A/N: I really like this pairing, and there aren't THAT many fics about them. I would really appreciate if you guys reviewed after you read, because I am always looking for ways to improve my writing, though I like compliments too. :)
"Did you ever think of comparing yourself to ice?" Haku asked, laying food out on the table.
"I don't compare myself to anything," Zabuza grunted as he sat down.
"Well you're hard on the outside," Haku continued, ignoring the older man's skeptical looks. "But you can melt."
"I would never melt," Zabuza rolled his eyes.
"All you need is a little warmth," Haku smiled, opening the door and dislodging an icicle from the roof.
He gently blew hot air onto the ice and it transformed into a small puddle. Zabuza watched in silence as the water trickled through Haku's fingers.
"Take a towel," he offered, shoving a towel towards Haku.
"Thank you Zabuza-san," Haku accepted the towel, drying his hands.
After dinner, Haku cleared up the plates, humming a tuneless song.
"Do you need any help?" Zabuza inquired, watching the boy scrub the dishes clean.
"No Zabuza-san," Haku replied. "You can go rest."
"Good night," Zabuza called, walking into his room.
Zabuza couldn't fall asleep for hours. There was something welling up inside his heart, something bubbly, something happy. Zabuza had never experienced happiness before. It felt nice.
He cracked open the door to get some fresh air, but found Haku instead, the door to the boy's room open.
Haku was restless when asleep, tossing and turning about and murmuring arbitrary words.
Zabuza strolled into the room, almost smiling as he lightly sat down next to the tired teenager.
He was overwhelmed by an almost foreign emotion, and he tenderly brushed Haku's hair out of his eyes in response.
"Zabuza-san," Haku breathed, still asleep.
That was the moment when the feared demon of the Hidden Mist melted.