Chapter Three: Under the Moonlight

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Author-person: I have not done my homework, so I don't know how old Train and Eve really are. But in this story, Eve is sixteen… Train is probably twenty-two. Anyone out there who's willing to tell me their real ages, please help me out.

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Eve's POV:

We'd spent almost the whole day in Creed's house, just talking and joking around.

It was fun.

Sven hadn't realized how much time had past since he was so caught up in his conversations with Train and Creed and even Echidna.

I was surprised at how these people got along so well considering the fact that they were almost at each other's throats back then. I expected them to be… a little more awkward with each other. Well, they were at first… but when I came back from the kitchen to help Echidna with the tea, I found the three men in the living room laughing their heads off because of some stupid joke they'd read from a magazine.

Then, as if they'd known each other for years, Sven and Creed started a conversation. They told stories about their travels and commented about how stupid and ignorant a certain Black Cat was… It was funny watching three grown men chasing each other around the house.

It was already getting dark when Sven decided it was time to go back to the inn we were staying at.

"You should spend the night here. We have a few more extra rooms." Echidna insisted, saying that it was already too late for us to be on the road.

"Thank you, but I think we've caused too much trouble already, Echidna. With lunch and dinner… and other things." Sven looked over his shoulder and sweat-dropped as he saw Train and Creed cleaning up the vase they'd broken earlier.

Echidna took me by the hand and grinned "It's been a while since we've had any guests… And besides, I think Train will be thrilled if you stay."

Sven gave it some thought. But being the gentleman that he claimed to be, he couldn't refuse a lady's offer twice.

"Well, if it's not too much trouble… I guess we could spend the night." He finally said.

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I was already in the pajamas that Echidna lent me when I noticed that Train was no where to be found.

Where was he?

It wasn't new. You know, him running off to only God knows where. But really, he could at least tell someone before he left.

I walked around the house while I looked for him. Maybe he was just inside and I'd somehow managed to not notice him… Nah, he was hard to miss. He was a loud person… it was hard to imagine him being silent in one corner, especially with a mouth as big as his. And he had that bell around his neck too. I would hear it if he was around…

After a few minutes of unsuccessful searching, I asked Creed if he saw that damn Cat leave the house. He shook his head and told me "He's probably up on the roof .There's a ladder in the back you could use."

I thanked him and went out through the back door.

It was cold that night.

I cursed through chattering teeth as I proceeded to find the ladder. Why was I even out here? If Train was really on the roof, I needn't worry about him.

Then, I realized something.

When I finally found what I was looking for, I set it up against the wall and went back in the house to get a couple of blankets.

Train must be cold up there. It was freezing outside, and knowing him, he's probably too lazy to come all the way down from up the roof just to get blankets. I needed to be the thoughtful one and give the big baby everything he needed.

When I'd gotten the blankets, I slung them over my shoulder and proceeded to climb up

He was there.

Train lay on the roof with his hands at the back of his head. He stared at the moon that shone above us.

The moon.

Tsuki…

Minatsuki…

Saya…

He was probably thinking about her. I'd heard about her once or twice and he said that she was his best friend… but I refused to believe such an obvious lie. I felt that she was something more to him. Something much more.

I was a child back then and I admit, I didn't understand much about these kinds of things…anything that had to do with love.

But now that I've grown up, I can understand how much it must have hurt Train to have her die in front of him like that. He must have loved her so much that it might have been too much for him to handle.

My chest hurt at that sudden thought. Was I…jealous?

I walked over to him slowly. He seemed to not notice me until I called out to him.

"Train?"

He was surprised. He sat up and smiled a little as he motioned for me to come nearer.

I sat next to him and threw the blanket over is shoulders. "Here."

"Thanks." Train said.

He wasn't smiling anymore. He just looked up to the moon again as if waiting for it to crash down.

I had a blanket over my shoulders too and I hugged my knees closer as I stared at him.

It wasn't the first time I'd noticed, but Train was worthy of being called eye-candy. It wasn't the right time to admire the way he looked… but I couldn't help it.

I admired the way his golden eyes glowed so brilliantly in contrast to his unusually pale face. He looked so….er… what's the word… dreamy? Ugh. I am never going to get the hang of this girly talk.

He seemed to notice that I had my jaw hanging open.

"What?" he said with the innocence of a meek lamb.

"Nothing." I looked away, blushing furiously. I hoped that it was too dark for him to see the red in my cheeks.

Okay, I admit. I'm not going to deny that I may have a slight crush on him. Okay, I was really crushing on him. But I want to emphasize that I admired him for his looks and that my feelings for him are no where near the feelings I had for Sven. Another thing, feelings I had for Sven. Though it was kind of indirect, I was shot down by the guy.

I moved on.

And though it hurt like hell at first; I had to be strong… I had to understand that I was too young for him.

"Why are you crying?"

I hadn't felt it, but tears started streaking down my cheeks. I wiped them carelessly with my sleeve. They still kept streaming down.

Why did I have to remember that? And of all the times I could've cried my eyes out why did I have to do it now?

"Eve?"

"It's nothing. Don't mind me. I'll be fine… just give me a minute."

I turned away from him. I wasn't going to cry anymore… I promised myself that. The feelings I felt for Sven was just out of gratitude… for taking me in and treating me like family. I was just stupid to confuse those feelings with love.

I was stupid. So stupid…

As I continued to stifle my cries, I felt Train's arms around me.

He held me close and I felt the strongest urge to break away from him, but he wouldn't let me.

"I know it's not much… but I want you to know that I'll always be here, Eve. We're like family." He said in my ear.

His voice was so soothing, so reassuring… that I realized that I wanted to stay in his arms for as long as I could, but he turned me around by the shoulders and looked at me in the eyes. His face was as close to mine as they had been earlier… and his eyes… I wanted so much to drown in them.

He smiled at me and put a hand on top of my head. "But I guess… it's okay to cry. For now at least."

I stared at him for a while. When did Train become this thoughtful? When did he suddenly become this caring and this gentle towards me? Has he changed this much in four years… or was I just too obsessed with Sven that I didn't notice this side of him?

I felt hot tears on my cheeks again. Damn this damnable teenage angst… I wished I was the ignorant kid I was back then. Then, maybe everything that had been happening would've been a little less heavy on me. I hated being the emotional wreck that I was. Ever since Sven, it's been so tough for me. I had to open my eyes and learn that not everything terrible in my life ended with that battle with Eden…

And just when I had supposedly moved on, stupid Train comes into my life to make things harder for me than it already is.

I sobbed into his chest, not daring to look up at what kind of reaction he had. Not daring to see if he was looking disgustedly at the sniveling girl that was getting his shirt wet with tears. Not daring to see if he looked at me as the pitifully weak little girl that I was.

How did things turn out this way?

How did an attempted conversation between two friends end up being the second most embarrassing day of my life?

I didn't know how to answer all of the questions that were ringing in my head.

But I did know one thing.

That under these black velvet heavens… and under this moonlight…

… I realized that I didn't have a crush on Train Heartnet…

I was in love with him.

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Author-person: Being a teenager is hard isn't it? It's fun… but hard… sigh…

I intentionally changed Eve's character… she's a teenager now, so I made her go through normal teenage problems… getting her heart broken and getting confused with her own feelings… you could say I put a little bit of myself into Eve… though, I never bawled into anyone's chest… I normally turn to my dog that's always been there to lend an affectionate paw…

I hope you liked this chapter..! Please, please, please review… I'm begging on my knees… I really need encouragement here…

Oh, and sorry if things happen a little too fast. I'm still new to the whole multi-chapter thing.