This is just a reminder that the direction of this story will not fully involve Yuki's story. Thank you all for reading up to this point, I hope you enjoy Chapter 15! Vampire Knight does not belong to me, only Sora and any other original characters that could appear in this story! If you'd like to share your thoughts about the story so far, leave a review!
As my world faded into an obsidian void
There was only one emotion I could clearly recall
One that made me feel as though I was a marionette
This feeling was not my own
This sense of wanting revenge...
After taking a few days to rest, the hole in my shoulder managed to heal on its own—now that I didn't have to hide my powers too much. Despite knowing about this side of me, Zero seemed to treat me like normal—even if there were a few awkward moments. Though, he seems hesitant to make me upset from teasing, almost as though he expects me to use my powers against him.
Even if I ever did, it would be out of sport not for torture. That right is only reserved for my enemies—and Aidou if he attacks me one more time.
But at least I got to take a few more days off from school with the silver-haired boy, trailing down the halls with my pale blue blanket in tow, like I currently am doing. With the soft fabric ghosting across my bare skin with each step, it reminded me of the moment my powers appeared all those years ago, the thought of it made a smile tug at my lips.
"What are you smiling about, Ito? Get a move on, you're walking too slow." Zero stops walking to give me time to catch up, his gaze still scolding me for leaving my hair wet again. But he was the one who tugged me out of my room before I finished cleaning up, so if anything it's his fault.
"Oh I'm sorry, did you stop to think that I might be lightheaded from, oh I don't know, blood loss?" I quip, using a burst of energy to walk ahead of the male to reach the door at the end of the hallway. I could tell his expression went from apologetic to irritate when he realized I was kidding.
"You and your dark humor. Are all demons like this?" He groaned, holding the door open for me so I could enter the shooting range. Kaien had this installed when the building was first built in-case he had to train any hunters. After he taught me how to activate Alcyone's second form, I would spend hours down here testing it out.
"Hm, I wouldn't know. It's not like I've ever seen another demon in my lifetime. So who can say." Sure, I knew a few remained in the Association, but I have yet to meet them. A pang of loneliness pierced through me at the thought of only knowing about my heritage from hastily scrawled books of history or watered down truths.
I shook my head and dug my fingers into my palm in an effort to remind me of what I was doing.
Zero was already at the last station, loading a few bullets into a cartridge before pointing the generic pistol at the poster.
I brushed my emotions aside and smiled over at the silver-haired boy, keen on changing the direction of the conversation.
"I hope you haven't gotten rusty with your aim, Zero. We'll definitely be going on more missions sometime soon." I hum, leaning back on the station next to him ignoring the bucket containing a pistol and round of bullets.
"Yeah, we'll see about that." He simply let out a scoff, holding the last bullet up to his eye to inspect it, before loading it into the cartridge.
With a flash of a purple sigil forming before my eyes, Zero's bullets fired across the room and hit the poster square in the center five times. I let out a quiet sound of fake awe and clapped my hands together.
"You're just a sniper and you have more than enough time to be careful with your shots." He challenges, already reloading the pistol with ease. I let out a scoff of my own and press my hand to my chest, my eyes wide.
"I'm so hurt, Zero! I guess I'll have to show you how quickly I can fire then." Hopping off the edge of the table, I unclip Alcyone from my hair and extend my arm out. Electricity ran along my right arm before the clip grew to reveal the silver and black sniper rifle. I patted the side of her scope lovingly, proud of the easy transition. Since I don't use this form often, it usually took a while for her to form.
Leaning against the edge of the table, I stretched my arms outward and peered into the scope with my right eye for a clear view of the poster. Counting down in my head, I flattened my body against the surface and let Alcyone guide me through each shot.
My shots thundered throughout the room, my body jolting back slightly from the recoil as my bullets pierced through the vital spots of the body. One bullet for the skull, the esophagus, the chest cavity, the lower torso, and the achillies tendon area.
By the time I looked up from my shots to look over at Zero's poster, my jaw dropped when I saw the middle of it pierced through in a straight line by his bullets. It's lower half crumpled to the floor not a second later.
"You were saying?" The competitive—also childish—smirk Zero adorned made me grit my teeth and revert Alcyone back to her normal form.
"Hush you! A sniper's role is to hit a critical point of the body, not fill them with holes like swiss cheese." I tutted, reaching over to punch at his arm lightly. He shook his head and twirled the gun through his hands.
"You really do wear your heart on your sleeve, Ito. I can even taste what you're feeling in your blood." For some reason, my hands froze in my hair, and a million thoughts coursed through me. Is he just talking about the ones I let him see? Or has he managed to circumvent my defenses regardless of my efforts? The thought of him peering past that wall made my chest rise with anger as I inhaled deeply, holding my breath.
And let out a quiet exhale.
"What does it taste like then? And if you say anything along the lines of me loving Kaname, I'm unfriending you permanently." I try to joke, using the time he stared at me in disbelief to stomp down my flare of anger. There's no need to get upset when he hasn't fully explained himself yet.
Once I know what he's talking about, I can decide.
"I know about your paranoia of wanting to keep me safe, which isn't something for you to concern yourself about." Zero said, setting the gun down on the table to face me seriously. With his staring, I couldn't help but shake my head and let out a sigh of disbelief. This again? Does he really think I'm going to step back after everything that's occurred in the past few weeks? Not a chance.
"Hah? You do remember what you told me weeks ago about how 'we're family' right? Whether you like it or not, I'll always be here for you, you dummy." I huff, crossing my arms over my chest and facing away from him. He stared at me in disbelief—I don't know how he thought I'd just go along with whatever he had to say, that wasn't in my dictionary. I swore to do whatever I could after all.
"And what if there's a day that you can't be?" The second this sentence left his lips, my eyes widened and my body jolted upward in alarm as my mind processed his words, picking apart each word. I didn't even notice the spare bullets falling from the table, scattering along the floor from my reaction. I could tell from his tone that he was teasing me in his own way, but that sentence was one of my biggest weights. The one that would keep me awake at night, my common companion called paranoia that would be ever by my side, wrapping around me until I felt as though I'd suffocate from the gravity of my thoughts alone.
"Zero…" I whispered, not truly concentrating on my surroundings and for a moment, my eyes became blurry before I blinked again. I tilted my head to make my bangs conceal my face, obscuring my expression from his view. When I saw his shoes come into my view, I held my hand out to his chest, keeping him from coming any closer.
He's right little one, you won't be able to guard him forever. If anything, making false promises will make this more painful.
….Quiet, I have to be willing to try at least. Just like he was there for me all those times, I need to be here for him. Even if I have to rebel.
"I can taste your sadness, you know. The fact that you won't be here every time one of us is in trouble worries you. You don't have to be so paranoid." The second Zero's hand wrap around my wrist to keep me still, I felt my power surge through my body as a clear voice to my raw distress and looked up to meet his gaze. From his surprised expression, I knew that my eyes changed. His gripped slackened for a moment as he took in my sudden change.
This… this is one of the major things that cross my mind on a daily basis. Sure, I know they've all been trained and can protect themselves, but it doesn't make the potential guilt weigh any less. Because I wouldn't be there, I wouldn't be able to help them. The thought alone eats me alive every moment we're apart and their safety isn't secure.
That rage that I tried so hard to shove down into the corners of my mind suddenly roared to life and I immediately detached my wrist from his grip. His words were like a concentrated blaze, carefully ebbing away at every wall I tried to put up to defend myself. I wouldn't let them turn to ash.
"Don't you think I already know that?! You don't want to know how many nights I lay awake, thinking about that over and over. Nothing can stop me from trying, Zero. Nothing." I growl, unable to stop my power from surging to life, making the bullets roll along the floor as my shadow glided across the floor. I didn't want to hurt him, so I decided to exert myself by moving them around to try and take my mind off the anger.
Just thinking about who could potentially take me away when I'm needed the most made my blood boil. Yes, I know Zero doesn't know anything about this, but it doesn't make his words less than hurtful.
When my outburst was met with silence, I picked myself up from the table and stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut with a bit too much force. The hinges creaked and I made a mental apology to Kaien as I dragged myself up the stairs.
I didn't feel like going to my room or to Kaien's office, so I just settled for the next best thing. The living room where we all played when we were younger…
Pressing my cool hands to my face, I let out a groan as I wiped at my misty eyes. Why would Zero bring up a topic he should know I wouldn't want to discuss? Did he seriously think telling me not to worry would make all my thoughts and anxieties wash away?
The only way my worries would be washed away was through shedding blood. And that's not something I can even fathom at the moment.
Pushing open the glass doors, I embraced the night air as it gently brushed past my skin. With my hair now tied back into a loose knot, I didn't have to worry much about any of it getting in the way.
"He truly can be an idiot sometimes…" I grumble, forcing half of my body weight onto the white railing. Heaving my body up and over, I plopped onto the edge with my bare feet swinging back and forth.
Looking down at the various flowers, I stared at them in awe, taking in their vibrant colors. At least they didn't have to worry about their childhood friend being insensitive.
When I spotted a patch of roses, I couldn't help but smile to myself as I remembered the time an eight-year-old Yuki cried when a thorn pricked her finger.
And the only thing that made her feel better was when I kneeled in front of her and carefully took the flower away, only to kiss the pricked finger better. After that, she followed me around calling me a magician because of how quickly the pain went away. It was almost unreal.
I closed my eyes, pressing my face into my hand as a sigh escaped my lips. Honestly, thinking about my two siblings just made me tense. The sadness lurking in the crevices was starting to get to me, bit by bit.
Even now, I could practically see the minute fractures forming across our bonds. The weight of secrets and half-truths bearing more and more pressure with each event. And I knew deep down that my presence here wouldn't be enough to keep it together...
Feeling a calm aura from below, I nearly fell from my perch when my gaze was met by familiar pale blue eyes and a blank expression. He continued to stare at me for a moment before raising his hand up in a lackluster attempt at waving. How can he be so calm about everything? He really needs to teach me.
"Sora." He greeted me, jostling the plastic bag he carried on his arm. What was he doing out here so late?
"I'm surprised to see you out, Shiki. You do know if I was Zero or Yuki, I'd demand you return to your dorm." I state, swinging my legs back, pressing against the railing to gain a bit of momentum before I pressed my body forward and lept off the balcony. The wind rushed through my ears as I descended, thankfully the second floor wasn't too high up, or else I'd have to fake a knee injury or something.
"That was dangerous, even for you" Shiki commented, absentmindedly shuffling through his plastic bag… to take out a box of Pocky?
"If you knew what my hunting instructor was like, you'd understand why I'm not afraid of small heights. His motto was to "face your fears or else you'll die an idiot", even as he pushed me out of a three-story window." I cringe, remembering the gut-wrenching feeling as I rolled onto the ground with dirt and twigs in my hair. In turn, it made me develop a sense of paranoia every time I stood remotely close to a window for 3 weeks. His plan backfired immensely.
Shiki's eyes were wide but still expressionless as he took in the vague summary of my story. A hum of acknowledgment escaped his lips as he brought another pocky stick to his lips and munched.
I casually walk over to the stone bench by the bushel of roses and sit down, motioning for him to come over and sit next to me, for some reason I craved to talk to someone. If only to keep my mind off of my spiraling thoughts, even if it was just for a moment.
Technically, I'm breaking the rules… but it's not like anyone is around to find out, right?
"Your teacher sounds pretty scary then. It's good you didn't turn out to be like him." He looked over at me with rapt attention, taking in my slightly surprised expression.
"I guess I should take that as a compliment? So thank you." I questioned, finding it a bit odd that he'd be grateful over something like that.
"You're welcome." He simply stated, already pulling out another box of Pocky with ease. It's just another box of 12 sticks, so it should be fine. I'm sure vampires can't even get stomach aches from too much chocolate.
With my hands resting against the bench, I looked up at the moon as I felt the aftershocks of my emotional turmoil finally settle. There's something aura that makes him so soothing.
Looking over at Shiki from the corner of my eye, I noticed the high quality of the cashmere sweater and dress pants he was wearing. It made me take a moment and look down at my dressed-down attire, I couldn't help but wonder if I was underdressed? But then again, he's the one who started talking to me so it should be fine. Sweats can also be stylish in their own way, I guess.
"I wore these clothes for an in-door modeling session today. I forgot to take them off before I left." As if he was able to read my curious gaze, he answered. Lifting his hand to cover a short yawn, he placed his grocery bag down on the opposite end of the bench.
"Just how many boxes do you have in there?" Cocking my head over his lean figure, I eyed the bulky bag and estimated there were more than 10 boxes inside. Especially from the way how the bag was bulging out as if it were ready to explode in the next 3 minutes.
"Only 20." Um...what?! Is that a normal amount for a vampire or is Shiki simply addicted to sweets?
In the back of my mind, I wondered if it was a good idea to give him a thank you chocolate for that Aidou incident. Please don't tell me that I'll have to make desserts for him constantly, I don't think my hands could take the strain.
"Only?! How can you eat so many without getting sick?" Unable to stop myself, I placed a hand on his upper arm and shook him. The stick he had in-between his lips stayed in place as he looked at me with his usual bland expression.
I'm surprised he wasn't annoyed or anything. If this was Zero or anyone else, they'd definitely be irritated by now.
"I don't. Rima splits the boxes with me." He went on to give me a better description of what the girl looked like and I vaguely remember passing her a couple of times during my visits to the Moon Dorm.
He explained that when she originally discovered his "minor addiction" as he puts it, to pocky. The girl practically demanded that he split the quantity with her in an effort to make sure he doesn't get sick from too much sugar consumption.
So that means that they do in fact, get ill from eating too much food. It's probably a delayed reaction compared to the average humans though.
"Ah, it's nice that you have someone who cares for you like that. It's kinda hard for me to get along with most females, but I wouldn't mind meeting her eventually." Scratching the back of my head, I felt the smallest twinge of embarrassment at the fact. It probably doesn't help that Yuki was my only female outlet and since I was the older sibling, there are only a few things we actually align on.
"Is she a model like you?" Shiki nodded owlishly at my question and that sent my mind into a scientific spiral. Just how on earth are they able to sustain themselves on blood tablets and pocky when they're wandering about during the day? I'm surprised they don't feel tired or annoyed at least.
"I'm curious how you guys manage to pose for hours in the sun. It must be irritating at least, I know I'd be cranky." Pressing a hand to my chin, my eyebrows furrowed as I thought out loud. I felt Shiki's eyes on me as I rambled about the sun's rays causing skin irritation and quite literally eroding the few regenerative cells they have in their skin.
Looking over to meet his somewhat intrigued (?) gaze, my eyes widened in surprise when I realized I rambled on for too long. Gah, this is what I get for all those late-night discussions with Zero.
But then again, my scientific rambling is nothing compared to my surprise when he pulled out yet another box of Pocky as he stored the empty box in the bag. Just how on earth does he not get tired of munching on them?
"Ah, sorry about that. My mind is all over the place. A lot's happened today, so don't mind me—" Normally, I wouldn't care about something like this. But I revealed the smallest portion of the self that I only allow my family to see. So the thought that Shiki was able to draw this side of me out without any effort left me confused.
My apology halted mid-way when I felt his slender palm rest on the crown of my, now dry, hair. The touch only lasted for a few seconds but it was enough to make my eyes widen in surprise. W...Why was he patting me? Last time I checked, I wasn't an animal.
"Rima asks me to do this when she's anxious." As if he was able to read my confusion, his soft-spoken voice flitted through my ears as he gently twirled a lock of my unruly hair through his fingers before the touch receded. I should tell him to never touch my hair… but the words never left my lips. He seemed determined that this would help, so I just let him.
Ah, so that's what that was. Usually, I don't let people mess with my hair because of how easily tangled it can be… but I will admit that the touch felt nice for a moment. The only person I give 100% permission to touch my hair is Kaien because he's quite gently when it comes to brushing my hair.
"...Thank you, Shiki." I at least had to tell him this for his attempt. Getting comfort from a somewhat stranger… wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He doesn't know me all that well, so that makes talking to him easier. A quiet yawn escaped my lips.
He looked over at me for a moment before cocking his head in confusion. Even though his expression didn't change, I could tell he was confused by his next choice of words.
"But I haven't done anything for you."
"That's not true at all, you helped me quite a bit." Even though I had my suspicions—which were gradually ebbing away, though I'd never admit it—he tried to comfort me, even if I wasn't consciously aware of needing it. Maybe if I see more of Shiki like this, I can lower my guard a little more.
But he'd need to prove it first, so I'll definitely be watching carefully.
"You may have a bit of a… odd personality, but your presence is quite soothing." With all my doubts from earlier being turned into nothing but a memory, my guard was easier to rebuild. From the slightly annoyed gaze he gave me, I think he understood that I was feeling better, somewhat.
"I really appreciate it." Beaming at him with a small smile, I pat him on the arm as thanks and push myself off the bench to stand in front of him.
I don't know if it should irk me or not that even when he's sitting, he can practically stare me in the eye without craning his neck. Well, as long as he never mentions it, it should be okay for me to handle.
Unlike Zero and Yuki both made it clear that they're taller than me in the past, Zero more than Yuki, at every chance he gets. And besides, Yuki is a couple of inches shorter than me now, I've checked!
"I'm not really sure what you're talking about, but okay. Take this." Shaking his head at my sudden burst of energy, he stood up as well and reached into the bag. Before I could begin to deny his offer, the brunette haired male quickly shoved a box of pocky into my arms before he turned to walk in the other direction.
"Wha? You really don't have to give me this. Hey, get back here!" Even if I was planning on chasing after him and literally shove the box back into his bag—which I definitely planned on doing—he raised his hand up in a wave as he continued slowly walking towards the forest.
"Bye, Sora." He said and before I knew it, he was gone before I could say anything else. What's with these vampires and being so forceful? A breathy yawn escaped my lips as I looked down to examine the box resting in my hands.
If anything, this box of pocky is a symbolic gesture of friendship to me. One that weighed heavily in my hands as I stood there, unsure if I wanted to accept it or not. My intuition was telling me that Kaname was involved with the development of our "friendship" but at the same time, I logically told myself that Kaname didn't order the boy to save me from Aidou or assist me during my early days at the academy.
After today's events… maybe, just maybe, I could lower my guard a bit around him. His heart seems to be in the right place after all, despite his aloof and lazy outer appearance. I'd need to get a closer inspection of his character to judge whether or not he has a heart of gold or if it's actually pyrite. This was the best way to know if I could truly form a friendship with him.
With our interaction running through my mind, a soft smile rested on my face as I summoned my shadows to assist me in climbing to the balcony. Normally, I would use the front door but it was already late and I didn't want to make it too obvious that I was outside.
My powers began to wean as I gained a stable grip on the edge of the balcony, so I quickly let them dissipate instead of forcing my way through. From the dull aches of my shoulder and the exhaustion I felt, I knew it would be a better idea to rely on the remnants of my physical strength to lift myself up.
I seriously needed to get back on that training Kaien prepared for me. There's no way I'd be able to rely on my powers in a fight.
"Phew! I… never want to get shot by a shotgun ever again." Completely out of breath, I stumble back into the room and weakly shut the doors before throwing my body to the plush green couch. My blanket fell to the floor in the process and I couldn't help but whine at the thought of exerting energy to pick it up and throw it over myself. So I left it there, deciding to curl in on myself and use my sweats as a feeble attempt to warm up.
I used the last bit of my energy to shift a bit so that my leg resting against the couch didn't crush the box in my pocket. Normally, I'd put it in my room but I didn't have the will to drag myself to my room.
Wave after wave of exhaustion crashed into me, causing my head to slump forward and land on the comfy armrest. My vision faded in and out as I tried to get my mind to stop drifting. When was the last time I've slept anyways?
"Guess… I'll just go without—" Unable to utter another word, I closed my eyes, allowing my exhaustion to force me into slumber. The metronome-like ticking of the clock on the wall guiding me to sleep.
'Damn, I really shouldn't have brought that up.' After hours of sitting in the training room trying to regain his enthusiasm from earlier, Zero finally set the pistol back into its container and sat back against the foldable chair.
With his head tilted back, his mind raced over their discussion—more like an argument—and he couldn't help but tense every time he saw that worried, borderline paranoid glint in her eyes. Her sudden shift from fear to anger startled him, but he should've known by now that she's still sensitive about anything concerning her family.
Sometimes, Zero couldn't help but wonder if being a family was a burden or a blessing to him in more ways than one. But to Sora, it's a ball and chain she drags around with a bright smile on her face as the weight sinks her deeper and deeper.
He should've never mentioned his discovery. But it was too late now, his opinion was laid bare and his delivery of it only added more kerosene to the fanning flames. That expression… it reminded him of when they first met and it was enough to make all thoughts flickering through his mind cease.
Zero remembered all those years ago when the girl taught Ichiru how to make flower crowns and played in their parent's garden. Sora and Ichiru's soft giggles of laughter echoed through his mind as he envisioned the two of them chasing after the other with bright, innocent smiles on their faces.
The scene shifts in his mind just like it was yesterday as he exited the training room. His mind wandering deeper down memory lane as he sought to find the girl and apologize.
He vividly remembered their giggles were full of life and laughter, immediately vanishing with the wind when a large honey bee perched itself on Ichiru's outer ring of the flower crown. Sora grabbed the nearest stick that she could pick up and attempted to swat the pesky bug away, but it always came back in an attempt to rest on the white lily petals. To this day, Ichiru's panicked cry still penetrated his mind.
What scared him the most back then was Sora's vigorous reaction to Ichiru's fear. It was almost like she was a mother bear protecting her cub, swatting at the thing wildly until it finally fluttered away.
While the petite girl heaved for oxygen, Ichiru practically tackled her in a hug and buried his face into her neck to calm himself down. The girl simply shushed him and rubbed his back methodically, only to tense when Zero reached out to rest his hand atop her free hand. Her head jerked to face him and the glint in her eyes was something he'd be able to recognize present-day...
Her wide pale amber eyes practically screamed paranoid, wild, instinctive as she held onto Ichiru protectively.
Standing in the open doorway, Zero's eyes locked onto the tuft of red hair that limply draped over the armrest. Sora wasn't in any of the rooms she'd normally be in, but he never expected her to fall asleep here of all places.
His eyes drifted over to the far right corner, another memory after their reunion resurfacing in his mind.
"—Zero?! Why did you reopen your wound?!" The fiery redhead ran a hand through her thick locks as she pinched her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes practically screaming with worry. He propped himself against the nearest wall, his once pristine white shirt was now dirtied with small streams of blood.
"...That woman… I can still feel her damned fangs." Relaxing his grip on the junction between his shoulder and throat, he watched with lifeless eyes as the girl practically flew in and out of the room to gather medical supplies to redress his wound.
"I know, Zero. But you can't keep doing this to yourself or else you'll get an infection and die! Clawing at yourself isn't going to make it go away." Practically tearing his hand away from his throat, she pinned it to the floor as she disinfected the crescent-shaped scratches. Each time he hissed in irritation, she tutted and told him to tough it out until she was done.
"Ito…" He growled, his lavender eyes lowering into a glower as she wrapped his neck with a new bandage. He just wanted the girl to go away and stop bothering him—stop reminding him of a time he was happy with his family.
"No, don't "Ito" me! Each time you hurt yourself, it hurts me too!" His glower darkened at her flimsy attempt to mimic him, but she either didn't notice it or didn't care because she continued on like nothing was happening. Her cool hands leaving little shocks every time she touched him,
"I don't like seeing you in pain, Zero. Please… let me share some of it with you?" She seemed like she wasn't going to back down from her words, her overly sincere eyes nearly blinding him. How is it that she can remain so innocent and pure? Why she wanted to taint herself with his thoughts and insecurities, he had no clue. All he knew was, even back then, she was far too radiant.
"You…" He was at a complete loss of words, not expecting the girl to care so much about him. Unable to give her the answer she wanted—mostly out of denial and stubbornness—Zero merely turned his head and let out a noncommittal grunt. The immediate reaction to refuse her weighted heavily on his tongue, but… that look she kept giving him caused him to resign.
Sora then brought their hands together and raised it to their eye level, her expression growing serious.
"You don't have to carry that burden with you, I'll be here for you. So there's no need to suffer on your own anymore!" Squeezing his hands in reassurance, she suddenly leans in with her eyes closed and delicately presses her lips to his knuckles.
"To start, you'll need to take better care of those hands of yours. I care about every part of you and so should you! So no more clawing." Releasing his grip, his hands limply fell to his sides as he looked up at her in disbelief. The warmth of her lips still resided on his hands, making his fingers tingle.
When he didn't say anything in a retort, Sora took this as a victory and patted him on the head with a quiet "good boy" to add to his fried nerves. Though, he had to remove himself from the tight hug she gave him soon after. No amount of whining on her part could've made him change his mind about hugging.
He supposed this once… he could listen to her.
Zero began walking towards the girl and examining her sleeping form. Surprisingly enough, her hair did dry as she predicted earlier, but now it was probably full of knots. Geeze, this girl can't take good care of herself for the life of her. How could she be so good at taking care of others then?
"Idiot, you didn't even use your blanket and it's right there." He grumbled, picking up the thick fabric and lightly draped the deep blue blanket over her body. The second the blanket was wrapped around her, Sora's expression grew tense as she shifted around.
"Who are...idiot, Zer—" She muttered, turning her head to bury her face in her extended arm. The untied portions of her hair fell into her face in the process, causing Zero to reach out with a finger to sweep the tufts of hair away from her eyes.
"Even in her sleep, she's scolding me." For some unorthodox reason, a small somewhat relaxed smile grew on his features as he watched her sleep. This is probably one of the few times he'd be able to see Sora completely at peace.
His eyes trailed down to her revealed shoulder and he can't help the immediate reaction of bloodthirst.
"Urk—!" Eyes quickly shifting from red to lavender, his hand unconsciously reaches out to graze the arm she's resting on, even if his entire body is telling him to resist. It would be better if she were awake to give him permission to take her blood, not like this. Though, she did say to take her blood whenever he needed it...
A pair of footsteps entering the room was enough to distract Zero from the tempting offer. The revolting scent of a Pureblood penetrated his senses, making him let out a growl of irritation.
"You truly are pitiful in this state." Kaname's voice softly rings out into the room, making Zero sit up straight so that he could turn to glare at the man. How long has he been here?
"What do you want, Pureblood?" Zero growls out, hand already twitching towards Bloody Rose as an automatic reaction. Would their fight wake Sora up? Most likely, but he wasn't about to let Kaname touch her.
"I shouldn't have to explain myself to the likes of you, Level E. The only reason you've been kept alive is that Sora clings to you so." The minute those words left Kaname's lips, Zero was attempting to crouch and draw his gun on the male. He wasn't just going to sit here and let this bastard talk down to him like this. It was because of his kind that he's like this in the first place.
"...No…" Sora's brow furrowed and with her extended arm, grabbed onto Zero's collar to keep him in place. Both males froze, thinking that they woke her up, only for her to let out a sigh and nuzzle back into her arm—though her grip remained tight on his shirt. The last thing they wanted was to incur her wrath, so keeping their voices down was something they could both agree on.
"Yes, you'll make a good guard dog for her. Make sure to never bite the hand that feeds you." Giving the glowering male a condescending smile, Kaname decides to take his leave before he actually woke Sora up.
The last time he did that when they were younger, she gave him the cold shoulder for weeks and now was not the time to earn any discourse from the girl. He needed to get her in his corner, it was a goal that drove him to keep "playing nice" with the Kiryuu.
As Kaname walked, he placed his right hand in his pocket and glanced back at the building he just exited, knowing that his words got across to the younger male. He wanted him to know that he wasn't being kept alive by his own choice, but because of how invaluable he is to both Sora and Yuki.
Even now, his thirst and reactions were too unpredictable but the reveal of Sora's true nature was enough to make Kaname believe he was loyal to her. Sora needed to rein him in, and soon before the descent worsens.