Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight. I just play with the characters to suit my own twisted desires.

Silence dominated the cramped room. All eyes were on an uncomfortable-looking pureblood as he awkardly raised a teacup to his lips, attempting to regain his fragile composure. There was the sharp clink of the teacup as he replaced it in its saucer, and then silence once more.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity to Kaname, the chairman cleared his throat. 'Kaname-kun, I was aware that your relationship with Ichijo-sama was rather strained, but I hadn't realised that... well, I hadn't realised you felt quite that way....'

Kaname replayed his outburst of mere moments ago and winced inside. Yes, he really had, in front of all present, used a word (actually, several words) to describe his former guardian that he would never normally use in front of Yuuki or the chairman. Or even Zero, for that matter. Kuran Kaname never swore. He never lost his cool. At least, not in front of people.

Out of a need for something to occupy him, he picked up the teacup again and cradled it in his hands, meeting the chairman's somewhat bemused gaze.

'I apologise, chairman. And Yuuki.' Kaname's eyes brushed over each of them, including Zero in a wordless apology, although he knew Zero could care less about his outburst. Even so, he tried to ignore the intent way Zero was watching him. 'I shouldn't have said such things about my former guardian. But I would rather not see him. Our relationship is more.. strained... than you can imagine, chairman.'

'But it's been what... three years? Since you last saw him? Perhaps you'll find things are different now, Kaname-kun. You should give him a chance.'

At that, something dark flared in Kaname's eyes, and he glanced downwards to hide the whirlpool of emotion. Give him a chance? If the bastard had a chance, he would certainly take it. And do exactly what he'd done to Kaname for all of those years under his roof. Kaname was no child anymore, but he knew that that would mean nothing to the old man. Ichiou knew too much about Kaname, knew how to make him weak and knew how to threaten him. He knew how to take away what was important to the young pureblood, and these days, Kaname had more to lose. He had a feeling that now, more than ever before, his former guardian would be able to manipulate him.

'Perhaps you're right, chairman. But I'd like to think about it. Please leave it to me. I will get in touch with him and make my excuses, if need be.' The pureblood rose, said his goodbyes, gave Yuuki an affectionate peck on the cheek and followed as the chairman saw him out to the front door.

A certain silver-haired vampire was left contemplating the strange expression that he had never before seen on the regal pureblood's face. Though Zero would never admit it out loud, it made him want to reach out with a warm hand and comfort the older boy. Kuran had been acting so oddly. And that expression...

Was Kuran... frightened?

Two weeks later, the four of them were once again in the same cosy room as before, drinking the same hot tea that served to warm all of them but one. Kaname had barely said a word since he had arrived. Yuuki and Cross were currently engaged in some inane conversation or other, and Zero watched as Kuran listened to their chat with a blank expression, his mind obviously somewhere far away.

Zero couldn't quite figure out what was wrong with the pureblood. Usually, he was his annoying, charming self, full of delightful conversation that both Yuuki and the chairman lapped up like over-enthusiastic puppies. Usually, Zero felt like punching Kuran square in face, just to see if he could remove that arrogant, and yet, oh-so-pleasant tilt of the lips. Kuran was more than good-looking enough without having to smile.

Today, however, was very unusual. Zero had not fully realised until he had noticed the lack of that familiar urge to attack the pureblood. Instead, he found himself watching Kuran rather closely, trying to decipher the shifting shades of his eyes and see past the cracks in his careful mask. As far as he could tell, Kuran had been unsuccessful in refusing a visit from Takuma's grandfather. As a result, the old vampire was scheduled to be here in about a week, just a few days after the mass exodus that was the rest of the students leaving for the winter holidays. Odd timing, Zero thought. Kuran would be alone in the Moon Dorms. He had said no more than necessary on the subject, and so Zero had been left to glean for himself what he could from the situation, as he was now doing.

Given that the pureblood clearly had no love for Ichijou, it was understandable that he would not be looking forward to his visit. And on the surface, Kuran certainly seemed a little put out. Yuuki and Cross had, of course, noticed that Kaname was not his usual self, but they obviously weren't watching him as closely as Zero was.

To Zero, this... this was different from just being disappointed and put out. Kuran had undergone a complete transformation, albeit very subtly. The set of his shoulders was a little too tense to be confident. The way he clutched his teacup as if it were something precious, some kind of anchor keeping him rooted, spoke of stability that had deserted him. There may have been an ever-present hint of a smile plastered on his lips, but the pureblood's eyes held no humour or warmth in them. They were slightly glazed, and the fact that he would not meet anyone's eyes alarmed Zero, somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind. Something dark swirled in those orbs and everytime it seemed to become overpowering, Kaname would close his eyes, tightly but briefly, as if to dispel the darkness.

Zero knew this behaviour. He knew that subtly distressed posture and the disturbed look in those eyes. Kuran's body screamed of the way Zero himself felt whenever he allowed his darkest memories to take hold of him and replay themselves in his mind's eye. It was at those times that Zero was at his weakest, his most vulnerable, and at those times he inevitably sought out Yuuki. Her company alone could comfort him and banish the darkness from his heart.

Whatever Kuran was recalling, or struggling not to recall, Zero could not begin to fathom. Undoubtedly, it had something to do with Ichijou. Although he was curious, Zero knew he had no hope of finding out exactly what the issue was. What he was sure of, however, was that Kuran would not go running to Yuuki if he were in distress. In fact, that was the last thing he would do. His idiotic pride would not allow him to appear weak in front of the one he was supposed to protect, Zero knew that, but Zero also knew that that fact alone would hurt Kuran more than anything. Because other than Yuuki, the pureblood had no one.

The realisation struck Zero deep in his heart. He had never openly admitted that Kaname was anything more to him than a rival and hated vampire, but in truth, he had long ago started seeing Kuran Kaname as a comrade. Their relationship was one that he felt could easily become friendship, if either of them would bother to take that extra step.

And that extra step was what Zero took when he followed the pureblood out of the door, on his way back to the Moon Dorms.

'What are you doing, Kiryuu?'

'I'm coming with you,' came the nonchalant reply. 'You have a chessboard, right, Kuran? Let's play.'

Contemplative silence. Then, a sceptical, 'you want to play chess? With me?'

'Yeah.'

'Why?'

Zero gave the pureblood an exasperated look, but didn't say a word as they ambled towards the wooded path.

'The others won't be happy to see you, you know. Especially not with me.'

'Who cares? Besides, they'll have to get used to the fact that I'm going to be at the Moon Dorms with you everyday while they're gone.'

'What?'

'You heard me.'

They walked on in silence for the rest of the way, Zero stealing glances at Kaname's face out of the corner of his eye.

For the first time in a while, he saw that hint of a smile return to the pureblood's eyes.