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L's Diary: Real World (Final Part) |
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Raito stood behind the door to the left of the stage, nervously adjusting his tie. It was one thing to speak in front of the entire freshman class of his old university, but to appear on public television would be the equivalent of smashing his face into a brick wall and walking into a room full of vampires (not only are you half blind, but you're also being thirsted after like a piece of meat - a more than risky situation).
The brunet picked at the hem of his shirt, something he did quite infrequently, and continued staring at the weighted maroon sheets before him. Busy buzzing from the crowd still managed to leak through the heavy curtains of the stage. There was a chuckle from the small speaker he was wearing in his right ear causing Raito to cough into his fist nervously. Behind him, Soichiro Yagami patted him on the back and offered his son a fatherly grin.
"I can't believe it's all over either."
A simple statement, yet all-encompassing. The other members of the Task Force shared knowing looks with one another, nodding solemnly as they all mentally prepared themselves to enter onto the stage. Even Matsuda had a straight face on. Each of them wore a Kevlar vest beneath their clothing; extraneous safety measures were essential, seeing as how the small force of only a hand full of men had brought down Kira were about to go public into the risk of being attacked by Kira supporters.
"It's time,"L's voice instructed from Raito's earpiece.
He nodded to the other men and they signaled for their body guards. Each of the men backstage had white masks to slip over their faces, but they had already decided that every single one of them except for Raito was going to go out into the open with their faces exposed. As soon as Raito had gotten his sugar-white mask secure, they entered with well-armed body guards L had hired from the underground (a detail they'd let slip from the media). If those men weren't enough, Ryuuk would be standing behind Raito the entire time of the conference, looking out for any signs of danger. The male Shinigami had switched places with Rem on their haunting and the female Shinigami had left with Misa-Misa, relieved instead of angry that Misa and Raito had broken up.
Of course, Ryuuk was only there for the two baskets of apples L had promised him.
Lights from the cameras burned brightly as reporters filed into the small room where the press conference was taking place. Stage empty, the crowd murmured in anticipation. A single, thick and tangible thought ran through the crowd:
"Will we see L?"
Looking out into the crowd, Raito people were obviously scrutinizing the hell out of the assembled Force, obviously trying to figure out which one was the famed detective. Raito smiled as he entered the stage last, the eyes of many media crew members following him: the youngest member on the Task Force and the only with a name that would start with an L in English.
Raito slowly and slightly awkwardly took his seat in the middle of the line of covered tables on the stage.
Murmurs of confusion ran through the crowd. What was a man wearing a white mask like that doing on the Kira Task Force doing by taking center seat? In fact, who the hell was he? Could it be L? But his body looks like he's barely out of high school! How is that even possible? Is he L's representative? Who is it?
A hush fell over the crowd as the brunet cleared his throat and leaned forward into his mircrophone. The sound came out distorted, a feature L had informed the workers there as necessary for the conference to even take place.
"To answer the first question on everyone's mind, I am not L, nor am I his proxy. I am not to reveal to you who I am exactly, but I can, however, inform you all of what exactly happened during the Kira Case."
With the room silent with only the gentle continuous hum of film rolling, Raito told the story of how L had suspected Kira was in Japan. The story of meeting L, working with L, following the leads until they had discovered how Kira's power was transferred and had stopped the process of transferring at Higuchi. The method of killing was stopped and it was now never able to hurt another person again.
"How can you be sure that Kira is gone? What sort of conclusive proof do you have?"
"The mere fact that we are willing to show you our faces on public television should be testimony enough that Kira is truly gone."
It was Soichiro that answered this question, full confidence embedded in his voice as he addressed the reporters in the gathering hall. Another wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd, nearing climax before the question flitting about their lips was voiced by a particularly nasally-sounding woman that looked somewhat like a mouse.
"But what about the guy in the mask?"
Raito blanched beneath the mask, his blood running cold and his yes drifting quickly to the back of the room where the conference was being held. A shadowy figure standing there chuckled and pushed a computer's screen to face the stage.
"I am wearing this mask for personal reasons, not because of Kira," he replied simply, the control in his voice impeccable. "Please don't let this sway your judgment of the news we have shared with you."
Murmurs spread through the crowd and another voice piped up.
"To the sir in the mask: is your walking impairment a direct result from the Kira Case?"
Raito winced. Was he really still limping from... err... last night?
"Did it really hurt that much?" L's voice chuckled from the earpiece. Raito turned a bright scarlet and was thankful that he was the only one with an earpiece and a mask over his face.
"No," he whispered into the mouthpiece on his lapel, "it didn't hurt that bad... well, at least not while we were... err..."
Sensing that the crowd was growing agitated from his lack of response, Raito decided to answer before the questions became increasingly awkward.
"No" he stammered slightly, coughing nervously into his fist, "I slipped in the shower this morning when I picked up the soap."
The explanation seemed to satisfy the public and they continued onward with their questions. L, however, was trying badly to refrain from laughing at Raito through the earpiece and driving the boy absolutely insane. Raito was barely able to control his shaking as the older man began teasing him.
"Slipped in the shower this morning? Did you happen to land on a certain part of my anatomy at a certain angle while you were falling?"
Raito's face turned a deep crimson shade as he hushed back, "L, this isn't funny. Do you realize how awkward that was?"
"Yes, I do. In fact, I can see your ear burning brightly right now. You are more than just a tad too late for Christmas, you know? Perhaps I should take the mint leaf off my current cheesecake and prop it behind your ear? Of course, you are far too tall to become a convincing elf..."
"L," he hissed, cutting off the man's words. "Knock it off! This is a press conference, you idiot!"
Suddenly the entire room was quiet. Soichiro nudged his son in the arm, drawing his attention to the mass of reporters before them gazing up at him with expressions of amusement and utter confusion.
"They asked you what your ties to the Kira Case were," his father hushed, a bemused frown upon his face. "Your answer was... unconventional."
Pushing his mask of collected calm and cool back onto his skin, Raito straightened up his mask and cleared his throat, simultaneously pushing the button on his jacket's lapel to mute the earpiece. From in the back of the crowd, he watched Watari adjusting the computer screen facing Raito ao that the web cam was pointing precisely at the brunet center stage. He could almost see the smile on the elderly man's face as he had listened to their entire shared argument over the shared sound waves.
Oh s**t.
He pressed the mute button once more only to have the combined chuckles of two older male voices assail his eardrum. He winced from the sudden noise and the reporters leaned in closer for a good look. From the earpiece came a louder laugh as one of the reporters asked if he was alright or mentally stable. This was going to be a long afternoon.
- -
Raito gratefully took his black luggage case and hauled it into the back of L's car.
"Do you really have to go to college in England, Yagami-kun?" Matsuda asked, his eyes shining like marbles from the sudden wetness gathering in them. "Can't you just continue at To-Oh University and join the NPA? I mean, you've got so much here for you."
The brunet gave the older, childishly innocent man a grateful smile that climbed up to wrinkle the skin by his eyes.
"Matsuda," he chuckled as the man's head dropped down to face the ground in defeat, "didn't I already tell you? If I've got a chance at being a part of hte NPA here, then why can't I go out to see the world and find out what other kinds of opportunities there are out there for me?"
From the entrance of the hotel's shared suite, L stood, his hands stuffed in his pockets while he raised his foot to scratch his ankle. The lovers locked eyes for a split moment, their upturned lips mirroring each other's subtly before they broke the contact to avoid suspicion.
"Do you really want to leave, though? I mean... Raito, that's not fair!" Sayu bounced in her place between Matsuda and her mother. "Who am I gonna get to help with my homework?"
"Yeah," Raito rolled his eyes, " 'Help.' So that's what the new word for getting someone to practically do half of your work for you before you 'understand' what's going on in your homework at all."
"I guess you're not going to stay after all..." Sayu clasped her hands in front of her lap and tipped back on her heels, a real but saddened laugh lighting the air. "This is goodbye then, big brother."
The college student's face brightened kindly at her words. "You act like I'm dying. Don't worry so much, alright? I'll come back to visit when I get a chance."
His sister nodded, accepting, understanding. Each of the ex-Task Force members each shared with Raito a parting embrace. Mogi took him into a stiff, awkward, bumbling hug and released the younger male, a stern but cracked look on his face as he did so.
Aizawa shook his hand formally, only to be pulled into a tight, uncharacteristic hug by the other man. The air in his lungs held and caught momentarily as Raito squeezed the other man with child-like enthusiasm. After he was released from the hug the two shared a pleasant, congenial grin and parted ways.
On the other hand, Matsuda was the one that simply went up to the younger man and pulled him into a vicegrip between his arms.
"You suck for leaving," he joked, releasing Raito with a pat on the back. The younger man just smiled and moved down to next person in the goodbye line.
"Can't you stay for just a little longer?" his mother urged. "Just a few days to pack up your stuff before you go?"
"No, mother, I can't. Ryuuzaki's bringing people will get my stuff in a few weeks and send it to me."
All he received was a small nod and an accepting smile. Mother and child shared one last hug and Raito picked up his bags from off the floor to leave. As he was stepping away, a hand reached out and grabbed onto his sleeve. Turning around, Raito saw that it was his ex-girlfriend.
Misa was unusually quiet. Instead of the truth, the two had opted to say that they had split up because Misa would be too busy with her career to be able to follow Raito to England and Raito would be too busy with college to spend time with Misa, especially when he wanted to get into the field of Criminology faster than in a mere few years. Raito was the one who ended up hugging Misa and the girl began crying into his shirt sleeve.
"It's gonna be so hard without you!"
Instead of pushing her away, he pat her head soothingly and gave her one last squeeze before letting go.
"I'm sorry, Misa."
The blonde nodded and withdrew from his arms, quickly wiping away the moistness in her eyes with her delicate fingertips. From the hotel floor entrance, L smiled kindly at the group, his face hidden beneath the same white mask Raito had worn at the press conference.
When Raito finished biding goodbye to his parents the entire group turned to face L.
"Goodbye, Ryuuzaki."
Although they didn't say the words together at the same volume or with the same tone of voice, the sounds of their goodbyes each reached L's ears. The sounds of so many different and distinct voices addressing him, all with the same conviction and feeling, caused a smile to form on his face.
"Goodbye, everyone," he responded in a bare whisper. Somehow, he knew they had all heard him.
Giving the group a wave as Raito picked up his bags and joined L, they stepped into in the elevator. Turning around, the pair gave their loved ones a final parting bow/respectful head nod and the double metal sliding doors shut behind them.
- -
The plane trip was dark as the couple had left when it was turning to night time in England. Another patch of turbulence passed around the plane, the brunet woke up and snuggled into the soft surface of a shoulder that he was currently nestled into.
"Did you have a nice nap?" the panda-like man asked him.
"Yeah," he yawned stretching upward and slumping back into his seat. "Won't you fall asleep too, Lawliet?"
L chuckled at the use of his true name. It still felt weird to hear the syllables pass through his lover's lips as he had grown accustomed to hearing 'Ryuuzaki' over the past few months. Perhaps he would adopt that as his name? Who knew.
"No, Raito, I cannot sleep tonight," he answered after his contemplative pause. "I slept last night and still do not feel tired.
"It's because of all the sugar you eat. If you don't sleep, you'll never dream." He yawned. "Wouldn't you like to dream?"
"Regardless, of my slumbering frequency, I do not often dream." He stopped and looked down to lock eyes with his lover. "But whenever I do happen to have a dream, they are of you."
Because that night I dreamt of Matt speaking to me was the night I decided I could no longer try to hate you.
Raito looked up at his with an unguarded grin lighting his face.
"Really? I'd better thank this Matt guy then."
Then L realized that he had spoken his thoughts out loud. A faint blush lighted his face and he looked down at his lover who had curled up against him and almost onto his lap. L was sitting normally again. Perhaps that was why he had let the slip of the lips occur? After all his brain power was down forty percent...
It is no use trying to fool myself. He smiled, as the other man's took his pale hand in his own and began playing with his fingers. It is because I trust him.
"And I think I'll get back to my nice nap now," the brunet announced, snuggling into L's lap as far as he could before
The raven-haired detective chuckled and pressed his lips against the younger man's hair for a firm few seconds. Within moments, the brunet had fallen back asleep and was breathing in and out lightly, a whistling noise passing through his nostrils with every other breath. He watched as Raito's eyes stopped their movement and slowly began to move again beneath his eyelids.
He must be dreaming, the older man thought.
Without moving more than a few centimeters, L removed the phone from his pocket and hit one on his speed dial. Four rings later, a boyish voice picked up, giggling into the phone.
"Hello, Matt," the detective smiled. "Could you help Roger get our things ready? I am coming home."
 minikimii · Thu Mar 05, 2009 @ 02:54am · 0 Comments |
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