Author Notes: Hello. Please accept my sincere apologies for not updating this story in more than a year. I promise I will complete it. Here is the next chapter. Enjoy :D

- Chapter Start -

Three days later, Kain and Ruka set out on their camping trip. Ruka wasn't worried about the destination or how long the journey would take. She wasn't concerned whether she would really be dining on freshly caught fish or eating off frozen dinner trays. As long as she was with Akatsuki Kain, he would take care of all the details and everything would turn out fine.

She just didn't like the weather. It was the summer holidays now and even the nights were warm. Akatsuki had assured her that the mountain air would be much cooler - that was one of the reasons why she had agreed to this trip. During the journey, she was careful to keep the window up. Air conditioning was bad for the skin too, but at least she would be a lot more comfortable.

Ruka stifled a sigh and shifted in the passenger seat, enjoying the feel of soft cream coloured leather against her bare arms. She was wearing a sleeveless white chiffon collared top and stylish slim cut jeans paired with a decorative leather belt. Not the most suitable outfit for a camping trip in the mountains perhaps, but it wasn't as if mosquitoes ever bit her. She cast a quick sideways glance at Kain. She liked how he drove, smooth and effortless. He handled his father's gleaming Saab 9-4X with the same ease as he did his Honda Fury. There was none of that annoying, jarring little starts and stops that her impatient eldest brother was so fond of whenever he was behind the wheel. Ruka had endured her share of those rides where Tokutaro would snarl curses at any driver who happened to be in front of him, denouncing them as complete idiots with no road sense whatsoever. Akatsuki Kain on the other hand, drove with consideration for his passengers, for the vehicle they were in and for any other road users they came across.

Ruka couldn't help the wry smile that pulled up the corners of her lips. Was there anything he didn't excel in? If there was, it probably hadn't been invented yet.

She wasn't aware that her brief sidelong glance had turned into a long and admiring look. Kain had on a short sleeved cotton shirt in a rich shade of burnt orange. The colour wasn't visible in the dark interior of the Saab, but the clean lines of his smoothly muscled forearms were. He had nice hands too, masculine but beautifully shaped. The palms were square, the fingers long without being feminine and the nails kept short and clean. Ruka remembered how lovingly those hands had cupped her face, how gently those fingers had tangled in her hair and how –

Not again, she groaned silently. She viciously squashed that last thought like she would an annoying bug. It still brought a shiver and a rush of heat to her face though. She inhaled sharply and wished she hadn't when Kain turned his head.

"Ruka? Are you all right?" he asked quietly, his eyes flicking from the quiet road to her and then back again.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said quickly, resisting the urge to use one of Tokutaro-nii-san's choice swear words. Goodness, was she destined to go through life tormented by that one embarrassing memory from the brief seaside visit? The comfortable silence that had lasted almost an hour suddenly turned awkward. Ruka frantically cast about in her mind for something to say. The only thing that came to her mind was the incident back at Cross Academy a couple of days ago. It was, after all, the main reason why their camping trip was delayed.

"Can you believe it? Hanabusa will be a father in just a few months," she remarked. She glanced at Kain. He frowned, but he didn't say anything. Ruka bit her lip as her mind slyly nudged that embarrassing memory towards her again.

"He's lucky his father didn't throw him out," she persisted, telling her mind to stop already. She didn't really care what sort of shenanigans Hanabusa Aido got up to, but she was relieved his parents had accepted Sayori in the end.

"He is lucky," Kain said quietly. Suddenly, he whacked the palm of one hand on the steering wheel, making Ruka blink. "I just wish he would think things through first!"

Since it was probably his one thousandth time saying that, Ruka thought Kain was fully entitled to the frustration colouring his voice.

"You can't protect him forever, Akatsuki. He's responsible for his own actions now," she pointed out in a resigned tone.

"I know, but I should have warned him of this all the same."

"It wouldn't have made a difference. You know what he's like. He probably forgot to use protection. Frankly, any girl who doesn't insist on that deserves to get pregnant."

Oh. Shit.

Ruka clapped her hand to her mouth the moment the words were out, her eyes widening in horror. Since when had she become an expert on such matters? She hadn't meant to sound so derisive of Sayori Wakaba, not after she and Kain had sung the girl's praises to Aido's elder sister Akina a few days ago. What on earth had possessed her to blurt out those thoughtless words! Ruka would have happily clawed a hole in the expensive leather seat and crawled inside if it would save her from Kain's reaction. As it was, she squirmed in her seat when she felt his steady gaze on her.

"Why do you say that?" he asked, sounding curious. Ruka bit her lip, flushed with guilt. She wasn't usually so... catty, not even to humans. Was she?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that," she apologised quickly and waited for the lecture. She wasn't disappointed.

"You know Sayori Wakaba isn't the type of girl to play around," Kain's voice was even. "She's a straight As student who never gets into trouble. Hanabusa should have known better. He should have been the more responsible one."

Ruka squirmed again.

"I know," she said meekly. "I'm sorry, that was thoughtless of me. I think Hanabusa's lucky to have her."

Just one brief glance of approval from Kain and Ruka was literally weak-kneed with relief. She vowed to watch her words from now on. Kain's approval meant a lot to her. It always had when she was squared off against Aido when they were young. But now, Ruka found herself craving it more and more. She knew Kain already admired her looks, but it wasn't enough. She wanted him to know she wasn't just a pretty face. All noble vampires were born with perfect looks. They took care of those looks and were justifiably proud of them. Ruka wasn't any different. She knew she was as vain as the next snooty noble female. But she also knew Kain wasn't the type of guy to fall for looks alone. He looked for substance, for self worth. If Ruka were completely honest with herself, she would admit that she wasn't sure she had any.

"At least he's not shirking his responsibility now," Kain said.

The quiet pride in his voice made Ruka smile. Akatsuki Kain was a hero straight out of a Victorian romance novel. The perfect gentleman. In his book, it was always the male who took full responsibility and that was it. His outdated views might sound silly on someone else, but it fitted him perfectly. Ruka honestly couldn't imagine him any other way.

"I think they will both make good parents," she offered. She meant Sayori more than Hanabusa, but Kain smiled at her.

"I'm glad you think so, little Ruka," he agreed gravely. Ruka blushed at her nickname and was ridiculously happy once more.

They reached their destination two hours later. The road took them through a small town before heading up the mountains. It was already half past ten at night so only the gas station and convenience store were open. Ruka shook her head when Kain asked if she wanted to stretch her legs. Since the maids at his home had packed fruit and sandwiches, Ruka took out two chilled apples from the cooler box stored behind the driver's seat. They munched on them as Kain started the slow, winding journey up.

- o –

Kain had expected to see at least a couple of cars going the same way since this was a popular camping ground, but they met no one. He supposed that since it was the last week of holidays, everyone had already enjoyed themselves and gone back home. Another two hours passed before he finally pulled up at their intended campsite. It offered a superb view of the valley below. There was a convenient overhang that jutted out from the rocky cliffside about ten feet above the ground, providing natural shelter from sun and rain. Kain parked the Saab under a tree and got out the tents while Ruka went to have a look around. She was relieved to find the air much cooler up here.

Kain made short work of setting up the tents under the overhang. Next, he marked a circle on the ground and lined it with stones before pulling out the surrounding grass as a precaution. Ruka helped to look for pieces of small branches to use as kindling which Kain stacked them neatly in the circle. Finally, he brushed off his hands and stood up.

"If you're not too tired, Ruka, shall we take a look?" he suggested. Ruka smiled and nodded. She had had enough of sitting down for now. Hand in hand, they leisurely explored their surroundings. Kain was familiar with the place, having come here a few times in the past with Aido. He brought her to a small stream that ran through the area. Ruka was delighted to find the water cold and sweet. They followed the stream, Kain leading her carefully over the slippery rocks as it led downwards. Soon, they came to a secluded pond about fifteen feet across.

"It's always been well stocked each time we come here. So, what do you think?" Kain asked. He was pleased to see Ruka's pretty face light up.

"That we don't have to eat sandwiches for lunch?" she replied teasingly. Kain chuckled.

"I'm afraid we do, but we'll have fresh fish for dinner," he promised. He looked up at the star-filled sky and then at their surroundings, his smile fading.

"I'd say this place hasn't seen rain for at least two to three months. It's a good thing we seem to be the only ones here now. I wouldn't want to be caught in a fire started by some careless camper," he said. Ruka nodded. She sensed Kain wanted to say something else and she was right.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have brought you here now. We could have waited a couple of months to be safer," he said apologetically. Ruka sighed.

"Then we'll be at school! It's OK, 'katsuki. We can always come back here again."

Ruka wasn't exactly known for being an easygoing person so her words came as a pleasant surprise to Kain. In fact, that last sentence had sounded almost like a promise. His heart warmed at the thought.

"I'll hold you onto that," he replied.

They turned around and went back to their campsite. Kain set the kindling on fire with a single look and boiled water for tea. After a lazy lunch of sandwiches and a fresh fruit salad, they relaxed in front of the fire, sitting cross legged on the picnic cloth. Kain was perfectly content when Ruka started recalling some of the more amusing incidents of their shared childhood. His heart rejoiced to see her lovely face looking relaxed and happy.

Before he knew it, two hours had passed. Kain forced himself up to check on the pond. He wanted to make sure there were fish in it otherwise he would have to hunt for rabbit to make a stew instead.

"Do you want to come along or would you prefer to rest?" he asked Ruka.

"Akatsuki, I've been doing nothing but resting! Of course I'm coming with you."

Kain gave another pleased smile and offered his hand to pull Ruka to her feet.

In an hour's time, Kain had caught four medium sized trout with nothing but his bare hands. Ruka clapped and cheered each catch, uncaring that she wasn't exhibiting proper lady-like behaviour. There was no one around to hear her whoop except for Kain whose happy grin told her he didn't mind in the least. Ruka grinned back at him. She didn't want to wade in the pond so she stayed on the bank and watched as Kain deftly cleaned and gutted the fish he had caught. He had caught a few more, but those were too small to be eaten and were tossed back into the pond.

By the time they went back to their campsite, they were feeling hungry again. Ruka unpacked rolls, butter and a garden salad from the cooler box while Kain grilled the fish over the open fire. He had rubbed them with a mix of herbed butter and lemon juice. Ruka thought they were the most divine thing she had ever tasted. The skin was crispy and tangy with lemon juice and the white flesh beneath tender and flaky. With no maids around to admonish them, Ruka sat cross legged on the ground again and happily - albeit guiltily - ate with her fingers. The fire crackled cheerfully, driving away the chill of the night air.

Ruka was a little surprised to find that she was enjoying herself tremendously. If anyone had asked her before what she considered a perfect evening, she would have sworn it was dressing up for a ball and dancing the night away, but this... this was much better. She enjoyed the chance to relax completely without suffering the stress of being watched and judged. She rejoiced in the fact that she could sit in this very comfortable pose without anyone lifting a disapproving eyebrow at her. She indulged in being able to eat with her fingers and even lick them clean without anyone fainting from horror or threatening to tell her mother. In short, she could dispense with all the stifling conventions and manners expected of a noble born lady. The fact that Kain was sitting next to her completed her enjoyment. Ruka felt safe, protected and wonderfully carefree.

They took their time over the meal. Kain told Ruka of how he had improvised on some of the dishes he had learned from the chefs in his household. He had never told his parents of his interest and until now, they remained unaware that some of the delicious meals they enjoyed at home were cooked by their own son. Although Ruka laughed at the stories, she also noted the wistfulness in his chocolate eyes. Kain had wanted his parents to know... but they might not have approved. In a way, it was similar to her own childhood. She had wanted to do things she knew her parents and older brothers would never approve as well. The only difference was that Kain had still gone ahead with his interest... while she hadn't. Ruka pushed away her self-pity. She was finally getting to experience some of them now, wasn't she? And it was all thanks to Kain.

"I'm glad you told me, 'katsuki," she said softly. She reached over and entwined her fingers with his. "You can tell me all your secrets, you know. I promise not to disapprove of any of them."

Kain looked at her and lifted her hand to his lips.

"Do you mean that?" he asked quietly.

Ruka nodded. Kain did look as if he had another secret to share. Something bigger and more important than just a flair for cooking. Ruka felt her heart beat faster.

"Do you have another secret?" she asked. Kain slowly nodded his head.

"I do," he said, his voice low.

"What is it?" Ruka whispered.

Kain stared at her with his eyes suddenly ablaze with emotion. Was this the right time? It had to be. Ruka was asking, she was asking this time. She wanted to know and oh God, he wanted so badly to tell her, to free his heart of the burden he had carried for so long. But he had already planned for the perfect moment, in that special little glade just a few feet beyond the stream. He had even brought it with him, nestled in its own tiny velvet lined box and buried in one of the pockets of his backpack. Should he say it now?

No. Not now. It had to be perfect. It had to be said there.

"I'll tell you later, little Ruka," Kain murmured after a moment. He kissed her hand apologetically and felt his heart leap when her soft brown eyes darkened in disappointment. Then she sighed and gave him a little smile.

"All right," she said softly and tilted her head up to look at the stars.

Kain looked at her, torn between relief and regret. Finally, he decided to just admire her lovely profile and the graceful line of her slender neck. When his fangs started to throb, he suppressed the ache automatically. Ruka looked gorgeous in that sleeveless top, her figure lissome and graceful. She had let her hair down after they returned from washing the dishes in the stream. Kain's attention was caught by the long, honey coloured waves that shone in the firelight. He could smell the fragrance of Ruka's shampoo from where he sat and his fingers itched to touch the wavy, silky strands.

"Akatsuki?"

"Hmm?" Kain asked absently, his gaze riveted on her crowning glory.

"Are you staring at my hair again?"

Kain blinked. His eyes flew to Ruka's face. She looked amused.

"It is beautiful," he admitted with a crooked smile. Ruka smiled and tossed her head, causing the firelight to throw shimmering highlights on the honey blond waves. Kain almost groaned in response.

"Really?" she smiled, her eyes glowing. She put a hand behind her head and swept her long hair to rest against the shoulder that was nearest to Kain. When she tilted her head in silent invitation, Kain groaned his approval. He reached out and combed shaking fingers through the shiny, fragrant waves. The feel of it made his breath catch in his throat. Silk. Living silk that flowed over his palm, caressing every inch of it. Soft curls that twined around his fingers as if loathe to let go. Lustrous waves that shimmered and gleamed and tempted. Kain shifted closer and buried his face in Ruka's hair, sniffing its fragrance deeply. Then he combed his fingers through the gleaming masses again and again, unable to stop himself. He knew he was pawing at her hair like an idiot, but well, Ruka had given him permission and who in their right mind would turn her down?

Ruka had to stifle her giggles at the intense look of worship on Kain's face. He seldom looked so... lost like this and she was half amused, half annoyed to realise she was jealous of her own hair. It was almost half an hour later when Ruka's legs were starting to fall asleep that Kain blinked as if he were waking up from a trance. He dragged his hand back and ran it around his neck, looking embarrassed. Ruka knew her hair probably looked a mess right now, but she didn't mind. Not when it was Kain...

"Have you had enough?" she asked lightly, stifling another giggle when Kain blushed.

"Sorry," he muttered. He was. He hadn't had enough of her hair yet. He wanted to go on touching it and feeling it slide against his fingers. He wanted to see it splayed on his arm, on his chest, on his stomach. His body tightened at the thought. He looked up when a small, feminine hand caught his.

"Don't," Ruka said softly. "I'm glad I have something that pleases you."

Kain stared at her. What had sounded like a very simple remark suddenly took on a deeper meaning. He swallowed.

"Ruka, everything you have pleases me," he assured her, his voice deepening.

It was Ruka's turn to blush.

"Everything you say and do pleases me as well," Kain continued in that deep, husky voice.

Ruka dropped her gaze, shy at the sudden blaze of heat in those chocolate eyes. She gasped a little when he moved faster than the eye could follow. In a heartbeat, he had gone from sitting cross legged beside her to crouching behind her on one knee, his large hands warm on her shoulders.

"Look up," he whispered huskily.

Ruka obeyed, gazing into a pair of burning eyes that blotted out the stars. She opened her mouth to say something - but she couldn't remember what - and he kissed her. A long and deep kiss that begged as much as it demanded. Ruka wasn't sure what it wanted, what Kain wanted, but she opened her mouth anyway. Her shaking hands lifted and touched his, still clasping her shoulders.

Kain turned his hands palm up and entwined his fingers around her slender ones. He forced himself to end the kiss while he still could, lifting his head and taking several deep breaths while he waited for Ruka to open her eyes. The words 'I love you' were once again dancing on the tip of his tongue, but he held them back.

Tomorrow, he promised himself. He would tell her tomorrow. He wanted them to stand under the stars facing each other so that he could see her face fully when he confessed his love.

Ruka turned to stare at Kain's face silently, her heart racing and her limbs weak from that scorching kiss. She was fascinated by the depth of emotions in his eyes. Kain was almost always so stoic and calm that when he wasn't... it was almost frightening.

Was this him, this boy who stared at her with such naked hunger?

Ruka opened her mouth to ask, but Kain stood up and moved away. She heard him pull in several deep breaths. When he turned back to her again, he was as calm and comforting as before. Ruka couldn't decide if she was relieved or disappointed. She finally became aware that sometime in the past few minutes, the wind had started to pick up. When it blew a lock of her hair into her eyes, Kain bent down and gently brushed it away for her before pulling her to her feet.

"I think we'd better bank the fire and get inside the tents. It's been a long night," he suggested calmly.

Ruka nodded.

"Akatsuki?" she spoke softly.

Kain closed his eyes as her silky voice wrapped around his senses.

"Yes?" he whispered.

"You didn't have to bring two tents, you know..."

Kain swallowed.

"Why not?"

"You know why," she said very softly.

Kain swallowed again. That very same thought had crossed his mind more than once, but he pushed it away each time. He knew what Ruka wanted. To feel safe... and to not be alone. It was good enough for him.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

When Ruka gave a tiny nod, Kain was elated. To hell with propriety and good manners. To hell with overprotective brothers who would rip him limb from limb if they ever found out. He was going to hold Ruka in his arms and nothing and no one would stop him. He would keep her safe. He would always keep her safe.

And tomorrow evening, just as the sun set beyond the trees, he would bring her to that special little glade he had discovered many years ago and ask her to be his. With his heart full of contentment, Kain banked the fire for safety purpose. Then he got up in one swift motion and held out his hand. Ruka smiled and took it. Kain held open the flap of the nearest tent for her to enter first.

"Do you need to change or anything?" he asked. When she shook her head, Kain followed her inside. It was a bit cramped for two persons and he had to lie down and shift to the edge of the bedroll to allow room for Ruka. She took off her trainers and Kain did the same, toeing his off while lying down. Then Ruka lay down beside him. Kain blinked when he heard the soft snap of a button and the louder rasp of a zipper. When Ruka started wriggling, his eyebrows shot up.

"What are - are you OK?"

"Yes," Ruka's reply was distracted. "Just that I can never sleep in jeans."

Kain froze.

"Are you going to change into something else? Should I go outside?" he asked. The words sounded somewhat garbled. He couldn't help it - his tongue had swelled to twice its normal size inside his mouth.

"No. I'm just taking them off. It... it's too dark for you to see anything, anyway."

Ruka's voice hitched as she continued to wriggle, pushing the designer jeans down her legs. Kain just lay there with his eyes wide, his blood surging every which way, probably even backwards through his veins. That would explain his lightheadedness. Then it raced to pool in a very inconvenient location. He let out his breath when Ruka who finally stopped wriggling. She tossed something to the foot of the bedroll with a sigh of relief. Kain remained stock still, aware of nothing but his pounding heart, his throbbing body and the delicious scent of Ruka's skin.

"Can I go to sleep now?" he asked. Ruka smiled in the darkness.

"There's just one other thing you need to do," she said.

"I can sleep in jeans. Thank you."

Ruka giggled.

"I don't mean that!" she hurriedly said. "Just... put your arms around me?"

She gave a little squeak as two strong arms curled around her middle and dragged her backwards until she was pressed against a solid, marvellously warm body.

"Whoa, slowly!" she laughed. Instantly, the muscular arms around her waist loosened.

"Sorry," Kain mumbled, his face already happily buried in her hair.

"It's OK," she whispered back. She wriggled to get comfortable and Kain gave a pained sounding groan.

"Ruka," he said warningly. She smiled. A smile that wasn't as innocent as it once had been. Kain might be a complete gentleman but even he couldn't control the involuntary reactions of his body. She could definitely feel something hard against her buttocks now. It made her feel daring, a little excited and more than a little nervous. But not scared. Ruka might be playing with fire, but she knew it would never burn her.

- o -

Unknown to Kain and Ruka, a group of four friends were also camping at the same mountain. They had driven their jeep up the dirt trail that snaked up the other side and had gone inside their tents to rest after the long journey. Unfortunately, they weren't as conscientious as Kain was and had left their campfire burning.

The wind grew stronger and more playful. It danced around the first campsite but there was nothing for there for it to play with. The Saab was too big and solid. The two tents had been firmly pegged to the ground, the flaps closed tight. Even the fire had been banked.

The wind gave up and wandered around to the other side of the mountain. There was another camp set up there. It found a dusty jeep, two large tents and a fire built too near a bush and carelessly left unattended. The wind played with the fire and soon, it had coaxed a tongue of flame to reach out far enough to lick at a single leaf on a bush. The fire liked what it tasted and reached out again, greedy for more. The wind obliged its silent wish and soon, the entire bush was on fire.

- Chapter End -