Note: Thanks for the support. (:

{ Chapter 2: Domesticity }

xxx

Leaning back on the door, Zero examines the room he's aimlessly chosen.

It was pleasing to the eye; articulate detail weaved onto the curtains which matched the wallpaper, gold and red vibrant all throughout. The wardrobes, side dresser and bed frame made of dark mahogany, a matching armchair and large window stretched to fill the back wall.

And this was just one of the guest rooms. Sheesh, rich people.

There's a vampire aura hovering in the hallway, gradually heading in his direction, which makes him groan because he'd only just got rid of Kaname!

Praying that it's not said vampire, he opens the door before they can.

Instead of a tall, lean streak of cold, calculating Pureblood, its Kuran's forever faithful and loyal follower: Seiren.

"What do you want, vampire?" he asks, tone automatically accusing.

She doesn't speak, her only movement being to bring his luggage in front of her, obviously waiting for him to take it, which is...weird. The only contact Zero's ever shared with her was when he had drawn Bloody Rose on Kaname months ago and, like a viper poised to strike, she'd held her hand to his neck. Now, she was tasked with making sure he had his suitcase. Definitely weird.

Enforced manners urge him to say thanks, but this vampire was practically an extension of Kaname, it'd be like saying thanks to him, so he accepts the case with a stiff nod.

Even if she's offended it would be impossible to tell, her expression an unchanging blank canvas, and she's gone as quick as she appeared.

Luggage in hand, he returns to the room and wastes no time spilling the contents over the bed in a mess. He'd never been one for hoarding a lot of belongings, so whichever of Kaname's brainless servants had been in charge of collecting his things had gotten lucky with the easy task.

As well as done a terrible job considering an important possession was missing.

The batch of blood tablets he always keeps a generous amount of lying around his dorm room are nowhere to be seen.

Officially, the blood tablets didn't work on ex-humans like him, but if he took one sparingly before the hunger panes began it could help keep the cravings at bay. His system could accept the pill in small quantities. Chugging them down in a crazed rush when the deprivation made him incoherent would just cause havoc to his insides. If he wanted to keep a wrap on this savage side of his nature, he needed to take one now.

In a panic, Zero reaches in his jackets front pocket, merciful that he always kept an emergency supply on him. The metal tin is there, and he gives it a shake to check how many tablets are stored.

It barely rattles.

Whatever, it didn't matter, he reasons. This plan of Kuran's couldn't last more than a couple of weeks, and when his life got back on track he'd then find an alternative. He'd drink the disgusting blood from the vampires he'd hunt if it came down to it.

He had lasted years fighting against awakening as a vampire. He could handle a couple of weeks starved.

Regardless of it being one of the last things he wants to do, he pops a single pill in his mouth and chews. The taste was a dull, chalk substance that stuck to his throat in tasteless gulps. Compared to Kuran's delicious blood it was—

Don't be stupid, he berates himself, hunger increasing as his imagination works against him. It doesn't matter what his blood tastes like because you're never allowing yourself to taste it again.

Outside, a crow lets out a shrill cry, and when he tells it to shut up he's only half sure he's addressing the bird.

xxx

There are locks on the door.

A fact that should be reassuring but does little to comfort him. His cohabitant could easily break down the whole damn door, or effortlessly get the metal to slide open with a simple flick of the wrist if he so chooses.

Bloody Rose is within reach, another small comfort, kept hidden under his pillow as his hand rests dangerously close to the handle.

He still struggles to sleep. His body was an endless list of contradictions: accustomed to resting at night, in spite of now being programmed to shut down when the sun flared brightest.

The clock taunts him with each piercing tick as the hand slides; each one more irritating than the last that he considers giving up trying to sleep and do something else that would actually be useful. Checking the house out is the first notion that pops up, but that also comes with the risk of coming across Kaname that he quickly banishes the idea.

There's also a rebellious part of him that wants to show Kaname that despite everything, he wasn't a vampire—a beast that was kept awake by hungering uncontrollably at night. Zero Kiryu was still one of the hunters, a being that prospered in the light.

He has no right to call himself one of the humans anymore.

xxx

Zero doesn't remember falling asleep.

He does remember waking up covered in sweat, heart thrashing terribly in his chest like a caged bird, hands crushing and pulling any material they can grasp in their blind panic.

Two blazing orbs, a visage of icy sapphire and garnet red, are burning his retinas behind closed lids.

Forcing himself to stay immobile, he reaches his senses out as far as possible whilst sneaking his hand to his weapon…but…no. That can't be right. There's no-one—or nothing else—in the room with him. He's alone.

As soon as his eyes snap open, he checks the alarm clock that got brought with the rest of his things. The number six is blaring at him in red mockery. Pulling the cover over his head, he rolls over with a curse and tries to get comfortable again.

Good going, random anxiety, he scornfully thinks. After all that trouble it took to actually fall asleep, too…

Tea. He needed a hot, sugary filled beverage to make life better.

Grabbing the nearest grey sweatpants and jumper he ventures out, navigating his way back to the entry hall where he remembered seeing the kitchen in one of the doorways.

He walks into the kitchen and freezes.

Kaname is sitting there despite the early hour; newspaper and tea spread out before him like a miniature feast. He's also wearing the most silkiest and expensive pyjamas Zero's ever seen in his life that he's not even sure they are pyjamas. There's a dressing gown hanging on the back of his chair. If Zero spots any fluffy slippers peeking out from under the table he's going to drown himself in the nearby sink.

"Kiryu-kun," Kaname pleasantly greets when he spots him, "would you like to join me for some tea?"

He walks back out the kitchen.

Clearly, he couldn't rely solely on reasoning alone to avoid the Pureblood. He'd need to keep his wits sharp and alert at all times so he didn't have to endure witnessing bizarre things that would haunt his memories for years to come.

He gets as far as the entry hall before he realises tea was why he had entered the damn kitchen in the first place, and before logic can catch up, he's back in there.

"Tea?" Kaname repeats, like he didn't just witness Zero do several one-eighty's in the kitchen door.

He once again considers the option of flat out refusing and finding some other room to sulk in, but tea.

Nothing to see here, is the internal mantra that plays in his head as he boils the kettle, just an ordinary morning. A morning that involves two pieces of toast, one cup of tea, and one murderous Pureblood.

Involuntary, he glances in Kaname's direction. Crap.

Apart from the dramatic wardrobe difference, Kaname's appearance is still as regal as ever, those slightly curly strands still immaculately framing his face and it makes Zero slide a conscious hand through his own messy hair only to pause in the middle of the action. Why was he paying attention to hairstyles at six am?

Already vexed, he lowers his gaze to the item that has captured Kaname's attention.

Zero couldn't give a damn what the Pureblood reads in his past time, but strange, almost familiar letters stick out on the newspaper and taunt at his deficient understanding. Trying to remain inconspicuous, he attempts to get a closer look as he stirs the tea, putting an overly gracious amount of sugar in the mug.

"It's Latin," Kaname clarifies, having taken note of Zero's poorly concealed confusion. "Would you like me to read it to you?"

A shiver of dread glides up his backbone. Flashbacks of the Chairman chasing a younger him, a collection of child storybooks like Red Riding Hood gathered in his arms, yelling 'Don't run from story-time! Daddy just wants Zero-chan to have a flourishing childhood!' assault his tired brain.

"Spare me," he deadpans.

Latin, huh? That's why he had felt some familiarity while attempting to read the cursives. Some binding spells that privileged hunters have received and passed down throughout the centuries are in Latin (the Kiryu's were part of that gain). Very few actually held the knowledge of the words they were speaking, however. There was no need to—it was an ancient and now deceased language. They only needed the power those words held, not the meaning.

"You can read Latin," Zero prods flatly, silently curious.

"Keeping our lineage a secret from the human's ever prying ways takes many precautions," Kaname explains as he traces a particular line with his thumb. "Writing our news in a language undecipherable to humans is one of those precautions, should they unintentionally come across one of these."

The way Kaname keeps referring to them (our lineage, our secret, our), as though Zero's a willing part of the vampire race, part of his Night Class bundle, annoys the hell out of him but there are more important things to discuss so he pushes it aside. For now.

"So every vampire learns Latin just to read some trivial news articles every now and then," Zero concludes, still sceptic, "That's—"

Impressive? Stupid?

Trailing off with a disbelieved shake of the head, he sits down at the table (as far away from Kaname as physically possible, but considering he's willing to share the same room with him, its progress.) Vampire matters didn't—shouldn't—concern him. So what if across the world these creatures were learning an ancient language that they could all share for their made-up culture? They were still just beasts in human flesh, no matter how much intellect they displayed.

A wave of nausea rolls through him as he takes his first sip of the scolding tea, the liquid doing little to sedate his thirst for blood.

The hunger pushes him to ask, "What made you tell the Association I stole your blood? Don't tell me it was petty payback. I thought you'd consider yourself above such things."

Kaname is engrossed in the paper he holds between his fingers, but enough attention must be on him since he responds, "The most I told that hateful leader of yours was that you had partaken in my blood. Anything else is a conclusion they have painted themselves."

It made sense. Instead of an actual deliberate liar, Kaname was the mysterious, obscure kind of guy who would tell half-truths buried in cryptic sentences. The vampire's way might be more honourable, but it was still irritating, triggering the kind of impatience that made Zero grit his teeth to stop his tongue lashing out.

The row of Elite Hunters that had glared at him during the ruling flashes through his vision with a painful sting. All it had taken was that vague message from Kuran, and they had all leaped at the outcome that he was a bloodthirsty thief. Just what did the hunters truly think of him when they saw Zero walk unharmed through their halls crammed full of lethal traps for vampires? Could it be that all they saw was the monster his biology made him to be, and no longer the hunter he had strived hard to become?

A pessimistic smirk tugs at his lips. Kuran had been a blessing in disguise, then, giving them all the excuse to be free of him before he could commit any atrocities.

"Kiryu."

The serious tone Kaname harbours has his head snapping up free from he'd had it grasped tightly in his hands, and a shimmer of silver catches his eye. There are several strands of his hair caught in his nails, and he falls slightly back in confusion. He hadn't even felt the pain from where he must have ripped them harshly from his scalp.

There's several light taps, and Zero forces his eyes to focus to locate the source.

It's Kaname. He's put the newsprint down, and instead moving one finger up and down repetitively in an impatient gesture, a single nail hitting the table's surface. The Pureblood's staring at him like he's a bothersome student that doesn't learn no matter how hard he studies, and he's being gracious by continuing to teach him.

"What," Zero growls out, the continuous gawking beginning to agitate his nerves.

The rhythm stops as Kaname interlaces his hands, elbows resting on the table, and pins him with serious eyes. Bizarrely, Zero feels like he's about to receive a lecture, one that would rival even Yuki's when she'd caught him injuring himself as a child, desperate to rip off the phantom squeeze of that woman's canines on him.

"Do you truly believe that if I, or any other Pureblood," Kaname reproves, "didn't want our blood to be taken that we wouldn't have the power to stop somebody from stealing it?"

Zero frowns, unsure at what Kaname is getting at. "If you're looking for compliments about your prowess, you should go see one of your actual admirers. I recommend Aido-senpai."

The vampire ignores him. "The answer is no. We're the most appetising prey available, true, but we're also the most dangerous predator, aided with numerous influences to keep our enemies on their knees. These hunter associates of yours know this better than anyone else, having spent most their lives trying to find our weaknesses."

Blinking slowly, comprehension gradually building, he says, "Ah."

"Therefore," Kaname drawls, drawing his words out for emphasis, "no-one with functioning brain-cells would believe the accusation you were labelled with. It was nothing more than a farce."

Kaname retrieves his tabloid again; the occasional flap of a turned page the only sound as he leaves Zero to his thoughts.

In a roundabout way, Kaname is reassuring him. While he was consumed with his troubled beliefs about how the hunters judged him, Kaname had viewed those emotions he'd accidently put on display and correctly guessed the root of his distress.

The consolation must have worked because the tight ball of tension Zero had curled into was fading, his heartbeat now reduced to its usual lull. Grateful isn't the emotion he's feeling but…

He goes to stand up and exit the room before he can decipher any uninvited emotions further.

"Regarding that leader of yours," Kaname suddenly chimes in, halting his movements.

"What of him?"

He hopes that didn't come out too acidly, the Presidents sneer still easy to conjure up at a mention.

"It might be of some interest to know he's in cahoots with Rido," reveals Kaname in a bored tone, his gaze never straying away from the newspaper. "For quite some time now."

The revelation is hardly a shock. If Rido wanted him, then the President acting the way he had at court made sense; reluctant to hand over Zero but his fear of Kaname keeping him from fulfilling his goal. Maybe this Kuran ancestor doesn't have the patience for subjects who fail him and gets rid of the two-faced leader, doing them all a favour.

Knowing better, he doesn't ask how Kaname omnisciently knows of the Presidents betrayal, but he does wait for something—the whys, the whens, the what's—the shitty details that might actually come in handy!

"Yeah, Kuran," he says when nothing comes forth. "That might be a bit important to know. Just a little."

"Good then," Kaname responds like he can't detect the sarcasm Zero's words are dripping in.

Irritating, infuriating Pureblood!

Lifting a hand to massage his forehead, he persists, "Why is the President working with Rido? What does he gain from it?"

Kaname is smiling at him. "Oh, Kiryu-kun, are you really that innocent?"

"Answer the question or shut up," Zero retorts.

Kaname pays him no heed. "Although in your circumstance it may be called naivety. It's rather sweet, considering how often you're in the company of vampires."

"I'm armed," he warns since words proved useless.

"You left Bloody Rose under your pillow," Kaname says.

How the hell did Kuran even know tha—no, that was knowledge best left unlearnt. He refuses to shame himself further by checking if Kaname's right.

"Shit," he mutters, and then more pathetically, "the tea's still at burning temperature."

Hunter guideline no 14: Always observe your surroundings for a secondary weapon as anything can better your chances, even in the unlikeliest places. Yeah, he'd followed a respectful decree, but really he feels like a massive idiot.

At least Kaname has the decency to act cautioned. "Is that so? I'll wisely mind my words from now on, then."

"You do that," Zero says and it's alarming to realise he's amused—nothing too outstanding, a slight curl in the corners of his mouth—and it's even more disturbing that Kaname's the reason it's developed there.

The ambience reminds him of home. The lazy weekend mornings the Chairman begs Zero to cook breakfast, Yuki at his side, every bit the energetic cheerleader at backing him up. It's not how he should feel here, in a remote location with a Pureblood vampire as his only company.

Exhaling a shaky breath, Zero crosses his arms. "The President," he reminds Kaname, pushing the conversation back to safer grounds.

Kaname must sense Zero's change of demeanour, because he mirrors it perfectly, the gentle brown that settled in his eyes now melted into a sharper and deeper black. The conduct was recognisable from the days when they exchanged glares during the change over at the Academy.

The familiar territory is not as reassuring as Zero thought it'd be.

"I expect the President holds the same reason that every human does for befriending or willing to coexist with a Pureblood," Kaname says, turning to the window. The first rays of sunlight are beginning to filter through the curtains as dawn breaks, but Kaname doesn't flinch, handling the radiant beams without averting his sensitive eyes. "The curse of immortality."

Sitting there, basked in an almost glow, Zero wonders why Kaname sounds so lonely.

The rest of the tea goes cold.

xxx

They don't come across each other for over three blissful, pain free, quiet days after their morning encounter.

A feat Zero is proud of, bearing in mind he's a large percentage of why that may be. Every time he heard the Pureblood's footsteps, he'd quietly slip into a different room, and every time Kaname used the same hallway as him he'd conveniently decide to go the other way. He'd almost been cornered at the top of the staircase at one point, but with the use of quick reflexes and thinking he'd vaulted over the banister and dashed to safety.

(If he heard a deep chuckle from behind him, well, no-one had to know.)

Years of using this technique had saved him from being pulled into a lot of awkward family events by a smothering adoptive father. He's glad to see that his evading skills are still in top condition and work even on a Pureblood vampire.

The accomplishment ends on the fourth day, when Kaname simply walks up to his bedroom and rasps his knuckles lightly on the door's frame to get his attention.

Zero's sitting on the bed, a book splayed out in front of him (which he got from the library—the mansion had a freaking library!), and he looks up in questioning at the intrusion.

"Hey," he says, and his voice actually cracks a little from disuse.

"The Council Elders are insistent to see me, therefore I'll be gone until tomorrow night," Kaname informs him.

"Sure," he noncommittally says, wondering why Kaname is even bothering to personally explain this to him when he could just leave the message to one of his minions.

"I leave the servants in your care," Kaname continues, and then adds with a wicked gleam in his eyes, "and you in theirs."

Yeah, figures. Plans of fleeing were hastily crushed. Seiren was somewhere prowling about, and Zero would bet his fangs that she wouldn't be an easy target to take down, let alone any others that were hanging around outside.

"Uh-huh," Zero mutters because Kaname is still standing in his doorway.

"Is there anything you need to tell me before I leave, Kiryu-kun?" It's a question, but Kuran is acting like he already knows the answer, one expectant brow arched.

Hunger claws at his throat and multi-coloured eyes invade his thoughts but he pushes them both aside, his aloof countenance revealing nothing. "No," he lies.

Apparently Kaname disapproves of that reply, because his frown deepens.

"Come here, Kiryu," he orders, brandishing a slender hand that reaches towards him.

The hell—?

"Or I shall come to you," Kaname says when Zero doesn't move.

Something about having the Pureblood enter his bedroom has his nerves shaking, so he storms up to Kaname. There's no way he's taking the outstretched hand, though. "There a problem, your highness?"

Sarcasm was always a good trait to fall back on, and the longer he spent in Kaname's presence the more it was becoming a defensive outlet than a habit.

While Kaname doesn't appear angered by his aversion, he seems disappointed, indicated in narrowed features. His untaken hand goes to rests against the lower half of his face as he thoughtfully stares down at Zero, fingers splayed over his cheeks.

"You'll be glad to know that in one week a ball will be held, courtesy of Ichijo Asato." Kaname smiles complacently. "Naturally, I've been requested to attend."

Zero was no stranger to the gathering's the vampire nobles insisted on having way too much, decked out with elaborate costumes and theatrical gossip to cover up their greed for any humans or Purebloods attending. The events usually passed with no incident and remained entirely of Zero shooting the guests frequent glowers as he watched over the dull procedure.

"I don't care," Zero tells him.

"A shame, since I've been informed those who conspire with my uncle will be present. I had thought to finish their scheme, nevertheless if Kiryu-kun wishes to stay." Kaname shurgs, feigning regret. "It would be regrettable to miss this chance, but alas…"

"I suddenly care," Zero decides and overrides Kaname's exhale of amusement by saying, "This is ou—my chance to get rid of that maniac. These followers of his will know where his body is hidden, and I can take him out easily."

The our almost slipped out, Kaname's damned way of speaking already rubbing off on him. Though it wouldn't have matter if it had, since Kaname isn't paying his words any consideration, instead preoccupied with scrutinising the hunter with calculating eyes that rake his entire form.

He then sighs heavily as if he's come to a decision.

Too quick for his eyes to catch, Kaname's arms shoot forward, sneaking around his back and caging Zero to his chest. He's quick to struggle but it's futile—without his hunter weapon he's just the same as every other Level D, and with his arms pinned to the sides he can't reach the gun in its holster.

A hand waves away his errant bangs that lay on his forehead, and cold, soft lips hover over the uncovered skin there, not quite touching.

Goosebumps are quick to flare to life on his skin and he moves to roughly push Kaname away, but he's already stepped back out of arms reach, studying Zero's form alike to an artist admiring their handiwork, and he nods, seemingly pleased.

"Watch the house for me while I'm gone, Kiryu-kun," is Kaname's cheerful farewell as he cowardly escapes before Zero even has a chance to think what the fuck just happened.

Zero is going to burn the house down.

xxx

Taking the opportunity of Kaname being absent from the house, Zero searches the kitchen for the newspaper.

Because he's bored and nothing else. He's certainly not curious about what had held Kaname's attention before. This is just plain boredom, he thinks, even though the eager way he opens the newspaper when he finds it in a rush betrays that very statement.

Naturally, he can't understand any of it, and scours through the pages in the hopes of finding something noteworthy. There are various pictures, popular landmarks from across the world with vampires he doesn't recognise smiling into the lens, make-up used to the maximum, clear to see even in the black and white shades.

No, this couldn't be what Kaname had been interested in. Not unless he was more susceptible to gossip than Zero gave him credit for.

With a disappointed puff, he flops the newspaper on the table, and that's when he spots it.

In his search he'd completely missed to check the front page.

The front page, which for some reason has him inked onto it. More importantly, it's him and Kaname, from very recently too; it's outside the headquarters, when Kaname had ushered him into the limo. They're close, Kaname's hand raised on his back but not quite making contact.

He'd never seen a flash or heard a click, so their photographer had at least had the brains to keep the flash and shutter's noise off.

Except, nothing got past the Pureblood, especially not in the form of paparazzi and even if they had Kaname possessed the authority to demand any unwanted photographs of him to be deleted if he so wished. Still, that wasn't the most puzzling part; why hadn't Kaname teased him about it earlier? It was the perfect chance (considering it was public knowledge how much Zero despised attention) yet Kaname hadn't taken it.

It didn't make any sense.

There are several crinkles, like someone's frequented the page a lot, so there's no question that Kaname hasn't seen it. Zero moves on to beneath the picture, where there's at least half a page of words. Apart from their names the rest is gibberish to him.

Excluding one word: adstringo. It's a frequent term that appears in some of the hunter's incantations, ones that can bind a vampire to oblige their will for a few scant moments if a hunter is willing to use their blood as the conductor. It's taxing on the body, emotionally and physically, so it's rarely put into practice.

None of that explained why it was in an article about him, though. Until Zero remembers the other meaning the word owns: to commit oneself to.

He rips the paper in half before he has a chance to think too deeply and wind up drawing to a disturbing outcome.

xxx

In the lethargic air of the afternoon, Zero lays awake on his bed. He's written a letter to Yagari, one of the few people he actually trusts, just in case things don't go as planned at the ball and the hunters society end up having to deal with a reawakened crazed Pureblood, unknowing of the Presidents role in the catastrophe.

The message is short and straight to the point: The snake sheds his skin for another. It a cipher for betrayal and it's all Yagari will need to understand. Chances are, Zero will actually see his sensei at the gathering, considering how many high-ranked officials will be present, but it was always good to have a backup.

Now, he just needed to convince (frighten, possibly threaten with the use of chainsaws and dark interrogation rooms, everyday skills all taught to him by Yagari) one of the servants to get this message delivered.

Having a goal was a necessity given how peaceful the days had so far passed, and with his cravings growing stronger he needed any distraction that presented itself.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnggg.

The quiet is ruined by the shrill of a doorbell and Zero blinks, frowning at the ceiling. Well, that was definitely a distraction but…had Kaname been expecting guests? Did he receive any guests in the middle of nowhere? Even with his Pureblood status, it seemed odd.

Oh well. Not his problem. If it was important, someone else would get it.

Riiing. Riiinnng.

Riiiiiiiiinnnnggg.

Throwing the pillow at the wall in anger, he stumbles off the bed and down the stairs, a prominent vein twitching above his brow.

"Zero-sama," Aido greets on the other side of the threshold, determination virtually sparkling in his eyes and blinding the hunter in their twinkling glory.

Zero slams the door shut.

He stares at the door. He frowns when the door receives several thuds that shake the structure. Screeches of Zero-sama reverberate and attack his ear buds. The conclusion he arrives at is that he must have fallen asleep earlier, is currently trapped in a nightmare, and the smart thing to do is go back to bed.

Moving to do just that, his legs carry him up a total of four steps before he hears the door open with a terrifying click.

Turning around slowly (resembling the main characters he's watched in horror films do before being brutally murdered), he spots Seiren next to the door handle, completely unapologetic despite the terror she's just let in.

Heavily panting, Aido rests his hands on his knees, grumbling incoherent colourful insults under his breath, and the two impassive vampires stare at him as they wait.

The noise must have attracted Seiren, Zero figures, and while there's no telling expression present, he thinks he can see a minuscule grimace each time Aido opens his mouth. He can relate.

"Thank you," Aido wheezes to her, finally composing himself, before twirling on Zero and stabbing an accusing finger in his direction. "You cretin! To shove the door in a nobles face! Any not just any noble, but the pride and joy of Kaname-sama's prized Moon Dorm!"

In Aido's flailing tantrum, Seiren had nodded to him and taken her leave. Strangely, Zero had felt like begging her to stay so he'd not be left alone with the animated blond haired vampire.

Wiping sleep from his eyes, he says, "I'm a cretin, huh. Weren't you calling me Zero-sama before?"

"Guh!" Aido actually backpedals, an inch away from falling back out the front door before shaking his upraised fist in a steadfast resolve. "Your attitude may be terrible but you are Kaname-sama's guest, so I must treat you with the same respect I would for him."

That sounded extremely unpleasant in every way possible.

"Just…address me like you did before," Zero insists and when Aido looks unconvinced he adds, "For both of our sanity's." Stretching out his stiff bones with a pop, his blue-eyed spectator blinking owlishly at him, he blurts, "Wait, why you are even here?"

Aido almost jumps to attention, hand twitching as if to salute. "I have been instructed to make sure that the council's ball is able to pass by without incident." He puts a hand to the side of his face as if to share a secret and whispers sourly, "By incident, I mean stopping a certain bad-tempered prefect from murdering any high ranked vampires that are innocent and bringing shame to Kaname-sama's name."

"There's no such thing as an innocent vampire," Zero rejects on instinct. "Instructed by who?"

"Kaname-sama, of course," Aido replies, then proceeds to daydream about his hero.

I recommend Aido-senpai, Zero had provoked Kaname before. Now he was paying the price. Apparently the Pureblood had a childish response when it came to harbouring grudges.

"Of course," he cynically duplicates, marvelling why he even bothered to ask. "Ignore that order. Go pester someone else."

"No, no, no," Aido prattles and jumps in his way, "there's the party that requires—"

The noble drifts off, a curious expression lighting up his features, quickly morphing into one of severe depression as he finishes sniffing the air.

Zero ignores the weird behaviour. "I know about your stupid soirée's."

"Sure," Aido bounces back, quick to agree, "but as a hunter's watchdog, not as an attendant. Plus, you have the honour of going as Kaname-sama's partner, so—w-woah!"

Hearing the word partner, Zero had lunged toward the unsuspecting noble, grabbed his forearms and pinned him to the wall, menacingly looming down on him.

"You really are mean, Kiryu! And hands off the merchandise! I only just brought this sweater!" Aido wails, causing Zero to shake him like a ragdoll until his teeth chatter.

Zero wore his best intimidating look. "Explain what you mean by partner."

It must have worked, because Aido practically wilted. "Alright! Alright! The thing is, you can't lie to a vampire noble," he brags, tapping his nose proudly. "There's really no need to be embarrassed, Kiryu. Anyone else in your position would be grateful!" When Zero's grip goes bone-crushingly painful, he speedily adds, "Kaname-sama's scent is all over you!"

His grip goes slack, shock taking the place of annoyance, and Aido zealously skips to the side, patting himself down with a petulant scowl but Zero's too caught up in his sudden bombard of thoughts to notice.

A brush of lips on his forehead. Hands mapping his skin. Earlier, when Kaname had basically been petting him for no good reason.

No, he'd had a reason.

"I'm going to kill him," Zero declares, more to himself than a thundering battle cry, but Aido looks aghast anyway.

xxx

Somehow, Aido persuades him to sit in the study with him, so they can discuss 'procedures' and important 'measures' that need to be taken at the ball. Papers and pencils are scattered around, names of suspect nobles and Aido's own notes blurring across his vision as he tries to focus.

Maybe years of giving into Yuki's persistence and wayward concepts of fun had worn him down, easy prey for enthusiastic aristocrats whose goal was to bore him to death.

Aido is chattering away about how 'he absolutely can't go to shake another's hand until Kaname-sama has first done so, because that would be oh so improper and if a vampire of lower status inquires of a personal matter he has the right to'—

Zero stops listening.

The party was a ploy anyway; it's only purpose to lure Rido's followers into exposing themselves, so who cared if he got a few mannerisms wrong?

Apparently Aido does, because he's still talking.

A sting pricks at his irises, and it's the only warning he gets before lilac dissolves into a heavy red. He hurriedly drops his head, letting his silver bangs cover his eyes, but it's too late.

"Oi, Kiryu," Aido gasps, "Your eyes—"

"Leave it," he cuts in before the aristocrat could start a tedious rant.

"You can't just 'leave it', imbecile!"

The insult would usually have Zero retaliating, but Aido's gaze is flickering around worriedly, as though looking for a solution for the stoic hunter.

"It'll pass," he assures, to himself and the noble.

It's said with a confidence he doesn't feel—false bravado a technique he's relied on since the day he first learned to talk—and unfortunately Aido sees right through it.

"This is the exact equivalent of a human depriving themselves of water. We need blood to survive, just the same as they need water. It's our life force, so it most definitely won't pass!" Aido scoffs, twirling in his chair as he looks away with a final huff. "The damage you're causing to yourself could be fatal!"

Words fly out of his mouth before his conscience can filter them. "Give me your blood then."

The cravings may be agonising at this point, but Zero would never actually succumb to drinking from Idol-senpai. However, now the proposal's out there, so he's curious about how Aido will react. Tormenting the blond always resulted in something entertaining.

Similar to an actor warming up before a play, Aido's expression goes through several emotions in quick succession—initial shock, indigent anger, blush-worthy embarrassment—before finally landing on enlightenment, which is the scariest one of them all.

"You haven't been—from Kaname-sama—but," Aido breaks off, multiple confusions pouring out in a bubbling mess. "And you think—and that he'd even allow me—"

"What's the big deal?" Zero cuts in, the aristocrat's haphazard and broken sentences making little sense to him. He smirks bitterly, self-loathing making his fingers clench. "This is what you vampires do all the time, right?"

Aido doesn't appear insulted like Zero was aiming for, but perplexed. "Kiryu, you really don't know about vampire matters at all, do you?"

Zero snarls. Any patience had scattered away a while ago.

The noble waves his hands frantically. "A-at least not of the traditional sort! But when it comes to hunting them you're amazing!" Zero's glare doesn't lessen, so he compliments sheepishly, "Did I mention how talented you are?"

Rubbing his eyelids in the hope it coaxes them back to their usual colour, Zero says, "So that's a no."

It's like he's asked a girl to go to the prom with him and got rejected. Not that he would know what that felt like, but the comparison seemed to fit.

"Sharing blood between two vampires is a lot different than what you seem to think," Aido lectures, arms poised in a 'what-can-you-do' gesture. "It's not a midnight snack," he glares pointedly at Zero (who sends back an intensified version), "but a connection that goes deeper than any relationships mere humans could ever experience. An irrevocable sign of trust, companionship, and sometimes even…."

The blush that erupts on Aido's face extends to even his ears, easily filling in the gap, and Zero decides to put him out of his misery before he faints.

"Yeah, I get it." Although he really wished he didn't.

"Great!" Aido nods, delighted. "So you should go see Kaname-sama right away when he gets back!"

The pencil Zero holds snaps in half.

xxx

Confronting the Pureblood about his peculiar behaviour seems effortless in theory, but it's been over a month since Zero last fed and the thirst he usually keeps sheltered by firm layers of pride is exposed, laid bare for all to see; eyes glowing, canines tingling and sanity beginning to feel like a past memory.

The thirst shouldn't be affecting him this much, he's handled the pangs for longer intervals, sometimes while even injured, but that had all seemed to change since…

…since he'd drank Kaname's blood, he becomes aware of. What was the pure blood doing to his system that meant it was breaking him down this quickly?

Thinking of the always sovereign Kaname seeing him in this state, a judgemental scowl and eyebrows furrowed in disgust presented on his customary impassive façade fills him with dread, but it's knowing he was more likely to attack Kaname in a chaotic rage that would only be sedated by one thing that keeps him locked in his room, trembling in the corner like a feral cat.

The time he spends there, clutching at his arms while trapped in the confines of his mind, nails digging in flesh in the hope of finding a buried calm, is unknowable. It must be over a day, because the aura that could only belong to a Pureblood is back and moonlight streams past closed curtains, the vampire part of him strengthening as the night begins, drawing a pitiful moan out of him.

Maybe that's what lures Kaname to his room.

"I had thought by now you'd have grown out of your rebellious phase," Kaname's frustrated voice still reaches him through the hazy fog.

"Go away, Kuran," Zero snarls, his speech leaving in an animalistic growl and any hope of hiding his condition is ruined.

"Evidently not," is Kaname's witty reply, spoken in a faint exhale.

Kaname doesn't abide his request, which isn't surprising, and he barely hears the click of the lock sliding open by the Pureblood's powers, his ears too filled with the pounding roars of inner turmoil. The light from the hallway spills in the room, past the form standing in the entrance, and Zero scutters away from it, burying his head in the interlocked arms around his legs.

He doesn't want anyone to see him like this—not even a friend, a sensei, one he called family—especially not a high and mighty Pureblood who would laugh at his pain.

"Must we go through this ordeal every time?" Kaname wonders aloud.

"It's nothing," Zero chokes out, though the hand that clutches at his throat betrays him. "Leave me alone."

Hearing the brush of fabric, Zero jolts his head up to see Kaname's moved next to the dresser, his long coat still on; he must have only just got back, to still be wearing his outdoor gear. Raising his eyes higher, Zero braves meeting the Pureblood's gaze.

The disgust Zero had expected isn't present on Kaname's face, but there's something he's not used to seeing conveyed there. He suspects it might be barely masked anger; it's an emotion he's seen enough times in the mirror imitated back at him.

Whatever Kaname sees reflected in his own gaze causes him to not move any closer, instead choosing to sit in the armchair that Zero's so far neglected, one leg crossed to support his elbow as he stares down at him, like a King would to a disobedient subject.

Zero doesn't care what the Pureblood does, as long as he continues to keep his distance.

"Please do share your grand plan with me, Kiryu," Kaname says, tone lightly mocking, but his eyes are sombre. "If you turn me away, what will you do?"

"I don't want your blood," Zero is quick to say but it's a lie, lie, lie.

"Perhaps not," Kaname allows. "But you need it."

He looks away with a snarl. He could hardly say he didn't, given the condition he's in.

Kaname idly waves a hand, curling in a finger with each cutting truth. "You have no Yuki, no blood tablets, no-one else to keep that beast inside of you tamed here. I believe this is what humans refer to as a dead-end."

"I'll figure something out," Zero snaps, before his mind fully registers what Kaname said. No tablets. "How did you know about…you didn't give me the tablets on purpose," he realises.

"I wasn't aware you desired something that would cause you illness," Kaname says, a diversion more than an answer and that's all the proof Zero needs.

The parts of the puzzle slide into place; the missing tablets, Kaname's question before he left, the close proximity—each attack tearing a piece of his armour off, leaving him unguarded. He manages to slide his back up the wall, standing on shaky legs that barely support him, but staying sitting isn't an option with the anger that's overtaken him.

"Let me guess, you're also responsible for disturbing my sleep the first night I came here." Zero laughs bitterly. "The sleep deprivation just makes it harder to control the urges, right?"

Kaname goes to protest at that accusation, but Zero's on a roll now, confined stress and anger now spilling past steel bars, relishing in the freedom.

"Smart, Kuran—really, you have my compliments. You're every bit the sadistic Pureblood I thought you to be."

"Calm down, Zero," Kaname cautions with a dangerous glare, but not even the use of his first name deters him.

"Was Aido part of your tactic too? Get him here to, what, tempt me after making sure he wouldn't let me touch him? I knew you were a scheming asshole but to use your own—"

A splintering crack shuts him up and he looks to the window—which was trembling. A quick glance at Kaname confirms why. There's a hand buried in Kaname's hair, gripping the tangled locks tightly, wild eyes peering through spread fingers as he clearly tries to reign in his control.

Tense seconds pass, filled with Zero's harsh breathing and rattling of the glass. The quavering slowly dies down, leaving a lengthy incision that runs up the whole of the glass, a tap away from breaking into jagged pieces. It's an palpable indication that Kaname's powers came undone for a split second, his patience wavering as anger rises.

"Now that I have your attention," Kaname sharply says, standing in one smooth motion, "you'll allow me to speak."

The tight clasp Kaname usually exhibits on brash reactions has vanished, the pretence of perfection crackling like the window and that's the moment Zero realises that, this time, his adversary isn't an inferior Level E who relied on erratic strength drove by hunger, but a Pureblood with all senses intact, cunning and power present beneath an icy exterior, creating a deadly combination.

Kaname's lips are drawn back enough for his fangs to be visible. "My reasons for prohibiting other vampires from touching you are my own selfish whims, not to cause you to suffer; you do that well enough on your own."

Zero gulps. For once his silence is caused by not knowing what to say, rather than his temperament.

"I had the tablets confiscated in the hopes it would keep you from reducing yourself to this state," Kaname admits. "Regrettably, I should have known that would do little to stop you."

"Don't talk like you know me!" he shouts, sick of being manipulated, sick of his traitorous DNA, and countering to Kaname stepping nearer he draws Bloody Rose, pointing the barrel at him in a blurred rush.

Kaname doesn't even blink.

"You stubborn, obstinate, prideful boy," Kaname snarls, drawing closer, and Zero's transfixed, the spring of his parched desires just a breath away. "I was waiting for you to come to me, but I refuse to watch you wither away after all I've invested because of your needless principles."

Bringing his arm to his mouth, intentionally at an agonisingly slow pace, Kaname's fangs imbed deeply in the sensitive inside of his wrist, and when they extract they're coated in tantalizing blood that run smoothly down his jawbone. Mouth painted in a rosy red, Kaname watches him with hooded eyes, waiting for him to make the next move. The sight causes Zero's whole frame to shiver, eyes filling with a uncontrollable desire as the copper scent consumes all over rationale, leaving behind only the ferocious crave.

It was almost like a burden had been lifted of his shoulders, all worries being replaced by the overwhelming want, the repercussions all belonging to another life and he leans forward, as if in a daze, his arm lunging forward to grab, hold, feel, wanting only to get closer and closer...

The flash of victory that Zero glimpses in Kaname's eyes is what yanks him back from the dark abyss he was willingly falling into.

It was like a mental shock, an icy ravine dousing the fire that had begun to devour his being, and using the confusion before his body could make him a slave to it's desires again, he pulls the trigger.

Maybe he's too far gone, eyes glassy; seeing but unfocused, with tremors messing up his otherwise accurate aim, or Kaname was always on guard despite his relaxed demeanour as the bullet doesn't even graze him, harmlessly embedding in the wall behind them. He goes to shoot again, but another hand encloses around Bloody Rose and yanks up, forcing him on his toes, his finger slipping inches from the trigger.

Kaname doesn't so much as hiss as the enchanted silver burns into his flesh, reacting harshly to the revered blood that flows within him, and keeps his eyes locked onto Zero's, even as Zero brings his free arm to push the Pureblood off balance. Kaname counters by simply grasping his wrist.

"If you're going to kill me, why don't you hurry up and finish it!" he shouts, a desperate yell entwined with venom when it becomes clear he's expertly trapped.

"I was trying to help you," Kaname calmly replies, his voice a whisper compared to Zero's. He traces one of the scars Zero's made on his forearm with a spare digit. "This resilience of yours is admirable but reckless."

"Why.." Speaking was a tedious task with his throat feeling like a lion had raked their claws down it's insides. "Don't lie. You don't help. Not.."

Not me, he almost says. But he's shown enough weaknesses in-front of the Pureblood, vulnerabilities that would never be forgotten and eventually be used against him.

"Why, you ask?" Kaname chuckles softly. "A question I've asked myself. Perhaps it's curiosity...no-one treats me like you do, the brave hunter who dares to regard me with such burning hatred in his eyes and the resistant vampire," he licks a strip of blood that had been sliding down his arm, causing Zero's eyes to light up ferociously, "who needs my blood more than anyone else, but continues to deny himself."

Zero doesn't notice the gun's been discarded of until he hears the thud it makes dropping on the carpet, but he can't tear his eyes away from where he can hear the Pureblood's pulse, a harmonic chime cradling his ears.

"Does it really matter why?" Kaname questions, bringing a bloodstained finger to his lips. "Zero...drink my blood." He smirks wickedly. "Besides, will you really give up the chance to injure your most hated vampire?"

Even in his dazed state, Zero could detect the manipulation; a rouse to lure him in. It's difficult to remember why he should be angered by such a ploy, when the source of his yearning is standing so close, neck bared in offering.

Closing the small gap between them, Zero catches a glimpse of Kaname's alluring features up close before his tongue is feeling for the prized vein in a single stroke up Kaname's neck, and everything fades to a welcoming obscurity as Zero's fangs finally delight in the art of piercing skin and drawing blood.

xxx

Note: Ughh..I forced myself to publish this because I despise it and I've given up trying to make it better. Sorry. I'm going to go bash my head against a wall now.

[VK is set in our future, so Latin dying out even more than it has seems believable. Maybe. Just don't question it. Shh.]