With the Stars – Death Note Fanfic

Genre: Sci-fi/Friendship

Rating: K+

Sorry this took so long! And sorry this is quite slow... things should pick up next chapter...

Thankyou all of my reviewers!!;

Merichuel: I can't reply to your reviews when I get them so I will here! I'm glad you like L and here's the update XD

Creeping Shadow

wonton-chan

dancers of the night

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any characters/locations that are part of the series/manga. This is purely fan made and I do not wish to use this to make profits of any kind.

Please enjoy!

Chapter 2: Painting

L's tongue was poking out of the side of his mouth as he worked, the concentration showing clearly on his little face. His short legs had stopped swinging wildly about ten minutes ago after he'd finished the inky black background and started to work on his painting's main feature.

He rubbed his cheek, accidentally smearing white paint across it then dipped his brush back into the thick white liquid and continued.

After a while he'd finished.

He dropped the brush into a tall glass jar full of murky grey water that stood next to his collection of paints, then sat back to admire his work. He smiled.

"That's wonderful L, it looks almost real." The young child looked up towards the voice and beamed. Watari returned the smile kindly then walked on down the row of seats, admiring other children's artwork. L took a marker pen and carefully printed his name (well, letter) at the bottom of his painting along with the date that Watari had written for them on the large blackboard at the front of the class. He then raised his hand. Noticing the movement, Watari made his way over to the young boy.

"Have you finished painting?" He asked quietly, so to not disturb the rest of the class. L nodded.

"Well there's still ten minutes before we show each other what we have drawn so do you have anything to do in the mean time?" Again the boy nodded then stopped suddenly, his eyes wide.

"I left my book in my room!" He said in a hoarse, shocked whisper.

Watari smiled kindly, "Don't worry I'm sure you can read it some other time, maybe you could draw something else instead." He walked calmly to the front of the classroom and took a piece of plain white paper from a pile on the teacher's desk. He handed it to L then walked over to a young girl with blonde pigtails who looked almost as though she was going to start crying.

L stared at the paper. He really wished he had his book about comets and space but decided to make the most of this unusually fun lesson.

Having no pencil, only a pen he once again removed it's plastic lid and started to doodle on the piece of clean white paper, most of his drawings being the letter 'L' in many different fonts.

It was unusual for any of the children to have such a relaxed, fun lesson as Roger Ruvie believed that the younger a child started to learn, the smarter, more respectful and knowledgeable it would be as an adult. The class that was currently taking place was supposed to be a mathematics lesson, but seeing as Wammy house's mathematics tutor was unable to arrive at the orphanage due to his car breaking down, Watari had stepped in and offered to take the lesson.

Of course the elderly male had quickly decided that because of such short notice, he had no idea what to teach the children that was related to mathematics he had settled with the idea of an art lesson.

True to his word, Watari stopped his wanderings around the classroom and made his way to the front ten minutes later. He cleared his throat quietly then watched as the children looked up at him with interest.

"Well it seems most of you have finished your artwork so let's show the rest of the class. Now then, who wants to go first?" He asked. About five children's hands shot up into the air and started wiggling. Some of the hands that belonged to the girls were competing with each other to see who could raise highest. Other less enthusiastic children raised their hands much slower with a determined look on their faces that showed they REALLY wanted to go first. The elder nodded towards the same blonde girl he had been to see earlier. Her teary eyes now glittered with boastful happiness.

She held up her picture, "It's a flower, but I had the idea first! Sarah copied me! And besides, mine's better."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"That's enough thankyou girls, they both look lovely." Both girls stuck their tongues out at each other before the girl with the blonde pigtails sat back down, earning stern looks from Watari. He nodded to a boy this time who stood up shyly and held his picture upside down.

"It's a car." He mumbled, one of his stubby fingers in his mouth. Watari smiled kindly then pointed to a group of girls who had painted a picture together.

"We drew a princess' castle!" One explained loudly.

"But I painted the princess!" Another added quickly. When they were sure that absolutely everyone had had a good look at their drawing they sat down again.

Most of the other children stood up showing their pictures, many being houses, flowers or grassy fields with dogs, cats or their friends dancing happily on the grass. Then Watari pointed to Bradley who stood up and showed his 'brilliant' painting.

"It's a footballer, and the footballer is me." He said as some of the boys stared at it in awe and wishing they had thought of something similar. He sat down smugly, knowing he'd earned himself a few more fans wanting to know how he got his ideas.

Then it was L's turn. He stood up almost reluctantly and held his picture up. Before he had chance to anything Bradley burst out laughing.

"Look! It's a lopsided fish!" He sniggered. Half of the boys started laughing with the eight year old. L glared at him, promising something worse very soon if he didn't stop. Bradley saw his glare and his snickers died down slightly.

"Actually it's a comet, shows why you're in the younger class doesn't it Bradley." L said in a cool manner. He earned a few small snickers and an enraged look from the blonde.

"Alright boys, sit down please L and let's get ready for break." L obliged rather pleased with himself and stared up at the classroom's only clock.

The chunky grey hands seemed to like him today as they seemed to fly around the face of the old clock. Watari watched them too and allowed the children to whisper to each other. L listened to some of their conversations without meaning to eavesdrop and tried to block them out with his own thoughts about his upcoming comet, Near. He reminded himself to ask Watari when he could see it. Then he caught the hushed conversation of his roommate and 'friends'.

"...scared of that kid?" One asked grinning slyly.

"No! why would I be scared of him?" Bradley sneered.

"You seemed scared when he looked a you before, when you said his picture was a fish."

"I wasn't scared! I was just thinking about what I'm going to take and hide that's his next."

"Cool! What are you going to hide?"

"I'm going to hide... his book!"

"His book?"

"Yeah! He's got this book which he's always reading, if I hide it he can't read it!"

"Cool! You're the best at hiding things too! Where are you going to hide it this time?"

He went quieter as he told the others his plan, but not quite quiet enough for L to miss what he said. He smiled to himself, 'That actually helps me you know, I was heading outside anyway. I think I'll let them hide it, I'll ask Watari about Near.'

*-{WITH THE STARS}-*

The last child (save L) left the room for the break before their lunch. The black haired boy quickly stowed his now dry painting in his clear folder then walked to the front of the classroom to speak to his favourite member of staff.

"Watari? Can I ask you something about Near?"

"Of course... but I don't know everything and there may be something a little disappointing in what I do know." He said calmly looking the slightest bit saddened as he cleared away a few paintbrushes he had asked the children to leave on his desk for him.

L gave him a slightly confused look before asking, "I was wondering if you knew when I would be able to see it."

"Well, I was researching the comet for you and it should have been seen last night then disappeared again on Saturday morning. You would have been able to see it for four nights in a row but it seems that Near hasn't been seen at all. It is a strange comet, it doesn't behave like all comets as it travels much faster and now it seems like it has a mind of it's own and doesn't want to come. I'm sorry."

The small boy's look of interest slowly turned into a sad and disappointed one. Watari wouldn't have been surprised to see the young one cry, even if it was as hard as catching fog to see him shed a tear. The only time the elder had seen such a sight was when he had been left at the orphanage by his parents two days after it had been opened. L was a tiny baby and crying as all babies do. Since then L had never been seen crying at all, all he did was smile, laugh or frown.

The child nodded and walked out of the empty room slowly, hanging his head with a frown resting on his face as he thought deeply and mentally told the faint prickling feeling behind his cold grey eyes to stop.

Wammy house's founder watched L walk out sympathetically. His gaze shifted to the unusually clear, late autumn sky and let a slight frown creep onto his face, 'I hope you're happy Near.' He thought, allowing himself to yell inside his head at the comet, wherever it may have been.

*-{WITH THE STARS}-*

Bradley was arguing with L again.

Kathy could hear the older boy's voice from the second floor. Those two boys were going to get a peice of her mind whether they liked it or not. She was sick of their arguements.

She marched up the stairs, now clearly hearing ever word coming from the blonde's mouth.

"...NOT FAIR!"

She heard nothing but mumbles coming from the youngest boy.

"IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A SECRET! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LISTEN IN!"

"..."

"I HATE YOU! YOU'RE STUPID AND I HATE YOU!"

"..."

She finally arrived outside their door and slammed it open, her blue eyes blazing with fury. Her hands were placed threateningly at her hips and she opened her mouth, emitting dangerous sounding, bark-like words.

"What, is the meaning of this?!" She barked.

"He's being unfair!" Bradley whined pointing at L who sat, leaning against a wall with his book propped up on his crossed legs.

"I still fail to see how I am being unfair, you're the one who hid my book."

"You were cheating and listening to where I hid it!" The blonde screached.

"ENOUGH! I don't want to hear another SOUND from this room! Get into bed both of you!" She boomed. L narrowed his eyes at his roommate before closing the thick hardback and clambering into bed. Bradley did similarly, grabbing a toy car as he got under his own squishy duvet.

Kathy wasn't accepting this though. She marched over to Bradley and wrenched the toy out of his hands ignoring the whines of protest, then pulled L's favourite book from his grip forcing him to stop reading mid-sentence. His mouth opened to protest but Kathy got there before him.

"You'll be lucky to get these back at breakfast if you carry on like this!" Her voice then turned into a low threatening hiss. "If I come back in ten minutes and you are not sound asleep, you won't be going outside to play for the next month. Do I make myself clear?" Both boys nodded and she turned, flicked the light switch and slammed the door shut.

"It's all your fault. I hate you." Bradley hissed.

Kathy sounded as though she was attacking the door in annoyance as she shreiked, "I SAID ASLEEP!"

L rolled his eyes then looked out of his window at the clear sky sadly. He sighed then closed his dark eyes trying hard to forget his disappointment.


A/N: Please don't shoot me! -Hides in my box-

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See you next chapter... hopefully...