Chapter 3:
Three hours of nearly-silent boredom later, Yayoi spoke, "Well, I guess the rest of the night is going to be just as quiet. I'm going home." She said goodbye to all and walked iut the door.
Riho followed, slipping on her jacket, "I suppose I'd better get home as well."
Shido looked up desperately. She hadn't so much as looked at him since they arrived back to the office after destroying that Nightbreed. Guni had already gone to bed. "Riho. Wait."
She turned and eyed him, "I'm sorry, Mr. Shido, but, but can whatever you want wait? I'm really tired."
"I, uh, I was only going to say that it's late anyway and even being a vampire you shouldn't be walking around by yourself, so why don't you just sleep here tonight?" Shido had long since been keeping a coffin for his fledgling in the office. Riho stayed the night once in a while, but only if a Breed kept them out too close to dawn. She'd never gotten used to the coffin really, preferring the bed in her apartment. Riho and Shido both knew she was fine walking home alone much later than this, but her hopes were up that maybe this meant her and Jane's plan was working after all.
"Sure, Mr. Shido. Thanks." She removed her jacket and placed it back on the coat rack by the door. "I'll be back in a sec." She headed to the room that housed her small coffin, where she also found it wise to keep one pair of pajamas. They were baby pink and silky and they felt nice next to her skin. She walked back out to the main room.
She sat down on the couch and Shido sighed from his desk. He got up and walked to her and sat beside her, cautious not ti sit too close. "Riho, I apologize for what I said about you and…Jayne…I was just worried for you." He tried to smile at her, knowing he was telling a partial lie.
She smiled at him, "It's fine, Mr. Shido." Riho sighed, 'So he was only worried about me.' Shido sighed as well, 'Will she ever stop thinking of me as Mr. Shido?'
"So do you want to watch a movie?" Riho asked hopefully. She knew that Shido wasn't much for television except the news, but…
"Uh, sure." 'Whatever you want, Riho.' He was surprised, albeit pleasantly, to feel her snuggle into the crook of his arm as she clicked the remote. Eventually she found a scary movie about vampires - well, it would have been scary if she wasn't a vampire herself. She and Shido found themselves laughing, and it was fairly rare to be privileged to Shido's uproarious chuckling.
"Where do they even get this stuff!" Riho giggled.
Shido just smiled as the girl shook with mirth in his arms. When the movie was nearly through he noticed that Riho's breaths, though she needn't bother breathing, had become slow and rhythmic. Her body felt slightly warmer than its usual vampyre coolness; she had fallen asleep. Shido let himself indulge in holding the beautiful girl just a few minutes longer before picking her up bridal-style and carrying her into her room and laying her ever-so-gently inside her coffin. He stepped back, not bothering to find her a blanket since he had had the coffin insulated for the warm atmosphere Riho preferred to sleep in. He kissed her on her forehead, whispering in a barely audible voice, "Goodnight my beloved Riho." He sighed once more and closed the lid.
AN: Sorry, I know that was short, but it was more of a transition to the next day. R&R