A/N-

disclaimer- I'm not Hino Matsuri-sensei, I don't own Vampire Knight

this is a one-shot that I wrote at midnight when I couldn't sleep because I had hiccups.

Enjoy!

Hiccups

Yuuki scraped the bottom of her fancy parfait cup with her spoon, getting out the very last of the yogurt. Zero was sitting across from her in the café's booth, sipping a soda and still a little irritated that he didn't get ramen. Again. "It was nice of the headmaster to let us go off the grounds and do some errands," Yuuki commented, sucking the last of the vanilla-berry taste off her spoon. Zero shrugged, and started to say something before putting a hand over his mouth, his shoulders jumping slightly.

"Zero?" Yuuki said, confused. "Are you laughing at me?" she asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Zero shook his head, still covering his mouth as his shoulders jumped again.

"Zero, what are you laughing at?!" Yuuki demanded, slamming her spoon down on the table. Other diners were starting to titter and stare.

Zero moved his hand, "I'm not lau- hic!" Zero jumped slightly, covering his mouth again.

Yuuki started to giggle. "You've got the hiccups, Zero."

"Do no- hic!" Yuuki giggled louder. Zero kept hiccuping loudly as Yuuki laughed hysterically.

"Hold... your breath... ten seconds... while drinking," she gasped between laughing spells, shoving over her glass of water. Zero glared, hiccuped, and downed the rest of the water in the glass. One, two, three... he got all the way to seven before hiccuping so powerfully that Yuuki was sprayed with water across the table. She could barely breathe for laughing at that point.

"Excuse me for intruding, but I couldn't help noticing that you've got a bit of a hiccup situation," an elderly lady in the booth behind Zero said in a loud whisper, as if talking to a four-year-old. She was turned all the way around in her seat, looking over the booth while her husband looked away. "Standing on your head for twenty seconds is supposed to work wonders," she said in a sagely voice.

"I've heard that too," a waitress said. Yuuki and Zero jumped slightly, they hadn't noticed the young waitress standing there with a rag, obviously to clean up the water than Zero had spewed everywhere.

"C'mon Zero, let's try it!" Yuuki said persuasively.

"No wa- hic!" Zero said.

"Please!" Yuuki begged. "You'd ruin your image as scary guy with the Day Class if you come back from town with hiccups!" she added.

"No- hic! Fine! Hic!" Zero said, standing. He pulled off his jacket and tucked in his shirt, and with a glare at Yuuki went into a handstand.

"That's the spirit!" Yuuki cheered.

"Hic!" Zero wobbled as he hiccuped, and Yuuki jumped up, grabbing his ankles to keep him from tipping over.

By now several diners were staring at the strange sight; a tall, rather intimidating boy with hiccups standing on his head, while a worried-looking girl held him stable, and a nosy old lady, and a pretty waitress watched.

"Hold your breath!" the elderly lady warned. Zero shot Yuuki a look-of-death, but obliged. A few seconds passed, then hic! and he almost toppled over again, but again Yuuki held him upright.

"Pudding!" the young waitress exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "You have to eat pudding. I'll get some, on the house," she said, rushing away.

"No way hic! am I hic! eating pudding hic! while up side hic! down!" Zero snarled at Yuuki.

"I don't think you have a choice," she said solemnly. "These women are serious about getting rid of your hiccups."

The waitress came back swiftly, flushed with excitement, carrying a small cup of pudding. "Can you balance on one hand of do you need someone to help with the pudding?" she asked hopefully.

"I'm fine hic! on one arm," Zero grunted, shifting to his left while Yuuki held his ankles steady.

The waitress looked extremely disappointed as she set down the pudding within reach. Zero picked up the spoon out of the pudding, dripping some onto the floor as he ate the pudding at hyper-speed. Yuuki was amazed that he didn't choke, although he did flick particles of pudding onto the floor, his hand, and Yuuki's shoes.

Sure enough, the hiccups started to slow after he got about half way through the cup of pudding. By the time he had finished, the hiccups had subsided entirely. As Zero righted himself back into a standing position, flicking pudding off his hands, Yuuki turned to the women, "How did you know that upside down pudding eating would work?" she asked, curious and amazed. Zero looked curious as well, buttoning up his coat, face still flushed from the blood rushing to his head.

The women exchanged a glance.

"Seven-year-old brother," the waitress said, apologetically.

"Five-year-old grandson!" the elderly lady said cheerfully.

"The best way to really get rid of hiccups..."

"Is just to wait them out!" the elderly lady finished, still cheerful.

Zero paused while buttoning his coat, "What... did... you... say?" he said slowly, getting angry. "Did I do all of that for nothing?!"

"Yup!" the older lady said, remarkable cheerful. The waitress blushed.

"It was way more fun to watch!" the waitress gushed.

"C'mon Yuuki," Zero said, grabbing her arm and pulling her away angrily. She didn't move, eyes wide. "Yuuki...?"

"Hic!"