I don't own Vampire Knight or any of the characters in the series.
A/N: Yay! Chapter 5 is here! :D
This week has been so cold! I keep having to remind myself that it isn't winter for another month... *rugs up in all of my jumpers with a cup of hot chocolate*
Also letting you all know that I have fixed and updated the previous chapter (chapter 4) because i found some errors from writing too late at early morning the next day... my brain doesn't work too good around then. -.- zzZ
If you spot a chapter with lots of errors, let me know so that I can fix it. ^^ I don't have a beta for any of my stories...
Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! You help me so much and give me tonnes of motivation! :D
'Painful silence' should be updated tomorrow and possibly 'Stuck with him' as well if I have time. :)
Vocab notes:
Ryouga (凌駕): This isn't a common name in Japan. I don't know anyone with that name... Its a noun with two Kanjis (like most names) and it sounded cool so I decided to make it a name. Hooray for originality! It means "excelling"/"surpassing"/"outdoing" or "superior".
Please read, review, fave and follow. But, most of all, please enjoy! :D
Chapter 5: Swaying
Zero obediently followed behind the servant who had come to fetch him. He had never been inside a large castle such as this before and was amazed at the scale of the place. However, as he looked around he also made sure to memorise the many rooms and passage ways. He did this because they may be useful when hunting his target and also while escaping.
Suddenly, his guide stopped walking as they stood in one of the courtyard gardens within the castle.
"Kaname Kuran-sama has asked for your presence at dinner in here. Please wait here for a moment and I will announce your arrival." The servant requested.
"Thank you." Zero replied, bowing.
The guide walked into the building and down a corridor. It was then that Zero was surprised to hear the flapping of wings. He looked to the sky to see a black bird carrying a note. He immediately recognised the bird as Ryouga, Yagari's messenger. Ryouga dropped the note into Zero's waiting hands. Zero quickly unrolled it in case it was important.
Zero,
There is rumour that Haruka Kuran may be planning a major strike upon the hunters.
I want you to find more information after you have infiltrated the castle.
Do not kill Kaname Kuran until you have this information.
Maintain your cover. Don't let them suspect you.
When satisfactory information is received regarding Haruka's plans I will tell you when to strike,
Yagari
After skimming the letter's contents Zero quickly stuffed the letter into his Kimono before the servant returned.
"This way please." The servant motioned for Zero to follow once again.
As they entered the building Zero slipped the note out of his Kimono and into the flames of one of the torches at the entrance. The servant didn't notice this at all and kept walking. They led Zero to a room down the corridor and slid the door open for him.
"I hope I have not kept you waiting." Zero bowed as he entered.
"Not in the slightest." Kaname replied cheerfully, inviting Zero into the empty space next to him.
"What is this Kaname!?" It was Rido who yelled from the other side of the table.
"You have a problem, uncle?" Kaname asked, almost seeming to enjoy having upset his uncle.
"Of course I have a problem! How dare you invite a slave to eat at our table!" He replied.
"Zero is not a slave. He belongs to no one. He is here as my guest and I wish him to dine with me." Kaname insisted for the umpteenth time.
"Kaname, please let me pour you some wine." Zero said, picking up the bottle of sake and filling Kaname's cup.
"Thank you Zero, but it is I who should be doing that for you." Kaname replied.
"No, it is my honour. Even though I may not hold the title of slave I have no money and no home, yet you are allowing me to stay here. I am imposing on your hospitality and am indebted to you. I must at least do something to repay you." Zero pleaded, doing a good job of acting humble.
"Hmph. At least someone knows his rightful position." Rido snorted at Zero's apparent submissiveness.
*twitch*
I really hate this man. Why can't it be my task to eliminate him instead!?
"Thank you, Zero for pouring my wine. We shall talk about what you can do to repay me later. But, I will not have you labelled a slave." Kaname insisted.
Zero merely bowed silently in return. Juri had maintained silent throughout the meal thus far. Since it was such a small gathering Zero decided to try his luck.
"This seems to be a family gathering, yet Haruka-sama is not present. Does he eat separately?" Zero asked, innocently.
"My father is currently away on a campaign so he cannot grace our presence." Kaname explained helpfully.
"See, Kaname. You've been giving this silver-hair delusions of power and now he's already looking to latch onto the most powerful person he can!" Rido accused.
"I am doing no such thing!" Zero was finally unable to resist the urge to speak for himself. "Kaname is the one who brought me here and has given me shelter. I would never think of 'latching' onto anyone in his family. It would be disrespectful to him… I just asked because I was curious." He defended.
Kaname reached out and petted Zero's hair to calm him.
"I am glad, Zero, that you think so highly of me, and I also believe that you would do no such thing." Kaname agreed.
"Just wait to your father returns. I bet this filth will be all over him like a slug." Rido accused.
Kaname promptly stood and walked over to Rido.
*SLAP*
Kaname slapped Rido hard across the face.
"How dare-" Rido growled before being cut off.
"How dare I what?" Kaname growled back. "You have held the label of a traitor since you betrayed our secrets to the hunters all those years ago! Because of that I will always be your superior, no matter how much you dislike it. While father is away I act as the master of this house, not you! Therefore if I say that Zero is my guest, you fall into line and you treat him like a guest! Or do you want to be demoted again!?" Kaname threatened his uncle.
Rido glared back at Kaname using all the hatred he could muster. But, he knew that he could say nothing. It was true that he had betrayed them and it was true that one word in Haruka's ear would see him demoted or worse, imprisoned. However, by now Rido was used to being humiliated when compared to his oh-so-superior nephew. What was annoying him most was the fact that someone with power, like Kaname, was taking the side of a silver-hair over him.
Receiving nothing but silence as an answer Kaname grabbed Zero's hand and led him from the room.
…
After going through another maze of hallways they arrived in a room which was clearly a rather prestigious bedroom.
"Please ignore my uncle." Kaname requested.
"It is fine. I am used to it." Zero replied.
"But you shouldn't be." Kaname insisted.
"I am a silver-hair. It is unescapable." Zero informed him.
Kaname was well aware of how the rare silver-hairs were treated in society. Being a member of the upper class, he had seen a few that 'belonged' to some of the other aristocrats. He had, at social gatherings, seen them humiliated in front of crowds and forced to do unspeakable things for the purpose of entertainment.
Kaname had never thought that he would fall to the seductions of a silver-hair, but right now he had to admit that he was falling quickly. However, no matter how deep he fell and how desperate he became, he would not make Zero a slave. That he promised himself. After rescuing Zero and after seeing those sad eyes he felt a strong need to protect the silver-hair.
"To me you are not a slave. You will never be a slave to me." Kaname spoke, pulling Zero into an embrace from behind.
Zero placed his hands over Kaname's strong arms.
"If I were to be a slave for anyone, I would want you to be my master." Zero spoke in return.
This is true…You have been kinder than anyone else…
"Zero…" Kaname purred, want rising up from within him.
I am sorry, Kaname. I am sorry that I am seducing you under false pretenses.
Zero turned around to face Kaname and placed his hands on Kaname's chest, leaning forward.
"Please, Kaname-sama. I want to repay you for your kindness to me. You said that we would talk later about what I could do for you, yet this is the only thing I can do…" Zero insisted gently.
He then loosened his obi and began to open his Kimono. However, Kaname stopped him by grabbing his hands.
"Zero, I would be lying if I said that I do not find you extremely attractive in that way. But, I feel so guilty… I feel like I am taking advantage of you…" Kaname tried to explain.
It is not you who is taking advantage of me. It is I who is taking advantage of you, Kaname… I am the one who feels guilty.
"What if I said that I wanted to do this for you? Or would that be unseemly for someone of such a low status to say?" Zero asked, sadly.
I do want to do this with you, Kaname. Genuinely I do. I only wish that we could have met in different circumstances. That I could do this without any guilt…
"You…want to do this for me?" Kaname clarified.
Zero observed Kaname's breathing becoming heavier. He could practically feel the hormones leaking out of the brunette.
"Yes." Zero confirmed.
"Mnn…"
Kaname's lips pressed softly onto his own. It was a warm and gentle kiss that turned Zero's mind to mush. They wrapped their arms around one another and intensified the kiss.
Zero had long since lost track of what the words 'hunter', 'Kuran' or 'slave' meant. He had no thoughts of missions or of his position in the world. All he knew were the lips on his own, conveying things that Zero had never been able to experience before.
However, before he knew it the warm lips disappeared and he felt Kaname's large hands pulling the Kimono back onto his shoulders and fixing his obi.
"Why…?" Zero asked breathlessly, wondering why Kaname did not do more.
"Because that is as far as I can go without continuing. I don't want to rush you into this. Just your presence is enough for me." Kaname smiled.
That smile was enough to stun Zero's mind once again and make his heart beat like it had in the middle of the kiss.
"I won't do anything to you tonight I promise. But, will you stay with me and keep me company?" Kaname asked.
"O-of course." Zero stuttered in return.
"Thank you, Zero." Kaname kissed the back of Zero's hand before heading to the door.
"I'm going to take a bath now. Would you care to join me?" Kaname asked.
"A bath would be great." Zero agreed, following Kaname from the room.
As they walked towards the bathroom Zero could not stop the montage of thoughts running through his mind.
I have never let a target touch me like that before. I have avoided it for a reason. But, I failed to restrain myself. I thought that I could handle it just this once because it would be the easiest way to gain entry…but I was wrong.
There is no denying it. We just kissed... I gave away my first kiss to a target, to Kaname Kuran, a general and an enemy of the hunters. But, even though I am supposed to view him as the enemy, I can't. He is wonderfully kind to me and even would defend someone as undeserving as me, a silver-hair. I don't want to hurt him…
But, if I don't get the information from his father and eventually kill him, then my brother will be the one to suffer because of my swaying feelings…
Why is life so unfair…?