A/N: I used a lot of songs in this chapter… If it's possible, I suggest going and listening to them so you get the mood! This chapter… ugh… I hope it's not as much of a pain to read as it was to write. School has commenced its torture, and the only thing keeping me sane is copious amounts of Invader Zim and writing. I thought I already had this chapter half written before the beginning of the school year, but I didn't, so I ended up writing it at one in the morning after doing Algebra2, French3, and an in depth questioning on Pygmalion. :twitches: (Ugh.) So, enjoy the fruits of my suffering! (I wonder, who actually reads these anymore? They just keep getting longer… And I almost never talk about the chapter… hmm… I wonder if I say something really weird, will anyone notice…? … CLOWN TAQUITOS! There… I wonder if anyone notices…)

Also, I got a review asking me to hurry up with the ending... Uh, well... We're not anywhere close to it. I love this story, so it'll be going for a bit. But! To you people who want to see a Yuki/Shu love scene, your waiting will not last too long... But after that, it's back to angsting.

The songs here are "You" and "Evil Angel" by Breaking Benjamin, and "So Far Away" by Crossfade. Lyrics have been rearranged and tweaked for literary purposes.


Chapter Six: Concert

Shuichi anxiously fluffed his hair in front of the mirror. He didn't feel good. The world swam in front of his eyes, and he could feel himself breaking into a cold sweat.

Tsuki laid a hand on Shuichi's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Shuichi smiled. "I'm just a little nervous. This is our biggest concert of the year!"

Tsuki fidgeted a little, chuckling anxiously. "I'm nervous too," he admitted softly.

Hiro stepped into the dressing room. "Time to go on."

Shuichi smiled softly, and led Tsuki off.


Bad Luck was greeted with enthusiastic cheers and screams.

Shuichi stepped in front of his microphone. "Wow! Guys, just pop my eardrums out here! I guess you were as anxious as I was about this concert?!"

A loud roar met Shuichi's ears.

He laughed amiably waving at them to be quiet. "Wow, wow, wow!" he chuckled. "I love you guys too! But… for everyone who loves you… there has to be someone who doesn't," he said softly. "You try to get into their life, but it just doesn't work! So what do you do? Lie to yourself for them!"

Music started up behind Shuichi's introduction.

The raven-haired boy closed his eyes and began to sing.

"My hands are broken

And time is going on and

On it goes forever

So I got high and

Lived all that life

That I had taken all

For granted…

Forgive me

My love

I stand here all alone

And I can see the bottom…

Promise me you'll

Try to leave it all behind

'Cause I've elected hell

Lying to myself…

Why have I gone blind

And live another life?

You…"

Up in the balcony, Yuki sighed softly. He already regretted coming. He vaguely wondered if he could leave now that his suspicions about song dedications were confirmed; but as much as he loathed being here, he wanted to stay and watch Shuichi in his element…

Something he should have done long before, really.

There was also the problem of the way Shuichi looked.

He was pale and looking a little green around the gills.

Yuki huffed, listening to another intro to another song; something about making yourself order to run away so you can face the pain… Crap that Yuki thought he'd only hear in romance novels. Nevertheless, he listened to what Shuichi had to say… Because he was sure it was aimed at him:

"I've been changing, but you will never see me now.

I've been changing, but you will never see me now.

Now I'm blaming you for everything!

No more holding it in!

How many years can I pretend?

That nothing ever goes the way it should!

No more sitting in this place

Hoping you might see it my way

Because I don't think you ever understood…

Never looking back on this anymore!

I'm so far away

I've been changing

I'm so far away!

Now I'm blaming you for everything!

Hey, hey!

Watch me wave goodbye to yesterday!

Nothing left in my way

Hey, hey

I've been saved

With sun shining on my pain!

Hey, hey!

Watch me wave goodbye to yesterday!

Nothing left in my way!

Feels so good to say,

I'm so far away!"

Far away was right… From what he had seen of the black-haired pop star, Shuichi had pushed every one away… Even that purple haired twerp he was seeing.

Eiri Yuki suddenly had an understanding of what Shuichi went through three years ago… If only he knew that he was about comprehend even more….


Last song, Shu… last song… Shuichi wearily thought to himself. He felt his legs wobble from under his own weight and his stomach do queasy back flips. "An angel when sleeping, a devil when awake…" he murmured, tightening his shaking hands around the mic.

"Hold it together…" he could feel himself falling apart on stage. Shaking his dizziness away, he opened his mouth to sing the next line, pushing the music from his throat.

"Birds of a feather

Nothing but lies and crooked wings

I have the answer

Spreading the cancer

You are the faith inside me

And no

Don't leave me to die here

Help me survive here,

Alone

Don't

Don't remember

Remember…

And no

Don't leave me to die here

Help me survive here,

Alone

Don't

Surrender

Surrender

Oh

Put me to sleep

Evil angel

Open your wings

Evil angel

Fly over me

Evil angel!

Why can't I breathe

Evil angel?"

Shuichi gasped for breath, trying to desperately catch his second wind as the guitar break echoed through the screaming crowd.

"Put me to sleep evil angel…" He was sleepy; his body was tired from those insomniac nights. He felt as he would surely collapse on stage… From exhaustion… From lack of oxygen: his chest was tight and he was struggling for each breath. How funny… there was a lot of black floating around, too…

"Open your wings evil angel…

Oh, Fly over me evil angel….

Why can't I breathe evil angel…"

"I can't breathe…!" The singer gasped, coughing violently as he slumped onto the stage floor. He blearily noticed that blood was spraying out of his mouth before succumbing to the blackness that swirled in the corners of his vision.

"SHUICHI!"