Like a Demon

“I can’t believe it! Someone called and canceled your rooms, I’m so sorry! I can’t get another two rooms booked tonight… I don’t know where you are all going to sleep.” Robert stressed, pacing in the hotel lobby while explaining the situation to his band.

Jayne sighed and took her phone out and began to tune out his worried rant.

“Shinya, please let the others know that we will meet you all at the airport tomorrow for the flight. We are not staying here tonight; somehow our rooms have been canceled. Goodnight and have a great sleep!” she texted, knowing that he was already asleep, or at least in the shower getting ready to go to bed. She was completely surprised when he texted a reply.

“What happened, is everything okay?”

“We’re fine, just looking for another place to sleep. That’s all.”

“Die and Toshiya both said you can use their rooms and they would share, and I have an extra bed in mine.”

She smiled and started typing her polite declining, but received three more texts before she could even start.

Toshiya: “Don’t say no because it’s already too late. Our things are being moved around so you have places to sleep.”

Shinya: “Kaoru is already making plans to give you somewhere to stay.”

Kaoru: “We have figured everything out to give you one room to yourselves, and Shinya has one extra bed in his room that someone can use as well. Kyo and myself are now sharing a room, and Die and Toshiya have grouped together. Shinya has a headache, so we let him keep his room. Floor eleven, we are waiting in the hallway.”

As soon as she read Kaoru’s, she noticed that Robert must have gotten the same text, as he was staring at her disapprovingly.

“I didn’t do anything! I just let Shinya know that we would meet them at the airport tomorrow, so when he woke up they wouldn’t be wondering where we are! They did this on their own, Robert!” she defended.

The manager sighed and looked up at the ceiling before shaking his head and agreeing to walking to the elevators, “They’re already waiting on us,” he frowned before leading his band up to where they would be staying for the night.

“So if we have one room to ourselves, and there were five for you, why are you and Kyo sharing?” Mei questioned as Kaoru led them to their room. “We actually only had four, I was staying with Shinya, but because he has a headache and was going to sleep early I moved to Kyo’s room. He’s the only one who feels tired right now.” He answered with a nod as they stopped at the door.

“Shinya’s room is across the hall, me and Kyo on the left, and Die and Toshiya are on the right.” He explained as they went in to get settled.

“Thank you!” they beamed together before disappearing into the room, only to have Ray dart out and hug everyone goodnight and pull Robert into the room to sleep, as he had nowhere to stay either.

“Can you not shut up for ten minutes?! Ray is NEVER going to get to sleep if you keep this up!” Jayne growled after Ray had woken up for the tenth time, because her band couldn’t keep their noise down.

“Oh come on, Jay! Die and Toshiya are just as loud next door! Chill out!” Dex groaned. Jayne sighed and picked her son up and began to sing him to sleep, again, but Drew and Mei both dropped their shots at the same time, banging their glasses on the table loudly. There was no chance of Ray getting to sleep any time soon in this room. Robert had already fallen asleep; he had developed the ability to tune out the noise from the band.

While Ray whined and complained because he was sleepy, Jayne texted Shinya, hoping he was still awake.

“I’m very sorry to have to ask this, but is that bed still available in your room? I can’t get Ray to sleep, my band is too loud.”

“Of course Jayne-chan, just come in the door shouldn’t be locked.”

“Thank you, Shinya! :)”

“Guys I’m going to Shinya’s to try to get Ray to sleep there. Have fun!” she shouted over the three-person party, and left her band to their fun.

“Thank you once again, Shinya. I’ll make it up to you for invading your room like this.” She sighed after he opened the door for her, since she refused to just walk into his room.

“It’s fine, Jayne-chan. I offered for you to stay here.” He smiled as she once again rocked her son to sleep. This time though, it worked.

“Finally… I’ve only tried this twelve times now.” She whispered with a laugh. He nodded but stayed silent as he watched her brush the hair out of Ray’s eyes, smiling lovingly at him as she always did. Never once had he seen her look at her son with anything less than adoration and pure love. Even when he was acting up, and throwing tantrums, there was always that love in her eyes behind everything else. Most young mothers he had seen while touring the US weren’t ready to have their children. They weren’t loving, or responsible, and there were some that he thought should have their children taken, for the sake of the baby’s future. Jayne though, was nothing like the other teenage mothers in his eyes.

There was no possible way he couldn’t respect her with the way she tried so hard, and protected her son. She never really went out with her band, except that one night. She only left Ray when she was on stage, or in the shower, or in an interview, and if the camera was off or it was a written interview, she took him with her anyway. On stage she was always sending smiles and winks his way, or using their secret code to send messages to him that always made him giggle.

“What are you laughing at, Shinya?” she asked curiously, bringing him back to reality.

“I’m sorry?”

“You laughed just now, what are you thinking about?”

He looked down shyly before answering, “The first time we heard you say ‘Monkey Muffins’ on stage, and how confused we were when Ray was so excited to hear it.”

She laughed too and nodded, remembering all of the questions she had to answer. Monkey Muffins in their secret code meant, “I love you”. There were several things that meant I Love You, but Monkey Muffins was especially for Ray.

They sat in silence for a short while before her phone started buzzing. She nodded her quick apology to Shinya before locking herself in the bathroom to answer her phone.

“What is it?”

“Jay, where are you?” Dex hissed. The fact he was being so quiet worried her beyond anything that he could have said.

“I’m in Shinya’s room. In his bathroom right now, actually, why?”

“Stay in there, Thomas is here and he’s looking for you. We didn’t make a lot of noise; I think the other guys are all asleep now. It’s just Drew and Me who are awake… Mei passed out an hour before he came knocking. Keep your door locked, we told him you weren’t staying here but he didn’t believe us. He’s banging on either Die and Toshiya’s door, or Kyo and Kaoru’s. Personally, I hope he wakes Kyo up. That could scare him off.”

“Dex, does he know where Ray is?”

“Knows he’s with you. That’s all.”

“Did you call someone?”

“I called you.”

“No, I mean like security, or something? Someone to get him out of here?”

“No… I called you as soon as he left. Drew is on the phone with someone though, and Robert just woke up. He looks really pissed off too… yeah, he’s calling someone now. This stays under wraps. Right?”

“For now. Thanks, Dex. I have to go tell Shinya not to open that door!” she breathed, dropping her phone and darting out of the bathroom after hearing a hard, demanding knock on the hotel room’s door. She came out just in time to see him open the door and was just about to run to her son when Kaoru walked in demanding to know where Jayne and Ray were. She could hear Kyo’s voice outside the door talking to someone, and Toshiya and Die’s groggy mutterings as well.

“They are right here, what happened?” the confused drummer asked.

“Thomas is here,” Jayne answered before Kaoru could get a chance, “He’s here, and he wants Ray.” She whimpered while picking her sleeping son up and cradling him carefully.

“Jayne! Get out here!” Robert demanded, making her flinch. She knew she was in trouble now.

“I’ll take him, don’t worry Jayne-chan, he’ll be safe.” Shinya nodded, carefully taking the sleeping boy out of her arms as she slowly walked out of the room and closed the door, leaving Shinya and Ray alone as Kaoru followed her out.

As soon as she was seen Mei had her by shirt and the hair, pinning her against the wall and ranting at her in the most rapid Japanese Jayne had ever heard someone use. Kaoru quickly pulled her away, only to have Drew grab her by the arm and slap her. Kyo, Toshiya, Die, and Kaoru were all outraged that not only were the Akuma members so abusive to their troubled singer in such a time, their manager seemed okay with it.

“Jayne, you knew! You KNEW he was here, didn’t you?!” Drew demanded while Die pulled him away from her before he could do any real damage.

“I didn’t want to worry you! I told you before the tour started that he was after him! You knew it too, you fucking retard! Were you having so much fun being a rock star that you forgot my son was in danger?!”

“How dare you say that? We haven’t been ‘playing rock stars’! We’ve been helping you take care of him! If anyone here is irresponsible it’s YOU!”

“ME?! How in the fuck am I the irresponsible one?! I went partying ONCE! I have gone to bed early almost every night, so that I can wake up and take care of YOUR HUNG OVER AND TIRED ASSES and my son! I have been working to write new songs, put on good shows, and tolerate stupid interviewers who want to make it out that I’m a horrible person!

“When we were at home, I was the one who made sure we had enough money for rent. I took that job at the Shop and lost the respect of nearly everyone who knew me, to make sure YOU had a place to stay! My son’s best friend is forbidden to be around him, because of what I have done for YOU! It wasn’t just the fact that Dir en Grey supported Ray at his class concert; it was because of who I am and what I do! And I keep trying because OF YOU AND MY SON! What do I have, Drew?! What HAVEN’T I done that was responsible? Where does my irresponsibility come in?!”

Drew growled and slapped her again. “Don’t make this all about you! You’re such a selfish bitch sometimes!”

“It has NOTHING to do with ME! It has EVERYTHING to do with my son!”

“Just because he’s YOUR son, doesn’t mean WE can’t care about him.” Dex spat, as Mei broke free from Kaoru and pushed her against the wall once again. “You not saying anything about how serious it was getting, could have cost us all two things that mean the WORLD to us! Ray, and you! There’s nothing left for Akuma without you two!” she explained with a hurt and broken tone replacing the naturally angry turn her Japanese took when she was upset.

“She’s right, Jayne. Akuma isn’t a band; we’re a family. We’re a group of people who become one entity when we play, isn’t that how Robert described us? If even one of us changes, or leaves, if it’s Ray, you, Robert, me, Dex, Drew, or Mei, nothing will be the same.” Dex nodded as the band calmed down.

“Where is Thomas?” Jayne asked finally after a minute of silence fell over everyone so that the members of Akuma could re-collect their sanity. “He left in search of you.” Robert answered.

“Do you think he’ll be at our next show?”

“He’ll be everywhere… he knew what hotel we were staying in, and which rooms to check. He had a backstage pass this time, and probably will next time too.” Drew nodded.

Jayne nodded again and sighed, closing her eyes as a few tears slid down her face and Mei hugged her tightly. “Don’t worry, Jayne, everything will be okay. Ray won’t go anywhere with him without a fight, and Thomas won’t ever find him alone… Where would he be that you, me, Dex, Drew, Robert, Toshiya, Kyo, Shinya, Die, or Kyo isn’t?” she smiled.

“I don’t know. I just don’t want to lose my baby.” Jayne whimpered, holding onto Mei tightly as Drew and Dex joined the hug before Robert took her.

“I promise, Jayne, it’ll be okay. No one is going anywhere. Our family stays the way it is, forever and always.” He smiled, and kissed her head lightly before sending her back to Shinya’s room to be with Ray.