Dear Zero

A Vampire Knight Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: Vampire Knight and its characters are, unfortunately, not mine *sighs sadly* I'm merely playing around with them in order to make our BL dreams come true.

Pairings: Kaname/Zero, as always ;D

Warnings: AU, all humans. OOC-ness, I guess. No real plot, obsessive behavior, stalking, and the author's impossibly lame attempts at being funny, creepy and creative.

A/N: I initially wanted and tried to go for a more creepy feeling and some sort of suspense or something like that, but I know I failed miserably *sighs* So I want to apologize in advance in case this story turns out to be a total waste of time, and a crappy one at that -_-; Not to mention long. It really turned out much, much longer than I had originally planned. Sorry for that too *bows low*

English is not my first language, so there are bound to be mistakes like bad grammar and typos. All those mistakes are mine, so I apologize for them too.

Hope you will enjoy reading and would be really happy to hear your thoughts! :D

-o-

Dear Zero,

I never meant to send you this letter. To tell you the truth, I don't even know why I wrote it in the first place. I only wanted to express my feelings, to sort them out and make it easier. And before I knew it, I was writing you this letter.

You must be wondering why you. Or maybe you aren't. I hope you are though. And I believe you are. You're a curious one, aren't you? I know you are, even though you try not to show it. It's rather endearing, if you ask me. Not that you would ever ask, you're stubborn. But I find that endearing too.

Are you curious yet? Perhaps even embarrassed? Annoyed? Angry a bit? Or maybe all at once?

You're always so full of emotions, after all. I know you are, even if you usually try not to show it. That's one of the things I adore about you the most.

Now, where was I? Oh, that's right. I wanted to tell you why I'm bothering you with this letter, but now that we got to this point, I feel terribly uncertain about it all of a sudden. And vulnerable. That's a first for me.

I have to say it's terrifying yet exhilarating at the same time. But then again, so is everything you bring into my life. It's almost impossible to believe just how dull it used to be.

I wonder if you see what I'm getting at yet. It would have been so much easier for me that way.

I've never done this before, you know? There was just never someone like you in my life. So absolutely unique, so sinfully exquisite… You have no idea what a temptation you are and how inhumanely difficult it is to resist you.

I can barely hold back anymore. I want to be close to you so badly… But I know you're not ready. Not yet. And I never wish to force you to do something against your will.

But it's gotten too strong to suppress, this feeling. It's rooted too deeply inside me now and I need to express at least some part of it before it drives me completely insane. I only hope my confession won't scare you off. I never want that to happen. I never want to lose you. Never. I wouldn't be able to take it. I just…

I just love you so much.

I love you.

I love you more than anyone and anything in this world. I love you, my sweet angel.

And I only pray that you will be able to reciprocate my feelings someday.

Forever yours.

-o-

"Tell me about them, those letters," came a simple request spoken in a calm, unintrusive manner. It was supposed to coax him into relaxing and opening up, he knew it. It was actually working, if he were honest with himself. But Zero liked being stubborn — it was in his nature.

So he chose to be difficult and tried to stall. "What letters?"

"The ones you told me about."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did," came the confirmation with a small nod.

He drawled a thoughtful hum. There was a long moment of silence before he asked another question just to give his companion a hard time, "When?"

He was given a soft — somewhat indulgent even — smile. That familiar twinkle of amusement appeared in Kaname's garnet eyes.

Zero felt a twinge of annoyance at the other's reaction. It was really frustrating how the man always managed to remain unaffected in spite of all his efforts to get a rise out of him.

"During our previous session."

An impassive 'Oh' was his only response. The two lapsed into silence, their gazes locked on each other in a wordless battle.

Quickly getting bored with it, Zero shifted his attention to a vintage clock on top of a massive low bookshelf after some time. "…It's really loud," he remarked, watching the second hand tick away. "Is it genuine?"

He felt the other's eyes leave him and his body couldn't help relaxing a bit.

"It is."

"Must be expensive." Not that he even cared.

"I wouldn't know."

Zero resumed eye contact with the other, frowning at him briefly.

A somewhat nostalgic look came to Kaname's face as he explained with a small smile, "They belonged to my father. Apparently, his father was a collector."

Zero thought it was better not to pry. He really did, but his mouth had a mind of its own. "…'Belonged'?"

His companion's smile widened, as though he had been expecting his question. Zero mentally cursed himself, realizing he had most likely played right into Kaname's hands. It seemed like he always did.

"He passed away. Both of my parents did."

"I'm sorry," Zero offered, looking down at the top of his knees that he unwittingly hugged a little tighter to his chest.

No reply followed and another silence ensued. Zero was the one who broke it this time as well after a while.

"Isn't it against the rules?" he asked with a frown.

"What rules?" Kaname asked back with an innocent blink and a slight tilt of his head.

"Aren't you supposed not to get personal with me?"

"I don't believe I did that."

"The stuff you said is pretty personal."

Kaname shrugged. "I don't mind sharing it with you."

Zero averted his gaze. "…I'd rather you not."

"And why is that?"

Zero didn't reply, so Kaname offered, "Because it triggers an urge to share back?"

"…You're sly."

"I have to be."

"You like to be."

A shrug. "That, too. Now…" Kaname shifted into a more comfortable position. "Assuming that you're done stalling, let's get back to those letters, shall we?"

Zero looked at the clock again. It had been only half an hour since the beginning of their session. They still had another half to go.

His shoulders slumped, his back hunched and a sigh of surrender escaped him.

Suppressing a triumphant smirk that his smile threatened to morph into, Kaname moved onto his first question. "When did you start receiving them?"

Zero took some time to answer. "A few months back."

"Define 'few'?"

"…About half a year, I guess."

Kaname nodded and scribbled something in his leather-bound notebook. "How often?"

"Once a month. At first."

"And now?"

"…Once a week."

Another nod, another quick scribble. Zero followed the undeniably elegant movements of the man's hand, his eyelids lowered briefly in thought. "…You really like vintage stuff, don't you?"

Kaname looked up from his notebook with a blink and a question clear in his eyes.

"The clock, the fountain pen…"

Kaname gave a soft 'Oh' as he took a brief glance at his pen. "I like unique things," he explained with a soft smile and a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"Aren't fountain pens really troublesome to write with?"

Kaname nodded. "They are at first. But practice makes perfect."

"Have you been practicing for long?"

"Since childhood."

"Don't tell me you used one of those things even at school."

Kaname snorted lightly in amusement. "As a matter of fact, I did. And I don't believe I was the only one."

The look on Zero's face elicited a chuckle from the older of the two. "Is it that unusual?"

"It's definitely not something you see very often."

"Does it bother you?"

Zero frowned. "How can a pen bother someone?"

"Easily. Like many other small things. We all have something that makes us tick."

"Even you?"

Kaname nodded. "Even me."

Zero responded with silence, but Kaname wasn't fooled. His smile widened to the point of turning into a somewhat mischievous one. "Go ahead, don't get shy with me now."

Zero pressed his lips together in a stubborn attempt to keep quiet.

Kaname pressed on. "Come on, I know you want to ask."

Zero managed to hold out for a little longer, but he still lost in the end. Damn his stupid mouth. "What is it?"

"Please be more specific."

Zero gave a grunt of annoyance. "What makes you tick?"

Kaname chuckled. "Isn't that 'personal stuff' too?" he teased.

Zero scowled.

Kaname only gave him another smile. "Now, back to those letters…" he returned to the previous subject of their conversation. "Do you want to tell me what they say?"

Zero looked at the clock again, a big sigh left him when he realized they still had time left. "Do I have to?" he asked with an imploring frown when he returned his gaze to Kaname.

The man's expression turned indulgent. "You don't, if you don't want to."

Zero breathed a small sigh of relief. He rested his chin on his drawn-up knees, a thoughtful look came over his face.

There was a long while of silence.

"…It really is loud," Zero said all of a sudden after some time.

Kaname blinked, frowning briefly. It took him a few seconds to comprehend what the other meant. He turned his eyes to the clock. "I can remove it if it's bothering you."

Zero shook his head lightly. "It's not." He turned to look at the clock again, leaning his cheek against his knees. "It's actually kind of nice."

"I'm glad you like it then."

Zero let out another sigh, then lifted his head and leaned back against the seat, his arms loosening around his legs and his hands sliding down to his ankles. A frown returned to his features.

"…I didn't even know people still wrote letters nowadays," he said a bit absently.

Kaname waited some time before asking, "Are they handwritten?"

A nod.

"I don't suppose you recognize the handwriting."

A shake of the head.

Again, Kaname waited, giving Zero some more time so as not to scare him off. "Is it from someone you know?"

Zero stayed silent for a while. Kaname already began to think he wouldn't get any response when the other spoke. "I don't think so. That's why I don't get it."

"Don't get what?"

"Why they would write me those letters."

"Maybe they want to get to know you," Kaname offered.

Zero shook his head. "It's not that kind of letters."

"What kind is it then?"

"I…" Zero's frown deepened. He hugged his knees again, his discomfort obvious. "I'm not sure."

"Are they threat letters?"

Zero blinked, then shook his head after a momentary pause.

"Love letters?"

Zero took longer to decide this time, only to end up giving a vague shrug.

"Do they make you uncomfortable?"

Zero nodded slowly after a long moment of hesitation.

Kaname knew it was better to wait before moving onto his next question, so he did. Then he asked carefully, "Why?"

Another vague shrug after a long silence.

Kaname let out a resigned sigh. Checking the time, he made a few more notes, then closed his notebook and announced, "Alright, I guess we're done for today."

Zero's sigh was one of relief. He got up and promptly headed for a coat rack by the door, took his coat from it and put it on before grabbing the doorknob, about to bid Kaname farewell when the said man spoke. "We'll get back to those letters next time."

There was a groan. "Can't we just leave it alone?"

"Not when the matter clearly bothers you." Kaname rose to his feet and headed towards Zero. "You can take as much time as you need, but we will have to get to the bottom of this."

Zero averted his gaze, his hand tightened on the doorknob. Another sigh left him after a while. "We'll see about that." Turning the doorknob, he pulled the door open and left with a quiet 'Goodbye, Kuran-sensei'.

Kaname released another sigh as he watched the younger man leave, following his retreating back until it completely disappeared from view, before returning to his office to get ready for his next patient.

-o-

Dear Zero,

I have to tell you I never knew a person's feelings for another human being could be so strong until I met you.

I had my share of affairs — both relatively long and fleetingly short, intense and dull, sweet and bitter. I cannot say I loved each of my partners at the time, but I most certainly felt at least some reasonably warm feelings towards most of them. They all were lovely, but I knew even then that none of them was 'the one'.

But you are different. You are special, my love. Truly special. I knew it from the moment I laid my eyes on you for the very first time.

You changed something in me, you made me a different person. Although I'm afraid I have to say that change wasn't necessarily for the better.

I was hardly ever shy or hesitant. Uncertainty, nervousness and fear of rejection used to be foreign to me. I always went ahead and took what I wanted. I never had to worry about the possibility of losing the object of my affection. Truly, such thoughts never even crossed my blissfully serene mind before.

And yet here I am, unable to find the courage to sweep you off your feet and make you mine. I wish I could. I really do. But the fear of being rejected by you, of losing you, is still too strong. It stops me every time I think I'm ready to finally approach you properly.

Ah, the things you do to me, my sinful, perfect love, the things you do...

I must be a masochist to actually enjoy this sweet torture you unknowingly keep subjecting me to. I know you will ruin me one day, yet I cannot seem to care. Even that I'll probably welcome with open arms.

Truly, the things you do to me...

I love you, my dear Zero. I always will. Remember that.

Forever yours.

Zero heaved a deep sigh as he let his hand drop after finishing reading the letter. His eyes shifted to an open envelope it had come in. Automatically reaching for it, he folded the letter and put it back inside before striding across the room of his apartment and placing it atop many other letters stored in the top drawer of a wooden dresser by the wall.

He knew he shouldn't have read it. He shouldn't have read any of the letters he had received in the first place. Yet somehow he always ended up doing just the opposite of what his logical mind told him to do. It was frustrating how he could never control his actions — and even his thoughts — even when he knew better.

-o-

"Are those real glasses?" came a bafflingly random question, startling Kaname.

The dark-haired man had to take a few moments to recover. "I beg your pardon?"

"Your glasses," Zero emphasized his words by pointing at his own eyes. "Are they real or just for show?"

A set of perfect dark eyebrows rose. "There's such a thing as glasses 'for show'?" His question was answered with an affirmative nod, so Kaname continued, "And there are people who wear them?" Another nod. "For what purpose exactly?"

"It depends. A friend of mine, for one, thinks they make her look smarter. Or more serious." Zero paused briefly before finishing with a shrug, "I don't know, something of that sort."

"…Am I right to assume she lacks those qualities in reality?"

Zero gave a nod. "Mm."

"Do you think I lack them?"

"Not those particular qualities, but maybe you think you lack some others. I did say it depends."

The corners of Kaname's mouth twitched upwards. He managed to get his expression to return to its neutral state though. "What do you think I think I lack then?"

Zero shrugged his shoulders before offering, "Maybe you want to look more doctor-like."

Kaname arched an amused eyebrow. "I don't look like a doctor to you?"

"You do. But maybe it's because I know you're one. Or because of the glasses."

"Would you like me to remove them?"

"I'd like to know if they're real."

"Will you be disappointed if they're not?"

Zero leaned forward a bit. "So they're fake?"

Kaname allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "I never said that."

Zero leaned back in his seat and folded his arms over his chest. "You're so difficult," he almost huffed with a moody frown.

"Are you giving up so soon?" Kaname teased.

An indifferent shrug was his answer.

"Never took you for a quitter."

"I'm not," Zero denied with an offended frown. "I just lost interest in the subject."

"If you say so."

Zero didn't want to react, but the other's condescending tone made it impossible not to. "I did."

"Sure, I believe you."

"I really did."

"Yeah," Kaname nodded. "I hear you."

Zero scowled before turning away with an annoyed huff.

Kaname gave a discreet chuckle, then opened his leather-bound notebook and took out his fountain pen, allowing a few moments of silence before suggesting, "Now, seeing as we have that sorted out…shall we begin?"

Zero automatically looked at the clock, sighing when he saw the time. Damn Kaname for never letting him stave off their sessions for more than ten minutes.

-o-

Dear Zero,

It's been a while, hasn't it? How have you been? Did you miss me?

I'm sorry I haven't been able to contact you for so long. I hope you weren't too lonely. But do keep in mind that I'm never too far. I'm always with you, my love, always. I would never leave you. Don't you ever forget that.

I see you've taken a liking to that new cafe not far from your school. You've been there quite a few times now, always ordering different things. Am I right to assume that you intend to try every item on the menu before deciding on your most favorite ones and ranking them? God, you're so adorable.

Have you asked for the recipes already or do you want to try to recreate some of those dishes on your own first? You truly enjoy it, don't you? I hope to try your cooking someday. Will you let me? Ah, what a delight that would be…

Speaking of recent changes in your life... I see you've made a new friend. Or rather, she is the one who has been trying to insert herself in your life. Quite insistently too, I might add. To tell you the truth, it concerns me.

Is she a bother to you, my love? I know you're too kind to say so to her face even if she is, but you can tell me. I will take care of her for you. I promise I will, just say the word. You know you can count on me, don't you? You know you can trust me, don't you, love?

I hope you do.

I love you, my sweet Zero. I will do anything for you. Never forget that.

I look forward to seeing you again, my love.

Forever yours.

Zero's hands were shaking by the time he was done reading a new letter he had found in his mailbox upon returning home.

It was getting worse. He had thought so before, but now he was sure. The one sending him these letters — whoever the hell they might be — was getting closer. Or bolder, in case they always had been close. Which was a scary — not to mention extremely disturbing — thought.

The first letter had confused him. He had honestly assumed it to be a prank. But then the second one had come. And the third. And so on. The first ones weren't that bad. If anything, they actually were almost…sweet, for lack of a better word. After some time, however, they had gotten more personal, to the point of being unsettling. And now they seemed to be getting worse.

He secretly prayed the letters would stop coming, but he knew better. And he dreaded to think what the next one would be like.

-o-

"No random questions today?" Kaname asked with a subtly playful smile, startling Zero out of his pensive state.

Amethyst eyes blinked, clearing, before looking up to meet with a pair of burgundy ones behind thick-rimmed glasses.

"What?" Zero asked with another couple of blinks after a moment of silence.

A hint of concern appeared on Kaname's face. "Are you alright, Kiryuu-kun?"

"What makes you think I'm not?"

"You've been awfully quiet today."

"We haven't even started yet."

"My point exactly."

Zero's only response was a frown.

Kaname's lips quirked into a small smile. "Our sessions always begin with a question from you."

Silver eyebrows rose. "They do?"

"Yes."

The frown returned. "Aren't you the one supposed to ask questions?"

An amused snort escaped the brunet man. "That method never works for you."

"Does it work for anyone?"

Kaname hummed thoughtfully. "I rarely need to do more than ask to get the answers I want."

Zero gave a derisive snort. "Why am I no surprised?"

Kaname only chuckled at the sarcastic response.

A short while of companionable silence took place before the brunet decided to proceed, "Now, would you like to tell me what's on your mind?"

Zero's head tilted to the side. "Haven't we established that direct questions don't work for me?"

"Who said that the question I asked was the one I want answered?"

"So you're just using it to trick me into giving up the information you're after?"

"I prefer to call it 'guiding you' into giving me that information."

"Does it work?"

Kaname let a smile slowly stretch his lips as he regarded his patient for a moment. He didn't fail to pick up on the other's now subtly — almost imperceptibly — defensive posture. "What do you think?" he asked slyly instead of answering.

A look of mild annoyance crossed Zero's face. Kaname's smile threatened to widen at that, but he managed to stop it from doing so. Meanwhile Zero assumed his favorite posture — during their sessions, at least — by drawing up his knees and hugging them to his chest. There was a scowl on his face that Kaname couldn't see as anything other than a pout, and the therapist had to stifle a chuckle at that.

"If it makes you feel any better, you do always manage to make my job more difficult than it has to be," he tried to console his patient.

"It doesn't," Zero grumbled.

Kaname arched an amused eyebrow.

"…Maybe only a little," Zero relented, his expression softened ever so slightly and his gaze lowered.

"Would you like to continue giving me a hard time then?"

Zero gave a vague shrug, still sulking a bit — or so Kaname thought. He didn't hold back his chuckle this time around.

-o-

Dear Zero,

I wonder if you know how much you break my heart sometimes.

It's highly irrational, I realize, but I just can't help it. I hate seeing you with other people. I hate the way they look at you, as though defiling you with their greedy, lustful eyes. They have no right to do it, no right to tarnish your angelic purity.

Don't get me wrong, I understand them. I understand them and I understand that urge better than anyone. I'm not a saint and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Oh, the thoughts I have of you, the dreams… I'm almost certain you would be terrified if you knew.

You can't blame me though. It's your fault, after all. Your existence, your very essence…they are the sin incarnate. So it's only fair to blame you for my fall, for my absolute degradation to what I've become.

Oh, the things you do to me… I love and loathe you for them, I love and loathe the hold you have over me. You are destroying me. You are ruining me without even realizing it. Yet I am more than willing to take it, all of it. How insane is it?

And you know what's even more insane?

I love every moment of it.

Everything you do to me brings me the greatest joy, the deepest pleasure, the sweetest pain.

Even seeing you with others does, although I can never truly appreciate it during those moments. I have to be honest, they aggravate me, and I want nothing more than to punish those fools who dare think they can actually have you to themselves. I want to tear their filthy hands off you, gouge their eyes out, torture them severely and then rip them to shreds.

Don't fear though, my love. I know how kind you are, how much you care for others.

That's why I promise not to cause any harm to that little friend of yours, Yuuki. Or to the others. But you have to know it all depends on you and you alone.

I haven't acted on those urges yet for the sake of your peace of mind, but as I've already mentioned, I'm not a saint. Sometimes those vermin get way too daring, and such things need to be stopped without delay.

You understand that, don't you? You are the one holding all the cards, my love. It all depends on you alone. So long as you don't let certain people cross the line, I won't have to do anything about their presence in your life. Do keep that in mind.

Please be careful, my love. Don't let your guard down like that anymore.

I love you.

Forever yours.

Another week, another letter. Same old, same old. The only thing that was different about each new letter was a slight shift in the tone of its written contents. It was getting more disturbing by the time, having escalated to subtle and not so subtle threats by now.

Zero was starting to seriously freak out there, yet he had no idea what he was supposed to do — what he even could do. The police didn't deem the matter serious — they couldn't seem to regard it as anything more than either a twisted prank or some love-struck kid's awkward way of confessing their feelings without getting rejected in the process. As for his family and friends... Zero just couldn't bring himself to bother them with something like this. So where did that leave him...?

...Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to humor his therapist once in a while and talk about this disconcerting part of his life. He doubted it would solve anything, of course, but maybe it would help him keep his rapidly growing anxiety in check.

...That and keeping some distance from everyone for the time being. Just to be safe. Just in case.

-o-

"Please leave."

Zero couldn't help freezing in his tracks at the icily cold tone of his therapist's familiar voice. His body automatically tensing up, he felt extremely uneasy in spite of the fact that that demand — albeit presented as a polite request — wasn't even directed at him.

"No! I won't leave without a proper explanation!" an unknown to him woman screamed, hysterical. It was the first time he ever saw her, so he wasn't privy to the apparently existing problem between her and Kaname, but he somehow had an inkling of what this most likely was about.

It felt as though some scene straight out of one of those cliched dramas his best friend — or so she liked referring to herself — loved so much was unraveling right in front of him. One that made an unwilling viewer like him roll his eyes and go 'God, it's already bad enough as it is, don't make me watch this crap too', and one that definitely wasn't something he wanted to stumble upon in real life. Ever. It was just his luck that he somehow ended up doing exactly that.

Zero's first urge was to turn around and leave, yet his body seemed to have a mind of its own and it refused to react as fast as he wanted it to for some reason. So by the time he did manage to get his limbs to listen to him, it was too late — one of the two participants of that drama-like setting had already noticed him, to his chagrin and added awkwardness.

"Kiryuu-kun," Kaname called just as Zero spun around and took the first step away from the scene. Involuntarily starting, the younger man half-turned to face his therapist. "You're right on time. Please come in and make yourself comfortable."

Zero was reluctant to do as he was told, but the open door and Kaname's urging expression somehow convinced his legs to move before his brain could give them a conscious command.

"I'll be with you in a minute," sounded just as he entered the room, in response to which he automatically gave a nod that he wasn't sure was even perceived, as the door was softly pulled shut the next moment.

Kaname's words were followed by the unknown woman's loud — albeit muffled by the closed door — protests that Zero chose to tune out. He felt uncomfortable enough just being in the immediate vicinity already. No need to make it worse by concerning himself with other people's personal problems.

Following the usual drill, Zero shrugged off his coat and hung it up on the coat rack before going further into the room to take his usual place in the corner of a leather loveseat. His eyes immediately settled on a leather armchair across from him, blinking in slight bewilderment at the absence of its usual occupant.

'Oh, right...'

Amethyst eyes shifted to the closed door. He could still hear the unknown woman's voice, and it didn't seem any calmer. Zero looked away, deciding to distract himself with various items around him. It worked at first, but soon he started feeling restless for some reason. It was the first time he was alone in this room and it was only now that he realized how empty and foreign it seemed to him without his therapist in it.

Zero inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. He slid down a bit so that his head rested on top of the small sofa's backrest. He looked sideways at the vintage clock, his eyes latching onto the second hand and following it for a while. He didn't even notice when he started drifting off. His eyes sliding shut and his form relaxing completely with a deep sigh, Zero let the evenly paced sound hypnotize him to sleep.

He didn't know how long he had been numb to the world around him, nor what made him wake up eventually. Personally, he would have preferred to sleep some more. But there was just...something that disturbed his peace and made him stir. A fleeting sensation, an imaginary touch, a whispering voice that he was certain was nothing more than a disturbing figment of his apparently overly active imagination. Those things, real or not, were what made it impossible to stay in a blissful state of slumber.

The first thing that registered in his mind when he opened his eyes was the fact that his personal space was intact — thankfully. Blinking drowsily, Zero looked around, his brows knitted into a frown at his surroundings. It took him a few moments to remember where he was and why.

It was that day of the week. The day of another one of his sessions with his therapist. He had come to the man's office like he normally did at the usual time, only to end up witnessing a part of his therapist's personal life that he never so much as thought of let alone wanted to be privy to.

Shifting slightly, Zero noticed a blanket slipping off his shoulders and down his chest. His frown deepened with a slow blink of his eyes.

"Did you sleep well?"

Zero's gaze rose to the familiar dark-haired man's face at the question. He sat a bit straighter and leaned back into the sofa before giving Kaname an absent nod.

"Good," Kaname said next, although it didn't quite register in Zero's mind, as his attention was once again on the vintage desk clock.

"We only have twenty minutes left," Zero pointed out.

"We do." Kaname nodded.

Zero turned to Kaname with a renewed frown. "You should have woken me up."

"You looked so peaceful I didn't have the heart to."

"I slept through most of our session."

"That I've noticed," Kaname replied with a faint smile. "I fail to see why you seem so disappointed though. Could it be that you actually wanted to talk today?"

Zero shrugged. "Maybe," he admitted reluctantly without looking at the other man as he folded the blanked that had been draped over him previously. He put it aside with a quiet 'Thanks', in response to which Kaname only nodded in acknowledgement.

"Our session can be extended," Kaname said after some time. "That is, if you want to, of course."

"Don't you have other patients?"

"Not today."

"Don't you have other things to do?" Zero tried again.

Kaname's smile widened with amusement. "Such as?"

"I don't know. Meeting up with friends, going on a date, having some alone time?"

"I have no such plans for today."

That puzzled Zero for some reason. "Why not?"

Kaname arched an eyebrow, his amusement only deepening further. "Because I just don't. Do you have somewhere to be after this?"

Zero shook his head.

Kaname waited a bit before asking, "Would you like to go out for a coffee? Or whatever else you like?"

Amethyst eyes widened. Zero blinked a few times, taken aback. "With you?"

"Who else?"

"Now?"

"Now."

"What about the rules?

"What rules?"

"The 'no getting personal' ones."

A chuckle came from the brunet. "We won't. It'll be just another session, only taking place outside for a change."

Silver eyebrows drew together in a thoughtful frown. Zero lowered his gaze for a few long contemplative moments before looking up at Kaname again and giving the said man a small nod.

They went to a small cozy cafe after that. It wasn't far from Kaname's office, yet Zero had somehow managed not to notice it until then. They seemed to have gotten lucky with their timing, as there were only a few customers around, offering the two relative privacy.

Zero didn't know if it was that which made him open up a bit more than usual or something else, but that day he did actually talk to his therapist, even going so far as to finally confiding in the man about the letters.

Returning home, he was surprised how much better he felt now that he had shared his concerns with someone. And the fact that that someone was obligated to keep their conversations confidential definitely helped lessen any regrets he might have later over his temporarily lowered guard.

The following day another letter came. That one made Zero freeze in place the moment he saw the familiar envelope.

It wasn't in the mailbox like it was supposed to be. It was waiting for him on his coffee table in the living room.

The sight of that familiar envelope lying there innocently sent cold shivers up his spine. He couldn't help immediately thinking the worst. His thoughts raced in his rapidly growing quiet panic that he immediately tried to smother with logic.

It was okay. It didn't mean anything.

It must have been just his landlady who had dropped it off. She was the only other person with the keys, so it could only be her — it must have been. Sure, she never showed up without prior notice and she generally tried not to bother him, but anything could happen.

Yeah, something must have come up.

That was what Zero tried to convince himself to believe, consciously dismissing the fact that there was no other correspondence that had come together with the letter.

Nothing helped one keep their sanity intact better than denial.

-o-

"Have you tried getting help?"

Silver eyebrows rose. Tilting his head sideways, Zero inquired in reply, "Isn't that what I'm here for?"

Kaname gave him a small — somewhat fond, but Zero quickly convinced himself he was imagining things yet again — smile. "I meant the police. Have you shown them those letters?"

Zero uttered a barely audible 'Oh', then nodded almost imperceptibly after a little while. "Yeah, I actually have."

"And?"

"And it went nowhere." He shrugged. "But that's okay."

"Is it?"

"It's not like it can be helped."

"What are you going to do then?"

Zero lowered his eyes thoughtfully.

"…Wait for the sender to get bored and move on?" he offered when he looked up again after a minute of contemplation.

"And if they don't?" Kaname inquired next with a somber frown.

"Of course they will."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Doesn't everybody get bored eventually?"

"Not if they're sincere about their feelings."

A small frown creased Zero's brow. "They don't even know me. What feelings can there be?"

"From what you've told me, they seem to know you rather well," Kaname reminded.

"Okay. I don't know them."

"You might."

Zero's bewilderment was obvious on his face. "What?"

Kaname explained, "It can very well be someone relatively close to you. It's not uncommon in cases like this."

"That's…" Creepy, to say the least. "…a scary thought." Zero unconsciously hugged himself, a thoughtful frown marring his features. "It can't be that in my case though. Nobody I know would do such a thing, even as a prolonged prank."

A mirthless smile stretched Kaname's lips. "You'd be surprised what a person is capable of given the right stimulus. In their conscious mind, they more than likely realize they shouldn't act a certain way and they try not to, doing their best to act the way that is socially acceptable, as the world around them demands."

Zero drew up one leg and put his arms around it loosely, unconsciously leaning forward a bit as he listened to the brunet man. "But?" he prompted, feeling there had to be one.

Kaname's smile widened into a more genuine one. "But the urge is just that strong and they can only resist it for so long before finally yielding."

"Isn't there a way to win against it?"

"Not if it's powerful enough."

"That's…depressing." Zero frowned at the word he ended up choosing, finding it somewhat lacking. Still, he couldn't come up with anything better, so he left it at that.

"It sure is."

Zero blinked, suddenly intrigued. That simple phrase made him wonder, and he didn't wait to ask, "Are you speaking from experience?"

Kaname's expression changed to one of surprise. It took the man a few seconds to regain his composure under Zero's curious gaze. A small smile returning to his lips, Kaname was about to offer his reply when the silence was interrupted by hesitant knocking on the door.

Raising an eyebrow at the interruption, Kaname excused himself and went to answer the door.

"Kuran-sensei, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but…um…" A young woman that Zero knew as the administrator of the establishment started apologetically, visibly troubled for some reason.

"What is it?" Kaname prompted, distressing the already nervous woman even further with a hint of impatience sneaking into his tone in spite of his usual outward composure.

"I-I'm so sorry," the woman apologized again, "b-but it's that patient again. She refuses to leave and-"

"I see," Kaname interrupted. "I'll take care of it in a moment," he promised dismissively before turning to Zero. "Kiryuu-kun, I'm terribly sorry. I'll be back shortly." Receiving a nod from Zero, Kaname nodded back and exited the room, the door closing behind him with a soft click.

Zero gave a deep sigh. Out of habit, he sifted his gaze to the familiar desk clock, surprised to realize that their time would soon be up. Shrugging to himself, he got up from the leather loveseat and unhurriedly got ready to leave. When it was almost time, he left the room and headed down the long hallway, only to stumble upon a sight that made him experience a terrible sense of deja vu.

He was seeing that cliched drama scene from last week all over again. There was that woman again — he remembered because she was pretty hard to forget with her hysterical behavior that totally spoiled what Zero was sure anyone would deem perfect beauty. She was clearly distressed again as she was talking to Kaname — well, more like screaming at him, really — while the said man himself remained unresponsive.

Zero thought the last time had been bad, now he knew there could be worse. The sight made him want to escape, which was exactly what he chose to do. Sure enough, Kaname noticed him on his way out, and Zero could tell by the man's face that he wanted to stop him, but the woman's presence worked in Zero's favor then, allowing him to hurriedly leave after giving his therapist a parting nod.

He felt bad for the man, but there was nothing he could do to help him. Not to mention that it wasn't even his place to do it. So the best option right there right then was to leave and give the two the space they needed to figure things out.

He never imagined that those 'things' would very soon get figured out all on their own in a rather unexpected way.

The next time Zero would see the woman would be only a few days later when he would happen upon the news reporting about her untimely demise.

Apparently, she was a celebrity — a famous model slash actress that had been struggling with depression for the last couple of years. Zero guessed his therapist had been one of the people trying to help her with that struggle, albeit unsuccessfully, considering the outcome. She had overdosed on sleeping pills, which happened to be one of the most common ways used by women to commit suicide.

Zero hadn't known her, but it was still weird — and saddening, he guessed — to see such news about someone he had seen not so long ago.

…He wondered if it would be appropriate to give Kaname his condolences.

-o-

Dear Zero,

I never understood the urge to watch someone sleep. In all honesty, it couldn't seem weirder to me. That is, until I saw your beautiful slumbering form.

You looked so sweet and innocent, your features so relaxed, your expression so peaceful… Corny as it may sound, but you truly were an angel incarnate. You have no idea how much I wanted to touch you, to caress your smooth cheeks, to stroke your silky-looking hair, to brush my lips over yours… It took all I had in me not to do just that. It nearly killed me, but I was able to resist, for I didn't want to disturb your peaceful slumber.

But worry not, my love. The day I enclose you in my arms and shower you with my affection is getting closer. We will be together soon, I promise.

Until then, I'll cherish each and every day of your sinful innocence. Until the very moment I defile it…

I only hope you will be able to find it in yourself to forgive me, my love. I know it's wrong of me to have these feelings, I know I'm a terrible person for wanting to do things I want to do to you, I know it's a sin to crave to taint such a pure being as yourself.

But I can't help it. I really can't. Believe me when I say that I tried. I truly did, with all my might. It's simply beyond my abilities. You are just too much of a temptation, my love.

You understand it, don't you? That you're the one doing this to me, that you're the one to blame for this. You're simply too irresistible for your own good. Just look what you're doing to me. I know you will ruin me completely one day, yet it doesn't bother me at all. I know you will be my demise, yet I don't mind it in the slightest. On the contrary, I can't wait for that moment of my absolute fall to come.

Ah, the things you're unknowingly doing to me, my love…

It's only fair that you take responsibility for it, don't you think? It's only fair that you bring me out of my never-ending misery by becoming mine. Completely mine. Forever.

But I know you won't accept it so easily. That's just not in your nature. You are very stubborn, after all. But that's another thing I love about you. That stubbornness, that fire, that feistiness… They only make you all the more desirable in my eyes.

I know I must seem like an obsessed, love-struck idiot to you. But that's exactly what I am, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I have no control over my life anymore, for you're the one ruling it.

Do you know how frightening that is? How vulnerable I feel? I've always been the one in control, but it all changed the moment you appeared in my life and seized my heart I hadn't even realized was frozen until that very moment. You stole it and with it you stole my previously impeccable control over my seemingly perfect life.

Yet I don't mind even that. If it's you, I can take it. If it's you, I'm okay with surrendering. I'm okay with entrusting my heart to you, I'm okay with leaving it in your gentle hands.

Oh, how I wish to feel those hands, to hold them, to kiss them…

You truly are a sinful creature, my love. You're the only one who could corrupt me like this, you're the only one who makes me feel this way, the only one who makes me feel. My sweet, sweet Zero…

I promise I won't make you wait too long. The moment I deem you ready to become completely mine, I'll come for you and we'll finally be together.

I hope you're looking forward to it. I know I am.

I love you, my dear Zero.

Forever yours.

Zero's heart was beating madly and he was shaking by the end of what he deemed to be the most frightening letter so far. He couldn't help running his widened eyes over its contents a few more times, hoping something there would change, but it didn't. His throat closed up, he bent over, hyperventilating. Leaning one forearm on the kitchen counter, he had to close his eyes to fight off sudden dizziness.

Was this person messing with him? Or were they actually serious in their letter? Not about their alleged feelings but about watching him in his most vulnerable state. Could something like that actually have happened?

When? How?

No, it had to beeither a very bad joke or a figment of that person's imagination. It had to be.

Then a thought crossed his agitated mind. He remembered that one time when he had fallen asleep in his therapist's office.

Could it be during that time?

If that person was serious, could they be referring to that one occasion…? Had they followed him to his session too…?

A violent shudder coursed through Zero at the notion. Without thinking, he moved across the room on shaky legs and violently pulled the drapes shut, repeating the action with every window in his apartment. When that was done, he headed towards his entrance door and made sure it was completely locked.

A long shuddering breath slowly made it past Zero's lips as he leaned his forehead on the wooden surface of the door. His legs unable to support his weight anymore, he slid down onto the floor, all the while trying to convince himself that he was just being silly, that it was no big deal and someday soon this sick joke would end.

-o-

He had started to get a bit paranoid. Or maybe a lot. He wasn't sure, he couldn't really assess it objectively. He only knew he still hadn't quite recovered from the last letter, and the thought of getting another one was seriously freaking him out.

Was he being watched now? Had he been watched on his way here? Or was now the time when another one of those letters was being delivered to him…?

Zero heaved a deep sigh. He desperately hoped none of his conjectures were true.

"Is there something wrong?"

Zero gave a start at the voice of his therapist. He turned to the man, widened amethyst eyes blinking a few times in obvious confusion.

"You keep looking at the windows," Kaname explained the reason for his previous question.

"Oh…" Zero's gaze lowered for a short while before returning to the windows.

A brief silence passed.

"Um…" Zero started uncertainly, unconsciously half-hugging himself. Naturally, Kaname didn't fail to notice the other's body language that screamed discomfort, as well as his quietly agitated countenance. "Would it be okay to…um, close the drapes?"

Kaname arched a curious eyebrow at the question. He chose not to ask anything though and simply nodded before replying, "If you prefer it."

Relief on Zero's face was so evident only a blind would miss it.

"Thank you."

Kaname sent Zero a soft smile as he got up and walked towards the windows. "You're welcome." He pulled the drapes and, after confirming that Zero was satisfied with the result, returned to his armchair.

Zero visibly relaxed in his seat with a quiet sigh.

Kaname couldn't help a slight widening of his smile at the noticeable change in the other's demeanor. "Now, shall we begin?"

-o-

When the next letter arrived, Zero opted not to read it. He removed it from the mailbox, but only to put it away into his drawer without so much as opening the envelope.

He should have done it a long time ago, he knew, but somehow he never could. Not until now. And even now it wasn't easy. There was just this weird sense of panic in his mind that protested against not knowing and urged him to read, if only to find out what his stalker was up to. It hardly helped, but it made him feel a little bit less vulnerable in a way. Now, however, he consciously chose to play the ignorance card. They did say it was bliss.

Zero kept at it for some time, until eventually realizing his new way didn't seem to work for him.

The letters started coming more often — twice a week at first, then every two days.

It couldn't be a mere coincidence, could it? It was just too uncanny, the timing was just too suspicious.

...He really was being watched, wasn't he...?

Not just outside, but in his apartment too, it seemed.

How? Since when?

In a bout of paranoid desperation, he ransacked every room of his apartment in search of any sort of hidden transmitting devices, only to come up empty — for better or worse, Zero honestly didn't know. He definitely felt a certain amount of relief, but it didn't help with confusion and general distress. And there was also that nagging, paranoid thought that perhaps he hadn't looked thoroughly enough.

Whichever was the case, Zero decided he couldn't stay in his apartment any longer — at least not now. So he made a call to his friend of sorts, Kaito, and asked to let him crash at his house. Apparently, his timing couldn't be better since Kaito had recently broken up with another one of his girlfriends and was now wallowing in self-pity and desperately looking for someone to listen to his wails of misery. Zero would have normally avoided anyone in that kind of state, but this time it actually seemed like a good distraction from his current problem. Which turned out to be surprisingly effective, but it didn't last for long.

He had been staying at Kaito's place for a little over a week when some sort of accident befell the said man. Thankfully, it wasn't too serious and Kaito was mostly unharmed, but even that was enough to raise Zero's suspicions. He couldn't help remembering one of the previous letters, and his quiet panic and paranoia returned. The mere thought that his stalker might be connected to Kaito's accident in any way left him paralyzed with fear.

At first he tried to entertain the idea of a simple coincidence, but that was completely discarded the following day when another letter came, this time to Kaito's house. There could be no doubt about it anymore.

Zero returned home that same day, not forgetting to bring the letter with him. As expected, his suspicions were confirmed when he read it sometime during the night.

-o-

Zero was woken up from his restless slumber by a few even knocks on his door. He sat up on his living room couch, looking around dazedly with a frown and then internally cursing himself for falling asleep the moment he fully awakened.

More knocks sounded, starting Zero. Carefully, he got up and headed for the entrance door, walking slowly and as soundlessly as he only could. He stopped a step away from the door and took a few moments to gather his bearings before closing the remaining distance and uncovering the peephole in order to see his visitor. A sigh of relief left him at the familiar face he was met with.

He opened the door, his eyes widening a few moments later as he noticed a certain detail he had somehow missed previously.

"Hello, Kiryuu-kun," Kaname greeted him with his usual small smile. "I'm sorry to come unannounced. I hope I didn't disturb you."

"…Your glasses…" Zero said absently, blinking up curiously at his therapist.

Garnet eyes widened for a moment. A small chuckle escaped Kaname before he replied, "Oh, that's right. I rarely wear them outside of my home and office." His smile widened a fraction, turning somewhat playful, and he arched one perfect eyebrow. "Why, do I look that different without them?"

There was a slight widening of Zero's eyes before he averted them, a faint blush of embarrassment coloring his pale cheeks now. He hoped he hadn't stared too much. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to…well, stare…"

Kaname chuckled again. "It's okay, you don't have to apologize." There was a brief pause before the brunet asked with a slight tilt of his head, "Can I come in? I brought you a little present as an apology for the intrusion." He raised his hands to support his words. One held a familiar-looking paper bag while the other had a cardboard cup holder with two no less familiar-looking cups in it. Those were definitely the goods from Zero's currently favorite cafe. That made the younger man's frown return briefly.

He had actually told Kaname of that place? Now, that was plain embarrassing.

Nonetheless, he couldn't deny his therapist entrance — especially when the man had such treats with him, so he nodded with a quiet 'Okay' and stepped away to let the other through.

Then another thought struck him as he was closing the door, and he asked with another slight frown, "How did you know my address?"

"From your file," Kaname replied nonchalantly as he handled the treats he had brought to Zero before bending down to remove his shoes and arrange them neatly by the genkan step.

Zero's frown deepened. "It has even that?"

Kaname nodded, removing his coat next before hanging it on a wooden wall hanger. "It does." His smile widened as he observed his patient's subtly troubled expression. "Does it make you feel vulnerable?"

Zero scowled, passing Kaname and leading the way to his living room adjacent to the kitchen. "Don't go analyzing me even now. We're not in your office."

"Does it mean that I guessed correctly?"

"It means that I want you to stop being a shrink for once."

"Aren't you paying me to be one?" Kaname asked, feigning bewilderment.

"I don't. It wasn't even my idea."

Kaname gave a shrug as he sat down on the couch, following Zero's example. "I'm still getting paid. And you did accept me as your therapist in the end."

Zero averted his eyes and concentrated his attention on the treats Kaname had brought, setting the drinks on the coffee table before taking a craft box out of the paper bag. "You're just the lesser evil compared to all the others. I can still change my mind if you get too annoying though."

A chuckle. "Is that so?" the brunet asked before continuing with a dramatic sigh and a mock hurt expression, "And here I thought I started to grow on you. What a shame."

Zero snorted, a poorly concealed smile playing on his lips.

"How have you been, Kiryuu-kun?" Kaname asked after a while as he checked the cups before handing Zero the one that contained his drink. Leaning back against the couch, he crossed his legs and brought his own cup to his lips to take a sip of his coffee.

Zero gave a vague shrug, holding his cup with both hands. He took a sip from it, his eyes widening in surprise when he recognized the familiar taste. He cast Kaname a curious glance.

Honestly, was there anything he hadn't told his therapist yet?

…Apparently not, if the fact that the man knew his currently favorite drink was any indication.

And Zero couldn't for the life of him remember when on earth he had managed to share that bit of information with the other.

"Is it not to your taste?"

Zero blinked at the question, coming out of his short-lived daze.

"The tea," Kaname specified in response to Zero's confused frown.

Amethyst eyes widened in comprehension. "Oh…no…" Zero averted his gaze back to his cup. "No, it's just the opposite." That was why he couldn't shake off this weird feeling arising within him.

"I see." Kaname's smile returned. "That's a relief."

"…Why are you here?" Zero asked after a short silence.

"I was concerned. You missed two of our sessions."

Zero shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. You didn't have to come."

"I wanted to."

Zero gave Kaname a long sideways glance before looking away again, unsure how to react to the unfamiliar expression the other was wearing. He shifted slightly in his seat, feeling somewhat uncomfortable all of a sudden. He took another sip of his drink.

"Can I use the bathroom?" Kaname asked out of the blue a short while later.

Zero looked at him with slightly widened eyes, blinking, obviously taken aback. "…Sure," he automatically replied with a slow nod, still not quite out of his light daze.

Kaname sent him another smile and a nod before getting up and making his way out of the room. Zero followed him with his eyes before turning his attention back to his drink the moment his therapist was out of sight. He took another languid sip and released a long sigh of content, fully sinking into his seat, his tense form finally relaxing.

A faint haze came over him after some time. His brows furrowed, he blinked slowly in an attempt to regain full clarity. He was getting sleepy again.

Absently siping his tea once more, Zero leaned forward and opened the craft box, finding it filled with freshly baked goods. His eyes widened after a moment.

That was just weird. Too weird to be a mere coincidence.

Those baked goods were his favorites too. All of them.

Zero frowned, that disturbing feeling from before intensifying.

His gaze automatically strayed to the room entrance.

There was a long second of complete stillness. And then another realization belatedly dawned on him. His heart lurched as he inhaled sharply, his eyes widened and his body grew impossibly tense.

It was nothing. He was just overthinking it.

He stayed frozen for what seemed to him like a very long while. His pulse was racing, and he forgot how to breathe. Still, he didn't cease his attempts at reasoning with himself.

He was being completely irrational.

Numbly, Zero put his cup on the coffee table and got up. The room started spinning all of a sudden, and he had to grab the couch's armrest for support. His heart raced further, he felt panic rising within him.

He was just being paranoid. That must be the case.

He staggered across the room, using every surface he could find to help him stay on his feet. He was pretty sure he had knocked a few items over on his way, but that vague thought was promptly disregarded, overshadowed by another even more dreadful realization.

It wasn't sleepiness. He wasn't overreacting. Something was wrong, very wrong.

He got to the hallway and immediately headed for the entrance door on still wobbly legs, using the wall for support.

Just a bit more. The door was right in front of him.

His vision swam. He had to stop for a moment before resuming moving forward with urgency.

He was almost there.

He went faster, but his legs couldn't keep at it for long. He stumbled, falling forward. To his surprise though, he never landed on the floor, as a pair of unfamiliar arms snaked around his middle and pulled him backwards before the collision could happen.

Lavender eyes widened in shocked horror. Zero inhaled sharply, his heart hammered madly against his ribcage. A firm chest pressed against his back, and those arms tightened around him unrelentingly, completely trapping him. His head lulled backwards, landing on a shoulder, he felt a tickling sensation on his cheek and the side of his neck.

"Careful, my love," sounded a familiar voice in an unfamiliar tone, a warm breath caressing his skin, sending cold shivers down his spine as Kaname nuzzled the side of his face. "We can't have you hurt yourself now, can we?"

Zero exhaled shudderingly, his chest rising and falling unevenly as he gasped for breath. He couldn't feel his limbs. He couldn't feel anything other than those foreign arms around him, those invading hands onhim and that terrifyingly warm body pressed against him, keeping him prisoner.

There was a fleeting caress against his cheek, soft yet scorching. It came again a split second later. Then again, and again, going a bit lower each time and leaving a burning trail in its wake.

Kaname was kissing him, Zero realized, and it made his insides freeze. He tried to turn away, but his body refused to listen. A pathetic whimper escaped him at that revelation.

"Shh, my love," Kaname soothed in a gentle, silky whisper, "it's okay, everything will be okay, I promise." He hugged him even tighter. "You know you can trust me, don't you?"

Zero couldn't help letting out another whimper when Kaname nuzzled his neck and took a deep breath next, smelling him. The brunet heaved a deep sigh of content, the warm air tickling Zero's skin and sending another wave of shivers through him. His heart was destroying his ribcage with its violent pounding against it, he could barely breathe by now. Darkness began to creep in at the corners of his vision. It was getting harder to stay awake.

He would pass out. He would pass out, only to be left completely at Kaname's mercy.

The thought scared the life out of him.

One of Kaname's hands shifted higher, stopping in the middle of Zero's chest. "Your little heart is beating so fast… Are you scared, my love?" he whispered into Zero's ear, continuing after a brief pause, "You shouldn't be. I told you I would never hurt you, remember?" He turned Zero's head to the side so that he could look into those deep pools of lavender his beloved possessed, his fingers impossibly gentle on the younger man's jaw, stroking the pale skin there absently. Zero blinked drowsily, eyes half-lidded, silver eyebrows furrowed into a faint frown. He had never seen that kind of expression on Kaname's face.

It terrified him.

He didn't know why, but it really did.

Kaname's lips stretched slowly into a warm smile. "You truly are a masterpiece of incomparable beauty," he said adoringly, his fingers stroking Zero's pale cheek gently, lovingly. "One I could never get enough of, one I would gladly spend the rest of my life appreciating…" Kaname's face got closer to Zero's, he continued, "You have no idea how happy I am that you're finally ready, my love." Then he leaned down, and before Zero knew it, their lips were brushing.

A sharp gasp escaped the younger man. He tried to move away, but failed miserably. Kaname's caging embrace only got tighter and his lips pressed harder.

It was the last thing Zero remembered before everything went black.

Kaname took his sweet time enjoying the long-desired kiss before withdrawing. Looking down at Zero, he couldn't help but chuckle warmly at his beloved's adorable sleeping face. It was just as sinfully lovely as it had been the first few times he had had the pleasure of witnessing it.

After giving Zero's smooth cheek another gentle stroke, Kaname lifted the younger man up bridal style and carried him out of the apartment to finally take him to the place where he rightfully belonged — his secluded family mansion in the mountains far, far away from here — while his people took care of removing all traces of their presence so that not a single person they didn't want in their life could ever disturb them.

He couldn't be happier. Everything had turned out exactly as he had planned, and now he finally had his beloved in his arms.

Kaname smiled as he nuzzled Zero's silver-haired head while hugging his beloved closer.

He couldn't wait to get home — their home now — and start a new life with his dear Zero.

.

-The End-

.

A/N: Ugh…well, yeah, that's it. I honestly don't know what the hell this thing is, but I hope you somehow managed to enjoy it at least a tiny bit -_-; Thank you for reading, if you actually got this far *bows* Reviews and comments are always welcome and very much appreciated. Take care, have a nice day/night, and hope to see you again soon! :D