Japan

Mikuo's breath shuddered when Ai cleaned the cut. God-freaking-damn, that stung! He bit his lip, holding back whatever swear words he had been going to say. Mikuo had a rather impressive volcabulary, it had to be said, although some of them were just plain inappropriate to use out loud. Especially in front of Ai.
"I...I couldn't do that, Ai-chan. I'll sleep here. You need you bed. In fact, I'd rather not impose on you at all by staying here...", he said quickly, not wanting to put his friend to any trouble.
"I...I'm sorry I didn't tell you. This is why I didn't want to talk about it this morning. And why I wanted to meet you after school, so no one else would see...I'm sorry you had to...", Mikuo stared at his knees as he spoke. He couldn't get Ai's terrified look out of his mind. That was almost as painful as the wounds themselves, seeing that kind of reaction to them. Even though Mikuo couldn't think of any other possible reaction to them...

When he was done wrapping it, Ai shifted his body to where he stood infront of Mikuo. He gently set one of his fingers on Mikuo's chin, to lift his head up and force him to look at the rabbit boy, and afterwards taking his hand away.

"I'm not the hurt one here. If you sleep on the couch, there's a 50-50 chance you might fall, same for me if I slept there, but it'd be more dramatic if you fell. I can get back up and go back to sleep, but when it comes to you, I'm scared you might hit a wound or something and wouldn't be able to get up." He said softly.

Ai wrapped his arms around Mikuo and lifted him up, which took a bit of strength away from Ai considering he wasn't that strong. "Lift your leg in the mean time," he ordered as he got on his tippy toes to wrap his arm around Mikuo's shoulder. "Now lean on me. I'll take you to my room, and then I'll get you something to eat if you're hungry at all."

I've already lost my appetite, he thought to himself.

Guiding Mikuo to his room, hopefully doing what Ai ordered him to do to help, he made his way to his room and set Mikuo on the bed. "Relax. I have books and stuffed cats and dogs and different animals if you like them. Sorry if my room..is a bit...um..girly." He apologized.


Thing is, his room did resemble that of a teenage girl's fan obsession. Ai had different posters of characters from shows all over his room, along with different Japanese band posters. Stuffed animals lined the shelves he had in his room, along with varieties of books under them, and his bed sheet had a picture of a chibi cat head on it, kind of resembling Hello Kitty in a way. "and also..as you can see..I really like cats," he stated with a brief chuckle, though he began blushing. He didn't really enjoy others seeing his room, considering he gets embarrassed easily.

"I'll..go..I'll go make tea or food or something," he said quickly, covering his lips timidly with his hand as he turned and rushed out the door, leaving the bedroom door open though as he headed to the kitchen and began cleaning dishes to fix up some food, putting his froggy apron back on in which he always wore in the kitchen.

When Ai left, Mikuo glanced about the room, the many stuffed animals and posters making him uncomfortable. It felt like they were staring at him, but that was probably just him being paranoid. He certainly wasn't sure what to make of Ai's supposed cat obsession. Was that connected with Ai liking him? Or was it just Ai being...well, Ai? There was really no other way to describe the kid.
He couldn't help but feel that all this kindness was undeserved though. He hadn't done anything to deserve it, and he wasn't sure what to think of the idea that the Rabbit (or anyone, really) truly cared enough for him to do this anyway.
He had always been told that no one would ever care for him.
Sitting here though, in Ai's room...he was starting to doubt that theory.

(Sorry. I just have to post something funny for a moment. I feel very amused this morning. XD)

While Ai cleaned, he hummed to a tune in which he had stuck in his head from hearing it blare on the radio every day, supposedly the song "I Kissed a Girl" which was getting quite annoying on his terms, but he couldn't refrain from singing it or humming it. It was like a hummingbird zooming around his head everyday.


The rabbit boy finished with the dishes, hopping to a cabinet to grab an Earl Grey teabag box, though as he fixed up everything, he began actually singing the lyrics, but oddly, they were remixed into Ai's own, though he sang it quite quietly hoping Mikuo didn't hear, considering how well cats and dogs' hearing is.

"I kissed Mikuo and I liked it.~" He sang under his breath, but he stopped, trying to think of something to add. Ai frowned as his mind went blank, and ended up frustratingly groaning. "I need the next lyrics, so, wait. What if Mikuo wears chapstick.." he murmured, and he started giggling. "Probably tuna flavored, if that."

"But if I said 'taste of tuna chapstick', that's kind of silly," he thought over again as he leaned against the wall of the kitchen as he watched the boiling water, preparing tea. Ai's eye twitched. "What am I saying? I feel like some teenage fangirl!" He scolded himself, though a bit too loud. He slapped his hands against his mouth and murmured something, but it was muffled against his skin.

Hope he didn't hear that, he thought.

"But who cares," he whispered. "Not like anyone is watching me or anything, so I can just sing all the way.~" Ai crooned to himself, continuing with the lyrics in which he had stuck in his head, tweaking every word now and then to include Mikuo in it, or anything about white cats with green eyes, until the water began boiling over. He quickly turned it off and let the water sit for a moment, before dumping it in a cup, putting it on a tray, setting in the Earl Grey teabag, and happily and bubbly walked over to his room.

"Here you go, my dear Mikuo!~ Earl Grey tea especially made with love from Ai!" He exclaimed happily. Under his breath, he caught himself singing that song again, though he ignored it and pulled a small table over to the bed and set the tray on it. He turned so depressed to so happy all of a sudden, so it was kind of a weird predicament for the rabbit boy.

"God, I can't get that song out of my head," he grumbled, and then looked to Mikuo. "Have you ever got songs stuck in your head, because idiots constantly play it over and over?" Ai asked to him as he sighed. "The song I have stuck in my head is by this some girl in America named Katy Perry, and thus resulting in me constantly singing her stupid song I Kissed M- I mean, the song 'I Kissed a Girl'."

Thank god I caught myself.

"I know what you mean. That happens all the time with me. I don't sing though. I'm pretty crap at it.", Mikuo had heard Ai's singing from here, though he hadn't really picked up the words. Though from what he had been able to tell, the kid was pretty good.
"You don't have to do all this for me you know. It'll get you into trouble, and I don't want that...", he continued, rubbing his arm, where there were quite a few painful bruises. As much as he appreciated everything Ai was doing for him, he didn't like the idea that the boy was going to so much bother for his sake. It just didn't feel right to him, that someone was looking out for him, when up 'till now, he'd always been alone. He also didn't like having to rely on others for that same reason.

Ai blinked, and he frowned. "I thought you'd understand by now." The rabbit boy rolled his eyes, sitting on the bed next to him and staring at him like a Great Horned Owl. "I really, really thought you'd understand. Mikuo, this doesn't bother me in any way. In fact, I enjoy helping you, because then I know I'm helping someone in pain, so knock it off with the pity talk, because it's starting to really hurt me more than physical pain. It won't get me in trouble, Mikuo. You don't have to constantly worry, and I want to do this."

The rabbit boy rose his voice a bit. "I'm helping you because I never got help in my life. I want to feel the satisfaction of knowing, how it feels, to make someone else happy, which makes my heart overjoyed."

"Even if I do get in trouble though, I don't care one bit of my life." He said seriously.

"...alright. I'll stop this. Still don't like it, but I won't complain anymore.", Mikuo said after a long pause. He dropped his gaze to the floor, not because Ai was making him feel uncomfortable, simply out of habit. He had always felt he had to do this, to stop staring at someone after a few seconds. His uncle had always treated that as a sign of defiance. Something which would always be punished.
"Heh...this is why I called you insane. Not caring about yourself, willing to give up everything for someone you don't even know...but...it also makes you unique, and it makes you a good person. And it's the reason I like you, Ai-chan.", he said as he shifted slightly closer to the Rabbit, leaning his head on his shoulder.

Ai grinned. "So be it; I'm the insane bunny rabbit, and I'm glad to be. We've all got our unique flaws, right?" He chuckled softly as he looked down at Mikuo whom was leaning on his shoulder. He crooned softly down at the cat boy.

"Just relax and let go of the tension you feel for awhile." Ai used his other hand, since Mikuo was leaning on his shoulder, and began softly petting Mikuo's head. "If you keep getting stressed out, that's not good for your soul and your body. I heard that stress can even cause fevers, and slow down the healing of wounds."

Ai looked down at Mikuo, though his eyes were soft, trying to get rid of the worry. "It makes my heart drop whenever I see you in pain or stressed out, but I can't blame you for anything. It's all because of the influence..of those, those cold blooded people, but, I'm hoping I can change that." He said with a warming smile as he continued stroking Mikuo's white, soft hair.

The rabbit boy closed his eyes and his breathing reduced to a simple, soft breath that was nearly inaudible. His muscles turned to a dead weight, relaxing all the built up worry and tension, and he was fairly happy having the cat zodiac right next to him.

"Thank you," he coo'd. "for saying you won't complain, though I can understand why you don't like it. If I was in the same predicament, I'd probably act the same."

"M'kay...love you..."
Mikuo yawned, the combination of Ai talking to him, and stroking his hair, coupled with how weak he was feeling(due to his almost-choking, and then the blood loss), was making him sleepy. He leaned further in to Ai, and hugged the boy's arm, trying to keep himself awake. It wasn't really working, and he felt his eyes get heavy.
"...I'm tired...you're comfy, Ai-chan...", he murmured sleepily, sounding oddly childlike. He only ever did that when he was tired, and it tended to remind people that, in the end, Mikuo Sohma was still a kid.

((D'aww!))

Ai had to refrain from giggling, considering how adorable Mikuo appeared at the moment, and his voice made him melt. He sounded like, like one of the kids he helped at the daycare center whenever they got drowsy. His face turned a rosey pink when Mikuo said he loved him, but he didn't care; he was overjoyed at the moment.

Continuing in petting Mikuo's head, though more gradual and spiritual, he sighed quietly. "Yeah. I'm like your personal pillow now, I see," he said in a coo, more in the form of a quiet sing-song lullaby intonation. "You remind of a sleepy toddler," he crooned, and chuckled quietly at the end of his sentence. "it's adorable."

In all honesty, Ai was starting to become drowsy, too, but he had enough strength to keep himself awake. "Love you too, Mikuo-chan," he whispered, his mouth twitching into the fraction of a faint smile.