Part 1: "Sleeping Arrangements"
Was it really necessary? Light had asked L. And L said it was paramount.
He wanted to keep an eye on Light 24/7, because he still suspected Light to be Kira: the mass murder of thousands of criminals in Japan and throughout the world.
With the handcuffs attached by a lengthy steel chain, the moment they were put on Light dreaded his future.
All sorts of questions ran through Light's mind and basically one topped the rest: How long was he to wear these cuffs? Forever? But the answer was obvious: until L stopped suspecting him of being the worst serial killer the world has ever. And that could take a very long time.
Light insisted he wasn't Kira, but L played his card, and it was for them to remain together, and chained, until L was one-hundred percent confident Light wasn't his target.
That night, the very first night of the pair being handcuffed, sleeping arrangements we're still being sorted out.
Within the newly built, thirty-five story building for L's use, as the Kira defacto task force headquarters, there were many sleeping quarters to choose from.
Misa got her own room and so did every other Task Force member. Light on the other hand was far from pleased. Because of the handcuffs, he had to stay in the same room with L, and there was only one bed. Granted, it was a king size bed, but they would still have to share it, and that created all sorts of weird problems.
The obvious one: two guys sleeping in the same bed together. Misa found it exciting, but Light didn't share the thrill.
Light felt uncomfortable, but shrugged it off. L told him, he had to deal with it. The first night will be the hardest.
Light sighed, as they stood together in L's private quarters. "So, which side of the bed do you want, Ryuzaki?" he inquired, finally coming to the realization he had no choice in the matter.
"It doesn't matter to me, but as you know I don't sleep much," L replied. "I would prefer to stay up and work all night on the Kira case."
"We all need sleep, Ryuzaki. It's a well known fact, mental awareness depletes by nearly sixty percent without adequate sleep. I'm not a night owl like you. So, how will this go? You work and I sleep?" Light indicated to a desk with a computer on it. The work station was pretty much the only thing in the room. "I like the room dark when I sleep, the glow of the computer it will keep me up."
L panned his head to the computer. "That computer is for simple research only." He pointed to his head. "The only computer I really need is the inside my skull. You can be rest assured, Light, I won't keep you up."
"Fine, but how do I change?" He lifted his arm up with the cuffs.
"If you want the cuffs to be unlocked, you'll have to change in front of me, so I can keep an eye on you."
"I have rights, Ryuzaki. What about privacy?" Light was firm. "And what if I have to urinate? Will you he joining me in the bathroom, too?"
L looked at him strangely. "It's either this, or I put you back in the cell, and you'll still be watched and recorded, personal hygiene and body fluids, included. You were watched when you urinated and even showered when you were incarcerated for fifty days, and you had no issue with that. I've seen you naked, Light. And frankly, it's nothing to brag about. I've seen more muscle on a chicken leg."
"Hey! Well, I don't seem to remember much of that first week. Things are still a bit foggy."
"Because you claim to not be Kira, right. You agreed to be locked up and watched. I tried to engage with you in your jail cell several times, but you were always so tight-lipped, as if you were afraid to reveal anything of a secret nature."
Light got annoyed. "Like I said, I don't remember much of that first week, so can we drop it and get back to the issue at hand—which side of the bed do you want?"
L avoided the immediate question. "I have no problems unlocking your handcuffs so you can change for bed, Light. But get everything you need and dress here. Oh, and as this is my private quarters, as you can be assured there are no cameras. The room we're in is for sleeping. There's very little in it, nothing to distract me from my work here. Since you can't go anywhere without me, I opted for us to use my personal quarters."
"Oh, how very nice of you," Light said sarcastically.
But with a glance around, Light noticed Ryuzaki was right. There were no pictures on the wall, nothing of a personal either. Only a computer on a wooden desk in the corner of room filled the room, opposite the bed. And most likely it had a password, so he could not use it without Ryuzaki's permission.
"When you were brought in, Light, you didn't bring much in the way of a change of clothes; you basically wore the same thing for 50 days. You wreaked pretty bad sometimes. At the end of your incarceration, you even lost a lot of weight. You should eat more protein to bulk up."
"Thanks for the advice. I try to stay thin, I'm not the kind of guy to go to the gym."
"Just for your personal information: the bathroom is stocked with all the necessities, including a toothbrush, deodorant, hair brush, and it even has its own personal shower. I did notice that your father brought a few personal items of yours yesterday when he returned to your home in preparation for this. He also informed your mother that you'd be staying here for a while. The bag your father collected is next to the wall for there."
"That's prefect! I definitely feel a need to clean up before going to bed."
Light's mood lightened. He went to the bag and rummaged through it. Thanks to his father, he had everything he needed, plus a few extras.
"I searched your bag before it was given to you, Light. May I ask a question?"
Light pulled out a pair of track pants and a long sleeve night shirt. "Sure," he said. "As long as it's not about my underwear. It may be a bit eccentric, but I have a pair for every day. It's not as bad as David Beckham, however."
"We all have eccentricities, I wondered why your father packed so many pairs. And David Beckham is that soccer star who never wears the same pair of underwear twice, right? Every genius has their quirk." L shrugged. Light smiled when L actually referred to him as a genius. He was smart, granted that. But a genius? "I wanted to ask you about that picture your father put in your bag." Light brought out a small framed picture of a young self and a friend, they were smiling. Light's friend had his arm around his shoulder and both were wearing tennis gear. "Who is that?"
Light looked at the picture and smiled.
"You look so happy in that picture," L remarked, "as you do now remembering the moment. I think I remember meeting him once when in the early goings of the Kira Case. He was also a student at your high school, correct?"
Light nodded. "This picture was taken after I won the Japan Junior Tennis Championships years ago."
"If I recall, he had an unusual name…"
"His name is Demetre Draycott. I call him Demmy, for short. We've been friends since childhood." Light laughed as if he told himself a mental joke. "I also jokingly once called him a mutt once, because he as Russian, English, French and Japanese lineage."
"Tell me about him. What's he like? I only got to question him once. I didn't get friendly with him. It was only business."
"His mother is a quarter Japanese, his is father is American, but he speaks perfect Japanese, and without an accent. His father's law firm transferred him to Tokyo, because they just opened a Japanese Division and they wanted someone here. Demmy;s grandfather was Russian, hence how he got his name. Demmy was born in America, but he's lived in Tokyo, Japan most of his life."
"Where did you two meet?"
"At a recreational centre, he was swimming freestyle. He was already a great swimmer before I met him, but he never took his talent seriously. I suppose that's why he had a swimmer's physique, he swims three times a week. Admittedly, I was always jealous. I'm too thin for my own good, as you've already pointed out." Light closed his eyes and smiled, as if recalling a good memory. "He actually taught me how to swim, I was only four years old at the time. We've been close friends ever since, and he was my biggest supporter when I was playing tennis in the Junior League, hence this picture."
"He must be a very good friend."
"The best! This my favour photograph and whenever I feel blue, I always like to look at it, and remember good times, times when I was the most happiest." Light then returned the framed photograph to his bag. "But let's get back to the issue at hand. Will you at least turn your back when I undress?"
L shook his head. "Once the cuffs are off, it's all or nothing. Bare ass and all."
"Fine, I guess certain restrictions must be adhered to for my innocence to be established. I have no other option." He raised his arm. "Where's the key to take off the cuffs? You can see me in the buff then, if that's what you like?"
"I'm not of one persuasion or the other. I think the actual term is asexual, but in my business, you don't have the luxury of dating, so it doesn't matter to me if you turn around or if you face forward. I don't care either way. But for the record, I would rather see Misa in the buff than you."
L reached into his front jeans pocket and produced a small key to the handcuffs, then unlocked the cuffs. Light rubbed his wrist. He undressed, taking off his shirt.
L watched him like some sort of lecherous fiend, eyes wide, which was kind of creepy, Light thought. Similarly when he removed his trousers, he was watched closely—it was as if L was wondering if he was hiding anything, even eying his crotch for anything suspicious—and then he got into a tracksuit bottom and a long-sleeve sleeping shirt.
"I never took you for the speedo type, Light."
"Like I said, a different pair every day. I also like to change it up from time-to-time: boxers, jockeys, and speedos."
Light subjected himself to being handcuffed once more.
Light grumbled under his breath when he viewed the cuffs. "For the record, let me just say, I'd turn my head if you had to get undressed," he said. "I would, at the very least, give you that dignity and respect."
"No need," L responded, and then removed his cuffs. Following that, he dragged Light to what appeared to be a metal ring embedded in the wall next to the headboard of the bed, and next to a nightstand table with a lamp. Light hadn't noticed it until now. "It's an option. You can either be attached to the wall or sleep attached to me, your choice."
"I think I'll choose the ring. Saves embarrassment."
After Light washed up, they returned to the bed together. Then L snapped the cuffs around the ring. Subsequently, L began to undress. But to Light's surprise, he didn't replace what he took off with any night attire.
Lights eyes widen with shock as L stood in front of him completely in the buff, the full monty.
"So, what's the matter now?" L gestured. "I don't like rough things next to my skin when I sleep. I guess I should've told you this before. I always sleep in the nude. Also, one of the reasons there's no camera in my quarters. So, which side the bed do you want?"
"You're not sleeping in the same bed nude with me!" Light protested. "What if someone sees you, someone sees us? They would misconstrue things. I know Misa thinks you're kind of kinky already with the cuffs, but I don't want her thinking anything of a similar nature of me. I don't swing that way."
L cocked his head. "Swing what way, Light? It's a different world than your parents, there's nothing wrong with enjoying another person's company in bed—male or female." L sat on the edge of the bed, but turned slightly; his genitals were hidden between his legs, but he was still bare. "Allow me to give you an anatomy lesson. Like it or not, a man's prostate dictates sexual pleasure and that is located in the butt. A female's clitoris does the same thing, that is located just outside the vagina. To be blunt. And frankly, it's all in how you stimulate them to get the maximum sensation. And most people enjoy it one way or the other, some even partake it both ways. Some people go through their entire life never knowing 'the other way' and then find out they missed out and wished they had tried it at least once. But social stigma prevents them. It's perfectly acceptable for guys to sleep together nowadays."
"Yes, I know. But I'm uncomfortable with this situation at present."
"Well, get used to it. If you prefer, you can sleep on the covers and I'll sleep beneath. Or, you can sleep on the floor?"
"The floor sounds agreeable."
"Suit yourself."
Light saw L get under the covers. Then he made a mental calculation looking at the chain of his cuffs and the length. There was not enough chain for him to sleep on the floor. He sighed and then sat on his side of the bed, which happened to the left side. "I don't like this, I really wish you had told me about you sleeping habits?"
"Oh, by the way: I roll on bed, and I some times have nightmares. I've also been told I talk in my sleep."
"Oh, wonderful, Ryuzaki! Anything else I should know?"
"I have weird dreams. That's about it, I think?" L turned over and wrapped himself with the covers. "Good night, Light," he said. "Please turn out the light when you're ready to go to sleep."
Light laid down on top of the covers and turned off the lamp. He stared into the darkness for a few moments and then closed eyes. The bed was quite comfortable, save for the circumstances.
To be continued...