A/N: I do not own Vampire Knight but I do own this story as a created work of fiction.

Chapter 2: Our Beginning

The peace that had settled over me stirred up into determination; I didn't want to run away, but I didn't want to stay in a place where everyone but me was pulling the strings and determining my future as if I was some kind of marionette doll. "Zero... I want to leave..." I whispered, my eyes focusing on the rising sun.

"Sure, we can go wherever, we don't have to stay in here." He stood up and offered his hand to on help me up.

"No... Zero..." I stood and looked him in the eye. "I don't want to stay at this Academy. Not with the people who are using me."

I felt him shift under my gaze and could see the gears turning as he pondered my words. "When?"

"As soon as possible..." My voice coming out as barely a whisper.

He gave a sharp nod, "Get ready. I'll come by your dorm to get you when I'm done."

I gave him an uneasy smile and nodded; both of us heading our separate ways to prepare. I walked into my dorm room, dressing quickly in a pair of jeans and a plain navy blue sweater, I grabbed the suitcase that I would use the times we went on vacation and stuffed it with a few necessary items.

I was lacing up my boots when there was a knock at my door. Zero called from the other side of the door, "Are you ready?"

I opened the door with my small suitcase in hand. Zero's expression was unreadable but his eyes held more determination then I had ever seen before. I gave Zero a small smile and motioned for us to be on our way.

Zero led us through town and to the train station that lingered on the outskirts; I let him buy the tickets, I didn't want to know where we were going, I just wanted to get far away from Cross Academy. I looked up at the Academy in the distance, sitting on its quaint little hilltop. I spent many years there... many happy years but now after learning that it had all been a lie... no not all of it was a lie. I watched Zero as he handed money to the cashier and got our tickets; yes he had hid things from me but he has always been there.

We boarded the train together in silence; as I settled down into our seat fatigue started to catch up to me. "Get some rest Yuuki. It will be a while before we arrive." Zero's words were soft, merging with my dream state as I drifted into the most peaceful sleep I had in ages.

Zero

I watched Yuuki's eyes drift shut and her body relax, everything was happening so quickly, it was almost hard to believe that it was truly happening. Why had the chairman gone against Yuuki's moms wishes and allowed Kuran to become so close to her? Since the death of his parents, Kaname was the last of the Kuran family so there was no chance of her mother meaning anyone else, right? What if the reason Kaname was there that night was because he had murdered Yuuki's parents but for some reason didn't kill Yuuki. Man how am I supposed to know why a pureblood does anything. Filthy creatures do nothing but toy with people.

A slight snarl escaped my lips as the image of that womans face filled my mind again. I never got my chance to kill her, Hio; the arrogant pureblood that toyed with my brother and I in a blood bath. Though I suppose I should be happy that she died, even if I wasn't the one that killed her.

The train jarred and swayed, causing Yuuki to slide in her seat and rest her head on my shoulder. "I will protect you. I promise." I whispered, finally letting myself relax and enjoy the rest of the train ride.

Yuuki

I felt my dreams slip away as Zero gently shook me awake. We exited the train and made our way into a city that seemed very unfamiliar to me but Zero seemed to know where we were going. As we walked down the main street, all eyes were upon us. It made me uneasy the way each person stared as we walked briskly through the streets. I reached out and took hold of the sleeve of his jacket, "Zero..."

"Its okay Yuuki. They aren't staring at you." He met the eyes of an older man that was openly gawking at Zero. "Its okay, we're almost there." Zero walked another twenty feet and turned to a narrow apartment building that seemed to be squashed between the two neighboring buildings.

The inside was dimly lit with a single door on the right and a staircase on the left. Zero led us up each landing until we reached the top and third floor. I was surprised that the door was unlocked, a key sitting on a small side table next to the door. The apartment was bleak and lacking of any personal items; it was a studio apartment, only a single door which I assumed led to a bathroom.

"Its not much but its all I could get on such a short notice. Um.. You can have the bed, I'll take the couch." Zero gestured to the tiny apartment with a slight blush on his face.

"Zero... how..." I started.

"Its an arrangement with the Hunter Association. I'll be working for them full time and in exchange, they let me have one of their employee apartments and they'll also pay me so you don't need to worry." A small smile graced his otherwise sullen features.

"Thank you... Zero..." I shuffled my feet. "Thank you for everything."

He nodded sharply and told me that he needed to run some errands and that I should stay here and rest until he got back. I nodded and gave him a small smile as he grabbed the key and headed out the door; locking it behind him. I looked around at the bleak studio and sighed. I was tired so I might as well get some rest like he said. I made my way to the bed, curled up under the thin blanket and fell in to a fitfull sleep.

I woke with a start when a cold hand suddenly touched my face; reflexively jumping back away from the source of the touch. I felt me heart settle when I realized the hand belonged to Zero; his amethyst eyes full of concern. "I'm okay. Just had a weird dream." I gave him an uneasy smile.

"Yuuki... Its okay if you don't want to talk to me about it. But please don't force yourself to smile for my sake. Okay?" His eyes never left mine as my smile fell; how is it that this man in front of me is able to see through my eyes into my soul? I wrapped my arms around his neck and let a few silent tears fall as I hugged him tight. I felt his surprise from my sudden embrace then slowly wrap his arms around my slender frame, holding me tight to him and resting his head on top of mine.

"My dream... a hand spattered with blood... it kept reaching out as if it was trying to grab hold of me..." I whispered into his chest.

"Yuuki..."

I tilted my head so I could see Zero's face only to meet his eyes for the briefest of seconds before he brought his lips down onto mine ever so gently; causing any thought that didn't involve Zero to disappear from my mind. I may be unsure of what the future will hold but there was one thing I knew for sure; this is our beginning.