Don't cry.

Yuki Cross awoke at precisely 7:01.

She swung her legs off the side of her bed, yawned and stepped down, pulling on her new white housecoat.

I wonder what's for breakfast, she thought as her stomach gave an unattractive groan. She padded lightly down the hall, sniffing for the scent of food. Usually her adoptive father, Kaien Cross, had breakfast cooking on the stove before 7.

She stopped in front of his room and was about to knock when she noticed a note written on pink parchment, taped at eye level with the girl.

She tore it off with a rueful, curious smile.

Dearest Yuki,

I'm sorry for not being here when you wake up, I had some arrangements to handle with the Kiryuu case. I hope you can forgive papa ): Breakfast is in the fridge!

With all my love and kisses,

Papa

Hm, she thought crumpling up the note and tucking it into the pocket of her house coat. Yuki carefully walked down the stairs, sliding her socked feet across the stairs and jumping off the last step gleefully.

That was when she heard it.

Small whimpering sniffles coming from the living room. A sob.

"Nani...?" She whispered, tiptoeing to where the sound came from. She peered around the wall and saw Zero KIryuu curled up in a tight ball, slouched against the wall. His head was bowed and tears dripped from his chin, each landing like small diamonds on the hardwood.

Pain and sympathy rippled in her chest.

She could barely bear the fact that her parents we're dead and she didn't even remember them. She didn't want to think about how much it would hurt to have known and loved them, along with a sibling.

"Uh...Zero?" She said quietly.

His head snapped up, his wide, purple eyes immediately guarded. He leapt up and spun around, his back to her, and frantically brushed at the tears.

"Go away." He said harshly, his voice sounding nothing like his expression. "I don't want you here."

"But...Zero..."

"Leave me alone."

Dismissed like a dog.

"I understand..." She smiled at the ground. "Zero must be hurting." She turned to leave but something inside stopped her. Yuki looked up at him, her tone full of determination and compassion.

"I'm here...Zero. It's okay. I know I'm not much...but...I...I will be your friend. I'll never leave you. Everything will be all right. So...don't cry." Her voice broke on the last sentence. She'd meant every word. Yuki had only known the boy for a week. But there was something about him, something about the way he looked like he would blow over in the wind. Something about his guarded nature and fragile body.

Something that made her want to take his hand. Something that made her want to take care of him.

Zero faced her again, the pain in his eyes plain as the daylight breaking through the clouds. And then something changed. For a fleeting moment, the boy had hope written all over his face.

And then she was hugging him.

Zero didn't object, nor hug back, but she didn't mind. The fact that he didn't move away was enough. Her arms folded around him, holding him close. Yuki could feel her own tears welling in her eyes as she clutched at him.

"Don't cry... Everything will be okay."

And for that moment, he'd believed her.