Domination
by Blackened Wing

Rating: M

Summary: Despite himself, Zero is losing himself to darker and darker dreams each time he sates his need with Kaname's blood. When dream and reality merge dangerously, Kaname pays the price.

Warnings: Intense nonconsensual m/m activity. Do NOT read if this bothers you.

Pairings: Zero x Kaname – with Yuki thrown in, but not involved. Possible future threesome hints.

Series: None – this is a standalone story that does not relate to either of my other two series.

A/N: This story was written for an art / fic trade with Sagakure. If you haven't seen the pic she did for me, you have to go to my blog (the "homepage" link in my bio) and check it out... she is an incredible artist and it's just AWESOME. The idea for the situation with Zero losing control, how that unfolds and how Yuki finds them were part of Sagakure's request for the story. Don't know if I did them justice, but she was kind enough to say she liked it! Because I am unable to ever leave well enough alone... I also wrapped this story up in bookends of my own invention. I'm a sucker for hurt/comfort, what can I say... I gotta end things on an upper... it's like... a compulsion or something. ;D Please don't think bad of Zero in this story, he really wasn't in control of what happens. hugs both Kaname and Zero tightly This fic was actually written a couple months ago, and Sagakure has since written her own version of a similar scene. So if parts of the set-up seem familiar, that's why. The premise for this story belongs to her. :)

Disclaimer: Vampire Knight and its characters do not belong to me. They belong to their inspired creator Matsuri Hino. I borrow them without permission, but with great affection. This story is for entertainment purposes only; no money is being made from it.

He held him down hard, fingers bruising the pale shoulder as his hand raked across the front of the black shirt. It shredded, his sharp nails leaving four red lines on that perfect, creamy skin. Not so perfect now. Not so perfect at all by the time he was done with him, yet all the more beautiful for the ruin. The untouchable brought low to earth and made infinitely desirable by the fall.

He raked his nails across the exposed chest again, cutting deeper into flesh. The dark head beneath him arched back with a cry that egged him on. He grabbed a fistful of long dark locks, forcing the other to look at him as he pushed his naked thighs apart, letting his prey know what he meant to do... Fear was beautiful in the dark eyes. Intoxicating. The body below him was made to wear these marks... his marks. It was made to be his. He thrust forward hard, claiming the lithe body in a single, ruthless action. Savoring his scream.

Yes... more... give me more... I want to drink your screams and drown in them... Another brutal thrust, another scream. The silver head dipped hungrily to the neck of his victim. Fangs sank into flesh, blood poured into his mouth...

"Kiriyu?"

Zero started, his eyes snapping open, his pulse pounding in his ears. Where was he? What was happening? He felt momentarily disorientated. The images in his mind had been so clear, more vivid than a dream. Blood was still in his mouth, a warm body close to his...

Kaname winced slightly as Zero jerked at the sound of his own name, the fangs still sunk in the pureblood's neck tearing their wound tracks a little wider. It would heal swiftly of course, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Kiriyu!" Kaname's voice would have sounded completely annoyed... if it wasn't for the faint, breathlessness of its tone.

Reality seemed to coalesce almost unwillingly around Zero. He was standing in the star light in a shady arbor grove behind the Moon Dorms. Kaname was standing with his back pressed to the brick wall of the dorm, head tilted a little to one side to allow access as Zero's body leaned against him, the ex-human's head buried in the curve of the pureblood's neck as he drank ravenously. Somehow, Zero's hands had ended up pressed against the wall on either side of Kaname's shoulders as his body pinned Kaname's to the rough surface of the bricks. He didn't really remember getting like that.

The last thing Zero really remembered was waking up so thirsty he couldn't go back to sleep. He'd gone for a walk, but it hadn't helped. Kaname had been in class, but he had seen Zero through the window. He'd excused himself, come out to find him and they'd ended up back here... Kaname wanted to go inside, but Zero hadn't been able to wait. That was the ex-human's last clear memory that could be trusted as reality. Then there were just those... dark fantasies. The ones that made Zero's body burn and throb with intense desire while he was trapped inside them, and then made him recoil in mental horror and disgust when he came back to himself. There was something wrong with him... there had to be. And whatever it was, it was Kuran's fault. Zero had never felt this way, never had these damn... perverted... desires until he'd started drinking the pureblood's blood regularly.

Angry at the thought of being turned into more of a monster than he already was, Zero withdrew his teeth more harshly than was necessary, jerking his fangs free from Kaname's neck. Blood painted his mouth and chin and he panted softly, breath fogging on the cold night air.

Kaname's hand rose to his neck, his palm closing over the raw, pulsing puncture wounds Zero had left behind to try and keep anymore of his blood from spilling onto his white uniform, already stained red along one lapel. The wounds would close momentarily. They would have closed already if Zero had tended them properly when he was done drinking, but Kaname refused to complain. Kiriyu didn't want to be drinking from him, anymore than he wanted to have the ex-human ravaging his neck on a regular basis. But it was the lesser of two evils, and apparently that was the only thing they'd ever found to agree upon in their whole lives.

Kaname felt dizzy, almost weak as he leaned against the wall. The starlight glimmered faintly on a thin sheen of perspiration slicking his pale, flawless skin. Zero had taken a lot from him just now and he was feeling it. He was not going to be able to go back to class tonight, the others would be able to tell something was wrong. His gaze lingered on Zero for a heartbeat or two. Bright red eyes fading slowly back to silver, blood on his lips... Kaname told himself it was the cold and his state of blood loss that sent the shiver racing up his spine.

He pushed away from the wall, still holding his neck. "Good night, Zero," he said coolly as he turned and walked away, heading for the rear entry to the dormitory.

Zero watched him walk away silently, just like that, as cold and aloofly untouchable as ever. As if Zero was some kind of mosquito that had inconvenienced him briefly. Something twisted inside the ex-human – a deep, possessive urge to break through that marble façade and find the raw, beating heart beneath... even if he had to tear him apart to do it.

Zero ran a trembling hand down his face. Damn it! Shut up! Just shut up! What was wrong with him? Was he losing his mind after all? It was getting worse. These feelings and urges were growing stronger and lasting longer after he'd drunk the pureblood's intoxicating, delicious poison. He didn't want to feel this way, he didn't know why he did. It was so disturbing he had almost considered asking Kaname what the hell was happening to him. But of course he hadn't. There was no way he could confess to the dark, domineering visions that would play in his minds-eye as he drank from the pureblood. No power on earth that would make him admit to the primal, animal need he felt to slam his prey to the ground and possess him in every sense of the word. The fact that he was having any kind of erotic fantasies involving Kaname Kuran of all the frickin' people in the world, was certainly not something that he ever intended to share with another living soul. Talk about screwed up and embarrassing!

Frustrated, angry, and humiliatingly... aroused... Zero wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve and stalked swiftly away.

From a darkened upper window in the dorm, Kaname watched Zero leave. His neck had stopped bleeding, but he needed to go wash up now and either clean or incinerate the clothes he was wearing. Good thing he had more than one school uniform. Just like it was a good thing none of the others dared question him when they smelt his blood in the air, save to inquire with honest concern if he was all right. He doubted any of them suspected the truth, since the truth was so unthinkable. It was still a nuisance though, having to put up with all the worried looks. He'd wanted Zero to come to his room where they could have done this properly and with less chance of being scented, but Zero had all but shoved him up against the wall and yanked his head to the side to bare his neck.

And... Kaname had let him. It... had seemed natural at the time, but now as Kaname rubbed the side of his neck, still sticky with blood, he wondered why he'd not dragged Zero inside the dorm with him by force. He could have. It was dangerous and foolish letting Zero feed on him outside in the open like that where anyone could have come upon them. So why had he gone along?

Because he was tired of being Zero's blood source and he had just wanted to hurry up and get it over with without a fuss. The excuse was convenient and Kaname almost believed it as he made his way down the hall and let himself into his rooms. Keeping Zero's blood lust sated was a fairly demanding task. The ex-human needed to drink often, and although Kaname's blood was uniquely suited to offer him protection from falling to a level E, it seemed to have quite an addictive effect on the ex-human, leading him to desire more and more of it.

Kaname sighed as he stripped out of his ruined white jacket. Better him than Yuki. That was why he was doing this, after all. For her. Because if he didn't give Zero his blood then she would give him hers. At least Zero's growing addiction to his blood meant that he probably hungered less for hers, which gave Kaname a certain peace of mind.

Kaname removed what was left of his tie. No saving that, it was ripped and the silver crossing-pins broken. That was a pain, he didn't have an extra tie-pin and he was going to have to fix it or get a new one. The pureblood's fingers slid to the buttons of his black dress shirt. He needed Zero healthy and sane, to be Yuki's shield. He needed the ex-human hunter strong enough that one day... he would be able to do the one thing Kaname could not. The one thing that would keep Yuki safe forever and free Kaname from the only person who could bind his will.

Kaname shrugged roughly out of his shirt and tossed it onto his bed. That was the plan. It had always been the plan. He had sacrificed, and would continue to sacrifice to bring it to fruition. No matter what he had to do. Even if that meant he had to let himself be Zero's prey. His cheeks were a little warm as he kicked off his shoes and shed his pants, stripping down in preparation of the shower he was going to need to wash the blood from his body.

Purebloods never suffered themselves to be anyone else's steady blood source, their prey. It was unthinkable that he should be letting an ex-human touch him let alone use him like that. But nothing was too unthinkable to do for Yuki. Nothing. So he would simply swallow his shame and make sure he was there every time Zero's blood lust flared up. It was the only thing he could do.

Kaname entered the bathroom and stepped into the shower, pulling the curtain closed. There was no way he could have continued to let Yuki share her blood with Zero. It was too risky. Neither she nor Kiriyu understood the side-effects of what could happen when a vampire drank regularly from the same donor. Kaname knew, however, and they were not chances he was willing to take with Yuki as the victim.

The more a vampire drank from a single victim, the more a dangerous predator and prey relationship could begin to develop. The predator would become increasingly dominant and the prey would grow increasingly pliant. Millennia of evolution had ensured this dynamic. But ex-humans were loose cannons when it came to controlling their predator instincts. They hadn't been raised from birth learning how to manage their vampire natures, so they were more unpredictable, more prone to violence and loss of control. In some ways they were more vampire than other vampires, as Kaname had told Zero that first time he'd shared his blood, quite a while ago now.

Kaname turned on the water, letting it wash over his body and carry away the sticky remnants of blood... and the ghosting memory of Kiriyu's mouth on his neck, body pressed hard against him, their hearts racing at almost the same speed.

Zero always seemed to lose it a bit when he was drinking blood, but he was exhibiting more aggression when he fed lately, making Kaname think his concerns about what might have happened were indeed justified. Kaname knew Zero would never willingly hurt Yuki. But then, he would have never willingly bitten her either and yet he had, on many occasions until Kaname had stepped in and offered himself as a replacement. Zero had reluctantly agreed, only because he desperately didn't want to keep hurting Yuki. It was better this way, safer, even if it was humiliating for them both. Kaname was strong enough to defend himself if things ever got out of hand and anyway, the side-effects of a predator and prey relationship surely wouldn't affect him, or at least wouldn't affect him so much. He was a pureblood after all, and Zero was just an ex-human. No, of course... it wouldn't affect him at all.

Kaname pressed both palms against the warm, wet tile of the shower stall, leaning forward and letting the cold water run down his back. He was just a little stirred up by a vampire's natural response to having blood drawn, that was all. That was why his skin was hot and his manhood was hard, standing at embarrassing attention as he waited for the cold water to calm the unwanted heat in his blood.

Large, luminous snowflakes were drifting down from the heavens, twinkling like falling stars in the moonlight. The blanket of snow settling across Cross Academy seemed to accentuate the quiet stillness of the nearly empty school. The winter holiday had begun two days ago, prompting a mass exodus of students and teachers alike. By now only a small handful of people remained on the campus grounds for the duration of the two week break. A few of the human students were stuck spending the holiday at school because of family situations, and of course, Chairman Cross, Yuki and Zero remained because they lived there. All the vampires were gone home, save one.

For the first time, Kaname had opted to remain at the Academy over break. When it looked like all the others were going to follow his lead when they found out, he had insisted that they go ahead with their normal holiday plans. For the most part, all of them had family waiting for them. Kaname had no such ties to worry about. He never went back to the house he had been raised in if he could help it. Since he usually ended up going home with Aido, Kain or one of the others, they were all well aware of that fact, and when Kaname had insisted he wanted to use the two weeks to do some uninterrupted research rather than join any of them, no one had questioned him.

Of course, the real reason Kaname had chosen to stay this season, was because he doubted Zero could go two whole weeks without blood. No way could Kaname leave him alone with Yuki that whole time. Anyway... the fact that he might just get to see a little more of Yuki over the holiday wasn't such a bad prospect either. And he did have research he was working on as well.

Kaname had not been outside the dorm since the snow had started to fall last morning and now, as evening settled and the moon rose, only one set of footprints disturbed the pristine white grace of the shallow drifts leading down the path from the vacant guard house towards the tall shape of the Moon Dormitory.

Zero had almost been surprised to realize that the wizened old gate guard must be on holiday as well, but then again, the vampires almost never stayed over break, and Cross would have seen absolutely no need for a guard with just Kaname staying in the dorm. Because Cross trusted Kaname. Far too much.

Zero may not be sure why, but he knew that the devious pureblood was using him somehow... using his growing dependency and addiction to further his own ends. Causing whatever freaky vampire madness was screwing with his head. It pissed him off, royally. Just like it pissed him off how much his whole body hungered for Kaname the instant his blood lust started to fire up. Like now.

His footsteps made almost no sound in the loose snow. Zero didn't bother to knock at the front door. If there was a maid around still, he didn't want to draw attention to the fact that he'd come here to visit Kaname. But he was pretty sure that any of the service staff working over the holiday only came in at certain times or on certain days. In any case, there was no one in the main hall as he entered. No one on the stairs as he made his way to the upper level. He paused at the top of the stairs, eyes narrowing slightly. He only sensed one presence in this whole building. Kaname was here completely alone.

Zero didn't know why that sent a small, unconscious thrill through him. But some part of his brain that he didn't fully understand nor have control over subconsciously logged that fact. It was unusual for them to be completely alone like this, in a building conveniently sound proofed for the comfort of its extra-sensitive occupants, a building completely removed and walled off from the rest of the school grounds, which were also all but deserted.

Zero left wet footprints on the carpet as he silently made his way down the hall to Kaname's rooms.

Silent though he was, Kaname was well aware of the hunter's approach as he sat pouring over an ancient text spread open on his reading desk. He'd known Zero was nearby from the moment he'd heard the soft sound of the door opening downstairs. He gave a quiet, resigned sigh at the impending interruption, even though another part of him stirred in anticipation. And why not? Blood sharing was naturally pleasurable. If he had to put up with this intolerable situation, at least he could enjoy the parts that nature had rendered agreeable.

Before Zero could touch the door either to knock or try the knob, Kaname gave it a light tug with his mind, pulling the door open in front of Zero and causing the boy to start. That brought a small smile to Kaname's lips as he unhurriedly looked up from what he was reading.

"It's not polite to stand in doorways..." the pureblood commented evenly, a tiny hint of that smirk still on his face as he saw Zero's surprise quickly flash to irritation. The boy's eyes were already starting to take on a dull red hue and Kaname didn't need to be told why he was here.

Zero stepped into the room, not bothering to shut the door behind him. Damn, arrogant son of a bitch... He unzipped his parka and shrugged out of it, tossing it carelessly onto the floor, where it could leach melting snow into the pureblood's carpet. It was too warm in here for a coat. Underneath, Zero was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, since he could dress as he liked over the holidays.

Kaname pushed back his chair and as he rose, Zero realized that Kaname was wearing pajama pants and a short robe. The pants and robe were both black silk and they clung loosely to Kaname's well defined, yet naturally slender frame in a way that his school uniform definitely did not. The pureblood's feet were bare. Of course... it was late evening, which was equivalent to early morning for Kaname. He probably hadn't gotten up that long ago, and with no classes to attend or people to see, there was no call for him to worry about being in a hurry to dress more formally.

Kaname crossed over to his bed and sat on the edge. He had found this to be the most comfortable position to get the job done. Loosening the sash on his robe, Kaname let the black silk slide off his shoulders, gliding down his body to drape gracefully from his elbows, leaving his upper chest, neck and shoulders bare. Kaname didn't particularly want to ruin any more of his clothing than he could help.

Zero stared at him. Blood lust was eating a painful hole in his chest, but for half a moment something inexplicable seemed to freeze him in place. The red in his eyes brightened and intensified. Kaname looked more than good enough to eat, sitting there like that...

Kaname tipped his head a little to the side, removing his hair from his neck with a sweep of his long fingers. "Well? I'm waiting." He prodded when Zero seemed to hesitate. "I don't have all da-" The last part of Kaname's sentence was cut off in a sharp little inhale as Zero crossed the distance between them and grabbed a fistful of the pureblood's hair at the back of his neck, jerking Kaname's head further to the side.

As Kaname sat on the edge of the tall bed, the ex-human slid easily between the pureblood's knees, positioning himself in the best place to reach his willing victim's neck. He released Kaname's hair and wrapped one arm around the pureblood's slender waist, the other hand gripping his bare upper arm as Zero buried his face against the smooth, sweet smelling side of Kaname's throat.

Kaname shut his eyes as Zero licked his neck slowly for a moment, sending unwanted goose bumps flaring across the pureblood's skin. Then he felt fangs brush his skin and his stomach tensed. They pierced him and Kaname breathed carefully, steadily, trying not to let his heart race as he felt the blood being drawn from his body. There was something devastatingly intoxicating about the sensation. He'd always known that was true about drinking blood. Until Zero, he'd never realized it was the same when someone else was drinking from you.

At least with him and Zero the only two vampires now on campus, Kaname didn't have to worry about anyone else smelling his blood or getting curious. He relaxed a little... letting himself enjoy the sensations more than he usually did, without the fear of having to worry about anyone else. Zero's mouth was hot, smooth, firm, and demanding on his skin as he lapped and sucked on his neck. Frequent biting had sensitized Kaname's neck over time and each small motion of the other's tongue, lips and teeth sent small thrills of sensation skittering through him, tingling along his skin and fluttering his stomach before landing to pool warmly a bit lower down.

A small trickle of blood escaped down the pureblood's shoulder and Zero broke from his neck, following the drop down to where it had reached Kaname's right nipple and pressing his mouth against the sensitive skin, licking the blood off. On instinct, his tongue lathed the pureblood's firm, velvety nub, nipping at it and feeling the skin pebble tensely under his mouth.

Kaname inhaled stiffly as totally unexpected fire knifed through his gut and groin at the contact of Zero's warm mouth tormenting that delicate area. He growled softly and grabbed Zero's hair, jerking his head back. "Stop it, Kiriyu..." he rasped, his breath coming short. "Just drink, or I'm done here," he said darkly, starting to move as if to pull away.

Zero's eyes were pure red now, his face dark and unreadable. Kaname had seen that look before, although not nearly so intense. Zero was lost in the deep, vampiric delight of feeding, on a blood-high that rivaled any kind of trip that even the most hardcore drugs could offer. Zero's arm around Kaname's waist tightened and he buried his face back against Kaname's neck.

"No... you're not done, Kuran. You're not nearly done..." he rasped in a cool, silky, black voice that was totally unlike his normal tone. Zero bit down harshly once more, draining Kaname in deep, rapid gulps.

Something in Kaname's blood froze a little at that soulless tone, and he winced at the harshness of the way he was being drained, but he let Zero have his way. The sooner the ex-human got his fill, the sooner this would be over.

Kaname began to pant softly against Zero's shoulder, head starting to spin. When someone drank too rapidly, blood pressure dropped and it interfered with the circulation going to one's brain. In normal people, it could cause cardiac arrest and/or brain damage. Kaname didn't have to worry about that, but his thoughts were suddenly starting to become muddled and hazy. Zero was drinking too hard, too fast.

"Stop," Kaname groaned softly, trying to push Zero away, but his spinning head wasn't firing all the right signals to his muscles and he felt weak and clumsy as he twisted in the ex-human's vampire-strong grip. "Stop it, Zero, you're drinking too fast!" the pureblood tried again, his lungs heaving in earnest now. Zero didn't seem to hear him, but continued to suck at the same demanding pace.

He pressed forward against Kaname as he stood between the pureblood's legs, his hips starting to hump firmly against Kaname's body, the arm around Kaname's waist pulling the pureblood's body into his. Zero's pulse and breathing were fluxing wildly. He was in the vision once more. It was happening again. The warm body in his arms struggled, but he wasn't about to let go. No... this prey was his.

"Zero!" Kaname snapped hoarsely, angrily as Zero's body rubbed against and dug into his. Zero's hard arousal was obvious through the jeans he was wearing. Kaname seethed with anger and mortification... and heat... so much heat... he shuddered, trying to hang onto the fury instead. How dare Zero act like this? This was way over the line. Oh God... it felt good... and it shouldn't! It shouldn't feel good, Zero had no right to make him feel this way, to play with him like this!

Bright yellow flashes and floating dark spots danced in front of Kaname's eyes as true alarm started to set in around his anger. The pureblood quickly started to muster his strength and control. He should have stopped this already... he didn't know why he was hesitating, why it was so hard to find the will to fight what Zero was doing. But enough was enough; this had to end right now... Kaname gasped softly, not quite sure why the hell he still wasn't throwing Zero across the room. Just a little more... something whispered. Just a little more, then... Kaname growled at himself, his fingers digging painfully into Zero's shoulders and his hair as he willed himself to jerk Zero away from him.

As if sensing the pureblood trying to re-gather himself, Zero unwillingly broke contact with the delicious neck. He released Kaname's shoulder and jammed his palm against the center of Kaname's chest.

"Constrixi!" Zero snarled and Kaname felt a sudden, unexpected jolt of pain rip through his chest. It was like being electrocuted and his body jerked in Zero's grip. The sharp pain passed fairly quickly, leaving just a dull, stinging ache... but Kaname realized with numb shock that he couldn't move. Or at least, he couldn't move very well. If his movements had been weakened before, now they were downright sluggish. His fingers scrabbled with almost drunken uselessness as he tried to grip Zero's arms, tried to push him away, to claw at him, to do something... but it was like being stuck in a nightmare when your limbs just don't quite obey you and everything seems impossibly hard. Kaname shoved at Zero with his mind... and hit the same barrier.

"What have you done to me?" Kaname demanded in a hiss, anger and panic mingling freely now as true fear got its first foothold into his heart. Because he already knew. Zero had used some kind of hunter charm to bind him and cripple his ability to access his other powers. Normally, such a charm alone would not have been nearly enough to disable a pureblood vampire. But deeply drained of blood and under the natural subjugating effects of having too long been Zero's prey... it was doing a fine job of making sure that Kaname could not effectively fight back.

Zero's breath was hot on Kaname's recently bitten neck as the ex-human held Kaname's body to him tightly, one hand reaching down to swiftly twist in the puddled fabric of the robe bunched around Kaname's elbows. He tugged the fabric taut, pulling it completely away from Kaname's waist and using it to jerk Kaname's arms behind him and pin them there. He ripped off a good length of the excess material that was getting in the way, and after a few swift motions, the twisted fabric, aided by the now re-purposed sash, was knotted into tight, constricting and surprisingly secure bonds around the pureblood's wrists and hands.

Kaname struggled as fiercely as he was able, but in his current state, that wasn't enough. Silk was kind of like a vampire... smooth, seductive... and surprisingly strong. Zero gripped the pureblood's bound wrists, holding them fast to the small of Kaname's back.

It's not what I've done, Kaname... it's what I'm going to do... his eyes said as clear as words. "Shhh..." he murmured in that eerie, black voice again, his mouth and cheek brushing with teasing intimacy against Kaname's hair and the side of his face. There was something deeply animalistic about the look in his eyes and the sound, despite its chilling smoothness. This wasn't Zero, and it was terrifying, even though Kaname wouldn't admit to the last.

Using the pureblood's trapped arms as leverage, Zero hauled him in against his body again, the ex-human shuddering with dark desire as he rubbed against the pureblood's hips. Kaname may be struggling and protesting... but he was hard... Zero could feel it through his thin pajama pants. Finally... a reaction from the man who was made of marble...

With a hiss, Zero shoved Kaname roughly onto his back on the bed. The pureblood was lying on his bound arms, helpless, and Zero kept him that way, pressing down hard on his stomach with one hand, while his vampire claws extended on the other and he raked downwards across the sensitive skin below Kaname's navel, drawing blood and slicing open the waistband of the pureblood's pajamas pants. He wanted to see how much Kaname wanted him. How much his touch was affecting the aloof, untouchable pureblood.

Pain flashed through Kaname's senses and he bucked futility against the hand pinning him down, his stomach muscles contracting. The sharp scratches stung like the dickens, but fear was quickly becoming his worst enemy. Zero couldn't really... surely he didn't want to... to...

Zero licked the blood from his fingers and then grabbed the ruined waistband, jerking the loose, silky pants down off the pureblood's hips, practically ripping them from his body. Kaname wasn't wearing anything beneath the pajamas and he sucked his breath in, nearly hyperventilating as his body was fully exposed to the cool air, and to Zero's naked, hungry stare.

Zero was entranced by the vision of exposed porcelain flesh, the soft yet firm planes of muscle, the delectable curve of strong yet slender naked hips, the obvious evidence of arousal... Zero leaned down, hungrily licking the blood from the swiftly healing scratches across Kaname's abdomen.

Kaname trembled despite himself, the smooth touch of Zero's tongue sliding sensually across his abdomen a sharp contrast to the rough way he was being held pinned down. Zero's ear and cheek brushed his arousal, soft warm skin and cool hard rings of metal from the hunter's piercings ghosting tantalizingly against him. Zero seemed intently aware of Kaname's reactions and played to them. Kaname's breath left him in a swift rush, and he completely forgot to inhale again when Zero dipped his head lower... his tongue tracing a deliberate line up along the underside of Kaname's hard flesh.

Kaname closed his eyes, forgetting to struggle, his skin crawling with pleasure as he suddenly remembered his need to breathe and he gasped for air.

Zero straightened and with vampire quickness he tugged his sweatshirt off over his head, kicked off his boots and unbuttoned his jeans, shoving them down his hips enough to free his own aching flesh. He leaned over Kaname, the height of the bed just about perfect to enable him to rub the full length of his aroused body against Kaname's, grinding them together.

Zero's hard, throbbing flesh pressing and sliding against his own sent wild, undeniable pulses of heat through Kaname's body. His stomach and thighs ached from the sexual tension knotting through him. But the stiff, warm feeling of Zero's aroused body also made what was happening suddenly very real. Zero was... going to rape him. It was hysterically ludicrous, but Kaname certainly didn't feel like laughing. With the confusing maelstrom of sensations blazing through him, hysterical was getting to be a good description though, although Kaname was trying to retain his composure and control. But it was hard because he currently felt so damn out of control that he could barely breathe.

His skin was burning; Zero's body against his was sinfully tempting and intoxicating. Despite himself, his hips rocked a little, pressing against the exotic heat of Zero's arousal, rubbing against his stomach. Kaname's flesh throbbed and he stifled a groan. No, no... this shouldn't feel so good...

"Zero, stop it! Now! You don't want to do this!" he half commanded, half entreated, protesting harshly. His voice trembled as that firm length thrust against his own once more before sliding down to press with threatening promise against his thigh, sliding along the vulnerable curve of his backside. Oh god, this wasn't happening, this wasn't happening!

Kaname knew it was a useless assertion though. Looking into those hungry, soulless red eyes filled with wild, primal need... he knew Zero obviously did want to do this, at least, right this minute he did, however he might feel later.

"Don't tell me about what I want..." Zero snarled and grabbed Kaname by the hair, using the long dark locks to jerk the pureblood forward, pulling him partially upright as he dragged him towards the edge of the bed. Kaname struggled, grimacing in pain, but with his arms still bound behind him he couldn't catch himself as Zero tugged him off the bed and threw him onto the floor. He landed un-gracefully, knee, hip and shoulder banging the ground as he hit. Zero was still holding his hair and Kaname's scalp burned in agony as the ex-human jerked at it hard, forcing Kaname to scramble awkwardly back up to his knees to keep from having a handful ripped out of his head.

"You don't know me, you don't own me!' Zero kicked Kaname's legs wider apart with his foot as he held him on his knees. It made Kaname's hardness bob embarrassingly in the cool air as he was forced to kneel in this position with his legs spread. Kaname's face was burning with shame, his neck and cheeks flushed painfully, and attractively. It was surreal that this was happening... it was impossible that anyone, let alone an ex-human was doing this to him... Kaname's breath shook in his chest. He was dreaming, he had to be, and he wanted to wake up. But the pain was quite real as Zero's grip in his hair jerked him forwards, bringing his face level with the hunter's very prominent arousal.

Oh HELL, no! You have got to be kidding... mortified, humiliated panic clutched at Kaname's chest and he tried to twist his head away. Zero slapped him, hard enough to bruise, at least momentarily. Then he backhanded him the other direction for good measure. Blood trickled sluggishly from the corner of Kaname's mouth and his head spun as hard, hot, salty flesh was pressed into his mouth, violating him deep enough to make him gag. He choked helplessly as Zero jerked his head back and forth, thrusting his hips into the incredible, wet, welcoming warmth.

It was all Kaname could do to not throw up. He was gagging so hard he couldn't hardly swallow or breathe and moisture from the gag reflex stung his eyes. He ruthlessly blinked it away. No way. No way in hell was he going to do anything close to cry.

"It's in your best interests to get me good and wet, pureblood..." That dark, dark voice again, but it had lost its smoothness. Animal instinct was taking everything now. Nothing mattered to the ex-human but humiliating and marking his prey, making him truly his. Kaname was so beautiful like this... off balanced, humiliated, frightened... but he'd be more beautiful in pain. So much more beautiful.

Kaname shuddered with fear. He tried to tell himself it was rage, but he was running out of lies. He was unnervingly at Zero's mercy and he was frigging terrified.

Zero gave a hard shove that sent Kaname sprawling backwards on the carpet. Zero was on top of him in an instant, covering the pureblood's body with his and smothering his recently abused mouth in a consuming kiss. Zero could taste himself on Kaname's swollen lips and that seemed to fuel his desire.

It was an awkward position with Kaname lying on his back, bent over his bound arms, and Zero rolled him onto his side just long enough to remove the bonds again, untwisting the silk and pulling it away. Grabbing Kaname's wrists in an iron grip, Zero pressed them against the carpet on either side of the pureblood's body as he shoved Kaname's legs open wider with his thighs.

Zero pressed forward in a hard, punishing thrust, forcing entry from Kaname's completely un-prepped, un-lubricated and very tense body. Kaname's back arched and he cried out in pain at the unexpected intensity of the agony that radiated from the rough, partial penetration. How could this hurt so much?

Kaname was unbelievably tense and Zero had only just barely been able to breach him. But the hot, tight, gripping sensation was incredible and fire raked through the ex-human. More... he needed so much more... he needed it all...

It was like every other time... he had the warm, lithe, dark haired prey down on the floor. He mounted him, feeling his heat, feeling every throb of that racing pulse pounding through his soul... Zero thrust forward hard, urgently, rocking his hips ruthlessly back and forth as he forced deeper and deeper entry into the wildly protesting body beneath him. It was so good... he was nearly insane from the pleasure. It was so much better than all the other dreams...

But part of Zero knew this wasn't a dream, not this time. Part of Zero knew this was real, and it really was Kaname bucking and struggling under his assault... but he was too far gone. The part of him that would normally have been horrified at hurting or violating another living being, the part that was going to hate himself later, was buried, asleep. Only the dark, domineering instincts of his vampire side, fully engaged in the throes of blood passion and domination, were aware enough to act. And all they wanted to do, was take this delicious pureblood as hard and as fast as possible.

Zero plowed harshly into him, tearing him, forcing Kaname to accept more and more of his length in thrust after agonizing thrust. Kaname screamed, he couldn't help it. It hurt like hell. It hurt like a million hells. Again, and again he screamed as the hard flesh stretched and plundered him, claiming him one hellish inch at a time. His back arched, hips and shoulders squirming desperately on the carpet, but Zero's grip on his wrists, nearly crushing them, held him pinned in place, able to do nothing but accept the punishing violation.

Kaname knew he could scream all he wanted, but it would do no good. Even if he could have suffered the humiliating idea of anyone actually finding him like this... no one would hear him, not way out here in this empty, sound proofed building. For that matter, there was no one out there to hear him. Zero could do whatever he wanted, he could kill him tonight if the madness took him that far, and no one would know. Kaname trembled, his heels digging into the carpet as his body writhed under Zero's. He was so stupid, how had he gotten here? If he really did die like this, then he deserved it for allowing this to happen. There was no way Zero could have gotten the best of him like this without serious errors in judgment on his part.

Kaname bit his lip an effort to stop screaming, fangs puncturing right through it and making blood run down his chin. Zero was drawn by the scent, his mouth quickly seeking Kaname's in a deep, brutal kiss, biting and sucking the pureblood's lips and tongue, swallowing the intoxicating screams and the taste of pain and submission as he seated himself deeper in his unwilling partner's incredible body.

A few more harsh thrusts and Zero had finally taken Kaname to the core. Buried to the hilt between the pureblood's legs, Zero breathed raggedly at the incredible sensation.

Kaname squeezed his eyes shut. Zero's length throbbed inside him like raw hellfire. Almost as bad as the pain was the humiliation of knowing that the other was... was well, inside him like that. He was so ashamed... especially since, despite the agony he was in... his own arousal was still curled tightly against his stomach, pulsing with traitorous fire. The pain hadn't dampened it a bit, in fact, in some twisted way; it seemed to have fed his need.

Zero paused just long enough to jerk Kaname's bruised wrists up over his head. Snatching up the discarded silk ties from where he'd left them before; he wrapped them around Kaname's wrists and looped them about the nearby leg of the bed, tying the ligatures off tight, ensuring that Kaname was bound captive for his pleasure, while leaving Zero's hands free now for other pursuits.

Zero's hands slid down Kaname's sides to his hips, pinning them to the carpet and stilling the impaled pureblood's desperate squirming. Zero pulled out and thrust back in again, wringing another stifled scream and a sharp curse from the pureblood. But even as the pain flared anew, something else flared too. The deep thrust touched something inside Kaname that made molten pleasure zing through his gut and reverberate tautly in his arousal. Kaname almost groaned, body quaking at the surprising shock of aroused bliss. What the hell was that?

Zero felt the reaction shudder through Kaname. He pulled out and slammed back in again, the brutal strokes thrusting against and firmly stimulating the nerve bundles inside the pureblood that sent pleasure jolting through his body along with the pain. Again and again, Zero thrust into the captive body, holding Kaname's hips down and screwing him with an intense single-mindedness to which the word obsession could do no justice.

Kaname's body tore from being taken dry and so hard. He healed swiftly, but Zero kept thrusting, kept tearing, until there was enough blood that the resistance to the raw intercourse eased and the ex-human's brutal motions became smoother and faster as he moved within the sensitive passage.

Kaname had almost screamed himself hoarse. Agonized, heated perspiration soaked his body and made his hair cling to his flushed face and neck in wet ringlets. Soft, silent tears tracked from the corners of his eyes, down the sides of his face. He accepted that at this moment in time, he could control nothing, not even himself or his own body. In some deep, unfathomable way, that release of control was freeing. The complete surrender and submission he now offered to Zero was strangely arousing despite the fact that he had no choice... or maybe because of the fact that he had no choice. It was all rather confusing and Kaname was far too worked up to make sense of what he was thinking or feeling anymore. He was trembling from pain, but he was trembling more from pleasure. The harsh hurt was still there, with every rough, spearing thrust, but it was as if a threshold had been passed, or an internal switch somewhere in the pureblood's physiology had been thrown and pain was shifting to pleasure, the agony morphing into something infinitely more delicious, if no less shameful and unbearable.

The rough jeans that Zero was still partially wearing scratched and chafed the inside of Kaname's thighs as the ex-human continued to ride him. Unintentionally, but unstoppably, Kaname's knees curled to the hunter's hips, his feet hooking around the back of Zero's thighs, holding onto Zero. Kaname's body burned with need, despite the humiliation, and despite the very real way it continued to hurt... he found himself holding his breath, muscles knotting and quivering, waiting for that incredible moment each time when Zero claimed him so deep it sent fissions of fire jolting and tingling through Kaname's whole body.

Kaname did groan now, his agonized screams turning into huskier cries of breathless, intense pleasure. His hips were squirming for an entirely different reason than before as he tried to shift, wanting Zero to change angle just a little, craving deeper intensity from the dizzying sensations. His heels, hooked behind Zero's thighs, tugged at him, pulling him in harder, deeper... rather than trying to push him away.

The pureblood's breath hitched, trembled, whimpered in his chest as raw pleasure slowly but surely undid his world. He'd never known it could feel like this. Zero wasn't even touching his aching flesh, which was wildly begging for contact, and yet he was stimulating him out of his mind. Kaname's wrists twisted in their silken bonds and he gasped harshly, his hips rising and falling unintentionally to meet and encourage the pace of his violator.

Zero tried to shift, but found that his jeans had gotten tangled around his knees. Scowling at the inconvenience, he quickly jerked and kicked them all the way off, leaving him and Kaname both naked on the floor as he quickly resettled between the other's legs. He hooked Kaname's knees over his shoulders, bending the pureblood backwards a bit and forcing him to open even more deeply for Zero's invading body.

Kaname's head arched back against the carpet, an agonized gasp of sheer, wanton pleasure escaping him as the new angle satisfied the burning inside him even deeper. This was so wrong... he shouldn't be enjoying it... he didn't know why he was. He didn't know why losing control could feel so freeing or why pain could feel so good, or why something so humiliating could be so delicious... it was like the whole world had turned on its head and he didn't know which way was up. But his body knew what it wanted, and it was begging for it as Zero took him completely, repeatedly.

Pleasure was building, knotting unbearably inside him and Kaname's breathing increased in rapid groans, pants and whimpers until he was keening urgently each time Zero pushed into him. Kaname didn't want this, but obviously, his traitorous body had other ideas. He was rising towards an inevitable explosion, edging out further and further towards the brink even though he fought the rising sensations and tried not to give way to them. No... no... he couldn't... Kaname was desperately angry and horrified at his own reactions, but he couldn't stop it, his body wouldn't obey. It needed. It wanted. It burned... For Zero. For the incredible way he was possessing him.

Zero shifted Kaname again, sliding the pureblood's knees off his shoulders and hooking them under his arms instead, driving powerfully into Kaname's body as he reached between his partner's legs and gripped the firm, pulsing flesh.

Kaname arched and screamed for what felt like the hundredth time, but it was with nothing but sheer pleasure this time. The strong touch on his weeping, begging flesh after being so long ignored was like being connected to a live wire. Kaname gave up all attempts at resistance. He bucked urgently into Zero's grip, moaning as Zero squeezed and pumped him rapidly in time with the driving pace of his own hips. It didn't take much at this point. Soon Kaname was freefalling off the precipice, at once rushing up towards the incredible, mind blowing summit of release and tumbling out in an uncontrolled decent into soul-stealing bliss.

He came incredibly hard, his whole body knotting, spasming and burning with the strength of his release. His leg muscles contracted, jerking against Zero's hips, clutching him close while his back arched, fire eating through his being in searing wave after searing wave as Zero milked every last ounce of pleasure out of him.

"Zero!" the name was torn unwilling but unstoppable from his lips. His head tossed against the carpet and his bound arms, a wild abandon of sinful delight slamming through him.

Yuki's breath fogged on the clear night air. The cold crispness filled her lungs a little painfully as they worked overtime, catching her breath. She had snow in her hair and all over her coat and her cheeks were red from cold and from laughing.

She and two of the other girls who were spending the holidays at school had been enjoying a little impromptu moonlight snowball fight. It was after hours for them to be outside, but school rules were considerably relaxed over the holiday, and anyway, considering one of the two academy prefects had been involved, there wasn't much danger of getting into trouble on that count.

But now it really was starting to get late, and the girls were wet and cold.

"Bye Yuki! You watch, we'll get by you next time," her two giggling companions bid as they trudged back towards their dorm.

"You do and next time I'll let Zero catch you," Yuki shot back, waving with a grin as she watched them go. The girls pretended to shiver in fright and Yuki smirked. Yeah, they acted tough now, but they rumpled and quivered when Zero frowned at them. She would have to ask him the secret of that someday. But she was glad the situation had ended up like this. She'd originally caught the two girls trying to sneak over to the Moon Dorm to peep at what they thought was an empty building. They didn't know Kaname was spending the holiday, or the draw would have been much stronger.

As it was, when one of them – in a petulant mood because they had to be here over break in the first place – had thrown a snowball at Yuki for spoiling their fun. Yuki had kept a bad situation from becoming worse by making light of it and throwing one back. The girls were upset at being alone for the holiday, she didn't want to cause them any more grief. The situation had quickly digressed into an all out, good natured snowball fight with no lingering hard feelings. The snow was too perfectly alluring to resist.

Yuki shivered in her damp coat as she started to head back towards home, then paused and instead diverted towards the Moon Dorms. Zero would be mad if he knew she was going over there alone at night, but the only one there now was Kaname, and he would never hurt her. She didn't intend to enter the grounds anyway, she just wanted to make sure that everything was secure after having caught one set of would-be trespassers tonight.

As Yuki neared the gates though, she could see that they stood slightly ajar, and a single set of footprints, now covered over and softened with a fresh layer of the still falling snow, made their way inside. She frowned. Had she missed a trespasser? She couldn't really tell size or shape from the snowed-over impressions, but they looked like they were heading towards the entrance rather than away from it, so it probably wasn't Kaname going out...

Quickly and quietly, Yuki followed the footsteps down the walk and up the stairs to the large doors. She knocked, but the soft sound seemed lost and swallowed in the giant, emptiness of the apparently abandoned building. Yuki shivered, feeling suddenly afraid even though she knew it was stupid. Come on... this building should be less creepy when it's empty than when it's full... but it wasn't. Or, now that she was alone, maybe it was the snow that was starting to seep dread into her. Maybe it was because if she let it, snow always brought back memories of red blood, red eyes and white fangs... all jumbled together and not making sense...

Her heart thudding, Yuki tugged on the door handle and found it unlocked. She let herself in, not wanting to be outside anymore. It was warmer inside, but dark. None of the lights were turned on, and while that might have been just peachy keen for vampires, it wasn't doing her a lot of good. She peered hesitantly around. She was about to call out for Kaname when she heard a soft, but distinct scream from somewhere deeper in the large building.

Yuki's already pounding heart jumped into her throat. For half a second, her first instinct was to flee. Did she really want to know what might be happening in here? Her second instinct was to run towards the sound. If one of the students had come here and had somehow taken Kaname by surprise or something... honestly, she couldn't imagine that happening and she couldn't imagine the gentle pureblood posing any kind of threat to one of the Day Class girls, but still, it was her job to check it out.

Half a second after those two initial reactions, however, Yuki's blood really turned cold and all indecision fled, because she realized she recognized the voice that had cried out. It was Kaname's voice. Yuki's feet were already in motion before that thought had even finished registering. Kaname couldn't be in trouble, could he? That seemed impossible, but she couldn't help the tense worry that knotted through her as she rushed up the stairs and dashed down the hall, her wet boots slipping and sliding on the polished wood floors and almost making her fall down in her haste.

A few steps from Kaname's door, she heard something else that froze her blood in confusion. She heard Zero's name on Kaname's lips in a tone that she had never heard from the pureblood before. It sounded agonized and... something else...

Kaname's whole frame trembled softly as orgasm faded, leaving his body glowing deliciously in its wake, and leaving the pit of his stomach heaving with sick self-loathing that he had reacted that way, that he had enjoyed this humiliating violation that much.

Kaname's pleasure seemed to have pushed Zero to the brink as well because after a few more deep thrusts into the pliant, shivering body below him, Zero felt the deep fire that had been building in him, begging this release for so long, finally snap to the surface in a rush of white heat. He jerked out of Kaname's body as he came. Quivering with sensation, Zero leaned heavily on his arms, palms planted on the floor either side of the pureblood's stomach. The hunter's head hung, features creased in almost agonized delight as sheer bliss raked through him and he marked his unwilling lover with the visible signs of his passion and possession.

Kaname felt warmth on his chest and cheek, near the corner of his mouth. Mortification burned deeper through his weak, sated body and he turned his head to the side... which gave him a clear view of the open doorway, off to the left and partially behind Zero... and Kaname suddenly felt both hot and cold at the same time. Just when he thought this couldn't be any worse... it was.

Yuki was standing in the doorway, water dripping from her wet hair and coat, her face a blank mask of complete shock as she stood there, frozen, staring at them with wide brown eyes. She had seen what had just happened.

Kaname literally thought he was going to die from humiliation. He felt physically sick. Oh God... what he'd just been through was bad enough, his own body's traitorous participation and enjoyment of it was bad enough, but for Yuki to see him like this... how could she ever look at him the same way? How could she ever love someone so weak and... and pathetic?

Yuki stood frozen in the doorway for several long heartbeats, shocked beyond words at the scene she had come in upon. It had to be admitted that the sight of the two very male, very naked bodies made her flushed skin flush hotly, but as soon as her brain started to get past its shock and process what she was seeing, she saw the blood streaking Kaname's thighs, she saw the twisted black bonds holding his arms trapped above his head, bound to the leg of the bed. She saw Zero mark him, and she saw the pained horror of shame in Kaname's red-rimmed chocolate eyes as they locked with hers.

Yuki was utterly confused and horrified. She didn't know how her sweet, caring, sometimes frustrating, but normally gentle Zero could do something like this. But she had to stop it. Even if she was pretty much completely too late to be of any use... the strength of the protectiveness that swelled inside her at seeing Kaname like this was almost painful.

"Zero! What are you doing?" she rasped, her voice tense with suddenly forming tears and confused anger. Unfreezing her feet, Yuki rushed forward. She grabbed Zero's shoulder, urgently tugging him backwards. Zero was shaky and unsteady in the aftershocks of pleasure and the slowly fading effect of the blood high he'd been on, and she actually managed to pull him off of Kaname.

Yuki wrapped a protective arm around Kaname's chest as she dropped to her knees beside him. Yanking off her mittens she fumbled one-handed with the knots binding his wrists, her cold, shaking fingers prying urgently at the twisted silk while her other arm stayed protectively around Kaname, her gaze fixed in anguished wariness on Zero.

Zero had fallen back and sideways, sitting on the ground, leaning on one arm, panting for breath. His eyes were glowing blood red and Yuki didn't know if she could afford to risk looking away, even though she was desperate to get Kaname untied and check to see if he was badly hurt. As much as it hurt her to the very core of her being, if Zero had lost it... If he was going mad... the tears stung her eyes more harshly, agony ripping her heart, but there was also determination in her gaze. She would do whatever she had to do. Zero would want her to stop him, if he was himself. The compact weight of the spring-loaded staff strapped to her thigh, under her coat, was both a comforting and a chilling presence. She could go for it if she had to, although she knew it would kill some part of her. Don't make me, Zero... please don't make me...

But the red was already starting to fade from Zero's eyes, becoming replaced with a dull blankness and confusion. Seeing this, Yuki dared yank her eyes away and turn back to Kaname.

Kaname... Oh God... the tears slipping down her cheeks came a little harder. She touched his face tenderly. He was smeared with blood, but there were of course no injuries now... just the red reminders that there had been. But just because his body could heal... that didn't take away the horror of what had apparently just happened.

Yuki redoubled her efforts on the bonds, using both hands now. Zero, how could you?

Kaname swallowed as he felt Yuki's slim arm wrap around his chest, as she held him so protectively. It was sweet, but it was also so mortifying. She felt like she had to protect him? As her fingers slipped and fumbled with the impossibly tightly twisted and slippery silk, Kaname felt his own helpless frustration and anger well through him and he jerked his wrists hard.

The silk tore, easily giving way now under his inhuman strength. Kaname was actually a little surprised, but obviously, his strength was coming back to him now as Zero slipped from the haze of his blood lust and his control of the charm he'd placed on Kaname withered away with it, freeing the pureblood.

Kaname swiftly surged to sit upright, his legs curling to his chest, his arms wrapping around them as he rubbed the purple-brown marks circling his deeply bruised wrists. There was a shaky, vulnerable, cornered expression on his face and in his eyes for a moment that speared straight through Yuki's heart.

Yuki wrapped her arms around Kaname, pressing her face to his shoulder, clinging to him tightly, not knowing what she could do to try and take that look out of his eyes, but wishing there was something.

Kaname just sat there a moment. His strength and everything else was returning, but that just left him feeling even more stupid for what had happened. Why hadn't he just fought back, damn it? He could have... at least at first... he could have stopped it... It was almost his fault as much as Zero's. His breath shuddered in his chest, his body trembling in Yuki's arms and he swallowed the pained lump in his throat. This situation really couldn't get any worse or more humiliating, could it?

Anger burned white-hot in his gaze as he looked across at Zero who seemed to be dazed, but coming back to himself, the confusion in his eyes turning to a slow, dawning expression of dread and horror. It was a good thing Yuki was there, that she was holding onto him, and that some small shred of reason still told him that she would be upset if he eviscerated Zero in front of her. Because otherwise... that's what he very much wanted to do just at the moment.

Kaname swallowed again and turned his gaze down to Yuki. He wanted to hold her, but he couldn't, he felt too dirty and used. "Yuki... your coat..." he murmured hoarsely as he realized that Yuki's damp coat and her cheek were becoming stained from his blood and the... other... things that soiled his body as she clung to him.

Yuki wasn't about to let go and just held him tighter. "Like I care about that," she rasped softly. "Are you okay?"

Kaname nodded even though it wasn't the truth, finally managing to pull his calm, in control demeanor partially back around himself. He needed some clothes. Like... really badly.

"It was... real..." a small, husky, almost blank whisper drew both Kaname and Yuki's attention back to Zero. The ex-human had pulled himself up to sit, legs drawn into a self-conscious curl as he stared at Kaname and Yuki in a state of complete horror. Zero was trembling, visibly.

It had been like every other time... reality coming back slowly with that same sense of confused memory loss and murky recollection of darkness... but it hadn't been like every other time, because this time he'd come back to finding himself naked, to finding Kaname naked... bound... bleeding... marked... to find Yuki looking at him with those horrified eyes...

Zero couldn't breathe, he was living a nightmare he couldn't believe or escape as the distorted, jumbled memories of the past hour came rushing back in like a horde of vicious, accusing cinders burning up his heart and soul.

Zero couldn't hold Kaname's gaze, couldn't see the hurt and anger there, couldn't even contemplate looking at Yuki and seeing what she must think of him. He'd called Kaname a monster, but he was the monster. How could he have done something like this, to another living being...?

Zero dropped his face into his hands, burning in shame and regret. He hadn't meant to do this, not consciously... but obviously, some part of him had, and it was that that he was going to have to live with. Or maybe not... depending on how Kuran reacted, he supposed, numbly.

A silent sob shook his shoulders as he pressed his face hard into his hands. "I-I'm so sorry... I didn't want... I didn't mean... I wasn't..." but he couldn't finish. None of the excuses held water. He hadn't been in his right mind, but that didn't undo what had been done. Nothing could. And it couldn't remove the fact that even now, the memories that filled him with so much horror and disgust also filled him with heat and desire. He didn't deserve to live.

Dragging himself to his feet, Zero stumbled quickly out of the room, not bothering to take anything with him as he ran from that place. He didn't care that he was naked and it was snowing outside... it didn't matter... he deserved to suffer, he was despicable... evil... his fingernails raked his arms and neck as he hurried down the stairs in a blind rush, drawing blood, clawing at himself in disgust as if he could erase the memories, erase what he had become, and the dark desires that still lurked beneath the surface of his consciousness.

Kaname was so angry and shamed it was hard to feel for Zero as he watched him stumble swiftly away, yet a small part of him that he couldn't help did see the honest, raw anguish in the hunter's expression. Deep down, Kaname knew that Zero had not been in control of himself when this had happened... but he wasn't ready to admit that yet, or to begin to forgive the boy for what he'd done. Everything was much, much too raw.

Yuki saw Zero's pain and her heart bled. In truth, she was afraid for him, afraid what he was going to do if she let him run off like that, but as much as she wanted to chase after him, there was no way she could leave Kaname right now. It shook her to the core to see him hurt like this, to see the hint of raw emotions swirling in confusion behind his normally collected gaze.

Kaname dragged himself up, really embarrassed that he was still naked and bloody in front of Yuki like this. He grabbed the quilt from the bed, curling it up around himself as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He hadn't yet healed completely and he ached inside when he moved. His cheeks burned at the physical reminder of how he had been claimed... of how he had enjoyed it. Even now... if he let some of those disgusting, awful memories linger... they could almost excite him, almost make some very small part of him want it again.

Madness. It was sheer madness.

Yuki got a wet cloth from the bathroom and she gently wiped the drying, sticky blood from Kaname's face and neck. Her hands were soothing and Kaname relished the comfort despite himself. As the soft cloth lathed his sensitive neck though, his body shuddered in response and he quickly caught Yuki's wrist, stopping her. He was drained, hungry and feeling supremely off-balanced. He was not a safe person to be around right now and he figured she had better leave.

Yuki looked at him worriedly, but Kaname gave her a gentle, carefully self-possessed smile. "I'm fine, Yuki. This was..." his breath almost trembled and gave him away. How could he explain something like this away? How could he try to salvage what she thought of him...? But as he looked into her gentle, anguished eyes, Kaname realized he didn't have to. He read only tenderness and concern there. She didn't hate him for his weakness.

"Unforeseen," he finished softly. "But I'm fine. You should go before your father misses you. I need to shower and... dress."

Yuki looked at him uncertainly. Kaname was acting like nothing was wrong, but she knew better. "Kaname, are you sure you don't need... I don't know... a doctor or something?" she asked softly, embarrassed, but more concerned than anything else. "Should I get the Chairman? Or..."

"No!" Kaname almost snapped, then quickly gentled his voice and his expression again when he saw Yuki's browse pinch in anguish. "No..." he said more softly. "I'll be fine. See?" he said gently as he held up his arm, showing her that the nasty, ugly bruises around his wrists had already all but faded to nothing. "Yuki... please, I would rather you didn't tell anyone about this. Ever," he said quietly. The mixture of command and plea in his eyes was earnest and desperate. No one could know; no one could ever know... he would lose so much credibility and respect in the vampire world that he would never be able to recover. Not to mention that every single member of the Night Class would hunt Zero down and tear him to pieces, even if Kaname ordered them not to.

Yuki nodded slowly. She felt weird about covering it up, but at the same point she trusted that Kaname knew what he was doing, and the fact was... even in her limited understanding of the situation, she grasped that it would probably only ruin both his and Zero's life. Zero... Yuki bit her lip. She was so angry with him for hurting Kaname like this in this kind of way... but at the same time... she knew it hadn't been him, anymore than it had been him who had grabbed her and bitten her that first time. And she couldn't help but hurt, knowing how her dear friend must be feeling right now. This whole situation was just such a mess. Yuki scarcely knew what to feel other than the burning desire to stay right here and protect Kaname... although from what she had no idea, since he certainly didn't seem to need her protection anymore.

"Yuki..." Kaname brushed her cheek hesitantly with the back of his fingers. "Please go." He wanted, no... needed to be alone. Yuki saw the truth of that in his eyes and she relented.

"Okay," she murmured, giving the hand on her cheek a light, impulsive kiss before she stepped away. Yuki quietly gathered up Zero's discarded clothing and boots, partially so that Kaname didn't have to look at them, and partially so that if Zero was actually outside somewhere naked she could give them back. Then she left.

Kaname waited until he had heard her leave the building before he dropped his head into his hands, his breath coming slow and steady, but hitching just ever so slightly.

One and a Half Weeks Later...

Kaname sat on the couch in the Cross family living room, sipping a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows that Yuki had given him. He was kind of guessing the mug was probably one of hers, since he doubted either Zero or the Chairman would prefer something quite so... pink in color. Well, actually, it could very well be Chairman Cross's, he supposed. The man had eclectic tastes.

Cross had insisted that Kaname not spend all his time alone in the Moon Dorm and pressed him to come spend the 'day' with them, or rather, the evening and part of the night. It was a familiar routine for them, the way Kaname's visits always used to play when he and Yuki were both younger and he would come to pay a call.

Kaname sipped the cocoa and ate another of the cookies on the plate beside him. They were good. Homemade. Yuki had given them to him along with the cocoa, but he knew she probably hadn't made them. Cooking wasn't really her thing. And since they actually tasted good that meant the Chairman hadn't made them either. Zero had probably made them, but Kaname ate them anyway.

He hadn't spoken to Zero since that night. They had done everything possible to avoid even seeing each other, which wasn't that hard. Kaname hadn't even been sure today was a good idea, but Yuki had really wanted him to come, and so he had come. It was that simple. Just like Yuki wanted him to eat the cookies and smile and pretend that everything was okay. So he did.

Zero must be acting more or less under the same motivation, because as much as he would obviously rather have locked himself in his room and not come out until Kaname left, he had eaten dinner with the family, and he now sat quiet and withdrawn in the corner of the living room, curled up on one of the chairs and staring out the window. It was snowing again. His cocoa and cookies were untouched beside him.

Chairman Cross had gone into the kitchen to make them a second pot of cocoa... which meant that Kaname would probably not be having a second glass, and Yuki was sitting quietly on the other end of the couch, nibbling on a cookie and trying to pretend like the heavy atmosphere hanging in the room between the pureblood and the ex-human wasn't tying her stomach in a knot and making her feel ill.

Cross at least was oblivious to the tension. Kaname and Zero had never gotten on well. He didn't realize it was anything more than that, for which Kaname was grateful.

Kaname saw Yuki stealing worried sideways glances at him, and at Zero. The ex-human was sporting the edge of visible white bandages from beneath the sleeve of his sweatshirt and on his neck. When he'd left the Moon Dorms that night, he'd been almost out of his head with horror and self-hatred for what he'd done. He'd run away deep into the surrounding woods. Kneeling in the snow in the dark, he'd clawed himself compulsively and severely until the white snow was stained crimson. Maybe he'd wanted to die, he wasn't quite sure himself. But he hadn't, and he'd eventually dragged himself home without being seen and let himself into his room to hide under the covers where Yuki had later found him, wrapped in blood soaked sheets, shivering. Aghast at his self-inflicted injuries, she had forced him to clean himself up and tended him, but the wounds had yet to fully heal.

Kaname looked at the marshmallows floating in his mug. Zero wouldn't heal, he knew... because he needed blood. The pureblood had grown fairly accustomed to the ex-human's feeding schedule, and Zero was past due. He could see it in the tense, nervous twitch in Zero's fingers as he sat curled up on the chair across the room. In the soft, labored edge to his breathing. Zero was starving... but he wasn't going to feed. Not from Kaname or Yuki. He didn't trust himself anymore.

Kaname sipped the cooling cocoa, without realizing that his gaze was still resting fixed on Zero. The boy was punishing himself, probably had been ever since that night. Kaname ought to take a certain grim satisfaction in the other's suffering. But... he didn't. He just... wanted to forget the whole thing. Wanted to forget that he still woke up in the night sometimes... hot, and tingling with disgusting pleasure in the wake of dreaming about...

Kaname took a large bite of his cookie and quickly shifted his thoughts away to safer realms. This couldn't go on. Kiriyu was deteriorating, and that was no good. Yuki looked like the stress of feeling torn up about the secrets she was keeping, and the tension it caused was completely draining her. That hurt and Kaname couldn't stand to see it. They all needed some return to normalcy. It seemed that the ball was in his court on that.

Slowly, Kaname set his mostly empty cup of cocoa down on the table beside the couch and rose. His gaze flickered briefly to Yuki, then settled on Zero again. "Kiriyu, come with me," he said simply, turning and heading out of the living room without looking back. Zero would follow him. He knew.

Zero did, uncurling and sliding slowly, with great reluctance out of his chair. His hands bunched at his sides, but his head hung, gaze remaining fixed on the carpet as he followed Kaname out of the room. He didn't know what Kaname wanted, but whatever it was... Zero was ready. He steadied himself as he followed the pureblood down the short hall that led to the bedroom Zero used when he was at home rather than in the dorm. He'd already decided that when Kuran got around to deciding how he was going to exact his revenge for Zero's unspeakable violation, he would accept it without protest. Much as he hated owing the pureblood anything, Zero figured he definitely owed him that much.

Yuki tensed as she watched them leave, not at all sure that them going off by themselves was a good idea. She was about to follow when her father came back into the room. He looked around. "Where did Kaname and Zero go?" he inquired.

"Oh! Um... they'll be right back..." Yuki covered for them, knowing that whatever was going to happen, getting the Chairman involved would not be something that any of them wanted. Now unable to sneak away without looking suspicious, Yuki half listened to the Chairman talking about... something... okay, so she wasn't actually listening at all, her gaze was constantly straying to the hallway...

Reaching Zero's room, Kaname shut the door once they were both inside. Zero was doing a pretty good job of controlling his breathing as he stood, shoulders hunched and gaze fixed resolutely on the floor, but Kaname could smell his fear. Zero was being unusually compliant and the pureblood couldn't resist enjoying the other's discomfort just a little.

"Kneel," he commanded coolly and after about half a moment's struggle with himself, Zero silently obeyed, kneeling on the floor with his hands resting in his lap. Kaname could hear Zero's heart rate increasing. That was very... pleasant.

Zero kept his eyes riveted to the carpet and didn't see what Kaname was doing until he felt the pureblood's hand on the side of his face. Zero flinched, starting visibly and then scowling at himself for the reaction. As his eyes rose to meet Kaname's however... surprise replaced apprehension.

Kaname was sitting directly in front of Zero on the edge of his bed, there wasn't really anywhere else in here to sit as the desk chair was buried under a pile of laundry. The pureblood had the top few buttons of his collar undone and pulled away from one side of his neck.

"Drink," Kaname said simply, his voice still hard and cool. "You know you need to."

Zero looked shocked. Whatever he'd expected or feared this definitely wasn't it. He'd never expected Kaname to offer him his blood again, not after what had happened last time. Zero's fangs ached, the sight of the naked side of Kaname's neck doing all kinds of things to him and making the relentless hunger already burning in his chest a hundred times worse... but Zero shook his head, his fists clenching tightly in his lap as he struggled for control. His eyes dropped back to the carpet, silver head bowing.

"I-I can't..." he whispered miserably. "I don't know what I'm doing when I'm drinking blood anymore... I-I won't do it!"

"Then you'll die and Yuki will be sad. Don't be a fool, Kiriyu. Drink," Kaname insisted, but Zero was still shaking his head, although he had his arms curled around his chest now, hugging himself desperately, fingers digging into his sweatshirt so hard Kaname thought he was going to claw himself again. It was obvious Zero wanted very much what Kaname was offering him.

"No!" Zero rasped, anguished. "What if it happens again? I-I won't become that way, I won't!"

"If it happens again, I'll kill you myself," Kaname said quietly, flatly. "So don't worry about it."

Zero finally looked up at that and Kaname was caught by the depth of the pain in the silver-amethyst eyes. And by the memory of how those eyes had looked when they were red, and full of lust... demanding submission and control... but it was anticipation that shivered through Kaname's body, rather than hate or fear. Dear God, what was wrong with him? Was some part of him actually hoping to see that side of Zero again one day? Maybe he was the one going insane.

But the truth was... Kaname had been overpowered with strange dreams and longings ever since that night. It was like Zero had wakened something in him that he didn't know how to put back to sleep. He wasn't remotely ready to come to grips with whatever it was, but perhaps he would eventually... perhaps.

"You didn't before..." Zero whispered softly, and Kaname grimaced slightly, glad at least that the boy had said didn't instead of couldn't... although he supposed he wasn't sure which was worse.

Kaname just looked at him for a minute. The side of his neck was throbbing faintly. It was ironic really... because it was almost as if he wanted to be bitten. It was like his body had adapted to their schedule and when Zero had missed his regular feeding... Kaname had felt it too. The pureblood fought back irritation at Zero's reluctance. He supposed he should be glad the boy was so damn remorseful about what had happened, but right now, he really just wanted to put it all behind them.

"Do you want me to remedy that situation now?" Kaname asked calmly, and his fingers lengthened casually into long, razor claws.

Zero said nothing, looking back down at his hands. Maybe you should. The thought ran silently through him. Because I don't know if I can keep something like that from happening again. I don't know if I can control these dark desires that take me when your blood touches my tongue... yes, Kaname, maybe you should kill me.

Kaname read the silent answer in Zero's hunched form. He let his claws retract and it was his normal hand that touched Zero's cheek again. Oddly... he really didn't feel angry anymore. Just tired. Zero's wiliness to die for his sins seemed to take the sting out of them a little.

"Well, I don't want to. That would be very bothersome after everything I've done to keep you alive," Kaname said quietly, although actually a trifle less coldly than before. "Now drink before Cross starts to wonder where we've gone or Yuki thinks we're killing each other."

Zero really couldn't refuse anymore, his body wouldn't let him. He was starving and Kaname was so close... so willing...

With a soft groan of despair and hunger all mixed into one, Zero moved forward, wrapping his arms around Kaname's waist and burying his face against the side of his neck as his tongue worked the area urgently before he bit down hungrily. He drew blood with needy swiftness... but not too swift. Zero seemed to be making a conscious, almost inhuman effort to not take Kaname too hard despite his own need.

Kaname froze just slightly as Zero's body slipped between his knees in order to reach him, the boy's arms curling around his waist. But really... how else did he expect Kiriyu to reach his neck in this position? He was the one who had chosen it.

Kaname's body was tense, wary... but at the same time, it responded warmly, almost eagerly to the familiar sensation of Zero's fevered lips, teeth and tongue moving against his neck. It was like some part of him relaxed despite himself. Yes... this was good... he needed this... His fingers tangled lightly in Zero's hair as the boy fed, his other hand resting on Zero's shoulder.

The door to the room opened quietly and Kaname looked up, although he already knew who it was. Yuki had managed to disentangle herself from her father, whom she had set to the task of making them all some nice snack mix to finish off the evening. He was doing it his style which meant they ought to have a half hour of peace at least before he emerged from the kitchen again.

Yuki glanced worriedly into the room, and she tensed at first when she saw Zero kneeling in front of Kaname, wrapped around him, obviously drinking his blood... but then she saw Kaname's hand in his hair and on his shoulder. The pureblood was almost cradling him.

Kaname caught Yuki's gaze and gave her a quiet, reassuring smile and Yuki relaxed visibly. She slid into the room and shut the door behind her. She'd been so worried... about both of them. She'd been sick thinking of what Kaname must be going through, and all alone... and she'd been equally sick as she watched Zero self-destructing, hurting himself and refusing to drink her blood when she'd tried to offer it – not wanting Kaname to have to and not sure if he even would anymore. She couldn't help her tender heart, she'd forgiven Zero for those things that were not his fault, even if she wasn't sure she had a right to. It made her so incredibly glad and relieved to see that Kaname seemed to have more or less done the same. She... she loved him for that.

Yuki's gaze shone with relief as she made her way over to them and Kaname thought that she looked so much lighter and at ease than he had seen in quite a while. That look on her face, the quiet happiness in her eyes that somehow, everything was going to be all right... that was worth it all to Kaname. He would do anything to keep that look in her eyes. Anything.

Zero sensed her presence and reluctantly detached from Kaname's neck, pausing uncertainly, hesitantly as he looked up towards her. His eyes were dully red, but at this moment Zero was still behind them. Yuki gave him a quiet smile and Kaname's fingers tightened lightly in his hair, drawing Zero's head back to his neck.

"It's all right, Zero, finish..." he murmured softly. Zero's eyes stung softly as he buried his face back against Kaname's neck. He didn't deserve this kind of grace, but... he slid his teeth back into the tempting pale flesh and continued his meal. The darkness wasn't gone, it was still very real, lurking in the back of his subconscious and he knew it... but Kuran knew it too now. Zero had tried to tell him, had tried to refuse... had even accepted it if death was the only thing that could end it. If after that, Kaname still wanted to give him his blood... if he still wanted to play with this fire... then they would just have to see what happened. Zero sighed with contentment against Kaname's neck, losing himself now in the pleasure of sating his need for blood, and in the ability to taste and touch that delicious skin once more.

Yuki sat down quietly beside them on the bed, on the opposite side from where Zero was drinking. She supposed she should have let them be, but... she felt drawn to them, to the strange feeling of closeness and the intimacy of the moment. Kaname's eyes were welcoming... beckoning even, and the truth was she wanted to be here for him. She really admired his being willing to do this again, to still give Zero his blood after what had happened. She would be here for him in case anything went wrong, or even just so he wasn't alone. She'd be here for Zero, too. It did her heart such good to see his body relaxing, no longer wire-tense with repressed need and self-hatred. She wanted so much to see him happy. Her fingers brushed through the hunter's silver hair, ending up tangling lightly with Kaname's fingers and Yuki found herself resting her head on Kaname's shoulder. It was so good to feel this sense of peace again, whether or not it would prove to be temporary. She enjoyed the moment.

In spite of what he'd expected when he first came back here, Kaname was rather enjoying it too now. Zero's mouth was as delightful as ever on his skin. The way Yuki's head rested on his shoulder, her breath brushing the other side of his neck, her slim body pressed against his side even as Zero's warm, larger body pressed against Kaname's chest - if he just didn't stop to think too much about it, the entire combination was actually very pleasant. Kaname closed his eyes and decided just not to think for a while. Sometimes, thinking was overrated.

Outside, the large, perfect snowflakes continued to fall. Silver and dark in the moonlight and then flashing like white gold radiance in the squares of yellow thrown by the lighted windows of the house. Each snowflake unique, each one different and yet the same... all of them falling softly together, giving up some of their individuality as they melded into the whole of the accumulating snow banks, but painting an even more beautiful picture together than they ever did apart.

THE END