Zeki - Three kisses

As far as he could remember, her mother cared a lot about him despite her vampire hunter duties that often kept her away. But when she was home, she would stereotypically cook for her two children and teach them.

They lived not far from town where the weather was rather sunny apart from winter. Vampires were nowhere to be found. The warm temperature kept them away if the presence of a vampire hunters clan wasn't enough.

Zero has always cherished the days his father would take them hiking when he and his twin weren't to be trained by Toga Yagari. Even if their master was absent, he still enjoyed the long and tiring ascent. He loved spending time with his family.

Those trips were scarce since they had to train on a regular basis and that Ichiru was frequently ill. He wouldn't say anything even if they stopped climbing up because of this. He understood it all and loved his brother so much that he wouldn't say a thing to hurt him more than he already was in both his pride and body. Zero has always been caring and kind. He believed in the human race. He used to believe in the world.

He couldn't figure out how vampires were bad beings. He had never truly met one and refused to admit that beasts taking human form could ever exist. Then occurred the accident and his own master got wounded because of his naivety. It was hard to accept the fact that very nice people could turn out demoniac by a simple bite. How could you not fight your own impulses? It was all about will, wasn't it?

Ever since then, he began to dislike the blood-sucking monsters, the wild and uncontrollable ones. Her mother told him not to hold hate in his heart because hatred led to death that you either take or lose. He didn't immediately get it; he just disliked the night creatures. Somehow, she knew she would end up dying and she feared for him because hunting was perilous. What was more dangerous was having a wrong reason to live for as it could make you chose the wrong path, do useless sacrifices and eat you all inside? It wasn't a happy life and it wasn't what she wanted for her children. He couldn't understand yet.

Realizing the importance of hunting down vampires, he was irritated when Ichiru didn't recognize Hio Shizuka as one at first sight, especially when she happened to be a pureblood, the vampirest vampire. He hadn't found her beautiful, he knew she was physically admirable but he felt a strong maleficent aura emanating from her.

A few days later, their parents came home from hunting late at night. Weary, his mother still came to gently pat their heads. As she kissed him good night, he thought everything would be okay with strong and powerful parents like his.

~

At first, he didn't fully understand what was happening to him. He sensed Hio Shizuka and the second he walked out the house, she swiftly wrapped him in her arms, taking him a few feet away the front door by merely touching him.
His parents arrived too late, or maybe it simply was their fate.

He was scared. The pureblood's smell surrounded him, tightly caging him. What could he do, he, a kiddo of only eleven years old? What was she going to do to him? Kill him? Torture him perhaps? He truly didn't have a clue.

Until she bit him.

He hated it. He hated the pain, he hated that he could feel her fangs on his neck, sucking his hunter blood out. It was worst than sinful. She had sunk into deep madness. It was crossing a line that no pureblood had ever dared to before. Transforming a boy, a human into Level E was strictly prohibited but transforming a hunter into a vampire... It was a devilish punishment. It was too soft to let him die, she wanted a true revenge. Thus, she wasn't taking his life. She was making it unbearable by ripping apart his soul, his innocence when the real blame was on his parents. As if it wasn't enough, she murdered his parents in front of him after they had witnessed her cursing their son and went away with his very twin, Ichiru. His betrayal hurt like flaying alive.

Could he ever recover from such loss? He was all alone and he even couldn't die. No matter how hard he wanted to, he had to make her pay first. For the honor of his family. For the hunters's pride.

No tears fell from his eyes. Anger was filling him until he was too tired because of the shed blood. He was laying here for what seemed hours and when Toga Yagari arrived, the poor boy looked like death itself. The hunter could not be anything else but hurt as well. He had watched this damn kid grow up for years! Then, he saw his friends, savagely slaughtered. He had to pursue the responsible of this butchery. But the boy, the boy was still alive. His heart and his willing to live were fierce. Yagari called an old friend before going tracking down the crazy pureblood who forever left an unrecoverable bite on Zero's neck.

Kaien Cross and his adoptive daughter, Yuuki, treated him with great care. She was only a year younger but he just couldn't open up. He resented himself more than he loathed Shizuka. He never thought he would have a piece of normality back in his life, like going to school, getting detention or being a perfect. But it never seems entirely real. Sometimes, he felt like a stranger, like he didn't belong to this world. He was a parasite. But what was he really? Not human nor vampire, only a truest monster.

There came Yuuki with her shiny smile. Most of the time, she would be bothering him and it was due to her naivety. That's what he liked to think because deep inside him he adored her just like that. She acted like everything in her life was okay and she had every reason too. She was a normal girl, a pure human. She had no chains.

Zero quickly developed the symptoms of avoidant personality disorder, no matter how hard Yuuki tried to break into his fortress. The pain was insufferable, he couldn't afford losing any love ones again. He couldn't, he was so dead already. Yet, she succeeded, little by little, day by day. His days lightened a bit albeit dark clouds still anchored. She was taking hold of him until she unconsciously possessed him whole.

~

Years have passed and his blood was being aspirated again. Only this time he had desired it.

He was expecting the pain caused by her sharp fangs piercing his pale skin. But it didn't hurt. Everything was different. It had nothing from the horror the last vampire kiss he was given.

He didn't feel her teardrops rolling on his shoulder; he didn't feel his body weakening. He forgot the world they were in, too concentrated on her. It was rare of him to take her in his arms but it was the last time he would ever do such a thing. There was definitely something with her hands clinging on him.

As he tightened his grip and caressed her hair, he clearly heard the sound of the vital fluid escaping his arteries and veins. Every gulp she took sent him shocks, electrifying his entire body. He was melting. Nevertheless, he was too much of a coward to tell his feelings for her. The words couldn't come up so he put all he had left in his dirty blood. He had to be sure she understood she was his very reason to live. He knew it would be his ultimate chance. She had to know.

Today, he wouldn't regret anything.

He wished she had seen it before all that mess. He wished she would stay by his side instead of his. He wished she still belonged to the human race, that she was still the perfectest beauty he used to live with. One could say it was too late but he didn't care. He had to try.

He could sense his coal heart pumping faster, stronger. He wanted to give it to her all because she's been lightening his days for the past years; yet she was leaving. She was leaving him.

All the memories of the last lustrum flowed in and out of him, reminding him their uncommon friendship. He had always remained silent and unsmiling. He had always treasured her laugh but he had never allowed himself to have fun, no matter how hard she had tried. She had shared her joy so many times with him that he almost felt peccant. He couldn't even remember of a time cheering her. That period was over. He had to give something back thus he offered her the only thing he had; he let shown his hidden emotions that he's been burying for years.

Today, he wouldn't regret anything.

Her embrace felt incredibly good, too good to be right. Deep inside him, he was well aware of her detestable condition, her vampire nature, since that night but he wanted to wipe away the old painful memories. She was the unique girl who could erase the vampire bite he had once received, the one who could make go away the daily filthy sensation Hio Shizuka left. Yuuki's touch was different. This was her gift. She was setting him free. Before the end did come, he wanted to feel alive again one last time. What can make you feel more alive than dying?

He did not care about his life running away. Her biting was so soft that it was a lover's kiss to him. He liked the idea. He has been craving for it for so long, there was no point denying it and he didn't even feel ashamed of his. The love he held for the girl was stronger.

For once, he was at peace. When she had sunk her fangs into his flesh, he knew this was beyond any guilty pleasure he had ever tasted before. Losing the track of time, he believed he could expire just like that over and over again. He didn't care about passing away as long it was her.

Good things never last and it ceased all too soon. He wished she had sucked him dry.

But he had to live. He had once promised the girl he has adored for years he wouldn't end his life ever again.

Did she now realize what she meant to him? If she did, she didn't let it show.
The tepid wind quickly brushed over them, just like the time they had spent together.

Grieving for her could wait until tomorrow. He did not want to hurt the little piece of his former Yuuki left so he fought back tears. He fought back his love. He fought back his desires. This was what true love was about. He let her go because she would be happier away from him; he was willing to do so because he had acknowledged the fact long ago though he loathed Kaname. And he did not say a thing nor did he complained, as he thought she had had enough already. His hurt was meaningless compared to her well being. She was everything that mattered, remember?

For the time being he would mourn his twin even if he felt she had just killed him. With a last glance, they parted.

Damn, he was going to miss her like hell.