Hello lovely readers! It is always a pleasure for me to see so many of you enjoying the story and interacting with it.

I wanted to extend a special thank you to Irmina who made me realize that I uploaded the chapter without actually publishing it and I was wondering why there was no reviews, (silly me) :p hhhhhhh

The good thing about the mistake is that you will be having two chapters this time YAAAAAY, because I am actually editing the next one as you are reading this one.

Also, I would like to thank those who cared enough about the story to warn me about tags and warnings that I should put. I am fairly new to all this fanfiction and story writing, in case you thought otherwise, so your advices are highly appreciated.

Now about Gin, I think dear Senja suggested that I add the pairing in the tag for Gin/Zero just so that readers who have problems with oc pairing do not get surprised. I honestly have no idea how to put pairings in the tag part of this site. HECK! I was not able to fit in enough information in the summary and I did not know how to add more genres to give a clearer idea about the angst coming in this story when I published it at first. (I suddenly feel quite… stupid… *sigh*)

Anyways, for those worrying about Gin and Zero ending up together, that is not happening. For those cringing at their interaction, Zero is actually acting quite ooc because of the pregnancy and he needs someone neutral like Gin to lean on because he always suspect others to be judging him or second guessing his choices.

So, basically, the Gin/Zero relationship will not be the romantic and flying fluffy hearts you may be expecting, neither will it be as intimate as KanaZero moment. You will understand what I mean after reading what is coming next. I am still unsure about putting the pairing tag because I personally do not see them as actual couple in this story and think that it will be misleading to put it, but my opinions might be biased because I have the story completed in my head. I look forward to your constructive input about this matter because it will be very helpful. Thank you.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Continuation ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

Zero pulled the car in front of the station and looked at the man sitting in the passenger seat.

"Well! I guess I won't see you until next weekend."

Gin reached to the back seat and grabbed his duffel bag.

"I guess so." he sighed, "You are going to be okay, right?"

The hunter rolled his eyes at the worrywart, "You know damn right that I am going to be okay… Thanks to your persistence with the doctor, I now have a freezer full of your blood bags; it would be a miracle if you don't turn anemic by the end of this pregnancy."

Gin smirked, "Well… I would not sit there, folding my hands and not doing anything when he said that blood pills do not supplement the unborn child as much as regular blood. He did say that the best would be the father's blood but… You will have to bear with mine for the time being."

Zero quirked an eyebrow, "For the time being?"

Gin was about to open the door but let go of the handle, "Do not play innocent, Zero. It is obviously the best solution that you come clean about your pregnancy with your family, that way they can procure the needed blood. The doctor obviously told you that there was a blood bank, which would provide pregnant vampires with actual donated blood to ensure a smooth pregnancy. You went ahead and declined to fill the application form because you were using a fake ID. If you just-"

"That will not solve anything." Zero interrupted, glaring at Gin for bringing up the conversation again, "I will not fill the application even if I used my own ID. I will never give those blood suckers the pleasure of knowing that I got knocked up."

"Zero-" Gin was about to argue.

"NO! Look, you offered… scratch that… you forced me into drinking your blood for the sake of my baby… I admit that I feel the improvement of doing so, be it in my health or the health of my child. However, if you are regretting it, feel free to take back that request. The blood pills may not be nutritious but they will not kill it either."

"I do not mean it that way, Zero. You can have as much of my blood as you need; I have no problem with that… I just don't understand the extreme measures you want to take just so that you do not tell anyone. At least your brother can know and help you. What is with giving birth in U.S and living there so that no one knows that you are pregnant… That is just crazy… You want to cut yourself off from everyone and live by yourself. Why does your child have to be deprived of the joy of being loved by his uncle and grow up in a good environment like the children you are seeing around now? Give me one reason for which you do not want your pregnancy to be known?"

"BECAUSE A MALE VAMPIRE CANNOT BE IMPREGNATED BY A HUMAN, ONLY BY HIGHER RANKED VAMPIRES! THAT IS WHY!" Zero screamed, banging on the steering wheel and shocking Gin frozen.

"What?"

"Exactly as you heard," Zero huffed, covering his face, "That is the only reason I have been aborting until now, because it is just not possible. If I were to divulge that I got pregnant, I would be telling the world that I slept with a vampire even if that was not the case. The other solution would be to reveal my secret and tell them that I am a freak of nature who has both genders, which allows a human male to knock me up. I would rather fucking die than say any of that." He looked at Gin with a pained expression, "But I want to have this baby, I want to hold them in my arms and live for their sake."

The grey-eyed male ruffled the silver hair and rested his head on the headrest of the seat. He checked the time to make sure that he would not miss the train, relieved to find that he still had enough time.

"Sorry," Gin apologized, "I got ahead of myself without knowing half of that. I understand where you are coming from. However, I still think that it is reckless to do what you are planning on doing…" Gin paused for a moment before speaking again, with Zero observing him "Fine… Let us say that you keep your pregnancy a secret because you do not want them to think that you slept with a vampire, which would affect your pride and position as a hunter. I don't have anything to say about that, but the second part is not an excuse."

Zero sighed, knowing that Gin will not give up until he finished his argument, "How so?"

"Because there are people who already know about your special condition and that are capable of helping you through this even better than I can."

"Gin-"

"Ichiru has to know, Zero! Come on~ he will do anything for your sake and I cannot begin to imagine how supportive he would be if he knew that he had a nephew on the way. I am sorry if I sound frustrated, but it annoys me how limited I am with what I can do to help and more than that, I do not want to see you struggle with a new life, no matter how amazing the experience would be, by yourself. I am sure that nobody would care about how 'different' you are after you explain it. Heck, Cross-san would be ecstatic, Kaito would be as proud as an uncle can get, your sensei will be the same as well, if he really cares about you as much as you said. Let's not talk about Yuki-chan, she might throw a party on the spot-"

"NO! Just quit it… I will not tell anyone." she is the last person I need on my case.

"Fine, but think about what you will tell your child when they ask you about their family as they grow up."

Zero paused for a moment. Telling Ichiru is just out of question… If he knew that I did not go through with the abortion and tell Hanabusa… The loyal subordinate he is, he might just go and tell him- wait… What if-

Zero's head snapped suddenly, surprising Gin who was waiting for him to ponder, "w…What?" He stuttered.

"That plan of yours, about going overseas. How fast can you set it in motion?"

Gin mused for a moment, "Let's see… I did get around six offers from three American universities, a Canadian one, and the one in Australia where I started teaching in the first place."

"I have hard time believing that you are actually a Professor." Zero drawled.

Gin chuckled, "I get told that a lot. It does help to be a prodigy who skipped most of his education to hold a degree at fifteen years old." he bragged

Zero grunted in annoyance, "At fifteen, I was drowning in my suicidal thoughts while sleeping during most of my classes… Anyways… keep going."

"As I said, Since the Japanese educational authorities revoked my qualifications and I am not allowed to teach in any university or governmental institution, I was planning on moving overseas. That is before the mess with my sister started. I declined the offers back then, but they kept coming. Now that the house is settled, I was thinking of working few years and pay the loan off in addition of earning some saving before coming back here again. Cross Academy pays well, but not enough to keep up for the long term I am aiming for."

"I go it. When is the earliest you can move and where?" Zero urged.

"The earliest would be the starting of the next term by August; I would have to be there earlier to settle down of course. That would be in Australia because I do not need extra paperwork to go back to my home country." Gin explained, "Why are you asking? I told you that I had no problem going to US until you settled down and do not need my help anymore. You might have to go first and I will follow soon after that."

Zero shook his head, "No… I got a better idea… A plan that will allow me to tell Ichiru."

Gin mouth slackened before speaking as fast as possible, "How, tell me?"

"You are the father." Zero pointed a finger towards Gin.

"What? Zero… Your pregnancy brain is scaring me… We did not even have sex since the first time ages ago."

Zero rolled his eyes at the sarcasm… "Too funny… What I meant that I would tell Ichiru that you are the father… That I am pregnant with your child, you idiot!" the hunter poked the stunned man.

Gin frowned, "Why go to such lengths?"

Zero shrugged, "Ichiru is extremely fussy and would want to pinpoint the father just so that I do not have to raise the child alone. Knowing that you are the father will spare me the headache." And the suspicion that it might be the child I did not abort.

Gin went silent for a while. He was surprised but Zero's words confused him more because they did not make that much sense. Suddenly, the words written in the note came to mind. Especially if you are suspecting the father to be that person. Gin felt his heart sinking when he realized the meaning of the words that actually explained the reluctant attitude of the hunter. Kuran Kaname!

"So… You are saying that if I agree to play along with this pretend game, you will tell Ichiru and Hanabusa about your pregnancy?" Gin asked in a serious tone.

"Yes… And when I go overseas with you, they will not be suspicious because it is normal to be with the father of your child." Zero explained.

"Zero… Do you understand what that means?"

"Yeah…"

"That you will have to pretend being in a relationship with me, that the child will be registered under my name, that-"

"I know… On second thought, forget about it! It is a stupid idea. It is not fair to drag you into my mess like that and the last thing you need is the burden of a pregnant partner."

"Wait- no… I did not mean it like that… Zero, I do not want you to decide an important matter impulsively and come to regret it later… I also need time to think about it as well… It will not be easy to pretend to be the lover or whatever the status you give me when it is the person I have feelings for, who is involved… I am not sure if I can pull it off… So, here is what we are going to do… I am going back to my job, as a teacher now that the winter break is over, you will make sure to take the prenatal supplements, eat and drink the blood to keep the morning sickness at bay while assessing the pros and cons of the situation. I will be doing the same and we will make the final decision when I come over next weekend. Okay?"

Zero sighed and nodded, "Fine…"

Gin opened the door and got out of the vehicle, one last question nagged him, "Zero… What if your pregnancy was accidently revealed. What would you choose? Saying that you got impregnated by a vampire, or reveal that you are of the third gender and able to conceive with a human partner?"

Zero placed his chin on the steering wheel and thought about it for a brief moment, "I would rather go with the second. Being a freak of nature is a cheaper price to pay compared to losing my pride as a hunter."

Gin nodded and parted ways with the silverette, already considering the request that he was highly reluctant to go along to, especially with the suspicions that it raised.

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Kaname sipped on the tea with calm and gracious movements, perfectly hiding his frustration and impatience. He knew very well that nothing would come out of the discussion if he came on too strong with the devious person he was facing.

Rosa, on the other hand, was enjoying her time as she dipped her ginger cookie in the tea and munched on it as if it was a delicacy from heaven. Kaname had hard time believing that the childish behavior belonged to this, thousands of years old, woman. Then again, Rosa's existence itself is abnormal to begin with.

"Some DNA tests revealed that he and I share a connection from a far past. A person related to both of us, who is contributing to the unpleasant events happening lately. I believe that you said that you enjoyed watching from the sideline the last time I came to visit?"

Rosa stopped her humming and gave him a sly smile, making Kaname's eyebrow twitch as the action reminded him of another woman, "Heeeh! Science is reaching its peak once again, I see… But… Kana-chan… Isn't that a confidential piece of information you are revealing? Wouldn't it be bad if I was related to the incidents?" She asked curiously.

The innocent act did not go unnoticed by the pureblood, "Would anything good come from taking a roundabout way to approach it with you?" He quipped

Rosa chuckled softly, "That is quite true. So… What is your assumption on the matter? The one you probably did not divulge during the meeting."

Kaname sighed, "Rika blocking my memories makes my theories quite unstable."

"Shoot!" Rosa urged, pushing her teacup and cookies jar to show a serious stance for once.

"The first thought that came to mind was that it might be you…" Rosa looked into his eyes as he declared.

She did not flinch or show any sign of surprise or discomfort at the accusation, "What made you scratch that possibility?"

"You are not a pureblood and way older than the estimated age of the suspect. You also have no vampire genes in you."

"Are you sure about that?" Rosa asked sarcastically, tilting her head with a smirk.

The action made Kaname frown, "How about you remind me of what you are so that we can move on to what is more productive?" he finally hit the point of his visit. Remembering the true nature of Rosa would certainly help solving the puzzle of the suspect. Kaname had that kind of feeling.

Rosa sighed, "Something that should not have existed in the first place. However, my birth must hold a meaning and I must have a duty that needed to be accomplished. That is what you told me a long time ago. It was those words that helped me cope with this immortal life of mine."

Kaname rubbed his temple, "What are you, Rosa?"

"I am not a vampire." She answered, "I am not a pureblood turned human, and I am not a hunter either."

"So you are saying that you are merely a shapeshifter, an existence that was wiped out a long time ago?" Kaname stated, frustration starting to show in his voice.

Rosa startled at the mention, "You remembered?"

"What?" Kaname was confused for a moment.

Rosa leaned on the table with expectation shining in her eyes, "You said that I was a shapeshifter, that the existence of my kind was wiped out a long time ago… What else?"

Kaname frowned. He was not aware that he actually said that much and did not know where the information came from, concentrating a bit, he realized the bits that came back to him without noticing, "Shapeshifter… Apocalypse and extinction of supernatural species. Vampires rising to eradicate the remaining humans, the great War and the loss of my companion in the journey of saving the humans who were struggling to survive despite being weak and inferior to vampires."

Rosa slumped back in her seat, disappointed, "Ugh! This is so infuriating. Why does it have to be so slow?"

"We would not be having this hard time if you just told me what you know."

"I am not allowed, Kana-chan! No one is… It is part of-"

"Part of Rika's plan. I know but I have the right to know my own past." Kaname slammed a hand on the table, keeping himself in check as not to blow the whole building. The barrier vibrated in resonance with his menacing aura.

Rosa pressed her lips, "Nothing good will come out from you learning this early in the game."

"Game? GAME?! Rosa! People are dying as we speak, my family is in danger, our cause is threatened by someone who obviously knows me too well to the point of mimicking my strategies to a scary perfection as well as staying ahead of me at all times. This is no game, this is the very seed of a bloody war."

"I have nothing more to say. However, the one thing I assure you is that you will remember when the right time comes and you will be able to handle it just the way you should be. If you rush things too much, you might get too biased to see right from wrong. You are obviously on the right track to regain what you have lost and it will only be a matter of time."

A shifting inside the house alerted the pureblood and he stood up to head in direction of the door without looking back at the silverette who was sipping her tea casually.

It was when he reached the door that an electrifying sensation ran through his body and an unbearable pressure pressed in the back of his head making him clutch it while doubling over in pain.

Placing her teacup in its saucer with grace, Rosa spoke without looking at the brunet, "Your barrier would not oppose your access. However, you are not strong enough as you are now to be able to access that one without explicit permission."

Taking a couple of steps back, the pain and paralyzing feeling faded almost instantly. He gritted his teeth and looked at the back of the slender woman, "Why would you not allow me? Are you hiding more truth inside?" Kaname asked, eyeing the glass window that showed an empty living room.

"Did I say that I was the one who set up the barrier?" She stated in an innocent curiosity, while looking over her shoulder at the miffed pureblood.

"Rosa." Kaname seethed.

"Oh my! Scary Kana-chan is a sight to enjoy," She chuckled in amusement, "I can easily point you to the person casting that spell, but, as you are now, you have no chance of convincing him to take it down."

"Him? What do you mean by not having any chance?"

Rosa stood up and pranced cutely in her baby blue dress, reminding Kaname of Yuki when she puts her hands behind her back and tilt her head. In Rosa's case, the action was more intriguing than an act of cutesy… "I might have said something that put you on his bad side… Accidentally. That person can get quite temperamental when provoked. He also hates to lose the most."

"Am I supposed to know this man from my past." Kaname bit sarcastically, fed up with all the mystery figures surrounding him.

Rosa shook her head, "Naaah! He is far too young for you to know him or understand what he is capable of; He did not reach a couple of centuries yet, but his existence is quite intriguing, even for me. You might already have guessed it since I preferred to keep him as an ally."

"I wonder if he is just an ally." Rosa followed Kaname's gaze to the ring she was wearing. She gave him a small smile before going inside the house with the tray of empty cups in hands.

"Until our next meeting, Kana-chan!" Was the last of her words as she closed the door softly, leaving the pureblood standing outside.

Once the vampire was out of premises, Rosa slumped on a sofa. Her closed eyes fluttered open when the footsteps got closer.

"Was it wise to tell him about that person?"

She shrugged, "He is bound to know about him anyways. That man have been suppressing himself for far too long. I expect him to make his move soon, especially if he catches wind of what is going on. Therefore, his confrontation with Kana-chan is inevitable, but… Whether they face each other as enemies or allies will depend on those two only. I cannot do anything about it."

Nao raised an eyebrow, "You cannot do anything about it? Hard to believe."

Amethyst eyes stared into dark orbs of the prefect who was chilling around on the couch nearby. Her lips curled up "They are both unpredictable men. I would say that they are the hardest to figure out, yet the easiest to provoke." Her eyes twinkled in amusement.

Nao, however, tensed all of a sudden. "It seems that your guest is awake." He bit with venom obvious in his voice.

"Nao… Be respectful, please!" She reprimanded softly.

"Why should I? You would not have to go through all this agony if not for this person barging in on our lives as if they owned the place." The prefect complained as he stood to leave.

"I can't possibly throw them out either." Rosa stated flatly, making the shoulder of the black-haired teen slump.

"You could have just asked him to help, or give him a better warning than that misleading speech." He spoke, referring to Kaname. He did not miss the way that violet orbs lost their sparks.

"No… He is not ready to get involved yet."

"Neither is nii-san?" He retorted.

"He must not know about this." Rosa snapped in a commanding tone.

Nao groaned in frustration, "Don't look at me that way. It is not like I can approach him casually and say, 'hey nii-san, there is this annoying chick at home that you should kick out'. He is not one to take such action because someone asked, I am well aware of it."

"That is not the only reason." She added.

"I know!" Nao snapped more, "I know that he buried his old life and looking for a new start, I know…" Rosa pitied the teen as the painful expression tugged at her heartstrings… Nao wiped the tears that threatened to fall, "I know that we were bound to separate and go our own way one of these days. I know… but the way he did it is just too cruel, I can't forgive him for that."

She stood from her seat, picked a fruit knife as she approached her protégé. Slicing her wrist, she tugged his head so that he could have his fill before leaving. After taking a few gulps, Nao prickled his own finger and swiped his own blood over the wound, making it close up instantly. He wiped his bloodied mouth while staring at Rosa as she took on the shape of an old woman again.

He scoffed, "Going this far because they do not want to see your true form, what is so important about that guest."

Rosa gave him a wistful wrinkly smile, "Go on! It would be bad if they realize that you sneaked out of school to come here. Be more careful from now on, and make sure to keep your distance from Kaname and the others. I do not want you involved in what is about to unfold, under any circumstance."

Nao clenched his fist at the motherly tone that Rosa used, "Treating me like a kid again."

"You are but a kid after all, my precious child." Rosa cooed as she patted his cheek.

"I am not your child." Nao bit back as he grabbed a jacket and stormed out of the house.

She sighed as the guest came into the living room just in time with Nao slamming the door shut, "As ungrateful as ever." The suave feminine voice made her tense up for a second.

"I might not have given birth to them, but they are as precious as my own children would have been."

The guest let out a mocking laughter, "Oh please!"

"Anyways…" Rosa was feeling an impeding migraine every time she dealt with this person, "How long are you going to keep this up. They are starting to close up on your little groupies."

Calculating eyes bored into hers, "As long as it takes. The fun game is just starting, and I will not be satisfied until he is back to how he used to be and more. The wimp I am seeing now disgusts me to no end."

Rosa's wrinkles deepened with her frown, "He has been always like that since the day I knew him."

Another annoying laughter resonated before the woman in her living room spoke again with a seething aura as she casually checked her red painted nails, "Nah… That is not my Kaname. It is all the fault of that hateful woman, toying around with him until she made him forget his true purpose. Besides, I have yet to pinpoint the vessel and the carrier to make my move."

Oh my! This seems to be taking a turn to the worse!

Rosa pondered in her head. What should I do now?... Oh well! it is going as expected anyways. I just hope that Rika-ma did not mess up somewhere. I am sure she would smack my head if I said that to her face. However, things are so discordant, that I am not sure how to proceed anymore at this stage. I hope Kana-chan has a good plan in that smart head of his. I can only observe and see how things unfold for now.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

A week later, Gin sat in the train on his way to Zero's place. They kept exchanging texts and few calls during the week to discuss all possible scenarios for Zero to announce his pregnancy in the way that he was comfortable with.

To be honest, Gin was not entirely confident to pull off the plan that they agreed on. He had a wild feeling that Zero will come to regret his decision eventually. The possibility of the truth being revealed was not null. The hunter was taking those around him for fools if he thinks that the act will go unnoticed. However, if it will get him to open up to those who cared about him, Gin was more than willing to take the dive and assume the consequences to come after it.

Upon coming out of the station, he had a huge smile on his face, as he walked faster, "You did not have to pick me up."

"I was taking time off work and thought of going for a ride anyways." Zero shrugged as he took a bite of the rice cracker.

Gin was relieved to see the hunter in a better shape than he expected.

Seeing that the train reached later than scheduled, they skipped going back to the apartment and went directly to K-bar, where Ichiru was waiting along with Kaito for them to have a drink together after so long.

"I am still against you drinking." Gin spoke suddenly, startling Zero who almost made a wrong turn because of that.

"We talked about this. The doctor already said it was fine as long as it did not contain silver wine. It will be just for this one time, I promise." Zero reassured him and himself as well.

"Why don't we just spill everything at once and get done with it."

Zero groaned as he repeated the same thing over and over again, "Because… Ichiru would not buy it if I say that I started going out with you after you knocked me up. He will find it fishy because if it was the usual me, I would get an abortion in a heartbeat without bothering with what you have to say on the matter."

"Just like what you did with Marco's child." Gin pointed. Seeing the way Zero pressed his lips looking at the road made him smack his head internally, "Sorry… That was not nice of me to bring up."

"It is the truth after all." Zero whispered, "Anyways… I was planning to give us a chance before the pregnancy came into the equation. I really can't promise that a day would come where I return your feelings, but you have to know that I will be eternally gratefully for what you are willing to sacrifice for my child." Zero explained in a serious tone that managed to chase away some of Gin's anxiety.

"I do share some responsibility in the birth of this child, and I do not mind registering him under my name just so that you can protect him from those who might attack the weakness of not knowing his father. I do not mind partaking in raising him if you allow me, even if we are not 'together' at that point."

Zero smiled at the mumbling, "You are quite amazing, you know that? Any other person would die just to have a partner like you… I guess that I am too ratchet to know your value."

Gin scoffed, "Oh please! You are making me out to be a freaking angel. You are too careless, Zero! or should I say reckless? What would you do if I had a secret agenda by doing all of this?"

Zero pondered, "I would rather trust your words right now. I guess that I am being a bit less cautious than before because I am the one taking advantage of your kindness in this situation, in a very selfish way. However, if you were to backstab me one of these days, I would certainly make you regret the day you were born."

Gin laughed hard at the scary menace. I don't think that would be possible since I am regretting that day since I came to understand what was going on around me!

A wistful smile traced his lips as he looked at the reflection of his grey eyes in the side mirrors of the car.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ At K-bar ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

The four friends were having the time of their life joking and talking about the mundane, but funny things that happened in their life. None of them missed the chance of teasing Ichiru about getting married a second time and of course the incidents of walking on Kaito and Takuma were the highlights.

"Seriously, Dude! You have to keep it in your pants or the poor guy will end up with a stroke one of these days. How many people walked in on you pouncing him already?" Zero commented.

Kaito shrugged, "It is not like I am jumping him in public, I guess we just have bad luck with the timing."

Ichiru rolled his eyes as Zero did at the same time, "Oh, please! How do you expect it not to happen when you go at it in the chairman office, in a freaking living room, in a kitchen and a bloody classroom?" Ichiru counted on his fingers the occasions that Kaito said to have been caught red handed.

The hunter had to stifle a laugh, "Okay, first of all, most of those were about you guys walking on us merely flirting. The one who got the short end of the stick was Yuki-chan."

"I can't imagine how she must have felt walking on that." Gin paled at the thought.

"She was going from blue to green and back with a tied tongue and eyes bulging out when I found her." Ichiru explained, sending them in a fit of horrified faces followed by stifled laughter.

"I guess we should be careful as well when we are staying over there, until you finish your house." Zero casually spoke to gin who was feeding him the green olive of his martini, aware of Zero's new craving for savory stuff.

"Huh?" "What?" "Wait a moment, you two!"

All eyes were on the couple as Gin exclamation went unnoticed by the surprised Ichiru and the stunned Kaito.

"Nii-san?"

"What?" Zero acted oblivious to their reaction as Gin composed himself after finally getting the hint.

"What, what?" Kaito pointed his glass towards the hunter, "You just said something about you two having to be careful when making out around campus."

"So?" Zero tilted his head.

"Isn't that normal when you are dating?" Gin pointed smoothly before faking a surprised expression, "Wait, Zero! Do not tell me that this is the first time you are mentioning it?"

"WHAT!" Ichiru had his eyes bulge out and go from Zero to Gin and back to Zero, looking for any sign that it might be a prank.

"Oh! I guess I did not. My bad… Now you know." Zero informed flatly while sipping on his drink.

"Wait…. Just hold on a minute!" Ichiru stopped the whistling Kaito from welcoming his brother into the monogamous world, "Just when did this happen?"

"Why are you so surprised when you have been trying to hook us up for ages? Be happy." Zero complained.

"I am but… Just answer the question."

"It somehow started during your fight." Gin said meekly, while Ichiru's eyes widened again.

Looking at Zero again, "That was not a joke at that time?"

"Nope… I was making my decision at that point." Zero winked.

"Can I have a minute, alone with you?" Ichiru pointed to the staff room. Zero followed as he gave a victorious wink to Gin who was busy pushing Kaito off him as the hunter teased him about it. His heart heavy with the guilt of starting an upcoming snow pile of lies.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ In the staff room ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

"What is going on here?" Ichiru asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"What? I thought you would be happy with me finally settling down." Zero complained

"Are you? really?" Ichiru's voice was filled with doubt.

Zero gave the answer he rehearsed multiple times to perfection as he expected this to happen, "Yes, totally sure. I told you how I thought that he made a good boyfriend material. Besides, after that mess with Kuran and the fact that I almost lost you due to my irresponsibility, it hit me like a ton of brick… Gin was quite supportive and encouraging when I told him that I wanted to change for the better. I was the one asking him out as well…"

"Really?" Ichiru had both eyebrows raised in surprised when Zero nodded.

"I mean… If I was to quit my promiscuousness, you know that suppressing it will not do me any good and I would just end up falling back to the hold habits. Therefore, I thought that committing to a relationship might help me keep myself in check. Especially when it is with Gin. Unlike Marco, he is too good to me and I am sure that the thought of seeking the company of another man would leave me with a bad taste because I would be hurting a good man by doing so… I might not have romantic feelings towards him now, and I might not develop an affection as strong as the one he is showering me, but I am comfortable with him and optimistic about how this might work out in the future." Zero spoke with the emotions he is feeling thinking of the wellbeing of his child instead of thinking of Gin, making Ichiru feel the care and assertiveness of the hunter, even if it was about the wrong person.

Ichiru was hesitant but happy for his brother nonetheless. "Is this the reason you went for an abortion?"

Zero pursed his lips and nodded, trying his best not to flinch at the mention.

Ichiru sighed as he threw an arm around his brother's shoulder to guide him out while whispering, "What about him?"

"Kuran?" Zero spoke nonchalantly as Ichiru nodded, "He was just a good fuck."

The crude remark earned him a smack on the head "That was for being vulgar"

"You asked, I answered." Zero grunted

"Is that the only reason you kept seeing him, you sister's mate?" Ichiru asked in a reprimanding tone.

The hunter scratched his head as he walked ahead of his brother, "The chemistry was addicting and I did not know how to stop myself from wanting it. I guess it took a shitty treatment for me to get over it."

Ichiru observed his twin's back, not buying the words totally but believing Zero's weak will when faced with the right temptation, "So… You are saying that you would not go along anymore if he ever seduced you?"

The question made the hunter halt for a second before shaking his head, "Would anyone be pleased with a rapist going after them?"

"I guess not…" Ichiru trailed as he threw the hand back on Zero's shoulder, tugging him back towards the others.

"Let's celebrate a new chapter in your life, which will hopefully be better than what preceded it. I can't wait to tell Hana." Excitement was coming back to the younger twin's voice

Zero smirked and latched at the opportunity, "Please do! Oh! While you are at it, can you get him to make a bracelet for Gin or something to camouflage… you know…"

"What? You-"

Zero scratched the back of his head, trying to avoid Ichiru's gaze, "It kind of happened in the heat of the moment. I did not expect it, but I am keeping it under control. He wants me to do it whenever I feel the need, something about feeling closer whenever I did."

"You are sure you have it under control?" Ichiru inquired curiously, surprised that his brother was not feeling bad about drinking from Gin. Maybe he is already falling for him without being aware of it.

"I promise."

Ichiru gave an enthusiastic nod as they made their way out, "I will hand it over to him as soon as possible. Make sure to explain how it works, or should I do it?"

Zero shrugged, "Whatever. It is not as if it is that difficult to understand. He just have to hold it against his skin until wiping the blood off, not that hard to get."

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ A week later ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

Zero and Gin were sitting at the farthest opposite edges of the sofa, each moping in his corner after the spat they had around breakfast that day. Zero squeezed the pillow he was hugging as tight as possible. The hunter was losing his nerves as the days went by and the time to tell Ichiru about the pregnancy grew closer. He came to the compromise with Gin that they keep going to the doctor he had been consulting, so that Aido does not realize that the progress does not fit the story. They agreed to just ask for the blood bags to be smuggled, one way or the other.

Today, Zero woke up with the coldest feet ever. The reason for that is the fact that they had to go back to welcome Yagari sensei who was coming back that night, alive, cured and well. Zero was as ecstatic to see his mentor, as he was nervous about taking the chance to tell his brother.

Therefore, he made the mistake of telling Gin that he is not ready to tell them yet. The teacher finally blew his top that morning. What fueled Gin more is the last visit to the doctor, who warned them about the heartbeat of the baby being unstable along the visits. Gin was convinced that Zero was holding back from drinking as much as he want of his blood, and he was worried that the blood pills were affecting the baby and its growth.

Gin was having a migraine by the time Zero expressed his fear. He was starting to lose his patience around the unreasonable hunter. He could not pinpoint the real reason behind the hunter's fears, but he tried to push the annoyance on the pregnancy hormones and all the up and downs it may cause.

After taking a deep calming breath, Gin scooted closer to the hunter and ruffled his head, "Let's leave this matter until after we come back from the dinner, Okay?"

Zero looked at him hesitantly, "I will tell them, I really want to… I just need time… That's it."

"I know." Gin answered as he got up, he patted his pocket for a smoke but then remembered that he was trying to quit, "I am going for a walk, want to come along?"

"No. I am good."

As anxious as he was, Zero could not sit still after Gin left. He finished his work earlier than expected and did not want to leave immediately because he would have to spend more time with the others. His bad episodes of puking and feeling dizzy subsided shortly after he started taking Gin's blood, and he was certainly grateful for that. However, the nauseous feeling persisted along with having a parched throat, as if he was constantly thirsty and Gin seemed like a piece of steak moving around in front him.

He asked the doctor about it since he is an old vampire who seemed quite knowledgeable about the quirks of pregnancy. The answer was more disappointing when he figured out that the baby made him yearn for his father's blood. He downed another batch of blood pills since Gin was not around to watch him and prayed that he gets through the night without mauling anyone.

Gin took forever to come back, only to find that Zero emptied his cupboard and washing the already clean dishes. He sighed in exasperation at the obvious nervousness, and approached the hunter, "I will whip up something fast to eat before we leave."

"Okay…" Zero answered without looking away from the poor plate he was scrubbing at the sink.

The lunch passed in silence, and they both cleared the mess before each going to change and leave. It was after they came to the agreement of the pretend dating that Gin surprised Zero by cleaning the guest room and announcing that he would be using it whenever he came over. Gin had hard time fighting the need to take back his decision when facing the dejected look of the hunter. He knew that Zero craved skinship for some reason but he was not confident enough to be around the hunter without getting tempted again.

Once done changing and putting his clothes away, he went to check if the hunter was done as well. The sight that greeted him warmed his heart no matter how many times he stumbled upon it. He leaned on the doorframe and watched as a topless Zero stood in front of the mirror checking his profile and rubbing the barely noticeable bump in his tight abdomen.

Zero glanced at the reflection of Gin and smiled before looking at his stomach again, "Hard to believe that I am thirteen weeks already, time sure flies."

Gin chuckled as he closed in and took the chance to have his share of bonding, "And it is amazing how you are still not showing that much. My sister bulged almost immediately."

Zero hummed as he looked at his reflection again, "Maybe because of my height. Wait, you have been watching your sister this way as well, that's creepy."

Gin chuckled at the weird look Zero gave him, "As if I would do something like that, she was fond of wearing crop tops at the time and showing off her bump. That is until stretch marks started showing. In your case, whether it is the height or something else, I guess it works well with your plans. Oh! I forgot to ask, will this be an excruciatingly long pregnancy like Yuki's?" Gin asked, worry and trepidation obvious in his voice and expression.

Zero frowned, amusement obvious in his curled up lips, "Wait! You did not hear… Oh Yeah! You were getting me the prescription during that time. Nope… The doctor said that I will be having a regular nine months pregnancy like any other vampires apart from female purebloods."

Gin eyebrows raised in surprise, "Really?"

"Honest."

"Why is it the female pureblood only?" Gin inquired curiously.

Zero shrugged, "Who knows… As long as I don't have to go through that, I am more than grateful. Shall we leave?" He concluded after slipping his jumper and grabbed a jacket and a scarf. He hated anything that chocked him but it was freezing cold that day.

"How is it that you dress so little in this weather, just looking at you chills my bone?" Zero complained about the taller man who wore a plain T-shirt and slipped a jacket over it before picking the car keys.

Gin smirked, "I just have higher body temperature than others."

"Lucky bastard!" Zero grunted as he got into the elevator.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Later after they reached Cross's house ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

Zero found his amusement in Gin's rare awkwardness around his adoptive father, who for once tried to act all serious and fatherly when learning that they were dating, courtesy of Ichiru's blabbermouth.

There was some progress when Hanabusa actually greeted Zero, but the hunter knew that the golden-haired vampire was not comfortable enough yet to get back like old times. He needed his space as well because, if there were one person who could see through his act now, it would be the unnecessarily brilliant brother in law of his.

Things started going downhill for the hunter when the pureblood finally joined them. Kaname regretfully announced another delay in the flight due to bad weather's conditions, but that the one-eyed hunter will be back in Japan later that night. There was a mix of anxiety and relief about meeting Yagari soon, and internal prayers that the flight is not delayed for another week like what happened before this.

Zero immediately averted Kaname's gaze as it landed on him while he spoke to Cross who was standing next to the hunter. He quickly rushed to the kitchen, taking the chance that everyone were chatting in the living room in order to gulp a handful of blood tablets.

He could have sworn that his eyes were about to turn red as soon as the scent of the vampire hit his nose. Clutching his burning chest, Zero could hear his heart thrumming so loudly he could barely bear it. Clutching his belly in a loving way, he whispered, "Please… Just get me through this night and I promise that I will give you what you need and more… Please… baby… please…"

His shaky hands finally managed to bring the cup to his mouth in order for the red fake blood to stream down his parched throat. Minutes later, despite the need nagging at the back of his head, Zero could feel his sanity coming back.

He snapped to full awareness when a hand tapped on his shoulder. His daze lead to an exaggerated startle that freaked Kaito out. Gin, standing a distance away as he followed his friend into the kitchen, frowned at the reaction of the silverette and his eyes narrowed at the metallic pocket-sized box he recognized as the blood pills case.

"Dude! Are you in daze mode again?" Kaito exclaimed as he leaned next to Zero, catching his breath after dodging a mighty slug from his fellow hunter.

"Sorry! I was… not paying attention." Zero mumbled.

Kaito huffed and lit up a cigarette near the open window, shivering at the cold breeze that hit him.

"Why bother opening it if you are feeling that cold?" Zero complained, feeling the chill as well.

"Why you ask? The first thing that the old coot had to say when he came into his house was how it stank of tobacco. He made me go over every corner with that fucking neutralizing spray. I kind of get why Sensei got a room at the faculty dorms even if he spent most of his time with Cross. The guy has a hound nose."

Zero chuckled, "Tell me about it. He would pinpoint if I swung by the stable as soon as I passed through the door."

"See?" Kaito insisted.

"Are his senses that sharp?" Gin inquired curiosity obvious in his tone.

Zero smirked, for once talking proudly about the ex-hunter, "As sharp as a fucking bloodsucker. I guess that is one of the reason he was called a vampire without fangs."

"Oh Yeah! Zero did you know? That he was your father's mentor?" Kaito asked, as surprised to know the fact as the silver hunter who had his eyes bulging out.

"What? Seriously? I never knew!" Zero exclaimed.

"Yep… We accidentally heard today." Kaito teased

"How?"

"I was kind of complaining about getting rusty with no sparring partners available, he suggested to give it a shot. I was kind of hesitant to be honest. As expected ~ "

"He handed your ass back to you." Zero finished his thought.

"Without breaking a sweat…. Anyways, putting my lame self aside, Ichiru joined and wanted to give it a go."

"Oh man, why do I feel like I don't want to hear what is coming." Zero cringed.

"Actually you should… Your damn brother lasted longer than me by twenty seconds."

"Huh?" Zero looked at Kaito as if he had grown another head.

"Stop giving me that stupid look. I am serious. Ichiru has been improving and managed to hold his ground against Cross longer than I could. That is when the old man commented on his swordsmanship, saying that it reminded him of how his father used to fight when he started mentoring him."

Zero's mouth flapped like a fish, he did not know what should surprise him more, that his adoptive father mentored his biological father and was not just a simple friend, or that his brother is getting stronger despite having most of his hunter's powers stripped away from him.

"That is amazing!" Gin commented, "Does this mean that he going to hunter's missions?"

Kaito shook his head lazily, "That guy seems like he is about to get rashes whenever the hunters come up in a conversation. His aversion is too real to expect him working hand in hand with them anytime soon."

Zero nodded in agreement.

"Although he would make a better partner than you seeing how you have been lately." Kaito pointed in a sarcastic way, making Zero give him a deadly glare.

"What do you mean?" Gin asked, eyes narrowing at the silver hunter's reaction.

"Nothing, he is just being the usual jerk." Zero answered quickly, jabbing Kaito who was about to answer.

"Yeah, the usual jerk who had to get a hit to my shoulder because you did not see that damn E coming to rip your head off." Kaito grunted, rubbing the spot that Zero hit.

"Really…" Gin trailed, his eyes meeting violet one that averted his knowing gaze.

"He has been in a freaking daze lately, it is getting annoying." Kaito complained, "If being lovesick leads to this, you gotta lay off the honeymoon or he may not come back home one of these days." he teased as he crushed his cigarette, "Anyways, I am going to see if the flight arrival has been set. See ya."

The kitchen fell in heavy silence as Gin and Zero stared at each other.

Gin was about to say something when Zero suddenly sprinted out of the room, mumbling under his breath, "Don't start your preaching here because it is the last thing I need right now."

The exit of the hunter was in time with the pureblood who came in from the door joined to the living room. Gin assumed that Zero felt him coming when he hurried through the corridor leading to the sleeping quarter and the office area. He did not waste time to follow him, oblivious to the garnet orbs that followed him until his back disappeared.

Kaname reached the cupboard for a cup of water, the glinting metal of the case in the corner of his eyes diverted his attention. Picking it up, he rubbed it and took a whiff of the smell he recognize as Zero's. He frowned slightly when noticing how empty it was, knowing that the hunter always kept a full stash whenever he leaves the house. Did he consume all of it in the past few hours?

Putting it back where it originally was, Kaname poured the wine in a flute and made his way outside, looking for some fresh air after getting another blow when Takuma informed him that his beloved hunter started dating the hateful teacher. He unconsciously gritted his teeth each time he remembered it. More than having hard time dealing with his feeling and desires, Kaname was getting frustrated at the distance Zero was keeping from him. He could not blame him for it, but he could not help but be irritated, especially when the lurking enemy has something to do with the hunter and his agenda towards Zero was not a pleasant one so far. The last thing he needed was seeing him hurt without the chance of protecting him. Kaname's lips curled up slightly at the thought of an angry silverette complaining about how Kaname was treating him as a damsel in distress instead of the notorious hunter he was.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Cross's office quarter ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

Gin sighed when he opened the door to find Zero standing beside it, fist clenching by his sides. He closed the door and walked around the room, finally stopping in front of the big old desk and leaning his back against it. He crossed his arms and looked at the hunter who was looking away, again.

Minutes later, Gin let out an exasperated sigh as he took off his jacket and yanked off the shirt he was wearing, making himself topless. "You are thirsty." He stated flatly as the hunter's gaze traveled slowly over his torso until it reached his eyes.

"I am not." Zero answered stubbornly, ignoring the increasing heartbeat as he started imagining the blood pumping through the vein of Gin's neck, where he wanted to sink his fangs, never taking them out.

Gin ran a hand through his messy bangs, and then clutched the edges of the desk, "Your eyes are red."

Zero was surprised as he did not realize it, but it made sense since he was starting to actually see the blood flowing. Hugging himself in helpless attempt to get some self-control.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to hold back if you are too thirsty?" Gin reprimanded while beckoning the red eyed Zero to come closer.

"we are not at my place, I can't-" Zero stuttered

"Come on Zero, stop hurting yourself, come here and drink as much as you need… Here, see, Ichiru already gave me this and I activated it as instructed. It is all good now…" Gin reassured him as he took out what seemed like a silver necklace that Zero recognized being the camouflaging talisman.

Still reluctant, Zero looked away and tightened the grip over his own arm while whispering, "Can't we do it another way?"

"How?" Gin asked, confused.

"You know… Like the time you left me those blood bags. You can just draw the blood and I would drink it from the ba-"

"Denied." Gin interrupted flatly.

"Wha… Why? It must hurt when I bite and I … I" Zero felt like crying on the spot. Damn those freaking hormone making me look like some schoolgirl!

"Come here Zero, please! Look at me …" Gin begged softly as Zero took a couple of steps in his direction.

Zero got a little closer and looked up to Gin's soft loving eyes "Did I ever complain from your bite?"

"…no"

"I will let you on a secret. I absolutely enjoy it" Zero's eyes widened in shock and then scowled when Gin's eyes showed nothing but sincerity

"You really are a hardcore masochist, you know that?" snorted the silverette…

"Say whatever you like. For me, nothing compares to the cuteness of my little lover, even if he is pretending to be, when his breath tickle my neck, then that hot tongue licking the skin as if savoring it before those fangs sink deep and make my very core tremble knowing that I am becoming a part of you and our child. Oh! The best part is still about when you lick the pierced skin and kiss it as if to take the pain away. It makes me want you so bad I can barely hold back from mmmmphhh" a scarlet red Zero covered Gin's mouth with both hands while looking down; felling as if his heart would burst from embarrassment,

"Ok! I got it, so don't say anymore, I beg you" He mumbled. Geez! This guy knows no shame when it comes to corny stuff.

"So you will drink without a fuss?" Gin inquired with a wide smile. Zero nodded his head twice and took a step closer to Gin putting his hands on either forearms. Gin lifted those hands on his shoulders and pulled Zero by the waist to have him pressed against his body with the silver head nestled in the crook of his neck. "Go ahead"

As Gin narrated, Zero prepared the skin as his fangs elongated and then pierced it, moaning as he took few hot gulp of the sweet blood feeling the gentleness and love Gins always felt for him. Once done, he did lick and kiss the injury and peered at Gin with tinted cheeks and mouth smeared with his blood.

The blue haired man let out a growl of frustration that startled the hunter from his daze, "Damnit! How can you manage to be this sexy even with your fangs out and blood dripping from that mouth?" He breathed out the words before he leaned quickly to peck the dirty lips cradling the silver head to cut his escape.

Zero could feel Gin getting aroused against him, which made him relieved to know that what he said about his bite being pleasant could only be true. "still that only confirms he is a masochist, big time!".

The two were so lost in their own world to the point that they missed the door opening and the people rushing into the room until they heard a gasp "Oh God!"

Zero immediately broke the kiss and looked behind him to find Yuuki standing close covering her mouth with both hands, shocked. Behind her stood Kaname with an expressionless face, Kaien, Kaito, Takuma, and all guests present in the house.

"Zero, what is the meaning of this?" Kaien asked in an anxious voice,

"Moriya-san! Why did you not stop him with the taming bracelet I gave you?" shrieked Yuuki, knowing how much Zero gets disgusted with his lack of self-control after biting. As for Ichiru, he merely looked at the necklace sitting on the desk to understand what happened, making him give a deadly glare to the grey-eyed teacher who did not bother using the talisman.

Zero was about to speak when Gin pulled his head to his chest, hiding his face from the others and whispered in his ear "Forgive me…", the tall human tightened his hold on the shaken hunter by wrapping an arm around his waist and pressing on his head to keep him in place.

"Yuki-chan… Everyone… it is not what you are suspecting. Letting him drink my blood is a privilege I am currently enjoying as the father of our unborn child".

Zero froze in Gin's arms as a panic attack seized him upon hearing several gasps and 'what' and 'how' springing from behind. "No, please, no!"

"What kind of joke is this?" Kaito was the one who broke the wave of confusion, taking a step more inside the room, ready to lash out at his friend from college days.

"It is no joke, Takamiya kun." Gin answered calmly, while rubbing Zero's head as he felt the hunter tremble like a leaf in his embrace. This might be too much. He might seriously kill me once he recovers from the shock, but it has to be done or we will get nowhere.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Next chapter will be updated in 30 minutes XD ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

shout out and author note will be in the next chapter, enjoy!

For Gin's hater, I hope you can bear with him a little longer because he is needed for the development of the plot as well as KanaZero relationship.