Death Note Fan Fiction ❯ Eolian ❯ J ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

AN: Well, here is the next chapter. There is a certain lack of handcuffs. I forgot to mention before that this story takes place after Higuchi was killed. Thus, Light has his memories of being Kira. Don't worry. Handcuffs may soon come back into the equation. Again, I don't own Death Note, nor Light, nor L. I own “J” and this little twisted plot line, so please humor me and do not steal either of those things. Onegai? Aregato. If you didn't get that, I am very sorry for you. Please go learn some Japanese. No offense intended. :( It was only sarcasm...again. Anyway, enjoy the second minuscule installment of Eolian, which – if you don't know by now – means of, caused by, or transmitted by the wind. Definition is from a Webster's Dictionary. Remember, do not be quick to hate J. She is friggen awesome. You'll see. By the way, a long description of her awaits. Please, don't be riled by it. It gets better. I promise. This is just...necessary.

Dedication:
(again, Review kindly and I might dedicate one to you)
This one goes out to a collection of my favorite authors. Lynsay Sands, Diana Wynne Jones, Stephen King, and Alexandre Dumas, you inspire me to no end, and I can't thank you enough. Please keep at it, for “it” makes me smile.

.J.

L called her J.

She was beyond, or rather below, Light's expectations of what L would look for in a woman. Of course, dating Misa Amane, the teen didn't have any room to speak. At least his own reasons for dating an airhead, who was certainly unworthy of his attention, were completely exceptional. Right? Perhaps, that was why he couldn't wrap his head around L dating this-this...abomination.

J was short, really short. Even with L slouching next to her, she still looked like a twelve-year-old. Light wanted to gag. He'd never imagined that he could picture L as an exacter of anything but justice. Pedophilia, though? That was just wrong on so many levels. And J wasn't even pretty enough to be worth the trouble, if she was indeed as young as she appeared.

The girl had green eyes, eyes that seemed, at first glance, to be unfathomably cold. They weren't even very pretty. They were shrouded by some rather stubby, black eyelashes and were smallish and almost square. Her dark eyebrows were a little thick for Light's taste as well. Her lax manner and stature suggested that she was an American, which said a lot about her in general, Light thought with prejudice. Americans were just so uncouth.

“Light-kun,” L had introduced before the teenager's heated evaluation, “this is J.” Light had barely resisted the urge to recoil in absolute disgust. The so-called “J” had her light brown haired pulled up into a rather bouncy ponytail. Her wispy bangs hung over her eyes, and they were too long and cut in a way that did not accentuate her features at all. Her facial structure was rather square, just south of chubby and round. Her chin jutted out slightly, stubbornly, and definitely not cutely. Her nose was titled upward marginally, but otherwise it was straight, which was probably a blessing in disguise. Her skin was splashed with freckles. They dotted her round cheeks, her shoulders, her arms... What a nightmare, Light thought begrudgingly.

Worse than anything, were her clothes. Light, being the prompt sort of person that he was, couldn't understand what exactly she'd been thinking with that insane combination of clothing. She wore a pale blue tank top that would have revealed too much had her chest not been flat and unattractive. Her jean shorts were stained and obviously long past their prime. Her knee high socks were two different colors. They disappeared into the depths of her black tennis shoes indifferently. She wore no jewelry that could be seen. There was what looked suspiciously like a smudge of dirt on her left arm. Light had to wonder what sewer this little brat had climbed out of, and how the hell she managed to meet L and gain his trust. He desperately wished that he knew her secret. Especially since she was, on top of being extremely short, somewhat pudgy in the midriff. Sure, she was not one to be called chubby, exactly, but she could stand to lose about 5 lbs in that area, or so Light thought.

“Light-kun?”

A kinder person would have seen her as L did. Her stature and manner made her sort of a Plain Jane, or maybe less than that, but those inadequacies also made her unique. J's eyes only appeared cold because she wanted them to. She was no way unfeeling, but rather calculating. Further observation would prove those green orbs to be studious and intelligent. Her face was not beautiful, but it wasn't unpleasant to look at. That she was short was something of a blessing as well. Her height made her appear younger than she actually was, a feat that other women struggled to achieve. Also, her fashion sense was in no way jilted. She was simply not a particularly vain person, thus would settle for the first odd-and-end thing she found to wear in the morning. Ultimately, the freckles made her look human, more natural. They gave her an air that one could be comfortable in. As did the fact that she disregarded make-up as a waste of time and money. Over all, a kinder person would have thought she was cute, but Light Yagami was no such human being.

“Light-kun?”

“Yes, Ryuuzaki?” Light responded automatically and blinked at the famous, anonymous detective.

L was chewing absently on his thumb, his free arm thrown possessively over J's shoulder, with his eyes trained suspiciously on his “friend”. “You've been staring at my friend for a rather unnerving amount of time. Not planning on killing her, now are you?”

“What?” Light's reaction, for once, was genuine. He stared at L for a long moment before allowing his eyes to narrow in a glare. Could this be yet another test? Did L ever give up? He'd asked if Light wanted to kill J. Now that was an interesting question, seeing as L had finally admitted that Light had to be innocent after everything that had occurred with Higuchi's version of Kira and the relating Yotsuba incidents. The fake 13 day rule was exactly what Light had needed to clear his name, even if L didn't believe in its authenticity. Light suspected that L hadn't given up on his assumptions of the truth – those being that Light was indeed Kira and most information relating.

Light stared blankly at the metaphorical wall standing between himself and his would-be best friend. He saw the truth scrawled across the steel in dripping, crimson letters. KIRA, they spelled, and nothing could be further from the truth. And what would L's side reveal? The detective's true name? One could only hope. Really the wall between the two men should have been invisible, even in the metaphorical world, seeing as there were no doubts pertaining to their beliefs. L knew that Light was Kira, something of which both of them were now certain, but the brilliant detective lacked the evidence to support said theory. And Light definitely understood that L was indeed who he claimed to be. However, he knew nothing of the man besides his insane habits, vast intelligence, and a handful of aliases. For so long, they had been at a standstill, but the time was nearing when the wall would crumble, and the truth would become eolian as it disappeared into the distant reaches of the past.

“I wouldn't kill her,” Light answered flatly, “because I am not Kira.”

Against his thumb, L's mouth titled upwards. “Whatever you say, Light-kun, but the fact remains that if something were to happen to my friend, I would be very unhappy with you, because I still believe that you are Kira, despite what I have assured your father and the other members of our investigation.”

“I am well aware, Ryuuzaki.” Light wondered if his emotions were showing on his face. No, that was impossible. He had perfect control. Nothing could break his calm facade, not even this. That was why he was still alive, why everyone other than L believed in his innocence. He just couldn't let his facade slip in front of L – ever – or it was all over. That's all it would take. Just one little slip up, and L would see how truly passionate Light was in his work, or – more currently – how utterly unhappy he was with this new arrival.

Forcing a rather convincing smile onto his face, Light held out his hand in a very – for a Japanese person – intimate manner. J managed to dislodge herself from L's arm in order to shake Light's hand and blush slightly under his barely noticeable scrutiny. In a voice that was mid toned and marginally unsteady, she said, “Hello, Light-san. You may call me Jane in public. Please.” For the use of “san”, Light nearly smirked. He hadn't expected her to be so adept in the use of his native tongue. J's accent was also surprisingly flawless.

Light nodded in unabridged approval and graced her with a grin. “It's very nice to meet you, Jane. Your Japanese is excellent.”

“Thank you, Light-san. I rather enjoy speaking this language.” Boldly, she looked him in the eye, and suddenly he knew that this girl was not as young as he originally thought. Her green eyes were suddenly alive with knowledge and curiosity. She was measuring him in a way that made him uncomfortable, a bit like the sensation he got when L was testing him. It made Light hesitate, and his smile nearly fell. Clearing his throat, he pulled his hand gently out of hers and let it hang limply by his side.

What Light was unaware of, was J's extensive understanding of people. She was similar to L in that manner, deceptively anti-social while also sly and studious. She grasped the concepts of other human beings with ease, regarding them as things for amusement, to be broken down and understood. After that, they were as dispensable as broken toys. Light was no exception. In the short time that she had watched him, J had already deduced several things about Light Yagami. He was physically appealing, intelligent, and arrogant. Also, the teenager was obnoxious, rude, and had a superiority complex. Anyone with half a brain could see that sinister glint in his eye that practically screamed “I'm a serial killer who thinks he's a God”.

But there was more to Light Yagami than his twisted dark side. He was perceptive, immediately taking in every little detail of the things that were presented to him. He wasn't wrong to assume that there were people alive who shouldn't be. A sense of justice was a hefty weight to carry, albeit a good one if aimed in the right direction. He was kind, in the way that he was respectful and proper on the outside. He was also pretty forward. That was certainly true, if not a little annoying. Even in hiding the truth about himself, he seemed to enjoy speaking his mind, which was an admirable quality. Lastly, he was protective of L. J immediately noticed that about him. When she had come into close proximity of the two, Light's posture had stiffened and he took a step closer to the detective that J was so fond of. Light's guard – previously dropped – rose with such a ferocity that she almost withdrew in her actions, but J did not submit to the whims of a man who was too stuck on himself for his own good. To a better person, like L, she might have backed down for pity's sake, but not for Light Yagami.

“Jane will be working on the case with us, Light-kun,” L hastily announced, walking forward and reclaiming J. “She will otherwise keep me sane whilst I am unraveling this rather profound mystery that surrounds Kira.”

With L's arm back over her shoulder, J was suddenly comfortable again. Her shyness slipped away with the teasing breeze. She smiled brightly at Light, telling L, “Ryuuzaki, no one else talks that way.”

Light watched in disdain as L's face lit with joy. “That is incorrect. Light-kun also speaks like this, when the occasion requires it.”

“Yes, but you talk that way all the time,” she teased, leaning into him. J watched curiously as a barely tangible scowl tried to blaspheme Light's perfect facade. She bit back a chuckle as the teen struggled to contain his displeasure. Finally, he controlled himself and crossed his arms defensively. He's the social type, J thought. He'll fill the need to say something at least marginally sarcastic.

“Ryuuzaki's always like that,” Light retorted in agreement and unknowingly confirming the girl's suspicions. “I've only heard him disguise that ridiculous way of talking once, and it was for the sake of the case.”

Without warning, L flung a random question at Light, one which was obviously riding on the edge of his tongue for a considerable amount of time. J rolled her eyes at L's impatience. He was losing his tact, and she would tell him so...later.

“Light-kun has not commented on the fact that I declared Jane the woman I love.” L's voice was riddled with amusement, but to Light, it sounded just as flat and monotonous as ever.

The teenager replied without even thinking, “It's such an absurd idea that I thought you were joking.”

The honesty in his tone set J on edge. As the first chain around her carefully contained temper snapped and her body tensed, L squeezed her shoulder warningly. She took several deep breaths and forced herself to relax.

“What are you implying?” she said uncontrollably. Well, someone had to ask it, and it was better her loss than L's if she and Light got off to a bad start. Besides, she had to say something in response to that rude statement.

Light faltered. J frowned. For Light, it was a good little act, and she barely caught it. However, that didn't change the fact that she could tell his actions weren't genuine. What a liar this man was turning out to be, in both action and speech. She fought the urge to ball up her hand into a fist. It stayed lax by her side, but it twitched. Once. God, it's no wonder you called me, L. Light's an exceptional adversary, she thought begrudgingly.

“Nothing,” Light said, brushing it off like a very inferior insect. “It's just that Ryuuzaki doesn't seem like the type to have a meaningful relationship, especially since he's always working so hard.”

Don't try to make it up to him, you lying bastard! J thought wrathfully, another chain snapping violently as it was dislodged from around her temper. You didn't think that L could have any sort of relationship, did you?! And you would rather insult him than say that I wouldn't be his type if he did want a meaningful relationship, aren't you?! Because that would be too rude and personal for someone like you! And you strive to be the embodiment of perfection!

Light saw the girl biting her lip and her eyes glowing with raw emotion. She was not as good of an actor as L, not able to conceal her emotions. Light was slightly in awe, but there was something else going on with him, too. He was still rather unhappy about the current proximal situation, seeing as L's arm was still haphazardly thrown over the girl's shoulders. It was such a possessive gesture that it was annoying. One might have even called it rude.

“I'm sorry if that came off as rude-” Light began.

“No,” L interrupted. “It's fine, Light-kun. I understand why you might think that.” J startled and looked up at L. His eyes were aimed for the ground, but she managed to lock gazes with him for a small instant, and her heart softened. She was suddenly reminded of why he had really wanted her help. L looked so forlorn. His hair was falling over his eyes, so Light couldn't see his expression. His lips were titled into a deep frown. He looked so lost...

J became very determined all of a sudden. She daringly stood on her tippy toes and pressed a small kiss to L's neck. The famous detective was instantly cheered, and had to bite back a surprised chuckle in response to her antics. Out of the corner of one eye, L caught Light frowning at them, and he nearly smiled in triumph. Still, it was a little embarrassing for both L and J. After all, she'd never done that sort of thing before, which is something that Light really didn't need to know, so L nuzzled defensively into J's hair.

Light, watching, was sickened. He couldn't begin to describe the inferno raging within himself as he watched their romantic display. It was cute sure, but damned annoying. Scowling inwardly, and already wishing that he could find some way to discern the new arrival's name, he put his hands on his hips and rolled his eyes dramatically.

“Cut it out, you two. How embarrassing!” he snapped at them, trying to withhold some of his temper. Giggling, J pulled herself completely away from L, who whined in protest. J smiled and blushed. L could be so adorable sometimes. She'd nearly forgotten, because it had been so long... However, there was no need to think about things like that right now. She needed to focus on the task at hand. She turned all of her attention to Light. Her enthusiasm for her original goal returned, and she was suddenly eager to find as many reasons as she could to like Light Yagami. It wouldn't take long, she knew, just a breach of boundaries here and there and she'd hook him like a starving fish.

She opened her mouth to speak, and then-

Light's cellphone started to ring. The teenager sighed and whipped it out of his pocket in a flash. He took a quick glimpse of the caller id and an irritated frown overtook his features. He didn't try to conceal it at all. Unenthusiastically, he pressed a button and pressed the phone to his ear.

“What is it, Misa?”

There was a short pause in which Light pulled the phone from his ear and held it about a foot away. Then something demonic screamed its way through the speaker. “OH MY GOD, LIGHT! YOU ANSWERED! I'VE TRIED CALLING YOU THREE TIMES TODAY! LOOK, I'M SO BORED! CAN I COME AND SEE YOU?! I HAVE SO MUCH TO TELL YOU-”

Bravely, as J half gawked at him, Light pressed the phone to his ear and started the long and difficult process of talking the girl on the other end into silence. It took a considerable amount of time and a lot of monotonous coaxing on Light's part. J found it amusing. Ten minutes after the call had begun, Light hung up on his loud girlfriend.

“I'm returning to headquarters, Ryuuzaki,” Light announced suddenly. “I want to get some work done tonight. Will you be coming back with me?”

“...no, Light-kun. I think I want to stay here and spend some time with Jane.”

Light shrugged, fighting a scowl, and turned away. “Yeah, whatever,” he muttered quietly as he walked away. Once Light was gone, J sighed loudly and plopped down on the nearest wooden bench.

“He's exhausting!” she exclaimed loudly.

“My sentiments exactly,” L agreed, sitting down beside her and drawing his knees up against his chest. “I didn't think you'd come at this point.”

“I know, and I apologize,” J said awkwardly. Annoyed, she tried to push her bangs away from her eyes, to no avail. They just fell right back down again. “I wanted to be here months ago, but work got in the way, and I had no surefire way of contacting you safely.”

“Understandable, I suppose. What were your perceptions of Light, then?” L asked eagerly, turning towards her slightly. “Do you agree with my theories?”

He sure doesn't beat around the bush, now does he? J thought. I guess he hasn't changed.

“Completely,” she agreed, shifting to stare him in the face. “He's so obvious in his intentions that it's a miracle no one else has noticed.”

L smirked victoriously. “Good. I was...concerned.”

J quirked a brow and resisted the urge to snort. “Are you kidding? You don't think I'm that dumb, do you? I may not be up to L standards, but I'm not an idiot, Ryuuzaki. Now, before we elaborate on that-” she sputtered off before L could interrupt her with a sarcastic retort “-let's get down to business.”

The detective closed his mouth, sighed, and nodded. “Yes, business,” he concurred.

“The game is going to be interesting,” J informed, “because he's a very good actor in the sense of emotional control. However, if you know what to look for, he's painfully obvious. His lies are very detectable. I expected Light to be more tactful, to be honest.”

L shrugged. “He's more tactful once you get to know him.”

J smirked at L's defensive tone. “Whatever, Ryuuzaki. I think you're blowing this whole thing out of proportion. His work is sloppy, and though he's a relatively good person with good morals, his methods of proving them are somewhat wishy washy. Light contains himself well, but he's too crude. No restraint whatsoever. He is undeniably Kira-kun.”

L rolled his eyes at her. “-kun?”

She beamed. “Since we know him so well, it seems appropriate.”

L chose not to comment. He just looked away. “And?”

“There's affection for you on his part. It's mutual, I think. Definitely legitimate, but he's not aware of it, wherein lies the problem. I have a great record for changing the lives of criminals, but he'll be a difficult puzzle to solve. Altering his way of thinking will be...a bit of a challenge. To start, we need to give him an extremely strong reason to want to change his ideals.”

“What sort of reason?” L asked, though he already knew the answer.

“I mean you, dummy,” J said with a smirk. “But you knew that, right?”

L, blushing faintly, nodded. It wasn't like him to ask unnecessary questions. This was, after all, the very reason that he had called this old friend. She understood people better than he did, and she understood him better than he did. J was also extremely trustworthy.

“There will be problems,” she admitted with a frown. “This 'Misa', for instance, whom I'd very much like to meet.”

“No!” L suddenly interjected, whipping his head around to glare at her. “That's a terrible idea. I suspect Misa Amane is the second Kira, thus she could have the ability to kill just with one's face.”

“Awww,” J whined. “She sounded interesting, but oh well. I can deal with that. Still, she will be a big problem, as she is obviously addicted to Light.”

“Yes, we are in agreement. Misa presents a problem...” L was very withdrawn in that opinion. He detested Misa for so many reasons. J probably knew this and chose not to comment.

“We'll worry about her when we really need to.” The young woman stared intently at L. “I'm not brushing the issue aside, Ryuuzaki. Don't worry. I know the severity of the situation quite adeptly. You know this.” She paused to allow L to acknowledge this. He did rather quickly, with a short nod. J continued, “Okay, to begin with, we'll need a plan. This one will be...rather tedious actually. Getting started is always difficult. It will take one response from Light and then we'll have something to go on. The question is how to go about it. Hm.”

While J thought out a plan, L leaned back against the bench and let some of his worries press down on him. He wondered briefly if this was even going to work, if he could penetrate that wall between himself and Light without allowing it to break apart completely. He had taken a humongous risk here, because he had added another weakness to his plate, one that Light – or rather Kira – could use to his advantage, if he went about it properly. This was all a deadly game.

L stood on his side of the wall, hands in his pockets as he leered intently at the solid structure before him.

Who would break it first?

Light opposed him, on the other side, with the Death Note in hand, and the maniacal grin of a killer on the rise written across his handsome face.

Who would see through to the other side?

Etched on one side of the wall was L's name, written in his own handwriting, the secret that no one knew.

Would L win?

Etched onto the other side was all the evidence that L needed to bring his enemy down.

Or would Light emerge victorious?

The wall shifted. It grew a torso, a head, and a face. It grew eyes and lips and color and life.

Would the game ever end? Questions, questions...

The wall wasn't a wall anymore. It was very clearly a human being, and if that human being died, it would be all L's fault. His doing. Blood on his hands.

L bit his thumb and chewed.

J, the wall, stared back at him, and at Light. As they both glared at her intently, she smiled innocently...

And the light she emitted drew both of them. They each took a single step closer, eyes aglow...

And the eolian truth whistled through the moment, caught their attentions, and held.

The game had begun.

AN: Finally, the end of chapter one. I was surprised by the lengthy-ness of it myself. What do you think so far? I have to say that the focus really bounced between Light and J in this one. You'll get more of L's point of view soon enough, I promise. Also, the end of this chapter was a little shaky. I wasn't quite comfortable with it. I'd like to tell you all that I'm quite fond of Matt, Mello, and Near, and will more than likely be including them in the story. It's a bit early for them now, of course, so it may be a while. I'm really curious about your opinions of J, whose name has yet to be revealed XD Please let me know what you think. I've worked very hard on this. It's now 3:29 a.m. Lovely. *dies*

R & R
Onegai!