Zero sat on the end of his bed – the only seat in his apartment – carefully counting cash.
One hundred, two, three, fifty.
Phew.
He put the mixture of notes and coins on the table, and carefully stored the remaining few bits and bobs in an old can under the floorboard between the bed and the wall.
Mashiro would make one of his customary visits soon, and it was not wise to let that man know where he kept his savings; not when the arsehole had a key to his room and an agenda that revolved around Zero's utter subjugation to him.
He flopped down on the bed, belt digging uncomfortably into his back, and sighed.
Where did he go wrong? How did he end up here? How did his life come to the knife's edge of poverty and dignity? He grunted and sat up again. He knew damn well how, and this was no time to be moping about. He didn't have much time before nightfall, and he needed to work.
He hated to admit it, but the last couple of months he'd gotten lazy. Taking a few nights off after one of Kaname's sessions had seemed like a good idea – he'd earned it hadn't he – but that just meant missing a night's work and a night's money.
He wouldn't need Kaname's… business if he hadn't dropped the ball those few nights.
Kaname would call again, but who knew when? If he'd been just a night later, Zero would have had to have a very uncomfortable chat with Mashiro.
The money he represented wasn't worth slacking, nor was it worth the risk. He'd been living hand to mouth for so long, he'd forgotten what it was like to have savings, but Kaname's attention was an opportunity.
If they fucked just once a month, the rent was in the bag – but if Zero also worked every night he'd have security.
Determined Zero stood up, and grimaced.
He could still feel Kaname inside him. The damage was not as bad as he'd feared, given those disturbing healing powers, but it was pretty grim. He was lucky – and fuck the bastard for making him feel like this curse was a good thing – that his vampire physiology would hold off the infection he'd be getting down there if he'd been human.
Fuck it all but Kaname could be rough.
Another bastard with an agenda; Zero's life was just full of them.
Zero knew Kaname had done it that way – healed everything but –as a reminder, a mark of ownership. Being forced to remember Kaname with every step and every other customer was right up the pureblood's alley. He'd like Zero thinking of him whilst being fucked by others.
It was probably the whole point.
Naturally, that realisation just made Zero even more resolved to work every single night he could. Kaname wouldn't win, simple as.
"Knock knock," Mashiro called, cheerfully letting himself in. "Rent's due, Zero-kun!"
Zero turned and sighed.
"Do you collect payment from everyone in person, or do I alone deserve that privilege?"
Mashiro was a lower B. He owned whole apartment buildings. He had to have better things to do than harass one lowly D.
"I care about my tenants, Zero. I am a dutiful landlord, and naturally when I have the time to turn my hand to the more mundane parts of the job, I do. You're just lucky."
Zero snorted and gestured to the table.
Mashiro looked over.
"Down to the wire this month I see," he said, carefully separating the coins into piles. "Oh, and whilst I'm here, I suppose I had better tell you. Due to spate of anti-social behaviour in the neighbourhood," the look he shot Zero there was full of meaning, "my insurance premium has gone up. Naturally, I have to pass the increase on to my tenants, so from now on your rent is four fifty a month."
The floor fell out from under him.
"You're hiking it up again? Mashiro you only put it up three months ago. You won't have any tenants left!"
I cannot afford this.
His errant landlord smiled at him.
"I'll have plenty of tenants left – just not you. You're rude, Zero, I took a chance on you," he shook his head in fakefuckingfake disappointment, "an abandoned pet on the brink of madness – but you just couldn't be nice, could you? Still, I will attempt to rise above your insult. I'm not kicking you out after all. Pay on time and we continue as usual, but don't expect any favours from me anymore." He waved the recently collected cash at him. "I'll see you on the first."
Zero stared as the door shut behind him, feeling the walls close in.
"Fuck."
Mashiro owned everything in the neighbourhood. If Zero lost this place, that was it. He could move to another city – but that cost money.
He could work up until the last day and skip town?
He squirmed. Mashiro was a dick… but he could be worse. He pushed, but he wasn't violent. He'd been willing to rent to a D despite the very real risks – Zero kinda owed him.
Morality was so inconvenient sometimes. Fuck fuck fuck.
As for another town, well there was a reason Zero had picked this place when the Hunters had kicked him out, making it very clear that he was a D, not a Hunter, and he'd had nowhere to go. Kaname's territory was safer than others especially for the likes of him – D's.
He'd heard all sorts of tales from his …colleagues… about what other purebloods were like – and they'd all know, being D's for the most part. It grated on him to know how much purebloods like Kaname could influence his life without knowing or caring, but it was the truth.
Fucking leeches.
Tokyo did not belong to Kaname, except that it did, as far as the vampires were concerned. That meant Kaname's law held in the streets – and his were kinder.
It'd been a harsh introduction into life as a lower vampire.
Lesson one: There was no escaping vampire law.
He'd tried to hide amongst humans and that had failed, epically.
Vampires were naturally integrated amongst human society – their prey – Zero had been one of many, and a vampire could always sense their kin.
The keener noses knew him for a D from half a mile away, and if they bothered to be nosy, they'd know which pureblood had bitten him.
Being Shizuka's cast off had consequences -Pureblood politics were a world of their own. And Zero'd been frighteningly ignorant.
One thing had led to another, and Zero had quickly figured out Kuran's fucking territory was the safest for Shizuka's leavings.
No need to fucking guess why too – the murderous fuck.
All of which meant he had no choice but to put up with Mashiro.
Bugger.
Zero groaned, running both hands through his hair. The smart thing would be pleasing Mashiro – smiling for him, being fucking happy when he arrived, and yes, letting him screw him anyway he liked as often as he liked.
But Zero just couldn't.
He wasn't a very good liar, and he couldn't act either. Besides, Mashiro hadn't even tried to grope him. Maybe he wasn't interested anymore? In which case, Zero realised with no small sense of despair, that giving in to Mashiro was no longer a safe plan B.
The phone Kuran had given him gleamed ominously on the table.
#
The library had plug sockets, and Zero hunched right next to one, reading a book on physics.
The phone was charging underneath the table. It was a compromise of sorts – he'd keep the fucking thing on because he needed Kaname's money – but he was not paying to charge it up at his apartment.
He didn't know why he bothered – Kaname wouldn't call until the end of the month. They both had the pattern down by now. Zero knew his pride only let him accept Kaname's business when he really did have no other option and Kaname was not an idiot. The vampire ran a gigantic corporation that spread further across the globe with every passing year for fucks sake; he knew how to get what he wanted.
Fuck.
Zero gave up the book and slammed his head against the table.
What Kaname wanted, he'd forgotten, was Zero. Fuck it all sideways. He shouldn't have taken the phone – he must have missed the beginning of at least a dozen side-plots of the leeches by taking it.
Why had he really done it?
Convenience – he'd said, but come on. Kaname had staff – he could just as easily send one of his many legions out to get Zero if he didn't have the time himself. He's said it himself. Nobody was going to challenge Kaname's behaviour. If he wanted a whore, they'd go get him one. They both knew Zero would come. He'd be embarrassed – easily – but he'd come, especially now, once they'd had a few practice rounds to settle into their new roles.
What other reasons were there?
Zero picked the phone up and carefully explored it. It was a new model but an old design – standard pay and go, no touch screen, no internet browser, and no email.
He went into the contacts; curious and snorted so hard he almost had to leave the library.
There was a single entry in there, not under K but under Y. Y for Your Benevolent Overlord apparently.
Arrogant sod.
He ought to text Kaname and tell him so actually – he opened up the message screen and froze, finally understanding.
Kaname's insidious plan.
He'd given Zero a way out.
The phone was not for Kaname's convenience – it was for Zero's. An open line of communication to an extremely wealthy customer.
Zero could fucking text him right now. He could say, I'm free tonight, busy? Or Phone-sex is extra by the way and Kaname would reply.
There'd be friendly back and forth, and sooner or later, Zero would have a bad month – he'd ask his good pal Kaname for help, and in would he sweep.
This was blatant temptation. A constant one that Zero had no choice but to carry around in his pocket. It would be with him all day every day in case Kaname called, and in the long silences it would connive and taunt in the back of his mind.
He'd say it again – Kaname knew how to get what he wanted.
Zero closed his eyes and counted to ten, taking deep breaths and letting them rattle out to the very end of his capacity in a tiny hiss.
Fuck that.
He opened his eyes. Fuck that.
Kaname may have meant it as a forbidden apple – but Zero had a choice too, and he chose not to roll over and show the pureblood his belly.
#
"Hey, Hotaru? How much rent you paying now?" Zero asked his sort-of-maybe-friend.
"I'm not. I'm squatting. Why?"
"Mashiro's put it up. I was wondering about a room mate."
"I would, Zero, but it's free where I am right now, and it could be worse. I'm not paying money for a place if I don't have to."
Zero grunted his agreement, and quit looking for a roommate right then. It'd be so much easier, but Hotaru was the only one he could stand to have in his space for any length of time – fucking Shizuka, fucking auras - and he'd been reluctant to give even that much privacy up.
Where'd they'd have gotten a second bed, he'd had no idea anyway.
"You're limping. Fujiwara's lot corner you again?"
"Nah – this was just business."
"Fuck it all," Hotaru replied cheerfully.
"Fuck them all," Zero agreed.
#
The nights went by excruciatingly slowly.
He spent the day in the library; educating himself, charging his phone and applying for jobs. There was one on Kuran Enterprises website – new up just this week – a secretarial position in the local office and Zero knew it was Kaname's idea of a fucking joke.
That foul cretin. That half spitted whoreson of a goat and a cactus.
What would happen if he applied?
No, absolutely not. He wouldn't do it. He would not think about suits, glasses, and being bent over the desk by Kaname fucking Kuran.
The phone was mocking him.
He spent the nights working. He tried not to think about that either.
He took hand outs from the soup kitchen, and Christian Aid. He took condoms from them too. He went dumpster diving – trusting to his vampiric physiology to keep the worst of the germs off.
He watched the phone like a hawk.
He'd considered pawning the phone for the tuppence it'd earn him and to spit in Kuran's eye one more time.
Kaname did not call.
#