Wolf- I've FINALLY started this chapter. You would not BELIEVE what I have had to go through! This fic is getting hard to write, because I have original work that I'm trying to get published (I finished a 200+ pages of orignal work). But do not fear! I will get this out in a timely fashion!
Wings- (smirking) Probably, anyway.
Wolf- Shut up, you! Dammit, I seem to be saying that alot!
--
Everybody's Fool
The concert had been killer. The place had been sold out an the people that hadn't been able to go were groaning and sobbing into their hands. Suguru could remember exactly how it had gone once he had gotten Shuichi on stage.
"So Shindou."
Brown eyes flashed in the darkness with amusement. Shuichi had been pulled into the darkness with him, in his world now. The pink-haired demon was staring at him with something like awe in his eyes, which Tenshi was not comfortable with. This was a person that had ignored him as much as he could to some extent, admiring his skill, trying to be a friend, but still... ignoring him. He hated being not being acknowledged.
"You're a big fan, right? I've heard about it from a friend of mine." Yeah. Himself. "I'm doing a new song and I need someone to sing with me. Obviously I can't do it by myself, and you're coming along very nicely. Would you like to help me?"
Shuichi's eyes lit up but he still stuttered when he spoke. "Y-yes. Of course."
Tenshi flashed him a dark smile that he couldn't see. "Here's the music, Shindou. The name of the song is 'Bring Me to Life'.
'Fame is something I'm incredibly fond of,' he reflected on dryly. 'I just don't want anybody to know that it's me enjoying it. Everyone adores Tenshi, after all.' His thoughts took a bitter turn. 'Perfect, tragic little angel who needs help getting back on his feet after his lover suicided. Stupid. So stupid.'
Perfect by nature
Icons of self-indulgence
He wasn't going to get into this. Sighing heavily, he idily scrawled on the piece of the paper in front of him, something that turned into musical notes. He looked at it appraisingly. 'Nice.'
He set it down again and began trying to figure out what to tell Shuichi. That he hadn't been able to make it for some reason? That he was there, but no, he hadn't been able to find him? ...that was stupid. Who didn't know that Shuichi had been called onto the stage? Maybe his car had broken down... no. He didn't have a car...
Crap. Shuichi was going to be mad and that wasn't going to be fun. He could imagine it now: lots of jumping and pouting and waggling of fingers... He stifled a snicker. So what could his lie be...
--
"Why weren't you there last night, Suguru? You promised!" Shuichi said, lower lip quivering. His purple eyes looked large on his face, sparkling with hurt tears. He felt so genuinely that he sometimes surprised Suguru. He hadn't believed that Shuichi was genuine to begin with, but then he had seen that he really was. It had frightened Suguru a bit.
Suguru smiled and said the line that he had thought of-- the only one that he could think of. "Sorry, Shindou. I was there, but I couldn't find you. Tohma called me for something before I heard you sing with Tenshi."
"How do you know that I sang with him then?" the pink-headed demon asked suspiciously.
Suguru rolled his eyes. "Because everyone knows, Shuichi," he said patiently. "Duh."
Shuichi's eyes brightened. "Well then, isn't it so cool! I sang with Tenshi and I got on stage and he's SOOOO cool!" He was practically bouncing. Suguru almost felt bad for deceiving him. And yet...
Just what we all need
More lies about a world that
...and yet he knew that it was better this way. He couldn't let anyone know who he was, know that he actually looked his age and didn't look too young. Know that he was a Fallen Angel, the only Fallen Angel left alive and still bearing the burns and scars of life.
--
Tatsuha was in raptures. He had heard Tenshi sing! He had heard Tenshi sing! He had heard him! He had never thought that he would be able to hear Tenshi again, ever since Akuma's suicide.
Yuki was looking at him like he was in idiot. No suprise; Eiri often thought of him as an idiot. Tatsuha always calmly remarked on how alike they were, even making a few comments about that time Shuichi had thought Tatsuha was Eiri. His older brother blushed so nicely.
Tatsuha looked at the ceiling with obsidian eyes that were glinting gleefully. He had heard Tenshi sing!
"You do realize you're saying that outloud, right?" Eiri asked dryly. Tatsuha stuck his tongue out like a child, too caught up in his happiness. Who knew whether he'd be able to see Tenshi again? He had to keep this memory close for as long as he could.
Yuki rolled his saffron eyes and said "I'm going to the Brat's studio. K started shooting at me again. Are you going to come?"
Tatsuha shook his head. "I think I'm going to dig up my old Fallen Angels CDs and have a marathon in honor of Tenshi and Akuma."
"You get obsessed with bands way too easily, Tatsuha," his brother told him sharply. "Either come with me or get out. If I leave you here, you'll wreck something. I don't want my house in rubble when I get back."
"I wouldn't wreck anything!" Tatsuha protested. His smirk undermined his words, though, and Eiri could read his brother like a book. He just Looked and waited. Tatsuha pouted and started to gather his Fallen Angel CDs.
Never was and never will be
Have you no shame, don't you see me?
You know you've got everybody fooled
--
Suguru was scribbling furiously in his notebook, lyrics flowing from his hand in spiky, cramped writing that only came out when he was in a hurry. His left hand reached up to quickly shove his hair out of his face, but when he brought the hand down the hair fell back over his eyes. This time he ignored it.
Sarcastic word after sarcastic word... what had happened to the sorrow that filled his earlier lyrics? He knew perfectly well, though. It had died with Akuma and left in its wake emptiness, despair, and a gaping hole that he fell into when he was stressed.
"Suguru!" Shuichi yelled happily, waving a hand to try to catch the Japanese boy's attention.
"Not NOW, Shindou!" Suguru snapped, waving him off. Shuichi froze, amethyst eyes beginning to form tears. Suguru looked up for a brief moment and winced. "Sorry, Shuichi," he said. "I'm very busy."
"I thought you'd wanna know how your Quatre is doing!" Shuichi said, tears drying up instantly. "He's really the best, like you said, though he's better at the violin, so we were thinking of doing a few songs with..."
Suguru's eyebrow twitched. Although it was a great task, he tuned the pink-haired singer's voice out and kept writing.
Look here she comes now
Bow down and stare in wonder
Oh, how we love you
No flaws when you're pretending
But now I know she
"Hey, what's this?" Shuichi chirped as he snatched the notebook out of Suguru's hands.
"Give that back, Shindou!" Fujimiya yelped, standing up.
Shuichi ignored him cheerfully and set about scanning the lyrics up and down. "'Perfect by nature; icons of self-indulgence; just what we all need; more lies about a world that; never was and never will be.' Wow! That's nice, Fujimiya! Whassit called?"
Suguru paled and took it out of his hands. "Everybody's Fool," he said quietly.
"Did you write that, Suguru-kun?" Shuichi asked, tilting his head. "It's so cool!" His eyebrows furrowed. "It sounds a bit like Tenshi's new stuff, actually."
Never was and never will be
You don't know how you've betrayed me
You know you've got everybody fooled
'This... is bad,' Suguru thought with a wince. 'I need to put this song on my new CD, and Shuichi will no doubt buy it. And then... he'll know...'
Overwhelming darkness. Pain. Pain... PAIN! Shuichi. Can't let him see. I have to get out.. Get out!
"Hey Suguru? Are you okay? You're really pale."
"Yeah... I'm fine, Shindou-san," Suguru said weakly, wiping a sleeve across his forehead. He could see Akuma's face again, burning in his mind with beauty and crass grace. 'Sorry, Seti... I have to. Just this one time.'
"Shuichi? I have to tell you something."
--
Tatsuha watched the screen of the TV avidly. Shuichi had been late to the recording studio, so he had immediately turned on the channel that had the music videos.
"We have new information on Fallen Angel!" the punk woman said with a light smirk. Tatsuha promptly fell of the chair, much to the amusement of the masses. "It seems that Tenshi had agreed to release the last album he and Akuma worked on together. The title of the album is 'Lilith', and it features hit songs "Children of Lilith", "Black Snow", and "Everything You Wanted". There's also a new song featured in it a teaser for the new CD called "Freaky Friday". It's out in two short weeks, so pre-order your CDs and line up outside the doors now."
Without the mask
Where will you hide?
Can't find yourself
Lost in your lie
Shuichi slammed the door open, his face completely red. He looked like he was out for blood. Suguru was obediently allowing himself to be dragged along behind. There was a wince of his face and his hair, which no one had previously known the extent of the length, was down. It fell, long and shimmering, so dark a green it was nearly black.
"Tell them or I'm going to," Shuichi snapped, shoving Suguru into the middle of the small group.
"I said I was sorry, Shuichi!" Suguru pleaded, tossing long locks out of his eyes. "Really, Shindou, stop being so dramatic."
"I wasn't kidding when I said I would tell them," Shuichi said darkly, his normally cheerful face looking extremely upset. Suguru rolled his eyes with well-hidden fear and looked at the group. Hiroshi, Noriko (who was once again neglecting her Nittle Grasper duties), K, Tatsuha, Yuki, and Sakano.
'On the bright side, two of the six already know,' he thought without humor, trying to see the light.
Darkness...
I know the truth now
I know who you are
And I don't love you anymore
"I had to tell him, Riko-san," he told her, not looking at anyone but the lavender-haired woman. Her eyes widened and there was a sharp intake of breath from her corner.
"What's going on, Shuichi?" Hiro asked sharply. "Why are you dragging Fujimiya around everywhere?"
"Say it, Suguru."
Suguru looked at Tatsuha for a moment longer, meeting the obsidian gaze with his own dark russet one. There was some sign of apology in it, some sign of regret and questioning. Then he looked away, because he had no right.
It never was and never will be
You don't know how you've betrayed me
And somehow you've got everybody fooled
Never was and never will be
You're not real and you can't save me
And somehow now you're everybody's fool
"I'm Tenshi, of Fallen Angel."
--
Wolf- I am so, so, so, so, SO sorry about how long this took to get out! The other chapters were already written and this one wasn't, y'see! Anyway, I tweaked the previous chapters. Anything you didn't like or was extremely lame and unprofessional is now gone. Check it out if you want, but there were no major changes.
Min'na-san, kudasai... REVIEW!