Light diligently worked for hours, barely acknowledging the passage of time. Beside him, L jingled the chain, trying to get the focused teenager's attention.
"Light-kun,"
"What is it Ryuzaki?" Light replied, sounding annoyed by accident at the unexpected interruption.
"Isn't tomorrow your birthday?"
For the first time in ages, Light turned away from the screen.
"You're right! How could I have forgotten something like that? How did you even know that?"
L curled his toes.
"I have an entire file on you Light-kun, since you are a Kira suspect."
Light frowned.
"You've made that all too clear." He reminded L, raising his manacled wrist.
L was unperturbed by the comment.
"Why do you mention it?"
Light was actually a bit flattered that L had remembered trivial information like that. Then again, before he got too appreciative, he should be certain L wasn't merely using this as some weird Kira accusation.
"Well I didn't know if you wanted to do something…special?"
Light flipped his swivel chair all the way around to stare full on at L.
"I'm sorry-what?"
L quickly snuck his head down. His nose rubbed against his knees.
"Just wondering."
L's bangs hung in his face, blocking his expression. Had Light not doubted L capable of most human emotion, he would have sworn his cheeks were red beneath his hair.
"Well, I wasn't planning on anything, but Misa might want to have a date or something." Light considered.
"Oh. Right."
L's voice went deadpan.
"Something wrong?" Light asked.
Ignoring him, L rang up Watari for some ice cream.
The next morning, Light found L curled up in a ball at the very end of the bed with his eyes wide open.
"You kind of scare me, you know?" Light sighed.
"Happy birthday."
"Thanks." Light smiled a little.
After thoroughly washing his hair for maximum silky effects, Light wandered back over to the bed and began going through a box of files on Yotsuba.
"You want to work?" L asked incredulously.
"I can't just take a break from the Kira investigation because I'm a year older Ryuzaki. Besides, Misa could interrupt at any moment, so it's important that I get this done now."
L's face darkened but he didn't vocally respond.
"Well, later on can you work in the kitchen? I might want a snack."
"Sure."
The morning passed with no word from Misa at all. The hyperactive model was most likely still in bed. Light worked consistently till mid-afternoon when L insisted he needed to make something using the kitchen and its supplies. Light heard him furiously stirring in a corner of the room but could not bring himself to look away from his readings.
"LIGHT!!"
Misa had let herself in, dressed impeccably in Lolita attire.
"Happy birthday sweetie!" she cooed, ensnaring Light in her tiny arms. L nearly vomited into his sugary concoction.
"Er, thanks." Light said awkwardly.
"I've planned an extra-special birthday surprise for YOUUUUU."
"Oh. Really." Light found it hard to feign interest. L's mixing was growing louder and even more energized.
"Yes!"
Misa proceeded to divulge an extra-nauseating list of romantic activities while Light got steadily more reluctant to do something with her. L suddenly became silent.
"Misa-san, I'm afraid Light-kun will not be able to attend those with you because we have just unearthed new information and have to interpret it."
Both Light and Misa turned to him.
"NO NO NO! THIS IS MY BIRTHDAY DATE WITH LIGHT!" Misa whined.
"I'm sorry." L said, not sounding very sincere.
"But Ryuzaki," Light began.
"YES! BUT RYUZAKI! PLEASE!"
"No."
Misa was now on the verge of tears.
"Go away now."
Misa burst into sobs. L snapped.
"GET OUT OF HERE MISA AND TAKE YOUR ANNOYING LITTLE VOICE WITH YOU!"
She fled the room, forgetting even to say goodbye to Light.
Light turned on L as soon as she was gone.
"Ryuzaki! You can't just treat her like that! That's awful. And what was with that lie about the investigation?"
"You don't care about her Light-kun."
"She's a human being!" Light shouted.
L did not respond.
"You however, I'm not sure about. You're absolutely incapable of any kind of emotion indirectly related to yourself! You're selfish and kind of cruel."
L, who had been clutching a bowl of cake batter to his chest, dropped it when his hands suddenly began to shake. The glass split and scattered across the floor, trailing batter all over the tile and splattering onto L.
"Ryuzaki? What?"
L's eyes were wet. Light bent down and peered at him intently.
"It's not that I'm incapable of emotion-it's that I'm shy." L whispered.
Light glanced at the mess in the kitchen.
"W-was that for me?'
L nodded.
"I couldn't even get the cake right. Typical." L said bitterly.
"Hey, it's all right. That was really nice of you." Light said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder."
"It's not. It's not all right at all. I ruined the cake and you just want to be with Misa, but as you said I'm selfish and I didn't even let you do that."
"No I don't want to see her! Wait…are you…jealous?"
L blushed.
"You are." Light declared.
"Let's not talk about it." L breathed, turning away.
"Ryuzaki…"
Light moved closer.
"Your cake isn't ruined. It's still yummy…see?"
Light brought one of L's batter-drenched hands to his mouth and licked some from his finger.
"L-Light?" L gasped.
Light took another finger and sucked gently at the tip, licking longingly down his finger and sucking just slightly harder the further he went. He noticed a drop of batter clinging to L's ear and licked it away playfully. L yelped in surprise.
"Do you like that my little detective?" Light purred, pulling L against him in a tight embrace.
"Yes…" L breathed, wrapping his arms around Light.
Light kissed him softly, running his hand through L's hair. L, inexperienced and nerve-wracked, tried his best to match the pace and expertise of Light's mouth, but all he really accomplished was embarrassing himself severely by shirking away when Light's tongue got involved.
"Sorry!" L blurted, not looking at Light.
"Don't worry. I won't do anything you don't like," Light whispered.
"It's not that…I'm just…bad at this."
"Trust me, you're not."
Light cupped his face in his hands and kissed him again, leading L into his mouth and holding him close as the kissing progressed to make him feel more at ease. Eventually the kisses grew fierce, and without considering L's reaction Light shoved his hand up his shirt and caressed his smooth skin clumsily. L didn't mind at all at this point. He clung to Light and giggled uncontrollably as the teenage boy began covering his stomach with kisses, starting to give him a hickey where the waist of his pants began.
"I might have to eat you instead of the cake Ryuzaki!" Light said playfully, nibbling gently near L's belly-button.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEE STOP IT!" L laughed, collapsing against Light with a huge grin plastered on his face.
"Ryuzaki…"
A deep, mature voice interrupted L's squeals of delight. Watari was staring at the two boys through the doorway, frozen.
L's giggles evaporated.
Light's mouth quickly removed itself from L.
They both stared at Watari.
A minute disguised as a century passed.
"AND THAT'S WHAT KIRA WOULD DO WITH DATE RAPE DRUGS! THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO CATCH HIM NOW, RYUZAKI. LET'S STAY MOTIVATED!" Light shouted seriously at L.
"Huh? OH. You're so right Light-kun. I never even considered what Kira would do with drugs. His manipulation powers would be doubled."
Watari gazed at the pair of them for another minute before backing out of the doorway, completely forgetting to deliver the message that brought him there in the first place.