Hello again everyone! I was bored one day so I wrote a little short. This is all there is too it. A cute little seven page segment. This is indeed a continuation of Friend or Flame (sortof). You can still enjoy it if you haven't read my previous fictions, but time-line wise, this takes place after my last fan fiction. Anyway, it's a cute lil thing. Enjoy.
--
March had blown in on the lion's roar and with it came the clouds and the rain. Big, fat, sagging, bags of darkness overtook the skies. They churned and twisted, looking more furious by the hour. And when they finally let loose their heavy load; it was in sheets so thick that it could hardly be seen through.
The last snow that was had in February melted within only a few minutes and the sleepy upstate New York town became plummeted into one of those well-known dreary gray days. It forced even the most dedicated outdoorsmen to remain inside. The first rainstorm of spring had already made its mark.
The two newest residence of the upstate town were affected by the weather just as everyone else. Inside a little bungalow on the edge of town they took shelter as the spring lion clawed at their slate colored shingles. It let its fury be known.
But there was one difference between the new couple and the other members of the town: one of its members was affected by the storm with more than just boredom or gloom.
Light had been at ease reading the morning newspaper. He'd managed to get it inside just before the torrential downpour attacked their house and yard. But as he was easing into the local news, he noticed L had curled up on the opposite side of the couch, away from him. And when Light lifted his gaze to look at him, he noticed several more oddities other than L keeping a sudden distance.
He was curled just a bit more tightly than usual. He was leaning heavily on the armrest. What was more was that he was chewing on his thumb viciously. It looked painful. There was no way it couldn't have been.
Light had been trying to get him to stop chewing his fingers. L had actually agreed to cooperate. But they both soon found it to be a habit that was more difficult to break than either had previously thought. Still, when Light pointed it out, or L noticed it himself he would stop. But this time…he was doing it on purpose. Light didn't like the strained expression on his partners face.
"Lawliet? What's the matter?" He asked it casually and in his usual cool and silky tones. Almost as if he didn't really care. But he knew that L knew better. Light watched the raven-haired man carefully out of the corner of his slanted eyes. Would L answer him directly today? Or did he want to play a few games? L shifted in what looked like discomfort on the cushions. He didn't face his partner.
"How did you discern something was the matter? Am I acting oddly?" Light let out a small snort, then folded up the newspaper and put it down on the coffee table in front of him. It was half of an answer. L admitted to there being something wrong, but he also seemed uptight and unwilling to say what that something was. Light knew he wanted him to figure it out. Why L felt the need to sometimes force Light into a guessing game was still debatable. But Light was certain it somehow gave L the satisfaction of gaining more attention than he would have if he simply answered clearly. Therefore, when Light felt generous, he played along. But it was hard not to get frustrated.
"Of course you're acting oddly. Don't pretend I wouldn't or couldn't notice." Light crossed his legs and faced L more directly. L still wouldn't look at him. That was defiantly a sign. L knew Light could read his face. Light let out a small sigh.
"What is it? Did I make you mad somehow?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I would tell you if you had made me angry." Light knew this to be true. L would tell him immediately the moment it happened. He didn't hold things like that inside. He only held other types of things inside. Like whatever this new development was.
"Then what is it?" Light knew he immediately made a mistake by asking so bluntly. L would never answer to that in the mood he was currently in.
"Could you get me a slice of cake Raito?" It was asked politely enough. There was no hint of hostility in his tones, but it had still made Light mad. L hadn't eaten breakfast yet and he was asking for a sugar product? Light had been certain that they'd defeated his sugar kick. L still ate a good deal of the stuff, sure; but he had been careful not to let it substitute meals.
"No! Eat some cereal or something! Have a pancake! I'm not getting you a slice of cake!" L let out a small noise of disapproval as if Light had done something wrong in refusing him.
"Cereal and pancakes will not help me right now. I'm going to need a slice of cake. We have a chocolate cream one in the freezer. There's even…"
"What the hell Lawliet! You know I'd never agree to letting you have some cake! Are you asking just to provoke me? What about your diet?" L let out a sudden sigh. Light watched his white-clad shoulders rise and then fall.
"Can't you at least piece it together…" L's tones had seemed almost depressed. Light blinked. Piece it together? What's he talking about? Why do I have to piece anything together? Why can't he just tell me?
"I'll ask you once more Raito: please get me a piece of cake?" Again the tones had been polite. L didn't seem angry or upset by Light's reaction. He only seemed slightly frustrated. Light let out a soft growl. He had some nerve, asking for cake at this early hour in the morning.
"If this is some sort of test, I'm not falling for it. I care far too much about you and your health to let you fall prey to old habits. So, no. I won't get you your cake." Thinking his job was done; Light reached forward and snagged his newspaper back up and into his hands. He snapped it open in a 'this conversation is closed' type of way, then frustratingly gazed at the article in front of him. But of course…he couldn't concentrate on it. How could he? His mind was still whirring.
What the heck would L want cake for? The only thing I can think of is that it once made him happy. It blocked out bad feelings. But he has me for that now. He said so himself. So why would he want cake instead of some physical affection? Was it really a test to see if I'd say no? Light turned the thought over. L certainly didn't need sugar in the way he used too. So the reason of him wanting some now was most likely different. But what other reason could there be?
CRASH! Light's head jerked up from the newspaper, startled out of his thoughts by the sudden racket. He sat up stiffly on the couch and immediately looked over to the place where L had just been sitting. Of course he was gone. But that crash, it'd sounded like…
"Lawliet?" Alarmed, Light sprang to his feet, letting the paper fluttered to the carpeted floor. Having heard the crash come from the kitchen, that was where Light's feet took him. He hurried, his slippers moving quickly from carpet to linoleum. He turned into the yellow painted room and let out a small gasp when he found L on the floor, a shattered plate beside him. All illusions of anger were instantly gone with a jolt of fear.
"Lawli!" Light hurried to his lover's side, even as L started to push himself up. Light had crouched down and was just about to reach out his hands when he saw L's face. He stopped. It immediately gave everything away. It was strained. Lines creased places they shouldn't and his jaw was rigidly. But the thing that gave it away the most was his large expressive eyes. Light stopped his hands halfway between them as L sighed.
"So…you found me out." Light gaped in astonishment.
"Lawli…you're in pain." L sighed a second time. He finished pushing himself up until he was in a seated position on the floor. The tense expression that played over his features as he moved was engraved into Light's chest. L wasn't just in pain…it seemed as if he were in a lot of pain. Concern filled the younger of the two. That was why L had wanted cake. It would have served as a distraction. It would have taken his mind off of it.
"Wh…why are you hurt? I…I haven't noticed anything…" Light's face suddenly tensed, his eyes narrowing in something close to fury as a thought struck him. "Did someone hurt you?" It was a demand. And as L watched Light's face contort, a small, amused grin played over L's pale lips as his dark eyes smiled.
"Jumping to conclusions?" he asked. It always made him feel good to see such care on Light's features. But L didn't want to worry him. "It's nothing like that Raito. It's just a simple matter of my old injuries acting out." Light blinked at first seeming baffled. He'd been so ready to go beat the living hell out of someone that L's explanation seemed far too easy. But then he grasped what L had said and his expression changed. Light relaxed considerably. No one had hurt L. Well…that wasn't entirely true; Webber had hurt L. But that had been many months ago and all of L's injures were now healed. What L meant was that the weather was affecting them.
Light knew that in many cases, when a person suffered an injury such as a broken bone, the weather could sometimes affect a healed wound in the future. The healed bone was never perfectly right the way it had been and it could sometimes cause an ache to form in high humidity or a low-pressure system. The storm they were in currently was both. And Light could imagine that with things like old gunshot wounds in his body, L could have been suffering a great deal more than he would like to think.
Immediately his caramel eyes narrowed with their usual fire. The anger was still there, but this time it was a different sort.
"Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped sooner!" L lifted his black gaze and locked it onto Light's.
"Because I didn't want to worry you. I knew you'd overreact…" Light let out a huff as he stuck his nose in the air.
"You're such a liar. You wanted me to notice. You'd even hinted as such in the living room." Light sighed heavily and he interrupted L before he could answer. "Well whatever. It doesn't matter now. What matters now is getting you to sit down. Come on." Light reached out and wrapped an arm underneath L's shoulders. Without any hesitation and without asking, he carefully, yet strongly pulled the thinner man to his feet. The moment L was erect he winced, his eyes squinting shut. Light, knowing what to look for now, noticed immediately.
"So it's your leg." L was still looking incredibly strained as he answered.
"M…mostly. But the rest of my injuries ache too. My shoulder…" Light understood. L had broken many bones that day. His ankle, ribs and shoulder were probably also hurting him. But the leg had been the worst injury. Even now Light saw that L was favoring it, not daring to put more pressure on it than he needed to.
"If I knew you were in pain I would've gotten you your damned cake." It was said with a hint of remorse in it that L picked up on right away. But he said nothing. Light had already figured out that he had fallen because he was unable to support his own weight. Embarrassed, L looked away from the stronger youth.
Light carefully started to help L back into the living room. Limping considerably, it was slow going, but with caution they made it within a few moments. Light, as considerate as he usually was, now that they were together, gently helped L to sit down on the cushions.
"I know you feel most comfortable curled Lawli, but you might want to let your hurting leg fall normally just this once. It will help with blood flow." L nodded in agreement. He'd already thought of this. It wasn't as big a deal as it used to be. After all, back when the wounds were still fresh, he'd been forced to sit regularly due to the pain that would accompany him if he didn't. But with Light at his side, he hadn't felt as threatened as he used to sitting regularly. So, with no objections at all, L let the one leg stretch outward until his bare toes touched the floor. The other leg, of course, stayed curled to his chest.
Light immediately got to work. He grabbed a few pillows and started packing them around the thinner man. He tucked one in behind his head and neck, and then put one under his aching leg. L let out a snort.
"This is what I meant by overreacting. You're excessive Raito."
"Yeah, well you'll thank me in a few minutes when you start feeling better. You never knew how to take care of yourself." When Light finished with the pillows, L allowing him to continue despite his previous objection, he headed back into the kitchen. There, he carefully cleaned up the glass. He wouldn't leave something like that lying around. Not when L walked the house barefoot.
When the glass was cleaned up, Light went into the freezer and got the piece of cake L had been trying to fetch for himself. He also got him a full glass of milk. He then stepped back into the living room, but didn't stop to hand the treats to L. Instead he headed for the bathroom. There he opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed the bottle of Advil. Once he had two pills, he laid them on the plate beside the cake. Then, finally, he returned to the living room. He stepped over to his partner, who'd been watching him with interest the entire time.
"Here. Take these with your cake. It'll help." L gazed up at Light, his ink colored eyes holding surprise. Light grinned. "What? Are you still not used to being taken care of? Come on Lawliet." L carefully reached out his hands, taking the plate and glass. He looked at the food products, then looked back up to Light.
"I suppose…I may never get used to it," he said. "Watari brought me snacks constantly, yes…but it's not quite the same." Light plopped himself down on the couch beside L casually.
"Well as I said last night…I'm going to make you sick of it." L felt his cheeks grow suddenly warm. Even after the past few months, it still sometimes took him by surprise. He wondered…if his new life was real. Maybe it was all some crazy dream. But if it was…he never wanted to wake up. He obediently took the Advil pills, downing them with milk.
"I could…never get sick of it," he said softly. Then he pinched his fork between his thumb and forefinger and lifted it off the plate. He carefully dug it into the tip of his cake. Light watched him silently for just a moment, taking in his last words. It was that kind of tone, those kinds of sentences that reminded him of how awful L's life had been until recently. Light never wanted to hear tones like that ever again. He wanted to erase them. That was why, that was why he would spoil L and 'overreact' and be 'excessive.' He would do all of those things until L expected them of him. Until he was no longer surprised by the amount of love Light poured on him.
Light casually leaned forward, resting one of his elbows on his knee. His chin in his hand, he smiled warmly at his snacking partner.
"After you eat your cake…you should let me rub your leg." L stopped chewing for half a second. Light watched, enjoying it immensely when his pale cheeks started to burn. He loved that look. L swallowed his morsel carefully.
"If this is your way of asking for sex then I'm sorry I must disappoint you today. I'm afraid I'm not up to it Raito. My movements have been minimized a great deal. I'm stiff and unyielding. I also think that the excess exercise would agitate my already tender wounds and…"
"No no. I was serious. I'm not looking for sex. I just want you to feel better. I'm not quite the sex fiend you think I am. Really, I can be a good guy every once in a while." L let off a small snort. Like he'd believe that. When was Light not looking for sex? Ever since they'd gotten together that one lonely winter night…well…it seemed like he couldn't get enough.
But L's red cheeks remained hot. He couldn't judge. L himself had felt a strange passion bloom within him as well. It wasn't always Light who initiated their rompings since that time. L had done his fair share of 'coaxing.'
But this time, he meant it. He was in too much pain. There'd be no fun in it, no pleasure. Light must have known that too. Then he really wasn't asking for sex?
"Alright," L agreed quietly. Light waited patiently, and the couple didn't speak for the next few moments as L enjoyed his cake. The only sounds were that of the rain pouring down on the roof above them. The storm, if at all possible seemed to be getting worse. The thick clouds blocked out almost all sun and the day seemed as dark as dusk. Light watched, unhappy with the tense lines that occasionally cut through his lovers face. L was aching. And his small body wasn't handling it well.
Finally, he finished up his cake. Before he could even think to move or put down his plate, Light was on his feet. He took the dish from him.
"Raito…" But Light wasn't going to hear any objections. He quickly took the dish out of the room and to the kitchen. A few seconds later he returned, and he wasted not even an ounce of time. He knelt down in front of L and the couch, positioning himself on the carpeted floor before him. He immediately reached out his hands.
L hesitated, an objection forming on his lips as he once again wondered if Light wasn't just trying to entice him into further activities, but any objection he had died as Lights hands gently but firmly went to work. Light had not hesitated, and his strong grip encircled the upper part of L's thigh that had been shot only nine months ago. The youth was amazingly brilliant in his movements, despite his inexperience, and L felt the pain bending to his will as Light's strong thumbs pushed in gently, coaxing L's tortured muscles to loosen. Light moved the thick of his palms in then, kneading L's thigh like dough.
L could not help himself, he let out a slightly shaky sigh. Light was absolutely right; he was feeling much better already. Even through the thickness of his jeans, Light's powerful hands worked their magic. And when L focused his dark orbs on Light's face, he was surprised to see deep concentration there in his features. He was putting all he was into this. Light Yagami was indeed not worried about sex. He was worried about his partner's health and well-being. He was worried for his comfort.
L felt his heart swell. It could do things like that now that it had been melted. It could jerk him any which way it pleased at any given time. And this was one of those times. L felt it grow, as if it would burst if it got any bigger. These feelings…as L had told Light only moments ago…he'd never get sick of it. Never. Not in a thousands years would he get tired of these feelings. He loved the young man kneeling at his feet. He loved him so fiercely that he wondered how someone so small as himself could hold such powerful feelings inside. He loved him so powerfully that at times…he felt like crying. He would have at that moment, had he not been so afraid of worrying his love.
"There now! Isn't that better?" Light had interrupted his unbridled feelings by speaking. Blinking, L focused on him once more. His face was coated in a light layer of sweat. He indeed was working hard. Still, his strong hands showed no signs of lessening their pressure or slowing. He massaged L's old would as firmly as he knew how. And now…now Light was smiling. He could feel L's tightened muscles loosening. He could feel the pain vanishing underneath his fingers.
"Yes, it is indeed much better," L admitted. "I'm impressed with your dexterity."
"Heh." Light's grin only grew. And when he felt L's leg was thoroughly done, he rose from his kneeled position. L thinking Light was done, found himself surprised when Light sat himself down on the couch beside him. Light reached out again and this time took a hold on L's shoulder. He began the process all over.
"Here? Is this the other spot?" Having already having accepted Light's physical kindness for what it was, L sighed a second time.
"A little more to the left. The exit wound was just to your-! A-ahh!" L let out a quick yelp as Light's thumb slipped directly into the spot L had been indicating. L's body stiffened and jerked in Light's grasp, but Light quickly held him still by his shoulders.
"Hey…it'll be better once I work that out…" L knew it to be true, so he did indeed sit still as Light continued to work on his pain riddled shoulder. Light much more gently, began working on the place where a bullet had ripped through L's shoulder previously. Carefully, and over the course of several minutes, he applied more pressure.
Light felt L tremble beneath his touch. But slowly, his hisses of pain subsided and his muscles loosened as they had in his thigh. Light smiled softly to himself. He was glad to be of use to his ailing love.
"Is the Advil kicking in?" L's eyes had slowly been fluttering closed at the soft contact. He was enjoying every moment of it. Gentle touch…it meant so much after knowing nothing but hurt for so long. Light's gentle touch…
"Hm? Advil?" he mumbled. "I think it's mostly your massage. But yes, I think it may be working." Light grinned.
"Good." A few moments later, Light withdrew his hands. But there was no need to continue. L was completely relaxed, all hints of his previous pain gone. In fact, once Light's hands were removed, L slumped to his side, letting his body rest against the younger man's sturdier frame. He leaned his head to the side, letting it clonk gently against Light's auburn hair. He inhaled deeply, feeling his lungs fill, then sighed, letting his breath rush out.
"Raito…is very good at that…" Light let yet another smile play across his face. He enjoyed hearing such compliments from L. It made him feel quite important.
"Yeah. And I can do something like that for you anytime. If another storm like this comes up, I'll know what to look for."
"Hmmm," L sighed, in almost a drunken way. He was too content to really say much else. He let his eyes flutter closed. Maybe later, if he was still feeling this lovely…he would ask for another massage later in their bedroom.