It's cold. Freezing. I can see something. What is it? My reflection. A mirror? Why is there a mirror here? It's crying. Why? I'm not sad. How is that possible?

"Zero."

Not my reflection. Another person. Who? And how? Why?

"Zero!"

Don't cry. I'm here. Can't you see me?

"Blood."

What? Stop! Don't cut yourself like that. It hurts! Stop!

"Aren't you thirsty?"

Thirsty? I am. But my throat. I can't swallow. I can't drink. Stop hurting yourself!

"Don't you want my blood?"

I don't. I don't! Stop! I don't! I don't want your blood. Stop it!

"Yuuki."

No! I don't want to! No. Stop! Please, stop! Yuuki! Yuuki!!

Chapter two, embrace me.

Zero's eyes snapped open in shock. A dream. He had been dreaming again.

He was thirsty. So damn thirsty.

"Good morning."

Zero jumped slightly at the voice that suddenly cut through the silence. He turned his head and found Kuran Kaname sitting next to him. How had he failed to notice that bastard's presence?

"How are you feeling? I take it you're hungry?"

Zero slumped down against the pillow and turned away his head in disgust. Just being near the vampire was enough to make him want to puke.

"They removed the bindings. Yuuki insisted on it."

Zero couldn't keep his head from snapping back toward the male at the mention of Yuuki. She had been here? Watching him? Seen him in this state?

Zero couldn't stand the mere thought alone and started clawing at the various IV's and tubes that were inserted into his arms and other parts of his body.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kaname spoke softly as he grabbed Zero's injured hands firmly. "They're helping you heal."

Zero winced at the touch. He could feel his hands throbbing softly. Pain.

"How is your throat?" Kaname asked after Zero had stopped struggling against his hold and made no other attempt at removing the tubes from his body.

Zero shook his head in answer. He still refused to believe that the pure-blood was genuinely concerned about him but he figured either Yuuki or the Headmaster had asked him to look after him. I'll have to pay them back for this later.

"You're lucky no real damage came from this all. You'll probably never be able to speak again but that isn't really a problem for you, is it?" Kaname mocked, staring at the stoic vampire through half-lidded eyes.

Zero would have told the bastard to go to hell if he could. He hated him. Despised him. Would have killed him, too, if it weren't for Yuuki. Yuuki.

A soft knock brought the attention of the two males to the door. Since when does Yuuki knock?

"Come in," Kaname said.

The door opened and a head peaked into the room curiously. "Z-zero-kun?"

Zero stared. Who was this girl? Why was she here?

"Ah, welcome. You must be Miki, correct?"

The girl blushed deeply before she opened the door all the way and bowed. "Y-yes! K-kaname-senpai!"

Kaname smiled warmly. "Zero is awake, but he is very tired, I'm afraid. Could you please keep it short?"

"Ah! Yes, o-ofcourse!"

Zero stared suspiciously at the girl who moved forward and presented him a stack of cards and letters along with the occasional bouquet of flowers.

"I was asked to deliver these gifts to you from various people from our school. Since I live the closest to the hospital and was very worried," her blush deepened, "I thought I'd just stop by after class."

Zero turned to glare at Kaname. That bastard knew this girl was coming and he had said nothing?

"That's very kind of you," Kaname said as he took the stack from her when Zero refused to do so. "I'm sure Kiryuu appreciates it very much."

The girl smiled widely. "Well then, I'll just put these into a vase," the girl said as she walked to the sink with the bouquets of flowers in her hands, "and be on my way again."

Zero glared dangerously at Kaname. You bastard. You knew she would come here and yet you said nothing! Just make her go away, already. She's annoying.

Zero swore he saw Kaname smirk at him in response.

You fucking bastard!

He had barely finished the thought or a loud crash was heard and the girl, Miki, was on her knees, surrounded by various shards off glass and different pieces of flowers. "Ah! I'm so sorry!"

Zero sighed inwardly. Such a clumsy girl.

"I'm sorry!" The girl said again as she scrambled back up to her feet, dusting the glass and water off her clothes. "I'll clean it up right now!"

Kaname watched as the girl suddenly winced and a very familiar smell filled the air. She was hurt.

His eyes shifted to land on Zero, who had picked up on the smell as well, his breathing deepening and his mouth hung open in a pant.

"You're hurt," Kaname spoke as he put both hands on the girls' shoulders and pushed her to the door. "You need to get that cut checked out."

"I-it's really nothing!" The girl said as she struggled lightly, not wanting her only chance of being near Zero to be taken away from her like this. "It's a small cut, that's all!"

Kaname could clearly hear Zero's frantic heartbeat and fought the urge to just push the annoying girl through the door, instead of opening it for her first.

"A small cut can also be very dangerous. The nurse should be around here somewhere. Go straight to her and if any other person offers you help, don't go near them. Take care, now," Kaname closed the door shut behind her and let out a deep sigh. It seemed that the girl had only caused him more trouble.

A loud thump brought Kaname's attention back to the injured boy and when he turned to look, he found Zero on the floor next to the bed, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Another sigh came from Kaname as he shook his head slightly. "It's too early for this."

The moment he pushed himself off the door to check on the male, it flew open again and Yuuki came running inside, heading directly to Zero.

"Zero," she said as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gently stroked his hair. "It's going to be okay."

"Yuuki," Kaname said after having recovered from the light surprise Yuuki had given him when she suddenly came running in like that," I suggest you don't get too close to him. He reacted quite heavily to the scent of that girls' blood."

"Kaname-senpai!" Yuuki said as she looked at him, surprised to find him there. She hadn't even seen him when she came in. Had he been standing behind the door?

Zero suddenly jerked out of her hands and banged himself against the bed, fighting of the thirst that was traveling through his system. He refused to drink her blood. Not when he was like this.

"Zero!" Yuuki cried out when she noticed the small trails of blood that ran down various places on his body, the places where the tubes had been connected to his body.

The boy wrapped his arms tightly around himself and repeated the action again, this time making the bed shake violently under his actions.

"Zero!" Yuuki cried out again as she shot forward, wrapping her arms tightly around the male, not at all caring that his face was now dangerously close to her neck. "It'll be alright. I'm here for you, Zero."

Zero struggled against her hold but Yuuki stubbornly held him close and kept whispering words of comfort to him. "Everything's going to be fine, Zero."

Kaname, who had been watching from a close distance, felt a change in the air as Zero finally stopped struggling and tiredly slumped against Yuuki's body, exhausted and hurt.

"I'll never leave you again, Zero," Yuuki said as she held him even closer, "I promise."

Flashes of a memory.

A boy. His reflection.

No, not a reflection. Twins.

Laughter.

Snow. Cold. Freezing.

Pinkies clasped together. A promise.

"Together. Forever."

Smiles. His reflection. Broken. Shattered.

Pain. Hurt.

Tears.

Blood.

"Ichiru."

ToBeContinued?

If anybody has difficulty following this story so far, please let me know and I'll do my best to explain it to you.
Next chapter should be up soon, depending on the reviews and the amount of spare time I have.

Thanks for reading.