Zero let his head fall onto the desk, fatigue over-taking his body. He let out a long stream of air, fingers fumbling to find the handle of his coffee mug—not that the first thirteen cups had done him any good, but… it was worth a shot.

A light chuckle caught his ear, and he looked up to see his childhood friend standing in the doorway. "I told you not to work so late."

Lavender eyes rolled, and he shook his head, focusing on his work. "I'm fine. Leave me alone."

Kaito made his way over to the desk, peering over the silverette's shoulder and laughing again. "Zeryu Kiro?"

Zero scanned the page, quickly realizing his mistake. He groaned, scratching it out and fixing the error.

"You can't even spell your name correctly. It's bedtime."

Zero glared at him darkly, but Kaito simply stared back, unphased and slightly amused. The brunette continued to stare for quite some time, and Zero suddenly felt uncomfortable. He turned back towards the papers, hiding his quickly reddening face behind several sheets.

Two firm hands landed on his shoulders, rubbing his tense shoulders and working out the knots. Zero's head slowly lowered again, groaning as relief flooding through his aching body.

"Kaito… ngh…"

Kaito chuckled again, massaging his frame with strong but gentle hands. Zero leaned back into his touch, looking up into Kaito's face.

"You really should take a break, Zero…"

"Ngh… shut up…"

Kaito smiled and pulled Zero's chair away from the desk. He flicked off the table lamp and leaned down, picking the young hunter up and carrying him out of the office.

Zero glared viciously at him, but that was all the resistance he could muster. Several days of long hours with little sleep and painful hunger fits had left him in a terrible condition, and Kaito had always been stronger than him anyways.

Then again, it wasn't as if he hated the position he was currently in. Kaito's strong arms wrapped around him, carrying him down the hall, body heat protecting him from the chilly air… yes, it really was a nice place to be.

"When I'm late turning in that paperwork… I'm blaming you."

"That's alright. Because I'm blaming the paperwork for the fact that I had to come all the way out here and get you."

Zero was quiet for several moments. A simple tugged at the corners of his mouth. He turned his face into Kaito's chest, slipping into a deep and peaceful slumber.

Thank you, paperwork.

A\N: Just a quick drabble. Reviews are appreciated!