A/N: And here is the next chapter. Nothing much, as usual, but I still hope you will have some fun reading it.
Thank you for your support! You lovelies are the best *nods*
Disclaimer and warnings remain the same, all mistakes are mine. Will be happy to hear your thoughts at the end of this.
Please enjoy! :D
Chapter 8: Quality Time
"I've noticed something…" Zero stated absently without averting his attention from the large bookshelf he was sifting through in Kaname's study. His mate's collection was vast, and to his surprise, it was quite to his taste — probably even more so than the books in the main library.
Maybe he should visit Kaname's study more often…
Kaname hummed in acknowledgment, only pretending to pay attention to the paperwork in his hands now. "What is it?"
"Souen…"
The name made Kaname look up and turn to Zero, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Ruka?"
Zero nodded with a hum. His hand paused over the spine of a book that caught his interest the most, his finger tapped the hard surface distractedly a couple of times before sliding up and pulling the book out.
"What about her?" Kaname asked next.
Zero didn't answer for a while, too busy reading the book's summary. Silently nodding to himself in satisfaction after a few seconds, he stepped away from the bookshelf and turned around, only then meeting Kaname's curious gaze.
"She has a crush on you, doesn't she?" he finally voiced his thoughts. "A rather long-standing one, too."
"Oh," was all Kaname offered in response.
Zero blinked, tilting his head sideways a bit. "So you do know."
Kaname shrugged. "It's hard not to. She was never exactly…very subtle about it."
"Oh?" Zero let his book slide from his hold and onto a coffee table in a sitting area near the bookshelf, then walked across the room toward Kaname's desk. "I'm intrigued."
The way in which Kaname's expression changed made Zero chuckle in amusement.
"That bad, huh?"
"Let's just say she was one of the root causes of my dislike for omegas in the first place."
Zero's brows rose. "You disliked us?"
"Hated even. At some point," Kaname admitted, then hurried to correct himself, "Save for my mother, of course."
"Why?" Zero could easily come up with a reason or two, and he was sure he wouldn't be wrong, but he was curious to hear it from his mate.
"They are weak," Kaname heard himself say without even realizing it, "that's what I've always thought."
He knew it probably wasn't the best idea to say things like that to an omega, but it was the truth the way he had always felt it. And besides, the one he was talking to was Zero; someone different not just because he was Kaname's mate, but simply because he really wasn't like the rest. He didn't wish to be pampered, nor to be viewed as too fragile or sensitive to hear the truth — he wanted it told, demanded it to be all but thrown at him, and anything less would be insulting to him.
Which was why Kaname had no doubt that if he lied, his beautiful silver-haired love would more than likely knock him out, tie him up and make him suffer in all kinds of ways — both bad and good — for even trying to fool him. And extremely appealing as he thought the idea of being subjected to all that by Zero was, it wasn't worth hurting and angering his mate.
Though he did believe that they should definitely try it sometime. The part with him being completely at Zero's mercy, of course — not the one with him angering and hurting his beloved.
Zero nodded in acknowledgement, looking unperturbed. "What else?"
"…The ones I met only ever wanted one thing from me, and they were going to stop at nothing to get it, regardless of my willingness."
Another nod. "Did they try anything?" Zero asked next, going around Kaname's desk and sitting down on its edge. Kaname automatically turned his armchair to face him more fully.
"More than once," the alpha replied.
"Using their heat?"
Kaname's face darkened at the various memories. He nodded.
Zero sighed, his gaze growing solemn. He needed to take a few moments before asking his next question.
"…Did they succeed?"
"No," Kaname said, strongly, distaste clear on his face. "Never. Not them."
Zero hid a sigh of relief. He allowed a short while of silence before speaking again.
"What about now?" he asked, leaning back a little with his hands propped behind him on the desk.
Kaname frowned. "What about now?"
"Has your opinion changed at all?"
A soft smile slowly stretched Kaname's lips. "I was certainly forced to realize there actually is an omega for me."
Zero's responding smile was of a more mischievous kind. "Just one?"
"Just one."
Zero snorted. "You sure about your choice?" he asked somewhat teasingly, raising one leg to place his socked foot on the armrest of Kaname's armchair. "Don't want to consider someone more…compliant?"
It took Kaname longer than usual to comprehend the words, as he was too busy appreciating the view of his mate's long, pale, bare leg right in front of him, tempting him, urging him to touch and caress and do so much more. "No way," he replied, finally managing to tear his eyes away from Zero's skin. His hand, however, did the opposite and slowly slid up the hunter's leg. "I don't need'compliant'. Nor do I want it."
Zero's lips curled into a smirk. "Make sure not to forget it, then. For your own sake."
Kaname's fingers reached the familiar leather scabbard with his hunter's trusted daggers, ghosting over it briefly before nimbly undoing it, his eyes never losing contact with Zero's.
"Are you worried?" he asked, his voice dropping a pitch as his hand returned to its previous position on Zero's exposed limb and resumed from where it had left off, stroking the omega's inner thigh suggestively.
Zero just barely managed to suppress a shiver of excitement before snorting in reply.
Kaname smirked. "Jealous?"
Amethyst eyes narrowed.
Kaname made to lean forward, but Zero stopped him short by pinning him to the armchair, his foot now pressing against the alpha's chest.
"Don't look so smug," the hunter said, letting his foot linger where it was for a moment before shifting it lower, stopping only upon reaching Kaname's groin. "Or I'll make you regret it," he warned, emphasizing his words with a gentle push.
Kaname stifled a groan, exhaling a shuddering breath. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea."
Zero snorted. "Pervert."
"Tease."
"Something you seem to enjoy quite a bit…" Zero remarked distractedly as his gaze slid from Kaname's face to his lower region, his foot there making a few rubbing motions languidly. Another snort escaped him. He looked up, locking gazes with his mate anew. "You definitely are right now."
Kaname's legs spread a little further. He gripped the armrests tightly, suppressing another groan and forcing himself to stay put under Zero's sneaky ministrations. "Is that a fact?"
Zero smirked, not missing the slight quiver in Kaname's voice. "Certainly what it feelslike." He pressed a little harder and rubbed a little faster.
Kaname groaned, his hips involuntarily bucked upward, one hand gripped Zero's calf. "Zero-"
"Lock the door."
"W-what?" Kaname asked with a frown, slightly short of breath now.
Zero's smirk softened into a fond smile as he watched his alpha's face, enjoying the mix of lust and confusion he could see there. Taking pity on the pureblood, he slowed his foot down, chuckling quietly at the groan of protest the action prompted. He allowed Kaname a few moments to come out of his slight daze before resuming to speak.
"Lock the door," he repeated his request, then slowly leaned forward and added, "We don't want anyone interrupting us, do we?"
Kaname's eyes widened briefly in understanding.
"Of course not," came the immediate answer, together with a resounding 'click' signaling that the door was now locked.
Zero looked over his shoulder at the sound, his smirk returned.
"Perfect," he praised before returning his full attention to his mate. "Now…" He leaned back on his hands, and his foot slowly resumed its ministrations, unfailingly eliciting quiet groans of appreciation from Kaname. "Where were we?"
Yeah, Zero decided distractedly, he should definitely come to Kaname's study more often.
.
-to be continued-
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