Final chapter! I know, I know, it's rushed.

Thank you for reading, all.

I know nothing about the creator of the Takumi-kun series except her name. Fiction, fiction.

DEVIL IN THE DARK
Chapter 11

Despite his brave face, Daisuke flinched when the doctor produced a violin case. He was worried about how Takumi might react to Kyousuke's lack of skill with it. During the making of the movies, Kyousuke had been gently teased by everyone about the awful sounds he produced.

Takumi seemed to have no such qualms, and accepted the instrument with no more than his usual reluctance. "You want me to play?"

"Yes. It's my understanding that Hamao-kun has no skill with the violin, while Takumi-kun does. Playing it may help break your delusion."

The nurse unhooked Takumi's IV, which was no longer necessary now that he was getting fluids and on an oral pain medication. Takumi stood up, positioned the violin and began to move the bow. Every other jaw in the room dropped. A beautiful music had begun, a song Daisuke recognized but couldn't name.

Takumi was not smiling, but seemed contented as his fingers manipulated the instrument. He seemed to be unaware of everything for a few minutes, then when he stopped, the boy blinked as if waking up.

"Well, that was...unexpected," the doctor said, inconspicuously wiping away a tear.

"Baby, how did you do that?"

"That's the song Takumi played at the Halloween party!" the nurse said excitedly, then blushed. "I love the movies." Daisuke gave her a smile, which she returned.

"I shouldn't have been able to play, should I? How did I do it, then?"

Yamagawa nodded thoughtfully. "The mind is powerful in ways we don't fully understand. This is fascinating. You would make quite a case study, Takumi-kun, but let's focus on getting you better. I have someone here who's uniquely qualified to help. Are you okay with a visitor?"

"Okay...who is it?"

The doctor went to the door, opened it, and returned to them accompanied by a slight, plain woman. Surprised, Daisuke stood and bowed.

"Goto-sensei, thank you for coming."

"Hello, Dai-chan," she cried, but kept looking at the other boy. "The doctor thought I might be able to help. Takumi-kun?"

"Who...are you?"

She pulled a chair to sit facing him, and looked at the teenager sadly, but with affection. "My name is Goto Shinobu, I met Hamao-kun once before. I created the Takumi-kun series."

"Oh...thank you, I guess. I wouldn't exist without you." Takumi felt the warm weight of Daisuke's arm around him, and his shaking eased.

"Hamao-kun exists without my help."

"I can't seem to get back to him."

"Takumi-kun, I'm sorry."

"Eh?"

She smiled weakly. "I'm afraid I've put you through some terrible things. I always wanted to apologize to you."

"But you care about me, don't you?"

"Very much."

Takumi smiled. "And you gave me Gii."

She laughed a little. "Faults and all. He's a bit of a bad boyfriend at times, isn't he?"

"Hey," Daisuke chuckled.

The mangaka wiped her eyes. "I heard you playing. You know, I gave Takumi that skill because I always wished I could play the violin."

"I wished that too, during the shoot." Takumi's eyes went wide. "I don't know why I said that."

"This is good, baby! Right, doctor?"

"Very. I think Hamao-kun is waking up."

Frightened, Takumi looked at his creator, who seemed to understand.

"I know you're scared, Takumi-kun. Nobody knows how to be someone else. However many times you wished to be anyone but yourself, I know this is scary for you. Sometimes the only thing you had to cling to was that you're alive. That you survived what Naoto did."

Two tears streamed down the boy's face. "I never told anyone that. I never even realized I felt that way until now."

Wordlessly, Goto stood and opened her arms. Surprising himself and the others, Takumi rose and accepted her hug.

"I don't blame you for anything," he said softly.

"I came to try to help you," she said with a sniffle, "but I think you ended up healing me, Takumi-kun."

Takumi smiled as they separated. "Thank you for this life."

"I hope you feel better soon, dear."

When she had gone, Takumi sat down unsteadily, looking confused. Thoughts were flashing in his mind, unfamiliar familiar smiling faces, a snowball fight with a brother he barely remembered, Akaike-no-Takki hugging him after filming wrapped, wearing a silly pair of pajamas while his mother laughed and snapped pictures of him, singing onstage and in rehearsals while Dai-chan watched over him. He clutched his head, leaned into Daisuke's worried embrace.

"Baby, what is it?"

"I think...memories...I'm seeing things."

"I know it's overwhelming," the doctor said, "but don't fight them. It's you, trying to be heard."

"I'm who you really are, the soul beneath your pain."

"Gii...no...Dai-chan..."

"It's okay, you're okay. I love you." Daisuke kissed his forehead. "Both of you. All of you."

Takumi pressed his face into his boyfriend's warm neck and breathed for a few minutes. When he felt a little more stable and the flashes stopped completely, he sat back and nodded to the sympathetically smiling physician.

"You're doing very well, Takumi-kun. I have another visitor that wants to help, and to be frank, he threatened to urinate on all the beds if we didn't let him in here."

Daisuke laughed and shook his head. "I know who it is. It's a friend, baby."

"Who is it?"

A handsome young man came in, swiping roughly at his red eyes. He stopped short when he saw Takumi, and though he gave Daisuke a wave, he immediately looked back to the younger boy, and strangely, he looked guilty as well as pained. After a few moments, he forced a neutral expression and casual tone.

"Well, fuck. Any chance you're just doing this for attention, Mao-kun?"

Takumi smiled. "Tomo?"

Tomo looked surprised. "You remember me?"

"Not really. Your name just came to me."

Tomo looked at Daisuke. "I wanted to bring Kei, but since you guys went missing, his family's got him on lockdown. I have to call my mom every twenty minutes or she said she'll call the police. Thanks, guys."

Daisuke laughed. "We set it all up just to screw with you."

"I almost believe that." Tomo laughed, but it turned into a sob, and he looked angry with himself. "Fuck. Mao-kun, I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"If I had just kept the fucking part, or not told you to audition for it - "

"Tomo, no," Daisuke interrupted. "No one blames you for this. If you dare feel responsible, I'll kick your ass."

"Mao-kun, I'm so sorry."

Takumi got up and slowly enclosed the older actor in a loose hug. Tomo, who hated being touched this way and was always trying to avoid touchy-feely fans, held him tightly and continued to cry.

"Tomo, I don't blame you."

"Thank you, Mao-kun. Are you going to be okay?"

"I think so."

Daisuke came over and threw him arms around them both. "My Takumis. So many girls want to be me right now."

"No semes allowed," Tomo snickered, and nudged him away. "Mao-kun, Takumi, are you feeling any closer to yourself?"

"Yes, but not enough."

"I have another idea," Yamagawa volunteered from near the door.

daimaodaimaodaimao

"You are calm, calmer than you've ever been before. All around you is warm, comforting darkness, and you feel completely safe. You know there is no threat here, no worry, no sadness. Are you relaxed?"

"Yes," Takumi, eyes closed, spoke into the air of the dim room.

"What is your name?"

"Hayama Takumi."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"What is your earliest memory?"

The boy shifted uneasily in the bed where he was laying. "Niisan...touching."

"What is your mother's name?"

"Youko."

"Do you get along with her?"

"She hates me." Even in a near-monotone, the boy's voice was sad. "She blames me for Niisan."

"Do you blame yourself?"

"I used to. Sometimes still."

"Are you sad?"

"Not when I'm with Gii."

Several feet away, Daisuke smiled. He wanted so much to hold Takumi, but then, he always did.

"Look into the darkness. Very slowly, you see a figure begin to form. It approaches, and you see that this person is an exact twin of yourself. He is calm, smiling, happy with his life and the way he is. Ask him his name."

A short silence. "Kyousuke. He says Kyousuke."

"Ask him where he is right now."

"He says hiding. He's scared...scared of losing Dai-chan. He doesn't want to come out, but it's hurting us both for him to be buried."

"Oh, baby..."

"Ask him if he'll return to the surface."

"He says he...wait. He's changing into someone else. No, no..."

"Takumi-kun, what's wrong?"

The boy began to tremble. "Niisan, please don't, please, stay away, please..."

"Takumi-kun, what is he doing?"

"He's touching me, please make him stop!"

"Sensei, get him out!"

"Niisan, it hurts!" Takumi cried, thrashing. Daisuke ran to him and pulled the struggling boy into his arms.

"Takumi-kun, when I finish counting to five, you will wake up and feel fine. One, two, three, four, five."

Takumi opened his eyes, and immediately pressed their wetness into Daisuke's shirt. "G-Gii..."

"I'm here, I'm here. You're safe."

No one spoke for a few minutes as Takumi calmed down. Daisuke chastely caressed him all over, rubbed his face against the hair that, even minus its usual shampoo, smelled faintly sweet. The elder actor looked at the frowning doctor.

"Any more ideas, Sensei?"

Yamagawa sighed. "Only one."

Daisuke looked at him for a long pause, then nodded. He left for a few moments, and in place of him came a tall, well-muscled man in his late twenties, his serious face full of painful hope. He stood and looked at the huddled boy silently, holding back tears, and said nothing until Takumi looked at him.

"Hi, Kyou-chan." The voice broke. "I missed you."

The boy blinked in surprise. He knew who this was, suddenly knew everything about him. The flashes of memory came in an onslaught, making him wince, but he kept his eyes on Shinnosuke. He needed to, because the sight of him made Takumi believe he was safe, had been before Gii and always would be. The man was looking at him with sadness, but also pure adoration.

"I know you don't remember me, but I wanted to see for myself that you're okay." The brown eyes shifted. "Watanabe-san. I'm sorry for what you went through, but I appreciate you being with my brother. You always take care of him, and as long as you do that, I will consider you a brother as well. I'm sorry I ever disapproved of you."

"Thank you...Aniki," Daisuke teased in a choked voice.

Takumi started. He stared at Shinnosuke, blinking only a few times, and his eyes moved as if he were rapidly reading something. Facing forward, Takumi awkwardly rose up out of Daisuke's arms and got unsteadily onto his feet.

"...Aniki?"

"Baby, are you okay?"

"Kyou-chan, is that you?"

A beautiful, beaming smile broke out over the teenager's face, a peace that haunted Takumi had no memory of ever feeling. The boy's stance and posture shifted into something less burdened, more confident. Even with him facing away, Daisuke saw the change, and dared to hope.

"Aniki!" Kyousuke cried, and ran to him, laughing as he was caught and lifted into a tight hug.

"Kyou-chan, thank God, I was so afraid you were gone."

"Are you okay? Are Mom and Dad okay?"

Shinnosuke laughed. "We're all fine now that you're back. Do you want to see them?"

"Yes. Will you get them, please?"

"Of course. I'll be right back." Wiping his face, Shinnosuke hurried out.

Kyousuke turned back to Daisuke, and gasped a soft laugh. Almost afraid to break the spell, Daisuke went to him and cupped the glowing face with gentle hands.

"Baby."

"Hi, Dai-chan," he said almost shyly.

"Are you really my Mao again?"

"I feel like I've awakened from a long dream. Well, nightmare."

"We're going to be okay, baby. Any help you need, I'll make sure you get it."

"I need you."

"I'm here."

"I know." Kyousuke wrapped his arms around him. "Even when I was in the dark, I could see and hear you. I'm sorry I worried you, and that you had to be Gii for me."

Daisuke smiled. "Aside from the absolute terror, it was a nice trip down memory lane. Maybe we should roleplay more often."

"Because you love Takumi."

"Yes. But I love you more."

Kyousuke kissed him, slowly and sweetly, craving his boyfriend but mindful that they were not in a private place. He pulled back as the door opened, and was let go so he could fly into the waiting arms of his parents. Daisuke watched with a glowing heart, and laughed as he was eventually hugged too, waving off thanks and gladly accepting the invitation to move in for a while.

The actors spent another two days in the hospital, just to be monitored, to talk to a few therapists, for Kyousuke to agree to help Dr. Yamagwa with a case study. He tried the violin again, and was almost relieved to hear the horrible sound that came from it. Unfortunately, news of where the famous pair were had leaked out to the press, so on the day of their release, there was a crowd of reporters eagerly awaiting them.

Wanting the fans to see they were okay, Kyousuke bravely refused to be snuck out the back. He walked down the long hallway to the front entrance holding Daisuke's hand, nervous but knowing this was the life he chose, the one he wanted. The good as well as the bad, the Dai-chan and the psycho fans.

They paused a moment when they reached the door. "Do you want me to let go of your hand?" Daisuke asked.

"No. Never again."

The End.
26 April, 2014
10:43 p.m.