Love Come Softly

Shrugging a shirt on, Zero made his way to the chairman's office. He didn't know what the hell was going on, but the man seemed excited. Too excited. Zero was man enough to admit, with light glinting off his glasses and that downright unholy smile, the chairman thoroughly succeeded in making him paranoid as well as creeped out.

Shaking the entitled anxieties off, he turned the knob and invited himself in. As expected, the chairman was seated behind his desk and there was a small plastic container with tablets. Zero tensed. Tablets? Were those—?

"Yes, Zero, these are blood tablets, but they're different from the ones I gave you before. They were made specifically geared for your needs. It should work." He didn't mention they were experimental, wanting Zero to try them first. He tried to smile reassuringly as his adopted son came forward and hesitantly took the container in his hand, suspiciously looking it over.

"I won't wake and find myself a girl or something after I take these, will I?" Zero sounded absolutely serious. He was ready for anything when it came to something the chairman gave him smiling the way he did. It just couldn't be safe, whatever these were.

The chairman laughed good-naturedly, convinced Zero had managed to crack a joke. "Of course not! Have more faith in your father, Zero. I guarantee such a thing will not happen! Please try them," he urged.

Placing a few in the cup of water provided and downing it, Zero waited for excruciating pain and nausea and blinked when none came. He supposed he should wait a few hours and see if he was still functioning. Nodding to the chairman, he took the tablets with him and left the room.

Zero frowned as those few hours passed and he steadily grew hungrier. Even without the tablets, he shouldn't have been getting so thirsty. Usually the symptoms were more gradual. The suddenness of the hunger attack was unexpected and, dared he admit, a tad scary. He didn't know what the hell was going on. Seeing he hadn't much left to lose by trying more of the tablets, he downed a few more, sighing in relief when he felt himself growing calmer. So they did work.

He and Yuuki's guardian duties having been done and over with for the night, he slipped into bed and closed his eyes, for once feeling content as he drifted off.

--

Yuuki frowned as she wondered where Zero was. He was usually prompt when it came to his duties if not attending school. She wondered if she could keep the girls back by herself and an involuntary shiver went down her spine. She did not have a death wish. Nodding to herself, she headed to the boy's dorm.

"Zero? Are you in there?" A bit worried, she placed her hand on the knob, "I'm coming in, Zero. If you're not decent, don't blame me," she called and pushed the door open. She blinked when she saw that the lights were still out and the curtains drawn. Had he been asleep the whole day? Was he sick? It would be just like Zero to not say anything when he was obviously not feeling well. Huffing, she went to his bed…and paused.

Yuuki tilted her head. That small lump under the covers could not possibly be Zero, and yet, the wisps of familiar silvery hair was definitely Zero's. A little unsure now, she kneeled on the bed and tapped what she assumed was a shoulder, whispering, "Um, excuse me?" Zero? She wanted to say, but couldn't bring herself to.

She nearly squeaked when the small lump moved, turning towards her. The blankets slipped down enough to show the small face underneath and upon seeing it, Yuuki swore she almost had cardiac arrest. It was Zero! But, well, not really. She panicked for a moment, and breathed in sharply and calmed herself. Screaming bloody murder would not accomplish anything. She had to go see the chairman.

"Don't worry, we'll get you back Zero," she promised fiercely, turning a soft look at the small boy in the bed, still sound asleep. She had no idea what could cause someone to de-age, but she was pretty sure the chairman was involved somehow. With new purpose to her strides, she headed for his office.

--

"What? Zero is…" The chairman looked terribly troubled. "I gave him new blood tablets, Yuuki. I thought they'd work for him, and they seemed to, for a day," he muttered the last part. "Let's go see him and assess the damage."

Upon seeing the small boy lying in his bed, the chairman didn't hold back on his reaction, squealing like a girl and scooping the sleeping boy up. "My goodness, what an adorable boy you were, Zero! Such cuteness should be outlawed, really. You could kill someone with it, I'm sure."

Yuuki paled by his side. "Chairman, be careful! You just woke him up, so roughly too!" She admonished. And indeed, little Zero was rubbing at his eyes, his chubby fists covering his face. He gave out a cute yawn that nearly undid the both of them and pouted.

"Why did you wake me up?" The slight whine to his sweet voice had the chairman cooing in record time with Yuuki trying to resist the urge to join in. Instead, she focused on an immediate problem. "Chairman, what should we do about his clothes?" Zero, she was sure, wasn't wearing anything under the shirt he seemed to be drowning in.

"Oh I'll just have someone buy them for me," he said flippantly, his attention all on the boy he placed in his lap. Resigned, Yuuki just sighed. "Oh, what should we tell other people when they notice Zero's not here?"

"Well, I always did think he deserved a break. He somehow mysteriously caught a serious disease and is not able to attend school for some time." The chairman nodded, pleased with his own plan. All Yuuki could do was nod. Catching sight of the clock on the far wall, she gasped, "Oh no, my guardian duties!" Patting Zero on the head, she rushed out.

"Now, let's get you those clothes you need, huh Zero?" The chairman smiled. Little Zero was already nodding off, yawning.

--

Disclaimer: No own Vampire Knights. Just borrowing characters. No profit.

Thanks for reading y'all. Don't where this is going yet, it's just sailing wherever the blows for now.