A/N: Ah, this chapter is finally out. I apologize for the long delay. I have just been extremely busy with my university. o(╥﹏╥)o I will try my best to update once a month, instead of two times, but I dearly hope that you won't mind. (╯︵╰,)
Anyways, please do enjoy this chapter! It will mean a lot~! •ᴥ•
Warnings: Unbeta-ed, more angst, more pain, some fluff, manipulative behavior.
Chapter 11: Burn Him To The Ground
(Zero)
"Because I love you. Why else?"
Through wide, startled eyes, an eyebrow inquiringly arched, he eyed the pureblood, vaguely bewildered by the response.
He had not been expecting an answer of that kind (especially in his current state), but what more could have anticipated from Haruka's typical behavior? The pureblood had always been on the corny side of the line – even more so than his brother.
He swallowed a sigh, the corner of his eye twitching. A bother – Haruka was merely an unnecessary burden on his already strained life. Would he ever be something less burdensome? The answer was probably an enormous, stubborn 'no.'
The indignation.
Why had he opened the door then, someone might curiously inquire. His reason was rather simple and straight to the point: Haruka would have thrown a childish tantrum (if he had not allowed him inside), continuously going on and on about his rude behavior – or the fact that he did not love him since the time he usually spent with the pureblood was the bare minimum (he had no desire to acquaint himself with Haruka more than necessary) – and further, irksome dialogues along those lines.
A drag – his words were nothing more than a bothersome nuisance, and the fact that he was even able to keep up with them without losing his shit was something that he should be applauded for.
He exhaled a long breath and closed his eyes, desperately attempting to placate down his raging nerves. After what Rido had done to him (and he was not blaming his husband since he was the one at fault), he had wanted to be alone with his thoughts, his misery, and his guilt.
It would have been extremely welcome if Kaname had been the one to seek him out, but to his misfortune, it had to be Haruka, who was not making the situation even slightly better. And he was pissed – grievously annoyed with the irksome pureblood for not having the decency to leave him in his solitude.
The Kuran brothers were a constant pain in the ass – both literally and metaphorically speaking.
"What is it, Haruka? I wish to return to my nap." His words were curt, edgy, and barely concealed his irritation. After all, he was in no mood to play the good pureblood with the man – someone that had no common sense concerning sensitive situations.
With his lips pursed, the pureblood's forlorn gaze fell on the floor, and Haruka murmured; voice small and hesitant, "I...I wanted to see if you were alright, Zero."
"I am alright. Thank you for your concern, but I want to be left alone." Get the hint. Sigh.
Haruka shook his head in exasperation, raising his eyes to meet his, face (flawless and pale) marred by distress.
"No, you are not alright, Zero! My suspicions that Rido had hurt you have been proven right. Just look at you. You are definitely not alright. He had no right to treat you in such a demeaning manner. I would have –"
Though his words were said out of concern for him, to Zero, they seemed to have a greater impact on his temper than on his heart.
That was the last straw. He had enough. Screw him.
Without a further admonition, he snapped; his tone almost too harsh and caustic, amethyst orbs flaring with rage as they eyed the forlorn pureblood, "Do you think I am weak, Haruka? So much so, that I need you to check up on me? The activities that my husband and I do are none of your damn business!"
The moment his words had crossed his lips, a heavy silence descended upon them, and with wide; anguished eyes, Haruka stared at him, full lips firmly compressed together.
Clenching his jaw tight, Zero directed his gaze away from the pureblood, features exasperated; eyes narrowed as they glared their irritation towards the blameless wall. His words had been harsh, he knew, and they had also devasted Haruka greatly, he knew that as well, but at the same time, he was not to be blamed for it. He had made his point perfectly clear (the statement to have his personal, well-needed solitude) to the pureblood – but no, Haruka just had to be a nuisance (again) and irk him further with his words against Rido and himself.
And, as a result, look what he had done (more likely said) to the man. If Haruka had minded his own business (as he should have in the first place), his words and reaction would (most certainly) have never happened – unless the pureblood found other ways to get on his nerves, that was.
Sigh. A day like this could not become any worse, right? For once in his life, he actually did not want to know the answer to that.
"Zero, I am sorry. I have crossed my line again. Truthfully speaking, I had no intentions of making you angry – far from it, actually. But once again, I apologize for my behavior, Zero. It was not appropriate."
The despondency in those words; in that voice, made him raise his head, and with rueful eyes, he eyed the pureblood, features expressionless and reserved.
Lips pursed, eyes closed, hands balled into fists, the pureblood's head was ducked, dark locks covering his features; concealing his emotions from sight.
And Zero, to his astonishment, felt guilt welling within him at the dejected state of the pureblood. Damn, he should not feel this way, but he still did – and that fact alone baffled him.
It was not his fault, and yet, he blamed himself (again) for an act that he had been provoked to carry out. Maybe his words had been harsh, maybe he could have handled the situation more gently, but his state of vulnerability – and the anguish within his heart – made him irked at everything, at everyone.
Rido had been far from gentle with him, his words; his actions had been terribly horrendous, but Zero was unable to point a finger of blame towards his husband. The pureblood was not to be accused of something that was not his to be blamed, but as a wishful thinking, as a hopeful plea, he had wished that when he had woken up, Rido would have been there for him – comforting him with his words, holding him in his reassuring embrace, mismatched orbs forgiving and fond as they stared into his with undeniable love.
Therefore, the agonized feelings of desolation; sorrow should be understandable when his eyes were greeted with the ominous, empty bed, with his husband nowhere in sight, and unfortunately for him, it consequently fueled his sentiments of desolation – and of anger.
At that moment, when his vulnerability had been the highest, he had not wanted to be alone. He had been desperate for some reassurance, for forgiveness from Rido, and when the realization that his husband would not be returning dawned to him (as time had steadily passed), it already had been too late – the sentiments of anguish and melancholy had successfully engulfed him into the deepest parts of the abyss.
But even if he was furious, vulnerable, and stressed out, taking out his raging feelings on someone (who was only looking out for him) was certainly not an appropriate reaction for him – regardless of the fact that he particularly disliked Haruka for having the affections of the one person he loved.
What a dilemma. Another swallowed sigh.
A couple of more moments lapsed in the stifling silence, and even then, none of them spoke a word. But soon enough, as a deal breaker, it was disrupted by Haruka's startled gasp, mahogany orbs widening as they eyed the object of their affection with bewilderment.
His lips curling into a fond smile, Zero gently brushed the pureblood's cheek with his thumb, amethyst orbs softening; while with his other hand, he tightly clutched the edges of the blankets together to his chest, refusing to let it descend and reveal the aftermath of the previous night.
He had become too soft lately, but to him, the task of staying mad at Haruka for far too long always had been proven to be rather difficult (even now). He always held a soft spot for Haruka in his heart (despite loathing him sometimes), though never in a romantic manner, but as a friend; as a family – a closeness which Haruka took in the wrong way; an intimacy that he took advantage of to acquire a particular person as his own.
The deeds he had done were horrible, the guilt of them was even more so, but it was necessary. It was all for him.
"I am also at fault here, Haruka. My words were rather unbecoming of me. When I get my much-needed sleep, I will be alright then. Do you understand where I am coming from, Haruka?"
With a withdrawn sigh, Haruka nodded his head and placed his hand over his own one, mahogany orbs solemn yet oddly gentle.
"Do I need to beat up my brother?"
Zero gave an exasperated sigh, a well-defined eyebrow twitching slightly, "Haruka..." Some things would never change, indeed.
"I was kidding," Haruka responded; voice soft, a faint smile on his features, shuffling to the bed to take place right beside him; seeming to have reverted to his old self, "It will be a suicide mission for him if he ever fought me one-to-one."
From the corner of his eyes, he gave the pureblood an amused look; his eyebrow arched slightly, "Right." He chuckled softly and nonchalantly leaned his head on the broad shoulder, heaving a deep sigh. Well, one additional problem was thankfully solved, and now, he wanted nothing more than a day of sleep. His exhaustion had taken a deep hold over him – and Haruka's shoulder was proving to be rather a comfortable, warm pillow.
He needed to be shot for the diversity of his moods for this particular person, seriously.
Since there was nothing more to be said, a comfortable silence had settled between them, leaving the occupants to their own musings, but soon enough, it was once again disrupted when Haruka decided to wrap an arm around his waist, pulling him close to his chest, his concerned gaze shifting down to Zero's clutched fist.
"May I...?" The pureblood cleared his tone then inquired; tone hesitant, rose-wood orbs worried.
A pause, then with humiliation, Zero averted his eyes down to his lap, grasping the blanket tighter, agitatedly shaking his head. No. He could not let Haruka see – especially not when his wounds had still to recover.
His healing abilities had been reduced significantly because of the hunter charms that had been used on him...by Rido. It was not him, Zero, it was not him. He attempted to remind (reassure) himself of that fact, knowing quite well it would not work, but he still tried nonetheless.
That beast had not been his Rido, he knew that, but the horrendous memories of the torturous activities that had transpired between them the previous night had left a deep scar within him; scared him to death – and he was still trying to cope with the shock, even if it proved to be futile.
Deep breaths, Zero, deep breaths. He squeezed his eyes shut, cold sweat dripping down the side of his head, and buried his face deeper into the warmth that was freely offered to him, trembling slightly within the comfort of the embrace.
It had been horrible... Simply horrible...
"Please Zero," Haruka pleaded softly, resting his forehead against his; stroking the nape of his neck gently; soothingly, "Let me see what he has done to you."
The words managed to trigger him (badly), and with unneeded force, he pushed the pureblood away, shooting him a heated glare; voice harshly stern as he snapped, "Haruka. No. Leave now. I don't want to see your face a second longer."
But to his sheer annoyance, Haruka was not planning to give up, his mahogany orbs urgent with desperation. "Let me bear your pain, Zero. Let me help you. I will leave after that. I promise."
"No."
"Zero!"
The desperation in the pureblood's eyes cultivated, and Zero sighed deeply, his eyes narrowing down in irritation. Why did the man have to be so stubborn?
"Haruka, I do not wish you to see me in such a state. Leave me to myself, please. This is what I desire. Respect my wishes for once in your life, I beg of you."
He phrased his words as carefully as possible, attempting not to sound irritated (despite his inner turmoil), wishing against all the odds that Haruka would understand and leave him alone without the need of violence.
He could not let Haruka see his blemishes. He would not allow him to blame Rido. He could not let anyone raise a finger towards his husband. He, Zero Hio, would rather have his dignity soiled than of his husband.
His respect for Kuran Rido matched his love for Kuran Kaname. It was that important to him.
A minute passed in complete silence, and with a long-withdrawn sigh, the pureblood gave a reluctant nod, admitting his defeat, a look of dejection ghosting over his features, "Alright, Zero."
"Thank you, Haruka."
The brunette compressed his lips bitterly and narrowed his eyes down at him, shooting him another curt nod.
Zero observed him with silence, waiting for the man to leave the room of his own volition, but as time prolonged, nothing of that sort occurred, and to his immense annoyance, Haruka kept staring at him with that unreadable gaze of his, not saying a single word, while his lips stayed pursed into a thin line.
The irritation was unbearable. Fuck.
"Is there anything else you would like to say before you leave, Haruka?" He broke the deafening silence with his words, his left eyebrow twitching ever-so-slightly. If he had to deal with the secretive; silent glances sent to him from the pureblood a second longer, he would become insane – and might consequently murder the man by mistake.
He certainly had enough of him – if that was not abundantly clear enough.
"Yes. I have a request to ask of you." Haruka responded, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, his eyes holding a seriousness in them that made Zero extremely uncomfortable.
With his eyes narrowed, he eyed the pureblood cautiously, arching a well-defined brow at him, his features impassive – and concealing the reality of his feelings behind a collected mask.
What more could Haruka possibly need from him? Why could the man just not leave him alone? Sigh.
"Go on."
"I want to hold you."
A long pause, as he stared at Haruka, the corner of his eyes twitching. What the heck? Did the pureblood only think about sex, regardless of the situation at hand?
The nerve of this man...!
"Excuse me?" The exasperation in his voice could not be further highlighted, but even if it was not, his face said it all.
His question seemed to have caught the pureblood off guard, and with wide eyes, Haruka looked at him, dumbfounded, cheeks flushing a deep crimson.
Well, that reaction was certainly not the one he was expecting.
"No! I did not mean in that way! Holding you without sex involved – like I was doing it a few minutes ago. My intentions were clean, Zero, I promise!"
With unimpressed eyes, he eyed the pureblood, silent and impatient. It was hard to believe Haruka (sometimes), especially when the man's feelings for him were concerned. They could be innocent, yes, but most of the time, ulterior motives were always involved.
After all, Isaya was the perfect example (and reason) as to why he had trust issues with people. That pathetic excuse for a man could not be trusted, and he had a terrible feeling that Isaya would not abide by his conditions (and meet Kaname without his permission) soon enough.
All his sacrifices would mean for nothing, and that fact alone seriously pissed him off to no end. When he was done with everything, Isaya Shoto would be the first one to die by his hands. For that fateful day to arrive, he could simply not wait. After all, his hate for that certain pureblood was rather deep – with good reason, that was.
"Can I not embrace you, Zero? Do you hate me that much?"
The distraught voice startled him out of his malicious thoughts (the ones in which he tortured Isaya Shoto in the most horrible ways imaginable), and Zero raised his eyes to meet with the distressed eyes of the man, his eyebrows furrowed together.
Well, damn. It did not seem like (even in the slightest) that Haruka would leave him alone unless his wish was fulfilled first. It was just an embrace, right? What could possibly go wrong?
"If I say 'yes,' do you promise to leave me alone afterward?"
The fact that he was willing to comply with the man's wishes did not mean that he was happy about it – his feelings were in the opposite direction, if that piece of information was not clear enough.
He had to suppress another urge to sigh again. Fuck.
"Of course." The pureblood gave a definite nod.
A sigh, then with a grin, he eyed the pureblood, amethyst orbs bemused, "Then, Haruka, what are you waiting for? Do you need a special invitation?" The sooner he was done with this, the sooner he would have his much-desired rest. About freaking time, I say.
Haruka shot him a charming smile, and without a second to lose, the pureblood scooted closer to his side, sliding his arms around his waist and hugging him firmly towards his frame.
"Thank you, Zero."
A pause, then he shot the man a wry smile, snuggling his face into the crook of his neck, "Idiot."
With an arched eyebrow, his smile becoming more pronounced, Haruka watched him, amused, "I will not mind turning into a chicken if that would make you happy, Zero." A warm chuckle escaped the pureblood's lips, and Haruka held him tightly against his chest, planting a fond kiss on the side of his face.
Raising his head slightly, Zero eyed him (with a straight face) for the longest of a moment, and Haruka stared back at him, his face equally impassive as his own one. And the next thing they realized, with a sudden awareness, was the fact that they had burst into a series of laughter, foreheads pressed together; arms around each other – simply enjoying the familiarity of the moment.
For the barest of a second, he was thrown back into the past, where good old times were less complicated; less hostile, and more enjoyable; more radiant. The only piece (and person) missing from the picture was Rido – without him, the picture would never be perfect. It had to be all three of them together.
"Chicken? Of all the things you could have said."
"It made you laugh, didn't it?"
"Maybe, Haruka, maybe."
The sounds of their laughter had died into a comfortable silence, and he had closed his eyes, drifting into a world of nothingness, but with gentleness, Haruka woke him up with his words, an amusing smile gracing his lips, "Hey, Zero?"
With a deep groan, he cracked his eyes open, shooting the brunette an inquiring look. From when did sleep become so hard to obtain? The moment you decided to let Haruka inside the room, dumbass. The snarky voice responded, and he groaned more loudly, burying his face deeper into the pureblood's shoulder.
Let him die in peace, please.
"What is it, Haruka?" He was extremely close to murdering Haruka, but he held the urge in – or at least, attempted to. If he did not get his sleep in the next couple of minutes, hell would break loose – with all chaos included. And he would not be blamed for that either, thank you.
"Nothing, my love." The pureblood's warm chuckle surrounded him, and Haruka slid his fingers under his chin, tilting it up; his lips curled into a small smile, "I just love you, Zero." His whisper was gentle against his skin, and yet, Zero felt nothing but alarm, "Far too much for my own good."
But before he could even act upon the confession by throwing the pureblood out of the room, Haruka had closed the distance between, and in a blink of an eye, had captured his slightly parted lips into a searing kiss without a word of warning given.
And Zero, too bewildered to react, froze on the spot; his eyes widening when the realization ( that he had broken his promise to Kaname) penetrated his consciousness like a red-hot knife.
No...No...No...
And the next thing he knew, his hand had risen (as a natural reflex, one born of anger and shock against the action) and had been connected with the side of Haruka's face – with so much force, that the pureblood had ended up on the floor with a nasty hand-print on his cheek.
This could not be happening...! What had he done?...!
(Isaya)
Outside the glass doors, the sun was rising, coating the surrounding hills in a warm, pinkish glow. Bright colors painted the pristine skies, mesmerizing the eyes with its etherealness. The wind was soft; gentle as it glided through the darkened-green leaves of the trees, enrapturing them in a moment of crisp chillness.
Overall, the weather was lovely, warm, and welcoming (something he would usually be enjoying watching from the safety of his chambers) in comparison with the mood of the room – awful, cold, and suffocating.
The stark contrast was rather baffling, and to some degree, irritating, but nothing mattered because he was here with him (after so many years) – regardless of the fact that persistent silence from the other party was gradually grating on his nerves.
Patience, Isaya, patience.
Heaving a sigh, Isaya flattened his gaze upon mop of brown hair (the owner was occupying the couch with him), his features contorting with exasperation. They had been like this – seated upright, no words exchanged between each other, lost in their own musings; worries, refusing to acknowledge the other's existence (Kaname was doing that part) – for a couple of hours. Therefore, the fact that he was coming to the end of his patience should not be surprising, right?
Excuses, he knew, but why would he justify his own reasonings to himself, someone might ask – to feel less guilty, of course. What other reason could there be? After all, he did have a conscious, regardless of what people may wrongly assume about him.
He pursed his lips into a thin line, his flaming, turquoise orbs narrowing down at the pureblood intently. Kaname seemed (and probably was) extremely distraught – his head was bowed, his shoulders were stiff, his chocolate strands covered his eyes, and his features lacked a single drop of life. It was sickeningly obvious (he preferred it not to be) that Kaname had taken the incident hard, and yet, not a single tear escaped his eyes since the moment they had stepped into his mansion.
The pureblood was shaken terribly by the betrayal, he could tell; the pureblood was attempting to hold his anguish in check, he realized that as well, but instead of feeling sympathy for the man, stirrings of satisfaction bloomed within his heart without no accompanied feelings of remorse. Kaname deserved the pain, the betrayal, the heartbreak. He served it all for abandoning him, for deserting their six years of relationship, and for breaking his heart.
He could not be more happy about their current situation, but at the same time, he could not bring himself to detest the pureblood. He loved Kaname – to the extent of abandoning his morals and teachings – until this very day. Although, the fact that Kaname did not deserve his undying love for him was an entirely different story.
He was a person to harbor grudges against people, after all, if that was not evident enough.
But even though he held some animosity for Kaname, the reality of his feelings would never change, even if he slept with many people; even if they were extremely good-looking. If they were not Kaname, there was no chance in seven hells he would ever fall in love with them – he was speaking from experience since he did try his best to shift his feelings to his number two favorite concubine, Takuma Ichigo.
The irony that the man had chosen to stay with him (and console his broken heart in numerous of provocative ways) – rather than leaving to be on Kaname's side (they had been best of buddies in high school!) never failed to amuse him.
Kaname was always surrounded by interesting people, curse him.
With a shake of his head, Isaya heaved a long-withdrawn sigh and nonchalantly slid his arm around the pureblood's waist (his patience had lasted long enough, thank you), pulling the man close to his side; burying his face into the familiar, dark strands – as he used to do, countless of times in the past.
It seriously had been too long. The fact that he had to wait for this moment for many, torturous years made every lonely night (the times he was not having sex and actually thinking about his life for once) all worth it. Patience was indeed a virtue, as many scholars had stated in the past, but only now did he realize the true meaning of the phrase.
He needed more moral lessons in his life, seriously.
Kaname turned his head to the side, regarding him with a blank stare, and he only managed to shoot the pureblood a wry smile, holding him closer and more protectively towards himself.
"What is it?"
The words were chapped and apathetic, but there was something in the tone of pureblood's voice that did not sit properly with him. The longer he stared into the vacant pool of nothingness, the sharper the ache in his heart became, and with difficulty, he tore his gaze away from the wine-red orbs – the same ones he had always cherished; the exact ones that used to be padded with haughtiness and pride – before compressing his lips bitterly. What had happened to his Kaname?
Haruka happened, the thought brought a sour taste to his mouth, and he released another heavy sigh, reluctantly bringing his gaze towards the owner of his heart.
A terrible, terrible move on his part.
His heart throbbed painfully in his chest, and he had to inhale a deep breath to keep his composure unscathed. Soulless eyes continued to stare at him with ambiguity, showering him with a sense of discomfort, and in that moment, the sole solution that he could think of (in that moment) was...
"Ouch! What was that for?" Kaname growled, rubbing his face with the back of his hand, a form of irritation rising on his expressionless face.
He had grabbed the nearest wool cushion and ungracefully smacked the gloominess out of the pureblood's face with no hesitancy. A rather uncanny method on his part, but it actually worked, and for now, that was enough for him.
"You were beginning to look like a dead man. It was starting to scare me. "
His only response was a heated glare in his direction – before Kaname turned his face away from him and observed the portrait on the wall with vivid attention, his jaw set tightly, indicating that hints of annoyance for him remained.
Fuck.
Maybe he was insane, or sexually-depraved, or even a masochist, but the fact that Kaname was exasperated at him was extremely arousing – and the mere notion of 'aggressive sex' was even more so, but he eradicated his sexual urges with utmost urgency, shaking his head in disgust.
This was not the time to get an erection.
"Are you okay, Kaname?" He decided to ask instead, his question harboring a double meaning within its words, one which the pureblood seemed to have expertly grasped by the expression on his face.
Kaname was rather intelligent when the topic of feelings was not involved (thankfully, or he would have lost the pureblood to Zero-san a long time ago), but it did not bother him, to a certain degree, because this was one of the characteristics that Kaname was composed of (even though, sometimes, it was quite annoying to drill his intentions, and feelings, into the pureblood. It had taken Kaname six damn years to realize his attraction towards him, for Pete's sake!).
Good old times, indeed, but rather painful to remember. Sigh.
The pureblood turned his head towards him and shot him a look that was half glare, half withdrawn, shrugging his inquiry away.
Well, that worked out splendidly. He sighed deeply. Of course, Kaname was not 'okay.' It was a moronic inquiry to ask, but he had to ask something – unless he wanted to experience the silence of gloom (as if as they were in a funeral of a hated one) once again.
Nope, that was out of the question. One man could only take so much, after all – despite the fact that he was no ordinary man, but that little-tiny detail did not make a difference on his based-on-stone and never-changing self-justification.
Stubbornness was his middle name. Anyone who might perhaps disagree with him may leave out of the door, fall into a hole, and die a miserable death. Christ.
With a resigned sigh, he stared at the silent pureblood (for a whole minute) with a contemplative look, and Kaname, pursuing his lips into a thin line, shot him heated daggers mercilessly, not backing down from the staring contest without a fight.
Isaya smirked and scooted closer to the pureblood, turquoise orbs glinting with undecipherable emotions, "Kaname," His voice was smooth as silk, yet his eyes told the pureblood an entirely different story, "Do you want revenge?"
There was a rapid succession of blinking, and then, Kaname arched an eyebrow, inquiring him silently with his eyes.
The curl of his lips became more pronounced, and he elaborated his inquiry, in such a manner, that led no doubts to the mind – and would surely get the desired reaction out of the pureblood.
"Do you want revenge on Haruka-sama, Kaname?"
Wine-red orbs gradually widened at the implication of his words, and Kaname, as a reflex, shook his head swiftly, moving away from him in haste; his expression as anguished as before.
But, he was having none of that. The pureblood's reaction (reasonably straightforward) to his suggestion irked him; frustrated him, and with a deep growl from his throat, he clamped his fingers over the man's arm, holding him in a deathly, vice grip; flaring, ocean-blue eyes boring deeply into the bewildered burgundy ones.
He had enough of this madness. Kaname was insane for loving a despicable man like Haruka. The pureblood needed someone to save him from his crazy delusions – and fortunately for Kaname, that someone was him.
If only the pureblood had not left him, things would have turned out to be different, they would not be in this pain-in-the-ass of a dilemma, and Kaname would have never experienced the anguish of betrayal.
He was reasonably confident that he could keep his pants on (and not indulge himself in sexual activities with his bed partners) if another chance was given to him. It would be challenging in the beginning, but he could give it a try for Kaname.
Love made him weak. Sigh.
When the arm in his possession attempted to break free, his attention was once again directed towards the struggling pureblood, the corner of his eyebrow twitching ever-so-slightly.
Kaname was making this hard for himself, as well as for him, more than necessary. Was it that unbearable to listen to his words? Or was the man just too stubborn to his liking?
Maybe it was a mixture of both, but he was not letting go of the pureblood until Kaname heard him out – and succumbed to his suggestions that would make his nemesis pay for their deeds, crowning him the victor of this endless, useless war.
That day was not very far, but the wait for it was quite torturous. He could do this. The only requirement that he needed was a dozen of wholly filled packets of patience, preferably with free shipping – since he seemed to be running out of it rather quickly.
If he was not in this tight of a situation, he would have laughed his ass off at his very good, not-hilarious joke. Fuck it.
The struggles became more insistent; annoying; and as a warning, he tightened his grip on the appendage, his nostrils flaring, a delicate expression of his supreme frustration towards the pureblood.
He had to keep his calm, or he would seriously lose it – a sight that he wanted no one to see, especially the pureblood in his possession.
"Kaname," His voice was stern, and he held Kaname in place, turquoise orbs narrowed; displeased. "Listen to me."
The pureblood shook his head more, shooting him a glare through his anguished, wine-red orbs; attempting to free his hand from him – but he would not let him, not now, at least.
"Don't you want Haruka-sama to feel the same way? Don't you want Zero-sama to suffer for his deeds?"
That kiss was not supposed to be in his plan, he was planning for Kaname to see a far sinister sight, but since it happened nonetheless, he was not complaining. The poor-excuse-of-a-pureblood-king Kuran-fucking-Haruka was useful sometimes – not that he liked him. Ew.
The futile attempts to flee from him crumbled to a sudden halt, and the pureblood regarded him impassively. The slightest twitch of the dark eyebrow was the only indication that Kaname was actually listening to him.
Prayers do get answered – just not the ones that were of importance. Sigh.
For his next words, he had to look away from Kaname (since the ache in his heart was too great and the jealousy too unbearable) and his grip on the pureblood's arm loosened for the barest of a fraction, his features tight with fury when the dreaded words slipped through his lips.
"You will need to have sex with Zero-sama to accomplish that."
"..."
Kaname, finally being able to yank his arm free, had taken the chance through his distraction, and with a vehement glare, smacked him across the head (extremely hard) before striding towards the door with unimaginable hurry. A very lovely, "go to hell," accompanying his departure.
The pureblood's show of affection was rather painful, and if he was any other ordinary vampire, a brain surgery would have been immediately required, but since he was not one, he was perfectly fine – and so was his resolve, one which he was quite hesitant about until this moment.
The fact that Kaname was against his suggestion (so much so, that the pureblood would actually smack him for it) hardened his determination. Kaname hated Hio Zero with vehemence (all thanks to the pureblood himself). So, even if Kaname ended up sleeping with his arch-enemy, at least, he would have the guarantee that pureblood would not fall in love with Zero-san – while at the same time, his plan would work splendidly in his favor.
Isaya did not like this part of his scheme a single bit, but unfortunately for him, it was a necessity for his further plans. Kaname would be his sooner than planned if he did this. Therefore, this small sacrifice should mean nothing to him (or at least, he was pretending it to be nothing) in the long run.
He needed not to be jealous, not when he was this close to gain what he wanted. Sigh.
The dilemma of the situation did not escape him, but he had to applaud himself for being such a manipulative, genius mastermind (and an asshole, to some extent).
Zero-san should have never underestimated him, but oh well, he was once again not complaining. He knew he was breaching his condition with the pureblood by meeting Kaname before the stated time, but did he care? No. What Zero-san did not know would not hurt him in the least.
"He loves you, Kaname." Isaya continued, his determined eyes glinting in the sunlight peeking through the foliage, and stood up from his seat, following the pureblood out of the door, "So much so, that he would do anything for you. You have no idea the power you hold over him."
For the barest of a moment, there was a halt in the steps and a sudden stiffening of the shoulders, but Kaname resumed his 'escape' with more urgency, appearing to have not heard him.
But, Isaya knew him too well. The pureblood had heard him loud and clear. Kaname was playing hard to get – just with the wrong competitor.
With vampiric speed, he was beside the pureblood in no time, and without a word of warning, he took hold of the pureblood's arm: wrenching him around and pulling him towards him, chest to chest, eyes to eyes.
Bemused turquoise orbs bored into the bewildered; furious burgundy ones, and he smirked; his words ruthless and straight to the point.
"Fuck him and throw him aside. Make him realize what a whore he is." His fingers slid under the pureblood's chin, and he gently tipped it upwards, leaning closer to his face – lips almost touching; breaths mingling between them, a tantalizing taste that only left him wanting more, "There is no better revenge, Kaname. They need to suffer... Both of them."
His eyes darkened, pleased, when a contemplative look flashed across the pureblood's features, but before Kaname could grace him with a response (a portrayal of colorful insults), he swooped in for a sweet kiss, winking down at the wide-eyed, speechless pureblood with no modesty.
There was no need for Kaname to reject his suggestion without thinking it over.
"Revenge tastes sweet, but so does your lips, Kaname."
With Haruka and Zero out of the picture, victory would be his, and so shall be Kaname.
After all, there was no finerway to kill two birds with a single stone – or destroy two purebloods with a single Isaya Shoto, right? Heh.
Bring it on, Zero-san, Haruka-san. I will be waiting for you.
A/N: Damn, should Kaname take up Isaya's suggestion to sleep with Zero? Or would that be too cruel? ٩(×̯×)۶
As some of you have correctly guessed, Zero was not the one who initiated the kiss, but it was Haruka. Zero did not notice Kaname's or Rido's presence because he was too shocked (the hunter drugs -poison from the hunter's charms and weapon- in his system was the primary cause that he was less attentive of his surroundings, as well as the cause of his extreme exhaustion).
As for Isaya, I have no words for him. Sometimes, I do wonder who the real antagonist of this story is. Any guesses/suggestions? ٩(̾●̮̮̃̾•̃̾)۶
Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter! •ᴥ• Feedback/Reviews will be extremely appreciated. (つд｀)
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