Sportsmanship
The pace of the day was equal to the speed at which corn syrup drips in winter. With Misa out of the house at last, Light Yagami and his crouching companion L were left staring blankly at the air around them. Ryuk shot the pair of them contemptuous looks from the corner wall of the room. Only Light noticed and comprehended the Shinigami's anger: with L inside, Ryuk was on apple withdrawal. Precautions had to be taken to keep Light's inquisitive detective "friend" oblivious to the death god's existence. Unfortunately for Ryuk, this included no apples to snack on.
Unable to see Ryuk performing a series of highly impressive gymnastic feats, L sat calmly a few feet away, running his thumb across his lips. A bored Light coiled the chain between himself and L about his wrist, distracted. He had a few hours before Misa would return to steal what remained of his sanity.
"Light-kun, you're pulling me." L said softly from across the room.
Light tried hard not to laugh at the childish way L spoke this last sentence.
"The handcuffs were your idea Ryuzaki." Light reminded him, yanking a little more to provoke L.
The other boy turned and gave Light an incredulous glance enhanced by dark circles resulting from lack of sleep and eyeliner.
"This is only as painful as you want it to be Yagami-kun."
The younger boy rolled his eyes.
"How about a battle, eh Ryuzaki? I'm bored."
L's coal black eyes widened.
"You desire violence when bored. I'd say you're at 30 likelihood now."
"Oh shut up!" Light snapped.
"Easily angered too."
The chain clattered with a violent tug from Light's end.
Ryuk chuckled.
"Fine. Have it your way." L sighed, pushing back his shaggy black hair and rising from his comfortable position on the carpet.
Though fairly small and skinny, L had tremendous athletic ability along with his obvious genius for academics. He and Light began in sparring poses. At first it appeared as though their encounter would be friendly, an exercise to relieve the boredom of the slow afternoon. It came off this way until Light landed his first hit against L's ear.
L felt it throb with pain, but pushed the sensation away and lunged for his opponent, striking with a furious kick to Light's stomach. Each ignored his individual aches and pains until a particularly angry punch from Light smacked L directly in the nose. Blood gushed over his pale face, and the young man fell backward, suddenly overcome with the true feeling of his injuries. The room swirled like turning water to L's eyes. He then acknowledged his exhausted body meeting the floor.
Light cackled lightly as he moved ever so slightly from L's collapse.
"Come on. We can play a game if you like. You can collect more evidence against me. I know it's your favorite hobby."
L did not answer.
Light glanced down. L's face was whiter than usual, spattered with stark splotches of red.
"Ryuzaki…"
Light crouched down.
L's eyes flickered open and shut. Guilt, a feeling Light Yagami had not felt in months, washed over him when he took in L's face and remembered the nonexistent hours of sleep he'd had that week. In no way was today a fair fight.
"L," he whispered softly into the ear he'd whacked just minutes before, hoping he'd respond to his code name.
L let out a gentle noise half between a cry and a moan. Light drew closer at the sound, his stomach flipping. Without thinking about it, he cupped L's face in his hands.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled.
"That wasn't fair of me to do."
L stirred.
"Hmm…compassion. You're back to 25."
Under normal circumstances, Light would have been quick to snap back with a sarcastic remark. He only responded by smiling gently and tracing the shape of L's face with one finger. The red blood accentuated the pale pink shade of L's lips. Light shook his head wondering why details like this were popping up.
"Yagami-kun?" L said quietly, a question in his voice.
The teenage boy sprung away from him and moved to a couch so L could rest and he could clear his head.