In all Light's time as Kira, it never occurred to him that L could die of his own accord. People tended to die naturally, after all, without his assistance. They had real heart attacks or fell off things. Or they crashed their cars.
It happens the day after L releases Light from his chains, a few blocks from the headquarters. Watari had been killed on impact. L had been rushed to the nearest hospital in critical condition. The doctors tell the team that he may not make the night. When he makes the night, they tell them he may not wake up. Of course, there is no identification on him, so there is no-one to call, no way of filling out the insurance forms.
When they finally allow the team to see L, he is lost in tubes and wires. The monitor gives a steady, beating heartline, and Light stares at it unable to believe he needs it to stop. L's jaw is slack and there isn't so much as a scratch on him. He looks just like he is sleeping. Light almost expects this to be another test.
Light stays at the hospital with him as the others come and go. They continue with the case while he ignores it, ignores his Father, ignores Ryuk, ignores the Death Note and the world.
Halfway through the week, a man about Watari's age and three teens appear. Light has no idea who they are, who L is, or how they know. They glare at him like he is the reason L is here.
The nurses treat them as L's next of kin, although they look nothing like him. Light has had no insight into L's identity. He should be looking out for paperwork with L's real name, getting friendly with the nurses, but really, who is he kidding? He just wants L to wake up. He'll worry about the rest of it later.
He listens to them talk in English and their stunted Japanese about getting Watari's body back to England. They don't mention what they will do with L's.
The oldest teen goes for Light a few times, only to be hauled back by his red haired friend. The youngest, smallest, merely watches him curiously, and it is disconcertingly L like. They seem to know who he is.
By the second week, gifts of mostly candy start to arrive from all over the world, addressed to Rue Ryuzaki. Apparently, Light is not his first, or even his only, friend. Light can't begrudge it, after lying through his teeth all the time himself.
The media somehow gets wind that the great L is in hospital, and he hears the teens and Roger talking and scrabbling to keep his identity secret. Poor L. He has nothing to wake up for but a dead Watari, a lot of work, uncaring English colleagues and perhaps not even the safety of his protected identity.
"Light."
Light takes no notice of his Father. He is watching L like he could wake up at any minute, which of course he could, in theory. Some people even open their eyes in a coma. But L doesn't so much as twitch in bed. It is as though he is making up for all the sleep he lost over the case, over the years.
"The murders seemed to have stopped since L has been in hospital."
Light says nothing.
"The University phoned. You missed an exam."
Like it matters. Like any of it matters.
"Light."
Light's father takes him by the arm, and only then does he look at him. He is looking at Light like he is not his son.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?"
He looks back at L, as if the detective can advise him. His hands look clean, warm. His nails grow unbitten.
Light's Father leaves him without an answer.
"I'll do you a deal." Light leans into L so no-one else can hear them. "You wake up, and I'll stop. No more Kira. I'll burn both notes so there's none left in this world." L doesn't move. Light brushes a thumb over his hand. "You wake up, and I'll stop. You let me cover my tracks, and I won't kill you. Stalemate. Deal?"
He waits. Stupid. His eyes smart. He wants L to take his hand back and sit up in bed. He wants to see those dark eyes open and narrow with contempt. "I don't think so, Light. I don't do stalemates."
He squeezes L's hand, then rubs his eyes.
"Well, you think about it. Let me know. I'll be back soon."
Light is asleep in the cafeteria when they come for him. A cold cup of coffee sits forgotten in front of him, and the metal table hurts his elbows. Someone coughs, and he lifts his head to find the two teens, Mello and Matt, Matt and Mello, he forgets which one is which. His eyes burn from lack of sleep and his pulse beats in his brain.
"L's awake." One of them says.
Awake. L. L's awake. L's awake.
"He's…?"
"He's fine. He's coherent, he knows what's going on. He's just tired."
Light pushes back from the table and stumbles to his feet. Surprisingly they make no move to stop him when he hurtles to L's room.
Roger is sitting on L's bed, but they both stop talking when Light comes in.
L's eyes are huge in his now bony face, his hair longer, but he sees Light and he knows him, and Light has to put a hand on the wall for support. He's awake. He's alive.
Roger strains a smile. "I'll wait outside…?"
L nods without taking his eyes off Light, and they are left alone.
Light takes the chair nearest to the bed, the one he has been writhing in for a fortnight.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"How are you feeling?"
"OK. Tired."
Light nods.
"You look pretty worn out yourself."
He says nothing.
"The nurses say you've been here all the time."
He can't speak. He can barely think. After a while, he manages, "I'm so glad you're all right."
L nods.
There is nothing more to say.
"I'm sorry about Watari." Light says, the next time he is alone with L. It takes longer than he expected, with L's pushy English "family" and the nurses and all the rest he still needs. He had forgotten to say it last time, and made a point of remembering now.
"Thank you." His expression doesn't change. "Have you been keeping up with the case?" Typical L. He almost died and all he can think about is the case.
"No," he says, sensing what is coming.
"I haven't been allowed near my phone, let alone a laptop," he continues. "But one of the nurses brought me a newspaper, and Kira seems to have stopped around the time of the accident."
He looks at Light expectantly. Light shrugs, when a response is clearly expected of him.
L draws his knees up and bites his thumb. "I've missed Watari's funeral," he says indistinctly. "I don't want to mourn his death with this hanging over me."
"I don't think Kira did this."
"Obviously not." L says. Then he looks at Light. "Is that a confession?"
"Do you need one?"
"No." His voice is neutral.
"You want my head."
"Did I say that?"
Light looks at him morosely.
"I want it to be over."
"You want to win."
"I have won," L says, a little coldly. "You won't kill me."
"Oh?" he sneers. "Well, what do you suggest, then?"
"Off the top of my head? Burn both books, blame it on someone on death row with his or her consent, the task force cover it up, the media have a field day, it goes on."
"If both books are burned, I lose my memories."
"Write everything down," L says. "Or I'll do it for you. I want you to know I was right all along."
"And what happens to me?"
"That's for your Father to decide, as chief of police. My job is to bring you to justice and I've done that. What that justice is is nothing to do with me."
"What are you talking about?"
"They haven't told you?" he drawls. "I only had those chains taken off because I had almost enough evidence to convict you. They were about to arrest you when I woke up. They're awaiting further instructions now."
"You're bluffing."
L looks at him, deadpan. He is not bluffing.
Light remembers his Father's face, realises. "I knew it was coming."
"This was very well played, Kira."
"Well played?" he echoes. "I lost. And don't call me that."
"This, I mean," he says mildly. "You knew you were losing. You knew you were in a corner. So you exploited this, tried to act like my friend in the hope that I'll care for you, too."
Light sneers. "And I thought you were never wrong."
"It worked," L continues, ignoring him. "You're under surveillance for the rest of your life. That includes now, by the way. Misa too. You can hardly be arrested for something that's out of this world. Someone else could have found the note and done much worse."
Light can hardly believe it. "Surveillance? That's it?"
"That's for the rest of your life, Light. Including when you have a family, when you get laid, when you're on vacation. And the task force know. Your Father knows. That's going to be hard to live with. You may have a hard time going ahead with your police career."
He is numb. He doesn't even know if he is relieved. "I don't understand," he says. "I was so sure I'd get the death penalty."
L says nothing.
"You stopped them, didn't you?"
L says nothing for some time, and Light doesn't go.
"Solving one of the biggest cases from your hospital bed," Light teases, a little awkwardly. "Must be a record, even for you."
He shrugs. "It's stalemate, like you said. Not winning."
"Do you care?"
"No."
"Me neither."
The bag of candy Light bought him is still untouched at his bedside. There was barely room for it amongst the others.
"You need to eat," Light tells him.
"You need to sleep."
He hoists himself over the railings to lie next to L, on top of the covers. His exhaustion has suddenly caught up with him. L lets him, and they don't speak again.
L must have, or he must have, moved in his sleep, as he is beautifully warm when he wakes and his arm is over L's back, the older man curled into his throat. He feels their eyes on him and jolts. Mello, Near, Matt, Roger, his Father, staring like they'd caught them naked having sex. "I…"
Behind him, L sighs and curls into himself, drawing his knees up where Light had just vacated.
Mello's eyebrows are raised. Matt looks curious, Near bored, Roger embarrassed. His Father…Light looks at him last. "Go home, Light."
He stares at his Father. Is it true? Is he not under arrest?
Light's Father sighs. "L is taking care of it," he says, quietly.
Light looks back at L, nods slowly. He goes home.