"I'll be there as soon as I can."
The sound of it was so promising that it already made Kaien Cross breathe a little easier even though he knows that soon doesn't actually mean next week or next month or even next year, but he is confident that Toga will do his best to wrap his missions up quickly. He bid his goodbyes and wished the other person a safe trip before putting the phone back in its cradle.
The headmaster has never felt so old. Last night seemed like the landfall of a super typhoon. He couldn't even begin to explain some of the details but the most important thing right now is that both his children are okay. That's all that matters.
It all started when he felt an unusual aura akin to that of a Level E. He immediately tried to track the source and it was closer than he was prepared for, too close to be exact, as it was coming from the first floor of his own house!
Without much thought he ran as quickly as he could, hand reaching out to his cane before leaving the room, and as he was running, he unsheathed an anti-vampire sword.
The scene before him wasn't what he was expecting. In fact, he wanted for it to never happen, but everything made sense when he saw Yuuki on the very corner of the room, eyes wide in shock, her small figure trembling in fear and her hands were pressed over some wound on her neck in an attempt to perhaps stop it from bleeding. Though the bleeding may have slowed down, some of her precious blood has already covered her neck and her fingers. The window nearest was open.
Kaien attended to Yuuki immediately, consoled her, helped her up, brought her to her room, and tended to her wounds. All throughout, she was unresponsive. She wasn't crying either. She was just trembling, eyes open but not really looking at anything. He could only imagine what she was feeling at the moment considering her traumatic experience as a child.
He never left her side until she finally… finally fell asleep, and that was some hours later.
He feels so sorry for his children and right now he just wants to find Zero. To be honest, he's more afraid of what Zero might do, especially to himself. His boy is too proud and he never wanted to hurt anyone especially Yuuki, but now that he has, he will never forgive himself for it. Kaien knows him that much.
Kaien was about to leave to follow Zero's trail when a familiar vampiric presence suddenly made itself known and a silver-haired vampire girl appeared in front of him from the shadows.
"Headmaster…" Seiren looked him in the eyes. "Kiryuu Zero is already in his room. He is asleep."
There formed a storm of questions in his head, spiraling around his brain like a tornado but before he was able to voice them out, the girl beat him to it.
"We found him in a clearing… lifeless- or almost… He apparently shot himself in the head..." She started with practiced calmness, "-but, Kaname-sama revived him by giving him his blood." A flinch escaped the girl's perfect facade.
Kaien knew how important and sacred Kaname's blood is to the vampires and heck even the hunters. Such undiluted blood contains so much power that it should never be spilled or even be given willingly or not at all. It was a pureblood's powerful blood that gave all the existing anti-vampire weapons their special powers.
Remembering that Kaname had taken Zero's blood, not just once but multiple times, he took a step back to organize his thoughts. Seiren, however, started bowing before him, "I'm going ahead now, headmaster."
He let her leave. The questions he wanted answers aren't for her.
He took a deep breath. How it all started is no longer important. What happens now? - is the question of all questions.
The most powerful vampire in existence is now bonded to his Zero. How will the world react to the news about the vampire king being mated to someone who despises and hunts their kind?
Just thinking about the scandal it would cause and the reactions from the Vampire Council and Hunters Association are already giving Kaien the headache of all headaches.
He needs to check on Zero first and then he will speak with Kaname.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
It feels warm and sticky… lying there on the ground over his own pool of blood. Any bit of movement from his leg up started to become more and more difficult. He is slowly losing all his senses. Air seemed to have thinned up, making it difficult to breathe as every second passed.
He remembered closing his eyes when he pulled the trigger and felt his right hand move a little from the force of the shot, causing the direction of the bullet to change. Zero felt the painful and forceful way the bullet entered his skin and skull on the right side of his head. He missed.
But he cracked his skull open and head injuries cause a lot of bleeding. And now he might not be dying because he shot his brain out, but because of blood loss.
Maybe the gods really want him to suffer. A clean shot on his brain would kill him off in seconds, but this… he has to die slowly… he has to feel every bit of his mortality slip off of him. And it's so fucking painful. His head is aching so bad he just wants it to pop now to end his suffering, but he's paralyzed.
Adding to his agony is the nagging tightness in his chest that he is sure isn't from his lungs' decreasing ability to supply him oxygen. It's something that is coming from his chest but not the actual organ, more like what the escapists call the 'heart'. Now it's making him want to cry. There's something or someone inside him that seems to be screaming and hurting and it's manifesting in his body in the form of tears right now. He's fucking crying for no reason.
What the actual fuck! Is this really what dying feels like?
Zero feels so weird. It's like everything that he is, is reduced to nothing but emotions. Then suddenly his heartbeat increased, faster and faster. He knew it. He's finally… finally going to die. Any moment now.
He gasped. His body heaved and billowed, moved its last to draw some air but to no avail. There was nothing, and then he fell… like a deep black hole has swallowed him whole. The fall lasted for minutes and it might have lasted even longer if not for the voice that called out his name.
"Zero!"
Then he was suspended in the air. He floated as flashes of red in the darkness met his very limited vision in this bottomless pit. A very comforting and satisfying warmth enveloped his entire body, reaching his deepest parts and covering him whole in and out.
Zero ascended so fast that when he surfaced again, he found himself gasping for air. He gasped so loud and with all his might tried to fill his lungs with enough air to stabilize his breathing. When he's had enough air, breathing has become easy. He felt the familiar feeling of awareness of his surroundings and the way his senses reacted to it.
The sticky feeling he remembered before passing out is back but now it has become cold against his skin and has started to dry.
"Zero," called that voice again. The voice he knows so well and used to cause a lot of irritation and disgust but now surprisingly has that warmth and calming effect on him. Some of his senses have returned but they have all started to get too sharp and clanging. He pressed his eyelids firmly before slowly opening them again, still a little confused about what was happening.
Red. Glowing red orbs with a hint of mahogany met his eyes. They were so close and that's when Zero finally felt the warm arms around him. He's usually able to feel vampires through their auras but he was never able to scent them and use it to determine their presence. This time, there was something really really pleasant coming off of the pureblood who was now holding him in his arms for some reason, and it's the kind that he's never smelled from anyone before.
When his vision started gaining its focus on Kuran, he noticed the worried look on his face. It's not just the concerned look but that of fear as well. It doesn't make any sense. Everything doesn't make any sense. Wasn't he supposed to be dead now?
Warm fingers traced the outlines of his face, from his jaw up again to his forehead, a thumb stroking his cheek while the other hand was cupping his nape to support his head from the back as half of his body seems to be lying on the pureblood's lap.
Everything was too overwhelming and his senses; though some have heightened, the others were still catching up and as a result, he still feels so weak despite feeling so warm and content at the same time.
Zero felt how pliant his body had become in the pureblood's hands especially when he was moved towards him and he wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug that managed to make him sigh in satisfaction. He must be out of it right now or that this might just be a figment of his imagination or some sort of last few dreams before his death, but it all felt too real and too right at this very moment.
"I will never let you go…" The pureblood's voice vibrated in his whole body in their embrace. It sounded like a dream… like a promise… words that Zero knows Kuran Kaname will never tell him.
He moved his arms gingerly. He wants more of his warmth and scent. It was so soothing. Zero groaned when he was able to successfully wrap his arms around Kuran's body. He knew it. It feels amazing. They stayed like that for minutes and Zero felt like he could stay like that forever, not waking up from this state of a trance he believes he is in.
He could sleep like this and never wake up. Here, like this… he and Kuran are not fighting, not angry at each other… Here, they are sharing this mutual comfort and warmth as if all they ever need is just one another.
Zero felt the pureblood move his body a little bit away and a small sound of resistance escaped his throat, but in a split second, his face was leaning down on him and he saw his glowing red eyes showing intense desire as he stared at his mouth and then his eyes.
When his lips touched his, Zero sighed while his arms automatically moved up from Kuran's back to wrap around his nape to pull him closer. It felt divine. The way their lips rub and glide against each other's is so satisfying. Kuran pressed closer and pulled his chin down to open his mouth for the brunet's entrance and when their tongues met, Zero almost… almost cried out in pleasure.
He mirrored him the best way he can, not for any other reason but to feel good and keep it all going. He doesn't want it to end. Kuran ran the tip of his tongue on the roof of his mouth, Zero does the same when he gets the chance. Kuran sucks on his upper and lower lip, Zero makes sure he does the same. Kuran twines their tongues and runs his little devil over his teeth, he pushes himself even closer and gives the same in return. Zero has never felt anything like this, not even close. He didn't know that the pureblood he's loathed so much smells and tastes this good and it makes him want to devour him.
If he wasn't just running out of air, Kuran wouldn't leave his mouth, but where his sinful lips are going isn't that bad either. He kisses the side of his mouth while he waits for Zero to regain his breath. He kisses his nose and his cheek, his eyelid, and forehead and down again on the side to his jaw, licking and sucking and gently nibbling on his skin and Zero couldn't wait for all of that in his mouth again. So he moved to reclaim the pureblood's sinfully delicious mouth. Now Zero is kissing Kuran more than he is kissing him and it is equally as wonderful.
"So good…" Zero uttered when Kuran's mouth traveled lower again to give him some breathing space. It was when the pureblood's mouth reached his neck that Zero heard him groan, fingers squeezing and digging in his arm and the other on his neck. Zero felt him inhale his scent and heard him moan in pleasure just like he did earlier.
In a moment, something sharp pierced through the skin on his neck and while it wasn't that painful, the sharp stinging pain crept up in him through his mouth, and piercing electricity traveled through him, it was so powerful-
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
3 Days Later
"He's waking up!" Yuuki's sharp and excited voice helped truly wake him up. The sound of her footsteps running here and there was loud enough as well to fully shake the cobwebs off in his head.
Memories… lots of them came back like a bomb, exploding in his head to remind him what had transpired. Visions of himself on top of Yuuki and the blood on her neck… him running away into the forest and shooting his head…
He died.
He's dead.
Isn't he?
Just to confirm, he opened his eyes to a blinding open window that let the forceful sunshine in and when he tried to speak, his throat was so dry and hoarse…
"Too bright…" He whispered instead, lifting his arm to cover his eyes.
Yuuki was quick to run towards the window to close the blinds and returned to his bedside with another presence in the room.
"Goodness gracious, thank you…" The blond-head leaned over him and pressed his left cheek on his chest, sort of like his own version of hugging a person who is lying down, probably.
This confirms it. He's not fucking dead. A headache is crawling its way into his skull.
'No! Stop it. Zero! Please. It hurts.'
"Get out." Zero managed to croak, turned to his side away from Yuuki. "Get away from me." He couldn't look at her. He can't. He's supposed to be dead now. He just died!
"Zero…" Yuuki reached for his hand, held him tight - "I'm okay now. It's okay. I forgive you." He's not going to hear anything from her. He knew she was being too kind to him, but she shouldn't because he's turned into a monster.
"Well I'm not okay, so get out!" He finally found enough strength to raise his voice and he felt Yuuki flinch and gasp.
"Please…" It was Kaien who was looking at Yuuki and pleading with her to leave and before she did, she said
"I love you, Zero. I forgive you. Please don't hurt yourself again, because it will hurt me more. I don't want to lose you. I will never let you go again…" and even before Zero heard her leave, the same words echoed in his head but with a different voice.
'I will never let you go…'
But before Zero had the chance to recollect the memory, Kaien sat on the side of the bed, making it dip a little and get Zero's attention. "I want to be alone." He told him.
"I understand but listen to me first, child. You would want to hear what I have to say before I leave you to think about everything." Kaien declared, looking so serious and determined.
Zero didn't want to disrespect the headmaster, that's why even though he really wants to kick him out, he wants to give him his chance as something he owes him for looking out for him all this time.
There was silence, but Kaien knew it was the confirmation he needed to continue. Zero was still covering his eyes with his arm and too ashamed to meet the headmaster in the eyes.
"Do you remember what happened after you shot yourself?" His words were laced with sadness and pain. Zero felt guiltier than ever. But he needs to remember so he can answer his guardian.
He remembered…
'Zero…' The voice calling out to him.
'I will never let you go…'
But he also remembered the pain, the blood coursing from his head to his back, the pool of blood behind his head as he lay there waiting for the darkness that had come and gone so quickly.
"I… I died." Zero answered, wincing in the difficulty of trying to determine which ones in his memories were dreams or reality.
"What?" Kaien asked, confusion in his tone.
"I knew I died…" Zero added, he couldn't tell the headmaster about that dream. He'd rather die. He still wants to die. His head started to ache as memories flooded him again. This would have already been over if he died.
"But you didn't," Kaien said as if a response to the thought in his head.
Zero knows that now.
"Do you know why?" It was at that moment that Zero lifted his arm from over his eyes and finally met Kaien's hazel eyes. "Kaname-sama saved you."
Just that and every single moment of that night came back to him, all the doors and windows opened to show him the whole truth of what happened and the possibility of that being real. For a long moment, he was just right there, hands on each side of his head, reeling from the truth, and still… still he couldn't remember the whys and hows.
"I don't... " He paused, choking on his own breath. "I don't remember him saving me…" Only that he was there when he woke up and… and…
Kaien Cross nodded, understanding that the actual process is missing from his memories.
"He gave you his blood…"
"What?" Zero asked, not remembering that part.
"He made you drink his blood." Kaien clarified and that started to make a little sense now.
"How?" He asked, still out of it.
He wondered for a moment what's taking the headmaster to reply and the tinge of redness on his cheeks and neck confused him a little. "With his mouth, I guess."
As if he was punched in the gut, he finally was able to connect the dots, but despite being able to do so, it still didn't make any sense why they were out there fucking kissing each other and why it felt so freaking good when it was with that troublesome and scheming pureblood. It just wasn't normal.
"Why the fuck would-" Zero was fuming now.
"Language!"
"Why the- why would he do that? I don't need saving! I didn't ask him to!" Now he's angry. What is the pureblood scheming again?
Kuran Kaname is messing up everything again !
"I'm glad he did." Kaien Cross's voice cracked while saying those words. Zero looked into his eyes and was met with so much sadness.
Zero closed his eyes. It's all too much. This is all too much for him. The fact that dead or alive, he's still hurting them. He doesn't deserve this.
"I should have died with my parents and Ichiru that night." He uttered, feeling so defeated. Feeling so angry at the gods and the fates and whoever in the universe is in charge of managing his messed up life. He wants to cry right now, but he is holding it back because he doesn't want to be a burden to the headmaster anymore than he already is.
"I know you think that no one knows what it's like being you. Your pain, your difficulties..." Kaien is rarely serious, but Zero knows how perceptive he is. He might not show acknowledgment all the time, but it doesn't mean that he doesn't notice. In the last few years, he'd always thought that his guardian values his connection to Kuran Kaname more than that of theirs, but recently he was proven wrong. That's what makes him even more guilty. "But maybe we do… or we don't… but Yuuki and I… we care … we care for you, we care about you. Just give us a chance." It was at that that Kaien suddenly paused and probably realized that he's becoming too emotional. So he straightened his back, took a deep breath, and turned to him again. "You don't have to worry about hurting others, especially Yuuki, anymore." The moment Kaien said that Zero's thoughts paused to process such a statement as if he had found a solution for him. Could it be that they have found the pureblood bitch?
Zero looked at his guardian again to hear more of what he has to say, "Go on…"
Kaien looked hesitant. He took two deep breaths before speaking, which made Zero even tenser. "You see… Kaname's blood is one of the most powerful in the world, if not the most powerful." Zero knows that already, but what does it have to do with him not having to worry about hurting others anymore? "His sacred pure blood healed you quickly, which saved your life…"
Zero could hear the loud ' but' in the sentence even before Kaien said it.
"But, he didn't just save you that night. The fact that he has not only once fed from you before giving you his own blood means that you've both completed a blood pact."
Zero is not familiar with this. He's only ever been more interested in matters of killing and capturing vampires and this information is pretty much virgin territory.
"So we've practically exchanged blood… so what?" Zero can't stand the dragging pace Kaien is doing. He doesn't understand why he is being too careful about this.
"A blood pact between vampires is very intimate and important, even more so for purebloods." Once more, Kaien took a deep breath. "Once a blood pact is established, both vampires will no longer find any other blood enticing. They will no longer long for any other's blood apart from each others'." The words came to him slowly. He was processing it all carefully, afraid that he will misunderstand. "You and Kaname have completed a blood pact… He will only thirst for your blood and you for his." Kaien tried to simplify the situation through his words. "Which also means that as long as you continuously feed on him, you will not fall into a Level E."
So this is what he meant when he said he doesn't have to worry about hurting others anymore.
"How long?" Zero's words were airy like he was running out of breath from exertion.
"As long as you both are alive."
Rage. That's all Zero feels at that moment. One thing is clear to him. Kuran fucking Kaname didn't save him. He fucking chained him, made him his very own personal blood bank!
This isn't any better than falling into a Level E. Then it hit him. He can feed on Kuran but because of the hunter's seal on his tattoo, he can never feed on Zero.
So now he's back to square one. Did the pureblood save him just because he can? Did he forget about his tattoo? Why did he do it when it wouldn't be fair for him?
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Zero woke up feeling body pains all over. He knows it's from lying in bed all day long. He lost count of how many days he's been cooped up in his room. He just needed a lot of time and space for him and his own thoughts.
He appreciates how the headmaster and Yuuki are respecting his decision and are not pestering him to come out or even talk to them. They were kind enough to leave him food outside his door and leave after knocking three times and calling him out that food is ready.
He doesn't deserve all of this kindness. Not from Kaien Cross and Yuuki. They have not done anything to hurt him and yet he hurts them in return.
He needs a reset and he doesn't know how. Right now he just wants to go out, stretch, and maybe… try to not be a pain for Kaien and Yuuki.
Zero finally stood and changed into a cotton shirt and sweatpants. It's dark and it's much better because at least he wouldn't bump into any students and he's sure that both his guardian and Yuuki have gone past the second stage of sleep.
Just to be sure, he went out through his window to avoid unnecessary noise in the hallway or the doors. Zero started running the moment he hit the ground. It feels so good the way the cool wind caresses his face and messes up his hair. The way sweat started to trickle down his neck and back. The way his muscles start to tighten, firm up and burn.
Recently, he's becoming more and more active at night. Not physically active but more awake and alert. Perhaps he truly has become a vampire.
Huh.
He's now a Vampire Vampire Hunter. That doesn't sound right now, does it? It's ridiculous. And what's even more absurd is the idea of this blood pact with none other than the big bad.
How dramatic could his life get? How many twists and turns do his life's writer wants to give him before they're satisfied? And why does it have to be with Kuran? They're not even friends! Not even acquaintances! They abhor each other. They hated each other…
Why? Asked this small voice in his head.
Zero stopped. Looking back, Kuran never did anything to him for him to hate him, didn't he? He just hates him for being a bloodsucker. He hated him even more because of the headmaster and Yuuki's strange attachment to him.
Sure he told him things that irked him but wasn't those just a response to his behavior towards him? If he had been more calm and kind to him, would he have treated him the way he treats Yuuki?
Fucking shut up! Zero mentally slapped himself. Why would he want him to be nice to him? Shit. This blood pact is making me weird.
He shook his head and continued running.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Yuuki glanced at Zero's door and sighed. He's gone through a lot. She just wishes he would share his pain with her as he did years ago.
She always looks back into that stormy night in the kitchen under the table.
'I'm not going anywhere, Zero.'
That's what she told him and that hasn't changed till today. Not even after what he did to her. She knows that Zero has no control over what happened that night, and she's decided that she will stay with him through it all. She's willing to give him what he needs to survive, even if it means feeding on her.
"It's alright as long as it's you, Zero." She whispered in the air and walked straight to the stairs and to the dining area where she could hear the headmaster laughing.
Now that's new… She wondered what caused the-
Yuuki stood frozen in surprise at the scene in front of her.
The headmaster is sitting on his chair on the dining table, looking so excited towards the direction of the kitchen area. She felt her heart leap at the vision of Zero's back in an apron and busy doing his stuff in the kitchen like he used to.
She felt her heart tighten in happiness. Yuuki was scared she would never see him like this again. She was scared that the three of them will never have this kind of morning again.
So with tears in her eyes, she ran towards Zero and hugged him from the back, pressing her face full of tears on his spine and found peace and contentment. She felt complete again.
"My children…" Kaien, like he normally does, reached out for the table napkin in front of him and daintily dabbed the sides of his eyes to wipe away his nonexistent tears.
When Zero reached for her hands and tightly held on to her, even when he's not facing her, Yuuki knew that he's back.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Aaaaah!"
"Aidou-san is sooo beautiful!"
"Please look at me!"
"Accept my letter!"
The long-haired noble who used to always stand next to Kuran has once again given him a cutting glare. This was followed by three or four other nobles just before the gates closed.
It has been a week since he started going to classes and Kuran Kaname has been absent in all the times he's guarding the crossover. The students thought he was permanently gone and some thought he was sick and just taking a long break. But they're wrong.
Zero knows he is attending classes because he can feel him. This is not because he could sense his aura or anything, it was through something else this time. Like a gut feel… more like he just knows that he's in the building. He couldn't see him, but he could feel the presence and is quite sure that even if he doesn't specifically know his location, this feeling will lead him to the pureblood anyway. This must be because of the blood pact thing.
He has a lot of questions and while the headmaster has already told him everything he knows about it, he still doesn't know what's gonna happen next. True to Kaien's explanations, he doesn't feel weird being around Yuuki or anyone at all no matter how close they are to him and their scents don't make him feel weird like it did that night with Yuuki.
But what happens when he gets thirsty? Will he just go up to him and ask for it? Where will he bite him? Or will he give it to him using his mouth ag-
Fuck!
Zero shook his head as hard as he could. He shouldn't think about that. Maybe the pureblood's blood is strong enough to cure his thirst as well and he might never thirst again.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Yuuki excitedly put her books on the table, so glad to find Zero in their study room after that night.
"Do you wanna see my notes for history last week?" She asked, pulling out her pen and notebooks from her bag.
Zero lifted his head and glanced at the notebook Yuuki pushed towards his direction. "I'm good. The professor gave me a study guide."
She saw how Zero's eyes quickly went back to his notes and then his books. Not that the old Zero looks at her longer or anything, it's just that Yuuki thinks he's being elusive and she's hoping it's just her being too sensitive. Plus, this isn't the first time he acts suspiciously.
Whenever they're on the dining table with the headmaster, it seems normal. But when they are the only ones left in the room, he would hurry somewhere else, try to act sleepy so he could leave and/or he would volunteer to do the headmaster's chores when normally they would have to fight and push for the other one to do it.
Yuuki wasn't wrong on this assumption which is as of the moment is confirmed when Zero started closing his notes and books and stuffing them in his bag, yawning and stretching on his seat.
She doesn't like this. Gone is the comfortable vibe in their relationship and now she has to deal with Zero being always on edge with her and may never be able to enjoy the things they usually do together just because he needs to always worry about making sure that what happened that night will never happen again.
"I'll do the last round, so you can go straight to bed after you're done." Zero by the door. "Good night." Then he left.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Few more days have passed and Zero still hasn't seen Kuran, but he feels him all the time.
That's not the only thing Zero has noticed in himself recently. There are also a lot of things about his senses that have definitely improved, such as his speed, hearing, smell, and even his taste! These would definitely be very useful when hunting except that he hasn't received any missions since the last one where Kuran Kaname appeared and disappeared like a phantom.
Could it be that they've already known about the blood pact?
Zero doesn't think so. The headmaster clearly said that no one else knows about it aside from a few of Kuran's followers and himself, not even Yuuki knows about it. He prefers it that way though. He doesn't want others to know that a vampire hunter's life is at the mercy of a pureblood's blood. He doesn't want the association to doubt his loyalty. He wants to continue this job.
The sound of his stomach growling startled Lily, making her neigh and stand alerted after taking a step back and now is looking in his direction as if he has become her enemy.
All this made Zero laugh. It was so funny to him how she reacted to it. Zero convulsed with laughter that his hunger was replaced by the pain in his stomach for laughing too much.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"What happened, Lily?" Zero asked the poor white horse while still laughing. His face now red from his neck up and he's pressing his stomach to aid the tightness that's causing discomfort because he couldn't stop laughing.
Kaname took a step back. Suddenly the scene is too much for him. It's making his heart beat fast and erratic. Even the sound of his laughter makes him feel weird. He shouldn't have come here. To hell with his curiosity.
He left so quickly that he almost bumped into Takuma.
"Hey, where did you go? Chairman Cross is waiting for you." He asked but wasn't really waiting for his answer as he's dragging him already to Cross's house.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0