A/N: Woo! Started today (2021-08-03)! Let's see if I can get this up by Saturday, yeah? Zero's point of view – even though there's nothing really to report. Unfortunately, therapy for me part two… Poor guys – you're going to have to hear all my sobs and woes and misery…

Little NSFW. Just a little!

Kain's house wasn't unlike any other. It wasn't like any other either. Sure, it had kitchen, living room (somewhere – Zero's guess where would be somewhere upstairs), a bathroom, bedrooms, dining room (granted, it could seat four hundred people), and a study. Yet, every step, every corner echoed with a hatred and anguish the vampire Hunter didn't like. He was not yet convinced that being dragged by Touya wasn't a better option – nor did it feel like the worst option. Still, he continued in tow to her after a few hours of being left to his own devices in the car.

Not for the first time did he question why he trusted Wakaba's insistence to trust her vampire judgment. After all, she did have a history with Yuu… Lady Kuran. Then again, so did he.

He tried to center himself as the old butler – creaky butler, Zero considered for him – inched around the island, busying himself with a kettle. Every so often, the Hunter would catch him glaring. They were only glimpses but, they were enough for Zero to push the cup away from him.

Why did I let Wakaba talk me into this? He questioned, trying his best to remain stoic as the butler sat across from him, eyeing him.

"We haven't been properly introduced." Zero nodded once. In all her haste, Touya had ignored her duty as hostess. And Kain… Without meaning to, he chanced a glance at the door Touya had disappeared through. The butler tried again. "I'm Gonkuro. You can call me Master."

The Hunter almost choked, avoiding Gonkuro's gaze. In a heartbeat, the pig-tailed girl replied. "Really, Kanno? Master?"

"Yes." He lifted his arms over his head, supporting his neck. For an instant, Zero could picture Kaito – if the other lived that long. He shrugged off the likeness. "I'm older than either you or Kain."

"You want to flaunt your age today?" Touya asked, scowling at him. "You're like… ancient."

"Rude." He flashed his best smile at her before excusing himself to tend to other areas of the house. Touya chanced a sip at the tea, made a disgusted face and poured it down the drain.

"You call –"

"He insists friends can call him by his first name." She informed him, starting another pot. Zero wondered if he should carry a conversation at all as she started answering his next question. "Kain follows protocol and, unless your related, it's the last name only."

"Has he ever called you by your first name?"

"In my entire friendship with Kain, he has called me Rima a total of…" She sat down, counting on her fingers. "Four times in different instances. The first was when he was helping me conceal my preference and we'd, quote on quote, been together for three years."

"What do you mean?"

"He was my beard until I was ready to come out. And then, disowned once the truth did emerge." She stood again as the kettle boiled. "The second time was when he introduced me to Gonkuro. The third and fourth times…"

She gestured to where they were now. Zero raised an eyebrow. "Just now?"

"Well, this circumstance." She poured two cups, setting one in front of him.

"Why are you being… nice?"

Touya smirked, settling on a real smile. "Contrary to our mutual vampire, I am nice."

"It's only to me that she's a total bitch." The intruder's voice almost made Zero jump. He watched as Kain sauntered into the kitchen, pouring himself a tea.

"Hey, who said that was for you?" Touya challenged. The other ignored her, settling into the seat directly across from Zero. The Hunter examined him, half hopeful of a sign of sleep deprivation or sadness. Instead, he found the other composed, albeit, his hair dishevelled.

"Me. Just now." He mocked, earning a soft hit from Touya. It was enough to sway his upper body yet, he grinned, taking a sip.

"What's Gonkuro's story?" Zero asked after a few minutes silence. The courage had finally bubbled into an action.

Touya opened her mouth to answer, silenced by Kain. Zero hated the relief he felt once those eyes, however cruel, found his. "It is not for us to entertain idle gossip. If and when Gonkuro sees fit to discuss that with you, it will be on his terms. Not on ours."

He nodded once. "I have a few questions about your guys' relationship."

"Yuck. How about friendship?" Touya fixed.

"Call it as you will." Kain crossed his arms over his chest as Touya leaned forward. "How did you two meet?"

"Similar social circles." They answered in unison. Touya added the 'next'.

"Why didn't Shiki pretend to be your boyfriend?"

Kain shrugged as Touya's face fell slightly. "Shiki… Has a few reasons. The first… He's been out of the closet since…"

"He was born, basically." Kain finished, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Touya nodded. Zero was unaware of the conspiracy passing through the duo. "You know his history, no?"

Zero shook his head. He knew the basics but, not the intimates. Touya smiled sadly. "Let's just say, if it had been him that time…"

"Hey." Kain's distraction almost worked. The Hunter had seen one tear fall from the model's eye, guilt starting. Kain slid his hand across the table, pressing his fingers to Zero's. It was enough to hide the shift in Touya's second mood.

"Oh, gross." She stood up again, shaking her head.

"I thought you liked to watch the cute romances between two boys." Kain threw back at her.

"That… Not…" She held up a hand, refusing to voice her objections. "You know I cancelled date night with Yori because of this?"

"And we thank you for it." He turned his head towards her, a small smile hiding the other questions he was asking. Zero tried to wrack his brain for a different time when Kain had been touchy feely but, other than dinner with his cousins, he couldn't recall.

"You two have things to work out and I got a shoot in the morning…" Touya busied herself, gathering her belongings. She paused just outside the kitchen door, yet another smile on her face.

Kain groaned. "Touya."

"Right, right, I'm going." Once the door slammed, Kain snorted. Zero wondered when the blonde had started becoming frazzled, only dimly aware of the situation. One house. Three people – one of whom had a particular dislike of him and the other… He hated that Kain stopped being readable to him. Or, was it that because of their arrangement, there were always two options with the aristocrat?

"I shouldn't have stormed out like that." Kain started. "It was immature."

Zero slid his hand away from Kain's, lifting the cup to his lips. "You're hot and cold."

Kain tilted his head, waiting for him to explain. "I mean… First, it was flirtatious. And then, insulting. And now, I don't know where we're at."

Kain lowered his head, exhaling loudly. Instead of answering, he stood and offered his hand. Skeptical, Zero overlay his own and let himself be led into the gardens. His partner was quiet for quite some time, head tilted to the moon. About half way through the maze of flowers, Zero had made up his mind to turn back when the other spoke. "There was a promise made when I was younger. That I'd have to take care of Ruuka, marry her, love her, cherish her."

"You told me this." Zero informed him, falling into disbelief.

"And yet, I don't think you understood." The burgundy eyes almost burned like an ember. "It didn't matter what my preference was. It didn't matter if she loved another. We were to be together. Two sentenced together for eternity and beyond."

"But, that doesn't –"

"And, I thought that to be my life." He started walking again, his pasty skin appearing silken in the moonlight. "I loved her as well as I could. Pushed away temptation, connection…"

Here, he glanced at Zero. The Hunter remained silent, his eyes on the ground. "You would have become nothing but a dalliance."

"That –"

"And then," the vampire stood in front of him, resting two fingers under the Hunters chin, lifting his face slowly. "There was a different possibility."

"I'm not following."

"Aidou's proposing." The statement was bland. Zero had expected it to be bitter, confused, jealous. Instead, Kain's thumb traced his bottom lip. His eyes focused on the bites. "Do you know why vampires bite each other once their vows are in place?"

Zero shook his head, remaining motionless as Kain lowered his head just under Zero's ear. "To be fed on… Is to share the emotions. The plans, the thoughts, the possibility of futures. A confession. And, with such a long life… to see the emotion change is to plan accordingly. To bite is meant to cherish each thought and take it into consideration."

Zero had just placed his hands on Kain's hips when the other stepped away, his hand resting on his neck. Melancholy and anger crossed his eyes, tracing the bites others had left behind. "In a way, I'm glad I'd be your first to take it seriously. On the other…"

His fangs pierced his lip. The Hunter watched as blood flowed down, staining the white shirt. "I'm angry that you'd let someone who had no interest in loving you bite you."

"Does that mean you want to love me?" Zero questioned. The intensity of Kain's gaze beckoned Zero. Perhaps it was the possibility or the proximity that clouded his judgment. His fingers wound in Kain's hair, his lips eager to meet his partner's. He growled once the other responded, pressing closer with his hands cupping his butt. The kiss deepened, tongues sliding over one another in a familiar yet new way. Zero was the one to break it, as suddenly as he had started it.

"Share my bed?" Kain asked though, it felt more like an order considering he led Zero by the hand to his bedroom. Once in the privacy of the bedroom, Kain held Zero in his arms, curled against his side. It was only a matter of minutes before Zero was only in his boxers, the scales uneven. He had tried several times to claim control, the small whimpers escaping his mouth turning into growls, soundless gasps and moans. Was it only Kain's touch that had him rut? Or, was it the fact that he hadn't had any for some time – especially since Kain wasn't nearly as quick as other situations Zero had been in?

The aristocrat circled his nipples, pinching and rubbing his thumbs over both in turn. His lips starting from Zero's forehead to his chin, tracing down the jawbone, just behind his ear and down, alternating between pressing the velvet flesh against Zero's skin and wetting the area with one swipe of his tongue. Regardless, Kain's own arousal pressed against Zero's thigh.

"All right?" Kain asked seemingly randomly. Zero hadn't noticed his breathing hitched nor how long he had been spaced by sensation to realize Kain's position had changed. Zero was still on his back, his hands behind him and under Kain's arm. His partner rested his chin on Zero's shoulder, the tips of his fingers under the waistband of Zero's boxers. He had lost the battle for control.

"You sure you want to?" Zero finally asked, torn between self-resentment and need.

"Mm…" Kain lifted his head to Zero's nipple, his tongue circling the area and capturing it in his mouth without breaking eye contact. As he did so, the hand trapped by the boxers toyed with Zero's tip. The other bucked, biting his inner cheek. "Does it feel good?"

Zero grunted an assent. The administration stopped until Zero opened his eyes, Kain's face closer to him. "Do you want me to continue?"

Zero glared at him. "Do you want to."

"I asked you first."

Annoyed, Zero's tongue traced Kain's lips. "How far do you want to go?"

Kain smiled, dragging his tongue from the gap between his collarbones to entering Zero's mouth, exploring as his hand gripped Zero's member, finding a rhythm that caused the silver haired man to moan.

After his release and he caught his breath, fragments of the encounter remained. Kain had freed his member from the constraints of his boxers, strategically keeping the Hunters hands behind his back as he worked Zero. His lips strayed only to three areas: Zero's mouth, his neck and his nipples. Zero almost blushed as he thought of Kain cleaning his torso, almost eager to taste the climax.

As some sort of post show, he stripped in front of Zero and climbed under the covers, encouraging the Hunter to follow suit. Then, as though they hadn't had a fight, his arm snaked around Zero's waist and he rested his chin on Zero's head, Kain's tension pressed against his thigh. He lifted the arm that draped over his chest until it laid over his heart, tracing each finger. "Something on your mind?"

Zero tilted his head to Kain's face. "Did you want –"

"No." Really wish people would quit answering half finished sentences. Kain pulled him closer, pressing his lips to Zero's head. "I wanted to hear you moan… Wanted to make you feel good. You did, right?"

"I finished, didn't I?" Zero shot back.

"… Did it feel good?"

Zero furrowed his brow. "Course it did."

A sigh of relief. It was only then did Zero understood the meaning. "You know, you could have just asked if you could have given me –"

"I could have. But, it wasn't so much as a hand job as exploring you." They fell silent. "Did… Did you… complete in the en-suite bathroom?"

Zero smirked. "Yes."

"Oh…"

"Why?"

"… No reason."

"Then, why bring it up?"

"Just a question. Sweet dreams." Just like that, Kain was out. Zero's smirk dissolved quickly, the colour draining from Kain's face as if he had been dead for three centuries instead of animate only seconds ago. Now, he lay alone with ghosts.

The first few weren't mean. Only slight reminders of his duty to family, a list of accomplishments. He closed his eyes and focused on them. His newest accomplishment was the one that started the spiral.

He respected Kain wanted to be pure. Proud of both of them, if he were honest. Yet, he still didn't want Zero to assist him. The first cut. It felt as though he were sucker punched. He inhaled deeply, trying to clear his mind of something else. It fell on Yuuki.

Now, that he could understand. Hatred. Love. It mixed. Then, Yuuki became Kain and vice versa. Kain with Yuuki's body. Yuuki with Kain's body. Half and half. Yuuki standing in the corner while Kain stood close to him. They switched places. Zero shook his head, knowing this was a dream. At least, it should be.

Somehow, the dreams turned into memories. He and Ichiru young enough to sit at the table, his mother working on dinner as his father returned from a solo mission. He knew that his mother hated the solo missions. Too dangerous, inconsiderate… It was only when he told her that Master had accompanied him that she settled her disagreements. The way he spoke with distaste was why this memory had been summoned.

"He has a new… Lover." He spat the last word. "Former human."

"Love is love, dear." His mother reprimanded. "Vampire, human, two men, two women, a man and a woman… Does it really matter as long as you're accepted?"

"Still, Hunters shouldn't date what we kill. It's somewhat of an oxymoron."

"You know Cross would disagree—"

"Cross is batshit." Not technically incorrect, the adult Zero thought towards his father. "Crossing the lines gets people in trouble."

His mother shook her head but stopped the argument there. His father, now faceless as if someone had taken a pencil crayon and only left the skin color over time, leaned over the table to the twins. "Let that be a lesson to you both."

Zero didn't remember the other dreams as they seemed to be a medley with his own feelings. Then again, his son had screwed enough vampires, had fallen in love with a vampire… He couldn't breathe. Somewhere else, he felt fingers combing through his hair and lips pressed to his forehead. Humming to a song he thought he knew. It was when he opened his eyes for the first time that he realized his cheeks were wet. Hastily, he pushed his bedfellow away from him and rested his feet on the floor, lifting his body as he wiped the tears away. The bed creaked, echoing in the room. Zero ran a hand through his hair, pulling on strands each time he tried to remember the dream. It was better to let it slip into the darkness.

The bed creaked again and a hand was offered to him. He refused to meet the eyes or the body it was attached to, taking it. It led him to the kitchen where the early daylight had just started. Soon, servants would be in… At least, Zero suspected he had servants. "Shouldn't you put on clothes?"

He knew the other shrugged, setting the teacup in front of him. "Would it make you happy if I did?"

"I don't care if you do." He picked the cup up with both hands as the figure sat next to him.

"Do you want to discuss it?"

"No." He grimaced at the light.

"Need a distraction?"

Zero met Kain's tone. The usual docile face wore small tell-tale signs of worry and anxiety. He snapped his attention back to the tea, scolding himself for looking. "Just need to be alone."

Kain pressed a kiss to Zero's shoulder. "I have a meeting at ten."

Just like a puff of smoke, he disappeared into the darkness.

A/N: Woo! Another chapter? What's this? I can't hear you over the sounds of me doing well. Aha…

I recently found out about the death of a family member so, it may not be cannon but, as I said before, these last two chapters were therapy for me. Me analyzing how I deal with my own issues and how they may not be "healthy" and I put that on the adorableness. Sorry about that.

By the by, there is someone singing opera over here and it's very distracting.