Chapter 11

"Damn bastard" Zero cursed, walking on the lone streets of the city. "Leaving me all alone on this unknown city with nothing to do"

Many people walked by him, noticing his discomfort but not caring about it (they had their own lives to take care of). It was humid, rain had graced the streets not so long ago, and there was a faint splash sound every time Zero took a step. The city light reflected on the water drops that were on the glass windows from shops or cars, thus making the city look livelier and beautiful.

He has been walking around for an hour or so. The bastard pureblood wouldn't be back until midnight. This meant he had to humor himself for three hours. Having nobody to spend his time with and knowing nothing about this place Zero found himself to be doomed in complete boredom.

"Why didn't I stay at home?" he asked himself.

He really should have. If it weren't for Akira having the keys to their car he would have taken off by now. But the pureblood didn't want him to stay. Akira wanted for Zero to take some fresh air-and Zero wanted that too. Just not…alone.

He kept walking forward; discovering what lies ahead of the road became his temporary goal. There has to be something in this city to kill time. Thanks to his vampire hearing he could hear the people mumbling things about him, about his unusual silver hair and lilac eyes. So much annoying people. Even vampires themselves didn't spare the secretive comments. But he shrugged off the comments. Looking for any kind of trouble that could easily be caused by him snapping at any of this people was not a good idea.

The silverette stopped, something finally catching his attention. The mall of the city was right in front of him. That meant that he could buy a good book to read and buy a cup of coffee afterwards. Zero wasn't a big fan of malls but he didn't have much of an option.

He pushed the door open, marveling the simplicity of the decoration inside the building. He expected something more extravagant, like the rest of the city. Doesn't matter. The simpler, the better.

He looked around, trying to find the book store. He saw a woman getting out from one of the stores, bag full of books in her hands. Finding it was easier than he thought. He made his way over the store when…

Yuki was currently running some errands that Cross asked her to do. There was a festival coming up and Yuki is in charge of decorations and invitations. She has been working non-stop ever since she received the order, and now was buying some supplies to make the perfect invitation for both Day Class and Night Class students. Cross told her that he chose her cause nobody understood the taste of both classes as the female prefect, but Yuki knew that her adoptive father was trying to take her mind off of Zero.

She felt useless, Zero was in danger and she was working on a small activity that came out of the blue. Her faith is in Kaname, he never has failed her, but Zero has been gone for so long. She even missed his sarcastic replies and common frowns. Life wasn't the same without her best friend. She wished she could do something so badly, it hurts. Cause she is just a weak human who doesn't stand a chance against a powerful pureblood. Even if she tried she would only manage to get in the way and make things worse.

The best she could do now is wait and hope.

"Better get going now" she muttered.

The brunet girl was kind of tired. Spending a whole day at the mall takes a lot of energy from you. She lost herself in her own thoughts, memories of how Zero would complain about her not making up her mind about what to order for lunch came into her mind. He would spend the whole day with her just to make her happy, and she couldn't help but smile brightly at that.

To many people the bond she and Zero had could be seen as love. Not friendly love, but love-love. Some have already made the mistake. But it's nothing like that. Their bond consists in a powerful brother/sister relationship filled with protectiveness, kindness and the knowledge that they could always count on the other whenever they needed, cause as they grew together they mainly had each other for support, alongside Cross and Kaname.

Feeling slightly depressed with thinking about the past the girl brushed of the thoughts. She focused her attention on holding the papers in her hands and moving forward when…

"Ow" she fell on the floor after colliding with some stranger. The papers fell on the floor besides her, some crumbled a little.

"Sorry" a familiar voice apologized. She felt a figure kneeling down to help pick up the things he caused the poor girl to drop. And then she saw him.

Zero, or at least a man who looked just like Zero, had just ran into her. He was picking up the papers he caused to drop, an annoyed expression invaded his featured but it was a common thing to see on him.

Yuki remained on the floor, staring wordlessly at the siilverette. Was this real? Was her mind playing tricks on her?

"Where have you been? We've been looking for you for a long time, you idiot! Do you have any idea how worried I was? Not even Kaname-sama was able to find you, considering you are bonded and all that!" Yuki began to ramble, saying all the things that came into her mind.

This girl is crazy, thought Zero. "Er...do I know you?" the silverette awkwardly asked, helping the girl get in her feet and handing her the pile of papers he picked up.

The girl looked taken aback. "Yes! Don't you remember me?"

"I am confident that I have never seen you before. I would have remembered someone like you." This girl was a very random person.

"Zero..." the girl stared at him sadly, "I know you. What happened to you? Why can't you remember me?"

Zero looked taken aback, finally taking interest in Yuki.

"You know my name" he stated. "How do you know it?"

"We grew up together" Yuki said, looking at Zero with watery eyes. "We've known each other for a long time. I'm Yuki!"

"I don't recall meeting you" Zero muttered, scanning Yuki up and down as if to try to force a memory into his head. Nothing.

"But we have worked so hard trying to find you" Yuki knew Kaname and the others were still doing so. It would seem wrong to leave Zero here now that she found him.

The vampire Aidou told her about, Hio Akira was his name?, he probably brainwashed Zero or something. This Zero was her Zero, rigid when in public, but still has a soft glint in his eyes that makes whoever knows him feel calm and safe when he's around. The same frown that occupied his face whenever he learned something that he wasn't expecting or after receiving an annoying task…he had it. Not to mention the name. Yuki may be naïve and oblivious to a lot of things, this wasn't one of them.

"I wasn't lost in the first place" Zero respond. He was lost in this town but not from her. He was lost, far away from his lover, not this girl he happened to run into. "I'm sorry miss but I have to leave" he began but stopped himself.

The poor girl, something about her broken face made him want to stay. It felt so uncomfortable, feeling this way towards a stranger. He had the urge to hug her like a big brother would do if his sister was ever in trouble, anything to make that expression go away and never come back.

She looked so certain about knowing him as well. When she saw him, even if she was shocked, she smiled so brightly. There was no way she was lying…but she was. Because there was no way his own memory could lie to him. His whole life has been based on being born, living happily with his family, a random vampire assassinated his family and Akira comforting him in his hour of need until the present time.

WAIT!

Now that he thought about it, he noticed his memory had blank spaces, a hollow feeling that was too big to notice. He could have met Yuki and forgot about it, his memory of her lost for who knows how long. The situation fit, but he wasn't sure if that's what was happening. There was a fifty percent chance he made the correct assumption.

The girl saw that he stopped and held onto his arm. "Wait a moment" she softly told the silverette.

Seeing Zero was not responding Yuki took it as a sign he was waiting for her to continue. "Can you at least have some coffee with me? Please" she pleased.

Zero scratched the back of his head, not knowing what to do right now. He is bored. There was nothing to lose by buying a cup of coffee with Yuki.

"Fine" he responded indifferently.

On the way Zero took out his cellphone, typing a text on it.

To: Akira

Meet me at the food section of the local mall. I'm hanging out with someone there. Don't ask who. TTYL…

Clicking on the Send button he put away his cellphone, focusing on the road and giving himself a pat on the back for not tripping.

He ended ordering a caramel macchiato, Yuki ordering a chocolate one. No food, just a cup of coffee to help them relax and stay awake. For some reason Zero had a hard time staying awake at night and, considering he is a vampire, that is rare.

"So…" Yuki started, trying to break the obvious tension between them. "Have you been alright this past two weeks?"

"I've been fine"

"Anything out of the ordinary?"

"No"

"Do you plan to go back to Cross Academy?"

"Go back where?" Zero asked.

"So you don't remember that either" Yuki looked disappointed again.

Zero drank more of his coffee, ignoring the uncomfortable stares he was getting from noble vampires around the section. Damn those high ranking bastards. He hated those who discriminated easily, judging a person for what it is and not letting them prove that even Level D can be worthy to be acknowledged in the vampire society.

"You say we grew up together" Yuki nodded. "You know my name. Talk like you have known me for a long time. Say I need to return to some place called 'Cross Academy'…"

"What's your point?" Yuki cut him off, anticipation taking over her.

"It's hard to believe you are lying. You look like such a trustworthy person, although it could all be an act" Zero considered. Yeah, maybe Yuki did some research on him or something. But why? "Let's assume that we really did grew up together. Why can't I remember any of it?"

"Kaname-sama told me you were taken away by another pureblood" Yuki responded.

"How do you know about vampires?"

"There are vampires in 'Cross Academy'. We used to be prefects"

Zero hummed.

"For your previous statement…I wasn't taken away by any pureblood. I live with one" Zero said. "On my own will" he added.

Yuki bit her lip, not feeling at ease in this section. If only Kaname were here…

He would know what to do.

"Kaname-sama and Aidou-san told me about a stone that could re-write memories or something like that. Do you know anything about a stone?" judging by Zero's face Yuki knew that she was right.

"A stone you say?" Zero asked. He unbuttoned the higher part of his shirt, showing an odd-looking gem. "Something like this?"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Yuki, earning confused stares from the other people. She shrunk a little in her seat and murmured more low. "That has to be it"

"I don't think so. This gem was given to me by Akira as a sign of…er…" Zero was blushing madly. He didn't want to tell what that gem meant for him.

"A sign of what?"

He had to tell, otherwise Yuki will keep bothering him. That didn't sound so good in his ears.

"A sign of…mating" he almost chocked out.

"Oh…"

Taking the last sip of her macchiato, Yuki placed her cup down the table. Maybe Kaname's research was wrong. For all she knew, Zero and Akira could have been in love and the only way they could mate would be through that stone, altering Zero's memories for unknown reasons without him wanting to. But mating required a blood bond, and Zero and Kaname were already mated in a stronger way. Something didn't click here.

"Do you remember when he gave you the stone?" Yuki asked.

"I do. It was a month ago or so" Zero looked at the stone as the flashback hit his head. "It took some time to take effect but it was worth it"

"That can't be true. Your memory was altered, he made you believe that. A month ago you were in Cross Academy with us, your friends. All the Night Class has spent these two weeks you've disappeared searching for you. Akira isn't your mate. Kaname is" Yuki said, and the last part came out so clearly…so easily…like it was the natural thing to say.

"Is that what you think girl?" a new voice asked from behind.

"Akira. What are you doing here? You told me you weren't coming back until twelve o' clock. Last time I checked it was ten thirty nine" Zero asked surprised.

"I received your text. There is no way I'm going to leave you alone with a stranger" he smiled at Zero, ruffling his hear in a teasing matter.

"Possessive much" the ex-human grumbled.

Akira chuckled. "You know me too well" and his smile vanished as soon as he turned to Yuki. "What were you saying earlier?"

"I…um…he was…I am just…" the ability to speak was suddenly lost or Yuki. She was finally meeting Hio Akira, and he was terrifying.

"Don't you know who she is?" Akira asked his lover.

"Apparently, she's Yuki" Zero said matter-o-factly.

"Yes. She is the younger sister of Kuran Kaname, the man who almost took you away from me" Zero looked at him confused for a moment. "When you woke up a couple of days ago. The brunette man who was completely beaten up"

"W-what?" Yuki stuttered. "Kaname-sama is hurt?"

"He should be fine. His little fan club came to his aid moments later. He wanted to take Zero away from me" Akira said, taking a seat next to Zero, nuzzling his face in his lover's neck. "He failed miserably"

"Impossible" Yuki shook her head. Kaname was unbeatable.

"He was pathetic. The fight could have lasted longer. Oh well" Akira shrugged. "You will be coming with me. I can't have you helping that brother of yours stealing away my precious iris now, can't I?"

"Don't call me that, idiot" Zero snapped at me. "Let her go Akira. She has done nothing wrong"

"She has done nothing wrong…yet. But she would have called Kuran in no time. He would come for you, try to take you away from me. That I cannot allow. We're leaving and she will be imprisoned, I will not be taking any risk" taking Yuki by the wrist, Akira led the way out of the mall.

"Let me go" Yuki yelled, struggling to get free from the strong grip.

People noticed what was happened and did nothing. Akira was a pureblood. His word was law, his actions unquestioned.

All Zero could do was watch as the girl helplessly tried to obtain freedom.

"Sorry" he mouthed at her, and she understood. This was not Zero's fault.

That night Cross/Kuran Yuki was also captured.

TBC…

Something about this chapter didn't feel right. I made you wait for this . Oh well…this is all I have for now.

"I should have left the moment I gave you your supplies. Then you wouldn't be in this problem" Zero's head lowered, his bangs hiding away his eyes in shame.

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know Akira was going to do this" Yuki paused. "Neither did I"

"Sometimes I really want to hit him hard with a bat. The idiot thinks he can just control my life. But I know he means well" even while saying bad thing about Akira, Zero managed to find a way to defend him.

"He was right in something though. I do know Kaname" Yuki told him.

"You do?" Zero asked. So Yuki was against him and Akira after all.

"But Kaname is not the bad guy. He cares for you Zero. He really does. These weeks he has been so distressed, more than what he would ever admit" said Yuki.

"I won't believe that. I don't think you are a bad person, but I could be wrong. As I said, I don' t know you Yuki" Zero handed Yuki the tray of food.

There. Finished this chapter. Thank goodness. My neck hurts. REVIEW to make my neck feel better pleaaase!

Love,

Redmoon1997