We Have Each Other - Under Construction

Chapter 3

(For those of you who don't know, Takemichi Yukimaru is Mondo's right hand man in the Crazy Diamonds. He's the leader of the elite guard and is very close to the Owada Bro's)

*Takemichi POV*
I'm with the rest of the elite guard in front of Daiya's house, practically jumping with excitement.
This is the first time we've been able to see Mondo since he got back.
Daiya said that we should give him some space, considering what he's been through.
Apparently, Mondo was a mess when he came home.
I knock on the door excitedly and wait for someone to open it. The door swings open and Daiya steps out. We make room for him on the porch and he closes the door behind him.
The first thing I notice is how tired he looks. For the first time ever, Daiya Owada has dark bags under his eyes. He normally makes sure to get enough sleep. The sight makes my excitement dissolve into anxiety.
"A'ight. Before you guys go in, we gotta set some ground rules." A few of the guys snicker at that. Rules have never been our thing. Daiya ignores them and keeps talking.
"Don't ask him about what happened at Hope's Peak. He won't answer." I nod. Making sure to pay close attention. Mondo's like a brother to me, I don't want to freak him out.
"I don't know why, but the word 'punishment' sets him off bad. Sudden, loud noises also freak him out pretty good."
Questions, 'Punishment', and loud noises. Got it.
"If you break any of these rules, you're out of here. Understood?" Daiya finishes with a stern look.
The gang and I nod with big smiles on our faces. Daiya nods back and opens the door again. We all file into the house and to where Daiya's pointing.
There he is.
He's in a white tank top and sweatpants. His back is facing us so he doesn't notice us right away. He has a mug in his left hand and is trying to work the coffee machine with his right. His hands are shaking so much that he can't even press the on button. I'm about to speak up when Yuuto decides to immediately break one of the rules.
"Mondo!" He yells at the top of his lungs, clearly excited. None of us could have expected Mondo's reaction.
He whips around, bracing for an attack. The mug falls from his hand and shatters on the floor as he curls his hand into a fist. He starts hyperventilating, his eyes darting wildly from face to face. He's still in fighter stance when Daiya rushes to his side.
"Hey, Hey, Hey, it's okay little bro. It's just the gang." He soothes, his hands on Mondo's shoulders. Mondo's eyes finally settle on one place and he starts to relax a little bit. He puts his hands over his face, getting his breathing under control.
Daiya, however, is glaring daggers at Yuuto. Yuuto has a look on his face that's just screaming 'Oh shit I fucked up'. I punch him in the arm hard enough that he yelps in pain.
I step forward, wanting to help Mondo, when someone else comes into the room. A guy I've never seen before pushes past us with a concerned look on his face.
He has black hair and red eyes. He's wearing a white uniform and black, knee high boots. He walks fast, making a beeline for the gang leader.
"I heard something break. Are you okay?" He asks frantically. Mondo looks up and tries to smile, though it looks painful.
"I'm fine Taka. Just overreacted a bit." Mondo reassures the stranger. Daiya shakes his head, frustrated.
"It wasn't an overreaction! This Goddamn idiot did one of the only things I told him not to do!" He exclaims, glaring at Yuuto again.
"Were you even listening to me out there?!" He asks harshly. Yuuto stays silent, still shocked. Mondo puts a hand on his brothers shoulder, effectively calming him.
"It's fine, really. I'm okay." I almost laugh at that. Not because it's funny, this is probably the most unfunny thing I've ever witnessed. But because it's painfully obvious that he's not okay.
His normally preened pompadour is hanging in front of his eyes. The bags under his eyes have taken a deep purple color. He's paler than normal. Not to mention how thin he looks. He's still built, just thin. He honestly looks like he hasn't slept or eaten in days.
The stranger, who is apparently called Taka, is still by Mondo's side. He's gripping Mondo's hand tightly and is looking at him like he's the only thing that matters.
"You're sure you're okay?" He asks carefully. Mondo smiles at him warmly and nods his head. He then turns to us.
"Sorry about that." He mumbles, scratching the back of his neck. I step forward and pat him on the back. He flinches slightly but is otherwise fine with it.
"It's cool man. It's Yuuto's fault for being a dumbass." I say playfully. Speaking of Yuuto, it seems he's finally figured out how to speak.
"I'm really sorry dude! I was just excited to see you..." He trails off. Mondo flashes him his usual smile and a thumbs up.
"No blood no foul right? I'm happy to see you guys too." He says cheerfully. 'Taka' smiles and finally lets go of Mondo's hand. He turns to me and holds out his hand.
"My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru. It's nice to meet you!" I shake his hand, looking at Mondo, confused. Mondo just chuckles.
"Yeah, this is my emotional support hall monitor." He laughs. Ishimaru playfully punches him in the arm and turns back to me.
"You're Takemichi right?" I nod.
"Mondo's told me so much about you!" He turns and reaches for the broom. I turn to Mondo and elbow him in the side.
"So you're tellin' people about me huh?" He pushes me back, grinning.
"Don't flatter yourself. I only told him about what a pain in the ass you are." I notice Ishimaru scowl a bit, moving to sweep up the broken mug. Just then, Daiya takes the broom from Ishimaru.
"Don't worry kid, I got it." Daiya moves to ruffle Ishimaru's hair. Ishimaru's eyes widen, and his hand darts up to grab Daiya's wrist before he can even touch him.
Mondo Immediately snaps to attention, grabbing Ishimaru's arm and pulling the boy towards him. Daiya retreats his hand with a guilty expression.
"Sorry... I forgot." He apologizes. Ishimaru shakes his head and loosens his grip on Daiya's wrist.
"It's fine." He regains his composure quickly. He shakes his head one more time and smiles at us.
"Well we shouldn't just stand around in the kitchen. Have a seat!"

***** Time Skip *****

We've spent the entirety of the day at Daiya's house. At some point we decided to just sleep over. Daiya was more than happy to have us over, but Mondo and Ishimaru were a little anxious about it. It's around 11:00 when Daiya speaks up.
"We should probably get to bed. It's gang night out tomorrow." Gang night out is when the Crazy Diamonds go out looking for trouble all night. It's pretty fun, but it's exhausting.
The gang and I agree and start going to Mondo's room, where we always sleep.
While the rest of us started moving, I was surprised to see Mondo and Ishimaru still on the couch. Daiya sighs.
"That goes for you two, too." Mondo just keeps staring at nothing, his face expressionless.
"No." He says simply. So this is why he looks so tired. He's been refusing to sleep? Why?
"He's right Kyoudai. It's been too long since we last slept." Ishimaru mutters. He looks appalled at the idea. Mondo just shakes his head. Ishimaru exhales sharply.
"I don't like it either, but we need to sleep. I feel like I'm about to collapse. I'm sure you feel the same." Mondo closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
He stands and starts making his way to his room, gesturing for us to follow.
Once we get to his room, we all get situated with blankets and pillows. After everyone is settled, I decide to ask.
"Why don't you want to sleep?" Mondo looks at me, his face still blank.
"You'll see." His voice breaks slightly and I can't help the fear that rises.
Mondo doesn't sound like that. Mondo's voice is always steady and confident. A shiver runs down my spine and I look around. Everyone else looks just as scared as I am.
Everyone, that is, except for Ishimaru. Ishimaru is laying down beside me, his back to me. He doesn't even react to Mondo's ominous words.
"If you ever need to talk, we're here. You know that right?" The cliche line escapes my lips before I can stop it. Mondo gives a small smile and lays down on his bed.
"Yeah... thanks Michi."
                          
                             ***** Time Skip *****

I wake up to a weird sound coming from beside me. I turn over to see Ishimaru thrashing around whimpering and sobbing.
I sit up and wake the others. Soon, we're all surrounding Ishimaru. At this point his whimpers have turned into cries for help.
"No.....no!.....let go!....." he yells. I look at him worriedly, wondering if we should wake him up. I heard that if you wake someone up when they're having a nightmare, it just gets worse.
Or was that sleepwalking?
"Shit! What do we do?!" Touma yells frantically. I just shrug and look back to Ishimaru. His protests are getting louder and louder, yet they don't wake up Mondo. Weird.
"STOP IT!! PLEASE STOP!!" Ishimaru screams, swinging his arms around desperately.
I make my decision quickly. I grab both of his shoulders, dodging his still flailing fists. I start shaking him violently, hoping to wake him up.
"Ishimaru! Ishimaru wake up!" I yell at him. It takes a few minutes, but his eyes finally snap open.
He cries out and shoots up into a sitting position. He gasps for air, still sobbing.
Just then, Daiya sprints into the the room. After taking a few seconds to assess the situation, he darts to Ishimaru's side. He starts speaking to him softly, saying things like, "it's not real." And "you're safe."
I move to put my hand on Ishimaru's shoulder, wanting to help.
Before I'm able to even touch him, Daiya grabs my wrist and gently shoves it back.
"You can't touch them when they're like this. I learned that the hard way." He mutters, still speaking softly as to not scare the boy in front of us. Ishimaru is shaking uncontrollably, trying to breath normally.
We only have a few minutes of peace before the next disaster breaks out. We were so caught up with Ishimaru that we didn't realize he wasn't the only one who needed help.
Only a few feet away, Mondo is screaming and thrashing in his bed. Unlike Ishimaru, he's not pleading or begging, he's just screaming. It's the type of scream that comes from the pits of your stomach. The kind you only do when you see something absolutely horrific.
Ishimaru is the first to react, seeming to forget about his own problems. He runs to the bed and kneels down next to the screaming biker gang leader.
He starts shaking Mondo awake, yelling desperately.
"Wake up! It's not real! It's not real!" Mondo finally opens his eyes, gasping. Ishimaru continues to whisper soothing words while holding his shoulders. Suddenly, Mondo shoots up from the bed and sprints out of the room, Ishimaru following closely. The gang and I look at each other worriedly before following the boys.
I hear sounds coming from the bathroom down the hallway. When I push the door open, I see Mondo hunched over the toilet, throwing up violently. Ishimaru is behind him. One hand holding back Mondo's hair, and the other rubbing soothing circles on his back.
Mondo finishes after a few minutes and looks at me, tears lining his cheeks.
"Guess now you know why we don't sleep huh?" He croaks. I just stare back, a single thought going around and around in my head.
"What the hell happened to them?"