AS PROMISED :D

~Belle

PS Next chapter is already over half done.

I squeezed Aido's hand before I could stop myself. If he felt it, he didn't let on. He turned around and I followed, causing our hands to drop. I clasped mine in front of me before Aido could reach for mine again.

Aika had her blonde hair curled in perfect ringlets, and her green eyes were piercing me through. I fought not to shrink under her gaze. I remembered in previous instances she had threatened me to stay away from Aido.

We're dead. My inner voice thought flatly.

I'd say that's not outside the realm of possibility... I fought the urge to sigh audibly.

"Satoshi-san!" Aido greeted, going over to hug her.

Aika latched onto him and looked up into his eyes. "Is it true, Aido-kun? Are you and Matari-san dating?"

"Did Ichijo spill the beans already?" Aido laughed.

"Only because some of the girls were gossiping about it in the library because you spent all weekend in your and Kain-san's bedroom with her." She jerked her head toward me but kept her eyes fixed on Aido. Her lips pursed into a pout.

"Well I haven't been feeling all that well." Aido smiled. "Kisa-chan's been taking care of me." He threw a fond look my direction and I smiled back before my brain even registered that it wasn't genuine.

"How nice." Aika said in a voice I distrusted. "Are you taking Matari-san to the soiree, Aido-kun?"

"Of course!" Aido beamed.

A ringing started in my ears, high pitched and quiet. I caught myself before I leaned up to tug on my ears. It wasn't painful, but I was unable to hear what Aika was saying as she leaned close to Aido's ear and covered her mouth and his ear with her hand.

Aika can apparently use her soundwave power on one person at a time. My inner was unimpressed.

That's highly... specialized... I thought back, not really sure how else to put it.

Before I knew it Aika was skipping away and Aido was by my side again. The ringing in my ears had stopped, but I could feel panic building in my chest.

"Kisa-chan..." Aido was trying to get my attention, and I assumed he used the nickname just in case anyone else was in earshot.

"Let's get going." I said, not meeing his gaze. "I have some homework I just remembered I have to do."

Aido took this opportunity to resume his flamboyant personality, leaping and shoving my shoulder lightly. "Kisa-chan! You slacker!"

I rolled my eyes. "I would have done it, but I've been preoccupied, genius."

"Don't lie; you just wanted to see me~"

"Unbelievable." I let myself easily fall into the banter, allowing it to distract me from the worry in the back of my mind. Aika's previous threats had been quite clear and I was more than a little worried about what would happen after Aido dropped me off at the Sun Dorm.

There were a couple of vampires in the lobby of the Moon Dorm, but Aido didn't stop to chat, thankfully. He guided me out the door and we started out toward the Sun Dorm.

Aido had fallen a bit behind me, and I was about to stop and turn around when he picked up a piece of my hair and ran his hand down the length of it.

"Your hair is a nice brown..." He sounded like he was talking to himself, so I didn't reply. He raised his eyes to mine. "Do you straighten this?" He dropped the piece of waist-length hair.

"Uh, no?" I replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering." He turned away and began walking again, so he missed me raising my eyebrow at him. Had he just noticed my hair? Now?

He's a genius with everything but girls. My inner thought flatly.

I wouldn't quite say that... I thought, remembering how he always seemed to know how to perfectly woo the Day Class girls on his way to school every night. He knows how to say all the right things.

He just doesn't bother with us. My inner finished for me.

"How are you feeling?" Aido asked me, not looking at me.

"I'm fine." I replied. "A bit tired but nothing sleep won't fix. Which I will, once I get home and do my homework."

"Good." Aido still wasn't looking at me, so I couldn't determine the expression that matched his voice.

"Are you..." My voice trailed off, me still not feeling comfortable directly asking if he needed blood.

"I'm fine too." He answered quickly. "I'll come and see you if I'm not."

"Don't let it get bad."

"I won't."

The conversation was awkward, both of us not wanting to get into it too much but both of us wanting to assure ourselves of the other's health. It felt more superficial and obligatory than anything else. My heart sank a little at the thought. I glanced at Aido's back and my eyes trailed down to his hand, the desire to simply hold it washing through me. I stuffed my hands into my sweatpants pockets to stop myself.

"So how long have you, Masa-san, and Takahashi been friends?"

I stopped dead, a bit shocked at the question. "Akane since my first day here. We were beside each other in class because of the alphabetical order of our last names. And Rei was a bit later, he sat with us at lunch one day and it just became tradition."

Aido nodded thoughtfully. "Your turn."

"What?"

"You can ask me a question."

"Oh. Okay. How long have you and Aika been friends?"

"Ahh, she moved here last year, and has interacted with me frequently. Besides, she's beautiful, I'm beautiful, it just makes sense that we're friends." He winked and stuck his tongue out at me. I rolled my eyes again, my heart settling a little further down.

"That was quite possibly the most superficial thing I've ever heard."

"You asked!" Aido cackled.

"That I did." I grumbled, facing forward again. "That I did."