A/N: The chapter is finally here – and ready to be devoured. *coughs* Please do enjoy. I would appreciate it. ≧◡≦
Warnings: Sub dub-con, blood, the insanity of a certain pureblood, more angst.
Chapter 8: Shattered Trust
(Zero)
A peek was what he had intended to take; a single confirmation that Kaname was well and alright before retiring back to his own quarters. He felt dirty, sick to his stomach, and all he wanted was a long, warm shower to get rid of that man's traces away from his body.
But standing here, in this spot, his eyes glued on the two bodies, moving in a perfect sync – thoroughly lost in a world that was rightfully his... completely obliterated his vehement need to wash himself, while at the same time, erasing his encounter with Isaya from the surface of his mind entirely. And he realized, almost too late, that he had once again stumbled on something he shouldn't have. Once fucking again, he had gotten more than what he had bargained for.
So damn more.
Depression felt like a leaden weight on him, and Zero closed his eyes, refusing to acknowledge any of it. It wasn't real. He told himself. It couldn't be real.
A series of noises (pants, groans, grunts) made themselves known to his ears, and Zero refocused his attention on the couple, holding himself upright; forcing the tears not to emerge from his eyes; his heart shattering more and more as he continued to stare, as he resumed his relentless, and extremely unnecessary, torment on his already anguished state.
It hurt, yes. It destroyed him, yes. It made him suffer, yes. But even then, he refused to cry. He refused to let this get to him. He refused to allow this incident to make him vulnerable; weak. He needed to be strong, smart, and adamant if he ever wanted Kaname to belong to him – body, heart, and soul, for eternity; for the rest of their immortal lives.
The desire to stay resolute proved to be rather strenuous on him, but even then, the need to be strong consumed his being and kept the humiliating droplets of water in check; regardless of the fact that a jagged, serrated edge was constantly; brutally purged through his chest, as his eyes refused to take themselves off from the sight of his suffering.
He had to watch, remind himself that soon enough Haruka would never be able to touch Kaname again. He would have the last laugh. He would gain the ultimate victory. The plan would work, and then Kaname would belong to him. Only him. Time would be the judge of that. Time would be on his side this time around. The countdown of Haruka's demise was already been set into motion, and as well as, the countdown of Zero's journey to happiness.
It would be over soon. His anguish, his suffering, all of it would never occur again.
Pressing his lips bitterly, he urged himself to wrench away from the heart-twisting scene, not having the determination to watch them a moment longer, the anguish of his heart surpassing his determination to watch them until the end; and with great difficulty, Zero willed his numb legs to keep moving, feeling the trickle of despair crawling through him once more, with intense vigor.
It would be alright. He had to be alright. All of this ... would soon mean nothing, right? Kaname would be his; he had to be patient for a while more. How could a couple of weeks be compared to a period of thirty years? How could the pain of not having Kaname as his own, for twenty years, ever be compared to the fact that he would soon have him until the end of time?
Nought. This numb pain was nothing but a nought; a worthless obstacle in his path.
Warfare was near, and he, Hio Zero, would come out as the champion – without a doubt of hesitation; he was definitely certain of the fact.
Sighing inwardly, his steps halting before the doorway to his room, Zero placed his palms upon the double-doors of his quarters and forced them to open, eyes widening with bewilderment, as they landed upon the familiar figure of the furious gaze, seated on the faded, cushioned armchair.
"Took you long enough, Zero."
Shit.
(Isaya)
Warm rays of sun hit his face, and his skin twitched in protest, which consequently woke him up, his light brow twitching in sheer annoyance.
The sun was literally a pain in the ass. If he had the ability to destroy it; to erase it from its very existence, he would.
His resentment for the said star ran rather deep within him, after all. Why? Ask his overbearing mother. She was the culprit, and the reason, that his irrational hatred towards the non-living sphere of hot gas had been developed in the first place.
Groaning loudly, he abruptly sat up, harshly rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands, and then looked around, his mind swiftly absorbing his surroundings with ease. It was already morning...? How long had he been sleeping exactly? Why was he even sleeping outside?
The sudden rush of morning breeze surged through him, and Isaya shivered, his mind making him aware of his state of undress. The memories of the previous night flooded into his brain, and he concealed a smile behind his hand, turquoise orbs curiously darting towards to his left side – one which had been preoccupied with a certain silver-haired beauty, few hours prior, that had been.
It was rather a shame that Zero-san never stayed with him after they were done with their 'activities' – always left without a single glance towards him. He had to admit, his feelings (ego) were terrible hurt whenever that occurred. As far as he had been told, cuddling was what he excelled at; love-making closely following behind.
Although, sadly speaking, this pureblood was the only one who refused to spend the night with him; refused to indulge himself in his snuggles, the rest of his lovers would take their sweet time, not that he minded, and would only leave the next morning (or even night) after satisfying themselves with another session of mind-blowing sex with him.
But for that reason, Zero-san stood out from the rest of his substituted lovers. The pureblood was special in that sense – his exotic body and his exquisite blood adding themselves to the ideal package that was Hio Zero himself. He was a lucky man, indeed.
However, there was one single thing that both Zero-san and his bed partners shared in common with one another...
He did not love them.
Ah, life would be so much easier if he was able to love at least one of them, but no, fate had other, more cruel, plans in store for him.
Plans that were treacherous and devious, and consisted of a certain dark-haired pureblood of his.
Then people must wonder, why have sex with individuals that he didn't even give two cents about?
The answer was rather simple and straight to the point.
To forget him. To diminish the pain of his shattered heart. To erase him from his mind, every night, every morning, without having to remove him from his memories permanently.
He swallowed a sigh, feeling glum all of a sudden. The person he loved was not his but belonged to another. The person he had planned to spend the rest of his life was throwing away his life with a man who did not love him. The person he had been planning on marrying had abandoned him to marry a man who loved another.
Life was a cruel bitch, wasn't it?
But things did not end just there; there was more to his tragic love story.
There was always more – unfortunately for him; fortunately for someone else.
Kaname, his beloved pureblood, was not only pursued by him, but by another man, who not only wanted him; who not only was obsessed with him, but one who also had relinquished his heart to the brunette – like he had, since the day Kaname had been abruptly shoved into his life out of nowhere.
A competition over Kaname was what he needed now, right? With the son of the Hio lineage of all people, an individual who was presumably wanted by everyone?
Fantastic. His life could not become any better, now could it? His attempt to be sarcastic should be noted, please and thank you.
Although, he had to admit, albeit reluctantly, that Hio Zero had proved himself, countless of times, to be quite essential in his schemes – the man was his most significant tool, after all.
The way, some may claim to be ill-suited, he had referred the great Hio was rather unbefitting of him. But did he give a care? Heck no.
He had been described as a heartless asshole (which he indeed was and was extremely proud of it) by many people (most of them coincidentally happening to be his fuck buddies), but his heart was in the right place – only when his feelings for Kaname were concerned, of course. As for the rest of people, who had the unfortunate chance of getting themselves acquainted with him, no shits were given to them. If they were useful, he would use them. If not, they were out of his life, without a second thought.
Insensitive, he was. Uncaring, he was guilty of. Brutal, he was rather known for. But once again, did he give a damn? Fucking no.
If it was not Kaname, nobody else deserved his respect. His consideration. His heart.
Although lately, it seemed that Zero-san was slowly worming into his radar of admiration – whether he fancied that fact or not, Isaya had no fucking clue.
A long, withdrawn sigh passed lips, and Isaya fell back on the damp grass, promptly closing his eyes. Stress made him insane, and all he wanted, for a mere moment, was to forget about every obstacle that laid in his path and visualize a life where Kaname solely belonged to him, a place where his feelings were actually reciprocated by Kaname, and a world where Zero-san and Haruka-san did not exist.
What an ideal realm that would be, indeed.
He groaned, irritated, and rolled on his stomach, burying his face into the grass, his nostrils flooding with the smell of fresh soil. Speaking of respect, he had no intentions of complying with Zero-san's conditions. After all, he got what he wanted, and desired, for rather a long time – which coincidentally happened to be the intoxicating blood flowing under the luscious skin of the descendant of the Hio lineage – pleasantly added with the pureblood's enticing body.
The memory brought a delightful shiver to his frame, and Isaya unconsciously licked his lips, the recollection of Zero-san's blood on his tongue salivating his mouth. People were right about one thing about Hio Zero: He tasted fucking delicious. And the fact that he might get the chance to drink from the pureblood yet again made him yearn for the man more, his arousal gradually coming to life with the thought alone.
It was something to look forward, certainly.
Although, the reason he had sought out the pureblood in the first place was fairly innocent. It was due to his desperate need for comfort; for a shoulder to cry on. After so many years, meeting Kaname; holding him in his arms, had prompted his buried; anguished feelings to resurface. And because of that, he craved for closure; for his pain to lessen.
Zero-san had come to his mind right away – as a reassurance; as a comfort. And without wasting another second of his time, he searched for the pureblood – relentlessly and persuasively.
And after some time, to his sheer relief, he had indeed found the pureblood, on the ground, distraught and broken, his mind devising up another solution for him to deal with his heartache – more effectively, more efficiently.
A plan that was less innocent and more sinister than what he had originally planned for.
But, regardless of the fact that his absurd demands were actually accepted, how could Zero-san even think that he would willingly stay away from Kaname – for two whole months? How could the man expect him to comply with his conditions, especially when his romantic feelings for Kaname were known to him?
The pureblood was rather blind when a certain brunette was concerned, wasn't he?
A sly smirk ghosted over his lips, and Isaya allowed himself to chuckle, resting the side of his face against the ground, staring ahead into the far distant. He could, and he probably would, exploit this weakness against the pureblood to its full potential. It would help him greatly in his persuasion for Kaname. Moreover, the usage of Zero-san's vulnerability could also come in handy whenever and wherever he needed (wanted) blood from Zero-san – as well as otherworldly, more pleasurable things.
Surely the man would not be able to refuse him, right? After all, everything was always done for Kaname, was it not?
His grin became more pronounced, and his eyes fluttered shut, enjoying the morning breeze that flickered through his damn locks; refreshing his clogged senses.
It would be a fun ride, indeed. Heh.
Feeling satisfied and contented with himself, and his thoughts, exhaustion overtook him, and shortly after, he promptly fell into a deep slumber, a smile on his lips, his bare buttocks on full display – which, unfortunately for one blushing maid, had the chance of witnessing the exhibit to its entire glory.
God bless her soul.
(Third Person)
"Where have you been?" Rido asked brusquely, mismatched orbs narrowing. Displeasure, anger, belittlement was what he had felt to return back to an empty room, his Zero nowhere to be found; nowhere to be seen.
Seconds, minutes, hours had passed, the sun already out of its slumber, and Zero had yet to return, the spikes of anger he felt swiftly morphing into a full-blown blazing fire.
He had waited, for far too long, his patience running thin with each prolonged second. Enough was enough. He had concluded with silent indignation, and without wasting more of his time, he had been about to get up on his feet and search for his mate, but his advances had been abruptly halted when Zero had waltzed into the room, reeking of another man's scent on him, fueling his already scorching wrath, his jealousy, his insecurity.
Why would Zero do this to me? When I have done nothing but please him; love him to the best of my abilities?
The sadness of his heart consumed him further, deepened his misery, as his gaze raked over the disheveled form of his wife, realizing fully well where Zero had been few hours prior, and exactly what he had been doing – if the scent of blood and sex weren't evident enough.
Zero had not only broken his promise, one that he ought to have kept embedded in his heart and brain; but he also had failed to keep the terms of their deal.
Zero had not only neglected to spend the night with him, knowing what this day had meant to the both of them; but he had also allowed someone else to drink his blood – someone who was not him.
Rido would not forgive that. He would never forgive this act of betrayal. Zero had to recompensate for his mistakes. Zero had to learn that his actions, and his words, that went against him always had consequences; always should be punished – the severity of them being a huge deal to him, after all.
Swallowing nervously, Zero felt completely floored by the question, and his gaze dropped down to the carpeted floor, staring the inmate object intently; contemplatively.
The formidable promise, one which he attended to, without any fail, every year had been forgotten by him – unintentionally, of course – but the intense guilt that surged through him in that moment was unspeakable.
He had been extremely preoccupied with so many things, and people, and his feelings of misery, that in the meantime, he had failed to remember his commitment to his husband; forgotten his duties as the pureblood's spouse.
What a dreadful person he was...!
An apology, one of sincerity, he would attempt, with remorse; with genuineness, and against all odds, Zero dearly hoped that maybe Rido might take some pity on him and forgive him for his inexcusable blunder.
It was an honest, and extremely stupid, mistake on his part – not that his excuse was justifiable given the circumstances. But perhaps, his husband would consider this matter with a light heart, reprimand him, laugh it off, and let the bygones be bygones?
Amethyst orbs reluctantly met the pureblood's mismatched eyes, and Zero winced, turning away from the rage and agony reflected against them.
By the looks of it, it seemed that Rido had no intentions of letting this first-time incident slide.
He was fucked – both literally and metaphorically speaking.
"I am sorry," Zero started, feeling sick with sudden fear as the intensity of Rido's glare increased; became more intimidating, "I lost track of time."
"Lost track of time, you say?" Rido asked, tone menacing; eyes ruthless. "Doing what exactly? Allowing someone else to drink your blood?"
A loud gasp cracked the delicate, tensed silence of the room, and Zero blenched, sweat breaking out on his forehead, breaths quickening with no halt.
He had screwed up badly this time around, hadn't he? There was no excuse for his actions, no explanation to escape from his husband's wrath, no justification for hurting Rido in a detestable manner as this – and no defense against the pureblood's words unless his reason (his feelings for Kaname) were made known to Rido.
But Zero refused to speak in his own defense; he would rather suffer than lie to Rido; than let his beloved's name slip away from his lips.
Neither Kaname nor Rido deserved the pain he had caused them; the lies he had told them for his own selfish desires.
He was a terrible, terrible person. He deserved to be punished. He deserved to be chastised for his wrongdoing. He had abused Rido's love for him. He had used Rido for his own selfish reasons and benefits. He made the person that loved him the most suffer from a pain that was extreme.
There was no other compensation for his actions. He had it coming. Even if Rido had him killed now, he would accept it – with open arms, with welcoming eyes.
He was regretting the choice of his decision that badly. Love made him blind, and now, it was his turn to pay the consequences.
It served him damn right.
Rido stood up from his position and advanced towards the trembling frame of his wife, the trickle of fear oozing from the latter managing to excite his vampiristic side to a greater extent, "You have hurt me very deeply, Zero. I have always been good to you...and this is how you treat me? It's simply unforgivable!"
He wanted Zero to feel the same misery; the exact anguish that he had undergone through. He craved to cause pain to Zero – until the pureblood was on his knees and begging for his forgiveness.
He desired vengeance for his crushed feelings; for his shattered heart – and Zero would rectify the violations committed against him – until he deemed it was enough, until he obtained sheer satisfaction.
His anger had reached a new height, something that had never occurred before, and Rido was far too gone to reconsider the future consequences of his actions.
Revenge was what he craved for, torture was what he wanted; and his beloved wife, standing right before him – flustered and petrified, aroused him more, made the beast within him whine and beg him to execute out his deathly desires upon his willing victim.
And to his greatest surprise, Rido was finally listening to it; ultimately losing himself to the madness that followed with welcoming the beast to reach the surface; to devour its prey to the core, until it was nothing more than a bloody mess.
Zero balled his hands into fists and squeezed his eyes shut, terror gnawing his insides. He had fucked up big time, Zero had realized that, but even if he was welcoming towards his chastisement, the idea of what Rido might do to him petrified him to his deepest core. His husband was unpredictable and ruthless once he had been wronged, and by the mere looks of it, Rido looked nowhere to be forgiving – or even understanding of his predicament.
But the fact that he was the one to push his husband towards the edge of insanity made him feel even more guilty; more saddened by the entire situation. He had no right to be the spouse of the man before him. Rido deserved better, anyone else who was not him.
But Zero still tried to placate down the furious pureblood, attempted to bring Rido back to him; eyes desperate, voice small and soft as he pleaded. "Please forgive me, Rido. I had no intentions of hurting you. I promise. You are the last person I would even think of hurting, Rido. Believe me. "
Although, his request, as well his choice of words, caused the situation to spiral out of control; made the circumstance change for the worse, consequently increasing the wrath of one Rido Kuran.
Zero held in a wince as Rido roughly grabbed his hair, pulling his head back, enraged mismatched orbs staring deeply into his terrified eyes. "Forgive you? I shall – only after I teach you a lesson that you will never forget, Zero." Honest fury flashed across the pureblood's features, and Rido ruthlessly dug his nails into his captive's scalp, causing Zero to flinch visibly; the fear in his heart deepening consequently.
The grip was painful, but the dark promise in those eyes was even more so. Zero had to avert his eyes to prevent himself from breaking down, there and then, since the terror, the one he felt at that moment, was extremely sharp and foreboding.
"I think you have forgotten your place, Zero." Rido continued with a growl, a cruel sneer forming on his face, "Strip and go lie down on the bed. No complaints should be uttered."
Zero stood still, rooted to the spot for a couple of moments, his eyes wide; his mind blank, attempting to wrap itself around the fact of what was about to happen.
No...
"Don't make me repeat myself, Zero." The pureblood's harsh voice cut through his shock, and Zero flinched further at the implication of those words, the corner of his eyes watering.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Zero blinked back the tears, clenching his fists tightly, and with his eyes pleading and his voice quivering, he managed to implore, "Please, don't do this, Rido. This is not you. You will regret this later. I know you will. Stop this madness before it's too late, please."
But words fell on deaf ears. Mismatched orbs hardened, and his features further contorted with anger, as Rido commanded again; voice harsher and rougher than before, "Zero. Strip. And. Go. Lie. On. The. Bed. This. Fucking. Instant!"
A sense of hopelessness and defeat rushed through him, so forcefully, that Zero felt like weeping. It was over. There was no other way to placate down the wrath of his husband. He had to do what of required of him. He had to bring Rido back from this insanity.
Because, in the end, it was his fault. He was the reason behind the pureblood's plight and anguish.
He had to pay for his sins. He had to correct his mistakes. And if his pain was what would make Rido feel better, he would also allow it – over and over again, until his husband was satisfied.
He may not love Rido, but he cared for him deeply. And that fact alone was the reason for his compliance with the pureblood's demands.
Raising his shaking hands to his kimono, he reluctantly untied it, pulling it off his tensed shoulders. The satisfaction within those eyes sickened him, even more so, when the realization that this beast was not Rido; and he laid himself on the bed, staring helplessly at the ceiling.
It will be over soon. It will be over soon. It will be over soon.
The dark figure loomed over him, taking in the details of his unclothed form with a disgusting glint in his eyes, and with urgency, Rido roamed his fingers between the quivering legs, shivering in anticipation.
Teach him a lesson. Make him pay. Cause him suffering. He deserves it. It murmured in his head, enticingly and rashly, engulfing him deeper into madness; into his beastly urges. And Rido, the victim of his desires and anguish, fell for it; trapped himself further into something that he had once promised himself that he would never become.
Taking a fistful of the silky, silver hair in his fingers, Rido wrenched his captive's head to the side and brought his lips towards the tempting neck; plunging his fangs deeply into the sensitive neck – drinking the ambrosial nectar without pause, without mercy.
Zero squeezed his eyes shut, a whimper escaping his lips; trembling as the side of his neck was literally torn apart, the pain overriding his guilt for the barest of a moment.
It hurt...It really fucking hurt. The pain was unbearable – even more so when he realized that there was nothing he could do about it. He could not make it stop, he could not get through Rido, through his beast, but he attempted one last time – against his fair judgment, against his knowledge of the apparent answer.
"R-Rido, stop. Please. You are hurting me. I beg of you. "
But his plea only seemed to have further satisfied Rido, the beast within him, and the pureblood dug his nails into his hips, drinking his blood with extreme vigor and ruthlessness.
Moments passed, and his head began to feel faint. He was losing a great amount of blood in a very short time, but his throat was constricted; his tongue was dry to utter another protest against the ravenous pureblood.
Helplessness overwhelmed him, and tears stung his eyes, but he held onto his awareness, refusing to give into the world of unconsciousness; a place where he was at the complete mercy of the pureblood.
But if he had known what the future held in for him, death would have been more merciful – more painless.
Without a further warning, Rido harshly drew back his fangs away from his skin, and he gasped loudly, eyes flowing open with shock, with alarm. Glowing red orbs bore into his, and a sadistic grin spread across the pureblood's features, the smile cracking his face open, eyes burning with a manic fire that was once familiar in the utterly unfamiliar face.
"You will think twice before daring to cross me again, Hio Zero."
Those were his last haunting words, before his trembling legs were harshly pulled apart, a blunt object probing his entrance violently.
What...?
With horror, Zero looked down, tears freely flowing down his cheeks; shaking with fear, and with great difficulty, he clamped his hand over his mouth, stifling a heart-wrenching scream, as the object was shoved deeper into him, tearing him into two; the excruciating pain too great to be expressed in mere words.
But even then, the sole name; the sole plea, floating around his head was...
Kaname, please save me.
(Kaname)
"Wake up, Kaname."
A gentle nudge was applied to his shoulder, and Kaname groaned in protest, burying his face deeper into the warmth of the pureblood's chest, exhaling contentedly. It had been a while since he had slept so peacefully; happily. Therefore, he had no intentions of getting up and face the harsh reality of the world yet again.
Why should he? Especially when dreamland pleased him more than his real life?
Sleeping, in his opinion, had always been better than being awake; than being aware of his surroundings, his feelings. At least, in his dreams, he was allowed to possess things, and people, that his real life failed him to have.
An exasperated sigh was given, and the nudge came again, more forceful this time around. "Kaname, we are getting late for breakfast. Wake up, sleepyhead."
Kaname proceeded to ignore him again, and with another groan, rolled to his side – away from Haruka, away from his blabbering; instantly falling sleep again.
A move of his that proved to have rather grim consequences – for him, at least.
Intense pain surged from his ear up to his brain, and a startled gasp was abruptly drawn out of his lips. He snapped his eyes open, holding his injured ear pitifully; shooting Haruka a bewildered look.
Burgundy orbs instantly met with the man's sheepish smile, and Kaname growled, narrowing his eyes, feeling exasperated to be roused from his slumber in such a rude fashion.
"What the hell, Haruka-san?!"
Mahagony eyes seemed to be apologetic, but the pureblood's smile only became more pronounced. "I'm sorry. If I had not done this, you would have kept sleeping, Kaname."
With his glare intensifying, Kaname frowned, "Couldn't you have used a more convenient way, Haruka-san?"
A slight pout gathered on the pureblood's lips, and Haruka brought his hand to his face – stroking his cheek, placing a rueful kiss on his earlobe, giving it a tentative; apologetic lick.
Kaname held in a shudder, averting his face from the amused mahogany orbs; chewing on his bottom lip slightly.
"I am extremely apologetic for my behavior, Kaname. I, honestly speaking, did not like waking you up either. After all, you look absolutely endearing when sleeping."
He arched an eyebrow, amused and flattered, a pink hue slowly dusting his cheeks. "Oh? Are you implying that I do not look 'endearing' when I am awake, Haruka-san?" He drawled, his narrowed eyes focused on Haruka again, attempting to appear irritated.
Burgundy eyes widened, and a protest was on the tip of the man's tongue, but before Haruka could word out his objection, a snicker erupted from Kaname's throat, thwarting his convincing pretense of being furious.
Damn it.
Growling, Haruka narrowed his eyes at him, annoyed. "Not funny, Kaname." With his forefinger, the pureblood flicked his forehead, frowning deeply; and Kaname, a second later, rubbed the sore spot, feeling glum; nearly pouting. Keyword: nearly.
"Love you too." He shot back, sarcasm dripping from his voice, whilst his fingers pinched the pureblood's puffed up cheeks – quite roughly, he may add – burgundy orbs gleaming with a playful glint.
A pause, then Haruka smacked his hands away, leveling another glare upon him; averting his face to hide the embarrassed look on his features. "Idiot." The pureblood murmured under his breath, pursing his lips into a thin line; flushing deeply.
Raising a well-defined brow inquiringly, he stared at the pureblood, silently and contemplatively, deeply amused (and to some extent, bewildered) by his reaction. If he had known that his mere words of confession would make the impassive Haruka blush, he would have told them sooner.
Only if he had known!
Well, it seemed that he hadn't still completely figured out his husband – yet, a fact would not stay conclusive for far too long. Kaname promised himself.
An impish suggestion popped into his head, and with a mischievous smirk adorning his lips, he slid his fingers into the pureblood's hair, stroking the dark locks with sheer fondness.
"I love you, Haruka-san." He said again; voice soft and smooth, and Haruka focused his eyes on him again, wine-red orbs widening more, the fierce blush returning to his cheeks with intense vigor.
Inwardly smiling, Kaname secretly applauded himself for his quick-witted thinking. His strategy had worked rather splendidly, yet again.
There was a moment of silence before the pureblood stuttered; voice hesitant, eyes smoldering, "I ... care for you too, Kaname."
The smile on his features faltered slightly, but he still managed to keep it on his lips, nodding his head, his eyes downcast. It was not an answer he would have loved to hear, to cherish, but nonetheless, the genuineness behind those words could not be ignored. They came straight out from Haruka's heart, he could sense it.
And believe it or not, call him a fool or a moron, that was enough for him.
After all, was there a better way for them to restart their relationship than simple words of sincerity?
He thought not. Alternative paths would lead them to misery and heartbreak, he was certain of it.
"Thank you," Grinning widely, his fangs showing from under his lips, Kaname sat up and leaned forward, touching the pureblood's face; kissing the burning cheek fondly; lovingly. "I care for you too, Haruka-san. I care for you very deeply."
The pureblood nodded, gracing him with a warm smile, wine-red orbs intense and welcoming. "Silly."
"Only for you, my dear husband." He replied, chuckling under his breath when a bemused glance was thrown his way, a dark brow arched inquiringly. The choice of his words always seemed to have a rather cringe-worthy content, especially when Haruka was concerned – most of the times, at least.
A comfortable silence fell between them, and wordlessly, they stared into each other's eyes, smiling and holding one another closely; possessively.
For an instant, Kaname hopelessly wished that they would stay like this for eternity; until their very last breaths. In return, he wanted nothing else. This surreal moment; this hypnagogic Haruka were absolutely sufficient for him.
Futile cravings were rather laughable, were they not? Since this was nothing more than a lapse of his imagination? ... Or was it?
The latter choice would be the answer he preferred, of course. He wasn't masochist enough to select the former one – not yet, at least.
As another breathtaking moment passed, slowly and marvelously, his eyes accidentally broke the sensational connection, as the time on the ancient clock, situated behind Haruka, caught his attention, his lips parting for a small gasp.
"It's already six in the evening! Rido-nii-san will literally have our heads for breakfast if delay any further, Haruka-san!"
Kuran Rido was infamous for his punctuality, and if anyone was late for the occasion where he was involved, the consequences were dire – terribly enough.
Arching an eyebrow, amused, Haruka chuckled warmly and nodded his head in agreement, mahogany orbs beguiling and curious, "Indeed, Kaname. We will be a pair of headless purebloods. Will that not be quite romantic?"
"You have rather a peculiar sense of romance, Haruka-san." He hummed softly in response, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he quickly re-wore his discarded shirt, swiftly fastening his buttons.
His response brought a hearty laughter out from the pureblood's lips, and Kaname stopped mid-step on his 'task', turning his head to face Haruka, an amused smile of his own dancing gracefully on his lips.
A feeling akin to giddiness bubbled within his stomach, and with another smile, a stain of red dusting his cheeks, he averted his eyes down to his shirt, attempting to finish up the fastening of his extremely bothersome buttons.
Stop behaving like some lovesick puppy, Kaname Kuran. Haven't you learned your lesson already? He silently reprimanded himself, scowling slightly.
Last night, the only thing they were able to do was kiss – and to some degree, touch here and there, but that had been all, sadly. When Haruka had finally managed to take his shirt off, he had been dead sleep to the conscious world, his loud snoring having the 'unique ability to even rouse the elephants out of their slumber' – Haruka's words that were, not his own.
Exhaustion always got to him when it was absolutely unnecessary. It was rather sad, really.
He made a mental note to give his deepest apologies to Haruka on a later date. It would not be fair to him otherwise.
Sighing deeply, Kaname started to get up on his feet, but without a warning, Haruka scooped him into his arms, mahogany eyes mischievous; having the audacity to look cheeky, "Who gave you the permission to walk when I am here, Princess Kaname-sama?" Haruka chuckled, cocking his head to the side, expertly dodging the punch sent his way. "It's a crime to hit your husband, you know. I am deeply hurt, Kaname."
With a dark brow twitching, exasperated, Kaname blew out his breath in annoyance, giving up on his futile attempts to wipe off the smug smirk on the man's handsome features; throwing an irritated glare towards the pureblood, who in response chuckled further, effortlessly carrying him out of the doorway; wine-red orbs twinkling with sheer amusement as they stared down at him.
Someone was in the desperate need of some serious, and rather rough, smacking – preferably on the bare ass if possible.
And who else, better than him, the great Kuran Kaname, to carry out the deed? After all, he had mastered the art of smacking people – a certain blonde the prime victim of the said act.
Vengeance indeed tasted sweet – especially when a certain Haruka Kuran was involved.
A/N: I know, I know the contrast between Haruka and Kaname's moment compared to Rido and Zero's moment was extremely vast, but it was necessary. As some of you have guessed correctly, Rido was not as forgiving as Kaname was. But at the same time, the only reason he had snapped at Zero was due to him being extremely hurt and mad at Zero for sharing his blood with someone who was not him. So yeah.
As for Isaya, he was rather an interesting character to write. He literally does what he feels like, without considering the consequences of his actions. Rather charming, isn't he?
Extra information about Isaya: He is a sex addict. Even though he loves Kaname, he cannot live without sex. Zero coincidentally happens to be his favorite bed partner. This 'hobby' of his was developed after Kaname dumped him.
If you would like to have some extra (random) information about a certain character, feel free to ask. (¤﹏¤)
Extra Random Question: It's been bothering me for a while, but have you seen the cover page for LALA DX that features Kaname? If you have not, I will place it on my profile picture. But my question is, why the heck does Kaname have Zero's eye color? I am so confused! If anyone has the answer, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
For those who reviewed (VeronicaChase, WeirdBlackCat, ben4kevin, alisjackson59, LuanRina, horrorstar100, Kay Queen, Zero-vk), favorited/alerted, and read my story, you have my deepest gratitude. Thank you so much. (◡‿◡✿)
Feedback/Reviews are always welcome with open arms! ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ
Take care, and have a wonderful day/night. ᵔᴥᵔ