Who Am I ?

by BlueSapphire24

It has been sometime since the war ended thanks to the sacrifice of Kaname. Will this the end of Zero's agony? No! With his worst nightmare coming back to life and deep secrets he tried so hard to keep hidden starting to get revealed, Zero finds himself in a very messed up situation. How could things go so wrong after one dinner? hermaphrodite MPREG implied-rape

52. Chapter 52

Hey guys! First, first, I wanted to inform you that I posted the first chapter of the new KaZe story 'Freedom' that I have been working on with Irmina. I am happy to see the response it got and would be happy if you checked it out as well if you were not aware.

Back to this story,

WARNING: This chapter is jam packed with new information about the Kiryuu lineage and mysteries shrouding them, especially the twin's parents.

Do not worry, there will be answers to previous questions and more mysteries will get answers in the next chapter as well. I will have to ask you to bear with the load of information. The OC here are irrelevant for future events of the story, that is why I did not wreck my head finding names for them. You only have to focus on what they have to say XD

Enjoy!

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ The next morning at Gin's house ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

The warmth of the morning sun brushed against his face, making his sleepy eyes flutter open lazily. On the nightstand facing him, the digital clock blinked the late hour of what seemed like a peaceful Sunday morning. Zero rolled on his back and glanced at the empty spot where he would usually leave Gin sleeping.

I must be truly exhausted if I woke up after him.

It took a while for his lazy brain to replay the events of the days before and remind himself that he would be having yet another busy day. With a frustrated groan, he headed to the bathroom. If there was one thing he loathed more than the pointless hours of looking for the unknown, it would be the increasing bathroom breaks he had been taking due to his internal organs being pressured beyond redemption. Zero cannot help but dread the time when his lazy baby decides to play soccer in there.

Minutes later, the hunter walked down the stairs and headed to the glass door opening into the backyard that Gin turned into a made sure to get a steamy mug of fresh coffee to chase away the grogginess before heading out.

He leaned on the doorframe and watched the taller man watering the rapidly growing plants, too absorbed with checking the leaves and flowers to notice the hunter's presence.

"You are doing a fine job with those." Zero announced his presence.

"Good morning sleepy head." Gin flashed a pearly smile at the sight of the hunter who was making himself comfortable at the garden table where he uncovered the sumptuous breakfast that Gin prepared.

"Don't get cheeky just because you woke up first." Zero quipped.

"I could not sleep much to be honest." Gin sighed.

"Why?" Zero asked as he made himself a sandwich.

"Just worried about leaving you alone and stuff…" The older man voiced his worries while washing and wiping his hands to join his partner.

"Don't worry mommy, I will not throw drinking parties and smash the house in your absence." Zero teased in a childish voice.

"Emphasize on the drinking part." Gin teased.

"Whatever!" Zero rolled his eyes.

"But seriously, I think I will have someone come take care of the house chores and the garden. You will be busy enough as it is, I don't want you exhausting yourself." Gin insisted.

"I don't think that is a good idea. You know I don't like having strangers rummaging through my stuff, even if professional."

"I know… I will be asking my sister, so you do not have to worry about a thing." Gin reassured him and was glad to receive a nod of approval.

"What about the garden. I remember you telling me how bad she used to be at taking care of pets and plants." Zero tilted his head, "And you know that I don't have the patience for it either."

"Nao-kun will take care of them."

Zero quirked an amused eyebrow, "Aren't you abusing your authorities as a teacher."

Gin almost choked on his bite of food, "No… *cough*… He actually volunteered. Did I forget to tell you that he is a member of the gardening club and that I am the supervisor?"

"Hmm…" Zero was nothing short of surprised, "The kid must be quite the overachiever. I don't remember having the energy to do anything but sleep after finishing the lectures and prefect duty. Where does he find the energy?"

Gin smiled, "He said that he was used to a much busier lifestyle to the point of feeling sluggish lately." Certainly, after living a few years following the fluctuating lifestyle he had, Nao developed an exceptional resilience. Not to mention his originally hyperactive nature as a child. He could still remember how difficult it was to get him to sleep once got over his trauma. Rosa seemed to have better luck thanks to her underhanded methods of sneaking some relaxing herbs into his food. Gin had to admit that he did not like the idea, but it beat the endless nights of insomnia.

Now that things are getting rocky, he noticed that Nao was getting more and more antsy again. He could not blame him, especially when Gin explicitly warned Rosa from contacting him and Nao from getting involved with them.

The ringing of Zero's cellphone snapped him out of his reverie. He stared at the hunter whose expression was changing from relief to worry to scowling until he finally hung up.

Gin waited for few moments before asking when Zero seemed to be in daze "Bad news?"

"Huh?" Zero looked at him, "No…No actually" he shook his head, "I would say good news instead… Ichijou is regaining consciousness."

Gin's eyebrows rose up, "That is wonderful! Didn't they tell you that it would take few more days?"

"Um… His wounds are not fully healed yet… but…" Zero mumbled.

"Zero? What's wrong?" Gin held the hunter's hand only to notice that he was trembling slightly.

"I have to go." Zero placed the cup and pushed the chair in a hurry to change and leave.

The guilty feeling he had ever since the noble was kidnapped did nothing but increase. Being asked to go visit him for questioning would not make it any easier. Frankly speaking, Zero wished that he did not have to see him in that state.

What annoyed him more was the fact that Isaya Shouto did not allow him to inform Kaito, because the hazel-eyed hunter would inevitably get in the way of the investigation when his lover shows any sign of discomfort.

He remained inside his Jeep at the underground parking of the hospital until his phone rang again, informing him that Takuma was expecting him.

His feet were heavy as they carried him inside the VIP hospital suite, his heart felt heavier when he met the pale complexion of the vampire as well as his hollow eyes. A flash of the torment he saw in them the previous night made him shut his own to chase away the memory.

Noticing the awkward posture, Takuma gave him a tired smile and raised his healthy hand to beckon him by his side. A nurse held a white board for him to write on because he was still unable to use his voice.

:: "how are you doing?"

Zero chuckled at the question.

"I should be the one asking you."

Takuma's lips quivered. Zero could see him trying his best to lighten the mood like his usual self, but his eyes told him otherwise. They were dim, so unlike the emerald orb sparkling with the joy of life he was used to deal with.

::"I am alive." he wrote the words and shrugged.

Zero gave him a thumb up, "You did a great job surviving such an ordeal. We are all glad to have you back."

Takuma expression relaxed more, he started writing some more.

::"How is everyone, Ichiru-kun, Aido-kun, Gin-san, Kaname, and…" He showed the board and glanced at the nurse subtly.

Zero got the hint and started iterating, "Well… we were there, all of us as the team that came to your rescue. A certain someone gave us quite the push when he would not budge from digging the soil with bare hands to screaming his lungs out about how you must be still alive even after we found no trace of your aura and scent at the cemetery. They were not informed that you were awake yet. I am sure that Shouto-san decided on telling us one at a time to make sure that we do not storm in here and give you a migraine." The hunter noticed the longing along with the glistening of tears in Takuma's eyes when he practically told him that it was his lover's persistence and devotion that made them believe that he still lived against all odds. "I am sure that each one of them will come rushing once they hear the wonderful news."

Takuma tried to swallow, but showed a painful expression as it bothered his healing wound. He opened his eyes again and moved his drying lips, forgetting for a moment that he could not make a sound. He gave the hunter a helpless look and asked for the board.

::"I guess you were sent first for questioning, instead of the other hunters or the police?"

Zero winced at the sharp mind of the noble, unclouded by the painkillers and the amount of drug pumping in his body.

"I wish it was not the case." Zero voiced his disapproval.

::"Don't be silly. I would be more comfortable talking to you than one of those… you know… insensitive guys."

Zero let out a breathy chuckle. He could see the reason as to why Shouto chose him for the task, the pureblood must have figured out that the investigation team would not be as considerate as him while keeping things professional.

"Should we get to it?" He asked for permission as he pulled his phone to get the email sent to him from the association, which contained pointers of the investigation.

The lack of response worried him, as Takuma had a somber look on his face.

"We can do it some other time, you know that? I personally think that it is too early-" Zero's words were interrupted by the door opening and an unexpected guest coming in.

He glanced over his shoulder to see Kaname dismissing the nurse and closing the door before greeting him with a small nod.

In a subtle movement, Zero got up from the side of the bed for the brunet to take his place. He did not bother asking about Kaname's timely visit since he figured that the pureblood would have gotten wind of the news about the investigation sooner or later. Honestly speaking, Zero was grateful for his perfect timing.

The hunter leaned against the door to make sure that no one was eavesdropping outside the heavily guarded suite all while observing the silent interaction between the lifelong friends.

"This might make you a bit uncomfortable." Kaname whispered and placed a palm over Takuma's bandaged throat, "It will not last long because of the poison still coursing through your blood, but it beats writing on a board." the pureblood explained as a faint glow showed at the point of contact. Takuma's breath hitched a bit before relaxing.

Zero did not understand what was going on, neither the reason for Takuma's grateful look until the noble cleared his throat and let out a croaky sound, "Thank you."

Amethyst eyes narrowed when the pureblood did not respond, but shifted and sat on the bed without facing his friend.

The childish action earned him a small smile from the injured vampire, who extended his healthy hand to place it above the one dipping into the mattress.

"Do I look that bad for you to make such expression?" Takuma whispered in raspy voice laced with humor despite the somber look he was witnessing on the pureblood's face.

"I am-"

"Don't." Takuma interrupted, "Don't apologize for something you had nothing to do with."

"But-"

"No buts." Th0e noble sighed, "Being too careless to the point of getting abducted that easily? That would be my fault to have lowered my guard in time of crisis. Besides, we don't even know the motive of the kidnapper yet." He had to lick his lips more than once to talk properly, and refused the offered water when pointing to the tube in his jugular.

"What…." Kaname started while squeezing Takuma's hand, "What happened?"

The noble paused for a moment, inhaling as sharply as his battered body allowed, "I am still not sure… Can't remember much."

Kaname could see the semblance of a lie in his friend's tone, but did not push it. There is a reason for Takuma to block whatever unpleasant thoughts he was trying to bring back. He remained silent, waiting for the noble to add whatever might be on the tip of his tongue.

"White." Takuma whispered.

"Hmm?" Kaname finally looked at his friend.

"I remember a white room… Too white…" Takuma frowned.

"Were you held there, restrained?" Kaname inquired.

Takuma shook his head slightly, "Nuhuh…."

"What do you mean?" it was Kaname's turn to frown along with Zero who inched closer to hear them properly.

Takuma looked at their intent gaze, the comforting vibe they conveyed encouraged him to go on despite the trepidation that started to creep up, "I was not restrained… but I could not move… I… I don't know… It's like I wanted to but did not want to at the same time. Something in the back of my head was telling me to sit still, just standing in the middle of the cubicle. The neon light was painful to my eyes, but… but… I … I could not close… was… could not blink…" He started to hyperventilate in time with the erratic beeping of the heart monitor, "Then… red… too much… red… cold… red…"

"Takuma… shhh…. stop!" Kaname held his shoulder as he crooned to calm him down, "you've done enough…"

"too much…" Takuma gasped… "I saw it… but… did not hurt…"

"Okay! Enough!" Kaname started to panic when Takuma's gaze seemed to travel too far out of their reach.

"scared…" His voice turned almost childish… "scared… Kai…" He whimpered as tears slid along his temple and soaked into the pillow. It was Zero's cue to call the nurse, who rushed with a hefty dose of sedatives.

"Kuran!" Zero barely had time to call after the pureblood who stormed out of the room. He tried to follow him but Kaname vanished at the turn of a deserted corridor, damn you and your vanishing.

Instead of leaving as well, Zero decided to linger some more in order to ensure that the blond vampire was doing better. It was a wise choice as he managed to exchange random but sane words with him before leaving on a good note.

He made a call to Shouto as soon as he left the hospital.

"I will send the report as soon as I get back home… No… I don't feel like joining your stuffy meeting today… What?... Yeah…" He kept the casual conversation despite the urge to wring the pureblood's neck, "One last thing… A deal is a deal… Kaito is to be appointed as his private guard around the clock while he is staying at the hospital." Zero grunted his approval after confirming that his condition will be fulfilled.

That was the only reason he held back from telling his friend that his lover was awake as soon as he heard the news. He agreed to conduct the investigation himself in exchange of appointing Kaito as Takuma's bodyguard for the duration of his medical stay.

Upon arriving back home, Zero immediately slumped in the couch, throwing his head back and covering his face with an arm.

"Rough time?" Gin sat by his side and tugged his head gently so that he could rest on his shoulder instead of craning his neck painfully. Zero sighed at the comforting gesture and nodded.

"If you call feeling useless that, then yeah."

"Ouch!" Gin let out a sympathetic sound, "Don't push yourself-"

"I am not." Zero grunted as he looked at the access card in his hand.

"What's that?" Gin was curious about the object that he did not see before.

"Nothing." Zero answered curtly, preventing any further prying.

He suddenly stood up and grabbed his car keys once again.

"Going out? Again?" Gin frowned at the anxiety oozing from the hunter.

"Yeah… uhm.. Need to check on Kaito… you know… see how he is faring and… tell him-" Zero stuttered as he checked for his wallet and other necessities.

"Say no more!" Gin raised a hand to interrupt him, "Go do your thing. Just call if you will be running late."

"I will." Zero nodded, feeling slightly guilty about leaving him after promising that he would lend a hand with the packing.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ In the Campus ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

Zero parked his car in front of Cross's house, but did not bother entering since he knew that the man was at the association. The notion of a Sunday off meant very little for any one with hunter blood flowing in their veins, especially at times like this.

With a brisk walk, he headed to the residence where the inner circle lived. He noticed the marble stone that was recently set up with the name of the building carved in it, 'New Moon Residence'

He did not use the main lobby, but headed to the underground parking instead after making sure that no one noticed him. Zero got inside the private elevator and swiped the card that Takuma gave him. The first led turned green and a voice required him to enter a code. He entered the letters and digits written on a scrap of paper and pressed the validation button. The elevator moved as soon as the second led turned green.

Zero leaned back and looked at the incrementing counter. He was not sure exactly why he complied with the request of the green-eyed vampire, nor does he have a clue about what to do or say once he reaches destination. All he knew was that he could not ignore the nagging feeling in his gut that told him to be there.

The elevator pinged, signaling his arrival before the door parted to give way to the mesmerizing sight of the extravagant living quarter of the king.

If he were in a better mood, Zero would have found himself gawking at the huge living room he landed in. He expected it to be spacious judging from the size of the whole building, but he never imagined it to be this humongous.

A door clicked open to his right, catching his attention to the pureblood who came from the direction of his office with what seemed like an opened bottle of scotch in his hand. Kaname's hair was all over the place and his shirt was half-open and hanging loosely over his hips. Upon acknowledging Zero's presence with a glance, he headed to the nearest couch and flopped on it, without a word.

"Ichijou gave me the key… and the code… he asked me to-" Zero started explaining the reason for the intrusive visit.

"Check on me and make sure that I am not drowning myself in self-loath and guilt. I don't think that is possible." Kaname finished his sentence with a dismissing gesture.

Zero blinked twice before crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes on the older vampire, "At least you're not drunk."

"Not yet." Kaname pointed a finger to the bottle that he had every intention of finishing.

Zero huffed and walked to his side. Sienna eyes followed his every move, but narrowed when he tried to snatch the bottle, "That's mine." Kaname complained while holding Zero's wrist.

"Well, you can drink all you want after I leave. Be considerate of the pregnant me who is forbidden to take even a fucking sip." Zero growled, stunning the pureblood. He made use of the confusion to snatch the liquor and put it on the coffee table. Kaname sat up straight when Zero made a gesture asking to make some space.

"Weren't you on your way out?" The pureblood asked skeptically.

"Nope." Zero slumped in the comfortable furniture and closed his eyes when a long sigh escaped his lips.

A moment of silence stretched, and Kaname started feeling a bit anxious about the situation. Never in his wildest dream did he imagine that Zero would voluntarily sit alone with him in a room and this close to boot.

"He is in a very bad shape, isn't he?" Zero mumbled.

Kaname snapped out of the confusion when the heavy guilt came crashing on him again, "It seems so."

"It makes me sick thinking about the kind of psychopath who could break a man as strong as Ichijou in a matter of hours." Zero added.

"…"

"It makes even more sick to think that it was because of us that he found himself in that situation in the first place." The hunter finally opened his eyes and stared at the wine orbs looking at him, exchanging more words through their gaze than their words.

They were both thinking the same thinking, feeling the same guilt, and unable to forgive themselves for the foolish actions that affected an innocent, a friend. Saying that Takuma was close to uncovering the suspect being the cause of his kidnapping was a convenient justification for those unaware of anything. For Kaname and Zero, it caused pain of an entirely different level.

One minute passed after another as they stared at each other without saying a word, basking in the comfort of the silence surrounding them.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Few hours later ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

Kaname could not stand the confines of his own home any longer, so he decided to go for a walk. He swung by Yuki's place to take his daughter with him as per their little routine. He came to enjoy taking Ai along the lake and lie on the grass with her snuggling his chest. Unfortunately, Yuki's aid informed him that she left for the hospital to visit Ichijou, taking their daughter with her.

The pureblood enjoyed the changing color of the sky as it welcomed a starry night. The campus felt eerily quiet since not many student stayed around on a Sunday. This allowed him to notice the scent coming from the stable easily. A curious smile adorned his lips as he changed his trajectory.

Despite controlling his aura and trying to be as discreet as possible, a couple of horses still sensed him. He could hear them shuffle and dig their heels before even reaching the place. He let out an exasperated sigh but did not falter in his steps.

He leaned on the wooden pillar at the entrance, his lips now curling up in a wider smile of pure adoration as he took in the pleasant sight in front of his eyes.

Zero was curled up in a fetus position on the makeshift bed of hay close to White Lily's stall. Unlike the other horses who were starting to drift off to sleep, the beautiful mare was wide-awake, munching at her food and snuggling Zero's belly every chance she gets.

Kaname barely held a chuckle when Zero groaned in his sleep and slapped her nozzle before resting a comforting hand on his bump. Did the baby kick? Kaname wondered.

Lazy eyes fluttered open slowly, Zero stretched his folded legs and scowled at the horse huffing on top of his head, "How long has it been since I took a nap with you? Did you have to be a bitch about it?"

The hunter startled when hearing the unrestrained laughter from the entrance of the stable. He turned around and blushed crimson when he saw Kaname, mortified at the thought that the pureblood witnessed him arguing with a horse and pout at her nonetheless.

"What are you doing here?" Zero stood, dusting his pants and trying to ward off the horse eager to have his head for dessert.

Kaname walked closer, wary of the onslaught of the mare, "I was taking a walk. I thought you went back home since you were not around when I woke up."

"I was," Zero answered while rubbing Lily's head, "But this troublemaker broke the fence and ambushed me, scaring the crap out of me. I had to fix the enclosure and bring her back to the stable." He complained.

Indeed, he had no reason to stay. He did not want to stay because of this very situation. However, the soft spot he has for the white horse overruled all his thoughts.

Kaname's expression turned more serious when he noticed that the hunter was avoiding his gaze. By now, he was by his side, surprisingly able to lean on the railing of Lily's stall without having her heel sending him flying away.

"Zero… about earlier…" He whispered, looking away from the hunter himself. They were side-by-side but facing opposite directions.

"Don't…" Zero interrupted curtly.

"I am sorry if I put you in a difficult position with-"

"Just don't." Zero insisted, "It's okay…"

Kaname relaxed at the reassuring tone, gathering the courage to look at his beloved's profile. He frowned a bit when he noticed that Zero was clutching the railing.

"We both needed it…" Zero whispered before pursing his lips, "You don't need to think too much into it."

Kaname inhaled sharply before crossing his arms, as if hugging himself from the pain that sliced through him at yet another subtle rejection.

Zero could not bother checking for his reaction because he was having enough trouble controlling his heart from beating erratically. He knew that it would be an awkward aftermath. He wanted to avoid it. For a moment back there, it felt like they had a rewind of the time they spent together, but not just any random moments.

It was about the moments when they did not indulge in each other's physically, those moments that confused the hunter the most. Moments where he felt troubled, about to break down, but found solace in the brunet's presence who knew exactly what to do and say to get him out of the darkness. Moments where Zero felt like it was okay to break down and be vulnerable around Kaname, trusting him to pick up the pieces and make him feel sane again.

The only difference this time was that the roles were reversed. One minute they were staring at each other in complete silence, the next minute they were arguing like they had been doing lately, Zero storming out, or at least he tried to. That is before Kaname grabs his hand and finally break down completely like a child who lost his way, his only refuge, and his sanctuary.

The hunter cursed his hormones and motherly instinct that made him treat the obviously older man tenderly, going as far as tuck him to bed and allow him to use his own lap as a pillow until he calmed down and fell into deep slumber. It was the first and only time that Zero witnessed a defenseless and vulnerable Kaname.

He could still remember the texture of those brown lock as he combed through them with his fingers in a soothing motion. The supple and soft skin as he traced the sleeping face, and caressed it until the deep frown between thin brown eyebrows finally eased up. Unbelievable as it may sound; Zero would not have minded keeping him company until he woke up.

However, when Kaname finally felt the strain of the awkward position and moved in his sleep, Zero heard him whispering his name and it felt like an ice cold bucket poured on him. He remembered his last conversation with Takuma before his kidnapping and felt like trash for his misleading actions.

As if singed by fire, he bolted out of the penthouse and headed towards his car to leave, only to be intercepted by a pissed off mare who claimed his attention more fiercely than the pureblood.

"I am well aware that you acted out of kindness, Zero." Kaname sighed, "I will not take it the wrong way, don't worry." He lied, Kaname lied through his teeth for the sake of easing the hunter's mind. He did figure out that Zero's kind heart was what urged the hunter to comfort him in his distress, but he still wished for there to be another reason behind it.

"I have to go." Zero moved suddenly and walked to the exit without looking back.

"Wait." Kaname grabbed his arm and pulled him back gently. The stubborn hunter did not turn and remained with his back facing the pureblood.

Zero flinched when he felt fingertips brushing against the nape of his neck, "You have hay sticking to your hair."

"Oh!" Zero relaxed bit, allowing Kaname to pluck them away. However, he tensed again when he realized that Kaname was taking his sweet time. The hand holding his arm felt like it was getting warmer as it travelled down to his wrist and finally to his hand.

"Kuran…" he winced at the raspy voice when he could not catch his breath in time to talk, startled by the warmth from the body getting dangerously close to his back.

"Shhh…" Kaname whispered as he immersed himself in the sensation of the fine silver hair sliding between his fingers. He was almost drunk from the sensation, the unique smell of the petulant vampire that he loved, the perfect fit of the hand that he interlaced with his. Encouraged by the stillness of the hunter, he leaned in with half lidded eyes glazed with desire to place his parted lips over the pale nape of Zero's neck.

The kiss was brief but it sent waves of shivers through both of them, Zero trembled slightly and his eyes fluttered close when Kaname started nuzzling his hair. The warmth of his breath against his sensitive neck did little to help his slipping control.

"Thank you…" Kaname whispered before placing more butterfly kisses over the nape and towards the tattooed side of Zero's neck, "For being here… for me…" His other hand grasped the hunter's hand, mirroring the firm grip of the other before guiding both of them upward to finally cage the hunter in his embrace. His fogged mind sang a happy symphony when it registered the quickening breath of the hunter who leaned back against his chest and craned his neck for more space to kiss.

The natural tease that he was, Kaname merely contended himself by whispering against the flushed earlobe, repeating the words of gratefulness like a mantra. He wanted this moment to last forever, but he knew that the hunter would come to his senses sooner than later. He did not think about the regret or fury he would see in violet eyes, nor the blame he will hear from those soft lips he craved to touch, so he merely basked in the joy of the moment.

"I love you…" Kaname whispered the last words with shaky voice, knowing that they will mark the end of the magical moment.

True enough, Zero did tense a bit, and Kaname immediately loosened his hold to allow his escape while nipping few last pecks. However, what unfolded was unexpected. The lack of contact led to a frustrated groan, and a hunter spinning around to grab his face and pull him into a searing kiss. It started off aggressive but soon turned slow and passionate.

It did not take more than a second for Kaname to reciprocate, parting his lips to allow the bold silverette who asked to explore the confines of his mouth, coax his tongue to dance with his while his hand gripped his brown hair as if worried he might pull away. How absurd!

Instead, Kaname followed his lead, tilting his head to deepen the touch he so missed, lacing his own finger into fine silver strand as their body inched closer and closer. Moans and grunts escaped them both as they struggled to extend the touch.

Finally out of breath, their lips parted way, but not their hands, their faces, nor their bodies. Their ragged breath mingled together, noses flaring as they inhaled sharply the sweet ambrosial scent of one another.

With eyes half open, their foreheads bumped, noses rubbing against each other while fingers escaped their confines to interlock with each other against Kaname's heaving chest.

Their parted lips brushed against each other once more, Zero pushed his weight on the brunet making him lean further against the railing behind him. Kaname welcomed the weight as well as the way Zero's lips touched his, glided against them and tasted him repeatedly from different angle as if hypnotized, Kaname did not push him away or urge him further until Zero looked down and worried his lower lip. That was Kaname's cue for the hunter to be regaining his composure, sadly.

"This…" he whispered.

"bad…" Kaname finished his sentence. He could hear the hunter swallow but did not want to part their forehead and break the intimate hold they were having.

"… not good is what I had in mind…" Zero corrected with a soft laughter filled with disbelief. He did not understand what came over him suddenly. He had every intention of clobbering the sexually harassing pureblood, but ended up jumping him instead. Talk about impulsive!

"… I guess…" Kaname whispered, "I am sorry…"

"For what?" Zero frowned and tried to distance himself but Kaname squeezed the hands over his chest, spreading Zero's palm to feel his erratically beating hear. He kissed the top of the silver head, his expression chagrined because Zero refused to look up.

"…It's my bad… I should not have done that…" Kaname finally uttered the words despite not really meaning them, but he did not mind as long as they prevented the guilt from overwhelming the hunter.

"Damn right…" Zero breathed out, he found it easier to put the blame on the willing pureblood, as he was still confused from his own actions.

"It is getting late." Kaname commented as the sky turned pitch dark.

"Uhm…" Zero nodded, but still not showing any sign of leaving. Instead, he kept snuggling up to the pureblood, an endearing action that did nothing but add to the brunet's misery at the thought of pushing him away.

"You had plans right?" Kaname reminded him. He did not want him to leave, he wanted the moment to last forever, as confusing as it was, but he knew nothing good would come out from giving into the temptation.

"uhm…" The hunter nodded again while trying to brush against the sinful lips as if he was in a trance, vaguely remembering telling Kaname that he was supposed to help Gin pack instead of dealing with the neurotic brunet when they were snapping at each other back in the penthouse. Unfortunately, the urging need to taste those lips and stick closer to the pleasant warmth overrode all other thoughts.

"He is probably worried about you… you two…" his own words cut through him like a knife. He rubbed Zero's hands, trying to commemorate every detail about this moment while restraining himself from ravishing the delicacy tempting him.

"Not really… he is not that fussy." Zero commented humorously.

"Lucky him."

"What?" Zero finally looked up to see the sad look on Kaname's face.

"He figured out the best way to win you over… The very point that I missed. Setting you free and have the confidence that you will go back to him no matter what." The side smile somehow irritated the hunter, but the pleading brown eyes clearly wanted him to deny the thought.

'The only favor I am asking of you, would be that you shatter whatever hope he is holding about you two getting back together.'

Zero took a shaky breath, fighting harder to regain his composure as he pushed against Kaname's chest, putting enough distance between them to look him in the eye, "Indeed, he knows how to handle me the best. I have come to depend on him a lot without even meaning to or him forcing me into it. We are blessed indeed." He placed one hand over his belly as he took more steps backward, a lump forming in his throat.

"I have to go." Zero quickly turned away from the pained expression he caused the pureblood to wear, "I do have some packing to help with."

"Goodnight, Zero." Kaname whispered with a sad tone, not sure, if the hunter even heard him in his hasty exit.

*Smack*

Red brown eyes widened while a hand rose to nurse the sore spot where the white horse head-butted him square in the back of his scalp with enough strength to send the unsuspecting pureblood tumbling away. She neighed loudly while getting on her rear feet to show her irritation. As if the evil glint in her eyes was not enough.

Kaname was stunned at first before giving her a defeated smile, "I guess that I botched it up pretty badly, huh…"

As if going in a suicidal mode, he inched closer to the incensed horse and extended a careful hand. He was surprised to see Lily calming down as his hand drew closer. He was waiting for her to bite it off anytime soon, but his breath hitched when she stilled and allowed him to pet her head, going as far as nuzzling his head lovingly, as if to soothe his broken heart.

"Thank you." He uttered in awe before leaving the stable and heading back to his place. He winced when the screech of the tire from Zero's car pierced his eardrums.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ in Gin's house ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

Zero burst in as if an army was chasing him. Still catching the breath that he did not know he was holding until he finally reached the house. He cursed when he found himself face to face with a stunned Gin who startled at his grand entrance.

"Err… Welcome home…. I guess? " Gin got over the shock and gave the hunter a scrutinizing look.

"Yeah…" Zero inhaled, "I am back. Did you start packing… Sorry I am late." He rambled while putting down his keys and removing his shoes to put more comfortable slippers.

"I am done actually…" Gin announced, "Zero… are you all right?" he cupped the hunter's cheek, frowning when Zero averted his gaze.

"I am fine… Sorry… I lost track of time." Zero removed his hand. Guilt rising when he remembered Kaname's touch instead.

"Did you meet Takamiya-kun?" Gin inquired.

"Uhm… I was with him just now… he left to see Ichijou…" lies, lies and more lies… The voice of frustration screamed aloud inside Zero's head.

"Really? That is good then… Dinner is ready, I was waiting for you to eat together since we won't have time for breakfast tomorrow." Gin guided him to the kitchen, "I called you twice earlier but could not reach you."

"Hmm?" Zero was surprised because his phone was at the loudest setting. He pulled the device and groaned, "Damn! Sorry! I did not notice that the battery died on me." He immediately put in the charger and startled when a string of messages came in as soon as he opened it.

"Are you sure you called only twice." Zero quipped while reading the message.

"Yep… I did not think that the battery died but that you might have switched off as not to get disturbed." Gin answered in a monotone voice while setting the table.

"Just like you…" Zero complimented while placing an apologetic kiss on the cheek of the taller man, "But I usually tell you if I am going to do such a thing."

Gin shrugged nonchalantly, brushing the matter in favor of their grumbling stomachs.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ The next day, early morning ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

Zero and Gin did not expect for the last minute check on everything to last most of the night. They were grateful for Kaito who came by to drive them to the airport.

"What happened yesterday? No one could get a hold on you?" Kaito complained while taking a suitcase from Zero to put it in the trunk.

"Phone battery bailed on me." Zero explained.

"Even he was worried about you." Kaito made a head gesture towards Gin who went back inside to collect more luggage.

The statement confused Zero, "What do you mean?"

"He did not tell you?" Kaito asked instead of answering.

"Tell me what?" Zero inquired impatiently.

"Ichiru and I came by last night to see if you wanted to hang out. I did not feel like going back to the campus, hell I have not been there since the day before yesterday and I needed company for a drink. Of course you would have gotten nothing but non-alcoholic coctails…" Kaito rambled.

"Wooow… stop right there… say that again?" Zero halted him.

"I wanted company for-"

"No before?"

"The heck?" Kaito disliked the rewind thing the most and Zero knew it.

The silver hunter rolled his eyes and asked, "You said you came here with Ichiru?"

"Yeah… Late evening after I went to the hospital." Kaito elaborated, "He did not tell you…"

"Tell him what?" Gin jolted them both since they did not hear him coming.

Kaito opened his mouth to talk but Zero beat him to it, "Nothing… Shall we go?"

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ At the airport ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

Everything went smoothly and the time to send him off finally arrived. Zero had to will away the blush because of Gin's brazen attitude and public display of affection when he shamelessly kissed him and bent to kiss his belly before caging him in a bear hug.

"I missing you already… Damn!" Gin whined.

Tapping on his shoulder, "Don't stay too long then… We might starve to death otherwise…"

Gin freed him and gave Zero the saddest puppy eyes, "Am I only wanted for my cooking skill…"

"Do you have any better talent?" Zero gave him a teasing tongue out.

"None that I can display in public." Gin teased back while grabbing the hunter's hips.

"Pervert!" Zero blushed crimson at the implication and smacked Gin's chest harder than intending, sending him in a coughing fit.

"Careful of what you say dude!" Kaito warned while giving him a brotherly hug, "I am going to get the car, don't make me wait too long" he turned to talk to Zero while jingling the car keys.

Once Kaito was out of ear reach, Zero gave Gin his deepest scowl.

"What?" Gin was confused.

"You know what?" Zero.

"Don't be such a prude; it was a hug and a tiny peck." Gin coaxed.

"Not that!" Zero all but shrieked, "but that is still unacceptable. Anyways, what is with the act yesterday?"

Gin blinked twice, completely lost.

"You asked if I met with Kaito knowing full well that I did not." Zero finally explained, mortified to no end at being caught lying so blatantly and have Gin ignore it like it was nothing. He was not sure what pissed him off more.

"Oh…"

Gin's response irritated him more.

"Oh? Why did you pretend like you believed such crappy lie?" Zero seethed.

"Did you want me not to?" Gin tilted his head.

The hunter was taken aback with how casually Gin was handling him.

"Or did you want me to go into suspicious husband mode and strap you down for a lengthy interrogation."

Zero could see the older man turning serious in tone and expression.

He suddenly felt small under the scrutinizing gaze, "No… that is not what I mean." He looked away.

Gin's lips curled up slightly as he leaned to whisper near the unsuspecting ear, "Did you want me to doubt you and act all possessive and jealous."

"Wha-.." Zero's mouth gaped like a fish, lost for a witty comeback.

"Well… I did worry," Gin's shoulder slumped at the memory, "Heck! Thinking that you were with Takamiya-kun, then having him come look for you was awkward enough. Calling your phone and finding it switched off sent me in a pure fit of panic after they left. I tried to play it cool and waited some more before calling again…" His hands flailed, "and guess what… I found it switched off yet again…."

"So you were pissed…" Zero mumbled in a mix of sulking and apologetic tone.

"I was." The hunter winced at the firm statement, "I was pissed and so worried that I was about to call 911 and file a missing person report."

Zero's eyes bulged out with disbelief because Gin was obviously not joking, at all.

The older man finally smiled, "But you came back, and everything felt better the moment I saw that you were just fine."

Zero suddenly felt like the worst scum on earth.

"Aren't you going to ask?" He whispered.

"Will you tell me?" Gin asked back.

"…"

The grey-eyed man sighed and put his duffel bag down after checking that he still had enough time before boarding, He flicked the forehead of the sulking hunter to get his attention and placed both hands on his own hips, "look… If I wanted to keep track of you and suffocate you in your every move, I am plenty capable of doing that. However, would you appreciate me doing such a thing?"

Zero shook his head.

"Would you like it if I did squeeze out the information about what happened yesterday when you obviously went as far as lying to me so that I do not inquire?"

"…"

"Look, Zero. You are independent, I am aware of that. You are not a kid, or a freaking lady that needs some kind of escort or protection. As your partner, I find it easier to trust that you will take care of yourself when you leave the house instead of making myself sick with worry. What you do and where you go are none of my business as long as you do not get hurt. Only in those circumstances you will see the devil in person dealing with you if you ever act recklessly like two days ago." He pinched his cheek.

"You're too good to be true, you know that?" Zero finally gave him a heartfelt smile before picking the duffel bag and handing it over to the traveler, "Don't stay too long, we will miss you…"

He waved for as long as Gin was looking until he finally entered the gate.

Zero hurried to the car before Kaito blows his head off for being late. He cranked up the AC to the maximum inside the vehicle and aired his sticky shirt.

"I swear, I am going to melt before the rainy season even starts…" Zero growled at no one, "This summer is going to be a bitch."

"Tell me about it!" Kaito complained, "but I might freeze to death before it even starts" he shivered at the cold air blasting.

"Deal with it, I am burning up here!" Zero snapped.

Kaito huffed at the foul mood, "Remind me to be nowhere around during your next pregnancy."

"As if- wait. What are you doing here?" Zero suddenly had a stunned look on his face.

"Did you turn fucking amnesiac, I came to drive-"

"No… Not that… I mean why are you not at the hospital. Why did you even leave yesterday evening when you could have stayed the whole night?" Zero was too absorbed in his own dilemma to notice that something was amiss with the whole picture.

"Why you ask? Because he is not in the hospital anymore, ever since last night. Wait… Didn't Gin tell you?" Kaito raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What the fuck! How did that happen," Zero shrieked.

"His family happened." Kaito stated flatly, squeezing the steering wheel until his knuckle turned white.

"You are kidding right?" Zero was baffled, "They are on the top of the list we put together for the prime suspects behind his abduction. You are telling me that you allowed those scumbags to take him away from your fucking sight!? What were you thinking?" Zero yelled on top of his lungs.

"Stop screaming already!" Kaito yelled just as loud, certain that others could hear them outside the vehicle judging from the weird glances they were getting.

They both took deep breaths before Kaito talked first, "They were exonerated."

"How?"

"Perfect alibies and no apparent motive."

"No motives my ass." Zero scoffed.

"That is how it is going to be. No other way around it." Kaito sighed.

"Did you at least talk to him?" Zero asked with worry laced in his voice at the somber look haunting his friend.

"That old coot of an uncle was breathing down our necks the whole duration of our visit, you figure the rest." Kaito shrugged as he drove away.

"Remind me why did I not lodge a bullet between his eyes?" Zero groaned.

"Because… the pleasure would be addicting." Kaito snorted jokingly.

Halfway back to the Gin's house, Zero received a call from Yagari commanding him to come to Cross campus, immediately. The two hunter exchanged a confused look before they steadied their hearts for another possible lecture.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ On campus ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

"What did you just say?" Zero and Ichiru asked at the same time. They stood stunned in the middle of the chairman's office with all eyes on them. Identical amethyst eyes with different shades stared blankly at the woman sitting comfortably on the couch sipping on the refreshment, courtesy of Cross Kaien. Yagari merely shrugged when his disciple sought his help.

Kaien was holding back from pressing his temples at the impeding headache he expected to get from the sticky situation. Kaito and Kaname acted as mere spectators from opposite corners of the room, unsure as to why they were requested to join in what seemed like a family reunion.

"Are you deaf, blind or just plain stupid not to understand my words?" The woman, who did not seem as old as she claimed snapped, directing a fiery glare towards the flinching twins.

"Oi… Watch your words!" Zero warned.

"Or what? You will sink your dirty fangs in me. Your grandmother?" She quipped, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Yes, the woman who came barging in early in the morning, escorted by a bulky bodyguard and sporting the trademark of the Kiryuu clan, amethyst eyes sharp as a blade, was claiming to be the one and only grandmother of the twins.

"I recall having no such person." Ichiru seethed.

"Well…" She turned to give Cross a commanding look so that he intervenes.

"What she is saying is true, Zero, Ichiru. She is your grandmother, in the flesh." Kaien confirmed. "I can vouch on that as well." Yagari raised a reluctant hand, glancing with disdain at the woman who gave them a victorious smile.

"So what if she is." Zero addressed his mentor, "What does she want by appearing out of nowhere after all these years."

"I am still here, you know? You can direct your inquiries to the person in question."

"Well excuse me for not having the stomach to handle a relative who never bothered checking on their grandsons after the tragedy that struck them." Zero imitated the disdain apparent on his master's face.

"Special circumstances got in the way."

"Typical answer." Ichiru scoffed.

"Well, seeing that the main obstacle is no longer in the way… We had to be careful about approaching you for the sake of our safety and survival." She sighed the answer in a fake dramatic way.

"Main obstacle?" Zero inquired.

"Are we going to play this game for too long? I am merely here as a grandmother seeking to see her precious grandsons after being denied the pleasure for so long." She sighed, adopting a motherly tone that did nothing but make their skin crawl in disgust.

"Well…" Ichiru crossed his arms, "too bad but you will have to go back to where you came from, you have no business with us."

"Even when I can be of help?" She half smiled.

"Do you think we would ever trust you?" Zero snorted.

"You will… in due time, for I only have your best interest in mind." She answered calmly, not fazed by the defensive attitude of the silverettes.

"I think that you should hear her out," Kaien voiced his opinion, "She is saying that she might have a lead on the case of Ichijou-kun's kidnapping."

The words successfully straightened Kaito and Kaname into full alert-mode as well as the twins.

"Is that true?" Zero could not help the temptation.

"Depends on how you treat your guest." She taunted.

"What do you want?" Ichiru immediately switched to bargaining mode.

"Not much, really. Just asylum, for me and my people." She stated flatly.

"Asylum? Your people?" Zero was confused.

She rolled her eyes, "Do I have to spell every little thing for you to understand?"

"You would not have to if you stopped talking in riddles." Ichiru snapped, his patience growing thin.

"I want him," She pointed to Kaname who quirked an eyebrow at the action, "To write with his own handwriting as the king of vampires a statement that would give us, the Kiryuu clan immunity from any persecution by his society. The same applies to you as the president of the, whatever you call it, association of yours to keep the hunters at bay. The oath have to be signed in blood and eternal." She demanded firmly.

A moment of silence stretched before Yagari cleared his throat, "What makes you think that we would accept such a thing."

"Well… You owes us that much after what we have been subjected to." She talked with confidence that Yagari understood the underlying meaning of what she was saying.

The one eyed hunter glanced at his lover whose eyes screamed of obvious objection, and fear of the consequences if he ever agrees.

"I am afraid that I would not be able to do such a thing without knowing what I am dealing with." Kaname's voice startled them.

The woman stared at him for a while, their eyes fixated on each other without any of them backing down.

She finally sighed and stood up, "Very well… Since no deal will be finalized today, I see no point in lingering around this suffocating atmosphere. I will be around whenever you change your minds. However, I advise you to do it fast, that friend of yours may not have much time left." She glanced sideway at Kaname while heading to the door, her bulky bodyguard following her closely.

The room remained silent until the discreet sound of the engine started and they were sure that the car left the campus.

"What the heck was that all about?" Zero was the first to talk.

"Someone put a bullet in my head right now…" Yagari groaned.

"Don't be stupid." Kaien breathed out, rubbing his temples while flipping the card with the number to contact her.

"Wait! You knew that we had relatives still around?" Ichiru noticed the underlying tone.

"It's a long story." Kaien tried to evade the topic.

"Did you, or did you not?" Ichiru gritted between his teeth.

"We had our suspicion." Yagari finally answered him, "But they were in hiding until now, and very good at covering their tracks."

"Hiding from what?" Zero scowled.

Yagari and Cross looked at each other, defeat obvious in their stance when they found no other way out of exposing the ugly truth, "From your father."

"WHAT?!" The twins gasped in disbelief.

The silence submerged the room yet again until Kaito cleared his throat.

"I think that was their way of asking you to elaborate." He stuttered, curiosity getting the best of him in addition to the need to know how it related to his lover.

"I don't think that is a good idea." Cross tried to escape that very situation.

"Well I think it is!" Zero sat on the couch and waited.

"Zero… There are things about your clan that you are better off not knowing. There is a reason why we did not bother telling you about her." Yagari was explaining in a calm voice, trying not to rile the silver hunter more than necessary.

"How about you stop beating around the bush and come out with it." Zero snapped.

"We have the right to know if it will affect us now that she is back with whoever people she was talking about." Ichiru joined his brother.

"Then, you will have to hear it from her first." Cross declared, "For we promised not to tell you… ever!"

"Promised who?" Ichiru asked, but Zero was the one to answer the question, "Father"

Both Cross and Yagari nodded while the wheat haired hunter called her back.

His light colored eyes met the intense gaze of the pureblood who was waiting for his part of the explanation, "Kaname-kun… I believe that you need to hear it as well because it has a connection to the former king."

Kaname's expression did not change, despite the confusion that plagued him at the mention of Haruka Kuran.

When the old Kiryuu came back, the room was immediately cleared, leaving only the twins, Kaname and the guest to talk things out.

"I see… So none of you was aware." She shook her head, "I would not say that I am impressed, he always thought things quite far in the future. I guess he missed this particular situation."

"Are you talking about our father?" Ichiru asked.

"Yes." She nodded.

"What is this about running away from him and what does the Kuran have to do with it." Kaname inquired.

"Well… The Kuran did not have much to do with it as it was only one person involved. We will get to it after I answer their questions." She did not bother to hide the disgust in her voice while addressing the pureblood.

"We would not know what to ask in the first place. How about you enlighten us about how it came to this."

"That might take a while."

"Make it short." Zero snapped, having had enough of her playing around with their nerves.

"The short version would be that the heir of the Kiryuu happened to break a fundamental rule that would lead to internal conflict. The punishment was to correct his wrongdoing in a tragic way. However, things backfired and he managed to annihilate his entire clan in one dreadful night. The only one who managed to escape are those who hid underground, surrounding themselves by a cloaking spell while watching their kin getting slaughtered. That heir would be my ungrateful son, Kiryuu Takashi."

"Pardon?" Ichiru was baffled, jaw dropping and eyes bulging out.

"Okay forget the short version! What in the fucking hell are you talking about?" Zero had hard time processing the fact that she just accused his father of being a cold-blooded mass murderer.

The old woman sighed in exasperation, "This would have been so much easier if his accomplices did not hide the truth from you two after he was gone."

Behind the wooden door, Kaito stared at the hard expressions on Yagari's and Cross's face as they were able to hear the words. Hanabusa joined them shortly after and was just as confused when his enhanced hearing picked on that last part along with the reaction of the two old hunters.

"Will you quit it with the riddles already?" Ichiru complained.

"What is the rule that our father broke and the punishment it incurred." Zero addressed the main topic.

"Before I say anything… I need you to know one thing. Despite everything that your parents had put us through, and the hard decision that your grandfather had to take, I never wished for any of it to happen. I am still grieving the loss of my family until this day, including your parents. I would not be here talking to you if I had not been crippled with the long years of waiting for this chance to present itself, the chance to welcome my precious grandsons in my arms once again."

Ichiru and Zero were taken aback by the kindness she displayed as well as the emotions shining through her teary eyes.

"I never wished for things to turn out that way… I only prayed for the prosperity of our family and their safety… I would rewrite such horrible past if I had the ability to…"

"Okay! We get it… but we really will not understand anything if you do not start talking soon…" Ichiru talked with a calmer voice, trying to put an end to the dramatic display of overflowing emotions, a display that was making them more and more uncomfortable.

The old woman pulled tissues from her purse that she patted to wipe her tears, took a deep breath and met the violet eyes looking at her intently.

"Well… For you to understand… I believe that a little history is in order." She paused and waited for them to nod, "First of all, do you know the actual age of your parents?"

Zero gave Ichiru a confused look and shrugged, "Around the time of the 'attack', I would say around their thirties or forties. We don't really put a number on their birthday cakes and they always laugh about how much older they were for their looks." The silver hunter smiled wistfully at how his mother would scold him playfully when he asks her about her age, saying that it was rude to ask a lady that kind of question.

"They are old, indeed." the grandmother confirmed, "Takashi would have been almost ninety years old by the time he was killed. Sakura is barely twenty years younger."

The twin's jaw dropped, and would have reached the floor if it were possible, "You are kidding!" Zero gasped.

"That is impossible… Hunters may have long lifespan but they do age eventually…" Ichiru flailed, showing his confusion, "Besides… Don't they marry very young to keep the population from declining or something… what? Are you saying that our parents married in their sixties and had us… Wha- I don't get it."

"That would sum it up." She confirmed again, confusing them further.

"Simply put… Hunters are encouraged to sire offspring while reunited in the holy reunion of marriage at a young age. It is of course to avoid the decline and breed stronger hunters for future battles. However, hunters with the highest ranks are not pressured to obey that tradition, they are free to marry and sire whenever they feel like it because the possibility of them dying young during a mission would be highly unlikely. Your parents were such hunters."

The words sent a weird sense of pride through the twins.

"It is to be expected from the descendants of the ruling family after all." She smiled.

"Ruling family?"

"Oh!" She seemed as if she remembered something, "I guess the monarchy was abolished before you boys were even aware that it existed."

"Monarchy?" It was Kaname's turn to ask, "May I ask you to elaborate on that?" He tried to be polite despite the cold attitude she was giving him.

"I was going to without your interruption…." She mumbled, looking away from the brunet. "Well… Up until a century ago, or a little less, the system was quite different than what you grew up to witness."

"How so?" Ichiru wondered.

"For starter, the hunter's association did not hold absolute power over the society, neither did they dictate the fundamental rules and delivered the capital punishments. It was the Main family of the Kiryuu clan, in other words, Us"

"How is that even possible?" Zero had to wonder.

"The Kiryuu clan is… well was one of the biggest clans in the hunter society. The main family constituted the rulers of our race."

"Wait… Rulers, as in presidents?"

The old woman laughed at what she perceived as a silly statement, "By ruler, I meant leaders, kings."

Zero scowled.

"I guess your so called mentor hid this fact. As expected from a descendant of a family of servants. Especially someone who did nothing but bite the hand that graced him with a decent life." Resentment was obvious in her voice.

"As I was saying…" she interrupted the protest that was about to start by continuing her tale, "Simply put, the hunter's 'organization' was nothing but a legal body with the task of executing the orders of the royal family. Of course, the 'president' seat was assigned to the strongest. However, major decisions that would affect the fate of hunters, wars, capital punishments and the fundamental laws were issued by the main house of the Kiryuu, us."

"heeeh… Is this why they are so eager to restore the monarchy for the hunters lately." Zero directed his question to the door where he knew Yagari and Cross were standing. It was not a mere act of mirroring the vampire's society, after all.

"That is, until Takashi was born. It would mark the start of our downfall, especially when he agreed with Sakura to wait longer than needed to finalize their reunion."

"I don't understand." Ichiru tilted his head.

"I did say that it was okay to wait as long as the hunters were powerful, but with him as the heir of the clan, it put quite a lot of pressure on the family while we waited for them to sire the next heir." The grandmother huffed in exasperation when faced with the severe lack of information in the twin's head, "Takashi and Sakura did play a number on us by not really settling down until a long long wait, despite being engaged since birth." She shook her head at the memory.

"WHAT?!" Both Ichiru and Zero looked at each other and back at the woman who looked as if she grew another head.

The grandmother's lips quivered to hold back a chuckle.

"That is the fate of those born into the main family, those with the duty of carrying the purity of the bloodline."

Kaname's eye twitched at the statement, barely holding back from asking her to elaborate.

"The cryptic~" Ichiru whined.

The woman grew silent for a moment… Looking around, hesitating a bit…

"Look, we are not asking anyone to leave… You have got something to say? say it? Your so called clan lost its glory long ago from what you are telling us, so there is no point hiding your dirty laundry anymore." Zero commanded, his patience growing thin by the second. "If you don't want to talk freely, then answer my questions."

He leaned on his knees and looked her in the eye.

"Why did my father do such a thing as annihilate his own family?" He got right to the point.

The old Kiryuu sighed and conceited, "To protect you two."

"From who?"

"From the fate awaiting you."

"Which is?"

"Death."

"Why?" Ichiru cut in.

"Because…" She did not want to say it.

"Because?" Zero urged.

"The curse." She blurted.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Zero rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air, "What kind of bullshit is that?"

"You were not supposed to exist in the first place." her words successfully shut him up.

"Because of that stupid rule?"

"It is a fundamental rule not to be broken that when a huntress is shown to be carrying twins, she has to abort them before the end of the second trimester, at all costs." She stated the obvious in the hunter's society.

"Fundamental? As in, dictated by the Kiryuu clan? 'the rulers'" Zero inquired sarcastically.

"Yes, and the heir to the 'throne' thwarted it in our faces." She replied with equal sarcasm, referring to their father.

"You know what? I don't really get that part." Ichiru got overly excited when the issue that ticked him off the most came up, "You are saying that you are all about power and siring powerful offspring, yet you kill the chance of having a powerful hunter? I mean… Let's face it! The legendary hunters so far are those who were born from a set of twins, with two of them present here amongst us." The younger twin pointed to his brother and Cross Kaien behind the door.

"The risk is too great, as it could endanger the bloodline entirely, just like the mistake an old friend of mine made in the past." She spoke cryptically again. "She carried her children and sired an ungrateful son who not only brought her nothing but shame and disgrace, but ended up turning what she worked hard for into a playground for the creatures that took the life of her beloved husband."

That is when Zero understood that she was talking about the chairman. Having had enough of her mockery, he clapped his hands.

"All right! You have to stop distracting us with your venom spreading tactic. Keep your judgmental shit to yourself and focus on the main discussion or get the fuck out of here!" He commanded with a thumb pointing to the door. Ichiru had to agree with his brother, especially since he did not like her probing into the pain of those that mattered to them.

"For the record, if she was that ashamed, why didn't she just get knocked up with another?" Zero pointed the stupidity of the situation.

"Nii-san… that's-" Ichiru started to explain but the older woman finished his sentence.

"Impossible! The very reason our family implemented the rule."

Zero looked at them both with a confused look.

"Nii-san… A huntress who goes through with carrying twins ends up becoming infertile for the rest of her life." Ichiru explained the information he picked up while going through the hunter's history.

"Hah?" Zero was stunned.

"Without exception, every woman ends up with a terrible infection that would claim her life if not treated. The only treatment is to remove her reproductive system completely. That is the curse no huntress could ever escape, no matter how advanced the science grew." The older woman had the saddest look on her face.

"So… Why kill us if the curse is not the babies themselves?" Zero asked after processing what he had been told.

"It is complicated."

"Explain." Ichiru ordered.

"You don't want to know." She insisted.

"We do." They both declared at the same time.

"Fine!" She huffed, "The fact that Takashi defied his clan caused the start of a mutiny amongst the hunters seeking to overthrow us. Sensing an internal conflict would be equal to finding a golden egg when it comes to our clan. Therefore, in order to put an end to it. The head of the family, your grandfather gave Takashi a difficult choice to redeem himself. The main house must have only one male heir to ensure the absence of conflict. Having two boys is a recipe for disaster, therefore… He ordered him to get rid of the weaker twin."

Ichiru froze at the last statement, and so did Hana behind the wooden door.

"Sakura and Takashi refused and ran away with the two of you. It was difficult to track them down, but they were eventually brought back. That night is etched into our memories to the point that some of us went mad even after escaping the carnage."

"What do you mean?" Ichiru dreaded the answer.

"That night… the four of you were brought to the main house where every clansmen came to see the capital punishment bestowed upon the rogues. Cross was summoned as a witness since he was Takashi's mentor and Yagari was a servant boy whom my husband took a liking to and raised as his own disciple and a playmate for his beloved son. Little did he know that he would be the one to end his life."

Behind the door, Toga clenched his fist tightly, cursing at the woman for telling them such a thing.

"You're lying!" Zero breathed out in horror.

"Am I?" She smile wistfully, "Why would I change what my own eyes witnessed. The very moment that my husband raised his sword to sever your pretty head," She pointed to Zero, "Your father broke the chains tying his legs and kicked you out of the way while screaming the name of his playmate. The next thing we knew, the Cross's boy was running off with the two of you in his arms and the ungrateful Yagari pointed his shotgun into my husband's scalp and blew his brains out." She spoke with a shaky voice filled with anger and resentment.

The twins were short of frozen from the morbid picture drawn in their minds. It took them some time to process the information.

"How did they survive?" Zero was the first to break the silence.

"Don't answer, please don't answer…" all eyes landed on Cross who was crouching as if praying with eyes screwed shut and forehead stuck to the door. The action confused everyone except for Yagari.

"Are you sure that you want to know?" She challenged, the anger and resentment still did not subside from her tone.

"Yeah… Especially when you are saying that, the whole clan was around. I find it hard to believe that they could flee such crowd and survive ever after." Ichiru pointed.

"You think I am lying." She stated flatly.

"Masking the truth at least." Zero accused.

"Well… It is not going to be a pretty thing to know about you parents." She warned the willing twin, "Their betrayal did not stop at turning a disciple and the heir of a decent family against us. They had external help, forbidden help." Her voice suddenly grew dark.

Zero swallowed, suspecting the nature of the help.

"Not only did Takashi display his hidden nature and slaughtered his kin with his bare hands, but he called upon the worst beast to ensure no one survives to breath a word about the massacre."

"How did you survive then?" Ichiru was trying his hardest to find a loophole and call it a lie.

"My husband sensed the imminent trouble and took the precaution of keeping a number of us out of harm's way. We watched through the bars of our confines, helpless and scared at the time."

"Scared of what?"

"Of the evil that went on rampage, of the son I carried inside me for nine months and spent endless hours raising him to be the best, and he was…. He was invincible, but not for the right cause." She sighed, "Scared of the summoned evil he sought to destroy us."

"What kind of evil?" Ichiru could not understand why he started feeling scared all of a sudden.

"One of them was wearing a mask with the emblem from the Valley of Darkness. The other however, wore a face almost identical to the one sitting right there, except for his eyes that glowed crimson in the darkness of that night."

It was Kaname's turn to freeze in shock when he understood what she meant, "Haruka." He whispered.

Ichiru's jaw dropped, "Haruka… As in… Haruka Kuran?"

The old woman nodded, "He stood on top of the tall wall, I can still remember how his coat and hair swayed with the wind. He kept his hands in his pocket, as if it was not worth using his full strength as he blew each and every person trying to escape through the gate of the main house, or chase after Cross and Sakura after they had taken you two away."

"I don't get it…" Zero interrupted, "Why would Haruka Kuran risk doing such a thing that could have easily resulted in a bigger war between our races. He was always known to be the pacifist amongst all the vampire rulers?" The silver hunter sent a quizzical look to Kaname who still kept a blank expression while trying to understand the truth of the matter.

"Well… You will have to ask your adoptive father about that because none of us expected him to get involved and we still do not understand what made him do so." She answered while looking at Kaname.

"Cross-san must have had a hand in it." Kaname stated, making a mental not of extracting the truth from the wheat-haired hunter.

"This does not make sense…" Ichiru pondered aloud, "What was the punishment anyways. Killing us all?"

"No…" She swallowed, tear forming in her eyes again, "Your parents are supposed to watch you getting beheaded before throwing them in an underground dungeon to starve until they die with your decimation as the last thing they ever see."

Fury and anger flared through Zero's aura to the point that Kaname had to use his own to brush against his back. He noticed the hunter jolting at the invisible touch but it made him glad that Zero relaxed soon after, visibly exhaling to calm his nerves.

"It still does not explain the involvement of my late father or the other person you mentioned earlier." The pureblood changed the topic to dampen the tense atmosphere.

"No one is sure of anything anymore, our only speculation would be that our clan was getting too powerful to their liking, vampires and hunters alike, and that it was part of a bigger conspiracy to annihilate us. It is shameful enough to think that our own heir orchestrated it." She sighed.

"That is also a speculation." Zero suggested, "For all we know, my parents might have been manipulated as well." He gave Kaname the look he had during his high school years, "I would not be surprised that their death was a mere act of tying loose ends."

"I doubt it." The old woman denied, "Takashi was not one to be manipulated or ordered, he is usually the one doing the manipulating. He had the making of a true leader, power, influence, brains and not to mention the best support."

"Mother?" Ichiru asked.

"Yes. Sakura's strength was her strategical talent, and ability to pinpoint the best possible outcome of the worst situation they find themselves in. You may never encounter any with her fast-thinking ability in times of crisis."

"Fine, but why did the association not go after them for their crime?" Zero had to bring that up.

"Because… They were effective enough not to leave a trace that vampires were involved. It was dismissed as an internal conflict. Any weird injuries were told to have been caused by some form of animal, like a trained dog." She scoffed at the absurdity, "No one believed us when we tried to explain that the beast was an abomination in human form. No one believed the existence of the Valley of Darkness, neither back then or now while they are still at work."

The three listener stared at her blankly.

She blinked twice before speaking, "Did I lose you again?" She tested.

"Completely." Ichiru made a definitive gesture.

"It would be very helpful if you stopped throwing these curve balls and followed one straight path in your storytelling. Were you this bad with bedtime stories?" Zero mocked her.

A thin eyebrow twitched at the insult, but she let it slide.

"By defeating his father, who was the president of the association at that time, Takashi should have claimed his right to the title. Instead, he passed it down to the second in line, who was supposed to be the heir of the Cross family. However, that boy was banished from the society, making him illegible for the title. That is how it fell into the hand of the last president, that crossdressing fag." She all but hurled at the mention of the man,

"When we tried to reason with him about giving us protection against the beast who was still eliminating us. That person simply banished the whole clan with an execution order issued in case we decided to come back and claim our heritage. That is when we realized the depth of the ugly conspiracy."

"I am having a headache…" Zero stood to walk around the room. "Let us recapitulate… Because of your stupid rule, you tried forcing our mother into aborting us. Our parents defied you and somehow had us. After which, you decided to sacrifice your own flesh and blood to prevent a fucking mutiny. Karma came back to bite you in the ass by having your people annihilated instead, by your own heir, a fucking pureblood and what you called an abomination coming from somewhere called valley of darkness?"

"Something like that." She confirmed, purposely ignoring the crass language and the insult.

"Go on…"

"What is more to say…. That night made me regret ever giving birth to your parents and had me sink in self-despair knowing that we sired the dreaded seed of madness." She almost sobbed.

"Cryptic again!" Ichiru groaned before his eyes widened, "Wait! Go back a second… Did you just say give birth to our parents?" Ichiru thought himself mistaken. Zero blinked twice at the crazy statement.

The woman all but smacked herself, "Oh dear! They did keep you in the dark about your own roots."

Yagari gave a confused look to his lover and Cross reciprocated it since they did not know what she was talking about either.

"Maybe they did not know jack shit about it. Ever occurred to you?" Zero snapped, having enough of her insulting his mentor and surrogate father.

"Well… It is indeed a family secret." She covered her mouth, regretting the blunder, "Unless Takashi and Sakura decided to tell anyone before passing away."

"Telling anyone what?"

"That they were siblings, brother and sister." She finally dropped the bomb.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" both silverettes were on their feet, staring in horror at the woman sitting comfortably on the couch, Kaname merely sighed when the piece of the puzzle fell into place, "What… how… That is impossible… incest is-"

"Forbidden amongst hunters… Yes… However, how do you think we harnessed such pure powers over the generations?" She smirked at the paling twin.

"How?" Zero breathed the question, still not over the shock.

"Well… we have our ways; the girl born after the first son would be adopted by a direct relative for them to be raised as cousins and be wedded later on." Ichiru had the urge to comment on how casually she was telling the story, "Such is the case of Sakura and Takashi. I had to separate from my daughter at birth and give her to my sister to raise as her own. It is the case for my husband and me as well as our own parents and grandparents. For thirty-nine generations, the family upheld the tradition without fail. "

"That is just sick and twisted." Zero drawled, not bothering to hide his disgust.

"Well… You would not be able to say anything about it when you are told the truth few decades into your marriage by your mother while she is in her deathbed in my case because that is when I got pregnant with Sakura, or when you refuse to abort and escape the dreaded curse in Sakura's case. By that time, both of us were unable to see our husbands as anything other than that, partners in life and death, the men we could never go on without having them by our side to love and cherish." She almost looked like a teenager in love while talking about her husband that it swayed Ichiru resolve when he wanted to bash their tradition.

"Why did you wait until now to come find us and tell us about all this?" Zero finally asked the question that nagged at him since the introduction.

"Because the dweller from the valley of darkness chased us all these years to finish his mission, even after Takashi passed away." She explained.

"Do you know his identity?" Ichiru inquired.

"No one managed to get close enough to take off his mask without getting killed in cold blood. The only clue that we found is that he was a hired gun by Takashi and his helper. It was only recently that we discovered the truth and the name of the shadow organization named the valley of darkness. The only lead we had was the symbol drawn on his mask. The mistake of trying to attack them led to more killing of our kin and the escape of a scarce minority. We have been on the run ever since."

"Why do I get the feeling that you are not telling us everything?" Ichiru noticed that she was still holding back thanks to his keen eye.

"Because I fear for my life and the safety of those traveling with me."

"We are not about to grant you asylum until you prove your harmless intentions." Kaname stated firmly.

"That is why we are offering a lucrative exchange, one that will save the life of your trusted assistant." She insisted.

"How did you know about his incident without being involved in it?" The pureblood kept a calm façade.

"We have nothing to do with it and we have ways to prove it. As for how we came to know about it, a trusted source filled us in because whoever attacked him wishes to frame us for his imminent death as well as the other hunters." She explained.

"What makes you so sure that he is in fatal danger? The medical diagnosis came back clear and the poison is clearing out of his system already." Ichiru challenged her baseless assumption.

An evil smirk traced her barely wrinkled lips, "Oh my dear boy! Our family was never about the brute force that hunters pride themselves in. We have ways to dispose of our targets while sunbathing thousands of miles away."

The cold words sent shivers through the twin's spine. They waited for her to elaborate as she looked at Kaname.

"The poison from the hunter weapon that harmed him is merely masking the true factor that will claim his life. The first phase should have started sometime yesterday. If he was not sedated, he should have started to go on and off from a state of delirium. You would be talking to him and he suddenly starts rambling about whatever happened to him or maybe express deep fear that he believes happened to him for real."

Kaname and Zero immediately glanced at each other, remembering the breakdown that Takuma started having when Kaname asked him to remember what happened.

"The second phase should start sometime later today or tomorrow. He will break in cold sweat with a fever so high that any human would self-combust from it. Of course, your so called medical team would dismiss it as a reaction to the poison being flushed out, but it is far from it as his body would start rotting from the inside. We call the last phase, 'deceitful death'." She smiled, a cold scary smile "Three days from now, he will be standing on his two feet, walking fine and acting as if he is healed completely. That is until the hallucinations come back and make him believe that the enemy caught him again and about to kill him. Except, he would be the one wielding the killing weapon and taking his own life by himself."

The three listener suddenly felt nauseous, unable to imagine the blond noble going through that horror only to end up taking his own life.

She fixed Kaname with a long stare before getting up from her seat, "I am afraid I have to leave. I finished telling you what I came here for and the condition for further negotiations. You can take your time to think about it, but do not take too long. Time is not really in your advantage seeing as he has five days to live, at most." She was heading to the door, but Kaname stopped her.

"Wait… Suppose what you are saying is the truth. How do we trust that you can save him? Do you have a cure?"

The woman gave him a look of victory that irritated him, "Any spell in our magic has its counterpart. Any killing potion we concoct will have a cure for such bargain. As a matter of fact, here…" She pulled three flasks from her purse.

"This…" She pointed to the clear liquid in the first one, "is the potion wrecking his body at the moment. You can run your test to find the same complex in his blood."

"This…" She pointed to the blue liquid in the second one, "will counter the effect it has on the wounds. I am sure that you already figured out that your, oh so powerful blood was not able to heal them completely. Also, if my memories still serve me right, the doctor should be panicking about the reopening of the wounds by now. This a courtesy of our clan to prevent any festering infection." She stated arrogantly.

"What is the last one?" Zero looked at the magenta liquid in the last smaller flask.

"That my dear, is a sample of the cure. The incomplete cure. This will merely delay the inevitable because a ritual is needed to completely heal him. You can give this to him while he is burning up with fever and take a blood sample in the next hour, you will find the curse gone for about half a day. Another sample taken the next day will show that it is back. This will merely suppress it for that long."

Kaname took the last potion in his hand; a flash of the delirious Takuma jolted him again. He held the glass object and looked at the old guest, "We will contact you after we verify your credibility with these. However, if any of them leads to dire consequence, I will personally finish the job that Kiryuu-san never had the chance to accomplish."

"If you find that we are sincerely seeking to help?" She taunted with a smile.

"You will be granted your asylum."

"Kuran!" Zero all but shrieked, he was not sure that it was a good idea to grant them such a thing without risking them seeking vengeance under the protection of his own umbrella. It would turn them into sitting ducks waiting to be slaughtered.

"I know what I am doing here." Kaname answered the question obvious in Zero's disbelieving eyes.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ TBC ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

Me: I wonder what came over you to jump Kaname like that, Zero? *giving a perverted look*

Zero: Shut up or I will shoot you before you get the chance to finish this sick story! *Scowling with beet red face and ready to pull the trigger while I run away*

Never mind the two previous lines,

I hope you enjoyed the read without having to take something for the migraine it induce.

The next chapter is just as nerve wrecking but I found it more enjoyable to write, I hope that it would be more enjoyable to read as well.

See ya next chapter (will be posted in few hours)