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Chapter 28: The Gym

Aug 4, 03 00

Having tossed and turned about for an eternity since her bedtime the night before, Rui finally gave up and screamed into her pillow. Of course she knew why she was this perturbed. What was Ryuzaki's whole deal, s-sucking her finger like that? Out of curiosity, she had tasted the ointment. Surprisingly, it didn't taste like anything at all, except perhaps a slight bitterness. But now she couldn't stop thinking about a certain detective. Seriously, why had he-? How was she going to face him now? She was sure her reaction had been obvious to him, too. What must he think of her? A loose woman, perhaps? Someone who couldn't control their own libido? Someone to take advantage of?

That last thought carried the same effect being dowsed in ice water would. It wouldn't be the first time someone had taken advantage of her feelings. She didn't want to think that Ryuzaki could be that kind of person, though. Besides, what could he really want with her? Definitely not information, for he had it already. Her help? She'd help him freely, no need for any manipulation. He had far more material wealth at his fingertips than she would ever have after an entire lifetime's career, so that was out.

...Sex? Was that what he wanted? But he wouldn't- He couldn't-

Canon had never touched much on the personal lives of the task force, least of all L. But it didn't seem like Ryuzaki to- Well. She supposed it was possible that he had an active libido that he was just good at disguising. But she was sure there were more... suitable candidates for Ryuzaki to direct his... inclinations towards, if he were so, well, inclined. Yet, she could not interpret his move as harbouring anything except sexual intention.

Rui raked her fingers through her hair in frustration. Thoughts of this nature had been running around in her head since... since it happened, actually, and they just circled back to the same confusing point. She hadn't even been able to distract herself with work, since past the initial settling down into the new space, there hadn't actually been much to do.

If memory served, there was a gym on level 2. She perked up. Time to work out all this irritation.

In fifteen minutes since the idea came to her, Rui was on a treadmill. Ten minutes after that, she was running her heart out, relishing the release of endorphins that relaxed her and lifted her formerly stuffy mood.

She laughed to herself. This gym was dope, all shiny new machines and modern design. Who cared about Ryuzaki? There was just her and this treadmill that measured the power she was putting in. She increased its speed. Running was fun. Running was freeing and relaxing. Running was easy. Running was-

Rui thought she heard a soft thud from the adjoining room. She hadn't paid very much attention, having made a beeline for the treadmills, but she was sure it was a small studio. She'd just assumed the lights were on 24/7 in the gym and hadn't questioned it, but was someone else here? She mentally sifted through the list of possible candidates: Ryuzaki, of course, but he didn't seem like the kind to use the gym; Watari, possibly, but he seemed more likely to use the shooting range in the basement; Misa, perhaps, but she needed her beauty sleep and was thus unlikely to be here. That left only Matsuda.

Should she leave them be, or go look?

Truth be told, she wanted some sort of company. If it were anyone but Matsuda, she'd leave.

Grinning a little in anticipation, Rui crept over to the studio and poked her head in stealthily. She regretted it immediately, though. What was that saying, 'think of the devil and he doth appear'?

With her luck, she should've expected none other than Ryuzaki, of course. But the sight he presented was too intriguing for her to leave immediately. He was dressed like he usually was, but with the sleeves carelessly pushed up to reveal his forearms, and he appeared to be practising some sort of martial art, the same sort he'd used in his fight with Light.

Rui didn't really have the terms to describe what he was doing. He was on the floor, and his starting position had his palms and heels planted on the floor, supporting him, and his hips lifted, then his left leg did a swing to the left as his torso rotated with it, both providing the momentum he needed for his right leg to kick the punching bag with enough force that a resounding thud sounded.* He was doing this swing-kicking thing over and over, moving more fluidly than Rui would ever have imagined him being capable of, creating that thud sound over and over again.

By some unseen cue known only to Ryuzaki, he now began to swing to the right, just as fluidly, this time using his left leg to perform the kicks. He began with one practice kick, creating that softer thud that Rui had first heard. And then his movements intensified and soon the thuds of the punching bag got louder and fell into a nice cadence.

Rui wasn't sure how long she stood there, just watching him. His shirt slid up (or was it down?) every time he sprang up to deliver the kick, exposing a very lean but highly defined abdomen that, when hidden under his typical baggy outfits, added to the illusion that he was all skin and bones. How had she never noticed the lean sinewy cords of muscle that made up his arms? Or perhaps she shouldn't be surprised. She'd read before that L had a very low body fat percentage.

She knew the gig was up when his eyes slid to meet hers in one of the wall mirrors. Come to think of it, he'd probably known of her presence for a while if he could see her in the mirror. She cringed at the thought. "Rui."

Shit. "Hey Ryuzaki," she greeted him sheepishly, pasting on a smile to hide any awkwardness, though she was unable to release the tense set to her shoulders. "Fancy me seeing you here." Physical activity rather suited him, she thought. It gave some colour to his usually paper-white visage, and seeing him actually pant and perspire from exertion reminded Rui that despite everything, he still was a human, made of flesh and blood just as she was. No, no, no, what was she even thinking? She had to focus.

He was watching her in that hyperfocused way he used on Light, except it was different, somehow, his gaze gently, fluidly caressing her frame. Rui should leave, she really should, but she stood stock-still, almost afraid to move, breathing shallowly, knowing that he would catch every nuance of her expression or action. He wasn't doing it in any invasive way that would make her skin crawl, just... like he was taking her in, but it made blood pound in her ears, and she felt a little faint.

What the hell. Was he not even trying to hide this? No, probably, she was making a mountain out of a molehill and he hadn't meant anything by it. Exasperated by her own reaction, Rui fought the blush that was threatening to bleed into her complexion, as she folded her hands in front of her exposed stomach. She knew she should have worn a sports shirt on top of her sports bra, but she hadn't expected to see anyone, and it was too late, now.

"I haven't seen you train before," Rui began conversationally, valiantly ignoring his staring, and the tension that lay thick between them. It didn't exist if they didn't acknowledge it. "Is this some form of martial art?" If nothing appeared to change, then nothing would, and Rui was determined to keep it that way, until she could make sense of it all.

It took a little longer than was normal for him to respond, but eventually he finished his... perusal of her and met her gaze squarely. "That was capoeira. I picked it up after I was introduced to it on a case." His voice was a little breathless, but otherwise calm.

"Ah, a Brazilian martial art disguised as dance, huh?" Rui continued, shifting her gaze somewhere between his eyes and browbone. "A-ah, I see." On the spot, she couldn't think of what else to say. So much for her plan.

The detective in question seemed to have finally caught his breath, for he wiped his forehead carelessly with the back of his hand, pulled himself to his feet, and began to shuffle towards Rui's general direction. She spied a full water bottle on the table just inside the studio and picked it up, moving forward to pass it to him.

She stared, transfixed, as he drank deeply from the bottle, droplets of water escaping his lips to run tantalisingly down his pale throat, past his Adam's apple to pool at the neckline of his white shirt, which darkened slightly from the moisture. Rui gulped, too.

Once he had drained the bottle, she reached out to take it from him, her fingers accidentally brushing his before they found purchase around the bottle. It was such a cliche, she knew, but she could've sworn it felt like she'd touched electricity for just a moment. She couldn't hide the jolt as she withdrew her hand. And she'd probably imagined the slight jerk of his fingers away, as well.

This was stupid, this was all in her head, and this was highly unnecessary. Had she mentioned how stupid she thought it was? When you're into someone, your body pumps out hormones and endorphins and whatnot. Everyone knows that, and that's what's creating that electric sensation. Quit making something out of nothing, she admonished herself, trying to ignore the way she could feel his gaze lazily drift from her hand, up her arm, to catch her gaze. The skin on her arm tingled, and weirdly, so did her nipples.

For one terrifying moment, her mind went blank, and all she could do was stumble back a couple paces awkwardly, before she stared down at the empty plastic in her hands, momentarily mesmerised by the way it caught the light as she crushed it. It did the trick of shifting her focus, and she was reminded of her own untouched water bottle back at the treadmill she'd abandoned.

No, Rui might have lapsed a little, but she was regaining her equanimity. She smiled at Ryuzaki again, rubbing at her neck. "Well, it was pretty cool to see you practice, actually. But I'm going to go finish my own workout now. See you later!"

Or at least, that would've been the plan, for Ryuzaki to, you know, leave her alone. Instead, he trailed her all the way to her treadmill. Rui shot him a look that was equal parts annoyed and questioning, as she waited for the machine to boot up again. "Do you make it a habit to watch people workout?" she demanded.

"Do you?"

Touche.

"That's different!" she retorted, then tried her best at an explanation in case he got the wrong idea. Or rather, the right idea that she didn't want him to get. "I mean, you were doing capoeira, so that was interesting to watch. Here, I'm doing running, which I'm sure you've seen countless people do. It's run-of-the-mill stuff, nothing to see here."

Belatedly, she realised that she'd made a lame pun, and chuckled to herself, deciding to ignore him again.

"I'm surveying the performance of these treadmills," he finally replied.

She quirked a brow at him, then turned back to the treadmill to increase its speed and incline. That sounded like utter tripe to her. But hey, if he wanted to waste his time hanging about in his gym... She shrugged, consciously pushing away the parts of her that wanted to be self-conscious in the presence of someone whose opinion of her was beginning to matter.

Ryuzaki watched as Rui became absorbed in her choice of exercise. A glance at the clock told him he could spare another hour here, before he had to see to the first Kira. Truthfully, he wasn't sure why he didn't just leave. Watari had agreed to spar with him more regularly after they were able to move into headquarters, but he wasn't available this morning.

He was just as uncertain why he'd actually gone and done what he did to Rui the day before. Ryuzaki wasn't actually a stranger to physical intimacy, transactional and impersonal though his experiences had been**. He did not see any issues with this, for it was, in his mind, no different from purchasing a regular service. It was legal, they were treated well and were willing, they were paid highly with extra for their discretion, and were, as professionals, safer than the alternative. It was convenient, came with no strings attached, and sated his urges well enough for him to continue with more important things. Besides, it helped build contacts that helped in his line of work; he'd already come to know of and had brought down several illegal sex trafficking rings based on these encounters.

He employed them far less often now in the capacity of their primary occupation than he had when he'd been younger and much more hormonal. It wasn't worth the hassle of making arrangements, getting tested, and shifting locations more often than was strictly necessary.

No, he knew why the inclination to touch Rui had been there, but physical attraction in itself meant nothing to him. He'd been attracted to scads of others before and had certainly managed to keep those under wraps, even when he hadn't had it in a while, and he intended to do the same in Rui's case. He never got involved with those he had to spend an extended amount of time with, for it needlessly complicated matters.

Oh, Rui was attractive enough, but the fair types tended to draw his eye more. In principle, this should not be as difficult as he was finding it to be. And yet, he had... actually acted on his impulses.

It was her gentle ministrations that did it, just faint enough to tease at the edge of his senses, making him desirous of more. And when that desire had been granted, his whole body had tingled from her caress. Partly to make her stop, partly in response to her, he'd taken her finger into his mouth to suck. He couldn't decide whether to be annoyed or grateful that the Yagamis had appeared when they did, before other parts of his anatomy could react in a more embarrassing and visceral way.

Apparently, it didn't take much to get him going when it came to Rui, if the way he couldn't take his eye from her in her exercise getup was any indication.

He was 98% certain that it hadn't gone unnoticed by Rui either, if the tense way she had behaved arounf him earlier was any indication. He wanted to lick away those tantalising drops of perspiration that were collecting in the hollow of her throat, and feel her curves against him. What kind of sounds would she make-

Ryuzaki bit viciously on his nail, finally looking away from her. No, it was that slip of his control, more than any latent level of attraction, that disturbed him greatly. It was difficult to think straight around her.

Ryuzaki had always exhibited a strong tendency to hyperfocus on one thing,until he'd gleaned everything he was able to, and then he moved on to the next fixation. It served him well in his line of work. Unfortunately, now that there was a lull in the case, his interest had fixated on a person instead. Funny, he'd never had that happen before.

He only had himself to blame for this, but Rui had to leave. She was a distraction, one that could cause him to slip up and overlook something, and his line of work did not leave much room for error. Besides, her presence in this case had been Watari's idea. That should have clued him in to the fact that things were bound to go pear-shaped sooner or later, for that old man never did anything without a reason to his own end. But at that time, Ryuzaki hadn't been able to find much of a flaw in Watari's rationale as to why they should keep her. He still couldn't, in fact, besides that one hiccup.

Still, he was fairly sure the old man wouldn't put up too much of a protest if they were to release her compensation to her early. In fact, he would have Watari link her case up with some of the more scientifically-inclined minds at Wammy's. They would have a greater chance at fulfilling her wish to return.

Ryuzaki did not like thinking about Wammy's and their successor programme. It galled him to even contemplate the need for a successor to L's position. His position, which he, aided by Watari's resources, had worked to create, establish and tailor according to his innate skills and predilections. He certainly wasn't replaceable , as the existence of this programme would imply. But then again, Watari had never been inclined to place significance on finer differences, in people or otherwise.

As far as he was concerned, the gifted occupants of the Orphanage could and should forge their own paths, consistent with their own innate abilities, rather than be subsumed in something that was never made for them in the first place. As such, he was largely content to leave them well alone.

But they had their uses.

Ryuzaki scowled, or at least, did his version of a scowl, which amounted to a slight downturn in the corners of his mouth, for he couldn't seem to let go of the memory of a terrified Rui, manhandled unwillingly by one of the lowest examples of humankind.

Rui wasn't yet ready to be cut loose.

Notes:

*I'm referring to 6:20 in the youtube video titled 'Capoeira training FOR BEGINNERS | How to train at home?' by Xplaining capoeira.

**OK, my take on L's sexual experience might be a tad controversial, and I know there's a stigma attached to sex work. But tbh I don't see any issues with willing sex work in and of itself. IMO the problems only come about if sex workers are forced into it (either through sex trafficking or life circumstances like poverty), abused, degraded, put in danger, underage, made addicts etc, and I don't support any of that. Besides, it's an honest living, as opposed to those who profit off the degradation of others, so I think sex workers deserve respect and dignity.

I don't particuIarly see the problem with men paying for sex either, as long as they're being safe about it and ethical about it, treating sex workers with the dignity every human deserves. And if they're not in an exclusive relationship and cheating on their partners, of course.

But that's just idealism speaking. I mean, in practice, your typical dude probably doesn't have the discernment to be able to differentiate between sex workers there of their own will vs those who are coerced into it, and of course you always have those numbnuts who have sick impulses or make them do things their partners won't do.

So yeah, long story short, I don't think there's anything morally wrong with sex in and of itself, bought or not. It's only when context and other factors come into play that I fee comfortable slapping a value judgment on it.