A/N: Gack! Sorry I took so long, you guys! This chapter caused me quite a bit of trouble. I got so fed up with it, that I even started another story just to give me a break!
LE GASP!
Yes, this is true, I HAVE A NEW STORY! Really, I was trying to wait until I finished this before I took on any other big projects, but, well, the timing was right. Creatively wise, I suppose.
SO PLEASE CHECK IT OUT!
It's called The Sound of Silence, and it is HEAVILY inspired by Simon and Garfunkel's song (you guessed it!) The Sound of Silence, lol.
This story is much much muchMUCH more angsty than AoD, and it deals with sensitive subjects such as rape and suicide. It will also explore rape trauma syndrome, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder. In other words, THIS STORY IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN! So please give it a shot!
Anyways, I digress.
Here we go again, folks!
The Art of Drowning
Exhaustion Breeds Contempt
Poke.
"Light-kun!"
He was not moving.
Poke.
"Light-kun!"
He was not fucking moving.
Poke. Poke. Poke.
"Light-kun! Wake up!"
No way in hell. He absolutely refused to be bothered again. Greg hadn't left but ten minu -
Shove.
Light tumbled to the floor, landing in an tangled heap of limbs and bed sheets. He sat up awkwardly, blinking sleep from his eyes, and glared at the man standing over him.
"God damn it, Lawli! What the fuck is your problem!?" shouted Light, who was too muddled from sleep to realize his slip.
L seemed to realize it though, but it only gave him a moments pause before he ignored it all together. "We have to leave now, Light-kun."
Light gave him a nasty look. "Fuck off. I'm going back to sleep."
"This is not the time for Light-kun's beauty rest," snapped L. Light fell bonelessly onto his back, too tired to argue and too tired to move back to the bed. He closed his eyes and ignored the heavy weight of L's gaze. Maybe that would show L exactly how much he thought of all this 'leaving now' business.
L musn't have been pleased with Light's tactics, if the swift kick to the side was anything to go by.
"Oof!" grunted Light, immediately curling into himself.
"Stop being childish and get up. Time is of the essence," said L, moving out of Light's line of vision.
"I'm childish?" gasped Light pointedly. If he was childish, then L was positively infantile.
"Yes, you are," agreed L genially. It was obvious that the incredulous inflection on 'I'm' had been lost to the detective.
"That was sarcasm, dipshit," growled Light.
Silence. Then, "I never did like sarcasm."
Light clutched his aching side. If he didn't feel like utter crap from being woken up again and again within the span of one measely hour, Light would have socked the panda-eyed little shit. But as it was, he settled by groaning and rebelliously staying right where he was.
However, the sounds of L moving about the room quickly killed Light's plan of staying prone on the floor. He lifted his head, aghast that L had his duffle bag open and was currently pulling out clothes. The last thing he needed was for L to find the Death Note.
"What are you doing?" asked Light, making quick work of the bed sheets. He stumbled to his feet.
"Surely Light-kun doesn't want to leave looking like that," replied L, blantantly taking in Light's nearly naked form.
Light looked down, just now realizing that he was only in his boxers. He narrowed his eyes. If he wasn't so tired, he was sure that he'd be trying his damndest to stifle a blush.
"Yes, well, by the look on your face, I'd say you wouldn't mind," said Light coldly, folding his arms.
L smirked. "Touche, Light-kun. Now please get dressed. We need to leave before the assassin returns."
"Tank? What for?" asked Light. He was relieved to see that L had stopped pawing through his things. Light took the proferred pair of trousers and didn't to let his thoughts linger on L's confident smirk, nor his unexpected response. It was almost as if the other man had been flir -
"While I was at the bakery, I saw your assassin friend meeting with someone across the street. I realize that these clandestine meetings may be normal in your friend's line of work, but I don't want to take any unnecessary risks with our safety. We are already in enough of a precarious situation as it is."
Light pulled a beige button up over his head, for once leaving his shirt untucked. He was too tired to care. Light exhaled heavily. He hadn't known Tank for very long at all, but he didn't think the huge man would make any moves against them. But L was worried, as he had every right to be in this situation, and it was Light's duty to protect him. If L felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave immediately, then Light wouldn't argue.
He just really wished he could have gotten a few more hours of sleep.
"Do you know where Greg is?" asked Light, putting on his shoes.
A dark look flitted across L's face. "He's taking a nap."
Light raised an eyebrow. A suspicious feeling wormed his way into his stomach when L wouldn't meet his eyes.
"You knocked him out, didn't you?" accused Light.
Lmade a noise in the back of his throat, zipping up Light's duffle back and handing it to him. "Light-kun knows me entirely too well."
Light took it. "You didn't do anything permanent, did you?"
L snorted. "Doubtful. Now come. We've wasted enough time as it is."
Leaving the house was anticlimatic. They didn't meet anyone along the way, no one was blocking the exit, and there wasn't even anyone outside to witness their departure. All and all, Light was exceedingly grateful.
Even though they were both unfamiliar with the town, it didn't take them long to find a bus station. A train would have been preferred, but the town they found themselves in, which the name was still unknown to Light, didn't have one.
Once they were inside the station, L lead Light over to the far wall. When faced with the bus schedule, Light's eyes started easing in and out of focus from exhaustion. He blinked rapidly, and shook his head. It didn't help much, but Light was able to make out the times. They had twenty minutes before the next bus to London ran. From there, they would take the train to Winchester.
They moved to the line, and when it came for their turn, Light was prepared to pay for the bus tickets back to London. He still had plenty of money from his father. However, he was surprised when L brought out a thick wad of money from the seemingly bottomlesss pockets of his blue jeans.
"Jeez. Where'd you get all that?" asked Light, eyeing the bills as L carefully counted them out before pushing it to the lady behind the glass.
"My work is lucrative," replied L simply.
Lucrative, huh? Light wondered exactly how much money his friend had made over the years as the world's top three detectives. Considering how extragant their headquarters had been – literally a whole building complete with helicopters – then Light shouldn't have been surprised. But really, he had never associated L with money.
Light studied the other man briefly as L pocketed the change from the clerk, and came to the realization that although he may have known quite a bit about L as a child, he knew relatively little about him as an adult. L was still L. That would never change, but what had happened to him within the past decade? Light didn't know.
And that was something he would have to remedy.
L took the tickets from the woman, handing one to Light. He smiled slightly when he realized the reason that L was carrying so much cash on him. He glanced at the detective sideways. "Let me guess. Credit cards are easier traced than cash?"
"Right in one, but that's not to say I don't have them," said L.
By the time they had gotten to their bus, it was nearly time to go. Light checked his wristwatch. "Eight minutes."
"I believe we can go ahead and board," said L, watching as a teenager got onto the bus.
"Yeah," said Light, shuddering as he saw all the people crowded around the busdriver, who was handling the luggage. He just knew that the bus was going to be cramped, and Light dearly hoped that his claustophobia would behave. That damned coffin had really done a number on him.
"Does Light-kun feel ill?" asked L suddenly. Light turned his head in surprise to look at the hunched man. He sometimes forgot how observant L was. Most people wouldn't have even noticed.
"Not . . . really," he said slowly. "But ever since I woke up in a coffin, I've had a thing against close spaces. The bus ride is going to be hell," continued Light in a suprising bit of honesty.
L turned to him, his eyes wide. He brought his thumb up and bit at it roughly. Light had the inane urge to jerk it away from his mouth, but quelled such desires when he noticed the way L was looking at him. Was L worried?
"I'll be fine," assured Light, making his point by climbing into the bus. He could handle it. He wasn't weak.
L joined him after a moments hesitation, and they found a seat together near the very back.
Light adjusted his duffle on his lap. There was no way that he was going to let the bus driver put it in the storage under the bus. Not with the Death Note inside.
"Maybe it would benefit Light-kun if he tried to sleep," suggested L, bringing his legs up. Light was amused to see that the detective had gone all of thirty seconds sitting normally before giving up and assuming his customary crotched position.
Light yawned at the mention of sleep. "You know what? That doesn't sound like a bad idea."
Light wouldn't know that forty minutes after he fell asleep, his head would drop to rest on L's shoulder.
And he definitely would miss the smile that tugged at L's lips.
It was dark by the time their train pulled into the Winchester station. Light breathed in deeply as soon as his foot hit the pavement. He felt much better now that he was off the train.
L munched noisily on a candy bar as they made their way to the front entrance. Light hadn't bothered with getting anything before boarding the train. He didn't think he could stomach eating food while trying to stave off the effects of claustophobia, but L had no qualms about buying an inordinate amount of sweets. Nausea found Light after watching L wolf down eleven candy bars in a row. He was on his twelfth now, and had two more stuffed in his pocket.
As they exited the train station, Light took in the sight of Winchester. He had been too shaken from the events at his uncle's apartment to really appreciate how quaint the town was. It was a stark contrast to Tokyo. The squat buildings and gothic cathedrals looked like something out of a medival storybook, but the antiquity was offset by the cars that zoomed up and down the road and the bright street lights.
The wind ruffled his hair, and Light ran a hand through the auburn locks, trying to tame it back into place. It annoyed him that he hadn't even had time to shower, not to mention sleep, within the past few days.
L, having finished his candy bar, fished another one out of his pocket, and started down the sidewalk in the direction of where Light knew Whammy's House to be.
"So should we go now or later?" asked Light, readjusting his shoulder strap.
"What time is it?" asked L. Or, that was what he meant to say, and Light was easily able to translate the mumbled, candy muffled question after a moment's thought.
He glanced at this watch. "Just half past nine. I guess it was a good thing that we waited for the later train. We'd be sitting in the station for a while otherwise."
"The children's curfew is nine. They should all be in their rooms by now. So I suppose there's no time like the present," said L clearly before taking another bite of his candy bar.
"But so early? Are you sure that's a good idea? What if Roger is about? Or -" and Light cut himself off. They both knew who Light was going to ask about.
"I have every confidence that I will be fine, Light-kun. Believe it or not, but I am specially trained in sneaking in and out of places," pacified L, crumpling the candy bar wrapper and tossing it carelessly over his shoulder.
Light didn't know what to do first. Interrogate L about this "special training" of his or scold him for littering, but something else caught his attention.
"What do you mean, 'I will be fine?!' I'm not letting you go in there alone," yelled Light. An older woman glared at Light, supposedly for being so loud, and gave the two a wide berth, which in and of itself was saying something since Winchester's sidewalks were rather narrow in that part of town.
L just looked at him blankly. "I know Whammy's House better than you do Light-kun, and you know that it will be easier to get in and get out undetected if it was just one person. Who better than myself?" asked L.
Light grinded his teeth in irritation, but he knew that L had a point. Whammy's House really was a massive maze of hallways. "Fine. But what am I supposed to do?"
"You? You're supposed to keep a look out, of course," replied L, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Look out? Where am I going to be looking from?" asked Light suspiciously.
"Hmm. Perhaps the woods just beyon -"
"NO! I'm not going to hide in the woods like a coward when you're throwing yourself at danger!" exclaimed Light, angry that L would even suggest such a thing to him.
L surprised Light by groaning. "Must Light-kun always be so disagreeable? He's acting like a menopausal woman."
"A menpau - ?" the insult sunk in. "Fuck you, Ryuuzaki."
"Hm. Not today, I think, Light-kun," said L easily.
Light made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. "How do you even know how a menopausal woman acts?! You such a -"
"Oh, look. We're almost there," interrupted L cheerily.
Light turned to look at what had caught L's eye. He might not have been overly familiar with the area, but even he knew from previous expirience that they weren't anywhere close.
"No, we're not. We have at least another thirty min-"
"Will Light-kun be terribly upset if I asked him to wait for me outside of the gate?" asked L, cutting Light off once again.
Light forcefully shoved his anger and annoyance down. He knew that L was only changing the subject to avoid a fight, and while Light agreed that fighting now was probably not the best of times, a childish part of him wanted to deck his friend for being an idiot. Didn't L realize that Light was supposed to protect him? How much help could Light be if he was standing outside twiddling his thumbs? What if Roger caught L? What if Watari really was on Roger's side and tried to hurt him? How could Light live with himself if he let L waltz right into that situation without him?
L waved his hand in front of Light's face. "Hellooo. Earth to Light-kun."
Light batted the hand away. "Fine. I'll stand guard outside of the bloody gates."
L smirked victorious, and it was all Light could do not to smack the man upside his head. Light balled his fists and curtailed his inappropriate urges. Now was not the time. He just had to keep reminding himself of that.
"I've noticed that Light-kun is feeling particularly violent this evening," observed L, glancing at a very tense Light from the corner of his eye.
Light huffed, but felt that the question went deeper than that. Light's emotions had been all over the place lately. It was almost like he couldn't screen them like he used to, and L must have realized that. Light had been a master of controlling his emotions, of only letting what he wanted other people to think he felt show. But ever since he realized that he had been plotting to murder his best friend, ever since he realized exactly who L was and exactly how much the Death Note had fucked him up, well, Light's emotions had gone haywire. And it didn't help him come to grips with everything when every bloody time he turned around someone was trying to kill him.
But Light didn't really want to explain that all to L. Not now, at least. So he settled on the easy explanation. It was the truth, after all, just not the truth that L might have been asking for in his roundabout way.
"I can barely remember the last time I had a full night's uninterrupted sleep. I'm tired, my blood sugar's low, and I'm worried about you rushing off into that damn orphanage by yourself. Of course I'm in a bad mood."
L shrugged before digging into his pocket, obviously letting the matter drop for now. He brought out a brightly wrapped chocolate bar that looked misshapened, like it might have melted a bit in L's pocket.
"Candy bar?" offered L.
Light didn't feel that the offer deserved an answer.
"Where the fuck could he be?" grumbled Mello.
Matt grunted. He didn't know, and he was kind of getting annoyed at how many times throughout the day that Mello had asked him the same question.
Mello, who just really didn't like to be ignored, grabbed the Gameboy Advance from Matt's hands and threw it across the room.
"The hell, Mello?! I was on level 94! If it's brok -"
"I'll buy you a new one, fucktard! Damn it! Just – I want to go look for him!" yelled Mello, gesturing violently.
Matt sighed, feeling agitated. "We've already done that, Mells. If he doesn't want to be found, then I seriously don't think he's going to be. I mean, come on! It's L! Staying out of sight is the kind of shit he does for a living."
Mello growled. "Damn it, Matt. I want to -"
"Okay! Fine! I'll help you look for him, but let's wait until later, okay?"
"How long?" asked Mello petulantly, crossing his arms and glaring at the red head. Matt had to stiffle a laugh. Mello wouldn't think twice about punching him if he knew that Matt was laughing at him.
"Eh, give it an hour, at least. Surely you can find something to entertain yourself with in the mean time. Or are you going to make me entertain you?" asked Matt, rolling off his bed. He really hoped Mello hadn't broken his game console. It would be the fourth one if he had.
Mello didn't respond. He only muttured angrily under his breath as he searched for something beneath his bed.
Matt picked up his Gameboy gingerly, almost afraid to turn it over and see if it still worked, but as soon as he flipped the console over, he let out a breathe of relief that he hadn't even realized he was holding. Not only was his Gameboy fine, but it was still on. All that hard work didn't go to waste after all! He was still on level 94!
"Thank God," he mumbled, shooting Mello a sour look.
He blinked in surprise as he caught sight of the blonde. Mello had obviously found what he had been looking for. "Is that Near's robot?"
"Yeah," replied Mello, standing the toy on its feet.
"What the – are you playing with it?" asked Matt in disbelief.
"Fuck off, Matt! I'm not playing with it! And even if I was, it was YOU who said I needed to find something to entertain myself with, but that doesn't matter! 'Cause I'm not playing with it!" yelled Mello, all the while moving one of the robot's arms up in a pose.
Matt scratched his head, trying to reconcile what Mello claimed and what he was actually doing. "Well from where I'm standing, it kind of looks like -"
"Why don't you fucking stand somewhere else then," interrupted Mello without even looking at Matt.
Matt shrugged, and went and stood on the other side of the room. "Amazingly enough, it still looks like you're playing with it."
"Smart ass," growled Mello, digging into his pocket. He pulled out a lighter. A very familiar lighter.
"Hey! That's mine!" exclaimed Matt, moving to snatch it back from the blonde klepto.
Mello brought it close against his chest. "I'm only borrowing it, Matt. Now seriously, fuck off."
"Oh, yeah? Let me guess. You're only borrowing Near's robot, right? I'm sure he'll be getting it back tomorrow," said Matt sarcastically.
"Actually, you're right. I am giving Near his robot back tomorrow," replied Mello, grinning. Matt felt wary at that grin. Mello was up to something, if the grin was anything to go by. Mello's grins looked particularly evil, and besides, it wasn't like Mello to give something he stole back to Near. Things Mello took usually ended up in pieces somewhere in the woods behind Whammy's. Or in the cook's spaghetti. Whatever was more convenient at the time.
Matt raised an eyebrow. "Wha-?"
And that was when Mello promptly took the lighter, lit it, and held the flame against the plastic of the toy robot.
"Oh," said Matt, grimacing at the smell of burning plastic.
Yeah, Near would be getting his robot back after all. Matt didn't doubt it.
After leaving Light pouting outside the gates of Whammy's House, L quickly and quietly made his way to the set of rooms that he always used while visiting the orphanage, which admittedly hadn't been very often. L planned on putting the irritable man to bed just as soon as they got out of here and found a motel. Light's contrary mood was wearing on his nerves, and the only way he thought to fix it was if the brunet slept for a few more hours.
L was surprised to find the door to his rooms unlocked. He wasn't expecting them to be, but L decided he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Just as L was about to push the door open, a sudden thought made him pause.
What if Watari was in there? Maybe Watari was waiting for him. Maybe Watari and Roger were standing just on the other side of the heavy wooden door waiting for him to enter.
L shook his head to rid himself of such nonsense. That wasn't logical. Roger thought he was dead. Who knows what Watari thought, but either way, he doubted that they would be expecting him.
Watari.
L winced at the thought of the older man. As one of the only people in the world that L truly cared for, it hurt more than anything to believe that Watari was in league with Roger. But there was nothing L could do about it now. Whether Roger had fed Watari some half assed excuse for his disappearence or whether they were silently sipping brandy somewhere in celebration of his death, L really shouldn't be dwelling on such things. Especially out in the middle of the corridor where any wandering soul could happen upon him.
He scolded himself. There was a time and a place for such depressing ruminations, and now was definitely not the time. L pushed open the door with grim expectations, but to his relief, he found his rooms dark and empty.
L knew that Watari always placed his laptop underneath the bed when those little drugging episodes happened. That way L could reach down and work in bed while the drugs wore off if he was too muddled to function out of bed.
He didn't bother to turn on the lights. The moonlight shining though the large windows provided just enough light for L to make out the placement of furniture and the dark outlines of the bedroom door.
However, he felt safer turning on the bedroom light. The windows faced the woods instead of the grounds. True to his conjecture, his laptop case was underneath the bed, and L hefted it onto his shoulder. The familiar weight was comforting.
Looking into the wardrobe, L found his bag of personal effects. Seeing his unpacked bag brought him mixed emotions. Was it still packed because Watari had been too tired to unpack it that night? They had gotten in rather late. Or was it still packed because Watari thougth he'd never need to if L was dead?
He was doing it again. L grabbed the bag, shutting the wardrobe and putting all thoughts of Watari out of his mind.
As he closed the bedroom door behind him, something on the coffee table caught his eye. Could that be . . .?
Yes! Candy!
L let a small smile of delight cross his face. He snatched handful after handful out of the bowl, stuffing them into his pockets for later. There was no chance in hell that he'd pass up on free candy.
Then he noticed what appeared to be a piece of paper lying next to the candy bowl. L frowned and picked it up. He couldn't make out the words, so he went to stand in front of the window where the moonlight could better clarify.
L -
I apologize for not waking you, but since you aren't up yet, I would rather let you sleep. You surely need it after the trying few weeks we've had. But I'm afraid that I have some bad news, dear boy. Nothing too bad, so please don't fret. Since you were still asleep this morning, I decided that I would carry out the plan on my own, you see.
However, when I walked into his office, Roger was already there. Yes, a pity, I know, but the appalling thing was that the poor man suffered a heart attack upon seeing me. I admit that I wanted to surprise him, but nothing like this. Don't worry, he's fine. I've only returned from the hospital to check on you, but when I knocked on your door, all was silent. I'm so proud of you for resting into the late morning. Hopefully you're still asleep, but I shan't bother you. Let sleeping dogs lie and what not.
I hope that you'll be able to handle yourself for a few days. They've transferred Roger to the hospital in London. Better specialists, you know. I plan to stay in a hotel room there so I can be closer to him. He doesn't have anyone else, and I hate to think of the poor man up there all alone. I know you understand. But don't let this deter you from your original purpose. Get to know the boys, and I'll be back before the end of the week with Roger in tow.
Try to sleep again tonight. And stay away from that laptop! You may be the greatest detective in the world, but as you said yourself, this is your holiday, and I expect you to rest! Contact me on my cellular if you need me.
Watari
L quirked his head, reading through the letter a second time. The first bit was cause for a smidgeon of sadistic amusement. Roger had a heart attack? Really? Lovely.
But what did this letter mean? If the letter was to be believed, then this was evidence against Watari being in league with Roger. L dared not to hope, but it was hard. Watari had been there for him for so many yea -
Something hard and heavy struck his head from behind, and L crashed to the ground, unconcious.
A/N: Ouch. That probably hurt.
Hey! Guess what? I just ordered an L plushi from amazon dot com ! I'm so excited! XD
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