Gosh! I am so sorry for updating later than usual, I was swamped with real life issues, it has been a hectic week, add to that a shitty internet provider, and you get the big picture.

Anyways, here is the next chapter and I am currently working on the following one to provide you with two updates as a compensation for being late *kiss*

Thank you for the wonderful reviews as always, love you

ALERT! There will be a bunch of mature contents scattered in the upcoming chapters (not these 2). You have been warned.

Enjoy

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

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"However, I can predict that you will come seek me out yourself, soon… I will look forward to it"

The parting words of Kaname kept repeating in the stunned silverette's mind as he sat on the floor of the office leaning against the wooden furniture behind him.

"As if I would seek him out, ever…" Zero pushed himself on his knees and then grabbed the bookshelf to be able to stand up on wobbly legs

"Shit! I seriously made a fool out of myself, running out of energy at a critical moment like that. If it was a battlefield, I would have been dead by now. How stupid!" the hunter reprimanded himself as he took shaky steps reaching a nearby chair where he sat in relief.

Zero took more blood pills from the container, swallowing them with a disgusted face then breathed out loudly. He relaxed in the office for a good thirty minutes until he felt that he would be able to move without staggering like a drunk. "At least, that prick won't come near me anytime soon."

He rearranged the scattered books and picked up his gun, staring at it for a moment before tucking it in its place. The hunter locked the office and made his way back to the house. He found Gin already waiting for him at the front door.

"By any chance, does ten minutes means an hour for you, Kiryuu-san?" Gin greeted him with a cold voice, faking annoyance although his eyes were a dead giveaway that he was not mad.

"Sorry, something came up and I got delayed. Do you mind driving, Gin? I don't feel too good." Answered Zero weakly, handing the car keys.

"I don't mind, do you feel alright? Is it lack of sleep? You've been staying up late and not getting enough rest during the day after all." Inquired the blue haired teacher, worried.

"Probably yeah! "

"I told you it was crazy to juggle between all those impossible tasks. Being chairman never meant for you to assist others in doing their duty. You even went through the trouble of helping the prefects in addition to your humongous workload. I don't get why you like to torture yourself like that?"

"I know, it is fine, don't worry! I will catch some sleep on the way to town and I will cut down on my varied 'activities' starting next week. Let's go?" Zero reassured his friend with a tap on the shoulder while he made his way to the car.

Gin grabbed his arm to stop him on his tracks. Zero looked back at the serious face of the teacher expecting another lecture "No, you are not going anywhere… You will go and sleep until Ichiru arrives in a couple of hours… I would have suggested that we all go out to have dinner but that might add to your burden, so I will take your car and go do the grocery to cook dinner tonight…. Ah A! NO! I won't take no for an answer, now go!" Gin stopped Zero when he was about to object and turned him to face the front door. He gave a gentle push to his back and made his way to the car without looking back.

Zero's shoulders slumped in defeat as he unlocked the door and walked into the house. "Gin can be so pushy at times… However, he does it for good reasons, so I let him get away with it…. He seriously needs to stop spoiling me so much…. Anyways… It is true that I need some rest; my body still feels lethargic even after downing all those pills… haaah… I will just sleep a bit then get up to help with dinner; it was my idea in the first place."

The tired hunter made his way to his bed after getting into clothes that are more comfortable. He was worried about sleeping without the barrier, but exhaustion got the better of him and soon he went into deep sleep. Sure enough, the pureblood kept his word and did not come to pester him.

4 hours later –

Zero stirred as he felt some pleasing rubbing on his silver hair, then soft caresses on his cheek. He leaned into the touch more, urging the hand to continue. He slowly opened one eye.

"Finally awake! Lazy bum."

"Ugh!..." Zero groaned as the neon light of the room hit his sleepy eyes, quickly covering his head with the blanket.

"Come on, Nii-san! How much longer are you planning to sleep, it nine pm already. Do you want to continue until tomorrow morning?" Complained Ichiru as he pulled on Zero's blanket.

The elder twin jolted when he heard the time. Zero quickly threw the blanket and looked at Ichiru. "Just how long did I sleep?"

"No idea! I came couple of hours ago and found Gin putting out the grocery to make dinner. He forbid me from coming up to wake you saying you overworked yourself and need to rest." Ichiru explained as he got under the covers to cuddle with his brother.

Like in their younger days, Zero automatically tucked Ichiru's head in the crook of his neck and hugged him. He let out a long sigh. "I assume Gin took care of everything in the end."

"Yeah! He is setting the table with the help of Hana, they told me to come get you…" Ichiru paused for a second, pulling away just a little to stare into his brother's eyes and cupped his cheek "… Nii-san! You do look very tired… What is going on?... and don't try to brush me off saying it is nothing… From what Gin told me, you were doing extra tasks that you would not bother with usually… I know for sure that you get like that when trying to get your mind off something… "

Zero looked away from his twin's scrutinizing gaze, starting to feel uncomfortable because Ichiru always sees through his bad habits. "It's no-"

"Save your breath if you were going to say 'it's nothing, I am okay'… What is it? Tell me! Are those nightmares recurring more often that you are not getting any sleep… Is it Yagari-sensei's condition that you are concerned about… Zero! I don't like it when you keep bottling things inside until you end up hurting yourself…" Ichiru complained, now effectively scowling at his brother with an extremely worried expression.

Zero let out an exasperated sigh and rested his forehead on Ichiru's. They remained silent for some time, just looking at each other. "Well… it is not like I can tell him that I have been warding off a stalker who happens to be the king of bloodsucker who wanted to bed me again after I slept with him once… As a result I exhausted myself using too much magic and keeping myself busy and around people all the time." Zero debated internally before he finally started to speak

"Listen! It's nothing major, really!... the past week has been hectic… starting with that mess about sensei. After that, Allen dumped the end of year work on me because I ignored his call… Once done with that, I directly came here to do the same thing for the school, and you know that, when I work overtime, I tend to become restless and unable to stay still… I admit overdoing it this time… Sorry for worrying you, Okay?" Zero whispered with a gentle and soothing voice while rubbing Ichiru's head.

"You're stupid as always, Nii-san! Did the idea of calling me for help ever cross your mind, I am sure NO!" huffed the younger twin as he started getting out of bed, but Zero wrapped his arm around his waist, successfully preventing his escape.

"Come on, Ich! I said sorry. I know you have your own demons to slay at work and I thought I could handle it. Turns out that I overestimated myself. Now, stop sulking and do not start giving me the silent treatment when I finally get to spend some quality time with you. I miss you..." Zero whined and pouted, knowing that Ichiru is weak to that face.

"Fine!" barked the younger twin as he stood up "Now, go freshen up and join us downstairs. Gin apparently went all out and prepared a feast. I never knew that guy was such a great cook, he might overthrow you and become the best here." Ichiru teased and ran, dodging the pillow thrown his way.

A feast was an understatement; the quality of the food rivaled those in high-class restaurants. Gin made sure that Zero ate until he could not take anymore. Aido and Ichiru enjoyed watching the two bickering. The four men had a pleasant and fun dinner, then headed to rest in the living room and continued where they left off with their conversation.

Before leaving the kitchen, Zero was about to take care of the dishes only to have Gin stop him again and drag him to go sit comfortably while he went to get them dessert and drinks.

Ichiru leaned in to whisper softly into his lover's ear "Hana? Do you see what I see?"

"If you are talking about Moriya sensei trying his best to take care of your brother. Yeah! I see it clearly and I pity the guy. They have gotten quite close lately" Aido commented dryly

"Yep, it is painful to see how oblivious my brother can be to such obvious signs. I am sure he sees him as nothing more than a good friend." Ichiru sighed

"Your brother is clueless about romance. I lost count how many tried to woo him and he ended up blowing them off without even noticing. I wonder how long Moriya-san will hold out before giving up hope." Aido wondered.

"I wish I could help, he is such a great catch"

Aido raised an eyebrow glancing at his lover, Ichiru smirked "Not as great as you, rest easy! Jealous cutie!"

The golden haired vampire sulked before adding, "You already promised not to interfere with his affairs. Don't start playing cupid again."

The younger twin looked away from the gaze of his boyfriend, knowing what he meant by his statement. "I know… I will just observe and cross fingers."

- later that night -

After a fun and relaxing night, Zero saw everyone off. He had hard time kicking Ichiru out to go with his boyfriend instead of staying with him just because he was still worried about his brother's health. The silver hunter popped two sleeping pills in his mouth, headed to his bed and sighed, "I think I will finally have a good sleep after so long".

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The sound of hard breathing registered in the silverette ears, the feeling of hot skin gliding along sweaty body… a husky voice whispering into his ear "cum for me, Zero"… Loud moans echoed… more heat registered as he felt his inside quivering at the intrusion … he felt his back stiffen, his hips shiver… Suddenly his mind went blank as he let out a loud scream with his body jerking upwards…

"Aahng…" a breathy moaned escaped before amethyst eyes shot open.

Zero took a moment to recognize his surrounding; he was in his room back at the academy. The room was bright from the sunlight filtering through the widow. His sharp hearing picked up the sound of birds chirping and the chatter of the cleaning staff outside.

The hunter groaned and shifted, "What the fuck was that?"… He moved to throw the covers only to freeze the next moment. His eyes went wide and mouth gaping open as he slowly fumbled down his body and discovered his soaked underwear… "You've got to be kidding me"… the twenty four years old hunter soon turning twenty five had just experienced his first wet dream.

Zero bolted to the bathroom after grabbing a change of clothes, he quickly showered and proceeded to wash his underwear all while cursing non-stop at the man who haunted his dreams, Kuran Kaname.

"Well… Well…Well! Look what we have here"

Crap!

Zero looked up the sink mirror to see the reflection of Ichiru leaning on the doorframe with a smug look on his face.

"Nii-san! Did you abstain so long that you started having wet dreams… maybe that is the reason for your exhaustion… I have never seen you going through sexual frustration before, it is kind of… funny" Ichiru enjoyed teasing his brother who glared at him through the mirror… It is rare for him to catch his elder twin in any embarrassing situation, the guy was always cautious since young age when it comes to stuff like this. Now, he is going to poke fun at him for some time.

"Ichiru, I am seriously not in the best moods, so I will politely ask you to leave me alone for now."

"Nope, it is too much fun to let it go"

"ICHIRU!"

"So, who is it that you dreamt of? I know it is not a bikini model, someone you slept with and rocked your world. Or maybe someone who showed interest in you and you liked it…. So?"

"ICHIRU! DROP IT! I AM SERIOUS!" Zero yelled loud enough for a vein to pop in his forehead, showing how irritated he was and startling his brother. He felt humiliated enough for having to dream about his 'stalker'. He did not need his brother to make him the butt of his jokes because of it as well.

"Woow! Easy there! All right, I won't bug you anymore. Geez, nii-san! You don't have to be that sensitive, it is just a wet dream, not a big deal… it happens to all of us… Call me up when you've cooled your head… we made plans for today if you want to join, Gin will be there as well." Grumbled Ichiru before leaving

"not a big deal huh?, it is not a big deal when you are used to this shit, not when it is the first time and with the last person you would have wanted to be with"

Zero finished washing and cleaning, and then went to have breakfast with the others. Gin showed interest in visiting Ichiru's bar, so they planned a trip there. The teacher made few calls to meet his friends as well since it was his hometown. Zero liked the idea of having company during his trip for he decided to go back to check on his place and maybe go pick up a guy to make him forget about the bad week he had to go through.

The three grown-ups set off as soon as they finished breakfast using Zero's car. They had fun lazing around at Ichiru's place, helping him restock and open the store, which Gin liked a lot. The teacher regretted not knowing about such a great corner when he lived around there, he hit it off right away with the bartender Ryou. However, the thing that Gin was happy about the most was discovering a new side of Zero he never knew before, his music.

The blue haired man was mesmerized by the silverette playing as well as his form when he delicately touched the piano. Unfortunately, Zero did not stay long. He excused himself saying that he needed to go check on his place and get some work done. Ichiru had a hunch about his brother's real agenda but decided to stay quiet, even if he did not approve of his obsession.

True to his plan, Zero did have a one-night stand, two successive nights to be precise. He had a comfortable trip back to the academy on Monday early morning, as Gin was the one driving them back while Zero slept all the way. The acting chair resumed his duty with replenished energy and clear mind. Since Kaname kept his words, proving it by coming at the end of the day to report on his progress and leave, Zero sighed in relieve, Happy that he was over this tricky issue.

As he was about to leave, Zero received an unexpected guest into his office, Shiki Senri. He had not seen the noble since he came back to the academy because Shiki was busy traveling around the world. Zero was surprised at the initial change he noticed, the mahogany red haired vampire came into the office greeting him with a wide smile and sparkling blue-grey eyes, nothing like the usual expressionless face and flat tone he used to have. His adoptive son who was giggling on top of his shoulder was messing with his hair. Rima followed the two bickering males into the room as well.

"Hello Kiryuu-kun! I came back two days ago and found out that you took on the position of the chairman here. I wanted to greet you before leaving again, I am glad I was able to catch up to you." Shiki greeted with a nod as he put his son down and fixed his clothes.

"Good evening, Rero! Miss you!" chirped Keiichi as he ran around the desk and jumped on the lap of a surprised hunter

"Keiichi! You should not bother him too much and I told you to call him Zero-oji-san didn't I?" grounded Rima

"No! Rero is Rero!" huffed the kid as he scowled at his mother who glared in return before letting out a defeated sigh.

"It's okay, To- Shiki-san" Zero spoke in a soft tone as he adjusted the kid in his lap

"Rima and Senri are fine Kiryuu-kun, it can get confusing with two Shiki's in the room" Senri interrupted pointing at Rima and himself with a wink.

Zero smiled back "As you wish, Senri! I am glad to see you are doing well! It has been quite a while since we last met. I never expected you to be one to get married as soon as you finish high school let alone have a kid. I have to admit that I was impressed when Ichiru told me!"

"Yeah! I myself would not have believed it if someone foretold me about my future few years back. Speaking of son, that mischievous kid has been nagging me all weekend to come see you, he has grown quite attached it seems. I might start getting jealous," Senri, pouted at his son who clutched Zero's arm and gave his dad a teasing tongue out.

Zero chuckled at the exchange. Rima went around the desk and picked the kid coaxing him into sitting on the low table to complete his drawing exercise before they leave.

Shiki sat on the desk chatting with Zero about random things until the hunter popped the question that has been gnawing at him since the noble came into the room with his son

"I am sorry if I am being indiscreet, Senri! I cannot help but notice the striking resemblance you have with Keiichi. I know for a fact that he is not your son, but I have to say that nobody would suspect that you are not related if they didn't know the truth beforehand… I mean…" Zero tried to approach the subject in the most subtle way but still did not find the words

Shiki interrupted Zero's train of thoughts with an amused expression "Kiryuu-kun, If you are referring to the story I fed the media about Keiichi being a child conceived in vitro to keep Rima's image as a model, that is indeed a lie. And no, I did not have a relationship with another before going out with Rima. And yes, Keiichi and I are related by blood."

Zero startled at the last bit of information, "wha… I don't get it"

"Keiichi is my half-brother." Announced Senri softly

"WHAT?" Zero exclaimed a little too loudly before apologizing for his scream.

Senri paused and looked at Keiichi to make sure he is concentrating on his drawing again, knowing that Rima would make sure he does not hear them.

He started explaining "The fact that you don't know proves that everyone have kept their promise of not revealing the truth even to the closest kin. Actually, it happened during the time you were in US and since you came back during the busy time of war, we did not really have the leisure to sit and talk about our lives… Anyways, to make long story short, Keiichi is the son of Rido that he conceived by impregnating an ex-human he turned during his last battle… I know how much of a shock it might be for you to hear it now, sorry about that…"

Zero was flabbergasted, he did not know how to react to the news, the only thing he could ask was "What about the mother, I mean the real one"

"She died shortly after birth" Shiki explained "It seems she looked for Ichiru whom she knew was Rido's aid when he awakened. She begged him to take care of her child and protect him. Although she hated that man, she could not get rid of the baby growing inside her and she was worried he might be killed just because of who his father was. After she died, Aido and Ichiru brought Keiichi -" *Ring* *Ring*

His phone ringing interrupted Shiki; he answered and then turned to Zero with an apologetic smile "Sorry, Kiryuu-kun! I have to go; Kaname is waiting for me to depart for an important meeting… Rima! Yuki-chan said that she would be back in forty minutes, so you can leave Kei-chan in her care instead of taking him to the photoshoot. Bye!"

"Good, have a good day!" Rima answered giving a peck on the cheek of her husband before he bolted out. She turned around to a confused hunter and gave him a wistful smile.

"I guess it gave you quite a big shock to know that he is the child of the man you killed with our own hands?" she stated looking at the child who fell asleep on the couch, she sat next to him, caressing his red hair.

Zero frowned and reclined in his chair. He let out a long sigh and rubbed his temple, feeling a headache.

He looked into cerulean blue eyes and then cast his eyes down "yeah! It was… quite the surprise… I have to say… Especially knowing that my twin was behind it as well."

"Oh please don't blame him! Ichiru-san was keeping his word probably. Only the inner circle of Kaname-sama knows the secret and few others like Ichiru who actually brought him to us." Rima explained, trying to alleviate any conflict that might arise between the twins

"And, are you okay with this Rima? I mean… It is not like you can't bear children of your own?" Zero asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

Rima chuckled softly before answering, "I think everyone who knows about it asked me the same question…"

Zero blushed slightly, embarrassed from his bluntness and surprised at how outgoing the noble woman became.

"To answer your question, Yes! I am more than okay… In fact, I was the one who encouraged Senri to go ahead with the adoption. We were planning to have children after I retire from my career as a model because of how peculiar vampire pregnancy can be... However, I think that I fell in love with the bundle of joy named Keiichi as soon as I took him in my arms… At that moment, I knew that I could not let go of him, so yeah! I am more than okay with it. In fact, I am grateful for having him in our life. He just made everything brighter and more enjoyable, especially for Senri. You might have guessed it by witnessing the change in his demeanor. Keiichi is like the sun for us."

Zero was amazed at how Rima's eyes shone with pride and happiness when she was talking about her son. He did not dare interrupt her bragging. Therefore, he decided to keep the rest of his questions for another time.

Rima noticed the hunter's intentions from the way he was intently listening. She then decided to let him know about everything so that he is on the same page as the others.

"Kiryuu-san! Would like to hear the story of how Keiichi was introduced?"

Zero nodded and Rima stared in the distance recalling the day that symbolized a turning point in her life.

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It was a regular day after the ball where Yuuki appeared for the first time after her awakening as the pureblood princess. Rima and Senri were visiting the Kuran mansion to relay the message of Takuma Ichijou who was still working under Sara Shirabuki at that time. Kain and Ruka were present as well to report the happenings at the Hanadagi castle.

The nobles were surprised to see that Aido Hanabusa is not present in the mansion since the blond noble was supposed to be the tutor of their princess. The only residents they found were Kaname, Yuki and Hanabusa's father Nagamichi Aido. Yuki suggested that everyone sits in the parlor to have a cup of tea and catch up since it has been sometime since they gathered at the same place away from formalities.

Halfway through their peaceful evening, a storm barged into the parlor that is Hanabusa Aido cradling a baby in his arm with a flustered Ichiru trailing behind him. His sneaky entrance and shocked expression when he saw everyone gathered earned him the attention of the nobles and purebloods present. He greeted everyone and got greetings back. Aido started feeling uncomfortable as everyone stared at the bundle he was carrying then back at him.

The blond noble vampire took a deep breath and started talking "I am glad that most of the circle are here, that would make things easier for us. Everyone, I would like to introduce Keiichi, he will be our adopted son after the formalities are dealt with, so again, allow me to introduce Aido Keiichi son of Aido Hanabusa and Kiryuu Ichiru." Hanabusa gave a sheepish smile while Ichiru hid behind his boyfriend beet red from embarrassment.

The announcement earned them few gasps, jaws slackening and eyes bulging out. However, the most dramatic reaction was that of Aido Nagamichi, who yelled as he stood and knocked the cups on the table "What in the world are you saying, Hanabusa!"

Aido flinched at the screaming of his father that stirred Keiichi from his sleep. "Father! I can explain"

"Don't 'Father' me! What do you think you are doing, bringing more shame to the family than you already have? Was it not enough for you to take a human of hunter lineage as a partner and now you want to register a child of unknown origin into the family calling him your son. What are you? Stupid?"

Ichiru flinched and Aido's lips tightened "Father! I believe we have been through the issue of my relationship with Ichiru many times already. Are you going to bring it up again now?"

Nagamichi realized his blunder and cleared his throat before talking in a calmer tone "Ichiru-kun, I am sorry! I did not mean to offend you. As for you, son! Your relationship with him earned our blessing only because he proved himself worthy of being a member of the family, none of it was a fruit of your hard work. The registration of this child will not be official unless I give my approval as the head of the family, and that will not happen. Like I said earlier, I will not accept an orphan with unknown origin into the family."

Hanabusa paused and looked at Keiichi and back at Ichiru who was clutching the hem of his jacket… "So you would be okay if you had an idea about his origin?" Ichiru gasped and tightened his grip on his lover's arm earning a reassuring smile from the blond.

"Enlighten me then!" stated Nagamichi while folding his arms in a stern posture.

"Keiichi is the son of Rido Kuran," Aido announced with a steady and strong gaze.

The announcement caused an uproar in the parlor as all the vampires stood up at the news and expressed their surprise demanding a detailed explanation. Aido briefed them about the circumstance of his conception, how Ichiru was tangled in the problem and how the mother passed away leaving the child in his lover's care.

Before the elder noble snaps out of his shock, Yuki took a step forward and spoke first "Aido-sempai, seeing that the child is Rido's. I believe it is a better choice if Kaname-oni-sama and I took him under our care. He is related to us after all, our cousin…"

"I apologize Yuki-chan! I am afraid I cannot agree with your proposition" Ichiru objected firmly "It is exactly because he is Rido's son that he should not be registered under the Kuran's family. It might put his life in danger because of those who might seek revenge against his dead father. That is exactly what we want to avoid and protect him."

"Kiryuu-kun is right, Yuki" Kaname spoke from his seat in a calm voice while staring at the bundle in the vampire's arm "Even if you wanted to go ahead with your idea, it would be impossible. The child has no right to the Kuran family name because his father was erased from the family tree a long time ago."

Yuki faltered as she looked at her brother with pleading eyes. She felt sad seeing the innocent child being rejected by so many because of no fault of his own.

As the arguments and discussion went on for longer, Rima started to get bored and turned to ask her husband-to-be if he would like to leave, knowing how uncomfortable he can get when his father was brought up in any discussion. That is when she sensed the agitation of Senri as he stared at the crying baby in Aido's arms.

Senri was squeezing her hand to a painful level unconsciously. At first, Rima thought he was furious, angry or shocked. However, she was surprised when she looked into his face; Senri's eyes spoke of yearning, as if he was barely holding himself back from rushing and snatching Keiichi from the blond vampire. She squeezed his hand back. When he looked at her, Rima gave him an approving nod with a rare dazzling smile while letting go of his hand.

Shiki took a shuddering breath gathering a bit of courage as he stepped up to join the conversation " I am sorry to interrupt your excitement, however, if we are talking about rights and family, then I would be the most entitled to adopt this child as I am his closest kin, his brother and not a Kuran in the registry. Therefore, since your negotiation with your father are not getting you anywhere, Hanabusa, I would request of you to allow us, Rima and I, to adopt Keiichi as our son."

The debating parties were taken aback by the sudden suggestion. Hanabusa, still adamant on his decision, tried to stand his ground but was interrupted before objecting

"Sorry, maybe I did not express my request properly so I will say it in another way" Suddenly, Shiki bowed a ninety degrees angle and said "Hanabusa, I beg you to leave Keiichi in our care and allow us to raise him in the loving family that he deserve. Please!" Rima then followed her lover by bowing as well.

"Please raise your heads both of you," urged a flustered Ichiru as he put a hand on Rima's shoulder "Toya-san are you sure you are ok with his decision?"

"Absolutely" answered Rima with finality as she went toward the crying baby asking for permission before she took him in her arms. She cooed at him while rocking back and forth until the bundle of joy stopped crying and started smiling as he pulled at her ponytails.

Shiki joined caressing his head before placing a kiss on a plump cheek. "He such a handsome little thing" He spoke softly marveling as he looked at the baby with loving eyes.

Aido and Ichiru could not utter a word as they observed the scene of a happy family unfolding in front of them.

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"That would sum it up. It was quite hard to convince your twin that we will take proper care of the child. After that, Senri made sure to erase all proofs that might trace back to Keiichi being Rido's son. He went as far as to falsify some medical records and other stuff. It was not legal, but Kaname-sama bended the rules that one time. Come to think about it now, it might be some sort of atonement toward his cousin or something… The point of the story is that, when I saw Senri's expression and then his decision, I immediately understood that he wanted to give Keiichi what he himself was deprived of, a family. Senri never knew his father and his mother was not the typical loving parent you might think about, so he probably wanted to give his brother the chance of living the life he wished for himself. Kei-chan affected our life in a very positive way. Heck! Even his psychotic mother became an amazing grandmother. She is dedicating herself to spoiling him rotten now, thinking he is Senri's son. She did not suspect anything due to the strong resemblance you noticed." Rima finished the story with a blissful smile as she cradled the sleeping child in her arms. She excused herself saying it was time to go meet Yuki and leave for work. The door of the office closed, leaving a stunned Zero sitting on his desk, having hard time assimilating what he just learned. "What is the meaning of this Ichiru?"

After staring out of his window for a while, pondering. Zero decided to set the new findings aside and resume his work, he will talk about it the next time he meets his brother because he wanted to have some peace of mind after the hectic week he had been through.

Unfortunately, Zero's peaceful time was short-lived. That night, he had the same dream yet again, of Kaname embracing him. The hunter woke up in the same state as before, albeit more enraged. The erotic dreams went on every night, getting more vivid and exciting each day with Zero appearing more wanton.

Come Thursday, Zero became more and more anxious. The hunter started unintentionally daydreaming about the brunet, remembering the wet dreams and sometime reacting to the content. He felt miserable. The loud ringtone of his mobile snapped him out of his lamenting and he answered his brother.

"Hello Ich! What's up?"

"Hey Nii-san! Sorry, I know I called this morning. Am I interrupting your work or anything?" Ichiru spoke in a hurried voice.

"No! is everything alright?"

"Yeah! Yeah! I am good don't worry, I was wondering if you were free later. I am on my way to Cross-city right now, and I would appreciate if you could give me a ride to the association because I have to meet with Cross there and then I would like to go see Yagari-sensei. You could lend me your car if you cannot drive me around. I will stay over with you and leave the next day early morning."

Zero thought about the possible plans and then voiced his suggestion. "No problem, Ich! Actually, I might have a better plan"

"What is it?"

"You are not going to see your boyfriend even if you stay the night right?"

"Yeah, Hana is on a business trip with Kuran. He won't be back until Friday night, Saturday morning maybe!"

"Great! Here is what we can do; I have my bi-monthly meeting tomorrow morning at my company, so I was planning to take off tonight and rest at my place. I can come pick you up at the station, do your rounds and then depart right after. What do you think?... I would like to visit master as well, though I would pass on going into the association."

"Cool! Let's do it your way then."

"See you later then, bye."

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Few hours later, Zero was enjoying the trip back to his place with the company of his twin. He always appreciated being with Ichiru. The presence of his brother always manage to alleviate Zero's bad mood and takes his mind off the gutter, no matter how annoying Ichiru might get. They were listening to the radio and joking about some funny news when Zero suddenly switched off to get the attention of his twin.

"I forgot to tell you that Shiki Senri came to visit me today!" Zero spoke in a cheerful tone

"Really! It has been ages since I last saw him. I bet Kei-chan is happy to have his daddy back after almost four months of absence. How was he?" Ichiru beamed at the news

"He was fine!... Kind of different, I was surprised to be honest."

"Yeah! I know what you mean. I guess becoming a father brought some good change to his previously introverted, pessimistic and closed off personality. With Kei-chan cheerfulness and cuteness, it is hard not to smile around him. That kid has a unique soothing aura around him. Ugh! I am missing him now, can we go back." Ichiru whined as he remembered his favorite kid

"Nope! We cannot! And yeah, you're right! That child is quite the bubbly one, hard to believe that he is the son of Kuran Rido." Zero deadpanned glancing at his brother as he turned right at the traffic light. He pulled over at the parking lot in front of his brother's place and turned his head to look at the frozen Ichiru who was looking ahead.

"Ichiru?" Zero spoke in an interrogating tone, expecting explanation.

"Um… Nii-san! How…"

"I heard the interesting story of how my twin and his lover brought a baby to the Kuran mansion, that baby was Rido's son from a deceased ex-human, and that Shiki was there asking for his adoption. Of course, those are the headlines. Rima took the trouble of reiterating the events down to the smallest details." Zero explained with emphasis.

"Look, nii-san! I am sorry I did not tell you earlier… I just did not have the chance to…"

"Seriously Ich? After all the times you blew my ears with useless stories about them, you are saying you did not get the chance to mention such detail?"

"I tried! I seriously tried to… May I remind you that a few weeks back, before you start working in the academy, you were livid towards what you call the bloodsuckers? I admit that I hid the truth about Kei-chan to protect him from you. I did not know how you would react knowing how much you hate the Kuran, especially Rido for what he did to our parents. When you came back during the war, you were literally bloodthirsty, yearning to eradicate every single vampire alive. Imagine if you knew about him then, you might have blasted his head without thinking twice in your rage. I was scared of your reaction. Can you blame me? You were going crazy at that time!" Ichiru yelled in frustration as he defended himself.

Zero leaned back on the headrest and looked at the neon light illuminating the street. Moments of silence stretched before the hunter turned to look into the anxious face of his brother. He gave a faint smile as he ruffled Ichiru's hair to get him to relax "I won't blame you… I will not… You did the right thing! Now go take your stuff up and come quickly so that I drop you at the bar. I need to go rest, it is getting late." Ichiru let out a sigh of relief and quickly went to get ready for work.

Once in front of the bar, Zero grabbed his brother's hand before Ichiru left the car, "Sorry… you know… for always making you worry… and thanks for everything"

Ichiru's eyes widened before he gave a wide smile showing his perfect teeth "You are welcome, troublesome brother! Good night!" Ichiru earned a punch in the shoulder but it did not faze him from laughing and winking at his twin before closing the car door and leaving.

Zero's gaze followed his back until he entered the back door of the bar. The hunter clutched the steering wheel until his knuckle turned white while banging his forehead on it few times. He squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled sharply until he got rid of the wave of anguish that seized him. Once relieved, he drove off to his apartment praying for dreamless sleep.

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Reviews please!