Demons

Summary: We all have our demons; some just play better with others.

Rated: T for anorexia, depression, and self harm.

Mashiro Rima stared blankly at the bento in front of her. Her friends all sat around, chatting amongst themselves. It was lunchtime at Seiyo, and the Guardians decided to eat in the Royal Garden. Kusukusu glanced at Rima worriedly- she had been poking and prodding at all of her meals since her parents' divorce.

Rima picked up her chopsticks and moved and mushed her food around the bento, making it appear to be eaten. Then, she took her bento and scraped the food out of it.

"Not very hungry, Rima-chan?" An innocent smile reached Fukisaki Nagihiko's aureate eyes. In response, Rima merely nodded. She was in no mood to have their usual banter. Nagihiko sensed something was amiss with Rima, but until he could pin-point it, he said nothing.

"Why couldn't I have had a daughter?" Fujisaki Hana spat in exasperation. Nagihiko's bangs covered his eyes as a shadow swept across his face. He was aware that we was not the child his mother wanted; that she would prefer a girl to carry on the Fujisaki Dance tradition. Every mistake he made- whether it was school, dance, or just household related- would trace back to him being the son his mother never wanted. She knew it, and he knew that he was nothing more than a mere mistake- and she did nothing to change his mind.

By the time summer came around, Nagihiko continued to wear his long sleeves and hoodies. His smile stayed strong, but became more feigned and empty as time progressed. None of the Guardians noticed except for one- Rima. She took note of how he always pulled down he sleeves, his worried glancing, and the immediate replacement of that fake smile of his. Yet, she was unsure, so she said nothing.

The two had a knack for reading people, yet couldn't pinpoint what they were reading in each other; both suffered in silence.

"Let's have a beach day!"

Those five words brought a new wave of fear into the duo's hearts.

Rima looked in her mirror, disgusted. She wore the baggiest clothes she could find, and yet they still appeared tight on her. Kusukusu stared at her in what Rima believe was disgust, but in actuality, it was excruciating worry. In her eyes, Rima believed she was gaining weight. She began eating less than she already had. She began to exercise more. But no matter what she did, when she'd look in the mirror, all she'd see was fat.

"When was the last time you actually stepped on a scale, Rima?" Kusukusu asked.

"Just one more wouldn't make a difference." Nagihiko convinced himself as he dragged the blade across his already bloodied thigh. His arm, already riddled with scars, couldn't afford any new wounds. Rhythm and Temari watched their bearer sadly as tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Why couldn't I have had a daughter?"

"Why are you always messing up? Do something right for once!"

"He was a mistake, Baaya-San. If I hadn't been pro-life, he would've been aborted. "

"I wish I had a daughter instead."

Nagihiko's hands shook tremendously as his mother's blunt words flooded back to him. No matter how hard he tried, Nagihiko would never be good enough for his mother. It began to show on his appearance as well. He began to sleep more and leave disheveled and unkempt.

"Nagi, man, when's the last time you looked in the mirror?" Rhythm asked quietly.

The guardian characters met in the Royal Garden, called in by Kusukusu, Temari, and Rhythm. Worried about the well-beings of their bearers, they had to share what they have learned with the others, in hopes that support from others would help lessen their burdens. The characters would then tell their respective bearers, thus adding to the support.

"I'm worried about Rima…"

"And we're worried about Nagihiko…"

"Why-desu?" Asked Suu. It was rare to see them so down.

"I think Rima is anorexic, but when I try to bring it up, she denies it, saying she could never have an eating disorder." Kusukusu explained sadly.

" And Nagihiko is spiraling downward as well; he's in a depression," Temari spoke solemnly.

"His ma isn't all that accepting of him and he's started cutting. I'm afraid he's going to get worse. " Finished Rhythm. The guardian characters exchanged despaired glances, surprise adorning their features.

"Please tell your bearers to help them through this; we alone are not going to be able to help them before… It's too late. " Temari said, her voice cracking at the end. They nodded, even Kiseki ( surprisingly without an "I'm the king, I don't take orders, HAHAHA!" Sort of fuss), and deterred to their bearers before they could notice their absence.

"You guys, just talk to us."

Didn't they understand it wasn't that simple? The waves crashed upon the shore, and the group stared at the duo with pitied eyes. It was that very look they dreaded. Their eyes flickered over to their respective characters and then back at the group. Rima wore a large sundress, exposing her ribcage.

"When was the last time you weighed yourself?"

Rima stared at her guardian character, and shrugged. She walked downstairs and took the electronic scale from the downstairs bathroom and put it in her. With a heavy sigh, she stepped on it. The numbers flashed and danced about until it showed her weight.

86.4 lbs

That couldn't have been right; she looked much too heavy to weigh so little, right? Kusukusu watched Rima's expression, and flew over to her shoulder as she began to break down. Everything that she suppressed by not eating came rushing out. She never thought she would have an eating disorder; she hadn't even realized it. The tears kept flowing as her golden curls, now dulled, pooled over her bony knees.

"Nagi, man, when's the last time you looked in the mirror?"

Nagihiko merely shrugged his shoulders. He hadn't paid much attention to his appearance; his mind had become overwhelmed and occupied with other things. Besides, he hated his reflection- why would he want to see someone he can't escape from? Even with that being said, Nagihiko made his way to his bathroom, flipping on the lights. He looked at his reflection in shame. His once bright indigo locks were now dulled and darkened. His eyes had dark circles underneath them. His hair and clothes were disheveled. His scars were brighter and extremely noticeable.

With a grimace playing on his lips, Nagihiko's shaky fish collided with the mirror, cracking it.

Bringing themselves back to their present situations, they stared blankly into the eyes of their comrades. Nagihiko, however, was the first to speak up.

"Look, you guys, I don't know what's going on here, but I assure you I'm fine." He lied. It was almost criminal how it came out so smoothly.

"If you're fine, then why don't you take off your swim shirt?" Tadase challenged. Nagihiko's bangs covered his eyes once more and he ignored Tadase's comment.

"C'mon, let's get in the water, huh?" Nagihiko started again with a smile plastered on his face, yet not reaching his empty eyes.

"Nagi, please, talk to us! We're your best friends, right?" Amu pleaded. She grabbed Nagihiko's arm as he tried to walk away from the scene.

"Why is there a boo-boo on Nagi's knuckles?" Yaya asked sternly. Nagihiko gulped and snatched his hand away quickly.

"This really isn't a good place to talk about this, you all." Rima said in a tiny voice. The group looked at her and shook their heads.

"It's never a good place, huh? We aren't going to sit back and watch you guys kill yourselves!" Kukai exclaimed.

Rima's fists clenched tightly as she spoke.

"How do you expect someone to open up if they can't help or understand the situation?" She spoke softly, but there was an angry twang in her voice.

"We can at least try! That's what friends are for!" Amu exclaimed, exasperated. Looking and feeling defeated, they nodded, and walked to a private area of the beach.

"You can't lie to us anymore."

They sat down in the sand in silence for a few moments until Yaya broke it. "Who's starting first? Yaya just wants her friends to be happy."

The duo shrugged. "Where do you want to start?" Asked Nagihiko. Amu tapped her chin and finally thought of something.

"Nagihiko, you take off your swim shirt. Rima, you take off your sundress." Nagihiko's hands started to feel shaky but he managed to control it. Rima's bangs covered her eyes as she gripped her dress.

"I can't do that…" Nagihiko's voice shook. His friends would judge him. His friends would turn away from him, and look down upon him.

Just like his mother.

Rima nodded in agreement. She hated herself enough as it was. She didn't want the people she loved seeing her flaws, and to see her the saw she saw herself. As an eyesore. As something that should be pitied.

Just like her parents.

Amu sat by Rima and put a hand over her stomach, gasping. She could feel the bones of her ribcage through her sundress.

Tadase seated himself next to Nagihiko, who gingerly took his arm and pushed the sleeve up, exposing his scars.

"Why didn't' you guys say something?" Amu spat angrily. This is the exact reaction Rima was afraid of. She would leave her next. Just like her father. Just like everyone did.

"This is idiotic! Do you know what you're doing to yourself? You're running yourselves into a grave!" She continued.

"How do you expect us to trust you when you can't tell us what's going on with you guys? We apparently don't know who you are; hiding all your secrets-" Kukai stated sternly.

"It's not that simple." Rima cut Kukai off quickly.

"And why isn't it?" Yaya asked. She looked as if she was going to cry. "Why isn't it as simple as confiding in your friends when there's a problem?"

"You can't begin to understand the self-hate that's rooted within me; within us. Until you're liable to go through that, then please, don't fuss at us because it's something you can't understand." Rima finished.

"This is exactly what I was dreading… The stares you're giving me- us." Nagihiko looked down at his hands, and then at his arm. He hated what he had done to himself, and he hated his very being.

"I think we'd ought to head home… We aren't done with this conversation." Amu claimed. They nodded, and piled into Kukai's truck.

Nagihiko rested upon his bed in the pitch black of the night, replaying the day's events in his mind. His secret that he tried so hard to keep under wraps- it was exposed. Temari and Rhythm slept peacefully in their eggs, while Nagihiko laid awake. A fair buzzing sounded from his dresser and he peered over, noticing it was his phone. He turned on the screen, and saw a message.

Rima

Hey Fujisaki, how r u holdin up?

Nagihiko smiled softly at the text from the usually stoic blonde. Times like the ones he'd experience at night when Rima would text him were the moments he'd live for. That petite, doll-like girl, with the doe-like eyes, and curly blonde ringlets…she was the one who understood him. Two disarrayed pieces of a puzzle that is the world they live in.

After typing his response quickly, he laid back down on his bed and pondered. How would his friends have reacted if they had seen his other arm? Or worse, his thighs? Nagihiko knew it wasn't a wise idea to go to the beach when his scars hadn't gone away. He was afraid of judgement; he got enough backlash from his mother, the only family besides Baaya (who wasn't even blood) he associated with. He wouldn't have been able to deal with his friends seeing him as he saw himself.

As nothing.

In that sense, he and Rima were the same. As she sat in her room staring at the food Kusukusu brought up to her, she thought of the beach. Her friends' shocked faces. The immediate sense of sickness she felt in the pool of her stomach. She felt a slight vibrating from under her thigh, and smiled slightly.

Nagi

I'm fine. U holdin up ok?

When they grew close, Rima didn't know. Well, that was a lie. Ever since they both saw each other, broken and for who they really were, they shared their struggles and vowed to help each other to their recoveries.

"Rima-chan, can I speak to you for a moment?" Nagihiko asked, his face serious. He tugged at his sleeves sharply. She looked at him blankly and nodded. She had a few questions to ask him anyways. Although they weren't the best of friends-practically enemies-she still worried about him. As the two walked along the path of Seiyo, they were silent. Nagihiko like as if he was at a loss for words.

"So, why did you need to talk to me?" Rima spoke up. Nagihiko looked her in her eyes as he stopped walking.

"Rima-chan, is everything okay? The others may not notice your behavior, but I have. You pick at your food, you've lost a lot of weight, your clothes have become bigger as you have become smaller. Have you not been eating?" Nagihiko forced himself to say. Rima looked at him, her eyes wide. He pieced it all together so smoothly. She opened her mouth and closed it again, unsure if she should have lied or just told him the truth. This was the boy that annoyed her to no extent after all.

"And don't bother trying to lie, because by the looks of it my theory was correct." Nagihiko finished. He placed his hand gingerly onto the girl's shoulder.

"Rima-chan, why don't you talk to someone? One of our friends? You shouldn't have to go through this alone-"

"Oh don't play the hero, Nagihiko." Rima cut him short. Nagihiko withdrew his hand, surprised by her words.

"You can't even help yourself right now; I've seen the way you pull down your sleeves every timep they roll up slightly. I've noticed the red markings. What exactly are you hiding?" Rima spoke in a hushed tone. Nagihiko was taken aback. After a few moments of stalling, he finally took action. If he wanted Rima to trust him, he had to trust her.

He rolled his sleeves up slightly, exposing the lacerations going up his forearm. Instead of being horrified as he expected, Rima looked up at him sadly.

"Why?" Was all she asked. He studied her. He didn't see any trace of pity in her expression. Instead, it seemed as though she had empathy for him.

"Because I mean nothing to those I love most. I'm just a mistake, and I hate myself for it. I can't even stand to look at myself in the mirror. I was never supposed to be here, and I wish I wasn't. That's why." Nagihiko's eyes began to sting as he finished. Rima stared at him with a blank expression on her face. She rooted her dislike for him with the idea that he was perfect. Perfect grades, perfect family, perfect life. It showed how little she knew about him, and how similar they really were.

"My parents divorced." She blurted out. Nagihiko furrowed his eyebrows as Rima continued. "They divorced, and now I'm stuck with my father. Just a no good, cheating, lying drunk who somehow got custody over me. He claims I'm the reason for the divorce, since I'm too fragile to handle things myself. I began to eat more to try to become stronger, which resulted in him calling me derogatory names such as fat-ass, fatty, etc. I began to binge and purge, and finally just stopped eating all together. I agree with him; I hate myself so much- I don't believe I should be here either." Rima finished, looking at the ground. She gasped as she was pulled into an embrace by Nagihiko.

"I promise, if you're ever having any problem, I'm just a call or message away. I will drop everything just to respond. I don't want to lose you, Rima." A tear slipped down Rima's cheek as she smiled softly. She liked that he trusted her enough to drop the honorific from her name. Patting his indigo locks slightly, she spoke.

"Likewise for you, Nagi. You can count on me; we're going to recover together. Pinky promise." Nagihiko let her go, smiling at her. He extended his pinky, as did she, and they hooked them together.

And they called on each other when anything went wrong. When her dad shouted drunkly at her, Rima called Nagihiko. When he his mother made him feel worthless, Nagihiko called Rima. The two were practically inseparable.

Rima

Thank u for being here for me.

Nagihiko

Thank u for allowing me to be here for u. I couldn't ask for a better friend.

Rima

Likewise.

Nagihiko

And thank u for staying by me when I felt alone.

Rima

What are friends for?

Out of two broken-hearted souls, came a friendship that couldn't be broken.

A/N So this was a bit sad, no? This is only a RimaHiko friendship, but it was fluffy, so… Reviews would be appreciated!