Wolf- Has anyone ever noticed how hot K is? He has these really, really intense eyes! They're this dark, deep sapphire blue that are so so so so so beautiful! Hmm... it doesn't really help with the matters of my adoration that he has long hair. I just have this THING for guys with long hair. Anyway, due to his overwhelming HOT HOT HOT ness, I'm going to try and work him more into this fic! Not too much, though. Maybe show a "K behind the guns" thing? Hmm... Oh gods, that sentence could be SO dirty...
Wings- She's at it again... (sighs) We do not own Gravitation. Gravitation owns us.
--
Bring Me To Life
"I'm quitting the band," he snapped.
Shuichi and Hiroshi stared.
It took a long moment before either of them could get their throats to work once more, but Hiro finally shook his head and said, "But you can't be quitting." The silence that had followed Suguru's simple statement had been far too long. He couldn't believe that Suguru would ever. "That would mean that--"
"What!" Suguru said, temper flaring. His eyes were no longer quite so dark looking, but they still flickered to life at the strangest moments, full of fire and darkness at alternative moments. He looked unpredictable, entirely unlike the person that they had known. It touched against the odd words that Sakano had told them about not bothering Suguru for the next few weeks.
"Does it mean that you're going solo?" Shuichi asked quietly. He brushed a hand through his hot pink locks, the sleeve of the black sweatshirt he wore falling down his arm. Suguru looked at him for a second and his eyes softened. He felt all the anger he had had at seeing that music video disappear. Shuichi's face was shaped like Akuma's, though Akuma's was harsher and more pointed. "Because," the boy singer rushed when he saw that his synth player wasn't answering, "I can't see you quitting when you're so dedicated and all and--"
"I guess it does."
Suguru sighed heavily, eyelids shuddering downwards. His finger made a circle on the gray couch as he thought for a second. He didn't want to see the disappointment in Hiro and Shuichi's eyes. As much as the Ryuichi-lookalike hadn't liked him at first, they had grown so much closer after the first CD had been released.
Despite how close they had grown, though, it wasn't very close for Shuichi, especially compared to his other friendships. But it was for Suguru. He may not have been able to tell him about Fallen Angel, but they were close enough so that Suguru had almost scored an invitation to be officially introduced to Yuki.
"If you're not going to be our keyboardist, who is?" Hiro asked, brown eyes wary. His reddish bronze hair flashed in the low light as he bent his head, nails biting into his palms. He was always so intense and serious, yet Suguru knew something about him that even his best friend didn't know. It was simple, and even Yuki knew it. Hiroshi loved Shuichi with every single fiber of his being.
"My cousin, Quatre Raberba Winner, is being called up by Tohma." His features flashed amused for a second. "Even though he's been slumming around Arabia for nearly nine of his fifteen years, his father's forcing him on a plane back to Japan."
"But..." Shuichi began hesitantly, "...You're our synth player, our keyboardist. You're the reason we've gotten this far. You rearranging the lyrics and the keyboard--"
Suguru cut in before the pink-haired demon could sink too far into depression and self-doubt. He was like that a lot, alternating between being hyper and depressed. Shuichi was a lot more human than many people, connected so deeply to the emotions that ruled him. It didn't help that Yuki had the tendency to yell at him so often.
"Quatre is just as good as me," Suguru interrupted. "He looks almost exactly like Tohma-san and is... well, he's a little like you, Shuichi. He's pretty much bi-polar. And bi, but that's beside the point. Just substitute hyper for cheerful and depressed for both depressed and sullen, and you've got Quatre." 1
Shuichi cheered up slightly, but not much. Hiro stayed silent, absently eating a stick of pocky and thinking about how different things would be when Suguru left. He cared about Suguru even if he wasn't horribly close to him. Suguru was part of Bad Luck now. He was theirs and now he didn't want to be?
"Why don't you think of it not as saying goodbye, but saying hello to the competition that's going to beat you?" Suguru offered. Shuichi grew red with humorous anger that was really not anger at all and began yelling.
Hiroshi shook his head in admiration. Suguru had just managed to get Shuichi's mind off of his depression almost effortlessly. He was learning.
--
"Hey," Shuichi said some time later, looking blearily at the ceiling. It was around two in the morning. As soon as the other two opened their eyes, they were glaring. Shuichi ignored them. "How about we throw Suguru a little leaving-the-band party?" he suggested. Shoulders sagged, boys sighed.
"Sure, Shindou," Suguru said, closing his eyes again. The door was opened and instantly all signs of tiredness were gone from the pink-haired singer.
"Finally!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Eiri and Tatsuha are home! C'mon Suguru-san! You've gotta meet Yuki! And OFFICIALLY this time, not just barge in and threaten and flirt!" He pulled at Suguru and the synth player didn't have a choice as he was dragged to the door. Highly amused, Hiro followed.
"YUKI!" Shuichi yelled excitedly, jumping on his boyfriend. Even though he was used to this, Eiri could barely keep from falling over. He had longish golden hair and amber eyes, as piercing a color as a hawk's. Beside him, his brother had ebony hair and obsidian eyes. They looked like yin and yang, except switched a bit. Yin was dark and female, and yang was light and male. Yuki was yang in the way that he was all golden, but he was more dark than Tatsuha in actuality.
"Didja have fun? Whatcha do? Did Tatsuha ever get into the house? I know you've met Suguru, but have you officially been introduced? He's our keyboardist, 'cept he's quittin' the band and going solo. How are you? Are you tired? You've been staying up way too late for weeks! I know you have a deadline, but--"
"Shindou," Suguru stated dryly. "I know you're a guy, but you sound like a housewife." He shoved his overgrown, chin-length bangs out of his eyes and looked at Yuki.
"I am pleased to see you again, Yuki-san."
The writer nodded coldy and looked down at Shuichi. His hard eyes softened slightly. "Tatsuha did get into the house and I'm fine," he growled.
Fujisaki hid a smile. Yuki was so easy for him to understand, because Yuki was a lot like Akuma in almost every way. He was like a fire on the outside, but he was so gentle on the inside, so easily hurt. You had to pick through what he said and what he didn't say. He was so much like Akuma.
--
Tatsuha could hear his brother and the rest talking, or the rest talking at least. His brother was pretty much just letting the early morning talk carry out before he kicked them all out. He himself, of course, was staring straight at Suguru. There was something off with the dark-eyed singer/synth player. For some reason he was intriguing to Tatsuha. There was something about him that caught Tatsuha's eye.
Suguru turned suddenly and met his gaze head on. Tatsuha tried hard to get past all the barriers that were in the other's eyes, transparent or not. They would break, someday, and tears would probably flood out. He couldn't see anything, though. All he could see was a picture of desolation.
'He knows,' Suguru's mind whispered. It didn't matter that it didn't make any sense. It just seemed like this dark god could see right into his soul, down far enough to touch what shredded feelings he had left. Far enough down to reach the cold place he went into when he was hurt.
'He doesn't know,' he tried to tell his mind. 'How could he? He can't read my mind, he doesn't know me. He does NOT know, so shut up!'
'Stupid. Yes he does. And he's going to use it to hurt me, just like everyone else. Just like Akuma, and just like--'
'SHUT UP!'
He didn't know it, but with the distractions of his mental conversations, something in his eyes broke. Emotion flooded them, stark fear and unease. Tatsuha's own onyx orbs narrowed.
How can you see into my eyes, like open doors?
Leading you down into my core
Where I've become so numb
--
It was days later, on Friday, that Seguchi Tohma's personal phone rang. His mossy green eyes grew annoyed as he picked it up. He was in the middle of paperwork. A new contract had been placed on his desk to look after and they wanted him to do it personally. He hated when they wanted that. "Yes?" he snapped into the phone instead of the more conventional answer of 'hello'
"Cousin..." his nephew's voice came out unsurely. "Just in case you wanted to know, I'm going to be singing at The Palladium sometime soon."
The line went dead. Tohma set the phone down, his mood blackening even further as he sighed. 'I would've heard if there had been a 'Tenshi' sighting. So what's he up too?'
Suguru was kneeling beside his bed. His pale hands reached under as he pulled out a small box. Dust covered it thickly, making his fingerprints stand out. He smiled slightly and blew the dust off. The cardboard was rough against his skin as he slid the top off and took out what was in it.
Sighing, the Fallen Angel singer stood up and slid on the black cargo jeans. The silken black shirt slithered over his stomach as it fell down to hang loosely above his waist. He looked towards the final piece of clothing: a white denim jacket. He could still see the dark blood stain on the sleeve from where he had never washed it since... He shut the box and hid it under the bed again. Standing up, he took the Akuma's black jacket from the bed and put that on instead. Crossing over to look in the mirror, the only thing he could think was 'I kinda missed black...' He smirked and pulled a pair of sunglasses on over his eyes.
--
Sighing, Dai, manager of The Palladium, began to lock the back doors to the club. Their headliner band had cancelled unexpectedly and he hadn't had time to find a new person for tomorrow. And Friday was when they got most of their customers.
He cursed as his fumbling hands dropped the key somewhere in the dark. Dropping to his knees, careful to avoid the puddle of water nearby, he began to search. A little bit farther down the alley, a slender boy bent down and picked it up.
"Are you looking for this?" he asked, brushing his long greenish-ebony hair away from his face. The tall club manager stood and looked at him. The teenager was delicate and wearing all black, sunglasses his eyes and and shadows covering his face completely.
"Yes," Dai finally answered. The kid tossed him the key with ease.
"I heard you were looking for a new headliner," he began as soon as Dai caught the key. The tall dark-haired man looked guarded, but he nodded.
"And since you only have a day to find someone, I bet you're desperate. I can make you a deal."
"We only let people headline here that have played before," Dai cautioned. The boy nodded and said "I know. I've been here before, a long time ago. I headlined for a week before my bandmate decided we should stop."
"Wh-- who are you?" Dai asked wonderingly. The sunglasses slipped down slightly, showing a glimpse of an amused brown eye, but they were soon pulled back up.
"Tenshi of Fallen Angel."
The manager's jaw dropped.
--
Without a soul...
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back home
"I have to find... let's see. A guitarist and maybe a drummer. I can do the keyboard myself, and some pre-recorded things," Suguru mused as he dropped the keys on his stand and chucked off his boots. It was Friday, but he wouldn't be playing until night. He began to walk to his kitchen to get something to eat, but the phone rang loudly. Running over, socks sliding on wooden floor, he picked it up.
"Hello?"
"SUGURU!" he heard Shuichi's voice yell excitedly. "Tenshi from Fallen Angel is going to be playing at The Palladium tonight! Hiro and I are going and I'm gonna see if I can't drag Yuki and Tatsuha along. You wanna go?"
Suguru's smile was apparent in his voice when he promised "I'll be there, Shindou."
A few minutes later, the phone was hung up and Suguru was still wondering where he could find a guitarist and drummer. Then he smirked. How easy could you get? Just pick up the little phone and make a call...
"Hello? Ryuichi? This is Tenshi. Could you do me a favor and help me out?"
"Of course! Kumagoro and I would love to help you out! Just tell Kumagoro what you need!"
--
Tatsuha sighed and crossed his arms behind his head, laying back on them. He was on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen. He barely noticed when his older brother came into the room, toweling off his golden hair. He did notice, however, when Eiri asked coldly, "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be back at the bastard's temple?"
The dark-haired teenager looked at him with eyes that were glazed over.
"Eiri," he said with with a yawn. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I don't want to go back?" Yuki shrugged, tossing the towel into a basket. He sat down at his desk and began to pick up a cigarette.
"So? Go anyway."
Tatsuha rolled his eyes, beginning to count the little markings on the ceiling in boredom. "Shut up, Eiri," he said tonelessly.
The romance novelist looked at him with surprise. Pale fingers tapped on the desk as he looked at his younger brother thoughtfully. "You really don't want to go back, do you?" His voice was tinged with real surprise.
"I've never wanted to go back. But I always do, don't I?"
--
(wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(i can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
"Okay," Suguru began, ticking things off in his head. "This is my last day before I am officially Tenshi. How do I feel?" He looked around the park, at the fountain nearby and at the trees that waved in the wind. He listened to the sounds of a few people talking quietly, and apparently, happily. "Like shit," he concluded with a wry smile. His hand ran through his ebony hair, ruffling it. It was so long now. It bothered him sometimes, being so long, but it was right somehow.
"I wonder if I would drown in the fountain if I dived into it," he thought aloud. "I might hit my head and then drown, but maybe not."
He swung his legs, wind making the soft silver pants flare out. It was peaceful here, but peaceful made him think too hard about everything. Including thoughts of drowning in a fountain.
"Excuse me," someone said politely, interrupting his thoughts. The accent was British. He looked up to meet wide brown eyes. He could feel a smile edging at his lips at the utter sweetness that this teenager displayed.
"Yes?"
"I am Hitokira Adoshi, pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm the guitarist that Sakuma-san found."
Suguru's eyes lit up from behind his sunglasses as he jumped from the bench. He looked at the sweet, red-headed seventeen-year-old with undisguised happiness.
(save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark
"I'm Tenshi. Thanks for helping me out. We are the rest?" Adoshi glanced towards the convertible that was parked on the side of the road that was behind the trees.
"They're waiting in the car. They are rather... well, one is unsociable and one is too vain to risk leaving the car and wrecking his hairstyle. Ameran Riku is the bass guitarist and Zakuru Jou is the drummer."
Suguru shrugged and smiled. "Alright. Well, I trust Ryuichi's word, so I won't have to hear you play. We're on in a few hours, though. Make sure to come a little early."
Adoshi smirked before he turned back towards the car. "I always do, but don't worry. If I don't, I'll just come later."
Suguru's cheeks flushed at the insinuation.
(wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(i can't wake up)
Before I come undone
--
Tatsuha lay on his bed still, looking at the ceiling. His father was going to be angry. Not only had he left without his father's permission, but he hadn't come home the next day either. Maybe angry was too mild of a term. Was it so much to ask that his summer vacation be spent vacationing?
"You should just go back," Yuki pointed out, lounging in a chair.
"Don't feel like it," Tatsuha said, pouting like a rebellious child. He hid his head under the light cotton blanket, making his older brother sigh. Tatsuha appeared to just be a lump in the bed, neither hide nor hair peeking from inside the nest he had made for himself.
"I give up," Yuki growled. "I have work to do."
He strode out of the room, long golden hair falling over his furious eyes. Tatsuha sighed. Closing his eyes, he whispered to the vision with dark green hair in his head "Why do you have broken eyes?"
(save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become
--
"SU-GU-RU!" Shuichi yelled into the keyboardist's apartment. He had opened the door without even knocking. A loud bang and a yell that shouldn't really be repeated was heard. "Suguru?"
The long-haired boy with the innocent face and brown eyes came into the room from his bedroom. He glared at the singer furiously, sucking on a thumb that had either gotten bruised or poked. "What do you want, Shuichi?" he asked impatiently.
Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life
Shuichi pouted kawaii-like, looking up pleadingly at his friend.
"C'mon, Guru-Guru!" he said. "You know that Fallen Angel is at the Palladium tonight! Hiro and I kinda wanted you to hang with us before."
Suguru shook his head, smiling. He had just gotten back from the park and had a bit more to do before he could go anywhere.
"Sorry, Shuichi. I'm working on something and I think I can finish it soon. I'll meet you there, 'kay?"
The pink-headed singer looked sad, but he nodded anyways. Adjusting the orange backpack he always seemed to carry around, he headed back out without even a goodbye. Fujisaki sighed and went back into his room. He was sorry for blowing Shuichi off, but he had to do this.
His back slid down the wall as he fell beside the notebook he had. A crumpled up piece of paper with the header of "Going Under" was right beside it. Even though he picked up the notebook and pencil again, he couldn't seem to focus on it.
'It's hard to live a lie...' he thought, sighing again. He tapped the pencil against his lips as he thought. His eyes lit up with an almost unnatural glow as he quickly penned down words quickly, heading towards the keyboard that was in the living room.
I've been living a lie
There's nothing inside
Bring me to life
--
Suguru was getting ready for the performance. As he had requested, the stage was in complete darkness. There were allowed to be flickering lights, but none of them long enough to be allowed to see him for more than a second. His long dark green-black hair was silky, sparkling with glitter. His eyes were sharper, the kohl outlining them perfectly. His traditional "Tenshi" performance clothing was already on.
In one hand, Suguru had a piece of paper. His hand clenched around it nervously, the sweat causing the ink to smear. This new song was perfect and beautiful, but he had never done anything quite like it. It was about someone that he only wished for in his dreams, someone that he didn't quite have yet.
Someone that he wanted to have so badly.
Frozen inside without your touch, without your love, darling
Only you are the life among the dead
He leaned against the wall, the dark sunglasses that shielded his eyes also shielding his emotions from the busy people around him. 'When you're a fallen angel, you're dead,' he mused, thinking about a particular verse. 'The only problem is, this song is a duet. I need one more person.'
It didn't take long for him to figure out who he wanted to sing with him. Shuichi would just be in the crowd, right? No reason not to make use of him, and besides that, the little demon would probably faint the next day at being around such a legend. It seemed like he should have realized that he had been around one for years, but hey.
Suguru peeked out of the curtain at the restless, screaming crowd. The opening band was still on, Version 21. They were some kind of new band that was awesome.
That was when he caught site of a face in the crowd, the shifting face of obsidian eyes and night black hair.
'Tatsuha?' he thought wonderously. He didn't know why he kept reacting so strongly to Yuki Eiri's brother, but he did. That person could see into his soul. It made him uneasy, but somehow it felt right. That moment, staring at the other teenager, was when something clicked.
All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
This new song of his was titled 'Bring Me to Life'. It spoke of not only what and who he wanted. It also spoke of Tatsuha, without him even realizing it. He bit his lip and retreated back into his dressing room.
He leaned back against the door, breathing heavily. Version 21's performance was almost over with, just the rest of this song, and then he would be on. He had always had Akuma to hide behind. He had always followed in someone's footsteps, more or less, even if he didn't like being overshadowed.
There was a knock on his door. He opened it, seeing Tohma there, his falsely angelic face concerned as he looked upon his younger cousin. "Are you alright, Suguru-kun?" he asked, his tone so worried that Suguru smiled just to reassure him.
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
Got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said quietly. "Don't worry, Tohma-san. This is going to be perfect." Tohma nodded.
"Good, because you're on and Sakano is ready to launch into one of his patented hysterics if you don't get over there."
Suguru nodded and laughed, stepping outside of his dressing room once more. "Everyone's here, right?" he asked, tone suddenly all business. "Everything is going great?"
Tohma nodded. "Yes. You're on."
Don't let me die here
There must be something wrong...
Bring me to life
"Good."
--
1 - This is the Quatre before he learned of his own worth.
Wings- (flatly) Wolf cut out some choruses because they're so freaking long. (smirks) Get mad at her, I beg it of you. Maybe then she'll stop making characters muses.
Akuma- (tries to hide behind his black feathered wings) I was made into a fucking MUSE! (growling)
Wolf- (pats him on his head condescendingly) So what? Live and let live, baby! Read and review, kudasai? That means 'please', it's just the way you use it in a sentence. So read and review, please.