It started out as a one-shot, I swear! TT I didn't think it'd be so long when I started typing…
It's partly L's POV, and switches to Light's occasionally.
Disclaimer: L, Light, and the other characters mentioned here aren't mine, though I'd give my soul to own them. –pets L–
And since it was supposed to be just a little one-shot and I hate the plot after L dies, this'll end up kinda AU. Light's chained to L, but he has his memories back and Rem is hanging around.
Comments/praise/constructive criticism are loved! It's my first 'fic so input is greatly needed.
My dull black hair is gilt with silver as the moonlight filters through the half-closed blinds and falls upon me, enveloping my hunched silhouette. I am in my usual pose: sitting upright with knees tucked into my chest. My trademark baggy white shirt and equally baggy jeans still hang loosely from my lean, pale frame, as if I'd just climbed into bed.
Truthfully I'd settled myself here several hours ago on Light's request, but even at three in the morning habits die hard. My insomnia isn't as much all the sugar I eat, as some people think. Most is a screwed-up internal clock, but the sugar really doesn't help.
My blank, dark eyes are pinned to the lump under the covers next to me. Light still has relatively normal sleeping habits, despite having been chained to me for so long. It's sheer stubbornness, I think. Whatever it is, Light always drags me to bed every night as close to midnight as I'll allow. Often I sit as I am now, gazing at nothing in particular and letting my agile mind click and whir away, trying to solve the case.
This case is beginning to be a pain in the arse. I've been so close to catching Kira several times, but as always that damned man slipped through my fingers. The evidence still points quite clearly at Light and Misa; all except a few tiny little details that made all the difference.
By all rights I should have cleared both their names and let them go, but my own stubbornness holds me back. Well, maybe not just my stubbornness. I wince, pulling my eyes away from Light's peacefully sleeping form.
I've never really given my sexuality much thought, I muse absently as I fix my gaze on a random spot on the shadowed wall. it hasn't been all that important. What bothers me isn't that I seem to be bisexual at least. Since I've felt passing infatuations for a few girls I'm probably not completely homosexual, but that's not the point. I sigh softly, reaching over to gently pull a stray lock of auburn hair from Light's face. The point is that I'm infatuated with my main suspect, even if that suspicion is technically invalid. Still, I can't help but go back to that theory…Damn. As I pull my pale-skinned hand back, Light stirs. He turns onto his back, the moonlight casting a silvery glow on his peaceful features. Now he looks even more beautiful…
No, no, I chide myself. Even if he's not supposed to be a suspect, I still can't let myself be distracted from the case. There's a Kira out there, and I have to catch him. Though if the pattern continues, I might end up chasing Kira for the rest of my life.
"Still awake, Ryuzaki?" Says a sleepy voice next to me. I jump slightly, surprised, and glance down to find Light's brown eyes half-open and fixed mildly on my face.
"Of course." I say with a half-hearted chuckle. "I never sleep, remember?"
"Oh, right." The corners of Light's eyes crinkle slightly, in one of the cutest little smiles I've ever seen. "So, is that why you were playing with my hair just now?"
Shit.
"Why would I play with your hair, Light-kun?" I say innocently. "You must've dreamed that, because I haven't touched you."
The corners of Light's lips turn up in a faint smirk, and the way he quirked one eyebrow slightly told me that he knew I was lying. "Sure, Ryuzaki. Go to sleep all ready." He turned back over, and soon his breathing slowed and I knew he was asleep.
Light:
I mentally kicked myself as I worked at the computer, pointedly ignoring L. You can't develop a crush on anyone, fool. You don't have that luxury. You're still under suspicion, one slip-up and it's death row.
You especially can't develop a crush on your enemy! The fact that L's a guy doesn't help matters, either. A gay Kira just doesn't work.
He isn't even all that attractive! Well, mostly. If he'd just stop wearing baggy clothes all the time he'd look a lot sexier.
I barely suppress awince at the various images that thought conjured up. I turn the movement into a stretch, extending my arms upward until my back pops. I notice L twitching at the sound and grin.
"Light-kun, why must you do that?"
"Because it feels good."
"You'll hurt your back like that," L pointed out.
"And you think sitting like that all the time is good for your back?" I retort.
"Point taken." L smiles one of his rare, small smiles and I find myself grinning back. He's definitely sexier when he smiles.
The man who's out to put you on death row is off-limits as a crush, genius. Even if you are gay, there's no excuse for being infatuated with your enemy. That's dangerous, especially when he'll be dead very soon. A malicious smirk spreads over my face as I turn back to the computer screen, though L doesn't see it, as he's turned back to his own monitor.
L:
"Ryuzaki, it's obvious you still suspect Light, but do you really have to keep him cuffed?"
I stifle a sigh of long-suffering and turn to the others. It's about time I let him go, the poor boy. He must be going stir-crazy.
"If he suspects me, letting me go isn't about to lessen the suspicion, is it?"
Surprised as the others, I turn to Light, who has one eyebrow quirked scathingly. "That's not like you, Light." I say, slightly warily. If he really wasn't Kira, he'd back up what Matsuda had just said. He's said as much before. What is with him all of a sudden?
Now something catches my eye. Hidden in Light's expression, lurking behind the mildly condescending mask he'd put on, I notice an anomaly. His cheeks are tinged slightly red, though it's a shade almost impossible to pick out, and a gleam lurks behind his eyes, of warring emotions.
If I didn't know better, I'd say Light wants to stay chained. And I said as much, keeping my face studiously expressionless. I was rewarded with the blush deepening slightly as Light averted his face, muttering something I didn't catch. Well, that's good to know. I allow myself a small, mischievous smile, narrowing my eyes slyly at Light. He notices my expression and scowls, growling at me to shut it before he punches my face in.
I'd like to see him try. "Tsk tsk, Light-kun! Methinks you doth protest too much." That did it. I could tell that the flush on his face and the flash that crossed his eyes was anger, and I was ready as Light lurched out of his chair. I ducked his first punch, lashing out hard with one leg, giving a punishing kick to his solar plexus.
Light staggered backward several paces and overbalanced. I pushed myself out of my chair and stood over Light splayed out on his back, a smirk playing over my lips. He surged upward, one fist coming up from below and cracking into my chin. I saw stars for a moment, blinking hard to clear my vision as I tilted my head, spitting out blood from where I had bitten my tongue. Seeing an opening, I brought one knee up and connected it painfully with Light's groin. Such a cheap shot, but I couldn't resist.
His eyes bulged for a moment before Light crumpled to the ground, doubling over with both hands clutching his crotch. I tried not to laugh, and wondered how long it would be before Light's voice dropped to its normal octave. He remained there on the floor, gasping for breath with his mouth gaping wide.
His father stepped forward, kneeling to see if Light was okay. I received the other team members' accusing glares, and shrugged. "What? He started it."
Light pushed his father away, staggering to his feet with pure hatred burning in his eyes. "So we don't destroy the important stuff," he pointed to the computers, "I suggest we take this elsewhere, Ryuzaki. I'll make you pay for that."
I noticed a few other things adding to the heat in Light's glare, and stifled a smirk, shoving my hands in my pockets. "Sounds good to me. The rest of you, don't wait up."
"Don't kill each other!" Matsuda said, concern written all over his face.
Light grinned wolfishly. "I can't promise anything."
You just had to ruin my fun, didn't you? I sighed inwardly as I followed Light's lead down the hall, into the elevator, and back out again the next floor higher. Most of the private suites in the building weren't wired or bugged, despite the common conception. Obviously Light had been paying attention when I mentioned that. Well, good. And since we're a whole floor away (and heading toward the other half of the building) there was plenty of sound-insulation. What was that? No fantasizing, don't get your hopes up.
I obligingly unlocked the door to an unused suite, and Light stalked inside. Though he'd started out seeming relatively composed, now the flush had returned to his face. I stood passively, hands back in my pockets, and waited for Light's move.
The young man turned slowly to face me, staring at the ground to one side of me, flushing deeply with a disgruntled expression knitting his brows. He's so cute when he's mad…
"I thought you wanted to pay me back for kicking you in the crotch." I said, smiling.
Light grimaced slightly and lunged, though he moved much more slowly than before. Without thinking I reached up and caught Light's wrist before his fist made contact with the side of my head. As if it was on auto-pilot, my body moved without my consent. I pulled him close, moving my hand from his wrist to the back of his head. My other arm wrapped around his waist as I craned my head up slightly, tilting his head down so that our lips pressed together. Such a shame that he's taller than I am.
Light didn't have time to react before my mouth had closed over his. I could almost feel the heat radiating from his crimsoned cheeks, and though my eyes were half-lidded I could tell that his were wide in surprise.
As expected Light soon regained use of his body and pulled away, blushing so furiously that I had to laugh. If possible, he blushed deeper. "It's not funny, Ryuzaki." He growled.
"I'm sorry," I said, immediately sobering. "I know it's not funny…" I couldn't stifle a disappointed sigh, averting my head. My thumb took its customary place against my bottom lip, my posture slouching as the old anti-social L came back.
Light took a hesitant step forward, his face twisted oddly as the blush mostly faded. "It… it's not like that, though…"
I winced, taking a few steps over to an armchair. I sank down on it, retreating back into the welcome safety of that familiar pose. "Yes, I figured as much just now. I'm very sorry to have made you uncomfortable, Light-kun –"
"No, you didn't make me uncomfortable." Light said, cutting into my depression. "In fact, you made me very happy." I looked up, seeing some of the blush return as he averted his face. "But… gah!" He threw himself down on the couch across from my armchair, head hanging so that the neat shock of auburn hair obscured his face.
Hope, tinged with no little disbelief, lifted my heart as I slipped out of the chair, sitting softly next to Light, craning my head around to peer into his face. "Well, that's a good thing to know." I smiled slightly, a tinge of pink coloring my own cheeks.
Light grimaced, lifting his head and turning it away. I held a perplexed silence as Light rested his chin on one arm. The silence that stretched between us was heavy, the sort of silence that meant that Light was trying to say something that was difficult to admit.
"It is, but is also is very bad." He said haltingly, hunching his shoulders. I leaned forward, putting one hand softly on Light's shoulder. "How is it bad?"
"It… ah just forget it." He turned to face me, his brown eyes now holding a plaintive gleam that made my heart skip. "Just… if we're gonna make it work, try to trust me a bit more?"
His words sounded more sincere than I'd ever heard from him, and the expression on his face was one that would have melted even Kira's heart. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, burying my face into the crook of his neck. "With the look you just gave me, Light, how could I not?"
Check back later for the second chapter. I'm still working out the kinks, so bear with me.