A/N: They are Fourteen in this chapter, so another Two year skip.

Chapter 12, Blood

Shiki laid down, his head on Rima's lap as they sat on a nearby couch. He seemed a bit pale. They were at a studio for one of their shoots. They were finally allowed a break after two hours of snapping photo's.

"You okay?" Rima frowned.

"I'm not used to those Tablets yet," He said. The Tablets have improved, the taste not as bad but that didn't mean they were good. They had been relying more on them, seeing as they were going to be going to that Academy, which should be starting up soon. "Their boring to have."

"Can't argue with that," Rima agreed. She didn't care for them either but could handle them better than him.

"How long 'till we can leave?" Shiki asked, yawning. "I'm tired.""

They have to look over the photo's we did to make sure their good enough," Rima sighed, resting her head in hand as she starred into the distance. Shiki could easily hear the annoyance in her voice. "Which is pointless because they always are."

Shiki grunted in agreement. He glanced up at Rima, his eyes focused on her neck, which was easily exposed by the black shirt she was wearing.

Rima was startled at how abruptly he sat up.

"Shiki?" She gave him a confused look as he avoided looking at her. He was spared answering when their manager came.

"Okay, the photo's look good, you two can go," She said. "But Shiki, try to eat more, you've been more pale lately. Rima, you too, you seem to be losing weight."

'Of course we are, we stopped drinking real blood that donors give for vampires and started these crappy tablets!' Rima thought bitterly as they made their way to the car that was waiting for them.

Both were silent on the ride back. Rima's eyes kept flickering towards Shiki, who seemed to be trying to casually sit as far away from her as the vehicle would allow, without it being obvious.

"Ne, Shiki," He glanced her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just tired," He said. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out the container for the Tablets.

"Weren't you just complaining about those?"

"Yeah, but I'm tired…and bored." He opened it, spilling a bunch of them into his mouth. Rima sweat dropped.

'Vampire bingeing on Blood Tablets…Kain was right, it does look weird' She thought, remembering how Akatsuki told her about when he and Ruka saw the Pureblood Kaname at Ruka's first Soirée.

Shiki glanced at Rim, who was now starring out the window, deep in thought. Once again, he found his eyes straying to her neck. He quickly looked away, mimicking her by looking out the window.

Lately he's been having sinful thoughts of blood, her blood to be exact. Wondering what it tasted like, if it was as good as her scent…or better.

But he refused to ask for a taste. She was his best friend, he didn't want to damage that relationship. What if he couldn't stop once he had some? What if he ended up hurting her? No, he would stick to the Tablets, no matter how disgusting they were to him.

He heard a sigh from his right. He turned his head to look at her, wondering what was wrong, when she laid across the seats, her head on his lap.

"Rima?" He asked, slightly surprised. Usually it was the other way around.

"You always use me as a pillow, it's my turn," she muttered, evidently thinking the same as him. "I'm really tired, I got no sleep."

"Why not?" he frowned.

"Thinking to much," She said. "Unlike you I can't just turn my mind off and sleep standing up."

"I only did that once."

"You would've fallen into a rose bush if Ichijo-San wasn't standing next to you."

They fell into a silence, but for once it wasn't a comfortable one, at least for Shiki. He could hear her pulse loudly, as though he were listening to a drum.

He was thankful when the car finally stopped.

"That Night Class is going to be starting soon."

Rima didn't say anything. She was sitting in font of him, holding her brown teddy bear to her chest as she watched as Shiki put on a coat of black nail polish on her right hand. It seems weird that he would be doing this, but they were really, really bored. Her rabbit was on the bed so nail polish wouldn't get on it.

"Are you still going?" she finally asked.

"Ichijo-San wants me to," Shiki shrugged. "And my Great-Uncle told me to go too but…I'll only go if you do."

Rima took her hand back and starred at it before looking at Shiki, annoyed.

"What?"

"I never thought it was possible to mess up putting nail polish on."

"Gomen."

Sighing, Rima stood up, walking to the bathroom in her room to wash off the polish that was on her skin instead of the nail. As she washed it off, she couldn't stop herself from frowning in annoyance. Somehow Shiki's Great Uncle found a way back into his life and she wasn't happy. Sure, he didn't listen to him as much but still.

She didn't like it. When she was done they went downstairs to make something to eat.

"What do you want?" Rima asked, looking through the pantry.

"Anything's good," Shiki shrugged, leaning against the counter.

"I could make some Nabemono," Rima said. "Even though it's not that cold out."

"That's fine."

"Good, now grab the stuff from the fridge, your helping."

"Do I have to?"

"If you want to eat, yes," Rima rolled her eyes. "And you should, your looking like a skeleton again."

So they got to work, not that it was that hard.

"Ne, Shiki, pass me the Negi," Rima said.

"Why?"

"It's part of the recipe."

"But I don't like Leeks."

"Too bad, suck it up," Rima grabbed the leeks and set to cutting them up when-

"Ow, Shit," she hissed, pulling her hand back and dropping the knife. A drop of crimson fell onto counter from the cut on her finger.

"What's wrong?" Shiki was now standing behind her, his brow furrowed in concern.

"It's just a cut," she said. "It'll heal soon." She turned around to clean the blood off but stopped when she saw Shiki looking determinedly away from her. "Shiki?"

"Yeah?" his voice sounded strained.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just clean your blood off!" He said impatiently. That's when she knew what was wrong. He didn't want her to see his eyes.

"Here," she moved closer to him, holding her finger up to him.

Shiki involuntarily turned his head at the scent of her blood, grabbing hold of her wrist. It smelled so nice, Rima's blood. It was like jasmines, like her name. He always wanted to know what it tasted like but never asked, for sharing blood was something only lovers did. It's the only way vampires fill the longing inside them.

He brought her hand to his mouth, licking the blood off. The taste was wonderful. It was sweet, but not too sweet. Almost like the dark chocolate on the Pocky sticks they eat. But most of all it was addicting.

Unconsciously he pulled her closer to him. He let go of her wrist, using his hand to move her hair and his other arm to wrap around her waist, moving his head to her neck.

"Your blood tastes so nice," He murmured, but didn't bite. As much as he wanted to, as much as he wanted it, he wouldn't do it without her permission. He respected her too much.

Rima wrapped her arms around him in an embrace, moving her head slightly so he could get blood easier.

"I don't mind," She said quietly.

"Rima's too kind to me," Shiki said, just as quiet, before licking her neck. She shivered, a blushing filling her usual pale cheeks.

"No, Shiki's just too hard on himself," She said before feeling his fangs on her neck. She gasped, gripping his shirt as a dull pain came when his fangs pieced her. It faded soon though, as the sound of him drinking blood filled the air.

"Shi…ki…" She said, her voice quiet. Her grip loosened, her mind getting foggy.

Shiki stopped as soon as he heard her voice. He pulled away, licking the blood off from the wounds he made in her neck, which were already healing.

When all the blood was gone he held her close to him, his eyes covered by his red hair.

"I'm sorry Rima," he whispered. "I didn't mean to take so much."

"I don't mind," Rima sighed, closing her eyes. "Shiki always seems weak lately. I don't mind giving my blood for you if it helps…carry me to bed, I'm tired now."

Shiki picked her up bridal style, taking her room.

When he laid her down in her bed, he sat next to her, the fingers of his left hand lingering on his lips while his fingers of his right on her neck where he bit her. He recalled the images he saw when he drank her blood, the emotions.

He could feel worry, for him, and anger for her parents, who were never really home anymore.

And fear.

There was something that was scaring her but he couldn't tell what it was.