Eleventh!! woohooo!! XD

Rin and Black Heart rode through the woods surrounding Cross Academy, galloping through the trees with their dark hair streaming behind them in a black flag, Rin's flapping white robes and Black Heart's white stripe a contrast that sliced through their otherwise dark figures as Black Heart's hooves struck the ground in an even rhythm, pausing when he bore them flying over a fallen log. The steadily rising sun peered at them through the trees, slicing through the shadows to touch on Rin's phantom robe, shining on his black flanks and her equally black hair.

Rin rode in silence, encouraging her steed with a touch of her fingers to his warm neck or a slight nudge of her bare heel to his smooth flanks. She kept her hands entangled in his mane, her cheeks and lips wind-whipped to a bright red, her hair flying out behind her and calling more attention to her eyes, bluer than ever.

Kain walked along the corridors of the Moon Dorms, squinting slightly as the first rays of the sun found their way through the thick curtains. He was feeling restless, incomplete. He missed listening to Rin, even if all he had ever listened to was misery. He missed the sound of her broken voice, missed the feel of her coal-black hair beneath his fingers. So even if it was morning, he was awake, and finding his way to her room.

He arrived at her door, and treading carefully to avoid the creaking of the floorboards, he leaned over to put his ears against the boards. Despite his vampiric sense of hearing, he heard nothing but the wind, probably entering through an open window. Nothing. Not a whisper of breath nor the slide of feet on the floor or the soft, seductive tones of a beating heart. Kain's brows knotted slightly. What would she be doing out of her room at this time? he thought. He entered anyway, breathing in her lingering scent and squinting as the sun covered her whole room, washing the walls a golden cream. He crossed over to the window, which had been flung open wide, and looked out onto the woods of Cross Academy.

Far away, along the outskirts of the woods surrounding the Moon Dorms, he heard the sound of galloping, and knew that if he followed that sound, he'd find Rin.

Rin sat quietly on Black Heart, while he snorted and pawed at the ground in restlessness. She kept a hand on his neck to calm him, as Kain approached. Her expression was still, and she hardly moved, even when Black Heart rose on his hind-legs, neighing and lashing the air with his front hooves.

"Woah." she whispered, leaning forward to stroke his ears with her voice and his neck with her hands. Ignoring Kain, she dismounted slowly, and let Black Heart go.

As soon as she took her hands off of him, the stallion bolted, galloping back to the stables in fear of Kain.

Rin turned to face the vampire.

'Well?" she demanded softly. She stood barefooted in the short grass, the dew wetting her gown slightly. She blocked the sun from Kain's gaze, the day shining out in a halo behind her. She looked like a forest nymph, her white gown floating softly on the small breeze, dry leaves catching in her sun-warmed hair.

Kain gulped slightly, letting his eyes wander over her exquisite face.

"You haven't told me enough."

"Pardon?" Rin was painfully polite, her lips drawn in a ruby line. Kain winced.

"You never told me what Tade looked like..." he said, his voice soft, his words only the slightest of details of sound in the artwork that Rin's ears picked out. But small or no, his words broke through her ice.

Kain watched as he saw her cold expression crumple, saw her tears flow over her blushing cheeks and the curved edge of her lips. Her voice broke, warming him with sympathy, the kind of sympathy he wanted to give her.

"She had hair that burned red as the setting sun, eyes as blue as the king-fisher's breast. And her face was fine and well defined, her skin the best of ivory." And here, Rin broke into sobs, her shoulders shaking in the sun's golden light.

Kain stood there, watching her cry. He walked over to her, and took her hands carefully, afraid to offend her. He could hear her heart beating in time with his, and he felt his blood rush to where their fingers met. He wasn't sure of what he was doing. he had been like Aidou, before, when girls were nothing but fans. Until her.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to cry. You can tell me everything," he said, looking deep into her sad eyes. Inside, he was slightly startled, when her hands tightened over his, and suddenly she had pulled herself forward and was crying into his chest. He lifted his hands from hers, and rested them on her hair, comforting her. He floated in the scent of her and the sounds of her hitching sobs and coughs, warmed by the sun and by the thundering of his blood and heart. And he was happy, and he was sad, his heart crying with her, because he knew that this was what he wanted. He wanted to comfort her, and he was afraid, so afraid, that he would loose her when the time came that she wouldn't need comfort anymore. He didn't want to hurt her, but yes, oh yes, this was what he wanted.

Yay!! I think this'll be one of my favorite chapters.. :D hahaha!! woohoo!! yeah!! I'm happy now!! hahahahahaaa!! Romance, peoples! Romance!! ahahaha!! faints from overjoy at having written this chapter

hehehe...

XD

P. Viper :)