A/N: Well, hello people, it has been a while isn't it? Months, in fact. Hehhehehe... Wait! Don't kill me, I have excuses. It was my final year at school so there's these exams. I tend to work on my stories all the time so I was convinced to stop focusing on my stories and on my studies instead, which was really boring. I finished the exams a month ago but well, I have citizenship issues to settle and moving issues so I didn't have time. And when I did, I tried to continue from where I left off and well, I have no idea how to do it! It was way too long since I touched these and was absolutely lost on how to continue. So it took me a while to reacquaint myself with everything and this story especially. Just as I was losing hope and was about to give up and not continue this for even longer, a review came! So I would like to thank, uhh (squints at username) Shadowcynder1830, for reviewing this story when no one else did and giving me the motivation to try harder to continue this story. So here we are! I apologize if it seems a little shorter than usual but it'll get better, I promise. Until then, please enjoy my meagre offering of a chapter and please don't be mad :(
For those who are subscribed to other stories, I will be uploading those soon as well. See ya!
"…ra."
L blinked, startled out of his musings. He turned to look at Light who was fast asleep next to him. The teen seemed peaceful, so L wasn't sure if he had imagined the voice when he was preoccupied with coming up with a new plan to deal with the new Kira. The detective stared at him, watching for any signs of disturbances.
It wasn't long before Light frowned and shifted in his sleep.
"Kira…" he mumbled, then turned over to face away from L.
The mumblings were nothing strange but it was the first time that L had heard something audible coming from Light while he was sleeping. L settled back into his crouch, troubled.
He was brought back to his earlier worries, was Light the victim? Or the unknowing instigator who had purposefully made himself unknowing? Or were it all a psychological issue? The boy had been exhibiting some rather strange behaviors, not mentioning the drastic changes in his behaviors.
Or did he know? Was that why Light had refused to say anything about his problems, his refusal to sleep and sudden fixation on staying awake?
To avoid his dreams?
L glanced over at him, where Light showed no other signs of moving.
It does makes sense, he had suddenly avoided sleeping one day and had troubled nights where he was rudely awoken by some sort of fearful dream.
However, it could also be that Light is slowly remembering about himself as Kira. L could not dismiss that possibility as well, if Light's nightmares were due to the things that he had done while he was Kira, when he was without Kira's influence. As someone without the memories of the terrible things he had done, it is highly likely that he would be highly disturbed by those memories.
The detective looked over to the mirrors that are all covered up by the blankets.
Light could also be avoiding his own reflections over either the fear or disgust of seeing himself when he had remembered what he had done. That was plausible, regarding the environment that the boy had grown up in. However, that was before the other change, where L felt that Light had shut himself off completely. Was it due to him realizing that these were not mere dreams?
If so, were the reflections that he had been avoiding of Kira?
That would explain the latest theory but it might allude that Kira and Light were not the same person and that Kira was some sort of supernatural entity that could transfer itself between people once it was cornered. If that were the case, how on earth would they even sentence Kira if they manage to catch him?
L sighed, unable to make headway in this conundrum. There were too many unknown variables, mainly because of the supernatural aspect of the case. L had done disturbing cases, he had done highly confusing cases with intelligent crooks, he'd done highly dangerous ones where he had come close to losing his life but never was he unable to come up empty-handed for so long.
Perhaps, if he was able to get Light to reveal something soon. Until then, he will have to play along with Kira's plans, for if the entity was indeed moving between people; it is certainly trying to lead him into some sort of trap. In the meantime, the detective will have to come up with precautions of his own.
It will have to be a gamble then, if he were to rely on Light for parts of the answer. It will depend on whether Light does indeed see him enough of a friend to prevent him from meeting his end. Whether Light even has the ability to provide him with something, if Kira was the one influencing him and not the other way around. If he were to speak, L might be able to help him if that was what he needs.
Light was just done with his morning shower and making his way out of the bathroom when he spotted a rather large object in the doorway. L was looking straight at him, expression blank and certainly making no move to let him out.
Light sighed, having grown tired of his eccentricity. "Ryuuzaki, what are you doing?"
"Light-kun still has not answered me," L said, still staring at him.
"What the hell?" Light looked at him incredulously, "You don't just crowd people like this, do you have no social tact or something?"
"Light-kun is avoiding the question."
"Move, you overgrown idiot!"
"Why do you still not answer me?" L demanded, having blocked the way out of the bathroom.
"There is no answer!" Light growled in frustration as he tried to shove the detective out of the way. For a person who looked so scrawny, the brunette would have never guessed that he was so hard to bodily move. "Now would you get out of my way?"
"There is obviously something bothering you," L said, determination glittering in his eyes, "I'm not going to move until Light-kun tells me what."
Light glared at him, "We have work to get back to, Ryuuzaki. Stop being so stubborn and move!"
L huffed and continued in a softer tone, "Light-kun, I am concerned about you. Am I not your friend? Am I not allowed to be worried about you?"
The teen was at the peak of his annoyance and had run out of patience ages ago. He looked L dead in the eyes and snarled, "Why? Do I look like I'm just going to stupidly slit my arms like a spineless idiot if I don't tell you?"
Silence ensued as both genii stared at each other, anger blazed in Light's eyes while L's dimmed into cold shock.
"Perhaps I should not have told you about that," L muttered after the long pause.
Light got right up in his face at that.
"So? What are you going to do about it?"
L glared back at him, his mind made up, "Hand."
Light held his arm up, challenging him.
The detective slapped the cuff back onto his wrist, Light managed not to wince as the cuff struck his skin with a harsh, burning sting. L then proceeded to drag the teen out of the bedroom, deliberately not giving Light to prepare or fix anything else about his appearance. The other said nothing about it, determined to not let L get the satisfaction of having riled him up even further.
"Tea?"
"No, thank you." L growled.
Watari raised his eyebrows, for L had never been this rudely dismissive towards him before. He glanced at Light, who similarly sat glaring at his screen and almost completely ignoring everything else that goes on around him. Matsuda, the most emotionally attuned of the group had pretty much avoided the immediate vicinity of the two, in fear of having a fight break out with him nearby.
Well, perhaps he might have to take a look at the camera footage to figure out what's going on between the two.
As Watari walked away and out of the room, Soichiro approached them with an uneasy look on his face.
"Ryuuzaki."
L half-turned towards the older man.
"About the issue of the new Kira," he half-reminded and half-demanded, "Are you not going to do anything about it? The numbers of deaths have been going up."
L blinked at him.
Soichiro, undeterred by the staring, looked back at him as he waited for an answer.
"Yes, you did ask for a solution didn't you, Yagami-san?"
Soichiro looked mildly puzzled at that, "Yes, I did."
"Hm, yes, I have worked on it," L mentioned lightly, the casual look on his face a mismatch with his earlier demeanor. He nibbled on his thumb briefly, "Light-kun?"
Light turned to face him stiffly, anger plain on his face and much more obvious than the fury brewing within the detective.
"What?" He snapped.
Before Soichiro could tell him off for speaking like that, L cheerfully asked, "I did tell you what you have to do for me, right?"
"What?"
"I didn't? Oh dear, it must've slipped my mind."
L didn't provide much more after that. Light bristled with anger that L had dared to make him prompt another time.
"What, Ryuuzaki?"
"Light…" Soichiro started.
"It's nothing much," L said pointedly, "We need to get closer to Yotsuba, if Light-kun did not figure it out already, I have expected more from him."
Light managed not to punch him in the face as he glowered at the detective.
"Of course, that meant a little infiltration. Just a small one, mind you," L supplied, "We would not want the whole operation blowing in our face."
"What. Do. You. Want. To. Do?" Light just about snarled at him.
"It is not a lot," L said, "I want Light-kun to convince Amane Misa to work for Yotsuba."
Light stared at him, "What are you saying?"
"What, Light-kun did not know?" L goaded, "Yotsuba wishes to release a video advertisement and someone such as Amane Misa is perfect for this role. I would expect more from Light-kun to pay attention to opportunities such as this."
Light growled at him, "What does this have to do with anything?"
L smiled at him, "Light-kun isn't concerned that I am sending his lover to do such a dangerous mission? No wonder I have suspected Light-kun of being Kira, he's such a selfish, self-centered, cruel little boy."
Soichiro gaped at him, "Ryuuzaki-"
Light sprung from his seat and pulled L to his feet by the front of his shirt. The detective slipped off his chair as the force caused it to clatter to the floor. L managed to regain his footing before he hung from where Light was holding his shirt.
"Say it again, Ryuuzaki," Light hissed in his face.
L regarded him calmly, "It is as I've said."
The detective swiftly hooked his hands behind Light's head and slammed their foreheads together.
The teen gasped in pain and surprise as he released L's shirt and stumbled back, looking back up to growl at L.
"You're a cruel and selfish boy," L continued, presenting no reaction to the pain from the head-butt.
Light let out an incomprehensible, animalistic snarl as he lunged for the detective.
L was ready for the tackle and shoved back violently, causing Light to fall over and slam onto the floor with him on top.
"Stop it, the both of you!"
The two are deaf to the shouting of the others as they swung and kicked at the other, rage coating their vision as they growl and snapped at each other. The members of the Taskforce made a frantic dash towards them and struggled to put them apart. Aizawa was the unluckiest of them all, having been hit by a stray punch once or twice in the midst of trying to stop the scuffle.
"I knew this would happen," Matsuda whined as he peered at them apprehensively.
"Shut up and help us, Matsuda!"
"Ah, okay…" The bachelor muttered as he approached them.
He then proceeded to stand reluctantly at the edge of the fight.
"Matsuda!"
"Okay, okay!" He hesitated, "I don't want to do this!"
"MATSUDA!"
"Ah…"
Eventually, he joined them and managed to pull the two away from each other, where they glared at each other balefully, looking ready to jump back into the fight as soon as they are free of the iron grip the Taskforce had on them.
"Seriously," Aizawa complained, ignoring the throbbing pain above his brow, "Why are you guys always, always fighting?"
"Maybe we should keep them separated for now," Mogi suggested, "Until they cool off."
"That's not a bad idea," Soichiro said, looking none too pleased with them, "Uh, about the key…"
"I have one right here," Watari said, having materialized out of nowhere with a silver key in his hand.
"Oh," Soichiro uttered, puzzled at his appearance, "Thank you."
"I shall bring Ryuuzaki to another room and speak to him," Watari mentioned, a mildly stern look on his face.
"I'll do the same with Light," Soichiro said.
L and Light pretended they have heard none of that, for they have no yet let go of their anger and remain glaring at each other until they were forcibly turned away from the other. Watari proceeded to drag L out of the workroom while Soichiro set his son down on the empty couch.