This is for Tumblr user livinginphantasia, who inspired this story with her post asking for more Death Note x Phan fiction in the world. I do not own anything except my imagination. Enjoy!
L was frustrated. He had been working on the Kira case for several weeks by this point, and had exhausted the most obvious sources for clues. There was more than a 50% chance that Light was the culprit, but the detective couldn't prove so for certain without finding more evidence. And now he was stuck.
This was one of the hardest cases he had ever been given. Kira's murders were being carried out practically through supernatural intervention, something even L had never seen before. Given the circumstances, it seemed new strategies would be needed to solve it.
He retreated to his room's entrance, well-lit by the sunshine through the windows. Since it looked so nice outside, he decided a start would be to clear his mind by taking a walk in the park. Maybe the fresh air will aid my brainstorming, he hoped. The stuffy, dimly-lit lair he worked in was deafeningly quiet, and made him yearn for signs of life. He hadn't wanted anyone to bother his perfect concentration as he attempted to find the solution to the case's current problem, so he had spent the better half of the day alone. But now that he saw he wasn't getting anywhere, he decided to take a well-deserved break.
It was surprisingly cool but bright day in Tokyo. Gentle breezes caressed L's pale face as he effortlessly glided his way through the sea of people flooding the streets on his way to the subway. He noticed several Japanese couples eating late lunches on the patios of restaurants, sharing sweet smiles as they chattered before their meals were brought. Do I even have the capability to open up to someone like them? He frowned, unsure of the answer. The thought persisted as he reached the subway station. He took his place, smothered in the crammed mass of strangers in the train like an unopened anchovy tin. I think this is the most physical contact I've received in years, he realized to his dismay.
The silence of the subway was much more comforting than the one in L's lair, lending itself perfectly for reflection. He always reconsidered his lifestyle when his mind wasn't occupied, which was rare. However, these thoughts had been recurring with greater frequency since Light had entered his life. Distinctly intelligent, well-mannered, perceptive, and a delight for the eyes to boot, L sorely wished he could spend more time with the attractive university student. But as the best detective in the world, he was able to put his feelings aside and maintain his professionalism with ease.
With a screech, the subway come to the sudden halt. A surge of people got off quickly, opening a seat close to where L was standing. He gladly took it and continued his train of thought while perched.
What kept his desires from getting out of hand was that he could see the Japanese boy he fancied only had feelings for women. The thought of Light finding out about L's feelings and then cruelly ending their relationship made the Englishman's heart sink.
Sometimes he felt there was something between them. Whenever Light came to his lair, the student would genuinely ask "How has your work been going?" when no one else on the team would talk to him like a human, more than a breathing case-solving machine. Light bought the detective a treat for his birthday when no one else remembered. "Happy birthday, Ryuzaki! I think you deserve this," he had said with a kind expression. After saying thank you, Light proceeded to give him a hug. Though at first L assumed Kira would want him to be disarmed, Yagami's touch was electrifying. Since he was bent over, as usual, Light's buff pectorals cushioned his head, while the younger man's biceps firmly clasped him close to the Japanese's beating heart. L's own heart was pounding hard as he realized he did not want to let go of the invigorating warmth he was receiving. He kept his arms wrapped tightly against Light's solid mid-back. Light peeked out his handsome, mature face to look L directly in the eyes, their faces getting closer. "May you enjoy another year of adulthood," he said quietly. Their lips were millimeters apart. The detective felt his knees go weak.
Once, he caught Light staring at him for roughly two minutes. Though proud of his accomplishments, L knew he was nothing special to look at. Unlike the Yagami boy. The month of surveillance in Light's room gave L a front stage seat to see Light's muscular body every night. Oh, what he wouldn't give to curl up on those ripped abs and pecs, held by those buff arms as they picked each other's bright minds…
But he wouldn't get hung up on a straight man; there were plenty of fish in the sea. In fact, he already had Misa to sexually frustrate him. Working with Light's equally gorgeous model girlfriend was the other blessing of the Kira case. Her beautiful face and curvy figure made him feel his blood pulse, for once. (At least before she reminded him how incompatible they were every time she opened her mouth.) Though L rarely thought of his romantic feelings, being married to his job and not having parents to try to convince him otherwise, he increasingly dreamed of putting an end to his personal solitude. He just didn't know how.
About 30 minutes later, L got off at the famous Ueno Park. The park had been L's favorite monument since he had moved to Japan as a small boy. The beautiful trees and exhilarating conversations between tourists from all over the world made him forget how far he was from his own home. Sometimes he wished he could go back.
He strolled through a dirt path, smiling as he took deep breaths of nature's fresh air. He kept walking until he heard a conversation in a familiar accent. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted two large, white men sitting very close together on a bench. L continued in their direction, if only to cherish their comforting dialect for a bit longer.
"Bloody hell, Phil, how could you have lost them? Things had been going so well," scolded the brown-haired man to his companion.
Phil, the paler of the two, shot back a glare filled with practiced patience (And fondness,deduced L.) "It's not my fault you had to take so many breaks. God, Dan, when I saw you playing with that shiba inu at the start of the trail, I had hoped you were actually going to survive this trip. I hadn't thought you were going to tire yourself out all at once." He pulled out his iPhone from his pocket and began typing away furiously. Dan leaned into the other man's shoulder, his head practically resting against Phil's, and looked up with his eyes wide and pleading, his mouth in a pout. "No." Phil turned his head away his eyes narrowed and lips in a straight line, and continued typing. Dan sat up and took out his own phone. Their affection is like that of a close relationship of several years, concluded L. The detective was about to walk past them by this point in their conversation when he caught the tourists' attention.
"Phil, Phil look at that guy. He kind of looks like you, doesn't he. Do you think he might know English?" asked Dan under his breath.
"Maybe. Let's ask him." Phil got up and started walking towards L. "Excuse me, sir. Do you speak English, by chance?"
He's so tall! thought L as he looked up at the tourist. He had gotten used to being taller than average in Japan. "I do, yes. It seems you and your friend need help. How could I be of assistance?"
Dan's face lit up. "Oh, I'm so glad you can help us," he grinned with relief. He got up to join Phil and face L directly, which made the detective feel dwarfed even more. "So, we were being given a tour of the park with our English-speaking friends who live here. But we got a little behind, and before we knew it we lost them when a huge amount of people just, came through here."
L gave him a reassuring closed smile. "Oh, I'm sure they cannot be too far from here. And thankfully for you, I happen to have extensive experience with navigating maps and such. Have you gotten in touch with your friends who were guiding you?"
"Yes, they're in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. We had already agreed to go there in the first place. But we're just not sure which direction it is," explained Phil.
"Thankfully, we are very close to that museum. I can take you there if you like. I had been planning on spending the afternoon in the park to clear my mind anyway," L said.
Both Dan and Phil's eyes lit up with gratitude as they thanked him profusely.
The three British men were quiet as they made their way through the park. This was no surprise to L. His dedication to conserving his mental energy led him to not take part in friendly platitudes, which he saw made people left people feeling cold and unsure of how to engage him. However, he noticed that Dan and Phil weren't the most graceful social butterflies he had ever met either. Dan kept nearly tripping over Phil's feet approximately every 25 seconds because he was standing so close. Phil, standing in between himself and Dan, kept looking at the top of his long-haired head and then looking away. The innocent gleam coming from Phil's eyes made it clear that he was very content at the moment. Though the detective would have preferred to listen to the sweet chirps of the birds in the forest, he made eye contact with Phil to show he was open to conversation.
Sure enough, Phil spoke up. "So, what's your name? What part of England are you from?"
"I'm L. I'm from Southern England but moved here when I was young."
"Oh, wow. What a coincidence. I'm from Wokingham myself," Dan shared.
"And I'm from the North, although my accent's changed since I've moved to London," added Phil.
"Me and Phil have been living in London for a couple of years now," said Dan. "I prefer how your accent now than how it was when he first met," he teased. "Only Manchester could prepare me for putting up with you."
"Oh, shut up," said Phil. "Let's not forget who kept tweeting me when no one else did." Dan groaned. The fact the lost tourists were about L's age yet acted like a married couple piqued the detective's interest.
"Oh? How long have you been friends for?" asked L. "You both seem like you've been inseparable since the day you were born."
Dan and Phil looked at each other and shared a smile. "It will be six years in October."
And they still haven't tired of one another! "Amazing. Such long-lasting friendships are rare. And how did you meet?" asked L.
"Right. So, basically we make silly videos on the Internet and people laugh at them. Phil here began making videos a few years before me," began Dan.
"He was one of my biggest fans. Eventually we met each other and I began to help him make his own videos. We're YouTubers, we get paid by YouTube to make them. Now we have enough fans to do it for a living!" finished Phil.
"Incredible!" gasped L. "Are you filming a video in Tokyo?"
"Yes, a little highlight reel of our trip. But we're on vacation, not working," said Dan.
"We've both been dreaming of coming to Japan since we were little kids, so this holiday has been FANTASTIC!" said Phil. "It's so wonderful that you live here."
L politely smiled. "Thank you."
"We should just move here forever, huh Phil. Leave cold England behind, start life anew with nothing but a dream, the clothes on our back, and each other" intoned Dan.
"We've already started over once before. I'm not ready to do it again yet," said Phil. "But I know it will be an adventure next time it happens." He looked at Dan with a caring look in his eyes. Dan returned the look as his dimple showed, and bumped into Phil's arm.
At this display of affection L gingerly assessed the two men in front of him. At first glance, they looked like brothers due to their matching haircuts. In fact, they were wearing matching jackets as well that suited their personalities (red and black). L recalled hearing that couples tend to resemble one another over time. Could the two tourists be together?
Just then, Dan and Phil's phones vibrated. They unlocked their screens, and pulled simultaneous faces of horror. "Oh my God," mumbled Phil, the blood draining from his face.
"I can't believe it," uttered Dan.
"Excuse me, but what's wrong?" asked L.
"A YouTuber who lives in America was just killed by Japan's Kira. He wasn't all that much of a good person, but to be murdered is too much…" Phil handed his phone to the shorter man. A text message from Louise read: "I hope you boys are enjoying holiday, loves! 3 but I have to let you know Sam Pepper was just KILLED by the serial killer in japan called Kira! it's in the news [LINK] PLEASE BE CAREFUL this is scary :'( violence is never the answer." L clicked the link to a BBC article and quickly read through the details of Kira's latest victim. After reading the that the young Briton Pepper was accused of rape by several underage girls, and that he was famous for distasteful "pranks" on the Internet, the detective's mind kicked into gear.
"Did either of you know Sam Pepper by chance?" asked L, with several scenarios as to Pepper's relation to Kira flooded his mind.
"Yes," Phil said. "He tried talking to us at several YouTuber conventions."
"We always thought he was obnoxious and were glad he lived far away in Los Angeles, but he kept making shitty videos," said Dan.
Phil cut in. "The thing was, Sam Pepper was really going way too far and harassing people in some of his videos. There is no way the YouTube community was going to accept him after making such harmful content." L nodded in understanding. Dan added, "I thought he was going to rot in jail sooner than being murdered."
Kira thinks he's justice, L brainstormed. Does he know English well enough to understand Pepper's videos? Does he have followers in Japan?
"Would you know if he happened to have any ties to Japan?" asked L.
"No, I don't think so," answered Dan. If Kira has begun to target victims outside of the country, the sources he's using to find them must be expanding too. I have a lead…
The three Brits arrived at the steps of the art museum, where a taller white woman and shorter man who resembled Dan were waiting. They started waving enthusiastically when they saw Dan and Phil. "I have to go now, gentlemen. But thank you for your enlightening conversation. It was good," said L as he began to leave.
"No problem! Thank you so much for taking us here," chimed Phil.
"Yeah, seriously. We owe you, thank you," said Dan.
L waved good-bye and walked ahead. He stopped for a moment and turned to the two tourists. "Oh, and please cherish your relationship. It's truly beautiful. Thank you for letting me see it." The two Brits blushed and laughed, tickled pink by this. They waved sweetly as they joined their married friends.
Later, L sat in a nearby cafe, drinking hot chocolate with extra sugar as he processed his experience with the two YouTubers. He felt in his gut that he could relate to the two gentlemen somehow. He wasn't sure what it was about them, but he understood their love and he wanted it in his own life, whatever that may mean. He took a deep sip of his beverage and thought again. I can like Light and enjoy his platonic company anyway, concluded L. I'll continue to behave like myself, and will be happy he smiled as Dan and Phil's smiles came to his mind.
Throwing away his empty cup, L felt empowered. He now had a new source of clues in Sam Pepper's online support in Japan, and the sense that he might not end up as alone as he feared. Those two were just what I needed.
Dan and Phil were on the subway, heading back to their hotel. After a thrilling day with Mimei and Duncan (even with the misadventure at the park), they were satisfied and exhausted. The tall men rested their head against the back of their seats. As they fought off the urge to doze off, they slowly curled into each other. The contact their arms made due to the width of their torsos made them crave human touch, and both YouTubers were happy to oblige. The Japan holiday had been a dream come true, and the two were ready to recharge for another unforgettable day. Though Dan and Phil felt bad for Sam Pepper's demise, and the subsequent development that Kira wrote an warning in English to opposition, they allowed themselves to enjoy their present together just this once.
As Dan and Phil rested with their eyes closed, a young, tall Japanese man with a backpack boarded the subway. He had a stoic face and a malicious look in his eyes. He chose to sit in front of the two Englishmen next to an older woman on one side and a vacant seat on the other. After looking around the empty seat, he set his bag on the floor. In it was his worn Japanese-English dictionary and English grammar notes he took during his high school career. After a long day, he slumped back in his seat. He couldn't contain the pride bubbling up inside himself, until he let out a quiet giggle. The old woman next to him turned to him and frowned in disapproval. He contorted his beautifully fair face into saddened frown, and with all the charm he could muster apologized, looking deep into the woman's eyes with his own chocolate-colored ones. He pat down his straight hair and upturned his soft lips.
"It is alright, but do not make it a habit," advised the old lady gently, the hardness in her face gone. With this Light sat back and folded his arms triumphantly. He was untouchable.
One of the last stops of the subway was called by the conductor, leading to Dan and Phil get up with a start. Light recognized the duo right away. To make Kira less predictable, Light had been branching out the media he consumed in order to avoid having his identity found. At the same time, he had been working on his English language skills to remove barriers that stood in his way of ruling the world as his Utopian kingdom. He had seen Dan and Phil were part of the YouTube community that disavowed Pepper when his horrible acts were revealed. For this, they were in Light's good graces. For now.
As the two Englishmen got off the subway, the sun began to set. Phil turned to Dan and grew red. "Did you see that young guy sitting in front of us just now?"
"Yeah?" he said as the two began making their way into the crowded Tokyo sreet to their hotel. The people's conversations at this time of the day were a dull buzz, so it was easy to hear his friend.
"He was quite handsome, wasn't he?"
Dan laughed in shock . "Why, yes, Phil, he was. Are you looking to get married in Japan? Is this how you're going to tell me you're leaving me here?" he cheekily grinned.
"No, it's just that- Even though you're white, you look just like him. I'm so lucky to say that," Phil said. "You truly are as beautiful on the inside as you are out."
Dan scooped Phil's hand and squeezed, holding it close to his side so others couldn't see. "Don't ever leave me. Kira would have to go through me 10 million times before he could get to someone as special as you," he said.
While walking, they saw a floral shop whose walls were long and perpendicular. Spotting their only opportunity to attempt privacy, they ducked inside the cubed structure away from the street's view. Dan instinctively wrapped his arms around Phil's shoulders, a habit from when they first met, even though he had since grown taller than the Northern man. Phil wrapped his arms around Dan's waist, resting his hands on his boyfriend's pert bum, and got on his tippy toes to meet his beloved's lips. Dan bent his knees ever so slightly to meet his Phil's face. What the eccentric Brit told them crossed their minds again. Ours is truly something special, thought Dan and Phil.