Author Note: Well, if you read my other ShikiXRima story, Dreams, then you know about it, I've gotten a request to continue it. Juggling more than one project is not my strong suit, but it will be continued soon, just because I understand there's got to be some tension about the Rido incident. Don't you think?
Disclaimer: I do not, did not, and never will own Vampire Knight.
"Rima..." Shiki murmured. He was trying to get me to drink a blood tablet; I hadn't had any blood in days. Not since Mommy Dearest ended up in the psych ward.
"No." I rolled on my side, away from him. He pulled me onto his lap and tried to force me to drink it. It ended with me spluttering it out all over his shirt. He wasn't mad, of course, he was never mad at me.
"Fine, we'll do it my way then." He pinched my jaw until I had to open it, and then he pressed the inside of his wrist to my fangs.
Blood welled up into my mouth, rich and refreshing, but I didn't want it. I wanted to feel terrible, just like my mother did. The only difference was that she was doped up and locked up.
"Drink, Rima." Shiki pressed his wrist harder into my fangs, causing more blood to spill into my mouth. My mind was fuzzy with hunger, but I didn't want his blood. Still, I couldn't control myself anymore. I drank.
When I finally tore myself away from his wrist, I glared at him. "Don't do that again." I glared at him. "I want to be alone." I added in my fury.
Shiki chuckled. "Don't lie, Rima, it's bad for your complexion." It was true; I didn't want to be alone, not really. I had barely left Shiki's side in the almost-week I had spent at his house. The two modeling jobs I had done in that time were the sole times I had left the house, and even then, I had forced him to come with me.
"It's my fault she's in there..." I pulled him down so we were nose to nose. "I don't know what I did, but I feel like it's my fault. Like if I had been better, she wouldn't be in there."
"Rima." Shiki scolded. "You know your mother is mentally ill. You didn't do anything to put her in the psych ward that wouldn't have happened at some point anyway."
"I feel bad..." I continued slowly. "She always blamed everything on me, what if it was me that made her lose her mind?"
"She would have ended up like this, even if she never had children, or if she had 100 children just like you." Shiki picked me up as if I was a doll and spun me around, putting my shoulder blades against his chest. "You shouldn't blame yourself."
All my life, I'd known that my mother wasn't all there. I'd known this could, that it would, happen. But all my life, I'd been dreading this. I'd been scared of what would happen if she were sent away, if she was out of my range of control.
All my life, I'd been dreading moments like these. But as Shiki wrapped his arms around me, pulled me close and just held me there, I realized that I had people who could help me out.
Just as my mother had doctors to help her in the psych ward.
Suddenly, the dread began to melt away, and I looked up at Shiki.
"Hm?" Shiki smiled at me.
"Thank you." I whispered.
And for a moment, everything was alright, even if just for a moment.
Author Note: This is the end of this one, I believe. I probably could continue it if someone requested, but right now I have people requesting on Dreams and so I'm going to work on that. Being Bipolar, there is a lot I could do with this one, still, but for now I will leave it here. Leave a review about it or PM me, either way, I love to hear your opinions!
