Ten days...they had been traveling for ten days...without stopping...
no cooked food...barely any food at all actually
no place to sleep, sometimes he was tempted to sleep while running, master wouldn't leave him laying there would he? No...he couldn't do anything to trouble him. He was the tool, what good is a tool if it inconveniances its master?
and even worse...no time to stop and bathe.
They both smelled to high heaven and he knew it, whats worse, there had been a great deal of rain recently, and now mud was caked onto his sandles and his hair was full of gunk. His skin was crawling at the sensation of it, especially after being so used to washing it often or at least keeping it in a bun, but his hair hand snapped and without the band it was impossible for the poor cloth to hold it. Leaving poor haku wet, dirty, uncomfortable, and unable to complain for fear of upsetting zabuza.
The swordsman didnt mind being dirty, or wet. If he can last, i can too!, the child told himself firmly and kept walking. Ignoring his drooping eyes or the stabbing pains in his stomach. He wouldn't be a bother, he'd keep on going as long as zabuza needed him to. It was his job, he was a tool, and a tool only gets polished when the master has time...
but like all tools, haku wore out.
It was during a surprise attack, an ambush.
Normally it would be no problem for the swordsman and his little assassin. As always, zabuzas sword and jutsu blew away half of the fighters. Now it would be hakus job to take out the others behind them with his needles and own jutsu...the needles hit there mark, but the chakra for the jutsu simply wasn't there. Haku was tired and hungry, his body shut down before his mind would allow it and his vision fuzzed. A shadowy figure moved towards him, his keeper shouted his name, he saw red...then black...
Hours later haku awoke on a bed, a throbbing pain in his leg and his head told him the fight was over and he had been saved. He sat up and spotted a meal on the bedside table, he grabbed it and ate quickly. He had failed his master, but there would be another chance! They had a mission still and he would NOT loose that fight! The rice was cold and the meat had little to no spice at all, but his stomach was still grateful for the offering.
Haku froze, already over half through his meal when a gruff voice, suddenly very close to his ear muttered angrily "how long?".
Haku turned nervously, glancing over at a very angry looking zabuza, crouching in the corner with his hand, gripped hard, on the handle of his large sword. He looked dangerous...but haku still couldn't help but admire his beauty, his strength "s...sir?"
Zabuza stood up and was crouching over haku so fast the child dropped the bowl in fear, staring up at his master with large wide eyes, trembling faintly. It was the first time the man rose his voice to the child "How Long Have You Been Hungry? Tired!" zabuza snapped angrily, punching the headboard of the bed. Haku and the bed both trembled under the swordsmans fury. He felt weak, pathetic, but he couldn't stop the wetness gathering in his eyes.
Flashbacks of his mother attacked his mind, being struck by her, seeing her...d...
Hakus gaze fell to the side, unable to look at zabuza anymore, whispering sadly "im sorry...that i inconvenianced you...it wont happen again master...".
He could feel the man over him deflate, the fist in the blankets relaxing against the worn sheets. Haku hadn't noticed how run down this place looked...who knows where they might have been...or how long they'd been there...
The large swordsman, no matter how cold he was to everyone else, couldn't stand to see the cute boy he'd helped raise, trained to kill, taught to heal, caught rabbits for and protected...break down and cry under his glare. Haku was trembling, his little warrier was so frightened of him that tears gathered in his eyes...and he realized that even for a moment he had considered harming haku for harming himself...guilt was definetly a new emotion for him...
The childs voice trembled as he apologized, those pretty dark eyes turning away in shame of himself...it was just too damn much, even for him.
Haku flinched when one of his masters large hands moved towards him and his eyes closed instinctively, preparing himself to be struck...instead a rough, callused hand settled on his cheek, stroking it with his thumb. Color leapt into his face before his eyes opened, glancing nervously up at his master...his eyes were so dark...soft and gentle for once and his mouth...wait...when had zabuza taken off his bandages?
Before the child had time to further ponder this the surprisingly soft mouth was against his, and his thoughts, along with this sweet first kiss, where all at once
gone.
It was breif, a small passionate moment between them before they went off to finish the job they'd started. Zabuza was silently scolding himself for doing it, haku scolding himself for letting his master stop. But they both had one thought in mind, something that they were sure of (even if the elder was in denial at the time).
Right after this bridgebuilder died, they'd do it again...and they wouldn't stop until they were one.
Haku was for zabuza to use as he pleased, and was at the moment urging him to do just that.
Zabuza would have to be a fool to denie him.