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Maria left her bedroom to answer the door , stopping in her tracks to cast a glance at Ichiru , urging him to follow her outside . It was him that Yuki wanted to talk to , after all .
Speaking of which , Maria prayed to whatever had power above that Yuki had no bad news to relay , walked to the front door , and swayed it open , opting for a nod and a weak smile that Yuki returned with as much grace as the situation allowed .
Maria proceeded inviting her in , wasting no time to lead the way , clearly not wanting to prolong her own presence in the dark cloud that seemed to accompany Yuki's arrival .
It didn't take long before they reached the living room where Yuki sat in front of Ichiru , busying herself with questions about his well being . She couldn't just get to the point without warning . Even if the reason behind her visit was already obvious , she needed some time , for what exactly , she had no idea .. To think of what she was going to say and how , maybe ..
" I'll be in my room . If you need anything , don't hesitate to ask . " Maria offered , already making her way deeper in the house , as if she'd noticed Yuki's discomfort and wanted to help ease it a little .
Anyone may think it rude of her to leave a guest like that when in fact , she had been very courteous , choosing to give those two their privacy , no matter how little .
She would be able to hear their conversation of course , but at least , she wouldn't be physically present , which would definitely make it easier for them .
Yuki smiled at that , thanking the other pureblood and watching her figure grow further away , the act announcing her alone with Ichiru .
When she could no longer keep her gaze fixated on the empty hallway , Yuki struggled to breathe , slowly moving her eyes about , eventually meeting a pair of scrutinising violet ones .
She still had no idea how she was going to tell him what should been good news but was far from that , until she realised she could start with such .
" As I previously mentioned on phone , I have something to tell you .. You must have already guessed it has to do with Zero . " Hands crossed together and resting on her lap , Yuki stalled , her gaze unconsciously avoiding his .
Alarmed and anxious but deciding to wait and not jump to conclusions , he merely nodded , not trusting his voice .
" He's back .. He's..no longer in a coma .. but .. " At that point , she couldn't find the strength to talk . Her eyes moistened and throat constricted , the mention of that topic serving as a monster , dragging her back to the first time she heard of it , suffocating her beyond belief .
She took a moment to shake her head and try to calm down , feeling understandably overwhelmed .
Ichiru's patience was running thin , however .
" But what ? " He'd asked in a hurried tone that didn't match his frosty mask and relaxed posture . If Yuki were giving him half of her attention though , she would have noticed that even the way he sat down could only be described as tense . She needn't , however . She could literally taste his rising concern without having to look at his face , which made her job that much more taxing .
She kept her voice flat , or at least tried to .
" He's emotionally unstable and .. His movements are almost nonexistent . I saw him this morning .. I had been so grateful and relieved until he chuckled , interrupting my words . He met my worries with a chuckle , Ichiru .. It couldn't get any worse was what I had first thought when I found out .. Alas , the worst has yet to come .. "
Yuki trailed off , reliving that moment Kaname disclosed everything to her .
Ichiru deserved to know the whole truth . Inwardly repeating that over and over again , Yuki braced herself for the impending storm .
It looked like he was about to say something but she quickly spoke up once more , preferring to deal with it like one would with pain . If she had the right to choose , she'd always pick instant death over a slow painful one .
" As much as it pains me to say this , the one behind our suffering the past three months and Zero's from now onwards , is Takuma . "
Ichiru remained silent until she said that . He kept staring at her for a split second , eventually letting out a scoff , shaking his head , having gathered all of the disbelief and contempt he felt at that moment in one simple accusation .
" I can't believe you are ready to go as far as blaming Ichijo for what Kuran had obviously committed . Though maybe it shouldn't come as a surprise . After all , a dog would always be eager to take the blame in place of its master . "
Yuki's nose flared . She could understand Ichiru's disbelief concerning Takuma's shameful deeds but she definitely wasn't going to tolerate his words . Kaname had nothing to do with that awful night . In fact , if it weren't for him , Zero would have died on the spot . But of course no one was going to believe that .
They have always been rivals for her affections , and enemies by nature . Everyone knew that . She would not openly say it but she too had suspected Kaname to be involved until she drank his blood .
" I saw it with my own eyes , in Kaname's memories . "
In a flash , she found herself back in that moment , crying and shaking in his embrace , feeling a thousand different emotion racing against each other , wanting victory , seeking after the prize that was her state of being .
Thinking back , she had a hard time believing the crime she'd accused . It must have hurt .. How cruel of her .. And yet , instead of snapping , Kaname only ever held her tighter , trying to comfort her , promising everything was going to be okay .
He brought her face closer to his neck and , for the first time , offered her the truth , no schemes , no deception , no lies , no sugarcoating . She would never forget the amount of confusion , disappointment , rage , and grief she felt afterwards . She'd staggered about , eyes distant and head muddled .. She would have dropped to her knees if it weren't for him pulling her to his chest and leaning against the wall until he could no longer carry their burden combined . They slid down the wall , in each other's arms , hearts heavy for reasons not different but not identical either .
The setting shifted back to Maria's house , making Yuki blink and shake her head , as if it would chase away those horrid flashbacks .
It didn't seem like she'd gotten a response yet though .
Ichiru still looked doubtful , probably refusing to accept it . So what if she saw it in Kuran's memories . It didn't mean anything . She could be lying or manipulated . Who knows , he wouldn't be surprised if Kuran had the power to fabricate even that .
" Why should I believe you ? "
Yuki no longer felt offended by Ichiru's words . A smile carved itself on her face before she gave him an answer
" Aren't you forgetting something ? It's true that I care for Kaname so much , but your brother is just as important to me . I would never let anyone get away with hurting him . "
Ichiru stayed quiet , studying her for a while , searching those reddish brown orbs for honesty and feeling subdued when he found no traces of a lie in there .
" If what you are saying is true then I think it's safe to assume you are keeping him locked up in a dungeon . "
Yuki said nothing , her gaze leaving his and eventually falling , eyelids meeting , slow and heavy , in resigned confirmation .
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" Zero wouldn't have wanted this ! " Maria exclaimed as she watched Ichiru put on his coat , getting ready to go out . Yuki had offered sending her chauffeur to pick him up whenever he wanted to see Zero who she had gotten permission to discharge under the condition of providing him with medical care . She'd also told him he could stay with them as long as he wanted . Ichiru had accepted , of course , for two reasons or better said two persons . Maria didn't support his decision though . She knew how his mind worked and what he wanted to achieve .
Zero wouldn't have wanted it then ?
How would you know ?
How can you be so sure ?
" Exactly . you said it yourself . Let me correct , however , Zero might have not wanted this . But I'm not Zero . " He stopped in the middle of buttoning up his coat and looked at her while saying that , determined and unwavering . He'd always been different from Zero , to the point that he sometimes wondered ' Am I really his twin ? '
" Ichiru , please . Would it change anything ? No . Zero's condition is not going to get any better even if you beat the living daylights out of Ichijo . Nothing can go back to the way it was . " Maria almost cried , reaching forward and cupping his face , pouring all of her concern in one intense gaze that seemed to weaken Ichiru's resolve .
Silence befell the room at that . Tension followed suit , filling the void it left in its wake .
He closed his eyes for a minute or so , breathing in and out , meditating on her soothing presence , deriving comfort and guidance from her .
".. At least it's going to extinguish this fire burning inside of me . " He reasoned .
Even though his eyes were still closed , Maria could only shake her head , as if telling him ' It's not . We both know that . '
" The law punishes a murderer even though it wouldn't bring the victim back to life . Do you know why ? Because everything should have a consequence , otherwise life would be nothing but a battlefield , a place full of chaos , a disaster waiting to happen . "
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