Key (L x OC)

Nineteen

Kaori tried to stretch her back as she awoke the next morning, but she discovered a pressure that prevented her from doing so. She groaned tiredly, and blinked a few times before her vision came into focus.

She found herself gazing upon Ryuuzaki's peacefully sleeping face. She wasn't startled or suddenly uncomfortable, just simply at peace.

As the young man slept, he tightened his grip on her. He rested his forehead on hers and tightly hugged her body as she had always done with a pillow.

She knew that he didn't sleep often, but when he was fast asleep, it was a deep, impenetrable slumber. Yet, ever-so-quietly, he breathed in her ear a single word: "Kaori..."

She laughed softly. "You're such a silly man." She mumbled quietly, sure he was still asleep.

A mangled noise came from his lips, and his face contorted into an odd expression. She chuckled again, and to her surprise, he grumbled a few words in response. "What are you laughing at?" His eyes were still sealed shut.

"You." She said confidently.

He opened his eyes and blinked a few times. They appeared less tired than they typically were, with the dark circles slightly dissolved into his natural, pale skin. He wore an expression of disbelief as if he had just realized he fell asleep with the girl in his arms.

He sat up abruptly, letting go of Kaori and looking away. The morning sun illuminated the blush that decorated his cheeks. "Sorry.” He mumbled insecurely. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Finding Ryuuzaki flustered was hilarious to her, as she laughed again and sat up. "It's alright. I asked you to be here." When he refused to look at her, she leaned over only to notice his pink face. "Are you blushing?" She asked excitedly. "Did I make the notorious 'L' blush?!"

"Of course not." He retorted much too quickly.

She gasped. "I did! You're so adorable when you're flustered." She giggled and to press further on his discomfort, she kissed his cheek.

He nearly jumped at the contact, his eyes widening with surprise. He put a hand to his cheek that kept becoming more red by the second.

"Imagine if I had kissed your lips... I'm sure you would've fainted." She teased, but was caught off guard as the young man gripped onto her chin. They idled there for a few moments, looking intently at each other before he let go of her chin.

Kaori then crawled off of the mattress. She felt proud of herself; proud that she felt she had 'conquered' Ryuuzaki in the fact that she found something that embarrassed him and easily confused him. She childishly declared herself victorious.

As soon as she picked up her phone off of the table, he seemed to have calmed himself. "Do you want to spend the day on the beach?" He asked.

She turned back towards him as she hesitated to answer. When she noticed his face was serious, she bubbled with excitement. "Yes!"

She rushed into the bathroom to change, bringing her cell-phone with her as she planned to send a quick message to Lawliet. Before dressing herself, she rapidly typed on the keypad of her phone.

To Lawliet:

I'm sorry for not contacting you yesterday. It was pretty busy.

Ryuuzaki and I went to some fancy event in hopes of scouting out the Kira in California. But I got bored and went outside pretty soon after it began.

At the event I met the guy from the dress shop again. He gave me his name this time (Edward) and was super kind. I know you weren't too keen about him, but he was sweet. So, we eventually kissed.

And then, funny story, Ryuuzaki found us and got super pissed. Later, he mentioned he didn't like Edward, so I promised to never make contact with him, despite that I never have before. Don't worry, you don't have to worry about Edward. I plan to keep the promise.

Ryuuzaki also told me something... about my mother. Apparently, she worked for him when she died and was on a job for him when it happened. She was shot by the person they were pursuing... And Ryuuzaki blames himself. I feel really bad for him, and I wish there was something I could do to convince him it's not his fault.

I'm starting to really care about Ryuuzaki... and then there's the fact that we sorta fell asleep together last night because I asked him to be there for me. I was kind of upset because it was the anniversary of my mother's death. And he was there for me.

Ryuuzaki really is a good person. I wish I had treated him better when I met him.

~ Kaori

The message ended up being a lot longer than she had expected, but she sent it anyway.

She dressed in a navy blue bathing suit and pulled on denim shorts. She tied her hair back so that it dangled over her neck in a ponytail, grabbed a bottle of suntan lotion that she had stored under the sink, and left the bathroom.

In the hotel room, Ryuuzaki had already changed into swimming shorts and stood in the center of the room without a shirt on. Kaori looked away, blushing, when she found herself staring.

She squeezed the bottle, a dollop of white lotion filling her hand before she set it on the coffee table. She lifted her leg and smoothed the lotion over her pale skin. "I would advise you to wear suntan lotion." She suggested to Ryuuzaki, who seemed to be standing there absent-minded.

"Right." He muttered with a slightly insecure voice. He then, too, filled his hand with lotion and began to smother it over his bare chest, which was surprisingly fit despite his posture and eating habits. Kaori had to keep herself from looking, knowing that she would be caught if she did.

After she had finished covering every reachable part of her body, like any normal beach-goer, she asked for assistance. "Ryuuzaki, can you get my back?"

He hummed as though he hadn't heard her.

She turned and pulled her thick hair over her shoulder, completely exposing her back. "Do you mind getting my back?"

"Oh, right." He did as she asked, trying to keep his embarrassment with the situation stifled as he methodically moved his hands against her shoulders. She wriggled slightly when he reached her shoulder blades and lower back, but before long, he was finished.

"Do you need me to get yours?" She offered casually.

He nodded and turned, baring his pale back in front of her. She lathered her hands with suntan lotion and began to rub it across his back, which was a significantly larger surface area than her own. Inside, she admitted to herself that she enjoyed the feeling of his muscles gliding under her fingers with every move either of them made.

"Alrighty!" Kaori declared, dismissing her absurd thoughts. "Let's go!"

As she walked by, she thoughtlessly slipped her right hand into Ryuuzaki's unsuspecting grasp. He hesitated, and then allowed the girl to drag him along, through the balcony, down the fire escape, and onto the long-awaiting sand.

They quickly walked down the beach until they reached the shore. They stood for a few moments, feeling the salty water rise and fall against their ankles with the rhythmic waves. The girl wriggled her toes in the sand, feeling each and every sediment slide between her toes.

She heard a distant voice call her name, and she rapidly twisted her head side-to-side in order to figure out who had called out to her. She could easily determine that it wasn't Ryuuzaki, so she continued to search.

She noticed a familiar dark-haired man, dressed in only swimming shorts, running towards them.

It was him that shouted, "Kaori!"