Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight, this is a fanfic written for fun and for love of the series. I'm not making any money with it.

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It was late morning, which for vampires would be the equivalent of the middle of the night for people.

Zero's footsteps were soft in the thick carpet of the Night Class dorm president's bedroom, quietly moving around to avoid disturbing the sleeping form on the bed.

He couldn't help but smile fondly as he approached the bed. Kaname asleep really was something to behold.

The pureblood was sleeping in the nude, partially on his side and partially on his chest, face covered by his own hair and buried into the pillow, curling up against the blankets as he tended to do when the day was more advanced and the sunlight threatened to peek in stronger from beneath the heavy curtains of his room.

It always amused Zero just how much the light bothered Kaname. Being a pureblood, Kaname was 'much more vampire' than Zero in that, since the hunter's human blood had saved him from such annoyances.

They were closer now, the years of rivalry and even moments of hate long forgotten or left behind. The simple fact that Kaname would allow himself to sleep in the presence of Zero was an immense mark of his trust for him. Not only as a pureblood, but even more so considering Kaname's personality. That he didn't wake up when Zero approached was proof that he didn't feel any threat or discomfort in the hunter's presence near him in such a vulnerable state.

They had come a long way, from rivals to allies of necessity, and finally, unexpectedly or inevitably, somehow had became lovers, united in their mutual love for Yuuki.

Maybe it was precisely because Zero was so far from the vampire society and all its codes and rules, that Kaname could be so much more open around him than he would ever be with others, save of course for Yuuki.

Purebloods couldn't risk letting their guard down around other vampires. Or around anyone, for that matter. They were revered, adored, worshipped by the vampire society, but also... desired to the point of madness. The characteristical scent of their powerful pure vampire blood could be perceived through their very pores, enticing the others, drawing everyone to them. It was nature's way of making it clear who were the masters of the vampire race, but it also created a remarkable danger for purebloods in situations where they weren't fully able to defend themselves, hence why a pureblood would never risk being alone with a vampire that they didn't fully trust while weak, wounded, or otherwise vulnerable.

Perhaps that mark of trust was another reason why Zero loved to watch Kaname sleeping. That and the fact the pureblood was absolutely gorgeous that way, his dark hair tousled over the pillow, his expression relaxed and looking more youthful than when it wore the mask of control and power he had to show in front of the others as the heir to the Kuran dynasty.

Zero noted however that right at this moment, Kaname's expression was far from relaxed. Little beads of perspiration pearled on his skin causing a sheen over his forehead, and the pureblood trembled a little. A light flush had taken over his graceful features, almost giving him a vaguely feverish look, if Zero didn't know it was virtually impossible for Kaname to get a fever without any exterior elements such as blood loss or grave wounds.

Kaname seemed to be dreaming, clearly of something unpleasant, from the look on his face. His body twitched a little, fingers gripping the silky sheets tighter as if he needed to cling onto something.

Zero was puzzled. Everything had been so peaceful lately, what could be causing the pureblood's nightmares? It wasn't the first time he witnessed this either, although Kaname wouldn't speak of what he saw in his dreams, and Zero wasn't sure he had the right to pry further when he saw the look in Kaname's eyes shortly after waking up.

He decided to settle for awakening him gently, and ran a teasing hand up the top portion of Kaname's tight, all the way over his hip and onto his abdomen, hoping that a sensual touch would bring the pureblood into a more pleasant mindset than whatever was causing his dreams.

The reaction was the far opposite of what Zero was expecting.

Kaname's body tensed suddenly, all his muscles tightening in what seemed almost like a spasm before freezing against the sheets, eyes wide open staring unseeing at the pillow, a look on his face that Zero could only describe as sheer panic if he didn't know him better. The pureblood was very still, breathing somewhat shallowly and as though he was trying to regain control over his body, apparently desperately trying to stop himself from trembling. Panicked shivers were running under his skin, clearly perceivable to Zero's vampire senses, especially since his hand was still resting on Kaname's bare hip that was out of the blankets.

"Kaname? Are you okay?"

The tenseness in his muscles eased away as suddenly as it came, but he still had the same haunted look on his face as he turned slightly to look over his shoulder and tentatively ask "Zero...? Is that you?"

"Who else did you expect?!" The hunter's voice was purposefully cheerful, but it sounded fake in his own ears.

He didn't know what to tell Kaname, or whether he should ask where the pureblood's mind had been during his nightmares.

What could be so frightening to get such a reaction from someone as powerful and controlled as Kaname?

Unable to voice that question, Zero settled instead for repeating his previous question. "Are you okay, Kaname?"

"I...I'm perfectly fine. It was nothing, you just surprised me." Kaname sat up and smiled reassuringly, but the two of them knew well that wasn't true, and as Kaname looked away, Zero could see well that his eyes were still filled with that unspoken dread he had just felt emanating from the pureblood.

Zero sighed, and patted Kaname's arm softly before sitting quietly on the bed, his back touching Kaname's, a presence to let him know he wasn't alone, and that he would be there for him should he ever feel like talking. Hoping that maybe time would heal the wounds that neither Yuuki nor him were managing to ease from the pureblood's soul.

Kaname's head leaned back, resting against Zero's shoulder, as he willed his mind to drift back to the present and away from the horrible images of the past, a past before he became strong enough to protect them, or even himself. A past where he was entirely at the mercy of his enemies, and they didn't hesitate to take full advantage of that fact.

They were dead now, all of them, but the scars they left in his mind, the memories of what they'd done to him would haunt him forever.

Or so he thought, but when Zero reached back and put a warm hand hand over his own, to Kaname's surprise the warmth traveled all the way to his heart. Maybe Yuuki and Zero could heal him after all.

Maybe one day he would be free from the past after all.

A wisp of frail hope now growing in the back of his mind, Kaname leaned in further against the hunter's back, soaking up the protective warmth that radiated from him.

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Sagakure, June 19th 2008

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In case anyone is wondering, the nightmares he has are because Rido and Ichiou raped him, in this fic setting. Although if you don't like that idea, you can always read the fic without that in mind, just thinking of it being nightmares of another nature.

I might or might not go further into this idea in another fic, don't know yet.