Hello, my lovely readers. I'm terribly sorry that I've disappeared, and that I haven't posted in forever. And I'm also terribly sorry to say that the rest of my fanfictions are of now discontinued, permanently. Anyone can fool around with it so long as they give me the original credit, because I am seriously appalled with the half-assed job I did on them. It could all be so much better…
But today I am unveiling the start of my newest fanfiction; Falling Short. It is a boyxboy love fanfiction, so all those who oppose shounenai, have the sense not to come here and read it just so that you can flame me for it since you don't enjoy yaoi.
And too bad for you if you don't.
I'm sure you would all enjoy a nice, plump summary of the story instead of the one or two lines that grabbed your eye amongst the rest of the fanfics out there. And I am happy to provide it! So, here you are;
"Near is working less and less, constantly distracted. L doesn't know why, but he does know that Near seems to have an inferiority complex.
Hiding his emotions is just one of the defense mechanisms Near has. But, sadly, they can't stop him from being scarred when a mysterious man kidnaps him and tortures him, all for his own sick, twisted gain.
And he has no hope left when he realizes the person he's been dreaming about for over a week… is L, the greatest detective ever, to all knowledge asexual, and the least available person ever, since he's ten years older than Near.
Near is emotionless, able to figure any puzzle out, an instinctive knowledge that he doesn't understand always guiding him to what clue goes where.
But Nate River, on the other hand, is broken. And he can't make it through alone.
Will L be able to save him- or will Misa or Light take L for themselves?
Nothing is ever certain… but whatever expectations Near had…
This time, he's truly… Falling Short."
I hope you enjoyed that little summary.
So yeah! I've bored you enough with this horrendously long author's note, so I'll launch the two-page prologue right about here.
Enjoy!
Oh, but before you go any further…..
WARNING: Name Spoilers, Slight AU; Sexual themes/events, Language, Violence, Character death, attempted suicide, Successful suicide, and a whole lot more to come in future chapters.
Just to let you know.
Prologue:
Of Complexes and Research
Near tended to be quite introverted, even when working. He rarely gave his opinion, and when he did, it was in a cryptic manner. He (very strongly) disliked being put on the spot. These were facts, facts that L (who had taken to watching Near work when he was bored or on break) had determined.
What even L didn't know was why.
This particular 'why' dealt with the very thing causing our main character to balk at a simple question, even as we speak.
"Yo, Near! What's the square root of a hundred and ninety?" Matsuda called.
Near knew almost instantly that it was thirteen point seven eight four zero four eight seven five two zero nine zero two two one, etc, etc…
But he hesitated.
"You really need me to tell you that?"
Near only said this type of thing for one reason; he suffered from an inferiority complex. Even though deep down he knew he was right, and even though he hid all the signs of his complex well, so well he almost felt normal… things like this made him remember that he could still, very easily, make a mistake. Unlike, for instance, L.
Near heard footsteps quietly sound behind him and stop about a foot away; almost immediately anxious (though thanks to years of practice it was invisible to onlookers) he turned around in his chair to come face-to-face with L.
L was hunched over a little, as always, and was currently employing his quirky habit of chewing on the pad of his thumb.
"I wanted to thank you for coming to help work on the case," L said softly in Japanese (the language was dominant here, in Kyoto, Japan).
"It's not a problem, L-san," Near replied. "I would have asked to come anyway."
L, expression unreadable, glanced at Near's equally blank features, and suddenly broke into a wide smile, his eyes closing in show of cheerfulness.
"That's very nice of you, Near-kun! I appreciate it."
Near became very interested in his socks then. He managed to stave off a rising blush with a mumbled "I'm sorry, but I really should get back to work."
Turning back to his computer, Near pretended to skim through the words on the screen as L walked away.
Forcing himself to breathe normally, he mentally interrogated himself.
'Why am I so worked up about a silly 'thank you'?' He reprimanded himself. Sighing as he didn't get an answer, Near returned to his research. Something caught his eye, and he clicked on it twice, expanding a list of deaths…
L watched Near from a few feet away. There were private webcams secretly planted in all the computer monitors save his; he had activated Near's discretely while talking to him. Now he gazed at Near's face as if trying to analyze the younger male: his expression revealed a sliver of emotion; determination, concentration,… and doubt.
L chewed on his thumb again; why would Near seem so doubtful?
Then, Near started to mumble something to himself softly; L could only manage to lip-read a small portion of it, which went along the lines of 'but what if I'm wrong? They…'
Near curled a lock of his hair between his forefinger and thumb; biting his lip gently, he stood up. Letting his hands fall to his sides, he made a beeline for the detective that was watching him.
Hastily cutting the feed from Near's webcam, L acted as though he were researching (which, he reflected, he really should have been) as the albino boy drew closer.
"L… How much do you know about how Kira kills?"
L glanced up at Near, silently mulling it over for a split second (it was all the time he needed).
"Well, we've established that he gives his victims heart-attacks, and can do so from a country or more away, which leaves me to believe he can either control other people, or has the illogical ability to do so remotely, on his own. The latter, illogical as it is, is the more likely of the two."
Near nodded, as if he had anticipated this, and hesitated before speaking again.
"I looked into all the deaths in the 'schedule' you made according to when Kira strikes… There are enough deaths to foil the idea that it is a coincidence; I believe Kira can kill in other ways as well."
Needless to say, this caught L's attention rather quickly.
"In what ways, Near?" He asked softly.
"Car accidents, being hit by a train, falls, drowning, suffocating, and possibly illness and suicide… I think he can kill in any way imaginable."
L's eyes widened imperceptibly; wondering at how he'd missed this, he turned back to his computer and conducted his own search. Skimming over the details to see for himself, L looked back at Near curiously.
"Thank you… I need to analyze this right away, or I'd discuss the matter with you. Perhaps we could meet for tea sometime soon."
After a moment's pause, L added: "Good work, Near-kun," and turned back to his computer, typing almost feverishly in light of this new evidence. In doing so, he missed the blush that Near couldn't quell, and didn't notice that it took a full minute for the albino boy to regain his composure.
I know it's rather pitifully short, but it is a prologue, after all. It was about two pages long in my notebook, and the next chapter is just waiting to be typed up before I can post it. It's about six pages long, and I hope you shall enjoy it. In the meantime, I'll be pigging out on chocolate, writing more of it in my notebook, and trying to type up what I already have.
Until next time, Ciao, my friends! Write on, and let the words flow freely.
-Rianne
P.S. I would truly appreciate it if I got some reviews. It gets a bit lonely being a lacking-a-life writer, 'specially when a gang of your only friends pretty much outcast you. ^_^
