2.
L didn't sleep that night. The notebook had arrived safely in Japan, and was tucked away somewhere that was only known to Watari. "We can confirm that it had been used correctly?" He asked over video message, to which Watari offers his 100% guarantee. "I saw it myself, Ryuzaki." He smiles sweetly at the young man. "Is something wrong with you, though?" he asks, to which L responds with a sigh. "I've never had to deal with anything like this before." He says quietly,
"Please tell me what you mean." Watari pleads, "I mean having to deal with friends." L says this softly, in a tone unique to him, bored and disinterested, even when he wasn't much of either.
Watari laughs immediately, "Oh Ryuzaki… don't be silly. I'm your friend after all." L smiles softly at the older man, "Not everyone is like you, Watari."
"What exactly is the problem?" he asks again, the concern imprinted on his face, as his eyebrows are pinched to the centre of his face, bringing every wrinkle forward "As much as I want- no, as much as I know that Light is Kira… there's a part of me that…"
Watari's face softens, "You would like to be right, but you would also like to remain his friend."
L looks up at the screen, finally hearing his thoughts articulated so simply. "..Yes" was all he could offer as a response.
Watari sighed, "Try to be calm until we know for sure, Ryuzaki."
"Thank you Watari," L said softly, not completely satisfied with the old man's advice "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Ryuzaki"
Despite the goodnight's though, L sat perched on his feet, staring at absolutely nothing until morning.
This was also true for Light, who, while not staring at a computer screen, also found it difficult to sleep. "If I were to tell you L's name, would you kill him right now?" Ryuk asked, teasing Light as his gaze stayed fixed on the ceiling. Finally, he rose slightly to shoot a dirty look at the shinigami, "What's that supposed to mean?" he spat, to which Ryuk laughed.
"Well look at that, still being so sensitive."
Light furrowed his brows until they had practically converged in the centre of his face, "Are you implying that you could retrieve L's name?" he asked, and Ryuk shook his head, "Against the rules." He said simply, to which Light simply rolled his eyes "Well then why bring it up?" he asked, despite knowing the answer. He wanted to hear it said out loud, because these were the thoughts that had been spinning in his head all night. He wanted to hear them to confirm how ridiculous they were, and, since they were coming from Ryuk's mouth, they were sure to seem that way.
"You don't want L to die." He said, "And well me neither… I can't see how this would be fun at all without him."
Light practically growled, upset not only at the truth the shinigami spoke, but now also at the fact that "I'm not interesting enough on my own?" Light shouted, and Ryuk simply stood there.
"That's not what I meant" he said, "He brings out the sportsman in you. Keeps you from becoming complacent."
Ryuk continued to smile, as Light's face contrasted sharply.
"Well I'll show you fun." Light began, "Just wait… I can tell now that Ryuzaki is starting to trust me. I will find the other death note, and I'll christen it with his name."
It was then that Light heard a knock on his door "Light," his father called to him
"Matsuda and I were going to head over to headquarters, would you like to join?" Light combed his hand through his hair as Ryuk let out a small laugh. "I'll be right there, dad!"
As they arrived at headquarters, Light ran up to L right away. "Feeling any better?" he smiled, but L simply shook his head, "No." He began, "No…i'm afraid not." Light forced a pout, and resisted every urge he had to inquire about the notes whereabouts. He looked up at the screen, and trusted that Watari had it… but feared what they had done with it. Did they burn it, and are wondering why Misa and I are still alive… or, more plausibly, had they gotten someone to write in it and are merely nervous as they wait to see if the writer will die or not.
Light gulped audibly, and L looked up at him questioningly. "Did you get any sleep, Light?" he asked, and the young man knew better than to lie to the man who was not only the world's greatest detective, but all three of them at once. "Can't say I did." He replied, "Guess I haven't been feeling myself either."
Without the death note, and with a lack of murders to investigate at all, most of the men had called it a day rather early. Most of them, with the exception of L or Light, who's positions had yet to change at all, as the pair remained hunched over their computers.
"Are you staying, Light?" Soichiro asked, to which Light simply nodded "Alright son, see you at home."
"See you, dad!" Light replied, his cracked voice a showing hints of his fatigue. L noticed, and looked over to him. "You're exhausted." He said, "Are you sure you don't want to go with the chief?"
Light shook his head, yet again "I feel bad leaving you alone." He replied, looking over to the detective and placing a hand on his shoulder. L flinched at the touch, and Light began to laugh. "I'm not going to hurt you." He reassured, squeezing gently before removing his hand completely.
Light sighed, "Someone used the death note, didn't they?" finally, L lost the fear from the previous exchange and smiled. "Impressive." He said, to which Light simply looked down at the floor.
"So you've been purposely keeping everyone in the dark… just so I wouldn't find out?"
"I haven't eliminated you a hundred percent yet." L said coldly, his hands laying on his knees as he sat perched in his chair. "If he dies… if the user dies, in thirteen days, then will you?"
L smiled, "well now that you know of my plan… nothing's certain."
Despite his sad facade, Light was smiling just as brightly on the inside. If he could just find the users name… he had time on his side, but had yet to get L to play into his hands.
The two sat in silence a few more hours, before Light was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.
"Is it safe to assume you're not going home?" L asked, and Light responded with a heavy nod as he yawned once again. "Well, If you're okay with it, the room we shared before should be prepared."
"Thank you, Ryuzaki" Light hummed, standing from his chair, "I'll be up shortly." L responded, and as he walked away, Light smiled to himself devilishly. "If he's confident enough to share a room with me…" he reasoned, "then maybe that fifty percent is weaning already.."
Light faked sleep as the detective opened the door to the room, light flooded inside as the man made his way to bed. Much as everything else L did, sleeping also included a strange ritual. He took all the pillows that were on his side, and tossed them off of the bed, he then proceeded, in the same clothes he had worn for the previous three days, to climb in, and rest his head against the headboard. Light had never actually witnessed him sleeping, as his eyes would always shut far earlier than the other mans, but he did seem to think that he did in fact sleep that way.
"You're not sleeping, are you?" L asked, to which Light gulped, "No… no, I hadn't been able to."
"Hmm. Me neither."
Light took this as an allowance to sit up himself, he let out a small laugh "I almost find it weird that my wrist's free." He said, to which L looked down at his own. "I would've slept in another room, but I'm afraid-"
"Ryuzaki…" Light said gently, "That's not what I meant."
In between their words, was the calmness that the nighttime brought. The darkness was so vast, that neither man could make out each other, making every word they spoke feel almost like a secret.
"You didn't have to stay" L said, breaking the silence, "It feels wrong leaving you to do all the work… even if it is just because you're doing some sort of covert operation"
L didn't laugh, but there was a hitch in his breath that led Light to believe he was about to. "I've never been wrong Light." L said simply, and all Light could do in response was continue to offer his breath, as some sort of support to a friend that he wasn't even sure was real.
"I want to be wrong, though." L finally admitted, Light took that to mean that L did in fact find his presence comforting… feeling like the shield that the darkness offered was helping L to expose himself to Light.
"Well, if it means anything… I can assure that you are." Light lied, he heard another hitch in L's breath.
"Thirty percent" he offered in reply, and Light reached out his arm once again, tracing over pillows until finally he reached the space where there were none. Only L, and he lay his hand upon his shoulder once more. He could feel the air change in that moment, as L's hesitation towards the gesture began to fade. L brought his hand up and placed it on Light's own. Neither man moved much for a few minutes after that, taking in the warmth of each others bodies as they sat in silence.
"I really appreciate all of this, Ryuzaki." Light said, in a voice so low there was almost no differentiating it from the quiet. L took that as a sign to remove his hand, "It's no trouble." He said, noticing that Light's hand had still not moved. Neither of them understood Light's actions, as this was far beyond the realm of Light's grand plan. He snaked his hand up to the side of L's face, and ran the back of his hand along his cheek, he thought about how soft it felt for just a moment before quickly bringing it back to his side of the bed.
"I-I think I'm going to get to sleep, ryuzaki." He whispered, to which he received no reply from the dark haired man that lay beside him. He gulped, "Goodnight."
And again, no reply… and for the second night in a row… neither man got any sleep..