Hello! You have reached chapter one of my new fic, Paradise! This idea came to me in a dream when I fell asleep listening to my iPod. The song *might* have been Paradise, by Coldplay. The concept of the girl (in the lyrics) who didn't get what she wanted from the world, so she ran away in her sleep/dreams to a place called Paradise.

(8) And every time she closed her eyes...she dreamed of Para-Para-Paradise...(8)

If you haven't heard it before, it's a brilliant song and I would recommend you listen to it. Anyway: Onto more important stuff than my ramblings...

Pairing: Kaname Kuran & Zero Kiryuu

Warnings: None, so far.

Summary: Zero discovers and begins to dream of a place which he calls Paradise, a place where he can get away from everything and just be himself. Everything in Paradise is created in Zero's mind to make him happy...but just how will he react when dream and reality collide?

Disclaimer: I do not own, in any way, shape or form, Vampire Knight. That belongs to Matsuri Hino. I do, however, claim the concept involved in this fic as my own, because she's not used it herself and, therefore, it's mine! ^-^

Quick Notes: This is a place that I will put information which I think will be important for you to know before reading the fic, so that it will flow better and be less confusing.

1) Blood is not necessary for Zero, he has (recently) gained some stability in controlling his Vampire nature. How mysterious...

2) This is un-beta'd and may contain some minor spelling errors. If it is a glaring error, please leave a comment. ^-^

And finally: I shall update as regularly as I can (though I make no promises) and please tell me what you think! I appreciate constructive criticism (in appropriate doses) and love to hear general feedback. It means that chapters get uploaded quicker and I work harder to make them more enjoyable. That means REVIEW people! And, of course, enjoy ;D

Zero Kiryuu stormed into his room with a snarl. That was it. He'd had enough. Angling himself in front of the door he had just marched through, he kicked it and was satisfied to hear is slam shut, the door shaking in its frame. Zero combed a hand through his hair – he really needed to get in the shower. His anger dissipating, he slowly crossed the room to the large, gothic window and, bracing his hands on his desk, he peered out. There was a faint trickle of rain sprinkling over the ground of Cross Academy, gently tapping on the window and breaking the somewhat sombre silence that had befallen Zero.

He sighed. It had been two days and Yuuki had been acting strangely. The girl, once bubbly and cheerful, seemed to have become withdrawn and silent. Her large brown eyes seemed full of an unknown sadness and, for some reason, she couldn't bear to look at her fellow prefect. Zero wanted to know the reason behind the eerie looks that replaced the expressions of bashfulness and happiness that he was so accustomed to. But, when he looked deeper into those eyes, he could also see what he thought could be anger, resentment and bitterness. But as for the reason why... Zero allowed his head to fall down and stare at the rosewood grain on the desk before closing his eyes. He hadn't slept last night either, he had been on patrol all night and, as a consequence of this and trying to get some work done in class, as opposed to falling asleep as Yuuki usually did, he was drained – both physically and mentally. He was just glad that he wasn't craving for blood or starting to show animalistic tendencies – besides what he classed as his usual tendencies – because that would only make matters worse. The blood tablets that the Night Class, mainly Kaname Kuran – with him being the main funder behind the research and development - , had been working wonderfully for him and for that, he supposed he was grateful to the pureblood.

All Zero knew at this moment was that he needed to get away, if only for a short time. To escape the madness that was his life and to go to a place where dreams were reality and anything was possible. As if that were even possible and, if it was, Zero wanted a one-way ticket to it. Zero laughed. What stupid thoughts to have. An ex-human, finding a sanctuary? There was no way that would happen. But a shower could and would happen, Zero thought lazily, as he fingered one of the semi-greasy strands of hair that hung limply in front of his face. Grabbing his jogging pants, some clean underwear and a towel, Zero forced his weary legs to move him towards the en suite and into the shower.

Standing under the hot spray, Zero arched his back, trying to ease some of the tension in his muscles with the intense heat. He grabbed the shampoo and, after liberally applying it to his head, he began to massage it slowly into his scalp. Zero sighed with pleasure as he felt the slow, throbbing headache he had been sporting for the last few hours dissipate, and for that he was relieved. He ducked his head back under the spray and rinsed the suds off. His idea of a sanctuary wouldn't be a bad idea...if he could find it. Just a place in Cross Academy he could go and just relax, without being pestered by the Day Class girls, asking him to do errands and a place where the Night Class vampires would stop staring strangely at him. Shaking his head, showering water droplets over the glass panel of the cubicle, he tried to work out what the hell was going on with the Night Class and Yuuki.

He knew that Yuuki hadn't been talking to Kaname recently. In fact, he seemed to be completely ignoring the girl and, considering the level of her previous infatuation with the pureblood, Zero would have assumed that Yuuki was upset about just that. But that certainly didn't justify the glares he would feel drilling a hole in the back of his head whilst in class. And then there was the Night Class! Zero was accustomed to the usual glares that he would receive from the upper class vampires – and, under normal circumstances, they'd probably think he was ill if he didn't give them an angry look back – but recently there was a lack of glaring, which had been replaced by a strange stare, which all of them seemed to have a mutual talent of doing and, if Zero was being totally honest with himself, it freaked him out. Their faces were blank and expressionless, just like their eyes. With what could be described as the perfect poker faces, in more than one meaning of 'perfect', Zero couldn't tell what they were thinking. He needed to find out what the hell was going on, and for that he would need to talk to...

"Kuran." Zero murmured to himself absently. "He has to know what the hell was going on. I just know it."

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Zero re-entered his room, shoving his uniform onto his writing chair haphazardly. He watched as his tie slipped to the ground. He scowled at it and, realising that scowling probably wouldn't help the matter and that he just didn't care anymore, he left it where it lay, turning around to face his bed. Dropping the towel from around his waist, he slipped his underwear – Zero always kept underwear on, even when it was warm, the activities that occurred at Cross Academy were too damned unpredictable for him not to – and his jogging bottoms on. Kicking the towel on the floor towards the bathroom wall, where it landed with a soft thumpas it hit the wall, and grabbed another, rubbing it on his hair at a half hearted attempt at drying it.

Soon after, the second towel joined the first in the miniature mountain that was forming by the bathroom door and Zero got into bed. He closed his eyes, chanting the word "Kuran" in his head, so that he wouldn't forget, and force himself, to go and hunt the vampire down. He had to talk to that insufferable jerk. He just had to.

Zero slowly opened his eyes and immediately closed them again with a hiss. All he knew was that he was somewhere very, very bright. Rubbing his eyes, he opened them fully and looked around. His eyes widened in shock. He looked down at his body, which was somewhat floating in mid air. There was no ground, no up nor no down. He was still in his jogging pants so that meant that he had to be...

"Asleep." A familiar voice finished his thoughts for him. Zero turned around to ask what was going on and found himself a small distance from Kaname Kuran. He scowled at the pureblood who, in turn, just laughed as he watched the ex-human's expression change. Kaname waved his left arm around in a sweeping gesture.

" Welcome to Paradise, Kiryuu."