A/N: It's been a month… ugh…
But thank you everyone who has read, faved, and reviewed this fic! I really appreciate the time you all take to read my work!
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Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note and therefore no money is being made off of this work.
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Chapter 18
"L… we've been watching this stupid street for nine hours."
Matt's whining voice cut, for the thousandth time, through L's stream of deductions like a pencil darting through wet paper. The teen's nagging sagged against L's own irritation, only augmenting the detective's desire to smash a hole in the wall. Despite the veiled aggression, L found himself agreeing with his pink haired successor. There wasn't much going on before them, the streets they watched were completely deserted. Nothing had happened, but the "yet" dangling from the end of that sentence was where L had perched himself, and he had no intention of moving.
"This is surveillance Matt, it takes patience and time," L droned, eyes unmoving from the television sets reflecting the afternoon street activity.
"Yeah, I get that," Matt said, effortlessly juggling four different Tamagotchi pets. "But what happens when we run out of time?"
"The object of this exercise is to ensure that doesn't happen." L nimbly twisted an oreo cookie apart and dunked the unfrosted half into his tea with all the care of a practiced surgeon. "We watch, and if we see something happening then Near and Light will act accordingly."
Matt's lips pursed as he punished one of the Tamagotchis for peeing where it shouldn't have. "Yeah, that's another thing I don't get. Why the fuck is Near down there with Light and Watari? He sucks at field work."
L had to tell himself that abusing one's successor would not improve said successor's mental performance, despite the fact that Matt had answered his own question. And by extension, if the boy strived to work out L's rational for why Near was riding along the River Thames in a pink crepe van, then Matt would understand why he was staying in the hotel room. Unfortunately, the gamer's laziness prevented such deductions from being made and that had L feeling rather incompetent mentor wise.
He'd kept Matt in the hotel with the sole purpose of teaching the teen patience. Based on the sheer amount of whining and the annoying beeping emitting from Matt's blasted, digital pets, the lesson was not going over very well.
"Near requires more field experience. He's too comfortable giving orders and having them followed. A result, I imagine, of Roger's stupid capture the flag games every Tuesday evening."
Matt chuckled. "Yeah, Near likes to hijack the Wammy's surveillance center and command his troops from there. His team always wins. Except for the one time Mello made Hyde cut the power lines so Near lost visual, that time Mel's team won, but Hyde had to go to the hospital for second degree burns…"
"I remember when Watari received that report. He argued over the phone with Roger for four hours. It was quite amusing." L dunked another oreo into his tea before shoving the cookie into his mouth. "Either way, Near needs to learn to take orders from people. As for you, you need to learn how to do menial work beyond hacking, research, and field work."
"So this is an attempt to round out our edges?"
"Precisely."
Matt nodded, feeding another Tamagotchi so it would stop beeping at him. "I really don't see that playing out to well."
L sighed, he'd been expecting that response. "Why?"
"Because Near is with Light. The little freak hates the man, thinks he's the devil incarnate. Near isn't likely to take orders from Light."
"He will, because if he doesn't I'm not taking him to FAO Schwarz," L said succinctly, flipping the street camera view to follow his Angel Crepe truck as it drove slowly down the street. The misgivings at letting Light so close to Beyond once more, were bubbling in the pit of L's stomach once more. But then, Light had a role to play, L knew, if Light was a double agent of sorts, he wouldn't reveal himself as one, not yet. It'd only be safe to do so if he had both L and Watari in his grasp, or B's grasp more exactly.
"Oh you're a cold hearted bastard," Matt remarked emotionlessly, playing fetch with his digital dinosaur.
"You've no idea…"
Matt glanced up at the detective's toneless declaration. Common knowledge, L's lack of emotion was. Actually, it was legendary. The detective was the most notorious badass ever, mainly because he rarely showed any form of positive emotion, and when he was happy it was usually because he'd discovered a serial killer everyone else had overlooked. Not the most socially acceptable time to portray joy, but that was just how L rolled.
And Matt, Matt was going to roll right alongside L because he had no other options. Plus, strange as it may have sounded, Matt trusted L. Not because he was L, the Greatest Detective in the World, but because he was a Wammy. Born competitive, born to fucking take the crown. Every kid in The House had painted a bright red target on the back of L's head, and L knew it. Weather it was because they wanted to murder the detective or just surpass him, each child was going after L. So L stayed ahead of them all, he sprinted to the finish line. And he always crossed that line first.
Matt didn't think that was about to change. So he trusted L.
Matt swung two Tamagotchis around his index finger while the dinosaur ate little gray pixels happily. The pixels were supposed to represent food, but to Matt they looked exactly the same as the shit his dinosaur made during potty time… so really he could've just poisoned his dinosaur. "Hey, if you're taking Near to FAO, will you take me to Game Stop?"
3B
"It's a laser tag park…" Near stared blankly through the tinted window of the Angel's Crepe's van, bored and twirling a lock of colorless hair between his fingers.
Aside the petite teenager, Light rolled his eyes, stretched out over the white leather seat casually, completely at ease. "You said that already."
"I think it needed to be said once more."
He didn't want to, if anything silence was better than listening to Near talk, but Light asked anyway. "Why?"
"So the others can better understand the futility of this assignment."
"Assignment?" Light laughed at the term. "This isn't school kiddo."
"It is for Mello, Matt, and I," Near shot back, affronted. "And this assignment," he stressed the word, resisting the urge to narrow his eyes, "is useless given the fact that you are here and shall either distract us from discovering Beyond, or you've already informed Beyond we're coming and this is a trap."
Light was impressed with the boy's ability to keep up the innocent, evil, possessed child façade. Near's logic, on the other hand, did nothing to impress the profiler. Instead he found it petty and trite. "Your dislike of me is clouding your judgment."
"No it's not, I just have a better idea of how we can capture Beyond Birthday," Near said. "One that'll take less time than waiting around out here."
"What's that?" Light sat up straighter, actually looking towards Near with some amount of interest. "You should have told L."
The albino shook his head, turning back to stare out the window as the River Thames brushed past. "He wouldn't have liked it."
"What does it entail?"
"Locking you up and torturing you until you give us the whereabouts of Beyond Birthday," Near said unapologetically, though to give the kid some credit, he seemed unable to meet Light's eyes. Apparently some amount of humanity did exist within the diminutive teenager's blackened soul.
Eyebrows rose and a smirk fell evenly over Light's features, illuminating his visage with an expression of amusement. "Honestly, I'm not too keen on that idea. However, more than that, I'm a little disturbed that an individual of your age would suggest such a thing."
"You don't look disturbed," Near commented, appraising Light with his wide, china doll gaze.
Light didn't flinch. "I've been trained to hide it."
"I was raised in an environment where innocence was a weakness." The hand fiddling with Near's hair dropped into the boys lap to gather with the boy's other hand. He spoke with an honesty never before observed in his countenance, the words straight and pointed, transparent and yet disarmingly vacant.
Light nodded, already having gathered as much. Any establishment that could breed the likes of Beyond Birthday was also liable to create creepy little kids like Near, a neurotic gamer like Matt, and not to be forgotten, the sexually frustrated, pastry obsessed L. Light was afraid to seeing what this kidnapped, "Mello" character would end up being like.
"The idea of me working with Beyond Birthday… I will admit it has some merit," Light admitted after a moment of pensive silence.
"It has a lot of merit," Near disagreed. "You are working with Beyond."
"You've no proof of that Near, and if I was, why would I have shown you the map to get here? You also forget, Beyond wants us to show up. He needs an audience."
"Hence, you showing us the map. I don't care if I've got no proof. I know you're working with Beyond. It just makes sense."
Light shook his head at the sheer stubbornness personified before him. At the very least L was silent about his accusations on Light's relationship with Beyond… and gave good tongue. But the latter had nothing to do with anything, anything at all. Near on the other hand was a rather annoying little twat, and Light was having a difficult time reigning in the urge to punch the kid. It was alright to hit L, L was a bastard and fought back. The albino sitting before him was a bastard and a child, it wouldn't look good to beat up a child. So Light smiled, brought up that charming façade that bothered Near so much, and repressed all homicidal tendencies.
"You don't have a lot of experience," Light critiqued, the casual tone of voice not aligning with the steel glint in his eyes, "With people or case work, so it's only natural that your logic makes little sense. You're relying more on your gut instinct and molding the facts to fit."
"Is that wrong?" Near asked without interest. "L uses his gut."
"To an extent its fine, I'm sure L would recommend it. I recommend it, a person's gut, a true detective's gut, is rarely wrong. But you need to be careful, taking the facts and twisting them to fit the outcome you want is not detective work."
"So, I should trust my gut that you're working with Beyond?"
Light nodded. "Yes."
"But you're not working for Beyond?" Near deadpanned.
Light nodded again, smirk now transforming into a fully fledged smile. "You see my point?"
Near blinked, his mind peeling through the information, processing it. "…The fact that you're telling me this only raises the probability of you conspiring with Beyond."
That made Light laugh, head tilting back against the seat, watching from behind a white lace curtain as Watari drove them along the Millennium Way loop.
"Either way," Near said plainly, brining the circle of conversation back to his original protests. "There is no point in us being here, driving in circles. The countdown doesn't end today, it ends tomorrow. B won't show up. Not even for preparations, as L seems to be think he will."
'So now you're smarter than The Greatest Detective in the World?' Light scoffed. "Beyond takes pride in his murders and he hates it when things don't go as planned. He'll want to make sure the timing is right and all is in order. Haven't you ever watched Dexter kid?"
If Near had eyebrows they would've been kitting together in confusion, but the boy had shaved them off in an effort to hide any emotional responses. Thus, he replied evenly, "Yes I have, and I find his sister Dee Dee to be incredibly annoying. But I fail to see what a children's cartoon has to do with Beyond Birthday preparing a murder."
"Never mind," said Light, lips pursing in amusement.
Near's gaze shifted over Light's. "You're judging me."
"You're judging me," Light shot back.
"Fair enough."
3B
"I think I just figured out why B chose this location." Matt scanned over his laptop screen, goggles arranged messily atop his head with one lens covering his right eye, the left uncovered.
L spun lazily in his swivel chair, two lollipops in his mouth while holding another in his fingers. "Enlighten me," the sugar addict said nonchalantly. Neither he nor Matt was paying attention to the computer monitors anymore.
Matt pushed off the desk with his combat boot, propelling his own chair to come closer to L's, Laptop securely perched in his lap. L glanced over Matt's shoulder at the open web browser.
"I was reading reviews online about the place B's map singled out. Bunker 51, the laser tag park." Mat couldn't help the squirrely turn of his lips as he said that. "You know they've got a fucking tank in there? The entire place is set up to look like a video game set. There's also a uranium mine, which was mentioned in the note, so that fits. But dude, look at this!" A series of images flashed over the screen, Matt's fingers excitedly hammering down on the laptop's mouse pad. Each picture showcased staged sets of toxic waste and rusting steel, illuminated by disarming, neon backlighting and very reminiscent of a poorly designed video game. "They don't just offer laser tag, there's paintball and air soft skirmishes too. I mean, this isn't just rec, it is a fucking video game!" And then he began to quote their website, voice augmenting in anticipation as he read further down the computer screen. "You'll be transported to the future where you'll join an elite special force team, receive your mission, gear up with the most technologically advanced equipment, and enter into the adventure of your lives as you battle it out to save the world from imminent nuclear disaster."
By the time Matt had finished his eyes had enlarged to the size of dinner plates, practically exploding from the sockets in his skull. If only L's patience were as large.
"Matt," L snapped. "I highly doubt Beyond is interested in challenging us to a game of laser tag so if you would please? Get. To. The. Point!"
Pink hair fell abashedly over the boys head as Matt yanked his goggles down so they could rest around his neck, but he didn't apologize. Hastily, the internet browser clicked back onto Bunker 51's customer review listing.
"Basically it's ranked as the second best laser tag establishment in London. Hell, people are even saying they use it as a backup plan for when Skirmish is closed or too busy." He glanced pointedly at L, as if that explained everything, which it did, to a degree.
The detective stared at the screen for a minute before deciding he needed cake, badly. "Walk with me Matt."
"Wha?" Matt glanced up, startled as L abruptly hopped from his chair and made for the door. "Okay…" Unplugging the laptop he shoved it into a bag and hurried after L, who was already stepping into the private elevator that took them from the lobby and to their suite. "Where are we going?"
L jammed his thumb against an elevator button a little harder than was necessary. "To get cake." The steel box jolted to life as crappy, jazz music filtered through an unseen speaker.
"Cake?"
Hands in his pockets, L slouched against the wall of the elevator and ignored Matt's question. "I believe you had something you were explaining to me."
"Well it's simple really," said Matt. "Who's the number two candidate to be your successor? Who is commonly referred to as backup?"
L nodded. "That's what I was thinking as well. Though why he'd do that, make a point of Mello's rank, I've no clue. It's inconsequential." And it was really getting annoying. Why was B, number two, the backup, so goddamn important to the murderer? What did it mean?
The elevator dinged open and the two genii got out, Matt following his mentor diligently as they seemed to meander through the hallways at random. "Hey man, I'm averaging an A minus in criminal profiling, that's why you hired Light. Ask him."
L turned suddenly and stared at Matt. "Was Beyond like that as a child?"
That actually had Matt laughing, despite the bitter flavor that accompanied the chuckle. "You mean completely obsessed with his name and rank in regards to you? Fuck L, have you seen the way the freak dresses? Although I'd say he's gotten better about it, less OCD more Gary Ridgeway."
They headed down an emergency staircase, L disabling the alarm without pause. "You're saying he finds murdering numerous innocents therapeutic?" It was a question, but something else laced L's voice. Like LCD infused weed, it was a toxic undertone, darker and indecipherable to Matt, but it gave the product a sharper punch.
Matt shrugged. "Not the most socially acceptable way of handling stress, but he's insane. I mean, I get the number two thing, but it's a fucking laser tag arena. He's playing games. Strange games, as if this isn't that serious. I mean, everything's completely random! There's a complete lack of reason behind all of it, aside from the victim's looking like Mello that is. And I thought we were looking for cake…" Matt commented in confusion. They didn't seem to be heading for a bakery or the hotel restaurant.
He'd followed the raven man through a set of service doors and was currently pounding down a metal staircase after L, hand trailing against the brick wall for support. L's pace was gaining in speed, though the detective refused to flat out run. Huffing, Matt scrambled through another emergency door, emerging with L onto another floor of the hotel. The scent of cigarette smoke hung in the air, clinging to the plush carpet and warmly painted walls. Matt's hand twitched involuntarily as he inhaled, but he ignored it and followed after L, always three steps behind. Mentally and physically, he could never catch up with L.
But then, no one could keep up with L when cake was the mission objective.
"Cake." L paused in front of a wall, placing both hands flesh against the surface. "And I don't think there's supposed to be any reason behind Beyond's current actions, other than confusion. If there is, then his reasoning is way beyond mine, no pun intended. But I highly doubt that's the case. No, Beyond isn't really challenging us with the crime scenes. The feel of these killings is quite different from L.A."
Worried for L's sanity, but not brave enough to comment, Matt hung back behind L, letting the man run his hands up and down the wall as if it were the most glorious thing his fingers had ever come across. Nine hundred thread count Egyptian cotton, a flock of fuzzy black sheep, L caressed the wall lovingly.
"So what? He's just having fun?"
"If you'd been in prison for half a decade what would you do when you got out?"
…That was a good point. And B always had been a man of the unpredictable. But Matt still felt that something was off in L's voice, and it wasn't just because he was molesting a hotel wall. "You have another theory."
"He's demanding attention."
Matt blinked, taken aback. That had not been what he was expecting. "Attention? L, we knew that. It was fairly obvious from the start."
"Well, perhaps that's not the best way to describe it." L punched the wall, and the picture frame ten feet further down the hall fell off its mount. L blinked and then walked down towards the frame where a locked drawer was fitted into the wall. "But he's waiting for something. We discussed before that someone out there was displeased with B's previous acts of murder. B's actions may in fact be his way of trying to get us, or more specifically me, to see that individual."
"What? So you can catch them?"
L paused, staring at the lock that stood between him and his cake, ignoring the confused glances Matt was sending towards the back of his head. The question burned before L's eyes. 'Is it Light?' There was a part of L that wanted Light to be working with Beyond. He needed the younger profiler to betray him, hurt him, give him a reason to cease whatever the hell he was doing with Light. Not that he really wanted to stop seeing Light, but the rational side of L's mind said it was a necessity. A rather large one in the grand scheme of things. So it was good he suspected Light of being a double agent.
Only, he wasn't getting that impression anymore. At least not as deeply as he had before. Light was connected to B, he conducted a series of interviews and forged an incredibly strange relationship with the murderer. That was the only reason Light was a threat to him, Watari, and his successors at the moment. It was also why he was an asset. Lovely, how well that worked out. But Light wasn't the danger, he was just… a distraction. And an incredibly poor one at that. If Light were a double agent it would stand to reason he would do everything to make L "fall in love" with him. The emotional games would begin, human mind fuckary at its finest. But Light wasn't, that wasn't the game they were playing. L wasn't even sure they were playing a game.
"No, not so I can apprehend whoever the hell it is. It's so I can learn I didn't win last time around, not like I thought I did." L pulled a safety pin from his pocket and jammed it into the lock, picking at the thing, but it wouldn't budge. L growled as his mind reeled. He could feel his thoughts winding themselves into knots. Too many theories, too many possibilities, not enough facts, clues, data, data data. He needed more data… bricks without clay and all that.
The door to the emergency staircase opened suddenly and both L and Matt turned to find Watari heading towards them. "I had a feeling you'd be here," the elder man smiled, clearly amused. "I think you require this." He held a key before L's wide eyes, but the detective didn't take it.
Hands still pressed against the drawers, L frowned at his mentor. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Light and Near!"
"Near and Mr. Yagami are currently upstairs. I believe Near is stacking dice on the dinner table while Mr. Yagami said he was going to take a shower. Both boys came to the conclusion that it'd be useless to continue patrolling the area and agreed their time would be better spent here."
"You mean they wanted to come back here?" Matt gaped.
Watari smiled at his pink haired charge. "Something about not enjoying each other's presence."
"You mean to say you let them come back without informing me?" L demanded.
The harsh words echoed down the hall, punctuated by L's hand slamming against the drawer. Matt raised his eyebrows, stepping back from his mentor in shock. Watari remained unfazed. "I see why you wanted cake." He waved L back from the wall, placing the key into the slot and turning it. The drawer popped open with a creek, revealing a two layer, chocolate mousse delight with berry sauce elegantly drizzled over it. "Here," the inventor passed the cake to L and then headed for the elevator. "Now stop shouting. If Beyond was down there we didn't see him and he wasn't going to reveal himself."
L paused, cake in his arms, slouching moodily. "B won't reveal himself for anything."
"Except you."
Two heads shot towards Matt who seemed to be analyzing the wallpaper, apparently bored with the conversation. Somehow, it figured L would have cake hidden in the walls, Matt was no longer surprised or confused. And with Near and Light back, there'd be other people to work surveillance.
"Me?" L pointed to himself, eyes wide, cake cradled in his arm like a newborn baby. "Beyond would reveal himself to me?"
"He has already," Matt said. "He called you and you ran out, then we changed hotels."
L nodded. "Yes, but I didn't physically see him."
"So? If he called you it means he'll talk to you, and if he'll talk to you what's to say he won't meet with you face to face?" Matt shrugged.
Studying the cake, L thought the idea over. Meeting with Beyond was out of the question in several different ways. Dangerous, stupid, suicidal, and Light would be mad at him. Watari too, probably wouldn't be that pleased if L were to arrange a meet-cute. At that point, the only legitimate way for L to talk with Beyond was to be captured by B.
L couldn't say he was too fond of the notion.
3B
Focus was something L prided himself in. Focusing on a case, on a murderer, a criminal he mentally stationed just above 'common' because that was what it took to get his attention. L had a substantial level of focus. The direction that focus chose to go however was not always up to the detective, which was why he found himself sprawled over Light's bed, focusing on the ceiling above. He'd rained a bag of M&Ms over the sheets so the fluffy, white comforter now resembled a cloud with a disassembled rainbow over it. He'd been lounging like that for the past hour. Hand pawing at the sheet, L plucked a red candy off the bed and tossed it into his mouth, cracking the hard outer shell between his tongue and the roof of his mouth. He focused on the chocolate and the ceiling.
That was until Light stepped out of the shower.
"What the hell are you doing!" Light exclaimed, scandalized, a tint of red coloring his cheeks. "Are those M&Ms?"
L lolled his head to the side, blankly taking in the sight of a mostly naked Light Yagami. He was 'mostly naked' because L, unfortunately in L's opinion, had wrapped a towel around his waist. There was also a fluffy piece of terry cloth wrapped over his head, like a turban, which L failed to see the point of, Light's hair wasn't that long. "You spend an inordinate amount of time in the shower."
"Any amount of time in the shower is inordinate when compared to your hygienic routines," Light drawled, nose scrunching as he tool in the sight of L, M&Ms, and his bed.
"Are you suggesting I do not bathe?" L asked pointedly. "Did you not see the rubber duck in the tub, or the battleship?"
The deadened stare Light graced him with was answer enough, but Light enjoyed talking so he didn't leave it there. "Indeed I did and they disturbed me. I was half hoping you put them there as a joke."
"And the other half?"
"Was thinking about how much of a child you are."
L nodded in agreement and popped a blue M&M into his mouth, inwardly smirking at the visible twitch growing in Light's right brow.
"Now," Light stomped gracefully to the dresser, a feat L found himself idly marveling at. Normal stomping was dignified, but abrupt and hardly as sinuous as Light's movements were. The slight sway of Light's ass probably helped that L suspected. Light turned and caught L's stare. "Stop gawking at me and get out!"
L blinked, mind taking a devious turn. "Considering what has transpired between us I think it foolish for Light to be concerned with his modesty." Actually, L wasn't sure he was comfortable with seeing Light naked, it would be another step in an entirely wrong direction, but he wasn't about to let the younger male know that.
Said male turned on the spot and leveled L with an indecipherable and rather perturbing look. "Fine, but at least pick the M&Ms up off the bed?" And the towel dropped.
L gulped. Entirely wrong direction. Tan skin revealed itself to the detective in the appearance of sinfully long legs and a toned torso. Light turned his back to the room and L finally got to see the gentle curve of Light Yagami's ass without clothing. Tight was the only word running through L's ingenious mind, those were the only two syllables his mind was capable of comprehending. Of course it only got worse when Light bent over.
A sharp intake of breath could be heard around the room as L's already enlarged arousal gave a painful throb at the scene before it. Light was such a bastard. Despite the inappropriate growl working its way towards L's vocal chords, accompanied by a burning desire L knew he could not, under any circumstance, give into, the detective couldn't help the disappointment that came as Light pulled up a pair of silk, drawstring trousers, covering his buttocks. Of course, it did not escape L's attention that Light still wasn't wearing any underwear. He was the World's Greatest Detective after all.
Casting a glance over his shoulder, Light smirked at L who was hunching on the edge of the bed, staring at Light with painfully widened eyes. "The M&Ms?"
Knocked from his stupor, L glanced wildly down at the M&Ms and then back at Light who had turned his attention back to the closet and was doing god knew what. He didn't think he could collect the sweets fast enough. The silk pants had slipped low on the Light's hips and L balled his fist to keep his fingers from reaching over to touch. There would be no touching. Although if he didn't get out of the bedroom fast that last thought would be void, very, very void. Deciding the M&Ms were a necessary sacrifice he quickly made his way to the door before he did something stupid. Light could pick up the damn candy himself.
"Leaving?"
The question caught L off guard and he spun around. Shirtless, Light was still shirtless, coy grin twisting over his lips. L was fairly certain he was looking an open invitation directly in the eye, and it was rather easy to accept. He was L, an anti-social detective who spent his days crouching in front of a computer monitor and gorging himself with sweets. To say the least, he didn't get laid much. And with Light, the attraction was paramount.
"I should," L said honestly, firmly, but he knew it was a pointless admission. Light had clearly already made up his mind and L wouldn't be strong enough to resist. He didn't want to. He needed to give in, to lay aside the rational suspicion that there was more to Light Yagami than what the profiler revealed. The only way L would be able to formulate a plan against B was to cease thinking about Light and the possibility that the boy was untouchable. For that, L needed to touch, he needed to touch very much.
Light crossed the room, a small smile on his face that quickly became lost in the strands of L's hair as he rested his cheek against L's own. Soft lips released trembles of air against L's ear and the detective found himself grasping Light's bare hips, finger taking in the fresh warmth of the other male.
"Because you don't trust me?" Light laughed softly.
L chuckled in return, not even understanding why he chose that particular reaction to the question. "Because I shouldn't." And then he wrenched Light's head back, pulling roughly on his hair, and claimed Light's lips without remorse. He was L. He'd wanted Light Yagami for the better part of days, so he was going to fucking have him.
Surprisingly however, L found clarity. Relentlessly plunging into the beautiful mouth tilted back before him, sucking and tasting Light's tongue fervently, his mind was whipped blissfully blank and he saw, thought, felt more cogently than he had in weeks. It was a high, a meticulous, wonderful high of logic and pure bliss.
He pushed Light backwards, already wrenching his own shirt upwards, breaking the searing kiss to toss the white fabric over his head before once more plundering deeply into Light's mouth. It was a wonder the boy wasn't gagging. And then gravity had them falling atop the sheets, M&Ms scattering over the mattress as they hit the surface. Separated by silk and denim, hips rocked in perfect sync and a feverish blaze of discordant harmony. Unrefined, and yet both comprehended pure perfection in the movements. Light ignored the feel of candy pressing into his back in favor of clawing over L's own bare, skin. Sweat was already beading over both of them and L went for the strings of Light's pants.
The silk, shimmering in the open bathroom light, was pulled down, and L moved with it, running his finger tips down Light's legs, which were smoother than the silk he removed from them. Tan, warm, he brushed his lips over the interior of Light's knee, spreading the long legs and pulling them forward to bring his lips to Light's thigh. Sheets pooled over the edge of the mattress, pulled on by Light, M&Ms scattering over the floor as well as into the folds of the fabric, a rainbow on white, the color from the candy bleeding into the fabric and over Light's body. L could see where some of them had stuck to Light's skin and it brought a grin to his face. Hooking Light's leg over his shoulder his tongue flicked out, scooping a green M into his mouth and letting the half melted morsel run down his throat.
An intake of breath could be heard from above and L glanced up to see drunken amber eyes staring at him in unbridled lust. "Forgive me for not picking them up as you requested." And he slid another between his lips.
Light sat up and L's eyes widened, long fingers gripping Light's leg, still hooked over his shoulder. Damn, the man was flexible. The FBI agent's other leg wound behind L, sliding the detective's body in closer, and the M&Ms shifted again. An arm fell behind L's neck and Light kissed him, tongue flicking into the detective's moth this time, absorbing the flavor of chocolate which pervaded the insomniac's mouth. A moan escaped the back of L's throat and he felt the smirk against his tongue.
Oh that wouldn't do at all.
And suddenly Light was on his back, pinned to the mattress, chocolate melting against his body heat, and L's pants were coming off. Little known fact, but L went commando. However, something L had quickly learned that evening, grinding against denim quickly left him feeling raw. The jeans hit the floor and their two bodies were skin on skin. Gripping skin, feeling skin, writhing against skin.
Obscene. It was truly the only way to describe the maddening beauty the detective had captured beneath his body. It was obscene, unholy, and so blessedly sinful L couldn't resist. He could not wait, his erection communicated that much to him with every painful throb it jolted up his spine. The warmth was collecting, pooling into a hardened need that desired immediate fulfillment. He stretched Light's legs open, watching the man's lidded eyes flutter at the sudden absence of L against his chest, and then realization hit in the same moment L rammed inside.
"Son of a BITCH!" Light bucked heavily against L, shout ringing off the walls, hands splayed on either side of his body as he gripped the sheets for purchase. And L thrust into him again, using the headboard as a means to reach further into Light's body.
Eyes narrowed with desire, he didn't close them, didn't even blink as he drank in the sight of Light Yagami's panting form beneath him. L couldn't help but enjoy the image, the sight alone sending more heat into his groin, while the sounds Light made just drove him crazy. Another thrust had Light's hips shooting upwards, meeting the movement head on.
Oh he wanted it bad. Auburn hair suddenly brushed L's cheek as Light shot upwards, removing his leg from L's shoulder to wrap himself around the detective's body. He used upwards momentum to take in the force of L's hips. Nails dug into the pale flesh of L's back and a keening moan laced through the air. He tilted his head back, L's fingers tangling into the locks of his auburn hair, and he groaned, the feeling of L inside him, moving into him, rocking steadily into his body roughly… God he was being fucked raw and every moment sent a dose of deliria straight to his brain. But shit, L was not being nice about it.
He was slow, maddeningly slow and it was making Light a tad furious. L could see it in the sweat painted brow, the gritted teeth, and the shuddering body beneath him, flexing, hitching against his own hips in an effort to spur L's body onward, make it move faster. Light wanted to cease the wretched taunting and just be fucked. He'd felt that sweet hit come slowly and he wanted more of it, needed more.
And something in L made him happy to oblige. He moved faster, savoring the groans pervading throughout the room, unaware that he made up one half of the orgasming orchestra. He rocked into Light, taking him relentlessly, biting and sucking on the other's sweat and chocolate stained skin. L could feel the M&Ms breaking beneath his fingers as he drew them down Light's back, smearing colored candy coating and sweetness across glowing skin and towards the boy's wonderfully firm ass. He gripped tightly and jerked Light upwards, shoving deeper into the man he suspected of working with Beyond Birthday. But that was not a thought he entertained as he drove into Light.
Nothing. He thought of nothing save the feeling of skin on skin. The feeling of Light shuddering beneath him, around him, clawing at him, lapping at his shoulder in desperation, and the feeling drove L to completion. The detective fell over that edge, releasing a deep cry of glorious ecstasy into sweat drenched locks of reddish-brown, and he feel deeply against Light. Still inside he began to return the favor.
His hand clasped over Light's own throbbing erection and it was almost more than Light could take. Still reeling from the feeling of L invading his body, the heat flaring across his veins was infuriating, twisting, painful. Light needed the completion and L gave it to him, hard, with one painful jerk because Light had already been so close. L had sensed the younger man teetering on that brink of pleasure, ready to cum seconds after L would. And as always, L was not wrong. He gripped Light hard and with one last pump release came to the heart wrenchingly, attractive male propped against him.
After that there was nothing between them except heavy breathing and an acute exhaustion. Neither wanted to comprehend what had just occurred, they were too busy basking in the afterglow. Tangling his arms loosely around L's torso, Light pulled L down into a light kiss before two pairs of eyes fluttered shut and oblivion was met.
3B
When L woke it was to find that the clarity granted by sex with Light had not abandoned him. It hadn't been a fluke of the mind, addled by hormones and humanity in its rawest form. Sprawled against the breathing form of Light, L found his mind functioning at a capacity he'd not yet reached while working against Beyond Birthday. Perhaps confronting the emotions pulling him towards Light physically as opposed to mentally, as he had been doing, cleared his head of the matter entirely. No longer was it an issue. The concern now lingered in the back of L's mind, amidst the things he knew not to worry about. He'd made his claim. Now, he just needed to see if that claim held up against Beyond.
Something told the detective it would. If only he knew what to do…
L's attention was drawn away from B and into the dimly lit bedroom as Light stirred.
Soft brown eyes opened slowly and Light blinked owlishly up at his bed partner. "You slept."
L blinked back at his new lover. "Despite contrary belief, I do sleep."
"Those bags under your eyes could have fooled me."
"Prissy this morning aren't we?"
Light rolled over and glared. "I fell asleep in chocolate. I'm sticky."
"You also taste rather nice." L smirked as Light's cheeks flushed a cute shade of pink. The color reminded him of the darker blush that had revealed itself over Light's body only hours before. To make a point of his statement L leaned over Light and kissed his shoulder, fingers gently carding through auburn hair, tongue sliding out to lick at the faint smear of chocolate pained across Light's skin.
Hissing, Light pushed L off of him with a playful chuckle, but he didn't release the detective's hand. "L, I need a shower."
"Hm…"
"No."
"No?" L pouted. "I didn't even say anything."
Whisky colored eyes turned towards the ceiling in exasperation. "The only way you're getting anywhere near my wet, naked body is if you hide under the sink. You'd rather keep me covered in chocolate anyway."
'He does have a point…' L thought with a smile, watching lustfully as Light wrapped a sheet around his bare hips and headed into the bathroom. 'I could hide…' And suddenly L was up, that last thought occurring to him in multiple ways.
Light glanced back, watching L practically jump into his jeans before shaking his head and shutting the door between himself and the detective. He'd ask L about it after his shower, when he was clean and L was less likely to drag him back to bed.
L was mildly miffed at Light's lack of interest, but at the same time it was a blessing. He needed to talk to Near and that was a conversation Light didn't need to be privy to.
Walking briskly from the bedroom, L found the albino sitting on the floor in front of one of Matt's laptops, feet kicking through the air, eyes intently focused on the screen. Considering the early hour of the morning it was unsurprising Near was the only one currently up. Walking around the boy L peered over the monitor.
"Dexter?" L asked with interest.
"Matt downloaded it illegally, along with a thousand other movie titles, some of which are not appropriate for minors in any country of the world. This one I found under the file "Melly Hates These," and for once I find myself in agreement with Mello. This show documents an extremely perverse form of justice."
L crouched down beside his potential successor, thumb nail already in his mouth. "If Dexter's perverse than what do you think of Batman?"
Near's attention turned from the screen to L blankly. "Batman wears tights."
"Not Bateman Batman. He wears an armored suit."
"Roger banned American Psycho. We're not allowed to read it."
L was fairly certain he wasn't imagining the forlorn look in Near's eyes as he made that statement. L also didn't really care, though he made a mental note to retract the ban, and instead got straight to the point. He didn't have much time.
"I want you to go through a list of every Wammy alumni currently active in the world, including students. See how many of them have a connection to Beyond Birthday, Light Yagami, or any of the subsequent cases Light has worked on."
Near reached over and paused the T.V. show to sit up properly. "May I ask why you're requesting this information?"
L pulled a half melted candy bar from his pocket and took a bite. "You may."
Quickly translating the statement into what L actually meant, Near nodded. "You are under the impression that Beyond's accomplice is someone who came from Wammy's."
"It would make the most sense, I can't see B getting anyone but a Wammy's graduate to go along with whatever he's been doing."
"He got Yagami to cooperate," Near pointed out.
It was rather difficult for L to resist slapping the child sitting before him, but he also had to resist slapping himself. He had directed Near to search into anyone connected to Light after all. Yes, L was a hypocrite through and through. Frowning, L started to formulate a reply that would please both Near while allowing him to continue sleeping with Light without guilt, but he was saved the impossible task by Light himself.
Toweling his hair dry and dressed in jeans and a cashmere turtleneck, Light threw a white sweater onto L's head. "You forgot something."
Near glanced between the two before picking up Matt's computer and moving to his bedroom, emotionless and without any clues to his thoughts. L was rather grateful for that. Shrugging on the shirt, he nodded his thanks to Light and headed for the kitchen.
Light followed after him silently, pausing in the doorway to watch L pull bags of sweets from the cupboards and stash them into a paper bag. "You're new plan involves a road trip?"
Not even sparing Light a glance, L took a cake from the fridge and put it into his bag. "What makes you think I have a new plan? This could just be surveillance provisions."
"Please," Light leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest in a way that made L think of an overpaid model. "Beyond Birthday is the only thing that could keep you from barging into the shower with me."
"Jealous Mr. Yagami?" The thought had L internally dancing.
"Slightly, but the same could be said for me. Beyond has that kind of personality."
L's mental dance stopped at that declaration. Perhaps no matter what B would always have some sort of claim on Light, but L was determined to claim more of the profiler, to possess enough of Light that B was no longer a threat in any way shape or form.
Shoving another cake into the bag, which was ready to tear open, L turned to Light. The man was staring at him thoughtfully and L would've given his entire bag of sweets and then some to know what Light thought of him. He also knew, after what had taken place last night, he could have asked, and maybe the answer he received would have been the truth. But L couldn't bring the words to his lips, and he knew Light could see that too.
"Go rent me a nice car."
Light blinked, taken aback for a moment before quickly schooling his features into an expression of amusement. "We're not taking your obnoxiously pink crepe mobile?"
"I ran out of crepe mix, so doing so would be pointless. Thus, the bag." And then L deposited the bag into Light's arms before kissing him on the cheek sweetly. "Now be a good boyfriend and go rent me a nice sports car. If all works out we can break a few laws tonight."
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A/N: There are less than five chapters left.