Disclaimer: The Vampire Knight anime/manga series does not belong to me.

Hey, everyone! It's Jade here, writing up a new chapter for y'all. I was surprised at the amount of reviews I got on the first chapter, and it encouraged me to write this second one… It's all thanks to you that this second chapter has been written! Usually I get hit by writer's block a lot, and I need some motivation to carry on, thus my thirst for blood- Eh, no, I mean hunger for reviewcookies!

Just a note- This chapter has been hard to write, and personally I don't think it's as good as the first one. I tried to fit so much of the plot into one chapter that I think it MAY have become a bit overwhelming… Beware of LONG flashbacks!

On with the story!

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The snow was just starting to melt, the sun not yet fully up. They had a bit more time before the sunlight would become unbearable to the pureblooded vampire. Thin rivers flowed from beneath shrinking sheets of ice, like tiny estuaries leaving the ocean. It was at that moment when Leviathan realized they were not wearing shoes. Of course, he wouldn't be affected by the cold, as he was a pureblooded vampire. Leviathan hadn't told Zero yet, but he felt like his love already knew- like he could taste it in his blood. The pureblood felt sorry for Zero, who was turned by a pureblood, whose heart was broken by a pureblood, and now another one wanted to be in his life.

For a moment, he was consumed by his thoughts and didn't realize his hand trying to lead Zero into the snow. The ex-human was still, unmoving. Leviathan quickly came to his senses at the dead weight he was trying to move, and berated himself viciously for forgetting.

"I apologize, Zero. It must be too cold for you… Let's stay here instead."

The lord wrapped his arms around Zero again, from behind, trying to offer him as much warmth as possible. His angel stiffened at first from the contact, but relaxed into his chest within seconds. They stood in the doorway to the garden, and the pair remained motionless in this position, sharing warmth and each other's company.

Zero wasn't so cold anymore- the warmth engulfed him again, swallowing him, pulling him down into unexpectedly warm tropical waters, so unlike the cold Arctic Ocean he felt just moments ago. A kind sea monster… He didn't even notice how much he loved this feeling.

He let his empty gave travel through the snow covered garden, its trees crying emotionless tears. Drip. Drip. Drip. The sound was comforting to his ears, because it was something he could count on to continue, unlike so many other things in his life.

He'd only seen this garden once or twice, and Leviathan had promised him the garden looked infinitely more beautiful in spring, when all the heavy snow had melted and the flowers bloomed again. Zero didn't remember giving any response, because personally, he liked the snow and the serenity it brought.

Zero's arms betrayed him then, because when he looked down, he found his warmed hands on top of Leviathan's cold ones. The feeling brought a tingling sensation up his spine.

The vampire was daydreaming when he felt hands around his, and his heart skipped a beat, if that was possible at all for a vampire. He was filled with renewed hope at Zero's recovery. Maybe he was making some progress? But Leviathan knew better than get his hopes up, because whenever he did and took a step forward, Zero would knock him back a few steps back.

Slowly, he turned Zero towards him, slipping his hands from the ex-human's grasp reluctantly, and gripping him tenderly around the shoulders, as if he were made of glass. The eyes that stared up at him were no different from this morning, but Leviathan couldn't help but think they were just a bit lighter, even if it was all due to the rising winter sun shining down on them both. He raised his hands so they rested in the curtain of silver silk, warm and soft. He pushed Zero's head gently forward, so it rested in the crook of his neck, the expense naked and longing for his touch, for his bite. He knew letting Zero drink his blood would allow both of them closeness, and at the same time wouldn't be over the ex-human's head.

The pureblood knew his lover was thirsty, not to the point of losing control, but to the point where it felt uncomfortable nonetheless. Leviathan was going to make sure Zero was never fully hungry, so there wasn't even a chance of him falling into Level E state. "Drink now." He whispered into a pierced ear, breathing hotly, anticipating. Zero hadn't drank from him since the day he woke up that night, but from that moment on, Leviathan had grown attached to the feeling of Zero's fangs in his neck, in fact, he longed for it.

Zero silently obeyed the command Leviathan didn't even realize he'd gave, because he wanted it too.

--

Kegan eyed Zero suspiciously. He'd just finished cleaning up the glass shards inside, and he always had to stay by his lord's side, in case something should happen. Although in his heart he wished it didn't have to be so. It hurt him to see his lord like this, like he was being taken advantage of. He balled his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. Out of all the people the proud lord could love, why him?

'No, lord Leviathan doesn't truly love him… It's just the bond… Isn't it?' Kegan narrowed his eyes, black irises impenetrable and calculating. He remembered wanting an explanation from Leviathan last fall, when the pitiful ex-human was still in the midst of his sleep…

-Flashback-

I knocked at the door, taking shaky breaths in an attempt to calm myself. Did I really have the right to know?

"Come in." Came a cracking voice behind the enormous oak door. The voice almost tore me apart. So much sorrow… I shook my head against the thought nonetheless and pushed open the grand doors, creaking as it opened, announcing my entrance.

"Milord…" I bowed first, trying to collect my thoughts. I had planned out this entire conversation, on my part, at least… But now, I couldn't seem to remember any of it. I straightened when he gave no response.

Usually, the pureblood would become upset and berate me for bowing, or addressing him so formally when in private, because I didn't need to. In fact, he wasn't even looking at me, sitting on the bed where the half-dead hunter lay. The window behind them poured moonlight on both of them, like a blessing gone unnoticed. The silver haired man looked strange here, like he didn't belong. Perhaps he truly didn't. What was so important about this corpse that held such interest to Leviathan?

"How are you feeling…?" I began, looking everywhere but at the man I was talking to.

"What's wrong, Kegan?" He asked, interrupting me. His back still turned to me. His voice was inscrutable, and I shivered. This voice… Leviathan was like an open book, that suddenly gained a lock, and the key was hopelessly lost forever…

"What's wrong?" He asked again, somewhat annoyed. "I can hear it in your voice. Tell me now." I realized a bit too late how impatient I was making him.

"Milord… I have come curious. I was wondering how you happened upon your beautiful angel." I almost chocked on the last words, trying to spit them out. Unfortunately, these kind words sounded sarcastic and venomous, much to my immediate horror. Leviathan finally turned towards me. I had a spasm of panic in my legs, and slowly brought my gaze up to him, daring to read him as much as I could. The lighting in his room was dim, but even so Vampires could see well. Although that wasn't the case with me, since the moment I looked at him, I was almost blinded by his icy glare.

"I-I apologize, milord! I d-didn't mean to say it like that…" The panic spasms came back harder, and I was starting to sweat. I almost fell to the floor in an attempt to bow, fearing for my life.

"It's okay, Kegan." The voice sounded further away, and I dared to look up, and found my master's gaze set on the hunter again. I frowned slightly in disgust.

Before I could think of leaving, Leviathan had ordered me to his side. I stood on shaking legs and obeyed this order, not knowing what to expect.

"I found him, Kiriyuu Zero, in a beautiful meadow." Leviathan started suddenly after a long pause. I froze; was he going to tell me… The truth?


I didn't speak, urging him to go on.

"He was on the verge of death, his soul broken. I could feel it. The stench of blood was everywhere. I found the corpses of many vampires scattered around him. Not just any vampires, level E vampires. I believe they'd formed a coven, and Zero was unfortunate enough to stumble upon their territory." My lord stopped, closing his eyes and running a hand through his own disheveled hair, free of its tie. I could tell he was in pain, trying to recount such a horrible event, and a part of me was surprised at how cruel I was myself, trying to force it out of him.

I did not have the chance to speak before he started again.

"At first, I was confused, because his wounds were very minor. Obviously he'd had no problems taking out the Level Es, and I was wondering if he'd been poisoned when he looked towards me, and his eyes stole my soul, stole my heart. I held him in my arms, because I was so intrigued. At the moment I just wanted a story out of him. He agreed, because he thought he was going to die. He spilled his heart out for me… His voice was beautiful, but it was so weak I could barely hear it…" A hand brushed the hunter's pale lips wistfully.

"He told me about his relations with… Kuran Kaname."

It was then that I gasped eyes wide in disbelief. Kuran Kaname? His name was known throughout the land, he was a very powerful vampire lord, and his status rivaled even lord Leviathan's. I was about to pour out a river of questions and concerns, but once again Leviathan stopped me with his voice.

"Apparently, he had a blood bond with Kuran… It was established not out of love, but out of necessity. You see, Kegan, Zero was turned by Shizuka Hiou, and only in recent years did he feel the true changes to his body, to his mind. He was going to fall into level E rank if Kuran did not offer him his pure blood, as his body rejected blood tablets. There was also a girl in that story… Yes, Yuuki was her name… I can't remember if her last name was Cross or Kuran, but that one girl held the hearts of both Zero and Kuran in her palm. Kuran loved her more than anything, and he broke the bond between Zero and him so he could bond freely with Yuuki."

At the moment, I didn't know what to say. My feelings for the ex-human suddenly turned from disgust to slight pity. I was educated about the effects of broken blood bonds, but I was deeply confused.

"But… Doesn't that mean Kuran Kaname is now dead or crazy?" I asked bluntly.

"No. You see, he already established a bond with Yuuki before he broke off Zero's. And he used a spell that was supposed to be for Yuuki's protection, but probably protected him as well. It was under these circumstances that he survived. Although I think the break still had some kind of emotional impact on him… But Zero, he left him unprotected against the effects. In fact, I don't think Kuran was aware of his bond with him at all. Being a part of two blood bonds at the same time, Kuran probably felt his and Yuuki's bond stronger than Zero's, since theirs was made out of true love… Zero had decided not to tell him and ruin another blood bond. In the end, he was too kind."

I nodded slowly, satisfied with the answer.

"Anyways, I felt a deep pity for him when he completed his tale, and something else. I felt love. Kegan, I'd never felt a feeling such as what I felt with him at that moment, and I knew I had to save him. The only way was to create another bond, so I offered him my neck, and in his situation, he couldn't refuse. I drank from him as well, though very little. I performed a stress relieving spell that was probably the same spell Kuran used on Yuuki, just for precautions, since I knew the new bond would not protect him completely. It would keep him alive, yes, but I wasn't sure to what extent the emotional damage inflicted upon him was… After that, he fell unconscious, and I carried him back here and the rest I trust you know about already…"

Yes… About the fact that Zero never awoke again. It was such twisted love. A pureblooded vampire helplessly lost in the eyes of an emotionally dead hunter, for god's sakes. Even though I still harbored negative feelings towards Zero, I couldn't help but wish for Leviathan's happiness. Glad and thankful he shared his thoughts with me, I turned to leave.

"Thank you, my lo-"

"Leviathan." He corrected me with the tiniest of smiles. Suddenly I felt at peace with the world again.

"Yes, Leviathan, my friend."

-End Flashback-

A low moan from my lord brought me back, and my neck craned to see what was going on.

Leviathan was in heaven. He gripped Zero's hair tightly, but not hard enough to give him pain as the ex-human downed his blood eagerly. Absently wondering how his own blood tasted, Leviathan was abruptly thrust into hell. Passion, desire, and lust burned in his body, and he realized that a lot of his blood wasn't making it to his neck now; instead heading to his groin. Chills shot through his body as Zero's arms made their way around his back, pulling him closer. The pureblood screwed his eyes shut and groaned deep again…

And then everything turned a blinding white, and Leviathan felt like he was thrust into heaven yet again, floating….

When he finally descended from his heavenly high, he tasted salt. He smelled it too, burning in his nostrils, and his chest ached with each beat. He was even on the hardwood ground. Confused, the vampire lord tried to shake his head to clear his head, and realized he couldn't move his mouth. Opening his eyes to access to situation, he was met with a heart wrenching scene. His mouth was attached to Zero's, hands buried in his hair none too gently, and his lover was crying salty tears, pinned to the floor.

Disgusted and horrified with himself, the pureblood jerked away as if burned. Part of him did feel like being burned. The bond between them was aching at Zero's pain, hence the pain in his chest.

"I'm sorry…" The raspy voice of the ex-human beneath him caught his attention, and his pained expression grew gentle immediately. Tears threatened to burst from his eyes at the sound of Zero's voice. Leviathan wasn't sure if the tears would be of happiness or resentment. He didn't get to hear this voice often…

"Why are you apologizing? It should be me who's apologizing…" Leviathan felt the guilt drowning him, pulling him under. He realized how harsh he'd been to Zero, because there was blood smeared all over that half opened mouth. How dare he loose control?! How dare he try to benefit his own needs from Zero's vulnerability?

Kegan was behind him suddenly, quietly offering him a silk handkerchief. He took it gratefully and began tenderly dabbing at Zero's bloodied mouth, whispering sincere apologies while kissing away his tears. Zero said nothing as he drifted away, exhausted.

Zero recalled dazedly drinking Leviathan's blood for the first time when he awoke…

-Flashback-

The moment he opened his eyes, he was consumed in blood lust, his chest constricted, his head swirled, and he felt completely and utterly out of control, and oddly vulnerable. He could feel himself seizing up every few seconds from the pain, from the suffocation, from the longing… He could hear voices in blurry white patches in the background, and he couldn't make out any coherent words.

And then he felt himself being moved… He jerked uncontrollably in his new position, but the warmth… It was calming him down, and soon his seizing turned into continuous shivering. He felt his fangs elongate, and feared and wondered at the same time who was holding him in his or her lap. Next, Zero found his face pressed up against something warm, something- Delicious. He didn't care anymore at this point. Bloodlust took over, and his ravished the flesh given to him with ferocious vigor, gripping at whatever he could desperately, as if fearing his precious food source would disappear.

Sweet nectar flooded his mouth, threatening to spill over. The taste was amazing- Zero could only compare it somewhat closely to wildflower honey and dark chocolate. The blood finally escaped the corners of his mouth, running down his own throat, staining the clothes of his food and the bed sheets beneath them.

He didn't even realize it when he pulled away. It was somewhat alarming, because he'd planned on draining his food source dry to sate his thirst… But it seemed like he was satisfied already. He felt numb now- endorphins pumping in his veins, and he shivered again. This time, not from lust for blood, but from a small wave of unwanted pleasure that crashed through him.

When he looked up, he was met with the face of a blond man, dressed plainly, but his beauty practically gleamed through his blood covered skin… Unnatural beauty. Vampire? Pureblooded?

It surprised Zero when the man laughed softly; looking down at him through glazed eyes, and then began to cry in earnest, holding on to him tightly, like he was trying to meld Zero and himself together.

But the silver haired man didn't know who this vampire was, why he would save him, or where he is… He racked his mind, trying to remember, but nothing about his past came up. He only remembered the most basic things- what his name was, the existence of vampires, Cross academy, and then nothing. Terrified, he screamed, but nothing came out except for a pitiful, throaty whine.

-End Flashback-

When Zero roused from his sleep, he found himself in Leviathan's bed yet again, in a clean lavender robe, the same color as his eyes. Looking sideways out the window, he found the sun wasn't coming up anymore. It was setting. The sight calmed him, and he decided at that moment to do something for himself. It was a hard yet surprisingly swift and somewhat random decision, but Zero knew it had to be done. How many nights had he spent, lying in bed, doing absolutely nothing but staring at the unreachable stars outside?

Dragging himself out of bed, the ex-human suddenly sensed that he was alone. Strange… Usually the pureblood would be beside him when he woke. Was he feeling guilty about what happened this morning? Or did he simply have work to do? Pressing two fingers onto his lips, he trembled at the thought of Leviathan's own lips on his own. He forgave him- Zero was stronger than he seemed to be, and wasn't going to shatter so easily. Actually, he had sort of liked that kiss.

Part of his mind had told him to enjoy it, told him he was lucky he received such love and attention from the lord… The other part of his mind had nagged at him to not get involved with yet another pureblood; telling him over and over again that it'd only bring him pain. How, he didn't know. He had been torn between two totally believable logics, thus his negative reaction to the kiss.

He even felt the evidence of Leviathan's desire pressing against his thigh, and it only reminded him of how cruel he was, denying even a kiss. It hadn't even been that harsh to begin with. Most of the damage to his lips was done when the pureblood pulled back. His fangs had cut Zero's mouth accidentally. But it was all the meaning that simple chaste kiss held that hurt him, because he couldn't deny it- he cared for Leviathan, but he was afraid of getting hurt at the same time by getting involved.

It's his fault. Zero told himself, as if it would act as an excuse to his own cowardice. Sometimes, the ex-human felt he was insane, because he tried to blame everything that was wrong with him both mentally and physically on this man he didn't even know.

Looking into the same mirror he used this morning, he studied his overly grown bangs. Something needed to be done before they completely covered his eyes. And he didn't like how girlishly long his hair had become... He remembered vaguely another version of himself, with shorter hair.

After finding a pair of scissors from a drawer nearby, he began to cut his own hair in a daze. A crooked smile dragged tiredly at his lips as silver strands met the ground in neat little piles, like snow gathering on the ground.

--

In Leviathan's working room, Kegan watched as his lord held his head in his hands, shaking with sorrow and anger at himself. He'd just offered his blood to his friend, and fed him, so what was the problem now?

--

Two figures moved through the dimly lighted forest, the smaller stopped, and the larger figure stopped a few steps ahead.

"What are we going to do now…?" A small voice, clear as a bell, sliced through the darkness. Even though the voice was strong, there was still fear laced around it, bringing the tone higher.

"I already have a solution in mind. Come, Yuuki." A brown haired male vampire in a neat tuxedo held out his hand to his female companion behind him.

A smaller hand met it almost reluctantly, and both figures started making their way through the thick undergrowth again. Insects buzzed loudly, unwelcomingly, but the silence was still hanging.

"What do you have planned, Kaname?" Yuuki asked after a while. She looked up at her husband, shivering in her thin minx fur coat. She wasn't cold, for underneath the coat, she was fully dressed in a beautiful black nightgown, but it offered protection against vine scrapings and thorns. However, no amount of protection could clear her mind, which worried at high speeds per second.

"I have a friend of mine who owns property just north of here. He would probably help us." The vampire now known as Kaname replied, calmly.

"A vampire?" The voice behind Kaname was much lighter, buoyed with hope, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Yes. A pureblood, actually. Just like me. But Yuuki, my love… You must promise me. Once we are in his land, you must say absolutely nothing about our reasons for coming. I myself shall explain everything."

Two pairs of brown eyes met each other in the dim light, one pair confused, the other serious and stern.

"Of course."

The two vampires disappeared into complete darkness as sunset turned into a moonless night.

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WAFFLES.

Just thought I'd lighten up the mood a little…

YAY! Kaname and Yuuki finally show up! I'm not sure if the ending counts as a cliffhanger... Ehh...

This chapter was FAR longer than I'd first intended it to be... Was it good, bad, disgusting? Leviathan suddenly out of character? Everything happened too fast…?

Please send a reviewcookie and let me know! Reviews keep the story alive. ...Really!