[It's already in the description, but MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING! RAPE AND ABUSE. Please stop reading if those could trigger you. I would hate for that to happen.

Enjoy!]

"You're beautiful," a voice whispered, in what probably could be considered a conversational tone, but Zero knew the voice didn't expect an answer, and Zero didn't plan on giving one. He stared straight ahead, looking past Kaname's powerful (powerfully violent) form, past the drapes that covered the Pure Blood's bed, and to his reflection in the room's only window.

He didn't feel very beautiful. His face was a wet mess of purple and red, oozing cuts on top of gaudy bruises on top of scars that ran too deep to be seen. It wasn't pretty; it was disgusting, and Zero was glad all he could see in the glass was his face.

The rest of him was in even worse condition; not even an inch of skin free of some wound. His neck: littered with neat punctures, half of them still slowly bleeding to the beat of his own heart. His chest was covered in several gashes and cuts, shallow, mostly scabbed over by now, but they still hurt. Especially when Kaname ran his tongue over them, and he made no effort to be gentle. Blood pooled in the hollow of stomach. His thighs were an unspeakable mess.

Above it all, there was Kaname, admiring the squalor, the state of total degradation he created. Without even needing to see his face, Zero knew Kaname was looking at him, smiling, pleased with himself and what he created. "I suppose you're hungry now, aren't you?" the Pure Blood spoke in a slow, even drawl, as if Zero's condition somehow inconvenienced him personally, the fact that he was the one to put Zero in such a state seemed to be lost on him.

Zero shook his head no, not trusting himself to speak, but still needing to answer. It was such an obvious lie, anyone could have saw through it. Zero lost so much blood. Of course he would be hungry! But he didn't want to eat. Eating meant healing, and healing meant the evidence of what just transpired, the evidence of what Kaname did to him, the evidence of what Zero allowed to happen, would all be gone.

Not that his refusal meant anything in the long run. Kaname didn't even seem to notice, or if he did, there was no acknowledgement of it.

Kaname said nothing, simply adjusted his right arm until it was exactly in the middle of Zero's sight, and smiled. Zero hated this part. He really, really hated this part, the cover up. If he could, he would have looked away. But he was treated so roughly, and he lost so much blood, and Zero could hardly find the energy to stay awake, let alone turn his head. All he could do was watch and Kaname dug his nails into his arm, dragging downwards; down, down, creating two long rivers of blood in his wake. Blood flowed from the wounds like water, gushing and pouring over the sides of the self-mutilated arm, falling in large drops onto the soiled bed sheets.

Zero whined when smell reached him.

"I am being very generous by offering, so take it before I lose my patience," Kaname urged him, and though the tone was gentle, its actual meaning was anything but. Kaname knew Zero didn't want this – any of this. How could he not know, when it was so clearly written on Zero's face, in his eyes, in his every movement? Yet Kaname persisted, letting the blood fall onto his chest, his scarred neck, his disfigured face. Large droplets fell dangerously close to Zero's mouth, but the danger of it by no means meant the action was accidental.

His eyes flashed red.

The instinct to stick out his tongue and catch the blood was strong. It would be so easy; just a simple flick of his tongue, and what little pleasure he could derive from these encounters would be his. But Zero beat it down. Even a small amount of that blood would heal him. Purple skin would regain its natural pallor, cuts both deep and shallow would heal in moments; even old scars would start to fade away. Zero knew what Kaname was doing; burning the evidence.

But if he drank, the pain would stop.

And It would taste so good.

Without even intending to, Zero talked himself into it. Just as Kaname knew he would, just as Zero did every time.

Zero sighed as his body went slack, mouth finally opening.

"Good boy," was the last thing Zero heard before his entire world turned red.

[Review and tell me what you think? I never thought I would write a fic with multiple chapters, as short stories have always been my forte, so this is an experiment for me. Feedback would be most helpful.]