Light stared down at the ground. Surely, hours had passed… L must've been coming back soon to give Light his dinner… Even though he hadn't eaten his breakfast.
But L didn't come.
Eventually, Light realized that he hadn't even been brought dinner. Had L decided to just let him die in there?! Why had the boy suddenly changed his mind so drastically? What if he told the others that Light was Kira?
Light balled his hands into fists until his knuckles turned white. "That traitor. I'll bet 'Lawliet' isn't even his real name…" he mumbled under his breath.
Three days passed. Light was lying on the ground, knees pulled up to his chest. The hunger was killing him slowly. Sharp, throbbing pains came and went through his stomach, along with a horrible sense of nausea.
When the footsteps started up, he didn't have the energy to widen his eyes. He just laid still, waiting to see who it was. There was a different kind of tone to these steps. They sounded faster and heavier. Definitely not L - unless he was furious.
Instead of excitement, he actually found himself feeling a twinge of fear mixed with all of the physical pain. Maybe they were going to take him to his death sentence.
The cell door opened and closed.
"Hello, Light Yagami."
He only moved his eyes to look up, immediately recognizing the voice.
Light gave a subtle smirk. "...Ryuzaki."
The black-haired boy was staring down at him expressionlessly. "I want you to know that I didn't tell anyone."
Light was surprised, but didn't have the energy to question it.
"However… I fell into your trap without realizing it. And I shouldn't have."
Kira continued to watch, not having anything to say anyway.
"The cameras are off. The microphones too." Before Light had time to figure out what was happening, L pulled back a foot and kicked him in the side, hard enough to knock the boy back a few feet.
Light immediately winced, but didn't have the energy to yell out in pain. "What… Are you-" He was cut off as L grabbed him violently by the front of his shirt.
"It would be so much easier if I just told them you were Kira," L said quietly, his face mere inches from L's. "However… I couldn't bring myself to reveal something that you told me in confidence... It's idiotic, isn't it? That will be the end of emotions ruining my sense of justice. If I finish you off now… everything will be back on track. Besides, your dad will be upset, but he'll get over it, especially since the others are 80% positive that you're Kira anyway."
"Wait?! You're going to k-" L's hands wrapped around his throat. The black-haired boy pushed him against the ground, straddling him as he strangled the killer. Light couldn't even grasp at his hands, being handcuffed.
He could feel his face turning blue. This was really the end, wasn't it? What a horrible way to die. How had he managed to say the one thing that would make L think he was - oh, that's why this was happening! L must've thought that he was being manipulated by Light this entire time. Maybe he thought that Light never actually loved him.
Was it possible that L was manipulating him in return? For a confession? No, that didn't add up. Right?
These thoughts were buzzing through his mind at lightning speed, to the point where they didn't necessarily make sense anymore.
That was it, wasn't it? All of this was a lie? This whole situation, one big joke that Light let himself get too caught up in? Tears formed in the brown-haired boy's eyes as he felt his consciousness fading. His chest was on fire from the inside. The edges of his vision were becoming clouded with black fuzz. The last thing he would see was L's face…
Suddenly, the pale hands around Light's throat were released, and his eyes shot open. He wasn't sure how, he wasn't sure why, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know - but L had released him. He gasped for breath after breath, but the air didn't hold enough oxygen to ever fill up his lungs again. He breathed in so much air that his throat felt burned as much as his chest.
L was covering his face with both hands.
"W-why did y-you let go o-of... " Light stopped himself. Another glance at L proved that without a doubt, the boy was crying. His chest and shoulders were jerking up and down with each silent sob. However, is hair hung in his face over his hands, keeping Light from seeing any of the tears.
No words needed to be said. L was clearly not over him, no matter how much he claimed to be.
Light's eyes teared up as well. He wouldn't wish this moment upon anyone. He couldn't even hug L back because he was lying on the floor underneath him, in handcuffs.
"...Ryuzaki…?"
In one swift movement, L got up and pushed Light onto his side. He felt the handcuffs move slightly, and then fall off of his wrists. His metal bonds dropped to the ground with a loud clatter. The sound echoed across the walls of the dark prison cell dramatically before fading away. During the entirety of that noise, neither boy moved an inch.
Light didn't have the energy to get up. Sure, the random strangulation provided an adrenaline rush, but it wasn't enough to restore three days worth of energy that he wasn't given. He didn't even move his arms - it would hurt too much to move them after being still for so long. He'd had that brief period of time that L had taken them off… but it wasn't enough. Especially not now that he felt awful in every other way possible as well.
"...Aren't you going to do something?" L asked, confused.
Light shook his head slightly, wincing at even the slightest movement of his right arm.
He heard L wipe his tears on his sleeve. "I-I'll help you." He knelt down and slowly touched Light's arm. The brown-haired boy shook his head, but L slowly began to move it anyway. Light gritted his teeth until that hand was back in front of him. He hadn't thought much about it, but it had actually been several weeks since he'd seen his own hands.
L slowly sat him up and moved the other one over. "Is that okay?"
Light looked up at the boy who was still kneeling beside him. L's hair was still hanging down, covering his eyes. Instead of answering, he just moved the hair out of his lover's face.
"Don't look at me." L looked away. "I just betrayed you, didn't I? Don't beg with your eyes like that."
"..." Light looked away. He slowly raised an arm and felt his neck, wincing at the sensation. It was definitely going to bruise.
There was a long silence as the two both looked off into opposite directions.
"I'm sorry," they both mumbled in unison.
L looked back at Light. "What are you sorry for?"
"It's my fault that all of this happened," Light sighed. "I said something awful. It was… insensitive. It made it sound like I was manipulating you this whole time. It could've put any sort of ideas into your head. And I know you're smart like me - maybe even put two and two together. So it hurt. So, I'm sorry."
L nodded slightly. "...I'm not completely sure that I still trust you. But I accept your apology. I'm sorry for strangling you. And kicking you. And leaving you without food for three days. And um… sitting on you a moment ago."
That got Light to chuckle a little. "Thanks. I don't know if I completely trust you either… but I also accept your apology."
L grinned and hugged Light tightly.
Light was taken by surprise and his weak body flinched, to which L quickly loosened his grip. "What about the justice thing?" Light asked. "The world won't get its justice if I'm around."
L shook his head. "I made my true decision when I told you the first time: that as of now, you're more important to me than justice."
Light sighed. "I feel like our relationship isn't fair to you. I benefit from it and you do the opposite."
"Nonsense. I benefit a lot." L smiled slightly. "And… it's possible that if Kira gets accepted by the world, then he is justice."
Light smirked. "Now you see it my way."
"But that kind of viewpoint will have to take some time." L pulled away from the hug. "Until I decide what my stance is, I'm okay with having a rather complicated, secretive romance."
Light nodded. "Me too."
L softly kissed the other's lips. "I'm going to bring you some food. I'll find something less boring than the usual."
"It's dinner time?" Light squinted in shock. "Wow, I really can't tell in here."
L shrugged his shoulders as he left the cell and locked the door. "I don't actually know either. It's been a while since I've gone out."
Light chuckled again. "Oh, wait! You forgot to put my handcuffs back on."
L waved it off. "You don't have to wear those things anymore. I'll let the task force know that I'm slowly giving you back some trust, as a test. Of course, if you break out, I'll have to put 'em back on."
Light shook his head. "Ha, where would I even go? Everything I need is right here."
He watched the black-haired boy crack another grin as he turned the corner, and then he was out of sight.
The brown-haired boy looked back down at the ground. "...Wow… that's it, huh?" He mumbled the words aloud. "...Love is…" he looked down at his freed hands. "...The darkest… most inexplicable emotion."