A/N: Uh, this is a little something on Kaname and Zero's first meeting up to when Zero supposedly loses his memories and any recollection of Kaname...

First Touch

A young woman, most likely in her mid twenties, paced about her classroom, her long curls trailing behind her and her heels making sharp defined clicks against the polished floors. Tucking a strand behind her ear, she fiddled with the things on her desk, organizing things to give something for her hands to do. Her dark brows knit as she closed her eyes for a moment, taking a breath. She was trying, really, but she couldn't keep her mind off of him, one of her young students, a boy not even five. Ever since she found out why he was often not in class, she always nearly went out of her mind with worry whenever he wasn't here, as that would mean he was…

"Zero…you're fine, aren't you?" She murmured.

"Saki, I know you're worried, but he'll turn up. He always does."

"But Heiji-san," she started, "Zero, that child is…you know how it is for him," she protested. "What if something went wrong again? What if something happened he couldn't come? What if –"

"Saki," Heiji interrupted, "he'll be fine," he stressed. "Don't overwork yourself, it's not good for you."

"Oh don't patronize me like a child, Heiji-san, you know I have good reason to worry. It should be good enough reason for everyone to worry," she muttered half accusingly. Heiji inwardly winced. She was right. It should be good enough reason for everyone to care, but only Saki ever showed an ounce of genuine concern for that boy.

"I'll just be out for a walk."

"Yes, Kaname-sama."

As soon as the other vampire was out of hearing range, Kaname sighed. Really, these outings could be so tedious. He'd rather chosen to have used his time for other matters (like Yuuki) but he did love his parents and what they were trying so hard to bring to fruition – harmony between humans and vampires. He wished to be able to follow in their footsteps, to contribute to their efforts, and so he endured and listened to others' less than interesting introductions as if he cared. A small nod of his head, a few quiet words, and they all acted as though they'd just been spoken to by a god. It'd do wonders for his ego if he were the type of person to care about such things.

Kaname already knew he was someone born with abilities and level of intelligence that placed him above all others; he needn't be reminded of it so sickeningly frequently. Placing his gloved hands in his pockets, he made for a leisurely stroll, intending to take as much time as he was allowed before having to go back.

For a few minutes, there was only the sound of the crunching snow beneath his unrelenting shoes for company until a soft breeze flew through, ruffling his hair. Wine red eyes widened and the young pureblood sharply turned his head. It was faint, but he'd never mistake the scent of blood – human blood. What was a mere mortal doing, bleeding, out in such weather?

Narrowing his eyes, Kaname checked his watch, pursing his lips. He still had some time, but he'd need to hurry. Closing his eyes, he tried to estimate how far he'd have to travel before gathering a bit of his inherent strength and slowly fading from the premises, leaving nothing of his presence behind. He wouldn't have bothered if it smelled of a minor wound, but the scent was still fresh, wet, and in large amounts. Whoever this was, a child, he could tell, wasn't suffering from a paper cut.

Rematerializing in a small clearing, Kaname pushed a few of his dark locks out of his eyes as a strong gust of wind blew in his direction. There weren't very many trees here to lessen the impact and it was considerably colder as a result. He'd need to get to that child, a small boy, his mind provided, soon. He wouldn't last long in his condition. Lowering his brows, Kaname flicked his wrist, immediately rendering the air current around him to calm and still, no longer roughhousing with his hair or ruffling his coat.

The boy was frighteningly close. Kaname could not only smell the copious amount of his blood, but also hear and feel his labored breathing, the rapid movements of his heartbeat and the shuddering tremors that shook his young body. The pureblood hardly wasted any time, rushing over to find, just as his instincts had deducted, a small human boy with a head injury, his blood coating the pristine white of the snow around him a dark crimson that slowly faded to a soft pink as it spread.

If he weren't so hurt, Kaname would have admired the picture perfect representation of fragile innocence before him, a beautifully untainted child resting atop the clear, undisturbed snow carpeted ground, his expression completely unaware, almost peaceful. The boy looked to be made of the delicate crystals he was lying in, his skin, though currently flushed, was a near transparently luminescent milky white and his hair, a soft shade of silver, like the rays of the moon Yuuki so loved to gaze at.

Kaname never thought death could look so piercingly beautiful.

Lowering himself to his knees, he used the gentleness he usually only reserved for Yuuki and no other, and gathered the boy in his arms, paying no mind to the blood now starting to stain the sleeve of his dark coat. He was more thankful for being able to ignore his instincts trying to remind him of his status as a vampire and demanding he take advantage of the opportunity laid so temptingly before him. The boy was already dying, and his blood would be going to waste…unwittingly, Kaname felt his eyes travel down to the slim column of the boy's neck, now more visible with his head tilted back to rest on the crook his arm. There was blood smeared along the expanse of pale skin, and it did nothing to help contain the beast in him, clamoring for attention.

Lowering his lids, Kaname raised his arm, bringing the boy's head closer to his lips. Using his other hand to brush the silvery strands out of the way, he leaned the rest of the way down, pressing his mouth against the wide gash marring the child's otherwise clear forehead and temple.

By the time he pulled back, the heavy wound had closed, leaving only a fresh pink scar he knew would also soon fade within a matter of days. Unable to resist the urge, and unwilling to stop himself, Kaname licked the accumulated blood off of his lips, savoring the sweetly soft honeyed innocence that immediately endeared to his predatory senses. He only felt it was unfortunate it was marred by the slight sharp bitter tang that indicated how close to death the boy had been.

Waving his hand, he cleared the boy's face, hair and clothes of the blood that'd spilled, as well as his own coat. It wouldn't do for him to return smelling of human blood, nor with a stain. Adjusting the weight of the boy in his arms, he checked his watch, nodding to himself as he quickly calculated the amount of time he was still free to spend. Standing on his feet, Kaname slipped his forearm under the boy's bottom and cradled his head against his shoulder with his free hand. There was a small house not far from here, and he was hoping to use their phone.

As he stepped back after knocking, a middle-aged woman answered the door, her eyes widening at Kaname and the child in his arms. Quickly moving aside, she let them in, casting a concerned look in their direction as she closed the door. Swiftly heading for the kitchen, she prepared some hot sweetened tea, setting it down before them as she sat across the table.

"Kaname-kun, you can bring him to one of our spare rooms," she offered. Nodding, he stood up and did as she suggested, walking through the familiar halls of the house he frequented as a child. He stopped by the room he'd often used when staying the night over and placed the boy under the covers, tucking him in before leaving, keeping the door slightly ajar.

"Kohane-san, I apologize for having intruded so suddenly, but that boy needed help. He should go see to the care of a doctor once he wakes." He'd been planning to call a hospital, but he felt there wasn't a need to, seeing how she'd seemed have accepted the boy into her home.

"I'll make sure to," Kohane smiled. Kaname was still unchanged, his gentleness still intact. Her gaze turned hesitant as she asked, "Kaname-kun, do you know him?" And if so, where and how had they met?

"I do not," he answered. He could tell she did however, and she also knew why the child had been so injured. He supposed it'd been the reason why she'd offered her hospitality so willingly. It hadn't been the first time she'd seen the boy harmed. But who would lay hand on such a small child, and so harshly?

"His name is Zero-kun. I bet you thought he was a tiny thing, he's so small," she said sadly. "He just had his fourth birthday," but even so, no child his age should be so fragile looking, his body so frail, she knew. She'd noticed, and she'd found out. She almost wished she didn't, but she always told herself, armed with a new sense of awareness, she would be able to help the boy better. There would be no need for uncomfortably prying questions, just the small bit of comfort she could provide. The boy would accept nothing more.

Kaname nodded in response to her answers to his unspoken question. But the one he wanted to know most about, she never touched on, nor did she attempt to. Taking out a piece of paper and a pen, he quickly wrote out a number and handed it to her. Gazing down at it, she seemed to understand what he was requiring of her as she smiled and nodded.

"Thank you Kohane-san," he sent her a small smile and led himself out the door, once again vanishing back to the gathering of his parents' associates.

It was no more than three days after he'd saved that child that he received the expected call. Quickly excusing himself, he flipped his phone open,

"Hello?"

"Kaname-kun?"

"Kohane-san," he smiled. "Is he alright?"

"I just had someone I know take a look at him yesterday and he said Zero-kun would be fine on the whole." Yukimi already knew about Zero's situation and patched the boy up as best he could. The four year old was now coated in ointments, as treatment for his bruises. Miraculously, the pediatrician had noted the previous scars Zero had were now gone. Kohane could only laugh nervously in response to his astonishment, but was inwardly grateful the boy wouldn't have any left over reminders of past incidents.

"Thank you so much, Kaname-kun, for bringing him to us. I… I saw the scar on his forehead. It's nearly gone now, but it was so long and wide," especially for such a young child, "I don't really know how or why, but thank you." She'd known the Kuran family was made up of vampires, but that was all she knew. She was completely ignorant of their status as purebloods or the class system the vampires lived by.

"It's fine, as long as he's alright."

"Oh, speaking of which, there's someone who wants to say something," her tone had changed; it was lighter, and filled with affection. "Yes," she said, obviously speaking to someone in the background, "it's him. Would you like to say something now? I don't know when he'll have time to talk to us again."

There was a short scuffle where Kaname assumed the phone was being handed over, and then a soft voice came through, "Um, I'm Zero."

"Zero-kun," he acknowledged, his voice just as soft, as not to intimidate the shy hesitancy he could feel over the line. "I'm Kaname."

"Kana…me? Ko-san said you made me better. Um, thank you, Kana…Kana-me." His sweet voice was endearing, trying to correctly pronounce his name. He heard a soft giggle in the back, most likely Kohane also showing her amusement at Zero's efforts.

"It's okay, Zero-kun, I don't think he'll mind," he then heard her say. A moment of silence ensued before Zero's soft voice was back. "I'm sorry I can't say it right." His embarrassment was evident in his tone. "Ko-san said it's okay if I call you Kana-san."

Kaname refrained from letting out the laugh that was already curving his lips, lest he offend the child and reassured, "it's fine, Zero-kun. I'm sure you'll learn to say it better soon."

"Okay, thank you Kana-san, bye-bye," Kaname nodded, the smile still on his face. "I'll see you," he whispered. It wouldn't be the last they saw or heard of each other. Kaname would find out who was responsible for that wound, and when he did…

"Kaname-kun?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I can't tell you anything," she sounded genuine, "I just felt it'd be better if I didn't pry. It wasn't as though I'd be able to do anything…it's hard, hard for me, and for anyone else that knows. That they know, but they can't give a permanent solution. Yukimi and I, the only things we can do is to make sure he doesn't get any infections, if he ever comes to us."

Zero, despite his physical fragility, was anything but internally. He was strong and stubborn when it came to having to leave himself in someone else's care. Within the manners he was taught, it was rude to impose on others, though Kohane had a feeling it didn't specify when and what situations were appropriate for that.

"I understand," Kaname could, somewhat, it was one of those limitations humans placed on themselves, thinking they could only do so much. He didn't want to accuse her of anything, she was trying after all, and he himself knew of what a kind person Kohane was. Accepting he wouldn't be receiving any more personal information from her, he ended their conversation.

Whoever was the cause of Zero's near death was someone high enough on the political food chain someone with a modest background like Kohane would have a hard time setting anything in motion. Well, Kaname thought none too kindly, it was just fortunate he was born a pureblood, then, wasn't it?

A week later, he went up to Kohane's house again, and on the way there, he spotted a small figure in the middle of the clearing he first landed in when looking for Zero. The wind wasn't as strong as that day and the soft breeze seemed more like a comforting caress against his skin. Walking up to the small child, he placed the palm of his hand atop their head,

"It's still cool out. Shouldn't you be inside?"

Zero hardly looked surprised as he looked up and over his shoulder with a smile. "I like it here when it's winter. It's cold like me, but it's pretty."

Kaname personally thought Zero was just as pretty if not more so in comparison, but kept it to himself and reached down to stroke the back of his fingers against a flushed cheek.

"Even so, you're getting cold. Kohane-san wouldn't want you sick when you've just gotten better."

Suddenly Zero's demeanor changed and he lowered his eyes as he murmured, "I don't like Ko-san, she's too nice."

And just as suddenly, Kaname understood more about this boy than he ever thought he could in that one sentence.

".... You feel as though you don't deserve her kindness?"

Zero's all too seeing eyes, aged and beautiful, gazed up at him with near painful clarity as he replied,

"Yes."

Yuuki marveled at one of the pictures on her older brother's phone. "Onii-sama, you have an angel on your phone!" He was so pretty – just as she imagined one of the heavenly divine messengers to look like.

"Hmm? An angel?" Kaname asked, amused. Yuuki nodded rapidly, pointing at the screen with her small insistent finger. "He doesn't have his wings, but he's glowing. So he has to be one right? Where did you see him, Nii-sama?" She wanted a picture of him too.

"Ah, I seem to have forgotten, Yuuki, I apologize." Kaname stroked her cheek consolingly as she pouted. "But if I see him again, I'll be sure to let you know how much you want to meet him."

Yuuki nodded and gazed down at the picture again. It was the profile of a small boy, around her age, she concluded giddily, looking up at something that was off screen. His hair was slightly ruffled and out of place by the wind, and it made her fingers itch to fix them back in place. She bet those silvery strands were just as soft as they looked. The pastel lavender scarf he wore emphasized the color of his eyes, which Yuuki had immediately fallen in love with, though it didn't compare to how much she loved his smile. She wondered what he was looking at.

"Onii-sama, promise you'll tell him when you see him?"

Kaname smiled, "Of course, Yuuki," amused at how she was sure he'd see the 'angel' she seemed so fascinated by.

"And, and, is it okay if I look at this picture as much as I want?"

"Yes, what is mine is yours, Yuuki."

"Thank you Nii-sama," she laughed.

Yes, what was his was Yuuki's, but for one exception.

"Zero-kun," Ms. Saki called. The child in question refrained from giving out an annoyed sneer. Did she think she was helping anyone by paying him so much attention? He hated to be fussed over by anyone and that included schoolteachers who were supposed to keep a certain amount of professional distance. The other teachers left him alone well enough he didn't see how she couldn't do the same.

"Zero-kun, you weren't here for a week, is everything alright?" It wasn't something a teacher usually asked of her four-year-old student, but she knew there wasn't anyone else she could go to.

"Yes." His answer was cold and detached. Saki felt something inside her tighten. If she could only do something, this child may be free to express himself.

Zero hated the look in his teacher's eyes. He was too young know what the emotion was called, but he was old enough to know he hated being looked at in that way. Even Ko-san did, at times when he went to see her. The only other person who'd ever treated him without an ounce of that emotion in their eyes was Kana-san. The older boy seemed to understand him on a deeper level than the other adults and he knew better than to look at Zero in that way.

Almost about to reach out to pat his shoulder, Saki stopped at the look in her student's eyes. No child she'd met had ever directed such a strong gaze before. It was unsettling, and dare she say it, chilling as well. Her entire body felt frozen. The tense moment was broken by Zero's soft deceptively harmless voice,

"I don't like you." He couldn't find any other way to express how much he wanted her to keep her distance and just stay away. Ko-san already worried enough about him. He didn't want the burden of someone else's emotions. He felt weighed down enough by his own.

He went to the clearing again that day.

Putting his gloves on, he bent down and made a tall pillar with the snow around him before taking the gloves off and giving a more varied shape to the plain pole, his small hands patting more snow on, bit by bit.

Grabbing onto a particularly large pile, Zero stopped as he reached up, when gentle hands came from behind him to wrap around his wrists. Blinking, Zero let go of the snow, letting it fall carelessly, and watched as those larger hands brought his own up and over his head against soft warm skin. Tilting his head up further, Zero saw his wet hands were being placed against the older boy's cheeks.

"You really love the snow, don't you Zero?" They'd forgone the honorable suffixes after having met regularly for the past few weeks.

"I like winter," Zero clarified. He lowered his brows, trying to free his hands from Kaname's grasp. When his attempts had less than desirable results, the four-year-old pouted. "Kana, you're going to be cold."

"It's alright, as long as Zero will be warm." Kaname was on his knees behind him, now resting his head on his shoulder, their cheeks now flush against the other. Kaname smiled as he covered Zero's small hands within his own and brought them to his lips, placing a chaste kiss to those red stinging fingers.

"Why won't you use gloves?"

"It's better with no gloves," Zero murmured, relaxing against Kaname's chest, taking comfort in the warm breath against his cold ear and the older boy's presence.

Kaname turned his attention towards the snow sculpture Zero had been working on. It was of…a tree? One without its leaves or flowers, one that was bare, like a few that stood around them. Why would Zero…?

"Mother liked the trees in winter. With ice." It was just about the only thing he could remember for certain about her. Already, the exact shade of her eyes, or her face, and even her smiles were quickly fading from his memories.

"You mean icicles?" They did look rather beautiful, especially during the day when the sunlight reflected off the hard clear surface, making them shine like crystals.

"Yes, ice…ice-ickles."

Kaname chuckled softly, earning a slight protest. "Kana," Zero frowned. He hated not being able to pronounce his words right. He was four already!

Kaname only shook his head and repositioned his hands around Zero's waist, about to bring him into arms, when a sharp hiss came from the young boy. Curling in on himself, Zero pushed away from Kaname's comforting warmth, wrapping an arm around his body as he bit his lip. And he so foolishly hoped he could keep Kaname from noticing. Nothing really ever worked in his favor, did it?

Wine red eyes narrowed dangerously. "Zero?"

"It's okay. Kana, it's okay." He was fine, he'd gone through more, he wanted to say, but couldn't find the words.

"It's okay…"

"Alright, I understand Zero, just come here." Kaname didn't think he could bear to listen to Zero's pleading voice so defeated and resigned. When Zero seemed to resist his request, Kaname's eyes hardened, "Zero," his voice was sterner, "come here." He held out a hand.

Zero's fingers were still red as they reached for his own. Pulling the boy against him, Kaname unzipped his jacket and slipped his hand inside and under the boy's shirt, his nimble fingers quickly finding the offending bruise and healing it in moments.

"You made me better the first time like that too?"

Kaname merely smiled sadly as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against that of Zero's, steadily breathing in his scent. Zero smelled exactly the way he tasted, of sweet honey, of white innocence, of cool, bittersweet winter, the season he favored so.

Zero closed his eyes. "Kana…?" The older boy seemed a bit weird.

"It's okay Zero. I'm okay." Kaname repeated Zero's own previous words, his smile turning warmer as he did so.

Zero nodded, wrapping his arms around Kaname's neck as the older boy picked him up. "Let me get you some hot chocolate? You're getting cold Zero."

Juuri peered silently into her son's room with a guilty flush to her cheeks and seeing him soundly asleep, smiled and closed the door again. Placing a hand to her chest, she sighed happily and was moved to head to her own rooms when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Was he out again today?"

Juuri eeped and quickly turned to see her bond mate smiling amusedly as he crossed his arms and leaned casually against the wall. She still hadn't figured out how he managed to do that. It'd been Haruka's 'thing' since they were children, sneaking up on her.

"Haruka," she pouted. "Well, yes he was, but he's back now and needs his rest." Taking the hint, Haruka nodded and they both relocated to their rooms. Their son was a fairly light sleeper.

"I'm thinking you're just as lost as I am about what he's up to," Haruka stated as they sat next to each other on the couch.

Juuri tilted her head. "Yes, you'd be correct in thinking so, but I trust Kaname to know what he's doing. I'm just glad he's taken an interest in something. I know he's tried to hide it, but I can tell how bored he is at the meetings, sometimes."

Haruka chuckled. "Ah yes, our adorable son, trying to keep himself attentive…" He'd found it more than just a little amusing. "It wasn't so long ago," maybe about a week, Haruka estimated, "Yuuki came to me saying she saw an angel on Kaname's phone. She showed it to me for proof."

Juuri giggled, "An angel?"

"Mm," Haruka hummed. "It was one of the pictures Kaname took on his phone. A human boy."

Juuri's smile froze before it dropped and her expression turned contemplative. "You think Yuuki's angel and Kaname's frequent visits outside have something in common?"

Haruka didn't offer an answer. He felt it was obvious enough. The boy he saw was young, very much so, especially as he was human. Human and fragile, but beautiful. There was something about him… Kaname had picked up on it, as did Yuuki, and so did Haruka. He was sure Juuri would also have something to say if she were to have a glimpse of that picture.

"He must be something, that human child, to have caught the attention of our children so thoroughly," she smiled softly. Haruka shook his head. Maybe she didn't need that picture at all. Juuri had always been sensitive.

Dressed primly in a clean crisp maid uniform, Sachiko sighed softly as she swept the floors.

"Sakuragi-sama has been in a terrible mood this past month and a half, hasn't he?"

Another maid scoffed, "Since when isn't the master of the household ever not in a terrible mood?"

"But really, you must've noticed the amount of alcohol piling up in his studies. That and his temper has been the worst I've ever seen or heard it."

Yurine narrowed her eyes. "That's probably because the young master hasn't been here as often. I couldn't be gladder for that." She hated what went on in their household and it showed in her contemptuous tone.

Sachiko flinched. It was true. Without their young master to throw his anger out on, Sakuragi-sama had no other outlet than his drinks and books as well as the surrounding furniture. "I do wonder how he has been doing lately."

"Anywhere is better than here," Yurine said fiercely. "I'm sure the young master is being taken care of more properly somewhere." Somewhere safer. With someone that showed genuine care.

"Kiryuu-sama must be rolling in his grave, seeing the young master treated this way. Why he had to live instead baffles me. I really believe there are people who do deserve to die in this world," and that bastard is one of them. Yurine jabbed viciously at the wall with the dust wiper.

"Yuri-san…" Sachiko was of the same opinion, but… They were all protective of their young master, being as young as he was, and, and the things he'd had to go through since the death of both Kiryuu-sama and his wife.

"This place is crumbling, Sachiko," Yurine scowled. "That man, all he's done since coming here is spend whatever he could get his hands on. Even, even," her teeth gritted, "even our young master's right and proper inheritance." The young master deserved so much better than this, so much more. "The number of people who've left since he came is more than half, Sachiko. More than half of us are already gone. How long do you think it'll take for him to squander everything Kiryuu-sama tried so hard to gain?"

Not long, that's what.

"When, when do you think the young master will be back?" Sachiko asked hesitantly to have a slight change in topic. She feared if Yurine went on as she was, she'd say something she'd regret.

"It isn't unusual for him to be gone for days at a time nowadays. But I think he'll be back soon."

Not really knowing whether or not Yurine was trying to convince her or herself, Sachiko nodded in response to her answer and continued to sweep.

Disclaimer: No own Vampire Knights.

Hope that wasn't too crappy...yeah, my mid-terms just about killed me...living off of coffee and energy drinks...

I will have a second part to this, it's not done yet - if the way it ended here wasn't obvious enough... I'm going to try to have a bit more into Zero's personal situation at home...