Law and Right
folder
Death Note › Yaoi-Male/Male › L/Light
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
26
Views:
7,762
Reviews:
19
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Death Note › Yaoi-Male/Male › L/Light
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
26
Views:
7,762
Reviews:
19
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Death Note, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Onigiri with Umeboshi
Warnings for this chapter: Angst, WIP.
SPOILERS: Volumes 1-7, 13 of manga, episodes 1-26 of anime, L's true name.
Important terms
Onigiri -- rice balls, traditionally triangle-shaped.
Umeboshi -- Japanese pickled plums, a common garnish for Onigiri.
~!~!~!~!~!~
Law and Right
Chapter 6: Onigiri with Umeboshi
~!~!~!~!~!~
The living quarters Light was given reminded him of photographs he'd seen of American apartments called "studios". It was a single room and a bathroom. There was a refrigerator, a microwave, a few cabinets for food in one corner of the main room. There was a futon set against one wall, a desk with a computer -- fully operational with internet access and fully monitored. In another wall, there was a television screen. A coffee table, a remote. A printer. The basic needs of the technologic age. The refrigerator was fully stocked with meals that needed nothing more than a microwave and nothing more than a butter knife to cut. The cabinets had similar things inside them.
The mirror in the bathroom was made of tempered glass and the temperature control of the shower was set to a temperature that, in Light's opinion, was ridiculously low. Ryuzaki had made no effort to conceal the security cameras that covered every inch of the living space.
On the coffee table, there was a manila folder, containing the case files of the man who had raped him. The second he was alone in the room, he had sat down and gone through the file. Then he'd gone to the bathroom and emptied his stomach, brushed his teeth, took a shower. Forced himself to go through the file again.
The second time around, it was a bit easier. The man had been caught in the act of raping another person. A young man about Light's size and build. Similar in features, even. His DNA had been added to criminal databases and that had been how L found him. Light looked over his own medical report again. Looked at the evidence gathered in the rape kit that had been done on him.
Showers, Light knew, had the ability to wash away all DNA evidence of a rape. It probably would have, Light supposed, if he had not been male. If he had not been holding it back, holding it in out of the fear that he would have to see semen with the blood.
The very thought had him back in the bathroom, retching into the toilet again. There was nothing left in his stomach, thankfully. Just dry heaves that left him feeling as if he'd been through a boxing match. He went back to the paperwork.
Several hours later, he set the file aside, curled up with a blanket and pillows on the futon without bothering to lower it.
He didn't expect to be able to sleep very long.
Silence. Stifling, consuming, terrifying silence. Breathing, uneven, heavy, trembling. Cold, smooth, hard, his face was pressed against it, as if he were being pushed down, ground into it.
"No."
His hands, reaching out, grabbing, pulling. He moved, slid forward, shook. His pants slipped down on his hips. A scream, maybe his. His throat, constricting, making him choke on his own sounds.
"No."
His legs kicked out, hit something. A hiss of pain, but he was pulling away, faster now, going as far as he could until he found a wall. He shuddered, his eyes opening as he pressed himself to the wall. It was black, like drowning in tar. He couldn't breathe.
Mouth, gaping like a fish, chest heaving, neck straining, body pressed to the wall as if the air itself were attacking him.
The only sound in the room was a heavy, sickening wheeze with every breath, the sound of his feet hitting the floor as he trembled so hard he feared he would bruise himself.
The lights came on overhead, blinding him, and he let out a scream.
"Yagami-kun!" A curt but familiar voice from somewhere above him. He wheezing hadn't stopped, the trembling, the beat of his heels meeting the hardwood floor. He couldn't see, he still couldn't see.
"Yagami-kun," softer now, closer. "Open your eyes, Yagami-kun. You are safe here."
He swallowed a mouthful of air, forced his lungs to slow long enough for him to process the order. His eyes opened, flickered around the room, and his heart, finally, began to slow. He trembled still, but his breathing eased, his tension slid away, leaving him weak, exhausted.
"You were having a panic attack, Yagami-kun. Did you have a nightmare?" Ryuzaki asked.
His gaze shifted slowly until he could see the detective, crouched on the floor just a few feet away. "I don't remember," Light replied quietly.
"Would you like a mild sedative, Yagami-kun?" the detective tilted his head slightly, let his gaze slide over the boy, the criminal, that was now in his care.
"I don't think I'll be needing one," Light sighed weakly. He was exhausted, weak, and he smelled... saline. He frowned, reaching up and wiping his face. Yes, apparently he had been crying during that episode. He couldn't quite bring himself to hate the tears, to hate himself for releasing them. "I'm exhausted."
"And hungry?" Ryuzaki suggested. "You did not eat very much yesterday, Yagami-kun."
"Yeah. Hungry," he agreed, very slowly getting to his feet. He braced himself against the wall as he walked to the small kitchenette, pulled the first thing from the fridge that his hand landed on, opened it and tossed it into the microwave for a few minutes, then sought out a can of tea.
Ryuzaki rose from his place on the floor, moving onto Light's futon and perching there instead. "Perhaps you should not review case files immediately before bed," he suggested.
"I don't think the case files had much to do with it, Ryuzaki," Light sighed. "Isn't it always like that when I wake up?"
Ryuzaki hummed in agreement. "Unless you have used a sedative, it would seem to be so." He resisted the urge to tell Light that he needed help.
The microwave beeped and Light took his food to the futon, sat down and picked at his food. He was starving, but disgusted by the food. It took him nearly an hour to eat a single serving of sweet curry over rice. By the time he was done, he felt a great deal better, and Ryuzaki's silent presence certainly didn't hurt.
Light examined the empty dish, picking out the last few grains of rice before he spoke. "I went out to get an onigiri," he said softly.
"With umeboshi?" Ryuzaki asked.
"Yes," Light couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at his lips. "With umeboshi. I was just going to buy one at the Seven Eleven."
"You paid far too much for onigiri, Yagami-kun. Besides, umeboshi are sour," Ryuzaki reasoned.
"They are also sweet," Light replied, "and despite the sour taste, I don't regret eating them."
Ryuzaki studied Light for a long moment, pointedly ignored the tear he saw slip down Light's cheek. "Then I can say for certain, Yagami-kun, that we have defeated Kira soundly. Do you wish for company tonight?"
There was a long pause before Light answered. "No, thank you. I think I'll be all right until morning."
~!~!~!~!~!~
A/N: And now we get to the real character development. I haven't had a plot bunny this strong in ages!
SPOILERS: Volumes 1-7, 13 of manga, episodes 1-26 of anime, L's true name.
Important terms
Onigiri -- rice balls, traditionally triangle-shaped.
Umeboshi -- Japanese pickled plums, a common garnish for Onigiri.
~!~!~!~!~!~
Law and Right
Chapter 6: Onigiri with Umeboshi
~!~!~!~!~!~
The living quarters Light was given reminded him of photographs he'd seen of American apartments called "studios". It was a single room and a bathroom. There was a refrigerator, a microwave, a few cabinets for food in one corner of the main room. There was a futon set against one wall, a desk with a computer -- fully operational with internet access and fully monitored. In another wall, there was a television screen. A coffee table, a remote. A printer. The basic needs of the technologic age. The refrigerator was fully stocked with meals that needed nothing more than a microwave and nothing more than a butter knife to cut. The cabinets had similar things inside them.
The mirror in the bathroom was made of tempered glass and the temperature control of the shower was set to a temperature that, in Light's opinion, was ridiculously low. Ryuzaki had made no effort to conceal the security cameras that covered every inch of the living space.
On the coffee table, there was a manila folder, containing the case files of the man who had raped him. The second he was alone in the room, he had sat down and gone through the file. Then he'd gone to the bathroom and emptied his stomach, brushed his teeth, took a shower. Forced himself to go through the file again.
The second time around, it was a bit easier. The man had been caught in the act of raping another person. A young man about Light's size and build. Similar in features, even. His DNA had been added to criminal databases and that had been how L found him. Light looked over his own medical report again. Looked at the evidence gathered in the rape kit that had been done on him.
Showers, Light knew, had the ability to wash away all DNA evidence of a rape. It probably would have, Light supposed, if he had not been male. If he had not been holding it back, holding it in out of the fear that he would have to see semen with the blood.
The very thought had him back in the bathroom, retching into the toilet again. There was nothing left in his stomach, thankfully. Just dry heaves that left him feeling as if he'd been through a boxing match. He went back to the paperwork.
Several hours later, he set the file aside, curled up with a blanket and pillows on the futon without bothering to lower it.
He didn't expect to be able to sleep very long.
Silence. Stifling, consuming, terrifying silence. Breathing, uneven, heavy, trembling. Cold, smooth, hard, his face was pressed against it, as if he were being pushed down, ground into it.
"No."
His hands, reaching out, grabbing, pulling. He moved, slid forward, shook. His pants slipped down on his hips. A scream, maybe his. His throat, constricting, making him choke on his own sounds.
"No."
His legs kicked out, hit something. A hiss of pain, but he was pulling away, faster now, going as far as he could until he found a wall. He shuddered, his eyes opening as he pressed himself to the wall. It was black, like drowning in tar. He couldn't breathe.
Mouth, gaping like a fish, chest heaving, neck straining, body pressed to the wall as if the air itself were attacking him.
The only sound in the room was a heavy, sickening wheeze with every breath, the sound of his feet hitting the floor as he trembled so hard he feared he would bruise himself.
The lights came on overhead, blinding him, and he let out a scream.
"Yagami-kun!" A curt but familiar voice from somewhere above him. He wheezing hadn't stopped, the trembling, the beat of his heels meeting the hardwood floor. He couldn't see, he still couldn't see.
"Yagami-kun," softer now, closer. "Open your eyes, Yagami-kun. You are safe here."
He swallowed a mouthful of air, forced his lungs to slow long enough for him to process the order. His eyes opened, flickered around the room, and his heart, finally, began to slow. He trembled still, but his breathing eased, his tension slid away, leaving him weak, exhausted.
"You were having a panic attack, Yagami-kun. Did you have a nightmare?" Ryuzaki asked.
His gaze shifted slowly until he could see the detective, crouched on the floor just a few feet away. "I don't remember," Light replied quietly.
"Would you like a mild sedative, Yagami-kun?" the detective tilted his head slightly, let his gaze slide over the boy, the criminal, that was now in his care.
"I don't think I'll be needing one," Light sighed weakly. He was exhausted, weak, and he smelled... saline. He frowned, reaching up and wiping his face. Yes, apparently he had been crying during that episode. He couldn't quite bring himself to hate the tears, to hate himself for releasing them. "I'm exhausted."
"And hungry?" Ryuzaki suggested. "You did not eat very much yesterday, Yagami-kun."
"Yeah. Hungry," he agreed, very slowly getting to his feet. He braced himself against the wall as he walked to the small kitchenette, pulled the first thing from the fridge that his hand landed on, opened it and tossed it into the microwave for a few minutes, then sought out a can of tea.
Ryuzaki rose from his place on the floor, moving onto Light's futon and perching there instead. "Perhaps you should not review case files immediately before bed," he suggested.
"I don't think the case files had much to do with it, Ryuzaki," Light sighed. "Isn't it always like that when I wake up?"
Ryuzaki hummed in agreement. "Unless you have used a sedative, it would seem to be so." He resisted the urge to tell Light that he needed help.
The microwave beeped and Light took his food to the futon, sat down and picked at his food. He was starving, but disgusted by the food. It took him nearly an hour to eat a single serving of sweet curry over rice. By the time he was done, he felt a great deal better, and Ryuzaki's silent presence certainly didn't hurt.
Light examined the empty dish, picking out the last few grains of rice before he spoke. "I went out to get an onigiri," he said softly.
"With umeboshi?" Ryuzaki asked.
"Yes," Light couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at his lips. "With umeboshi. I was just going to buy one at the Seven Eleven."
"You paid far too much for onigiri, Yagami-kun. Besides, umeboshi are sour," Ryuzaki reasoned.
"They are also sweet," Light replied, "and despite the sour taste, I don't regret eating them."
Ryuzaki studied Light for a long moment, pointedly ignored the tear he saw slip down Light's cheek. "Then I can say for certain, Yagami-kun, that we have defeated Kira soundly. Do you wish for company tonight?"
There was a long pause before Light answered. "No, thank you. I think I'll be all right until morning."
~!~!~!~!~!~
A/N: And now we get to the real character development. I haven't had a plot bunny this strong in ages!