Hello! This is my first VK fic here. I hope you enjoy it. I can tell you that this isn't going to be a sappy love story right from the start – so for those wishing they confess in the start and jump into bed, I'm sorry. There will be sex (lemon), yes – soon, but not right away. There will be angst, hurt, and all of the above that makes finding your true feelings torture.

I truly hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please let me know. I wrote it fairly quickly (tonight as I waited for the ball to drop), so any grammatical errors or muckiness are mine. ;) Oh, and if my Spanish is horrible, blame Google and myself.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight – sadly.

"The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone". – George Eliot

Zero rubbed his hand over his face with a groan. His body felt like a truck had run him over twice, then three more times just to make sure he felt it. Maybe six shots of tequila was a bad idea – or perhaps it was eight; he had lost count once the clear glass had started to blur like a shining star. He didn't remember much after that point, or how he had gotten back to his hotel room.

At least he was done with the mission. He could drag his ass back to Japan now. He nearly had tackled Cross to the ground and ripped up the thin piece of paper that had sent him here. New Year's Eve and he had the pleasure of terminating a plague of recent E's that were becoming a rising problem in Mexico – they had even killed two nobles and a Hunter. So of course Kaname was around here somewhere – he tagged along, too, with two nobles murdered. The memory of his adopted-father telling him that he and Kaname could, "plane-pool", made him gag. But despite the pureblood tagalong, he had found himself immersed in Mexico, and it wasn't until last night, after a week of hunting, that he (and Kaname) had managed to dispense of the last E in the pack.

New Year's Eve and they had finally completed their mission, so it caused for some celebration. He had found himself downing drink after drink at the hotel's bar. The nighttime air was cool, the ocean breeze refreshing and the soft sand against his bare feet relaxing. Words spilled from the patrons that he didn't understand, but could only assume were encouragements to drink more. Hundreds of warm bodies had pressed against his, all with a glass or two as the clock ticked closer to midnight. He remembered the wails of excitement when the fireworks shot into the air, splashing the navy sky with bright, popping colors. No matter what language they spoke, he knew they had yelled, "Happy New Year," when the clock struck midnight.

He sat up abruptly. He may be sick soon if the room didn't stop spinning. Mexico's tequila was strong. And something the bartender had made him ingest—Fire Water—seared through his body. It had burned, scorched his throat like fire was being poured down it – true to the name, except the 'water' part; there was nothing refreshing about the drink. He vowed never to touch the drink again.

A warm breeze flittered into the room. The patio door curtains flapped against the ceramic tile floor, bringing him back from his thoughts. The moonlight crept up the patio stones and into the room. He could smell the salty ocean in the air. He glanced around his hotel room, blinking a few timed until it came into clear focus.

He jumped, as best as his body could, when a shadowy figured approached from the back patio. His senses told him whoever was stupid enough to enter a Hunter's room wasn't vampire – so it left him to believe it was someone from the city.

The figure detached from the shadows and stepped into the room.

"Senor Zero. Cómo fue su sueño?" A tall, dark skinned man stood in front of him with questioning eyes as black as his hair. He rubbed his left hand on his right arm, obviously nervous.

Zero cocked his head to the side, more than slightly baffled at the way the man was looking at him, awaiting an answer, as if he understood a word that came from the stranger's mouth. He had no idea who the man was, but through the mumbled Spanish words he picked up his own name. The guy knew him somehow.

He got up from the bed, nearly stumbling as he noticed his white button-up shirt was wide open and his pants were peeled apart at the button, open for all to see his boxers. He turned, clasped the button to his jeans, before turning around to face the stranger in his room.

"I have no idea what you're saying. Now go," said Zero. He tried his best to keep his jaw lax as the stranger mirrored the perplexed expression he had given the man moments ago. Apparently the stranger didn't understand Japanese. Great.

Zero sighed. He didn't understand Spanish. He had told Cross that before he had given him this assignment to Mexico. But no, of course his non-ability to communicate in a foreign land wouldn't matter to the Headmaster. The only ability he, or the Association, cared about was the silver piece that was tucked in the back of his pants right now. He rubbed his hand over the gun, silently wondering if he should test out the weapons protection against humans in another country.

And the man still stood there, staring at Zero, awaiting an answer he couldn't give.

Zero ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, I don't understand what you're saying." He thought hard about what he had heard the employees say to him when he had arrived. Trying his best to pronounce the word correctly, he said, "Conmigo?"

The stranger's eyes lit up. "Si, si! Donde?"

The man reached out and grabbed Zero's hand, and it wasn't the invasion of personal space that caused Zero's eyes to widened, his mouth to fall open – it was the glint of metal that shone when his hand was forced into the moonlight near the patio.

A ring. A gold ring was coiled around his left, ring finger.

"What the—?" Zero trailed off. He looked up at the stranger, his expression filled with terror. "We didn't—I mean, I wasn't that drunk…"

"So loud!" The voice came from the bed. A voice Zero had heard too many times to know without a doubt just who was lying in the bed behind him. Raw fear snaked up his spine as he turned around.

"Kuran?" asked Zero.

"You're too noisy," mumbled Kaname, his head pressed into his pillow.

Zero stared in shock at the pureblood. Only part of Kaname's body was visible above the sage-dyed comforter, but the part that was, was bare skin – pale, smooth skin, which meant Kaname was shirtless, and in his bed...

Zero nearly had forgotten about the stranger in his room until the man forced a dry cough. Zero turned, his anger visible through his narrow eyes, lifted lips and clenched teeth. He pointed to the patio. The man didn't have to understand Japanese to get the hint that he wanted him to leave. Now.

The stranger backpedaled through the patio door, nearly falling face first over a lawn chair.

"Why were you so harsh, Kiryu? You were the one that gave him your room number, after all." Kaname smirked as he threw the bed covers onto the floor. He acted nonchalant, buttoning his black dress shirt with slow care. "You're so mean. And an awful drunk."

"What do you mean I gave him my room number?" Zero fought hard to keep his voice under control. His head was pounding, and noise seemed to be the catalyst turning it into pure torture.

Kaname lifted a brow, his lips tugging upward into a satisfactory grin. "Just that. You got drunk last night, slipped him a napkin with the room number on it. It's kind of obvious that he came here searching you out," Kaname eyed Zero's body up and down before adding, "as a bed mate."

Zero ground his teeth together. He plopped down onto a sitting chair near the bed, his hands buried in his hair. "Why are you in my bed? What happened?" He swallowed hard before locking eyes with Kaname, complete vulnerability laced in his stare. "I think I married that guy."

Kaname scoffed. "That's ridiculous. I was merely playing. You told everyone what room you were in, Kiryu. You were never one for modesty, especially when intoxicated. He was hanging around you all night. As for us in the same bed, I don't know exactly. I think the New Year's party got the best of us. If you're thinking we were intimate, then you're mistaken."

Zero felt his blood rush to his cheeks as Kaname spoke that last sentence. Kaname had a way of making things sound so uncomfortable. Intimate? Though Zero supposed if he had said, "We fucked," it would have still made his face burn just the same.

He narrowed his eyes at Kaname again. Anger seemed the most effective route when he didn't have an appropriate response. "Don't you dare tell a soul about this, Kuran."

"To be honest, I don't recall enough of what happened to tell everyone about your drunken stupor." The flat delivery in Kaname's tone scared the shit out of Zero.

"What do you mean you don't remember? I thought you—you said—." His hands were in his hair again. "I don't want to know. Never mind."

"I'm being honest, Kiryu." Kaname drew closer, his left hand pinched closed around the sleeve on his right wrist as he buttoned his shirt cuff. "Just because I'm a pureblood, that doesn't prohibit me from indulging in the delicacies of a foreign country." He said it with an air of sophistication.

Zero rolled his eyes. "What a fancy way for saying you got piss drunk, too. The fact we ended up in bed together will remain in Mexico. Forever. I don't want to know."

"You still think I had my way with you?" Kaname snorted. "That's impossible."

"And how can you be so sure of yourself, Kuran? It's not like you remember what happened either?" Zero smirked in a told-you-so manner.

"I can be so sure, Kiryu," said Kaname, the arrogant grin back. "You're still sitting normally."

This time the blood rushed to Zero's face and ears. He could feel the blood paint his pale skin pink. Then decided he would shove Kaname's egotism down his throat and see how he liked it.

"Maybe you're not as good as you thought?" said Zero with a tilt of his head.

Kaname chuckled. "Well played, Kiryu." He leaned over Zero. Brown locks mixed with silver as he whispered in his ear, "Was that an invitation to prove just how good I am?"

He could feel Kaname's warm breath on his ear, how it caused his hair to flutter against his neck. But the defiance inside kept him to his chair. Kaname's breathing intensified, the rushing over his neck was like the soft, warm ocean breeze. His voice made his skin tremble he was so close.

Zero's hands gripped the side of the armchair. He knew Kaname was messing with him, trying to get him to react, and as much as he wanted to show the pureblood he could take the taunts, play the game, he was so close to bolting.

"Want me to show you what could have happened, Kiryu?"

Zero shot from the chair, pushing Kaname away. "Like hell—." But he couldn't continue. His eyes were glued to Kaname's hand as the pureblood tried to button his other sleeve cuff.

The moonlight danced a silver line around the gold band wrapped around Kaname's left, ring finger—just like the one he wore on his own finger.

"Wake up," he muttered. "Bad dream. Nightmare. Wake up, Kiryu." He continued to walk back until he hit the wall.

"What?" Kaname asked, a crinkle of confusion showing on his forehead.

"It's you," Zero whispered, wide eyed. He pointed at Kaname's raised arm. "Kill me."

"What are you being all dramatic—" Then Kaname's eyes landed on the gold ring. "Oh, I see." His ring finger suddenly felt very heavy.

They locked eyes, panic intertwined in both. In unison: "We got married?"