Fading Away (KanaZero)

Eight

The last thing Zero had ever wanted was for someone to see him break down and cry, especially Kaname. As if he wasn't already enough of a mess, now he was lying against the brunette, his face still buried in his chest with tears pouring down his pale cheeks. The entire time Zero had been crying, Kaname just stayed silent and kept a secure grasp on the other. He never thought he'd see the day Zero would cry, but he wouldn't allow himself to say anything. He honestly didn't know what he could say since he hadn't really dealt with anyone crying before.

Eventually, Zero's eyes ran dry. After breaking down like that, he felt completely exhausted but he really didn't want to pass out here. It didn't feel right to do such a thing, but when he tried to push himself away, he felt Kaname's grasp tighten on him. Confused, Zero slowly lifted his head so he could glance at the Pureblood's face. He was sure Kaname thought he was even more pathetic now than he already was, but to Zero's surprise, the brunette's face held a look of concern instead of disapproval.

"...Why do you look like that...?" Zero asked as he quickly wiped away any remaining tears with his sleeve. "You probably think it's pretty dumb that I actually broke down in front of you..."

"Actually, that isn't what I'm thinking at all. I never thought I'd see this side of you, but I'll admit it did worry me very much." Kaname spoke quietly as he watched Zero look away. "I never thought I'd actually see you cry."

"It's not like it matters..." Zero mumbled quietly. It didn't matter at all, however him crying wasn't really the last thing he wanted Kaname to see before he decided to leave. "Just make sure no one else finds out about it..."

"Now why would I tell anyone else about you crying? I'm not that mean, Zero. You should know that by now." Kaname simply shook his head and ran his fingers through the silver haired male's short hair. He wanted to take all that pain away and get Zero's mind away from dying. The brunette was sure that deep down, Zero didn't want to die but at this point he seemed to think it was hopeless. However, that wasn't the case at all. Zero could still be saved, but only if he made the attempt to save himself.

"I just...Kaname you have no idea just how much I've been holding in ever since that horrible day... I should already be dead along with the rest of my family but that damn woman left me alive to suffer with this fate and then I ended up being brought here." Zero grasped onto his hair tightly, painful memories covered in the blood of his loved ones filled his head once again. Each night, they haunted him but he never told anyone about them because it didn't matter. Those nightmares were just another thing he had to deal with. "I was also the reason Yagari lost his eye. I hesitated when he was training me and it caused that damn injury."

Kaname simply shook his head and pulled Zero down so he was lying on the mattress. His arms once again embraced the troubled vampire as he held him securely. The urge to protect hadn't been this strong since the day he found Yuki in the snow after the incident that happened with his own family, but that was a story for another time. Right now, he was focused on keeping Zero's head above the darkness that kept trying to drag him down. He didn't exactly know what he could say to the silver haired male at the moment, so he just decided to keep a tight hold on him and hope that he would eventually fall asleep.

"Kaname..." The softness in Zero's voice surprised the brunette. He looked down almost instantly, only to find that Zero had turned his head upward. Now their faces were only inches apart. Being this close, Kaname could clearly see the pain in the other's eyes. Sighing quietly, the Pureblood leaned a bit closer, pressing his forehead against Zero's without breaking eye contact.

"Zero, I want you to stay alive. If I could take all that pain away, trust me it would be gone in an instant. Right now, all I can do is be a support beam for you." Kaname gave Zero a rather rare smile and chuckled when he noticed a small amount of blush on his cheeks. How cute. "Just be strong for a little bit longer... I know you can pull through."

While Kaname's words were kind, Zero couldn't bring himself to actually agree with his wishes. It had already been decided a long time ago, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy this moment for one night. No fighting, no arguing, just relaxing for once in his life. Maybe taking a small risk wouldn't be so bad either. It would be rather embarrassing, but it wasn't like it could get any worse and besides, this would probably be his last chance. Before making another move, Zero brought his hand up and placed it over Kaname's reddish brown eyes. It may have seemed strange, but Zero couldn't bring himself to move with the brunette looking at him like that, but now that his eyes were coverd, it was the silver haired male's chance.

"Zero, what are you-" Kaname had started to ask what Zero was doing, but his words were cut off by something he never expected. A pair of soft, cold lips suddenly covered his own, silencing him instantly. He would be lying if he said he hadn't been waiting for this moment for quite some time, but he didn't think Zero would be the one to initiate it. He expected he would be the one to do it when the time was right, yet here they were. Unfortunately it was over as quickly as it had started. Before Kaname could even think of returning the kiss, Zero had pulled away from him and removed the hand that had been covering his eyes.

"...Sorry..." Zero started to roll himself away from the brunette, only to have his face be caught by the other's hand. His cheeks were burning as he was forced to look back at Kaname. He didn't know what was going through the brunette's head, but he worried he had made the other mad or something. Before Zero could ask, Kaname had leaned himself in and crashed their lips together in a much more passionate kiss than what had happened moments ago. The silver haired vampire let out a surprised gasp but ended up returning the kiss rather quickly. His arms wrapped themselves tightly around Kaname's neck and his eyes fell closed once again. He allowed himself to get lossed in their passionate kiss. He should have known Kaname would be way better at this than he was. It damaged his pride a bit, but he decided to let it slide.

After what felt like forever, Kaname finally pulled himself away from Zero, leaving the silver haired teen breathless. The brunette had only pulled back a few inches, so their faces were still rather close to each other. Zero's face was flushed with a dark shade of red, his arms were still locked around Kaname's neck as well. The two of them continued to stare at each other in silence for several minutes before Zero finally caved and shifted his eyes away. His arms slowly dropped from Kaname's neck as he allowed himself to sink back into the mattress. The brunette had followed him and once again embraced Zero in a protective hold, allowing the silver haired male to rest his head on his chest.

"Sleep for now... You need the rest." Kaname muttered as he started to gently comb his fingers through Zero's hair just as he had before. Normally Zero would smack his hand away, but at the moment the feeling was comforting, something he desperately needed. As Zero closed his eyes, he allowed himself to empty his mind as much as possible. After all, he planned on disappearing tomorrow night. That was the main reason he had even decided to share a kiss with Kaname. He figured it was the best thing to leave the brunette with as a memory.

Once Zero had finally fallen asleep, Kaname let out a quite sigh as he leaned down to rest his chin on top of the other's hair. This wasn't the first time he had held Zero like this, but it would be the first time Zero would probably remember it. All the other times the teen had passed out right after drinking his blood. The kiss they had shared was definitely special to him, and was one he wouldn't be forgetting any time soon, but he still had to keep his guard up. Helping Zero stay sane wasn't easy, but maybe if they would end up taking the next step it would make things a bit easier for the both of them. However, he wasn't sure if Zero was ready for such a step. After all, the turned vampire still held a deep hatred for all vampires. Kaname couldn't imagine how he would feel if he were to be mated to one. It may be the only way though so Kaname would have to take a risk and he knew he would have to do it soon.

'You may hate me for this when the time comes...but it will be for your own good...'

((Hey guys! Chapter Eight is finally finished! It was actually done last night but I ended up going to sleep before I could post it. That's why it's been my top priority today! Thank you all so much for the support I've received on this story! It really means a lot to me! In order to keep you guys updated on when I'm working on things, I've managed to revive my old Tumblr account and now have a Twitter. Usernames on both are aMaskedNinja ^-^ Anyways, thank you guys so much for reading! I'll do my best to update again real soon! See you all next time!

~~MaskedNinja))