A/N:This is the first time I've written Death Note so forgive me if it is totally out of character. Do let me know though, about that and anything that else that needs improving.
Disclaimer: I read the manga, some doujinshi, and watched the anime and other stuff online. I own no part of Death Note whatsoever.
Playing Pretend
He was staring intently at the screen, trying to make sense out of the charts and statistics displayed there. He reached for the keyboard when his arm was pulled away with a sharp tug.
"Ryuzaki, it's 3am. Do you ever sleep?"
The detective looked up from his position, legs crossed childlike, on the floor by the bed. Light was glaring at him with an expression similar to the one he wore the time they had that fist fight. "Light-kun should know by now that I do not sleep too often." He looked away from Light's face and started to type.
"Light-kun," the boy began, sarcastically, "is tired and does not want to be exhausted while working tomorrow."
Ryuzaki had his arm tugged again and he sighed, "It is possible that Kira is awake right now, we don't want to miss anything. Or is that Light-kun is sure nothing will happen while he is asleep? Or perhaps Light-kun only wants me to sleep, so that he can carry out his acts as Kira while I am not watching?" He looked to Light again to gage his response.
Light rolled his eyes and lifted his arm, showing off the chain that bound the two boys together.
"Do you suspect that I'll sneak of into the night without you noticing, Ryuzaki"
Ryuzaki narrowed his eyes, "Do you know for a fact that Kira can't carry out murder while in bed?"
Light rolled over, turning his back to the detective, "Shut up and sleep or I'll carry out murder while in bed."
Ryuzaki sat there for a moment, thinking. There was a ninety-two percent chance that Light would take these next words the wrong way. Of course, the wrong way was in fact the better way for him to take them.
"It makes me uncomfortable to be sleeping next to Light-kun." His voice was almost a whisper and this unnerved him. What a coward.
"Ryuzaki, I realize I am going to have to try harder than this to prove it to you, but please tonight at least accept the fact that I am NOT Kira and come to bed."
L's owl eyes widened even further, though Light had indeed made the wrong assumption about what L had meant, he found himself creating his own personal meaning behind the young man's words. His impressive mind created a fantasy and he found himself wondering on a forbidden subject.
Could he really pretend for one night that Light was not the mass murdering Kira? It would be possible perhaps. For Light had not really done anything too suspicious for a while now. Though that could be seen as suspicious itself. It was unfortunate in many ways, that Light had become L's best and only true friend. The detective had never really had friends before. It was a shame that as soon as he found one, he wanted more from them. He had respected Light Yagami from the start, he was also fascinated by him.
Could he do it, though? Could he tell Light the truth about how he saw him?
No he thought, he could not. For if Light ever found out that secret, it could end up almost as disastrous as if Kira found out L's true name. After all, with the right motives, L did believe Light capable of murder.
Then again, he didn't believe that Light would harm him at all physically for this, not really. So perhaps he should try. Or was the risk of loosing his friend too high. He couldn't be sure, he had no way to calculate them. This fact frustrated him and L did not like to be frustrated. The answer would be very simple to get to. He just needed to stop being such a coward.
"Ryuzaki?"
L looked up into Light's questioning face and sighed, he might as well go for it.
"Light-kun seems to have misunderstood my words." He stated.
"How so, Ryuzaki?"
"You see, of course I would be uncomfortable to sleep next to Kira. But I would find it awkward to sleep next to Light-kun even if I thought there was a zero percent chance of him being Kira."
It must have been the way he was looking at him, because L saw something register in Light's expression. The boy jerked upright and gaped at Ryuzaki with the same slightly crazed expression that L had noticed before, but in entirely different circumstances.
"A.a..are you trying to say that you would find it uncomfortable, because..because you like me?" He was clearly flabbergasted and L decided that the best course of action now would be to remain calm.
"I am saying that Light-kun, I am sorry if that upsets you."
Light composed himself, "No, it's alright, Ryuzaki. I just didn't take you for someone who like men."
"Light-kun should know better than to stereotype."
"Of course, I mean it's not always obvious. Sometimes you can't be sure yourself. Sometimes, it's perfectly possible to be someone or something without knowing it."
L smiled, "Is Light-kun trying to tell me something?"
Light didn't reply, he just stared at L in a way that the detective knew to be a challenge. He liked a challenge, and he wasn't one to back down either. He stood up from the floor, stretched out before returning to his usual slouched pose, and stared back at Light who was kneeling on the bed. He didn't speak and it appeared that Light intended to stay silent also. L looked hard into the eyes of the person before him. They revealed nothing save for the fact that it would be up to him to make the first move. That was fine by him, things seemed to have taken a turn in his favor anyway.
L leaned forward and closed the gap between them, Light responded almost immediately and the next thing either knew they were both tangled up on the bed with their tongues down each other's throat. The chain, as always, posed a problem when undressing was concerned but by some miracle they managed. L couldn't really tell what Light was thinking but he deducted that it was probably nothing much at all and so, for once, he got his mind to shut up as well.
Hours later and the sun was streaming through the gaps in the curtains, casting it's glow on the face of the sleeping boy that L watched carefully. Light Yagami seemed so peaceful when he was sleeping. He also appeared innocent and untroubled and L knew both of those things to be untrue in varying degrees. It was known fact that appearances could be deceiving and he couldn't help but to think on Light's words from earlier that night.
Sometimes, it's perfectly possible to be someone or something without knowing it.
The night was over now, and L had to stop pretending.
I'm sicky so a review would probably be the highlight of my week.