Title: Discordant Harmony
Chapter Seven: Mending Broken Chains
Once again, Yagami Raito wondered how in the hell he winded up in these predicaments. Whether it be some continuous freak twist of fate, or whatever God that actually existed that seemed to love to single him out, Raito always ended up getting royally screwed in the end.
Metaphorically, of course.
Before the ring tone could continue and the awkward glances he was receiving could persist, Raito quickly grabbed the cell phone from his pocket and declined the call without even glancing at the number.
If they were worth talking to, they would've called him at another time… and without such a fucked up ring tone to go with it.
'Damn you Spice Girls… damn you to hell!'
A shaky smile lit up the young man's face as Raito nodded towards his mother and father, now staring at him in both confusion and pent up anger in his father's case.
Especially in his father's case.
Yet, Raito forced himself to stay calm under the pressure and steeled himself rather magnificently while still suffering Yagami Soichirou's livid glower.
Too bad the same couldn't be said about Ryuuzaki.
His companion put down his leg from under the table and positioned it on top of the seat, leaning towards the slightly creeped-out couple. Balancing all of his weight on the balls of his sneaker-clad feet, wide black eyes with dark half-circles sagging underneath them stared unabashedly at both parents, analyzing them without a shred of shame.
Something Raito was feeling tons of, thank you very much.
Soichirou's furious eyes began to twitch repeatedly as other clientele within the restaurant set off on a series of whispers and mortifying stares fixed directly on their table.
You'd think Raito would be used to this by now. But really, Raito had always been thick-headed when it came to learning life's lessons.
The fed-up 23-year-old rolled his eyes as he stood up, garnering the dark-haired man's attention once again. He by passed the gaunt man's blank gaze and hesitantly put his hand on his father's arm and whispered something unintelligible in the older Yagami's ear. Soichirou stiffly nodded after a moment of silence, causing both Yagami Sachiko and Ryuuzaki to blink at the same time.
Raito brought out his winning smile at the two as he began to lead his explosive father away from the table. "We'll be back in a couple of minutes. We seem to have an urgent matter to discuss. Mother, Ryuuzaki, if you don't mind?"
Sachiko nodded hesitantly at her son, offering her own small smile of condolences as Ryuuzaki put his thumb to his lips and questioningly looked over at Raito's father. "I do not mind waiting for Raito-kun to return as long as Raito-kun promises to come back to the table without any bruises or scars as remembrances of this evening and in all one piece."
The comment was obviously not aimed at Raito.
An intentionally predatory smile overcame Ryuuzaki's pale lips as he narrowed his wide eyes at the middle-aged officer. "There are certainly other, much more enjoyable ways to ensure such memories anyhow-"
"We'll be right outside, we'll see you all in a little while, bye!" The cinnamon-eyed artist tightened his hold on his father's arm as he rushed this all out in one breath and ignored the growl that escaped Soichirou's lips. Ryuuzaki was now purposely baiting his father, and that was quite possibly one of the stupidest things to do in ANY given situation.
'And I thought he was smart!' Raito thought absently as hurriedly dragged the older Yagami from the table, who continued to glare menacingly at Ryuuzaki. It seemed to fly over Ryuuzaki's head, however, as both Raito's mother and Raito's non-date were left alone with each other.
The smaller, short haired woman cleared her throat, daintily sitting down and gently sipping a bit of the water placed on the table in front of her. Ryuuzaki's gaze now had a new target.
"So…" Sachiko began unsurely, a polite smile now etched on her face.
'I can see where Raito picks up his politeness now…' L thought absently. 'Maybe his mother will be a useful source of information, considering she seems to be the least hostile of the two parents…'
And that was a huge understatement if the murderous expression on Soichirou's face had been anything to go by.
"Yagami-san was enjoying the evening until walking into the restaurant, correct?" No point in trying to be subtle about it. They both knew this night was going down the drain as they spoke. "I suppose finding your son having dinner with another man can ruin one's night..."
'Guess I won't be getting laid tonight…' L thought forlornly.
Then, quite unexpectedly, Sachiko giggled, surprising L mid-thought. "I'm sure we all will continue to enjoy the evening, even after both my son and husband return. None of this should really come as a surprise to the poor old man, but…" A haggard expression wore its way on the older woman's delicate features. "He is stubborn. A trait that both he and Raito share, as you may have come to notice. I doubt those two will ever be on the same wave length, whether it be now or in the future."
Sachiko's face brightened after a moment of awkward silence on L's part. "But enough about that. Why don't you tell me more about yourself! Rai-chan rarely tells me about the boys he's dating."
Ryuuzaki's face must have expressed his sudden surprise, since the look on Sachiko's own face held much amusement. "It's like I said, something's really shouldn't come as such a surprise to my husband. Now, if you would start with your name? Then I'm sure we can continue on from there."
L grinned inwardly as a strong liking towards the older woman was formed.
"You may call me Ryuuzaki. And it's very nice to meet you, Yagami-san. I doubt Raito-kun would have allowed for us to meet for quite sometime if not for this evening."
"Oh, I wouldn't doubt that in the least! And please, just Sachiko is fine! That formality makes me feel so old!"
Meanwhile…
"Alright, go ahead!" Raito let go of his father as he spun around to face him, his face now contorting into its own version of resentment. "You want to yell at me like I'm some kind of child? Like I don't know what the hell I'm doing? Go ahead! I dare you! But I swear, if you make some kind of homophobic remark, I don't care if you ARE my father, I will not be responsible for my actions!"
Soichirou paced within the large parking lot as he looked at anything that wasn't his son. Dark amber eyes narrowed as he finally turned towards his son. "What the hell were you thinking, Raito?! The picture… why would you even THINK about painting something like that?!"
Raito's father glared at the younger man, looking ready to lunge at any given moment. "Have I done something to deserve this Raito? I don't think I have; not in the least. I never abused you, I always gave you all I could give-damn it, Raito! Why the hell would you-Gah!" The older man began to pace once again, this time clutching his head in his hands.
Raito's mouth thinned. "Are we still talking about the portrait, or me being gay?"
Soichirou's eye twitched.
"Does that bother you the most dad? Hell, I painted you as the depiction of death and destruction and allowed all of Japan to see, yet the fact that I have sex with guys disturbs you more than that?!" Raito walked right up to Soichirou's face, damning any consequences and ripped the hands away from the other man's face.
"Well guess what, daddy dearest? I'm GAY! Gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay! Did you hear that? I said I like to-!"
Slap!
A heavy hand swiftly came across the younger man's face as a loud smack of flesh meeting flesh was heard.
"I KNOW, ALRIGHT! I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN, DAMN IT!" Raito grasped his aching cheek as he looked at his father in disappointment. The middle aged man's breathing began to become slow as he brought his shaking hand back to his side. "I know… and I don't want to."
A heavy silence draped over the two men as they both continued to gaze at each other, the distance evident within both their features.
"Is it sad that I would rather be oblivious than not know the truth about my own son? I don't care about the picture, Raito. I… I never did." Soichirou shifted his gaze towards the ground as Raito blinked in shock. "I know why you did it, and for that I can't blame you. It sickens me to even continue to work in the police force, knowing about what they're doing; right for everyone to see! I'm almost glad you didn't become an officer yourself at this point."
Raito's eyes softened for a moment as the years began to show themselves in his father's face. "Dad…"
"I can take the painting, because I know you mean good behind it. If a man like me, who has always taught you to stand up for what was right can't even face his own department's corruption… then I'm killing just as many lives as I have saved." Soichirou crossed his arms across his chest as he continued. "But, I can't accept what you're doingRaito. I've never… I mean, I know you haven't always been normal, but this-"
"How is me trying to find someone to hold onto not normal, dad?" Raito walked over to where his father stood and put a hand on his shoulder. "Because you say the person I'm looking for isn't the right gender? Or that I'm committing some kind of disgrace on the family? If that's the case, then the only one who's disgracing this family is you… for not allowing me to find the happiness everyone else seems to have."
"Dad, don't you want me to happy?" Soichirou's shoulders sagged as he nodded. "Of course I do Raito-"
"What if I said that man in there makes me happy? Would you really take that away from me?" The older man was quiet for a moment. The tension seem to finally seep out of his body completely and looked his son in the eyes, burning sepia matching his own.
Soichirou shook his head with a sigh and smiled shakily at his son. "Does he really? Make you happy, that is?"
Raito blushed.
"Well, I mean, I only meant it as an example, I didn't really mean-"
"Raito."
"And even if I felt something, I've only known the guy for like, two days-"
"Raito."
"If even that! Though, he is really interesting, so-"
"Raito!"
"Yes father?" Raito stopped his rambling as his father's smile became genuine.
"I get it."
"Right… I knew that." Raito's blush increased just a fraction. "I guess we should… go inside?"
The unspoken treaty for peace lay out on the non-proverbial table.
Soichirou blinked.
Raito smiled unsurely.
"Ok."
And that was that.
"And Raito?"
"Yes dad?"
"Err… not to sound strange or random, but… did you have the... Spice Girls playing as a ring tone when we came in?"
CRASH!
"Oh my God! Raito, Are you alright?!"
Raito looked up towards the sky, wondering just why the ground loved him so.
"… … I'm fine."
"And so I said – what about the fish sticks?"
Raucous laughter met their ears as both father and son entered the restaurant once again, this time not struggling to control any sudden bouts of rage, to see both Ryuuzaki and Sachiko cracking up over something the older woman had said.
"Well… they seem to be getting along fine." Raito muttered as Soichirou gaped over at his wife.
Both Raito and his father sweat dropped as the laughter raised in escalation.
"Sachiko?" Soichirou began, Raito's mother immediately turning towards him as his voice rang throughout the table. "Hello dear! Did you and Rai-chan settle your differences already?"
Raito's eye twitched at the endearment.
Oh why did mothers feel the need to embarrass their children… in public, no less?!
"Yes Rai-chan. Is everything alright?"
Double eye twitch.
"Don't call me that, Ryuuzaki. Unless you want to lose an eye AND a hand."
Both men knew this was not an empty threat.
"So, I guess we'll leave you two alone now?" Soichirou awkwardly commented as he went to grasp his wife's hand, but was stalled by the next comment. "Oh, heavens no! Both Ryuuzaki-kun and I have decided to make this a double-date, since I knew you two would get over whatever it was that was bothering the both of you! Aren't you both excited?!"
Raito and Soichirou turned towards the grinning woman, a look of horror covering both of their faces…
Until the older woman burst out into laughter once again.
"Oh, I was just kidding, Rai-chan!" The woman got up and took her husband's arm. "We'll leave you two alone now, since I know how much you would like that! There are other restaurants to eat at, after all!" Sachiko winked at Ryuuzaki, as if they had a shared secret.
Raito suddenly became that much more scared.
'First my sister, now my mother?! Dear God, how the fuck does this guy do it?!'
Ryuuzaki grinned as the smiling mother and scarred looking father began to leave the restaurant. Before they got away from the table, Raito's father turned around once more.
"We'll talk again soon, Raito."
And that was how Raito knew that everything really was going to be alright between himself and his father…
Eventually.
"It really was a pleasure meeting you, Sachiko-san. And you as well, Soichirou-san. Hopefully we'll see each other soon." Soichirou's eye twitched on last time as Sachiko nodded her agreement, both her and Soichirou finally exiting the restaurant.
The grin on Ryuuzaki's face then changed to something much more sinister.
'Oh dear god, no one can help me now.'
"So our food arrived while I was outside, huh?" Raito gestured at his lukewarm food and Ryuuzaki's already mostly eaten dish. A gleam sparkled in the older man's dark eyes as he perused Raito's slightly nervous (but still trying to hide it) disposition.
Silent nod.
Perverted grin.
Sweat drop.
"I guess we should get start-"
"Gimme, Gimme more, Gimme, More, Gimme, Gimme, More! Gimme, Gimme more, Gimme, More Gimme, Gimme, More! Gimme, Gimme more-"
Really, Raito didn't even know why he bothered being embarrassed anymore.
Though if the EXTREMELY SCARY perverted grin on Ryuuzaki's face was anything to go by… he didn't think he even knew what the word embarrassed meant yet.
Raito looked at the number quickly and accepted the call with a twitching eye (really, he needed to get that checked out). "Sayu-"
"RAITO, DON'T GO TO YOUR APARTMENT TONIGHT!"
Raito blinked as the high pitched voice almost deafened him in surprise. Ryuuzaki looked at the cell phone with a piece of cheesecake hanging off his chin, obviously not needing to be near the phone to also hear the inhuman shriek.
"Wah…?" Raito dumbly commented.
"Raito…" Sayu took an audible breath and tried to calm herself. "You won't believe who just called me… and I mean, you won't BELIEVE who freaking CALLED ME!"
"You don't mean-"
"YES!"
Raito's eyes widened comically.
"When did he get back from America?! I thought he had some kind of major case there still going on!"
"I don't know, but he's at your apartment right now… waiting for you… OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR, THE FREAKING STALKER!"
"How did he even find out my new address?! I specifically told everybody who knew not to say a word!"
"Raito honey, he's a fucking STALKER! Do you think it matters if someone tells him where you live or not?! Guy's a nutbag! You can't go home…"
"So where do you propose I stay, smart ass."
Sayu stayed silent for a moment, obviously contemplating Raito's question.
"You can stay with me." The deep baritone voice cut through the phone conversation as Raito looked up to find Ryuuzaki staring at him intently.
"What do you-"
"I may only be able to hear half the conversation, or at least 75 percent of it by the way your sister is screaming off the top of her lungs," Ryuuzaki shuffled his feet from on top of the chair, "but it's obvious you need a lending hand. I would be willing to offer up Raito-kun a place to stay for the night if his apartment is unacceptable for the time being."
Raito sighed despondently, not knowing if he should be grateful for the offer or not.
'So, your choices are a crazy stalker who persists on trailing after you, even after you have repeatedly told him you are NOT interested, or a pervert you barely know who continually tries to not only molest you, but rape you with his eyes.'
"To be either ferociously stalked or ferociously molested, what a great choice." Raito murmured to himself.
"Say what now?!" Sayu screeched through the cell phone. Raito almost hit himself in the head for forgetting.
"Nothing, now-"
"Did Ryuuzaki just offer to let you stay at his house? And you haven't said yes yet? WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU! YOU MAY JUST FINALLY GET LAI-"
Click.
Nuisance Number One: Taken care of.
"Now, what does Raito-kun say about staying with-"
"Ryuuzaki," Raito began evenly, "without saying anything else, what is the percentage, if I were to stay with you, that is, that I would be getting fondled in my sleep?"
Ryuuzaki said nothing for a moment.
"Ryuuzaki?"
"... ... ... 84.76 percent."
"I think that answers your question rather nicely. Don't you agree?"
The raccoon-eyed man pouted for the rest of the meal.
"So... here we are... at my apartment... ready to go upstairs..." Raito shakily go out of the Rolls Royce and stared up at the apartment building.
Ryuuzaki got of the car alongside the 23-year-old and grabbed his hand. "I'm sure everything will be fine, Raito-kun, but if you still want to come stay with me-"
"RAITO-SAMA!"
SUPER GLOMP!
Ryuuzaki blinked as a tall, dark haired man wearing glasses jumped on top of Raito and hugged him, ripping the man's hand apart from his own. "I've missed your heavenly face so much! I tried calling you earlier tonight, but you never picked up!"
Double sweat drop.
Well, that explained a lot.
"Hey... Mikami-kun..." Raito looked up pleadingly at Ryuuzaki from sidewalk he now inhabited, but was stunningly shocked once he saw the angry look on the still-standing man's face.
His eye was even TWITCHING!
"Uh..."
Mikami looked up to see who it was that Raito was staring at, frowning at the sight of another man near HIS Raito-sama! "And who are you?"
Eye twitch...
Predatory smirk?
'Oh please don't say something stupid Ryuuzaki...' Raito though futilely.
"I'm Rai-chan's boyfriend."
Mikami's grip on the 23-year-old artist tightened immensely as he glared at Ryuuzaki. Ryuuzaki then glared back as he suddenly kicked the lawyer off his "boyfriend" and clutched on to the shocked man.
Why did the words 'Bitch Fight' suddenly hold that much more meaning to Raito?
'Oh dear lord, why didn't I just take the molestation?'
Disclaimer: I don't own "Gimme More" by Brittany Spears. No mocking comments this time, I think what she's going through right now is punishment enough for these songs. DX
Lol! So... any good? XD This was actually my favorite chapter to write so far! Yayz! And before any one asks, the switch between 'Ryuuzaki' and 'L' in one of the scenes is intentional. You'll notice I do that if I'm either writing from L's perspective or Raito is not in the scene... Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed the latest chapter! See ya soon!
