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Strings of a Puppet	By : RukiRomance Category: +S to Z > Vampire Knight Views: 3210 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight. No money is being made.

Chapter List
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A/N: This
chapter is dedicated to all who have taken the time to read my
stories. Thank you so much for the support! It has encouraged me to
get this chapter finished and posted!

Strings
of a Puppet

Awakening

Having sealed young Zero's memories, Rido was now able to go about
his day with a little less worry. It would be morning soon, and he
had calls to make.

Walking over to the balcony doors, Rido pulled back the curtains.
With dawn breaking the horizon, the room was illuminated in a soft
golden glow. On the bed, Zero stirred, but didn't wake. He merely
turned his back toward the light coming into the room. As much as
Rido wanted to bask in Zero's waking moments, having to get
everything ready for the boy was something that couldn't wait. Just
by looking at the silver haired boy's clothes made the pureblood feel
sort of guilty for putting it off... The clothes the boy had worn, a
gray T-shirt and khaki shorts, were tattered and blood stained. Those
would have to be disposed of as soon as possible. New ones would be
made especially for the silverette by a tailor. So reluctantly, Rido
let the boy sleep a little while longer as he quietly exited the
room.

Closing the door softly behind him, he headed down to the living room
to call his tailor to have him come over and measure Zero. But as he
walked by the library, he caught a glimpse of his son sitting near
the window, a magazine in hand. A sudden thought had Rido entering
the vast book-filled room and striding over to Senri. When he neared
the window, Senri looked up from his magazine and acknowledged his
father with a curt nod.

“Ohayō*,
Otou-san*,” Senri's misty blue eyes took one look at Rido then
trailed back down to his book.

“Ohayō,
Senri. Could you do me a small favor?”

Senri side-glanced, wondering what his father was up to.

“Um,
sure 'Tou-san,” Marking his place in his book, Senri stood and
waited for Rido to respond.

“I
have to make a few business calls. Zero is still sleeping in my bed.
I don't want him to wake up and be alone, so could you watch him for
a little bit? If you want, you could ask Kaname to sit with you,”

Senri cocked his head to the side, as if in thought. Placing the
modeling magazine on the windowsill, he nodded and walked around his
father.

“Kaname
is with his tutor. I'll look after the human for y-”

“Senri,
do not refer to him as a 'human'. His name is Zero. He is now a part
of this family and will be treated as such,” Rido sounded
slightly irritated by his son's label of the boy he cherished.

Hearing Rido say that the boy was a part of the family had Senri
turning on his heel and eying his father.

“Did-
Did you turn
him?!”

“No,
I haven't...yet. In a few years, after he has grown, will I then turn
him.”

Senri could only gape at his father. Is he serious? How could that
human brat influence father so much, Senri rubbed his hand
through his rust-colored hair.

“And
Senri,” Rido placed a hand on his son's shoulder as he passed
him, “why don't you grab an outfit of yours for Zero. I'll have
him tailored later for clothes of his own. But he should wear
something decent until then,”

“Hai*,”
Senri sighed as he watched his father make his way down the hall.

With a pair of clothes in hand, Senri made his way to Rido's
bedchamber. Having to babysit a human child was not something he
looked forward to. Not one bit. But what choice did he have? His
father had taken a liking to the defenseless human; something that
was extremely surprising to everyone. Even Kaname seemed a little
wary of his father's feelings towards the boy. After Kaname had
visited Rido the night before, he had a far away look in his eyes. It
left an unsettling feeling in the pit of Senri's stomach. Just what
was so intriguing about a weak human child anyway?

With that befuddling question running rampant in his mind, Senri
opened the door and entered his father's room. Just as Rido had said,
the boy was asleep, curled up and turned on his side facing the door.
Narrowing his eyes, Senri dropped the clothes on the foot of the bed
and stalked closer to investigate. The smell of dried blood had Senri
scrunching up his nose in distaste. But leaning in closer revealed
the source of the putrid smell.

“Hn.
No wonder Otou-san said to bring clothes...” Senri mumbled to
himself.

Not thinking too much f his actions, the young pureblood extended a
hand towards the slumbering boy. With a single finger, Senri poked
the boy's exposed pale cheek. Once... Twice... With the third poke
the boy moved.

“Nnn-”

Senri retracted his hand and stared as the boy rubbed his eyes
tiredly. He remained completely still. What was he supposed to do? He
had never been this close to a human before. It wasn't until Zero
stretched and yawned did Senri realized that the boy was actually
around his age.

“Um-
Ohayō, Zero-kun.” With an expressionless face, Senri
greeted the waking boy.

However, Zero hadn't known Senri was there and froze in mid-stretch.
His eyes grew to the size of saucers when they spotted the rusty
haired youth. It only took a second for Zero to recover but he yanked
the sheets up to his chest and sputtered.

“Y-y-you!
W-Who are you!? W-Where's R-Rido-sama?!” Zero took one glance
at Senri then proceeded to whip his head around the room in search of
Rido.

Senri cocked his head at the boy's actions. He didn't think he was
being sneaky, especially when he poked the boy's cheek. Oh well. He
had better calm the human brat before he gets too out of hand.
Nodding his head in a slight bow, he introduced himself.

“My
name is Senri. I'm Rido-sama's
son,”
The way Senri practically spit his father's honorific made Zero
flinch.

“O-Oh-”
Zero averted his eyes. He only knew of Rido-sama. How was he supposed
to act? He felt so confused...

“Here.
Change your clothes and I'll take you to see Otou-san,” Tossing
Zero the clothes he had brought, Senri stood and turned around to
give him privacy. Senri could see how lost the boy was and decided to
break the ice. After all, he was going to have to live with the kid
from now on. Might as well make nice...for now anyways.

Zero wasted no time changing out of his ragged clothes. He had no
idea how they had gotten so torn and stained in the first place. But
it didn't matter. All he wanted to do was see Rido-sama. Zero didn't
understand why, he just wanted to be by the elder pureblood. Senri
took the bloody and torn clothes from Zero and tossed them in the
trash. When the silver-haired boy was standing next to him, Senri
noticed the difference in their heights. He was taller by a good 5-6
inches.

“How
old are you, Zero-kun?” Senri led the boy out of the bedroom
and started down the hall.

“I-I'm
11, Onii-san*...”

What did he just call me? Senri stopped and turned to face
Zero, who happened to be trailing close behind him. But Zero was
walking with his head down so he ended up running right into Senri,
making a cute little 'oomph' sound as he landed on his butt. Senri
looked down at Zero, not sure whether to smile or glare. So he
settled for a sigh and reached out to help Zero to his feet.

“I'll
let you off this time, but don't call me that. I'm not your
Onii-san,”

Zero dusted off his bum and blushed in embarrassment. Seeing the way
Zero's cheeks turned a light pink had Senri fighting the urge to wrap
the boy in his arms and squeeze him till he passed out. I think
father's weird obsession is rubbing off on me... There is no way I
would want this... this human... as a brother...

“G-Gomen*...
Senri-san,”

. . .

Ugh... I give up... Sighing, Senri rubbed the back of his
neck.

“Fine.
You can call me Onii-san... just don't expect me to call you Otouto*
in return...” The smile that Senri was witness to completely
melted his heart. He even blushed at the sheer happiness radiating
off the human boy in front of him. I
have to find 'Tou-san before I eat the stupid brat...

Grabbing Zero's hand quickly, Senri led him down the grand stair
case, grinning at the small gasps from Zero as he continuously looked
around. Oh boy... he is... kinda cute... As they neared Rido's
office, Kaname was exiting his room and nearly ran right into Senri.

“Oh,
Senri? Gomen. I just-” Kaname stiffened as bright amethyst eyes
locked with his. Seeing the boy up close and awake was
heart-stopping. Those eyes were hypnotizing. Without thinking, Kaname
reached out and brushed the back of his knuckles across the boy's
flushed cheek. Senri watched with questioning eyes. Kaname was acting
strange again...

“N-Nani*-?”
At the sudden and unexpected touch, Zero squeezed Senri's hand and
flinched back as he shied behind the rusty haired boy. Zero had
placed his other hand over his cheek where Kaname had touched him and
eyed the brunet. Who
is this boy and why did he touch me...?
Zero relaxed some when he felt Senri rub his thumb over the top of
his hand.

Kaname's eyes were drawn to the movement and glared at their
conjoined hands. For some reason the sight angered the brunet. He
wanted to be the one holding the boy's small hand... Having Zero
flinch back from him left Kaname feeling a little heartbroken.

“Oi,
Kaname,” Senri snapped his fingers in front of his itoko* until
he had his attention. When misty blue were locked with murky red,
Senri stepped from in front of Zero.

“This
is Zero-kun. I'll take it you've met him? Anyway, I'm taking him to
'Tou-san, have you seen him?”

Kaname had tuned out Shiki's voice after he introduced Zero. Bowing,
Kaname took the hand covering Zero's cheek and brought it to his
lips. Looking into Zero's stunning eyes, he welcomed the boy.

“Welcome,
Zero-chan. I am Kaname,” Zero's eyes bulged at the brunet's
display. He hadn't even realized that Kaname used 'chan' instead of
'kun'. Either way it didn't matter, and instead of pulling away, Zero
welcomed the touch. Looking between Shiki and Kaname, Zero
wondered...

“A-are
you Rido-sama's son also?” Kaname was a little taken aback at
the question. However, he played it off and chuckled.

“No,
Rido is my Oji-san,”

“Sou
ka*...” Zero nodded and graced Kaname with a small smile.
Kaname felt warmth fill his heart at Zero's innocent show of
happiness. Senri noticed this and rolled his eyes. He gave a quick
squeeze to Zero's hand and nodded towards Kaname. Since the brunet
had his head in the clouds, he was going to be of no help.

“Come
Zero-kun, before 'Tou-san notices you're awake and worries. Mata nē*,
Kaname.” Shuffling around the brunet, Senri tugged Zero along
down the hallway. Kaname raised his brow at his cousin's behavior. It
almost seemed as if Senri wanted to keep Zero to himself.

While trailing behind Senri, Zero
looked over his shoulder at Kaname and waved. He had liked the
brunet's laugh. Having two onii-sans was going to be fun.

After turning down another hall,
Senri stopped at a closed door. Knocking twice, he waited until he
received permission to enter...

-x-

Rido had just hung up after making an appointment for later that day
with the tailor when Senri and Zero walked into his office. Seeing
the boy awake made the elder pureblood's heart swell with happiness.
He was once again graced with those beautiful amethyst eyes.

“Otou-san,
Zero-kun woke and wanted to see you,”

“Ah,
Senri. Thank you for looking after Zero. I'll take him from here,”
Rido glanced down at the boys' clasped hands and bit his tongue. He
would have questioned his son but a honey sweet voice distracted him.

“Rido-sama!
Ohayō gozaimasu!” Zero had abandoned Senri's hand and
raced over to Rido's chair, sliding to a halt and bending double into
a deep bow. Hearing the boy call his name with such enthusiasm put a
smile on Rido's face.

“Ohayō,
Zero,” Rido placed a hand atop of Zero's bowed head and ruffled
his silver hair. Turning to his son, Rido's face returned to a
neutral expression.

“You
may be on your way now, Senri. I'm sure you would rather be reading,
ne?”

Senri's gaze darkened, he knew his father was up to something. But
even if he knew what, he was still a child and Rido was his father.
There was nothing he could do to even think about going against him.
As much as he regretted leaving Zero alone with his unpredictable
father, he bowed and exited the office.

Zero had straightened from his bow and beamed at Rido. Scooting away
from his desk, Rido tapped his thigh.

“Come,
Zero-chan. Have a seat,” Rido smiled.

Nodding and returning his guardian's smile, Zero turned to take a
seat. But just before he made to sit, he was stopped by Rido's hand
guiding him around to stand between the elder's legs. With Zero
facing him, Rido had changed his mind. Placing his hands under Zero's
arms, Rido lifted the boy and placed him on top of his desk. Zero's
cheeks flushed as he was lifted, but smiled for his guardian. Rido
caressed the boy's rosy cheek, his other hand resting on the boy's
upper thigh.

“No
need to be flustered, kodomo*. Was Senri polite to you?”

Zero nodded while his eyes brightened.

“Hai,
Rido-sama. Senri-nii was kind and even gave me these clothes to wear.
My other ones were dirty, so he thew them away,” Zero had
tugged at his blue t-shirt when he spoke of his clothes. All the
while, Rido found the boy to be extremely adorable. He had thought
Zero was an angel while he slept, but when he was awake he was even
more so. Rido wanted to embrace his silver-haired angel, but thought
better of it. Instead he listened to Zero babble on about how big the
house was and meeting Kaname. The pureblood even found it cute the
way Zero called Kaname Kana-nii. It may seem a bit childish, but Rido
thought it fit Zero's personality.

“Good,
good. I'm glad you like it here so far. Later today there will be a
friend of mine coming over to take your measurements. He will then
make some clothes especially for you,” Rido tapped Zero's nose
with his index finger and smiled as the boy scrunched up his nose and
pouted his lips. Oh the temptation...

“Really?
Oh thank you, Rido-sama!” Zero had thrown himself forward and
wrapped his arms around Rido's neck in a lightning fast embrace.
Shocked at Zero's pounce, Rido did the only thing that felt natural
and held the boy close.

“Anything
for you my precious, Zero,” Rido smiled into Zero's neck,
inhaling the boy's pure scent.

The loving, tender moment was interrupted by a rumbling growl from
little Zero's stomach. The hungry growl made the silverette laugh and
pull back, his arms still linked around Rido's neck. There was a
fresh blush spreading across his cheeks as he grinned innocently.
Rido was practically nose-to-nose with Zero, he could feel the
younger's breath on his face with each exhale. Another growl reached
Rido's ears and he grinned.

“How
about we go get some breakfast, ne?”

“Mmhmm!”
Zero hummed in agreement and went to turn, but Rido's arms still held
him stead fast.

“A-Ano-”
Before Zero could make another sound, Rido leaned forward and
captured the boy's lips in a chaste, gentle kiss. Zero held his
breath, too shocked to breathe. His amethyst eyes were wide and his
cheeks were a lovely pink. Rido pulled back and just smiled,
releasing the boy and lowering him to the ground.

“Come.
You can have whatever you like,” Rido grasped the stunned boy's
hand and led him to the kitchen. All the while, Zero touched his lips
lightly, wondering why he felt happy.

Three
weeks time skip... (summed up)

The kiss Zero had received was not explained, nor would the ones in
the future be. It had become a daily thing, actually. There would be
little to no warning and it was almost always done in a private area.
But that was as far as Rido went, for now.

Senri and Kaname now treated Zero as if he was their Otouto and
looked after him. They had shown Zero every last corner of the huge
mansion. And even though Zero was now settled, he still shared a room
with Rido.

Kaname had kept his distance for the first weeks, fearing he might
come off as too overpowering of an 'Onii-san' (even though Rido was
already making a move on the young boy- to which everyone was
oblivious).

Zero hadn't asked any questions about Rido's lack of appetite, as he
would only watch Zero eat at meal time while he sipped his blood
wine. But little did the young boy know, Rido had been giving him
daily doses of his pure blood in small amounts in his drinks. Rido
was slowly easing Zero into the world of Vampires.

It was Rido's way of letting other mature vampire's know that Zero
was his. With Rido's blood coursing through Zero's veins, no
one would dare touch the boy. And until Zero was old enough to be
changed, he would continue to lace Zero's drinks with his blood. It
was a sure way of keeping Zero safe...

Especially since Ashling had called to 'invite' Rido and his family
to a gathering at her place in a few days. She had made it clear that
she wanted to meet her cousin's pet that continued to appear
in her visions. Much to Rido's dismay, he couldn't refuse because she
was “family” and a pureblood as well. It would be looked
down upon by other pureblood families, and Rido did not want to
blemish his son and nephew's futures. And so, he accepted. Now, in
the next few days they would be packing and boarding Rido's private
jet and flying to Italy...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ohayō: Morning (Good
Morning)
Otou-san ('Tou-san): Father
Hai:
Yes
Onii-san: Older
Brother (used to address older males)
Otouto: Little
Brother
Nani: What
Itoko:
Cousin
Sou ka:
I see
Mata nē:
Later
Kodomo: child

A/N: So! This was a bit
longer and I hope I incorporated some of the requests from FFnet
reviewers (though there will be chapters where Kaname and Zero have
more time alone- so be patient). Let's see... We had Senri and Zero;
Kaname, Senri and Zero; Rido and Zero; and next chapter should give
you all more insight on who Ashling and Lucifer are as well as their
role in this story. Continue to request things for this story is just
starting!! If you want something specific, then be specific!!!! I
hoped you enjoyed this chapter!

R e V I e W

P L e A S e

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Strings of a Puppet