The Haunted Hotel Room

[write_my_dreams]

Title: The Haunted Hotel Room
Author: write_my_dreams 
Pairing(s): None
Genre: Reality, some supernatural elements
Warning(s): The supernatural elements
Rating: PG
Chapter(s): 1/1
Summary: Toshiya lucked out and got a room to himself for two nights in their Munich hotel. He quickly learns he isn't so lucky when it turns out that his room is haunted.
Author's Comment: My first Jrock fic I've posted in about 3 years. Third fic I've written for Dir en Grey this week, but the first one I'm posting. For the July vkyaoi  challenge: middle of the night. That's when most of this takes place.

Touring overseas was always different than touring in Japan. Language barriers, unfamiliar cuisine, mannerisms, then the actual travel itself. When they were in Europe, it was commonplace to see cathedrals, old stone forts, and castles along with villages and huge cities. American roads led to wide open space, small towns, or huge cities. Various churches (much smaller and newer than the European ones) dotted the landscape along with signs for various roadside attractions. The cycle of hotels, roads, and livehouses was similar though. When Dir en Grey first started touring, Toshiya used to collect a trinket from each hotel they stayed in. It soon became too much of a hassle. He kept digital souvenirs now. 

 

Dir en Grey would be spending tonight and tomorrow in Munich. Then it was back on the road to the next stop. Toshiya had lucked out and gotten his own room. As much as he loved his band mates, it was easy to get at each other’s throats after spending so much time in close proximity to each other. Die and Shinya shared a room across the hall while Kyo and Kaoru were next door. 

 

Yawning, Toshiya snuggled into his bed. After over a week of sharing a room it felt great to be by himself. He didn’t have to deal with Die hogging the shower and bathroom for an eternity, or Kyo constantly telling him to be quiet so he could enjoy his peace. 

 

His one regret about this tour was that they were so busy going from Point A to Point B that there really hadn’t been time to be actual tourists. Especially now that they were in Munich! Toshiya would love to see Neuschwanstein. It had inspired Cinderella’s castle after all. Maybe Kaoru would permit a stop there? Not tomorrow of course since they would be busy setting up equipment, rehearsing, performing, packing up… Unless they could find time to go in the morning. It seemed a shame to be in Europe and not check out some of the famous castles. Kyo would probably enjoy touring a dungeon. It could inspire his next live look. 

 

Toshiya’s last thoughts before drifting off were how to convince his band mates to go to Neuschwanstein before leaving Munich. 

 

The awareness of being cold woke him sometime in the night. Toshiya groped for the covers. Had he kicked them off in his sleep? He tugged them back up. Better. Toshiya rolled over to get more comfortable. He closed his eyes again, only to open them in alarm when the covers were pulled off him. What the hell? Toshiya yanked them back up again. He’d accuse one of his bandmates of playing a prank on him - if he wasn’t alone in the room. His heart began to beat faster in the silent darkness of the room. What was going on?

 

High, feminine laughter sounded as the covers were torn off his body yet again. Toshiya fumbled for his phone to turn on the flashlight. His hand shook as he shined it around the room. There wasn’t a woman in sight. Just his luggage and basic hotel furnishings. Toshiya even looked under the bed. Nothing spooky under there. Toshiya frowned. He knew he hadn’t hallucinated that laugh or the tug of war with his covers. Sitting in bed, phone in hand, he waited for anything to happen. Nothing. Toshiya slowly lay back down. He pulled the covers up to his chin, thinking of guitar notes to calm his racing heart. Strange things happened on tour sometimes. He’d had his hair pulled and his ass slapped by something (or someone) invisible before. Maybe the ghost would leave him alone if he ignored her. Or should he be firm? Tell her to leave him alone? He didn’t know how to say that in German though! A couple of greetings, three swear words, and how to order beer was the extent of his German. None of that would help him here. 

 

Leave me alone, he chanted mentally. Toshiya bit his lip when footsteps approached the side of his bed. His throat was too dry for him to even try to speak. Toshiya didn’t know how long his fear kept him frozen in place. He started violently when that feminine laugh sounded right next to his ear. Cold breath stirred his hair. Against his will, Toshiya turned his head to look. The shadowy outline of a young girl stood right next to the bed. Like a black hole, she seemed to absorb all the light from his phone. She didn’t have a face or defined features like a normal spirit would. She was just one big shadow.

 

Even so, Toshiya could see her dark mouth split into an eerie grin worthy of Kyo. “Mache ich dir Angst?”

 

Shuddering, Toshiya hid beneath the covers. He felt like a small child again. If he couldn’t see the monster, it couldn’t see him either. She didn’t permit him that shield. Again, she ripped away the covers. Dresser drawers rattled while the bathroom door banged shut. His terror made her laugh. Then she leaned in close to let out a low, animalistic growl. That was the last straw. Toshiya couldn’t bear to stay in this room a second longer. He bolted out into the hallway.

 

Trembling, Toshiya all but pounded on Kyo and Kaoru’s door. “Open up!”

 

The door opened to reveal a shirtless, scowling Kyo. His hair stuck up in all directions as if he’d just been electrocuted. “What?!” He snarled. 

 

“My room is haunted,” Toshiya blurted.

 

Kyo snorted. “The fuck it is. You were just dreaming, Totchi. Now go back to sleep.” He started to close the door.

 

Kaoru caught it just as Toshiya lunged for the door. “What did you say about your room?” Like all of them, he was in pajamas. Kaoru’s being shorts and a tank top.

 

“T-There’s a ghost! I saw her!”

 

Kaoru rubbed his eyes. “Where?”

 

“Next to the bed.”

 

“Let’s check it out.” He stepped out into the hallway. Kyo gave Toshiya a dirty look, clearly still pissed about being woken up, but he followed Kaoru. Toshiya reluctantly trailed after them. Kaoru opened Toshiya’s door. All three squinted when he turned on the lights. “Aside from your bedding being on the floor, nothing’s out of place. Are you - gah!” He coughed when Toshiya pounced, arms and legs wrapping around him as he clung to Kaoru’s back like a sloth. Something had just fallen in the bathroom.

 

“I’ll see what it is.” Kyo entered the bathroom. “Princess Toshiya’s shampoo fell. Like I said, you were dreaming.” He emerged then snorted as he saw them. “Quit strangling Kaoru and go back to sleep.”

 

Toshiya shook his head violently. “I am not staying in this room.”

 

“Fine. We’ll switch,” Kyo replied. “You stay with Kaoru tonight.” That said, he replaced the covers and flopped down on the bed. “Good night.”

 

“But-”

 

“Toshiya. It is three in the fucking morning!” Kyo seethed. “Go to sleep before I strangle you with your own bass strings.”

 

Toshiya gulped. He knew not to bother Kyo further when he was in a mood like this. “Okay,” he said meekly. He didn’t let go of Kaoru though. He didn’t trust the ghost not to attack him.

 

“Good night.” Kaoru turned the light back off while Toshiya shut the door. He carried Toshiya into what was now their room. Kaoru pried him off his back to set him down on the edge of his bed. Or was it Kyo’s? Toshiya didn’t know. “What exactly happened?” Kaoru asked.

 

Toshiya rubbed his arms. “Well, I woke up feeling cold.” He explained everything. Unlike Kyo, Kaoru didn’t scoff or roll his eyes. “She hissed something at me in German. Probably telling me to fuck off. Or go away. That’s what ghosts always do in movies.” 

 

Kaoru frowned. “That’s really creepy. No wonder you panicked. We’ll switch your things out with Kyo’s in the morning. For now, let’s try to get some more sleep. It’s going to be a busy day.”

 

Toshiya nodded. “Okay.”

 

“You can have Kyo’s bed-”

 

“No! We should share,” Toshiya insisted. “Kyo might come back and want his own bed. Or the ghost could come after me! You’ll protect me, won’t you, Kaoru-chan?” Toshiya knew Kaoru wouldn’t turn him away. Not in his time of need. Especially since he was giving him his most pleading look. 

 

Kaoru patted his head. “Of course I will. Scoot over.” Once he’d done so, Kaoru climbed into bed next to him.

 

Toshiya was already feeling safer. “Kaoru?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Can we go to Neuschwanstein before we leave Munich?” 

 

“...Do you realize that it’s at least an hour away from the city?”

 

Toshiya gaped. “Really?”

 

“Yeah. We don’t have time. If you want to see Neuschwanstein, you’ll have to come back and tour another time.”

 

Well shit. That was disappointing. “...Do you think we could get Kyo to wear lederhosen?” He pronounced the word carefully.

 

Kaoru snorted. “Doubt it. Now seriously, Toshi. Go to sleep.”

 

Toshiya closed his eyes with a sigh. He’d try.

---

 

Sharing a room with Toshiya wasn’t a problem. Kaoru had done it many times over the years. It’d been a while since they’d shared a bed though. After asking about Neuschwanstein (poor man really hadn’t realized just how out of town it was), Toshiya had gone to sleep relatively quickly. It was taking longer for Kaoru. Probably because of Toshiya. He either hogged the covers (and bed) or latched onto Kaoru like an octopus. Especially if Kaoru so much as tried to move away! Good thing he didn’t have to go to the bathroom. 

 

The door opened just as Kaoru was beginning to doze. His eyes snapped open to see Kyo silhouetted in the frame. “Kaoru?” He called in a low voice.

 

“Over here,” Kaoru replied in an equally soft voice. “I’m awake. Just trapped.” Toshiya was back in octopus mode. He had an arm and a leg thrown over Kaoru with his head pillowed on Kaoru’s chest. Toshiya’s soft hair tickled his face. At least Toshiya wasn’t drooling on him. Yet.

 

Kyo raised an eyebrow. Shrugging, he came up to Kaoru’s side of the bed. “Totchi wasn’t dreaming. There is a ghost in that room. Creepy, darker than dark figure of a girl holding a doll. She woke me by yanking off the covers. Then came up to the side of the bed, like where I am now compared to you, and growled at me. I growled back. She hissed at me. I hissed back. After a couple minutes of that back and forth, she disappeared.” He smirked. “I established dominance. Don’t think she’ll bother me anymore.”

 

“What about Toshiya?”

 

Kyo glanced at their sleeping bassist. “She probably harassed him because he’s prettier than she is. Good thing he wasn’t rooming with Shinya tonight.”

 

Kaoru grimaced. A hostile, female ghost going up against their two prettiest members wouldn’t have been good. “Yeah. Are you going back there or sleeping here tonight? Your bed’s open.”

 

Kyo snorted. “Going back. Enjoy sleeping beauty.” He nodded then left, closing the door behind him.

 

Kaoru shifted, earning a protesting sound from Toshiya. Rolling his eyes, Kaoru stroked his hair to calm him. This had to be what having children felt like. Check their room for monsters, hold them when they were scared. Lose sleep and bed space to them. He hoped Toshiya wouldn’t object to sleeping in the other bed tomorrow.

 

Closing his eyes, Kaoru let Toshiya’s soft breathing draw him into slumber. 

Notes
1) This is based off a dream I had a couple nights ago. Mom and I were visiting Chicago and stopped by this hotel since we'd heard it was haunted. We joked about staying there and requesting the haunted room. Then I saw either Tsuzuku/Genki or Toshiya in bed being menaced by the ghost. She was all in shadow, but she was a young girl holding a doll. She stood at his bedside being super creepy in her shadow form while he was terrified. I picked Toshiya.
2) I asked my Austrian friend how to say "Do I scare you?" in German. She gave me a couple options. I went with this one.
3) I set the fic in Munich since I found my sister's Neuschwanstein book while cleaning.

Comments

[reilaflowers]

I love how Kyo was scarier than the ghost. Sounds about right. :)

And Toshiya sleeping with Kaoru is just adorable. :)

[write_my_dreams]

I thought that part was fitting.

It was so cute :) Loved writing that part.

[thehamhamheaven]

“I established dominance." XD Leave it to Kyo to out-ghost a ghost!

And poor long-suffering Kaoru having to play mother to scare-baby Totchi. He deserves breakfast in bed for his troubles.

[write_my_dreams]

If anyone can do it, Kyo certainly can!

I almost added a second part where Shinya had a nasty ghost at their next hotel and ran to him for protection. Decided Kaoru had enough on his plate with Toshiya! And he would definitely like breakfast in bed.

[stardust_rifle]

Congratulations on your return! I can't wait to see where this is going to go!

[write_my_dreams]

Thank you!