Author Notes: The next chapter! Hope it still keeps you interested in this odd yet interesting pairing. More comments in my bio profile.

Summary: Yagari meets a very young Yuuki while at Cross' house for dinner one night.

Assumptions: That Yuuki met Yagari at that time, since she doesn't seem to remember who he is in the manga when he shot Zero (Chapter 8), nor did he act like he remembered her, either! :D And Zero's not living with Cross and Yuuki just yet.

-- Chapter Start --

A tall man with long wavy black hair and a slightly shorter man with long light brown hair sat at a small table in a cafe having black coffee one afternoon. They sat there mostly in silence with just occasional remarks and smiles, but it wasn’t the awkward silence of two persons who had just met each other. Rather, it was the comfortable silence one experienced with someone very close and familiar. The taller man’s right eye was obscured by a silk blue eye patch but his left more than made up for his, darting here and there as if forever aware of his surroundings. Every so often, he would glance at a small family seated at the next table. The young parents chatted to each other while a little girl played with her brother.

The girl was around six years old and her younger brother looked to be around two years of age. At one point, the little boy tugged on her sister’s long black hair and she laughed before flicking it back over her shoulders. Both men at the next table caught a glimpse of a sweet heart shaped face with a pair of large dark eyes, and it instantly brought a flash of memory back to each of them.

-- Flashback --

Cross whistled to himself as he sliced vegetables and dropped them into a bubbling pot on the stove. It may not be a requisite attribute for a vampire hunter but Cross actually liked cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. He found it relaxing, and if there was actually someone else to cook for, so much the better! He supposed the actual skill part of it would eventually come with time.

It was a couple of weeks since he’d gone to Yagari’s apartment after knowing about his accident, and he’d succeeded in dragging the taller hunter to his house for a home cooked meal twice since then – this was the third time. But since he didn’t live alone anymore, he’d given strict instructions to Momoyama-san, his housekeeper, to keep little Yuuki hidden in her room, and occupied with her toys while Yagari was there. Cross frowned to himself as he stirred the bubbling stew. There was always a risk his partner would hear her voice, of course, but he’d already prepared an excuse to explain Yuuki’s presence, if needed. He only hoped he wouldn’t have to use it – Yagari was too good at reading people.

It would never do for Touga Yagari to find out about who Yuuki was, how she came to be living with him, and most importantly, who had saved her life and brought her here. After all, how many vampire hunters were on surprisingly good terms with a teenaged pureblood vampire, other than Kaien Cross?

But he’d promised himself to take care of Yagari ever since that night he’d burst into his apartment and saw the state his partner was in, and once Cross got it into his mind to mother and take care of someone, well… he was practically immoveable. Yuuki Cross was a perfect example of this.

- o -

Yagari stretched out his long legs in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. The sofa was a three seater and he was occupying the centre seat, seeing as it directly faced the TV. He was looking at the screen in front of him but his attention was elsewhere. Cross had mentioned a housekeeper but the couple of times he’d been here, he’d seen no sign of that lady anywhere even though he had to admit the house was spotlessly clean. Well, that was only to be expected, since Cross was a fanatic about cleanliness… Yagari had grown quite adept at tuning out his partner’s constant nagging about the state of his apartment. But he’d have expected it would be the housekeeper pottering around in the kitchen, getting their dinner ready, and not Cross himself. Ah well, there was just no explaining some people. And Cross did appear to be the motherly type – that was obvious from the way he fussed over people.

Yagari’s lips quirked a little despite himself – Cross’ cooking was surprisingly decent, or at least to his taste, but he didn't expect any liver based dishes on the menu tonight, having threatened to stop coming here on the first night itself if Cross persisted in trying to make him eat liver.

Suddenly Yagari stiffened. He thought he’d heard the muffled sounds of a small child laughing, only it stopped abruptly, as if the child had been checked by someone. Yagari’s eyebrows rose. Cross had a child? He wasn’t married and he’d never indicated he had a child living with him… perhaps it was the housekeeper’s then?

Shrugging to himself, Yagari slouched on the sofa, picking up the remote control lying on the coffee table to switch channels. A door opened and closed in the corridor that lay on the left side of the living area, and a middle aged lady appeared. She didn’t seem surprised to see Yagari there, but her eyes lingered for a moment on his eye patch before she smiled and bowed. He nodded but didn’t offer any greetings. This must be Cross’ housekeeper, Yagari assumed.

It wasn’t easy but the one eyed hunter was slowly coming to terms with his appearance now. Cross had actually been right - in a way. The few females who worked at the Hunters Association had assured Yagari that his eye patch fit with his overall image and lent a certain rakish air to his appearance, but it hadn’t escaped his observation that they didn’t seem too eager to find out what lay behind it, all the same.

The housekeeper disappeared into the kitchen behind him. Barely fifteen seconds later, Yagari heard a door open and close again in the same corridor. He glanced towards his left to find that a pair of wide brown eyes housed in a small heart shaped face. Both eyes were watching him curiously.

So there was a child living here after all – a little girl around five or six years of age. She had long dark hair that fell straight past her shoulders, and she froze when she realised the long haired stranger sitting on the sofa was now looking back at her.

Yagari offered a cautious smile and nod. He didn’t really have an affinity with children, especially little girls, but he was sensei to the Kiriyu twins after all… “Hey there” he called softly.

The little girl uttered a small gasp and took a step backwards, her back and arms glued to the wall. Yagari bit back a grin and deliberately ignored her, turning his gaze back to the TV. If she was more curious than afraid, that would prompt her to come out if she sensed he wasn’t interested.

Yagari was right. In barely a minute’s time, the little girl had progressed from the corridor to the edge of the sofa he was sitting on. Her large brown eyes hadn’t left him for even a second as she stood there quietly. Yagari didn’t move a muscle, a little intrigued in spite of himself. She was a pretty child but so far she hadn’t uttered a word.

Out of the perimeter of his vision, he saw her take a step closer, her small hands touching the arm of the sofa. Then she took another step closer. Ah… perhaps this wasn’t a good idea after all - Yagari shot the kitchen doorway behind him a very slightly panicked look before staring fixedly at the TV, wondering where the hell Cross was, and if he should call him.

Before another minute had passed, the girl had actually climbed up onto the sofa next to him. Very slowly, Yagari turned his head to the left and met her large and curious gaze. She was kneeling there, regarding him with her head tilted a little to the side, as though he were an interesting exhibit on display. Her gaze roved over his hair and his face but came back to his eye patch all the time - she seemed fascinated by it.

The child smelled nice, a combination of shampoo and baby powder. Yagari’s lips parted; he wanted to say “Hello" but the word died on his tongue when the little girl reached out her right hand with her index finger sticking out. He stopped breathing as she leaned forward enough to offer an experimental poke at his eye patch. “It's hard…” she pronounced after a moment, frowning to herself.

Yagari swallowed. Hell, he knew that...

''... and not... " The little finger slid down the smooth surface of the patch and glided onto his right cheek before pressing into his skin lightly. “...soft” completed the little girl. She tilted her head to the other side, regarding him. “What is that?” she asked him. "Why are you wearing it?"

Yagari stared at her. He didn’t know what to say.

- o -

Cross swallowed as well. He was standing in the doorway of the kitchen as his housekeeper busied herself preparing Yuuki’s dinner. He supposed he should have gone immediately to Yuuki’s room when his housekeeper appeared in the kitchen but he hadn’t expected that she would leave her room so soon. Well, perhaps he should have – she was a curious child after all.

But every time he opened his mouth to say something, he found himself closing it again. Because little Yuuki was surprisingly unafraid of Yagari, and because of the look on the hunter’s face now, that told Cross how insecure his partner actually was with the way he looked now, with his… deformity. At that moment, Cross found himself hoping fervently that somehow, he or someone would be able to take that look away. Because it just didn’t fit Yagari to look so... so... lost.

Then Cross held his breath as little Yuuki reached out and touched the black eye patch in front of her. He heard her innocent voice clearly. And again when she touched Yagari’s cheek. And when she asked why, Cross realised he should intervene. Now.

But before he could utter a word, Yagari spoke, that low voice uncharacteristically soft. “My eye was hurt, and I don’t have it anymore…”

The brown eyes widened a little more. “Oh” said the little girl as she snatched back her hand, leaning back a little. Cross suffered a pang in his heart as he saw Yagari’s lips twist at Yuuki’s innocent reaction.

“Are you… afraid?” asked Yagari softly. Both he and Cross held their breaths now.

Then Yuuki smiled and shook her head. “’Course not” she said, with the sort of supreme confidence children possessed. She seemed to think Yagari’s open mouthed astonishment was funny and even giggled a little before suddenly remembering she wasn’t supposed to be out of her room in the first place. “Got to go…” she mumbled, scrambling down from the sofa and hurrying to the corridor. There, she turned back again. “Bye” she said, giving him a little smile before disappearing back into her room. Yagari was too surprised to return her smile and he stared at the now empty corridor for a full minute before turning back to the TV.

Cross moved back silently into the kitchen, his eyes suspiciously moist. His dear Yuuki… she wasn't able to speak when she first came to live with him... and she'd suffered a bad experience that night... but in some ways, she was fearless. And for some reason, her cute observations stayed in his mind. Hard… soft… yes, little Yuuki was right. That eye patch didn’t look at all comfortable. As the housekeeper returned to Yuuki’s room with her dinner on a tray, Cross found himself wondering if there was something he could do about getting more comfortable and perhaps even stylish ones for his partner, to boost his confidence.

- o -

The two men ate their dinner in silence for a while, Cross covertly observing Yagari’s improved appetite with almost gleeful satisfaction.

“So… you have a child staying here, Cross?” Yagari paused to take a drink of water.

Well, he’d been expecting this question, hadn’t he?

“Ah, my niece. Momoyama-san helps to baby-sit her sometimes…” Cross waved his spoon airily.

“Hmmm”

“Why, did you see her?” Cross asked, his heart beating painfully fast, even though he appeared outwardly calm.

Yagari nodded and shrugged. “She came out of her room for a couple of minutes while you were busy in the kitchen” He paused, then added in a carefully off handed tone “Didn’t seem afraid of me…”

Cross chuckled, relieved. “That’s little Yuuki for you. She’s a curious child - did she say anything?” He held his breath.

Yagari kept his gaze on the bowl in front of him. “Not really” he replied. He didn’t see the small grin on the other man’s face.

-- End of Flashback--

Cross glanced at his friend now and smiled. “Quit staring at the child, Touga. You’re freaking her mother out…”

The dark haired hunter started, glanced at the rather apprehensive looking mother at the next table and gave an apologetic nod, then turned to Cross. “Sorry” he drawled. “She just… reminded me of someone…”

Cross smiled, his eyes lingering on the blue silk patch on Yagari’s face. “Me too” he said quietly. It was a good thing he hadn’t intervened when he saw little Yuuki with Yagari that time.

-- Chapter End --