Thanks to everyone that reviewed! I'm sorry that I can't answer everyone personally, but I have to try and tackle the Evil Algebra. Why do I yearn for college again? Oh. Yeah. The studying abroad in Japan. Anyway, I'll check out that nifty little reply button next chapter, if you review... Tempting, no?
Anyway, this chapter is featuring a great deal more of Taki, probably the only one with this much of him in the whole fic. I want everyone to see why he was chosen to be in Fallen Angel-- other than the fact that I think he's hot, in a kinda unhinged way. BTW, I got the Gravi novel and it was so totally great! Sorry-- blonde moment. Which is odd, considering the fact my hair is very pretty brown colors. Huh.
--
Hello
Playground schoolbell rings... again
Rainclouds come to play... again
The taste of euphoria was heavy in the air as Suguru finished one of the last songs on the new album. Soon they would be done and this whole nerve-wracking experience would be over. Fortunately, Noriko-chan was once more busy with her own band and had stopped butting in on Suguru's.
"Hey, Taki-san?" the dark-haired teen asked his brooding bandmate, pulling off his headphones.
The former ASK member's dark eyes drew to his questioningly, obviously pulling the other young man out of his almost constant state of brooding. Suguru smiled the smile that was so similar to his cousin's when he wanted it to be, and Taki flinched.
"Did you ever wonder why I wanted you to be a Fallen, especially when your first choice isn't to play guitar?" The soft words belayed the smile that held just an inch of practiced coolness in it.
Taki shrugged. "By that point, I was more interested in the fact that I had a band again." He looked away, uncomfortable. 'It probably hurt,' Suguru mused. 'In certain bands, like Shindou's and Aizawa's, bandmates are closer than family.'
The keyboardist shook his head to fling away the thoughts, freeing a strand of long hair from where it had gotten caught in his sunglasses. "You raped Shindou Shuichi."
The dark eyes flew to his once again, furious this time. "It seems like that would be more of a reason not speak to me," he bit out. He began to pack away his guitar in short, jerking motions.
"Exactly. You did something wrong and horrible and sick. I wouldn't let just anyone join this, not permanently. To be a Fallen Angel you have to be completely and totally fucked in the head." He laughed as he headed for the door, turning to look back over his shoulder at the confused man. "And... Seti-kun would have liked you." Taki caught a hint of a wistful smile as the singer turned once more and left the room. "I want you to write a song for the new album!" came the voice, drifting back to meet with Taki's ears. "You're Fallen now, angel or no."
--
Has no one told you she's not breathing?
Hello, I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to
Hello
Aizawa Taki was insane. Everyone knew that. It really didn't seem like a reason to hire him, which proved that Fujisaki Suguru was even more crazed than him, though he hid it better. Well, it wasn't Taki's place to judge if someone wanted to do something for him for free. Handouts were fine as long as he would eventually be able to one-up the person giving them to him, or he respected the person giving them. He respected Tenshi, but he didn't even particularly like Fujisaki Suguru.
Taki didn't trust anyone, especially people that tried to help him. Especially when they obviously hadn't thought about him when they had called his former teammates in to work on the CD with them. Taki wasn't going to have to see them if he didn't want; Fujisaki certainly wasn't going to, not as anyone other than Tenshi at least.
Still... Taki supposed that Fujisaki was right. He was a Fallen Angel now, part of Tenshi and Akuma's band even though Akuma was missing.
Just the thought of it gave him a thrill.
--
Suguru was felt like the walls were closing in. It was a mental thing, not a physical one, since he wasn't by any means claustrophobic. His eyes flicked to the window as he pondered escaping. When cousin Tohma, Noriko, and Ryuichi-- all of Nittle Grasper-- were on the warpath, you were bound to feel like screaming.
"I gave you the ultimatum, Suguru. What's your answer?" Tohma asked, voice full of steel. He looked like such a frail man until he spoke. Or until you looked at his somewhat flamboyant clothing, for that matter.
Suguru blinked. "The same as it will always be, cousin. No. Until I'm ready, it won't be any use anyway."
"But Suguru-kun!" Ryuichi whined. "Tohma said that Kumogaro said that you really needed to and that I should bother you! I don't want to bother you!"
Tohma flushed as Noriko began to giggle.
If I smile and don't believe
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream
Don't try to fix me; I'm not broken
Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can hide
Don't cry
"Suguru-kun!" Tatsuha called out from the doorway. Tohma's eyes narrowed as Suguru flinched slightly. "I'm back. Eiri has a deadline again and he started screaming. I think that Shuichi went crying to Hiro; I certainly couldn't help him, and--" He was now in view in all three of Nittle Grasper. "Hi."
"Hello, Tatsuha," Noriko said, grinning predatorily. Tatsuha involuntarily took a step back. Suguru hid his head in his hands, dark locks of hair spilling through his fingers. This was great, just great. Maybe in the next few minutes Akuma would show up and tell everyone just what it was like to die. That would be icing on the cake.
"What exactly is going on here?" Tohma asked, voice hostile as he looked between Suguru and Tatsuha. Ryuichi laughed and waved one of Kumogaro's paws. "I know! But Kumogaro made me promise not to tell."
'And then he would tell me why he saw fit to hide from me for so long. And then I could kill him, slowly, because he was such an idiot. And then, of course, I would have to stitch him up and tell him how much I missed him. And then--'
"I'm sure that Kumogaro wouldn't mind if you told me," Tohma said coaxingly, putting a hand on Tatsuha's shoulder when he tried to slink away. "Kumogaro and I are friends, aren't we?"
Ryuichi shook his head fervently, making his messy hair fly. "Kumogaro likes you, but Kumogaro's angel needs me and I'd do anything to protect him."
"He isn't going to give up, Suguru," Noriko offered, smirking. Suguru lifted his head slightly. "Doesn't matter. Now he's focused on something else at least. He won't stop me from looking now."
"Suguru!" Tohma barked. "Tell me!"
"Suguru, I'm feeling the urge to leave," Tatsuha warned. "Right now, in fact. Possibly puncturing tires as I go to make sure I'm not followed."
"It might not be a bad idea," Suguru muttered. "Can I go with you?"
"Sure. Got a knife for the tires?"
Suguru smiled slightly. "None that can be used for tires."
"Damn."
"Guess I'll have to tell him then." Suguru turned to his seething cousin. "Tohma, Tatsuha and I..."
"They're going out, for lack of better term!" Noriko said cheerfully. "Isn't it absolutely adorable!" She mussed Tatsuha's hair playfully. "Tatsuha is part of your family in two different ways now, Tohma! Maybe they'll find a way to have children, and then you would have a little Uesugi running around. Or Fujisaki. I'm not sure about the terms of their engagement. Maybe one of each?"
Tatsuha blinked. "Now that's a Shuichi comment if I ever heard one."
Suguru began to firmly push a stunned Tohma and a laughing Noriko and Ryuichi out the door. "Goodbye, cousin. See you tomorrow. I'll talk to you about this soon. Goodbye, Noriko. Bye, Ryuichi. I'll call you about lunch later. I'm sorry for ending this visit so abruptly. Buh-bye."
The spew of words ended the second the door slammed shut as Suguru began to thank the gods. Tatsuha sighed. "That was awkward."
"Really? I didn't notice."
Tatsuha laughed. "C'mere." Suguru stepped into his arms gratefully. "Thank you." He breathed against Tatsuha's neck, the fingers of one hand tangling with his hair. "For what?" Tatsuha asked softly. Suguru smiled against the monk's warm skin. "For saving me."
--
The next day, Suguru was in the studio again and hiding from Tohma as best he could despite being in the same building as the man. Taki was off brooding in some corner, of course, and Shuichi's loud voice could be heard from three floors below, as could gunshots. Suguru was now very glad that K was no longer his manager, though he missed having Sakano around so much. Sakano was, of course, his producer again. He had been with the original Fallen Angel, but not officially. Tohma had been so busy in those days that Sakano had needed to do most of the work. Now he was more or less in that position again, but he wasn't around as much because of Bad Luck.
"Fujisaki Suguru?" a man asked the slight teenager through the murmur of the others' voices. Taki was recording right now and Suguru was watching with Tatsuha, who had come to watch out of lack of anything better to do.
"Yes?" Suguru asked, tilting his head in invitation. Then his eyes brightened. It was the man from Valhalla.
"We found him," the man said briskly, taking a small package out of his suit. He was an imposing man, about a foot or more taller than Suguru. He was even more imposing than K, who usually just seemed trigger-happy rather than frightening, like the typical American. "He sent this back."
Suguru took the package and opened it curiously, the crinkle of bubble-wrap and paper the only sound as the technicians all stared at him. There was a piece of paper folded around what looked to be a CD. Suguru unfolded the paper carefully but all it said was: It's yours, kid. I love you. The CD was labeled: My Last Breath.
Taking a shuddering breath, Suguru shoved the CD at one of the tech staff. "Play it," he ordered hoarsely, eyes veiled by his sunglasses. What Tatsuha could see of them showed stark terror. Then the music played.
It took a few minutes, all of the technicians ignoring as Taki's increasingly irate voice shouted in their ears. There was a silence as they turned to Suguru, whose face was white as his fingers traced slowly over the underside of one of his arms along the puckered scar. His eyes closed as the last notes disappeared and the world faded to black.
Without noise, without confusion, and without Akuma Seti's voice condemning him without even meaning to.
Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping
Hello, I'm still here
All that's left of yesterday
--
Please excuse me if I repeat the Tourniquet line: I want to die! I'm SO sorry that this took so long, but I was in Conneticut for a week visiting my sister, and my dog is for some reason barking at me every time I move away from sitting next to her, not to mention I have a cold, and-- no excuses. I'm sorry. Given the cliffhanger, I'm give you more next time. I'll hold up to my promise about the cool new reply button if you reply. Bringing up the point of how new IS that thing? I haven't even been paying attention to the updates... Two more chapters left, and maybe an epilogue if I need it!