• Oh no.

    Oh, hell no.

    Zero's eye twitched as he stared at the great beast that Headmaster Cross had on a leash. A leash. The "great beast" in question was no more than a dog. More specifically, an Irish Wolfhound.

    "Isn't he so cute!?!" gushed the adoptive father, while rubbing his face against the mongrel's fur. Correction; the mongrel's mud soaked fur. The creature barked, as if to agree with his newfound friend's previous statement.

    The vampire's eye twitched. "Cute!?! That thing's huge, dirty, and drooling all over the floor!"

    Childishly, the other male pouted and opened his mouth to argue, but at that moment a certain brown haired female rushed in.

    "Headmaster, I--" she started, but abruptly stopped. Her eyes widened at the scene before her. Air rushed into her lungs, resulting in a loud gasp. The female abruptly raced over to pat the dog on the head.

    "It's so cute!" she exclaimed. She kneeled next to the wolfhound, who closed its eyes, thoroughly enjoying the attention.

    "Oh, my sweet daughter! I knew you'd understand; I was just telling Zero that. He simply has no taste!" the immature man cried, reaching out to hug Yuuki. Yuuki, however, stood up and caused her "father's" chin to connect with the floor rather than her shoulder or the top of her head.

    "So, does that mean we can keep him?" she asked brightly, before the man laying in front of her could begin to complain.

    "Of course! I love the little guy as much as you do," Cross admitted. He jumped up, seeming to suddenly forget the rejection.

    "Oh, thank you, headmaster!" Yuuki squeaked, while Zero rolled his eyes at the use of the phrase "little guy".

    "Although, you two will have to take care of it," the chairman commented, his expression suddenly changing to seriousness. "Yes, that means you too, Zero," he added once he saw the teen open his mouth.

    "But--" started the Level D, but the headmaster's bipolarity cut the protest short.

    "Now, now! I'm sure both of you will have a great time with Mr. Fuzzles! I suggest you give him a bath first. Daddy has to go to meet with the night class, so I expect him spotless by the time I get back!" he shouted in a shrill voice before skipping out the door. Zero and Yuuki were left gazing at the now closed door and wondering what on earth possessed their guardian to give the dog a name such as "Mr. Fuzzles".

    Yuuki sighed and turned to her fellow disciplinary committee member. "Well, I suppose we should give him a bath."

    Her partner raised an eyebrow in response along with a single, questioning word. "We?"

    The brunette shot him a stern look. "You heard the headmaster! He said both of us had to take care of the dog!"

    "You're the one who wanted the stupid thing. Why do I have to help?" he grumbled. The dog whimpered and rubbed it's head against Zero's hand as if it knew that it was the cause of the other's discontent. However, the grumpy vampire's only response was a glare that could bring snow to a tropical island.

    Yuuki was one of the few girls, who wasn't fazed by the patented "Zero glare", and gave him a glare of her own. Although it didn't have nearly enough strength. "Because both the headmaster and I say so. Anyway, it isn't like you have anything important to do." With that, she grasped his sleeve with one hand and the fur of the mutt with the other. She lead the two into the Headmaster's bathroom and turned on the tap.

    "Zero, you'd better get some soap and a towel. I'll keep an eye on..." She hesitated and wrinkled her nose before continuing. "Mr. Fuzzles."

    The silver-haired male let out a sigh of aggravation, knowing that resistance was futile. "Fine."

    Yuuki returned to the task of making sure the water temperature was suitable for the dog, as Zero left the room. A few moments later, the vampire had returned with the items, closing the door behind him. The female prefect wheeled around to face her partner.

    "Great! Now all we have to do is get him into the tub!"

    Zero's eye twitched. "And how are we supposed to do that?" The Wolfhound was unbelievably big and he seemed reluctant to get anywhere near the water. It was no wonder the headmaster had assigned the task to both of them. Yuuki would've never been able to wrestle that dog into the tub.

    "I think you'll be able to. Just pick him up and put him in."

    "He'll just run out if I do that," he replied, tiredly, as his eyes followed the dog that was now running from one end of the bathroom to the other.

    Mr. Fuzzles barks echoed throughout the room, causing Yuuki to shout, "Just try it! I've got a plan!"

    Grumbling, he reached out for the mongrel, who immediately darted behind Yuuki.

    "I don't think he likes you anymore. Your glaring must've scared him," she chortled.

    "Whatever. Just hold him so I can grab him."

    Stifling her laughter, Yuuki did as she was told, clutching the fur at the nape of Mr. Fuzzles's neck. Zero picked up the whining mutt, and with a splash that soaked the two prefects, he threw the dog into the tub. Yuuki regained her hold on Mr. Fuzzles fur as soon as he was in and began to sing softly to him. Suddenly, he began to calm down and stopped struggling all together. A smile spread across the brunette's face as she ended the song. Zero watched in awe as the hellish hound continued to sit quietly even after Yuuki had finished.

    "Well, we'd better get to work!" she exclaimed, shutting off the faucet as the tub was now full.

    Zero nodded and kneeled next to his partner, squirting out some doggy shampoo. He then handed the bottle to Yuuki and began to lather the cleaning product into the dog's wiry fur. Yuuki followed his lead and only the sound of the dripping water and Mr. Fuzzles's pants remained. After a few moments of silence, Zero glanced at the brunette next to him.

    "How did you know that would work?"

    That grin that Zero loved so much, although he didn't always act like he did, made its triumphant return. "Well, it just seems like music calms everyone down." She turned those big, bright, brown eyes to meet his own cold, steely ones. A sudden nervousness racked through him and he forced himself to look away. Another hush passed over them as they continued on with their work.

    "Hey, Zero?" asked Yuuki, sending a sly look in his direction.

    "Yeah?" he questioned, without looking up.

    "Take this!" she cried, sending a wave of dirty water towards Zero. The liquid hit him directly in the face. He sputtered, looking shocked and a bit angry for a split second before a smirk formed on his lips.

    "You're going to get it," he murmured and splashed her back.

    "Hey!" she squealed, flicking more H2O at the Level D.

    "What? You didn't think I'd fight back?" he teased, a rare smile sprouting across his features. Their childish game continued for a while longer until Yuuki collapsed into a fit of giggles.

    "Alright! Alright! I surrender!" she panted through her laughter.

    Much of the levity of the situation evaporated as Zero regained his serious nature. "We're all wet. I'd better get some more towels."

    "No, it's alright. I can go get them. You stay here and rinse the suds off of Mr. Fuzzles," she instructed. She got up and left the room, still trying to subdue her laughter.

    Zero shook his head and let out his own soft chuckle. It was becoming increasingly rare that he and Yuuki got these moments to just relax, especially with their prefect duties and the sinister events that always seemed to unfold. Of course, Zero Kiryuu would have never acted this way around anyone else besides Yuuki Cross. Yuuki brought out the best in him.

    Just as soon as Zero's hand touched the water knob, it was as if the mutt had snapped out of a trance. The Wolfhound let out a howl and rushed out of the tub. He took a brief moment to shake, blanketing Zero with a mixture of soap suds and water before springing away from the irate vampire. Zero let out a low growl as the mongrel slipped out the open bathroom door. He leaped up and chased after it, nearly running into Yuuki.

    "Zero, what are--" she started.

    "The dog," he replied, trying to get around her.

    "What did you do to scare him?" she scolded, still blocking his way.

    "Me? You're the one who left the bathroom door open when we were washing a hydrophobic dog!" he shouted back, trying once more to dart around her.

    Yuuki opened her mouth to respond when they both heard multiple crashes coming from the headmaster's kitchen. The glanced at each other, realizing now wasn't the time to pin the blame on someone. They could do that after they had caught Mr. Fuzzles. They raced to the kitchen and were astounded to find what they saw. In less than two minutes, the hound had managed to wreck the entire kitchen.

    What was previously a bowl of fruit lay in shatters on the white tile floor, its contents rolling in every direction. The majority of the bottom cupboards were open and many of the pots and pans that had held residence in them had been dragged out. The problem mutt was currently gnawing on the handle of a frying pan. Its fur was still wet and sudsy, despite having shaken half of the bubbles onto Zero. Sensing the presence of the two, the dog looked up from its mischief-making.

    "Don't scare it, Zero. I'm going to try and coax it back into the bathroom," Yuuki whispered before turning her attention to the dog. "Here boy! Come on, Mr. Fuzzles! Does Mr. Fuzzles want to finish his bath? I'll bet he does! Yes, he does! That's a good doggie!"

    Zero stared at his fellow prefect in disbelief as he watched her trying to lure the pup with baby talk. At that moment, she looked back at him.

    "Maybe if you tried to call him too, he'd be more willing to come?" she ventured.

    Zero's jaw dropped and his eye twitched. "No. Way. In. Hell."

    "Okay, okay. Jeez. It was just a suggestion," she grumbled, returning her focus to the dog. The wolfhound simply cocked its head to one side, staring right back at the couple. It seemed almost bored. Apparently, it decided it had better things to do because it stood up and dashed between Yuuki's legs as she continued to coo. Zero sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was glad that he was the only other person in the room.

    "Huh? Hey! Get back here!" she shouted, shaking a fist at the creature, a vein popping in her temple.

    "Still think he's cute now?" muttered the vampire.

    "Shut up," she grunted, darting after Mr. Fuzzles. Zero followed the suit. They chased the mutt all over the headmaster's living quarters, various smashes rupturing the air when it knocked things over in its dash for freedom. This chaotic scene went on for about fifteen minutes. Unable to run anymore, the two stood slumped and exhausted.

    "Why don't you just sing to it again?" panted Zero, clutching his side and leaning against the wall.

    "Because," Yuuki gasped, bent over with her hands glued to her knees. "It'd only calm him down when he's afraid. I think he just wants to play."

    "Yeah, I guess" he grunted, looking up. "Ready to try again?"

    She nodded, returning to an upright position. "Yeah. There he is. Maybe I can grab him."

    The dog sat with his back to them and appeared to be staring at something outside of the window. Quietly, Yuuki crept up behind Mr. Fuzzles. Then, at the moment she thought was appropriate, lunged at the dog, grasping its hind legs.

    "I-I got him," she stuttered in almost disbelief. "Come over here and help me!"

    Zero immediately rushed over to Yuuki and the yelping mutt, who was still trying to scuttle away. He grabbed its front legs, and he and Yuuki carried it back to the bathroom, both too scared to let go until it was safely over the tub. After he was in the water, Yuuki dashed to the door and closed it. They rinsed Mr. Fuzzles off in silence, both too tired to fool around or even talk. They dried his fur, opened the door to let him out, and collapsed against the tub, still sweaty, wet, and covered in soap suds. As they sat there, slowly regaining their energy, Yuuki started a conversation.

    "Hey, Zero?" she asked.

    "Hm?" he grunted.

    She turned to stare at him straight in the face with those eyes again. "Thanks for helping me with Mr. Fuzzles."

    She looked amazingly cute with her flushed visage and bubbles clinging to her bangs, and the eyes. Those wide, chocolate colored eyes... Once again, Zero averted his gaze.

    "No problem..."

    "Zero!" she suddenly exclaimed with a smile. "You've got soap suds all over your hair. Let me see you." She placed her tender hands on his cheeks and gently forced him to face her. As she gingerly brushed the foam out of his silvery locks, he began to realize how close they were. Her face was just inches away from his.

    An uncontrollable feeling that was similar to his bloodlust, yet completely different overtook him. Without truly realizing what he was doing, he had stopped the hand Yuuki was using to comb through his hair with his own and had kissed her. Despite the abruptness of it all, the kiss wasn't hungry or overly forceful. It was soft, sweet, and almost gentle. Yuuki's eyes widened and her body tensed. Feeling this, Zero pulled away, a slight blush creeping into his cheeks.

    "S-sorry."

    She shook her head and smiled. "Don't be," she whispered, pulling him back into the kiss. This time, she kissed back, realizing it wasn't Kaname that she loved. It was Zero. However, nothing good lasts forever, and soon after it began, a voice from the living room interrupted them.

    "Zero! Yuuki! I'm ba- OH MY GOD!" shouted the headmaster, eyes popping out in shock.

    Fin