"You've never seen snow before?" Light gapped at L in astonishment.
It was Christmas Eve. Light had volunteered to work on the Kira case with L for the day while the rest of the task force enjoyed the holiday. Attempting to work on the currently lead lacking case had been proving more and more difficult since Light had regained his memories. This was why he had turned their conversation away from Kira and to holiday related small talk.
"Of course I've seen snow," L shrugged off Light's enthusiasm.
"From indoors or through a car window," Light dismissed.
"Yes," L admitted.
"That is the saddest thing I've ever heard," he declared.
"He says while working on a murder case with the largest amount of victims since the holocaust," L muttered, his eyes glued to the blank screen in front of him.
"Shut it," Light remarked, refusing to let this statement bother him. "We're going out. It's snowing only two hours away from here."
"Light-kun forgets that he promised we would make progress on the case while the rest of the task force took the day off," L reminded him with a dry tone.
"I'll say anything to get my father home on Christmas Eve," Light said sheepishly. "We both know that we're at a dead end."
L turned away from his computer screen and to the teen in front of him. His face was a calculating blank, but Light took this as a sign that he was paying attention.
"Light-kun understands that his attempts at creating an evening for his family is counterproductive given his own absence," he drawled.
"It's for my sister," Light told him. "Besides, I'll be there tomorrow. It's not like we're still handcuffed."
"I imagine Light-kun would drag me to his house before give up on having Christmas with his family." L's voice sounded distant, almost as if he wouldn't have minded this scenario actually happening.
"I'm not as nice as you think I am," Light said in response to this thought.
"I do not think you're nice," L replied matter-of-factly.
"Thanks," Light rolled his eyes.
"Only a young man accustomed to playing the role of a perfect son and brother," L continued.
"And now I'm not sure I want to drive two hours with you in the car with me," Light said.
"I will be driving," L corrected.
"Over my dead body." Light said this with an amused expression, but meant these words. He had been in a car with L driving once, and that was enough to doubt that he would live through a second time. "Come on."
"Only because we have no leads," L said as he followed Light out of the room.
"Whatever you have to tell yourself," Light smirked.
"Light-kun?"
It had taken twenty minutes of driving for L to brake the comfortable silence. Light should have know the detective would not be content simply listening to the radio.
"What?" Light asked, waiting for the next question.
"Are you Kira?"
"You're seriously still on about that?" Light groaned in annoyance, but inwardly tensed.
This was one of the reasons he had jumped at the chance to get away from the case. While it may look like he and L were currently at a stalemate, the only reason that the game was frozen was because Light had not taken the opportunity to kill L. He knew it was only a matter of time before L figured this out.
"Now would be to opportune moment to tell me, considering there is no one else in the car." L added, as if he was offering Light something that would benefit the both of them.
"Cameras?" Light blandly wondered.
"Not in this car," L answered.
Like I'd believe that! Light inwardly scoffed.
"I'm not Kira," he stated.
"If you're bringing me out here to kill me, I'd at least like to hear you say I was right first." L brought up this possibility in a casual tone.
Light didn't slam the breaks, but he had to admit that he pushed them harder than was needed. They were far enough away from the city, that there were not any other cars on the road with them. Therefore, there was not anyone around to witness Light illegally swerve his car around.
"What are you doing?" L asked.
"Going back," Light answered shortly. "This was a mistake."
"Light-kun—" L started, but Light cut him off.
"Just stop talking," he hissed.
"I didn't mean to offend—"
"Please shut up!" Light was grateful that his voice didn't break as he nearly shouted this.
"You said you'd take me to see snow," L whispered.
"Don't start guilt tripping me now," Light said stiffly.
"What do you want me to say?" L asked honestly.
"Nothing, Ryuzaki." Light muttered. "Nothing."
"I'm sorry."
"What?" This surprised him to say the least.
"I'm sorry I upset you." L added in a more hopeful voice: "And you made me want to see snow."
"Fine," Light caved. "We can go."
"Good," L smiled.
"You win," Light murmured to himself. "As always."
"Light-kun?"
"What now?" Light hadn't expected another question for at least half an hour.
"Are we there yet?"
"Really?" Light raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Are we there yet?" L asked with suspiciously innocent eyes.
"Ryuzaki," Light slowed the car so that he could look at L.
"Yes?" L stared back.
"Look out the window," Light instructed.
"And?" L turned his head so that it was now adjacent to the glass.
"Do you see snow?" Light asked with pretend patients.
"No, Light-kun, I do not see snow."
"Then, do you think we're there yet?" Light asked.
L slowly look back at Light with an unamused expression.
"I know we are not there yet," he informed him. "I was merely expressing my boredom."
"Whatever," Light's eyes were now back on the road.
L sighed dramatically, but Light pretended not to hear him.
"Close the door," L commanded. "I've changed my mind. It's too cold."
"You're just saying that because you don't have your coat on," Light informed the detective as he tossed him the garment.
"It's too cold," L repeated stubbornly.
"I did not drive in a car with you for two hours so that you could back out as soon as we arrive," Light crossed him arms as he spoke. "You're coming out here wether you like it or not."
"The experience was not only unpleasant for Light-kun," L muttered. "I am not the one who sang along to every Taylor Swift song the radio played."
"You're just jealous of my singing voice," Light shot back.
"I'd call it yodeling before singing," L added.
With that Light reached over L, unfastened his seat belt, an proceeded to drag the detective out of the car. L tried to pull out of Light's grasp, but this only resulted in knocking the both of them over and into a pile of snow.
"Cold," L shivered.
"Here," Light laughed as he pulled L's coat around him.
"Thank you," L murmured.
"You shouldn't," Light smirked and pushed L back into the snow.
"Light-kun is very mean," L informed him.
"You only say that because you—"
Light's comment was cut off by L shoving a handful of snow into the teen's face.
"That's cheating," Light complained, scrambling away from the detective.
"I was not aware that there were rules to playing in snow," L deadpanned.
"There are," Light told him in mock-seriousness. "And you have just violated them."
"I suppose Light-kun will have to arrest me."
"Because I'm the snow police," Light added.
L gave Light a long, blank look.
"What?" Light asked, slightly nervous as to what was going on the the detective's head.
"I was just calculating the chances that Light's terrible humor is influenced by temperature," L sounded honest.
"Oh," Light rolled his eyes. "I thought you were going to jump me with snow again. But I guess that one works if you haven't done it—"
Light's next words were smothered by another fistful of snow.
"When Sayu and I were kids we tried to make snowmen," Light leaned against the back of the car as he reminisced.
"Really?" L sounded vaguely interested. He sat hunched over next to Light, tilting his head back to that the ice in his bangs stayed out of his eyes.
"They were shorter than I had envisioned them, but she was pretty proud," Light remembered. "After we made them she didn't want to go home. She said that no one would be around to protect our snowmen."
"And Light-kun, of course, found a solution to this?" L wondered.
"Yeah," Light smiled. "I told her that they were in love and would protect each other. I also told her that one of them was a girl before she explained their romance to my father."
"I see," L murmured.
"That part was a lie," Light confessed. "They were both boys, but I still thought they were in love."
"Light-kun made gay snowmen when he was a child," L chuckled as he summed up to story. "Was that when you realized?"
"I don't know," Light knew what L was referring to despite the fact that they had never full broached this subject of Light's sexuality before. "I think I always knew, I just never really thought about it."
"Light-kun's family still does not know," L phrased the question as a statement.
"I used to pretend that I was one of those snowmen," Light continued without answering L.
"Because you wanted a boyfriend?"
"I guess." Light was vaguely aware that his shoulder was now touching L's. "I told myself that the other snowman was my future soulmate. This was back before reality ruined my fairytale imagination."
"I like Light-kun's imagination," L said softly.
"Thank you," Light whispered back.
Light moved his gloved hand so that it was now gently touching the back of L's. L kept his eyes away from Light's.
"Light-kun should have told this story when he broke up with Amane-san," L's voice was stiffer now.
"Maybe," Light shrugged. "You think she wouldn't have slapped me if I started talking about gay snowmen?"
"No," L answered.
"Yeah," Light agreed. "She would have slapped me no matter how I ended it."
"But she might have been less angry," L added.
"Replace anger with pity," Light said. "I think all that story does is make me look like a love sick puppy."
"Light-kun is a cute puppy," L whispered.
Light let a wistful smile settle of his face. He was sure that L wouldn't notice it. The man was too busy staring at the ground.
"We don't have to drive back just yet," Light said as they got back into the warm car.
"If Light-kun is suggesting staying in the car to continue watching snow, I will have to decline," L said flatly.
"Not in the car," Light corrected. "But it's getting late. Maybe we could get a room at a motel and stay the night. It's not like the task force will notice our absence."
"No, but Light-kun's family will when he does not show up to his house on Christmas morning." L reminded him.
"We can leave first thing tomorrow," Light dismissed the issue. "You're going to sleep in anyway."
L hummed, and Light took this to mean he was considering the offer.
"I'll buy you hot chocolate on the way," Light added.
"Alright," L said quickly, his eyes a glow at the thought of something both sugar filled and warm.
"Sometimes I think you'll do anything if I offer you sweets," Light smirked as he shifted the car into drive.
"Not anything," L interjected.
"Almost anything," Light corrected.
"Almost," L agreed.
"Light-kun, we need to go back," L's voice was frantic.
"Why? Is something wrong?" Light looked away from their room's TV which he was trying to figure out and to the detective.
"I left my laptop back at headquarters," L told him.
"That's all?" Light instantly calmed. "You can go a day without it, can't you?"
"I will die of boredom," L huffed.
Light tried very hard not to laugh at his friend, but it was hard not to compare L to a pouting child being denied something frivolous.
"Why don't you take this time to relax," Light suggested.
"I don't relax," L argued.
"If you brought your laptop all you would do is work on the case," Light pointed out. "The case which we have no leads on."
"If you're saying my work would be pointless—"
"You know that is exactly what I am saying," Light finished.
"I'll still be bored," L pointed out.
"We can talk," Light offered.
L plopped down on the couch next to Light.
"Tell me more stories about gay snowmen," he all but ordered.
"I don't have any more stories about gay snowmen," Light laughed.
"Then stories from Light-kun's childhood," L decided.
"Fine," Light rolled his eyes. "One upon a time—"
"Real stories."
"I don't know where to start," Light complained.
"What does Light-kun normally do on Christmas?" L wondered.
"Sometimes relatives comes over," Light said. "That's usually irritating."
"Light-kun should be grateful that he has family," L said under his breath.
"You're right," Light gathered that the detective was speaking from experience. "But you wanted to hear a story, right?"
"Yes."
"Lemme think…"
"I want to meet Light-kun's sister," L stated, interrupting Light's third story.
It was well into the night, but Light hadn't expected either of them to make use of the bed in the middle of their room. Instead they had brought it's blankets to the couch and ordered several more hot chocolates to keep Light awake and L comfortable.
"She's a little monster," Light warned.
"Light-kun is very fond of her," L reasoned.
"Yeah," Light admitted. "You'd like her."
"I think so," L mused.
"She'd ask you a lot of embarrassing questions," Light added.
"Such as?"
"If you're my boyfriend," Light said before he could stop himself.
"That one has an easy enough answer."
"She's ask it at least five times," Light said dryly.
"Sayu knows Light-kun is gay," L once again phrased his question as a statement.
"I didn't tell her," Light smirked at the memory. "She figured it out on her own."
"She must be brighter than Light-kun gives her credit for," L replied.
"She knows me better than anyone," Light allowed.
"Better than me?" L sounded almost jealous.
"I don't know," Light answered honestly.
"I'll have to meet her," L decided. "We can compare notes."
"She'd love that," Light muttered.
"Good."
L leaned his head on Light's shoulder, staring off into space. Light didn't move, too afraid that L would move if he asked if this gesture was on purpose.
"Continue," L instructed.
"As you wish," Light rolled his eyes again.
"I don't like holidays," Light confessed. "Especially Christmas and New Years."
"Light is a Scrooge," L declared.
"I supposed I am," Light didn't see the point in arguing. "But it's not like you of all people can judge. Do you ever celebrate anything?"
"My birthday is on Halloween," L murmured.
"Really?" Light wasn't sure if he was more surprised by the information or by the fact that L was sharing this with him. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I don't celebrate my birthday," L answered.
"I thought you'd jump at any chance to get more cake," Light pointed out.
"Watari gives me extra cake on October 31st, but I ignore the reason," L voiced.
"That's very sad, you know."
"Sadder than me not seeing snow?" L asked with wide eyes.
"Yes," Light decided. "This is the saddest thing you've told me yet."
"I see."
"I'll get you a present next year," Light informed him.
"You didn't get me a Christmas present," L protested.
"I took you to see snow and bought you hot chocolate," Light reminded him. "A lot of hot chocolate. That counts as a present."
"I didn't give you anything," L said thoughtfully. "What do you want?"
"Nothing," Light shrugged. "You don't have to get me a present."
"I have an idea of something Light-kun might want," a sly smile formed on L's lips.
"What's that?" Light wondered.
"Light-kun must close his eyes first," L instructed.
"You have it with you?" Light raised an eyebrow.
L nodded.
"Close your eyes."
"Alright," Light complied, closing his eyes. "What now?"
"Be quiet," Light could feel L's cold breath as he whispered this.
Light was about to ignore this instruction to ask why L was suddenly so close to him, when he was silenced by the sensation of soft lips brushing against his own. Light's eyes flied open in time to see L lean away from him with a shy grin and a subtle blush on his face.
"What was that?" Light stammered.
"Your Christmas present," L answered innocently.
"I'm Kira."
The words came out softer than he had meant them too, but Light doubted that is was possible for him to say them any louder. Not that it mattered. The only one around to hear him was L, and he was close enough to hear him no matter how soft Light spoke.
"I know you are," L didn't look at him.
Light didn't know what to say, so he waited for L to continue. The detective was silent.
"What now?" Light finally asked him.
"I don't know." L's statement surprised him.
They lapsed back into silence.
"I'm in love with you."
This confession was louder, but the quiet that followed it held the same ringing pain.
"I know you are," this time it was L who whispered.
"Oh," Light wasn't sure what else to say.
"Light-kun?" L turned his face toward Light. His mouth curved into a smile. "I think I know the name of the other gay snowman you build."
Light stared at L in disbelief before slowly smiling as well.
"He doesn't need a name," Light could hear the joy in his voice. "I think just a letter will do."
"Merry Christmas, Light-kun."
Light slipped his finger's into L's.
"Merry Christmas," Light chuckled. "My gay snowman."
Happy holidays! This was inspired by me seeing snow for the first time a few days ago. And, yes Corliss, those snowmen that we made were in love.
Thanks for reading! Please review!