...What the fuck was Kaien smoking.

The drowsy amethyst eyes stared back at Kaien for a few moments, not a single flicker of emotion crossing his gaze as he watched him. Maybe his 'father' was getting closer to Alzheimer than he thought and was slowly losing his mind... Or maybe he was just trying his best to get a grandson or granddaughter that he was willing to make Zero believe it.

The sick hunter slowly glanced down at what Kaien had passed into his hand, though still too drowsy to really care what was going on at this point. In his hand was a single pregnancy test, one that women of course used to see if they were expecting or not... And sure enough, just like Kaien said, there was a little plus mark on the indicator, though... Zero still didn't care.

This was just a stupid joke he was pulling anyway.

Zero didn't hesitate to let the test drop to the floor, not caring if it might break or not. But the drowsy and fogged eyes looked back up to Kaien with no amusement in his gaze, nor was there anything else. Instead of giving him an answer right away, he slowly curled himself back into his blankets and turned himself to where his back faced Kaien.

"...You need help. I'm not fucking giving you a grandkid," Zero grunted out as he pulled the blanket over his head, irritated that Kaien had disturbed his much needed rest for this idiotic prank. Maybe Kaien needed to spend more time with Yuuki instead of him.

This was a typical reaction Zero would give him. After all who would ever think that a male would be pregnant let alone Zero. Placing a weary hand on the others shoulder, Kaien gently started to shake the young male, hoping to not make him any sicker than he already was. "Zero, this is no joke. Perhaps if I tell.. Kaito of this you will listen to me. I swear on this academy!"

Kaito did deserve to know after all, Kaien knew the pair were close but never had he imagined that they were this close. Perhaps the sibling like behavior between the two went far deeper than what he had guessed. "Look at me Zero" Letting his 'serious tone' take over, Kaien tightened his grasp upon the others shoulder.

If Zero desired proof other than the test, Kaien would happily give it to him. The book would explain the situation thoroughly, not to mention there would be tell tale signs on how it would happen. There were only a few things he would really needed to read. Apart from him carrying that very rare gene, there was also the part about needing to mark a partner. He hadn't spotted anything on the young hunter, but it may easily be hidden..

Maybe it was because Zero was tired... Or maybe it was his sickness that was causing him to not give a rat's ass on a single thing that Kaien was telling him. Whatever was the reason, the amethyst eyes soon blistered into Kaien's own gaze, raking over him. This was not how he wanted to be awakened, to have his guardian try to taunt him with wishes of having Zero be pregnant. What, did Kaito tell him about the fact that he was with Zero?

"I'm not fucking pregnant. And if you drag Kaito into this then I'll slaughter you," Zero spat suddenly at the older hunter, knowing that this joke was going just a bit too far. Kaien needed to clean himself up and fast if he didn't want Zero to get out his gun... But what Zero didn't know was that he was in fact not lying to the younger hunter.

Pulling himself back down into the blankets, he grumpily threw the blankets back over his body and pulled them tight so he wouldn't be able to have them ripped off easily. Even if him and Kaito have been involved physically, that didn't mean it was enough to get him pregnant by a long shot... And a man wouldn't be able to get pregnant anyway, even if Kaien wished it was possible. He wanted to just stop thinking about all this crap and just go to sleep...

Narrowing his eyes at his young son, Kaien gripped hold of those very blankets and yanked them hard down from Zero's body, making him completely vulnerable to him. "Zero! Listen to me, this is not a joke and I am not lying to you. Have you made a mark on Kaito? This is all happening because of that, you carry a rare gene which allows you to carry"

Maybe bringing up the mark may be the only thing that brings Zero into perspective, hoping that the hunter may just pay attention to him now. It was his only hope after all, Zero didn't seem to care either way, thinking that perhaps this was all a joke to him.

...Mark? What the hell was Kaien talking about now. What ma-

...Fuck. Fucking holy crapping shit.

Instantly, all the color drained out of his face as he stared at Kaien for a few moments, refusing to speak a word as it slowly started to sink in. How would Kaien know anything about the mark... The mark that he had imprinted onto... O-onto...

...Kaname.

Leaning over and picking up the pregnancy test Zero dropped before, Kaien held it up again with the same serious look on his face. Zero needed to believe him, they had a lot of stuff to deal with now after all, not to mention how Kaito would react to this situation. Perhaps Zero should break the news to the father-to-be.

No, this couldn't be happening, this was just a bad dream. And the mark that had been left on Kaname now meant nothing. This wasn't going to happen to him, and there would be nothing he would ever have to deal with to bring up that 'fling' with that pureblood. Before Kaien could say another word to try to convince him, the hunter suddenly slapped the test out of his hand, forcing it to hit the ground rather hard.

But Zero wasn't done there... Finding the strength to get himself out of the bed, the hunter slowly rose up and stalked his way to the other side of the room where the test had fallen, then began to stomp onto the test again... and again... and again... Repeatedly stomping onto it until the test broke underneath his feet, finally destroying the evidence of what Kaien spoke of.

"Ah! Z-zero, no.. Wait don't-! That's got pee.."

"...Get out," the low growl rumbled in his throat, and slightly crimson ringed eyes stared down at Kaien as if his possible looks could slaughter the older hunter where he stood. His body was rigid as if he was about to attack at a moment's notice, trying to force himself away from the truth that Kaien had just told him. That this mark... had caused this to happen.

It just wasn't real.

Grimacing as the hunter continuously stomped on the test until it was no more, Kaien blinked innocently at his 'son' before sighing. "No, we need to talk this through, we cant ignore it as if it hasn't happened. You are having a child and we need to inform Kaito" If anything, Zero shouldn't go through this alone, after all it would need both parents.

He was glad that Zero finally understood though, it seemed as though something he had said triggered the hunters attention. Of course he didn't realize he would be so angry, in denial yes, but to be violently angry like this? If it were someone else in the males company they would surely be frightened, but for him he had grown to be used to Zeros moods.

It was going to take a lot from everyone, to deal with such a strange thing. There were many things he had yet to mention to the young hunter, how his body would change to accommodate the child or how his moods and sickness may get worse. But then again the sickness could be treated the same way females often treated their own symptoms.

Only when the test was completely destroyed and he could feel the pieces trying to pierce into his foot did he finally stop, glaring back at the elder hunter with no hesitation. Kaien didn't understand... He didn't understand that this wasn't Kaito's child. That he hadn't marked Kaito at all. He didn't understand how all of this was a complete mistake, and this shouldn't have ever happened...

Crushing the test more beneath his foot as if trying to send out all of his anger at the broken pieces, he let out another dark growl. "You don't understand, Cross..." he snarled out in an attempt to cut off his words before they could fully spilled off. This was nothing for Kaito to know, nothing for him to realize about. He needed a subtle way to tell Kaien that he was wrong...

"...I'm not having Kaito's... baby."

That word was hard to choke out, not being able to come to the realization that he could even possibly be... pregnant. None of it made sense. There was no proof, not that he was going to accept. He wouldn't allow this to happen, not on his entire life. He would much rather die than have to deal with this.

Of course Kaien took that the wrong way completely. Stepping his way over to place a hand upon the young males shoulder reassuringly. "But you are, Zero. I wouldn't play such a harsh trick on you. But we can all work through this together, I'm sure he will be happy no matter what happens." Kaito wasn't a bad boy after all, a little cold when it came to his own ideals but that was expected after his past.

Of course if Zero were to tell him the truth.. Then he was surely not going to believe it. After all Zero and Kaname were as close to enemies as possible. But of course Kaien stayed blissfully unaware not even thinking of other possibilities. In his eyes Kaito would be the perfect father for Zeros child, after all they would have made it with love, right?

Giving his son a small half smile, Kaien only wished to support and help his adoptive son. Like he had done all of his life, he would be there for Zero regardless of the difficult situations.. and this by far was one of their more difficult moments..

"It's not Kaito's!"

The shout exploded from him before he could catch it and hide it. But as those three words left his lips, his entire face went pale and he knew that he could no longer hide that truth any longer. Now Kaien would be able to figure out his entire dirty secret, what had been happening behind his back... Why he wouldn't come to patrols, why Kaname wasn't coming to meetings to Kaien for updates...

It was because they were too damn busy fucking each other against a tree.

Swallowing hard, the hunter slowly started to back his way away from Kaien, starting to move himself back over to the bed. He just needed to go back to sleep... to rest and relax, and try to forget that this was happening to him... Maybe it would be better if Kaien believed it was Kaito's, but he couldn't change that now. Kaien would have to either accept the lie or it simply wouldn't be possible.

But why couldn't Kaito be the father instead. It would be better for both of them, not just for him and Kaito, but for this... baby. Damn it, he still couldn't believe that this was happening. Why did he have to deal with this now. There were so many other things he had to deal with... He had to deal with Yuuki staying away from Kaname. Deal with his own falling. Deal with Kaname getting off his ass. And now he would have to deal with... a baby.

It wasn't.. Kaito's? But who else would-

Kaname Kuran. He was the only logical explanation at this point, Zero didn't interact with many other males on campus. Frozen in place, Kaien looked at his son walk away and make his way over to the couch, sinking down slowly to process what he had just been told. But it was Kaien that found himself at a loss, not knowing what to say or do.

"We need to tell him, he has to know."

Zero needed the support, he wasn't sure how close the two were but at least Kaname would be able to financially support them if nothing else. But the Kaname he knew.. he never left anything undone, this would be no exception to any of it.

"It is Kaname's.. Right?" He thought it best to check, just in case he had been jumping ahead in his assumptions. By this point he had felt bad on all the times he had insisted on telling Kaito, how good a father he would be.. But now he wouldn't be part of this small family, leaving Zero to tell the pureblood prince himself.

Zero knew exactly how good of a father Kaito would be to this baby... And he intended to keep it that way as long as he possibly would be able to get by with it. Though Zero knew that the moment Kaname would find out, it would mean that the pureblood would try to get his hands on this child, to steal him away... It would be all too easy for Kaname to do if he knew.

Which was why... He wouldn't tell him.

"...later," Zero swiftly lied as he slowly started to slide his way into the bed, laying defeated into his side. This couldn't be happening to him... He felt like there was a dark wave plunging over him. He couldn't take care of a child, not Kaname's child or any child for that matter. Kaito could help him... And... Zero cared about Kaito.

It would be devastating to him if he found out he was not the father. The hunter slowly started to tug the blanket back over his weary form, trying to ignore the fact that Kaien was still in the room and more than likely would keep asking questions. He just needed rest and to think. He just had to think of what was happening to him and what would be the best thing to do now, now that everything's changed.

Nodding a little in agreement knowing that Zero just needed time to think, the elder male walked over and patted his sons shoulder gently. "Ill be here for you if you need it, you know where my office is. Just don't forget to tell Kaname of this" A few days would be enough time for him to let the other know, enough time to let things sink in..

Fixing the shawl on his shoulders a little, Kaien quickly began to depart the other room and return to his own. He too had a lot to think about, not knowing how to handle such a situation. He couldn't discuss this with anyone, not even his old and close friend Toga.. if he knew that Zero had been impregnated by a pureblood then there would surely be hell to pay.

Closing his door behind him and heading over to his desk, the old hunter started to look through that book that tipped him off on what had caused this in the first place, glancing through the step by step stages of the pregnancy in hopes of helping Zero out in any way that he could.

What was he going to do...

Zero was staring at the wall against his bed in silence, feeling his stomach churn with more than just sickness, apparently now 'morning sickness' if what Kaien said was true. If he was really pregnant, then... He would make sure Kaito believed he was the father. He didn't care what Kaien thought, he couldn't let Kaname get a single hold on this baby. It would be the death of him...

Zero may not truly be a mother but... He had enough sense in his body to feel the protective urge already.

Because he now knew he couldn't deny it, at least not to himself. He was pregnant and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't get rid of it, it wasn't the baby's fault for being here in the first place... It was just going to take some time. Time for Zero to get use to the idea of expecting and time before he could fully tell Kaito. Both were going to be hard...

But if Kaito truly cared for him like he said, then it wouldn't be impossible. Convincing Kaito might be the easiest way of all to do this. The hardest part... Lingered inside him. The baby itself. Zero wasn't ready... But apparently that didn't matter. Because now, he had eight months to get ready.

And as Zero hesitantly allowed his hand to rest onto his flat stomach, he knew that time was coming fast.

Hello hello~ Sorry for the week wait, but now it seems like we have some clues to the puzzle~ But who knows :3 I'll get another chapter up in a bit~

-J

Reviews answered:

JayAndy: Yes you do mister Dx

Sake-chan: In the next chapter or two you will soon find out :3

ben4kevin: Yeah I think it's natural for Zero to be pregnant too xD I use to think of it the other way until I realized I could torture Zero more :D

chijinoa: Update is here~! Thank chu so much, I always love to see what people are thinking and what people might think will happen next :3 The reactions will all be priceless~

sakurayuri89: I've been trying to update my other fics but my muse has been perishing harshly Dx I have chapters started on almost all of them, it'll just take being able to sit down at a computer for more than an hour to prod myself along ;-;'