A/N: I don't own Death Note. I'm SO sorry for the delay! (My Sorry Excuse #2: I've been really busy. I went to a carnival where I rode crazy rides, signed up for Anger Management, talked to my best friend for hours on a phone, took a super mega major English test, and had to deal with people spreading rumors about me then I got slightly depressed for awhile. Basically, everything's been really hectic! Sob.) Anyway, thanks for reviews and I hope you like the chapter. XD
Chapter 24: Promise Broken?
When Light opened his eyes, he realized that he was tucked in a bed. Also Light's arms were incredibly sore. He lifted his arms and spotted bandages wrapped around them. Light laid still for awhile with a throbbing headache as he inspected the bandages on his arms. What the hell happened to me?
Light sat up and unwrapped one of the bandages, revealing puncture marks made by needles. In horror, Light quickly unraveled the bandages to find dozens of more puncture marks on all over his arms. How much did they drug me?! This is insane!
Then the door to the bedroom opened and L walked in. Once L spotted Light, his pitch black eyes lit up.
"Light-kun," L rushed toward him, "You're awake." L leapt onto the bed and sat in front of Light in his weird way.
Unexpectedly, L held up three fingers, "How many fingers am I holding up?"
Light indignantly glared at him, "Do I look retarded?"
L grinned excitedly, "You can think?!"
"Yeah…" Light gave him an annoyed look.
For some reason, L seemed so inexplicably joyful. L suddenly wrapped his arms around Light and tightly held him.
Light heard his back crack from L's excited embrace. Light managed to choke out, "You're crushing me"
L loosened his grip on Light and silently held him for awhile. Light allowed the worried detective to protectively hold him. Something major must have happened…
Over L's shoulder, Light scanned the room for video cameras and spotted none, "L, what happened last night?"
L released Light and looked into his eyes, "You don't remember?"
"Not really." Light began to explain, "I know that I got caught by some New Kira followers and they drugged me. Then I woke up and I was alone with Arik." Light paused before continuing, "I remember him shouting at me and jabbing me with needles but I don't remember why… What happened?"
L sighed, "Arik heard you say 'Ryuzaki' in your sleep. So he interrogated you about the identity of Ryuzaki."
"Yeah, that sounds familiar," Light faintly recalled that, "So what did I tell Arik?"
L seemed troubled, "You told him that Ryuzaki is L."
"Are you serious?!" Light tried to stand up but he quickly lost his balance. L grabbed Light's arm and pulled him back onto the bed.
"That's not all," L gazed into Light's eyes, "You told Arik that you liked me."
Light felt his heart skip a beat. Oh, shit.
L sadly added, "You also told him that I kissed you. You said that I protect you from him."
I actually said that? Light's whole body shook anxiously, "W-What did Arik do?"
"He was furious, naturally. Then he tried to have you identify me as L. But you were too drugged up to recognize me."
"That's good…" Light could feel himself trembling all over. Arik must be so pissed off right now. Now that he knows I care about L, will he just kill me? No, that would be too painless. He has something else planned… Light tilted his head down.
"Light-kun," L placed his hand on Light's shoulder.
"You can't leave me alone with him!" Light desperately looked up at L, "You can't! Where is he?! When is he coming for me?!"
L's black eyes grew wide with shock, most likely from seeing Light so panicky. Light was never one to beg or plead for anything.
Light latched onto both of L's shoulders, "Promise me, you won't let him near me! Promise me, you'll stop him!"
"Light," L concernedly stared at him, "Do you think that Arik will try to rape you?"
"Promise me!" Light practically shouted while freaking out.
"Okay, I promise," L gave in to calm Light down. He had never seen Light this frightened. Of course, with Arik's threats it was an understandable reaction.
Light turned away as if he was embarrassed about his outburst, "Sorry… I shouldn't force you to make promises that you can't keep."
Then Light tried to stand up again and this time he walked a bit before he collapsed. L quickly stood up and caught him. L led Light back to the bed and set him down.
L leaned over Light, "You still have a lot of the drugs in your system. I'm glad that your mind seems to be better but your body hasn't caught up yet. You need to take it easy." L sat beside Light and placed an arm over his shoulder, "And I can and will keep the promise, okay?"
"Like last time," Light blurted out then he hastily added, "I didn't mean that, I'm just…not thinking right."
"It's okay. It'll probably take a few days until you completely return to normal," L optimistically declared.
Light solemnly nodded then asked, "So did you ever talk to Suzette? She's on our side now, right? Can she help us?"
L remained silent for awhile and avoided eye contact with Light.
"You don't want to tell me, do you?" Light disappointedly realized.
"If Arik drugs you again," L explained, "there's no telling what information you may leak out."
Light folded his arms, "I get it. I'm a liability."
"I didn't say that," L insisted.
"No, but that's what you meant," Light stared at the floor, "I get it though; I'm kind of unreliable right now."
"Light-kun, you can't control what you say when you're drugged like that."
"I know, that's why I'm unreliable," Light almost sounded angry with himself, "You really shouldn't tell me anything because Arik will just force it out of me."
"But you know that it's not your fault, right?"
"What does it matter? I still can't be trusted," Light stood up again and stepped forward.
L also stood up and grabbed Light's arm to stable him.
Light jerked his arm away and snapped, "I can walk."
Then L reluctantly stepped to the side while Light stumbled around. Light felt extremely light-headed and his whole body seemed heavier than usual; it was hard to stand. To steady himself, Light gripped onto a wall as he swayed back and forth. God, how pathetic am I?! Light stubbornly forced himself to stand until his legs were about cave in from under him.
L stood beside Light but didn't reach out to steady him this time, "Light-kun, I know that this sense of helplessness must be frustrating you. But you really need to rest. Just let me help you."
"I can help myself!" Light was shouting at himself more than he was at L. I can't always be relying on L, damn it. I can fend for myself! That's what I did before...and Arik tormented me everyday, some fending I was doing. God damn pathetic.
Suddenly, Light lost his balance again. L quickly grabbed Light before he could hit the floor. Then L pulled Light up and held him in his arms. Out of frustration, Light banged on L's chest his fist. But in Light's weakened condition, it didn't even faze L.
Light gave up and leaned against L, "I'm pitiful."
"No you aren't," L responded as if he was talking to a child. Light-kun really can't handle being weak. Of course, he probably became used to having power when he was Kira. Surrendering himself over and having someone else take care of him must be extremely difficult for him. And there is the fact that his mind isn't even functioning normally yet.
"Come on, Light-kun," L practically carried him back to the bed.
Light sat on the bed then L gently pressed Light down on his back. Light defenselessly laid in front of L, which seemed to bother Light quite a bit but he stayed still.
L sat on the bed in his odd way and leaned over Light, "You need to rest. Don't worry, I'll keep my promise."
"You don't have to." Light looked the other way, "I don't even know why I made you do that."
L announced the blatant truth, "It's because you're scared."
"No, I'm not," Light snapped in denial.
"It's completely understandable, Light-kun." L sighed, "You're in a physically, mentally, and emotionally weakened state. You're aware that Arik is furious with you. And you have a level of uncertainty because I can't tell you what the plan to catch Arik is. I don't expect you to act tough right now. Just trust me."
"Trust you?" Light stared up at L as he laid on the bed, "I feel like I'm cowering behind you like some cowardly-"
L placed two fingers over Light's mouth to silence him, "Light-kun, if you didn't switch sides, I would be dead right now. Don't be so hard on yourself. Let me return the favor and take care of you, okay?"
Light nodded then L removed his hand from Light's mouth. Then Light allowed himself to relax and just calmly laid back.
"But seriously," Light requested, "Where's Arik? Why is he letting me be alone with you without any video cameras?"
L smirked, "You don't remember? You broke the video camera in this room with that metal pole. And as for Arik," L's tone changed, "he has been busy. But I believe that he's also waiting until the drugs in you wear off."
"I see." Light understood what that meant. Arik wants me to be able to struggle. That sick bastard.
"Light-kun," L looked incredibly worried, "What do you think Arik is going to do to you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Light turned to face the other way. He couldn't bear to see L's expression right now.
L grabbed Light and turned him back so they'd face each other, "Light, I want you to sleep for a long time. And act as disoriented as possible around Arik. Make him wait if all he wants is some perverse struggle with you, understand? "
"Yeah," Light sadly nodded. How did things ever get this bad? I almost wish that L arrested me when I told him that I was Kira. I'd rather L's prisoner any day than live with Arik.
"Get some rest, Light-kun." L said kindly before he stood up to leave.
"L," Light called out.
"Yes?" L turned around and looked at him.
"Aren't you angry at me? I dragged you into all of this… Death Note's power went to my head and I killed more people than I can count. I created the theory of the 'Perfect World.' Arik really is just following the same path that I would have taken. I screwed up so badly." Light bluntly asked, "Why do you put up with me?"
L put his hands in his pockets and seemed to be thinking it over, "Well, before I would have insisted that it was because you're my only friend. But I don't know if that's an accurate description of our relationship anymore." L smiled at Light, "To actually forgive everything that you've done, I suppose I must really love you."
"You what?" Light sat up in shock. L didn't just say that. That's impossible, I heard him wrong. It must be the drugs.
"I love you," L calmly repeated, completely wiping out all of Light's disbelief.
Light felt like asking 'how?' but just stared at L with wide eyes. Light had been told those three words by plenty of people but it never had such an impact as when L said it. Misa would throw those words around and it meant virtually nothing from her. And from his family, all they loved was the seemingly pure Light that didn't actually exist. But from L it was just so much more important. L knew everything horrible that Light had done and L had forgiven him…
"Well, get some rest," L headed toward the door again.
"Wait, don't you want to hear my answer or response to…" Light's voice trailed off. Light really didn't even know how to respond to that.
"Tell me once the drugs aren't affecting you anymore. I can wait. Just rest, Light-kun," L gave him a friendly smile then left the room.
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Down the hallway, the broken video cameras still hadn't been replaced yet. L strolled down the hall, thinking of Light-kun. Right now, Light's in no condition to defend himself. His body is extremely weak, his nerves are shot, and mentally… Light's mind is like that of a developing teenager. He's prone to blurt things out that he normally wouldn't. But still his mental condition had definitely improved since last night. At the rate his mind is recovering, he should be back to his full-fledged genius self in a matter of days. That is if he is not drugged again…
L reminded himself, If everything goes according to plan, all of this should end tomorrow night. Light-kun and I just have to make it until then.
Suzette walked out of a room and spotted L in the hallway.
"Lawliet," Suzette headed toward him and spoke in Japanese, "How's your Light-kun doing?"
"Better than last night," L vaguely replied.
"That's good. Come on, Arik wants you to come to the workroom." Suzette motioned for L to follow her.
As they walked down the hall which had no video cameras, she explained, "Arik's still pissed off. Also the decoy that I set up was traced to an inhabitable place in Russia. So Arik is even more furious with L. And whenever Arik talks about Light, he refers to Light as 'L-lover'."
Yeah, he's definitely jealous. L just shook his head.
"Arik's not very happy with you either," Suzette warned, "He may not know who you are but he knows you're at least friends with Light-kun. I think the smartest thing for you to do is to stay as far away as possible from Light just until tomorrow night."
"I can't do that," L quickly remembered his promise.
"You'll be putting yourself in an unnecessary danger. Arik's already suspicious of you. I'm sure Light will understand if you stay away from him."
"You said just last night that you didn't know what Arik could be planning to do to Light," L reminded her.
Suzette claimed, "Look, I don't think that Arik will kill Light."
"But he'll probably hurt Light," L stated.
"Yes. But if you try to stop it, you might die. I know this seems really harsh," Suzette sympathetically declared, "But just let Arik have his way with Light. If our plan works, Arik will be dead soon anyway."
L looked the other way, "I can't do that."
Suzette grabbed L's arm and turned him around to face her, "It'll hurt Light more if you die. Don't do anything reckless."
She released his arm and entered an elevator that did have video cameras. L silently followed her into the elevator. They descended down a few floors and strolled through a monitored hallway.
L and Suzette entered a workroom that had a row of computers and several of New Kira followers standing around. Once Arik spotted L, he headed toward him.
Arik glared at L with a burning hatred, "So how's the L-lover?"
L ignored the reference. "Light's still asleep. The drugs completely wiped him out," L claimed, hoping that it would make Arik lose interest.
"Really?" Arik stepped around L and walked toward the door.
L quickly asked, "Where are you going?"
"Since when doI have to tell you anything, Lawliet?" Arik indignantly replied, "Besides if what you said is true, that means that Light slept for about twenty hours. I doubt that's exactly healthy. And if you must know, I'm going to go check on him."
He'll be alone with Light! L clenched his fist and avoided eye contact with the bastard. I can't let him be near Light. I promised Light that I would stop him!
"Is there something bothering you, Lawliet?" Arik examined L's face.
Before L could answer, Suzette shot him a stern look. Damn, I know that Suzette is right from a logical standpoint. But…Light's in danger.
"Well, Lawliet?" Arik angrily pried, "Do you feel some need to protect Light? I believe that we both remember what the L-lover said, 'L protects me'."
If Arik finds out that I'm L, not only will I die but Suzette will be in trouble as well and our whole plan will fail. "I'm not L," L lied while faking a shocked expression.
"Then don't act like him, "Arik snapped then opened the door to leave, "Suzette, give Lawliet some work to do or something." Arik stormed out of the room, most likely on his way to poor, defenseless Light.
L felt horrible, like he just betrayed Light. Arik was on his way right this very moment and L had done nothing.
Suzette whispered while turned away from the video cameras, "I'm so sorry."
L solemnly gazed down at the ground. Light-kun… L turned to stare at a computer, I'm keeping my promise somehow.
End of Chapter 24
Use that brain, L! XD