Sky & HE★VENS

Nightmares

She couldn't see him. She could only feel him and hear him. But right now, all she could hear are pained screams.

"E-Eii?" She called out hesitantly. "Are you there?"

She felt the cold wind on her skin as she walked through the darkness. This is different from the darkness she experiences everyday, this is the emptiness, despair, and fear that she locked away when with her friends. Only Eiichi knew, and she'd like it to stay that way. She continued to walk through the endless void, until those screams were clear in her ears.

~~~~~

He was shielding himself with his barehands. What had he done this time to make his father so angry? His shirt was already torn rather badly, but he knew his father wouldn't stop there. He saw a stick in his father's hand. Or was that a whip? It was rather blurry to him, his glasses were shattered too.

Then he heard her. "E-Eii? Are you there?"

'No! She shouldn't be here!' He mentally threw insults at himself for being careless. He screamed again when the whip hit his side. His vision is still blurry, but he knew it was bleeding. He looked around and froze when he saw Hikari right behind him. She seemed rather confused at what's going on. That didn't surprise him, he never told her after all.

That's when he saw his father's movement. "Hikari!" He quickly stood up and shielded her with his own body.

~~~~~

She heard another scream and the sound of something falling in front of her. She didn't understand what's going on, but she knew there was definitely two people with her now. One of them is Eiichi.

"Hikari!" She wasn't given a chance to think as she felt strong arms wrapped around her.

Then she could hear whacks followed by a grunt. He was practically leaning on her, but he was also shielding her from something. She can hear his heart beating faster by the second and once those whacking sounds vanished, she felt him slid off of her and fell to the ground beside her.

She panicked and sat beside him. "Eiichi?! W-what's wrong?! Are you okay?!"

~~~~~

"Eiichi?! W-what's wrong?! Are you okay?!" He heard her say.

He chuckled. "If you're alright... Then so am I."

He looked up and saw her frowning. "Eiichi... What was that...?"

His chest twisted. He hated lying to her, but it's been working until now, right? So why not again?

"It's nothing." That was just barely half the truth, because now his father had faded into nothing. It was just the two of them here now. The very thought of that was enough to make him smile.

But she didn't. Instead, she looked hurt. "Eii..."

His eye twitched. He doesn't need to see this. He doesn't want to see this. What would she think now? That he doesn't trust her? That she wasn't good enough for him? She sure had plenty of those when they were still teenagers. If he hadn't been keeping these walls up, he would've admitted a long time ago that it was him that doesn't deserve her. He had to keep doing this. To protect her. And not just her. It's for Eiji and the rest of HEAVENS too.

~~~~~

"Eii..." She was in a conflict. Had she said something she shouldn't have? Perhaps it's best to leave that topic be for now. After a long moment of silence, she heard screaming. She jumped up on her feet in surprise and then froze. The screaming was gone and now it's silent. Too silent.