Anyone else take their tea the way L does? I do. I don't like it bitter. I like it with lots of sugar! This was written at 3:19 in the morning, because my mind refuses to turn off at night and decided it wanted to write this. Hmm, ever notice that even thought it's 3:19 in the morning, we refer to it as being at night? Weird.
Light awoke to a loud crash in his kitchen. Bolting out of bed, he darted in to find Ryuuzaki in the middle of a mess of sweets and candy while holding a cake. He was looking at the broken chair that lay on the ground behind him ruefully. And his day had begun.
After cleaning up the huge mess in the kitchen, Light drank his regular cup of coffee and set out for classes, with a stern warning to Ryuuzaki to behave. Not that he thought he'd listen.
Light had been spending so much time with Ryuuzaki lately, he was afraid his grades might drop. Highly unlikely, and pretty much almost impossible, but he was still determined to spend the entire day devoted only to school. Again, another thing he thought was not likely to happen, but dammit, he was going to try.
On his way to his first class, he met up with a friend he hadn't been seeing much of. Chiyo was practically the only girl in school who wasn't trying to jump his bones, and she was pretty good company.
"Have you managed to put off Misa and her crew yet?" She asked as a form of greeting.
"No. I doubt Misa will ever really leave me alone, anyway. She is a nuisance I suppose I'll have to get used to." Unfortunately.
"You know, and I am in NO way implying that this is true, but you may want to maybe hint to her that you're gay. She doesn't bother the gay boys too much." What was with everyone and him being gay?
"No chance. Yesterday, she told me she thought I was gay. She still wants to date me. She wants to have my first born." Insert shudder here. Eww.
Chiyo laughed. For waaayyy longer than Light found necessary. Apparently people really thought it was funny when it was implied that he was gay.
"Light, maybe you want to get a girlfriend. Everyone thinks you're gay. Ryuuzaki even gives percentages."
"PLEASE do not mention the percentages. I hate the percentages. He managed to spend the night with me last night without giving percentages, so I'd like to avoid the subject and maybe he'll come off it." Chiyo was staring at him with a really weird look on her face. "What? What's with the look?"
"Oh my god, he spent the night. He spent the night. You let him spend the night. Jeez, Light, I was just joking about you being gay. I didn't know. Sorry."
"NOT LIKE THAT!!! He just sleeps with me some nights. Wait, no, that was bad. He sleeps at my dorm sometimes. No sexual contact. None," Light said, exasperated.
"Ok, for a minute there you had me going. I thought you meant you were having sex with Ryuuzaki." Chiyo was grinning like she was enjoying the confusion.
Light resisted the urge to glare, and instead opened the door to their first class, Advanced Psychology. It was a really interesting topic, learning the ways a human mind could work. Analyzing himself could sometimes be a little negative. He was discovering that he had a bit of a god complex. Analyzing Chiyo could be hilarious. The ways her mind worked...he tried not to snicker.
Slipping into their seats, they pulled out their notebooks and began to take notes. Light wrote down what the professor said so accurately that, if asked, he could repeat it verbatim. They had an exam coming up, and he wanted to ace it. He had a perfect 100 average going in all his classes, and he wasn't planning on letting it slip at all.
Someone slid into the seat next to him. Light didn't like when other students did that, especially ones he wasn't friendly with. It usually meant they wanted to cheat and would ask him to let them do so, or they would just start copying, thinking he wouldn't notice, while actually they were being very blatant. He heard Chiyo giggle from beside him.
Turning to confront the student, his semi-rude comment caught in his throat. "Ryuuzaki!" He hissed. "What are you doing here?!"
The enigmatic man smiled slightly and said, "It was lonely without Raito-kun. I am allowed to go wherever I want on campus, so I thought I'd simply go with Raito-kun to his classes." The look Light gave him could only be described as incredulous as Ryuuzaki pulled out his laptop and began to type. This man was taking unusual to extremes. No one dared crash this professor's class, and Ryuuzaki had walked right in and sat down.
Chiyo glanced at Ryuuzaki's fingers flying over the keys. She leaned over to try to see the screen. "Hey, Ryuuzaki, what are you doing on-" He had closed the laptop with a click before she even finished her sentence.
"He doesn't like it when you do that," Light told her. "Don't try to look at what he's doing. It's actually a little rude to do that." Light realized he was scolding her like he would Sayu. He missed his younger sister. Chiyo shrugged, then went back to note-taking. Light attempted to do the same, but Ryuuzaki's presence was distracting. He kept missing the little details that the professor included. He'd have to, for the first time ever, ask to borrow Chiyo's notes to fill in the gaps in his own.
When the time came to switch classes, Chiyo, Ryuuzaki, and Light all rose simultaneously. Light had a break before his next class, but Chiyo had to head off. After saying their farewells, Light walked towards the tree he liked to sit under and think, followed closely by Ryuuzaki. So much for dedicating today to school only. He had acquired a shadow.
They settled together under the tree, Light letting his mind wander, Ryuuzaki observing him. If anyone else stared at him like that, it would be creepy. But this was just Ryuuzaki being Ryuuzaki, so Light wasn't worried. The look of puzzlement Ryuuzaki had on his face was something that piqued his interest, however.
"Ryuuzaki, what's up? You look confused."
"I...don't want to tell Raito-kun. Well, that is a lie, because I would really like to ask Raito-kun a question, but I do not feel that it would be in my best interests to do so. For now, I would prefer it if he would pretend not to notice." Light shrugged and let it go. He figured it was kind of like what Ryuuzaki did on his laptop – it would be revealed when he felt like revealing it.
SSS
Shadowing Light to all his classes was proving to be fun. L found that he could get all his work done while Light did his. And he got to meet Light's friends, which was an interesting affair. He found that most of them knew about him already, so Light must have been talking about him. That fact made him feel very happy.
His book characters seemed to be behaving themselves after their kiss – perhaps they just needed to release some of the tension in their relationship. Or L did not have enough knowledge of their situation to let them do more. Probably the first, as L was sure that, if his characters insisted, he could provide them the means to do what they wanted. Still, he couldn't yet accurately define the relationship as romantic. They still seemed like great friends growing closer. Experimenting, almost. If they liked the information their little experiment provided, the relationship would progress. If not, back to being friends. If only real life could be so simple. Or as easily undone as hitting the backspace key. If it was, L would surely ask Light the question of exactly what he was feeling. If he didn't like the answer, him ever asking the question would be erased.
Watching Light in class was interesting. Whenever Light did something L found exceptionally
cute, he'd get a warm feeling inside. Like when he delighted in new knowledge as if he was a little boy. And he also found that Light's happiness made him happy.
But he also ran into some unpleasant emotions. Whenever he saw a girl giving Light a look that, quite frankly, looked like she wanted him badly, he felt an angry clawing in the pit of his stomach. And when Light was touched by a girl who was trying to look nonchalant about it, but really was trying to get him to pay her attention, he felt the urge to snatch Light away. If friendship was this intense, he wasn't sure how Light had so many friends. Surely he couldn't really feel this for all the people he spent time with?
And L wasn't sure why, but he found himself desperately hoping that Light felt the same things for him as he did for Light. When he thought he might not, he got the unpleasant sensation that his stomach was dropping away. He had never been bombarded with so many emotions at once.
The classes were fun to listen to, when he wasn't busy just feeling all the emotions being around Light elicited. He knew almost all the information already, but it served as a bit of a refresher, and he was certain that he could help Light with all his homework, if he needed it. L doubted he would need the help, but knowing he could provide it if necessary was nice. When the day ended, L requested a walk with Light to their coffee shop to get something to eat and some tea. Light, as he had expected he would, agreed.
SSS
Eating was their standard affair, Light ordering his usual snack, and Ryuuzaki ordering little cakes and tea, which he promptly dumped a ton of sugar in. The waitress actually knew their names now, and they were quickly becoming known as the coffee shop regulars. Come to think of it, Ryuuzaki had been spending so much time with Light, he couldn't have been in the library very often lately. Light would have to go with him sometime, and maybe pick up a good classic while they were there.
After eating, they left, walking along leisurely while just thinking. They didn't even need to talk; the silence between them was far from awkward. Instead, it was filled with the knowledge that they were both busy working away at something in their minds.
Passing by the sports fields, it was almost fun to watch the people playing their assorted sports. Light had never really been into sports besides tennis, but it was still interesting to watch.
"Hey, look out!" A voice rang out from across the fields. Light was too slow in reacting to the warning. He felt a searing pain in the back of his head, and then the world went black.
SSS
L was in a panicked flurry. He had seen the baseball coming, and had been powerless to prevent it from striking Light in the back of the head. Light had gone down almost instantly after the hit. No cry of pain or anything. He was just out. L's mind was screaming details about brain injuries at him: the skull filling up with blood, pressure on the brain, and other horrible things. Students came running from every direction, eager to try to help.
Worry for Light was clawing L from the inside out. One thing was clear, and that was that Light needed to get to a medical facility. L, ignoring the surprised looks from other students, bent down, and, tucking one arm under Light's knees and letting Light's head settle against his chest, lifted him up. Chiyo materialized at his side, her face plastered with worry.
"What happened? I didn't see it, I only saw him go down."
"He was struck in the back of the head with a baseball. We need to bring him to the medical facility on campus."
Chiyo, anxious and worried, nodded, and they headed toward it at a fast clip.
SSS
His head hurt, and he felt like hell. He wasn't sure what happened, but it felt like he had been hit by a train. Slowly, he let his eyes flutter open, and he was met by the sight of a very worried-looking Ryuuzaki.
"Raito-kun is awake? I have been very worried. Chiyo has as well." Ryuuzaki appeared to be studying him for any signs of discomfort.
"What happened? The last thing I remember is you and I walking, and then blackness."
"Raito-kun was hit in the back of the head by a baseball. He has a concussion and is not allowed to return to classes for three days. Someone must observe him at all times to ensure his wellness. I have already volunteered."
That would explain the pain in the back of his head. Damn, out of classes for three days? The idea of making up all that work was not thrilling. And he would miss the psychology exam and have to make that up, too. AND his perfect attendance was trashed. Well, at least he would have Ryuuzaki with him for three days. He could probably take it easy, too, and enjoy himself. He guessed it wouldn't be all bad.
"Is Raito-kun able to walk? If not, I can carry him to the dorm. After all, I did carry him all the way here." Yes, Ryuuzaki was definitely stronger than he looked. Light stood, and the world wobbled and tilted around him. He grabbed Ryuuzaki for support, and slowly the world returned to normal. He was able to walk, and they left for the dorm. Besides the throbbing in his head, it was pretty normal. And the fact that he kept one hand on Ryuuzaki for balance.
Arriving at the dorm, they stepped inside and shut the door softly behind them. Ryuuzaki settled Light gently on the bed, then went and got him some food and a drink from the kitchen. Hey, having Ryuuzaki wait on him was pretty nice. This concussion was beginning to work out.
Ryuuzaki was being extremely nice to him, as well. No remarks aimed to tease or annoy, and none of his percentages. No mention of his sexuality, either. Oh yeah, this was AWESOME.
SSS
L was being decidedly kind to Light after his accident. He didn't even take any of the numerous opportunities to ruffle his feathers. Truth be told, Ryuuzaki was still worried. After that accident today, he wanted to be absolutely sure Light was ok. When Light was all set with food, a drink, a warm blanket, and some painkillers, L inquired as to whether he'd like something to read. He was happy when Light requested one of his own books, and he fetched it from the bookshelf, handing it over.
He took the time to study Light's collection. He had all of his work, and most of Shakespeare's. He also had Dante's Divine Comedy, and many other classics. Not many modern books besides his, however. He brought the book to Light, and returned to sitting on the bed beside him. Watching him read was fun for L. Watching him at all was fun for L. Now that Light's pain had diminished, L calmed down a bit. He decided he'd rather like a shower.
SSS
"Raito-kun, I'd like to take a shower. Where do you keep the towels?" Light blinked as Ryuuzaki's voice cut into the words on the page.
"They're in the small closet outside the bathroom, Ryuuzaki. Be careful though, the water starts out really hot."
Ryuuzaki nodded, then headed off to take his shower. The sound of the running water was soothing. When it switched off, Light expected Ryuuzaki to take a while to emerge from the bathroom, so he could get dressed and comb his hair. He was mildly surprised when Ryuuzaki stepped right out of the bathroom
His hair was wet, and hung down to frame his face perfectly. He was wearing only a towel draped across his slender hips. Water glistened invitingly on his chest and flat stomach. Light could feel his pants begin to tighten. His eyes went wide. He was attracted to Ryuuzaki. Ahh, crap.
Yay, Light has finally realized his attraction to L! Ok, today's question: Do you have a favorite word? Mine is perfect. I don't know why, but whenever I hear that word, I picture a delicious vanilla cake, with the frosting all smooth and yummy-looking.