“An End, A Beginning”

Author’s Notes: This chapter fic started out in one direction and, as you will see, ended in a completely different one. I wrote it for the New Years Countdown at the LiveJournal community, Gackt JOB Fics.

“Gaku’s dead, You.”

The violinist blinked several times and burst into a round of laughter. “Okay…Then tell me, who’s the man showering upstairs?”

“What?” the woman asked, rubbing at a rebellious tear.

“Gaku’s fine – he’s upstairs in the shower. I can go get him if you want proof…” he began, turning to head back upstairs. The woman’s antics frustrated him on the surface, but something was pooling below that in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong, so very, very wrong.

Hikari grabbed You’s arm, but the shaking of her hand belied her rising anxiety. “You…” she whispered, “There’s no one upstairs: I don’t hear a thing. And You, I swear to you…”

“This has gone on long enough, Hikari,” You said, shaking her off of him and heading upstairs. “Come with me. Gaku!” he shouted finally, rounding the landing and heading back towards the master bedroom. The shower had stopped at some point while he was downstairs. “Your sister has a poor sense of humor…and timing,” he growled as he strode forcefully across the room and threw open the bathroom door.

Nothing. No Gackt.

No steam, either. He reached a hand forward – unnerved at how it shook as he touched the towels that hung on the rack on the wall. They were dry. Glancing around the marble-lined room, he realized that the bathroom looked as if no one had entered it in a few days.

Forcing down that feeling in the pit of his stomach, You jumped nearly a meter in the air when a hand touched his shoulder. Whipping his body around, his hips collided with the sink’s countertop and he winced.

Gackt stood before him, partly dressed. He chuckled and shook his head, combing his fingers through his dark hair, still damp with the shower. His black shirt was unbuttoned over his jeans, giving an enticing view of his chest and stomach. “What about my sister?” he asked.

You sighed and grimaced, both at the pain now in his hip and at the foolish anxiety that still clung to the edges of his thoughts. “She says you’re dead.” A well-groomed eyebrow arched at this. “Yeah, my reaction exactly,” You agreed. “Come on, she’s probably still in the hallway in a panic. I don’t know where she got the idea that you croaked…” he rambled as he turned to leave the room, pulling Gackt in tow by his thin wrist.

The violinist released his partner once the woman was within arm’s reach of them both. “There. You happy?”

“About what?” she whispered, her eyes wide and confused. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes and was still shaking head to toe.

“You-kun seems to think that you think that I’m dead, Sis,” Gackt butted in. Extending his arms to his sides he smiled, “Ta da! I’m fine, stop worrying.”

“You, what is this?” she asked, not paying any attention to her younger sibling.

“Gaku. Here. Fine and well,” You answered, his clipped words giving away his growing agitation. This sick joke had gone on long enough.

Apparently so did Hikari. With surprising speed for a woman of her stature, she crossed the short distance to the taller man, brought a hand back, and soundly struck You across the face. He stumbled back a few steps as a sudden crying jack broke the woman down.

“Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Gackt started, stepping in between the two. “What they hell is going on? What’s gotten into you?” he asked reaching out to grab his sister’s arm. He missed by mere centimeters as she pulled away and all but collapsed sobbing onto the ornate loveseat in the hallway. Glancing at You, he saw the man was still in shock, a bright red handprint blossoming on his cheek. Sighing in frustration, Gackt placed his hands on his hips and all but shouted down at his older sibling. “What the hell is this all about? You can see me – I’m right here. Obviously I’m not dead. What the fuck—”

“I didn’t want to do this,” Hikari said, cutting off her younger sibling. Pulling out her cell phone from where she’d stashed it in her handbag, she pressed a few buttons. “I didn’t want to do this, I felt so disgusting when I did, but Dai* said we may need proof for you, that you’d be in denial. I never expected something this strong. I mean…seeing things, You…Oh God…” The murmured words flooded out of her as she continued to ignore the man in front of her. Instead, she held the phone out to You.

With utter disgust and exasperation, You snatched the phone from her fingertips and glared down at the display screen. Gackt watched as indignation flitted across the other’s face but it quickly morphed into confusion.

Then fear.

You gasped and looked up from the phone…to find himself alone with Hikari. Shaking, he blinked his eyes and saw the same hallway, the older woman, who still sat crying on the loveseat, and Gackt. He blinked again.

No Gackt.

Gackt there with them.

Then gone.

There. Gone. There. Gone.

“Oh God…” His body was shaking but he felt numb all over. Throwing the phone to the floor, he staggered back and away from the two people – or was it really only one? – in the hallway with him. “Who…what…?” he gasped, feeling the wall press firmly against his back. Was there a way from him to claw his way through it to the other side?

“You, what the hell’s gotten into you?” Gackt asked, sounding absolutely exasperated. Stepping in front of his sister he glared down at the short woman. “This is an incredibly sick joke. Both of you,” he said, turning quickly to glare at You as well. “I can’t believe this; enough already!” He didn’t wait for either to respond before heading over to the phone that lay discarded on the floor. You continued to blink his eyes as he watched the other man kneel to pick up the phone. There. Gone. There. Gone. “I’m sorry he threw your phone,” Gackt continued on his tirade, “but damn woman, you deserved it for this shit. I can’t believe you’d fuck with the two of us like th—”

Gackt looked down at the cell phone’s screen. His hand clasped over his mouth and turned to look at You with wide frightened eyes. “You…?” His voice shook. He looked back down at the display…but in his peripheral vision, he saw the same phone, still lying discarded on the floor where You had thrown it. “You…”

You covered his face with his hands, peaking out in between the long digits, and sank to the floor. “Oh God, oh God, oh God…” he whispered over and over again, longing to tear his eyes away from what he saw then didn’t see than saw again, right there in the upstairs hallway of his own home.

Gackt stared back down at the cell phone’s screen which pictured himself, face pale and slack, lying very, very still. Dead, a voice whispered somewhere. Sliding down the opposite wall from You, Gackt felt his body begin to shake in near-uncontrollable spasms.

Then he screamed. He could see You close his eyes and cover his ears at the noise. And still he continued to scream.

Fear. Confusion.

Dawning comprehension.

Grief.

Darkness.

Then nothing.

*Dai = name for Gaku’s younger brother, the doctor; short for whatever name you want to start with ‘Dai’ XD