Only Never Human // Chapter 2
Series: Death Note
Pairing: Light (Raito)/L
Status: WIP
Content: m/m (boys love), AU (alt. universe),
Short Note: I've basically taken L and Light and put them in a different setting, but tried my best to keep some of their original personalities/traits, as well as some of the feel of the Death Note world in-tact. I might even put a few supporting Death Note characters in here somehow.
Disclaimer: Death Note and its characters are (c) Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. Everyone else is my OCs.
Only Never Human
Sitting with one leg crossed over the other, Light Yagami leaned back against his chair made of dark-colored velvet. The roar of the crowd was still ringing in his ears. It had been only a half hour since he had finished another concert performance in front of thousands of his adoring fans.
There came a knock on the door to Light's break-room and his Japanese manager, Amato, stepped hastily into the room, bowing his many apologies for "disrupting his resting period". Light frowned and flicked his wrist, which meant for the man to get to the point.
"Ah..! Yes, well... Again, I'm very sorry, but... I felt that you should be alerted of this matter immediately..!" Mr. Amato hesitated slightly as he took out a sheet of paper and read from it, "This was emailed to my personal office a very short while ago and it was subjected as "Urgent"... It seems... the talent scout we sent to England has come up with something, and I quote: 'Very interesting, unique, and exactly what our music business is in desperate need of.'" He ended on that note and looked up from the paper.
Light hadn't moved a muscle, keeping his frown, "So?"
Mr. Amato looked even more nervous. "So... Yagami, he wants to bring this person here and see what you think of him--"
"I will not." Came his quick reply.
"..Ah..?! Wh--"
"Tell me, Amato, just how many people has Mr. Crossmen brought to me so far?"
"..Oh.. About.. 162.. But, that's including the--"
"And, just how many of them did I choose?"
"...None.."
"Exactly." Light tilted his head to the side, looking slightly irritated. "So, please tell me why this will be any different?"
"..." Mr. Amato wasn't sure if should answer him or not.
"And, that is my point. You can leave now, if you want, Amato."
"I.. I'll just.. leave this.. here..then.. " Hesitantly, the manager placed the paper on the coffee table in front of Light and quickly made his way out of the room.
Despite acting as though he couldn't care less about a scout finding someone, Light was disappointed to say the least.
To have no equal.. Can that truly be human? No.. He was Kira now. And, Kira could never be called human.. So, then why did part of him still long for his "other half". Was Kira not complete...?
"And, this is your room, Mr. Lawliet." Mr. Crossmen opened the door to his new found talent's hotel room and stood aside to let him through.
Slowly, L took a look inside and turned back to the other man, a questioning look on his face. "Excuse me, but.. this is a suite."
"Yes, I know that."
"Oh.." L looked again. He obviously wasn't use to this sort of treatment.
Mr. Crossmen frowned after a while. "Is it.. not to your liking..?"
"Ah.. No, it's not that at all.. It's very nice but.. don't you think.. this is a bit much?" L looked earnestly at the man who smiled when he heard such a thing.
"No, it's no problem at all. Trust me." He saw a man carrying L's things to the room and nodded to him. "Well, there is your luggage. Is that all you think you'll be needing for a while?"
L nodded slowly.
"Excellent. Then, I'll leave you to practice. Tomorrow we are going to meet up with Mr. Amato and then you will play in front of him--"
L cut off Mr. Crossmen's sentence with a question.. "I will have to play.. in front of him?"
"Yes, and I've asked specifically for Kira as well. I'm sure that he would want to be there to--"
"Kira.. too?" He cut him off again.
"..Yes, of course. He ultimately makes the final decision. You are auditioning to be his partner."
"His partner..?!" L was getting more and more confused as well as shocked. "Did you not think to tell me this before..?"
"Yes, I apologize.. But, let me tell you again how much I need you right now.. Not just I even; A lot of people are relying on you now."
L had no idea what to say to that so he just looked at his room again, "Do I have a key?"
"A key?"
"Yes, a key to this room."
Mr. Crossmen smiled as he realized what L was saying. "..Yes, it's on the coffee table next to the phone.."
L nodded and began to walk inside. "Then, I will be practicing. Do you perhaps have anything I could use to learn more about this.. 'Kira'?"
"Oh.. yes, I can get some material for you, if that's what you want." He opened his cell phone and began to dial, but first gave L a grateful look. "Thank you, Mr. Lawliet."
All L did was give him a nod in understanding.
Upon entering his new apartment, L had to pause for a moment to take in all the suite had to offer visually. He looked around at the rooms through the main living area and found them all to be exceptionally large and clean.
He noticed a piece of paper next to a phone in the kitchen and picked it up with his index finger thumb, holding it up to read. "'Welcome. We hope you enjoy your stay at..'..hmm.." L stopped reading as his nose caught a familiar smell. Next to the note was a small basket and once he looked inside he found a handful of appealing-looking chocolate. A child-like smile spread over his face and he quickly took a few and tried one. Then, took a few more; finding that he liked the taste of it very much.
There were many other surprises but L wasn't exactly interested in discovering them all. He was more interested in finding out what kind of person 'Kira' is like.
Ironically, just as he thought this, a knock came from the door. Once L opened it, he discovered a large box sitting on the ground in front of the doorway. After a little bit of prodding and poking, he decided to scoot it inside to investigate it further.
"Hmm.." L crouched down beside the mysterious parcel and opened the top with both pairs of his thumb and index fingers. "Ah.. This must be the material I requested…"
Taking out an unmarked DVD, L searched for a television with the right player to view the disc with. It wasn't exactly difficult to locate one; a huge, flat-screened TV was sitting in the middle of the living room. So, after a few minutes, L was able to get it to play.
He sat on a firm sofa in his odd way of sitting; hugging his knees up to his chest and focused on the screen. After a professional-looking introduction at the beginning, a young man was shown walking onto a large stage. He had brown hair, a thin frame, and looked to be of Japanese decent.
"Could.. this be 'Kira'?" But as soon as L had asked he caught a glimpse of the man's eyes and knew even before his name was announced to the roaring audience. It was his eyes that intrigued L the most. His thumb found its way to his mouth, as it usually did when he was thinking hard and he stared at the screen, even more wide-eyed as 'Kira" began his first song.
'..This had to be illegal…' L thought, a strange grin spreading over his face. 'This man… He's too powerful.. Too.. too good..' Amazed as he was, after it was over he wasted no time in digging into the box where the DVD was from, finding magazines, newspaper articles, CDs, photographs and tons of other things centered on his new interest.
"Mr. Lawliet.. It's time for us to be leaving!" It was morning before he knew it and Mr. Crossmen was soon knocking upon his door again.
L had spent most of the night going though all the material and soon felt like regretting it, but rethought that; learning that much about Kira was certainly worth it to him. "Yes.. I'm coming…" He opened the door to let the other man in and then shuffled back to his bedroom.
"Ah..! Look, you aren't even dressed yet..!" The young business man looked extremely nervous this morning. "Mr. Lawliet.. if we are late today then.."
"We won't be late. We are suppose to be there in an hour, correct?" L wasn't in the mood to calm anyone down. He slipped his guitar over his shoulder after putting on a new set of baggy jeans, a white cotton shirt and worn-out shoes. "Let's go. I'm actually quite anxious to meet this man now."
"Uh. Ehrm.. Yes." Mr. Crossmen hadn't expected that sort of statement out of L, but was soon happy. Maybe he had been right about L all along. He has what it takes.
Mr. Amato looked down at L, an obvious look of disgust and confusion upon his face. "Excuse me, but.. You don't really expect me to believe that.. this it the new talent you were talking about, Mr. Crossmen?"
"Yes.. I know that he may look a bit… odd. But, I assure you that after you hear him play-"
"No. I really don't think Kira will go for this at all.. And, I had such high hopes this time… I even risked my own neck to persuade Kira to even allow this. He was right all along about you, Crossmen. You may want to rethink your own career in this business." Mr. Amato was about to make them leave when someone called for him from the other side of the room
"Are they here yet, Amato?"
"A-ah..!! Yagami!? I.. thought.. you were going to wait inside.." Mr. Amato turned around nervously.
"I was. But, since they are late I want to be the first to-Oh.. Mr. Crossmen is here already? Why didn't you tell me, Amato? And, who is that with him?" Light made his way pass Amato and stood in front of the other two men.
"Yagami-san. It's a pleasure to see you again." Mr. Crossmen bowed politely, finding the courage to move forward with the plan. "I'd like you to meet Lawliet." He motioned to L, who was standing next to him.
With his full gaze upon L now, Light tired to look right though him it seemed. "You are the one? Are you serious?"
L wasn't sure of the right thing to say to say to that, but took a guess with "Yes."
After an awkward silence, Light burst out laughing. "Really?! Are you really good enough to become my partner? Is that what you think?" He looked to Mr. Crossmen again.
The older man nodded, "Yes. I believe he is."
"Oh? So, this really is serious. At least, it better be; for you to stake your entire career on it."
Light's eyes grew cold and his tone was heartless. It made L shiver with something other than fear.
"I am not sure I appreciate your words. Or that smirk you have. It is as if.." L was speaking up, nibbling on his finger in between clusters of his words. "It is as if you think you have already won.. 'Kira'." He smiles behind his hand.
Light looked surprised for a split second, but soon covered up the spill of his emotions. "Right then, prove it to me. Show me what you believe can match me…" He practically glared at L, as if daring him-No, challenging him.
L accepted without hesitation.
Following Light, all four men walked back into the auditorium, all but L taking a seat in the audience stands.
L made his way to the very front, up a few stairs to the top. One, very powerful light was aimed straight on him, making him squint out to the seats in front of him. Deciding to sit down on the hard floor of the stage in the center, L didn't wait for a cue from Light and began strumming his guitar lightly at first. Before Light could comment on the low sound he was making, even before he could smirk in his false triumph, L played harder.
L played masterfully. L played with amazing grace. L played the first song he had heard of Light's last night. But, most importantly; L played with his head held up high.
High enough to where Light had to look up.
He played the whole song though without stopping. Not one word was said, even after L was finished. L rested his fingers and contemplated whether or not to announce himself that he was done.
But, before he could even open his mouth, Light stood abruptly. There was a look on his face that L couldn't understand at first, but as he began to realize Light's true reaction, the brown haired young man bite his lip and quickly looked away right before he walked out of there.
No one stopped him. And until the day L dies, he wonders if things would have turned out differently if he had.
\ Only Never Human Chapter 2 End //