FanFriday

Fandom: Vampire Knight (Manga)

Author: Hino Matsuri

Genre: Shoujo | Mystery | Supernatural

Status: Ongoing (2005)

Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, there to protect the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires. (Manga summary)

Title: Crimson Door

Author: Blackened Wing

Must have read original: Not necessary. Deviates after ch. 32 and is clear enough anyway.

Status: Complete (2008)

Rating: M

Genre: Hurt / Comfort / Angst

Kaname's enemies concoct a dark plot to get to the pureblood through Yuki and Zero, putting all three in grave danger. Zero is left half dead and Kaname in the hands of sadistic captors. Only Kaname can give Zero what he needs to stay alive, and perhaps only Zero can save the pureblood from a fate worse than death… if only both of them can keep from killing each other first. (Fanfiction summary)

Read it! 

I might have to give some warnings here: one, this is a couple of guys; two, there’s enough angst to surpass Jace himself from The Mortal Instruments; three, it’s a long fic. 

I also have to say something else about this piece: I’ve actually re-read it. It’s that good. 

There’s something that it’s rarely well done, but that Crimson Door just nails: good angst. The kind where all the heartache doesn’t come from stupid misunderstandings, but because both heroes are really too broken; so broken that they can’t accept what they feel or what the other tells them and instead understand the meaning their shattered souls can relate to. 

It’s also odd that action, character development, romance and pure smut are this well balanced (and that the smut serves a story point? That’s just priceless!) .

Also, the author has taken the mange universe, with its vampires classed in social ranks, and given it a special spin, developing tons of extra lore about relationships, blood drinking, special powers... 

I know that making the time investment to read this one can be daunting, but I really had to share it. Specially because I feel like most gay fiction I’ve read from real publishers is actually worse than this fanfiction, so if you’re in the mood... you might as well save some money and enjoy double! 

PS. If you do check out the story or the author, be sure to leave a short review with your thoughts! That’s the only payment a fanfic author ever receives.