Author's Note: Hey everyone! New chapter YAAAY :D Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and followed! Every one of them means a lot :) Replies to the reviews are at the end of the chapter! For now, please do enjoy this chapter, and review! They really make me smile, and inspire me to continue :)

Disclaimer: Credits to Matsuri Hino, Blackened Wing, and TammyTBoneTTB!

PRESENT

Kaname leaned back against the couch on which he was seated, taking another sip of tea. He grimaced as the bitter taste hit his tongue. Why was it so bitter?

Oh, right.

He had forgotten to add the sugar.

Kaname sighed inwardly as he replaced the cup and saucer on the coffee table. He had never had to make his own tea. All his life he had had servants to prepare whatever he needed, and even after moving here, Zero had always been the one to take care of him when it came to things like this.

Not that he couldn't do simple things like making tea. It was just a matter of boiling water and immersing a tea bag into it, after all.

Except that he had forgotten to add the sugar. Damn.

Shifting himself into a more comfortable position, the pureblood casually turned his head to the side. The figure against the wall still hadn't moved from his position. Zero had refused both his invitations to make himself comfortable on the couch, and to have a cup of tea. Well, it turned out to be a good thing that the other had rejected the tea. Kaname didn't have to think very hard to imagine what would have been the hunter's response to a cup of sugarless, black tea. He was fully aware that his lover didn't like sweet things, but he always took his tea with lots of sugar. It was a mystery that Kaname had never been able to wrap his head around.

Zero had chosen to slouch against the wall, hands shoved into his pockets. An all-too-familiar scowl was pasted on his face, eyebrows creased as he tried to figure out who could be possibly after his life. It wasn't like his life was worth anything. It was only a matter of time before he fell to Level E, after all. His attackers just had to wait a few years at the most, before his life as he knew it would be over, and he would have to be put down.

Kaname noticed that expression crossing over the hunter's eyes again and his brows furrowed. It was the second time he had seen it within the past half hour. What could the boy be thinking of that made him look so forlorn? Despite his ever-present glare, within his eyes lurked such loneliness and pain that it made him want to wrap his arms tightly around the boy and never let go. But he wouldn't, of course, not to this Zero. He settled for asking a question to distract him instead.

'Kiryuu, do you remember when you put on your uniform?'

Honestly, that had been bothering the pureblood ever since he had found Zero unconscious on the kitchen floor, dressed in something other than what he had last seen his lover leaving his room in. It was only when the hunter had been standing in front of him that he had recognised that black ensemble as the Cross Academy Day Class uniform. After they had both decided to remain in their villa instead of returning back to school, he had accompanied Zero on the trip back to his dorm room to retrieve his belongings. He had definitely seen the ex-human skip over the worn and dusty uniforms in his closet, deciding that there was no point in keeping them around, seeing as he had already graduated years ago. So how was it that he was now dressed in said uniform? There was no reason for him to have gone back to get them, if they even were still there at all.

Zero looked at him like he had lost his mind.

'I dress like this every day, Kuran,' he said impatiently. 'It's called a school uniform for a reason.'

'Ah. Right,' nodded Kaname quietly. Seemed like this Zero had really lost all his memories leading up to the present. Though he had already come to that conclusion himself, it didn't stop his heart from constricting painfully again. There was so much to be done to get back to where they were.

Uncomfortable silence descended over them again. Zero shifted his weight, letting his gaze scan the room. It was way too big for a living room, yet kept simple and comfortable, littered only with plush armchairs, a huge couch, and a plasma television plastered on the wall. This was probably designed to be a place to entertain casual guests, seeing as how there was a chessboard on the coffee table, and more chairs than one person needed. The hunter scoffed at the thought of the pureblood having friends over. Did he even have any? Not that you have many either, chirped a small voice in his head. Zero scowled at nothing in particular, pushing his hands deeper into his pockets.

Kaname wondered at the sudden glower on the prefect's face. The silence in the room was so thick that it probably would've been difficult to cut with a knife. He cleared his throat softly, causing the hunter to turn his glare onto him.

'What?'

The pureblood's expression remained placid. 'I was just wondering if you would like to have the television on.'

Zero's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Since when had Kuran Kaname ever wondered about whathe wanted? For that matter, since when would Kuran Kaname have ever offered to personally make him tea? Was the other vampire high or something?

But then he realised that Yuuki had probably asked him to make sure he was well-looked after. As if he needed to be looked after by a blood-sucker! His scowl deepened, but he gave the pureblood an indifferent shrug. What could he lose by having the television on? It wouldn't make the situation any better, but heck, it couldn't make it any worse either.

'Whatever.'

The brunette nodded imperceptibly and turned back in front of him. Without any warning, the screen flickered on, making Zero jump. When he noticed the pureblood's lips twitching at his reaction, he realised that Kuran had just used his powers to switch on the television. He cursed inwardly at his own jumpiness, slouching lower against the wall. The volume had been turned low, but he didn't have to strain his eyes to hear the newscaster's monotonous voice. Vampire hearing did have its benefits. As the woman on-screen continued giving a summary of what was currently happening in the world, he let his mind wander, still trying to recall if anything had happened to make him the target of such an attack.

Kaname picked up his cup and saucer before getting to his feet. The sudden motion had Zero's senses prickling, but he remained motionless as the pureblood made his way toward the kitchen, presumably to throw away the tea that he had made. More at ease now that the other vampire was out of the room, Zero relaxed his posture slightly, letting his head rest against the wall, eyes glazing over as he got lost in his thoughts.

When the sound of his name being spoken infiltrated his mind, he lifted his head, glancing in the direction of the kitchen. But the pureblood was out of sight, sounds of water running and china clinking echoing around the walls, signalling that he was probably still washing up. So if it wasn't the pureblood...

Zero turned his attention to the television. His eyes widened when a picture appeared behind the suddenly-excited newscaster. It showed Kaname with a casual arm around the shoulders of the figure next to him. Both were dressed in casual clothing and walking out of a Happy Burger outlet. Even though the picture was grainy and had been taken at night, the other person was unmistakably him. His suspicions were confirmed by the woman's next words.

'Last night, Kuran Kaname was spotted leaving the premises of a burger joint with his protégé, Kiryuu Zero. Our reporter, Satoshi Maki, reports that they entered at around 9pm, ordering a set meal each, before leaving halfway through their meal at about 9.30pm. Both left together in Kuran-sama's car, presumably to return to the villa they share. Isn't it a surprise that someone who could probably afford to dine at five-star restaurants at every meal, chose instead to visit such a humble esta-'

Just as suddenly as it had been switched on, the television screen turned black. Zero had been watching in such horror that he hadn't even realised that the pureblood was now standing in the doorway, looking at him with an inscrutable expression.

'What the hell was that, Kuran?' growled the hunter, mind reeling from what he just heard. Since when had he become the pureblood's protégé? And in what universe would he share a house with said pureblood? Not forgetting the fact that last night at 9pm, he had been out on patrol with Yuuki, as always. What rubbish had that woman been spouting? Was that a photo-shopped picture? But how on earth would she, or anyone, really, had even known about an ex-human like him?

All the unanswered questions churned around in his mind, building his anger and frustration. And he directed all of that in a withering, fiery glare at the pureblood standing before him, who had not the slightest trace of disbelief or irritation on his face from hearing the same news report he had.

Kaname had finally finished washing up the cup - not without chipping off a tiny bit of the handle which he hoped his Zero wouldn't notice and give him hell for – only to return to the living room to see Zero staring in incredulity and revulsion at the picture on-screen. He had almost turned the television off there and then, but had hoped that maybe hearing about their date last night would bring back Zero's memories. But the horror on the boy's face had not changed, and it had been with resignation in his sinking heart that he had switched it off.

How should he handle this? Should he lie about it? The photograph had not been of the best quality, but surely Zero had recognised himself in it. So should he tell him the truth?

'Zero...,' he began, forgetting to use the boy's family name instead.

But then he stopped short. A familiar presence was now making his way towards the living room.

This was bad. He hadn't expected Yagari to return from his mission so soon. Hadn't it been supposed to last a few more days? The current situation was confusing and frustrating enough without the older hunter around making things worse.

But it was too late. Zero had sensed the other hunter's presence too, as well as the scent of his ever-present cigarette. Eyes widening in surprise, earlier question forgotten for the moment, he crossed the room in a few long strides, reaching the doorway just as his sensei entered the room.

If Yagari had been surprised to find his way suddenly blocked by his student, he gave no outward indication. With a nod at the pureblood, he raised the hand that was not holding his duffel bag and ruffled the silver hair playfully.

'Yo, kiddo. The mission this time was easier than expected, so I'm back early.'

Surprise had Zero frowning when he saw the nod directed at the pureblood. Since when were they on good terms? He remembered how Yagari-sensei always ignored the vampires, and was always on high alert when around them. Yet here he was, relaxed and calm, as if totally comfortable with Kuran's presence. But he quickly lost that train of thought once the older man ruffled his hair. He hadn't been that affectionate with him since he was a kid. Even though Yagari had been the one to let him live, he had always kept been slightly wary around him, as if waiting to see him fall to Level E. Though he didn't understand the change in his sensei's attitude, a warm feeling spread through him, and the ghost of a smile adorned his lips. Maybe his master finally trusted him.

Kaname saw Zero's reaction to both Yagari's nod and his affection. His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw the younger boy's obvious pleasure at being treated so kindly by his sensei. Are you jealous? asked a smug little voice.

Yes, I am, he answered shamelessly. Now that he couldn't do that, he didn't like the fact that the older hunter could.

'Yagari, can I have a minute with you?'

The older hunter glanced up from his unusually docile student. 'What?'

Kaname pressed his lips together in a grim line. 'In the kitchen.'

Zero realised that the pureblood was asking to be alone with his sensei. Why? Was it about what was happening with him?

Rubbing his nose absentmindedly, a puzzled yet intrigued look on his face, Yagari nodded and made his way into the room. As he passed the couch, he threw his duffel bag down onto it roughly, smirking slightly at the irritated twitch of the pureblood's eyebrow.

Zero remained where he was, watching the two of them go. He hadn't thought that his sensei would ever have agreed to be alone with a pureblood, but supposed he had come all the way out here to speak with Kuran anyway, so it was not a huge surprise. He wanted to know what the hell the pureblood had to say to his teacher, but the shrewd vampire had closed the door behind them and was speaking too quietly for even his vampire ears to pick up. Any motion to approach the closed door would not go unnoticed by either of the two occupants in the kitchen. There was nothing for it then. He sighed, running a frustrated hand through his hair. As he did, his glance fell over the hallway outside the living room. Since he had nothing to do, he might as well explore the place, to scope out his surroundings. Once the two were done, he would definitely make the pureblood answer his earlier question about that news report.

'What? Are you joking with me, boy?'

Kaname shot the hunter a withering look. As if he would joke about something as serious as this to him, of all people.

Of course Yagari had not really thought that the pureblood had been kidding. It was just that the situation was too ludicrous to imagine. Zero losing his memories? Just like that? If it were true, then...

'He doesn't remember anything at all about what's happened all these years? About Yuuki, Kaien... even you?'

The grim vampire gave a single shake of his head. The hunter rubbed a hand against his face tiredly. He had just come home from flushing out a den of Es, he had thought he would be able to get a nice hot shower and a good night's rest, but then this had to happen.

'And you have no idea what happened?'

'Like I said, I was sleeping. And I sensed nothing. No alarms or charms went off either.'

Kaname couldn't help the tinge of irritation that crept into his tone. It wasn't Yagari's fault, and he was probably exhausted from his mission, but the pureblood's emotions were all over the place and he was having difficulty trying to maintain a calm demeanour. With great effort, he forced down his surging emotions, summoning a neutral expression.

The older hunter's eyebrow rose at the other's tone, but said nothing about it. He took a draw of his cigarette, then exhaled slowly, filling the kitchen with the smoke. Kaname's sensitive nose and eyes tingled, but he resolutely remained silent, maintain his cool stare on the hunter.

Yagari was considering the situation. Though it was a troublesome one, hopefully Zero would be able to recover his memories with time. With modern medicine, as well as the pureblood's infinitely deep pockets, surely that wouldn't take too much time and effort? Yet the boy in front of him was visibly agitated. Was there something else? A thought suddenly came to mind.

'Don't you two have a bond? Can't you use it somehow?'

He recognised that something was wrong the instant the vampire stiffened. Even before the boy said the words, he knew.

Kaname swallowed hard, trying unsuccessfully to dislodge the lump in his throat. 'The bond... it's gone. I don't know how or why, but it's gone.'

He didn't know if telling the hunter the truth was the best idea, but for the first time in a long while, he was totally at a loss about what to do, and he could do with some advice. When he had researched about blood bonds all those years ago, he had concentrated mainly on vampire history. Maybe the experienced hunter would be able to tell him about a secret, hunter method to break such bonds without a death. And over the years, he had slowly learnt that though he had no qualms about using his gun on vampires, Yagari also had a good heart hidden away beneath that gruff exterior. A heart that had helped not just Zero, but also him – though he would never admit it – on numerous occasions.

Finally, Yagari understood the reason for the pureblood's uneasiness and distress. If it had just been a loss of memories, perhaps it would not have been that bad, but for their blood bond to have disappeared... He had never heard of a technique to break blood bonds in such a manner, and he told the pureblood as much, not missing how the latter's face darkened considerably. So that meant the vampire had no clue either.

The hunter chewed on his cigarette, thinking heard. This was a situation totally new to both Kuran and him. They needed to research on what exactly had been done to his student, who had done it, and why. Meanwhile, Kuran would just have to control his... urges... for a while. He almost smirked at the thought. Though Yagari still held the same respected place in Zero's heart, the pureblood had been lowered from the position of a lover, to that of an enemy, within the span of just a few hours. It must have been a tough pill to swallow.

'I'll do some research tomorrow, and call in favours from some friends. For now, just try not to let him find anything out, okay? Knowing my idiot student, he'll get into a temper and storm off.'

Kaname nodded, letting his gratitude show in his face. He walked over to the kitchen door and opened it, looking expectantly at the hunter.

Yagari's lips parted in shock. Had the pureblood just opened a door for him? This situation with Zero must really be eating him up if he had started being nice to him. Deciding not to say anything except to nod his thanks, he made his way into the now-empty living room, grabbing his bag from where he had dumped it. Just before leaving, he paused at the doorway, casting a glance over his shoulder at the pureblood, who was still standing in the kitchen, a shadow crossing behind his eyes now that he thought no one was looking.

'Kuran,' called the hunter gruffly. When the vampire looked up sharply, quickly trying to call upon his placid mask, his tone and gaze softened at the poorly-masked anguish behind the boy's eyes.

He couldn't believe he was trying to reassure the pureblood, but he just couldn't ignore the downcast demeanour that the boy was presenting. He had never seen the pureblood ever look so unsure and affected, and was sure that only Zero could do that to him. Their Zero would definitely not want him to just walk out of that room without another words.

In a confident, no-nonsense voice, he said, 'We'll get Zero back.'

And he truly believed they would. Somehow.

Kaname blinked. Was that concern in the hunter's eyes? How laughable, he thought, that he, a pureblood, had appeared pathetic enough to need to be reassured by a hunter.

All the same, he appreciated the other's words, especially since it was coming from someone who valued Zero as much as he did. Giving another nod of thanks, he swiftly left the room, in search of his missing lover.

Zero had finished exploring the ground floor of the house. Every room was excessively huge, yet was not overly adorned with expensive furniture and accessories as he had expected a home of a pureblood to be. He found himself almost liking the place, since the things he saw were things he knew he himself would've picked out. He grimaced at the implication that he and said pureblood must have similar taste. Who would've thought?

He made his way quietly up the stairs, hand sliding up the smooth wooden banister. Almost unconsciously, he turned his head to throw a glance over his shoulder in the direction of the kitchen. Should he really be invading the pureblood's privacy by roaming his house? It wasn't like he was a welcome guest here, after all.

Zero scowled, frustrated at himself for having such hesitation. Who cared? Why should he bother about what the pureblood thought? He never had, and never would.

Deliberately not trying to mask the thuds of his shoes on each step, he climbed up to the second storey. The first thing he noticed was the huge, Victorian window at the end of the hall, almost taking up the entire wall in which it was set. It was shuttered, but Zero noticed a cord running down the side of the window. This would give him a good view of where exactly this villa was, thought Zero, as he swiftly walked over to the window and yanked the cord. Immediately, soft moonlight flooded the hallway, basking the previously dim area in a gentle, silvery glow. Zero's eyes widened slightly as he caught sight of the view beyond the window. His gaze was drawn almost immediately to the wide expanse of the night sky before his eyes, dotted here and there with twinkling stars, as if salt had been sprinkled lightly all over it. Despite the darkness outside, his enhanced vision allowed him to make out the acres of green lawns and gentle hills that encircled the building he was in. Trees had been planted neatly all around the area, some of them with brightly-coloured fruits hanging from the branches. Beyond the grass, he spied huge trees – of which species he could not say, not being particularly interested in botany – bordering the land, providing privacy and cover for the estate. Zero was pretty sure that the foliage was just one of the many security measures guarding the area, even if he could not see them. No pureblood would have lived in such an open, seemingly unguarded area without making sure no one could get in or out without his knowledge.

Well, thought Zero dryly, the view, thought breath-taking, hadn't helped him to get his bearings at all. There were no buildings in sights, just greenery and sky spreading out as far as the eye, vampiric though it might be, could see. All he had managed to learn was that the villa was located in an isolated area, probably an hour away from anything else.

As if he had expected anything less.

Turning away from the window, he glanced around him. He was standing in a hallway that was flanked with doors, likely leading into guest bedrooms. The window was at the end of the hallway, with the stairs in the middle of an open area. On the other side of the stairs, he saw a short corridor that continued around the corner, out of his view. Where does that lead, wondered Zero. Kuran's room?

Despite knowing that he had long crossed over from exploring to snooping, he let his curiosity get the better of him, following the corridor and turning the corner.

There were only two doors back here, directly opposite each other. Both were simple mahogany doors with brass knobs. They were exactly identical, and given their location, probably led into bedrooms. But why were there two? Unless... the pureblood was staying here with someone else. It would make a little sense of why the media had thoughthe was living with the pureblood. They probably saw Kuran out with the person he lived with, and somehow thought it would be funny to Photoshop his face into the picture, using him to fuel rumours. It would certainly lower the vampire society's view of the pureblood, if it was thought that he was hanging out and, even, living together with an ex-human. Zero shook his head, growling softly. He wasn't going to allow his life – worthless as it might be – get turned upside down by a pureblood yet again.

Despite having crafted a possible theory to explain that baffling news report, Zero couldn't help the nagging sense of doubt at the back of his mind. It was possible, but just didn't make sense. It seemed like too much work to try to sell such a ridiculous story, especially about someone as influential and powerful as the pureblood. An ex-human, and male, no less! Who in their right minds would ever believe in such a thing?

Then a question flashed across his mind. If Kuran was indeed living with someone... who was it?

...Yuuki?

His blood ran cold. Impossible. He was with her almost all of the day, it couldn't be!

But you don't know where she goes after patrol, do you? asked that smug voice in his head. You think she's going back to her room, but DOES she? Or does the pureblood arrange for her to come here?

Zero shook his head angrily. No. That couldn't be. There wouldn't have been enough time for her to get here and back in time for the next day's morning lessons, not if she wanted to get a good night sleep. But it didn't stop his mind from running rampage with thoughts of her staying here with the pureblood on those days when she claimed to be going shopping, or during the times when he was away on missions.

Cold horror gripped him, blinding fury following soon after. Without a second thought, he marched over to the door on his right, raising a hand to open the door.

Before he could grasp the brass knob, his wrist was suddenly gripped by a firm, warm hand. On instinct, Zero aimed a kick at the figure that had unexpectedly appeared next to him, other hand immediately reaching for his gun. The other party easily dodged the blow, and, faster than the hunter could hope to see, tugged Bloody Rose out of where it had been shoved into his waistband. Before Zero could snatch it back, his attacker retreated.

Zero growled and turned in the direction from which he had come. Halfway in the midst of that brief exchange, having recovered from his initial surprise, he had managed to recognise the vampire presence.

A few feet away, Kuran Kaname stood facing him, Bloody Rose held casually by his side, pointing down at the floor.

It hadn't been at all difficult for Kaname to locate his lover, despite their lack of bond. The hunter had made zero effort to conceal his movements and noises. When the pureblood had ascended the stairs and seen the open window, his mind had automatically flashed back to a time not so long ago, when he had been bound and pressed up against the glass, completely willing to submit to Zero. The hunter had given him so much pleasure that night, and had unknowingly helped him to overcome his fears. All this while, his lover was still slowly using his utmost love and patience to help him heal from his scars and traumatic experiences. It was because of him that Kaname had gradually, but surely, started to accept his past for what it was, and to recover from it. Perhaps he would never be able to forget, but he was learning, with his lover's assistance, that acceptance of that dark period in his life, and looking forward instead of living in the past, was the key to helping him move on.

He had been broken out of his reverie when he heard the hitch in Zero's breathing and his quickening pulse. With a jolt, he realised that the hunter was about to enter his room, the one in which they had spent the night together. Though Aidou's bracelet around his wrist could hide the scents of his blood and... other bodily fluids, it wouldn't do much good if Zero saw the messy sheets for himself, and their clothes strewn around the floor. It would be impossible for him, at that point in time, to explain the situation with an off-handed reply, or using Yuuki as an excuse.

Especially using Yuuki as excuse, he thought grimly, not missing the sudden hostility the hunter now had towards him.

Even now, he could see the anger and accusation in the other's eyes, as if he had figured why there were two bedrooms hidden back here. Did this Zero think Yuuki stayed here with him? If he did, he had no way of proving otherwise, considering that he couldn't very well let him into the room and show him the evidence.

Wait, evidence? Kaname's eyes widened eagerly. How could he have forgotten the best piece of evidence he had? The memory necklace. Was it underneath the boy's uniform? How would he respond if he asked him to check under his shirt for a necklace? For a second, the pureblood's heartbeat quickened in anticipation as he considered the crazy idea.

But then he sighed inwardly, hope fizzling away. He already knew the answer, didn't he? With Zero in a mood like this, there was absolutely no way in hell that things would proceed as he would like them to. Even if the necklace was there, the hunter would probably be disgusted and think the memories were all a lie. As the old hunter had said, Zero would have a fit and run off. That wouldn't help this situation at all. Perhaps it was best if he let the boy rest for now, and perhaps think of some way to have a doctor examine him tomorrow. Hopefully Yagari would be able to find a solution to this mess. He, too, would use all the resources he had to find out what had happened to his lover, and to their bond.

'Kiryuu,' began the pureblood mildly. 'Why are you snooping around my house?'

Giving no indication of having heard him, the hunter stalked forward, clearly intent on retrieving his gun from the other vampire. Kaname sighed inwardly and held the gun out, handle towards Zero, so that the boy could just reach out and grab it. Predictably, Zero stopped immediately in his tracks, eyes narrowed with suspicion at his gun being offered back to him.

'What game are you playing here, Kuran?' hissed the ex-human.

Before Kaname could even open his mouth to formulate a reply, he continued, volume raising a notch as his agitation grew.

'Does Yuuki stay here? Is one of those rooms for her? And what's up with that ridiculous news report from before, huh? Why are they using me, of all the ex-humans in this freaking world, to attack you? Why would they even contemplate the veryidea that I am your protégé? Is that why I was attacked? So it's all because of you that I'm in this situation right now, aren't I, you stupid bloodsucker?'

By the time he was done bombarding the pureblood with his barrage of questions, Zero was panting slightly, having done it all in a single breath. He summoned the most vicious glare he could muster, which, unfortunately for the hunter, did not have quite the effect he'd hoped, seeing as how he was all out of breath. He cursed his feeble lungs, gulping in several mouthfuls of air to try to recover from his humiliating display.

Kaname watched him in amusement, the corners of his lips twitching slightly as only his impeccable control prevented him from chuckling at the adorable image his lover presented, with that barely-visible flush on his cheeks from his anger; hair sticking out haphazardly from having been run through by the frustrated ex-human one too many times; sweet, rosy lips parted slightly to suck in air. Oh, how he longed to be able to capture the boy in his arms; to savour, once again, the taste of those luscious lips as he explored the inside of his hot, sinfully delicious mouth; to drag his tongue slowly over that smooth, pale skin, feeling his lover shuddering in pleasure; to see those striking amethyst eyes darkening, in that conflicting blend of pleasure and exasperation that Zero had somehow managed to perfect, eyes half-closing as he sighed in contented bliss – a strong surge of desire gripped Kaname as he allowed those thoughts to consume him, bringing back memories from a few hours earlier, and even beyond that. He was helpless now, having gone much too far to reverse his train of thought, despite the still-somehow-rational part of his brain that was watching on in horror, screaming at him to stop and return to reality, where one very real, majorly pissed off hunter was standing before him.

He had always been weak whenever Zero was concerned...

'Kuran,' growled Zero impatiently.

It had taken a few wretched seconds, but he had finally managed to catch his breath. To his incredulity, the pureblood's eyes were misty and glazed off, as if he were lost in another time. Grudgingly allowing him few seconds to process his questions, Zero had paused, waiting for the answers he knew he deserved to get. But as seconds ticked by and it was obvious the pureblood was not returning to this moment, the hunter's patience had swiftly reached its limit.

'Answer me, dammit,' he continued, when the heavy silence remained.

Thankfully for Kaname, the still-somehow-rational part of his brain had managed to snap to attention at the sound of Zero's annoyed voice, quickly taking control and sweeping all amorous thoughts out from his mind. With only a barely discernable delay, the pureblood's eyes focussed on the boy before him, mind already planning his reply.

'Yuuki has never come to this place,' he stated truthfully. And she never will be able to, were the words that wanted to follow, but he swallowed them back down, pain clenching his chest.

'Regarding that news report, I had no idea. That was just an acquaintance. If it was me who put you - and Yuuki's - life in danger, then I apologise.' Now this, this he couldn't get out of without lying. He hated it with every fibre of his being, but saw no easier way to resolve the situation. Once he was clear about what had happened to his lover, he would not waste even a single second in telling him the whole truth, he swore. But right now, for tonight, it would be better if he just left it at this.

Zero blinked at the apology. He couldn't recall a time, ever, when Kuran had apologised to him. Yet here he was, doing it so smoothly and readily, not the slightest trace of sarcasm or disdain in his tone or on his face. He didn't know why, but, perhaps for the first time ever, he didn't try to refute the pureblood's words, or to argue back. Perhaps it was the shock of hearing that unexpected apology, or that unreadable, yet clearly not harsh, expression on the other vampire's face, but Zero just did not feel up to it. Maybe he would do it tomorrow, when he hadn't just woken up from being drugged, but for now, with exhaustion sneakily creeping up to envelope him in its embrace, and mind a jumbled, raving mess, he just felt like crawling onto a bed and letting sleep overcome him. Heck, even the floor was looking pretty good right now.

'Whatever,' he muttered, eyelids suddenly as heavy as bricks. When had he gotten so exhausted? Sure, he had been feeling slightly lethargic ever since he awoke, but had figured it would simply fade away. At that time, it hadn't even been all that noticeable; more annoying than debilitating.

What Zero didn't realise that it actually been growing worse all this while, but at so gradual a speed that he himself hadn't even perceived the changes, only just feeling the intensity of his exhaustion at this very moment.

The boy's uncharacteristic passivity was not unnoticed by Kaname. But as he saw the hunter blinking rapidly, shaking his head slightly, he realised why.

'Are you tired, Kiryuu?'

The hunter frowned, annoyed that his body was once again betraying him. He must still be feeling the aftereffects of the drug he had been slipped, he surmised, as his body started to slacken. Reaching out to support himself against the wall, he replied with a resolute 'no', even though he was all but collapsed against the wall.

The pureblood had come to a similar conclusion as well, that Zero must've been recovering from the effects of whatever had happened to him, perhaps a spell of some kind. He didn't know if losing memories made vampires sleepy, but he did know that his lover was just minutes away from falling asleep. But of course, the hunter would sooner cut off his tongue than admit it.

'If you say so. But since we're already up here, I might as well show you to your room.'

Kaname kept his tone neutral, not letting any traces of worry and concern lace his tone. The next second, he was next to Zero, wrapping a hand around the other's forearm to gently but firmly pull him along with him.

Zero immediately stiffened at the other's touch, trying to shove the pureblood away. He was too overcome by lethargy to have any real success though, and was only able to make feeble attempts to free himself – though his mouth had nothing stopping it from cursing and swearing violently - as he was led out of the corridor and towards the door closest to the staircase, in the hallway with the giant window. The hunter swore inwardly at his pathetic, sluggish motions, but stubbornly refused to stop trying.

Once the pureblood stopped in front of the door, Zero was able to finally push him off - though he didn't realise it was only because the pureblood had released him to turn the knob. Through the haze in his mind, and the darkness in the room, he was able to make out a pleasant-looking bedroom, floor a carpeted brown. A large, four-poster bed, with its canopy mostly drawn, sat regally in the centre of the room, just beneath a ceiling light-cum-fan that had not been turned on. An antique, intricately-designed desk had been placed at the curtained window, together with its matching chair. A plush, comfortable armchair rested in the corner, a lamp standing beside it. On the other side of the room, there was a closed door, presumably leading to an adjoining bathroom. Next to it was a small, wooden dresser. The entire room had been decorated in an earth tone, the muted colours calming and comforting to their viewer's eyes.

Zero started when the pureblood lightly pushed him into the room, but before he could jerk away – or, well, weakly attempt to - , a soft 'rest well' sounded from behind him, then a click echoed around the suddenly silent room. By the time he turned around, ready to let out yet another curse, the door was shut, leaving him alone in the room.

Well, mostly alone. Bloody Rose lay reassuringly on the end table next to the door.

Eyeing his surroundings again, Zero's bleary eyes could not help being drawn to that enormous, excessively-extravagant, yet looking-comfortable-as-hell bed. The hunter fought hard against the temptation to just collapse onto the bed, but with his eyes barely open, and a fog swirling around in his mind, it wasn't long before he gave in, hauling his black jacket off at the same time as his shoes and socks were being kicked off. The next second, he was tumbling toward the bed, still clothed in his shirt and pants, undone tie hanging loosely around his neck.

He was submerged in darkness even before his head hit the pillow.

Hope you guys enjoyed that!

A few things I must mention:

1. The description of the huge window and the view outside was heavily borrowed from Blackened Wing's SitD fic. I did take a few liberties with it, though.

2. I'm sure it's really pretty clear by now, but still, I should mention it: This fanfic takes place some time after Kaname and Zero's battle with Nasser in SitD, but because we don't know yet what happens at the end of SitD, I'm just going to write this without mentioning what happened to Aidou, and everything related to that arc.

3. Sometimes I use 'Kuran', sometimes I use 'Kaname' - it probably seems pretty random, right? But actually, I use them to show from whose perspective I'm writing. If I'm writing from Zero's, it'll be 'Kuran'; from Kaname's, well, 'Kaname'. The same idea applies for 'Kiryuu' and 'Zero' in the Past. I use 'pureblood' and 'hunter' and 'ex-human' pretty much anytime LOL.

Replies to my dear reviewers:

gleish26: I totally agree with that sentiment about Blackened Wing's fanfics! :) They're really too awesome for words! Thank you very much for the encouragement! I will try my very best to make sure I keep this going.

Hi (guest reviewer): Thank you so much for commenting again! Your comments never fail to cheer me up after a bad day; I just keep rereading them over and over, so please keep them coming haha! :) I'm really excited and grateful that you enjoy this story, and I'm so sorry for the relative shortness of Chapter 2! I'm thinking about having my chapters all be at least 5000 words each, so hopefully that will be better :) Regarding the two boys treating each other badly... well... I don't like it either, but it's quite unavoidable, given how much they've changed. :( There'll already be conflict between them in the Past in the next chapter *SPOILER ALERT XD*, but I can promise that because my writing isn't, and will never be, as awesome as many other authors on FF, it won't be super detailed or gory at all :) I hope that won't stop you from reading, though *worries anxiously*. Definitely, everything will turn out all sweet and lovey-dovey in the end, because I am a sucker for happy endings. :) Regardless, thank you so much for your continuing support! And for that very understanding line to 'take [my] time because real life is tough' :D (I think I've just written a terribly long reply to your review... but that just shows how much you mean to me! :D)

Siren Dreams: Thank you! :) Yes, I really love her stories too! Thank you so much for that compliment, and for your encouragements! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and hope to hear from you again :) By the way, if you're looking for a similar idea, you should definitely go check out TammyTBoneTTB, whose idea inspired this fic!

Right, that's it for now, see you all next chapter! :)