I began writing this about a year ago and just totally forgot about it until now. It takes place the day after Chihiro's family allows Rea to live with them, so it's early on in the series. Just a little something because I really like this series, so forgive me for inaccuracies.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sankarea.

Vow

A cool breeze blew through the window of the bedroom, cooling the muffled, stagnant air.

Even though Rea was no longer really considered alive, she still felt uncomfortable in muggy temperatures.

Although there was no significant decay that she could detect, she knew very well that her delicate skin was gradually rotting, and she still preferred cold to warm. When the air was heavy like this, a creeping sensation crawled through her arms; she connected the feeling to coming out of a hot bath into a warm room, or walking outside after a hot rain-shower; two situations she could still physically recall from being alive.

As she gazed out the window, she made sure to avoid the shaft of sunlight that filtered in and kept to the shade in Chihiro's room. Sitting on his bed, she managed to gaze outside down at the hydrangea gardens below. She could see Chihiro and his younger sister down below, sweeping the patio of the house clear of leaves. She could not hear exactly what Chihiro was muttering about, but she knew he was complaining about his chores as Mero lectured him to do his work properly.

Rea did not have to hear the words they were bickering with in order to feel amused, and she chuckled lightly as she gazed down at them. These kind people, taking me in and allowing me to live here with them... Even if I am a zombie now, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. She sighed blissfully as she leaned her back against the wall, the breeze slipping in and carrying the curtain to tickle her cheek.

She felt as though she should be helping out around the house as means of thanks to her hosts, however the sunlight still agitated her delicate skin. She decided she would ask Chihiro later if there was any indoor work she could do.

For now, the darkness of the room around her, illuminated only by that single ray of sunlight, served to make her dreary. Of course, she could no longer sleep, but something within her begged to try, to remember what it was like to fall unconscious for a certain period of time and then be able to naturally reawaken several hours later. She wondered if she could do it now, even if her body no longer required sleep in order to function.

Stretching herself out daintily on the blankets of Chihiro's bed, she laid on her stomach for a long while, breathing slowly, manually, trying to sense the sensation of air filling her lungs, causing her ribcage to expand. She stared blankly ahead, positioning herself to be sure the sunlight would not make contact with her even when it would shift for the rest of the afternoon.

At last, she closed her eyes, listening to the rustling of the leaves outside, trying to refine her senses so she could smell the flowers; she was not sure if she actually managed the feat or if her brain just recalled the fragrances from when she was alive, but whatever it was, it made her smile.

She did not keep track of how long she lie there, but somehow she knew that the sun had begun to set. She heard footsteps a while later and knew by the weight and pattern of the steps that it was Chihiro.

"Rea?" He called her name as he reached the door. "Are you in here?" He creaked the door open and stepped into his room, shrouded in shadows. Rea was curled on his bed, lying on her side with her back toward him. "Rea?" He repeated her name when she did not respond, alarm flaring inside of him. She doesn't need to sleep, right? Is something wrong? He fretted.

Cautiously, he approached the bed and reached out to touch her exposed, white shoulder. He still flinched at the unnatural, clammy chill of her skin, but managed not to pull away. "Oy." He shook her gently and at last she stirred.

"Mm... Furuya-kun?" She mumbled, pushing herself up groggily to face him. Her dress was ruffled and her hair was disheveled, and she really looked exactly like a human girl just awoken from slumber. "Ah, I'm sorry. I should've lain on the floor. Now your bed is all messy..."

"Don't worry about that." He sighed in relief. "Are you feeling okay? How's your wound?"

"It's fine." She smile, rubbing her stomach almost affectionately, as if grateful that the fatal injury had given her this opportunity at a new life. "I was just trying to remember what it was like to sleep." She said softly.

Chihiro gritted his teeth as he swallowed a curse, still angry that she had been deprived a proper teenage girl's life. Not sure of what to do, he could only give a simple reply.

"Oh. I see." He muttered, avoiding eye contact with her, knowing full-well that her lips would be curved upward into a delighted smile that he did not deserve to witness.

Rea stiffly climbed off of his bed, patting down her dress before straightening out the blankets on his bed. Chihiro impulsively reached forward to touch her back; he did not know why, but he wanted to touch her again. However he stopped himself and recoiled his fingers, clenching them into a fist at his side.

"I'll bring you your dinner." He said at last before he left her.

As he gathered the hydrangea leaves, Chihiro kept biting his bottom lip, still enraged at the concept of the whole thing. Of course he loved zombies and wanted a supernatural high-school life; everyone longed for such a fantastical life at some point. But he still blamed himself for what had happened to Rea, how her body had been saved, but her life had been twisted upside-down.

Chihiro carried the plate of leaves back up to his room where Rea sat on the floor now, still gazing up at the window from the shadows. He hated seeing her like that; he felt like he was a worker who's job was to feed the freak animal at the circus. She was like a poor caged beast, the only one of her kind, who required a special diet and conditions in order to survive.

"Don't sit on the floor." He said as she blinked up at him. "It's fine if you sit on my bed. Come on."

"No, it's fine." She stood, dusting off her dress as she accepted the plate from him with firm yet somehow still gentle fingers. "I should be staying in the room your father so kindly set up for me." She brushed past him, almost like a pale ghost fading past him into the shadows toward the door.

"Wait." He reflexively reached out to grasp her freezing wrist and she halted, surprised. "Stay here for now. That room isn't entirely ready yet. I'll finish tidying it up tomorrow." There was a moment of silence as Chihiro continue to hold her wrist, painfully aware of the stillness where her pulse should have been fluttering.

"Okay." She smiled, causing him to crack a small grin as well. He liked how she could so easily pick up on his emotions and was fair enough not to ask him about it.

They sat on his bed, side-by-side as Rea picked up each individual leaf from the plate, chewing them thoughtfully.

"Does the taste ever get boring?" He wondered, laughing a little.

"Not really." She replied. "They don't really taste like anything, but somehow I keep craving more. There's a sort of satisfying feeling after I've eaten."

"That's good." He shrugged.

"What about you Furuya-kun? Have you eaten dinner?" She tilted her head to one side as her scarlet irises shimmered in the growing moonlight.

"I ate before." He informed her. "I'm probably going to sleep now." He failed to stop himself before the words were out of his mouth and he slammed his lips shut too late. He had wanted to avoid mentioning such things around her, now that she could no longer partake in the leisures of normal humans.

But she did not seem bothered by his slip-up at all. "I see." She nodded as she placed the last leaf onto her tongue.

She then stood and Chihiro felt the rush of air from the motion. Without a word, she left his room with the empty plate, and Chihiro sighed, upset that she was going to that crappy room after all.

He dragged his legs onto his bed and flopped his head onto his pillow, closing his eyes and drifting almost instantly off into sleep.

It felt like it was only moments later when he reopened his eyes to find himself gazing at his digital clock which indicated midnight. He had only slept for a few hours yet somehow felt fully rested.

Turning onto his back, he jumped suddenly when he caught sight of a figure sitting beside him on his bed, her form darkened by the moonlight seeping in.

"R-Rea?" He blurted out, pulling her out of her reverie of gazing up at the moon. Her face which had been angled away from him turned to look down at him.

"F-Furuya-kun!" She gasped. "I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be here... I just..." she fidgeted uncomfortably. "I'll leave." She made a move to get up, but Chihiro stopped her.

"No, it's okay." His words froze her in place. "Stay here. Just for tonight, anyway."

Again there was a moment of silence, and again she replied with that calm, understanding voice.

"Okay." She leaned her back against the wall by the window again and closed her eyes. Chihiro watched her as he lie on his back, his jumbled thoughts trying to pry into her mind and read her thoughts. "Neh, Furuya-kun?" she suddenly spoke, her eyes remaining closed.

"What is it?" He wondered.

"I've been thinking..." her voice was suddenly more distant than usual and Chihiro stiffened. "Do you think... do you think it would have been better if I had never drunk the elixir? If I had just bled out and die by this wound and never gotten a chance to start over again as a zombie?" She rubbed her stomach again, but this time the tenderness was lacking.

"No!" He replied instantly, sitting up to face her, and Rea's eyes widened. "Don't ever think that!" He then softened his voice. "I know this sounds like a horrible thing to say, but even if you're miserable as a zombie, you're still here. And I'm glad that you're here. If you had died back there..." He did not finish, his tone mixed with anger and pain and regret all at once.

Rea blinked once before she leaned closer to him, placing her cold hand on top of his. This time, he did not flinch.

"Thank you, Furuya-kun." She whispered. Chihiro looked up to see that familiar smile on her lips, but this time it was... more genuine somehow. "Thank you." She repeated, gripping his hand tighter. "Really... thank you so much... for saying that..."

Chihiro's eyes widened as he saw her like that, her head bowed slightly as if she were trying to force herself to cry; he could tell she really, really wanted to right now, if only just a little bit.

Chihiro looked at her smile with a bitter gaze, bitter at how helpless he was. I'll find a cure. He vowed silently as he placed his hand on top of hers now. I swear that I'll save you, Rea.

Even though he could not feel the warmth of her hand nor see the blood rush to her cheeks, he vowed he would be able to someday soon. He would see to it that her stilled heart began to beat once more, and maybe even that he would be able to enjoy watching a zombie film with her one day...

The two made eye contact before exchanging warm smiles, and then both laid down side-by-side on his bed. They both knew she would not sleep, but just the presence of another being was necessary right now.

Chihiro turned over and closed his eyes, and Rea also turned her back to him, knowing she would have been blushing if she could.

"Good night, Furuya-kun." She whispered.

"Yeah." He replied. "Night, Rea."

Just hearing such a phrase made her feel a surge of emotion that she could not properly express.

He listened to her faint breathing, like the wind itself as the crickets sang outside.

And even though the girl beside him was cold as the dead, and even though she herself could not fully sense the temperatures, there was an unmistakable, indescribable warmth between them.

A/N: I hope you liked it. I really like these two and just hope they get a happy ending!

Please review!