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A/N: Here is Bleed Me's first chapter. As always, leave your comments/questions in the reviews. If you want me to reply to you, leave your question under a username and I will PM you an answer. Please Fave, FOLLOW, and REVIEW (!). Enjoy :)Razor sharp fangs penetrated a hair's breadth above his collar and Zero cried out as pain raced through him at an alarming rate- he was helpless in the arms of this pureblooded beast who so resembled an angel and he couldn't help but quiver in her warm embrace.But pain soon gave way to a pounding of his head as the seal his adopted parents had placed on him was torn away- memories of times long gone by dancing in his hazy mind, making it difficult to focus on only one.But moments became minutes and Shizuka dranks so slowly, so sparingly, that he had time to grip onto many of them- regaining his lost sense of self.They had found him in his hidden crypt- the crypt he had hidden himself away in as the general vampire public turned toward the council instead of to their rightful pureblooded rulers. He had sent for his sister, but she had clearly been captured to not have come to know this fate for herself.The Kiryu hunters had found him in his sleeping form and had done countless incantations upon him, morphing his vulnerable unconscious form into a child- a hunter child. They had torn his mind near to shreds before slowly crafting him a false life he was meant to never see through.He raged as he came to himself, his powers breaking through the seals they had placed upon him as he searched his healing memory.They had wanted powerful progeny to rejuvenate their line- getting so swept up in their pride that they had begun to believe the lie they had created.He was not their son.He was the last Hiou Prince- the Tempest Prince- the one to have pieced back their society when the Kurans became too tied up in their own drama to see past themselves.He was unmatched in strength when he was at his best- he had killed quite a few warring purebloods on his own- so how dare they make him play the role of a hunter.A child, at that!He felt his canines elongate and his form begin to grow once more, but he quickly laid that to rest- no, he could sense his baby sister needed his help, he could sense her fury and heartbreak through their tattered bond.He latched onto her own throat once she pulled away and she gladly allowed him to drink from her- witnessing her memories of the time that he had been away.When he pulled back he wiped his mouth clean with his sleeve, grinding his teeth in irritation."I see you have been having quite the time, Shizuka..""Yes, Nii-san. I have."Her voice was magnificent to hear after so long and he stood, adjusting to his form for a moment.The seal that had marred his looks had dissolved- leaving his hair as white as her own, his eyes a brilliant red-violet."The Kuran boy freed you? Why?""He is their Ancestor, made near helpless before Rido Kuran as he was the one to awaken him. I believe he sought to inevitably use you."Zero nodded."Zen," She began and he waved it off, "I'll keep 'Zero' for now, Shizuka."She sighed, "Zero, I have taken my revenge, what will you do?"He grinned, "Since I cannot take revenge, I am curious to see where the Kuran boy/ancestor/ whatever takes this. What is his goal? What hand does he play in this? Why did he release you? I think these are all valid questions and I would like to see them answered. Who knows, perhaps I shall make an ally of him?"Shizuka narrowed her eyes on him, "We all know what you do with your 'allies', Nii-san."Zero smirked at her but his eyes were drawn to his supposed twin hanging in the wings."Ichiru."A warm feeling flooded him at seeing the boy alright. He may not have been his actual kin, but he knew the boy had no hand in doing this to him."He led me to you, Nii-san." Shizuka whispered beside him, brushing her kimono down as she stood.Zero held out his hand to the silver haired hunter and Ichiru stepped forward, hesitation marring his normally kind aura.Ichiru stopped a foot in front of him and Zero pulled him into his arms,, Ichiru wrapping him up in his own embrace."Thank you, Ichiru.""Always, Nii-san. I-I want to stay with you, they were going to send me away."Zero ran a hand through his hair and pulled away after a moment.He glanced at Shizuka, then back at the frail boy."You will always be kin to me, Ichiru."Shizuka did not deny it and they walked from the house and into the snow."What will you have us do, brother?"Zero thought on it for a moment before coming to a rash decision."You two will leave tonight and the house will burn. Hopefully they will believe Ichiru dead and you long gone. We will go along with Kuran's plan- they will no doubt send me to Kaien Cross, Kuran, if he does mean to use me, will know."I will send word as events unfold, but stay clear of it all, let them believe you two dead. Go west- we have allies there still, no doubt."Shizuka nodded and Ichiru wringed his hands nervously.Zero calmed him with a warm embrace and made short work of knocking him unconscious."I have come to care for him a great deal, and I have no doubt you will care for him as well, Shizuka.""I do not doubt that, Nii-san.""I wish to make him like us."Her eyes widened, "A pureblood? How?"Zero rolled his eyes, "You know how.""But that would require a pureblooded sacrifice."He cocked a brow, "You doubt your Nii-san?"Shizuka frowned at him, "You are not at your best, Nii-san. You must feed regularly to be able to stand against another pureblood."Zero nodded, "A good point. But I have a plan.""Oh, and what does this plan entail?" She rolled her eyes and he grinned,"A level-D is only as valuable as long as they do not fall. I only have to make myself appear a level-D and take Kuran's blood.""You think he'll just offer it to you, like that?"Zero smirked, "If it turns out that he doesn't require me, I'll go about my way and find some other way. But I sense this Rido problem of his would make him need my help as a hunter of the most powerful clan in hunting."Shizuka blew out a breath and gathered their soon-to-be baby brother in her arms as Zero began to lay his own seals to make him resemble a recently bitten human, morphing his features back to their Kiryu looks, glad that he had stopped his growth spurt before it had really begun.With a mere thought the house caught a blaze and he made short work of dirtying his clothes and clawing his throat open, forcing his form not to heal as he collapsed onto the snow covered ground, knowing that hunters would soon make an appearance.

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He knew the time had begun for him to reveal himself as slipping and had displayed signs of it oh-so-carefully for the past three weeks, the slow degradation to level-D, showing symptoms of one who was soon to fall even further.He had been patrolling the academy for the past hour and it was only when he felt Yuki draw closer did he began to mimic the symptoms- shivering, growling, clawing of the throat, and so on.He was in the second floor stairwell when she found him and he rammed himself into the back wall to 'escape' her."Stay back!""It's okay, Zero. I'm not going to hurt you…" She began, stopping when she caught sight of his glowing crimson eyes."You're… you're a vampire, Zero?"Yuki stilled, but only momentarily, and his beast purred, calling for her to come closer- to welcome him with open arms so he could devour all that she was.He had to remind himself that draining her would be a problem- no, he couldn't do that, but he had already decided to have a small taste."Go!" He shouted, but she began to approach him."Zero, let me help you, you can-you can drink from me. That will help, right?"Sweet Yuki, so filled with the desire to help- but so filled with stupidity it would seem, stepping forward till she had cornered him in the stairwell, her scent thick and cloying in the air around him.Something was off about her scent- he had never detected it before, but he did now.But he had already made up his mind and his eyes narrowed on her slender neck, his body uncoiling, his hand reaching out to draw her closer.Slowly- he had to be slow.He needed Kuran to be here when it happened- if only so the other pureblood could play knight in shining armor to her.Yuki unbuttoned her collar, removing the tie that held her uniform jacket in place."Drink, Zero."In a single moment he struck, latching onto her with his sharpened canines, drinking from her in fast, brutal pulls- he had to make it seem like he was desperate after all.He wasn't in actuality- he had a few donors spread out in the towns surrounding the Academy- most of them level-C vampires that would simply die for the chance to stand before a pureblood. Of course, he had to command them to keep quiet about him using the Call, but it didn't take away the fact that for a few minutes he would bring them the pleasure of kneeling.And if he had stayed in their presences for a few more hours for playtime- who really needed to know?It was only a minute into his drinking from her that he found it with his senses- a seal.Not a hunter's seal, but a pureblood's- he recognized it as Juri Kuran's work.Juri had been but a girl when he first met her and her brothers, but he had been the one to train her in the sparse magic that vampires could master- the one set of abilities that hunters held the advantage over their race..Yuki was a hidden pureblood- oh, how utterly delightful.But he would leave her seal intact- it would do him no good to reveal himself as a pureblood so soon as only a pureblood could remove seals such as those.He began to slow just as Kuran ripped her from his grip and threw him into the far wall, forcing Zero to collapse.He finally looked up a moment later- oh yes, he could see the resemblance as clear as day now. How he had never picked up on their similar features he could never know- the only thing that separated them was subtle coloring differences that marked them as human and vampire."Have you already fallen so low, Kiryu?"With a single pinch Kuran knocked Yuki unconscious, leaving the two of them in the hallway alone.Zero said nothing, waiting for the other to make his move."This cannot be ignored," Kuran drawled, "I won't allow you to endanger Yuki.""Why you seem to think I would ever want to intentionally hurt Yuki, I have no clue, Kuran."Inwardly, Zero scoffed at the statement he made.Yeah, he had wanted to hurt Yuki before- the girl thought she could punch him every time he stepped a toe out of her predetermined lines. The only reason he had not reacted in kind was to preserve the image that he was in love with the brat.The brown haired pureblood's mask cracked for a second and Zero glimpsed his lips frown before it was sealed back perfectly once more.Eventually they ended up in the headmaster's house, Cross stitching Yuki up before they were both led into his office.Kuran looked damn near demanding as he argued for Zero to be transferred to the Night Class but the prefect himself was unconcerned, leaning against the window sill as the pureblood formed near perfect logic to sway the headmaster.Zero didn't particularly care if he ended up in the Night Class, in utter honesty.On one hand, it would be difficult to maintain his act- but one the other hand, it meant he had a front row seat to Kuran's plans as they unveiled.Actually- being in the Night Class might be worth the risk.He kept a scowl pasted on his face a he thought it over in his head, plotting out reworkings of his own plans- not that any of them had ever really solidified, no, he would need to know Kuran's plans to fully solidify any of his plans in advance."Kaname-kun, I see you have already made up your mind." Cross sighed.The headmaster glanced over at Zero, drawing the male's attention."What do you think, Zero? Do you need to be in the Night Class, or do you think you should remain in the Day Class?Zero glanced away and shrugged.Cross sighed once more, "I'll work through the transfer papers tonight then. I shall have to work to find another prefect as well. Zero, do you have any recommendations?""Wakaba." He stated through clenched teeth, begrudgingly."Ah yes, Yori-chan."The rest of the meeting pass uneventfully and soon Kaname and Zero both walked out of the office and out the door.Kaname glanced at Zero from the corner of his eyes, "I am surprised you didn't put up a fight, Kiryu. Could it be you think I'm right?"Zero rolled his eyes, "At least I won't have to get stuck doing all the day class shit they dump on me just to swoon over all of you bloodsuckers."Kaname chuckled, "Never took you for an optimist, Kiryu.""Well, we all have to abate the apathy somehow."They parted ways at the path where the school diverged from the Dorms.Kuran told him to pack his things and have them sent over the next evening- he was to move in the next night.Apparently Kuran was in a rush.Zero nodded and left, his mind focused on strategies as to how to get a better handle of the brunet's well-crafted plans without attracting too much attention.He toyed with each strategy, but they all carried the risk of his class being discovered.But perhaps that would not be so bad- perhaps he'd even get to throw a surprise the ancestor's way.Zero chuckled to himself quietly.He could just see Kuran's face now.

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A/N: Here is the third chapter of Bleed Me. Sorry for taking so long on it- I haven't really been writing for a multitude of reasons, depression and lack of motivation being the primary reasons. But I'm slowly but surely improving, so expect some more chapters of the stories I started. Anyway, please Fave, FOLLOW, and (!) REVIEW (!). (You'll see what I mean- Kinkshame Zero in the reviews lol) Enjoy :)...Zero rolled his eyes for what had to be the dozenth time that night as Aidou ground his own perfect teeth and sneered at him as the short blond led him through the Moon Dorms, pointing out several key features and hissing occasionally as he did so.Zero knew the blond was just waiting for his opportunity to look down his nose at the silver haired ex-hunter and label him a level-D or all things.He kept his hands in his pockets, and except for the eye rolling, kept his features schooled into a noncomittal facade- not exactly in the mood to start anything just yet.Soon, maybe- when he had gotten used to living there- when he had begun to construct his own plans.Aidou guided him to a bedroom in the East Wing and Zero could sense Kuran just steps away behind a closed heavy wooden door."This is your bedroom. You are alone in this wing except for Kaname-sama." Aidou grumbled and Zero nodded, stepping within the room to find his suitcases and a handful of boxes stacked neatly in the center of the cavernous room.The room was ample- no doubt either meant for a pureblood or to house two or more Nobles.Kuran had no doubt dumped him here out of convenience.Zero was dead certain the brown haired pureblood meant to keep a close eye on him- what with the room being just five feet away from the ancestor's own quarters.The hall had been filled with the other male's scent- a warm honey with hints of rich wine and dark chocolate. Zero savored it as it made its way into his room via the open door."Thank you, senpai."Aidou stilled in the corner of his eye, a pink flush overcoming his cheeks.Zero scolded himself silently- he had let some of the Call come through.Not enough to be noticed- but enough that it would trigger a physical reaction in lesser vampires.Part of him was amused at the reaction he spotted in the Noble, but another part of him- one that sounded like the ghost of his wife- scolded him.Naira had scolded him for thousands of things- but she would have come after him if she was here now."Zen! How dare you command my grandbaby?!"Zero turned his back on the Noble, a small smile coming to life on his features at the idea.Aidou no doubt knew little to nothing of his relation to the Hio line- the council had virtually eradicated him from the memories of the living after he had gone to ground.It hadn't been easy with Naira- she was a Noble and he had been expected to marry a pureblood after all. But he had known as soon as he met her that there would never be a woman for him after her that would ever compare.Long golden waves, bright blue eyes, and a wit that could cut glass had charmed him near immediately to her- but it had taken time for him to win her over.Naira had rejected him no less than a dozen times, at times just 'because'.But they had married only fifty years after they met and he had never regretted a moment of it.In another world- she would no doubt have been a pureblood, but whenever he even thought of her name he could only imagine her as she was.She had been everything to him and they had been happy.Naira had given him three daughters, just a year separating each birth some ten years after their marriage.Namiko, Naomi, and Ama.His daughters had been his closest allies (especially when Naira was cross with him).They had each married well, each taking after their mother's looks.As it stood, only Ama knew he was currently up and walking around- though he had left out much of his situation even to her.And to think- their children were but a floor below him.Zero felt Aidou depart silently.He looked like Naira the most out of all his present grandchildren- Ruka resembling her the least. Kain had been passed his wife's ability however.He had been burned by her flames on many an occasion in the weeks after they met.He had never met a Noble so inclined to confront a pureblood.He looked up as he felt Kuran's presence approach.Kuran stopped in the door and Zero turned around to face him with a quirked brow.Now Kuran- if he could compare Kuran to anyone he had met it would have been to his husband.Wren had the same aura about him, but that was where the resemblance ended.Where Kuran was unforgiving and cunning, Wren had been teasing and relentlessly clever.Wren had made him laugh till his sides ached, till his breath was gone and tears streamed down his face.Wren had died almost two thousand years ago however, and Zero had tried his hardest to burn away the memory of the red haired pureblood.He had faked his own death then and sent their son- his only pureblooded child- west.Somewhere along the lines he had lost track of Kenato- but he was fairly certain Shizuka had found him. She had alluded to as much in a brief unsigned letter a year ago.It was better if Kenato was kept hidden- there was no clear way to explain his existence.He couldn't exactly explain how he had turned himself into a female without giving away several secrets he had sworn to keep to himself.Males couldn't reproduce with each other after all, and Kenato had the trademark white hair of a Hio and the tiger eyes of an Omaki.Zero tore himself away from his thoughts as he felt the air stir between he and Kuran."Your uniforms are in the closet." Kuran began, "My rooms are across from yours."Zero nodded, his features impassive."Come," Kuran summoned, "I have a proposition for you."Zero stripped off his jacket and vest and loosened his tie, tossing it all on the bed before following Kuran to his office.He noted the open door leading to the ancestor's bedroom, recognizing the quality leather furniture and pricey paintings hanging around the room as Kuran sat down in a chair before a roaring fire, waving a hand to a second across from him.Zero took up the seat and crossed an ankle over his knee.They were silent for several moments."I am going to give you my blood, Kiryu."Zero narrowed his eyes, "Why? What does it get you?"Kuran did not give anything away- but Zero had long been expecting this, been awaiting it, in all honesty.He needed pureblood after all- and he needed a lot of it.His own wouldn't be enough to change Ichiru into a pureblood- and he wouldn't let his 'twin' be anything less.He knew what was required of him for the spell he was going to attempt- had known for quite some time.He had discovered the spell when he was looking for a way to make Naira a pureblood- but all the spell had done was poison her- she had to have been a human for the spell to have worked.It had crushed him when she died- he had gone to ground because of it."Assurance, Kiryu. Assurance you won't fall."Before I'm done with you, at least.The last bit Zero tacked on- he was well aware that was the ancestor's intentions.But Zero had never forgotten Shizuka's tease that Zero would play around with the ancestor first.Let's just say she wasn't wrong.He found an endless amount of amusement every time he stepped within feet of the ancestor- Kuran was like a grouchy cat.You were never too sure when he was going to get tired of being toyed with and lash out with sharp claws.But Zero savored those moments.It probably helped that he was pretty to look at too.(Not that he was going to breathe a word of that, mind you. Gotta keep up reputations, you understand.)Zero zoned out even further as he toyed with the idea of that frame hanging over him, pounding-"Kiryu."Zero snapped back to reality with barely a blink."Yes?"Kuran sighed and Zero could swear he saw his right eye twitch involuntarily.Oh, this is good- one thing the pureblood can't control.He tried- really hard- not to snicker- not to smile.Not hard enough apparently and he slammed his mouth shut to keep from smiling.Kuran knew what he was doing and his right eye twitched once more."Something funny, Kiryu?"Don't laugh. Don't smile. Don't laugh. Don't smi-He didn't open his mouth to reply but a sound something akin to a seal escaped his sealed lips.Oooh, he was not doing well in the Moon Dorms.How long had he been here? An hour?Not good- but so help him if Kuran's eye twitched one more time.It didn't- luckily or unluckily, you be the judge.His face must be red as a cherry from not breathing- but Kuran only glowered at him in reply.Breathe, asshole!Zero blew out a breath through his nose and the ancestor sighed once more."Do I actually have a choice?" Zero quirked a brow after a period of silence."No."Zero leaned back- not having noticed that his elbows had fallen to lean on his knees."So?"Kuran unbuttoned the stiff collar of his pressed silk shirt and stood, switching seats to the stylishly worn leather sofa next to him, waving Zero over.Zero saddled over and allowed Kuran to grab hold of him when he hesitated, the brunet's hands neither rough or gentle.His touch was warm against the silverette's wrist, sliding up slowly to pull him closer till one of Zero's knees fell between the other male's legs. Kuran grabbed his hand, settling it along the hard plane of his shoulder before latching onto the ex-hunter's waist and guiding him to sit over his right thigh.The hidden pureblood thanked his lucky stars that he had some control of his cock.Fortunately, he wouldn't have to worry about control for long as it was completley normal for vampires to become aroused when feeding- regardless of class.All he had to do was pretend to be uncomfortable when he pulled away.Well, unless the vampire he was astride was up for more.Zero let the older pureblood grasp the back of his neck and pull him close against his own."Let instincts take care of the rest." The brunet muttered, but Zero was entranced by the vein pulsing beneath his fingertips.He leaned closer, inhaling deep through his nose as the other male's potent scent invaded his senses with all the finesse of a jackhammer.He hadn't fed on another pureblood since Shizuka awakened him.He gently licked the skin before he began to nip to numb it.Kuran was in for a little surprise.Zero latched on like a viper.Warmth flooded him first- then slowly he began to taste a delicate sweetness followed by a bitter tang- a bitter darkness pulling him deeper- compelling him to continue.He felt the brown haired pureblood latch onto his hips with his claws, nails sinking into soft flesh and drawing a groan from Zero, his hand slipping down the other's chest his other hand gripping Kuran's shoulder as his fallen hand brushed a hard length -accidentally, of course- drawing a shudder from the normally icy brunet.Kuran's hands crawled up to his waist, splitting up after a moment, one hand pulling Zero's head closer- almost pleading him to continue.With pleasure.His bite was like an aphrodisiac to other purebloods- not that many recongnized it of course. Only his sister and Wren had ever been brave enought to ask to be exact.It was rare among vampires- a gift of sorts that occurred sporadically with no reason.Kuran's other hand clawed down his back to his hip once more, leaving no doubt very angry marks beneath his ruined shirt.Zero felt his lips curl into a faint smirk, but he was careful not to spill even a single drop of the ancestor's blood.There was no way the other male knew how his blood differed drastically from those of later born purebloods- Kuran's blood was like a drum of pulsing power and Zero groaned, inadvertantly grinding against the brunet's leg.Kuran showed no signs of wanting him to stop, his fingers curling into the silverette's waves.The ancestor groaned slowly- a purring arc of a moan and Zero began to lick the wound clean and slowly withdraw- still riding a blood high himself.He was hard within his pants and he hoped desperately to begin their litte affair sooner rather than later.He kissed the wound, his tongue making circular motions, before it began to slowly crawl up the brunet's throat.He rocked on the other's leg, nipping and kissing his way up the other's jaw.Kuran's eyes had closed and his mouth was slightly slack- perfect for Zero to latch onto.The brunet began to respond soon enough and Zero purred when he felt the other demand dominance.Their tongues danced and Zero's hands wrapped into the pureblood's dark lockes unwittingly.Kuran groaned into his mouth and his hold became tighter, pulling the silverette closer.Zero only pulled away briefly to breathe, but Kuran took the chance to run his lips down Zero's neck.He nipped and teased and drew a moan from the ex-hunter.Zero rocked slowly over his leg and arched his neck to provide access.Come on- do it, Kuran!Just… just…Just fuck me!

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A/N: Hi all, here is the next chapter of Bleed Me! Thank you so much to everyone that has commented and replied in other ways, I really appreciate it! Enjoy :)...Zero blinked heavy eyes as he came to hours later.Wha-His skin was warm to the touch and he was lax in the hold of someone else- a male.He blinked again and memories flooded back.Kuran. Eye Twitching. Blood. Fucking.He stretched out an arm, quickly discovering that he was not the only one naked.At least they hadn't stuck to the couch- that would have been awkward to wake up on. Not to mention uncomfortable.With a sigh of relative contentment (that he would deny as soon as the ancestor in bed beside him woke up), he made to sit up- well, he tried at least.Kuran merely gripped his shoulder and pulled him back down.Oh, this is hilarious.Kuran Kaname- a cuddler?Zero snickered softly to himself, before gently prying himself away.The snickering quickly turned into a grumble when he caught sight of himself in the mirror across the bedroom however.Really? Fucking really?!He was outfitted in more stripes than a fucking candy cane because of the ancestor's claws.A knock came at the door and Zero turned his gaze to the ceiling as if to ask some god why his life was like this."Kaname-sama?"Kuran stirred beside him and Zero quickly threw himself off the bed and flitted around the room gathering what remained of his clothes- not much Kuran, you cocksu-.A flash of memory of Zero being the one on his knees and Zero pouted to himself.Kuran said nothing to him to alert him to Kuran being cognizant until Zero turned around to find the other's wine colored eyes narrowed on him.Zero narrowed his eyes in return, but turned away quickly to find his tie.When he glanced back Kuran was fully dressed."Come in, Takuma."Ichijo entered then, his eyes only slightly widening when he discovered Zero off to the side."Kaname-sama," Ichijo began, glancing off to the side at Zero from the corner of his green eyes.Kuran sent Zero a pointed look and Zero smirked before flitting back to his unused room.He'd give Kuran his privacy- they both knew that Kuran would corner him within the following hours.Kuran thought Zero was confrontational- but Zero had long known that Kuran was just as confrontational if not more.They both knew that Kuran wouldn't let the night previous go unpunished.Zero spent the next three hours organizing his sparse possessions in the ample space he had been allotted, re-organizing some of the furniture to better suit his taste.When he felt Kuran's presence approach he set aside the chalk and replaced the painting over the sigil he had signed across the wall.He had set up a dozen sigils already- but he had at least a dozen or so more to put up before he finished making the room to his standards.Most of them were for protection- a few for keeping away eavesdroppers, a few for containing scent and several more to amplify his strength among other things.He wiped away the dust on his hands with a wet rag as the door slid open to reveal the brown haired pureblood decked out in casual clothes- well, casual for Kuran anyway.Zero wore a pair of sweatpants and a ringer tee himself, his feet bare against the cool hardwoods.He tossed the rag down on the desk and sat down on the chair in front of it, watching Kuran sweep into the room, the door clicking shut softly behind him.The older male swept his gaze over the room, his face providing no affirmation or condemnation yet, but Zero knew it was coming as surely as he knew the sun was set to rise in the next four hours.It was a weekend night and they didn't have classes for the next two nights.It was a welcome relief to get away from the piles of classwork he had in the Day Class and the heaps of other work he had taken on when the student council was too busy chasing Night Class tail.Zero blinked and all of the sudden found himself thrown back against the wall with Kuran's arms on either side of his head.His inner beast growled but he beat it back- a taste of what surely awaited him the longer he stayed in the brunet's presence.He hadn't heard the beast in so long- he had not heard it since he had gone to ground, but he was near certain that it was a sign he was going to take his pureblood form back sooner rather than later.He had yet to take it back on fully- Zero had long since known that when he took it back on he would never go back.After all- who would want to pretend to be the sheep when they were truly the wolf?Not to mention how he yearned to stretch his powers.He had been called the Tempest Prince for a reason, dear reader.Kuran leaned in close to his neck, breathing deep as he caged Zero against the wall."Any closer and I'll think you're up for more." Zero drawled, his voice dry and… way too rough.Kuran didn't reply, merely leaning in closer till his warm breath crested over the silverette's shoulder and drew a shiver from the younger male.Closer still, till his lips touched the linework of the just-for-show tattoo that marred Zero's neck.Zero's breath caught in his throat and he clenched his hands, yearning to reach out and touch the other.Don't be stupid, Zen. He's going to use you if you're not careful.Naira's helpful voice tried to rein him in- but even she hadn't been a strong enough voice of reason to corral him when he wanted to play.Kuran nipped at the sensitive skin beneath his lips and Zero nearly leapt out of his skin at the sensation."I wonder Kiryu… Does your blood bring as much pleasure to others as your bite?"In that moment he wanted the other to find out, he wanted to feel the other's fangs slice into his skin and devour all that he was (preferably while he fucked him into oblivion, but he wasn't picky enough to demand more than the other was willing to give).Fuck, bad idea.If Kuran went digging into his blood he would no doubt detect the lock he had placed on his abilities- he might recognize Zero for the pureblood that he was.No, that couldn't happen…But as Kuran nipped and teased Zero found himself groaning like some hapless virgin.Zero forced himself to breach the distance and grasp the other's shirt, though he couldn't seem to force himself to push Kuran away.I'm not playing with him.Followed by:He is most certainly playing with me.Kuran chuckled, breaking Zero from his thoughts.When he pulled away Zero could only detect a trace of amusement in the older male's face, a faint glimmer in his eye, a slight (very slight) upturn of the lips."Fuck off," Zero spat, but it sounded like a whine even to his own ears.And sure enough, he was certain a blush began to manifest in his cheeks."To think- I thought you were in love with Yuki…" The brunet purred and Zero narrowed his eyes on him."You must have won over every woman you've ever met with that pout, Kiryu." Kuran teased and Zero grumbled his retort.Kuran was right.He'd known from a very early age no one could quite resist him (as both a pureblood and a hunter).Though to be fair, Ichiru was even worse than he was.Look Nii-san! Yui-chan gave me another pencil today!Their 'mother' had scolded both of them for it of course- but Ichiru always did the same thing to her and she'd give in within moments."Are you high, Kuran? Shouldn't you be... I don't know? Threatening me once more with a little mocking tacked on.""Maybe…" Kuran purred again, "But I think we can both find a better outlet for tension…"Zero gaped when he felt the slightly taller male rub through his sweatpants to his hardening member."One of us is definitely high." Zero murmured as Kuran leaned closer, back against his neck where he nipped and sucked till Zero was sure he was bound to have hickeys.The bastard was either riding an aftershock of Zero's bites from the prior hours, or he was screwing with him. Probably with some ulterior motive mixed in.Zero was inclined to believe the latter- but he was not going to argue if the other male pushed it further.And Kuran did, sliding his hand into the others pants to caress the head of the other's cock before wrapping his hand completely around its length, drawing a breathy groan from the silverette."Kur-aah… Kura-""Use my name, Zero. I want to hear you call my name out."Zero's hand loosened on the other's shirt and slid up the hard planes of his chest to his shoulder where he gripped him once more, his opposite hand grasped around the one arm of Kuran's that still kept him caged against the wall.Kuran nicked him with a needle like fang and the scent of his blood flooded the air between them- sweet apples and cool mint.Kuran stilled, but only briefly before Zero felt the touch of a tongue glide along the small cut.He groaned and Kuran began to pump his hand up and down his length.Warmth flooded him and he purred, feeling his beast rise up once more- but he felt helpless to stop it.He wanted to give in- indeed it seemed of the utmost importance that he sink down to his knees and provide the other male with pleasure of his own- or perhaps allow him to drain this mortal coil.Not a good idea. Naira chided.The best idea. He thought back.Kuran moved them to the bed across the room in a single breath, clawing the shirt from Zero while Zero did clawing of his own, sending the brunet's shirt buttons scuttling across the hardwood.He whimpered (not that he would ever admit that later) as Kuran released his length long enough for Zero to strip himself of his pants.Zero quickly rid the other male of his own pants, and he pouted when the other male chuckled down at him.To take revenge he grabbed hold of the other male's length and slid down to his knees to take him inside his mouth, smirking when he heard the other hiss at the feeling.Kuran's hands entangled themselves in Zero's hair and began to bob his head up and down.Licking and sucking and grazing drew groans from the ancestor and it wasn't soon before he found himself being pulled up and away and being turned onto his hands and knees on the bed.He groaned when he felt Kuran prod his entrance, stretching him out briefly with two fingers before entering him in full.He leaned down as he began to slowly rock in and out of the silverette."I meant what I said, Zero."Zero groaned in response."I want to hear you call me by my name."He punctuated his words with a harsh thrust and the headboard banged against the wall in reply.Warmth flooded the air between them as Kuran began to pick up his thrusts and Zero grappled with the silk sheets for hold.The ancestor raked his claws into Zero's hips and the silverette cried out when the other male hit him just right.Hearing the whine he made, Kuran focused his attentions there, but as the scent of the Zero's blood flooded the air Kuran leaned down once more and pulled Zero up by the shoulder so they kneeled front-to-back.The brunet licked and nipped the silverette's throat, teasing and sucking to the point where Zero barely noticed when he latched on, his fangs like syringe needles.He didn't slow his pace though- no, he seemed to lose himself further and Zero cried out once more, shaking in the other's hold.But nothing could keep him from noticing the other slowly enter his mind- prying for more and more hold over him.For a split second he allowed it- and that was all the bastard had needed.He sunk his telepathic claws in to avoid being ripped out and attached himself to the nearest memory, forcing them both to take notice of it even as their naked forms continued their debaucherous scene.Kai held him tight to his chest and Zen clutched desperately at his elder brother's kimono, his form quivering in pain from the burns that marred the right half of his small body.He was only nine when a small group of Nobles attacked their home.He had been home alone all but for the staff and his nanny- Kai had been left in charge of the house while their parents departed for the mainland. And Kai had only returned to their home after a night out to find the staff dead and Zen half burned in the gardens.His elder brother had just been presented to society the fortnight prior, but he had made a scene with several of the prized daughters of the Samaki clan. Several of them not Samaki by blood but marriage."I'm so sorry, Z. Don't worry, I'll get you out of here."Zen could barely make out his words from the ringing in his right ear, but he clung closer at the mere tenor of Kai's familiar voice.Kai promised him he would take care of him.Zen was certain his older brother would not fail.Kai never broke his promises, after all."Shit!"Zen blinked slowly as he began to pick up the auras of two purebloods and a half dozen Nobles.One of them was familiar- Oko Subaru- Kai's closest friend.But why was he coming from the same direction as their attackers? Why did he approach among the enemies with even footing?Zen felt Kai pick up speed, but worry twisted his stomach into restless knots- something was wrong.This wasn't good- Subaru was powerful, even for a pureblood. There had been talk that he would even guide his line to surpass the Kuran line and seize the throne.But both he and Kai knew that Kai could never face him, even without bearing Zen's weight and supposing the other enemies turned tail and hid.Kai had only come into passive abilities like healing and telepathy. He had yet to even take a familiar…If only Zen was at his best… But Kai wouldn't be able to heal him without taking on some of his baby brother's wounds for himself.Kai still would not have let him fight, but they both knew that Zen would have stood a far better chance than Kai.Zen had come into several abilities already- almost all of them active, offensive, abilities.He had little experience with them as his chief abilities had not been seen in any line for generations, nor had he been able to fully experiment with them since the chief talents brought with them waves of destruction.Their parents had hidden Zen away from an early age, no one being allowed to know of his existence beside their small unit and his mother's brother- Omaki Neo.Zen had met his uncle only a handful of times, but he had met his cousin Wren for several weeks every winter.Zen was knocked from his thoughts when Kai was knocked off balance by a bull of a Noble, sending the two brothers in two different directions, the Noble following Kai into a clearing while Zen went flying into the dark forest surrounding.Luckily he wasn't injured much more beside a few bruises on his left side and what was sure to be a massive bruise on his back.He crawled to his hands and knees in the grass, his right eye twitching in pain as he slowly began to crawl forward to the treeline where Kai had managed to take down four of the Nobles one by one.How long was I out?Zen blinked heavy eyes, barely noticing Kai kill off the last two.His brother sensed his presence no doubt but he was clearly trying his hardest not to point him out to the two purebloods approaching.One came much faster than the other- an older female.Shirabuki Kim.The vampiress carried twin daggers in her hands where his brother was unarmed.His mind was a haze for the next few moments, his eyes unable to note the feral dance Kai and the Shirabuki female performed- indeed, only when he smelled his brother's blood in the air did he notice that the female had stabbed Kai threw the left shoulder, rendering his left arm useless in the process."That was for my daughter, brat!"Kai cursed her and in a blur of movement she was disarmed and on the ground.She screamed when he managed to stab her in the stomach with one of her own daggers, but in a flash Subaru was there and ripping Kai away from the female.He tossed his brother several feet, the stolen blade ricocheting into the shadows of the woods.Zen had forgotten how fast Kai was in the midst of a fight, but he had not forgotten that Subaru had been trained since he was a child to fight beasts much larger that his brother."You betray me, Subaru." Kai growled, "My line will not forget it."Subaru sighed, "I did not wish to- but I do what I must to bring my family glory.""And betraying a friend is how you do that?""Kree-san required a show of support for his line so that my sister could marry into it. You brought dishonor upon his line when you seduced his Noble daughter." Subaru supplied, "He demands your head."Subaru glanced down on Kai and Zen could spot a smirk dawning on the redhead's perfect features."And your line will never know I was involved."Kai chuckled, rising back up to a stand."Then by all means, come and take my head if you can."Zen saw the Shirabuki woman pop back to her feet and bridge the several feet before Subaru had moved even an inch.She had not retrieved her first dagger, but instead appeared to be aiming to gouge out Kai's eyes with her bare hands.She raked her claws down his face in several swipes, but Kai had managed to thrust a hand threw her healing abdominal wound.She screeched and fell back, gripping her bloody flesh as if to urge it back to whole.Subaru crossed the distance then and the two males became a blur of limbs, blood squirting into the air and painting the summer grass crimson.It was all over within moments after the third expulsion of blood however, and Kai had fallen to his knees before his former friend.Zen crawled closer, but neither male noticed him crawl his way over to a tree before climbing to a stand with the support of the thick trunk.Shirabuki noticed him however.She must not have sensed his class, or perhaps didn't care, because she flitted over with glowing burgundy eyes and elongated canines.Zen, even in his weakened form, could still defeat a pureblood in the midst of a hunger-craze. Especially given her wounded state.He didn't move as she went to grab him, allowing her to take hold before he made a sharp move as she went for his neck.His arm cracked threw her ribs due to much of her own force as she approached at blinding speeds.He grabbed hold of her heart and clawed away a sizable chunk before she ceased her movements.Before he would kill her he decided to take her blood for all it was worth, draining the mana- or her life's energy- from her and healing his wounds.He would not lick a drop from her- no, she was too far beneath him for him to even then have wanted to taste her against his lips.She crumbled to dust just as he spotted Subaru rip out his Nii-san's heart."No!"Subaru stilled at his voice, looking away from the disappearing corpse of Zen's cherished elder brother."What do we have here? A pup torn from its father? No, no, no… You are a pureblood."Subaru dropped Kai's heart with barely a glance and ignited Zen's rage in the process."Could Hio-sama have spawned another brat when his eldest proved so disappointing, I wonder? Are you the one who is meant to make up for it's failed predecessor?"Zen knew he wouldn't stand a chance against the Oko heir in hand to hand combat, so he struck with his most untested ability while the other seemed dead set on monologuing.The grass died beneath his feet before a wave of pure death stretched out in an arc of power toward the redheaded pureblood prince.The older male underestimated him or his ability and chose not to move and fell to the ground on his hands and knees as his mana was drained away from him in faster and faster bursts."Brat!" He sneered, trying to get back to his feet even as his hair began to fade in color to a dark grey- then a colorless white.His skin began to fracture like a broken doll, but he struck out with a wave of his own power- shards of ice cresting along the ground to corner the Hio prince.Zen smirked in return and dodged the attack, knowing just by the sight of the other male that all he had to do was wait him out.He had never used that ability before on anything except fields of flowers and a few of the ancient trees that surrounded his family's manor, but seeing it used with such strength on the Oko heir brought a giddy sense of pride.He had used a bit of that power on the Shirabuki woman, but he had added much more force in the idea to strike his hit from a safer distance.The female pureblood had not been as strong as Subaru however and so Zen watched with interest as Subaru tried to fight it off, inadvertently driving the curse of sorts to go harder and leach faster.It was a power he had kept hidden from all but Wren- not even his close family had known the true power he kept hidden from everyone.He had made Wren make a blood oath to never reveal it, of course.One could never be too careful with secrets such as those.He was only knocked from his observation as he sensed a familiar presence draw closer- a pureblood he recognized only faintly.Neo- his uncle.Having leached the strength he was to use away from it's true bearer, Zen sent forth another smaller strike on the male.Subaru's dying screech turned into a croak as his uncle appeared at the treeline to witness the Oko heir perish in a violent storm of sparkling ash.Zero came out of the other vision as he was hit by an ecstatic orgasm, Kuran spurting his own within the younger male.Kuran licked his bite as he pulled away, sealing the wound as Zero fell lax against the mattress, his skin far too warm.He had never wanted his pureblood self back as badly as he did then- he would surely need some of that stamina for the chat he could feel coming with the calming of their heartbeats."You've been keeping secrets, Zero…"...A/N: As always, leave questions/inquiries in the reviews and I will reply via PM. Please remember to FOLLOW and (!) COMMENT (!) and Fave if you are enjoying it. My questions for ya'll this chapter: What's your impressions on Zero's memory of his brother's death? What's your impression of his chief power? What do you think it's limitations are? How do you think Kaname is going to react to reading this memory of Zero's? Leave your replies in the comments! Thank you for reading! :)

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A/N: Here is the fifth chapter of Bleed Me. Thank you to everyone who has replied to this story- I'm still working on getting a clear idea of what I want to do with this story and a few of the people I've talked to have really helped figure out parts of the world in this story and Zero's past. I have also created a
playlist for this story. Enjoy :) . . . A few minutes later found Zero in a pair of pants after cleaning up a bit and he was displeased to say the least.Kaname had donned his pants as well, along with his shirt which was now permanently unbuttoned thanks to Zero- and yes, he was satisfied with himself for that small petty revenge for his clothes from the night before.He sat down on one of the chairs he had maneuvered in front of the fireplace that sat in the corner of the room, beside the large window as moonlight streamed within as the moon began its descent from its rise in the night sky.Kuran sat in the chair beside him, both of their seats slightly angled toward one another.His ass was killing him, but Zero would be damned if he let the ancestor know it.Kaname had been staring at him for several moments by now and Zero frowned at him."Well?" He pandered, "What do you want to know?"Kuran glanced at the fireplace and gestured to him to test him to see if he could conjure up a flame- a challenge.Zero threw up a hand and the fire roared to life.Pyromancy wasn't a gift of his- but he had been notorious for his talents when it came to magic of all sorts- so lighting a flame wasn't too difficult. But in a mortal coil such as he was, his hand fell back to his side and quivered for a moment.No one had mastered magic as well as he had- no hunter, and certainly no vampire had ever managed to conquer it as a field of study like he had.It had been his one major accomplishment as an individual- anything else had been minor in comparison or personal like producing a family he had been proud of.Speaking of family, he was due to send Ama another letter.She had been the only one of his children to discover he had been awakened and he had taken care to write to her regularly, asking her to keep quiet about his awakened state till he saw fit to reveal himself.He didn't tell her he was play acting as a D however, being careful to not give away his status or his new name to her- she had always been precocious and determined and not to mention a daddy's girl and it no doubt drove her up the walls to not see him after so long.Kain probably wouldn't like it much when his mother came barreling to campus looking for her father however.Zero thought it would be hysterical on the other hand, and as soon as he shifted back he would let her know exactly where he was.But he wasn't quite prepared to deal with his two other daughters quickly following as amusing an idea as it was.Namiko and Naomi were never far behind their youngest sister after all.He could just see the Noble cousins gaping as their mothers hog tackle him to the floor as they were wont to do."I thought the rest of the Hiou line were asleep or dead."Zero shrugged, "Most of our line was dead by the time I took my rest. Only my sister and parents had survived the test of time. My sister lives on, but as for my parents I am unsure. Doubtful- they both collected a large share of enemies individually, but combined…"He trailed off."How were you awakened?"Zero leaned back into the chair, staring at the flames as they licked up into the air, embers popping within the hearth."The Kiryu's had produced a weak baby and sought a child that could regain them their spotlight as the heirs to the hunter's former royal line. I was still at rest when they worked a handful of spells that had been known only to their line of hunters- they sealed my memories, shifted my form to be identical to their newborn son, and locked away my abilities and status as a pureblood."He could feel Kuran's stare weighing down on him as the ancestor weighed his words."Your sister unsealed your memories when she attacked the Kiryu's?"Zero nodded, "She unlocked everything. But when she explained things to me I thought it much more interesting that an ancestor had awakened and sought to use a hunter child as a tool for some surely intricate plan. 'Why would a Progenitor want to use some brat?' I wondered and so I kept myself from shifting back into my true form and decided to follow the road that had been laid out before me."He glanced at Kuran from the corner of his eye.The brunet wore a mask of calm, of collection, but a storm was brewing beneath the surface."You were not in danger of falling to an E, were you?"Zero shook his head, "No."He continued when he sensed the ancestor spark, "I did have need of powerful blood to accomplish my aim, however.""And what is your aim, Zen-kun?"Zero pouted, "C'mon Kuran, no need to get formal- you did just fuck me, after all."He moved on when he saw the other male's eye twitch again."My aim has been the same since Shizuka unlocked my memories. I have grown to care for my twin in this life- I would see him survive long after your game has been completed, and I would not have him remain as he is."Kaname glanced at him with a raised brow, "You mean to turn him into a vampire? Into a pet?"Zero scoffed, "Never a pet. I would turn him into my equal."The ancestor stilled, "That is not possible."Zero shrugged, "Anything's possible if you put enough power, skill, and wit behind it.""You wish to turn him into a pureblood?"Zero nodded, "It's possible to turn a pureblood into a human, why not a human into a pureblood? We both know someone who is of the former's stock."Kaname frowned, "You know of her status."It was not a question.Good."Yes. The seal is there for anyone with a mind to discover it, I should know. I was the one who taught Juri everything she knew when it came to magic."Kuran did not appear shocked on the surface, but Zero could sense his shock via the blood he had taken so recently.Inwardly, Zero chuckled at the surprise.Yes, he would have near constant fun living with Kuran.Zero waved him off, "I don't care what happens to Yuki, nor do I care why an ancestor has taken a special interest in Juri's young while pretending to be the only surviving Kuran."I mean yeah, he did kinda care- but more out of curiosity."I am surprised you have not said how similar to Juri she is."Zero scoffed, "That's because she's nothing like Juri outside of looks, Kuran."Kuran frowned at him, "How do you disagree?"Zero rolled his eyes, "I tutored her throughout her childhood in magic and history along with a few other things. Juri had a thirst for knowledge that could not be contained. 'Zen-sempai why do birds sing? Zen-sempai, why are the stars so bright? Zen-sempai, why is it that purebloods are so pretty and Nobles aren't?'"He chuckled, "Juri was hilarious. She could come off as harsh and mean unless reminded to soften her words by Haruka or Rido. She never listened to her mother, and barely cared when her father got frustrated with her. She was funny, but only people who got taken in by her angelic looks ever saw her as charming of all things. Juri was like a wildfire- passionate and crazed at times, and in her wake she used to leave destruction everywhere, and the only bit of charm she ever used was to get Haruka to clean up after her when she left a mess her mother would be sure to beat her silly for.""Oh, and my favorite thing about her had been that she never laughed- she cackled."Zero laughed as he recalled the way she'd fall to her knees when he said something a little too clever to be said around children.He smiled and gazed fondly at the flames, "I was saddened when I heard she had been killed. And by Rido of all people…""You knew Rido well?"Zero shook his head, "No, not really. But he was sane when I met him and his parents had such high hopes for him. It's a pity he had to go insane after his lover's death."Kaname's mask cracked, "What?"Zero cocked a brow at him, "You didn't know?"He blew out a breath, "Rido's lover died during childbirth the year I took my rest.""Who was this woman?" Kuran inquired and Zero shrugged, "I never met her, but I heard crazy rumors that it had been a mortal woman. Supposedly he had fallen for her because she looked like Juri originally- but I always thought she had to be nothing like Juri. Rido was always into the soft spoken ones.""How old are you?"Zero rolled his eyes, "I'm of Haruka and Juri's parent's generation. I was older than their father by two years and their mother by a decade, give or take a few years. So I'm probably somewhere around five thousand years old by now? I don't know for sure- I have a poor sense of time."They went silent and Zero itched for a glass of scotch, his head pulsing as the beast banged on its haphazardly constructed cage.Kuran stood after a few minutes had passed.Zero glanced at him with barely concealed interest in what the ancestor would do."Come to my study after final meal. I need to think on what you have told me."Zero blinked.Oh, right.He forgot Kuran wasn't a robot sometimes- even he had to take time to think.Duh.He nodded and Kuran left in a blur, the door not slamming- but clicking shut gently.Zero blew out his breath and rose up to do a rough wobble back to the bed, tossing off the dirty comforter in favor of the thin blankets and silk sheets.He slid underneath the bedding and locked the door with a discreet charm, closing his eyes to hopefully calm the monster that lurked beneath his skin, the same one that itched to escape.Why is it acting so off? It never acts like this- well, outside of a few select times.But it couldn't be because of that, no, there was no way.Zero scoffed.That would truly be a mess- if he were to take back his pureblooded form only to find himself as the ancestor's mate.But he wouldn't know until then- purebloods could only mate to other vampires- other purebloods.Naira had been an exception- he had mated with her not innately, but by a long courtship.But Wren on the other hand… he had discovered they were mates when they had both reached maturity and their beasts had sought to conquer one another, driving them to complete a blood bond that had later evolved to become that of a mating bond- rarely seen outside of heterosexual couples.It had been rare for two males to mate- part of the reason they had never let anyone know of Zero's true identity, the Hiou Prince opting to shapeshift into a woman when they were forced into a Society function.It had to be unlikely that Zero would be pushed into another homosexual mating by his beast- his beast had never been stirred by another male since Wren- barely been stirred at all outside of a few females such as Naira.But the beast had not yearned to be uncaged this badly since the eve of his first mating and Kuran had been so animalistic that he could wager the other's beast craved him just as much.Oh, this isn't going to be good. . . . A/N: Leave your questions in the comments and I'll reply as soon as possible. PLEASE please PLEASE SUBSCRIBE if you want to see where this story leads and (!) COMMENT (!) with your comments/opinions/impressions/predictions- I really want to know what ya'll think! My questions for ya'll this chapter- What do you think Kaname will do from here on? Do you think Zero will be taking back his pureblood form sooner or later? Do you want him to take his form back sooner or later? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading! :)

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A/N: So I got it done a lot quicker than I thought lmao, so here it is tonight. I hope ya'll enjoy!Zero groaned as he awakened to the sound of knocking at his door and he couldn't be bothered to bite back the irritation- instead snapping at the intruder who had woken him from blessed sleep."What?!"The door fell open and Aido stood still in the doorway, his expression flushed with irritation of his own, his jaw tightened as if to hold back his commentary."It's time for final meal, Kiryu."Zero narrowed his eyes on his unwitting grandson, relaxing when the blond glared back.He glanced away and stood from the bed , stretching his legs as he made his way to the closet to find a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, ignoring the blond troublemaker as he waited for the older male to finish so he could complete his assigned task."You smell like Kaname-sama, D." the Noble griped and Zero rolled his eyes as he finished dressing."Mind your business, Senpai."Aido grumbled the rest of the way to the dining room and Zero was surprised to see more vampires than the pureblood's inner circle present. Of course he had known the Night Class was made up of more than a dozen characters, but he never realized how many of them he steadfastly ignored on the regular.In fact, outside of the inner circle, he could match names to only about five more- two of them from former interactions outside Academy walls and three others he could match names to only because he knew their relatives.Kaneki Drake was the only one to actually speak up though- which wasn't surprising given the fact that Kenaki was known for his compulsive need to talk the ears off anyone who he hadn't thoroughly annoyed the ever living shit out of in recent memory- i.e. the past twenty-four hours.His clothes-doctoral scrubs and a long white coat- were as pristine as always but the scent of smoke stuck to him so strongly that Zero suspected that the male near always smelt like he had a part time job cleaning chimneys.His black hair was a smidge too long, his bangs always in his dark green eyes, always being tossed back every few moments whether by the first year's hand or his frequent head tossing. Kaneki was infamous to those that came across him for the smile that never abandoned his milk-white face, and the tiny scar across his right temple that peeked out and hinted at 'just a few' science experiments gone wrong.As infamously annoying as he was, two others sat with him- one of the latter three mentioned previous, a Noble named Jinn Miramoto who Zero had known if only due to the Jinn clan's unique lemon drop colored eyes.The Noble, beside having lemon colored eyes, had tight chocolate curls cropped close to his scalp, giving him an almost 'cute' effect, which was given more founding when you watched him for more than a minute for the sweet dimples that had no doubt made him the favorite grandchild of Jinn Sura.A ghost of a shudder flashed over him- Sura was a close ally of the Hiou's, but she was tiring to be around with the amount of infinite energy that kept the Noble going.(Naira had near killed the woman on several occasions, despite being close friends with her mother.)The third was not a noble, but a level-C surprisingly. A female he had met only a few times as her sister was one of his donors in the city. Blonde hair cropped at the clavicle, big chocolate colored eyes, perfectly manicured hands- the only thing marking her as less than a Noble physically were the calluses that marred her palms and the compulsive biting of her lower lip whenever she was nervous- which he guess was often by the amount of swelling.Kaneki invited him and on a whim he agreed- ha, not like you had much choice anyway, Zen, Naira teased- and sat down at the small circular table between Kaneki and the female."I'm surprised you decided to join us, Kiryu-kun." Jinn grumbled, "No one is willing to ever sit with us."Zero shrugged and glanced at Kaneki who immediately set about formally introducing everyone."Kiryu-kun, don't mind Jinn-san, he's just a stick in the mud." Kaneki teased and the other Noble rolled his eyes in exasperation before nodding toward the female."M-my n-name is Tatsuya Yui," The female stuttered and Zero decided to be somewhat pleasant for once and smiled at the petite blonde as if to soothe her.She blushed and glanced quickly away, looking to the main table where the progenitor was staring them all down from while his inner circle made fools of themselves,- of course the fools were his grandchildren- Ruka and Aidou looking like they were about to break out into a brawl whereas Akatsuki looked like he was about to jump ship.Yui stared down at her food when she caught the pureblood's gaze for a moment.She swallowed.Zero chuckled and Kaneki went on a tangent on one of his projects- "He's going to take Aidou-senpai's place as resident mad scientist when he ages out." Jinn informed- a project involving engineering a liquid blood substitute that actually could be drunk from a bottle and hopefully tasted better than the quote en quote 'shit pills for wankers'.Zero laughed at the statement and Kaneki blushed as if realizing he had voiced it aloud.The dining room had quieted for a moment when the ex-prefect laughed, as if no one thought he was capable of positive emotion (and yes, he did indeed feel a little offended at the thought- c'mon! Just because he was kind of a brooding asshole didn't mean he couldn't have a good time sometime.)The great thing about Kaneki- he didn't even really need a reassurance you were listening to him as he hopped from topic to topic as dinner passed with silence on the part of the three other people at the table.At the end Kaneki insisted Zero sit with them all the time from then on out, Jinn looking at the silverette with pleading eyes as if to say- please, please, do not leave me alone with him. Zero laughed and accepted once more, leaving the triad when he sensed the ancestor walk back up the stairs to his study.Zero took a deep breath through his nose and blew it out slowly as he followed the brown haired vampire upstairs, sliding into the study silently to find the pureblood sitting behind the desk below the large window, a gesture pointing him to the chair that sat before him.He sighed and sat, forcing his lips into a smirk that rang hollow even to him- they both knew he would prefer not to be in this situation at all. Mostly because- gasp!- he had set himself to be a willing pawn in Kuran's grasp- a mistake he would regret later no doubt.He knew little to nothing of the Progenitor's plans, after all.He ground his teeth and dropped the smirk in favor of a begrudging grimace, quirking a brow at Kuran to urge him on."Well then, Senpai? What'll it be? More questions?""No," Kuran decided, "At least not now. Now…"Zero cocked a brow.Kaname flicked a pen between his fingers, drawing Zero's attention briefly."Now, I want you to reveal yourself."Zero snapped his eyes back to the pureblood who was now slightly smirking at him."To everyone?""To everyone."Zero stared at the ancestor, his face dropping the act in favor of a near predatory stare- but they both knew who would win this- didn't they?For all his virtues- Zero was not a patient pureblood, but Kaname most assuredly was.Even as a pureblood he would no doubt lose to the Ancestor when it came to who could outlast the other."Why now? Why not later?"Kuran stared at him for a moment, his eyes contemplative."Because we're going to make use of your acting abilities and draw Rido out of the woodwork, and then we're going to destroy him when he least expects it…"A/N: Alrighty- so that is this chapter, which is really short (sorry). Let me know which VK fanfic of mine you want me to update next in the reviews/comments! As always, leave any questions/commentary/opinions/suggestions/prediction in the reviews/comments! Questions for this chapter- What do you think of the introduction of Kaneki, Jinn, and Yui? What are your expectations of them? How do you think the Night Class will react to Zero being Hiou Zen? Let me know below! Thanks for reading! :)

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Hi all! Here is another chapter of Bleed Me and dawn has yet to break on Tuesday morning in Texas, so I will be counting this as ON TIME. lol. Anyway, I'm going to go pass out now- hope ya'll enjoy.
Zero was not happy at the moment. Not. At. All.His blood near boiled in his veins and the seals he had placed for privacy in his room were fit to shatter as he attempted to break the self-imposed seal on his class alone- and he wouldn't risk asking Kuran for a little help because his beast still sung beneath his skin for the ancestor.But Zen-kun, won't you just be forced to deal with him as soon as you leave the room with your seal broken anyway?Eh, eh, eh, logic has no place here!So he sliced into his skin with the dozen sigils he required to do it alone, charging each as they were applied till blood ran down every inch of available skin on his body that was left uncut.He sat down in the center of the circle chalked out on the cool hardwoods, painting between each chalked sigil with another sigil drawn in his blood.Each stroke of his blood covered fingers urged the fire in the hearth to glow brighter- higher and the windows of his room shuddered under the pressure of the ancient power he attempted to summon to his will while at the same time stuck in a mortal coil.With a growl of agitation he drew the last two sigils and finished with a rune at 12 and 6 o'clock on the circle's edge, the circle taking on a silver glow as he finished, leaning back onto his heels as his skin turned red with irritation, his blood burning hotter and his head beginning to pound like a herd of wildebeests.Fuck me.He collapsed onto his side and curled into a ball as the pain grew worse, not even allowing him the blessing of unconsciousness.He blacked out for a few moments- or at least it felt like a few moments, it could've been hours for all he knew- coming too in full only when the fire was smothered from the furious breeze that streamed in through his now shattered window.Great. Who the fuck is going to fix that?He blinked hazy eyes, but was too weak to say goodbye to the floor for more than a few seconds at best, his quivering limbs abandoning him whenever he dared impress any weight upon them.A knock was heard at his door and he couldn't bite back the growl that left him as he snapped at whoever dared be on the other side."It's me." Kuran stated, snapping the doorknob and breaking the lock as he glided within, quickly shutting the door when he caught sight of the white haired vampire on the floor.The ancestor wasn't breathing as he approached and Zero growled at him something akin to an angry cat.Kaname rolled his eyes and lifted him off the floor, dropping him on the bed with unconcealed annoyance."Weren't you supposed to excel in magic?" He patronized and Zero glared at him."You try excelling at high magic while in the body of a level-D!"Kuran sighed, "There are easier ways…""Don't tsk me, asshole!"The ancestor rolled his eyes once more, "The only thing you've managed to do is shift your coloring."Zero pushed himself up to lean against the headboard, "Fine!"Kuran cocked a brow, "Fine?"He was not going to beg.Zero stared at the pureblood and finally Kuran closed the distance, seizing him by the throat and striking like a viper, sharp fangs penetrating the delicate skin of his throat, slicing into his jugular with a neat precision.The white haired vampire ground his teeth as the seal was shattered within moments, a sudden burst of energy unleashing within him, putting an end to his refusals and leaving him blessedly calm for a few solitary moments.Calm. Peace. Relaxation.It felt nice.And then it ended when the haphazard cage on his beast cracked and then fell to dust.His body ached and he bit back the need to scream as his body shifted- gaining him a few inches in height till he was no doubt even with Kuran, broadening his frame slightly, his bones cracking with pressure.His beast had been caught unaware, confused by the changing form of his host and providing Zero with enough time to come back down to himself before it regained its bearing and took control.His eyes burned as the red-violet gave way to crimson, his arms snapping to grip Kuran's coat as he felt the brown haired pureblood slowly begin to lose to his own beast.His claws ripped into the pristine white uniform jacket and he bit into Kuran's throat when he felt the other just grip him tighter as if to pull him even closer.He felt like a passenger in his own body- but as seconds turned to minutes he began to resonate with the beast, so much so that they felt like a piece of one another- neither part superior to the other,He had forgotten how blood tasted better in his true form as all the flavors complimented one another, as every taste bud yearned for more.But no other blood could be compared to the ancestor's he knew.He groaned as Kuran's blood flooded his mouth- wondering briefly how his own blood tasted to the other, knowing instinctively that the brunet's blood tasted far better than any other he had crossed.He hissed and released him only when he felt Kuran latch into his side with claws- his side with all the sigils still carved into it.Fucking assh-!His beast turned to purring mush in the ancestor's hold and Zero's inner monologue both grumbled its displeasure at the feminine role he seemed destined to play and sang it glee at being dominated once more.Kaname's hands ripped off his bloody clothes, leaving him bare except for the dried blood and the fresh claw wounds to his sides as Zero growled in agitation.Did he just grin at me- what a dick.Kuran stripped his own clothes off, caging the white haired pureblood against the mattress, hands quickly recovering lost ground as he caressed the irritation in his apparent mate away till he was quivering in anticipation, their beasts meeting again and again in the form of sharp claws and needy lips- each of them wanting-no, needing, to taste the other on their tongues.Groans filled the air and what Zero would later argue as definitely not purrs followed each caress, each stroke of goosebumped skin, each touch of overheated flesh.His mind was hazy with it, overwhelmed with the feeling of his predestined mate's touch, overwhelmed with the feeling of Kuran's lips against his throat, his teeth nipping and sucking till he was left senseless.Fuck… me….He ached to feel the other inside him and ground his hips against the other's hardened member to urge him on.Kuran responded quickly, his eyes a wild crimson with ever-deepening lust that seemed to darken his gaze till he could see the very center of the white haired pureblood beneath him.Whatever he saw seemed to only drive him further and further till they were connected nearly as one, each responding in kind to one another like the matching piece to the other's puzzle.Zero latched onto his mate's vein, his strength returning to him as the minutes to hours that they continued- the seals shattering quite thoroughly on the walls and not just exposing the rest of the Moon Dorms to the re-ascension of the Tempest Prince but also to the union of the two pureblood princes- one their kindred's former King (soon to be King once more), the other the last male heir of an ancient line almost entirely wiped out by time.One thing was for certain- it was going to be awkward to re-introduce himself to the Nobles in the nights that followed their mating.Hell, it was no doubt going to awkward enough dealing with Kuran as his mate when they both regained their common sense.But they had a couple nights for that to eventually return."Existence is a misery." Zero drolled as he dressed in the Night Class uniform three nights later, garnering a roll of the eyes from his mate."Melodramatic much?" The brunet tsked and Zero rolled his eyes."Says the guy who breaks his office window every time things don't go his way."Kaname stilled and glanced at him with both irritation and amusement.Zero chuckled to himself and glanced up at the brunet with a playful smirk.Dear reader, do not believe his bullshit for a second! Neither of these assholes have bothered to talk of anything important since they came down from the mating high-Zero tsked quietly to himself.Whose the star of the show here exactly? Ehehe fuck off."Have you figured out how you'll reintroduce yourself?""Have you figured out how you'll explain the fact that we're mated?" Zero snapped back- a little too smugly when the brunet pureblood frowned at him.Zero sighed a moment later, "No. I figured I'd wing it.""You were planning on 'winging it'?!"A pout came over the perfect features of the white haired pureblood, "Yeah, what wrong with that?"Kuran looked as appalled as he ever would- given that his mask was in place as always- but Zero shrugged it off."Okay okay, how's this: 'Surprise dickheads! I'm a pureblood and half of you spent more than a year getting on my bad side!' How's that?"Kaname frowned at him, weighing him down with a darkening wine colored stare.Zero sighed with a pout."I wasn't going to say that- don't get your panties in a wad. Beside, the three main culprits are descendents of mine. Their mother's would come after me with pitchforks…" he grumbled, sensing his mate's amusement through the developing bond.The bond was thin at the moment, but it was growing stronger as the days passed and they rarely left each other's company for more than five minutes at a time, regularly feeding from one another as if they needed to, because to the bond it was definitely a need and not a want."Have you talked to your youngest?" Kuran asked and Zero nodded."I sent her a letter yesterday while you were asleep. It should be at least another two days before she gets it and storms here to embarass her son."Amusement peaked in his mate and Zero cocked a brow."Akatsuki will be so pleased."Zero smirked, "Aido and Ruka will be too when their mothers arrive too. I can just see it now- the horror, the embarrassment, the moans and whines of mortification…"He trailed off, licking his lips as if to taste the emotional torment he was about to inflict on his unwitting grandchildren."Aido and Kain both have younger siblings."Zero frowned, "I don't think Ama or Namiko would bring in the hordes. Naomi probably wouldn't either. As long as I promise to introduce myself to the rest within the year."Kaname nodded and a knock came at the door to his office- the first vampire to have dared enter the wing beside Seiren in days."Come in, Takuma."Ichijo flitted inside, sticking close to the door so as to not insert himself between the two- the recently mated were known to lash out at any who did so much as step between their spouses."It's time for change-over Kaname-sama."Ichijo glanced at Zero, blinking repeatedly for several moments.Zero grinned at his mate who merely sighed at his antics, nodding at his closest friend to lead the way to the main hall where the announcement would be made.They followed the Dorm Vice President silently, Zero stubbornly denying any and all apprehension power over him when they appeared at the top of the second floor to see the Night Class waiting below.Eyes narrowed on him immediately, the focus of dozens of Nobles impressed upon him in surprise and unease.He wore the mantle of level-A status as impeccably as he had before he had gone to his rest, his face with a natural mask of its own- amused and unimpressed as he stared down several daring Nobles, but he was focused on his three unwitting grandchildren.Kain appeared surprised, but as unimpressed as always, perhaps a bit apprehensive knowing that the inner circle had bad relations with the former Kiryu heir.Ruka appeared surprised as well, but her eyes dared him to unveil himself- as if he could just strip himself of his level-A status, revealing it to be a clever pop-goes-the-weasel-esque disguise.Aido- well he was stock still in shock.Zero could read him as well as he always had.The blond just couldn't believe that the level-D he had constantly antagonized was in fact higher in class that him. Aido was smart- everyone knew that- and Zero had thought the blond would have headed his senses, knowing that the only other person in the wing of his beloved leader was the ex-hunter and that only the ex-hunter could have been the revealed pureblood.But no, Aido had been in denial apparently.Amusement danced in his senses- most of it his own, but a portion his mate's as they both took in the shocked underclassmen."We have uncovered a hidden pureblood at Cross Academy." His mate drawled, and Zero smirked lightly."W-what fa-mmil-yyy?" A level-C male inquired, his voice quivering more than a bit."I am Hio Zen, elder brother of Hio Shizuka." Zero-no, Zen purred.It's time I took back my name- it's time I took back my legacy."Don't be surprised if you haven't heard my name." He stated, "The Council has always tried to erase those they don't agree with."He glanced at Kaname from the corner of his eyes but his mate gave nothing away.They both descended the rest of the way after a moment on even footing, most everyone else too wary to approach the two purebloods as the no doubt smelled the scent of their recent mating on one another.It would be some time before they would separate for longer than minutes at a time and it would be a while following that before anyone else would dare approach them while they were separated from one another.Zen darted his gaze around the room as they made their way from the Dorm to the gates, scanning each face lightly with a blank stare.His eyes narrowed briefly on the vampires he had been seated with in the dining hall, Kaneki brightening and tossing him a friendly wave which was smacked down by Jinn- the more wary of the two, Tatsuya hanging loosely onto the pair, her eyes only briefly catching his own.Fear. Apprehension. Curiosity.Zen smiled lightly at the triad as he passed them, unnoticeable to most of the others, who were too nervous to glance at him in full.His eyes caught the three cousins as they fell in line and he glanced over Kain and Ruka who pointedly looked anywhere but at him.Aido- living up to his role as the daring one- stared at him and Zen cocked a brow as if to dare him to approach.Amusement sang in his veins and he glanced back at his mate who had cocked a brow at him.Chuckling lightly, they stepped out past the gate to see Wakaba and Yuki holding back the line of Day Class girls, their backs to them, each only turning around when the Day Class stilled in shock."Is that Kiryu?""N-no, it can't be!""But didn't he transfer?"The mutterings turned nonsensical within moments- devolving into outlandish fairy tale rumors even more ridiculous than he thought they were capable of.He rolled his eyes and he only stopped when they were halfway up the path to the school and the Day Class had disappeared, leaving the Night Class alone except for the prefects.Takuma escorted the Night Class onwards as the two purebloods stopped to talk to Yuki, who for her part seemed shocked silly.Wakaba disappeared, beginning the patrol of the forest surrounding."Zero?" She breathed and Zen nodded to Kaname, who left the two of them alone to talk- he'd talk to Yuki later."Yuki." He said, "I have a lot to tell you."They walked along the path to the courtyard which was deserted this early in the evening.He sighed, not knowing where to begin and deciding to just spill it out."I have been living as a sealed pureblood since before I met you or Kuran." He swallowed, "In short- the Kiryu's kidnapped me from my rest in my family's crypt, placing all manner of magics upon me to wipe my memory and seal away my status as a pureblood.""Why?"He shrugged, "They wanted a powerful heir, and Ichiru was born frail."They sat on a neighboring bench beside the fountain.She was staring at him in wonder, her eyes scanning every inch of his face- searching for imperfection of any sort but finding none. He rubbed the back of his neck lightly, waiting for her to speak."I'm sorry they did that to you, Zero." She finally said and he cocked a brow."Why are you sorry? You weren't involved, and if they hadn't I would still be dead to the world in the crypt and my sister would still be imprisoned.""Your sister?" Her brows furrowed.He chuckled, "Shizuka is my baby sister, Yuki."Her eyes widened, "You're a Hio prince, then?"He smiled, ruffling her hair."Cross been giving you lessons still? I thought he would have given up for sure by now."She blushed, frowning at him- the frown devolving into a pout when she only found amusement in his gaze.She was uncomfortable around him now- he could see it as clear as day. The stiffness in her posture, the bend of her shoulders inward, the apprehension that was broadcasted out at him via her human aura.Little did she know she would soon be in a position not unlike his- but that secret was not his to spill. He didn't have to ask Kuran to know that he had hidden her away here so she would escape the notice of Rido.Zero would have done the same thing had his uncle killed his parents too after his sister had been born.There was something about the way a baby sister could look up to her brother- something that would be tainted if that trust was violated.Yuki had irritated him before, yes- but she was dear to him in a sense, in effect another little sister to him as well. And knowing how Kaname cared about her- how a portion of his heart belonged to the petite female- Zero would always protect her.But Kami help her if she came between him and his mate, because not even the gods would be able to save her then.JK, I'm going to write the closing A/N and THEN go pass out. Question for ya'll this chapter: What are your predictions for his daughters? How do you think they'll be like? I know I've pretty much only mentioned Ama- but I'm curious how you think the other two will be with Zen as their father. Also- how long should I wait for preggers Zen? How long do you think the gestation period of a pureblood should be- asking for a friend. Anyway, be sure to tell me what you thought of this chapter in the comments/reviews! Thanks for reading! :)

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A/N: Here is the eighth chapter of Bleed Me as promised (an hour or so late, I'll admit). The chapter is the longest I've written in a while, so please tell me what you think below. Enjoy :)
"Oh no, no, no…." Zen muttered as he paced the floor in front of the fireplace while his mate sat prim and proper in his seat on the couch, his amusement at the white haired pureblood's turmoil palpable for no doubt the whole Night Class.Boy, they must all be having fun as the pair's auras weighed down upon the Dorm- turmoil and amusement, conflicting emotions to say the least.He crumpled the slip of paper in hand that Takuma had passed to him, a notice sent over the phone to the Moon Dorms signaling the arrival of several pairs of parents.Let me repeat that- pairs.How the fuck was he supposed to act around his children's husbands? He couldn't exactly play a domineering role- they had all been married for centuries already anyway.Wha-what if he didn't like them?What if he didn't like them but had to pretend to so as to not make his girls sad? Fuck, he was a terrible actor and he had never figured out what to do with crying people..."Fuck me…" He groaned and threw himself down onto the rug at his mate's feet, languishing an arm over his forehead as he released high pitched whines as the possibilities weighed them down."There's always the Command if you don't like your sons-in-law."He peeked out the corner of one of his eyes, the opposite eye closed."That's right. Maybe I could make them likeable."The screeching voice of his wife came on high and he cringed at the idea under the pressure of Naira's fury.Sometimes he wondered if it was her ghost he heard in his head or just a so-accurate-it's-worrisome hallucination.A Hio crazy? No, perish the thought!He smirked and he could sense Kaname roll his eyes above him.It was before changeover on friday- his daughters and their spouses would be arriving an hour after the class was released for the night, which sadly meant they still had to attend class.He pouted, determined to sulk away the minutes till they were required to leave the room.Which no one in the Night Class wanted them to do as several vampires had fallen prey to them both whenever jealousy was sparked.Suffice to say, the only one brave enough to venture to their wing was Takuma- but the blond was no real threat in either of their eyes. You had to be fucking blind to miss the way Ichijo's eyes always followed Senri's ass when he walked.No one said anything about it, but Zen most certainly let himself snicker at the two Nobles' expense.But not right now anyway, no he had to work up the will not to run for the hills as he was being forced to meet new people that he couldn't exactly kill without anyone noticing (and that might actually be where his daughters drew the line love wise).Ew. Meeting new people was never going to be a thing he wanted to do.A knock came at the door and he grimaced, his mate cocking a brow down at him before dropping any expression and signaling Takuma to enter.The blond slid inside carefully, still remaining five feet away from either of them out of common sense."It's time for class, Kaname-sama, Zen-sama.""Thank you, Takuma." They both replied, one more agitated than the other.Bet you can guess which.Ichijo nodded and slid out equally as carefully and Zen flipped up to his feet with a sigh.He stilled as Kaname stood behind him and he slowly turned his head over his shoulder to glance at him."Why haven't you said anything about what you think of them?""Them-who?"Zen gave him the 'look'.Kaname sighed and rolled his eyes once more."Kain's father is tied closely to the Council, Ruka's father is a prominent Partner at a law firm headquartered in Tokyo. Aido's father- well, Hanabusa hates him with a passion and if they weren't mated Naomi probably would have left him."Zen cocked a brow, "Is he that despised?"Kaname nodded, "He is a close ally of Asato. Kain's father is not nearly so well connected."Zen nodded, "Naomi would hate that, are we sure they'd both be coming?"Kaname shrugged, "I don't know. Aidos tend to be wildcards."Zen sighed and shrugged on his uniform jacket.He had a lot to think on while they were in class.They walked out a moment later, both of them donning their 'masks' or in Zen's case- 'fuck with me, I dare you' face.No one had ever really tried him while he was a pureblood, especially after word had gotten out that he had killed Subaru when the elder male killed his brother.His uncle had caught the tail end of his ability, and the fear of that power alone usually warded others off, but now- with his memory virtually wiped away- perhaps someone would make a fool of themselves and 'force' his hand.One could only hope.The pair of purebloods stalked down the stairs where the rest of the Night Class was gathered and quickly made their way to the front where they would lead the Class to campus.Seiren managed to manifest from mid-air at his mate's back and Zen bit back the striking need to rip her limb from limb, merely releasing a growl to warn her off, which she heeded with a nod, falling back several feet to walk with Takuma in between the purebloods and the main body of the Night Class.He could feel Kaname's amusement through the bond- who knew the asshole was this fucking amused all the time?Yuki was ah… attempting to rein in the Day Class when the passed through the gate, not very successful, but that was in her character profile at this point- 'sucks at her one job… and literally everything else too'.Sure, she might be on his list ('Who I'd save if this godforsaken school was attacked'), but sometimes he couldn't help but rag on her- she was a good target and he'd be lying if it didn't feel good to be out of hitting distance now.Twat hit with more force than she should given her weight. And he couldn't even hit her back without being the one in the wrong for hitting a girl.Bitch deserves it when he does disregard the consequences though.But anyway, she was still treating him with weird kid gloves since he had been unveiled as a pureblood on monday. It was both a relief and irritating.Cringe-worthy too, since she had started falling over herself in front of him too. Though that may have something to do with the fact that he and Kaname were never separated and each (okay, only Kaname) reined in the other when she was being too familiar for the bond's liking.Kaname kept her safe from Zen's ire, but Zen would be damned if he helped out his mate in kind- it was too attractive to him when the stoic pureblood looked fit to rip her limb from limb for hugging Zen.Something about seeing that made him satisfied beyond belief.It worked that way for others as well- but for some reason it was far more intense when Yuki was the one facing Kaname's ire.Yori was keeping her side of the path immaculate, no one was willing to cross her even though her aura still screamed kind and calm.It was like watching a stern first grade teacher at work- it was almost impressive.Well, it was impressive because she had been doing it for what? Under two weeks now? Yuki had been at it for almost two years.So sad.They passed by the screaming girls with relative calm though Zen's brows furrowed when he caught mutterings of 'Zen-senpai'. How the fuck did they learn his actual name so quickly?Either they had someone selling information to the Day Class (it had happened before (i.e. Aido)) or the Day Class had evolved to just be that good at fangirling.A truly horrifying thought.They entered the school and the pair of purebloods hung back to talk to the prefects briefly.Wakaba and Yuki stood side by side in front of them, Zen slightly closer to the girls than his mate who hung slightly back.Dear god, am I becoming his front man?Amusement flowed back to him through the bond and Zen cringed inwardly as if the amusement served as validation for the statement.Ew….Yeah, he was good at it, but he hated socializing! What the fuck, Kuran?"Keep the Day Class away from the Night Dorms tonight." Zen drawled, "We have… visitors coming and some of them are Council supporters. They're not supposed to arrive before the Class returns, but I wouldn't put it past them to arrive early."Yori nodded and promptly elbowed Yuki to do so as well and Zen just fucking knew she was going to insert herself into everything if she could. Or hell, if she couldn't even. Somehow, she just would.He rolled his jaw with a sigh and turned to Yori."Yori-chan, just make sure she doesn't get herself killed.""Hey!" Yuki pouted and Zen cocked a brow."Don't 'hey' me! With your track record you'd somehow manage and I can just see it now…" He pointed to his mate over his shoulder, "The sulking, the pouting."Kaname smacked him over the head and he pouted as well."I'll get you back for that, Kuran." He muttered under his breath but they all heard him."Stay on script, frontman." Kaname whispered at a vampire low level and Zen snapped his head to stare him down.He hawked a laugh and turned on his heel."I miss when you hated me and had no sense of humor…" He muttered as he left the three alone, his tone teasing despite the harsh words.He ghosted into class and took his seat at the top next to the windows, the seat directly behind his mate- one he had claimed from day one, his beast always having had a thing for high vantage points.There were a few others in the top row, the three vampires he had kinda befriended at the few meals he had before mating, but the three were still wary enough of intruding in on the bond and stuck close to the far wall.Kaneki sat closest to him (a full five feet away), Jinn (eight feet) on his other side and Tatsuya (eleven feet) beside the door.Kaneki grinned brightly and waved, his smile bright and full of naivete. He had clearly been untested by the world and Zen had decided he would mourn the day that smile grinned smaller.Jinn nodded and smacked Kaneki's hand down to not gain the attention of Yagari-sensei as he entered the room.Tatsuya glanced at him quickly without intention, a blush lighting up her features before quickly glancing away back to her notebook where she scribbled furiously, her textbook worn and tired beside her.The rest of the Night Class had taken to avoiding him, well, the Inner Circle didn't- they just tried their very hardest to escape his notice whenever he was in the room (except for Aido, let's be honest, because Aido didn't exactly make the best decisions. If he hadn't been his grandson Zen probably would have killed him out of sheer irritation.)His other two grandchildren were avoiding him, well, except when absolutely necessary in Kain's case (someone had to rein Hanabusa in, and Ruka was never going to).Class began and Zen paid as much attention as he had while in the Day Class- okay, maybe a smidge more because it was Yagari-sensei and Yagari was one of the only people he had ever been able to respect even after being bitten by his sister and learning the truth.His mate filed in shortly after and took his seat in front of the white haired pureblood, his concern peeking Zen's interest.Was something wrong? Or was it just concern for Yuki and her incoming stupidity now that they had pointed out how important it was for her to steer clear?Zen sighed, stretching out his senses briefly and sensing nothing amiss.He may or may not have, okay he most certainly did, fall asleep in class and wake up to a slam of a book on his desk.Yagari stood over him with a cocked brow and he nodded, "Detention?"Yagari nodded with a 'ya think?' contortion of his features.Zen nodded and sighed, sitting up and sensing his mate's irritation with him- oh shit! Yeah, he had a thing after class, didn't he? Ah hell.Fuck it! He had to explain things to Yagari-sensei anyway.Kaname would have to explain things to the Inner Circle why some of their parents were arriving. His mate would not be pleased with him but they could resolve it after the visit was over, or whenever they passed out for the day.Okay, so the detention dragged on for almost two hours after classes was over, and he could sense Kaname's growing anger by the moment as he was forced to deal with his daughters-in-law (?) and their husbands and so Zen was doing the honorable thing and sneeking in via their bedroom balcony.Only to find his mate waiting for him in the connected office."Fuck me!" He grumbled upon spotting him appear out of the shadows."If I have to deal with Council lackeys, then you do too." The brunet purred, his tone alluring but the words themselves absolutely revolting."Do we really have to though?"Kaname narrowed his eyes on his ever so slightly and he sighed once more."Fine! Let's go..." he cringed, "socialize."It didn't keep him from dragging his feet all the way down the halls and the stairs to the living area however and he was standing in the doorway for all of five seconds before being pile drived into the marble tiles of the entryway by his youngest.He could vaguely sense his other two daughters approaching at similar speeds before joining the family reunion that left him kissing the floor. Could also sense six confused Nobles- three of them older and male- ew, their mates- and the other three his grandchildren.Kaname- that asshat- was standing a good ten feet away at the foot of the stairs, their bond practically flooding Zen with his mates deep satisfaction.You know the satisfaction of somebody fucking you over and then they get punished in a comedic way and you can't help but take pleasure in their pain? Yeah, that was the type of satisfaction he was broadcasting at Zen and the white haired pureblood was sulking into Namiko's thick blonde curls as she shoved her younger sister off to the side and clutched at his bigger frame in a massive koala hug."Uh, how about a hi before you pull WWE style moves?""Papa!" Ama cheered, promptly kicking Namiko away (in the face) to take back her spot on his chest..Naomi clutched his legs tight- knowing better than to get in the way of the eldest and the youngest.Namiko looked fit to cage fight Ama and as amusing as that would be, his mate had to go and put an end to it."Let them fight! Let them fight! Let them fi-!" Naomi whispered into his hip and he chuckled as Ama and Namiko were dragged off by their confused husbands.He patted Naomi on the head and she nodded, sitting up and skipping back over to the couch where Hanabusa sat up straight in shock and what appeared to be horror (like this was his very worst nightmare) and Zen couldn't bite back the smirk at seeing the blond so out of sorts.Ruka was equally as responsive, her eyes wide and blinking fast as if she couldn't believe what was happening. Kain was far better than his cousins (though far less satisfying to watch soak it all in) with his features still stubbornly unimpressed but tinged with a slight, how do you say, abject fear- as if he were facing a terrible beast, but one he had the will to martyr himself to save others from facing.Zen most certainly did cackle at his grandchildren's reactions, and he cackled long and hard.When he sobered up and brushed the tears from his eyes he stood up and stumbled (as much as a pureblood ever stumbles) over to one of the chairs that sat between the two couches.His daughters sat proudly beside their progeny while their progeny looked fit to bolt from the Academy and never return- Naomi and Hanabusa on one couch beside Namiko and Akatsuki while Ama and Ruka sat on the opposite couch. Their mates were standing beside the bookcases on either side of the fireplace, but silently made their way to stand behind each of his daughters, two of them (Kain and Aido) had quivering hands and dabbed at their brows continuously with hankerchiefs while Ama's mate beamed in excitement.Zen could read the male easily- it wasn't often they came across purebloods as old as he was, most others were either asleep or dead. Part of him laughed inwardly at the thought however, his mate was older than he was by what? Six thousand years or more?That would be a day to look forward to- when his mate finally revealed himself that is.And he was lucky enough to have a front row seat!Kaname sat down across from him, the final person to settle themself and thereby allowing the conversation to begin.'Conversation' more like 'verbal nuclear warfare'.Ama and Namiko went back at it as they were prone to doing at all family meetings- a screaming match about anything and everything either could think of, whether it be who Zen liked best (depends on the day), who had the best child (Namiko- at least Kain would be able to function alone), who had the best husband (Ama), who was the best child (Naomi- she was just an easy kid), who made the best marks in school (Namiko- a point of contention between them all, it was kinda hard to live up to) and so on. It went on for about twenty minutes before anyone bothered to interrupt the two Noble females (Naomi had long since learned not to even bother and Zen was having too much fun watching the facial reactions of their children and husbands to stop them). In the end it was Kaname who with a cast of his aura silenced them but gained the two females ire in the process, both of their heads snapping to glare at him in protest.Zen gave them the spiel: death sleep to awakened but without memories and human to level-D-ish to pureblood again. He left out a few details- Ichiru's role in his life, his 'master plan', anything Rido-centric.No one brought up his mating with the Kuran heir, all of them aware how young the bond was by the feeling of their combined auras in the room.Somehow along the lines Kaname had dragged off his sons-in-law and left Zen with his progeny which is where we get this lovely line from Ama's of so virginal mind:"So when should we start preparing for Kenato: the sequel?"Ruka blinked at her mother, "Okaa-san, who's Kenato?""Ah fuck," Zen groaned, "I don't know. You are aware we're in high school, right? Kinda early for a kid?""We have an uncle we've never met?" Aido bumbled as Naomi whispered it to him."Yes, Omaki Kenato. My only son." Zen waved off, "He's with his aunt so you're bound to meet him eventually. Though introducing him to his sisters was a nightmare." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose."Imagine the worst qualities of your mothers combined into one person. That's him."His daughters were offended but he and his grandchildren shuddered at the very description.Ama continued, "You may be in high school but you don't even need to be in high school. I need someone to be younger than me so someone else can argue with her dumbass."She pointed at Namiko and his eldest daughter merely sneered at her in response."Wait! Wait! Wait! How is that even possible?" Aido cried in exasperation.His daughters glanced at one another before turning to Aido in unison, doing their best impression of their father, "It's that magic shit. Makes shit happen that shouldn't."Aido frowned, "What does that even mean?"The girls shrugged and Zen cocked a brow, "What do you think it means?"Aido frowned, "That magic does the impossible?"Zen nodded and Naomi patted his hand, "That's basically it, honey. Your grandfather made a name for himself as the one to go for if you wanted to learn magic even some hunters went to him."Aido glanced at him and Zen shrugged, "It's my chosen field of study. My one achievement outside of my family.""Papa…" Naomi murmured and he cast her a wry grin.But the grin was gone in seconds, his aura darkened drastically and he could feel his mate's concern from across the Dorms as a chill invaded the air and smothered the fire.His girls were stock still in anxiety- sensing the familiar warning that they were soon to be in trouble with the parent who usually couldn't give a raging fuck what they did. In other words, the parent that didn't care about you fucking up suddenly does and your other parent isn't there to calm them down.His grandchildren stilled as well, somewhere close to terror on the 'oh shit what's wrong' scale.He leaned forward, his elbows braced against his knees as his aura made it difficult to breathe in the room."Now, do any of you want to tell me how two of you ended up married to Council lackeys?"A/N: Please comment/review all your opinions/inquiries/predictions/critiques/concerns/etc... Question for ya'll this week: How do you like this story's Zero (well, Zen)? What do you like most? What do you hate most about him? What do you think needs to be developed further? Also, I lost my outline for this story so please tell me if there is anything you want to happen below or in a PM and it might end up in the story if I can fit it in! Thanks for reading! :)

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A/n: Here it is! Heh he I have no excuse don't kill me! :)"Papa," Ama said, trying to calm him down, "They weren't Council supporters when they mated. It's only been since Kaname-kun's parents made a move for integration."Zen leaned back in his chair, relaxing his aura but not entirely releasing them.He sighed, knowing it was near impossible to separate from one's mate once mated and yet still flush with irritation at the idea of two of his daughters mated to two council lackeys.On one hand, Zen was against integration with humans himself- had always been so and probably always would be despite how open he appeared to others.His position had not been born of hate or loathing, but of what he felt was common sense- humans were weak and short lived and their wills frequently changed with the slightest of breeze shifts and as such they would never remain allied with vampires even if a rough alliance was drawn somewhere along the lines.He had even felt that most of the wars between hunters and vampires were warranted on both sides by equal crimes that could only be paid out by the waging of war and the deciding of victors.Thinking on it now though he wondered if his opinions had changed because of his experience living as a hunter if only for a short time.No.His mind had not changed and he still stood with the point that hunters and vampires would never be able to reach lasting peace- the occasional stalemate, yes, but peace? He didn't think it was possible and he knew his mate didn't either.Kaname was at the Academy for Yuki, and to take care of Rido. Zen was certain that Kaname had very little care for peace- his 'parents' had been idealists, but Kaname was pragmatic himself and viewed humans just like most purebloods.Weak, short-lived, and easy to use.Zen knew Kaname had no real intentions of keeping the Academy dream of Kaien's alive after Rido was killed for anything other than appearances.But still- his daughters had remained with males who supported the Council- the group that had essentially driven him to ground and sought to take everything from him and erase his legacy.His beast raged at the mere thought that felt so much like a betrayal.He sighed once more and snapped at his beast to back down.What to do… what to do…Zen ground his teeth lightly for a moment, agitated but reserved as his daughters looked to him with concern, knowing that as the oldest Hio alive they would have to comply with his wishes- especially since he was the closest pureblood their family had in relation.It had always been that way- and though their father was often playful and teasing they had never forgotten their place in vampire society."Papa?" Naomi asked and he glanced at her with red violet eyes.His grandchildren were uneasy, and for good reason- this could not go on and they all knew it.He sighed, "I will have words with them."They all knew he would have more than words with their husbands.He'd make it clear how much this news displeased him and just how far he would go to assure his will was enacted.None of them argued with him however and he quickly relit the extinguished fire with a wave of his hand."I have news of Uncle Neo." Naomi murmured and found the eyes of her sisters and father pinned to her form."Uncle Neo?" Hanabusa asked, "I'm going to need a pen and paper to keep track of all these new family members.""Omaki Neo, my uncle and father to my first mate, Omaki Wren. Kenato's father." Zen explained softly, waving his daughter on.She sighed, her normally bright eyes darkening under the weight of her worry, "He went missing three months ago."Ama and Namiko gasped and Zen near smacked himself- how could he forget his uncle's existence? How could he not bother to check on one of his last living relatives? Granted, Zen had thought him dead merely because Shizuka had failed to bring him up, but still.Come to think of it, he was also surprised he had not been told of the disappearance of the last living Omaki pureblood."You've hidden his disappearance, Naomi?""Hai, Otou-san. I… heard from one of his servants that he is chasing the Necromancer's Solution."Zen stilled at the admission, his gaze darkening quickly.The Necromancer's Solution… supposedly the one way to truly bring the dead back to life. Any other way would lead to the body degenerating and the summoned soul being banished back to the Netherworld.He was familiar with it- had been the one to tell his uncle of it's rumored existence so long ago, when Wren's death had been fresh and his pain immeasurable, weighing down his each and every step, demanding that he take his own life and join his husband on the Otherside.He had remained for his son and sister then, turning to other mythical forms of reincarnation to somehow bring his mate back to him."Why would he risk his life searching for that?" Namiko swallowed, "Vampire bodies turn to dust upon death- there is nothing to bring back.""Purebloods don't turn to dust, Namiko-nee." Ama murmured."He means to bring back Wren." Zen whispered, all of them hearing him as he cast his gaze to the dancing flames in the fireplace.He felt his living mate send him warming comfort through the bond, unaware of what could unsettle the white haired pureblood as he focused his attentions on entertaining Zen's sons-in-law.Zen straightened in his seat, "He will not find it because it does not exist.""Why are you so certain?" Ruka finally spoke up and Zen turned his stare on her, scarcely seeing even as his eyes located her beside Ama."Because I once searched for it as well. Only I realized it was fruitless and more likely to result in my death than in some magical cure to ail death."The night ended there, as his sons-in-law came rushing into the foyer to gather their wives like the Devil himself was on their tails.Zen hugged his daughters goodbye, each of them kissing his cheek as they departed after their goodbyes with their children.HIs grandchildren quickly excused themselves and he sighed as he entered his mate's office, finding his mate with a wry grin.Zen smiled as he poured himself a drink, "Scare them straight?""I think so, but if you feel inclined to send reminders to their places of work…"Zen imitated an italian accent, "If it pleases the godfather, I will enact his will."Kaname smirked, but the quirk of his lips quickly relaxed.He stood, walking around his desk to pull Zen into his arms, both of their Beasts purring at the touch."My uncle… searches for the Necromancer's Solution.""Why?"Zen sighed, withdrawing to collapse onto the couch, sipping his whiskey."For Wren. Wren was his only child and he would do anything to get him back.""Your first mate." Kaname stated, his tone harsh and jealous.Zen nodded, downing the rest of the drink, hoping the burn would stave off the tears that threatened to escape."I'm worried, Kaname. I've been down that path and there comes a point where what goes down doesn't come back up.""Do you think he'll find it?"Zen's eyes glanced up at him, glassy and dark with concern."I told the others that he would fail and die trying… But he will find it and he'll die trying to power it."Kaname's eyes widened and Zen nodded."It's dark magic… it feeds on sacrifice and to bring back Wren he would have to sacrifice a pureblood of equal strength."Zen swallowed, "I don't know if it would even work- theoretically it seems like it could, but you have no way of knowing if the soul that wishes to return will even be the one you asked for or if they would even come back as themselves…"Kaname sat down beside him and Zen crawled into his lap, leaning his head into the brunet's collar as his fingers tangled in the soft silk shirt he wore.It no doubt would look comedic to others- Zen was shorter than his mate by maybe an inch, and to hold the position he contorted himself into a tightly strung ball.But he didn't care, just sunk into Kaname's embrace with abandon, shivering when he felt his mate's hand wrap around his neck and pull him closer, his fingers brushing his mark on Zero's throat."Can you have someone search for my notes on the matter at my estate in the mountains?""I'll have Seiren head out in two days." Kaname sighed, "We are receiving a visit tomorrow night.""Who?""Asato Ichijo.""Takuma's grandfather?""Yes."Zen frowned, "He sounds exceedingly unpleasant from what I have been told."Kaname chuckled, "The stories are all true.""The one where he eats tiny humans and bathes in the blood of rare vampire midgets?"Kaname released him, looking down at him, forcing him to look him in the eye as he nudged his chin up with a finger."You made that up."Zen blushed, "Maybe.""Also... 'tiny humans'... would you happen to mean children?"Zen glanced away, his blush deepening, "Maybe."Kaname chuckled and kissed the corner of his lips affectionately.He made to strip Zen of his uniform jacket but the white haired pureblood pulled away."Before we get to the fun stuff…. Mysisteriscomingsoon.""Your what?" Kaname frowned and Zen wrung his hands nervously, looking away."Shizuka is coming, ah… soon.""How soon, Zen?" Kaname's tone was sharp and Zen cringed."Next week.""I thought you wanted her to stay away.""She got me on Facetime. Pulled a dirty trick."Kaname sighed, "Puppy dog eyes, really?""Heh, it's an oldy but a goody. Heh.""Why?""She said she wants to help?""Is that a question or an explanation?""Both?"Please don't put me in the dog house…I put you in the dog house and we both suffer. Kaname's voice returned in his mind and the blush bloomed once more on his cheeks."She wants Rido dead just as much as we do…" Zen drawled and Kaname sighed, already dreading having to make nice with the Madly Blooming Princess who he already knew from experience to be sneaky and as much of a schemer as he himself was."She's not that bad…"Kaname narrowed his eyes on him and Zen sighed, "Okay, maybe she is. But Ichiru will be coming too and Ichiru can keep anyone out of trouble!"'That's you not Ichiru-kun. From what you've told me he's the reason you got chased by a pack of Es as children."Damn, well he's not wrong."Then I'll find a way to keep him busy that doesn't result in him biting people who step within five feet of me!""He bites?"Zen scratched the back of his neck, "He's very possessive of his people.""Like a dog?""Yeah, kinda like a dog now that you mention it.""Would your brother really bite me?"Zen nodded, expression sincere."But that's why I'll keep him busy.""With what, dare I ask?"Yuki, but you don't need to know that.Too late. His mate snarked back mentally and Zen held up hand."Look do you want to get bit, or nah?"Kaname rolled his eyes and stood, darting forward in a flash to kiss his mate and go back to taking off his clothes."Make it worth my while." Kaname taunted and Zen smirked."I think I can do that."A/N: A little short for my liking, but the next will hopefully be longer. I have the next few chapters outlined so it should be a bit easier to write and I plan on putting out at least one more chapter before I go back to school on the twentieth. THANK ALL YA'LL for reviewing this story, I want you to know that I read all of the reviews and I really appreciate it. Real briefly, there has been some concern about a lack of plot- don't worry, this is just going to be a longer story and as such needs a longer set up. There will be five major plot arcs, some interwoven, some not as much. The first arc will be the Rido Arc of course and we'll be getting straight back into it in the next chapter with the visit from Asato Ichijo. Anyway, please leave any and all opinions/feelings/predictions/questions (under an account so I can PM you your answers back please) good or bad, I want to hear it! Thank you for reading and I hope you continue on with the story! :)Ps. Some of you may be going 'You took another break! Does that mean you have another VK story to begin and make your life harder with the amount of stories in the works?' and those of you doing that would be uh... right.(It's called Devil's Choir and involves a very sexual OOC god!Zero who I know ya'll will all love, frustrated Kaname who finds himself torn between Yuki and her innocent love of him and that sinful heat that only Zero can get from him ;) Add in Kaname having competition from Kaito and Ichiru and Zero's adoring fans and a blast from Zero's past in the form of the pureblood prince Kinro Raiden. Not to mention the bigger threat Rido poses now that he has the help of the god of death...- I will be posting the prologue and the first chapter sometime this week.