No, I don't own Digimon. I'd be rolling in it if I did, huh? But here's my latest obsession form, starring Takeru. If you find any missing A's, it's my stupid keyboard, and please tell me so I can fix it.
Hurting
A winged figure, slowly melting away.
"Angemon! No!"
Takeru-chan… don't forget that I love you.
"No! Don't leave me!"
I love you, Takeru.
"NO!"
Gone.
"No… Angemon, no… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…""NO!" Takaishi Takeru screamed. "Angemon!"
The dream faded, leaving him as always in bed, sitting bolt upright, covered in cold sweat and shaking. Oh, and crying like the little Hope-bearer he'd been.
"God, you're such a baby," he whispered. "You'll never grow up." He got up and stumbled into the bathroom. In the dim light from the nightlight, he could see a pale, skinny boy with dark circles under his blue eyes in the mirror. Miserable eyes. Haunted.
He opened the medicine cabinet and looked at the row of little bottles, all sleep-inducers, all with his name on them. He took the latest out and stared down at it.
Three of these and risk missing school. Or…
"No, not again."
Once or twice, and you'll go right back to sleep. You know it; you've done it before.
"I can't. I won't."
Pills it is, then. A few hours and you might even sleep. Then again, you might not. You might get to school and pass out. You've done that before, too.
"Shut up. Please, just go away…"
Do it. You know you want to. You like it.
"No!" He threw the pills down and put his hands over his ears. "God, I hate the pills. Stupid goddamned pills. Never even work." He was crying again.
"TK?"
Takeru looked up. "Yama," he sobbed. "Yama, Yama."
Ishida Yamato held out his arms. Takeru rushed into them. "The dream again?" his big brother asked softly. Takeru nodded. "Poor TK. My sweet little angel." Yamato waited until the gasping, choking sobs had abated and tilted Takeru's chin up. "But you were good this time, TK. I'm proud of you."
Takeru sniffled. "P- part of me wanted to."
"But you didn't. See? You're getting better. You'll beat this."
"You think so?"
"I know so. I'm your big brother. I know everything." Yamato winked. "Okay. I'll sit by your bed for a little while. Just until you fall asleep. I'll wake you in time for school."
"That makes me feel like a baby."
"There's nothing wrong with it, TK. You were a little kid and something bad happened to you. If something like that had happened to Gabumon, I bet I'd have nightmares too."
Takeru glared up at him. "Liar. You don't deal with things the way that I do. You'd just sing it out. Don't lie to me like that, Yama."
Yamato looked at his little brother and sighed. He stepped into the bathroom. "Look in the mirror, TK. Tell me what you see."
"You. Me. The shower curtain."
"You and me. What about us?"
"What do you mean?"
"Look. We have blond hair. Blue eyes. Pale skin. We're both skinny as sticks. Our voices are alike… even if yours squeaks," Yamato teased. Takeru couldn't help a smile. "See? And we smile the same. We're more alike than you think." Yamato turned and put his hands on Takeru's shoulders. "Except you're stronger. You can do this. You are everyone's hopes and dreams and I believe in you."
Takeru smiled up at him. "Yama… I love you."
"I love you too, Takeru." Yamato hugged him.
"I think I can go back to sleep okay. You don't have to sit with me. You have school, too."
"Okay."
"Thank you."
Yamato smiled. "What are big brothers for? Good night, kiddo."
"Night." Takeru watched his brother go back into his room and walked slowly into his own. He went over to his desk and opened the drawer.
It sat there, gleaming even in the shadows.
"I'm proud of you, TK… you didn't."
He picked it up.
"I love you, Takeru."
Takeru threw the razor blade into the trash. Warmth flooded through him. "I can do this," he whispered and climbed back into bed. "I can."
Huh? What's that? You thought this was done? Oh, hell no! That's way too easy! Trust me, it's going to get a lot worse for our favorite blond angel-boy before it gets better! *evil laugh*
AJ Archer