A/N: Okay, so it's time for the sleeping beauties to rise and shine… finally. I didn't quite let them sleep for 100 years, but it was close enough, LOL :D

As usual, more musings on this chapter and my life in general can be found at my LJ.

Kaname woke up shortly after dawn as the sun cleared the buildings opposite the hotel and sent light streaming through the open window of the room. Groaning in annoyance, he scrunched his eyes shut while cursing himself for forgetting to close the curtains last night.

Usually, the pureblood would have been perfectly lucid upon waking, but since he had just been pulled from a deeply needed slumber – in what to him classified as the middle of the night – and assaulted by sunshine on top of that, he found his mind hazy and his thoughts unfocused.

Absently, he reached down to find the covers so he could pull them over his head, only to realize there weren't any; he was lying on instead of under them. Rather uncomfortably too, since they were twisted into a heap… but the breeze entering the room held a chilly bite, so why did he not really feel cold if there were no covers? Trying to take stock of this development, he realized that what his head was laid against was both firmer than a pillow, and much warmer. It also had a distinctly living quality to it… memory flooded back in a rush, and he recalled that he was not alone.

He didn't want to wake Zero – especially since he had absolutely no idea what to say to the hunter. What did one say to a rival-turned-lover after an incredible, passionate night? Come to think of it, Kaname didn't even know how Zero would react upon waking. He wouldn't put it past the ex-human to try and kill him or something equally rash. He had been pretty sure Zero was just as into it as he had been at the time, but the hunter was nothing if not skilled in self-denial, and might decide to take a different opinion on the subject after the fact.

Reaching out with his powers, Kaname drew the curtains, but his chaotic mental state resulted in him using rather more force than necessary, causing one side of the rail to detach from the wall. He directed a glare at the offending item, which was now hanging forlornly from the one remaining nail, then covered his eyes with one arm, muttering deprecatingly about poor quality hotel infrastructure.

The sudden expansion of Kaname's aura in his senses woke Zero instantly. Lilac eyes snapped open, assessing the threat. Realizing that he wasn't in any immediate danger, Zero's awareness turned to the fact that he was currently very naked, and… well, in bed… with Kaname. His cheeks flushed at the thought, and he gave his bondmate a quick glance, wondering if he was the only one embarrassed by the circumstances.

The pureblood's attention was quite obviously elsewhere - he was bathed in the golden sunlight coming through the window, and had his arm thrown across his eyes while grumbling under his breath about vindictive curtains and early sunrises. Zero's mouth quirked. The situation was rather humorous. If any of the night class could see their leader now, reduced to hurling insults at inanimate objects while sleeping with the enemy… well, stunned would probably not even begin to describe their reaction.

Unobtrusively, Zero reached for the covers, which had become entangled beneath their bodies, hoping to drape something over himself before Kaname realized he was awake. He managed to free a large enough piece of the fabric eventually, although the slight tugging at the linen had caught Kaname's attention. The pureblood had ceased his quiet muttering instantly; feigning sleep, but the tension in his posture gave him away. Unable to resist, Zero threw a wry remark at the pureblood.

"It's okay Kaname; don't let me interrupt your conversation."

It may have been a trick of the light, but Zero could've sworn a faint blush ghosted across the pureblood's face before a garnet eye narrowed at him, still shaded partially by an arm.

The joke had made them both more aware of each other, and neither knew what to say next. An uncomfortably long silence settled between them until Zero decided to take the initiative. When he moved to get up, he realized that he was still a little sore from last night's… activities. The pain was not too severe though, for which he was grateful. It was most likely Kaname's blood working its magic, soothing and healing the aches. Rolling over so he was facing away from Kaname, he grabbed hold of the sheet which had fallen off the bed, wrapping it around his waist as he stood.

"I'm uh… gonna go take a shower…"

He didn't fancy walking out in just a sheet, so he started scouting around for his clothes, but they had been scattered around the room. Oh God… could there be anything more embarrassing than collecting your clothing while being scrutinized by the person who had stripped it off?

Once Zero had left the bed, the corner of the comforter was free, and Kaname pulled it over himself before speaking. He had noticed Zero's discomfiture, and it made him feel obliged to help.

"Why don't you use that coat? I mean, if you want..."

Zero cast him a suspicious glance, wondering if the offer was made for sincere reasons or merely to highlight his mortifying situation. After deciding from the soft look in the pureblood's eyes that it was probably the former, he replied.

"Yeah, thanks."

Walking over to the chair, he grabbed the long coat that Cross had given Kaname the day before, trying to ignore the fact that Kaname's intoxicating scent still lingered on it. He slipped it on before letting the sheet fall to the floor. Not wanting the pureblood to catch sight of the flush steadily rising up his neck, Zero made his way to the door and left without looking back.

Kaname laid his head down with a groan. This morning was hardly going well. The atmosphere had been laden with awkwardness and unease; they were like a married couple after a childish argument, neither of them wanting to look the other in the eye or acknowledge the reason for the tension between them. Zero obviously did not want to confront the fact that something had happened last night, and technically, Kaname should have been happy to do the same, but somehow it almost… hurt. He'd exposed a side of himself to Zero that he took great care to hide from everyone else – a vulnerable, needy, insecure side – and Zero's reluctance to face him this morning was playing on his emotions. Pulling the covers up over his head, he tried to go back to sleep, but the heat of the sun now baking the bed combined with his wildly churning thoughts made it impossible, so he decided to follow Zero's example and get cleaned up.

x---x---x

In the room next door, Zero was trying his best not to think. Instead, he paid attention to minute details, hoping to prevent his mind from wandering to other things. The way the hotel's logo was branded into the soap, the way Kaname's eyes were now branded into his thoughts, the instructions on the shampoo bottle in the shower caddy, the way Kaname had instructed him to relax, how many tiles on the floor of the cubicle, how many sounds of pleasure he'd made… he was failing miserably.

In truth, Zero wasn't sure how to process what had happened last night. Yes, it had been all about blood and the bond at first, but from the moment he'd gazed into Kaname's eyes and seen that the pureblood was perfectly lucid, it had transformed into something else. Something which was both confusing and frighteningly intense. Somehow he'd lost sight of the dividing line between what his body demanded and what his heart desired… or perhaps, he had merely failed to notice that they were never really at odds with each other in the first place. After all, why else was he willing to allow Kaname to bed him before he became aware that the pureblood was not driven purely by instinct? Also – and perhaps even more tellingly – why had he let it continue after that revelation?

Not that he hadn't enjoyed it… in fact, it had been so enjoyable that the mere memory of the euphoric sensations was enough to make heat linger in his veins once more.

Kaname's hands running up his sides, removing his shirt, the silken pads of the pureblood's graceful fingers sliding over his ribs in a sensual, teasing caress… the delightful rasp of Kaname's tongue against his… the warm, solid presence of the other male caging him, keeping him grounded even as the confident, stroking hand threatened to take him to new heights of ecstasy...

Scrunching his eyes shut, Zero leaned his forehead against the cool tile of the wall, letting the water cascade down his back. What's wrong with me? Why can't I get it out of my head?

Furious with himself, he shut off the hot water completely, hoping the icy spray would shock him back to sanity.

x---x---x

Having finished his own shower, Kaname stepped out of the cubicle, drying himself off with a nearby towel. His gaze caught his blurry reflection in the steam-fogged mirror and he considered it a fitting analogy for his current state of mind. He hadn't been this uncertain and confused about anything for a long time, and he didn't particularly relish the feeling. Absently, he swiped his hand across the cool surface of the mirror, wishing it were that simple to clear his thoughts as well.

Once he was dressed, he realized it was just about the time Cross had told them to meet him in the lobby. Kaname's closest friends among the night class would be accompanying him so that they could discuss what had happened to Kaname and plan how to handle things back at the academy.

He left the room, heading down the passage, but paused as he drew level with Zero's door. He could tell from the quiet and the faint, pleasant scent of soap in the air that the hunter had finished his shower as well. Raising his hand, he knocked quietly, but there was no answer.

"Zero?"

Only silence.

Frowning slightly, Kaname left the hunter to his brooding. The night class nobles would be arriving soon, so perhaps it would be better if Zero remained up here. It was never wise to tempt fate.

By the time Kaname had made his way to the lounge, he spotted chairman Cross sitting on one of the armchairs in the corner, chatting to Takuma. He found it strange that Yuuki had not come with them, but he supposed she had classes to attend. Takuma saw him approaching, and stood immediately, triggering Cross to do the same. With the greetings out of the way, Kaname looked at his childhood friend.

"Where are the others?"

A shadow passed over Takuma's face, and Cross looked somewhere between anxious and furious. Takuma's gaze fell to the carpet, and Kaname tensed, knowing something was wrong.

"What happened?"

He gazed expectantly at the chairman, and the older man spoke quietly.

"There's a… situation back at the academy. The Council's guards ambushed two of the girls in the day class. They were roughing them up a bit, toying with them, but Yuuki was on patrol in that area, and she found them."

Ice-cold fear seized Kaname's veins, his heart starting to race. He had a sick feeling he knew what would come next. Cross continued, confirming his fears.

"She held them off for as long as possible, but they overpowered her. Shiki, Takuma and Kain went to investigate the smell of blood and caught them in the act."

Takuma took up the story, explaining what had occurred after he and the other nobles had arrived.

"Once we got there, they backed off immediately. They couldn't exactly start a fight with us without provocation, or they would risk being prosecuted under vampire law. We, however, were well within our rights to apprehend them for disregarding the rules of the academy's coexistence policy."

Kaname found both his worry and temper rising. Those insolent Council dogs! Asato had sent only the laziest and most temperamental, no doubt hoping for something like this… and now Yuuki…Yuuki… but he was getting ahead of himself. He forced his rage down, asking the question to which he dreaded the answer.

"Is she alright?"

Cross answered, his voice pained.

"When Takuma and the others arrived the guards had her on the ground; several of them were already feeding and," his gaze darkened, his teeth clenching slightly, a glimpse of the legendary hunter slipping from beneath his fatherly façade, "touching her…"

Kaname could not suppress a low growl, fury sparking in his eyes.

Takuma could see that Kaname was very close to losing it, a feral glow manifesting in his eyes and his aura darkening. In such a public location, the consequences could be disastrous. He hastily interjected, hoping news of Yuuki would calm the pureblood somewhat.

"She's going to be okay, Kaname."

His friend still looked doubtful, so Takuma clarified.

"I mean, she lost a lot of blood and went into shock, but the doctor we brought in stabilized her. She's in the infirmary at the academy... we couldn't risk the hospital asking too many questions about her injuries. She's been sedated for now – she's overwrought and she needs her rest."

Kaname relaxed slightly, relief washing across his features. He saw Takuma's effort to calm him down for what it was, and was grateful for it, but he was still going to tear those gutless Council bastards limb from limb as soon as he got hold of them.

Cross, encouraged by the slight fading of Kaname's murderous glare, took the opportunity to report on the whereabouts of the others.

"Seiren, Aido and Kain are keeping the guards contained, and the others stayed behind to calm the night class, since the smell of blood was making everyone restless. It's an uphill struggle though. Without you there…"

There was no need to complete the sentence. Kaname knew. Without a pureblood's absolute authority, things could go downhill very quickly. Kaname would need to get back to the academy – now. His musings were interrupted by the chairman.

"Where is Zero?" Cross began looking around as if noticing the hunter's absence for the first time before continuing. "I know we had planned to return the two of you to the academy separately, but we're a guardian down, and with the night students so worked up, we may need him."

"Of course," Kaname said. "Our original plan is meaningless anyway, since it no longer matters what the Council thinks of my absence. I shall fetch Kiriyu and meet you back here in a few minutes."

x---x---x

Zero sat on the floor, leaning his back against the side of the bed, his head resting on the mattress as he stared at the ceiling.

Pathetic. He was such an idiot. It was just sex, right? People did it all the time. It was a classic one-night-stand scenario. He'd been drunk – on blood, not alcohol, but hadn't he always thought Kaname's blood was like a drug? – and his hormones had overridden his common sense. Yeah, it was that simple. It really shouldn't make him feel this guilty, this vulnerable.

When Kaname came by earlier, he hadn't even been able to bring himself to answer the pureblood's knock. He was too afraid that it would lead to a conversation about last night… and Zero wasn't sure what to say. Maybe it was just because it had been his first time, or because the bond was messing with his perceptions, but he kept feeling like his body wasn't the only thing he'd offered up… and he wasn't ready to deal with that.

At least Kaname was going back to the academy today, while Zero would still have some time to think. That was exactly what he needed; some time alone to give him perspective. Everything had been happening too fast lately…

His thoughts were interrupted by an urgent knock. The bond told him it was Kaname even before the pureblood spoke.

"Zero, open the door…"

There was a strange note to Kaname's voice, a desperate rasp in the usual smooth velvet tones. Zero frowned, but remained silent. The knocking came again, louder. The persistent noise jarred Zero's sensitive ears, but he ignored it. The next thing he knew, the door was thrown off its hinges, flung across the room by an invisible force and allowing an irate pureblood to enter.

"Damn it, Kiriyu," Kaname bit out, "this is no time to act like a moody teenager!"

Kaname had more or less held himself together as he'd left the lounge to find Zero, but now all kinds of images of Yuuki and those bastards were playing in his mind's eye, and his composure was cracking. The hunter was wasting precious time, and Kaname was in no mood to play games.

Zero glared at Kaname, wondering why the pureblood was overreacting like this. "Me? Jeez Kuran! You just start destroying the place, but I'm acting immature? What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Kaname had had enough. Why wouldn't Zero just listen? He was trying to tell him something important for God's sake, and the boy wasn't giving him a chance! Frustration and anger were giving way to desperation and despair, and the combination snapped the pureblood's thin tether on control.

Zero felt like he'd been plunged into ice water as Kaname's aura expanded wildly.

"Kaname," the hunter warned, a note of panicked irritation in his voice.

Kaname held up a hand for silence, his eyes flashing dangerously. Zero obeyed, a deep-rooted instinct telling him it was not a good idea to contradict the pureblood right now. Whatever was making the older vampire act this way, it was obviously serious. Kaname drew a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm himself down enough to speak.

"It's Yuuki. She… she's been hurt. We need to go back to the academy."

Zero's heart plummeted. He wanted to ask what had happened, how badly hurt she was… but the pain beneath the pureblood's fury was speaking volumes.

Right now, Yuuki needed them.

Everything else could wait.