A/N: Hmm, this chapter is a bit different to the others, in the sense that I've used flashbacks and actually broken it up a little bit. You have noooo idea how much trouble I've had trying to get this to actually work for me. I had to wrestle writers block too.

Disclaimer: Luckily, Zabuza and Haku aren't mine. They wouldn't have been so wonderful if they did.


Haku slowly woke up, laying there with his eyes closed and his mind blurred. He sighed happily, burrowing further under the warm sheets and pressing his face into the pillow; it smelt so nice. He wondered blearily why the bed smelled so strongly of Zabuza-sensei, but decided that it was probably just remaining from a dream; they're all about sorting out memories, and since he spent most of his afternoon the day before with his teacher, then it would make sense he would be dreaming of him...among other reasons, of course.
Well, actually, now he was thinking about it, he didn't really remember going home the night before.

He knew that they had watched that horror movie together, then when they realised the time they ate dinner – Haku insisted on cooking it, this time – and then they had gone to watch another movie, since it was Friday. He didn't really remember the second movie they watched, either.

Haku lay on the couch, his legs over one arm of it and his head resting on a cushion, as he waited for Zabuza to come out of the kitchen. They were going to watch another movie, since neither of them felt like going anywhere just yet and there was no school the next day for them to worry about.

Zabuza walked in, glancing at the main page of the movie the boy laying on the couch had put in, chuckling as he saw it was Sweeny Todd.

"You know something, kid? You have pretty good taste in movies."

The teenager looked across, smiling, "And the same to you. Do you want me to sit up?"

"No, just lift your head for a moment. You look pretty comfortable where you are."

Haku smiled, lifting his head as requested and blinking as the other man sat down, pulling Haku's head into his lap before starting the movie.

A little while into the film, he had rolled onto his side and Zabuza had started stroking his hair – whether it was intentional, an automatic reaction or something else he didn't know – and that managed to put him to sleep.

Ah, that would explain why he didn't remember watching the end of the movie. So, he had slept at his teacher's house? That would explain why it smelt of strongly of him, then. He was probably on the couch.

He reached out a hand, feeling around and frowning – nope, he was definitely in a bed. And it couldn't be a guest bed if he could smell Zabuza on the pillows, so he had slept in his bed? Where exactly had Zabuza slept the whole night, since the couch wasn't exactly big? The only reason he could lay on it was because he had such a small frame.

Alright, so he was still at Zabuza-sensei's house; he had stayed there over night; he slept in the older man's bed; he had no idea where Zabuza had slept.

"Ugh, stupid brain; I'm too tired to be thinking," he grumbled, jumping as he heard Zabuza's laughter from...somewhere. Maybe it would help to open his eyes?

"Good morning Haku. I was just coming to wake you up, but I see I'm too late."

Yes, there he was, standing in the doorway. Opening his eyes had helped after all.

"Good Morning, Sensei. I'm sorry I stole your bed," he yawned, rolling onto his stomach and stretching, "It is comfortable though."

The darker skinned man chuckled, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed, "And it apparently smells good. At least, you said so last night."

Haku blushed, straining to remember what Zabuza was talking about and going even brighter as he did.

Haku yawned as he was placed in the bed, looking up at Zabuza sleepily and smiling at the man.

"Why'm I in your bed, Sensei? I'm not complaining though," he mumbled, giggling at the blush that appeared on his teacher's face.

"Because you're barely awake and I'm too close to sleep to drive you home right now. Go back to sleep, Haku."

"Alright, if you want me to. Are you going to sleep with me?"

"No, that would be over stepping the boundaries a little bit too much. And I don't think you would like to wake up next to me, you would probably get a bit of a shock."

"Hmm, I don't think I would really mind. I would just think it was still a dream. But your bed smells nice, so I'll be fine," he breathed, his eyes sliding shut again.

"It smells nice, does it? I just thought it smelt like a bed, to be honest."

"Yeah, because the bed smells like you Sensei, and you smell really nice. I love people that smell nice, but I love you the most."

And with that, Haku fell asleep again.

Haku sat up, staring down at the sheets in embarrassment, "I-I'm so sorry Sensei! I can't believe that I said all that to you!"

Once again he heard laugher, a warm hand reaching over and squeezing his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it Haku. You did surprise me with a few of your comments though. I can't decide if you're cute or cheeky when you're half asleep."

The long haired boy blinked and looked up, smiling, "I have a funny feeling I was being cheeky last night. And you probably shouldn't think of your student as cute anyway."

Zabuza snorted, "When are you finally going to understand that I don't particularly care what I should or shouldn't do. You spent the night in my bed and you're worried that I called you cute?"

He laughed, climbing out of the bed and smiling at him, "You have a good point. Did you want me to cook something for breakfast, since I intruded upon you last night and kicked you out of your bed?"

The larger man rolled his eyes, standing and leading him out of the room.

"You really don't need to cook breakfast. Like I said last night, there was no way you would be getting home, so it isn't your fault. Besides, I chose to give you the bed, and I could have just gotten in with you if it bothered me."

Haku nodded, walking past him and heading down to the kitchen – he would look at what there was, but if there was nothing simple for breakfast he would just cook again.


Haku sat on the couch, fiddling with a strand of hair that had gotten free from the loose ponytail he usually wore. He had been banished from the kitchen by Zabuza who insisted upon cleaning all the dishes on his own; he hadn't objected too much, since the dishwasher would be doing the actual cleaning.

He and Zabuza had decided that it was a good day to have another ninja battle, so they were going to find Kakashi and ambush him while he was without his team; basically meaning they felt like bothering the silver haired man. The only problem was that Haku needed to change and he had no spare clothes, and he certainly wouldn't fit into any of Zabuza's.

So the older man had suggested that he drive around to Haku's house to drop off his things and get some clean clothes and Haku could have a shower while he waited. Neither of them chose to suggest the obvious option that they both just go back to Haku's house.

The thin boy stood up as Zabuza came in, smiling at the large man and giving him his house keys.

"You know where everything is in my house, Zabuza-sensei. Just grab whatever clothes, so long as it's possible to move in them. I'll probably be out by the time you get back."
He smiled at his teacher, watching him leave before turning and heading towards the bathroom.


Haku climbed out of the scalding hot water, sighing happily and picking up the towel that Zabuza had given him. He began drying himself slowly, not having heard his teacher come back, so he wasn't in any hurry.

He wrapped the towel around his waist once he was mostly dry, grabbing the other towel he had been given and rubbing at his hair to dry it.

He jumped as he heard a car pull up into the driveway, putting the towel down and walking out of the bathroom to look for Zabuza – he wanted his clothes so that he could get dressed.
He gripped the towel around his waist tightly as he peered out from the stop of the stairwell, frowning when he couldn't spot the older man and walking down the staircase.

"Zabuza-san? Where are you?" he called softly, jumping as said man appeared from the side door, almost losing the grip on his towel, "Oh! There you are...why did you come through that door?"

Zabuza rubbed the back of his head, looking somewhat embarrassed, "I accidently locked the screen door when I left, and I haven't got a key for that one. Luckily I never lock the side door."

"Oh, alright then. Umm," he said slowly, looking down at his rather obvious lack of clothing, blushing when he saw Zabuza watching him from the corner of his eye.
"Uh, I've got your clothes here," he said somewhat awkwardly, still staring at him, "I suppose that you ought to go get dressed..."

Haku nodded, automatically letting go of his towel to grab the bag in his teacher's hand, gasping as the cloth dropped.* He grabbed at it, barely missing and blushing brightly, half crouching in an attempt to cover himself; he was too embarrassed to think to simply grab the towel. It really didn't help him that Zabuza was still, rather openly in fact, staring at him, though now bright red as well.

"U-Um, here you are, Haku. I-I'll leave you to get dressed," the larger man muttered, still staring at him, though attempting to make it slightly less obvious.

The boy looked up, his hair falling messily around his red face as he nodded slowly.

"T-Thank you...M-Maybe you should s-stop staring now...?"

His teacher blinked, looking up from his body and instead to his face, smiling slowly, "You know by now Haku; I really don't care what I ought not to do," he said quietly, grabbing his face softly and leaning in to capture his lips quickly, "In fact, I much prefer doing things which will more likely lead me to trouble. Care to join me?"


...Alrighty then. All I have to say.

*Sorry about this one. I had to have Haku drop his towel. There was no way I could resist it. I'll try to be good about things so horribly over done in future, honest.