Disclaimer : I do not own Vampire Knight.

Hi! I'm back! :D (running and jumping around to avoid spears and forks being thrown at her)

Yeah, uhh, okay, this is awkward. But anyway, I got a new beta! :D She's my classmate and she has been encouraging me (with threats and a lot of... threats) to continue writing. I got this story in my folder for almost seven months. And I got Chapter 14 for 'A Spoonful of Ginger' too, unfinished. So before you try to beg/ threat/ randomly killing me, listen this out. I got no inspiration to continue 'ASoG'. So just wait, because who knows? :/

So, enjoy the story. :)

Edited by : faded. brilliance. (Thanks a lot, soulmate! -insert hearts- )

It was in the middle of autumn, when he first met him.

He was forced to attend another meeting with his father, unwillingly tried to cooperate and understand how to deal with business field, at the age of 13. Clad in a black formal suit, he watched as his father commented and reviewed on a new proposal that his employee just represented.

Somehow, he could not understand.

His father was a good and educated man. He managed other people's livelihoods very well and he never misjudged him and his little sister.

But as good as a man could be, flaws could never be an exception.

His father, a married man, kept a mistress.

Even his mother knew about it. But both of them kept it as an open secret, because of their reputations, their status.

They thought that he did not know. But he was a Kuran. He knew everything that he needed to know.

A short break was later on given to him. With a small sigh, he walked out from the building to breath in fresher air. Ran his fingers through his dark tresses, he accidentally bumped into a smaller form.

"Oow!"

And that smaller form was a creature, with the look of an innocent and beautiful and fragile child.

Eyes blinked, he kneeled down to help the smaller boy. The latter, who fell on his back, glared at his direction. Then, for the first time, his heart beat a little bit faster by the challenge that he saw in those bright lilac eyes.

"I'm sorry. Come, let me help you." He offered with a small smile and a hand but his hand was pushed away and the child proceeded to stand by his own. He hastily made his way back into the building, before glanced over his shoulder to give a half-hearted glare at him.

The taller boy watched with wide eyes.

How such beautiful child could treat him, a Kuran, with such attitude?

But that should not be a problem.

He was beautiful, Kaname found no reason for it to be a problem.

It was few months later after that, he found out that pretty boy's father was one of his father's employees. He enjoyed it though, watched him from time to time. When he came with his father, his petite hand holding onto his elder's, somehow the young Kuran felt a pang in his heart.

He wished it was his hand.

He could not erase the memory of his offered hand, being pushed away by such commoner and yet, it made his heart ache. He shook his head at the thought before returned his focus back to the meeting.

The representative explained something about inflation and he rubbed his temple, seeing but not listening to the CEO of the company disapproving of the theory the representative explained. The young Kuran continued to watch, even when the same boy that he had bumped into sat outside of the meeting room, waiting faithfully for his father.

Because he knew that the boy will not go anywhere else. And Kaname was more than happy to know that.

"Stop all these nonsense, Kuran!" he stopped in his track before turned to face the older brunette. Said teen fisted his hands by his sides, invisible fumes of jealousy surrounding him. However, when those lilac eyes met him, he felt his resolve weaken.

"Stop what? That guy was practically hurting you. I'm just trying to help-"

"Stop that, damn it. Why are you acting like I'm your property! I don't even want to be your friend!" the silver haired teen hissed, stepped back while tried to put a safe distance between them. He felt a twitch between his eyebrows but proceeded to step closer.

"Don't say that, Zero. Your father would be very sad if he loses his job."

Lilac eyes widened as he stood still on his ground. The brunette teen slipped a small, mischievous smile, reached out a hand to gently hold onto the smaller one.

"There there. Now, we should return to the classroom. Teacher must be worried with you suddenly running off like that." His tone was soft and kind but the younger teen gave him another glare as his response, his hand clenching the warmer one in a cruel grip.

"I hate you, Kuran." He gritted his teeth before strolling off, but dragged along the smiling brunette together with him, their hands intertwined.

At that moment, Kaname was never as glad as to be a manipulative person.

He leaned his head on the narrow shoulder; his breathing was heavy as he tried to stabilize himself. But the younger man quickly wrapped his arms around his feverish body.

"Kaname! What are you doing!"

"You… You forgot your umbrella…" he mumbled subconsciously, a black umbrella gripped tightly in his right hand. The shorter man closed his eyes and sighed before carefully helping him to sit on the nearest bench.

The rain fell heavily outside the building but he couldn'tcare less.

He was having a fever and he would do anything, and everything to prevent his loved ones from contracting one too.

A gentle hand ran through his soft brown locks as he dizzily tried to focus on staying awake. The owner of the warm hand carefully touched his forehead to check on his body temperature and he decided to sit still.

The soft scent of vanilla mint surrounded him and to know that those lilac eyes were worried for him, melted his icy heart, making him feel warm inside.

If the way to gain the younger man's attention was by being sick, Kaname would do it many times, over and over again.

"I think… No, I'm sure… that I love you."

Silence lingered between two men, the employer and employee as a pair of lilac eyes went wide over this revelation. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides, eyes hard with determination and he would not tolerate rejection. Not from him.

"… Are you drunk?" the silver haired man murmured, looked away and the brunette wanted so much to move forward and grab his face to meet his again. He wanted to see those rare emotions inside of those fathomless twin pools of lilac but he knew better.

Force would never result in anything good when it comes to the man that he loves.

"No, I'm not. I know you love me too… Not now, though, not yet."

A glare was given to his direction and he had to suppress the urge to step back and avoid from being hit.

"Come on. You know I don't tolerate rejection." His eyes twitched, all the while trying to usher the younger man to give his reply as well. The latter snorted, looking away before continued with his work. His eyes seemed unfocused on the paperwork and the brunette stood still, waited for another response other than the ignorance he was presented with.

The other workers moved in and out from the twenty-fourth level, where their main office was located but the brunette paid no mind to them.

He wanted an answer and he would get it now.

When his constant presence finally pushed the young silver-haired worker to his edge, the man looked up back at him, lilac eyes burned with unmistaken sight of embarrassment and anger – or maybe annoyance, anger was too strong to mix with the soft touch of adoration he always have for his employer.

When the brunette refused to leave his stand, the young employee just growled under his breath, proceeded to continue with his work,

Without denial escaping his lips.

Kaname smiled when his answer was given in such beautiful non-verbal way.

The time when the brunette tried to hold his hand again, the lilac-eyed male hastily pulled away.

"What's wrong? We're a couple now, don't be shy." He could not help but to feel a little bit disappointed. His tone however, managed to send shivers to his lover's nerves, he could see it very well from the way his shorter boyfriend let his hands hang loose against his side.

The brunette tried his luck again for the nth time and thanked God, his next attempt may not be accepted but the lilac eyed man did not push him away anymore.

He smiled, slowly bringing the hand close to his lips before pressing a gentle kiss on each and every tip of the fingers. A blush crept onto his lover's neck and his face. The brunette enjoyed it to the core when his boyfriend looked down on the floor while trying to ignore the looks of 'aww' that they received from the other customers inside of the restaurant.

When that adorable blush became darker, Kaname only smiled wider.

"… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Not your fault." Kaname softly replied as he watched his parents' coffins being lowered down into the earth. Zero stood close next to him and their hands interlaced loosely. Kaname felt that he might cry, he could have cried but he found that he couldn't.

The accident that took his parents' lives was set by fate and Kaname slowly closed his eyes. He took a deep, calming breath before grabbing Zero's hand, startling the man by his action, and held it tight.

People came and went away. Kaname wished that his parents had the chance to stay longer somehow but it was not his prerogative to choose. As he stood hand-in-hand, next to the man who owns his heart, Kaname realized that he wanted nothing else but to never let him go.

And when the hand in his squeezed back, the brunette knew he was not alone.

Zero's hands covered his lower face, wide lilac eyes watery with unexpected tears and Kaname gulped. This was not supposed to be this way, he had planned it perfectly.

"Kaname, you can't be serious-"

"No, I am serious, Zero-"

"I-I don't-"

"It's either yes or no, Zero. Make me happy or break my heart… and I'll leave you to live your life." his words became smaller as he stayed in his half kneeling position. Zero stood still in front of him, the lights in their bedroom shined bright but Kaname felt himself swallowed by darkness.

Zero was however shocked by his words. He let the air of tension hang between them for a while more and Kaname broke into a fresh bout of cold sweat as he repeated his previous question to his lover.

"Zero, will you marry me?"

His voice was somehow rigid and Kaname hated how he sounded so clearly unstable. Zero was always the only one who could read his emotions. When he felt unsettled and restless, he tends to become too serious and stiff. The small black box containing the white gold wedding band felt heavy in his hand. Right now, as his lover stared at him in the eye, piercing through his soul and intruding his mind, Kaname wondered why he didn't do this earlier.

"Kaname, you're confused right now… Y-Your parents just died six months ago and you are their only child, you'll need an heir, I can't-"

"Wait, what?" Kaname quickly but still with liquid grace, stand up and their difference in height caused him to look down on the silver haired man. Zero closed his eyes with desperation and regret drawn on his face, his hands clenched into fists. And now Kaname wanted this moment to end quickly.

"I can't give you an heir. I can't marry you, Kaname, not like this."

Silence hung between them for a while. Nobody cared when the rain outside poured down heavily against the windows, the gentle sound of raindrops falling against it clearly heard in the hushed silence. Nobody cared when the lights were now too dim for their unexpressed feelings. Nobody cared when Kaname's heart actually broke after the rejection.

"An heir? You're talking about a bloody heir when I proposed to you?" Kaname hissed, anger coming out all of a sudden, out of nowhere and when Zero's eyes widened in surprise, Kaname almost flinched to see tears brimming in them, turning his lilac pools to liquid lavender.

"Yes, an heir, Kaname, since you're too stupid to think by your own. I'm a man, I can't give birth!"

"Who the hell gives a damn about an heir or a child or anything? I'll survive only with you!"

"You don't care, but I do!"

"Why should you care when I don't?!"

Zero gritted his teeth, anger flashed in his eyes, out of frustration that Kaname used to see when they were young, oh-so-young and when hate was the only thing his lover could feel towards him.

"Because you're too stupid, too foolish to believe that love conquers all, and to hell, all of that! You're too selfish, you think about yourself and what you want and what you need and you never ask me! Ask me if I want to marry you or not, I'll give you a 'yes'! Ask me if I want a child, I'll give you a damn 'yes'! And ask me whether I can give you one or not… I… Kaname, I…" Zero ended up raising a fist and hit Kaname's chest with it, hard enough to make him stumble a little with the smaller man against him and Kaname found himself to be speechless.

Those words never got to be finished, only small, angry cries that were heard at the end of them. Wide eyed, Kaname stared at the wall in front of him. The smaller body shook terribly and slowly, gently Kaname took a hold of Zero's cheeks and titled his head up to meet his.

"Zero…" Said man had his eyes closed, his lower lip bitten to stifle his cries and Kaname's heart softened.

"You're thinking too much… of course I want an heir… but I don't need one if the price is to let you go. You know I'm possessive," At this, Zero snorted through his cries and Kaname found it very adorable, "And I'm very, very possessive of you. You're not a thing to be owned, but you're mine and trust me when I say I won't exchange you for the world."

"That's very corny, Kuran." Zero replied half heartedly, eyes still closed but his cries had subsided and his hands were now fisted on Kaname's burgundy shirt. Kaname only smiled, wrapping an arm around the thin waist and pulled the younger man closer against his body.

The stayed in the position for a while, Kaname had forgotten the box that contained the wedding ring and wondered where was it now. It must have dropped when Zero hit and pushed him but somehow that did not really matter anymore.

Not anymore when Zero whispered 'I love you, of course I'll marry you, idiot' in his ear.

The feeling was like drowning. Or trying to drown yourself, to be exact. Kaname never thought that he'd be standing on an altar one day, wearing a complete black suit while his best man standing beside him. Takuma only chuckled, sending more shivers running along his body, jangling his nerves. Kaname tried his best to look calm and collected but inside, he was fighting an enormous urge to vomit and the urge to run away.

The rhythm of music was now played and Kaname felt his hands started to sweat copiously.

He thought that maybe he couldn't do this. He was not good enough; he was not perfect enough for Zero, for perfect Zero.

Perfect, perfect Zero.

However, all thoughts vanished into thin air when his fiancé stepped inside. Kaname felt that his breath was taken away for a few seconds, everything around them turned mute and silence was no longer something suffocating.

He wasn't sure why his heartbeat was slowing down and why he didn't feel the need to run away anymore now. Maybe it was because the way Zero was looking at him, like he was expecting him to run away while Zero was walking down the altar. Or maybe because Zero looked ravishingly beautiful in his white suit attire, his hands clutching a bouquet of red roses and how it lightened up the blushes on Zero's cheeks.

And when Zero finally stepped by his side, he couldn't help but to grin, he bloody grinned so wide that his face felt like it was stretched into its limit. Zero just gave him a small chuckle, shaking his head slightly at the behaviour that he was showing. Kaname bet he looked like a child being given a huge lollipop that was his and his alone. Zero gracefully held onto the arm that he offered and both of them turned to face the priest.

Throughout the whole time the man talked, Kaname leaned to side to whisper quietly into his lover's ear.

"You look beautiful. Mine and beautiful."

All he received as the response was a light nudge of an elbow against his side, causing him to grin wider and Zero to look away, probably to hide his embarrassment.

Kaname lost count of the seconds, of everything around him when finally they faced each other. He realized that his lips were repeating the priest's words but he couldn't hear what he was saying. He watched as Zero did the same but his eyes, his heart and his soul were entranced by the gleam of love and coy affection in his lover's eyes.

When Zero finally said 'I do' and rings were exchanged and the priest mentioned something along the line of 'kissing the groom', Kaname leaned forward, pulling the younger man into a passionate kiss by surprise. He heard Zero laughed into the kiss and his hands went to cup Kaname's cheeks.

Their kiss felt like the first time when Kaname saw Zero. Beautiful and perfect and everything. Everything that Kaname could ever ask for.

Kaname closed his eyes tight, tightened an arm around his spouse's waist and fisted the air with a victorious feeling.

"YES!"

Kaname leaned quietly against the door frame. His eyes softened as he watched Zero moving around the kitchen, making breakfast with graceful movements and as quiet as he could be. His husband only had Kaname's white button up shirt on his body, the one that was slightly bigger for his smaller form and barely covered his naked ass.

He was barefoot, hair falling down to cover his forehead and eyebrows when he looked down to check on the pancakes he was making. The sunlight from the open window silhouetted his petite form and Kaname inwardly basked in that sight of something beautiful.

When it seemed that Zero would never realize his presence, he quietly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his spouse's waist. Zero let out a small gasp before quickly turned his head over his shoulder to look at Kaname. Kaname smiled and leaned to give a gentle peck on Zero's lips.

"Good morning."

Zero frowned slightly but his eyes betrayed his feelings; they were filled with love that Kaname knew was for him and only him.

"Good morning. You're up early today."

"Yeah… I just remembered something." At this, Zero ducked his head down and quietly flipped the pancake in the pan; his cheeks however, were slightly red. Kaname let out an amused chuckle and tightened his arms around Zero's waist.

"I love you, Zero. I have always loved you, still is and will forever be." Kaname murmured against his ear and the beautiful shivers Zero gave him made the little Kaname went a little bit overexcited. Zero hissed a little and nudged him slightly on his rib by his elbow.

"I'm cooking, Kaname."

"I can see that pretty well. Smells and looks delicious." Kaname replied half heartedly with his face buried in Zero's neck, trailing kisses on it. Zero gasped again and Kaname took the chance to seal his mouth with his husband's.

When they kissed, Kaname realized that the flames never went away. It was still there, all these time, all this while and he wished for it to stay forever.

Once they pulled away from the kiss, Kaname spun his spouse around to face him, his arms stayed to circle him close. Zero's dazed eyes were half-lidded, his lips were red and his cheeks flushed from the intenseness of their kiss. Kaname smiled, leaned to rest their foreheads together as his hands held onto the sides of Zero's waist.

"Happy 3rd Anniversary, Zero, I'll love till death do us apart and even more than that."

Zero stomped angrily, throwing his scarf at Kaname's face when they entered their penthouse. Kaname sighed, pulling the white scarf off his face before he tried to get close to his husband. Zero glared at him, silently daring him to touch him if he wanted to lose an arm.

"Zero, baby, don't get mad."

"Don't you 'baby' me, Kuran. Not after you've got your lips on other person's."

Kaname sighed again, now they were back on family-name terms even when Zero was officially a Kuran too.

"She threw herself on me. She's my cousin, Zero." Kaname had lost count of how many times he had repeated the line to his spouse on their way home. An angry Zero was cute but sleeping on couch was not. Zero threw his hands into the air, a frustrated groan escaped his lips.

"Of course, how could I have forgotten that Yuuki is your cousin," at this, Kaname stifled another urge to sigh, "But thank God I still remember that I'm your husband!"

Kaname couldn't help but to smile.

"Zero, you're jealous and you're showing it, pretty aggressively, that it is sexy."

Zero grabbed the closest thing within his range; which was a small cushion from the leather couch and threw it at Kaname. Kaname barely dodged it when Zero threw the second one. He quickly caught his husband's wrists once Zero tried to strangle him with his own scarf around his neck. No matter how humorous the situation was right now, Kaname thought he didn't deserve to die on such simple matter.

"Zero, calm down, I'm sorry! I was just teasing you!"

"I'm angry, you stupid, brainless Kuran, I'm angry!"

"Fine, I'm sorry!"

"I damn hate you, I hate you-" Kaname kissed his husband to stop all those curses that were coming – Kaname was sure that there were a lot of them – and Zero hit him angrily on his chest because his wrists were still shackled by Kaname's hands. He tried to deepen their kiss but Zero bit on his lower lip, and Kaname could taste his own blood.

He managed to get them into the master bedroom, with Zero kicking and screaming angrily and the sex was harsh, aggressive – like Zero – but Kaname found it lively.

At the end, all that matter was Zero forgave him after he stubbornly knelt on the ground for hours and Yuuki got a warning from Kaname himself to not try any funny, fake affections on someone else's husband again.

Kaname buried his face in his husband's stomach, his body aching from his sitting position but his heart hurt much more than that.

Zero was lying down on the hospital bed, looking pale and sick and Kaname hated himself for being useless and… useless.

The accident was uncalled for.

Kaname stifled a sniff as he rubbed his face on Zero's stomach, covered by the pristine white blanket. He had rushed to the hospital in the middle of his meeting once he got the emergency call from the hospital. He thought that maybe he had lost it for one moment – his sanity – when the doctor told him that Zero barely survived the accident. He might suffer a trauma after this, after the car he drove being hit by a truck from his side of the car.

But it was okay, Kaname tried to reassure himself as he tightened the hold he had on one of Zero's hands, they would manage, and they always managed.

When the body under him moved slightly, Kaname stiffly sat upright back. He watched as Zero groaned softly and slowly opened his eyes.

They have aged. Kaname was close to his fifty and Zero was just forty-five. But Zero still looked beautiful, like he was only close to his thirty, and beautiful in every aspect to Kaname.

"Kaname?" Zero softly whispered when their eyes caught each other. Kaname blinked his eyes, unresponsive when a tear willingly made its way down from his eye. Zero looked troubled for a moment and Kaname couldn't blame him. Kaname hardly, if ever, cries in front of him, Kaname only knew how to be happy around Zero and the situation now was awful.

"Is it bad?" he heard Zero spoke again, but this time his voice was softer. Kaname looked down, eyes blinking away tears again and he finally gave a small nod when Zero tightened the grip of their hands.

"I… I almost lost you. I almost lost you." Kaname bit his lip and prayed that his voice didn't sound as weak as his heart. Zero's head was wrapped in bandages, his left leg was broken and scratches marred his beautiful, fair skin.

Zero was quiet for a moment but Kaname didn't mind. As long as he knew that Zero was still breathing and then things would be okay. He just didn't know how to deal with the fact that he almost lost the only person he ever loved so much after his parents. Maybe he should act like he was okay, that he would not get broken into pieces if Zero died.

Maybe.

And it didn't help that Zero suddenly wrapped his arm around his neck, pulling him down to rest his face against Zero's chest.

"Kaname…" Zero whispered his name again, in that tone that he had come to love. His fingers ran through Kaname's hair and Kaname clenched his eyes shut, burying his face deeper against his husband's chest. He gritted his teeth and pulled their entwined hands close to his own heart.

"Don't leave me, please don't leave me, don't leave…" he murmured against Zero's warm body, shoulders trembling and tears soaking the pristine hospital gown Zero wore. Zero stroked his hair gently and Kaname didn't want to ever let go of his hand.

"Finally, Kaname!"

Kaname smiled as he watched Zero packing his things inside one of the boxes he brought. Since he finally decided it was time for him to retire – he believed the number 55 was the best age to sit down and relax – Zero had been ecstatic. Kaname didn't allow him to work anymore after that accident many years before and he always complained how boring he was at their home.

Kaname was glad he had trained a very talented young man – a distant nephew of his – to take over the company and with Yuuki's son being the next successor, he wouldn't have to worry anymore.

It was time for him to relax and enjoy the rest of his life with his husband.

Kaname looked around him. The party was perfect and it seemed like the 107th annual dinner of his company went well. Zero stood beside him, a small plate in his hand as he indulged himself with a piece of chocolate moist cake. Kaname smiled.

"Enjoying yourself?"

His husband stopped his action and gave a small nod. Zero leaned slightly against him while offering his cake to Kaname. To that, Kaname opened his mouth and let his spouse fed him.

"I can't believe I'm no longer the CEO." Kaname sighed and Zero rolled his eyes at him. The party was only about to start and Kaname would have to step on the stage in a few minutes more to give the welcoming speech. Zero stared at him for a while before he gave a slight smile.

"It's time for you to rest, let the youngsters suffer." Zero remarked with an accusing tone but the gentle happiness in his eyes betrayed his expression. Kaname laughed, casually wrapped an arm around his spouse's waist as he leaned down to peck him on his nose. He got a half hearted nudge on his rib for that but ignored it nevertheless.

When it was his time to give the welcoming speech, Kaname adjusted his tie and smiled at the guests. Zero sat on the front line, cocking an eyebrow at the smirk that starting to draw itself on Kaname's face. Kaname never failed to make himself looked as an arrogant as a Kuran should be and Kaname was proud of it.

"I'm just going to give a short speech, don't want to bore everyone here to sleep," laughter burst in the crowd and Kaname gave a small shake of his head with a chuckle.

"Today is exactly the 107th Anniversary of this company, which has been descended from our elders, generation by generation, led by the Kurans. I was the former CEO, my nephew, is the…" Kaname had to blink his eyes for a second. Black spots suddenly appeared in his sight and they were making him feel dizzy. He can barely hear the sound of the audience murmuring in the ballroom but he only faked a cough, closed his eyes and put a tight smile on his face.

"As I was saying, this company had managed to survive for quite a while. I wish for it to achieve the highest level it could reach and I am very sure that… aahh…" Kaname suddenly raised his hand and clutched his chest, the pain was excruciating and he suddenly couldn't breathe.

Screams and shouts echoed in his surrounding as he fell on his knees, unable to support himself with his own two legs anymore. Somehow, before he lost his consciousness, he saw Zero in front of him, eyes wide in panic and mouth screaming his name.

"Zero, shh…" Kaname wrapped his arms tight around the smaller man, snuggling against his side. Zero's arms clutched his shoulders, face buried in his neck and even though there was no sound of crying, the wetness Kaname could felt on his shoulder was enough.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm staying here…" Kaname tried again to soothe his miserable looking spouse. Zero shook his head, still refused to look at him and only tightened his hold on Kaname.

"The doctor said that you a heart attack… It was bad and it could happen again, Kaname and if that time comes, if you… if you…" Zero hit him slightly on his shoulder to express his frustration – he always did that, typical Zero, Kaname inwardly smiled – and Kaname ran his fingers gently through his hand to calm him down.

"I won't know what to do… I don't know what to do… What should I do?" Zero murmured his last sentence with a broken voice and Kaname proceeded to press a deep, loving kiss on his right temple.

"You think that I could die happily, while leaving you here to live all by your own?"

Zero was pulled back by him and he held onto his face, forcing their eyes to meet.

Beautiful Zero, who never got ruined by his age and his eyes held the same spark of liveliness that had pulled Kaname to him in the first place.

Beautiful Zero that was his.

Kaname smiled softly and pressed another kiss on his forehead. Tears once again brimmed in his husband's eyes and Zero leaned forward, resting their forehead together while holding both of Kaname's hands on his cheeks with his own.

They stayed in the position for a while until Zero murmured of how tired he was, since he had spent more than twenty two hours waiting for Kaname to wake up. Kaname laughed a little at that, pulling him close to his side and gently lulling him to sleep.

Zero never let him go from his arms the whole night, as if he was afraid that Kaname would ever leave him behind.

Kaname quietly traced the kitchen counter with his fingers. He was still in his black suit, hair fixed well and his expression gave nothing away about what his heart felt.

He inspected the kitchen, drinking in every memory that he could as he slowly made his way out to the living room. He found the mug that Zero used three days ago was still on the dining table, it seemed that he forgot to wash it before he left for his morning walk. The newspapers were untouched on the couch, since Kaname didn't have the heart to read it when he woke up. The windows were closed, as how Kaname had left them, when he rushed out from their home to get to the hospital.

Kaname closed his eyes, trying to breathe in the scent that he loathed missing. He tried to track the familiar presence as he entered the master bedroom, still hoping no matter how much he knew he would be disappointed.

When he stepped inside, Kaname opened his eyes and stared at the unmade bed – the mess untouched as how he had left it – and the curtains were still closed. Even if they did, sunlight would refuse to make their way in. The rain outside was too heavy, so uncharacteristic for a fine autumn day.

Kaname allowed a tear to drop or maybe two… or maybe more. Because then he realized he was left alone now, and that he just came back from his spouse's funeral and he had stayed in the hospital for three days straight. Only to come back and realized he was all alone now.

The moment Zero stepped out from their home that very morning, Kaname somehow knew he was not coming back. They were old, he was supposed to expect that things like these would happen at any time but somehow it didn't feel good. It felt as if he was unprepared for anything to ever happen to them, to Zero, that Zero would just collapse on his way home and die.

Because it was just too sudden and Kaname didn't know how to deal with things that come up suddenly and Kaname didn't know how to deal with the aftermath. He didn't know how to deal with everything, not when Zero was not by his side.

But it was going to be okay, Kaname reminded himself. He took a deep, shaky breath, clenched his hands into fists on his sides and let out a controlled breath.

He was going to be okay.

Zero would wait for him.

"Are you sure you're going to be fine?" Yuuki asked him, worry written on her face as Kaname let out a small chuckle. He made himself comfortable on his bed as he looked at his cousin, who stood in his bed room doorway, unable to will herself to leave.

"Yes, Yuuki. I'm just tired, your grandchildren are exhausting me…" Kaname smiled that reassuring smile of his and Yuuki let out a relieved sigh.

"Fine. Go get your rest." She smiled at him and left the room, quietly closing the door. Once the door was closed, Kaname lay down on his back and stared at the white ceiling, his eyes felt so sleepy.

The day was bright, and Kaname had spent it splendidly. He did what he should, lived his life like how he would want him too. But today, this bright day, Kaname felt a little bit too tired.

So he closed his eyes and let himself drown into nothingness.

It was a bright day. He could almost feel the sunlight coming through the closed curtains and the warmth was evident on his naked skin. He sighed softly in his sleep, turning to rest on his side and slowly opened his eyes.

But what he saw, he didn't expect.

A pair of lilac eyes, familiar pretty-pretty lilac eyes, was staring back at his. Kaname blinked his eyes, allowing his brain to make real of the situation. The other man who lay beside him was facing him too, his skin was pale against the sunlight and his body silhouetted it. Kaname stared a little bit longer, watching as the lips curved into a small smile and saw his late spouse, who looked like he was no older than twenty three; reached out to touch Kaname's smooth, unlined cheek.

"Hi." His hand was warm and Kaname blinked his eyes again. It was then he found the words he had always wanted to say.

"Hi… Did you wait long?"

Zero smiled that beautiful smile Kaname had come to love years and years ago.

"Quite, but I don't mind, because now you're finally here."

.

.

.

END.

A/N : I'm sorry if it is not as good as my previous stories. Thanks anyway for reading this. :)

Review please.