A/N: Chapter Four, in which we prove that Kaname and Zero can't seem to go more than fifty paces without touching each other in some way... XD Don't blame me for all the sweet and silly fluff - the boys totally took over this chapter and did what they wanted to do, I just came along for the ride. Please note that there are a few more scattered references to events from my fic "Crimson Door" in this chapter. Oh, and just because this chapter mentions food, I must give a nod to YenGirl, who has forever influenced the way I look at Kaname, Zero and food. LOL
Chapter Four: "Ice Cream and Kisses"
As they walked, Kaname found himself sneaking glances at Zero. The hunter's silver hair was painted with the shifting hues of the night and the different colored lights around them. The ends of his hair just brushed the crisp, white open collar of his dress shirt. The darker lines of his tattoo peaking out around the collar automatically drew the eye to the smooth, sinuous curve of the younger vampire's throat...
"We just ate, Kaname, you still hungry?" Zero's soft, wry voice made Kaname realize that he'd been staring at Zero's neck. The hunter had obviously already noticed.
Kaname's eyes flitted away and he gave a small, almost embarrassed shrug before his gaze slid back to meet Zero's. "No, you know it's not that, Zero," he said with a small smile. The need for sustenance had nothing to do with Kaname's attraction to his bondmate. "You're just so perfect," he whispered softly. "I can't help admiring."
Zero half grinned, half grimaced self-consciously and ducked his head. He never knew what to do when Kaname said things like... like that. In the beginning, he'd thought Kaname was teasing and making fun of him, but now he knew the pureblood was quite serious, which actually flustered him a lot more. Perfect? Not even half-assed close. Kaname was perfect. With his dark hair fading into the night, his creamy skin contrasting against his dark suit, his eyes that seemed to catch and hold the starlight, reflecting it back like an ageless, fathomless pool... Zero swallowed softly.
"You're such a sappy idiot," Zero mumbled as they continued walking, but there was no mistaking the warmth in his voice.
Kaname's lips quirked into a smile. "..Says the emotional retard," he responded, giving the term all the affection of an endearment.
Zero gave him an amused sideways glare and elbowed Kaname lightly in the ribs. Kaname elbowed him back and in a moment they were both shoving back and forth as they walked like a couple of children, soft laughter dancing between them. They were being incredibly silly and they knew it, but it felt kind of good to just be silly for a moment, before they had to remember where they were and who they were and be adults again.
"Why - don't - you - grow - up!" Zero gasped out, chuckling as he and Kaname weaved a bit on the sidewalk, each pretending to try to make the other stumble first. He felt rather juvenile and he just knew that they were probably attracting attention, but he was loving the soft, musical sound of Kaname's laughter too much to care. It was not something he heard very often. Kaname would chuckle or look amused, but outright laughter from the pureblood was rare. Zero liked it. He thought that it suited his lover very well.
"After - you..." Kaname shot back with a charmingly devilish grin. Zero looking happy and carefree just enthralled him. The ex-human was so beautiful when he smiled and stopped looking all serious for a little while. Kaname had never found much to laugh about in his life. He'd not had a childhood with friends he could joke with like this. Not that he hadn't had friends, but no one would dared tease him. No one but Zero would have dreamed of jostling and elbowing him like this and treating him so... so normal. Being put on a pureblood pedestal was a lonely business, thank God Zero was never like that. For the first time in his life, Kaname was learning what it was like to be happy.
Zero grabbed Kaname's arm to keep from being shoved again and Kaname grabbed a fist full of his shirt for balance and leverage. Then suddenly they both seemed to realize at the same moment how very close together they were, their bodies half pressed against one another, laughing, smiling faces inches apart.
"You make me so happy, Zero," Kaname breathed softly, almost breathlessly. The words that were running through his mind came out before he had a chance to evaluate them.
Zero blinked, his heart suddenly pounding. "Yeah?" he whispered, his voice a little husky suddenly. He couldn't have said why, but that thought filled him with a radiant glow.
"Yeah," Kaname whispered back... and suddenly his hands were in Zero's hair. A soft, light grip that guided more than pulled Zero's head to his and their lips met.
Zero inhaled shakily, unintentionally drawing Kaname's rich scent deep into his lungs as their warm mouths pressed together in a soft, totally unexpected kiss. He felt Kaname shudder against him, felt the pureblood's hands in his hair, felt his own bright, burning love for this man expand in his chest and before he realized what he was doing, Zero had grabbed Kaname's shoulder, holding onto him as the pureblood's warm tongue played teasingly between his already parted lips.
It was a brief, but magical moment. Then they were separated again, staring at each other, breathing rapidly as the sounds of their surroundings suddenly became audible again.
Zero flushed deeply. Oh. My. God. He had just kissed Kaname on the freaking sidewalk. Didn't get much more public than that, did it? To be honest, people really weren't paying that much attention to them. On a night like this, it was hardly unusual to see young couples displaying their affection and those who did glance their way merely smiled and kept on about their business.
Kaname was wearing a stunningly beautiful stupid grin that made Zero want to either vanish into the pavement, or kiss the pureblood completely breathless.
"Oh, look! Let's go in here," Zero said quickly, all but rushing the words out as he hurried to try and get away from anyone who was looking at them and to distract himself from how damn kissable Kaname continued to look. Zero strode quickly and purposefully into a little ice cream shop that was right next to them and Kaname followed slowly, the same contented, silly grin still on his face.
"I didn't think you liked ice cream," the pureblood commented innocently as he joined Zero at the counter.
To be honest, Zero hadn't really meant to get anything, but now that he was in the store and standing at the counter with the man behind it looking at him expectantly, it would look stupid not to order. Especially with Kaname standing there giving him that look.
"I like it fine," he mumbled. Usually he found it a little sweet for his tastes, although there were some flavors he liked, especially if he was in the mood for it. At the moment, he wasn't, but a display of toasty, cream-cheese filled jumbo pretzels saved him. "I'll take one of those," he said, pointing at the pretzel.
The man behind the counter nodded and glanced towards Kaname. "And you, sir?"
Kaname glanced at the ice cream tubs in the refrigerator case under the glass. "I'll have a scoop of Pistachio."
Zero gave Kaname a slightly surprised look, not having expected the pureblood to actually order anything, but Kaname just shrugged. "What? It looks good," he said with a small smile.
The man handed Zero his pretzel in a napkin and started to scoop Kaname's ice cream. "Ah, in a cup please," Kaname corrected when the man started to reach for a cone.
Kaname began to pull out his wallet as the man scooped the ice cream into a cup and stuck a little white spoon into it, but Zero touched his arm and shook his head. "I got it," he said, pulling a couple of bills out of his pocket and paying for his pretzel and Kaname's ice cream. It had been his idea, after all.
Kaname acquiesced easily and slid his wallet back into his jacket pocket. "Well then, desert's on you," he said with a grin as he picked up his ice cream, carefully wrapping the little paper cup in a layer of napkins. Zero wasn't sure if that was to keep his hand from getting cold or to protect against the bit of ice cream that had gotten on the side of the cup when it was served.
Zero grinned, biting into his pretzel as they left the shop, continuing their walk down the avenue. "Considering what dinner cost, I think I got the better end of this deal..."
Kaname chuckled as he licked the top of his ice cream scoop while they walked. "Well, in that case you're buying dinner next time."
"Sure," Zero agreed amiably, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "You like Hungry Burger, right?"
Kaname broke out laughing again. "I suppose that will serve. Zero, with you I'd go anywhere."
"Watch out, I might hold you to that," Zero said with a contented smile, continuing to munch. Truth was, the pretzel was actually really good and he was enjoying the light, salty after-dinner snack.
Kaname appeared to be enjoying his ice cream as well and had licked it down almost to the rim of the cup, carefully avoiding dislodging the little spoon still stuck to one side.
Zero tilted his head quizzically. "Kaname, why'd you get it in a cup if you're going to lick it?" he inquired.
Kaname lifted his head, nimble tongue deftly swiping a bit of pale green ice cream from his lower lip in a way that made Zero's insides warm a bit. He gave the ex-human an innocently sheepish look, his cheeks actually coloring just slightly as if he'd been caught doing something improper like slurping soup out of the bowl, but hadn't expected Zero to notice. "Well... I like to lick it," he admitted. "But it's not... you know."
It was Zero's turn to laugh. "Dignified?" he supplied. "You're worried about the dignified way to eat ice cream?"
Kaname gave him a wry glare. "You can't get all the ice cream out of a cone," he muttered, defending his choice defiantly.
"You can but you have to bite the cone and risk getting your face messy..." Zero teased. "Do you mean to tell me you've never bitten an ice cream cone?"
Kaname just raised an eyebrow and scooped up a spoonful of ice cream, popping it into his mouth. Zero knew that that was a yes. Kaname's fastidiousness regarding food was highly amusing considering that drinking blood wasn't always exactly a neat process... but somehow, that was just different.
"Okay, next time you are definitely getting a cone, and I will show you how to get the center bit out. You can eat the bottom off the cone too, you know, and suck it out that way."
Kaname looked mildly horrified by the notion. "Sounds sticky."
"It is," Zero agreed. "And fun. Geez..." Zero stopped himself short of saying something along the lines of what, did you grow up in a cave? Because in a way, Kaname had, only it was more like an ice fortress as he understood it. Given the way people treated Kaname now, Zero just bet he had had no kind of childhood at all. Zero's may have been torn away all too soon, but at least he had had one. While Zero and Ichiru were launching cheerios across the breakfast table at one another with their spoons as catapults, Kaname had probably been dining with adults and expected to know the difference between a fish fork and a salad fork.
Wait... was there such a thing as a fish fork? Zero wasn't sure.
That thought kind of made Zero a little sad. The one about Kaname, not the one about the fish forks. He felt like he'd like to make up for what Kaname had missed somehow. Silly to feel that way, he supposed, but he couldn't help it.
"Biting, sucking... you know, I'm surprised this is a problem for you," Zero teased as he finished the last bite of his pretzel.
Kaname eyed him, feeling perhaps that the hunter was having just a wee bit too much fun at his expense. "Oh, I'm very good at biting and sucking," he replied suggestively. "Maybe I just don't like to waste my talents on inanimate food objects..."
"Yeah, or maybe you're just prissy." Zero chose to studiously ignore the silky, seductive tone in Kaname's voice, despite the way it made the pit of his stomach quiver. "Well, don't worry. If, horror of horrors, you mess up your pretty face I can always lick it off for you..." he joked in half-distracted threat. He was looking around for a trash can in which to dispose of his napkin and thus engaged, he paid less attention than he should have to how his words sounded. Distracted, he didn't immediately see the glint in Kaname's eyes nor realize what he'd done. Not finding a trash can, he tucked the napkin in his pocket instead.
Kaname apparently considered a threat like that to be more of an incentive than a deterrent. With a twinkle in his eyes, he pressed his mouth against his ice cream, coming away with a creamy ring around his lips and on the end of his chin. "Okay," he said. He'd acted impulsively and his cheeks were somewhat attractively flushed. Having something cold dripping down his chin felt weird and any number of people he knew would have absolute conniptions if they saw him like this. But the look on Zero's face was worth it.
The hunter's expression went blank and his eyes wide. "W-what? No! I didn't mean..."
Kaname had stopped walking and was standing there, looking at him expectantly, an incredibly adorable figure with ice cream all around his mouth. "You said you would. Are you going back on your word, Zero?"
Zero couldn't believe Kaname had done that or was doing this. "That wasn't what I... not now! Not here!" he sputtered, his embarrassment endearing.
Kaname folded his arms stubbornly, or half-folded them as much as he could while holding an ice cream cup. "Zero, I am standing here on the sidewalk, in public, looking positively ridiculous with ice cream on my face. You know I don't like looking ridiculous. If you do not take care of this for me I am going to be very upset. And when I get very upset, windows tend to break. There are a lot of windows on this street and I would hate for that to happen..." Kaname said calmly, mischievous fire dancing in his all too serious eyes.
Zero goggled at him. Who are you, what planet are you from and what have you done with Kaname? He'd been thinking he'd like to give Kaname a little taste of normal childhood, not have him act like a child. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, Kaname wasn't serious...?! "WHAT? God, are you seriously threatening to throw a temper tantrum like a two year old if I don't... don't l-lick you?!"
Zero immediately regretted saying it and especially saying it so loudly. His face and ears flamed and he hoped no one possibly within earshot was paying attention. The situation was embarrassing enough, and that had sounded way worse than it actually was.
Kaname seemed to enjoy Zero's cute wide-eyed horror at realizing what his own words had sounded like. He smirked, betraying that there may be a method to his madness. The last thing Zero seemed to want to do, after all was draw attention or make a scene. "Maybe. Is it working?"
"I don't believe you," Zero shook his head, looking peeved. Glancing around, he grabbed Kaname by the shoulder and dragged him quickly into the dark, concealing shadows of a small alleyway that led off from the main thoroughfare. He shoved the pureblood's back up against the brick wall of the nearest building, planting his palms against the wall on either side of Kaname's head.
Kaname felt the rough brick of the wall behind him even through his light suit coat and he was incredibly aware of Zero's body so close to his that they were brushing, but not quite pressing against one another. His heart jumped and his lips unintentionally parted slightly, pulse beginning to hammer as Zero's breath brushed his face.
The hunter's head was bowed close. He leaned in and ran the tip of his warm tongue lightly along the corner of Kaname's mouth before pulling back slightly as if testing the flavor of the ice cream on the pureblood's skin. Head still bowed a little, Zero gazed up at Kaname, amethyst eyes smoldering from under a silver curtain of hair that was hanging in his face. Kaname felt his knees go weak.
"Taste good...?" the pureblood murmured huskily in playful tones. Kaname had just been having Zero on and he hoped the hunter wasn't really mad. A little peeved though... that was okay... Zero was so unforgivably irresistible when he was indignant like this.
Pinning Kaname with his body, Zero leaned in with a soft growl and started licking the melted ice cream off the pureblood's face in earnest. Taste good? Kaname had no idea... the ice cream was sweet, but it was Kaname who was the treat. Zero had started this as a frustrated way of getting Kaname off his case... but as Kaname's scent once again surrounded him and he felt the smooth, silky surface of the pureblood's body under his tongue, the ex-human found his own heart speeding up and his breath coming faster.
Zero's fingers curled against the wall, the rough brick digging into his fingertips a bit as he gripped it tighter, leaning more of his bodyweight against Kaname. His strong tongue lapped slowly along the pureblood's jaw, exploring and caressing as much as cleaning. With defiant deliberateness, Zero licked all around Kaname's mouth, sucking the sweet cream from him with lavish attentiveness.
Kaname shivered, the sound of his heart throbbing in his ears as Zero's body pressed him to the wall, the hunter's warm breath caressing his skin while his tongue teased and enticed. Zero licked slowly up and down beneath Kaname's lower lip, never quite making contact with his mouth, but flicking his tongue against the underside of the moist swell.
Zero could feel Kaname's pulse racing and see the deepening arousal opening up in those intense chocolate eyes, so he moved even more deliberately. Slowly, he trailed his lips across the corner of Kaname's mouth... then finally, he ran his tongue along Kaname's upper lip and he felt the pureblood inhale sharply. He took the lower lip last, licking slowly before sucking it into his mouth and playing his teeth along the velvety flesh, tasting the sweetness of the ice cream and the different sort of sweetness that was Kaname's moist skin. Okay... this wasn't really so bad after all...
Still playfully annoyed, Zero couldn't resist taking a wee bit of revenge. His knee slipped between Kaname's thighs, pushing his lover's legs apart as he leaned against him, his tongue delving possessively into Kaname's mouth now.
Kaname exhaled in agonized delight, melting into Zero and returning his kiss hungrily, unintentionally rocking against Zero's firm thigh. He forgot himself and almost accidentally dropped the ice cream he was still holding, but Zero caught it. His fingers curled around Kaname's which now seemed nerveless and unable to hold onto the paper cup. Kaname groaned softly, his free arm wrapped around Zero's back and knotted in his jacket.
"Don't spill your ice cream..." Zero murmured huskily against Kaname's mouth. Zero was quite turned on, especially by Kaname's reactions, but he knew the pureblood was already much further gone down that road. As his tongue caressed Kaname's sheathed fangs and he felt the lithe body shuddering under him, he realized that he could probably demanded that Kaname let him take him right here in the alley and in this moment of weakness, the pureblood would acquiesce. Such was the power Zero held over him.
Zero's free hand curled lightly in Kaname's hair, soft awe tingling through him. Was it any wonder then, that Kaname found it hard to understand Zero's own reluctance to let things get out of hand in places where they weren't safe? It was probably a good thing for Kaname at this moment that Zero felt that way though... because he found that he suddenly very much wanted to do exactly what he'd just been thinking about... but he knew he shouldn't. The alley was way too public.
After a few more heartbeats, Zero disentangled himself with a deep, rueful smile. Kaname was still leaning against the wall, his chest heaving and his rumpled clothing making him not the most dignified picture in the world... but definitely one of the sweetest and most desirable.
Zero pulled off one of the clean, outer napkins with which Kaname had wrapped the ice cream cup. Then he released the cup, after curling Kaname's fingers tightly around it to be sure he wouldn't drop it again. Using the napkin, Zero cleaned Kaname's face for real before wiping his own mouth and then wadding the napkin up.
"Well, you're all clean now, so let's go..." he said, raising his eyebrows as he moved back towards the sidewalk.
"Zero!" Kaname protested breathlessly, looking supremely frustrated and very hungry. Zero might have felt a little worse for him if he hadn't been such a brat a few minutes ago.
The hunter leveled the pureblood with an innocent look. "What?"
Kaname seemed to sense that he was getting payback for his behavior earlier and he gave the ex-human a resigned, dirty look. For a moment it seemed like he might grab Zero and drag him forcibly back into the alley... but then he drew in a deep breath and visibly tried to compose himself. He'd had enough of a breather now to let reason return and tell him that here and now was neither the time nor the place.
Straightening his clothes with exaggerated dignity, Kaname strode out of the ally and scooped up another bite of his now melting ice cream. His hand trembled a bit on the spoon, but he controlled it. "You are going to pay for that when we get home..." the pureblood promised in an overly pleasant tone, his smile supremely cheerful.
Zero grinned, a warm pulse running through his groin. "Hey, you started it..." he pointed out.
Kaname, who knew he had, chuckled. "Want some ice cream?" he offered Zero some of his remaining treat as they started walking again.
"No, thanks," Zero declined. "It tastes better off of you." His voice was completely deadpan, but his eyes twinkled a little as Kaname shot him a quick, assessing gaze. Was it just him, or was his adorably uptight hunter loosening up a tad?
"Mm, really, I'll have to remember that," the pureblood said speculatively. He finished his ice cream and they finally found a waste can to dispose of their trash.
A few blocks further on, Zero unintentionally tensed slightly as he felt the unmistakable presence of other vampires nearby. More than one. It wasn't unusual, he often passed them in the street without a word. Vampires were quietly threaded into the fabric of human life everywhere and the world was oblivious to it. A moment later, however, he realized that there was something ever so vaguely familiar about these presences. At least, they didn't seem to rate very high on his threat meter.
Kaname had apparently picked up on the others' presence as well, but had also already recognized who they were. He had call to know them quite well. With a small smile he pulled Zero to a brief pause and inclined his head towards a lovely outdoor cafe across the street. Warm light spilled from the cafe's windows and dappled the tables set up in the courtyard beside the walk. In a corner, seeped in shadows easily penetrated only by vampire vision, Zero recognized the tall figure of Kain and the shorter, feminine figure of Ruka. The two vampires sat across the table from one another, staring at each other with warm, much-more-than-friendly eyes.
Zero glanced towards Kaname and unless the light was playing tricks on him, he thought that the pureblood looked very pleased. Kaname started walking again and Zero followed. The pureblood beside him had almost disappeared in his senses, indicating that Kaname was intentionally trying to hide his aura until they were further away, to avoid Ruka or Kain noticing his presence nearby. Zero kind of thought they had looked a little too preoccupied to be noticing much of anything other than each other at the moment.
Kaname slipped his hand into Zero's again and they walked on contentedly.
"Nice to see everyone's having a good evening," Zero commented once they were out of possible earshot of the other couple.
Kaname nodded. "I'm glad. I thought for a while..." he trailed off and glanced away, surprised that he had started to speak his thoughts out loud, although that happened often with Zero. He felt safe enough to share just about everything with the hunter.
Zero cocked his head to the side, looking over at Kaname. "Thought what?" he inquired, seeing the pureblood's hesitance.
"I thought perhaps I'd made it impossible for Ruka to ever be happy," Kaname confessed softly. "I... drank her blood, once, long ago." He realized suddenly that Zero probably didn't know. He'd never told him about that. It was in the past and shouldn't matter, but he still paused slightly to try and judge Zero's reaction.
Zero raised his eyebrows at that bit of new information. It had always been obvious that both Ruka and Aido were in love with Kaname in their own ways... and perhaps in a slightly more than strictly platonic sense. Add the effects of a pureblood bite to that and it was no wonder Ruka had looked at the hunter like she had a constant urge to gut him in the beginning. He couldn't blame her. He couldn't even imagine how he'd feel if Kaname ever looked at someone else with the soft, deep look he reserved just for Zero or if he ever saw the pureblood's warm lips trailing across someone else's skin...
Zero smiled ruefully as he fought back the uncomfortable knot in his chest just at the mere thought. "Whoa, okay, let's not borrow trouble, Kiriyu," he chastised himself in self deprecating amusement. He realized Kaname was watching him carefully for a reaction and squeezed the other vampire's fingers tighter, silently conveying that he was okay with this topic and encouraging the pureblood to continue.
Heartened by Zero's support and lack of negative reaction, Kaname pressed on quietly. "She offered it to me, so I wouldn't bite Yuki in a moment of weakness when she was still a child. It was a kind offer I shouldn't have accepted, but..." but I was so desperate, not just for blood, but to fill the dark emptiness, to not have to feel alone for a few moments. She offered that freely and I used it. Kaname watched the pavement as they walked, giving a little shrug. "A blind man could see the way Kain looks at her," he changed gears slightly. "I'm glad they're working things out."
Zero untangled their fingers and laid his hand lightly on Kaname's back, making the other look towards him. "I'm glad too," he said quietly. "And hey, don't blame yourself because people love you. Some of us can't help it..." he murmured with a deep, warm look in his violet gaze.
Kaname smiled back with equal warmth. Light, contentedness replaced the old, remembered feelings of heaviness inside him. He wasn't lonely anymore and he didn't have to feel guilty, like he was stealing happiness from others' lives in order to support his own. He had all the happiness he could want right here.
The cafes had given way to shops and houses now, the lights from inside those that were still open casting yellow squares of light onto the sidewalk. There were more closed shops out here and fewer people, the sidewalk becoming quieter and less populated. Ahead of them on their side of the street, the dotted path of the street lamps continued on to the horizon, the town lights twinkling like scattered stars. On the opposite side of the street, the lights beyond the street lamps failed away into a dark void. The park was that way, and they could just catch the scent of the lake in the breeze that was blowing off of it as the food smells receded.
Kaname's dark, adoring eyes were enchanting and Zero felt himself transfixed. He swallowed, his throat feeling inexplicably dry and his mind hazy and stupid as he looked for something to say because if he stayed silent, he was probably going to kiss Kaname again and they'd already done a rather lot more of that than he'd intended tonight. They could walk more than a hundred yards without needing to stop to kiss, damn it...
"Well, it could have been worse... at least it wasn't Aido, right?" he teased Kaname, trying to make his voice work and trying to stop staring at those damn, gorgeous, soul-stealing eyes.
Kaname's lips quirked in a wry, slightly guilty smile.
Zero almost tripped at what the look implied. "Oh, don't tell me..."
Kaname looked slightly embarrassed, but also amused. He didn't have to be sharing all this with Zero, but somehow it felt right to do so, and Zero didn't seem to take offence. "He offered," Kaname said with a small, teasing smile.
The pureblood obviously felt less bad about whatever had happened with Aido, and was apparently finding it amusing to see if he could make Zero just a little jealous.
"Oh, I bet he did," Zero returned, playing along almost without intending to. He attempted to look disgruntled but was unable to help the hint of a smile that played at the corners of his lips. Somehow he just couldn't feel very concerned about Aido.
The pureblood chuckled. "It was before we were together, Zero," he promised lightly, although with a small, serious undertone just in case Zero didn't catch that he was teasing and might actually feel hurt or anything.
"I know," Zero replied softly. He knew it was before, because he knew that if Kaname wanted blood now, he would only come to him.
Kaname stopped walking, giving him another one of those sweet, utterly derailing looks and Zero suddenly realized how arrogant that could have sounded. He hadn't meant to seem quite so cocky or confident of Kaname's feelings and he grimaced in embarrassment. Oops... Kaname must be rubbing off on him way too much.
Kaname, however, found it precious that Zero simply trusted him as a matter of course. He wanted Zero to feel that confident in his love and it pleased him to no end.
"So, um... what happened?" Zero asked, starting to walk again. Only partially because he wanted to know and partially to keep the conversation moving.
Kaname fell back into step with Zero. "Not much," he said simply. "I needed blood and he obliged. It was after..." Kaname stopped talking suddenly, unsure if he should tell Zero when exactly it was. But then again, why not? The pureblood continued more slowly. "It was after the first time you drank from me, Zero," he said with a small smile. He touched his neck lightly, now so accustomed to Zero's delicious fangs that it was hard to remember when it had been a strange and unusual sensation.
"You were the first, you know," he murmured softly, his gaze lingering side-long on Zero as they walked. His senses were more than keen enough to keep him from running into things whether he was looking where he was going or not. "No one had ever bitten me or drawn my blood before. I was... unused to it and unprepared for the aftermath. Aido came to me afterwards. You know... for a long time, he was the only one that knew besides us."
It was Zero's turn to stop walking and stare at Kaname with a strangely unreadable gaze. Kaname was surprised to see an actual thread of quiet anguish in the lovely silver-violet eyes and quickly wondered what he had said wrong. He'd thought Zero was okay with this conversation, but maybe he'd been mistaken. Idiot, why are you talking about all this stuff with him anyway? Great idea, talk about all the other people you've bitten on your first date, you moron... He hadn't meant to hurt Zero in any way by what he'd related and was about to apologize and try and say so, but Zero spoke first.
"I'm sorry," the hunter whispered, obviously meaning it deeply and shocking Kaname speechless as he tried to figure out why Zero was apologizing.
The hunter swallowed. They'd never talked about this so openly before. He'd known that Kaname had not shared his blood with anyone before him, but so much had happened since then, it hadn't ever really hit him until now that that time in Kaname's room had been the first time the pureblood had ever had anyone's teeth in his neck. And... And Zero had probably made it just as bad as Shizuka had for him. Kaname had apparently needed help afterwards for goodness sake...
Pain and remorse swam in Zero's eyes. He should have been there for Kaname afterwards... even though he would have had no clue what to do back then. That was no excuse though. "I'm so sorry. I was so angry and mixed up... I know I hurt you." Zero's tone was soft and laden with self-accusation. He reached out and his fingers brushed Kaname's neck, sliding between the pureblood's collar and his throat. He cupped Kaname's neck in his warm palm as if he could physically erase what had happened back then.
"You deserved better than that for your first time. You were saving my life and I wanted to beat the crap out of you..." Zero trailed off, unable to continue around the tightness in his throat. Sure, sometimes that urge still reared its head, but not at all in the same way. Yes, Kaname could still frustrate him intensely sometimes, but there was a vast world of difference between occasionally wanting to smack someone you loved for being an idiot and truly hating someone enough you could actually contemplate killing them.
Kaname swallowed and Zero felt the motion under his hand. The pureblood's fingers ghosted lightly across the back of Zero's hand as it rested against his neck. Kaname felt his blood singing softly through his body under the stirring gentleness of Zero's touch and the beautiful, vulnerable remorse in his gaze. The hunter's apology was surprising to him. That past seemed so distant to Kaname now, it was all water under the bridge. Yet maybe he shouldn't have been surprised. This earnest goodness and unreasonable self-condemnation were both typical of Zero.
Kaname's eyes shone quietly in the darkness. He smiled slightly. "Well... if it's any consolation, I wanted to beat the crap out of you back then too," he admitted. "There's nothing to apologize for, Zero. You were a playing piece in my game back then. You had every right to hate me. Things were so different." Kaname's fingers slid tenderly into Zero's hair.
The sidewalk around them was comfortably deserted and the only sound of voices came from one of the only open establishments a block or so further ahead. Darkness wrapped the two vampires like a protective cloak, giving them a few moments of pseudo-privacy.
Zero bit his lower lip, still not looking ready to let go of his guilt. "But, I..."
Kaname shook his head and touched his lips, silencing him. "No. Don't, Zero. It really is all right. Some people are able to follow a linear path and can mark the meaningful moments in their lives by firsts... their first date, their first kiss, their first intimacy... I'm sorry, Zero. You and I have never had the luxury of being those people," the pureblood said wistfully but with resolve, his hand now sliding down to caress the hunter's cheek. There was a faint, deep sadness in Kaname's gaze, but it was mingled with love.
"Let's be honest. The first time I took your blood, I was starving and this close to killing you by accident." A faint, horrified shudder ran through Kaname at the mere possibility. "Yes, you claimed my first blood in anger, and I claimed your virginity in a dusty warehouse with police outside while I was half out of my mind. I think all around we are firmly disqualified as romance novel candidates."
Zero's cheeks had once more flushed a very attractive pink at the mention of the their first time together. Oh great, Kaname just had to bring that up...
Kaname continued speaking quickly to keep from getting interrupted. "But despite all the convoluted ways it came to be... the one beautiful, amazing truth is that somehow, we ended up together," he whispered, his gaze now sparkling with a quiet, fierce joy that took Zero's breath away. "The imperfect somehow led to perfection."
Kaname took Zero's fingers in his and kissed his knuckles before turning his hand over and kissing his palm as he often liked to do. "We found a love that I am thankful for everyday, with every breath I take. I found someone amazingly special who fills my heart completely and who I could never imagine living without. That's what matters. At least to me," he murmured earnestly. "There are a lot of things we've missed along the way. I'm sorry about that, Zero, but I don't think it's too late. Even if it's not in the "normal" order, I want for us to have those things too. That's why I wanted to go on this date," he confessed. He hadn't meant to tell the hunter all this, but the conversation had just naturally turned that way and now he wanted him to understand. "I want to make these kind of memories with you."
Zero didn't know what to say. His heart ached with the weight of the love he felt. Everything Kaname had said echoed strongly inside him, finding many answering chords. He'd felt the same. He couldn't have put it into words quite like that perhaps, but he'd also experienced that slight melancholy of feeling like they were missing a little something. Not the really important things perhaps, but still... He smiled slowly. Of course, he should have realized Kaname would feel the same. And the pureblood was right... it wasn't too late. They just had to be willing to try, and to take their odd but wonderful relationship at its own pace.
"I do too," Zero finally said softly. "I... I'm glad we went out tonight. And... you're right. It's never too late. I happen to think this has been quite a memorable 'first date'. I've had a great time, Kaname."
"Then maybe... we shall do it again soon, huh?" Kaname murmured back, leaning in and once more dipping his mouth to Zero's lips.
"Maybe we should..." Zero tilted his head, moving into the kiss as their lips met and tongues explored lightly for a moment. It was less serious than some of the other ones they'd shared earlier, but no less delightful. Okay, so apparently they couldn't go more than a few hundred yards without kissing. So what? Who the hell cared, anyway?
Kaname's arms slid around Zero's waist and he pulled the hunter in more firmly against him. Zero allowed it for a moment, semi-content that they were lost in the shadows and alone on the sidewalk before he finally planted his hands on Kaname's chest and tried to push the pureblood back once more. Kaname resisted at first, holding onto Zero, one hand gripping his backside with playful possessiveness before the hunter showed by his quickly strengthening resistance that he was serious and Kaname acquiesced, letting the boy slip out of his arms.
At the end of the block a door opened and the sound of voices, tinny music and other odd, electronic sounds swelled louder for a moment before the door swung shut again. The small group of teenagers exiting headed off in the opposite direction and did not notice the two young men in the shadows.
"We did just say first date. First date, remember? Geez, Kaname, you keep kissing me like this and I'm going to suspect that you think I'm easy or something," Zero grumped good naturedly.
"Warehouse," Kaname reminded with a smug grin, harkening easily back to their conversation a moment ago. He wasn't actually saying that Zero had been easy of course. Obviously, there were wildly extenuating circumstances. Kaname was actually the one who had been desperate and Zero had more or less saved his soul and his sanity that night, but that didn't mean he couldn't tease his lover about it. Especially since Zero was so darn tease-able.
"What?! Why you..." Zero reacted appropriately, giving his lover a dirty glare as he rounded on him, swinging a jab at him that he knew Kaname would easily duck. The pureblood did so, backing away and laughing as he had to duck again.
"Impossible... Incorrigible..." Zero fumed as he pressed his mock attack.
Kaname's backed into the stucco wall of the building behind him, bumping up against it and laughing too much at Zero's adorable outrage to notice or care that the hunter, although unable to touch him, had very effectively backed him into a corner. Unable to retreat again, he caught Zero's fist in his hand this time, using it to pull Zero in close against him. He knew Zero wasn't really trying to hurt him, even if he might want to, no more than he would really hurt Zero.
"Irresistible?" Kaname prompted with a devilish grin, catching Zero's other fist and not letting him go.
Zero wasn't sure if he was actually ticked off. The urge to laugh was somehow contradicting his irritation. Mock-fighting with Kaname was not all that unusual. Sometimes it was more serious than others, but tonight it wasn't really. This was a game they played. On some unconscious level, they both knew it.
"Insufferable." Zero retorted flatly with one of his patent glares that Kaname had to admit to himself he enjoyed seeing occasionally.
The ex-human struggled, but Kaname held him for a heartbeat or two. If Kaname didn't want to let go, there was nothing Zero could actually do to make him. Kaname very much wanted to twirl around, push Zero up against the building instead and kiss him utterly senseless. But although he could probably melt Zero's resistance with enough pressure right now, he knew he shouldn't. There was a lot he could do to Zero that he didn't, because he would not betray the other's trust. Instead he merely gave Zero a teasing kiss on the tip of his nose before releasing him.
The pureblood held up his hands in a gesture of peace and surrender. "All right, all right. I offer most humble and abject apology for my unforgivable slight upon your unimpeachable virtue..." Kaname had to duck again, laughing so much he almost wasn't fast enough to avoid Zero's clout. "No! No, seriously... I'm sorry, all right?" he tried again with a little more sincerity and a little less flowery hyperbole this time, hands still raised submissively.
Zero gave him a wary look that said he didn't really believe it, but lowered his fists, battling a smile behind the glare he was trying to keep up. "All right. You'll behave, then?"
"But of course, I agreed earlier, didn't I? First date behavior," Kaname agreed with wide-eyed innocence that Zero wasn't buying. "So... how do you feel about second dates?" the pureblood added a moment later, the corners of his sculpted lips twitching irrepressibly.
Zero rolled his eyes, giving up. "I think they should be had in the next century," he retorted, completely not serious. "But come on, this one isn't over yet..."
To Kaname's surprise Zero took his hand and led him further down the block, towards the sound of muffled voices and the door that had opened before. The glass door spilled a small rectangle of light onto the sidewalk, but the windows flanking the door had been painted black on the inside and emitted nothing. There was a lot of noise coming from inside and Kaname wondered what kind of an establishment it was. Over the door he saw a sign reading Lakeside Laser Extreme which didn't exactly help. Laser made him think surgery of some kind, but it sounded more like a nightclub or a casino in there than a hospital.
Zero seemed to know exactly what kind of place it was as he led them towards it, however. He'd not been to one in a while, but he'd recognized the unmistakable sounds when the door opened before and he thought it would be fun to stop in for a few minutes with Kaname. Like as not it was something the pureblood hadn't done very often, if at all. Kaname was insufferable, as usual, but he was right about one thing - there was no reason they couldn't try to do now things they may have missed earlier, and that included introducing Kaname to some of those joys of a normal childhood like Zero had been thinking earlier.
They were a little over dressed, but they didn't have to stay long, just a couple games maybe... Zero pushed the door open and Kaname followed him hesitantly into a loud, stale smelling, unevenly lit room filled with a dozen brightly colored machines which were all blinking, beeping and playing synthesized music at the same time. A number of teens were standing by different machines, working the controls while others got change or milled around with handfuls of tokens.
"Hey Kaname," Zero said, turning to him with a grin as he saw the pureblood's confused, wary and dubious expression. "Ever been to an Arcade before?"