Hidden Threats

When Light awoke the next morning, L was wrapped securely in his arms, his even breathing indicating that he was still deeply asleep. Light stared at him curiously, wondering if L ever had any good dreams. The way he had spoken, it seemed like he had had nothing but nightmares for as long as he could remember. But L's face now was peaceful, and as Light held him, the soft tenor voice murmured drowsily, "Lumière… Je pense… Je… Attente… Gâteau… ?"

French this time, huh? Light recognized a few of the words; his own name, and the word 'cake', for one. He smiled, amused, and leaned down to whisper very softly in L's ear, careful not to wake him.

"You shouldn't trust me, L. I'm going to kill you."

L didn't wake, but he made a sound almost like a whimper and muttered, "Non… Tueur… Vous n'êtes pas…"

That was a word he didn't recognize. 'Tueur'. He wasn't sure what it meant, and he couldn't figure it out in the context of the rest of the words. He sighed, resting his chin on the top of L's head and breathing the older boy's scent. L smelled like marshmallows. And strawberry. Light rolled his eyes. He even smelled like the sweets he devoted so much of his attention to.

…Why was he focusing on this again?

He got up to wash his face and brush his hair, leaving L to clutch at a pillow in his absence. When he returned from the bathroom that they shared, he stared, puzzled. L was muttering again, too low to be heard, and shifting around agitatedly. Light walked over, reaching out to touch his shoulder and wake him up. But the instant he made contact, L stopped moving, murmuring sleepily, "Light…"

Light pulled back his hand, instead reaching for the book he kept on the side table and beginning to read. He was not going to think about this right now.

xXx

L awoke a few minutes later, giving no indication of whatever had prompted his sleep-talking. Light was tempted to ask, but considering what had come before the second vocalization, he didn't want to risk it. The last thing he needed what L actually remembering what Light had said to him while he'd been sleeping.

"Light-kun, are you coming?" L asked, standing in the doorway, ready to go downstairs. Light realized he had been zoning out, yet again.

"Of course, Ryuuzaki." He followed the detective to the elevator, trying to sort out his thoughts.

The Kira case was going nowhere quickly. After Higuchi's death, they had gotten no new leads on where Kira might be hiding. L and the task force worked determinedly, but there was only so much that they could do. As such, Light had plenty of time to drift off into his own thoughts. What was he going to do? Without Misa, he needed someone to aid him, or Kira's killings would simply cease. That in itself would be suspicious, that criminals would stop dying after Misa's own death. If only he could trust L enough…

Five and a half hours later, Light got up from his chair, stretching. "I'm going to get something to eat. I was thinking that little cafe on the corner. I'll be back in about forty-five minutes."

"Light-kun?" L asked, turning around.

Light blinked. "Yes, Ryuuzaki?"

"Will you get me strawberry ice-cream on the way back?"

Light hesitated, then smiled. "Sure." L pulled a few yen from his baggy pockets, handing them to Light and thanking him before going back to his work. Light headed for the elevator, relishing in the ability to go places without L dangling from his wrist like an oversized charm bracelet.

xXx

The café was blissfully empty, the lunch rush having just cleared out. Light sat down, ordering a toasted sandwich and glancing around. He had this eerie feeling like someone was watching him, but he chalked it up to having spent too much time around L. The detective watched his every move, to the point where it was uncomfortable sometimes.

Eating his sandwich calmly, he glanced around the small café once more, and froze when he finally saw the eyes that were focused on him. They were eyes full of hate, and Light almost choked on his sandwich.

"Rem!"

The Shinigami drifted over, still staring at him, and Light reached into his bag for his cell-phone, pulling it out and pretending to punch some buttons before holding it up to his ear. "What are you doing?"

"Clever, Yagami Light." Rem said. "Using that device to talk to me without suspicion."

"What do you want?" Light asked.

Rem glared at him. "Vengeance for Misa."

Light gripped the phone tighter. "What Misa did was not my fault. And you cannot do anything to me, Rem. I'm immune to your notebook." Though he would never show it, he was nervous. Rem was quite possibly the only one that he had never been able to win over through charm and sweet-talking. The Shinigami hated him from the start, and Misa's death had only intensified it.

"Misa's death was a direct result of your actions." Rem gave Light no chance to lie and deny it, continuing immediately, "And I have found other ways to hurt you. I've watched, and I've waited, and finally know how to do it."

Light's fingers twitched on the cell-phone. It was absolutely killing him, the Shinigami's cryptic threats. He preferred people to be straight with him. Ryuuzaki had never tried to sugarcoat it. When he caught Kira, he would send the murderer to his execution. Rem, on the other hand… Light had no idea what she would do.

Rem looked him straight in the eyes.

"I will get rid of L for you."

Light felt like time had stopped. That… That wasn't a threat! That wasn't a danger! It was the exact opposite of danger; it was perfect! Rem must have seen the shock and sudden look of triumph on his face, for she said, sounding almost smug, "You believe this to be a good thing, but you will see quickly that you are wrong."

"I can't possibly be wrong! Getting rid of that annoyance; that's what I've been working towards since he appeared. This is perfect!"

Rem smiled crookedly. "We will see, Light Yagami. I will come tonight." She flew away, up through the ceiling, and Light put away his cell phone, grinning uncontrollably. L was going to disappear! He wouldn't be able to oppose Light's justice any more! Light almost felt like dancing through the streets, proclaiming his victory to the world, but settled for buying L his strawberry ice-cream, relishing the thought that every sweet L ate was closer to his last.

xXx

It had taken some coaxing, but he had gotten L to come away from the computer and watch a movie after everyone else had gone home. It was an American movie, The Dark Knight, that Light had gotten bootlegged from a friend. He figured that L would appreciate it, since English was his first language, and he thought that Batman would definitely be a good superhero to expose L to. After all, both were referred to as the 'World's Greatest Detective'.

"Alfred entirely has a point." L said, somewhere in the middle of the movie. "There are some criminals out there who aren't after anything in particular. Those are the ones that are the most difficult to stop." He frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "But technically, going to Hong Kong after that man would be illegal. It would count as kidnap. He should have gotten the Chinese police involved."

Light laughed, reaching out and pulling the skinny detective closer. "He's not you, Ryuuzaki. You have the influence over the world's police to do that. Batman is just a vigilante, in one city."

L huffed, leaning on Light's shoulder. "Like Kira is a vigilante?"

"Batman doesn't kill people." Light said, refusing to rise to the bait. L hummed in response, and went back to watching the movie.

Some time later, as the movie ended, Light said absently, "You could totally be Batman, Ryuuzaki."

L shifted to look up at him, confused. "How do you see that, Light-kun?"

Light held up his hand before L's face, ticking off points as he named them. "Almost no one knows your true identity besides Watari, the task force, and I…"

"Are you Rachel, then, Light-kun?"

Light ignored the teasing, continuing, "Watari helps you with everything you need, and he could probably build all those gadgets Batman has. After all, he knows how to use a sniper rifle. You're definitely strong enough to take on bad guys barehanded, because of your capoeira…"

"I don't have a secret lair anywhere." L objected.

Light laughed. "No L-Cave filled with gummy worms and rock-candy? You have this building…" L shook his head, and glanced back at the credits rolling onscreen. Light stared at him, intense ebony eyes reading the names as they scrolled past. American names that meant next to nothing to Light, but L read them anyway.

Light wondered if he had guessed; if that was why he was indulging Light with this. Something as normal as watching a movie, but Rem was coming for him tonight. Impulsively, Light reached out, tipping L's chin up and kissing him. "Ryuu…"

"Don't." L said, pulling back. "Today was… perfect, somehow. Don't say anything now that might ruin it. Tomorrow… say whatever you like."

"Ryuu… No, I have to ask." Light said. He had to ask the skinny detective now, or else he wouldn't get another chance. "If you had a chance to meet Kira, to work with Kira, to make it so that everything worked… Would you?"

"Modifying Kira's plan?" L questioned. Light nodded, seriously, and L put his thumb to his lips. "That… might work. But the personality that I associate with Kira would not allow for such a thing."

"But if Kira were willing to work with you, suspending all disbelief for a moment…"

L shook his head. "Kira is still a murderer, and must pay for his crimes."

They went to their room, changing into pajamas, and Light piled the pillows up against the headboard and sat down. L turned to look at him, frowning.

"What are you doing?"

Light held out his arms, welcoming. "Just come sit with me for a minute."

L hesitated for a second, then walked over to sit. He could tell that Light was acting differently, he just didn't know why.

Light wrapped his arms around him, pulling the detective back to lean against him, back-to-chest. He had gotten good at faking relationships from years of catering to the adoring girls who practically flung themselves at him, not to mention Misa. So it was a simple matter to act without raising L's suspicions. In fact, it seemed almost easier than usual. He buried his nose in raven hair, inhaling deeply. L had some sort of special shampoo that smelled like vanilla frosting, and it was almost saccharine, assaulting Light's senses. But in just a short while, he wouldn't have to deal with any of the elder man's quirks ever again.

"Light-kun." L said quietly. Light tilted his head questioningly, and L felt the movement and continued, "I think that you should just tell me that you are Kira." Light stiffened, and L started to amend, "I would…"

But whatever he would have done was lost to stunned silence, as Rem drifted through the ceiling, Death Note in hand.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

I LOVE that movie. XD

Light's such an idiot. He just doesn't get it yet, does he? (sigh) So this week is exam week hell, so I don't know how much writing I'll be able to get done. O.o School sucks. But it's almost over!

L's French:

"Light... I think... I... Wait... Cake?"

"No... Killer... You can't..." (It's either 'you can't' or 'you wouldn't', I don't remember which. 'Killer' because Kira is basically the Japanese pronunciation of killer, so in French, it would be the French word.)

(hands over chibi!Near plushie, just because)
Hugs!
Li