L opened his eyes and yawned, back arching in an exaggerated stretch. Around him, his room lit briefly in accordance to the flash of lightning outside his window. Smiling faintly, he counted up to three before the accompanying boom of thunder sounded. The storm was three miles away.
Groggily, he rose to a sitting position and scrubbed at his eyes. He frowned at his door, which was wide open and the cause of his waking. The hallway beyond its threshold was brightly lit, spilling its intrusive glare into his bedroom. He sought out the alarm clock on his bedside table and glowered at the time there: three in the morning.
Who was awake at this hour? Honestly!
"Mother?" He called timidly. He blinked and waited a moment before calling out again. "Father?"
Maybe father had received a call from work. That had been happening a lot lately.
Humming absently, L shucked off his covers and swung his legs around to the edge of the bed. He slid from his mattress and trotted the length of his room. At the door, he peeked around the frame. At the end of the corridor, his parents' bedroom door was cracked. The light was off.
L stepped out into the hallway and scuttled towards it, reaching out and nudging the door open further. He expected to see his mother lying beneath her covers, but even she was nowhere to be seen.
Confused, L sank back on his heels and looked over his shoulder. The hallway lights were on, but the staircase at the end of the aisle revealed that the lights downstairs, on the main floor, were not.
Suddenly aware that he may be home alone, L knit his brow and tried to reason why that may be. He jogged down the hall and descended the stairs two at a time, arriving in the sparsely furnished foyer below. He wrung his hands and looked around. Down the hallway to his right, he could see that the lights in the kitchen and living room were inactivated. To his left, however, a thin line of light shone along the far wall. L padded in that direction, startled momentarily by another crash of thunder.
And another crash, a clamor that resounded only seconds after the storm's toll. One that came from inside his home.
"Mom," L tried again. "Dad?"
No reply. He'd been too quiet, maybe. L slowed a bit and eyed the source of light he had discovered. The luminescence gleamed out from the crack between the closed basement door and the floor.
L reached out and gripped the doorknob, silently turning it. He paused before opening it, looking down in surprise at the feeling of contact about his legs.
A cat peered up at him, amber eyes wide. Its light brown fur was ruffled, and its hackles raised.
"Glo," L hissed, wrinkling his nose. "Get out of here! Get!"
The cat meowed thinly, winding its way around L's feet. L scoffed and shoved the creature away with a swipe of his foot. Redirecting his attention the door, L swung it open quietly and immediately slapped a hand over the lower half of his face to stifle a choking cough.
The smell of bleach was almost overpowering. L fought against the urge to turn away, and pulled the neckline of his t-shirt up over his nose. He wiped at his watering eyes and pressed his lips into a hard line as he began hopping down the steps. The walls on either side of the staircase prevented him from really seeing anything of the basement, but he hadn't even made it halfway down the companionway when he knew that something was terribly wrong.
There was a gouge in the wall, just above the right banister, and L's eyes widened in alarm at a rather suspicious red spatter on the carpet of the stairs directly below it. The entire area was doused in cleaning product, L realized, his bare foot squishing into the soaking carpet. His hair rose at the stench, and he skipped the stair altogether.
"Mom!" He called, loud as he could. He raced down the rest of the steps and exploded into the basement, pajamas and all. He looked around wildly and froze.
The other inhabitant of the room blinked in shock at L's entrance.
"L," The boy coughed out nervously, obviously unprepared for the interruption.
L knit his brow in utter bewilderment. The neckline of his shirt had fallen, revealing his agape mouth. His dark eyes roved the boy across the room - his friend.
"Beyond, what are you doing?" L cautioned, taking in the boy's bloody shirt and gloved hands. There was a metallic glint, and L stopped short. In Beyond's fingers was a long, serrated bone saw. It was old and rusted, but most importantly, covered in blood.
L's gaze dropped lower, to the carpet. The basement served as an entertainment center, and Beyond stood behind the room's couch.
"I don't understand," L cried shakily, afraid that his friend was hurt. "I don't understand, what happened?" L shifted from one foot to another, ready to bolt across the room and help his friend. "Put the knife down, are you okay? Why are you here?"
He moved to pace forward but halted, eyes trained on the floor below the couch. The tapestry was unconditionally engulfed in on large, glaring pool of gore. L worked his jaw, panic surfacing when he spied a leg protruding from behind the settee at Beyond's feet.
His mother's leg. He recognized the hem at the end of her pajama pants. His eyes scanned briefly whatever else he could see and he was sure that it was his father's hand showing behind the sofa at the other end.
L wasn't sure when he had started screaming, but his throat burned and his nose ached from the stench of bleach and tears pricked the edges of his vision. He was momentarily frozen, unable to move until he caught sight of Beyond leaping over the back of the couch. In a frenzy, L whipped around and scrambled madly up the stairs, Beyond hard on his heels. He leapt the threshold and bolted down the hallway, knocking his hip against the corner of a decorative table along the way.
There was a racket and L glanced hastily over his shoulder, looking only long enough to take in the sight of Beyond lying splayed on the ground. He had tripped over Glo, who had leapt away hissing and spitting.
L flew through the foyer and burst into the living room adjacent to the kitchen. Struggling between his coughs and sobs, he fumbled clumsily about the coffee table in his attempt to find the phone in the dark.
All too soon, light flooded the room and L whirled, phone clutched to his chest, to stare in awe at Beyond.
He was insanely disheveled, his mussed black hair similar to L's with the exception of its current, blood-matted state. He was heaving for air, but his breath hitched further when he spotted the telephone in L's grasp.
"Don't," He snarled. L sniveled desperately, and Beyond's gaze softened for a moment.
"L," He reasoned, holding his hands up as if in surrender. The effect would've been reassuring if his gloves hadn't been smeared with the blood of L's parents. "Don't do anything you'll regret. Don't do anything you'll regret."
"You killed them," L whimpered. "Are they dead? They looked dead, and you killed them. MOM! DAD!" The last two words were shrieked at the top of L's lungs, directed at the hallway behind Beyond. He dismayingly hoped there would be some sort of response.
Beyond breathed heavily and smacked his lips a few times before repeating, "Don't do anything you'll regret. I did this for you. For us, look, now we can - "
"Why?" L gasped in a breath of air, scrubbing the tears that had dribbled down his cheeks. "You killed them?" He gripped the phone even tighter, and in response Beyond stood straighter. The stern glint returned to his eyes, and he bared his teeth.
"Don't you dare do anything you'll regret, L."
L dashed to the side, bounding frantically past Beyond, who was temporarily too startled to catch his arm or stop him.
He burst into the bathroom that sat perpendicular to the living room area, and slammed the door just before Beyond crashed into it. He botched for the door's lock and twisted it into activation a fraction of a second before the knob began feverishly twisting.
"L!" Beyond screamed, and the sound of his foot connecting with the outside of the door echoed with the rumble of thunder from outdoors.
L punched 911 into the phone and shakily clutched the receiver to his ear, trembling as he stumbled away from the bathroom door and clambered into the bathtub. He sank down and curled up in its basin, reaching up briefly to tug the curtains closed. He faintly heard the operator pick up on the other line over the sounds of manic shouts in the next room. The door was repeatedly struck, and L jumped when he thought he heard the sound of furniture connecting with the wood.
"Please help me," He gasped into the phone, using his one free hand to cover his other ear. A bitter taste rose in his mouth, and he feared he would be sick. "My friend killed my mom and dad, and I think he's going to try to kill me, now."
X
L leaned heavily on the edge of the bathroom sink's counter, staring dully into the mirror. He frowned at his reflection, at his messy hair and pale skin. He looked sick, that's for sure. He reached up and gently brushed a finger over the dark circles below his eyes with a sigh.
He'd had the same dream last night. He shuddered with dismay that he be forced to relive that dreadful event in such clarity. Here he had thought he had tossed the insomnia, the night terrors. He hadn't had that dream in months, and yet here it was again, making itself brutally known in his subconscious.
Eight years ago, when L was nine, he'd awoken in the early hours of morning to discover his dead parents in his basement. To make matters worse, the murderer was not only still in the house, but was his best friend.
The entire event had made headlines. L couldn't remember how many times he was shown on television, nine years old, dressed all prim and proper for a court case against Beyond he had no idea how to deal with. In the end, Beyond, who was three years L's senior, was arrested at the age of twelve for four accounts of murder. Two being L's parents, and the other two being his own. He was found to be the amber alert child from two states over, and up until his arrest he was thought to have been abducted by a man who had killed his parents in cold blood.
The grim truth was that Beyond had killed his own parents and then ran away.
L had simply been the boy unfortunate enough to make nice with Beyond at the park one fine summer day two months after.
It was all quite bizarre, when you looked at it, really.
Pursing his lips, L shook off his heavy thoughts and shoved away from the counter before seeking out his bathroom bag. He'd moved its residence permanently to the washroom adjacent to his sleeping chamber, figuring he'd be here long enough for it to be a hassle to keep it anywhere less convenient. Locating his albuterol, he pocketed the capsule and left the room, switching off the lights on his way.
The basement's central room was lit with the sunlight that shown from the floor above. It was late in the morning, almost noon, and the sun's brilliance suggested a clear day outdoors.
L ascended the stairs and, upon arriving at the top, looked about. The living room was empty, though a fire still burned away in the hearth, and from where he stood he noted that the kitchen, too, held no souls. The foyer lacked shoes, and L assumed that that meant Samantha and Near were somewhere outside.
Deciding he wasn't interested enough in their whereabouts to search for them; L instead let himself into the kitchen and snooped about the countertops and several pantries for food. He noticed the time on the microwave's digital clock, half past eleven, and found himself a cookie jar. Smiling mechanically, he removed the lid and retrieved a handful of frosted sugar cookies. He desperately craved something sweet, something to leave a nice taste on his tongue.
He had stuffed two cookies into his mouth when the click of a closing door alerted him to another presence in the room. Turning, L blinked dimly at a familiar face.
"You, again." L muttered after he choked down his enormous mouthful of treats.
Light stood on the mat in front of the kitchen's back door, removing his gloves and scarf. He smiled warmly in L's direction.
"Hey, just wake up?" He nodded at L's attire.
L looked down and frowned at his flannel pajama pants and baggy, long-sleeved shirt.
"Yes." He sniffed. "What do you want? I don't know where Samantha is."
"She's outside." Light pointed over his shoulder. "Talking with my dad. I just tagged along to say hi to Near."
"I don't know where he is, either." L mumbled, turning away and taking a bite of another cookie.
"Oh. He's outside, too." Light's footsteps echoed in the quiet expanse on the room. L denied him his visual attention but failed to discontinue conversation.
"What, come inside to warm up, or something?"
"Nah, I'm used to the cold. Minnesota, am I right?" Light's voice was much too close. L twisted and glowered at the other boy, who was suddenly poised against the kitchen counter behind him. "I came in to see what you were up to."
L raised an eyebrow and turned to fully face him, holding up a cookie. "I am eating lunch."
Light grimaced at the amount of sweets in L's possession, and changed the subject.
"Sammi told me your name is L." He gave L a hopeful stare, as if prompting him to elaborate on his name somehow. L chewed through another cookie in silence, and Light appeared again to become awkward or downcast.
"I just figured, y'know, maybe we got off to the wrong start yesterday. I wanted to actually introduce myself. I'm Light Yagami, I live on the next property over and I'm around here a lot to help out and stuff." Light grinned and held out his hand.
L squinted at the smile, breaking it down and tearing it apart. To him, Light came across the most cocky, arrogant boy he'd ever met. From his neatly mussed, brunet hair and perfect, straight teeth, he arose to look like the ideal human being he appeared to think himself to be. The way he was trying to take charge of the conversation grated every nerve of L's entire being.
L lifted his chin ever so slightly, trying to make himself seem just a tad bit taller than he was.
"I'm L," L smiled and took Light's hand firmly. Then, when Light moved to shake his hand up and down, he held strong and didn't budge. Light's grin wavered in confusion. "And I really don't care about a single thing you just told me."
L smirked at Light's aghast expression and pushed past him, purposefully knocking shoulders with him and pushing him back as he did. He casually dropped all of his leftover cookies in a mess on the kitchen counter as he passed, and shook the crumbs from his fingers as he made his way into the living room.
Staring after him, Light frowned in offense, shocked at the rudeness he had just witnessed. To his left, the back door swung open and sound of laughing drifted into the galley. Near entered the kitchen, and shut the door behind him. He noticed Light and gave a small wave, kicking his snow boots off.
"Hungry?" The boy shrugged out of his coat next, and joined Light by the counter. "I think we're having lunch soon. Your dad's probably going to be heading out in a minute but you're welcome to stay.'"
"What's his problem?" Light demanded in a whisper. Near paused, pale eyes following Light's pointed finger. He spied L on the other end of the story, beyond the basement's open ceiling. He was settled into the cushions of the couch, eyes trained on the television. Near frowned.
"I asked Sammi the same thing," Near relented, just as quietly. "She said he'd been through a lot. She wouldn't really tell me what happened to him, but I mean just look at him. He's a mess. It's got to be significant." Despite the words themselves, Near's voice was scathing. "He's been nothing but a raincloud upon arrival. I've never shared a foster home with a more unpleasant personality."
"Maybe he just needs someone to talk to," Light murmured. Near looked up, about to reply, when he saw that Light wasn't even looking at him. His eyes were narrowed and trained solely on L. Near ruffled a bit at this, and shrugged nonchalantly.
"Or he's just a major douche. Maybe he's better off scaring everyone away. He's so… rough around… the edges…" Near trailed off, twirling a strand of hair between his fingers. Light wasn't even listening to him.
"Earth to you," Near hissed, kicking the side of Light's leg. Light startled, looking back at Near. The boy was a whole head shorter than him, and he had to look down a bit to meet his gaze. "So, what's up? Why'd you come inside?"
"Oh. To see what L was up to. How old is he?"
Again, with L. Near simpered, he had even tried changing the subject.
"He's a year older than me." Near sighed lowly. "He's seventeen. Like you."
"Cool, cool, cool," Light clasped his hands together and brushed past Near, clearly headed for the living room. Near didn't dare follow. He momentarily preferred not to associate himself with the massive buzzkill that was his current foster sibling.
L nestled his chin atop his knees, which were drawn tightly against his chest. He was contentedly taken by the crime show on the television screen the couch cushion beneath him suddenly dipped.
L peered around the large pillow that had been resting against his shoulder and glowered at Light, who had taken a seat next to him.
"What do you want?" He sank back again, the pillow obscuring his view of the other boy. There were a few beats of silence before the pillow shifted, and then fell to the floor. L bristled, glaring at Light, who'd pushed it out of the way. "I was using that."
"I just wanted to talk," Light smiled invitingly.
L raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not interested," He admonished. "I have not a single thing to talk about with you."
"Well, you could." Light's smile faded. The brunet pursed his lips and carded his fingers through his hair.
L shook his head slowly in rejection. Light frowned, much more serious than before.
"Look, I just wanted to let you know," Light cleared his throat and leaned forward a little bit. "I'm around here a lot. I help my dad when he works Sammi's fields, I take piano lessons here twice a week, I'm just - I'm here a lot."
L didn't reply but didn't try to stop him from continuing to talk.
"So, Near and I have come to be pretty good friends. And I just wanted to let you know that I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit more, too." Light beamed, obviously pleased with himself and what he had just done.
L stared, and then gave a gruff and rather uncaring thank-you. Light took this in stride, gauging his accomplishment.
"Where do you come from?" He asked. L soured at the apparent eagerness Light held to get a move on with the whole 'getting to know you a bit more' thing.
"My last house was in Rochester."
"Wow. Is that far away?"
"Yeah. Long drive." L sighed boredly, burying his nose in between his two kneecaps.
"So, ah, what all have you done here? What do you want to do?" Light shifted again, desperate to keep this sort-of conversation going.
"I don't know, alright?" L rolled his head around to raise an eyebrow at him. "I've never been in the countryside like this, there isn't anything to do."
"Sure there is, I could show you around, if you want." As he spoke, Light heard the back door in the kitchen swing shut. His dad's voice and Sammi's floated from the kitchen. Near's sounded a few times, as well.
"I'm alright." L clipped. "Shouldn't you be over there, or something?"
As if he had heard L's words, Light's dad called for him. Light's shoulders sank a bit.
"Yeah, I've got to go. See you around, okay?" He stood from the couch and L gave a single, half-hearted wave.
It was better than nothing. Light left L with a sense of accomplishment. When he joined his father in the kitchen, he felt lighter than he had been upon arrival that morning.
The truth was, he had had L's piano riff stuck in his head all night - he had lost sleep over it and everything. The sad melody, the rolling of L's shoulders and he drummed the keyboard, and then the sound of the boy's breezy, wintry voice.
"I hope I'll see you again soon," Near gave a small smile and nudged Light's arm. Light blinked down at him and distractedly returned the grace.
"Yeah, no worries. I'll definitely be around."
X
A/N: Sudden updates! Surprised? I really appreciate the reviews I'm getting! Shirahia, yours made me smile a lot. It means so much that the changes I'm working at are getting across as well as they are. Thank you sooo much. C:
I'm going to Japan for two weeks, starting March 7th! My dad is working into the trip a day where we go to a part of Tokyo that has a lot of anime stuff. I'm so beyond excited. Best Christmas gift, ever. I went to Tokyo once before, in 2008, but I was littler so I don't remember too much of the trip, I remember more of my Paris trip than my Tokyo one, for goodness sakes! I also had never even heard of anime and knew almost nothing about their culture. I'm sixteen now, and am a mega anime dork, so this vacation will surely be much more special to me.
Please review! It motivates me, so much!
