A/N: Finally we're at the last chapter and the end of this journey together. Thank you so so much to all those who have read and stuck with this fic. It's been a pleasure having readers such as you. I'll babble more at the end, so for now enjoy the chapter!
"Do you mean that?" one of the noble vampire lords asked her, frowning. His eyes were troubled as they watched her beneath a heavily furrowed brow.
"Yes." She kept her hands still, folded before her. She knew that if she did not hold them still they would betray her nerves. "I want to bring back the night class. I want to adhere to the treaty between the Hunter Association and my brother. But there is only so much I can do on my own." She met the noble's eyes steadily.
"You don't need to ask us for permission as a pureblood. You are free to do what you want without the aristocrats' consent." It was Lord Souen who spoke now.
"Yes, of course, but it would be meaningless if we don't all cooperate in reinstating the night class. And I'm willing to change the tradition. I believe we could benefit from democracy."
Her gaze past each one of the nobles within the conference room now, weighing their expressions carefully. She found little support there, although her words had sparked some intrigue and surprise. She and her adopted father had invited them here with the hope of restoring peace, as well as the Night Class, but the turmoil that her brother's death had left was not remedied so quickly. It seemed they would need convincing. "I want to find friends who will help protect the treaty with me," she continued. "With your cooperation, I will find these allies in the Night Class. I want us to be on good terms, but I must get along with the humans as well."
Another of the nobles scowled at her, "It seems you're more concerned about this Night Class than with Kaname-sama's death...with all due respect, I do not think you will find anyone willing to cooperate with you right now." The tone was hostile.
"On the contrary, I am." She stood a little taller, straightening her shoulders and facing them squarely. Hearing Kaname-sama's name mentioned sent a rush of sorrow through her, but she determined not to show it.
"Most of my ideas for coexistence are in honor of his name to promote the peace that he sought for. You know as well as I that my brother desired peace. It is for that reason that he established the Night Class in the first place. Due to the circumstances, it came to an abrupt end, but I believe it would be in our mutual best interest, humans and vampires alike, I mean, to restore it. Furthermore, Kaname-sama sacrificed his life to the hunter furnace in order to preserve the balance between our worlds. In order to bring peace. My brother always strove to work together. The very last moments of his life were devoted to doing exactly that. I do not want his sacrifice to be in vain."
"Well...even if we support it, we are not the ones who will be part of the Night Class." Lord Kain frowned at her. "Rather than gain our support, it is our children's support you will need."
Another of the nobles spoke up now. "Yes, I think you will find little support to your cause among them."
"Not exactly," a soft voice broke in from her left, as Senri Shiki stepped into view from where he had been waiting in the hall. "We'll cooperate."
"We understand what she's talking about," a higher-pitched voice affirmed from her right, as they were joined by Rima Touya. The entrance of the pair, whose families had previously been on opposing sides of the political conflict between Kaname Kuran and the vampire Council, raised eyebrows and began hushed conversations around the room.
"Thank you very much, Shiki, Rima." Yuuki smiled at them, not missing a beat. The sound of her voice cut off the whispers amongst the nobles. She had been right to enlist these two first. Their support had instantly provoked a reaction from the nobles, particularly as they represented both political parties, so to speak.
"Aidou isn't here, is he?" Shiki asked quietly. Of course, the Aidou family was very powerful. She knew their support was vital to ensuring the success of the Night Class. She knew they needed him here today, but...
"Didn't you tell him about this?" Rima asked, voice betraying her surprise, though her expression remained composed, cool.
To answer them and to address the nobles, Yuuki said, "Hanabusa Aidou is not here today. I couldn't bring myself to ask him to leave his family yet... It hasn't been very long since his father passed, after all... However, he has given me his support. He can confirm this if needed."
The answer from the room came swiftly. "I see...," responded one of the ladies. "Then let me be blunt. We aristocrats do not want to meet the same fate as Lord Aidou. There is no guarantee that you will not turn on us. Will you punish us for not following your orders, Yuuki-sama? Better you control our minds with you powers and force us to obey."
Yuuki blinked, taken aback. She would never have considered such an option. It wasn't an option. She was not her brother. Immediately, she opened her mouth to protest, "I don't-"
"She'd never do something like that," a familiar voice interrupted, cutting her off before she had a chance to even properly frame her thought. Recognition shocked through her, and she turned her head to see Aidou, who stopped behind her. His tone was authoritative as he declared, "I trust her." Then, "The Aidou family places their faith in Yuuki Kuran."
"It's Lord Aidou's son," Lord Souen murmured, expression lightning. She wondered if he would give her his support, especially given his daughter Ruka's fondness for Kaname-sama and the previous Night Class.
"I let myself in." He paused, then stated clearly, "I'm going to cooperate with her as well."
Some of her anxiety washed away. Already she could see the mood in the room had shifted. She wasn't sure how Aidou had known about the meeting today, or that he would be needed, but it seemed that his presence was the missing piece that she had needed to sway the nobles. Grateful, she turned, the corner of her mouth turning up into a smile to express her thanks.
"There's one more thing," one of the more skeptical nobles stated, leaning forward. "Your relationship with the hunter Zero Kiryuu."
"Yes, what of it?" Yuuki remained calm, although she was not sure what to expect.
"While trying to gain our trust and support, for a democracy or a Night Class or otherwise, your relationship with the hunter is a mark against you. Some see it as a betrayal to Kaname-sama and the reason behind his untimely demise..."
Yuuki was taken aback by this. She had never considered that the nobles would see her relationship with Zero in this light. She wasn't even sure how to respond. Despite that, she knew that she could not keep silent.
"My relationship with Zero was not what caused Kaname-sama to sacrifice his life. Rather, it was the seeds of madness that were planted in his mind after being alive for so many thousands of years," she explained.
"If I may," Aidou spoke in the silence that followed her statement. "This relationship is rather symbolic, not only for what Yuuki-sama hopes to accomplish, but for what Kaname-sama strove for as well. It represents a perfect unity between the vampires and the hunters, both sides of the same coin. Working together, I believe it is possible to achieve the coexistence that Kaname-sama worked so hard for."
"Furthermore, our relationship is not open to debate," Yuki finished decisively. There was more whispering about the room, but no further questions regarding this matter.
Yuuki took a breath. Then, "I ask you to consider and respect not only Kaname-sama's wishes and sacrifice, nor even my own, but to consider the future and the benefits of coexistence with humans and hunters. There need not be any fear or bloodshed between us. Therefore, in the current matter of the Night Class, I ask for your support." She bowed to the vampire aristocrats then and simply said, "Please..."
Despite all of the objections and doubts raised during the meeting, the vote passed. The Night Class was to be reinstated.
Aidou beamed graciously at his revived fanclub, which was screaming at him from the sidewalk on their way to dinner. He gave them a nonchalant wave, and he was sure he saw one of them swoon. Unfortunately for the girls, he wasn't invested in winning their hearts anymore. In fact, he could rather care less. The attention was always nice, and hard to avoid given his looks and talents, but...
But... He was kind of completely in love with this one girl... This one girl who had become the most important person in his life. Just thinking of her had a stupid smile plastered on his face...one he didn't even consider removing.
Ever since Yuuki had reinstated the Night Class, life had calmed down considerably. There was still an aching hollow within him from the death of his father, but he spent more days smiling now than feeling depressed, and for all that he had lost he felt that he had gained more. Kaname-sama was dead, but the vampire world in the aftermath of that fact had quieted considerably, which was surprising. Yuuki was now the pureblood leader, a fact which he had been afraid would have been contested, but with the reformation of the Night Class she was well protected. Furthermore, she was well loved. For the present, it seemed that all was peaceful.
The greatest concern aside from the Night Class had been the relationship between himself and Yori. His mother had protested, but weakly. After his father's death she hadn't had the strength to fight him, and frankly he didn't intend to continue his existence as it was now anyway. The main issue for his family was that Yori was not a vampire, and neither did she wish to become one. Therefore, the only logical option was...
For him to become a human.
He traced over the contours of a small vial in his pocket. For now, they had agreed to give Yori small amounts of Yuuki's blood to prolong her lifespan until he could find a method to become human without having to sacrifice the life of a pureblood. Surely there was a cure for vampirism. Both Yuuki and Zero had expressed interest in such a thing as well. His arrogance over his vampire heritage aside, it sounded nice. To grow old with the woman he loved, as humans...
Of course, no one knew how long it would take for him to find a cure, even if Yori had promised her help. It had not been easy to find a solution to the fact that Yori was human and would, therefore, age much more rapidly than them, especially since she had been so resistant to the idea of temporarily becoming a vampire. Pureblood was poisonous to humans, and to drink such poison always put the life of the imbiber at risk, however... Aidou grinned. However, he thought drolly, he was a genius, and there was no problem too complex for him.
Anyway, if any pureblood would be palatable, it would be Yuuki's. She might be a vampire, but after living so many years as a human, she was most certainly the most human pureblood to exist. After running a few tests in his own lab, Aidou had found it to be perfectly safe for Yori to drink, and a far better alternative than becoming a vampire. Yori could retain her humanity and her lifespan would be stretched out far longer than most normal humans. There was the small problem that by drinking pureblood Yori was now a hunter, but she had agreed that this was the best compromise, after all, and didn't seem to particularly mind.
He rounded the back of the stables. At this hour, none of the students were out here. Except for one, that was. Immediately, he inhaled the familiar scent of autumn and lavender that he adored, and felt a pair of slender arms wrap around him.
"Did you sleep well?" Yori asked as he returned her embrace.
"Not as well as I would have with you," he answered wistfully.
He could practically feel her rolling her eyes, and couldn't suppress a grin. Some things never changed.
"You know we can't do that," she reproached him.
He kissed the top of her head and released her, "I can still dream."
She frowned slightly, then. "As much as I like having you back here at the Academy, I do wish our schedules could sync up a bit more..."
"At least we have weekends," he sighed.
She smiled then. "We graduate in a month anyway."
"And I definitely didn't pick my classes at the university to match up to yours or anything."
She snorted. "Of course not."
"They're general requirements anyway so who cares."
She eyed his pocket then. "Did you forget it?" she asked, a trace hopefully.
"Nope. No can do, Yori. I can't have you aging until I'm ready to age with you." He withdrew the small vial containing Yuuki's blood.
"It tastes like metal."
He faked offense. "Yori, this is gourmet cuisine!"
"I'm sorry Yuuki-chan, but you taste gross!" she cried melodramatically.
He chuckled. "Okay, I'll make it more palatable this time."
The human girl raised an eyebrow at him.
"Close your eyes."
She was looking at him suspiciously, but then shrugged and complied. "I have to take it anyway," she said with resignation.
He smirked, unstopping the vial. The rich scent of Yuuki's blood floated towards him, and he trembled, resisting the hunger that he felt to have a pureblood's blood so near to him. Steeling himself, he drained the liquid into his mouth without swallowing. His fangs were jutting out, urgently craving more, and he was sure his eyes were crimson, but he resisted. This blood was special; it was for Yori only, and no one else.
Quickly, before his instincts forced him to swallow, he pressed his mouth against the petite girl's lips. As soon as her lips parted, he fed her the liquid she so detested. It was a necessary evil so that they could be together, so that she didn't have to lose the humanity she cherished so dearly. There wasn't much blood in the vial, which made the process easier. He slid his tongue across hers, relinquishing the last drops of it, and felt her swallow with a slight shudder of what he knew was probably disgust. In that moment, he was sure his own mouth tasted of that acrid metal flavor she described, and his fangs posed a danger to her delicate mouth, but she did not make any move to end the kiss.
His heart squeezed tighter in his chest. He really loved her...this girl... Reluctantly, he broke off the kiss, giving her room to breathe. She pressed the back of her hand to her lips, flushing lightly.
"Yori," he uttered the name gently, and her eyes met his instantly. "You know the moment that you don't want this anymore, you have only to say so, and-"
"Shush," she interrupted him immediately. "How can I not want it... I want to be with you... I want to live my life with you." She was blushing much harder now.
He hugged her again, this time tightly, and whispered in her ear, "I love you, Sayori Wakaba."
She pressed herself against him, embarrassed. "I love you..." she mumbled. "...Idiot..."
He laughed, and, pulling back again, withdrew a small box from one of his pant pockets, which he handed to her. "This is for the taste."
She grinned, taking the proffered juice box. "Thank you. Although, this time...maybe...it wasn't so bad..." She trailed off, and he could feel his lips tugging upwards again.
"I'll remember that." He winked.
This time, he saw when she rolled her eyes. Then, she tilted her head and to his surprise asked, "What are you waiting for, though?"
"What do you mean?" He looked at her inquisitively.
"You're hungry, aren't you?" She pulled her shirt collar to one side in invitation. "You haven't taken any from me in a while."
If there was any hope for waiting out the fit of bloodlust Yuuki's blood had caused, it was instantly dashed to bits, because if there was any blood that tempted him more than pureblood, it was Yori's, and most especially when she offered it to him. He took a breath, trying to soothe his vampiric side that wanted to bite her without second thought. They were still on school property, after all, and it was dinner time...
"You still have a few minutes before class, right? No one's around." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward, into the shadow of the building against the wall, her other hand tucking away the juice box into her own pocket, untouched. "Just come here."
"I'll get in trouble with Yuuki," he told her, though his fingers were already tugging aside her shirt collar and stroking down her neck. "She'll scold me like always."
"It's wasteful though that I bought a whole new set of blouses with lower collars just to accommodate your habits." She glared. "Be grateful and make use of them."
He laughed, kissing her jaw, her neck, and then her collarbone, just for good measure. "Oh, I will, trust me," he hummed against her skin. "Yuuki can scold me all she wants."
Yori's arms wrapped around his neck then, and she arched her own neck to grant him easier access to her veins. Inhaling her scent deep into his lungs and drawing her body close to his, he let his fangs sink into her skin and let the sweet taste of her blood overwhelm him for these few, short moments. He moved his left hand to cup her cheek and felt her relax into his touch. His eyes slowly shut, and he lost himself to everything. To the Yori whose taste, scent, warmth, and touch surrounded and overtook him entirely. To the Yori whose heartbeat set the rhythm of his very life.
Truly, completely and utterly, he loved her. There was nothing else he wanted anymore, and nothing else that could compare. As long as he had her, he felt confident that he could face anything.
"Zero, please?" Yuuki begged, casting pleading eyes at the silver-haired hunter, who did his best to ignore her.
"No," he answered firmly.
"But Zero, it will be so boring without you..." she wheedled.
"You'll be fine." He didn't glance away from the report he was reading while sprawled out on the bed. Something from the Association, but she hadn't bothered to know the details of it.
"One year was already hard enough, but continuing school to stay as the President of the Night Class is awful. Or it will be, without you!"
"You'll be fine," he repeated. "You have your Night Class."
"Are you sure you don't want to... Even though I already have your uniform picked out and everything?" She pulled a Night Class uniform out of the closet, holding it up proudly.
Finally, she had his attention. And he cringed, visibly, suddenly rolling away to face the wall. "Get that away. It's offensive."
"I wear the same thing almost!" she protested. "Am I offensive?"
"No...but..."
Her eyes narrowed. "You are a vampire, Zero..."
He grunted in response, fixing his attention back on the papers in his hand.
She sighed, replacing the uniform and moving to plop down beside him on the bed. She knew Zero didn't want to repeat school, much less as a part of the Night Class. He had stubbornly insisted in remaining part of the Day Class last year, after all. His hatred for vampires hadn't gone away overnight, that was for sure.
She poked him, and he shook his arm in an attempt to stop her. So she poked him again. "Zero. Zero..."
His eyes slowly flicked to her, exasperated. He waited.
"I love you so, so much and I would love it if you'd continue school with me in the Night Class." She clasped her hands together, doing her best to look pitiful. At least, she wanted to inspire a little pity, anyway.
He stared at the ceiling for a long, long moment. Then, carefully, "Yuuki. I have a job. I'm supposed to be training to take over the Association. I can't attend school with you."
She pouted, folding her arms and feeling depressed.
Blowing out a breath, the hunter sat up, setting the report down and pinching her cheek.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, though it didn't really hurt.
"Cheer up, you'll do fine," he told her. "You make friends easily, don't you? And if you really need something, you know I'll help."
"I guess you're right... Thank you." She took his hand in both of hers and began twining her fingers with his in various different ways, entertained for the moment.
"I have to read this," he said after watching her for a while, extracting his hand.
She huffed. "Okay, but that Night Class uniform is in your size and everything. At least try it on!"
Zero's voice was resounding and definitive, "No."
YEARS LATER...
Yori watched with amusement as Aidou attempted to force their screaming two-and-a-half-year-old into his puffy green jacket. The weather was growing cold now, as it was early November, but it still was warm enough that her extremely exasperated husband could take their son to the park. Aidou had promised, after all, that he would take Akihiko out to give her a free afternoon to relax. One, she had to admit with pursed lips, she very much deserved.
"Just put your arms in the holes, and we can go out and play," Aidou pleaded with the toddler, holding out the jacket hopefully.
"No!" Aki screamed insistently. "I don't want to!"
Aidou sent her a silent cry for help with his eyes, to which she responded by waving to him amicably and turning the page of the book she held on her lap. She held back a snicker when she saw his expression turn to utter despair. Aidou tried his best, and he was a good father in his heart. It was just that in practice, occasionally, he still had no idea how to handle their rambunctious son.
"Just put on the jacket," Aidou insisted, his tone growing a touch angry as he took his son's arm and tried to push it into the hole.
"No!" Aki fell over in a heap, clutching onto his toys. "I want to play inside!"
"For the love of..." she heard the blond vampire mutter under his breath.
Maybe it didn't help that her husband had a habit of spoiling their son, either. As a result, his discipline was rather lacking. She shook her head, trying to concentrate on her book. He was going to have to learn. And that meant without her help in this particular moment.
Akihiko had started escalating to a full-blown tantrum, crying loudly and kicking at the floor. Further amused at her husband's total failure to get their son at the door, she remarked dryly, "I guess this would be a bad time to tell you I'm pregnant?"
Aidou shot her a dirty look. She raised her eyebrows. Yep, definitely a bad time. She giggled to herself, even more amused. If he couldn't deal with one, how on Earth could he possibly deal with two screaming children? Her lips were twitching. The joke was on him, of course. Naturally, she really was pregnant. But she decided to hold off on that news, at least until Aki was sound asleep this evening.
At last, Aidou seemed to resort to another tactic. "Aki, what do you want to play inside?" the blond finally asked, lowering the article of clothing.
"I want to play spaceman!" The child immediately stopped his waterworks, jumping up and running around in a circle with his arm spread out, presumably as a space plane of some sort.
Aidou gave the child a wink. "The reason I wanted to go to the park with you is because the jungle gym looks an awful lot like a spaceship, don't you think? I wanted to play spaceman on that."
Yori nodded internally. Definitely a better approach to dealing with the kid, who seemed to hate authority as much as a certain someone she'd married. Aki considered this carefully, before eagerly slipping into the jacket. Presto, he was convinced to go to the park.
"Come on Daddy, park! Let's go!" the boy cried, tugging at his father's hand now anxiously.
With visible relief, the vampire nodded, "Alright, I'm coming, I'm coming. Say bye to Mommy."
"Bye Mommy!" the toddler waved happily, running to the door.
"Bye sweetie," she waved back, pleased with the prospect of a quiet afternoon.
"We'll be back later," Aidou told her, and she gave him a small wave as well, sinking deep into her recliner and smiling at the book in her hands. For the next hour or two, she would be able to read without any interruptions.
As her eyes began to scan the text, building the scene in her head, she heard the door open again, and saw her husband's head poke back in the door. "Wait, are you seriously pregnant?" he asked, expression slightly panicked.
She smirked.
Time had long since blurred the lines of that era, years ago, in which Zero had slept in the clamoring blackness that had threatened to consume his soul. Now, he slept in a sweet haze, one that was infinitely shifting with patterns of sunlight, and when he awoke the beams of light were embodied beside him in the small, sleeping form of the woman beside him. His love, his wife...his Yuuki. There was no sweeter slumber than those hours of unconsciousness spent with her pressed warmly against his side. The remembrance of any other form of sleep was only a vague terrifying nightmare from which he recoiled.
In the pitch black of the apartment bedroom, carefully kept so by the blackout curtains plastered against the windows, he could feel a nudge bringing him to consciousness. Drowsily, he opened his eyes, blinking away against the darkness and fatigue. A pair of faintly glowing eyes beseeched him in the darkness.
"Zero, wake up," the familiar voice, laced with sunshine, coaxed him.
"Hm?" he managed, noting with a glance at the clock that it was only noon and still far too early to rouse.
"Zero... I'm hungry," she admitted guiltily, biting her lip and glancing away.
He could already feel the traces of a smile betraying him as the corner of his mouth creased at her cute expression. How could he ever deny her? Even as tired as he was, drained from the long night at the Association, he could never refuse this woman. Yuuki. The center of his universe, of his existence. His everything.
His hand moved, still weighed down with the dregs of slumber, to touch her cheek. "Mm, go ahead," he mumbled, rolling onto his side and pulling her against him. Her tiny frame fit perfectly against him.
"Just a little, okay?" she spoke again, obviously still feeling some guilt over her action. "Just a little to last me until later." She still apologized for silly things she didn't have to.
He nodded though, wondering if she'd be able to restrain herself. As her delicate fangs sunk into the flesh of his neck, he knew he didn't care. It didn't matter how much she took. He breathed out in an almost-sigh of sudden contentment, fingers pushing her hair back to gently tuck it behind her ear as she fed.
It wasn't long, however, before she pulled up, her tongue exerting a final pressure against his skin as she cleaned off the last traces his blood. The red had dimmed in her eyes now, although he noted that her irises were still tinged a rusty color. It was enough for now, but she would most likely need to feed again within the next day or two.
"You too, Zero," she insisted, pushing her wrist to his lips.
He shook his head. "No-"
"Just a taste, at least?" she cut him off. "It's been hard on you..." She trailed off then, lips pressing together in a downward arc.
Blowing out a rush of air, he felt his body give into her request before his mind did, his fangs penetrating her skin and granting him access to the sweet liquid that rushed beneath. At least to her assuage her guilt, he could do this much. She was always so worried for him, even when she should be worrying most about herself.
She smiled as he relaxed, taking in a much-needed dose of his favorite drug. With just that simple taste, however, he could feel himself tremble, desiring more, and quickly released her. Even though he had scarcely taken more than a mouthful, he couldn't afford to cave into his thirst now. Not now...
"I'm sorry..." Yuuki apologized immediately, wilting a little.
He covered her lips with his fingers, eyebrows jutting down in disapproval. "No," was the only syllable he uttered, but she understood the meaning behind the word. She had nothing to be sorry for, nothing to apologize for. This was the very last thing he'd want her to apologize for.
He shifted, rearranging the both of them so that they were lying face to face, and gently touched her cheek before moving his fingers first along the curve of her neck, then her back, before finally circling around to the small swell of her stomach. His thumb brushed against the skin there, and she stilled, bound under his touch. When he looked into her eyes, there was something new there...something infinitely soft. He could feel the corners of his eyes crinkling as he gave her a rare, full smile. He felt as though there were strings pulling his heart in every direction, expanding it so that it might grow in capacity. So that he love more, so that he could love this new and tiny life that they had created, the life that was now growing inside her. His eternal night and her eternal sun had somehow come together to create a tiny star, one he was sure would shine brightly.
"I love you," he whispered, holding her so close that he was no longer sure where his body ended and hers began.
She beamed in return, kissing him affectionately as she snuggled into his embrace. "And I love you, too."
He closed his eyes then, letting her warmth and her presence guide him back to sleep. As he drifted off, his heart felt light. The space where his mind rested as he slept was no longer black at all, no longer a numb void of pain. No, now there was only sunshine. Sunshine, and the beginning traces of starlight.
AS THE YEARS CONTINUE TO PASS...
"Daddy, read me a bedtime story?" Ren, the second and youngest child of Zero and Yuuki, asked hopefully as Yuuki shooed him off to bed.
"Okay," the silver-haired hunter acquiesced easily, going to find an appropriate book as his silver-haired miniature settled himself under the covers. Yuuki helped him pull up the comforter, smiling to herself. Now that Ai was a teenager, she was glad to have another small child in the house. She had missed all the little cute routines, like this one. Normally, she would be the one to read to Ren at bedtime, but Zero had gotten home early from the Association tonight, and she could see how excited her son was to spend more time with his father.
Zero returned then and sat at the end of the bed, flipping open the book he had chosen and beginning to read. In a few moments, however, 4-year-old was kicking his feet and informing his father that the book was boring.
"Dad, I don't like this one," Ren whined.
"Just close your eyes," Zero replied, continuing his reading monotonously. It was clear he was trying to bore the child to sleep.
Yuuki zoomed in on the title of the book. This certainly didn't seem like one of the stories they'd bought for their kids...
"Zero, what are you reading Ren?" she questioned suspiciously.
Zero held up the book, expressionless, and replied, "The Life Cycle of the Echoderm."
Yuuki smacked her hand against her forehead in reflex, then giggled. "Zero...could it be...that you've forgotten what kind of books to read for bedtime? It hasn't been that long since Ai..."
Zero glanced back at the book, then at Ren, clearly at a loss. The boy puffed out his cheeks, declaring, "I want a different story."
"Let me," Yuuki suggested, grinning. Then, turning to Ren, she asked, "Is it okay if I read you a bedtime story?"
"Okay." He nodded.
Immediately, she launched into the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, complete with voices and gestures. At some point, Zero lay down beside their son, content to listen as she told the story animatedly. Ren was immediately absorbed, laughing and clearly enjoying himself. Seeing the two silver-haired members of her family laying together, listening to her as she told the story, she felt her heart swell. Her days were full of such happiness now, more than she had ever imagined possible. The days seemed to float by, now, illuminated by silvery sunshine and laughter.
Before long, however, she could see Ren growing sleepy, and he eventually his eyes fell shut. That last burst of energy had worn him out completely.
Yuuki continued until the story had reached its end. Then, she leaned over, kissing her son's forehead and wishing him a good night while pulling up the blankets. She smiled down at him tenderly, smoothing his hair back. Then, she stood up on her tip-toes, leaning over to repeat the process with her husband.
"Goodnight, Zero," she said, bending down to kiss his forehead.
"I'm not sleeping here," he grumbled in response.
"Night," she repeated blithely, switching off the light and shutting the door. She knew he would get up and follow her out anyway. Zero never slept unless it was near her.
Sure enough, a moment later a tired Zero was trailing behind her as she headed to their bedroom. She glanced over her shoulder, watching him rub one of his eyes sleepily, and smiled. Years may have passed since they had first decided to be together, but neither one of them had really changed. He was just as handsome, and she was just as in love.
"Do you want me to tuck you in here instead?" she inquired, sitting on their and patting the other pillow invitingly.
He shot her a look, but climbed into bed beside her. Grinning, she laid down, and immediately felt the hunter's arms close around her, pulling her against him, just as he did every night. Truthfully, she didn't think she could really sleep either anymore, unless she could feel his warmth and his arm around her.
"Sleep well," she whispered, already feeling her eyes begin to shut.
"Good night, Yuuki," Zero murmured.
They were words that didn't really need to be spoken. Every night was a good night, as long as Zero was there beside her.
MANY MORE YEARS LATER...
Yori passed the wine further down the table. She was happy that she could be together with her friends and family for Christmas. As the years had passed, the table had grown to accommodate her and Aidou's children, and their children's children, as well as Zero and Yuuki's. And now, thanks to happy circumstances, Yori could officially call Yuuki family, as her daughter and youngest of her three children, Mikage, had married Zero and Yuuki's son Ren. Between the five children, their spouses, and eleven grandchildren, the dining room was packed.
Right now, her son Daiichi's two boys were regarding her with curious eyes from the "kid table" they had set up parallel to their own, as she had just finished telling them about their grandfather and his powers when he had been a vampire.
"And that's of course how he met me," she told them with finality. "Oh, and of course your grandfather and I researched for a long time to find a cure for vampirism. And we succeeded! After eighty or so years, anyway..."
"But you succeeded." Yuuki's daughter Ai smiled. "And we're all grateful for it."
"Yori," Yuuki spoke up from the seat across from her. "Don't you remember how nervous Hanabusa was at your wedding? He was such a wreck he froze the punch by accident! Who would have thought that was a summer wedding?" She giggled.
"Hey!" the blonde, hair now aged to white, spoke up. "Yori's father was a very intimidating man. And I thought her cousin mentioned she preferred her punch chilled, thank you very much."
"Dad," Mikage rolled her eyes from further down the table.
"Well I seem to remember that Kaien-san tried to make his toast to the bride and groom a musical number," Yori said casually, taking a bite of her food.
"Don't remind me," Yuuki groaned.
"You two took long enough to marry. That engagement should go into the Book of World Records," she muttered.
"Hey!" it was Yuuki's turn to protest, now. "We took just enough time, right Zero?"
The still-silver-haired man gave her a look, but said nothing.
"Ha!" Aidou laughed. "He wanted to marry you sooner, I knew it! You're the one who held things up!"
"Not true..." Yuuki looked away, but everyone could see her guilty face.
"Does it matter now?" Ren asked, grinning. "They're together, and we're here, and that's what matters."
"I'll toast to that," Akihiko chimed in from beside the younger man, lifting his glass.
"Cheers," Yori said. "To friends, family, and the bonds that tie us together."
The glasses clinked as a resounding 'cheers!' filled the room. For a moment, Yori was lost in nostalgia, in the memories which she cherished. She had gotten everything that she had dreamed of, just as, she was sure, Yuuki and Zero had gotten everything they had dreamed of. And now, she and Hanabusa Aidou were only two old grandparents who wasted the days away chatting in their rocking chairs, but...
That was exactly what she wanted to be, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
A/N: First and foremost, I want to address the children. I know that in the manga Yuuki has 2 children, one with Kaname and one with Zero... _ And that Aidou and Yori have 1 anyway but it isn't really stated how many they have-but since I changed everything else I changed this too so no complaints :P.
Again, thank you so much everyone. You guys and your comments and reviews are what makes this worthwhile. I have more fics underway (more info on that in the preview), but don't hesitate to send me any requests for one or two-shots (as a PM or whatever) (not that you would want to read anything else by this horrible slow author but just in case...) (also I hate Kaname so if u suggest him I'll have to kindly tell you NOOOOOOO NEVERRRRRR -throws tantrum-) (ahem). Anyway, for bonus stuff and a preview of the next (Game of Thrones inspired!) VK fic, continue on!
By the way, from time to time I may add random extras onto this, just a head's up!
This fic is dedicated to my dearest friend Sophie, who helps and inspires me to write. She's a genius of VK, a true friend, and the only editor I could ever have who understands my twisted weird brain. If it weren't for her, trust me, this fic would be TRASH. The characters would be OOC at times and it would be...just...utter chaos. So, thank you Sophie. You deserve a lot more than just a dedication ;O; -HUGS-. Thank you for putting up with me and helping me so much! YOU'RE THE BEST!
Support Sophie on her AMAZING VK tumblr imaginarylights. I especially LOVE the moodboards (that I might have helped find pix for ;) )