For ilurvkennichir
I’ve known Zero Kiryu since we were children. My family wasn’t made up of Vampire Hunters but my parents were good friends with the Kiryus. Whenever we went to visit them, I always remember those two brothers. The Vampire Hunter twins-Zero and Ichiru. They always stayed together, never apart unless forced. I thought it was sweet, cute, and intriguing all at the same time. Normally siblings fought, but they never did.
While the adults talked I was regularly left to play with them but they never seemed to want me there. Neither of them liked me. I was a stranger, an outsider, someone who couldn’t be trusted in their eyes. It’s not entirely their fault, I kept to myself as a child; I was always silent, unless spoken to, hardly ever moved, and would just sit there and stare. I admit I was a creepy child, well, more like a doll really. My parents taught me their rules well-No. 1 Always obey your elders, No. 2 Never let emotions get in the way of your judgment, No. 3 Never speak out of term, No. 4 Always obey direct orders, No. 5 Lead as sinless as possible life, and No. 6 Never trust a Vampire.
I had been molded to become the perfect, emotionless puppet for my parents to manipulate and do with however they pleased and I never objected. That was against the rules.
A few years on down the line, I heard about the murder of the Kiryus by that pureblood, Hio. Afterwards my parents quickly arranged for me to live with Headmaster Kaien Cross so I could “look after” Zero. Really they just wanted to make sure he didn’t turn in to a Vampire.
Yuki tried so hard to get me to show emotion, and to be my friend. It was so desperate that I finally broke down and started forcing smiles and laughter. Gradually though, they became real, very small but real.
She didn’t have as much luck with Zero; he gave off those hateful vibes, mostly pointed at me. I suppose he has a right, I’m a reminder of the life he used to have, a horrible, nauseous reminder. I wouldn’t want myself around if I were him.
Zero is a vampire, I thought, too shocked to move from my place on the stone ground outside the Academy. I had just watched Zero bite Yuki and drink her blood. He only stopped when she wrenched away from him, clutching her bleeding throat. And then Kaname showed up, belittling Zero about how low his thirst for blood had driven him.
If I’m taking this hard, I can’t imagine how Zero must feel having Yuki not just find out but by having him bite her, I twitched, Zero! Jumping up a tree and peering in through a window, I saw Zero still propped up against the wall. He was still covered in blood.
Thinking quickly, I jumped down and dashed inside and up the stairs, only pausing for a second or two before kneeling next to Zero and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. When I tried to pick him up he was dead weight. “Zero, I can’t lift you, you need to help me,” I mumbled. “Why are you here, Miranda?” He asked; his voice thick either because of the emotion or the blood in his throat. I could feel his glare, he hated me, didn’t trust me. Even after all these years, I’m still a stranger.
Something inside of me shuddered and cowered away from that glare, hiding in the darkest corners of my soul from it.
I ignored the feeling for now, I’d analyze it later. “I’m here because you need my help, now, please help me get you out of here before someone else comes around. I’d rather not try and explain why you’re covered in blood,” I muttered and tried to get him up again. This time he helped me get him off the floor, and then it was down the stairs, out of the building, carefully moving him around all plants outside so no blood wiped off on them, into the Headmaster’s building and into the bathroom.
I wasn’t sure what to do next. Surely he wouldn’t want me touching him, so, I asked, “May I remove these?” and gestured to his bloodied clothing. He didn’t say anything, just stared at me. Taking that as the initiative to start, I took off his bloodied jacket and shirt, soaked a washcloth in warm water and waited for him to tell me I could clean his skin. Zero did nothing. I felt my eye twitch, his silence was getting on my nerves, something I found intriguing. Nobody had ever gotten on my nerves before. I was an emotionless doll, completely detached from all aspects of human thinking. I wasn’t supposed to feel annoyance
“May I clean the blood off of you?” Still silence. I went ahead and started wiping the blood off. I was lucky; most of it was barely dried. I tried to go slow, not to make it more comfortable for him, so it would take longer to get to his mouth, but I had to get to it eventually.
My stomach churned nervously, my heartbeat sped up, quickening my pulse, and my hands quivered- I was the epitome of an adolescent with her first love. Perplexing….
Even slower than before, I gently dabbed his lips and stared at them, not able to meet his eyes. When I was finished, I continued to kneel next to Zero, afraid to move but also not wanting to. I liked being close to him, he was so warm I could feel the heat radiating off of him. It was comforting.
I gradually leaned closer to him, lips parting for short gasps for air as they came closer and closer to his rigid ones. Zero did nothing; he just sat there like a statute.
I was only an inch or two away from kissing him when I stopped and backed away. Standing, I stuttered out, “I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-” And dashed out of the room.
Back in my room, I assessed the feelings I had earlier and my near kiss with Zero. Butterflies in my stomach… speeding heartbeat… quickened pulse… quivering hands… even my dislike of Zero glaring at me… it all points to me being in love with him, I thought, but shook my head, No, that’s not possible. I don’t have emotions. I was bred not to have them!
This is why I didn’t like feelings; they turned rational people into bamboozled fools.
Shaking my head, I stood from my place on my bed and said, “Enough of this foolishness, I have to… go on patrol. Yes, that’s what I’ll do, and get my mind off this nonsense.”
Nothing changed between Zero and me the following days, though he might avoid me more often than he used to and I accept that. It’s not like I enjoy him avoiding me, it’s just that I understand why he’s doing it. We’re not friends, barely even acquaintances yet I nearly kissed him after cleaning the blood off of him after he nearly drained Yuki!
He probably hates me, but that’s alright. He doesn’t have to like me at all. I don’t mind being hated. I am an emotionless doll, only here to be manipulated.
Yuki rushed down the hall, tears streaming down here face in rivers that could drown a person. I know what’s happened, Zero has rejected her blood-he won’t drink from her. He’s going to fall to Level E-sooner or later. Probably sooner.
If Zero falls to Level E, I’ll have to kill him, my parents ordered me to over last holiday break. My heart speeds up. I don’t want that to happen. I can’t let him die.
I won’t kill him, I don’t care what my parents tell me to do, I thought.
There go rules numbers 1 and 4.
Obey the holders of my chains no more.
My hands twitched, I was disobeying. Good little dolls didn’t disobey; they did what they were told. They didn’t choose to help a human turned vampire, defying direct orders. They were used and then thrown away if need be. But, did I really want to obey my parents? They’d kept me from having a normal childhood, from making actual friends, from having any choice about where my life should go. Hatred burned in my gut and lit a fire that traveled through my veins like oil. I hated them, they had taken everything from me and they wanted me to just sit back and take it?! Not anymore.
I was going to help Zero, if anything then just to spite them.
Rule number 2 flies out the door.
Emotions rage like a flame on a dry wood floor.
I started walking down the hall with purpose, which melded into a faster pace, shifting to a jog, before finally ending up as a full out run.
I ran until I saw the bathroom door, slightly ajar, and skidded to a halt. I didn’t pause before going in; if I had, I would’ve lost my nerve.
Zero was on the floor, propped up against the wall, his bangs covering his eyes. I swallowed, unsure of what to do or say next. I just decided to wing it.
Kneeling next to him, I gently tried to coax him to look at me, “Zero… Zero… look at me, please.” Still, he didn’t move. “Zero, please,” I bit my lip. “What do you want?” He growled, glaring at me from under that silver hair of his. “I want to help you.” My voice was barely even a whisper. With trembling hands, I unbuttoned the first three buttons of my shirt, pulling my long hair away from my neck and tilting my head gently to the side and exposing it.
His eyes widened and he sputtered out, “Wha-! No! First Yuki and now you! No, I won’t-!” Glaring at him, I snapped, “Zero, I want to help you. You will drink from me and you won’t fall to Level E. Do you understand me?”
Third of the rules breathes its last.
Interrupting a speaker from my past.
Gently as I ever possibly could, I buried one hand in Zero’s hair, supporting his head and tilting it closer to my neck, while the other rested on his shoulder. Soon enough, I could feel his labored breathing on the sensitive flesh of my neck. His hands gripped my upper arms roughly and he tried to shove me away but I held him steady.
“No, it’s the worst possible sin,” Zero snarled, “I-I won’t do that to you.”
A slow smile worked its way onto my face, “Then it’s good I don’t mind being a sinner with you. Go ahead, Zero, drink. I’ll help you get better.”
Zero goes rigid, before slumping against me and pulling himself close to my neck. I shuddered at the feeling of him licking my neck. My eyes closed tightly when I felt his fangs slide against my flesh and prick it before stabbing deeply into my throat.
My first instinct was to thrash and panic and just get away, but I had already committed myself to this. I won’t lie to you, it hurt, and the sound of him sucking my life blood was revolting at the same time as fascinating.
Rule number 5 bites the dust.
Living a sin-filled life is a must.
Zero drank until his eyes changed back from blood red to their normal grey-violet coloring. And when his fangs left my neck, he made sure to lick the blood that had spilled either from the wound before he could drink or from his mouth. For several moments afterward, all we did was sit there and stare at each other, but when I finally felt strong enough to stand, I did. Or tried to.
“I should… probably leave now,” I mumbled but before I was even completely off the floor, Zero grabbed my wrist. “Why are you helping me? I could have easily drained you dry right then and you knew it,” He asked, his eyes were searching mine, desperately trying to find answers.
It was a reasonable thing to want-the truth. I mean, we weren’t close friends, not like him and Yuki, yet I had helped him when he was at his lowest and forced him to drink my blood to help ease his thirst. A week ago we wouldn’t have given each other the time of day.
I was going to say “I don’t know, but instead, I said, “I trust you, Zero. I know you won’t kill me-that’s just not you.”
Stabbed through the chest is the end of rule number 6
Trusting Vampires is how I get my kicks.
“And I….” I trailed off and nibbled on my bottom lip. I shouldn’t finish that sentence, I thought, He’ll hate me forever.
Zero’s intense gaze locked on my panicked expression as he asked, “And you what?”
“And I… really should be leaving now. Homework, you know,” I stumbled over the half-assed excuse.
“You always finish all of your homework in class,” Zero frowned. I should’ve known that wouldn’t have worked on him. Maybe I… maybe I should give him the truth?
Inhaling deeply, to stall for time and calm my nerves, I spoke as calmly as possible, “You want the truth?” “Yes,” He answered, plain and simple.
I took another deep breath and said, all while leaning closer to him, “I love you.” And I kissed him.
I held it for several moments before I allowed the rejection to sink in and started to pull away, but I was stopped by Zero’s hand tangling in my hair and forcing me back into place, his other arm wrapping around my waist.
His lips moved roughly against mine as he jerked my head at a better angle to assault my mouth. I just moaned. The kiss was passionate and filled with need on both sides; we had both been waiting for this for way too long. I moaned again when his tongue thrust into my mouth without asking for permission and started battling mine for dominance. He won, of course, and thoroughly explored my mouth before beckoning my tongue into his mouth. Timidly, I moved along his teeth before caressing his fangs, which were elongating again. Zero moaned, startling me just enough that I nicked my tongue on one of them. Zero pressed me against the wall and sucked on my tongue, drawing more blood out before lapping at the small wound with his wet appendage.
Finally we separated, both gasping for air. Neither of us said anything, but in my mind I added another rule I had broken while I beamed at Zero.
Rule number 7 was such a pest
Because loving a Vampire is the best.
