Light balked. It seemed Sayu had somehow missed Ryuk, considering how she appeared calm, and entirely focused on him. "Light? Come on baby bro, quit scaring me! What happened?"
He gulped in a breath of air. His pants were soaked through (and starting to chafe against his legs), and his fear hormones had spiked considerably. There was no way he could play this off. "Saw something."
"Worth screaming over?" Sayu looked concerned. Her large brown eyes stared up at him worriedly.
"Monster. S-saw a monster! R-right there!" The whine crept back into his voice as he pointed at Ryuk.
Ryuk simply huffed at the attention, his wings flicking in irritation and amusement. "I'm not a monster!" Light tried to ignore him, again made queasy by how… humanlike he acted. A small shiver rippled through him at the half smile on Ryuk's face.
"Light? There's nothing there…" Sayu's voice had taken on the soothing timbre only an Alpha possessed, and Light could already feel himself melting in her arms. Despite that, his heart thumped at the worry in her tone. She sounded like Mama.
"There is too!" He hated how childish he sounded, voice going high-pitched even as he tried to remain level headed, but he couldn't have Sayu abandon him to Ryuk. His hand grabbed at Sayu's sleeve weakly, and he tried to pull.
Sayu grunted and let him clutch her arm to himself. "What's gotten into you?!" She asked, running a thumb up and down Light's slightly shaking arm.
"Monster!" Light wailed louder, trying to creep behind her. She let him, eyes traveling to where Light had been pointing.
"... I just don't see anything. Did you see a bird or something that moved really quickly? Is that why you're so spooked?" Her voice sounded calm, but Light had known her long enough to sense the edge beneath.
"No! Right there!" He pointed again.
Ryuk snorted. "She can't see me. Not unless she touches the Death Note." He motioned to the small book that had somehow made its way back into his arms.
Sayu squinted harder. "... I still don't see it. And please be softer, ok? Mom can't know you're out here." A hand drifted to rub down Light's arm consolingly, and a soft coo fell from her mouth, sweet like a lullabye.
"Still a monster." Light winced at his voice, now near a childish grumble. And yet he couldn't stop himself.
"Well, what does it look like?" Sayu asked, squeezing him gently. Her fingers traced the small hairs on his arm.
"He's big and scary, with sharp pointy teeth and he's all black and he has feathery wings and he's staring RIGHT AT ME!" His words ended in a wail as Ryuk stepped forward. Distress poured off of Light like water.
A loud thump sounded from the house, the door banging open. Light whipped around and whimpered. Mama, still in her cooking apron and glaring imposingly, stood in the doorway. "You're not allowed to be outside without me or your Papa, Light." Her voice was final.
Sayu leveled a strained yet sheepish grin at Mama, and stepped partially in front of Light. "I was just bringing Light outside to stretch his legs a little, Mom! You know how cooped up he gets after his studies, and he just wanted to pick some flowers for you!"
"I wore my lessons clothes too, Mama! Just like you said I have too!" Light chipped in, looking at her wide eyed, while trying to ignore Ryuk in the corner of his eye.
Mama still didn't seem convinced. Her arms folded over themselves as she stared at them. "He still needs an adult to watch over him. Do you really think he could fight off a full grown Alpha?" Her voice hung heavy. "And I heard a scream. Why did he scream?"
Sayu gulped. "Well, while I was with him Light uh, saw something and-"
"A monster. I saw a monster! And he's right there!" Light broke in, the whine still creeping into his voice.
Sachiko glared at Sayu, before turning to Light, eyes softening. "What did you see, baby? Was it an Alpha?"
"Smelled like an Alpha. But he's really big and scary looking! And he's right there!" Light pointed a shaking hand at Ryuk. Even as Ryuk shook his head tiredly, Light still clung to the desperate hope that Mama would see him. That Mama would keep him safe.
"Baby boy… there's nothing there." Mama sounded tired. She strode forward, past Light even as he tried to grab at her to stop her, and waved a hand through Ryuk. "See baby? Nothing but air."
Light sniffed, eyes still wide and heart still thumping unevenly as he looked at Ryuk leering at him. "He scares me, Mama." He whimpered quietly. That seemed to wipe the grin off Ryuk's face, and the overlarge teeth twisted into something akin to a frown.
"Li-ight, don't be mean! Am I really that ugly?" He joked, nudging a wing at him. Light only trembled.
Sayu frowned and hugged Light harder. "Mom, you're scaring him!"
Mama frowned. "No, something else is. And don't talk to me like that, you're in enough hot water as it is, missy. The monster won't hurt you while I'm around, ok Light? And we'll tell Papa when he gets home, ok? Nothing to worry about now!" She beamed, ruffling Light's hair as she went passed him. She stopped to sniff, a frown crossing her face. "He wet himself? All over his dress clothes?"
Sayu sighed. "... Yeah. Poor thing was really scared."
"Well then get in there and finish dinner, will you? I'll take him in for a bath, and then he'll be punished for his disobedience." Absentmindedly, she ran a hand through Light's hair as she talked.
"But Mom, don't you think he's been through enough? He's shaking!" Sayu pleaded.
"He'll only learn if he's punished consistently." Her tone left no room for argument. "Now come on, Light. Those clothes must be awfully sticky." She crooned to Light softly, the small smile returning. Light nodded dully and followed behind her, casting a backward glance at Ryuk as he was lead inside.