"Now, you two have to watch the entire movie," Aiko stated, grinning ear-to-ear. "I'll know if either of you leave in the middle of it. And Yuki-chan, you CAN'T call Saiki-kun if you get scared! Those are the terms!"

Aiko Senoo was grinning, Yuki Shinoya was shivering like mad, and Nick Kelly was shooting an angry glare at the blue witch. This was the basic scene at the Asuka household.

I swear to god, I'm gonna deck Ai-chan later for this, Nick thought as he held his sister's quaking arm so she wouldn't zip away screaming. She knows DAMN FREAKING WELL that Yuki-chan doesn't like horror movies!

"Have fun, you two," Aiko stated, giggling like a madman as she walked out of sight into the other room.

"Nick-kun?" Yuki asked, staring up at her brother. "Do... do we have to?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Nick responded, still angry that he had lost that bet. "It was part of the deal. Otherwise, she's gonna show Kaori-chan that one photo, and I'd rather not have THAT plastered all over the school news. If it's any consolation, I'm gonna slap her SO HARD tomorrow morning..."

Yuki just nodded, not looking forward to this movie. Did it HAVE to be one of those fancy-shmancy horror films from America?

It was no secret in the city of Misora that Yuki Shinoya despised horror movies with a passion. Normally, it wouldn't be so bad because the only time she'd ever watch them was if her boyfriend Saiki Shidoosha was watching it with her, so she could cling to him and look away if a part of it was scaring her.

But this? Oh, dear god, Yuki had heard of this movie the instant it had come out in America. Critics had called it one of the scariest movies ever released nowadays. It seemed even worse that she couldn't look away from it at all due to the "conditions" that Aiko had set for this.

Yuki usually always had nightmares whenever she saw a horror movie, and they tended to screw with her mind the following days.

As the movie started, Yuki clung to her brother's arm, holding on to her confidante for dear life, as if expecting the evils of the movie to actually jump out of the impressively high-definition television and bum-rush her.

Nick smiled, rubbing his sister's hair and trying to calm her down. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be doing too much good.

Nick steeled himself as the movie began. Having seen enough of these films due to Aiko's constant prodding, he was ready for anything the horror genre could throw at him.

However, the instant the first terrifying scene started, in which deranged people began viciously slashing and biting other survivors, Yuki squeaked loudly, sliding closer to Nick. She knew she couldn't look away, because she knew Aiko was watching them from the kitchen.

Nick kept his arms locked around his sister, occasionally casting an expression of pure rage towards the blue witch.

The next scene, however, seemed to instill even more fear in Yuki, and as the infected citizens rushed at someone and began to tear them apart, tears began falling from Yuki's eyes, as if begging the madness to stop.

Nick instinctively knew that Aiko was having fun watching this spectacle unfold.

You're dead meat when this movie is over, Ai-chan, Nick thought.

The next ten minutes or so of the movie were relatively tame, just the quarantined citizens trying to find a way out of this mess. Yuki still didn't like the eerie silence, knowing something was bound to go wrong sooner or later.

And go wrong, it did. When another infected person began chasing the survivors down a hallway, Yuki started babbling random words and trying her best not to focus on anything.

Nick kept his arms around Yuki, hoping she wouldn't run away screaming.

It only seemed to get worse from that point on, as when one of the survivors reached a doorway out, she reached through the window towards the police and medical experts there. Yuki knew what was coming, though she still squealed fearfully when the survivor was pulled into the darkness by an infected. Yuki's hands flew to cover her ears when the gruesome sounds started.

When the sounds were gone, Yuki looked back at her brother, unable to comprehend how he wasn't scared at all.

"Nick-kun, seriously? This stuff doesn't scare the daylights out of you?" Yuki exclaimed.

Nick just shook his head. "Importing these from America readied me for this."

Yuki had turned back to the movie at almost exactly the wrong time, because an infected had grabbed a survivor and clamped its jaws down onto his throat.

Nick could have sworn Yuki had just screamed loud enough to wake all of Misora up. After this, Nick slipped his arms around his sister's waist, hoping to calm her down enough to keep her from driving herself insane.

In all actuality, Nick wasn't really that focused on the movie, his thoughts lying solely on how he'd make Aiko regret this when the movie was over.

To Nick's surprise, Yuki had managed to survive to about twenty minutes to the end without going crazy, though she had steeled herself, knowing that it wasn't over yet.

Nick continued to watch as the movie wound down to its conclusion, hoping that what he had already seen was the worst this movie had to offer.

He was very wrong.

As the last two survivors continued searching for a way out, another strange individual appeared, looking incredibly ugly and decomposed. Yuki started shivering, realizing that things were about to get worse.

As the male survivor bashed at the beast with his camera, he was suddenly jumped by the creature. The female survivor could only watch as the man was getting eaten by the creature. Yuki clutched Nick's shoulder, looking like she was about to suffer a nervous breakdown.

As the female survivor fell to the ground, the camera focusing on her, the scene suddenly blanked completely, and Yuki breathed a sigh of relief, still looking incredibly nervous.

"Relax, nee-chan, it's over," Nick assured, rubbing Yuki's shoulder. Yuki managed a weak smile.

Back in the kitchen, Aiko smiled deviously. She knew what was coming, having seen this movie before. Wait for it... she thought.

Just then, the scene flickered back to the female survivor attempting to stand up. Nick and Yuki tensed up, staying completely still.

And finally, the survivor was dragged screaming into the darkness...

...and it was over. The credits began rolling immediately after that.

Yuki couldn't take any more, and leaped forward so she could hug her brother, burying her tear-stained face into Nick's shoulder and crying her eyes out. Nick simply returned the hug, not feeling like saying anything else.

"Good job, guys," Aiko's voice resounded. "I'm proud of ya."

Nick didn't reply, wishing that Aiko could see what her stupid bet had done to his precious little sister.

"I left the evidence on the counter, okay, Kellysi-chan?" Aiko noted, walking back into the living room. "I don't really need it anymore, right? So, I'll just be taking my leave now. Maybe we can do this... again..."

Aiko was smiling at first, but she trailed off and stopped cold upon seeing the glare Nick was directing at her. The blue witch gulped. Nick was angry.

Aiko just laughed nervously before beating a hasty retreat out of the Asuka household.

Nick smiled as Aiko left, then looking back at his sister.

"Yuki-chan?" Nick asked cautiously. "You... you okay?"

Yuki hiccupped twice, looking up at Nick with her tear-filled brown eyes.

"Just... just hold me, Nick-kun... please?"

Nick nodded, tightening his hold on Yuki. The black witch sighed contently, cuddling into her brother and dispelling some of her nervousness.

It was at this point that Momoko had walked down the steps, clad completely in her nightgown and rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

"Everything okay down here, you two?" Momoko sleepily asked. "I heard a bunch of screaming, so I thought something was wrong, and..."

Momoko then caught sight of the still-shivering Yuki, and she knew instantly what had happened.

"Was that the deal Ai-chan made you go through?"

"Yeah," Nick answered. "She's lucky she left, otherwise I woulda slapped her good for that. We'll probably be to bed soon, okay?"

Momoko nodded. "I'll see you two in the morning, then, all right?"

Nick nodded back, and Momoko ascended the stairs again.

"Can we sleep here, Nick-kun?" Yuki asked, still embracing her brother. "I don't know if I can make it to bed after... that..."

Nick nodded, reaching out to softly stroke Yuki's cheek.

Yuki blushed brightly at that, glad she had someone to be by her side after something like that.

"Nick-kun..." Yuki sighed happily. "Thank you for being there for me."

"Hey, it's worth it to be your security blanket when you need me," Nick replied, glad Yuki was feeling better now.

Nick leaned forward and kissed Yuki on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, Yuki-chan. I love you."

Yuki smiled, letting her brother's warmth calm her down. "I love you, too, Nick-kun. Sweet dreams to you, too."

And with that, Yuki let her eyes slip closed, and the two siblings fell asleep in each other's arms.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The next day at school, everyone noticed that Yuki looked a little shaken, but was otherwise fine.

Naturally, the whole student body knew that Yuki didn't like horror movies, so they knew a horror movie was somehow involved.

Once the two siblings were settled down in Seki-sensei's class, Nick looked over at Yuki. "You gonna make it?"

"I'll be fine, Nick-kun," Yuki giggled. "I'm just glad you can be my security blanket."

Nick blushed a bit at that.

"Hey, everybody! Sorry I'm late!" Aiko exclaimed as she entered the classroom. "Stupid bus took a wrong turn..."

Nick quickly lifted himself out of his chair. "Excuse me for a second, Seki-sensei."

Nick took that moment to walk up to a confused Aiko.

Before the blue witch could react, Nick had drawn his hand back, then slapped Aiko hard across the face, sending her crashing into the lockers outside.

No one made a move to stop Nick, as everyone in this class knew why he had done that.