Author Notes: A short and light hearted chapter to balance out the sappiness of the previous one -grins- It will probably remind you of Chapter 16 Assumptions, though! Nope, no lime here either... maybe in the next chapter? :D
-- Chapter Start --
Yuuki hummed softly to herself as she walked back to her room after her shower. Touga Yagari, Zero's ex-sensei, was joining them for dinner and roast chicken, baked potatoes and a fresh salad were on the menu tonight. The fowl had already been prepared and marinated and was currently sitting in the refrigerator, awaiting Zero's attention once he came back from the stables after his ride.
After combing her hair, Yuuki strolled into the kitchen, resolving to make herself useful. She would start by taking down the large baking tray for roasting the chicken in.
Ever since the time she'd found the shiny metal tray in one of the lower kitchen cabinets and used it together with an iron ladle to amuse herself, the Chairman had taken to keeping the tray in one of the upper cabinets that lined the walls instead.
A small grin tilted Yuuki's lips. That was ten years ago and she no longer harboured thoughts of being an aspiring drummer but she guessed old habits were hard to break, hence the tray occupying its current position. She grabbed the nearest kitchen chair from the table in the corner and carried it over to the counter that ran alongside the opposite wall.
Placing the wooden chair next to the counter, Yuuki kicked off her slippers and stepped up onto its wooden seat. It creaked a little under her weight but she ignored it. The wooden knobs of the cabinet doors in front of her were now on a level with her chin. Yuuki grasped both knobs and pulled them open, leaning back a little as she did so. The chair under her creaked again, louder this time.
Rather belatedly, Yuuki realised that this was the broken chair Chairman Cross had repaired many years ago. He'd only used one nail then to secure the small piece of wood reinforcing the broken leg. Just yesterday, Zero had muttered something about wanting to hammer another nail into the wood to hold it better but he'd not gotten around to it yet.
The chair started to sway very slightly and Yuuki paused indecisively for a moment. She really ought to get down and use a different chair since this one was unstable. But the cabinet was already open and there was the baking dish right in front of her eyes, tempting her to taken it down now.
She really should have known better...
Telling herself to be quick about it before either the Chairman or Zero came in and scolded her for her usual carelessness, Yuuki quickly grabbed the large tray. As she started to pull it out, the chair beneath her creaked ominously again. Holding her breath, Yuuki moved one foot back a little and shifted her weight onto it then continued pulling the heavy tray out. The chair wobbled dangerously as the single nail in the soft wood reinforcing the chair leg started to twist. Yuuki's breath caught in her throat. "Slowly now" she muttered to herself as she rose up onto her bare toes and continued easing the tray out.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Zero's voice coming from the kitchen doorway was a mix of shock and worry. With a squeak of surprise, Yuuki swung around, her shoulder length hair swinging around her shoulders and flicking at her cheeks. The tray in her hands hit the side of the cabinet hard, jarring her and making the chair wobble even more. Her shifting weight twisted the hapless nail in the wood and it bent sideways, slipping out of the leg. Bereft of its support, the broken chair leg gave way.
Yuuki gasped - the open cabinet in front of her and its contents were all tilting crazily in her vision. Then the chair collapsed. Zero cursed softly as he leapt forward.
"Ooh…" Yuuki breathed. For a moment, she felt as if she was suspended in air with the tray falling from her hands. Then she was falling sideways and she squealed in fright, her arms flailing for purchase even as a pair of strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist. And as before, when Yuuki had slipped on the wet bathroom floor after one of their infamous water fights, Zero instinctively swung both of them around to cushion her body with his. An instant later, he paid the price - his right shoulder slammed against the edge of one of the open cabinet doors. Half a second later, a loud crash resounded as the baking tray landed on the floor, one corner indented from the impact.
Yuuki found herself held securely in Zero's arms with her face buried in his sweat dampened T-shirt. His heartbeat was erratic and she pulled back a little to look into his amethyst eyes. For a moment, Yuuki was unable to speak, her brown eyes wide in shock at her near fall.
Then Zero sighed. His amethyst eyes closed then opened. "Are you OK, Yuuki?" he asked softly. Flushing guiltily and trying to get her own accelerated heartbeat to ease up, Yuuki nodded immediately. "I'm fine" she replied quickly. "Are – are you hurt?" she asked in turn, a small frown drawing her eyebrows together.
"No."
Yuuki offered a smile as she took a step back and Zero released her. "Ah, that's good then, Zero. Thank you..."
No such luck.
"Just what did you think you were doing, Yuuki?" Zero's eyes were as stern as his voice now and she pouted. "I was just trying to take down the baking tray, Zero"
"Of all the chairs you could've used…!"
The auburn haired girl hunched a shoulder uncomfortably. "Well, it was the nearest one to hand" she said, giving him a conciliatory smile as she patted his arm. Luckily, it worked and Zero sighed, his anger dissipating. "I should've repaired it when I found it wobbling the other day" he muttered to himself. He sounded guilty now and Yuuki quickly shook her head. "Hey, it's not your fault, Zero" she said.
"Huh" was all the silver haired prefect said as he shook his head at himself.
Yuuki looked around for the tray, her heart sinking as she saw how one corner was dented now. Oh dear... Carefully, she picked it up and placed it on the counter top, as if fearing to cause it any further pain. "Do you think Father would be -" Then she realised that Zero's left hand had come up to cup his right shoulder, his fingers probing the area rather gingerly.
The tray forgotten, Yuuki quickly stepped closer to him. "Zero, are you all right?"
Zero's hand slipped off his shoulder immediately. "I'm fine, Yuuki. I'll go grab a quick shower first, all right?" She nodded, her wide eyes still on his shoulder. Ignoring her speculative gaze, Zero carried the broken chair to a corner of the kitchen, switched on the oven then went off to take his shower.
Five minutes later, Yuuki was dicing tomatoes for the salad and keeping an ear out for Zero. She put down her knife as she heard the bathroom door open then tiptoed to the kitchen door and peeped out. Zero was walking down the corridor to his own room, clad only in jeans and towelling his hair.
Yuuki's eyes caught sight of a darkening bruise the size of an egg on his bare right shoulder. "Oh, Zero, you're hurt!" Her wide brown eyes filling with guilt, she darted forward, reaching Zero just as he paused outside his room door. He turned around. "Don't worry, Yuuki. I'll live" he said somewhat dryly before reaching for his doorknob.
"But it's huge!"
"I'm fine"
"But, Zero…"
"Forget it, Yuuki" He reached out and tapped her nose lightly before going into his room and closing the door. Yuuki pressed her lips together. Then she thought of something and retreated to the kitchen. This time, she used another chair to take down the medical box kept in one of the other upper cabinets. It had also occupied a top shelf ever since the Headmaster found a much younger Yuuki and Zero ooh-ing and aah-ing over its contents one day, in the kitchen of his old home.
The auburn haired girl took out the tube of analgesic gel for muscle pain and laid it aside. As she turned her attention back to her salad, Zero walked into the kitchen. He had on a clean T-shirt and was running his fingers through his damp hair. Yuuki made no further mention of his shoulder but completed her salad and placed it in the fridge while Zero transferred the chicken to the oven, checked the temperature and took note of the time.
Before he could walk out again, Yuuki picked up the tube of analgesic and cleared her throat, causing Zero to look at her. His gaze fell on the tube in her palm and a small smile tilted his lips. "I'm fine, Yuuki" he said patiently. She didn't reply, just shook her head and pointed to the table in the corner. Zero sighed even as the smile continued to play around his lips. Yuuki wouldn't give up – she never did. He poured himself a glass of water then walked over and sat down. Yuuki tugged at his shirt sleeve. "Off with your shirt, Zero"
He caught her hand. "Yuuki…" But her small hands tried to tug his shirt off.
"Yuuki…!" Zero protested, half laughing despite himself as he half turned to face her. As expected, she put both hands on her hips and let a determined look show in her eyes. He relented at once. "Here?"
"Yes, before Father comes in" Yuuki spoke decisively as she hadn't yet prepared an answer to explain the latest beating her father's beloved baking tray had suffered. Zero didn't bother to comment as he stood up and tugged the T-shirt over his head. Sitting back down, he placed the shirt on his lap.
The discoloration on his right shoulder had grown darker – it was now purplish tinged with blue. Yuuki sucked in her breath. "I'm sorry, Zero" she said softly. He only grunted in reply. "It's not the first bruise I've gotten, Yuuki, and I hardly think it's going to be the last one" he commented dryly. Especially if I'm going to have to take care of you for the rest of my life… what's a bruise or two, dearest?
Yuuki ran gentle fingertips over his skin and Zero felt her touch all the way down to his toes. She squeezed out some of the analgesic gel onto her fingers. "Then let me make it better" she said softly.
Zero nodded and closed his eyes.
- o -
Dinner would be ready in an hour. Chairman Cross rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he walked out of this study, his stomach already rumbling. Nothing quite like a dinner of roast chicken with his family, especially when accompanied by a bottle of the white wine Yagari said he would bring over.
Cross had wanted to help with the dinner preparations but his offer had been politely but firmly declined by his two children. Since it looked like they had full control over everything, he might as well go take his shower then. As he stepped into the dining area, Cross heard Zero's and Yuuki's voices coming from the kitchen. Dinner preparations were underway… right? It didn't sound like it and his steps slowed down as he heard what they were saying.
"You can't just stroke it, Yuuki"
"I know... but it feels good, right?"
"Yes, but that's not the point. You gotta rub it hard."
"I know, Zero. Wait, it needs more gel"
Chairman Cross frowned to himself. Gel? For the chicken?
A pause.
Then a small yelp sounded. "It's cold!"
A soft giggle ensued. "It's mentholated, Zero. You're such a softy… the gel will warm up soon enough"
The older man's brow cleared in realisation. Ah, so it wasn't for the chicken...
Another pause.
"Stop squirming, Zero!"
"Your fingers are cold, too. And you're just stroking again. You're supposed to rub it, you know. Hard."
Chairman Cross frowned again. Then what was the gel for? And the rubbing?
"I am rubbing, you're just ticklish. Who'd have ever thought - "
"I am not ticklish, Yuuki"
"Yes, you are. Can't you tell I'm already rubbing it as hard as I can?"
"It feels good, Yuuki, but rub harder"
"I am!"
"Use both hands, then!"
"Uh… OK"
Another short silence followed.
Biting his lip, Cross took a tentative step forward as he unconsciously kept his back to the wall. This reminded him of what had happened the last time he found himself eavesdropping on their conversation. He'd ended up looking foolish, that's what. But he couldn't stop his uneasiness this time, because it didn't remotely sound like a blood taking session. At all.
"Aah, better" Zero's voice sounded just a tad uneven.
"That's good, then" Yuuki's sounded a little breathless.
Yet another silence.
"Uhm, Zero, it's... enlarging..." Yuuki's voice sounded worried now.
Cross bit his lip harder, trying to rein in his galloping thoughts. What on earth could possibly enlarge with the application of mentholated gel? OK, scratch that. Maybe a more suitable question would be -what else could possibly enlarge with the application of mentholated gel?
A patient sigh was heard. "Of course it is. Don't worry. The point it, it'll shrink later"
Cross' eyes closed behind his spectacles as his heart thumped uneasily in his chest. Chickens didn't enlarge then shrink. But other things did. What if he wasn't mistaken this time? But in the kitchen? And while preparing dinner? And with a guest on the way here?
"Uhm, and it feels hot, too"
"That's due to the gel, Yuuki"
"Really?" Yuuki's voice sounded doubtful.
"Uh-huh… that, and all your rubbing. Go on, rub it harder"
"OK, how's this?" Yuuki's voice sounded rather unsteady now with her exertions.
Zero groaned. "Mmm, good. Don't stop…"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Don't stop, Yuuki"
"I won't, Zero. Not until you tell me to."
Cross' heart was now tripping over itself in its effort to pump more blood to his stupefied brain. OK, we are definitely not talking about a chicken here. But of course there is a reasonable explanation for this. Of course.
"Zero?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell Father about this, please"
"Yuuki, he's bound to find out sooner or later"
"Later then. I'd like to live a little longer, you know" Yuuki's laugh was soft and a little deprecating.
A fond snort responded. "Father won't harm a hair on your head and you know it, Yuuki"
OK, maybe not Yuuki's hair, or Yuuki but…
"A little harder"
"Zero, my hand's getting tired"
"Use your other hand"
"Well, my other hand's tired too, you know. What else do you expect me to use?"
Zero's reply was too soft to catch but Yuuki's resultant giggle sounded shocked. "Zero! Are you kidding? I can't do that!"
"Why not?"
"Well, because – because I don't want to get the gel on my mouth, that's why!"
Chairman Cross' eyes almost popped out of his head. Oh, this was ridiculous - either step into the kitchen and see for himself or stop hovering around in the dining room trying to give himself a heart attack. Zero and Yuuki were most assuredly a couple but they were still new at this whole dating thing. Right?
"Hey, Zero, where are you going?"
"To my room so that I can finish it myself. Pass me the gel, Yuuki"
"Oh… uhm, OK then. Here you go"
The older man heard the unmistakable scrape of one of the kitchen chairs being dragged back. A few seconds later, he saw Zero walk out of the kitchen and down the corridor. He was shirtless and a T-shirt was clasped in his right hand. On his right shoulder was a real beauty of a bruise, roughly the size of an egg.
With a dawning suspicion in his mind, and feeling like he'd narrowly escaped making a fool of himself, Chairman Cross took a couple of deep breaths before he walked into the kitchen. The unmistakable smell of muscle pain reliever filled the air and Yuuki was standing at the kitchen table, closing the lid of the medical box.
She turned around and gave a rather guilty smile. "Oh, hello, Father" she said as she tried to hide the box behind her.
Chairman Cross still wasn't too sure what had happened but when Yuuki wore an expression like it, it usually meant she'd done something she shouldn't have. "What happened, Yuuki?" he asked her as sternly as he could, with his heart still beating unevenly in his chest.
"Eh… ah, that is, I climbed up a chair to get something down earlier" she mumbled.
Cross raised an eyebrow at her. "And?"
Yuuki offered him a sheepish smile. "I used the chair which you repaired last time. It… the leg broke"
Ah. The final pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Chairman Cross shook his head and sighed. "So Zero caught you and somehow injured himself?"
Yuuki's smile turned even more sheepish than before and her gaze fell. "Uhm, yeah" she mumbled. "How did you know…"
Chairman Cross felt weak with relief. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered to himself.
Yuuki was still looking abashed but peeped up at him through her eyelashes now, the way she used to do when she was much younger and hoping to get out of punishment.
"Well, be more careful in future, Yuuki" Cross grumbled, completely taken in by her look even though he knew he shouldn't be.
Yuuki beamed in relief. "Yes, Father!"
Cross couldn't help smiling in return but as he wandered out of the kitchen, it faded. He thought parenting would actually get easier as his children grew older but he was wrong. It just got harder each day.
Perhaps it would finally get easier once he became a grandfather? Well, seeing as how both his children were still in their teens, that was still some ways off. His heart light as a feather now, Chairman Cross chuckled quietly to himself as he stepped into the bathroom.
Still, it never hurt to dream, right?
-- Chapter End --
