As dusk began to settle over campus, Seiren awoke. She was initially surprised by the feeling of a warm hand resting on the bare skin of her stomach and opened her eyes in confusion. As she took in the room and the silver hair framing the face that was sleeping peacefully on the pillow beside her she smiled. He looked so peaceful in sleep.
Her smile widened as she remembered what had happened the night before. She and Zero had actually had sex. Even though she had never intended to give herself to him so suddenly, she didn't regret it. She didn't even really mind if anyone knew, she wasn't ashamed . . . though she did want to keep it under wraps. Even if she wasn't ashamed it didn't mean that she wanted everyone to know her private business and she doubted Zero would either given how he had reacted to being caught kissing her.
With this in mind, it was with some trepidation that she got dressed, hoping that no one would notice she was wearing the same clothes she had worn the day before, and crept to his still-locked door. Sticking her head out the door, she cautiously looked both ways before stepping through it and pulling it closed behind her before she released the handle to keep the latch from making noise. Wanting a shower after her exertions the day before—both in bed and out of it—she headed for the room Zero had told her contained the bathroom.
Once safely behind the closed door, she breathed a sigh of relief. No one had seen her. Once she had taken a shower and made herself presentable no one would suspect anything. She and Zero could keep their secret, for now. With a satisfied smirk crossing her face she stepped into the shower, hoping that Yuuki would not mind if she used a little of her shampoo.
In the end, she kept her shower short, despite the fact that she knew no one else would be up that early. It was a good thing that she did. Just as she had finished dressing, she heard a hand on the door knob and had mere seconds to prepare herself before the door opened and a bleary-eyed Yuuki stumbled in.
"Oh," Yuuki mumbled catching sight of the silver-haired vampire. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that you were in here. I'll just go."
"It's alright, Yuuki-sama," Seiren replied walking towards the door. "I have finished."
"If you're sure," Yuuki said slowly, rubbing her eyes.
"Are you alright?" Seiren asked. Normally she would never have asked such a question of a pureblood, but Yuuki was not a normal pureblood and Seiren was feeling abnormally bold that day.
"I'm fine," Yuuki said with an unconvincing smile and a forcibly bright tone. "I didn't sleep well but it'll be ok."
At her words, Seiren felt her heart clinch in her chest. In her elation at what had happened the night before she had forgotten what had precipitated it. Of course Yuuki was not fine. How could she be fine when the man she loved was in the state he was in?
"I'm so sorry," Seiren replied, thinking more of what she had just realized than what Yuuki had said.
"It'll be ok," Yuuki repeated. "I can take a nap later." She didn't understand why Seiren was looking at her like she was insane. It was just a sleepless night. It wasn't like it would kill her . . . there were other things that were vying for that honor and she doubted that one sleepless night would win the contest. Then it hit her. Seiren didn't know that Kaname was recovered.
"He's better, you know," Yuuki said suddenly. "Last night we had a breakthrough. He's doing better today."
Seiren smiled gently at her words. She knew that Yuuki wanted to believe that Kaname was doing better, but it would take him more time to recover . . . if he ever did. Recovery would be a long road. One night would make no real difference. However, she did not want to be the one to tell the poor girl that sad fact.
"That's good," Seiren said, her voice as gentle as her smile. She knew that her words were unconvincing when she saw Yuuki's eyes narrow slightly as she detected the lie.
"I'll just leave the bathroom to you, Yuuki-sama. I will see you later," Seiren said suddenly, bowing deeply and turning to leave the room. She realized that her escape had been slightly rude, but she was afraid of the turn the conversation might have taken if she had stayed and had decided to flee. After all, she and Zero had practice to attend to and she couldn't do that if she was dead at the hands of a grieving pureblood.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she made it back to Zero's room and seated herself on the side of his bed. He was still asleep, and she smiled sadly as she leaned down to place a kiss on his forehead. She felt bad for feeling so happy when Yuuki had to be miserable. Even though she hadn't meant it to, her actions woke him.
His violet eyes opened and he blinked a couple of times as he took in the fact that she was dressed before he focused on the sad look on her face.
"Are you ok?" he asked, insecurity rearing it's ugly head. Was she upset with him? Had he been bad at it?
She smiled sadly and nodded her head. "I'm fine." She knew that she wasn't fine but didn't want to trouble him with her problems. With a wave of sorrow she wondered if this was the same way Yuuki had meant the same words a little bit before.
"Then why do you look so sad?" Zero asked. She was shocked. He didn't strike her as the sentimental kind and for him to notice her sorrow. "Was it something I did wrong?" he asked looking away from her.
"No," she breathed, shocked that he could think that. "I just feel guilty," she explained.
"Because we shouldn't be together?" He asked again. He had thought of it before but had not wanted to bring it up since he was happy and knew that she would come to her senses eventually without his help and break his heart.
"No!" she said more forcefully. "We can be together if that is what we want. The only people who could say anything won't. Yuuki wants you to be happy and Kaname will do whatever will make her happy and no one will dare to challenge him. That is not the problem."
"Then what is? Aren't you happy?" Zero asked, confusion coloring his tone. He was happy and content . . . or he had been until he saw her face this morning. "Do you regret what we did?"
"No," she replied, her tone becoming more exasperated with each utterance of the word. "I do not regret it. I would make that decision again in a heartbeat. I feel guilty for feeling so happy when Yuuki has to be suffering. She has been through so much lately . . . "
Zero sobered as understanding dawned. Yuuki. At the thought of his friend and the state her lover was in Zero felt guilt begin to flood his veins as well before he squashed it down. There was no reason they should feel guilty. Just because she was miserable was no reason that the whole world had to be. He loved her like a sister, even if he had never told her. He knew that if he was happy he would better be able to console her in her misery.
"Yes," Zero agreed, his tone optimistic despite the sorrow that had permeated the air of the house. "And we'll be there for her when she wants us. For now, I think we should get dressed and get something to eat. Can't fight on empty stomachs."
Seiren sighed at his suggestion, but stood and handed him his clothing before she went to stand by the door unsure if she should leave or just turn to give him privacy. In the end she decided to do neither. They had had sex. This should embarrass neither of them given what they had done together. Even so, she couldn't stop the faint blush that spread up her face as he climbed out of bed.
ooOO88OOoo
Kaien stirred as he heard the sounds of someone moving in the kitchen, his hand going to the sword that he still wore. It took him a moment, but he soon recognized the backs of Zero and Seiren's heads. Realizing that he wasn't in danger, he stretched with a groan as his back protested the movement. He was too old to be sleeping slumped over on a table. He hadn't even intended to sleep here.
"Good morning," Seiren called over her shoulder when Zero had said nothing. "I'm sorry that we woke you."
"I needed to be up," Kaien replied standing slowly to go see what the two of them were up to. Zero rarely set foot in the kitchen, though it was always delicious when he did. "What are you making?" he asked.
"Breakfast," Zero said simply. "Are you hungry?" His tone was completely relaxed almost as though he had forgotten that there was a war outside and a broken pureblood upstairs. He acted as though it was just a normal morning.
Kaien found himself feeling like he was missing something and wondered if he was still asleep. Zero and Seiren were entirely too relaxed for the situation. A potential explanation crossed his mind before he rejected it fiercely. He just couldn't handle the idea that both of his children were having sex in his home.
"I could eat," he replied quietly, his suspicion showing in his tone. "Make sure to cook enough for Yuuki and Kaname." Zero looked at him sharply at that last name. Kaien wasn't sure if it was out of a refusal to cook for the pureblood or a question of the necessity but in the end Zero said nothing and added more food to skillet.
No one said anything else while Zeor finished cooking and Kaien and Seiren set the table for five. They had just begun to eat when Yuuki walked through the door.
"I thought I smelled food," she chirped. "Though with these new senses I wasn't sure that it was here." Without waiting for an invitation she plopped herself down in a chair and began adding food to the plate in front of her. "Kaname will be down in a bit," she said even though no one had asked.
They all looked at the enthusiastic way that she was eating and the overly cheery tone that she was using and knew that she was overcompensating for the fact that she was still sad about Kaname.
"It's ok if he doesn't come, Yuuki," Kaien said trying to prepare his daughter for the fact that Kaname was probably not coming to breakfast.
"Yes," Yuuki replied with a nod and a wide smile. "But he will be here." The others lapsed into silence staring uncomfortably into their plates. They didn't know what to say and hated to destroy her hopes but knew that the odds of Kaname walking into the kitchen were slim. They were so preoccupied in not looking up that the sound of a chair being pulled out startled them.
When they looked up, Kaname was sitting next to Yuuki. His face showed signs of weariness, but other than that, he looked the same as he always had. His eyes were clear and there was a smile on his face as he looked at the perky girl who had scooted closer to him when he sat down.
"I'm sorry to have worried you," Kaname said, seeing the shocked expressions on the faces of his dining companions. "I was having some difficulty dealing with the latest development in the war."
"What development?" Kaien asked. He was confused and pleased. Kaname should not be sitting here having breakfast with them. There was no way, yet here he was. No matter what the development was, or how bad, Kaien felt that they now stood a chance. He had hope again.
"How would the hunter's association have gone about recruiting a pureblood vampire?" Kaname asked in response.
"A pureblood?" Kaien replied unsure if he had heard the other correctly. "Why would the association be working with a pureblood?"
"I was hoping you could answer that," Kaname replied. He had decided that they needed to know everything that he knew about the current situation to help him with the decision he had come to. "My condition yesterday was caused by a suggestion planted in my mind by a pureblood vampire. She wanted me to turn myself over to the association. Why would they be working together? Do any purebloods owe the association any favors or the other way around?"
"Not that I know of," Kaien replied . "As far as I know the only dealings the association had with the vampire community was through the senate." Kaname nodded in response. He had suspected that was the case, but he had wanted to make sure before he implemented his plan.
"What does this mean?" Seiren asked, joining the conversation for the first time. "Why would a pureblood work with the association to eliminate the rest of the vampires? It makes no sense."
"I don't think they are after the elimination of all vampires," Kaname explained. "I think this is less about vampires and more about us."
"I agree," Kaien said when he saw that Zero was about to protest. "Yesterday Yagari told me that the rest of the branches of the association have taken no action against vampires. This war is personal and I do not believe that it actually has anything to do with the murder of the president."
"Nor do I," Kaname agreed. "It has to do with the fact that our coexistence experiment was working. We're a threat to how things have always been. A threat that must be eliminated." When no one else said anything, he continued speaking. "And I think that it is time. If they want a war, we will give them one. We should attack, when they least expect it."
"But we're not ready," Kaien insisted. He thought of all the beginners in his class and their fear at the prospect of war. He couldn't stand the idea of sending them into battle. "They will destroy us. We can't combat their weapons and their superior skills with poorly trained vampires."
"Their weapons will not be a problem," Kaname said with a smile that did nothing to reassure anyone. "I can take care of those."
"How?" Zero demanded. He had remained slient so far but that was such a ludicrous claim that he had to say something. No one could stop anti-vampire weapons. That was the point of them.
Kaname paused before he continued. He had never intended to tell anyone, but this group of people could be trusted. "Because," Kaname explained. "I invented them."
ooOO88OOoo
"If you still insist on doing this we need to prepare for an immediate attack," Kazuye said with a sigh. The association president was ignoring her, as he had been doing since she told him that Kaname had slipped from her control. She understood his frustration. She had promised that she could take Kaname out of commission and had failed. But his refusal to acknowledge her presence was beginning to grate on her nerves.
"Why should we do that?" the president demanded. "Why should I take your advice on this when everything else you have said has been wrong?"
"Because," she snarled at him barely resisting the urge to grab him and shake him. "I was in his head when he recovered, for a brief instant. I felt his anger and his need for revenge. He will not wait long to attack. And when it comes it will be brutal."
"In that case, you need to prepare for an immediate attack," he said with a cruel smile. "Kaname is your problem."
She felt herself bristle at his tone. She was not a child that could be chided and criticized. She was a pureblood vampire, and older than the man that stood before her could ever dream to become. She should be getting respect from him, not be forced to comply to his wishes. But as long as he wore that bracelet she was restricted in what she could do.
"He will not come alone," she reminded the stubborn man her irritation making her voice harsh. "He will come prepared to finish this. But fine, I will prepare for my battle and watch with relish as his followers destroy you all." She saw his eyes flash with anger in response to her words and for a split-second wondered if she had gone too far but at this point she didn't really care. They needed her more than she needed them. He would not do anything to her before this war was over and by that time she would be gone.
"We will prepare," the president said finally, his tone hard with the anger that was coursing through his veins at her continued attempts to test his authority. She needed to learn her place and once this war was over, he would make sure that she never forgot it again.
ooOO88OOoo
Here we are y'all. :) New chapter and a little bit faster than usual. . . holidays tend to mess up my writing schedule, but things will probably speed up some more as I have large sections of the next few chapters already written. And I now have the ending figured out . . . all we have to do it get there.
As always thank you for reading and to those of you who have added this story to your favorites and alerts. I would love to hear what you all think about this chapter or the story in general so leave me a review if you have time.
A special thank you to:
Eternal Darkness 96: Thank you! I am glad that you enjoyed it since I wasn't sure if that was actually what you were looking for. I hope you enjoyed this new update as well.
ShioriBunny: Well, we'll see, won't we? He didn't seem like the type to sleep around and I didn't feel like the hooded woman was the other Kuran ancestor so we had to have one more in there. There will be a chapter coming up where Yuuki and Kaname have a nice long chat about that . . . maybe even some blood/memory sharing. Thank you for the suggestion!
Sapphire Kuran: Yep. I'm glad too, comatose Kaname is no fun to write. And no problem. Updates will come more frequently as we near the end.
BookWormMissy: I am glad that you are enjoying it. And I will continue to write. I enjoy this pairing, though it will probably be my only story in this category unless I decide to do a sequel.
Thank you all for reading and I hope to see your thoughts in a review,
Stickdonkeys.