Hello! Ronin's finally posting another story! Anyone here who also reads my Fullmetal Alchemist story, I'm just about done with the next chapter. I got in a bind because I forgot what I wanted Al to do in his little storyline. I've been re-writing so much!
Anyway. I just finished Death Note. It took a trip to Suck Land at the end, but the first 6 1/2 disks were amazing enough to make up for it. I like to pair people up, but with this one I was in trouble. Misa's just waaaay too stupid for Light. I've never wanted an anime character to be real so I could hit them so much before in my life. And I just couldn't leave poor L out in the loneliness, him being my favorite and all. So in the end I concluded that L and Light were the only two smart enough for each other. This is the first yaoi pairing I've really supported, so naturally I wanted to express myself in my first yaoi short. I hope I kept L and Light as 'in character' as possible, and that this fluff piece doesn't fall into the category of 'bad yaoi fanfiction'. But you lovely darlings will let me know, won't you? *You lovely darlings will CONSTRUCTIVELY let me know, won't you?
Commence fluffiness.
The pain in his wrist. That must be what had woken him. Light tried to move it, but it was stuck to his back as though glued there. And he didn't need to waste time wondering why. L had wound himself up in the chain again, and Light's hand along with it.
"L!" he hissed. He got no answer. When L wanted to sleep, he was determined about it. Light gave L a sharp jab in the ribs. He winced; the action had twisted his wrist further. About a second later he bit his lip to keep from crying out in pain. Contrary to waking up, L simply rolled over and was now laying on Light's arm. Light tried to wiggle free, but only managed to send shooting pain up his arm. He stopped, and laid motionless in the pitch black room. After a few minutes, the pain in his wrist became nothing more than a dull thud, and he began to pay attention to other things.
L was snoring. Quietly, like an infant. Each hot breath rustled the small hairs on the back of Light's neck. L's knees were tucked into the backs of Light's knees. Light could feel how L's chest rocked with each breath, and was slightly alarmed to realize that he had matched his own breathing to L's rhythm. L's cold feet were intwined with his own warm ones. An icy shiver ran up Light's spine. His whole body started to shake, right down to his cuticles. It was fear, wintry fear that had clenched Light's heart. He was as cold as if he were lying naked in the Arctic, even though he was sweating. It was too much, to be this close to L, this close to such genius.
Light listened for any noise in the room, any other noise he could focus on besides L's breathing. He found it. Outside. It started with one drop on a trashcan lid, but before long the air was heavy with the sound of rain. It was loud enough even to almost drown out L's snoring. Light began to relax, and he might have been able to go back to sleep.
Thunder boomed so loudly, Light was surprised the clouds did not scatter. The sound rippled, as though the sky were a lake that a large rock had been tossed in. The thunder was immediately followed by lightning so bright it lit up even the shadows under the desk. This pattern continued until Light's heart was pounding so hard it hurt. Light thought he may go insane. It may have been his heightened state of awareness, but L's snores seemed louder than ever, each breath seemed to be piercing his neck with tiny hot knives. And then, ever so slightly, L's hips rocked against his own.
The pain in his wrist forgotten, Light shot out of bed and leapt the five feet to the bathroom, slammed the door as hard as he could, jamming the chain connecting him and L, and flipped the light on. He splashed cold water over his face; he was panting and sweating as though he had just run a marathon. A knock at the door made Light jump again, and spill water down his front.
"Light," came L's voice, "if you wanted to use the bathroom, you should have woken me up." Light surpressed a derisive 'Ha!'. "Please come back to bed soon. We each have a full day's work ahead."
Light stayed in the bathroom another few minutes, until he'd caught his breath. He pulled the door open with difficulty, the chain was jammed pretty tight, and turned off the bathroom light. L had settled himself on the floor, using the bed as a backrest, his knees, as usual, pulled up to his chest and, Light couldn't believe it, he was clutching a slice of cake.
"Really?" asked Light, nodding to the cake.
"Just a snack," said L carelessly. "I must admit, at first I was annoyed that you woke me up, but now that I am, I can't imagine going back to sleep. You're wet."
"Huh? Oh yeah, the faucet sprayed me."
"Since you're already wet and awake, you wouldn't mind doing me a favor." L locked Light's gaze. Light's heart began to beat faster again.
"Sure," he said, thankfully keeping the note of panic out of his voice.
"Come take a walk on the balcony with me."
"Are you crazy? It's a thunderstorm!"
"Five minutes."
Light wasn't too keen on going, but he didn't want to say 'no' either. L was different tonight. His eyes were sharper, and it made Light's stomach somersault to look at them.
L seemed to take Light's silence as 'go ahead', because he opened the glass door and stepped out. Light followed him without a word. The thunder wasn't as loud anymore but the rain was pouring harder than ever. Each drop that hit Light's shoulder's felt like a small weight. L didn't seem to notice. On the contrary, he breathed as though he had just stepped into a warm bath, instead of a chilly rainstorm.
"It smells good, doesn't it?" asked L.
Yes, it did. Light always used to leave his window open when it rained. There was something about the world afterwards, a clean afterglow. Light began to feel it too. It was nice, being washed by the Earth.
"L," said Light.
"Yes?" L looked at him. Light forgot what he was going to say. His stomach flopped again, and a pleasureable sensation ran down his legs, making them feel like jelly. Light steadied himself on the railing. He tried to pass it off as a casual action.
"You're much cleverer than most people I know," Light finished. He was sure that it wasn't what he'd had in mind before. The two stood in the rain for awhile longer. Neither said a word. It was nice. Light quite enjoyed the times that he and L were alone together. When they weren't working on the case they had very interesting conversations on other subjects. Light couldn't think of anyone's company he had ever enjoyed more than L's. The chain between them wasn't a curse for him, it was a blessing. Yes, it was an understatement to say he enjoyed L's company. He cherished it. In fact recently, he'd begun to find it hard to imagine his life without it. It was even painful to try.
"Light," L said calmly. He didn't look at Light. His eyes remained focused somewhere in the clouds.
"What is it?"
"Because I've never had a friend before I don't know. Are we good friends?"
Light was slightly taken aback. It wasn't the type of question he'd come to expect from L.
"Yes," he replied, "Most people would even say we're best friends."
"Ah, that makes me happy." Though that's what he said, L's voice never left its calm state. Light was sure that had he said they weren't friends and it was stupid of L to think such a thing, L's voice wouldn't have left a measured quiet. But Light did hear it, the unbelievable relief in L's tone.
"I won't keep you out here any longer," said L, "Thank you for indulging me."
"It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway."
"Ah right, your wrist. I apologize, I didn't mean to injure you."
"That's fine, I barely even notice it now." It was true, Light hadn't even thought about it since they came outside.
"Maybe I can do something." L took Light's wrist gingerly in his hands. A pleasant sensation trickled up his arm and his stomach felt as though he had just taken a dive off a hundred foot cliff.
"You're bleeding," said L simply. He put his mouth over Light's cut as if it were the most obvious thing in the world to do.
Light's heart soared into the heavens. For one wild moment, he wished that L had kissed his lips instead of his wrist. But that was crazy. L wasn't kissing him at all. He was trying to do something nice. He was entirely unaware that what he was doing was socially awkward. Light's heart returned to his chest, though beating rather faster than usual after its brief flight.
But then, and Light was positive he felt it, L's tongue treated his wrist with a completely unnecessary flick. Light's heart did not soar this time. On the contrary, it felt like it was frozen in a block of ice. It must have been an accident. L released his wrist. He simply stared at Light. He had such a penetrating gaze...
"Does it feel better now?" he asked. His voice carried no apologetic tone. His eyes held no inkling that he might feel uncomfortable about what he had just done. Maybe he didn't realize he'd done it. No, this was L. He wouldn't make a careless move like that. And even he had to be aware of its implications. Quite apart from the rain, Light was drenched in a cold sweat. Part of him wanted very much to rush at a L. The desire was too strong for him to pass off as something else.
L stepped toward him. Light resisted the urge to step back. He didn't want this but...he wanted it very much. The very thought of being so close to the one person who understood him so well made his blood visibly race. Though he had shoved it to the recesses of his mind before, now that it came to it, he couldn't deny that the idea hadn't crossed his mind before.
L took another step forward. Light did step back this time. At least he had to get away from L's penetrating gaze. He found however that he had backed into the balcony railing. L was very close.
"How long?" he asked, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.
"I've been curious for quite some time now," L answered in the same even calm he always spoke in. "I never had anyone to feel close to before, and you are very...stimulating."
"Are you sure you're not confusing feelings of friendship with something else?" Light heard real panic in his voice now.
"I don't think so. What's more, I believe you've been thinking the same thing."
If L was close before, it was nothing compared to now. Light could have counted the number of raindrops in his bangs.
"L..." Light wanted to say something hold off the moment a bit longer, but...
L's lips touched his. It was cold, the rainwater from L's cheeks was dripping onto Light's. It was also warm. The heat from L's mouth warmed his entire body. It was sweet too. Light could taste the frosting from the cake L had just eaten; along with the taste that was simply L. It was good. Light hungered for the sensations L brought to him as though he had not eaten before.
Light took L's face in his hands and opened his mouth a little more, willing L to deepen the kiss too. He did. L ran his fingers into Light's hair and grasped the strands. Light took one hand off L's face. He brushed L's neck with one of his fingers. He could've sworn he felt L shiver. He trailed his hand down L's back. He gripped the small of L's back with his fingernails and, in one quick movement, pressed L's hips to his. There was no mistaking L's reaction this time. He moaned. It was very quiet and very short, but it sent Light's stomach into continuous loops of delight. It was enough to let him know that he had aroused in L some dormant passion that was usually covered by tranquility. It gave Light a very powerful and excited feeling to know he could control L like that.
The very moment he thought this, L nipped a spot on his neck that made Light grab L even harder and gasp much more loudly than L had.
L backed away from Light then. They both stood, breathing hard and soaked in the rain. L's eyes were much softer than before, but no less penetrating. Light wiped L's spit from his mouth with his sleeve. L said nothing, but took Light by the fingertips and led him inside.