Authors Note: HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think; I would love to know XD

JUST SO YOU KNOW: I have taken creative liberties with middle names, please take that into consideration. I've only seen the Anime.

This is my FIRST Death Note fic, so I suppose you could say I'm new to the Fandom! Also, I live in England, I don't know Japanese, so any Japanese I use in this story I get from Google Translate XD

Please, please review XD

P.S. This is an AU - Light was never Kira, but still helped during the investigation; obviously, Light and L did not die; the Kira case took 1 year to clear up, not (about) 7; set in 2016. I apologise for OOCness, but it IS an AU ;)

I own NOTHING and NO ONE, apart from: Corey

Chapter 13

L

We fell into an easy life, the boys quickly making themselves at home with Watari and me. Just like how it was in England. Light would visit almost every day, save for those he put aside to spend with his family. He would stay the night every so often, curled up in the duvet next to me, with his head on my chest. All three of the boys adored Japan, spending day after day brushing up on their Japanese, slipping random Japanese words into a conversation, testing each other to see if they would still understand. They would jump on Light, both literally and figuratively, dragging him into helping them with pronunciation and spelling. And Light was more than happy to help. I could, easily, find the boys attached to Light as they would me, two on either side of him with the other in front or on his back.

Almost three weeks went by quickly. I had managed to get a bit of mobility back in my arm and hand, though there was still some pain. I still couldn't use it much. I couldn't write or pick things up, but that would come in time and, until then, I had five people helping me.

It was the beginning of August, August ninth, to be exact. Light had come over just after lunch and would be staying with us for the next couple of weeks whilst his parents and sister went on a short trip. The boys ran out of the door when they knew he was on his way up. I could only smile at them as they went. It was a blessing to see them be kids, to see them smiling and laughing. Like they should. When Light managed to make it through the door, he had Near on his back, with Mello and Matt at his sides, gripping his arms. Light's face was split into an amused grin, chuckling lightly as Mello and Matt spoke over the top of each other. For the most part, Near stayed quiet, twirling a lock of hair around his finger and smiling softly. Light looked up at me as he walked further into the room, his entire frame shaking with his laughter. Rolling my eyes with a soft snort, I made my way to try and rescue the young man in front of me.

"Honestly, the least you could do is let Light get settled before you attack him." I beamed, lifting Near off of his back, with only my left arm. "Come on, in you get."

Somehow, Near managed to swing himself around me until he was on my back instead. I succeeded to keep Near up with only my left arm as the young boy wrapped his arms around my shoulders and his legs pressed lightly into my sides. But I didn't mind. Near had always liked an arm around his shoulders or hand on his head. He liked to be hugged and have someone play with his hair. Though, I had never seen him warm up to anybody as quickly as he had to Light.

Hiking Near up on my back a little higher, I walked after Light and the other boys, finding them on the sofa, in the living room. Mello and Matt seemed to have backed off, ever so slightly, the two of them managing to speak in turn instead of over the top of each other. Near slid from my back when we were only a few steps away from the sofa, the pre-teen shuffling towards the others. Mello pulled him onto the sofa, Near practically falling on top of the blond. Near barely batted an eyelid.

Interesting.

As this happened, Matt hopped up from where he sat on the other side of Light, pushing me down into the space before climbing on top of me. I stretched my left arm over the back of the sofa, around Light, my hand brushing the back of Mello's head. Light had his left arm around Mello's shoulders, hand on Near's back, with his right arm resting across Matt's legs. I only registered the flash of a camera moments after it had faded, Watari chuckling quietly as the boys groaned.

I could hardly complain at having this moment captured.

It was only a couple of hours after Light had arrived that Watari had to go to his office, needing to handle some business for the home back in England. Though the boys disliked this, they let the man go with little trouble, the three of them pouting for only a few minutes after Watari had left. They had barely moved from where they had bundled on top of Light and me. Not that it bothered me. Quite the contrary. It all felt familiar and comfortable and right. I had Light, someone I hadn't known I needed until I met him, being with him for just shy of a year and someone I hoped I would be with for so much longer; I had my boys, the children I had known for years and had loved ever since.

"Hey, I have a question," Matt frowned, sitting up slightly to stare at Light and me. "Why aren't you two living together yet?"

"Thank God, somebody said it!" Mello groaned, laughing. "I've been trying to find the right time to ask the same thing!"

Near, however, didn't seem to share those feelings. Instead, the boy cringed lightly, hiding his face in the palm of his hand as he shook his head. I watched as Light's face slowly went through several shades of red, from the tips of his ears and disappearing under the collar of his shirt. I could only guess I looked the same if the heat spreading over my skin was anything to go by.

"We haven't been together all that long, boys." I managed to say, my voice surprisingly steady. "It can take some couples over a year until they move in."

"But you guys are, like, couple goals!" Matt protested. "Like, the cheesy romance movie couple. You know? The ones that get married at the end and live their Disney happily ever after."

I couldn't help the snort that escaped me at the pure insistence in Matt's voice. My head fell forward, resting it on Matt's shoulder as my shoulders shook with laughter.

Honestly….

"That-That's very sweet of you to say," I chuckled. "However, it's down to Light and I when and how our relationship progresses."

"Yeah, ok, but it's not like you have to worry about age." Mello piped up. "Thirteen is the age of consent in Japan, Light's eighteen; Light's old enough to leave home, you guys have been together for almost a year, and this place is close to the University. You guys obviously love each other, so why not?"

The laughter was gone, and, instead, I sighed. Lifting my head, I felt a patient smile pull at my lips. As brilliant as my boys were, there were things they just wouldn't quite understand. Not about someone else's relationship.

"As I said, it's up to Light and me when and how our relationship progresses," I said again. "We are happy with how we are now, and we'll move at our own pace."

For a moment, there was silence. I wondered if, maybe, it had sunk in; if they had, maybe, understood a little better.

"You guys haven't had sex yet, have you?"

And then Mello said that.

I choked on air the second the words had been said, a small yelp coming from Light. My head turned so fast I heard a series of cracks, quick enough to watch Near hit Mello around the back of the head, and the blond shout in shock.

"What the hell was that for?!" Mello shrieked, glaring at the boy on his lap.

"We agreed not to mention that." Near glared, arms now folded over his chest.

I was sure my head was about to explode.

"Why haven't you had sex yet?" Matt asked, lightly.

"This conversation is over!" I called over the three of them, managing to dislodge Matt from my lap.

Standing up, I all but ran out of the room. All I heard behind me was Matt and Mello giggling as Near attempted to scold them.

Later, after the boys had gone to bed, Light and I went out onto the balcony, leaning against the rail. The rest of the evening had been awkward. Well, for Light and me, it was, anyway. On the other hand, the boys had seemed perfectly fine, rattling on about this, that and everything. This was the first time the silence had been allowed to take over.

I leant heavily on the rail in front of me, letting my head hang down to stare at the city below. Japan, at night, was so much louder than England. Well, where Wammy's was in Winchester, anyway. The home was on private property, with acres of land behind it, on a residential street. As soon as eight in the evening hit, the area was quiet, nothing more than a dog barking or, maybe, the occasional car driving by. It was so different from Japan's nightlife, with billboards shinning and night owls going to work or meeting up with friends. Everything was so different and, still, I was trying to get used to it.

"Hey, L?" Light finally whispered, making me jump ever so slightly.

Lifting my head to look at the young man next to me, I watched as he shifted his body until he was facing me, with only one side of him leaning against the rail. He was biting his lip, glancing to the side and rubbing at the back of his neck. It was a look I had seen numerous times at the beginning of our relationship.

"It's just…. The way you reacted to, uh, to what Matt said?" Light stammered. "I've never– I mean, that is, the way you– I just–"

Light sighed as he stumbled over his words, cringing at himself. Even so, I knew what he was trying to ask; what he wanted to know. Slowly, I pushed myself away from the rail, letting myself fall heavily onto one of the cushioned chairs we had out there. I dragged my hands over my face, closing my eyes tightly. I had hoped beyond hope that I wouldn't have to talk about this for, at the very least, another few months. I thought I would have a little bit more time to prepare to face it again.

"You remember what I told you about what I ran away from as a child? Before Watari found me on the streets?" I asked, softly. "About what they did to my Mother?"

Light nodded slowly, walking closer until he could perch on the edge of another chair, watching me silently.

"Well, that wasn't the only time something like that happened," I admitted, quietly, glancing at him. "People would try whilst I was on the streets, but I managed to get away every time. That, however, was not where it ended."

Still, Light said nothing, his eyes widening a fraction as he shuffled where he sat. I could feel my heart thundering as my leg began to jitter up and down. I was careful not to grip the arm of the chair with my right hand, instead trying to keep it as relaxed as I could, keeping my focus on that instead of the feeling of my throat becoming tighter.

"So, as I told you, I was eight when Watari found me and took me to the home. I was by no means the youngest child there, but I was also far from the oldest." I explained. "A lot of the other children avoided me, not that I minded. To be honest, I made sure to push them away. I trusted nobody apart Watari, and I didn't want to be close to anyone."

Taking a breath, I tried to stop the rising stress and panic in my body. All I needed was to get through it, just this one last time; then it never had to be spoken of again. Just a few minutes, and then it would all be over.

"There was one that never left me alone, however." I continued. "His name was Corey; he was sixteen. He said he wanted to help me, to show me around…. There was just something about him, in the way he spoke, the way he smiled, the way he walked. Everything about him sent a chill down my spine. Any time I saw him, I went and found Watari as fast as I could; I didn't want to be near him."

I could feel my body shaking, could feel the stinging in my eyes and the racing of my heart. Breathing was getting harder; keeping my voice steady was proving to be next to impossible. I wished that I could fast-forward to the end of the conversation, for it just to be over already.

"One night, a couple of weeks after I first came to the house, I was in my room, sitting on my bed. I wasn't tired, but I didn't have anything to keep me busy, so I just sat there. It was the early hours of the morning, and my door was being opened. I threw myself under my covers. I thought it was Watari coming to check on me, and I didn't want him to know I was still awake." I carried on, my voice beginning to crack ever so slightly, wiping at my eyes as they began to water. "Next thing I knew, my duvet was on the floor, I was pinned on my back with a hand over my mouth, and Corey was kneeling over me. He was saying all these things, and he was trying to touch me, and he was touching himself…. He was so much stronger than me."

Tears streamed down my cheeks, so many images flashing through my head and all these feelings. The only thing keeping me grounded was Light's hand, which had, at some point, slipped into my own, squeezing it tight.

"I struggled as much as I could. But I was small, and I wasn't in the best of health or anything. He hit me because I was moving so much, and he couldn't touch me like he wanted to." I chocked out. "And when he went to unzip his jeans, I managed to knee him in his testicles and throw him off of me. I ran. I ran as fast as I could out of that room, and I was yelling for Watari. I was so close to the stairs. Corey managed to catch up to me, and he threw me into a wall. I didn't know which way was up, which way was down, but I kept fighting, I kept screaming."

I was so close, so close, to the end. But I was struggling with breathing, let alone talking. Every wall I had put up to stop this from affecting me was crashing and burning, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

"He still tried to do that to me, even in the hallway with the other kids coming out to see what was going on. He didn't stop until Watari and Roger pulled him off of me and restrained him. He was gone, out of the house and in police custody, within less than an hour." I told him, shakily. "I refused to be anywhere other than by Watari's side for months. They had to move my room because I flat out refused to go back into that one. When puberty hit, I couldn't touch myself like others my age because it made me think of him, of the people on the streets, of my Father and his friends…. The only time my body's relieved itself like that is when I'm asleep, and I finally have a break from the nightmares. Honestly, you are the first and only person I didn't think of as family that I have hugged, let alone done anything even close to sexual with, where I was of age and consenting."

And finally, finally, it was finished. Finally, I didn't have to talk about him anymore. But I couldn't seem to stop talking.

"I've never wanted to do anything with anyone. I wasn't interested in ever having sex or doing anything surrounding sex. I never thought I would want to until we got together." I confessed. "I could, honestly and truly, see us being intimate like that at some point. But I don't want to think of any of that if we're ever together like that. If I'm being truthful, I'm terrified. Of all of it. And I know that I'm not ready for it."

The moment I stopped talking, I was crushed by Light, his arms wrapping around me, pulling my head against his chest, as he stood between my legs. I hugged him to me as tightly as I could, my entire body shivering as tears burst from my eyes. All Light did was hold me tight, his hand stroking my hair as he kept me together.

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