Originally written for the 12 days of xxxmas challenge. (I did end up writing twelve fics total, but I am only posting my favorite six here. Please see my journal for the others.) The theme was: food.
It was a beautiful day, with the blue morning sky arched high and clear and a warm breeze wafting through the trees as if it was spring. It was enough to make Matsuda forget momentarily how serious his job was, and by extension how serious he was supposed to be. It made him want to do something light and frivolous, just once.
He ended up debating over questions of cakes and pies and frosting and fruit and ended up carrying a plain white box with him. A small token, one that seemed like a silly idea as soon as he stopped to think about it.
Silly or not, it made him happy to present L with the slice of strawberry shortcake he had picked out. It was a little measure of admiration at least, if affection was unprofessional. It was difficult to concentrate on his work, trying to hunt up new Kira kills of criminals outside of prisons, while he watched L eat, but that wouldn't last long. It made his day just to watch L eating the cake he had brought with every evidence of enjoyment.
At least the distraction wasn't supposed to last long. L kept looking through things while he ate, turning his head between papers and the cake. His distraction resulted in a dollop of cream on his upper lip. Matsuda was sure he would wipe it away in a moment, but L didn't seem to notice. It remained there to thoroughly distract Matsuda.
Matsuda kept peeking up and looking back, trying to focus. The names and pictures on his screen blurred until all he could see was the smear of cream on L's lip. When he peeked up again L was tugging thoughtfully on his lower lip, completely unaware of the cream on his face. It was distracting beyond words.
"What is it?"
"Oh, um. . ." Matsuda realized a little late that he had been staring. "You're got something right. . ." he gestured to his lip, trying to indicate that L should wipe his mouth. L only tilted his head, as if the gesture made no sense from a normal angle.
"What?"
"Here. I'll get it." Matsuda rose out of his seat and tried to reach across L to find the napkins that had come with the cake he had brought. He found he couldn't quite reach, and was stuck crouching beside L, reaching across him for the cake box. Only then did he realize that L's chair was pulled up too close to the table for him to just step around and reach the box.
"Sorry." Trying not to feel completely awkward, Matsuda did the next best thing to using a napkin, reaching up and using his thumb to wipe the cream away from L's lip. He held it up for L's inspection for a second, to prove he had a reason for suddenly touching him.
When Matsuda started to stand up, to find something to wipe his hand off, L stopped him by grabbing hold of his wrist and pulling him back. He delicately put his tongue out and licked the cream off of Matsuda's thumb. Three long, deliberate licks was all it took to clean off the cream and send hot-and-cold shivers down Matsuda's arm.
Matsuda followed unthinkingly when L brought his tongue back into his mouth, rubbing his thumb across L's lips. When L locked eyes with him, his entire face burned with embarrassment, all the way from the tips of his ears down to the back of his neck. Even when L took Matsuda's thumb into his mouth and nibbled at it, meeting his eyes casually the whole time.
L had sharp teeth, Matsuda discovered. He jerked his hand back in surprise, breaking L's grip on his wrist without meaning to. Breathing heavily, he drew his hand back and rubbed it with his un-touched hand.
"Why. . . ?" If there was a polite way to ask someone why they had just licked and nibbled you, Matsuda had no idea what it was.
"I can think about ten percent more efficiently if I do something with my mouth."
"Oh. Really? That's, uh," interesting. Astonishing. Not at all what Matsuda had expected to hear.
L propped his chin on his knees, watching Matsuda fumble with his hands.
"I'm glad to help any way I can, of course! I could get you something else from downstairs or, if you like. . ." Matsuda held out his fingers towards L, offering them up to be licked or nibbled if L was really so inclined.
Without so much as glancing at the proffered fingers, L grabbed Matsuda's tie and yanked him forward. Their mouths collided. Matsuda let out a startled noise against L's lips, which was followed almost immediately by a low groan of anticipation.
L tilted his head down to break the kiss. "Is something wrong?"
"No?" Matsuda realized he was clutching at the arms of L's chair in a death grip, trying to keep his arms from trembling. This was beyond unprofessional, but he couldn't get himself to focus on that just now.
"Then don't make that noise. It's distracting." L tugged on his tie again, not quite yanking Matsuda into him again, but making it quite plain that more kisses were expected.
"Anything you like." Matsuda went along with the tugging, pressing his mouth against L's again. It was worth the struggle for silence to feel demanding lips working hungrily against his.
With a bit of effort, Matsuda let go of L's chair. He reached forward and placed his hands on L's shoulders, then worked them around to L's back. When he tried to get closer, to embrace L properly, he ended up with L's knees pressed against his chest. At least he had his arms around L now, because that was what you were supposed to do while kissing someone, and this was one little thing that Matsuda desperately wanted to do right.
L kept moving, sucking Matsuda's tongue and biting his lips and forcing him to swallow a moan of approval. L's mouth still tasted sweet from the cake, like crushed strawberries and cream. He let go of Matsuda's tie at last, moving his fingers up to brush Matsuda's cheek for a few seconds before he broke away.
"I've got it." L worked his way out of Matsuda's arms and climbed out of his chair, leaving Matsuda blinking after him in confusion. He had no idea how L could think while doing that. His own brain was trying to go double-time to catch up with the fact that he had been kissing L a few seconds ago.
"That's good." Matsuda touched his lips automatically. "It's great." He wasn't quite sure himself if he was talking about the revelation or the kisses. He had to put on hand on the back of L's chair to steady himself, his knees still weak from surprise.
For a moment, L just looked at him. His eyes were half-lidded in concentration, in a way that made Matsuda think that he did not approve. Matsuda struggled to pull himself together quickly, making himself let go of the chair and straighten his tie.
Then L laid his fingers on Matsuda's chin, tilting his head forward just enough that he could reach to kiss him again. L's lips were light this time, soft and almost shy in the way they retreated so quickly, with his fingers brushing over Matsuda's lips afterward as a farewell.
"Thank you." L held his gaze for a second longer before he dropped his hand and turned away.
Matsuda sunk into the chair L had vacated, watching L dial his cell phone with a sort of overwhelmed detachment. He should probably make some additional offer now, so L knew he was willing to help. Any time L needed kisses to think, he would be glad to provide. He would give L kisses all night if he wanted.
Struggling to find the right words to express that, Matsuda's gaze fell on the empty cake box. It put a jolt through him to remember suddenly how that cake had tasted in L's kiss. "I'll bring you another cake tomorrow," he offered, automatically.
L didn't take the phone away from his ear, but at least he answered. "I would like that."