Disclaimer- I do not own Vampire Knight

Chapter 17

Engaging Affairs

A date for Ken and Yuuki's wedding had been set for mid-October and it seemed that now that summer was quickly coming to an end that the special day was fast approaching. The manor was in constant motion with the preparations and deliveries that were coming and going on a daily basis. The guest list was fairly small, only a select few noble families had been invited and of course Cross and Zero had been invited as well.

The general mood seemed to be quite happy and upbeat the nearer that the date came and though it was nice to be in such an environment, Reina was beginning to find it a little stifling and was going to be glad once it was all over and her home could return to some sort of peaceful, lazy state.

Three days before the wedding found her leaning against the decorative wood molding that encased the window in what had once been her father's office but was now considered Kaname's office. The dark haired pureblood could be found there more often than he could be found in his room or in any other part of the house. He had been in the manor frequently in the past six months, the new found Council was handling their duties quite well, for the most part, and he had no need to travel as often. Though he was there often, he was hardly ever seen, it was as if he was nothing more than a ghost. They could all sense him, but rarely actually saw him.

Her sapphire eyes were closed as she leaned her head into the bookshelf that flanked the right side of the window. Her body swayed slightly in tune to the soft notes that were filling the air from the small, sleek stereo system that was set up on one of the shelves of the bookcase she was resting her head on. She was dressed in a thin midnight blue ballet like skirt that fell several inches below her knees, her shirt was a white deep scoop neck that fit her snugly and in her current position revealed a small portion of her pale stomach. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and a silver ribbon was used to secure it.

Kaname was sitting behind the desk, his back to her and the top of his head barely visible over the top of the black leather chair. He had several open letters before him and he was reading through them while he rested his cheek against the back of his hand. Every so often he would let out a quiet sigh and shift in the chair, but beside that he hardly moved or made a sound. His calmness and the way he seemed so at ease while everyone else seemed to be overly enthusiastic and giggly was intensely comforting to Reina who was so used to peace and quiet that the unusual rush of activity was beginning to stress her out. She had been spending more and more time around him in the past several days, his aura and presence was always so stable and relaxed that it helped her calm her own nerves.

Of course Kaname had no objections to her spending as much time as she wanted around him for much the same reasons she enjoyed his company. Being around her was like being around an angel and the warmth that she exuded was welcome in his rather dark and blood stained world. He was also happy for the way she seemed to be growing attached to him again, she was returning to her usual almost childlike and innocent self as the past grew to be further away and she was surrounded by so many companions and spent much of her time with her now three year old daughter.

Reina had only been in the room for a few minutes, she had wanted to read a book that she remembered being kept in here. She had found the book and had leaned against the window to flip through the pages to be sure it was what she was actually looking for, the book was still open and resting in one hand while her other hand was being used to skim beneath the lines. The calming notes of the classical music that was playing had distracted her and she had ended up staying where she was, enjoying the peaceful moment and allowing her eyes to flutter shut.

It wasn't until Kaname sighed tiredly and shuffled some of the papers on the desk that Reina reopened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm just tired. The Council is proving to be quite a bit more troublesome than I had anticipated."

"I suppose that was to be expected," Reina replied, stepping away from the window and the early evening periwinkle sky and to the other side of the desk. "Things will get better in time. Once everyone settles into their positions and sees that they all have a say regardless of what rank they hold on this Council."

Kaname sighed, running his elegant fingers through his brown locks and pushing himself away from the desk, but remaining in the large chair. "While I'm sure you're right, that doesn't keep them from complaining about every little thing to me."

She laughed lightly, smiling at the annoyed frown that tugged on Kaname's lips. "You've completely changed the vampire world in a matter of just a few years, some of them are still not quite settled and feel that this peace won't last. They look to you for guidance because they respect you."

"How is Emiko?" Kaname asked, wanting a brief moment to think of things other than his duties as the king of an entire race.

"Far too energetic for a three year old," she sighed. "She's got more energy than I can handle and she keeps draining poor Hana of his on top of that. The poor thing looks like he was hit by train, but Emi just won't leave him alone and he can't tell her no."

"Can you?"

"No, no one can," she answered with a small shake of her head. "Anyways, I'll leave you be, I found what I was looking for," she said, holding up the thick hard covered book she had wanted only to accidentally drop it. She gasped when a corner of the book sliced her palm leaving a small scratch that leaked a tiny amount of her blood. Raising her hand to her mouth, Reina let her lips close over the small cut as she leaned over to pick up the book with her other hand. It was as she was standing back up that she realized that Kaname had stiffened, his eyes had taken on a slight red glow and he was staring intently at her hand. "How long has it been, Kaname?" She asked quietly, pulling her hand away from her mouth and lowering it to her side.

"Not as long as it has been for you," he answered, raising a hand to rub at his temples as he closed his eyes and leaned into the comfort of his chair. "I'm fine."

Reina frowned. "You're not fine, Kaname. I grew up on tablets, you did not. They are enough for me, but I'm not running myself as ragged as you are."

"You don't need to be concerned, I'm fine."

She stared at him for a moment before sighing and shaking her head and closing her eyes. "You're thirsty and you're refusing to drink, you're not fine."

"Who do you propose I drink from then?" He questioned blandly.

Remaining silent, she studied Kaname for a few moments. She stepped forward, setting her book on the corner of the desk as she approached Kaname. "Me," she said quietly, running the tips of her fingers over his forehead and brushing some of his hair from his face to kiss his forehead.

He looked up at her, surprised by her response, but he masked the emotion and just looked blankly at her.

"You can drink from me," she repeated softly.

Slowly and without ever breaking eye contact, Reina leaned over Kaname, placing her left knee on the chair and using the back to support herself as she pulled her other leg on to the chair and settled herself onto his lap.

"Reina-"

"Shut up, Kaname," she breathed, letting her hands glide from the smooth leather onto his chest as she leaned forward, her breath caressing his neck and making his heart quicken its pace. "You want me, don't you? You've always wanted me, even when you couldn't have me." She placed a gentle kiss on his neck, nipping lightly at the thin skin and smiling when he took a sharp breath in.

"That may be so," he answered, gently pushing her back. "But you don't want me and I have no intention of further damaging our relationship by taking advantage of you."

"Taking advantage of me? I'm offering myself to you, you're not taking advantage of me."

"Why are you doing this, Reina?" He inquired with a tired sigh as he looked up into her sapphire eyes.

"Because I've always loved you, Kaname," she replied, leaning her forehead against his and smiling softly. "That love has gone through several changes, but it has always been there in some form and it has always made it hard to be angry with you. I've been angry long enough, Kaname. I don't want to be upset with you anymore, I'm not upset with you anymore, I just don't know what to do. It's been so long since things have been okay between us that I felt they never would be again. You've always tried to protect me, to help me. I may not have agreed with how you've done those things, but I know you would never do anything to hurt me. You've been working yourself so hard lately, you're not sleeping, you're not eating and you're not taking any tablets. Why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you letting yourself become such a mess? It's hard to see you like this, Kaname. I want to help you, please let me help you." Her voice was quiet, pleading as she ran her thumb over his cheekbone and stared evenly into his crimson eyes.

He didn't immediately answer her, he was letting her words settle in his mind, letting her scent calm him and her steady breathing and heart beat lull him into a sort of trance. When he spoke, it was difficult for him to actually say the words, they weren't what he wanted to say. "I'm fine, Reina. I'm sorry I've made you worry." He truly was sorry for worrying her, but he wasn't fine and he wanted nothing more than to claim her blood for himself right there.

"You're lying," she said almost harshly. "Why? I am offering my blood to you, you have offered me yours in the past-"

"And you've only taken it once, when you knew you had to drink. I'm not the man you love and you yourself said that only the blood of a lover-"

"I know what I said," she cut in sharply, leaning back so that their foreheads were no longer touching. "I've already told you, haven't I? That I love you."

"What about Ichijo?" He asked, expecting her to back down at the mention of the man she had been engaged to three years before.

"He isn't here anymore and I would like to think that he would want me to be happy," Reina answered evenly, she no longer felt an immense amount of pain when thinking of or talking about her past lover, she still did and always would love him, but she felt that he would want her to move on, not dwell on his memory alone forever.

"That doesn't change the fact that you don't love me in the same way, I don't want you doing something that you will later regret."

"Then I won't do anything that I'll regret," she replied, her voice a husky whisper as she raised her wrist to her glossed pink lips and bit into the thin, pale flesh. Her eyes were again locked with Kaname's as she sucked her own blood from her veins, she ignored the few drops that slipped from beneath her lips to drop onto her blue skirt as she pulled her wrist away from her mouth and cupped Kaname's cheeks in her palms, running her thumb over his lips, she lowered her mouth to his expecting him to resist and at first he did, but a quick tug to his hair that she had gathered in one of her hands that had found its way to the back of his head, made him gasp and part his lips. Reina let the liquid flow from her mouth to Kaname's before pulling away slightly and kissing the corner of his lips as he swallowed her blood. A small line of blood had leaked from his lips and without hesitation, she let her tongue collect the liquid and her lips close over his bottom lip.

"Reina," Kaname uttered, running his hands over her arms and trying to push her off of himself. She wound up on her feet, her legs still on either side of him.

"Push me away now and you will never have the chance to have me again, is that what you want? Or do you want to stop and take me, the woman you have always desired?" Reina asked bluntly, leaning into the desk now that she was back on her feet and regarding Kaname with a look that clearly told him he had better make a decision and quickly or she would do so for him.

When he did nothing but stare at her, contemplating her question, she sighed and shook her head. "Fine," she said, slipping from her spot against the desk to head for the door.

She jolted to a stop as she was beginning to turn away, her wrist caught in a firm grasp as Kaname stood up, pinning her to the desk behind her. He released her wrist and when she turned back to him, her eyes wide as his lips crashed down on to hers. She didn't fight him as he hungrily kissed her and let his hands roam down her body and gently lift her onto the desk. He pushed the fabric of her skirt up, his fingers brushing over her thighs and eliciting a small groan from Reina. His lips left hers and trailed down her neck. His hands went to her waist, pulling her roughly into his body as one of her small hands buried itself in his hair and the other clutched onto his back.

His tongue teased the skin of her neck before his fangs plunged into her, she cried out, her head tilting back and her back arching, pressing their bodies tighter against each other as she let her nails dig into his back. He drank slowly, savoring every drop of blood that filled his mouth and occasionally flicking his tongue against Reina's neck just to make the small woman groan and clutch to him tighter than she already was.

Kaname could feel the heat of Reina's body, the rise and fall of her chest against his own and hear the way her heart was thumping in response to their closeness. Not wanting to stop drinking down the deliciously floral blood that filled her body. Not wanting to take too much from her he pulled his fangs from her neck, keeping his lips over the spot to lick the wounds he had inflicted upon her to help them heal faster. He sucked the spot gently before loosening his grasp on her, he was surprised he hadn't actually crushed her with the force he had been holding onto her with. His lips brushed over her neck before he lifted his head and captured her lips in his passionately.

Their lips moved together with an intense need and hunger that made everything else completely meaningless at the moment. Kaname reached behind her head, pulling the ribbon that held her hair in its ponytail and letting it drift to the floor as he ran his fingers through her silky locks.

Pulling away from Reina, Kaname tilted her chin up with his fingers and kissed her forehead, he nearly forgot what he had wanted to say when he looked at her red tinted cheeks and inviting blue eyes. "Not here," was all he said, lifting her from the desk and holding her against himself as she steadied herself on shaky legs. He took her hand and led her from the office, Hanabusa was in the hall, having woken up from Emiko's most recent energy draining, both purebloods ignored him as they walked into the first door to the left only a few steps from the office and shut the door behind them. The curtains were still drawn in the room, casting the whole room into shadow once the door shut.

The icy eyed boy blinked at the door at the far end of the hall, unsure what he had just witnessed, but knowing better than to meddle. Recovering himself, he made his way downstairs to bug the cooks for some food since he was starving and needed something to try and replenish his energy.

The second the door had closed, Kaname had Reina pressed up against it with his hands tracing the curves of her body until he grasped her thighs and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as their lips once again feverishly moved together, she could feel the muscles of his arms against her back, holding her body against his so that she wouldn't fall as he stepped away from the wall. Their lips never parted until Reina was gently set upon the unmade bed and Kaname took a moment to simply study her. When he saw that there was no hesitation or uncertainty in her eyes, he tenderly kissed her jaw and made his way to her lips, as his lips closed in on hers the tender kisses became more urgent as the desire built up between them.

Reina undid the buttons of Kaname's shirt, running the tips of her fingers over his perfect chest and shoulders and pushing the fabric off of his body, he removed his hands from her face and let her hands deftly push the shirt off of his arms. It fell to the floor behind him, forgotten before it even hit the ground. His fingers grazing her sides lightly, he pushed her shirt up her torso, she backed away and raised her arms over her head, meeting his eyes with a look so full of want that Kaname had a hard time controlling himself and not just ripping her clothes from her body to claim her as his own for once and all.

A small moan escaped Reina's mouth as her eyes closed and her head tilted back in response to the teasing and tantalizing feel of Kaname's hands tracing the outside of her legs with his nimble fingers until he grasped her thighs and pulled her forcefully against him so that she could feel the intense heat that was emanating from his body. Struggling to not hurt the insanely beautiful and delicate woman in his arms, Kaname laid Reina on her back and slipped her thin skirt from her body, leaving her in only a white lace bra and matching panties.

Kissing her hip, Kaname had to suppress a groan as Reina sighed lustfully and her legs wrapped themselves around him. He continued to let his hands wander the curves of Reina's body while his lips explored what his hands couldn't, kissing, biting, teasing while Reina ran her own fingers through his hair, occasionally tightly grasping it in her hold as she let out content moans. Continuing his exploration of her body, Kaname slid his hands up her arms, entwining their fingers and pinning her arms above her head as he recaptured her lips in a dizzying kiss that left Reina in a hazy, lust filled world where time stopped and she lost track of everything. The only thing she knew was that the desire to keep Kaname in her grasp for as long as possible so that their bodies could move over one another in perfect harmony was so intense that she could hardly register what was going on.

He was like a drug to her, she forgot everything but him and could only focus on him and nothing else. She could feel his steady, strong heartbeat against her chest, feel the tickle of his breath against her ear and the warmth of his body pressing into her own and smell the overwhelmingly masculine scent that he exuded. She didn't know when or even how, the touches were all so light, careful and loving and done with so little thought that their naked bodies were now entangled together on the bed, the sheets a mess around them and they had yet to even join their bodies.

It was much the same for Kaname as it was for Reina, he was lost to the feel of her skin, the delicate and alluring scent that emanated from every inch of her body and to the unconscious noises she made as he caressed her insanely smooth and silky skin. There was nothing aside from her in his world at that moment, no worries and no cares whatsoever, just the two of them and nothing more, nothing less.

Letting his hands run through her long hair, he unlocked their slightly swollen lips to press his forehead into hers and stare into her eyes as her chest rose and fell as she caught her breath. Her cheeks were tinted a beautiful shade of pink and her eyes were half closed as if she were on the verge of sleep. There was no other thought in his mind as he thrust his hips forward a bit more forcefully than he had intended and plunged himself into her. She cried out, her back arching, forcing their bodies to meld together even more tightly as her leg that was twisted around his pulled him even closer to her.

There was nothing they could do to fight the primal urges that made the both of them clutch onto each other, nipping at exposed flesh, pulling on silky hair and grasping unyieldingly at any portion of their bodies that they could. Having wanted her for so long, it was a fruitless battle for Kaname to try and pace himself and take her with delicacy. He couldn't control his own body as he buried himself in her repeatedly and her body replied so honestly, her eyes closing as she cried out and groaned in pleasure, her cheeks pink and coated in a shiny coat of sweat. Her nails dug into his back as his hands gripped her waist, guiding her body and coaxing even more of a reaction out of her as he ground their bodies together.

Her breathing heightened, her heart sped up and she grasped at every inch of him that she could before putting her head on his shoulder and uttering his name. Hearing his name uttered from such perfect lips in such a manner was too much for Kaname, pulling her against his body and burying himself as deeply into her all too willing body, he too groaned, his back arching, pressing their already sensitive centers together. The two could only grasp onto each other, panting and moaning as all of their desire exploded into an intense and mind blowing climax.

That was far from the end of their night, having sated their overwhelming need for one another, Kaname rolled Reina onto her back and positioned himself above her, their bodies never once separating. He kissed her exposed throat and collar bone all the while gently rocking their heated bodies together.

The entire night was lost in a haze of lust blurred images and feelings so intense yet tender that neither one ever had to utter a single word to express their feelings. They were clearly written on their faces and showing in their glossy eyes and the loving gestures and kisses they bestowed upon one another.

Kaname lightly trailed kisses from Reina's naked shoulder to her jaw, the sleeping woman sighed softly and a small smile curved her lips. The tips of his fingers were grazing the smooth flesh of her side and arm, memorizing the shape of her body and the feel of her bare form curled up against his own. She looked so beautiful and peaceful as she slept with her back pressed into his chest that he didn't want to move and risk waking her, but they had been lost to each other's bodies for hours and he had taken a good deal of her blood from her and he was sure she would be both hungry and thirsty when she awoke.

Slipping from the bed, Kaname pulled a black blanket over her since all that currently covered her was a silky but thin gray sheet. She groaned and rolled on to her back, fluttering her eyes open to peer at him sleepily.

"Get some more sleep, I won't be gone long," he told her softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead tenderly and stroke her cheek. When her eyes closed, he stepped away from the bed and made his way to his private bathroom.

Reina's brows furrowed and she groaned, she writhed around in the bed for a moment, stretching and rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she looked over to see that Kaname was gone, she huffed and a small frown took up residence on her face before she heard the soft sound of a masculine chuckle. Holding the sheet over her chest, she pushed herself up and turned to see that Kaname was sitting on the sofa to the right of the bed, there were two trays set on the wooden table in front of him.

"What are you laughing at?" She grumbled tiredly, flipping some of her messy white hair out of her face.

"You," he answered, standing from the couch and picking up a bundle of fabric that had been sitting beside him. "I brought you some tea, chai and some milk. There's also some food, I thought you might be hungry," he said, holding out the bundle of fabric to her that she realized was actually a robe.

Still holding the sheet to her chest, Reina slid to the edge of the bed and let her feet glide to the soft carpeting before standing up and letting go of the sheet, Kaname's eyes roamed over her body as she turned around so he could help her into the white satin robe. She tied the robe around her waist, smiling as Kaname wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. Shimmying around in his arms, she smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Good morning," she said, kissing him on the lips.

"Not anymore."

Humming and frowning thoughtfully, she looked around Kaname to the old fashioned clock on the dresser. She blinked at the hands before blushing when she realized that if it wasn't morning then they had spent over twenty four hours in his room and she knew for a fact that most of that time wasn't spent sleeping.

"I should check on Emiko, she's probably-"

"She's sleeping, it seems she spent the day trying to teach Aido how to dance for the wedding and wore herself out," he informed her. Seeing that she wasn't entirely satisfied with his answer as she frowned and looked towards the door, he grasped her chin with his thumb and index finger and turned her face towards him. "She's fine, Reina, I promise. You can look in on her after having some tea and getting cleaned up, until then just relax."

She let out a long sigh, but nodded. "Alright."

"How are you feeling?" He asked as they both sat down and Reina reached over to pour herself a cup of steaming hot tea.

"Tired, though I think that's to be expected after last night and this morning and afternoon apparently," she replied, grinning at him from behind her cup as she raised it to her lips.

"Are you complaining?" He asked teasingly.

She shook her head having just taken a sip of her tea and hummed out a denial. "Nope, as a matter of fact, I think we should do that again," she said after swallowing her tea.

"Weren't you worried about me over exerting myself yesterday?"

"Yes, but that was with your work. I hardly call anything we've done in the last twenty-four hours work."

"Are you happy?" He asked after a short silence as he ran his hand through her hair, playing with the loose waves and letting them slip through his fingers.

Not having expected the question or the way he had gone from playful and happy, which was such a rare thing for him, to sounding almost worried and uncertain. Setting her tea cup down on the table, Reina took Kaname's face in her hands and kissed his forehead, his nose and then his lips. "Yes, I'm happy, Kaname, very happy. Why are you asking me that?"

"I love you, Reina."

"I know that, Kaname, I love you too."

"I've only ever made you suffer even though I've only wanted to protect you. You have forgiven me time and time again for being the monster that I am when you shouldn't have, you deserve so much better than-"

She silenced him by placing a finger over his lips. "Please stop," she whispered. "I know I've called you a monster, I know I've said a lot of things that I can't take back, but that's all in the past. Everything is in the past, lets leave it there. You've given our world the opportunity to start over and start fresh, why don't we do the same thing. Just forget about everything else that happened and focus on now and the future, on us."

"I don't want to spoil the innocence you possess, it's such a rare thing to find in one of our own kind. I don't want to be responsible for tainting it with these blood covered hands."

"Your hands may be covered in blood, but you are not the monster you think you are and I will gladly let you taint me with those hands. The hands that have only ever tried to bring peace to our world like your parents wanted, like my parents wanted."

"The same hands that are responsible for taking everything you cared about away from you. I was even responsible for your death, even if it wasn't real."

"You didn't take everything from me, Kaname. I have you, Emiko, Hanabusa, Ken and everyone else that has made themselves comfortable here. I don't blame you for what happened to me or to Takuma. It was Takuma's choice to fight his grandfather and to be honest, I think he would have done the same thing even if he knew I was still alive, otherwise he never would have been free of him. He needed to prove to his grandfather that he wasn't just a tool like Ichio had tried to raise him to be. Don't blame yourself, you let him do as he wished instead of interfering with his pride and I don't blame you for that."

Kaname let silence fall over them and he sighed when Reina ran her hand over his cheek, letting his eyes close as he enjoyed the feeling of her warm touch. He let her pull him forward and lightly kiss his lips, nose, forehead and cheek before capturing her lips in his again hungrily. As much as he wanted her in that moment he found himself thinking of a conversation he had had over a year earlier and one question kept repeating itself in his head.

"Do you know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Takuma Ichijo is dead?"

Reina breathed in deeply as Kaname's hands found their way to her cheeks and then slid down her arms, he guided her to lean back into the arm of the chaise and positioned himself over her. The sound of her heightened breathing and the way she said his name so lustfully made him push everything but her to the back of his mind and allow himself to fall into the depths of the red hot desire that was consuming him.

"You seem awfully cheery this evening," Ken remarked, walking into Reina's room, the door had been left open and she was humming a tune to herself and had a smile on her face as she danced around the room, gathering a few things that were needed to finish preparing for the wedding that was now only hours away.

She had jumped, she had been so lost in her own little world that she hadn't realized the man was there, she turned towards him and couldn't help but to lift a brow at the amused smirk on the brown haired man's face. "Is that a problem? Aren't I allowed to be happy on my friend's wedding day?" She inquired tersely.

His smirk only grew. "Of course you are, but you've been locked up in Kaname's room for nearly two and a half days I somehow doubt your good mood has anything to do with the wedding."

Her cheeks immediately burned bright red, but she tried her best to look unaffected by his words. "I have no idea what you're talking about... and it's not your business anyway."

"I'm not trying to pry, but I've never seen you smile like that," Ken told her with a warm smile as he smirk faded. "I'm happy for you. Kaname cares a great deal about you and though he's not always the best at showing it, he loves you very much as well."

"I know," Reina smiled. "And I love him too."

The petite blond woman lay beside her taller lover, running her fingers over his bare chest before looking up into his gray tinted green eyes. "I must say that wasn't nearly as fun as I had expected," she stated bitterly.

The man beside her growled, shoving the woman away from himself and pushing himself up onto the pillows before tossing his blond hair from his eyes and rubbing at his temples. "The damn brat has been annoying ever since we decided to see just what the little Tsukina princess is up to. He's too damn happy for her even though she was promised to him and she's throwing herself at Kuran. hHe doesn't feel angry or jealous, just happy and it's annoying. I can't push his feelings to the back of my mind."

"Can't say I'm surprised," the blond sighed. "Takuma has always been such a kind boy."