I do not own Vampire Knight, so I disclaim.

Chapter 12

Rima.

Ichiru arrived minutes ago. He simply entered the house without any permission. If he was a vampire, he'd be more than formal.

"Rima, do you have more of these?" He asked, while stuffing more of the mudpie.

"That's your 3rd serving, mister." I scowled at him.

"More, pleeeeease." He begged, with his stupid puppy eyes.

I rolled my eyes at him. "That idiotic technique never worked on me, just so you remember. Plus, it makes you look more than moronic, if I say so myself." I muttered and crossed my arms in front of me.

"I do remember. I was just contemplating whether you're going to punch me nowadays." He smirked.

"I could."

"I know. But you chose not to."

"How would you know that?"

"Well, for one, you didn't hit me." He said, wiping his mouth with the napkin. "Second, I'm your friend..." He threw the napkin on the bin.

I scoffed.

He walked over the fridge and got the pitcher of left-over juice. "Can I have this?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"And third..." He said, pouring juice on his glass. "...I'm also more than a part of his memories."

I stiffened a little; he observed that, and gave me a small smile. "Same reactions..."

I relaxed my shoulder slowly. "What can I say?"

"Old habits sure die hard." He gulped the whole juice down and exhaled in satisfaction.

"Happy Birthday... Touya Ren." I whispered beneath my breath and looked up at the ceiling. "I miss you."

Ruka.

I called Ichiru over, to preoccupy Rima for a moment while I walk back home and grab a pair of sweatpants for me and him, incase Rima's mum ask Ichiru to stay overnight too.

I know Ichiru can handle Rima comfortably... cause I know, somehow deep down, they have the same strength of emotions about this day.

I opened the gate's latch slowly and was welcomed by an expectant face before I could enter the house...

"Ichiru?"

"Nope, never will be."

"Gomenasai, Ruka-nee-chan, uhmm... Where's Ichiru?"

"Somewhere." I answered while switching on the lights of my room.

"Ah? Well, will he be home later?"

"I think he won't be." I grabbed my smallest duffel bag, and stuffed thin cottoned underwears and sweatpants inside of it.

"Why?" Maria asked, her tone, a little saddened. "I even gave much effort on cooking dinner for him." I looked at her fingers which were mostly covered with band-aids.

"Did he ask you to cook for him?" I asked, zipping my bag.

She shook her head, while staring at her feet. "I just want him to taste the flavour of my intentions."

I sighed and shouldered my bag, walking past Maria towards Ichiru's room. I got the only backpack that he has and rummaged through the drawers for his boxers. I heard Maria's silent footsteps and slight holding of the breath.

I looked at her direction and noticed her looking away while I held two man-boxers in my hands. I put them inside the backpack and got a pair of plain shirts and sweat pants from the other drawers.

I patted Maria's head before I went out towards the door.

As I held the doorknob, Maria asked where I was going... which I simply answered...

"Where Heaven and Earth collides."

..and then locked the door behind me.

Ichiru.

I was watching television with Rima's bathrobe on, which I didn't bother to tie coz it was too small, when the door bell rang.

Ding!

"Rima! Your door's ringing!" I called, while my eyes were still glued to the screen.

Dong!

"I know! Answer it, you pig!" She yelled.

Ding!

"But I don't have any shirt on!"

Dong!

"And I'm still washing your effing shirt! For Christ's sake! Just answer that damn door!"

Right, she was washing my shirt that she spilt mudpie on, while giving me the 3rd serving. She wasn't willing at first, but I threatened on spilling the whole juice on the floor while she's at it. So she chose to wash and press my shirt than bow down and scrub the tiled floor. Girls.

"Fine." I turned the television off and opened the door...

Senri.

"Is this the Touya Residence?" I asked, while gripping the handle of the cake box tightly. "Or am I mistaken?" This must be a mistake, clearly.

"Ah, yeah, that's right, this is the Touya's Residence. What do you need... err...?"

"Shiki. Shiki Senri. You must have heard about me. Have you?" I eyed the name engraved with pink thread on the bathrobe that the guy in front of me was wearing.

"Nah. Never heard of yah." The guy shrugged.

"Then who might you be?"I narrowed my eyes at him, but still, I'm calm. He must be their caretaker or someone... just borrowing that licorice girl's things coz he's a wardrobe queen of some sort...

"I'm..."

"Ichiru." A small girl with unruly, striking orange hair stood beside him. Her chin was filled with fragments of soap bubbles, her front shirt slightly wet. "Your shirt's all dried up. I hanged it there on the laundry room."

"Okay." The guy comfortably went inside as licorice girl closed the door behind her. Looks like he knows the way around.

"So, what do you need?" She asked me bluntly.

"You won't ask me how my day was?" I smiled.

She shrugged. "Like I care."

I grinned, but then pouted a little. "You won't ask your husband-to-be a casual question, yet you do laundry for a total stranger."

"He's no total stranger." She answered and looked up at me. "What are you doing here?"

"He is, to me." I shrugged. "Anyway, I came to give you this." I handed her the box.

She accepted it and gave me a questioning look.

I grinned. "I know you're in favour of anything that is attached to chocolates, but you're a model, so please limit any heavy sweets."

"My metabolism's fast. So I don't need to worry about adding up fats, plus I don't do modelling for a career, I do it out of boredom. It's some sort of a hobby. But, anyway, thanks."

My smile widened.

"What?" She asked, irritatingly.

"This would be the first time that you really talked to me. Wow. I'm amazed. You have a really cute voice."

She gave me a blank look. I chuckled. "Well, I better go now." I turned to walk back to my car.

"Rima," I called her before I open the door of my Lambhourgini, she was about to enter inside then. "I won't ask you who that man you're with is... but please, I have to marry you yet before you cheat on me, so..."

"Don't worry." She cut me off. "I'm not planning on doing something unnecessary." She answered with a straight face. "I'm moral. But if you would do something uncalled for, don't expect me to go martyr over you; divorce is quite exciting in my vocabulary." She said that in such dignity, I can't help myself from beaming.

"Take care, Rima," I said and entered my car. "I can't wait to call you mine."

END. (of chapter)

A/N: I was planning on updating last Friday, but the Internet Connection was cut off so, you know what happened next. Anyway, thank you for your pleasant reviews. Continue with the support and I will update again, sooner. XD

So, gimme reviews on this one. The more, the merrier. xP

Sincerely, Drscribblesdoodleyy xx