love

Light had climbed to the top of the jagged rock, and L had followed him, the two of them standing there and staring out over the desolate landscape spread out below them.

'Do you want to know another reason why you failed, Kira?' asked Lawliet.

As far as they could see in the gloom, in every direction, there was nothing but mist and ash and bones.

'By all means, L,' said Light.

The ash continued to fall, the mists continuing to curl, but other than that there was neither movement nor sound; it was as if the world were not just dead, but ossified.

'You never understood love,' said Lawliet. 'With Misa, and with Mikami, you could not predict their actions, and therefore you could not control them, because you believed that their love for you meant that they would do whatever you said.'

Light turned his gaze from the stagnate landscape submerged in gloom.

Lawliet's face was tilted upwards, eyes dark, shadows pooled beneath them. 'You did not realize that their love would cause them to act on their own and do what they believed best to help you.'

'The best way to help me would have been to do what I said,' said Light.

'They loved you, Kira,' said Lawliet, softly. He tilted his head just enough to meet Light's gaze. 'You do whatever you can to protect those you love.'

Light's exhale failed to stir the hair obscuring his face. 'Well, I suppose I can't claim to have ever loved.' He turned, then, hands in his pockets, disregarding the edge of the rock a half-step behind him. 'Did you, L?'

'Did I ever love?' inquired Lawliet. He turned his gaze upwards, a thumb coming up to press against his lips. 'I loved cake.'

Light tossed the hair out of his eyes with a slight shake of his head. 'A person, L.'

'No,' said Lawliet, 'I suppose I cannot claim to have ever loved, either.' He glanced at Light with a pitch-black gaze. 'But that does not mean I could not comprehend it in the way that you couldn't.'

Light fixed him with a languid stare. 'Did you ever want to be loved, then?'

'No,' said Lawliet. 'I never did.'

'I figured,' said Light. 'I don't think you have any right to lecture me on love, L.' He looked away, hair slanting across his face. 'And, anyway, I don't particularly care.'

'I didn't think you would,' said Lawliet, gaze on the skeletons scattered in the ash below them, thumb brushing over lips. 'Your disregard for love is why you failed, after all.'

'Maybe you're right, L,' said Light, tone indolent.

Lawliet looked at him evenly. 'I'm never wrong.'

Light took a small step back and tilted his head up to watch the falling ash, a breathless sigh escaping past his lips. 'How boring.'