The house
Chapter one: Meeting.
"But…dad I don't want to go."
Nine year old Light Yagami was clinging onto his father desperately, crying as he refused to let go. He didn't want to leave his friends, his family, everything that he had cared about since he could remember.
Soichiro Yagami went to the same level as his son, looking into his honey brown eyes; smiling sympathetically he patted him on the shoulder, trying to coax his crying son out of his tears.
"Light…this place is going to be good for you…opportunities will be opened for you-""I just want to be normal!"He shouted, attempting to wipe the tears from his eyes, but they didn't stop from running down his face and keeping his father even closer to him.
He craved what all children craved; to be the accepted one, to have a family and to be able to do the mundane things like sitting at the table and talking with his mother about his day.
Soichiro looked at the clock; he had to go on his plane and get back to the rest of his family. With a short hug he stood up and insisted to his son that this was the right decision.
"You will thank me when you're an adult. I will come see you next month."
"Dad! No!"
He begged his father, clinging to his pant leg, sobbing uncontrollably as he desperately tried to keep him from leaving. What was the good in leaving his own son for a month and giving him a pain in his heart that wasn't going to leave for awhile.
"You're sure that he will be taken care of?"
Soichiro looked at the older man with white hair; he nodded confidently and said back to the detective.
"Oh yes; your Childs gifts will be nurtured and we will ensure that they are not wasted."
Light looked up at the man, confused by what he meant by his gifts being 'wasted' and 'nurtured', all he wanted to do was stay at home with sister, mother, and father. Why was this happening?
I don't want to go! Don't leave me dad! Please don't!
Light pleaded through his thoughts. All he did was taken a test given by this man, what did he do to deserve this?
Light knew he was smart, in fact he had known since he was a small child that he was different in some way. The way he figured out the math equations were logically backed. Even the way that he spoke was perfect in pronunciation and wording since he was three. But he never showed it, he just wanted to blend in with the crowd at school and have a few friends to talk about the mundane things in life with. Was that really too much to ask for? I suppose so.
Now he was being ripped from his family, going with this weird man to a house that was going to 'nurture his gifts' as they had told Light. He had understood what they had meant by what they had said, but he didn't understand why he needed to be taken away from his home for this to happen.
"I promise I'll see you in a month."
Soichiro said, looking at his son and pushing him away from him, trying to catch his plane before it left back for Japan.
"No!"
Light screamed, but the old man had already grasped his arm, trying to keep him back from his father as he walked away. But Light managed to break free just as his dad was going out of view, pushing the people from the full airport to the side as he slipped between them.
"Dad!"
He looked around desperately. At this point he knew that he was in trouble, he had no idea where his father went and now he was lost in a crowd of people, each one of them looking sullen faced as they bumped into each other.
He frantically tried to find someone he knew. But the sea of faces was all unfamiliar to the young boy as he scrambled around, his heart pounding almost out his chest as he began crying in fear as well as sadness.
"Light Yagami, can you move?"
Light looked up to see a raven haired teenage boy in a white shirt and blue jeans with black rings around his matching eyes. Seemingly bored of the little crying fit that Light had just had.
"H-How do you know my name?"
Light asked, trying to stop his tears from falling and putting on a brave face, even though on the inside he was scared.
The teenager offered a hand to Light, which he didn't accept until a sigh emitted from the teen and he explained who exactly he was.
"They call me L; I'm in the same house as you now."
L? What a weird name. Light thought.
At that point Light accepted his hand with a slight tremble, letting the older man drag him through the airport. He didn't know why but he thought that he could trust the teenager, even though that all experience before this had told him never to trust strangers. Was it because he still was sort of like a kid like himself? Or was it him just accepting someone with a good answer?
It didn't matter. A moment later they were in front of the white haired man, who was looking stern and very disappointed at L as he folded his arms at the teenager, making L flinch ever so slightly that only let Light feel it through the hand holding he was currently experiencing.
"L, we would have gotten him either way. You do realise the flaw in your logic, don't you?"The white haired man asked. L tilted his head in shame as Light looked confused at the situation.
All he was doing was coming to get me; I don't see what was wrong with that.
He thought to himself, still nervous of being with two complete strangers in an airport, but he then realised something important.
He had no control of what was happening.
"Yes, I know, but Light was scared and nervous. He might have been caught by molesters if we hadn't gotten him."
Light was rape material with his big eyes and small form. In fact most of the time people thought he was a five year old boy instead of a nine year old one. Something that annoyed him to no end.
The older man sighed, obviously at a loss of what to respond with; he decided to give a simple wave of the hand and say.
"Well, let us go. We have to get back to the Wammy's house."
Light gave a nervous and scared look at L, unsure of what to do or say as the adult walked out of the airport, but L only gave an ensuring look to the younger boy before saying to him in a soft tone.
"Come on. We better get going."
"Must…resist…take home urges…"
A thirteen year old girl with blonde hair and green eyes squealed at Light, ruffling with his hair like he was some plush panda. Light was annoyed by the baby treatment he was receiving by the girls (and some of the boys) at the Wammy house. They kept on thinking his hair was a magical rubbing ground and he was some sort of genie that would grant them three crazed wishes. Don't ask me I just type this stuff out.
He was settled in a small room with a bunk bed, the top bunk looked like it was home to someone who didn't get out much. It was draped with posters around the small wall space that depicted final fantasy girls in poses that Light didn't even want to begin to understand.
Light placed his case on his bed, unpacking his clothes into a spare closet and putting a few books under his bed to read while he was there. When that was done he began sobbing again. Knowing that no one was going to walk in on his personal time he let it all out on his bed, realising how much of a mess his life has become since he had been realised as a genius.
It wasn't his fault though. All he did in one class was correct his teacher on the true moral of the fairy tales she read, which caused the principle to give him a short test which he knew he aced the second his pencil hit the paper. Then he was sent home for the day and they called his parents. Light didn't over hear much of the conversation but he did get the general idea of the words like 'gift' and 'special'. These weren't not good signs for the young boy, and Light knew this all too well.
After his father set up a test with this weird man who asked him a few simple math and logical questions. Again he answered them all flawlessly. But then his father began speaking to the men about a house for gifted students. After that everything began crashing down.
They told him that he was a 'very special boy' and that he 'would go far' with the proper training. Light automatically said no. He didn't want to be one of those weird kids who hid behind a book all day, being a recluse and never getting out to spend time with actual humans.
But the men refused to listen to him and his desperate pleads saying that he wanted to stay with his family, not with some people who he had never met. Some contracts were signed and basically this is where we are now. He was stuck in this mysterious house with people just like him. Only difference is they probably all wanted to come here and were the perfect children for their families. Light was different even for a genius, he wanted to be free to choose whatever he wanted, even if it didn't exactly play to his intelligence buffs he was born with.
It was about an hour later that a girl with short black hair that was bleached white in the front and had black eyes walked in the room, wearing a pair of flashy green glasses that went with her neon green skirt, black leggings and T-shirt. This must have been the girl Light was being forced to live with it while he was forced to be at this academy, but how was she a genius?
"Hey! You must be the new kid!"
She said with a clearly excited tone of voice that reminded Light of that blonde he had seen before that seemed to think that calling him a panda was a beautiful nickname that should be on a golden mantel place. She was about the same age as well, early teens if Light had to guess. Were they friends? Perhaps.
Light adverted his gaze to the ground, rubbing his eyes dry as he kept silent. He must have looked pretty pitiful because the girl automatically sat beside the young boy and attempted to give him a pep talk.
"Don't be sad! Be Glad! Even better…be fabreeze!"
Whatever joke that this girl was trying to make it went over Lights head. No, actually it went over the building Light was under. That's how little sense that her joke had made to him.
In response to Lights confused expression, the weird teen began speaking, attempting to change the topic to something he might have a bit more input in than inside jokes that made absolutely no sense to the nine year old.
"So…you're from Japan, right?"
He nodded without saying a word, clasping the blanket beside him even tighter as he thought of his friends who were in another country away. Everything had happened so fast he didn't even get to say goodbye to them before he had left for the rest of year. Would they hate him if they ever see him again?
"Oh! Y will love you!"
"Y?"
That made Light turn his head. The other person that this girl was talking about also had a letter for a name, what was with this place? It was becoming stranger and stranger every second.
But the confusing young lady was becoming stranger each moment as she had already begun scrambling up to her top bunk of her bed. Rustling was heard by Lights ears as it seemed like the girl was looking for something. At last she found it and jumped down from the top bunk, making a loud crash sound.
Now she was holding a box of Pocky with a life or death grip. Already taking a bite out of the chocolate coated end and offering a different piece to Light, who refused because he never liked sweets. Then she began speaking again, her voice slightly muffled from her constant eating.
"Oh, I guess you don't know,"
She started, plopping herself back on Lights bed. Light shifted himself slightly to the end of the bed where the girls' effects to the bed seemed a bit less extreme. But she didn't seem to notice.
"Well everyone here who passes a certain test gets a letter name. It is so cool! I bet you'll get one!"
"I don't want a name though; I just want to go back to my parents!"
Light insisted, hoping maybe for one chance that he might be able to escape from his newfound home.
Correction; this is a house, not a home. A home needed to be earned. A house is just somewhere you sleep. A home was a place where you lived and learned about life, a place where you feel like you could be yourself. Light did not feel like himself in this white room.
The girl just smiled sympathetically. Maybe she had been left at this house by her exceptionally cruel parents with no other place to go. If so Light could say that he might be able to make friends with this girl since their situation was relatable, of course he'd have to ignore how weird she was.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. This place sucks for the most part, only good part is that there are other kids here. Anyways," She stood up, putting the now empty box of pocky in the small garbage. "I've got to go hit the showers. Shecka and Yami should be here in a few minutes. But if you want to go out of this room, look for L." Then she went to the door, leaving the room.
Well…I guess staying here won't do anything. Light thought, looking at the other bunk bet set that was across from him. I hope the other kids are as nice as her. Then he left the room as well.
Light walked into the hallway. Most of the kids were in their room with their doors only open a crease at the most. He looked at the clock, six thirty. Dinner was probably already over, but Light still felt hungry since he hadn't eaten since noon today, and the time zone change didn't help.
He lowered his head as he walked down the stairs. Until he bumped into L again, flustered he blushed a crimson red. L (who seemed unaffected by this turn of events) talked to him in a calm matter."Yagami-kun. I assume you're here to get some dinner?"
Light nodded; though that wasn't his original intention the grumbling in his stomach said something else. L waved him off and nodded, telling him to follow the teenager. Light obliged and began walking down the long staircase to the kitchens. Maybe this guy wasn't so weird after all.
It was only a few minutes later that Light was eating a grilled cheese and tomato soup. It was foreign food to him, but nonetheless it had a very nice taste to it. L stood guard just in case an adult came walking in since they weren't exactly supposed to be down in the kitchens after dinner hours.
"So where do your parents live?"Light asked, taking a bite of the crust of his sandwich. Savouring the taste as he waited for Ls response.
Without flinching or even moving his head, L responded in a very calm and controlled manner.
"They're dead."
Light knew he had said the wrong thing. Assuming that they were alive was a bad move on his part. But he didn't seem angry or even sad about the fact that Light had mentioned a rather unpleasant subject to him. In fact Light hadn't seen his expression change since they met.
"Oh…I'm sorry-"
"No need. My dad dropped me here the moment I was born. The two fled to Japan and when I was seven I got the tablets."
L explained, still not changing his expression. Though if that was Light he would have been crying at this point of retelling Ls story, how could parents be so cruel to their own child?
And the worse way to find out your parents were dead was through tablets. You got sent them if your parents lived away from you, stating that they were dead and that the sender wishes the child their sincerest sadness to them. It wasn't a nice way to cap off a day. Light had never received one but he knew that it must have been a horrible thing to receive as a kid.
It was hard to believe that a child even younger than light had been able to go on with both of his parents gone. But I suppose it hurts a lot less if you have never met your father or mother.
There was a moment of awkward silence between the two boys. L prompted the conversation to restart again, his voice normal like they had been talking about the weather.
"It was murder, by the way. They caught the criminal and he's now rotting in jail."
"Sorry for your loss."Light said with sincere sadness. It sounded cold but Light was raised to be a boy who was very proper with his wording in situations like this. L locked eyes with Light and merely nodded before saying.
"Thanks. They didn't mean much to me so don't fret over it." Then he changed the topic to something more light-hearted. "Say Light. Do you play tennis?"Light nodded; actually he was quite good at the sport. But he could never play since his family didn't live near any spots for him to place. But nonetheless he loved the sport very much.
"Good. Want to play some tomorrow?"
He offered. Light nodded in an excitably, jumping in his seat. He couldn't wait to go play tennis with his new…would you consider this friend? Yes you could consider him Lights new friend!
"I'll come to you at noon. Now come on lets go back upstairs."L offered a hand to Light. This time he accepted it without hesitation. This guy seemed to be really nice and despite the age difference, he could already see that they had the potential to be great friends.
Light waved to L as he opened the door to his new room. Finding three girls now sitting on their respective beds. One was a brunette that had matching eyes with a black shirt and blue jeans. Kyo was there obviously, but she had changed to a pair of P.J. bottoms and a green shirt. But to Lights dismay the blonde with green eyes was now with the group in an outfit matching the others.
"Oh! This is our new roommate?"
The blonde asked Kyo. Kyo gave a little snort before responding to her (at least to Light) annoying friend.
"No he's Pinocchio."
The brunette followed on this joke by screaming out.
"SING I'VE GOT NO STRINGS!"
If Light was closer to the window he probably would have jumped out at this point and fled to Canada. Looks like his new roommates were going to be a handful and he could already see it.
"Oh. Light this is Shecka," Kyo pointed to the brunette, who was stretching. "And this is Yami." She gestured to the blonde, who was looking at a magazine that featured anime boys in bondage. Clearly she was the crazy one out of the trio. But not by much since Shecka was reading Yaoi right beside her friend.
"Welcome to the Wammy house!"
Shecka greeted, smiling and looking away from her book for a moment before she became transfixed by the novel again.
"I still think that name sounds wrong."
Yami insisted, flipping a page casually. If that was some sort of inside joke Light definitely didn't understand it, and for some reason he really didn't want to know their inside jokes of the group.
"Whatever. Anyways we better get some shuteye."
Kyo said, pulling the covers up on herself while she attempted to go to sleep. Light did the natural thing and turned off the light. But at that moment Shecka and Yami both began complaining.
"Hey! At least let us get our flashlights out."
Yami said. Light turned back on the switch, and let the two grab their flashlights before turning the light off again, and then he walked to his bed.
"Oh god…I can't believe I get to say this to you Light."
Shecka said a few minutes later, realising something obviously at least somewhat important. Light yawned and asked what that was. The response he received made him face palm.
"Night Light!"
"…Goodnight Shecka." Light insisted, going back to sleep.
"Night Light."
