Disclaimer: The Maiden of Autumn owns nothing.

Takuma sighed as he closed the door left open by Kaname, mulling over the brunette's words and actions.

To anyone else's eyes, Kaname treated Vincent almost the same as he did the rest of the Night Class; polite, yet somewhat distant and detached. To Takuma's observing gaze, which spotted things others did not, Kaname treated the ravenette gently, almost as he did Yuuki.

Kaname needed someone like Vincent to love, Takuma had decided. They would complement each other perfectly.

The only problem was, Takuma frowned as he walked back to the bed where Vincent's prone body was lying, was the obstacles that were set in the way. Vincent was a human, even if there was a part of his heritage that was questionable.

There was no way the Council would allow something like that. And worse, Vincent was a male.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching over and picking up the washcloth. Dipping it into the warm water, Takuma gently wiped away the blood from Vincent's neck, breathing in through his mouth to prevent his bloodlust from rising. Vincent's blood smelled extremely delicious, and he didn't want to take any chances- to keep his mind off of the thought, he pondered Vincent and Kaname's situation.

The Council was expecting Kaname to carry on the pureblood line, he knew. The race of purebloods was dying out, and the Vampire Council was desperate to prevent that from happening. Which didn't explain Kaname's fascination and behavior towards Yuuki. If he really wanted to do his duty to the vampire race, then wouldn't he marry a pureblooded woman instead of focusing all of his attention towards Yuuki?

He thought about this as he dunked the washcloth into the bowl of water, wringing it out to get the bloody water out of it. He ran the cloth over Vincent's neck one more time to make sure it was fully clean, and then dropped the bloody rag back into the bowl, standing up and taking it to the bathroom, pouring out the water into the sink and tossing the bloody cloth into the hamper for the maids to take care of.

Going back to Vincent, he gently lifted the smaller form of the boy up, drawing back the covers and then setting him down. He drew the covers back up to cover Vincent, covering his bare chest out of a sense of modesty.

Sighing as his task was done, he sat back down on the bed next to Vincent, his emerald gaze resting upon the ravenette thoughtfully, his mind returning to the task that he had assigned himself.

Pushing Kaname to accept Vincent as his loved one instead of Yuuki would not be an easy task, he knew. There were many complications; Vincent's human status, his being a male, and most importantly, Zero's actions tonight.

Leaning over, he turned Vincent's face so that the previously- bloody side of his neck was better exposed. Takuma bent closer, examining the marks upon Vincent's neck critically, inwardly groaning at what he saw.

In vampire society, there were two types of bites- feeding bites and mating bites. Feeding bites were common to see upon the neck and wrists, and were usually relatively shallow, distinguishable by the red area that surrounded the wound. It took little time for them to heal, less when the healing properties of a vampire's saliva was incorporated into the mix. Feeding bites lasted longer than other common wounds to vampires, due to the changeable venom secreted by their fangs. They left no scars.

Vampires could change the venom given off by their fangs to have different properties to better fit the situation they were in. While feeding, the venom automatically switched to an anti- coagulative, to prevent the wound from closing over to fast and causing the feeding vampire's fangs to be dislodged and another bite to be caused.

The saliva of a vampire was comparable to an anti-venom, as it automatically got rid of any lingering venom and the side effects, as well as acting as a very potent, powerful healing property. However, the lower the class of vampire, the lesser the potency of their saliva was.

Mate marks were different in property than feeding bites, and created a mate bond between two vampires. The venom in the vampire's fangs acted as a sort of pleasure- inducer; an aphrodisiac, if you will. The bites gave no pain, and healed faster than feeding marks. They did leave noticeable scars, however, until the mate bond was accepted by both vampires. After it was, the crests of both vampires, a blend of both houses, was formed over the scars. It only showed when it was wished, however, or when the mate bond was in danger of being infringed upon- until then, it faded to an almost unnoticeable silvery outline.

They were not the same as blood bonds, which could be between lovers, family members, master and servant, or very close friends. The presence of a blood bond within a mating mark just strengthened and enhanced the bond, and was a given, as the two vampires fed on each other exclusively.

Takuma could detect no sign of any kind of marking other than the two silvery scars on Vincent's neck, which made him sigh in relief. Vincent had been marked, but as he didn't fully understand what had happened yet, he could not accept it. And Takuma could conclude that Kiriyuu had not accepted it either, since Kaname was the one taking care of the ravenette, not the prefect himself.

He released Vincent's neck, opting instead to run his hands through long black hair instead, intent on offering comfort, even if Vincent wasn't awake. Subconsciously, the boy shifted closer, letting out a huff of breath that ended with a vibration from deep inside his chest. A single blonde eyebrow rose at the sound, and a delighted smile spread across his face as it came again.

Vincent purred? The thought amused Takuma, and he scooted closer, never stopping the strokes of his hand on the silky hair. Inwardly, he marveled at the feel, comparing it to some of his finest silk shirts, imported from China, and spun from the silk of the special silkworms they were known for.

"…ero….Zer…o…"

Takuma was brought back from his thoughts by the softly murmured words of Vincent's, accompanied by a halfhearted, unconscious lifting of his hand. It was if the black haired boy was searching for something… or someone.

He frowned to himself as he watched the boy shift a bit more before settling down, his breath becoming deep and even once again. It would seem as if, perhaps, the bond between him and Zero had some tangible weight to it…

The head under his hand pushed against his hand, and Takuma looked down in surprise. Vincent was slowly lifting his head, and a gentle shake sent his hair away from his face, revealing sleepy crimson eyes that were just blinking awake. "Zero…?"

Kaname entered the Chairman's house, going in quietly and closing the door behind him gently.

The smell of spilled blood was still present and strong, and the thought of what had occurred here not too long ago made his fury come closer to the surface.

Oh, yes. He was still furious over what had happened. He thought he had it under control, but he knew one little provocation would let it loose, hence him being so careful. His inner beast was chanting for revenge, to go back to the Moon Dorms and claim Vincent as his own, erase any previous marks and replace them with his own. And right now, it was extremely hard to not cave in and do as his inner vampire so desperately craved to do.

Holding his breath, he closed his now crimson eyes, reigning in the bloodlust. It would not help him to lose control now.

He walked down the hallway to the stairs, narrowing his eyes into burning slits as they took in the still- fresh blood at the bottom of the staircase. Vincent's blood. Yuuki's blood. Turning away from the sight with some effort, anger heating his whole body and sparking in his eyes, he crossed to the steps, ascending the and going down the hall to the Chairman's office. He entered without knocking, knowing the blonde ex-hunter inside would be able to detect his unsuppressed aura.

Kaien looked up from his desk as Kaname entered, a look of utmost seriousness on his usually happy, carefree face. He took in the way Kaname's hands were unconsciously clenched a this sides, and the way his eyes seemed to burn in anger. This wouldn't be a pleasant talk, he knew. "Kaname- sama." He acknowledged the pureblood. "I've been waiting for you; what occurred earlier tonight needs discussing."

"Indeed." Pure anger dripped from his smooth voice, and Kaien sighed.

"Zero should be coming along any minute now…" As if on cue, the door opened for the second time that night, revealing Zero, who entered the room. Kaname smelled the fresh, clean scent of the hunter, which was nothing new to him. But underlying that was the distinctive smell of Vincent's blood, and the thought of that alluring, delicious- smelling blood running though the prefect's veins enraged him further. He knew that it didn't make any sense to do so; the boy was not as important as Yuuki, but even as that thought crossed his mind, his inner beast roiled in displeasure at what it knew to be a lie.

"Kiriyuu." His tone was harsh and cold, although Zero didn't seem to notice. There wasn't even a glare in return, or a retort of any kind. This, in turn, surprised Kaname, enough so that he forgot about his self- righteous anger for a moment and really looked at the hunter.

There were dark circles under his eyes, shown in relief against his pale skin, which was more so than usual. His face looked drawn and tight, and his usually light amethyst eyes had darkened to a deep violet with the churning emotions shown in his gaze. To sum it up, Zero looked like crap.

Ignoring Kaname, he went immediately to Cross's desk, crossing his arms as he stood in front of it. "Chairman. You wanted to talk about what happened earlier." It was said as a statement, not a question, and Cross nodded seriously.

"Zero… You broke one of the Academy's most important rules; you bit a human, and-"

To both Kaname and Cross's surprise, Zero cut the blonde ex- hunter off with a short, derisive laugh. "Vincent isn't entirely human; don't play stupid."

Kaname was expecting some kind of protest at the statement, some kind of cover- up for Vincent's status, but there was none. Instead, Cross sighed, resting his hands on his desk. "You surmised that from his blood, correct?" At Zero's short nod, he leaned back, crossing his hands together. "Of course…" He looked thoughtful for a moment, before asking, "Did consuming his blood have any side effects?"

Kaname clenched his hands at the question, his inner beast rebelling at Cross's words. Instead of punishing Zero, here he was, asking the prefect if there were any side effects, as if Vincent was some sort of experiment!

His aura darkened to fill the room, and Cross looked up sharply. "Kaname. Control yourself. I know what you're thinking, but we need to know this. It may give us some sort of hint as to what Vincent truly is."

Shocked at Cross's curt tone he immediately reigned in his dark aura, blinking. His inner beast snarled at the action, still angry. Its actions made him realize that his anger, his fury that night had been born purely of its possessive instincts towards Vincent. It had been influencing him, and he had let it. The thought didn't sit well with him, and knowing that he'd have to maintain a level and clear head tonight, he quickly reigned it into his control, surprising it and shoving it back down to the back of his mind.

Once doing so, he found he could think clearer, without anger to cloud his thoughts. Fully in control now, he looked up, giving Cross a small nod to show that he was fine now. "Continue," Kaname said quietly, leaning forward to listen to what Kiriyuu had to say. Cross was right; the prefect's answer to the ex- hunter's question could be very useful, and at least give him a lead at which to start his knowledge- gathering.

Zero gathered himself, and looked Cross in the eye. "There have been a few side effects," he murmured. "I've not drank blood before now, so I'm not sure if these are normal." He took a deep breath, before continuing. "I slammed my hand down on the tile in the bathroom. I've done it before," he admitted, "but it only caused a few cracks. Tonight, it shattered to rubble easily- and my hand should have been broken. It's not; at the most, it caused only a few scratches, and they healed instantaneously- faster than a vampire's normal healing rate." The way Kiryuu's face twisted as he said vampire made it obvious that he loathed the fact that he had to classify himself as one.

Cross had sat through all of what Zero had said with a thoughtful look upon his face, nodding occasionally. "Anything else?"

Zero hesitated for a moment, his mind going back to Vincent, and what he had seen while drinking his blood. "Yes," he muttered, looking down. "While I… When I took his blood, his eyes turned golden, and his teeth and nails grew sharper."

"Like a vampire's?" Cross asked sharply, disturbed at the implications.

Zero shook his head. "I'm not sure. I don't think so. I… wasn't paying attention. All I registered were sharp nails digging into my hand and back, and his teeth…" he brought a hand up to rub at the tattooed side of his neck, "they dug into my neck."

"Hn." Cross sat back, digesting what he had been told. There was silence in the room for a few seconds, before Cross spoke again, slowly this time. "Zero… did Vincent swallow any of your blood?"

The prefect hesitated before nodding. "He did."

"Which means that you've formed a blood bond with him." Kaname's voice sounded in the room, startling the other two occupants. The brunette had been quiet up until now, but now he spoke, his russet eyes locked unwaveringly onto Zero's.

Zero's eyebrows furrowed as he frowned, not really understanding what Kaname was saying, but thinking he had a good idea. He recalled the tugging he had felt as Vincent had dug his own sharp teeth into his neck, and the way he had felt a pull to follow Vincent as Kaname took the ravenette away. Kaname, sensing this, elaborated, "You've created a bond with Vincent, Kiriyuu." His eyes narrowed, disgusted at the words he had to say next. "Not only that, but you've created a mate bond with him."

At Kaien's startled, choking denial, Kaname whipped his head around to fix him with a foreboding look. "I know what I've seen, Cross. He had the scars on his neck- it's undeniable." He turned back to Zero, who looked like he was struggling to accept this. "And your actions have created quite the problem."

Standing up gracefully, he started slowly pacing, finding the action slightly soothed his agitated inner beast, who had started to stir again at Kaname's earlier words. "Vincent, for all his dubious heritage, is still human. He cannot be allowed to learn about the existence of vampires. Yet," he glanced at Zero who was staring at the ground, "he is now bonded to one."

Kaien sat back, rubbing his temples. He liked Vincent; he had come to regard him as a sort of son, but damn if the boy wasn't creating problems. "What do you suggest we do, Kaname?"

"That is up to Zero."

His head snapped up at Kaname's words, and the brunette leveled a wry gaze upon the shocked prefect. "As I told you earlier, Vincent is now your responsibility; his fate is in your hands. Any actions regarding him will now be up to you, if he is unable to decide for himself. In effect, you are his mate…partner, in this case, Kiriyuu. His life-partner."

Zero stood frozen. Kaname had implied this fact before, but he had been too shocked to really take it in. Now, though, lucid and in full control of his mental facilities, the words hit him hard. He hated vampires, and the thought of creating some kind of mate-blood-bond- thing like one disgusted and horrified him. Four years of repressing his vampiric instincts, and in one night, one slip, he had not only attacked his friend Yuuki, but Vincent as well, creating a bond with him. Could his night -his life- get any more fucked up?

Dimly, he heard Kaien talking. "Kaname, what are the options open to us?"

"Kill Vincent."

The words filtered through to Zero's shocked mind, and something inside him snapped at the perceived threat to his -unwillingly obtained- partner. In a flash, he flew across the room, and had Kaname pinned to the wall by the throat. His eyes glowed a bright crimson, but the brunette could see a glint of emerald green underlying it. It was odd, and intrigued Kaname even as being pinned to the wall by the ex-human disturbed the pureblood.

"Touch him and die," Zero hissed. Kaname would tell that this was Zero's inner beast coming out to play, and as a result, his own tried to surface. Being older and more experienced, however, he was able to push it down.

"I did not threaten him, Kiriyuu," Kaname said calmly. "I merely stated it as an option. Now, please release me." He gave a push against the prefect's arms, but to Kaname's surprise and apprehension, the silver- haired man didn't budge. And that was him using his pureblood strength.

Zero bared his fangs at the brunette. "Suggest anything like that again, and I will not hesitate to do more than just threaten," Zero growled. Retracting his claws, Zero released Kaname and stepped back, his eyes slowly bleeding back to amethyst, the emerald glint flickering out.

Kaname stood up straight, straightening his jacket as he did so. "The other option is to tell Vincent of the existence of vampires, explain everything to him, which would result in the Council finding out, and disposing of him." Zero let out a growl, which Kaname ignored. "Or…" he sighed, "I can seal off or erase his memories of what happened to him. It's the only action we can take that doesn't result in Vincent's death."

Kaien nodded. "What are the drawbacks?"

Kaname's eyes drifted over to Zero, who was listening intently. It would seem that even though he prefect didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he had created a bond with Vincent, he did care about the ravenette. It made him feel slightly better, but the thought still left the bitter taste of jealousy in his mouth. "The bond creates a pull towards each other- Zero will be drawn to Vincent, as much as Vincent will be drawn to Zero. Erasing his memories might cause him confusion, as he won't know why the pull is there. On the other hand," Kaname continued, a dry smile on his face, "he might just chalk it up to an attraction towards Zero." He turned towards the prefect. "Of course, it's your choice, Kiriyuu."

There was silence as Zero thought about what Kaname had said, taking it all in. Kaien and Kaname were quiet, allowing him to think.

Zero knew, though, that there wasn't much of a debate. He didn't want Vincent dead- the guilt would be too much. If Vincent died, it would be himself at fault, for losing control and biting Vincent. And besides, something inside him rebelled at the thought of Vincent dying, of those unique crimson eyes dull and lifeless, his throat ripped out and blood everywhere.

But the thought of Vincent in confusion at the tug he was experiencing didn't sit well with him either. Still, it was better than him being dead. So there was really no contest between the options. Still…

"What the hell is with vampires and all these damn bonds…?" Zero muttered. Raising his voice so that Kaname and Kaien knew he was talking to them this time, he said, "Erase or seal his memories; whichever doesn't matter to me. Just as long as he stays alive."

Inwardly, Kaname was relieved. He knew that Zero wouldn't choose to have Vincent killed, but it still made him feel better, knowing that Kiriyuu cared enough to keep him alive.

The slamming of the door caused Kaname to look up, surprised. Zero wasn't in the room anymore.

"He has a hard time expressing his feelings, Kaname. He does care, it's just… the ordeal with Shizuka killed something inside of his heart. It made him lose himself off. I had hoped that perhaps Yuuki could reconnect with him, and she's helped somewhat, but he's never fully regained it."

Kaname looked to Kaien as he finished his soft-spoken speech. He was examining the crack in his desk with utter fascination. Kaname's brows furrowed a she turned back to the door. "What do you assume was killed off inside his heart?"

"Love, Kaname." Kaien looked almost deadly serious. "I don't believe that he has the capacity to truly love anymore. Or, he didn't." Kaname cocked his head at the last few words, and Kaien smiled. "He didn't, until Vincent came along."

"Vincent."

Sleepy crimson eyes focused on him, and Takuma watched as Vincent sat up straight, reaching up to rub his neck, on the side that Zero had bitten him on.

He winced in sympathy; mate- marks were always sore for a few days afterwards- he knew, as he had received one from Senri. "Takuma- kun?" Vincent asked sleepily. "What happened?"

Takuma regarded him cautiously. It wouldn't do to reveal too much, at least not until Kaname knew what to do about the whole situation. "What do you remember, Vincent?" he asked cautiously.

The boy blinked slightly, some of the confusion and sleepiness dissipating from his eyes as he tried to remember what had happened. "I was going to the Headmaster's house- I saw Zero staggering there, and wanted to help him, and… Yuuki was there, by the stairs, and Zero…" His eyes widened as he remembered, and Takuma flinched, ready for the outburst about them being vampires.

"Zero! He looked so horrified! I feel… I need to see him!" His eyes were wide with surprise and fear, but Takuma had a feeling it was not because of the fact that Zero was a vampire or what he had done. It seemed more.. fear for Zero's mental state, and with a sinking heart, Takuma realized that Kaname had his work cut out for him, if he intended to win Vincent over for his own.

Unless….

A sudden thought came to the blonde, so ingenious, and such a perfect solution, he almost smacked his own forehead in stupidity.

Of course.

The tension and hostility between the prefect and Kaname…

It all made sense now.

He was brought back from his thoughts as he heard the blankets shifting, a suddenly very determined- looking Vincent crawling out of the bed, clad only in the white trousers of the Night Class and black, long- sleeved shirt. Bloodstains were seeable even through the black, and the reminder of the blood loss Vincent had suffered caused Takuma to go into full worry mode.

He shot up, gently pushing on Vincent's chest until the slimmer boy was back onto the bed. Takuma stood by the side, chewing on his lip in worry. "Vincent- kun, you've lost a lot of blood tonight. Please, lie down and rest. Kaname- sama will be back soon, and we can deal with this then." Inwardly, he cursed the situation, hoping Kaname would be back soon.

Vincent struggled back up into a sitting position, glaring balefully at Takuma. "No, I'm fine. I need to see Zero."

Takuma stared back at him, muscles tense in case Vincent tried anything. Kaname had trusted him to take care of Vincent, and that involved making sure he didn't go wandering around, and faint somewhere because of blood loss. Besides, the smell of Vincent's blood was still in the air, and as much as it had stirred the vampires up tonight, the added presence of the source of the agitation wouldn't help any. "Kaname- sama is very worried for your health and safety, Vincent. He wanted you to stay here."

As soon as Takuma's words reached him, Vincent stopped and thought, torn. On one hand, he respected Kaname very much, and wanted to listen to the brunette. After all, Kaname really had his best interests in mind.

On the other hand….

Something inside him rebelled at Takuma's words, urging him to find Zero, to go where the tugging in his stomach, his heart was telling him to go. There was a certain churning inside him, one that made him jittery, and almost nervous. He closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint exactly what was going on.

If he had been in a more reasonable state of mind, he might have stopped to take a step back and look, really look at this situation. But, the blood loss was subsequently making his thought process less than clear. If it was, he would have surely been taking a step back, and considering the actions tonight. Zero biting him, his actions during the biting, the cause of the emotional and mental tugging towards Zero, and his actions right now.

But he wasn't in the right state of mind; right now, all he could think about was getting to Zero. The churning emotions he could sense were coming from Zero, and intuitively, he knew that nothing good would come of the negative emotions coming off of the prefect. He needed to see Zero, and the blonde was in the way.

"Takuma, I need to go to him!"

Said blonde eyed Vincent warily. He had been silent for a few moments, and then when he had looked up, there was an almost dangerous glint in the crimson eyes. Takuma shook his head. "Vincent, you're obviously not thinking clearly. I know you're worried about Zero, but Kaname-sama said to-"

"To hell with Kaname!" Vincent stood up as he said this, his crimson eyes bleeding to gold around the pupil. "I don't care what he says- Zero's mine, and I protect what's mine!" The air around Vincent seemed to get almost hazy, and he looked almost… dangerous as he stood glaring at Takuma.

"Intimidation won't work, Vincent," Takuma said coolly, although he was disturbed. Was this Vincent's non-human side coming out? He watched as the eyes turned fully golden, his hair becoming almost spikey and jagged looking, and his skin faded to a greyish color. Vincent bared his teeth at Takuma, and he saw that they were sharp, with the canines pointed and longer than the other teeth. Vincent's transformation into this dangerous- looking version of himself sent chills down the blonde's spine.

"If it won't work, then why do I smell your fear?" Vincent hissed. "You are keeping me from seeing Zero, whom I can sense is in some trouble. I'm leaving-try and stop me." Vincent's unnatural golden eyes held a challenge, and the whole room seemed to grow dark as Vincent waited for Takuma to say something.

When nothing came, Vincent silently turned and practically stalked towards the window, throwing it open. In a flash, he jumped onto the window sill, crouching upon it, and then leaped out. The fact that Vincent had just thrown himself out the window on the third floor of the building made him leap into action, racing towards the window. "Vincent!" he leaned out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the ravenette. Looking towards the bridge, he saw Vincent sprinting with abnormal speed towards the gate, jumping onto the wall, scaling it with ease, and then hit the ground running.

Knowing that Vincent was physically alright, even if he wasn't mentally, Takuma sank down to the floor with a shaky sigh, leaning back against the wall. There was definitely something not right with Vincent Valentine; that much was certain. He wasn't human, nor was he a vampire. If he wasn't that, then what was he?

Vincent sprinted down the bridge, his mind solely focused on locating Zero. He was around here somewhere…

Running blindly and allowing the tug in the back of his mind to pull him towards the object his mind was currently obsessed with, he soon found himself past the main buildings and near the front gates.

The pull increased, letting Vincent know that he was close to Zero. Whipping his head around, a glint of silver in the corner of his eyes caught his attention, and he swung his head around to see the tall, lean figure of Zero, dressed out of his uniform and carrying a bag heading towards the gates leading out and away from the Academy.

Vincent's golden eyes narrowed; he was not stupid, and he knew what the bag and clothes meant-he was leaving. Vincent's upper lip curled irritably-he couldn't allow Zero to leave! He hissed softly at the thought, and at that, Zero stiffened and stopped walking, but didn't turn around.

The taller prefect's shoulders seemed to slump, and he let the bag drop to the ground. Vincent's expression turned to one of shock- what was the prefect doing?

His silent question was answered a moment later when Zero reached into the pocket of his jeans, and pulled out the same gun that was used to threaten the Night Class earlier. With swift, practiced motions, Zero clicked open the barrel, looked to see if there were any bullets, closed it, and switched the safety off.

There was a moment of tense silence after that, before Zero turned around.

Vincent recoiled.

There was such hate, such loathing in those eyes… although Vincent knew from the bond that it wasn't directed at him. Zero's face was paler than usual, almost taking on an ashen grey tone, and his features were haggard. It disturbed Vincent to see him like this.

After a moment, Zero held out the gun- not pointing at Vincent, but held handle-first. Vincent's questioning golden gaze met Zero's amethyst in a silent enquiry. "Take it," Zero whispered. "Finish me off while you have the chance."

Zero had stopped walking as soon as he had felt Vincent behind him. It really wasn't that hard- his vampire and hunter senses were able to catch anyone within a decent range, and he was bonded to Vincent now, alerting him to the boy's present. Although, with Vincent's abnormal blood running though his veins, all of his senses and actions seemed much more…enhanced.

When Vincent made no movement, Zero had felt dread flash though him. He probably wanted some kind of retribution for what Zero had done to him- he didn't blame the ravenette. He'd be murderous if one of his friends-not that he really had any- had done something to beastlike to him, too.

So, shoulders slumping and allowing his bag to fall the ground, he had only somewhat reluctantly pulled out Bloody Rose from his pocket. This was what he had wanted anyway, right? To die? He had pretty much told Yuuki such when she had come across him in his room. Luckily, the girl hadn't followed him.

Clicking open the gun's barrel, he checked to make sure it was loaded and primed- he already knew that, from when he had been preparing to do this himself. So why was he procrastinating, putting off the inevitable?

Closing the barrel, he flicked the safety off, and with a slight sense of reluctance, turned to face Vincent.

In a way, he was not surprised at what he found.

Vincent's eyes were glowing gold again, something he assumed, due to past experiences, happened only when the ravenette was feeling deep emotions. His skin had faded to a grayish tone, and his hair looked jagged and pointy, not the soft, untamed locks that usually were present. The way he stood was almost predatory, and he was simply watching Zero quietly, almost as if he were waiting to see what he would do next. Vincent's sudden appearance change didn't surprise Zero, not really. He already knew there was more to Vincent than met the eye, something that wasn't altogether human.

He was sure he knew why Vincent was here, though, so he held out the gun to Vincent. Idly, in the back of his mind, he wondered if Vincent would kill him cleanly and painlessly, in lieu of their past friendship, or painfully to reenact what Zero put him though. He sincerely hoped of the former, though.

Vincent looked down at the gun, then up at Zero with a confused look in his eyes, which in turn confused Zero. Wasn't that why he was here? To kill Zero for biting him like the ravaging monster he knew he would eventually turn into?

Zero met Vincent's gaze, and took a single moment to just stare at the golden eyes. He hadn't really gotten a chance the last two times they had turned- the first had been too fast of a change, and the last time, his face was buried in Vincent's neck. Being really able to study them now though, Zero had to admit that they were quite beautiful in their own way.

Not soft and mysterious, like Vincent's normal crimson color, but more feral, and animalistic- almost like a wolf's golden color. It fit with Vincent's appearance change, though.

Seeing as Vincent still had not taken the gun, he was confused. Did the boy really not know what he was offering? "Take it. Finish me off while you have the chance."

There was a moment of silence, and then Vincent's golden eyes turned almost angry-looking, narrowing as he glanced down at the gun. He reached down to take the gun, Zero's mind roiling in despair. But he had offered this, so if it's what Vincent wanted…

But what the prefect wasn't expecting was what Vincent did next. Instead of pointing it at him and pulling the trigger, he held it on its side, opening the barrel expertly and emptying out the chamber of bullets, closing it, and then dropping it to the side. Zero looked at Vincent with confusion, wondering what the ravenette was thinking as Vincent stepped closer towards him.

"Idiot!" Vincent hissed. "I came out here to see why you were in such despair, and I find you wanting me to kill you?!"

Zero was shocked, to say the least. "You should be wanting to shoot me- I'm a monster. You should be afraid," Zero murmured. "It's no crime to kill a vampire, Vincent."

Vincent shook his head, glancing at the discarded gun at his feet. "Zero, I could never kill you." Seeing Zero's stunned expression, his eyes softened slightly and he stepped closer to Zero, reaching out to grab ahold of the front of Zero's shirt in his hand, fist it and gently pull the prefect closer. "Vampires drink blood to survive- you were acting on instinct."

Zero reached up to grasp Vincent's hand and tugged it away from his shirt. "Normal vampires- ones in control make sure not to hurt the ones they're feeding off of, Vincent. They know when to stop. If I hadn't regained my mind… I could have killed you…" Zero trailed off, inwardly blanching at the thought. Vincent with bone pale skin, crimson eyes staring sightlessly at the sky, limp body drained of all blood… It was horrible to think about.

A gentle touch on his face drew Zero's attention back to Vincent. "You didn't kill me, though. And… I actually enjoyed it." He smiled wryly at Zero's shocked expression. "It felt good- you didn't see me complaining. And if you're so disgusted by our own nature… I'll stop you the next time it happens. Lean on me, Zero. I'm here. For some reason, I can feel your emotions, and it upsets me to see you so depressed."

It was the bond speaking, Zero told himself as he stared into Vincent's slowly turning crimson eyes. Vincent wouldn't be like this if it weren't for the bond. It created feelings of attachment, and it wasn't real.

"Zero, you're overthinking this. You're not alone- you have me, Yuuki, and as odd as Kaien is, he's with you, too."

Zero bowed his head. As good as it felt to hear it, he wondered how true the statement was. Kaien could only be taking care of him to make sure he didn't turn into a raging level E and drink those of the Day Class dry. Yuuki may feel some sort of obligation to him, a sort of sympathy case towards the poor boy who didn't have any friends.

But Vincent… he didn't have any ulterior motive. He didn't know Zero was a vampire until a few hours ago, and had treated him like a friend before that, staying with him even as he cut Vincent with his words. And there was no sign of guile in Vincent's gleaming eyes. He was so open, so bright, so pure, it almost hurt to be near him.

Vincent's lightness drew the darkness in his own being to the ravenette, like a moth to flame. It made him hard to resist. Made him not want to resist, and he reached out to grip Vincent's shoulders, eyes scanning the beautiful, pale features before him. "You're with me?"

God, what was happening? Zero felt like he was drowning in Vincent's nearness, in his honesty, his whole self. And he couldn't resist when Vincent nodded and drew him into a close embrace, Zero's hands sliding down to Vincent's slim waist, wrapping around him easily while Vincent's arms gripped the side of his chest, gripping his shirt tightly and pulling him closer.

Burying his head in Vincent's hair, now reverted to its soft unruliness, he simply breathed in Vincent's smell, for once not feeling the slightest urge to feed off of the delicious-smelling ravenette. He felt Vincent tilt his head, leaning up to whisper in Zero's ear. "You'll stay?"

Staying… Here at Cross Academy… It would be dangerous for everyone he was close to. And yet, the thought of being near Vincent, even if he didn't have his memories of this encounter… it would be worth it. He would stay to protect Vincent from the other vampires- he had seen how they looked at him, as if he were a meal, and it was obvious from that that he wasn't the only one that appreciated Vincent's alluring smell. Decided, Zero slid his own head down, reveling in the feel of silky softness against his cheeks, until his mouth was at Vincent's ear. "I'll stay."

"Promise?" Vincent breathed, gripping Zero's shirt tighter in response to the prefect's answer.

Zero hesitated a moment, before nodding. "Yes."

He felt Vincent's smile against his jaw. "Good." Then, Zero was shocked as Vincent turned his head to softly brush his lips against Zero's. He was stunned for about a moment until Vincent's smell hit him hard, the lingering taste of oranges and Vincent's own unique taste on his lips.

With a small growl, Zero turned his head to capture Vincent's lips with his own, pressing insistently against the soft lips until Vincent parted them willingly and Zero's tongue slipped in eagerly, rubbing against Vincent's own tongue gently. His hand slid up through Vincent's hair until it met the back of his head, and he fisted the black locks, holding the ravenette's head in place.

The arm around Vincent's waist pulled him closer as he felt the boy weaken slightly, his tongue pressing more insistently into Vincent's, trapping it in place while he twined his own around the slippery muscle.

The feel of Vincent's soft, yet firm body made sparks flicker to life in his stomach, sending heat rushing up and down his veins all over his body. Vincent was like a drug; all of him was so addicting, and Zero only pressed closer, wanting more of the mouth, the body, the smell, the taste, the feel of Vincent. It made him feel a bit insane.

But he couldn't keep doing this. Vincent shouldn't have come out here in the first place; he should have been in the Moon Dorms, getting his memory wiped, and oh, damn! He groaned as Vincent slid his long fingers though his hair, twining and tugging on it slightly, silently asking for more. The little shocks of pain at having his hair pulled only served to fuel the fire raging through his body, and he gripped Vincent tighter, fearing he'd break him in half, but not caring as an appreciative moan from Vincent reached his ears.

It was getting out of hand- he couldn't let it go this far even if it felt so damned good, so right!

He could feel the pleasure that Vincent was feeling from the ravenette's side of the bond, felt how Vincent loved the feel of his tongue invading Vincent's mouth, how he wanted to be held tighter and closer, until there was no telling where Vincent stopped and Zero began. Could feel the insane desire to be taken somewhere, anywhere, to Zero's bed or against the wall or even on the ground right here right now and have Zero fill him up to the brim-

Zero tore his mouth away with a gasp, trying to block out Vincent's thoughts before he did exactly as Vincent wanted him to. This needed to stop, but he was loving the feel of Vincent's teeth latching onto his neck and sucking, leaving a bruise and moving down a bit to make another. But he had to halt this, before he went too far, so with regret, he moved the hand gripping the back of Vincent's head down just a bit and pressed against a nerve there.

Vincent stiffened in his arms, and then went limp, Zero catching him before he could fall to the ground as his crimson eyes fluttered shut. Zero felt a pang of regret as he reached out to trace Vincent's now swollen lips, red and slightly puffy from his kisses. A light red flush adorned Vincent's high cheekbones, a startling contrast against ghostly white skin.

Snow White.

That was the image and thought that flitted across Zero's mind as he cradled Vincent carefully against his chest, bridal style, and turned to walk back to the Moon Dorms, where Kaname was no doubt waiting to get his filthy pureblood hands on Vincent and erase his memories.

Snow white; skin as white as snow, hair as black as night, and lips as red as blood. It fit Vincent perfectly, although Zero was sure Vincent was more beautiful than any storybook character.

And as he made his way back to the dorms, he couldn't find it in himself to tear his eyes away from Vincent's peacefully unconscious face. It might be the last time he got to observe Vincent uninhibited, and he was quickly committing every aspect of Vincent to his memory.

Meanwhile, a pair of shocked brown eyes stared in shock after the two figures making their way back to the dorms, having seen everything that occurred.

Zero… and Vincent…

No, it couldn't be. Could it?

How had she been so blind as to have not seen it?