Changes

Part 2/2

It was beyond weird that L was at the café with him!

As Light sat down with the man, after having brought all his sweets to the tiny round table, with the help of a few others, and eyed the black-haired mess of a man, who immediately dug into the deserts.

Light felt tense. He assumed the detective had come because he suspected what Light had been doing as of late. Obviously, Light wouldn't have easily be shushed away from a case, like a naughty child, and just because L had told him that he might be risking the life of his entire family (and himself), Light hadn't stopped thinking of ways to catch the criminal before L managed to do so.

And finally Light had found a way into it, for the night before he had the most interesting meeting and conversation of his life (after the dinner with L, of course).

The teenager hadn't disregarded what the detective had said about a spy on the NPA team. And at first he had been satisfied with just attending the meetings of the NPA for the sake of not making it weird that he would stop all at once. People might have had become suspicious, even though besides his father, nobody else knew that Light had met with L again.

Soichiro had wanted to know about the meeting but Light had explained that it was confidential. His father hadn't asked any more, and Light knew that he would never leak the information to anyone.

However, someone else had taken an interest in Light, someone whom Light wouldn't have noticed or suspected until the young man approached him the night before.

Light had been attending the NPA and "helping out", staying until late every day after college, but the previous night, as he went to leave, Yuuta Sato, a young and particularly bright officer caught up with him in the corridor of the Police Building.

Yuuta was about a foot taller than Light, which made him tall for a Japanese man; lean, handsome, in his mid twenties. He had sleek black hair, which was always pulled back into a ponytail that blobbed up and down as he walked. The man was dressed in an ironed dark suit and oozed the kind of serious excellence that Light envisioned when he thought of the ideal police investigator.

Yuuta was collected and professional, nothing like the babbling idiot Matsuda who was constantly trying to socialize with Light. So when that evening the older man approached him and asked Light to catch dinner with him, the young man happily accepted.

As they walked down the vibrant, lantern-lit small-restaurant streets of central Tokyo, Yuuta began talking about L and how the detective had stopped almost all communication with the police. The taller man made his way with relative ease between the noisy crowds of workers, who were trying to catch their late dinner after an extended work-day, and Light found it easy to just follow, as Yuuta opened up the way for him.

"I will take you to my favourite place here," Yuuta said, looking over his shoulder to see if Light was following. The brunette felt a bit uneasy next to such a tall man, but made sure to be all full of himself, for he knew that he was still the more stunning of the two, and managed to capture the attention of anyone who could spot him in the busy crowd.

"Do you like Teriyaki? The place specializes in the soy foods," Yuuta said.

"Teriyaki sounds good," Light huffed behind him, taking a moment to politely apologize to a rather large lady, who had collided into him.

Once they were seated in a small restaurant joint and had their orders quickly placed before them, Yuuta told Light that he was almost certain that L was closing in on his suspect on his own. Light just nodded and made a non-commitment sound with his mouth full, while hiding his true thoughts on the matter. He knew L was very close to catching whomever it was that he was suspecting.

Light was still angry at that skinny, pale, man. L had casually pushed him aside, (along with the whole of Japanese police), chiding him like a child for believing he could do anything for the case. The brunette had felt so humiliated, that it was hard to put it into words, and revisiting it in memory was almost unbearable. The younger man had settled down a bit after the promise of getting a chance to be tested for future investigations alongside L, but at the same time… that promise was not nearly enough. I wasn't what Light had wanted.

And what Light had truly wanted all along…

Light had to be careful. It seemed that Yuuta was good at picking up the tiny, very subtle changes he displayed with his expressions. He wouldn't have asked Light out in the first place, if that wasn't the case. The brunette man quickly made the connection with the fact that Light had been a bit different after his second meeting with L, and the fact that Yuuta was talking about L. It was highly probable that the investigator was suspected something.

Noting Light's lack of response Yuuta changed the subject and asked Light how he had been. A smart move for interrogation purposes, Light thought.

The long-haired detective remembered that Light had met with L and that before and after their meeting he had antagonised the detective and presented his own views instead of blindly believing every word L said (like the rest of the NPA). Yuuta said that he appreciated those qualities in Light and that he had his own misgiving about L as well.

Light wasn't a fool, and his suspicions were quickly rising as he conversed with Yuuta. The man seemed too intelligent and too interested in Light. He also seemed to suspect somehow that Light had met with L again after the formal meeting of a few selected NPA members (plus Light). So Light continued playing it safe, not backing up on his previous claims about the detective working on his own, but sustaining from introducing anything new.

Finally Yuuta finished his meal and ordered a round of sake for both of them and leaned to the side of the long window-table where they were sitting next to each other, amidst other men, who were eating their dinner in a hurry.

"You might be wondering why I took so much of your time with such errand thoughts and conversations," Yuuta said softly, as if to not be overheard. Light noted that his exposed forehead was pale and perfectly mate, lacking any skin imperfections. Light liked the strict type of beauty that his appearance held with his hair tightly pulled back and his angular jaw well exposed.

"Indeed, I have been wondering why would one of the most promising junior officers on the team be spending his free time with me," Light smiled, answering just as softly. It wasn't supposed to sound flirtatious but Light knew that a bit of sublimate seduction always worked in his favour.

"Unfortunately, it is not just for the pleasure of your company, Light-kun," Yuuta smiled slyly, suggestively. Light raised an eyebrow slightly, and then returned to his business face, signalling the other man to continue.

"I will tell you now that I don't work for your father, Yagami Soichiro, the head of the NPA," Yuuta said, leaning in further, so that his words would be lost to anyone else except for Light. "I am an FBI agent. This identity is my cover and I work for the Government of the USA."

Yuuta made a dramatic pause, which Light assumed was given, so that the younger man could process the information. Pathetic, Light though, as he patiently waited and played his part.

"The reason why I am revealing this to you, is because I would need your cooperation. I can see that you are a young man of great potential, I am certain that you can assist the FBI. The NPA is too depend on L. It's time that something is done, because too many lives are at stake while we wait for one man to solve a case of international importance."

Light was still not convinced that Yuuta was not the spy, which L had mentioned. However, he chose to pretend to believe Yuuta after requesting to see his FBI batch, and making a mental note to check if this identity was true, through hacking later that night.

"The FBI has deduced for a fact that the murders that have been occurring were done by a single individual. You had no way of accessing the resources, which the FBI has but you came to the same conclusion, even before our agents did the job. That is remarkable, and that's why I am getting in touch with you. First of all, I would like to ask if I can have your full cooperation on this matter."

"Yes, I will help anyway I can," Light said, fake enthusiasm and all. Inside adrenaline was really peaking. He had no way of knowing if this guy was legit or not. From what he knew about the man behind these murders it was highly possible that he was going to be milked for facts, before getting shot in the middle of the busy restaurant. Light had to play his cards very carefully…

"Good. First of all, I would like to ask if during your meeting with L he has revealed any information about the suspect's identity?" Yuuta asked in hushed tones.

"No, I am afraid not, and I am also afraid that I have taken an oath to not reveal any further details about this meeting than the ones formally discussed in the NPA."

"I understand. It's a valuable quality to keep your mouth shut even under pressure," Yuuta commented. He smiled slightly, a smile, which Light was not completely convinced in. "It's a good asset for an FBI agent."

"Listen, Light," Yuuta began again, "L is notorious for hiding information. He is like a child – stubborn; brilliant, but stubborn. He doesn't like opposition. He would withhold his finds even if it means the deaths of civilians, for as long as it takes him to figure cases out all by himself. He always works alone and he would never accept anyone helping him or would share the glory."

Light neither agreed nor disagreed to the statement. However, it did sound true to him, having met the guy. But Light was aware that the agent was trying to pry out of him information to confirm what Yuuta surely suspected – that Light had met L twice. Perhaps Yuuta suspected even more than that, but Light was uncertain.

That statement sounded so true, that it also made Light wonder if L really had any intention to carry out tests and let him work alongside him…

Light wanted to hear more, but Yuuta suddenly cut their meeting short by saying that he had to urgently leave. Light's hands were slightly shaking as various scenarios of how he might get killed in the next few minutes played in his mind, but he managed to give the detective his mobile number in exchange for Yuuta's promise that the two would meet again and discuss further.

Light was left with the sake and a hefty check to cover the bill, and a racing heart. The young man knew that it was no use trying to run at that point. If his murder was planned by this notorious killer, he had no chance, and most likely every scenario he had for leaving the place was covered. So he finished the sake all by himself and paid the bill. Then he casually left and on his way home, he was constantly waiting…

But nothing happened.

On the next morning Light woke up half an hour late and had to rush to his lectures. He had gotten very little sleep the previous night because he had arrived late, after choosing to walk through most of the way (avoiding public transport out of altruism), thus catching the last train and then walking for a long time until he reached the area where he lived, having missed the last bus. He had felt knackered and jumped in bed without checking the FBI agent's identity.

Thinking about the previous night's discussion, Light thought that perhaps Yuuta was legit and he really was FBI, for Light hadn't been killed that night. It wasn't the murder's style to approach victims before their deaths, and it was definitely not his style to leave them living for a while, after having chosen to kill them. So Light assumed that rationally speaking, he was safe.

Strangely his gut feeling was somewhat unpleasant about the thought of Yuuta Sato, but it was most likely from the reality of the cheap sake he had drank the previous night.

At university, the brunette only half-paid attention to the professor's drone about law and ethics, allowing his mind to wonder. His dual life of being a college student with a thriving social life, a girlfriend and a few "close" acquaintances and the life of a young man attending meetings at the NPA until late at night was starting to wear on him.

And the sudden change of pace - he had met L and all of a sudden the World's Greatest Detective had taken interest in him, and just over a week later he was contacted by an undercover FBI agent, who wanted his help to resolve the case without the help of L, who rejected the police. All the while, lives were at stake, including Light's own.

Strangely, the thing that nagged on Light the most was not the danger, but the question whether or not what the FBI agent had said was true. Was L too childish to share knowledge and power? What were the chances that his man would ever let him work together? Perhaps the detective had just made an empty promise to get rid of Light that night at the dinner…

Light had made quite a fool of himself that night.

He ran his fingers through his brilliant brunette locks and supressed a frustrated growl. He refused to think about how he had acted and felt when L had made him sound and seem like a dimwit baby.

In stead he thought of what he truly wanted. The competitive streak in Light didn't really want to work FOR L, did it? What Light truly wanted was to be better than L. To beat him at his own game...

Perhaps the FBI agent was legit, and Light could use his help to capture the man before L did. Oh, how Light wanted to see the black-haired man's face when he was outdone…

After a pleasant hour and a half of fantasizing of seeing L lose (the course of the Law and Ethics lecture), Light went to pick up Takada from where they usually met. She beamed at him and engaged in a pleasant casual conversation, which only took a part of Light's attention, while he used his other part of the brain to scheme.

He had L in his mind's eye, he could see him so well, he could totally picture his face and...

Wait a second!

Is that? Light caught himself just in time before his jaw fell on the ground as he walked on a park alley surrounded by Takada and a group of "friends" who were always tagging along.

It was him.

Sitting in that outlandish squatting position on top of a bench, alone in the park, and looking straight at him, the black-haired detective was waving awkwardly in his direction.

Light took a deep breath and calmed himself before going to the bench, making-up a fake introduction for the unruly man and shaking off his entourage to have some time alone with the detective.

"Ryuuzaki, would you like to grab lunch with me? I know a place with a great desert selection?" Light said.

"Yes, indeed. I am starving," L responded, getting up.

Light secretly stared him down, noting the awful posture, which seemed worse than it had been at the hotel.

It was awkward trying to talk to the man as they walked together to Light's favourite café. The younger man couldn't quite believe he was seeing L outside.

Light was well aware that L had been monitoring him – his room had been searched on one day, and even though everything had been left in perfect condition, Light had noticed the wrong angle at which his doorknob had been left – completely closed, whereas he always left it halfway pressed. That was the only indication that someone had been into his room, on two consecutive days. Later no one had entered again.

Light was not stupid and had known that it could only be the detective nosing around. At the time he had felt a bit flattered, because he supposed that it meant that the detective's interest in him was genuine and that he was running background checks on him.

However, Light didn't think he would see the detective so soon! He had thought that L would remain out of reach until the case was closed. Then another thought crossed Light's mind. What if L knew about Yuuta and their meeting from the previous night!

It was probably the reason for the surprise meeting. Keeping this in mind, Light tried to seem as natural and innocent as possible. He did his best to put on his best acting and pretended to show friendly interest in L, as an innocent college student would do to a friend.

While they were ordering he looked over L, trying to latch onto something to talk about.

"Your eyes are grey," Light observed as they stood at the bar.

"Huh," L stared blankly at him. Perhaps he hadn't heard well.

"I said - your eyes are grey. I was under the impression that they were completely black," Light explained.

L just stared at him.

Perhaps he thought Light was stupid for bringing up such an insignificant detail. Light managed to smile dismissively and added,

"Never mind, it's nothing important."

The skinny pale guy ordered pretty much the entire café's sweets' supply or so it seemed to Light as he watched in horror L choosing more and more deserts. Resigned to his fate, Light didn't say anything.

Thankfully with his charms, Light quickly attracted a group of people to help him carry L's order to the table, while the man sat there like a princess and waited to be served. The detective did seem to be a really spoilt brat.

Nevertheless, Light sighed the irritation away and sipped on his coffee while he ate a western-style brown-bread sandwich with lean turkey meat and lettuce. He liked the honey-mustard and mayo sauce that plastered the ingredients together.

But a while passed and nothing particular was happening. They just kept eating, and sipping on their coffees (if L's sugar with coffee on top counted as one). L seemed to be hiding his motives very well, but what was he hoping to achieve if he didn't say anything at all? He didn't bring up Yuuta or the FBI, or anything for the longest time. In stead he tried testing Light's intelligence with some silly tests that he had brought. Light wondered what game the man was playing.

L was just staring at him for prolonged intervals of time and Light wondered what the point of it was. Was L trying to read his mind? Was he reading his mind!

L blinked and looked away, staring out the window and then thoughtfully digging into one of his desserts again.

Light's patience was wearing thin by the suspense and he finally snapped inside. Outwardly, however, he pretended to be late for his next lecture and excused himself very gracefully.

Suddenly something yanked at his sleeve and Light spun around. It was L – holding his shirt's sleeve pinched between two fingers.

"Do you have to go to your next lecture?" L asked looking up at him. His dark eyes, and the dark circles underneath him, made him look kind of sad and pathetic but Light knew better than to assume that L was just requesting for his company.

"It depends. What do you mean?" Light said, feeling his shoulders very tense from the contact. L was not letting go of his sleeve.

"I was thinking that I could use your help on some of the evidence I have gathered. I think it would be a good way to estimate your capacity if you come work with me," L said, the edge of his spoon knocking against his lower teeth repeatedly in the pause after he spoke.

The clicking sound could drive Light insane, if he paid attention to it.

"The lecture is not that important," Light said feeling smugness all over himself. The competitive streak in his character was really burning him up.

It was very likely that L had some ulterior motives to be asking for this, but Light was ready to meet them, because this was going to be an amazing opportunity to find out who L suspected! The risk was worth it – he could handle whatever L had in mind, and if he found out who L's suspect was, that would make things so much easier for him to beat L to catching the murderer with the help of Yuuta and the FBI!

"I would gladly come and help," Light said pleasantly.

L stared up at him, the spoon now locked between his teeth. Light tried moving his arm just a bit, hoping that L would get the hint and release his sleeve.

"The NPA hasn't been making any progress," Light tried again, moving his arm discreetly but L wouldn't let go.

"I think it would also be fun," Light added to fill the awkward silence.

L smiled weirdly around the spoon that was still between his teeth. The expression looked very out of place on his sleepless face.

"I am glad to hear that," L said suddenly getting up from his crouch, leaving the spoon and his unfinished deserts behind, and dragging Light out of the café by the sleeve.

Light stumbled after him, feeling all the gazes of the other customers on them.

His face was beginning to colour and Light promised himself that would never set foot near the south-eastern part of the campus again! Screw eating lunch – Light was going on a diet.