The Mirror and the Mask

Chapter 2: Hide and Seek

The tub suddenly became an ocean. The once placid water ripped and rocked like waves after Kaname fell back into the tub. He sat there, his legs painfully draped over the rim of the tub, calculating what just past before him.

That was Zero…I think it was. It happened so fast. First I'm getting out of the shower and next Zero's staring—wait! How did Zero get in here? Why did Zero come here? If it's not to fetch Yuuki, than what? He couldn't have come here on his own terms.

Each time Kaname ran the events over and over again, a little movie rewinding in his mind, he finally realized a shocking truth.

He saw me naked!!

"Ahh." Kaname stuck his hands on his face, trying to suppress a blush while he groaned and muttered curses to himself. He slowly inched deeper into the tub, trying to forget his embarrassment within the serenity of the water.

Zero huffed into the Headmaster's House. Slamming doors and gasping not from exercise but from what he had just seen. He walked down the halls with a sloppy gait, his arms swinging violently beside his legs. Frantically, he searched for his own bedroom and yearning for the moment when he would shut his bedroom door behind him and be enclosed safely within familiar walls.

It didn't take long till he was within his sanctuary filled with wall posters and familiar items which took him back to days of old. But familiarity wasn't calming enough to soothe his anxiety. By the time he closed the door, his feet quickly took him to sit on the edge of his bed.

Even sitting his leg jittered up and down while the silver haired boy mumbled the same words.

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God." It soon grew to become a mantra, calming his racing heart. But the stillness of the bed wasn't enough. Zero instantly flew to his feet and began pacing the room, walking in circles.

Okay, Okay. Breathe. Nothing happened. Just saw Kaname naked—

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God." Whenever the image popped into his head, Zero had to rely on his mantra to quiet him down.

No, stop! Not important! But he saw me—shit! He's thinking that I had been there for a while, staring at him like some pervert. Now confronting him won't be nearly as effective if he believes that I find him attractive. He'll never take me seriously again. In fact he'll think that he has even more power over me. I cannot let that happen! Already Kaname believes that I'm alive because of him—ignorant self indulged jerk!

Zero sat down again on his bed, giving stillness a second chance in calming him down. He looked at the clock, reading that he had only five hours to sleep before he would have to get ready for school.

But I have to confront him. He thought. Until I do, all I am is just another pawn under his control.

Zero fell backwards onto the bed and decided to fall asleep there and now. He already had a quick and interrupted shower. Even though he still wore his damp uniform, Zero made himself think that it would at least save him time from getting dressed. In the stillness of the night, his sleepless thoughts drifted into imagining what it would have been like if he didn't run away from the bathroom.

"And so the answer is: The Limit Does not Exist." Professor Boyden turned around from the chalk stained blackboard only to find a crowd of uninterested students counting down the last minuets of school. Problem number five was next and the middle age teacher scanned the room for his next victim. His eyes fell upon a head full of sliver hair lying on the desk motionless.

"Mr. Kiriyuu." The boy didn't stir. "Mr. Kiriyuu!" Zero didn't wake up until some nearby student jerked his sharp elbow into his ribs.

"Wha?" Zero looked up with a spacey expression. At the front of the class he found an angry looking Professor Boyden.

"Christ, Kiriyuu!" Boyden snapped. "Everyday you do this! Either find your beauty rest elsewhere or get use to taking my class all over again next year!" Zero wasn't deaf to Boyden's booming voice which he was known to have. Embarrassed, Zero sat up and looked pitiful in order to seem innocent and understanding.

"Yes, sir." He answered quietly. For the next fifteen minuets, Professor Boyden continued on the lesson of limits and soon enough the bell rang; ending all Day students' classes for the evening. Zero took his time in packing up and leaving class. The halls were busy with anticipation of the expecting time when the Night Class would arrive.

He passes a trio of girls crowding over a handmade scarf.

"Do you think Kain will accept this?" One asked her friends.

"Oh! I know he will! It matches perfectly with his eyes!"

What a bunch of thoughtless zombies. Zero glanced back at the girls. Knowing how dumb they are, I sometimes think I should allow them to get bitten by those vampires.

Zero arrived at his locker. Since the beginning of his day not once did he think of Kaname. In fact he nearly had forgotten about it completely since he was wrapped up in the normality of his schooldays. It wasn't until he saw Yuuki come towards him, catching her arm badge, that he remembered he was a Prefect and soon remembered he had to see Kaname again after that shocking event.

"Zero!" She crossed her arms over her chest. "We're late! The Night Students should be here any moment." Zero panicked and nearly dropped his book. Shit, I forgot that I would have to see him again! I can't let him see me—I can't let me see him!

"Zero, why are you so red?"

"Excuse me?" Zero touched his face, knowing well that what she meant was the red blushing over his face.

"Are you sick?" Sick? Zero smiled inside. He found his loophole.

"Yah." He looked down at the ground while whipping his head. "I haven't been feeling well at all." Zero felt a firm hand grip his shoulder with Yuuki looking gravely at him.

"Is it acting up again?" Zero eyes widen. She's automatically thinking that I'm thirsty?! "Do you need some more?" He couldn't choose whether he was appalled that Yuuki would automatically assume he craved blood, or that she wouldn't ever believe he would once really become ill. Nevertheless, either choice meant that Yuuki now didn't see Zero as a human nor possessing any human attributes such as getting a cold.

"Do you always think that I want blood?!" He slammed his locker, causing a pause of silence in the air. "Am I only an animal to you?!"

"Zero—'' But he was far out of her reach of understanding. The silver haired boy pushed her away and quickly lost himself in the throng of Day Class students who all were looking at him. Zero knew he wasn't acting himself. Never did he show such anger publicly to cause a scene. He stormed out of the Math Building, savoring the winter air but he didn't relax.

Everywhere he went there were students looking at him; knowing that something was wrong in Zero. It was like his face mirrored his emotions perfectly, unable to mask them away from the world.

"Dammit!" Zero bowed his head and quickly walked to a vacant place where he could be alone, isolated from the world. The main courtyard was crowded, the English Hall was packed, and even the Men's Bathroom had students occupying it. Zero was running out of options to find a sanctuary. It seemed the entire school body leaked into every nook and cranny of campus, leaving Zero to stand still and be only a sight show for the students. He thought he would never get away from their stares until he came across something which he had forgotten long ago. His private courtyard. The private courtyard which was squished and kept secret behind a thicket of bushes. The small courtyard was literally just a small patch of space between buildings. Only brick, concrete and the stray of cigarette buds occupied Zero's little haven yet it had quietness, something that Zero treasured above all things.

Zero looked around and finally relaxed to entertain his thoughts. He leaned upon a strong brick wall, his face scratching roughly against its dry and cool surface. The young boy breathed deeply as he closed his eyes to listen to the world. He knew Yuuki would be left all alone to battle against the Day Class but what he now carried in his heart was chocking his mind of selfless consideration. For once in his life, he decided to think of himself.

It was like she didn't even think that I might have really been sick. She automatically believed it was my animalistic habits, my ultimate sin. Am I really nothing more to her? Just a vampire? Did I lose all my humanity within her eyes? Maybe I did and now I'm nothing more than a beast like them. And Yuuki's eyes just reflect what I am: a monster.

Zero's eyes tightened, closing and trying to bay back the sting of tears.

It seems that the only thing Yuuki or the Chairman talk to me about is my condition. Not once has someone asked, 'Are you feeling cold?', 'Did you do your homework, Zero?', 'Are you hungry for something?', 'Have you brushed your teeth this morning, Zero?' Nothing. All it they talk about is about my disease, whether I'll live or die today, how long I have till I become a Level E, have I taken the tablets.

SLAM!

"Fuck!" Zero held his fist, massaging the pain out of it after impulsively punching the brick wall. He looked at his throbbing hand, noticing his knuckles were now bleeding. Everything is all wrong!

"Are you okay?" Zero gasped at the sound of the familiar silky voice. He turned around instantly, finding Kaname emerged behind the brick wall from the outside world. "I can smell that you're hurt." Zero knew what he meant by 'smell'. He could smell the blood.

Zero stared at him, a mixture of anger and fear. He wanted to yell at him for what he said last night but he couldn't bear to look at him after what he saw last night. So Zero just gave him a second glare before turning his back towards the pure blood.

"Leave me alone."

He could hear that Kaname didn't from the sounds of his footsteps upon the hard concrete floor.

"You weren't there at the gates to help Yuuki." Slowly he was coming closer to him. Zero could feel his heat emit from his body, smell his scent growing stronger with each step. "You know she relies on your help. The job is too much for one little girl to do." Go away, go away, go away. "She told me something is wrong with you. You're not acting like yourself." Why won't he leave me alone? Just go away and leave me be. "But I would expect that after our little shock of an incident in the bathroom." Zero could hear a slight chuckle in Kaname's voice.

He continued to keep his back towards him, trying hard to block out Kaname's presence from his mind. But really he was making himself believe that he wanted Kaname to leave.

A hand took his bleeding one in its warm palm. Zero looked over his shoulder, finding Kaname's face inches from his own.

"So I know that you've been thinking about me all day as much as I have been thinking about you."

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope everyone is enjoying this story. I understand that some yaoi fans would think this is going to slow concerining boy on boy action but I just want it known that this story may incorporate M level sex, it still revolves deeply around the emotions of the characters. So expect some parts of heavy drama as much as some parts of sex.

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