Unexpectedly Close To The Edge
Set 3 years after Vampire Knight Guilty, however, certain enemies aren't as dead as they were thought to be.
~{}~ signifies a change in time or perspective
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, these awesome characters do not belong to me in any way. They belong to Matsuri Hino. I just stole them and put them to use for my own sick mind ;)
Summary: Yuki's death brings the two former enemies Zero and Kaname closer than they ever expected to be. As the two of them - both broken in their own way - struggle to pick up a life again, will they cope by putting each other together again?
Rated M: mature emotions, rape, violence, M/M lemon (seriously, rated M for good reason!)
AN: Sorry for the delay in updating. I'm afraid my life kidnapped me all of a sudden ;) And don't worry, the OCs are only there to make Kaname and Zero better ^^ Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 6: A Special Request
"Clear?" Ito asked. Kiryu nodded shortly in answer. The four hunters fanned out in the darkness of the tunnel system, cones of light illuminating the walls. There were no more brick walls down here. It was all naked stone. A small cavern opened up before them, seemingly quiet. Ayame Nakamura smiled. Their team was in good shape. After six hours in a vampire infested sewer system she had expected a little wear and tear to her gear and nerves, but she wasn't even very wet, except below the knees. She had downed six Level E's with her sword tonight and felt a sense of accomplishment.
Her best friend, Naoto Yamada, had killed five. As much as she liked to watch Naoto and see her best friend succeed, she was also curious about the others. Because they were all very young by hunter standards, they had never been on a team together this way. She had never actually seen Ito or Kiryu fight before. Ito trained differently from her or Naoto because he was a spell caster and Kiryu rarely showed up at the Association's headquarters at all. With great curiosity, she watched them whenever she had the opportunity.
They reached the far end of the cavern and Kiryu turned around to address them.
"At the end of this tunnel, we will reach the shaft leading into the lowest part of this system. There are only three ways into it, so sealing them off will be most effective. And while we're already here – we might as well go on and do it." Everyone nodded. "Ito, place the first seal here."
By nature, every hunter had a certain affinity to hunter spells, but spell casters were exceptionally talented. Casting a spell drained a hunter of his strength to a certain degree, depending on the spell. All hunters could train to do the simpler spells without losing too much energy, but things like permanent seals were highly advanced. So it was either three or four hunters simultaneously working on one spell or one talented spell caster. That's where hunters like Ito came in.
Spell casters could place almost any kind of charm without being weakened significantly. The difficulty lay in protecting them while they performed it. This was the reason why so few of them remained. While performing a spell they were vulnerable to attacks, because they had to focus their energy and couldn't afford spending their attention on watching their own backs. So naturally, while Ito worked, it was their job to guard him, but Ayame was curious enough to watch him while he performed the spell.
She knew the words to that charm, she could probably have performed it herself – however, most likely she would have been so drained afterwards, she would have been unable to go on for another two hours at least. And even after that she would have been of little use if all she could do was stand upright and perhaps stumble forward.
Ito went through the movements fluidly and drew the hunter symbols in a circular pattern on the ground. Placing himself in the center he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he spoke the words quietly and the symbols flared to life. A purple light engulfed them as they shone brightly, then they disappeared from sight. They would be visible only when a vampire tried to walk through them. Then the vampire would walk against an invisible, yet solid wall. The spell could only be undone by a skilled hunter.
Kiryu nodded to Ito. "You alright?" he asked.
Ito breathed deeply and nodded back. "Yeah."
Ayame looked at him and found he looked no more tired than beforehand. But Kiryu seemed unconvinced and looked at him thoughtfully. Then he nodded and said:
"Hold position, I'll go down into the lower tunnel. Follow when I say it's clear."
He turned, crossed the spell, Ito had freshly cast and descended down a rusty ladder into more darkness. Only out of the corner of her eye did Ayame see how the branding tattoo on Kiryu's neck flared red. But she didn't think twice about it. She was too busy giving a worried look to Ito.
The spell caster looked fine, though. She saw no sign of weariness, but perhaps Kiryu could see more. Or he was simply overly cautious. She wasn't sure. The small hunter took a sip of his water bottle and stretched.
Regarding him this closely, it still struck Ayame, how it was unconventional for someone without the advantage of large body mass and size to do a lot of close-up fighting. But Ito was a close-up fighter – though he had shot two Level E's from a close range, he had seemed more in his element as he calmly blasted another three off himself with charms. Ayame always tried to keep the Level E's off of herself, but Ito hadn't seemed perturbed in the least by their closeness. It made her shudder slightly to imagine them so close… She watched him pack his bottle back and smiled. She liked him, she decided. He didn't pretend to be anything he wasn't. And even if he was quiet, he smiled most of the time. She liked that, too. They all exchanged looks – so far, their team was getting on well. Holding position, the three of them stood, waiting for Kiryu to report that it was clear.
They didn't speak, so the female hunter was left to her musings. Ito was easy to get along with. Kiryu was a mystery. The silver haired hunter was very different from Ito, Ayame mused. He really was Yagari's student – entirely. She had been on teams with Yagari a few times and watching the one-eyed hunter was amazing. He was the definition of a fast, silent and flawless executioner and just knew where the vampires were. Kiryu was much the same. And the thing they both shared – they never said a superfluous word at all and you knew nothing about them privately, except for a few obviously necessary things.
Of course she knew he was a bitten vampire falling to Level E. They all knew that. And upon being chosen for his team she had been prepared for a resigned character. She had been prepared for the skill of a promising hunter. She had even expected to see a little bit of vampire in him and had wondered if it would scare her – or perhaps trigger her hunter responses toward him. She knew Naoto had agreed to be on the team out of the same curiosity. And when they asked Ito about his motives, the spell caster had agreed to curiosity as well. That was the advantage of being young. They were here out of curiosity. And they were giving an untried leader the benefit of the doubt. Of course, they also knew very well that Yagari wouldn't train anyone if he wasn't worth it.
And boy was he worth it.
Kiryu had surprised them all. Ayame knew for a fact he was only a year older than herself and she knew he hadn't trained for a few years in between. But his skill showed no reminder of those lost years. It was true – he had the expertise to be a team leader. Proof was right there, none of the team had so much as a scratch, even though they had encountered twice as many Level E's as she or Naoto normally would encounter on a busy night of their routine patrols. She had counted carefully – Kiryu had downed seventeen. Seventeen. And he had no scratch on himself and showed no sign of weariness. Ayame was not above admitting that watching him fight was impressive.
But even so, Kiryu's face remained impassive and unreadable. He didn't smile. There was nothing there to indicate that he felt the same sense of accomplishment she did. At all. He didn't seem to be proud of what he was doing. But he should be. At first she thought it was because he was a vampire and might feel for them. But if he had felt he did wrong in killing a vampire, he might have shown compassion or sadness. But there was neither. He just didn't seem to care. He wore the same stoic expression on his face that he had worn during the meeting when all the animosity had challenged him from the hunters. It made her angry, looking back. What right did they have to challenge what they didn't even know?
Kiryu was an excellent hunter. And contrary to their suspicion she hadn't seen a glimpse of vampire in him. The only obvious difference was his enhanced sight in the dark. Even after the Level E had drawn Tanaka's blood, there was no reaction to it that she could see. His eyes hadn't turned red and he hadn't hesitated for a second to fire. Just for that, for saving a fellow hunter without hesitation, and one who had repeatedly disrespected him, too - Kiryu deserved their loyalty. Hopefully his professionalism humbled the likes of Tanaka.
Even after all that disrespect - Kiryu had shown no hint of satisfaction on his face at humbling the older hunter. Only stoic calm. Did he not feel anything? She shook her head – that was impossible. Everyone would have been hurt to be treated like that. Suddenly, Ayame wondered at his tattoo. After walking through the spell, it had obviously come to life. Had it hurt? He hadn't reacted visibly to it, but that obviously didn't mean much…
She thought back – other branded vampires screamed at the contact with spells when their brandings burned. She frowned. It had to be painful to them, she concluded. So, did Kiryu feel it less because he was also a hunter? Or did he feel the pain as well? If so, then Kiryu was masking it well, she thought. Was he that determined to show them he was a hunter and not a vampire?
He was probably trying hard… not only did he repress his vampire nature, but added to that, every time one of their team killed a vampire, his eyes were always on them. She would have thought it creepy if she hadn't known that look already from Yagari. Kiryu was watching out for them. If one of them so much as missed by an inch and failed to kill – Ayame understood Kiryu would down the opponent in an instant, before any one of them could try again. Did he not trust their skill? Or was he really only making sure they wouldn't get hurt?
Never let down your guard. Every hunter knew that. Ayame decided that Kiryu was looking out for them. Maybe it was just his way of caring.
Perhaps she was supposed to feel a little hurt in her pride, but with the amount of Level E's around them… she was kind of glad he was that serious about his responsibility. Even if he only did it to prove everyone wrong about their mistrusting him. It made her feel the need to excel at this assignment. She wanted to prove Kiryu didn't need to watch her like a child. She wanted to make a difference. And she wanted to prove to the other hunters that their ages had nothing to do with their skill. She hadn't missed the comments about how they were all children. Ayame wanted to prove them wrong. In that, she felt a sense of commonality between herself and the silent stoic hunter. But the more she studied him, the more she got the distinct feeling that he didn't really need a team at all.
It was whispered behind his back that he took on assignments alone, that he took assignments that were way too dangerous for only one hunter. But he was still alive. Many hunters considered him expendable. Ayame couldn't agree to that. Even if you didn't trust him, his skill was too great to be ignored with the numbers of hunters dwindling. Her musings were interrupted suddenly. She hadn't heard him coming up the rusty steps of the ladder but his silver hair reflected the glow if their flashlights faintly.
"All of you ready?" Kiryu asked.
They nodded.
"Good. There's at least twenty of them down there."
A stunned silence unfolded between them.
"Shouldn't we… uhm… call for back-up?" Yamada asked tentatively.
Kiryu's face showed no emotion whatsoever. "Communication devices don't work this deep underground. And sending any of you off alone is out of the question. Either we all retreat or we all stay."
Ayame figured out the remaining points of that discussion. If they all decided to retreat, the Level E's might not be there anymore when they came back with re-enforcements. Even if they contacted headquarters, who would they send? Everyone was in these tunnels. Still, Kiryu was giving them a choice. She didn't like the prospect of that many Level E's – she had difficulty keeping track of more than two at a time. But…
It wasn't the best reason for wanting to continue, but she did want to see Kiryu in action. Besides, retreat sounded crappy. No, she didn't want to call for help. So she nodded. "I'm ready."
In answer, Ito nodded hoisting his backpack on his shoulders just as Ayame saw a grin spread across Naoto's face. "Let's do it." the young hunter said.
Kiryu nodded once. Then they all followed him down the ladder and along a small dark service tunnel. After only a few steps, they all had to breathe through their mouths, because a terrible stench hung thickly in the air. The sweet-sour smell of decaying flesh made her sick to her stomach and she fought the urge to retch all over the place to get it out of her nose. Silently cursing, she tried to concentrate on her surroundings as she forced the bile back down her throat, placing her feet one before the other drawing closer to the unpleasant smell. She couldn't make out the other's faces in the dark with her sideway glances but supposed they were fighting a similar battle. After about five hundred meters of increasingly worse stench, Kiryu stopped and turned looking them all in the eye.
"Remember who you are. This is what you were born to do."
Until now, the stench had kept her mind occupied. But now, reality sunk in at those words. She could hear the shuffling ahead. "So many of them," she thought. "This is it, Ayame girl. Twenty Level E's … and they're all thirsty for your blood."
She fidgeted and gripped her weapon. She would have to really trust Kiryu now. She took a deep breath through her mouth to steady herself. Then she followed him as they all fanned out in the dark halls.
~{}~
Kaname waited in front of Zero's apartment door. It was drizzling slightly, but the weather wasn't terribly unpleasant. Even so, contrary to his appearance, Kaname was not at ease. The pureblood's chest ached. Zero was still not close enough for it to entirely subside, but it was slowly getting better. Hunting was obviously over and Zero would be home soon. Kaname felt a little relieved at that. The pureblood had successfully kept his thoughts in check all night and was a little tired of it. Of course he would never admit to it. A pureblood didn't tire.
It was foolish – there was no reason to keep up such pretense with Zero. The hunter had seen him at his weakest. "So strange," the pureblood thought. So ironic that out of all the people he could have gone to, a pureblood-hating hunter-turned-vampire – the enemy of enemies – would not only see him at his weakest and live to tell the tale, but would also reach out and manage to save him. There really was no reason to pretend, but it was ingrained in him so deeply to show nothing but perfect pureblood demeanor. Oddly enough, he didn't feel shame in the memory of breaking down in front of Zero. He felt more shame at the thought of Takuma and Seiren finding him so torn up upon the stairs of his own house. Kaname shook his head – there was no point in dwelling on those memories. He needed to shift his concentration back to the present. And right now, he needed to speak to Zero.
They had been bonded now for about 24 hours and even though Zero's hold on his mind wasn't anywhere near Kaname's, the pureblood had learned less than anticipated of the flickering thoughts and images he'd snatched. He couldn't even really judge the hunter's current mood, because he had only gotten impressions whenever Zero felt very emotional.
From what he had seen, there had obviously been a meeting of almost all hunters in the vicinity. Zero had been chosen as a team leader – apparently for the first time ever. Kaname had been troubled by the amount of hostility he had glimpsed. The pureblood hadn't realized Zero was so shunned by his own hunter colleagues. But what had astounded Kaname most, was that instead of feeling hurt, Zero had simply been surprised by his nomination. The last part of that episode had been a subtle warmth in Zero's emotional reaction when a gruff voice said "Good choice, kid." So Yagari's opinion mattered that much to Zero. For the curious pureblood these small bits of information were priceless.
Then there had been dark tunnels and flashes of Level E's. But they had all been too short for the pureblood to draw any conclusions from them. In addition to that, Kaname had little experience in dealing with the lowest class of vampires. With great curiosity had he studied the few wisps of Zero's thoughts that he could gather. It had taken him a while to figure out why the picture of falling ashes around the accusing face of some fellow hunter meant so much to Zero that his control wavered enough for the pureblood to catch the words he had muttered: "Sorry 'bout the scratch."
Kaname remembered how he had protected Yuki from a Level E in the bell tower long ago. She had been human then. Human and terrified. Humans were so weak, so fragile… from a pureblood's point of view, hunters were no less fragile. They were only human. In all the years of protecting Yuki in her breakable state of mortality, Kaname had never thought he would feel such fragility bound to himself. Of course, Zero was not human, but even if he was a vampire instead of a mere human hunter, Zero was no pureblood… his healing and strength may be increased by the pure blood he had drunk, but up until now that didn't change the fact that he was still a falling Level D. Left by himself he would fall. And Kaname's life was bound to his.
Zero would need a lot more pure blood before he was stable, though his hunter blood was strong and he had managed to survive for an incredibly long time. Still, the pureblood hadn't completely realized what it meant to be bound to a Level D until the left side of his neck flared with excruciating pain in a distinct pattern. Zero must have walked through some hunter charm to trigger the evidence of his taming. The image of his tattoo had burned itself into Kaname's memory now – and it was not a pleasant one. The pureblood hadn't known that it hurt so bad… and that it felt so… humiliating. Unconsciously, he reached to his own neck at the memory.
But what little Kaname could gather, proved Zero wasn't bad at what he did. The pureblood did have difficulties estimating the hunter's strength. He usually only bothered judging the threat that nobles and purebloods posed to him or those he wished to protect. But now that his life depended on it, he would have to know what Zero was - and especially - what he wasn't capable of. At the sight of twenty Level E's he had definitely swallowed hard - remembering how Yuki as a human girl never stood a chance against even one.
But Zero hadn't gotten so much as a scratch. Kaname couldn't judge weather that was good for a hunter, or routine or exceptional. He just didn't know. And Zero's non-existent emotions on that topic didn't reveal anything. The only reason his hold had obviously slipped those impressions, was because his team members needed help and Zero feared to lose a hunter entrusted to him. But the pureblood had gotten no information on the following events. The last he had seen from Zero's perspective was an image of five Level E's circling three hunters and many more crawling down the walls toward himself - just as three bullets left the Bloody Rose that were bound to miss the hunters and down their targets. The pureblood was still intrigued by the clarity of that aim with blinding light impairing his vision almost entirely.
"Kuran…" a quiet voice woke him from his reverie.
"Kaname." he corrected automatically in a patient voice. The pureblood was surprised by how his heart lifted with joy, seeing the hunter, even though he looked tired and ill-tempered and smelled… well, like sewage. It was only a bodily reaction related to their bond, Kaname reminded himself, but the hunter's presence made him glad nonetheless.
"Whatever." Zero shrugged and proceeded to unlock his door.
"Long day?" the pureblood inquired politely. Zero's movements at the door handle froze. Kaname wondered why the hunter appeared to be upset as he felt a wave of Zero's unease roll through him. He decided to say nothing and get a reaction from the hunter. A full minute passed until Zero finally broke the silence with a quiet and serious voice.
"Kuran, I just want to make sure you don't get this wrong. I have no illusions about our arrangement. This is all about necessity. You do not care for the likes of me, just as I don't care for the likes of you. This is merely a truce – nothing more. So don't get the wrong idea. There's no need for pretense."
Pretense? Kaname frowned. None of this was pretense. At least not on his part. How could the hunter be so dense?
"Then why did you do it, Zero?" the pureblood said irritated. He refused to go back to their unfamiliarity of using last names. They shared something special and there was no revoking that.
But Zero only pulled off his boots that were still caked in sewage sludge and then entered his room, ignoring him.
"If you felt nothing, then why did you save me?" the pureblood insisted, standing in the doorway staring at the hunter's back.
"You saved me, Kuran." Zero answered calmly, dropping his keys onto the unmade bed that Kaname had slept in, hours ago.
"That was different." Kaname brushed him off, still in the doorway. He was feeling Zero's annoyance and it didn't help keeping his own in check.
"So what." The hunter shrugged, dropping his gear into a heap on the bed.
"So why?" Kaname insisted again.
Zero looked like he was about to roll his eyes as he turned to face the brunette. "You said to me: Never forget who gave you this blood." Zero made a pause. "Well," he shrugged, "so I didn't."
"As though that explains anything," Kaname thought angrily. This was ridiculous! Kaname silently inhaled and exhaled to calm down as the hunter took off his shirt and slowly began cleaning his throwing knives with it.
Internally wincing at Zero's abuse of his clothing, the pureblood composed his response to be more diplomatic than he felt. They were obviously not going to share thoughts.
"If that was all, we wouldn't be bonded now. You had feelings, Zero and we both know it." Kaname was fairly sure the hunter could feel his irritation by now because it was rather difficult to conceal it, but he seemed to be ignoring it completely. Perhaps the moody hunter hadn't changed that much since Cross Academy after all.
~{}~
Back in another hunter's room, Ayame Nakamura shook her head, letting her hair fall around her face from where it had been confined to a ponytail. Then she stared into the mirror, her haunted eyes staring back at her. How could she have been so stupid?
What the hell had she been thinking?
'I'm ready.' That's what she'd said.
What a lie.
How could she have been so stupid and survive? She snorted.
Kiryu, that's how.
The hunter had saved her life. And those of her team mates.
They had fanned out in the dark. Ito, Naoto and herself not straying too far from each other – that had always worked out well until then. She hadn't realized that with so many possible attackers you had to know where everybody was precisely. There was no time to check. You had to know. For certain.
Damn.
A leering grin had appeared in front of her and her hunter instincts had saved her. She had downed it without thinking – so far so good. But then she had realized how close the other two of her team mates were and had wavered. She had hesitated for just a fraction, wondering briefly if Ito was in reach of her katana. She wasn't familiar with his movements. It was just a second.
It was a second that let her waver, a second that had let her closely take in her surroundings – a second that was enough to freeze her in horror. The stench was no longer anonymous. The stench had faces, body parts… Even now the images of those corpses haunted her. In the flicker of lights she had seen a pile of rotting bodies, drained of their blood and pale – ashen faces staring into nothingness, their eyes empty or terrified, preserving their state for anyone who would come to see. Ayame shuddered, but the images didn't disappear - some of those corpses had been gnawed to their bones, their flesh torn open like the stuffing of upholstery. There were intestines scattered about and she couldn't be sure she wasn't standing in some. And that horrible smell…
The young hunter swallowed heavily a few times, fighting to get the images out of her head.
It had been another second, maybe two – unforgiveable seconds she had wasted. And the damned Level E's had noticed her hesitancy instantly. Five of them had come up suddenly – never had she had to deal with so many at once. She hadn't seen any of the other two team members – rooted to the spot as she was for just those few seconds. But then she had seen Kiryu. His eyes were always on them. Always watching. And boy did she hate how she had needed that reassurance. Reality had come back instantly right after a bullet tore through her attacker centimeters before her eyes.
But her ears had heard three shots…
At first she thought she had heard echoes.
But now she knew she hadn't.
A long while after they had gotten back and sat in silence in front of the Association's lockers for personal things, Naoto had confessed at being just as overwhelmed with the dead bodies as she had. A silver bullet had saved his hide as well. Ito at least, had been busy with two Level E's at once and had not stood in stupor, but killed one while Kiryu's third bullet helped him out on the second attacker.
How could they have failed like that?
Kiryu's command had then alerted them to what they all should have known from their training. She cursed at her reflection. It was basic hunter knowledge, damn it. The very basic. But it had been Kiryu's voice that had reminded them of it. "Hunters, fight them back to back!"
And as she briefly turned to him, to really look at him…
She shook her head as she saw how in her reflection her lip trembled. She caught it with her teeth, hoping the tears wouldn't make it to the surface. As a team leader she would probably have been furious or at least angry.
But Kiryu's eyes were calm.
He must have been blinded by her light. Thinking back, she was actually sure of it. In her panic she hadn't thought about how the flashlight now strapped to her forehead must have blinded him completely. But still he had calmly held her gaze. It seemed so unreal, to see the steadiness there while his body fluently worked through well trained movements. He was so close to the corpses – to that dreadful sight and the horrible stench. But even as he held her gaze, blinded by her flashlight he was killing without looking at the Level E's as glittering dust rained around him. The moment lasted no more than the fraction of a second. But it had been burned into her mind. She had drawn energy from that calm. She had needed only that fraction of a second.
But in a fight you didn't have a fraction of a second.
Then she had felt Naoto's back slam against her own and her senses were back where they were supposed to be – in the fight. Instantly, she had brought her katana down onto another cackling face.
Ayame hung her head in front of the mirror. She'd lost count, but she was sure, that Kiryu had downed thirteen or more. And saved them. And calmed her.
Humiliating didn't even begin to describe it. How the hell could she face him for the entire rest of the week?
Tears finally made their way down her face. And there was nothing she could do to stop them.
~{}~
Zero stood in his small room and held Yuki's picture in his hands. The glass of the frame was broken of course, but the picture was still undamaged. It was just a reminder - no photograph did her any justice. He looked at it wondering if he should take it with him. It helped him to focus right now. It helped him keep his emotions in his own mind instead of in Kuran's. The annoying pureblood had finally left, leaving him to at least pack his things in peace. Not that there was much to pack to begin with. That didn't keep Zero from taking his time, though.
To hell with it, what was he thinking... moving into the Kuran mansion? He must be insane... a hunter in a nest of vampires. But the nagging ache that had been tugging at the inside of his chest during the entire night and was now beginning to come back, served as an impressive reminder of that necessity. He would never truly admit it out loud – but the pain had made it difficult to fight. It had taken a lot of concentration to get through it. Luckily, by the time the Level E's hide-out was entirely cleaned out, his team members were too shocked to notice his weakness. Yagari would have noticed. But they hadn't. The hunter was glad for that.
His team was young and there had been a little more to do than expected. Zero had suspected they would not take it easy, but he had been through worse on his own. He had judged himself capable enough to get them through it and hadn't erred. All in all, he was positively surprised at how quickly the others had gotten back on track. Obviously he had chosen well. They would learn from the experience and no one had been hurt.
His own lesson had been less gentle. The ache in his chest was too much. There was no way he could battle this ache and his thirst for blood which was sure to come back sooner or later. He'd be tempted to try if the outcome didn't have such a drastic effect – at least according to the pureblood. No way he wanted intimate body contact with that leech. Just the thought was horrifying. No way! And now that he'd been given the responsibility of a team leader he couldn't fail them. He needed his full strength. There was no way around it.
The hunter cursed. Whatever had prompted him to tolerate the pureblood's closeness the day before, he had no idea. Must be the stupid bond stirring up his emotions.
But you hugged him. YOU let him bite you.
He wasn't supposed to let me live…
Neither were you supposed to let him live.
Just freaking awesome...
He shrugged and put the picture into his bag on top of his t-shirts and jeans. What choice did he really have? He zipped up his bag and hoisted it over his shoulder taking a look at his apartment. He would keep this place, he decided. He would need this as a refuge. And as an alibi – he was sure it wouldn't go over too well if he told the hunters he was living with a pureblood vampire…
~{}~
Half an hour later he locked his door and sighed when he recognized the driver. The Level C was scowling at him. Great. Looks like I've made a fucking 'friend' already. Ignoring the hostile glance he got into the limousine and tried to shake off the certain amount of apprehension that clung to his mind rather persistently. Don't you just love walking into the lion's den...? No, better yet, being driven into the lion's den... by a hyena... he scowled darkly himself.
When they got to the mansion, Zero got out of the car and slung his bag over his shoulder, not bothering to wait for the driver to assist him. A maid opened the door before he could decide whether to knock civilly or destroy the expensive wood with a punch. Luckily, he had made up his mind to at least remain impassive.
~{}~
The blonde noble waited in a living room close to the hallway of the Kuran mansion fidgeting on the expensive, yet comfortable couch. It was unusual for him to express such nervous behavior, but he just couldn't help himself. All day he had spent organizing and overseeing house-repairs, preparing a room for Kaname's mate and recruiting of staff members. This was a difficult task – not because no one wished to serve the Kuran prince. No, there was never a shortage on those willing to serve a pureblood, rather it was difficult to make sure they were all trustworthy. Detailed background checks were necessary and that took time… But it hadn't been long since Kaname's old staff had been sent away and so most of them were quickly reinstated.
Compared to many households of high-ranked vampires, working for Kaname was rather like a holiday. Unless for special occasions when guests were invited, his requests were mostly simple and his oddities were hardly demanding. There was no necessity for extravagant decor, exquisitely designed clothing or the like. Moreover in a pureblood's household, it was not unusual for staff members to lose their life over things like a spilled drink. Kaname was lenient for a pureblood. Just the fact that Aido still worked for him was proof of that.
Takuma smiled to himself. Though three years older, the blue-eyed hot head was still hardly any less trouble than during their days at the Academy, but Aido was still devoted to Kaname more than ever… Takuma understood. Kaname was special. He himself enjoyed working for the pureblood. And sometimes being almost a friend. He would take it upon himself to serve Kaname beverages at times when he wanted more privacy. He smiled, thinking of the pureblood's good taste in wine. It was something they both indulged in rather frequently. Even effectively light-headed, Kaname would lose none of his dignity. He would only smile a little more and his eyes would be a hint more expressive.
No, Kaname was not a difficult master to serve. And being the exceptional pureblood he was, he actually cared for every one of his servants. Perhaps it was part of him being a pureblood that he felt the need to defend everyone that was entrusted to him at least toward others. But Takuma knew it was just as much Kaname's nature itself. No one would dare to touch one of them even in jest - not even another pureblood, unless they really wanted trouble. Kaname had been very clear on that fact on a certain occasion that made Takuma shudder. Rarely had he actually felt Kaname's power. Even upon the verge of losing it, the pureblood hadn't actually revealed his full strength. Parts had slipped, but nothing like a flare of energy to ward off potential fights.
Kaname would have seriously risked open conflict with two purebloods when he found out one of them had raped one of the maids of his household staff. There was no doubt at all as to who would have won that confrontation. The other two stepped down instantly. How the pureblood had then managed to bring the two of them around to become some of his closest business allies, the noble had no idea. That trait seemed inherent only of the Kuran family.
The staff definitely had every reason to be happy that he was back. And Takuma was also very glad that Kaname was still around. He wasn't sure he would ever be willing to serve another pureblood but him.
Though he didn't live here, Kaname had a room ready for him at all times, since he was not only his vice-president, but also the only noble resembling something of a close friend to him. Takuma felt highly honored by that trust.
Right now, he was pretending to read - but there was really no way he would even consciously see the letters printed on the pages, let alone read them. Let's face it - he sighed to himself in thought - I'm just dying of curiosity here. He closed the book and stared out the window toward the front of Kuran mansion for the thousandth time - his eyes fixed there now for good - at least until tonight. Who was Kaname's new bond mate? He dare not ask the pureblood directly, it seemed too rude to him. But he'd gone over many possibilities and he'd come up with no answer himself. He could think of no one who was close enough to the quiet pureblood to create so strong a bond. And what about that request? Would it have anything to do with his new mate? Well, he'd just have to be patient - he would find out soon enough.
~{}~
Still indecisive as to what he could say, Takuma knocked on the pureblood's door. Kaname had come home half an hour ago but the noble hadn't plucked up the courage to ask what was on his mind. Before he could knock, he hear the pureblood's voice.
"You may come in, Takuma."
The noble blushed. Then he entered.
"Kaname-sama."
Kaname smiled.
"Takuma, you know you needn't speak so formally. Has everything been organized?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"Our guest will arrive soon."
"I understand. Everything is prepared."
Kaname looked at the noble with a penetrating gaze.
"I know you've been curious. As I am sure you have figured out, I have bonded again and was therefore saved from a fall into madness."
"Surely, Kaname-sama, you were the one saving the other." Takuma smiled.
Kaname chuckled. "When I said I was lucky, I did not exaggerate."
Takuma heard a car drive up to the front. Struggling to not let his curiosity get the better of him he didn't crane his neck to see. He had tried to capture the slightly altered scent of his pureblood leader - but he could not pinpoint the flavor, even though it smelled distantly familiar to him. A few minutes later, they were both in the hall when the maid opened the door to reveal their guest.
"Kiryu?" Takuma looked puzzled.
It was definitely Zero Kiryu - the hunter-turned-vampire that had been a prefect at Cross Academy. He was dressed in a pair of old jeans, worn sneakers and a long-sleeved shirt. In addition to that, he wore a holster with his Bloody Rose and carried a large bag.
"Ichijo." the hunter acknowledged him shortly upon entering. The maid smiled at him – Kaname had obviously instructed her on who would show up and how to behave.
"Welcome, Kiryu-san."
Takuma thought he was hallucinating when he saw the hunter give her a nod. Not a smile – just a nod of acknowledgement. For the silver-haired hunter that was the most enthusiastic response to a vampire Takuma had ever known him to display. Ever.
In stunned silence the noble watched the hunter's strange lilac eyes flicker toward the pureblood.
"Kuran." Zero nodded again.
Takuma recognized how Kaname's smile was real. No business smile there. The pureblood was really happy to see the hunter. The hunter didn't return his smile, but Kaname didn't seem to mind. Well, if that wasn't a sign in itself - what would be?
Back at the Academy, every time he saw the silver-haired hunter meet with the pureblood, their mood had managed to freeze the air around them. But now… Zero acknowledging the pureblood in a neutral tone without giving him a death glare was… well not quite what Takuma would expect Kaname's mate to be like. But it was… well, unexpected.
Kaname's voice interrupted his stupor.
"Zero. There is a room prepared for you. Please, come..."
Shrugging, the hunter followed the pureblood.
Not exactly at ease, Takuma noted, but for the hunter this reaction was probably the closest he'd get to being companionable. The noble remembered how as a prefect the hunter had treated Yuki. Amiable with the hunter appeared to be less of an out-going phenomenon… Considering that and the way Kaname was looking at him – no hatred and actually even a tad bit admiring, Takuma couldn't help but believe it. Kaname Kuran was blood bound to Zero Kiryu. It had to be true - the scent matched perfectly. That was why it had seemed familiar. Zero's blood had been spilt often enough at Cross Academy. So they were bound. The only question was... how?
~{}~
Taking a deep breath, Zero followed the pureblood through the mansion that was to become his home. Temporarily, he impressed upon himself.
The ache in his chest had vanished. He felt better for it - and worse for being so relieved because of the presence of a vampire. Damn, he so didn't want to be here.
"There is a room prepared for you. Please, come..."
Zero followed the pureblood up the stairs and down a long corridor. It looked just like the one he'd walked down before entering on Yuki's final moments.
"Here it is." Kuran unlocked the door for him and held up the key. Zero struggled with the memory of Yuki suspended in blood behind exactly one of these doors, but refused to show it.
Instead, he took the key, nodded and stepped in to look around the room. Just the room was larger than his entire apartment had been. A bathroom was attached that was three times the size his own had been. He turned to look at the pureblood - Kuran was watching him intently.
"Nice place..." Zero said. "So what're the rules?"
Where were the drawbacks - except of course the fact that the place was infested with vampires and looked like it was a demon's nest from a 19th century fairytale? The hunter was trying hard to keep his thoughts to himself, but since he wasn't getting feedback he didn't know if it was working. The pureblood didn't show any reaction to his thoughts of this place. At least Kuran had the courtesy of keeping most of his thoughts to himself as well.
The pureblood smiled.
"There really aren't any rules, but if you're referring to conventions of living, I'd suggest you let me sleep during the day. I take it you do as well. The household staff has been informed and is at your disposal at any time if you need anything such as food or a driver. However, I would appreciate it if you informed me when you're expecting visitors. My own rooms are adjacent to yours - since its physical closeness we're trying to simulate. There will be dinner in half an hour. I'd be happy if you'd care to join us. That's about it. Do you have any more questions?"
Zero declined, turning to face out the window. The pureblood seemed to get the message and left.
~{}~
Kaname and Takuma sat down in the living room again after the pureblood had left the hunter to his new rooms. Obviously knowing that the noble had questions, Kaname looked at Takuma with a smile.
"Ask what you want to ask, Takuma." he encouraged.
Takuma had no way of asking in a polite way. He felt slightly flustered by the open invitation. But Kaname wouldn't be Kaname if he didn't mean to say what he was saying. So Takuma asked.
"Kaname... Kiryu? A hunter and Level D?"
Kaname only nodded. Takuma continued a little bluntly.
"But how could that be a stronger bond than...?"
Kaname looked at him steadily.
"I went to Zero so he would kill me. I knew he hated me for taking her away from him."
Takuma nodded slowly, pretending his breath hadn't hitched at Kaname's admitting to choosing death.
"Zero didn't. He refused. Instead, he offered his blood. All of it."
Takuma's eyes widened. The hunter offering…? All of his blood? Was this the same scornful, vampire-hating, gun-pointing hunter he'd known from Cross Academy?
"Takuma, do you understand what he did? He loved her. He loved her just as much as I did. Still, he offered to save the person he should have hated most, the one who took her away from him. Out of free will. I took the offer. There was no hatred toward me in him."
Takuma was stunned. He was beginning to understand where that look of admiration in Kaname's eyes had come from when he looked at the hunter. Of course, Takuma could read clearly between the lines as well. Kaname was not being terribly detailed here, although even discussing this matter with Takuma said a lot about the pureblood's trust in him. He didn't think it was at all common to have the chance at such intimate insight into one's pureblood leader. What little he knew of Kaname filled in a few of the gaps the pureblood wasn't telling him about.
Like how refusing to kill him wouldn't have been enough to coax an unwilling Kaname into drinking his blood when he was so convinced of wanting to be killed. Kiryu must have appealed either to Kaname's sense of duty or somehow said something involving Yuki to turn Kaname's suicide mission into a life-preserving one. Perhaps, being what he was, Kiryu had been much better equipped to reach him than a noble would be. As to the lack of hatred, Takuma had no idea what to make of it. He didn't know the hunter too well. But this was unexpected, nonetheless.
"He is rare, Takuma. I am telling you this because you have to know. My life is now bound to his and I want you to know that it was not my doing - he was the one to save me. I truly owe him my life."
Takuma swallowed hard. Kaname was special even among purebloods, but this admission was nothing light. If acknowledged publicly, their bond would be viewed quite differently. It would be assumed that Kaname had saved the Level D. And that in return, he would be nothing but a slave to the pureblood... but it didn't look like that was going to be the case here. Which was highly unusual to say the least.
That made sense to Takuma. Imagining the stubborn hunter as a willing slave would really strain his imagination.
Kaname nodded, seeing the information had been received. "He's no slave, Takuma. He is quite the same strong-willed hunter he's always been. There is definitely a lot of hunter spirit in him. His initial reaction to being bonded was... rather violent."
Takuma thought he saw something like a grin flicker behind the pureblood's eyes.
Zero appeared in the doorway looking slightly out of place. Compared to Takuma in his business suit and Kaname in his slacks and burgundy dress shirt, Zero still looked rather under-dressed. He was wearing a different pair of worn jeans and some other old shirt than he had earlier. Takuma remembered that the hunter had not been terribly fond of his uniform at school and decided that he would be unlikely to ever see the hunter in a suit. However, he did note that Zero hadn't brought his gun.
He smiled slightly at the silver haired ex-human. Though not smiling, Kiryu wasn't frowning either. Without the familiar amount of hostility or contemptible ignorance about him that he'd always sported at Cross Academy whenever a vampire was near, Takuma found the hunter rather intriguing instead of annoying. Of course, that was also in no small part due to the facts Kaname had just revealed about him.
"Let's have some dinner. Shall we?" Kaname smiled.
~{}~
Zero had excused himself fairly soon after the meal, leaving Takuma and Kaname to sit together indulging in a particular vintage they were both very fond of.
Deciding to move to a more comfortable seating, they took their wine to Kaname's study. Even though Takuma rarely expressed preferences, Kaname just seemed to read them from even the tiniest reaction he gave when tasting. After not too many evenings, the pureblood had pinpointed the noble's taste exactly. Now they were sitting in the ornate study which looked more like the inside of a 20th century library. They had pleasantly conversed about varying wines and politics on improved blood tablets among other things. But Takuma had guessed rightly that these were all just elaborate pleasantries to prepare him for the pureblood's request.
Thanks to the wine he plucked up enough courage to not feel too rude about asking because he was really dying of curiosity.
"Kaname, I believe you asked me here on behalf of a request you wanted to discuss."
Kaname smiled. "You believe correctly."
"Actually the request is not only mine to make. It concerns Zero as well. It is publicly known that I was engaged to Yuki. Therefore it will be suspected by now that I must have bonded again."
Kaname looked straight at the noble.
"I am sure you understand the predicament? If everyone knew that I was bonded to Zero, a Level D, ex-human hunter, still working as a hunter no less - how long do you think either he or I would be alive?"
Takuma nodded slowly not quite sure where this was going.
"This request is really just a question. Do not feel the obligation to consider it an order, alright?"
The statement was really not necessary. Takuma would never refuse anything Kaname wished. But at least the pureblood had made it clear that this was a very personal matter and Takuma was not required to ignore any of his own thoughts on the topic. Kaname looked straight at the noble with a serious expression on his face.
"Takuma, I am asking you if you'd be willing to pretend to be my bond mate in Zero's stead."
