The Aves of Maria

Gutta Cavat Lapidem Non Vi Sed Saepe Cadendo or "A Water Drop Hollows A Stone Not By Force, But By Falling Often."
***

The bullet pulled into dock at exactly 19:00:16. The aluminum doors slid open with a hiss, allowing its passengers to flood the area like a sink tap. Light had decided against sitting and waiting on a bench and instead stayed on his feet, leaning one shoulder against a post, arms crossed. He ran a hand through his hair self-consciously, patting down any possible defiant strands. His palms felt warm.

A giggling cluster of middle school girls whispered to one another like sparrows as they walked by him.

"Wow, check him out!"

"What a handsome guy!"

"Tee hee hee!"

Thankfully none of the sailor-suited girls chose to stop and try to flirt with him. While Light was in an amiable mood, he was not interested in batting away the hormone-driven advances of females younger than his sister. He straightened his posture somewhat, brown eyes sharp as he looked for a familiar spot of gold within the sea of black and brown.

A 20-something year-old woman with hair bleached to the color of urine was a false alarm, as was the tourist sporting an "I Love Tokyo" T-shirt. The third time was the charm; as the crowd finally began to thin out, she appeared like a will-o-wisp, strands of honey colored hair clinging to the contours of her cheeks, loosened from the tight bun on the crown of her head. An ivory knit vest settled over a modest, chocolate colored turtleneck. Her face lit up like a candle when their eyes met, cheeks pinking happily.

'Ah, it's true,' the thought came, unbidden, 'Any piece of clothing can be sexy with a quietly passionate woman inside it.'

He abandoned the support the column had been providing him, brushing non-existent wrinkles out of his jacket. The narrow underground space and large number of people were making him feel slightly feverish.

"Good evening, Mashiro-san." He greeted her, inclining his head and extending his hand.

"Good evening, Yagami-kun! You seem to have made it here in one piece, ne?" Maria joked, grasping his fingers in her own.

He put on his most flattering smile. "Indeed I have."

He held on tighter when her grip began to relax, lifting her hand and kissing her knuckles before they could slip away. 'Like silk…' His mind murmured. Reluctantly, he released her fingers and straightened.

Maria stared at him with wide eyes before bursting into giggles. "Aren't you a modern Prince Charming, Yagami-kun? And they say chivalry is dead."

He smirked good-naturedly. "Not while I am alive."

Another group of schoolgirls twittered and swooned.

Ignoring them, Light offered his arm to the older woman, observing, with some cockiness, that she was a good five inches shorter than he.

"Our carriage awaits, madam," he said with a sweep of his arm, the French word rolling off his tongue with practiced finesse.

Her smile widened, eyes glittering with amusement. She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and allowed him to lead her back onto the train.