Futatsu no Tsuki

Futatsu no Tsuki

Chapter 17

- …a strange incident occurred earlier today when police responded to a call about a body hanging from a pedestrian overpass. Witnesses claim to not have seen anyone suspicious about at the time, though the victim had only been dead a few minutes…police are investigating the possibility of suicide but haven't ruled out murder…in other news….'

"Ah, I can't believe people are still committing such crimes….killing people and hanging them up for public display….." Misa gave an exasperated cry and threw herself on her bed, while Rem observed her silently. The Shinigami glanced at the television as the newscaster went on to report other news without releasing the names of any suspects, hinting obviously that no suspects were yet known in the case. "….stupid for the police to think its suicide, who would hang themselves from a bridge? Suicides jump from bridges, not hang themselves from them….."

"Yeah…." Rem agreed, indifferent to the specific crime that had caught the blonde's interest but desiring to keep the human she loved in good spirits. The high-spirited and childlike personality of Misa's pulled the Shinigami in, lulled her with the desire to protect this human at all costs. The warmth and passion in Misa's smile made Rem want to prevent anything from erasing it from the petite blonde's face. "Misa, that cassette that was in your mailbox…."

"It's fine, it's probably just some song or message that a fan wants me to listen too. I've already started to get fan mail…." Misa smiled as she brushed her hair, picking out the outfit she would wear that day from her closet. The aforementioned tape sat, still in its plastic case, on her dresser; the letter that came with it laying open beside it. "Besides it says in the letter that it will be better to listen to it at night, that it will better fit the mood then. I bet it contains a romantic song or poem by a fan." She chattered on, oblivious to the discontent, wary look on Rem's face as the Shinigami glanced over the letter.

'Something doesn't feel right….'

0

Light glowered at his brother's retreating form as Yue went off to check in with one of the taskforce members as L had demanded. They both had a hour lunch break now, but instead of having a lecture class in the afternoon, Yue had a free-study period which gave the younger twin ample time to investigate.

'If only Ryuk had agreed to my plan, I would know conclusively if Yue touched the death note or not. Shinigami are such a pain….' Light turned toward the lunch room as Yue disappeared around the corner of the university gate, his eyes narrowed as he caught the annoyingly cheerful mood of the Shinigami in its laughter. "What has gotten you in such a good mood today, Ryuk?"

"It's just interesting to imagine how you'll deal with everything now. Do you really think your brother found your death note?"

"I'd know for a fact whether or not he did if you agree to my idea to make a ruckus around him to see if it'll draw a reaction. I offered you as many apples as you wanted if you agreed…."

"No can do. I'm not taking sides, as tempting as the offer is….besides if you don't give me apples daily I can always write your name in my death note and find someone else who will. Though it'd be more interesting if I stay with you."

'Stupid Shinigami.' Light grabbed something to eat from the cafeteria and then headed toward a secluded table by the windows facing the school gates. 'I thought for sure a bribe of apples would get Ryuk to do this, but he's acting like it won't bother him if he doesn't get any apples….'

'Any apples…? Wait a minute, could it be that Ryuk…is getting apples from someone else? That….if Yue has touched my death note he'd be able to see and communicate with Ryuk, perhaps offer him apples to not get involved….no, that can't really have happened. The only chance Ryuk and Yue would've had to talk was yesterday night, but I'm sure Yue fell asleep before I did and the only time Ryuk acted peculiarly was this morning when he went into Yue's room after Yue left. They couldn't have talked….'

'Wait….it's not like they have to speak….they could communicate in other ways, like writing….' Light sipped some of his canned iced tea, expression blank even as his insides burned with fear, anger, and loathing. The cold knife of betrayal wrenched itself inside his chest, almost suffocating him. The idea of Ryuk communicating with his brother, getting involved when the Shinigami repeated time and again that he wouldn't take sides, smothered him and attacked his pride. It would not leave him though the idea was irrational, unlikely given Ryuk's character. 'Impossible, if Yue could see Ryuk he would try talking to the Shinigami, not write notes….but if Yue cannot see Ryuk, he didn't touch the death note which means he shouldn't even know of Ryuk's existence. Even if Yue found out about the hidden messages I wrote to L using those suicide notes, he wouldn't do something so foolish as write a message to something he doesn't know exists. Hell, he didn't even believe in Santa when we were younger or in anything else he did not see with his own eyes…to just suddenly believe in Shinigami without proof...'

Light finished his lunch quickly and without a single word to Ryuk, his mind weighing the possibility of Yue finding out about Ryuk and the consequences that would arise from that. In all probability he had to figure out a way to get his brother out of the way without raising undue suspicion onto himself. That meant death - sudden death - was not an option, but a death from a prolonged illness would not help him either. What he needed was an accident, one that would put Yue, unconscious, in the hospital, but wouldn't kill him. That however wasn't something the death note could do.

'Neutralizing Yue is going to be as difficult as getting rid of L.'

0

The rain clouds dispersing from the sky, unable to make up their minds whether to rain or not and the slight breeze passing through the air above him, distracted Yue. His eyes took in the signs of life around him, the beauty of nature, indifferently, his face ice-like, expressionless.

"Yue-kun. Have you done any more investigating?" L's voice came from behind Yue, the eccentric detective crouching on a nearby park bench. Tilting his head as his inquiry went unanswered, he observed the 18-year-old closely, almost gasping as Yue finally turned to face him. Only the scars on the college student's neck and around his ear confirmed that it was the younger and not the older Yagami twin before him. '….I have a strong feeling of déjà vu….this reminds me of how B copied my appearance and personality during the Wara Ningyou case…..'

"Not really." Yue's voice broke through the illusion of him being his older brother, the sound and tone of his speech strikingly different from Light's. The younger Yagami's voice was guarded, insecure rather than confident - the sound belying the persona he portrayed with his looks. L noted how Yue furtively glanced around before approaching, his stride bringing him to the bench in seconds. Black eyes latched onto the youthful face, determined not to miss a clue as to the thoughts behind the pretty face - L felt his stomach tighten and his heart jump as Yue swiftly dove down to bring their lips together.

Briefly L felt himself about to give into the sensations those soft lips on his produced, allow the familiar hands to explore his body and pull him into a more sensuous embrace; the static from the two-way microphone Watari forced him to wear pulled him back to his rational senses however. It pulled them both back to their senses, as Yue had been close enough to catch the sound and quickly let go of the detective in response. L read the question in those caramel eyes but did nothing to respond, instead he only studied his suspect's brother.

It seemed however that Yue didn't need a response or was able to read it in the detective's expressionless eyes.

"We're not alone. You have surveillance set up to watch this meeting. I'm guessing it's not any of the police in the taskforce since you would've stopped me before I thought of kissing you since anything they know will get back to my dad…." Yue deduced nonchalantly as he sat down on the bench, arms spread out along the back. "Not taking any more chances, are we? Can't get involved with your suspect's brother during your investigation, right?"

"Yue, we've had this conversation before. While you're trying to prove Light innocent we cannot get involved with each other, not to mention that if the extent of our relationship and when it started was uncovered…." L silenced himself before the last thought that he had spoken on impulse could fully escape from his lips. His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw the surprise on Yue's face, an expression that quickly morphed into understanding.

"That….that would be bad for you. I deceived you, but most people wouldn't think that's possible…." Yue glanced back up at the sky in thought, his mind becoming calm and clear though his heart felt heavy. 'I guess I shouldn't have mentioned what I did to dad. If he knew how and for what purpose L and I met in the States two years ago, he'd be furious….'

"Yue-kun, it's been bugging me but….why did Takashima-san plead guilty to protect you? Your age would've protected you from being tried as an adult…."

"If I had used my real age, yes….but I'd convinced Taeku and everyone around me that I was sixteen at the time. And sixteen-year-olds can be tried as adults in the state I was living in at the time. And it was a state that allowed capital punishment."

"….why then, didn't you reveal your real age? If you had…."

"Shut up. You don't know what it's like…." Yue leaned forward, barely able to keep his hands from clenching into fists or his voice from becoming a growl. "I thought about it constantly since Taeku's death, that if only I'd revealed the truth back then….he'd still be alive. I tried my hardest after Kira appeared to prove his innocence, but by then my simply confessing to the crime wouldn't have worked since people knew I was close to him and Taeku would've denied it to protect me. Though my confession would've been the truth, it wouldn't have been believed without other evidence, which had been by then successfully destroyed except the information about the bullets. Taeku died because of me…not just because of what I failed to do, but because he wanted to protect me from something I did do. You can't possibly know what that is like."

"Yue-kun…..I haven't experienced what you have in that regard, that's true, but I have known about certain incidences….."

"Unless you have actually experienced such a thing you cannot understand what I feel. It's not just Taeku, if I'd revealed the truth back then I could've been here and then aniki…." Yue violently bit down on his lip as he caught himself from blurting out the rest of the sentence, his stomach twisting as he berated himself for being unable to control his emotions like his brother. Nausea filled his stomach as he felt L's eyes glaring at him, their intensity revealing that they hadn't missed what he'd been about to say.

"What about your brother? If you'd been here in Japan, your brother would have….what?" L closed the physical gap between him and Yue within seconds, his deep and sharp with anger black eyes glared into the younger Yagami brother's face. The intensity thick and suffocating, L noticed Yue's lips twitch and the accompanying brief swallow, his frustrating growing alongside his anticipation. Yue had found something out….but wouldn't tell him. "Yue…."

Two lithe arms shoved him suddenly and he hit the ground, an action not unexpected - he reached out with his leg and tripped Yue as the fair-skinned brunette attempted to leave; the capoeira he'd learned coming in handy. He quickly returned to his feet and grabbed Yue's arms, determined not to let the youth escape until his question was answered.

"Yue, have you discovered proof that Light is Kira?" L demanded in his usual dead-like tone, though it was currently spiked with an undercurrent of anger. He gripped the wrists in his hands tighter when the brunette shook his head. "Yue, do you have evidence that…."

Yue froze in his struggle to escape the detective's grip, remembering how the bowl of apples he'd placed on his desk the night before had been emptied in the morning, with his bedroom door still locked from the inside. The final proof that his brother had a Shinigami around him. He clenched his teeth in frustration as his face paled in fear.

"Yue-kun, if you know something you have to….."

"Let go of me. You have no right to demand me to answer you, unless you wish to subpoena me in court, let go. Unless of course you want me to reveal every last detail of our relationship to my father and the taskforce, I demand you drop this topic and let me go." The anger within Yue, anger he did not realize had been growing steadily, seemed to be pressing the limits of the college student's self-control. 'This guy….this guy….'

'Does he not even understand human emotions? How can he think I'll betray my own brother when doing so will ultimately lead to Light's death? How can he be so heartless? And why….why didn't he protect B's identity better after Kira appeared? B told me about how he'd been chosen but failed….this guy knew who B was, yet he….after Kira appeared….like a disposable….' Ice filled Yue's veins as the idea suddenly lit up in his thoughts. 'Did he….did he leak B's identity deliberately? It wasn't just a mistake or oversight, but was deliberate? It's possible, and if it's true…..'

"Yue-san. If you remain uncooperative I will be forced to have you arrested for interfering in an ongoing investigation. I do not want to have your father worried about both of his sons, nor do I want him to find out what happened between us in Los Angeles….but I will do what I have to in order to catch Kira."

''Do what you have to?' If I mentioned B right now, or better yet what B told me in his last message….what would your response be? Would you finally realize what I meant that day at the university? But I can't mention it, not even to ask you why - not if I wish to save those I cherish most.'

"Yue-san…."

'Further, in order to save….I must….' Yue stared into the detective's eyes briefly while from a few blocks away the sounds of city traffic buzzed in his ears. The next second he used all his weight to push L away from him, escaping the detective's grip before launching into a sprint toward the nearby intersection.