YA: I don't Vampire Knight

Despair is always darkest before it goes pitch black.

–unknown

Recap:

Seiren managed to escape the main portion of the crowd and ended up disappearing, walking in a random direction and promptly deciding that it was a good day to skip class.

After a few minutes of walking, she came to a sitting area and slowly started to relax.

Maybe if she pretended long enough the problem would go away.

The three-day class stared at her from behind her from a window. Heavily raking their gazes up and down her form. With sly grins, they decided that today was an excellent day to break curfew rules.

Looking up from his place in his room by the window he watched three guys trail after the female. It was at this moment that Zero Kiryuu decided he needed to follow his master's advice and get a bloody doctor for his bleeding heart.

Sighing he closed his book and grabbed his jacket and his gun he swept out of his room to trail after them.

Sometimes Zero wondered if he was the only one in the day class who had any common sense. The day class girls had lost their damn minds fawning over the Night Class like they were a bunch of rabid squirrels with their twitchy attitudes and reckless behavior.

The day class boys were just as bad in the hunter's eyes. Finding ways to be mailed alcohol and other substances and while some of the girls did that too but it wasn't as bad or they were just better at hiding it from him.

The guys made stupid jokes and tried to assert their authority over the physically weaker males but since most of the bullied teens realized that they were not, in fact, in a cheesy high school drama movie reported the bullying which in turn made the teachers watch the bullies more closely or in some cases the victim just rolled their eyes and kept walking, knowing full when if they were assaulted that was just more evidence against their perpetrator.

Most realized pretty early on that their parents would be informed on the third report and since True Cross was a private school with a strict anti-bullying policy they realized they would get nowhere with such a ridiculous vendetta and stopped.

Unfortunately, a small population of students did not learn. These poor excuses for the male species were a fine example of what not do. Stalking a girl you happen to be interested in is not a good way to get her to notice you.

Stalking her with two other guys was an even worse idea. Why these guys would hit on a girl together and put themselves in direct competition of their friends Zero had no idea but his mind couldn't help but wander to the darkest posible option. He'd hear other hunters talk about it. Knew it happened but he was just being paranoid.

Don't get him wrong he wasn't worried for Seiren. Not at all. She is a pureblood vampire after all. She could take down three teenage guys with no fighting experience in seconds and the guys would deserve whatever she decided to deal out short of turning them into Level Ds.

Truth be told the only reason he was following the Day Class members was because he wanted the pleasure of punishing them himself .

Seiren was now thoroughly annoyed. She had been the only one to spot Kaname leaving the scene before Kiryuu had even finished his sentences. Always quick on the uptake she had chosen to leave soon after him.

She had noticed the three human males trailing after her almost as soon as they started. She briefly considered confronting them but discarded the thought.

Slightly annoyed she made her way into a blindspot and sped away. She found a decently secluded place. She spotted a nice, wooden bench to sit and relax on.

At some point she must have drifted off. Not that anyone could blame her in the peaceful environment. As such she was immediately alerted to what could have woken her up.

Casting her senses across the area she spotted one of the three boy who had been following her earlier. Of the three, the one had bleached blonde hair began to approach her. Now slightly annoyed Seiren began to walk away only for the other two to cut her off.

A rather plain one said something to her most likely asking where she was going but she couldn't bring herself to care. She was tired and since she had this opportunity to skip class she was going to find a nice place well away from a certain vampire and sleep in peace until she was called upon. Looking at the three boys who had probably been saying something while she stared off into space she turned around and started to walk away.

The third, a thin, gangly teen with brown hair and eyes grabbed her wrist, "Wait! You never answered us!" He frowned at her looking mildly offended.

Seiren paused, pondering whether she should break out of her grip or not, "What is it." She said flatly, inwardly sighing.

The bleached blonde opened his mouth to say something but the plain one hit his arm in order to get him to be quiet.

The brunet was the one to speak again, "We were wondering why you were skipping class. Was there some kind of trouble?" He asked.

For a second Seiren didn't answer glancing down where he was grabbing her. The brunet followed her gaze. His mouth formed an 'o' shape before he quickly releasing her wrist.

"Sorry." He muttered quickly looking bashful.

Seiren nodded her head in acceptance. She paused for a moment before deciding to answer his question, "A small disturbance." She said before tacking on, "I'll be heading to class now."

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Plain-looking asked.

Seiren nodded, "Yes."

The bleached blonde frowned, "You could stay with us for a while. We certainly wouldn't mind." He grinned at her looking over at her appreciatively.

A soft, familiar, silky voice interrupted "Seiren is there a problem here?"

All three of the Day Class boys startled to look at where Kaname had appeared. The pureblood's eyes locked onto Seiren's. Although appearing to hold his usual cold composure the younger girl could see the subtle question through his body language.

The silver-violet haired girl minutely shook her head before making a slight motion with her hand to single that although they weren't bothering her she wouldn't mind an excuse to leave.

The silent conversation ended and Kaname took over the conversation, "I thank you three for keeping Seiren company, however, we must be returning to out dorms now." The pureblood continued before they could open their mouths, "You should return to your own as well before Kiryuu manages to hunt you down."

With that in lieu of the vampires parting words the two turned around and left leaving three disgruntled humans behind.

Yuuki couldn't find her fiance and it was putting her in a fowl mood. She had shaken off the incident with the fangirls knowing how hard it was to contain those beasts, who her human self found exasperating at worse had defied her, ignored her . Someone who was clearly above them now that her relationship with Kaname was all but sealed. She was merciful enough not to be too harsh on them. They lived in ignorance about what and who she was after all.

She could however take her annoyance out on those who were aware. Kaname's, and therefore Yuuki's, loyal followers had left her. She would make them pay for there insubordination but for now she had to find them.

Her keen hearing picked up three sets of footsteps traipsing along. Just as she was about to dismiss them and go on her way their voices carried over to her.

"–were so close." One of them complained.

Another broke off a twig from a nearby tree and snapped it in frustration, "Yeah, that Night Class girl was this close to letting her guard down."

"Yeah, if Kuran hadn't interrupted we totally would've got her." The third's voice was laced in displeasure his face forming an ugly sneer. He brushed bleached hair out of his face.

Yuuki froze at the mention of her fiance.

The brunet snapped the stick in half again and gave a crooked grin, "Yeah but at least we know she ain't against having a little fun."

The one who Yuuki had first heard talking asked, "What do you mean?"

Rolling his brown eyes the other answered, "You think that Kuran and that Seiren chick were in the middle of the woods together for no reason?" He laughed to himself and the others joined in.

From where she was eavesdropping, Yuuki's eyes glowed red as an insane jealousy took over her. Without making a sound she turned on her heel and made her way to the dorms.

If she had waited a few minutes longer she would have seen Zero come down on the trio.

It was a few days later that Yuuki decided that something needed to be done about how close Seiren was to her Kaname. Honestly, the brunette pureblood should have realized that the quieter girl was hoping to steal Kaname's attention away from her.

At first she had marched to the living area in search of Seiren in order to confront the girl but as she arrived she noticed that that the other girl was having tea with another person.

Kaname.

Her rages quelled at seeing her fiance. Of course he was just being polite. Chatting mildly with other people to ease his boredom while she was absent. Yuuki knew enough about Kaname to realize that he was utterly in love with her and practical to a fault. He was just being courteous.

She smiled brightly and skipped over to where they were seated and leaned gracefully on his arm. He immediately turned all his attention on her, like it should be, and began asking her about her day.

'Always so perfect.' She sighed inwardly.

Sometimes she wished Kaname wasn't so disciplined. Personally Yuuki had a little fantasy in her head about seducing him into being just a tad more unrestrained but she decided she could wait to play out some of her more vivid dreams until they were married.

The conversation continued and Kaname, obvious hoping to make sure Seiren didn't feel like a third wheel, included her in the conversation the best he could.

Soon, under Yuuki's watchful Kuran eyes, it became obvious that the girl favored the male pureblood. Often times when the elder Kuran asked her question she would respond with longer sentences but when Yuuki tried to include her she would answer with monosyllabic answers.

Yuuki had already known about Ruka's evident crush on her fiance and she had been easily dealt with but Seiren was much more subtle about her feelings. She loved Kaname but the way she showed it was so easily missed that it Kaname wasn't alarmed or aware of her feelings and as such did not feel the need to hold his shadow at arm's length.

She had known that Purebloods were scheming, deceitful beings but this meant that Seiren would have to be dealt with in a more 'delicate' way.

Seiren had an encounter with three rather interested boys a few days ago. Vaguely, Yuuki wondered how interested.

Seiren was sitting with Yuuki sipping tea that the other pureblood had insisted that she put sugar in. The bodyguard reluctantly picked up the tea cup and sipped its contents. Yuuki smiled sweetly from across her. Seiren tried to ignore her the best she could trying not to wrinkle her nose at the obnoxious amount of perfume the girl was wearing.

They chatted idly, aka forced politeness and barely hidden disdain, before the brunette pureblood finally decided to drop the act.

"I don't want to see you anywhere near Kaname unless its for work matters." She declared as if it was law.

Seiren tilted her head submissively knowing that the girls demand was impossible but not willing to argue with her. Yuuki took her silence as an answer and continued on, "Do me a favor and don't return to the moon dorms tonight." She beamed before finishing her cup of tea and leaving.

As soon as she was out of sight Seiren rolled her eyes so hard that it hurt. At this point she was wondering whether to tell Kaname what an utter bitch his little sister was being but decided to wait until later when Yuuki was less likely to scream at her.

With a sigh she stood and walked towards the woods to clear her head. She didn't know how long she was walking when her limbs started to feel heavy. She slowed down feeling slightly dizzy. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her head.

Somehow she had managed to navigate herself to the small clearing she had found the other day although she couldn't remember how she got there. She nodded off slightly. For a moment she thought she thought she heard someone talking but the thought passed quickly.

She looked up at what she thought were faces and for a moment she thought she felt hands press against her skin. She attempted to bat it way, hands touched her skin again Seiren batted it away again this process continued several times.

Eventually she found that she couldn't move her hands anymore. Her consciousness flitted and she wasn't sure how long she had been there or how long the hands had been touching her when she saw silver flash across her vision.

Zero was annoyed. The three day class boys he had caught sneaking out had done it again. He stalked around the woods looking for traces of tracks or something that indicated that people had moved through the area. Sometimes the hunter wondered why Cross felt the need to put his school in the middle of the woods but decided he didn't feel the need to question it.

He caught a trail about ten minutes into his hunt. He moved silently, making sure not to trample any of the tracks. He recognized the area he was in and knew the three boys were most likely headed to the clearing up ahead. The silverette had once caught other students skipping class and using the area to smoke before and it would not surprise him if the three were doing the same.

Zero moved his way into the clearing and froze. His mouth parted in horror because he knew that Sei–the girl would have never consented to something like this. The creature that lurked in his head screamed and it spurred him into action. The one pinning the girls hand hit the ground with a thud, the second had been knocked back with a solid kick to the stomach.

He stared down at the third, he wasn't sure how his face looked at the moment but it was enough that the guy scrambled away from the dazed vampire.

The situation felt like it was crushing Zero. He had never dealt with something like this. He had been told about situations like these that hunters could encounter but it didn't stop the bile from rising to the back of his throat or the way it pressed against his lungs.

He lashed out a leg and in moments all three were unconscious. He was breathing harder than he would usually be. He glanced at Seiren. She was staring in his direction but not exactly at him.

He kneeled down checking her over for injuries the best he could. Gently as he could Zero wrapped her in his jacket before delicately picking her up. He took his phone out and called Cross.

The man picked up after a single ring, "Zero? Is something wrong? You never call." He said.

Somehow the silverette had managed to keep his tone steady as he talked, "You to start making preparations to expel three day class students and call the Vampire Council and the police."

Zero could practically hear Cross pausing, "Zero?" The man questioned.

"I'm taking Seiren to the nurse's office. You need to get the nurse to take pictures of her injuries before they heal and test for drugs." The silverette's voice was hollower than usual but he managed to keep his composure.

"I-I understand."

The hunter hung up the phone. By the time Zero arrived the school's nurse was already there, in pajamas and looking rather dishevilled and with a grim look on her face, prepared to take her. She requested that Zero put the now unconscious girl on one of the bed.

He did as instructed and headed back. As soon as he made his way back to the forest the rage returned full force. Anger sprawled across his features he reached into his pockets and pulled out his phone, he sent a quick message to Cross before he turned back to drag the half concussed boys being a lot ruffer than he had to as he did.

When he arrived at the blonde's office Zero dropped the three unconscious things on the floor. Cross didn't comment on it but the chairman's expression had turned blank but it was the man's eyes that told the younger that the older man was about to release absolute hell on them.

Takuma was standing a few feet away from the silverette, for once lacking the usual smile somewhere in him Zero realized that the blonde vampire must have been in the room when the hunter had first called Cross.

Before the other could even say a word Zero spoke. "Seiren is safe. Sleeping. Healing. Take me to Kuran."

Worry still marred the blonde's features but he did as he was told. Apparently still in shock about how something like this could happen to another vampire. A question that Zero had been pondering himself that needed to wait.

They arrived at the Moon Dorms and made their way to Kuran's office, Takuma knocked once but didn't wait to be invited in.

Kaname barely even looked up at them, he looked mildly surprised to see Kiryuu in his office but immediately figured that the hunter was here to inform him that one of the night class members had been wandering around again.

"Kaname..." Takuma said softly, "You need to hear what Kiryuu-kun has to say."

The blonde was aware that his best friend had practically been drowning in paperwork and not likely to be very interested in talking but he didn't know how he could explain the situation out loud and remain composed himself.

The pureblood frowned, "My apologies Kiryuu, Takuma but I'm afraid that it has to wait. The council demands that I finish this immediately."

It was a dismissal. Not a suggestion. Takuma was now required to leave. He wanted to protest but the words caught themselves in his throat and he choked, his eyes burning. Seiren needed their leader's help.

Zero's face went completely blank, "Ichijo. Leave the room." Takuma seemed to hesitate for a moment but the look in the other's lilac eyes stopped him.

Kaname needed to hear this and if Zero was the only one who was able to get with defying his friend' orders than so be it. The blonde knew that the brunette could be stubborn and with this, this, was something that Kiryuu would do with absolutely no bias.

With a frown Takuma excused himself from the office lingering in the hallway as he waited for an inevitable explosion.

Kaname continued his paperwork in silence for a few moments before he looked up. Zero was staring at him, the other's expression was completely blank. No emotions but what caught the pureblood's attention was the hunter's eyes.

"She couldn't stop them, Kuran. Someone drugged her."

" What. " It was not really a question but his mind spun. For a moment horror flashed across his face before it settled into utter outrage.

Zero looked at him with a detached expression. Inwardly, something inside of him purred. The fact that Kuran was so protective over Seiren was pleasing in a strange way.

The hunter watched as Kaname's fangs slipped through his lips and his pupils narrowed into slits and the wine-color of his eyes glimmered a vibrant crimson. The pureblood walked around his desk, his face morphing into an expression that was deceitfully calm.

The only thing that gave away the brunette's inner storm was the next few words he uttered, "hwæt dōn– What did they do to her?"

Filing the old english away to the back of his mind for the moment, Zero merely lifted a silver eyebrow, appearing completely disinterested and unworried at the hefty aura that had rapidly filled the room.

The hunter schooled his features, "What was that Kuran? I thought you were to busy for such an 'unimportant matter'," He mocked.

Kaname's eyes burned. Silently, informing the hunter that the taunting was not welcomed at the moment.

The pureblood vampire seemed to be radiating heat as he attempted to reign in his rage. By now he was mere feet away from Zero and while the hunter was not the cause of his rage he was figuratively standing in the way of someone under the pureblood's protection and her attackers by deliberately withholding information.

Pleased that the Pureblood was now showing a proper amount of emotion, Zero gave his explanation in short clipped sentences.

At some point the hunter's voice had faded into nothing but a deceptively calm timbre.

Outwardly Kaname's only sign of any emotion was his eyes turning into a beastly red. Something savage in the depths of the leader's mind had prowled from the darkest trench in the pureblood's consciousness and howling and writhing in madness as it strained against its bonds.

Kaname disappeared the moment that Zero had finished. Takuma and Zero remained in the office for a few moments before leaving without a word and the blonde was left to his own devices.

Zero headed for the nurse's office.

Seiren had flung herself and buried her face into the Moon Dorm President's chest as soon as he arrived, silent sobs muffled by the pure blood's silk shirt. The school's nurse was nowhere to be seen. Kaname crooned gently, holding her as gently as he could. Softly mumbling words of comfort.

The sound of the hinges on the door alerted Kaname to the other presence in the room. The brunette watched as the hunter cautiously made his way towards the two. Stopping just a respectable distance away one hand held out a packet of blood tablets. Slowly, as to not alarm Seiren he gently took the tablets. Kaname turned his attention back to his subordinate.

The normally stoic vampiress had noticed the silverette and without warning one of her hands reached for Zero.

The hunter tried to shy away but Seiren's hand managed to catch his wrist. It was a testament to how upset she was that when she pulled his arm it was hard enough that it would have removed his arm from it's socket if he hadn't allowed himself to be pulled along.

He hit Kuran's shoulder with a hiss as she gripped his wrist tighter. Mildly uncomfortable Zero glanced down at the vampire. Unknowingly his expression softened. He gently reached out his free hand in placed it on her head. Seiren started to cry harder and for a moment the silverette considered pulling his hand away.

Kaname stopped him.

If the hunter was what calmed one of his then despite the pureblood's dislike the lavender-eyed man. Seiren seemed to what his presence and it was his duty to give her anything she needed while she remained distressed. So Kiryuu would stay even if Kaname was mildly uncomfortable letting the other male close to him.

A deep, threatening rumble was what managed to stir Zero the next morning. At some point yesterday Seiren and consequently Zero and had been moved to the bed. The aforementioned vampire had nuzzled herself into the crook on Zero's left side with a single had resting losely above Zero's hip.

Attempting to blink away the remains of sleep Zero glanced around the dimly lit room. Small amounts of sunlight peeked through the curtains but light steamed in from the open nurse's door. It took a moment to process that the growl's source had come from the pureblood standing next to it.

Finally as all his senses returned to him he registered the low tones Kuran was talking in. The person outside the door's voice was getting increasingly more annoying the longer the conversation went on.

Several moments passed before the sound of Yuuki's shrill voice came through, –can't I come in? She needs someone with her." If the hunter had been more awake he would have gagged at the false sweetness in her tone.

Unfortunately for the spoiled princess Kaname was an unbreakable wall. The male brunette wasn't having it.

"She has me to look over her. I have already informed the chairman that she will decide on visitors when she wakes." With that final statement the Vampire King closed the door without a farewell.

If anyone else had witness the event they would have fallen to the floor and praised Kuran's name. As it was Zero in the room he met Kaname's gaze unflinchingly before settling back down.

For a while Zero watches as Kaname strides across the room. The Pureblood had shed the his human mask and now seemed every bit of the predator he was. Red eyes glowed, fangs out and body taut. Fully prepared to attack anyone that breached the pureblood's temporary territory.

Eventually, Kaname managed to settle on the corner of the bed where his beloved subordinate was sleeping. Kiryuu had gotten up to leave for his day classes. Or, at least, that what he assumed considering Kiryuu had gotten up without a word and walked out of it in dead silence.

This situation had left Kaname unsettled and brought up memories he thought had long since turned to dust.

The pureblood had once been interested in finding someone that he could be his bonded. Before he had been Kaname Kuran, son of Juri and Haruka Kuran, he had been their ancestor.

Obviously, to have descendants he had to have a woman to bare them. When he was three-hundred forty-two, a couple centuries into his rule, his council had begun to pressure him into finding a wife.

A Queen is a symbol of prosperity and timeliness they had reasoned. A sign that their government was stable and should the marriage produce a child it would give others a peace of mind that should anything befall their king, an unthinkable thought for many, they would have someone to keep the peace.

Kaname had known the situation was inevitable. The King had managed to fend off an arranged marriage just long enough to discover a pureblood woman, Akito Chikao, with raven hair and equally dark eyes who had fallen in love with a with one of her Level D servants.

Her lover, Hakaku Kioshi, the former fourth son of a human noble, was stable thanks to her blood. Kaname had approached her with a deal. He would keep her lover a secret, allow her freedom to visit her lover as long as she bore one of his children.

Being completely loyal to her partner, having no idea that he was her king and the fact she had refused him while trying to rip his eyes out of his skull had led to a rather awkward situation.

At the time Kaname had to send some of his more overzealous followers away and invited Hakaku into the room, while he calmly explained the situation to the two. This, of course, resulted in Akito once again trying to maul him.

Kioshi was the more thoughtful of the two. He was very aware of his political status among the vampire's and what the Pureblood King was offering them was generous.

A large, more possessive and controlling, part of disliked the idea of Akito sleeping with another man but he recognized their positions.

Kaname left that day with no answer but within the next month a deal was struck and as time passed he grew fond of them. Akito, while insistent that she would never be with another man besides Kyoshi outside of their deal, had a dry sense of humor. Opposite to her, Kioshi, outside of his occasional jealousy, had a sharp mind and a knack for politics.

The two were not like fire and ice as they first appeared. No, they were like Yin and Yang. So, so similar but appearing so different.

They, in return, noticed that despite his devoted followers and the endless admiration he received, Kaname was a solitary creature. Outside of meetings and social gathering he would sit alone, silently reading his books or finishing his royal duties.

Akito and Kiyoshi would notice how his eyes would linger on them when they were doing something that seemed so average to them that it had taken the two a while to make the connection. Leaning into the other's touch, pet names, verbal sparring and the unconditional love they seemed to give in spades were all things that the Pureblood King envied.

Things he couldn't have.

Not in this lifetime anyway.

Does having an audience for your sins make you feel special?

Does it make you feel proud?

– Alucard

Sorry for the wait!

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