AN: GAH. AGAIN. SO SLOW. I swear I'm like the George RR Martin of FF…srsly…except I mean that ONLY in the amount of time it takes me to write anything…obviously I'm not comparing myself because he's an actual writer and way better than I could ever be. Anyway but now I'm back in Spain and enough ppl have been bugging me to get back on the VK train that I'm actually doing it. The next chapter shouldn't be too long in coming so—really sorry and hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: At this point we are all aware I do not own VK, but just in case…

Yuuki was still getting accustomed to the idea of having Zero back beside her again. She felt at peace, radiating happiness from a core deep within her, but after all that had happened between them, all the darkness and all the pain and the months of separation, she knew it would take more than a little while to adjust.

Still, she strove to regain what they had lost with every action. Zero was already aware of her feelings, he already knew that his Yuuki, the one from his past, still lived on within her, but a part of her still felt that she should continue proving it to him. At least, until they were both more comfortable with this sudden, tremendous change.

With that in mind, she yanked open the refrigerator door, intent upon finding something to eat. Zero was leaning against the counter, watching her. After glancing up and down the shelves once, she gave him a hard glare.

"What is this?!" she demanded. "How are you even surviving?"

He shrugged. Then, "Vampires don't really need to eat, you know…"

"All you have in here is a cake that the Chairman made! You didn't even touch it! Where are the vegetables? Don't you have anything else?" She planted her hands firmly on her hips.

In response, he opened a drawer beside him and tossed her a pack of dried ramen noodles. Yuuki caught it in automatic response and stared at it for a minute. Zero's expression was mild, unapologetic. For a moment she continued to stare at him in dismay, and then suddenly dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"You never change," she laughed, hugging the ramen close to her and feeling a hard tug at her heart. She could finally be here, in this room, with this person. The person she loved more than anything else…

His eyes relaxed in that familiar way that told her he was inwardly smiling. She placed the ramen back on the counter and moved towards him, fingers tangling in his sleeve, not quite touching his hand. She was still unsure how to proceed.

Her heart was fluttering, but she pressed herself forward all the same. She didn't want to continue losing everything as she had before. She had to be stronger now. She had already made the decision, hadn't she? And this time, if she didn't grasp what she wanted with both hands, she might lose it all completely.

"Is it okay..?" she whispered, eyes probing his.

Those violet orbs widened slightly, from what emotion she couldn't be sure, nervous as she was. Then he exhaled, eyes shutting for the briefest of moments before refocusing on her. Then his fingers found hers, enclosing her hand in his own.

She smiled up at him, feeling tears pricking at the edges of her being. She had been away so long, so long. And she had hurt him so much, but still he stood before, like this, telling her it was okay. Her heart was cracked from all that had passed before, but the most painful knowledge was that she was at fault for breaking his.

Needing comfort, wanting to offer him her own, she released his hand to wrap her arms around him, pressing her ear against his chest so that she could assure herself it was whole again, beating. The sound came slowly, the sluggish beat of a being that was not quite human. It was there, mixed with his warmth, with his scent. She breathed in shakily, trying to calm herself. She should immerse herself in this moment, feel only the happiness and forget the wounds that the past had inflicted on both of them.

And when his arms returned the embrace, holding her close, she felt a little nearer to doing so.

Yuuki stared up at the ceiling, feeling calmer and more whole than she could ever remember. Zero's words echoed still in her mind. She had been feeling so helpless before her guilt, before her actions, but he had alleviated them all easily. After that, she had spent most of the night quietly talking to him, putting herself as physically close to him as possible, but finally she had insisted that food was a requirement, and he had run out to find something to eat for the next day. That was not that long ago, really, but when she'd noticed it was morning, she'd decided it was probably time to get some sleep. She had somewhere she wanted to go that afternoon.

Waiting now for Zero to return from his errand, she brought to mind with vivid recollection the words that had moved her, shutting her eyes and letting the memory momentarily carry her away. How easy it was to be with this person…

"I'm sorry, Zero," her whispered words fell heavily into the silence that ensued. "I'm so sorry for everything. It was all my fault…I caused you so much pain…" Her nails bit down into the skin of her palm, relentless as her guilt.

After all, hadn't she been the one to hurt him, time after time? Hadn't healing those wounds, ending the vicious cycle of pain been in her grasp? Yet she had remained indecisive for so long, clung to old bonds and affections that had long since lost their luster. Staying with Kaname-sama for so long had been a mistake, she saw that clearly now. She should never have left the academy to begin with. But she had been so naïve, so unsure of herself… Her indecisiveness had caused everything.

"Yuuki," Zero's voice broke her out of the cage of her memories. "I already know…everything..." His eyes met hers, steady. "There's nothing to forgive."

She froze, tears rising up with sudden frustration, "How can you say that?! After what I did, after what happened… Weren't you going to kill me because of it?"

A pained expression rippled outward across his features. "I was blinded…"

She shook her head. "If you had killed me, you would have been right. I-"

He cut her off brusquely, the word choked with hate, "Kuran. Not you. Him."

"But it was me, me too." She didn't know how to express the sorrow, the guilt that she felt, that overflowed her heart. They were together now, she and Zero, but she didn't know how to begin to heal the wounds that she had inflicted on him.

He took a step towards her, hands closing around her arms, expression serious. "It's not your fault."

"But it-"

"It's not your fault," he repeated, with such stern intensity that she felt the words resound within her. She knew he meant every word. A tear tumbled haphazard down her cheek, and she let him draw her close again.

If only she could be like this, like Zero. Selfless and kind and forgiving. Already, he had put the past behind him. She needed to follow his example, to live in this time, now, with him. That was all she wanted, anyway. To simply be with this man. She was resolved to be more decisive. She had what she desired within her grasp now, and she wasn't about to let something this precious slip away.

Yuuki felt a shadow pass over her, and opened her eyes to see Zero standing over her, arms folded. He seemed to be expecting something.

"What?" she snuggled down further into her makeshift blanket, shooting him a look.

"What are you doing?"

"Sleeping..? Or at least I was trying to."

"On the floor," his eyes might have been exasperated. It was sometimes hard to tell with him.

"Well, I didn't see any furniture around here, so what do you expect? It's not me who decorated this place like a homeless person. And you were out anyway."

"For fifteen minutes."

"Whatever!"

"That's a towel."

"I didn't see any blankets other than the ones on your bed," she huffed.

He sighed, and with a quick motion, had swept her up off the floor. "Really, Yuuki…"

"Put me back!" She squirmed. "It's morning and I need some sleep!"

He ignored her, crossing into the bedroom and dropping her on his bed. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"That's stupid," she glowered. "This is your house. I'm the one who's intruding."

Something touched his eyes. "You're not intruding, Yuuki," he murmured, touching her cheek. He seemed to want to say something else, but instead was quiet.

She waited.

After a moment, he looked at her and began, "Actually…"

She blinked, confused.

"About sleeping…"

"Oh." She hadn't really thought that far ahead. She supposed she could go stay with the Chairman again. Or could she? Now that it was known that she was a pureblood vampire, would that endanger both herself and him? No, perhaps not…

She bit her lip, avoiding Zero's eyes. This close to him, knowing he was there just a hand's reach away, was like getting a drink of water after being stranded for months in the desert. She could feel him, hear him, see him, touch him. He was right there, tangible, the center of her world now. To think of parting with him, for even the span of a few hours, put a pressure against her chest so tight that she felt like she might suffocate. She didn't really want to leave here, but could she really expect to stay? Her fingers clenched against the blanket. She wanted to be beside him, but was it okay to say that, now? She was torn with indecision.

But as always, Zero assuaged her inner doubts for her. His forehead touched against hers, eyes melting and fading into hers so thoroughly that she lost track of the boundaries between them. In that moment, there was only them, together, a single existence.

He voiced only a single word, but it was a word that spoke volumes. "Stay." She knew that she would. She was caught here, ensnared by a love that threatened to overwhelm her with its profoundness. She didn't want to leave.

So she replied with the only words that would sound over the beating of her heart, "You, too."

Morning had passed, and Yuuki had forced herself to rouse. She would have preferred to stay where she was until evening, snuggled against Zero's side, warm and centered on the gentle sound of his breathing. But instead she had made herself wake, kissing his forehead and murmuring a good morning before hurrying out. She knew he had awoken, but he didn't question where she was going, and she assumed by now he had fallen back asleep. That was probably best. He still was unaware that she planned to drag him out this evening. She needed clothes, after all. With the way she'd left the Kuran mansion, she hadn't had time to pack anything, and most of the clothes she'd left with the Chairman were either too old or had been brought over by Kaname-sama after they'd left the academy.

She brought herself to focus on the door before her. She had come here for two reasons. One, because she wanted to return to the academy, but two… She hesitated. Would the Chairman welcome her as she hoped, or reject her now that she was a vampire? Even if he didn't want to do so, the Hunters Association might insist upon it for the sake of appearances.

No, she had promised herself to be more decisive. With that in mind, she turned the knob, forgetting even to knock in her moment of anxiety, and stepped into the familiar office. There behind the desk, bent over countless papers as always, was the Chairman. Upon her entrance he frowned, obviously believing someone had barged into the office. His eyes swept upward, meeting hers with a jerk of surprise, followed by the happiest expression she had ever seen on his face.

"Yuuki!" he cried, launching himself at her from behind the desk.

She laughed. She could have dodged him easily, but this time she didn't want to. She let herself be suffocated by his hug, returning it with much less force. The weight of fear on her heart was lifted. Nothing had changed, not really. This was still the man who had raised her, even if he could never be her father by blood.

"Hello, Daddy." She finally used the words he always begged her to say.

"Y-Yuuki!" His eyes were watery. "You called me Daddy! I love you so much! I missed you so much!" He squished her in another hug. "I knew you'd come back."

"Of course I came back," she affirmed, and the sentence felt right against her tongue.

Of course she came back. Of course. This place, and these people, were the true home of her heart. She had only been a fool to stay away so long. She would never make such a mistake again.

AN: I know that desert thing is super cliché and overused but…let's just ignore that. Sorry again for the wait on this chapter and I hope you enjoyed it!