"Nng...Kana..."

"Shh," the dark haired man whispered. His lips brushed against the tender neck that was slathered in several shades of red. "Don't speak, Yuuki. Please."

The girl trembled, but stood still as the man she loved leaned against her. It was as though he were too tired to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders any longer. She understood. She loved him, didn't she? Of course she understood. So she didn't move; trembling and frightened, but still like a doll. His fingers were clutching at her head, tangling in the vines of her hair; his head lay on her shoulder just near the gash his fangs had created. She could feel his breathing; watch his strong shoulder rise and fall slowly. She wasn't sure, but she felt, should she catch a glimpse of his face, that he would be wearing a sorrowful look at the moment.

So she didn't move. She said nothing. She stood perfectly still as tears fell from her eyes. Brother, how much longer must you suffer this loneliness for the one you've lost?

Captive Hearts

_Prologue_

Even in Death

"Brother."

Through the heavenly clouds of sleep, Zero heard the small voice of his double speaking. Small hands shook his shoulders. 'Go away, Ichiru,' he wanted to mumble sleepily and turn onto his side for relief from the interruption of his fuzzy dream. But he didn't like refusing his brother anything, so he stayed put instead. When the bed shifted beneath him and he could feel Ichiru behind him, he peeked open a curious eye to see his little brother's face hanging over his. Silver strands of hair dangled like star dust caught in spider's silk over his boyish face. Lilac eyes were alive with his carefree smile as his hands gripped at the fabric over Zero's arm.

"Come on, Zero. Let's go!" Ichiru couldn't hide his happiness, Zero noted with a small smile of his own. He didn't appreciate being tugged at, but that his brother was full of energy today made him feel happy. "You said we'd go if I woke up early. I'm up!"

Zero sighed, reluctantly abandoning his chance to sleep in. "Ichiru..."

His brother didn't hear him as he bounced off the bed and ran to Zero's dresser, pulling out clothes for him and returning to his bed. The morning sun was casting a soft light into the room from the window of their bedroom- the view of it was blocked as Ichiru dumped his clothes on Zero's lap, a smile still playing brightly on his face. "Let's go!"

"Okay." Zero resigned himself to his fate. He had promised he'd take Ichiru, after all. Their parents had even given him consent and called their godfather in the city to let him know the boys were coming over. With that said, he turned to his eager twin. "Go and tell mom we're leaving in fifteen minutes. Make sure to eat some breakfast while I shower, okay?"

"Yeah!" Ichiru was already out the door.

A few minutes later, Zero found his brother waiting for him downstairs. He was holding out a piece of toast smeared with jam, which Zero took quietly. They grabbed their coats, Zero's toast clinging to his teeth as he shoved his arms through the sleeves, and put their shoes on before finally heading out the door with a warm, "be careful and have fun," from their mother.

Ichiru chattered away happily as they both walked up the hill of their street, their hands held together like the most natural of things as they went on their way. The morning was beautiful; air a bit crisp, grass glistening with the morning dew, and the long blue sky was littered with white puffy clouds every so often. The weather wasn't exactly warm, but with their coats they were perfectly comfortable.

At the top of the street, Zero lead Ichiru to a bench where they sat and waited for the city bus to arrive and take them to their destination; Ichiru kicked his feet back and forth, eyes looking around as if he were trying to memorize the entire scene. It wasn't anything special. Houses lined their side of the street while the other side was nothing but a grassy plain that lead off to further hills that overlapped in the distance. Considering that the grass wasn't dried and yellow, but a healthy green, Zero thought it might be pretty, after all. But he'd seen it so many times to really notice its worth.

When the bus finally arrived, they stepped into the vehicle; Ichiru glued to Zero's arm and back as he paid their way. After greeting the familiar and friendly bus driver they often seen during their trips to school, Zero quickly found them spots in the back, letting Ichiru take the window seat and sitting besides him. They felt eyes on them as they moved, but Zero ignored them. They were twins; for some reason, everyone always found some fascination with that. Especially on the bus. It was as if they were expecting them to sneeze or talk at the same time or something. Zero only payed his attention to his brother, whose face was glued to the window with his hands pressing against the glass as the view of soft pastures rolled by.

Half an hour later the two were strolling through the beautiful park in the city. It had one of the largest trees they'd ever seen, which was always lit up during Christmas. Their parents often brought them here during the winter to see it before visiting their godfather, who didn't live far off. They had already passed the tree when Ichiru saw it, it stood in the middle of a clearing. Tables and chairs were placed around a white building and a girl in a uniform was standing at the door, welcoming people inside. It was the brand new café that had opened up two weeks ago. A smile spread over Ichiru's face as he grabbed Zero's wrist and pulled him towards it.

It wasn't something Zero thought garnered so much excitement, but his brother enjoyed finding new places. The few times that Ichiru was out, he spent memorizing the entire city, especially this park. He knew every inch of the place. So when he'd heard that there was a new café here, he'd been dying to come see it. But he had gotten sick and his fever had lasted longer than usual. It was probably because he was so upset. So Zero promised him that he would bring him if he got better.

After Zero managed to pull Ichiru- whose eyes were bouncing off the place like hyper gas particles- to an empty table, they ordered something from the waitress who kept mentioning how cute they were. As they waited for their orders, Zero wasn't at all surprised when Ichiru pulled his notebook out and searched for a clean page to begin sketching.

*.｡. o ~o .｡.*

"Brother, where are you going?" Yuuki demanded when she saw that her older brother was slipping his coat on. She stood on the steps of the grand staircase of their estate, the limestone smooth against her bare feet. Her brother said nothing to her as he fixed the buttons of his coat. She stepped forward, but he turned away from her, reaching for the door that would separate them yet again. She had a nauseating feeling that she would not be seeing him again if she simply let him walk out.

"Kaname."

He didn't move.

The white skirt of her dress shifted around her pale legs as she made to move closer and then stopped herself, a hand that had sought him falling limply at her side. A frown creased delicately between her brows as she wondered out loud, "where are you going brother?"

She couldn't see his hand tightening on the door knob and so she saw no reaction to her question. "I just need some fresh air."

The glance to the window in the room to her right was completely unnecessary. "Kaname, it's daylight. Why are you going out so early?"

"You should go back to sleep," he averted and stepped out the door, allowing the sunlight spilling outside to invade their dark home.

When the sound of the heavy wooden door closing encased the home in its preferred darkness, Yuuki was still. It was a silent moment that appeared as though time had stopped. No thoughts ran through her head; no breath was taken; no heartbeat was stuttered or increased. It was just silence. And then she stepped forward and pulled the door open...to nothing. Of course he'd be gone. She had given him all the time in the world, hadn't she?

Turning on her heels, skirt swaying now as she raced up the stairs. She thought back to the years, the decades, the centuries of time that her brother had struggled through with the sorrow that only peaked and stabilized, never dwindling with the slow passage of time. She threw open the door of her large bedroom and raced towards her dresser, ignoring the tears that ran down her face.

How much more cruelty did life intend to treat them to? Was it not enough that they'd lost their precious parents, that they were nearly alone? Why did fate enjoy punishing them? Was it the price they paid for the horrible things they'd done in the past?

It didn't matter. When she found the silver rod she'd searched for, she snatched it up and raced back out of the room. She wouldn't loose him. She couldn't loose him. Even if fate came searching for him, she would not give him up. How long had she convinced the elders of her brother's sanity, even with all the attempts on his own life? Her fingers tightened around the cold weapon. Even if Kaname was resigned to death, she would not let him die.

*.｡. o ~o .｡.*

The streets of the city were packed. There were so many humans; an endless heard of cattle to be feasted upon. Even as he walked among them- brushed shoulders and received inviting smiles- they seemed so unaware of how limited they were. These impossibly feeble creatures that were so ignorant of their own frailty. How easy it was for them to die. Whether from disease, fatal accidents, or their own foolishness in beckoning him with their blood.

So easy.

Slender fingers twitched at his side.

He envied them.

The way they lived for seconds and vanished, soon forgotten by those that would come after. And those left behind. How long had it been? Kaname could count back the centuries day by day, minute by minute. But to him, it still felt like yesterday. Nothing was gone: nothing was forgotten. Even in death, he was still here, haunting Kaname. With every heartbeat. With every breath. With every whisper of the wind. Because Kaname wasn't human and he could not erase the memories of his lover.

With narrowed eyes, he ignored the constriction in his throat. Why couldn't he be like these limited humans? He only wished to be able to forget...to forget that smile. So rare, but all the more precious. To forget the way he made Kaname smile or made him angry enough to shatter the closest object. To forget the immediate reprimand he'd get for loosing his temper so easily. He wanted to forget the way he tasted, the way he smelled, the way he quenched Kaname's unbridled thirst and brought to him a warmth he had never knew existed. It was spiteful...

Why could he still hear that voice so vividly enough to ruthlessly tear his heart to shreds? The sound of his laughter resonated in Kaname's head, every lilt and low rumble there. Even when he knew his lover wasn't present, he could still feel him by his side. But he was gone. He was gone and the truth was sharp and constant, leaving him breathless to know he would never be able to brush his fingers against that warm cheek. Or to run his fingers lazily through his hair and take in his scent, basking in the warmth of his lover's sweet body. He could no longer watch him sleep or listen to him grumbled sarcastic remarks just to be annoying.

Kaname had wondered on occasion if he was being watched over. Did his lover still think of him? Was he scoffing at Kaname's behavior? He had tried countless of times to get back up and keep moving on, but he was continuously swept away in pain. Kaname had known it was what he should do. He had listened to Yuuki tell him as gently as she could that his lover was gone. That he would never come back. He had known that. Kaname knew he was gone. Still, there were times when Kaname would look up to see him leaning against the door frame, arms crossed loosely, a dry and amused look on a face that was clearly mocking him. Kaname knew he was gone. He didn't need anyone to tell him that.

He knew.

It was his heart that didn't.

"Watch out!"

Kaname flinched at the sound of a loud horn. With his mind reeling, he was jerked back to reality and out of his morbid thoughts by his coat. The sudden movement caused tears that were lying in wait in his eyes, too ashamed to fall, to finally come down from their hiding place and stain his cheeks with their sweet poison. Shaky fingers touched them as they slid down his cheek, utterly surprised at their presence. For decades, they had refused to appear. Ever since that day, he'd kept them at bay.

"What's wrong with you, can't you see the sign?" Someone snapped at him. The voice was sharp among the low chatter going on around him. "It says 'don't walk'! Can't you read?"

With a crease between his brows, Kaname's gaze fell to the small boy whose hand was clutching tightly at his coat's sleeve and met his...his eyes...Tension ran throughout his entire being. It wasn't possible...it just couldn't be...but, there had been no one else in the world in all the time he'd existed who had the same rare coloring. He was identical, even...even his scent was... Or, was this just another game his heart was playing with him? A cruel joke from the world that had taken his only meaning in life?

The boy frowned at him beneath silver hair. A concerned look- so achingly familiar- skimmed the surface of his eyes as he took Kaname in. Tears were still running down his face, flowing freely now that they were unhinged. In a surprising move, the boy took hold of his hand with a sigh, looking back at the street and waiting for the light to change. "If you don't know how to cross the street, then let me help you across."

"Brother, he's a stranger."

Another one? Kaname blinked at the boy besides him. Two of them? Twins? The second boy, maybe the younger one, was holding onto the older boy's arm with both of his own, almost leaning into his brother as he murmured into his ear. Kaname watched as the presumably older twin tilted his head towards his brother slightly. "Its fine, Ichiru. He was just distracted. Come on."

When the older boy began to cross the street, his hands tugged along two others. Kaname numbly let the boy pull him forward, tears slow, but still falling while his heart was put on pause; afraid to beat and ruin this beautiful illusion. This precious break in reality that must have been given to him as an act of mercy for the years of lonely agony he'd endured. His eyes were fixated to the back of the silver haired boy's head. It was impossible, he knew. This couldn't be him; although, the resemblance was uncanny. This boy was not his lover. He wasn't Zero.

Making it safely across the street and ignoring the soft smiles on a few faces of the people who'd waited and crossed with them, Kaname felt the boy release his hand. The warmth instantly vanished and Kaname had to resist the desperate urge to grab the child's hand once more. He scolded himself with the harsh reminder that his lover was dead. But maybe this boy-

No. It couldn't be, it wasn't right.

"Be careful next time," the boy told him. His face was a bit too serious for someone his age. "Look both ways and cross with everyone else. Don't space out like that again or you could get hurt."

And then the twins turned away and Kaname watched them- him. Tempted to go after him and follow the boy that so resembled his lover. But he wouldn't. It would only bring more pain and so Kaname turned away.

"That guy was weird, huh, Zero?"

Kaname froze.

So it's a bit short, but its the prologue so its excusable, no? Anyway, you don't need me to tell you to review and let me know if you liked it and whether or not I should continue. *rereads last sentence * Oh, look at that, I did anyway… ^^;

Oh! Merry Christmas~