"…I don't know. I don't remember anything aside from my name."
Kaname took the fair-haired boy's hand gently, settling the bird on it. Stroking its head softly.
"…You're a Vampire, Kiryuu-kun."
A/N [forbiddenist]: Thank you to all who reviewed, thank you so much. Reviews keep us going. This chapter is co-written by Hikari Hayate (much love), and I know that there are some unresolved issues in this chapter, but fret not, they'll be dealt with in the next few chapters. Before you begin reading, I'd like to apologize for any shortcomings, and hope you'll forgive my mistakes.
Enjoy.
A/N [Hikari Hayate]: Please enjoy this chapter!
"… I'm a Vampire…?"
Zero set the small bird on his lap, and moved to adjust his collar, a slow anger building in the pit of his stomach. Was this stranger trying to insult him?
"What are you talking about…?"
The older boy had chuckled. A soft, delightful twinkle of sound, before his amber eyes trained on Zero, devoid of any laughter whatsoever.
"You're a Vampire, Kiryuu-kun."
The older boy didn't like repeating himself, and even that much was obvious to the silver-haired youth.
Anger flared in the ex-prefect's eyes.
"Are you trying to say something?" he snapped, turning to glare at the pureblood, unintentionally frightening the little creature on his lap with his volume and sudden movement.
The older boy stepped forward, into the moonlight, the soft white glow made his skin an almost deathly shade, his beautiful eyes reflecting the light almost eerily, which made Zero hold his breath.
"You are a Vampire, Kiryuu-kun. Don't make me repeat myself. I am not implying anything, nor accusing you of anything, I am merely stating facts."
Zero let go of the breath he had been holding, which ended in a barely audible sigh. He shook his head, returning to stroking the startled bird on his lap.
"Vampires don't exist. They're a myth. Nothing more. There's no such things as Vampires."
Upon hearing what the pale-haired youth had declared, Kaname had outright broken out into laughter. …Mocking, knowing laughter. This was so ironic, so very ironic, he thought. The once great Vampire Hunter, Kiryuu Zero, denying the existence of Vampires? Kaname collected himself quickly, a small taunting smirk gracing his lips.
Zero's eyes narrowed. His like of the older boy was declining by the millisecond.
He gently set the bird on the empty space on the seat beside him, rising to meet the brunet's gaze, he glared.
"Are you trying to make fun of me?"
He stepped closer to the slightly taller boy, anger rolling off him in volumes.
Kaname merely tilted his head to the side slightly, bringing up a sculpted hand to rest thoughtfully on his chin.
"Kiryuu-kun, you're my guest. I couldn't possibly be making fun of you. You, who are my brethren,"
Zero's lilac eyes had darkened to an almost violent shade, but he couldn't help but be surprised at what the words that just left the taller boy's mouth meant.
He was a Vampire too.
Zero opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask, to confirm it with his own ears, to demand proof and an explanation, but an elegant movement from Kaname stopped him.
The pureblood was holding something in his hand.
It was the same pink pill that girl gave him.
The soft chocolaty voice brought his attentions back to the vampire in front of him.
"Do you know what this is, Kiryuu-kun?"
The silver-haired boy choked on his reply.
"V-vitamins?"
The brunet raised an elegant eyebrow, a small amused expression on his face.
"No, Kiryuu-kun. I'm afraid they're not as innocent as you think them to be."
The brunet moved silently to the other side of the room, and Zero watched as those graceful hands raised a glass of water into his vision. The slightly taller youth dropped the tablet into the glass, quietly observing the clear liquid turn into something darker, almost bronze in the dim light of the room.
"This, Kiryuu-kun, is blood."
Zero felt his heart stop.
Speechless, he took a step backward, the back of his knees hitting the seat he had just vacated, as the older student moved toward him, silently, with an unearthly grace.
"It's a chemical substitute, and nowhere as good as the real thing, but it is still blood. I'm sure you've noticed that strange thirst at the back of your throat that cannot be quenched by any other liquid?" The Vampire then took a sip, frowning a little at the bitter taste, his gaze never leaving angry and confused violet ones.
Zero eyed the glass warily as everything pieced itself together in his head, but he swallowed his fear and met the brunet's amber gaze head on.
"Is this whole school full of Vampires?"
Kaname's smile widened, just a little.
"You're not afraid of me, Kiryuu-kun? You're not afraid of yourself? Don't you doubt what I'm saying? Don't you want to know why I'm telling you this?" Kaname broke eye contact, now changing his course to the study table by the window, setting the glass down on the desk.
"…Instead you ask me whether the academy is full of us."
The brunet turned to the younger boy again, this time letting out a lazy yawn that gave the slightly smaller boy a glimpse of long, glistening canines.
Fangs.
Kaname watched the myriad of emotions unfold on the fair-haired boy's face, secretly enjoying the honesty of the boy's reactions. These were reactions based on emotion alone, unclouded by prejudice, hate or anger. The silver-haired boy looked up, and the emotion that poured out of the boy's eyes startled Kaname.
The boy was scared.
Kaname decided to soften his approach, a small frown gracing his features. He was not one to attack an unarmed enemy.
"Kiryuu-kun."
The boy was now sitting, his hands at either side of his head, trying to absorb all the information that had just been thrust upon him.
"I'm sorry if I startled you. Let's just say that we didn't use to get along."
The silver-haired boy was still tense, but he had relaxed a little upon hearing Kaname's tone soften, his eyes searching the brunet's face for any lie.
After a while, Zero voiced a question that had Kaname at a loss for words.
"Did you hate me?"
The taller youth thought about it, before deciding to tell the ex-prefect the truth.
"No, I didn't." Kaname turned away then, a small thoughtful look on his face, and Zero knew that that was all the answer he was going to get out of the older boy tonight. Kaname had languidly gestured to the single bed placed directly on the right of the master bed, and informed the ex-prefect that that would be his bedding for the next month.
"I'm sleeping next to you?"
"Do you happen to see any other agreeable space to squeeze a bed in this room, Kiryuu-kun?"
The younger boy mumbled an annoyed negative, before deciding that he was rather at ease now, and relaxing in his seat, picked up the little bird that was trying to make its way off the sofa and to the window. The brunet regarded him for a moment as the ex-prefect stroked its head, a smile threatening to break onto his face at the cute little chirps he received.
Kaname frowned as he tore his eyes away, settling instead for making his way to the door.
"You don't have to start classes until later in the week, after all the paperwork has been sorted out. Stay here in the meanwhile. You may explore the dormitories should you please. But I would encourage you not to leave the dorms unless escorted, lest you lose your way on campus."
Zero looked up from his new little friend, shooting the other vampire a look.
"Where are you going?"
Kaname turned back, a small tired look on his face.
"I'm going to handle said paperwork, Kiryuu-kun. Stay in the dorm, please." And with that Kaname departed, leaving the silver-haired youth alone with his little bird.
Zero couldn't find anywhere to put the bird, so he improvised, emptying one of the large square-ish decorative bowls he found, he placed the bird inside it, on top of a towel he had found in the bathroom that he had placed over the base, surrounding the sides with random tomes that he hoped weren't important, successfully building a fence, he admired his work with a small look of triumph. He then left the room and went down the long carpeted hallway, taking note to remember which door he had come from, trying to recall what that Aidou guy had told him.
He walked past a vast dining hall, one that looked like it belonged in a castle more than a dormitory, complete with long table and high-backed chairs that looked fit for royalty. He had only caught glimpses of the rooms when he was with Aidou. The ex-prefect raised an eyebrow, going into the living room now, or rather the Home room, where he took note of a large corkboard filled with announcements and rules that covered one of the walls, reveling at the plush carpeting and the expensive looking seating arrangements, descending a small curved flight of stairs he came into the entrance leading out to the courtyard, which looked as grand as the rest of the establishment, and he ventured outside.
He walked until he reached the gates, which were closed, he thought bemusedly, mapping out the area in his brain. He didn't know why, but he felt he needed desperately explore. He stood there for a moment, peering at the gates, the warning from that Kuran-jerk replaying in his brain. He thought about it for a while.
He hopped onto the gate and started climbing.
He landed neatly on his feet, his eyes adjusting to the darkness, and he had barely reached the shadow of one of the buildings before he heard a soft growl and a gasp on his left.
"Who-"
He fell silent as he took in the sight of a boy in the same white uniform that Kuran had worn, in his arms a girl wearing a black uniform, and he was kissing her neck. Zero blanched – couldn't they find a better place to do such things? But something was wrong. He hid behind an arch, a faint sweet, metallic scent greeting his nostrils. The smell got stronger, and the boy was moaning softly, the girl had fallen silent, panting.
Was he drinking her blood?
Zero had a sudden urge to shoot the boy, but he had nothing on him.
He tried to move closer, but snapped a twig in the process.
The boy's head had shot up, and his gaze immediately fell on Zero.
"Well, well. What do we have here?"
The girl had fell to the ground with a dull thud as the boy released her, now stalking toward the silver-haired youth.
"Mr. Prefect! Unarmed to boot. What are you going to do now that you've seen me drink her blood? Shoot me with your absent gun?"
A gun? What was this guy talking about?
Cold laughter greeted Zero's ears.
"You know, I never liked you. Always acting so high and mighty, as if you owned the damned place."
Zero's mind was reeling. What was he going on about? He didn't even know this guy!
"Maybe karma's getting back at you, huh?"
The eyes that met his were glowing, like dull embers, growing stronger as that body ingested the blood he had just stolen. Hands that had looked normal had transformed into claws. The expression on the boy's face was that of inebriation; he was high.
Zero had backed away, jerking backward instinctively a second later as the other vampire launched at him, aiming for his throat repeatedly, the third making actually making contact with the ex-prefect's arm, drawing blood. He clutched at his wound as he started bleeding, the scent of his own blood flooding his nostrils, eyes wide and muscles twitching. Zero dashed into one of the corridors, his eyes searching for any potential weapons, but somehow or other, the other vampire had managed to land another blow on him, a sharp kick to the abdomen, which sent him into the closest wall. He was caught off guard again as he recovered, somehow barely dodging a fatal blow to the neck, near his tattoo. Blood started pouring freely; the bastard had scraped his collar bone! Crimson colored his white shirt, and the smell of his own blood, as well as the loss of it, coupled with white pain made him heady and dizzy. He forced himself to continue running, instinctively putting pressure on the newly opened wound in a clumsy attempt to stop the bleeding, hissing as hot pain shot up his neck, he rushed further into the dark recesses of the deserted academy, and had just come onto a small courtyard when the creature had finally caught up. He was panting, more in pain than exhaustion, and closed his eyes as the boy towered over him.
The silver-haired youth's panting rang across the small yard, and both figures froze when they heard a soft tutting.
"That's as far as you go."
The same deep, melodic voice sent waves of shock that was followed by surprised relief coursing through the ex-prefect's being.
Somehow, he knew that Kuran could handle this.
"What did I tell you about leaving the dorm?"
Kuran Kaname stood leaning against one of the pillars, a small unhappy look on his perfectly sculpted face, amber gaze looking past the boy and meeting violet ones, silently reprimanding.
Zero bristled as the boy's startled attention stayed locked on Kaname, and took a step away from the brunet before he broke out into a mad run.
Zero's ears had barely picked up on the soft sigh that escaped the older boy's lips as the boy was apparently pushed to the ground by some invisible force and held there, his arms twisted in uncomfortable angles as he cried out in pain. Zero turned away from the struggling boy when he heard a single loud snap that echoed in the little open area.
"...what…?" he was speechless; he had obviously missed what the pureblood did to the other vampire, but he wasn't as scared as he should have been. He was more annoyed than anything, really. Another jolt of searing pain from his wounds made him hiss as he tried to move.
The brunet's gaze fell on him calmly, lowering the hand he had raised languidly; he stepped out into the moonlight for the second time that night.
Again, Zero's breath caught in his throat.
"Can you stand?"
The silver-haired youth frowned, wincing as he forced himself upright, ignoring the small surprised look on the brunet's face. Kaname had frowned in turn, stepping closer to the younger boy and glared.
"You shouldn't push yourself, Kiryuu-kun. You're injured."
The ex-prefect ignored him, instead making his way toward the corridor he had come from, easily recognizing it from the trail of blood.
"The girl…"
Kaname gave him a look that bordered on annoyed, before trailing behind him quietly, his captive in tow.
"She has been collected by Ichijou."
"Who's he?"
Zero was starting to slur.
Kaname frowned, not even turning to acknowledge the existence of the boy that was restrained by that same invisible force and trailing behind them.
"The Vice-dorm leader. Don't worry, Kiryuu-kun. That girl is in safe hands,"
Zero chuckled, albeit morbidly. Lilac eyes were laced with pain as he finally leaned against a wall for relief; pausing in his slow and painful progress back. Kaname had looked on with slight concern, but kept a polite distance away.
Kaname wasn't helping Zero unless he asked for help.
Zero panted, the pain clouding his senses and vision, and he finally succumbed to it as his vision slowly faded to black, but not before he heard Kuran shout his name, and the feeling of strong arms hoisting him upright.
---
Zero's light lashes fluttered open.
His vision was still cloudy, and he could barely make out patches of colour – chocolate brown, amber, and cream.
Was he dreaming?
He barely processed the movement around him, the slight pressure on his jaw, someone parting his lips. Something soft pressed against his lips, and he felt hot breath on his face. Something warm and strong pushed past his lips, to greet his tongue, and he felt warm liquid flowing into his mouth, some of it escaping and making trails down his jaw, onto what he figured to be the pillow he was propped up on. He creased his brows at the bitter taste, letting out a long moan, blinking, trying to regain memory of what had happened and what was going on.
He nearly choked as he raised his hand to push away the solid presence that was looming over him.
What greeted his ears was a slightly surprised voice.
"You're awake?"
Zero tried to push himself up on his elbows, trying to ignore the dull throbbing pain he still felt in his abdomen, collar and arm, licking his lips absently, a small frown on his features. His vision cleared a little, and he heard bustling on his left, a few more blinks set his vision right again, and he saw a Kuran Kaname sitting on the bed to his left, a small tray set beside him, with a glass of…
…blood.
"I've fed you some of it, and now that you're awake, I'm quite sure you're capable enough to finish the rest."
Zero took a second to absorb the information, before his he visibly stiffened.
Fed him? As in…mouth-to-mouth? Didn't that mean that….
Zero lowered his head as he mourned the loss of his first kiss….to a man.
Kaname ignored the little crestfallen look on the silver-haired boy's face and set the tray on the empty nightstand, moving to get off the bed.
"The intake of the tablets will help you heal faster, though they really can't compare to real blood." Kaname gave a slightly irritated look.
"You've lost a lot of blood during that encounter, despite my warnings."
Zero's voice sounded hoarse and foreign even to himself.
"You just didn't want me to get lost."
"You would have died if I wasn't there."
"What were you doing there in the first place?"
"I was on my way to the Chairman's quarters to talk about you, when I caught whiff of your blood."
The both glared at each other for a moment, before proceeding to ignoring each other.
There was relative silence before Zero piped up.
"I'm not drinking that."
Kaname had turned, wide eyed and annoyed, to glare at the ex-prefect.
Obviously, some things ran deeper than memory. (A/N: Thank you!)
"What do you mean you're not drinking that?"
Zero had met Kaname's angry gaze, and shrugged.
He shrugged.
Kaname didn't know whether he wanted to hurl the boy out of the window or slowly bleed him dry.
"You're a Vampire, you have to drink that. Do you want to die, Kiryuu-kun? Or maybe go mad from blood-lust and just devour any hapless soul that just so happens to cross your path? Oh, wait. You'd be dead before you can even do that because the bloody hunter's guild will be after your sorry ass before you can even sigh."
Zero was about to say something, when Kaname cut him off.
"And if you do want to die, I can provide you with some much better alternatives."
After that outburst, Zero had just looked at Kaname in stunned silence.
Wow. Zero thought, never expecting the older vampire to explode like that, and it had occurred to him as funny. He eyed the silently fuming taller boy who had started fidgeting.
"…Like what?"
"What?" Kaname snapped, turning to glare at the other boy again, wondering whether the ex-hunter was actually trying to get him more angry than he already was. This wasn't a joke, damn it!
"What better alternatives?"
Kaname wanted to punch that smug face.
"Like jumping off a cliff or drowning yourself in the god forsaken fountain in the bloody courtyard!"
Zero regarded him silently, and Kaname suddenly felt extremely self-conscious, a light colour touching his cheeks, embarrassed that he had snapped like that.
"…Any other more novel ways to die?"
Kaname nearly choked on his own saliva. The smile on the younger boy's lips told him that at least one person in the conversation was actually enjoying it.
Two could play at this game.
Kaname calmed himself down, a smirk adorning his features now.
"You could slip over a banana peel and hope you die of a severe head injury."
Zero raised an eyebrow at this, outright breaking out into laughter now.
"My head would have to hit some awesome kind of rock!"
The older vampire smiled. All the irritation that had built up in his gut was ebbing away slowly as he listened to the peals of laughter from the other boy in the room, eyes roaming over the silver hair, fair skin, lean and muscular build.
This was a side of Kiryuu Zero he had never seen.
"You're strange; you know that, Kiryuu-kun?"
Zero had looked up with bright lilac eyes, granting the younger boy an almost childish quality. Kaname had felt his heart quicken, if just a little.
"You enjoy talking about how you might die."
Kaname's body posture had softened, and he eyed the boy with a startling fondness.
Zero didn't answer, but smiled.
The older vampire's gaze fell onto the cup on the tray on the nightstand again, and frowned.
"Drink it, Kiryuu-kun. You need it."
The ex-prefect pouted, as manly as a pout was able to get, turning away from Kaname to look toward the far wall on his right.
"I'm not thirsty. Besides, that thing tastes disgusting."
The brunet watched the younger boy as he leaned back against the pillow again, pulling the comforter over his head.
Like a kid.
"But you'll drink it?"
There was silence from the boy, and Kaname thought he heard soft snoring.
A/N [forbiddenist]: We hope you've liked this chapter. All the reviews for the first chapter got us really happy! Thank you all again. The next update may take longer than this one, because I have a major exam next next week, and probably won't be able to touch the computer let alone write anything for about another two weeks. My sincerest apologies! Please drop us a review!