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Now We Must Part - part 2

Snow falling heavily.

Kaname held his arm around Zero's shoulders, trying to keep him warm. A limousine appeared in front of them, the driver quickly moved around to open its door. Zero got in before he was asked, knowing it wasn't smart to resist this beautiful pureblood when he's still unsure of his intensions. His life relied on himself from today onward, he should be more careful and think deeper about his own actions.

"It'll be a long journey. Try to sleep a little!" Kaname said.

What a tuneful voice! Zero gazed at him, and gradually closed his eyes. Within a night had he witnessed his parents' murder, his brother leaving him behind, and his own fate crushed. Those tremendous upheavals were too much for a thirteen year old boy like him to deal with. He felt exhausted as if his body had been suffering a serious illness for a long time.

ZxKxR

The next time Zero woke up, he found himself lying on a large bed and covered in warm blanket, a standing lamp at a corner spreading its soft light in this strange but cozy room. He looked around, seeing Kaname sleeping on a settee nearby. The pureblood probably staying to watch over him. Zero climbed down the bed, finding out he's now wearing different pajama, blood stains on his body had been clean.

Before he reached Kaname, the pureblood had opened his eyes and sat up. "Awake?" he smiled. His disheveled kimono indeliberately showed a part of his bare chest and exposed his long legs up to his knees. Zero couldn't explain why he felt wanting to hold his hand out to fix Kaname's hair, but he just used his eyes to unconsciously follow those long dark strands falling down to his slender waist.

Kaname was amused, catching a flash of desire in the boy's look. Now was too early, however, he would be happy to accept it if Zero still wanted him a few years later. They hadn't made love for thousands of years, he had been patiently waiting since the boy was reborn.

Zero kept gazing at him without saying anything. Kaname grapped his hand "Zero?", in an effort to break his gaze, being afraid that he wouldn't be able to hold back any longer if the young boy didn't look away. Zero started, moving his eyes to the pureblood's face.

"You must be hungry."

He nodded.

"I'll ask them to bring in some food. The bathroom is over there."

Zero ran fast to the direction being showed, trying to hide his blushes at those weird thoughts. This kind of desire had been growing recently, sometimes he felt an amazing pleasure while touching himself down there, but he never wanted it that much until now. How ashamed! He's lusting after a vampire, a male to be exact.

He got back when the delicious smell of food had submerged the room. Kaname was waiting at the table, his kimono had been adjusted decently. He joined him on the opposite side. It's surprising that all of dishes were his favorite, how could Kaname know?

The pureblood kept putting more food on the boy's bowl, delightedly seeing him enjoying them. This feeling wasn't like a father to a son, or brother to brother, it was love, as it had been and always would. He's terribly sorry for what Zero had gone through, but overjoyed that they could be together sooner than expected.

"Would you like to live here?" He asked tentatively.

The boy put his chopsticks down, looking at Kaname. There was no threats in his expression, this beautiful pureblood never forced him to do anything, and usually gave him a chance to say no. He wondered how Kaname would react if he really turn him down.

"I want to look for my mentor and my brother." Zero wasn't hesistant to say what he's thinking.

The hope in his brown eyes faded out, Kaname pressed a sigh "Everyone has heard about that night. I've ordered my people to track Shizuka down. When we find her, we'll take your brother back." Their eyes met each other, the pureblood seemed to be pleading him "Your mentor is out of town. I'm sure he'll pick you up when he's back. Could you stay here until he comes?"

Zero actually had no place to go, but he felt Kaname even needed him to stay more than he did. "I want to go home..."

"But… but your home…" Kaname stuttered in disappointment. There's nobody left in his home and staying there alone wasn't good for him after what had happened.

"I just want to get a few things." Zero explained.

"OK. I'll go with you." Kaname was relieved.

ZxKxR

The house which sinking deep in the dark had once been a warm home, Zero was silently walking on the old path, hearing his own shoes stepping on the snowy ground. He stopped at the place where his parents fell down three nights ago, they had been buried in the cemetary for hunters, snow had covered all their blood. A hand touched his shoulder, he looked up to Kaname's beautiful face. It had only been a few days, but this pureblood cared for him as deeply as they had known each other longer than a lifetime. They walked together to the house.

Kaname yanked the lock parted and swung the door open. Hunter essence was very strong inside, even there was nobody, beside two of them at that time. It had been a hunter family's home not long before, and there must be a lot of hunters gathered here after that night. The pureblood believed this house still contained many hunter weapons and charms which spreading such essence. Zero turned a light on, everything still looked the same, he went upstairs to Ichiru's and his bedroom.

There were many things he wanted to bring with him, everything here had become invaluable, but he couldn't take all, not knowing where his future would drift to, something that reminded him of their happy time would be enough. He pulled a family photo album out of a drawer and held it tight to his chest. Now that was all left for him. The last minutes of his parents relived in his mind, Zero started crying, he hadn't cried since it happened, but couldn't hold his tears when getting back to the place with full of memories.

Kaname let him cry, understanding how hard it was when seeing the beloved ones dying and being helpless. He hadn't been able to stop Rido from killing his siblings, he had watched Zero's past life dying because the hunter refused to be converted into a vampire. This time his lover had already been turned, he swore to keep him safe at any costs, even the cost of his own life.

"Is there anything else you want to take?" Kaname said when the boy had calmed down a bit.

Zero went to the windowsill, one hand held his photo album, the other reached out to a pot of orchid.

"Red boat orchid." The pureblood murmured. His heart skipped a beat realizing the boy treasured it.

"A birthday gift to Ichiru and me from chairman Cross." Zero said, holding the pot with patterns of stylized orchids. He and his brother had cultivated this orchid together, even though he was the only one who really loved it. With those two things, he was ready to leave.

Kaname revolved the door knob to open the boy's old bedroom door, fire suddenly flared up from the walls around them. It seemed a touch on that knob triggered this unnatural fire, it's fiercely burning from everywhere at once as if it had been in flames for a long while. Zero tried running out, but Kaname pulled him back.

"No, you can't get through."

This fire started by a hunter charm, so it could incenerate vampires, including Zero as he had been bitten by a pureblood. Kaname believed he was strong enough to escape the fire, however, the noise outside proved that many hunters were waiting for them. His senses were reduced inside this house, he hadn't heard them coming.

A part of the ceiling fell down on them, Kaname pulled Zero away and used his own body to cover him. The boy still held his photo album and orchid pot close to his chest. Fire spreaded all over, there not much oxygen for breathing.

"Listen, we'll jump out from the window. When you have a chance, run to chairman Cross, okay?"

Cross Academy was close to his house, chairman Cross came to visit them occasionally, but Zero wasn't very close to him. As far as he knew, Cross wasn't a hunter and was pretty infantile.

"Okay?" Kaname repeated. The boy nodded, not wanting to think he's going to lose another person that was dear to him. The pureblood stroked his hair, hoping it wouldn't be the last time. He pulled a blanket on the bed to wrap both of them, then carried the boy in his arms. Zero gently snuggled up to him. If it was the first and last time they could be that close in this life, there's something Kaname wanted to tell him. It might be too early, it might be too late. He put a kiss on his cheek "I love you."

Before Zero could digest what it meant, they had landed on the ground, the boy was covered and fell on the pureblood's chest. Kaname pulled him up on his feet, he got a lot of burns, fire licked up his beautiful hair, long strands stuck with blood. Many guns and other weapons were aiming at them.

"This boy is a Kiryu. Don't hurt him." His voice was still calm and melodious.

The pot had been broken, Zero was holding the photo album and the orchid in one hand, the other one grapping Kaname.

"He's probably been bitten. It's a level E-to-be."

"That's Kaname Kuran. Don't let him escape! Shoot him!"

Killing an ancient pureblood turned out be more important than protecting a child, even that child was their comrades' son, even that child didn't want to be bitten and taken away.

Kaname quickly pushed the boy behind his back, one again used his body to cover him from those anti-vampire bullets. He bit his fingers and created five powerful blazes from his blood. The blazes swept over them, causing them all to fall backward with a deep cut on their body. If he was full of energies, they would surely be dead. A few hunters in further distance who got less serious wounds were managing to stand up.

Kaname had used all of his last strength, he also fell on the ground. Zero's face went death pale.

"Run, Zero! Run to chairman Cross!"

"No." the boy shook his head, refusing to leave, he's afraid of never seeing the pureblood again if he left now.

"Please!" Kaname worried that those hunters would attack again while he wasn't able to protect him anymore.

"Tell me how I can help you." The boy insisted.

Kaname touched his hot tears, which were shed because of him. He wanted to ask Zero to find him in his next life as he did to Zero, but he's now the only one remembered their love, how could he force the boy to promise something he didn't understand.

"Please don't let me have more regrets. Go!" His voice was weak and barely audible.

A group of people rushing toward them. Zero got panicked, but he swiftly sensed vampire aura. When they got closer, he realized the leader was Seiren, who crying out in horor "Kaname-sama!" They hurried him to the limousine. Zero also joined them.

The driver had been killed by those hunters. Seiren called him ealier to check about their trip but nobody answered her, she immediately understood something unexpected had happened and gathered all bodyguards in the manor to come for assistance. Although Kaname wasn't supposed to lose any battles as he was the oldest and strongest pureblood alive, Seiren had never been careless at her duties. The other night she was frightened seeing Kaname come back home from Rido's place in a kimono with full of blood, but this time it was ten time worse.

"Kaname-sama, please take my blood!", Seiren tilted her head, leaning to her master.

The pureblood opened his pair of red eyes, his skin had turned in grey, there was no sight of sanity, his fangs planted in her neck by instinct.

After he was done with Seiren, she gave up her seat to another vampire, the blood loss made her movement a little clumsy.

"Kaname-sama, please accept mine!" the pureblood didn't say anything as before, his bloody fangs hungrily plunged in that vampire's neck.

"Inform the aristocrats." Seiren ordered, then closed her eyes.

Zero was silent next to her. The scene in front of him was so cruel. When Kaname let Rido take his blood, he spared him from witnessing it. He must be in a terrible condition now that couldn't be aware of such thing happening before Zero's eyes. Blood. Kaname needed blood, but hadn't told him. The boy would have been willing to give his own blood if he'd asked. He was scared, but would do anything for Kaname, just like the pureblood would do anything for him.

ZxKxR

It's early afternoon, all vampires on the world were supposed to be sleeping soundly. Zero was sitting outside of Kaname's bedroom. He's technically a vampire too, but still kept his habit of waking up in the morning and going to bed at night. However, this manor hadn't slept for a whole day since they came back from his old home. A lot of aristocrats who followed Kaname and under his protection had come to present their blood. They belong to the families that believed he could protect them from the other purebloods better than Rido, even though he's powerless to Rido, or considered Rido an unruly and insolent descendant of the Kurans.

Zero just sat there, waiting to see Kaname, but satisfied enough by knowing the pureblood's still alive. Blood scent kept emitting from his room. Kaname was drinking blood to get healed from those injuries. Zero had lost his family and his own fate, but it was nothing in comparison with what he had brought to the ones who loved him more than their lives. His mentor lost an eye because of him, his parents got killed trying to save him, and this pureblood was willing to sacrifice himself to protect him. Life was really unpredictable, Zero didn't think he would drink blood one day or consider it normal, but he wanted Kaname to survive by any means. The boy wished to grow up faster and get stronger in order to defend himself and the ones he loved, including this beautiful pureblood.

"You should go back to your room. Kaname-sama is sleeping." Seiren was standing close to him. She's also awake, her face looked really pale from exhaustion. So did he.

"I'm fine." Zero shook his head. They held different feelings for Kaname, but shared the same concern at the moment.

Time passed lazily…

A few hours later, Seiren and two servants came back, they went straight to Kaname's room. The boy got alerted, wondering what had happened. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too long. When they got out, Seiren turned to him "You can meet Kaname-sama now!"

He slipped in the room in a flash, Seiren closed the door and left.

Kaname was half sitting half lying on his bed, his eyes glowed warm seeing his treasure approaching. He rubbed the boy's hair "Are you okay?"

Zero nodded, examining him carefully. The pureblood looked much better now, his skin was still very pale, but not as grey as yesterday, his hair had grown back long and shining as usual. Zero couldn't see his body under that kimono, but there was no blood, no burns on it.

"Sit down with me." Kaname said.

The boy sat down on the edge of his bed. He was about to say something, but realized he didn't know how to address him properly. Hunters never used any honorable term to address a vampire. But this beautiful pureblood wasn't just a vampire to him. He decided to call him as other people did.

"Kaname…sama," Zero said hesitantly.

"Kaname-san." The pureblood held his shoulder. He actually wanted Zero to call him Kaname only, but it might be awkward for both of them in this situation. Later. He thought in silence.

The boy didn't understand why Kaname gave him such privilege, but it's more comfortable that way as he wanted to be close to him, not as a superior and subordinate relationship.

"Kanama-san, how are your injuries?"

"I'm getting better. Don't worry." Kaname had asked about Zero's condition right after regaining his senses. Seiren assured him the boy was alright, but refused to rest properly. "I heard you've been waiting outside of my room since last night. Please take care of yourself if you concern about me."

Kaname didn't want the boy to get worn-out, and even more afraid that Zero would smell the blood scent from his room and felt disgusted. If his lover disgusted him, he would probably go insane. But Zero had put his own hand on his which was still resting on the shoulder and gave him a squeeze.

"I'm sorry. It wouldn't have happened if I hadn't asked to go back home." The boy said regretfully.

"I'll recover soon." Kaname almost held his breathes, being afraid a light stir from him would make Zero remove his hand. He so much needed their physical contact after separated thousands of years. When their bodies touched each other, even just a finger, even just an unintentional brush, his heart jumped up happily. "Did you bring your memorable things back with you?"

"Only the photo album." Zero finally let his hand go, looking away "Both of them were stepped on and the orchid got broken." He remembered putting them aside carelessly when Kaname fell down. When his people came, they didn't pay attention to anything else but their master. Fortunately, the photo album had a thick cover, so all pictures were still good.

He suddenly saw a pot of red boat orchid on a table, beautifully blooming. It's unexpected to see it here. Kaname also loved orchid or his servant just put it in for decoration as it's blooming? Zero went closer, seeing the pot have the same patterns of stylized orchids as his own one which had been given by chairman Cross.

"You know chairman Cross?" It must be so, otherwise he wouldn't tell him to go to that man in case he couldn't…

"Yes. I gave him some orchids. I didn't know he gave you a pot." Kaname got to know Cross through Juri and Haruka, he trusted this ex-hunter as much as his descendants had. Last year, Cross saw red boat orchid in his manor and asked to have some, the pureblood thought he was interested in this kind of flower too, it turned out Cross wanted to give it to Zero.

"Because I like red boat orchid." The boy said.

Kaname felt a thrill over his body, his hands unconsciously crumpling the blanket, feeling overjoyed to hear it. He doesn't change at all. He still loves those food, he still loves that flower. Will he love me again when he grows up?

ZxKxR

Zero kept coming in the next nights. The pureblood recovered very fast, he was still weak, but people couldn't say it by look anymore. He showed Zero his orchid garden, and they played chess until the boy got very sleepy.

But Kaname wasn't in his room tonight.

"Kaname-sama has some business outside." Seiren told him.

The pureblood didn't say anything yesterday, he probably thought Zero was only a kid. What business? Would he be in danger? The boy realized he knew nothing about Kaname, why he cared for him, why he treated him so well, what he did out there, what happened in his past. The only thing about this pureblood that he knew was… the agreement he had made with Rido.

"Three times a month", Rido was drinking his blood. Kaname was just recovered.

And he was a worthless kid, who made a mistake and his mentor had to pay, unable to help his parents fight against Shizuka, and unable to protect Kaname from Rido. All he could do was see them sacrifice for him, for his useless life.

ZxKxR

It was the same room as the first time. Rido's smile was unusually gentle. He recognized the ten day distance was too long, he should've make it shorter. Kaname's waiting for him, no emotions in his eyes.

Rido inclined his head a little, being drawn to Kaname's pale neck, the other pureblood turned to another side, giving him full exposition. Rido slipped his fingers in the long hair, and what Kaname felt wasn't a bite as he's expecting, but a kiss on his neck. Rido inhaled a long breath to savour his prey's scent, another hand of his inserted in the kimono, looking for the bud.

Kaname stopped him before he could reach his goal "What are you doing?"

"Great great uncle, you're really the most beautiful pureblood ever existed." Rido smiled lustfully "You thought I only aimed at your blood. The truth is I've wanted you since the moment you fell on me when you just woke up."

-to be continued-

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