Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or any of its characters

Falling Petals

Little by little, I uncovered the pieces of my very existence, but death finally caught up on Lady Shizuka and the cherry blossoms... did not bloom. I watched limply as Lady Shizuka rested in my arms. Her cold hands became colder. Fear and despair flooded my heart.

She smiled bravely and touched my cheek. "That expression does not suit you." she mumbled. I could not hold myself, but cry in front of her. She gripped my hands and gazed at me. "Do you love me?" she asked.

I could not say a word. We stared at each other. I could see the sadness from her eyes melting with that question. She reluctantly grinned and weakly said, "You have grown up, Ichiru. Humans do grow quite fast."

My mind rattled. "Please! Don't go just yet, Lady Shizuka!" I cried. I was determined to find that scent again.

"Ichiru... do you love me?" she knew the answer, but she denied it for a very long time. I tightened my grip on her hand and did not say anything. I just stared at her empty eyes. I knew she was going to fade away. "You would always ask me why I won't take your blood." she closed her eyes. "Do you still want to know?"

"Lady Shizuka, I-" she pressed her fingers against my lips.

I felt her fingers slipping away from mine. "Ichiru, please stay by my side." she begged. I watched her breathe uneasily. We stared at each other just like the first time we met. Finally, she slowly closed her eyes and smiled. "I always knew Ichiru, but I wanted to hear it from you." those were her last words. My eyes grew wide as Lady Shizuka turned into dust, but a familiar faint scent played with my senses.

My heart cried. Lady Shizuka had always been alone, but for that briefest moment, I saw her glow with warmth and love. Her question rung in my head: "Do you love me?" I did not have the courage to tell her, but I knew that she could see it in my eyes.

The smell of cherry blossoms intoxicated me as I let my tears melt my heart. "Lady Shizuka..." I repeated over and over again. She may not know it, but the sun's glow had always been in her eyes. I let the overpowering scent control me once more. I let myself inhale the sweet fragrance. "Do you love me?" her question played again. I was too late to say it now. Lady Shizuka always wanted to feel that she was loved.

I clenched my fists and screamed. Once upon a dream, she told me that we will watch the cherry blossoms bloom together. But the truth was, I saw a cherry blossom bloom right before my eyes. She was the most beautiful cherry blossom I had ever seen. I opened my mouth and whispered my reply with the wind. "Lady Shizuka... you know the answer to your own question." She always knew. She could strip me bare with a simple gaze of hers.

In the end, my reply was too late. Lady Shizuka and I couldn't stay beside each other.

End of Where the Cherry Blossoms Bloom

well, that's all for this story. it's really short... but i will be writing another one in Shizuka's POV