Title: Feathers

Pairing: Kaname x Yuuki

Yuuki was curled on the bed when he arrived.

He merely stood there, by the door, still wearing the dirty black trench coat that was now clinging on his skin. A few specks of blood stained the sleeves of his clothing, and at the moment, while looking at Yuuki, he felt vile – as if the sight of him standing dirty in the same room as his dear girl was violating her. Kaname tore his eyes away from her and silently slid out of the soiled clothes he wore. He carelessly dropped them on one side of the room in mild impatience and opened a random cabinet he knew would have a clean shirt and a fresh pair of slacks. He went into the adjoining bathroom and washed his hands and face.

And then, he walked back to the foot of his bed which Yuuki occupied.

How indecent, he thought amusingly, how she was only wearing a thin night gown while carelessly sprawled on his bed. The silk sheets were twisted all around her body, the sleeping dress she wore hitched up above her thighs. For a moment he wondered if Aidou saw her like this, maybe that's why he was blustering outside when he pass him by. He felt a twitch of annoyance; he'd have to take care of that later then. He was starting to imagine how Aidou would react when Yuuki groaned softly and shifted ever so slowly on the bed.

The tiny action had him biting into his lip.

Kaname could see the pale veins running up her things, and he was almost overpowered by the desire to pin her down and drink. It was too overwhelming that he had to consciously steady himself. The taste of his own blood only made his crave her more.

He touched the side of her face and then the silky strands of her hair. Then, his eyes narrowed as if pained by the sudden restraint, as he stepped away from her. The finality of the action was almost painless – it surprised him – but then, he should have known from years of deceiving himself, that he would remain emotionless and controlled as long as he willed it.

So, until his will would crumble away and the punishment of his crimes would descend upon him, he would continue so – acting as if every event played on just as he had planned them.

His thoughts pulled him in and started to drown him in darkness that he failed to noticed how Yuuki's eyes were sleepily peeking open, "Onii-sama?"

Her soft voice was exactly the distraction he needed, or was it what fueled the confusion in him? He couldn't exactly tell anymore. His eyes met hers – an everyday occurrence – but for some reason, the way she looked at him now, made him feel inadequate.

It was as if she was looking at a pitiful little boy.

Maybe that was what he was after all, in the deepest corners of his soul – or what was left of it anyway. A scared little boy covered in blood, waiting in the dark until someone finally found him. Were those his true feelings? Was he blindly grappling around for answers? Struggling between desires he would never be able to fulfill.

He sneered at the thought, earning a confused look from Yuuki who continued to stare at him. Kaname tipped his head to one side, crushing the small voice inside his mind until again; it was only him who remained in his own mind.

Self-pity didn't suit him, he bitterly thought, after all, he was Kuran Kaname.

Wasn't he?

"Onii-sama?"

The little bird in from of him was too tempting to ignore. He reached out his hand and smoothed it down her soft skin, reveling in its fragility. His eyes shone, and he felt her shiver under his touch. A small smile curved his lips. That's right, he thought to himself with a slight sense of victory over his rather overwhelming state of mind. The world played at the palm of his hand, there was no reason to doubt that.

And yet it felt as if he was still trying to convince himself.

For a moment, he wondered if he should stay for good. The idea of wanting to possess all of Yuuki was as enticing as it was frightening. He could feel his blood stirring.

After all, the canary will die if it looses its wings.

Oh those beautiful feathers…

And he didn't only mean to clip them; he wanted to tear them apart.

Pluck… pluck…

But for this moment it should be fine. He could only hope Yuuki won't realize what he'd been trying to rid her.

Pluck… them of…

His fingers entwined themselves with Yuuki's and with a rather rough tug; he pulled her into his arms, capturing her lips with his.

One… by… one…

Author's Note: Back after a long time! I decided not to put this under Possession anymore because I felt that this was dealing with another side of Kaname, plus it's too short (maybe kind of shallow?) to be considered a decent one-shot *is shot*. But after reading chapter 60, I felt the urge to write this for my own peace of mind… I wanted to have some personal closure about Kaname's character. Couldn't hold of my excitement for the next chapter!! I really do love this pairing!