"Taku, what do you want to do later?" Mika smiled leaning on Takuro's shoulder, standing over him at his desk.

Hiroshi sat nearby, half listening and half engrossed in his book as he ate his lunch.

"That can't be much fun." Takeshi half smiled as Hiroshi looked up. "You even do homework over lunch.

Hiroshi began writing down a solution as he leaned over his paper, "It saves me time later."

Takeshi looked perplex, "To study more?"

"You have no ideas?" Mika frowned. "None at all? You haven't been much fun, lately I always have to decide where we go."

Takuro leaned back, "I thought you liked getting to choose."

"Not every time."

"Hey, uh-." Mika and Takuro turned to look at Takeshi who had hesitantly spoken up. "Well uh, there's this mansion up in the mountains. People say it's haunted but those are probably only rumors. Maybe we could go and check it out." Takeshi nervously smiled at them, though when he saw Takuro staring at him quickly looked to Mika instead.

Why does he always get so mousy like that? Takuro watched Takeshi fiddle with his handkerchief. He sure was fidgety sometimes.

Mika replied, "well it's something new don't you think?"

Takuro snapped back to reality as he realized Mika was asking him a question. "Yeah I guess. Why not?"

"What about you Hiroshi?"

"Hm? Sure."

Takeshi smiled, "cool!"

Takuro's brow raised, "why didn't Takeshi smile at him like that? He always looked so unsure or awkward whenever Takuro spoke to him. It was like Takeshi didn't want to bother him with anything, or even really talk to him, even though they were friends.

At least I thought we kind of were.

"Hey guys? I think we should leave…" Takeshi began to look sick. His face was pale.

"Why, it was your idea to come here." Takuro scuffed his foot against the floor, looking around. "It sure doesn't look that abandoned."

Takeshi tightly gripped his shirt. "I- I didn't want to come inside…"

"Yeah the door was just open. You think there's some groundskeeper? Maybe he forgot to lock the door."

Suddenly a shatter rang from down the hall.

Takeshi jumped.

"This is ridiculous." Hiroshi began walking down the hall.

Takuro asked, "Hey where are you going?"

"To go see what that was. Probably the groundskeeper or a prank." He continued down the hall.

"Be careful!" Takuro called after him.

Takeshi wrung his hands together, "Hey we should get out of here, it's going to be dark in an hour or so anyway."

"It won't open."

Takuro and Takeshi turned to Mika who was in front of the large entrance door.

Takuro walked up to it, "didn't we leave it open when we came in?"

"Yeah."

"We haven't been here that long." He pushed it.

Nothing.

"Stupid old house it must be stuck." Takuro placed his foot on the doorframe, yanking the knob.

Takeshi stood nearby looking nervous. "But I didn't hear anything close."

Turning around, Mika suddenly screamed, and it rang through every recess of the house.

There was a crash far down the dark hallway.

Startled, Takuro ran through the dimly lit corridor, breath coming out in quiet gasps as he tried not to scream. He swerved around the corner, feet scuffing the rotten carpet.

Further down he saw the forms of two doors, and glancing back to see nothing was behind him, ran for the furthest at the end of the hall.

Grabbing the knob in his hand, he forced it open and was met with a pair of wide eyes on the other side of the room. Takuro's heart leapt into his throat as thunder boomed outside. The figure screamed, and lightning flickered through the window to reveal Takeshi on the other side of the room. Nearby was a half shattered chair, and further away hanging high from the ceiling was a noose.

Takuro shut the door behind him, breathing heavily as he leaned against it.

"Takeshi is that you?!"

The boy across the room didn't respond, and instead fell to his knees, pressing himself against the wall. He stared at Takuro in horror, eyes so wide they looked as if they would fall out of his skull.

"Takeshi?" As Takuro stepped closer he heard him whimper. "Takeshi it's okay it's me." He carefully extended a hand, lowering it for his friend to reach.

"T-Takuro?"

Takuro could barely hear Takeshi's voice over the rain that pelted against the window nearby. He looked around, but all was quiet. He was safe, for now.

"Yeah it's me. How long have you been here?"

"I don't know."

Takuro strained to hear him.

"I've… Been too afraid to move." Takeshi's eyes roamed the dark room like search lights. "I didn't know if anyone was still alive." He suddenly cried, "I'm so scared!"

"Shhh!" Takuro placed a hand on Takeshi's shoulder more roughly than intended, causing him to yelp and tremble more feverishly. "Takeshi you need to calm down, we can't stay here." He grabbed the blond's hand, "we need to try to get out."

Takeshi flinched as their hands met, and as Takuro tried pulling him up, Takeshi gripped back with both hands like a vice, grating his teeth as tears welled in his eyes.

"I already tried!" He gasped. "Not even the windows will break! It's like bulletproof glass we can't get out! We're going to die! We're gonna die!"

"Takeshi stop that! Be quiet!" He hissed, "Takeshi where did the noose come from?"

"It was waiting for me when I got here." He whispered, shivering. "I almost used it, I was standing on the chair, holding the rope. I was gonna use it. I'm so scared. But I saw the window. I got scared again and decided to try using it on the window, but it broke and I couldn't… and I was too afraid to leave."

Takuro felt sick as he realized what he almost might have found in place of the wrecked chair.

He looked back at the fragmented chair, then down at Takeshi. He had never seen him so scared in his life. He wasn't sure what it was, but something about Takeshi being even more terrified than himself made him feel distracted, and in turn calmer. Earlier it had been Mika he was looking for, but she and Hiroshi had gone missing and he had no idea where to look. But now that he'd found Takeshi, his hopes rose just a bit in finding the others. He shook the scene of Takeshi hanging from the rafters from his mind.

"We at least have to try, Takeshi lets go. It's gonna be okay now. Stand up." He began pulling him up, supporting him as he finally began to stand. "We need to find the other's while we try to get out. Just stay close and quiet alright?" He gripped Takeshi's cold hand in his, and lead the way. Takuro cracked open the door, and seeing nothing slowly ventured out into the corridor he had been in once again.

They walked carefully for a good way. Since he was sure the front of the house had been exhausted Takuro was reluctantly drawn to the back. He knew they would have to find some kind of escape along the edge of the house. They just had to. There were always exits by cellars, gardens and back rooms right?

The windows to the side allowed the dimmed moonlight in, and the grey clouds full of rain seemed relentless. The water sliding down the panes cast shadows on the walls, making all seem like it was slowly melting.

At each slight creak of the house, Takuro felt a silent jolt from Takeshi behind him. His grip would tighten, and he would move closer, looking behind them.

Takuro felt crowded but wasn't sure what to do. He felt any words spoken would give them away.

Even though Takuro viewed Takeshi as somewhat of a liability, he knew he wouldn't have been able to leave him all alone. If he somehow managed to get out of this mansion alive, but never heard of Takeshi again, he would always blame himself somewhat. Takeshi had been so terrified he had almost killed himself to end the torment. What had he seen? Something worse? How could he ever think of leaving him behind?!

Takuro glanced around a corner in front of them and seeing the pathway clear, lead the way down. A glint caught his eye however, and he noticed it coming from a cracked open door several feet away. Takuro halted and the door swung open.

They were met with a pale face and two large reflective orbs sticking out from the doorway in front of them.

A yell escaped Takeshi's mouth before Takuro's hand flew over it to silence him.

"Jesus Christ, Hiroshi! What the hell are you doing?!"

Hiroshi stepped out from the room beside them, straightening his jacket.

Takuro glared at him. "Was that really fucking necessary?!"

Takeshi had is face down and pressed into Takuro's back, hiding behind him, knees knocking as he clung to the other's shirt in front of him.

Hiroshi scowled, "You've got it all wrong. I was searching this room for clues on how to get out of here and I heard soft footsteps. I was checking to see if it might be one of you and I was right."

Takuro's bad mood was starting to seep through. He lowered his voice though his irritation rang loud and clear, "What kind of clues are you trying to look for?!"

Hiroshi held out his hand to reveal two small gems and several other trinkets, "Listen, I think this place has puzzles that need to be solved that will allow us to get out of here-."

"We don't have time for puzzles! How is that garbage you found supposed to help us?"

"Listen those monsters don't like it when I get close to certain things in the house, I think that means they're trying to prevent us from using those things to get out."

"Are you insane?! Shouldn't you stay away from places where the monsters come out?! That doesn't make any sense! It just means that part of the house is cursed. We haven't run into any so far in this back part of the house so we're probably close! We don't have time for this we need to get out! Have you seen Mika at all, where is she?"

"I'm telling you-."

CRASH

The three boys jumped as a giant figure blew through the door at the end of the hallway.

Takeshi screamed and his legs almost gave way.

Eyes wide, Hiroshi ran in the opposite direction.

Takuro grabbed Takeshi's wrist and the two fled down after him but turned a corner, breaking away. Feet pounding they ran and ran, hearing the thumping steps of the demon grow fainter.

Please, god… Takuro grabbed a random doorknob and swerved into the room, slamming the door behind them. The closet at the end of the room sat with doors loosely open, and the two clamored inside, closing the doors behind them.

Darkness.

A clack from outside, as the bedroom door creaked open.

Silence.

A click as the door quietly closed.

Lasting silence.

Takuro and Takeshi sat in the pitch black, shaking and hearts pounding. Afraid their breathing would give them away, each sat in near suffocation, trying to silently gasp for air.

After being sure he could hear nothing, Takuro began to breathe more freely, adrenaline still high. Beside him, he heard Takeshi's quieted breathes turn into muffled sobs. Takuro raised a hand in the dark and carefully searched for Takeshi's head, gently patting it in hopes of calming him down. His other hand found Take's arms wrapped around his knees like tight ropes.

"It's okay Takeshi."

That's a lie. Takuro sat in dismal silence, listening to the faint sobs beside him in the dark. Their last sprint had exhausted him more than he'd thought. He felt himself sinking into a rapid depression. His legs hurt. This house was a maze. Things locked and unlocked. They lost Hiroshi again, and Mika was still missing, and if he made it out alive he would have nightmares for the rest of his life. This house seemed to be an entity of its own and yet he was so numb. He tried to remember what everyone looked like just six hours earlier. Everyone was in the same place, and they were bored but content.

Sitting next to Takeshi whose nerves seemed ready to shatter at any moment, he wanted to see that smile again. The one he'd seen earlier that day and so many other times.

Takuro's hand stopped moving.

Especially those times when Takeshi would smile timidly at Takuro, though Takuro had been to embarrassed to admit even to himself how much he liked that smile. Many times before, he only thought he saw Takeshi's quirks as odd or even annoying, though after facing the reality of possibly losing him, found he would miss them. Is the word… Endearing?

"I'm so scared. I'm sorry."

Takuro tensed.

"I'm sorry, Takuro. It's all my fault. All my fault."

Takuro sighed, putting his arm further around Takeshi's hunched shoulders in a half-hug.

"No it's not… We all decided to go…"

"I'm sorry I'm holding you back…"

Takuro was about to open his mouth to speak.

"But…" Takeshi's words came out small, "I'm glad I'm with you Takuro."

To his surprise, Takuro felt Takeshi lean against his shoulder.

"I'm really glad its you I'm with."

It sounded as if Takeshi was speaking into his knees. He began shaking once again.

Takuro carefully fumbled his hand that was around Takeshi's shoulders back up to the boy's cheek. He couldn't feel any fresh tears, but his hand brushed against Takeshi's ear which felt warm.

Is he glad because…?

Takuro whispered, "Why are you glad its me? I'm not that great, really. I thought you didn't like me that much lately."

He felt Takeshi begin to struggle, whether with words or feelings he couldn't tell.

"I'm sorry. It's gonna be okay Take-chan." Takuro turned his head to feel his nose brush against Takeshi's hair, and gently kissed his forehead.

Takeshi wrapped his arms around Takuro, pressing himself close. "I'm really sorry. This is the worst place I could ever imagine to… tell you… I like you… But I really wanted you to know." His voice struggled once again. "I wish we could melt away and disappear."

Takuro felt Takeshi's trembling begin to quell since he was able to be so close to him.

Despite his emotional emptiness at the situation they were in, Takuro felt comforted.

"Did you like me the whole time we've known each other?"

Takeshi's voice was even quieter once again. "Almost. A lot."

They sat in silence for a long time.

He felt so strange.

In this terrifying house, with his girlfriend and other friend missing, where he wasn't sure if even one of them would make it out alive, he felt safe in this one dark place. Knowing another person cared for him so much when he didn't even know it. He felt foolish for not realizing, and empowered at the same time. Or maybe he just hadn't wanted to see it. Mika had always been nice to be around and all those things, but he'd never felt that they were exactly 'inseparable'. At times he wondered if she felt the same way. Two people who kind of liked each other and decided to go out some time ago.

But Takeshi.

He was just carrying his feelings about it all alone. Takeshi was probably too afraid to even hint it to him. It somehow felt more real.

I'm such a jerk. He probably thought I'd shoot him down.

Takuro found himself comforted to know that all that time Takeshi hadn't found him unpleasant to be around or boring.

I guess all I needed to know what that he liked me.

Takuro hesitated, and timidly reached for Takeshi's hand. Each of their palms were clammy with sweat, but he felt Takeshi's fingers shyly wrap around his. He squeezed Takeshi's hand.

"Takeshi, do you think you're ready to try getting out again?"

"I- I don't know."

Takuro shifted further back, carefully searching in the dark for Takeshi's face. He brought his free hand up, brushing first Takeshi's collar, and then his jaw.

He placed his fingers gently behind Takeshi's neck, and moved closer to kiss him.

After pulling away, he could somehow guess Takeshi's expression. He felt the skin his hands touched become warm. Although, Takuro had turned sheepish himself. His voice was low,

"Please, Takeshi we have to try." I'm just as scared as you but you need me not to be, so I'll try to make it up to you.

Takuro felt a warm drop land on his hand, though Takeshi seemed more level than he had since they set foot on the grounds. "Thank you Taku-chan." He took a deep breath.
"I'll try."

"Okay."

Before Takuro could reach for the doors in front of them, Takeshi quickly leaned forward to place a fumbled kiss upon Takuro.

"I'll do my best." He leaned his head against Takuro's shoulder, nerves threatening to shiver once again.

After a bit of silence,

the two made a break for it.

The room they had been in was silent, and entering the hallway they saw rain still pelting against the window further down. They headed back the way they came, knowing it was the closest to the back of the house. Each had a firm grip on the other's hand and they moved carefully along.

Takuro stopped in front of a door that read 'Grounds.' Looking around carefully he opened it and stepped inside, closing it behind them. The two began searching quickly, moving papers and books. Going through drawers and cabinets.

Swiveling open a cabinet door, Takeshi looked up to see a hook, jangling with a small set of keys. "Takuro!" He grabbed them with a smile, holding them up, and Takuro turned to grin but suddenly stopped at seeing the form in the corner of the room, shaking its giant head back and forth.

"Takeshi!" He yanked the other boy by the arm, before he could hardly respond, and dashed out the door. "RUN! RUN!"

The two bolted side by side, each wringing the other's hand dry.

Takeshi got ahead and as they turned a corner, Takuro half tripped and let out a holler. Takeshi looked back to see Takuro wincing in pain as he kept up with him.

"Are you-?!"

"Just run!"

They made it to the locked metal back door. Takeshi fumbled with the jingling keys.

"It's my ankle." Takuro winced. "Ahhh."

Takeshi shoved in several keys, swearing before one finally worked. He heard pounding footsteps from behind, "Come on Takuro!" Takeshi grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the back garden.

The rain assailed their faces and streamed down. The muddy ground and flickering light disoriented them as they ran for their lives, feet slamming water up from the ground.

Takeshi hollered, "There's a ladder up ahead!"

He felt his stomach drop as Takuro's hand slipped from his in the blinding rain.

"TAKESHI!" He heard Takuro's fearful voice scream his name and turned back to see him laying several yards away on the muddy ground, reaching out a hand, hair plastered to his face and eyes wide.

The dark blue figure in the distance was closing in.

"TAKU-CHAN!" Takeshi screamed, voice hoarse and ran back, grabbing his outreached hand. Takeshi could see Takuro's ankle was twisted, stuck in jagged tree roots around his leg. Takuro's terror was plain as day and shot through Takeshi like a butcher knife. There was no time.

"Takeshi go!" Though Takuro was crying, he persisted. "Go! Get out of here now!"

Takeshi looked up to see the demon less than ten feet away.

You were brave for me when I needed you most, I can't leave someone I love behind.

Soaked to the bone, he dropped to the ground and threw himself over Takuro, holding him close.

[end]