Light bit his tongue as he got into the car beside his father. The air was humid. Soichiro started up the vehicle and a few silent minutes passed between them. Until it was awkwardly broken.
"Did you have a good time, Light?" The chief asked.
His son gulped in slight surprise. Soichiro rarely just talked in an open manner about things having to do with L. It was almost an off-limits topic. Like he just wanted to act as though the man didn't exist.
"Oh. It was alright."
"Only alright?"
"Y-yeah." Light scratched the back of his neck. What is he asking? He wondered.
"Well, what did you two do?" Somehow, the chief could focus on the conversation while keeping his eyes perfectly glued to the road.
"Um, just- looking for cases to work on. We talked a little, too. Nothing super exciting." He said.
"Alright. Nothing else?"
"N-no... Well, I showed him the trailer for that movie I was wanting to watch. That was it..." Light answered, barely keeping a calm tone of voice.
Doesn't he trust me? He thought, grimacing slightly.
"Okay." Soichiro said simply. He finally glanced at his son, stoic. "... Have you completed your homework?"
"Yeah, Dad. Of course. I'm always finished before school's over." He explained.
"Good. That's my boy." The chief said. He firmly patted Light on his shoulder.
The teen forced a laugh. He watched his father relax more and grin. It was always a relief to get him in a better mood. A true accomplishment. Especially with the man's potential PTSD.
Light, feeling more comfortable, decided to bring up his plans. He could tell his father was reluctant, even while agreeing to the date.
That Friday, Light had been anticipating his plans for the entire day. He was extremely focused and was only distracted in criminology class when a girl had entered class late.
She had accidentally opened the door so it had slammed on the wall. Everyone had looked up in alarm. The professor glared at her. She anxiously stood there, with many textbooks in hand and a backpack over her shoulders. She looked downwards, her dark hair falling in her face. The girl muttered an apology and walked to her seat, which was a few desks away from Light's. She sat down, trying to get settled, before dropping some books. Her face turned pink and she groaned.
Light, driven by compassion, carefully got out of his seat to help her. "It's okay. I've got it." He said while he picked them up.
"O-oh. Thanks." She stuttered as Light, being the gentleman he was, handed them to her.
She's pretty cute. He thought.
She had nearly frizz-free, straight black-brown hair that went down her back and fair skin as well as subtle green eyes. She wore a light blue dress with a floral pattern and coordinating flats.
He gave a polite smile. "You're welcome."
The girl briefly looked at his face before blushing furiously. She gave a timid chuckle and quickly looked away. Light went back to his seat, feeling proud.
She's really cute. The brunette put his head in his hand with a grin.
At lunch, Light had sat beside the girl. She sat alone at her table, which only made him more curious about her. Holding his tray, he joined her with a warm smile. She looked up shyly.
He held out his hand. "Hi. My name is Light. What's your name?"
The girl gave a sliver of a smile and pushed a dark lock behind her ear. "Oh. H-hi." She giggled innocently and tentatively shook his hand. "I'm Tsuki."
Light nodded, noticing how fair (nearly as pale as L's) her fingers were compared to his slightly tanned ones. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Tsuki." He withdrew his hand, admiring the way she delicately (but still clumsily) used her chopsticks to eat her sushi.
"It's nice to meet you, too, Light." She said.
He softly chuckled.
"I apologize if I come off as odd. I just couldn't help but notice that you were sitting by yourself." He half-lied. Light had actually wanted to get to know her of course. Certain shy people would sometimes steal his interest.
"Oh, no. It's fine. I don't mind." Tsuki said with another giggle.
They had spent the rest of lunch chatting. Light had managed to use his charm and sociability to make her much more comfortable around him. He even got her number.
Saturday had arrived. Light double-checked to ensure that L could still go to the movies with him. The teen spent the day reading and checking to see if his room was properly organized. He had to force himself not to endlessly check his watch so time would fly by faster. He made himself stay busy. It was 4:20. He put some money in his pocket as well as his phone. He smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles in his clothing and ran his fingers through imaginary tangles in his hair. When he anticipated things, he couldn't help but try to perfect himself. He always tried to feel as confident as possible.
His mother walked over to him. "Light, you always fuss so much. It's just your friend." She told him teasingly.
Light scoffed at the word "fuss". "I'm not fussing. I'm just making sure I'm ready." He retorted, his maturity seemingly reverting to earlier, hormonal years.
Sachiko shook her head and chuckled.
"Alright, Light. Come on. You don't want to be late." She said as she gathered her belongings, even though there were still roughly forty minutes until the movie started.
"Ready, Sayu?" He called.
His little sister hollered back as she ran down the stairs. "Coming!" Sayu was beaming in a way Light knew was concealing mischief. He could clearly see some rectangular shape under her hoodie. Light groaned and rolled his eyes knowingly. His sister stood beside them, nearly losing her balance after using such speed. She giggled as she steadied herself.
"You are crazy, Sayu." Sachiko said.
"Hee hee. I know."
Their mother sighed and shook her head as she led them into her little van. The ride there felt long with Light constantly being reminded of what time it was and being obliged to look over his shoulder and see Sayu grinning at some manga in her hands. Light pretended not to be troubled by this when his mother asked him what was wrong.
The car arrived and stopped at the front of the theater. He got out and said his goodbyes before exploring the crowds for his friend.
It was only a couple minutes later that a luscious black limo appeared and let out a familiar character. L instantly spotted Light and gave him a wave. Light beamed in response and returned the gesture. He then motioned to follow him into the building. The two stood together near the lines for the ticket booths.
"Hey, Ryu." Light greeted.
"Hello, Light. How are you?" The raven responded while putting his hands in his pockets.
"I am doing alright. Thanks. You?"
"Hm. Not bad." L said with a shrug. He then popped a mint into his mouth. There was no way he could go without sweets. "So, I cannot fully recall how to do this so you will need to guide me."
"Alright. That's fine." Light said with a warm smile. "Just follow me, okay?"
"Alright." L said, returning the expression.
The brunette kindly chuckled and scratched the back of his neck as he escorted him to the back of a line. After only a minute of waiting, Light could already sense L's impatience as the detective groaned and narrowed his eyes childishly.
"Would you like a mint, Light?" He asked monotonously.
"No, thanks. After we get our tickets, we're going to get plenty of snacks. You know that, right?" Light asked. The teen's friend fingered his bottom lip in thought.
"Hm... Well, now I am aware of this." He said, earning another chuckle from Light.
"Just hang in there." The teen said, half-teasingly and half-irritably. This only got him another whine.
A few suspenseful minutes passed and the two boys were almost about to get their tickets when a few teens cut them in line. They were loud and obnoxious, obviously starving for attention.
This immensely irked the two young men. Light almost spoke up but decided against it so he could stay in a decent mood. L, on the other hand, could not care less. He rolled his eyes and groaned loudly.
Light scowled at him. "Ryuzaki!" He whisper-yelled.
One kid turned and shot L a cocky glare. "What?" He asked sharply.
L acted as if he hadn't heard him and innocently hummed as he put a little lollipop between his lips. The boy turned back to his friends and proceeded with making loud jokes and noises.
As a girl got her ticket and left, the boisterous little group stayed in place, holding up the whole line.
L slouched moodily and eyed a concerned Light, his lollipop hanging from his mouth. Half of a minute passed.
L had run out of candy to suck on. So, he crouched over and started stepping around those responsible for the hold-up in the line.
"Ryu!" Light called out quietly.
L put a finger to his lip and pulled on Light's sleeve.
"Ryu!"
"Just come along, Light-kun." The raven responded indifferently as he cheekily dragged his companion to another ticket booth. This had inspired the others in the line to push past the gang.
The teen felt pink warmly color his cheeks which only slightly faded when L released his sleeve.
His fingers were so close to my wrist. Light thought with a gulp. Why am I getting so nervous again? Goodness...
"... Light?" He said, snapping Light out of his thoughts.
"Oh, right."The teen cleared his throat and politely grinned at the woman in the booth. He got the two tickets and they walked to the concession stands. "Alright." Light said with a sigh. "Candy first?"
L was staring in awe at a glass case full of various sweets. The air was swarming with the scents of melting butter and numerous candies. Light could tell that his friend was practically drooling. The detective's eyes were wide and his finger was to his bottom lip. "... Yes." He finally answered.
"Alright." Light responded through a laugh. "Is there any in particular you wanted?"
"Yes. Yes..." L turned to him dramatically. "All of them, Light."
"Pfft! You can't have all of them!" The boy narrowed his eyes a bit and furrowed his brows in case his friend was serious. "There are other people who want candy, too. Plus, I'm not rich, Ryu."
"Mm. I suppose that is true..."
"Yeah. It is. Here." Light dug into his pocket and grabbed about half of his yen before handing it to him. "I'll go ahead and get the popcorn and drinks and you can go get your candy. Sound like a plan?"
L nodded and took the yen. "Yes. It most certainly does."
"Okay. Good. You want some sweet tea?"
"Yes. And make sure it's extra sweet." He said as started to head to the candies.
"Tch. Sure." Light shook his head and went to get a medium sized bag of popcorn along with a root beer and extra sweet tea. He walked to the center of the room as L joined him, holding at least six boxes of candy.
L handed him what was left of the yen.
"... Is that enough candy, Ryuzaki?" Light asked with one raised eyebrow.
"Yes. At least according to my theory."
The teen sighed. "Well, are you ready?"
"Yup."
"Good." Light led the way through the halls where many movie posters hung.
"... And thank you, Light." L said with a slightly higher tone than usual.
"Mhm."
The two entered a large room. A projector shot videos of commercials and movie trailers on a wall in front of many rows of chairs.
"Where would you like to sit?" Light asked.
"I have no preference."
"Okay..." He carefully walked between seats and found nice area where no one else sat in the row. He sat down, held the popcorn in his lap, and gave L his tea. The brunette checked his watch. About five minutes until the movie would start. He turned off his phone and drank some of his root beer. He looked out of the corner of his eyes to see L sitting with his sock-clad feet on the chair and his slip-on shoes on the floor in front of him. Even as people came in by the dozens to see the film.
But Light didn't mind. He used to find L's mannerisms very odd but he eventually grew used to them. He only worried that others would comment. The boy looked over to see through the dim lighting that L had already started on a box of little chocolates. He seemed to judge every aspect of the ads that played before the movie would start.
He licked some chocolate off his fingers and asked. "So, how was your week, Light?"
"It was alright." Light responded.
"Alright? ..." L wiped his face gingerly. "Well, did anything interesting happen?"
"Oh, yeah. Well, I met a girl named Tsuki." He said while scratching the back of his neck.
"Oh?" The detective froze as he inspected a chocolate candy he held between his fingers. His upbeat mood seemed to fade somewhat. "... Well, what is she like?" He didn't look at his friend as he continued to snack.
Light blinked in confusion. But he let it go. "Oh, she's really shy. She's nice though." He said.
"Hm..." L's eyes were low as he looked into his candy box for any last bites.
"Y-yeah." The teen gave a nervous laugh, for a reason he couldn't identify. "I think I'm going to ask her out."
"Is that so, Light?" L said in a robotic tone, giving him an empty look. "Well, I wish you good luck in your romantic endeavors."
Light glanced at him in fascination. "Uum... Thanks." He said, as if it were a question.
Why is he suddenly acting so weird? He was the one who asked the question... I was only answering. He wondered.
The movie started shortly after their tense little chat.
Twenty minutes in and the pair already knew this wasn't the best film to watch. They could predict every scene. Watching "plot-twists" was like having deja vu. And they practically walked out during filler scenes. It definitely wasn't as good as the trailer.
Light sat there bored with his head in his hand, sighing every couple minutes, while his friend was more enthusiastic about eating sweets than actually watching the movie. Every now and then, the detective would make a sarcastic comment about the movie, criticizing the character's actions, pointing out plot holes, mocking the cliches... Light would have to shush him so that at least others could enjoy it. The only way the childlike man would stay quiet was if he had plenty of candies at his disposal. And L had to get up to get more at least four times for the single film.
Another hour passed and the film was over.
L sat, slurping some sweet tea, while the rest of the audience stood up to leave. His younger companion had fallen asleep. He leaned over and looked the boy's face up and down. Light's warm eyes were closed and his muscles were relaxed. His chest slowly rose and fell as he took serene, soft breaths. L put a finger to his own bottom lip and chuckled softly, a smirk on his face. He scooted a bit closer and poked Light in the cheek. The teen stirred to his touch and groaned while turning his head the other way. L poked him again, causing Light to shake and jump awake.
"Gah- wha...?" The brunette groggily blinked his eyes open and sat up.
L reduced his proximity somewhat. "You're even stubborn in your sleep, Light-kun." He mumbled.
Light glared and stretched his arms. "What's going on, Ryuzaki?" He asked.
"The movie's over. I assumed you would not wish to stay here..."
The younger boy groaned and stood up, barely fighting off his lethargy. "Alright. You ready to go?"
"Mhm."
They went to a table near the entrance to the theater and ate some dinner. Light got some pizza, picking at with his fork, while L finished his sweets.
"So... How was the movie?" Light asked.
"It was rather mediocre. I would think you already knew that as you had fallen asleep halfway through."
"Oh, yeah..." The teen rubbed his eyes. "...Sorry that the movie wasn't good, Ryuzaki."
"It is not your fault." L said.
"Yeeeah but it was a waste of time and money."
"It was not a total waste, Light-kun." The raven said while holding up an index finger, as he often did while explaining. "I got to spend time with my best friend today. That is enough for me."
Light smiled sleepily.
L did his best not to smirk at how cute he was like this.
They talked for about half an hour more, Light quickly becoming more awake. It was about 7:00 whenever they had to go back to their homes. The two stood outside the theater together, waiting for their rides.
L was the first to leave. He waved goodbye to his companion as the limo started to depart, leaving Light behind with his thoughts racing.
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Response to review: Gaah! Thank you so much! I'm glad you think this Light is cute. And thank you so much for all those lovely compliments! (OvO)
A/N: Oi. Heya, guys. Sorry for taking about a month to update! I've been busy with... Sleepiness, family, and exams and watching Attack on Titan.
Yeah! So, I really apologize for the late new chapter. I hope it satisfied your awkward fluffy needs!
And don't worry... Tsuki won't take that much up of the fanfic. She really won't. She is just another instrument in this whole getting L and Light together ... Thing.
I was kinda sleepy while typing this up but I wanted to go ahead and upload something so here it is. It's longer than the other chapters.
Thank you for reading! Please review! :D