Author Note: First of all, a shout out and a big thank you to hakuria hitsugaya, whose reviews made the panic recede long enough for me to start writing this. Just a real quick update if you haven't checked my profile lately, my panic attacks have returned, and fanfiction seems to bring them on sometimes, so I've been avoiding doing any work in fanfiction. I'm hoping to find a balance enough to get all my projects going again on a regular schedule, but I don't know yet... And this is Rima's point of view. I also apologize for the long author note.

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight, and I make no profit from this.

It was our first modeling shoot together.

Shiki and I were 9, though we had known each other for years, but we had been kept separate in our modeling jobs. Now, in a shoot for winter-wear, we had been put together.

I had been put in a parka, a parka for God's sake; when the heating was cranked up to heaven knows how many degrees. I felt like I was dying, but I didn't complain. Shiki was always the one to speak out first when I had a complaint; I never said a word until he did.

"Rima's overheating." Shiki shot the words at the photographer like a barrage of bullets. They said if she dies, I will kill you single-handedly. He was always my protector.

"We'll be done in two minutes." The photographer for the day, Ogun Kieross was ruthless. "Act like you're making snowballs."

Shiki shot him a glare, then looked at me with worried eyes. We both bent down and scooped up the fake snow as if we were going to make snowballs with it.

Black began to encroach on my vision, but I blinked it back as best I could. The camera stopped clicking, and I heard Ogun call out "we're done!" but the dark had tunneled my vision. I looked at Shiki with fear in my eyes.

"Rima!" He dove across the piles of white plastic snow and grabbed me right before I passed out.

When I woke up, I could hear my Mother ripping the photographer a new one, the whir of a fan, and next to me, soft breathing.

I opened my eyes and turned toward the breathing. I realized vaguely that I had been stripped down to my undershirt and jeans, but I didn't care.

Shiki lay next to me, his arms around me. "I'm so glad you're ok, Rima..." He kissed my forehead gently. "I was so worried about you..."

Outside that room, my Mother's yelling reached a fever pitch. Neither Shiki nor I was fazed by it, my Mother rarely got mad, but when she did, someone better watch their back. In this case, it was Ogun.

"You kissed me..." I murmured, and shivered. The fan had cooled me off effectively, but now it was just freezing me to death.

"I was worried." Shiki mumbled, a blush rising on his cheeks.

"That's not why you kiss someone." I pressed myself into his arms, trying to get away from the wind of the fan.

"Well... um..." Shiki's blush went from pink to a shade similar to a scarlet rose. "Yeah... I just..." He met my eyes after several minutes. "You know, don't you Rima?"

"I like you too, Shiki..." I finally reached out and fumbled with the fan until I was able to turn it off. "But... 9-year-olds shouldn't date... I think... we need to wait until we're older."

"Ok." Shiki's lips pulled into a soft smile and he hugged me close.

"Rima," Mom addressed me as she entered the room. "Senri, both of you get your things together."

"You don't have to take me home, Mrs. Touya..." Shiki didn't let go of me though, even as he sat up on our little couch.

"I'm getting you two out of here before that as-" Mom swallowed that word and tried again, but Shiki and I both knew what she had been about to say. "Before that jerk endangers your lives again. Come on, Rima where's your shirt?"

Funny how, if she had asked me that 7 years later, it would've been much less than friendly.

I pulled my black t-shirt on over my tank top and followed Mom out, with Shiki by my side.

It was our first photo-shoot, and though it had disastrous results, it was still the first of many, and many more still to come.

Author Note: It's short, I know, and I'm sorry. But I am trying to start writing fanfiction again, I promise. I'll try not to pull another disappearing act. Thank you again, to hakuria hitsugaya for throwing me the rope to get out of my slump. On another note, drop me a comment if you like, I love hearing from my readers.