It was wonderful to hear all your responses to the last chapter. Thank you for your continued interest in this story!
We haven't talked about mushin for many chapters, and the technique's explanation is back in chapter 7. I hope that helps if you were a little confused last chapter, sorry!
This chapter is a bit of a mixed bag, but as promised, here's your fluff and UST.
ALSO: Please take a look at the story warnings again before you read this chapter, just to remind you what you're getting into.
XXII. Si Vis Pacem
Zero's condition backslides for almost a week after the Court. With the last of his energy, Sasaki helps him strip off his elaborate robes and slip into a nightshirt, and then Zero doesn't get up for nearly three days.
Confined to bed, exhausted and wrung out, Zero sleeps, drifts in semi-consciousness, then sleeps again, caught in the cycle of his body's weakness. The only thing he remembers clearly from that time is the constant strength of a solid body at his back, and huddling against it for warmth whether it was rounded and soft, or angular and hard. If the Kurans hadn't spoon fed Zero soup and rice congee, forcing him awake and doing most of the work, then Zero wouldn't have eaten for a day or two afterwards, just continued to sleep and lain in a stupor.
After his fast progress, this relapse seems to scare them (if Zero can use 'frightened for his health' and 'Kuran Kaname' in the same thought). Even Kuran, Zero half-fancies, handles him with unusual care in the days afterward, even when he can sit up and eat under his own power. Zero has a vague memory from those first few days of being cradled like a baby while long-fingered hands held cool water to his lips.
It's strange - a month and a half ago, Zero thought waking up beside Kuran, in his arms, was crazy and embarrassing, but now he starts every morning that way, no big deal, perfectly normal. Not to mention he's kissed the vampire at least twice a day for months. Strange how things can change that much, and you barely even notice.
The same surreal feeling hits Zero when they're having a civil conversation over lunch, without Yuuki playing referee, and when he accepts Kuran's offer to spend a few hours reading on the chaise lounge in the pureblood's study, a convenience he's used many times before.
"What are you staring for?" Kuran asks when Zero spends too long pondering his new realization.
"I was thinking," Zero tells him, too exhausted to plausibly lie or play one of their word games. "How did we get here?"
Kuran raises a brow. "I carried you. Have you already forgotten?"
"No," Zero says, feeling short-tempered. "I'm not being sarcastic. I mean, how did we get into this situation."
Kuran's face tightens, and the pureblood half-smiles without opening his mouth. "I often wonder that myself."
Zero lets his book slip off his lap, and lays his head on the chaise arm. "I'm tired."
"Would you like to sleep here or in bed?" Kuran asks, rising and coming to stand by the side of the chaise.
Zero stares at the dark material of Kuran's slacks. "Bed."
Kuran bends, and Zero feels the muscle of his arms slide underneath his knees and back. Relaxing into Kuran's hold is second nature to him now, after hundreds of times, maybe thousands, where he's found security and safety as this pureblood carried him.
In the beginning, Zero feared Kuran would let him fall, and every step was full of anxious dread, his body tense against the anticipated pain. But the more time that passes without his fears coming true, the longer Zero waits, the harder it is to remind himself to be vigilant, be wary, remember that this time Kuran could take advantage of his dropped guard to hurt him. It's exhausting.
Zero closes his eyes, already half-asleep from the rocking motion and the reassuring scent of a familiar alpha, the pure male who protects him and takes care of him, the one he's promised as a mate. He yawns, and his head droops down.
"If only you were such a good kitten all the time" Kuran tells him, voice amused.
Zero swats at Kuran, and yawns again, waking up a little more when he's tipped onto the mattress and protests sleepily. Something soft and furry worms its way underneath his arm.
"Nightshade?..." he murmurs, squeezing the furry thing.
The wolf blows warm air against Zero's face, and his tail beats against the bedspread.
"Yuuki will wake you for dinner," Kuran says.
"Why are you being so nice," Zero slurs into his pillow, but Kuran must already be gone, because no one answers.
Once Zero can stay out of bed longer, one of the purebloods is always buzzing around nearby like a horsefly, and there's a sudden surge in the local raven and butterfly populations. After he announces at the breakfast table that creepy stalkers will be shot with Bloody Rose, they're a little more careful to hide.
On the positive side, Zero's little excursion means they have no more excuses to keep him from leaving Rosehill. Yuuki and Kuran absolutely refuse to let him anywhere they don't directly control, with people they don't trust - which Zero understands, much as the restriction chafes at him, and the Hunter doesn't push. In practice, that means he's allowed to go maybe five places, but that's still more than he could before.
The tea group omegas are happy to have him attend again, and Zero is greeted with a celebration worthy of a conquering hero. There's so much food, and Takuma pours endless cups of hot, fragrant Oolong, which Zero drinks as the others discuss the outcome of the previous Court.
The general consensus is that results were mixed, producing neither triumph nor catastrophe. Zero made the best impression his condition allowed, and things ended on a high note for him and his allies, but it was not the impression of health and strength he would have preferred. His opponents acted far more openly hostile and combative than expected. And while none of the Senate's plots succeeded, Zero's first session was disrupted several times, and they barely avoided disaster. Kuran's allies kept the upper hand, but none of the omegas at the Court would believe they did it easily, or that things couldn't have gone in the Senate's favor instead.
"We were profoundly lucky that Ono was inexperienced and the Senate faction rushed too much. If they had prepared her, or investigated thoroughly and found someone with a more believable story, the accusation would have been a deadly serious matter, with enough weight to destroy Zero's reputation and land him in serious legal trouble. Fortunately, the Senate won't be able to use the same tactic again, now that everyone's understood they were behind something so sloppy," Takuma concludes.
"They'll try something different at the fall session, that's for sure," Takiyama says.
Zero crunches down on one of the tea cookies she brought; they're a little sweet for his taste, but he's made sure to eat a couple anyway. Touya's grandmother keeps trying to feed him, and Zero is far too well-raised to refuse.
"But it will be held by one of the neutral families next time. We won't need to worry about poisonings or rogue servants. The families are extremely vigilant about preventing incidents like that - their reputations depend on it," Takuma adds, probably for Zero's benefit.
Aido Madoka sighs, crossing her arms and shifting on her cushion. "That means things will get nastier, if the only attack left is words. They already started going after Kiryuu's legitimacy. Even all the monarchists may not be on our side."
"Abe is the most obvious problem," remarks Takiyama, inhaling the scent of her tea, her permanently laid back demeanor the foil to Aido's relentless energy. "He's become even more daring."
"Noguchi is the one who concerns me," Azai disagrees. "Abe is predictable. He insults, he insinuates. He's aggressive, with a sharp tongue, but he's earned himself many enemies that way. No one genuinely likes him. Noguchi is different. Her words are carefully chosen, and she's much less abrasive. Abe picks the ugliest rumor, Noguchi picks the most plausible."
"I hadn't expected her to ask Zero such a personal question," Takuma says, shaking his head. "Zero-kun didn't know how to respond, so he told the truth. If she wanted to know the foundation of their relationship, the answer may have been more telling than we wanted."
Zero frowns. "Sorry."
Takuma waves his hands, shaking his head harder and making his Hoseki swing at the end of its chain. "No, no, Zero, it's nothing for you to be sorry about. It was my oversight."
No one mentions the other mistake Zero made. He still blushes when he remembers accidentally giving details of his (lack of) sex life to all of vampire society. The other omegas politely avoid speaking of the matter, though Zero does get some curious looks.
After business is finished, the others aren't stealthy about making excuses to leave Zero and Azai alone. Zero is shocked when the elder presses his forehead to the floor, with his hands flat on either side of his head.
"Consort Kiryuu," Azai says, his hairpins chiming as he touches a hand to his belly, "thank you for saving my child. I am indebted to you beyond my ability to repay."
Uncomfortable with the obeisance, Zero tries to protest. "Azai-san, it was also Takuma-sempai and Seiren -"
"I know." Azai says, "And I have offered them my profound gratitude and thanks. But it was you who realized the Senate faction's intentions in time to stop them. And it is you that I wish to thank this way. I am old, and my few remaining pregnancies are precious. Anything that you desire of me, I will obey."
Zero looks down at Azai's bowed head, speechless. "Azai-san...if that's what you wish, I won't deny you. But I did not save your child with the intention of making you feel you owe me."
Azai raises his head, meeting Zero's gaze. "I know. That's why I'm here."
Zero leaves Ichijo manor with much to think on.
Besides Takuma's residences, Zero is only allowed to visit the homes of Kuran's inner circle. If not for Zero's frustration at the slow pace of his recovery, and the stir-craziness of an active man forced to stay still, than Zero would have never become desperate enough to agree.
So that's how the Hunter finds himself eating dinner at the Kain residence, opposite Kain himself and his unofficial fiancee Souen, with Yuuki and Kuran by his side. The affair is less awkward than Zero expected it would be; he's met them once before as 'Consort Kiryuu' at the single soiree he attended. Trying to make polite conversation with the same vampires he regularly fought with at Cross Academy is tricky, but possible because all of them want to get along. The food is good, and the evening isn't a disaster, though two Nobles send Zero thoughtful looks when Kuran treats his Consort the polite way he has since Zero was injured.
One moderately civil dinner turns into visits once or twice a week, not just at Souen's or Kain's homes, but also with the Aido family and at Touya's residence. Shiki is the notable exception, but Zero knows just enough about the vampire's twisted family situation to understand he wants no part of that ball of worms.
It's different meeting Kuran's inner circle as an ally, one who is married to their leader and a vampire ranked above them. Kuran's closest followers call Zero by his title and seem to accept Zero's elevation in status, though Soen takes the longest. Zero marks it down to their incredible loyalty to Kuran, and Yuuki by extension. Zero also suspects that Takuma has put in a few words on his behalf.
Those brief tastes of the outside world are enough to settle Zero's restlessness - for a little while. Then one evening over breakfast, Kuran butters a piece of toast, looks over at his spouses, and says, "You mentioned the other day that the weather was starting to feel like autumn. Shall we go on a vacation?"
Zero and Yuuki stare at him as Kuran begins buttering the second slice.
"We've never been on vacation before," Yuuki says, surprise in her voice.
"We should try something new every few years," Kuran responds serenely, still focussed on his bread and dairy products. "Perhaps southern Europe?"
Zero looks at Yuuki. Yuuki shrugs.
Zero looks back at Kuran. "Somewhere on the coast," he says, remembering a boat bobbing in the darkness and shared kisses under summer fireworks.
Kuran hums. "I'll see what I can do."
Suspicion creeping into her tone, Yuuki says, "Isn't Europe Shirabuki's territory?"
"It's her base of operations, yes, but she has no claim to the territory," Kuran replies with obvious self-satisfaction.
Now suspicious himself, Zero asks, "Are you planning something?"
Kuran has a hint of a smile around his mouth. "I've planned nothing. But she'll think I have, and she'll order her people to hide accordingly. It will put quite a damper on her plans, and her more sensitive operations will likely need to shut down. I'll gain significant information however she responds."
Zero chuckles. "So basically, we're going on vacation just so you can screw with Shirabuki's head at the same time. You're unbelievable."
Kuran raises his brows and leans back in his chair, hiding his smirk behind a bite of toast.
Kuran does not actually know what 'vacation' means.
Zero realizes this very quickly when things go from the three of them traveling somewhere nice, to the three of them plus Kuran's inner circle, to the Kurans holding a Night Class reunion by renting an entire luxury hotel and sending out invitations in the space of half a day.
"Does Kuran understand that being on vacation means not working?" Zero grumps into his glass of fruit juice, the only thing from the hotel bar his doctor's orders will let him drink.
Touya and Shiki, holding hands on a nearby loveseat, watch him without blinking or changing expression. They're his current babysitters after Zero got tired of being the stone in the river the ex-Night Class vampires had to flow around, and retired to this corner.
The Kurans are off somewhere doing host and hostess things, Takuma is enjoying himself thoroughly across the room, radiating happiness and the joy of friendship, and Kain and Souen are playing through one of their slap-slap-kiss routines and Zero hopes they just goddamn kiss already.
Yes, he's sour. Zero didn't want to spend time with all these bloodsuckers, he wanted to enjoy his first trip away from Rosehill, just him and Yuuki - and Kuran, since he can't get rid of the bastard. Instead he's stuck attending a bunch of parties with vampires he has a bad history with, and he hasn't gotten to see much of the city. He can't even wear human clothes because he has to dress appropriately with all these vampires around.
Not to mention Kuran told the hotel that Zero was his 'wife' (and Yuuki his sister). The staff have been calling him Mrs. Kuran Zero this whole time, and staring at his scarred face like he's some kind of zoo exhibit. It's driving him crazy, and he can't even have alcohol to make things tolerable, Zero mourns.
Admittedly, if Zero has to be stuck somewhere, this hotel is incredibly beautiful. The whole building is like a palace (and Zero would know. He lives in one) with exposed beams, marble columns, dramatic staircases, historic frescoes, antique furniture, and gorgeous views across the lagoon and canals.
Though it's warm inside, Zero can feel the cool evening breeze off the water through the open veranda doors. The Hunter shivers, a little chilled.
A cloak is held out in front of him. Zero snatches the thick wool garment, and snaps his head up to glare at Kuran, who regards him without reaction.
"We're finished for now. Would you like to go out before the human shops close?"
Across the room, Takuma bobs his head and waves at Zero encouragingly.
Zero's glare heats to scorching.
Takuma doesn't seem to notice, and continues to smile and gesture, urging the Hunter to accept.
"Only if Yuuki's coming," he tells Kuran.
The hotel has a private pier, where a long, shallow boat waits for them. Yuuki is seated in the center, waiting, with the oarsman at the stern. When she sees the two of them, she stands, holding out her arms to take Zero from Kuran's hold. Zero is settled into a hollow at the bow, filled with pillows and lined in lambswool and velvet fabrics, while Kuran takes a seat beside Yuuki, facing Zero.
The oarsman begins to row, taking them down the canals and the brightly lit streets full of tourists and revelers. Propped up on the pillows, Zero's temper cools and his disappointment lessens. Part of the problem is that he wishes he could see the city under daylight, like a human or a Hunter, and he knows he can't live that way any longer. But under moonlight, Zero imagines he can understand the charm of a vampire's view too.
"Where would you like to go?" Kuran asks, looking at Yuuki.
"The main plaza?" she suggests, turning to Zero for approval.
He nods, and Kuran turns his head to speak to the oarsman in the local language.
Yuuki smiles down at him, holding out her hand for Zero to take. "Sorry this turned out to be more work than relaxation."
Zero breathes in the night air, and listens the splash of water in the canal. "We'll make the best of what we have," he tells her.
"Are you sure you don't want to go back to the hotel? Yuuki and Souen-san will be shopping for a while," Kiryuu says, fixing him with a doubtful look.
"We'll wait," Kaname says, examining the crowd in the plaza next to where their boat is moored.
He is here to make contact with one of his human agents, and waiting for Yuuki is merely a pretext. The sunglasses he wears do little against the late afternoon sun, and his skin feels hot and tight, consuming his dwindling supply of patience.
Kiryuu examines him with a critical look. "At least come sit down in the shade. You can't be comfortable. You'll end up looking like the dried up old man you are at heart."
"So you would be disappointed if I lost my beauty, Kiryuu?" Kaname remarks, momentarily amused, turning on his heel to seek out a patch of shadow next to Kiryuu's bench.
Kiryuu snorts, crossing his arms, and without missing a beat replies, "I'm looking out for Yuuki's interests, stupid. With your personality, she should at least have something nice to look at."
"But you admit I'm attractive," Kaname presses.
"I admit that Yuuki and your fans find you attractive," Kiryuu counters. "But I know what a bastard you are, so I don't care what you look like."
Dissatisfied with Kiryuu's answer, Kaname lets the conversation lapse into silence.
"Why did you choose to marry me, instead of pawning me off on one of the Night Class alphas instead?" Kiryuu asks suddenly, his eyes on the flocks of pigeons pecking for food in the square.
None of them are worthy. Mate is too magnificent to be mounted by any of those weaklings, asserts the alpha. We woke him with our blood, so he belongs only to us.
Kaname ignores the thrill of anger and possessiveness that runs through him at the idea. Has Kiryuu set his eyes on one of the Night Class? His Consort has been friendly with the less politically interested Night Class members, like Rima and Senri. Kaname's rational brain knows Kiryuu is ridiculously in love with Yuuki, but his primal instincts are urging him to track down the likely alphas and kill them, just in case.
"Your answer to Noguchi Sada was well reasoned. I tried to persuade Yuuki to allow another to have you, but she refused."
We are lucky alpha-mate was more perceptive than us, the alpha says. We almost missed claiming our beautiful mate because of our foolishness.
Imagining a scenario where Kaname ignored Yuuki's wishes is easy: Kiryuu in his wedding robes, pledging himself to a stranger that knew their master despised him. A stranger who would carry out Kaname's jealousy and envy, who would have no mercy, who would hold the Hunter down and rape him on his wedding night, starve him of blood and dignity, and torment his mind and body as they knew their master wished. And the Kaname of that time would have been pleased by it.
Kaname feels sick because he recognizes those scenes as truth - he would have chosen the worst alpha he could get past Yuuki. It's like looking in a mirror and recognizing the hideous stranger in his own skin. What makes him any different from the disgusting alphas his own laws are meant to stop?
The alpha cries out in denial. No! We would not hurt our beautiful mate.
That's true; Kaname has decided he no longer wishes to be that person. The pureblood closes his eyes as he sees once more the memory of Kiryuu nearing death.
When he opens them, Kiryuu looks distant. "I see. That's what I thought."
Kaname feels his alpha instincts stir. Go to mate and tell him that we want him, they say. Court him and cradle him so he feels desired, so he feels safe. Take such good care of him that he wants to stay by our side and spread his thighs in our bed.
Kaname does none of that. He looks back out at the plaza, still finding no trace of his agent. They're over an hour late; the sun is a sliver in the west.
He thinks about the way Kiryuu looked earlier this evening, the red light of sunset from the tall bay windows staining the bright white sheets and his Consort's innocent white nightclothes. He thinks about how he drew back that white sleeve, and bruised that pale inner wrist with his teeth, and how he could see his mark right now if he dared reach out and take his husband's hand.
"Let's return," he says, and if Kaname holds Kiryuu a little tighter than before, and arranges his Consort's blankets so Kiryuu is snug and warm in the bow's hollow -
It doesn't mean anything, of course. Alphas are expected to nurture their omegas. It's only natural.
"Your wife is very beautiful," says the boatman, fingering his mustaches as they wait for traffic in the narrow canal to pass.
Kaname raises a skeptical eyebrow. In the bow, Kiryuu is watching the boats and paying no attention to their talk. The pureblood speaks enough of the language to carry passable conversation, a skill he learned for his business interests, but Kiryuu doesn't know a word.
That makes Kaname bold enough to call the man's lie. "Almost no one would call my wife beautiful."
The boatman shakes his tanned face. "I do not mean fashionable, sir. I mean - I do not know the word in your language. The memory of her will stay with me, sir. Her soul is not far from her skin. You love her?" he asks, using the word for romantic love.
"No," Kaname says. "We were enemies. I resented her and disliked her when we married." Perhaps now the human will be silent.
As he begins to row again, the boatman considers this. "Sir, forgive me, but tonight you hold her gently in your arms. Do you want to love her?"
"Not in the least," Kaname answers. What does Kuran Kaname want from Kiryuu Zero, if it's neither suffering nor indifference? If Kiryuu is neither his love nor his subordinate, what is he?
"Ah," the boatman says, shaking his head as if he's understood something. "I have known such marriages before. You stay because she knows even the worst of you. You are friends, partners, yes?"
Kaname's hand resting on the lip of the boat curls into a loose fist. "No. I do not think she would call us that."
The human's eyes are compassionate and knowing; it makes Kaname wish to crush him. The pureblood turns away, and the journey back to the hotel is spent in silence.
Life resumes its usual rhythm once they return to Rosehill. After all the work she put into their first vacation, Yuuki really wants another, but life and political realities mean there are always fires to put out, relationships to maintain, and causes to work for.
She may not be able to take Zero and Kaname away, but there are little things she can do. You see, Yuuki has a sneaky plan. If she can get her husbands in the same space, behaving politely to each other, and then reward them by doing fun things, Yuuki can reinforce the idea that tolerating one another is pleasant and good. Just like when Zero trains Nightshade!
And she has plenty of opportunities. Zero is feeling stronger and beginning to test his limits; the scars on his face are fully healed and fading a little more every day. His coordination and balance have improved enough to handle small tasks, though his hands still shake. Best of all, he's sleeping less and can hold himself upright nearly all the time now. That means he has the stamina for longer outings, and the two of them have made it their mission to educate Kaname on modern human culture. It's hilarious.
Taking him to the greasiest fast food restaurant they could find ended in failure. Kaname refused point blank to eat anything in the shop, but he made the best facial expressions watching Yuuki and Zero happily eat breaded chicken strips and deep fried potatoes smothered in ketchup.
Introducing Kaname to the concept of a musical goes far better. Takuma won four tickets to the newest music adaptation of one of his manga, and happily gifted Yuuki the extra three when she explained what she wanted them for. Kaname has his doubts about the artistic merit of the thing, but all three of them settle down to watch actors sing and wave magical swords for two hours, and leave feeling entertained.
Inspired, Yuuki takes them to a movie theater next, certain they're in for a good time. Kaname disdains anything involving masses of unwashed humans, sticky floors and faux velvet seats. At school, Yuuki dragged Zero to secretly watch sappy romance movies, and full of fond memories, she picks the movie with the cutest, happiest ending.
In the theatre, Yuuki sits in the middle and gets to hold hands with both of her spouses, but Kaname is no fun; it turns out he's the sort of audience that likes to point out parts of the plot that get people arrested in real life. She's banned him from all future romance movies; Yuuki will just take Zero instead. Maybe a historical drama will work better next time, she decides.
They don't always go out. When Zero feels well enough, he practices cooking again with the two of them as his assistants. It helps build up his weakened muscles without requiring him to stand, and produces delicious results. Kaname won't admit it, but Yuuki knows that he looks forward to Zero's home cooked meals; nothing tastes as good as food made just for you by a precious person.
"I know Yuuki will burn water, but let's see if that's Cross' fault or yours," he tells Kaname when her husband complains about being required to participate. (It's Cross' fault. No one except the Chairman is surprised.) Kaname's never going to be a master chef, but he has more culinary skill than Yuuki, and Zero has consents to teaching the pureblood a few simple recipes.
Today Zero is making a simple milk bread, slightly sweet and doughy the way Yuuki likes it. He's trying to build up his stamina and the muscles in his arms, hands and back with the kneading. Relegated to fetching and cleaning, Yuuki (and her alpha) is content to watch Zero's back flex and stretch as he works the dough.
"No, not like that, we're not beating it, the point of this is to make the dough more elastic." Zero wipes a flour smudge on his cheek, surveying Kaname's efforts on the second loaf. "Come here and let me show you."
The sleeves of his dress shirt neatly rolled past his elbows, Kaname complies, taught by experience to take Zero's advice rather than ruin his work through pride.
"Press and stretch with the heel of the hand," Zero explains, kneading in example as he talks. "Then fold it over, flip it ninety degrees, and repeat."
With a sly look, Kaname catches Yuuki's eye. "I think I'd understand better if you showed me with your hands."
Yuuki chokes when Kaname comes around behind Zero, leaning over him so they're pressed front to back, and Kaname can just see over Zero's shoulder. Her envious alpha bristles further when Kaname takes Zero's hands and slides them underneath his own, so their arms are aligned. "Show me like this."
Don't be jealous, it's good that they're bonding with each other, Yuuki reminds herself as Zero demonstrates the technique again, and Kaname's muscles mirror Zero's movements.
The pureblood has to bend over pretty far since Zero's seated, and it makes his well-shaped rear feature strongly in her thoughts until he straightens and returns to his own station.
Kaname smiles at her like a cat in the cream. "Please be patient, Yuuki. You'll get to eat soon,"
Yuuki's eyebrow twitches.
Perhaps it's because of some unique adaptability, but Kiryuu's healing speed is improving more quickly than the doctor expected - one more strange thing to lay at the feet of his Hunter blood.
Kaname can admit feeling a tinge of relief when he heard the news that Kiryuu showed every sign of being able to walk again. The doctor suggested that Kiryuu start swimming as part of his physical therapy; the water's buoyancy would support most of his weight and allow him to focus on strengthening the muscles he hasn't used in three months.
Yuuki latched onto the suggestion with determination, and the three of them have been taking dips in the outdoor pool at least once per day, which recently increased to twice a day. After Yuuki or Kaname lay him on the steps, Kiryuu will go chin deep in the water, clinging to the side of the pool, and practice moving his legs to warm up. After that, he's taught himself to tread water using his arms to keep himself above the surface, and Kiryuu will keep that up until he's exhausted, always trying to push his body a little further. Then one of the Kurans will take his hands and lend balance, while Kiryuu keeps his feet on the bottom, helping him mimic standing.
Kaname only goes along to make sure neither of them drown. The excuse sounds thin in his own ears, and Yuuki laughs every time she hears it. Getting to see his spouses wet and sleek, glinting in the sunlight is enough of a reason, as is seeing Kiryuu's bare calves under his swim trunks, their Consort finally confident while stripping off his usual layers.
As Kiryuu heals, Kaname and Yuuki's alphas have begun to stir and show interest once more in the omega's body. The daily intimacy of their routine has become less innocent, and laden with heavy gazes and meaningful atmosphere. Yuuki, who loves the Hunter anyway, is particularly affected; Kaname is older and his self-control is strong.
Yuuki has guiltily admitted that she's going to miss their Consort being so dependent on them, and giving the regular care and touches Kiryuu needed. Privately, Kaname feels much the same. Kiryuu may hate the necessity, but to the Kurans' alphas, seeing to Kiryuu's every need is pleasurable and natural.
"Kaname! Come quick!"
That's Yuuki's voice coming from the courtyard, fast and urgent. Fearing some emergency, Kaname goes to her in a rush, abandoning his work. But there's only Yuuki and Kiryuu in the corner; the rest of the courtyard is empty and peaceful, and nothing seems amiss. Puzzled, Kaname comes toward Yuuki with the intention to question her.
His wife looks over her shoulder, beaming with her whole face and bouncing on her toes in excitement. "Kaname, look! Zero's standing!"
So he is! Wonderful - the Hunter is using one hand to balance against the wall, but he's on his own two feet without any other aid, face creased in concentration and sweat gathering on his forehead as he grits his teeth. There's the tightness in his jaw that signifies pain, but Kiryuu works through it, tenacious as always.
"Can you move your feet at all?" Kaname asks when he draws even with Yuuki's shoulder. In his chest is a warm feeling. Admiration, he decides. It's good Yuuki called him; it would be a shame to miss seeing her joy.
Kiryuu's shoulders shrug carefully so he doesn't unbalance himself, his attention intensely focussed on his body. Slowly, ever so slowly, his right foot pushes forward, sliding against the pavestones. When he stops, the distance is only half the length of his foot, but even that much is a victory.
Yuuki thinks so too, squealing and clapping her hands - then yelping when Zero starts to tilt off center.
But there's no danger; Kaname already has an arm around their Consort's middle, easing him down into a chair. A laugh escapes from his chest.
Yuuki's feverish excitement overwhelms her; she throws herself at Kiryuu and kisses him hard, mouth seeking hungrily until he needs to breathe again.
Not one to be left out, Kaname cuts in, turning Kiryuu's chin to meet his lips and indulging himself in a long, open-mouthed kiss, seeking the familiar taste of his Consort's mouth.
Kiryuu looks dazed by his success, quiet with breathlessness and exhaustion; his manner is full of peaceful relief and the pleasure of hard-earned achievement.
Denied more kisses, Yuuki is dancing around in a circle laughing with joy. "I'm so proud of you, Zero, you've worked so hard! Let's have something special for dinner to celebrate!"
Kaname realizes that his mouth is smiling, a soft curve of his lips. The pureblood hastily wipes the accidental expression from his face, but for the rest of the night his chest has an inexplicable lightness.
They eat Kiryuu's tomato soup and a rum cake Yuuki scrounged up from the kitchen in the Consort's Suite. Yuuki, filled with pride, presents Kiryuu with a beautiful cane in pale wood, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and capped in silver.
Kiryuu is asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow, and Yuuki not long after, but Kaname keeps watch long into the daylight, carding his hand through moon-colored hair.
Then he gets up, mindful not to wake either of them, and goes into the next room, closing the door behind him.
"Seiren," he calls, and in a blurred motion his Shadow is kneeling before him.
"There is something I need you to do for me."
Watching Kiryuu take his first steps flips a switch in Kaname and Yuuki; like a serpent stirring from hibernation, their alpha instincts have nothing to restrain them anymore, and their desires rebound even stronger for having been suppressed.
Those lingering looks and touches that lasted just a little longer than necessary, have turned to unabashed staring and ever more daring liberties. They're increasingly suspicious of other alphas; visitors are met far from the Consort's suite, just to prevent a stranger seeing a single silver hair. Instinct drives them to scent mark him almost every day, to feel and hold his body as close as they can.
Their mate draws them like a lodestone, bodies drifting to face him whenever they're in the same room, every centimeter of their skin sensitive to his living energy, his breaths, his scent. His lavender eyes are an inexorable draw, and their desire for him no less than the pull of gravity.
Yuuki is the most strongly affected, but her affection for Kiryuu is like a choke collar, and she assiduously observes their Consort's boundaries. She pins him down in their messy sheets and feeds her hunger with furious, urgent volleys of kisses until she's shaking with effort, but never crosses that edge. Kaname is little better with his unconscious caresses, compulsive marking and near-stalking through Nightshade.
Something has to give. And it does, on an evening a few moons shy of October, with just a hint of autumn chill.
Kaname hears the door to their bedroom slam. "Yuuki?" he calls, putting down the phone he was about to dial. "I thought you were cooking with Kiryuu -"
Yuuki stumbles through the doorway, and the pureblood inhales sharply. She's wide-eyed and panting, with a high flush in her cheeks. She clutches the doorway like it's the only thing holding her up, and she has a dazed, glassy look in her eyes; Kaname doesn't think whatever she's seeing is in front of her eyes now.
He draws close enough to scent her, breathing into the crook of her neck. Yuuki shivers.
Kaname's face splits into a sharp smile, and he brings his mouth close to her ear. "My dear wife, whatever has brought you to such a state?"
Yuuki's mouth works for a moment, trying to speak. "He, Zero, we were making, and I got - he licked it off my finger."
Kaname gets caught up in the image, and a sympathetic heat lights in his belly. "Just like that?"
Yuuki nods, swallowing.
"What did it feel like?" Kaname croons, just to tease her.
His wife moans. "Good. Really good. I had to leave, I was just so - I need to borrow the bedroom."
She tries to break past him, but Kaname bars the door with his arm.
"Kaname! I'm not in the mood," she protests, frustration making her short-tempered.
Kaname lowers his voice and catches her eyes. "My dear," he says, "are you sure I can't help you?" And he presses his palm firmly against the front of her skirt, finding the line of her hard cock underneath. She chokes and moans again, and Kaname's body takes a more serious interest, keen after many months of celibacy.
A spark of awareness breaks through her desperate arousal. "Kaname, if we do this now, are you going to get angry if I think about him? If I call Zero's name?"
Kaname stops for a moment, the question serious enough to pause the game. "I suppose," he answers slowly, his own arousal clouding his thinking and making the idea of 'no' insane, "that if I'm going to be his first cock, you're allowed to have your fantasies."
Yuuki bites him, punishment for bringing up the thing she's most jealous of, and Kaname smirks, both hands sneaking up Yuuki's skirt to feel their way to her straining sex, knowing by touch the fastest way to free her.
At the first touch of his bare hand, she groans, and throws her head back to knock against the wall, her eyes rolling back into her head and her hips thrusting against his hold.
Kaname's never seen her so desperately aroused before, and he's equally hard now, straining against the front of his slacks. They've never had sex with an open bloodbond, and he's feeling her echoed desperation and lust, his own body's heat mounting and spiraling to join her. What a missed opportunity, he mourns, allowing himself to grind against her hip while he kisses her throat, the hand wrapped around her cock teasing her with its light grip.
"Not going to last long," she gasps, trying to chase his hand and the friction she desires.
But Kaname isn't finished playing yet, a little revenge for how long he's had to tend to himself, and he loosens his grip further.
Yuuki whimpers in frustration. "Kaname!"
He nibbles at the curve of her ear. "Are you imagining him? Our chaste little Consort, who was wicked enough to make you a mess just with his tongue around your finger?"
Yuuki's inhale sounds more like a sob.
Kaname presses his grin into her hair, and allows her a few firm strokes all the way down to the ring of her soft knot at the base, the way she's leaking into his hand making things slick enough without help.
If he took his hand out of her skirt right now she'd either cry or kill him, and the idea makes Kaname's cock twitch and his pulse pound faster.
"Are you thinking about those clever, dangerous Hunter's hands wrapped around your cock, Yuuki? Or are you still thinking about that pink tongue?"
His wife pants, robbed of speech by the solid cage of his fist around her cock, rocking her hips to match his motions.
"I was - I, I, it feels so wrong, like I shouldn't -" she manages to wring out, wisps of hair pulled loose from her braid sticking to the sweat on her reddened face.
Kaname experiments with the pace and strength of his strokes, trying to draw back and gain more control. She's so responsive, and the bloodbond shows him her real, unfeigned reactions;
Kaname has to lick his dry lips to go on. "But you did think about it, didn't you? You thought about how it would feel if he put his pretty lips around you to taste your come. About what he would look like if he lapped up your cock and played with the knot you're going to stuff inside him."
Yuuki snarls, and her hand shackles Kaname's wrist until the bones creak, forcing him to keep moving at the impatient pace she wants so her husband can't tease and play anymore. With her other hand she forces Kaname's hip more firmly against her thigh, so the pressure against his cock becomes almost painful.
It's the most arousing thing she's ever done in their bedroom. Yuuki has never been assertive during sex before, always letting Kaname dictate how their encounters went. Kaname was always careful to act the gentleman in bed, maintaining his masks to the last detail. And he would have never dared to taunt her with fantasies of another man.
All this stimulation - the freedom of showing his real identity and unchaining his own desires, the lust looping between them from the bloodbond, and the way imagining Zero with a mouthful of cock drives the alpha's lust to new heights - it's too much temptation for Kaname, and his self-control cracks down the center. He's just as worked up as Yuuki is; inquiry and investigation give way to single-mindedly chasing the high of orgasm.
Everything is lost except desire as the two purebloods tear their pleasure from each other. There's no more speech, just heavy panting and moaning, the groans that spring from Kaname's belly as a change in angle gives him pressure right where he wants it, the rustle of Yuuki's skirts and the high noises she makes when Kaname's wrist twists just right, everything rushing together in a tightening coil everything bleeding together into hands and sweat and more more more!
Only a little more. Only a little more, and Kaname stops kissing Yuuki long enough to rasp, "Just like that - that's how he'll suck your cock when he's heavy with your baby."
That does it. Yuuki comes with a wail, her body jerking forward and clacking Kaname's teeth painfully as her skull connects with his jaw. Sagging for a moment against his shoulder, she scrabbles blindly for the zip of his trousers, but her hands shake too much, and it only takes a little heavy petting before Kaname is coming too, the orgasm wrung from his body, long and strained like he's held it back too long.
The whole time, Kaname's mind is full of that last image of Kiryuu, kneeling naked with his knees spread wide to accommodate his gravid belly, his body filled with the most primal claim of all, pretty lavender eyes looking up at him and glossy lips wrapped around his cock.
They breathe in each other's air for a few minutes, staggered by the force unleashed by Yuuki's fantasy and their doubled lust, letting the sweat cool as their intellect catches up with their groins.
"That was -" Yuuki says.
"Yes," Kaname agrees.
"Wow."
"Indeed," Kaname says. "But I'm not quite satisfied." He looks at Yuuki in sly invitation. "You'll need to practice more, if you want to drive the other women Kiryuu's fucked out of his head."
Yuuki's eyes narrow and her brows draw together. "I won't let him think about anyone else ever again. He's ours."
Kaname smiles, his purpose achieved. "I'm happy to help. But perhaps next time I might…?" His hand between her thighs delves further back, dipping into her woman's folds, and the untouched dampness there. A pureblood's desire is not quickly or easily satisfied.
But Yuuki catches his wrist, pulling him back against the silken skin of her thigh. "No."
"No?" he repeats, letting his timbre go husky. "I shouldn't satisfy my beloved wife?"
"No," she tells him again, eyes hard and determined. "You can use your mouth or your hands, but I will not let you put your cock in me."
Not sure anymore if this is a game, Kaname tries one more time. "And why is that, Yuuki?"
"Because," she says with a smile curling one side of her mouth, "right now, your cock is meant to please just one person, and that's Zero."
Kaname stares at her, dumbfounded.
Yuuki's grin broadens, and she rests the heel of her hand against his half-hard sex. "If you want pussy, Kaname, the only person you'll get it from is our precious Consort, because we promised him the right to our cocks. Remember our marriage vows?"
She presses her hand down harder, and her voice goes husky. "So I want you to think about him, to wonder every moment what it will feel like to slide inside his perfect body. I want you to desire him like you've never desired anyone else. And if I have to make you hungry to achieve that goal, I will."
"Yuuki," Kaname begins hurriedly, "that's really not necessary - "
"But if you really meant it when you said you wanted to help me, I'd like your mouth next." Yuuki looks him straight in the eye as she says it, without a single doubt she'll get what she wants.
Then she falters, horrified at her own temerity as her brain catches up to her tongue. Yuuki has never demanded anything sexual from Kaname before, let alone almost ordered him. That was never the dynamic of their relationship, in bed or out of it, and just committing such a radical act leaves her frozen at her own daring.
"No no no," Kaname stops her, putting a finger to her lips. "Don't back down when what you desire is within your sight, Yuuki. Now, look me in the eye and tell me what you want."
She takes a breath, and forges straight ahead in a steady voice laced with a slight questioning undertone. "Kaname, I want you to put your mouth on my cock."
Kaname brings her hand up and kisses the back of it, swirling his tongue on her skin to tempt her. "Of course. I can't deny my dear girl anything."
"Do you ever get tired of being treated like an expensive diamond in a display case?"
With a half-tipped teapot in one hand, Takuma freezes, just shy of pouring. He stares down at the antique teacups on the table in front of them, and then lifts his chin to match Zero's gaze.
"There are many times where the restrictions of being an omega have frustrated me," he tells Zero carefully. The noble sets the teapot down with a quiet thunk, easily heard in the silence.
Isa is sleeping in the courtyard, soaking up the day's leftover warmth. Nightshade was banished from Zero's side in a fit of irritation, and he sent his maids away from his suite after Takuma arrived.
"Do you feel like you're a treasure kept for display?" Takuma asks in return, expression deliberately neutral.
Scrubbing his hands over his face, Zero tries to pin down the source of his aggravation. "I don't know. Most of the time I'm fine, but yeah, sometimes I do. When I'm reminded how helpless I am, the things I can't control - my body, the duties I have to perform, all of this omega crap."
Staring down at his lap, so he avoids looking at his friend, it's easier to admit his weakness. "I'm supposed to be be 'The Kurans' Consort.' I need to look the right way, and act like everyone expects, and do the right things. Now people who would have spit on me in the street for being a filthy level D fawn over me instead. They wouldn't give a shit about me if I wasn't an omega married to the Kuran family. Or they're like Abe and they hate me because I don't match their image of what a Consort should be. The vampires treat me so nice for something I had nothing to do with."
Zero's throat tightens. "I feel...choked. Like all of these things are making it hard to breathe. And the parts that make up who I am are always at war. The vampire, and the Hunter. My omega's body and my human's mind. My duty and the things I want. No matter what choice I make, it's never a good one. I don't know what I'm doing. I can't reconcile anything. And I can't even run away because my body is too messed up to move faster than a shuffle," he concludes bitterly.
Takuma considers this. "Your introduction to an omega's life has been very brutal. I can't imagine being in your place. You've been denied so many choices you never expected to lose. There was no way you could prepare for any of this, and yet we expect you not just to handle it, but to excel. I'm sorry to have added to the burden placed on you. It's your right to feel however you want to about things."
Zero exhales with a gust. "Takuma-sempai, you don't have anything to apologize for. You're not responsible for any of this, and you've been more supportive of me than almost anyone else. I consider you a good friend. I'm sorry for complaining and being dramatic about stupid things."
"Talking about your feelings is not complaining," Takuma gently tells him. "And I think, if anything, you are minimizing your circumstances rather than exaggerating them.
Zero grunts, but doesn't press the point.
Takuma finally gets to pour his tea, after boiling a new pot of water on the little portable hot plate included with the tea service. Zero watches the water bubble and tries to gather some peace from the quiet atmosphere and Takuma's steady, practiced movements.
Every impossible step I take makes me feel like a real vampire, he thinks, but doesn't say aloud. The implications are insulting to any born vampire, and Zero doesn't feel like screwing up his one remaining platonic friendship today (Kaito doesn't count - he's a stupid older sibling).
But the words are true. Zero's lived the past thirty-odd years as though he were a Hunter, albeit one tainted by a vampire's curse. Everything about his vampirism he ignored and shut away. It wasn't realistic and it wasn't healthy, Zero knows. But it was so easy to pretend - pure-blooded Hunters aged slowly, and when he didn't drink real blood, and looked away when his flesh healed too fast, and pushed away the pain from the sun and Hunter spells, Zero could imagine he was simply some Hunter who had committed a heinous crime that exiled him from the Hunter community. And someday, he would earn forgiveness, and everyone would accept him back.
The last year has taken that self-deception from him, in drips and torrents. The first thing it took was his ability to feel comfortable in his own body, and last thing it stole was his mobility and ability to escape through Hunting. He can never go back. Never. Zero has to face that.
It would be so much easier if Zero could abandon the Hunter, and live only as a vampire. But he can't. He would destroy himself first. And the vampire won't abandon him. This is stupid. Why can't he just stop being upset about this? Why can't he get over things and move on? Is he going to spend the rest of his unnatural life fighting with himself? Is there no truce, only a constant series of defeats?
Zero just wants to feel comfortable in his skin. Just once. But he can't remember, the same way he can't remember what it felt like to be human anymore.
A hand crosses into his vision, outstretched and offering fragrant green tea. "Thank you, Takuma-sempai."
"You looked like you could use a distraction. Do you want to talk about anything?" The blond blows over his own tea to cool it, deliberately looking away from Zero to allow him privacy.
Zero stares down at the cup. What he means to say is no. What he says instead is, "Yuuki and Kuran are sneaking off to have sex."
Takuma almost spits out his tea. "...you saw them, Kiryuu-kun?"
Zero shakes his head. "No, but Yuuki's really bad at hiding stuff like that. We lived together; I know what her 'embarrassed-about-sex' face looks like." Poor Takuma. Zero's given him the unenviable job of showing proper respect to a pureblood while also being sensitive to a friend.
The nobles does his best, valiantly straining for nonchalance. "They are married. Is this...unusual for them?"
"Yes," Zero replies, staring a hole through his teacup. "I'm not sure, but it's been...at least since May?"
"Ah," Takuma says, red staining his cheeks."That's...good."
"I think it's my fault," Zero tells him."Because I haven't fulfilled my duty, they had to find an outlet. They've been - very alpha, since I've been getting better."
Takuma chuckles knowingly. "The scenting, the touching, the stalking? They look at you like they want to throw you down and tear your clothes off?"
Flushing, Zero nods.
"Does that upset you? Either the alpha behaviors or the fact the Kurans are doing things together."
Zero frowns, and buys himself time by taking a drink of his tea."I know it's all instinct for them. I've accepted their courtship, but we haven't consummated it, so they're being driven to finish their claim, and the urge gets stronger the more time passes. I just feel like I've failed, because they had to take those feelings out on each other. I'm supposed to do my job being the one getting fucked and I've screwed that up."
Zero is also a tiny bit jealous that Yuuki is sleeping with Kuran, but he doesn't mention that to Takuma. And feeling left out is juvenille, dammit, because fucking each other's brains out isn't the same as not being invited to go on a date.
"I do like the kissing, and some of the other things -" Zero really likes some of the other things, and just thinking about them makes him warm - "but when I think about actually having sex, it freaks me out. I know if I don't fix this I'll be harassed again by the Jeweled Court, and the vampires and the Hunters are already wondering what my problem is."
"Is there one? A problem, I mean," Takuma asks over the rim of his cup.
"I've thought about it, and with Yuuki sex seems less intimidating. I could do it if it was just her, because I love her and I trust her and I want to give her everything she wants. But with Kuran...I don't trust him, and the idea of letting him see me vulnerable like that makes my inner Hunter break out in hives. He's been acting nice since I got hurt, but there's no guarantee this isn't some public act, or a trick, and once he gets what he wants he's going to hurt me or go right back to being the same bastard as always."
"So you're reluctant because you can't trust Kaname's intentions?" Takuma says with a look of deep thought on his face.
"That's the most immediate problem," Zero hedges, because Takuma does not need to know about his troubling relationship to his body and his complete inability to deal with his new genitals.
Takuma taps his nails on the table, and turns back to Zero with his green eyes full of uncertainty. "Zero, I'm not trying to change your mind about Kaname, and I'm not trying to get you to like him. But if I brought someone to talk to you, would you listen?"
"Yes," Zero tells him. What could it hurt?
Flashing him a smile, Takuma says, "Wait here for a bit, I think there was a strategy meeting today," and the noble leaves in a rush.
Zero pours himself another cup of tea, and tries a little light meditation to soothe his feelings, closing his eyes and concentrating on his breathing. There are birds singing in the garden, fattening up on autumn bounty before winter sets in. He hears four voices, but imagines there are more birds, for some reason.
There - a flare in his Hunter senses, two auras headed towards this room.
Zero opens his eyes once they get close. "Takuma-sempai?" he asks. "Why have you brought Kain-san to see me?'
"Tell him what Kaname ordered you to do," Takuma commands over his shoulder as he settles back into his chair.
Kain looks startled, amber eyes going wide. "How did you -"
Takuma smiles. "I know you, and whatever you say, you didn't come up with the idea on your own. That leaves just one other possible person, who I also know quite well."
"I'm not allowed to discuss it -"
"Kain, I would not ask you if I did not believe it was important. Zero needs to know."
The noble gives in, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "Kaname-sama asked to see me around mid-August. He told me that the Hunters had found a suspiciously high number of new Level Ds and Es, and he wanted me to look into it."
"What did he find!?" Zero demands, jerking upright in his seat. Kuran looking into Hunter business...Zero shouldn't be surprised, but Kuran's goals for doing so are murky and probably not in the Association's best interest.
Kain shrugs. "Not much, honestly. My orders were to round up some other nobles and eliminate as many Es as possible, especially in places where they gathered in large groups. And Kaname-sama ordered me not to say that he had anything to do with it, and to keep things as quiet as I could."
"So you just killed Level Es," Zero states. Surely there has to be more?
"Pretty much. Seiren passed me locations sometimes." Now that the secret's out, Kain's returned to his usual laid-back personality. Zero has eaten enough dinners at his house to judge that he's not lying.
"Why did he want you to keep it a secret?"
The noble shrugs again. "Kaname-sama didn't say. He told us to bring down the number of Level Es, and that's what we did."
Zero looks a Takuma, hoping for clarification, but the other omega just shakes his head. "I don't know either. I only guessed what Kaname was doing in the first place. I don't believe Yuuki knows about this."
Tipping his head down and letting his bangs fall forward to hide his eyes, Zero tries to make sense of this. Kuran claimed his goal was information, but in practice this sounded like nothing more than a Level E cull. Why would Kuran care about eliminating dangerous Es? It's not to hamper a pureblood enemy, because killing level E vampires was like trying to empty the ocean with a bucket - the pureblood could easily make hundreds more. The only people it benefitted were the vulnerable humans and the overextended Hunters.
The Hunters...Could this be for maintaining their alliance? But Kuran didn't tell anyone about it, so it didn't gain him any favor with the Association. Then why do it, when it cost him resources he could spend elsewhere and the pureblood gained nothing?
Coming from Kuran, this almost looked like altruism, but Kuran's brain didn't work like that. It was the handful of people he liked and cared for that were his motivation, as well as his own desires. After that, a second tier of abstract moral principles covered any situations the first two motivations didn't touch. But none of this explains the current situation.
"Why now?" Zero thinks out loud. "The Hunters had been battling the Level E surge for months before Kuran ordered you to take action. There's no way he didn't know."
Across the table, Takuma's shoulders jerk, and he chokes on his first sip of fresh tea. Doubling over and covering his mouth, he tries to cough the liquid back up.
Zero blinks in confusion. Had he said something strange? "Takuma-sempai?"
Kain seems to have caught on to whatever startled Takuma. He's giving Zero a very peculiar look, and keeps shifting from foot to foot like he wishes he could leave.
Finally straightening, Takuma's coughs have turned into spasms the resemble laughter instead. "Zero," he wheezes, "what happened in July?"
The Hunter tries to process this, a creeping disbelief . "Takuma-sempai, there's no way Kuran sent his nobles out to pick up the slack when I couldn't Hunt anymore. He hates me. There has to be another explanation!"
Takuma's smiling so broadly his cheeks must be sore. "I'm sure it wasn't completely unselfish, but can you come up with a better reason?"
Zero glares at both the nobles, because he can't. But something will come to him if he thinks hard enough.
Kain holds his hands palm up, protesting his inclusion as a target of Zero's ire. "I'm just going to go, Ruka is waiting for me?"
"Thank you, Kain. You've been very helpful," Takuma chirps as Kain beats a hasty retreat. Then his demeanor turns serious, and he leans toward Zero, reaching out to take his hand.
Zero is a sucker for Takuma's earnestness and pleading look - for a vampire, Takuma is just too nice - and his glare thaws.
The noble squeezes Zero's hand in thanks. "I meant it when I said I wasn't trying to convince you to like Kaname, or to change your mind about him. I know very well Kaname's flaws. I just ask that you keep an open mind. You did almost die - maybe this time, Kaname really isn't planning anything underhanded. Maybe he is being honest. Please just keep the idea open, okay?"
Zero snorts, and that's the end of it. Soon after, Takuma returns home.
But the possibility Takuma planted there has already stealthily taken root. Zero thinks over the circumstances of Kain's task many times in the following weeks, but can't come to a satisfying answer. One strange coincidence is not real evidence.
Zero wonders what Kuran Kaname tastes like when he isn't lying.
I hope no one minded the spontaneous hand job. I've never written sex before, and this chapter was a test drive to start figuring out the mechanics. On a more character driven perspective, having Kaname and Yuuki finally start having sex again was a prerequisite for bringing Zero into the mix, and necessary for their own relationship. Pre-Zero, the Kurans' marriage was not so great. They held a lot back from each other, and that included during sex. Don't get me wrong, it was good sex - Kaname is very skilled - but it wasn't completely satisfying for either Yuuki or Kaname. It didn't happen that often, was pretty basic, and they went their separate ways afterward. They were both so busy maintaining the image they wanted each other to see that it lacked both passion and honesty. This is part of their communication they're working on now.
The titles of the last two chapters combine to make a famous Latin phrase that means 'If you want peace, prepare for war.'
Next chapter: 'Reparations,' Takuma makes a choice, and Zero faces the Jeweled Court for a second time.