Neurosis

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! A little more about this bizarre femme-Light will be revealed this chapter. I'm also trying to keep my L and Light as in character a possible. PLEASE point out any flaws? Any input from readers is always welcome, including flames, criticism, etc. That being said, part of this is going to play on the idea/fact that L is not entirely Asian, but part European, and his upbringing in a different culture. SPOILER WARNING: L's real name will be used. Sorry. As well as the "real" given names of certain other characters, but they're pretty minor at the moment. *cough* And for all of the Death Note lovers that enjoy a little Fullmetal Alchemist, check out my other work in progress "Embers and Envelopes!" *shamelessly promotes with signs and banners* Onwards! ** Chapter 2: All The Wrong Ideas ** She flumped onto the bed, drawing his pillow to her chest. Her school skirt rode up slightly on her hips, offering him more of a view than she probably realized. Purposefully he looked away, and sat down at his desk. He pressed a button and in seconds the screen of his desktop computer lit up. "Working? Again?" her voice was slightly whiny, but when he looked up at her, her eyes sparkled. "It's beautiful out! The first nice day in days!" "Yes, I'm working." L waved the course syllabus in her direction. "There is a lot of work to do." She jumped up and tried to grab the paper from him, but he pulled it away. "Half of those aren't due for months!" she protested. "I prefer to stay ahead of my assignments," he sniffed. He turned to face his computer again when he felt his chair being pulled away. He glared up at the girl in front of him, standing in straight in stocking feet, pleated skirt, and white, buttoned blouse. "What are you doing?" She slipped into his lap, threading her arm around his shoulders. Instinctively, his arms went to grab her waist to aid in balance. She tugged gently on his mass of black hair and he glared menacingly. "With you around, my production decreases 79 percent!" "Only 79?" she teased. "Then I'm not doing it right, am I?" She leaned forward to catch his lips on hers. He kissed her sweetly before pulling back. L hooked his arms under her legs and scooped her up. Her squeal turned into a gasp of pleasure as he laid her on the bed...which gave way to a groan of frustration as he retreated to his chair. "Come on, Lawliet!" she cried. "What was that for?" He smiled succinctly, drawing his knees up to his chest to prevent her sitting on his lap. "My production levels have increased, exponentially." --- "So," Light said over breakfast. "Who's Helena?" L dug his fork into a mound whipped cream, strawberries, and --was there cake in it somewhere?-took a bite. Light stared down at his own food, a plate of toast and eggs, to prevent his stomach from flipping in nausea. So many sweets, so early, Light thought. "Helena?" L asked. His face was a picture of confusion, but Light suspected that it was a calculated move. "You said 'Helena' in your sleep last night," Light revealed smugly. L shrugged carelessly. "People say strange things in their sleep. It's an act of the subconscious." "So why did yours say Helena?" shot Light triumphantly. L spent so much time keeping Light on his toes with difficult questions, it was a relief to return the favor. L pinched his fork between his fingers and delicately began to spoon up more cream. "I can only imagine," he replied. "Helena isn't a common name, is it? But maybe Helena is a character in a book, or on television-" "You don't watch television!" snapped Light in annoyance. "-or, I also believe it's a song?" L went on. Angrily, Light took a swallow of his coffee. Damn L! Always sidestepping questions asked, but never ceasing to ask his own questions! Calmly L took the last mouthful and pushed back from the table. "Excuse me," he said loudly. "I have work to attend to." Scraps of memories were flooding his mind, and right now he needed to be alone. With his Helena. The chains made for a difficult arrangement, but a quick arrangement with a couple chairs, a table, and the doorway from the living room to the dining room, helped things slightly. At least, if afforded L the privacy he needed. ... She was a sight, sitting on the jetty with her trousers rolled up to her knees, feet dipped into the cool water. "I'm so glad term is finally over!" she cried happily, kicking her feet and splashing. L crouched down besides her, She turned and kissed his cheek. He caught her hand and held it awkwardly. "Let's celebrate," he suggested. Her face flushed with the thought. "Really?" she managed to gasp. "Yes, why not? We can go out or something," L said thoughtfully. "...oh." She sighed, her face falling. L noticed and offered, "unless you can think of something better?" She smiled mischievously. "I think I can." ... L sighed. He thought of her frequently, it was true. But living with Light...intensified it. Exponentially. He tapped his head against the wall in frustration. God damn it. He got up and went to the kitchen where Light was still sitting. L purposefully ignored him, pulled a whole cake from the refrigerator, and skulked away just as purposefully. He could feel Light's eyes on his back, but he ignored them to go back to the safety of his computer. ... "Here!" she brandished the sealed white bakery box towards L. "It's from the new bakery on Main Street." She grinned at him, "I know you have a sweet tooth." L's nimble fingers untied the baker's twine and opened the cardboard box, revealing a carefully decorated strawberry cream cake. His eyes lit up at the sight, and he looked up towards her eagerly. "I'll be right back, I'll go to the kitchen and get a cake server, and some forks and plates." "Forks? Why do we need forks?" She reached into the open box and ran her finger down the side of the cake, gathering a dollop of icing on her fingertip. With devilish smirk, she smeared the fingerful of cream on his nose. He looked at her in shock. She burst out laughing, falling against him. "Aw, now you have cream in your hair," L said, rubbing her head where some of her strands brushed his nose. She looked up into his eyes, and moved up as though to kiss him. L allowed his head to fall towards hers, and was quite taken aback when she instead licked the cream from his nose. "See why I said we don't need plates?" she murmured, her voice laced with passion. L nodded blindly, and then ducked down to kiss her again. Clothes gave way to cream, and soon L was shirtless on his bed, cake crumbs and cream spotting his chest. She was curled up in her slip, her skirt, blouse and tights forgotten on the floor. She sighed and laid her head on his bare shoulder. Her long hair tickled his neck, and he nuzzled the top of her head dreamily. This was the closest they'd ever gotten to really making love, and their state of undress was very new to L. And sort of embarrassing. "It almost feels like a honeymoon," she mused sleepily. "A honeymoon?" L asked. "You mean, the celebration after a marriage." "Yes," she breathed, allowing her head to dip further as she began to ease into total relaxation. "But we're not married." She sighed. "I know we're not..." She pulled away and propped herself up on her elbow to look into his eyes. "But I feel like I've known you forever." Black eyes blinked at her. "That's technically impossible on several counts." "Always technical," she groaned. "I just mean...I feel so close to you, like we've been together for a long time, and will be for a long time." "Will be?" L asked. "You mean, after university?" She smiled shyly. "I like to think so, don't you? Are you planning on never seeing me again after you graduate next spring?" Truthfully, L had never really thought about it, but in those few moments he couldn't imagine being without her. "No, I'm not." He answered her honestly enough. "Lawliet, Lawliet!" Both of them heard the cries outside, but it wasn't enough time before the door swung open and in tumbled a small boy with silver hair. L instantly froze. The boy stopped and stared at the couple lying lazily in L's bed. "Um, This is Nate River," L said weakly, offering a pathetic attempt at manners. "And this is Helena." She instantly sat up, smiling at the child. "Hello, Nate!" she said brightly. "Hi," said Near quietly. "Um I just wanted to show Lawliet my new homework assignment, I thought he could help me." "Now is not the time, Nate!" hissed L. She threw L a dark look and turned back to Near. "He'd love to! Can I help too?" she asked. "I'm a friend of his from University, I can be pretty smart.." Near's face lit up joyously. "You will? You'll help me?" "Sure will! What do you have to do?" "We were talking about rulers in class and we each had to pick a country, so I picked France. Now I have to write a report on Marie Antoinette, and do a 'visual presentation,' whatever that means." Near explained. "I can write the report, but I don't know what to do for 'visual." "A visual presentation?" She asked, "Hm...can you gather up shoe-box, some paper, markers, scissors and maybe a little clay? I'll show you how to make a diorama." "Yep, I think I have all of those things!" "Good," she smiled again. "Go collect them and Lawliet and I will be right there." L waited until he heard Near's footsteps leave the hallway before turning to her. "We're going to help him with his homework?" "Sure, why not?" she flicked a blob of leftover cream off his chest. "We have the time, don't we?" ... L's fingers dug into the last swirls of cream on his plate. He was supposed to be working, reading case files, creating diagrams...but instead he was staring into space, thinking about things that shouldn't matter to him anymore! It was so much harder with Light around all the time! Light, Light, cynical, untrusting, cold-hearted Light! Light, who was the exact opposite... ... "Wow, that's so nice!" Near clapped his hands joyously as the paper-and-clay reproduction of the Palace of Versailles almost perfectly matched the picture in his book. She smiled modestly, wiping the residual clay off her hands. "Now just glue it into the bottom of the box so it can't move around, okay?" "Okay! Hey," he said suddenly. He got up and ran to the corner, digging in a chest of drawers between the two beds in the room. He came back brandishing a small array of figures. "If I dress them in paper clothes, can I add them, too? I can copy the clothes from the book!" She patted him on the shoulder. "Of course, it's your project!" She paused momentarily. "But write your report first!" she said, a little sternly. "I will!" Near promised her. L held out her hand to help pull her off the floor, and with one last word of encouragement to Near, she followed him back down the hallway. "You're really good with kids," he said, almost admiringly. "I like kids, I had a lot of little cousins growing up," she said modestly. "You'd be a good mother," he said after a moment's hesitation. Briefly he imagined growing up with a mother like her, and instantly felt jealous towards her nonexistent child, and even Near, whom she'd treated so kindly. She smiled forlornly. "I wish." "No, you really would," he encouraged. "I can't have children," she said, with no trace of a smile. "I was really sick with a blood disease as a child, and because of all the treatments, I'm...sterile." She swallowed, the last word filling her mouth with bitter bile. "I'm sorry," L said soberly. "So am I," she hissed, tears edging her voice. "I can't have children that I've always wanted, but children like you, like that sweet little boy Nate, grow up parentless? Where's the justice in this world?" she cried. "There is no justice," L found himself saying, embracing her. "There's no justice at al." ... "There is no justice," L mumbled. "What?" A voice from behind him startled him out of his reverie. "I thought the almighty Ryuuzaki was a firm believer in justice." Light. L spun around in his chair. Light was standing in the doorway, leaning lazily against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest and a bemused smirk across his lips. Light. No, not Light. The rich hair, caramel eyes, long wiry frame. That was not Light. Before L knew what he was doing, he'd unfolded his lanky body from his desk chair, strode over to the doorway, and placed a kiss on those lips. Whosever lips they were. The kiss was warm and sweet, and L found himself leaning towards the other body, drowning in the sweet bliss he'd missed for so long... ...until he found himself thrown as far as the chain would allow, slamming into the wall. "What the fuck you do think you're doing?" shouted Light. L had no answer. **