Hello everyone! This is a work of collaboration with dear Irmina. Freedom is the third installment of a trilogy. The first installment would be a one-shot named 'Abducted' that you will find under her profile, the second one is named 'Frozen heart', which is also a one-shot. Unlike the third installment that will be a multi-chapter ;)

You are encouraged to read the prequels before reading this one. Otherwise, feel free to ask any question to clear the confusion ;)

Disclaimer: We don't own Vampire Knight or any of its characters! Just the plot and the oc present here ;)

Enjoy!

Freedom

Chap.1

BURST INTO FLAMES AND RISE FROM YOUR ASHES

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Unsettled russet orbs kept flickering to the antique clock standing at the far corner of the room. His patience was growing thin as the meeting extended longer than what he wished for. The only hint betraying his composure and stoic expression would be the speed at which he tapped on the mahogany table with his fountain pen. A gesture that obliged his assistant, Takuma Ichijou, to give a subtle nudge in order to redirect his attention to the vampire pitching his proposal.

*Thump*

*Thump*

*Thump*

Kaname felt his body thrumming in sync with his increasing heartbeat all of a sudden. He was grateful to be in the lead position on the long table of the meeting, which allowed him to clench his fist on his knee under it, away from prying eyes.

*Thump*

*Thump*

*Thump*

The thrumming increased along with the sensation that he could describe as a hand squeezing his heart from inside. He knew exactly what it meant and it scared him, frightened him to no end.

'Zero'

He swallowed discreetly and concentrated his senses on the bond he shared with his beloved. Panic soared when he felt their bond getting weaker, 'Zero couldn't be dying, could he?'

Unable to sit calmly with the morbid thought haunting him, he decided to step up and hasten the meeting. Ichijou was bewildered with the outburst of energy his king displayed and the way he tackled the issues in record time. He could feel the urgency in Kaname's stance as the pureblood allowed the pending issues to be forwarded to his private office, an action that he would not recur to unless something extreme happened for him to literally bolt out of the meeting room and teleport instead of following the usual etiquette along with using the limousine.

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By the time he ended the meeting and left, Kaname could barely feel their bond. His heart was beating erratically as he sank in denial, chasing away any dreadful thought, that is before he reached the high tower he calls home.

Shocked would be an understatement, Kaname was frozen solid for a moment, his jaw dropping slightly, his whole being numb at the sight of blazing flames engulfing the tower, already destroying the top half of it, destroying the dwelling of his beloved.

"ZERO!"

In his panic, Kaname screamed as he vanished from the ground only to appear in the middle of the fire inside Zero's room, in desperate attempt to save him. Sadly, his sienna eyes landed on the wheelchair which was already engulfed in flames and turning to ashes.

With a swift movement of his hand, he put out the fire in an instant. His legs moved shakily as his eyes flickered all over the place looking and sensing for the presence of the crippled hunter until he reached the charred wheelchair.

It was too late.

A pile of distinct kind of ashes sat on the burnt cushion of the wheelchair, it was slowly trickling down to the floor like a sand clock. Kaname reached for the last remains of his beloved, the last of his ashes and gasped the breath that he did know that he was holding when the grains started gathering in his palm.

Despair finally came crashing down on him, to the point of falling to his knees in front of the seat where he usually greeted Zero, when he yet still lived. Kaname's lips trembled as sadness clouded his distraught eyes.

His expression twisted in pain as his chest burned all the way to his throat. He let out a hoarse gasp at first, followed by the quickening intake of breath as he cradled the palm holding the ashes with his other hand.

His shoulders shook as a silent cry tore from his open mouth.

He brought the palm up and buried his face in it, as if searching for the scent that he came to adore, searching for the life that he would have given anything to cherish for all eternity.

Now, bending over until his forehead almost touched the floor, he started muttering in between the sobs until the muttering turned into a loud mantra that ended with repeated cries. Cries yelling one name and one only, "ZERO!"

The ruined building shook under the intensity of his anguish. The pain was far too strong that Kaname found himself unable to breath.

Nonetheless, he never stopped calling his name, like a prayer for the lost love to come back, a prayer for Zero not to leave him, for his life not to end because the silver hunter is his life, his everything.

While he keened and shook, the ashes slipped through his fingers. He feared that it would turn too real upon losing all of them, so he clenched his fist on what remained and held it against his aching heart.

A pleasant breeze suddenly quieted him down, a breeze that carried a sweet scent. A breeze that made him look up slowly. His lips were still parted in attempt to breath, but that breath did not seem to pass when his pained eyes landed on the most ethereal sight they ever witnessed.

Right there, on the charred chair, he saw Zero, clad in white clothing, looking relaxed. Kaname was unable to move a muscle, he kept staring at the magnificent creature glowing with the brightest light he was ever graced with. The light of an angel, his beloved angel.

Realization came crushing on the brown haired man when a smile traced the lips of the hunter. Healthily colored rosy lips smiled upon his miserable form. His breath hitched when the smile conveyed happiness and serenity that sent warmth flooding him from the inside out instead of scorn and mockery.

It is to be expected that Zero's soul would be so pure and gentle just like this projection conveyed. Zero was finally happy. He finally reached the better place he craved ever since Kaname caged him in this tower. He is finally free from Kaname's shackles, but… What about Kaname?

The older vampire panicked when the illuminated form of his beloved started fading, he finally moved and reached out to it, encouraged by the widening smile and the sparkle in amethyst eyes only to grasp the empty air.

Red-brown eyes dimmed until all specs of light left them. Kaname remained like a statue, prompted on his knees and staring at the hand extended to hold onto nothing.

"Zero…" he whispered, wincing at his own raspy voice as he let the extended hand fall down along with his body that rested on folded legs.

"Does this mean that you are finally happy? Is this what you wanted?" he stared at the chair where Zero's image disappeared, "Is that why you did not call out to me as the flames consumed your body?" His throat tightened, finding it hard to utter the next words as crystal tears slid down his porcelain cheek, "Is this the end for us… Zero… did you abandon me?... What am I to do now… How can I go on living without you…"

Through the swimming vision of his eyes, a shiny glint caught his attention when the sun peeked through the demolished windows. Kaname sniffled before shifting his lethargic body closer to the wheelchair, his long shaky fingers parted the cinder and ashes until he uncovered what made him gasp once again. He held the metal between his fingers and stared at Zero's earrings. He held them close to his heart in fear of them disappearing like their owner as he stood on his feet.

He walked slowly to the window, shoulders hunched and his form miserable. The now dusty coat, disheveled hair and teary eyes only accentuated the weight of his grief. Memories of the time that Zero's fake death was announced came rushing back all of a sudden.

The anguish he witnessed in Yuki's eyes, the way Cross Kaien mourned the loss of his adopted son and the fact that he never got over it until this day. At the time, all that Kaname felt was detachement for he knew that his beloved hunter still lived, and he would still live solely for him, for them to be finally together as lovers.

Little did he know what a fleeting dream it was?

Now, the pureblood found himself to be the only one mourning the true death of Kiryuu Zero. He stood by the window, still clutching the earrings and stared at the castle. The only thought haunting him was to run away from this pain and join his beloved in the afterlife. 'Who knows? We may get the chance to reincarnate as lovers.'

However, the flashing image of the smiling Zero chased the wistful smile that barely adorned Kaname's lips.

"You wouldn't want that, would you? Zero…" He unclenched his hand and traced the earing with his finger, "After all… Isn't that the reason you refused to acknowledge our love, because you never wanted me to abandon what I truly am to be with you for good?"

His eyes were still fixated on the castle behind the forest as he uttered the last words, "If only I was no king, no husband, neither a father… right? love?" The same breeze he felt earlier tickled his cheeks. It made him smile despite the darkness engulfing him.

Even in death, Zero would never want him to slumber or end his own life. Kaname was almost certain that Zero would reject him in the afterlife if he joined him after abandoning his kingship and family. After all, Zero always wanted him to be a responsible king, husband, and father.

"And so it shall be, my love… Until you forgive me and perhaps… call for me to be by your side again."

Meanwhile, through the widow of her bedroom, Yuuki felt the ground shaking as Kaname screamed in despair for a while before it finally settled along with the extinguished fire that left the previously white tower painted black. A smile of satisfaction showed on her lips as she closed the window and left the bedroom to join her son.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Three years later ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

*Knock*

*Knock*

*Knock*

"Kaname-sama!" The voice of the maid echoed from the other side of the thick oak door, "Excuse the bother, but Ichijou-sama arrived minutes ago and sent me to inform you that he will be waiting at the west conservatory. He also instructed me to inform you that your meeting is scheduled for an hour from now."

"Inform him that I will join him in ten. Dismissed!" A rich commanding voice resounded from inside the biggest guest quarter located at the west wing of the royal castle, the complete opposite side of the royal dwelling located in the east wing.

The guest quarter turned into the King's permanent residence three years ago. Seeing that the queen, Yuki, was very extreme on keeping the matter inside the castle, the servants became afraid of commenting on it even to one another, let alone with an outsider.

They merely tiptoed around their queen who was turning more and more eccentric by the day while their king seemed like an empty shell moving on the surface of earth, unresponsive to anything apart from his royal duties.

It was a play they performed to perfection after the biggest fall out they had on that dreaded day.

The day their king cut his trip short and came back to find a tower he built burnt to the ground. Nobody knew what was it about that tower that Kaname held dear, they only knew that his very soul was extinguished along with that fire, and nobody managed to get through him ever since.

After that, the queen did her best to get him out of that dark place, but her efforts backfired and had him run away from her side even further than before, and quite openly this time around.

*sound of water splashing*

Kaname let the droplets of water slide down and gather at his chin while he stared at the same blank expression he would see every evening before putting on the mask of the vampires' king. His garnet orbs were as dim as ever, reflecting nothing but an empty vessel, which lost its soul at that fire.

He grabbed a towel and patted his face before heading back to the bedroom. He found the outfit of the day on the loveseat at the corner of the room.

The only person allowed in his chambers was his trusted bodyguard and personal assistant, Seiren. She was also the only other person aware of his agony as well as the root cause of it.

He always found comfort in her subtle presence as she has always been a woman of little words and many actions. She would allow herself in discreetly when he is not around and tidy up properly as well as prepare his outfits according to the scheduled occasion so that he does not have to bother about picking anything.

He discarded the towel around his waist and started putting on his clothes in a robotic manner. He checked the time while strapping the watch over his wrist and nodded. Upon leaving the bedroom, he would find himself in a spacious living room where an overused couch stood out amongst the others.

Ever since Zero passed away, Kaname found himself unable to sleep in the comfort of a bed without thinking of his beloved and how it felt to hold him in his sleep. Ever since he lost him, that couch became the only place he could ever take what would qualify as a short nap in order to function properly.

With one last glance at the mirror he adjusted his tie. A sigh escaped his lips at the thought of leaving the confines of these walls. Despite fulfilling his duties as a king like he should, Kaname never leaves his chambers unless he had to attend a meeting where Ichijou would be unable to represent him or a formal gathering where he has to act his role of king, loving husband and father under the scrutinizing eyes of his people. He still forces himself to attend one silent meal a day with Yuki and Zander, pretending to listen as they talked about their day before retiring to where he wanted to be.

Kaname stood in front of a small decorative table that faced his sleeping couch. His fingers slid against a thickly carved silver box. He picked up the slightly heavy object despite its small size and caressed it lovingly just like he used to caress the supple skin of his beloved hunter.

As if to reassure himself, he opened it carefully to look inside before sighing in relief while closing it. A routine that happened everyday for as many times as he had to leave the room and after coming back.

Kaname would find himself rushing to the silver box containing the ashes of his deceased lover as if to make sure that he was still there waiting for him, just like he did when Zero was still alive.

He kissed the metallic object tenderly, his lips lingering a little longer despite the cold sensation spreading over them. "I am doing my best upholding my duties as a king, just like you wanted, Zero. Aren't you proud of me? love"

He caressed it some more, imagining it to be the warm pale cheek of the sleeping hunter this time, "I have to go now, but I will come back… I promise I will come back very soon… I will come back to you, my love. You will be here waiting for my return, won't you?" The words always sent a painful pang through his chest as they reminded him of the last exchange with the hunter before he lost him for good.

He could feel his anxiety starting to rise as he placed the box on the table, and he knew that it will not subside until he comes back and find the box where he left it.

He closed the door behind him and took the briefcase that Seiren held for him. With confident strides, he reached the conservatory where his old friend sipped on his tea. Takuma immediately put the cup down when the pureblood came into his field of vision. Glancing at his watch, his eyebrows rose in astonishment, "Not a second late, outstanding as usual."

"No point in prolonging the inevitable." Kaname stated flatly.

The butler appeared out of nowhere announcing that the limousine was ready and waiting for their order.

"Shall we?" Takuma made a hand gesture to allow his friend to lead the way. Kaname nodded in silence as he turned on his heels and headed toward the large lobby at the center of the castle.

"Busy day?" A feminine voice almost made his steps falter but he did not bother looking at the source, but merely nodded in response.

Takuma frowned at the action and turned to see an upset female pureblood standing in the cream-colored gown that reached a little below her knees. Yuki clenched the fabric of her dress in order to reign in the repeating humiliation of being ignored.

"It is the annual meeting concerning the peace treaty. I guess busy would be an understatement." The noble vampire tried to lighten the mood by tipping the queen about their plan. An action that earned him a grateful smile from Yuki who barely held back her tears and a cold glare from Kaname that clearly warned him about butting in his business any further.

The car pulled up in front of the hunter's association just in time for the meeting held there on an annual basis. Entering the building has been a suffocating ordeal for the pureblood in the past three years.

Especially when memories of his beloved haunted the place from his glorious days as a hunter, and the picture hung in the president's office was the most painful reminder. Every one of his close families and friends coped differently after the news of his demise. However, the heaviest blow of his fake death seemed to affect his adoptive father and his mentor. Toga Yagari never took down the picture of his disciple even after his wake ended, as for Cross Kaien, he never stopped visiting the grave they build for him, on a daily basis, that is until he became busy with the child he adopted recently.

Kaname still remembered the way Yuki scoffed about the idea of her 'father' taking in another child, forgetting that it was thanks to his generous heart that she survived to see the light of another day.

Honestly speaking, Kaname was relieved to know that his old friend found a new purpose in life, especially with the increasing guilt of being the cause behind his grief. He only wished that he could say the same about himself, the one who was left to witness the actual death and shoulder the grief without being able to share the sadness at the expense of exposing his deeds.

His musing ended when he found himself seated in a room bustling with hunters. Some gave him friendly greetings while other directed murderous looks their way. The awkward part of this meeting would be the fact that Takuma and Kaname were the only vampires present on behalf of the vampire society. Being outnumbered by the hunters did not bother him, but the constant hostility always grated on his nerves.

When the murmurs got louder, Kaname forced himself to pay attention in order to know the reason behind the delayed start of the meeting. Takuma finally cleared the matter by whispering that Cross Kaien was running late for some reason. The pureblood nodded. Of course, with him as the ultimate peace promoter, this meeting would never proceed without the presence of the ex-hunter.

Kaname was starting to feel fidgety when his anxiety rose even more. He never appreciated it when meetings ran late as it brought up unpleasant thoughts and emotions he thought himself incapable of.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips when the man of the day announced his arrival, but thin brown brows knitted in what seemed like amusement when Cross Kaien brazenly pushed a stroller inside the meeting room.

"Sorry~ everyone… I am truly sorry for being so late~ this little guy has been cranky and the nanny bailed out on me at the last minute." The joyful hunter scratched the back of his neck as he took a seat, ignoring the mocking remarks thrown his way.

Kaname was relieved to see his old friend getting better year after year. It was really hard to interact with him after Zero passed away, which lead to their meeting getting lesser and lesser in number. At this point, unless Cross decided to pay a visit to the castle, Kaname would not have the chance to see him.

The meeting proceeded smoothly and the prominent issues in both societies were addressed efficiently without any excessive conflict between vampires and hunters. Takuma's thoughts about the improving quality and atmosphere of these annual meetings getting better was on point indeed.

Unfortunately, the blond noble had to excuse himself in the middle of it because of urgent personal matters, which left Kaname as the only vampire to face the vicious hunters, not that it caused him any problems before or now. The king was simply dissatisfied about the matter taking longer than expected when all he wanted was to hurry back home, to Zero.

His agony did nothing but get worse when the loud wailing of a child pierced the eardrums of every person present in the room, especially the sensitive ears of the vampire.

"Oh dear!" Cross immediately jumped to the stroller to quiet the cranky child disturbing the flow of the meeting.

The sight of the man crouching in front of the stroller had Kaname thinking about how Kaien came across the child in the first place.

It was thanks to Takuma's blabbermouth that he came to learn about it over one of their tea-time that his friend imposed on him once a week. It was around the time that Cross busied himself with helping out at the association along with the school in order to move on from the loss of his son. The old ex-hunter was set on a self-destructive path until one particular mission that left the hunters puzzled.

Cross Kaien was at the association that day when a squad of hunters covered in dirt and ashes came rushing into the association. One of them held a crying child wrapped in his own jacket. They were lost about what to do with him, the child was found inside the old apartment complex where vampires attacked that day.

The battle resulted in a big fire that took down the whole place. Thankfully, the hunters managed to evacuate the building before anyone got fatally hurt.

However, when they went to look for the baby's parents, the hunters were surprised to learn that he had none. In fact every resident, including the janitor and the owner of the building denied the existence of a child that age in the whole building. The police report did not reveal any missing newborn either.

Anyone would think that Cross Kaien has a soft spot for abandoned children and orphans, and that would be the reason why he did not think twice before adopting another. At least that was what Kaname believed as well.

Little did he know that it was more than that. His friend was not able to inform him about the fact that Cross Kaien felt an immediate connection to the child at first sight. Kaname did not know that Cross went up to court for the right to keep him and fought viciously against the legal body that denied him the right for adoption as a single man without any blood ties to the child.

Kaname's musing stopped when interrupted by the crude remark of one of the hunters towards the motherly ex-hunter.

"Is it time for breastfeeding?"

A string of snorting and laughter erupted, followed by few disapproving grunts and disgusted looks.

"You think that I would not do it if I was able to?" Cross retorted sarcastically, successfully shutting up the witty remark. "There there… It's okay, I am not going anywhere" He lulled the toddler in his arms while adjusting the cover around him to ward off the cold as he sat back on his seat.

The child seemed disappointed about sitting down and went into another fit of crying. "Oh~ What's wrong now~ Come on! Tell daddy what's wrong? Ne? Zero?" The old hunter cooed as he removed the cover, suspecting the heat to be the cause for the cranky mood.

No one in the room noticed the way Kaname froze upon hearing the name.

The pureblood struggled to keep a straight face when a ruffle of silver hair peeked out of the cover that the old hunter was removing. His breath halted instantly when the small head turned around and he met with big teary violet eyes that settled on his red-brown eyes after looking around the unfamiliar place.

Kaname's hand unconsciously reached for his chest and held Zero's earrings, which he wore as a necklace hidden under his suit. A necklace he never took off ever since the death of the silver hunter because that was the only tangible reminder left of his beloved, the only connection to him that Kaname refused to part with.

The king of vampires was grateful for his mastery of poker faces. He maintained a solemn expression throughout the ordeal despite the erratic beating of his heart. He could feel it thrumming against his ribcage, and was also grateful that everyone in the room except him were human, saving him the awkwardness of explaining the sound of the frantic beating of his once dying heart.

During the the last minutes of the meeting, Kaname found himself unable to look away from the toddler dozing off against the chest of Cross Kaien.

That day, he came back to his chambers dazed instead of anxious, moving slowly instead of bursting in a hurry to hold the ashes.

Nonetheless, he did stand before the makeshift altar and went about his routine of caressing, kissing and rubbing the metal along with the lines he repeated again and again for the past three years.

The only difference today was that, unlike any other day, his mind was not entirely focused on his deceased beloved, and he did not like it.

Kaname did not appreciate anything taking his attention away from Zero, even if it was a toddler who was the spitting image of his beloved.

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Three days later, the black limousine with tinted windows parked in front of the chairman's house inside the campus of Cross Academy. For the first time in years, Kaname actually left the house on his own without having Takuma come to drag him out.

He knocked twice before allowing himself inside since he informed Cross about his visit beforehand.

Little did he expect the scene that greeted him in the once immaculate office of the ex-hunter.

In one sweeping glance, Kaname counted too many toys that seemed to have gathered over many days, a playing mat where a liquor cabinet used to be, a crib, a bottle of formula, and Cross sitting on the floor feeding an angry toddler who did nothing but spit all over the place, including his father.

The phone ringing allowed Cross's attention to shift with a groan and belatedly notice the presence of the pureblood.

"Ah! Kaname-kun~ Perfect timing! Here hold him for me so that I can get that." He swiftly placed the grumpy child in the arms of the unsuspecting vampire and rushed to take the call.

While he spoke over the phone, his hazel eyes were trained on the tall brunet who looked at Zero as if he was seeing an alien at first. However, before the end of the phone, Cross Kaien witnessed the most adorable scene ever since he took chibi Zero in;

His breath caught when small hands hesitantly reached for kaname's jawline and patted it while staring in awe at the red brown eyes that followed his every move intently. The next thing they knew, the child hugged Kaname's neck and nestled his tiny head against his collarbone while letting a cute sigh of comfort.

Kaname seemed awkward at first, but the energetic heartbeat of the child, his warmth and the steady breath that tickled him sent a comforting warmth in his once frozen heart. The trust that this unsuspecting child showed towards him shook him to the core.

Kaien smiled discreetly, acting as if he was still on the phone despite the conversation being long over, just to watch as the pureblood brought a hesitant hand to rub the small back of the child tenderly while nuzzling his silver hair.

It has been years since he witnessed such mellow expression on the face of the stoic pureblood, probably since he used to come visit Yuki as a child.

Little did anyone in the room know that it was but the beginning of a long healing journey.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ TBC ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞

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