Like a Demon

A few days had passed since Thomas visited the hotel, and things were finally starting to calm down. Ray wasn’t under constant security watch, Jayne was able to sleep without waking up and checking on him every few minutes, and the problems between Dir en Grey and Akuma’s members had been for the most part resolved. There was still a bit of tension, but that was filed safely under tour stress.

“You like her, more than just a friend Shinya, I can see it!” Toshiya teased as he, Die, and the now-blushing drummer sat at a bar together. Kaoru had chosen to stay behind at the hotel, tired from the night’s show, and Kyo wasn’t allowed to attend another drinking night, since he wasn’t drinking anymore. Jayne refused to go, and stayed with her son who was running a fever, and her band members all agreed with her, throwing a slumber party in Jayne and Ray’s room to make him feel better.

“She is a very nice woman,” he defended, trying to play off the subject and hopefully let the bassist and guitarist get bored and move on.

“You have been trying to get her attention since the night you met her! I saw that smile of yours when she hugged you after finding Ray. Don’t lie to us! Just admit it so we can set you up!” Die pushed with a laugh, nudging his friend as another round of drinks was set down, though Shinya was still on his first, and hardly half way through when the other two started their second.

“No, I don’t need your help. If she feels the same way, we’ll know.” He sighed.

“And Kyo? What if he makes the move before you?” Toshiya asked seriously.

“Then… if she would rather be with him, than with me, I’ll be happy for her.”

“Lie.” Die muttered while downing his drink, “You would be heartbroken, and he wouldn’t know because you would never tell him. Shinya, Jayne and Kyo are the only two people who don’t know how you feel.”

“Kyo knows,” he sighed, finally finishing his first drink.

“Then tell Jayne before he does. I don’t know what goes through his mind, if he wants friendship or more, but they are getting very close, Shinya.” Toshiya nodded, pushing his friend’s untouched drink closer to him.

“Hey! Your from Dir en Grey!” a young woman squeaked while bouncing over to them. All three nodded and remained silent, though smiling. “Is the singer of Akuma really trying to become a porn-star?” she asked with a disgusted frown.

Toshiya choked on his drink and stared blankly at her as she pulled out her cell phone, “Her sex tape is all over the internet, you can’t search her without it coming up!” she explained, pulling up the video and pushing play before handing it to the members.

All three watched in hidden horror as Jayne, though she looked like a little kid to them in the video, was led to lie on a bathroom floor by a dark headed young man. They couldn’t tell if she was stoned, or drunk, or both, but it was obvious she had no idea what was going on as she giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck while his hand ran up and down the inside of her thigh.

“I’m sorry, I won’t watch this.” Shinya frowned, and turned around to face the opposite way of the video screen.

“Neither will I, and you shouldn’t either. No one should! This… this isn’t something she would want to be seen. This is a part of her personal past, and has nothing to do with any of us. Delete it, please. Out of respect for her.” Die scorned as the girl took her phone back and deleted the video. Toshiya was speechless as she walked away, and said nothing until the sounds of the same video being played on someone else’s phone a few seats down reached their ears.

“Tom… T-Tom, Thomas that hurts, please stop it!”

“Dude look, the stupid bitch doesn’t even know who she’s fucking!”

“Who cares? Your girl’s such an easy slut, Tom! When he’s done, I want a turn!”

The crowd of men continued to watch the video, fully entertained and laughing as Die walked over to them, finally having enough. He could understand her slurred English, and Thomas’ friends’ comments, and it pissed him off to know that the whole world was able to see what had happened to her.

“Turn it off,” he ordered as Toshiya and Shinya came over, mostly to prevent him from getting into a fight.

“Why? I'll bet you’ve done her too!” one of the guys laughed as a longhaired blonde American stood up face to face with Shinya.

“It is disrespectful, and disgusting.” the drummer spat.

“What’s the matter, chink? Jealous because she won’t screw your gay ass?” he smirked.

“Jayne-chan isn’t that kind of woman.” He retorted, trying to speak as smoothly in English as he could. Thanks to touring constantly with Jayne and Mei, he had learned enough English to understand what the blonde had said to him from trying to help them teach Dex Japanese.

“Come on, they aren’t worth wasting our time on. All it will do is put the tour at risk.” Toshiya reminded, tugging his band members away form the perverts who were enjoying the video a little too much.

“I’m a friend of Thomas, by the way. Tell that bitch I said hello, and that I can’t wait to do it again! ” He smirked as they walked away, now speaking in Japanese. Before Die and Toshiya knew what was happening, Shinya had turned around and punched him across the face, splitting his lip and causing his nose to pour blood. Die grabbed him, worried that he would hit him again, but Shinya simply straightened and walked away without a hint of shame as he and his band mates walked back to the hotel.

When they got back to the hotel they went straight to Kyo’s room, hearing the voices of everyone on the tour coming from behind his door. Knowing it was unlocked, Toshiya didn’t even bother knocking before he walked in.

“What happened?” Die demanded, noticing that Jayne was sitting on the edge of his bed in tears while Mei hugged her and Dex rubbed her back. Kyo was furious over something, and Kaoru looked equally angry while Drew sat in the corner with his eyes closed and fists balled. “He put it on the Internet!’ she sobbed before Mei hushed her and hugged her tighter, rocking her the same way Jayne tended to rock Ray.

“The video of what Thomas did to you,” Toshiya frowned as Die closed the door.

“You’ve seen it too?!” she cried before falling back into hysterics.

“We refused to watch it, but others around us were. Die went to tell a group of men to turn it off, and an American man stood up and insulted Shinya for it. Before we left he said something, I couldn’t catch what it was, but Shinya hit him!”

“YOU hit someone?” she asked, sitting up and looking at him in shock as he smiled shyly and stood in the corner. “Shinya, YOU hit someone?” she pushed, wanting to hear it from him as conformation. “He said he was a friend of Thomas. That he was in that video, and wanted to do it again. I know I should have handled the situation better, with more dignity, but his disrespect was intolerable.” He explained quietly, looking shamefully at the ground. He knew that by tomorrow, news of that “fight” would be all over the place, and both bands would have to pay for his mistake.

Jayne smiled through her tears and moved across the room to hug him tightly. “I’m sorry,” she laughed, blushing after letting go, remembering that the Japanese weren’t as physical as Americans were.

“That was unexpected,” Kaoru nodded, voicing what was on everyone’s minds. Dex held up a sign with his agreement written across it and nodded.

“I’m very sorry,” she repeated, bowing respectfully, “I wasn’t thinking. I was overwhelmed, it means a lot to me that you would do such a thing.” She explained.

Shinya smiled and pulled her into another hug to show her that he didn’t mind. “You’re welcome, Jayne-chan.” He smiled as she pulled away, blushing again as a hard knock at the door echoed around them.

“Robert,” Mei and Dex muttered together as Die opened the door to let him in.

“Jayne,” he breathed, pulling her into a tight and comforting hug. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know… it’s everywhere! Die, Shinya, and Toshiya were in a bar and people were playing it and showing them the video, and one them were there too!” she answered, trying not to break down again. “We’re already working on getting the videos taken down. Anyone who posts them on either band’s website is banned instantly, and the links are removed. Forums are being watched, blogs, we’re doing everything we can.” He sighed as she started crying again.

“I can’t go out on stage, Robert.” She whimpered, hugging him tightly as she forgot about everyone else in the room. “They won’t care. True fans will stand by you.” He assured.

“I don’t like this. I miss being a nobody in a cheap apartment she can’t afford. I want to go home!” she cried.

“Mama,” Ray whined from the doorway, rubbing his eye and dragging his bear behind him, but he woke fully as soon as he saw her crying like that.

“She’ll be all right,” Kyo sighed, picking him up before he could run to her, and moving him to the bed Mei and Dex were still sitting on, “Go back to sleep.”

“If he falls asleep in your bed, you’ll never get him out.” Drew sighed as Ray continued to stare at Jayne in horror. He had never seen her cry like that. Very few people had.

“Then he can sleep there,” Kyo muttered while returning to his seat, waiting for Jayne to calm down again.

“Mama, was it the yelling man?” Ray asked quietly. When she didn’t answer, he crawled out of the bed stood in front of Kyo. “Will you keep him away from my mama? You can keep her safe! You keep the bad things away.” He pleaded hopefully.

“He has a lot of confidence in you, doesn’t he?” Die grinned as Kyo nodded to Ray and leaned forwards to be more on his level.

“I will do everything I am able, to keep that man away from your mother, Ray.” He promised, sighing as the little boy’s smile grew and he threw his arms around his neck to thank him with his best hug while Jayne calmed down.

“We should all be getting to bed, it’s a two week break before our next shows.” Robert announced with a yawn ten minutes later. Ray was sound asleep in Kyo’s bed, while everyone was scattered around the room continuing to chat about the tour’s recent events.

“About that,” Dex yawned, pointing at his manager, “They’re all going home. What are we doing for the next two weeks? Living in this hotel until the tour kicks off again?”

“Well… actually, I have us all some tickets to go home as well. I have some personal business to take care of, and I know that Mei wants to see Michio again, and Dex wants to see Sandi, and Drew you know your parents can’t wait to see you again.” He laughed, but sighed when he realized that Jayne didn’t have anyone. Ray was her only family outside the band. She did have a brother, but she had only seen him once since her parents disowned her, he wasn’t allowed to associate with her. As punishment he would be disowned as well.

“It’s okay, Robert, I’ll find something.” She smiled.

“You can’t go home, though. He knows where we live.” Drew reminded, making her sigh and down against the wall beside Kaoru’s feet, childishly pouting.

“What is the problem?” he asked, worried that she would soon reach her breaking point.

“Well, when we all leave the tour for two weeks, I won’t really have a place to stay with Ray. Drew will be with his mother, Dex will be with his girlfriend, Mei and Michio have their place together, and if I go home, Thomas will probably find us.” She explained with a smile, but everyone could tell it was forced; she was terrified for Ray.

“I won’t be doing very much for the next two weeks. Only band business from my home, if anything. You are welcome to stay in my guest room, if you would like.” He offered, but she turned him down respectfully, after giving her honest thanks.

“Don’t be shy, Jayne-chan.” He smiled before offering another two times before she finally accepted.

“Great! Everything is worked out! Bedtime.” Robert ordered. Every member of Akuma groaned, but obeyed.

“What are you two doing?” Kyo asked as Jayne and Mei stood by his bed, staring at Ray.

“Trying to find a way to move him without waking him up… if he wakes up, we probably won’t get him to sleep again tonight. He’s very grumpy when you wake him up.” Mei explained as Jayne very slowly lifted her son into her arms, standing still as he stirred and snuggled against her shoulder before falling asleep fully again. “And now we go.” She nodded with a smile, and followed her friend out.