I am SO SO sorry for taking so damn long to update this. Life gets crazy sometimes... Thanks for being patient with me. I hope this one is alright, and I promise I'm hard at work on the next chapter already!
L is for Light
My eyes fluttered open from the stream of light beaming in from the window. It took a moment for me to realize where I was, hazed in momentary confusion when I awoke in a room other than my own. Then, I remembered. The familiar heavy feeling sat in my chest as I recalled the night before. Sitting up slowly, my bangs hung from the side as usual and brushed just above my jaw line while the rest of my wavy hair spilled over my shoulders. Slipping out of the covers, I tried on one of the outfits Watari had brought me so kindly last night. Jeans, and a solid white top with a few decorative buttons. I glanced at myself in the mirror. It actually made me look kind of nice.
I opened the door and into the opening of the main room. L and Watari were already awake. L looked up from his computer.
"Ah, good morning, I hope you slept well." he greeted me. "If you're hungry, Watari took the liberty of ordering room service. You're welcome to have some if you'd like." he finished, letting his wide eyes fall back to the screen.
"Thank you," I replied tiredly, glancing around to catch the sight of a three tier silver platter with all kinds of sweet breakfasts, then cake and cookies resting below it. The amount of pastries and sugar-loaded food that sat in front of me made me feel like I was already on a sugar high.
"Damn," I muttered, approaching it. I wasn't about to complain of his taste in food. Sweets were always a mood lifter.
Happily, I welcomed myself to pick from the selection. Oh God, anything looked good. A frosted carrot cake caught my eye. I haven't had carrot cake in… well, too long. It tasted just as good as I remembered. I looked at the clock that hung on the wall. It was almost eleven forty-five.
"I slept that long?" I breathed.
"Yes," L replied simply. "I'm not surprised though, you needed the rest."
"You're one to talk," I turned to L, still the cake in my hand.
I approached the large window overlooking the city, and gazed down at the streets. It had been so long since I'd actually looked around. I was always too busy with the cases on my mind, ruling out suspects and profiling others, analyzing details and replaying interrogations over in my head, that I hadn't even gone out to eat in over a year.
"Ryusaki," I said, fixing my eyes on one spot.
"Yes?" I could tell he didn't move as he spoke.
"Would you like to go out and get something to eat?"
He was quiet for a minute, and for a second I almost thought he had completely ignored me.
"Mmm yes, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go out for a short period of time." L replied, not sounding all that enthused about it. "Did you have a place in mind?" his head turned awkwardly, his dark wide eyes gazing at me with wonder.
"No, but-"
"That's alright, I know of a place." he cut me off, closing his laptop and stepping off of the chair.
"Watari," he called. "Miss Ariorian and I will be out for a while. Will you be alright moving everything?"
The older man appeared and bowed slightly. "Of course, Ryusaki."
"Thank you, Watari." L turned to me, his messy hair giving him an animated movement. "Ready?"
I nodded, and followed him out. Once we'd reached the streets a black mercedes pulled up, the man driving getting out and opening the door for him. Damn, he may not look like it, but the man had class. Awkwardly, he stepped inside. I watched him sit uncomfortably, but properly. L moved over so I was able to climb in after him. The driver shut the door and got back in behind the wheel.
"The Kozue." L stated. With only that, the man started to drive.
"I'm surprised you agreed to come with me." I told him.
"Why's that?" he asked turning to me. "Could it be my obsessive personality?"
I half breathed a laugh. "Yes, that's my reason. I didn't expect you to tear away from your computer so easily."
"Well maybe in this short amount of time you can proceed to surprise me as well, Spade."
My name hit my ear so strangely, like I'd never heard it said before. It was so pronounced and in the calmest voice. It had been so long since anyone had called me that, maybe I was just having to get used to the name again. I liked that he'd referred to me by my name. I felt that maybe he was beginning to view me as a friend, but it would be difficult to tell.
We arrived at the restaurant, the slick black car came to a stop in front of a high-end building.
"Here we are," L sighed.
He seemed so unhappy with the place that he'd chosen, but then again, I found it almost impossible to read him. I slipped outside the car and followed him in. It was only a few minutes until we got sat, being that it was a weekday in the afternoon, so business was slow. The seats were comfortable and roomy, everything on the table was set so perfectly that I was almost afraid to touch it and mess up the decorative set up.
"I think you'll be happy to hear that Kunsiam was caught early this morning." L started, pulling up his legs to his chest and resting his pale hands on his knees.
"The arson investigator found that the fire that destroyed your building was infact intentional. They found a pack of matches from the hotel that Kunsiam was staying at, where you'd met him, with a phone number of an earlier victim written inside. They tracked it from there."
"What a careless move on his part." I snorted quietly.
"Hm. Not the response I was expecting." L replied.
I looked up and shot him one of my signature smirks.
"Infact, you're not a kind of company I had ever expected to encounter, Ms. Ariorian."
That caught me off guard. I let the wheels turn in my head, and as I opened my mouth to respond, the waiter approached us both.
"Hello, welcome to the Kozue, can I get something for you two to drink?"
The man had a heavy accent, most likely only speaking English to appeal to me. What a burden I must be as a foreigner.
"We'll both have tea please, and extra sugar on the side, if you will." L stated.
I almost glared at him for ordering for me. I didn't like it when things were out of my control. After the waiter scurried away, silence fell between the both of us. L stared blankly at nothing out the large window with the beautiful view of the city, while I continued to stare at L, picking away at anything I could possibly find as a clue to unraveling this intriguing and mysterious man. It was close to impossible for me to be unable to read someone. Of course, I may have difficulty with some, but never had I ever been left with a wild card like L. I knew nothing of his incredible breed, so secretive and unknown. I had to become more familiar, or I'd surely drive myself insane trying.
"Are you upset that I ordered for you?" L's voice broke through to my thoughts. I hadn't even noticed he'd turned at looked at me.
"I-I'm sorry… what?"
"You've been staring at me for nearly five seconds now. Is it because you're upset that I've ordered your beverage for you? If that be the case, I do apologize."
I blinked at him. Was he really thinking that's why I'd been staring at him? Is he just as lost at reading me as I am with him? Or perhaps it's just normal, human connection he's confused with. That seems to be it, because he easily reads the criminals like a book with plain print.
I shook my head. "No, I'm sorry, I didn't even realize I was doing so. I just lost myself in thought, I guess."
"I see." was all he replied with.
For the rest of the lunch, L and I sat and ate in comfortable silence, only a few different things coming up to speak about, but none of it was small chat. Maybe to others it seemed so, but both L and I understood there was something else between the lines of the worthless chat about weather and the food quality. After lunch, we both got back into L's personal car and headed to a different hotel across the city. Once we reached the hotel room, Watari had been waiting for us there, and the evening had crept near. Everything had been set up again, it seemed placed carefully to where L would have probably wanted it. Watari greeted us, took my jacket, and the last remaining hours went by reasonably fast. I was almost surprised when my fellow agents started to appear through the door.
Mr. Yagami appeared, and a new face I'd only seen in pictures accompanied him. "Ryusaki," Mr. Yagami started. "This is my son, Light."
The young man was tall and thin, well groomed and handsome. He stood straight, with an authoritative and confident expression swept across his face that had my gut turning up an unsettling vibe. His light brown hair was long, swept perfectly across his face and hung just over his eyes. He nodded respectfully to Ryusaki.
"Yes, Mr. Yagami we already met." L said.
"Ryusaki." Light said. "It's truly an honor to work with someone with status as you."
I snorted to myself. Trying to butter the genius up never works.
"Thank you, I'll be happy with the opportunity of keeping a close eye on you, Light Yagami." L replied dryly. "Now, if we can get to work." The lengthy man turned his hunched back to us and started to the couches, squatting in his own secluded chair he stared blankly past all of us.
The task force sat down, where L showed us all a large building on a computer.
"This building I am having built for this investigation specifically, there, it will be easier for us to continue our investigation without the constant moving between hotels. There are rooms for you to stay, and everything you will need to keep your daily needs satisfied so you are fully capable of continuing your best work on this case."
The dark eyes fell on me. "Agent Charrett," he said.
"Yes?"
"I have arranged for you to have your own room, you're welcome to stay there as long as you like, rent free. It's only fair due to what happened to your apartment."
The group of men turned to me.
"What happened to your appartment?" Masuda asked me, his voice filled with true concern and curiosity.
"It was burned to the ground." I replied casually.
"What happened?" Light chimed in.
I brought my gaze up to them.
"Someone had it out for me, but that shouldn't be surprising, focus on the case you melodramatic idiots." My voice rung some playfulness, but really, I didn't want them to worry. They seemed to relax a little, my familiar smirk calming them down.
"Thank you, Agent Charrett. This is no time to be going off topic. Now Light," L turned to the young man. "I'd like you to tell me what you make of these."
L set up the tapes that had aired live over the news of someone who had claimed to be Kira. After Light watched them over, he turned to us.
"I think this is an imposter."
"Hm? Why do you suspect that?" Ryusaki asked.
"Because this is out of character, Kria would never do something like this."
A moment of silence was broken by L.
"Very good, Light. I suspected there was a second Kira, but I needed a second opinion, and now that I have yours, I'm certain there is a second Kira."
"If catching one wasn't hard enough, now there's two?" Masuda complained.
"Actually," L started, "This may make catching Kira easier. This second Kira is reaching out to the first Kira, and if they do come in contact there's no doubt that Kira will use the second Kira and feed the second Kira orders."
"We could respond to the second Kira as Kira himself before that happens, so we have the upper hand." I suggested.
"I had the same idea, Agent Charrett." L said. "Light, I feel you would do well writing a script as Kira. Are you up to that?"
"I don't know how I'll do, but I'll do my best." Light replied.
It was late, perhaps I could even say early, when everyone finally left. I was drained, but L seemed to have not been shaken by the long hours of work. He remained in his usual state, and continued to stare at the documents, the evidence and computer screen before him, crouched like a gargoyle.
"Ryusaki," I started towards him and sat down on the couch.
"Hm? What is it?" L asked, cocking his head to the side slightly, tearing his full attention away from the clear baggy he had pinched in two fingers inches from his face.
How exactly was I supposed to bring this up?
"Uh.." Great start there.
L's haunting eyes gazed right through me.
"It's… Light. He makes me uncomfortable. You're one for evidence, I know that, but it's honestly just a gut feeling I have about him. There's something that… doesn't settle right with me about him."
"Yes, I am one for evidence, but despite that fact, I do believe that it is in fact important to trust your instincts. Although you may not notice it, you subconsciously pick up on details, and that, in return, gives you this gut feeling."
"Thanks, for understanding."
"So what do you purpose we do about him?" L asked.
I'd be lying if I wasn't slightly surprised by his response. I guess I just assumed he knew he was the one that was calling the shots about the case - and who worked it.
"Keep your enemies closer." I replied bleakly.
Then, a small smirk played on L's lips, once again, catching me off guard.
"This is why I like you."