Ren-sama's Note:
Here's the next chapter~!
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Chapter 28
"And… his real surname is… Shiryuu." And everyone's eyes widened as they all stared at Zero, who could only blink at them in confusion.
What now..?
"W-What about it?" Zero scowled as he fidgeted in his seat, the guilt about his father's action momentarily forgotten. He's the only one left out about the meaning of the new information and he didn't like it.
"The Shiryuu Clan is a vampire clan with an older history than even the Kurans. Their blood is much thicker and purer than any pureblood family in the vampire history. That clan was believed to have been extinct more than a thousand years ago." Kaname explained to his lover. But Zero still didn't get why it made them all shocked. That fact was already included in Seiren's report earlier.
"And what does that mean?" He asked again.
Kaname breathed a shaky sigh. "It's one of the most powerful and influential old pureblood families in vampire history, Zero. The Shiryuu clan has a blood purer than anybody else." He then patted his lover's head fondly when the hunter still looked confused. "It means that you hold a power equal to mine in the vampire society even if you are only a half-pureblood. You can also have your own circle of noble vampires following you and even some not-so-powerful purebloods bowing to you. Not to mention, if ever anyone knew of your existence, lower class vampires will try to get your blood for the immense power that it holds."
Now Zero's eyes widened. "What? But I'm not..! I'm just… I'm just a hunter!" He then looked at everyone and saw, to his surprise, that they were all bowing deeply to him. "Kaname, this is…" He then looked at Kaname pleadingly and immediately received a tight hug.
"I know this is too sudden, Zero." Kaname voiced soothingly as he brushed his lover's silky silver hair slowly while hugging the hunter. "But all the data from Seiren's investigation are always true and reliable."
Takuma and the others watched as Kaname displayed affection in front of them for the first time. Zero was truly fortunate to have Kaname. Or was it actually the other way around? Zero was the reason why Kaname could feel again. The hunter was Kaname's light, to put it bluntly. Either way, they found it cute that Kaname was being sweet to Zero even in front of them.
"Don't worry, Zero-ku–, I mean, Zero-sama. We will definitely protect you." Takuma voiced, smiling when Zero looked at him as the hunter casually pulled away from the hug. They all now knew why Zero's scent was too intoxicating as well as his blood. It was because of the pure Shiryuu blood running through his veins together with his hunter one. Not to mention that he was handsome enough to charm them all even with his ever present scowl. It's because he was just like Kaname…
"Don't use that term to pertain to me." Zero pointed out, wearing a tensed expression and a scowl to match his confused mood. "Just address me like you usually do." Kaname couldn't help but sigh at that before he smiled. Zero would always be Zero…
"Don't argue with us just because you don't like it!" Aido voiced out before he could stop himself. "You might think that giving you so much respect is just a minor thing in the vampire world. But–!"
"Hanabusa." Kaname calling his name with such a cold voice made him stop immediately. Aido couldn't help but look down in shame and apologize. "I'm sure Zero understands what you're trying to say. But that doesn't change the fact that he didn't know any of these just until some moments ago."
"I apologize, Kaname-sama…" Aido was upset that Zero was treating the hierarchy of vampires as something he could just shrug off if he wished to. But he also understood where the hunter was coming from. Or maybe he was just annoyed that he didn't know how important Zero was until it was told to his face.
The blonde took a glance on the hunter and saw Zero looking at him as well. The hunter had a shadow of a smile and Aido appreciated that. He smiled at Zero too. Even if he felt that it was partly Zero's fault that he got scolded by Kaname, he still couldn't stay upset at the hunter for a long time. Heck, it didn't even take a minute for him to feel okay again. And that was only because Zero smiled at him.
"Anyway, this revelation explains many things to us vampires." Kain subtly changed the topic, seeing that his cousin was already flirting with their leader's half pureblood lover without both parties realizing it.
"No wonder we all feel attracted to you for some reason even though we believed that you were a mere Level D vampire." Takuma added with a smile that made Zero avert his gaze to hide his embarrassment. Senri immediately scowled at his lover's flirtatious comments but didn't react badly towards Zero anymore. He knew now that Zero was to be revered as a higher being even if he wasn't Kaname's lover.
"Yes, we assure you that we will always protect you, Kiry–, Zero…" Aido blushed as he uttered the hunter's initial name for the first time. "Err… sama." Kaname suddenly looked at him darkly for some reason and he couldn't help but gulp.
"Be discrete with your feelings, Hana. That's already your second strike in the span of a minute." Kain teased quietly, earning an audible growl from the blonde. The redhead merely shrugged his cousin's annoyance before he too chose to comment as he looked at Zero. "I know that we all started badly. But we promise to treat you from now on in the way that you really deserve."
"I still think of you as my rival. But I will make sure to protect you just as much as I would protect Kaname-sama." Senri voiced quietly, earning a chuckle from Takuma. The others also commented a little of what's on their mind, just to tell Zero that they were apologetic for their rude behavior towards another of Kaname's kind or that they would treat Zero in the same way as Kaname.
Zero looked frozen in his seat by the time they were finished. He stared at them all with his surprised eyes as he digested their words. He never knew that a simple surname could change the vampires' attitudes to him so much. And note that these were the higher class nobles… so how would the lesser nobility act towards him from now on? He shuddered to think that he would be treated in the same way as Kaname. It's just not his style to be popular or the center of attention wherever he went. But since they were kind enough to lower their high prides for him, he thought that it would be too rude to dismiss the topic altogether as something trivial.
"Um…" Zero voiced with masked nervousness, although Kaname read him all too well. He glared at his brunette lover when the latter tried to hide his smirk before the hunter looked at everyone. "Thank you… I guess… for accepting me. I won't comment about the honorific anymore since I know it's important for you… but you can still call me as you like when we're in a private place like this. " Takuma was the first to smile at him in return for his words, although the others' smiles were as sincere as the vice president's.
"…Do you have to report anything more?" Kaname asked Seiren, knowing full well that his lover wouldn't talk anymore. Zero was just too shy for his own good.
Seiren looked at him with an expression akin to worry for the first time while looking at the hunter and Kaname silently appreciated her concern for Zero. It seemed she was about to report something even more disturbing than what they heard earlier.
"Can you hear more, Zero?" Kaname asked coolly. He didn't want his lover to appear weak in front of everyone by him being overprotective. But he also knew that Zero was way more sensitive and fragile than he let on. That fact was proven when Zero gripped his lover's shirt tighter as he nodded. He tried to put on his emotionless façade as he looked at Seiren, silently telling her that he was ready for what was to come. But Kaname could see that the hunter's eyes were swimming with different emotions – mainly confusion and sadness. Now Kaname didn't know if it was the right decision to make Seiren report in front of everyone. He couldn't even console Zero as much as he wanted because doing so would make the hunter appear weak in front of lower class vampires.
"I also… investigated about your brother, Zero-sama." Seiren closed his eyes just as Zero froze. He clutched Kaname's shirt tighter, face devoid of any emotion as he readied for the next sentences. "It seems he found out about your father's lineage some time ten years ago and was then given a position in the Council as well as in the Association."
Zero's eyebrows furrowed in more confusion at that. "…What do you mean? Ichiru was very sickly back then. He couldn't have…" He voiced for the first time. "He was always… always inside the house… There's no way for him to know about our lineage… or act upon that knowledge…"
"Yes, I also investigated that." Seiren bowed a little. "But some weeks after the tragedy ten years ago, Ichiru-sama received positions in both the Hunter's Association and the Council. And the documents stated that he accepted both of them… not as Ichiru Kiryuu-sama but as Ichiru Shiryuu-sama." Zero's eyes widened at that. "Ichiru-sama disappeared immediately after the tragedy, but his name still appeared in both the Council's and Association's information of members. It seems he works for both organizations from the shadows. Zero-sama doesn't know about that fact because it happened after the tragedy."
"How… did he manage to obtain a position? And how did he even know about it in the first place?" Zero asked, deep confusion now evident on his handsome feature. Everything was starting to get even more complicated now. But it only meant that Ichiru was really alive after all. Alive and kicking… while plotting Zero's demise to be exact… No, he wasn't sure about that yet. He hoped that Ichiru had his reasons for doing what he was doing right now… and he also hoped that it was valid enough…
The hunter's voice when he asked was very quiet so Seiren was unsure if she heard right. But she still answered the hunter. "My investigation states that Rido Kuran-sama was the one who offered him the position in the Council while the Cross Family was the one who offered him the position in the Association. As for the reason of how he knew of your family's true lineage… I have no information regarding that yet."
"Why didn't they give Zero-sama a position?" Takuma, who was more than curious about the whole situation, asked. "He should've been a candidate for a position in the Council or in the Hunter's Association too since he's the eldest."
"I believe I can answer that without having to investigate anything." Kaname was the one who answered. "We all know about the curse of the hunters. When the would-be offspring are twins, one of the twins would always take the life of his or her sibling and this twin would be born dead. In Zero and Ichiru Shiryuu's case, however, that wasn't at all the case." Zero's eyebrows furrowed at the explanation given by Kaname. He didn't know how it was connected to Takuma's question.
Takuma smiled and nodded when he too got the answer. "It's because Zero-sama is far stronger than his twin." Now even the other nobles were confused.
"Precisely." Kaname answered immediately. "Because Zero is stronger than his twin, his blood is also far stronger than his brother. And that means…"
"That means The Hunter Association doesn't want me because they think my vampire blood is too strong while the Council thinks the same when it comes to my hunter blood." Zero finally understood. "I'm someone who is neither a pure hunter nor a pure vampire. And yet, I am both." He sighed at the complexity of his and his twin's identity. But the fact that love prevailed between his parents despite everything was something he was proud of. Although, he couldn't understand why his brother would accept both positions… Ichiru should know that the Hunter Association existed in order to bring down the Council… Although the war and the merciless annihilation between both races were at a halt right now, they never knew when things would start to get chaotic again.
Zero could feel darkness enveloping him. His brother… his only beloved twin brother… He couldn't understand why Ichiru would accept a position from warring sides… or even why his brother would use that surname when even their father didn't use it. Ichiru… what was he thinking..? He thought he knew his brother and always knew what the other thought. But now, he wasn't entirely sure anymore.
"Is there anything more?" Kaname asked but Seiren already shook her head. Zero silently thanked her for that. He didn't want any more disturbing news from her. "Thank you then." The pureblood said, making the female servant smile a tad. Even Takuma hid a small smile at that. Purebloods never thank anyone… nor apologize to anyone… But Kaname was doing all of those things now… all because of Zero… only because of Zero…
"You look relieved that she doesn't have anything to report anymore." Kaname told Zero silently with an arched eyebrow. The hunter looked up at him and smiled a little. He couldn't argue with Kaname about that.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Can I come in?" The playful voice surprised Zero a lot before he turned his head over his shoulder and glared at the man standing by the doorway.
"I'm bathing, Kaname." The hunter scowled, droplets of water cascading down his naked body as he showered. His creamy soft skin looked so utterly breathtaking that Kaname could already feel his erection just at the sight of his lover. Not to mention that he was wet and looking so utterly submissive with his position of facing the wall. It's making the primal vampire instinct within Kaname growl in excitement and lust.
Zero was thinking about the conversation earlier so he wasn't able to feel the pureblood's quiet aura, allowing Kaname to surprise him a lot. Not to mention he was facing the wall and leaning on it so he couldn't see anyone approaching. But he was so sure that wasn't a problem at all since he locked the door… The brunette only chuckled as he entered the bathroom too, locking the door behind him with mind alone. He unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it on the floor unceremoniously together with his pants, which was so unlike him, before joining his lover.
"I like your room, Zero." Kaname murmured as he circled his arms around the hunter's waist. Zero blushed at the action but he continued showering, knowing full well that the statement was irrelevant with what Kaname really wanted to say. He felt the pureblood's warm chest and he couldn't help but lean on it. "The room is spacious… the bed is spacious as well…" Or maybe his statements were just full of plain perversion.
Kaname kissed Zero's nape as he too showered. He grinned when he heard an audible growl from the hunter, obviously because of the fact that his erection was poking the hunter's plump ass. "I can't help it. You look so seductive showering like this."
"Pervert…" The hunter muttered just as Kaname chuckled.
"I love you too, Zero." He answered, obviously in for some teasing. Zero visibly blushed at those words before he slowly gave in to the touch.
Kaname explored his lover's body with his two hands, one going up to Zero's chest and pinching a nipple there while the other hand going downward to the hunter's own erection. Kaname grinned smugly when Zero gasped in both pleasure and surprise when the pureblood's hand circled his member tightly. The brunette slowly pumped the hunter's member and Zero couldn't help but buck his hips upward into the hand pleasuring him.
The earlier revelations from Seiren shook the hunter a lot and Kaname's presence behind him now gave him warmth and security. Not to mention the hand that was now exploring his body was more gentle than lustful.
"Kaname…" Zero breathed raggedly as he felt the heat pooling down into his abdomen. He shuddered in deep pleasure when the pureblood rubbed the tip of his erection with his thumb. Kaname watched as his lover got lost in the sea of pleasure for some time before the hunter suddenly shivered. "Nnhh…" Zero groaned as he came directly on Kaname's waiting hand. He would've lost his bearing and fell to his knees if it weren't for his lover's strong hold on him.
He heard Kaname's chuckle behind him, making him growl weakly. "You jerk…"
"Thank you." Kaname whispered seductively to his ear before biting it, making him gasp.
"Kaname, you per–!" Zero was about to utter some curses when Kaname suddenly turned him around and roughly kissed him. The growl that he was about to make turned a lot softer, like a mewl, before he circled his arms around his lover's neck. He slowly but gradually returned the kiss with equal fervent as he involuntarily bucked his hips onto his lover's arousal. Kaname growled in hunger and want as he broke the kiss and ravaged the hunter's sweet, sweet neck with his tongue and teeth. Zero's head hung high as he let Kaname enjoy his exposed neck.
The pureblood's mouth traveled down to Zero's chest, sucking on his pert nipple just as the brunette's other hand kept on pinching the other nub. Zero bit his lips at that, preventing himself from moaning loudly or screaming in pleasure. "Kaname… ahh… n-not that…" He mumbled as he entwined his fingers onto the brunette's silky locks.
"I'm a very proud pureblood, Zero. That's why… I will only kneel in front of you." Kaname grinned as his eyes darkened even more with lust. Zero looked at him in confusion before he stared as Kaname knelt in front of him, face heating up when he realized that Kaname's sentence was filled with indecent thoughts.
The pureblood looked at him one more time with dark eyes before he slowly leaned in to Zero's hips. He gave a small lick at the tip of hunter's erection, making the hunter gasp, before he devoured the whole member in one go. Zero wasn't able to contain his moans anymore as Kaname started sucking rather roughly on the erection while his tongue slathered on the length. Zero tried to buck his hips forward in pleasure but Kaname held his hips just as he continued his cock assault. Zero could do nothing but writhe and moan in so much pleasure, hands fisted tightly on Kaname's brunette locks. His legs were trembling and he felt that Kaname's hold on his hips was the sole reason he was still standing.
Kaname stopped sucking after a while and let go of the red erection and started nibbling on its tip, fangs grazing the sensitive length with deliberate slowness. The action only made Zero writhe more as he moaned loudly. "Kaname… No, don't… ahh… please…"
Kaname chuckled at that. But he seemed to have taken pity on the poor hunter and started sucking the cock whole again. Zero shuddered one last time before he came in his lover's mouth with a silent scream. His knees gave out and he almost fell on the tiled flooring but the pureblood held him tight on the waist. Kaname swallowed half of the sweet semen but spit half of it on his hand, slathering his fingers with the sticky substance with quiet awe. "Not only your blood, but even your semen tastes sweet, Zero." He spoke the words with sincerity, but that only added to the hunter's embarrassment.
"Kaname… you perverted bastard…" He didn't know what to say so the automatic curse was his only way out. His knees felt so weak and his body felt exhausted from coming twice but he was so sure that his lover wasn't quite done with him yet. Not to mention he was beat red from too much embarrassment and heat.
Kaname stood up and circled his hands on his lover's waist again, but his other hand reached down to Zero's ass, gently prodding at the entrance. Zero squirmed and was about to react when he received a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss from Kaname. "Let's forget everything else for a while and focus only on each other." The pureblood voiced after the kiss. The tone was gentle and seductive, but Zero could feel that Kaname was trying to console him somehow.
The hunter would've gotten angry if he's still how he was back then. He would've thought that Kaname saw him as someone so weak he needed something exhilarating like sex to forget everything. But he was different now. He knew he needed Kaname, not only physically but also emotionally. He needed Kaname so much… He loved Kaname so much… But he wouldn't tell that to Kaname directly, if he didn't want to suddenly feel like a child who could only stutter in his speech from nervousness. That would be too embarrassing.
Zero nodded absentmindedly before he groaned as the first finger entered him. "W-Wait…" Kaname looked at him in confusion and dejection. The pureblood must have thought that he wasn't enjoying it. He shook his head as if to answer the pureblood's silent inquiry before he spoke. "Kaname… unh… standing up..?"
Kaname blinked in confusion before he grinned. The brunette whispered just only for the hunter's ears to hear. "Why not?" Zero continued to groan and squirm as the second and third fingers went inside him a few minutes after the other.
He breathed raggedly as he looked at his lover's dark eyes looking at him. Zero, despite his clouded mind, thought that Kaname was indeed very handsome. So unearthly breathtaking… His wet curly locks and the water that dripped from it down to his soft creamy neck and chest made him look more delectable. His lean muscles moved with utter gentleness as he pleasured Zero. And his eyes… Zero could feel himself getting lost in those dark chocolate orbs…
He felt his face heat up at the thought of falling in love with the pervert all over again. But he wasn't about to let the opportunity go and be the usual shy boy that he was. He was Kaname's lover… and Kaname was his. Kaname wasn't the only male in the relationship. He could also be aggressive if he wanted to.
He ignored his shy tendencies for a while and cupped Kaname's face with his palm. Just as those crimson chocolate eyes focused on his amethyst ones, he grinned. It wasn't the perverted way Kaname always did but the shy way of a lover feeling the happiness of being in love.
Kaname's eyes widened as he gulped. Seeing Zero's smile was only once in a blue moon. And a breathtaking smile with blushing cheeks was way out of line. He also grinned and was about to comment on it when he was taken into another huge surprise of his life.
Zero pulled and kissed Kaname roughly before he bit the other's lower lip. It wasn't enough to make Kaname bleed but it wasn't gentle either. The pureblood groaned at that, but he was silenced by the tongue that entered his mouth. Zero explored his lover's mouth just as Kaname gave in to Zero's sudden bout of aggressiveness. Kaname licked his own lips when Zero's lips left his mouth to travel down his neck.
The hunter trailed kisses down the pureblood's neck, sucking on the creamy flesh there. He enjoyed how Kaname purred with his every suck and bite. If he was a girl, he would've giggled at how much his lover reacted to his touches. But he wasn't a girl. He wasn't about to do anything that would make him die in embarrassment.
Kaname purred one last time just as he withdrew his fingers. "…Ready?" He asked, grinning when he received a scowl, a blush, and a nod.
He lifted Zero by the hips and let the male circle his legs around the pureblood's waist. They stayed like that for a while as they stared at one another. Zero was the first one to look away since it was too embarrassing to keep staring at Kaname while the latter also stared at him. Kaname only chuckled and kissed his Zero's cheek before he slammed into the tight heat of his lover. Both of them groaned in pure pleasure at the sudden feeling of being filled and the feeling of a wall tightening around them. Kaname gave Zero another kiss, on the lips this time, before he started thrusting fully in and out in a steadied pace. Zero circled his arms on his lover's neck tightly as he felt raw pleasure assault his body.
"Zero…" Kaname groaned as he tried to find his lover's prostate. He grinned when he found it, courtesy of Zero's sudden loud moan.
Zero could feel himself drowning in the deep sea called pleasure. He dug his fingers on Kaname's shoulders for leverage as the pureblood repeatedly slammed into him. The movement became more and more erratic as they both felt the approaching climax. Kaname gave him another sloppy kiss just as both of them came with a pleasured groan. Kaname leaned onto Zero, effectively squeezing the hunter on the wall even more. Both of them panted as they got lost to the afterglow of their sexy activity.
"Kaname…" Zero called after a while, mainly to make Kaname pull his member out of the hunter's ass and also for the pureblood to change the suffocating position they were in. Kaname, however, only changed their positions but didn't bother to remove his cock inside his lover. "Kaname…" It was a growl this time, making the brunette chuckle tiredly.
"I want to be inside you for a little bit more, Zero." Kaname purred even though his member had softened.
"You pervert…" Zero answered exhaustedly as he slumped his head onto Kaname's shoulder. He felt tired after what happened – not only because of what happened just moments ago but at what happened in the meeting with the noble vampires earlier.
Kaname chuckled before he lay down the bathtub together with Zero in vampire speed and rested there, allowing the warm water in the bathtub to soak their aching limbs. He felt a little pity for Zero so he pulled out of the hunter and instead made Zero sit on his lap and rest there. The hunter's head still lay on his shoulder. "Zero… I know all of this is too confusing and exhausting for you. But don't let it weaken you. You're a pureblood vampire and–"
"Just half-pureblood vampire, Kaname…" Zero murmured softly. He was too tired to start a verbal assault with the brunette but he still felt too disturbed at the fact that his life had turned totally upside down.
He had always believed that he was a human hunter with human blood and needs, with human parents and sibling. He'd always thought that he was all alone and the Association was his only family on earth. He'd always believed that 'Mission is everything. And life is nothing before it.' He was taught that vampires were vile creatures feeding off of humans and should all be eradicated on the face of the earth. He'd always hated vampires. But now, he finally learned that he was actually part of the race that he hated so much, not only because he was turned but because the blood running through his veins was that of a pureblood vampire. And that his whole family wasn't a family of hunters but that of vampires. He was also a hunter but he had already become a full-fledged vampire even before his birth because of that incident with Rido. Everything he believed wasn't only tipped off balance but was entirely turned upside down. Not to mention that the one who comforted him at the moment of his weakness wasn't the family he thought was his ally but the vampires whom he always thought were monsters.
"Kaname… I think I'm having some identity crisis…" He voiced quietly. He immediately scowled when he heard a mirthful laugh coming deep from the pureblood's chest. "What's so funny?" He growled softly.
"Identity crisis, huh… I've always known you're gay, Zero." Kaname grinned when he met shocked and embarrassed amethyst eyes staring at him widely.
"T-That's not what I'm talking about!" Zero's face heated up in mere milliseconds and now he was trying his best to make the blush go down. "You know very well what I'm talking about, you bastard! And I'm not gay! I just happened to… fall… for a pervert…"
Kaname laughed louder this time, totally enjoying his lover's flustered reaction. "I'm just trying to tease you, Zero." He mumbled as he kissed the hunter's lips softly, making Zero blush even more.
The hunter immediately muttered some unintelligible curses under his breath as he tried to avert his gaze, obviously too embarrassed to even comment on anything now. Kaname found the action rather cute on Zero. "As much as I want to stay naked while you're straddling me, Zero, I think we should get out of the tub and get dressed now."
Zero's immediate harassed expression and the fact that the hunter was about to spout some venomous words were cut by the soft pair of lips that covered his own, courtesy of one perverted pureblood. After the breathtaking kiss, Zero felt like he was just swept off his feet and he now couldn't form any coherent thoughts. Kaname smirked at him as he was carried like a bride to his bedroom – still naked and practically squirming in discomfort.
The two dressed after what seemed like hours of teasing – more like Kaname was the only one doing that – and finally settled into a warm embrace under the blanket. The sun was just starting to rise and the two finally felt so exhausted to even move.
"Good night, Zero." Kaname said as he kissed his lover's hair.
Zero only tightened his hug. "Good morning." He mumbled. "And… thank you…" "For making me feel lighter and happier… For… loving me…" He added inside his head.
"For what?" Kaname asked in an innocent voice, although he already had a vague idea about it.
"Nothing." Zero nuzzled deeper onto Kaname's neck, inhaling the pureblood's scent, before he sighed contentedly. "I… love you, Kaname…" He mumbled incoherently as he fell asleep.
Kaname's lips tugged upward into a small but heartfelt smile. "I know. I love you too, Zero." And he finally fell asleep while listening to the soft hum of Zero's breathing.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Zero woke up to the sound of screams and panicked voices, and he bolted upright immediately, thinking that he was still a child at ten and screaming the name of the dead members of his family. But he found out, after shaking his head and getting out of the dazed-after-waking-up-abruptly effect, that he's actually in the present. And that the noises and voices were actually coming from outside. The sounds were muffled by the walls and he knew the sounds must be really loud for him to hear it even inside the Moon Dorm.
He looked at the window and saw from the small spaces between the venetian blind that it was still dark. Or rather, it was already dark – meaning he slept the entire day. He then looked at the space on the bed beside him and found it empty. His eyebrows furrowed at that. Kaname was supposed to be sleeping beside him. He immediately stood up and dressed in his white Night Class uniform – knowing full well that he was already late for class. Why the hell did Kaname forget to wake him up anyway?
He muttered curses under his breath and immediately opened the door to his room. The immediate onslaught of blood's scent tickled his nostrils and he felt deep and unfathomable dread instead of hunger. He wasn't in the Elite Force for nothing and he immediately recovered before he ran back to the room to get his Bloody Rose. He then sprinted downstairs with vampire speed.
The sight of what he saw almost made him freeze on the spot, but he held his gun tight as he shot in three consecutive times. Aido and the others froze at the sight of him in the battle scene as the three Level E vampires attacking Kain and the blonde turned to dust even before they could use their power. The scene before Zero was a complete bloodbath and the rotten stench of Level Es continued to assault his senses as he readied his aim once again.
"What do you think you're doing here, Kiryuu!?" Aido asked, obviously too aghast that he'd forgotten he was supposed to revere Zero. "Kaname-sama specifically told us to guard you!"
"I'm not some weak princess that should be guarded, Aido." Zero said a little colder than he intended. "I'm a hunter and also a prefect in this school. It's my duty to protect it." He answered as he eyed the open door of the Moon Dorm and the pools of blood on the carpeted floor of the living room. There were dusts everywhere and he knew they were remains of some vampires who were defeated by the noble cousins.
Aido was about to scold him again but Kain already put his hand on the blonde's mouth. "Alright. We understand that. Just… tell Kaname-sama that it was your decision to be outside. He'll punish us if–"
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Zero said in a hurry as he walked past the two vampires. He went out of Moon Dorm and an even more disturbing sight greeted him. "What the hell… is going on here..?" He asked as he stared at the high pile of ashes on the ground and the wounded Night Class students fighting against a hoard of Level Es who were very much synchronized. He didn't waste any time as he started shooting the vampires one by one, much to the saved students' surprise. Some of them bowed deeply to him while some of them grunted some half-hearted gratitude since they still thought of him as someone lower than them. Zero couldn't blame them especially since they didn't know anything about him at all.
"Zero-sama!" He heard Ruka's voice even before she appeared from his left side. Her aura was that of a panicked mother about to scold her son. "What are you doing here? Kaname-sama told us to watch over you–!"
"I already got a lecture from Aido and Kain about that." He immediately interrupted the girl. "What's going on here?" He asked instead as he kept on shooting several Level Es that came within his eyesight.
"We still don't know the details." Ruka voiced as she used her own power to kill the Level Es who were trying to harm their Leader's mate. "We were alerted about half an hour ago by the sudden attack of Level Es. There were hundreds of them and hundreds more are continuously coming from the gate. There are hunter charms placed on the walls so there was no way they could've entered the school without any insider opening the gate for them. And that's more alarming than anything."
Zero knew there were hunter charms placed on the walls and gate of Cross Academy. The sole reason why Kaname and the others could come and go was because Cross permitted them to enter. If that's the reason… then there really should be someone strong enough to make the Level Es enter too… The hunter knew there was no way Cross, Kaname, or Yuzuru would do something like that. But then… who would..? He then remembered the fact that the Association seemed to know his every move and thought that there really might be another hunter in the vicinity… Someone from the Day Class..?
"They're all over the school now, creating too much ruckus as we speak." Aido said behind them – effectively pulling Zero out of his musings – before the blonde cursed silently when the one he was trying to freeze managed to escape. The noble was grateful that Kain's fire immediately turned the vampire into dust together with some others. "Thank goodness the Day Class students are asleep at this time and many of them are already home. If not… Kaname-sama will have more problems to deal with…"
"The Chairman and Kaname-sama are fighting together at the entrance of the school, preventing the Level Es from invading further. Kaname-sama tried to command them to retreat earlier but they didn't listen. It seems they are acting on a command of someone as powerful as him." Kain voiced from Ruka's other side as he appeared there, explaining the situation more for Zero to understand. "Your hunter friend and Yuuki-sama are guarding the Sun Dorm so Level Es won't be able to come in and hurt any of the Day Class students. Takuma and Shiki, together with Rima, are in the inner circle of the school, fighting the Level Es there."
Zero nodded, silently appreciating the detailed report of Kaname's circle. He then furrowed his eyebrows as he kept on shooting the Level Es. There was no end to them at all. He growled in frustration from deep within his throat – making some of the rubbles on the ground vibrate from unseen force – and immediately the Level Es halted in their steps before looking at him. Their eyes glowed darker in color and they somehow seemed mesmerized as they started approaching him.
"What the–?" He muttered in surprise before he started shooting them when they all turned to attack him.
"What the hell did you do?!" Ruka shouted beside him as all the Level Es started jumping at them. They started to step backwards as the overwhelming number attacked all at once.
"I did nothing!" Zero immediately spat out the words. He didn't do anything so why the hell did they decide that he was a better meal than anyone else? He cursed silently as he kept on shooting at least 5 Level Es every second.
"You did something!" Aido argued as he used his power to the fullest, performing complicated ice spells to kill several Es at once. "We all felt it! It's disturbing, Kiryuu! Don't do that again!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Zero said as he gritted his teeth. His bullets wouldn't make it if he kept on firing now. He needed to do something so they would all turn to dust within seconds. And a thought suddenly formed inside his mind. "Get down, everyone!" He shouted in a rush.
Aido and the others didn't have to be told twice when they felt dread at Zero's sudden change of aura. They immediately ducked just before a burst of pure power escaped from the hunter. His eyes glowed crimson as he used his blue fire at will. The damage was too immense and all the Level Es in sight vanished into thin air as their dust fell on the ground. He wasn't quite used to controlling his ability yet but he managed to not burn any of the Night Class students who were all ducking on the ground. That's a progress, he thought warmly. He needed to tell that to Kaname later.
"Woah…" Zero turned to his side when he heard Aido's voice of amazement. The blonde's eyes were wide, mirroring Ruka and Kain's expression clearly. Only Aido's expression was more subdued since it wasn't the first time he saw the power. "I thought you hated that power? How come you could control it to that extent now?" The blonde asked as he slowly stood up. The other lower level vampires mirrored his action.
"What was that?" Kain asked. He was so sure that what he saw was the same power he had. Well, Zero was a pureblood – half-pureblood to be exact – so it was only natural for him to have power. Aido said so too when Seiren gave her report. But that power was just so… breathtakingly… beautiful…
The display of the sparkling blue fire that dealt vast amount of damage to the enemy was awesome. Even he couldn't gather that much power in one attack. No wonder Zero was their Kaname-sama's mate. He was ten, no, a hundred times more worthy than any other pureblood.
"That was… nothing…" Zero said, vision swimming. He tried blinking several times but he found out his body felt numb all of a sudden and his vision started fading to black. "Shit…" He managed to mumble before he fell to his side unconscious.
"Kiryuu!" Aido panicked and immediately caught the teen even before the other could fall to the ground. "Oy, Kiryuu! Kiryuu!"
"He must have been exhausted…" One of the Night Class students who were in the area spoke quietly. "Kaname-sama will kill us all…" He said in dread as all the colors on the other students' face drained at the sight of the unconscious hunter. Just thinking that Kaname would be livid was enough for some of them to choose being eaten by a Level E rather than to see the pureblood later.
"Tch. Kiryuu is way stronger than you give him credit for." Aido said, more to himself than to the other students. It's obvious that he was also trying to convince himself about that. "F-For now, we should take him back to his room." He said as he carried the hunter in his arms, blushing a bit at the way Zero's hair tickled his neck.
"Don't think of indecent things, Hanabusa." Kain narrowed his eyes at the sight of his blushing cousin. "Kaname-sama will really kill us all if he ever witnessed you like that."
"Sh-Shut up! You carry him then!" Aido snarled defensively, trying his best to fight back the blush that threatened to overwhelm him this time. "And I'm not thinking of indecent things!"
"Whatever! Just carry him back to his room!" Ruka was the one who yelled at the blonde this time.
Aido was about to shout at Ruka for her annoying and bossy attitude when Zero squirmed in his hold before a set of glowing crimson orbs opened and directly looked at him.
"K-Kiryuu..?" Aido called, realizing with dread that the vampire he was holding wasn't looking at him but at his neck. Zero was hungry… "Uh… Akatsuki? I think he's hungry…"
"Great observation, Hanabusa." Kain said sarcastically. He then looked at Zero and quietly thought if he should just leave Aido with the hunter since the blonde was annoying anyway. But he thought against it when he thought of how Kaname would react if he learned that Zero bit another soul than his lover.
Zero closed his eyes again, panting heavily as he did. "Kaname… Where's Kaname..?" He asked softly, fangs protruding from his lips. He looked like he's in pain, but they all knew the reason behind his expression. He was trying to hold himself back from attacking anyone within his sight. "Kaname…"
They all stared at him, mildly surprised since Zero was never someone who showed his expression on his sleeve. But the sight of him, completely vulnerable and calling out his lover's name in the middle of hunger was somehow… arousing. Aido, on the other hand, looked panicky. He didn't know how to tell Zero to just wait a little bit more since Kaname was still somewhere far. Kain looked frozen in his spot while the others were scared to get near the hunter in case Zero did lose it. Ruka sighed as she shook her head.
"Zero-sama, Kaname-sama is currently–" She was about to answer when she was cut off by a cool voice.
"I'm here, Zero." Aido turned around and found himself face to face with their leader.
Kaname arched an eyebrow at the possessive way Aido was carrying his lover before he took Zero from the blonde's hold. Aido didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed. He scratched the back of his head when Zero was taken from him before he stepped back a little to give their leader some space.
"Is he alright?" Takuma, who was behind Kaname together with Shiki and Rima, asked his friends. Aido immediately explained their side without leaving any detail. It could be doubly worse if he ever let a single detail slide from his explanation. But not even that could prevent Kaname from glaring at everyone.
"Didn't I tell you to guard him?" Kaname's cold voice was quiet but it still made everyone freeze and tremble on their spot. Kaname specifically told Ruka, Kain, and Aido to guard Zero and the Moon Dorm where the hunter peacefully slept. He told them not to wake Zero up since the hunter was terribly exhausted – both from their activity and the truth about his past and his identity – so he didn't want the hunter to fight physically on top of that. He clearly told them to guard his mate and not let anything happen to Zero at all cost. And yet… and yet the sight of his unconscious, exhausted mate in the arms of another man greeted him…
The intense aura coming from the pureblood was suffocating and the lower level vampires started losing consciousness one by one from the sheer weight of the dark aura.
"Kaname, you know Zero won't stand by knowing that the others are fighting all around him." Takuma tried to salvage his friends from the impending punishment they knew would come. But not even he could make the ominous air disappear from the surrounding. It seemed Kaname was really worried… and furious. The blonde vice president remembered how Kaname froze when he felt Zero's unmistakable power outburst earlier. They were returning back to the Moon Dorm at the time and the brunette immediately doubled his strides.
"…Kaname…" Zero's voice was barely a whisper but his lover heard it all the same. "I'm… thirsty…" His eyes were closed, his eyebrows were furrowed, and his breath came in huffs and pants. It seemed he's really trying his hardest to control his bloodlust. Aido and the others were very much glad that Kaname's cold and suffocating aura immediately dissipated when the brunette focused his attention to the hunter he was carrying in his arms.
"Zero…" Kaname's expression turned a lot gentler – his voice was firm and reassuring despite it being only a whisper – before he disappeared from the spot in mere millisecond. All the vampires who remained conscious breathed a sigh of relief.
"I thought we'd be killed…" Shiki said in his usual monotonous voice. "It's because Hanabusa was holding Kiryuu-sama so possessively."
"I was not!" Aido immediately snarled in indignation, blushing up to the tips of his ears. "I was just panicking because Kiryuu, I mean Zero-sama, looked like he's in pain!"
"Whatever, Hanabusa." Ruka gave him a scowl before she flicked her hair, an action which irritated the blonde even more. "It doesn't change the fact that you hold feelings for him." Aido's eyes grew wide at that and he was about to spout some smart retort when Kain spoke.
"But I wonder what that feeling earlier was…" Kain mumbled almost to himself. "It feels like something terribly frightening was trying to overwhelm my senses… It's like electricity trying to get out of me… and I know it's all coming from him…"
"It's really disturbing… on top of scary…" Ruka voiced quietly. "I never thought Zero-sama could make us all feel so… little… and so insignificant…" Aido could only nod in agreement, all smart retorts concerning his feelings was momentarily forgotten at the prospect of Zero's scary aura.
"You felt that too?" Rima asked them. "We hurried up because we all felt how Kiryuu-sama's aura changed. It's too sudden and I've never seen Kaname-sama looking so worried before."
"I think… Kaname would know about it more than us… but… I have a vague idea of what that aura was." Takuma trailed off as he appeared deep in thought. Everyone waited for him to talk again. The blonde had never looked so serious before as he added, "I think Zero-sama's vampire blood is awakening for real now… if the extreme raw pureblood aura we felt earlier was any indication."
"So, earlier, we were able to have a glimpse of his true aura then." Shiki voiced. "I wonder if his presence will be more frightening than even Kaname-sama's presence when his blood truly awakens." The other nobles visibly gulped at that while the remaining lower class vampires were frozen. Their eyes were as wide as saucers as they heard the unmistakable 'pureblood' news about the hunter. It seemed Takuma had forgotten that there were vampires present who weren't part of Kaname's inner circle.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kaname laid Zero down the mattress as he untangled the hunter's fingers from his sleeves. He unbuttoned his own clothing as he lay beside the hunter. Zero looked in between pained and hungry, eyes still tightly shut.
"Zero, drink from me…" Kaname uttered as he bared his neck to his lover.
Zero groaned at the prospect of drinking blood before he slowly moved towards Kaname. He licked the skin of his lover's neck tentatively, nipped and sucked it a bit – much to Kaname's pleasure – before he sank down his throbbing fangs in creamy flesh. He vaguely heard Kaname moan his name quietly at the sudden onslaught of pleasure his bite caused before Zero slowly sucked thick Kuran blood. He took little sips for some time before he took one last gulp. He then licked the punctured skin until it healed. Only then did he open his eyes again.
Far from Zero's assumption, however, his eyes remained crimson in color. "Kaname… I feel weird…" He mumbled silently. "I feel like there's something wrong inside me…"
Kaname didn't even look surprised at the sight. He merely pulled his lover closer for a hug and kissed the hunter's forehead. "Zero, there's nothing wrong with you… That feeling you have is because of the fact that your hunter blood is waging another war with your vampire blood. And I believe… your vampire blood is winning."
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.tbc.
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Ren-sama's Note:
Thank you for reading, everyone! I would love to hear from you all again! ᶺoᶺ