A/N: Ack! So sorry for the wait (and the crappy title) guys T-T Senior year's kind of crazy and as much as I want to update every week, my schoolwork always gets in the way (i.e., AP studio art and design is going to kill me). Seriously, I typed this up while I was waiting for my watercolor to dry :P
Disclaimer: VK is owned by Matsuri Hino, not me.
Chapter 5- Blood Moon
"Zero?" She called out again.
Yuuki heard the slight intake of breath and the sound of rustling hay, immediately feeling relieved. Good, he's here.
Before she could go any further a blur of white was at her side. The animal neighed loudly, rearing up on its forelegs angrily.
"W-white Lily?! Calm down, please! I need to speak to Zero!" She tried vainly to soothe the animal, hesitantly reaching out towards the horse.
It neighed again, nearly biting the brunette's hand in a blind rage.
"Alright, I'm leaving. Zero, I'll be waiting in the dorm so come back soon, okay?" She yelled, nearly sprinting out of the stables.
Zero sighed in relief, eyes once again a calming amethyst. "Thank you, Lily..."
The horse shook its head up and down, neighing softly.
She had tried to stay up and wait for him, honestly. The girl had even thought of the ingenious (well— she thought it was a good idea, anyway) idea of sitting on Zero's bed. But, the night was growing dark and the more and more she waited the more she felt he wouldn't show.
Eventually, despite her best efforts, her eyes fluttered closed. In minutes she was asleep, short brown locks in disarray against the soft sheets. Soft snores escaped her lips as the silver-haired prefect walked in, surprise evident in his handsome features.
His first instinct was to wake her, but when he gently touched her shoulder she moved towards his touch, mumbling a few broken words, "Onii-sama... don't go."
Her hair had parted, revealing the smooth column of her neck. He opened his mouth, already feeling his fangs lengthening. With much effort, the silverette took in a shaky breath before bringing his arms around her. He placed the sleeping girl under the covers of his bed before bolting out of the room. Her eyes fluttered open just as the door closed.
"Zero?"
It was suffocating. Everything was suffocating. Each gasp came out harder than the last until the teen found himself suddenly weakened, crumbling to the wooden floor with a thud. He pulled at his tie, hoping that it would somehow ease the heaviness in his chest.
"Damnit..." He growled again, feeling the tattoo on his neck begin to ache. It glowed a dark crimson in the night, nearly burning his skin as it tried futilely to chain the beast that roared inside of him. His body convulsed sporadically as he dug his fingers into the floor. The digits left long, vertical marks in the wood.
It was too late, he had to do it now, before he turned into a monster. Already, he could feel his conscience slipping from the pain of bloodlust. Eyes a dark crimson, he brought the gun to his temple, feeling the dull ache of his fangs when he clenched his teeth together in a growl.
If he was going to die, it was going to be as a human.
"Zero?" A timid voice called down the staircase, eyes widening at the sight.
"What are you doing, stop!" She cried, running towards him before tackling the man. They ended up a tangled heap on the floor, sprawled out in the middle of the Moon Dorm corridor. Zero kept his head bowed as he reached vainly for the gun. Yuuki cradled the weapon to her chest, glaring at the teen.
"Yuuki... g-give me back the gun." He choked out, the scent of her blood nearly suffocating. It hung heavy in the air, a tantalizingly floral scent, reminding the silverette of a field of sunflowers.
"No! I'm not going to let you hurt yourself!"
"Please... before it's too late. Kill me, now." He finally looked up, revealing his true nature: that of a vampire. Yuuki gasped at the sight of fangs and crimson eyes but remained rooted in place.
Zero is... a vampire? But he was nice and he never tried to hurt me...
"D-do you u-understand now? K-kill me b-before I hurt you." He pleaded through clenched teeth, already feeling his body curl towards the closest source of blood.
She shook her head, cinnamon eyes warm and full of resolve. "No. I won't. You'll just have to hurt me." There was no other option. Sweeping back her hair, she revealed the smooth expanse of her neck.
"S-stop..." He started, only to feel his body move towards her despite his protests. He gritted his teeth as Yuuki continued to smile gently.
Her heartbeat fluttered quickly at the feeling of his hands on her shoulders. Hot puffs of breath tickled her skin as he dipped his head lower.
"I'm sorry." He finally breathed before sinking his fangs into her flesh. She let out a sharp intake of breath at the pain but brought her hands up to encircle the man in an attempt to comfort him. It's alright Zero. I don't hate you.
Everything made sense now, from his cold, outward demeanor to his random bouts of disappearance.
The vampire stilled immediately at the contact, fingers loosening slightly from her shoulders as he continued to drink, albeit more slowly. The dull ache that had seemingly plagued him his entire life had been quenched for a time, now but an ember of the agony it once had been.
Yuuki eventually felt the pain ebb away into that of a heavy sleepiness, a calm, almost euphoric experience where her eyes began to droop closed despite her protests. It felt like there was a gentle flame in her blood that brought a sudden, warm lethargy to her bones. It required all her effort to keep her arms around the teen's broad shoulders.
Zero noticed her embrace slack and immediately pulled away, blood coating his lips and chin. My blood, she thought, tiredly bringing a hand to her neck. She could feel the slick heat of the crimson trailing to her collarbone and she felt as if she should be alarmed but instead, relaxed in the man's arms. She was so sleepy...
The world grew fuzzy and dark, punctuated by the gentle flutter of her slowing heartbeat. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness were the grief-stricken, amethyst eyes of her roommate. That felt nothing like I imagined it would be... She thought, slowly drifting off to sleep.
Kaien Cross found himself startled awake by the sound of yelling, followed by heavy footsteps. Turning on the lamp at his side and reaching for his glasses, the chairman shuffled out of bed. What could someone need at this hour?
"Kaien! Help, please!" The familiar voice of his adopted son rang through the house. Sienna eyes widened in surprise.
"Zero?" He called out, opening the door.
In front of the doorway he saw the crumpled figure of the boy and an unconscious person in his arms. It took him moments to realize it was Yuuki. Blood had fallen on the collar of her shirt, mixing in with her messy locks and alabaster skin.
Wordlessly, the ex-vampire hunter grabbed the woman from Zero's arms, placing her gently on his bed. He shuffled into the adjoining bathroom, finding a first-aid kit before returning to the brunette.
He checked her pulse, relief washing over him. Good. Her heart rate's steady. She's in no immediate danger.
"Zero, can you go wet some towels?"
The teen obeyed, mechanically walking towards the hallway closet to take out a few towels. Wetting them in the sink, he returned, regret apparent in his lilac orbs.
The headmaster took the towels, turning again towards the silent boy. "You can leave now, Zero. I'll make sure he's alright. Get some sleep. We'll discuss this tomorrow."
"B-but-"
"Go, Zero. Yuuki-kun will be fine." He said again softly.
Reluctantly, the silverette left the room, closing the door softly behind him. He leaned against it, eyes shut. He had hurt Yuuki... he had become the very monster he hated.
Clenching his fists, he bit his lip, eyes flashing crimson. There was still a hint of Yuuki's blood on his tongue; sweet and intoxicating. Inwardly, he cursed the beast inside of him who already hungered for more.
"What have I done?" He murmured, spirit broken. Running a hand through his hair, he started walking in the direction of the Moon Dorms.
Nothing is the same anymore. And it can never return to how it was before. A monster cannot become human again...
Yuuki awoke, shying away from the light that filtered in through the tall windows with a groan. Opening her cinnamon orbs, she realized that the room was definitely not her dorm. Where am I? For a moment she sat bewildered, shifting through her hazy memories for an answer. The sudden movement brought pain to her neck and as she reached to touch the band-aid a rush of memories assaulted her.
Zero… he's a vampire. And last night…
There was a light knock on her door as a familiar blonde-haired man entered, holding a plate of food. He smiled brightly, "It's good to see that you're awake, Yuuki-kun! I made you some breakfast. Zero's downstairs. You can come down whenever you're ready."
He handed her the plate of food before quickly leaving, giving the girl no time to ask him a question. Sullenly, she stabbed at her food with her chopsticks, chewing thoughtfully. Eh, this tastes disgusting! What did he put in the rice?!
Dropping the red chopsticks and pushing the plate away, she sighed. At least Zero is alright… The girl bit her lip, eyebrows furrowed in worry. He probably hates himself right now. I don't understand much of this, but Zero shouldn't feel guilty! It's not his fault!
Pulling the covers off of herself, she reached for the doorknob, fingers trembling. Shaking her head, she opened the door, heading towards the stairs.
"I don't know if you can continue to go here as a student, Zero. You may endanger other humans." Kaien's voice drifted through the living room as Yuuki stood at the top of the staircase.
"I know. I'll pack my bags."
Zero can't leave! Not now!
"W-wait!" She cried, running down the stairs. Both men turned to her as she spoke again, voice wavering. "P-please, don't make him go. I can help! H-he can still go to school. Don't punish him for s-something he can't control."
Kaien sighed. "I don't want to do this, Yuuki-kun, but—"
"No! There's got to be something we can do, right? I'll help in any way I can!"
"Yuuki…" Zero started, guilt apparent in his amethyst orbs. "It's better this way. If I go somewhere where I can't hurt anyone—where I can't hurt you—"
"I don't want you to leave!" She finally blurted out, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "You're my friend and roommate, Zero. I trust you."
Her words brought a smile on the Chairman's lips. "Well, there is something we can do…"
"Are you sure about this?" Yuuki questioned, turning towards the Chairman. He nodded, clasping the bracelet onto her wrist.
"Yes. If he gets out of control just bring the bracelet to the tattoo on his neck. Here, it will be easier to show than explain." He ushered the brunette towards the silver-haired teen.
Hesitantly, Yuuki brought her wrist to tattoo, shutting her eyes. There was a sound of a gasp and a thud as she opened her eyes in surprise. The man was sprawled out comically on the wooden floor, shadowy daggers keeping him in place.
"Are you alright, Zero?" She asked in concern, rushing to his side. He grunted in affirmation, remaining still until the vampire hunter spell wore off.
"Oh my, I almost forgot!" The Chairman cried, rushing out of the room. Both teens exchanged worried glances as he returned, holding a small black box.
"This is for you, Yuuki-kun. You'll need a vampire hunter weapon if you want to protect the school as a prefect. Hopefully Artemis takes to you."
The girl accepted the box, opening it to reveal a small cylindrical object. It fit snugly in her hand, not nearly as heavy as she thought it would be.
"Now, press the button on the side."
She obeyed, letting out a gasp of surprise as the object lengthened, turning into a long pole.
"It will spark when it comes into contact with a vampire. Just be careful and try not to hit Zero-kun, alright?" He teased, despite the harsh glare the boy gave him.
Yuuki nodded, giving a sympathetic glance towards the fuming teen.
"Tomorrow will be your first day on patrol, if you feel up for it. And I'll make sure Zero teaches you how to use the anti-vampire weapon."
A/N: Poor Yuuki, so much happened in a span of a night. She learned of vampires only to find out that her roommate was one as well... Anyway, hope you guys liked the chapter :3 Sorry again for the wait! Next chap we'll have Zero teaching Yuuki how to fight (lol, this should be funny) and perhaps a little development in the overall plot XD
Also, quick question guys: this has been bothering me for a while. Why can Zero still use his vampire-hunter weapon after he became a vampire? Shouldn't it like shock him or something? I don't recall it being explained in the manga, but I could have glanced over it. My best guess was that since he was born a vampire hunter it kind of canceled out the hunter magic. Or it could be just the bullets that are anti-vampiric, not the gun. I don't know.
Review?
-Isis