Story: Illumination
Chapter: 2
Author: MikoAkako
Beta: ElizabellaLight
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Suggestive language; mild cursing.
Pairing(s): Light/L
Word count: 2,144
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.
Summary: L has some bad news for Light.
A/N: Sorry this took so long. Midterms have been kicking my bum. Thank god they're (finally) over.
"RYUZAKI!" Light's voice broke the silence of their new house. There were still a handful of boxes scattered in each room, though Light had spent all his free time in the past week unpacking. There was a crash as a startled detective jumped and knocked the empty plate off his desk.
"Where the hell is my food, Ryuzaki?" Light asked, storming up the stairs and into one of the spare bedrooms L had claimed as his office, leaving the designated office for Light. He stood in the doorway, glaring daggers at the black haired man perched on a desk chair, seemingly absorbed in something on the computer screen.
"Light-kun is upset," He observed, not moving from his position.
"What gave it away?" Sarcasm evident in the younger man's voice.
"You only call me Ryuzaki when you're mad," He said seriously. Light rolled his eyes.
"Whatever," Light said, closing the distance between them until he was standing with his arms crossed behind the detective. "What did you do with my food, L?" His tone was carefully neutral but his eyes were narrowed.
"I threw it away," L said, finally turning away from the computer screen to glance innocently at his boyfriend. "It smelled bad."
"You. Threw. It. Away." Light was fuming, but L didn't flinch. "What am I supposed to eat then? And don't tell me to eat that garbage you call food. It's a miracle you're not four hundred pounds with the way you eat."
"Would Light-kun not love me if I gained weight?" L asked, tilting his head to the side in a way that still made Light's stomach flutter so many months later.
"That's not fair," the younger man insisted, shaking his head to get his hair out of his face. "You can't change the subject when I'm yelling at you." But it was over. Light's temper was dissipating with every passing second – he couldn't stay mad at L for long, even if they did fight often.
Their first fight had been stupid; they both realized that after the fact. It happened two months after they had returned from Japan. Light was tired and L was on the computer, as he frequently was, working on the current case one of his aliases had been hired for. L was so absorbed in his work he didn't hear Light slamming the cabinets and doors as he moved. Light in turn had started yelling at L for something or other – it didn't matter what. The fight has escalated to the point where Light had left the apartment. He'd spent the night at Wammy's with Mello and Matt, neither of whom seemed surprised to see him. Apparently they'd had a bet going on how long until Light and L got in their first major fight. From the grin on the normally somber blonde's face, he had won.
"Would it help if I told Light-kun I have made a reservation at a restaurant tonight?" L asked casually. Light refused to be placated so easily. He kept his arms firmly crossed and took a step away from L's chair.
"Depends on where," He said. "That bakery didn't count. Everything on the menu was made of sugar." The last time L had surprised Light with a meal, it had been a cute bakery that, while what they served was good, was mostly cakes and pastries. Everything L needed in a day, but nothing Light could eat without feeling sick.
"It's a surprise," L said, biting his thumb and gazing up at Light. He took more pleasure in tormenting Light than was necessary, but it still amused him to get a rise out of the normally stoic youth. "But I can assure Light-kun that he will find the food suitable." Light knew better than to press for more.
"Fine," He huffed, turning to leave. L caught his arm and he spun around to face the now standing detective who drew him in for a kiss. They both fought for dominance, but it was L who pulled away first and Light who tried to follow. "I still hate you." He said with a grin, a silent joke he knew L would understand.
"I expect Light-kun to be dressed in suitable clothing for our date," L said. Light humphed and turned to walk away, stopping at the door and looking back.
"I look good in anything," He stated, smirking. Not willing to be outdone, L's retorted followed Light as he walked down the stairs.
"Light-kun also looks good in nothing." He didn't have to see Light to know the younger man was blushing.
Light, to L's amusement, had locked himself in the master bathroom an hour before the time they would have to leave and hadn't been heard from since. L remembered a time when Light locking himself anywhere would have been grounds for suspicion. It was still hard, sometimes, to forget that feeling, but every day he was willing to trust Light more and more. He would never let Light know of his misgivings, though. At two minutes to six, Light emerged from the bathroom.
"You're not going out like that, L," Was the first thing out of his mouth. L was wearing his regular outfit – a baggy white t-shirt and faded jeans that were several sizes too large. Despite Light's insistence on buying him a full wardrobe – and replacing it every few months even though most of the items had only been worn once or twice – L still preferred the outfit that had become one of his signatures at Wammy's.
"In the time it takes for me to find another outfit, we will be late for our reservation," L said, for once glad of Light's obsessive grooming.
"Don't worry. I already got something out for you. Go change," He tossed a pair of black jeans and a red turtleneck sweater at L, who caught them easily. He glared at Light and moved into the bathroom to change.
"See? You look better already," L looked uncomfortable in the tighter clothing. He scowled at the grinning Light and stalked out of the room and down the stairs. He slipped on his black trainers, foregoing the socks just to annoy Light who was looking much too smug about getting L into a decent outfit.
The restaurant turned out to be just a few blocks away, not far enough to drive. They walked in silence, though Light quickly caught up to L and slipped his hand in the detective's bigger one. They still received a few odd glances from people they passed, but most ignored them. A few people's gaze lingered on L, and Light moved slightly closer, making the meaning clear. He was oblivious to the ones who cast similar gazes on him. They arrived just in time for their reservation and were shown to a table in the back corner, away from most of the other guests.
"What's the special occasion?" Light asked, taking in the price of the items on the menu. He couldn't find anything less than £75. He glanced up at L who was reading off the desert menu. Before L could answer, a waiter arrived to take their order. Light repeated his question when the man left.
"Why does Light-kun think there needs to be a special occasion for us to go out to dinner?" He put down the menu.
"Because the last time you took me out you said you were leaving for a week to go to Korea, and that place wasn't half as nice as this one," Realization dawned as he spoke, and his face fell. "How long are you leaving for this time?"
"I have been invited to go to the United States to help catch a serial murderer," L said. "I don't know how long it will take. Perhaps as long as a month." Light frowned. He hated when L left. He was fairly certain at this point, as was the psychiatrist he saw once a month, that the 'Kira' portion of his personality was gone for good, but the memory of the trauma was still too fresh. He would wake in the middle of the night with the sound of Kira's voice in his ear, invading his sanity. Those were the nights that L didn't come to bed. L represented safety to Light, a safety that he couldn't live without.
"And you leave when? In a week?" He hoped his voice didn't sound as dead to L as it did in his own ears.
"Wammy's arriving in two days to drive me to the airport," L hated to leave Light alone as well. He had always been a solitary person, but Light had broken that shell. Light constantly pressed him into situations he wouldn't otherwise have entered – such as going out to dinner. But it wasn't just that. Light was nearly his equal in intelligence, something he had not encountered before. He found life indescribably dull without Light.
"So you'll be back in time for the holidays?" Light asked. It was stupid, but he was looking forward to their first Christmas together. Neither of them were religious, but when Light had found out that L never celebrated Christmas, he decided he would show L what he had been missing all those years. Wammy's House, L explained, always made sure to decorate and distribute presents for the major holidays, but L had been too busy studying to enjoy any of them.
"Even if the case is not solved," L agreed. He knew Light was excited, though he still had a hard time dredging up enthusiasm for the celebration of the birth of someone that had happened thousands of years ago – in March. Light had tried to explain the spirit of Christmas, but he just settled for pretending to understand.
Their conversation moved on to lighter subjects after that, though their pending separation was weighing on both of their minds for the rest of the night. The food was good, perhaps not worth quite as much as they were charged but Light found the longer he lived with L, the less he cared about price. Although sometimes he felt bad for spending L's money. Until L gave him access to all of the varios bank accounts he had hidden away around the world. Then Light realized he could buy his own country and still have change enough to live the rest of his life comfortably.
"Didn't your parents grow up around here?" Light had been looking for an opportunity to broach the subject since his meeting with Matt a week ago. Now that L was leaving, he didn't have any time to waste. He only hoped he was being casual enough not to let L in on what he was planning. From the shocked look on L's face, he'd succeeded.
"Yes," He said softly. "We lived outside the town. It was cheaper. My mother worked in a lab when she didn't have classes, and my father was a professor." Light thought that was all L would say – L always changed the subject when it came to his parents, and Light didn't blame him. After a pause, L continued. "I believe he won an award for something, and it's still on display in the English Department. Why did you ask about them?"
"No reason," Light said, feeling a twinge of guilt in lying to L. "Just curious."
"Has Light-kun spoken with his own parents?" Relations with the rest of the Yagami's had been strained. Soichiro was less than pleased at his sons announcement that not only was he going back to England, but that he would be living with L as more than just a roommate. L had been carefully absent for the conversation, but from the way the two men didn't look at each other as they said goodbye, it was clear harsh words were spoken.
"I haven't," He admitted. "I've been busy with the move. But Sayu and Matsuda called a few days ago." Light spoke to his sister and brother-in-law frequently. They hadn't seen each other since the wedding, but Sayu mentioned they may come for a visit over the summer when she wasn't in classes. She was enrolled as an education major at To-Oh University. She wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. "I guess I can call mother tomorrow." He added grudgingly.
"I still can't believe you're leaving in two days," It was the first mention either of them had made to it since the night started. "And for so long."
"There's a lot that can be done in two days," L said, opening the door and walking in to their house.
"Oh yeah?" Light challenged, closing the door and locking it more out of habit than out of fear that someone would enter. "What do you have in mind?" L's lips on his were more than enough of an answer.