It remained heavily overcast the rest of the day although it didn't rain until the evening. All through the day, Kira was staring outside but this time with more interest than her usual attraction towards the weather. She was intently taking note of something. At first, she peeked out of the large window and then she opened the main door just as a crack began peeking through there.

She didn't notice when Gouenji passed by across the opened door but when she found him sitting by the fireplace, for which he had to have walked past the open door, she panicked thinking he had burned himself again. But he seemed fine and unbothered.

"So my guess has been accurate." She thought to herself. This was what she had been thinking about all day.

She mulled over the situation all through the day and waited to act on her plan the following day.

Thankfully, the weather remained unchanged the next day as well. At breakfast, she had set the boat at the table.

"Are you going to float it today? I'm sure the puddles are ready. " Gouenji remarked casually when he saw it.

"Yes, but other than that I also have a surprise for you." She responded, piquing his interest. He tried to ask what it was but she remained tight-lipped.

It was noon when Kira approached Gouenji in the library and urged him to follow her. He got up and she took his hand guiding him. When they reached the hall she asked him to close his eyes. He was very intrigued but reserved the questions.

He heard a door opening and then some warmth on his face.

"Where are we going?" He asked slightly anxiously.

"Don't worry, just trust me, okay?" Kira assured him gently.

"Watch your steps. " she warned and then helped him down each step.

"Where are we?" He was slipping into a panic now as he was beginning to figure out where he was.

"Open your eyes. " She whispered.

Gouenji slowly did so and was immediately shocked to find himself in the middle of the garden. He gasped in panic and tried to run back into the shade but Kira caught him and stopped him from moving.

"Look! You're not hurting!" She exclaimed crisply to make him listen. That's when he realised it and was frozen in shock.

He slowly looked up at the thick black clouds that were blocking so much of the sun rays that they were rendered harmless and could no longer burn him. His mouth was left agape when he looked around the garden and the hills beyond. It may have been grey and cloudy but for him, there was enough light to make everything shine brightly.

He saved the most important sight for last and his eyes finally rested upon Kira's face who was barely able to contain herself at the success of her plans. He was overwhelmed by it all, completely lost for words and so was Kira to finally see his face clearly. She had never imagined how infinitely more beautiful his eyes were now that she could see them in daylight.

A thick drop of rain landed on Gouenji's nose, breaking their trance.

"It's raining. " He looked up in wonder, "I haven't felt the rain for hundreds of years." His voice was heavy with emotion.

One by one, raindrops kept landing on his face, at first his nose, then his cheeks, his forehead. He closed his eyes and just felt the sensation of the cold droplets, sending a shiver through his body each time. He was completely overwhelmed by the moment, he had long forgotten how it felt, how good it was.

The frequency increased quickly and before they knew it they were standing in the middle of the garden, completely drenched in rain.

"You don't realise how happy you've made me. Thank you, thank you." He muttered breathlessly as he pulled Kira in for a passionate kiss. Kira could tell how truly happy and grateful he was by the way he poured all of his emotions into his actions.

He insisted on walking around the garden a little more, looking at the scenery and the flowers that he was witnessing after a tediously long time. When he had looked around to his heart's content he sat down on the steps to the front door as Kira still walked around in the rain searching for the perfect puddle for the boat. Finally, she settled for the one near the steps where Gouenji could have a clear look at it too.

She squatted down near it and gently put the boat on the water surface. She nudged it a little and it began moving. The scene was ordinary but for Gouenji, it was bliss. He didn't remember when was the last time he was filled with such pure joy. He gestured for Kira to join him. She left the boat to decide its own voyage and hopped up the steps to sit beside him.

They still couldn't stop staring at each other, she, more than him because he could see her in the dark much better than she ever could. Still, he cherished this sight because in the dark he couldn't see her eyes glinting with excitement or the exact shade of red she wore on her lips and most importantly, the look of awe on her face as she stared at him.

"I still can't believe how beautiful you are!" The words escaped her lips on their own.

"Stop saying that. " He chuckled in embarrassment.

"What a day!" He then exclaimed, "I couldn't have imagined it in my wildest dreams. And all of the credit goes to you. "

"Stop saying that." She promptly repeated and they both laughed.

"What do we say then?" He added.

"We don't have to." She answered as she interlinked her arm with his and rested her head on his shoulder. They kept watching the pitter-patter of the rain for quite a while.

Once the rain began to subside and the clouds thinned down, they finally made their way in.

Even when the night fell and they lay in bed side by side, Gouenji was awestruck at the experiences of the day. He kept staring up at the ceiling thinking about it.

"I never knew I could do that. I wouldn't have dared to try if it weren't for you. " He mumbled in thought. He then turned to her restlessly and ran his hand along her face, " I love you even more today. " He looked at her with desperation as his breath shortened. She could tell what he was thinking but remained unmoved.

"So, " He tried to compose himself, " What else is left? When are you going to let me turn you?" He asked point-blank, smiling sheepishly to show his eagerness.

Her face fell as she suddenly went into deep thought over something. Gouenji waited for her to speak but became restless quickly and nudged her,

"Must you bring that up at every possible moment!" She then spoke quietly but seemed visibly displeased, "I have already told you I will tell you when I'm ready. "

"I apologise, " He said but then added, "I just don't see a reason why the matter should drag on. "

"I think I do. " She sighed and turned away from him.

He didn't speak further either as he once again became apprehensive. He was having a very hard time winning her over. He had barely been able to complete past challenges and he wasn't sure if he could keep it up anymore.

...

The following evening when he casually walked in the hall, he had to stop dead and in his tracks when he noticed that the curtain wasn't drawn on the large window. Kira was staring outside in a reticent manner. The clouds had long gone, and the sun was shining a bright orange.

"What are you doing?! And if you must, then warn me!" His voice reached her from across the hall, echoing all the way through.

She continued staring, paying no heed to his surprise or discomfort. He waited for some form of response but eventually, tiptoed around the bright parts of the room and reached her.

"What are you looking at?" He asked in a normal voice now.

"I never noticed how beautiful the sunset is. " She spoke as if intoxicated by its beauty.

"Since when do you care about the sunset?" He sounded like he was taking offence in this activity of hers.

And it was true. He was. 

He had always felt proud of their mutual love for the nocturnal, it was the one thing that bound them together even after being entirely different in every imaginable aspect. It brought him consolation that despite being a warm-blooded human, she had an affinity for the cold, dark nights and by extension all the creatures it housed. Rejecting the dark meant rejecting him, rejecting his love.

"These curtains have never been moved at this hour for years, for hundreds of years." He reiterated, evidently hurt.

"I just thought I should appreciate my freedom more. I can look at the light without it hurting me and I take it for granted. " She answered, "What if I couldn't someday and then I missed it terribly?" She paused, "after all, I can't deny that it is beautiful."

The next moment Gouenji caught the edge of the curtain and walked along the length, dragging it shut as he moved. The hand caught some of the sunlight, burning the skin off his fingers a little bit.

Kira gasped instantly, "What did you do that for?!" She screamed as she quickly took his hand and examined it. But he didn't care for it and got his hand out of her hold and held her face between them.

"What are you doing?" He urged, "You don't love sunsets, you love midnight. "

"Yes, I do. But," She paused to gather her thoughts, "I saw you yesterday reacting to being outside and it made me wonder if it is really something of tremendous value, something that I am not cherishing enough right now. " She looked at him with a serious expression.

"What if once I cannot see it anymore I miss it terribly? What if life in constant darkness drives me insane?"

"It won't!" He argued desperately, "I have lived here for hundreds of years. Tell me, do I seem insane to you?" He stared at her, pressuring her to answer.

"No, but, I saw the way you looked around when we went outside. The wonder, the desperation on your face, was unmatched by anything I have ever seen before. It was beautiful, but at the same time, it worried me. "

Gouenji had no words now. It was true he had felt liberated when he had stood there in the fresh air, not worrying for his life, without the fear. But he could not admit that to Kira now when she was in such a fragile state of mind.

"I...I was ecstatic because I was there with you. "

"You're lying. " She said plainly, "I remember it all clearly. "

A heavy silence fell between them after that. Gouenji didn't argue further but remained to look at her with a distressed expression.

"So, will you never change for me, then?" He finally asked, in a sad voice. His tone broke Kira's heart, he sounded truly defeated.

"I just need more time to think it over. You need to understand that this is a huge thing you're asking of me. " She answered.

"I understand that." He mumbled almost inaudibly and walked away with slow, heavy feet.

A/N: Did you like Kira's idea of how to take him outside? Also, do you think she will now choose to never turn into a vampire?

Small announcement: If you want to see some artworks about this story, including the full version of the cover art, you can do so in my new artbook Muses. Also, follow me so you can get updates on this book as well as all the other/new ones.