Summary: (AU after Rido Incident.) The New Year starts off with a bang…literally. (ZeroxAidou)

Disclaimer: Vampire Knight belongs to Matsuri Hino-sensei.

Warnings: Un-beta-ed, OOCness, OCs, Blood

Authoress: I didn't put anything up for Christmas this year but I hoped everyone had Happy Holidays! I wish everyone a Happy New Year with this fic! Though I'm late lol

January 1st

Bodies wearing fancy ballroom dresses and suits of all different colors swirled around the room as the music from the orchestra set the rhythm and mood. The Kurans were hosting their annual end of the year ball. Kaname had reinstated the monarchy after the Rido incident. It took a couple of years for the Vampires and Hunters to re-organize themselves and trust each other, but a shaky alliance had formed. The ball was one of the events to encourage the co-existence along with Cross Academy being built. Hunters and Vampires alike mingled at the Kuran mansion. Kaname allows all classes of Vampires to attend much to the disgruntlement of the nobility, and Hunters were allowed to bring dates.

Aidou looked around the ballroom from the balcony on the third floor. He was taking a break from the party. Sipping from his glass of bloodwine, Aidou's ice blue eyes wandered over the other guests occupying the third floor balcony. The blond noble was actually bored out of his mind. While Aidou is used to parties like this one, he was always sick of the boring gossip nobles talked about over and over again. Aidou was a scholar at heart. While he could gossip himself, he much rather talk over the latest developments in the scientific field. Also being a part of Kaname's inner circle limited him some. His status as a noble was pretty high and being Kaname's also put his status higher than most nobles.

The Level B was about to look for his cousin Akatsuki, when he turned around almost bumped into Zero. "Wha—Zero?" The hunter was fidgety, looking around at everyone suspiciously.

Zero Kiryuu has been Aidou's bane and comfort since the first day the two met. Up until the Rido incident, Aidou was totally blinded by his loyalty to Kaname. His pedigree had also taught him that Level D's like Zero were lower than dirty and knowing that the hunter was going to eventually fall to Level E did not help Aidou be endeared to him. But all of that information had been wrong.

Zero was actually something more. If Hunters had a hierarchy like Vampires, the Kiryuu's would be considered something like purebloods. Old families like the Kiryuu's had people who were the first Hunters to take weapons from the hearth forged from the female Vampire Ancestor's heart. Those Hunters were ones who could merge with the weapons, just like how Zero did with Bloody Rose. In reality, the female Ancestor's blood gave Hunters a small dosage of vampire blood that would continue to breed in all of the Hunters lineages for hundreds of years. It explained a Hunter's above average strength and speed. Hunters were always stronger and faster than a normal human being but not as much as a vampire.

The Kiryuu was one of the purest of Hunter lineages, keeping their blood pure by incest and only marrying other Hunters. When Shizuka bit Zero, the vampire blood he already had got brought to the surface and was made stronger. Maybe it was a combination of Zero's genes and tenacious will but he became something like a pureblood, defying all expectations everyone assumed would lead to his death. Vampire and Hunter societies cannot really categorize him. After defeating two purebloods, the societies left him be for the most part. However, since Zero is a vampire he belongs under Kaname's rule even as a Hunter. Zero has been given the title of Knight and everyone knows he hates it but silently accepts it. The title places Zero as one of the strongest ties Vampire Society and Hunter Society has. Zero is treated with a rank similar to Aidou's and Kaname always tried to use that during negotiations.

Before the Rido incident, Aidou would argue constantly with the Hunter. There was something about Zero that always got him underneath Aidou's skin more so than other people ever did and vice versa. And though his low opinion of Zero made the noble see the Hunter as annoying, Aidou admitted he loved Zero's sarcastic remarks. They were always witty. Zero never just simply ignored him liked his peers did. Plus, Zero was the only person to not treat him as a spoiled child. Aidou's and Zero's special love hate relationship grew after the Rido incident. They were close enough to call each other by first name now.

"I need you to come with me NOW." Zero hissed, grabbing Aidou's arm.

"Aright. Ow." Aidou whined as Zero dragged him to a nearby empty room. The Hunter closed the door silently after checking no one followed them. "What the hell Zero?"

"I think someone is going to attempt to kill the Kurans." Zero explained without missing a beat.

"WHAT—?!" Aidou started to shout but Zero placed his hand over the blond's mouth.

"I need that big brain of yours to help me figure who and when."

Aidou took a big calming breath. He slowly pulled Zero's hand away. "What proof do you have of this assassination attempt?"

"I overhead it—yes cliché I know but these were the nobles that typically give Kaname trouble during council meetings." Zero explained.

Aidou faced away from Zero and paced in what looked like a drawing room. Zero could see the mental gears in his head turning. "Well," Aidou started off. If Sara was one of them then nothing but trouble can be assumed. "was one of them Sara-sama?"

"Yes," Zero rolled his eyes. No one liked that bitch. "along with Koujaku, Berstein, and the those three Yomuri siblings. I feel they plan to assassinate just before midnight when Kaname and Yuki give their New Year speech."

"I see." Aidou sat down in a random chair. "That's the only time when the Kurans won't be constantly surrounded. And we got the "who" narrowed down to usual trouble makers."

"True, but those trouble makers won't do the dirty work themselves." It was Zero's turn to pace around the room. "I've told Kaname and the others of course. Now we just have to smile as usual and deal with it silently." Zero glanced up at a random corner in the room and happened to see a clock. "Shit."

"Huh?" Aidou looked up from his deep thinking. He looked in the direction of Zero's eyes and saw that the clock said thirty minutes until midnight. "Shit! What are we going to do?" Zero sweat-dropped as he watched Aidou run around comically holding his head.

The Hunter grabbed Aidou's collar to make him stop. "Look, we and everyone else knows that Kaname is the last person we need to worry about. It's Yuki that is the weaker one. She doesn't have full control of her pureblood powers. We need to know who the nobilities' pawns are. Any ideas?"

Aidou sighed and then straightened up. "I believe for Sara that her servant girl Elizabeth is the best bet. She's been with her everywhere lately. For the Yomuri siblings…probably their servant Saiyuki. I have no idea for Koujaku and Berstein."

Zero looked back at the clock; fifteen minutes have passed by. "Well, I'm sure the others are frantically searching. What should we do?" He led the noble to the door and they came out to the balcony. "The speech as started already."

Aidou and Zero looked down at crowd gathered around the orchestra stage. There, Kaname and Yuki stood with their hand raised in toast. The two were a beautiful picture, wearing a matching white suit and ball gown. The two can hear Kaname thanking the guests to another successful year of co-existence.

Aidou spotted his cousin in corner of the room discreetly looking for someone. "I think the others know who it is. Akatsuki's looking for them." He told Zero, "We should get closer to guard the Kurans. It seems like the guard detail is lacking."

The two speed down using vampire speed without any problems. Everyone was on the bottom floor listening to the speech. When Aidou and Zero appeared at the edge of the crowed. Aidou noticed there was someone wearing a masquerade mask slowly getting closer to the front.

They were heading for Yuki.

Without thinking about it, Aidou tried to calmly but quickly make it through the crowd towards the front. He ignored Zero's shout of surprise as he politely pushed people out the way. He was watching the feminine figure with the peacock masquerade mask arrive a few people behind the front of the crowd. Ice blue eyes widened when they landed on a gun in the assassin's hand being pulled out the front folds of the dress.

Using vampire speed to push threw the crowd, Aidou shouted, "Get down Yuki-sama!"

Bang.

The noble grunted as blood filled his mouth and leaked out. He had reached just in time to take the bullet in the chest. The force of the bullet knocked him back on to Yuki. He made eye contact with the assassin, smirking at the anger in those blue eyes. All Aidou felt was pain and his eyes closed. The bullet had hit close to his heart.

Yuki screamed, "Aidou-sempai!" as she caught him in her arms and lowered him to the ground. People around them started to shout as the crowd burst into chaos.

Kaname stood protectively in front of the pair, ordering his servants to find the culprit. "Find them now!" Kaname growled angrily, eyes glowing red. People were still running out the doors, trampling over each other.

"Hanabusa!" Zero came pushing threw the crowd, trying to use vampire speed but almost swept away by the crowd. When he reached Aidou and Yuki he kneeled. He could see purplish blue veins crawling up Aidou's neck. "Dammit, they used a Hunter's bullet." If a vampire listened closely they could here the sizzling from the silver inside Aidou's chest.

"What can you do Zero?" Yuki asked with tears in her eyes.

"Can you save him Zero?" Kaname asked while still keeping a weary eye out.

Zero didn't answer, knowing he couldn't promise anything. He tore open Aidou's baby blue suit jacket and white undershirt. The whole in which the bullet entered was red and had the purplish lines leading from it. Silver poisoning was happening fast to Aidou. He had to remove the bullet. "I have to get the bullet out."

"But—" Yuki started but Zero shook his head.

Zero lengthened his index finger into a sharp claw. "Aidou, if you can hear me, know that this is going to hurt." Zero stabbed into Aidou's chest, making Yuki look away but she kept petting Aidou's hair. Blood seeped over Zero's pale hand, Aidou's skin and clothes, and splattered a bit on Yuki's face.

"Urgghh." Aidou unconsciously groaned in pain.

Zero winced. He didn't like hurting the blond contrary to popular belief. Feeling the flesh and muscle around his felt very uncomfortable as he searched for the bullet. He was being careful that he didn't hurt Aidou even further. The unconscious noble was already shivering in cold sweat. When his nail made contact with the bullet fragment, he lengthened another nail and pushed in to carefully grab the bullet out. Once the bullet was out, the hole slowly started to close.

"He'll need fresh blood to fully heal now." Zero said wiping blood onto his black dress pants. He put his arm underneath Aidou's legs and back to lift him up. "Is there a private room we can go?"

~*Later in the day*~

Takuma and Akatsuki caught the assassin during the chaos in the ballroom. It turned out Aidou's hunch was correct in that Elizabeth would be one of the people Sara implemented during the assassination. Sara has been sentenced to house arrest as the investigation for the assassination goes on and Kaname himself will determine her trial date. Damage control was being taken cared of as Takuma and others within Kaname's circle wrote apology letters to everyone that came to the ball.

Aidou was resting peacefully in one of the bedrooms near Kaname's and Yuki's. Zero had been taking care of him. After the chaos had settled, Akatsuki had checked in on his cousin and Zero. It nearly gave him a heart attack.

"Zero—you're…!" Akatsuki had to catch himself on a nearby dresser as the sent that permeated throughout the room slapped him in the face.

"Shhh!" Zero grumbled. He was disheveled. His hair was sticking up in weird directions and his lavender dress shirt had the top buttons undone. Specks of blood could be seen on the collar. Tired eyes looked at Akatsuki with warning. "You'll wake him up. I'll deal with it later." The Hunter hissed.

"B-but!"

"Shh!"

~*Some more time later*~

When Aidou woke up he immediately noticed a presence at the back of his mind. He thought maybe he was still sleeping but the presence vibrated back at him when he gave it a mental poke. It was a familiar presence, one that had a light purple aura. It was cold like his blue aura but it held a fiery burn that melted Aidou's icy bite. What disturbed Aidou the most was that it felt natural to have this presence in his head.

The blond noble sat up like a springboard. The ache he should feel from the bullet wound was completely non-existent. Aidou felt over his exposed chest and neck. There was a throb on the right sight of his neck and the dread of what he suspected set in fully. He was mated. And mated to—

"Hanabusa." Zero's voice brought him out of his epiphany. The Hunter was in the doorway, carrying a tray with a sandwich and soup, looking uncharacteristically apprehensive. "May I come in?"

"Yes." Awkwardly Zero came inside. Aidou waited for the Hunter to close the door. "What the hell Zero?! Why are we mated?"

Zero winced as he set the tray on the bedside table. He knew this conversation had to be finished somehow; so, he crossed his arms. "I know that—long story short, you needed a lot of blood to the point of draining someone. There was no one we trusted who didn't have a mate already, and it wasn't like we could go find some random victim quick enough. I was the only one on hand to give you that much. Your vampiric side bit me first by the way." He turned his neck to the right, revealing a bite mark on his left side. "And my vampiric instinct made me bite back. It was either mate you or leave you to die." The Hunter shrugged his shoulders like it was the simplest thing in the world.

Aidou sputtered for a moment. "We're basically married! How can you be so calm about this?!"

"Because I knew what I was getting into when I did it." Zero said plainly. He walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down. "We can find ways to break it if you want…" He said quietly, looking down. "I know it's my fault."

The newly formed bond hurt when Zero whispered the last part. Aidou knew he was in deep trouble when that happened. There was already a yearning when the Hunter came within close proximity. Zero's scent was like the most heavenly thing created to Aidou. And if he were honest with himself, the idea of being married to Zero didn't freak him out like it should.

"I'm doomed." Aidou comically hid his face in hid hands, blushing head to toe.

Despite the situation, Zero had a small smirk on face. "I'm doomed as well if that makes you feel better."

Aidou peeked out from underneath his fingers at the other. They stared silently, communicating only with their eyes. Something clicked within Aidou and he lowered his hands. The blond noble slowly grabbed one of Zero's hands on the bed. "Start off slow?"

Zero nodded as he intertwined their fingers. "Start off slow."

~*Owari*~