A/N: Finally, the third chapter!
Also, I would like to thank both akatsuki-tenshi-kitsune and x sinister for their encouraging reviews, and I agree with you sinister, I also enjoy plots where Light is made to be the victim, his vulnerability is always interesting. Although sometimes I think that I may be making Ryuzaki a bit more cruel than he actually is...
III.
The two boys stood quietly in the kitchen, Ryuzaki fishing in the refrigerator for an already prepared tray of cookies as Light continued to contemplate about the Yotsuba group, trying to figure out how exactly they would manage to infiltrate and uncover their 'Kira'. Considering that there was substantial evidence that the supposed vigilante worked among them, this wouldn't be a case too difficult to crack; still, he was lost in his thoughts for quite awhile until suddenly he realized that Ryuzaki had not even created the dough for the cookies, it was already prepared and waiting for the detective in the refrigerator, when had Watari visited? How did he not notice?
"Ryuzaki," Light began, catching the attention of the dark haired detective as he eased the tray into the oven, setting both the cooking time and temperature.
"Yes, Light-kun?" Ryuzaki had responded, wondering what Light had wanted to know. The boy wasn't one to ask questions generally, he rarely initiated conversation at all, especially not with Ryuzaki, so this should be interesting.
"I was just wondering... how is it that the cookie dough is already prepared? Was Watari here earlier?" It was honest question, it just didn't make sense to Light that there would happen to be a tray of already made cookies lying about. No, it was impossible.
Ryuzaki smirked deviously at the question, turning towards Light as he wanted to watch the teen's response to his perhaps too truthful answer. "Oh, well, when you fall asleep, I generally remove my own handcuff and chain you to the bed frame, locking you in the bedroom while I tend to other things." He then smiled cheekily, almost wishing to emphasize the overall creepy factor.
As expected, Light's expression immediately shifted to one of horror and disgust How psychotic was this man that he thought it was acceptable behavior to chain someone to a bed and lock them in a room as he's sleeping? Then again, what kind of man also believes that it's a necessary precaution to remain chained to a potential suspect at all times and keep even infrared surveillance throughout the apartment, including in the bathroom? Ryuzaki truly was an extremely creepy man. Nonetheless, Light eventually managed to pull back his expression of shock and contain himself, retorting simply, "Hm, has anyone ever told you that you're a little bit strange?" "More like fucking psychotic." he mentally corrected himself.
Ryuzaki paused for a moment, leaning against the counter as he truly contemplated what Light had asked, had anyone ever implied that the reclusive genius was a bit strange? Quickly Ryuzaki came to a conclusion, responding quite earnestly, "No, I don't think so Light-kun... I'm pretty sure that I've only been called very strange." He then grinned slightly, curious if that was the answer Light had been looking for. However, the blank expression on Light's face only implied that the boy was dumbstruck by the detective's answer, in complete disbelief over his density.
Realizing this, Ryuzaki decided to not wait for a response and instead changed the subject, reminding Light of the work to be done, "It's going to be exactly 17 minutes until the cookies are prepared so I suppose we should bring the laptops into the kitchen while we wait."
Light rolled his eyes at this comment, wondering what this "we" business was considering that these were Ryuzaki's cookies, not Light's. Thus, in a sharp manner he corrected the older man, simply stating "We are not waiting, you are waiting."
That raven haired boy was amused by this, wondering why Light was being so testy all of a sudden, and therefore decided to see how much further he could push the boy, pretending to take his statements quite literally, "I didn't realize you wanted those cookies so badly...but if you eat them now you might get salmonella poisoning, and that wouldn't be very good..." Ryuzaki nodded his head from side to side, his thick dark hair swaying as he was emphasizing the detrimental effects that would result from consuming the cookies now. However, at this point Light had realized that it was in his best interest to simply avoid the detective's silly assertions, not letting his purposefully irritating remarks affect him. Thus without a word he headed toward the living room, Ryuzaki quietly following as they picked up their respective laptops, ultimately heading back towards the kitchen.
Time passed as the boys sat comfortably at the table, the clicking sounds of fingers against keys filling the room as they both did research on recent deaths, at least until there was an audible ring signifying that Ryuzaki's cookies were done and ready to be eaten. Thus, the dark haired boy closed his laptop and made his way to a drawer from which he extracted a pair of pink oven mitts, donning them carefully before opening the oven and retrieving the pan, placing it gingerly onto the stove top. He then rustled through a silverware drawer and withdrew a spatula, carefully prying the hot, sweet smelling cookies off of the pan and onto a large tray, watching as the light brown spheres became dilapidated, their doughy filling crashing in on its self as it was weighed down by heavy, melting chocolate chunks.
Ryuzaki then peeled off the gloves, placing them neatly in the drawer before picking up the tray overfilled with cookies, piled high with the fattening treats. He placed it carefully on the table between Light and himself, sniffing loudly as he gushed over their scent, "Don't these smell delicious, Light-kun? I know you're dying to try one."
Light was unamused, not tearing his eyes away from the blue glow of the laptop screen as he continued to peruse through obituaries, searching for more correlations. "Actually no, I couldn't be less interested."
Ryuzaki smirked, quickly grabbing a cookie off the plate and shoving it into his mouth, devouring it happily, "Just because you're bitter-" he gulped, greedily snatching another cookie, "doesn't mean that you have to take it out on my cooking." He then smiled slightly, amused by both the conversation he was having and the sweets he was shoveling down.
Still not pleased by this interaction though, Light simply raised an eyebrow at the detective, correcting him in a typically snotty tone, "That's not even cooking, that's baking." He was getting progressively more and more irritated as Ryuzaki continued to antagonize him, the older man eating the cookies showily and continuing to pester him.
"Are we really going to get into a petty fight about diction?" Ryuzaki responded quickly, now grabbing more cookies at a time because the effort to continually reach for more was getting bothersome, he just wanted to scarf them down as quickly as possible. He decided though that he could spare one of these cookies in the name of taunting Light, waving it over his keyboard and under his nose, trying to tempt him as much as possible, "Are you sure you don't want one? They're delicious!"
Light recoiled, frustrated with detective's immaturity, when would this man learn when enough is enough? However, he wouldn't give him the response he wanted, he would remain cool and collected as he replied curtly, "Please do not drop that on my keyboard."
Unphased by this shut down, Ryuzaki decided to try a different approach, mixing some logic in to the situation so that maybe Light would be more compliant. "You know what Light-kun," Ryuzaki began, shoving another cookie into his mouth, "according to my calculations, you haven't eaten in approximately 15 hours and 24 minutes, making it practically impossible for you not to be hungry."
Light's eyes narrowed, obviously displeased that Ryuzaki had been keeping track of his eating schedule. Since when did he have the right to monitor when Light would eat? It was none of his concern, after all this was Light's body, not Ryuzaki's. The teen sighed, deciding that if he were to see an end to this taunting he would have to remind Ryuzaki of the current situation, "This is the last time I'm saying this as we went over it barely an hour ago, I'm not eating." Then, in the most humorous of fashions, to punctuate this proclamation of starvation Light's stomach grumbled loudly, obviously pained by the lack of nourishment. A flush then crept across Light's pale skin, embarrassed that he couldn't control his bodily noises.
Ryuzaki merely smirked slightly, slowing his pace of consumption yet keeping a certain rate as he took another bite of a cookie, trying to coax Light into eating, "Don't be embarrassed Light-kun, I think my stomach would implode if I didn't eat for even a few consecutive hours...Here, just take it." Ryuzaki offered, being unusually kind as he pushed the plate of cookies towards Light. Only moments ago he was mocking the handsome brunette, now he was trying to feed him? Nothing seemed to add up.
Very suspicious of Ryuzaki's sudden interest in stuffing him and still upset over the fact that he had been keeping tabs on when the boy was eating, Light simply stood up, very irritated as he announced loudly, "For the last time, I'm fine!" Then, in great protest, his stomach rumbled even more loudly than before, sending a shock of pain as he had to lean on the table, somewhat debilitated by the twisting and stabbing sensations within his abdomen.
The detective was intrigued now, it was undeniable that the boy was starving at this point, was he really that adamant on losing weight? This was interesting, very interesting. Nonetheless, this was a game now and Ryuzaki was determined to win, therefore he offered, "Hm, well if you won't eat any cookies, there's some leftover rice in the refrigerator and I promise that I'm not going to eat it..."
Light weighed his options mentally, wondering if the rice was worth it, after all it wasn't fried and it's not as though the entire container would be full, it would probably be halfway full, if even. Also, Ryuzaki would probably cease his harassment if he would eat now. Or perhaps he was just justifying his gluttony... so desperate for food that he had to lie to himself in order to make it okay. Ultimately though, the brunette caved, and as he approached the refrigerator he responded dismally, "Fine, I'll eat it, just stop bothering me." He then reached for the dark handle that was connected to the stainless steel door, revealing a cold cavity that was primarily empty beyond a few cartons of juice, assorted sweets, and the promised leftover rice. The boy reached for it carefully, almost afraid to touch it as he took hold, reluctantly going back to the table and setting it down, chopsticks conveniently already inside the white box.
He stared at it uncomfortably, fully concentrated as he took his first bite, the chopsticks shaking in his hand as he managed to take another, now suddenly devouring the food like an uncontrollable fiend, blinded by hunger as he shoveled the grains into his mouth. Ryuzaki grinned, pleased with Light's sudden change in heart. "If you eat a little slower, you might actually be able to taste it." the darker haired boy chided, amused by how quickly Light could change his ideas, he was rather fickle about this weight loss business.
Light was not amused though, immediately he dropped his chopsticks and glared at Ryuzaki, feeling so betrayed over such an insignificant comment, "So let me understand you better Ryuzaki, are you only offering me food so you can antagonize me about it once I begin to eat? Because if that's true, then I'm just no longer interested in consuming this." He pouted, unintentionally crossing his arms as he waited for an excuse from Ryuzaki, what would the man say for himself.
However, in contrast to what Light had expected, instead of coming up with a clever response Ryuzaki simply chuckled, appreciating Light's antics and the entertainment they offered. Still, he had to put the boy back into his place, therefore stating matter-of-factly, "I don't think it matters whether or not you're interested in consuming that considering you've finished it already."
The blush crept back, reappearing on Light's cheeks as he came to the realization that Ryuzaki was right, he had finished it. How had he been so out of control that he managed to devour that entire box? Did he not just promise himself only moments ago that he wasn't going to eat until he had gotten back into shape? This was pathetic, truly pathetic. How could he be such a filthy pig? Light sighed, deciding that through casual acceptance he could probably avoid further humiliation, "Yeah, how did I not realize that? Ah, well." He then got up, bringing the box to the garbage and biting his lower lip in frustration as he still had the privilege not to be facing Ryuzaki. Eventually the blush faded as he sat back down, waiting in silence for the other to finish so that they could carry on with their business, furthering their research on the Kira.
"298...299...300..." Light had counted mentally before collapsing back onto the floor, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he was extremely out of breath. "I don't remember sit-ups ever being that difficult... I must really be in terrible shape." he concluded mentally, still lying down as he studied the ceiling carefully, admiring the apartment's stucco tiles, wondering how long it took to create them. He almost felt like passing out there, right on the living room floor until he had reminded himself, "It was your decision to eat all that crap today so now this is your punishment. Maybe next time if you don't act like a pathetic pig you won't have to do this, let this be a lesson for the future." Light grimaced slightly, feeling rather strange speaking, well thinking to himself in such a manner, maybe he was getting delusional... Thus he decided that he really should drink some water, at least before doing the next one or perhaps two hundred crunches.
"Do you really think exercising now is going to make a difference?" Ryuzaki questioned rigidly as he typed, perhaps irritated that Light was working on his figure as opposed to working on the investigation. Light simply rolled his eyes though, what a stupid question. Of course exercise would help him lose the extra weight! It was exerting energy which would, in turn, burn calories. Still, being a little cranky at the moment after doing quite a few reps Light replied rather curtly to Ryuzaki, uninterested in playing his games, "No, I don't think it's going to make a difference. I simply enjoy sweating my ass off for no reason." He then reached for his glass and chugged it rather sloppily, not really caring when some water managed to stream onto his already dampened shirt, the cooling sensation it provided was very appreciated.
Ryuzaki was obviously bothered at this point; Light's blatant disregard for the Kira case obviously beginning to upset him. Generally it was pretty difficult to get under his skin, but today one could say that the genius was being uncharacteristically sensitive, "Well, that's interesting. But if you ever plan on actually working off that 'ass' of yours you might considering spending a bit more time actually using your brain, something you obviously haven't been doing lately."
Light squinted slightly, anger festering as Ryuzaki had so blatantly insulted him. When did he gain the right to speak to him such a manner? He had to retort now, just for the sake of his own dignity and not letting this arrogant genius think that he was the only one who wasn't at fault, he was just as clever as Ryuzaki after all. "It's strange that you would say that, considering that I've always thought that if you put down your cookies for five minutes then maybe you could actually make some progress in this hopeless Kira case. How long has it been anyway, that you've been working on this, over a year? And to think that you're the top three detectives on Earth..." he taunted the raven haired man, beginning to invade his personal space now as he tried to intimidate him.
Ryuzaki also squinted slightly though, just as bothered as Light was at this point, getting even closer as he coldly responded. "Hm, I have to disagree. I think the reason that this case remains unsolved is because you are constantly devouring all my sweets in secrecy, therefore denying me of the necessary brain power to solve this." he then paused, extending his arm and giving Light's midsection a demeaning pat, "The supporting evidence is clear."
Light felt a lump beginning to form within his throat, but instead of caving into the physical pressure to begin sobbing he decided to tackle Ryuzaki, pinning him to the couch as he wrapped his hands around the the man's slender neck, enjoying watching him struggle as his face began to reveal actual panic. Yet, before Light could completely strangle the detective, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his gut, having been punched from beneath by the squirming man and suddenly he had been sent soaring to the other end of the couch, Ryuzaki following as their handcuffs made it impossible for them to fight without enduring the repercussions of both person's attacks.
Still, at this point Ryuzaki was now straddling Light, winding his arm back for another punch until suddenly he felt an unfamiliar hand grabbing his wrist, obviously not Light's because he could clearly see the handsome teen struggling beneath the grip of his legs. Thus, Ryuzaki whipped his head around quickly, surprised to see Matsuda as the one restraining him. "Ryuzaki?" the shy detective asked, obviously confused by the situation he had walked in on, the poor guy had only came up to share some newly acquired information about the Yotsuba group.
Ryuzaki grinned, deciding to remain on top of Light yet ceasing the attack, quickly coming up with an easy excuse to feed Matsuda, "Oh, well this must look very strange...but you see Matsuda, Light-kun and myself were simply wrestling." His dark eyes shifted their gaze downward, meeting directly with Light's, "Right, Mr. Yagami?"
Already embarrassed by Ryuzaki's insensitive comments, and now even more humiliated that he was caught being beaten physically by the scrawny detective, Light simply nodded in agreement to anything the man on top of him had to say, figuring that if the two boys were thought to be 'play' wrestling then he would look like slightly less of pansy.
"Oh, alright then..." Matsuda replied shakily, placing an overstuffed folder filled with various papers onto the coffee table, walking backwards toward the door in an attempt to escape unscathed, "Just don't hurt each other, I guess..." he said quietly, the flamboyant detective almost mortified himself from having just walked in on such a peculiar and seemingly dangerous situation. This wasn't his business though, and if things truly got violent between the two boys surely other members of task force would see it on camera surveillance and rush up there to help...right? Yes, definitely he justified as he cautiously exited the room and closed the door, making a break for it once the coast was clear. "Remember to knock next time..." he instructed himself.
Back at the room Ryuzaki was still on the verge of suffocating Light, taking great pleasure in seeing the insolent teen struggle beneath him. The brunette decided there was only one way out of this, and surely he would get the detective back next time, but until then he parted his lips and practically whispered, "Mercy."
A/N: Thank you for reading the third chapter of "arrest you if I had handcuffs", if you have any comments or critiques please review!
Also, expect Chapter 4 to be coming out very soon. There will be approximately a 3 week time gap between chapters 3 and 4, but you can assume that the same old cat and mouse routine has ensued during the undocumented time. However, in the next chapter the playing field will surely have changed, I hope you like what's to come!