OMFG I'M SO SORRY I MADE YOU WAIT SO LONG, I'M A HORRIBLE HUMAN BEING.

I started a job part-time as well as going to college, so I barely have any time for myself lately. I'm actually typing this at 11 pm on a Tuesday night because I have no life and because i saw the written draft for this chapter on my notebook and thought "Hey, I haven't written anything in a long time!"

So, yeah. Chapter two, y'all.

ALSO, A LITTLE NOTE: the characters may seem very OOC in this story, but keep in mind that this is an AU where vampires don't exists, Zero's parents weren't brutally murdered by a vampire and he wasn't betrayed by his own twin, and Kaname isn't a Pureblood asshole with uncle issues and an unhealthy sister-complex. This is what I imagine might have happened if the two Kiryuu twins happened to live a normal life in a normal world, where Kaname and Yuuki aren't related by fucked up family blood lines, and where Rido isn't a schizophrenic, power-hungry whore who also has a very unhealthy niece-complex. Seriously, what's up with vampires and incest. Even Haruka and Juuri were siblings.

Also, what may have happened if Vampire Knight was a yaoi, which it isn't, but a fangirl can dream.

Am I right, or am I right?

Their second encounter was a casual one.

Kaname was ordering his usual cup of coffee at the usual café across the street from his workplace when he saw him. He was sitting at one of the tables by the windows that faced the main street, dressed in a warm, blue sweater and dark jeans. With lavender eyes focused on the people walking by outside and silver hair framing that gorgeous face of his, Zero looked completely comfortable and relaxed sipping his drink.

Kaname was so entranced by the other male that he almost didn't hear when his name was called by the barista. Once he picked up his coffee, he shuffled awkwardly on his feet before making up his mind and beginning to stride towards the silveret. He flashed a genuine, hopeful smile when Zero looked up at him, asking, "Hey, mind if I sit here?"

The younger male raised an inquisitive eyebrow and slightly narrowed his eyes as he studied the (utterly and unfairly attractive) tall brunet. "Sure..." he replied slowly, warily, watching him as he gracefully sat in the chair in front of him. Looking at the brunet made Zero have a sense of déjà vu, as if he'd seen him before in a different setting. It was an itch in his brain he couldn't scratch, a hazy memory he couldn't recall. It wasn't until the mysterious man met his questioning gaze again that the puzzle pieces clicked. "You're the man from the restaurant." Because that's exactly what this person is, he thought, a man. Masculine and elegant, muscles hidden by the tight business suit stretching across his chest, the garments fitting his toned body perfectly. Were he any lesser man, Zero would have probably started drooling the second the other had waltzed into the coffee shop.

Kaname looked absolutely elated when the silveret recognized him, nodding his head once. "I am, indeed. Nice memory." He leaned forward and crossed his hands on the table, coffee sat aside for the time being as he focused all his attention on the person he was talking to—manners before leisure. Zero titled his head to the side, making Kaname resist the urge to reach a hand out to brush away the silver stresses that fell in front of those captivating eyes. "And you're...Zero?"

Said man nodded. "Yup. Zero Kiryuu." He offered his hand for a handshake, secretly pleased that the brunet remembered his name. "Nice to meet you."

"Kaname Kuran," the older of the two replied as he grabbed the hand in his slightly larger one, gently but firm enough to show his confidence. "The pleasure is all mine." His voice was a low purr as he spoke, a pleasant shiver running down Zero's spine at the tone that had warmth spread in his belly. Kaname didn't let go of his hand immediately, like any other person would have done, but the silveret never uttered a word of complaint. In fact, he took the opportunity to squeeze he other's fingers lightly, playfully, hoping to God he wasn't gonna get punched in the face for being so daring in a public place (and towards another man, no less, though Zero had come to terms with his sexuality a long time ago). He was pleasantly surprised when, instead of getting angered by the bold action, Kaname actually smirked at him, the gesture tugging at only one corner of his lips in a sinful display of mischief. Then they both let go, craving the contact once more when the warmth between their hands vanished.

They started talking about random things, afterwards, from personal hobbies to common interests, favorite movies and hated actors, and even went as far as sharing some (totally not embarrassing) childhood stories when talking about certain topics. Kaname learned that Zero had an identical twin brother named Ichiru, who was younger than him by only a couple minutes. He learned that their parents died when they were both eight years old, but were taken in by Kaien Cross, a good family friend. When Zero talked about Kaien's boyfriend, Yagari Toga, who also happene dto be both Zero and Ichiru's Godfather, the brunet raised an eyebrow in interest. They eventually moved on to the topic of future careers, and he was mesmerized by the giddiness he heard in the silveret's eyes and words when he spoke about his dreams of becoming a chef.

Zero learned that Kaname's parents, too, died when he was young, and that he was taken in by his uncle, Rido, until he eventually graduated college and found an apartment of his own. He learned that Kaname was currently working for the company his uncle owned and that he had refuted the position as vice president when he was offered the chair. "I don't want to become president just because of my family ties," he'd said. "I want to earn that position by my own means, so I started from the bottom of the ladder, just like everyone else." Zero may or may not have had the urge to kiss the man senseless after hearing him say that, but he prided himself in not budging from his chair like he so desperately wanted to. The silveret also learned that Kaname's co-workers really looked up to him as a great leader, a group of them more so than the others, but that was due to the fact that they happened to be Kaname's childhood friends, reunited after many years.

"Looks like they're all pretty fond of you," Zero murmured behind his coffee mug, the hint of a smile on his lips.

Kaname shrugged. "We grew up together. They're the only friends I ever had growing up, and I guess they grew to respect and treasure me just as much as I do them. When you spend so much time with someone, it's almost impossible to not start feeling affection for them."

The silver-haired man hummed in acknowledgment, the pleased sound vibrating in his chest and making Kaname want to join in with a groan of his own at how sexual it sounded. "That still doesn't change the fact that they make you sound like a great leader." He put his mug down and ran a finger around the rim of the porcelain cup. "Say, Mr. Kuran—" lilac orbs looked up at the brunet from beneath long lashes "—do you like to order people around?" The question was loaded with a double entendre, and he knew it, but he didn't take it back. Throughout their little chat, Zero had more than once hinted to his attraction for the male, with both his body language—from shy glances to intense stares, coy smiles and the occasional biting of his lower lip as he stared at Kaname's mouth—and suggestive statements. And although Zero was pretty sure the brunet also felt some sort of desire for him, it was about time he made sure they both knew where they stood.

Kaname swallowed down a growl as he reciprocated the silveret's intense stare with a smoldering one of his own, sipping his own macchiato as a distraction from the lewd thoughts threatening to enter his mind. He knew exactly where Zero was going with that question and just the mere idea of him possibly enjoying such things was downright exhilarating. He licked his lips and leaned even more against the table to ensure them a bit more privacy, his voice dropping to a sensual murmur when he replied, "Only when it counts."

Wine eyes met lavender, and Zero bit his lip against the rush of heat the well-worded words sent to his groin. "You seem to have all the right answers, Mr. Kuran. You're slaying me."

Kaname simply gave him a pleased smile that bordered on a smirk, sexy and delicious, and scooted lower in his seat to subtly rub the tip of his shoe against the silveret's shin. He felt the gesture being reciprocated almost immediately, but seeing as they were in public and surrounded by both children and adults, they didn't take it farther than that.

For the next couple hours, the two men kept talking about anything and everything, but not once was Yuuki's name mentioned in the conversation, and not once did Zero comment on the silver wedding band around the brunet's ring finger. It wasn't his business and, honestly, he didn't care. Eventually, out of habit more than anything else, he tapped a finger on the screen of his cellphone to check the time, noticing with great surprise and disappointment that it was almost time for him to go.

Kaname chuckled warmly when Zero's nose scrunched up cutely, playing around with his then-empty cup of coffee. "What's wrong? You seem troubled."

Zero sighed, putting his phone back in his pocket. "My culinary class starts in about half an hour, so I really should head back to he university."

"Hmm, I see. I guess we have been here for quite some time, huh?"

Zero laughed briefly at that. "You could say that, yeah." Then he stood from his chair and reached into the back pocket of his jeans to pull out his wallet, but was stopped when Kaname also rose from his seat and stopped him with a hand on his forearm. Zero turned to look at him with a questioning frown, having to crane his head up a little to properly meet the much taller male's gaze.

Kaname's hand slowly traveled from the silveret's arm to his wrist, long fingers tickling the skin through the fabric of the sweater. "Let me, I'll pay for us both." When he saw Zero's lips open to complain, he was quick to interrupt with a gentle, "Please."

The younger man shut his mouth at the request, pearly white teeth digging into the plump flesh of his lower lip in thought. With his free hand he reached for his jacket, still draped around the back of the chair from when he'd first sat down, and grabbed a pen from the inside pocket. He uncapped it and grabbed a napkin, proceeding then to write down a set of numbers on the front. He thrust the squared paper into Kaname's chest and quickly put his coat on, aware of Kaname's burgundy eyes still observing his every move. Once he was done, Zero started walking towards the exit, but stopped in front of Kaname after a couple steps, turned around, and leaned up to kiss his cheek. He quickly pulled away and uttered a shaky, "Call me," running out of the café before he could regret his decision.

To say Kaname was dumbfounded would have been an understatement. His brain was still trying to process what was going on, having short-circuited when the silveret's lips made contact with his cheek, and all he could think about was the warmth that small peck had left behind and how soft the contact had been. The little napkin was still clutched in his hand as blinked stupidly at the retreating back of the silveret, not moving from his position even as he saw Zero turn the corner around a building and completely disappear from sight.

It was a passing by waitress that brought him out of his reverie by asking him if he was alright, and Kaname quickly rearranged his thoughts and gave her a polite smile. When he finally looked down at the napkin for the first time, he couldn't contain the stupid smile from spreading all over his face.

Here's my number. Call me if you ever want to meet up again; our chat was quite pleasant.

The message was followed by a set of digits, signed with Zero's name in a neat handwriting.

Energized and in high spirits, Kaname payed for their coffee and even tipped the barista generously, going off to work with a bright grin splitting his face.

Yoooo, Kaname is a cute dork, though. And Zero is an adorable piece of shit. He's so smooth.

I need this pairing to be canon. Matsuri Hino should make a spin-off of Vampire Knight where Zero falls for Kaname instead of Yuuki. I would breathe that shit like it was oxygen.