Careless Whisper
ChipsAhoyPup
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note.
Warnings: Yaoi, LightxL, violence, and things in that offensive nature. Don't read if you can't deal with any of those.
A/N This is an AU, obviously. HOWEVER, I do want to somewhat stick to the characters personalities, so if any of them seem way OOC, please let me know. I'd appreciate it. I also like constructive criticism, so if you have any for me, I'd be happy to take it. Thanks.
"Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop."
He took a deep breath and placed one foot out the gate. Another deep breath, the other foot. He risked a nervous glance back towards the large building behind him, behind the gate he had just stepped out of. And for once in his life, he could finally say the two words out loud, the two words he'd been wanting to say ever since he'd been bound in this place.
"I'm free."
The words escaped his lips, hushed and slowly, as if afraid that once he said them, they'd be gone forever. But they echoed again and again in his head, reassuring him, pushing him to move forward along the sidewalk, following the path. His pace gradually quickened, until he was finally sprinting away from the orphanage, his bare feet pounding against the gravel, scraping his soft flesh underfoot.
He ignored the pain, continuing to run at break-neck speed, not daring to stop. He closed his obsidian eyes, focusing on the wind that whistled around his ears and buffeted his messy raven hair. Past the whistling wind was a distant jingling sound, accompanied with the vibrating of coins clashing against each other in his scuffed-up jeans pocket.
When he finally opened his eyes, he found that he was nearly at the end of the block. He rounded the corner, slowing down a bit, exhaustion suddenly slamming into him violently. Panting, he edged forward slowly. He hadn't even run that far yet and he already felt cramps clamping onto his ribcage. He blamed his lack of exercise.
He wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the white sleeve of his shirt, and although he had slowed down significantly, he still didn't stop. He wasn't going to stop until he found a place to settle down for the night. Crisp fall air licked at his cheeks, mingling with the sweat. And yet he persevered.
Because L would give anything to be free.
Tick, tick, tick, tick, The clock taunted, the majority of the young adults in the classroom craning their heads towards it, waiting, waiting...
BRIIIING! The bell finally rung. Students gathered their stuff up, while the professor reminded them of the project that was due in a couple of weeks. The students hustled out of the classroom, some of them heading off to another class, some to their dorms, and others straight home. Light was one of the few who didn't have a dorm; his home was close by, and he'd much rather live there than in the college.
He left the school and casually walked down the sidewalk, shifting his tote bag so that the shoulder strap wasn't digging into his shoulder as painfully. When he got to the railroad tracks, the sign was already lowering itself down, blinking an urgent red.
Light sighed in irritation. Now he'd have to wait. He dully surveyed the crowd. Same people, different day. Wait a minute. His eyes stopped on a dirty looking child. He'd never seen that person before. The panicked expression on the kid's face made Light suspicious. He had that running-away-from-the-law look.
The train rushed past, and once it was gone, the sign raised again and the red light abruptly stopped blinking. As Light walked over the tracks, he continued to observe the child, who stumbled across the tracks, his head tilted towards the ground. It was as if he was afraid to look at anyone.
Light would've let the child go, but he was too suspicious... and curious. He waited for the crowd to thin out before gently grabbing the child's arm, stopping him. "Hey, kid, just where do you think you're going?"
"U-um... I was j-just... g-g-going to g-get my Mom something from the s-store... S-see?" The child rustled around in his jeans pocket with his free hand before holding out a handful of coins. Light noticed that his hand was violently shaking in presumed fear. It was very clear that this kid was lying; he wouldn't look Light in the eyes, and he had faltered a couple of times when telling his story.
"You sure you didn't steal those coins?" Light asked accusingly.
"Oh, n-n-no, sir, I-I'd never steal," The kid answered, eyes widening innocently.
"...What's your name, kid?" Light asked, not buying it.
The kid hesitated for a moment before quietly saying, "Ryuzaki."
"Ryuzaki, huh?" Light skeptically raised an eyebrow. "That's a strange name."
The kid, Ryuzaki, shrugged meekly, lowering his gaze towards the ground.
"And tell me, Ryuzaki, where do you live?"
"Y-y-you know, I-I'm not allowed t-to t-t-talk to s-strangers." So he was trying to dodge the question now. Well Light wasn't going to let it slide.
"I'll have you know that my father is a police officer, and I'm currently majoring in law in college. I'm not just any stranger. Now, I'll repeat the question: where do you live?" Light asked sternly.
"...Wammy's," Ryuzaki whispered.
"Wammy's?" Light echoed, confused. Was that an address or something? It sounded familiar... Wait. "You mean that orphanage down the street?"
"Don't send me back," Ryuzaki pleaded, looking up at Light, tears welling up in his eyes. Sympathy clouded Light's gaze. This child looked to be dirty and tired, and a sliver of fear still shone brightly in his moist eyes.
"I won't, as long as you promise me one thing," Light said softly. Ryuzaki tilted his head to the side a bit in response. Light smirked teasingly before finishing, "Promise you didn't steal those coins from the orphanage."