Okay, so maybe this chapter is a little shorter than the other ones. But trust me; it's important and it's a pretty good chapter. You're going to get a nice little hidden surprise, too. Hehehe! For those who asked for more Tatsuha/Suguru interaction, good thing I was planning it anyway.

--

Imaginary

I linger in the doorway

Of alarm-clock screaming, monsters calling my name

Let me stay

Where the wind will whisper to me

Where the raindrops as they're falling tell a story

Suguru was taking a bit of a break, both from the concerts and from the recording of the new album. He was settling back into the groove of his life, hanging out with his friends, trying to take a breath. He was so sick of being depressed.

Shuichi and Hiroshi hadn't often been in his apartment. Shuichi was looking around with those wide violet eyes now that he was actually paying attention, studying the two keyboards, one in each corner, and the guitar leaning against the couch. A small fan made the muggy air circulate lazily around the apartment, mixing take-out smells with pizza.

Hiro noticed more than Shuichi did, but Suguru knew that he wouldn't say anything when he saw the words Fallen Angel blazed on both keyboards in peeling letters, one with Akuma's name on it and one with his.

"Shuichi!" Tatsuha sang out, slamming the door open cheerily. "My brother is having a fit; something about clothes where they don't belong and sauce on his couch AND his favorite shirt."

Shuichi paled and whispered dramatically, "He found it? No..." He whined softly and hid his face in his hands. Suguru laughed behind a hand, brown eyes dancing with laughter. Shuichi was amusing even when he was annoying, and he had an almost child-like attitude that made life with him quite refreshing.

Tatsuha threw himself down on the couch next to Suguru, just barely touching him. He still could have avoided the touching, shifted away from the keyboardist, but he didn't. Suguru looked at the ebony-haired monk out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing. Tatsuha wasn't really crowding him, it was just that he was a little closer than a person normally would be. It was... nice.

--

In my field of paper flowers

And candy clouds of lullaby

I lie inside myself for hours

And watch my purple sky fly over me

Fujisaki had been putting this off for too long. He needed to go see the man that he wanted as his bandmate, the only one that could play well enough and be the right kind. Maybe subconsciously Suguru had been putting this off. He didn't want Akuma to think that he was replacing him in any way. Because Akuma Seti could not be replaced. He was irreplacable.

"Taki?" he voiced the question to the hunched over figure at the bar, greasy black hair hanging lank in the former ASK singer's eyes. ASK was done and over with, had more or less been a one-hit wonder.

"Wha'...? Fujisaki?" Taki's brown eyes were bleary as he looked the pale keyboardist's figure. "Wha' do ya want? Ta kill me now?" He laughed bitterly. "Sorry; yer cousin already tried tha'."

Rolling his eyes slightly, Suguru ignored the slur and placed a hand carefully on Taki's shoulder. "Come on, Taki. Once you're sober I want to talk to you."

A couple hours later with a few gallons of coffee and nearly half a bottle of aspirin in him, Taki was finally able to focus on Suguru without nearly keeling over. Cradling a steaming mug in his hands, he stared at the former member of Bad Luck suspiciously. "What do you want, Fujisaki?"

Taki's eyes scanned over Suguru's figure in a little bit of wonder; Suguru knew that he didn't look a thing like he had when he first started Bad Luck. Right now his long green-black hair was in a long braid that trailed between his shoulderblades to whip the small of his back when he walked. His perky, sly features held a bit more sadness than they had, something he no longer was able to hide with expertise, and a pair of black sunglasses were perched on his head.

"Taki-san, I am am no longer part of Bad Luck," he stated. "But I am sure that you already knew that. Most do by now. Before I was in Bad Luck, I had my own band, but on the death of one of my bandmates I stopped." He paused for a moment. Was this betrayal, to tell Taki what Akuma had wanted no one but those who were necessary to know? "We released two CDs, if I remember correctly, and each one hit platinum within a month at the very least. I started the band up again, and I want you to be a part of it."

Taki glared. "If this is a joke..." he warned. "What band?"

Suguru licked his lips carefully. This was the hard part. He smirked at Taki in the way that had made the singer want to kill him back on that hospital bed. "Don't worry; my cousin can vouch for me. Fallen Angel."

Taki's eyes widened. "I repeat, if you're lying..." Then he shook his head sharply. "But if you're not, then yes."

Suguru grinned. "I knew you'd see reason, Taki."

--

Don't say I'm out of touch

With this rampant chaos-- your reality

I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge...

The nightmare I built my own word to escape

Tenshi stepped once again into the darkness of the stage, listening to the loud screams and murmurs that greeted him. Everyone knew that he wouldn't speak until he could hear himself think, though. Once it faded into a low hum, he let his voice wash through the microphone and over the crowd.

"I'm sure you all know who I am," Tenshi stated, a smile in his voice. The screams made their appearance again before fading out. Tenshi was in good mood for the first time in months, laughter filling his brown eyes until he nearly burst. "This is my last concert in Japan before I dedicate my time solely to my new CD, then my world tour."

Everyone groaned and he could hear the people nearest to the stage begin to sob unhappily.

"You all know that I do not like to talk in concerts. What you do not know is that there is going to be a new member of Fallen Angel, a guitarist." A confused murmur. "N-no one could ever replace Akuma." He glared inwardly; he hated stuttering. "Which is why the dueling keyboards are gone until Seti appears from the grave." If Akuma was here, the idiot better appear right now. "I think that you'll like the new Fallen, though." Tenshi grinned slightly. "You liked him in ASK. Welcome Taki, would you. I'm going to go backstage and let you mull this over."

Once he closed the door to backstage, people began to scream again. Tenshi gave a small, breathless laugh and rested his head back against the warm wood of the doorway. That was the most he had ever said on stage, and he never wanted to have to say that much again. It was difficult, making convenient pauses for the joyous screams and shouts.

"Hey Tenshi? You okay?" Tatsuha again. Tenshi looked over to where Tatsuha was, warm golden eyes concerned. Tenshi smiled and walked over to the dark-haired young man. Looking him square in the eyes, the singer and keyboardist said, "You know, Tatsuha, I think I was wrong."

"About what?"

Tenshi stood on his tiptoes and shyly brushed his lips against the monk's. "I don't think you're Fallen. I think you're an angel." He dashed back out to the stage, leaving the poleaxed monk standing there.

--

Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming

Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights

Oh how I long for the deep-sleep dreaming

The goddess of imaginary light

Suguru couldn't sleep. He buried his head beneath his pillow, letting tears stain the white of the sheets below him. He really did hate the cry, which was why doing it so much lately was annoying him. Maybe Tohma had been right. Maybe he did need help. But he wanted so desperately to stand on his own two feet for once in his life. He had met too many counselers when Tohma had first adopted him after that mess with his uncle.

"Akuma..." The word was muttered, muffled beneath the pillow. "If I find you I'm going to kill you." He laughed, but it was a hopeless sound.

It wasn't shameful to need help. Suguru knew that, but he had always been independant. Always needed to figure out what was right and what was wrong for himself. It had resulted in a lot of bumps and bruises when he was a child and it resulted in a lot of bumps and bruises now.

"Akuma Seti, Fallen Angel." Sighing, Suguru emerged from the blankets and hit one of his speed dial buttons from the phone next to his bed. "Hello? Valhalla Private Investigating Firm?" "Yes?" "I need you to find someone for me."

Once the call was made, Suguru drifted to sleep and into dreams.

He dreamt, once more, of the past.

--

Once again I cut a couple of choruses. Just assume that I do unless I say that I haven't. Next chapter should be out pretty soon. Review, please. I need to know if I have anything that needs to be fixed, and if you have any ideas or thoughts you'd like to share, send them.