Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.
Chapter Four
"He's scaring the children," said Kaien.
Had Kaname been anymore startled he might have sloshed his tea. The rest of the table reacted in their usual manner. Yuuki blushed red with embarrassment. Kaito glared at the headmaster. Saboten twitched slightly but continued with her meal. Yagari joined Kaname in a pointed stare at Cross. Apparently, he felt no need to say more and was waiting for them to reply.
"Has he been menacing the students?" asked Kaname as he placed his cup gently on the saucer.
"Well, no I don't think any of them have actually seen Zero," began Kaien.
Yuuki squeaked then squeaked again when they all turned to stare at her.
"I, um, well," she took a deep breath, "on Wednesday Miko and Tori snuck off to, um, you know. Anyway, they found Zero sleeping and came and got me because he was a stranger and didn't recognize him or anything. When I got there he was gone, but it really sounded like Zero with the hair and the clothes and everything."
Mentally, Kaname frowned. Zero had been hanging about for almost two weeks, ever since Kaname had offered him a place at Cross Academy. The hunter-turned-vampire haunted the campus both night and day. He avoided the dormitories and focused on the classrooms. Zero had abandoned the technique that totally suppressed his aura in exchange for one that distributed it evenly across a small area. Those who were sensitive to such things—the Night Class and the prefects primarily—knew he was watching but found it impossible to pinpoint his exact location.
Yagari admitted that he had seen Zero's parents use both techniques to great effect when hunting down more cunning vampires. Unfortunately he knew of no way to counter the ability except to surround Zero and cut off his escape routes. With the boy's vampire speed, there was no way to catch him unless he became careless. Zero was much too wary to be careless.
Kaien was flailing over Yuuki's bravery and recklessness. The group gathered at the table had long since learned how to tune him out. Sunday morning breakfast had become a semi-official meeting to discuss Zero's presence at Cross Academy. Kaien and Yuuki were the only ones truly pleased with Kaname's presence there. Saboten tolerated him with her usual stoicism. Yagari knew enough to Kaname's goals to act like he was ignoring the pureblood. Though no hunter ever truly ignored a vampire. Kaito had protested Kaname's presence loudly at first, but the metabolism of a growing boy kept him at the table anyway.
Saboten wiped her mouth with her napkin then said, "The more sensitive students are starting to notice his presence."
"Are you sure?" asked Yagari. He had more than grudging respect for the self-trained hunter, even if the rest of the Hunter's Association pretended like she did not exist.
"Sales of scarves, shawls, and light jackets have increased. They feel an unnatural chill," she explained.
Kaname's frown threatened to break into reality. He had expected Zero to be difficult. He had not expected him to reveal the presence of vampires to a bunch of school students. Were the boy not so powerful, then Kaname might have been tempted to kill him just to spare himself the headache.
The doorbell rang, neatly interrupting their conversation.
"I wasn't expecting any visitors," said Kaien. "Yuuki, would you get the door?"
Yuuki jumped up, eager to be of use and possibly to get her feelings under control around Kaname, and scurried out of the room. Kaname heightened his senses to listen to her progress. He knew the moment she opened the door, but everything after that was muffled. He could her hear talking to someone, but he could not make out the words of the conversation. It put Kaname on edge and as a result put the hunters on edge as well.
"She's bringing the visitor with her," said Kaname to the rest of the room.
He could hear Yuuki's familiar shuffle. Her gait was much smoother now than it ever was around Kaname. He made her far nervous and therefore unsteady, but he had watched her from afar often enough to recognize it. He could not hear her companion's footsteps, but Yuuki was chattering away at someone. Her voice had a half-friendly, half-nervous quality he had only heard her use around Yagari for the first few days of their acquaintance. She opened the door to the dining room. There, standing behind her shoulder, was Zero.
Kaname did not gape. In fact, he was not terribly surprised by the boy's unexpected arrival. Zero never did anything the way Kaname expected. Only the prefects appeared unusually excited by his arrival. Saboten because she had never seen Zero before, and Kaito because he had not seen the boy in so long. They both recovered quickly and watched Zero with wary gazes. Yuuki glanced nervously from Zero to Kaname then hurried back to her seat.
Zero let the door swing shut behind him then crossed his arms and leaned casually back against the door frame. Kaname found that very little had changed about Zero's appearance since his last good look at the boy. He was wearing the same outfit, probably the same clothes, but he had cleaned them at least. They did not fit quite as well as Kaname had first assumed. Zero was too skinny and they hung off his body in the wrong places. Compared to his mental image of Ichiru Kiryu, Zero looked gaunt. His eyes were currently devoid of any trace of vampiric red even when he glanced over Kaname. The pureblood was mildly impressed.
"Won't you have a seat, Zero?" asked Kaien.
"I'm fine, thank you," said Zero gruffly.
Kaname wondered what was driving Zero to be so polite now, when before he had practically assaulted Kaname and broken into his room. Perhaps Zero was acting different because of the humans. But then again, he had thrown a mattress at his old teacher.
Yagari was apparently remembering the same thing given the frown on his face. "What are you doing here, Zero?"
Zero's gaze slid to Kaname briefly then to Kaien. "Mr. President-of-the-Night-Class offered me a place in your school."
"Did he?" murmured Kaien quietly.
The headmaster was unusually subdued. Perhaps, he too remembered the mattress and the rather harder frame. He glance meaningfully at Kaname. The pureblood refused to acknowledge the look. The one time they had discussed Zero staying at the Academy, Kaname had said the boy would be in the Night Class. If Kaname had other reasons to keep the former hunter close, he would not be sharing them with Kaien.
"Zero, where have you been?" blurted Kaito.
He had not blushed. Hunters were trained not to flush when they were aggravated so as not to attract vampires, but the young hunter looked embarrassed nonetheless. He also looked just a tiny bit desperate. Like Yagari, Kaito probably felt guilty over Kiryu's betrayal and Zero's vampirism.
"I have been around campus learning about how the school works," said Zero sidestepping the larger question.
Kaito did not try to ask again, and Kaien jumped on Zero's words with his usual enthusiasm. "Have you been enjoying your self-guided tour?"
"Your school is a lie," snapped Zero.
Conversation ground to halt. Kaien recoiled slightly as if stung. Kaname stared at Zero in a vague impression of shock. Next to Kaien, Yuuki was growing to steadily redder by the second.
"How dare you say that?" demanded Yuuki. "What we're trying to accomplish here is very important. Humans and vampires are living in peace—
"They are not," countered Zero. "All Cross Academy proves is that ignorant humans can live near vampires under the control of a pureblood without being eaten. That is neither peace nor harmony. It is a lie."
This pronouncement was met by an awkward silence. Kaname himself had entertained thoughts along these lines. It was Juri and Haruka's desire to promote peace between the two races. The pureblood was using the school for more selfish reasons and had not encouraged relations between his vampires and the humans. Ruka's casual friendship with Saboten was the closest any of them had come to peace.
"What about us?" asked Saboten referring to the prefects. "We know who are neighbors are."
Zero rolled his eyes. "Your job is to keep the two groups separate with the authority to use force against vampires if necessary. Sounds like hunters to me."
The fact five of the seven occupants had been or were currently hunters did not go unnoticed by Saboten or anyone else. She shut her mouth and glared back at him. Unlike Yuuki, whose brief spark of anger had been quenched by hurt, Saboten was more than capable of holding a grudge. Kaname had no idea of Saboten's personal feelings regarding Cross Academy. All he knew of her history was that her orphanage had been attacked by vampires, she had escaped and somehow made her way to Cross' welcoming arms. She had trained herself as a hunter and used a hunter's weapon. She was serious, practical, and judged humans and vampires both on their individual mertis. He had a feeling she did not like him very much.
Kaname doubted Zero had bothered to come all this way to simply insult Kaien's school. If Zero had wanted to leave, he would have simply left without a word. The boy was too honest, too defiant, and, despite his cutting words, he was all too human.
"The Vampire Senate does not believe it is a good idea to reveal our presence to humans. It would be illegal to tell the students what we are. They must figure it out for themselves," said Kaname.
Zero stared at him flatly. He had been on the receiving end of Kaname's power, even if it was just a small portion. He likely believed Kaname could order the Senate otherwise, and he was right. But Kaname had no such interest at the moment and was unlikely to develop it in the near or distant future. He had more than enough problems needing his attention without unnecessarily adding more.
Kaname pressed on regardless. "In the future, those students who have attended Cross Academy may be more inclined to change how things are done. For now, we have relatively few options."
Zero clearly did not believe him. Yuuki seemed to be the only one that actually did. Nonetheless, it eased the tension between Kaien and Zero. It would not be too out of place for the headmaster to offer or for Zero to accept.
The Headmaster took the out. "Someday, I hope Cross Academy can be a place without these borders, but for now we must settle for what we have."
Zero had regained his head enough not to say anything. Kaname was pleased. Even Yuuki looked mildly hopeful.
"Would you like to stay at Cross Academy?" asked Kaien.
"I have no funds to pay tuition or board," said Zero automatically.
It had been ever so slight, but Kaname caught Zero looking at Yagari and Kaito before answering. The boy wanted to reconnect with his mentor and friend, an ideal sentiment in Kaname's mind. It would tie Zero more tightly to the school than the vain hope of far-off peace.
Yagari stirred in his seat. "I don't know what happened to your parents' accounts but the Association—
"No!" snarled Zero. It was not so much word as a vicious, guttural sound of defiance.
His proclamation was accompanied by a wave of blood-thirsty rage and pain. Whatever strength of will Zero had been using to keep the monster at bay had disappeared. The hunters were on their feet in an instant, hands reaching for weapons they had mutually agreed to leave in their rooms. Kaname could pick up anxiety from Kaien and Yagari. Yuuki had obviously flashed back to that snowy night long ago when Kaname had saved her. Saboten appeared to be remembering her own horror. Kaito was quietly despairing.
Kaname remained seated. He had more than enough experience being on the receiving end of Zero's rage already. Apparently, the boy's anger was sparked equally by vampires and vampire hunters. It was a curious and problematic condition. Perhaps he had been hunted at some point in the last few years. Kaname kept his speculations to himself.
Kaname smelled blood, a familiar sweet scent. Yuuki had held clenched her fists so tightly together that she had drawn had blood. He glanced sharply at Zero. The boy's gaze had gained a hungry quality that Kaname disliked in the extreme. The ex-human closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were back to normal, not even rimmed in red.
"What the hell?" murmured Kaito quietly.
The pureblood voiced similar sentiments in the privacy of his own mind. A noble would be enticed by Yuuki's blood. An ex-human as low as Zero appeared to be should not have been able to control his hunger at all.
"I will come back later," said Zero quietly as he reached for the doorknob.
"When you come back, bring the rest of your things," said Kaien. "We'll move you into a new room."
Zero had taken his usual approach when Kaname was in the room and started backing out rather than turning around. His incredulity was obvious. Zero likely had nothing else than the clothes he was wearing. He did not stop though, and Kaname could hear him practically fly through the house once the door to the dining room was shut.
Kaname turned to Kaien. "I will pay Zero's tuition and board."
Yuuki excused herself to go clean up, and Saboten went with her to help bandage her hands. Kaien, Yagari, and Kaito all sat back down uneasily after the sudden surge of adrenalin.
"Why are you paying for him?" asked Kaito suspiciously.
Kaname ignored him and addressed Kaien in a blatant snub. "Zero is a vampire and will have to stay in the Moon Dorm. The Senate members will be uncomfortable with the idea a former hunter living with their children. Having some small leverage over Zero, however nominal, will go far in reassuring them."
"You're going to hold it over Zero's head?" demanded Kaito. "What has he done to deserve that?"
"My reasons are perfectly valid," said Kaname stiffly. "What will you do when Zero asks where the money came from? Tell him you received a dispensation from the Vampire Hunters' Association? We all saw how well that went."
Kaito opened his mouth, likely to say something scathingly mundane, but Yagari cut him off. "If Zero bothered to ask this time, he will do it again and we need an answer. Does the school have funds for a scholarship or something?"
Kaien bit his lip. "A need-based scholarship should cover his books and clothes and maybe provide some spending money, but I can't give him anything more without asking for a state test. Zero hasn't been in a proper school since he was twelve. There's no way he'll pass."
"Then we will have to follow Kaname's solution for now," said Yagari. "I will try to free up Zero's parents money, so he has something to lean on when this is over."
An unusually optimistic statement from the hunter, mused Kaname. He hardly cared about Zero's finances. He needed another string to tie the boy to himself. The pureblood could already see the path that was created by having the former hunter in his debt. The boy would pay his debts. Promises were the currency that kept the near immortal society of vampires in motion. His parents would have drilled their importance into Zero's mind from a young age. No matter how unpredictable, his proud, defiant, honest nature would chain Zero to Kaname's will.
End.
A/N: Ooh, spooky. In case you were wondering about Saboten. I got her character profile from Wikipedia, so I think she's a real character. Either way, I'm using her because I need more humans in the know (since Zero really, really does not count as a human in this story). Let me know how you like everything so far and how the characterizations are.
Please review. Thanks for reading.