Parallel (Vampire Knight story)

Chapter 8: The Glass Heart

"I love Zero so much! He's my bestest fwend ever!" A young Ichiru had said to his father when asked about his relationship with his brother. He could remember the soft smile that graced his father's lips. The slender, creamy white hand that always ended up ruffling and messing up his hair.

But does Zero love him back?

He remembers the few times during childhood when Zero would say phrases that relate to the words, 'I love you,' but never did he say that desired phrase to him. Not even once. It's always about caring about him, appreciating him, liking him. Things like that. But never loving him.

Maybe Zero doesn't reciprocate the same feelings after all.

The glass heart is them, together. It's their connection, their spiritual lifeline. Remember, the twins were intertwined in the womb. They were suppose to be one but instead, became two parts of one. As the result, Ichiru became really ill. Zero probably felt more guilt than love. In order to try to make up for what he had down in the womb, maybe all those hugs and kisses Ichiru had received weren't acts of love at all. That Zero is just forcing it just for him.

If that ends up to be true, it will break Ichiru's heart.

He desires that true, authentic love, not the fake one.

Especially from someone like Zero.

Whenever Zero's eyes gazed at him, it was either with some sort of wonder or with sadness and guilt. Unlike his kisses though, whenever his lips connected with any part of his skin, it brings forth warmth and happiness. They used to be in sync and always know what each other is thinking. You could say that those two actually had twin telepathy.

As Ichiru sits in his final class of the day, hours after leaving Zero back at his school, he could only wonder what made it go all downhill to where they are now. The way Zero rejected him hurt like hell, but there is no way that Ichiru will show that until it's deemed safe. It isn't safe for him to let go in front of Zero, especially with that the two are going through and the state his older brother is in.

"Mr. Kiryu, is everything alright?" His AP Calculus teacher asked him, worried. Ichiru smiled and nodded his head, "Apologies for causing you stress, teacher." The boy said, the teacher nodded their head and continued on with the lecture. Unaware of how dark Ichiru's mind is getting minute by minute.
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When Zero got home, he found a note from Ichiru, saying to not worry nor go looking for him. He has something he needs to do and that it will take a while. Zero frowned and placed the note back down on the table, in order to change his clothes with ones Ichiru gifted him. Once he was done, he went back to the kitchen to make himself a snack.

'Maybe I should make Ichiru one too. Let's see....he always liked ice cream sandwiches. I will make that.' Zero thought, getting right to work. He took out some chocolate cookie dough that Ichiru seemed to have and managed to find ice cream in the very back of the freezer. It took a while but Zero managed to make a whole stack of ice cream sandwiches, of three flavors. Ichiru favorite(chocolate), the twins second favorite(vanilla) and Zero's favorite (cookies and cream). Once he set them on the table, was when Ichiru came home.

And he wasn't really happy.

"Your really pathetic aren't you," he seethed out menacingly, "who gave you permission to use those?!" Zero merely looked at the plate and took two sandwiches, "You did..I only wanted two. The rest are for you..." With that, he walked away from the scene. Ichiru watched him go before going to the rest of the stacks, starting to gobble it down.

Meanwhile in Zero's usual neat 'room,' the older twin ate his sandwiches with silent tears running down his face. Maybe it's not time for them to be together just yet. Tomorrow, he will definitely go back to his own apartment. Ichiru offered in the early morning, while Zero was getting ready for school, that his brother could stay in his house instead for a few days. That he already bought some clothes and a toothbrush for him. Well, that plan is definitely thrown out of the window.

He didn't even realize that Ichiru had finished and was now in the room until the other hugged him from behind. "I apologize for my behavior....thank you." Zero's breath hitched, not expecting that from Ichiru, plus, he's weirded out by the sudden mood change.

"I love you."

Zero didn't say it back, Ichiru wasn't expecting him to.

That's how much he's used to it, even though it hurts like hell.