Light pulled L unceremoniously down another long corridor, around a corner (smacking L's head off a wall in the process) and into a room. "Here we go," L said happily, dumping L's disoriented body onto the bed.
L sat up, tentatively rubbing his head. Wincing, he took a look at the room he now found himself in. White walls, wooden furniture- altogether very neutral. However, looking down, he noticed the bed he was on was rather springy. It was a large bed with luxurious cotton bedding. He ran his hand distractedly over it, noticing the deep green color. It was of high quality, the only burst of color in an otherwise dreary room in a dreary building. Just another one of the many rooms L had ordered built into the investigation building. He hadn't personally chosen the bedclothes, but he liked them. The color was rather nice.
"Light," he began, "Where exactly are we?"
Light grinned, "Just another room you ordered built into the investigation building…" he trailed off.
L's eyes narrowed. It was sometimes uncanny how much alike he and Light thought. Indeed, it was most unsettling. Furthermore, he did not appreciate how Light's voice trailed off at the end of that sentence. Also very unsettling. "And?" he asked, carefully keeping the irritation out of his voice.
"Well… it just so happens to be the room I've been sleeping in for the last couple of weeks, so I mean you kind of just might as well call it my room, I guess."
L blinked. "Light has been sleeping here? In this building?"
"Yes…"
"I thought you were going home to sleep."
"Well, the first few nights I did, but I didn't want to worry Mom and Sayu any more than I needed to. I mean, they all stay up until Dad comes home or calls, and Dad goes home much earlier than me, so… I just told them I'd be staying here instead."
"But you neglected to mention the fact to me."
Light grinned. "Must have slipped my mind."
The gears in L's head began turning. Ever since they had moved into the new building, Light had been staying later than the others. L had to admit, the two of the got a lot more work done without the others there to gum up the works. But around two in the morning, without fail, Light would stand up, stretch and say his goodbyes. He would leave the room and disappear into the elevator. L had always assumed he had taken the elevator down to the ground floor and gone home. It seemed, L mused, he was mistaken.
L was angry at himself. He had been slipping- if Light Yagami was Kira, then what was to stop him from creeping up on him in the night and just killing him? L hadn't even known he was in the building. This was a serious security breach. Light had stayed in the building without his knowledge and without any supervision. Granted, it was not likely Light would have just popped out from under his bed and slit his throat. First of all, they both knew L was too alert for that. Second, the fact that L died and Light was the only one who stayed later than the others would put him under suspicion. Third, and most convincing- Light just didn't work like that. If Light Yagami was Kira (and L had little doubt that he was), then Light would not kill him in such a manner. Light would see it as cowardice, as laziness even. No, if Light killed him, it would be in a intelligent manner. It would be something clever, a burst of intelligence that Ryuuzaki hadn't foreseen. Light would see something L had missed, and that would be the end of Ryuuzaki. L looked up at Light. He was in no danger from Light physically. The only way Light would hurt him, was by outsmarting him.
As L had sat ruminating on the springy mattress, Light had been in the adjoining bathroom, pulling bottles off of shelves and digging brushes out of the cupboard. L stared with little interest at what he was doing. He wasn't sure how Light planned on making him "presentable," and he didn't much care. It really couldn't hurt anything. As he said before, Light will not hurt him physically. Being in a room alone with him and scissors and razorblades and clean laundry would not result in his death, however unsettling it may be.
"Come here," Light said from behind the bathroom door. Sighing, L stood and slouched his way into the bathroom.
"What?"
L pointed behind him at the pristine white bathtub. "Wash."
"What?"
Light glared evenly at L. "I am going to make you look nice. The first step is a shower. So go and wash."
L glared back, beginning to have doubts about this entire situation. "Fine," he said, turning away from Light and stripping off his shirt. "Light-kun is lucky I'm bored."
Light stared oddly at the skinny pale flesh of L's back. "L-kun is lucky that I am good at this. Now get in the shower. I'm leaving, but I swear if there is one inch of you that isn't scrubbed clean when you get out, I'll pull you right back in here and wash you myself!"
L raised an eyebrow and began unbuckling his jeans.
Light flushed and spun around to leave. "And don't wash your hair! I'm gonna take good care of that when you get out." With that, he exited the bathroom and slammed the door.
L grinned. Too easy.
*************
When L presented himself to Light, towel hanging loosely around scrawny hips, he was clean. Very clean. He was, in fact, almost pink from the thorough scrubbing he had given himself.
Almost.
It was clear to Light that L hadn't wanted to take any chances on not being clean enough.
Light chuckled. "Good. Now rub these on your skin." He lazily threw two bottles to Ryuuzaki, who barely caught them, his towel dipping dangerously. Light blushed again. "The blue one is for your face, the green is for the rest of your body. And for god's sake put on a robe!"
L scowled at Light before turning and disappearing into the bathroom again.
*************
"Bend over."
"What!?"
"Don't what me; I'm going to wash your hair. Bend over the sink."
"No."
"Damn it, L… wait a second… never mind, you're right. A chair would be much better."
L resisted the urge to slap his forehead.
*************
L sat scowling, his head bent as far backward as it would go, as Light tested the water.
"Can Light please hurry up? This position is extremely uncomfortable."
"I'm sorry, but I'm trying to make sure this water doesn't burn you. Do you want your brains scalded out?"
"That is impossible, Light-kun."
"Oh really? No wait, you're probably right. I mean, you've seen how hot Misa makes her showers, right? Look at her, she's a genius. In fact, her water is usually about this temperature exactly… how odd…"
"Please, Light-kun, take all the time you need."
"I thought so."
*************
L was relaxed. Possibly more relaxed than he had been in years. Why wouldn't he be? Despite the strange angle of his head, he was in a state of sleepy bliss as Light's deft fingers massaged shampoo through his thick hair.
"Wow Ryuuzaki, I knew your hair was thick, but this is amazing. Your hair is sucking the shampoo up like a sponge! I've used a quarter bottle of shampoo already!"
L made a noncommittal noise in his throat. He didn't really care how much shampoo Light used, as long as he didn't stop. He was almost asleep.
Light glanced down at the silent L and almost giggled. His eyes were half closed already, and it wouldn't take much longer before Ryuuzaki was out for the count. He smiled. "Fine, but if you use this much of my conditioner, I'm not going to let you use it anymore. This stuff is expensive!"
L yawned, and Light smiled again and began to rinse out the shampoo.
*************
L woke up with a yelp.
Sitting straight up, the ebony haired teen tried to fend off the waterfall of icy water that ran over his head.
"Hold still, Ryuuzaki! I have to get all the conditioner out!"
"No. That water is cold." L said petulantly, wrapping his arms around his skinny frame.
"It's supposed to be, Ryuuzaki! The cold water adds shine to your hair. It's good for your follicles, and it wakes you up. We've got a lot of work to do, and you need to stay awake for it."
"Light-kun?"
"Yes?"
"Why on earth are we doing this?"
Light sighed. "I thought we answered this already, L. You don't like your looks, I'm good at looking good, and we're both bored…"
"No, I mean, why are we doing this. It's nearly three in the morning, we're both tired, and once we are done, I fully intend to sleep. There is no point in continuing this tonight, as your efforts will be ruined by my pillow."
Light grinned. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong!"
L grimaced. He hated when Light used that tone of voice. It never meant anything good as far as he was concerned. "I do not understand."
"You will," Light murmured, and began vigorously rubbing a towel over the dripping ebony locks, effectively silencing Ryuuzaki for the many minutes to come.
