Make sure to read chapter 26 before ;)
I posted two of them at the same time, 26&27
Zero nodded quickly as he fetched the towel and wrapped his waist with it. He naturally put some distance between him and the pureblood while turning to face the 'intruders'. The husband beamed as soon as he came face to face with the silverette. "Oh! Good morning Kiryuu-san," Zero recognized the man as the one who drove him to the station. His guess confirmed when he saw their son in the baby stroller in front of the wife. Oh! that is why they needed to pass through this path.
Zero greeted back and cleared the way, apologizing for the compromising situation they had to witness. However, just as the man was about to pass him, he stopped and stared at the hunter as if a sudden realization struck him. "Are you, by any chance, the president of K-corps?" Zero was once again taken aback by the jumpy attitude of the man but answered him affirmatively nonetheless. That is when the husband went into a bubbly one-sided conversation about how they recently signed a subcontractor agreement with them along with other details that Zero was having hard time keeping up with. He cursed inwardly at the inconvenient coincidence. Meanwhile, Kaname was watching and half listening to the conversation. For a second, he felt like blowing them to pieces for interfering. Therefore, it took time for him to calm down and compose himself. He was currently staring at the hunter, trying hard to explain the reason why he acted that impulsively earlier. He knew that he can be aggressive, dominant and pushy, but Kaname was always the cautious type. Especially after losing his sanity once, he learned to ponder on the consequence of each action before it happens, no matter how small it was, but the rule seemed to never apply whenever the hunter was involved.
In the midst of his musing and the chattering, the toddler started crying. His mother was trying her best, but he did not seem to calm down. Out of habit, Kaname went ahead and asked if he could take the boy in his arms. He cooed and rocked the child softly until he calmed down and started to smile and giggle at him. The woman was astonished, while Zero was watching him from the corner of his eyes without losing track of the conversation with the father. It was only when the father noticed how fast his son quieted down did he turn to find him in the arm of the brown haired man, "You are pretty good with kids." He complimented
"Yeah… I have a little sister that I used to take care of, so…" Kaname answered with a charming smile that left a blush on the couple's faces.
"How nice! Your child will be a lucky one to have such a wonderful father." The woman commented, her hands clapped in front of her mouth in awe.
"He is actually expecting a baby girl soon…" Zero blurted unintentionally and punched himself mentally as the eyes of their companions bulged out.
"Really? At such a young age? That is… quite brave… Congratulations anyways… Kids are the best spice in life." the man stuttered
"That is amazing! Oh, my! She is such a lucky one to be raised by two cool and handsome daddy's" The woman chirped.
Three pair of eyes looked at her as if she had grown another head. "Honey? what are you…"
"Oh come on dear! You don't get it? I told you about this surrogate program! Remember the gay couple at work with me, they wanted children, so each one of them went through artificial insemination of the same surrogate mother, now they have two adorable kids that are sibling by blood as well as adoption. Isn't it the case for you two? I have to admit, you make such a wonderful couple just standing together like that. I am sure your children will be wonderful, wish you luck and if you need assistance I will be there for you, just a call away!" the woman extended a hand holding a card with her contact,
Zero was about to deny when Kaname beat him to it and took the card "Thank you very much madam, we appreciate your generosity."
"Nothing of that sort, I am glad that homosexuality is not as frowned upon as before and great people like you can lead a non-oppressed life. I wish you happiness. If you will excuse us" and they left like a storm
"What was that…? " Zero hissed, looking at the retreating couple but addressing the question to the indifferent man standing beside him.
"Don't mind it, shall we pick up where we left" Kaname cooed while touching Zero's arm softly.
Zero threw towel to his face "no, I think I am going for one more lap" and dived before Kaname could say anything.
The pureblood exhaled and threw the towel on lounging seat. Seeing that the hunter had no plan on leaving the water, he went to the counter where receptionist was reading the papers of the previous day.
"Water please!" … he got the glass, popped three tablets in it and watched as they dissolved.
The human smirked "is he that voracious that you need to use three at once to keep up with him. That's… hot!" He drawled.
Kaname glared at him before realizing what he meant. "The blood pills? Is he thinking that they were some sort of performance enhancer? Which means that he is a consumer of those illegal drugs with Sara's blood"
Kaname decided to play the game "What do you know, gotta keep up the face" he winked. The guy fell for it in a heartbeat, he bent over the counter and whispered to Kaname as if there was anyone around to hear them "How about this, buddy! I can get you the most potent ones for cheaper price than the market. In exchange, I want to have your little one for a week, that hot ass just calls for me to pound it… hard!" He licked his lips and gave a full toothed smile, successfully irking the brunet, but Kaname did not show it.
"Really! Are you a dealing?"
"No! Too much trouble! But I know the place they sell it and have contact with the dealer. Since I bring in customers, they make good price for my goods for me."
"Lucky you! And where is this place," Kaname feigned interest
"It is a high class bar restaurant, not too far from here."
"You don't mean K-bar, don't you, …" He pointed, knowing that the possibility is absolutely negative.
"You kidding? No! from what I gather, that place is bad news for dealers, many got sacked when trying to do business there, dunno if it is the bartender or owner, anyways both seems vicious and too straight laced to get into this kind of thing… The one I am talking about is a little further away, but if you go by yourself, you won't get shit. Even if you do somehow get some, it will be ten times the price. I need to go with you the first time to introduce you. The price for that is the week I requested. Of course, I get to have the cutie before I go with you. Deal?"
Kaname asked for a pen and a paper where he scribbled an address. He beckoned the excited man with his finger to come closer, and suddenly grabbed him by the collar. The man yelped and paled at the strength and the ruby red eyes staring back at him, fear contorted his features. Kaname quickly covered his mouth to muffle a scream and started his mind control, "Tomorrow, you will turn in your resignation from this job, and then you will go to this address and ask to meet Kaien Cross. You will tell him about everything you know concerning the drugs, dealers, names, places, everything and you will answer truly to all questions he asks. Tell him that you met Kuran Kaname at a restaurant and saw him put tablets in the champagne; you thought he was a consumer and wanted to refer him to your dealer… Ah! One last thing, from now on you will have no desire to fuck Zero, look at him or go near him at all… Understood!"
The receptionist, with a blank look in his eyes, answered "Yes! I understand" before snapping out his daze and shaking his head. He looked at the piece of paper in his hand and tucked it in his pocket.
Kaname relaxed in his seat and waved back at the couple and their toddler when he noticed them leaving. He caught Zero exiting the pool from the corner of his eye, going towards the locker room. He gulped the rest of his fake blood and followed him. Knowing that the hunters was already aware of him, Kaname started drying Zero's head with a towel he picked from the rack.
Zero, however, yanked the towel and threw it on the floor. He did not bother looking at the taller male as he rummaged through his locker to get his shower kit. Kaname quirked an eyebrow and asked "You're angry"…. He got no response
"What did I do this time?"
"…."
"Zero? Silent treatment again, really?" Kaname crossed his arms and leaned on the metal door next to the one of Zero's locker.
"…"
Their eyes finally met when Zero closed the door, coming face to face with the pureblood leaning against the metallic furniture.
He turned away from his gaze and was about to go for the showers, but Kaname prevented it. He felt him grab his arm and push him, not too hard, against the locker to cage him between it and his body.
"Kaname! Let me go, I am not in the mood for your shit" He hissed, glancing up at the surveillance camera at the top left corner of the room. Who is the pervert with the idea of putting that there? His thoughts were interrupted by the rich voice close to his face.
"I won't let go, but I won't do anything either, until you tell me what's wrong" Kaname insisted. Sincerely puzzled at the sudden change of attitude, which was a little more extreme than the usual mood swings of the hunter.
"What is there not to be pissed about? Making out in public like that… Being seen by my neighbors… Nah~ that should not be a problem… Neighbors thinking we are couple, expecting a child, gay marriage… You are right… What was I angry about? I can't really think of anything… Oh! And it is certainly not the fact that whoever is watching through that camera might think that you are assaulting me… No~ not at all…" Zero spoke with a tone dripping with sarcasm and contempt.
Kaname was silent this time. he dropped his arms on his sides, freeing the hunter.
Zero's glare intensified "What? Nothing to say? Oh wait! save your breath if you are going to say 'sorry' in that fucking bored tone of yours."
Kaname tucked his hands inside the jersey's pocket, took a deep breath before speaking "I do not feel bad for making them think we were a couple"
Zero froze, feeling his heart jump to his throat.
"It is true that homosexuality is not frowned upon like before, but people still shun those who do not believe in monogamy. Society is still narrow-minded in that aspect. That man will be a business associate, right. If I understood your conversation correctly, he might become a valuable asset to your company. Do you really want to blatantly expose that all we have is a physical relationship? Revealing that you are having an affair with a man who is expecting a child, which would automatically translate into the attribute 'married'? What will you earn from it, apart from having him repulsed in the worst case scenario?"
Zero clenched the towel in his hand, reluctant to admit that the pureblood had a point. They were both considered as Elites of the top tier of society, people who are generally judged quite harshly for any misstep. The fact that they keep low public profile or the fact that Kaname and Yuki's relationship was not made public does not overshadow the truth of a scandal erupting if the affair were exposed. They could not afford nasty gossip spreading around.
A sizzling sound startled the hunter. He looked up to see smoke fanning out of the security camera. "They generally have a periodic back up. I am sure you know that. They won't be able to have proof even if someone is watching if the device is destroyed shortly after."
"Show off!" Zero drawled and stomped to the shower.
Kaname watched in silence until he heard the water running. He relaxed on the bench in the middle of the room; chuckling at the memory of the hunter's expressions as he explained himself. He could see that Zero understood his point but still acting stubborn because he always hated to admit or apologize, let alone say thank you.
He craned his neck when he heard the humming coming from the shower, the smile already plastered on his face turned into a grin. Zero seems to have left the cubicle's door ajar. He can be quite endearing when he refuses to admit the truth. Delighted with the implicit invitation, Kaname proceeded to take off his clothes in order to join the silverette. He chuckled again softly, this time amused at how being with Zero made him feel like the teenager he has never been before.
He used his telekinesis to lock the door of the room before pushing the cubicle's open. He reacted almost instantly to the sight of the naked Zero with water streams gliding along his alabaster skin. Without wasting time, he collected the silverette in his arms from behind. Zero tilted his head back to let it rest on the collarbone of the pureblood enjoying his warmth as warmer water slid across his face. A soft moan escaped his lips when he felt Kaname teasing the back of his ear and the sensitive earlobe. The more teasing he got, the more Zero rocked his hips back against the pureblood until the brunet could take no more.
Kaname swiftly turned Zero around and pushed him against the misted wall, escaping the shower stream. Zero's heart leaped at the sight that greeted him. A wet Kaname might be the sexiest and most sensual thing he ever came across. The shivers, excitement and hypnotic feeling he felt at the poolside came rushing tenfold stronger. He unconsciously licked his lips, unaware of his shallow breathing and the slight flush appearing across his heated skin that excited the pureblood in return.
Kaname grabbed his chin for a kiss and Zero responded passionately, his finger laced through the wet brown hair that he tugged on to deepen it. Kaname groaned before sliding a hand across Zero's chest and down between them. He held both their arousals together in his fist and started pumping, without interrupting their kiss. Zero closed his eyes shut to resist, but did not take long before breaking the kiss to moan and gasp with each stroke, His head thrashed against the cold tile of the wall, and his hands rose up in search of something to grab on as he felt his knees growing weak from the shattering orgasm to come.
Kaname chose that moment to let go, earning a whimper from the silverette. He went down on his knees leaving a trail of kisses from his jugular all the way down to his stomach, navel and lower belly. He stared at the flat surface for a second as a thought flashed through his lust filled mind, "baby, huh…"
He had to shake his head in order to chase away the fleeting image of how Zero might look when heavily pregnant with his child. He took the weeping arousal in his mouth slowly inch by inch, sucking and nibbling until Zero's legs buckled. The hunter had to bend over and hold onto Kaname's broad shoulders for support. He watched with half lid eyes as the wet brown head bobbed back and forth driving him mad.
As soon as the trembling ex-human released with a gasp, he sagged in Kaname's awaiting arms, breathing hard and fast in attempt to calm down. He could feel Kaname's length rub on his thigh while the brunet helped him stand straight. His lips curled up, it always got to him how Kaname would make sure to give Zero enough pleasure and orgasms to blow his brains out before claiming some for himself. He looked up with a mischievous expression that looked almost childish as he gave an open mouthed kiss to the taller man's chin. Kaname smiled at the gesture and gave him a peck on the tip of his nose.
Zero rested his back on the wet. He hooked his arms around Kaname's neck and pulled him flush against him. Kaname, in turn, rested his hands on zero's hips and kissed his shoulder, tasting the chlorine and Zero's flavor all the way to his ear where he whispered huskily, "what now?".
Gluing their cheek together, Zero spoke lazily, "I want more, but~"
Violet eyes widened when the met a square foil packet floating inches away from them. Zero let out a baffled laugh, "Unbelievable!" Kaname smirked while tearing it and preparing himself.
Without adding word, Zero tiptoed and lifted one leg that he wrapped around Kaname's hips, and then freed one hand that he used to guide Kaname's arousal to his awaiting destination. The pureblood thrusted up as soon as he reached the aperture earning a double moan from Zero and himself. When wine orbs darkened with lust met lilac ones equally dark, Kaname pulled out almost completely and slammed back up with gusto, Zero's eyes widened and gasped before whispering "uhnnn… so good… more"… Kaname gladly complied as he picked up a brutal pace pinning the silverette between the wall and his body until Zero climaxed again.
He was not done with him yet. The pureblood made sure to take him repeatedly, making him scream in painful pleasure while he caressed, kissed and nibbled at every sensitive spot he learnt. He watched him come undone, liking the way his hair swayed from the rocking motion… It was then and there that Kaname realized the reason behind his impulsiveness and obsession with the lilac-eyed hunter. "oh god! Kaname… aaha ah aaahah… there feels good… more"…
Jealousy! Kaname was feeling irritated by the fact that the some other person wanted a piece of the hunter. The thought that he might have succeeded had Zero taken an interest in him drove the vampire mad. He unconsciously increased the already brutal pace and made a mess out of the hunter more than usual as if trying to imprint him. He explored every nook and cranny of the pliant body as if trying to erase any trace of other men he knew Zero was with before him. It was not until the delectable body went limp that Kaname snapped out of his frenzy to a passed out Zero.
Later, Kaname opened the door to the apartment and gently laid down the blushing hunter on the couch of his living room.
"You're seriously insatiable once you get started. You were planning on doing it from the start weren't you… going as far as bringing the damns condoms, pervert". When Kaname was done with him, Zero found himself walking like a newborn fawn, unable to make a yard without his leg giving out on him. After regaining consciousness, he unintentionally egged the pureblood on which lead to another intense session on the bench of the locker room. As a result, the sadistic pureblood hoisted Zero and carried him bridal style all the way up to the apartment, earning weird stares, knowing giggle and few shocked expression from the security, receptionist and few residents they came across. "I should start thinking of moving out" …
"I am always insatiable when it comes to you Zero, I don't mind going at it for days if allowed… However, the fact here is that you overestimated your stamina." Kaname whispered in zero's ear with a husky sultry voice. "Here I thought you were past the point of passing out like many times before."
"Fuck you! You go take a shower, change and leave, don't you dare come near me again until I say so…" bellowed a beet red hunter who curled up in the couch in a defensive stance. Kaname chuckled, kissed his forehead.
Of course, he ignored the order of the grumpy princess and sat next to him with a glass of fake blood. Zero took and gulped it grudgingly.
"Is something wrong?" Zero asked softly while placing he glass on the coffee table.
"hmmm?"
"You are not… How should I say it… You seemed agitated back there…"
The perceptive hunter took Kaname aback. "It's nothing…"
They fell silent for sometime, each lost in their own world before Kaname spoke again.
"Yuki… She had strong contractions today… I really thought she was going into labor for a moment."
Zero was surprised to hear it, the reminder that the deadline of their affair was coming close.
"hooh! So you fucked me senseless because you thought this might be the last time. Makes sense."
Kaname neither confirmed, nor denied. Part of him contemplated the possibility that what Zero said might be the correct explanation for his actions, but another part was pushing the other scenario that Kaname did not want to admit.
"Probably…"
"You look good in that jersey by the way…" Zero teased, trying to lighten the mood. Kaname chuckled at the rare compliment. He pulled the cover from Zero and dropped his head on the hunter's lap. He ignored the protest of the hunter who struggled to get him off "You better save your strength. I have another half a day before leaving and I want to make the most out of it." He grinned at the scarlet color washing over the hunter. Zero threw his head on the back of the couch, sighing in defeat "You will be the end of me"
"I was thinking about this for a while, how did you end up swinging for men? You were obviously pinning for Yuki before, who, as boyish as she might be is still a woman." Kaname inquired
"Hmm… It happened gradually… Like a journey ending up with me finding my true self." Zero answered in a joking manner
"I am being serious here…"
"Why are you asking about this all of a sudden anyways?"
"Curiosity?" Kaname suggested
Zero took a deep breath, "Well… When I left, I kept to myself for some time. Then, I tried dating, women. I went out with a couple of chicks and had a one-night stand with another one. It was when I embraced, and saw them enjoying it that I started to wonder about how good it would feel if I was the one being embraced. The idea disturbed me at first since I was well aware of my unique condition. However, the thought never left, and I found myself getting more and more dissatisfied each time I slept with a woman. Therefore, I looked up the clubs where people like me gather. I initially planned on visiting the club out of curiosity, but that night was the start of my current life. The trashy mood, weird clothing and tasteless music booming inside my head horrified me. I barely finished a beer when I decided to leave and never come back. It was then that a straight couple approached me. The woman was the one doing the introduction and lured me into having some fun with them."
Kaname had covered his eyes with his forearm while listening to the hunter. He regretted his curiosity to know more about him as soon as the meaning sank. He uncovered his face to see a sad nostalgic look on the hunter's face. "Did you?"
"Yes… I went along. Things were rocky between Ichiru and me and I certainly did not want to go back home that night…"
"How did it go?"
Zero snorted "Mind-blowing."
"…"
"From the first time I saw her, the woman screamed of wild and reckless… She sure lived up to that first impression… She was the one suggesting to her husband to take me, something about two guys turning her on… Anyways, the fun did not end that night as I met with them more times after… Things turned ugly later when the husband started developing feelings for me and his wife caught on… I sincerely did not notice until she pointed it out during a lunch we were having at the cafeteria. Oh! She attended the same university by the way… She finally dumped the loser but remained good friends with me, without physical involvement… It was nice to have someone understanding and accepting you for who you are."
Kaname felt conflicted, he did not want to unfold more about the hunter's debauchery seeing the bad taste a tiny glimpse left. He decided to change the topic.
"Are you still keeping in touch with her?"
"You bet! Despite being wild and adventurous, she had a good head over her shoulders. She beat us into shape and accomplished what Ichiru could never do with me. It was thanks to her that I made it where I am today. She gathered the freelancers and started the idea of the business and foundation of it. Pushing each one of us to their limit thanks to the crazy contracts, she managed to bring in. She should have been the president now, not me."
Seeing the sparkle in his eyes, Kaname assumed that the reason was not sad. "Why didn't she?"
"She got pregnant as soon as she finished her studies and decided to settle down and be a happy housewife. She gladly left the associate position to her competent husband because she knew her health would not allow her to juggle between work and home."
"Wait!... Her husband is you current associate… You mean?"
Zero finally look down to face him, smirking "Allen, yeah… Although, fyi, he is not aware of the kinky past between us, neither does he know that I am of the 'third gender' as she calls it. We both agreed that some things are better left unknown if we wanted to keep our friendship healthy."
Kaname was about to inquire about something else when Zero's phone started ringing. He grunted and stretched his hand to fetch it from the table and pass it to the hunter.
"Ichiru?" Zero answered
Kaname did not bother eavesdropping on the conversation even with Zero's worried expression. He chose to give him space by going to brew some coffee.
Couple of minutes later, a frowning Zero joined him in the kitchen scratching the back of his head.
"Kaname…" he trailed
"Yes."
"I think your half a day got shortened to twenty minutes." Zero deadpanned
"Something happened?"
"Ichiru sounded like he had been crying… Troubles in paradise probably… He is leaving now to come here… It is fine if you want to stay longer since he knows you are here, but it will be awkward for you…"
"Oh~ I get it… It's okay. I will just change and leave… After I finish drinking my coffee if you don't mind" Kaname answered in amusement.
"Just remember to leave through the door this time. Just like you came in." Zero pointed. He started going around, fixing things and fetching the gym bag to erase any proof that he did anything apart from working. Kaname followed the meticulous man with his gaze as he sipped on his drink.
Ichiru came just in time to find Kaname about to leave, dressed in the same suit he came wearing the night before. The pureblood did not miss the anguished look on the longhaired silverette and the tired reddened eyes of his. He left as soon as the twin came in. Once he walked a good distance away from the building, he went into a dark alley to teleport back to Cross Academy.
With steady footsteps, he made his way to the working area where a noble scientist was staring blankly at the screen.
"Aido" the commanding tone snapped him out of his daze
"Yes!"
"How long have you been here?"
"Few hours." Brown eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the answer
"I assume you made some progress on those result you were checking before we left."
"Ah! uh…" the noble answered meekly, leading to an invisible vein to pop in the brunet temple.
"I expect a progress report on my desk in two hours then." The order jolted the blond
"What? I mean, there is still three days until the weekly progress report. Is there a reason Kaname-sama needs it so soon?"
"Is there a reason for me to justify my order? or is this a roundabout way to telling me that no progress was made?"
"No… It is not…"
"Do I need to repeat myself?" Kaname commanded with a cold stare that made the vampire feel like shrinking and hiding in one of his test tubes.
"Progress report in two hours, understood." He announced in a military fashion before sagging in his chair once the door closed behind the leaving pureblood.
"I think it is against me that the universe is conspiring." he felt like crying from all the anxiety racking his body and soul. He flipped his phone for the thousandth time already to check for incoming mail or call, finding none. He pressed the dial button, showing the number he tried to call for as many times before locking the phone yet again and throwing it on the table to resume the task thrown his way.
Kaname knew better than to take it out on Hanabusa, but he could not help it, especially in his confused state. He decided to go on with his daily routine and not dwell too much on his dark thoughts.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ BACK IN ZERO'S APARTEMENT
Ichiru kept standing in front of coffee table, facing Zero who was sitting on the couch staring back at his twin, observing the fidgeting of his carbon copy.
Ichiru covered his face with both hands and breathed out before wiping it. He fixed Zero with an accusing gaze, "How could you?"
Puzzled, Zero made a questioning gesture with his hand,
"How could you do that to me and go on as if nothing happened."
The translucent tears dripping from purple eyes alarmed the hunter, before he could stand and comfort his brother, Ichiru screamed. "Don't! Don't come closer… I just want to know why?"
"Ichiru! I don't understand what you are talking about… You just came in, clammed up for an eternity and now asking me about shit I dunno if I have even had anything to do with."
Ichiru gritted his teeth, his knuckle turning white from tightening his fist… "I thought you forgave my foolishness, that you were glad I did not die back then… I thought you left because you wanted a fresh start… Now that I think back on it… Maybe all that was an act… That you have always despised me for what I have done to you and our parents… That you did not push me away because you just needed me and saw that I can be of use for you… After all, the gentle big brother that used to take care of me when I fall sick and defend me when bullied is nowhere to be found anymore… Ne, Zero… Do you even care about me…"
Zero inhaled sharply, trying to calm down. It was obvious that Ichiru was upset about something he had done, but Zero could not recall anything that might put his twin in such a devastated state.
"Ich… I do care about you… Whatever or whoever tells you otherwise can go to hell… What made you consider such a thing as me using you? If anything, having you back in my life might have been the best thing that ever happened. What brought this on?"
"If I am that important to you… If what you are saying is true, why did you have to seduce him?"
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb now" Ichiru barked "Hana! who else?"
"What the fuck are talking about?" It was Zero's turn to snap
"I am talking about you sneaking into my boyfriend's bed and sleeping with him while I was posing as you for school. When we had to leave everything and fly to you side in order to make sure that you do not kill yourself because you got your sorry ass pregnant. That is what I am talking about. Was it so bad to see me happily in love, to see that someone actually gives a shit about me? Huh?"
"Wew Wew… Easy there…" Zero spoke slowly, making a calming gesture before raising a finger as a timeout sign for Ichiru to allow him a word, "First of all, I never fucked you boyfriend and never will… Secondly, I would never feel resentful for you happiness since I always wish for it… Where the heck did you get that impression from."
Ichiru stared at him, clearly still not believing him "Are you telling me that you did not seduce him?"
Zero clutched his bangs and faced down, Fuck you Aido!.
"Did you or did you not" Ichiru crossed his arms again, a foot impatiently tapping on the wooden floor.
"I did…" the doomed answer came as a whisper. He lifted his head at the choking sound from Ichiru crying while covering his mouth. He felt a stabbing to the chest at the sight of his trembling twin. "Did Aido tell you about it?" of course it is that idiot, who else would come to know about it if he does not let his big mouth loose.
Ichiru nodded, stifling a sob.
"Come on! I was not in my right mind then… You really should not think too much into it… It happened before the extinction of the fucking dinosaurs, I would have forgotten about it if you did not bring it up now."
"Why? I just want to know why did you even try it? Was it to get back at me…"
"No… God! No… It was definetley not because of that…"
"Then why?"
Zero looked away from his twin intense glare, feeling stupid thinking back on that incident.
"Zero~" Ichiru pleaded, he felt like he was about to crumble if his brother did not give him closure on this matter.
"I… Fuck it! If you really want to know, I was pissed."
"I knew it"
"No you did not… I was not pissed at you for fuck sake… I wanted Aido out of the picture… I could not accept it… The fact that you are dating a vampire… What made it worse was that I came to know about it upon finding him drinking from your throat… I simply had the fucked up idea to prove that he was only after your blood, that the prick he was could not be capable of love, let alone loving my twin… To drive my point home, I thought up the scenario of seducing him and have you witness us being intimate upon coming back, thus realizing that he was worth nothing… I WAS DOING IT ALL TO PROTECT YOU? That is how I convinced myself at least… You can guess that the plan backfired since you two are still together."
Ichiru blinked repeatedly before mumbling, "It means that he really pushed you away when you were unbuttoning his shirt."
Zero's eyebrows knotted as he focused on remembering, "More like he flipped me and caged me in ice, everything except my head was frozen."
"What?"
"Nothing… The point is, nothing happened and you don't need to worry about that loyal puppy of your ever cheating on you." Zero teased
Ichiru finally wiped his tears and chuckled at the metaphor. "Okay… but really, tell me what happened… You got me curious and I am sure Hana would rather cut off his tongue then speak about it." Ichiru chirped, joining Zero on the sofa.
The hunter nose crinkled, he sighed. He would rather not recollect but if it would make his twin feel better, he found no other choice. "As I said, he caged me in ice… left me there and went to wash his face, as if it was a morning routine like any other… He came back and stood beside the bed, looking down on me with contempt. Of course, we exchanged a few insult, bickering and a lot of yelling about how bad he is for you countered with how better your life will be with him in it. In the end, we got down to the core problem, blood drinking. After a lot of give and take, we made an agreement." Zero paused all of a sudden when remembering the content of the agreement.
"What was it?" Ichiru asked, now enjoying the story…
The answer came in an absentminded tone "That I would not lay hands on him or anyone in the family or circle of friends as long as Aido keeps his end of the deal by never hurting you, physically…"
"Oh~" Ichiru was surprised but it help him understand the reason behind the secrecy of his husband when he begged him not to let his twin know that he was drinking from him. He also understood the reason behind his abstinence back then. Ichiru was worried for nothing when he thought Aido did not like the taste of his blood.
"I hope he is keeping his end of the bargain?" Came the interrogative tone of the hunter.
"Ah… Yes…Off… Of course! He is not one to break a promise, hahaah" Ichiru laughed nervously, hoping that no trace of his blood remained that Zero could pick on.
Scrutinizing violet eyes assessed him carefully before the hunter flopped back on the couch, suddenly feeling drained.
"You should go take a shower." Ichiru stiffened at the words, looking at his brother nose crinkling as a sign of smelling something unpleasant.
"My poor sensitive nose have been suffering from his stench all over you… I guess you were too out of it from fighting right after sex…" Ichiru's face flamed beet red when it sunk in. He jumped to Zero's bathroom without wasting any second. Calling out from the door for a change of clothes.
Zero exited the couch in a slow manner; he popped few more pills on the way to his master bedroom, still feeling the strain of his earlier activities with Kaname.
He entered the bathroom with a set of clothes in hand that he put on a nearby rack. Glinting metal caught his attention; it was Ichiru's wedding band. He took the circular object and examined it. He bit his lips when the suspicions about Ichiru's reaction were confirmed, but he still needed a tangible proof. Without warning, he drew the shower curtain violently, revealing his naked brother. Ichiru yelped and looked at the face identical to his. Zero was calm and expressionless as he spoke "I forgot to ask something."
Ichiru groaned as he resumed scrubbing his body, "And you could not wait until I am done?"
"Kaito said that he got his ring charmed to camouflage his blood scent for when Takuma wanted to bite him." Zero did not miss the flinch and pause in his twins movement.
"When I asked about the reason to allow such a thing, he said it was the same reason for which my brother allows his hubby to bite him. Care to explain what that means?"
Ichiru muttered a string of profanity and curses at the hazel-eyed hunter, to the point that Kaito got a chill down his spine while grading papers on his desk.
"AAAh! That… hhhh… It is nothing really… The topic came up when talking about dating vampires, so I teased him about it and he took the bait. I could not take it back when I said it was tested and proved, and I could not tell him that you were the one using such an amulet for you know what. So I made it out to be for me."
Zero lifted the ring between his fingers, "Why does your ring have the same carvings of the spell then?"
Shit! Ichiru felt like a cornered mouse, "Uhm… I guess I liked the design. Hana has it on his band as well."
"So you are telling me that if I put this on you and scratch you, I would still be able to smell your blood?"
"What the hell, Zero!" Ichiru immediately went on the defensive "What are you getting at. Just because of a stupid agreement, you think I would accept things to break off with Hanabusa. Don't get over your head, Nii-san! You have no right to interfere in my life, not after all this time. I might have tolerated it long ago since you had my best interest in mind, but now. If you dare do anything to him, I will never forgive you. I much rather prefer dying than living without him-" Tears mixed with water as Ichiru stood frozen, remembering the fight he had with the blond vampire and all the horrible things he said to him. Fear started to take over as thought of Hanabusa actually leaving him haunted his mind."
As if reading his thoughts, Zero dropped the issue and spoke "Just finish showering. I put a change of clothes out for you. Once you are done, I will drive you to the station." appreciating the gentle push, Ichiru nodded and resumed.
Zero closed his bathroom door and leaned against him, despite everything, Zero still chose to believe his brother for now. Especially when he saw no scar of puncture wound anywhere on his flawless skin.
An hour later, Ichiru was waving at Zero in front the train station, he made it on time for the earliest departure to Cross-city. As soon as his twin got out of sight, Zero glanced at his rearview mirror. The red sedan was still visible. Amidst the chattering of his brother, Zero did not miss the car tailing his. He did not bother alarming Ichiru about it since he already had enough on his plate, so he drove as if not aware of his follower. Now that his brother is safe, judging from the fact that the driver was not following him into the station left Zero to conclude that it was a stalker for him.
On his way back, the hunter chose a different route, leading to a rarely used old highway. The red car was persistently following him to the point that made him wonder what kind of amateur was it. When no other car were spotted, Zero sped up suddenly, making the other speed up in process. As expected, the red car slid quickly chasing after his. In a swift practiced motion, he changed the lane and hit the brakes, coming side by side with the culprit. Zero did not waste the opportunity to nudge the vehicle, sending him twirling to the roadside before coming to a skidding stop. The disoriented male came out of the vehicle, visibly trying to wrap his mind around what just happened before turning to stone at the feel of a barrel against his temple. He glanced sideway while raising his hands up, the silver haired angry man stood by him, pointing an equally silver gun to his head.
"I am no one suspicious, I am unarmed; please… please don't kill me." The American English accent caught the hunter off guard, as much as the fact that the man following him was a human. He was expecting him to be a vampire or some rogue hunter that came along some time to claim his head. He even considered the possibility of a persistent one-night stand, although he did not have much action in that department thanks to a matchless pureblood. The least he was expecting was a harmless foreigner.
"Who are you? and Why are you following me?"
"My name is Thomas. I am a journalist…hiii" the guy squealed when the gun pushed against his temple "I am a freelance journalist, blogger, writer, paparazzi whatever suits your taste…"
"What are you doing here?"
"I am on vacation…"
"Bullshit"
"Okay I came on vacation but my motive was you… I would like to write an article and needed your interview, as the top amongst young entrepreneur…"
Zero finally retracted his gun, and put it back in place. He groaned at the memory of Allen saying something about an article requiring a picture of him in the business magazine.
"You should not swing something like that around Mr. Kiryuu, even if it was a toy." The man reprimanded, regretting his world when a cold stare came his way.
"If you are a stickler to the rules, you should know that I make no public appearance or private interviews. Kindly leave me alone." Zero answered calmly before turning to get in his car.
"Anna Stevens, 27 years old now. Few years back, she was one of the victims of the 'no-kill ripper'. Does it ring a bell, Mr. Kiryuu" He taunted. Since Zero had his back facing him, the man could not see the surprise gracing the features of the hunter.
"The name is not familiar, but the 'no-kill ripper' was the highlight of the news at some point back then. I lived in that area, so I was bound to come across it." Zero turned with a poker face.
"You see… Anna was my girlfriend at that time. After the assault, she almost turned mental. Although the police closed the case, she insisted that they caught the wrong culprit… She swore by whatever dear to her that what attacked her was a monster… a monster with red blazing eyes… Scary fangs and white hair. Crazy, isn't? It was as if she was describing a vampire."
"I guess she had quite the broad imagination. Did this monster wear a cloak and vanished in the form of bats." Zero asked sarcastically "Oh! and did she turn into a vampire like the myth dictates."
Thomas stared at him for a moment, "I will get straight to the point, Mr. Kiryuu. I was one of the detective working on the case. I was pulled out when my girlfriend was involved. But before that, your name came up in the suspect list. Of course, you were cleared after they interrogated you at the comfort of your home."
"So… What are you trying to say…" Zero started to feel irritated.
"How does it sound when I mention that all the description and portrait pointed to your direction… I did not give it much thoughts at that time, but… the fact that a special unit took over the case right after questioning you, then they arrested a culprit that had no previous record and willingly surrendered himself to the police… Does it not strike you as weird when that suspect mysteriously vanishes from prison leaving scattered clothes and dust."
"If you are going to waste my time about a case you failed to solve and that has nothing to do with me, I am afraid I will have no choice but to leave. Thomas." Zero answered flatly
"Can you answer a few questions before that."
Zero remained silent, knowing that this kind of man does not take no for an answer.
"How is it that most of the victim identified you as the culprit just from the picture I showed them recently, when they were affirmative about the suspect caught before?"
"I don't know… They did say that I share many common features with the suspect back then."
"I doubt that you had the same ear piercings. One of them picked up on that detail, which intrigued me."
"Thomas." Zero approached the man with a dominant stance
"Tom is fine"
"In case you are not aware, I can easily sue you for harassment, stalking and false baseless accusation. Your vacation here might turn permanent"
The threat was useless as it fired up the man even more. "Why is it that your twin had a change of image when he came to US, making himself to look exactly like you down to the intricate tattoo on your neck if not to provide an alibi? Why is it that your profiles as well as those around you are classified as confidential and not accessible only by a handful of investigator? Why do you look exactly like the picture on this article from six years ago? I thought you just used the same one for the recent article, so I had to confirm it by myself… The last thing, how can you deny being a supernatural creature when you reached my car in the blink of an eye, from that distance?"
The man had to catch his breath while Zero doubled over, laughing hard. He finally stood, facing the offended man he just made fun of by laughing. Glancing at the smoke coming out of the car's engine, he tapped on his shoulder in a comforting manner. "Tom… Did that girlfriend break up with you?"
Zero gouged the affirmative answer from the tensing muscle. "And you lost your job because you were persistent on opening up the case again?"
"Now how would you know that?"
"You just confirmed a wild guess." He smirked at the annoyed face.
"Let's recapitulate… You believe that I am the real suspect for this 'no-kill ripper case'… You fly all the way to Japan to confirm if I age or not… Just because you were drowsy and did not see me coming your way, you think that I materialized next to you when you got out of your car… You, my friend, are a genius. What would you have done if you were right? Standing here, cornering me with questions in an isolated area. If I were the monster you speak of, I would have ripped your throat and left you for the dead."
The man flinched and paled at the realization of his rash action. He turned to see that his car was done for and the fear became paralyzing.
"Relax! I happened to be on my way to get a drink and chill out. I would not mind the company if you need a ride." Zero pointed to his car. Sensing not malice whatsoever. The foreigner followed.
In K-bar, Zero acted like the perfect host by making sure the guest was comfortable in the table designated for him. One the man relaxed, Zero took the opportunity to pull Ryou into the staff room. "Zero?"
"I have a quick favor to ask… The man I came with knows a bit too much… He is digging too deep into my nature and he might get in serious trouble if he does not give it up… You know what to do, right?"
The bartender rubbed his chin, pondering before nodding slowly, "You owe me."
"You're the best…" Zero winked with a grin on his face. He went to invite the naturally curious human to a tour of the V.I.P room where Ryou did his magic and sent him his way.
Zero finally relaxed in his car seat. Fatigue catching up to him. He decided to get back for a much needed rest. The last thing that flashed through his mind was a bit of the conversation he had with Ichiru after he finished the shower.
*flashback* "Nii-san, I am not saying this just because I felt like it. Seriously, you have to look around and realize that there are a lot of good men around. I know of one who fancies you quite a lot."
"Yeah! yeah! Ok but no, thank you… I don't want a repeat of that time… I had my share of relationship drama… What makes even think that I would consider this guy."
"Maybe because you happened to have slept with him, and I see that you are on good terms as well… Which means that you don't dislike him."
"Who are you talking about"
"Come on, who else? Gin, you idiot… I had a good talk with him after you lashed out on him before… He did say that he likes you, but I had to probe more to see how serious he was… I was surprised when I found out that he knew about your little secret and then everything came clear. Just consider it, you don't have to give him any special treatment for now, you can act as if I never told you, but think about it." *end of flashback*
Zero buried his face in his pillow, groaning. "Ugh! Why am I surrounded by idiots and blabbermouths?"
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ Cross Academy, MoonDorms
In his room, Hanabusa was rolling the wedding band on his ring finger. Even if the wedding was just a formality to acknowledge them as mates in the vampire society, the ice-wielder never forgot the moment they made their vows, surrounded by family and friends. No matter how many centuries might pass by, he was sure to never forget the moment he got to shout it out loud, and announce to the whole world that Ichiru is the love of his life and no other can ever come close to how precious he was in his heart.
The text he received from Zero only served in increasing his anxiety. What is with "Way to go blabbermouth, I sent you a present, enjoy!"?
Knowing the sarcastic nature of the hunter, Aido could not figure out if whatever Zero was talking about was negative or positive. He glanced at the paper on top of the nightstand with sad eyes. A knock on the door startled him, and the smell of the man he loved made his throat tighten.
He opened the door to a meekly looking Ichiru who just stood there looking at him with hesitant eyes. "I.-" "May I-" they both spoke at the same time and stopped to let the other finish. Aido sighed before gesturing for Ichiru to speak first.
"May I come inside." Electric blue eyes widened for a second when he recognized the shy smile adorning his lover's lips. Due to their stubborn strikes, they tended to fight and clash a lot at the beginning of their journey. Therefore, Hanabusa noticed that whenever Ichiru was about to give in and admit when he was in the wrong, the silverette would have the same expression. The one Aido was witnessing right now. Without further ado, he spread his arms wide-open waiting for Ichiru who took small steps until he was pulled into the warm embrace, a small tear trickled down his cheek.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ Somewhere else
Ruby red lips parted slowly as the lollipop forced its way out of the small mouth.
"That would be all, lady"
after one last lick of the candy, she started twirling it vertically while pondering on the report. She looked at the messenger "You are sure that there was a memory tempering?"
"Yes, affirmative."
"Hmmm! Interesting."
"What will be the next move?"
The red lips curled up in amusement, "Let them run free for now… Something better than I expected might come up from this… Ah! and make sure to get rid of any annoying mosquitos"
"Understood." The messenger was promptly dismissed.
"Mother, what is so good about sitting around, waiting when you know what you need to do to get what you want?"
"All in good time, child. All in good times."
Reviews?
PS: Ryou is a vampire and he erased the memory of anything related to Zero from Thomas' head.