~~Sorry it took so long for me to get this posted. I was so busy and had major Writer's Block. But it's gone now, so expect lots more chapters :3~~
...
That night we took turns keeping watch, in case those city wolves came back. Kiba insisted on taking the first watch, so nobody even argued with him about it. Everybody else went to sleep, but I was everything but tired. I tried not to think-not possible-, I tried counting sheep-made me hungry-, I even tried pretending I was asleep. Nothing worked, so I finally just lay there, watching the twinkling sky.
"Can't sleep?" Kiba asked quietly, voice emotionless as always.
I look over at him and nod, noticing he's sitting only about five feet away with his back against a tree and Cheza laying down next to him. "Yeah. I don't know why."
"It's a new moon. A lot of wolves can't sleep when the moon isn't out."
My eyes flicked back to the sky and he's right, it is a new moon. There's no moon hanging in the sky, no silver light flooding into the forest. The sky suddenly feels very empty.
"If you sit by Cheza, it'll help."
I look over my shoulder at Tsume who's asleep behind me. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps, like all his troubles are gone. I get up then and tip toe over to lay down by Cheza, Kiba sitting on the other side of me. "I don't feel any different." I whisper.
"Wait for it."
So I do. I sit there, blankly staring at the sky and thinking. All the sudden a question pops into my mind. It nags at me and I need to know the answer, but I'm afraid to ask. What if I don't like the answer? It shouldn't matter anyways though, because I'm with Tsume. So I muster up my courage and ask. "Do you love Cheza?" I can see him out of the corner of my eye and he doesn't have any emotion still.
"Every wolf loves the Flower Maiden."
"I mean more than that." I say, propping myself up on my elbows and looking at him.
He just looks at me, his voice and eyes portraying no emotion. " I don't know."
"That's a lie." I snap, annoyed by his answer. How can he not know?
"I don't know." he repeats.
"Well than what the hell do you know?" I snap rather sarcastically, but I don't think he understands that.
He just keeps staring at the sky, as if silently begging the moon to rise. I don't know why, but I'm still annoyed by his answer. I don't know. What a cop out. Of course he knows, deep down inside he knows. And I'm determined to know too. Now I really can't sleep. Unlike the last silence between Kiba and I down at the lake, this one is uncomfortable, like a wet pair of denim that keeps chaffing your thighs.
"Do you love Tsume?" he asks out of no where.
I look over at him, shock writted on my face. He just looks back at me, expecting an answer. Do I love Tsume? I definitely feel something strong for Tsume, but is it love? I've never been in love before, but could this be it? This attraction to Tsume and everything he is.
I sigh and shake my head before answering. "I don't know." I reply finally. "I feel something for him, something strong. But I've only known him for a little while. It's too soon to be love, but it may be eventually." I pause. "I care about Tsume, a lot actually. I've had crushes before and what I feel for him is more than a crush. That much I know." I feel bad now, because I'm giving Kiba the exact same answer I got mad at him for giving me. "Sorry."
"Don't be. It's okay." He looks down at me. "Love is one of the things that can never be certain. Nobody ever knows."
I nod. "That's true." I yawn then, suddenly feeling a lot calmer.
"Tired?" he asks. I nod. "Well then sleep. You'll need your rest. We have to keep moving tomorrow and who knows what we'll find."
"But I want to keep talking to you. It's been so long since I've talked like this with anybody, about everything. I can trust you." Why am I telling him this? I know it's true, but he can use this knowledge against me. I doubt he will though.
"I trust you too." he says. "But we can talk more tomorrow. Go to sleep."
I bit my lip, looking up at him. "Alright fine." I close my eyes and snuggle down into the earth a little, frowning as a piece of my bangs falls into my face. He brushes it away and behind my ear, his fingers brushing against my cheek. "Thank you, Kiba."
"You're welcome."
"Goodnight, Kiba."
He pauses for a moment before responding, his deep voice having some emotion that I can't name. "Goodnight, Emerald."