GAH. FINALLY. I FINISHED THIS. I don't think I would have any sooner. Anyway, it's 12 AM and I stayed up writing this piece of nonsense. Heh. It was quite fun though. Hope you enjoy. Oh, and don't forget, review, review, review!!!

AND REVIEW! Please?

-does not own VK or Zero-



Chocolate Creamed, Vanilla Iced

A ZeroxYuuki oneshot

Yuuki Cross huffed while she ran down the streets of the village, tugging on Zero Kiryuu's hand. She paused in the middle of an alleyway, breath shortening, and she placed her hands on her knees, bending her head down for some air. Zero waited patiently.

"Al-most there…," Yuuki gasped, breathing in and out heavily.

Zero sighed. "Yuuki, you should have put your watch on timer or some--."

"MUST. TAKE IN. SUGARY. GOODNESS," she breathed, ignoring him and running across the street again. Her eyes were ravenously set on her path, making Yuuki look like she was about to kill anyone who would get in her way.

"Yuuki!" he yelled, chasing after her. "Wait, you might end up--."

In a split second, Yuuki tripped on the stone beneath her feet and fell face flat on the concrete.

Zero sighed again, frustrated. "—falling."

Yuuki sat up and rubbed her eyelids, as she shook off the pain. She massaged her forehead, thankful it was just a bruise. "My head…owww…"

As he cradled Yuuki's face, Zero removed a white cloth from his pockets and wiped off the dirt from her forehead. "At least it isn't bleeding now."

She spat her tongue at him playfully and trailed her eyes in the distance beyond where he was. Zero saw her expression suddenly melt down.

"No…" she whispered, pulling her hand to her lips. "It can't be…

"IT CAN'T BE!!!"

Yuuki screamed and darted off to the store behind Zero. She pressed her face into the glass and cried. "The Yummy Cupcake Store is closed, closed, closed!"

Her fists banged against the glass continuously. Tears started swelling up from her eyes. She mumbled the word 'no' more than Zero could count. He stared at her pitifully for a while.

"Yuuki," sighed Zero, tired from running from Cross Academy to the village, "Stop being ridiculous. You're crying over a bunch of damn cupcakes!"

"No, you don't understand!" she argued, nostrils flaring from anger and hurt. "I've been waiting for my order of rare chocolate cream, vanilla iced, strawberry-filled cupcakes two weeks ago, and when the day I claim them finally arrived, I end up not getting them!

"All because of my stupid, stupid, stupid make-up test I had to take after class! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She began mumbling 'no' once again, crying.

Zero remained silent, staring at her, appalled.

"You have no idea…" she stated, as she sniffed her tears back,"…how lovely those cupcakes taste like…how much I want to eat them again…they were just so good, it was like you were tasting heaven. It takes months for orders to arrive since they get sold out so quickly, and, and…"

Her face was still pressed against the window, looking at the colorful sign that said "The Yummy Cupcake Store", with pictures of chocolate coated, sprinkled cakes.

Zero looked at his friend sympathetically, understanding perfectly. "I think I know what you mean."

She wiped away her own tears and turned her head to him. She nodded as she comprehended what he was talking about. "Even then…it's different…kind of…"

The silver-haired boy picked her up by her arms. "Yuuki, let's go home."

"But…," she whined, as she pressed her face to the window another time, "…the cupcakes."

"We'll claim them first thing tomorrow morning, okay? I'll wake you up to make sure you don't lose track of time," Zero assured, making his tone softer, since he observed Yuuki was really peeved over the whole situation.

She sniffed, "They cancel orders once you don't get them. That's how strict they are."

"Then I'll order it some other time."

"But," Yuuki whined again, lifting her finger. "That'll take another two months, and I can't wait that long anymore."

Zero pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to find a way to make her stop crying. He looked up at the sky and noticed the stars that were starting to emerge. He glanced back at Yuuki, who was starting to tear up again. "It's getting late, Yuuki. If we don't head back now, the Chairman will be worried. Besides, nothing will happen if you just stay there sticking your face into the windows."

She frowned in reply and pulled herself away from the glass, leaving a wet circle on it. She placed her hand to her cheek and found it sticky. Yuuki took in a gush of air, and exhaled.

"I guess you're right."

Zero raised an eyebrow, "And when have I been wrong?"

She punched his arm lightly. "Shut up, Zero. Let's just go home."

Yuuki smiled at him, as he tried to do the same, only managing to lift his right cheek up. He grabbed her arm and pulled her all the way back to Cross Academy; he made sure she didn't have a chance to run back and glue herself back to the cupcake store.

"Good evening, Yuuki-chaaan! Zero-kuun!" greeted Chairman Cross cheerfully, in his attempt to hug his adopted daughter. He sobbed as he saw her frustrated, distraught expression.

"Dear me, what has happened to you, Yuuki-chan?! Haven't you gotten those cupcakes you ordered two months ago?!" he asked innocently, with a sparkle behind his glasses.

"Shut up, idiot!" Zero hissed at him.

Yuuki grunted, "Don't push it, Dad."

Chairman Cross shrank back to his chair, conscious under Zero's glowering. "I guess that's a no."

"It's alright, Zero. It wasn't his fault," she sighed, making her way toward the stairwell. What followed was almost a whisper; only audible for Zero's sensitive vampire-hearing. "I just really wanted to have a taste of those cupcakes again…"

"I'm sorry, dear. You know I'd do something if I could," said the Chairman seriously.

Yuuki paused in the middle of the steps, and murmured, "Thanks. I'll just wait another two months. I'm going to bed now, by the way. Running around tired me a lot. Goodnight, Chairman…"

She looked at Zero, who was looking back at her. He noticed her sad eyes, filled with longing and disappointment. She had only wanted one batch of cupcakes, and Yuuki, who willingly gave so much kindness to other people, much especially to Zero himself, had not gotten that one batch of cupcakes. Zero wished that he could do something, just to put the happy beam back on his dear friend's face. She made an attempt to grin happily, but only managed to show him a sad and sorrowful smile.

"Goodnight, Zero," she bade. He didn't answer back.

Zero couldn't steal a batch from the store.

Zero couldn't persuade the store owner to give him an early batch.

Zero couldn't dance to amuse Yuuki.

"Zero," chimed the Chairman, looking at him curiously. "Aren't you going up to bed too?"

He didn't hear him clearly. His eyes were locked on the patch of light in the hallway, which brightened the room he could stay in for most of the evening.

Zero then knew what he could do to bring Yuuki's face to a smile.

And it was something he did quite well.


The sunlight streamed through the curtains of Yuuki's bedroom windows.

"Mmff," she groaned as she rubbed her eyes, dropping her face into the pillows. "Morning already?"

She noticed the clock wasn't on alarm, and it was 9 AM on a Saturday morning.

Thank goodness it's a weekend, she thought, jumping out of bed and taking a hot shower. Her night's rest made her almost forget about the unclaimed cupcakes.

Almost.

Yuuki slipped into a button-down shirt and blue jeans, fumbling her way through the buttons as she walked down the stairs. She made her way to the kitchen, about to make herself a good, healthy breakfast.

She suddenly looked confused as she caught a glance of a worn-out, sleeping Zero. He was still in his uniform, with his jacket, vest, and tie on the chair, and his sleeves rolled to his elbows. His head was nestled in his arms, which rested on the table covered in fragments of flour.

Flour?

Yuuki observed Zero's face, as it had dough wiped on one of his cheeks. His breathing was peaceful, his eyes were closed, and heavy, dark bags were etched beneath them.

And Zero wasn't just wearing his uniform.

Is that an apron? She asked herself, tilting her head as she stood in her place in total awe and surprise.

and it's pink, too.

She walked closer to the sleeping figure, as she saw the cause of the scene.

What was beside Zero's head was a warm, fresh, delicious-looking batch of chocolate cream, vanilla iced, strawberry-filled cupcakes; exactly what Yuuki wanted. It actually looked better than what they made in the cupcake store.

"I see you've woken up," a voice calmly whispered. Yuuki turned her head and saw Chairman Cross, who was leaning casually on the doorframe.

"Yeah," was all Yuuki could say, as her heart was overwhelmed with guilt. "Did Zero-kun…do all this for me?"

The Chairman closed his eyes, as if remembering something. "I thought he went off to bed last night, but then when I was about to sleep myself, I heard the most annoying sound of clattering utensils that came from the kitchen. It was in fact, Zero. He had the most serious expression on his face as he attempted to bake those cupcakes from scratch. I knew he cooked well, but I never knew he could bake.

"I told him to do what he wanted to do in the morning, but he didn't want to. He kept on rambling on about wanting to see that smile on your face again. I watched him go curiously, as he ignored me the whole night.

"I assume he made five unsuccessful batches, since he had no idea what the actual recipe was, and much more how it tasted like. He really wanted to get the taste right, to make it identical to those cupcakes you wanted," he chucked his head toward the cupcakes, shielded by a glass dome. "Actually, Zero-kun almost got the fifth batch right, had he not forgotten the strawberries. He left for a short while, to find some strawberries. I think the cuts have healed by now, considering his abilities, but his hands were a bit sore when he came back. God knows where he got those in that time of the early dawn.

"Anyway, the sixth batch was perfect, and Zero was pleased. He even put in what was left over of the mix inside the oven, but by the time I came back to the kitchen to check up on him, he had already fallen asleep right there. I removed that batch from the oven, and it's out cooling by the window of my office," the Chairman smiled. "Nice that boy went all through that trouble for you, isn't it?"

Yuuki stared at him, with her lips slowly coming into a grin. Zero seemed so satisfied, even as he slept.

The Chairman poked her arm. "So, go on and have a taste of those."

She glanced at him, and then back at Zero, and then to the mouthwatering cupcakes.

"Go on, before they get cold."

Yuuki hesitated for a moment, but eventually removed the cover, and took a cupcake swiftly. She let the chocolate aroma roam around her nose, before taking an anticipated bite. Her taste buds sang as the cake rested on her tongue. It was literally heaven, the hints of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry chunks mixing in perfect harmony.

"They…taste…," said Yuuki, in between chewing. Her eyes grew in amazement. "…brilliant. Better than the originals! Honestly, go take a bite!"

She offered the cupcake to the Chairman, who ate the whole cupcake in seconds.

"Marvelous!" he complimented, musing over the tiny, carefully decorated pastry. Yuuki checked on Zero if Chairman Cross's loud voice woke him up. He had not moved an inch, and was still sleeping as soundly as a baby.

"Ssh, can't you see he's asleep?!" she hissed softly. Yuuki then drew the chair beside where Zero sat and bent down her head on her folded arms, like what he did. She watched him breathe in and out, as he looked so innocent and harmless in his sleep.

"I can't believe…he would do all that for me."

Yuuki pushed Zero's silver hair out of his face. She noticed the Chairman had left them both alone in the kitchen.

Her eyes closed in contentment. She didn't care much for the cupcakes anymore. She cared about only one thing now.

"Thank you, Zero."


~FIN~

I can't resist a man who cooks. LOL. SRSLY.

Zero in pink apron= WIN. :D Thanks as well to Chairman Cross for being such an excellent observer. Haha.



EDIT: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG. I FOUND A PICTURE OF ZERO IN AN APRON!!! Well, it's fanart, but then again, ZERO IN AN APRON! It isn't pink (heck, it's not even colored), but man, he looks wonderful in it. 8D *explodes* And and and, he's even holding the icing squirt thingy to the strawberry-topped cake. BUH. *nosebleed*

But then is being stupid and I can't post the link here. DDDD: WHOT! So if you review, I'll reply/PM you the link of the picture, mmkay? :)) SO REVIEW! :D

I LOVE YOU, KIRYUU-KUUUUUN! 8D *shall stop fangirling now, kthnxbai*