A/N: Uh, hello...*coughs uncomfortably* Well, yes, this is one of my pathetic attempts at getting rid of writer's block *sags* Everything's been going at less than a snail's pace, and it's pissing me off, so I took a step back and decided to concentrate on something else altogether.

As to anything else, well, everyone here will obviously be a bit OOC due to each of their own circumstances - the chairman isn't bubbly, Yuuki isn't either, Zero's not emo, and Kaname isn't a suave vampire prince. That, and I apologize in advance if it seems like I keep shunting Yuuki off to the side :D I think that about sums it up *nods*

Their World

Perfectly sculpted supple red lips lifted in a rare smile, large brown eyes softening, "And Zero…how is he?" The eleven year old had yet to return from school.

There was an affectionate sigh. "Ah, he's doing well, that cute son of mine, yes," the chairman, Cross Kaien, murmured contentedly. His eyes strayed to the clock by the wall, "He should be back soon, no doubt." Zero wasn't one to hang around after school ended, preferring to come straight home.

"And…that other boy?" Previously soft brown eyes gave way to sympathy. "It hasn't been so long, has it?"

"Just short of four months," the chairman nodded. "He's gotten better," he fiddled with his tea cup, "and I must say, it's Zero that's done most of the work," he admitted. "But I'm afraid he'll never be quite stable." When he was left without Zero's soothing presence for any amount of time, it only gave him more opportunities to think back on the night that had worked to take everything he'd held dear in a matter of moments.

He was still fluctuating dangerously between severe guilt and self-hate, and his now uncertain future only added to his grief and frustration. "If only he could find some measure of peace…" The chairman lowered his eyes, pouring himself another cup, practically having drained the one previous.

Long dark locks slid over slender shoulders as the chairman's impromptu guest nodded, "I see…" Her straight, honest gaze contemplative, she lightly traced the rim of her teacup with her thumb. "I can freely admit I like to see he's gained another friend, and yet," she paused, as though carefully considering her words, "I am afraid to see him develop independence away from me."

The chairman smiled sympathetically. "Yuuki, it's nothing to feel afraid about. It's all a part of the growing process. All protective parents feel the same." His smile turned to a grin, "Besides, can you imagine Zero wanting to spend time away from you? He adores you, Yuuki, and I know I was a boy once myself, but I doubt Zero's feelings for you will change no matter how much time were to pass." She could be sure of that, if nothing else.

"We're home," a quiet voice called from the doorway, two pairs of feet briefly fighting to get shoes off before patting against the floor. "Chairman, are you – Yuuki!" Lilac eyes brightened immediately at catching sight of a petite brunette on one of the armchairs, smiling in amusement.

"Zero," she greeted warmly, standing from her seat. The younger boy wasted no time in rushing over, wrapping his arms around her slim waist before pulling back. She was still taller than him, but not by much, he was happy to note, and returned her smile. "You never tell me when you're coming," he almost sounded petulant, though he mostly meant to tease her.

"Well, you have the chairman to thank for that," she sent the ex-hunter a dry look, "he never fails to come up with new 'emergencies' to have me panic over." One she had nearly killed him for had had him claiming Zero had supposedly been kidnapped by mysterious men dressed in black.

Understandably, the chairman had been wary about going anywhere near her for a while after that incident.

As though reading her mind, said man laughed nervously and took quick gulps of his tea.

"At least they get you to come over," Zero smiled impishly, taking a seat beside her. "You'd never come otherwise," he pointed out.

"You know I'd love to," she said softly. Zero merely nodded, as though they'd had this conversation for neigh on forever. His attention shifted suspiciously towards the teapot resting innocently atop the glass coffee table. "Did the chairman make that?" The, "I won't drink it if he did," didn't need to be said.

Before the chairman or Yuuki could say anything, ("Zero, have you no faith in your father?" "Don't worry, Zero, I prepared it.") a cup of iced tea was placed on the table. Zero looked up and smiled, "Kaname, thanks."

The twelve year old nodded softly, his own cup in hand, and left as quietly as he came.

Yuuki's eyes followed him as he left, unsure of whether or not to call him back and invite him to sit with the rest of them. But seeing Zero hadn't said a word, and deciding the younger boy would know Yuzuki Kaname better than she could ever manage, she turned back halfheartedly to the conversation between the chairman and Zero.

"—and Kaname just stared him down," Zero finished proudly, taking another sip of his tea.

"Zero, would you like some cake? I promise it isn't too sweet," Yuuki offered, sliding a cutely designed box over. "One of them is strawberry cheesecake," she added smiling.

"Really? Did you have some Yuuki?"

"The chairman and I each had one before you came home," she nodded. Zero was careful not to jostle the box too much as he held it in his hands. "I'll go share these with Kaname," he smiled, heading to the kitchen to pick up a pair of forks.

Catching the slight disappointment in her eyes, the chairman laughed softly. "Not what you expected him to do?"

"No-yes, I mean, I'm very glad he's sharing it with Yuzuki-kun," Yuuki said firmly, trying to keep her blush at bay as the chairman laughed even harder.

Zero knocked lightly, feeling a bit uncertain. He'd sounded confident back in the living room, but he didn't know if Kaname would want to eat with him. The boy was very much a loner, more so than Zero, which, in the eleven year old's opinion, was saying a lot. A lot of the girls at school liked him though, for being 'mysterious and cool' or some such thing. Zero just thought Kaname looked a little lonely whenever he was off by himself.

He hadn't liked that Kaname had simply left after giving him a drink either, but he hadn't wanted to push him to stay when he obviously hadn't wanted to. Yuuki was there and she was a vampire after all.

About to let out a sigh, he looked up when the door opened, glad Kaname hadn't ignored him outright, and held up the box. "Want some cake?"

Dark eyes assessed him for a moment before the older boy moved to let him inside.

"Are those from Kuran-san?"

"Yeah… You, um, don't have to eat it if you don't want to," Zero set the box down on Kaname's desk. He was a bit angry at himself for not putting that into consideration. Would Kaname want anything that'd been given by Yuuki?

"No, I'm fine," Kaname said softly, "I'm guessing there's one for each of us?"

"I think so," Zero opened the box, peering inside. "I know one of them is strawberry cheesecake, and the other one," he gently pulled the box apart completely, "is raspberry mousse," he answered. He waited for Kaname to choose, not minding which ever the older boy chose to eat.

Kaname smiled softly at being on the receiving end of Zero's small acts of kindness once again. He knew the younger boy was fond of strawberry cheesecake, and yet he was still giving Kaname a chance to choose. Inwardly shaking his head (his choice would be obvious) he nodded to the raspberry mousse. "I'll have that one."

Zero stared at him briefly, as though knowing why he chose it, but shrugged and nodded, taking the cheesecake for himself, peeling the plastic from around the sides and sinking his fork in. Just as he was about to take a bite, he paused and watched for Kaname's reaction, continuing to eat only when he saw the slight smile the other gave after tasting the raspberry mousse cake.

So Kaname doesn't mind it, he inwardly cheered, glad the older boy was enjoying the cake. Maybe if Yuuki ever comes with cakes again, we could share then too, he hoped.

"You…don't need to talk to her?"

Zero blinked. "You mean Yuuki?"

"She might not be back for a while," Kaname looked down at the cake.

"I already talked to her," Zero smiled reassuringly. "She probably would have wanted us to share this too," he added, "but I like eating with you, Kaname."

Zero might not have sounded too terribly aggrieved (at all, really) at missing one of his few chances to spend more time with Yuuki, but to Kaname, who had seen firsthand, how much Zero loved her, it meant a whole lot. His lips pursing from the tightness in his throat, he kept his gaze on his slice of raspberry mousse, afraid of what Zero might see by locking eyes with him.

Zero, not minding Kaname's sudden silence (that really wasn't anything new), tilted his adoringly and moved on to praising the older boy for his bravery in helping him stand up to the main bullies in their school that day. One of Zero's classmates had been on the receiving end of a particularly brutal bout of 'toss and push', being left a whimpering mess on the ground until Zero had tried to get him to the nurse, all the while sending scolding remarks and reprimanding glares to the other boys responsible for the injuries.

Unsurprisingly, Zero's words hadn't been taken well, and the eleven year old had been close to ending up in the same state as his classmate until Kaname had stepped in and exchanged a few choice words with them coupled with a rather intimidating glare. The teachers involved themselves not a second later, and the boys, with a last wary look to Kaname, left with them to receive due punishment.

The twelve year old had mentioned helping Zero had been no trouble at all, but Zero doubted all the extra attention heaped on him by the teachers (who already loved him for his obedience and work ethic) and the rest of the girls (geez, they were only twelve or younger and they already wanted to marry him? Girls were weird) was all that appreciated. He mentioned this aloud, an amused smile on his face.

"Well, no, I can't say that it is, but I didn't mind helping you in the least," Kaname smiled back, small and sweet, but no less genuine.

Zero nodded and gestured to Kaname's empty cup. "You want me to go get some more? I left mine in the living room too."

"It's alright Zero, we can share a cup."

The younger boy shrugged. He couldn't find any reason to say no.

"Zero," Yuuki smiled, just having finished putting her light coat on.

"You weren't going to leave without telling me, were you?" Zero crossed his arms, empty cup still in hand.

"Of course not," the pureblood spread her arms, welcoming his tight hug. Dipping her head, she lightly pressed her lips to his forehead and stroked his hair. "I'll visit as soon as I can, alright?"

"You don't have to if you're busy," Zero smiled. "But I wouldn't mind more cake. Kaname seems to like them."

Momentarily mourning the loss of a young Zero who used to pout adorably claiming he didn't want her to go, Yuuki's hand in his hair almost faltered at hearing the young hunter's name from his mouth, though she managed not to show it, her eyes still soft. "I'm glad he did. Does he have any favorites?" So Kaname had taken the cake…

"I'm not sure, but nothing too sweet."

"Just like you, then," she laughed softly, then immediately regretted her words. She wasn't inclined to seeing Zero having any similarities with Kaname, big or small. "Are you two done eating?" Her gaze shifted to the empty cup.

"Not yet, but I thought Kaname would want a refill," Zero answered.

"Oh Zero, you left yours on the table," Yuuki looked back to the living room.

"It's alright, we'll share this one," Zero lightly shook the glass for emphasis.

"I see," she nodded. Sharing a cup… She tried not to think too far into it. Zero was the only reason why she interacted with reality at all, and thinking of the possibilities of losing him would push her over the last edge. "I should go, be well, Zero," she murmured, giving him another chaste kiss to his temple before leaving.

Once outside, she closed her eyes before looking up determinedly at a particular window, her gaze straight and piercing, yet giving nothing away.

Kaname's hand rested against the cool glass, as did his forehead, his dark eyes peering down, not quite managing to look as neutral or impassive as he'd like.

Back in his study, the chairman sighed softly, wondering what life had in store for his precious loved ones. He didn't need to see or hear anything to feel the tension under his roof when all three children were gathered. Ah, Yuuki, maybe not so much a child on her part, but when it came to Zero, it was easy for her to throw her sharp rationality out the proverbial window, and without regret.

Honestly, he couldn't help but compare his house to a battleground, with the parties involved clashing in a parody of a silent cold war. Neither side would make a definite move, but they certainly weren't stepping back to give the other side any opportunities for a strike. It was, at times, extremely nerve-wracking, and the chairman wondered, really wondered, how Zero coped with it all. The boy had to have noticed on it.

But even with both in the same room (on the rare, rare chance), he seemed to show not a spot of discomfort, the flow of conversation smooth and natural. He had to admit, his adopted son was an excellent juggler.

Or knew the both of them well enough to steer the line of conversation along a safe road.

Well, that and the willingness of the other two to put Zero's opinions and welfare first and foremost, before their own. They both needed Zero fundamentally, and in their own way, tried to please him. If that meant keeping out barbed comments and trading sharp, needle-like glances, then so be it. For them, something so small was no sacrifice at all. Most of their actions revolved around making Zero happy and keeping him happy, and as long as nothing dangerous resulted from it, the chairman was fine with it too.

But usually, most of the time (in other words, when Yuuki wasn't here), it was just the two of them, and as he'd said to Yuuki earlier, Zero and Kaname were getting along as well as could be, given each of their personal situation.

The chairman's eyes lowered as he remembered the night Kaname had been brought in – physically and emotionally battered to a point where he was actually unsure of whether or not he'd ever see anything other than pain and hatred in his eyes. Of course, he was more than glad to be proven wrong as Kaname's demeanor changed – slowly, but gradually – with Zero's presence.

He'd been afraid of seeing Kaname walk down a path he'd seen many other hunters, who could not get over their own emotional conflict, travel through. Kaname was not the only one to have his family torn apart by simply being hunters. He was not the only one to have lost loved ones to a vampire. He was also not the only one to have nearly been consumed by guilt or grief, but thankfully, he was spared from having to go off on a trail of never ending vengeance.

Because he knew, once it started, one vampire would never be enough.

But while the chairman understood, he himself had gone through too much to be of any real comfort to Kaname's pain. He was even wary of approaching the child when it came to such matters, afraid of opening up old wounds that'd never been properly patched up in the first place.

He wondered, now, if he'd had the courage to go hacking through his own memories, Kaname would have been able to cope better. Maybe so, but in the end, it would just be one damaged soul recognizing another with no real solutions to alleviate any of the pain. He might even add to Kaname's burden by spilling about his past, and that was the last thing the boy needed at the moment.

It was also why, while seemingly enthusiastic, he was cautious when introducing Kaname to Zero. The two were very much different in terms of how they'd grown, especially with what Kaname had just gone through that night. Zero was a marshmallow, and Kaname was one bitter, bitter fruit. The chairman wondered whether they'd have any common ground to work from.

But of course, he should have known, with someone like Zero, there didn't need to be one. Just like how he was able to offer Kaname the comfort he needed without having to know much of the young hunter's past at all.

He went right past the fruit and straight to the core, unknowingly draining the life out of the dark dangerous little seed planted there by Hiou Shizuka. Zero was Kaname's soothing balm, working to thin the dark fog around his heart and mind with his smiles and carefree kindness. Zero cared not because it was right or moral, but simply because it was natural for him to do so.

"Zero, you stayed the whole night? Why did you do that?" Kaname had been sick, but the chairman, not wanting Zero to catch it as well, had forbidden him from entering the older boy's room. So Zero had instead made himself comfortable outside in the hall until Kaname found him there the next morning.

There was a shrug. "I wanted to."

Admittedly, Kaname's reaction to that had been fairly entertaining, the chairman recalled. But what was even more interesting was when Zero ended up catching something from another classmate, and Kaname had done the same, waiting outside Zero's room until he was better.

It was amusing and extremely rewarding to watch the two interact, especially with how Kaname tried to reciprocate all that Zero had unknowingly done for him.

Endearing, absolutely, and adorable, though he tried not to go into that too much (if at all) whenever Yuuki visited. She liked to hear about how Zero was doing, but ever since Kaname had entered their small family of three, it was becoming increasingly difficult to say anything about Zero without mentioning Kaname's name in the process.

"Zero? He played in the yard with Kaname today."

Or, "Kaname tried to teach him how to cook."

Or, "Right now, Zero's doing his homework with Kaname."

And just recently, "Yes, isn't it sweet? Kaname waits for Zero so they can go home together."

Yuuki was extremely good at hiding it, but he could see it was bothering her at some level, even if it may not be all that high. And that was perfectly understandable, considering Yuuki had been Zero's biggest influence ever since he lived here. And although it was fairly safe to say his life revolved around her, more of the opposite was true.

"Chairman?" Well speak of the devil… Bright lilac eyes peered around his door.

"Yes Zero?"

"Um, the tea…"

"The tea?" He looked down at his desk and jumped back. "Oh goodness, I hadn't noticed at all," he murmured dumbly.

"I can see that," Zero said dryly, pulling some tissues from the box on his desk, coming around to wipe at the wet surface, lifting his cup out of the way, as well as the teapot. He was careful not to step onto the wet spots on the carpet and looked down at it disdainfully, wrinkling his nose. "You're cleaning that yourself, you know that right?"

"Uh, yes," the chairman vaguely answered, too busy mourning his precious carpet to really register the question. It was cream colored too, darn it.

"If you start now, it might not be bad," Zero commented before abruptly changing subject, "I came to ask you if we could all go to that new restaurant downtown when Yuuki comes next time."

"All of us?" The chairman blinked.

Zero nodded.

"While that sounds like a splendid idea, Zero," the chairman began, and really it was, "ah…" Kaname and Yuuki, at the same table, in a public setting? He might have to spend the evening trying to shovel off the tension with a spoon.

"Kaname already said he wanted to go, and I bet Yuuki would too," Zero pursed his lips the moment he heard the 'ah…' "I just want to have a nice family dinner," he mumbled.

At once, the chairman's heart melted and he smiled brightly. "Of course, how could I ever have thought of saying no to a family outing? We can make reservations right now, even!"

Zero left him to do just that, smiling impishly as he closed the door to the chairman's study. Kaname had been right. One mention of a 'family dinner' and the chairman hadn't hesitated at all, he laughed softly.

Watching his adopted son leave the room, the chairman sighed softly, shaking his head with an amused smile. So Kaname had agreed, then, even with the knowledge that the pureblood was wanted there? And of course, if Zero wanted it, then Yuuki would never hesitate in giving in. Not to mention, he doubted she'd ever refuse when Kaname was going as well.

He chuckled. Zero was the person they based most of their decisions on. They could see little else besides him at times. He wondered if Yuuki or Kaname noticed their silent rivalry was only spurring on the affections of the other.

Zero, you've got two very troublesome siblings on your hands.

Disclaimer: No own Vampire Knight.

Thank you for reading! More weirdness, yup. And chairman, if only you knew how their relationship develops in the future... XD *inwardly chants for KZ*