::Open RP - A's Garden::

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

It was a lovely day, really.

Even if the weather had been less than ideal, A would have gone to the garden. The plants needed to be tended, after all, and right now he's kneeling by the catnip bed, pulling out the few weeds that have dared to encroach on his territories.

Now that he has a computer with an internet connection, A is Discovering music, and he's singing, very badly, as he weeds.


"Everyday seems a little longer
Every way love's a little stronger
Come what may
Do you ever long for, true love from me"


He can't carry a tune, but there's an odd hiccuping tone to his voice that's a clear attempt to mimic Buddy Holly.

Comments

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"A, dearest, I don't want you to do that."

He tries to tuck him closer. If he can, he'll get him into his arms, climb to his feet, and carry him back to Ravenclaw. This would be better in the privacy of a room with the warmth of kittens, cocoa and blankets, and that way Matt, Mello or Near could make sure Naomi wasn't tailspinning into self-blame.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"No," A moans, his eyes squeezed shut. He claws at the ground. "Need to. I need to. Need, need to stop him, oh, need to, oh, punish him, so many, oh, he killed so many people but you, oh oh oh, have to, I have to..."

Mass murder is wrong, of course, even A knows that. But doing anything to hurt L is blasphemy.

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"You'll hurt your fingers." He catches A's wrists and tries to draw them to his chest, "I'll explain it all inside, alright? I'll explain it all and you'll understand and see that I'm right."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A whimpers but doesn't resist, because of course L's right, of course, but he has to do something, to stop Light or punish him... he's unsure of how the odd flow of time here is working in this case... because it's L, because A has to keep him safe and make sure no one hurts him, but if L doesn't want him to, and oh, it hurts to try and make it all fit together.

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"Come here, hold on, I have you. Everything will be alright, I promise."

L combs through A's hair with his fingers, hoping to soothe and distract, holding his wrists in one hand (he's too small, L needs to feed him more, he thinks.)

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A presses against L's chest, shaking, not even aware (not that he'd care if he knew) that he's still crying.

"Not right it's, oh, oh, not right I need, need to do something, need to..." he whispers fiercely, too softly to carry far.

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"He's going to die for this. He's going to die alone, and bleeding, and frightened. There will be bullets in him, a shinigami named Ryuk will take his soul, and Near will have driven him to it. Then, Near will become the next L. They'll replace me, like they always told you I needed, so nothing will be lost, alright?"

L rocks him a little, while they sit.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"I need. I need to hurt him, to stop him," A whimpers, clinging to L. He's not sure he trusts Near that much. "I met a shinigami," he says, still whispering. "He said you told him he should eat a pear."

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"That was him, he'll kill Light for us."

L leaves out the other details.

"If we change things, hurt or stop him here, then hundreds of thousands of people might die, and he might live. Near might be killed too."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"But you, you..." A doesn't care about Near, or hundreds of thousands of people. None of them are L.

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"I'll be twenty five, which is about what they expect anyways. I'll be doing something I love, for a reason that matters. I'll come back here after and spend my afterlife with you and your kittens, and being in love with Matt. I don't have things so badly, A."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"No," A says fiercely. "No one should hurt you. I can't, I can't let it..." He breaks into staccato sobs, shaking his thin frame, cutting off his words.

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

L wraps him up a little further, and keeps on rocking him and making hushing sounds.

He'd best just cry it out. L can hold him while he does.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"It's not right," A wails. "I. You. Need you to be safe." His face has reddened now, and his eyes are already getting swollen. "Can't, I, I can't let..."

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I know, I know A, but sometimes life just goes wrong, and sometimes there's nothing to do but hold on."

He'll do breathing exercises with him in a moment.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"No," A moans again sniffling. "Won't, I won't, won't let him, I... I won't, I'll stop him, make it, make him not be able to..."

He's talking fast, words stumbling over each other.

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"No," says L, non-negotiable.

"Breathe for a moment. Alright? Breathe in--"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

Whimpering, A locks eyes with him, trying to breathe. There's an odd raspy quality to his inhalation, almost a wheeze.

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"And out," quicker than they might usually, but because he's crying enough that he won't be able to manage more.

"And in, one two," he reaches out to wipe A's face with his sleeve.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

He exhales with a nasal keen, and closes his eyes as L wipes his face. He's still shaking violently.

"No," he whispers, almost inaudibly.

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"Alright, A, it's alright. Here." He does climb to his feet, and does pick him up, without waiting to see if he can walk. One arm behind his back, and the other under his knees.

"Put your arms around my neck. Naomi can open doors for us as we go, if that's alright with her."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A doesn't resist being carried. He buries his face in the crook of L's neck, his eyes still streaming tears, not thinking about how he's staining L's shirt.

"I, I..." he whispers, "I need... need to keep you safe, I need..."

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"It's not for years and years."

He sets on up the staircase.

"I think I'll get the house elves to bring us some soup and cocoa. That's what you do for people feeling badly."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Years," A echoes woodenly. His thoughts are as rushed as his words were, and screaming, screaming at him; can't let it happen, can't, can't...

"But I can't let it," he whispers.

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"A."

L drops it (not him, obviously) and keeps on walking, a little quickly, because although A is a tiny little thing, he is still a person. And because a warm bed to be tucked into with kittens will help.