Chapter Seven: Halo
It hadn't been a very long time before Aimina's cell phone started ringing. Night, not really knowing what to do pulled it out and saw it was Ariia so he answered.
"Night why are you answering Aimina-sama's phone? Is everything all right?" She wondered when he answered.
"She fell asleep and I didn't want to wake her up for directions... I guess I could have just called you couldn't I?" He giggled at his own absent-mindedness and smiled.
"Where are you?" His friend wondered calming down some now that she knew everything was fine.
"A park on the way to Aimina-kun's apartment. She mentioned we were close just before she fell asleep..." He replied looking around for a landmark he could use.
"Night-kun... Her apartment overlooks the park. Go down the street a few blocks and there's a parking garage on the left. Take the elevator to the third floor and I'll meet you there!" Ariia explained carefully though it sounded like she was walking quickly.
"Oh I can see the parking garage from here!" Night mused spying the building in question. "I'll be there in just a few minutes..." He hung up the phone and carefully started moving to get up. Aimina woke up slightly as he did and looked up at him. The light filtering through the tree shone behind him and made him seem very ethereal... "Oh I'm sorry Aimina-kun I didn't mean to wake you up! Ariia-kun told me how to get the rest of the way to your house and I was just about to take you there." Night explained gently picking her up and carrying her back to the car.
"Ah I'm sorry you should have woke me up!" Aimina yawned as she got comfortable in the seat. "How silly of me..."
"That's fine you need your rest!" He offered happily as he proceeded on to the apartment. True to her word Ariia was waiting when the elevator opened. "She woke up on the way back." The former figure giggled when Tsukiuko looked at him funny. That wasn't why she was looking at him funny, he was still carrying Aimina...
"He won't put me down..." The Director sighed as she was carried away. "Number 35." She pointed to her apartment door as she took the keys out of his hand to open the door.
"Welcome home Tenjou-san!" Ishina and Kuma cheered as the door opened. "Carrying her across the threshold..." Ishina added by herself.
"They moved so fast..." Kuma added in solemn tone.
"That's what took them so long..." Gaku interjected in the same tone. Aimina turned a brilliant shade of red and Night picked up on her stress.
"It's not what you think! I... I fell asleep..." Her voice started out loud but quickly grew soft as she was embarrassed to admit she fell asleep so randomly. She wiggled free of Night's grasp who was still confused about the whole situation and why everyone was looking at them so strangely.
"They didn't get married... There aren't any places around here that would do it that quickly anyways!" Ariia beamed pushing Night in the door and closing it behind them. Finally getting caught up caused Night's face to turn red this time. "See?! You three embarrassed him too!" Ariia sighed and pulled him further into the apartment. Aimina had already gone off to the livingroom to sit down her things.
"Would you like the tour?" She asked taking Night's hand and pulling him along. "It's going to be a little crowded for awhile but I'm looking into a bigger place..." He couldn't help but notice how huge the apartment once for her to be living alone. "It has three bedrooms but I'm using one as a office right now. I'm trying to get everything out of it but at least it has a bed!" She chimed leading him upstairs and to the last room on the right of the hall. Despite there being a desk and several cabinets in one corner; there was still room for a bed, dresser, second desk, and bookshelf that were mostly devoid of things."Once I get everything moved over to the loft this room will be all yours! And the bathroom is here." She pointed behind them. "My room is next to yours and Ishina and Kuma are sharing that one!"
"It'll be really nice to have so many people here!" Ishina mused happily as she headed back downstairs.
"I don't have any supplies yet but you can do whatever you want to your room. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible for as long as you want to stay here. Anything you need..." Aimina seemed really nervous as she spoke and it compelled Night to do something. He grabbed Aimina from behind as she as walking away and hugged her tightly.
"I've wanted to do that for a long time." His voice was cool and calm but his body was warm. "I'm going to take care of you now Aimina-kun... I decided that the path I'm going to walk right now is here with you. Once you're better I'll decide where to go from there. But right now..." He turned her around and looked her in the eye. "...if there's anything YOU need I'll do my best to provide it." His face hadn't looked this serious since that night at the hot spring. He hadn't forgot what she had said to him and he wasn't sure if this would only serve to hurt her but it's what he felt he had to do. Aimina seemed stunned and was completely speechless for a few moments. Tears finally overflowed out of her eyes and she collapsed into his arms.
"You've already given me so much Night-kun... I couldn't possibly ask for anything more." Was all she said before growing silent for a long while. Night wasn;t sure what she meant but he didn't think now was the right time to ask. "Let's go get some lunch!" She proclaimed finally with a sniffle. Night nodded and with that they made their way back downstairs. Ishina and Gaku were talking about the studio time he had gotten for recording a demo disc.
"I don't think that will be an issue Gaku-san I have a lot of songs I have written... I'm not sure how good most of them are though. I never got to perform them." She conceded sadly as she looked at the floor.
"Your songs are beautiful Ishina! You'll do just fine!" Aimina chirped ninja hugging her from behind. "Now today is going to be an awesome happy day so let's enjoy it! Starting with lunch on me!" The suggestion was met with no resistance and the motley group ventured forth into the world for the first time. On the way to lunch the found a spring carnival that Aimina had forgotten completely about since she hadn't gone in two years due to work. They decided to go after lunch as a way to pass the evening. Kuma delighted in dominating all the games and wining Ishina tons of stuffed animals for their room. Night offered to win Ariia and Aimina something but they insisted they didn't want to carry it. Gaku spent most of his time chasing after every potentially single girl he saw.
Night found a great deal of enjoyment in helping Ariia dress Aimina up as a Sengoku princess for the fashion. The period clothes suited her so well and when she got on the stage she carried herself just like a princess. Night wasn't exempt from Aimina's wrath though as she insisted he dress up as a samurai as well. "She's so pretty!" Ariia swooned as romanticized thoughts of a samurai coming to sweep the gorgeous Princess Aimina-sama off her feet danced in her head. Night couldn't help but agree that she looked naturally elegant in the outfit. The pair won the fashion award for the booth that supplied their clothes which delighted the shop owners. Yet again the mysterious photographer happened to be passing by as Night and Aimina had a play sword fight with Ariia. Of course he took several pictures. To conclude their play fight Ariia insisted that Night pretend to woo Aimina and then carry her away. Despite the crowd that had gathered to watch the impromptu play, the cameraman was able to get a stunning shot of samurai addressing the fair Princess.
"Oh fair maiden you honor me with your presence! I have traveled far in search of your fabled beauty. I have slain many monsters and demons as a declaration of my love for you!" He began as he drove his sword into the ground and kneeled in front of her. "I lay down my sword and my life for you and your happiness!" He was really getting into it at this point and appeared to be very emotional as he rested his forehead on his hilt. It was at this point that the cameraman took his picture. "Milady! What would you have me do?"
"Oh great and honorable samurai my greatest wish is to be with you! Take me away from these bloodstained lands so that we might live happily forever!" Aimina gushed with the best acting she could produce. "Arise fair samurai! This day we are as one forevermore!" Night pulled his sword out of the ground as he stood up and sheathed it. With the strength of his biomechancial body he easily picked her up and carried her a small distance away. Those looking on cheered and clapped as they clearly enjoyed the display.
"Ah... oh fair and beautiful maiden... I hope I can honor your beautiful soul somehow... Or at least do justice to the works of art you've already created..." The photographer mused spying a man and his female figure escort. "It's just not the same without the sparkle in the eyes he sighed. "It's sweet though she made a miniature of her boyfriend though!"
The evening ended on a high note when Ishina and Kuma entered a talent competition and won. Ishina needed the confidence boost from the judges' comments about their performance. They had won hands down which entitled them to a gift certificate to the local mall. Together the motley group sat on a patch of grass next to a river and watched the summer set. As they did, a newspaper photographer snapped a shot of them for the front page and of everyone for their respective portions of participation. Aimina refused to give her name for obvious reasons but wasn't opposed to the pictures.
"I never imagined I would have so many people who's company I could truly enjoy like this..." The Director sighed looking up at the stars. "I can say with utmost certainty... that today was the best day of my life... Better than every day of professional success... All of it was been pretty meaningless until now. I'm glad... I'm glad I'm able to be with all of you and take care of you..."
"Awe... We love you too Aimina-san!" Ishina had really opened up and grown very attached to Aimina in just the week she had known her designer. Aimina blushed a little at the singer's musing as she was hugged by her.
"We should go now... It's getting a little chilly..." Night sighed sitting up. "You shouldn't be out in the cold!" He scolded taking his jacket off and wrapping Aimina in it. Grudgingly they all stood up and began walking back to Aimina's apartment.
"Aimina-sama... Can I stay at your place tonight? I'll sleep on the couch!" Ariia half begged as she tugged on her idol's arm.
"Anytime! And I'll sleep on the couch you can sleep in my bed!" Aimina exclaimed as if she was hurt that Ariia would think she'd be made to sleep on the couch.
"Oh no! She can sleep in my bed! I'll sleep on the couch." Night beamed with a smile.
"Awe I couldn't Night it's your first night sleeping in a bed with your new body!" Ariia yawned stretching her arms as she walked.
"There's always tomorrow! I'll be fine on the couch." He insisted as they neared the door to the apartment.
"Well Ladies and Gents... This is where I bid ado... See you cats tomorrow for our recording session." Gaku motioned to Ishina and Kuma. With that he wandered away down the hall waving.
"He's still odd..." Night mused watching his former pseudo-nemesis walk away.
"He's one of a Kind that Gaku... but he's one of my most loyal friends even now." Aimina replied with a tired smile.
It didn't take long for everyone to get settled into bed. Aimina got Night set up on the couch with a blanket and pillow before wandering off to bed herself. She hadn't been asleep very long when she seemed to be replaying her old familiar nightmare. It was quite different this time though in that it wasn't a nightmare at all. Night was there sitting on the floor next to her bed and she felt fine. It was then that she realized she wasn't completely asleep and that night really was sitting next to her bed. Startled she jumped up in bed and flew to the other side. "Night you scared me! You shouldn't sneak into a person's room in the night like that!" She screeched as quietly as she could in her shock.
"I'm sorry... I noticed on the way back that your breathing pattern had altered and your heart rate had changed. The ring wouldn't change colors so I got worried... I wanted to check on you is all." He replied feeling as though he had done something terribly wrong.
"It's all right... You just startled me is all. Thank you for your concern but I feel fine... Just tired... Maybe that was it?" Otaoko offered in a soothing voice. Night nodded but he didn't seem very satisfied by her response. "Would it make you feel better if you slept in here tonight?" She sighed grudgingly. Night smiled and nodded emphatically. "Then you have to sleep on this side... I'm just used to sleeping on that side." She went on awkwardly before slowly scooting back over to the side of the bed she had been on. Night walked over to the other side of the bed and slowly climbed in. Aimina laid on her side as close to the edge as she could to avoid feeling anymore embarrassed.
"Don't worry... I'm not going to try to molest you or anything." He giggled as he snuggled into the bed. She was still uneasy about the situation but she couldn't help but feel safe with Night around. Perhaps living alone so long had gotten to her? She was surprised by how quickly she was falling back asleep but wasn't awake long to think much of it.
The next morning found Aimina wrapped in the arms of oldest ward who was still sleeping soundly. She was immediately thrown into a pit of embarrassment but didn't want to wake Night up. She opted to slide out of the bed and forget the incident entirely. To help her forget she set about making breakfast for everyone. One by one the residents of the apartment woke to the smells of breakfast coming from the kitchen. As they each took a spot at the table Otaoko wondered where Night was. "Where is Night?" Ariia wondered suspiciously as she eyed the empty couch.
"I made him sleep in my room and I slept on the couch." The Director answered quickly but naturally. She had rehearsed the response while she cooked since she knew the question would come. Though she didn't want to wake the kid up, she did want him to enjoy his first home cooked meal as a new person. With great care she slid her bedroom door open to find Night sitting on the edge of the bed staring out the balcony doors. "Are you all right Night?" She wondered quietly as she slowly approached him.
"I think so... It's just harder than I thought it would be feeling so much and actually appreciating it. I can't help but wonder how much more I would care about Riiko if I could appreciate her fully then..." He sighed sadly as he rested his head in his hand and propped it up with his leg. "I never had any doubts before about what I had to do... I did what I knew would make her happy... What I thought... Was right... But it isn't so clear what is right anymore... I want to... I want to be with her but... She's happy now... I can't take that away from her now... I just... I don't know what to do anymore..." He started crying which startled him since he'd never had real tears before that he couldn't control.
"Night-kun... I'm... I'm sorry..." Aimina gasped feeling as though her heart had stopped beating as she collapsed on to the bed. "I never thought about... I never thought about you... Needing her so much... It was really... Cruel of me to do this... I wish... I wish I had never... Never met you." She gasped sobbing. "I can't believe how terrible I am! I'm simply the worst! I brought you back into this world without considering the most important thing! Without considering your poor heart!" She wrapped her arms around him and cried into his shoulder.
"My... heart?" He wondered sounding confused. "That's the problem... I don't know what I want in my heart..." Aimina's sobbing quieted slightly and she looked at him gravely. "That's why I'm so upset... I thought that Riiko was the only person who could make me happy... The only person I could love... But I realize now I don't really know what love is. I know she loved me and she showed it to me by being with me until the very end. But I find myself... loving so many people as best as I understand love to be..." He explained putting a hand on hers.
"There's a difference in love Night-kun... You can have love and devotion for your friends and family. But the kind of love you have for the person you're meant to be with is different entirely... It fills you with happiness and joy... And an overwhelming since a fulfillment... Like being them is the only way you can be whole. If that's what you felt with Riiko then it's her that you love..." Aimina explained slowly and thoughtfully. Her voice was different than he had ever heard it. It was gentle and seemed more like a child talking about a fantasy than a grown woman. "You should follow your heart Night no matter where it takes you... If you find that it is Riiko you love then you should follow your heart to find what it is you must do."
"Aimina-kun... When you said you loved me... What kind of love did you mean?" The former figure wondered sounding as if the answer was the hinge on which his whole dilemma sat.
"The kind of love I have for you won't change what your heart truly feels Night. But I will tell you this. I'll stick with you for as long as you want me to. And if you decide one day that you would be happier without me... I will happily watch you walk away." She replied wiping her eyes and nose. "If you're hungry breakfast is waiting... But take all the time you need."
It took a few minutes but Night finally came into the dining room looking like a train wreck. The food smelled really good but he just wasn't up to eating right now. Soon after breakfast Gaku showed up for Ishina and Kuma. A little while after that Ariia went home to get ready for school on Monday. That left Aimina and Night cleaning up the dishes.
"I'm sorry I didn't eat more..." Night sighed as he washed the dishes. It seemed like the more he was awake the worse he felt and looked. Aimina sat the towel she had been using to dry the dishes down and looked at Night. "Get dressed... We're leaving." Was all she said before trying and walking away. He looked at her a little confused but she didn't offer him any other explanation so he obeyed. Before they left she blindfolded him and made sure he couldn't see.
"Where are we going?" He wondered over and over but got no response. He knew they had driven somewhere and gone up in an elevator. But he hadn't the slightest idea where he was. He was getting irritated though since he didn't really want to be anywhere but home. Just as he was about to stop and rip the blindfold off himself Aimina did it for him. His jaw dropped when his eyes were met with Riiko's stunned face looking back at him.
"You know how to find me... Soushi-kun..." Was all Aimina said as she walked away. She could hear Riiko's surprised and doubting voice sobbing Night's name as she walked away but found no joy in the moment. She was happy that Night and Riiko could now be reunited but at the same time she was sad. She wished so badly that she could find someone who loved her even half as much as Night loved Riiko. And that's when her phone rang.
"Hello... Aimina-kun... I was wondering if you would meet me somewhere. I'd love to talk to you." It was Bashouna.
"I'm not really in a talking mood Bashouna-kun... Can I take a rain check?" She was trying to not to sound upset but she was sure she was failing.
"I've been giving myself a rain check on this for awhile... I think it's time we leveled with each other. I know you've been keeping a secret from me to..." He was very calm and cool. His evenness was somehow reassuring to her. She had been meaning to tell him for awhile now that she was sick... Perhaps meeting him today wouldn't be terrible...
"Where should I meet you?" She wondered rifling for her keys in her bag as she exited the hospital.
"How about right here?" Bashouna was waiting for her to come out the door. She looked at him a little confused but he just smiled and reached out his hand. "Shall we... Beautiful?" She cocked her head and smiled awkwardly but took his hand nonetheless.
"You were right." She finally muttered after they had been walking awhile. "I do have something very important to tell you. I'm sick Bashouna... Very sick... I could die soon if I don't take care of myself... Which I fully intend to do! But I'm going to need a transplant soon." She was quiet and sad.
"I knew that... Before you ask how just how I have my ways... I just wanted to know how serious it was. That being said..." He stopped and turned to face her. With gentle tugging he turned her to face him. "...I love you..." He whispered before leaning down and kissing her so passionately that she couldn't help but blush. As he pulled away he found her looking back at him dazed and confused.
"But I thought you were..." She muttered trying to make sense of what had happened.
"When I thought of being with someone else intimately. Even a figure... I got mad. I was surprised by how mad I got. And the more I thought about it the more I realized. I came to work at Kronos Heaven to find a way to repay you. But the more I worked there the more attached I got to you. When I found out I would be working the desk and that I could see you everyday... It made me happy... So happy I did a little dance." She had seen Bashouna act melodramatically romantic but this was different. He was serious... "I realized not long ago it was because I WANT to see you everyday... I even sent a photographer out to find you and take pictures for me." She just looked at him teary eyed and confused. "I know I'm not a samurai prince... Nor am I handmade and perfect like your figure... But I'll still love you and take care of you... I just hope you would give a guy like me a chance." He went on getting down on one knee and looking up at her hopefully.
"Oh Bashouna I'm so sorry... I had no idea you felt this way!" Aimina gasped falling to her knees and hugging him. "What a terrible friend and person I am for not realizing this!"
"No no! I purposefully hid it from you! I didn't think you could ever care for me so I tried to forget about it... But I couldn't... So... Does that mean I have a shot?" He exclaimed hugging her back tightly.
"This is a lot to get adjusted to but... I'll give you a shot if you think you could stand someone like me!" She cried burying her head in his shoulder and smiling. "I have to tel you thought Bashouna... My life is very complicated..."
"I like complicated... It can be very interesting!" He chirped pulling her back up to her feet. "So how about you talk to me about complicated over lunch?" Aimina wiped her eyes and nodded happily.