Three Minus One, One Plus Two

Kaname occasionally glanced up from his current book as Yuuki chattered excitedly on the phone. She called Zero nearly every night, their conversations lasting from ten minutes to an hour. Tonight was on the longer side, he observed, his wine red eyes flicking to the clock for the third time.

His younger sister sat with her knees up to her chin and had her toes curling in and out in a nervous fashion as she posed her question,

"Can you come next weekend?"

A pause.

"…I already said I was meeting my friends."

Kaname heard the disappointing answer even with his distance and watched sympathetically as his sister visibly deflated.

"Oh. Um. Okay, maybe next time then?"

He silently applauded her for forging a brave smile even as she looked like she was about to crumple into a ball of misery at any moment.

"…Sorry Yuuki."

Zero sounded truly apologetic, and that was one of the many reasons why neither he nor Yuuki could stay upset for long. How could they, when it was clear Zero was just as hurt for not being able to spend time with them?

"It's okay," his sister murmured, that brave smile still on, "I…I just miss you, that's all."

"Mm. Me too."

Kaname held in a sigh. They hadn't seen Zero for close to two months; a new record for their 'without-Zero' days. Such a length of time should be nothing for a vampire, much less a pureblood, but every passing day seemed that much longer than the last. Yuuki tried to distract herself with other things, lessons and her own hobbies, but her efforts didn't last long before her attention wavered to the garden or the phone, her eyes full of longing.

It was terrible, having to endure the strange sense of loss day after day, week after week, just to find the one person who could make it all better would be denied to them for yet another torturous week.

And finally, even their other playmates had come to the end of their patience with their 'moping'. Or at least, one in particular.

"I can't see him either," Hanabusa mumbled, "but you could," he was talking to Yuuki. "You know where he goes to school."

His sister's eyes went wide, as did his own, and their decision was made. If Zero couldn't see them, they would go to him instead.

They went to their parents and requested for enrollment in Zero's current school. Since the peace movement had settled, the Kiryuus had felt secure enough to reside permanently in the city, letting their kids attend a private elementary school nearby. Zero and Ichiru were in their last year there in sixth grade, soon to turn twelve.

Within a week, they had collected their uniforms, textbooks, schedules, a healthy dose of blood tablets, and had the specific demand to be placed in the same class as Zero fulfilled posthaste. They hadn't told the Kiryuu household any of their recent changes in choice of education, and exactly after a month Zero started his new school year, they arrived in Cross Academy to meet with their homeroom teacher, who was to take them to their designated class.

Kaname and Yuuki were sure Zero had long since felt their presence in the school the moment they had stepped out of the car, and as they neared his classroom, the homeroom teacher walking ahead of them, they too, could smell him, faint but sure amongst the many other students contained within the building.

Once they were up to the door, before the teacher touched the knob, the door pulled open with a worried Zero standing behind it, bright eyes concerned.

Yuuki squealed at the first sight of him and wasting not a second, ramming into him with a pounce, her arms around his neck.

"Zero, Zero, you're here!" She bounced on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

Automatically responding with a kiss of his own, he murmured, a little dazed, "Yuuki…?" He blinked over her head. "Kaname?"

"Zero…"

He stuck his hand out, reaching for the older pureblood, his other hand still around Yuuki's shoulders. Kaname smiled and stepped forward, taking hold of his offered hand and pressing his lips against the palm.

"Erm," the teacher awkwardly cleared her throat, giving them a bemused tilt of her head, "Kiryuu-kun, do you know Yuuki-chan and Kaname-kun?"

Zero nodded, looking remarkably young, his eyes wide with genuine pleasure at seeing his friends.

Her heart melted. It was obvious all three of them were incredibly close. Her own nephew hated any type of close physical contact with friends or family, right in the middle of that strange independence stage every child went through, and yet the three of them were firmly attached, unafraid and unembarrassed to show how much they cared for one another, whether it was through hugs or kisses.

She had to admit it was surprising, considering what she'd known of Kiryuu Zero thus far. As a solemn obedient child, he seemed the type to place more distance between himself and others, with the exception of perhaps his twin brother Ichiru, who was in the class next door.

"Maybe you could be the one to show them around then?" She'd been planning to leave that to the class president, but there was nothing better than familiarity in a different setting, and the two new additions to her class were more than comfortable with Zero.

He gave her another nod.

Smiling she entered the classroom, calmly ordering the rest of the curious students to get back in their seats and quiet down. She allowed Yuuki to cling to Zero while introducing them and assigned two additional seats, "You can be next to…Nakai-kun, Murata-san, please raise your hands so they know who you are."

Grabbing the chalk, writing out directions for her first lesson, she could feel her students were fascinated with the new students (transfers were rare, much less two), the girls especially, and hoped the siblings would get along well with them.

In a few short weeks, Kaname and Yuuki had established a pretty solid impression for the other students – the former as a distant honor student and the latter as bright and cheery, if somewhat clumsy. They interacted fairly with everyone, but in the midst of it all stood Zero, constant and supportive. As the teacher began to see the vast difference between Kaname and Yuuki, she herself found it fascinating Zero could manage to be so close to both, accommodating to either siblings' tastes and behaviors.

It was a few months into the term, with summer break in clear view, some strain started to show with the addition of the Kuran children.

Shuuko had had feelings for a rather unique boy since the fourth grade, and though she assumed they were friends, this was their last year in the same school, and with it the pressure of, 'If I don't tell him before we graduate, I'll never see him again' started to weigh heavily on her mind. The object of her affections wasn't as outgoing as the other boys, wasn't loud, obnoxious or hurtful, and she admired his maturity. When someone had flipped her skirt up and laughed at her underwear (there was nothing wrong with pink bunnies!), he had calmly intervened on her behalf, saying if he pulled the boy's shorts down and laughed at him he wouldn't find it funny either.

Keiko, a girl she had known since kindergarten, had called it dumb since boys were all dumb and it was likely he was just acting cool to make himself look better. But it wasn't as though Shuuko could stop feeling for him. She promised herself she'd tell him before March, but a new obstacle, so much more threatening than her shyness, cropped up in the form of Kuran Yuuki, who clearly adored the same boy she did and wasn't afraid to show it, unlike Shuuko. Unable to stand and watch as he laughed, smiled, and kissed (kissed!) her day in and day out, she set herself on a new goal before she confessed.

"Um, Kiryuu-kun…"

In the middle of putting his textbooks away in his desk, eager to join Yuuki and Kaname for lunch, Zero looked up. It was Kunimi Shuuko, he recalled, he'd served a few class duties with her. She was quiet, but polite and never had a mean thing to say about anyone. He could actually expect to get the duties assigned to them done on time when working with her and had come to appreciate her efficiency.

"Uh, well…Do, do you…" Her cheeks turned red, barely keeping eye contact. He wondered what she could be so embarrassed about. "Um…"

Another girl, one he forgot the name of, stepped up with an affronted glare; leaning into his face. He politely leaned back. "Do you like the new girl?" She demanded in her friend's stead.

New girl? Assuming she was talking about Yuuki, he simply nodded.

Shuuko gasped and her eyes grew teary. She sniffled loudly and the other girl sent him another nasty glare before ushering her away.

Zero blinked after them, completely baffled.

"Ooh, you're in trouble now…"

"Keita?" He turned to his seatmate. Why was he in trouble?

"Didn't you know?" Keita asked, wide-eyed. "Kunimi likes you."

"She likes a lot of people." At least from what he'd gathered she seemed to. She was nice to everyone.

Keita shook his head. "She likes you. Don't you get it?"

No, he didn't. "Why did she…cry?" It wasn't his fault was it? He hadn't even done anything.

"Cause you like someone else." You idiot, was left unsaid, but heavily implied.

Now he was really confused. "Because I like Yuuki?" That sure was a strange reason.

But Keita didn't think so, apparently. He nodded. "You like Kuran more than her."

Oh. Zero blinked. Well he couldn't help that. He could like Shuuko just as much if she talked to him in the first place (she'd hardly spoken a word to him until now unless it had to with schoolwork)… He paused. Well, maybe not. He'd known some other girls too, from hunter families even, since he was practically in diapers, and he didn't like them as much as he liked Yuuki. "Yeah."

His seatmate nodded as if he'd known what his answer was going to be from the start. "That's why. You get it?"

Not really, but he nodded anyway. He'd thought Shuuko was a nice smart girl, but even she had her own quirks. If she wanted to be liked, she should have just said so. How was he supposed to know? And she went and cried because of it too. He felt bad for it, but was it that big of a deal? Should he apologize the next time he saw her? Maybe they could be friends then and she wouldn't cry anymore.

He wondered what he would do if Yuuki found someone she liked more than him. He wouldn't cry about it, first of all, that'd make Yuuki sad, and he supposed he'd try to befriend Yuuki's new friend. If they all got along then Yuuki wouldn't feel sad and he wouldn't either. The same would be said for if Kaname found someone else (but he highly doubted that ever happening, what with Kaname telling them they would always come before anyone else). So there was no need for tears, really.

"Zero?" It was Kaname. "What was Kunimi-san talking to you about?"

"…I don't know," he said honestly. "But she…" He looked down uncomfortably. "I think I made her cry."

"That's what I just said," Keita exclaimed, dramatically throwing up his hands. He gulped when Kaname shot him a sharp look. "Well, it was 'cause you already liked someone," he muttered.

"…So that was it." Kaname tried not to sound too smug. "Don't worry Zero, it's not your fault. She simply didn't know you belonged to us. Her own ignorance is what caused her…distress."

"So I didn't hurt her, right?" Anyhow, "I don't know how to like her more than Yuuki."

As if Zero was ever capable of hurting someone deliberately. Kaname shook his head and kissed the younger boy's hair. "You don't need to like her more than Yuuki." He murmured. Such a thing was absurd. And it was the girl's fault really, for wanting what wasn't hers. She probably even deserved to cry, he thought a little darkly.

Keita watched them with a wary smile. "Uh, Zero, do you like this Kuran too?" Boys didn't kiss the hair of other boys. Heck, they didn't kiss period. It was the silent rule. Cause kissing was gross.

"I like Kaname."

"And I like you as well, Zero."

Whoa, Keita's eyes widened. "You're…pretty weird Zero, but I guess that's okay." He inwardly shrugged. As far as he knew, no one had ever told him you couldn't like two people. Besides, Kaname and Yuuki were siblings; they may as well be the same person or something.

"You should watch out for Satou though," Keita noted, "She looked pissed."

"Satou?" Kaname murmured. "Satou Keiko?" He specified.

"Uh huh. I heard she turns into a demon."

"A demon." Kaname mused, tone lined with irony.

"When she's pissed." Keita nodded. "And she was pissed."

Zero sent his seatmate a shrewd look. "…Has Satou gotten mad at you before?" The fear in Keita's eyes was nothing less than genuine.

"She will not be a problem." Kaname dismissed.

Keita raised his eyebrows. "Uh, Zero just rejected her best friend?" He felt the need to point out. "She will be a 'problem'."

"She will never have the chance."

Something about the way Kaname's unearthly wine red eyes glinted had Keita laughing nervously. "Yeah, sure."

Looking between them, Zero frowned and gently grasped Kaname's wrist, directing his attention back to himself. "You can't." He said softly, expression imploring. "You said they were a waste of time, remember? And I don't care if she gets mad at me."

Kaname smiled sweetly. "Of course, Zero."

Keita inwardly sighed in relief. For a moment there, he thought…but it was nothing, right?

He didn't feel so confident when a few days later, Satou, who had been glaring daggers at Zero, suddenly stopped and instead spent her time staring warily at one self-satisfied looking Kuran Kaname.

Huh.

Disclaimer: No own.

Happy readings, guys :) Once again, major thanks to Sagakure for her wonderful AU idea as well as the numerous contributions she's made for us VK fans!