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: Hi guys.
mdkeya86 - of course this is not the end ^^.
I have been working on this chapter on and off for about 6 weeks now and it stubbornly refuses to become any better - so I've given up and here it is for all of you to read. As usual, reviews and/or comments are always appreciated. Hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 12: A Fatal Sacrifice
Zero walked into the dark and dingy place. The noise level was slightly above bareable to his sensitive vampire-hunter hearing but he decided to bear it. Even though the light was dim and the place was smoky, he found what he was looking for almost instantly. Yeah - that voice was impossible to miss.
Kaito sat at the bar, gulping down large quantities of some indefinable liquid. Zero paused when he noticed who else was with him. Well, it wasn't like he hadn't known that Kaito had many friends among the hunters, many of whom weren't exactly fond of hunters-turned-vampire.
Zero had never really cared that he didn't have friends among the hunters. Buddies were great to sink a few drinks. But Zero had never shown particular interest in that sort of entertainment. It was bad enough to have one craving. No need to add another. Besides, the minute you were in serious trouble, those same buddies turned their back on you and had more important things to worry about – namely, a few more drinks. No, he really didn't need that.
But that didn't change the fact that too many older hunters spent too much time at bars these days. Morale was low with their dwindling numbers. The strong hunter bloodlines were diminishing steadily and seeing the amount of death, torture and bloodshed had many a formally strong hunter question their resolve. It became harder and harder every year to convince those who had strong hunter blood to actually live as a hunter.
Zero himself understood this well. He took on the most dangerous and difficult assignments that were supposed to be given only to older, more experienced hunters. But there weren't many left and he was expendable for obvious reasons. So he had seen things that other hunters at his age had not yet been exposed to. Piles of human corpses in various degrees of decay with the stench of their rotting flesh burning his nostrils. He had seen brutal rape on children, women and men, he had witnessed cannibalism among desperate Level E's. Even now, sometimes those images would haunt him.
Yes, Zero had indeed seen a lot. But seeing it wasn't half as bad as having to go against his vampire nature every time. Always the gruesome sights and smells of decaying corpses were mixed with the tantalizing smell of blood, the sweet scent calling out to him. And always he would battle himself, especially when injured. But at least he still felt disgusted when he saw such things. That was strangely comforting and infinitely precious to the hunter - it reminded him that he still had humanity inside himself. If one day he no longer felt disgusted, he would be lost. Even if he didn't fall to Level E - who was to say that he didn't lose everything human inside himself to become one of them? How much would Kuran's blood change in his body? How long before he was just another vampire?
He needed glimpses of humanity. Even if they hated him. He'd been around vampires too much lately. Just a little time among hunters and humans. He didn't necessarily want to talk. He didn't really need the company... he didn't...
Well maybe... Just maybe... he did.
A pair of dark eyes caught his and widened in surprise. Zero grimaced internally. Guess it's too late to slip out again unnoticed. He put up an emotionless mask on his face and made his way to the other hunter.
"Wow, buddy, what are you doing here - you never go to a bar..." Kaito began, alcohol already slightly slurring his speech.
"Shut up," Zero growled.
"Yeah - good to see you too man."
Kaito slammed a welcome punch into his back before he laid a heavy hand over his shoulder. Zero wasn't quiet sure if it was just for greeting's sake, or if Kaito may already have had a few drinks too many and needed a bit of support for his deteriorating sense of balance. Kaito never took it the wrong way that Zero didn't reciprocate with the same amount of enthusiasm that other friends might exhibit. He was more than used to the silver-haired hunter's gruff attitude. Being Yagari's student himself, the hunter wasn't exactly the extremely communicative type himself.
He stank of cigarette smoke - a habit he had most likely picked up from their sensei. For some reason that smell comforted Zero although he never smoked himself. His senses were way to sensitive for that. But right now, with Kuran finally showing him what he really thought of their relationship, Zero was more than glad to burn a few senses. He was about to inhale deeply, but even the smell of their sensei's strong tabacco wasn't enough to cover the stench of cheap whiskey. Repressing a shudder, Zero wondered why he had come.
O yeah right, because his day sucked. And when people thought their day was bad, they met up with other like-minded people and drank until no one could remember whose day had been worse...
It's something humans do.
But he wasn't human.
He shouldn't have come.
Dammit to hell.
As though he had read his mind, the hunter next to Kaito turned to Zero. Upon recognition, his face morphed into a scowl. Then he downed his drink and left.
"Hey, where're you going?" Kaito yelled after him.
"Smells like vampire." He gave back angrily. "Drink's on you, Takamiya."
Kaito cursed.
"I'll leave." Zero said in a low voice.
"No, no no no..." Kaito began and then dug his index finger right into Zero's chest to keep himself from loosing his balance. "You're. ... staying."
"Riiiiggght..." Zero snorted. "Looks more like I should definitely be going - and taking you home, dude."
"No no no no... you have to drink with me, Zero."
He had no time to facepalm because there was already a shot glass under his nose filled with... What the hell was this liquid supposed to be?
Kaito shrugged his shoulders at Zero's accusing look and lifted a shot glass of his own.
"Fine..." Zero growled and rolled his eyes.
"Cheers."
~{}~
Hanabusa woke up screaming in his bed. The damn jewelery wouldn't let him sleep. He was so incredibly tired and yet he couldn't sleep for more than half an hour before a dream tortured him until he woke up. It was always the same dream.
Yuki-sama was wearing that beautiful black evening dress with her earrings, her dazzling smile bright in the soft light as she came down the stairs at Kuran Mansion. Then all of a sudden, blood tentacles would erupt from both earrings to strangle her. Hanabusa felt rooted to the spot as he watched the scene in horror. Kaname-sama seemed to appear out of nowhere to help his beautiful wife, but even though he kept burning the tentacles, more and more new ones kept sprouting, enveloping and strangling her more and more. When he tried to take the earrings off, they both screamed.
Choking and gasping, she struggled - but to no avail. With her last breath she called for help. Hanabusa saw her looking straight at him - but she didn't call his name and she didn't call Kaname-sama's name. Of all the people present, she never called for their help. With her last breath she chocked out a painful "Please... help me, Zero." Then she collapsed, blood trickling down from her throat.
And Hanabusa would wake, screaming her name.
He glared at the clock. Twenty minutes - he'd been asleep for a mere twenty minutes. Again. Frustrated and still shaking from the dream, he rubbed his eyes.
After he roused himself from his confusion, the noble willed his brain to think. It would be an odd coincidence indeed if first, Kiryu's blood showed up in Yuki-sama's earrings, then he ran into that same hunter at Kaname-sama's mansion by accident and now he was actually dreaming about him. Kiryu was an important puzzle piece to this messed up jewelry and he was missing that about him entirely.
The blond noble scratched his head and tried to come up with the connection, but he was so tired he just wasn't seeing it. He knew exactly that if he were awake he'd be able to solve this mystery in a blink, but this way he was entirely incapable. Sighing, he reached for his blood tablets. But instead of a glass of water, his searching fingers pushed the button on the esspresso machine. Then he rummaged through his papers for some aspirin.
He dissolved five blood tablets, three aspirin and a shot of whiskey into a double espresso. Closing his eyes, he grimaced before he gulped it down. He shuddered involuntarily as the almost-liquid concoction crawled down his throat. He felt his eyes bulge at the taste. Damn... That was one disgusting hell of a breakfast...
And now for work...
Unfortunately, his stomach didn't agree with his mind in the least. Anyone watching would have seen nothing but a blond blur heading straight for the bathroom.
~{}~
Zero rubbed his head.
What the hell had he been thinking?!
He dragged himself into an upright position and glanced at his watch. Then he cursed a colorful string of curses. He had about two and a half minutes to shower and then get his ass over to Association. A pile of snoring hunter that had a distant similarity to Kaito lay in the armchair, sprawled into uncomfortable angles. Zero punched the other hunter before slouching into his shower.
"Get up idiot. We gotta work."
Damn it to hell. He had a headache alright. And his chest hurt from being parted from the pureblood. He felt especially annoyed at a distinct sensation of vulnerability that accompanied that feeling. He didn't want to feel that. The ache in his chest made him want to see the pureblood. He most certainly didn't want to feel that either. This stupid bond would be the death of him one day. It was tearing at his sanity - slightly tugging every time he stayed away from the pureblood. And the longer they were apart, the more annoying it got. Him sleeping at his own apartment with an entire day ahead of him wasn't going to be any fun at all. Uncoordinated fingers mussed through his tousseled hair as though they could shake away the annoying sensations as his head throbbed angrily and chest ached. He was also going to be late for work.
Just great... the hunter growled. Might as well be a monday, Zero muttered to himself as he turned on the icy water. On top of it all, he couldn't even recall how he had gotten back to his apartment. Oh wait... The cold water seemed to have the desired effect - he now vaguely remembered dragging an unconscious Kaito through the streets.
That idiot.
Damn the competitive hunter for his stupid drinking games. Anyone could have told him he'd lose against a fucking vampire feeding on pure blood. But of course, he didn't know about the feeding part. Still - anyone knew that a human couldn't out-drink a vampire. And hunters were human, for crying out loud. A bit stronger, faster and more intelligent than the average human, all right - but not a damn super hero.
Zero dried himself briskly and rummaged for some clothes in his drawer. More intelligent...? Yeah, scratch that. Sure as hell didn't apply to either one of them. His head still felt a bit dizzy and his reflexes weren't quite what they were supposed to be, but he assumed that all in all he wasn't doing so bad. Kaito, on the other hand, was probably lucky to be alive with all that alcohol poisoning. Curse the stupid hunter for getting him drunk on a bet. In the end - of course - Zero won. Alright... 23 rounds of shots was no victory - even if you were a vampire. He glanced at the fellow hunter and grimaced. Kaito was snoring again.
Shaking his head in annoyance, Zero grabbed his gun and left.
~{}~
The Association President leaned back and gave the senior hunter a meaningful gaze.
"Yagari, you know what I speak of."
The one-eyed hunter gave no indication that he knew about anything the other was talking about. Trying to remain unfazed by the lack of response, the president used a more passionate tone as he continued.
"We are lacking severely. You know this. There are too few young hunters we can entrust our future to anymore. We. Must. Take. Action."
At his last words, the plump man had risen and punctuated each word with a slam on his desk.
Again, Yagari remained unresponsive - he really didn't see the point of emphasizing something so insignificant with a pounding of a fist on the table. Like any of this was the desk's fault and the president of the Hunter's Association wasn't repeating the same meaningless litany about their dwindling numbers that he'd been exhausting for the past two years.
Yagari was well aware of the fact that it was his turn to emphasize this state of decay by adding more meaningless phrases and agreeing whole-heartedly. He was expected to support this position along with all the other hunters. The problem was simply that he didn't agree. Now, he wasn't exactly the man known for tactful diplomatic silence. He had other reasons for holding his tongue. Politeness surely wasn't one of them. Like Yagari cared what the hell the president thought of him.
No, it wouldn't be clever to let the man know precisely in what high esteem he held certain hunters. It would help neither Zero, nor Nakamura, Yamada or Ito. It would only make them a political target in a stupid powerplay. Of course, he'd love to spit his opinion to this arrogant, self-serving idiot, but he took his responsibility as a teacher very seriously. Though he usually seemed like he didn't give a damn, he spent a lot of time protecting those under his care. He just usually made sure they didn't notice. He expected the best of his students, they deserved no less from him. And right now, pride had the back-seat. So he said nothing. But this time the president's displeasure at his passivity was evident.
Let the fool do the talking. Too few young hunters? Just two days ago, four excellent young hunters had not only survived, but also killed Level C and B assassins. Certainly, Zero Kiryu was exceptional - still, the others had worked as a team. They had spoken up to him in Kiryu's defense - just being able to tell their tale spoke volumes about their skill, character and loyalty. Yagari wouldn't say too much of this out loud - but this was a worthy and desperately needed new generation of hunters. Take action... pah... Those kids most certainly had, unlike some other high ranking senior hunter behind a huge ornate desk filled with paper monsters...
"Have you nothing to say about the dismal state of the Association? The lack of potential? The need to take action?"
And who is currently the president of this dismal state, huh? What kind of an idiot do you take me for, president? It was evident that he was only waiting for Yagari to 'agree' so he could admonish him for criticizing his style of leadership. He had nothing to say about that. He could hardly speak about something that didn't exist now, could he? Instead, he chose to let the other speak for himself a bit more. He seemed so adamant at doing so.
"Action of what kind?" Yagari asked in a neutral voice.
"I am planning a program." the president began, trying to sound like he hadn't spent hours rehearsing this conversation and failing miserably. "A new kind of training if you will. There is a modern, high-tech facility on the other side of town. The laboratories have shown that there is much unused potential..."
Laboratories?
Yagari didn't like the sound of that one bit. Whenever people behind desks came up with ideas for improvement, idiocy wasn't far behind. Especially when those people had theorie invented in laboratories when the actual work to be done was field work.
Hiding his own distaste at the sound of that proposal, Yagari scrutinized the other hunter.
The president was fingering a small object and Yagari couldn't help but notice. Unobtrusively, he watched the nervous fingers caress it. Yagari wasn't unused to people being nervous around him - however, he wasn't one to need that for self-affirmation. Therefore, he considered that there may be another explanation for the man's nervousness. That didn't really bode well either...
"I know we haven't seen eye to eye a few times, but Yagari you have to trust me on this one. We need better hunters for what's coming. And I will deliver them." the president promised.
"What's coming?" Yagari refused to acknowledge such stupid claims. The preseident made a dramatic pause. Then he fixed Yagari's gaze.
"War."
Really... What was your first clue, dimwit?
"Ah." Yagari answered shortly. The president looked puzzled.
"How do you know?" he asked suspiciously.
"I may be one-eyed, but that doesn't make me blind, president." He said simply.
The president set down the object and fixed his gaze. He seemed to have come to some kind of conclusion in his mind. For a moment, Yagari wondered how this could be the same man that he had befriended so many years ago. In earlier days, this hunter had been a close friend, but then he had been taken under the wing by the former president. What exactly had poisoned his friend's mind, Yagari hadn't really found out, but from then on, this man thought himself superior to all other hunters. So now this was what he had turned into. A scheming little wannabe-devil.
"You aren't as powerful as you think you are, Toga." he almost sneered. Yagari retained an expression of indifference as he sighed internally. This man thought of nothing but power struggles whether there were any or not.
"Powerful? I am a senior hunter of this assocoation, all my 'power' goes into training hunters and fighting vampires. The power you speak of holds nothing of interest to me, president. You of all people should know this. And yet, you accuse me of powerplay? In case you have forgotten, it is our job to protect innocent humans from being killed by vampires. You are not a general and we are not soldiers until there is an actual war."
"And that's where you're wrong, Yagari..."
"So that's what this is..." Yagari said, casually pointing to the desk. "... a means to tip the treaties toward a war? No? Tell me, president, what is a vial of pureblood venom doing in your possession?"
Yagari's single piercing blue eye registered the growing perspiration, the fraction of a second in which those eyes widened in disbelief and shock and the flash of anger that crossed them.
"You're treading on thin ice with your accusations, Toga." he hissed back. "I am well aware of the threat you're grooming. You think I don't know what's going on right under my nose? And I am telling you, Kiryu is a filthy vampire. He will turn on us and he will turn on you. You're the only reason I have been lenient on the vampire kid so far. But your ignorance concerning that boy will be the downfall of us all. Make no mistake, I will be watchful... Toga. He is a threat and I will keep an eye on him. The question is just, how much of an eye do I have to keep on you?"
Yagari's lips thinned and his eye narrowed. He didn't exactly take well to being threatened. Especially not, when it concerned Zero. He may be all kinds of harsh when teaching the kid. He never made it easy on him, never allowed him any privileges for who he was. He was his teacher after all. But Zero was like a son to him, though he'd never admit it to the kid. No, Yagari didn't take well at all to having Zero threatened.
"Is this all you called me for?" he asked, his voice cold as ice.
"To throw empty threats at me and my students? Next time, save your breath. I have work to do - perhaps you remember what that was like... old-fashioned, low-tech and high-skill. There is a kid waiting for me right now to train him. And until your new army of super hunters shows up, that is precisely what I intend to do. While you divert our recourses only to complain about their inadequacy, I will make the best of hunters out of the ones we do have. And I will do things the old-fashioned way: physical training, fresh air and real weapons. Now if you'll excuse me," Yagari slid on his hat. "I'm sure your laboratories are waiting. I have hunters to train and I don't have time for hot air."
"This talk is not over." the president spat behind clenched teeth. "We are not done yet." he seethed.
Yagari pulled out a cigarette and lit it, regarding the other man thoughtfully.
Actually, we are. We are more than done, president.
He snorted softly, then turned and went to the door, walking out on the angry president behind his desk.
"Toga Yagari!" the other hunter snarled at his back.
The one-eyed hunter stopped with his hand on the handle and turned, his single eye an icy shade of blue as it fixed the president. His gravelly voice highly un-amused.
"We agree on one thing only - war is coming. Chose your battles wisely, president... perhaps some of us would do well to remember to whom they owe their lives."
~{}~
The pureblood sat in his office, the light of his computer screen illuminating his perfect face. He was currently working through pages of figures, his eyes glued to the screen, but it was really only a small part of his mind that was truly occupied with the numbers he was seeing. The pureblood had been uncomfortably aware of the physical absence of his mate for the entire day. Yes, he should have handled their confrontation differently, but that couldn't be changed. And though it was to be expected that the stubborn hunter would react by shunning him, it wasn't exactly the most helpful way to go about it. Though the confrontation between himself and Zero lay on his mind heavily, it wasn't the only thing his mind was mulling over.
Takuma's presence was missing. The impact of what that meant weighed heavy on the pureblood's heart. He was a pureblood, he shouldn't care too much for his subordinates, but he did. Takuma was especially close to his heart. The noble had been his only friend during his time with Asato Ichijo.
Kaname breathed deeply in silence. He wasn't alone in the office. He was certain that his face was schooled to an absolutely professional expression - it was imperative that no one noticed his emotional flounderings. Kain was taking Takuma's place for the time. Certainly, he was trustworthy to a certain degree, he was highly competent and perfectly qualified to do the job. But he wasn't Takuma.
Ever since Yuki's death, Kaname had found himself wavering, questioning and reconsidering his actions and motives. It wasn't necessarily uncharacteristic of him to have doubts. Throughout all those years when he had been alone, planning for a better future for Yuki and himself he had naturally always had doubts and fears. Her being scared of him while she was still human had cost him days of sleep. He had feared her rejection to the bottom of his heart and everytime she was afraid and pulled away, everytime she called him 'Kaname-senpai' instead of 'brother' had burned a hole into his heart. She had been everything to him. It was the only reason that Kiryu was alive now. His heart had nearly crumbled every time he had seen his beloved sister with the silver-haired prefect. He needed her - his sanity relied on her presence... But now he had no one. He was alone, trying desperately to find purpose in something he thought she might approve of. No one needed to know about those fears - it was unworthy of his status.
But just because he didn't allow himself to show his doubt, didn't mean he hadn't always known fear and doubt. It was perhaps the greatest flaw of any pureblood - they were each and every one of them highly sensitive in all regards. Sensational, physical but also... psychological. It was the reason why they hibernated so often, why they went insane so easily over something that seemed so common, like a lover's departure or perhaps even a lover's death.
Purebloods like Rido placed hatred and greed at the center of their lives. They appeared to be powerful and assertive, but it was just another way to hide an empty, aching heart. They would always feel wronged by the world and give in to the need to dominate everything in it, because something had been denied to them. It was impossible for most of them to trust someone of similar power enough to share a life, but it was just as impossible to love someone with less power, because for one thing their lives would be snuffed out long before a pureblood even aged and for another, a lower-class being would usually automatically submit, instantly waking the need within the pureblood to dominate. For a being that was designed to live so long it was indeed a curious flaw to be so deeply drawn to power on the one hand and so sensitive to life's strokes of fate on the other...
No, he had always known fear and doubt, he had just never let them guide his actions. And he certainly had never shown even a hint of them to others. He didn't intend to do so now. Still, the bond between him and the hunter was difficult. It was still challenging, hurting and undefined.
So, naturally, he was highly surprised when Zero entered his thoughts and opened himself to their mutual connection. Luckily, Kain was in a meeting with a few heads of department, so Kaname was alone with no one there to witness the effect it had on him.
The ache in his chest lessened instantly, but the sudden intimacy was shockingly intense. A gasp tore from his lips into the quiet of his office. He was feeling everything Zero was feeling, was part of his thoughts, was seeing what he saw. It was blatently obvious to him yet again that the hunter was nothing like Yuki. His feelings were crystal clear, overwhelmingly intense and uncencored. Perhaps it was because their connection was stronger, but Zero's personality and character certainly had its part as well.
It was like a drug to Kaname, injected directly into his mind. His entire body clutched at that connection, clinging to everything his mate had to say, think and feel. It took the pureblood two full seconds to get used to it enough to be able to actually listen to what the hunter was trying to say.
The news was not pleasant. Zero's words were clipped and annoyed, his emotions somewhere between angry, sullen and determined. And for some reason his head was throbbing painfully.
"I'm on my way to a medical examination right now, Kuran. They spring that on me about four times a year. Usually, when they think I've been weakened already. You're not going to like it, but you'll feel it and that's just about the only reason I'm letting you know this. In about fifteen minutes I will be strapped to a chair and injected with hunter poison. I suppose this will take a few hours. It will be... painful." He made a pause. "If you really feel everything I feel... My advice to you is: Go home, stay in bed and don't move."
Kaname had seconds to make up his mind before he felt Zero shut himself out of their connection. But this time he wouldn't allow it. Even as he cancelled all his meetings for the day, he spoke to the hunter.
"I understand. But I want to know what's happening." he said. A wave of anger and denial came back through the bond from the hunter, but he appeared to be considering it, grudgingly.
"Fine." Zero growled at last.
Kaname was extremely glad he had followed the hunter's advice, because sure enough, ten minutes before he reached home he went rigid with pain on the back seat of his limousine. The hunter had just been injected with poison. Kaname and Zero clenched their teeth in unison. The pureblood clawed into the leather of his seat as the hunter strained against his constraints. He barely made it out of the car and into his room. He locked the door and collapsed onto his bed.
What followed the next hours had nothing to do with medical examination in the pureblood's mind. It was pure torture.
Kaname felt the pain no less than the hunter did. He heard every nasty thing the doctor had to say about vampires, he felt every reaction of Zero's body and heard every thought he had in answer. The pain was just too intense to bear in mental silence. Zero was using his entire will power not to scream out loud. Kaname admired his mate's stubborness as his own gasps of pain filled the room. But more than that he relished in their mental closeness. It didn't matter that the pain was excruciating, it didn't matter that Zero was furious at the situation and would have never shared parts of himself so freely of his own choice. It made no difference to Kaname whatsoever. He lay on his bed, stifling screams, but the tears that poured from his eyes were tears of relief and happiness. His entire soul savored these moments because finally, finally, he was connected to his mate.
It went on for hours. Different hunter charms drained the hunter's strength and the pain the medics inflicted was excruciating. They brought the hunter to the brink of his life and endurance with their tests. And everytime Kaname feared they would kill him with their next injection, the hunter pulled out reserves of strength Kaname could only marvel at. He had suspected Zero to be strong, but this endurance was beyond what a Level D or a hunter should be having. But Kaname was glad for it. It meant that his mate was stronger than he had anticipated. That was good. Zero didn't open his mouth once as he endured the bruising, the cuts, the charms and the burns. Not once did he let out a moan or a hiss. He was much too proud to give those bastards the satisfaction of auditory proof that he was in pain.
All in all, Kaname was appalled."You let them do this to you every time?"
"It's either that or unemployment, Kuran." he answered terseley.
"We're done, vampire." the medic said, disgust evident in his voice. He didn't say anything about the results of their testing and gave no comment on reasons, nor anything else. Just a simple dismissal. Not even an apology. Kaname was more than horrified.
"How can you work for these people?"
"They're all I have, Kuran." with that, he cut their connection again, leaving the pureblood to reel with the sudden loss of connection.
~{}~
"Kaname..."
It was nothing but an anguished whisper in the dark - a nearly inaudible plea for mercy in the dead silence. The noble simply couldn't endure any longer. For his longtime pureblood friend he had suffered in silence, had contacted him mentally only to report on the fact that he had been abducted and held captive by Rido Kuran in an unknown location. He hadn't spoken to his captor, had taken all the brutal punishment and the unaldultured pleasure he was being dealt.
Takuma Ichijo was never one to complain when it became a little difficult, but this was destroying him.
He was a vampire, a high-ranking one at that and though he didn't look it, he could indeed be fierce and violent. He may be young, but he had committed murder on his grandfather, he had witnessed death, he had certainly feasted on blood many times and was by no means a virgin. But up until now he hadn't truly understood what it meant to lose your innocence. He hadn't even known he was innocent until Rido had done things to him that he could only describe as terrifying.
The pureblood hadn't once tried to question him. Takuma would never willingly confess - even when tortured - just because he was in pain. But Rido Kuran had most likely anticipated the depth of his loyalty because he hadn't asked a thing. Perhaps he didn't even want to know anything. Perhaps he was only doing this to Takuma to get Kaname's attention and there was no other reason for his captivity.
Nevertheless, even Takuma understood on a purely mental level that the cruel pureblood had slowly broken him in the only way the noble could have been broken. In no more than a day, this was what was left of him. And it was apalling.
He was a wreck, a begging, helpless wreck.
"Kaname..." he whispered brokenly. He wasn't sure he really wanted anyone to hear his shameful weakness, to bear witness to his hopeless and nearly inaudible plea for mercy in the dead silence. A small part of him hoped that nobody would. However, it was not unheard.
~{}~
Rido smiled from where he sat. He was in the room with the noble, though the boy naturally wouldn't notice his presence. He was keeping his aura dimmed and the blond noble was shackled with hunter cuffs, his senses dulled to near non-existence by the metal.
Rido had amused himself for hours by wearing Ichijo's grandson down thoroughly. What a pleasant change. He had tested various sex toys on him until he found the combination that made him scream most beautifully. This was definitely rewarding - the boy was so much more fun to play with than Ojima...
The noble struggled not to moan on the table and Rido smirked.
Everything he had done had worked toward balancing the most intense pleasure combined with the most excruciating pain. Though only purebloods could truly enjoy that kind of pleasure, other vampires were not exempt from experiencing incredible orgasms from expertly applied amounts of pain.
The boy was the descendant of a long line of highly ranked noble families - he was indeed very powerful. Perhaps his abilities might even be dangerous to a pureblood one day. He would be drawn to such pleasure just because of his lineage.
But this was where Kaname's own policy would work against him. The blond noble was a child. Twenty something years of age was a joke compared to the decades of creative experimentation that Rido had up his sleeve. Kaname had raised his trusted noble lapdogs together with humans - far away from the real vampire life filled with cruelty and bloody desires. He had also refused them sustenance and forced them to live on blood substitutes, only adding to their weakness.
And Rido would exploit that weakness shamelessly.
The boy was the perfect victim. His greatest trait was his ever optimistic attitude and his attempts at always being friendly. He was so good at pretending to be human, he was hardly much of a vampire anymore...
Asato Ichijo's grandson had forgotten what it meant to be a vampire. But Rido would bring that back alright. Especially for a noble with such a jovial sunshine in spirit the depth of his own vampire nature would be nothing short of mind shattering.
The pureblood quirked a smile. The noble seemed to be enjoying the current selection of toys very much, Rido mused as he watched the convulsing body on the concrete table in front of him. But Rido wouldn't let him come. He was waiting for a specific reaction, before he allowed any lapse in the current torment.
Instead he just watched, not making a sound so as not to alert the noble of his presence.
The boy was lying on his back, his arms spread wide and the wrists bolted to the table with hunter metal. They left just enough room for the noble's wrists to writhe, but ensured with poisoned teeth that every movement brought more pain as the vicious hunter spikes never slid out of his body. His legs were spread wide with the knees angled sharply and his feet bolted to the table just belowhis hips in similar fashion. The hunter bolts were drenched in sluggishly dripping crimson. The way it smelled, Rido knew that the noble had drunk Kaname's blood. It suited him well. It would suit Rido even better when the time came.
He had made sure that the noble had no chance to relax, because the table ended where his neck started. Therefore, the boy could either hold his head in the air or let it hang limply, exposing his entire throat in a most vulnerable way.
Rido slid his finger over a metal device, pushing a button. Immediately, the boy began to writhe even harder against his constraints, hiccuping from the failed attempts at breathing evenly.
Rido grinned. A large object protruded from the noble's bleeding rear and vibrated incessantly against the stone surface. It was a good thing that the pureblood had secured it tightly to the nobles hips to ensure it didn't slip out. Instead it made all the metal chains vibrate as well, inducing them with electricity, sending a low current with high voltage through the noble's body right at the organ that would be most sensitive to it.
Delightedly, Rido watched the twitching arousal weep beneath the metal links and savored the colorful moans.
~{}~
When Zero came home that night, Kaname waited for him.
He had been dreadfully worried about the hunter's health after all that medical abuse. He had felt the pain on his own body as the hunter endured one charm after the other, struggling to remain conscious. The treatment he had been given had seriously upset the pureblood. His mind could not relax until he could see the hunter with his own eyes. He had no words for his relief at seeing him come in through the door into Kuran Mansion.
"Good evening, Kiryu." he said from where he stood at the stairs.
The hunter nodded toward him in acknowledgment.
"Kuran."
Kaname gripped the rail of his stairs to keep himself from running toward the hunter. He was on the verge of losing it. For some reason he wanted to hold the hunter, feel his body - the physical proof that he was fine. Tonight he couldn't just turn away like he always could. They had been too close in their minds just a mere hours ago - he couldn't just let the hunter go. He just... couldn't. His gaze was glued to the pale skin, his eyes refused to leave those lips. The hunter just didn't know his own allure and how it was driving the pureblood mad.
Zero looked at him, his neutral expression morphing into a scowl. But to the pureblood this all happened in slow motion while he himself appeared unable to control himself. Involuntarily, he took a step forward. Then another.
He dimly realized that Zero's lips must be forming words but he couldn't hear them.
~{}~
Zero had to grudgingly admit that being connected mentally had somehow felt calming. He had never found it easier to endure the examinations than this day. All his instincts rebelled against such a notion. Being at ease with a pureblood in your mind... what kind of a hunter was he, for crying out loud? How much of a slave was he already? He tried to recall the anger he had felt yesterday when Kuran had yelled at him, threatened him - but he couldn't. The pureblood's apology echoed loudly in his mind.
But I AM sorry.
Over and over again.
He kept berating himself, but seeing Kuran now, knowing that he had shared parts of himself out of his own free will, though grudgingly - somehow it connected them more permanently. Zero felt soothed and relieved at the pureblood's presence, though he didn't rationally know why. He wanted to shake those feelings off and get to his room, he was worn out enough to sleep for years, but he realized quite suddenly that he was thirsty beyond measure. And when he looked at Kuran, he realized that he wasn't the only one having difficulties.
"Kuran what's wrong with you?"
Scowling, Zero watched the pureblood come closer and closer with a look of utter entrancement on his face, staring at the hunter like he was a Martian or something. His chocolate colored eyes were staring at him unblinkingly.
Kuran usually gave him all kinds of indefinable weird glances, but this was the creepiest yet.
"Kuran?" he asked a bit louder.
"Zero..."
Was that whisper seriously Kuran's voice? It was only a secondary thought to the hunter that Kuran was using his first name again.
Zero scowled. What was up with the pureblood? Really, he was dead tired and wanted nothing but to sleep now. He'd take a few blood tablets and go to bed. Still, Kuran kept coming closer. The pureblood seemed to be shaking slightly. Did he need blood? Zero had no strength to spare at the moment.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he growled when he still got no answer.
He couldn't be injured - Zero would have felt it, too. So what was his freaking problem?
Still stumbling toward him, Kuran had now reached out a trembling hand.
"Kuran...?"
The pureblood's hand brushed by his cheek and clutched his hair as Kuran tightly wrapped his arms around the hunter and dropped his forehead onto Zero's shoulder.
"I... I am... I apologize. I am not myself..." he stuttered. The hunter raised an eyebrow.
"I can tell..." Zero answered dryly. Still scowling, he put his arms around the slender figure.
~{}~
Kaname had no words for his embarrassment. At least he had managed not to kiss Zero. But that beautiful scent, that wonderful warmth in those arms... That was all worth it. Even if Zero didn't know about Kaname's craving, even if he put his arms around the pureblood for the sake of politness... Kaname couldn't have cared less for that moment. He needed this physical contact like a thirsty man needed water.
He began to notice just a few minutes later that the hunter was battling himself. Kaname cursed his stupidity - of course Zero would be thirsty.
"Kuran..." his voice rasped.
"Drink, Zero." the pureblood said, pulling his shirt aside around his neck. His mate needed sustenance. Kaname couldn't deny him that - he feared that the confusion he felt could be tasted in his blood, he knew that the hunter could read him if he wanted to. Still, he hoped that Zero might want to be oblivious to the meaning. The pureblood wasn't ready to face this much closeness now. He wasn't ready yet. That, of course, was the only reason he still allowed Zero to run from him like he always did. They couldn't keep this up forever, the pureblood knew - but Kaname himself wasn't prepared for this. Not yet.
~{}~
Three days later:
For three days, Takuma had endured the pleasure and the pain, had spent hours bucking helplessly into nothingness and gained no fulfillment. He would be stimulated until he blacked out, but Rido would never let him come. The chains were too tight around the base of his arousal. Takuma would wake up minutes or hours later without a sense of time or orientation. But he would be hard already. Or still. He never knew.
He had never been betrayed by his body in such a way. He didn't want to feel pleasure at the torment Rido was putting him through. He didn't want to like any of it, but his body seemed not only to enjoy it, but above all to crave and need it.
He didn't know what was worse, the continuously changing vibration up his rear or the pain that made him hold out longer before he passed out. His mind clutched at the pain hoping it could be enough to douse the lust, while his body gave itself up entirely to the pleasure. It all blurred as the sensations began to blend and Takuma wasn't sure anymore if the pleasure hurt or the pain was pleasurable. He couldn't keep it apart anymore. He needed relief so badly. His body was giving out, but all of that could be repaired. That was not what was truly breaking him from the inside. Every time the terrible pureblood came to visit he would be startled and be beaten. Still, that could all be mended - what truly made him despair was that every ounce of pain only added to his arousal.
Perhaps he might be able to get over the pleasurable beatings one day if the cruel pureblood would just leave him afterwards. But after that, oh god, Takuma thought he would die with shame. After that, Rido would lick the blood off his arousal and Takuma would writhe under those lips, his body begging to be sucked, though his mouth would not say a word. It would only scream or moan.
But the reason that he was now at the end of the line were those words, those terrifying words that Rido had said. And the fact, that Takuma knew them to be true.
"I can see it plainly, my little slut. Your body wants me. Your hole calls for my cock. Your inferior blood is begging me to taste it and give you pleasure in return. And do you know who's name you screamed last night in your wet dream?"
The noble gave up. Now he had truly fallen. There was no way he could ever be the same again, no way he could ever set a foot into Kaname's house again, or - heaven forbid - face Senri after how his body betrayed the love he had for the noble. He just couldn't think of Senri now. It tore his heart apart. The quiet and reserved noble had barely opened up to him... oh god, how could he have fallen so low and betrayed him like this?
Was he really that much of a wanton whore?
A small part of him knew this was not his own fault, a part of Takuma knew that he was being used as a pawn, but his guilt was overwhelming. His body seemed to lust for everything Rido gave him. The minute the terrifying pureblood came close, Takuma's body reacted. But it wasn't just fear as it should be. The longer he lay here, the less he could struggle against it. Rido was giving him something that his body craved. It was a horrifying notion, but here - isolated and in darkness, pleasured senseless until he fainted and tormented by an equal amount of pain, Takuma wasn't sure anymore... Yes, Rido was cruel and evil. But he himself... he wanted this, didn't he?
He felt like he would suffocate under the shame he felt. How could Kaname put his trust in him? No... it wasn't Kaname anymore. He had failed the pureblood who believed he was his friend. It wasn't his mouth that had failed, but his entire body had betrayed their friendship. How could he be a friend to his pureblood when his body bucked and begged for release under the hands of Rido, his enemy? There was no way he could ever walk untainted again, even if he was ever set free. He was a traitor. He would have to beg for forgiveness - someday perhaps. Someone as filthy as himself had no right to address Kaname so informally... To someone like him it was Kaname-sama.
He was convinced that he was rotten.
He belonged in a dark cell, far away from all the others. He needed to be contained. He needed to be chained to the darkness.
His body craved to be tormented, because his mind knew already...
He belonged here.
Rido had made it perfectly clear in one sentence.
You will only find release when you accept that you want to be mine.
It was true. He should be Rido's. He was rotten to the core. He deserved this. His body craved this.
He belonged to Rido...
A sob escaped his lips as he finally accepted his failure and he did what he would never have believed he would be capable of.
He gave in.
"Please..."Forgive me, Kaname-sama...
~{}~
Rido smiled cruelly in the dark. It was high time the noble broke. He had assumed it would be earlier, but this was much more rewarding. He loved how the noble's body moved sinouosly, a delicious display waiting to be taken. Besides the boy was definitely tasty. Kaname's blood suited him well. It would be a wonderful aperitif for Rido before he could taste the real thing.
"So you're finally ready for me, my little slut?" he asked the noble, giving him a mock caress around the cheek.
"Please, Rido-sama." the noble's green eyes were filled with such delightful despair, Rido had forgotten what a turn-on that could be.
"Please what?" he let his voice ghost over the shaking and begging body, watching every cell react to him. Really, Ojima was nothing compared to this enjoyment.
"Let me come..." the Ichijo kid begged.
"When did I tell you you could come?"
Rido took pleasure in the slow responses he was getting from the helpless noble.
"When I want to be yours..." he answered acurately.
"Then tell me what it is you want, my little slut..." Rido taunted, his finger traveling down the shaking body.
There was a short silence. But the noble had no more fight in him left. Rido saw this easily. The blond head fell back, below the rim of the cold table surface as he groaned deeply. With his voice distorted into a terrible, lust-filled whisper, he begged.
"Please, Rido-sama. Fuck me. I'll be yours..."
~{}~
"No..." he breathed.
Senri struggled against his constraints but there was nothing he could do. He had followed Takuma's letter and been captured by his father, bound to a chair in a room designed to monitor the cell his lover was being kept in. His eyes were glued to the screen that revealed an internal battle Takuma had lost. The half-breed watched in horror and disgust as his father tore apart the chains around the noble's hips, leaving ugly welts across Takuma's thighs and hip bones. He wrenched out the toy from the noble's rear, almost tearing off his arousal in the same movement because it was tied down by the same chains. The noble cried out hoarsely from the pain.
Then Rido planted himself between the bloody legs. Without delay, he slammed himself deep into Takuma's entrance and the noble screamed a blood curdling screech. Not waiting for it even to subside, Rido rammed into him brutally, giving him no time to adjust or to breathe.
Silent tears poured down Senri's face. He could hear the sound and see the images. He didn't want to see but he couldn't bring himself to look away.
He watched it all. Everything burned itself into his mind. How his father pounded into his lover like an animal. How Takuma's screams faded to whimpers before they morphed into lusty groans. How his father came inside his lover. And Takuma came with him. How with a leering grin into the cameras, Rido cleaned himself and left the bleeding body in a heap of exhausted misery, blood and cum trickling from between his legs onto the table and down onto the floor.
The door opened and Shiki's watched his father walk toward him with arrogant strides and an evil smirk on his face. He smelled like Takuma's blood and it was all Senri could do to keep the murderous glare from his eyes.
"Your friend is quite tight between his baby cheeks. Perhaps you want a go...?"
Senri's eyes strayed to the image of the camera. Takuma's body was very still on the table now.
"Don't worry, he's just asleep for now. I'm afraid he's not up to my style of love-making. But I can always arrange to have him wakened for you."
Rido's lips came close to the dark-haired noble.
"You have a crush on him, don't you?"
Senrii flinched as Rido's tongue lapped across his throat. How was he able to tell?
"Here's our little deal... I drink my fill and you go in and enjoy your time with him. How does that sound?
Not that I'm actually giving you a choice..."
~{}~
Pale and stumbling from weakness, Senri fell to his knees as Rido pushed him through the door to where Takuma was still lying motionless on the table. The ominous slamming sound behind him told him that he was now alone in the room with his lover.
Slowly, Senri scrambled to his feet and dizzily made his way to Takuma.
The blond noble was out cold, his head hanging limply from the table with his green eyes closed. Senri struggled not to break down in misery at the sight. He couldn't bear the horrific state his lover was in.
With difficulty, Senri crawled onto the table and began to lick the body clean. He started with his neck and gave it a few experimental licks, but Takuma didn't even stir. Senri had wanted to be strong, but he couldn't help himself. Rido had just nearly drained him. Overpowered by his need for blood, he did the unforgivable and drank from Takuma. But he bit down as gently as he could and stopped himself after a few sips. He noticed that something was different about the taste of his blood. He couldn't quite place it - they hadn't properly bonded yet, Takuma had only provided Senri with blood twice and had never taken in return.
Feeling less dizzy, he let his tongue run across Takuma's chest and cleaned away all the blood from his arms as well. His tongue zinged badly as he curled it around the spiked hunter metal buried in the blond's wrists.
He proceeded down Takuma's bruised and bloody body, lapping up blood and cum without pausing until he reached his most private area. He remembered their first night together, when the cheerful noble had given himself to Senri. Takuma hadn't feared him even for a second. Senri wondered if it would ever be possible again for Takuma to make love without being haunted by today's memories. Dipping his head between the bloody legs, Senri gently cleaned Takuma even there.
Takuma stirred.
Senri got up and moved to Takuma's face. Kneeling on the floor, he supported Takuma's head on his shoulder.
"Senri..." the noble croaked.
"Shhhh..." it's ok, Taku-chan." Senri said as soothingly as he could.
"No... nothing is ok." Takuma said in a dead voice.
"Drink..." Senri whispered.
"I... I can't..."
"Please, Taku." he urged.
There was a silence in which Senri sensed that there was something else, something very wrong.
"I'm bound to Kaname-sama..." Takuma said in his dead voice.
Senri almost choked on a sob as he heard that. It was a stab into his heart, how could Takuma be bound to Kaname? They were lovers...
"Taku..." he said, trying to keep the hurt from his words but failing miserably.
"I am sorry, Senri. He was falling..." Takuma said, his voice still entirely void of emotion.
"But I... I... love you, Taku." Senri whispered brokenly.
"I'm sorry..." Takuma's cold words were empty to Senri.
~{}~
Takuma's head spun, but as he woke he realized it was not Rido moving over him. Though his body was in torment and even the softest touch burned and screamed with pain, Takuma still felt the difference of intention. He remembered this softness of touch. It seemed a million years ago that he had felt this. But it belonged to the past. He didn't deserve this anymore.
It took a while for his senses to connect with his brain. But he realized it was Senri, holding his head.
"Senri..."
Takuma knew he should feel wrong about tainting him but his closeness was so soothing. He didn't have the mind to question why he was here, but simply wanted to rest his head. He wanted to give in to the reassurances that he was whispering into his ear, but now - with all the things that Rido had done to him, all the terrible things he had let the pureblood do, the things he had submitted to doing and that he now craved...
No... nothing is ok. He didn't even know if he said it out loud or if it was perhaps a truth that was now blatantly obvious and needn't be spoken out loud because it was there.
"Drink."
Takuma's heart froze at that. It was an offer he couldn't take. Though his body needed it badly and Senri was the one he loved, he just couldn't. In the state he was in, Takuma couldn't contest the confusion in his mind. He had promised Kaname-sama that he would pretend to be his bondmate. And the memories of their fake bonding were there. Still, Takuma knew deep inside that it wasn't really true. He loved Senri no less for it, so it couldn't possibly be true.
It would break Senri's heart to know about that. But it was Kaname-sama's wish. Takuma's heart deliberated, but he made his decision quickly. It was simple in the end. He was too rotten for Senri now. He was too used and tainted to be worth his love so he couldn't take it. Though his promise to the pureblood weighed heavy on his mind it wasn't what made his choice. Had Rido not torn his psyche apart like that, perhaps he would have wavered. But now he didn't.
In the end, the same torment that was designed to break the noble toward Rido led Takuma to push his obedience toward Kaname-sama even further. If he was too tainted for love, at least he could serve as Kaname-sama's shield for a while longer, protecting him and Zero.
And so Takuma voiced the lie that broke his lover's heart.
"I... I can't... I'm bound to Kaname-sama... I am sorry, Senri. He was falling..."
~{}~
Senri felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He had no one but Takuma. His mother used him as a blood bank. His father used him to get back at Kaname. He was an unwanted nobody and though Kaname had forgiven him, still - he couldn't ever look into his eyes after what Rido had done through his body. And Rima ... no he didn't even want to think about Rima. Only Takuma had had the patience to coax life back into him over time. No... he had no one but Takuma.
And now Takuma was bound to Kaname. He had tasted the blood and knew now that it made sense. Takuma was truly blood bound to Kaname. And there was no more place for him here anymore. Perhaps if he'd told him earlier, when things were not so badly out of hand, Senri might have found a way to cope. He might have asked Kaname to allow him to stay by Takuma's side even he didn't feel the same toward him as before. But now, in the dungeon at Rido's mercy, things were different. Senri's heart was plunged into darkness. And he was certain it would never return.
It sparked an uncharacteristic rebellion within him. And he made a choice. He would not serve his father again. He would not touch Takuma ever again and that was final. With a deep breath, he blinked away the single tear that made its way down his cheek. Then, Senri got up, straightened himself and kissed Takuma farewell.
"I love you, Taku... Always. Never forget that." his voice was just a shaky whisper, more tears collecting at the rim of his eyes. He forced his hands into claws. Then he tore gashes into his arms and hands. He saw Takuma's horrified expression and it hurt in his chest to see that. But there was no turning back now, Senri said to himself, as his blood dripped to the floor sluggishly. He was significantly drained, he had to hurry.
"I cannot live without you, Taku. You're the only one who cared..." he said quietly.
Then with effort, he sent out his blood whips.
~{}~
Horrified, Takuma watched with his limp head up-side down, as his lover's blood strung into long whips. They whirrled around him, inflicting so much damage to the body that Takuma couldn't see how he had enough strength to keep them going. The blond noble found no voice to scream with as he saw what his words had promted his lover to do. Each of those blood whips was a weapon with Takuma's name on it. And the noble could only stare at the damage they created. At last, they tore into Senri's chest, cutting into his skin and through his bones to his heart. With a last effort, Senri tore his own heart from his chest and it dropped to the bloody floor. Then he collapsed.
Moments later the body turned to ashes.
At that moment, Takuma's heart died.
~{}~
Kaname heard the knock at his door.
He knew that it was Zero but he couldn't speak. He couldn't even form the words 'Come in."
He had kept to himself, had tried to stay out of the hunter's way ever since he had stumbled helplessly into his embrace. It gnawed at him - evertime he could feel his presence because of their bond. And with the physical closeness his chest would swell with happiness and would draw him toward Zero with all its might. For three days they had hardly seen a glimpse of each other albeit living door to door. But the pull of blood was too strong. Their bond was too strong to be ignored.
The hunter needed blood. And Kaname needed his. Though he had shut himself away from the hunter's eyes and Zero hadn't seemed to mind at all, his dreams had haunted him every single day. He had given up on trying to erase his need with cold showers. Instead, he rubbed himself imagining it was Zero. It was frustrating, but there was nothing else he could do about it. He needed the hunter. But there was no basis for trust between them as long as Zero kept shutting himself out of their bond.
And now Zero had come to him.
Like a child at Christmas, the pureblood's heart raced with excitement. The book he was holding almost fell from his grasp, but he managed to hold onto it without noticing. He wanted to say "Come in." but his voice refused to co-operate. Instead, his body reacted irrationally and he stood up. Then, using his mind, he swung the door open, revealing the silver-haired hunter.
Zero stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked uncomfortable.
"I need to drink… I can't keep the red from my eyes. My team will notice…" he growled.
Kaname heard the words – somewhere he knew they had reached his ear, but their meaning was slow to connect with his mind. He was staring openly at the hunter, gaping at his strong body hidden below a shirt and jeans. Zero was so beautiful. Kaname felt like an idiot for staring. But he couldn't look away. Over and over, the images of his dreams overlapped with the way Zero stood there in the dark, his silver hair softly glowing.
"Look, I know you have other things to do. But you made me promise to come. So, let's just get it over with…" the hunter growled.
Kaname wanted to open his mouth to say something, but he couldn't. No sound came out. He simply nodded.
"Alright." It was all he could finally manage to say in a whisper.
Zero scowled but then he shrugged.
As the hunter came closer, Kaname's heart swelled. He was sure he looked like a deer caught in the headlights – he certainly felt like one. Each of the hunter's steps let the cloth of his jeans slide against his thighs, catching the pureblood's attention. Every movement of his torso revealed how well built he was as the fabric tightened across his chest and biceps. Kaname had refused himself this for so long. Seeing Zero now, after days of only dreaming about him, was exhilarating beyond control. The pureblood swallowed hard as the hunter stood in front of him.
"How do you want to do this?" Zero asked. Kaname's gaze was drawn toward his eyes as he addressed the impossibly aroused pureblood. He was right – his eyes were crimson. But Zero looked entirely controlled nonetheless.
I want you. His body screamed, meaning in every sense of the word.
But he managed not to speak. He wanted his lips touching those lips, he wanted his hands buried in the silver strands and he wanted Zero underneath him, moaning and…
Kaname didn't dare to move. If he did, he would surely pin the hunter under him, doing unforgivable and delicious things.
~{}~
Zero scowled. Kuran was being all weird. He hadn't seen the pureblood or spoken to him in three days. He hated the fact that he was weakened by the medical tests the Association had performed on him. Though he had taken blood three days ago, he was still thirsty. He had dragged this out as long as he could, but Kuran had ordered him to take care of himself. And he'd rather be the one deciding to show or not to show up than having the pureblood barge in on him.
But something was off about the pureblood. Kuran was acting strange. Maybe it was the thirst, but the hunter was suspecting that it may have other reasons. Though they were red, the pureblood's eyes were wide open, staring at him in incomprehension and something... he'd rather not think about. Zero was here to get it over with, so he waited for the pureblood to give directions, but as it became apparent that Kuran would not make a move whatsoever, he decided to take over their decision-making.
He took the book from the pureblood's nerveless hands and closed it, putting it aside. For some reason, Kuran's breath caught as he did so – the hunter wasn't stupid. Kuran was obviously aroused. The scent was everywhere. He could hear the racing heartbeat as his senses bent on the blood he needed so badly. Moreover, the way Kuran had stumbled into his arms three days ago had him wondering for hours until the answer finally came to his mind.
Though he hoped he was wrong, Zero had a faint suspicion that their bond was affecting the other vampire in some sexual way. It made sense, because their blood sharing obviously induced pleasure. Feeling very uncomfortable with that thought, Zero had dragged out this moment until it was no longer possible to do so. He needed blood – and so did the pureblood.
"You're thirsty, too." Zero stated quietly.
The pureblood felt the same discomfort.
Our bodies might demand more closeness than we're willing to give… That's what the pureblood had said. Ever since that hug, the pureblood had spent in what the hunter could only describe as hiding. Fine, so they were both uncomfortable with this… The best thing to do would to just get it over with.
~{}~
Kaname's senses were reeling. He forced himself to remain unmoving, though his body craved something entirely different. As the hunter laid his book aside, he couldn't help a startled hitch of his breath. Damn his sensitive body for chosing to abandon all efforts of control in the hunter's presence. His eyes were still resting on the hunter. He was so close to him, his scent all around Kaname, the skin of his cheek so close, the throbbing in his neck to tempting...
Zero seemed to debate with himself before Kaname felt Zero's fingers move across the left side of his throat moving aside the dark tresses of perfect silken hair.
Kaname wanted to lean into the touch, nuzzle into the gentle hand, but he froze to immobility so as not to embarrass himself again. It was entirely useless, he knew. The minute his blood touched the hunter's tongue he would know, Zero would be able to read him and he would know how much the pureblood longed for his touch. Zero took one step toward him and slid a strong arm behind his back. Kaname closed his eyes as Zero's soft skin brushed his own cheek before a set of fangs pierced his neck deeply. With a breathy moan, the pureblood's knees gave out and he thought he would faint with desire. But the hunter held him tight.
Don't let go, Zero…
~{}~
Zero struggled to control himself. He could feel Kuran in the taste of his blood. The pureblood was aroused, Zero was sure now. Kuran was getting off on this. Zero's own body reacted as well. But he forced himself to calm. He wasn't like that. He had wanted Yuki only. No one else. He didn't fall for guys. He slid his fangs from the pureblood's delicious blood and willed his breathing to slow. Kuran was almost limp in his arms and Zero was holding him tightly. The hunter understood how having your blood drawn could weaken you so, but somehow he had never taken Kuran for one to succumb to weakness so easily. Slowly, the pureblood reassembled himself.
Zero let go as soon as he felt that the pureblood could stand on his own again, albeit slightly unsteady. But he heard a quiet whisper.
"Don't..."
Zero wanted to look at his face, but he hesitated. Then Kuran changed his mind.
"I... I apologize..." he said.
Zero said nothing, letting Kuran smooth his ruffled feathers. Drinking blood was personal. It was intimate. Zero wasn't sure he liked this much knowledge about the pureblood. He was beginning to know his mood without having to feel it though their bond. He had tasted vulnerability. Something he really didn't expect to find in the pureblood. Not now anymore, at any rate. But he had also tasted arousal and a burning need. Zero didn't quite know what to make of it.
Kuran stood. Zero made no move to help the pureblood. He let the pureblood slowly unbutton his shirt. The increasing of his breath was unmistakable. Kuran was about to unbutton a fourth button, when Zero stopped his hand.
"That's enough." he said.
Kuran looked at him with a startled look. How was it possible that someone so powerful could have such a look of innocence about him? Then Kuran nodded faintly.
Zero shuddered involuntarily as the pureblood embraced him, licking the sensitive skin of his throat. This was too personal, this was way too intimate. He wanted to kick himself for his body's reaction, but made no move as Kuran's fangs slid into his skin. The hunter knew that he was being treated gently on purpose. Kuran knew of Shizuka and his bite was entirely unlike hers.
Still, he had a feeling that this gentleness was more than just courtesy. He was proven right as slight tingles of pleasure went through him while Kuran drank. The pureblood's soft embrace almost caressed him and the heavy pleasure-laden scent hazed the hunter's mind, letting him feel unnecessarily weak. But Zero remembered the hate-filled words, Kuran had yelled at him and he refused to lose his footing.
But by the time Kuran had finished, his face showed a faint blush and he knew his heartbeat had sped up under the pureblood's ministrations.
It was only the bond - nothing more.
~{}~
When Rido came into the room where the noble lay on the table, everything was already over. He hadn't stopped his useless bastard son, although he could have done so easily if had he wanted to. But he had decided that it would only benefit him. He had no use for his son anymore and he had wanted to break Ichijo - he was sure that the death of a friend might be beneficial. But listening to their conversation had him thinking. He had guessed that Senri had a crush on Ichijo. But he hadn't known that the two of them had in fact been lovers. Still, if Ichijo had bonded with Kaname, it couldn't have been that strong of a relationship.
But looking at his handiwork now, Rido was frustrated. The Ichijo kid was broken - yes. Just a few years ago he might have prided himself that it was due to his skill at breaking captives... but this wasn't right.
Sure, Ichijo's body was alive. When he applied pain or pleasure, the noble still screamed much of the time. But all of his reactions were empty and hollow. There was no more despair in his eyes, only emptiness. What could have happened...?
Then it hit him. Senri's death. Of course - his bastard son had had a crush on the noble. What if...?
The mismatched eyes widened.
And that was how he knew.
Rido's lips spread into a cold grin.
"You sneaky bastard, Kaname..."
Kaname had lied. He couldn't be his mate if Senri's death broke him thus. It was the only explanation.
Takuma wasn't the pureblood's mate. Kaname was bound to someone else.
