CHAPTER 9
Light just couldn't stop his eyes from travelling to L's side.
Unlike his usual hunched self, he stood somewhat straighter, lazily leaning against the far elevator wall. He did not look like his previous self at all. If Light did not meet L, he would not realize they were the same human being. Strangely, deeply buried within, Light knew he preferred the usual L. The only one that could genuinely piss him off on a daily basis. Sure, others were annoying (like Misa), but that didn't bother him. L just knew how to get on his nerves. He hated that. Why does he constantly allow L to have that type of control over him? They've been sworn enemies. Both would not rest until claiming victory. He knew that the two of them hated losing. In a sense, they were just like competitive little boys, playing an arm wrestling game. Constantly going head-to-head, wanting to completely destroy the other.
'I guess we'd both be tops then,' Light thought to himself in amusement.
L caught his little smirk and inquired, "Thinking about someone, Light?"
"Not you, I can assure you, Ryuzaki-chan." The brunette scoffed, folding his arms.
Misa clinged on to his forearm and cutely asked, "Was it me, Light-kun?~"
"Yes, love," Light faked a sweet smile. "Just couldn't get you out of my head."
"Aww, Light-kun, you're so sweeeet!" The ecstatic girl playfully punched his arm, earning a slight yet unnoticeable wince from Light.
"Anything for you, Misa." He replied somewhat happily.
L cocked his head to the side and innocently stated out loud, "Is it me or did Light just wince earlier, hmm?"
"Shut up, Ryuzaki."
"Just stating my observations, Light-kun."
"Well, maybe, we would rather not listen to your observations," he coldly retorted.
"Fine by me," the disguised insomniac shrugged his shoulders. "By the way, Misa-chan, this so-called skirt is so freeing. My entire bottom area feels so nicely unrestricted-"
"Too much information, damn it!" Light directed a glare towards his direction.
"Don't worry, Ryuzaki-chan, I don't mind at all," Misa giggled. "Your inner girl is showing~"
"Why thank you, Misa-chan," L giggled back, surprisingly with a natural ring to it.
Light couldn't believe this sight. First L was laughing normally. Now, he's fricking giggling like a high school girl! What has the world turned into?
This was going to be the start of one very abnormal, idiosyncratic, day indeed.
Light was beginning to understand why exactly men hated shopping with women.
Misa had been venturing store after store with Ryuzaki for three straight hours now, her hands holding several bags. He felt pity for the poor young man trailing behind her. She was practically dragging him into every clothing store in the mall. Fatigue was etched on the detective's face. This was the main reason why Light always declined shopping with his girlfriend. He would rather spent three hours doing something productive like passing away the most recent criminals with the notebook. Not this pointless shopping procedure Light was forced to endure at the moment. Damn, this was giving him more of a headache than at work.
His eyes caught a certain insomniac's skirt an inch higher than normal.
A generous amount of soft porcelain back thigh skin was exposed.
Light's breath hitched a notch.
He was tempted to just walk faster and feel that gorgeous looking skin. Goddammit, Light, you are not gay. Maybe bi, but, you will not turn like that for this freak! Stop feeling this way. This is not you. These feelings have to be somebody else's. Light Yagami, don't you dare fall for that idiot. He is the enemy. Someone you hate. Someone you despise. Someone who gets on your nerves. Someone who somewhat understands you better than others. Someone who can read you like a book. Someone you feeling comfortable with-
Light pinched himself, hard.
All of this damn shopping was making him delusional. He should have never suggested this idiotic idea to begin with. Why did he feel the need to help L with his problems? Light should have left him to suffer indoors like the shut in he is.
'It's useless for wishing the impossible now,' he thought, eyes shut.
"Ryuzaki-chan!" Misa gasped and quickly fixed what Light witnessed, "I know you're not who you are usually, but, please try to be decent!"
L glanced up towards the upset blonde. "What do you mean, Misa-chan?"
"Your skirt was going up! How could you not notice?! I mean, you're a-"
"Please, keep my personal matters to yourself, Misa," L coldly cut her off. "There's a lack of air circulation in this building so I did not feel it rising."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course you would have some grand explanation for everything."
"It is not even to the degree to be called 'grand'. More of a basic explanation-"
"I get it, Ryuzaki! Geez," she pouted then looked at Light. "Don't you agree with me, Light-kun?"
"Huh, yeah, sure," he mumbled, not entirely back in tune with reality yet.
"Your boyfriend sounds very sure of himself," L snickered then sighed. "Are we done shopping, Misa-chan? I do not particularly feel the need to venture throughout all the clothing stores in this mall."
"Sorry, Misa, but he's - I mean - she's right," Light promptly agreed, "let's go something to eat now."
"Ugh fine! Where do you guys wanna eat? The cafe? Fancy restaurant? Street food car?" Misa prodded the two with questions.
Light shrugged his shoulders and politely replied, "Wherever you want to go, Misa."
"That wasn't helpful," she turned to L, "how 'bout you? Any thoughts?"
"Let me think. Anything really . . . sweet," a happy glimmer passed through his dark orbs.
"Surprise, surprise," Light sarcastically said.
"She did ask," he snarkily countered, huffing in slight annoyance.
"Doesn't mean you are obliged to answer," his dark brown eyes narrowed.
"Have you ever heard of being polite, Light-kun?"
"Of course. What do you take me as? Some kind of incompetent child?"
". . . Sometimes."
Misa nudged L abruptly and physically twisted his head to specific direction, interrupting the pre-argument.
"What is it, Misa-chan?"
"It's been four whole minutes and this dude can't seem to get his eyes off you! I don't know if that would be a good thing or bad thing for you, Ryuzaki," she winked, giggling.
A black-haired man sat on a leather chair a few metres away from the group, legs crossed. Glasses covered his dark eyes. He wore an expensive black trench coat over a business suit, tie and everything. He appeared to be some figure of criminal law, judging from the painfully thick Law book he was so precariously reading at the moment. As much as Light hated to admit it, the stranger was quite attractive. Perfect skin, black locks flawlessly framing his face. His looks could very well rival his own if the man gave more of an approachable aura. From his facial expression to his body language, it was obvious he valued solitary silence. He was the silent guy at the party everybody was secretly intimidated of but never said it.
He blinked twice. "Perhaps the human is blanking off into space."
"No, I'm 99.99% sure he isn't," Misa grinned and shoved L towards the mysterious figure.
The detective turned around, eyes pleading for help from Light. He simply laughed and mouthed, 'You deserve it, you bastard.' L glared at Light and heaved a sigh of thousand regrets.
"Hello, ah. . . my friend over there wanted me to say hi," L awkwardly stated towards the stranger.
He glanced upwards to L then back down to his book. ". . . I see. Greetings."
"I'm Ryuzaki Leiko. Nice to meet you, uhm. . . ?" His voice stuttered a bit towards the end, his hands softly clenching the ends of his skirt.
L was playing the shy college girl act perfectly. It was like a nightmare came to life. This was some scary shit. Light shuddered upon witnessing the whole encounter while Misa was shrieking like some over-excited fan girl who just met her 'bae'.
"Mikami," he bluntly stated. ". . . Ryuzaki-san, what are your thoughts on justice?"
An overly adorable smile adorned his face as he brightly answered. "Justice will prevail."
"Well spoken. Truly, I am impressed," he smirked for a split second. "In this world, there is only good and evil. That was the first universal truths I grasped from observing the world around me when I was a child. Every human being without exception ends up falling into one category or the other."
"Based on what you see now, where would I. . ." L's voice trailed off and he took a seat across him. "I stand, Mikami-kun?"
"I am still trying to figure that out now." His expression looked troubled with a hint of frustration. "Categorizing people as good and evil is normally my strength. However, you. . ."
He tilted his head in an innocuous gesture. "I?"
"If good were white and evil black. . . you would fit perfectly in the gray area," Mikami answered in deep thought. "You seem to shift between both outcomes for some reason. Your brown-haired friend over there is also giving me similar vibes."
"Is that so?" L's eyes narrowed a snub, his thinking gears coming to life.
"But. . . it is different. Very different. He is leaning towards more of a darker gray than you."
*Light*~*L*~*Light*~*L*~*Light*
Meanwhile, a couple metres away, Misa complained while spying on the two. "So boring, why are they only talking about colours?"
"Shades, Misa," Light muttered his correction.
"Whatever same thing."
"For all we know, they could be talking about watching Fifty Shades of Gray together."
"Light-kun, what's that? It sounds really boring too. Who watches a movie about grayness?"
". . . Never mind. Forget it."
"Tell me! Please?~"
"Let's just go back to eavesdropping shall we?"
"Why don't you tell meeeee? I thought we trusted each other with our own lives, Light!"
"We do! It's just, argh, just Google it. It's guaranteed to have a better explanation than me."
"Okay! . . . . Thanks anyway, honey!"
". . . please stick to only my name . . ."
"What?"
"Never mind, Misa."
A/N: Wow, been one hella long time since I've updated... Well, here it is! I'll be asking for 5 REVIEWS for the next chappie! I'm making the number high since nobody reads this anyway, lmao. Feel free to check out my other stories or Fictionpress (under same name).