Misery Loves Company II - A Vampire Knight Fanfiction by Clue-sama .{Sequel}.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything legally affiliated with Vampire Knight as made by Matsuri Hino. But I do own Nezu Harita and Eiji Nanako. Any ideas regarding things not explained already in the manga/anime that I use that other authors have already used, credit goes to them.
Author's Notes: I'm not exactly sure what should happen in this chappie, only a vague idea... so... I started it mainly because it was Friday and I felt like I should type... e_e;
Chappie Warnings: Nothing worth mentioning, I don't think. :3 Unless random drama is worth mentioning...
For the love of all that is holy and sinful, enjoy it!!! XD
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Chapter 10- Taking Care Of Business
Recognizing instantly who it was at his door, the noble said with slight amusement, "You know you don't have to stand there like that."
Outside of Nezu's door, Eiji flinched and put on a wide grin as he pushed the door open, walking in.
"Sorry... Sometimes I wonder if I should knock and end up hesitating--"
"What is wrong with you lately?" the brunette suddenly asked, his smile fading as he stood up from his desk where Kasui was currently curled up on top of some homework Nezu had been doing. Eiji froze in his bare-footed steps and his own smile took on an even more fake look. The common class vampire inwardly sighed- Nezu could read him too well...
"What do you mean...?"
Nezu approached him, easily invading personal space without either of them really getting uncomfortable. Of course, the blonde did avert his eyes for a moment as he knew that he would have to tell his friend something close to the truth of what was wrong.
"Well..." Eiji began, still not really looking directly at Nezu. "You know how I don't want you going after Kiryuu, so that's most of it..."
The noble nodded, his eyes looking a bit ashamed that he was causing his companion such stress and he murmured, "Yes..."
Blue eyes glanced up into Nezu's while the younger vampire added, "But also I have to go out and do something tonight--"
Suddenly, Nezu didn't like the way his friend's words were sounding like he was saying... goodbye?
"Eiji...? What are you telling me?"
The shorter vampire's thin smile came back, a shadow of his usual bright, sunny grin, and his delicate arm came up to hug one of his sides as if this were hard for him to say.
"I'm going to go somewhere and I might not return in the morning..." Or the next one... "But I suppose you can try and wait up for me, if you want..."
Green eyes rounded out and Nezu reached out, grabbing Eiji's shoulders. He nearly shouted, "What does that mean? What are you going to do?" This freaking sounded like he was leaving him or... or going to do something stupid! "You can't leave me, Eiji, you're the only one I've got left...!" Some sort of fear and desperation crept into his pleas as he saw that his roommate didn't look like he was going to stay no matter how much he begged. "Please, you can't leave me like Mother and Father did!"
Eiji just shook of the shivers of sorrow threatening to make him give in. He knew Nezu would feel this way when he told him, but he had to stay strong- this was for the best. For everyone.
"Nezu, you've got Kasui to keep you company, remember?" he said softly, reaching up to gently lift Nezu's now weak fingers from his shoulders. The grassy-eyed vampire's lips parted slightly in disbelief at what he was hearing, but he just stared at Eiji while the Level C continued, "Besides... once you get Zero... you won't need me any more."
--
The hunter's mind raced. This was it. Zero had it. This had to be the correct conclusion of his research. All of the data made sense and any other theory that he had followed up on paled at how supported this one was. He had become a stable ex-human because the percentage of Shizuka's blood in all of the diluted and mixed blood he had taken in finally overcame the percentage of Zero's human blood she had drank that night. It was highly unlikely for such a thing to ever happen again, anytime soon, but that was the only thing that could explain it. Shizuka had lived on in the people who had partaken in her lifeblood and Zero had fed from both of them- Kaname and Ichiru, his madness absorbing any trace of his master's essence and his body automatically put it towards quelling The End inside of him.
...He was free.
Well, for the most part he was free. Zero was still a vampire, but he was no longer a timebomb winding down to hit rock bottom.
The prefect let out a shaky, breathy laugh and dropped his pencil on the papers he'd been scribbling on. Who would have thought that his rapist actually saved his life in the long run? His shoulders shook silently for a moment before he let out loud laughs, tossing his head back against his desk chair, laughing at the ceiling. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he did so and about a half a second later, none other than Kaname basically appeared behind him.
"Zero, what's the matter?"
The hunter got up out of the chair and threw his arms around Kaname's neck. The pureblood hugged back after a second of worried blinking. Had Zero hit his head while he was gone?
"The matter? The matter is I've been stabilized, Kaname!" he whispered as he nuzzled into his lover's neck, not even caring that the other hadn't knocked like he had been told to do many times before.
The brunette had already known on a deeper level that Zero was no longer in danger of falling to Level E and wasn't as... happy as Zero was, but he certainly was glad that the hunter was so enthralled. The prefect deserved moments like this. Besides, anything that made Zero cling to him like this was something for the pureblood to rejoice about. He held Zero tighter.
"Really? That's wonderful news, Zero!"
Zero held his lover for a few more moments before he realized he was being really weird. Quickly, he stepped back and cleared his throat- blushing. But he wasn't ashamed; he was just very excited. Perhaps his unluckiness was finally fading away! Kaname still had his arms around Zero though, and the younger vampire just looked up to see the pureblood smiling. The prefect smiled back.
"Let's go tell Yuuki, shall we?" Kaname suggested, turning to stand beside Zero with one arm behind his love's back in an ushering gesture.
Zero nodded and although he felt a little embarrassed to be walked like this, he followed Kaname's lead out into the hall of the Sun Dorms, however, as they began to walk towards where Yuuki's room was, both of them felt an aura that was familiar but not too welcome. Both vampires looked at each other gravely before silently deciding to head the other vampire off because he was coming this way.
--
It wasn't too early in the morning, but either way, Yuuki had to get up early to prepare for guardian duties. She figured Zero was also awake since, even though he was a vampire and a kind of grumpy person, he seemed to be a morning person and would go to pick him up. They usually went together to their "jobs". So when she was almost to his room, she was only a little shocked to see a rather bitter-looking Zero and Kaname heading for the main doors. Tilting her head curiously, she followed them, remaining a good distance away so they wouldn't really notice. Besides, they looked too focused on their destination to notice her presence.
--
The other vampire they sensed had stopped somewhere on campus, and Zero murmured, "Last time he was here alone, he practically fooled me into distrusting you..."
Kaname looked at the hunter skeptically, but the other didn't look up at him.
"Last time he was here alone...?"
Zero frowned a bit and spared the pureblood a brief glance and nod.
"At the Christmas party... I think Harita said his name was Eiji."
The brunette nodded and just confirmed to Zero that it must be him- he remembered this aura from the fight at Nezu's house. Inwardly, Kaname wished that Zero had mentioned to him when the young vampire was at the party... Perhaps all of this could have been avoided... But the pureblood did not mention it and he didn't hold it against Zero- doubt is a very underestimated emotion and Kaname understood that.
They remained silent once more; Zero was mentally praising himself for thinking to grab his gun on the way out this time. Eiji was a rather low Level C, so he doubted that he would need it, but who knows? Nezu might pop out of nowhere.
Kaname, now that the vision of some in-over-his-head brat ontop of his Zero wasn't before him, was thinking a lot clearly about what to do to Eiji. It looked like the blonde was merely a loyal friend to Eiji. Yes... the lower class vampire must be very loyal to have gotten in an angry pureblood's way during that fight. He even refused Kaname's order to move. Since it still did not really appear that Eiji himself meant any harm, perhaps Kaname would just tell him to leave...
Zero straightened up at the sight of a shock of sunny yellow hair just inside of the school's gates.
--
Poor little Kasui's squeaks of protest from inside of his cage went unnoticed as Nezu moped around the room, getting ready to leave. (The mouse usually got to run around the room at his leisure.) The giant house was much too empty... Well, the brunette wasn't leaving to go somewhere else to live, he was actually about to go Cross Academy to see Zero. The noble smirked mirthlessly to himself at the way that sounded. No... He was going to see Zero to apologize for everything and tell him that he would no longer be persuing him.
Nezu glanced sidelong at his pouting pet mouse.
Eiji... Eiji was in love with his best friend wasn't he? Nezu closed his eyes. He had figured it out sometime after Eiji left and he felt so stupid! All of those looks and all of those smiles... Nezu couldn't believe he'd been so heartless: 'Zero' this and 'Zero' that, right in front of the blonde. And now Eiji was gone. He had left the aristocrat because his friend had been too oblivious to cause the younger vampire anything but pain and heartache.
Nezu nearly dove into depression again. But he took a deep breath, slowly opening his eyes, and reminded himself that after he met with Zero and escaped with his body intact, he would find Eiji. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about the common vampire in terms of anything above friendship, but he still ached badly to be with him. The bouncy vampire was all he had anymore and if he wasn't here, then what was there to live for? Kasui was also a dear companion, but a mouse couldn't give him gentle, honest comfort when he was feeling the pressure of his parents' goading to be the best. A mouse could not stroke his hair during the day when Nezu had terrible dreams in the middle of the afternoon and coo him back to sleep... A mouse simply could never take the place of Eiji.
Nezu's green eyes sparked with renewed motivation. He slipped his striped hoodie on and put the hood up- he probably wouldn't make it back before the sun rose, he knew, as he thundered down the steps. When he reached his front door, he paused realizing that he didn't even know where to begin looking after he talked to Zero. Eiji had only said that he was going somewhere and might not be back before morning... which meant he wasn't coming back. What if Eiji was going to... No... He wouldn't do that- he's not that kind of guy... The brunette didn't have a very strong bond with his friend and since it was a one-way bond anyway, it was even weaker. The only thing he could really feel from Eiji's side, if Nezu tried hard enough to feel it, was a vague prick of melancholy. Nezu grimaced. If he found.. WHEN he found Eiji, he was so going to treat him better...
--
Eiji quivered ever-so-slightly when Kaname's hard glare locked onto his small form, huddled in a open, black jacket and highlighter green jeans. This boy... he was strange to Kaname. Perhaps Eiji and Takuma were distant cousins...?
Zero was a bit more concentrated.
"You're Eiji, right? What are you doing here?"
The small vampire rose his chin slightly to display that he wasn't afraid... but both of the older vampires knew he was terrified, if his shaking voice was any indication.
"I'm here to warn you that Nezu is planning to use his knowledge of your scar, Kiryuu, to seduce you."
While Zero paled slightly and his scowl faltered a little, Kaname let out a very low snarl from his position slightly behind his lover, which made Eiji wince and squeak quietly. The hunter recovered a bit and he looked at the pureblood over his shoulder and nodded- "It's fine..."
Kaname looked into the lavender eyes for a moment and he nodded, crossing his arms and turning back to Eiji with an indifferent stare. Very well. If Zero wanted to contend with this himself, then Kaname would refrain from simply killing the Level C and getting it over with. Usually, the brunette wasn't so violent and impatient, but Nezu and his little friend here had seriously cost Kaname and Zero some time that could have gone towards further strengthening their relationship rather than tearing holes in it.
Zero regarded Eiji a bit less hotly, but still annoyed and he said softly, "Is that so...? And why are you here, telling me"
The blonde looked a tad scared to talk anymore with a brooding pureblood right there but he gulped and whispered, "I don't want you to hurt him... So I thought that maybe... if I told you, you would be ready to fend him off..."
Both Cross Academy students started slightly and Eiji just continued, "And I know he's really persistent, but that's just how he is! He might keep coming back for Kiryuu, no matter how many times you beat him back, until he realizes that it's truly impossible. He... He won't do anything as long as Kuran-sama is near though... Even so, Kuran-sama will maim Ne-chan if he comes, won't you?"
Kaname narrowed his eyes now.
"That's right."
Zero spun around slightly at the ice covering Kaname's words, but his hiss of, "Kaname...!" went unheeded while Eiji stepped forward in his earnest.
"Why would you still hurt him when I just told you that he wouldn't be able to do anythi--?"
Kaname's aura darkened and a chill crept over both lower-level vampires. Zero swayed a bit, moaning, "Kaname..." before the dizzy-feeling quickly left him. He blinked momentarily before looking over to an ill-looking Eiji. He looked back at Kaname, whose eyes were burning faintly, but he hadn't moved an inch from his arms-crossed stance.
When choked words began to force their way out of the blonde's mouth, though, the hunter once again looked at Eiji. Obviously, someone had grown up not really learning the proper way to converse with purebloods because this was something Zero himself had really only done: blatantly disobey Kaname.
"You... you're h-heartless..." he rasped out venomously, his bright blue eyes darkening. And Kaname wasn't even using his full powers...yet.
To challenge a pureblood like this was madness and just as Zero decided that he should intervene before Eiji imploded or something, a sudden blur appeared between the two parties and Zero's skin crawled when he felt a sharp repellence of Kaname's aura. The pureblood merely smirked when he saw the newcomer before recalling his own aura.
Nezu Harita curled his lips back in a snarl while he stood before Eiji, his high aristocratic aura swirling like a vengeful whirlpool about him.
"Don't you dare... harm him..."
--
Author's Notes: Oh snaps, Nezu's about to throw down! XDDD Yeah, this chappie was really short, but I wanted to update. Besides, I think this one will be ending shortly, I've got a drabble/ficlet dump coming soon and when MLCII is properly finished, the new story that the poll in my bio is for will start. Please review~ It makes me update faster. :3