On Common Ground
A/N –
For .L, who make this world a better place just by rolling her eyes. Happy birthday! =3
This is the shiny version of the story I wrote her on paper, in an actual notebook, without the ability to spell check or edit meticulously. Therefore, it is twice as long (and finished. Finally. I'm sorry it took so long.)
But it's shiiiiny…
XD
Heh.
I do not own DeathNote, but I try to steal Near as often as I can. Don't hate on albino genius kids, they need hugs like the rest of us.
"Would you call us fuck buddies, Light-kun?" L asked casually over a slice of strawberry cheesecake. He skewered a fraction of the pink tinged delicacy with an artful twist of his fork and popped it into his mouth.
Light, with slightly less grace than his counterpart, choked on his mouthful of hot tea.
Coughing, he turned to the raven haired super detective sitting not a meter away from him. L, as always, was perched upon his high backed swivel chair like a hawk, his eyes scanning through text on many different computer screens, his thumb slowly massaging his bottom lip in little circles.
Light stared. He looked so docile, so (relatively) normal, there was no way that…
"Ryuzaki… did you just…?"
"Yes, I did. Your opinion?"
Blunt, sharp and monotonous. Defiantly L, which meant that this conversation was defiantly happening.
Light blinked, spluttered something that was utter gibberish, and blinked again.
"Why… why would you even ask me that?"
"Answering a question with another question is bad form, Light-kun." L reprimanded. He replaced his fork on the side of his plate and began to drop cubes of sugar into his awaiting cup of coffee. He sipped it, wrinkled his nose and proceeded to add four more cubes, stirring it idly.
"It's also quite beneath you." He added, almost suspiciously. His large eyes narrowed, he settled back on his heels and sipped the coffee again.
Light frowned and leaned back in his own chair, crossing his arms and causing the chain, coiled on the desk between them, to clink obnoxiously.
Yet another Kira accusation. He would have thought that by now the jibes wouldn't affect him, would just roll off his back, but no. Some part of him still took it personally; still let the words cut through to his heart.
"Would you like me to answer Ryuzaki?" He asked curtly, not caring for his grammatical form nor innocence at the moment.
"That would be my reason for asking you." L droned, eyes still on the many screens, flicking occasionally.
"But, taking in to account your reaction, I am seventy percent sure that the answer to my question will be a resounding 'no'."
He turned towards Light, eyes uncommonly cold.
"Unless the phrase friends with benefits is more to Light-kun's liking."
CRACK!
Light had to dig his heels into the floorboards to resist the force of the chain from pulling himself down with L. The older man had toppled out of his seat with the force of Light's punch, lying face up and twisted on the cold floor.
Light straightened, and stood over him, fists rhythmically contracting and relaxing.
The tension they had felt towards each other had been apparent from the very beginning of Light's surveillance, tightening like the chain between them until it had became unbearable.
Then, on an otherwise completely unremarkable afternoon about a week ago, they had snapped; fists flying, teeth bared, eyes wild, fighting (again) over some forgotten detail.
Light had always sworn that the chain would break before he did, but as their bodies slammed together with more force than was necessary, when their mouths had stopped sneering and had instead sort out the other's damply, when their hands alternated between landing blows and tugging off clothing, when their insults mixed with half choked groans of pleasure, when their kicks were no longer driving the other away but instead hooked around the other's torso, pulling them both together and closer...
Well, for the first time in his life, Light hadn't minded that things hadn't gone according to plan.
On a level, he knew that this; their tension, sideways glances, accidental brushes, and guessing games, was going to end the way it had started – violently.
Because that was the way they were. There was nothing soft, nor relenting about either of them, but...
But to have their encounter, for lack of a better word, degraded to 'Fuck buddies' or 'friends with benefits'?
Unacceptable.
Light sighed, and bent down to nudge L on the shoulder.
Without missing a beat, the older man propped himself up onto his elbows, curled his legs up, and kicked. His aim was perfect; the sole of his feet hitting Light square in the chest and sending the boy tumbling backwards, landing rather ungraciously on his back.
L sat up fully and looked over to Light, groaning on the floor.
"We're on common ground now, Light-kun." He informed him.
Light turned his head to face the detective. "Ryuzaki... why are you asking me these questions?" He wheezed.
L hummed, and considered Light with his dark eyes
"I wish to know. I have been doing research on the internet and in Misa-san's magazines for the last three days, but I cannot decide which category we belong in."
Light ran his hands through his hair distractedly.
"A category? Where did you get that idea?"
"It is natural for me to organise information and stimulus into categories, even if they are just within the confines of my mind."
It made sense, in a very strange way.
"Why not just put it into the Light category?" he reasoned, albeit somewhat snappily.
L just stared at him.
"Because Light was not the only one in that situation."
Light's forehead knotted. Not the only one in the situation... Is he saying...
Oh.
Light swallowed, his heart beat erratic.
Somehow, professions of love always sounded better in movies. But he knew Ryuzaki, knew L, well enough to realise when something had affected him... when Light himself had affected him on levels that could be bruised easier than flesh.
Then they really were on common ground now. Eye to eye, heart to heart.
"Why not create a new category?" He whispered.
A new category... of Light and L, L and Light; of the two of them being together. The notion was impossibly wild and yet seemingly plausible.
"Unlikely. It would create more questions than it would solve." L murmured.
Of course it would. There would be shouting from Light's father, the shocked glares of the other investigators, the quietly disapproving glances from Watari. They would all question L on the whys, how's and when's of their relationship. It was easy, Light realised, staring at L's delicately slumped shoulders, to just denounce the concept. Too complicated, 89 percent rate of failure, file it away with everything else...
Light shuffled forward slowly, not looking at the man curled up in front of him.
It was too easy for L, but Light wouldn't allow it. He'd always believed that Love was an evocative thing, like Truth or Justice; it couldn't be ignored, faked or belittled.
Obsidian orbs met honeyed ones.
"Are... definitive answers required for your questions?" Light asked huskily, leaning back on his hands.
L said nothing. Instead, he slid forward, keeping Light's gaze till he reached his companion.
He didn't stop.
Softly, he crawled over Light's legs, positioning himself so he was facing the boy, sitting on his lap. He kept moving; bringing his hands up to trace Light's jaw with his thumbs, fingers tangling within his hair.
"Not entirely." He murmured, and closed the spaced between them.
It was softer than last time, Light realised. The first time their mouths had met, it had been just that; a meeting of mouths, a fight for dominance, fingernails scrapping skin till they drew blood. L's hands were warm; thumbs running along Light's neck tenderly, and his mouth warmer; tongue pleasantly tracing his lips.
L's hand's dropped away from tracing his face, and instead ran down his arms, lacing their hands together.
"Is that all you wanted to ask me?" Light murmured against L's mouth, smile forming on his lips despite himself.
L pulled away, looking at their twined hands guiltily.
"Well, if Light-kun requests the truth..."
Light sighed.
"What else?"
"I... I'm afraid I intentionally provoked you today into punching me."
For a second Light just looked at him blankly. After processing the statement, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "What is your problem, Ryuzaki?" Light hissed, so venomously that the man sitting upon his lap wriggled uncomfortably before answering.
"There is no problem, Light-kun. I was merely asking your opinion. Despite my ulterior motives, I actually did want to know. It was upon a personal matter, I do realise, but Light-kun has the extraordinary ability to make an interrogation more enjoyable when he is emotional." L looked up at Light again, his eyes sparkling. "Angering Light-kun seems to be the quickest way to get him to react."
L's expression suddenly turned thoughtful, and, after releasing one of Light's hands, his thumb pressed against his lip again. "I suppose it is because Light-kun is always so calm and collected that I find his rage rather amusing, in an endearing sort of way."
Light blinked, his anger dissipating.
"Are you saying that I'm cute when I'm angry?" he asked incredulously. L laughed at that, brushing Light's fringe aside with his thumb.
"Positively so, Light-kun."
A/N -
Argh! Fluff! I hope you liked it Joys!
XD