A/N: I have a newish poll on my profile. And, on a personal note, not only is my internship going swimmingly, but I've gotten some freelance work from the head of marketing. She works closely with my department and needed someone to code a mini-website. Couldn't really say no to 15 bucks an hours and a possible new connection networking wise. I'd love to earn a reference from her. Woot. This has been a good (but very busy) week.
Shout out to Day and Kathryn for reviewing.
Kathryn: Glad to have you reading and I'm rather fond of tarot symbolism, so you'll see it throughout this tale.
CHAPTER WARNING! Possible triggers ahead (mild and brief, but existent dub-con themes). As with Fool's Gambit, there is nothing explicit, but don't read at work unless you really want uncomfortable questions.
House of Cards
By Catsitta
Part Fourteen: The Wheel Turns
Time passed and the season changed, as was the want of the ever turning Wheel of Fortune. L tried his best to puzzle in the missing pieces, but he could not quite recall certain moments in the past year. It was as if the Kira case was trapped behind a blurred lens, perpetually out of focus. As for Light, she was healing, but more distant than ever. She reminded him of when they first met under the cherry blossom trees, nameless to each other, the world rotting before their eyes. Her gaze and demeanor were aloof, their conversations brief and idle. Even when L intentionally tried to provoke her ire, Light simply fell silent, content to ignore his presence.
Outside of the hospital wing, however, tension was rising.
L hardly wandered off from his rooms, no case sparking his interest. He paid little heed to his heirs, no matter how hard Mello attempted to get his attention by being a rebellious, bad-mouthed punk. And Roger was barely speaking to him. L, the once idolized pride of the institution, remained in the cool limbo of distrust. He disobeyed orders, acted in a manner unbefitting of his station and was of no further help in the strange affair of the supposedly closed Kira case.
On top of all this, the former Oligarchy was officially in the midst of war. People were not allowed in or out of the countries involved, and the UN was at wit's end. Should someone interfere before those countries destroyed themselves with civil war? Should they allow the fights to fetter out on their own? France and England for once agreed on something and voted to wait until it effected their countries. It was the United States that needed watching.
L sighed as these thoughts flitted through his brain. Closing his laptop, the detective wondered if he could have stopped this war from happening. Or was Kira just the catalyst to a needed change?
So many questions...
Standing, he made for the door. It was late, but at least when Light was sleeping, he could sit with her in peace. Perhaps soon he would call the Yagami women and Matsuda. With the documentation he prepared for them and the resources he sent their way, the trio were living in a small flat in London, slowing figuring out their new lives. They constantly asked about Light. L still failed to mention them to the girl in question. He was not quite sure why he held his tongue. Selfishness?
He opened he door to the hospital wing silently and was greeted by the most surprising sight.
Caught in the faint glow cast from the opened door sat Near. He was sitting by Light's bed, tarot cards in hand, shuffling as Light laughed. When was the last time he heard her laugh in joy?
"What is going on here?"
Near's hands stilled as he turned his head slightly to the side. L heard Light shift in the cot.
"Visiting," the boy muttered.
"Why?"
"It is what people do when their friends are in the hospital, is it not?"
"Friends?"
"Just leave, L." Light's voice cut through him like a heated knife. "It's not like you want to be here, anyway."
Unconsciously, L's hands tightened into balled fists. It was foolish, to be jealous of a child, but the ugly emotion reared its head and sank poisoned fangs deep. He stalked to the chair where Near sat and grabbed the boy, forcing him to his feet.
"Near has no business being here. He should stay away from..."
"Criminals?"
"Light...is not a criminal."
"She admitted as much."
"Leave him alone."
"What happened to you when you went back to Japan?" Near's tone suggested worry of all things. When did the child gain any concept of emotion?
"I followed orders, which Near should do now."
"No."
"No?"
Near wrenched his arm free and stared L down with eyes that had seen too much for his short years. Like Mello, he had experience with violence and the trauma made the already strange boy even more withdrawn. It aged him. Graced the genius with a steadiness unseen in those beneath their sixth decade.
"I love her."
"Repeat that please."
"Light is my friend. I love her. And you do nothing but hurt her."
"You understand nothing!"
L hurried back into the hospital wind and shut the door, locking it behind him and flicking on the lights. His wife rubbed her eyes as she struggled to adjust to the sudden change in brightness.
"We're leaving in the morning."
"What?"
"Light is much recovered now. We can continue her physical therapy elsewhere."
"I don't want to leave."
"I never said there was a choice."
"No! I'm not letting you drag me to another part of the fucking globe because you're jealous of a little kid."
"I'm not-"
"-Yes you are! You have no right to lord over me like this and I'm getting sick of your treatment of me. So what if I'm your wife? You certainly don't act like a husband. We can easily live apart. I'm sure once I'm done with therapy, I can find my own way."
L stalked over to Light did something he never thought he'd do. He crawled onto the narrow cot and straddled Light, hands pinning her arms at the elbow.
"Even if Roger is displeased with me, he loathes Light. The second I declared that I was leaving and that Light refused to come with me, she would be thrown onto the streets, recovered or not. Light does not know how the real world works. She is childish and foolish and needs someone to take care of her. Why can't Light realize this?"
"I can take care of myself fine!"
As her nails dug into his upper arms, L felt a surge of something familiar. The glow in her eyes, ferocious and demanding; the fall of her hair, tousled from sleep; the twist of her body as she struggled beneath him. He felt this many times before he discovered Light's gender. The hot desire to either kiss or kill the person at his mercy.
Such a pretty wife he had.
"Oh? As I recall, Light cannot protect herself at all."
"Let me go and I'll show you—ngh! What are y-Ahhh."
L smirked as he reveled in Light's surprise. The sheets that covered her legs were on the floor now, her thin hospital gown shucked up nearly to those lean hips. She took advantage of his hand's new distraction and swung at him, but her blows were easily swatted away.
"Beautiful."
"Pervert! Don't you dare- mmmhm."
"What was that? I swore Light was going to say something."
"Why do you always do this?"
"Because Light likes it when I touch her like this. She would tell me otherwise. Aren't I an attentive husband?"
"Move your hand away from tha-ah!"
"Like this?"
If nothing else, after all his various escapades with Light during the Kira case made him rather familiar with what made Light stop talking. Their time as lovers was staggeringly brief, but he was nothing if not a fast learner. Second times were always better than firsts.
He swept his teasing hand away from the junction of Light's thighs to rest on her stomach. She was flushed and furious, hands gripping him painfully. L could hardly help himself.
Like lightning, he stole a kiss. Sealing their mouths together searingly.
This felt nice.
Well, it did until she bit his lip.
L pulled back and frowned at his young wife.
"Off. Now."
"Light."
He might have reached for her again, but those wild eyes were glittering with animalistic fear. Did she think he would...? He never...
"Off."
This time, he complied, silent as Light righted herself and gathered the sheets back over her shivering body.
"Leave."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to look at you."
"Why is Light afraid of me?"
She sucked in a sharp breath, "What reason have you given me to trust you? All you've done since we've known each other is use, manipulate and betray me. To think, I fell for that stupid line about love and slept with you. I didn't love you. I didn't even want you. I just did it because..."
"Regardless, we are leaving in the morning."
"No!"
L left the room, his breathing ragged. Why had he done that? Stupid. Stupid! He was a fool!
"The Queen of Swords is still in The Devil's sway."
Near stood by the door, cards scattered on the floor.
"But The Lovers, The Tower and the Six of Swords speak of change. Motion."
"Gibberish."
"Hm. You should speak with Light more often, she is lonely. This move you have planned...how will it resolve anything?"
"You were eavesdropping."
"No. The cards told me," he motioned between the Six and The Tower. "It is how I know how much you are breaking her heart. She certainly does not speak of emotional things with me."
"Why are you here, Near?"
He blinked widely at L, "To say goodbye. Mello will be quite displeased. Though, distance may heal the rift between yourself and Roger." Near gathered his cards and slipped them back into a deck.
L watched silently as the young boy walked away.
-tbc-
A/N: (L is falling back into old habits. Light is recovering. And the world keeps spinning. Reviews are love!
READ FOR TAROT INFORMATION
This chapter is inspired by the major arcana card Wheel of Fortune, sometimes called the Wheel of the Year or the Wheel of Luck. It represents the change of seasons, the passage of time, the inevitable end of one era and the start of another. For every winter there is a spring, but for every spring there is a winter. Generally considered a good or positive card unless modified by those around it or is reversed in a reading, the Wheel of Fortune usually denotes a change for the better. Good luck, fortune and times are ahead. But change is inevitable.
The Lovers: Major Arcana. Romantic/sexual attraction/love and all that it entails. Usually positive and suggests a future relationship, or a strengthening of a current one.
The Six of Swords: Moving from stormy waters into clearer ones. Motion. Movement. Change. A need to move on from a situation or a conflict or a place. A gloomy card that suggests hope if one is willing to make the motions to change the situation.
In Near's reading, the Lovers, the Tower and the Six of Swords are all connected. A change is coming; a relationship tainted by miscommunication and loneliness; a time of movement; a physical move of location; the disillusionment with the situation at the moment.