To Care for Someone

Pairings: HakuXZabuza

Note: This story is a one-shot and I do not claim to own any characters mentioned.

Zabuza hadn't truly thought about his life for the longest time. Whenever something came up he'd deal with it and never think about the consequences, he didn't see any reason to worry about the future when it was most likely that he'd die and all his dreams would be crushed anyway. Life was hard for those who called themselves Shinobi. The life expectancy wasn't ever more than thirty because so many didn't last past that. Zabuza was now 28 and he could feel how his chest tightened every time he thought about it. His only saving grace was the boy living wit him in their small wooden hut built into the forest trees of the hidden mist.

Haku was an amazing child. Zabuza just never told him that.

He'd promised the boy, the very first day they'd ever met, that he wouldn't offer any sort of support or friendship of any kind. The boy had smiled anyway and told him he'd be his tool regardless of the way Zabuza treated him.

The bigger man had always told himself not to care, but eventually it was a lost cause.

Haku meant the world to him and he proved it unwillingly to himself every time he did something that made the child smile. Not that he was much of a child anymore. The boy was 18 years old now, today was his birthday. The smaller boy had tried to keep that fact from him, but Zabuza had already known, he'd just pretended that he hadn't. This was meant to be a special day for the younger boy, however. For some reason, 18 had always been a big deal among the people of the mist village, it signified the final step to becoming a man or a woman, instead of being in the middle years where you weren't an adult, but you also weren't young enough to be a child.

Zabuza had been planning this for the passed month.

After the battle on the Great Naruto Bridge four years ago that had left the two of them near death, Zabuza had taken things into perspective.

Haku was more important to him than ever.

He'd always been a cold man, but the blonde's words from four years ago when Naruto had claimed he was too cold to care that Haku was dying, had struck a chord in him. They'd managed to get away after that and fix each other up, but things would never be the same.

Zabuza cared too much to let things go back to the way they had been.

Haku would know that soon enough.

Preparing to leave and head to the village. Zabuza quietly got himself ready and slipped out of the house, trying not to alert Haku to the fact that he was leaving. They never went anywhere alone so this would have made the boy suspicious.

Zabuza had special plans for today.

Heading into town, Zabuza was just in time to watch as most of the stores opened their doors to the public. It took a better part of the morning to get everything he needed, but when he had everything, he quickly snuck back home, making sure to conceal the things he'd gotten.

----------

Haku was slightly surprised when he woke to find the sun already up over the hills, indicating that it was almost noon.

This was one of the only times he'd ever gotten up after the sun.

The smaller brunette immediately started to worry. He felt like he was doing Zabuza a disservice every time he slept late. There was always so much to do, it made it seem like he was being lazy and not working hard enough.

But Zabuza hadn't woken him either.

Maybe the other man wasn't up yet.

Throwing on his worn green hakama and tying his hair up with a beige cloth and green tie, Haku quickly headed out of his room and into the main area where, to his surprise, Zabuza was already up and waiting. The man was merely sitting on the tattered sofa reading what looked like mission specs.

The two of them had been retired assassins for four years now, but they still had to make a living.

Zabuza had been running around the town doing errands for people ever since, doing things that would only count as C or D rank missions when the Mizukage allowed him to. They had been forgiven of their crimes and punished many years ago, swearing never to do such things again. They'd kept that promise.

The Mizukage was too smart a man to have them killed.

They'd be too valuable when they'd finally proved themselves and were allowed to work higher ranked missions again. He and Zabuza would be an unbeatable pair. That much was obvious to anyone with half a brain.

"Haku."

"Good morning Zabuza. I'm sorry I overslept, I'll get breakfast ready immediately."

"No need child. Sit down and eat, we have work to do today."

Haku looked over at the small kitchen table, in shock that Zabuza had actually prepared anything for him. It even looked good.

Cut strawberries were sitting in a small bowl next to a plate of evenly browned toast and scrambled eggs. Cheese had even been mixed in with the eggs, the way Haku secretly liked them. The last thing there was a glass of milk to complete the meal.

Haku had no idea what to say.

But Zabuza urged him to eat quickly, leaving Haku to sit himself down quietly at the table. It was obvious that Zabuza didn't want him to mention it.

Haku smiled and began eating.

He had never been treated this well, it made him wonder what the other man was up to. Neither of them had had a breakfast like this in years, usually it was just an egg or two one day, and maybe bread the next.

When Haku was finished, Zabuza strapped his overly large knife to his back, handing over Haku's set of needles which he quickly hid among his sleeves and the folds in his hakama. It wasn't long before they were leaving, dishes washed and doors locked.

They ran for an hour or so before Zabuza stopped abruptly.

Haku was even more confused.

They had come to a small farm out on the edge of the hidden mist village. It wasn't much, and Haku seriously hoped they didn't have to kill anyone living here, they couldn't possibly be a threat to anyone. They looked poor.

Nothing but a field of grass lay next to the small house.

Haku was even more surprised when they walked into the house and it was empty. None of this was making any sense, but Zabuza seemed to know what was going on, so he decided not to say anything.

----------

Zabuza was rather enjoying the fact that Haku was confused. It didn't show on the boy's face, but he'd learned that what wasn't said was often the loudest, when it came to Haku's actions and words.

Pulling a few things from his bags, Zabuza put them in various places around the house. He'd snuck a few things in earlier that morning before anyone had truly woken up.

About two weeks previous, Zabuza had talked to the farm owners. The poor people couldn't afford to keep their home any longer. They were too poor and lived too far from the city to get decent jobs. Zabuza made a deal with them. He'd take over living in their home, if they'd take over his and accept a small amount of money from him to make up the difference. They had agreed and everyone had come out a victor. The small family of three had liked the bigger man's home. Haku had been out collecting herbs in the forest when he'd showed them around.

Their tree house had been just a little smaller than the farm house, but it was also five minutes run from the city.

Zabuza had paid for the family to stay in an Inn in town the night before they moved in, giving the older man time to pull Haku away from the house and into their new one. The farmhouse had been a lucky find.

It was perfect for them.

"You'll be staying here Haku."

Zabuza said, pulling the stunned boy down a small hallway to a room across from the decidedly large kitchen.

Haku's eyes widened slightly and Zabuza was pleased to see that the boy liked the room so much. There was a dresser left inside with a full length mirror sitting on the floor next to it. The bed was also larger and softer then the ones they'd left. There were a few cream colored blankets and pillows on the bed as well.

Zabuza left the boy to move in on his own, while he himself went to shuffle things around in the kitchen.

He'd bought food and a few kitchen items when he'd been in town that morning. That wasn't all he'd gotten though. He'd have to wait to show them to Haku until later, the day wasn't over yet.

When everything was situated, Zabuza watched Haku explore a little before telling him they had other things to do that day.

----------

Haku had never seen a nicer home.

His room was beautiful to him and the kitchen was amazing. He'd have so much more room to work when he was making meals for them. There was a small bathroom in the house too. Haku had been so used to having to run outside that this was just as surprising to him.

Zabuza's room was smaller than his.

Haku almost protested when he saw this, but Zabuza merely told him he didn't want the extra room and that he wanted Haku to enjoy it.

Smiling to himself, Haku finished showing himself around and followed Zabuza out of the house.

It was locked up behind them and the two of them went off running again. They didn't head into town like Haku expected though. They went the opposite direction. The small brunette boy was more than a little confused. So much had already happened today and he was trying to take it all in.

They ran for three hours, making it late afternoon when they showed up in a small village that Haku hadn't known existed.

Zabuza lead them to a small home on the edge of the town and they were welcomed with open arms, which was strange. Haku realized why after though. Zabuza had obviously been here often. They ate a late lunch with the small family and were lead out to the back of the house when they finished.

"Pick the two you like best."

Haku looked up at Zabuza, wondering what he was talking about for a moment.

Then they were taken into a small shed and Haku smiled, happier then he thought he would be. The room was full of tiny little rabbits. The family had obviously been trying to sell them and having Zabuza offer to take two, must have been a great surprise for them.

Two particular bunnies caught his eye as he walked around watching them play.

One of them was a baby female rabbit with fur as white as snow, while the other was a baby boy the color of a dark night with a few white specs that reminded Haku of stars. He picked them both up and took them out to show them to Zabuza, who'd decided to wait outside while Haku looked around.

The man smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

"You'll have to name them."

Haku nodded and looked down at the two tiny rabbits in his arms.

"She'll be Yuuki, and he'll be Yoru."

"Pure as snow and dark as the night."

Haku nodded at the man's comment and they were soon off again, Zabuza carrying a big bag of food that he'd bought off the family.

Haku wasn't expecting anything else, seeing as he'd already been given so many surprises today. But when they got home and set up a small pen for Haku's new little rabbits to run around in inside Haku's room, Zabuza surprised him again and went about making dinner for the two of them.

That left Haku a little time to play with Yuuki and Yoru, meaning he didn't see the small gift Zabuza set on the table when the food was finished and ready to eat.

"It's time to eat Haku."

Said boy looked up from where the two bunnies were playing with each other on his floor.

"Okay."

Zabuza disappeared from the doorway and Haku quickly picked the rabbits up and put them back in their pen. He hurried out to the table in the kitchen and immediately noticed the small packets sitting by his plate.

The dinner that Zabuza had made, consisted of a small salad, fried potatoes and small servings of tender breaded chicken.

Haku sat down and discreetly looked down at the dinner and then the small packets waiting for his attention, he lifted them up and gasped, looking up at Zabuza, meeting the man's eyes.

"Why did you do all this?"

"I wanted today to be special."

Haku looked over the seed packets again and decided he wanted more answers. First the new house, then the rabbits, the meals he didn't have to make, and now seeds for all his favorite herbs and vegetables.

"But-"

"Happy Birthday, Haku."

The brunettes eye's widened and he smiled, covering his mouth with his hand in a gesture of shock.

"You knew?"

"Of course I did. You didn't hide it as well as you thought."

Haku stood up from the table and walked over to Zabuza who was sitting on the other side. The man looked slightly nervous.

"Was today not good enough?"

Zabuza asked, genuinely confused.

"No."

Haku hugged the man for the first time and smiled widely, feeling the other man return the embrace after a little hesitation.

"It was perfect."

"Good."

The two of them continued their meal with light conversation and Haku decided that no matter what happened, he'd never forget that day. Not ever.

Thanks for Reading and I hope you liked it...

Haku's birthday is on January 9th... Enjoy!

-Himitsu