Ren-sama's Note:
Once again, thank you for the reviews! Yeah, I didn't expect you to like AidoZero in a KaZe fan fict.. (*laughs*) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter too. ˆoˆ
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Chapter 7
Zero looked disturbed. He couldn't quite point out what was wrong. But if what Takuma said was right, then these Level Es arrived here immediately after the mission was sent to him. There was really something off about this whole situation but he just couldn't ask anyone about it. Cross was no longer a hunter and asking him about it might only make him worry. If he asked Yagari or Yuzuru, the two of them might come in here and investigate, and that would be the worse situation for Zero. He shivered inwardly just thinking of what their reaction would be if they happen to see him in his state now.
"And?" Aido tried to start a conversation too. He didn't like it that he was so quiet and being left behind. It looked even more suspicious on the part of his two companions. "Why are you here?" His face looked annoyed but Kain and Takuma still knew that he was greatly embarrassed. Zero looked elsewhere and didn't answer, and it made Aido even redder. "Hey, Kiryuu! I'm talking to you!"
"Be quiet." Zero said as he tried to feel the hunter's presence again. It was gone, completely gone without a trace of its scent or presence behind. "Tch."
"Were you sent here as well?" Takuma asked curiously. "The Hunters' Association was fast. For them to send you here the moment these Level Es arrived."
"During what time did you feel that the Level Es' number multiplied?" Zero asked without addressing the question thrown to him.
"Just now." Kain was the one who answered, curious at Zero's reactions. "We were sent here immediately after Kaname-sama felt it."
So it was because he went here after all… They were not here by accident. They were here to ambush him… Zero gritted his teeth again. "Damn…"
"What's going on, Kiryuu?" Aido asked. "We've never experience such a thing as this before. Kaname-sama is protecting this place so there is no other vampire in this area except the Night Class students."
"If I know then I wouldn't be having any problem." Zero answered harsher than he had intended. He didn't like it that he was being questioned by vampires instead of the other way around. He walked towards the building and left the three vampires behind.
"Hey, where are you going?!" Aido exclaimed angrily. Kain and Takuma were now merely watching amusedly.
Zero glared at him. "I'm bleeding and it would be annoying if little Aido lost control again." Aido immediately reddened because of this and he couldn't find any way to counter the hunter at all. But to his surprise, Zero blushed at his own words as well, as if remembering just now what had happened earlier.
"Now what's that?" Kain asked amusedly as he saw Zero's ears reddened just before the hunter turned around and continued walking.
"I think something amusing really happened in the woods earlier." Takuma voiced.
Zero entered the building, trying hard not to hear the two vampires whispering. Aido shouted at his companions in embarrassment and Zero was glad he wasn't the talkative type. It was more fun to tease Aido than Zero and they all knew that.
The sun had already set and the building was dark. Rubbles and other fallen debris were scattered throughout the place. There were no more decorations present but the altar was still there, though damaged. The stained-glass windows were also either chipped or broken. Pieces of the glass were scattered all throughout the flooring. The long chairs used for masses were also on the verge of breaking. There were only a few of those chairs left now. Zero didn't know what happened to that church, but it looked like a small tornado just wrecked havoc in the whole mess of a place.
"We need to report this to Kaname." Takuma told Aido. "Can you stay here and make sure Zero-kun comes back to the school without any incident?"
"W-Why me?" Aido protested. It looked like his two companions were setting him up on purpose. "Why not Kain? Why not you?"
"Because you're the most capable of protecting him right now." Takuma answered and Kain knew that answer was partly to convince Aido as well. It seemed to have worked though because Aido looked determined now. "I believe you are capable of stopping him in case his vampire side suddenly awakens. He's in the town proper and not in the school grounds. It will be a disaster if Zero-kun suddenly starts attacking innocent civilians."
"L-Leave it to me!" Aido said as he too stormed inside the building. Kain chuckled just as Takuma smiled.
"Leave it to Takuma to say something like that." Kain said. "Well, we have a report to submit."
"You don't think I said the truth?" Takuma said, blinking innocently. "What I told him is the truth. If Zero suddenly lost it, I doubt you'll let Zero-kun live if you're the one to stay behind. And I doubt if I'll be able to fight him seriously because I'm rather fond of him. Aido will surely fight him but without intending to kill. That's why he's the most suitable."
"Heh?" Kain sounded amused even though his serious expression denied it. And the two of them walked away from the place in their vampire speed.
Zero was in the middle of going upstairs when he sensed that Kain and Takuma left while Aido stayed behind. He looked behind him and saw that the blonde was immediately at the foot of the stair. "Why are you here?" His eyebrows creased.
"Well, Ichijou said I should stay behind in case you become…" Even Aido was surprised at the fact that he couldn't say the term 'Level E'. He wasn't this reluctant to say the word before. Maybe it was because it was Zero he was referring to.
"You mean in case I become a Level E?" Zero finished for him, oblivious of the blonde's train of thought. "Don't worry too much, vampire. Kaien Cross wasn't called a legendary hunter for nothing. His power and strength is superb, and so is his skill in making spells and seals. The tattoo on my neck isn't only for decoration."
"Tch. I already heard that from Kaname-sama. But I also heard that since you're a hunter, that charm is being canceled out by your hunter powers so it's still dangerous." Aido snorted. Of course, he knew that. Even he had some respect for Cross. "And don't call me 'vampire, vampire' all the time. I have a name in case you've forgotten."
"I know, I know. Aiko Hana-something, right?" Zero couldn't help but smirked. Now he understood why Aido's vampire friends always teased him. At that comment, however, Zero immediately realized he just acknowledged vampires' race as something similar to humans. Damn… He's really changing…
"It's Hanabusa Aido!" Aido shouted in irritation. "Don't call me by some random girl's name!" Zero merely shrugged before he continued walking upstairs. "Why are you still here, by the way? Those Level, uh, those vampires are already defeated, right? Shouldn't you go back to the school now?"
"You go ahead if you want. I still have things I want to do here." Zero merely said before he disappeared into the second floor. Aido cursed as he had no choice but to follow. He wanted to just go back to his Kaname-sama and report the incident. But he couldn't just leave without that annoying hunter. Well, Zero did say he would not turn to Level E immediately… Damn hunter..! He sprinted towards the second floor and stopped just right behind Zero.
"Don't get too close to me." Zero said as he turned. Afterwards, he walked away again. The silver-haired teen wanted to know what that other hunter was doing in a place like this. He wanted to investigate the place, just in case he was missing something.
"You're too full of yourself, you know that, hunter?!" Aido was offended by that comment. It wasn't as if it was his choice that he had to follow Zero. And what's worse, the hunter was the one treating him like a lowly creature instead of the other way around. "Are you so highly that you don't want vampires to get too close?"
Zero, distracted by Aido's accuses, turned around again. "Idiot. It's not that."
"Then what is it?!" Aido had an extremely short patience tonight, like he always had, and he didn't want to get even more annoyed.
"It's just that…" Zero trailed off and Aido's irritation subsided a little when he realized Zero was blushing a little. Well, something like that happened earlier after all. He couldn't help but understand the hunter's feeling just as he too blushed considerably. But Zero's answer was just so far-fetched from what he was expecting. "I… I stink."
Aido blinked, unable to comprehend the meaning of the hunter's words for a while. "Eh? Stink? You?"
"Yeah. I can't smell myself so I didn't know I smell so horrible. I can't smell Level Es in my hunter senses. I can only feel their presence so I didn't realize Level Es smell so horrible, like rotting flesh." Zero voiced as he looked out the window and saw the moon rising up in the clear sky. There was not a single star in sight. "I only found out when I smelled those Level Es earlier."
"You can't smell yourself, huh…" Aido voiced after a while of thinking. Of course, he knew how the hunter's assumption about himself was so far from being true. He actually smelled so good because of his hunter blood. He wasn't a Level E yet so he smelled just as how any other normal vampire smelled, added with his blood and he smelled too good to resist. When Zero looked at him, he added casually to avoid any embarrassment in between them. "Do you think I'll try to bite you twice if you smell like them? You don't smell like them."
"Maybe you just like eating rotting things?" Zero asked in an exaggerated innocent expression, which annoyed the hell out of Aido.
"Hey, your insults are getting more annoying by the minute! Here I was trying to be friendly and those annoying comments of yours are what I get?!" Aido voiced just as they smelled the strong scent in the air. Hunter scent… "What the–?"
"He's back..?" Zero mumbled and it didn't pass Aido's vampire ears unnoticed.
"Who? Don't tell me there's another hunter here aside from you!" Aido asked and was disturbed when Zero nodded. If Zero was to team up with the other hunter just so they could take Aido out, then the blonde would surely die. "Oy, Kiryuu! I don't like to play your twisted hunter games!"
"Shut up." Zero voiced quietly just as the scent neared them. "And don't worry, he's not on my side." "He's partly responsible why I became a vampire after all…" Aido looked at Zero and knew that the hunter wasn't lying. He could sense apprehension from Zero and knew he wasn't the only one disturbed.
"…But he wasn't here just now." Aido mumbled, more to himself than to Zero. "One second there was no presence and the other he was already near us… Who is that hunter, Kiryuu?" Zero was another matter since he's an unstable hunter-vampire entity, but for him, a noble vampire, to be fooled like this… It just meant that this person was strong enough to trick them both. And also to erase his presence at will.
"Shut up. I don't know. I don't recognize his presence." Zero answered truthfully. If Aido was right, then that hunter was no ordinary hunter. Zero still had a hunter side to him and he knew he would immediately recognize another hunter's scent or even presence even from far away. For this person to play hide-and-seek with him, he was starting to be sure now. This hunter wasn't his ally… "Am I being targeted by the Association now..? But this person was already here even before I became a vampire…"
"Kiryuu, I think we should leave for now." Aido mumbled beside Zero and the hunter understood what he meant. The presence was a floor above them and it seemed to have stopped moving. Without waiting for Aido's further words, Zero immediately pulled out his Bloody Rose and rushed towards the stairs. There was no other presence than the one above them so it couldn't have been an ambush even if it was a trap. "Kiryuu!" Aido shouted behind him and in a second, the blonde was already running together with him. "Damn, you should listen to your senpais once in a while!"
"Sorry, but I don't have time to retreat right now." Zero said and Aido saw the anger hidden behind those amethyst eyes. He couldn't comprehend what it meant until Zero voiced it. "This person was partly responsible for me being a vampire right now. What happened to me was not a mere accident. It was planned." Aido couldn't believe what he just heard. Kaname told them that Zero was attacked by a pureblood on his way here. But nobody knew the details of the incident, not even Cross. Zero was partly surprised that he told Aido the thing he couldn't even bring to tell Cross. That a hunter was involved…
The two of them reached the third floor just as the presence vanished. Zero cursed under his breath but Aido heard it clearly because of his vampire hearing. There was no one in the third floor. Zero walked towards the place where the hunter's presence was and he saw, to his surprise, an envelope similar to the one he just received when he went undercover. It wasn't the usual red colored envelope containing the usual hunting missions. Its color was black, indicating a secret mission. Was he here to be ambushed after all? The timing was just too convenient to be a mere coincidence…
Or was it actually… a threat..? For that hunter to casually leave the black envelope in the place was already weird in itself. Was the hunter trying to tell him something..?
Aido didn't understand what the envelope meant just from looking at Zero's pained expression but he knew it had something to do with the Association based on the seal on the front. Zero took it and looked inside but there was nothing. The envelope contained nothing but air and space inside.
"Damn… Damn, damn it…" Zero gritted his teeth. Aido was about to ask what it meant, because it seemed Zero knew. But he decided to maintain his silence in fear of breaking the person beside him. Zero looked too brokenhearted and hurt to talk right now.
"We should leave." Aido said as he stood up and started walking away. It's the only way he knew he could persuade Zero to leave the place. And it seemed he wasn't wrong because Zero also stood up and quietly followed him. Their way back to Cross Academy was awfully silent on top of being awkward. Aido wanted to start a conversation just to break the silence but he knew better than to annoy Zero right now. It's not as if he's afraid of Zero. He just felt that Zero would take it all out on him if he started talking.
The two arrived at Cross Academy but still neither of them talked. They walked the woody part of the school until they reached the school grounds. Zero turned south where the Sun Dorm was and Aido looked north, where the Moon Dorm was. Zero started walking but Aido just couldn't help but look back. The hunter looked like he's in pain and the blonde didn't know what to do. He wondered what his Kaname-sama would do at times like this. In the end, he decided to call Zero without anything in mind.
"K-Kiryuu…" He called. Zero turned around and looked at him. "Y-You did a good work. Hmph." He snorted before he sprinted towards the Moon Dorm. He didn't know what exactly happened in the old church but the glint of light in Zero's otherwise dark expression made him sure that what he just said right now was the right thing.
Zero's expression considerably lightened as he walked towards the Sun Dorm. He did a good work, huh… He never thought a vampire would say something like that to him, especially since he just came back from hunting. He couldn't help but smile a little at the strangeness of it all.
He didn't know what time it was right now but he was sure he'd just missed his dinner. He touched the Bloody Rose in his belt before he sighed. The hunter felt his pace quickened, until he was no longer walking in mere human pace, and then he stopped abruptly. He was in the middle of the woods. The Sun Dorm was just right ahead but he felt that he was in no shape to go to the dorm right now.
He could feel it, the burning sensation in his throat. He's thirsty… And he felt that this time, he must not let any person see him, not even Cross. No, it would be even more shameful if it's Cross. Aside from the fact that it would be terrible if a Day Class student saw him, he was not sure he would be able to control himself right now if he smelled blood, in any kind of form. He knew his eyes were glowing red in color and his fangs were fully aroused. One mistake and he would attack anyone. Thus, he retracted his steps and went to a different direction. He could barely maintain his sanity as he sprinted towards his comfort zone, a place where he knew no human at this hour would go.
Aido walked inside the Moon Dorm only to find his friends grinning at him. Kaname was sitting on the far corner of the living room and was reading a book alone. Aido, purposefully ignoring Takuma and Kain, bowed to the pureblood as he reported everything that happened after Takuma and Kain left the old church.
"You mean there's another hunter in the vicinity aside from Kiryuu?" Kain asked. He was sure he didn't feel anyone's presence while he was there. "But that's…"
"Impossible?" Aido turned to him seriously. "Of course, I would also think that if the event wasn't personally experienced by me. I'm telling you, the presence suddenly appeared and vanished without leaving a trace."
"It might just be Kiryuu trying to scare you for annoying the hell out of him every time." Ruka shrugged. "How idiotic. I didn't think you of all people will be victim to that sort of trick, Hanabusa."
"It was true! Ruka, you wouldn't be able to say that if you were there!" Aido answered back in annoyance. He already felt like a fool for reporting something like that to his Kaname-sama. But it would be worse if he didn't say it at all. "Kiryuu said that that hunter was partly responsible for him turning into a vampire…"
"You mean he was set up by another hunter?" Takuma asked casually. It's not as if he was indifferent to the hunter's situation. He was worried but only on a minimal level since he knew that Zero was a strong individual. Shiki looked at him meaningfully and Takuma answered by smiling at the maroon-haired boy sweetly.
All of them turned when Kaname stood up. "I'll be taking a walk." He voiced before he walked towards the door. He touched the handle before he looked behind his shoulder. "Good job on reporting that, Hanabusa."
"Ah, of course, Kaname-sama!" Aido answered in a thrilled manner. He was beaming up until the door closed behind Kaname.
Zero felt himself calm down as he smelled the scent of blue roses. It was really soothing to his aching heart and throat. He's sure no one would notice him here while lying on his back beside the tree he slept on last night, covered with thick rose bushes. And he wouldn't be able to smell other scents aside from the intoxicating scent of the blue roses either. The last time he was here, he calmed down considerably, and even dreamed of someone he didn't know of.
"I'll write my report later…" He thought as he tried to drown his thirst with some doze of sleep. He closed his eyes for a while but then decided he couldn't sleep because of the thirst. Slowly but gradually, he could feel that his thirst was growing. The burning sensation was not just annoying anymore as it started to spread throughout his body. It really felt like he was literally being burned and he couldn't take it. He didn't like that sensation. He rolled on his side as he started to lose his composure. The pain was so terrible he instinctively clawed his neck to nick the pain away. He gritted his teeth as he half growled and half whimpered in pain. He closed his glowing eyes tightly as the pain seemed to have risen on another level. He clawed his neck and chest for what he thought of as hours and hours of pain when in truth he had just started losing it for about some minutes. The thick and delicious hunter blood soon took over the scent of the roses as Zero continued to scream in between his gritted teeth.
"You'll get even thirstier if you continue doing that." A voice he barely recognized said beside him. He didn't react nor answer to the voice not because he didn't want to but because he couldn't. The pain was so intense it was everything he could do not to go back to the dorm and…
Kaname, even though he disliked the hunter when they first met, felt that Zero couldn't continue to live like this. Sooner or later, Yuuki would be in danger if the hunter was always thirsty like this. Zero continued to exhaust his body and let his blood flow away from his body unnecessarily even though he was not drinking blood. Thus, his highly uncontrollable thirst was the result. Although Kaname couldn't even begin to comprehend the pain Zero was in because purebloods were generally more in control when they're thirsty, he could somehow tell that Zero was suffering from it.
The hunter's silver hair was slicked with blood and cold sweat and so was his skin. His eyes, which Kaname knew was red in color, were tightly shut and he kept on clawing himself with his long fingernails. His fangs were fully grown and it was partly sunk in the hunter's lower lip. If Zero was just any kind of Level D, he would've immediately disposed of the hunter than to let Zero roam the school where Yuuki studied. But Zero was not just any random Level D. He was a hunter and also Cross's… It would be against the very co-existence he was proposing if he was to kill a hunter, and a high ranking at that.
Kaname knelt on one knee beside the hunter and took both of Zero's hands gently but firmly. Zero was strong even though he was incredibly weakened and Kaname was a bit surprised with the kind of strength the hunter had. But the pureblood was far more superior in strength and power so Zero couldn't do anything against him. "Stop it, you're making yourself suffer even more."
Zero couldn't comprehend why the hell Kaname was doing this and he tried his best to open his eyes and look at the pureblood directly. His vision was blurred and he didn't even notice it when Kaname shifted from his position and knelt directly above Zero. Both his knees were kneeling on both sides of the hunter, effectively straddling him, just as his hands were gripping on the hunter's wrists. Zero growled under him with that pained expression and Kaname couldn't even feel any anger towards him anymore.
"Listen, Kiryuu. I'll let you drink blood from me. But it has an added condition than merely staying alive and sane." Kaname proposed coolly, trying to make the stubborn hunter understand him. Zero tried to struggle against him but the difference in their strength was so vast. "You have to promise to drink only from me. You have to do that, Kiryuu."
"No…" Zero growled weakly but it was more like a weak moan than an answer. "Get… off me… vampire!"
"Tch. How annoying." Kaname voiced as he bit his lower lip with his aroused fang. The scent filled the air and Zero completely stopped moving and stared at the flowing crimson liquid from the corner of Kaname's mouth. Kaname watched as the hunter tried to fight his thirst in futility. "Just drink, you stubborn hunter."
He shifted his hold of Zero and now held his wrists with only his left hand. Kaname's right hand proceeded on unbuttoning his white long sleeves while watching Zero struggle to maintain his sanity. He smirked as he whispered, "You can't say no to me, Kiryuu." He let go of the hunter's hands and they immediately circled his neck, locking him down. He let the hunter clutch on his brunette hair and inhale his scent. Zero had totally lost it…
Zero was barely aware of the scent of roses as the intoxicating scent of the pureblood above him filled most of his senses. He couldn't fight back and the smell of blood was too strong to resist. Up close, he could see Kaname's veins and the blood that flowed inside them. He clutched the pureblood's hair tighter with his left hand and his right hand fisted on Kaname's clothing and pulled it off the vampire's shoulder. Kaname's creamy white skin was bared, not that his chest was not already bare earlier. But Zero took most delight in seeing the pureblood's neck exposed than any part of his body.
Kaname watched as the hunter watched his body with deep and silent hunger. It kind of excited him even though he was about to be bitten by a man he barely knew. He could feel his insides tingling as Zero stared at his exposed neck with delight. Slowly, he felt the hunter pull him down. He let Zero do what he wanted and didn't find it annoying when the hunter started to lick his neck. After a while, Kaname suppressed a delighted moan as Zero nibbled his neck, but he wasn't able to suppress a delighted shudder. Damn hunter… Kaname couldn't help but smile when he thought that it must be instinct that told Zero blood was more delicious and infinitely sweeter when it was drunk while the owner was high in pleasure.
Zero, from the back of his mind, knew that what he was doing was not really needed. He knew he could just bite the damn pureblood and get it over with. But something told him he needed to do it first before he could bite Kaname, and so he did. Not that he was aware of it. If his mind was any clearer, he would have definitely pushed Kaname off of him and would have never let the pureblood near him. Zero unconsciously remembered that Kaname bit his lip and blood flowed from his mouth. He cupped Kaname's face with his free hand and gently licked the line of blood.
Kaname was only too surprised when the hunter did that. His breathing immediately quickened when Zero's tongue touched the corner of his partly opened mouth. But even though he knew Zero didn't do that to provoke him, he still felt his insides squirming with delight and his blood pooling in his lower abdomen. He was still in his world of delight when Zero started grazing his neck with vampire fangs. The pleasure was so intense Kaname wasn't able to suppress his moan this time. He was just too thankful Zero was too out of it to notice or even care. He tilted his neck to one side to let the hunter get a better angle in biting, not that their position allowed much of that. Kaname was even more surprised when he realized he was not kneeling above Zero anymore but lying on his stomach on top of the hunter. His thighs were parted so their lower abdomens were more or less grazing with each other. He was about to change his position when he felt it, the strong needle-like things that were grazing his neck earlier went to a halt. He gulped when Zero's fangs slowly buried themselves in his flesh. The pain only lasted for a second and the feeling that followed almost made him moan loudly. The pleasure was so intense, especially when Zero started sucking his blood, his mind almost blacked out.
Just looking at the hunter wouldn't have let him know Zero was gentle, even with his enemies. Zero was so hungry he was crouching in so much pain earlier, and yet he still had the gentleness of someone in total control. It was the first time that Kaname was bitten by someone, but he was sure he was not this gentle when he was biting another, especially when he was thirsty. He was thankful that his first time was not that awful of an experience, so he let the hunter have more of his blood than what he originally intended as a form of gratitude. Zero was too thirsty that the flow of blood in his throat was like the fall of rain in a barren, deserted land. And the taste… It wasn't like the pills at all. That awful excuse for a blood couldn't even begin to compare to this luscious and delicious blood. It felt like Kaname wanted to protect someone, but Zero wasn't sure who the person was. He took his time drinking, until he realized, when his mind was already clear enough to think, that the pureblood on top of him was not resisting at all. He realized Kaname was not stopping him or even trying to remind him that he was going overboard. At that instant, his mind panicked at the thought of draining the other to death.
"K-Kuran..?" He called, afraid to be received by silence. It wasn't that he was worried about Kaname in particular. He just felt that a hunter killing a pureblood might bring an all-out war. He was surprised when Kaname shifted and looked at him. The pureblood's charming and delightful chocolate eyes didn't hold any pain or regret of being bitten by the enemy race. The hunter's face considerably lightened.
"What?" Kaname's face was too close to Zero and he immediately saw the fear in those beautiful amethyst eyes. He didn't know what Zero's fears were but the sight of Kaname made his worried expression eased, so the pureblood was kind of perplexed. He watched as the hunter's face turned from ease to discomfort and then colored, and he had a hint of what was causing it. Zero was starting to feel terribly uncomfortable with their position. Kaname was not moving off him and the hunter could feel the vampire's warm body on top of him. His hunter side was reacting strongly against it but his vampire side was just too awfully aroused at the situation. Above all, he was embarrassed, and he immediately reddened.
"Ah, K-Kuran…" He voiced very uncomfortably as he shifted. It was a wrong move though, because their bodies slightly rubbed against one another, causing them both to flinch at the contact. Zero didn't like showing any emotion towards Kaname of all vampires but he couldn't help but blush even more. "G-Get off me!"
Kaname didn't need to be told twice. He immediately stood up and turned around so Zero couldn't see how he smiled in fascination. He's blushing… That cold and aloof hunter actually knew how to blush… He then remembered Aido. Perhaps something similar to this had happened between him and Zero. When he turned around again, Zero had already turned back to his cold and cool mask. He looked at Kaname directly in the eyes and Kaname just had no idea what this particular hunter was thinking. He had a habit of guessing what others think and he was almost a hundred percent right all the time. But with Zero, not only was his guess wrong, it was a total blank.
"What do you mean drink only from you?" Zero asked after some glare with no strength. He felt totally annoyed at himself because after what happened, he knew he owed Kaname a big one. "And… t-thank… you…" He looked away when he uttered his gratitude. Even though he had changed in the last two days, he still thought that thanking a vampire goes against all his hunter principles.
"There's no need to thank me." Kaname said seriously. "Like I said, I need to protect someone so I'm doing this. I need to protect that person from you as well. It will be a problem for me if you suddenly start attacking other students." He couldn't help but notice how the thick blue rose bushes seemed to decorate the hunter's background. Now, the silver-haired hunter looked even more gorgeous, especially with his blood-soaked clothes that smelled so good. Kaname saw that Zero's neck had stopped bleeding. So his blood was already working its wonders inside the hunter's body…
"It will be solved if you'll just kill me." Zero answered, though he was sure he would not allow a vampire to hunt him down. "No one will value me since I'm a Level D so you won't get in trouble."
Kaname smiled as he breathed deeply. Ahh… the hunter in front of him smelled so good… "You know, I would've immediately done that, except that you have Cross-san's protection and you're also a student here. Killing another student is not something a student should think of."
Zero's eyebrows creased. Cross was protecting him..? "What do you mean I should just drink from you? I have no intention of ever drinking from anyone anymore. And most of all, not from a vampire."
"You can't say that for sure." Kaname turned serious again. "If you're thirsty, come directly to me. I will not deprive you, so you better keep your end of the deal."
"You don't need to tell me that, even if I have no intention of drinking your blood again." Zero said. "It's annoying how you seem to forget that it's basic survival to protect oneself. Of course, I will not so recklessly let myself be killed for losing control." At least not yet… "And to tell me to drink just from you. I have no intention of drinking from someone, not from anyone…" Though the thick Kuran blood was just too intoxicating he already wanted more…
"Well then, I assume I don't need to remind you that you must not tell this to anyone, especially not to my circle." Kaname said. He was sure that if any of them knew what happened, they would immediately hunt Zero down and kill him without mercy. Since it was him who wanted the hunter to drink his blood, he wouldn't want the hunter to die because of it. Purebloods were extremely rare in number and their bloods were treated with so much reverence and value, especially because of the power and authority it held. And it wouldn't be surprising if other vampires tried to kill the hunter by drinking his blood.
Zero snorted as he smirked. "I bet they'll hunt me down and kill me, right? Don't worry, I value my life more than you think I do." Again, at least for now…
Kaname smiled before he looked around and his eyes turned to a blue rose beneath his feet. It was in full bloom and it had the strongest scent among the flowers. He bent down as he picked it up. "Do you know? These flowers bloom all year round. There isn't a night when they aren't in full bloom. It's strange, isn't it?"
Zero raised his eyebrow at the sudden change in topic. He didn't know if the pureblood had a mild schizophrenia or if he just wanted to annoy the hell out of Zero, so the hunter didn't answer and just stared at the flower that Kaname was now holding in his hands. The pureblood twirled it left and right before he smelled it. "Come to me when you need blood. I will not say no to you." And the brunette started walking away, holding the flower that slowly spun between his fingers.
Actually, the flower picking was not entirely done out of the blue. Kaname needed to really smell the flower of the blue rose up close so he could momentarily forget the scent of Zero's blood. So he could walk away without drinking from the hunter… He now realized how hard his order must have been to Aido and the others, to ignore the sweet and addicting scent of the hunter's blood. He now wondered what Aido did just so he would not bite the hunter during lunch time earlier.
Zero sighed as the scent of the pureblood started to disappear. He realized, however, that his breathe smelled of the vampire's blood and he immediately gulped in longing. He gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew he mustn't drink blood again, especially that blood, if he didn't want to lose his humanity. It was so breathtakingly delicious and his body would not be able to live without it if he kept on drinking the same thing. And that would be annoying… not to mention troublesome.
And then he felt as if a light bulb was lit inside his head. If he wanted to investigate the Moon Dorm, he just had to go there. He would have an immediate excuse to Kaname if he was seen loitering in the place. He would use the pureblood's proposition to his advantage… And he felt like crap… The pureblood, Cross, Yuuki… all of them were so kind to him, and yet he knew he couldn't give any kindness in return because he was here merely to expose their acts against the Association.
The President even told him to report even the slightest hint of Kaien Cross trying to ally himself with Kaname Kuran against the Association and vice versa. It was getting more painful, but he would kill his emotion if necessary just so he could do his mission well. And that would be equal to killing himself…
Zero came back to the Sun Dorm quietly. He went inside from his room's open window and immediately changed his clothes. The room was dark but he was still able to see clearly. He also felt that his body was lighter than normal, and he had more energy than before. He looked at the mirror and saw that his eyes were back to their amethyst color too. It was kind of reassuring that he was still himself in some ways, even though he had already took his first step into the other world, the world of vampires. His fangs had also retracted, and so were his long fingernails. And the claw marks on his neck and chest had just reduced to mere pink scar-like tender skin, which was also slowly beginning to vanish.
He breathed deeply before he opened the door and descended the stairs. He saw that the kitchen was still lit and his eyes immediately darted towards the clock hanging on the wall in the living room. It's already 10 in the evening. He was late for supper… He entered the kitchen with the intention of heating some leftovers, if there were, or cooking something for himself. He realized, now that his thirst was quenched, he was kind of hungry for real food. What he saw however immediately brought back his guilt, with so much vitality and strength. Cross smiled and Yuuki too looked really happy when she saw him. They were sitting on the table, their foods untouched, obviously waiting for him.
"I thought you'd immediately go to your room and not eat anything." Yuuki said. "Chairman said that you had a mission in the city so…" Zero was surprised but it didn't show on his face as he sat on one of the chairs. So she knew he was a hunter… But now that he thought about it, Yuuki must know everything so she could patrol at night as prefect. And she was Cross's daughter. Of course she knew everything… He remembered that Cross told him something like that. And the only thing that Yuuki didn't know was the fact that Zero was a vampire, and a Level D about to turn into a Level E at that. "Ah, sorry... for being too nosy…" She added when she thought she somehow offended him because of his lack of answer.
"No, it's alright. Sorry for taking too long…" Zero said to the girl before his gaze turned to the Chairman. "Chairman, I need to talk to you later."
Cross nodded before he turned into his child-like self again. "Okay, let's all eat!" The three of them ate silently as usual, with Yuuki and Cross talking to one another once in a while and Zero enjoying the peace.
"You should've started eating earlier. You didn't need to wait for me. I'm used to eating alone." Zero said in the middle of his meal. He knew he was being kind of rude but he also knew he had to say it. If missions like this happened again, he didn't know how his conscience would take it if they'd wait for him like this every time.
"Don't worry, if next time you didn't show up at 9pm, we will eat without you." Cross pouted and feigned that he was offended. Zero smiled a little and the Chairman chuckled. As if that would happen… Cross knew that if Zero was a little later than now, he would've gone out and looked for him. Zero, for him, was just like Yuuki. The teen might have looked strong and cold but he was actually kind and warm inside.
Their dinner was finished after some more minutes and Yuuki said that she'd wash the dish so Cross and Zero could talk. Cross was pouting as he left and Zero uttered his apology and gratitude. The two walked out of the kitchen and into Cross's office.
"So, how's your mission?" Cross asked as the two of them sat down. He didn't sit on the Chairman's chair but on the long sofa, together Zero. He knew he shouldn't ask about the mission since missions were generally regarded with secrecy, but he felt that it was the kind of question anyone would ask at the moment. He was glad when Zero didn't evade the question, even though he wouldn't have minded not being answered.
"I guess I can say it goes either way." Zero sighed. "I completed the mission, but it was kind of misinformed."
"Misinformed?" Cross immediately knew something unexpected happened when Zero still wasn't back after two or three hours. If there was one Level E vampire, it would be captured easily because Zero was a vampire now. His senses were far keener and sensitive than hunters and he was basically stronger, even if he was weak now and thirsty. And he immediately smelled Zero's blood when the hunter entered the kitchen. It wasn't like him, a member of Elite Force, to be hurt by a single Level E. "What do you mean misinformed? And are you alright? You smell of so much blood… your own blood…"
"Ah, don't worry about me. I'm alright, I guess." Zero smiled even though he was hurting deep inside him. Why did Cross have to be so kind..? "The mission clearly says that there is only a single Level E vampire in the town. But when I got there, there were more than twenty of them, waiting for me."
"You mean an ambush?!" Cross couldn't help but exclaim. The idea was just too preposterous, but he knew Zero was not lying. "But Level Es tend to act only on their instincts. They do not know how to coordinate with others…"
"They are very coordinate, Chairman." Zero clenched his fist tightly. "The annoying part was that I was able to smell just three of them at first. But when I got in the location, an old church at the end of the town, there was suddenly more and more of them. They kept attacking me and… Aido, Kain, and Ichijou helped."
Cross sighed as he chuckled, surprising Zero. "At least call them senpai, Zero-kun. I know you don't like vampires very much, but as a prefect, you should be more of a model… But I'm thankful they were able to help you."
Zero thought he should tell Cross about the hunter, but he was not sure how Cross would react. It would be painful if he acted indifferently, because it wasn't his business anymore. He already left the Association after all. And Zero also thought that Cross might get involved in some things he was not supposed to get involved with, if Zero told him. And yet, he felt that he was lying by hiding the truth. He felt he really needed to tell the Chairman about it.
Cross noticed that Zero seemed to be struggling for words, so he said, "You don't have to tell me anything anymore if you don't want to. And you can just tell me things that are convenient for you. I won't mind." He smiled kindly and Zero now knew he just needed to tell Cross about it, if only to satisfy his conscience.
"…Actually, there was a hunter presence when I got there." Zero said, which surprised Cross a bit.
"So you're not the only one deployed." Cross said as he smiled. "Well, isn't that nice? I thought you fought all by yourself before the Night Class students arrived."
"…I did. The hunter was just watching from inside the church as I struggled to kill every last one of those Level Es." Zero gritted his teeth. "That hunter is not my ally. That same hunter was the one who shot me the night I became a vampire. He shot me so I wasn't able to protect myself against a pureblood. And just like then, he didn't come out to save me. No, from the beginning, he wasn't there to save me."
"Zero-kun…" Cross was shocked to hear that. "Are you saying there's a traitor among the hunters? Or is the Association trying to set you up?"
Zero was also surprised at what Cross just said. "I-I still don't know. Please don't tell anyone. I still don't know…" Once again, Zero felt the guilt eating from inside him. Cross's body felt so warm as he hugged the teen tightly. Zero was surprised but it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling.
"I know it's not my place to say this, but…" Cross said quietly. "Please, don't hesitate to ask for my help. I'll come help you in any way I can. I promise." Zero gulped as the lump in his throat felt like it was choking him. The guilt he could feel right now was just too much. Cross had been so kind and caring… Please don't be like this anymore…
"I appreciate it. I'll ask for your help if I deem it necessary." Zero answered, trying his hardest not to break his voice.
Cross chuckled as he stood up. "There's no need to be so formal, Zero-kun." Zero stood up as well.
"I need to do my report about it." He said. "But I won't mention anything about the hunter." Cross's tensed expression considerably lightened when he heard the last line. He didn't want Zero's situation to get any worse by saying such things to the higher ups, who might have been the one behind the incidents. Zero bowed before he left the room. Cross now wondered if he should tell Zero the truth…
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.tbc.
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Ren-sama's Note:
Umm… review please? ˆoˆ