Dio burst through the mansion doors, drenched in rainwater and gasping for breath. His heart pounded in his chest as he hurriedly navigated the darkened hallways, desperately searching for Ai. The silence in the mansion felt suffocating, adding to his growing sense of unease.
"Ai! Ai! Where are you?" Dio's voice echoed through the empty rooms, his voice filled with panic and worry. He ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, his footsteps echoing through the grand staircase.
He reached Ai's bedroom, the door slightly ajar. With trembling hands, he pushed it open, revealing Ai sitting on the edge of her bed, tears streaming down her face. Dio's heart sank at the sight, his mind racing to understand what had happened.
He rushed to her side, his voice filled with concern. "Ai, what happened? Are you alright?"
Ai looked up at Dio, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She pointed to the TV in front of her, where the words "Game Over" were displayed, signaling a crushing defeat.
Ai gently dabbed Dio's wet hair with a towel, her forehead still slightly red from the playful flick he had given her earlier. As she worked on drying his hair, she listened to his grumbling about having to run through the rain and climb the fence just to ensure her safety.
"You didn't have to flick me so hard..." Ai pouted, snuggling closer to Dio for his warmth as he grabbed a hairdryer to dry his hair.
"Oh, Ai Hoshino, complaining about a mere flick on the forehead when I had to abruptly leave the set, run through the rain, and climb up our fence, only to find you in tears because of a game," Dio replied in a deadpan tone.
"I already said I'm sorry! I was at a part where I was getting mauled by zombies, so I called you randomly because I was scared!" Ai explained.
"Why were you playing horror games alone anyway?" Dio asked, his pettiness showing.
"Because I was feeling lonely without you, okay?" Ai replied with a hint of frustration.
"Where are Ruby and Yumenji?" Dio questioned further.
"I can't hang out with kids 24/7," Ai answered, slightly exasperated.
They continued to bicker and glare at each other, but neither seemed truly angry. Dio sighed and looked down, his frustration dissipating.
"...you're lucky you called me," Dio mumbled, his gaze shifting to the television screen where his character was playing the game for Ai.
"If you called anyone else, I doubt they'd come for you..."
"Who else would I call besides you anyway?" Ai mumbled, her attention now fully focused on the game.
"...That door over there. There's a zombie inside—EEK, WHY ARE YOU GOING TOWARDS IT!?" Dio exclaimed.
"BECAUSE THERE'S NO OTHER DOOR, AI HOSHINO!" Ai replied, her voice filled with urgency.
"EEK, I CAN'T WATCH."
"Then I should stop playing then!"
"No. We must finish the game. No matter what," Ai said with determination, tightening her grip around Dio's neck with her thighs.
"Okay... okay, I get it," Dio deadpanned, realizing the potential danger of suffocation in this position, yet he continued to play begrudgingly.
"...if you're too scared to play the game, then why did you buy it?" Dio asked.
"...the main character sort of reminded me of you, so I thought it would be kind of cool," Ai chuckled, giving her childish excuse, which made Dio sigh but couldn't hide the smile on his face.
"Honestly... you and your thoughts are simply too absurd," Dio chuckled, pressing the wrong button and causing his character to jump into a pit full of zombies, resulting in his character's death. Ai, out of fear, wrapped all her limbs tightly around Dio's head.
"NOOOOOOOO!"
"AI HOSHINO, I can't... breathe!" Dio choked, tapping her thighs to get her to release her hold, and she pulled away, apologizing with an embarrassed smile.
"Tsk... I don't understand, what did I press wrong?" Dio mumbled, his frustration evident as he glared at the controller in his hands. He despised the taste of defeat and detested failing at anything.
"Oh, on that part, you needed to press L3," Ai giggled playfully, leaning closer to point out the button. However, neither of them anticipated the proximity that would follow.
Dio could feel the warmth of Ai's breath against his cheeks as their faces were mere inches apart. He found himself captivated by the sparkle in her eyes, which seemed to outshine even the brightest stars in the Milky Way. His gaze then shifted to her soft, inviting lips, slightly parted as if beckoning him to lean in for a kiss.
In that moment, Dio wondered if the world had conspired to grant them this intimate connection. Time seemed to stand still as they leaned closer, their breaths mingling, closing the gap between them.
"AAAAAAAAH!"
The sound of a woman screaming from the game's starting interface jolted them back to reality. Both Dio and Ai pulled away abruptly, their faces flushed with a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. Dio stood up abruptly, pretending to engage in some exercises to mask his blushing face, hoping to divert attention from the intimate moment they had almost shared.
"R-right, Ai Hoshino..." Dio's voice trembled as he cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "Not that I'm opposed to...moments like this, but please try not to call me randomly next time if it isn't urgent. The director might get upset if I leave the set again."
"O-oh, right, sorry about that," Ai giggled, sticking her tongue out playfully. "But...can I call you again, right?"
"Of course you can, but maybe not while I'm working on the film. I'm sure you're busy with your new solo career too," Dio nodded, his smile slightly shaky as he gulped nervously.
"Alright then, I'll cook us some dinner. Aqua and Ruby must be starving, and Yumenji too," Dio said, attempting to change the subject quickly.
"O-okay, I'll help too!" Ai offered eagerly.
"N-no, uh...the game might glitch if you leave it unattended. Just stay put until everyone is gathered at the dining table," Dio hastily replied, making his escape with heavy footsteps echoing through the silent mansion. Ai couldn't help but crack a smile at his awkwardness.
"Oh, that man..." Ai sighed wistfully, her gaze fixated on the spot where Dio had stood moments ago. She couldn't resist the urge and vengefully kicked her TV.
"Stupid game! That should have been my first kiss with him!" Ai pouted, tears welling up in her eyes as she felt a mix of frustration and disappointment.
"Nghh...now I have to sleep knowing we could have kissed. Ugh!"
Disclaimer: Yep, previous chaps probably have inconsistent names and instances where the cast called dio as Dio, I'll rewrite them or rather fix them since I wrote them while cramming for my entrance exams so if you all can just ignore them for now that'll be great, thanks and love you guys for the support