it's time for chapter 20. read and enjoy.

Chapter 20 – Shattered Heart

-Ichijo's POV-

I watched as Tenma's retreating back, her words just finally registering. When I left my room to run after her, she was gone, all that was left, was a small silver pendant on the floor.

When I knelt down, I recognized it. I'd given it to her.

-Flashback-

"Tenma! Look what I got for you!" I shouted, running up to a small girl with long hair. "Happy birthday!" I said, holding out a small silver necklace, it was a sideways cross, with a diamond in the middle, surrounded by a circular border.

"Arigatou!" she said, picking up the necklace, her lips in a large smile.

"How old are you gonna be?" I asked.

"Um..." she started counting on her fingers, "...I'm seven!" she shouted happily.

I smiled back. "So you like it?" I asked.

"Hai!" she replied, turning around so I could attach it.


-End Flashback-


"Ichi" Kilo called, running tome from down the hall. "Have you seen Tenma's necklace, the silver one?" she asked.

"Why? Did she loose it?" I asked, trying to act surprised.

"Yea" she said, out of breath. "She's freaking out right now, looking for it, and speak of the devil, here she comes."

Sure enough, Tenma was running down the hall towards us, she looked highly stressed. "Did you find it?!" she asked quickly, her breath coming in short gasps.

I held out the silver pendant, and she took it, neither of us saying a word. 'I want her to let me in, but I if I be too strong about it, will she resent me?'

Tenma turned to walk off, but stopped. "Sometimes, people put up walls, not to keep others out, but to see who cares enough to tear them down," and with that, she vanished.

"Keep trying, you're almost there," Kilo said calmly. "She's waiting to see if my assumption are true."

"Care to explain?" I asked bluntly.

Kilo sighed. "She's waiting for you to prove you care, and I mean really prove it."

"I've already done so much to prove it!" I nearly shouted.

"No, you've proved that you're a friend that cares, now prove to her you can be more than that," she said, leaning on the wall.

"More than..." I trailed off, the light bulb in my brain really needed changing.

"I told Tenma you liked her. Now she's waiting for you to prove whether I'm right or wrong. You should try messing with her boundaries a little. She likes personal space, and lots of it, try getting closer to her physically, and then do it emotionally." When Kilo finished, taking a deep breath. "Man, I hate always having to be the only one that understands her screwed up logic...well, Kaname does to an extent," she mumbled.

"So basically, you're telling me to piss her off?"

"That depends on you," she said, turning to leave. "And don't look so glum, you're actually doing better than I thought," and she left.

"Wait! Where is she?!" I shouted, running after Kilo.

She didn't answer, so I slowed to a walk. "What am I supposed to do..." I asked myself.

"Admitting you love her might help," came a smooth voice.

"I know, Kaname. But every time I try, I see her in so much pain, and I feel like my feelings would only increase her suffering. I want her to know, but-"

Then there was a shattering noise, and the scent of fresh blood horribly overpowered the air.

"Tenma..." I said breathlessly, and I ran off to the source, leaving a sighing Kaname in my wake.

--

Tenma's blood, the smell was getting stronger. "Tenma!" I called repeatedly, but each time there came no answer.

But as I ran through one of the mere unused hallways, the scent became as apparent as the worry I was feeling. "Tenma?!" I called again, expecting no answer.

"Ta...ku...ma..." an extremely weak voice called, so quiet, I could barely hear.

I ran straight into one of the rooms, and saw something that almost broke me in two. "Tenma!" I shouted, running over and dropping to my knees. "What happened?" I asked, trying to see the damage, my eyes widened and my insides boiled. Someone had attacked her, and whoever did it bit her furiously. There was blood all over, and the marks were dangerously deep. My heart stopped for a moment. "Who bit you?" I asked, placing my hand over the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

She smiled weakly. "I don't know, but it doesn't matter..."

I applied a little more pressure to the wound. "Why not?"

"I've lost too much, my body's...already shutting down...I'm...sorry..." she said, her eyelids drooping. "I'm tired..."

I held her fragile form to me securely. "No Tenma, don't go to sleep yet, you've got to stay awake...you've got to."

"I can't, Takuma..."

"Why not?!" I shouted, salty tears clouding my vision.

"This heart's gone through so much pain, it's done..." she said quietly.

I leaned down, my arms still around her, my head above her heart. "Let me fix it...please. And if it's like this, drink my blood, just don't die." I buried my face into her collar. "I'll do anything...it doesn't matter what. Just say it, and I'll do it...just please don't...don't die..."

I felt weak hands on my head, and I looked her in the eyes. "Then answer my question, why?"

I pulled her against my chest, her face buried in the crook of my neck. "Ashiteru, Tenma."

She looked up at me. Her violet eyes desperately weak. "Arigatou...Takuma." I felt her heart slow, and I unwrapped one arm, and bit deeply into my wrist. I then held my wrist to her lips. "Take it," I said quietly, applying a little more pressure.

Slowly, her lips parted somewhat, to allow the blood through, and she drank, no sound was heard in the room besides the blood occasionally dropping to the floor, and soon followed by her own fang sinking into me, trying to get as much as she could.

"That's right...don't stop...' I said quietly, my hand cold from the blood loss.

She let go of my wrist, her eyes half opened. "Motou(more)..." She took hold of her shirt, her body shaking.

"Tenma?" I asked, unsure of what was wrong.

"Stay away..." she said breathlessly, her shaking increasing, her breathing ragged.

"No, I won't," I said, turning her around. Her eyes weren't violet, or maroon, they were pure crimson.

Her hands left her shirt, and grasped the base of her throat. "My throat's burning...what's wrong with me?" Her voice was hoarse.

"This must be the first time you've lost so much blood so quickly. You've bled too much, you're going through a serious starvation...you need to feed more Tenma, take more. It's alright," I explained, my hands on her shoulders.

She looked at me with glowing crimson eyes, her hand wrapping around my neck.

She was about to bite, when she pulled back, "I think you'll do it, I know you will," and with that, she sank her fangs into me.

"When I find out who did that to you, they'll pay for sure..." I said, stroking her hair softly.

She let go not long after, her lips dripping with my blood "A-are you alright?" she asked, her eyes downcast. "You're scowling, are you made at me?"

I blinked, and relaxed. 'I wonder why I looked so mad...' "I'm fine, and I'm not mad at you, alright?"

She seemed to lighten up a little. "Okay."

"I'm going to take you back to your room," I said, lifting her up, and leaving. She looked extremely tired about half the way there, so I slowed my pace a little, so she could get at least a small amount of rest.

I felt more pressure on my uniform, and when I looked down, I saw her sleeping, her head on my chest. I laughed quietly to myself. "She passed out quick."