Sorry that I haven't been able to update. I appreciate the reviews and those who followed and faved this story. Please enjoy this third chapter of "Career, Love, and Family".

Finally, realization struck the silver-haired male when Kaname did not let go of his arm. 'How could I not have realized it?' Zero thought to himself. He was so restless that he didn't even have precautions when it came to Kaname finding out about his injured hand, and yet Zero just gave himself away. He knew that the brunette had a very observant eye, but he didn't know that he was that observant.

"Zero…what happened to your hand?" Kaname asked again when he didn't earn a response from Zero.

"N-nothing…" Zero tried to pry his arm away from Kaname but the actor just tightened his grip. "Kuran-san….you're hurting me…" Zero mumbled with a hurt look.

"Don't lie to me Zero." Kaname pushed the subject onward. He wanted to know what happened while he was not present.

Sensing the seriousness in Kaname's voice, Zero didn't want to argue anymore, so he told Kaname what had happened in his absence. "I was just cooking breakfast when I accidentally burnt my hand…" Kaname's grip loosened and Zero pulled his arm away and shook his hand as a gesture of shoving it off. "…but it's no big deal. I often experience this happening."

Kaname shook his head and grabbed Zero's hand once more. He took off the hanky and stared at the small burn. He looked up so that his eyes and Zero's lavender ones could meet. Zero can clearly see the worry in them and that made him feel sort of giddy even though he's seen many worried eyes before. "Please be more careful." Kaname kissed Zero's hand, and that shocked them both. Kaname let go, and Zero withdrew his hand. The actor was now hiding his own blush under his bangs while Zero showed his freely.

An awkward silence was evident for a few moments until Kaname broke the awkwardness by taking his and Zero's plate. "Ah- Kuran-san, I'll do that." Zero abruptly said as he noticed that Kaname was going to do the dishes.

"It's alright, Zero." Kaname reassured. He doesn't intend to let Zero do all the work in his household. That is also to repay the kindness the silver-haired male had shown and given him. "By the way, please, enough with the formalities. You can just call me Kaname, like how I call you Zero. You don't have to add –san or use my last name when you call me." Kaname felt a little unfair to Zero when the actor said the silverette's name without any casualties. "Why don't you give it a go? Say my name, Ka-na-me." Kaname offered in slightly teasing tone.

Zero hesitated, he never addressed anyone by their given name, and he also didn't mind other's calling him by his given name too, he was used to it. "Kana…me." Zero said, barely above a whisper, but the actor caught what he said and smiled.

"There, that wasn't so hard now, was it?" Kaname asked looking over his shoulder. He was almost finished with the dishes. Even though he is an actor, he knows how to do chores, and that's how he pays the people who he lives with besides being in a relationship.

Zero shook his head and gave a small grin at the actor, silently saying that it wasn't hard at all. Kaname gave a smile in return as he was now drying his hands after he placed the plates back into their places. "Kuran-sa-…Kaname, if I may ask, what was your conversation about, earlier?" Zero quickly corrected himself when he almost said Kuran-san. Kaname sat back at the dining area where Zero was still lingering and rested his chin on his slightly damp hands. He locked eyes with Zero.

"It was about work." Kaname smiled at Zero. He thought that it was cute that Zero was curious. "I am going to meet an actor that wants me in his movie." Zero's reaction to what Kaname just said made the brunette's heart beat faster than normal. The silver-haired male had his eyes sparkling in awe and the actor could just chuckle at the sight.

Zero leaned back into his chair and sighed in a sort of surprised tone. "You're so busy, Kaname." Zero finally got the name right without a need of corrections. To this, Kaname smiled and leaned back into his chair as well.

'If only you knew how it's like to be an actor. It's so hard and tiring.' Kaname thought to himself, he wanted to tell the silverette that, but he just kept his words at the back of his mind and said something else. "You could say that, but it's my job as a famous actor." Kaname said in a matter-of-factly tone.

Zero smiled and stood up, startling the actor in the process. "Well, I know that much." Zero gave Kaname one of his own smirks then went to the living room, leaving a Kaname that was in a daze. That was the first time Kaname had seen Zero smirk, and he couldn't deny the fact that it affected him so much to the extent that Kaname was now suppressing a chuckle and a blush from gracing his features.

Finally getting his composure back, he stood as well, going to the living room where the silverette was slumping on the couch. Kaname took the seat beside Zero and stared at the surroundings of the room. He noticed that Zero watches the news too, so he faced the television and watched as well. It was something about a movie that will be on in a few more months. Zero seemed engrossed in the news cast, Kaname noticed. 'Does he want to watch that movie?' Kaname theorized, but he wasn't sure yet. So, he decided to ask. "Ne, Zero." Kaname called the silver-haired male.

Hearing the call from the person beside him, Zero turned his head to look at the brunette. "What is it Kaname?"

"Do you like that movie?" Kaname asked, staring intently at Zero as if the answer was already written on his face.

Zero became slightly flustered at the way Kaname was looking at him. It was so unlike him to get flustered when he himself is already used to it, but why does Zero's heart beat so rapidly? "Umm…yeah, sort of. I am planning to watch it when it's showing." Zero answered, and Kaname's theory was proven. Kaname sees this as an opportunity, he held his breath for a moment before he exhaled and asked Zero what he wanted to ask.

"Umm…If you don't mind…" Kaname rubbed his neck in embarrassment. Zero was confused at the way Kaname was acting. The silverette was wondering what Kaname had to say, so he waited for Kaname to gather his courage to continue his sentence. "….would you want to watch it with me?" Kaname finally said. Zero was shocked at this, and he started to feel giddy again, he could feel heat rising to his cheeks. Kaname almost blushed at how cute Zero was when the said male became flustered.

"Sure. I'd like that." Zero was so happy that he was smiling so widely that his cheeks hurt. Kaname felt his heart race at the sight. Zero was so beautiful right now, if he wasn't gorgeous enough already. The brunette felt the urge to hug Zero right now and coo whenever the silver-haired male was in a very cute state. It made the brunette feel very happy that Zero accepted his offer. It wasn't the first time that Kaname's offers were accepted, yeah, he dated a lot before, but this moment with the silverette made him feel like he was on top of the world, smiling down at the creations below. It made him feel like he was the happiest person alive.

"That's great!" Kaname smiled genuinely. What he did not know was that when he smiled, Zero's heart was pounding in his chest. That was very unlikely for the silverette. A lot of people tried to ask Zero out before, but Zero always turned them down, but Kaname….he had this weird effect on Zero that makes his inner self say 'GO OUT WITH HIM!'

A silent moment occurred until Kaname turned to find something. Curious to what the actor was searching for, Zero asked what is it. "Kaname, what are you trying to find?"

"Zero, what time is it?" Kaname was trying to find the clock in the living room but it seems that he can't find it. Zero glanced at the small clock that was on the living room's table and said the time.

"It's still 11:00 am. Why?" Zero asked the actor who now was slumping on the couch, running a hand through brown locks of hair.

"It's just that my manager will be picking me up at 2:00pm, and I need to get ready by then and explain a small misunderstanding he left me with." Kaname sighed. It was too early to think that Takuma would come and pick him up. He thought that it was already noon.

"Oh, what was the misunderstanding?" Zero asked curiously, earning a surprised look from the actor. "Never mind. You don't have to tell me that." Zero gave a strained smile. Zero switched the television off, and was supposed to stand up when Kaname took hold of his wrist and pulled him back into sitting.

"I gave him the address to this place, and he thought that I had a new girlfriend." Kaname said bluntly. Zero had the right to know, since the brunette knew that sooner or later, Takuma would keep asking questions, not only to the actor, but to the silverette as well.

Zero was surprised to hear that. "What? Why did he think that? You do have a girlfriend don't you? Why did you stay out last night anyway when you could have just stayed at your girlfriend's place?" Zero was sort of sad at the thought that Kaname went to his place than to his girlfriend's place. If he didn't approach the actor last night, then he wouldn't have had to deal with a misunderstanding like this and get in the way of Kaname's relationship.

"Zero." Kaname unconsciously cupped Zero's cheek and made the silverette face him. Kaname was surprised to see a hurt expression, but he can't assume too much. "I don't have a girlfriend, Zero. I don't know why Takuma thought of that. Last night….I was kicked out of my ex's apartment, and that's why I was on the bench." Kaname explained thoroughly as if he planned hoe to say it. Zero was confused at the actor's sudden response and showed that expression clearly, then Kaname continued. "I was planning on dying last night, but my plans were altered when I met you. You are the reason why I am here right now." Kaname said without hesitation. 'Can I ask Zero to be my new lover?' Kaname inwardly shivered at his own thought. How could he think like that when he just met the male?! 'Darn it!' Kaname cursed in his head.

In Zero's point of view, what Kaname had just said made it sound like he was in a drama. Kaname sounded so cheesy just a few moments ago that Zero couldn't help but blush and feel mushy inside. 'Kaname…why do you affect me so much?' Zero thought to himself before he responded to Kaname's explanation. "Kaname, enough. You sound so cheesy that you're making me blush!" Zero blurted out, drawing his face away from Kaname's warm hand that caressed it. Kaname was shocked and clearly amused at what Zero said, and that encouraged him to ask Zero to be with him. Kaname took Zero's hand and looked at the silverette's confused eyes in a pleading way.

"Zero…to clear up this misunderstanding up, and to not cause you trouble further…" Kaname gained the attention of the silver-haired male, and their eyes locked in intimacy. "….why don't you become my lover for real?" Kaname's suggestion made Zero's face turn red as tomato as he found his own heart pounding loudly and quickly in his chest.

"EH?!

That's the end of this chapter. I apologize, if it turned out rushed. I find it that way myself. Besides, this is not my chapter. I asked my friend to help me in this, and this is how it turned out. It really looks like an amateur's work now. Well, can't blame her, I owe her anyway. Please review if you want to know what Zero's answer to Kaname's suggestion is. (^_^) ~(^_^) Also, I apologize about the whole chapter in her stead. No negative comments for this chapter please, or she'll cry. \(._.)/