Disclaimer: The characters within this story all belong to writer Tsugumi Ohba and artist Takeshi Obata.
Warnings: Vampirism between men.
Summary: Watari is aware that there is no one on earth that's on part with L's brilliant mind and decides to preserve it for eternity. Unfortunately, the method he uses is all wrong.
Completed: January 17, 2010
An Agreement by Blood
by: Kagome-reincarnation
"What," the thin body coughed out, black eyes staring woefully into the old man's eyes, "Did you do to me?"
Watari spoke without emotion, unsure of how his charge would react to his news. After a week of bodily torment, he was sure that the detective was exhausted. "I have ensured your life," he said in his aged voice. "You will not die so long as I live."
L stared up at Watari from his bed, feeling betrayed. "What have you done?" he asked, despairing. What would these changes bring in him? His mind was already running through several scenarios – he'd likely know for sure what it was that Watari had done within several days at the latest. Whatever drug that had been plunged into the crook of his unwilling elbow would likely not be difficult to track down.
Assuming that it had been a drug. A cursory glance at his elbow told him that he had not, in fact, been injected with anything. Unless the markings had faded…? Growing fearful of whatever unknown thing had occurred to him, L began to panic.
"Watari!" he cried sharply, "What have you done?"
The old man heaved a great sigh and L held his breathe. Minutes passed, and L realized that he wasn't breathing, though his body was still functioning perfectly. Several thoughts came to mind, but his eyes widened at the first impossible thing that occurred to him.
"You… killed me?" he asked weakly, his eyes widening in shock.
Watari looked down, as though he were ashamed. "Forgive me, Lawliet," he said, using L's true name. "I could see no other solution."
L felt his world falling away from him as he attempted to come to terms with what had happened. "I'm dead," he told himself faintly. "And yet I am still thinking. I am awake and well." He looked towards Watari, his expression one of hurt. "What am I?" he asked him, a series of emotions flitting across his face.
"I have changed you," Watari said solemnly. "You will require a pint of blood every four days to continue your health, but that is the only real difference. Your body will heal more quickly should you be hurt and your strength much reinforced. No disease will ever ravage your body again, but nor will you ever be able to reproduce." He listed several of the changes that L would find. "But those are the only general things I was able to learn." The old man looked towards L with only the slightest twinge of regret. "Do you hate me now?"
L inhaled sharply at the listing. He would be eternally young and healthy. Impotency was a small thing in comparison to that. He should have been happy about it, but there were several things that stood out in stark contrast to what seemed to be good.
First, though, he needed to respond to his caretaker. "No," he said quietly, his voice subdued. "I do not hate you, Watari." Then, he asked, "Are you also immortal?" There was hope in his voice, but it was quickly dashed as the familiar man shook his head.
"No," he said quietly. "I am too old for such things," he explained. "I would have only gotten in your way."
L didn't know whether to be hurt or dismayed or if there was some other alternative.
Fortunately, though his mind was at a loss, his changed body wasn't. Unable to cope with everything all at once, L fell into unconsciousness.
The next time he woke, he woke in a bed foreign from his own and with an ache in his belly. Looking around, he realized he was in a normal hotel room – perhaps of lower quality than he was used to, but it was identifiable, all the same.
Then he noticed that there was a second bed. One that had someone in it.
Frowning, L got out of his own bed – fortunately, his clothes had been untouched and he wore his usual white T-shirt and blue jeans. Moving towards the other bed, his nose caught an unusual scent. It was one that he couldn't identify, and that in itself was impressive because he was a walking, talking database of information and there were few things in the world that he was unable to identify or at least categorically place.
A quick look around the room convinced him it was the body in the bed. A boy. A brunette, really.
L moved closer, wondering if it was a shampoo that he was smelling. The scent was coppery and yet sweet. It was not unlike the cakes and candies that he so often indulged in.
He bent at the waist until his face was just above the brown-haired boy's. He closed his eyes and inhaled. Yes. The smell was coming from the boy.
L stepped away, suddenly nervous. Who was this boy? How had he gotten here? All of the questions that should have been firing in his mind when he woke up came forward, front and center.
Then the boy stirred. Reflexively, L backed away even further. He had no idea of what to expect and had no intention of being within range if the boy was belligerent.
"Ugh," the boy groaned as he slowly sat up. The boy blinked a few times; L surmised he was probably adjusting to the light in the room. L noted the boy's eyes were blue as their eyes connected. Immediately, the boy grew suspicious. "Who are you?" he demanded, immediately scrambling out of the bed. He was speaking in Japanese. He was fully clothed and, L noted this with some satisfaction, wore the uniform of a rather prestigious university.
"I am," L paused, unsure of what he should tell the boy before him. After a moment of searching for an alias, he settled for an easy one. "Ryuuzaki. You may call my Ryuuzaki." Then, eyes narrowing, he looked towards the other boy. "Who are you?"
Seemingly taken aback – it was apparent that the boy had thought L was responsible for their current situation. "L-Light," the admission came out quickly. "Light Yagami."
L nodded. "Do you have any idea what hotel we're at?"
Light blinked at him, and then looked at the small bedside table that was between the two beds. A plaque proudly declared they were at one of the well known motel chains in Japan.
The freshly-changed vampire blinked, feeling foolish. And hungry. His stomach was rumbling at him, complaining at the lack of sustenance it had. A quick glance at a calendar told him it was exactly four days since he'd been turned.
L turned his eyes onto Light, wondering whether this had been planned by Watari as well. "Yagami-san," he said, following the customs of Japan. "Do you have any idea who might have done this to you?"
Light looked at him a bit blearily before suddenly perking up, his expression quickly becoming murderous. "Food," he muttered angrily. "That bastard called me food!"
This had certainly caught L's attention. He wasn't a famous detective for nothing, after all. "Who did?"
"Some old geezer," the young man spat unhappily. "He was dressed in a trench coat and broad-brimmed hat." The young man scowled before moving towards the bathroom – towards L.
The scent wafted ever strongly and L found himself being drawn towards it. It was an impossible smell. It promised rich sweetness and coppery blood all at once and L couldn't help himself. Although he tried to step away, his body was stepping forward, and though he opened his mouth to warn Light, he could feel fangs growing in his mouth.
"Yagami-san," he managed to say before falling upon the boy, catching him from behind. One arm captured the boy's arms and torso and the other tilted the boy's head to the side. "I'm sorry." He expressed as much emotion as he could in those words even as his own neck curved to force his fangs into the younger man's throat, cutting into one of the smaller arteries that were placed there.
Even as he felt the flow of blood entering his body, he could feel the boy weakening from blood loss. L stopped as soon as he had control of his body and as he moved his head away, he saw that the cuts made by his fangs were already closing. Stricken, he turned Light to face him.
"Yagami-san? Yagami-san!" he exclaimed, panicked. "I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"
The man glared at him, though his body was weak from anemia. "You bastard!" the young man said, his voice thick from the effort.
"I apologize," L said, panicked. "I had not realized such a thing would occur." He really hadn't. Although he'd heard some of the stories and checked records, there had never really been a report on what happened if a vampire within human proximity hadn't had sustenance within a certain amount of time.
"Let go of me…" Light glared at him.
In shock because of his own actions, L obeyed, only to catch the man before he fell. "I apologize," he said once more, "But it seems I will have to carry you to your bed." Biting his lower lip – thank god the fangs had shrunk – he lifted the man from the shoulders and crook of the knees and carried him to the bed he'd originally woken in.
The young man, as soon as L had set him on his bed, grabbed his wrist. Still glaring up at him, Light gestured for him to sit, and L did so.
Obviously angry, Light said only one word: "Explain."