--The Waltz of Courtship--
Despite the discoveries he had made during his first encounter with the Father, being shafted further observation time by that Bishop Avice had put Raito in a foul mood.
He had been busily looking for the car, faint annoyance urging him to hurry along the path, so when L had dropped another problem in his lap, he was not as quick on the uptake as he should have been.
"Are you sure?"
"Quite. They were seated on the benches right outside the entrance. I noticed them stand up when we started on the path, but I did not think much of it, since many take this way.
"When we went through the gates, they were still following us, but again that is normal; many people take this path. But I intentionally stepped off the main path just now and they are still following us."
"How many?" Raito asked.
"Two."
It was hard to spot those two if they were keeping a good distance between them. L had to be going on more than he was letting on.
"Where is Watari parked? I thought he would be waiting in front of the church for us, but I don't see him anywhere."
"Oh, right." L turned to him. "I told him to get out of the area if he saw any suspicious activity. It's the reason why I was so cautious on coming out here."
"You did what?" Raito asked and couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What are you thinking? These guys could have guns and you tell your driver/bodyguard to ditch you in the middle of –"
"It's a precaution to keep them from tailing us back to the hotel. Don't worry, Raito-kun; I don't expect they will open fire on us in public."
Raito narrowed his eyes. "You don't expect -- are you insane?" because he had to get that off his chest right now. "They could be armed and you think it would be a good idea to take a stroll. L, call Watari this instant."
L touched a finger to his bottom lip. "Raito-kun did say some time ago that he wanted to go sight-seeing. I could take Raito-kun out on our very first date."
"…"
"L, you have five seconds," Raito warned.
"Raito-kun sure is a bossy spouse," L baited. "He's lucky he has a face like he does -- it makes up for his personality."
"One second."
"I'm actually curious to see what you will do to me if I don't pick up my phone," L admitted, but his mouth deformed into an 'uh' when he was properly reacquainted with Raito's not-so-happy face.
He put both hands up in a pacifying gesture. "Wait a minute, Raito-kun. Despite the fact that it would get me a date with you, I'm looking at it from a practical viewpoint. We don't want our followers, who are most likely from the church, to think we suspect them. We should play along – and it's not as if we're completely defenseless if it comes down to that."
The weight strapped to Raito's lower back attested to L's unperturbed state, as it had been decided earlier that morning that he should be the one to carry the gun.
Now, how the detective came to this conclusion, he wasn't exactly sure, but it probably had something do with L's twisted sense of irony.
After all, he was notorious for doing the polar opposite of what was expected of him.
Raito naturally had resisted the idea, but after gradually being worn down by persistent rejoinders, he finally gave up. The way L had handled the issue with him that morning, Raito was certain he was being mocked; the implicit jeer at his back something along the lines of: 'this is a gun. Here. But you obviously can't use it on me, like I believe you want to, because I am practically invincible to you at the moment. Now please wait a moment while I turn my unguarded back towards you. Lalala…'
It royally pissed him off, but Raito had risen above L's vast immaturity and remained generally polite. He had even been capable of keeping his fists out of things as L followed up his declaration with a methodical explanation of how to handle said weapon.
"Raito-kun is a fast learner, so this should not take much effort on my part," L said, as he held the gun up, pointed it at the wall and aimed. "Keep your finger outside the trigger guard at all times," L wiggled the finger and then grabbed an empty cartridge off the table. "Since this is a semi-automatic, you have to insert the magazine from here." L pointed at the base of the handle and snapped the cartridge into place with the heel of his wrist. "Load the chamber by pulling back the slide and releasing it." He showed him how, and then held up the gun again. "Make certain that your thumb clears the slide or you'll lose it and I'll have to answer to an angry Misa-san about that," L said and did not break his speech, even though that last part was…supposed to be a joke? "Align the front sight with the rear." L squeezed the trigger in a swift motion. "When pulling the trigger, do it at a sure pace. It is best not to hesitate. When firing, always take two shots, one after the other – preferably to the head, since bulletproof vests are quite sturdy. Two quick shots to the head also ensure that the person won't get back up again," L briefed. He then handed the gun over to him.
For all his put-on goofiness, L was one scary bastard when he chose to be. Raito remembered also feeling a similar disquietude settle over him when he had watched L fly a helicopter.
Although L's prior aura of professionalism had lasted as long as it took for him to spit out a melon seed in his hand and drop it on his plate with a distasteful 'bleh.'
Obviously, he wasn't dealing with any James Bond here.
Setting aside the stupidity of this morning and the raging stupidity at the current moment, Raito put his game face on.
"So… you want to take me out on a date?" he asked, turning from ornery to charming in no time flat.
"When one is trying to court a person, it's usually the way to go," L lectured. "I don't want to seem like I'm only in it for the sex." The look on his face said otherwise. "I spent five years in London society for tennis, so the qualities of an English gentleman are something I tend to fall back on in these types of situations."
English gentleman, my ass.
"Is that so?" Raito questioned, fascinated by L's poker face. "And here I thought this was going to be the simple take me out, get me something to eat, and then walk me home."
L glanced over at him, undoubtedly amused. "It works on the same principle." He paused. "But there is no taking back to your home type of thing."
The smile that made its way to Raito's face in response to that last comment would have made every girl he had ever taken out instantly wary of his motives for the night. L did not look cautious of it; on the contrary, he appeared to be anticipant.
"But I'm not given much choice. Not when I have to go home with you," Raito reminded with a bit of rebellion, because let's face it, main suspects weren't known for their free will.
There was a substantial break before L spoke again.
Then:
"So if we met on the street, Raito-kun wouldn't want to come home with me?" he asked, as if he did not understand how that could possibly be.
"That would be a normal response," Raito told him.
L took another pause. "But I would eventually get you to come home with me?"
Raito laughed. "Do I look like the type of person that would go home with strangers?"
L considered this; the fact that he was considering it slightly ticked Raito off. "But charming strangers aren't a common thing," L concluded. "Not when the charming stranger is offering to take you out to breakfast."
"Then where would this charming stranger be?" Raito looked over at L expectedly to see if he would reveal the 'charming stranger.'
"The charming stranger is shy and will remain anonymous for the time being, but he does wish to take Raito-kun out to breakfast," L said, as they both came to a stop at a crosswalk. L glanced around them and his eyes instantly locked upon their destination for the morning.
"French cakes are very good." L stared like a man possessed at the patisserie across the street and asked, "Does Raito-kun want to go there?"
Oh please. Like he had any say in the matter. "But I know you do."
"Raito-kun knows me very well."
……………………………………………..
Inside the patisserie was warm. Raito was thankful for that as he slipped off his gloves and rested them on his lap. He shrugged off his coat next, and as he did so, he watched the door, confident that the men following them would not come inside.
They would rather stay out of sight while having the free range to guard the front and back entrances. It was what Raito would do if he were in their shoes.
Although, what unpleasant shoes it must be, Raito thought, since those two would have to stand and patiently wait out in the cold for their return. Raito did not hold back the soft laughter for the mental image his thoughts afforded him. L would know exactly what he was chuckling over.
"I almost feel sorry for them, sitting out in the cold, while we're about to eat cake."
"Yes, I feel sorry for them too," L agreed, and promptly turned towards their server. «Je vais prendre la Bûche de Noël aux framboises.» (I'll have the Raspberry Bûche de Noël.) He glanced down at the menu and pointed at another cake. «Et puisque Noël approche, cela ne fera pas de mal de prendre celle au café aussi. Comme boisson, ce sera un thé noir de l'Assam avec un peu de lait je vous prie.» (And since Christmas is approaching, it wouldn't hurt to get the Coffee Bûche de Noël: as well. For my drink, I'll take Assam tea with milk please.)
«Et vous, monsieur?» (And you sir?)The server asked.
«Le Kugelhopf et un café noir.» (The Kugelhopf and I'll take my coffee black.)
«C'est tout Raito-kun? Regardez, ils ont un Snobbish au chocolat. Je pense que ce gâteau vous est destiné.» (Is that all, Raito-kun? Look, they have chocolate snobbish. I think that cake was destined for you.)
Ha ha. Very funny, jerk-off.
Raito smiled at the server and agreed to add the destined cake to his platter.
It did not take long for their cakes to be brought out, but it did take them quite some time to finish, with L ordering more and him contributing to that pile.
"I completely forgot about the time. Those men must be frost-bitten by now."
"Let's hope not. Or I won't have an excuse to take Raito-kun anywhere else."
"So what's next?" Raito asked, as they exited the café.
It was entirely easy to ignore the presence of their followers, all the sugar and flour he digested a moment ago contributing to that mindset, as sweets did tend to make him lethargic; that had to be the reason why he felt so relaxed right now.
Or possibly L had slipped him a roofie.
Which he did not find impossible.
"Does Raito-kun remember seeing an old movie house when Watari drove us here?"
"Mm," Raito nodded his head. Then he woke up considerably when he saw a carriage trotting past and stopping at the street across from them.
Christmas was around the corner and this part of Lourdes was rather old-fashioned, so a carriage wasn't at all out of place.
"Look, a pony," L pointed with a childish smile on his face.
Raito slowly turned to gawk a bit at the detective, partially horrified and awed that a grown man could utter such a line and not break some unmentioned law of the universe that forbade adults from using the word 'pony' to describe a horse.
When he looked beside him for L, he found he was no longer there, the detective already crossing the street and heading towards the carriage.
Raito would have outright objected, but after stepping into the carriage and watching their followers panic off in the distance and run to catch up, while keeping a safe distance, he had a change of heart.
After asking the driver to slow down to a trot because he wanted to enjoy the scenery, L turned towards him conspiringly, an impish grin on his face as he whispered, "I don't want to discourage them, but neither do I want to make it too easy."
"They were probably harmless by the start of all this, but after your cake stop and what I suppose is a very refreshing blitz through the snow, they'll probably want to strangle us."
Raito glanced through the curtained window at the rear of the carriage and laughed a bit when he watched the men scurry after them. It was mean of him, but he'd never said he was very nice.
He caught L staring at him and turned towards detective.
"Raito-kun has a nice laugh."
It was strange that L had said that, especially since he made it a habit to appear carefree in front of him.
"You act like I've never smiled before," Raito told him, trying to keep his voice airy.
"No, I've seen you smile many times," L said and left his sentence to dangle.
What exactly did that mean?
"Why did Raito-kun stop laughing?"
Like it wasn't obvious.
Raito felt his bad mood returning with a vengeance.
He closed his eyes in exasperation and leaned some on L's shoulder to hide his darkening features. The detective made an inquisitive noise in the back of his throat, but Raito preemptively shut him up by pressing his forehead against his arm.
He heard L inhale and shift in his seat.
"Don't fall asleep there, Raito-kun. If the driver goes over a road bump, you'll fall flat on your face and it will be unpleasant."
Apparently he spoke too soon.
…………………………………………
"Raito-kun, our followers appeared hesitate to walk in here. Do you suppose they're not a big fan of romance?"
Raito shrugged. "They're probably wondering why we came. It seems funny that 'L' is going on a tour. But I suppose they can't complain. It gives them a better chance to gather information." He then turned towards L, "and why exactly did you want to come here?"
"I'm taking Raito-kun on a date. Precepts demand there should be a movie involved… or a very dark room." L had bought candy and was now snacking on a box of chocolate raisins. Raito could only stare in wonder.
"What exactly do you want to do in a dark room with me?" Raito asked slyly.
"I want to watch the movie of course," L told him matter-of-factly and held up a chocolate raisin to inspect it. Then he added, as if he had forgotten, "Oh and there's the occasional act of making out during the boring parts. Thankfully, I picked the most boring movie I could find, so we should get started right -- ow."
L rubbed his arm where he'd gotten pinched. "That hurts. What did I do to warrant such an unfriendly attack from you?"
"This is reality, not fantasy-land," Raito informed him.
"I was only kidding. Our two friends sitting up in the last rows make it impossible for me to act on any ulterior motives. They are like two guardian angels protecting Raito-kun's chastity."
Raito gave him a warning stare.
"Ah but I've suddenly resolved myself to only gazing upon Raito-kun. My hands will be here." L held out the notorious hands and put them out for inspection, as if Raito needed to check if they were counterfeits.
"You're ridiculous," Raito said around a half-hearted sigh. "And to think, I would have let you get to third base if you hadn't given up so easily," he teased.
There was a thoughtful pause. "I retract my previous statements. The boring movie is about to begin. If Raito-kun is feeling generous, he should let me score a -- ow."
L rubbed his arm in the same spot. "This is not what I had in mind when I asked Raito-kun to the movies."
"Shush, the movies starting" Raito reprimanded. He faced front and heard L mumble, "do not shush me," while chewing unnecessarily on a chocolate raisin.
An hour into it and Raito turned to the detective. "Wow, this is awful."
"Raito-kun is regretting not taking me up on my making-out idea," L recalled. He was now eating jellybeans.
Raito eyed the jellybeans. "I turn my back for two seconds and it seems you bought out the entire snack bar. What else do you have in there?"
L looked at him. "The secrets to the Bermuda triangle."
"Sorry I asked," really he was. He turned back to the movie.
"How did this plot development come up?" Raito questioned languidly, as his brain could only go so many hours on standby.
"I believe Sophia's air conditioning unit is broken. This is the reason why she has suddenly taken her top off."
"So how do you explain the man on her bed?"
"He is checking her covers for pesky dust bunnies."
"Hmm, now she's checking for dust bunnies."
"Look her husband has arrived."
"He pulled out a gun."
"Probably to take care of the pesky dust bunnies."
"Then the husband should aim his gun somewhere else."
"Look, the lover was shot during sex -- how anti-climatic."
"Bad."
"What? The movie?"
"No, your sense of humor."
"Raito-kun should not criticize what he does not have."
"Whatever -- and you just made me miss further plot developments."
"Then I will inform Raito-kun that the husband is taking Sophia back."
"I feel indignant for the husband then."
"At least the director put in a funeral scene for the unfortunate lover."
"It doesn't take them long to fall into bed, does it?"
"What this movie lacks in plot, character development, acting, innovation, visuals and replay value, it makes up for in porn."
"Now I know why you picked it."
"Raito-kun has caught me -- that Sophia woman is my type." L tilted his head.
"So is that the only thing you noticed about her character?"
"No, I noticed she has a rip in her stockings. I think it symbolizes the rip in their love."
"You're giving this movie depth. Stop it."
……………………………………………
They talked the entire movie. And then they'd walked into another one for the hell of it and criticized the pants off that one too. By the time they were outside, it was dark, so they decided to take a subway to downtown Lourdes.
The pavement was crowded in this part of city. People decked out for a night on the town swamped the streets, carousing and darting in and out of the shops and eateries that lined the boulevard.
"Let's say goodbye to our escorts now," L told him.
"I hope you're not planning to make a run for it," Raito quipped, since he knew L would prefer another option.
"No, but let us follow these young people." L motioned towards the large group of woman in front of them and like both had assumed, it did not take long for them to follow the partygoers into the club district.
"Raito-kun, please work your magic," L said, as they came up to the entrance. Raito sighed so L would think he had a bone to pick with his methods, even if he preferred it this way.
He then "accidentally" bumped into one of the girls at the back of the group.
«Désolé, je suis tellement maladroit,» (Sorry, I'm so clumsy,) he apologized, smile and hands to steady busy at work on his target.
«T'inquiètes pas pour ça,» (Don't worry 'bout it,) she reassured. She took notice of his suit and Raito made a nervous gesture.
«Il semble que je sois un peu trop habillé.» (I'm overdressed it seems.)
She laughed at that, and all the while this was happening, they had smoothly entered the club, with the bouncers believing they were a part of the large female-populated group.
L made a signal towards the bathroom and Raito excused himself politely from the new friend he had picked up.
Raito was not surprised to see that their followers were nowhere to be seen. Again, they were more than likely guarding the entrances. Any club was a closed-off building, simply for the fact that owners did not want people sneaking into entrances unmarked by bouncers. Their followers would feel safe in leaving them inside, but they were certainly not going to feel that way soon.
They entered the bathroom and L casually went to wash his hands, as Raito stood off to the side and watched a group of boys enter. It took a minute for everyone to clear out until there were only two stranglers. L shook his hands out and dried them on the inside of his jacket. He then approached the two stranglers and suddenly began speaking to them. Both seemed completely caught off guard by the detective, but after awhile, they stopped looking at him as if they were going to back away slowly.
All of a sudden, L waved him over. «Raito-kun, ces messieurs sont assez courtois pour nous prêter leur manteaux.» (Raito-kun, these gentlemen here are gracious enough to lend us their attire.)
Raito had no idea how L had gotten them to do that. L was an expert at handling people, even if his social skills were usually put on the backburner to simmer. Although, Raito was certain his easy persuasion had something to do with money.
Clearly not in the mood to mess around, Raito shouldered off his coat and handed it over to one of the boys. It took roughly five minutes for them to completely switch out.
«Mortel» (Cool) one of the boys responded, as he gazed down at his new threads. L handed the other boy money, as Raito expected.
It could be easily assumed that they were now going to try to sneak out of the club with their new disguises, but knowing L, he was not the type of person to sneak. It would also be a poor get-away plan, as they did not have an absolute guarantee that they would not be spotted. It also did not help that both of them stuck out like sore thumbs in public, even in regular clothes.
When they got out of the bathroom, he noticed L searching around. Soon, the detective appeared to have found what he was looking for, as he veered to the left suddenly and towards the bar.
"What are you planning?" Raito asked, as he was not sure what L would do to get them out of here. He had his own ideas, but it was preferable to let L work.
"Things," L answered mysteriously and sat at the bar aside a lively group of females. Raito sat next to him and did not have time to respond when L suddenly burst into spirited speech.
«Nikolai, reprends-toi, mec. Je suis venu pour faire la fête et tu tues l'ambiance en me parlant de ta copine top-modèle et à quel point tu t'ennuies d'elle et que tu chiales tous les soirs à cause de ça.» (Nikolai, you need to cheer up, man. I came here to party and you're totally dragging me down with talk of your model girlfriend and how much you miss her and how you cry over her every night.)
Raito recognized this tone immediately and had to swallow a laugh, because L could speak like a regular college frat boy with the best of them.
Out of the corner of his eye, Raito noticed the girls, also at the bar, taking notice of them through L's ridiculously loud monologue.
Whatever L was planning needed his cooperation, so he would give it. «Je suis juste triste sans elle» (I'm just sad without her,) he said with a reasonable amount of depression laced into his voice.
«Les relations à longue distance sont compliquées. Vous avez pas besoin de tout ce stress, spécialement avec le mannequinas qui est super dure» (Long distance relationships are tough. Both of you don't need that kind of stress, especially when modeling is tough on you and her) L projected, and Raito saw one of the girls nudge her friend in the shoulder at the word 'model.'
«Je pense à abandonner. Je suis pas fait pour les règlements de l'industrie. Je suis mannequin juste pour payer les emprunts faits au collège, mais là, on me veut pour des sessions photo Haute Couture, alors ça serait stupide de tout laisser tomber maintenant.» (I'm thinking of quitting. I'm too simple for the politics that goes around in the fashion industry. I just did it to pay off my college loans, but then Haute Couture wanted me for some photo sessions, so I thought it would be stupid to pass them up.)
Haute Couture was the most prestigious modeling firm in Paris, so Raito knew that was bound to lift some eyebrows, and by the glances he was getting from the girls, he'd have to say it worked nicely.
«Tu veux toujours devenir pédiatre? Mais pense à tout l'argent que t'aurais juste en faisant les beaux yeux devant la caméra. Il faut vraiment être fou pour vouloir foutre tout ça en l'air.» (You still want to be a pediatrician? But think off all the money you could rake in for just winking at the camera. You must be nuts to want to give that up.)
Raito wanted to smirk so badly. «C'est pas pour l'argent, Grisha. J'aime les enfants.» (It's not the money, Grisha. I love children.)
He loved children as much as he loved criminals.
«Alors, pourquoi t'en aurais pas à toi, si tu les aimes tant que ça?»(Well, why don't you have some of your own then, if you love them so much?) L hefted a thumb at the girls to the side of him and blatantly stared. «Il y a plein de belles filles et monsieur pleure sur une seule.» (So many pretty girls and here you are moping over one.)
Raito tried to force a blush, but even he could not pull that off with his flawless acting.
He supposed some people just weren't meant to blush like a moron.
Though, he did put on quite a splendid show of being embarrassed. «Grisha, dérange pas ces filles. J'aimerais tant que tu sois plus discret.» (Grisha, don't bother those girls. I wish you had more shame.)
«Mais elles sont jolies, Nikolai. Si tu ne les regardes pas, alors qui va le faire?» (But they're pretty Nikolai. If you don't stare at them, then who will?)
Some of the girls giggled. They obviously liked what L was saying, so he wasn't going to get slapped with any sexual harassment cases...just yet.
L was waiting for him to make the ice-breaker, so Raito smiled at the girls and asked them courteously, but jokingly, if they wanted him and his friend to leave and stop bothering them.
And as expected, they both were invited to join the circle of girls.
«Voici mon ami Nikolai,» (This is my friend, Nikolai,) L introduced. He then pointed at himself rather stupidly. «Et mon nom est Grigoriy, mais vous pouvez m'appeler Grisha.» (And my name is Grigoriy, but you can call me Grisha.) He put out his hand to shake the hand of the girl closest to him and she laughed at the firm handshake she was met with.
«Mon nom, c'est Candice» (My name's Candice) she introduced with a slight creole accent.
«Regarde Nikolai, son nom sonne comme candy,» (Look Nikolai, her name sounds like candy,) L said, nudging him in the ribs, like this was cause to drop everything and celebrate.
He probably wanted to eat her.
«Je pense que nous allons très bien nous entendre, Mademoiselle Candice,» (I think we'll get along fine, Miss Candice,) L announced, and Raito wanted to laugh so badly that his mouth twitched.
An auburn was next and her name, strangely enough, happened to be Sophia.
L's reaction to this: «Je vous ai vu dans un film.» (I saw you in a movie.)
There was no mistaking it. L acted so retarded around girls that Raito thought he'd die by just being near him.
The girl laughed, taking it as a compliment that she resembled someone on-screen.
There were three other girls in the order of Natalia, Margaret, and Cynthia. They were all friendly and very attractive, and Raito could appreciate that sort of thing, if they didn't have more important things to do, like for instance, escaping their tailers.
But L liked going at his own pace. He began to chat with the girls. He even ordered them drinks. Raito sat back and spoke with Sophia. L was speaking with the other four, practically at the same time, and pulling out bits of useless pop trivia that only he would know.
L was an endless well of stupid facts that amused people that were into that sort of thing. It still confused Raito how L had been able to spot Misa as a model so quickly and then make small talk about a cover she was in. Raito could dismiss anything that was not the news as worthless, but it never hurt to be up-to-date with what was going on in your generation.
A few minutes into things and Raito noticed that the bartender had just casually handed L a bottle of …150-proof alcohol.
Now what in the world was L planning to do with that?
L harmlessly set the bottle of Wormwood Blanche on the counter.
«Nikolai semble bien s'amuser, finalement,» (Nikolai finally looks like he's enjoying himself,) L remarked. «Mais je pense qu'il devrait demander Sophia pour danser. Il me remercieras plus tard.» (But I think he should ask Sophia to dance. He will thank me for it later.)
Some of the girls were also urging their friend to go along. Raito stared at L and instantly knew by his tone that he was planning something.
«Serait-ce acceptable?» (Would it be alright?) Raito asked, quietly earnest as he could, as most of the girls he'd encountered loved that innocent and shy tone from him.
«Bien... oh oui» (Well...oh sure) she agreed, peer pressure from her friends moving her and maybe the snare of attraction that Raito knew was not far in coming or had already hit.
He kept within a reasonable distance of L, because he wanted to keep an eye on him and also let L see that he was being harmless. They might not be handcuffed together, but it did not mean L trusted him. Far from it.
Raito put an arm around Sophia and warmly smiled down at her, while keeping his peripheral fastened to L. There would be a sign for sure.
It came five minutes later.
He noticed L had put his hand over his mouth and whispered over to the woman named Margaret, who had been smoking ever since they had spotted the girls. L then made a motion, like he wanted a cigarette…? Raito wasn't sure, since he had to look back down and see if Sophia had noticed his wandering eyes. She seemed content.
Raito focused his eyes back on L only to see that the Margaret woman was handing him her lighter and a cigarette. On taking the items, L's elbow knocked into the Blanche, the cap left conveniently unscrewed and the bottle now spilling half of its contents on the floor and a small portion on L's pants.
Raito then watched the girls crowd around L in obvious concern when he had alerted them to his 'clumsiness.' He said something to Candice and the girl reached into her purse -- Raito hoped to pull out some mace, but unfortunately she took out a handkerchief.
Raito nearly stepped on Sophia's toe when he suddenly realized what L was about to do, and he could only watch in horror as L suddenly shouted, «Devant la Vierge et le Bon Dieu, Nikolai, j'ai honte de toi.» (In front of the Virgin and God, Nikolai, I'm ashamed of you.)
All the girls turned to stare at him to see if he was violating their friend as L had made it seem, giving L the perfect distraction to shove the cigarette into the bottle, cap it, and then tightly wrap the handkerchief around the neck. He flipped the lighter open, lit the handkerchief and chucked the bottle of highly flammable 150-proof alcohol in the corner so it shattered against the wall. The handkerchief now doused in alcohol went up in smoke that the fire sensors quickly registered as highly dangerous.
Oh cra-
Raito hadn't even been able to finish that thought, as the fire alarm suddenly went off and the sprinklers activated.
There was screaming, and crashing about, and people, wet and sliding out of the entrance and into the freezing cold.
L ran past him, jogged backwards, and pointed at the door. "Come Raito-kun. We have to get out with the frantic crowd now."
Raito thought angrily that a panicking crowd certainly did make the perfect shield for escaping. It also made the perfect irritant for his nerves.
They were sopping wet by the time they ran outside, and they did not stop running until they cleared the corner, no followers in sight.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Raito gasped, his breath coming out in cold puffs and his skin dripping water.
"Has Raito-kun never seen a Molotov cocktail before?" L wrung out a corner of his hoodie. "We should find someplace to dry off quickly, or we'll get pneumonia."
"Do you have any self-control? I mean, what if someone had gotten hurt with that stunt of yours? I can't believe you just threw that thing." The last time Raito checked they weren't some guerrilla faction.
"There were many ways we could have handled that situation. I went with the more surprising approach. Oh, and lets not speak of this in front of the others, I do not want them to know that I was throwing flaming liquor bottles around. That would not help my reputation."
Completely unbelievable.
Raito gave up the urge to slap L in the back of the head and resigned himself to simple chastisement. "I hope you at least send a bill for the damages."
"Watari will take care of it," L promised. He took out of his pocket the lighter he had used in his two-bit crime of arson and simply dropped it in a garbage can on the side of the street.
………………………………….
Once they were reasonably dry, they caught a cab to the hotel. It was only a few miles from where they had been, so the drive was a fast one. L made a phone call to Watari before they entered into the hotel. Raito assumed to turn off the cameras.
L entered through the main doors, surprised some bellhops in passing, and then made a beeline towards the staircase.
They had to climb eleven flights of stairs, which was not as much fun as running through fire-sprinklers and into the freezing cold -- insert the sarcasm wherever you like.
A date with L had already seemed like sketchy business, but having experienced it first hand had made Raito realize L really did live in his own world. To ask him on a date when they were obviously being followed and to then throw a Molotov cocktail into a packed club...
Raito had gone some drastic lengths to prove his innocence, but even he had batted a few eyelashes at L's methods.
"Raito-kun, we have reached the end of our date," L said, as they mounted the last platform that would lead to their floor. "But no date is finished without a certain something," and instead of opening the door, L stood there and watched him.
Hmm, considering how their date had gone so far...
"Are you going to throw man-eating ants at me? It would go well with the sprinklers and the frostbite."
L scratched the side of his face. "No, that was not what I had in mind. Those would be hard to find." Pause. "Did Raito-kun not have fun?"
"I had as much fun as I should have had while being tailed by two men." And that was saying a lot. Usually he hated dates, but he had been entertained by this one. L was good at amusing (frightening) him. There was certainly never a dull moment to be had.
"So it was successful." L appeared to congratulate himself on a job well done. "I should get a reward."
Raito smirked at how quickly L was able to come to a consensus that he should get a reward. He then leaned forward so he was in L's personal space and whispered, "Close your eyes and I might give it to you.
"No, I prefer to watch," L told him flatly, and Raito pulled back slightly so he would get the picture.
"I will close my eyes now," L placated.
Raito leered when L did as he was told. He had an urge to just pat him on the head and leave his reward at that, but L was being remarkably obedient (for him) and a well-trained L did put him in a better mood.
Raito licked his lips, leaned over, waited until L had an impatient look on his face, and then captured his mouth swiftly.
L's hand immediately went for the back of his neck, trying to move his mouth the way he wanted it, but Raito nipped at the soft skin under his lips in warning and L loosened up on his hold.
L moved a step backwards, taking Raito with him, his back bumping up against the wall, but his mind obviously distracted by other things.
Raito deepened the kiss with a slide of tongue, one hand absently trailing down L's side and the other palm spread on the wall and bracing him up. He tilted his head, felt something warm and wet slip into his mouth, and rubbed it with his tongue. L appeared to enjoy the attention to that part, breathing erratic and ending with a groan as Raito parted his lips even more and slowly sucked on the organ.
The mouth moving against his seemed to get even hotter and Raito pressed closer to L, felt the detective's heartbeat through his clothes, the heat from the fingers around his nape, and the jolt singeing through his blood.
After a minute of thorough, bone-deep exploration, Raito slid his mouth off the tongue between his lips and leaned back with a sigh. He blinked L out of the haze of arousal that consumed his vision and found the detective staring back at him, eyes wider than he'd ever seen them, breath heavy, and mouth hinting at some color and a bruise. His mouth also felt raw as he passed his tongue over it, certain that it was red from the kiss.
Still leaning up against the wall in a daze, L swallowed and breathed out, "I hope those men follow us again. I very much want another date with Raito-kun."
Raito laughed at that and promptly opened the door. He walked out, but turned around to call out, "Are you going to stand there all day with that dumb look on your face?"
L scratched his head. "I could. My legs aren't cooperating." Despite those words, L pushed himself off the wall. Raito watched him drag his thumb over his lips and end at the corner, before pressing the pad of that thumb into his mouth and probably tasting the last traces of the kiss.
L walked past him and Raito aimed a smug smile at his back. "If you liked it that much," he purred, "I hope your head doesn't explode tonight."
1. Raspberry Bûche de Noël: -- Chocolate cake filled with raspberry flavored cream and covered with a rich chocolate glaze. Serve with raspberry purée on the side.
2. Coffee Bûche de Noël: -- Chocolate cake filled with coffee flavored cream and iced with chocolate.
3. Kugelhopf -- An Almond & Raisin Cake from Alsace
4. Chocolate Snobbish -- A light chocolate cake made with almonds & prunes.