? That I can never be yours…?"
"You're wrong… Kaname," Zero gasped, trying his best to be audible with the death-grip on his neck. "You are… mine. You will always… be mine. Remember?"
Zero somehow pushed himself forward, his arms enveloping Kaname and pulling him to him. One hand – the undamaged one – deliberately followed the familiar path along the curve of Kaname's back to slide possessively down to grab the luscious swell of the vampire's behind, his fingers delving where only a lover's should. Kaname gasped at the boy's audacity, his muscles clenching in an also familiar reaction and… didn't pull away. He trembled, his eyes closing as he became distracted by other things: his scent, his hot breath on his face. He wanted to kiss him so badly, wanted to taste his blood so baldly, it became an ached inside of him. His hold on the teen's neck loosened and Zero gently, cautiously pushed it away.
"And… I will always belong to you," Zero whispered, cupping the vampire's right hand with his own, bringing it up to run his fingers along the mark on his neck, knowing his obsession and comfort with it. "But, I promise you I will always be yours because… I love you. I love you so much I'm willing to say it even if you are a maniac," Zero avowed, raising his healing hand to stroke Kaname's soft hair, leaning forward to inhale the scent of him. He smelled good, even in the midst of this place. Kaname. His Kaname…
"No… You're just saying that…" Kaname pulled away, moved away even if the desire was strongest to stay in his arms. It wasn't real. He was just scared. He'll say anything to save himself. Kaname began to shake his head, as if trying desperately to undo the spell the teen had woven over him. "You can't mean it. You wanted to discard me as if I were noth…"
"I wanted to do the right thing. I've always done the right thing. I'm the responsible one. I make the right decisions. My plans were to marry Sayori and have children. I promised myself to her to that end. I was the one to make sure there would always be someone to take care of my parents' ranch. It had always been my dream. I didn't have the courage to change it. To break my promise. Especially…"
"For me?" Kaname again sneered, whipping back toward the boy. He'd been right. God, he needed a drink…
"You scare me, Kaname. But not just you. The idea of you. You're not 'normal'. You're certainly not traditional. I am afraid of what would happen if I choose you. Nothing would be predictable. The least of our problems would be that there would be no children. What would people say? How would they treat us? Our family? How would Ichiru and Yuuki feel? Is it the right thing to do? Could there be consequences? What else would go wrong? Be in jeopardy? I can't help feeling that nothing would be assured and it scares me. You turned our world on its head and the last thing I knew I should pick, that last thing that would be a responsible choice was you, despite what my heart wanted. Look at us: we're having a lovers' quarrel in a room full," Zero paused to draw breath for this last, "of fucking bodies!"
Kaname sniffed and wiped his eyes. He looked around him as if he were only now noticing his surroundings.
"Oh yes…" Kaname muttered, wiping his nose. "We should go…"
"You think so?!" Zero yelled as Kaname again came over to him, held him. They lifted off gently, a far cry from Zero initial introduction to this place and headed off out of the room. Zero clung to Kaname tightly, shuddering in relief as the stench faded. How could Kaname not understand how he felt? Why he had done what he had? Kaname was completely off the rails but… Zero turned his nose to the vampire's neck. He was… Kaname.
Zero lifted his head, though, his eyes becoming rather haunted, as a grim thought finally occurred to him. He loosened his grip on the vampire.
"Kaname?" Zero whispered.
"Yes?"
"Did they suffer?"
"Who?"
"Those people… in there…"
Kaname tightened his grip on Zero as a panic hit him. But then he realised… what Zero needed to hear from him.
"No," he answered. "No they did not."
"I WASN'T GOING TO LEAVE YOU there you know…" Kaname offered as they safely landed in a room some distance and turns away from the pit. He placed the shaken boy into a chair and walked away to look for something to light so Zero could see. He didn't have a single candle. Not one…
"Liar."
"...Okay. I had thought about it…"
"You sick, twisted…"
"I understand your fear of our relationship, believe it or not," Kaname interrupted as he searched, not wanting Zero to dwell on their, um, differences at this stage. "It comes with a sense of responsibility. You want to make the sacrifices to your happiness that would meet these responsibilities. It's not dissimilar to the choices a… vampire prince would make."
"I don't want to disappoint anybody, especially my parents. Even if they might be… gone. I don't feel as though I can live with myself if I did. Kaname where are you?" Zero asked urgently, hating being alone in the dark like this, not knowing what the crazy brunette would do next.
"Here. I'm trying to find…" Ah. The brandy…
"What?"
Zero flinched as something burst into flame. His eyes adjusted to the lit room to see Kaname standing in front of him, a torch burning just behind him. He looked beautiful even with blood drying on his face…
"What did you do with Ichiru?"
"He's fine. I stopped what I was doing shortly after you grabbed my ass. He's trying to find you. We'll leave here in a moment and get him."
"He'll think I'm nuts if we come out together after what you did. You scared the shit out of us."
"I'm sorry, Zero. I was miserable and I wanted you all to die a painful, horrible death for it. Is that so hard to understand?"
Zero laughed. He couldn't help himself. It was the way he'd said it, looking so ashamed of himself. That understatement and the real horror that had been the situation just set him off.
"No. I guess not," Zero managed, as he finally meandered to a stop, wiping his eyes. He'd needed that…
"Zero," Kaname began in all seriousness, having watched Zero's hysterical laughter without interruption. "Maybe… we shouldn't come out together. Maybe you should just go and leave me here…"
"No! Kaname, we came for you! Yuuki would kill me if I…!"
"I'm serious, Zero," Kaname urged, coming over to kneel before him, handing him the almost forgotten cup of brandy he'd gotten him for his nerves. "You're right. I think we're both aware of the almost unbridgeable chasm between us. What we value, what we consider normal are so different. Too different. I've watched you all have to deal with things… you really shouldn't have to deal with.
"If you choose me, if I came with you, you all will lose everything about you I came to love. Your kindness, your innocence… Your humanity. That room. You should never have seen that room," Kaname face crumpled in self-loathing. "I don't know why I…"
"Kaname, I know what you need to l…"
"You keep saying that but 'knowing' isn't acceptance. And once you accept what I have to do to even live…," Kaname sighed, removing his eyes from the face he loved so much just so he could bring himself to say it. "If I came with you, you wouldn't have what you'd always wanted and you'd be in a relationship that you will live to regret. You all will have to change, perhaps not… for the better.
"Now, if I were entirely honest, I would tell you that I can wait. You can have Sayori now, live now and later… we can have each other, if you still want me. I can come to you in fifty years as easily as I can come to you tomorrow. I just have to get used to delaying my gratification. Not easy, I assure you…"
"Kaname. No," Zero said firmly, reaching out to the hesitant brunette to hold him again. "No. I couldn't bear it…"
"I can visit," Kaname sobbed into Zero's shoulder. "We can have a torrid affair. You know, every few months I can visit and we can fuck each other senseless and have that to live on until the next time…"
Zero had no choice. He had to kiss him. It was the only way to shut him up. He closed his eyes and ignored the gore, quickly sucking those sweet lips into his mouth. When Kaname eventually melted, moaning against him, he went to work lapping his tongue against his lower lip, worrying it expertly until Kaname began to try to undress him, pulling him up to take him toward the bed. Zero pulled away.
"No. Time to go. I'm hungry and…"
"What?!" Was he serious? He kisses him like that and leaves? Kaname's aura got quite a bit darker. Ichiru, several corridors over, suddenly had a great idea where the pureblood was hiding.
"If you want more you'll clean yourself up and pack. The others are waiting."
"You bastard. Using sex like this when I was trying to be selfless…"
"We want you with us, Kaname. No visiting, no waiting. We love you and want you with us. Despite what we know about you, despite everything else… we just know that our lives are that much more unbearable without you in it. So… Are you coming?"
"I don't know. I really don't think I can stand by and watch you with her again. I don't think I could stand it."
"Kaname…"
"I'm serious. It was bad enough before I had you." Before I marked you …
"Are you really going to stay here?"
"Stay away. As I said I will visit sometimes. But I can't guarantee her safety, even if I love you."
"God, Kaname. You do want me to break it off with her. That's what you want because I don't want to leave you. I don't want to wait fifty years to see you."
"That's the best I can do. Unfortunately… I do… have a heart and it breaks easily when it comes to you… humans…"
Kaname gave a watery, tremulously shy smile and Zero felt something inside of him snap. The fears, the plans, the expectations… his horrors, just seemed to pale in comparison to the need to not hurt Kaname anymore. They had adopted him into their family and here Zero was continually treating like an outsider. He wasn't. He didn't deserve to be. He didn't deserve to be left behind to suffer. While they all suffered. Zero included. He suddenly realised his happiness lay with this vampire and the hint was how his heart soared when he came to the decision. He wanted this more than anything. Him. Kaname.
"Give me some time to tell her. To end the engagement. That's… all I ask."
"What?! What about…"
"We'll see it through together. As always. Ichiru can have the heirs. Or Yuuki…"
"Yuuki?" Over his ashes…
"Kaname, my love," Zero murmured, cupping his lover's face tenderly as it appeared he needed to state the obvious, "She won't stay a little girl forever."
"Are you sure?" Kaname rejoined, with a disturbing defiance to his stare.
"Yes… What do you mean?" Zero bellowed, tightening his hold on his crazy, sweet brunette.
"Nothing... Nothing! Oh," Kaname lost breath as Zero pressed his interested body to him... and coherent thought evaporated as he slid toward the ground. He was so happy. So...
Damn, it had been too long.
"SO… HE JUST PASSED OUT, HUH?"
"Yes… Just like that. We were um… talking and he fainted. I can't wake him…"
"It's a wonder he was awake at all with how much he had been drinking," Aidou opined, after pulling open each eyelid. He rose gingerly to his feet and patted his arm inside the makeshift sling. Kaname had been kind considering his mood. He'd only gored his neck and flung him across the tunnel, breaking his arm as well. The doctor had come to later, partially healed and having to break his bones again to set it properly. Nothing out of the ordinary. Par for the course with Kaname. "He'll wake up in a few hours as if he'd just taken a nap. Don't worry about it."
"I see… Will he remember anything?" Zero asked, wondering if they'll have to hash this out again. If he'll go crazy again. He picked him up gently to take him to the carriage. He could already see Yuuki impatiently pacing outside, she having seen the torch.
"Probably. Sometimes he doesn't."
"Oh."
"I can't believe he didn't kill you," Doctor Aidou mused to the boys. "I could have sworn…."
"Excuse me. May I take him?"
"Sure, Ichiru," Zero responded handing him over. "We should take him to the carriage… Where are you going? Put him down! No! Ichiru! Come down from…!"
"Stop, Ichiru!" Aidou tried, but in vain.
Zero turned away. He couldn't look…
THUD!
Zero ran to edge of the flooring and peered over the edge at the groaning, bloody mess below him on the stones then up to the unrepentant teen on what would have been the second storey window ledge, his eyes saying it all.
Now we're even.
to be continued
lightpathetic wrote this but these are not my characters. They belong to Vampire Knight.
So we are coming to the end. Next chapter should be the last.
rev: 02152015