Chapter 8 – Ai

"Oh my god Ai, you can't go on watching Aika sleep! You look like a psychopath when you do that! Imagine she wakes up to your face just staring into hers. Again."

I squinted my eyes, and rolled over in my sleep, hoping the voices would shut up.

"Your argument is irrelevant. She's in my bed. Therefore, she's mine. So, I can do what I want with her. Plus I'm not the one who put her there the first time, am I?"

"Wha- ?"

"It's like a tree", Ai continued, "If you have a tree on your property, it's yours, isn't it? But you never paid for the tree, only for the property. Girls, beds, same thing. Plus, that is where she talked the last time she was here. So, it would be good for her speech if she stayed here. "

"Ai, Aika is not a tree. And anyways, how the hell did she get into your bed in the first place?"

The smell on the sheets was the same as before, except stronger now. It was such a nice, protective smell. I wouldn't ever want to leave this comfortable bed with this strangely nice smell. I yawned and opened my eyes. Ai on the bed sitting cross-legged next to my legs. His usual cynical stare had somehow transformed into a cynical-but-protective one. Otoya was in the doorway, arms crossed. When I sat up to look at him, he grinned and waved good morning.

"Aika, you shouldn't be sitting up in bed like that. You just fainted – twice! – in one day. You need to be more careful." Ai looked at me with such concern-filled eyes, that there was nothing I could do except lie back down in bed again.

"Trees, hunh?" Otoya mumbled, as he started leaving, "That's a low shot dude, a low shot. Why did I get a bunkbed?"

Ai leaned towards me, "So, what's love?" He whispered, seemingly afraid that somebody would hear him. I giggled at his cute question. He layed down on his stomach next to me. "So? Do you know yet? Cause I need to know, for this thing..."

I cocked my head. "What thing?" I wanted to ask. I smiled. I turned towards him, grinning, and shook my head no.

"I see… Oh well, too bad then…" But before he could leave again, I snuggled up to his shoulder, and fell asleep once more, content.

Daisuke. The corridor. The shark fins. But now a new, worst part appeared in the dream: I was in an alley even darker than the corridor. I had was covered in bruises, bottom lip cut in half, left leg broken, cigarette burns a constellation across my skin. But I wasn't hurting for me. I was hurting for the sight of Daisuke. He was only a couple of feet away, on the ground, shaking. He'd been beaten worst than me. Messages of hate imprinted onto his skin, his blood flowing onto the cold stone pavement. Too much blood, much too much. If this continued, he would die… But he did die, in the end, didn't he?

I flung myself up in bed, panting hard. Someone squirmed next to me before sitting up too. He rubbed his eyes and yawned like a cat, "What's the matter, Aika?" Then, seeing my panting, tear-streaked face, he tensed next to me. "A nightmare, hunh? Again?" I nodded.

"Shhh, everything is going to be alright." He whispered. Ai took me in his arms and hugged me tightly. My tears fell onto his shirt. He continued saying soothing words into my ear and started rocking me back and forth like an infant. I cried into the crook of his neck until no more tears came. "Thank you" I whispered as I pulled back. Ai took hold of my hand, "Where are you going Aika?"

I smiled at him, I whispered again, "Garden. I need air." I headed quickly towards the garden, still marveling at the fact that I had managed to talk to him again. It was spring, and the cherry trees' flowers were in full bloom.

I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace