WARNING: Implied L/Light shonen-ai

Interrogation

There is a particular kind of hate that Light has preserved and kept safe in the back of his mind for precisely this sort of moment. It is a sort of appalled disbelief, mixed with shock and betrayal and with a dash of suppressed, simmering rage.

He closes his eyes and breathes steadily, trying to calm the angry surge of blood in his temples and steady his throbbing pulse. "Is that so, Ryuzaki?" he asks, voice hissing, strained, from between his gritted teeth.

"Yes," L replies simply, infuriatingly calm, watching the irregular patches of colour flare in the young man's face as he alternately pales and flushes with anger.

Light feels the overwhelming urge to seize L by the hair and hit his head on the keyboard until he stops moving- or maybe just strangle him with the ridiculous chain; either would accurately express his current mood. However, he is fairly certain that doing so would only increase the suspicion piled on his head in the long run, so he contents himself with clenching his fists until his nails puncture his skin.

"Don't you think that's quite an insensitive thing to say?" he manages.

L swivels an eye to fix Light with a stare. "Is it? I am merely stating what I think."

"Well the world wouldn't function very well if everyone did that all the time."

"I see…" L says, pushing on the desk so that his chair turns slowly to face the other man. "So in that case you think that it is acceptable- no, appropriate- to lie about your opinions?"

"I think we ought to get back on the subject here," Light snaps, unwilling to entangle himself in yet another endless, convoluted interrogation.

L makes no outward response, but Light knows that this incident will have been stored meticulously in the detective's memory for later analysis.

He'll deal with that problem later.

"I have to say that I am surprised by your reaction to what I said," L remarks, apparently unaware that every word he says is making him more likely to be punched in the face by a seething Light Yagami. "It seems a little excessive."

There are cameras in here, Light thinks furiously. If I'm going to murder him I might as well do it in one of the private rooms. Perhaps I could blame it on the Kira supporters… Why am I thinking about this?

"It's not excessive," he says, shaking himself mentally. "It's just a normal human response. But then, the two are basically interchangeable for you, aren't they Ryuzaki?"

Oops. He winces; he hadn't intended to let L see the extent of his annoyance.

L seems a little affronted, but nods slowly, putting on the show of deep thought. "I suppose that may be true. In that case, why don't you explain to me? I'm sure that with your ability, you'll help me to understand."

Light turns around slowly and stares at the dark-eyed man. L stares back openly, the picture of wide-eyed innocence.

Bastard, Light thinks. He knows. He has to.

The claim not to understand Light's anger was a lie, designed to manipulate him into this situation. If only he realised sooner… but it is too late. He could still refuse to answer the question, but that would make him appear very suspicious- hardly something that he needs right now. It is either that or…

Say something extremely embarrassing.

Bastard.

Light swallows. Rebuilding his pride would be a long and painful process- but restoring his innocence in the eyes of L would be almost impossible.

"Fine then," he mutters, turning away. "It was insulting, Ryuzaki. To be questioned like that about… you know. It's… it's important to me," he finishes, praying that L will be satisfied with this and not probe further.

No such luck.

"If it is so important to you, why are you willing to discuss it now?"

"I'm willing to talk about it-" sort of "-but I don't want to have to defend it against these accusations. You shouldn't interrogate me about it."

"You seemed to accept the interrogations when they concerned a different topic. Why is this any different?"

Damn it!

Light has resigned himself to the inevitable by now, but allows a little irritation back into his voice all the same. "First of all, I don't accept them. It's horrible having to defend yourself like that. Secondly, it is different. It-"

"By 'it' I assume you mean all the kisses you've been giving me over the last few weeks."

Light clenches his jaw. Tact is dead. It is lying on the ground, bleeding, slain by a disturbed- and by now, most likely diabetic- detective who doesn't even notice its body.

"Right. It's personal, all right? I don't appreciate having my personal life questioned and treated like the plotting of a murderer. What I do with people is too personal to be treated with such open distrust. Especially-" why prolong the agony any further? "-especially when I do it with you."

If silences were music, this one would be the 1812 Overture.


Author's notes: Yeah, more L/Light- or, as my friends and I call it, Limagay. Sorry for the slight silliness, and please review with crit if you can.