Author's Note: Hey all! Here's the conclusion of this short piece. Thanks for feedback on the previous chapter! :) Hope you guys... erm, enjoy this? Thanks for reading, regardless :D Note: the things within '/ /' are what was recorded. It might get a little confusing.
Disclaimer: Vampire Knight belongs to Matsuri Hino.
With Zero's departure, a thick, heavy silence had descended over the house. It echoed through the long, deserted hallways - the perfect acomplice to the sinister shadows that painted the walls and floors.
The only sign of life was in the dining room. A figure rested upon a cushioned seat at the head of the dining table, elbows propped up on the glassy surface. With his chin resting lightly upon clasped, interlinked fingers, eyes closed, he appeared, for all intents and purposes, as if he were taking a peaceful nap.
But of course, sleep was presently the furthest thing from Kaname's mind.
Eyelids parted, and an intent burgundy stare once again found its way to the black object laying on the table.
Appearance-wise, the bug looked so simple - such a small, unobtrusive device. How could something like this make even a splash in the grand scheme of things?
Yet, as the pureblood well knew, within its depths lay unspeakable secrets.
Secrets that had rendered Kaname desperate enough to plant it on his lover during his welcome-home hug. Secrets about where Zero was right now, likely.
Secrets about what was wrong with them.
Kaname let out a harsh breath, his narrowed eyes never once leaving the recording device. Doubts swirled up within him, doubts that he'd been battling ever since his mind had conceived this idea.
Did he really want to know? After all, Zero had been acting suspiciously for so long now. Kaname had just ignored it all this time, not wanting to admit that something was wrong. The relationship between the two of them was tense, for sure, but amicable enough. This evening was unrefutable proof of that.
Listening to this recording - it might change everything. What he heard might upset the fragile balance that had settled uneasily between them.
You don't have to listen, you know, observed a tiny voice at the back of his mind. You could just destroy this right now, and remain in blissful denial. That's so much easier, isn't it?
It was so tempting... to pretend nothing was wrong, that-
'No!' shouted the pureblood suddenly, his hoarse cry breaking through the previous silence in the air.
He had already promised himself, when he bought the bug, that he would go through with this. No more mysteries from Zero, no more denial from him. No matter what was recorded on the device, he would listen to the end, right to the very end.
Even if it killed him inside.
Kaname picked up the bug, fingers trembling ever so slightly.
A deep breath.
Another one.
And then he pressed play.
A faint crackle of static greeted him, and then he heard a click. The phone bug was one that began recording once a call was connected through, so the first sound he heard was the crisp, no-nonsense voice of his lover's.
/'Hello, Yagari?'/
/Zero, hey. It's me. You coming over tonight?/
Kaname inhaled sharply. This was the first time he'd ever gotten to hear the caller's voice. It wasn't one he recognised, but it was soft, gentle.
Unmistakably not Yagari.
But...
Zero's mystery caller was male.
/'Yes, I'll be on my way as soon as possible.'/
'Oh, Zero...' murmured Kaname, closing his eyes as another wave of sadness crashed over him. 'Why do you leave so readily once he calls...?'
/I'm glad... Are you there with him?/
Kaname's eyes shot open, realisation dawning upon him. Ah...
/'...Affirmative.'/
...so that was the reason for Zero's hesitation, every time...
Him.
/I see. Well, come over quick. I can't wait to see you./
Unconsciously, the pureblood's hands curled into tight fists. Who was this guy?
/'Likewise.'/
Kaname's heart sunk as, once again, he heard Zero's voice gentling as he replied, his tone revealing more about his true feelings than the word he'd used.
If only he didn't know Zero so well... he wouldn't have been able to pick up on that.
If only...
Soft laughter from the bug drew his attention back to the audio, blinking in confusion for a second. Had Zero...?
No, of course not, he reasoned. It was the caller who was laughing.
Bastard...
/I've missed you, Zero. Hurry here./
An invisible hand twisted around Kaname's heart at those words. He gritted his teeth, exhaling heavily. How dare he? Acting as if Zero was his?
/'Yes, sir, I understand.'/
No wonder the amusement, thought the pureblood grimly. He leaned back in his seat, head hanging limply over the back of the chair. The previous flash of anger in his eyes had swiftly dulled, fading back to dark despair as he listened to the hunter's easy agreement.
More laughter from the mystery man.
His fists tightened, the knuckles turning white as bone. Oh, what Kaname was imagining doing to him to stop him from ever again making a sound...
/See you in a bit, Zero./
/'Yes.'/
No, Zero... Say no... pleaded the pureblood silently, despite the knowledge of how pathetic he was acting right now.
He lifted one arm weakly, flopping it across his eyes, as if that could block out reality. As it that would make all of this just some really bad nightmare.
/Louie Voy, Zero. You know, right?/
Kaname jerked upright in his seat, his eyes widening in shock.
/'I know. Louie Voy. Always... will never change.'/
A click, and then silence took over once again.
But Kaname was too lost in his thoughts to notice.
Louie Voy! The target that Zero always spoke about!
If the caller was speaking of him too, maybe... maybe this was all work-related! Maybe all of this wasn't actually what Kaname's overactive imagination had cooked it up to be, but just something really, really innocent and simple.
Maybe... maybe the caller was just some joker of a hunter who found it amusing to speak to Zero with such misleading innuendos. Just a teammate's bad joke - and nothing else.
It wasn't impossible, after all. Right?
Hope flared up like a blinding beacon, brighter than anything that had ever been ignited within him before. Kaname smoothly pulled a pen from his shirt pocket, scribbling the name down on his napkin.
'Louie Voy,' he repeated, tapping his pen distractedly on the table as the gears in his mind began turning - slowly, at first, but then faster and faster.
Louie Voy.
All he needed to do was to find out who-
...Louie Voy.
Kaname suddenly stiffened, his piercing gaze directed so fixatedly at the napkin that one could almost picture it spontaneously bursting into flame under the weight of his stare.
Visibly trembling, his hand began moving the pen across the napkin, writing the name once again.
However, this time, the letters were put into different arrangements.
And they spelt out something vastly different, something that very firmly shoved the truth in his face, not allowing him even the slightest opportunity to hide.
A choked sob erupted from Kaname's throat, a hoarse, heart-breaking sound that echoed throughout the empty house.
A drop of water plopped down onto the napkin, right beside the shaky letters scrawled there. It was followed by others just like it - two, three..., eight..., and then... there were just too many to count.
But somehow, the words were never hit. They never smeared, never faded. They remained exactly where they were, a firm testament to the meaning behind them.
Louie Voy...
/I love you.../
THE END.
Not depressing at all. Nope.
*proceeds to burst out in tears*
So... yeah. Zero is cheating on Kaname. Probably... Possibly... Likely...
A couple of you commented on the last chapter, saying that it didn't seem at all like Zero to do something like this. Infidelity doesn't seem like something in his character. And I completely agree... to a point.
Maybe in a ideal world. In a happy world.
I guess I should explain more? Feel free to skip to the end if you don't wanna waste the next one minute of your time on my rambling haha.
With this fic, I wanted to do something realistic, something that wasn't another 'they live happily ever after, fighting through all their troubles and coming up even stronger than before'. I've written a couple of fics like that, and read many such others on this site. And don't get me wrong, they're awesome, and I love them just as much as the next person. Everyone loves such touching, happily-ever-after endings - it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside, wondering that perhaps such pure, true love does exist.
But in reality, things often don't work out that way. Things aren't always so simple. Like I wrote in the previous chapter, 'Ninety years was a long time; long enough for a relationship to change; long enough for them to change.' A lot of people who have affairs don't seem like people who would. They don't plan on it, don't want to ever end up as the cheating partner.
But it happens.
My premise for this fic (after I'd finally decided on the direction I wanted to go in) was that Kaname and Zero were in a wonderful, loving relationship. At first. But then things changed, as they so often do. Their relationship started falling apart. It didn't work as well anymore. And then Zero... maybe he met someone really nice, and slowly... unknowingly... fell for him. He knows it's wrong, and he is guilty (as seen from the previous chapter). But a part of him still really loves Kaname, doesn't want to let him go. And hence this situation. It's the same for Kaname. He's known for a while now that there's someone else in the picture. That there's someone who is actually able to make the hunter happy, something that Kaname can't seem to do anymore. But he, too, doesn't want to end this relationship with Zero. Hence his denial.
But now... he knows for sure. So what's going to happen now?
Kaname might take this recording to Zero, demand an explanation - a break-up, possibly. Perhaps this might finally be the push he needs to get him to end it all.
But for me, I doubt that. I see the two of them continuing this sad, damaging, destructive relationship, neither able to leave. Hence the title of this chapter, because Kaname will probably hide the fact that he knows what Zero is hiding. I'm not sure if this is considered a happy ending. On the one hand, Zero is cheating. On the other, Kaname is aware of it, and has accepted it (kinda). And the two are still together, somewhat still in love.
Okay, this is official depressing.
And I'm sorry I spent so long trying to explain this. Or if I seem like I'm just trying to justify this story. It's just my expression of how things can go wrong in a relationship. (Maybe this was influenced by my friend's relationship troubles *sudden realization* Ah, that explains it.)
ANYWAY.
THANK YOU guys so much for reading this to the end (if you did, that is). I hope this fic gave you something (probably not happiness, though), and that you enjoyed it in some way. Please leave me your thoughts in a review, they'll be much appreciated!
See you guys next time :D