A/N: Um...not much to say... this chapter is kind of like chapter 12 and 13 in a shorter version...but more exciting things happen!!
And thanks nagashi no kuro for the review!
Disclaimer: No own Death Note. If I did, Light would have died much sooner.
Warning: Mentions of yaoi, but it's not really yaoi since Yomi's a girl....um...discussion about menstruating..._....yeah...
Yomi slowly took off the breast band, sighing in relief. She hastily stripped off the rest of her clothes before getting into the shower.
The teenager stood underneath the shower head, closing her eyes against the water pouring down on her.
It was so easy now... just to forget...everything...
Yomi lifted her face up, her hair free and loose.
The water...washes away everything....
Yomi was starting to get tired. Tired of being a boy, tired of being called "kun", tired of bowing with her hands apart, tired of...everything...
As soon as she sensed Yomi's tiredness, Kiyo had demanded Yomi to stop and tell L the truth.
But L touched my boobs and asked if I was gay...Yomi thought silently. There's no way I can tell him now...
Yomi hastily washed herself and stepped out of the shower. She dried herself and tied up her hair. She picked up her clothes and pulled them on. She was a boy again..
I still can't believe it...shit...
Kiyo, what's the big deal? Light may be evil, but right now, he's not, and he's cute!! Why are you so devastated?
Kiyo gritted her teeth under the covers. Because he is a FREAKING ANIME CHARACTER that doesn't even exist!!!
I'm not saying you have to like him or anything, Kiyo, but just don't freak out, okay? At least you didn't have your boobs touched by a guy who thinks you're a guy.
You've got a point there. Man, that must have sucked!! You couldn't really get mad at him because he thought you were a guy, Yomi...
Yeah, so be grateful.
Okay, okay, I've got the point. But still, it's going to be more awkward around Light...I have to make sure I don't mislead him or anything...and now that you've mentioned it, what are you going to do about your monthly, Yomi?
I don't really know...I mean, I still have a lot of time yet...
L's going to wonder why you keep clutching your stomach when you get cramps and why you're acting cranky...
Which happens to you as well when you get yours!
But I'm not the one who's supposed to be a boy!! You're going to have to pretend you have stomach cramps or something...hopefully, you won't bleed heavy this time...
Yeah...anyway, are you going to talk to Light again if L asks you to?
...I don't know...I could say it makes me uncomfortable...
Kiyo, you know you need to do it and even I know it. One, L already knows you don't like not helping people if you can, and it'll be strange if you refuse since all you have to do is talk. Two, you'll feel too guilty.
But it's Light for heaven's sake!
Just suck it up and do it, Kiyo. It's just talking!! Light may not even like you that way!!
Are you serious?!!
Many, many fangirls would think you're crazy when you sound hopeful at that. Fine, I'm serious as a best friend. Light doesn't really like you that way, you've just been so good to him when you helped, and he's just really grateful to you.
Oh my god, thank you so much, Yomi!!!!
Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm the best. Now go to sleep!!
One week later...
"Chief," Matsuda shouted joyfully into the mike, "Kira was just resting. More criminals have been killed again!!"
Soichiro's mouth dropped open. "WHAT??!!!"
"Isn't this great, Chief?"
"Yes..." the man replied in shaking tones of relief. "I can't say I'm glad that more criminals have died, but this means Raito is-"
Yomi and Kiyo looked at each other uneasily. Now that Misa was gone, would Higuchi still be the third Kira? Kiyo had just shrugged and said it was too late to change things now. It was true.
"Now for Raito-kun!!" Matsuda said joyfully, and reached for the button. His hand was suddenly slapped away.
"Matsuda!!" L cried harshly. "I mean," he said in his usual monotone, "Matsuda-san, please stop."
"Matsuda?" The officer asked timidly, holding his slapped hand.
L pressed the button. "Raito-kun, it's been over two weeks since a criminal died by Kira. Confess already."
Aiwaza and Matsuda looked at each other in shock. Kiyo and Yomi did their best to look the same. "Ryuzaki, wh-"
"Kiyo-chan, would you mind talking to Raito-kun again?"
Kiyo gawked. "What? Why now, all of a sudden?"
"Does Kiyo-chan not wish to?"
Kiyo sighed and glanced at the two being restrained.
"Ryuuzaki, I'm not Kira." Raito pleaded desperately.
Kiyo sighed again. "Alright."
Yomi gave her a glance the rest, even L, took as brotherly concern. Only Kiyo knew what it really meant...
Kiyo picked up the microphone hesitantly. "Raito-kun? It's me again."
Raito's head shot up so fast the teen got colored dots in his vision. "Kiyo-chan?"
"Ryuuzaki wanted me to talk to you again, just like last time."
"Kiyo-chan, is Ryuuzaki forcing you to do this?" Raito asked with concern. "If that's true, I wouldn't want you to..."
"Don't worry, Raito-kun. I'm doing this of my own free will. (Even thought that will is very reluctant) You deserve a break from being called Kira every now and then."
"..."
"..."
"um...why are you blushing again?"
Damn. "N-nothing, Kiyo-chan. Is there anything going on?"
"Um, let me get the newspaper..." Kiyo reached for the said object and mouthed to L I won't tell him. L nodded his approval.
Ignoring the huge article in front with a twinge of guilt, Kiyo flipped through the pages reluctantly.
"Um... let's see..." A small article below caught her eye. "A guy named Mazayakihi Nihoshu died in a car crash, he was a pizza delivery guy..." talk about major boring here, "another guy who was a math teacher named Hibukuyo Shiniki fell down the stairs and hit his head, he died of brain damage, and I'm sorry, I'm boring you, Raito-kun, let's do something else."
"Y-you weren't boring me, Kiyo-chan, but if you want to talk about something else, that's okay."
"Perhaps if we left the room, Raito-kun would be more willing to talk." L suggested.
"Ryuzaki, this conversation is going to be heard by you anyway, so what's the difference...never mind." Yomi sighed resignedly and walked out of the room.
Matsuda looked pleadingly at Aiwaza. "But this conversation is going to be so fun!!" Aiwaza rolled his eyes and walked out as well, pulling a protesting Matsdua with him. "Leave them alone, Matsuda!"
"Actually, perhaps Matsuda-san and Aiwaza-san should stay as well."
Matsuda looked as if he had been given a million dollars. Aiwaza groaned. "Fine."
Kiyo sighed. "Ryuzaki, are you going to use this piece of paper?" She held up a scrap of paper.
"It is a little too small for use, Kiyo-chan. You can do what you like with it."
"Did you manage to hear all of that, Raito-kun?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Too bad Ryuzaki wants Matsuda-san to stay here, huh?"
"R-Raito-kun...I'm right here...."
"Well, at least he's not on a sugar high right now..."
Raito squirmed slightly when he remembered exactly what Matsuda had said during his sugar high.
"Yeah, you're right. Um, what are you doing with the piece of paper."
"Folding it." Kiyo replied dryly, tearing off edges of the paper to make it into a more square shape.
Raito perked up curiously. "Are you making origami?"
"Yeah, I usually do it when I'm bored or surrounded by idiots."
Raito laughed. "I bet it's the latter."
"Raito-kun!" Kiyo cried in mock horror. "How rude of you to call Aiwaza-san an idiot!"
"Er, Kiyo-chan, what about me?"
Raito laughed again. "Yes, please forgive me, Kiyo-chan."
Kiyo meticulously folded up one leg of the tiny crane. "Raito-kun, what do you like to do?"
The teen looked up in surprise. "What I like to do? I don't really know..."
"Really? What about tennis? Yomi and I had to watch your match with Ryuzaki. You were pretty amazing, Raito-kun."
Raito cursed as heat rose to his cheeks. "I've never thought of tennis as a hobby... more like something to occupy my mind..."
"You're really good at it. I couldn't even keep my eyes on the balls."
Raito awkwardly clutched his knees tighter. "Th-thanks..."
Kiyo sighed. Why did Raito have to blush like that? It was starting to make her uncomfortable again. "Raito-kun, is something wrong?"
"N-no...anyway, Kiyo-chan, what's your hobby?"
Kiyo paused. "Reading." She tossed her finished crane aside.
"Reading?"
"Yes, that's what I like to do. Just read and draw."
The teen smiled at her. "You didn't say drawing before."
"It must have slipped my mind." Kiyo didn't like to admit that fact.
"Are you good?"
"No."
"You must be, then."
"Raito-kun, that makes absolutely no sense."
"Yes, it does. You don't like to be complimented, so I bet you're a good drawer as well, since you tried to avoid discussion about it."
"How do you know I don't like to be complimented? Wait, don't answer that. But Raito-kun, are you sure you don't enjoy anything? You must enjoy doing something." Besides writing down names in the Death Note.
"No, Kiyo-chan, there really isn't anything."
"How do you deal with life, then? Isn't there anything you like doing?" Geez, if Raito's life was that boring, Kiyo couldn't really blame him for picking up the Death Note.
Raito responded without thinking. "Talking with you." Matsuda squealed like an insane Twilight fangirl. Aiwaza rapped his head.
"....um..."
Raito blushed furioulsy. Stupid stupid stupid!!!!
"Raito-kun, that was definitely chessy."
"Sorry, I was kind of...out of it."
"...okay...er....how about we talk about...is there anything...else besides that?" Kiyo asked exasperatedly.
"...Perhaps discussing things with Ryuuzaki. It's interesting to talk to someone with suck intellect, even though he thinks I'm Kira."
"Yeah," Kiyo said, relieved to get away from what just happened, "Ryuuzaki's definitely weird, but he's pretty cool."
Raito felt a small stab of worry. Did she like L more than him? The teen bit his lip.
"...."
"Raito-kun, please tell me you are not feeling jealous of Ryuuzaki..." Raito blushed deeper.
"Wh- of course not, Kiyo-chan...I'm just feeling upset that he thinks I'm Kira..."
"Thank you for being my hero and shutting Matsuda-san up."
"Haha, you're welcome. So, Kiyo-chan, what do you like to draw?"
"Sometimes I sketch scenes or animals. Usually I have to have a photograph or something, I'm not someone who can just draw."
"Once I tried drawing, just to occupy my mind. I failed ultimately."
"Your brains make up for it, believe me. I heard you're really good at English too, Raito-kun."
"Not as good as you are with Japanese."
"Raito-kun, you're exaggerating and you know it!"
"No, I'm not. Seriously, where did you learn all of your Japanese from?"
"Yomi and I weren't one of those Japanese kids who were brought up with Japanese and English, only our grandparents had that. We had one trick that led to our excellence at the Japanese language."
"What was it?"
"I would like to say Yomi and I both had a natural knack for it, but that wasn't the case. The real reason we're so good at it is because..." Kiyo paused. "We watched a lot of subbed anime shows." Including this one.
Raito snorted. "That was the real reason?!!"
Matsuda's and Aiwaza's mouths dropped open.
"Yup, reason number one. Kanji was really hard, though... I learned most of my Japanese swear words from Charlie. He's also a Japanese American and he swears a lot in Japanese, since it doesn't sound so bad in English. I didn't really want to know all of them..."
Raito chuckled. "Nope, not what you exactly want to hear..."
Meanwhile...
"Yomi-kun learned most of his Japanese from Anime shows? Interesting."
"I told you it would sound stupid," Yomi muttered resentfully, grabbing a cup and wiping it dry.
"How many shows does Yomi-kun watch?"
"A lot..."
"Not a very specific number, Yomi-kun. I suppose you learned Japanese swear words from the same source as well?" L handed a dish to the boy.
"Yeah... Kiyo learned most of hers from this guy named Charlie...the same guy she was telling Raito-kun about last night." Yomi ran the towel over the plate's surface. "Knowing Kiyo, she probably didn't want to hear most of them..."
"This Charlie seems very interesting. Would Yomi-kun care to tell me more about him?"
"About Charlie? Sure... I don't know that much about him, though, it's Kiyo who was really close to him."
"Kiyo-chan had a relationship with this boy?"
"Ugh, oh god no, he was just in all of her classes. Maybe at one point they were friends, but most of the time they were archenemies, trying to kill each other. Charlie's favorite hobby was to annoy Kiyo."
"Most boys do that to a girl they desire."
"Yeah, but neither felt that way. I remember Kiyo telling me once that there were two sides of him, so sometimes he was okay, and sometimes he was 'evil'. I think he was one of those guys who could be really smart if he actually tried, but Charlie never liked being 'smart' he said it made him too similar to Kiyo."
"Are you sure he didn't have any feelings toward her?"
"Better not tell Kiyo that, she got sick of people who kept asking her that in 7th grade. Since they had all their classes together, people thought they were going out or something. Both of them wanted to strangle someone when they heard the rumor."
"I see."
"Anyway, Ryuuzaki, why are we washing dishes?"
"Because washing dishes is a very productive task to pass the time, Yomi-kun."
"Okay, not that I don't like doing it or anything, just wondering."
"...."
"....Yomi-kun, do you have a relationship with your cousin?"
Crash.
"....."
"What...did you just say?"
"I'd take that as no." L hastily bent down to sweep up the mess. "I am very sorry, Yomi-kun."
Yomi stared the detective for five seconds. L froze under the boy's gaze. Then, Yomi turned and slammed his head against the wall.
"Dammit!!"
Throughly alarmed, L grabbed Yomi's arms. "Yomi-kun, please do not injure yourself. I'd rather you inflict pain on me."
"Ryuuzaki, am I that weird?!!" Yomi asked frustratingly. "First you ask me that I'm gay, then you accuse me of incest, what makes you think these things?!! What's wrong with me?!!!"
L stomach flopped guiltily.
Yomi tore her arms from the detective and started sweeping up the glass. "Never mind, forget it." Her outburst hadn't been of L's inquiries. It was just... can't he tell that I'm actually a girl?? Yomi thought desperately. Am I really that good of an actor, or is he not that bright when it comes to these things?!! It was then when Yomi realized why she didn't want to tell L the truth. She just wanted him to find out himself.
"You're so stupid, L..." Yomi moaned.
She was so occupied with her thoughts, she didn't notice one of the glasses edges had sliced her fingers.
L was shocked. And he was also starting to feel more guilty than he ever had in his life. He had been so obsessed with Yomi that he failed to think of the boy himself. He had never felt more stupid before.
"Yomi-kun..." L muttered softly. "I know... I am really stupid..."
Yomi froze. Crap, had she said that out loud? "No, you're not, Ryuuzaki. I am really weird. Sorry about my little outburst."
"No, Yomi-kun is right..." L knelt down next to the neat pile of glass shards Yomi had made. "Yomi-kun is bleeding..." he murmured softly, taking up Yomi's hand and examining the wounded finger.
Yomi would have scoffed about L practically destroying the tip of his thumb earlier, but she was feeling too guilty of what she had said.
L gazed at Yomi's index finger, blood oozing out of the cut.
"Ryuuzaki," Yomi said gently, "My finger's fine, it's just a cut."
L ignored her. The insomniac stared intently at the finger, trapped in his own long hands...and did the first thing that came to his mind. He lightly sucked the blood off the fingertip, savoring its metallic taste in his mouth.
Yomi's mouth dropped open. What the hell?!!
L gently pulled the fingertip out of his mouth and looked at Yomi's shocked face. There were two choices he was faced with. He could (A) confess his true feelings or (B) act innocent about not knowing what sucking a finger could mean.
And L, the three greatest detectives in the world, chose....
B. He was such a coward.
L cocked his head. "Isn't that what people do when there's a cut on someone's finger?"
Yomi gaped. "Um...no...Ryuuzaki..." she could white lie or be blunt. Blunt seemed better. "When a guy sucks another guy's finger...it considered...well, you know..."
L acted supremely. A horrified expression soon occupied his face. "Oh...Y-Yomi-kun...I'm terribly sorry..." he scrambled up, acting extremely embarrassed. "I...I did not mean to...oh no..."
Convinced L made an honest mistake, Yomi wiped her finger off the kitchen cloth. "I know you didn't. Don't worry." Wow, I can't believe L's this ignorant...I guess all those fanfics were wrong...
L blew a sigh of relief. He fell for it.
Another meanwhile...
Gradually, the other conversation taking place managed to steer clear of how Raito felt about Kiyo. Both were very happy about this.
"What?!" Raito asked incredulously, starting to laugh.
"I'm serious. I'm eight years old, sitting in a tide pool at the beach, I suddenly see a moral eel right next to my arm, and while I'm freaking out and getting away from the pool as far as possible, my mom throws crackers at it. "
Raito laughed. "I've never really been to the beach before."
"Really, Raito-kun?"
"Yeah, I've mostly devoted to my grades."
"Then you call grades your hobby?"
"I suppose so..."
"Raito-kun, do you like apples?"
"Huh?"
"Sorry, that was a little random. Do you?"
"To be honest, not that much..."
"I guess apples are okay. What about bananas?"
"Bananas...do you like bananas, Kiyo-chan?"
"Doesn't it sound so weird that we're randomly talking about fruit here? Yes, bananas are awesome."
Matsuda started fiddling with the equipment.
"What are you doing?!!" Aiwaza demanded.
"I'm bored... nothing exciting has happened..."
"You idiot, stop that before you break something!!"
"Aiwaza-san's right, Matsuda-san, please be careful..."
"Kiyo-chan, what's wrong?"
"Matsuda-san's starting to mess with the equipment. Raito-kun, make him stop!"
"Matsuda-san, if you mess something up you will be fired and possibly be charged millions of dollars."
"Okay, okay, fine- oops."
"What the hell did you do?!!" The other three demanded.
"Um... I don't really know..."
"You IDIOT!!!!" Aiwaza smacked his head.
Suddenly, something popped out behind the camera in Raito's cell.
"Dammit, Matsuda, what the hell did you do-oh...oh..." Raito's cheeks turned bright red.
"What just happened?!"
"Um...a screen just came out of the camera...I...can see you, Kiyo-chan..." Kiyo blinked. "Um, okay. I guess it could be a lot worst."
Matsuda giggled excitedly at the expression on Raito's face, who was trying his best not to drool at sight above him. Her voice had kept his cheeks flushed...and now seeing her face...
Raito blushed deeper.
"It's just like chatting with web cams, right?"
"Y-yeah..." Raito gulped as his stomach started to tie itself in knots. "Er...Kiyo-chan..." he was going to go mad with that...that face staring at him...
"Yeah?"
"If I ever get released... and if the Kira case is over...would... would you like...." Curse his mumbling!! "...to...go...somewhere...as friends, I mean, not a date or anything..." Raito looked at his knees, throughly horrified with himself.
All Kiyo could think was when the Kira case is over, you'll be dead.
So will Kiyo actually say that to Raito? Find out tomorrow!!
L is such a wimp, not being able to tell Yomi he's gay for her when Yomi's actually a girl.
And sorry about the shower part, I just felt like adding it in. It's 10pm right now, folks!!