After she was long done with copying the notes and had finished her book, Jemmea decided to wake up Zero. She tried saying his name first, a few times at increasing volumes, but that didn't work. Next she leaned forward on her hands and knees, lifting one hand and gently touching his arm. "Zero?" she tried again. She started to slowly shake his shoulder, "Hey, wake up."
Finally, he stirred, bringing a hand to cover his face. She sat back and waited. "How long was I asleep?" he groaned.
"I don't know," she responded. "I finished the notes, then finished my book, and then I was bored. Even so, I wanted to just sit here and enjoy the peace, but I thought I should wake you up. If you sleep any more, you'll be up all night and just sleep through class again tomorrow." Then she waited quietly and patiently.
He opened his eyes and brought his hand down to the bed to help push himself off. He stood upright and went to his desk, where he pulled a watch out of a drawer. After he studied it, he said, "It's late, past seven."
"Oh wow," Jem replied. "I must have been really lost in that book, it's past dinner. I guess I did have over half left before I finished it."
Zero put the watch back and turned to her, putting his hands in his pockets. "I suppose you're hungry then."
"Well, yeah, actually," she confessed. Once again, he sighed as he turned away, walking to his closet. As he did, he took his hands from his pockets and removed his still semi-wet shirt, dropping it to the floor.
As he reached up in his closet, he addressed her without turning, "You're not going to bitch at me for taking my clothes off in front of you?"
She was taken aback. "What? For changing in your own room? Why?"
Zero found another shirt and put it on. It had long sleeves and fell loosely around his body. He turned to her. "Nothing, it's just what I'm used to. Now come with me," he finished as his hands again fell in his pockets and he began to walk out. Jem was quickly on her toes to follow him.
They walked together, both their mouths and stocking feet quiet. She stayed near as they walked to the far end of the hall, then down the stairs and entered the back of the building into the headmaster's area, connecting both the girls' and boys' dormitories.
Soon they reached the kitchen. As Zero entered, Jem stopped in the doorway and put her hands on the frame, looking around.
He opened the cupboards. "What do you want?" he asked. Everything Zero said to her was either nonchalant or with a slight irritation. Now it was simply nonchalant.
"What, are you going to cook for me?" she almost laughed.
He turned to her. "That was my plan."
"Oh," Jem responded, not expecting that yet slightly delighted. "Well," she started, coming into the room to sit down. "If you're cooking, make whatever you want."
Zero turned back to the cupboard. "Egg noodles it is," he said as she plopped down.
"Are those your favorite?" Jem asked after a moment.
"Yeah," replied Zero as he put water on to boil. They said nothing as he gathered together other items to add in. They sat in a comfortable silence (at least mostly comfortable, since it was still new) with only the sound of Zero cutting vegetables and water boiling. Zero's mind was on his task, and Jem's was content with her current alternative, unpredicted experience to being trapped in her room.
Once the meal was prepared, Zero split it into two bowls. He set them before their places as he sat down. She picked up her spoon and as soon as she brought some to her mouth, she quickly brought her spoon away and breathed in.
"Too hot?" Zero asked as he started to eat, completely unaffected.
"Yeah," she replied, setting her spoon down. She put her elbow on the table, her head in her hand, watching Zero as she waited patiently. "Why do men seem to be immune to hot food? My brother is the same way," she commented.
Just then, Yuuki burst in the room. "Zero! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you. We need to do a round." After she noticed Jem with him she blurted, "Huh?"
Zero, of course, never looked up at her. He simply sighed. Jem saw the confusion on her face and offered an explanation. "I lost track of time and missed dinner."
"Oh," replied Yuuki, a little settled as things came together, "Well how about you, Zero? Why weren't you at dinner?"
"I slept through it," replied Zero with the irritated infliction.
"Oh, well way to go Zero on looking out for the students at Cross Academy!" Yuuki cheered.
"You really are the headmaster's daughter," Jem said blatantly as Zero finished his last few bites. Yuuki looked at her with a quizzical look. Jem answered the look with, "You're both so cheerful."
"Ok, let's get this over with," Zero said, standing up and placing his bowl by the sink before she could respond. "I trust you'll find your way back to your room," he said to Jem over his shoulder, then addressed Yuuki, "Come on, I need to stop in my room and change first." And they disappeared.
"Ok-" was all Jem said as it all suddenly happened. It was quiet, and she turned her attention back down to her bowl, pushing the contents around and seeing what resurfaced as she waited for it to cool.
When Zero reached his room, Yuuki stood outside his door, talking through what they were going to do, so caught up as she looked down the hall while she spoke, "...and once we get outside, we're just going to make a dash for it, we can take a break at the gate if we need to..." But Zero noticed something else when he entered his room.
She left all her stuff here, he realized. He considered this as he changed, Well, she's in the kitchen now and probably hasn't touched her food yet, and she's in no hurry. Yuuki and I will be gone a half hour at most. I'm sure she'll still be there when I get back. He finished redressing and turned to Yuuki, ready to go.
In the kitchen, Jem realized that she had indeed left all her things in Zero's room. Oh no, she thought sarcastically to herself, I guess I'll have to wait for Zero since I can't get back in my room. She smiled and tried her meal again. It was ready. And it was good.
Zero did return within a half hour. He found her, still in the kitchen, putting the last dish up to dry. "Look!" she exclaimed, "I did the dishes!" Then she added, more quietly to herself as she turned back to look at them, "At least I think I did the dishes..."
"What," Zero scoffed, "have you never washed dishes before?"
She hesitated and turned her eyes down, "Well, no."
Then he realized, "You're from one of those obscenely rich families, aren't you?"
She just looked at him and said nothing, again proving her guilt to him. He was slightly surprised, based on what he knew about her and her habits. He walked over and picked up one of the dishes to examine it. "It looks clean," he commented. He set it back down and mocked, "I'm proud of you."
"Oh, shut up," she said, coming to life a little bit. She then pushed him towards the door, "Come on, you must know I left my stuff in your room." And then, "Ah, you're still soaking wet!" Zero was slightly amused as she quickly drew her hands back.
Once they reached his room, she put her shoes on then started to collect her notes. Zero picked up her blazer, about to hand it to her, when he noticed it was still wet, which he mentioned to her. He hooked his fingers under the collar and draped it over his shoulder. "I'll carry it for you, I'm already drenched."
"You're still going to walk me back? Do you really think that as soon as I leave I'm going to rush out into the rain and just hang out?" she implored.
"Like you said," he mentioned as he started to leave, her following his lead, "I should try and stay awake awhile so I'm not screwed over again tomorrow."
He walked her back, through the boys' dorm, through the headmaster's building, then through the back of the girls' dorm. For the first time, he walked her all the way to her door. He twirled the blazer down from his shoulder and extended it to her. "Thanks," she said as she took it and began to turn away.
"Wait," Zero dug in his front pocket. "While I was out on my round, I stopped at the library. You said you had finished your book, and that reading was helping with your cravings." He pulled out a book and extended it to her. She turned back to him slowly, tilting her head and studying the cover. 'White Fang by Jack London' she read. "I read it once and liked it enough, I thought maybe you would too. It's something, anyway."
Jem took the book from him and held it in her hands, studying it. She turned and went back into her room, bewitched by the promise of the book, not thinking to even look back at Zero. The door closed behind her and she dropped her things on the floor.
"Was that Zero?" one of the girls visiting whispered to another. "I think it was," Jem's roommate whispered back. They glared at her, but Jem didn't even notice as she kept her eyes on the book the whole time. She simply climbed on her bed, curled up against the wall, and started to read.