Disclaimer- I don't own Death Note

Chapter 16

All Good Things

"So tomorrow we become official college students," Noriko said happily.

Light nodded absently as he sat at his desk reading over a magazine. Noriko frowned at him from her spot on the floor by the foot of his bed.

"You don't seem to care," she observed.

"It's no big deal," he answered with a shrug.

"No big deal. Are you kidding? We're starting college and you are giving the freshman address since you scored perfect, as usual, on the exams."

Light shrugged again and Noriko snapped the novel she had been reading shut and crawled over to him. Resting her chin on his leg, she stared up at him, waiting for him to give her his full attention. At first he tried to ignore her, but after a few minutes of being stared at by her bright green eyes, he sighed and looked down at her.

She smiled happily. "You just can't ignore me, can you?"

"No, I can't. You don't make it easy either."

Noriko pouted, before breaking into a fit of giggles.

Light raised a brow at her, curious as to the reason for the sudden outburst.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm supposed to make it easy on you my dear fiance," she told him lovingly.

"Are you really happy, Noriko," Light asked.

Noriko was rather surprised by the question and she looked up at him with confused eyes. "Yes, I am. Why?"

"You've been distant a lot lately."

Noriko frowned. She had been rather spacey lately. Her thoughts were constantly pulled to the dreams that her dad had been waking her up from more and more frequently. The details of the dream always eluded her upon waking and she was beginning to feel as though there was something in those dreams she desperately needed to know. No matter how hard she tried to remember though, she just couldn't recall any of the dreams she knew she was having. All she would remember was her father's soothing voice telling her it was time to wake up. Something told her he always woke her up when something important was happening, and she really wished she knew what and why.

"I'm sorry, I just haven't been sleeping much recently," she answered.

"That's it?" Light questioned skeptically.

"Yeah, I think I'm just anxious about college starting, it's such a big step in our lives."

"You worry too much," he teased, running his fingers through her auburn tresses.

"Lay with me for a little while before I go," she said, standing up and taking his hand in hers.

He stood up when she tugged lightly on his hand and led her to his bed. She climbed beneath the sheets and pulled him down with her. He laid down without no objection and she rested her head on his shoulder as he encircled her with his arm. She curled up against him and wrapped an arm around his torso.

"This is nice," she sighed, closing her eyes.

He kissed the top of her head and brushed his fingers through her hair. It wasn't long before her breathing evened out and she drifted off into sleep.

Noriko hadn't meant to fall asleep, she just wanted to relax and be close to Light, he made her feel so safe and protected that she wanted to have that feeling with her when she went home.

Watching his fiance's chest rise and fall as she lie curled up in the crook of his arm, a feeling of possessiveness washed over Light. She was absolutely beautiful and innocent as she slept peacefully beside him. He would make sure that she stayed beautiful and innocent, he would never let anyone touch her, if they did he would make sure they suffered for ruining the peaceful world he was trying to create not just for himself, but for the girl he loved.

Shorty after Noriko drifted off, Light was lulled into a dreamless sleep by her breathing and the feel of her steady heart beat.

After a few hours of undisturbed rest, Noriko's body began to tense and her breathing grew quicker. Her hand that still lay over Light clutched at his side and her nails dug painfully into his skin beneath the shirt he wore.

Light awoke with a jerk as she held him tightly, with a single glance at her he could tell she was having a bad dream. Her face had paled and a single tear slid from her eye and trailed down her nose to drip onto his shirt.

"Noriko," he whispered softly, brushing some of her hair out of her face.

She didn't respond, only gripped him tighter as if afraid she might lose him if she let go.

"Nori," he said again, a little louder. Her nails were biting into his side and he was pretty she would draw blood if she tightened her grasp anymore.

He still received no response from the dreaming girl.

It was all familiar. The stacks of boxes, the sloped ceiling, the ring of gunshots, followed by the appearance of people draped in shadow.

"You must choose Noriko," Light said to her.

He was one of the few that she could actually make out. There were others as well, standing around her in silence. She could feel their gazes on her body. Feel the questions they longed to ask her hovering in the air.

They were all the same though. She was supposed to choose, but what her choices were and why she needed to choose was unknown to her.

"Noriko," a familiar voice called to her.

She spun around to face the figure of a man she thought was very familiar to her, but since he was covered in darkness she couldn't place him.

The dream was almost always the same. She would wake up in some strange warehouse, wander around for awhile and then the roar of gunshots would break the silence. After the gun shots the people would appear. It wasn't always the same people, in some cases she thought they were just shadows and nothing more.

There were differences in some of the dreams, but she never remembered them when she awoke. None of them seemed very important anyways. Sometimes she would wander around aimlessly and never encounter anyone, other times she would encounter the strange shinigami she had seen the first time she had the dream. Either way the dreams usually ended with her dad waking her up when the strange people would start to pressure her to choose.

This was different though. She was panicking now, and had begun to run from Light and the shadows that were so eager for her decision. She tried to get herself to wake up but couldn't. So she continued to run. There were shouts behind her, someone calling her name, telling her to wake up, asking if she was alright...

"Noriko!"

She took a deep breath as she was hurled out of the dream and back into reality.

"Noriko, are you all right?"

Noriko blinked dazedly a few times,and glanced up at Light who was regarding her with a worried expression.

"I'm fine," she managed to say though her voice didn't sound reassuring.

"You were having a nightmare," he said to her.

"I don't remember it. I never do," she answered.

"Is that why you haven't been sleeping," he asked.

She nodded slowly, trying to recall anything she could but there was nothing she could remember, except a vague sense of fear and betrayal.

"What time is it," she asked him.

He glanced over to where his clock sat on his desk. "A little after two am."

"I should go home," Noriko said and she began to sit up, intending to get out of the bed.

"You're staying here," Light informed her. He wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her from standing.

"But-"

"I'll give you something to sleep in and I'll get you up early enough to go home and get ready before the entrance ceremony," he reassured her, standing up to walk to his closet.

Noriko opened her mouth to argue, but once again Light cut her off.

"You're staying. You're my fiance after all, so it's fine. Go change," he tossed a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt at her.

Seeing that she was still trying to protest, he gave her a warning look and pointed at his door. "You're staying, go change."

"Fine," she grumbled stubbornly as she stood up and quietly made her way to the bathroom that was two doors away from Light's room.

She slipped into the shirt and sweat pants, which were both rather large on her and folded her clothes up. She splashed her face with water and used her finger to brush at her teeth with a small dab of toothpaste.

When she returned to Light's room, he had changed as well and was now wearing a pair of black sweats and no shirt. Noriko tried not to blush, but was pretty sure she failed miserably. Sure, she had seen him without a shirt before, but something about the fact that she was going to be sharing a bed with him while he was shirtless made her nervous.

"Stop gawking."

"It's not my fault I have a hot fiance," she teased. She set her folded clothes next to her purse and took the time she was facing away from to try and stop blushing.

"Just get in bed," he replied.

"Bossy much," she retorted playfully. Turning back to face him, she smiled and headed back to the bed, climbing back under the sheets beside Light.

"Goodnight," Light murmured, kissing her forehead tenderly.

"Night."

They fell asleep soon after, Noriko curled up against Light's chest as he lay on his side, an arm tossed over her waist.

She was dressed neatly in black knee length slacks with a matching jacket that she wore over a silver, silky top. Her hair had been left down and framed her face in auburn strands that made her bright green eyes even more noticeable in her pale skin.

She wriggled her feet out of the silver heels that had black lace covering much of the silver and gave the heels an elegant, almost gothic, look and wiggled her toes that were now out of the uncomfortable shoes.

'I really do hate heels,' she thought grumpily.

She was sitting with the many other students that had been accepted into the university and listening patiently to the speech of the dean of the school.

She was towards the back and couldn't really make out faces very well, but she could just barely see the top of Light's head. As well as what she was pretty sure was Ryuga's black mass of hair right next to him.

'It would be nice if those two became friends. I kinda like Ryuga, he's a bit odd, but who isn't,' Noriko thought.

Smiling warmly as she recalled how she and Light had fallen asleep together the night before, Noriko thought about how peaceful her sleep had been. Aside from the nightmare, she had gotten the best night's sleep she had had in a long time. A frown pulled at her lips when she recalled the worried look in Light's eyes, she remembered the strange feeling of fear, but didn't know what had made her feel that way.

A proud smile crept on to her face as Light's name was called as one of the freshman representatives. She didn't hear the second representative's name because the students around her began to whisper about Light, the girls saying how cute he was and the boys talking about how lucky he was.

Noriko heard the girl besides her lean over to tell the girl next to her that Light was supposed to be engaged, the girl next to her snorted and made a comment that she didn't care. Usually she wasn't very possessive, but for some reason she felt a tinge of anger at the girl for saying she didn't care that Light was engaged. Maybe it was because after spending the night entwined in each others arms, Noriko felt a need to make it known that the man these girls were gawking at was hers and not theirs.

Frowning, Noriko tapped the girl beside her on the shoulder. The girl turned to look at her curiously, as did her friend.

"I highly suggest you start caring," Noriko said, holding out her left hand as if she wanted to shake hands.

The girls looked horrified and were stuttering out apologies, having noticed the ring that was on her finger and the cold smile she was giving them.

"Hey, he has the same name as the pop idol," a student whispered.

"Who does he think he is coming to the ceremony dressed like that," another said disapprovingly.

Noriko looked up to the podium where Light was giving the freshman address, standing beside him with a paper held in between his thumbs and index fingers was Ryuga in his usual jeans and white long sleeved shirt with ratty tennis shoes slipped on his feet.

She hadn't seen him since the exams and that was almost a month and a half ago. They had established a sort of friendship over the course of the exams, and Noriko was glad to see him again. She wondered where Watari was, she really liked the elderly man, he was always kind and reminded her of a loving grandfather.

'He wore jeans to the entrance ceremony,' she thought, gaping at him. 'Lucky bastard, how did he get away with it.'

Losing interest shortly after, Noriko spaced out for the duration of the speeches and absently twisted the ring on her finger.

'Ugh, finally,' she thought after the the last of the speakers finished their droning speech.

Stretching a little before standing, Noriko looked around for Light and saw him talking with Ryuga. She frowned when she noticed he seemed tense.

She could see Ryuga talking with Light and wondered if they were getting along or not. From the strained look on Light's face she didn't think so.

'Hmmm, I hope it's nothing. I'd really like to hang out together, Ryuga can be quite entertaining,' Noriko thought with a smile as she made her way to the exit.

Once she was outside, she didn't see Light or Ryuga so she walked a little ways from the building so as not to be stuck in the crowds coming out.

"Hello Noriko," a voice greeted kindly from behind her.

She swung around and nearly fell over in the heels, but managed to steady herself and give an embarrassed smile to the person that had greeted her. "Hello Watari. It's nice to see you again," Noriko said as she stepped towards the man and gave a short bow.

"It's a pleasure as always. You look very nice today young lady."

"Yeah, I clean up well," Noriko joked.

"I don't suppose you've seen Ryuga, have you?"

"I did. I must have beat him and Light out here," she answered. She turned back towards the doors that people were still exiting from.

"Light Yagami," Watari asked curiously.

"Yes," Noriko replied with a nod, turning her attention back to the elderly man.

"He was the other freshman representative with Ryuga, correct?"

Noriko nodded.

"How do you know the young man?"

Noriko smiled and held out her left hand. "He's the fiance."

"Ah, I see. Very good choice, he's a smart, good looking boy," Watari replied with a kind smile.

"He is."

"Oh, and I think that's him and Ryuga now," the old man said, glancing passed her.

Sure enough, Light and Ryuga were walking out of the building together. Ryuga was talking about something and Light seemed irritated by the conversation.

Expecting Light to walk over with Ryuga, she turned back to Watari. "Ryuga is one of those odd geniuses, isn't he," Noriko asked.

Watari chuckled.

"I didn't mean that in a bad way. I think some of his oddities are actually quite cute. I mean, um," Noriko stopped talking and hung her head, not having meant to say that. 'I just called him cute and I'm engaged, good job, Noriko,' she chided herself.

"It's alright dear, I know what you meant. Although I think Ryuga has grown rather fond of you, he doesn't-"

"And who asked you, Watari?"

Noriko spun around, surprised by the sudden voice directly behind her. Of course being graceful as she was and in four inch heels, her ankle twisted rather painfully. She glared down at the heels and righted herself before looking up at Ryuga, who was looking at her with a blank, bored look, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

"It's rude to eavesdrop you know," she grumbled, shifting her weight off the ankle she had just twisted. It wasn't sprained or anything thankfully, just sore. The pain would pass in a few minutes she knew, it was after all the fifth time today she had slipped.

"You would think someone as pretty as you would have more natural grace," Ryuga stated plainly before walking passed her to slouch beside Watari.

Noriko followed him with her eyes, not sure what to say to the rather weird insult that was placed with a compliment. She wound up blushing over the compliment, and the insult, before finally coming up with a reply. "Yeah... well you shouldn't sneak up on people," she mumbled lamely.

"I didn't sneak up on you, I walked up behind you," he corrected.

"Close enough," she retorted.

"I fail to see how-"

"Oh, shut up would you."

"I wasn't done-"

"I don't care."

"I don't like being interrupted."

"Yeah, well I don't like lots of things, particularly people, but here I am," she replied waving around at all the people.

"Is this a game of-"

"No it's-"

"Would you stop inter-"

"No it's fu-"

"Ok, you two," Watari cut in with a chuckle.

Both people looked at him.

"How about some tea," Watari asked. "You two can continue your game later."

"Only if there's cake," Noriko piped up when she saw Ryuga open his mouth to talk.

Watari chuckled at her and Ryuga glared at her with his onyx eyes.

She smiled, and made to follow after them, but she stopped abruptly. "Oh, actually I should probably find Light, we're supposed to be going home together," Noriko said.

"He left already," Ryuga replied.

"Huh. Why?" She blinked uncertainly at him.

Ryuga shrugged. "He wasn't feeling well."

"Maybe I should call him," she mumbled, more to herself than anything. Digging her phone from her purse, she flipped it open and punched the speed dial number for Light.

"What," he snapped when he answered her call.

Noriko actually jumped at the harshness in his tone, it had been completely unexpected. "Light are you alright," she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. Where are you, Nori?" he asked harshly.

"I'm outside of the arena with Ryuga and Watari, we were-"

She stopped talking when she thought she heard something break.

"You were what," he barked.

"Light, what the hell is your problem? You left without waiting for me and you're the one snapping at me," Noriko demanded angrily.

"Noriko, now isn't the time, I'm in a bad mood as it is. Meet me at my house, we'll talk-"

"No. You don't own me remember? I don't know what's gotten into you, but I highly suggest you get it out before we talk again. I'm going to have tea with Watari and Ryuga, bye." She flipped her phone shut with a loud snap. When she looked up, Ryuga was staring curiously at her. "What," she asked roughly, straining to keep the angry tears out of her eyes.

Light had never spoken to her so harshly before. Never. She had no idea why he would now, but it upset her, especially after he had left her at the arena. If he wasn't feeling well then fine, but he could have said something to her without biting her head off.

"Sorry," she sighed. "What did you two talk about?"

"Nothing important," Ryuga answered. Shuffling over to the black car that Watari was waiting for them by, he ducked into the black car.

Noriko frowned, following him into the backseat to sit besides him. She noticed he sat in his odd crouch, even in the car. His palms rested on his knees and he was hunched forward slightly.

"He's never spoken to me like that before," she admitted sadly. Staring at her hands, she flexed her fingers and watched the movement.

'So you're upset, are you, Light Yagami? Will you tell her who I am I wonder?' Ryuga thought as he glanced at the girl besides him before nibbling on the tip of his thumb.

When Light returned home, he slammed his door shut before slamming his cell phone down on his desk and collapsing into his chair while clutching at his hair.

"He humiliated me today! Now he's with my fiance, he's trying to get close to her so he can use her for information," Light spat. "He's trying to befriend me too. If we're all friends, Noriko would be more likely to let something slip, she doesn't know I'm Kira, but if she said something about the bus jacking or that she saw me with Naomi Misora, I'm done for. I have to play his game though, I just can't lose."

Noriko shoved her little fight with Light to the back of her mind and tried to enjoy the tea that was sitting untouched before her and the pastry she ordered, that was also untouched.

"Are you going to eat that," Ryuga asked, pointing at the uneaten sweet.

She shook her. "No, go ahead."

"Thank you," he replied, taking the dish between two fingers and sliding it towards himself.

"Do you ever eat anything but sweets," she asked monotonously.

"Rarely," he answered.

"That isn't healthy you know," she said pointedly.

Ryuga shrugged. "Have you been following the Kira case at all?"

"Huh?" Noriko replied, confused by the abrupt change of topic.

"The Kira case. I've heard L has sent fifteen hundred agents into Japan," Ryuga stated, munching on Noriko's pastry.

"Uh, I heard, sort of at least. I haven't paid much attention," she answered truthfully.

Ever since her and Light had gotten engaged she had done as she had promised and tried not to dwell on the Kira case. She knew he was just trying to protect her from the evil in the world, but she couldn't help but wonder if there was something else too.

"So you know it's thought that he's in the Kanto region," Ryuga said.

"I had heard that."

"Did you know he was suspected of being a student as well at one point?"

"I didn't know that. I already said I haven't really followed the case lately," she replied.

"Do you have any thoughts on who Kira might be?"

Noriko was a bit taken back by the very forward and blunt question. "No. Why all the questions on the Kira case," she asked.

"No reason. It's just an interest of mine," Ryuga answered.

"An interest?"

"Yes-"

Noriko's phone began to ring loudly from her purse and she snatched it as quickly as she could, earning a few glares from the other occupants in the quiet tea house. She stood and quickly excused herself.

"Mr. Yagami," she asked curiously, walking outside to talk not disturb anyone.

Noriko listened to her future father in law speak hurriedly, her eyes widening in horror as his words began to sink in. Her face paled and her breathing grew shallow and she tightly clutched the phone in her hand, her knuckles beginning to turn white from the pressure. Her knees began to grow weak and shaky and she had to plop into a chair that was just outside of the little shop or risk falling over.

'This can't be happening,' she thought, her thoughts were slowly and foggy, as if she had just come out of a drug induced sleep. She placed a hand over her face as she continued to listen to the chief of police inform her of the situation and the danger she was in.

Please review!