A/N: I apologize for the slight delay. It was quite the challenge writing three perspectives in a single chapter, but it was worthwhile. Please enjoy the chapter. ^-^
Special thanks to Luna-chan for her help with this chapter. You rock. ;-;
Extra info: Rido is 53 years old. Haruka is 48 years old. Zero is 45 years old. Kaname and Isaya are both 30 years old.
Warnings: Unbeta-ed, curse words, more angsty.
Chapter 6: Jar of Hearts
(Haruka)
Jealousy:
A sickening combination of possessiveness, suspicion, rage, and humiliation that overtakes one's mind, threatens one's very core, and clouds one's judgment.
An emotion he unwittingly came to know from a young age when the realization that his affections for a certain person, didn't only develop within himself, but within his brother as well.
And the object of their affections unluckily happened to be the very same person: body, heart, and soul.
Zero Hio.
The exact corresponding sentiment that drove him to the brim of insanity, made him lose control, as his brother dragged his Zero away from him, right in front of his eyes, to fuck him, to own him, to show him that Zero belonged to the man, and not him.
And he couldn't do anything about it. Because the third wheel in the relationship was him, not Zero, not his brother.
But him.
He had never felt so fucking powerless; helpless in his entire fucking life.
The fucking irony.
But this wasn't the end to his jealousy. It was solely the beginning. There was more.
There was always fucking more.
The exact intense, bitter emotion struck him yet again, through another circumstance, for another person, when the lecherous fingers of his brother touched the person he had gained possession of through marriage, the person who claimed to love him through and through, and the one that solely belonged to him, and him alone.
Kaname Kuran.
The very individual that willingly became the victim of his anger, of his assaults, and to the heinous side of his vampiric (sadistic) nature, countless of times – in addition to the blood-curdling incident that transpired between them few hours prior.
Cruel, savage, ruthless was what he had been to Kaname, yet not a word of protest, not a cry for him to stop had been uttered against him.
The affections the pureblood held for him never failed to amuse him, and he profusely took advantage of them, of Kaname.
And he never felt ashamed about it.
That was one of the few reasons why he tolerated Kaname, allowed the pureblood to love him, and to stay by his side. His sole intention for gracing Kaname with the title of his 'wife' was for the pureblood to abide by his selfish demands. To serve him. To please him in every aspect of his life. To worship him, and never ask for anything else in return.
Because that was Kaname's job. His sole purpose. He only existed for him, and he would always exist for him alone.
Yet, feelings of possessiveness, rage, and jealousy surged through him, once again, as the strangely familiar scent of another vampire wafted to his nostrils from his property.
Kaname had been with someone else, all alone, without any supervision, for an entire hour?...
The notion brought a snarl to his lips, and mahogany orbs darkened with intense ferocity.
The pureblood's absence had become known to him when the intensity of the vehement gaze, directed towards him and Zero, had slowly been dissipated before vanishing completely. He had assumed that Kaname might have gone to the washroom to freshen up (and compose himself from his nauseating envious feelings), but that had not been the case – since thirty minutes had passed, and there was still no sign of the pureblood's return to the ballroom.
Nobody stayed in the bathroom that long.
Curiosity had gotten the best of him, and the rest of the hour had been spent in the search for his spouse, who he had not found in the restroom, across the entire expanse of the land. His superior pureblood speed indeed came in handy, sometimes.
And to his extreme exasperation, Kaname's whereabouts had yet to be discovered. Not a single sign of him anywhere.
Oh boy, did that make him angry!
And the fact that he had to lose his precious time with Zero because of one extremely infuriating brunette did absolutely nothing to appease the growth of his blazing irritation.
So to see Kaname now, after a whole hour of his absence, standing before him, disheveled, disoriented, with a suspicious mark on his neck, had him reeling with rage.
Where the fuck had he been? But most importantly, with whom? He knew whatever the answer was, he would not like it. Not a single bit.
Through gritted teeth, eyes narrowed, he asked, his voice barely suppressing the anger he felt.
"Kaname, where were you?"
The question seemed to have startled the pureblood, and Haruka clicked his tongue, taking gratification in the slight discomfort his sudden appearance had caused the brunette.
After a distinctive pause, Kaname murmured, lips curved into a frown; burgundy eyes meeting his own ones. "Out on the balcony."
He wavered, mahogany eyes widening slightly, as shock overwhelmed him when the animosity behind that gaze made known to him, and the fact that ... it was directed towards him?
What the actual heck?
Rage replaced his bewilderment, and he clenched his jaw, his hands balling into fists, furious and humiliated.
"With whom?"
He noticed the slight flinch at his inquiry, and with great difficulty, he had to suppress himself from lashing out on Kaname, there and then, when the detestable name of the man his wife had been entertaining throughout the evening became known to him.
"...With Isaya." The pureblood mumbled softly, and looked away, chewing on his lip.
Haruka nearly blew up the building.
The lone, and very irksome, fact that Kaname had spent a period of sixty minutes, all alone, with another man, who also happened his ex-fiance, enraged him, infuriated him, and yet, his heart ached, as the sickening sentiment of betrayal flared within his chest.
What. The. Fucking. Hell.
"What were you doing with him?" Through his barely composed breaths, he inquired yet again, mahogany orbs hardening to stones, features contorting with anger, as he grimly stared down at the pureblood, nails digging into his palms.
The sheer silence was his sole answer, as Kaname brought his gaze towards him yet again, regarding him blankly, expression unreadable, lips pursed into a thin line.
Kaname's apathy towards him only managed to aggravate him more, and his cheeks flushed; his lips quivered, as he was further consumed with scornful rage.
Was Kaname taunting him? Was Kaname having an affair behind his back? Was Kaname getting tired of him?
How dare he? I will never forgive him...!
"Are you having an affair with Isaya, Kaname? Is that why his scent is all over you?"
The aura around him darkened, became more menacing; more aggressive, as he seethed with untamed rage, watching Kaname through slitted eyes.
His answer was another empty response, but this time, he caught the attention of the owner of the wine-red orbs, as the pureblood stared at him with wide eyes, stunned speechless.
Was his baseless suspicions, in fact, true?
Every second of the reticence fueled the raging fire within him, confirmed his thriving suspicions, and without further admonition, when he could no longer take the deafening silence a second more, he exploded – Kaname being the object of his frustration yet again.
Mahogany glowing red, fangs bared, face contorting further with rage and bitterness, he grabbed Kaname by the shoulders, nails painfully digging his flesh, causing the latter to wince under his menacing gaze.
"Are you fucking cheating on me?"
This act of betrayal will cost you dearly, Kaname. I will not let this slide unpunished. This is my promise to you.
But to his sheer bewilderment, the pureblood caught him off guard, in addition to cutting short his atrocious train of thoughts, when his hands were slapped away, eliciting a strong emotional response from within him.
Haruka blinked slowly, his temper forgotten in the midst of confusion, as Kaname glowered at him with fierce (and anguished?) eyes.
"Cheating on you? Seriously? Is that the only thing you can come up with? I have yet to degrade myself to your level Haruka-san. Something as detestable as infidelity is what you would do with Zero-san when you are presumably out on business trips!" Knuckles white from clenching his fists for too long, mouth twisted into a contemptuous sneer, Kaname snapped, face red with suppressed rage, his hunched form exuding an animosity that was like acid – burning, slicing, potent. "How could you betray me like this, Haruka-san? How could you?!"
Mahogany eyes widened in utter shock, and he stared at Kaname, a hand over his chest; stunned speechless.
It was his turn to remain silent, millions of thoughts running through his head, and yet, not word was able to deny the truth of that statement, not a word was able to appease the anger of his spouse.
When?... How?... did Kaname find out about this...? He had been extra careful; extra secretive about his entire affair with Zero. Not another soul should know about this ...! He had made sure of it...
Or had he?
The smug face of Isaya flashed across his eyes, and he seethed with anger, lips compressed together bitterly.
It couldn't be anyone else! Kaname had been with him mere moments ago, after all. That meddling bastard! He should have known the man was up to no good! He would crush Isaya for his insolence, ruin him completely, disgrace the esteemed name of the Shoto family to the ground, so much so, that the man would not even be able to show his face in public anymore. He would not rest until the pureblood's demise is definite, he promised over the grave of his father.
If his marriage with Kaname happened to end tonight, he will make sure that Isaya Shoto would no longer be in the midst of the living the following night.
But before that, most importantly of all, he had to make things right with Kaname. He couldn't lose him over something as trivial as this...! Kaname should know that this was the only way he could ever have Zero as his, he should be aware of the fact that this was the only way he could be with Zero, and convey his feelings to him.
Kaname should understand predicament he was in, the hardships that he faced every single day to be so far away from the person he loved...!
His spouse should, but he did not, and their marriage seemed close to being over.
Haruka refused to let that to happen. Kaname could not leave him. He could not forsake the promise they had made. He would not allow this...!
"Kaname, listen...I can explain..."
And once again, he got another shock of his life, when Kaname (burgundy orbs brimming with tears, face flushed, jaw clenched together) roughly pushed him away, running towards the large oak doors.
His pleadings, his apologies, his cries fell on deaf ears since nothing stopped Kaname from crossing through that door. For the first time in his life, he felt ashamed of himself, of his doings.
The realization that he might have lost something valuable; something irreplaceable from him life made his heart twist, caused shameful tears brew themselves behind his eyelids.
Had he degraded himself so much in Kaname's eyes that he was beyond forgiveness? Beyond redemption?
Was he going to lose the only solace that was brought to him within the vastness of his endless sadness?
Whisper mutterings and curious stares caught his attention, and he reeled with annoyance, turning his face towards the noisy, lingering guests.
"For your sake, you better not utter a single word about this matter outside of these walls. This never happened!" He growled, voice threatening; eyes blazing with ferocity, "If you want to live to see another day, leave now! And keep your mouth shut, unless you want me to suddenly appear on your doorstep, in the middle of the morning, ready to drain you dry!"
His aura darkened, and as a cue, the vampires gave him a deep bow before scurrying away from him, out of the door, tail between their legs.
A long, withdrawn sigh passed his lips, and he threw a distracted hand into his messy locks, fluttering his eyes closed in frustration. Nuisance, waste of space and air, was what he considered the lower class of vampires to be. The sole thing they were good at was dressing up pretentiously, gossiping and spreading false rumors. Even so, he should have dealt with them more civilly, more politely. He was one of their kings, after all. But unluckily for them, he was not in the mood to play the 'nice' pureblood. If things got out of hand, he would keep their mouths shut by promising them a higher status in the noble hierarchy; but for now, a more pressuring; a more important person was in need of his attention.
Kaname.
He wasn't planning to give up. This was what the panicked cowards do, and Haruka had no intentions joining his name with that atrocious adjective. He would apologize to Kaname, and make things right with him. This was the least he could do. He had no intentions of ending his affair with Zero, but Kaname had no need to know that.
Kaname would forgive him, he knew that all too well. Although, he would have to conjure up his most pathetic, most convincing, most pitiable act (crying, hiccuping, puppy dog eyes) for that to happen. Quite the humiliating move, but at this moment, he was ready to do anything to save his marriage. He refused to end his marriage with Kaname on such a notice. He refused to have Kaname abandon him. He refused to let Kaname belong to someone else, someone who was not him.
Kuran Haruka was his name, after all, and the Kurans were known to never go down without a fair fight.
Determination welling in his eyes, his feet took him after Kaname, needing to pursue him, intending to appease him, wanting to make him his again, but he was abruptly halted in his steps, and away from his intentions, when he was harshly wrenched around, a slap stinging his cheek.
"I fail to understand how my once sweet and adorable brother could grow up and turn out to be such an insensitive asshole. You are disgusting, Haruka. But the things you have done to Kaname are far more detestable. I have never been more disappointed in you."
With wide eyes, with parted lips, Haruka stared at the frowning person before him, mismatched orbs grave, lips pressed together, expression grim.
It was non-other than his elder brother, Rido Kuran.
Just what he needed now. Fucking great.
(Zero)
His feet had a mind of their own as they ran and ran until his muscles burned, until veins pumped battery acid, and until he could not breathe properly.
The energy within him abandoned him, and a second later, he collapsed on the ground, unceremoniously, his legs giving out under him, powerless; inadequate to keep him steady. His firm hold on his strenuous emotions weakened, and he broke down into wracking sobs, the pathetic sound muffled by the hand clamped over his mouth.
The pain was unbearable; inconceivable to his fragile heart. An unneeded organ that had been cruelly crushed under his beloved's foot, trampled to dust, and the fact that Kaname had no clue about his ordeal made it all worse, made it all more sufferable.
Closure, reconciliation, reconnection was what he had craved for, was what he had silently waited for all these years, but he got nothing of that sorts, only pity, humiliation, and non-acceptance was generously 'donated' to him.
Why could things never turn out in his favor? Why did he have the suffer through every step he took in his life?
"My son, the gods have abandoned us. Our happiness is never meant to last for long. We are the Hio family; we cursed to lose everyone we held dear. Remember that son, and do not fall in love. It will ruin you, just like it ruined the rest of our family."
The ominous words of his mother rang loudly in his ears, and Zero snapped his jaw shut, eyes hardening to marble stones; tears halting their descend. His mother, his father, and his sister were the unlucky victims of the Hio curse. Misfortune followed them every step in their lives, cruelly snatching their joy, their contentment, and as well as their lives; but he refused to be included in the same category as them. He dictated his own life. He made his own decisions. He refused to be played with by the petty gods. He was different from the other Hios, far superior, far stronger, and far more fucking stubborn.
His life and his fate were only controlled by him, held in the palm of his hands, and he chose to lead them the way he fit. Nobody could tell him otherwise. No one at all.
The gentle caress of the wind startled him out of his reverie; alerted him that he was no longer in the confines of the mansion, and he inhaled a long breath, the tension in his body fading away briefly.
Where was he?
Through blurred vision, he raised his head up slightly, confusedly looking around at his surroundings, his heart throbbing further as the realization of his location sank into him, slowly; torturously.
The lush green grass lay before him, endless and breathtaking, swaying gently in the soft, summer breeze; rows of white orchids dominated the expanse of the land, followed by red roses, yellow tulips, and sky-blue hydrangea, the sweet fragrance penetrating his nostrils, as he took in every detail, the corner of his eyes stinging.
It was the place he cherished, the place he had put a great effort in maintaining it, the blessed or cursed place, Zero could not decide which, but he was slowly leaning more to the latter, where everything began, where everything ended.
It was his garden. His sanctuary.
And the gift he had diligently prepared, for two years, to give it to Kaname on his tenth birthday, along with the proclamation of his feelings.
However, things had gone downhill; the situation had been deteriorated. He had been so close, yet at the same time, so fucking far.
Breaths heavy, lips compressed, Zero roughly pushed his hands against his face, his heart sinking, willing for the tears to stop as they started their course yet again; desperately hoping for the terrible ache within his chest to cease, but to his chagrin; to his sheer despair, nothing of that sorts occurred.
Miracles rarely happened, especially to him. He would know since the tribulations that followed with the Hio name had also been applied to him. His life was miserable, wretched, and unfulfilled, before he met him, before he held him in his arms, and looked into the big, round, brown eyes of his beloved.
"Kaname. We are going to name him Kaname." He murmured absentmindedly, cradling the small, blue bundle closer to his chest, amethyst orbs sparkling with delight, with love, as he planted a soft kiss on the baby's forehead, chuckling warmly as small fingers grasped his hair, refusing to let him go.
"He has captivated your heart from the start, hasn't he, Zero?" The woman said, regarding him with a warm and glowing smile on her lips.
A pause, and then he chuckled again, low and soft, an amused look in his eyes, "For the first time in my life, I have to agree with you on this."
From that moment, the emptiness that had raged within him for years had been ceased, and in replacement, happiness lulled his heart to contentment, to satisfaction. He had finally found the reason to live; to look forward to the present. There was finally a meaning to his life.
Things couldn't have been better for him. He didn't need anything more. Fulfilled, happy, alive was what he had felt. Was what Kaname had made him feel.
...And yet...that fateful day...everything he held dear was snatched away from him...seized away from his grasp...and worst of all, he wasn't able to do anything about it. Absolutely nothing as he saw his beloved on the floor, bloody, helpless, crying for him. Absolutely nothing as that man seized his beloved away from his grasp and slowly, mercilessly obliterated his beloved's memories of him from his mind.
He stood there, frozen, speechless as everything occurred, right in front of his eyes.
Pathetic. Fool. Moron.
He could not save the person he loved; cherished. But despite all odds, he had managed to protect Kaname, protect him from that man, and many others.
"If you love him, you will stay away from him. I do not want you anywhere near my son, you cursed whore. He will be better off with me, than with another member of your accursed bloodline. Our deal is still on. If you want him safe, you will come to my chambers tomorrow evening. You will do that, whenever I ask, whenever I please. Until I am satisfied. If you refuse, Kaname will be the victim of my desires. You do not want that now, do you, Hio Zero?"
Those taunting words, that smug smile, that lecherous glint within those amber orbs made him nauseous, sick to his stomach, and yet he did whatever the man asked of him, without protests, without complaints. Kaname's well-being; safety was his first priority. He could not let that man touch his Kaname. He could not let the man defile the pureness his beloved held. He was already tainted, already tarnished, and the pain; the humiliation he had felt in that period of time was not something he could have imposed on Kaname.
Never on his beloved. Over his dead body.
He was abominable, yes. He was despicable, yes. He did not deserve to be loved, yes.
But, at the same time, the fact he had been rejected, the fact he had been pushed away, and the fact it had been from Kaname made the situation worse.
So fucking much worse.
Was he not desirable to Kaname? Why would Kaname not embrace him even in such a weakened state? Why would Kaname not submit to him?
He had the understanding that the deplorable things he had told Kaname to get his mind away from finding out about the truth behind his feelings didn't help his case in the slightest. Yet, in that moment of insanity, he was unable to find a more effective method to divert the conversation into another direction.
It was his only option, whether he liked it or not.
Yet, if he was bluntly honest with himself, Kaname's rejection baffled him, caused his self-worth to drop six inches deep into the ground. The only thing that he was sure about, was confident about, that his body was wanted, desired, and never refused. Therefore, the rejection he had received was a real blow to his pride, especially since he had been trying his hardest to appear more alluring, more charming, and more beddable to the pureblood.
It should have been a piece of cake due to the pureblood's emotionally and mentally weakened state. An easy piece of the fucking cake. And yet, the desired response was far from well received, far from his expectations.
He had been rejected, and the thing he came to know, was that rejection stung like a bitch.
Why did Kaname have to be this damn stubborn? What was stopping him?
"I am in love with Haruka-san, Zero-san. I cannot sleep with anyone else. If it's not him, it would not feel right."
Shuddering with disgust, with anguish, amethyst orbs narrowed at the revelation behind the thought, one which left a bitter taste in his mouth, one which caused his heart to sink further into a sea of distress.
Sure, the pureblood loved Haruka, but Haruka had cheated on Kaname with him, had made it abundantly clear to the pureblood that his affections laid with him (Zero), and not Kaname. Should Kaname not thirst for vengeance? Shouldn't he feel the need to get back to Haruka? Especially with him of all people? His love for Haruka could not be that strong. It should not be that strong.
A frown marred his features, and his heart lurched in dismay, his gaze dropping to his clenched fists.
In the midst of his protecting Kaname, had he lost his love forever? Had he lost him to Haruka for eternity? What could he have done differently when he had already given; forsaken everything for Kaname? What more needed to be done?
Maybe, he was a lost cause. Maybe, he had been a lost cause since the day he had allowed Kaname to slip away from his fingers. Maybe, happiness; content had forsaken him in this day, in this life.
Maybe, just maybe, he had been doomed from the day he had been born to be unhappy, miserable, just like the rest of his family.
And maybe, Kaname was not meant for him – never was intended to be his in the first place.
The pain around his heart tightened more, and he closed his eyes, shuddering as another wave of grief assaulted him, causing him to erupt into another pitiful fit of sobbing, once fucking again.
Pathetic, weak, worthless was what he was, and what he would always be in the near future – until his heart was still healthy, until it was still beating.
Because the person it continued to thrive for would never be replaced, would never change, and ... would never be his.
He had been a fool to think that offering his body would change the pureblood's mind, would help him appear more desirable, more loveable in Kaname's eyes.
In fact, now that he thought about it, his words had the exact opposite meaning and effect than what he had intended them to have. He came out as a desperate whore rather than as a person who craved for the smallest crumbs of affections from his most cherished person.
Insane. He was fucking insane.
No one had refused to sleep with him before, no one, Zero emphasized gravely. He was the person that everyone would be willing die to have on their bed, every night if possible; they had countless, both salacious and decent, fantasies about having him as their lifetime partner, having the ridiculous notion that he might someday fall for them.
Quite the despairing; wistful scenario. Since that was never going to happen in the first place. But they could hold Kaname accountable for that. How could they when the pureblood was as clueless as them when his feelings were concerned?
His body had been the solution to most problems, the bargain to most trades, and he had foolishly assumed that it would be the answer to Kaname's anguish, to his broken heart – and that he would be able to worm himself into the pureblood's heart if he got him to sleep with him even once. He needed that one single chance, for Kaname to consider him more than the detestable whore, but see him as an honest man, as someone that wanted him, badly and wholeheartedly.
The thing he hadn't taken into consideration was how fucking wrong he had been!
Kaname was different. Noticeably different from anyone he had crossed his paths with, yet at the same time, exceedingly fresh like the summer breeze in his dull; forlorn world. He should have remembered that particular detail. How could he have forgotten? The existence of his beloved proved to him that good, righteous people still existed in this god forsaken world – and that someone loved him for who he was, not his body, not his beauty, not the fact that he could give an heir, but for him, and him alone.
"I will always be with you, Zero-san! So please, smile for me. Only for me." A bright smile, a cute dimple on his left cheek, and wine-red orbs twinkled as they regarded him with fondness, with respect, with love.
Kaname, Kaname, my beloved.
All of a sudden the scene changed; it was the memory, no longer of rapturous, joyful moments, but of wretched, mournful ones.
Sobbing, trembling violently, the small bloodied hand grasped his shirt, mahogany eyes overflowing with betrayal, anguish, and aggravation.
"I love you, Zero-san! Why are you leaving me? What have I done? Who is this man? Zero-san, answer me!"
He choked on his own helplessness, as another wretched sob erupted from him, and the burn within his chest blossomed more and more, slowly; painfully wrapping him in its electrifying strands of webs, until the act of breathing proved to become challenging, unbearable.
Forgive me, my love... Forgive me... It wasn't your fault...It was my last resort...To keep you safe...To keep you alive... I would never leave you...Never...I am sorry...I am so terribly sorry, Kaname...
The words he had wanted Kaname to know, for him to remember – despite the odds against them, but his tongue had been numb, unable to express the words his heart had screamed. And until he had been able to use his lips once more, Kaname had been gone. Never to be seen again.
Until...
His entire frame trembled violently, and Zero clutched the fabric of his blood-stained kimono in his hands, eyes sealed tight, attempting to calm down his ragged breaths; struggling to halt the endless stream of tears streaming down his cheeks.
He was trying... He really was trying...
"Zero-sama?"
A soft; firm voice cut through his thoughts, and he quickly whirled around, amethyst eyes snapping open and widening in alarm, more droplets of tears escaping from them, accidentally, and due to his shock.
The smug face of the person before him was the very last person in the world he had wanted to see; to discover him in such a degrading state.
What a fucking bad day, indeed.
(Rido)
The heavy; suffocating silence sank down on them, and he stared down at his younger brother, mismatched eyes regarding him with outright annoyance.
An hour prior (and maybe even more), he had taken off for a stroll, irritated and jealous. Why? Because his aggravating brother had decided to literally 'steal' his wife away from him; his excuse for it was to introduce Zero to his acquaintances and in the meantime, and catch up with what they had lost. Moreover, the fact that Zero had not uttered a word of complaint against the forceful attitude of his brother had exasperated him the most – anguished him the greatest.
Running away (in his case, taking an extremely long; slow walk) was not the appropriate way for a man of his stature and wisdom to behave, especially when he was the host and the reason of the party. He had left his guests unattended, yes, and the shame he felt for it was undeniable, but in his opinion, it was considerably better than making a scene, specifically like the one he had made earlier with Kaname, Haruka, and Zero present (the two guards in the background not considered).
It was foolish him to do so, he knew, but the restraint over his emotions had instantly slipped away when the lips of his brother met his wife's, and even more so, when his Zero was beginning to enjoy the searing kiss with Haruka, right in front him, in his presence, without the regard of his feelings.
Jealousy had wildly raged within him, the intensity making him redden with anger and indignation, but he had managed to keep his composure, for a while at least, because of Kaname. To offer him comfort. To lessen his pain of disloyalty, of unfaithfulness that the pureblood had been experiencing at that moment, exactly like he had been.
But the whisper, one that indicated for a further continuation of the kiss, one that was softly whispered against the lips of wife and unfortunately, caught by the sensitive organs of his ears, and the one that the caused his Zero to blush violently and tremble with anticipation, and him with rage; chagrin.
He had exploded, the poor victim of his obscene words and lecherous actions being non-other than Kuran Kaname, his distant relative.
...He was a horrible person, wasn't he?
A swallowed sigh.
A sincere apology was required from him to be given to the young pureblood. He had been indecent, and rude, and exceedingly disrespectful to Kaname, a person who held him in high esteem, an individual who saw right pass through his stoic mask to his kind, wise, and gracious self, and the one who respected and loved him as his own brother, as his only family.
He had really ruined his image of him to Kaname, hadn't he? But, the intentions to apologize for his outrageous behavior, to make things right with Kaname had not forsaken him, and he intended to carry them out as soon as he was done with this situation on hand.
The darkness in his heart grew as a whimper escaped his brother's lips, and with rage thriving within him, he raised his hand up, and a second later, a resounding slap was heard across the expanse of the empty ballroom – yet again.
As he had leisurely returned to the ballroom from his 'brief' outing, Rido had overheard (accidentally, of course) the dispute between Haruka and Kaname. First, he had taught it was a lover's quarrel – harmless, so he had paid no heed to it; but when the argument had become more intense, more heated that his brother had to grab Kaname by the shoulders and shake him roughly, had made him decide that this was going far too overboard. He had been planning to interrupt them, and hopefully, help them reconcile with each other, but the sound of the nasty coarse murmurs had halted him in his destination.
"Isn't that Kaname Kuran? The alleged third successor of the Kuran throne? His attitude towards Haruka-sama is unflattering."
"I agree, My Lady. But what a waste for such good looks."
"If I was Haruka-sama, I would have never taken him as a spouse. For all we know, he might not even be a real Kuran. We all have realized that the identities of his parents are intentionally kept a secret from us."
"You have a good point, My Lady. Although, I have to admit that Kuran Kaname has a great body. Maybe Haruka-sama's reason to have him by his side is for him to have a good and easy lay, whenever he desires for it?"
"True, but in my personal opinion, Haruka-sama would have been so much better with someone else. A person like me, who knows extremely well how to please the desires of a man and make them yearn for you, something that this imposter Kuran kid would not be able to do. "
"I agree wholeheartedly, My Lady."
With pursed lips, with twitching eyes, Rido had marched towards the 'civilized' bystanders, shooting them a heated glare. The said vampires had quickly shut their mouths, gracing him with a bow. "Rido-sama. We are honored to have your presence in ours. How do you do?" The woman had said, fluttering her eyelashes innocently at him, her lips curling into a nauseating sweet smile.
Suppressing the strong urge to cringe, he had scowled, the intensity of his glare increasing, causing the vampires to swallow nervously, "On my way back to the ballroom, I happened to overhear your absurd, and very inaccurate, conversation with this gentleman." His gaze had flickered to the pale man, before returning to the woman. "And if I had not been such a kind person, I would have given my guards the orders to execute you both – this very instant and right on this very spot – for the falseness of your words, against another member of the Kuran family." His scowl deepened, his eyes took a grave note, and the rigid duo remained silent, staring at him with fear in their eyes; the paleness that usually resided on their features becoming even paler.
After a pause, he had continued, voice pleasantly sweet; serious, "For your information, Kaname is a real Kuran. He is worthy of Haruka, something which you are not." He had smirked down at her, mismatched orbs mocking. "Trust me on this, Suzaku-san. Kaname satisfies Haruka in ways you will never be able to. Why would my brother want someone who only uses her mouth to yap nonsense? In comparison to the fact that Kaname's lips provide my brother more services than your constant blabbering?"
The horrified look on the woman's place had been priceless, and his smirk had widened, before he turned to the man – lean and tall, red eyes and jet black hair, wearing a black tuxedo with a creamy button down shirt – who stood beside her, posture stiff, with an expression akin to his "lady's" one, "And you, whatever your name is, don't agree with everything that sprouts from her mouth. It's annoying."
The man had managed to give him a curt nod, bowing to him deeply a second later, "Yes, Your Highness."
Rido had shot him an undignified 'hmph', and then had turned around on his heels, once again heading towards the quarreling duo. His conversation with those mindless fools had worsened his already unpleasant mood. Who the fuck did they think they were? How dare they accuse Kaname of not being a 'real' Kuran? It was true that the identities of the pureblood's parents remained a mystery, even to him, but the taste; the smell of Kaname's blood, as well his handsome Kuran features, were enough of a proof to him. He looked exactly like Haruka, with his hair a bit longer and wavier; so much so, that Kaname could be easily passed off as his twin brother.
So, the fact that these dull-witted morons required more proof of Kaname's lineage was out of his realm of thinking. He had to yet drop himself in the same dumb level as them, thank you very much.
Kaname was a Kuran, through and through, and he deserved the same respect that all Kurans received. With no exception.
Although, he had to admit, that both of his brothers were on the dense side, one more than the other. Like what kind of rational person would engage in a heated argument with their spouse when they were surrounded by countless of pretentious nobles, watching them with taunting eyes; their lips twisted into hideous smirks?
Kaname and Haruka, of course.
Swallowing down another sigh, he had reluctantly approached them. Their dispute had escalated to such an extent that they looked ready to throttle one another, at any given moment.
What a bother. Can not a man enjoy his birthday in fucking peace? Was that too much to ask for?
It seemed so since the couple's argument had managed to become fiercer, more intense, and louder as Kaname had started voicing out his own retaliations, his entire body taking on an aggressive stance.
There went his peace. Farewell.
However, his steps had come to a halt, yet again, when the slightly shorter brunette pushed Haruka away (quite roughly, he may add), glaring at him with his wine-red grueling orbs, and the words that left the pureblood's mouth had him stunned speechless.
"Cheating on you? Seriously? Is that the only thing you could come up with? I have yet to degrade myself to your level Haruka-san. Something as detestable as infidelity is what you would do with Zero-san when you are presumably out on business trips. How could you betray me like this, Haruka-san? How could you?!"
Kaname ... had not known about Haruka's affair with Zero?
His answer had been confirmed, almost too instantly, as he, with wide eyes, watched Kaname leave the ballroom, with Haruka left behind, attempting to apologize, a crestfallen look on his features.
Had his brother lost his fucking mind? Not letting know Kaname about his trivial affairs with people, with Zero?
Rido had pressed his lips together bitterly, his eyes darkening with disbelief, with anger.
The affair between his brother and his wife had been known to him – since day one. Because Zero had asked for his permission, and he had reluctantly agreed to it (after a long period of thinking) only due the consistent persistent of his wife about the whole matter.
Zero had promised that he would only see Haruka once a month, only for pleasure, and without the connection to feelings. He had known that those words had been nothing but a lie because his brother's vehement affections for Zero were obvious to him, but he still had given his consent. What was the harm? It wasn't like Zero was going to leave him for Haruka. If that hade been the case, Zero would have agreed to marry Haruka instead of him.
But fortunately enough, his beloved Zero had chosen his proposal of marriage rather than his brother's one. That action alone had made him believe that Zero held more affections for him that he did for Haruka.
Moreover, the fact that he could not disagree with his wife was another reason he had given his consent about the entire fiasco. Why? Because they had come to an agreement (he was yet again hesitant, even more at that time) to have an open marriage before they had finally tied the knot.
He was aware of all Zero's affairs, with everyone in the past, with everyone in the present. This was one of their conditions. The rest were more bizarre than the previous one, but he would still state them, for information's sake only.
No blood sharing was allowed between the person that was not their spouse. The name of the person they were sleeping with should be known to their spouse. The spouse should be aware of how many days in a month they intended to sleep with the specific person. And the last but the most important of all, none of them were ever allowed to develop feelings for the person they were sleeping with. That was a big NO.
Other than that, they had no right to refuse the affairs of one another, if not a viable reason had been given.
What a fucked up situation, indeed. But believe it or not, this absurd 'arrangement' had kept their marriage together, for all these years. So even if he detested the idea of other men touching his wife, he had to be 'okay' with it, with great determination.
Yes, he got jealous. Yes, he hated it. Yes, he wanted Zero all for himself. But if Zero wasn't content the with the idea of monogamy, if Zero wanted to explore more options, if Zero was willing to stay with him if he endured his frivolous affairs, he had no qualms about the whole arrangement whatsoever.
He refused to let his possessiveness and his selfish nature get in the way of Zero's happiness once again. If Zero was happy, he was happy.
Anything at all for his beloved wife.
Therefore, the fact that Kaname wasn't aware of Haruka's affairs, the fact that Haruka had beeing seeing Zero behind Kaname's back, without his permission, had him reeling with rage. He should have known that this was the case from the miserable look on Kaname's face as the pureblood watched Zero capturing Haruka's lips into a searing kiss, and his husband actually responding back. At that moment, Rido had assumed that Kaname did not appreciate their making-out in his presence (just like Rido didn't like it), but that had been far from the truth.
He could have never imagined that Haruka would do something as horrible as that to Kaname, the person loved him so dearly, so wholeheartedly, without any qualms.
When had his brother dropped this low?
"What the fuck, Nii-san?!" Haruka snapped, holding his burning cheek delicately, seeming utterly abashed.
The sharp; angry response brought him to the present; the reality, and with narrowed eyes, he glowered down at his brother.
"Why was Kaname not aware of your affair with Zero?"
Mahagony orbs widened, incredulous, and the pureblood turned pale, lips slightly parted, voice hesitant as he spoke.
"Huh?...You knew?..."
A dark eyebrow twitched inelegantly.
"Of course I did. Zero tells me everything."
The pureblood fell silent, and his gaze dropped to the ground, countless of emotions flashing across his features.
He furrowed his eyebrows, regarding Haruka contemplatively; silently, his anger remaining deep within his chest.
Kaname was family to him, one of the select few people he considered important in this god-damn world, and the fact that his brother of all people hurt another member of his family frustrated him. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he left the situation alone, pretending to have never heard a thing.
He wasn't like that. Never would be.
After a moment of silence, Haruka finally spoke, his voice low, and pleasantly apologetic. "I am sorry. I...did not meant to hurt Kaname or you, Nii-san. My feelings for Zero made me do this..."
He scowled and narrowed his eyes, mood darkening rapidly.
"Save it, Haruka. I am not mad because you did not tell me. I am mad because you failed to inform Kaname about this. Did you not think that he had the right to know?" His scowl deepened, and he continued; voice harsh, before the pureblood had the chance to talk in his defense, "And don't you fucking dare blame this on Zero! You are in the fault here. Not me. Not Zero. Not Kaname. But you, Haruka."
Haruka glared at him, fierce and intimidating, in a pathetic show of defiance. "Nii-san, don't you dare place the blame on me when you don't have the slightest idea what I am going through!"
His irritation flared. "Oh? What are you going through? You are a King, people respect and love you. You have a lovely home with a stunning spouse to boot. What more do you need, Haruka?"
The pureblood stared at him incredulously. "Are you seriously asking me that?"
He chose to remain silent, watching his brother with an arched eyebrow.
His silence only seemed to have aggravated the man further, and Haruka snapped harshly, eyes flaring with fire, cheeks flushing with anger, "Zero is what I need. I don't need the title of the King. I don't need people's respect and love. I don't need a lovely home. And I sure as hell don't need a stunning spouse whom I don't even love!"
Even if the pureblood's response bewildered him to no end, Rido did not show it on his face. He simply asked, his voice low and calm, as if he was talking to a mere toddler. "Then why do you not divorce Kaname? Why do you keep him leading on? Be mature, and do the right thing. Leave him if you refuse to love him and let him find someone else."
Silence fell between them, yet again, and Haruka shot him a blank stare, face devoid of any emotions, before dissolving into a hysterical laughter, looking at him with mocking eyes through his dark eyelashes.
"You would want that too, wouldn't you? First, you steal Zero away from me. And now, you are trying to snatch Kaname away from me too? Nice going, Nii-san. But I won't let that happen. I can see right through that fake brother act of yours. Kaname is mine. He is my property. I will do whatever I please with him. You have no right to talk to me about how I should treat my wife. You are the one overstepping your boundaries here, Nii-san."
A baffled look overcame his face, and he stood frozen, unable to wrap his mind around the false accusation his brother had accused him off.
What the fuck? Had Haruka really lost his fucking mind? To come up with something as obnoxious as that? How dare he...!
A cruel sneer formed on the man's smooth face and Haruka leaned forward, eyes bearing straight into his.
"If you had no married Zero, I would not have turned out like this. If you had not taken Zero away from me, Kaname would have been with someone else more deserving of him. If you had been less selfish, I, your fucking brother, would have been happy with his fucking life. You are the one to blame for this mess, Nii-san. Only you."
Each word struck a chord of his heart, and he balled his hands into fists, his eyes narrowing as a sharp pang of guilt shot through him.
His obsession for Zero, his selfishness to keep Zero to himself, had made him suffer, day by day, hour by hour, second by second. He had betrayed his younger brother. He had married Zero even when Haruka's affections for his wife had been known to him.
And to till this day, he blamed himself. For taking his brother's happiness; his love away from him. For failing the role of an older brother. For being such an asshole.
He had been in the wrong, yes. He had regrets over his past actions, yes. He had suffered from the guilt of his selfishness, yes. But, at the same time, he had realized that all of this happened a very long time ago. He had realized there was no point mulling over the things that could never be undone. All of it was in the past. Everyone made mistakes. He was trying to move on; trying to forgive himself.
Haruka should have done the same when he had been betrothed to Kaname – instead of clinging to the past, instead of clinging to Zero.
His brother should have, but he did not. And now every individual, including him, were suffering.
Rido exhaled audibly, shaking his head slightly.
"It was my fault, yes. Hate me all you want, I probably deserve it. Because of my guilt, I allowed Zero to continue this frivolous affair with you. But if I had known that Kaname had no idea about this arrangement, I would have never given my consent," He frowned, a solemn expression on his face to indicate he meant his words, "Did you feel no shame? How could you do this to Kaname behind his back? How dare you do this to someone who only loves you dearly?"
Haruka gritted his teeth in silent fury and averted his face to the side, his eyes narrowing as well.
"Stop with your tedious lecture, Nii-san. I am my own person. I will do whatever I want, with whomever I please. I don't need anyone's permission, especially his. I don't care if Kaname loves me. He already knows I love Zero. He should have handled the news better. His jealousy is unflattering. I am already spending my entire life with him. Why cannot he understand and be content with that fact alone?"
Rido looked at him, dumbfounded.
"Are you serious?"
The defiant look confirmed his suspicions, and he growled, eyebrow twitching in irritation.
"If I were him, I would have murdered you by now." He said, mismatched orbs blazing with annoyance that he felt, "He would have handled the information of your infidelity better if he had been aware of it. You literally went behind his back and fucked someone else without his consent. If Kaname had done that to you, would you not have literally blown up the building?"
His jaw clenched tightly, Haruka shot him a heated glare, lips compressed together, and remained silent, a contemplative look shadowing over his features.
At least, his brother had the decency; the brains to think over his answer. He would have been proud, only slightly, if the situation hadn't been this tense; this suffocating.
There was another long silence as they looked at each other, eyes hard; lips pursed, face tensed, before Rido decided he had enough, and shattered it, sighing loudly, "I have stopped caring whatever you do, Haruka. But don't drag Kaname in this. He doesn't deserve the half of the shit that you are giving him. "
"Fuck off."
"Gladly," Rido turned around on his heels, heading towards the double oak doors, "Sometimes, I feel, that Kaname was better off with Isaya. From what I have heard from Zero, the man is extremely good in bed. He would have shown Kaname a good time, every night, every morning..." He cocked his head to the side, eyeing his red-faced brother with a playful smile, "...unlike you, my dearest brother. Maybe you need to learn a lesson or two from the good man. It may come in handy, with Kaname...and maybe, with Zero also."
He was safely out of the doors, into the hallway, when the ominous sound of the glass shattering made its way to his ears.
Rido allowed himself to smirk, fully this time, eyes gleaming with faint amusement.
Getting on his brother's nerves never seemed to get old. It always lifted his mood, one way or the other.
But now, since this situation had been dealt with (hopefully), more pressuring issues needed his attention; his love.
Zero. My beloved wife.
Rido looked down at his wrist-watch, and gasped, mismatched orbs widening slightly. It was already three in the morning! He was running late!
Cursing himself, he appeared right in front of the nearest mirror, countless varieties of them hanging on the walls of the long hallway, and reorganized himself, trying to appear more presentable – straightening his slightly crinkled clothes with his hands, dusting them with his handkerchief, combing through his hair with his fingers, and practising his sexiest smirk.
What in the world was he doing? Someone might ask.
Tonight, on his birthday, was the very special day where he and Zero always spent the night with each other, having a romantic; candlelight dinner, taking a walk outside, sitting on the grass and cuddling, while watching the stars, and then, the best part, indulging themselves in a series of passionate lovemaking, until the sun was up, until they could not move a single muscle.
It was somewhat like a tradition for them, and believe it or not, he looked forward to it with exceptional enthusiasm. All of this things could be done with Zero anywhere, anytime he wanted; but for some unbestowed reason, the occasion made it more surreal; more special, and his wife always appeared more sensual, more beautiful than he already was. And let's not forget about the special surprises Zero always seemed to have stored for him on this occasion.
Yup, those surprises was what got him (and a certain body part of his) all hot and bothered – in other simple words, the most excited.
Last year had been a roleplay. And man, that had extremely been sexy; hot. Him as a police officer, while his Zero a prisoner, dressed in a fitting white and black shirt and trousers, handcuffed to the bed, while he mercilessly pounded...
Stop. Just stop yourself, Rido.
He reprimanded himself, scowling. He would be patient. They had all night. Zero would laugh his ass off if he appeared to him, rock hard and ready to go.
But man, this was so fucking hard.
His exasperated statement was meant to be both metaphorical and literal. The sudden tightening in the front of his pants serving as an undeniable; solid proof.
Patience, Rido, patience. He reassured himself, shivers of anticipation running through his frame, as he threw a distracted hand into his messy locks, groaning loudly, his pace quickening subsequently.
His patience would be rewarded soon. Almost too soon.
Zero better be ready. Because...he was feeling quite the ravenous beast upon this lovely night.
A ravenous, horny, insatiable beast ready to devour his feast to the core.
It would be a long night, indeed.
A/N: Yes, this chapter ended up being surprisingly very long. Not intentional. (': Haruka and Rido's perspectives are based on chapter 4, where Kaname had found out about Haruka's affair with Zero from Isaya.
My characterization of Haruka turned him into quite the narcissistic asshole. Not intentional, either. :"( But, I found that side of his extremely sexy. LOL.
Any guesses about the person that found Zero in his vulnerable state? Your correct answer will get you a cookie. x'3 One clue: he is very smug.
In the next chapter, Kaname will appear again. So no worries. ^-^
Note: I would not be able to update the next chapter until the 29th of July. So I apologize for that. :(
I would also like to thank my readers, my reviewers (ben4kevin, roxsu, horrorstar100, LunaLovesChoccy, WeirdBlackCat, alisjackson.59, Veronica Chase, Kay Queen, kanamexzero fan, perce-neige, and MonkeyGrapes), and to those who alerted/favorited my story. Thank you, guys. (: It means a lot. ^-^
To kanamexzero fan: Since you are a guest reviewer, I didn't have the chance to personally show you my gratitude. But to let you know, I appreciate your lovely reviews. So thank you very much. ^-^
Reviews are well appreciated as always. *-* I love reading them, honestly. (◕‿◕✿)
That's it for now. Have a lovely day/night. (◠﹏◠✿)
-Love332