Author Notes: This is more of a missing scene than an AU from the end of Chapter Fourteen, where Kaname reminds Zero to say goodbye to Yuki before he and Zero go off to infiltrate Ichijo Enterprise in search of Kaname's mother's locket.

Hope you enjoy it... but nothing beats the original Crimson Door by Blackened Wing!

Excerpt from Crimson Door Chapter Fourteen:

Kaname regarded the tense set of the other's shoulders for half a moment. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to Yuki?" he asked, quietly and perhaps a trifle coldly.

Zero's eyes were decidedly cool as he looked back towards the pureblood. "Why bother? You already did, didn't you?" It wasn't like it was easy for Zero to watch Kaname and Yuki together. He didn't know or understand yet what this weird draw he kept feeling towards the pureblood was either and he wasn't sure he liked it.

Kaname shot Zero a dark look. Don't hurt yourself and her just because you're mad at me. "Don't take for granted that there will always be another chance to do things left undone." Kaname's low voice was almost angry, although he had no idea why he was quite so upset. "You don't think she's going to notice that you left her without a parting?"

Kaname turned on his heel and strode away to get ready. "She cares about you, Kiriyu," he said quietly as he disappeared down the hall. Kaname had no idea why he'd said that. He should be jealous of the fact that Yuki's heart was still so divided between them; he had been for a long time, but for some reason now... he...

He needed to focus on what he was doing and what gear he needed to gather up. There was much to be done and not much time to do it in.

Aido and Takuma had watched the exchange silently, obviously considered this whole situation awkward and quickly scuttled off to take care of their own preparations as soon as Kaname left.

Zero stared after Kaname for a few long moments, then turned and slid silently back into the other room. One thing the pureblood had right, he supposed. Life didn't always give you a second chance for anything.

-- Start --

Both the Chairman and Yuki were sitting down and talking quietly when Zero came back inside the Chairman's office. He stood just inside the door, hesitating.

After a moment, the older man sensed his presence and looked up. Immediately, Zero dodged his gaze, still rather embarrassed that he'd drunk his blood earlier. It was completely out of the question that he'd take from Yuki when she was still so weak from the gas exposure. Zero knew that Kaname had wondered whose blood he'd drunk, since he knew Zero was allergic to the blood tablets. He'd also seen the brief flash of amusement in the dark eyes as they rested on the bandage just visible above the older man's scarf.

Well, and whose fault is that, Kuran? If you hadn't taken so much from me earlier…

Zero tried hard not to remember the truly desperate state the pureblood was in at that time, and what else had happened between them other than the actual drinking. He still didn't know how to describe it, but he knew it definitely fell into the category of 'Things that no one must find out about. Ever.'

Yuki swung around. "Zero" she smiled up at him and reached out a hand. Zero strode to her and closed his fingers around her hand. He pulled her upright before wrapping his arms around her in a gentle hug.

Yuki wrapped her own arms around Zero's waist, burying her face in his shirt. His scent was familiar and comforting. "I'm so glad we made it back here, Zero..." she whispered. She'd only woken up in the school's infirmary and didn't have much of a chance to talk to Zero just now, what with answering the Chairman's almost frantic questions and being interrupted by Takuma and Aido from time to time as they tried to tell the older man what had happened to them and how they had found Kaname.

Zero nodded. "Me too" he said in a heartfelt tone. He was especially glad that Yuki was now safe. It was a huge burden of his chest, that he'd carried ever since he'd entered the cellar rooom at the Ichijo mansion and found not only a tied up and greviously injured Kaname, but a barely conscious Yuki as well, tied to him. It really was a miracle that the starving pureblood hadn't bitten Yuki and drained her dry at that time, even though Zero had to admit that that wasn't the first thought that came to his mind, especially when Yuki's shirt collar was stained dark red with her blood.

Yuki pulled back slightly to look at him. "I'm sorry you had to drink from Father..." she whispered very softly so that the Chairman hovering behind her now wouldn't hear. Zero shook his head, grimacing a little. "That's not your fault, don't worry about it."

"Well" said the Chairman. Zero and Yuki spared him a somewhat reluctant look and the older man got the message. He edged around them towards the door, sensing they wanted some privacy. "I'll be waiting outside..."

Zero looked back down at Yuki. "How're you feeling?" he asked quietly. They both knew he wasn't talking about her gas exposure. A small smile trembled on Yuki's lips and she shrugged, her gaze dropping to her hands. "I'll need some time to think it over" she said softly. Her family. Kaname. How they had known each other. Everything that had happened in the past. In her past.

Zero nodded understandingly. "That was quite an information overload Kuran dropped on you" he said casually. On us all actually…

Yuuki looked up. "Yes" she agreed in the same quiet tone. "But one thing I do know is that I still trust Kaname, no matter what he says, and no matter what happens." The quiet conviction in her voice made Zero swallow whatever protests he'd started to think up.

"Zero? I know you and Kaname aren't good friends, but -" Yuki hesitated, seeing the sudden reserved look that appeared on Zero's face. She took his larger hands in hers and squeezed them gently. "He is a good person, Zero, you must believe that..."

Unexpectedly, Yuki's words made Zero recall his thoughts a few minutes earlier, thinking he would've done the exact same thing that Kuran had.

"He has a good heart, Zero, despite all that's happened to him. He's not like the other vampires, he's not - not evil" Yuki's voice trembled a little but she looked achingly earnest. Zero sighed, his lips twisting a little ruefully. His hands shifted so that he was holding Yuki's and he squeezed her fingers comfortingly. "I know, Yuki" he admitted quietly. "I'd have done the same thing he had."

Yuki smiled, genuinely relieved. After a moment, she continued. "Earlier, in the woods..." she paused, wondering at the way Zero's body suddenly tensed against hers. "I'm so glad you let Kaname drink your blood, Zero."

It was just a simple sentence of appreciation but Yuki's innocent words made Zero flush hot and cold all over. Yuki had come across them then, while Kaname's fangs were still buried in his neck, but it looked like she hadn't seen or realised what Kaname was doing to him besides the drinking. Well, it definitely wasn't something he wanted Yuki to know. Just like he didn't want her to ever find out that he was now bonded with the pureblood. Just the mere thought of it was too humiliating - he probably wouldn't be able to even find the words to explain it if he tried. So he just nodded briefly.

"I know how hard it was for you to make that decision" continued Yuki softly. She hugged Zero again and his heart constricted. Yuki could tell it had been hard for him to let Kaname drink his blood, but she still didn't know how he felt about her.

"Zero? You'll watch out for Kaname, won't you? He's strong... invincible really... but he's been through so much…" A distressed frown appeared on Yuki's face as she recalled the utterly helpless way Kaname had broken down to weep in her arms back in the woods. It could have been triggered by the words she'd said to him then, as she tried to reassure him that he wasn't worthless at all in her eyes but she realised now that it had probably also helped to wash away some of the hurt he'd carried from the depraved torture he'd been put through during those horrible three weeks, completely at the mercy of that evil Rido and Ichijo.

Kaname's tears hadn't offended or disgusted Yuki in any way. She didn't know Kaname inside out - despite the number of years she'd known him, he'd always been a little - distant - from her. But she did know it would take a lot to make someone like Kaname actually shed tears and she couldn't stop her own tears from falling as she held him close and comforted him as best she could.

Zero kept silent and Yuki continued. "Kaname hasn't had time to fully recover, and now he's setting out again to get that necklace. Please watch his back, Zero..."

Yuki's earnest voice and look tore at Zero's heart. She didn't need to tell him that; Zero had agreed to go with Kaname - of course he'd watch out for him, the same way he knew Kaname would too. Yuki saw the expression in Zero's eyes. "I told Kaname just now for both of you to come back safely... and I'm telling you the same thing, Zero – both of you must come back safely, you must."

Yuki blinked back the tears that had started to well up in her eyes – did Kaname and Zero know the dangers they would be walking into? Anything could happen. They could be killed, they could be caught… and there was no telling what those two evil persons would do then… she couldn't bear to even imagine the torture they had put Kaname through. She couldn't even begin to describe the sheer horror she'd felt when she had first laid eyes on Kaname, back in Ichijo's cellar, hands bound with chains that hung from the ceiling, that horrible muzzle thing contorting his mouth, the desperate hunger in his suffering eyes, the grevious open wounds on his exposed back... and his neck – his poor, bleeding, ravaged neck... And the look Kaname had given her, as if his worst nightmare had come true... she knew now it wasn't because he didn't want to see her, but because he wasn't sure if he could stop himself from biting her then, in the state he was in.

A shiver of compassion ran through Yuki and Zero felt it. "Don't worry, Yuki. I'll take care of Kaname, don't worry" Zero hugged her close to him again as he murmured the words, even though they caused a strange thrill to ripple through him. Strangely enough, he meant what he said. He felt somehow... strangely protective of the pureblood. Despite what he was. Despite what he'd done.

He was such an idiot.

Kaname wouldn't need his protection, he was a pureblood! Despite the injuries he'd sustained, Zero had no doubts on that score. Even wounded and weakened, Kaname had managed to bring down an entire chopper with that amazing power he had… Why the hell would he need an ex-human to protect him? No, Kaname has chosen him because of the likelihood they'd run into hunter weapons, and the knowledge Zero had would prove useful then. The words he'd just spoken to Yuki were meant to reassure her only, Zero tried to convince himself.

Yuki hugged him back fiercely and a lump rose in Zero's throat. Kaname wasn't the only one who loved Yuki, he did too. But knowing what he was... knowing how she saw him... And as he had for many times before, Zero swallowed the words he wanted to say. He couldn't say them, not even if this was the last time he would see Yuki.

"Don't worry, Yuki" he whispered against her hair. "We'll be safe, don't worry..."

-- End --