Ren-sama's Note:

Hi, everyone~! It's good to know that you are still reading this fan fict of mine. Thank you for the reviews I've received since those reviews give me so much encouragement to continue~!

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Chapter 18

Kaname readied himself inwardly before he descended the stair to the huge living room of the Moon Dorm. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed to him before greeting him politely. He merely tilted his head a little to acknowledge their heartfelt greetings as his eyes wandered to any silver color in the vicinity. Just then, the huge oak doors opened and the three people he was waiting for the most entered.

He watched as Yuzuru immediately stiffened at the onslaught of vampire presence. His hunter senses must be blaring to the maximum right now. He wore his usual school uniform, only without the armband of the prefects. Yuuki looked a little uncomfortable since she was now considered by many of the other guests as food. She wore a cocktail outfit that only made her even more beautiful. That Yuzuru bastard's eyes must be having a feast right now… Zero, on the other hand, looked too annoyed at the fact that there were vampires whose eyes immediately turned into glowing crimson orbs at the mere sight of him. He's not wearing the clothes that Kaname gave him, which somehow made the pureblood scowl. He's also in his uniform. But no matter. Zero still looked gorgeous and utterly breathtaking no matter what he wore… not to mention he's still as irresistible and delicious as ever.

But the three of them shouldn't worry too much. No one would dare lay a hand on his guests.

"Welcome, everyone." Kaname smiled as he greeted everyone who gathered for his party. He was amused that many other female noble vampires attended even though they weren't studying in the Academy. All they wanted was to impress him and make him fall in love with them… not knowing that Kaname Kuran was already taken by someone who didn't even want him. He looked at Zero in particular when he spoke next. "Thank you for coming to my birthday party tonight. I appreciate your efforts. I hope that all of you will have fun." He then took a wine glass from the passing waiter and raised it high in the air. Everyone also did the same and he smiled. "Cheers."

"Cheers!" The vampires all echoed before they sipped from their glasses.

And thus, Kaname's endless conversations with the female, and male-alike, nobles, and other purebloods started. He needed to maintain his kind but detached exterior because he's a pureblood. But he didn't need to entertain the females who kept on implicitly telling him to at least date them once.

Zero, on the other hand, couldn't help but scowl at the fact that almost all the vampires in the area were glaring at him for even being in the party. They all knew him as the Level D vampire hunter who somehow ended up being invited in a pureblood's birthday party. It annoyed him greatly how some of them talked about him as food without the necessary delicacy that nobles should have.

"Sorry about this, Zero-kun." Yuuki voiced beside him. "Nii-sama will certainly tell them off later." Yuzuru merely did his best to glare at each and every one of them for even muttering about Yuuki. Yuuki had already told him about her relationship to Kaname, not that he didn't know. Yagari had already warned him to stay away from her since she was an ex-vampire. But what could he do if his heart didn't want to listen at all?

"Maybe not coming here was the best thing to do after all." Zero voiced as he glared at two female vampires who kept on drooling at him. They looked ready to attack him and he knew he's ready to shoot them on the head if it came down to that.

The teen then looked at Kaname not too far from them. His scowl deepened when he saw the brunette flirting with the female vampires without any care for his other guests. Somehow, seeing the brunette conversing animatedly with them irked him a lot. "That perverted bastard…" He muttered under his breath as he glared at Kaname.

"Who's a bastard?" A ringing voice spoke behind the three of them, immediately making them turn around. Kaname was smiling while looking at Zero in particular. "I can't believe you, Zero. On top of not greeting me on my birthday, not to mention you didn't bring me a gift," he eyed the hunter's empty hands, "you're even cursing me?"

Zero growled as he glared at the pureblood, already aware that some vampires heard the brunette's words. Yuzuru looked at the pureblood in quiet confusion. He couldn't help but wonder why despite the accusations he said just now, Kaname still looked so happy. Unless of course… Zero's presence alone made up for everything… The brunette hunter couldn't help but feel that that's indeed the case.

Takuma couldn't help but chuckle when he realized how happy Kaname was right now. It seemed his relationship to Zero wasn't just so-so after all. If Kaname's that happy when Zero just came to the party empty-handed, he wondered how his friend would feel if the hunter actually brought a gift. "Nope, the gift is himself."

Senri looked at his lover oddly when the latter suddenly spoke. Aido could only sigh at the fact that Zero was being his usual self again. They, as Night Class students, might understand that that was the way Zero was. But there were too many guests, and humiliating Kaname wouldn't look too good on both of them. Ruka growled at the hunter's inability to choose the location to utter such foolishness while Kain only yawned, seeing that Kaname was only messing with the hunter. Rima only ate more of her pocky.

Kaname only chuckled when Zero scowled more. Just then his eyes turned to Yuzuru and his soft eyes turned into a full glare. "So… you managed to snatch her away."

"K-Kaname-senpai, I can explain!" Yuuki immediately tried to defend her lover while Yuzuru gulped.

The brunette hunter gathered his courage. He knew that even if Kaname was the leader of the bloodsu–, the vampires, the guy was nevertheless his beloved Yuuki-chan's older brother. He needed to have Kaname's permission. "Yuuki and I are lovers now. I'll make sure to take care of her and love her always." He bowed a little before he looked at Kaname straight in the eyes.

Zero, who just gulped down a wine, almost choked on it as he looked at his senpai in disbelief. He couldn't believe a man such as Yuzuru, a man with high pride as a hunter, would ask a pureblood for permission to date someone. He didn't know if he'd laugh or not. But he knew not to laugh if he didn't want Yuzuru's fist aiming at his face, not that it'd connect.

The other guests only looked at the hunter in confusion and disbelief when they heard the exchange of words. Even Aido and the others looked dumbfounded. They somehow couldn't connect anything at all. But it seemed Zero knew something.

Kaname's glare turned softer when he felt the sincerity embedded deeply inside those words, as well as the courage befitting a hunter and the determination to fight him if necessary. "You better do."

"I never back down on my words." Yuzuru answered, on his expression was utter seriousness. Yuuki jumped in glee as he hugged the hunter in front of everyone, making Kaname's eyes wide and Yuzuru's cheeks red.

"Sorry about that, everyone!" Kaname smiled again as if nothing happened before he made the guests enjoy the food and the drinks. Most of the guests shrugged the scene as something trivial. But those who knew Kaname personally just couldn't help but wonder about it.

Aido immediately appeared beside Zero and asked what that was all about. "Why did Kaname-sama say Takahashi stole Cross?" Zero only arched an eyebrow at him and shrugged. "Hey, Kiryuu!"

Yuzuru and Yuuki heaved a deep sigh before they decided to just enjoy the party with one another. Aido, on the other hand, decided that Zero had the answer to everything and kept on pestering him about it.

"Like I keep on telling you, if you want to know anything, why not ask Kuran?" Zero said as he walked away towards the garden outside the grand hall. Aido growled before he followed the hunter once again.

"Good evening, Zero-kun!" Takuma greeted the hunter, making Zero stop in his tracks. Aido and the others used that opportunity to corner him. Ruka and Kain immediately went behind the hunter while Rima and Senri appeared before him. Aido and Takuma were in between the two pairs, cornering each of Zero's sides.

"So, you're the trap." Zero scowled at the Vice President of the Moon Dorm while Takuma only beamed at him. If it weren't for Takuma's voice, Zero wouldn't have stopped and he wouldn't have been cornered like a rat. Not that he was worried of course. If he really willed it, he could find his way out of the circle, though that would be a little cowardly for him.

The silver-haired teen's eyebrows even furrowed when he noted that Takuma subtly bowed to him in apology before the blonde approached and took his right hand before placing a kiss on it. "Please excuse our rudeness, Zero-kun." That action immediately made Zero snatch his hand away and caused Senri to growl. Aido and the others looked shocked. Takuma looked at everyone as if he didn't do anything wrong. "What? I only apologized for cornering him."

"Kiryuu, we want to know why Kaname-sama said those words. And why Takahashi answered in that kind of way." Aido spoke again, not even wanting to comment on Takuma's odd behavior anymore.

"Takahashi, Takahashi. How many times does he have to tell you that his name is Takano?" Zero muttered, though loud enough for everyone to hear. He was still absentmindedly wiping his right hand on his black pants. "I have nothing to tell you. If you want to know anything, Kuran should be the one to ask. It's not my place to say anything." Takuma couldn't help but smile. It seemed Kaname wasn't alone in his feelings at all. And also, if they wanted someone to ask, he's also available in the option.

"We can't just ask him. And you know that." Ruka spoke, seriousness lacing her voice.

"Why do you think we're asking you in the first place?" Senri ate pocky as he spoke coldly. "If we can just ask him about things, then we wouldn't have cornered you here." Rima nodded her head in assent. Zero thought Senri hated him. And that would only be because of one certain blonde who has the habit of making his lover jealous.

Zero sighed as he thought of something that would make them stop pestering him. "It's because… Yuuki is like a sister to Kuran… or something like that."

"Oy, what do you mean 'or something like that'?" Aido stomped a foot on the ground. "Just tell us already, Kiryuu!"

"It's true." They all turned when they heard Kaname's voice. The pureblood stood on the doorway not too far away from them. "Though what he said lacks a certain something." He walked out into the garden as well, making the others give way.

"What do you mean, Kaname?" Takuma was the one who asked, smiling and playing innocent. He noted that Kaname closed the door to the living room so the vampires in the party wouldn't hear anything.

"Yuuki is like a sister?" He grinned gorgeously at Zero for making a statement like that, before he looked at the vampires in his circle. "No, that's not quite right." His grin turned into a smile and his eyes turned serious. "Yuuki is my sister." He watched as the nobles stared at him in shock and disbelief before asking him all sorts of questions. "Yuuki is my younger sister, the second offspring of Juuri and Haruka Kuran. I hope that that fact will make it clear to you how she's related to me."

"But… she's human." Kain mumbled, not really intending to say anything out loud. Though it's too late when he realized he had spoken.

"And why do you know about that?" Aido looked at Zero with a glare. He couldn't believe that Zero knew a secret of that importance.

"Before you get any idea, Kuran didn't tell me anything." Zero scowled at the blonde's glare. "Yuuki was the one who told me."

"But I was so sure you and Cross were the ones…" Rima shrugged. "I can't believe you let the 'other one' snatch her just like that."

"What do you mean the 'other one'?" Zero couldn't help but slightly gape at how they talked of Yuzuru. "And don't go thinking I have romantic feelings for Yuuki." Kaname couldn't help but look smug at that, which made Takuma arch an eyebrow at.

"You're being too obvious about it, Kaname." He thought as he stared at his friend.

"So… all along, Cross is a pureblood..?" Aido couldn't help but feel shocked. He's always been messing with and insulting the girl. "But… does that mean she knew that she's your sister all along, Kaname-sama?" Kaname nodded and Aido couldn't help but gulp. He needed to immediately apologize to the younger sister of his beloved Kaname-sama, though he knew that Yuuki would definitely make an evil grin at the sight of him apologizing. It frustrated him just thinking about it.

"I didn't have the need to tell you that fact before since Cross and I have an agreement to let Yuuki live as a human." Kaname's tone turned serious so they all tried to hear everything that he's saying. "But now, something has changed. I need you all to protect Yuuki from anything that will harm her."

"How about from that guy Takano? He knew that she's your sister. He's a hunter, Kaname-sama. We can't trust him." Ruka voiced before clearing her throat when her eyes darted towards Zero who was also a hunter. The silver-haired male only scowled at her attitude. She obviously talked without thinking first.

"Takano-san is fine." Kaname smiled before he changed the topic just as some teenage vampires came out into the garden as well. "I thank all of you for bringing me such nice gifts, by the way." He smiled at them and they all looked glad that they chose the gift with the best of their picking abilities.

Zero only averted his eyes when the word gift was once again said. He remembered trying to choose a present for the arrogant pureblood yesterday but ended up receiving a failure notice and a mission from two other hunters instead. In the end, he wasn't able to buy Kaname anything at all. Not that he really cared… that much. And besides, even if he did buy something, he knew that those annoying vampires would give the brunette something more expensive and beautiful than that.

"What are you scowling about, Zero?" Kaname smiled knowingly. The hunter was just too cute like that, not that he'd ever voice that out. Zero merely growled before he turned around. "Wait, Zero."

Zero sighed before he looked over his shoulder. "What?"

"There's this gift that I really want, you know." The pureblood voiced, earning an odd look from his vampire peers. Zero only furrowed his eyebrows, having that confused look again. "Not to mention that you're the only one who can give it to me. So don't leave yet." The hunter's eyes narrowed at that, eyebrows furrowing deeply while trying to decipher if there were any kind of perverted meaning behind the words. When he didn't find anything of the sort, he only nodded before returning to the hall again.

Kaname chuckled as he looked at his peers. "There's one more person I need you to protect." He said when the outsider vampires already went back to the party once more.

"It's Kiryuu, right?" Kain was the one who asked the obvious. He earned a jab on the side for his blunt question, courtesy of his lover Ruka.

"Yes." Kaname's expression turned serious all of a sudden. "The two of them are the ones I need all of you to protect." He then smiled. "I told Aido to watch them before, but he did not only lead Zero to danger. He wasn't even able to do anything. Not to mention he left the hunter in the middle of enemy ground."

Aido immediately looked down to hide his shame. Kaname got angry at him when he reported about the two hunters who approached Zero yesterday. It seemed when Kaname asked him to protect the hunter, the pureblood meant to protect the hunter even from other hunters. The blonde immediately glared at his cousin when the latter wore a face as if saying 'what more could they expect from Aido'.

Takuma only nodded, knowing full well about what Kaname meant. After all, he was one of the few who knew the grave reason why Zero had to be protected at all costs. "We'll make sure to watch him always, Kaname." He bowed to Kaname before the two of them exchanged looks.

"I'll tell everyone in details next time so please be prepared." The pureblood voiced before going back to his party.

When Kaname already left, Takuma sighed as he was surrounded by his friends. "Before you ask anything, I'm already telling you. I can't say anything about Zero-kun's circumstance."

"Yuuki Cross should be protected because she's Kaname-sama's younger sister." Aido said. "But I don't get why Kiryuu should be protected as well. He's a Level D and a hunter no less. He can protect himself!"

"You don't understand." Takuma only shook his head. "We need to watch over him always. We need to watch him more than we should watch Yuuki-chan actually. Or else… it'll be a huge disaster…"

"What do you mean?" Senri was the one who asked this time.

"I can't tell you anything yet, Senri." Takuma smiled apologetically. "I promised Kaname I won't tell anyone." He was glad that his lover only nodded before eating his pocky again. As a reward, he kissed Senri's forehead and hugged him, making his lover blush cutely.

"What the–?" Kain, who only wanted to know everything, grimaced. It's not that he had anything against same-sex relationships. He just didn't want any live action going on in front of him. "Please do that only inside a private room."

"There's only one thing I can tell you." Takuma said to them, readily ignoring the redhead's comment. "Kaname likes Zero-kun very much. He's so into Zero-kun, you know." And they all gaped at him for actually voicing out something so private, not to mention something that could make Kaname red with anger and embarrassment.

"I didn't hear anything!" Aido shouted while trying his best to forget the words in futility.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Zero gulped nervously as he watched Kaname pace the room while humming. The brunette wasn't wearing his tux anymore since the party was long over now. He wore a black long sleeves and simple pants. Zero, who was still in his uniform, stared at the pureblood with guarded eyes. The mere fact that Kaname looked so happy was making him nervous. He stood there in the doorway of the pureblood's office, stiff from head to toe as he tried his best not to shout at the brunette who brought out two glasses and a bottle of wine for the two of them.

"Don't be too nervous, Zero." Kaname smiled as he licked the rim of the wine glass seductively, making the hunter's eyes widen. "Here, have some wine to lessen your nervousness."

"Just get on with it, Kuran." Zero tried his best to hide the reddening of his cheeks with a growl. "What's the fucking gift that you want me to give?"

Kaname blinked at him, feigning innocence. "No, Zero. We're not going to fuck." Zero's face immediately reddened with anger and embarrassment and the pureblood immediately talked so the hunter wouldn't storm out of the room while cursing. "Please sit on my bed over there."

Zero's eyebrows furrowed at that. No, he shouldn't even be here. How the hell was Kaname able to convince him to give something as a gift anyway? Well, he just used the fact that he's always been giving the hunter blood and now was the only time he'd request something in return. He scowled as he glared at Kaname before he went to the room adjoining the office. He sat on the bed and waited as Kaname brought the wine bottle and two glasses with him to the bedroom and closed the door behind him with mind power.

The door closed with a loud bang and the walls surrounding it cracked a little. They both looked in surprise at the door then, even Kaname. "Sorry about that." It seemed he still couldn't control his new power very much… He remembered how he drank Shizuka's blood and earned enormous power from it. Add that to his own and he's now very, very powerful. He's now powerful enough to take Rido on… unlike back then when he's just a mere child.

He put the two glasses on the bedside table and poured wine for both of them. He gave one glass to Zero, the one he licked the rim of since Zero didn't know anyway, and another one for himself.

Zero narrowed his eyes at the pureblood, sniffing the wine in case there was something in it. Kaname chuckled at that. It really was the best birthday he'd had… for now at least. He wanted to have happier birthdays in the future too, only if Zero was there though. The hunter sipped from the wine, shaking his head a little due to the effects of the alcohol. He'd been drinking wine ever since earlier in the party.

Kaname's eyebrows furrowed when he looked at the hunter's red cheeks. "Zero, don't tell me… you're already drunk? Is this the first time you drank alcohol?"

Zero scowled at him. "I'm a young hunter. We don't normally drink this stuff except when there are parties… no, not even then. Only the older hunters can drink as much as they want." Kaname smiled while sipping his wine. Zero was just too hard to resist…

"So, what's this gift you're talking about?" Zero asked as he gulped down the whole glass without further ado. He felt too tipsy now, making it harder to concentrate.

"I want your blood." Kaname looked at him seriously, making the hunter's eyes wide with shock. Zero never thought the pureblood would ask something like that.

"K-Kuran..!" Zero blurted out when in an instant, Kaname was able to take the glass from him and was even able to shove him onto the bed. The pureblood straddled the hunter's hips with his legs. "W-What do you think you're doing..?" He pushed the brunette off of him with his hands, but that seems to have the opposite effect when the pureblood took his right hand and smelled his palm, eyes closed. "Kuran..?"

Kaname opened his eyes and Zero gulped when he saw two glowing crimson orbs in place of chocolate ones. The brunette licked the hunter's palm, making Zero's breath hitch due to the foreign sensation. "I'm attracted… to your blood… Zero."

"W-What..?" Zero groaned, trying his best not to blush in embarrassment. He's already tipsy from alcohol and Kaname wasn't helping at all. In fact, he felt like the pureblood was making it worse by what he's doing.

Kaname's mouth opened and two long incisors showed, sharp and menacing. He chuckled a bit when the hunter squirmed a little underneath him at the sight of it. Zero eyed the fangs nervously as he tried to snatch his hand away in futility. Kaname's fangs were a little bit longer than his own. The fangs grazed the creamy skin, just enough to draw blood, and Kaname slowly licked the liquid. Zero's eyes widened and he couldn't help but let out a groan from the intense pleasure the fangs brought to him. It never felt good the first time he was bitten.

Kaname watched in amusement as the hunter tried his best to struggle and hide his embarrassment, not to mention blush, from the pureblood. He could see the blood inside Zero's veins going up to spread on his cheeks, his parted lips quivering a little, and eyes on the verge of turning crimson. He could feel Zero's uneven breathing and his fast heartbeat. It's somehow very arousing… He steadied Zero's hand as he slowly penetrated the hunter's creamy skin. Zero gasped in between pleasure and pain, not even bothering to hide the pleasured moan that escaped his lips.

Zero bit his lower lip to at least not moan out loud when Kaname started sucking on his palm, effectively taking rich hunter blood from him. He tried to push Kaname with his other hand, but only ended up clutching the pureblood's clothes. "Kuran…" He panted the name.

Kaname opened his dark crimson eyes and stared at the hunter's amethyst eyes as he sucked on the thickly rich liquid. He didn't have to drink too much, unlike what he did to Shizuka. Somehow, even if he craved for Zero's blood a lot, a mere sip of it already satisfies his thirst when another pureblood's blood couldn't. It's because Zero was special… in a lot of ways. When he finished, he licked the wounds and watched them heal. "I'm attracted to your blood, Zero… I'm… attracted to your body…"

"Right." Zero glared, voice thick with sarcasm. He shuddered to think what Kaname could be thinking while saying that he's attracted to the body of another male.

Kaname chuckled bitterly at that. He knew that Zero could never have any special feelings for him. If even Yuuki couldn't make the hunter fall… then not even he could do it. "I'm attracted to you, Zero…"

Zero was about to make another retort when he heard the confession. He felt his heart skip a beat for a second there, effectively making Kaname look at him with hopeful eyes. "W-What? T-That heartbeat doesn't mean anything! And what do you mean you're attracted to me?! That doesn't make any sense!"

Kaname scowled at him. "It doesn't have to make any sense, Zero." He cupped the hunter's cheeks with his other hand while his other hand still held the hunter's. How he wished he could just look at Zero forever… and maybe also do some things with him… in this very bed. He kissed the palm that he just bit before he got off Zero and off the bed. "…I'm attracted to you. And I think I'm actually in love with you. That's all there is to it."

Zero could only gape at the pureblood's way of pronouncing his feelings. How come he's the one confessing and yet he's the one acting so cool and arrogant all of a sudden? He stared at Kaname in disbelief as the latter gulped down another glass of wine. Wines never had the same effect on him as it had on normal humans so it's okay for him to drink too much. Although, why it was very effective on Zero somehow amused him a lot.

"Kuran… are you serious?" Zero asked in disbelief as he looked at Kaname. Although, now that he looked at Kaname more carefully, he could see that the pureblood's hand on the glass was quivering a little, his heart was beating fast, and he kept on biting his lower lip absentmindedly– not to mention that he couldn't look at Zero in the eyes. Oh, so he's serious. Now it was his turn to make the situation less awkward. And yet… he didn't know what to say…

"Don't worry. I only told you that so you'll know how to act when you're with me." Kaname smiled as he gave a glass of wine to Zero again. "Happy birthday to me I guess." He raised his glass into the air and Zero mimicked the action.

"…Happy birthday, Kaname." The hunter mumbled before drinking his wine.

"So… can I kiss you?" Kaname chuckled when Zero almost choked on his drink.

"Kuran!" Zero yelled the name in exasperation when he recovered from coughing. His cheeks immediately reddened due to embarrassment.

"I'm just joking, Zero." Kaname smirked, though the seductive gleam in his eyes spoke the opposite. "And please call me by one name only. You call me Kuran most of the time but you call me Kaname when I least expect it."

"No, I always call you perverted pureblood… or the idiot pureblood, or the arrogant pureblood." Zero scowled as he put the glass down. He stood up and headed for the doorway to the office. "That's my gift. Don't go asking for more."

Kaname only chuckled as he watched the hunter go. "Good night, Zero. Thank you for your delicious gift." He laughed when he saw the tips of the hunter's ears redden immediately, knowing full well that Zero's cheeks were in the same color.

And before the hunter could even react, he felt Kaname's warm arms circle his waist from behind him. He immediately stiffened at the contact. "K-Kuran." But the brunette's hold on him only tightened, and for some reason it somehow made him feel kind of happy.

"Just for a little while, Zero…" Kaname whispered before he buried his face on the crook of the hunter's neck. "Just for a little while…" The hunter felt it – the deep longing in that cool voice.

They stayed like that for a minute or two, simply feeling each other's warmth and hearing each other's steady heartbeats. Zero could inhale Kaname's scent and vice versa, but neither said anything about it. After a while, Kaname let go of him, but not before kissing the same spot where he lay his face on. It earned him a shiver of delight from the hunter, even if the teen did his best to hide it with his usual scowl.

Zero walked out of the room with his cheeks burning red so he wasn't able to hide anything from the vampires, human girl, and hunter waiting for him outside the door. His eyes widened as he did his best trying to hide his embarrassment. He knew Yuzuru wouldn't let him go into the pureblood's room all alone. Yuuki would be where Yuzuru was. And the vampire nobles were too curious and wanted to know everything the moment Zero exited the door. And thus…

"Why are you blushing, Kiryuu?" Aido's eyes were narrow as he asked. He thought it was definitely cute on the hunter but it wasn't natural.

"I'm not blushing." He glared at each and every one of them.

"What did you give him?" Yuzuru could already imagine his kouhai spread eagled on the bed with the pureblood on top of him. "He took your virginity!?"

"What!?" Zero's cheeks flamed red at the intense imagination his senpai had just given him. "It's something else, you idiot!" He immediately walked away from the crowd while muttering curses under his breath.

"Maybe he's too embarrassed to admit it." Yuzuru only shrugged. He didn't want Kaname to take advantage of his kouhai in any way.

"Maybe he let Kaname-sama drink from him." Ruka was the one who spoke. The fact that the air smelled of Zero's blood a little was already an indication. She simply shrugged, but that provoked a negative response from Yuzuru.

"Kuran drank from him..?" Yuzuru was about to knock on the door to talk with Kaname, or maybe just hit the living daylights out of him, when Yuuki stopped him from doing it. "Why are you stopping me? Just because he's your–"

"Yuzuru-san, drinking blood for a vampire is as natural as eating foods for humans." Yuuki explained. "You might think that Zero has been taken advantage of. But for a vampire, giving blood is also a form of… pleasure…" She blushed deeply when she said the words. Even though she hadn't experienced such a thing since she was turned into human before anyone could bite her, she could still nevertheless imagine the feeling.

"W-What do you mean..?" He asked as he stared at the vampires in the hallway.

"It means that it's very pleasurable. It's very painful for a human to be bitten by a vampire. But for a vampire to bite another vampire…" Takuma said while smiling. "It's the same as foreplay to sexual activities… or something like that." All of their eyes widened at the bluntness of the blonde's words. Now, Yuzuru didn't know if it's really wise to ask Zero and Kaname about it.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Zero yawned as he woke up. The sun was already high up in the sky and he knew he's late for school again. He didn't care much since his grades were high enough anyway. He walked out of the room and went to the kitchen, only to see Cross washing the dishes while singing.

"Good morning, Kaien-san." He yawned again as he sat in one of the chairs. Now that he thought about it, he needed to tell Cross something.

"Oh, Zero-kun, you're awake!" Cross beamed while he gave the hunter a glass of milk. "What's up?"

"…Kaien-san, I'm relieved from my secret mission. I'm sorry for spying on you." Zero spoke with an apologetic smile, making Cross stop what he's doing and look at him in worry. "I have another mission this afternoon. It's the usual hunting of Level Es." He shrugged before he drank his milk.

"Zero-kun… how did you know..?" Cross didn't remember receiving a letter from the Association at all.

"I met two hunters on the outskirt of town yesterday. They're the ones who told me I'm relieved from my mission. They also gave me a mission failure notice. I checked the seal and I know it's authentic." He had no intention of looking so pathetic, but Cross's warm hug somehow made him feel emotions that he didn't know existed within him. He felt so betrayed by the Association… "Kaien-san… one of the two hunters who informed me was the same hunter who shot me that night over a month ago."

"…What?" Cross asked, a little surprised to learn that fact. "Did you ask him..?"

"He didn't show himself. But I'm sure he's with that other hunter." He looked down on his milk as he confessed how he felt about everything now. "Kaien-san, I don't know what to think about the Association anymore. Somehow, I feel that they've betrayed me…"

Cross couldn't help but sigh for Zero. He was just glad that there was no one in the Sun Dorm now. He could talk to the hunter all he wanted. "Zero-kun, this might not be helpful at all since you already doubt the Association. But the ones who run the Association are also humans. They make decisions according to what they think is the most advantageous action." Zero looked at him in quiet confusion. "What I mean is, they might not always choose to be on your side just because you're a hunter. They will choose what the best for the rest of humanity is instead of risking defending the minority."

"You mean they might have abandoned me because I'm a vampire now?" He asked, voice thick with pain. "I've thought of them as my family all these years… I can't believe they still don't trust me…" He remembered how the hunter spoke as if he's a traitor… A traitor..? Now that he thought about it, the hunter did say 'like father like son.' Did that mean anything..?

"I once thought of the Association as my family too…" Cross mumbled to himself before shaking his head. He took his cup of tea and sipped a little to calm his nerves. That didn't escape Zero's keen hearing, but he chose to not comment on it.

"You're my uncle, right?" Zero asked after a while of silence. He looked up just in time to see Cross nod. "Can I know… why our family was treated as 'traitors'?" Cross had almost lost his hold on the cup he was holding as he stared at the younger male in surprise. He didn't think Zero would remember asking all about that again.

"Did Kuran tell you that?" He asked, not really knowing where Zero might have heard the accusation.

"I already knew even before he told me." Zero answered, knowing full well how Cross's heart immediately beat faster in dread and worry. "Kaien-san, master told me that my memory of that night ten years ago was sealed. But… I doubt that's the only sealed memory I have."

"Zero-kun…" Cross heaved a deep sigh. He didn't know if he was now ready to tell anything to the teen, not to mention if the teen was ready to hear anything. "I don't think I'm ready to tell you yet." He smiled painfully when he finished, but it turned into a pained expression when he saw Zero's disappointment, no matter how Zero tried to hide it. "I can just tell you one thing. The Kiryuu family isn't just a family of vampire hunters, Zero. It's something more."

"What do you mean?" Zero couldn't help but ask again, even though he knew Cross was already struggling as it was. He didn't want to force the Chairman to tell him anything, but he knew that the older male would mostly be able to breathe more freely if he were to let go of the burden of Zero's past and identity.

Cross couldn't help but hug Zero again. He knew that the teen might still not be ready to know, but there was also the possibility of him being ready now. And it would only make him hurt Zero more if he continued to hide everything, especially since Kaname also knew now. It would only be a matter of time before Zero knew it himself. He wanted to be the one to tell the young hunter. "You have a mission later, right?" He smiled when Zero nodded. "Then I'll tell you everything when you get back. It will be bad if you become distracted from your mission, especially since your life will be on the line."

"You will?" Zero looked at him with worry and disbelief. "Are you sure, Kaien-san?"

"Yes. I know that you might not be ready to know yet. But I also don't want to keep hiding things from you." Cross sighed again before he noticed that Zero was already finished drinking his milk. He chuckled sheepishly before he let go of the young hunter. "Sorry for being too emotional."

"No, it's okay." Zero smiled a tad.

Then Cross pulled away from the hug a bit so he could see Zero's expression. He then grinned excitedly before he asked. "So, how's the party last night? Did my Yuuki-chan enjoy the party? Was Kuran-kun angry at Yuzuru-kun? How did it go? Was it a success? Did you enjoy it? Did–?"

"Kaien-san, just one question at a time." Zero chuckled a bit. "No, Kaname did not get angry at Yuzuru but they sort of had an agreement. And yes, both Yuuki and I enjoyed it… a little. We couldn't really relax and enjoy too much because many of the guests considered us as one of the foods on the table." He scowled by the end of his statement. "And if you want to ask, Kuran enjoyed his party."

Cross beamed at that. "But it's still nice that you were able to enjoy Kuran-kun's birthday party. It's too bad I wasn't able to attend." He pouted childishly before his expression turned excited once more. Really, Zero thought he should be used to Cross's attitude by now. "So, did you bring a gift to Kuran-kun?"

At that, Zero immediately averted his gaze and started stuttering in his words. "I-I… Well… N-No, not really…" By the end of it, he was already red up to the tips of his ears. And he even did his best to sleep without trying to remember it so much. Now, all he could think about was that.

Cross furrowed his eyebrows before he stood up straightly. His expression turned serious but kind. "Zero-kun, I want to ask you something."

"What is it?" Zero was still not looking at the older male so the Chairman cupped the teen's face with both of his hands to make the former look at him.

Zero was a bit surprised when Cross did that and he had no choice but to look at Cross straight in the eyes, no matter how much it embarrassed him. But he wished he was somewhere else when he heard the Chairman's next words. "Do you perhaps… like Kuran-kun more than a friend?"

Cross felt the teen's breath hitched just as he saw Zero's eyes widen in shock. No, it seemed he phrased his question wrongly. "C-Chairman! Why would I like that arrogant, perverted bastard!?" The teen had already stood up from his seat by the end of his statement. Cross was still cupping his face so the latter couldn't evade the chairman's gaze even when he started blushing.

"You should think about it, Zero-kun." Cross smiled warmly. "You don't have to stop yourself from loving anyone. And don't worry about the Association. There's nothing wrong with a vampire loving another one. And most of all, don't worry about us. We won't judge you just because of your sexual orientation."

Zero could only gape at his uncle for spitting such hilarious thoughts. He'd never thought of Kaname as a love interest! At least until before last night, when the proud pureblood confessed to him. And now, he realized he really didn't know how he felt towards Kaname. He didn't hate the pureblood anymore. He actually kind of liked Kaname's presence now… though not too much because the brunette's just too perverted.

"Zero-kun? Are you still with me?" Zero focused his attention and realized that Cross was already waving a hand in front of him. It somehow made Cross laugh and made him scowl.

"I don't have any romantic feelings for that pureblood, if that's what you're asking." Zero answered before he started eating his breakfast that his uncle cooked for him. After that, he said goodbye to the older male. "I hope…" He added to his mind once he's back to his room, taking a quick bath.

He sighed as he realized that he's falling into Kaname's pace when it should be the other way around. The pureblood was the one who said he liked the teen. So why was he the one who couldn't stop thinking about the arrogant pervert?

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.tbc

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Ren-sama's Notes:

Yup, that's it for now, guys~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And please leave a comment so I'd know what you think. ˆoˆ