Author Note: I'm supposed to be doing something for my fiction project, but I wanted to get at least one chapter up tonight for those of you who aren't reading my ShikiXRima one-shot collection "Of Sunburns and Pocky". It's there if you want to read it, with three one-shots up.
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight. I make no profit from this.
It was almost time for class, but Shiki was still asleep. I was trying to crawl out of bed without waking him so I could get dressed for class, but he wasn't making it easy.
As I tried to crawl around him, he grabbed me and pulled me tight against his chest. I squirmed lightly, I had a tight feeling in my chest, like I wasn't sure being this close was pleasant anymore. "Shiki..." I mumbled and tried to remove his arms from around me, to no avail. He was clearly not waking up, and I was stuck.
I could be a little late to class, I figured, but I didn't want to cuddle up to Shiki when I felt like this.
Not to mention the heat. While it was rapidly cooling, it was still way too warm out to be cuddling like that.
"Shiki..." I mumbled, trying to worm my way out of his arms. He opened his eyes and looked at me.
"What? What's wrong?" He released me instantly. "Rima, what's wrong?"
"I'm fine." I had never lied to Shiki, not like this. "It's just too warm. And we have to get to class."
Shiki looked wounded, but he jumped out of bed and started searching for a clean uniform.
I slipped out of his room and ran down to my room. Ruka stood in my doorway, blocking my entrance.
"We need to talk." She didn't move, and apparently the air conditioner had kicked in at least outside of Shiki's room, because I was now freezing in my sports bra and short shorts.
"Yes, ok, we will." I mumbled. "Can I come in and get some clothes?"
Ruka moved aside and let me come in, then shut the door behind me. I donned a clean uniform hastily and turned to look at Ruka.
"How are you and Kain?" I asked, reaching for my brush.
"We're working things out." A hint of a smile pirouetted at the corners of her lips. "But I want to talk about you and Shiki."
"What about Shiki and me?" I dragged the brush through my hair and reached for my ribbons.
"Something isn't right. You're acting weird about being with him." Ruka had hit it spot-on and I knew it.
"Things are just feeling a little odd between us." I fumbled with my left pigtail. "Usually I'm the one trying to take care of him, you know? And now, ever since he woke up, he's been trying to baby me and take care of me. It's just a foreign concept to me."
"Nice cover up." Ruka sighed and sat on my bed. "Be honest with me, are you falling out of love with him?"
"No! That's nowhere near the right word for it!" I finally got my left pigtail tied into submission. I decided to spill the beans. I picked up the other ribbon and started trying with the right pigtail. "I think... its just insecurities about the future. I love him so much... I'm just scared."
"Scared of what, exactly?" Ruka's face had softened, as had her tone. "Rima, you need to be talking to Shiki about these kinds of things."
"I'm just scared, ok?" I dropped my ribbon and bent down to get it, hiding the tears in my eyes. "So many things could happen... I'm just terrified. Of losing him. Of falling out of love with him. Of someone else trying to control him. About our feelings for each other morphing into something else completely..." The tears slid down now, and I fumbled with my right pigtail.
"Let me." Ruka wasn't one for hugs and kisses for comfort; she did other things to help you out. She carefully tied my pigtail up.
"Shiki and I have been together so long, Ruka," I grabbed a Kleenex off my vanity and wiped at my eyes. "I'm scared that things will change."
"Things will change." Ruka assured me, spinning me around and wiping my face dry. "But you and Shiki have a special bond. And if this has anything to do with Kain and me breaking up, you and Shiki aren't like that. Kain and I have had feelings for each other for a long time, but we haven't acted on them." She bit her lip. "We're still working to try and have a bond like you and Shiki. Things are always changing, Rima, but true love like yours lasts forever."
I looked away. I didn't know how to respond to that. I turned and brushed my bangs out, then headed for the door. "We need to get to class, Ruka." I warned her as she looked blankly into the mirror.
"Right. Do me a favor?" She asked and I looked at her. "Talk to Shiki about this. There's no one better."
She breezed past me and I stood there for a minute, alone, until I saw Shiki heading for me.
"Hey, Shiki." I walked alongside of him. "Can we talk later? After class."
Shiki held my hand, threaded his fingers through mine like he had for years. "My time is yours."
Author Note: I feel like this was an uneventful chapter, even though I know emotions were blowing up with Rima. There will still be more; I'm not done with this plot line, so keep an eye out if you like this! Thank you for reading, reviewing, PMs about my story, everything. I appreciate all of you, my readers.