Vampire Knight Fan Fiction ❯ The Cure ❯ Chapter 1
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: LemonLimeMaid 
Anime/Manga: Vampire Knight Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Drama / Romance / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.25.2016 | Pages: 6 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 462 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Vampire Knight Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Drama / Romance / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.25.2016 | Pages: 6 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 462 | Status: Work In Progress
THE CURE CH. 1
Zero Kiryuu dropped his belongings with a heavy thud by the door. He kicked off his shoes and striped off his shirt once he reached the privacy of his apartment, desperate to get out of the cold, wet clothes that clung to him. He was soaked from the rain, his bangs were matted to his forehead, and large droplets of water rolled off of his silver hair. He ran his hand through it in attempt to rid it of some of the moisture, but it didn‘t do much good. He left his drenched clothing scattered all other the floor as he made his way to toward the back of his apartment, too exhausted to care about the mess at the moment.
The day’s events weighed heavily on his mind. He’d just got back from an assignment. It seemed crime was at an all-time high in the town, and it was no longer safe to be out after dark. The increase in Level E’s certainly kept him busy... It took nearly all hunters in business at the moment to keep them at bay. Vampire hunting was beginning to take a lot out of him.
Tossing his gun on the bed, Zero went to his closet to find new clothes. He absentmindedly shuffled through his wardrobe, still contemplating the ordeal with the Level Es before he remembered something. There was an old hunting book that his childhood mentor Touga had left him a long time ago... assuming he could find it. He was sure that he’d read something about similar occurrences happening before. He wanted to find out what would cause such an increase in Level Es; he wanted to research what could possibly draw them to the area.
Abandoning his search for clothing, Zero strained as he rummaged through the disorganized mess of old papers and books and other assorted thing that he’d stored away on the top shelf of his closet. He continued shuffling through his things when he felt something like paper drift to the floor and land by his feet.glanced down at it for a few moments, half tempted to leave it lay there but bent down and picked it up anyway. His lavender gaze went wide and his chest tightened painfully when he realized that the paper was actually a picture…
He stared dumbfounded at Yuki’s smiling face beaming back at him, her big doe eyes shining with innocence. Zero averted his eyes, bitterly crumpling the picture up in his fist, and threw it roughly in the direction of the trash, although it missed and bounced off the side of the waste basket to litter the floor. He refused to think about her, after all this time…
He suddenly had no more motivation to search for anything. Everything suddenly forgotten and still clad in nothing but his boxer briefs, Zero made his way to his sloppy, unmade bed, snatching up his discarded firearm before collapsing into his soft mattress with a heavy sigh.His muscles ached and his eyes throbbed from the lack of sleep for the past few days. Hethem drift shut, but he knew heable to doze off. Theunbearable burning itch in his throat and sharp hunger pains in his stomach prevented him from obtaining any sense of peace. Opening his eyes, Zeroup at the ceiling in frustration, his hands absently began to twirl Bloody Rose between them.
He couldn’t keep himself from thinking about her now... It had been four long years since Zero had last seen the sweet, trusting, innocent girl that was Yuki Cross.’s fidgeting with his gun halted and he gripped it tightly between his two hands, his knuckles turning white from the effort. The painful throbbing in his chest increased at the mere thought of her name. Ither name anymore; it was Lady Yuki Kuran now. She had reverted back to her original name as a Kuran.Zero recalled the day she left to be with her pureblood brother and his jaw tightened. Kaname was so condescending and conniving that it made Zero’s blood boil, yet Yuki had always admired the pureblood, as if he were a saint rather than a vampire. In her naïve and impressionable mind, the pureblood could do no wrong.But he could see through Kaname’s ‘perfect honor student’ façade. All this time, Zero had strived to protect her from vampires; meanwhile she had spent her time being helplessly infatuated with one, something he just could not understand. How couldanyonecruel, blood-sucking beasts appealing?
But then, it hadn’t been Kaname that had attacked her one day out of nowhere out of bloodlust… or that had selfishly took her blood on a regular basis following. Even all this time, he still felt guilty. Even he was a traitor to himself and he hated it. He tried to protect her from vampires… but he couldn’t protect her from himself. And then she was no longer a human and everything changed…
After it was all said and done, all Zero could do was watch her go, letting bitterness and hatred consume him as she happily left Cross Academy with a smile. For the first time, he hated her. For the first time, he wanted to put an end to her existence, just as he didallvampires.
“Yes, Zero. I’m glad you understand. The Yuki you once knew… is gone.” Zero recalled Yuki’s words to him, after she reawakened as a pureblood. It hurt, every time he remembered those words. Yuki was… gone. Somehow he just couldn’t fully wrap his head around that fact.After all this time, he regretted letting himself get close to her. But no matter how hard he tried to push her away, shut her out... she always managed to somehow work her way in again. But the day her humanity was stripped from her, was the same day his heart hardened towards her and his instincts as a vampire hunter took over. In that moment, they became enemies; Vampire versus Slayer. Things were different now;shedifferent now. Everything that had happened between himself and Yukibecause itwhathad become. Sheanymore. He swore to end her life one day. But he mourned her, as if she were already dead. As far as he was concerned, the two purebloods deserved each other. But then, why did it still hurt so much?He hadn’t forgotten his promise; When the time came, he would do what he had to do no matter what, and heanything get in the way of that,not feelings. He wouldn’t be so weak. He had learned the hard way that hunters couldn't afford feelings or emotions when it came to their work. Years ago, Touga had lost his eye to teach him that lesson…
Forcing himself to turn his thoughts to other matters, his hands began to nervously play with his gun again, twirling it between them and passing it back and forth in a futile attempt to distract himself, not only from his thoughts but the nagging pain plaguing him as well. Restless, Zero got up from his bed and began to pace the length of the room thoughtfully, gun still in hand.
Cross Academy never really fully recovered. The school was still mostly in ruins and the students had all been sent home, but Kaien Cross continued to reside there alone, refusing to abandon his beloved Cross Academy. He was slowly working to revive it, but anyone could see it was a lost cause. Zero believed him a fool for even trying. The stability of the school had always been shaky. Everything that the school stood for had failed, as Zero had always known it would.Unlike the Headmaster who had stayed at the school, Zero had left everything behind and started over. The Association invited him to stay in one of the small apartments reserved for only the best hunters and he hadn't hesitated to take them up on the offer. It was too painful to stick around the academy when every place in the school seemed to hold a bittersweet memory of the girl- or rather, the vampirehad betrayed him.The word ‘vampire’ left a bad taste in his mouth, even though he didn’t verbally speak it.
Despite his efforts, her memory seemed to haunt him no matter where he went.sweet voice echoed in his ears and a vision of her flooded back to him as they often did."I don’t care if you hate me along with the rest of the night class; I won’t let you give up on yourself!” Yuki’s gaze was intense as she looked at him. He remembered the way her cheeks were lightly flushed and how her heart sounded as it thudded against her chest. He could tell she was nervous, but she seemed to be very confident in her decision to offer her blood to him, seeing complete determination in her eyes. He had always marveled at how selfless she was… forgetting all about her own well-being to help him. She was willing to sacrifice everything, even her relationship with Kaname... for him.It was then that he remembered his response, "Yuki, how could I ever hate you…”Zero suddenly felt his stomach lurch and this mouth began to water. The familiar feeling of nausea hit him, and the burning of bile worked its way to his mouth. Unable to make it to the toilet in time, he dropped to his knees in front of the trashcan beside his nightstand, Bloody Rose colliding clamorously with the floor as he threw up. Stomach finally feeling a little more stable a few moments later, he wiped his mouth and sat back against the wall feeling rather drained and weak.He wasn’t sure how much longer he could live the way he was. Since Zero no longer had Yuki to offer him her blood, he was forced to resort back to using the blood tablets that his body insisted on rejecting. Being unable to keep the pills down had caused him to lose a considerable amount of weight and he was becoming progressively pale and famished more and more each day. Zero had grown accustomed to the ache in his chest, the hunger, and sleepless nights. Every day seemed to be even worse than the last. Hewell to say the least, mentally or physically. The only reason he had made it so long after Yuki left was because of Shizuka’s blood that he acquired through Ichiru and Kaname, as well as Kaname's pure blood and all of Yuki's now awakened pure blood flowing through his veins.
With the blood of three purebloods and the blood of his twin, he had gained incredible powers, and with them, he had been able to control his thirst for a while, and he was even able to take the blood tablets without throwing up. But the affects had been only temporary, and his momentary relief from bloodlust was finally beginning to wear off. He supposed that the only true way to prevent becoming a level E was to drink from Shizuka directly, but since she was dead, he was pretty much screwed. He may have prolonged his fall to Level E, but it was still only a matter of time before the “end” inevitably came for him…
A knock broke the silence and Zero rose to answer it, forcing himself up off the floor. He pulled the door open to reveal a petite, young human girl with long raven hair and dark violet eyes.The girl standing in the doorway was named Ayame. She was his neighbor who lived in the apartment across the hall who was also from a strong line of vampire hunters, something that she and Zero had in common. She and Zero saw each other now and then in hunter meetings and such. Since the academy had shut down, Zero had devoted most of his time to vampire hunting, using it as an emotional outlet and distraction. He did everything he could to keep his mind on other matters rather than let himself be consumed by his negative thoughts and emotions or dwell on things thatchanged.Ayame stood rather awkwardly at the door for a minute with a ghost of a blush lightly staining her cheeks and a notebook clutched in her arms while Zero looked at her expectantly, forgetting that he was only in his boxers. Voice temporarily escaping her, shebut let her eyes wander over his perfectly muscled chestabdomen, taking note of how the muscles around his hip bones created an alluring 'V' trail leading down to his...
cleared his throat impatiently, successfully bringing her out of her trance. She had been gawking at him much too long for comfort.“Erm,” She started, as if she were suddenly shy, “I… I thought I’d come by to bring you some the updates, notes, and information thatthroughout the week.been absent from the hunter meetings a” She offered the notebook to him but heit, only continued to stare at her, creatingrather awkward silence. “Erm, so you've heard about the increase of level E attacks in town, right?” Ayame mentally kicked herself as soon as the words left her mouth. Of course he knew, he was the only reason they hadn't taken over the whole city yet. It was really just a desperate and pathetic attempt to put an end to the uncomfortable atmosphere between them.finally took the notebook from her with a quick “thanks” and went to shut the door.“W-wait,” she said frantically as she put her hand up to stop the door before it could shut in her face. “I thought that maybe you could give me some pointers and prepare me for my performance exam coming up.” she trailed off a moment before adding, “erm, together. You know, tutor me.” The blush on her cheeks darkened slightly.‘Geeze,’ she mentally rolled her eyes at her pitiful self for trying so hard. But she couldn’t help it. A guy had never captured her interest the way he did.was a mystery; a complicated and challenging puzzle that she wanted desperately to solve. But what exactly it was about him that was soirresistible, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She couldn'twhy he seemedbe the only male to be completely immune to her charm; that alone was enough to make her helplessly infatuated with him. She supposed that itwas partially because she was the type of person to want what shebut… there was more to it than that.
Zero sighed heavily. Hethe mood for company. “Look, I’m really not in the mood. Maybe another time,” He movedshut the door once more, but she stopped it again.“Please?” She gave himthe look,the look that no guy could resist. She was very aware of the affect her looks had on men. She knew she was attractive and could get any guy she desired, therefore she had mastered the opposite sex at a young age. Ayame was used to boys getting flustered around her, but Zero was different. She could never get the same reactions out of him as the other guys, which drew her to him like a moth to a flame. In fact, he was the only one that madeherflustered.But she had to keep her cool, as she knew that it may be the one in only chance she had to get him to notice her and perhaps get to know him better. He always just blew her off in the past, but not this time. She wouldn’t let him!
As Ayame had suspected, her charmhave any effect on him and Zeroto decline her wishesmore, but thatdidn't mean she was about to give up. She blocked the door for a third time.“Look, I know you probably don’t care, but I get paranoid at night. I keep hearing about all the Level E attacks near here. It could be only a matter of time before one or more of them wander here. I can handle myself, but I just think it's best to stick together. Plus… I think I could learn a few things from the reputable hunter, Zero Kiryuu,” she argued.
‘Stroking a man’s ego almost always works,’ she thought, her fingers mentally crossed. It was true though, Zero Kiryuu was quickly building a name for himself in the world of vampire hunters, maybe even surpassing his own mentor Touga… and comparable to even the legendary Kaien Cross. Of course, she knew that Zero wasn't just a hunter, but a vampire as well. It wasn’t a big deal though. Shenormallyhad distaste for ‘bloodsuckers’, but she made an exception since it was obvious that Zero hated vampires as much as she did. He really made absolutely no effort to hide it. Besides, heequally as attractive as she was, if not more so, seeing as all vampires were gorgeous, flawless beings. He had an effortless and undeniable sex appeal which he didn't even seem to be aware of. On top of his admirable looks, strength, smarts, and skills, the two of them actually had a lot in common. They shared a strong hatred for vampires and the same dedication to vampire hunting. And since she was the daughter of the Association's President, she supposed she herself was quite famous as well, though she was still learning. Come to think of it, Zero was also a bit older than her, but she didn’t care about that either. She had just turned seventeen a few days ago and Zero was already comfortably twenty one.
She paused, trying to judge his reaction but when shecouldn't, she added, “I won’t ask any personal questions, I promise. We’ll just talkvampire hunting.”Zero sighed heavily once more at her hopeful expression. “Fine,” he said simply in defeat. Hemuch care forpersistence, but hethe energy to keep arguing. He turned from the door without shutting it.
Happy that he gave in, Ayame closed the door behind her. Zero seemed to have realized his lack of clothing, as he had slipped on some pants before heto his bed to lay down as he had been before she’d knocked on his door. Ayame watched him, a bit disappointed that he covered up, but his chest was still pleasantly bare and she hesitantly moved to sit on the bed beside him.
When she thought about it, did Zero have a few off-putting traits? Sure. He was distant and angsty and very private, sometimes even downright rude. But he was straight-forward and didn't sugarcoat things. She couldn't say that any of his more undesirable traits bothered her much... not when she had grown up with such an overbearing, insensitive father.Zero was a walk in the park in comparison.Glancing around his room, she noticed the vomit in the trashcan and crinkled her nose. “Are you sick? Is that why you haven’t been around lately?”“I thought we were going to talk about vampire hunting,” he replied dryly, trying to avoid answering.“We will,” she assured him, “right after you answer my question.”Zero grumbled in annoyance. She was so bold and pushy, and much to his displeasure, she always brushed off and ignored his smart remarks and patronizing glances with ease. He was used to the meek little girls from the academy who’d recoil at even the slightest glare from him. Otherwise, he just found it annoying when they would follow him around or ask him personal questions, both of which Ayame was particularly good at.Zero sat up to glare at her. “It reallyof your business,” he snapped in growing irritation. “But if you haveknow,” Zero paused and bowed his head as if ashamed of what he was about to say, “I… haven’t had proper nourishment in a while.” If he was lucky, maybe revealing that he was thirsty for blood would scare her away.Confusion appeared on Ayame’s pretty face. “Don’t you use blood tablets? I see you take them all the time.” “I take them, but they don’t do much good,” he explained, “My body rejects the pills and I end up throwing them up. They only take the edge off for a short period of time.” He studied her reaction as he explained and was mildly surprised. The girl was now aware that she was alone in a confined space with a hungry vampire, yet she still showed no signs of fear or wariness. Sheeven appear the slightest bit tense. Zero thoughtshe had simply over-looked the implications of his statement andtwo and two togetherOr maybe she simplyand blew it off because she was a hunter and capable of defending herself…
In truth,was curious and intrigued by the notion. Zero was different from other vampires, and there was something pleasantly exotic about being alone in a sexy blood-lusting vampire’s apartment. Itlong before she found herself fantasizing about what it wouldlike to be bitten by him. A pleasant shiver ran through her body at the thought. She wanted to feel his hot, labored breath caress her skin as his sharp fangs sank into her delicate, sensitive flesh… to get the overwhelming rush of ecstasy as he hungrily took what he wished from her, dominating her… to feel his strong, hard body pressed firmly against hers… to look into his steely eyes and see smoldering lust burning in them…Her cheeks, she knew, were flushed. She was so turned on by the idea that she could have begged him right then to take her. Trying to keep herself under control, she did her best to push her fantasy aside and not to reveal how aroused she was.Managing to compose herself, Ayame replied, “I see. It must be very difficult for you to live that way.”Zero fought the urge to roll his eyes and sarcastically mutter ‘no duh.’ Instead, he settled for a slightly nicer response. “I guess...”“So,” she began to change the subject, keeping her word to stick to the particular topic, “How many vampires have you killed? I’d bet it’s a lot.” Her tone was overly optimistic and as casually as she could, Ayame ‘innocently’ pulled her hair to one side, revealing the smooth, creamy skin of her neck and leaned forward as if eager to hear his response. She hoped to get a reaction out of him by exposing skin. Nothing had worked so far… And shethe harm in teasing.Zero’s whole body visibly tensed at the gesture. Before redness began to seep into his eyes, he forced himself to turn away. Why would she do that after what he had just told her?! Was she really that ignorant or just stupid?
His breathing picked up, the burning in his throat increased, and his heart pounded hard against his chest like a wild animal trying to break free from its cage. He was trembling as he struggled to get himself under control.Ayame smiled inwardly. It worked; He wanted her. Maybe not sexually like she wanted him, but she had gotten a reaction like she had hoped. Butterflies whirled around her stomach and she was dying with anticipation. But she was soon disappointed when after only a short moment, he seemed to be back to normal again.“I don’t keep track,” he answered, but there was still a small, almost undetectable hint of huskiness lingering in his voice.“Well, I do.” Brushing off her slight disappointment, she continued to make conversation, “In fact, I keep a tally in the back of the notebook that I gave you, along with some of my family’s vampire hunting techniques and some other stuff. Here, I can show you.” As Ayame picked up the notebook that had been abandoned carelessly on the nightstand, she started to flip through the pages when an idea suddenly struck her. She tried to conceal the small smile that appeared on her lips.
As she flipped a page of the notebook, she made sure that the edge of the paper ran across her finger just right, slicing it open. “Ouch!” She cried out, grumbling and cursing in forced aggravation, “Damn, I got a paper cut.” Blood welled up on her fingertip. Ayame paused a moment before looking up at him. “Do you want the blood? There’s no sense in letting it go to waste,” she said with false concern, holding her wounded finger out to him.Zero froze, partially because of the tempting offer and partially at the blood slowly sliding down the length of her finger that he his eyes away from. His lavender eyes flooded crimson, symptoms returningtenfold. Trying to act quickly, Zero pulled open the drawer of his nightstand and fumbled around in it for the blood tablets that were kept there.Ayame was a little startled at the sight of Zero's eyes changing colors. She had witnessed the change in other vampires before, however it felt different somehow since it was Zero. Pushing the thought aside, she vaguely wondered what he was looking for in his drawer.Suddenly, Zero stopped his frantiche noticed something strange; Ayame’s blood had a certain…scentit that disturbed him and definitely caught his attention. It was the smell of strong longing… desire… lust. He knew what the scent was because he had tasted and smelled something similar to it before. Only before, it was in Yuki’s blood.Then realization hit him. Ayame was a vampire hunter; there was no way she could unintentionally be so ignorant and careless around a vampire. Sheher neck to a vampire by chance… or cut her finger andoffer her blood to him on accident. She wasn’t as ditzy as she would lead people on to believe. She had been intentionally trying to tempt him... manipulate him. She wantedto bite her. He definitelydidn'ther motives cute or funny, to say the least. It was cruel…… revolting.Luckily, Zero’s anger was enough to overpower his thirst and distracted him from the blood, at least for the moment. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” He yelled at her.Ayame’s heart skipped a beat at his sudden harshness. Sheto make him angry with her. She blinked stupidlyhim, deciding to play dumb. “Nothing,” she replied. “What are you talking about?”“You knowexactlyI’m talking about,” He insisted knowingly.The callousness in his words stung. She averted her gaze and said nothing. She was too afraid to deny her motives. Her silence was enough to prove her guilt.“Get out.” He demanded.Her heart heavy with regret, Ayame set the notebook back on his nightstand and quietly left.As soon as she was out of sight, he breathed a sigh of relief. Returning to the drawer of his nightstand, he pulled out the small tin of blood tablets and hurriedly swallowed a few, desperate for the minimal relief they provided.It sickened him to admit it, but at the moment… he would doanythingfor real blood; perhaps even kill. Grabbing Bloody Rose from where it had been left on the floor, he clutched it tightly in his lap as he sat hunched over on the edge of his bed. If he thought hehimself any longer… He would have to use the Bloody Rose on himself. His hand moved to theon the bed and fisted it desperately.
Zero Kiryuu dropped his belongings with a heavy thud by the door. He kicked off his shoes and striped off his shirt once he reached the privacy of his apartment, desperate to get out of the cold, wet clothes that clung to him. He was soaked from the rain, his bangs were matted to his forehead, and large droplets of water rolled off of his silver hair. He ran his hand through it in attempt to rid it of some of the moisture, but it didn‘t do much good. He left his drenched clothing scattered all other the floor as he made his way to toward the back of his apartment, too exhausted to care about the mess at the moment.
The day’s events weighed heavily on his mind. He’d just got back from an assignment. It seemed crime was at an all-time high in the town, and it was no longer safe to be out after dark. The increase in Level E’s certainly kept him busy... It took nearly all hunters in business at the moment to keep them at bay. Vampire hunting was beginning to take a lot out of him.
Tossing his gun on the bed, Zero went to his closet to find new clothes. He absentmindedly shuffled through his wardrobe, still contemplating the ordeal with the Level Es before he remembered something. There was an old hunting book that his childhood mentor Touga had left him a long time ago... assuming he could find it. He was sure that he’d read something about similar occurrences happening before. He wanted to find out what would cause such an increase in Level Es; he wanted to research what could possibly draw them to the area.
Abandoning his search for clothing, Zero strained as he rummaged through the disorganized mess of old papers and books and other assorted thing that he’d stored away on the top shelf of his closet. He continued shuffling through his things when he felt something like paper drift to the floor and land by his feet.glanced down at it for a few moments, half tempted to leave it lay there but bent down and picked it up anyway. His lavender gaze went wide and his chest tightened painfully when he realized that the paper was actually a picture…
He stared dumbfounded at Yuki’s smiling face beaming back at him, her big doe eyes shining with innocence. Zero averted his eyes, bitterly crumpling the picture up in his fist, and threw it roughly in the direction of the trash, although it missed and bounced off the side of the waste basket to litter the floor. He refused to think about her, after all this time…
He suddenly had no more motivation to search for anything. Everything suddenly forgotten and still clad in nothing but his boxer briefs, Zero made his way to his sloppy, unmade bed, snatching up his discarded firearm before collapsing into his soft mattress with a heavy sigh.His muscles ached and his eyes throbbed from the lack of sleep for the past few days. Hethem drift shut, but he knew heable to doze off. Theunbearable burning itch in his throat and sharp hunger pains in his stomach prevented him from obtaining any sense of peace. Opening his eyes, Zeroup at the ceiling in frustration, his hands absently began to twirl Bloody Rose between them.
He couldn’t keep himself from thinking about her now... It had been four long years since Zero had last seen the sweet, trusting, innocent girl that was Yuki Cross.’s fidgeting with his gun halted and he gripped it tightly between his two hands, his knuckles turning white from the effort. The painful throbbing in his chest increased at the mere thought of her name. Ither name anymore; it was Lady Yuki Kuran now. She had reverted back to her original name as a Kuran.Zero recalled the day she left to be with her pureblood brother and his jaw tightened. Kaname was so condescending and conniving that it made Zero’s blood boil, yet Yuki had always admired the pureblood, as if he were a saint rather than a vampire. In her naïve and impressionable mind, the pureblood could do no wrong.But he could see through Kaname’s ‘perfect honor student’ façade. All this time, Zero had strived to protect her from vampires; meanwhile she had spent her time being helplessly infatuated with one, something he just could not understand. How couldanyonecruel, blood-sucking beasts appealing?
But then, it hadn’t been Kaname that had attacked her one day out of nowhere out of bloodlust… or that had selfishly took her blood on a regular basis following. Even all this time, he still felt guilty. Even he was a traitor to himself and he hated it. He tried to protect her from vampires… but he couldn’t protect her from himself. And then she was no longer a human and everything changed…
After it was all said and done, all Zero could do was watch her go, letting bitterness and hatred consume him as she happily left Cross Academy with a smile. For the first time, he hated her. For the first time, he wanted to put an end to her existence, just as he didallvampires.
“Yes, Zero. I’m glad you understand. The Yuki you once knew… is gone.” Zero recalled Yuki’s words to him, after she reawakened as a pureblood. It hurt, every time he remembered those words. Yuki was… gone. Somehow he just couldn’t fully wrap his head around that fact.After all this time, he regretted letting himself get close to her. But no matter how hard he tried to push her away, shut her out... she always managed to somehow work her way in again. But the day her humanity was stripped from her, was the same day his heart hardened towards her and his instincts as a vampire hunter took over. In that moment, they became enemies; Vampire versus Slayer. Things were different now;shedifferent now. Everything that had happened between himself and Yukibecause itwhathad become. Sheanymore. He swore to end her life one day. But he mourned her, as if she were already dead. As far as he was concerned, the two purebloods deserved each other. But then, why did it still hurt so much?He hadn’t forgotten his promise; When the time came, he would do what he had to do no matter what, and heanything get in the way of that,not feelings. He wouldn’t be so weak. He had learned the hard way that hunters couldn't afford feelings or emotions when it came to their work. Years ago, Touga had lost his eye to teach him that lesson…
Forcing himself to turn his thoughts to other matters, his hands began to nervously play with his gun again, twirling it between them and passing it back and forth in a futile attempt to distract himself, not only from his thoughts but the nagging pain plaguing him as well. Restless, Zero got up from his bed and began to pace the length of the room thoughtfully, gun still in hand.
Cross Academy never really fully recovered. The school was still mostly in ruins and the students had all been sent home, but Kaien Cross continued to reside there alone, refusing to abandon his beloved Cross Academy. He was slowly working to revive it, but anyone could see it was a lost cause. Zero believed him a fool for even trying. The stability of the school had always been shaky. Everything that the school stood for had failed, as Zero had always known it would.Unlike the Headmaster who had stayed at the school, Zero had left everything behind and started over. The Association invited him to stay in one of the small apartments reserved for only the best hunters and he hadn't hesitated to take them up on the offer. It was too painful to stick around the academy when every place in the school seemed to hold a bittersweet memory of the girl- or rather, the vampirehad betrayed him.The word ‘vampire’ left a bad taste in his mouth, even though he didn’t verbally speak it.
Despite his efforts, her memory seemed to haunt him no matter where he went.sweet voice echoed in his ears and a vision of her flooded back to him as they often did."I don’t care if you hate me along with the rest of the night class; I won’t let you give up on yourself!” Yuki’s gaze was intense as she looked at him. He remembered the way her cheeks were lightly flushed and how her heart sounded as it thudded against her chest. He could tell she was nervous, but she seemed to be very confident in her decision to offer her blood to him, seeing complete determination in her eyes. He had always marveled at how selfless she was… forgetting all about her own well-being to help him. She was willing to sacrifice everything, even her relationship with Kaname... for him.It was then that he remembered his response, "Yuki, how could I ever hate you…”Zero suddenly felt his stomach lurch and this mouth began to water. The familiar feeling of nausea hit him, and the burning of bile worked its way to his mouth. Unable to make it to the toilet in time, he dropped to his knees in front of the trashcan beside his nightstand, Bloody Rose colliding clamorously with the floor as he threw up. Stomach finally feeling a little more stable a few moments later, he wiped his mouth and sat back against the wall feeling rather drained and weak.He wasn’t sure how much longer he could live the way he was. Since Zero no longer had Yuki to offer him her blood, he was forced to resort back to using the blood tablets that his body insisted on rejecting. Being unable to keep the pills down had caused him to lose a considerable amount of weight and he was becoming progressively pale and famished more and more each day. Zero had grown accustomed to the ache in his chest, the hunger, and sleepless nights. Every day seemed to be even worse than the last. Hewell to say the least, mentally or physically. The only reason he had made it so long after Yuki left was because of Shizuka’s blood that he acquired through Ichiru and Kaname, as well as Kaname's pure blood and all of Yuki's now awakened pure blood flowing through his veins.
With the blood of three purebloods and the blood of his twin, he had gained incredible powers, and with them, he had been able to control his thirst for a while, and he was even able to take the blood tablets without throwing up. But the affects had been only temporary, and his momentary relief from bloodlust was finally beginning to wear off. He supposed that the only true way to prevent becoming a level E was to drink from Shizuka directly, but since she was dead, he was pretty much screwed. He may have prolonged his fall to Level E, but it was still only a matter of time before the “end” inevitably came for him…
A knock broke the silence and Zero rose to answer it, forcing himself up off the floor. He pulled the door open to reveal a petite, young human girl with long raven hair and dark violet eyes.The girl standing in the doorway was named Ayame. She was his neighbor who lived in the apartment across the hall who was also from a strong line of vampire hunters, something that she and Zero had in common. She and Zero saw each other now and then in hunter meetings and such. Since the academy had shut down, Zero had devoted most of his time to vampire hunting, using it as an emotional outlet and distraction. He did everything he could to keep his mind on other matters rather than let himself be consumed by his negative thoughts and emotions or dwell on things thatchanged.Ayame stood rather awkwardly at the door for a minute with a ghost of a blush lightly staining her cheeks and a notebook clutched in her arms while Zero looked at her expectantly, forgetting that he was only in his boxers. Voice temporarily escaping her, shebut let her eyes wander over his perfectly muscled chestabdomen, taking note of how the muscles around his hip bones created an alluring 'V' trail leading down to his...
cleared his throat impatiently, successfully bringing her out of her trance. She had been gawking at him much too long for comfort.“Erm,” She started, as if she were suddenly shy, “I… I thought I’d come by to bring you some the updates, notes, and information thatthroughout the week.been absent from the hunter meetings a” She offered the notebook to him but heit, only continued to stare at her, creatingrather awkward silence. “Erm, so you've heard about the increase of level E attacks in town, right?” Ayame mentally kicked herself as soon as the words left her mouth. Of course he knew, he was the only reason they hadn't taken over the whole city yet. It was really just a desperate and pathetic attempt to put an end to the uncomfortable atmosphere between them.finally took the notebook from her with a quick “thanks” and went to shut the door.“W-wait,” she said frantically as she put her hand up to stop the door before it could shut in her face. “I thought that maybe you could give me some pointers and prepare me for my performance exam coming up.” she trailed off a moment before adding, “erm, together. You know, tutor me.” The blush on her cheeks darkened slightly.‘Geeze,’ she mentally rolled her eyes at her pitiful self for trying so hard. But she couldn’t help it. A guy had never captured her interest the way he did.was a mystery; a complicated and challenging puzzle that she wanted desperately to solve. But what exactly it was about him that was soirresistible, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She couldn'twhy he seemedbe the only male to be completely immune to her charm; that alone was enough to make her helplessly infatuated with him. She supposed that itwas partially because she was the type of person to want what shebut… there was more to it than that.
Zero sighed heavily. Hethe mood for company. “Look, I’m really not in the mood. Maybe another time,” He movedshut the door once more, but she stopped it again.“Please?” She gave himthe look,the look that no guy could resist. She was very aware of the affect her looks had on men. She knew she was attractive and could get any guy she desired, therefore she had mastered the opposite sex at a young age. Ayame was used to boys getting flustered around her, but Zero was different. She could never get the same reactions out of him as the other guys, which drew her to him like a moth to a flame. In fact, he was the only one that madeherflustered.But she had to keep her cool, as she knew that it may be the one in only chance she had to get him to notice her and perhaps get to know him better. He always just blew her off in the past, but not this time. She wouldn’t let him!
As Ayame had suspected, her charmhave any effect on him and Zeroto decline her wishesmore, but thatdidn't mean she was about to give up. She blocked the door for a third time.“Look, I know you probably don’t care, but I get paranoid at night. I keep hearing about all the Level E attacks near here. It could be only a matter of time before one or more of them wander here. I can handle myself, but I just think it's best to stick together. Plus… I think I could learn a few things from the reputable hunter, Zero Kiryuu,” she argued.
‘Stroking a man’s ego almost always works,’ she thought, her fingers mentally crossed. It was true though, Zero Kiryuu was quickly building a name for himself in the world of vampire hunters, maybe even surpassing his own mentor Touga… and comparable to even the legendary Kaien Cross. Of course, she knew that Zero wasn't just a hunter, but a vampire as well. It wasn’t a big deal though. Shenormallyhad distaste for ‘bloodsuckers’, but she made an exception since it was obvious that Zero hated vampires as much as she did. He really made absolutely no effort to hide it. Besides, heequally as attractive as she was, if not more so, seeing as all vampires were gorgeous, flawless beings. He had an effortless and undeniable sex appeal which he didn't even seem to be aware of. On top of his admirable looks, strength, smarts, and skills, the two of them actually had a lot in common. They shared a strong hatred for vampires and the same dedication to vampire hunting. And since she was the daughter of the Association's President, she supposed she herself was quite famous as well, though she was still learning. Come to think of it, Zero was also a bit older than her, but she didn’t care about that either. She had just turned seventeen a few days ago and Zero was already comfortably twenty one.
She paused, trying to judge his reaction but when shecouldn't, she added, “I won’t ask any personal questions, I promise. We’ll just talkvampire hunting.”Zero sighed heavily once more at her hopeful expression. “Fine,” he said simply in defeat. Hemuch care forpersistence, but hethe energy to keep arguing. He turned from the door without shutting it.
Happy that he gave in, Ayame closed the door behind her. Zero seemed to have realized his lack of clothing, as he had slipped on some pants before heto his bed to lay down as he had been before she’d knocked on his door. Ayame watched him, a bit disappointed that he covered up, but his chest was still pleasantly bare and she hesitantly moved to sit on the bed beside him.
When she thought about it, did Zero have a few off-putting traits? Sure. He was distant and angsty and very private, sometimes even downright rude. But he was straight-forward and didn't sugarcoat things. She couldn't say that any of his more undesirable traits bothered her much... not when she had grown up with such an overbearing, insensitive father.Zero was a walk in the park in comparison.Glancing around his room, she noticed the vomit in the trashcan and crinkled her nose. “Are you sick? Is that why you haven’t been around lately?”“I thought we were going to talk about vampire hunting,” he replied dryly, trying to avoid answering.“We will,” she assured him, “right after you answer my question.”Zero grumbled in annoyance. She was so bold and pushy, and much to his displeasure, she always brushed off and ignored his smart remarks and patronizing glances with ease. He was used to the meek little girls from the academy who’d recoil at even the slightest glare from him. Otherwise, he just found it annoying when they would follow him around or ask him personal questions, both of which Ayame was particularly good at.Zero sat up to glare at her. “It reallyof your business,” he snapped in growing irritation. “But if you haveknow,” Zero paused and bowed his head as if ashamed of what he was about to say, “I… haven’t had proper nourishment in a while.” If he was lucky, maybe revealing that he was thirsty for blood would scare her away.Confusion appeared on Ayame’s pretty face. “Don’t you use blood tablets? I see you take them all the time.” “I take them, but they don’t do much good,” he explained, “My body rejects the pills and I end up throwing them up. They only take the edge off for a short period of time.” He studied her reaction as he explained and was mildly surprised. The girl was now aware that she was alone in a confined space with a hungry vampire, yet she still showed no signs of fear or wariness. Sheeven appear the slightest bit tense. Zero thoughtshe had simply over-looked the implications of his statement andtwo and two togetherOr maybe she simplyand blew it off because she was a hunter and capable of defending herself…
In truth,was curious and intrigued by the notion. Zero was different from other vampires, and there was something pleasantly exotic about being alone in a sexy blood-lusting vampire’s apartment. Itlong before she found herself fantasizing about what it wouldlike to be bitten by him. A pleasant shiver ran through her body at the thought. She wanted to feel his hot, labored breath caress her skin as his sharp fangs sank into her delicate, sensitive flesh… to get the overwhelming rush of ecstasy as he hungrily took what he wished from her, dominating her… to feel his strong, hard body pressed firmly against hers… to look into his steely eyes and see smoldering lust burning in them…Her cheeks, she knew, were flushed. She was so turned on by the idea that she could have begged him right then to take her. Trying to keep herself under control, she did her best to push her fantasy aside and not to reveal how aroused she was.Managing to compose herself, Ayame replied, “I see. It must be very difficult for you to live that way.”Zero fought the urge to roll his eyes and sarcastically mutter ‘no duh.’ Instead, he settled for a slightly nicer response. “I guess...”“So,” she began to change the subject, keeping her word to stick to the particular topic, “How many vampires have you killed? I’d bet it’s a lot.” Her tone was overly optimistic and as casually as she could, Ayame ‘innocently’ pulled her hair to one side, revealing the smooth, creamy skin of her neck and leaned forward as if eager to hear his response. She hoped to get a reaction out of him by exposing skin. Nothing had worked so far… And shethe harm in teasing.Zero’s whole body visibly tensed at the gesture. Before redness began to seep into his eyes, he forced himself to turn away. Why would she do that after what he had just told her?! Was she really that ignorant or just stupid?
His breathing picked up, the burning in his throat increased, and his heart pounded hard against his chest like a wild animal trying to break free from its cage. He was trembling as he struggled to get himself under control.Ayame smiled inwardly. It worked; He wanted her. Maybe not sexually like she wanted him, but she had gotten a reaction like she had hoped. Butterflies whirled around her stomach and she was dying with anticipation. But she was soon disappointed when after only a short moment, he seemed to be back to normal again.“I don’t keep track,” he answered, but there was still a small, almost undetectable hint of huskiness lingering in his voice.“Well, I do.” Brushing off her slight disappointment, she continued to make conversation, “In fact, I keep a tally in the back of the notebook that I gave you, along with some of my family’s vampire hunting techniques and some other stuff. Here, I can show you.” As Ayame picked up the notebook that had been abandoned carelessly on the nightstand, she started to flip through the pages when an idea suddenly struck her. She tried to conceal the small smile that appeared on her lips.
As she flipped a page of the notebook, she made sure that the edge of the paper ran across her finger just right, slicing it open. “Ouch!” She cried out, grumbling and cursing in forced aggravation, “Damn, I got a paper cut.” Blood welled up on her fingertip. Ayame paused a moment before looking up at him. “Do you want the blood? There’s no sense in letting it go to waste,” she said with false concern, holding her wounded finger out to him.Zero froze, partially because of the tempting offer and partially at the blood slowly sliding down the length of her finger that he his eyes away from. His lavender eyes flooded crimson, symptoms returningtenfold. Trying to act quickly, Zero pulled open the drawer of his nightstand and fumbled around in it for the blood tablets that were kept there.Ayame was a little startled at the sight of Zero's eyes changing colors. She had witnessed the change in other vampires before, however it felt different somehow since it was Zero. Pushing the thought aside, she vaguely wondered what he was looking for in his drawer.Suddenly, Zero stopped his frantiche noticed something strange; Ayame’s blood had a certain…scentit that disturbed him and definitely caught his attention. It was the smell of strong longing… desire… lust. He knew what the scent was because he had tasted and smelled something similar to it before. Only before, it was in Yuki’s blood.Then realization hit him. Ayame was a vampire hunter; there was no way she could unintentionally be so ignorant and careless around a vampire. Sheher neck to a vampire by chance… or cut her finger andoffer her blood to him on accident. She wasn’t as ditzy as she would lead people on to believe. She had been intentionally trying to tempt him... manipulate him. She wantedto bite her. He definitelydidn'ther motives cute or funny, to say the least. It was cruel…… revolting.Luckily, Zero’s anger was enough to overpower his thirst and distracted him from the blood, at least for the moment. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” He yelled at her.Ayame’s heart skipped a beat at his sudden harshness. Sheto make him angry with her. She blinked stupidlyhim, deciding to play dumb. “Nothing,” she replied. “What are you talking about?”“You knowexactlyI’m talking about,” He insisted knowingly.The callousness in his words stung. She averted her gaze and said nothing. She was too afraid to deny her motives. Her silence was enough to prove her guilt.“Get out.” He demanded.Her heart heavy with regret, Ayame set the notebook back on his nightstand and quietly left.As soon as she was out of sight, he breathed a sigh of relief. Returning to the drawer of his nightstand, he pulled out the small tin of blood tablets and hurriedly swallowed a few, desperate for the minimal relief they provided.It sickened him to admit it, but at the moment… he would doanythingfor real blood; perhaps even kill. Grabbing Bloody Rose from where it had been left on the floor, he clutched it tightly in his lap as he sat hunched over on the edge of his bed. If he thought hehimself any longer… He would have to use the Bloody Rose on himself. His hand moved to theon the bed and fisted it desperately.