Hey, this one's funny… Since I had a great time last summer, I found some sort of reasons, whatsoever, to finally write── or finish── this story. Actually, this had been a pending story in my laptop for ages. The scenarios given here are actually from a forwarded message I received from a friend of mine, Jessica (an anime addict like me, fanatic of OHSHC and a sucker for Honey-kun's cuteness). I smiled, the first time I read her message then── ting! ── in an instant, this story came out of my mind.

I hope you'll like this one, ENJOY!

ShikixRima!

Disclaimer: Hino owns the gorgeous vampires here… Me? I own the beach! He-ha! ^^

Which Scenario?

Red and Sweet

"When it comes to you, my heart has no standards. I don't mind what kind of character you have…"

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Scenario#1: Having cold drinks on a hot day with a few friends…

"Rima will you stop frowning there and give me a smile. I want an 'I'm-an-oh-hot-supermodel' smile," Ruka said. There was no hint of authority in her voice── just amusement and mockery. The brunette was at the verandah, seated next to Kain who was holding a mini battery-operated summer fan that had Doraemon design.

The fan was cute. But Rima couldn't find a reason to like it. Maybe on a different instance, she'd like that fan Kain was fluttering for Ruka. Because its Doraemon design, indeed, was cute. But, not now. She didn't find it cute at all. How would she if she felt like bursting in displeasure? She wanted to curse everything her eyes could see. Her head ached, so was her ears because of Ruka's endless gabs about how beautiful the climate was; how she loved the ambiance of the place; her plans for the coming days; where would she shop, blah, blah, blah… She'd been talking nonsense since they came there last week.

Will she ever stop? she complained silently. She then heaved a deep breath of giving up then slouched on her seat. No, she won't. She's a loquacious machine.

It was a hot summer day. Rima was spending the rest of summer with her friends in Takuma's summerhouse in Ryukyu Islands. All of them, except Kaname and Yuuki, arrived there last week. Kaname and Yuuki were still in Kuran's ancestral mansion, and would follow them by weekend. Aido brought Sayori with him.

She felt Shiki sat up from burying his face on her neck. When she turned to him, he was rubbing his eyes. Perhaps, the heat woke him up.

"Can I take my shirt off?" he muttered. "It's so hot, I can't sleep."

She rolled her eyes before handling him the fan she was holding.

"Oh, Shiki, finally you woke up!" Ruka exaggeratedly cried. "Good thing you finally stirred to life. I'm worried about Rima. Look at her. She's pouting like a child again. Maybe you can give her a soul-shaking kiss to turn that frown into a breathtaking smile."

"Ruka!" She gave her ever-annoying friend a glare.

"What?" Ruka defensively asked. "I'm just thinking of a reason for you to like summer. I think a hot kiss is a pretty nice remembrance for you."

"You're pathetic."

Shiki chuckled then softly pinched her cheek. His little caress somewhat cooled down her temper.

"Stop annoying this blond imp beside me, Ruka," Shiki said. He was not laughing but his smiling eyes made it too obvious that he was joking. He turned to her. "And, Rima, I'm really gonna kiss you if you keep pouting." He sounded dead serious, although he had that smile on his gorgeous face this time.

"Yosh! I'm going to make everyone a refreshing drink. I hope it will cool down Rima's burning head," Ruka laughed as she took Kain's hand. "Will you help me, dear?"

"Of course." Kain followed Ruka to the kitchen.

"Where are the others?" Shiki asked when there was only the two of them left in the lounge area.

"Takuma went to the downtown for some sort of business, I guess. And Aido…" She pointed to a door athwart the living room. "…he's with Sayori. They haven't gone out of their room yet. And they haven't eaten breakfast. Poor Sayori, Aido's starving her. He's really an idiot. And I wonder how they could stay asleep in this temperature. It's so hot!"

Shiki chuckled, stroking his fingers through her hair. "You're so naive," he softly said. "That's one of the reasons why I like you."

She smiled curtly. Naïve, huh? She wanted to laugh out loud. He thought she was naive. She wondered what would be his reaction if she'd tell him that they had the same idea on what was actually happening behind the door of Aido and Sayori's room.

She paused. He liked here because she was naïve. But she was not. She felt a rush of despair washed over her. And it might get even worse if he'd know she was not "innocent" at all. It was not that she was pretending; she just didn't want to discuss about "those kind of stuff".

She cleared her throat. "Shiki," she called. He turned to her. "I'm just── ahm, I just wanna know, would you still, ahm….like me if I'm not like what I am now? I mean, if I'm, say, different or …"

"You mean, if you're a bit aggressive and nasty?"

Boom! He just hit the right words. "Yup," she nodded.

"Well, if you'd be that kind of person… I will still like and love you."

She was speechless. For a moment there, she thought she would break her heart.

He smiled as he continued, "When it comes to you, my heart has no standards. I don't mind what kind of character you have. You can be a cruel blonde imp who loves messing up the peacefulness of the room. Or you can be a nice and caring angel. I don't really mind whatever personality you want to show, as long as it's you … Anyways, you really are a nasty petty imp so why fuss about that?"

She didn't have time to hit, slap, beat and ram his face on the center table. She was busy relishing what she just heard from him. Now she was definite about his love and affection for her.

I love you, too! She wanted to shout those words on his ear. But it was embarrassing for , he should be the one to tell her 'I love you' first.

"Why are you smiling?" Shiki asked. He tucked her loosely lain golden-honey hair behind her ear.

"Nothing. " She turned to him. The curt smile on her lips became a grin. "Why are you smiling?" she mimicked.

"Silly," he said, grinning from ear to ear. He playfully pinched her nose then snuggled on her neck.

"Shiki…" She tried pushing him. "It's so hot, don't──"

"Yeah. Come here." He put his arm on her shoulder then started fanning.

He was being sweet to her again. And it seemed like he had fanned away all the irk she had for the world── particularly, for the warm annoying day.

"I'm thirsty," Shiki whispered after a few moments. He turned to her and just gazed deeply in her eyes.

"Wait for Ruka. She'll be back with…" What will she bring again? Beer? Her brain suddenly stopped functioning. How would it work if he was staring at her like that? Like she would vanish once he'd took his eyes off her. "Ahm, she'll be back with Kain...?"

What she just answered was rather silly. She knew what he meant. He was thirsty. And no cold beverage would satisfy his thirst. Right now, she could clearly see in his bloodshot eyes what he really wanted. Blood.

Her blood.

She cleared her throat. "Ahm, let me guess. You want something… red?"

He chuckled. "And sweet," he softly added with a sexy smile on his lips.

"Sweet". That was how he described her blood. He would always tell her how he loved the taste of her blood for it was sweet like candy.

"Hey, everyone! I'm back!" Takuma bust from the door.

"Good morning, everyone. It's really hot, eh? But I had a nice sleep. How about you, my Sayori?"

Sayori smiled to Aido who was clinging to her. Her smile was mysterious and mischievous at the same time. She turned to them in the lounge area.

"Good morning," Sayori smiled to them.

"Good morning," she greeted.

Shiki just nodded to the couple.

"It's late," Takuma said, checking his wrist watch. "What kind of sleep did you two do? Hmm, Aido?"

"With eyes shut," Aido flatly answered. While his girlfriend beside him was blushing deeply.

"Yuhoo! We're back with really refreshing drinks for everyone─ oh, you're back, Takuma." Ruka said. She then turned to Aido and Sayori. "Ah, and you finally went out of your paradise… Anyways, I prepared something for everyone."

Kain put down the tray he was holding on the center table.

"Ta-da! Here's what I'm telling you, guys." Ruka seemed so proud as she handed each of them a glass of fruit juice. "Enjoy."

She wanted to laugh upon accepting her glass. It was cold. And the fruit juice in it was color… red.

She sipped from it. "Hmm, `watermelon?" she asked.

Ruka nodded. "`Like it?"

"Yep." She tuned to Shiki with a grin plastered on her face. "It is sweet…" She then moved her face near his ear and whispered. "…and red."

Shiki just chuckled softly. He caught what she wanted to say. He sipped from his own glass of watermelon juice.

"What did you do in the downtown, Takuma? Business?" Ruka asked Takuma who was now sitting on the divan at the corner of the room.

"No. I just bought something." Takuma hauled out something from the paper bag he was carrying a while back. "Here it is."

"A binocular…?" Ruka and Kain chorused. The two had a quizzical look on their faces.

"What would you do with that?" Aido asked.

"Well, I saw a pretty lady early this morning, while I was jogging on the beachfront. She looks witty and nice. And I'm hoping to see her again. So, I bought this binocular… so I could see her again though I'm not near her. That way I won't get myself burnt by the sun. Ain't I smart?"

"No," they chorused.

"You just want to peep, pervert," she remark flatly.

"I think she's my destiny," Takuma continued as if he didn't hear their negative response. "I saw her again while I was driving back here. She was strolling on the beachfront in pink two-piece. Ah, it really fits her body." Now, he was fantasizing.

"Really? Let me take a look." Aido grabbed the binoculars from Takuma then scampered to the verandah. He peeked through the "peep-instrument".

"Ooh… Come here, my Sayori."

Sayori was standing beside her beau right away. "What do you see? You're smiling and I'm starting to get jealous here," she pouted.

Aido chuckled. "Here, take a look at Takuma's dream girl."

Next thing, Sayori was giggling as Aido held the binoculars for her.

"What did you see?" Kain asked, curious.

"Come here, guys," Aido beckoned.

Kain and Ruka scurried to the veranda. They also wanted to have a look at Takuma's center of affection.

Rima remained seated. She felt too lazy to get up and follow the others to the veranda. Although she also wanted to see the woman Takuma was talking about.

"C'mon?" Shiki stood up and stretched his hand to her. "Let's have a look."

For a moment, she just looked at his hand then stared at his gorgeous face. She felt briskly upon the look of his radiant smile. It perked up her mood. She took his hand with a lifted spirit. Hand in hand, they ambled to the veranda where their friends were laughing while looking through the binoculars.

"Rima, you have to see this." Ruka hand her the binocular.

She peeked through the lenses. She couldn't help bursting out a laugh when she saw a flabby woman making sand castle on the shore.

"Why are you laughing?" Takuma looked ticked off.

"Shiki, look." She hand the binocular to Shiki who fell about when he saw the flabby woman in pink bikini.

"Hey, hey! Stop laughing. Give me that." Takuma grabbed the instrument and peep through it. "Oh! That's not her! That lady is not who I was talking about!"

"Really? We could only imagine," she teased.

Everyone laughed. They had chitchats while enjoying the juice drink Ruka made. They bantered the whole day. And the room was filled with peals of hearty laughs. She felt so happy now that she had her friends laughing with her over some cold drinks on this hot summer day. At last, she found a reason to enjoy and like this day and the coming days.

And one more thing… She turned to Shiki who had his silver eyes gazing at her as he smiled.

I love you…

^.^

That's the first scenario. Hmm… a-huh, *nod* okay. Tap, tap, tap… Let's see the second one… shing-shing!